Convergence (Chap IV) — Legacy Forums

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#41

Seeing the others depart, Kyrian rose and led Maegla to one of the village women. "Please, take care of her, for precious she is, most of all to young Vorodon - you Maegla, please be patient, but I think there are matters I have to attend to."

Towards the band he strode, and asked, plain and direct: "Something is in the air. Praytell its nature, cause and the goal to reach."

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#42

Quick Farewell

Maegla thanked Kyrian profusely, and even gave Herald a kiss on his wet nose. She was about to say more, but then smelled Vorodon coming, and turned her milky-white eyes in his direction.

“The honorable Kyrian has shown me what my eyes cannot see” she spoke softly to the irritated half-ogre. “ I wish to thank you Vorodon..for everything.” she reached up and savagely hugged the Volgottor, kissed him on the cheek, then turned to do the same to the elven knight. “Little Bross will love it too, she cooed, caressing her ample belly.”

“I-I sense something is amiss.” she suddenly said, cocking her head like a bird. Go, do not let me keep you, dear Vorodon. I shall find my way. I shall find my way here in Cottar’s Bale” she concluded.

Sometime Later

Aerex and Vorodon were cresting mud-drenched hills, in search of tracks. Many times over Vorodon explained the need for haste, and many times over explained who the “Veirgbrik” were.

While giants and ogres were iconic in the lands of the Empire and beyond, Verbeeg were not. Behemoths they were called, when referred to, for unlike giants and ogres, they looked more human, and could pass for human, if it were not for their great height.

Possessing an almost obscene sense of superiority over their “cousins”, said giants and ogres, and having a reputation for deceitfulness and treachery, this last trait did not endear the Verbeeg to the Volgotoi. The Verbeeg were a race unloved, and from this stemmed Voro’s consternation. Why would the folk of Cottar’s Bale even allow the Verbeeg to dwell among them in the first place.

Vorodon told the companions of Gorodjur’s worries, and of Brown Borgradoc, and of his fearsome fivesome. He told them that no doubt, vile magic was somehow involved, and hammered the point home, by shaking his pouch of salt again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kyrian hated the terrain. The late winter mud served only to make his mail filthy, and Herald brown-legged and unhappy. As the companions made their way south in nearly breakneck speed, Kyrian walked his mount more often than he rode.

Talia kept pace, tireless, determined, and detached, as always, her beauty not the least marred by the streaks of dirt and mud splashed across her stark mane and face.

For six hours they traveled, and for the past three it was raining. Tiny painful drops at first, then bulbous ones, then downpour. The Rainlands were aptly named. Tracking was useless now, but the companions were lucky, for Vorodon had run into a trapper, who told the Child of Gorye, that he had seen Brown Borgradoc and his kin, training their black eagles and climbing down the Ethddos Gorge, only a day earlier.

The companions travelled on.

They were descending a massive hillock, at a thirty-five degree angle when disaster struck.

The hill began to give way, the soft, drenched earth unable to absorb so much running water.

Herald reared, startled, by the sudden rush of water beneath his hooves. Aerex sensed it too, and Kyrian as well, Vorodon and Talia slightly more surprised.

Flowing mud and gravity took over and suddenly it was everyone for themselves.

Herald had the most trouble, but Kyrian was so far, managing to hang on to the horse’s bridle, as he himself slid.

Vorodon was concerned. He had careened down hills before, caught up in mudslides, and would not be overly concerned if it had been just him now. He would drop, roll, and go rumbling down the hill, accepting of his lumps and bruises. But his concern for his companions was great. Already Talia and Aerex began to slide, even as they attempted to keep their balance, and as everything turned to brown.

The rain kept coming. The Rainlands were aptly named.

One free action for each of you, before many unpleasant rolls, such as Dex, Str, Luck, Dodge, etc commence

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#43

Talia twisted as she slid, looking for a tree or a bush or anything she could grab hold of to stop her descent. If she failed to find one, at least she could try to minimize the damage. All the while, she was screaming in her head for the ancestors to not let the mountain fall on her.

((Spot check for securly rooted vegetation. Also, if she gets buried, it will be ugly.))

