A Kingdom's Fate (Rp): Ended.

[Cinnonym]

Skaar, is it...? Well, it certainly suited It.

Ellondra helped herself after some hesitation to both the altered travel rations and the makeshift stew. It wasn't much to look at, but it warmed her and was definitively better than going hungry when she knew there would be battle in the morning.

Fed, she rest her head on her knees again and gazed blankly out of the cave mouth where the snow was falling thick. Gradually she lost her tension and alertness, and finally drifted into a delicate state of sleep.

 

[The Zango]

Ra'ive re-entered the cave dripping wet. Once Skaar had revealed his name he had taken his leave and begun washing the blood from his clothes. The smell was the worst part, he didnt mind Human or even Elf blood yet Ogre blood had a peculiar smell to it that brought the bile to the tip of his throat.

He glanced around and saw the Dwarf laying very still slightly away from him with a fur draped over him.

'I wonder what his problem is' he thought to himself as he took his seat by the fire once more and began to massage his aching knee.

"What are we eating" he asked as he filled his bowl with the stew Vik'nar had prepared, it was actually quite good. He was pleased Vik'nar was as good a chef as he professed he was.

On a full stomach he retreated from the others and found himself a small corner to huddle in, from here he watched the flames flicker, let his mind wonder and soon enough he was alseep.

 

[Cinnonym]

Ellondra woke an hour before dawn. She was freezing; the fire had burned itself to ash in the night and she'd had little cover. She was at least relieved to see that she had all of her belongings and there were no sharp bits of metal sticking out of her anywhere... At least the band could be trusted not to fight like cowards, that was something good.

She investigated Dworgen: he seemed even worse than earlier. A nudge of a boot here and there, and she'd done what she could to rouse Vik'nar, Aer'rad, and Ra'ive.

"Come," she whispered, "We've got to get a move on, before the sun rises too high. Leave the Dwarf. He may rest while we finish this duty."

Ellondra waited outside while her comrades prepared themselves. She hadn't personally woken Skaar... she had a feeling he wasn't truly sleeping.

 

[Souldemon8]

Aer'rad woke up near the back of the cave. He must have moved when the fire went out last night. He quickly gathered his equipment though when he stood his feet felt numb. He took of his shoes and took a closer look. His feet had turned a bluish-purple color.

"It must be trench foot," Aer'rad mumbled to himself before putting his boots back on.

He made his way to the entrance of the cave where he saw Ellondra waiting. Their was a mild breeze not to cold though still uncomfortable.

"Good morning," Aer'rad smirked as he threw on his hood.

 

[The Zango]

Ra'ive stirred, had the guard kicked him? It didnt matter he hadnt slept well at all, whenever he would drift off Dworgens loud coughs and wheezes awakened him. He wasnt used to sleeping with all these people around and so had slept with his claw primed and ready on his fist.

He stood and stretched, his knee still hurt like hell but he did his best to ignore it. He walked outside towards Aer'rad and Ellondra, where the chilling air fully awakened him.

"How long until we move" he said not directing the question at anyone in particular, yet he had a strong feeling he knew who would answer.

 

[Cinnonym]

He was right.

"As soon as the others are geared up and ready. And it ought to be soon--we're already wasting time."

 

[The Zango]

Ra'ive tward Ellondra nodded his head, sat on a nearby stone and waited for Vik'nar and Skaar.

Ok thats me done for the night, try not to have too much fun without me k?

 

[Slycne]

"I'm up, I'm up!" Having seen and heard the Ellondra's rousing routine for everyone else. A quick splash of water across his face and he steps out of the cave. Taking the moment to stretch out the stiffness of sleeping on the stone cave floor.

 

[Malifact]

Skaar rose from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, turning without a word and leaving them in the main chamber as he headed off down the tunnel at the back of the cave. A minute later, he re-emerged clad in the horrendous set of skull-themed armor he'd worn when they'd first... met. The chestplate had been repaired, indicating that Skaar had a smithy set up down the tunnel; a necessary add-on, as his armor, of course, did not just magically maintain itself. "When your ready, we'll set out" He grunted, snapping the buckles of his helm into place against the corresponding latches of the neck-guard.

 

[Cinnonym]

With Skaar, at her insistence, once again leading, the party could move forward. As Ellondra had intended, dawn had not yet broken but the sky was lightening beyond the ridges to the east and finding their way was not a difficult task.

Climbing the crags was probably a challenge for Ra'ive's knee--but she didn't mind. So close to the top, she could see thousands of miles out--the lights of Sweare to the south, and the chasm of the Rift to the east. It seemed so distant: the threat that it represented.

There was a nook several hundred meters from the peak; Ellondra spotted it first, tucked away almost in a hollow that must have been formed by generations of nesting in the same locale. Unless gryphon talons could carve rock, which was a thought she didn't much want to entertain. In a heavy mass of brush, straw, and shed feathers were four or five enormous eggs. They were alone.

"Mother dearest must not be far." Curiosity intact despite the danger, the Sergeant climbed up the jagged rocks to the nest and leaned down over it. Still warm.

She heard the Gryphon Mother before she saw it. No sooner had she even reached out a hand towards its offspring than she was thrown back by a massive white wing and tumbled with a sharp curse down from the ledge and into the snow. The Mother could easily have been compared to the size of a small barn. Its vast wingspan held between it the stout body of a predatory beast, four sturdy legs ending in wicked talons rivaling her own sword in sharpness. Its beak could rend flesh. Carving rocks, indeed. Its whiteness, speckled with grey, stood starkly against the dark crags where it perched, muscles tense and ready to spring.

Ellondra managed to pick herself up and draw her weapon.

 

[Dragon_of_red]

<spoiler=OOC>Well... Im here now... Soooo... Do I just make myself enter somehow or what?

