Laguna stands firm, chilled by the river, which his armour is not helping with. He can feel his body stiffening from the chill, more fluid parts of his biology congealing somewhat. He hated when that happened. It always took ages to wear off, and if he wasn't careful his body did weird things when he tried to move quickly.
He looks right at Onick, his glowing green eyes fixed on the paladin and his hand outstretched. "Don't know what you're waiting for here! Not done with your bath or something?" The canid ooze grins as he says this. Even if you're stuck in a freezing river with a killer beast incoming, it's best to keep in high spirits.
He's still aware of what's going on, but a friendly attitude goes a long way in most situations, even if it is absurd. He shouts back at Rankev. "Hey, can you deal with the guy I hit? Hopefully he's still alive. A potion will fix him up, though the shadow won't come out of his flesh for a while. It's better than fighting that thing!" He gestures his head toward the creature stalking closer.
Laguna, you did rescue the rebel first. He's spluttering on the shoreline, and is currently stunned. My description to Sarthal was just clarifying what she's able to accomplish by moving around. She was trying to bridge the gap by moving closer. It wasn't a chronological statement.
Onick, I'm going to say you grabbed and loosed a few sections of your armour to keep afloat - your scale armour now has -1 armour until you repair it, but you don't have to remove it completely.
Sarthal, you've now got Onick and Laguna on the end of your rope.
Teren's form shifts wildly for a few moments - fur, scales, claws, limbs all starting to form and vanishing, before black feathers erupt all over his form; a moment later, the druid's human shape returns, a few black feathers falling to the ground. His eyes tightly shut, he grunts out "Put. That. Away." before turning his back to the knight. Somewhat more clearly, he says " Don't know what that crystal is, but it's your demon... This here's just its prey, as much as your brethren were." he says, gesturing at the caged Crossie. " If I've understood you right, it's two weeks later than I think it is. How long has that been up there?" he asks, gesturing skyward.
"Come on guys, now's the time to get out of the water!" Sarthal shouts, keeping one eye on the big thing behind the bushes. "Come on, push against the current and I'll help pull you in!"
Onick gets one final,tightening grip on the spear and stretches out to Laguna. Leaning and contorting against the icy, roiling water Onick surges toward the outstretched hand before him, defying the danger of the undertow in a last desperate attempt to save himself....
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Rankev recalls that as he poured over the passing strange tome, "Migration Habits of Northern Non-Predatory Birds"*, by Gylippus he came across mention of magic-powering crystals.
*MHNNP is mildly famous as the absent-minded Gylippus speaks about birds for the first page, and the first page only, and spends the rest of the book talking about...everything else. It's a good source for knowledge about a variety of topics, if one has the mental fortitude to push through the whole thing.
Gylippus mentions that these prisms, or "crystals", can have internal refraction that defies Euclidean geometry, and thusly stores magical power, or "Mana" by a factor many times greater than other storage devices. Indeed, such an item seems to have no limitation on it's storage space, limited only by the skill of the creator.
That such a thing powers what appears to be a living creature greatly interests Rankev...but other events seem more pressing.
Hobbling over to the stunned rebel, Rankev puts an arm about the poor fellow. "Oh there, there, come here, friend. Let us forget all about that nasty business and see about moving forward. Here, sit ye down here on this dry ground and let thy blood begin moving again. Here, your wagon seems to have a stout wool blanket in it, let me drape it about thy shoulders and you just stay there and warm up.
Oh, don't mind me, I'll just putter about here and, oh, look, here are my things. I'll just clean this place up a bit and put on my pack and we'll all be ready to go in a trice. Oh, no, you might not want to look over there...well, I don't think your friend is getting up from that so best not dwell on it. Oh, just sit ye here a spell. Ah, look, in a bit I'll try and make a fire and maybe we'll have some tea, you'll like that, yes. Some hot tea will warm, you right up and don't you worry about your old life, ol' Rankev is here to make it all to rights."
Power glances over but the three others seem to have things well in hand and he'd just get in the way anyway, so he policies up the items in the cart as best he can and waits for them to stop splashing about in the river and get back on land.
