[Act 3] Beyond the Doorway [Acrotomo]

Nkemdilim shouts when Dexten "survives" the arrow, and begins to stalk after him. Once the Dragonblooded gets a short distance from the caravan, though, Nkemdilim gives up the pursuit and returns, chuckling slightly.


"Well, that takes care of two problems...or at least, it is a good start."


He looks around at the frozen pass.


"Let us put some distance between ourselves and the Hunt. Alaura, can the ants communicate with each other over some distance? If so, it might be good to send one back for our lost companion. I would not wish to lose him in the coming storm."
 
--Broken Heron--


Other mountain goats flee in terror at the sight of the grisly murder, likely to notify the mountain goat police authority. The dead goat on Broken Heron's shoulder whispers softly "My son will take reve-e-e-enge on you, human..." before passing on into goatly paradise.

Code: 
Xarvh, it is likely that Broken Heron has a mild concussion. These thoughts about goat police and goat revenge are probably the results of a little bit of brain trauma resulting from the fall. Unless this is normal in Italy.
 
Broken Heron


Ah! Never trust a Sidereal goat!


Broken Heron checks the area around, suspicious of any other goat.


Then he sets himself again to find his lost companions.
 
Miss Fang nods to Nkemdilim and turning to the twins.


Sure they can.


Girls, could one of you go find the crazy biped named Broken Heron and lead him back to us ?


We wouldn't want the person that saved our lives today dying in the cold.


She's still smiling and her eyes do not betray even the slightest the internal turmoil of her emotions.


They could have died today, all of them... On three occasions I failed to protect my staff, my friends, my brothers and sisters... I need to be stronger, I MUST be stronger...
 
Sapphire is outwardly a very cool person. Three millions ways to deal with a Dragonblooded you wanted to protect and the only way was purposeful injury. She sighs inwardly and looks about the pass. And what of Heron... he had better be okay, she thinks as she turns to the others once Dexten is assuredly away and a smile touches her lips as Alaura sends away one of her stranger allies to look for the missing crazy man.


"Will we need to hunt for food and camp soon? Assuming Lost Mountain is willing perhaps he can help me deal with this horrible cold and hunt it in," she asks to no one in particular. I do so miss the climates of the South West, warm and humid! She tilts her head thoughtful suddenly. "Storm? Cold and Storm?" And a frown touches her lips.
 
Miss Fang shakes her head from side to side in disapproval.


What the hell am I thinking ?!


She drops and ties the thralls of the carriage to the bench for a few seconds, and jumps at the back pulling out some stuff, clothes, furs, tool frenetically.


AHA ! Here you ! go she says, apparently triumphant. She throws at everyone not wearing one of hers, a brown fur coat.


Wear those, I enchanted them so they can keep you warm.


She goes to the back and pulls out a large blanket. Carefully, she covers Jarod and Nessa with it with a gentle, but somehow sad smile.


You guys rest now...


And she hops back to leading the carriage away from the large pine it was heading towards, slowly but steadily.


Stupid horses... gotta creat a spell to make beasts brighter...
 
--The Pass--


It would seem there is no need for the Mercury Ants to seek Broken Heron. He suddenly appears within sight, ahead of the caravan and deftly climbing over the lip of a small ridge. There's a body on his shoulder, by the looks of it.


The coats do wonders to fight against the frigid cold. Enchanted as they are, and already luxurious by most standards, they will certainly make hazarding the biting winds much easier.
 
The smile on Broken Heron's face is of happiness and relief.


Then the relief becomes joy.


SPIIIIIKE!!


The black hairy spider rushes at the Exalt, wraps his face with its legs and starts brushing on his eye, uttering an acute quaver.


NO! Come.. Come on SPIKE!


SPIIIIKE!!


Let me go!


Spikes starts running excited around Heron's shoulders and head, while the Exalt attempts clumsily to restore his usual heroic poise.


Eyes smiling, he welcomes his companions, Exalted, mortals and elementals.


It's good to see you people again!
 
Relived of the return of Broken Heron, Lost Mountain is able to turn his attention to the tracks in the snow that have been bothering him for some time. Claping a hand down on the goat that drapes Herons shoulder Nice to have you back my friend.


Lost Mountain continues walking past Heron eyeing the tracks in the snow.


---------


Int+survival to identify characteristic of the tracks


Lost Mountain rolled the following in his 7 dice:


3, 9, 8, 1, 6, 3, 7


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 3 successes.
 
--The Tracks--


Lost Mountain scans the tracks thoroughly, his eyes and hands tracing the outline of the most defined steps. There are two distinct sets, each walking next to each other. The first is most likely an adult male. The steps are far apart, suggesting an easy stride. Based on the depth of the shoe-print, he weighs around 180-pounds. The shoe tracks appear to be typical peasant shoes, not the hardened boots of a soldier or the tanned leather or fur of a hunter. The tracks of the male appear to be... purposefully slowed, likely as to keep with the slower pace of the second set of tracks.


