Search Posts
Frowning at the wizard’s analogy, Drakkor continues. ”I have learned to harm supernatural creatures with my bare hands. It’s not impossible to do, but knowing more about dragons in advance could help us more. And wishing for a magical weapon that kills dragons…you might as well wish for an expert dragon slayer.”
Drakkor smiles and rolls his eyes silently. "Yes. Regardless, dragons are the singular problem NOW. Not in the past. How do we...fight one? Can they even BE killed? Can they be reasoned with?"
”Then we just head to the fallen city? See what happens? While I’m glad to have a destination we can all agree on, the variables…are many here. Unless you have any advice for us on how to face a dragon, then maybe we should just finish our meal and get some rest.”
Frowning, Drakkor shakes his head. "No one disputes dragons existed, just like we know the gods existed before the Cataclysm, but we know they supposedly left the world when the gods did! Astinus' books have plenty of stories of dragons in them to verify that. If there truly is a dragon at Xak Tsaroth, then that may mean the gods are truly behind this staff business! Its only logical. Whatever agreement...or barrier held them all in check...seems to be weakening, if not gone already somehow. I must confess, I do not look forward to facing a dragon, but if this means it helps to bring the gods back to Krynn...imagine all the suffering that could be removed in the world with divine magics returned!"
Nodding at Kellandra's questions he elaborates himself, clarifying for the Forestmaster. "Right now, it is a place as good as any other place to take the staff. However, I think he may know more, but he does not know EXACTLY...do you Forestmaster? Your FAITH in the gods is directing you here? He BELIEVES, which is the basis of any faith, but exactly what he KNOWS...? The question I have is WHY return it to a destroyed city? How is this a test of Faith exactly, as it appears as nothing more than one of survival? Who knows what monsters lurks in such a place now. Will you...CAN you elaborate? Or is this just your best guess? Forgive me: You keep us safe and fed, offer us kindness, and certainly I do not want to sound rude or uncaring of this. However, how can I reason with anyone's Faith if I do not ask simple common sense questions?"
Waving a quick hand at the humans with the unique staff, he asks his first question. ”Why have you brought us here? Is it for the staff?”
Nodding, Drakkor replies with a question. ”Will we learn more tonight or tomorrow morning? I know I have questions, and I don’t need to sleep much myself.”
While Drakkor was normally pescatarian, he had a problem trying to eat any meat in front of a unicorn that could speak, for some reason. His metabolism could endure without food for quite some time (Ki Metabolism), so he will nibble some fruit or vegetables for now, mainly to be polite and to show his compliance.
Drakkor will try and aid anyone that lags behind. Even carrying someone if needed.
Following as commanded, Drakkor allows Riverwind the pleasure of resuming his task of staying near his golden-haired lady, and moves himself to the front of the group easily. ”How far must we travel? We have not had much rest…”
Drakkor keeps silent, not knowing what is going on.
Drakkor raises his hands to show no intent to fight, dropping his driftwood staff on the ground. "Holding? Not a problem. But...you were expecting US? How? Even we were not sure which way to go until we had no other choices. This is turning out to be a spectacularly odd day indeed!"
Nodding to Lyzander in amazed thanks, Drakkor signals Riverwind to lead the way and find the quickest path out of the specters' area. "Quickly...we must go NOW."
”Eyes up! Incoming from the forest…difficult to make out what it is. Circle around Goldmoon! We need to keep her from harm I think!” He then moves to intercept the closest to him and the golden haired woman, but not attacking yet.
Smiling like only a tired minotaur can, Drakkor nods again. "Perfect. Unless someone else has a better idea, then let's follow the track Riverwind has discovered. We will go on until we find a decent place to camp, or we cannot go on any longer. Lyzander, we may need your magical hide-away before too long. Will it last the night if needed?"
Once out of range, Drakkor finally allows everyone to catch their breath. "Check in! Is everyone here? Did we lose anyone in the dash? Riverwind? Are there any signs of a path or trail we can follow?"
Nodding, Drakkor appreciates the ideas. Panting heavily, he replies. ”Save it for now? Only as a last resort. We may need your magic in the woods…”
Staying near Goldmoon as he promised, Drakkor pushes the others to keep going, even when it gets darker.
”They are afraid of the forest! Push in! We must leave them behind as soon as possible.”
”There could be too many for us to handle easily, and the rest of the army might be nearby. We run!”
Drakkor frowns and whispers as he points. "Our decision is made for us! Into the Darken Woods it is. Seems we have no other choice at the moment. Riverwind? Lead the way and find us a path to get us through it quickly. I will stay with Goldmoon and protect her with my life..."
Standing up straight Drakkor looks again at Riverwind and Goldmoon. ”Assuming the staff is a gift from the missing gods, then they therefore must have a plan about all of this. You say the staff is magical? And can heal? Can it do anything else? Maybe it can somehow point us in the right direction somehow. I don’t mind helping here, but blindly stumbling around trying to determine a direction to go is discouraging to say the least.”
Smiling, Drakkor nods and leans heavily on his driftwood staff. "We have traveled together, yet you still do not understand me. I seek the truth in all things! Are the gods gone? Yes. That is a truth. Talking like they are still here, doesn't give people the ability to heal or bring back the dead. The many years passing since the Cataclysm shows this is a truth. I have nothing against the gods, priests, or any divine interventions that want to appear, but I would rather witness a miracle with my own eyes before I start to 'believe.' Where is my Faith? There are two sides to that kind of coin, and I prefer not to blind myself to the truth of today. It does not mean I cannot learn to accept the other side once I see it land in my hand."
