Today’s snippet, titled “In The Gullet”, is a piece I wrote about my PC in Mark’s new (Good) Pathfinder Campaign.
      Be forewarned, there may be mature themes and naughty language below.
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      The healing energy burst forth in a swirl of golden light.
      It was swallowed by the void around her. She knew he should be close enough to receive the blessing, for his wounds to close, but she felt nothing.
      “COLE!” Rhiallis screamed. “COLE!”

      The Valorous Order had been walking for so many hours. The past day and a half had seen them crossing untold miles of wasteland, plagued by the discovery of dozens of babau corpses – torn asunder – and the massive, elephant-sized, abyssal arachnid that had ripped them apart, fighting a second azure crystalline creature like the one that had killed Niro, receiving an item of unbelievable power from a babau, losing most of their illusory summoned mounts to a cave-in, and fending off the hungry advances of a pair of dragons.
      Rhiallis would not say so aloud, but she was beginning to think that every mile in the rest of the world was like ten in the Worldwound. Will we never find that village, Vilhelm Reach? And after that, Jesker, and after that we still must find a way to seal the bloody ‘Wound itself.
      “What. The fuck is that?”
      At Sadie’s exclamation, Rhiallis stopped flapping her wings and touched down a moment. She blinked. “I- I don’t even- oh gods…”
      It stood more than ten feet tall with multi-jointed legs that ended with tentacle-like suckers. The body was huge and bulbous, with long, snake-like heads jutting out from it. They were gnashing and hissing and growling. Rhiallis reached for Radiance. Whatever the hell that is, it must die.
      The Valorous Order gave a mighty battle cry and plunged into battle with it.
      The fighting was so fast, and so furious, that Rhiallis could hardly follow it. Suddenly, Cole’s legs were dangling from one of the thing’s massive maws. Rhiallis moved closer, swinging Radiance. “Almost there,” she grunted, reaching her shield hand out for his foot. “Almost got you.”
      And suddenly all she saw was darkness.
      Wet, hot, slimy darkness.
      The powerful muscles of the beast’s tongue wrapped around her like a constrictor snake and drew her deeper, sword in hand and all. Before she could even scream, Rhiallis found herself being swallowed. Thousands of tiny, needle-like teeth lined its throat, tearing at her exposed flesh all the way down.
      If she still had to breathe, she would have been drowning in the stomach juices. As it was, its grinding stomach muscles were ripping her apart.
      “COLE!” she cried. “COLE?”
      She thrust a fist into the side of the womb-like chamber she was stuck in, hoping to feel her friend in a nearby cavity. She felt nothing.
      Rhiallis burst, sending out a cascade of healing energy. She knew Cole was less than ten feet away, trapped in the thing’s body with her. He must be. He must be!
      And yet, she could not feel him with the tendrils of power – the only one basking in the holy energy was Rhiallis herself. I don’t understand! I don’t- where is he?
      Despite being unable to heal Cole, Rhiallis continued to heal herself. Over and over, as the beast’s stomach roiled and rumbled, grinding at her with its millions of tiny teeth, Rhiallis lay hands upon herself, trapped and unable to move beyond that simple gesture.
      Why am I prolonging this hell? she sobbed, as the seconds wore on, agony in every fibre of her being. What if they’re all dead already? What if they’re all languishing in other stomachs, all dying? What if-
      Just as despair seemed to overwhelm her, Rhiallis saw a tiny tear of light. Without a single thought, she pushed toward it – instinct guiding her. Like a massive infant, born from the dead corpse of its mother by scalpel and force, Rhiallis spilled into the dirt.
      She was slick with gore and acidic stomach juices, dust from the wasteland sticking to her cheeks and hair. Rhiallis looked up wiping her eyes. Mira was standing triumphant with one fist on her hip, Agnes Forthright still dripping with black ichor, and one foot on the massive corpse.
      “Doing all right?”
      She nodded, but wanted to scream out NO at the top of her lungs. Cole was coughing and climbing to his feet as Korael plucked bits of goo from his hair. Celeste offered Rhiallis her hand, helping her up, and Aimsley approached reluctantly, ready with a few dozen prestidigitation spells.
      “Where’s Sadie?” Rhiallis asked, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she caught sight of her little friend.
      The redheaded halfing was bent over one of the necks, hacking at the tough sinews. In a matter of seconds, she lifted the head up and grinned. “Got it. Another fucking awesome trophy for the taxidermist.”
      Rhiallis scrunched her nose up. “…gross.”
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Note: Image is “King Jagiello Statue Central” by (Mulligand) from SXC.hu; edited by me