A Rose In The Wind: A Saga of the Halmae -- Updated June 19, 2014
ellinor
Explorer
10x02
A searing pain burned between Tavi’s shoulder blades as the hail of arrows rained down. One arrow hit. Then another. The pain spread across his back and shoulders and into his arms as he heard a great howl from behind him. As he turned to look, a horde of derro crested the clearing’s ridge. The derro emerged from the trees behind the group and charged toward them. Five rode giant lizards. The one on the largest lizard—clearly the leader—wore very heavy armor, apparently cobbled together from a variety of different suits, dwarven and human, crudely bolted together. A dozen archers and foot-soldiers flanked him, brandishing axes, hurtling toward the group and the holy Spring. SHUNK. An arrow sunk into Arden’s back as well. She winced.
Instinctively, Tavi looked to Rose. She dashed to the side, trying to find cover while staying close enough to listen to the Spring’s message. The expression in her eyes hovered between determination and despair. This is it, Tavi thought, vainly trying not to reduce his entire life into this single moment. Protect Rose. Protect the Spring. Hear the prophecy.
He craned his ears, but could not hear what the Spring was saying. A few feet away, Twiggy yelled something as she conjured her fireball and Mena yelled something else as she charged toward one of the footsoldiers. Tavi could not hear them, either. He could not hear anything more than five feet away—the wind and rain were too loud. He would not be able to move away from the Spring if he was going to hear its message. None of them could. Frankly, they might not hear the whole message even if they stayed right on the Spring’s banks.
“—single gas—”, the figure in the Spring continued.
Savina ran toward Tavi. “No killing!” she yelled. “It’s Alirria Ascendant!” Tavi was tempted to dismiss her words, but he knew she was right: killing any living creature on this day, in this place, would be sacrilegious. Not just that: it might stop the Spring from making its prophecy, and all of this would be for nothing. Glancing at Rose’s determined face, he wondered how many of the others had heard Savina’s plea—and he hoped that those who hadn’t would guess for themselves. Savina pulled the arrows from Tavi’s back and he felt the warm glow of healing where the arrows had pierced him.
While Savina healed Tavi, Kormick rushed toward the derro. He focused his meager, though effective, sorcerer powers and unleashed his electrical attack, which hit a lizard and felled a footsoldier (dead? Tavi wondered) and then he swung his axe at the lizard, leaving a gash in its hide that seemed less significant than the blow warranted. A stone from Arden’s sling whizzed by and sank into the lizard’s shoulder. But as blood dripped from its injuries, the lizard and its rider kept charging forward. This is not looking good, thought Tavi, as he readied his sword to attack the same lizard.
Suddenly, the leader of the derro reared back and pointed. The air shimmered. The rain, already cold, froze into icy hail, and the ground became slick beneath Tavi’s feet—beneath all of their feet. Then Kormick screamed, grabbed his head, and doubled over in pain. Tavi had just enough time to wonder what spell had attacked Kormick when two arrows sank into Kormick’s thigh. Spots of blood blossomed on Kormick’s pants.
The derro leader was not unscathed—one of Nyoko’s arrows flew past Tavi and hit the snarling leader, along with one of the derro archers beside him—but he was still riding tall.
As if Nyoko’s arrows were a cue, another rain of arrows fell with the hail. Two grazed Savina’s arm, and her blood spattered into the underbrush. “No!” Savina cried, desperation ringing in her voice as its sound dissipated in the wind, “no blood in the Spring! We must keep the Spring pure!”
Too far, and we can’t hear the prophecy. Too close, and we risk despoiling the Spring. No one said it would be easy, Tavi thought. Mena would say I’ve trained for this. He looked over to where Mena was marshaling the dwarves, who were fighting to stay alive. Mena shifted away from the dwarves to guard Rose and listen closely, and then shook her head in frustration. Tavi craned his ears again.
“—to turn the storm—”
As the giant lizards backed away from Twiggy’s ball of fire, Tavi unleashed his flame cyclone, charring the nearest lizard and rider. But most of the lizards remained unscathed and continued to charge, snarling and slashing at Arden and Kormick. They foamed and growled as Arden used her cloak to teleport back toward the pond (and into listening range), and loosed two stones from her sling. A lizard and rider reared back as the stones hit. “Rose!” Tavi yelled. “Get to the other side of the pond!” In a flash, Rose teleported across the pond, farther away from the derro, but still not completely out of danger.
