Alesande's Awakening

[ooc]We can't let this thread die, we haven't even gotten to the final apocalyptic showdown between Morvin and the bear yet![/ooc]

 

[ooc] I'm still here! Just waiting for more people to post before I post [/ooc]

 

[OOC]I've been planning on moving the story along, honest! I've just been kind of busy.[/OOC]

It had gotten pretty dark as the party finally left the great ever-green forests behind them. They where now faced with the sloping entrance to an oval, gloomy and generally unpleasant valley.
Morvin knew it well. At the other end of the far stretching valley the party could clearly see their destination, the towering black peaks which housed the pass of Wotan. Morvin however, noticed something the others did not. Something was different. The glacier had frozen early this year. The great pass was already filled with impregnable ice. Worse still, several torches or other light generating objects had been placed atop the huge, thick wall of ice.

To some of the younger and less experienced members of the party the light sources might invite to feelings of relief as they reminded them of the civilization they had left behind, they couldn't be more wrong...

Morvin made a gesture with his hand that indicated that he wished the party to halt, he then expressed his thoughts in a rather anxious voice.

"Hold! It be too dangerous ta' move any closer to the pass during the late hours. The grey ones have keen eye's, especially in the dark..."

It was desided that the party should set up camp behind some large rock formations that shielded them from the eyes of whom- or whatever was encamped atop the blocked pass.
As the memebers sat themselves down around the crackling fire, Morvin explained what they where up against.

"They be known as the grey ones, Although sometimes we dwarves call them "the unclean ones" or "tha forgotten ones." Nasty buggars tha lot a' em! They be dwarven, at least partly. Many of the bastards have goblinoid blood pumping through their shriveled hears though. They..." Morvin made a short pause to light his pipe.

"They be tough fighters, mark mi' words. Mi' clan had a brush with 'em when we tunneled too deep a cupple of decades ago. It was one of them that gave me this!" Morvin then pointed towards his eye-patch...

 

Alayna rode slowly at the back of the group, wrapped snugly in her cloak to keep out the cold of the evening. Busy with her own thoughts, she didn't realize the rest had stopped until her steed almost bumped into the horse in front. She looked ahead and saw the large wall of ice, with the torches on top. This looked exactly like a trap: weary travelers would eagerly try to find a way to the top, hoping to find the people who placed the torches and ask for hospitality, and a team of archers would shoot at them from the height of the glacier, leading the unwary to a certain death. She was about to tell the rest to stop, when the dwarf halted the party. Wise move, she thought. This one has experience. He explained something about the "Grey Ones". The name evoked ancient legends in Alayna's mind, which her mother had told her. They were a race of renegade dwarves, which were rumored to have mixed with goblins, fierce, hateful, petty and revengeful. They hated the other dwarves passionately, and strongly disliked all surface dwellers, like humans and elves. What could have driven them outside their caves to the pass Alayna couldn't tell. But they were here, and they would have to be reckoned with. Though it would be so much better if we could find a way around them, she thought.

 

J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op slowly made his way, following the path the party had taken. It was getting unseasonably cold, and the path was starting to narrow.

He was feeling better for the most part, although there may have been some permanent damage to his arm, closing his hand was requiring effort. "That miserable whelp."

His thoughts were interrupted by the twang of a bow. He instinctively dived into a snowdrift, all but disappearing. He saw three creatures, they looked like mutated dwarves, but smelled like those miserable goblins he had fought yesterday. They were standing over a fallen deer, the victim of their arrow. The creatures were deeply involved in eating the creatures, who appeared to still be alive, although failing rapidly. He growled to himself, eating a living being was the act of cowards.

A fouth creature, who he had dubbed the Dwarlins because of their peculiar combination of features, ran up and starting speaking rapidly in a very strange tongue. Even J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op's pendant took a few minutes to decipher the meaning, which was as jumbled as it sounded.

Prey. Near camp. Lots food. Soon. Mugglo say soon. Me show.

The four scampered of excitedly towards "camp" leaving J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op to ponder this message in his snowdrift. Climbing out he reoriented himself. Then he noticed the direction the four had gone. Almost directly north. Deciding this must be more than mere coincidence he tailed the group, staying back, comfortable their smell would endure for a very long time. As he took a sniff and corrected his path he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

 

[occ] In case ya'll havent noticed, I am a great one for naming things/places. So if'n you want, feel free to name locations, creatures, etc. if they havent been already. :thumbup: [/occ]

As the black peaks of the Misty Mountains loomed over head; they entered what must be Wotan Pass. Aryth was deeply engrossed in a conversation with the other two females when the dwarf stopped his horse, and barked some more orders. She was glad that she was not the one leading the group. He suggested they stop for the night, which was just as well for Aryth was nodding off.

