"I will do no such thing!" Lexi said in the same voice that someone truly offended might use. "We'll get you out of this hole, just don't give up."
Like a swarm of ants, the radiant dwarves are unrelenting. But the marauder is dumb enough or battle wizened enough to keep his focus.
The giant circles around strangely to the south, putting the party between himself and the portal...when all three are in a straight line, he grunts in satisfaction...
...his spear is leveled against the brew-mistress, and thrusts forth...
miss
miss
Raseri's eyes snap open as her fall comes up short, the hard jerk as Kjeta grabs hold over her and uses one of the pages of the chapbook to mend the many hurts she's suffered in the past minute. The golden light turns into golden sparks of lightning dancing around Raseri like a crackling aura. It was just as well that Kjeta did pull her out of the self-pitying reverie. The giant lunges at the Alemother, only to miss and open itself up to a counter from the Thorsdottir as it tries to retreat.
A crack that rumbles on and on resounds through the air, followed by another as the giant moves to get them into a more advantageous position, no doubt still playing its game. Unfortunately for the idiotic beast, Raseri isn't interested in its games, only in doing what she said she would, smashing its face in. Before the echoes of thunder fade, the golden arcs of lightning are joined by ones of blue-white that continue to mend her wounds and bruises. She looks battered, still, but no longer about to pass out on her feet as she thanks her god for the bit of strength she has gained. She circles around Hrungnir, moving to force the giant into moving again if it wanted to line her up with the portal. Movement which would bite him right in the arse if she hits with her next attack.
Her maul swings, trailing white-hot sparks of lightning, right at the giant's ribs.
Kjeta's eyes go wide as the giant spear comes at her, and she sighs when it glances off her armor.
Inspired by Raseri, the Alemaiden holds her tankard high and adds,
Then she turns to the Thorsdottir and says, "Whaddaya think? Not bad, right?" while swinging her glowing tankard hard into the giant's gut.
As she does, she follows Raseri's lead and tries to move to the giant's side.
Deimus looks at Lexi with his unexpressive single eye and utters a metallic sigh: "Tzk! And I thought Koboldsz were stubborn... Very well, PUUUUULL!"
And finally, with a sickening scraping noise, the Old Kobold pulls himself from the spikes.
He looks at his plating and notices that, in some place, the spikes have gone through and through. He says to Lexi: "You can szee right through me... Thanks Lexi..."
And he starts the climb up out of this nasty hole.
Pulling Deimus out of the pit, Lexi pats him on the shoulder and says "To be fair, I could always see right through you."
"Szo can I..." he replies in a flat tone.
Lexi smiled again (which again has actualy warmth and caring to it) before saying "We should catch up to the others."
Now, out of sight of the giant, Carnadine dashes toward Voyra who waits patiently by his weapons. "I really wish you had hands." The ghost knight sheathes his handaxe and starts collecting his lance and longsword.
After the clerical double-teaming from Raseri and Kjeta (the golden tankard not spilling a drop), the marauding giant seems much worse off...
Init... HP ...Status
Giant 2... 34
Kjeta... 75 ...mantle, spirit guardians
Lexi... 63 ...shadow touched
Carn... 61
Voyra... 37 ...mantle
Ras... 18
Deimus... 11 ...restrained
Hru... 83 ...mantle, protE, bardic insp
Hrungnir didn’t bother with any battlecries. Rather he just waded in, his hammer swinging even as he directed the flaming sphere to continue it’s assault.
Kjeta's dwarven swarm is unrelenting, seeking the giant's heart as their ancestral prize...
...but another dwarf also stands as challenger, battering his knees and nearly toppling the monster for the second time.
"*huff pant* ...futile...you only play into their game. You should've accepted my challenge, then we could at least...*huff*...have been free...*wheez*" the marauder seems near his last breath.
Ras
With his final breath, the giant strikes out again at the Thorsdottir...
...but a tendon in his great biceps seems to have split from the main meat of his musculature, and the spear thrust is awkwardly short, leaving him wide open for a fatal counterattack.
"Crows feast on your eyes," Raseri curses the giant after dodging his thrust. She steps in, dangerously close, but that was so her maul could reach the giant's eyes at the apex of its arc. The crack of thunder and steel shattering bone echoes between the towers.
