"Never seen snow?" wonders Ludwig.
"There was less of it around Titan's Range." he looks back at Felicia for a moment. "I've never been at the peak, though."
"No, nothing even like it." Reaching out, he cups some in his hands, feeling it melt. "It's... water?"
"Frozen water, yes."
Ludwig sighs.
"One advantage of this place is that we have plenty of drinkable water. If we live long enough to find a safe place and make a fire."
"We must move, we'll freeze faster if we stay in one place too long in such weather." he looks at Yuria shivering with cold despite Siegchwert's cloak.
Yuria gives a shivering, tired smile to Ludwig as they continue, finally lowering herself from Siegschwert's shoulder "A s-source of heat.... would be most effective... I believe I may have something here.... "
Yuria pulls out a large burlap bag and hands it over to Siegschwert with a continuing, shivering smile "Here... You seem to be the most skilled in this arena, Siegschwert... use this. It may help..."
Felicia breaths heavy, partly from working her way through the thick snow, partly to try and work a little heat into herself. "I've never been one for the mountains so I have no idea of their peaks myself."
Siegschwert manages to keep his bearings (he thinks), but the going is slow. The cold continues to set in and the survivors are quickly feeling the drain of fighting it, the snow, and the wind all at the same time. It feels like they've already been trudging through the white abyss for a lifetime...
Huddled and frigid, the group comes to a plateau on the edge of the steep hill. Anyone with any sort of experience with this sort of terrain can tell that this area is likely to have some manner of cave entrance.
Before the survivors have started to investigate the area, someone hears a great beating of wings and sees a shadow quickly pass by from somewhere overhead.
Yuria shivers even harder against the cold with a small frown "H-h-heh....to think.... I may die in this cold.... after seeing the Sun for the first time....."
Her feet were heavy as snow piled into her boots and the winds whipped at her face. Her golden and radiant skin was becoming flushed, the glow flickering as more and more of the cold seemed to ice her to the bone.
"It seems perhaps I was.....w-w-w-was..... Ill-prepared.....for such weather....."
Whirling and drawing his weapons reflexively, half-melted snow and icicles spraying off his clothes, Pengaal searches desperately through the grey sky. "We need to find shelter now. There's something in the sky."
The wind and snow start to seep under Ludwig's clothes and armor.
After Pengaal's warning Ludwig raises his weapon and squints his eyes in the fruitless attempt to see anything other than whiteness surrounding them.
"I hope that thing, whatever it was, haven't seen us."
The cold seeps a little further into Felicia. "I'm sure we will know soon enough." She says with some effort to push the words out. She shrugs a bit and re-positions her shield.
There is a loud screech that rings across the mountain and a great beating of wings. For a moment the snow clears, pushed behind by a sudden surge of biting wind. From the blizzard emerges a tremendous bird that towers over the area. It plummets towards the survivors, targeting Ludwig with its talons.
But misses entirely, crashing into the snow. It tumbles for a good forty feet before coming to a stop. It rises up, shaking loose snow from itself and turns the towards the group. It shrieks loudly and spreads its wings, showing its massive 80 ft wing span.
Thanks to the creatures arrival the snow has cleared somewhat. The group can see a cave entrance some 100 ft away.
"Make for the cave!"
Pengaal himself begins to sprint not towards the cave but towards the Prince's Pet, sheathing his machetes as he does. His feet barely dent the snow, and when he's some twenty feet away he explodes upward in a flurry of flakes, lunging desperately for the bottom of the creatures' wing.
Also, any old stories related to this beasty?
Yuria sighs as the beast hovers over them "I see.... An attempt to warm us up, t-t-t-t-then!"
Yuria shuffles her feet through the snow, kicking it up as she goes. Her body shivers and fights every step through the cold, frozen powder of the tundra surrounding them, but she pushes through regardless.
As she does so, she ensures that she touches a hand to Siegschwert, Ludwig, and Felicia to properly bless them as she goes.
Ludwig drops his scythe and summons a bow instead, nocking and immediately firing a flaming arrow into the creature's wing.
Falling into place with Siegschwert, Felicia readies her shield calling - as though not obvious - "Go for the wings! It can move a lot faster than us in this snow."
