Beyond Myria (IC) - Book 2

[Gygaxphobia]

The huge misformed man-shape blocks out the sun each time Noj passes it on the downslope side.
It growls with fury and occasionally whimpers in frustration, swinging it's fat arms left and right and seeking the bear hug that will crush the life out of it's tormentor.

Yet Noj ducks one swing and pushes forward. He comes so close to the giant that his hip brushes the creature as he passes and the waft of months-old body odour turns his nostrils. He drags his blade past slicing a long line across the creatures flank, and running the circle still the cut continues around the middle, slicing the skin in a strip like peeling an apple.

The giant roars terribly, it’s cry echoes across the mountain slope and it lunges towards him again, in it’s fury heedlessly throwing it’s whole body forwards and stumbling to it’s knees while Noj skips away, a flick of the scimitar brings a bead of blood to it’s neck.

Overhead an eagle glides across the slope, it's full wingspan many feet and casting a deep shadow on the snow.

-------------------

The breeze whips back and forth, casting powdered snow about in a fine mist, though not yet strong enough to slow the pack or blind them.
Smelling the mildew can only be a sign of wet fur, a dangerous thing for any creature if it can't get warm, and surprising that a predator would allow itself to be so noticeable.

The roar of the angry creatures echoes over the mountain and trembles the sky like a clap of distant thunder.

[Ozzy_G]

What's that? hisses Vesha. Are their evil spirits out there? We need to find Noj fast...

[Grymmheart]

"I don't know," replies Jyn,"but it sounds worrisome." She continues on with the group.

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar remains silent, doing his best to speed up the group's journey.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj snarls savagely, his red hair flying about his head as he darts, weaves and cuts.
"Quit your struggling! If you don't like the pain, then let me cut your throat, you festering jelly-puss."
So saying, the Avalancher continues his grim circuit of razors about the giant, sparing little but a glance for the shadow overhead.

Spoiler

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Attack1 - (1d20+17)[28]
Damage1 - (1d6+3)[9]
Confirm1 - (1d20+17)[35]

Attack1 - (1d20+17)[26]
Damage1 - (1d6+3)[7]
Confirm1 - (1d20+17)[33]

Attack1 - (1d20+17)[23]
Damage1 - (1d6+3)[7]
Confirm1 - (1d20+17)[28]

Attack1 - (1d20+17)[29]
Damage1 - (1d6+3)[8]
Confirm1 - (1d20+17)[28]

[Gygaxphobia]

On its knees the creature continues to take cuts thick and fast as Noj spins about it, slashing from all angles.
Resisting the urge to hack and pound away as exhaustion and frustration build up, he keeps focussed picking his marks and opening small slices of thick skins with occasional blossoms of dark red blood.

With dizzying speed Noj keep away from the outstretched arms, slicing into a thigh as the giant gets a foot under it. The muscle opens and the gle gives way, the next three blows disable one arm with precise cuts.

The blows are furious and the thing never regains it's feet. One blow to the neck draws a deep inhalation that sounds like a groan and next thing the blow from the other side opens the windpipe completely. Finally the thing collapses on it's front, its arms outstretched towards Noj.

A murky pool of red slush seeps all around the area mixed with soil and snow.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj spits the thick spit from his mouth onto the creature's cooling corpse. He was tired. More tired than he'd been for a long, long time. But with this creature down, maybe the Avalanche had a good chance. He'd just take...a little...breather...
Noj makes it a few steps away before his legs buckle, and he sits down hard upon the snow. Almost absently, the warrior reaches down and picks up a handful of snow, wiping his face and hands with it. He'd been a fool, running off like that. A damn...fool.
Noj closes his eyes for a moment that turns into minutes...

[Gygaxphobia]

The circling shadow passes over him one more time before swooping away down the mountainside to the south-west, just out of bow-shot.

The dead creature stares at Noj accusingly, even in death it's thick fingers twitch as though still trying to reach for his neck.

-----

Ingvar leads the group to the top of the north-western ridge. Your legs are burning and the breath is thick and laboured.
So fortunately the warmth has stayed with you and the cold has not yet turned you blue, though the threat is back and the luxury of the hot mountain is receding behind.

