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    Canonfire :: View topic - Chapter 1: From Ice and Stone, a Rose
    Canonfire Forum Index -> Expedition to the Land of Black Ice
    Chapter 1: From Ice and Stone, a Rose
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    Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:52 am  
    Ohrin: Transmutations

    "Very well. Verenna, you'll have to continue the work here without me until I return. If Zoltan returns, or if you see Master Retlishin, please tell him about the summons."

    Verenna nodded. "I shall," she said. She looked a bit...concerned, perhaps? He imagined that she might well have asked to accompany him, were they not in the midst of a transmutation.

    Ohrin then turned to face Jelden. "I know you are in a hurry to be off but give me one moment to prepare for the cold outside. Your gambeson may be warm but my robe is thin. I have no intention of throwing a ridiculous amount of layers on, else why be a mage?" he asked with a wry smile.

    The Guardsman rolled his eyes. "You are a poor excuse for an olve, my friend," he sighed. "They already think our skins are paper-thin, you know."

    Verenna wrinkled her nose. "You are a fool, Jelden Riverstone," she scoffed. "This is Corus. None speak ill of you or your forebearers behind your back."

    He shrugged slightly. "You are enlightened, Lady Matrask," he replied. "But I would expect such a view from you. Unlike many mannish folk, I understand you hold a deep admiration for the virtues of the olve." He allowed his eyes to slowly wader back to Ohrin.

    She looked about ready to curse. "Ah-ah, milady!" he interrupted, the sly smirk returning to his features. "Magic afoot."

    Ohrin then began a ritualistic chant during which he rubbed his hands together, as if to warm them. At set intervals, he interrupted the chant briefly to blow on his hands. After a minute, he ceased chanting and, briefly, he glowed with a faint, ghostly blue-white light.

    Grabbing his hand-a-half sword as it rested in a belted scabbard against the wall, Ohrin quickly buckled it on his left hip before opening the door and saying, "After you, my friend."

    Jelden opened the door. Outside the wind whipped and the snow swirled. Even he could only see a scant few feet past its opened threshold. Ohin never felt a bit of it. Instead, the air about him, trapped within the gently glowing envelope of his prayer, was like that before a roaring fireplace. "Good day, m'lady," he bowed slightly before departing the laboratory, Ohrin only a few steps behind. He was almost certain the loud sound of its shutting downed out a slew of shouted curses and untoward promises.

    His friend had to almost shout himself, just to be heard over the gale. "It's so easy," he smirked, despite the terrible clime, "when you know how."

    The two of them made for the shadow of the Icepick, straight ahead.
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    Sat Jan 30, 2016 5:03 pm  
    Sævil: The Meeting in the Icepick

    Quote:
    “I see we have company,” she looked past Sævil, nodding in Norak-Mora's direction. “Come forward without fear, Njord Tholjorsson. You are expected here and amongst friends.”

    She glanced back and forth between one another. “Know ye of one another?”


    Quote:
    "Mayor Highmountain," he offered, bowing his head. "Indeed, we two have met for only brief time. If not for mutual duty of protecting the town, we may never have made acquaintance," he continued in his slightly broken version of the Common-tongue. Turning and nodding to Saevil, "Greetings again, good Saevil, called Dagsson. It is pleasure to officially be introduced. But i find myself wondering the reason for this meeting." He led his eyes back to the mayor, questioningly. If it weren't for his general unease in her presence, his gaze might well have been lost in the impressive expanse inside the Icepick.


    "Aye, I've seen you at your duties, " Sævil's eyes trace briefly up and down Njord's length, his eyes hooded, "You're the guard with that hungry wolfish look about you." At this Sævil smiles warmly and follows Njord's eyes back to the Mayor.
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    Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:01 am  
    Kahss: Fifty Paces, Blindfolded

    The latter nodded. He noticed that their faces had been smeared with a bit of some sort of oil or lard. Both their beards were going white with frost. “Enter, Kahss Seltaren,” he said. “The Little One awaits.” He turned slightly and pulled at one of the metal rings on the door. It took some effort to strain against the gathering weight of the snow at its foot, but the port slid open nonetheless. Instantly, Kahss could feel the warmth inside the structure, soothing against his flesh.

    Within, the flickering of torchlight. The sound of voices.

    --

    Kahss stepped cautiously forward and into the flickering torchlight; his green eyes burned cautiously for an instant on the room before him. He knew his entrance may not only be heard but would be seen by those within. His hand tightly wrapped around his belt buckle, he glanced around making sure all was as it should be, and stepped forward once he was sure nothing was amiss.
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    Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:01 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick

    Njord shot his eyes back toward Saevil, taken aback by the comment, but trying to hide the fact. Raising his brow questioningly, he pondered the words for a moment. Was it a joke? Did Njord actually come off as some sort of underfed dog? He had never been offered such an observation before. He smiled, a cordial half-grin, then gently shrugged, as if to accept Saevil's opinion, regardless of its accuracy. Nodding a bit, he responded diplomatically, truthfully, yet with a bit of a bite. In the best Common phrasing he could muster in the circumstance:

    "I am not priveleged of seeing you at tasks, Saevil, but you have solid reputation. Perhaps some day, hopefully, we can stand together at labors? And then i will find what animal lurks under your skin?"
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    Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:18 pm  
    Sævil: The Meeting In The Icepick

    Sævil grins and whispers rapidly to Njord, "An otter maybe, I do love eating while lying down!"