Pengaal leaps forward, searching for a handhold on the Pet. The bird chirps in surprise and reflexively turns away from him. Pengaal falls softly to the snow adjacent to the bird.
In the fray Ludwig attempts to fire an arrow but misses wildly. The projectile is carried of harmlessly in the high winds.
Yuria moves to Ludwig and gives him a minor blessing while Siegschwert and Felicia take a few shuffling steps forward with their weapons at the ready.
The Pet turns to Pengaal with its wings spread open, ignoring the rest of the group. It shrills loudly and attacks with its clawed feet. Talons rake Pengaal and lock around his body, nearly crushing him. Holding the man in its vice-like grip, the bird takes off into the air crying loudly. It circles just above the groups head.
"Hold on, Pengaal, I will send assistance in just a moment... But first...."
Yuria moves to and taps Felicia on the shoulder with a smiled whisper "Here, have a quick blessing. No one is going to die the day I've finally seen the sun!"
She now looks towards Siegschwert, who was leading the charge against the beast, and Pengaal trapped in its clutches. "I have a feeling this is going to be.... interesting."
Yuria continues to push forward through the snow, clutching her sun pendant in her hand as she does so.
Crying out in pain, Pengaal slams his elbow repeatedly into the beast's talons.
...if you are pinned or grappled, most of your maneuvers simply will not work until you are able to move freely.
Ludwig sends two more arrows flying into the creature's wings.
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Siegschwert, unable to reach the flying monster on the sky, let's the sword's spirit connect with his own soul.
A moment later, a spiritual Flower Knight appears at his side. The Librarian Knight handles him the sword, and draws his oversized longbow.
"Thank you... brave knight... " he mutters to the spirit.
Felicia stares at the bird as it launches out of her reach. She sighs heavily as she reels back and hurls her shield at the creatures wings.
With a small smirk Felicia expertly catches the shield as it falls back to earth.
The creatures squawks in shock as the survivors focus their efforts on it. Pengaal jabs his arms into its leg, causing it to suddenly seize . Pengaal suddenly finds himself in the air and falling quickly. The hard, half-frozen snow is unforgiving and he strikes the ground hard.
With paniced flapping the creature falls a bit into the waiting attacks of Ludwig and Felicia. Try as it may, it can't evade the blows with its huge body. Ludwigs arrow causes it to come crashing to the ground just before Felicia savagely drives her shield into it.
Bloodied, but far from dead the majestic avain monstrosity rises to its feet and shakes the snow from its wings. It makes itself as large as possible, spreading its wings and shrilling at the survivors.
Half-buried into a snowdrift, Pengaal contracts inside himself before shoving himself upwards. His body language and posture have changed; he rises with a smooth coiling motion and draws his weapons as he does so.
With his feat back under him he lashes out, dancing through the snow to land a series of powerful kicks while his swords fend off the beast's reaching claws.
Edit:
Ludwig continues to steadily shoot arrows, but now he is focused not on the wings, but on its body.
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Dropping his bow, Siegscwert nods to the Flower Knight as the spirit handles him the Replica sword.
The Knight advances as close as he can, adopting a far-reaching stance.
As he finishes placing himself, the Librarian Knight speaks out loud in Aklo, trying to speak with the beast.
"What ho!... Mighty beast... come here and face... a true challenge... I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF THE TWILIGHT KNIGHTS!"
As he finishes speaking, Sieg focus on the sword again. Another spiritual Flower Knight appears by him, this one overlapping the Eissenhorner partially, helping him bear the burden of the steel.
Twilight Knights..... No, now is not the time....
Yuria sees the danger of how close the other two she desires to protect are to the flying beast that has attacked, and regretfully, makes her way to behind Sir Siegschwert, tapping a hand to his shoulder "Here, take my blessing, Twilight Knight...."
She looks over to Pengaal, who is face to face with the beast after having fallen "Now I can focus on him...."
Felicia surges forward with the group, the snow happening her movement.