Morvin told the group about the Grey Men the torches belonged to. He told the group that some dwarves, long ago, had disagreed with some of their brethern so deeply that they bred with goblins!! The very thought seemed to anger and disturb Morvin at the same time. Aryth knew that dwarves and goblins were not friendly races, in fact both enjoyed the killing of the other.

Aryth set out with Janya to gather some wood for a fire, and perhaps find some dinner. As the the two females walked away from the group, the monk and the dwarf began to unpack the horses and sleep-rolls. None of them had seen the bear since the skirmish in the glade.......

[occ] DO NOT start some sequence of events towards a battle, or fight. The Grey Men WILL NOT attack us this night or in the morning. I have that planned. [/occ]

 

Morvin had just finished telling the group about his experiences with the grey ones when two of the women left to gather some more wood. The rest of the party remained close to the fire as winters chill was especially potent at this time of night.

The dwarf had just finished quaffing the last of his home made brew which he had kept in a small leather bottle hanging from his belt.
If only I had some meat in my belly... Curse that blasted bear for having such a thick neck! He thought to himself as he put his pipe away along with the empty bottle.

Then, he heard something. There was a stir in some nearby bushes! Morvin quickly rose to his feet and listened again. Aye, there was no mistake, something was moving in those bushes... The dwarven warrior now had the attention of the remaining members of the party and some of them began ready themselves for a fight as well.

Quietly, Morvin grabbed one of his small throwing axes which also hung from his well stocked belt and flung it with amazing precision which could only have come from more then two centuries of combat experience. The axe hit its mark and Morvin quckly rushed in to confirm his kill.

The dwarf returned with a broad smile on his face. Before the others could ask what it was that made the bushes move, Morvin extended his right arm from behind his cloak. Clutched in his rugged fist was a severely wounded rabbit. Ignoring the objecting eyes of some of the party members, the dwarf broke the animals neck. Looks like he would get some meat today after all...

 

[occ] ne1 know bout sigurd, or have we lost one?? [/occ]

 

They reached camp slightly before nightfall, J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op still tailing them at a distance. He was surprised how well they moved through the forest, it must have been their goblin roots. As the four Dwarlins entered camp they proceeded to the largest hut. Two large guards stood outside it, and after the group exchanged words with them, an even larger one stepped out. He must have been this Mugglo. He was huge compared to the others, tall as the elf females he met, yet wide as that tracherous dwarf. They talked for a few minutes and then Mugglo nodded. Leaning close and focusing on his pendant he could barely make out the meaning.

Fog coming in the morning. No attack till gone. Me go to trail now, make sure no ice. After fog we go there, through cave if ice trail.

Mugglo walked around his tent and J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op lost sight of him. He shuffled around the outskirts of the camp as quietly as possible to see what was happening. Then he saw a blur. Turning his head he could see Mugglo riding...a tiger? The two sped away into the forest, J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op struggling to even keep them in sight. Then they stopped at the top of a rocky trail.

Mugglo crept down it, making sure there was n danger his troops would face. He spent enough time that J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op was able to get a better look at the tiger. Stationing himself downwind and covered in leaves he looked at the creature. It was a tiger, decorated for war, with paint and feathers in abundance. It had a blank stare though, and when it turned towards J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op, luckily not paying enough attention, he saw why that was. It had no pupils.

Possessed...bastard.

Mugglo remounted his tiger and took off back towards camp. J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op swelled with anger, possessing someone was a ehinous crime to his people. The only garaunteed right a bear had was the right to own his soul, to lose that was worse then death. Swallowing his rage for a minute, he crept out of his hiding place and staring at the trail, cast a quick frost spell over the length of the passage. Then he crept back into the forest to do more spying, and possibly even steal a meal.

 

[I'm BACK! WHAT!]

Dran awoke at the new camp, his body aching all over. The pain was very little, considering how serious the wound to his abdomen had been. Who had healed him? Oh, of course, it was the beautiful druidess. He glanced around the camp, finally spotting her near a fire. Alayna's coppery skin and raven-colored hair filled his eyes and mind, and he felt the burning of desire in his heart and loins once again. Rummaging in his haversack, he found a fresh tunic to replace the shredded one he had worn during the battle. Standing up, Dran walked over to where Alayna sat.
"I thank you kindly, madam. Your skills in healing are as unmatched as your beauty. Where were you trained so well?"