    He stifles a laugh, "But I aspire to the lazy life and harem of a Walrus!" He then returns his attention fully to the mayor.
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    Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:40 pm  

    Njord let forth an unexpected chuckle. He was glad for the moment of levity. But then he, too, turned his attention back to the Mayor, the Little One, who assuredly harbored big secrets. The brief laughter wafted away into the attics of the Icepick and, accompanying the silence, Njord's unease returned.
    Syzygyst
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    Tue Feb 02, 2016 3:42 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick

    Njord let forth an unexpected chuckle. He was glad for the moment of levity. But then he, too, turned his attention back to the Mayor, the Little One, who assuredly harbored big secrets. The brief laughter wafted away into the attics of the Icepick and, accompanying the silence, Njord's unease returned.
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    Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:19 pm  
    Sævil, Kahss, & Njord: The Invisible War

    "Aye, I've seen you at your duties, " Sævil's eyes trace briefly up and down Njord's length, his eyes hooded, "You're the guard with that hungry wolfish look about you." At this Sævil smiles warmly and follows Njord's eyes back to the Mayor.

    Njord shot his eyes back toward Saevil, taken aback by the comment, but trying to hide the fact. Raising his brow questioningly, he pondered the words for a moment. Was it a joke? Did Njord actually come off as some sort of underfed dog? He had never been offered such an observation before. He smiled, a cordial half-grin, then gently shrugged, as if to accept Saevil's opinion, regardless of its accuracy. Nodding a bit, he responded diplomatically, truthfully, yet with a bit of a bite. In the best Common phrasing he could muster in the circumstance:

    "I am not priveleged of seeing you at tasks, Saevil, but you have solid reputation. Perhaps some day, hopefully, we can stand together at labors? And then i will find what animal lurks under your skin?"

    Sævil grins and whispers rapidly to Njord, "An otter maybe, I do love eating while lying down!"

    He stifles a laugh, "But I aspire to the lazy life and harem of a Walrus!" He then returns his attention fully to the mayor.

    Njord let forth an unexpected chuckle. He was glad for the moment of levity. But then he, too, turned his attention back to the Mayor, the Little One, who assuredly harbored big secrets. The brief laughter wafted away into the attics of the Icepick and, accompanying the silence, Njord's unease returned.

    The halfling watched their banter with the play of amusement crossing her features. She seemed content to listen to their exchange in silence until they'd concluded. “It pleases me greatly to see that the two of you have friendly relations with one another,” she smiled gently. “Likewise, it pleases me that you obviously possess some sense of humor. Both will prove most valuable, I suspect, should you choose to accept that which I set before you today.”

    She pursed her lips, as if to speak further, but before she could, the Icepick's door opened once more. A sliver of the dim light from outside issued inside the structure in a morose wedge. The chill of the wind and the snow rushed along side it, a constant companion.

    Kahss stepped cautiously forward and into the flickering torchlight; his green eyes burned cautiously for an instant on the room before him. He knew his entrance may not only be heard but would be seen by those within. His hand tightly wrapped around his belt buckle, he glanced around making sure all was as it should be, and stepped forward once he was sure nothing was amiss.

    “Kahss Seltaren,” her voice greeted him. “Your presence is most welcome.”

    The Icepick's interior was a great open space, he could see. A thin wooden staircase wound all around the wall, making a great spiral until it disappeared in a small bit of darkness in the ceiling, perhaps thirty feet overhead. All along the stairs, in evenly-spaced intervals, torches flickered and crackled, filling the air with a wan, inconsistent light and a breath of warmth. In the center of the room was a large dais, upon which a desk of dark timber stood.

    Before him, wearing a frock, blue and then dark, stood Mayor Highmountain. The top of the hobniz' black, curly-haired head rose no higher than the level of his waist from the stone floor beneath his boots. Standing not far from her were two men. Both were tall, strong-looking of body. They seemed to eye him carefully. He knew neither of their names, but their faces were familiar enough. He was certain he'd seen them in passing, since he'd arrived in Corus.

    The Little One nodded at the one furthest, first. “Kahss, this is Sævil Dagsson,” she introduced him. “And this is Njord Tholjorsson. Both, bards well-versed in the ugly music of swords, like you. Please, join them and hear what I would say with a careful ear. As I have said to your fellows, I would ask much of you today. You would do well to weigh my words carefully.”

    She began a slow pace of the floor, back and forth before where the three of them stood, all in a row. “I will be blunt,” she said, pausing occasionally to glance up and meet their eyes. Of what she might have seen in their quality, she said nothing. “The settlement of Corus stands upon the precipice of great peril. The city in which we dwell lies under a siege most dire from an enemy we cannot see nor can we strike against. I engage in no exaggeration when I say that, indeed, every moment of our inaction brings us so much closer to catastrophe.”