There was no such thing.
Twiggy’s ball of flame helped to hold off the lizards, but it drew attention to her. The derro leader pointed at her, and she doubled over as Kormick had, in obvious pain. A rider urged his lizard forward and sliced at Twiggy with his poisoned blade. Tavi followed the arc with his eyes as a drop of her blood flew up, across…just wide of the spring.
“A little help over here?” Tavi just barely heard Kormick’s voice shouting from a few feet away—and on the slippery ground, he could not move to help. A lizard and rider were bearing down on Kormick, and one of the footsoldiers was rushing his way, too. SLASH. The lizard’s claws raked across his chest. SLICE. The footsoldier’s axe split his side.
The Justicar fell to the ground, unconscious, his blood soaking the wet, trampled grass.
A searing pain burned between Tavi’s shoulder blades as the hail of arrows rained down. One arrow hit. Then another. The pain spread across his back and shoulders and into his arms as he heard a great howl from behind him. As he turned to look, a horde of derro crested the clearing’s ridge. The derro emerged from the trees behind the group and charged toward them. Five rode giant lizards. The one on the largest lizard—clearly the leader—wore very heavy armor, apparently cobbled together from a variety of different suits, dwarven and human, crudely bolted together. A dozen archers and foot-soldiers flanked him, brandishing axes, hurtling toward the group and the holy Spring. SHUNK. An arrow sunk into Arden’s back as well. She winced.
Instinctively, Tavi looked to Rose. She dashed to the side, trying to find cover while staying close enough to listen to the Spring’s message. The expression in her eyes hovered between determination and despair. This is it, Tavi thought, vainly trying not to reduce his entire life into this single moment. Protect Rose. Protect the Spring. Hear the prophecy.
He craned his ears, but could not hear what the Spring was saying. A few feet away, Twiggy yelled something as she conjured her fireball and Mena yelled something else as she charged toward one of the footsoldiers. Tavi could not hear them, either. He could not hear anything more than five feet away—the wind and rain were too loud. He would not be able to move away from the Spring if he was going to hear its message. None of them could. Frankly, they might not hear the whole message even if they stayed right on the Spring’s banks.
“—single gas—”, the figure in the Spring continued.
Savina ran toward Tavi. “No killing!” she yelled. “It’s Alirria Ascendant!” Tavi was tempted to dismiss her words, but he knew she was right: killing any living creature on this day, in this place, would be sacrilegious. Not just that: it might stop the Spring from making its prophecy, and all of this would be for nothing. Glancing at Rose’s determined face, he wondered how many of the others had heard Savina’s plea—and he hoped that those who hadn’t would guess for themselves. Savina pulled the arrows from Tavi’s back and he felt the warm glow of healing where the arrows had pierced him.
While Savina healed Tavi, Kormick rushed toward the derro. He focused his meager, though effective, sorcerer powers and unleashed his electrical attack, which hit a lizard and felled a footsoldier (dead? Tavi wondered) and then he swung his axe at the lizard, leaving a gash in its hide that seemed less significant than the blow warranted. A stone from Arden’s sling whizzed by and sank into the lizard’s shoulder. But as blood dripped from its injuries, the lizard and its rider kept charging forward. This is not looking good, thought Tavi, as he readied his sword to attack the same lizard.
Suddenly, the leader of the derro reared back and pointed. The air shimmered. The rain, already cold, froze into icy hail, and the ground became slick beneath Tavi’s feet—beneath all of their feet. Then Kormick screamed, grabbed his head, and doubled over in pain. Tavi had just enough time to wonder what spell had attacked Kormick when two arrows sank into Kormick’s thigh. Spots of blood blossomed on Kormick’s pants.
The derro leader was not unscathed—one of Nyoko’s arrows flew past Tavi and hit the snarling leader, along with one of the derro archers beside him—but he was still riding tall.