 

[ooc] great to see you back sig I do believe that we shall see some hapenings soon. [/ooc]

Aryth made several futile attempts at bonding with Jenya. But this strange female did not seem to care much for her. As they were gathering sticks and small logs Aryth could not but help herself trying overand over again to coax words from her companion: What do think of the battle with the goblins?... Should we make one trip back to camp or two?... Do you know how to cook?... Or fish?... I could teach you to sew or even embroider if you wish!... And always the answer was silence or a quick an simple, non-discretionary grunt.

Aryth pondered the group's financial situation and realized that between them they probably could not put together more than 4 or 5 kopecs. Not nearly enough to buy food and supplies for a month!! Aryth knew that her secret of nobility would not long stay secret.

After they had gone 2 or 3 gaff (yet not quite a mille) she tried once again to conversate with her companion: Jenya, do you think that you teach me t... when the other female dropped her bundle of sticks and tackled Aryth to the ground. This just moments before something blurred passed them. Whatever it was had passed them close enough for the wind to ruffle their hair. When a second object sped past them, this one larger and white.

Aryth was about to thank Jenya and suggest they head back to camp when Jenya pointed towards where those things had gone and said "That was the bear!" Aryth could only figure that she meant it was the great polar bear chasing after the first creature. Perhaps they should wait for the bear to return this way, and discover what the creature was.

[ooc] now blinky, if'n your bear could back this direction and pick us up, the three of us shall return to camp to discuss the happenings :thumbup: [/ooc]

 

Alayna helped to make camp and rested a bit. Then she picked up some herbs and went to sit next to the fire, making some healing salves they might need and letting them stew in the heat of the fire. She was finishing her work and humming to herself Dran came and sat down next to her. He looked a lot better and tried to strike up a conversation. Alayna was usually wary of men, but she felt a bit lonely and it would do good to know her fellow seekers in this quest. "Why, thank you," she said. "My mother was a very skilled healer and taught me in her craft." A shade of sorrow appeared on her face, as always when she talked about her mother. "She died when I was seventeen. My father also taught me some spells."

 

Morvin was just about to finish the last of his newly slaughtered rabbit when he heard the bellowing of a distant horn. The other members of the party sitting round the fire also noticed the strange sound although most of them had no idea exactly what it ment. Morvin however had heard this before as well...

The sound was unmistakably that of a hollow Gowrath Horn blown by hardy lungs. This was a tell tale ritual used only by the Black Tooth Grin Clan of the grey to instill fear in to their enemies, the very same clan that Morvin hade faced three decades ago when he lost his right eye.

Morvin threw the remains of his meal to one side and made sure that his axe was ready. If the rabid and not to mention cannibalistic Black Tooth Grin had picked up their trail, the party was in for a challange indeed...

 

Jenya quickly spotted the figured running towards her and so she decided it was best to warn her companion in which she was traveling with. She quickly tackled her companion to hide themselves from the figures coming towards them. When the figures quickly rushed by the two, Jenya stood up. She recognized one of the two figures that ran past her.

"That was the beat!" she had shouted to her companion, the first words that she had said since the incident that had happened after the fight with the goblins. "Will it come back this way? Maybe we should chase after it. And what was it chasing after?" Now it was Jenya's turn to ask the questions, for she was glad to see that the bear was still alive and that it may yet still be with them.

Jenya then quickly picked up the bundle of sticks that she dropped and sat down on the soft ground, leaning her back against one of the trees. She sat there, waiting for the bear to return, if it would return. She then got herself lost in her own thoughts again.

�I wonder if this is what I was meant to do. I wonder if I will ever find my way, in this maze, this world…� she had whispered to herself, not caring if her companion had heard or not.

[ooc]
Alright, sorry for not responding to this in a while…didn’t think it would have advanced this far since I last checked.
[/ooc]

 

As Aryth sat with her female companion awaiting the return of the bear she contemplated trying to start a conversation with her again. Why does this girl not talk?Does she dislike me?Or does she not understand me?Why?Why?Why?

But instead have speaking she simply sat down and pulled a small journal from her breast cloth and began writing with the tiny stick hiddenin its spine. Aryth Wrote first of the gathering in the courtyard, and then the bear joining the group outside of city. She wrote of the skirmish with the goblinoids and of the conflict between the dwarf and the bear. She had almost finished writing up to now when the bear came lumbering back.......