Downslope you see the trail of broken snow, til half a mile away the clumps of bodies begin - scattered at first then packed closer together. Finally, two hundred yards further on is a much darker shape that could be figures.

As your eyes are drawn to the battle at bottom of the three mile long slope -and the tiny figures there- movement much closer attracts your attention:
A half mile due south, hugging the rocky rise of the mountain, a number of thin figures emerge heading further south. There movement is familiar as is their strange loping grace. When the banner emerges from the cavern as well you are certain that this is where the lizard army went.

[Ozzy_G]

By the spirits, hisses Vesha, looking around intently, how are we supposed to find Noj amongst all of these?

[Kain_Tempest]

"Ingvar should be able to track him down. We just have to make sure we can return to the caverns with few pursuers afterwards." Thyr pulled the silver-wrought axe from her belt, ready for trouble.

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf
The tall huntsman nods at Thyr's words, then leads the way down the trail of trodden snow. "Only an Avalanche man runs down such a hillside," he mutters.

[Gygaxphobia]

You move down the slope due West, following the broken snow, Ingvar and Thyr catch the scent of the highlander (the clean sweat of a groomed man along with a new smell, the tinge of ozone) - an occasional boot print confirms the trail.

You keep a careful eye on the scaled horde as their banner progresses to the South and away over a curve in the hillside.

Moving as fast as you dare on the snow and slush you come quickly to the first of a pack of small white-furred imps, the source of the mildew odour. Their gangly limbs protrude at odd angles where they fell to clean cuts and their little gnarled faces stare off blankly, almost innocent in death.

Noj kneels some way ahead of you, within hailing distance, next to the massive fallen form, some fifteen feet in length.

To Thyr, the lifelines stretch invisibly off into the distance, seeming to move South, away from the tiny figures that must be the caravans.

Vesha's eyes are drawn upwards to the departing speck in the sky, something unwholesome about it whispers to him and he senses that some part of it is not from this world at all.

[Ozzy_G]

Vesha stares up at the sky, a grimace of worry on his face. Some evil spirit, he mutters to himself, before moving towards Noj. Noj, he hisses, trying to make his voice carry to Noj and no further. Noj, we need to get back to the cavern.

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar lopes to Onadare's side, and looks to see what remains of the battle beyond.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj looks up blearily as Ingvar approaches.
"I'd same something clever...but I'm too damn tired. They're attacking the column; trunchkin and mammoth and some others."

[Grymmheart]

Jyn realizes she was not present for the kill, but figures it would remain a fine representation of her companions actions. So she proceeds to the beasts side and begins to scalp the creature, while listening to the others.

"I worry about the people below, but can a handful of people truly make a significant difference in such a large battle? Or as suggested would are efforts be better spent in doing something that could save all of our people? A large group of lizard creatures left the mountain, so we can hope that the way is clear to free the sun. What say you?" she ask Noj and the others.

[Kain_Tempest]

"Recall the results of the battle at the keep. We just about died against the black shield who had far greater numbers that we did. Our presence will matter little at the massacre on the horizon. Better we take advantage of the scales' absence."

[Ozzy_G]

It is our fate to rescue the sun, says Vesha. I have foreseen it. We will make no difference down there, we have a greater destiny back there. He points back up the mountain.

[Grymmheart]

"It sounds agreed then. We should make haste with Ingvar blazing the trail again," offers Jyn.

"Noj, do you mind describing what manner of beast this was and did it seem to speak and how did it fight. Oh, how I miss witnessing your battle."

Meanwhile, Jyn runs the bloody scalp through the snow to remove as much blood as possible, before wrapping it to pack away.

[Gygaxphobia]

Crouched on the slope, the wind picks up and cuts into you, your warmth is fading fast and your feet barely able to melt the snow around you. Vesha's bootless toes are numbed and bloodless.

Though the scaled mountain beasts are almost out of sight, they seem to have spread out across the cliffs their banner still waving high. They too must be feeling the frost.

In the distance, far down the slope the skirmish might have ended. Two groups seem much further apart now and their are no sounds from that direction.

