| Logs |
2001 June 02
| Inizii |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Inizii Logs |
Fabulous Monsters and Unexpected Allies
An hour after the group discovers the frozen corpses of the gnoll pack, their journey has taken them into ever more mountainous terrain. They make their way along a narrow valley, probably a stream in the brief summer. To the left, a craggy cliff rises up some seventy feet, and to the right a low mountain rises, its slope rocky and steep, currently covered in a deep snow pack. The ranger had hesitated when first entering the narrow gap, worried about being boxed in, and had advised everyone to prepare bows, slings, or spells, to be ready for any ambushers who might try something. Kyrel had debated sending Kiri out as a scout, but had eventually decided that it was really too cold for the little bat. "We'll just have to keep our own eyes open."Derleth holds tight to Platinum with his knees, his sling in his right hand, loaded with a bullet. He scans the low cliff and the snow, protecting his eyes from the glare of the sun shining off the snow with his other hand. Katya rides easily in her saddle, an arrow nocked in the bow across her lap. The ranger's keen eyes sweep the pass, peering through the frosty fog that drifts from her lips, looking for signs of something, anything. A hole in the cliff-face up ahead catches her attention. She gestures with a hand to be ready, in case something is waiting inside the opening. Kaz, riding behind the ranger, has his own crossbow loaded and ready. Kyrel nods at Katya's gesture, but keeps watching the clifftop, alert to anything that might not be waiting in the cave. Sara rides behind Derleth as the rearguard, looking about and covering herself in her winter blanket.
The cave is definitely empty, but just to the right is.... something odd. Sticking out of the snow, half obscured, is what looks like a...white limb, with a black lump on the end.
Sara slowly pulls a javelin from the strap on her mount. Kyrel's eyes narrow as he nocks an arrow of his own. "What is that?"
Derleth says, "Dinnae know, Ky. Mebbe Kiri can grab that disk? Or d'ye think tis too dangerous?"
Kyrel shakes his head. "Might be a lure from some ice-critter. I'm not sending Kiri into something like that. It looks a bit big for him anyway."
The object sticks up, stiff as a board, shaggy and almost knobbed. Katya glances back. "Watch my back... Would you prefer I look?" The white leg sticks up a foot high from where it's buried in the snowbank.
Kyrel nods. "If you want, Katya. We'll cover you if it's dangerous."
Derleth says, "Hmn. Can ye or Vane magick it down? That might be safest."
Kyrel says, "Not really. We're loaded for combat, not manipulation."
Sara rides up, weapon in hand, intently watching the curious object. "Someone keep an eye on the ridges."
Derleth says, "Done and done, chain lady. " He offers a wry smile.
Katya moves her horse closer to Sara's, intent on spying whatever it is, but not at all bothered with letting someone else check first.
Sara looks over to Katya, "Well, you're covered," and motions ahead.
The ranger smirks. "My thanks." Carefully sliding from her mount, the woman keeps her bow ready, and creeps over toward it. She reaches out, knocking it aside with the edge of her bow. The thing rolls out of the snow bank, laying upon the ground. It appears to be a...sheep's leg? A ram, the limb having been *torn* off at the upper part, the muscle tissue shorn through, and frozen to a faint blue.
Derleth squints at the leg, focusing on the black lump for a moment longer, then looks sheepish. "It's just the hoof. And here I were thinkin' it might be a marker or symbol o' some kind."
Sara says, in a very serious tone, "It is, Derleth. It'll mark our deaths if we don't get moving. So let's keep going, all right? The sooner we get out of here the better."
The ranger frowns, however. "Shh!" She drops her hand, fingers rubbing over the shorn end. She leans forward, brushing aside the snow, and curses, quite ripely.
Kyrel looks dubious. "Might be..." He breaks off at the ranger's actions. The question is, where did it come from?
Derleth glances back and forth between the two women. "What? it just be a sheep leg, probably the remnants o' dinner or something."
Kyrel says, "Aye. But whose dinner?"
Pushing aside more snow, she backs up, and gestures. There are deep, thin pits in the snow, as if someone went about poking holes with a spear. The rock along the mountainside looks...flat, almost naturally smashed, and grooved, curved slightly inward.
Kyrel frowns at the odd patterns in the snow. "What is it?"
"Tracks."
The half-elf exhales slowly. "Of?"