 

[occ]Well, I guess that's my cue...[/ooc]

J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op walked back towards the Dwarlin base. He was in no rush, he only needed to be back before morning to make sure his ice worked at stopping them. Then her heard a scribbling, like wood on stone.

He walked over to where the sound was coming from and stopped in his tracks. Two of the girls he had met earlier were sitting on the ground, one holding twigs and meditating, and the other making a large, compicated drawing on thin bark.

What strange people these are...

The females looked up at him and he briefly thought about hiding. He quickly but that out of his mind, a big white bear hiding trying to hide behind a tree didn't strike him as too possible. He dropped to all fours and started slowly walking over to the girls, wondering what their reactions would be.

 

Aryth knew not what the bear had been chasing, nor why but that was to be her first question. She noticed that Jenya was still meditating and had not yet apparently noticed the bear. So Aryth quit her scribblings, stood up and approached the bear.

How am I going to ask this great beast a question when I do not speak its language? How will I get him to understand me? I shall do my best....

Greetings friend! How is it that you come to be in the forest chasing strange things?

I do hope he can understand me. Perhaps I should wake Jenya.....I have seen her talking to him before. Perhaps....

[ooc] Hope that aint too confusing. The first line is thought, the middle is spoken, and the last is thought again. [/ooc]

 

J'rtluhgfralt'uynar'op thought for a moment, he didn't know how to tell his tale since he had left them, and he didn't know if the amulet would work making her understand his language anyway, so he simply thought of his journey, finding the pond, the dwarlin hunting pary, the camp and the tiger chase that just happened. He sent his thoughts to his medallion and directed them to the girl.

Hope it works...

Walking...further...wait...water...there...very old...tired...sleep...feel good...where people...find them...north...walk...walk...hungry...deer...walk...no axe...make club...branch...walk...sound...hunters...hide...odd...smelly dwarves...dwarlins?...talking...party!...north!...follow them...forgot club...darn...camp...too many...Mugglo...talking...can't hear...tiger!...follow it...fast...trail...hide...possessed!...bastard...frost spell...how did it go?...Ergairamai dtroln cruun...should work

After all this he dropped to all fours and watched to see if it worked.

 

Aryth stood for a moment looking at the huge white bear before her. She could only guess that the words she had just heard in her head had come from him. She had to wade through the jumble that was in her mind to make some sense of what the bear had told her. How did he do that?

Aryth stared at the bear for another extra long moment before speaking (she had to get the bear's story correct so as not to offend him). Hmmm.....I think perhaps she would head back to camp for some better warmth, some food, and to tell the others of the Dwarlins. She looked to Jenya and then to the bear; and nodded her head towards the camp. Aryth then picked up most of the bundle she could find and started back towards the camp.

 

[ooc] WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?! I mean that there have been no posts for over a week :-x :-o I know that sometimes life gets rather busy and hectic, but we need to try to keep the story progressing.

Is this story just not that interesting? Would ya'll rather be RP'ing a different setting? Shall we start over with something else? Or is this thread gonna have a longer life?? I am just wondering because at times this thread has a new post (or two) everyday for like a week or so, and then it sits dead for 2 weeks. WHAT GIVES??

Please let me know if'n ya'll want to continue with this story. If not then I shall try a different one, and we shall consider this a decent attempt for my first RP thread. [/ooc]


Upon walking into the light of the small fire, Aryth could see something that had been roasted on a spit, and could smell the cooked flesh. It smelt truly delightful and her mouth salivated at the want for some fresh, warm meat.

She was not at all surprised however to see the dwarf's reaction to seeing the bear again. Why did the dwarf hate this gentle giant so? What had passed between their races that made them such bitter enemies? Could they find peace with eachother? she thought and then muttered: "We shall see. We shall see."

But for now some food and some sleep! Aryth was imagining a full stomach long before it would happen. After consuming the measly offerings that they must call meals, Aryth turned towards slumber. She turned down her bedroll just to the south of their now decent fire (next to a young Jumjum* tree) and stripped herself of most of her cumbersome, heavy clothing; well at least enough to be comfortable in. She had lain down more than a few minutes before she was unconscious, yet her slumber was not a peaceful one...

[ooc] {*think uniquely odd cross of great oak and bonzai trees} Aight, I am hoping that this will either be a refreshing kickstart, or a sadly final post. Here's hopin ya'll get active [/ooc]