Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

1. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #41

   "The worm said he'd never been to the keep, take from that what you will," Jakh said. With his most winning smile he continued, "Oh the Dawn Goddess smiles on me this morning, and the best way to repay her blessings is for us all the leave, now; at least before any of the villagers start wondering how exactly that fire started and get it in their mind to find out.  Hiya bina!"
   
   Grabbing up his heavy cloaks and his bag Jakh made his way out into the cold again.
   

2. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #42

   ... For a long moment, the monk was silent, crossing his arms over his chest. In time, Xiahao was certain, that man's ancestors were certain to call him to account in their own time. But that was their business, not his. Drawing a deeper breath of the whiff of smoke in the air, he nodded, wrapping his cloak about him as he began to walk in a fluid stride. Do not appear nervous, Xiahao, simply walk as if you belonged here, leaving as you were meant to do. Let the others follow as they would. He would lead the way, if he must.

3. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #43

   The first thing that Jakh noticed as he stepped out into the cold once more, was the still-steaming head of the young smith lying on the ground not twenty feet away, the same young man they had seen the previous day when they had first entered the village.
   
   There it was now. A bloody head without a body, a look of horror still present in the dead but open eyes. Brains, meat, and viscera colored the pure white snow with shades of red, around the head.
   
   All was quiet. No other villagers could be seen. Jakh glanced  in the direction of the old man's hut. Thick black tendrils of smoke were escaping the fur-draped windows. The fire would engulf the hut momentarily.
   
   The first thing that Xiahao noticed as he followed Jakh outside was some great furred beast, white and gray, and bear-sized, silently racing across the village snow on all fours, heading directly for the thief, from a behind a shack, for the moment out of Jakh's peripheral vision.
   
   Jakh did not see the danger. In mere seconds, Xiahao realized as he looked on in shock, this beast, whatever it was, eerily silent yet huge, would be upon the thief.
   
   Then Jakh heard a grunt, and turned to see the coming doom...
   
   How could I not have heard this *thing* coming? thought Jakh the Foul
   
   How could not the wolf and horse sense this beast, or *beasts*, as it were? thought Xiahao the Avenger  (...for he could now catch glimpses of *other* silent white, bear-ape things, closing quickly from various directions...)
   
   
   

4. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #44

   Using her mystical ability to read magic Kisanth quickly lost herself in unraveling the mysteries of the parchment and stone, one hand softly stroking Lovers fur, the concerns of reality fading from her conscious perception, until even the biting cold and reek of the barn faded from recognition.
   
   She was confident in Lovers ability to keep watch, and equally sure whatever she found would prove valuable enough to expend her magical resources upon these trinkets.

5. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #45

   His horse ready for the day, Ythedrir stepped out into the frigid air, a welcome change after the barn and its many 'fragrances'.  Cold was his element.
   
   The next thing he noticed was the shocked face of the monk, Zisomethingorother, looking out over the snows.  Ythedrir followed his gaze, hand instinctively drawing axe and unslinging shield even before the threat became clear.  When it did, Ythedrirs blood stirred as little outside the Hels could..
   
   
   
   
   

6. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #46

   Dawn you insane goddess, may your sisters murder you and may your children eat your corpse.
   
   Jakh quickly drew his dagger and kukri, throwing the first at the charging ape and backing up, with the second ready to defend himself.

7. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #47

   The sound echoed through the tiny village like a crack of thunder, shockingly loud and sudden, and dying as fast as it came. The unlikely source? Xiahao's voice, as his entire body whips through a fluid arc, an impossibly vicious kick leveled at the beast's knee as it charged, an en passant strike, meant to bring the beast down like a man felling a tree.

8. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #48

   Looking up from her magical inquisition Kisanth blinked, briefly puzzled at the crack, at first assuming it was the ice cracking across a nearby stream or pond, before the smell of fresh blood assaulted her nostrils, a quick nod to Lover as he chuffed in agreement. Death was close, and the timeless dance of predator and prey about to begin anew.
   
   Rolling to her feet Kisanth grabbed her staff and ran to the door, cautiously peering out to search for likely targets and lend her magical aptitude to the unfolding chaos.

9. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

   #49

   (initiative rolled with Pariah in chat on Saturday :). Despite the surprise rush by the ape, Jakh manages to act first...by a hair. Need some initiative rolls from others.)
   