The second set is a true mystery. Its shoeprints are shorter but wider than the human's, but the imprint is far deeper, at least 210 pounds! The steps are close together as well, but the maker of the tracks seems to misstep periodically. The length of this one's strides suggests a slow pace. Whatever made this second pair of tracks, Lost Mountain is only certain of one thing.


Lost Mountain has never seen these kinds of tracks in the wild before.


Ever.
 
Frozen Heron looks first at his own clothes, ripped and soaked in snow, then, with some envy, at the warm coats Alaura and everyone else seems to be enjoying so much...


Alaura, if you don't mind, I'll be changing my clothes in one of the carts...
 
Miss Fang smiles and blinks at Broken Heron.


Hop in the back and get yourself a brown fur coat and a blanket. Pick up the ones with no initials on'em, they're the ones with the enchantments.


Get yourself warm o savior of the day !
 
Broken Heron laughs heartily. Thanks, Alaura. I think I'll slack for a bit, my bones are shattered.


This said, he reaches quickly for the back and disappears.
 
Don't worry friend, I'll take a look at that later. Get some rest, we have a long way ahead of us, answers Miss Fang, gratifying the twins with a silent nod.


Lost Mountain, let's keep moving a bit til the sun dims a bit, and then find us a nice camping spot at least an hour before nightfall.


It's going to be a long night people, so save your strengths, we're all going to need it.
 
--The Pass Opening to a Valley--


The minutes pass in silence, each Solar spending their time in thought... and peace. The pass is short, and begins to open up as the mountains spread apart. The scene is... incredible.


A quiet stream, likely the cause of the pass itself centuries ago, winds its way through this miniature valley. A forest of tall coniferous trees is the centerpiece of the valley, and at the northern end, the mountain's close again. It is likely that there is another pass there, where the river cuts through it. Further north, beyond this valley, are the many mysteries of the north that Twelve Irons, Miss Fang's predecessor, once investigated.


For now, there appears to be a thin trail of smoke from a small fire along the trail. The tracks lead directly to it.


RiverPass.jpg
 
Lost Mountain turns back to Nkemdilim we a serious look in he eyes, I have no idea what we are walking into here, the second set of footprints are strange to me, something that I have not come across on any of my travels.
 
Nkemdilim crouches down next to the tracks, taking a long hard look at them.


"Alaura, would you come over here and take a look at this? We have found some strange tracks."


-----------


Nkemdilim will Assist Alaura in identifying the tracks, if they are from some supernatural creature (+1 die).
 
Sapphire looks about the area warily. The softness and silence of the area gave the place a nearly dead appearance. Still her eyes fall upon the distant smoke. She wasn't a tracker, unless it was a rich bastard terrorizing others, the she would follow them. But this was different and the tracks, even strange to Lost Mountain made her uneasy, slightly.
 
Nkemdilim looks up to see Sapphire looking over at him and Lost Mountain.


"Sapphire, would you go ahead and investigate whoever is at the fire up ahead? We will be close behind you, but they will be less threatened by a single traveler than an entire caravan."
 
Sapphire slides tenderly to the earth from her place in the wagon. Once again reminded by pain of the power that the dark ones seem to have. "Okay," she says as she shakes loose her dark hair and nods to the group before she heads forward towards the area of the smoke. A bit of curiosity did drive her, if only as much as her feelings of concern. Perhaps though it was the earlier pain, though she reminded herself any other spell casting people will have to cast faster than her arrows.
 
--Sapphire--


Ahead of the caravan, nestled in a small copse a short distance from the trail on the right, is the source of the smoke... A small, poorly thrown-together fire, and two figures. The first is clearly a man, a peasant by the looks of him. Home-made clothing, tough leather shoes, a ragged wolf-fur cloak. His hair is greasy and his face is drawn and wrinkled, though he must be no older than 20.


Sitting next to him is another human figure, though it is hunched over and draped in a heavy cloak. Long dark hair tangles out of the hood, so it may be female.


Both are unaware of Sapphire's approach, though she wasn't attempting to be stealthy. The man's lips are moving, though his words cannot be heard at this distance.
 
Lost Mountain walks up to stand next to Nkemdilim, She still favors her injurys, yet you think it wise to send her in blindly.
 
Nkemdilim glances over at Lost Mountain.


"Even injured, she is more than capable of handling anything in these mountains. It is good for her to experience the truth of that, especially after our encounter with the necromancer."


Nkemdilim stands.


"Speaking of whom..."


He walks back to the wagon with the possessed girl. He checks her over for injury and any other signs of failing health, then addresses the being inhabiting her.


"Ghost, I have a question for you."
 
--The Last Wagon--


The woman opens her mouth widely to stretch out, her jaw working back and forth. While she does so, that chilling voice issues forth from it.


Twice Again From Nowhere is at your sssservice... Charging Sunburssst...


The thing inside her seemed to repeat its own name intentionally, as if trying to deny that it is a ghost at all... Nkemdilim's gut tells him that the being simply doesn't want him to know its true nature, and thus find a way to forcibly expel it.
 
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