|
 Onward
and Coldward
Lurker Wyrm - 09 Dec 2005
Having recently
discovered a secret path leading to an old, ruined courthouse, our disrobed heroes
soon began to wonder what other secrets might lie waiting for them to discover.
Caution warned them, however, that though a place may be mysterious and wonderful,
there would be more than enough hazards spread throughout to damper their enjoyment
of the area. All were contemplating wether it would be worth it or not, some more
vocally than others.
"We've
been trudging around these ruins for ages, it's time to do some real exploring,"
said Buffy. Her facial expressions left no doubt that she meant to not stay in
the ruined landscape of her once home another day longer. These sentiments were
shared by many, although for most leaving meant just that. Leaving. Concerns for
the Ascalonians who were determined to stay, their king. Fear that they might
be getting in over their heads, having barely proven that their lack of armor
meant little in their dealings with the vicious Charr. The Charr... those defiled
demons that destroyed their homes and brought death to countless innocent people
of their once idyllic home. None were sure that revenge had been properly exacted.
King Adelbern's glorious battle cry still surged through their veins. No. It was
time to go. Staying in this wasteland could only lead to sorrow and suffering. "Agreed"
was the simple reply given by most. "But where do we go from here? Kryta
is a long way and the Shiverpeaks are as treacherous as the Charr." "Ascalonians,"
said a voice from behind them. "Let us guide you, for the Shiverpeaks are
were our home for a time." Standing there were two rangers. Their faces regarded
them as Ascalonian by birth, although their clothing was anything but native to
this land. "And
who might you be?" Ilona asked. "I
am called Silkwood. My friend is called Wyrm. We, too, are of Ascalon, although
we left before the Searing. Once word of it reached us, we returned to see what
aid we could lend." "There's
not much left that can be done." Even as she said this, Ilona's heart twinged
with pain. She didn't like saying that, she didn't like feeling that. The memories
of coming home and seeing the village destroyed burned in her heart and brought
her near to tears everytime she thought about it. She was glad to be leaving.
She could never admit it to herself, but she wanted to get out of there and away
from the Charr, even if it did mean certain death. Death would be welcome as long
as it didn't come from a Charr. And what was death, afterall, if not if not something
to be looked forward to? Necromancy had taught her that death was a powerful ally
not to be underestimated or frowned upon. Death was the source of life, and life
lead to death. "That
may be so, and if the only thing we're able to do is guide other Ascalonians out
of here, then that is enough" said the one called Wyrm, who had been silent
up until now. "Alright
then, let's go." Ember Buffy was growing more and more impatient. Now that
there was a very real possibility of their getting out of this place, and making
it to someplace away from Ascalon, she wasn't interested in the elaborations of
two rangers that were stupid enough to return to this hell-hole. She wanted out.
And why not, she said to herself. Ascalon has been nothing but a source of frustration
for me. Nolani wouldn't accept me because I wouldn't give up my pet, Nente is
a blind moron, and now the royalty wants us to stay and safeguard what little
there is left all because they wouldn't go on the offensive and destroy the Charr
threat when they had the chance. I'm done wasting my best years on this place,
it's time to clear out and go someplace that's not so pitiful. "You'll
have to pardon her," said Arty, who found himself slightly embarrassed by
the conduct of his companions. None of the others could really figure him out.
He was more embarrassed by his companions demeanor than he was by his own lack
of clothing, being the only male in a group of females. "We'd be greatful
for any assistance you could lend us." "There's
just one thing," interjected Silkwood, "what happened to all of your
clothes? Surely you don't mean to go on without any clothing?" "Why
not?" asked Vex, who had been silently listening to the strange rangers until
this point. Not that there was ever such a thing as a normal ranger, they were
all a quirky bunch, which probably explained her attraction to their ilk. "We've
come this far without any and are more than capable of defending ourselves in
a bind." "Besides,"
added Ilona, "what better way to challenge your abilities than to remove
the safety net?" Silkwood
and Wyrm exchanged glances and could not help but exchange smirks as well. "Very
well," said Silkwood. "Shall we depart?" "Yes."
Ember Buffy beat everyone to a response. Silkwood would have asked if there were
any preparations left to be done had not Buffy practically pushed the group out
of the ruined courthouse. Deciding that it would be best to split into two groups,
Buffy, Vex and Angela (who tended to remain silent unless otherwise urged) went
with Silkwood, while the others would travel with Wyrm. Despite
any misgivings the band may have had about their two guides, the exiled rangers
proved to be expert guides, carefully dodging and evading enemy patrols, charging
past any that came too close. Through the Diessa Lowlands and Ascalon Foothills
did the party go, resting only out of weariness, and even then the stops were
short and very sporadic. Their lack of clothing seemed not to bother them on their
climb up into the Shiverpeak Mountains, a location known for its brutal winters
which lasted all year round. As they approached the Traveler's Vale, the cold
began to catch up with them and they soon realized that now, more than ever, growing
complacent would mean their deaths. Eventually,
they arrived at an outpost called Yak's Bend. The only thing that made it anything
other than a snow drift was the giant fire that almost everyone in the area was
crowded around. Other than an arena for people to compete with each other, there
was nothing notable about the place. "What
do we owe you for this?" Ilona turned to ask the rangers who had guided them.
