Lidras and the old goliath go through the portal together yet another goliath comes out with him. A towering figure, 7’5” and 300 pounds of pure muscle and sinew, Aukan is larger than any half-orc you have seen. His gray skin is mottled with dark and light patches has very few adornments. Lithoderms are coin-sized bone and skin growths as hard as pebbles. They speckle his arms, shoulders, and torso. His skull has a jutting eyebrow ridge and wide jaw no hair can be seen on his head though there is some hair, very fine hair on his arms and chest. His eyes look to be cut from emeralds, for they are a brilliant green, and they often seem to glow a little from underneath his furrowed brows. He wears a masterwork pack which is rather full, a thick green belt to hold all his weapons, and simple breeches, coming down to mid calf. He has a simple necklace of shiny black rocks around his neck with a silver broach on it. A large Heavy Steel Shield clatters to the ground as the goliath and elf land on the ground. A large goliath warhammer rests in one hand as the other holds the elf's hand.
As he lands he lets go of Lidras and has a massive smile on his face and exclaims in a big booming voice, "Ahh! It is nice to be back in my body once more!" He doesn't make any quick moves noticing that others were staring...
The goliath is not familiar to any of you but it is holding Lidras's hand.
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Lidras flew down next to Adegard and hissed ”I feel it. You were right about this place.” He had already been marked by the taint. His white skin, his silver eyes, the white feathered wings...but so close now to the source he could feel the pulsing power. That addicting rush which he still pursued. There was a hungry smile on his face.
Rosa looks down at Aukan who dose not even come to half her size.
But she smiles.
"Your looking better Aukan, I like it"
She says, leaping into the air, and joining the others, where they move about Rosa's bat like force wings flap with a melodic and powerful beat. But she has no chance keeping up with the lizard.
Serill stared at Aukan for a moment, noticing the change and wondering what process could perhaps do that.
When Sly began to move, Serill told Alagon scout above and return immediately if he sees anything moving but them. Alagon gained altitude until he could soar using just the wind and circled above them. Raden darted around, following the lizard like some sort of game even though he was much slower than it.
Serill stayed on the ground for now, keeping pace with the others land-bound. "How far is it that we must travel?" He asked Sly when he could get his attention.
"Fîfțy mîleș, aș Î recăll", Davian answered, then sighed. "Âlăș, Î ăm ă cărăvăn-born wîțhouţ ă cărăvăn. Mîghţ Î ţrouble someone for â lîfţ?"
Aden smirks as the masked man comments on the possibility of recruitment. And there it is, like so many others, seeking allies of 'worthiness'. I only wonder now what he considers 'worthy'... "Very well then. Through the gate I shall go, and if I am able, I will try to keep this unique assembly of individuals from tearing itself apart." Offering a bow, Aden excuses himself and returns to his spartan quarters at the nearby temple. There he leaves his dress clothes, donning his armor, traveling gear, and armaments.
Meeting the others at the gate, he arrives not dressed as a mighty knight atop a steed, but as a humble man-at-arms, perhaps a temple guard. An old, near ancient style of armor that blends plate and chain overlayed with a red tabard, his sword upon his hip, and his shield and bow upon his back. All of Aden's gear is incredibly well maintained, yet nothing is ostentatious. These are tools of duty, not items of fashion, and Aden presents little of the arrogance often associated with knights and holy warriors. Despite this, he walks with a calm, powerful confidence as he approaches the gate itself.
As Lidras leads the aging Goliath through, Aden places a hand against the water-like surface, then slips through. The lithe halfling falls gracefully despite his armor, executing some kind of twist so that he lands upon his feet in a crouched position. To those watching keenly, it almost seems as though his fall takes longer than normal, though it may just be a trick of the eye.
After taking a couple moments to get his bearings, he approaches those who have already surrounded the small lizard. He just begins to arrive at the group when he notices the young, robust goliath standing tall among the company.
Perhaps the child or nephew of the one who was here before? Interesting... The little halfling raises an eyebrow perplexed, though this is likely unnoticed as all the larger folk prepare to depart. As the others climb atop mounts or unfurl their wings, Aden kneels, offering a simple prayer of thanks to Iomedae. "Iomedae is my strength. While I walk in Her grace, I will know no fear. Let your righteous judgement guide my actions, that I may be a humble servant of Your will. I thank you for the many blessings you have levied upon me, and will serve in the unending crusade as You call me. Iomedae is my strength."
Rising from his knees, a faint silver-white glow eminates from his back, expanding to take on the form of semi-physical radiant feathered wings. Rising into the air, he moves up alongside Lidras and Rosa, giving them each a nod.
Again in that renewed booming voice he responds, "AYE! I like it a lot better too! That curse is gone, I hope! Davian you can join me." He flicks his wrist and a large tear of shadow opens besides him and out comes a large midnight furred panther with a saddle and two massive saddlebags. With Aukan's help Davian and another can be in their own saddlebag which doubles as a seat for those not in much armor.
Returning from playing with Raden and waiting for the group to catch up he stops at Serill and responds, "About five long rests for horsies also known as five suns. At your walk perhaps double or triple that."