Raseri pulls the head of the long-hafted hammer loose with a jerk and staggers back, suddenly feeling the ache of her not so healed wounds through the adrenaline. Her breathing is ragged as she leans on the haft of her maul and clutches at the wound left behind by the spikes in the pit. Her mail, once shining and perfect is now dulled and ragged from the abuse it has suffered, her shield is little better, with deep gouges in the wood and dents in the iron. Dark circles shadow her eyes, dull from pain and the sapping nature of this place.
"D-did we get 'em all," she asks as she tries to catch her breath.
Carnadine rushes around securing his tools of war: lance to the saddle, longsword and handaxe sheathed. Finally, he swings into the saddle offering Deimus a ride too. Then, Voyra is bolts around the pit toward the portal.
As Deimus clears the hole and gets up on Voyra, thanks to Carnadine's hand.
He then focuses his attention on the remaining giant and lashes at his mind: "How does death feel? You feel it closing, don't you? Any last words?"
Allowing the others the pleasure of taunting the dead, Hrungnir followed the sepulchral knight through the portal.
"Hey Hrungnir, hold up. You sure you want to go straight into that portal? It seemed to me that the giant was trying to knock us into it...which seems like a good reason to consider not going into it. Right?"
Seeing Deimus come up--with sunlight shining through holes in his metal body--Kjeta rushes over. "Deimus, I'm glad you're OK, and I'm so sorry that my dispelling that flying fey's foul sorcery dropped you into that nasty pit. I worry I did the wrong thing."
Looking at her tankard, she adds, "...Were that I could offer you a drink to toast you overcoming it!"
"That tankard teases, about as much as an espresso... This... This place is deadly! What next? Is the tower safe?" he asks.
"Relatively. I managed to climb it without much issue but there are questions about the construction."
"OK, who needs healing? I suspect it's worth checking those towers, and these fallen does, for anything that might aid us."
"I do, but I’m hard to heal..." replies Deimus, his plating making a hollow thud as he knocks his to make his point.
Seeing that the danger has passed for the moment, Raseri slumps against the support her maul provides as she uses it like an old man might a staff, after a moment, she walks over to a large rock and sit against it as the others search the towers and other parts of the bandits' lair.
"We should keep going once the others are finished. Too many beasts and other things looking to make us a snack, or worse."
Atop Voyra with weapons sheathed but shield ready, Carnadine speaks to his companions before they separate to search for loot. "The Master-of-Roads, Haylcaster Montylgrue of House Roren, was here mounted on the Alemaiden's owl. He said the portal is a shortcut directly to the Courts of the Shadow Fey. And, this is his nightmare road with many exciting attractions along the way. Before he flew away like a coward."
"The portal probably goes to the dungeon, because the giant said that whoever passes through first loses. I might be able to confirm its destination by reading the words written on the portal; however, I would need to touch the portal, which might activate it."
"The Noble Fey feigned that he didn't care if we took the portal. However, if he is assigned to provide nightmares on the road by the queen, it might be in our interest to defy him as long as possible traveling the road."
"Maybe one of the towers would be a good place to hole up for awhile. At least one of them is sturdy enough to hold a giant. And the reputation of the recent residents might provide some protection for awhile, too. Unless the Master of Roads sends nightmares to us, instead of fixing them along his road. Hard to tell." The knight captain incorporeal suggests.
"He knows of this place. A fool he would be to let us slumber here unmolested. He will send giants and other fey to make certain we get no rest while he prepares the way for us. We should move as swiftly as we are able now that he knows we are here," Raseri says. "Fools we would be to give him the time to ensure we sleep deep and long in this realm fit only for Hel's damned."
"Let's get going then." said Lexi who then turns and stalks off down the road and into the shadows.
Not wanting Lexi to be alone, Raseri stands and hurries after her. Seeing that they are away from the others for the moment, she takes in a steadying breath and decides to try ridding herself of one fear.
"Shadow," she says in a low voice, "I know what was in the dragon's lair. I know that it got you somehow. You do not act as you did before. You seem too cheerful, even giddy, so tell me, do you remember the first night we met? Do you remember what it was that made you reveal yourself to me?"