As if Nyoko’s arrows were a cue, another rain of arrows fell with the hail. Two grazed Savina’s arm, and her blood spattered into the underbrush. “No!” Savina cried, desperation ringing in her voice as its sound dissipated in the wind, “no blood in the Spring! We must keep the Spring pure!”
Too far, and we can’t hear the prophecy. Too close, and we risk despoiling the Spring. No one said it would be easy, Tavi thought. Mena would say I’ve trained for this. He looked over to where Mena was marshaling the dwarves, who were fighting to stay alive. Mena shifted away from the dwarves to guard Rose and listen closely, and then shook her head in frustration. Tavi craned his ears again.
“—to turn the storm—”
As the giant lizards backed away from Twiggy’s ball of fire, Tavi unleashed his flame cyclone, charring the nearest lizard and rider. But most of the lizards remained unscathed and continued to charge, snarling and slashing at Arden and Kormick. They foamed and growled as Arden used her cloak to teleport back toward the pond (and into listening range), and loosed two stones from her sling. A lizard and rider reared back as the stones hit. “Rose!” Tavi yelled. “Get to the other side of the pond!” In a flash, Rose teleported across the pond, farther away from the derro, but still not completely out of danger.
There was no such thing.
Twiggy’s ball of flame helped to hold off the lizards, but it drew attention to her. The derro leader pointed at her, and she doubled over as Kormick had, in obvious pain. A rider urged his lizard forward and sliced at Twiggy with his poisoned blade. Tavi followed the arc with his eyes as a drop of her blood flew up, across…just wide of the spring.
“A little help over here?” Tavi just barely heard Kormick’s voice shouting from a few feet away—and on the slippery ground, he could not move to help. A lizard and rider were bearing down on Kormick, and one of the footsoldiers was rushing his way, too. SLASH. The lizard’s claws raked across his chest. SLICE. The footsoldier’s axe split his side.
The Justicar fell to the ground, unconscious, his blood soaking the wet, trampled grass.
ellinor
Explorer
10x03 -- Happy birthday, Fajitas!
A year ago (well, very nearly so, on February 27), we commemorated Fajitas' birthday by beginning the tale of this group, who set off from the relative comfort of Pol Henna into the hostility of the Ketkath to find Alirria's Spring and learn its prophecy for Rose.
So it's only fitting that a year later, we finally get to hear...bits and snatches of that prophecy.
So, happy birthday! Thanks, Fajitas, for running a great game, and thanks to all of you for reading! There's oh, so much more in store.
_______________________
10x03
This is what I trained for, Tavi thought. It’s what I dreaded. What I knew I would be marching into, one day.
His glance moved from Kormick’s motionless body to Mena, who was shouting orders to the dwarves, and then to Rose, who crouched on the other side of the pond, wiping welled tears from her face.
It will not end this way, Tavi thought.
Tavi planted his feet, focused his mind into a spell, concentrated, and hurled his sword. “Savina! Down!” he yelled, trusting she was close enough to hear. She was. The sword sailed over her head and planted itself among the footsoldiers. Flames shot from its blade, setting one lizard and rider aflame and turning of the footsoldiers into a whirling, screaming mass. No death, Tavi thought, and with all his will he pulled the fire back in the sword before—he hoped—its effect became fatal. Steam and smoke rose from the derro bodies and the immolated soldier fell to the ground, unmoving. As the lizard bucked and snarled, Tavi’s sword re-formed in his hand. He set it ablaze again, and with a sword burst, he knocked unconscious another footsoldier and the still-smoldering rider. He swung again, this time at the rider-less lizard, and sliced a long, smoking gash in its hide. Lizard blood spattered onto the bank of the spring, inches from the water. Tavi willed it to stay (Please. Please. Not in the water), and listened once again.
"—pestle fan the last coals of the—"
That doesn’t make sense, Tavi thought, as another hail of arrows fell from the derro archers. He couldn’t see who they hit—but he felt a surge of energy, and saw a blue glow from Savina’s staff. A moment later, Twiggy grasped her head again, apparently the victim of another of the derro leader’s spells. They keep coming, Tavi thought. We have to do the same.
