< Everyone Form Up On Me, Rescue Detail | Ex Pulplogs | Hellborn Rescue (unfinished) >
ST Having rescued Sun from the uncouth ghosts and the ring of salt, dealt with "Granny", also known as Scarlet Poppy, and found their way back out of the frozen city's dungeon, the Circle now stands in the dull false-light of the frozen city's enchantments, pondering their next course of action. They could simply leave. Make their way to the docks where Xar is waiting with the Lost Soul.
ST Or they could do as Poppy suggested and go to the Dark Temple at the center of the city and find Falling Darkness waiting for them there. The hag-like Deathknight had said there would be knowledge to be gained in going. Knowledge about what is happening to carmine.
ST And poor Sun is still unhappy and confused about the way her father and friends treated old Granny. She huddles at Corve's side, very cold and sad.
Myrrh "Don't worry Sun, once we get back to the ship you can meet Snuffles!"
Captain Oteki looks around, scratching the back of his neck. "So, I'm up for whatever ye lot suggest at this point. Though in my opinion we need t'be gettin' th'young lady out o'the death-infested ice castle as soon as be viable."
Corve picks his daughter up, holding her close. "Yes," he agrees with Oteki, nodding sharply.
Xar`Rex "I am glad you were able to free her." He nods. "Are we going to avoid the Dark One, then?"
Corve "As best as possible, yes."
Myrrh "I'm not sure Corve...maybe Carmine and myself should stay and you and Xar go get Sun out of here? I mean if it involves Carmine we should atleast investigate..."
Myrrh "And besides, he couldn't take her before."
Captain Oteki digs around in his satchel, and produces... sweets of some kind! He sticks one on his mouth, and offers another to the little girl. "Well, maybe it's just me, but I be under the impression that no matter what we be doin', we'll be seein' Failing Dorkness again soon enough. So in my opinion, we'd be better to run into 'im when we ain't cold, lackin' in metaphysical juice, an' protectin' a little girl."
Corve nods to Oteki. "What he said," as he smiles. Sun takes the candy and looks at it dubiously, eyeing her dad. He nods, and she chews on it, maybe a little more content because of it.
Xar`Rex "How do we get out?"
Captain Oteki "I suggest we take me new boat."
Xar`Rex grins "OUR new boat."
Myrrh "The one with the ghosts?"
Carmine "Well, it would be a good way to sail in the underworld ..." Carmine says, not entirely certain.
Captain Oteki thinks about that. "Probably not the best idea t'take the girl into th'underworld anyway." he muses. "Okay, new plan. We go back the way we came, an' I take a quick jaunt over t'the docks an' secure th'loyalty o'the ghost crew for future help. Better?"
Corve "I just want to leave as soon as possible," Corve says, holding Sunshine Blossom protectively.
Myrrh "Well we're stuck here for awhile. It's still nighttime."
Captain Oteki muses. "Then it be best that ye be makin yer way toward the outskirts o'this bloody place, as it'll be mornin' in a few hours, an' if yer anythin' like me, ye want to be gettin' back to me ship as soon as the sun be up. I'll meet up with ye as soon as I be done on th'Lost Soul."
Captain Oteki jerks his head back in the direction from whence they arrived. "Get goin' then. Yer little girl be needin' some sun, if ye'll pardon me pun. I'll be along before ye can say "Nyarlathotep"."
Corve nods to Oteki with a smile, and doesn't wonder who the Hell Nyarlathotep is. Rather, he gets going, heading the way they came.
Carmine seems a little reluctant as she walks, but getting sun to safety was more important.
ST And so the Circle makes its ways across the ice-locked city. Oteki goes to the harbor to find the Lost Soul and deal with its crew while the rest make their way back to the entrance into the glacier's tunnels and the edge of the Shadowland. Without a small, frightened child to slow him down, Oteki moves faster. His negotiations are complete quickly, the ghosts being very reasonable when faced with a potentially angry Exalted.
Captain Oteki ((GRR. I'm scary))
ST The Circle is rejoined only a short distance from the entrance into the tunnels, just at the city's walls. With another series of amazing leaps similar to the ones that got them into the city in the first place, the four Exalted, one Dragon-King and one small girl make their escape from the Frozen City and start walking to the exit from this nasty place.
Captain Oteki snacks on some (thoroughly frozen) jerky and dried seaweed from inside his satchel, and waits for the sun to rise.
Carmine settles herself down. She wished the place didn't feel quite so comfortable for her.
Xar`Rex carves something out of something else while he waits.
