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  1. - Top - End - #211
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Morning, Day 3
    Complication Pool: 1 of 6

    Spoiler: Verglas
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    Pain, so an old elven proverb had supposedly gone, is the crucible of perfection.

    It was somewhere in the midst of her memorisation of her spells, with elbows aching and her spine feeling like it had grown spines poking through the skin of her back, that she realised what Roland's maul actually was.

    The thought took her back to the Mountain.

    Even now the image that connected with the place she had trained was the same, and undeniable: a great, brown-black mesa rising above the plain of southern Chalice, crowned with a red glow and wisps of smoke. She had never seen it other than from the base of the great volcano; the prentice schools nestled at the foot of the southern slope, a collection of tiny stone buildings half-burrowed into the ground. The places of higher learning were the Colleges. Journeyman mages went there once they had the exorbitant funds (and more) to pay the price for more powerful magicks of the seven authorised schools. The Colleges stood were on the mountainside themselves, seven small stone-built villages wound around the volcano's slopes and on opportune crags, seven distinct styles of architecture, all connected by a series of trails cut into the igneous rock from foot to head. It was said magic partially kept the seven Colleges in their places on the mountainsides - just as it was said it took a constant stream of magic, day by day, to keep the Mountain's fiery caldera from erupting and consuming the entire discipline of magic as known and controlled on the face of Horizon.

    The apprentice school, however, was also adjacent to a reasonably decent library, and also adjacent to the Mountain's foundries - where the overwhelming majority of magical weapons across Horizon of minor magic were made. There were greater forges, further up the Mountain, and it was said the greatest forge, the one reserved for the most puissant of weaponry, stood on the very lip of the volcano's caldera. Apprentices who came to the Mountain were often indentured to work in the foundries as part of their payment for learning. For a brief time, Verglas had been one of those people.

    But even in foundries could one gain knowledge. Particularly that of knowledge related to elves, since every ambitious lord across the face of the continent (and on the Archipelagos, for that matter) wanted to know the secret of magical weaponry, and the elves certainly knew magic. So it was that, in a break, Verglas had a chance to leaf through one of the armormaster's thick, linen-bound tomes, those great indices that tried to keep a log of which weaponmaster had created what item and when. Delsander the Great's innovations figured prominently, of course. But even the odd back-country blacksmith was sometimes named in the tome if they chanced on a technique that made steel stronger. And, on one yellowing page, Verglas happened across the smith named Kesandra of the Mountain. She'd been commissioned to build a weapon for a historian interested in elven arts, which was to say she was commissioned by someone barely tolerated in polite company and had absorbed a fair amount of spittle in his direction over the years. Kesandra wasn't the most eloquent or verbose of writers, more interested in heft and balance and weight, but she had recorded in the tome how the historian had sought the creation of a personal weapon to aid him in his expeditions into the north of the Highmark. Kesandra had sketched - in beautiful detail - the weapon she had made for him: a maul. One whose magic ran in engraved channels of triangles and pentagons, one who she had ensured would never rust (though no magical weapon ever did, Verglas remembered). It was Kesandra's maul that now lay by Roland's side.

    And yet that left even more questions. If some elven historian had come here, why had he brought his family? There was Kirillin Manor, or its ruin perhaps, off somewhere to the southeast of here, but why would the historian's remains be found out here rather than in or near the manor?

  2. - Top - End - #212
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Ramiro Sanda wakes refreshed for the new day.
    Yesterday held much excitement, who knows what today will bring
    He performs minutes of exercise to get the blood flowing, and then begins helping with breaking camp.

    He notices that Roland and Verglas do not look so well, but says nothing. This is bad place to rest further, and there is no benefit to revealing this.
    Spoiler: OOC
    Show

    Sense Motive in case this information is meant to be disguised (I will modify the post accordingly)

    Roland: (1d20+9)[20]
    Verglas: (1d20+9)[26]



    To Verglas
    Are you sure these wouldn't be better off on you? (Referencing the furs)

  3. - Top - End - #213
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Verglas

    [ooc=Ramiro]Verglas is certainly working to minimize the symptoms of her illness, but otherwise doesn't seem to be concealing anything.[/ooc]

    Verglas stares glassily at Ramiro as he offers her the fur wraps.