    The hobniz looked up at them again. The weight to her words seemed immense. In just the brief moments in which she'd begun to speak to them, she seemed to have grown weary for the labor of speaking them. She seemed to have aged a lifetime. “Each one of you has called our city your home long enough that the frigid winds and the wet snows are no strangers,” she continued. “Perhaps you have been here long enough to notice that they grow worse by the day, as is the wont of the season. But know you this: This winter's ravages are far, far worse than the one before it. Too, that one was worse than the one before it. So it has gone for years now. Likewise, where once the spring and summers that smiled warm respite upon Corus spanned half the whole of the year, those seasons have drawn shorter and shorter. Once, they measured long, clement months. Now, the sun shines upon the good folk here but for a matter of weeks.”

    The Little One paused for a moment in her pacing. She eyed them carefully once more. “This is not a natural occurrence,” she told them.

    “The city of Corus is under attack.”
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    Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:09 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, The Invisible War

    As the Little One's paused, Njord shot quick glances at Saevil and Kahss, hoping they were as uncertain as himself. The silence continued, and so Njord broke it, hoping to topple the wall of angst building inside.

    "Under attack? I am sorry, Mayor Highmountain, but what is the attacker? Foul demons? Evil sorcerer? The skies can be enemy some years. Could be Mistress Nature? She can cast great harshness upon the world."
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    Fri Feb 05, 2016 8:20 pm  
    Sævil: The Meeting In The Icepick, The Invisible War

    Sævil focuses intently on the mayor without losing his grin, however he begins fidgeting with the sheath of Asajapura where hands from his belt.
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    Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:51 am  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    “The city of Corus is under attack.”

    As the Little One's paused, Njord shot quick glances at Saevil and Kahss, hoping they were as uncertain as himself. The silence continued, and so Njord broke it, hoping to topple the wall of angst building inside.

    "Under attack? I am sorry, Mayor Highmountain, but what is the attacker? Foul demons? Evil sorcerer? The skies can be enemy some years. Could be Mistress Nature? She can cast great harshness upon the world."

    Sævil focuses intently on the mayor without losing his grin, however he begins fidgeting with the sheath of Asajapura where hands from his belt.

    The halfling offered an easy smile and a subtle wave of the hand. “Peace, brave Tholjorsson,” she replied, looking up at Njord from near his knee. “Our enemy is indeed Lady Beory. But I fear her wrath has been direction upon our fair settlement by a poisoned whisper into her ear – from one who bears us great malice.”

    She looked as if she might be about to continue, but was interrupted by the movement of the Icepick's door, the chill breath of the wind that ushered in behind it. The three men before the halfling struggled, squinting into the momentary sliver of light to determine who interrupted their meeting. They were able to see aught but the silhouette of the stranger, hidden first by the brilliance outside, then by a flurry of colorful spots once the door was closed behind him. Somehow, the Little One was unperturbed by the light. She smiled in recognition at the stranger. “Ah, Ohrin,” she greeted him with a gentle nod. “We are now made whole and can begin in earnest.”

    Ohrin! At the sound of the man's name, he walked into the torchlight, filling his shape with contour and color. The Little One nodded in their direction, making plain her desire that he join them. The truth was, though, that none of them knew much about him at all. It was well known that he worked at the elbow of Master Retlishin, the enigmatic magi that called Corus his home. Aside of that, he was almost as much a mystery. It was said by some that he originally might have hailed from some land far to the south. Perhaps the young maids of the settlement might know more. When he was seen about the walled city, it was usually in the company of some starry-eyed girl.

    He didn't look as if he was dressed appropriately for the weather. Despite a lack of heavy furs or fabrics, he trembled or shivered not. It might have had to do with the twinkling lick of starlight that seemed to occasionally limn his body, like shimmering sunlight when it kisses the surface of a placid lake.

    The Little One nodded in the direction of the rest of them. “Ohrin,” she said, “perhaps you know of Njord, Kahss, and Saevil? I was just discussing the matter of Corus' steadily worsening clime with them. Considering your nearness to Retlishin, I presume you may already know something of the matter, hm?”

    She looked across at each one of them in turn. “Today, I will tell you what we will do about the situation at hand,” she continued.

    “And, moreover, what your role in our plans will be.”
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    Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:27 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, Revelations

    Njord looked from the mayor to the newcomer. He had never met Ohrin, had only heard rumors. But of one thing was certain -- he was a spellcaster. So Njord now stood between a powerful female, and a mage. The combination was not to his liking. For him, he might as well have been forcibly crammed between a rock and a hard place. The Icepick was beginning to feel as open and spacious as the hand-tool of the same name.

    "Greetings, Ohrin," Njord said with a nod and a hint of a smile. "I'm afraid i have not had pleasure of making acquaintance with you."

    As he eyed the magician, looking, perhaps, for signs of "trickery," but trying to seem pleasant, Mayor Highmountain's last words began to sink in.

    A "role" had been assigned to him in the past, and he quickly barred the memory of that ordeal from his mind.

