May 24 2021

The Graveyard – by Womby – narrated by Asclepius

 

Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with another wonderful story from Womby.  It is entitled

The Graveyard

Background music by Smartsound

 

In a quiet corner of Ardoris, mostly unnoticed by the residents, a tiny graveyard can be found.

Apart from the occasional small child acting on a dare it is rarely visited, and it is a complete mystery who or what may be buried there. Rumor has it that the graveyard pre-dates Ardoris.

In any case, the inscriptions became illegible a long time ago, and all that remains in the way of information is a strange tale that has been passed down for generations.

Nobody believes it to be true, but it is nevertheless retold on stormy nights whenever strangers seek shelter in the local inn.

According to the tale, the oldest grave is the resting place of an ancient and powerful creature.

Many centuries ago after a prolonged and bloody battle, the creature was finally trapped and bound there by a powerful spell.

It was not possible to kill the creature due to its immense power, however it was hoped that over the centuries its power would gradually drain away.

A long time later when the battle was on the cusp of being forgotten from history, a mage was told of the creature and the nature of its entrapment.

The mage gave it some thought, and decided that he could take advantage of the creature’s predicament.

The grave that housed the creature was still in an open field at that time, and after travelling for two days accompanied by his faithful servant of many years, the mage arrived.

After his servant had set up camp, the mage offered him a mug of ale that had been infused with a powerful drug.

The servant fell asleep instantly, and the mage quickly positioned various artifacts and uttered numerous incantations.

Finally the moment arrived and the ritual was completed. At first nothing appeared to happen, but then suddenly a deep and powerful voice was heard.

“For what purpose do you disturb me, mortal?”

Cautiously the mage replied, “Oh great and powerful one, I seek the gift of true wisdom. In exchange I offer you the life energy of a human.”

The creature replied:

“I shall grant you the gift of true wisdom, but only if you offer me the person that you hold most dear.”

The mage could not think of anyone that he held dear, but his servant was the single person in the entire world that he despised the least, so he replied “Agreed. You may take the life energy of the person that I hold most dear, in exchange for great wisdom.”

“Very well. The deal is done,” replied the creature.

And indeed, it was at that moment that the mage acquired true wisdom as he felt the life energy drain from him. He had been wrong in thinking that he held no one dear.

In his last conscious thought he realized that in fact he held himself dear, and cared naught for anyone else.

Eventually his servant awoke and found a desiccated corpse wearing his master’s robes. He assumed that whatever ritual his master had set out to perform had gone horribly wrong, and decided to bury him next to the existing grave where, unknown to him, the freshly nourished creature had resumed its slumber.

Later, as the dutiful servant that he was, he procured a small headstone that he erected next to the creature’s resting place.

Echoes From the Caverns

Echoes From the Caverns

May 24 2021

Interview with a Ghost – by Womby – narrated by Asclepius

 

Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with another wonderful story from Womby.  It is entitled

Interview with a Ghost

Background music by Smartsound

 

Recently the rather spoiled son of a local duke announced that he was going to be my apprentice. This came as a surprise to me, as was his announcement that his initial outing would be to interview a ghost, thus making history with his first story.

Here is the complete transcript of his interview.

“Greetings, ghost. How are you?”

“I’m dead. And it’s Sir Ghost to you. I am – or was – a knight.”

“Indeed. Of course. How insensitive of me. Tell me Sir Ghost, what did you do before you became a ghost?”

“I used to be a writer.”

“So now you’re a ghost writer?”


For some reason the interview appears to have been discontinued at this point. The interview notes were sent to me by a person or persons unknown, and the reporter who conducted the interview has disappeared without trace.

Echoes From the Caverns

Echoes From the Caverns

May 23 2021

Bluster – by Fetid SirDidy – narrated by Asclepius

Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with another wonderful story from Fetid SirDidy. It is entitled

“Bluster”

Background music by Smartsound



It began with a low hum.

The schoolmasters head shook so fast that it appeared to be vibrating. Because the area in which he reverberated was so confined, the violence with which he shook lent to an affect that appeared like slow-motion. Beads of sweat shimmered as they filled the air around him like tiny frozen stars. Veins arose and protruded in thick spidery webs across his face and forehead and blood oozed like sludge from eyes, nose, mouth and ears. He was a tuning fork made of flesh.

A stench like death and vomit emanated from him as his bowels and bladder emptied. Their contents streamed from underneath his robes and fanned out creating a Rorschach of human waste. A noise that had started as a low hum was now deafening as bolts of energy cracked and whipped about and upon the man.

In a sudden crescendo the schoolmasters head bulged and then popped. Chunks of flesh and brain and bowel sprayed out in a 360-degree ark spackling everything around; ceiling, walls, floor, and the twenty or so students still frozen in shock as they looked upon the madness with a mixture of horror, bewilderment and disgust. The tendrils of energy subsided and their accompanying wailing ceased.

In the back of the room a young man looked down at his hand, admiring the Suutaks bluster as it dimmed and then went dark. Pocketing the artifact, he pushed open the door at the far end of the room, and left.

Echoes From the Caverns

Echoes From the Caverns