   The ape grunted again, as it bared its fangs, attempting to pummel Jakh into oblivion with its charge, its beady red eyes, focused on its target.
   
   Two things happened next, almost simultaneously.
   
   The first was Jakh's wrist-flick. (throwing his magical knife at the oncoming beast) The second was Xiahao's great shout and lunge, as the monk, fearless apparently, closed the space between himself, the ape and Jakh, with a vicious flying kick and strike.
   
   The knife missed its mark, sailing by the ape's bent shoulder, but then turning in an arc in mid-air, and flying back to the thief. (next round its in your hand again)
   
   (need some Siren rolls:))
   
   
   Meanwhile, Ythedrir, who was about to rush in and attack the same white-ape, instead turned at the sound of another demonic-like grunt, only to see another ape, this one bigger than the one attacking Jakh, and furiously closing in on the Vanirman. Ythedrir the giant suddenly had his own opponent to deal with...
   
   Peering out from inside the barn, Kisanth eye's opened wide at the scene before her. A gray-white ape was about to rip Jakh to pieces, and another ape faced off against Ythedrir. More disturbing yet, there were now four more apes closing in from all directions, nearing the barn, and her new companions.
   
   Lover tensed, awaiting command to strike. The wolf seemed confused, as if he could not smell the beasts, despite now seeing them, and this irritated him.
   
   (need some rolls to continue :))
   
   
   
   
   

10. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #50

    (val rolled in chat. Rolled quite well.)
    
    The Vanirman was not one to hesitate when it came to snow-apes. He had faced them before, and smiled as he swung his fearsome axe. No need to think. The apes were flesh and bone, and anything made of flesh and bone, eventually died beneath his axe.
    
    Ythedrir stuck the creature hard, the axe-blade biting deeply into into the ape's shoulder, and suddenly, warm, red blood erupted from the wound, covering both ape and man with its spray. The ape roared in an un-ape like fashion and lunged at Ythedrir, enraged.
    
    One of the ape's arms flailed wildly, the other struck the side of the Vanirmen's head, sending him momentarily reeling. He recovered quickly (his helm took the brunt), only to have the ape sink its dirty, yellow fangs in his axe-arm, by the elbow. Now the Vanirman bled...and this made Ythedrir quite angry.
    
    The two combatants circled each other...
    
    Ythedrir, glanced only briefly at his bleeding arm, before he raised his axe once more and struck vertically, as the ape reared to attack. This time the axe struck the ape in its skull, and drove down to its jaw, literally splitting its head. A few yanks and the axe was free to butcher once more, as the ape collapsed into the snow, blood and brains spurting in a fountain.
    
    

11. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #51

    Ythedrir did not savour the moment, not in battle.  He scanned the field and caught site of something high - on the roof.  A moments thought and he barreled towards the wolf-lady, yelling 'Look oooooout!'
    
    

12. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #52

    Leaping back at his warning Kisanth shouldered the door closed hurriedly, reading her magic missile incantation for a quick ambush when she opened it moments later, giving Lover the signal to unleash his fanged fury upon the target as soon as her spell connected.

13. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #53

    (Sil, and val, and wolf rolled)
    
    As Ythedrir yelled, charged, and lunged, the ape leapt down with an almost in-audible grunt. Axe met simian once more....
    
    the snow-ape's gut was partially torn as it landed atop Ythedrir, the two combatants now collapsing in the snow, beside the door. The ape manages to scratch Ythedrir's face, as well as land another bite on his thigh. In the next instant the door opened again and Kisanth's wolf lunged at the rolling combatants, having no difficulty separating man from beast. Its teeth sank into the rump of the ape, and moments later, Kisanth fired a volley of missiles from her fingertips, crackling bolts of energy, unerring and deadly.
    
    By the time Ythedrir managed to jump to his feet once more, the ape was moaning in its death-throes. Another dead. Or nearly so. Lover made sure of it.
    
    No time to smile. Four more apes now charged the trio near the door-way, and Jakh and Xiahao had their hands full as well.
    
    

14. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #54

    Whistling for Lover to return to her side Kisanth readied her fireball incantation, aiming for the ground near the apes, trying her best to avoid engulfing her recently met acquaintances in the ensuing conflagration.

15. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #55

    Xiahao was fast, but not fast enough this time, as he attempted to slow the beast's mindless charge. He missed his mark,and the ape crashed into Jakh, eight hundred pounds of motivated muscle.
    
    Jakh fell silently, so sudden and brutal was the ape's crash. The creature slammed into the thief and drove him into the snow. Jakh's ribcage was smashed. His lungs burned. Blood spurted from the thief's thin, fish lips. It happened too fast for Jakh to scream, but nevertheless, he now had a snow-ape astride his chest, crushing him. Merciless, the ape then sunk its fangs into his shoulder once more, as if attempting to sever his arm.
    
    Pain, thought Jakh. Memories...

16. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #56

    OOC:And now for something futile...
    
    The ape crashed into Jakh, and he crashed back into the past, a glowing red knife inches from his face.  The stench of offal and rotting flesh.  The screams of the not-quite-dead.  The ape was gnawing on the scar tissue from where they'd spent a whole 2 hours flaying the skin off of his shoulder.
    
    Biting though his tongue, the taste of blood brought him back to the present.
    
    "DIE!"
    
    Jakh tried to slam his knife into the eye of the ape, instead he managed to jam it into the apes thick brow, and the ape's thrashing of it's head back and forth quickly tore the knife out of his hand.
    
    I always hated you Dawn.

17. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #57

    Place the lashing foot. Pivot with it. Thrust the heel of the other foot at the ape-thing's kidney as it attacks Jakh. Feel the grisly connection of flesh and foot, but don't bother to see how well it worked. Xiahao's motion is a fluid blast as he continues through, whipping his hand around, a vicious ridgehand, but too high, as he cursed in the tongue of his homeland, a vile imprecation of the thing's ancestors.

18. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #58

    The ape recoiled slightly, lifting some of its weight off of Jakh, and he twisted around himself.  Now he was curled up into a ball, between the ape's legs and he could feel it slamming the ground behind him, where he'd been just half a second before.

19. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #59

    (rolling done, including a 6,6,6,3,4,2 fireball bomb :))
    
    As Ythedrir surveyed the scene and moved toward the barn door, maniacal snow-apes crashed into him, drooling and grunting. The Vanirmen's helm flew off as he absorbed the brunt of the attacks, fanged bites and smashing arms blows, rained down upon him. Ythedrir was bleeding now from several wounds, but still moving, despite the gibbering beasts' attacks. Throwing off one ape, kicking another, and smashing a third in its ugly simian mug with the butt of his mighty axe, Ythedrir managed to reach the door just in time, as Kisanth's magic exploded from her outstretched fingertips. Lover was already at her side, sensing what his mistress was about to unleash.
    
    A soft swoooosh first sounded, then a second later, an explosion of violent fire erupted in front of the barn. The anguished cries of three apes caught in the blast, was painful to the ears. A fourth ape, who was closing in moments ago, somehow managed to avoid the conflagration, yet this creature was fleeing now, and did not even look back.
    
    Apes burned. The smell of burnt fur was all around. Kisanth smiled, the heat from the fireball making her face glow in the barn's doorway. Ythedrir glanced around, looking for his helm.
    
    The danger seemed over for the Vanirman, sorceress, and wolf. Only one of the three burning apes was still moving on the ground, roasting in anguish, yet it too, was not long for this world. The wolf put it out of its misery with a crushing wind-pipe bite.
    
    
    
    Meanwhile...
    
    Somehow, almost impossibly so, the eel-like Jakh kept avoiding the marauding ape's attacks, suddenly finding himself near the beast's nether regions due to his squirming and sliding, and due in no small part to Xiahao's debilitating kidney-kick into the ape's back.
    
    But the ape was agile too, and raging beyond reason, now. It spun its eight hundred pounds of muscle effortlessly, and sunk its jaws once more(!) into Jakh's ripped and shattered shoulder blade. As it bit down, crunching bone, and severing arteries, Jakh's world faded finally into black.
    
    Xiahao was not done yet however. Another strike from the deceptively deadly monk, and suddenly the ape relaxed completely with a surprised grunt. The beast was paralyzed, and collapsed softly on top of the dying Jakh once more.
    
    Xiahao made quick work of the creature from there. It was dead moments later.
    