    Perhaps Corus had not been his best bet after all?
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    Mon Feb 22, 2016 2:47 pm  
    Re: Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, Revelations

    Kraftwerk wrote:
    She looked as if she might be about to continue, but was interrupted by the movement of the Icepick's door, the chill breath of the wind that ushered in behind it. She smiled in recognition at the stranger. “Ah, Ohrin,” she greeted him with a gentle nod. “We are now made whole and can begin in earnest.”

    At the sound of the man's name, he walked into the torchlight, filling his shape with contour and color. The Little One nodded in their direction, making plain her desire that he join them.

    The Little One nodded in the direction of the rest of them. “Ohrin,” she said, “perhaps you know of Njord, Kahss, and Saevil? I was just discussing the matter of Corus' steadily worsening clime with them. Considering your nearness to Retlishin, I presume you may already know something of the matter, hm?”



    Syzygyst wrote:
    "Greetings, Ohrin," Njord said with a nod and a hint of a smile. "I'm afraid i have not had pleasure of making acquaintance with you."


    "Gentlemen, I hope you are well," he added with a sincere smile as he gave each a brief nod in greetings before turning to face The Little One.

    "I have only recently come to learn that our current studies are related to the changing weather patterns as Zoltan and Master Retlishin have kept things close to their vests, so to speak. I stand here curious to know more and how I may be of assistance."

    Kraftwerk wrote:
    She looked across at each one of them in turn. “Today, I will tell you what we will do about the situation at hand,” she continued.

    “And, moreover, what your role in our plans will be.”
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    Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:19 pm  
    Sævil: The Meeting In The Icepick, Revela

    Sævil smiles at Ohrin in greeting, but remains silent, waiting to hear more of the threat.
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    Wed Mar 09, 2016 8:01 pm  
    Sævil, Kahss, & Njord: The Invisible War

    Kahss nodded towards the newcomer out of respect and remained motionless without emotion at the last of the mayors words; silently surveying the conversation going on beside him he chose to remain silent, and once the silence resumed he turned towards the little one.
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    Sun Mar 27, 2016 12:08 am  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    The Little One cast her gaze across their gathering in the process of her pacing. Their was an undeniable weight to the quality of her stare, a palpable intensity that was difficult to describe but impossible to ignore. In the moment, it was easy to forget that she was half the size of any of them. Such was the force of her personality and presence.

    “The changing face of the weather is no mere turn of nature's demeanor,” she said, meeting their eyes for a brevity, each one of them, in succession. Of whatever she saw reflected in them, she said nothing. “The winter's teeth grow ever sharper. The snowfall becomes heavier. The cold has become such that it could freeze a man's blood in his very veins. Even the ocean's waves have slowed to a churning halt. They become a plain of ice surrounding the Brinks for miles, lapping there in tired tides of thick slush. Indeed, you four have seen this for yourselves,” she nodded. “but none of you have dwelled amongst us long enough to know that this is no normal winter, even here, far north of the towns and thorps from which you hail. Of any of us, I have called Corus my home longest. Many winters have I seen take this land in a snowy embrace. Winters enough to know that this is no ordinary season.”

    The Little One's eyes lingered upon Ohrin for a moment before moving along to the others once more. “Master Retlishin has dedicated much study to the nature of this peculiar weather,” she informed them. “Ere yesterday, his work concluded and confirmed what I both suspected and feared. This turn of winter has been brought upon us by an outside agency: One capable of wielding magical forces of almost unthinkable proportions. Aye, what Master Retlishin has discovered has terrified him so that he dares not investigate that which he has touched upon with any greater urgency. Considering the arcane might that is his to bring to bear,” she paused for a moment before continuing, “the mettle of our unseen enemy is truly frightening to consider.”

    The Little One stopped in her pacing. For the first time since she'd begun speaking, she allowed a slight smile to cross her lips, grim and full of portent. “Yet the populace of Corus is not composed of a group of simpering cowards,” she added. “Regardless the power our enemy might bring to bear, we will endure. We will face that which assails us with resolve and courage – and we will prevail.”

    “In this, I have assembled the four of you,” she said, casting one more glance across their collective number. “Today, I ask you to perform a great service for your friends and your neighbors – and for me, as well. For though I intend to bring steel and fury to our enemy, I would not see icy doom brought to all those who dwell within our community, should we fail. There must be recourse, should the worst come to pass.”

    “It is in this where your role, should you accept its burden, lay.”
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    Sun Mar 27, 2016 6:04 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, The Invisible War

    Steel and fury -- he had both to offer, Njord thought to himself. The question: would he indeed bring it forth in the service of Corus, and place it at the behest of this mysterious woman-ling? This one loves her secrets, he thought. Do they all? He didn't care much for his own secrets. He wished he could simply wash them away in the icy brine. No such luck -- he had already tried. But, then again, did he have any option other than to push onward with the people of this little island?

