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<blockquote data-quote="DrNilesCrane" data-source="post: 2904330" data-attributes="member: 7652"><p><span style="font-size: 18px">Act I</span></p><p></p><p>Six rowboats moved closer to shore. </p><p></p><p>A slender elven woman in flowing blue robes sat in one of the rowboats, taking a precious moment to watch as Kinipela's Flight quickly started moving away from her. For a brief moment, she felt as if her last connection to home was leaving her, and the urge to signal the ship back was almost overwhelming. <em>You will not be derelict in Vaz'Cleg the very first moment you are alone!</em>, Jazira scolded herself mentally. A quick glance back at the island showed the storm growing worse, so she started rowing harder for the shore. Rowing was more difficult than she had anticipated, even with the surge of the waves helping her along. <em>Perhaps ... I should have ... included this ... in my training ... Regimen</em>, she panted to herself, as her best efforts seemed to demonstrate very little progress.</p><p></p><p>"The people of Andira thank you for your hospitality, Wayland!" a small Halfling woman shouted up to the man piloting the Laros. Seeing the others rowing toward the shore, Lyra laughed as she said to herself "No sense in squashing all their hopes by beating them to the shore." She grabbed hold of the oars and started pulling, in spite of herself. The change in the weather worried her, but she refused to let it show. Instead, she would focus on finding her rhythm and closing the distance between herself and the beach. </p><p></p><p>Climbing into his rowboat and steadying his large form carefully against the rocking of the small craft, Stormbringer attended to his belongings. At eight feet of height and over 300 pounds, the goliath dwarfed the rowboat. He wore a large pack that was stuffed almost to overflowing. Careful not to pin his large flail beneath him, he secured the great hammer he carried before taking up the oars. Once settled, Stormbringer scanned the surroundings, taking careful note of the others approaching the shore. The human he eyed warily, though the man did not appear as savage as the large furry creature with the horns some distance further away. The two small figures of halflings made him smile. He was still not accustomed to such slight figures in the outer world. Just past the hairy creature rowed the more familiar form of a female elf. He took some comfort in knowing that one of the strangers approaching would not be quite so unusual to him.</p><p></p><p>As he began to row toward the shore, he saw that the woman tending the smoke fires seemed to be concerned about the approaching clouds. Glancing up at them himself, he realized that they were even much closer than they had been when he left The Sable Drake. He decided to row harder; sudden storms were a danger he knew well, and he had no desire to be caught at sea when this one hit.</p><p></p><p>In the midst of the diverse group of new arrivals desperately plying their oars, the Tsarukai warrior, known as a "minotaur" in Tradespeak, did not feel himself out of place. With a wave of thanks to Preston, his skiffer's captain, he set about making time to the island, putting his prodigious strength to good use. The warrior, who called himself Hawk, offered a silent prayer to Tsaruk and, not for the first time, wondered just exactly why he had been chosen to bear the honor, and the burden, of the Starfall Mark.</p><p></p><p>Bidding his farewell to Captain Baris and the crew of The Windrunner, Vargas lowered himself into his rowboat and began the final leg of his journey to the island of Mivilious. He noticed as he did so that several other ships were releasing rowboats as well; of particular notice was a boat manned by elves that flew the markings of the island of Suel. He had little time to take note of the other boats as he noticed that a storm seemed to be brewing over the coast of the island. Vargas put his lean muscle to the test as he pulled the oars through the water in an attempt to reach the shore before the growing storm broke.</p><p></p><p>Captain Kezem pointed the menacing clouds out to him as he started to row away from The Aquazure. Elin had a good look before pulling hard on the oars to clear himself from the skiffer. Once he was clear he gave a wave to the captain, who was still watching him as the crew made ready to move away from the storm. He would miss that old man.</p><p></p><p>Zahkura watched them row, admiring their bravery, and kept one eye on the storm.</p><p></p><p>Behind her, she heard movement in the jungle.</p><p></p><p>Three grey-skinned men ran onto the beach, yelling angrily. They wore little and carried only javelins, with satchels of extra ammunition on their back. The grey coloration, whether natural or some kind of pigmentation, uniformly covered their bodies and was only broken by a thick black streak across their faces. These men (of the Burowao tribe) emerged from the jungle while yelling angrily: Zahkura replied, although the language was foreign to all of the six arrivals on the beach that could hear it carried by the slight breeze.