"Wait Shadow. The Thorsdottir does not lead here. Especially with her scared foolish talk."
"Deimus is injured. We rest enough for him to catch his breath, such as it is. We can expect no better defensible place in this realm than a tower with pit traps to bottleneck any attackers."
"And, where exactly are we in hurry to go? The Fey Court is through that portal. Any other direction, I don't believe any of knows which way to go. Let's not make good time being lost or bumbling into the next trap. Let's be deliberate, and not hunted like prey." He pauses surveying his companions and turns Voyra around to return to the towers.
Lexi's search turns up a few things that might be useful. A closer look at the ballista (back near the Shadow Beasts first sighting) indicates it could still fire a few shots, and nearby are the long bolts it requires, rusted but not warped. Down in the pits, within the remains of a wagon, she turns up a small potion case with mostly shattered glass. But there are still 3 good potions of some sort nestled in the shards.
Carnadine's words stop Raseri cold. Scared? Foolish? Are they not listening? This is not a place for them, though she suspects Carnadine would do well enough. Only a fool would not be scared of a place that can warp your mind and perceptions so thoroughly that you never realize it happening. How is wanting to reach a safe haven foolish. If Carnadine thinks that the Roadmaster doesn't have spies that will inform him of the giants' defeat, then he truly is a fool himself.
Unless...
Unless Carnadine is calling her a coward.
She reaches one hand up to touch the small medallion with Sif's holy symbol engraved on one side and the rune for courage on the other. She is afraid. She's always afraid. She fears failure and more recently what secrets lay in her unknown past. She fears losing herself. She has many fears, it seems.
She looks up at Lexi, waiting for her reply. She feels responsible for what happened. She feels that Lexi was only there because she had dragged the other woman into this mess that night they'd been guarding a spoiled rich girl at the theatre.
Lexi stopped walking and answered Raseri's question "Yes, I remember. We were protecting a foolish young woman who wanted to breed with an drunken noble."
At Carnadine's comments, Lexi frowns and says "Now, now, no need to be rude. Raseri is just worried about me, as well as you all. As for staying here, I think it's a bad idea. The 'person' you talked to knows this area alot better than we do, and they have access to intangible creatures. If we need to rest, we should move away from her and do it. I don't want any of you to get hurt."
”Lets at least get inside the tower and get a grip on the defenses while we talk this out. Nay sense being in the wide open.”
While everybody's talking, Deimus says: "Tzk. I need rest, yesz, but you're all right. It seems using the portal would play in the guardian's hand and make us look weak.And staying here might indeed be madnessz. So... I suggest we stay here just long enough for me to catch my breath, so to speak, and tinker my shell back into some kind of fighting shape. A few minutes, that's all I aszk for..."
Raseri tries to not wince at Lexi's answer to her questions. Was her friend still in there? Hearing Hrungnir and Deimus, she looks to Lexi then walks back to help the gearforged get into which ever tower they decide to hole up in. Once the others are inside, Raseri tries to find a spot with some privacy.
Once she thinks she's alone, Raseri takes off her armor, grimacing when the broken links catch in her hair. She hopes she can repair it, but the pit had done its best to shred it and her. It will have to wait, she still feels many of the wounds she has taken and if she is to survive this, she will need to be as close as she can get to healthy. She pulls off the padding and clothing she wears under the mail to get a better look at her wounds and scars where she had been wounded. She runs her fingers over the bruising left behind by the healing magics that had closed her wounds and wonders if she will be more bruise than skin by the end of this journey.
She pushes the morbid thought aside and pulls out some clean rags and a bottle of liquid she'd purchased just before they left Zobeck, the apothecary had assured her that it would help keep wounds clean and free of infection. It stings like fire as she cleans the wound. It does a fair job of cleaning the blood, but she doesn't have much, and she doubts it will remove it from her clothing.
Once she's cleaned up some, she bandages the still open gashes on her shoulder, her belly, and her leg, rubbing a healing salve on them to help soothe the pain before binding them tight. The shoulder proves the most awkward, but she still manages to dress it fairly well. She turns to her clothing next, patching it with a little divine magic. The rents are sealed, but the bloodstains remain. Sighing and not wanting to risk another set of clothes, she puts them back on and works on her armor and its padding. mending the quilted gamberson and the broken links in the mail with more of the divine spark she had.