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#44

A short stream of Jantiri curses and swears leapt to Aerex's lips. As their footing began to disappear, he first thought of Talia. But there was little he could do for her in this case, he decided, at least if his own head was under the mud. He struggled to make sure that didn't happen.

((Attempt to surf/slide on the surface of the mudslide))

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#45

Oh heavens. 'Perhaps I should have let Herald stay at the village' ran across Kyrian's mind, only to be followed by 'but you never know when ogres get hungry'.

As swiftly as he could, he tried to get himself and his trusty steed to the side of the mudslide to stable ground and safety, or behind a firmly rooted boulder.
The elven way had merit - had the hills not been deforested, the ground would be stable and travellers safe. While Kyrian was a city dweller, the maxim 'plant a tree if you fell a tree' made complete sense to him - sadly, it was now late to explain it to those who cut the hills bare.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#46

As he felt the land around him shift and run into ruin, the Volgottir warrior reached out, grasping Aerax's arm. With a mighty heave, he brought his diminutive ally clear of the flowing river of stone and soil, hurling him toward the sheltering, solid roots of an ancient, lightning-scorched stump.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#47

Rolling involved, naturally

Aerex felt himself sinking one second, as he attempted to surf the sepia waves of dirt, mud, and rocks, then suddenly felt weightless the next second, and then felt himself heaved and in turn hurled, like a burlap sack of onions across the foul-smelling flow of the brown avalanche. He felt a jolt against his shoulder, but avoided serious injury, as he grabbed on to a desiccated but stubborn stump, leaning defiantly against the onrushing torrent. Aerex hung on, spitting dirt and water from his mouth and wiping it from his eyes. The ranger’s hat had not made it however, disappearing into the speeding muck..

Vorodon had little time to appreciate his successful toss of good-friend Aerex. Other friends were in mortal danger still. Sloshing and pulling himself with all his strength across the merciless current, now knee-deep in filth, and nearly toppling, the half-ogre struggled to reach the Bladedancer. He spotted Talia, nimbly avoiding a flying, fist-sized stone. Just then the gypsy slipped again, and disappeared suddenly beneath the running mud, much to Vorodon’s horror. The avalanche had taken its first victim into its brown embrace.

Vorodon shouted, and was now nearly half-swimming, half walking dirt spewing from his nostrils, nearing the spot where Talia had gone down.

Blackness seeped into the warrior’s eyes. A warm wet, sensation, warmer than the cold, rushing mud around him, at his temple. His skull ached...and he fell. Swept up and carried along with detritus. Vorodon’s mind slightly cleared as he sped down the hillock. There was little he could do for the others now. A wedged, snapped, cedar-branch, dug greedily into the half-ogre’s belly, as he gained speed, pummeled by rocks. He roared in pain, this time, but still did not fear for his own life. The hillock was not a mountain and soon the flow would pool into the ground at the base of the hillside. He needed to avoid any more direct hits to his head however, Voro found time to think, losing consciousness in these circumstances would prove fatal.

Terror danced in Herald’s eyes, as rider and mount slid on heels and hoofs down the suddenly perilous hillock. Kyrian hung on to the bridle, but now sunk to his backside, riding the flow. Herald’s legs were in precarious angles, it was a testament to his breed and quality, that the horse did not break or snap any limbs, as stones pebbles, and branches pelted its sides. Neighing almost above the surrounding susurrus, Herald slid suddenly ahead of Kyrian, the horse’s weight pulling it faster along than it pulled the erstwhile rider.

Kyrian grunted as the he himself avoided the cascading rubble all around. Guiding himself and Herald as best he could, his armored body ached, as he gasped for breath.

Slam! Herald made an awful noise, his body hitting a split, but smooth and stranding boulder nearly eight feet high and twice across. Kyrian slammed into Herald, and grabbed onto the horse’s flank, hanging on, as their descent finally ceased. The avalanche was now all around them, but they were tethered. Miraculously, Herald was still alive and well, though panicked and wounded. Kyrian looked up through the brown haze briefly, but managed to notice both Talia sinking, Vorodon plummeting, and Aerex hanging by a literal branch above the rest, safe for the moment. Kyrian contemplated his own predicament. He looked back up the hillock then insticntively and noticed that the mud was now beginning to slow, the rain likewise, lessening, the balance between earth and water slowly restoring. He hoped then, that the end of the mudslide was not too late in coming for the others, for Kyrian had seen something he had not seen before. The gypsy’s eyes, as she sank, showed utter fear.