    Mustering as much courage and patience as he could, Njord spoke, meeting the Little One's gaze. "Lady Highmountain, where i am from we call Fell Winter Spirit, Kakasho. He is terrible being that prayers to the Warming Winds not often succeed. He takes many lives. If it is such a foe mayhaps blade and rage will not be enough. I cannot accept task without knowing enemy and duty. Please...continue."
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    Tue Mar 29, 2016 8:45 pm  
    Sævil: The Meeting In The Icepick, The Invisible War

    Sævil muses, just loud enough to be heard, "I wonder what sort of 'great power' resorts to such indirect means of accomplishing what ought to be a direct action..."
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    Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:10 am  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    Sævil muses, just loud enough to be heard, "I wonder what sort of 'great power' resorts to such indirect means of accomplishing what ought to be a direct action..."

    The Little One's mirth seemed piqued by his remark. "When we gather 'round the fire to tell tale of our adventures, once this matter is behind us all," she smiled, "I will be sure to let you know, first of all, young Sævil. I intend to garner the answer to your question rather personally, you see. You are hardly the only group setting forth from Corus, come the morn, should you accept the task I set before you. Among the three other vessels that will leave our settlement's shores, one will carry myself and Master Retlishin, amongst others, to Blackmoor's misty shores. Quite unlike whatever foe should meet us there, I favor -- how did you say it? --" her smile turned into a wry smirk, "-- direct action in the resolution of such affairs."

    She glanced back in Njord's direction momentarily before resuming her pacing. "But I outpace myself," she nodded, her smile melting away to be replaced by a more serious demeanor, once more. "I would not expect any of you to agree to a task involving any sort of real danger without knowing the name of your enemy or what might be required of you along the course of its completion. Know any of you the name of the Egg of Coot?" she lifted a dark brow, casting another glace across their number.

    "It is this one," she nodded, "that Master Retlishin is certain that is responsible for the turn of Beory's countenance than threatens to freeze our collective blood within its very veins."
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    Thu Mar 31, 2016 7:23 pm  
    Saevil: Revelations

    Sævil's brows furrow and his eyes widen at the name, "Some sort of god-thing fallen or infecting the earth? How can we hope to succeed against such a power?"
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    Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:03 pm  
    Re: Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    Kraftwerk wrote:
    ..."I would not expect any of you to agree to a task involving any sort of real danger without knowing the name of your enemy or what might be required of you along the course of its completion. Know any of you the name of the Egg of Coot?" she lifted a dark brow, casting another glace across their number.

    "It is this one," she nodded, "that Master Retlishin is certain that is responsible for the turn of Beory's countenance than threatens to freeze our collective blood within its very veins."


    Ohrin frowned as he gathered his thoughts. "I only know what I have heard since arriving here. Strange tales told over ale on cold nights. If I recall correctly, the tale goes something like thus: the Egg of Coot, an entity quite skilled at magic, conquered and destroyed Blackmoor Town and Castle for unknown reasons scores of years ago and left a large number of constructs in the area. No one seems to agree on who, or what, the Egg of Coot is, though."

    Ohrin pauses to allow the others to chime in. Once they have, he continues...

    "You have told us the name of the enemy but not yet the tasks that may be required of us. Please elaborate as I am quite curious as to how Master Retlishin thinks I may be of service in such a venture."
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    Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:10 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, Revelations

    "Afraid i am not help at all," Njord said, almost apologetically. "I have heard of hen's egg and 'old coot,' but not of two together. I assume that this 'egg' will not be easy to crack?"
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    Sun Apr 03, 2016 1:00 am  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    Ohrin frowned as he gathered his thoughts. "I only know what I have heard since arriving here. Strange tales told over ale on cold nights. If I recall correctly, the tale goes something like thus: the Egg of Coot, an entity quite skilled at magic, conquered and destroyed Blackmoor Town and Castle for unknown reasons scores of years ago and left a large number of constructs in the area. No one seems to agree on who, or what, the Egg of Coot is, though."

    Sævil's brows furrow and his eyes widen at the name, "Some sort of god-thing fallen or infecting the earth? How can we hope to succeed against such a power?

    "Pray your gods our fellowship is successful, Sævil Dagsson," the Little One said, "and that you need never know. Pray instead that I am able to tell you how the fray was won with the turn of a new season and good Sol raining warmth down from the skies upon us both."

    Neither Ohrin nor Sævil was sure they understood her. Yet it seemed as if Mayor Highmountain was ready at last to explain herself to them all. Then, they both realized, much would become clearer.

    "Afraid i am not help at all," Njord said, almost apologetically. "I have heard of hen's egg and 'old coot,' but not of two together. I assume that this 'egg' will not be easy to crack?"

    "You have told us the name of the enemy but not yet the tasks that may be required of us. Please elaborate as I am quite curious as to how Master Retlishin thinks I may be of service in such a venture."

    The halfling nodded. As if a ship cast adrift, wandering at last to rest upon some distant shore, she ceased her pacing and came to a standstill before them. "Come the morrow," she said, "I will be leading a fellowship of many of Corus' most formidable personages away from the Brink Islands to the rocky beaches of Blackmoor's coast. Twenty will we be in number, each one of us an experienced and accomplished adventurer in our own right. We will not wait until our settlement freezes to a lifeless floe. We will bring war to the very seat of the Egg of Coot -- and we will return the seasons to their normal passages."