Again in that renewed booming voice he responds, "AYE! I like it a lot better too! That curse is gone, I hope! Davian you can join me." He flicks his wrist and a large tear of shadow opens besides him and out comes a large midnight furred panther with a saddle and two massive saddlebags. With Aukan's help Davian and another can be in their own saddlebag which doubles as a seat for those not in much armor.
Davian can't help but laugh with astonishment at the sudden appearance of the pitch-black panther. "Ţhânk you, Âukân. Ţruly, ţhîş wîll be ă şîngulâr rîdîng experîence!" Through the goliath's careful instructions, the varisian finds his perch with one of the panther's voluminous saddle bags.
Rosa smiles as Aden pulls up along side.
She calls over.
"Just like old times Aden, I wounder where this one will land us."
And with that she folds her wings back and falls in a tight dive, pulling up just before the ground and zooming back up with the speed she had collected.
As she comes back up to the others the 16' Dark Angle does a 4 point roll
Coming up level again, she has a large grin.
She then holds out her hand and her large black blade come into being in her hand. She folds in her wings again and spins, placing speed into her blade as she slings it down at the ground below. The large blade shoots like and arrow down and as its Adaminie point hits the earth it sinks in deep.
Rosa flies on then calls.
"Contract to me!"
The blade displaces from the ground and once again comes into being in front of Rosa, she stanches her hell blade from the air.
She had a large grin on her face. Calling over she said
"Aden It has been too long, but it feels good to be by your side again."
"That's much too slow. Do you know what this place is called? Where are we?" Serill replies to the projected travel time to their destination.
He marvels at the midnight black panther that emerges from the rift with enough space for three to ride. He looked to the sky to see Rosa and her impressive maneuvers as well as the rest of them in the air. "Perhaps I shall take a ride with you. It looks a bit crowded up there and your beast looks magnificent." He asks to ride on the other side of Davian.
To Aukan he says, "Are you with Lord Valor or are you recruited like us?"
To Davian he says, "How did you come to the notice of Lord Valor?"
It would be at least 5 days journey. He figured he should try to get to know those he would be spending it with.
To Davian he says, "How did you come to the notice of Lord Valor?"
Saddling his riding bison*, Grod climbs onto the beast’s back and rumbles after the others, steering his mount to give wide berth to the goliath’s panther.
[/ooc]Oddly, one of the cheaper mounts. And it just seems like more of a fun image for a plate-armored half-orc than, say, the similarly-priced light horse.[/ooc]
Aukan nods to Serill and gives him a hand if needed to get situated in the saddle. "I was recruited like the rest of you to a point. I had been looking for Lidras and well I found him. I hope that the curse does not come back, but I might need to have his touch once a day, be within proximity of him or something else along those lines."
After Davian responds he asks, "What was that now?"
Once the two are settled Aukan strokes the panther's head and coaxes it to follow the flying group. It keeps up with their fly speed of 60 feet with no issues.
"Don't know, just guiding..." The little lizard says to Serill before zooming off again.
Traveling for the first day is easy enough. Only a few random animals, not even dire creatures, can be seen as you travel through the forest and soon emerge onto the grassy hills. But before you exit from the forest those above the trees have a clearer view of something happening ahead.
----> Getting closer 1,500 feet away DCs are 10 less, also all are out of the forest no penalty being on the land.
After Davian responds he asks, "What was that now?"
Looking slightly embarrassed, Davian confesses, "Șorry, Ăukăn. Î jușț wânțed țo șhow off my Elven for țhe noblemăn. My ăpologîșeș."
The varisian retells his account to the goliath in his heavy accented taldane.
"It is most welcome to hear another speak my native tongue. If you ever visit Kyonin, my homeland, be careful. Some may look at you oddly with that accent. We aren't known for being the most open people." he laughed to Davian. "I am a little more accustomed to your style of speech though, having spent a little time in Varisia."
Alagon descends towards Serill, alerting him that he has spotted something ahead. "He has spotted something ahead. Be alert."
At 2500' Rosa's fiendish eyes, spot some thing.
She called down to the others and to those around her.
Her sword is in her hand, and she goes to hight to get an over view.
Davian tries to scan the ground looking for the dragons in question. Regardless, the varisian unhooks one of his starknives from his belt and readies for battle.
As Rosa's infernal eyes pick out the hostiles at a distance that would be utterly impossible for virtually anyone else to do, Annwyn clicks into her fighting mode, preparing herself as they close the distance.
Rosa says to the others.
Starts to fly around the fight.
”It doesn’t appear to be. But it’s not inconceivable that this fight is related to our objective. Perhaps we should go to ground and scout out what exactly is going on?”
Going to the West or to the East, the group travels and avoids the first hill where all the combat is taking place. You get about 1500 feet at the closest and circumvent around it. Keeping a hill between you and the fight you don't see the progress but they don't see you either. Then following the little lizard you continue through the hills. After a few more hours the mounts need to rest, likely stopping at the bottom of one of the hills.
