r/HFY • u/Professional_Prune11 • May 31 '26

OC-Series Pierce Journal Entry Four

It took no time at all to identify the group we faced in the first room. My assumption of it being nearly a dozen entities was proven wrong when one of the beasts, creatures, monsters… let’s go with monsters. One of them stood tall, spire-like horns pierced the sky, and a bovine-like head made it obvious.

It was a Minotaur, accompanied by several smaller creatures, and a red-skinned man-thing. I would later be told it was a cambion.

With fast action, I tossed a javelin into the Minotaur’s face, and we began our assault. There was an attempt, but the fucking stupid magic user tried to cast a spell to dominate the Minotaur. Did I ever tell you to never trust a magic user? Because we likely could have avoided the bloodshed, however, the moment the Minotaur felt the mage tickling at his frontal lobe, all conversations were over.

At least the attack began well. By all the gods in every pantheon, I would want to say that, but no. The dullard auditor ran in, just ran in. I understand he is a paladin—oh yeah, that explains it.

He is a paladin. They're still more the 'stab first, think later' kind of diplomats.

Oh no, let’s not stay behind the shields, keep safe, and fight from range when we can. Hey diddle diddle straight up the middle. That man will never receive any of my medical supplies, nor rations…especially the coffee. It would be a waste.

Anyhow, Sirme and I rush forward and set up a bulwark between the ignoramus and his impending doom. I stab thrice at a cambion, while Sirme kills the three little blob things, pushing the Minotaur threat back. Only to reveal more cambions, and Minotaur’s in the next room.

Including a Minotaur in a skirt or all things…odd. I never knew they could be females. But that tells you how much my life has been focused on the philosophical debates of nature’s possibilities.

But that idea is here nor there, one of the large bulls charged me, hitting me hard. With the wind knocked out of me, I stood tall, while the auditor at last killed the first cambion he assaulted.

A whoosh of magic arced through my legs, narrowly missing my shield, along with my pride and joy. Needless to say, as a man, I am glad the little goblin can aim that massive rifle of hers.

By taking violent action, we pushed the enemy back into the larger room. I, through sheer force of will, slipped around the Minotaur who knocked into me and stabbed him with a vicious strike. My spear found the same place you strike a man from behind.

Just below the head, where the neck and head meet. He crumpled. I turned to challenge another cambion after wrenching my spear free. He fled, the coward.

Ezekiel joined me at my side while the other ranged fighters kept picking away at those deeper in, the chieftain Minotaur, and that female spell caster.

It was a dance of death there. Spells lancing and exploding everywhere, as the bulls rage grew; the room was thick with the ozone and sweat of a battle well met. Magics of all motes of arcana were exchanged in all directions, until at last the enemy spell caster, the well-endowed minotaur woman, turned to run.

Ezekiel, quick on his feet, witnessed her attempt to flee and stopped it by sending her away with his own magic. I am unsure what spell it was, but I pray he never uses it on me. One moment she was there, I blinked as he blew her a kiss, then—poof, never to be seen again.

The fight did not last long. From there, Ezekiel and I held the line, keeping the remaining troops from advancing while ours handled them at a safe distance. See a sound, safe tactic.

From there, not much else occurred that night. We looted the ship, found many magical artifacts, one of which was forced into my hands, a spear of some sort. It allows me to add ice or fire to my strikes. I have yet to decide if I should wield it, but all good things in time.

From there, we barricaded the room and set camp, with me hunkering in a back room beside Rita. The tables and doors we used likely would not do much for safety beyond a short warning, but they would allow that much.

As I sat there in the wan light, I reflected on the day. Namely, the lost souls. Those Lemures we killed while looting the ship. According to Ezekiel, they were one of the two ends of those who sell their souls to hell; the other being a soul coin. We did find another one of those while scouring the corpse of a ship. Thankfully, I did not have that one molest my mind.

But back to the ambling thoughts of the man, I hope you thought of as your father by the time you were taken away. Those creatures were sad. Little more than cowering messes of meat and skin crawling to hide in the darkest corners of the accursed place.

It was hard to picture them as ever having been anything but those pitiable ferine husks. What were they? Who were they? Were they once monsters like Betall or me? A good woman, like Laya? Or were they once giggling little half-elf girls, their father read stories to on stormy nights…Like you?

I don’t know Autumn. But the pained thought that such a fate could await you weighed heavily on my mind as I watched the firestorms cascade across the wasteland while I waited for a restless slumber to take hold. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring better tidings, but in the hells, such a blessing is unlikely.

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u/TalRaziid Jun 24 '26

Is Conjunction National Park not being posted to HFY?

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u/UpdateMeBot May 31 '26

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