The Howling Ice Mountains (Closed)

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felis catus

Post by felis catus »

"Uhhhh..."Theodred blushed in embarrasment. It was the least they coud do for their gest, after answering so many questions. However, he had no idea whether any of them managed to rescue some food in their flight. "I'm not sure. our escape was by a hair's breadth. Shae? Did we bring any food with us?", he asked the young healer hopefully.
Shaeliana
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Post by Shaeliana »

Listening carefully, Shae mumbled names to herself, trying to fix it all in her memory. Dogmen sounded ominous, eliciting a soft sigh from the healer. She'd had enough menacing scenarios to last a lifetime and it would seem that there would be no end to them. Her weary mind envisioned them trapped in this semi-barren and rocky land, forever fleeing one terror or another. Pangs of homesickness welled up in the girl, thoughts of her home and safety.

And food, her stomach growled at the mention of it by the stranger. Shaking her head, the young healer looked at the malnourished-looking man sadly.

"I am sorry, we had to flee suddenly and there wasn't time to gather anything. It was fortunate that I had my bag of herbs and bandages with me or that would be left behind in the keep as well. We've been on the run since so the only living things we've seen are not something you'd want to eat I warrant." But her thoughts went back to the dragons and the mountain of questions she had.

"At the risk of being rude, could you answer a few more questions about the Crystal Dragon? I know very little about them, most the tales you hear about dragons in general. Is there anything we need to be aware of if we find one? Are there any tales of how to appease one or anyone ever asking favor of a dragon and living to tell about it?" Slightly embarassed, she jumped back to the topic of food as her stomach growled again.

"I'm not familiar with this area. Are there not plants of some sort that are edible?" she added quickly.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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Post by Grant »

Tapping his pipe delicately upon a rock just at hand, the savage traveller nodded his head. "Around here, you might find highland blueberries, but they won't last where you're going. After you've travelled up the face of Greytooth for perhaps a sun width, the trees and the shrubs stop as if the heavens themselves refuse to let them come closer. At that height, only the mountain ferrets live, and they make for poor eating," he said, glancing over at the mountain itself.

"It is curious that any dragon might make it's home in a place where nothing grows beyond sparse grass and brambles, but in all stories I have heard, they tend to do this. In all stories I have heard of these beasts, they tend to hunt voraciously, taking of what they can find...horse, yak, even men. Many of the beasts have earned a name...we often call them by the mountain they call their home...but the Crystal dragon is never seen beyond his lair. It is said he sleeps, waiting for the western king to rouse him from his slumber."

The little man rocked back, clearly pleased to be the center of attention for a time. He lifted his hands as he continued, gesturing wildly as he spoke. "The knights here made war upon the dragons, and rightly they did this, for the creatures can grow to be mighty indeed. They are not foolish, like the yak, and they do not collect in packs, like the wolf. Still, they speak to each other, calling out challenges or disputes and, often enough, they fight each other. It is said among my people that the wetlander fortress below was protected by a vow made between human and dragon kind, but this can be none other than foolishness. Dragons have no use for us and our vows, so it is more likely they ignore us. I have never heard of a dragon protecting one of it's own kind, much less any of our kind."

"Now this Crystal dragon. It is said to be a great dragon, even among his own kind, for none challenge his territory or call him out from his lair. Stories of him and his mountain territory reach back ten generations, perhaps even further, so he will be quite mature and quite wise. He seems reclusive, so he will not contest you upon his mountain, but it seems unlikely he will happily suffer you entering his lair. I hope your need is dire indeed, for approaching him will be hazardous to you all."
ForeverStarlight

Post by ForeverStarlight »

The souds of discussion woke Aurlos. Normally he would have been one of the first to rise, being used to a late sleep and early waking. But the Fatigue from the running, and the weaving had left him without much strength. Fortunately it seemed the rest had done him well.

The blind man sat up from where he lied, and listened to the voices. He heard Theodred and Shaelianna. And there was a new voice among them, telling an intersting story.

At the mention of food Aurlous realised that he too was hungery. Back at Kings Court he would merely waunder out into the street, hoping the compassion or guilt of some stranger would provide the day's food.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Their lack of food or a food source bothered the young healer. Not that they couldn’t live quite some time without food, but they wouldn’t be at their best, wouldn’t have as much strength to endure if they faced more peril and monsters from the dark. If what the skinny little man told them was truth, and from his scrawny half-starved appearance she didn’t doubt it for a flicker, there was little to be done about it. Food was scarce here and they would have to make do, take whatever opportunities presented themselves along the way, assuming there was time to do so and they weren’t fleeing another nightmare.

As the man began to tell of dragons, he had Shae’s full attention. Creatures almost more of myth than reality, they had always been a fascination to the young woman, likely because of the tales she’d heard from her grandfather and father growing up. Neither had ever seen a dragon, but told great tales about the giant winged lizards and made no secret of the fact that they wished they had seen one. A small shudder slithered through the healer. She had seen one albeit from a distance. It wasn’t an encounter she was eager to repeat.