    "You're kind sir but if I wrapped all of those around me I'd fall of that horse thing and wouldn't be able to get up So you put those on in good health and try to believe that they smell like that because of the animals they are made from."

    As she chews meditatively on a bit of dried bread, she motions for Roland to come over, and taps on the haft of his maul. She coughs a bit, catching her breath, and raises her voice enough for all three of her companions to hear.

    "I had a dream last night Now normally I eschew oneiromancy as the province of charlatans and those wizards who focused on divination because they couldn't handle a real discipline But in this case I believe that the dream to be both truthful and germane to our mission."

    She takes a sip of water.

    "I remembered reading about the maul that you found It was crafted by an extraordinary smith named Kesandra for an historian and folklorist who committed the execrable horrifying faux pas of wanting to study all of the history of our land even the era ruled by the elves Can you imaging his foolishness The interesting question to ask is that if there was an historian focused on elves, why was he with his family in a hidden shrine of the Firekeeper freezing to death and not in some safe bloody library in Killian Hall or some such I mean especially knowing how the Firekeeper is seen vis a vis the subject of his studies Do you see what I mean It's a bit of an intriguing mystery yes?"

    She seems about to say more, but stops to shiver violently, and when the spasm passes, she remains silent, staring at the crust of bread in her hand.
    "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut

  4. - Top - End - #214
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Roland

    Spoiler: OOC
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    @Ramiro: Roland is actively trying to hide his own sickness at first, though less and less so as it becomes apparent that he and Verglas share an illness. I think it's safe to say with that roll you catch on before it becomes obvious, but by the end of this post I imagine it's public knowledge.


    Happy to have Verglas look at it, Roland surrenders the maul before finally surrendering to sleep, letting it take him away from the cold, forbidding place. He only makes it partway through the night before he wakes in a cold sweat, shaking from the cold but burning up at the same time. Bundling up as much as he can, Roland goes into the fetal position, hugging himself to stay warm as his body starts to ache. He navigates the rest of the night doggedly, stealing sleep between bouts of burning warmth and shattering cold.

    In the morning, he rises slower than the sun for the first time in a long while, coughing and spitting mucus into the snow as he chokes down some water. Grimacing at Verglas' motion, Roland finally forces himself to get up on his feet, feeling the pain welcome him from head to toe. He cracks his neck audibly, feeling his head spin as his vision goes dark for a second before he recovers and walks over to her.

    Listening to Verglas' further explanation this morning, Roland's mind is blissfully occupied with thoughts of Kesandara and magics beyond his understanding, distracting him from his ills. Pulling the Maul free from his belt and examining the shapes engraved in it, Roland looks back at Verglas as she suddenly stops speaking to shiver violently in front of him. The question on his tongue surrounding the hammer's origin melts away as his thoughts are dragged forcefully back to his misfortune rather than his boon. He was sick, of that Roland was certain, but Verglas did not seem to be at her best either.

    "Verglas," Roland says, pausing a few moments to stifle a cough as best he can and letting her name hang in the air. Had Ember simply trampled him in the night, he might've felt better. If she felt the same, she hid it admirably. "Are you feeling alright?" Roland asks sniffling before a catch in his throat causes him to cough hard a few more times.

  5. - Top - End - #215
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Verglas

    The little gnome woman looked up at the man who had been her...introduction to the fine art of survival on this trip. And realized that his eyes were shining, his face was red, his limbs were tightly wrapped around him to hid the shakes. F*ck. And now emotion was involved. Inconvenient.

    Verglas turned away from his question. She needed to be hard, and she needed him to be hard, to get through the next two days.

    "F*cking rats."