</p><p></p><p>Two of the Burowao warriors stepped to the shore and threw their javelins at the occupant of the nearest boat.</p><p></p><p>Turning her head at the sound of angry shouts, Jazira was shocked to see the gray-skinned men actually attacking. <em>Are we not expected, or welcome? Dracos Vitellia told me the island was dangerous, but nothing about receiving this kind of welcome</em>! She noticed five other row boats from the other ships, all headed towards the shoreline. The one closest to her held a small Halfling female who seemed to chatter nonstop as she struggled with her oars. There was a very large creature with horns in another one, <em>A minotaur</em>? she wondered to herself, who simply stepped out of his boat and picked it up, using it as a shield against the javelins. Looking back at the beach to see how much farther she had to go, she was just in time to dodge a javelin that was thrown at her. Shock was quickly replaced by anger, lending energy to her efforts. She spared no more time looking at the others in the rowboats, but focused on simply reaching the shore alive.</p><p></p><p>Stormbringer paused in his rowing for a moment as the grey skinned figures began to throw their javelins at the others. They were far enough away from him that he did not think they would pay him much mind as yet, but he still felt wary of rowing straight into battle. <em>One would not wish to begin one's visit to Mivilious with bloodshed</em>, he thought worried as he renewed his efforts to get to shore. Arruv had warned him of these grey skinned people, but he had not expected to encounter their prejudice so quickly.</p><p></p><p><em>Good thing I'm way back here</em>, Lyra thought. To her, it sounded as if the grey-skins were shouting "Kill the Starfallen! Rip their guts out through their noses!" But, she must have been mistaken (and she could not understand their language)... it could only be a trick of the wind. She recognized the Burowao, but was confused by all their shouting. All her reading and questioning of those who knew such things said that these people were mute.</p><p></p><p>“Dat storm is dangerous! Seek cover!” Hawk yelled. He recalled well the warning of the Hrunthar-Dhar Starfallen monk Marat regarding the storms. <em>The Old Gods waste no time in testing us</em>, he thought. Deciding that the storm was a far more dangerous adversary than the grey-skinned humans, Hawk put all of his might into getting to solid land. For his efforts, he was rewarded with relentless attacks from the natives javelins. Luckily, none found their mark.</p><p></p><p><em>Hawk</em>, thought Vargas. <em>I feared for your survival after our encounter on Zuloc. What a relief it is to see that you yet live and are free</em>. Vargas had little time for additional thought as he observed the odd gray-skinned savages attack the lone female. Although he didn't know the specifics of the battle, he was loath to leave a single person to fight against such odds. In an instant he made his choice to side with the woman, and he could only hope that she wasn't some sort of evil doer who had rightfully earned the wrath of those who attacked her.</p><p></p><p>Elin heard the natives as well as the others in the boats. He was not worried for them yet, as a moving boat was a hard target to hit from the shore. But the woman on the beach he was worried about, for it looked like she was there to greet them. All he could do though was mumble curses about the crazy natives and pull harder, hoping to get to shore before anyone was hurt.</p><p></p><p>The minotaur was the first to gain the shore, trudging up the beach and loosing the gigantic spiked chain from around his arms. <em>So, little grey men, you wish to test us? Let me know how I do</em>. The massive spikes at the end of the chain wrapped fully around the closest man's head, cleanly severing it from the neck in a violent whipping motion. Hawk, as always, couldn't help the slight feeling of regret at the sight of death. But, as the javelin of the dead man's companion nicked his ribs, Hawk decided he'd best use his time to plan his next move. A nod and an unrecognized word from Zahkura was clear enough: Hawk went to stand with her against the grey-skins.</p><p></p><p>Vargas rowed his boat with all his strength, determined to join the battle before the lone woman was cut down. He reached the shore only a little behind Hawk, and leapt into battle against the gray-skinned warriors, his twin broadblade swords flashing in the sunlight.</p><p></p><p>Zahkura suffered a wound from one of the Burowao warriors and replied with a lethal jab from her spear, dropping him. More appeared from the jungle and ran past her, looking to attack the new arrivals, but she gave chase. Between Vargas and the native woman, another of the Burowao attackers fell. Vargas then charged to the aid of one of the other warriors who had just made it to shore. A quick cut from one of his blades ended the threat from the Burowao who menaced her.