    Her eyes swept across their number. "However, as you have said, the Egg is no niggling slight to be trifled with," she allowed. "The possibility exists that we will fail in our aim. If this should come to pass, we must ensure that...contingencies exist that see to the survival of the citizens of Corus. There are hundreds of men and women that place their trust in the settlement's leadership to ensure their safety -- and that is a trust I will not betray, my friends."

    "Therefore, Master Retlishin and I have planned exactly such a contingency," she said. "And it is in this that your role, the four of you, lies. Of all of our citizens, we have chosen you to lead a second fellowship. We have chosen you for your particular skill. We have chosen you for the rare courage and strength of character and resolve each of you has demonstrated in your brief time amongst us. We have chosen you...for if we fall -- the Brink Isles will surely follow suit soon thereafter. You will see to it that the folk of Corus have a sanctuary to flee to, to call a new home, should the worst eventuate itself."

    She looked across them again. "It is known to us that the Egg of Coot fears the Land of Black Ice, to the north and the west of our settlement. This is not unique. It is a strange place and the tales of its odd and foreboding landscape puts dread in even the heart of the Old One himself." The Little One turned her head and spat upon the Icepick's floor, as if the very name put a foul taste in her mouth that she could not rid herself of quickly enough. "Though the legends paint it as a place of harrowing menace, Master Retlishin and I see it as a place of rare opportunity, as well. If we could somehow find a manner to make harmony with it -- somehow carve a place in its dark snows in which we might find comfort -- we would find for ourselves an unassailable sanctuary. Such a place would ensure safety for our community forevermore."

    "If you deign take up the task," the Little One said, "it would fall to you to lead an expedition to the Land of Black Ice. In this way, you might yet save the good folk of Corus -- when even its mightiest protectors failed."

    A final look of her steely glance fell upon each one of them, in turn.

    "What say you, then?"
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    Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:59 am  

    Njord had tried to lighten his mood a bit by his last comment. It hadn't worked. The frown he still sported now turned to a grimace after Mayor Highmountain's words. So, not only was there a formidable foe to face, but the odds didn't look good. Escape plans were in order. Maybe it was time for himself to seek an exit; the Black Ice was known to his homelanders: known and feared.

    "Good Mayor, would not it best to include us in attack on strange 'Egg of Coot'. If you think chances small, is not better to bring all swords and skills against it?"

    Njord believed he knew, and dreaded, the answer that was coming: success was so remote that her main strategy was actually abandoning the island. The four men in the room were truly the first fellowship. Hers, the fellowship that would likely be destroyed, regardless of reinforcements.
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    Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:50 pm  
    Sævil: Revelations

    Eyes still wide, Sævil's face alights with a smile. "You tell me I'm to scout the Land of Black Ice, and perhaps carve a place for us there? Now that will be a story worth many drinks!"
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    Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:25 pm  

    "Well, I don't know what I was expecting you to say, but that wasn't it. I'm not sure how much use I would be in determining a location fit for settlement, but I suppose I could use the Uncaring One's blessings, and my own arcane power, for divinations and fire magicks to help get us there."
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    Tue Apr 05, 2016 12:01 am  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    "Good Mayor, would not it best to include us in attack on strange 'Egg of Coot'. If you think chances small, is not better to bring all swords and skills against it?"

    Njord believed he knew, and dreaded, the answer that was coming: success was so remote that her main strategy was actually abandoning the island. The four men in the room were truly the first fellowship. Hers, the fellowship that would likely be destroyed, regardless of reinforcements.

    The Little One paused for a moment, as if to consider how best to answer the northman. That briefest hesitation confirmed to Njord what he had suspected: Her group did not go forth with any confidence that the Egg would break beneath their rain of steel. Their sacrifice was not meant to buy victory; they meant to buy them precious time.

    She looked up at Njord, something in the quality of her smile confessing as much. It was a secret shared in a glance between them. "The most powerful of us, a score strong, will go forth to do what must be done," she told him. Something in the corner of her eye seemed to twinkle. "If we fail, brave son of Tholjor -- then all the rest of the men in Corus will avail us not. To throw them against the foul Egg in vain would be a fool's errand. I do not count the lives of those I am responsible for with such cavalier flippance. I will not lead them down the path to the hungry maw of the Abyss, if it can be helped."

    Eyes still wide, Sævil's face alights with a smile. "You tell me I'm to scout the Land of Black Ice, and perhaps carve a place for us there? Now that will be a story worth many drinks!"

    His remark brought a smile, something broad and earnest to the lips of the mayor. "Ah, Sævil," she chuckled. "Would that I had a thousand men with such steel in their spines. I knew that I could count upon you to make the best of this grim morn."

    Kahss, as was ever his way, said nothing at all, standing statue-still alongside the rest of them. The Little One looked up, finally, at Ohrin. In contrast, he seemed disquieted by the revelation of the truth of the task set before them.

    "Well, I don't know what I was expecting you to say, but that wasn't it. I'm not sure how much use I would be in determining a location fit for settlement, but I suppose I could use the Uncaring One's blessings, and my own arcane power, for divinations and fire magicks to help get us there."