    Rising awkwardly to her feet, Verglas begins rolling her bedroll.

    "We are losing the slightly less dark grey that is passing for daylight here Shall we go?"
    "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut

  6. - Top - End - #216
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Roland

    A stifled cough and a nod are Roland's only response as the pain claws through his joints. It finally dawns on him at Verglas' expletive what's happening to them. Rats. It seemed obvious in retrospect, but he thought the Firekeeper would've cleansed him of their filth.

    "F*cking rats," he mutters in agreement. He glances back down for a moment, but sees only a hardened traveler preparing for another day on the cold road. Nodding wordlessly to himself, Roland gingerly gathers his things and breaks camp.

    He'd heard a saying once just a few years after he'd left home and followed his feet down the cold road. Everything freezes on the road. The weak chip and shatter. The strong harden until it's time to thaw by the hearth.

    "Let's be on our way before that girl can get any further from us," Roland agrees, loading up Ember.

    Spoiler: OOC
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    By the way, I'm assuming Ramiro is going to take those furs. I think that makes the most sense. Verglas can take a charge of Endure Elements. I think Ember and Stormrir may need a charge as well...do we want to just go ahead and protect them up-front, or hold charges just in case?
    Last edited by Riggdgames; 2020-09-24 at 09:36 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #217
    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Spoiler: OOC
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    On that - It's still Severe Cold, i.e. Level 2 protection is required for complete shielding from the cold, which the horses don't have even with Fullcloth. If they don't get Endure Elements (assuming no other enterprising solutions) then they'll start having to make Fort saves about once per hour, with a risk of frostbite or hypothermia setting in on failed saves.

    I'll assume Roland's wands are divine ones, so Njal is able to cast from them.

  8. - Top - End - #218
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    Njal

    The dwarf rises, looking about and heads out into the snow to commune whilst the snow bites into him. Focusing his mind he embraces the cold as he summons the power of the mountain into him. That done he heads back inside the cramped hut to see the others, pausing only to summon protection from the biting cold for himseld and the massive stallion.
    Looking at the others his face is serious, a hand tugging at his beard. "Its been a rough couple days on the road. We been eat by rats, chased by wolves, threatened by that stupid cat and the storms been bad.", he pauses, "I be thinking we look for a corpse now frae the wee girl."
    Thanks to Emperor Ing for the nice Avatar

  9. - Top - End - #219
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Roland

    Nodding reluctantly to Njal even as a sharp pain goes shooting up the back of his neck, Roland grimaces and adds, "you might be right." Thinking back on the reward of a home and a hearth to call his own, he adds, "either way, we can't stop now. Whatever sliver of hope there is for her gets slimmer by the hour."

    Spoiler: OOC
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    I'm going to keep the wands on my sheet to keep tracking them, but I'm marking them as in Njal's possession if everyone's good with that (10 charges each of Endure Elements, Cure Light Wounds, and Pass w/o a Trace).

    I am also marking off two charges (now eight remaining) of Endure Elements for Ember and Stormrir for today.
    Last edited by Riggdgames; 2020-09-27 at 07:52 AM.

  10. - Top - End - #220
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Verglas

    Spoiler: ooc
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    That all makes good sense to me, Riggdgames.


    After resetting her magic, casting another magic to ward out the cold and helping with the stowing of the tent to the best of her ability, Verglas settles back into place on the horse.

    "To be honest what I'm looking for hardest right now is any building with a fire inside it."
    Last edited by Toliudar; 2020-09-27 at 10:17 AM.
    "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut

  11. - Top - End - #221
    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Mid-Morning, Day 3
    Complication Pool: 2 of 6

    The adventurers set out once more, angling northeast, heading for where they were reasonably sure the Old Fort stood according to their maps. That said, the land was clearly becoming more inhospitable now; the foothills rose in size and treacherousness, and each of them had the distinct feeling that they were truly in a wilderness now. The winds remained steady from the southwest, the cold holding its earlier grip, and they kept to their previous fast pace.

