Green Word
Tenebrae - Saturday, March 15, 2014, 8:58 PM
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* W01: Wilderness Pointe *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Wilderness Point is the last-ditch point of civilisation before the great northern woods. It stands as a last bastion of trade, and a hub of activity between hunters, traders, and townsfolk.
A fairly wide path, flanked on either side by shallow ditches and tall trees, makes its way into the village from the southern roads, whose borders are outlined by a low stone wall. Sections of the wall have fallen apart here and there. At this point, it's more of a decoration than anything else.
The largest building in the village is an inn, a sign hanging over its door reading 'Wayfarer's Inn'. Its stone chimney has a thin wisp of smoke drifting off into the sky overhead.
At the center of the town is the Hunter's Market, beyond which the town ends along the river's banks, with the ferry providing passage to the other side.
Ssylrath rides along the trail astride his Swiftclaw, plainly focussed on his surroundings and on speed. His mount paces quickly along the path and the Sith watches for any people he recognizes. He looks upset although it's hard to tell exactly through the scales.
Munch buzzes cheerfully to himself... at least that almost harmonic shift of tones might be cheerful... lumbering out of the woods with... well, lumber. The golem carries several large logs over his shoulder. A little closer to telephone poles, if Alexandros had telephones. So... closer to ship masts? Anyway, big logs, three of them, one shoulder. Guys made of metal are buff.
Quietly sitting at the base of a tree a little ways back from the trail, with a certrain budding tree across the way from the trail, Ferawyn seems to be perfectly content nibbling on a berry and sipping some water. Once she sees the swiftclaw and the rider, Ferawyn gets up.....and groans at the golem with the lumber. She trots her way out to the trail, hopefully ahead of the swiftclaw.
Ssylrath pulls to a halt near the druid and the metal man. "Peace on your nesssts. I bring grave newsss." He looks up as if reflexively, just briefly. "Very grave for the Green." He pauses to collect his thoughts.
Munch blinks at Ssylrath, and carefully sets down his load, giving his full attention to the Sith and his words of the Green.
Ferawyn tilts her head quietly and leans against a tree. "All right." She says softly before settling herself at the base to listen.
Ssylrath points out far away. "I was in the Vassst, the great plains. There was rumour of... of powers. Of healing, magic like Godsss. People came." He shakes his head. "It was a trap, the sssky opened and things. Ships came. They came with thoughtsss, speaking in the mind. They came to take." He gestures as if at people clustered around his Swiftclaw. "The children went to them, the bloody living shipsss with, with angels. They split them open, an army. They ssspoke, they will dessstroy the godsss here, the Green is nothing to them." His speech is disjoined as he tries to organize thoughts about something almost unbelievable.
Munch buzzes harshly. "I'd heard of the meeting. Thought of going, but didn't. Now wish I had. Any who think themselves able to destroy the gods is one to test my blade against."
Ferawyn seems to think about this for a bit before looking up to the tree that is budding with leaves. "What do you think, Oakheart?" The tree she speaks to gives a bit of a woody groan befoer Ferawyn looks back to Ssylrath. "I say, they decided to pick on the wrong group of people."
Ssylrath shakes his head. "It was... an army. The shipsss were larger than any airship, far larger, and there were thousandsss. They have the powers of Gods, gods from outside the world." He is trying to impress the seriousness of it on you. "There were many there, few essscaped. Cesran usssed magic, it had little effect. They had symbols of Kulthos, of the lassst Age. There was nothing we could do."
And someone stumbles out of the Wayfareri's inn. The man in question looks quite drunk, laughing uproariously. "And then! Then he... oh, hello!" He looks behind him over at the guy following him out.
Munch buzzes again, pulling the massive axe from his back, and gnawing absently upon the blade. The adamantine upon adamantine jangles like spilled coins. "Thousands are just hundreds, which are just singles, many times over. I can kill a single man. I can do it many, many times. Thousands just requires dedication." A thin froth of golem saliva dribbles down the weapons haft.
Ferawyn says, "I fear I don't know the Kulthians at all. I've mostly been in the woods most of my life." She realy doesn't seem worried at the moment, before she looks back at the inn at the persons coming out. They seem harmless...."
Ssylrath pays no attention to the newcomers after a quick glance. "The sky opened to... not-a-world. Outssside. Not-here. It was full of ships." He makes a face. "They were not ships, they were abominationsss. Made of living things stitched together and screaming. The angels opened some up and armies came out. They said to take the word to our gods to sssubmit or die. They took the children and ssspoke in my head. My head! It was unbearable!" He clutches his head in memory and his mount sidesteps in discomfort at his movement. He is plainly very distressed.
Ferawyn places her hand upon Ssylrath. "Calm yourself, Ssylrath. Settle yourself, first, then tell us what happened." She says gently stroking the Sith's head, providing a soothing and friendly touch.
"Hey, hey! Out of my way! Anklar Vanche, coming through!" He flexes, showing off his not so impressive muscles. "Is this the part where I declare myself Steel Von Ironblood, Bane of th Night? Oh, /you ALexandrians/," he starts to laugh.
This guy is /drunk/.
Munch humms quietly. "Living ships? If they live, they can die. Maybe we can trick them into fighting Heth first." He glances idly at the drunk. "I have met Von Ironblood. He is a fat halfling. You are not him. He is more impressive."
Anklar stops, then says, "Ah, that story. I heard it. You were there, eh?" His eyes are on Ssylrath, now, and he suddenly seems a lot less drunk.
Ssylrath says, "I jussst bring word, we could do little but help some escape. I think that those that were taken joined their armies, but they were not... real. Not understandable. They did not follow our rules of how things work." He looks over at the man. "I was. It was... not good."
