A Chronicle of Ice, Luck and Honour - updated 19th December

[Spider_Jerusalem]

And I like the extra "interludes" giving us a look as what's going on "off-screen". As well as heightening the tension for the reader with a bit of foreshadowing, it lets us see (at least some of) the logic by which the plot unfolds as it happens, rather than relying solely on retrospective explanation. Which, in my view at least, is a good thing.

Absolutely. The plot stretches far and wide at some points and like you say, interludes are a handy little exposition machine. Not only that, they do heighten tension. You know that our illustrious heroes have Arkella tracking them down etc. There will be more interludes coming up. And thanks for the praise. It gives me that extra boost to write quicker and better.

Well, enough of me. Hope the rest of you guys liked the last post - things start to heat up for the characters at this stage (lots of bad guys starting to notice what's going on), and it's only a matter of time before the kobold hits the fan.

Anyway.

Spider J

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Ice, Luck and Honour
Chapter 9: Eye of the Blizzard

“Stay down, filthy beast!”

Milo feinted left then tumbled sideways, rolling tightly through the ettin’s legs. The ettin tried to follow, but collapsed to the ground with a grunt of surprise as it chased the elusive halfling through it’s own legs. Milo pounced forwards and stabbed the fallen ettin in the side.

“Stay down, filthy beast!” cried Milo enthusiastically as Vampire bit deep, his veins suddenly flaring in ecstasy with the half-giant blood. The villagers around the ettin took heed from the daring halfling and swarmed onto the downed creature, their weapons hacking with fury into the roaring giant.

The woman in red dashed forwards, her body slung low to the ground as she rushed at the second ettin. Thalin back-pedalled away from the powerful swings of the enraged giant, the two monstrous heads snarling in unison as the mage ducked under another swipe.

The ettin stepped forwards with a thud, emitting a guttural growl from one head and a snorting laugh from the other. The ettin loomed over the mage, it's club ready to bring down a final crushing blow. Suddenly bellowing with pain, the ettin dropped to its knees as the woman in red rushed past, her sword tracing across the hamstrings of the giant.

- - - - - - - - - -​

Turning away from the frail red robed woman and the questions that her presence had created, Torious bounded down the steps of the church as the cries of battle echoed from outside.

“Please Merrick, you must not go out there,” breathed the old woman, her words almost a whisper, “you must be kept safe”

Straightening herself up and reaching up with hands mottled by age, the woman in red drew the hood away from her face. Her eyes were hollow and her skin loose, as if her skull had shrunk and left the rest behind. Grey hair, what little of it remained, was pulled tightly back from her head. She smiled at Merrick. Her eyes softened as she saw the illusion of immortality that all humans of that age possess.

“I can go where I want Errilinth, you said that yourself,” Merrick said with a hint of rebellion in his voice, “so I’m going”.

Conceding defeat, Errilinth watched as Merrick turned and jogged to the town hall doorway. His silhouetted form paused for a moment to look back at the woman who had guided him thus far, then stepped out into the afternoon light.

- - - - - - - - - -​

A shower of frozen shards thrashed into the crippled ettin from Thalin's outstretched hands. The giant's skin cracked and snapped away as frost crawled across it's chest. Undeterred, the ettin lurched forwards and smashed Thalin to the side with a heavy swing.

The powerful blow lifted the mage off of his feet and sent Thalin crashing through a half collapsed wall and into the remains of a smouldering house. The ettin roared with a mix of triumph and pain as the roof gave way and collapsed onto the crumpled mage.

 

[OaxacanWarrior]

The powerful blow lifted the mage off of his feet and sent Thalin crashing through a half collapsed wall and into the remains of a smouldering house. The ettin roared with a mix of triumph and pain as the roof gave way and collapsed onto the crumpled mage.

Does Thalin survive? Oh the suspense!!

I love the updates and interludes, Spider. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Hey Oaxacan,

Does Thalin survive? Oh the suspense!!
I love the updates and interludes, Spider. Keep 'em coming!

Thanks for the support! Well, Thalin was pretty damn close at this point - I remember the Ettin's damage roll made everyone wince, and Thalin's player realised he was in trouble. But he did well. Problem is, a mage down is the least of the heroe's problems right now...