Much to her, and everyone else's surprise, the rangers were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Ilona was greeted by a slobbering bafoon, who's iQ was on par with that
of the beasts in the region. Ignoring everything the fool said, the companions
gathered around the fire to both get warm and to plan their next move. As they
looked at the people in the area, they were even more surprised by the fact that
most of them were Ascalonian, some of whom they recognized as teachers they once
had long ago. And there, even more to their amazement, was Osric. What was going
on? Why would the knights of Ascalon be in this place? Questioning Osric led them
to only more astonishment. "My
friends, it's good that you have made it here, for there are many things we need
to discuss." said the stalwart captain. "I'll
say," started Buffy and Ilona together, "such as when did you all get
here and, more importantly, what are you doing here?" "Around
the same time that you left, the Charr intensified their attacks and were crippling
nearly every defense force that we had, even gaining as far as Nolani Academy.
Now, the Charr have all but taken over Ascalon. King Adelbern and a contingent
of knights retreated and rebuilt what forces were left to make their last stand,
using what was left of the wall for their defense, while Prince Rurik has been
leading refugees here in an attempt to escape to Kryta. However, his forces are
stretched too thin to make any attempt at safe passage. Now that you're here though,
we may be able to do something about that." "What
needs doing?" asked Arty. "The
prince is conducting negotiations with the Deldrimore Dwarves to allow us safe
passage through the mountains, and so we are left nearly defenseless. If you could
scout the road from here to Borliss Pass, the place where we will, hopefully,
join the dwarves and begin our passage to Kryta." "Sounds
easy enough." "There
are 2 other requests I would make of you." "Alright,"
Arty said, although he couldn't help but feel manipulated. "There
are still some refugees from Ascalon who have not yet made it here, and I fear
for them. If you could find them and bring them here, I would be most appreciative." "And
the other request?" "As
you know, the Deldrimore Dwarves are doing us a great service by helping us in
our time of need. Even though the prince has not fully gained their cooperation
yet, they have given us food, fire, and many warm blankets to keep our people
from dying in this cold. It would be dishonorable if we did not do something to
repay that kindness, which is why I want you to go look for one of their scouts,
Ragnil Ironbow, who has gone missing in the Iron Horse Mine." "Consider
it done." "Many
thanks to you and your group, Ascalon is fortunate to have champions such as yourselves
in her service." Walking
away from the knight captain, the group could not help but feel dismayed by the
news that the Charr had done so much damage in so short of a time since they left.
They had been gone from Ascalon for less than a week, which hardly seemed like
time enough for all that devastation to occur. Had they not been in such a hurry
to leave, they might otherwise have noticed that the attacks had already begun,
word of them had just not reached the courthouse before their departure. Each
taking the news in their own way, the companions decided to get what information
they could out of their old instructors, who were more than happy to see them.
The instructors were also eager to begin teaching again, offering knowledge and
skills in exchange for favors, just as they always had done before. When
the party had regrouped, their next course of action had been decided. They would
do the work of their masters which would bring them along the paths Osric had
told them about where they could scout for both enemies and refugees. "Let's
head out then" said Buffy, and the rest agreed. They
were not far out of the gates of the outpost when their first task approached
them. Some fool of a Stone Summit dwarf had been camped outside, attacking all
who got near. Unfortunately, he proved to be a less than worthy opponent and was
soon dead. As
they advanced more and more, they soon realized that the Stone Summit chose to
fight dirty, using conditions and hexes to weaken the party in an attempt to demoralize.
The Stone Summit themselves soon realized that this was no ordinary group of humans.
Besides their apparent lack of clothing, which made them wonder as to whether
the humans had even the brains for survival, they learned that this group of humans
had a taste for battle that was unlike most others. The humans fought with the
viciousness of Balthazar and what seemed to be the protection of Dwayna. Stone
Summit corpses were strewn across the land, soaking the otherwise pure white snow
with dwarven blood and the burnt remains of their armor. Battle cries had become
intermingled with death screams and hethen oaths. Death had come to the Summit,
the miserable, vile creatures who had threatened the safety of the wretched refugees. Borliss
Pass was beckoning. | 