Talia sank beneath the brown sea, her face, neck, and arms, scratched and chafed by abrasive debris, her mind reeling, her limbs suddenly gripped by paralysis. She screamed silently as mud filled her throat.

Vorodon goes all the way down and takes 19 points of damage from various sources. Aerex, half-ogre be blessed, is alive and well. 5 points of general damage. Kyrian likewise is ok, though he takes 12 points, and Herald has lost half of his hitpoints. You two are perilously, but safely ensconced, as is Aerex. Talia hit a deep spot, and sank fast, bad luck. Damage 15 hit points. Eventually Vorodon and Talia will hit bottom but be buried in huge mounds of moist earth. (More rolling) Vorodon will manage to emerge quickly, while Talia does not, buried beneath nine feet of mud (for the moment).

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#48

Aerex uselessly wiped his face against his mud-covered shoulder, only smearing about the mud on his eyes. Finally he took to shaking his head like a dog, flinging bits of mud outwards. He looked behind him, still clinging to the stump. "Everyone alright?!" he shouted desparately. There was Kyrian, hanging dangerously by his wounded horse, and there Vorodon crawling up out of the muck, an unsightly gash visible on his head beneath the filth... But where...

No. "Talia?!" Aerex shouted. His eyes searched and darted, yielding only mud and debris. "Talia?!" A lump began to form in his throat. After all they'd been through, and she is swept away by some wet dirt? It was unacceptable. Ignoring his missing favorite hat, Aerex took a breath and leapt from his stump to where he had last seen the gypsy. She would be found, come hell or high muck.

(OOC: Attempting to search for Talia and try to pull her to safety. This'll be my last post til Sunday, so... Good luck! :P)

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#49

The only coherent thought going through Talia's mind was a continuous and jumbled stream of half prayer, half begging, inwardly screaming for every ancestor she could remember. This was bad, this was so much worse than when she'd fallen into that hole a couple weeks ago. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear much, and she could hardly move. She couldn't breathe. The mud pushed on her, driving her deeper, pressing on her chest, surrounding her.

GRANPAPA! ILLOS! MAMA!

Her arm hurt, but she didn't know why or even really register it. All she was conscious of was the overwhelming need to GET OUT and the feeling of being crushed. It brought back all the fear and panic of that awful day years ago when she'd gotten pinned under the wagon. But she wouldn't go quietly, even if she was mostly out of her mind with panic. She'd fought then and she fought now, instinctively clawing at the mud trying to force her way out.

HELP ME!!!!

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#50

Talia's cries might have been unheard, but not unfelt - a wave of utter panic wafted over to Kyrian, his senses heightened in the absence of any other charge of his.

Still badly hurt, wondering how rocks could hurt so much even through rigid armor with padding undearneath, he unfastened his lance from the saddle. Why do people make warhammers and bodkin arrows to defeat armor when a rock does the same job respectably enough?
Stirrup in one hand, lance in the other, he thrust towards the place where Talia had disappeared, praying both that he would not hit her, pleading the silver lady that the warrior might be near enough to grasp this pitiful straw.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#51

Talia! Talia, you have to calm down! If you don't, you'll die! She was just too panicked to take heed of such a reasonable caution. She was still clawing futilely at the mud when she felt something new slide down next to her. She grabbed hold of it without thinking; it was a long, thin metal tube. A lance, she realized dimly. It didn't matter why it was there. She latched onto it and tried to use it to pull herself up.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#52

As he felt a tug on his weapon, Kyrian yelled a hearty "hiyooo" to Herald, who faithfully pulled despite his many wounds. It remained to hope that he caught the fish he wished for, not a discarded shoe or tangle of roots...