The moment Onick's hand grasps Laguna's, he latches on and grins even wider. It would be a toothy grin on another, but on Laguna it just begs the question of if he had teeth at all. The shape is somewhere between a typical humanoid set and a wolf's fangs, but there's nothing distinctly toothy otherwise. "It's time we get out."
Maintaining his grip, he hauls himself and Onick to the shore, assisted by Sarthel with the rope. Just had to get out, and then they could deal with everything else.
Sarthel you're able to aid them successfully! And without putting yourself in any danger. Hoping that one of them factored in your +1.
Rankev, you drape the wool blanket over the shadow-rended rebel, he's passed into unconsciousness as well. I'm guessing as you're fiddling around with the items you manage to pull together all of your equipment too. As you do so, the sun passes between clouds and you catch a glint of sapphire amongst some of the flotsam. I'd say it's within far range.
Onick and Laguna, you guys get out of the river safely... but you don't do it quickly. Even with Sarthel's strength. You each heave onto the banks of the river again, sopping wet, shaking, but otherwise undamaged.
As you do so, Rankev you see it first - but a group of people are charging into your position from a dusty trail nearby. From the flashes of red on their clothes... they look to be rebels too. But a few of the shouting voices sound familiar....Chromians? I'd say there around 15 people in all.
Because of the time you guys took to haul in Onick, Laguna, and the Rebel, you've only got a few seconds to react before the group reaches you.
Across the way, the pair of enormous pink eyes glows brighter for a split second, and then vanishes.
Teren, the Knight looks at you in awe and horror as you cycle through forms. As you speak, she kneels apprehensively then picks up one of your scattered crow feathers, eyeing it in wonder and silence.
Mirabelle answers for her instead. "It came up out of the ground Mister Teren... Right after Chromia was...."
The Knight, still looking at the feather curiously, speaks up as Mirabelle chokes on tears. "We didst behold the crystal from our encampment... We felt the sundering of the land and dared venture into this blasphemous valley of yours. Hoping to save those sorry souls that might be displaced in the ruination." snapping to her senses, and standing up.
"Were there more of you? I sent some of the young-bloods to the river to salvage what they can. If there are others like you nearby we should leave this place together - I've lost four-and-thirty blood brothers to the pink eyed demons. The only hope we have now is to fight together towards safety."
The moment he and Onick are out, Laguna literally howls with satisfaction...and then stops when he hears the shouting. That girl from earlier probably brought people with her, but why were there Chromian voices in their number? What's going on?
He focuses intently on the coming group. He needs information now.
Teren winces at the knight's news, and the obvious pain in her voice. "Then we should hurry; there were a few others near me, and I thought I heard fighting as I left the riverbank." Teren turns and locks eyes with the Crossie for a moment - Go. Finish your task, but stay away from any more crystals. Warn your landbrothers to do the same. - before opening the cage. As they turn to go, Teren gestures for Mirabelle to come with them.
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The reason Rankev doesn't play poker, is because he has a very bad poker face. Indeed, he might very well just announce the contents of his hand if only to have something to talk about.
His eyes grow large as he spies the submerged gem, and he was about to mention the sapphire to the rest of the group, but with the approaching rabble he decides it might be prudent to concentrate on them and leave off braving the tumultuous waters for later.
"Oh fiddlesticks," he says at the approaching dozen plus. "Whatever shall we do? I canst not thrash the whole lot of them, not without more time and preparations. I shall leave this to you of the better tongues, and hope we shall find a way to survive this!"
Panting and shaken, Onick takes stock of himself and his belongings. Good, nothing broken or bleeding. Damn shame about that section of chest plate I was forced feed to the river, but a fair sacrifice for my life. And I have the beast-man to thank for it. That, I shall never forget.
Before he can catch his breath Onick spies a large group approaching. Some appear angry others, maybe not. They approach quickly, but there is something about this group, maybe the red sashes, that isn't entirely what it seems. Forcing his breathe and mind to quiet, Onick grips his staff, closes his eyes and listens for the voice of Tarmos to guide him.