Update incoming.

Spider J

P.S could anyone mildly interested in voting for a favourite character in this thread please head here - the poll looks pretty threadbare at the moment (I can't believe Torious is winning. What a scam), so please cast your vote...

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

"You shouldn't ask a lady that"

Errilinth stood motionless, watching with trepidation as the child that she had been charged to defend all those years ago left her side of his own free will. Clasping the pendant around her neck with a gnarled hand, Errilinth gazed past the scattered beams and the burnt timbers to the gallery of frightened faces huddling against the far wall. All their eyes were now on the woman in red standing alone in the centre of the town hall. She watched them for a moment. Their fearful eyes, their burnt clothes, their shrivelled hope.

Turning away from the cowering townsfolk, Errilinth followed Merrick into the light, lifting her hand to protect herself from the glaring sun. Squinting out across the skirmish below, the townsfolk had circled a dead ettin. Their frenzied attacks dared not slow to see if the beast was truly dead. Their leader was a halfling who slid his blood-slick shortsword into the fallen giant again and again. Merrick jogged towards the fray.

She will know soon.

Errilinth stood calmly at the top of the steps. She had let Merrick act as he wanted, only guiding him as a dam can redirect water. What was about to happen was inevitable, she had known that right from the beginning. But it didn't make it any easier, and her chest stung with loss already.

- - - - - - - - - -

Torious staggered his attack again, driving Freedom’s Edge hard into the belly of the creature. Dropping away a step, he found himself back to back with the woman in the red armour. The ettin began to move defensively. One of the heads lolled useless and dead on its chest.

“Who are you?” grunted Torious as his shield guided a flailing blow from the ettin into the ground.

“You shouldn’t ask a lady that,” came the clipped reply as she sidestepped to her right, purposefully knocking against Torious, “who are you?”

Torious gritted his teeth as the ettin bellowed again and lumbered forwards, “I’m Torious Mangrane. I am a descendant of Tyr the even-han…”

“Great,” interrupted the woman in red as she suddenly spun to face the Aasimar and pulled herself dangerously close to Torious, “I’m Vaerana Hawklyn. Pleased to meet you.”

Vaerana grinned wickedly at Torious then thrust away from him with a powerful kick, sending the bewildered Torious skidding onto his back with a crash. A second later the ettin’s huge club thundered into the ground where the two warriors once were. Vaerana landed in a crouch, then immediately darted forwards to attack the stooped giant. But she was stopped short as the ettin collapsed in on itself in a cascade of crystallised ice.

Thalin stood haggard on the mound of smouldering rubble around him; his hand outstretched towards the frosted ettin. His eyes glared at the sundered corpse of the giant with a blaze of vengeance, “Bastard”. His energy spent, Thalin wavered once then toppled sideways with a gasp of pain.

Closer to the town hall, the workers of the village stood in a silent circle around the felled giant, weapons held awkwardly as they watched the cold fury of the halfling.

Milo thrust the blade downwards again, his small hands painted red with the ettin’s blood. His eyes focused, breathing steady and hands tight around the hilt of Vampire, Milo continued to strike methodically into the dead giants back.

Hushed words were exchanged between the villagers, and Merrick pushed through the crowd, his hand outstretched to the halfling as if to hold him back,
“Halfling, halt. The beast is dead and gone”.

Merrick approached cautiously. Everything was silent save for the soft crunch of his boots in the snow and the rhythmic schlick schlick of the halfling’s sword. Milo abruptly halted his attack mid strike and twisted towards the young man. A viscous line of blood trailed from Vampire and swung like a pendulum between them. Merrick halted and looked into the blood-spattered eyes of the halfling. Milo's pupils were alien pin pricks, swallowed amid a network of pulsing red veins.

Milo's face was expressionless as Vampire flickered forwards in a liquid arc, the blade sliding neatly into Merrick’s mouth and out the back of his neck. Blood fountained over the assembled crowd. At the top of the town hall steps, Errilinth screamed.