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#53

As the others desperately struggled to free the Bladedancer, massive, meaty hands clawed their way from beneath tons of mud and debris. Fire seemed to fill his lungs as the hulking warrior warred against the earthen tomb that had enveloped him. The falling hillside’s fury had battered and torn at him, making every movement agony.

Part of Vorodon’s mind wanted to yield, to let his breath out and surrender to the crushing weight surrounding him, but that was something Vorodon could not do. He refused to yield, refused to go down while bone and muscle still answered his will. Force of will drove his legs to push against the stones beneath him. Force of will held his jaw clenched tight as his head swam from lack of oxygen. Force of will drove his arms up and through the mud, heaving at a slab of stone that barred him from the sky.

Force of will and something more: Above the barrier of stone that blocked him, his friends waited. They needed his strength, his blades, his friendship. In the lands of the Volgotoi, the voice of Vorodon would keep them safe. His will drove him upward, but his friendship made him indomitable.

Heaving aside the last layer of mud and stones, the Son of Gorye clawed his way to the surface, eagerly drawing in deep gasps of fresh air. Struggling with his last reserves of energy, he slowly tore himself out of the hellish mire, a surreal figure of mud and blood.

Nearby, he could see Aerax and Kyrian, working feverishly to draw Talia from the clinging muck. His heart leapt into his throat as the behemoth realized that he might have failed her as he had failed Bross. Heaving with renewed energy, the half-ogre drew himself from the mud, staggering weakly forward to help however he could.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#54

Just as unexpectedly as it had started, the mudslide now ebbed. Even the rain had stopped. All the companions were safe and accounted for, but scratched up, wounded in some cases, and covered with a cold, wet filth.

Treading carefully, Kyrian led Herald down the hillock, still treacherous, though the flow was moving slowly now. A smile was on Kyrian’s face. The elf had saved the gypsy, and though shaken and ghostly-pale beneath her shawl of mud, Talia now followed too, having been successfully pulled free of the endless muck. She descended slowly and deliberately, brushing the grime from her face with little success, and muttering something under her breath. She seemed distant once more, lost in her own private thoughts, though her countenance was grim.

Aerex skirted down the muck rather nimbly, now that the avalanche had ceased, and soon the companions were standing together again, at the bottom of the hill. Mud was everywhere.

Vorodon, the companions noticed quickly, who had saved Aerex earlier, and was only moments ago, racing against the tide to try and help his friends once more, was wounded., and breathing heavily. The Behemoth was covered head to toe in mud, not drying in the absent sun, but falling off of him, in great, big, wet globs.

Aerex noticed something as well. Not only had his hat survived the ride (he noticed it was somehow caught on Voro’s dart quiver), but the huge, weird, egg which they were carrying, was seemingly safe as well, poking out of A mound of mud, brown all over, but none the worse for wear, miraculously.

The companions now gathered together closely at the bottom of the spewing hill, and eyed each other. Someone exhaled, a deep, long breath, summing up the last ten minutes, which had seemed to the Adventurers-Upon-Return, as ten long hours.

Herald snorted and nuzzled Kyrian’s cheek.

Somewhere far above, black-crowned eagles circled.

The Company of Brown Tidings was camouflaged quite nicely against the sepia-themed terrain around them.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#55

"Now, band, our adventure had a less than glorious take-off indeed" Kyrian shook his head. "Now brown, soon blue all over, we will find our negotiation and intimidation skills hindered when facing the Verbeeg."

Looking at the Fellowship of the Mud, he spoke once more: "Vorodon, your village may have curative concoctions and life-giving arcana at its disposal; my suggestion is to return there, for the remedies I can bestow miraculously are limited to a charge of mine... perhaps the storm-faced damsel Talia might be able to benefit from them as well. So, what say ye? Return to recover, or forge ahead?"

Grateful for his helmet that shielded his mane from the worst, Kyrian only wondered how much muck managed to soak through his garb to soil his fur. Truly, once he was in Jantir, he would pay for a foam-bath, and young lass to brush him clean. Nothing was going to keep him from that noble goal.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#56

The shrill cries of the circling eagles drew Vorodon's attention. Indiscriminate raptors, the black-hooded birds were not above scavenging the dead, supplementing their more usual diet of rodents and small game. Laughter rose spontaneously in the hill warrior's chest. "Hunger birds, hunger more long! Vorodon no feed eagles for day! Ha!" The thick layer of mud caking his body made him almost invulnerable to the hill country's voracious mosquitoes, which further elevated his spirits.