Corve settles down next to Carmine and smiles. Sun is getting sleepy, which might be best considering where they are.
Myrrh entertains Sun while Corve and Carmine talk, introducing her to snuffles the happy friendly fungus ball!
ST While Sun and Myrrh's familiar get to know each other, Xar's nose starts twitching. He can smell food! Some kind of meat and bread, being cooked over a fire not far away! Smells good. Really good.
Xar`Rex sniffs, and rises, looking over in the direction of the food. "Does anyone have something to eat?"
Myrrh "Iron rations."
Xar`Rex wrinkles his nose. "That does not sound good."
Captain Oteki digs through his satchel. "I be down to... uh.... jerky, and salted seaweed. An' some sugary treats o'some sort that Aki makes out o'some kind o'tree sap."
Carmine rests her head on Corve's shoulder
Xar`Rex grumbles. "Someone has food. Do the dead eat?"
Corve looks at Xar and Myrrh. "I thought the dead didn't eat..."
Myrrh "Well it's more of a ceremonial abstract methord...although i rather doubt there are any
Myrrh "Ghost" animals out here...maybe we should investigate Xar?
Xar`Rex "Then someone is alive, here." His stomach rumbles. "Let us look."
Captain Oteki raises a finger in protest. "Someone best be stayin' here with th'girl."
Myrrh "Well Xar and I shouldn't be gone long...just a little air recon."
Carmine "I'll stay with Sun." Carmine smiles
Xar`Rex nods, then leaps into the air, coming back for Myrrh, and flying off!
ST Xar manages to track down the smell. As he flies over the surroundings, he sees a thin, almost invisible thread of smoke rising from a tiny campfire only a few hundred feet from their own resting site. A blond man and several bags of unidentifiable things are there, sitting by a fire and cooking small pastries. He appears well-armed and armored with a number of axes and heavy leather and furs.
ST The man doesn't seem to notice the flying Dragon-King, so intent is he on his cooking
Xar`Rex motions to Myrrh, pointing out the man, and his tasty foods
Myrrh nods, peering down. "Should we check on him?"
Xar`Rex "Hmm yes. He might be lost."
Xar`Rex lands a short distance away, so they can approach by foot, wrapping his wings around himself like a cloak of fire
Blond Man hums to himself as he cooks his meat-filled pastries over the tiny fire.
Myrrh follows Xar, hopefuly they won't be shot at...
Xar`Rex "Myrrh," he says quietly, "Maybe you should talk, since I do not want to scare him."
Myrrh "Alright, I suppose I can do the talking."
Blond Man continues huming
Myrrh comes out into sight, "Hello sir!"
Blond Man starts and grabs and axe, holding it ready to throw into Myrrh's face. "Who goes...oh..you aren't dead are you?" He looks young, maybe in his 20's. Most of his face is hidden by the combination of an extremely furry parka and a heavy scarf. But the axe and his aim look quite sharp.
Myrrh "Not at all sir. Vibrantly alive infact! How did you wind up all the way out here?"
Blond Man "Huh. I'm a hunter. Came here to get some eggs of the Ice Worms. They fetch a fine price as guardian beasts." He pats one of the bulging sacks next to him with a gloved hand. "You all alone out here?"
Myrrh "Not particularly, you? It seems a bit dangerous...who would want a mile long furry worm?"
Blond Man "Lots of folks. Who wouldn't, really?"
Blond Man smiles under his scarf, a motion obvious only because the skin around his eyes wrinkles a bit
Xar`Rex watches from a-near
Myrrh "I suppose. A friend of mine had smelled your cooking and wanted to investigate, I decided to tag along."
Blond Man "And they decided to leave again? Not very friendly."
Myrrh "Oh no, my friend is still here but he didn't want to startle you. He's a Dragonking. We didn't know the populations out this far north."
Blond Man Elsewhere, back with Carmine, Corve, Oteki and Sun, they're all starting to wonder what Myrrh and Xar have found that is taking so bloody long. Sun is amusing herself with Snuffles, playing a game with the fungus-creature that involves them both chasing around a stone on a patch of ice.
Blond Man "I've seen Dragon-Kings before. Nice chaps mostly. Those flying ones sometimes buy the eggs off me. He wouldn't be interested in an egg, would he? I hear the lizard folk whip up some kind of special desert from 'em."
Myrrh "I'm not sure, you want an egg Xar?
Xar`Rex emerges from behind a dark chunk of frozen something or other, and approaches the others, "I do not have much money. But it does sound interesting!"
