Holly's Solo DnD Adventure #2 - Welcome to Hell

The weightless feeling ceased. Holly opened her blue eyes unveiling a foreign scene before her. Before her there was an ashen-skinned man, whose very appearance left her stunned. He was adorned in wings, one side white and pure, other dark and twisted. The gnarled horn carried an ornate halo adorned with flowers.

The man looked up from his desk as he was tapping away at something using his four arms. His Blue and purple hetrocromatic eyes glanced at Holly then returned to his piece of paper that he was tapping away at.

“I do hope you are not going to stare all day. It’s not every day a creature mutated by angel’s blood slips through the planes in between.” He said.

His voice was soft and gentle, yet held subtle notes of power. Holly had no idea what to even say or do. Her wings instinctively moved to hug her body in an attempt to comfort herself. She just stood there and watched, too afraid to make a move.

A sight left the man’s mouth as he looked up from his desk. He rested his head on top of his clawed hand.

“Not much for words are you? I’ll get straight to the point then. Your tainted blood is interesting to me. Quite frankly I can use it, awaken it into something greater than you could ever imagine. Nobody who lives in this mortal word goes without desires, what is it that you seek?”

For the first time in Holly’s life she was offended, tainted blood? How could something so universally praised be considered tainted? However, his piercing eyes saw right through  Holly. She got the distinct impression that if she lied or even uttered the words “don’t know” there would be dire consequences. The aasimar from faltered ever so slightly. She didn’t know what she wanted. She was happy just making others happy.

“I wish for my family to be well off.” she said, uncertain of a reaction she would receive.

A deep exhale left the winged man’s mouth. His expression changed to boredom. 

“Allow me to restate my question. What is your most selfish desire? Think hard.” he said.

The words practically flew out of his mouth. Holly felt like a scolded child. A selfish desire, if only a thing like that actually existed for a being like her. Whether it was serving the church, serving her family, or even serving her community as a guardswoman. Everyone expected her to be the paragon of virtue. Yet everyone else got to be slobs in comparison. Yet what was even more maddening to Holly was the fact that this powerful stranger wanted her to serve him.

The four arm man smirked as he saw the minutest twinge resentment from the aasimar. A trait he could use to guide his soon fallen aasimar. 

“I want to be stronger. I’m so tired of everyone pushing their ideals and goals on me. ” She admitted.

The sounds of continued tapping filled the room. It was unnerving to Holly. The man’s gaze drifted back to his desk as he continued to tap away. Holly’s blood ran cold as she wasn’t sure what mess she was getting herself into. She didn’t want to die. People still depended on her.

“What do you mean by awakening something in me?” she asked softly.

The tapping continued as the man simply extended his magnificent pure white wings.

“It’s easier to make angels than it is to convince angels to join me.” He said as if it was an afterthought.

Holly paused for a moment, unsure what to even make of such a statement. Ever since she was a child it was drilled into her by her father and the other priests that angelhood was something that a divine god granted. It was only achieved through sacrifice and righteous living. Yet before her sat a mysterious man who offered it to her, as if it was just a simple thing to grant.

 “What caused you to deviate to the path chosen for you?” he asked bluntly.

The tapping ceased as the man picked up the piece of paper. Holly leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the paper.

“The guard captain told me that I am needed back in like a week. I saw a task on the board, figured I could make a quick bit of money on the side.” She replied nervously.

The man let out a little chuckle. He held his hands together and placed his elbows on the table with a smile.

“Strengh and fortune.” He repeated with a hum. “Well my dear, I will grant these things to you. In my care, you will ascend and achieve your divine right. Your name will be either etched with love or feared as you desire.”

There was a pause as the man stood up. He walked up to Holly with a gentle step commanding respect, and worship. With a gentle grace he picked up her right hand. His scent was overbearing, a floral like scent but intertwined with acrid smoke. His pained nails moved like liquid. Shimmering and swirling like a starry night.

“All I ask for in return is simple. I, Zasha Amery, expect you to worship no other gods. You will complete all the tasks I ask of you” There was a pause in his gentle, commanding voice. “Most importantly, you will not speak ill of me or besmirch it.”

Holly looked down at her right hand. She looked up at Zasha with uncertainty. 

