Week 2 Story, The Dread Isle of Goblins
This story can be found with the author's portfolio project here
There was a band of adventurers known as the Quintet of Capriciousness, due to their rogue-like and generally chaotic foibles. They had been sailing around the world on a plethora of adventures, acquiring much treasure and glory on their heads, but not all were pleased with their deeds. See, they had upset the most powerful god in the pantheon, Dee-yem, who could manipulate any force or time. Due to their wandering from the path Dee-yem had set for them, he contrived a massive storm being set in their path, leaving them shipwrecked on a island that did not appear on any map the adventurers owned. They pressed onward, eager to face this new challenge and reap the rewards, when they were met with a most curious site.
Looking out over the hill they saw a castle in the distance, showing signs of damage but still sound. Furthermore, they saw peasants working out in the field, horseman galloping back to the castle, and the general hustle and bustle of a countryside fiefdom they had not seen in a long time. Eagerly they pressed on towards the castle, with only the most perceptive one, Sir Uther, the paladin, noticing that none of the people seemed to acknowledge or even become aware of the party in any way. Once inside the castle, they were quickly approached by several noble ladies, inviting these strange travelers to a feast and to tell the whole court the tales of their adventures. This they did, and by the end of the night had all the court entranced in their wondrous deeds. Uther, however, stayed silent and observant, and was intrigued as to why there were only women in the royal court, when he had clearly seen both men and women in the fields. He was much concerned when several of the ladies of the court proposed to the other adventurers that they marry, because these women had lost their husbands to adventuring. Despite his counsel to wait and learn more about this place, the rest of the party quickly agreed, eager to achieve easy riches and give up the adventurers life. While the festivities were prepared and carried out, he retired to his room for his prayers.
Several hours later, Uther heard several of the women walking by, but to his surprise, they were munching on bones and chanting
Man's meat, man's meat,
That's what Goblins like to eat!
Uther was startled, and decided to find out what was going on once and for all. He cast a spell, detect magic, and realized that everything around them was an illusion, and all the women they had seen were in fact goblins, planning to eat the party of adventurers. To avoid raising alarm, he laid in his bed and called out for his friends to come to him, for he had fallen violently ill.
Upon hearing this, the other adventurers rushed to his side, confused as to how Uther could be sick, because in their years of knowing him he had never had so much as a sniffle. Once they all had gathered, he explained how it was a ruse and relayed to them what he had seen. Immediately the party was split on how to get themselves out of this predicament, with Adalard the Rogue and Luna the Ranger preferring to escape quietly, while Dro'vahkin the Wizard and Ush-Goth the Barbarian wanting to stay and fight. Uther suggested praying to Dee-yem for guidance, because it was his wrath that put them into this predicament, but the others rejected this idea, saying that the only wish of Dee-yem was to see them all dead.
The deadlock was broken by Ush-Goth letting forth a battle cry and charging out into the castle, forcing the others to take up their arms and fight. The battle went poorly, and soon the adventurers found themselves heavily wounded with nowhere to retreat. Upon realizing the situation, the party threw themselves on their knees and begged Dee-yem to save them, promising to follow his path and never to criticize his divine wisdom. No sooner had they done this than a heavily armored knight came crashing through the goblins, and commanded them to get on his back. As he said this, he transformed into a white horse, and the party mounted him, and they all shrunk to fit on the back of this magnificent steed.
As the horse carried them off, he told the adventurers that he was Fiatus, right hand of Dee-yem, and he had been sent to save them and instruct them to follow the path Dee-yem had set before them. After the party all agreed to listen to the instructions Dee-yem had set before them, Fiatus landed them back in their home country, safe and sound.
Authors note: This story was inspired by the Goblin City Jakasta, where a group of sailors are shipwrecked on an island and forced to marry goblins intent on eating them, who they believe to be women. One sailor find this out and spreads the news to the others, who despair of their fate until a fairy saves them on the back of a white horse. I changed this setting to something from Dungeons & Dragons with a party of adventurers being shipwrecked through angering a deity, and falling for the same ruse as the original sailors did, until the trap is discovered. The party is also saved through divine intervention, however, it is through the realizing of how they have angered a god that their salvation comes about. This is different than the original where they are saved simply through divine benevolence.