    She nodded, considering what he'd said. A silent pause followed the gesture, perhaps longer in span than he might have expected. "You know," she told him, "When Sirillion Ro came upon the tiny village at the foot of the Yatils where I was raised, I was but a silly, bright-eyed halfling girl. I had no idea how big the world under the vast blue tapestry of the sky really was. He was handsome and charming -- and I was restless and curious. When he promised me adventure beyond my wildest imaginations, I leaped at his offer without a second's indecision."

    "Since then," she continued, "I have seen things that would stagger your belief beyond easy counting. I stood as a boon companion amidst legends. I called one of the greatest wizards to stride the Oerth a confidante and my friend. I traveled the landscape of the Flanaess to see the sun rise and set across the oceans that bound it, both."

    "Now, I am an old halfling maid," she smiled. "I have no children, no heirs. I only have tales of former glories and a town full of folk that I dote upon as if they were the fruit of my loins. I have gained the wisdom to know that I have learned so much and so little of the world, in the same breath."

    She fixed him with her gaze again. "You are right to question your role in this venture, Ohrin," she nodded. "But I can assure you that Master Retlishin would not have chosen you -- of all his assistants, you -- if he questioned your importance in its success for even a moment. And, if I might be so brazen to impart you with a bit of that which I have learned in a live given to danger and adventure: No fellowship, no matter the power at its disposal carried in sharp steel and mighty thews, can ever count amongst its number too many men of thought and wisdom. Many were the days I spent alongside Master Ro that intellect availed us, where sword and shield failed."

    The Little One nodded, smiling up at him. "Master Retlishin considers you the most clever of those left to his charge, by far," she told him. "One who bears such a distinction might comport himself well upon the path you prepare to tread."

    "Indeed," she finished, "they might mean the difference between success and failure -- for all of us."
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    Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:50 pm  
    Sævil: Revelations

    Still smiling, Sævil looks over to Ohrin, "The Lord Mayor speaks true."

    He glances at Njord, "We've one to fight." He turns to Kahss, "We've one to silently watch," his gaze settles back on Ohrin, "and if my time with That's No Jungle! is anything to go by - I think we've one who thinks deep thoughts."

    Sævil's face splits into a grin and he thumps himself on the chest, "Though, of all of us mine is the greatest purpose - for I am the one who drinks!"
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    Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:01 pm  

    Ohrin is clearly touched by what the Little One has said and stands there speechless for a moment before saying, "If Master Retlishin feels that way about the help I can provide, who am I to disagree? What's the plan and when do we leave?"
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    Wed Apr 06, 2016 9:34 pm  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    The Little One nodded and offered both a gentle sigh and a wan smile. "Know you all, before anything else should pass," she said, "that you have lifted a great burden from my shoulders. I do not exaggerate when I confess that my worry for the good folk of Corus haunts my every waking step. It is a yoke of responsibility under which I strain and bow, given what we know of our enemy. The knowledge that you will work to ensure our community's survival, should our fellowship falter, lifts both that great weight and my spirits alike. It gives me courage that we just might, should the gods smile upon us, see this terrible trial through. For that, you will forevermore have my thanks."

    "Moving forward, the plan is thus," she nodded in Ohrin's direction. "I have arranged that a storehouse in which we typically store foodstuffs has been cleared, cleaned, and appointed with sturdy furnishings. A stone edifice, it is hardy and easily defended, should the unexpected come to pass. Henceforth, this structure will serve as a headquarters from which the four of you will plan and make whatever arrangements you deem necessary to meet with success on your expedition."

    "As we speak, I have instructed Captain Fireheart to inform the City Guard of the situation at hand. Her men," she moved her gaze to Njord, "will put out a call amongst our community for volunteers to aid you upon your quest. They will not know the whole of what you might accomplish, as I think that information best kept a careful secret, should spies or turncoats walk amongst us. Still, I would expect no few to avail themselves of us in our time of need. A list of the names of those willing to join you will be compiled for your perusal. I would encourage the four of you to consider carefully those you accept and those you will reject. I would expect that -- as is the case with my own group --" she opined, "--when all is said and done, you will number perhaps a score strong. To take a larger force would not only risk drawing the attention of our enemy in your direction, but would threaten to leave Corus without an adequate defense, should they take advantage of our mutual ventures and strike directly at the settlement," she nodded towards Sævil.

    "For the nonce, this is your mandate," she continued. "Gather your fellowship. Fill it with the strong and capable; the trustworthy, the brave and the wise. Then, once you are whole, begin to plan your path across the Land of Black Ice. Be full of care and thought -- but be as swift as you can, at once. Ever do the days go colder and the nights more frigid still. We must act before action is no longer possible."

    "In the meantime," she added, "I will do what I can do to arrange the best supplies I can muster for your journey. Our most powerful weapons and good equipment will travel with my group to meet the Egg upon the field of battle. I would wish it could be another way, but if we are to have any hope of survival at all -- let alone success -- so must it be. Yet I would not see you traverse into the dark snows of the unknown completely bereft of aid. I will see to it that you have the all that is possible for us to give."

    She looked back and forth across them all once more: Four heroes, as one. Their actions might prove the salvation or the doom of the friends and neighbors alike. Only Istus knew which might come to pass.