Katya edges toward her horse, mounting it carefully. "Something we don't need to run into," Her voice is urgent. "We need to move. Now."
Sara nods and waits for the others to get moving so she can take her place in the back of the pack once again.
Kyrel says, "How... informative." He keeps his bow out, waiting for the ranger to elaborate on this somewhat cryptic warning. "What should we be looking out for?"
Kaz, tired of the quiet and the suspense, flicks his horse's reins. "Then, let's ride!" And with that, he kicks his horse into a slow gallop, hooves thundering into the powdered snow.
Katya nearly screams at Kaz, as the horse picks up speed. "No! Stop!" But, her cries go unheard, and are already too late. A wide snow bank up ahead shifts, subtly, before the top erupts. Up from the pile of snow, an enormous...Thing arches. Some abbysal snake or centipede it appears to be, its segmented armor azure and white, gleaming in the sunlight. Fins on its back flap like small wings, giving the upper torso a better agility of movement as it arches above the party. A mouth of sharp mandibles, wide enough to take in a horse whole, opens in an inhuman shriek that echos off the stone walls. Multifaceted eyes glint, as the creature, its head perhaps twenty feet above the snow, turns toward the horse and rider coming so conveniently close. Katya raises her bow. "That..."
Derleth exhales sharply. "Llira have mercy..."
Sara heaves her javelin at the beast. It sails through the chill air aimed at the body of the large creature, and implants itself, rather firmly, in the polar worm's armor plating. The thing's squeal of pain is thunderous, bouncing off the stone wall. The horse skids to a stop, nearly throwing Kaz from its saddle, and turns to run in panic. The half elf, manages to jump clear and lands nearly-gracefully onto the ground. His crossbow, still in hand, whips up and launches its quarrel... but the snap shot misses to sink into the heavy clump of snow that seems to stick in an enormous pile to the side of the mountain.
Sara controls her now skittish mount and points to the overhanging snow bank. "The snow bank, if we can bury the creature, maybe we can ride by before it can regain its senses!"
Kyrel uses one of his magic arrows on the enormous creature. It flies true, the bolt striking solidly into the insectile form. The creature withers around the arrow. Its squeal becomes a roar, its eyes shining, as a faint...sizzling sound starts to come off the snow. Waves of heat radiate from the thing's body, so intense that the javelin begins to melt into snow that parts like water. Hundreds of centipede-like legs kick into motion, as the thing slithers out of the melting snow drift.
Derleth brings Platinum under control, backing him away from the worm as he murmurs a prayer to his goddess to shield him from fire....
Katya lets her arrow fly, the shaft whistling in...and bounces right off the worm's wing-fin, skidding into the snowbank, with a resounding boom.
The worm rears up, crying its outrage as it slithers forth. Kaz, being the smart one, has slunk over to the side, pressed against the wall. His horse, however, is not so clever, still running back and forth, blocked behind and too spooked to run past the thing. And, with its constant running, the continuous sound and motion feeding the worm's senses, it attracts the thing's attention. Mandibles bite down into the horse's back, and the poor equine releases a terrified, pained scream! But it doesn't have long to convulse; the thing rears back, its upper part arching and rippling, as with a single, quick motion, the jaw expands and...the horse is gone.
Sara realizing the fate of Kaz's horse, she fights to back hers up a good distance and get another javalin out. "Guys, I think this might be a good time to.. get the hell out of here!"
Kaz, being the smart one, stays still. Katya pauses, then shhshes Sara. "Don't move. Don't breath, don't even think! Trust me! Don't let the horses move, at all..."
Derleth starts to reply to Sara, and then goes mouse quiet at Katya's words, bending down to give Platinum a quiet signal to freeze.
Kyrel freezes at Katya's words, holding an arrow ready but not moving.
Katya reiterates, "It feels movement...just don't let the horses move!"
Sara says, "I'm not one to argue about how creatures work but I'd rather be running than standing still and getting eaten!"
Kyrel says, "What about arrows?"
The ranger draws one of her own, nocking it and taking aim. "If you're not walking on the ground, it can't feel it. Just shoot and take it down. If we can't kill it, we run for the cave and pray that it doesn't follow."
Kyrel nods and takes careful aim, murmuring calmly to Maya.
Derleth whispers, "Wyvernjack....the bloody t'ing emits heat...is it immune t' fire?"