Ask Pengaal stands the creature quickly snaps at him with its bick, catching him along the torso and leaving a bloody gash. In return, Pengaal unleashes a flurry of blows on the now head of the bird. With one swipe he carves a path through its beak and across its right eye, causing it to reel back in pain. Squawking in panic Pengaal delivers a hurried blow along its chest as well. In the commotion Ludwig is unable to fire his arrows effectively.
Hopping angrily, Ark retaliates against Pengaal. He manages to dodge a bite only to find that the avian monster has taken the opportunity to take flight. It flaps hastily, trying to escape the dangerous survivors.
The birds is making space from the group. Its movements are hesitant, likely because it is considering just how much danger the survivors present. It may be trying to flee!
Fighting through the pain, Dariush lashes out at the overgrown chicken as it passes above him. Once it's in the air, he pauses a moment to check on the others and on his own wounds.
AoO:
Damage:
Yuria claps her hands together, sending a soul out after the beast as it takes to the air "You owe that Champion his health!" Another soul is expended as Yuria siphons health from Ark, sending it directly back to Pengaal.
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Seeing as the humongous bird tries to flee, Siegschwert decides to put everything behind his attack.
With the combined might of the Flower Knight's spirit and his own, Siegschwert sword strikes quickly, aiming at the monster's wounded wing.
But the cold and humidity of the battleground makes him lose the grip of the hilt, only preventing the Replica Sword from flying with the help of the Blade's Spirit.
Ludwig draws the string and two more arrows whizz through the air into the bird's wings.
Cursing her lack of foresight Felicia lets out a roar of rage as the bird flies off.
The enraged survivors claw after the avian monster as it takes to the air but, in their rush to kill it, they all miss by varying degrees. Only Yuria is able to damage the creature further by merit of her bound spirits uneering tenacity. Felicias enraged roar echos out across the snowy peaks as, panicking, the bird decides that its prey is too dangerous to engage further. The survivors are left alone with the sound of howling wind and rapid wing-beats as the bird quickly flees.
Almost falling due to his wounds, Pengaal limps his way back towards the others then into the cave.
Felicia moves forward and offers Pengaal an arm to help him to the caves as she raises her shield once more against the battering winds. "HOW IS IT?" She calls out over the wind pointing her chin to his Wounds.
Yuria makes her way with the others, and once in the caves, begins to tend to Pengaal "My apologies, in all the excitement, I forgot to bless everyone before we left.... First, just in case..."
A slight warmth would touch Pengaal as Yuria puts a finger to his forehead "And now, let's see here...."
Yuria excitedly pulls out a long and slender golden wand "Yes, this should help."
She pokes Pengaal until his health returns to him as she checks him over "Do you feel sick? Poisoned? Anyone in here any side affects from fighting that beast? I did not yet have a good chance to look it over."
"There you are, Champion. Should we have a chance to rest, you will be fine come the morning."
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Siegschwert watches their foe flee and without turning his gaze from it, starts walking towards the cave's entrance.
Once he is sure the monster won't return, he turns on his heels and walks faster. "We may have... survived the battle... but the coldness of the mountains... will kill us... if we don't rush and start a bonfire..."
"Yes, besides, who knows when this bird will return. Maybe even with others."
Ludwig hurries into the cave.
The survivors duck into the cave and out of the way of the deadly cold. Inside the walls are hewn stone and faintly warm to the touch. The cave extends into darkness (at least, darkness which you can no longer perceive). Near the entrance, you can tell no more than that it goes on for a while.
Thumping solidly onto the dirt, Pengaal closes his eyes for a moment before starting to tend to his wounds.
Feeling some small amount of warmth Felicia sighs, "I am not so sure that creature shall return any time soon. Pengaal here seems to have dealt quite a blow to it's face. Although should it return it would want blood I'm certain." She squints down into the cave hoping to see what cannot be seen. "We should rest here a while. I can take a first watch and make sure nothing comes of these shadows." She removes a small battered brass lantern from her belt and removes a small shroud from around it allowing it's light to pour over everyone. She clips the lantern back into place and stows the length of cloth shroud into a small pocket.
Ludwig sits roughly in the middle of the cave, leaning against the warm wall.
"Then I'll be the next one to take a watch. Wake me up when you'd like to change." he dismisses the armor and closes his eyes, not wasting any second of rest.