\tThe 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. Today\u2019s snippet, titled \u201cIn The Gullet\u201d, 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. – \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 – The healing energy burst… <\/p>\n
\n \tRhiallis 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 \u2018Wound itself.<\/em>
\n \t\u201cWhat. The fuck is that?\u201d
\n \tAt Sadie\u2019s exclamation, Rhiallis stopped flapping her wings and touched down a moment. She blinked. \u201cI- I don\u2019t even- oh gods…\u201d
\n \tIt 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.<\/em>
\n \tThe Valorous Order gave a mighty battle cry and plunged into battle with it.
\n \tThe fighting was so fast, and so furious, that Rhiallis could hardly follow it. Suddenly, Cole\u2019s legs were dangling from one of the thing\u2019s massive maws. Rhiallis moved closer, swinging Radiance. \u201cAlmost there,\u201d she grunted, reaching her shield hand out for his foot. \u201cAlmost got you.\u201d
\n \tAnd suddenly all she saw was darkness.
\n \tWet, hot, slimy darkness.
\n \tThe powerful muscles of the beast\u2019s 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.
\n \tIf 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.
\n \t\u201cCOLE!\u201d she cried. \u201cCOLE?\u201d
\n \tShe 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.
\n \tRhiallis burst, sending out a cascade of healing energy. She knew Cole was less than ten feet away, trapped in the thing\u2019s body with her. He must be. He must be!<\/em>
\n \tAnd yet, she could not feel him with the tendrils of power – the only one basking in the holy energy was Rhiallis herself. I don\u2019t understand! I don\u2019t- where is he?<\/em>
\n \tDespite being unable to heal Cole, Rhiallis continued to heal herself. Over and over, as the beast\u2019s 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.
\n \tWhy am I prolonging this hell? <\/em>she sobbed, as the seconds wore on, agony in every fibre of her being. What if they\u2019re all dead already? What if they\u2019re all languishing in other stomachs, all dying? What if-<\/em>
\n \tJust 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.
\n 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.
\n \t\u201cDoing all right?\u201d
\n \tShe 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.
\n \t\u201cWhere\u2019s Sadie?\u201d Rhiallis asked, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she caught sight of her little friend.
\n \tThe 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. \u201cGot it. Another fucking awesome trophy for the taxidermist.\u201d
\n \tRhiallis scrunched her nose up. \u201c…gross.\u201d
\n– \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 –
\n![\"Signed,](\"http:\/\/jeezjosie.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/signature.jpg\")
\nNote: Image is “King Jagiello Statue Central” by (Mulligand) from SXC.hu; edited by me<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"