Katya, drawing back her own bow string, watches as the mage's arrow misses to embed itself into the cliff's rock-face fingertip deep, some twenty feet behind the thing. "No. Burn it."
Derleth nods. "Aye." He holds out his palm towards the worm, murmuring an offensive chant.... The heated beam leaps from Derleth's hands, scorching over the Remorhaz's chitinous hide. It shrieks, and moves, attempting to crawl across the mountain's side to get a better angle on the group. However, with the force of its body rubbing into the base of the snow mound, as well as Katya's second explosive arrow arcing in and sinking into the snow beneath it with another muffled *boom*, there comes a soft rumble, and the snow, like a crashing wave, spills down. Stones, rocks, boulders the size of wagons are pulled down with the sliding rush, rolling into and over the worm that is swallowed up in the wintery flow.
Kaz, taking flight so as the white landslide comes down, pumps his legs. "The cave!" He screams. Sara quickly rides towards Kaz offering him an arm to swing him onto her mount. Catching Sara's offered arm, Kaz, crossbow in the other hand, swings atop her horse's back. The rest of the party simply turns and urges their horses toward the safety of the opening above the valley floor. The cave is not hard to reach, and turns out to be easily large enough to get the horses into.
Upon entering the cave Sara throws an arm back knocking Kaz to the ground. "Keep those busy little hands to yourself or next time I'll leave you out there", she scolds him and she dismounts while trying to steady her horse.
Landing gracefully, the half elf scoffs. "Ah, but I think you were enjoying it. Would you prefer my hands, or our buried friend's?"
Derleth climbs down off Platinum and goes towards the mouth of the cave, watching for the iceworm. "Tha' wouldnae take care o' it. Nae unless the Lady be working overtime."
And, indeed, the cleric is right. The mound moves, and snow parts as the thing slithers out. However, it looks much the worse for wear; sections of the chitin armor are crushed in, or ripped off, ichor dripping from its steaming insides. Several legs are left behind, and the wing-fin on the left side that keeps the creature arched and afloat hangs half-off the thing's body. It doesn't even look at the cave, but curls and crawls off in the other direction.
Kyrel says, "Hmm.. should we finish it off? I'd hate to have to deal with it again after it's had a chance to heal."
Sara throws a scowl at Kaz and adds, "Or perhaps just follow it down our trail?"
Katya snorts. "Do you really want to stay for the thing to patch itself up? Besides, look; the pass is nearly boxed in; even with it crawling over the piled snow, it won't melt it all. It'll take us a great deal of time going around or over that, and I don't think the horses could make it."
Sara says, "But you said the other route wasn't good footing for the horses - would this be any worse?"
The question is barely out of Kyrel's mouth when he realizes that the creature is going to be out of range if he waits around. He reaches into his pouch and pulls out the components for the lightning spell, hoping to finish the job before it gets away to heal.
The worm is slithering over the pile of snow, just as the lightning bolt crackles and zigzags from Kyrel's fingertips. It blasts down the canyon, knifing through the snowbank. The snow melts in a tunnel, electricity crackling through the slush. A sound of utter anguish and pain rises from the other side of the drift, and a rather nasty, cooked smell.
Kaz, and the ranger seem to perk up, stilling. The ranger lifts a hand, as if asking for quiet, before slipping her bow into the horse's holster, hand reaching for her axe.
Derleth winces, before offering a wry chuckle. He looks at Sara. "Care for a chunk of roasted iceworm?"
Kyrel says, "I think that's gotten it... if not, it'll be a while before it attacks anyone again." He turns and peers into the depths of the cave. "We have company."
Sara says, "Roasted worm... Naa.."
Katya breaths, drawing her axe. "We do..." Kaz is starting to pull his scimitar out. A figure stands near the back, half silluetted with the faint light, though it does catch on bared steel. An audible growl echos through the cavern. "Go!" Comes a gutteral, growling voice.
Kyrel says, "Katya... I think we've found one of your missing gnolls."
Sara slowly reaches around her back grabbing her spiked chain, "It's a little dark in here doncha' think? Think we oughtta shed a little light..." As she brings around her spiked chain it bursts into electrical activity, emitting a faint, crackling glow.
Kyrel says, "Calmly, Sara. I don't think that a fight is called for."
Pushing through the horses, Katya calls in a deep language, sounding as if she's trying to cough up something with a few of the syllables and words. The figure, deeper into the cave, responds in kind. The ranger wheels. "No! No fighting." Her own weapon returns to its scabbard.