    "Have ye any final questions, champions of Corus?"
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    Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:16 pm  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, Revelations

    Njord glanced about the room, briefly examining his companions: the exuberant Saevil, the more cerebral Ohrin, and the quiet Kahss. One could find worse companions. At least if things got really grim, he could join Saevil in drink. But he had not yet consented to this plan. Was this a repeat of his earlier initiation? No. He had a choice in this. And he chose.

    "I will attend this duty, with these fine gentlemen. My utmost i will do to find such place to rebuild Corus. But i am no plan-maker or strategy-maker. Fishing is joy, not gathering the pole and bait. I will lend what i can to preparations, but i will likely be more service on the land...or ice."

    "For questions, i have more than fingers and toes, but i think they wait."

    And now he realized why the decision had been made easier. His blood was racing, and swirls of heat were warming several areas of his body. He focused on the single question in his mind. Might Captain Fireheart accompany the mission to the Black Ice?
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    Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:55 pm  

    Ohrin's face betrayed his surprise that their group would be leading a large party.

    "May I ask when your party departs? I would ask Master Retlishin for advice before he departs."
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    Fri Apr 08, 2016 12:20 am  
    Kahss, Njord, Ohrin, and Saevil: Revelations

    "I will attend this duty, with these fine gentlemen. My utmost i will do to find such place to rebuild Corus. But i am no plan-maker or strategy-maker. Fishing is joy, not gathering the pole and bait. I will lend what i can to preparations, but i will likely be more service on the land...or ice."

    “Whatever role you choose within your fellowship,” the Little One nodded, “your service is most appreciated – both by the good folk of Corus and myself, personally. You demonstrate both your courage and the strength of your character in offering yourself up in such a manner. Regardless of the fate that awaits us, I can promise you that this will never be forgotten.”

    "For questions, i have more than fingers and toes, but i think they wait."

    “Of course,” she allowed. “When you have collected your thoughts and are prepared to offer them to me, do so without hesitation. I will do my level best to answer in one in turn.”

    And now he realized why the decision had been made easier. His blood was racing, and swirls of heat were warming several areas of his body. He focused on the single question in his mind. Might Captain Fireheart accompany the mission to the Black Ice?

    Ohrin's face betrayed his surprise that their group would be leading a large party.

    "May I ask when your party departs? I would ask Master Retlishin for advice before he departs."

    “We set forth three days hence,” she told him. “I would expect your group to follow no more than three more days afterward. It may be of tactical significance to delay slightly, in order to confuse those that may watch the settlement, looking for reinforcements at our heels. But to tarry too overlong would be a mistake. As I have said, ever does the weather's demeanor turn the fiercer.”

    “You should have more than adequate time to consult with Master Retlishin,” she assured him. “I expect that you will have much to discuss...but nothing that cannot be resolved by the time we make for the Blackmoorian coast.”

    She paused for a moment. Then: “I would urge you to go forth,” she said. “Settle your affairs as you must, then visit your headquarters. If they are not to your liking in any way – make your needs known to me and I will see to it that they are met. I will do my best to make it so that the list of volunteers available to you awaits you when you arrive to inspect it.”

    The Little One smiled. “We shall meet again, before our fellowship sets forth, in any case,” she told them.

    “By then, I should have time to decide how I will give voice to my farewells.”
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    Fri Apr 08, 2016 3:13 pm  

    Ohrin respectfully nods towards the Little One and turns to face his compatriots.

    "Gentlemen, may I suggest that we go visit our headquarters right away? Once there, we will get a better idea of what we might wish to grab for it from our various residences. We can then each get our own affairs in order in a timely manner and meet back up, ready to proceed with our planning. Thoughts?"
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    Sat Apr 09, 2016 12:55 am  
    Njord: The Meeting In The Icepick, Revelations

    Ohrin's words echoed through Njord's brain, momentarily rousing him from his troubling reverie.

    "I think this good idea," he said to Ohrin as he stepped forward and bowed his head, acknowledging both the notion and the fact that they were now comrades. "Would like to see place...eh...head-quarters."

    He turned to look at Saevil and then to Kahss, beckoning their responses.
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    Sat Apr 09, 2016 5:10 pm  
    Sævil: Revelations

    Sævil nods his affirmative to examining the headquarters.
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    Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:04 am  

    Kahss' eyes twinkled in the torch light seeming to come to life once again after silently surveying the conversation before him. The bitter winter's chill would be his friend, and comfort him in the place of memories from his past. Kahss first turned from the fellowship and addressed the captain, "Captain Fireheart it is with your privilege, excellent to once again be in service of a noble cause. I fully intend..." his mind wandering to the vision of innocent Anna and Wiola launching themselves, laughing uncontrollably, into the arms of their father Mariusz, and then he continued "to ensure the safety of those that have clothed and housed me these last weeks. I agree that no magic should be allowed to harm the denizens of Corus."

    He then swiftly turned to the newly formed fellowship bowing his head in salute - crossing his fist across his chest - and exclaimed in barely over a whisper "Mabuhay the four!! You have my service -- To the headquarters."
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