Beyond Myria (IC) - Book 2

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj wipes his eyes with his fingertips.
"Well whatever way we go...let's not come the way I came; I'm with Ingvar on this one."

[Ozzy_G]

Vesha shrugs. I disagree, it is too dangerous to go past the lizards. But you are the master tracker, not I. That is why you are here. If you think we should go that way, then that is the way we shall go.

[Gygaxphobia]

The route Ingvar indicates would be a half mile before you are concealed amongst the rocks, and perhaps another half mile to be fully hidden whatever tunnel is there.
If speed were to be your best hope the march would have to be well timed with the wind, and some luck on your side.

*Everyone needs to make a Balance check to keep your footing (uphill, in snow) and the leader (Ingvar presumably) needs to make a Survival roll as well to lead you. Most modifiers can be allowed (except Endurance)*

[Helfdan]

Ingvar looks at the others for dissent. Finding none, he leads the way up the treacherous slope.

Spoiler

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If there IS dissent, I can edit this post

Balance (1d20+13)[17]
Survival (1d20+16)[29]

Man, with three successful synergy rolls, the urvival check goes up to 35!

[Grymmheart]

Jyn follows closely being Ingvar offering words of encouragement as she notices trail markings and obstacles that may help their travel.

[Gygaxphobia]

Ingvar looks around, taking your slight nods and silence for assent to his path, then he crouches slightly, one foot forward, and tastes the wind.

Suddenly he's off, at almost full sprint and you follow as best you can, staying close too him. The grizzled hunter makes the going tough with his long strides, and his borrowed fur coat flapping behind him, the loose tied belt doing little to disguise his nakedness underneath.
Aside him Noj leaps lightly, keeping abreast and trying to predict his steps. The highlander forms a gentle blue aura about him which drifts off into the air and along the ground in tiny sparks that frazzle where they touch.

Keeping your footing is tough and the broken snow left is as hard to traverse as the fresh layer, several times you loose your footing, struggling to your feet to keep up.
So focussed on your own steps you have little time to look far ahead and Ingvar seems hardly ready to listen to any word you might have.

The trench seems extremely shallow when you enter it, but you trust to your instincts and keep low, straining to keep the pace.
Ingvar crests the top and bolts for the rock face. As he turns to look, Noj is right with him, Jyn not far behind.
Thyr and Vesha slip and struggle up the last part of the bank, your hearts beat hard as you watch - they remain exposed for what seems like an eternity..

Finally the group is settled under a hanging rock. The mountain darkens the ground, ascending straight above you. To the south the line of the rock dips slightly and turns out of sight. Some few hundred yards away you can see the marks and tracks in the snow of strangely shaped feet, almost bird-like.

Down the slope to the south you can see the figures of the scaled horde. A glistened sheen of polished metal lines the back row, perhaps the archers are to the front - they stand on the edge of sheer cliffs after all. The banner clearly visible now is tattered beige and red, the symbol of a yellow-brown tree emblazoned large upon it. Some fantastical tree perhaps, impossibly round and flamboyant unlike the narrow firs you know.

The wind shifts again and Ingvar starts, gesturing frantically to make you bend low. He tenses almost ready to move when it shifts again but then holds back.
Your hearts pound in your mouth and you can see a wild figure energetically dancing up and down the back ranks of the army gesturing southwards though it could turn at any moment and see you...

Ingvar breaks and you force yourselves to follow, several moments of tension and burning lungs passes as you cross the last gap. The cold burns your arms, but the warmth of the run sends sweat down your back, when before you know it you run across a patch of snowless ground, you feet suddenly soaked wet and the earth slushy mud beneath you.

Ducking into the alcove, the black gaping tunnel stands before you, the warm air rips out into a strong breeze melting a cone of snow and allowing green shoots to show on the ground in an area that forms the battleground betwix summer and winter. The exotic heat is lost to the perpetual winter and it shoots skywards, you glance into the blackness and the waves fo heat wash over your faces...

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar grins, his chest still working like a bellows after their recent exertion. "Here we are, then... back in the mountain. Where to now?"

[Grymmheart]

"Phew, that was an experience," Jyn comments to her companions. "Should we take a moment to allow Ingvar to put on some armor? The ringmail may be too restrictive if he changes again, but I could switch to it and with quick adjustments he could wear my leathers. Otherwise let's move quickly to the lower sections of the mountain and maybe speak to Raenis quickly before descending."

[Ozzy_G]

We don't know where this path goes yet, says Vesha in a low voice. He sits down to wait so Ingvar can put on his armour.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj thus far has trudged the way in silence. Even in his exhaustion, his worn boots land lightly in the snow, keeping atop the frozen crust. When he reaches the cave, the mountain man releases a shuddering sigh. In the stuffy silence of the cave, he asks "What the hell was in that blood?"

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar grins at Jyn. "Thank you, but I believe I shall do better without armor. I'll have to see about getting some trews, though...."

[Kain_Tempest]

"Blood... Naturally." Thyr answers in a snide fashion. "But I imagine it was heavily laced with herbs of all kinds. I don't know about any of you, but I strangely didn't feel as much of a reaction as the rest..." She peers out from the cave mouth, taking one last glance to make sure that they weren't being followed.

[Ozzy_G]

It was the blood of our ancestors, says Vesha getting up and following the others. It gave us their power. The different effect is of course because we have different ancestors.