 

[Funeris]

Nice cliffhanger SJ! I love it. I just wanted to drop back in and remind you that I'm still here and giving praise where praise is due.

...<glances at calendar...silently counts on fingers>

Three days since an update?! Isn't that the longest gap yet in your writing! I'm shocked!! Just kidding. Don't let yourself fall into my haphazard update cycle...no good will come of it.

Well, here's to waiting for more Icy, lucky goodness. Keep up the excellent work, SJ.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Nice cliffhanger SJ! I love it. I just wanted to drop back in and remind you that I'm still here and giving praise where praise is due.

...<glances at calendar...silently counts on fingers>

Three days since an update?! Isn't that the longest gap yet in your writing! I'm shocked!! Just kidding. Don't let yourself fall into my haphazard update cycle...no good will come of it.

Well, here's to waiting for more Icy, lucky goodness. Keep up the excellent work, SJ.

Cheers buddy. Damn, now it's five days since an update. Ah well, slow and steady wins the race I suppose.

Well, here is the next update and an important little interlude. Enjoy.

Spider J

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

"There will be more knights"

Torious crouched next to the unconscious Thalin. The Aasimar had pulled his companion from the collapsed house. Torious's hands traced over the soft, bruise-tinged ridges of what he knew to be a broken arm. Vaerana Hawklyn stalked in a steady circle around the two companions, her arms folded under her red cloak. Her sharp eyes monitored every movement of this man called Torious.

"Will he live?" asked Vaerana
"Yes he will," answered Torious, "Tyr looks kindly upon my companion"
"Apparently so. Will he be able to walk?"
"Of course," Torious said, turning to look at Vaerana, "why do you ask?"
"Because we need to move. Immediately. There will be more knights."

- - - - - - - - - -​

Merrick’s face was a mask of surprise as he slid away from the sword tip. He quivered for a moment then folded backwards and crumpled to the frosted ground with a thud. Milo convulsed violently, dropping Vampire as he moved.

The glistening sword clattered to the ground. The blade lay bulbous and distorted. Wicked fangs bristled from the hand guard. Thick veins of metal receded slowly as the weapon regained its former shape. Milo's hand swam red. A matrix of ragged punctures had pierced deep into his thumb and forefinger. Like a clap of thunder, comprehension of his actions hammered straight into Milo's mind and he suddenly saw what lay about him.

- - - - - - - - - -​

Before Torious could say anything more, a cry of fear reached their ears from across the village. Vaerana looked to Torious, but he had sprung to his feet and was already ten paces away.

Vaerana went to follow Torious, but halted as a wheeze of pain snared her attention. The sound wasn’t from Thalin, who was still unconscious, but from a red-armoured knight who had sat up in the centre of the village. He cradled his head and seemed to be in a daze. Vaerana paced quickly towards the vulnerable fighter. With his back turned and his head still reeling; the knight of Ser Robar heard too late the advancing footsteps and scrape of a longsword leaving its scabbard.

- - - - - - - - - -​

Milo watched as Torious broke through the circle and shouted to him, though his ears would not hear. The villagers shouted too, their faces wracked in fury and fear, but their voices seemed distant and soft. Torious turned on the circle then, his face suddenly ablaze with scar-light. The villagers began to turn and run.

Yet Milo ignored this, as his eyes were drawn to the steps of the town hall, and the woman in red that stood shaking and alone. It was then, that amidst the silence around him, a glorious pillar of light sprung forth from the dead boy at his feet and vaulted upwards. Milo felt a warm breeze on his face and his deafened ears echoed with glorious, beautiful song. The men around him were cast to the ground, their hands covering their eyes.

The light erupted upwards, spreading into a terrifying brilliance. Milo was lifted from his feet and carried away from the light. An intense calm settled in the halfling. Trees and bodies blasted by slowly, as if travelling in amber.

As Milo floated away from the blast, a snow-bent tree clawed past. Thick mottled branches grasped at him. Suddenly everything quickened and Milo was jarred violently out of the sky. An invasion of white heat spilled across his side. High above him, the pillar grew dim and the blazing light became pale. As Milo spiralled downwards, the energy dissipated entirely.

