Mini Adventures #1: The Tower in the Glacier

[Pariah]

Tossing the old man a couple silver for letting them stay the night, Jakh headed to the barn, ate and fell asleep almost immediately.

A couple hours before dawn...

Waking up to the cold, even more biting than it was during the day, Jakh looked around, making sure his new traveling companions were asleep.  Rolling out of the hay he made his way out into the night, to the old man's house.

[Murometz]

Unbeknownst to Jakh, five pair of eyes watched him leave the barn--Ythedrir's, (since the Vanirman didn't trust a single one of these foreigners) the wolf's, (who sensed Jakh rising before Jakh actually rose) and Sridath's, (who could not sleep comfortably with the smell of wolf in his nostrils.)

The wolf then nudged Kisanth, and by then, Xiahao was awake as well. No one moved or said anything at first. Maybe he went to piss after all.

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Jakh reached the nearby hovel soon enough, clinging to the pre-dawn shadows, his breath steaming in bursts, from the mind-numbing cold.

Reaching a window, Jakh, the foulest of the foul, paused. He could hear the old man snoring and wheezing inside.

[Pariah]

Slowly pushing aside the furs with his kukri, Jakh stuck his head into the room to look around.  The room was rank, cold, and dark, with a draft that almost made it worse than being outside.  Pulling himself through the window into the room he stalked over the the old man's bed.  Putting his hand to the old man's mouth and the blade of the kukri at his throat he made sure the old man wouldn't be able to scream as he started awake.  He smiled, revealing a mouth missing more teeth than it had remaining and shook the old man's head to wake him.

[Silveressa]

Kisanth snuggled back against Lover, enjoying his warmth in a frigid hours of early dawn, quickly noticing Jakh's absence, wondering briefly what would compel a man to venture out alone at such an hour. The cold made her scar sting, like a brand across her face, and once again she thought of the warmer south lands, and the comforts so easily left behind in pursuit of knowledge.

Stirring slowly she laid her head back down and enjoyed a few more moments of passing comfort, the challenges of the road ahead loomed before them, and a day that would likely be every bit as cold and miserable as the one before it. "Lover, next time I wish to journey into the land of ice burgs and yeti's, remind me how unpleasant this trip has been thus far.'

[Murometz]

The missing teeth was nothing new to the old coot, he had but the one himself, but upon seeing Jakh's foul face up close and personal, the man's crusty, rheumy eyes bulged open in true fright.

He did not move or speak, but looked torn between utter confusion and unadulterated fear.

[Pariah]

Leaning in close Jakh started speaking in a voice totally devoid of anything that could be said to resemble human emotion,  "the Master is disappointed with you, friend.  Very disappointed, and he sent me to kill you.  But you see friend, I like you so I'm going to give you a chance.  I'm going to let you tell me everything you know, EVERYTHING, and I'll let you live.  How about we try this now, yeah?"

Pulling back he paused, "Of course, that offer only stands so long as you don't try to lie to me you kaffir weasel, you do that and I will make you beg for death before I kill you.  You've seen my face, I learned from the best."  Pulling his hand of the man's mouth he waited.

[Murometz]

...a trembling hand reaches up and points to a corner of the dingy hut, as the village elder closes his eyes, and weeps. Jakh can make out a worm-ridden, warped wooden chest full of ratty clothes and old-man stuff.

[Pariah]

Looking over his shoulder, Jakh spied an old, wormy chest sitting in the corner.  Sighing he grabbed the old man by his neck and propelled him towards the chest, kicking out his knees from under him when he was within arms reach of the chest.  Pushing the kukri into the flesh above the old man's right kidney Jakh leaned forward, "Get it for me, grandfather."

[Murometz]

The old-man complied, trembling hands reaching into the smelly refuse that was his belongings. His hands emerged, holding something wrapped in a fox-fur. Removing the item, Jakh could now see over the man's shoulder, an oval-shaped chalk-white stone of some kind. Not quite translucent, not quite opaque, it was the color of watery-milk. He could not identify the mineral, though he had a knack for just that, having briefly apprenticed under the shady "Gem Merchant" in his youth.