[Gygaxphobia]

The scaled army continues to disappear over the steep lip of the cliffs, no scouts seem posted behind them and no head seems to turn in your direction.

In the darkness before you the smell of the lizards hangs about, dry and tinged with an alien musk. Your eyes adjust somewhat, enough to see the cave widen slightly inside before the shadowy depth of a thinner tunnel beyond. In the cave are piles of fine discarded skins, like woven silk.

Ingvar and Thyr find their eyes can see further, tracing the line of the cave they see patches of ice on the inside walls that seeps water to the ground as it melts. The tunnel is a tall split in the rock, formed as the mountain shifted. Lines of lizards tracks merge with each other and lead outwards.

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar studies the ice, and turns to the others. "This may be a good place to fill our skins, the water should be clean. "
He then studies the discarded skins. "By the seven dooms... did they shed this?"

[Ozzy_G]

Vesha peers into the dark cave. I can't see any water, what do you mean? He steps forward a bit, until he sees the ice. Ah, I see. He gets out his waterskin and starts to very slowly fill it up from the dripping ice.

[Grymmheart]

"I have no clue what shed that ," replies Jyn as the others fill their waterskins. She accepts that she will have to share water from the others, since her skin has the map. Reaching out to probe the skin with the end of her ransuer, she tries to study the item from afar. When comfortable that nothing is hidden under, she grabs a piece to inspect and considers placing a sample in her pack.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj glances sidelong at Jyn as she resumes her collecting.
"All right, now; what the hell are you doing, taking bits off every damn thing we come across?"

[Grymmheart]

"If it is ok with you, I would like to do right by my ancestors and chronicle my adventures as best I can. This is living proof of the beasts we have faced that not many others can say they have witnessed similarly. And those that disbelieve us, can just look upon the items and know truth."

[Ozzy_G]

Ah. Vesha nods his head. The skalds shall perhaps sing our saga for many years. The glory of the quest... that may inspire you, but we have more important things to do. He points down the tunnel. There shall be no saga if we spend all our time looking at the discards of strange creatures. If it is glory you wish for, then let us go and release the sun.

[Kain_Tempest]

"Just don't get too carried away. If my people had scalped everything we had slain, we'd look more ridiculous than brutal. Keep that in mind regarding your trophies." Thry murmurred, inching down the tunnel, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.

[Grymmheart]

"From what I hear, your people slaughtered other tribes and such. If you catch me making trophies out of the scalps of the People, you can slaughter me. I am only interested in these strange and wonderful creatures," she replies sarcastically. Time is too short to cause further strife amongst her companions, so Jyn shuts her mouth and prepares to continue on.

[Ozzy_G]

Vesha snorts a guffaw, but quickly stifles it. Does anyone have a torch? It's black as night in there.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj makes a face, and draws forth a short-cut torch: small enough to be wrapped among Noj's other worldly possessions. He lights it, awkwardly.
"This'll do. It's as good as shouting 'we're here' down in this murk, though. Maybe Jyn can get a few spares for her collection, eh?"

[Helfdan]

Ingvar the Wolf

Ingvar grins at the playful exchange as he stoppers his waterskin, then cautiously leads the way into the tunnel by the flickering torchlight.

[Gygaxphobia]

The torch light does not extend very far as the crevice in the rock is jagged and does not run straight. You are cloaked in shadows and forced to stay close or be left in darkness to feel your way past the awkward twists and turns.

A vertical split of the rock to your left opens after a few hundred feet. This crevice extends upwards to the open sky above in a small patch of white and blue, and from this opening a stream of water descends trickling along the rock wall and down below you into the bowels of the moutain. The splash of water echoes far below.
The longed-for sky above draws Noj's gaze as he contemplates heading deep underground again, and the rock passage onwards seems to descend steeply after this.

*I would like an idea of your marching order, single file*

[Ozzy_G]

Vesha follows just behind Ingvar, clutching his maul in both hands.

[Kain_Tempest]

Thyr takes up the rear guard position again, keeping an eye out behind the group, the shield from the armoury on her arm and the silver-wrought axe in her hand.

[The Great Skenardo]

Noj Onadare
Noj walks light-footed just in front of Thyr, the torch in one hand and the marvelous scimitar in the other. Minas, walking behind, can glimpse the occasional blue spark of static electricity crackling along the surface of the white stole the Avalancher wears.

[Grymmheart]

Jyn takes the central position. She moves cautiously with the others, ranseur firmly in her grasp. She still feels somewhat disappointed with her companions lack of understanding of her actions earlier. From the lore she remembers, it was an honor to carry the banner of your people into battle, being the one to present the visual representation of one's accomplishments upon the field of battle. She wonders at the level of trust and devotion the lizardmen must hold for one another to carry such a banner. Besides the honor people of the column showed the Thane and his shawl, she has rarely seen the People show allegiance to a cause. Then again maybe the People only show reverance to the shawl because it represents their protection, and not the other way around. They are not driven to protect the shawl and all it represents, like those lizardmen she passed most likely are feeling. Although this Adelmada is clearly evil in her plans, maybe she has things right. Maybe they as a people must form a connection to something bigger than themselves and the individual to truly prosper and shine. She thinks it will be difficult to truly defeat this evil until such a course is undertaken.