Suddenly, he saw Mena charge across the grassy field toward Kormick. As she ran, two lizards and their riders slashed at her, leaving long red gashes in her arms and thighs. She reached Kormick, though, and knelt down by his side, grasping his shoulders. “GET THE HELL UP!” she hollered. Her armor hissed and howled. The rider-less lizard charged toward her and the still-unconscious Justicar. “NOW!” She whipped her sword around and, as the lizard barreled forward, swung it like a club at the lizard’s head. It struck the lizard, broadside, right between the eyes. The lizard collapsed with a thud. Kormick jerked up as if waking from a bad dream and swung his warhammer blindly. “What? Where?” he blurted, and tried to sit up.
That’s more like it, thought Tavi, as two more arrows flew past him from Nyoko’s bow. They hit the derro leader squarely on the shoulders. He raised one arm up, as if to cast, and toppled from his mount. But his lizard reared back with a scream and charged forward toward Mena and Kormick. “Dame Mena!” Arden yelled, and another rock whipped from her sling, hitting the lizard just as it opened its jaws. The lizard turned its head and Kormick flailed and rolled. The lizard bit down on the grass and mud where Kormick’s shoulder had been.
Tavi knew this was the moment to move. He unleashed another sword burst, knocking out another footsoldier and rider, and making another gash in the lizard that had been attacking Kormick. Then he cast and threw his sword again. It whirled, arcing over Mena and Kormick, and sliced another giant line down the lizard’s flank. The lizard stumbled. Progress, thought Tavi.
But as the sword whirled back toward his hand, a tiny drop of lizard blood flew from its blade and soared toward Tavi. Tavi saw it moving, and time slowed as it formed an arc across the rain. He jumped up, hand outstretched, to stop its path.
He could not.
It dropped, a single bead amidst the thousands of drops of rain, into the pool beneath the woman's figure.
The water churned.
The base of the figure bubbled red, and the figure quivered, still speaking, but gurgling, choked, and soft.
Tavi strained to listen. “"—the smothered flay—"
Droplets began to run off its sides, and its shape began to waver. The voice cried out, then chanted some words Tavi could not understand, and began to sink as arrows from the derro archers fell into the pool beside it.
Tavi’s throat closed, and for a moment, he looked up at the sky. Wind whipped his face and rain dripped into his eyes. His back throbbed as the wound there continued to bleed. He was cold. But then he looked at Rose, across the pond, and the chaos in the clearing, and knew it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
He heard a scream. It was Arden. Arrows protruded from her chest and side. She fell, unmoving, by the side of the pond.
The derro leader cast. Another scream—this one from behind him—told him Nyoko was the leader’s target.
Mena dashed back toward the spring—again venturing too close to the riders’ blades and lizards’ claws, and paying for it in blood—and barked an inaudible order at the fighting dwarves. Then she stopped and listened, breathing heavily, concentration and sadness showing on her face. The Spring had stopped speaking.
The wind howled, a great bolt of lightning cracked the sky, and the watery figure vanished into the Spring. Gone.
But Tavi didn’t have time to think about what they had lost. One of the beasts hurtled toward Savina, and then reared up, pushing her to the ground with its claws and sinking its teeth into her side. She went limp, unconscious.
Tavi thrust his sword into the ground, concentrated, and cast the spell that would switch his location for Savina’s. It moved her farther from danger—until they reach her there, he thought—and put him in position to attack the lizard. SLICE. His flaming sword cut the lizard’s shoulder and continued on, smacking a footsoldier on the head hard enough to knock him out. He slashed again, this time hitting the lizard’s rider.
The derro archers fired again. Tavi felt an arrow sink into his side. He broke off the end, but left it in. Savina could not heal him, now. He’d have to move through the pain. Twiggy had also been hit, and had fallen to one knee as blood streamed from her thigh.
Kormick was not so lucky. He fell, again, and did not stir.
Mena pulled a small vial from inside her armor, and put it to Savina’s lips. She jerked it away—had Savina been able to swallow its contents?—when a beast rushed toward them. Mena beat it back with skill Tavi recognized but a ponderous weakness that he did not. Mena was fading.
