The Maddening Worsens
Zuhkinjo, May 24, 2006
His bloodshot eyes open, and he jolts up in sitting position in
his bed, twitching violently in a cold sweat. His eyes widen as
the grand orc stands before him, screaming something
unintelligable, frothing at the mouth. His voice, a demonically
low tone, thunders into Zuhk's slipping mind and quakes his
muscles into a mild convulsion.
With all his strength, he closes his eyes and frantically and
hums a jovial tune to himself in hopes of distraction. Rarily
does Grugdish manifest himself anywhere outside of Zuhkinjo's
head. Not since the bloody event long ago that led him to the
Grim.
He opens his eyes again while soothing his trembling hands with
one another. His tense muscles relax as Grugdish fades into the
distant whisper that Zuhk had become accustomed to, his lips curl
back into his old nervous smile.
With a great heave, Zuhk rolls himself out of bed. Still
breathless, he mutters, "More time...need more time..."
After muttering those words he looks up to see a concerned look
on Lilliana's expression. He stands up straight and connects his
fingertips in an awkward manner.
"Perhaps Zuhk not explain his...," He hesitates the next word,
"...condition...well enough..."
Zuhk continues to speak in a slow, controlled, and deliberate
manner despite his occasional twitching.
"Da one Zuhk call Grugdish...Lilliana does not see, but he very
real ta Zuhk. Since he rememba, he fight against Grug for control
ah Zuhk. Grug only win a couple times before, but it end in pain
and great bloodshed."
Zuhk's usual nervous smile fades now, his expression becomes
stern.
"Der must some way ta stop Grugdish, ta make him go away or at
least stop yellin in Zuhk's ears. Wit-out ah ailment Zuhk will
slowly lose grasp ah his mind, he is startin ta lose his internal
battles...he well aware of dis...
He seems to trail off as if he was interrupted. His eyes briefly
wander and his nervous smile returns. Grabbing his bow and spear,
he makes his way out of the Inn.
"Enough ramblin nah, Zuhk find what he lookin for soon enough..."
[Lilliana]
Lilliana gave the new recruit a strange look. She had been the
one to induct this odd acting troll hunter, and although his
idiosyncracies were a bit unnerving, they were nothing to
withhold someone of such talent as Zuhkinjo from the Grim. But
when she found him while buying some goods at the Inn's bar,
jibbering jabbering away, her dark eyes turned to an expression
of concern.
"Yelling in your ears, eh?" She tapped her lips with a slender
talon. She was a priest, and if she so desired could request to
control Zuh's mind, and see just what was going on in there. She
eyed him cynically and considered just that course of action.
[Zuhkinjo]
Zuhk places his gear down and twiddles his thumbs nervously in
thought. After a few seconds he looks up again.
"Zuhk not think about dat before...He not sure what Lilliana
expect to see but she welcome to try if it not hurt Zuhk's brain
too much..."
[Chavie]
On her way back from the Orgrimmar orphanage (her first orphan
was still using wor sa fa chal, how sweet!), Chavie notices
Lilliana and Zuhkinjo hanging out at the inn. They look serious,
maybe she can help? She stumbles over, fighting off yet another
dizzy spell, and waves cheerfully, then crashes into the
doorjamb. Holding a hand to the wall for balance, Chavie shuffles
to the two Grim and smiles through her headache. "He lo! Is sum
tin ron?"
[Zuhkinjo]
Zuhk's attention shifts to Chavie as she crashes about. He
appears to be stifling a silly grin at the sight. He begins
speaking, yet now more optimistically.
"Alo, Chavie. We be talkin bout da big bad Grugdish, Lilliana
tinkin bout peerin into Zuhk's mind ta see if she can see him.
Zuhk not sure..."
Zuhk abruptly stops mid-sentence with a blank stare as he
realized that Chavie probably doesn't have a clue who Grugdish
is.
"Ta put it simply, Zuhk have head-problems." He taps his temple
with his finger for emphasis, "Zuhk tink 'Grugdish' is da
source."
[Chavie]
Chavie stops grinning and stares at Zuhkinjo. "Gug Dis... liv in
yor hed?" She speaks carefully. "Ha lan has hi ben der? Wa du hi
du?" She leans forward and peers into Zuhkinjo's eyes. Her voice
becomes quieter, and more intense. "Hi tak tu yu? Hi t'ra tu tek
o ver kon tol af yor bo di? Du yu haf tams wen yu fil lak yu ar
on li wa chin wat is go in, dat sum tin els is in kon tol? Bi spe
si fik! A haf... a li tel ek spi ri ens in dis sor taf tin..."
She glances at Lilliana.
[Zuhkinjo]
The troll squints intently at Chavie as she speaks. A look of
confusion and amazement floods his expression. In excitement, he
speaks quickly now, almost stumbling over his words.
"Ya! Dat..dat be almost exactly it! Da one Zuhk call 'Grugdish,'
he strong presence in Zuhk's mind dat won't go away! Before he
only influence Zuhk's mind, tellin him ta do tings he should not,
but lately he been tryin ta control him. Da 'shakes' Zuhk get
just nah-," Zuhk's eyes dart to his twitching hands and back to
Chavie, "-Dat be da sign before Zuhk about to become
Grugdish...or...or dat Grugdish become Zuhk..."
His brow wrinkles and he takes a deep breath to slow down.
"What experience does this one have?... Do you know of ones like
Grugdish?"
[Chavie]
Chavie takes a deep breath and holds it, glancing guiltily at
Lilliana. Why didn't she want the priestess to suspect? "Yes.. a
no af wans lak Gug Dis. A no pi pul hu ar fa tin sum tin dat is
t'ra yin tu kon tol dem... an..." Oh, out with it already. "A yus
tu haf dat pab lem." She frowns. "But a du na no ha tu fik sit...