    It was around midmorning that Njal halted them at the top of a rise and pointed to a spot a few miles out of their way. Had there not been a plume of smoke rising from its direction none of them would probably have noticed it, but even with the wind blowing as it was, it was impossible to mistake that a fire was burning, and that it was burning in what looked to be the black triangle of some sort of settlement - though from this distance it wasn't possible to tell exactly what it was or how big the structure seemed to be. But it was a structure nonetheless.

    Spoiler: OOC
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    It'll take a few hours out of your journey to go and check it out if that's what you want to do. Complication dice would rise by another 1 and it'd probably be around noon by the time you get there. I'm still presuming the party is setting a fast pace.

  12. - Top - End - #222
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    Ramiro Sanda
    As the firekeeper would say, where there is fire, there is civilization. Perhaps our runaway is there, or word of her passage?

  13. - Top - End - #223
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Verglas nodded emphatically.

    "If I were three days on the road and as ill prepared as that girl probably was then I would definitely have made for that firesign I agree that we should head forthwith and without delay there to check on whether she came through or perhaps event of ind out if they came through."
    "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut

  14. - Top - End - #224
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    Njal

    The dwarf grins at the chatter with his new companions and nods his thanks to the wands from the doughty knight that help shield them from the freezing cold Njal is still not eager to mount up and head back out. The battles and 2 days of hard riding had left him desiring a warm cave and hot mead. EVen so his eyes narrow as he spies the plume of smoke - "No matter who it is, its a source of information. Aye, the lass would be wise to set a fire. Both for warmth and tae signal her foolish lover. Or it may be the lad himself coming south."

    He nods to the others and whistles to the wolf as he taps the stallions flanks to increase the pace, a trail of flying snow chasing them through the valley.
    Thanks to Emperor Ing for the nice Avatar

  15. - Top - End - #225
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Roland

    "Well said Ramiro," Roland says, choking back a cough and trying to ignore the pain reverberating through his spine. He listens to the others in silence, nodding to Njal before he and Stormrir take off, kicking up snow in their haste to investigate the smoke. Clicking his tongue and putting his heels gently into Ember, Roland urges her after them. "Come on girl," he mutters, gritting his teeth against the chill wind and his aching bones as the horse plods forward.

  16. - Top - End - #226
    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Noon, Day 3
    Complication Pool: 3 of 6

    The adventurers' dismay rose as they moved off their path and toward the source of the wisp of smoke, and as the settlement became more visible. The settlement turned out to be a single farmhouse. True, it was a reasonably large one: it looked to be two levels, maybe five rooms, the rearmost rooms buried into the face of a hill. It had a vintage look to it - the sort of structure that had been more popular about a hundred years ago, all stone walls and wooden high gables not dissimilar to the outpost they'd been at the day before.

    But it was also a shambling ruin. Maybe only ten percent of it still looked to have an intact roofline. It didn't seem to have been ruined recently, either; the damage looked to have been due to time and the elements, not anything recent. There were two outbuildings as well, roughly the dimensions of maybe a stable and a woodshed, but also in advanced stages of ruin.

    The source of the fire also proved to be more sinister than they'd hoped. Some sort of campfire was still burning in the yard at the centre of the ruins, and there did seem to be tracks around it ... but there were a number of blackened bones left in and around the fire. Together with a half-blackened skull that appeared, without closer inspection, to be the skull of a humanoid, sitting grotesquely atop the campfire.

  17. - Top - End - #227
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    Ramiro Sanda

    Hold up, let me look around, this doesn't look so good.

    He drops into a bit of a crouch as he starts looking around.

    Spoiler: OOC
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    Hide: (1d20+9)[18]
    Move Silently: (1d20+9)[15]

    Listen (1d20+9)[16]

  18. - Top - End - #228
    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Noon, Day 3
    Complication Pool: 3 of 6

    Ramiro made a careful circuit of the perimeter of the farmhouse and its outbuildings, but it didn't appear that anything was still hanging around in the area. There were plenty of tracks to be sure, but, focused on whether anything was nearby, the young ascetic wasn't looking to identify them or figure out whether they were recent or not.

