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Back turned to his companions, Eyvindr takes a look at the gash in his armour and touches his fingers to it. "Brother, are you alright?" he calls over his shoulder. He then kneels by the corpses of his fallen foes, as if to examine them more closely...
Spoiler:
Hmmm... no blood, thinks the man-bear to himself as he touches his wound. Luck smiled upon me -- it was just a graze. As Eyvindr's eyes fall upon the gory mess of the twisted dwarves at his feet, he imagines himself feasting upon their remains. He kneels down beside the corpses, reaching towards one of them with his hand... Hunger... Yes, feed on their thrice-cursed remains... He runs a finger through sticky dwarf blood, then brings it to his lips. Elation... The Dorn succumbs to an overwhelming urge and is about to bury his face into one of the misshapen dwarves' gaping wounds, when he is abruptly pulled out of his grisly reverie by the charging, monstrous rat beast... The man-bear hovers over the corpses for a moment, but rises with a start as the monstrous rat-thing charges into the chamber... He hesitates for a moment, uncertain whether he should rush to Chops's aid, or step back toward his brother's side... And then, he decides that in circumstances such as these, the best defence is a strong offence. The elder Dorn runs towards the beast, sword held high in both hands... And as he nears the beast, he recognizes it for what it is -- "FEEEEEEEELL!!!...
Surviving dwarf that attacked Eyvindr manages to escape under the Northman's blade.Remaining two dwarves turn to run.
Remaining two dwarves turn to run.
Spoiler: Would Eyvindr's sense dead ability have revealed that any of his foes were undead? Do they seem to bleed like living beings?
Eyvindr barely notices the slash of a blade that slipped through his hide armour. No pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sky'tor fall, and the others struggling against their respective foes. One down, two to go... Must get back to Ragnar's side... should not have left him in the first place... The man-bear slashes desperately at his assailants...
... and brings his sword down two-handed across the dwarf's collarbone and into his torso, then pulls his blade free and in one fluid motion swings it in a wide arc onto the only other remaining foe standing adjacent to him.
Eyvindr, there's discussion on the threads here about two-weapon fighting using two-handed weapon and armor spikes. That sounds to me like an excellent fighting style for a dornish wildlander. Check it out and tell me what you think. Sorry, I don't really have time to sift through reams of opinions in different threads... is there a specific rule/mechanic you would like me to consider? At this point in time, Eyvindr does not have any armour spikes... but I'm guessing that's something you would like to introduce in the game?
Eyvindr strides towards the nearest foe and plunges his sword into him... . He then whirls to strike another one . .
The man-bear continues to advance fearlessly, sword swinging in wide arcs and glancing quickly over his shoulder to make sure his little brother is fine...
Solvistania peers into the room for a moment, and when you see her eyes, they are burning with a terrible reddish hue. She speaks, barely masking her fury, I count 2 score of dwarves preparing to sacrifice one of their own! We must act now!" Eyvindr looks up from the unconscious Dorn as Solvistania describes the scene beyond the door. "I wonder if the one that is to be sacrificed might not be the 'brother' that the tall elf who brought us together sent us to save... or perhaps even a willing sacrifice to the dark god? But if he be the former, or some other hapless soul, then we have no time to waste..." The man-bear tenses, ready to charge through the iron door.
Eyvindr looks closely at the chained Dorn, saying nothing. He then closes his eyes momentarily, as if searching for something within himself. After a moment, he opens his eyes again and gently tests the door to the cell, seeking to confirm that it is locked.
Black blood? There's no such thing as "former black blood"... he can't be trusted... end of story... ;-)
"You have a queer presence about you friend. I hope that you are well.""He ain't well." the bird says quietly from Eyvindr's shoulder "He ain't been well for a damn long time. He'll be fine though. Let's go." Eyvindr follows Muni a respectable distance ahead of the rest of the party. He moves with long strides and is less stealthy than he has been of late, perhaps overly eager to locate the Dornish prisoner.
"Yes, let us find this kindred soul," says Eyvindr, "and let us hope he has not become one of them." The latter half of the sentence sounds more like a growl. "Lead the way, Muni." The elder Dorn draws his blade and follows the raven and the others...
"Quiet, Muni," grumbles Eyvindr quietly. "Your concern is well received, but this is neither the time nor the place for it. Our business is our own, and not meant for the ears of others. I shall look after Ragnar in the way I deem best...."