Praying quickly to Tarmos, he asks, What here is evil?
What here is not what it appears to be?
It looks like the group is actually comprised half and half of Chromian refugees and Rebels.
What is about to happen?
As you stare intently, you're drawn not just to the crowd, but the region of wood behind them... there was nothing there before, it's like a click-of-the-fingers inside your mind as you recognise what it is. A huge, shadowy form stalking between trees. A pair of pink eyes, watching closely. How did it cross the river? You were all standing right there!
It's stalking them with a predatory gait, and it looks like it's getting ready to pounce on the group.
Who's really in control here?
It's not the rebels, they seem like they're just as concerned as the Chromians. The creature stalking them, getting ready to pounce is the one in control of this whole situation.
Sarthel, the emotional state of the group is a mix between panic, anger, fear, exhaustion.
Onick, you pray and Tarmos answers. Standing right next to you, your companion Laguna feels like a deep lake of evil, it's overwhelming, distracting. Careful that you do not gaze too deeply into it.
His proximity to you is clouding your senses, but you feel like a smaller point of evil lies beyond the approaching group, somewhere in the background.
Teren, the Crossie nods to you apologetically before floating off awkwardly into the bushes nearby.
The knight looks on, inscrutable behind her visor. You aren't sure that she approved of that.
Teren returns the knight's gaze coolly. " You'd rather leave it as bait for any more of your monsters nearby? I told it to stay away from those crystals, and to tell its friends the same. They're not dumb. Now, we'd best get a move on" the druid says, beginning to jog back down the trail towards the river.
Sarthel spends one Focus, stretches out one hand and mentally lifts a large (1 weight) stone, halfway between her and the oncoming group.
She shouts "HOLD! We mean you no harm, but bewarned - we are a powerful group, and you would certainly lose a fight with us. CALM DOWN, and let's talk like civilized people!"
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Power nods at Sarthal and decides to play along. "Hrm, ah, Yes! Thou art an aggregation most debilitated! And we, WE! are a gathering of the most puissant! Let us hold forth in productive conference.
Power beams, pleased with himself that he is still able to conjure the simple words of the common folk.
"Everyone, look BEHIND the group! They're being chased by that thing from across the river, Rankev! Look for pink eyes in the trees!" Laguna grabs his Bardiche, shadow welling up in his hands as he gestures to the incoming group. "Everyone, it's Laguna! GET OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE!"
With that he looses another projectile of concentrated darkness, aiming over the heads of the fleeing crowd and into the woods.
Onick calms his heart and opens his eyes. The shouting of the mob is muted, they run as if in slow motion-their natural movement seems impeded by time itself. Suddenly the shadowy figure of the beast man looms nearby. His face and body seem shrouded in a shadow cast not by light but by some dark, otherworldly force. He points and screams at the oncoming horde. His words are muffled either by the shadow or by the water in Onick's ears he isn't sure. His arm begins to shimmer with a kind of obsidian blackness, much deeper than any natural hue. It's clear he's on the verge of unleashing some terrible power. And his target is the approaching mob!
"No you fool...!" Onick begins to yell with an outstretched arm, but cuts himself off, reels his arm back. There is something else out there. Something lurking in the forest far away. His darkness is not for the mob, it's for whatever lurks behind them.
Then time speeds back to normal, taking Onick's breath away. The words of the beast man-Laguna he calls himself-reverberate as if from the past as clear as a church bell.
These people aren't coming for us, they're running from that! I must get them to safety.
"Get down everyone!" Onick yells, leaping from the path of the blackness engulfing Laguna's arm.
Sarthel, Rankev, your shouts to the group give them pause for a brief moment. You suspect from the relief on their faces that they were expecting something more... monstrous? They don't seem to react to the large stone in their way. I'd say 1 weight is probably the size to be held in one hand - big enough to bludgeon someone with, but not a boulder by any means.
Onick your cry of attention causes them to tense, some of them to drop to the ground in fear at your panicked tone. They're a clearly jittery bunch.