Ferawyn lightly pets Ssylrath's head before he lifts his head. "I hae met Ironblood too. He's a fat halfling that's full of hot air." She says before stepping back to listen to the people speaking of the meeting.
"Interesting story. Do you guys know how the Kulthians were defeated originally?" asks Anklar, looking between the gathered.
Munch eyes Ssylrath. "Like... burning embers, made of shadows? Twisted around so you see them from the back side of reality? Void deamons. They are... strong foes."
Ssylrath nods. "They also had corrupted angelsss, demons, thingsss all subservient to the voice. The mental voices in the head. They would not stop!" He sighs. "I did not know of these Kulthiansss before, I do not know how they were cast out. These were unafraid of us, they challenged the Green and the Godsss and expected to win."
Ferawyn is quietly listening at the moment to the former drunk that is talking about the Kulthians. "I do not, actually..." Even if she did, she would lie to hear the story.
"The last ones were unafraid of us too. Unafraid you people. Alexandrians. They roared forward, the Illuminated Order. Their leader was the last Myrrish Governor, Lucuius, who was actually the Kulthian Lord Saluven, a high artificer. He brought war to Alexandria, struck at the people pof the city with all manner of corrupted artifice. He too was tainted by the Void, seeking to bring his void demon lord into the world. Alexadndria defeated them and one all. And if these things think they are 'enslaving' Gods, then they are liars. The Gods can not be enslaved by man. The Kulthians tried using the Eidolon court itself. And they failed. Whoever you saw, whatever you saw, know that the Gods are going to be just fine. Besides, ALexandria's got the spell cannon. Ha! That struck down a Kulthian Flying fortress."
Munch pfts. "They have a big gun. Guns are slow, not good weapons. But Alexandria has many, many good warriors. And smart leaders. These Void-men will fall."
Ssylrath says, "I bring word, that isss all I can do now. The Green must be ready." He straightens in the saddle, his mount clawing impatiently at the ground. "I will go and tell othersss. We must prepare for invasion."
Ferawyn nods quietly. "Then I shall warn others of impending danger." She then smiles to the former-drunk. Thank you.
Munch eyes the drunken one. "Ankels... Lordy Ankels... I have heard of you. By the docks, were men who wanted to take you away, with guns on the roof, yes?"
"Oh hey!" Anklar's eyes are now on Munch. "YOu were there for that!" He sways back onto his heels. "Yeah, I think I remember something about that."
Ssylrath rides off down the trail quickly, seeking out others to spread the word to.
Munch shakes his head, returning his throughly drooled upon axe to his back. "I was not. But heard some who were."
Ferawyn leans down and pets a rabbit on the ears, then picks it up, and speaks a few words into it's ear, giving it a carrot. It takes the carrot munches it quickly, and hops away fairly quickly. And Rabbits can MOVE when they want, or NEED to.
"Eh, oh well," says Anklar, laughing again. He nods towards Munch. "I was so drunk, man!"
Munch eyes the rabbit and Ferawyn a moment. Rabbits -are- fast. Difficult enough the golem still challenges himself with them sometimes. He glances to Anklar. "No, 'was' is past. The word is 'am'.
Anklar and the others are now in front of the Wilderness REtreat, or t least close to it. He looks drunk. Very drunk, actually.
Ferawyn stands up quietly and looks to Munch. "If the forest is going to come under attack, who better to warn that the Yggdrasil Union?"
Munch shrugs. "Rabbits are very quick, but I would not use them as messengers. They are not very smart." He glances sidelong at Anklar. "Then again, many are not smart."
Ferawyn smirks to Munch. "he knows his job. Don't worry."
Munch shrugs, and turns his focus to Anklar. "Why are you out here? Most like you are in the city." He means drunks.
Ferawyn turns away and begins to head into the forest herself. Oakheart deroots and follows Ferawyn deeper into the forest.
Watching Ferawyn go, Anklar says, "Hey! Elf cutie! Where are you going?!"
Munch shakes his head. "No, that was a tree. Elves are not trees. Contrary to rumors."
Anklar is hurrying after Ferawyn, of course. She is female. And cute. ANd he is suddenly more drunk seeming.
Munch ponders a moment, and lets the pair go. And the drunk following them. Picking up his lumber once more, the metal man continues his trip towards the city.
Ferawyn looks back quietly and stares at Anklar. "What do you want? I have things to prepare for and work to do."
Blink. Blink.
"Well... you're cute. And I like redheads," says Anklar with ab ig grin on his face. Then to SMunch he says, "I'm not kidnapped! Yet!"
Ferawyn says, "Unless you can help me prepare the forest against the coming demons, then go drown yourself in more of your swill." She then turns to head into the forest again."
Munch blinks, and ponders a moment. "Redheads? One's with red hair? Like the twins who just went into the Inn there?" Deception is not his strong suit, but its worth a shot.
GAME: Munch rolls bluff: (10)+1: 11
Munch shrugs, and continues down the road towards the city, a number of lag logs over his shoulder. Ferawyn was headed off into the woods to do whatever it is elves do in the woods. Maybe it's the same thing as bears.
Anklar blinks his eyes at Ferawyn, then says more seriously, "There's already plenty of demons in this world. What's one more?" He shakes his head, then adds, "Ah well. I just wanted to tell you how pretty you are. Seems I'm going to need to drown myself in more of my swill, though."
Ferawyn smiles a bit to Anklar. "Thank you." She doesn't ignore the 'demons' part. She then turns back to the forest and heads out.