The game trail that had led them through the hills held occasional footprints, deep impressions puddled with rainwater. A gifted tracker could learn much from the rain-muddled trail, but Vorodon was at a loss. Were these a sign of the Verbeeg they sought, or simply indicators of the Volgotoi that frequented the trails? He gestured to Aerax, pointing out the confusing signs. "Insector, thing is Verbeeg? For be Volgottir, could no?"

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#57

Aerex glanced at Kyrian. He still didn't trust the elf - the "noble paladin" routine was beginning to wear thin - but Kyrian did save Talia. That had to earn him some credit. "If we've come this far, we may as well see what we can figure out before going back." He knelt down over the mud-drenched trail and squinted. "The rain and mud may have damaged the tracks..." he murmured, tracing his fingers over the trail. Perhaps he could still make out something worthwhile...

(OOC: Track check!)

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#58

partial success, despite the huge -% modifier for mud factor :) but really, all you can tell at this point, is that ogre, human, and /other/ tracks abound. Really hard to tell in these conditions the freshness of the tracks and such, due to the wet earth and layers of mud.

also, forgot to mention to Wulf, Vorodon is aware that another thousand or so feet west (you'd see it if not for the rain and mist and clouds) is the lip of the Ethddos Gorge, 2-3 hundred feet below is the valley. Descending into the valley, is a faster way to travel to the road to Jantir. Otherwise, you have to circumnavigate the great gorge entirely, which woud take considerably longer.

the Snowmelt Festival will be in full swing tonight in Cottar's Bale. Feasting and celebrations will abound.

Aerex has a suddenly peculiar feeling, that somewhere, someone, has been following the group. He thought so, and was about to say so, right before the mudslide erupted, but didnt get the chance. He isnt sure whether it is a big deal or not, since the "follower" seemed to be following them from the direction of the village, these past six hours or so. Could be a curious straggler perhaps. Aerex' ranger(spidey)-sense though, has allowed him to determine that its a single figure.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#59

Talia said nothing, just nodded at Aerex's words. She was trembling slightly. Honestly, she thought she had almost died in that mud, and she still wasn't over it. She probably wouldn't be for some time. While she hated showing weakness, and hated panicking like a child, it wasn't something she could help. Almost assuredly, the ancestors were deeply disappointed in her, but the fear was too deep to ignore. It didn't seem like her friends thought less of her. Maybe one day, she'd share their view.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#60

Spotting a familiar hilltop, Vorodon realized how far west the trail had taken them. They were approaching Gorram's Gouge, the valley known to humans as Ethddos Gorge. The overlook atop Fargell Hill offered an excellent view of the surrounding land.

"Up hill, good what to for look," he advised the others. "Fargell give look top of valley. Come?"

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#61

"If you give me a few moments' time beside a brook to clean Herald's wounds, I am all yours" Kyrian nodded and looked around to see if such a brook could be found.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#62

"They're hard to read," Aerex commented, hand gently following the broken tracks. "The mud and rain's mostly destroyed them. This looks like a boot print, a human," he said, waving over a blurry indentation in the muddy track. His eyes darted about. "This one's... this is ogre. Volgottoi, I'd guess." Matare squinted at another print, half buried by mud. "There's another one here, but I can't tell what it is."

Suddenly, the hair on Aerex's neck stood up on end. It was that feeling again, the one that had nagged him since they left. The feeling that someone was watching them, tracking them like he was tracking the ones on this trail. "Don't look too surprised," he said quietly and calmly, "but I think someone's following us. Don't know who, but I've just got a feeling. We should stay alert."

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#63

"I got enough pretty to go around" Kyrian chuckled. "Don't think that he would watch any off."