"Whether it is completely my fault or not is irrelevant, Muni," grumbles Eyvindr to the bird. The elder Dorn is completely invisible in the supernatural darkness, a short distance behind the main party. "You know that the stories of the deeds of our ancestors are the only thing left now that gives us the will to live." Whether Eyvindr completely missed the thrust of Muni's latest remark, or whether he chose to ignore it, is difficult to determine. The man-bear pulls his knees up and rests his head on them, looking back down the tunnel rather than toward his companions...
"Whether it is completely my fault or not is irrelevant, Muni," grumbles Eyvindr to the bird. The elder Dorn is completely invisible in the supernatural darkness, a short distance behind the main party. "You know that the stories of the deeds of our ancestors are the only thing left now that gives us the will to live."
Spoiler:
"So, is there anything else of interest on the other side?" calls the man-bear in rusty, but surprisingly fluent High Elven. "It seems they've called for a rest here. Would you be able to stay where you are, Sky'tor, and keep watch over the door? I don't imagine that would be very comfortable, but..." Once the elder Dorn receives a reply from Sky, he will move to the back of the line and wander another 15 feet or so into the unnatural darkness, before sitting down with his back against a wall. He will then keep a silent, solitary watch on the passage from which the party came.
Eyvindr bows his head slightly at the snow elf's compliment. "My brother and I were the sole survivors of fallen Nalford and trapped within its walls for years... It was only us and the Fell..." He does not complete his story, but drops to one knee opposite Sky'tor when Chops falls to the ground.
Spoiler: Just a reminder... if that Fell dwarf was within 10' of Eyvindr when the former was on the ceiling, then Eyvindr definitely would have know him to be Fell as a result of his Sense Dead 10' radius heroic path ability.
Eyvindr's roars can be heard echoing back down the tunnel... "FELL!!!!!!!"
Spoiler:
The man-bear swings his blade with both hands with all his might in a high arc and into the back of the undead dwarf.
Spoiler: "I have no idea," mumbles Eyvindr in response to Chops's question, holding his sword with his left hand hand while cautiously reaching up towards the mysterious embers with his other hand, trying to determine whether they radiate heat.
"And you must be extra cautious, Chops, as the denizens of this accursed place seem drawn to your blood in particular..."
Sky speaks from his position ahead of the party, "We should really send a scouting party ahead to check for a safe haven". "Is anyone else up to a quick stealthy sortie into the darkness ahead"? "Preferably someone light on their feet, and that sees well in darkness". "I shall accompany you, snow kin," says Eyvindr to Sky'tor, now satisfied that Ragnar is safe for the time being. The man-bear allows the elf to take the lead, and follows a few steps behind him...
"Muni, you better than anyone should know that the stories of our ancestors are neither legends, nor foolish," replies Eyvindr gently to the bird. As Gillian's touch removes almost all traces of the messy wounds inflicted upon Ragnar, relief seems to wash over the elder Dorn's face.
Eyvindr nods his appreciation as Gillian heals Ragnar. "Brother, you look like you might benefit from a second of Gillian's touches," murmurs Eyvindr to Ragnar once the healer has turned her attention again to Solvistania. He looks on in concern as the frail red-eyed elf maiden collapses after supposedly having been healed... When Sky'tor mentions the need to find a safe resting place, the elder Dorn can't help but grumble a skeptical reply. "A safe haven? In this pit of darkness and undeath? That sounds like a cruel joke... there can be no such thing here..."
Ragnar looks slightly startled, but nods and waits for Gillian to finish with Solvistania. Nearby, the raven snickers and flies to land on Eyvindr's shoulder. "Did ya see that, Eyv? Hehe." Eyvindr yells triumphantly as he beheads the enormous pack leader. He kicks the severed head in disgust back down the tunnel, spits loudly on its carcass, then turns his attention to his companions. While Gillian is busy treating Solvistania, the elder Dorn wastes no time reaching Ragnar's side and lending him an arm for support, nodding at both Ilona and Muni as he does so. "Brother," he whispers, "I would say that those wounds are as serious as they look." Then, raising his voice a little and smiling wanly in the darkness, he adds: "You stood toe to toe and survived a mauling from a Fell rat the size of a bear... that would make a tale worthy for immortalization by the skalds of old! I am proud of you, little brother!" Then, shifting his gaze back to the decapitated giant mother rat, he adds in a more pensive tone: "I did not expect the mountain fey to keep such... monstrous vermin as guard animals, even when alive. Could they have found a way into this accursed place from the outside and been corrupted by the evil within? Or...???"