</p><p></p><p>As soon as her boat reached the shore, Jazira jumped out, ready to attack the gray man closest to her. Before she could do anything, however, a human man came up and quickly dispatched him. He greeted her, obviously recognizing she came from Suel, and Jazira responded with a wry comment, "Not exactly the welcoming committee I had expected," which drew a laugh from the man before they both moved towards other gray men on the beach. Hawk, meanwhile, stood with Zahkura, fully expecting her to signal that they run to some sort of shelter as the clouds grew menacingly dark and close. He gestured up, toward them, and she seemed to signal that shelter was not far, into the jungle. At least, he hoped that's what she'd meant. At that moment, a javelin found its mark in his back, and he turned his thoughts again to the battle.</p><p></p><p>"One... more... pull!" Lyra shouted. As her boat finally reached the shore, she focused on the two Burowao ahead of her. She hopped out and reached for her rapier, sizing up the enemy and formulating her plan. Flying up the beach, she headed for the weaker looking of the two, but, before she could engage, a javelin ripped through her shirt, narrowly missing her spleen. She looked at her attacker and shouted "This is the warmest welcome I've had in a year!" Her thrust with the rapier missed, so, instead, she ran toward the mysterious Elven woman a short way down the beach. "So, now what do we do?" she asked, with a woozy smile.</p><p></p><p>The sight of all the bodies on the beach, in particular the ones the minotaur had killed, was the most gruesome sight Jazira had ever seen before. She could feel her gorge rising in her throat as the reality of the scene hit her. Gritting her teeth in determination, she turned her face away, taking slow, deep breaths until her stomach started to settle. <em>I will not shame myself before these people</em>, she thought fiercely, directing her gaze instead to the thick jungle growth. The question from the vocal Halfling woman, now smiling cheerfully up at her, also helped distract her from her nausea. "I believe we need to get off this beach and find protection from the storm, once all of these ... gray men have been dealt with." She swallowed carefully, and looked around the beach, avoiding another close look at the bodies.</p><p></p><p>Elin jumped from his boat as soon as he felt it hit ground. He immediately drew his sling and went to work casting stones at the grey natives threatening the woman by the fire and the elf and halfling, but his aim was off. He did not worry about the great men, especially the one with horns. If the natives had had any brains they would have turned and ran before he got to shore.</p><p></p><p>As Stormbringer stepped from the boat and straightened, grateful to be on land once again, he saw that most of the savage natives had already been defeated. There was one, however, who was as yet unoccupied and making his way closer, waving a javelin fiercely.</p><p></p><p>"One is of the Starfallen Mark," Stormbringer shouted in protest. "One does not mean harm!"</p><p></p><p>It was evident, however, that the native either did not understand or did not care. Reluctantly, Stormbringer unhooked his large great hammer from his belt where he'd secured it to row and stepped closer, hoping that his greater size and mighty weapon might dissuade the man. Even though Stormbringer towered over the man by a good two or three feet, however, the native was not to be frightened off. He stabbed his javelin into Stormbringer's thigh. Though the goliath's thick skin and leather armor combined to reduce the force of the blow, a small puncture wound was opened.</p><p></p><p>Sighing regretfully, Stormbringer swung his hammer once, and then again when the native refused to give up the attack. The final blow drove the man to the ground in a bloody heap, and Stormbringer stepped sadly past to make his way into the forest where the others were already coming together.</p><p></p><p>With all nine of the grey-skinned warriors slain, the six strangers (seven including their host) quickly gathered together. Hawk quickly related that the storm was very dangerous; others agreed. Zahkura seemed to be indicating the same through gestures and the tone of her words, which were clear enough despite being largely incomprehensible other than “Soulivim” (to which she pointed at the storm).</p><p></p><p>"Soulivim! I know that word!" Lyra shouted. "It's bad! We have to get to safety, perhaps in a cave." </p><p></p><p>The group agreed and quickly followed Zahkura into the jungle, running through the dense foliage while conversing as best they could, quickly confirming they were all Starfall Marked and had traveled to Mivilious to seek out the mysterious Oracle for guidance. </p><p></p><p>Stormbringer did not question the native woman's urgency. Not taking time for introductions, though he admitted that he too had the Starfall Mark when the large horned man asked, he hurried to keep close behind the native. At least she wasn't trying to kill him. Even though they all hurried to keep together, there was some small discussion as they walked. The elf, Stormbringer noted, kept quiet though she eyed everyone with the same measure of wariness. One of the halflings (Lyra), a female he could tell now, kept up a constant chatter about islands and the natives that he could not quite keep up with. The elf looked down at her every now and then with a rather bemused expression on her face, but she mainly concentrated on moving as quickly as possible through the thick jungle. Every now and then the furry one called Hawk, who was not much smaller than Stormbringer himself, would interject with a comment about the natives.