The electricity on Sara's chain dwindles to a few sparks before vanishing altogether as she begins to relax a little bit.
Derleth places a hand on his hip, where his flail is stuck into his belt, eyeing the gnoll warily. Despite Katya, he doesn't trust the dog-beast.
The gnoll stays near the back of the cave. "They be Gnoll-ally, Katya? Or Lizard?" Katya, without hesitation, "Gnoll, Garrok." A few more words are exchanged in that gutteral language, before the ranger glances back. "He has a fire, deeper in. I think it is at least a good time to rest our bones for a bit, and I have to speak to him anyways; I'm just unsure what to do with the horses..."
Kyrel says, "The horses should be fine here. One of us can stay on watch with them if you're worried."
The ranger nods. "Just concerned they may wander off into the cave, or outside."
Derleth makes a nickering noise to Platinum. "Me pony'll keep 'em in line fer the small stuff."
Wyvernjack gives a nod. "Thank you." Gesturing toward the deeper recesses of the cave, "Shall we?"
Kyrel nods. "I think so. Maybe they can tell us what happened?"
"Hopefully." The ranger drifts down the passage, toward the nearly seven foot tall hyena-man.
Derleth sits against the wall, rubbing his hands together absently, watching Katya disappear into the cave.
Sara walks over to Derleth and slumps down next to him. "Interesting choice of tasks you guys undertook and for such little pay" as she watches the others slip into the darkness...
Kyrel follows Katya, as long as the gnoll doesn't appear to object too strenuously. Looks like the language spell will come in handy...
Katya replies back and forth in the gnoll's language, before pausing, glancing back. "Are you two not coming?" Her tone is rather insistant, if not scolding.
Sara glances to Derleth and shrugs, standing back up to follow, spiked chain still in hand. Derleth says, "Twas me impression ye wanted t' speak w' him alone, Wyvernjack." He gets up, nevertheless.
The ranger shakes her head. "Nay. Would you rather sit out here on the cold stone, or sit in front of a fire?"
Derleth chuckles. "Ye make a compelling argument, lady." The cleric follows on Sara's heels, murmuring to her quietly, "The Lady moves in mysterious ways, lassie. And ye know as well as I that risk doesnae always offer reward in the form o' direct payment."
Sara says, "But I have to wonder Derleth, if what you gain is worth risking your life for in this case."
Kyrel says, "This wasn't what we'd originally signed up for... but these things happen. It needs doing."
Sara says, "I guess I understand that one." glancing back at Derleth. "Never thought I'd be brought out here just ta protect the likes of you."
Katya nods, and the trip into the cave is not far. A few winding steps, taking a left at a fork, then another left, and the soft glow of fire can be seen off the walls. As the light improves, the gnoll seems less threatening. His step is slightly limping, the arm that holds a lovely, though grimy, sword shakes slightly. Scars, even a patch of fur that looked as if it had been singed a week before, shows on the dogman's visible hide, hinting at further damage hidden beneath the pelts and cloak it wears. And, as the group enters a small chamber, fire burning in the center, the gnoll seems only slightly more dangerous than the obviously pregnant female holding a dagger clumsily in one hand, or the two cubs that cling to her legs.
Derleth grins impishly. "What's t' say there ain't more riches t' obtain that're not readily apparent? Meself, I be hoping for a bit o' dragon horde. He suddenly stops in mid stride as Sara's words sink in. "Protect? Me? What d'ye mean?"
Kyrel chuckles. "She's mentioned that a few times, Derleth. Thinking about cards again, were you?"
Sara continues walking, realizing the situation and slinging her spiked chain back onto her back. She sits near the fire and glances at Derleth for a moment before turning to stare at it. "That's why I'm here, of course..." The little cleric looks confused. "Ye said ye were hunting a man...wait a minute, now that cryptic comment ye made earlier makes sense. Who hired ye, then? Dinnae tell the lad paid ye out o' his own pocket just fer me..."
The gnoll, glancing at the three cowering figures in the back of the chamber, says a few snarling words before they at least relax somewhat, and cautiously draw toward the fire. Dropping his sword, though leaving it in reach, the dogman settles in front of the fire, shedding his thick mountain-sheep hide cloak. Katya moves quickly to settle beside him.
Sara turns her head enough to give Derleth a quick smile then turns back to the fire quietly.