Bibliography:
"The Goblin City" from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse, Source
There was a band of adventurers known as the Quintet of Capriciousness, due to their rogue-like and generally chaotic foibles. They had been sailing around the world on a plethora of adventures, acquiring much treasure and glory on their heads, but not all were pleased with their deeds. See, they had upset the most powerful god in the pantheon, Dee-yem, who could manipulate any force or time. Due to their wandering from the path Dee-yem had set for them, he contrived a massive storm being set in their path, leaving them shipwrecked on a island that did not appear on any map the adventurers owned. They pressed onward, eager to face this new challenge and reap the rewards, when they were met with a most curious site.
Castle on a Hill, from Bernard Gagnon on Wikipedia
Several hours later, Uther heard several of the women walking by, but to his surprise, they were munching on bones and chanting
Man's meat, man's meat,
That's what Goblins like to eat!
Uther was startled, and decided to find out what was going on once and for all. He cast a spell, detect magic, and realized that everything around them was an illusion, and all the women they had seen were in fact goblins, planning to eat the party of adventurers. To avoid raising alarm, he laid in his bed and called out for his friends to come to him, for he had fallen violently ill.
Upon hearing this, the other adventurers rushed to his side, confused as to how Uther could be sick, because in their years of knowing him he had never had so much as a sniffle. Once they all had gathered, he explained how it was a ruse and relayed to them what he had seen. Immediately the party was split on how to get themselves out of this predicament, with Adalard the Rogue and Luna the Ranger preferring to escape quietly, while Dro'vahkin the Wizard and Ush-Goth the Barbarian wanting to stay and fight. Uther suggested praying to Dee-yem for guidance, because it was his wrath that put them into this predicament, but the others rejected this idea, saying that the only wish of Dee-yem was to see them all dead.
The deadlock was broken by Ush-Goth letting forth a battle cry and charging out into the castle, forcing the others to take up their arms and fight. The battle went poorly, and soon the adventurers found themselves heavily wounded with nowhere to retreat. Upon realizing the situation, the party threw themselves on their knees and begged Dee-yem to save them, promising to follow his path and never to criticize his divine wisdom. No sooner had they done this than a heavily armored knight came crashing through the goblins, and commanded them to get on his back. As he said this, he transformed into a white horse, and the party mounted him, and they all shrunk to fit on the back of this magnificent steed.
As the horse carried them off, he told the adventurers that he was Fiatus, right hand of Dee-yem, and he had been sent to save them and instruct them to follow the path Dee-yem had set before them. After the party all agreed to listen to the instructions Dee-yem had set before them, Fiatus landed them back in their home country, safe and sound.
Authors note: This story was inspired by the Goblin City Jakasta, where a group of sailors are shipwrecked on an island and forced to marry goblins intent on eating them, who they believe to be women. One sailor find this out and spreads the news to the others, who despair of their fate until a fairy saves them on the back of a white horse. I changed this setting to something from Dungeons & Dragons with a party of adventurers being shipwrecked through angering a deity, and falling for the same ruse as the original sailors did, until the trap is discovered. The party is also saved through divine intervention, however, it is through the realizing of how they have angered a god that their salvation comes about. This is different than the original where they are saved simply through divine benevolence.
Bibliography:
"The Goblin City" from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse, Source
Hi John-Paul!
ReplyDeleteThis was delightful to read! I really enjoy your writing style. After the first two sentences I was reading this to myself in a pirate accent without realizing it. Then, two paragraphs in, I was picturing a DM peering over his board talking to the players. The divine intervention is completely appropriate to use if D&D is involved, too, in my opinion. This was very fun to read and I can't wait to see more of your work!
Hello there,
ReplyDeleteThis was such a fun story to read, you are quite good at it. I loved how you retold it like Dungeons & Dragons. I love to use thinks that I enjoy into my stories and so do you. This story really caught my eye when I read it for this class and I am glad someone wrote about this crazy story. I would be scared. Keep up the awesome work!