Seeing no one around, Raseri curls up in a corner of her hiding place and begins to weep. She feels useless, foolish, and afraid. Carnadine's words sting all the more as she realizes she barely has the power needed to provide food and water for them once. If it is needed more than that, they would be in trouble. She is a fool, she can hear him say. A fool for squandering her power and rushing headlong into fights she cannot win.
Other voices chime in. She is weak.She is useless. She is dangerous to them. They roll through her mind, bearing down on her and grinding her into the stone. She can feel this realm claw at her sanity, trying to drag her under.
It's okay, Raseri, she hears another voice say, this one soft and warm. Unknown to her, but familiar. Words from a forgotten memory. Stay strong, little pup. You're better than you realize.
Raseri looks up, expecting to find someone talking to her, but finds no one. She wipes her eyes and dons her armor as she wonders if she truly is going mad. She pulls the hood of her cloak low over her face, hoping to hide that she'd been crying before finding the others.
Hrungnir sat down and pulled out the magical mace that they had taken from the dragon’s lair. Deciding that this place was deadly enough for each advantage being essential, he began the process of identifying it. For just as each advantage was needed, getting cursed via foolish rushing would certainly be lethal.
A long, broad, warped shaft made of titanium is held by a grip wrapped in strange, green shark skin. A score of fine, sharp points makes this weapon a perfect choice if you wish to puncture your enemies to death with ruthless speed and precision.
The shaft has a broad, curled cross-guard (unusual for this kind of weapon), creating the ideal weight balance to allow for smooth and accurate swings with the ball of death. The cross-guard has a gilded snake head on each side, this weapon was clearly a custom order, probably by an important figure. A massive pommel is decorated with a rare gem, swirling clouds reveal a mountainous scene when gazing within.
Intricate decorational patterns have been carefully etched into the ball, which is supposed to give the weapon and its owner extra strength.
This ancient weapon has seen kings being crowned, princes and princesses being born and kings and queens being married...
After an hour of study you swear it whispers its name to you...Snowcrash.
While the others rest, Lexi loads a dose of poison into her Scorpion Stiletto.
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”Snowcrash.” Hrungnir said, with reverence. ”I know not what fate has brought us together. And I am no king, no prince. But we will do great things together, and ye’ve round a hand that will appreciate ye.” He said, as he admired the craftsmanship of the weapon. He had never seen it’s like before, only heard of it in tales. He meant every word that he had said.
Raseri finds Hrungnir just as he's admiring the mace. Her eyes look it over and she can't help herself.
"Who was the poor bastard that had to pour his blood and swear into this monstrosity? They did well, but it looks as if Loki ordered the thing to see if he could make them kill themselves in shame," she observes just loudly enough for Hrungnir to hear her.
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”Don’t listen to her.” Hrungnir said, still looking at the mace. ”She’s just jealous. Fancy as all-fook and perfectly balanced for bashing in skulls. It’s only natural that others would be green at that, eh?” With a smile he put his hammer in his pack and hung Snowcrash on his belt. He finally turned to Raseri.
”Yer lookin’ better. Seems like ye’ve got some Thor in ye if killin’ brightens yer mood. Glad to see it.”
Jealous? Why should I be jealous over something that screams, "I was commissioned by a fool with too much money and not nearly enough sense," she asks, a smile on her face as she pulls out Hugrekki, her seax, and presents it for Hrungnir's inspection. "This is of my hands. I think you will be hard pressed to find a finer blade in Midgard," she says beaming with pride. The seax is lovingly made. The bone handle fitted perfectly to the bronze bolster and pommel cap. The distal taper on the blade is smooth and even. On the flats of the blade, in the hollow of the fuller, are the runes for hugrekki, courage. The metal is strange, at once dark, but shimmering brightly with the hues of the northern auroras.
"So tell me? What have I to be jealous of with my first giant killed and being able to forge simple and elegant pieces like that," she asks Hrungnir, a broad smile on her face as he gestures to the long knife.