It's as this happens that an enormous black shape leaps in the middle of the group in a predatory strike. It's as big as a horse and cart. Wide, muscled, arms ending with outstretched claws rake towards the group. Flailing shadows sprout forth from the creature's back, like razor tipped whips. A mouth of countless white teeth, and a tongue of blood red. Its feline eyes like flaming torches, gleaming a bright, unearthly, pink.
Laguna, your blast travels through the group, those standing see it coming and duck for cover. It lands dead on in the centre mass of the beast. Strangely, it's gone. Vanished without a trace when your black bane hit it.
The group slowly, precariously, picks itself up. From the Chromians among them, you recognise a few of them.
Laguna: You recognise a fellow guard, an elf. What's their name? Why do they owe you one?
Rankev: You recognise an academic rival. Why do they sneer at your work?
Onick and Sarthel: You're newcomers in Chromia, all of these faces look unfamiliar to you. But you've seen their haunted eyes countless times before. Those of the displaced. Those of the hunted. Those of the broken-hearted.
Teren, the knight follows. The three of you make a move towards the river. As you do so, you hear the sounds of shouting and see a massive dark shape in the distance. But suddenly it's gone, as if it were never there. From deep within the woods on both sides of the road, you hear something softly stalking, the sound of twigs snapping under massive paws.
Releasing the stone, Sarthel says loudly "Is everyone ok? Is anyone hurt? We are *not* your enemies!"
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Rankev had been in the middle of drawing the Runes of Power for the magical attack spell, but as the threat dissipates as a wraith before the sun, he pauses in both confusion and relief.
He scans the group, wondering if he can help anyone with his healing magic, and his eye falls upon a familiar face. He walks up to the man, tentatively. "Why, LifeCleric Varus, what do you here? I am quite out of sorts here, and though I discern we've had our differences, canst thou say aught of what the situation is anon? I fear I have just now awoken as from a deep sleep, but I ken that much and great time hath past and things of some import have taken place?"
Varus was typical of the Divine school. Though a competent cleric and devoted to healing the people, he carried with him the old-fashioned conviction that the two schools must never twain meet. As Rankev began to circulate--and, later, demonstrate--proof that mages can cast spells of healing, Varus was one of the chorus of voices that said he work must be flawed, and more long-term study was needed.
That an arrest on his work for whatever duration of a "long-term" study would mean that those that he might help would instead go un-helped did not seem to dull their complaints.
As the creature vanished, a smile formed on Laguna's face that didn't quite reach his eyes. It had vanished, yes. But this would be the second time it had. And the first time, it had been across the river. Not to mention those shadows...that thing definitely wasn't native if they were any indication. He had to keep an eye out. Getting caught off guard by it could be fatal.
His smile becomes a little more genuine as he spots a familiar elf, and walks up to greet him. "Hey, Ariendel!" He waves as he approaches his fellow guardsman. He hoped his wife was alright. He still didn't regret what he went through to help set them up with each other when the elf came to him about it. "How are you managing? That thing seemed to be giving you grief. Lose anyone? Anything to report?"
As he takes in the response, Laguna scans the area, keeping a wary eye out. "We need to stick together. The way that thing gets about, we need as many eyes to warn as possible. If we separate, it'll pick us off. Keep an eye out. Did you have a destination in mind?"
As proceedings continue, he remains tense even despite his friendly appearance, a firm grip on his bardiche in case it comes again. It's his job to protect the group, and he refused to ignore that. There was still Teren, but he had more than enough ways to get around safely. He wasn't so worried about him. The people here were more vulnerable.
Laguna remains ready for the lurking beast.
Yep! All three of you.
Teren motions for quiet. " Get on my back" he hisses at the foreign knight, as he picks Mirabelle up and places the young girl on his shoulders. The druid leans forward...
... And his arms fall to the ground as hooves, his body becoming massive and shaggy. Mirabelle perched on its neck, the bison fixes the knight with one huge eye and waits to see what she does.
Onick grips his halberd tightly, tensed for another appearance of the otherworldly beast at any moment.