Derleth looks bemusedly at Kyrel. "Clearly ye been paying better attention than I. I didnae hear such matter."
The male gnoll speaks in that gutteral language once more to the ranger. She listens, then turns. "Derleth? You're a cleric, yes? A healer?" Derleth is so utterly flumoxed that he has barely paid any attention to the gnolls until that moment. He starts as Katya speaks to him, almost backing into one of them. "Er...ah, aye Wyvernjack. I be."
Kiri sticks his head out of Kyrel's tunic and chitters happily at the relative warmth inside the cave. The half-elf nods to him as he takes wing and flitters around the area. All of the gnolls jump slightly, as he does, the young cubs watching him, ooing with curiousity. Katya nods to the large gnoll, who says something to the female. She rises, and draws toward Derleth, and, still cautious, kneels in front of him, exposing some of her back. She pushes aside some of the pelts that serve her as clothing, exposing a deep puncture wound just below her shoulder. It looks almost a week old and it is not healing properly, infection starting to drain from it. All of the other hyena-folk, and Katya as well, stare intently at Derleth. "Can you fix that?" The ranger breathes. "And, the healing magics won't harm the child, yes?"
Derleth ers, looking rather uncomfortable about the whole idea,..but the wound calls out to the better part of his nature, gnoll or no gnoll, and he lays gentle hands on the female's shoulder, examining the injury. "Aye. Aye, this I can fix. An, if she be with child...well, the wound being where it is, I'd say there should be nae complications...a belly wound'd be far more chancy...tell ye're friends nae t' skewer me, plaese..." He begins a plea to Lliara, and his hands glow with Her power, seeping into the gnoll's body, making the flesh knit itself back together with surprising speed, the black pus of infection seemingly being drawn out and evaporating into nothingness...
The female cries a little, more of surprise then pain. Garrok, the male, sits up much straighter, looking at the cleric with suspicion for a moment. Still, the wound clears up nearly perfectly - all that's left is a bit of missing fur on the spot. The female scoots backwards, staring at Derleth with an expression of mixed awe, appreciation, thanks, and just a pinch of fear, but it's a much friendlier look than her earlier regard. Derleth clears his throat, tugging his cloak about him as he sits, still very uncomfortable surrounded by gnolls.
Katya nods, smiling her thanks to the cleric. Even Garrok grunts a "Thank he."
Derleth nods, not knowing quite how to reply to that.
Kyrel says, "They're on our side, Derleth. We're both opposed to the lizardmen and dragon-cultists. Smile and say something in a nice tone of voice."
Derleth looks sideways at Kyrel, and then smiles without showing his teeth. "Thank ye fer sharing yer fire, warrior."
A snarl of utter hatred comes off the gnoll at the mention of Lizardmen. "Them!" He hisses. "They didded this..." He stares at Derleth for a moment. The cleric swallows, shrinking back a bit.
Kyrel looks surprised that the gnoll has that much command of common. He nods, then, and repeats in simpler vocabulary. "Lizards our enemy too, warrior."
The look he gives Derleth is more of slight confusion than spite. He turns to Kyrel after a moment, nodding. "Aye. Lizards they's enemy... They attacked he's caves," The gnoll patting himself absently, "Attacked theys," Glancing at the other gnolls, "At night."
Kyrel says, "How did you escape? We found many bodies. Katya says perhaps three in every four of your tribe."
His tone turns darker, eyes harder. "They attacked Gnolls, they didded. Many Gnolls sleeped, and the lizard magics burned into the cave, killed the guards before they knowed it... Then they camed in..." His growl deeper, "Gnoll fighters, Gnoll magics camed out! And the lizards cutted down the gnolls that could wake up fast enough, before coming inside, for young and gnoll magics still breathing..." The gnoll looks at Kyrel somewhat lost, even within the pain and anger of the retelling. "What?"
Kyrel repeats. "How many get away?"
Derleth listens, but rests his eyes on Sara, as he doesn't care to look the snarling dog-beast in the eye. His expression turns thoughtful as he wonders about the mystery of her mission...
Katya leans over, murmuring to Kyrel, "He doesn't understand You or I, even we... in his language, they and he or she is similar, just used in different ways."
Sara ignores the conversation as if dazed by the dancing fire and lost in her own little world she sits and stares, thoughts filling her mind.
