User:Aetherie/Terror and Pain

Kerenhappuch and Idon

Carved in poses of wanton abandon, scantily clad maidens vie for the attention of a well-muscled youth playing a bodhran. Two rogues duel over one of the wenches, but the rest of the men are focused on a woman wearing an elaborate skirt, a wicked smile and not much else. Corpses from past fights litter the floor of the hall. A woman strangled with her own veils reaches longingly towards the drummer, even in death. Etched beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: Unsatiated Appetites."

Drogor and Ushnish

Each frieze portrays people powerless in the face of nature's fury. Sharks feed on men swept overboard as stormy seas swamp a ship. Families flee a village in the path of lava pouring from a volcano. Searchers hunt through the ruins of a town destroyed by a wind storm, digging out bodies. Skeletally thin figures scavenge for food in a field killed by drought. A viper coils around a wasted woman dying from plague. Etched beneath the images are the words, "Terror and Pain: Destructive Rage."

Dergati and Huldah

Surrounded by a flock of shrikes depicted in mid-flight, a three-eyed woman gazes west towards the sun's final resting place with a sneer twisting her beautiful features. Standing beside her, a sharp-featured man with a weasel perched on his shoulder holds a round object out for her consideration. Etched beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: the Dragon's Conception."

Trothfang and Aldauth

Carved with minute attention to detail, ravaged bodies lie strewn across a battlefield like broken dolls. In the foreground, a centaur pins one wounded warrior to the ground, a massive hoof planted on the man's chest. Kneeling beside the fighter, a faceless figure presses the tip of a serrated scythe below the man's eye. Several thin lines trace his cheek and jaw, proving this is not the first cut the soldier has suffered. Etched beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: Torturers at Work."

Harawep

A deeply carved web spans the stone wall, its tangled threads framing numerous scenes of betrayal. In one, a man in healer's robes pours poison into a patient's wineglass. Another shows a trader furtively emptying a rival's contract case. A third depicts a herald carrying a truce flag shot down by an archer. More images of scheming and disloyalty fill the web as a large spider adds another thread. Etched beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: Plots and Paranoia."

Zachriedek

Engaged in acts of wanton destruction, bas-relief carvings show a swarm of gremlins wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting populace. Ink is spilled over an enchanter's research notes, a weaver's work is unraveled on the loom, explosive powders are thrown into a forge's fire, a shield breaks in arms practice, and a frayed saddle strap gives way, dumping a rider in the path of a charging boar. Etched beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: Petty Cruelties and Broken Gear."

Be'ort

Encamped by the thousands, orcs lay siege to a walled town. A coyote peers from an alley, gleefully observing the populace crowded in the town square. The poorly armed townsmen gaze towards the gates with expressions of dismay and fear on their faces. The women herd children up the stairs into a temple, their features etched in lines of bitter resignation. Engraved beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: the Death of Hope."

Botolf

Separated by a carved border of goshawks, the frieze is composed of three panels. The left panel illustrates a footpad bent over a murder victim, rifling through the body's pockets and oblivious of an approaching guard. The middle depicts the pair conferring as the ruffian offers the guard a small purse. The right panel shows the guard walking away, purse in hand, as the thug bends over the body once more. Etched beneath the scene are the words, "Terror and Pain: Justice Fails."