These people seem to know each other, at least Laguna and Rankev. Good. We may yet have a chance with these numbers despite their skittish behavior and outright fear.At this point we are the only thing between them and a horrible death at the hands of that fiend and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand by and watch these innocents get slaughtered. Besides, being new to this land I can use all the help I can get.
Pulling himself together, still with a wary eye for the monstrous cat, Onick approaches the group alongside Laguna.
"Laguna is right. We must stay together and find safety. Quickly. Come, let's get off this beach and into some shelter. Possibly a defensible position if we can manage."
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"Indeed! You have the right of it Onick! Come, come let us all of us pick up what supplies we may and be away from this thrice-cursed beach. Let us repose ourselves to a copse of woods where we might converse and make plans and set ourselves to preparations for the many-fabled dangers that appear as if out of the very mists itself!"
Sarthel, a young couple start a small scuffle in front of you, a red-sashed man fending off a Chromian girl's pleas before she gets frustrated and storms over to you. "We need your help. Please. It's Tima's arm, he's been hurt but we have no medicine and the wound is starting to sour."
The man looks away, too prideful to admit he's in any danger. But he's clutching his left arm, which looks to be bandaged from the elbow to the wrist.
Rankev, the man you recognise as Varus looks like he's been through hell, an operating purely on adrenaline, but when he recognises your voice he runs over to you and grabs you by the shoulders. "Davis! You made it too....." He then brushes himself off, ashamed to be caught in such a compromised position. "Of course... the great Rankev the 'Powerful' would appear here, in my hour of shame. So much.... so much lost. By the Gods, do you have any food??" He looks a little delirious.
Laguna, you gain three hold! The group definitely seems less panicked while you're in your defensive position around them. Your comrade Ariendel appears stoic as ever, but sorely fatigued - his soft raven locks now matted with dirt and detritus. Still, he greets you with elven poise. "Hail Laguna. There is much to discuss, but you're right. This beast has been stalking us day and night, each time we land a blow it disappears as if it were never there. Young Tima was the last to strike a true blow on it - and it's been keeping its distance ever since until now."
Onick, feel free to roll a Discern Realities if you're actively looking around for a defensible shelter - but since no one here recognises you as a figure of authority they're mostly focused on the familiar faces. A few voices pipe forth from the crowd "The mill is the safest place!" "We have no time, it'll be back! There's an old ravine nearby!" "We should seek out the Guardian Beasts! They'll protect us!"
Terren, you gain 2 hold and all your proposed moves. The knight saddles you with one confident motion, you feel her armoured gauntlet grab hold on the scruff on your neck. You can tell she feels more at ease mounted than on the ground. You hear her whisper to herself "... This will be a tale to tell at the next bloodsmeet." Mirabelle is quivering nervously but latched on tightly.
Carefully, mindful of his passengers, Teren walks, then moves faster, heading back down the path towards the spot he left Laguna and the others. His huge eyes scan the woods to either side of the path, alert for the presence that was recently there.
Sarthel says, "Well, I'm no healer, but I do have some bandages with me..." and proceeds to pull them out, unwrap the old bandage, wash the wound with some river water, pat it dry with a piece of her clothing, and wrap the new bandage around his arm.
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"Ha! Confound man, take no shame in this. 'Twould seem to be a conflagration of some no small measure to have happened here! And 'tis no shame in simply standing upon the Earth as some monstrous upheaval moves mountain and rock alike! Take comfort that you have survived AND remained sane when so many can not even boast of that, and let us leave off our academical differences for the nonce, eh?
Yes, yes, here, Varus. I have recovered mine victuals and shall of course share them you. There are so few left, and I recognize harldy a face amongst them! We men of learning must needs stick together in this hour of tumult, and provide a bulwark of solidness until we can again find a safe cache of civilization amongst which we might weather whatever fell storm blows upon us!"
"Eh? Who is that that knows the road to the olde mill? Let us to that place go! Nay nay, fear not this ephemeral beast which hounds your steps! You are cleaven to my presence, now, and my arcane skills shall prove a nemesis for this ghost, this wraith, this illusion which at best scares and vanishes like smoke at the least threat!