He lead Hearald over toa small waterfall, rather a trickl coming out of a rock wall, filtered by sand and unmarred by the everpresent mud, and proceeded to wash Herald's bruises, applying liquor to them and soothing his hurt steed to endure the necessary pain. To the worst, he applid a bandage, while yearning for firm imperial roads, city streets where you could hop into a cozy inn to avoid a downpour, or even the woods of his homeland that soaked up rain like a sponge, keeping the ground soft yet firm.

Still, that cozy inn would have to count as number one. With a bard or two, one of them playing, say, a violin, the other singing and slapping his .. her thigh in the rhythm of the song. Aye.

"All right? We can continue" he spoke, done with the daydream and his task.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#64

Climbing Fargell Hill

Tristan and Adan slowly made their way up, along a sloppy, muck-filled lip of the canyon, it was just as well, they had left their horses tehthered below. The incline, though not overly steep, in fact it was somewhat gradual, was indeed treacherous, and not a route for horses.

The sun had not yet set, but clear sky were slowly turning grey, as the two Triguians grimly climbed the gorge.

Two hours later, their breath once more gushing steam in the quickly cooling air, the pair reached the top. Briefly glancing back, they could see a hazy outline of the great Gorge of Ethddos yawning below them.

Ahead however, lay a maze of hills, muddy and foggy. Tristan scanned the terrain with slitted eyes. Adan kept a tight grip on his weapon, and with the other hand, occasionally fingered the scar tissue around his throat. The fallen paladin was breathing deeply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vorodon’s gaze scanned the cardinal horizons. To the east he could see the distant, vague outline of Cottar’s Bale. To the west, the formidable Ethddos Gorge. It had been a blessing, the half-ogre thought to himself, that the mudslide was not a true avalanche, for the companions would surely have been swept along with the mud and earth, over the rim, and would have perished, had the Flow’s strength been greater. Vorodon paused, and peered intently into the late afternoon gloom. He heard, but did not at first acknowledge Aerex Matare, who had come up behind the half-ogre, having likewise climbed the desolate hillock. Aerex withdrew an item from rucksack, a thin, brass, telescoping tube, with glass lenses, fitted at both ends. Putting the smaller end to his eye, the ranger scanned the surroundings as well. Vorodon turned then, and glanced over at the Insector, wondering as to what exactly the diminutive man was doing. The device was unknown to the half-ogre, but Aerex, who had found the spyglass in the bowels of the Glassmaker’s Monastery, knew its use quite well, since similar, but inferior instruments were used frequently in Jantir.

Aerex saw clearly what Vorodon had spied with his big, naked eye. Having somehow assailed the gorge, rising seemingly straight up from the yawning chasm, six huge figures, ogres perhaps, were now moving in an easterly direction, less than two thousand feet away, and nearing in huge strides, the base of the very hill where Talia, Kyrian, and Herald awaited Vorodon and Aerex.

The ranger and warrior exchanged glances. Vorodon was about to speak, when Aerex put his hand up to interrupt, and pointed east now again, handing the half-ogre his spyglass. After some fumbling, Vorodon peered through the glass and could now see a lone figure, human no doubt, heading likewise to the same hill, but from a different direction, the direction of Cottar’s Bale.

‘I think that one has been following us” Aerex said evenly. Vorodon nodded, but drew Aerex’ attention back toward the western front. The Verbeeg, Vorodon thought to himself, were a lot more dangerous, than whoever that was coming from the other side. He began to explain this to Aerex, as the ranger kept looking at the lone figure advancing. The man, for it was a man, was garbed in the grey, non-descript robes of a traveling monk, which were so favored by pilgrims headed to Jantir, as they traversed this desolate stretch of terrain. A cowl hid the man’s features.

Suddenly Vorodon spied two more figures in the direction of the Gorge, from whence the Verbeeg came. Small figures these, the half-ogre thought, humans.

Kyrian stared up, along the muddy contours of the hillock, Vorodon had called, Fargell Hill, and called up to Aerex and the half-ogre.

"All well?"