Eyvindr screams as he lashes out at the undead horror, and again as it bypasses him to attack Ragnar. "NOOOOOOO!!! AWAY FROM MY BROTHER -- THIS WAY SHADOW FILTH!!!" The elder Dorn swings again with all his might at the gigantic rat...
As Sky'tor yells for the Dorns to watch their backs, he turns and stares in shock as the mother rat makes her way down the tunnel towards him. He mutters a curse and then braces himself, holding his bastard sword two-handed in a high guard, as Ragnar comes to his side... "Come taste my sword, foul beast... Let me show you the way back to the realm of the dead, where you should have stayed..."
As the monstrous rats come within 10' of Eyvindr, the man bear yells out in an increasingly loud and furious tone. "I can feel it... These rat-dogs... they are already dead! THESE ABOMINATIONS ARE FELL!" The elder Dorn is surprised that the Fell rats don't seem to be attacking him, even though he is at the front of the line, but he does his best to shield his brother and the rest of his companions from the pack. His sword, held tightly in both hands, arcs in broad, sweeping motions as the man-bear attempts to cleave his way through the charging horde, screaming and snarling with bloodlust as he does so...
"The rat-dogs come... I see their eyes ahead," grumbles Eyvindr at his companions as he holds his sword out with both hands and continues to advance slowly.
Eyvindr whispers back through the darkness, his words echoing off the old stone. "I still see faded claw marks in the stone, as well as others that I had not seen before... Scratches that could have been made by rats... if the rats down here be the size of small dogs... I can see only one way forward..." The man-bear continues to creep forward as carefully as he can, keeping an eye out for possible triggers in the stone, as well as dog-sized rats... and worse...
Eyvindr gives his brother a quick nod as the party descends the stairs, then vanishes into the stygian darkness as he cautiously scouts 20' or so ahead of the party...
"The fingernail marks I saw by the entrance are also visible down this stairwell... it seems as though something was dragged down here against its will... Are we sure we want to go down there?" Eyvindr's gaze sweeps the party, finally stopping and lingering on Ragnar. The man-bear is on the verge of taking his first step down the shaft, apparently intent on taking the lead...
Grumbling at the thought that Zafina could have been a Shadow agent, but reassured that his brother has not been too badly injured, the man-bear lumbers over to the fountain and peers down the stairs that spiral into the unnatural darkness...
Eyvindr stands by Ragnar and looks at him with concern evident in his face. He appears prepared to steady his younger brother, should he require it. Aside from that, he stands there quietly, letting Gillian do her work. Then, as concern is voiced over Zafina's disappearance, he starts looking back in the general direction of the stronghold's entrance. "Where could she have gone..." he mutters to no one in particular.
Seeing the darts fly out and strike his comrades, Eyvindr assumes a crouching position with sword held tightly in both hands. "By the Vigdir... where did those darts come from" he mutters under his breath, looking frantically in all directions, uncertain what to do. "Brother... are you hurt?" With no sign of other projectiles about to be launched, the man-bear takes a few cautious steps towards Ragnar.
Eyvindr looks on impassively, then does as his brother bids him and follows...
Seeing Ragnar and Chops drop to the rear of the party, Eyvindr steps out 20' or so from his companions to cover the right flank. As the group finds the dead dwarves, he stands silently and continues to scan the area while the others try to determine what drove the mountain fey to their grisly fate...
"We seem to be in some kind of massive hall," states Eyvindr flatly. "I cannot see the ends of it, whether length or width..."
"But there odd looking scratches on the floor over here, by the door... Eight of them, parallel... As if someone was dragged inside by the feet, but he, she or it tried to dig fingernails into stone..." As Gillian mentions the awful smell, Eyvindr promptly unsheathes his sword. "For something to smell that strongly, it must be near," he growls...
Spoiler: When Eyvindr became undead, did he lose his olfactory sense? Whether he has lost it or not, I figure that he would have still reacted in the same way to Gillian's observation...
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