Hurry now with all speed to the mill and there we might rest and regain our senses, planning our next step with walls surrounding us and a roof over our heads. Perhaps we might even find some grain amongst the sacks and make hearty victory bread to sustain us until meatier fare canst be found!"
"I think I'd like to hear from Tima what he did. I'll need to keep on guard right now, but can you get Tima to tell you about it? As much detail as possible. Even if it seems insignificant, it could be important." He nods to Ariendel and continues his watch, considering options. There's no way to know where the Guardian Beasts are, or if something happened to them in the Cataclysm - an unpleasant thought, but possible. There's too many blanks about what happened so far.
That leaves the ravine and the mill. Getting everyone in there would leave them better defended than if they were outside, and there might be supplies, but they'd be stuck in there until that thing was dealt with - and that's just assuming the mill holds. They'd have to get there too.
And the ravine...
It's at this moment, that the four of you hear the heavy hoofbeats of a large animal echo up from the path.
You see a strange sight, a red cloaked knight and a small girl atop a bison, its face markings look familiar.
Teren, it's hard to hear anything over the clanking of the knight's armour atop your back and the loud thuds of your heavy bison feet. You see the group, Laguna in a defensive position and Onick at the ready. The others intermingled with the sorry lot.
Teren slows his pace, coming to a halt in front of the two-legs with the shiny black scales. He kneels, lowering his front legs to allow his riders to dismount.
As the knight and the girl dismount, the buffalo shakes its great head, and gradually shrinks down to Teren's form. "Good to see you're alright, Laguna. There's clearly a lot going on here. Strange beasts, and this knight tells me it's two weeks later than I think it is. What've you found out?" No need to bring up the fighting I was hearing just yet. flashes through the druid's mind as he gets a worried expression on his face.
"Not a lot, honestly. There's some unknown beast tailing the group. Huge, and black, with dark tendrils and pink eyes. Vanishes when you hit it - I should know, it did it when I hit it. Tima's the only one to get a good hit, and I'm hoping to know how. At the moment, I'm just trying to get everyone somewhere safe. Keep an eye out for the beast, could you? The way the thing appears where it likes, it's warranted." He takes a quick scan.
"If you know anything that might help with this thing, I'd appreciate knowing. Just do what you can otherwise." Laguna maintains stance, continually remaining ready for the next appearance of the beast as he tries to figure where the best place to go was.
"It seems like these things are created by pink crystals that transform other forest creatures - remove the crystal, monster disappears. So I'm told, anyway. " Teren replies, glancing at the knight on that last sentence. " If anyone finds a crystal, be careful with it - they're dangerous to look at."
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Power's eyes go wide with the mention of transformation crystals. "Oh ho! Crystals that manifest physical transformation when mated with the corporeal host, but then lose all manner of the phantasmal change once removed from contact, you say? Well now this IS an interesting thing to come upon.
The theory of storing magical puissance within a physical manifestation has been WIDELY disseminated about, but never has had any real practical application, save for a few curiosities that simply proceed the theory was vital, and the act itself was more a 'how' than an 'if', but if you say they are being used on a large scale, and indeed almost random data scattering...well the implications of this would be...inconceivable!
Well, let us away to the mill and get a roof over our heads and at least have a feast of water and get situated and then we shall see if we canst hunt down more of the transfixed creature and perhaps we might again observe the ephemeral black beast that continues to haunt our steps, eh?"
Along the way, Sarthel introduces herself to each of the people who are obviously "in charge" : "Hello, my name is Sarthel. As some of you may have noticed, I have some small mental abilities, somewhat akin to magic, but different. If there's any way I can help us to survive the next few...hours, please let me know."
" I'm Teren ", he replies to Sarthel. " Usually, I'd say 'welcome to Chromia', but... I'm not sure it's still around. For now, I'd say just keep your eyes open and alert. It sounds like we're going to head over to the mill and take stock of things."