For sum pi pul, it is a di mon... or sum tin lak a d'ra gon...
dat is t'ra yin tu tek o ver. For o der pi pul... it is nat a di
mon."
She gestures, trying to think of a way to put her thoughts into
words. "For mi, it was bi ka min For Se Ken dat med... te o der
tin go a we. A tin a kil her. For yu... a du na no." A slightly
mischevious look passes over her face, and then she's back to
seriousness. "Is hi st'ran ger dan yu? If a tak tu him, kan a kip
him fram hur tin e ni wan wal wi tak? Wud yu bi kom for ta bel
wit mi ta kin tu him?"
[Lilliana]
Lilliana didn't pretend to understand Chavie, nor did she even
bother to make the attempt, but she heard "demon" here and there.
She looked curiously at Chavie when she caught the guilty look
that the undead priest gave Lilly. What was that about? Lilliana
shrugged her shoulders and went to get herself a drink from the
bar. The two of them seemed in conversation, and if Zuhkinjo was
alright, then she didn't need to be involved. If her help was
needed, they could ask, but until then she was thirsty.
[Zuhkinjo]
Zuhk twitches a bit before he speaks. His eyes shift in random
directions as if he was searching for something.
"Specifics...Zuhk be more specific. He an Grugdish born at da
same time, ya? Dey brothas almost in dat way. Grugdish used ta
just whispa ta Zuhk, usually argue wit Zuhk...Dey not get along
so well back den, but at least Zuhk have control."
He places his hand on his chin and looks up at the ceiling in
contemplation. "Zuhk can pinpoint da day Grugdish
become...stronger...actually. He small child, a long time ago,
ya?" He grins widely. "Zuhk little but his pride was big, so he
leave da Shadowprey village tah 'scout' fah prey against his
parents word...eh..but.."
As if his grin was smacked from his face, he quickly pauses to
grimace. "Zuhk come across scorched earth. Scarred earth he had
neva seen before. Dat when Grugdish become louda... Zuhk was
banished from da village lata for tings Zuhk ratha not talk
about. But tah answa Chavie's question... Zuhk tink it ah head
problem initially, but it be worsened by darka means dat Zuhk nah
know of. "
He leans in closer to Chavie and lowers his tone, the tremble in
his hands as well as his voice seem painfully controlled. "Da
truth is...Grugdish hea dis conva-sation even as Zuhk speak...he
tink Chavie plot against him...even nah he cry for Chavie's
blood. Zuhk nah want alarm Chavie, but he afraid der be no way
fah anyone ta talk ta Grugdish... (Zuhk hesitates with the next
word, but finally blurts it out) ...safetly...
[Chavie]
Chavie listens and nods. Seriously, she says, "Am nat plo tin a
gens Gug Dis. A wan tu hep yu bot, if a kan." She shifts into her
shadowform and glances at Lilly. "An if hi wan tu hur mi, wel, Li
Li wil hep. Rat, Li Li?"
[Lilliana]
Lilliana turns her dark eyes upon Chavie and Zuhkinjo. She takes
a moment to respond for she is pondering the strange hunter that
she recruited those weeks ago.
"You know I will help, Chavie. Zuhkinjo, what do you want?"
Lilliana's voice is so soft and gentle, it's almost like a song -
not harsh and troll like at all.
"Grud...whatever...can kiss my blue butt. I'm the stronger
priest, let me try to shut him up, if you want."
[Zuhkinjo]
The bizarre troll turns to Lilliana, his expression mostly
serious, however his nervous grin still apparent.
"Zuhk does not doubt da powa of Lilliana's intellect, but
Grugdish be a masta of da mind controllin... arts." Zuhk
twitches, and looks down at the floor for a brief moment after
raising his head again to speak.
"It is certain dat Zuhk not as strong as Lilliana or Chavie,
though, if Zuhk were ta purposefully give Grugdish control...in a
less..." Zuhk turns his head from side to side suspiciously.
"...public place, of course... den all ya have ta do is subdue
him. Den perhaps speakin ta Grugdish be possible."
[Zuhkinjo]
-Zuhkinjo wanders into the Burning Steppes, where he feels pulled
to the Altar of Storms in a feverish search for the "key." He
loses the control of his mind to Grugdish right as Lilliana,
Zuruzuru, and Fiya find him. Lilliana defeats the murderous
Grugdish-controlled Zuhkinjo after threatening to enslave her
mind as well, and before Zuhkinjo loses conciousness Grugdish
whispers, "I have failed for now...Kel...thu...zad..." ))
The troll was extremely resistant to pain, as he had blown
himself up countless times during his engineering research,
however pain now crippled him. Zuhk slowly rolled over onto his
side, and his weak fingers trembled as they brushed against his
eyelids, wiping away the blood that trickled from his
still-closed eyes.
Where am I?", was all he could think through Grugdish's
screaming, his voice as piercing as the troll's wounds. The last
moment he remembered was when he had stumbled upon Lilliana along
the road, although even that memory was hazy and dream-like. His
eyes could not open, or wouldn't. The last time he had awoken in
this way... Zuhkinjo shivered at the thought... He would try to
sleep that night where he was. It was a discomforting thought,
one that reminded him of when he had ran from Shadowprey Village.
(( In the "A Foggy Past" thread ))
Grugdish's voice was never so loud before in all his life, his
tone charged with hatred and envy. Grugdish no longer spoke in
hints and ambiguities as he used to.
"Worthless! Worthless host!"