Blond Man "Ah, well then, sorry."
Blond Man "They're pricey little buggers"
Xar`Rex "Have you had trouble with ghosts?"
Blond Man "Not really. I can take care of myself if they try to cause trouble though." He waves an axe in demonstration
Myrrh "Hm. Well if shooting works I suppose an axe will too. Are you waiting for the dawn?"
Blond Man "I am and itt's nearly here...if I were to offer you one of my eggs, you think you two might help me lug this load back to the surface?" He looks hopeful. Else it might take him most of the day, making trips. "My auroch got ate by one of those wurms..."
Myrrh "Not a problem. You might want to be careful though we've recently...uh...aquired a ship. The crew is still a bit rough, being ghosts and all."
Xar`Rex "What do you have, to carry?"
Blond Man "Well, my supplies, the eggs, some other things I gathered for fun."
Xar`Rex shrugs, "I can carry much." He pauses for a moment, then adds "I can carry an Auroch."
Blond Man "Well, I don't have one of those anymore."
Blond Man "If you've got a ship...how did you get it here? The harbor is under ice."
Myrrh "We had a guide."
Myrrh "And this is a rather special ship as far as we can gather. We're...borrowing it from a man."
Myrrh "Not a very good man either."
Myrrh "Actualy do you think it's a ghost ship of some kinda Xar?"
Xar`Rex "I have seen it in Creation, as well. And it does fly. I think it is... something else."
Blond Man "Well, I have friends waiting outside the glacier, I'd have to go that way...though thanks for the offer to help. Would you still be willin to help me take this stuff to the glacier's entrance?"
Xar`Rex nods, "Do you have more food?" he asks hopefully.
Blond Man "I do. If you help me get my stuff to the pass, I'll give you what I can spare. Deal?"
Xar`Rex "Yes, we will help you in exchange for food, and an egg. I will go get my friends, yes?"
Blond Man shrugs and munches on a pastry. "Shhurf Fing"
Xar`Rex fetches the others
Blond Man offers Myrrh a pastry
Myrrh takes it and nods, it's been awhile since frozen jerky and iron rations!
Blond Man The pastry is warm, if hard, bread wrapped around some kind of meat. Fairly fresh. Probably auroch meat."
Myrrh "MMM! It's good, what's it made of?"
Xar`Rex introduces the others, "This is... " He pauses... "What is your name?"
Carmine looks up at the man from where she sits, leaning on Corve's shoulder. She obviously isn't wearing enough for the cold.
Blond Man "Oh, sorry. I'm Hunter."
Corve has an arm around Carmine's waist and in his other, his daughter. "Evenin', Hunter."
Xar`Rex "Hunter hunts Ice Wyrms and needs a ride to the glacier."
Blond Man nods.
Myrrh "Alright, let
Myrrh s start loading your things I suppose."
Blond Man "No hurry, no hurry." He crouches down and smiles at Sun, pulling his scarf and the hood of his parka back, showing a very handsome face with bright blue eyes and a well-trimmed blond beard. He offers her one of the auroch-meat pastries. "What's a lady like you doin in a place like this?"
Myrrh "Oh, it's a whole thing..."
Xar`Rex plays with the fire a bit, rearranging the burning wood so that it burns hotter and cleaner, with less smoke
Myrrh "Kidnapping, high adventure, the usual."
Blond Man "Might I be able to persuade y'all to help me with something? Since there's so many of you, I mean. There's an egg-nest not but a few yards from the nearest gate. It'd just take an hour or so to gather the eggs." He looks very hopeful, turning a bright and sincere smile on everyone, especially Carmine. "I'll let y'all have a quarter of the eggs, right off the top."
Myrrh "Hm, i'm not sure." Looks to the others.
Blond Man "Fetch a fine price and make great pets."
Blond Man "or food" He glances at Xar with a grin
Xar`Rex "It sounds interesting."
Carmine doesn't seem particularly enthused.
Myrrh "Well we've got nothing better to do and I'd rather do...something."
Corve doesn't seem enthused either; the little girl curled up in one arm might be the reason.
Myrrh "Well fine, you two stay here and I suppose Xar and I can help."
Blond Man looks to Oteki "And you?"
ST And so the departure is delayed for a time as half the Circle leaves with Hunter to go college Ice Worm Eggs. Meanwhile, the others remain at the passage into the glacier, waiting for dawn to come. The story diverges....
< Everyone Form Up On Me, Rescue Detail | Ex Pulplogs | Hellborn Rescue (unfinished) >
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