Frowning, Drakkor rubs one of his horns absentmindedly. ”As far as I know the religious nuts at Haven are powerless and fairly useless. Nor would they have the infrastructure for a library. I hate to say this, but maybe we could find the Tower of High Sorcery? Lyzander? The wizards there…I don’t know…could they offer us advice on this? I know they don’t like non-wizards going there, but if you request it they might make an exception?”
Nodding, Drakkor can’t argue. ”Ok, seeking more information about the staff sounds good I think. The only place I can think of that might have that information is the Great Library in Palanthas. That’s a journey and a half from here. I should know. Xak Tsaroth could provide answers, but what exactly? Riverwind? Did the lady in white explain anything to you? Or just instructions to hand the staff to your…is girlfriend the correct term here? Fiance’? Wife? I’m unsure how you or your tribe handles such things.”
Confused, Drakkor questions the current ideas. "Why go to a destroyed city? That's a huge assumption that something else might be found there without more information. And I know little of the Darken Wood other than its reputation as a dark place no one sane is supposed to go? Although THAT might make the journey worth it just to throw off the goblin army's scent."
Congrats!
Smiling at the elf's suggestions, Drakkor waves a hand. "As you say...I doubt they would welcome a Minotaur into the elven lands, even I came unarmed. Go to Xak Tsaroth? Well, Riverwind went and came back, so something of the city must still exist...Anybody else have an opinion? Right now our options apparently are extremely limited."
Looking serious, Drakkor stares at Riverwind. ”Heals people? Healing magic is a joke since the gods left. Are you saying the staff is magical? There have been plenty of charlatans since the Cataclysm that claim to really heal, but it was all fake…trickery nonsense.” His imagination starts running away, and Drakkor suddenly sees Astinus in Palinthas writing about…this. This moment time. This situation…this historical event that needed to be addressed and saved for future readers. Nodding slowly Drakkor continued.
Looking at the others’ strained faces and tired forms, Drakkor leads the group to a hidden clearing behind some heavy pine trees. ”Ahto, keep a wary wye out. We don’t want uninvited guests arriving.” He waves everyone to sit and rest a moment among the scented pines. ”I know the situation isn’t ideal, but what we do next could mean survival for us all…and possibly for the whole continent if I am guessing correctly.” Kneeling, he then turns to the two strange young humans. ”Time to talk. Tell us your story from the beginning! How did you both end up here. Tell us why we should continue to help you? What do you think this is all about? And most importantly, what is that staff?”
"And go where? Solace is the safest place for hundreds of miles! We don't know where these goblins are coming from, and we need to figure out WHERE we are going before go anywhere with purpose. We only need a few minutes to decide where and when we are going there, but it should be out of the way and out of sight."
Drakkor shakes his head, and heads deeper into the woods. "Unless you can conjure or steal us a boat, we might just get trapped at the lake's edge by any goblins that see us. Its still too risky." He looks around quickly. "Keep an eye out! We need to find a place to lay low until dark, so we can ask some questions and make some real decisions."
”The lake is too exposed during the day, so we should head into the woods for now, decide our path then. If the lake is the best choice we should go during the night.”
Once everybody is down, Drakkor carefully lowers himself down the ladder, keeping an eye on the exit the whole time. Once all the way down, he herds the group down a back lane towards the far border of the village. "We need to re-group and talk. We are in a lot of trouble now I fear and it...we just NEED to talk."
Nodding, Drakkor follows behind slowly making sure the young human couple and the rest of the group get away first. "Sorry Tika. I hope this won't hurt you or the Inn. Wish us luck...whatever this is."
Frowning deeply, Drakkor proceeds to knock out the remaining goblin, and turned to the man and woman with the staff.
”We need to get you out of here…now. There appears to be an army of goblins after you,and if this is about the gods returning, we need to be careful. Ahto? Check the goblins for anything useful quickly. Orders on paper would be evidence of this ‘Verminaard’, whomever he is.“ He turns to Tika the barmaid anxiously. ”Is there a back way out? I know we are pretty far off the ground…”
Moving to flank the final Goblin, the minotaur attempts to disarm the creature...
Drakkor then kicks the goblin's dagger into the fireplace across the room, and turns back to the goblin quickly, his nostrils flaring with heavy breathing! "Why are you after such a staff! Who wants it! Speak and you might survive to see the next dawn!"
"What?" Between breaths, Drakkor clarifies. ”You…SUCK.” Then he strikes again and again. Flurry ATTACK(Punch/Kick)
You may have dodged a bullet there...
With another heavy sigh, Drakkor engages his attacker. Full Flurry ATTACK(Punch/Kick)
My 3 cents... Technically he is using unarmed combat which includes foot, knee, and elbow strikes...as well as other body parts. Gauntlets simple allow him to do lethal damage (and other things) if he wants to. They do not require it of him IMHO.
More than a thrupple, less than a gaggle?
Drakkor coughs out a rebuff as he holds his staff in a defensive posture. ”Certain actions are almost inevitable my friend: I merely moved with the stream rather than try to climb the mountain!”
Drakkor sighs heavily. "You will wish you had chosen better words. Words matter..." He then quickly steps forward and slams his staff into the floor and does a broad spin, trying to clip the closest goblin's chin with his foot. He then twists, spins, and tries it again with a complete 360 movement that flashes by faster than most people realize! Full Flurry ATTACK(Unarmed - NONLETHAL -Surprise?)
|