 

[Cinnonym]

Spoiler: OOC

Jesus--nine hours and not a single post?

 

[Dragon_of_red]

<spoiler=OOC>Hey, i posted... I need the GM's help untill i can get into the RP

 

[Slycne]

He'd need to act fast before the melee broke out, Black Lotus poison might only serve to dull the beast's movements, but it would likely be a swift end to any of them should a dagger fly stray.

The pouch was designed to cradle the 2 vials against all but crushing it directly, Vik'nar wears one at his hip and it's from here he draws a simple looking vial, not much bigger than your thumb. To harvest the poison of Black Lotus one must simmer the seedlings. The resulting liquid is quiet potent on its own, but it's often then reduced and a binder will be added. This strengthens the dose and gives it a thick enough consistency to apply to weapons.

Vik'nar strikes off the end, stopper and all, in one quick stroke against the first throwing dagger, getting about half its contents adhered to the blade. With a backhand spin the dagger flies striking the gryphon low in the front shoulder.

She would need the full dose though, and so he swipes the remainder onto the second dagger he produces from a sleeve. In his mind he imagines that target in the kitchen back home and throws. End over end it flies for a second it seems it may miss its mark as she raises up on her hind legs to leash a deafening roar, but the dagger buries to the hilt in her hind quarters.

Won't be enough to kill her, but it just might fog her up enough to keep her from taking someone's head clean off.

Out come the katars as Vik'nar glances over at the eggs wondering if there is some way they could use her protective nature to their advantage.

 

[Malifact]

The Death Knight scowled behind his skull-faced helm; the deed they were preforming left a foul taste in his mouth. Murdering the Gryphon Matriarch and her brood in the off-chance that the Easterlings might hear about them? It did not sit well with him... but sometimes, unpleasant things must be done to earn salvation-and, for Skaar, redemption. That is what he told himself as he willed the Bonesword to grow forth, ripping the grotesque, saw-toothed weapon out from the base of his spine and sidling off towards the side, slipping about the side of the pre-occupied Gryphon towards her eggs. Positioning himself over the nest, he raised his massive abomination blade in preparation for a crushing blow.

 

[The Zango]

Ra'ive came up just behind everyone else, his aching knee had slowed him down considerably and now he was wishing that it had slowed him down further. He stood behind the others and watched as the Griffin mother let out a deafaning roar as Vik'nar's throwing dagger buried itself into her leg.

'As good a tactic as any' he thought as he brushed back a fold of his cloak revealing a large set of daggers and readied them, two on both hands. As he saw Skaar's retched sword emerge from his back he took aim and flung all four of his daggers at the creature.

Two missed but two hit paydirt. The first enbedding itself in one of her wings, the other in her neck he estimated just a few inches shy of a major artery.

Spoiler: OoC

Sorry i didnt post yesterda, major writers block. This is the best i can come up with in about twelve hours.

 

[Jav3lin]

The Gryphon mother took flight and made an uneasy landing on a 110° mountain hill. She used her wings to rip out the blade from her neck, and no blood came out.
It let out a belowing screech, making the ears of anyone shiver.

However, out of the cave nearby sprung five smaller gryphons and they were pissed.
They made a triangle flying motion as they sped up, losing altitude and inbound to the party.

--

The Gryphon mother however flew back to her nest as she saw Skaar standing over her eggs.
Before Skaar managed to swing his blade fully downward, the Gryphon mother flew straight into him.
The combined force of strength and speed sent Skaar flying down into the snow and he vaulted over a few rocks as he rolled on the rocky terrain.

As he came to a stop, he was lying inches from the cliff's edge, and his sword was standing upright out of the snow, just over ten meters away.

 

[Cinnonym]

Ellondra let out a wordless cry of protest when the Mother knocked back her allies. One step forward, two steps back. Before she sunk her claws into either of them, she charged to give them time to recover their positions.

Her bracer parried the sharp beak, but it left a vicious dent--The Sergeant swung her falchion in an upward slash and took out its left eye. It recoiled with a shriek but was still firmly guarding the nest. She leaped back now that Ra'ive and Skaar were up again.

But what she saw afterwards made her curse.

"More above!"

They swooped downward--her first swing was blind and impulsive, but the second knew its target. It met the muscle and bone of the joining of wing and body, couldn't sever it as cleanly as the Ogre's neck, but she tore it out of the sky and into the snow and killed it with a swift downward stab.

 

[Malifact]

Skaar grunted and rose to his feet, sprinting towards his blade and ripping it out of the frozen earth before turning back to join the fray. He leapt forward into the air, bringing his mighty saw-bladed bonesword down in an executioners chop, the unholy weapon slicing through his targets spine and sending the beast flopping down to earth. "Coordinate your assault! And someone clip the Mother's wings!" He snarled, turning once more to engage two of the other beasts, dazing them with a burst of mental energy before leaping in to finish the disoriented beasts off.

 

[Slycne]

"...And someone clip the Mother's wings!" Oh please let me live through this idea.

Without a second thought, Vik'nar dashes towards one of the smaller gryphons as they dive in for another assault. Right at the moment it's about to tear him to ribbons with claws and beak, Vik'nar whirls to the left and grabs a mane full of feathers. The beast forward momentum propelling him back and up on top of it.

It reels and bucks violently, trying to dismount the would be rider, but Vik'nar holds tight to a mass of feathers and drives a dagger into it's back for another hand hold. It's in a panic now and takes to the skies not looking where it's going, crashing straight into the Mother.

A panicked cluster of feathers, fur, claw and a Sever-elf comes crashing down to the stone floor. Miraculously Vik'nar is thrown free landing hard against the wall with an audible crunch. The smaller gryphon isn't moving at all and one of the Mother's wings is shattered and hanging limply to one side.