</p><p></p><p>"One was told that some of the natives to this island are unable to distinguish between outsiders," Stormbringer told them. "An offense made by any outsider is an offense shared by all."</p><p></p><p>Jazira didn't recall hearing that fact from either Inar or Dymass, but the thought it might be truth was worrying. <em>I wouldn't think the Mious would be like that, surely, as they are the ones who host those blessed by the Old Gods</em>. She mentally raised her hands at the mention of the Old Gods, in affectionate imitation of Dymass. <em>But if we are all to be held responsible by one person's mistake, I think we must tread very carefully while here</em>. She hoped that the others would feel the same responsibility. </p><p></p><p>Vargas knew next to nothing about this island, but he was willing to follow the lead of his new companions if it meant avoiding the obviously ominous signs of the growing storm.</p><p></p><p>Elin wondered why the storm was so worrisome to their guide, but he had learned to follow the wisdom of others. And after the display the woman had put on at the beach he was more than willing to follow her lead, especially if there were more of the grey natives lurking in the woods.</p><p></p><p>Zahkura led the party to a shallow stream, which was much easier to follow than the narrow, vine layered paths in the jungle. It had the additional benefit of being slightly cooler, a welcome relief to the newcomers. The storm clouds continued their growth: they extended nearly over the group and shed a dark, angry purple light over the air. The wind was still and the jungle nearly silent in anticipation as the group rushed down the river, rounding a corner and spotting a small patch of beach with an obvious cave opening from a nearby hillside.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DrNilesCrane, post: 2904330, member: 7652"] [SIZE=5]Act I[/SIZE] Six rowboats moved closer to shore. A slender elven woman in flowing blue robes sat in one of the rowboats, taking a precious moment to watch as Kinipela's Flight quickly started moving away from her. For a brief moment, she felt as if her last connection to home was leaving her, and the urge to signal the ship back was almost overwhelming. [I]You will not be derelict in Vaz'Cleg the very first moment you are alone![/I], Jazira scolded herself mentally. A quick glance back at the island showed the storm growing worse, so she started rowing harder for the shore. Rowing was more difficult than she had anticipated, even with the surge of the waves helping her along. [I]Perhaps ... I should have ... included this ... in my training ... Regimen[/I], she panted to herself, as her best efforts seemed to demonstrate very little progress. "The people of Andira thank you for your hospitality, Wayland!" a small Halfling woman shouted up to the man piloting the Laros. Seeing the others rowing toward the shore, Lyra laughed as she said to herself "No sense in squashing all their hopes by beating them to the shore." She grabbed hold of the oars and started pulling, in spite of herself. The change in the weather worried her, but she refused to let it show. Instead, she would focus on finding her rhythm and closing the distance between herself and the beach. Climbing into his rowboat and steadying his large form carefully against the rocking of the small craft, Stormbringer attended to his belongings. At eight feet of height and over 300 pounds, the goliath dwarfed the rowboat. He wore a large pack that was stuffed almost to overflowing. Careful not to pin his large flail beneath him, he secured the great hammer he carried before taking up the oars. Once settled, Stormbringer scanned the surroundings, taking careful note of the others approaching the shore. The human he eyed warily, though the man did not appear as savage as the large furry creature with the horns some distance further away. The two small figures of halflings made him smile. He was still not accustomed to such slight figures in the outer world. Just past the hairy creature rowed the more familiar form of a female elf. He took some comfort in knowing that one of the strangers approaching would not be quite so unusual to him. As he began to row toward the shore, he saw that the woman tending the smoke fires seemed to be concerned about the approaching clouds. Glancing up at them himself, he realized that they were even much closer than they had been when he left The Sable Drake. He decided to row harder; sudden storms were a danger he knew well, and he had no desire to be caught at sea when this one hit. In the midst of the diverse group of new arrivals desperately plying their oars, the Tsarukai warrior, known as a "minotaur" in Tradespeak, did not feel himself out of place. With a wave of thanks to Preston, his skiffer's captain, he set about making time to the island, putting his prodigious strength to good use. The