    The monk dragged the body of Jakh the Foul from beneath the dead ape, and for the first time glanced back toward the barn, his nose ticklish from the pungent smell of burning fur and flesh.
    
    The sudden, raging battle seemed to be over. An eerie quiet returned to the nameless, burning, mutilated village.
    
    
    (OOC: HUZZAHHH!! Aiiiiiee-HARHGH-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-Yeeeeeee!!--they scream stuff like that in conan mags :P)

20. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #60

    Reaching down to soft stroke Lovers fur Kisanth nodded in satisfaction, shaking a lock of her blonde hair back over her missing eye socket as she leaned against her staff and surveyed the carnage. "We do dance quite well, no?"
    
    Her open question was directed at no one in particular, and more a casual observation as she pondered how to proceed. "The fleeing beast will no doubt leave tracks leading to its masters lair, and a scent Lover can readily follow if no one possesses the skill to track in arctic tundra."
    
    The unfolding drama surrounding Jakh's grievous injuries had not yet become apparent to her, only that a victory had been earned through skill and blood.

21. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #61

    Ythedrir struggled to remain standing, deadly pale even for a vanirman. Scores of battles he had fought, but none had bled him so.
    
    He gave up the battle and sat down, reaching into his back for some cloth to bind his wounds, his hands shaking and slippery from the blood.
    
    "Fucking monkeys..."
    
    A cough and blood flecked lips.
    
    "Feeling a little.. tired.  Oh, there it is...", Ythdrir absently picked up his helmet, but put it on his head backward.

22. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #62

    An hour later...
    
    Jakh came too, his arm on fire.  Dragging himself off the ground he searched the villages various shacks, finding the corpses of all the villagers lying in their own blood many of them with their arms and legs violently detached. 
    
    Groaning as he walked back out into the village square Jakh looked around.  Finally he decided on what would be the most defensible building there, truthfully not much more than a glorified shack.  He managed to drag the corpse he found in the house out to the square before he passed out again.
    
    The next he spent the better part of the day boarding up the windows.  Finally content in his almost defensible den he rested for the next week.

23. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #63

    "Saa." Xiahao was not particularly pleased, yet, he was alive, and that was what mattered. Immediately, this was the time for medicines. Strange unguents to spread and alien herbs to burn against the skin, manipulating the vital energies to flow best throughout the injured bodies, and bandages to keep the humors from leaking out. It would be more difficult than the simple damage dealt in the kwoon, but that just meant more time. Time they may not have.
    
    As the strange foreigner worked, he looked not to the men or the sorceress, but to the wolf, and it was to the wolf he spoke directly, and in the tongue of the wolves, rather than that of man: "Our packmates are sorely wounded, brother, but we cannot abandon the hunt. How long until the ape's trails cannot be scented?"

24. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #64

    Kisanth smiled in mild surprise as Xiahao addressed Lover, few even acknowledged his capability as more then her mate and companion, fewer still had the courage to address him directly.
    
    Lover pawed at the ground near the apes tracks, sniffing at the musky scent and trying to sort out the hairless ones question. (OCC: Time Muro before the trail goes cold?)

25. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #65

    "Apes unnatural. No smell, hairless one. Not long, before darkness comes, sooner if snow and wind worsens."
    
    (OOC: the problem seems to be, the apes have no scent. Weird, huh? :P So wolfie can track the uhh, tracks of the ape, no problem, but not follow via nose. If that makes any sense. So, unless lots of fresh snow falls (could be any day around here), he would not have a problem following the tracks visually.)

26. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #66

    "Beasts with no smell..." For a long moment, the Kihtan frowned, looking about the scene of the carnage. "And their blood, and entrails, pack-brother? Does that smell?" A peculiar question to ask, perhaps, but now he wondered if these apes had ever truely lived at all, or if they were pure sorcery. And thus even more terrifying.
    
    Now, to the apparent sorceress. "Do you know if some dark wizard could have woven such things?"

27. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #67

    Kisanth pondered the question for several seconds, recalling her knowledge of conjuring and golem creation before giving her response. "If they were summoned their death would have banished them back to the realms they were conjured forth from, were they given unnatural life by magical conjuration, killing them would have been much harder."

28. Re: Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

    #68

    Enquiry: having read through this and liking it. I would like to know if it's possible for me to jump in? GM could you PM me with details?

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