Talia strode next to Kyrian. Even from below, the elf and the gypsy could see that Vorodon and Aerex had seen something, and were now concerned.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#65

"Fill us in on a share of your astute perceptions, mister Aerex, so that our moves may be well planned" Kyrian asked the inspector as he stood at his side, surveying the vale below.
"Besides the ignoble Verbeeg neath our feet, no soul seems to be crossing this land. This should be simple enough."
Indeed, well did he know foes of the kind that were approaching them - many a heavy bruiser did he face in his youth, back then, the cheering crowd filling the hot air over the blood-stained sand with bloodthirsty clamor. Many fools bet their coin on barely sentient mountains of muscle, but he knew better. Slow of body, slow of mind they would no evade the tip of his lance nor his blade should the need arise.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#66

Talia looked at the others, waiting for a response. She pulled her fans out from her belt; by some miracle she hadn't lost them in the mud, and she'd cleaned the worst of it off so they wouldn't rust. She snapped them open. Maybe what was coming wouldn't be a threat, but it hurt nothing to be ready for trouble.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#67

Aerex folded his arms in thought. "That one's definitely the one who's been following us. It could be he's just headed our way; this isn't an uncommon trail to Jantir. But given our usual streak of luck, he's probably an assassin-wizard working for demons." He smirked - somewhat uncomfortably - before clearing his throat. "The verbeeg, now, won't be hard to follow. They probably pose a much greater threat than that man. But we could pretty easily catch them later if we wanted to investigate him first." Aerex scratched his mud-covered head. "'Course, that's assuming they're not off to invade the Volgottoi. If that's the case, they would be a priority." Matare sighed and shrugged. "I'm not sure what's worse."

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#68

Following far beyond the Verbeeg, as they were, Adan had little worries about the enormous creatures hearing them. And with their size, little worries about losing them beyond their ability to track. But when the time came, they would need a proper plan - Wisdom and cunning would be required to overcome strength and durability. Letting his mind drift over the things he carried, a single eyebrow would eventually rise on the man's face, before a vicious smile spread there. He would let the woes that the Verbeeg gave them be returned, though sadly unmultiplied. It would just take some brief moments of work with his hands...

As the man watched the Verbeeg, he reached down to the shaft of his great staff, and began to work the tight iron bindings up the staff slightly, not far, but simply enough to see daylight through the tracework on the end caps. It was hard work, but the man uttered up a brief prayer to Trigu for strength of arm and nimble fingers, as his hands did their best to thread the end of the thick, soft iron wire he carried from its spool in his pouch through first one end of the binding, and then the other, twisting it through several of the decorative holes there, before hopefully slipping them back onto the shaft, creating something not entirely unlike a longbow, with the blessing of Trigu's Luck.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#69

The hill warrior considered the situation, his sloping brow furrowed in concentration. "Vorodon not know robe man behind. No good have robe man come if for flan surfress. But for Verbeeg friend, for if robe man friend, Vorodon warn," he quietly advised his companions.

Moving behind cover, Vorodon crept toward the stranger, crashing and clattering clumsily behind concealing rocks and scrub plants. Partially hidden, the mud-encrusted warrior sneaked through the rugged landscape with all the stealth of a chariot crash.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#70

post coming tonight/tomorrow. Sorry (again). Will try to speed everything up a bit now. Just want to throw out, that with the Thanksgiving weekend on its way next week, I'll be off from work for 4 days, online, and posting often. I predict we'll be in Jantir by next weekend at the latest. Thank you.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#71

Dear Friends, I'm am failing in my GM duties, I know. HOWEVER, after tomorrow, I am off until next Monday. I vow to post every day. I will win you back! :P

Mysterious stranger is coming! Verbeeg are coming! Jantir is coming!

Thank you for your patience.
Muro.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#72

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#73

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#74

“Horrible place, this is” he grumbled as he trudged through the mud.
Adjusting the straps on his pack, he pushed slowly forward. The ogres in the village were kind in the amount of supplies they afforded him, though it was more than enough…and quite heavy. Leaning on his staff he rested a moment.