    He picked his way to the main ruin of the farmhouse, peering carefully into the shadows of the rooms buried back into the hillside. Again, it didn't look like anything sentient was still here; the place didn't seem to have any living occupiers. And nothing else dreadful jumped out at him from the dark, either.

  19. - Top - End - #229
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    Ramiro Sanda
    Its clear. Why would anyone leave a fire unattended for so long?

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    Njal

    Njal chokes bac a curse as he see's the skull left atop the smoking fires. "Who do be leaving that grim marker. A curse on'em" He sniffs around the fire looking for any tracks that may illuminate who/how many were here and what sort of creature the skull belongs to.

    Spoiler: OOC
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    Survival (1d20+10)[23] for tracks

    Know nature (1d20+4)[8] to ID the race of the skull



    Thanks to Emperor Ing for the nice Avatar

  21. - Top - End - #231
    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Noon, Day 3
    Complication Pool: 3 of 6

    Njal's long instinct in the snows now came to the fore. Turning his attention from the grim sight at the centre of the campfire, he moved to the scuffings and drags in the snow all around them.

    Spoiler: Njal
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    Njal had to admit he had no idea what species the former owner of the charred skull might be, whether that was due to the damage the fire had already wrought or otherwise. However, the tracks around the fire and around the place were more revealing.

    There had been six of them, on foot, no sign of any mounts. Light in the foot for the snows, though the weight distribution was certainly that of two-legs. They'd come in from somewhere north and west of here. They'd taken the sole inhabitant of this ruin - whose tracks were far deeper. The inhabitant had come out of the house, seemingly realised his danger, and started to run for ...
    ...hmm. He'd seemed to start running for the stable, though there was no sign of any mount there either recently or now.

    Either way, the six who'd come had caught him before he could make it there. Then they'd dragged him back, towards the yard, and ...

    Even tough as he was, Njal's stomach did a slow roll. They'd butchered the dweller, and then consumed him. There were bite marks and signs of gnawing all over the bones that lay around the fire. And having finished, the six had then turned due west. And so their tracks went on.

    And the tracks themselves?

    Light in the foot for the snows, which didn't match the weight distribution being where it was. A two-leg simply couldn't put that much mass on the snow and leave so little a mark. Except for one.

    These were surely the tracks of Frost Folk. The wild men who had more than a touch of the eldritch to them and who, thus far, had only been seen north of the Spear. This was, it seemed, a raiding party of them.

  22. - Top - End - #232
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Roland

    As Ramiro ensures the area is safe and Njal beings to examine what may have happened to leave a still smoldering skull atop the fire, Roland gingerly dismounts. He had always been a touch deaf in his left ear, but even so he could swear he hears his bones creak as he reaches up to offer Verglas a hand down if she wants.

    As Njal inspects the tracks thoroughly, Roland sits by the fire, wary of the grotesque, blackened bones, but unable to stay away when his own bones are so chill. He chokes down a bit of water and tries to ignore the pulsing ache in his head as he responds to the young monk.

    "I know for sure that I do not know, but whoever they are, let's hope we do not meet them. Or the lady for that matter," Roland says, shivering as the wind cuts through his armor. "It is not the lady, is it Njal?" Roland calls out hoarsely, nodding towards the bones.

  23. - Top - End - #233
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Verglas

    The little gnome coughs and hugs herself.

    "Yes yes it's tragic and awful Let's either get close enough to that fire for some warmth or let's move on It's only one skull, so even if that IS one of the two that we seek, the other one is still out there somewhere By process of elimination and since something out there is clearly in the elimination business I would like that business to involve us as little as possible."
    "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut

  24. - Top - End - #234
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    Ramiro Sanda
    Lyssa is the one we have a deal for. Do any of the tracks look like they belong to a sabercat?