Kyrel nods to Katya, trying to adapt the Common tongue to the gnoll's limited vocabulary, and waiting for the warrior to respond to the simplified question.
Garrok nods. "Oh... Sever...eh... Sevi," "Seven," Katya offers in a helping tone. The gnoll nods. "Seeven adult ones tooked away, all gnoll magics. Nine young."
Derleth puzzles that over.
Sara pulls out a small segment of wood bearing a claw that holds a red gem. She stares at it, watching the flames dance in the sparkling gemstone. A look of worries comes across her face, she looks up briefly at Derleth and glances at the rest before letting out a sigh, er eyes returning to the gemstone.
Kyrel glances at Katya to make sure he has it right. "They were trying to capture gnoll magicians?"
Derleth blinks, turning to Sara. "What?" He looks at the gemstone, wondering why she took it out.
Sara mumbles in a hushed tone, "It's not important..." she sighs, "Not yet anyway..." Derleth looks like he wants to ask further, but seems to decide now is not the best time to do so.
Katya nods to Kyrel. "'Dragonblooded'. You see, that dragon that Kholodnaya told us of? He bred thoroughly with all the tribes of the area, so they would worship him, and bear his foals to protect his territory, because of the gift of magic he gave to them. Well...the gnolls turned their backs on the dragon and, what with fighting over elk herd and hunting ground, and them going against the human and lizard ways... War."
Derleth grimaces. "What fun..."
Garrok nods. "For egg."
Derleth says, "Egg? You mean the dragon's eggs?"
Kyrel says, "Why would they need them for the eggs?"
"Huh? He does not know. He speak lizard tongue," The gnoll tapping his lips, "All gnolls know lizard tongue here. Lizards that runned into the back of the cave, that's where he was, they screamed about magics blood, for eggs."
Derleth arches an eyebrow, then looks at Kyrel. "Ye be the magic expert. Does this make any sense t' ye?
Katya's face screws up, before it turns dark. "Good gods..."
Sara realizes... "A sacrifice?"
Kyrel looks like he's concealing a rather unpleasant expression. "Certainly sounds that way."
Sara puts away her gemstone and apparently clears her head and begins paying attention to the conversation at hand.
Katya nods, at that. "The lizardfolk...they're very good with the nature of things...many are druids-"
Kyrel says, "This tells us three things, only one of them good. One, the prisoners will still be alive. Two, rescuing them will not take us away from our primary mission. Three, the eggs will be guarded."
Derleth swivels his head, looking around at his companions. "But why? What purpose d' it serve? D' it just be ritual?
Kyrel says, "Mage's blood.. it could be used to grant the hatchlings magic powers of their own, quickly. Nothing magical is 'just' ritual, priest."
Breaking in, Garrok nods. "Yes! Druids! Yes yes, when he comed out of back of cave, he was bringing them," Looking to the other gnolls, "Bringing tribe leader's family, He saw lizard leader..."
Derleth frowns. "If ye say so. Th' only dragons ah know about be on playing cards."
Kyrel nods. So, this is the chief's mate and cubs, not his own. Interesting...
Katya, noting Kyrel's expression, "Garrok is the tribe leader's third in command; his guard, basicly."
Kyrel ahhs in comprehension. "And by now, he might have inherited the chieftainship. I see." He nods to Garrok to continue.
Derleth says, "But how did 'e then get away wi' the leader's mate n' cubs, if'n they were all captured?"
Kyrel says, "I think he's getting to that part, Derleth. Let's let him continue..." Derleth nods and quiets.
The gnoll tips his head. "No tribe left... No gnolls comed after he, through back of cave way. If lizards kill the rest of gnolls..." He grows quiet, glancing at the other three hyena-folk in the room.
Derleth grunts. "Great. An here ah was hoping t' avoid a melee.."
Sara slips back into staring at the fire.
Garrok continues with his story. "Lizards outside the back of cave way, several..." Garrok lifts a talon, tapping the singed fur along his neck and chin. "One lizard even threw, stabbeded Jahki," He glances toward the female. "But, lizards he killed." A satisfied grin on his lips. "Then, ran here, came through another entrance, and found safety." He gestures to the room. "But, when he ranned, he saw lizard leader..." His tone is quieter, a bit of fear creeping into those warrior eyes.
Kyrel says, "Lizard leader how big?"
"Hand taller then he," Garrok replies. "Big not important. What, important..."