The words “It is said he sleeps, waiting for the western king to rouse him from his slumber” from the man wrested her total attention. Was it possible they were living out prophecy? Could Balthasar be the king destined to wake this Crystal dragon from it’s sleep she wondered, resisting the urge to glance over at the sleeping ruler. While this man seemed harmless enough, she was quickly learning to trust no one and with so few here to protect him, the identity of the king must remain secret.

“If it requires a king to wake the beast, then I would think it safe enough,” she ventured. “Without the king, it would go on sleeping?” she speculated. “I am thinking finding this lair would be the most difficult. Are there any tales about where this particular cavern might be? We wouldn’t wish to stumble into the home of one of the other dragons by accident.”
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
felis catus

Post by felis catus »

Theodred listened carefully before adding "Yes, it might be most inconvenient, having to fight a wrong dragon", he attempted to smile, but shivered remembering the beast that they left behind, or at least they hoped so. The words about the Western king caught his attention too, however, he decided to keep his big mouth shut for now.
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A bard awakes

Post by Rhoddin »

As if from a deep slumber, where the recent events that had overtaken him seemsed just a dream, the young bard roused himself as he heard the others talking.

It seemed that someone actually knew something about the Crystal Dragon. Rolling over, he looked towards the conversing parties, listerning intently to there discussions, but like Theodred, keeping his own councel at the moment.

A soft smile curved his lips as he saw the young healer, albeit with her back to him, pleasant thoughts chasing away some of the horrors of the last few hours.

However, the stranger worried him, like the others his level of trust was pretty low, and many things had seemed harmless before now, and turned out to anything but harmless.

Something about the scrawny stranger reminded him of something, or someone, but he couldn't quite place what, or who.
Last edited by Rhoddin on Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
[color=blue]Back from the brink, but still lost, damn some times just never change.[/color]
Grant
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Post by Grant »

"Pah. Silly stories, nothing more," dismissed the man. "Those are the legends I hear, but there's no sense to them. Dragons have no kings...why might they recognize one? And from the west, no less? They live in the deserts, among the nomad people...they hunt from their flocks...and the desert nomads have no king about which I've ever heard either. But truths are truths. Upon his mountain you will be safe from other dragons...none would go there. You need beware of only him, I should think."

The little man noticed others in the camp rousing and stood. "I've interrupted your sleep enough, I think. I wish I might tell you more, but I know only legends and rumors. I've never been to Greytooth myself. But you might rest assured that dragons do not accept guests happily. If this Crystal one is at all like his comrades, you will be in great danger once you step within his lair."

Turning, the little man considered the high horizon just a short distance to the east. "I bid you all good fortune in your travels. Perhaps the angry beast that hunts in these mountains right now will be unwilling to chase you upon Greytooth. If nothing else, it may prove to be a sanctuary for a time."
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hmmm

Post by Rhoddin »

As sleep slowly fled the young bards weary mind, the words of the wizened old man penertrated the evoporating fog of unconciousness.

But in legend often the seed of truth lurks, the young man knew this to be the case as it was part of what he had heard at the college so many was it really only days? ago.

But which parts?

Slowly coming to his feet, Rhoddin gently cleared his throat. "Um, if I may ask a small question good traveller. Do you by any chance know why the Crystal Dragon would abide these dogmen you talk about on his mountain? It would seem strange that one so reclusive, and powerful, should abide such.

"And you say they would be wary of us, but would they abide us, or attack as the greenskins do? Are they allies these gomen of the orcs, or simply another race to deal with?"

It was the most the young man had said for some time, and he rather surprised himself that he had recovered enough to ask so much at once.
[color=blue]Back from the brink, but still lost, damn some times just never change.[/color]
Shaeliana
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Post by Shaeliana »

Sanctuary, the odd man speculated, and yet how could such a barren land that barely sustained life be much of a sanctuary for the five of them? In place of the dragon they'd seen at the keep, they would face a lack of drinking water and food, though the water deficit would claim them far sooner than going hungry. As the man prepared to leave, she heard Rhoddin's voice speak up, asking questions about the dog-men, a point that had slipped past her thinking. She was glad he had awakened in time to ask these new questions. It seemed important to the king that they see this through and every small bit of knowledge they could glean might help them actually survive the ordeal.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
felis catus

Post by felis catus »

"Well, we never thought it would be easy, right?" Theodred managed a grin. "There is no reserve. there is no pushing back. On this task, we either prevail", he paused, and his face grew grim, "or we perish".

He looked at his companions. "I am willing to give my life for my King any day. However, it is not fair to demand such a sacrifice from everybody. I believe I speak the truth when I say that no blame will be attached to any of us who decide he has gone too far.", he looked at still sleeping Balthasar. "I am sure he would tell you the same. But we should wait till he awakes."
felis catus

Post by felis catus »

Has this thread died?
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Post by Maeve »

This thread was picked up at a later date in a new thread with the arrival of Baltashar and company in Kings court.

I have skilled this thread.
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