  25. - Top - End - #235
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    Njal

    Njal shakes his head at Roland, "No lad, I dinnae think so. But we need to tail these bastards. Frost folk raiders slipping into the vale - them pale face devils wil cause trouble adn eat more folks if we dinnae stop them." He looks at the others, "I know you want to be chasin' the lass.... but these lads mean trouble and need tae be stopped." He moves to the fires and kicks over the skull, and nods to the wolf. Helping Gromrir scrabbling at the ground to dig a small burial pit for the remains.
    Thanks to Emperor Ing for the nice Avatar

  26. - Top - End - #236
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    Ramiro Sanda
    I am willing, but do you think this is a good idea to do now? Those two are sick, and we are likely still behind the Girl.

  27. - Top - End - #237
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Roland

    Listening to Njal and Ramiro trading words, Roland simply tries to keep his cough at bay and warm his bones by the fire. Staring into the flames he can hear the anger in Njal's voice, but he can't summon any himself. Perhaps the Firekeeper would lend him some when they were on the Frost Folk's trail, but hunting them wouldn't save this poor, burnt soul and might only get the rest of them killed.

    Ramiro's words about him and Verglas being sick makes him look up finally, glancing over at her as she pulls her furs tighter against the wind. Biting the inside of his cheek to stave off another cough, Roland speaks slowly, pacing himself.

    "Njal," he starts, pausing a few long moments before continuing, "these Frost Folk...if we chase them, some will die. Sick or no," Roland says, finally acknowledging it, "I'll do my part. If there are few, we will scatter them. If there are many, many will die before we do." Roland pauses, coughing into his furs before carrying on. "I do not like leaving them to roam, but no matter what else happens, if we go chasing them, we put the girl in even more danger. We all looked Lord Hardwalker in the eye and told him we'd try to bring his little girl home," he says, looking at each of them in turn before coughing and spitting into the snow. "I don't know if we'll manage, honestly. Not if we keep running into wolves and rats and f*ckin' cats bigger than Ember. Not with a Gravewind bearing down. But we've got to keep trying, and we've got to focus on her if we're going to bring her home," Roland says, staring at Njal now.

    "Please Njal. You got the best head among us for finding our way through this valley. I'll follow you whichever way you lead, but until we find Lyssa and get her safe out of the valley, the Frost Folk can wait."

  28. - Top - End - #238
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Verglas

    Verglas is having trouble believing that this is even a conversation. She can barely look at Njal, but her voice is slower than usual - either because she is freezing to death, or losing her temper. It's hard to tell.

    "You took a job Screwing up that job is likely to get us killed Even if we don't die in the blizzard on the horizon Or from whatever the rats gave us Or from going out looking for a fight with these people who haven't done us any harm By the same logic, the cat back there is eating things so we should kill it so it can't eat people It...just...gah!"

    She hugs herself tighter and shudders.
    Last edited by Toliudar; 2022-01-10 at 08:16 PM.
    "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut

  29. - Top - End - #239
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2015

    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Ramiro Sanda frowns and turns to Verglas.
    No harm to us? (Points at the skull) That used to be a person. WE have been harmed.

    He turns back to Njal.

  30. - Top - End - #240
    Titan in the Playground
     
    DrK's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: A Gathering Storm

    Njal

    The dwarf tugs a hand through his partially frozen beard, chunks of ice and snow tugging free. He glances at Verglas, "You think this lass will be alive eh? She be bones and scraps like this one..." he says gesturing to the fresh grave.

    "Aye, we be tired, we be ill. But them frostfolk be the spawn o' the elves. Devils in ice skin." breathing heavily he nods back to the horses, "I'll dae another day, maybe 2 on the hunt for the lass. When we reach the valleys end it'll be the end o'this fools errand. "

    He looks at the others as he mounts up. "Best be about it then..." before pushing Stormrir back on the trail of the girl.
    Thanks to Emperor Ing for the nice Avatar

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