Derleth seems to have slowly overcome his nervousness, giving the gnoll warrior his full attention now...
The gnoll licks his lips. "Lizard leader was Chalishk..." The other gnolls shiver, the younger of the two cubs burying it's maw into the mother's side.
Kyrel glances at Katya, unsure if this is a name or a word he doesn't know...
Derleth blinks, and looks at Katya for clarification as well.
Katya frowns. "It has no exact translation, basicly 'he who breathes of ice and lives of cold'... Half-dragon..."
Derleth ahs and grimaces. "One o' the white wyrm's offspring, then..."
Sara, unable to understand what was being said in Gnoll reacts suddenly, her head snapping up to pay attention as it is repeated in Common and her face turns a bit pale.
Kyrel says, "Sounds like it. I wonder how hard he'd be to take down."
The gnoll nods. "Yes, yes... And lizard leader...he no has magics, no but... Land-magics. Druidsmagic... Gnoll once had druid but Ice woman took him, when He young."
Derleth says, "Easier than th' wyrm hersel', Kyrel. Be thankful fer that."
Still listening, Sara glances over the small pile of firewood as if looking for something. She returns to her spot by the fire after a few moments.
Kyrel says, "A good point. In any event... now we know what we are looking to run up against. That's always helpful, even when it's not encouraging." He looks to Katya for confirmation again. "Their leader does or does not have magic?"
Sara barks out what seem to be a few words in the gnolls language.
Katya reguards Kyrel with a sigh. "A druid. Gnolls consider that 'magic' different; it is of the land, and not 'wizard' magic." Kyrel nods. "Well.. that's fair. It is different."
Some of the Gnolls look at Sara curiously. Garrok blinks, then flattens his ears. "No gnoll tribes for days."
Kyrel says, "So... many lizards? Lots of their tribes all here at once?"
Garrok shakes his head. "No. One tribe, but many lizard magics, or land-magics. Animal friends; nasty animals. Snowcats."
Derleth says, "How many lizards, Garrok?"
Kyrel nods. "Not good. How to rescue other gnolls from them..."
The gnoll shrugs. "He not on battlefield, he not count bodies."
Derleth grunts. "Sure, an this be loads of fun, then. Ah well. Least we have a fireball happy elf on our side."
"True," Katya replies, "But what about getting there? The way is blocked; the melted snow will turn to ice, and that's going to be Hard to climb..."
Sara says, "hard but not impossiable right? I doubt there will be an ambush if the lizard people are orgnizing a sacrifice. We'd better hurry though." She pauses. "You did mention another way around though.. would that be faster?"
Derleth scratches the back of his neck. "How unsafe is th' other way ye mentioned we could go, Katya? I dinnae want Platinum t' fall into an abyss anymore than ah want him t' be eaten by an ice worm."
The ranger shrugs. "To be honest, Derleth, I never had the ambition to go up. The mountain is iced over and some of the ledges are little more than packed snow. Enough weight and..." Her hand sweeps down.
Derleth swallows. "I see. So, tis nae actually safe fer us either then, horses or nae."
She nods. "Aye... I didn't want to chance it. Ambush or no, 'twas safer then chancing unsteady ground."
Derleth says, "But now....hmm..."
Garrok tilts his head. "Where they go? Lizardnest?"
Kyrel says, "We think so."
Derleth looks at Kyrel. "Mebbe tis time ye and yer brother memorized some spells that c'd get us beyond that mess in our way."
Kyrel says, "I don't think he can melt that much snow, and to be honest, we don't have enough flight spells for the whole crew. We should be able to get over it if we don't wait too long for it to thaw and refreeze."
Garrok blinks. "He don't know where lizardnest is, but eggs were in dragonnest. Not too far; across the cliff. Caves reach that side, through here, he think."
Derleth blinks, and then grins. "Sounds like a plan."
"He wants to come with they!" The gnoll snarls. "He wants to kill lizards. However..." He glances at the other gnolls, before flattening his ears.
Derleth nods quickly. "Killing lizards good. Stealing eggs good. Saving tribe good."
Kyrel says, "Indeed. However. Warrior need to guard female and cubs, but come part way to show us path through caves and guard way back for us."
He nods. "Yes, he can do that well. Caves are old; he moved through them when he was young, but it would take some looking. Things may have came in."
Derleth shrugs. "They will kill things."
Kyrel nods and points to the bat. "Kiri help he search."