Rosa drops down to join the ones on the ground.
She lands and flexes her force wings before the fold away out of sight.
She pulls out her tea making kit, and starts a brew.
All the times seem to come out of small pouches on her uniforms belt.
Alagon returns to the heights but at the other's recommendation Serill told him to stay with the others. He was interested in finding out what the conflict was about but being in the middle of a battle with sides unknown was perhaps not the wisest idea. "A tea sounds magnificent. What type of tea do you brew?"
She sits over her pot and put hat water in it.
She offers up small finely made elf cups for the others to drink it from.
She then folds her legs, sitting, there she sips her tea and looking at the others adds
"In all the hells... I will take you up on that tea Rosa." Taking a sip he sighs. "Not exactly how my mother used to make it but quite refreshing still."
She says.
He stretches his legs after helping his guests out of their makeshift seats. Then he takes off the exotic saddle and rubs down the midnight panther whispering to the beast. As the panther stretches and slips into its rift of black shadow. He walks over smelling the tea, looking over interested he asks, ”Tea you say? May I have some?” He produces a black metal cup holding it towards Rosa.
Davian carefully exits the massive saddlebag that was his seat in a high-flying adventure. Once out, the cleric ask the goliath fighter, "Eh..îș îț ălrîghț îf Î peţ your câţ?"
She fills it with hot sweet tea.
He nods as he sarcastically says, ”Sure if you want a piece bitten out of you,” getting more serious he says, ”It is not domesticated, it offers me a ride each day in return from the time I saved its life, if you offered to massage its weary muscles you might get away with that.”
He appreciately thanks Rosa, ”Thank you for such wonderful nectur.” Going back for more once he finishes his cup. He sits with her using the saddle as a chair leaning back onto it. Showing little sign of being tired or getting ready to sleep.
He nods as he sarcastically says, ”Sure if you want a piece bitten out of you,” getting more serious he says, ”It is not domesticated, it offers me a ride each day in return from the time I saved its life, if you offered to massage its weary muscles you might get away with that.”
The desnan cleric looked slightly apprehensive. "Mâybe âfțer țhe pânțher ând Î hâve goţţen more bețțer ăccquâînțed." Davian joins the group of adventurers for tea.
Rosa stands, stretching her back as she dose.
She walks to the large Panther, as she walks to talks
She stops and bows, to the Panther,
the straitening back up she hold out a hand down ward facing.
Not touching it but offering her hand for it too smell. You offer your sent, so that it may know you.
She waits for it to smell or bite her hand. Holding still with out fear, and looking deep into its eyes. There is no fear there. just steely determination.
Aden walks up behind Lidras, a concerned look on his face. The strange combat in the distance they had avoided had left him unsettled. True, perhaps it had not been 'their fight', but what of the victims in the situation? Truth be told, he had never even seen it himself, with only Rosa and one other spotting it, but it still sat unwell in his stomach. That said, they had been commissioned to investigate a major danger to the realm, and that duty he could not overlook.
Standing beside the pale elf, he looks up. "So friend, what do you make of our rogue's gallery? A veritable mess waiting to happen, or just enough insanity to boarder on genius, eh?"
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”There is power here.” Lidras said, watching the distance. ”Far, far too much power. You have seen the usual adventurer. With sword of steel they stumble through the night. Those we walk with sip tea so casually because they have forgotten what it feels like to be in danger. Our mysterious benefactor has looked long and hard to find those of unusual talent, heritage, and curse. He has also sent us directly towards the creature we hunt. We were all chosen for a reason...and I hope that our comrades realize this lest we learn our lesson from one of us dying.”
Rosa looks over at Lidras and comes over with a cup of tea. She smiles and says.
Then leaning in she adds in a lower voice.
"We drink tea and chat Libras, because some of use know that if one is being observed, it's is always best to give the observer a false impression of who you are. Look closer and you will see every one of us, poised and ready"
She leans back.
again she leaned in,
"Evil knows Evil Libras, It's what I would do"
She says and handing him the tea leans back up and walks to her small kit fire.
High over head her invisible blade was falling from a grate height, it had gone to the height to see what was around them as it fell it took a good look around. Down it came until the last moment when it would have fit the ground, then it parted again. Once more onto Rosa's back.
"Tell me whats out there"
And the sword did.
The panther sniffs Rosa's offered hand and licks it, before letting her pet it.
The watches pass by and there does not seem to be any problems through the night.
The next morning the group mounts up or takes flight and are soon on there way again following the little lizard. Another day of tall rolling hills of grass. Until one of the hills begins to move, luckily not the one you are treading upon but one that is two away, about a mile or two. The creature slowly gets up as dirt and grass slowly fall from its back... the quick answer would be it is a dinosaur.
1=your way.
It slowly walks away from the group, leaving massive holes in the ground as it walks.
As the distant hill rises and begins to move away, Aden is caught completely offguard. "That thing is massive?!" Moving ahead, Aden flies closer to the creature, trying to determine its true nature.
Rosa flies and follows it for a while,
She then comes back and lands, close to the others.