The lizard turned and charged at Twiggy, who knelt helplessly on the banks of the pond. It slashed viciously across Twiggy’s chest and she slumped forward, limp. Her fireball fizzled and wet ash fluttered across the field.
Tavi looked up just in time to see two more arrows headed directly for him. He felt the bloom of agony in his chest, and felt himself stagger, and felt something—not pain, exactly—but a warm wetness, tightness…there was an arrow in his neck, something was wrong with his breathing… he put his hand to his neck. Blood…
The world went black.
A year ago (well, very nearly so, on February 27), we commemorated Fajitas' birthday by beginning the tale of this group, who set off from the relative comfort of Pol Henna into the hostility of the Ketkath to find Alirria's Spring and learn its prophecy for Rose.
So it's only fitting that a year later, we finally get to hear...bits and snatches of that prophecy.
So, happy birthday! Thanks, Fajitas, for running a great game, and thanks to all of you for reading! There's oh, so much more in store.
_______________________
10x03
This is what I trained for, Tavi thought. It’s what I dreaded. What I knew I would be marching into, one day.
His glance moved from Kormick’s motionless body to Mena, who was shouting orders to the dwarves, and then to Rose, who crouched on the other side of the pond, wiping welled tears from her face.
It will not end this way, Tavi thought.
Tavi planted his feet, focused his mind into a spell, concentrated, and hurled his sword. “Savina! Down!” he yelled, trusting she was close enough to hear. She was. The sword sailed over her head and planted itself among the footsoldiers. Flames shot from its blade, setting one lizard and rider aflame and turning of the footsoldiers into a whirling, screaming mass. No death, Tavi thought, and with all his will he pulled the fire back in the sword before—he hoped—its effect became fatal. Steam and smoke rose from the derro bodies and the immolated soldier fell to the ground, unmoving. As the lizard bucked and snarled, Tavi’s sword re-formed in his hand. He set it ablaze again, and with a sword burst, he knocked unconscious another footsoldier and the still-smoldering rider. He swung again, this time at the rider-less lizard, and sliced a long, smoking gash in its hide. Lizard blood spattered onto the bank of the spring, inches from the water. Tavi willed it to stay (Please. Please. Not in the water), and listened once again.
"—pestle fan the last coals of the—"
That doesn’t make sense, Tavi thought, as another hail of arrows fell from the derro archers. He couldn’t see who they hit—but he felt a surge of energy, and saw a blue glow from Savina’s staff. A moment later, Twiggy grasped her head again, apparently the victim of another of the derro leader’s spells. They keep coming, Tavi thought. We have to do the same.
Suddenly, he saw Mena charge across the grassy field toward Kormick. As she ran, two lizards and their riders slashed at her, leaving long red gashes in her arms and thighs. She reached Kormick, though, and knelt down by his side, grasping his shoulders. “GET THE HELL UP!” she hollered. Her armor hissed and howled. The rider-less lizard charged toward her and the still-unconscious Justicar. “NOW!” She whipped her sword around and, as the lizard barreled forward, swung it like a club at the lizard’s head. It struck the lizard, broadside, right between the eyes. The lizard collapsed with a thud. Kormick jerked up as if waking from a bad dream and swung his warhammer blindly. “What? Where?” he blurted, and tried to sit up.
That’s more like it, thought Tavi, as two more arrows flew past him from Nyoko’s bow. They hit the derro leader squarely on the shoulders. He raised one arm up, as if to cast, and toppled from his mount. But his lizard reared back with a scream and charged forward toward Mena and Kormick. “Dame Mena!” Arden yelled, and another rock whipped from her sling, hitting the lizard just as it opened its jaws. The lizard turned its head and Kormick flailed and rolled. The lizard bit down on the grass and mud where Kormick’s shoulder had been.
Tavi knew this was the moment to move. He unleashed another sword burst, knocking out another footsoldier and rider, and making another gash in the lizard that had been attacking Kormick. Then he cast and threw his sword again. It whirled, arcing over Mena and Kormick, and sliced another giant line down the lizard’s flank. The lizard stumbled. Progress, thought Tavi.