Garrok grins rather toothily. "Yes. If they return tribe, they will ever be in they debt..." He doesn't reply what happens if the survivors are not returned. "Going to kill lizards, he in debt to they."
Katya regards Kyrel a moment. "Is it wise to charge into the nest before tomorrow? I know you simply cast a bolt of lightning, but we need all the spells we can, yes?"
Kyrel says, "Rest first, make magics return. Then go kill lizards."
Garrok nods, smiling for once. "Thank he. They stay in he's cave. Safe, so far; extra guards for Leader's top mate and magic brood, cubs is greatly appreciated."
Derleth looks wryly at Kyrel. "Sure, and I think I finally understand this sort o talk."
Kyrel chuckles. "It's not so hard when you get the hang of it. They don't differentiate their pronouns, is all."
Garrok nods. "Now, he feared when he sleeped. No longer, while they stay here."
A thankful, if not appreciative glance is cast toward Katya. The ranger pauses. "Garrok, did Shimsha die, or do you know if she was taken?" Her tone is soft, if not worried.
The reply is saddened, if not full of loss. "Taken."
Kyrel raises an eyebrow in Katya's direction. "His mate?"
Katya nods. "Second in command, in fact... And, the strongest of the pack's magic-users. She would have been the tribe leader's mate but Garrok bested him in a fight."
Derleth says, "That's actually good. Maybe she can rally the captives."
Kyrel says, "If we free them, she can take command and lead them away, at the very least."
"If she lives," Katya says quietly.
Derleth says, "She probably does, Lady, If'n she's a magic user, they'll be sacrificing her to the young'ns, aye? So, as long as the eggs havenae hatched yet, she'll still be alive."
Kyrel nods. "They won't have killed her later after going to that trouble to begin with."
"But what if they plan on soaking the eggs in the blood, instead of bathing the hatchlings? Couldn't they be soaking the eggs so the wyrmlings are strong?"
Kyrel shakes his head. "Probably not. That would tend to drown them. Eggs do need to breathe, you know."
Derleth grimaces. "Oh dearie me." He glances at Kyrel, and then back at Katya. "See? Th' man's a genius. He even knows facts about eggs."
She shrugs her shoulders. "It is best to keep all options open, right? Worst case scenario? The eggs don't hatch for several months. And, Kyrel, I am sure if you just drop the egg in something it'll drown, but just wet part of it? Or pour it over? I don't know... Or, at least, dragon eggs generally don't hatch for several months after laying; I don't know how long they've been with the mother, though...
Kyrel says, "Soon, would be my guess... why feed prisoners longer than you have to?"
She shrugs. "I don't know; they could try wetting the eggs, or bathing the young, or feeding them to the wyrmlings, I don't care. What's important is stopping them from doing it..."
Derleth nods. "So, then, we get rest now, leave as early as we can, make our way through th' caves...and stop a bloodbath. Er, no pun intended."
Kaz perks up. "Wait. If they hatch before we can get them back to the Giants' Caves, we could have trouble from them, too. And I don't want to hazard hurting one of them little dragons, else we won't get our wolves."
Kyrel says, "If we can get there, we put them in stasis, remember? we've got two beads, and the wolves can walk if they have to."
Kaz nods. "Then, we rest."
Derleth chuckles. "Why, that almost sounds like a plan, then."
Kyrel chuckles. "It does at that. Probably wouldn't hurt to go in invisibly, either. We'll talk through the details later.
The ranger sounds derisive. "Invisiblity doesn't work, when you're moving snow about with your feet."
Kyrel says, "Thought we were going to be moving through caves?"
Katya ohs. "I thought you meant when we go toward the lizard's nest."
Kyrel shakes his head. "No, not through the snow. The spell wears off after an hour or so. But once we're inside, it might be useful.
"But we'd be spotted before we got to the nest, if they're watching from outside."
Kyrel says, "How far is it from the one entrance to the other?"
Derleth says, "Hey now, we'll worry about that once we be seeing the lay of the land. Fer now, let us implement part one o this cunning plan and get some rest."
Garrok frowns. "Hrm... half of a mile." The Gnoll nods. "Sleep, but who watches?"
Katya cuts in. "I will. You all rest."
Kyrel says, "Take turns, Garrok. Needs be awake to replenish magics."
He nods. Katya moves, rising. "Then, I'll take first watch. Much to think on."
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