A searing scream of pain surrounded him, and Milo knew it was his own. His vision snapped into blackness moments before the ground rushed up to meet him.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Interlude Number Six: A Tale of Visions

The table was set for a grand feast. The wandering minstrels, clothed in such an array of splendid colours and fashions, vied for the attention of the many, many guests. The music of the hall seemed to provide a rhythm to the conversation and laughter that echoed between the walls of the tower. Milo was pleased.

He was certainly hungry, and the food that was laid before him was beyond even his culinary imaginations. Basted bulette meat stuffed with cornsour, roasted kingswood potatoes, a platter of sautéed rothe sirloin that seemed too far down the table for Milo’s liking, frosted Amn salad, Underdark fungus crackers with firebug spread. It went on and on.

His company was of a great many races, their differences seemingly cast aside for this joyous occasion, though Milo could truly not guess at the reason for such a lavish party. Directly across from him was an aged dwarf who seemed intent on hoarding all the stonebread he could see, despite the food replenishing itself when he wasn’t looking. On either side of Milo sat two men who seemed to be friends, each wearing a chainmail shirt covered in a thick brown doublet with a family signet emblazoned on the front (a castle tower entwined with the stem of a rose). Milo had resolved himself many times to ask if the men wished to sit next to each other, but no sooner had he chosen his moment to ask than another platter would appear with food too tempting to forget.

And so this revelry continued. The guests dined and laughed as if it would never end. Above them all, the stars blazed in a scattering of brilliant white points, for the ceiling of the hall had been removed, presumably for the guests’ enjoyment. And as such, the sky and stars were a great talking point of the feast. Milo was eager for conversation to spill his way, and so chose what he assumed to be a common interest of the feast, the green star that moved gently between the constellations. As soon as he began to ask questions of this to the men beside him, he was ignored completely. His chosen topic seemed to be void at this particular party, so Milo decided to ignore the company and concentrate upon the food.

The feast pressed on, and the courses changed again and again. More meat was laid in front of Milo and he found himself eating more than he had ever before, as if the food would not fill him at all. His thoughts dwelt upon this subject for a while before he became aware of a man watching him. He sat across the table and a few seats to the left, his plate was clear and the persons about him simply talked through him, as if they could not see him.

His face was angular and stretched, the skin pulled tight across his rigid bones. Beneath his faintly hooked nose, his lips were thin and pale, almost non-existent. However, his eyes were sharp and black in grey, hollow sockets. His hands were placed on the table, his fingers formed a lattice in front of him as he stared back at Milo. His dark robes faded into the surrounding guests like spider webs and shadow.

“Milo…” whispered the man. His eyes swivelled upwards as he spoke.

Milo tried to answer, but his mouth was dry and dead. He could feel his tongue scatter to dust as he moved, his throat stripped bare of muscle and flesh.

“Milo…” said the man again, his hands slowly drifting apart.

His face was tilted upwards, his eyes blazing with a lust for something above. His hands found the table and the man poured slowly onto the tabletop, his robes spilling across the food like poisoned water. Milo tried to react, but his hands were withered and old, like his dear grandmother. The guests around him seemed oblivious to the man now standing on the table, his robe trailing into their laps and meals as his grey and cracked arms raised towards the sky.

Milo saw then, the green star had rushed onwards. It was no star, but a mighty comet, hurtling towards them with great gouts of emerald flame leaping from it. The once faint green light now bathed the entire hall in a sickly glow. The man stood now, his arms outstretched to the onrushing fireball as if it were a child coming to its father. His face was no longer withered and dead, but joyous and wicked, his eyes black opals of desire and greed, and his mouth a jagged slit of vicious laughter. And still, Milo could not move, for his insides were nothing. The light blazed forwards, the guests still laughing and smiling, for they could not see the danger that was bearing upon them.

“Milo…” the man said again, his hideous face curling into a mocking smile.

“Milo!” this time more deep and urgent as the green light drowned the hall.

“Milo!” his face cracked and the guests peeled away, their joyous faces still unconcerned as the light burned and charred them.

“MILO!”

 

[Funeris]

You never fail to amaze....and leave us wanting more!
Great update(s).