“And if I fail?” she asked quietly.

Zasha lifted up Holly’s chin. Her blue eyes looked at his anticipating the worst case scenario in this intimate position. Yet he just smiled, warm and sweet.

“You will know what it means to feel forgotten, cast aside, and stripped of everything you hold dear. You will never know peace again little angel.” He said in a cold, unnerving tone.

Holly took a step back, attempting to reach for a weapon that wasn’t there. Zasha simply rolled his eyes. For once he would prefer it that these pacts would have been made quicker.

“And If I refuse this offer?”

The winged man simply rolled his wrist. “You’ll be free to go, no strings attached, no curses or what other immortal things people do.” he said, almost disregarding the idea.

The aasimar was confronted with what she felt was a life altering choice. The choice that she was expected to make was obvious. However, she wouldn’t be able to sing in the church’s choir anymore, her family would be disappointed in her. There was no way she could appease both sides. Holly took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

“Come now. You worry too much. Think about your goals, your wants and desires. I assure you we can help each other out as mutual partners in the foreseeable future.” he added as he paced around her.

Holly felt a little dizzy watching Zasha pace around. Yet she couldn’t deny his words.

“I accept.” she said, cautiously. Hoping not to regret her actions.

Zasha walked towards her and slipped on a blue and gold bracelet that he was wearing onto her right hand. He gestured for Holly to follow him towards his desk, and gave her a quill.

“Sign here and there.”

Obediently she followed through motions. The pact was made. Zasha handed her a copy of the contract and smiled. 

“We shall talk again soon my soon-to-be angel. It’s time for you to wake up.”

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Holly found herself waking up in a dreary place illuminated by a single torch. Her body felt heavy. The floor underneath felt uneven and dusty. As she picked herself up, he heard something snap. Her new vantage point revealed it to be a pile of bones. She quickly scrambled out of the pit toward the pure white fame of the torch. 

The skeletal hands attempted to grab her, the shadows raced towards Holly. The aasmiar heart raced as her footing slipped a few times. Thankfully, having a body of flesh was stronger than  these fragile bones. She looked back at the pit, her blood turned to ice as a bead of sweat formed on her head. If those hands managed to grab then her body would waste away and join the desecrated pile. The aasimar 

She turns away and recollected herself, the soothing flame of the torch. It was kept in place with an iron band that clung to the obsidian wall. Underneath was a pedestal with three dust covered objects on it. A silver amulet with a pendant carved to be in the shape of an eye, a glowing green emerald and a slightly bent copper spear.

her eyes instantly noticed the inscription on the pedestal, it was written in celestial. Inscribed with beautiful lettering the words; To fight the darkness, we must always hold onto the light.

Her head tilted to the side, was this some kind of clue to escape this tomb? She picked up the glowing emerald. With her right hand. Her eyes widened as she saw the bracelet around her wrist. Holly’s wing drooped, just exactly did she get herself into? Was this some kind of trail that her new master placed her under?

Her focus went back to the gem. It had an uneven heaviness to it, as if it was filled with water. Yet with a closer inspection there seemed to be a little shadow that avoided the places she touched. A curious oddity. She looked around to see if there was any place for her to place it or use it. 

A minute passed and the thunderous rumble shook the cavern. Rocks fall by her feet, she jumped back and noticed a pathway opened up. She ran towards it. She walked through the tunnel, following the red light ahead. A sinister wind came brushing through, with it words that added exposition.

Someone called Zariel had friends who were hosts of the upper planes. Where elementals roamed the worlds of their own making. Apparently the fiends of the abyss fiends were determined to swallow up their planes, including theirs.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Author’s Interlude:

So… Taking that cool gemstone takes away one of my precious Destiny points? That’s exceptionally lame. Welp 3 points left. I hope I don’t need any more points in this chapter.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

With the entrance sealed, there was only way forwards. The tunnel eventually opened up to a ridge, the air was dry and hot. Lifeless cannon was dotted with lifeless buildings, runs and crimson sand. Nothing in this land seemed familiar to Holly. The sky was blood red, no stars, or clouds in sight. Just streaks of fire shooting across the sky.

