Rain… There was rain. A flood. The rushing abyss. A black tide laced with red. No, he was wrong… It wasn’t just a flood; it was a war. And the sea of red was no blood. Blood did not blink. Blood did not glare with hate. No, hate was the wrong word… Hunger.
“Wake up,” he heard a voice cry out.
Wake… up… Wasn’t he awake already?
“Get up, damn you.”
Groggily, Cian opened his eyes.
[System]
Welcome to [Thawgarden] [Gnoll] [Rainy]
Parameter: The snow of [Thawgarden] has all but melted away as a once in a lifetime event, an azure dragon, has come. And with the dragon comes ill-tidings—for wherever it roams, nature itself bends to its will. And, sometimes, beyond the breaking point. With a roar, the azure dragon blackened out the sun and cast the world into a never-ending torrent. The gnolls worship the creature, and guard its most sacred treasure; the [Radiant Stone]. With it, one could return this land back to its natural origins of sleet and snow, change it for the better, making it a tropical paradise… or forsake the people who live here entirely, and horde the jewel for themselves.
What choice will you make?
Cian opened his eyes.
On both sides, he found himself surrounded by gnolls, creatures that stood on two legs, but bore a heavy resemblance to that of a hyena. They wore clothes, like humans, and armor, like warriors. Through the perpetual dark and blanket of rain, he could smell their sickly musk and see their red-tainted eyes, which flashed, mirroring the thunder that crackled overhead. Every strike revealed more and more of their numbers, and the heat that radiated from their furred bodies was stuffling.
Cian felt a hand on him. Looking, he saw Sri with a face of absolute panic.
“Wake up, you idiot.”
Cian shook himself, forcing his legs to move as he stood. He wore the same snow coat as he did when he was in [Thawgarden], but now it was soaked, wet and heavy, brushing irritably against his skin.
“Where are we?” he asked.
“The scenario,” Sri replied. “Don’t you remember?”
Cian head swirled, but slowly, his memories fixed, and he nodded. “[Thawgarden] [Gnoll] [Rainy],” he said. “The scenario.”
“Did you get the sys-message?”
As his vision cleared, he nodded. Looking at Sri, with her weapons at the ready, he held out a hand and willed his [Swordbreaker] to appear. It dropped a moment later into his eagerly awaiting fingers.
“No need for that,” a voice said, almost in a growl. Low… and so full of violence. “We can come to an… understanding.”
“What understanding?” Sri replied.
The voice chuckled, then echoed another, and another, and soon, the entire group of gnolls that stood before them were howling with laughter.
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The same voice cut through and all was silent except that voice, which said, “An understanding that there is no prevailing for you here. There is no way out. But, instead of killing you, and offering your flesh to our ever-so-hungry offspring, perhaps we can make a deal.” There was a low growl that bespoke that whatever deal was made, it would not favor them.
Cian tried to seek hidden meaning behind the gnolls’ words.
[System]
Intuition check…
The gnoll’s words echo true in your head.
Debuff acquired: [Intimidated]
“You get the [Debuff] as well?” Sri asked.
Cian nodded. “[Intimidated]... Just like that bandit I killed.”
“Lowers some of your [Stats] regarding various checks. We—We cannot win this fight. We should do as the creature says. Or, at least, hear the offer.”
Cian nodded once again as Sri sheathed her weapons. He dismissed his own.
“Good,” the gnoll said, chuckling. Then, the sea of red eyes split, and one of the creatures, far taller than the rest, dressed in various shining silver metal armors, with dark-gray lining which led to a cowl which they wore over their head, appeared. “It seems you lesser species have some sense about you.”
“Lesser?” Sri replied, gnashing her teeth.
“Lesser,” the gnoll asserted. “Weaker. Powerless. Ineffective.”
Sri whispered some curse under her breath.
“What is it you want from us?” Cian asked.
“We want [Thawgarden].” There was a deep-seated anger that boiled just below the surface of the creature’s words.
[System]
Intuition check…
You get a sense that there is a personal reason this gnoll is hiding regarding [Thawgarden].
The gnoll leader eyes him dangerously, those red orbs drilling into him. “So far the villagers of [Thawgarden] have been resilient to our efforts to rout them. The azure god has spoken, and yet they do not listen. They have felt the pressure of the azure gods’ wings, and yet they hide in fear. We will make them hear the words. Make them hear the roar of thunder as the rain washes away their misbegotten tears. They are to be offerings to the azure god. Can they not see that their flesh, made fat from a life of gluttony, must serve a greater purpose? A higher cause?”
“You want us to convince them… to sacrifice themselves… to your god?”
“It is your god too,” the gnoll leader replied. “And theirs as well. You do not choose a god, it chooses its people. And it has chosen us as its honored hosts, and the people of [Thawgarden] as cattle.”
“I’ll uh… see what I can do.”
[System]
Deceit check…
You get a sense that the gnoll doesn’t trust you.
“See that you do,” the gnoll leader replied. “But, to make sure…” Three other gnolls, dressed in dark-gray robes, pulled out swords, pointing them at Sri. “We’ll keep the goblin girl.”
She placed a hand on the hilt of her dagger. “The hell you will—”
“I need her,” Cian said.
The gnoll leader eyed him carefully. “Why?” they asked.
“As you said… we are weak. If we are to convince those of [Thawgarden], then we will need to show them strength. We cannot possibly do it alone. You’ll need to send us both.”
[System]
Deceit check…
Playing on the gnolls ego, you get the sense that they hear the wisdom in your words.
The gnoll leader smiled, flashing a long row of sharp teeth which were fitted with silver crowns. “As you say, you are weak.” They lifted a hand, and the three gnolls whom had brandished weapons disappeared back into the sea of red eyes. “You two may go, but be warned… if you betray us, I will choose one of you, flay your flesh, and force the other to watch and then… consume.”
A chorus of laughter echoed out as a path out of the sea of red eyes opened.
Cian pulled on Sri’s arm. “Let’s go,” he said, tugging at her.
Reluctantly, she let herself be led away, a chorus of echoing laughter following their every step through the soggy ground and into the world of perpetual rain.