Keeping up with this odd band of travelers was hard business, and keeping a safe distance even harder. But if the rumors he heard in the ogre village were true…curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to press on before he lost sight of them again. Just before taking a step, a growing cacophony began to rise from the brush. The sounds of creaking leather, metal on stone, sliding rocks, and breaking branches was steadily becoming louder. Whoever it is they aren’t being subtle…

Looking towards the sound, he saw what appeared to be a very large man, covered from head to toe in muck, lumbering towards him. The disheveled mass seemed on urgent business. This doesn’t look promising…

“Doesn’t seem to be a good day for you either, friend.” He said in an even, sure tone. Hopefully he’s friendly…this day is going badly enough!

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#75

Perhaps it was due to the late hour, the long day, or his aching, rotting tooth. Whatever it was, Brown Borgradoc the Verbeeg gang leader was too lazy to engage the black-crowned eagles he had been training as hatchlings. The assault on the stupid priests of Trigu (whichever god that was) proved so simple and without complication, that Borgradoc was now a bit over confident.

Whichever group this was ahead, would be subdued without much incident as well, either by words or force. Brown Borgradoc did not care which.

The Verbeeg wanted to return to the village in time for the night's festivities, and these travellers ahead would merely give up their belongings and be on their way. So Borgradoc decided to himself. Who after all, would wish to engage in an evening battle with his ferociuos group. No one.

Borgradoc smiled, and licked his aching tooth. Some were born under unlucky stars, their lives full of hardship and pain. I am fated for greatness however, the Verbeeg leader though to himself. Soon, he would be Hetman of Cottar's BAle, and that was that.

Turning form his own musings, Borgradoc glanced at his gang members, and raised his beefy hand to call a halt.

"Three hundred yards ahead, there is a group of three or four travelers. We are close to the village. Let us not make a ruckus if we can help it. Though if they do not comply with our requests, we will have to kill them quickly, and bury their remains. I wish to reach Cottar's Bale within the next three hours."

Looking around the terrain, he added, "Looks as if they were caught in a mudslide."

Borgradoc then glanced at Mrok, then Dog, and the others. "Dog will come with me", he said, tightening his grip on the insane Verbeeg's leash. "Mrok, you too, and your half-brother. Dumjakk and Yoord, you move closer and secure position to launch your bolts. If I raise my arm, fire until they are all dead."

All the Verbeeg now jumped from foot to foot, muttering and growling in excitement at the coming bloodshed. To be honest. Borgradoc's sparing of the pathetic priests still irked them.

"There is a horse, as well. We will take it for the feast"

At this, a grin spread on the cavernous, yellow-eyed face of the one called, Dog, and sometimes, Ubu.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#76

Tristan looked over at his companion and fellow Triguian, wondering just exactly what he was doing with the various materials he was whipping together. "Brother, what exactly are you doing? I'm not sure if we have the time to work on this, useful though I'm sure it would be. Those monsters appear to be gearing up for another attack. We need to stop them, post-haste!"

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#77

Quite so, yes. And the Spot check is successful. Two crossbowmen sidewind from the group of four to take position.

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#78

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#79

As clumsy fingers continued their muddy work, the injured soldier frowned, and shook his head faintly. "Do you not recognize it, brother? I have decided to pay back the loan they have given us, and have decided to return it along with a payment of usurious interest." An ungauntleted hand took a brief moment to wave at the throat above it, injured and yet painful. "And they seem the sort that would expect a criminal return on their investments. I do not believe I can return the favor by hand, and so, I would deliver it from afar."

A moment to survey his handiwork, a noncommittal grunt, and the fallen paladin pulls one of the blood covered bolts from his belt, the words of a hymn coming to his mind, and then to Adan's silent lips, moving in course with the ancient song, though unvoiced.

(OOC: I guess I need my rolls on making an improvised longbow, from staff and wire. Wire worked through the ironwork / studding at the end of the staff.)

Re: Convergence (Chap IV)

#80

"No more good morning, travelman," rumbled the mud-doused Volgottir. Pointing down the slope toward their unseen quarry, Vorodon tried to clarify the problem. "Verbeeg liar for on road no far. Travelman, like want go other road, no trouble. Road here has trouble."

Gazing at the overladen traveler, Vorodon wondered if he should also advise him that there had been mudslides in the area. He decided against it; the man would doubtlessly notice sooner or later.