Holly’s ears eventually heard voices. She hesitantly peered over the edge. A bald dwarven man and a woman were savaging for materials it seemed. The aasimar was unsure what to make of their conversation. There were several black robed corpses on the sand away from a great metal contraption.

Regardless, it was worth at least attempting to communicate with the strange pair. Carefully the Aasimar climbed down into the ridge and approached the two.

“Hello there, I’m Holly-” Her introduction was interrupted.

“Oh ho-ho what have you got here?” He said confidently as pulls out his crossbow. He looks at his female companion and gestures at Holly with his head, “Check to see if she has coins.”

It became readily apparent that these people were bandits. This was bad. The guardswoman knew she was at a numbers disadvantage.

“I’m going to carve you up really pretty.” She growled with a twisted laugh.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Roll for initiative!

Holly: 16

Wasteland Bandit Brains, Robb: Nat 20

Wasteland Bandit Muscle, Amelia: Nat 1

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

The dwarven bandit aimed his crossbow true and pierced the gap in Holly’s armour, dealing a superficial hit. Holly shrugged off the pain. Drunkards hit harder. Her trained eyes observed the battlefield. The gaurdswoman knew she had to deal with the more violent and immediate threat. She ran up to the female human with her greataxe and swung it at the side of her chest. Instantly crushing the bandit’s lungs with her own ribs.

The wounded woman feared for her life that instant. She held her shield limply, gasping for breath. With an unsteady motion she attempted to strike Holly. The aasimiar casually stepped to the side, dogding the attack.

The dwarven bandit growled and unleashed another shot at Holly with his crossbow. His arrow wiffed past Holly’s feathers. She immediately retaliated as swung her greataxe at the previous wound she made.  The Human woman went limp  as her body remained motionless in the red sand.

Her attention turned to the dwarf as her eyes narrowed. She quickly ran up to him. Robb reloaded his crossbow and aimed at the winged woman's head. The arrow clipped passed Holly’s blonde hair. She retelated instantly by attempting to strike the man’s shoulder, however he stepped to the side and dropped his crossbow on the ground.

It was clear to him that he picked the wrong fight with this winged woman, however it was too late to back down now. Robb knew he had to end her. He dropped crossbow and pulled out his longsword. He attempts to strike Holly’s torso, however his short stature and short range made the hit impossible.

The aasimar lifted up her greataxe and struck the in the side, knocking him off balance. The dwarf coughed as held his long sword firmly in both hands. He attempted to lunge forward with his blade, however Holly simply stepped back and blocked the blow. With Robb's position over extended, Holly pivoted her stance and finished the fight with a divisive blow to the dwarf’s neck. knocking it clean off.

Holly took a deep breath as stashed her battleaxe on her back. She looked at the arrow embedded in her arm and braced herself. She tore a piece of cloth off her clothes to use as a makeshift bandage. Holly girt her teeth as she yanked out the arrow as she quickly wrapped her arm tightly to stop the bleeding.

Aasimar looked at the bandits with disdain. Again, her politeness was met with aggression. Was this the norm she had to deal with? If that was the case, Holly knew that she needed to be more proactive. She rifled through their stuff finding a coin, a black iron key, and a small vial of pulsating liquid. Holly stashed these items in her pack.

The aasimar didn’t bother taking any of the weapons and armour with her, in her eyes, they were subpar, it would take more money for them to be repaired than to buy it brand new. Even if they could be melted for scraps, Holly didn’t feel like lugging a bunch of useless junk in the hopes of getting  3 gold coins for her efforts.

She looked at the robed figures laying motionless in the sand and let out a sigh. Their faces were all gnarled with scars and a crude skull was branded on their forehead. Utterly disgusting what people do to others. 

The only thing left to do was investigate the iron contraption on wheels in front of her. She opens the door and walks inside. Her eyes immediately looked to the skeletons sitting in the seats, wiggling writing and falling apart. The aasimar’s blood ran cold, her breath became faster as she was reminded of the grabbing and grasping of the skeletal hands in the forsaken bone pit.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Author’s End Note:

Module says: take 1d10 physic damage for a fear of “boney things”That can 1-shot a wizard and then they are dead. Module over. Or you pass out for 8 hours for a long rest in the middle of unknown territory. No thanks. 

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