While Thyr feels the wolfpack moving southeast around along the steep side, the scents are confusing in the wind. Certainly the taint of blood is carried on the breeze, mixed and of many tribes.
To Noj, the pulse of Avalanche blood is much thinned, those feelings fainter and less hungry to fight. The giant at his feet seeps the last of it's blood and the warmth goes, turning it's skin to crisp frost.

Those wounded below will most likely face the cold alone as their comrades make hard choices, to go and seek shelter without them. While you stand and debate their worth... and yours...

Spoiler

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I put this map together, the Y-shape to the South is the lizards banner, the 'paw' is the wolf pack and the caravan is... the remains of the Column. The 'Stars' are the places described in previous posts, first the ridge where you entered, then the dead giant.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...es_collide.jpg

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

"We head back, then?" Ingvar sighs as he looks down at the battle remnants.

[Ozzy_G]

Hmmm... Vesha stares intently at the lizards. The cold does not seem to bother him one bit. Are they actually going to go down the hill?

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare

"Noj, do you mind describing what manner of beast this was and did it seem to speak and how did it fight. Oh, how I miss witnessing your battle."

Noj sighs and lifts himself to his feet. "Aye, it was a long battle, but this slubbering gobbins couldn't so much as touch me; strong he was, but dumb as a hillock. I flensed him where he stood, and butchered him while he lived. Aye, this sword..." he holds up the scimitar, "It's fine. The finest blade I've ever fought with."
The Avalancher sighs again, and even staggers a little to retain his balance on weary feet.
"My people are moving on down there; I should help them, but I'm tired...so tired I can barely keep m'self up."

[Kain_Tempest]

Thyr looked to the Horizon, trying to see the fallen Cadinoc.
"I think the scales are headed to attack the Black Shields and what's left of the Column. We'd be throwing away this valuable opportunity if we went to help your kin." Thyr moves forward to Noj and places a hand on his shoulder. "Muster what you have left. If not I'll drag you along, but you will be coming with us, Avalancher." Thyr turns her head, trying to feel the wind on her face. If the scales had emerged this close, there was a tunnel nearby, but they couldn't risk it if they were downwind of the beasts.

[Gygaxphobia]

The wind whips back and forth across the slope, one moment from the West then the next from further North. It catches the odd pocket of loose snow sending up gusts of powder and marking its passage as it dashes itself against the Western face of the mountain.

The scents are broken, coming in packets from the Wolvun and Men of the Column to the West. The scaled horde is hard to detect, close as they are.

Reaching the tunnel where they emerged should be simple enough, but concealing your scents and creeping that close undetected is no mean feat.

By mustering all your guile and cunning it may be possible.

[Grymmheart]

"Well standing around here is not going to gain us any thing. I say we back track and enter the mountain. We will not lose much time, and should save the risk of alerting the lizardmen. Although to be honest, their dead should have been enough to alert them that someone was present in the mountain, but oh well," says Jyn to her companions.

Spoiler

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can't access the map at work, but I believe the "easy" tunnel is not very close and we have not travelled over 15min to reach this spot (maybe 5-10min is my guess, but maybe I am wrong). So unless the tunnel is 1-2 minutes away, why not back track.

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar studies the route to the nearest cave entrance before speaking. "I think we can risk using the lizard-demons' exit. Speed will be our best ally. "

Spoiler

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Ingvar will study the terrain to see if there is a path wth at least partial shelter from the wind... the idea being that shelter from the wind may keep them from smelling us.

survival check (1d20+15)[33]

[Gygaxphobia]

Ingvar points out a shallow channel in the slopes that could lead you to the mountain, and sheltering in the lee of the face you might make your way along the rocks to find the tunnel.

[Ozzy_G]

Vesha shakes his head. No, freeing the sun may take a long time, and be very difficult. We will find it difficult to do it if we are fighting off lizard-men from behind. Better to go back the way we came, as Jyn suggests.

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar seems to be about to retort angrily, but then takes a brief breath and speaks calmly. "I disagree, Vesha. It will take us twice as long to return as it did to come down here, as we would be going uphill. I think I may have found a good path for us, with some shelter from the wind." He then smiles. "A man hunts alone for as long as I have, he gets surly and set in his ways. You know my thoughts on this, but I will lead you on whichever path the company chooses."