The old-man still looked terrified.

[Pariah]

Jakh pulls the kukri back an inch, and says to the old man, in a voice that could almost be called personable, "I lied friend, I wasn't sent to kill you"

The old man kneels there rigid for a few moments and then calms, resigned.

"No, friend, I was sent to deal with your master.  He has..." Pausing Jakh tasted the word on his tongue before continuing, "He has annoyed a Power far greater than him.  I truthfully could care less about your pathetic life, and so I'm willing to trade.  You tell me everything about Val-Kizza's tower and I will let you live out the rest of your worthless life."

Stammering the old man started spouting out words, almost without pause, "The Master will be most wroth! He will be angry with me...." He continued on this track for some time until Jakh cut him off.

"Answer me friend, or I will start by flaying your foreskin"

"I have never been to his tower," the old man says meekly, "I merely serve him.  He likes to know of who comes by, and who seeketh him, those who may wish to do him harm...  He has many enemies. And I am but His humble servant... I--I uhh, I told Him of your coming...of your words of revenge.."

Sighing, with genuine disappointment in his voice, Jakh said "Pity, you could have bought your life with that information.  But, Setan has been drawn, and she must taste blood before I sheath her lest the Dawn Goddess look unfavorable upon me."

Slamming his hand down over the man's mouth one more time, Jakh drew the kukri across the old man's throat.  Holding him thus for a few moments, Jakh waited for the man's heart to beat its last.  That done he ldragged the corpse to the bed, grabbed the stone the old man had had, re-wrapping and did a quick search through the house for any valuables.

((If I find anything I pocket it, when I'm done I shovel some of the hot coals out of the fire, throw them on his bed, slip out the window and head back to the barn.))

[Murometz]

BY the time Jakh, the truly foul, returned to the barn, the companions-by-accident were fully awake, up and about. The Vanirman was feeding his horse some straw, the monk was doing bizarre calisthenics, and Kisanth was whispering something to her wolf.

In a few minutes the smell of burning hovel would reach the the barn and the rest of the village. It would not be long now, until it went up in flames.



(OOC: Pariah loses 5 Karma points)

[Pariah]

Tossing the scroll and the gem to Kisanth, Jakh said, "You are a mage, yes?  The old man was selling traveler's lives to Vel-Kazah, what can you make of these?"

[Siren no Orakio]

The strange traveler from foreign lands had been silent much of the night, having only volunteered a few strange, silver coins up when pressed for payment, stamped with the face of an unknown emperor, and an odd character, unreadable, likely, to any but himself. And then, he had pulled himself not into the straw, but up into the rafters of the barn, rolling up into the beams with a long practiced skill. He had noticed the scarred man leaving the building, but not bothering to follow. His position was essentially fortified, and if the man went to provoke a response from the old man, he was prepared for it.

Morning devotionals were simple, a brief pause in the morning sun, a moment of cross legged sitting, the form the of eight gates. Every motion was audible, not just his clothes, but the muscle and sinew themselves cracking like a whip as Jakh returned, and he took a moment to spare a glance to scroll and gem, even as the smell of smoke crossed his nose. It was time to leave, he suspected, or time to fight a fire.

[Silveressa]

Kisanth caught the gem and scroll form the air with one deft movement, bringing them to her nose and inhaling deeply. "It reeks of fox, suitable for a servant of a vile wizard no?" She turned to Lover, giving him a wink and smile. "Fortune favor us this morn my dear, perhaps we can find the foul caster lairs with these." Her voice trailed off as she set about attempting to glean information from the items.

[Siren no Orakio]

A moment of thought, his eyes deeply closed, and Xiahao murmured, "A trusted servant is oft trusted with the keys to the master's home. Or perhaps it is how he sold travellers to the man."

[Pariah]

"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.

[Siren no Orakio]

... 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.

[Murometz]

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...)

[Silveressa]

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.

[valadaar]

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..

[Pariah]

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.

[Siren no Orakio]

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.

[Silveressa]

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.

[Murometz]

(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 )

[Murometz]

(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.