But as the sword whirled back toward his hand, a tiny drop of lizard blood flew from its blade and soared toward Tavi. Tavi saw it moving, and time slowed as it formed an arc across the rain. He jumped up, hand outstretched, to stop its path.
He could not.
It dropped, a single bead amidst the thousands of drops of rain, into the pool beneath the woman's figure.
The water churned.
The base of the figure bubbled red, and the figure quivered, still speaking, but gurgling, choked, and soft.
Tavi strained to listen. “"—the smothered flay—"
Droplets began to run off its sides, and its shape began to waver. The voice cried out, then chanted some words Tavi could not understand, and began to sink as arrows from the derro archers fell into the pool beside it.
Tavi’s throat closed, and for a moment, he looked up at the sky. Wind whipped his face and rain dripped into his eyes. His back throbbed as the wound there continued to bleed. He was cold. But then he looked at Rose, across the pond, and the chaos in the clearing, and knew it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
He heard a scream. It was Arden. Arrows protruded from her chest and side. She fell, unmoving, by the side of the pond.
The derro leader cast. Another scream—this one from behind him—told him Nyoko was the leader’s target.
Mena dashed back toward the spring—again venturing too close to the riders’ blades and lizards’ claws, and paying for it in blood—and barked an inaudible order at the fighting dwarves. Then she stopped and listened, breathing heavily, concentration and sadness showing on her face. The Spring had stopped speaking.
The wind howled, a great bolt of lightning cracked the sky, and the watery figure vanished into the Spring. Gone.
But Tavi didn’t have time to think about what they had lost. One of the beasts hurtled toward Savina, and then reared up, pushing her to the ground with its claws and sinking its teeth into her side. She went limp, unconscious.
Tavi thrust his sword into the ground, concentrated, and cast the spell that would switch his location for Savina’s. It moved her farther from danger—until they reach her there, he thought—and put him in position to attack the lizard. SLICE. His flaming sword cut the lizard’s shoulder and continued on, smacking a footsoldier on the head hard enough to knock him out. He slashed again, this time hitting the lizard’s rider.
The derro archers fired again. Tavi felt an arrow sink into his side. He broke off the end, but left it in. Savina could not heal him, now. He’d have to move through the pain. Twiggy had also been hit, and had fallen to one knee as blood streamed from her thigh.
Kormick was not so lucky. He fell, again, and did not stir.
Mena pulled a small vial from inside her armor, and put it to Savina’s lips. She jerked it away—had Savina been able to swallow its contents?—when a beast rushed toward them. Mena beat it back with skill Tavi recognized but a ponderous weakness that he did not. Mena was fading.
The lizard turned and charged at Twiggy, who knelt helplessly on the banks of the pond. It slashed viciously across Twiggy’s chest and she slumped forward, limp. Her fireball fizzled and wet ash fluttered across the field.
Tavi looked up just in time to see two more arrows headed directly for him. He felt the bloom of agony in his chest, and felt himself stagger, and felt something—not pain, exactly—but a warm wetness, tightness…there was an arrow in his neck, something was wrong with his breathing… he put his hand to his neck. Blood…
The world went black.
Me too. I was there and I'm still not sure how it's going to work.
coyote6
Adventurer
Orichalcum
First Post
This seemed like such a light fun encounter when Fajitas previewed it for us....
Happy actual birthday to Fajitas, and thanks to everyone who's commented here these last few days! I have been laughing and/or groaning aloud, as appropriate, at your responses. It was, indeed, a bleak Alirria Ascendant for us all. As I sat at the table realizing that Arden, Savina, Tavi, Kormick, and Twiggy were all unconscious and dying... and Mena had maybe 1 HP left... I wasn't so much wondering HOW we would get out of this situation but IF we would. I remember thinking, "Well, at least we're right next to a magical Alirrian spring, which surely could help heal some of us or --
-- whoops, we just destroyed it. Uh, oh."
Good times.
Thanks, Fajitas, and thanks, fellow players, and thanks, co-writer ellinor, for a truly fun year. Here's to more.
-- whoops, we just destroyed it. Uh, oh."
Good times.
Thanks, Fajitas, and thanks, fellow players, and thanks, co-writer ellinor, for a truly fun year. Here's to more.