warrior, who called himself Hawk, offered a silent prayer to Tsaruk and, not for the first time, wondered just exactly why he had been chosen to bear the honor, and the burden, of the Starfall Mark. Bidding his farewell to Captain Baris and the crew of The Windrunner, Vargas lowered himself into his rowboat and began the final leg of his journey to the island of Mivilious. He noticed as he did so that several other ships were releasing rowboats as well; of particular notice was a boat manned by elves that flew the markings of the island of Suel. He had little time to take note of the other boats as he noticed that a storm seemed to be brewing over the coast of the island. Vargas put his lean muscle to the test as he pulled the oars through the water in an attempt to reach the shore before the growing storm broke. Captain Kezem pointed the menacing clouds out to him as he started to row away from The Aquazure. Elin had a good look before pulling hard on the oars to clear himself from the skiffer. Once he was clear he gave a wave to the captain, who was still watching him as the crew made ready to move away from the storm. He would miss that old man. Zahkura watched them row, admiring their bravery, and kept one eye on the storm. Behind her, she heard movement in the jungle. Three grey-skinned men ran onto the beach, yelling angrily. They wore little and carried only javelins, with satchels of extra ammunition on their back. The grey coloration, whether natural or some kind of pigmentation, uniformly covered their bodies and was only broken by a thick black streak across their faces. These men (of the Burowao tribe) emerged from the jungle while yelling angrily: Zahkura replied, although the language was foreign to all of the six arrivals on the beach that could hear it carried by the slight breeze. Two of the Burowao warriors stepped to the shore and threw their javelins at the occupant of the nearest boat. Turning her head at the sound of angry shouts, Jazira was shocked to see the gray-skinned men actually attacking. [I]Are we not expected, or welcome? Dracos Vitellia told me the island was dangerous, but nothing about receiving this kind of welcome[/I]! She noticed five other row boats from the other ships, all headed towards the shoreline. The one closest to her held a small Halfling female who seemed to chatter nonstop as she struggled with her oars. There was a very large creature with horns in another one, [I]A minotaur[/I]? she wondered to herself, who simply stepped out of his boat and picked it up, using it as a shield against the javelins. Looking back at the beach to see how much farther she had to go, she was just in time to dodge a javelin that was thrown at her. Shock was quickly replaced by anger, lending energy to her efforts. She spared no more time looking at the others in the rowboats, but focused on simply reaching the shore alive. Stormbringer paused in his rowing for a moment as the grey skinned figures began to throw their javelins at the others. They were far enough away from him that he did not think they would pay him much mind as yet, but he still felt wary of rowing straight into battle. [I]One would not wish to begin one's visit to Mivilious with bloodshed[/I], he thought worried as he renewed his efforts to get to shore. Arruv had warned him of these grey skinned people, but he had not expected to encounter their prejudice so quickly. [I]Good thing I'm way back here[/I], Lyra thought. To her, it sounded as if the grey-skins were shouting "Kill the Starfallen! Rip their guts out through their noses!" But, she must have been mistaken (and she could not understand their language)... it could only be a trick of the wind. She recognized the Burowao, but was confused by all their shouting. All her reading and questioning of those who knew such things said that these people were mute. “Dat storm is dangerous! Seek cover!” Hawk yelled. He recalled well the warning of the Hrunthar-Dhar Starfallen monk Marat regarding the storms. [I]The Old Gods waste no time in testing us[/I], he thought. Deciding that the storm was a far more dangerous adversary than the grey-skinned humans, Hawk put all of his might into getting to solid land. For his efforts, he was rewarded with relentless attacks from the natives javelins. Luckily, none found their mark. [I]Hawk[/I], thought Vargas. [I]I feared for your survival after our encounter on Zuloc. What a relief it is to see that you yet live and are free[/I]. Vargas had little time for additional thought as he observed the odd gray-skinned savages attack the lone female. Although he didn't know the specifics of the battle, he was loath to leave a single person to fight against such odds. In an instant he made his choice to side with the woman, and he could only hope that she wasn't some sort of evil doer who had rightfully earned the wrath of those who attacked her. Elin heard the natives as well as the others in the boats. He was not worried for them yet, as a moving boat was a hard target to hit from the shore. But the woman on the beach he was worried about, for it looked like she was there to greet them. All he could do though was mumble curses about the crazy natives and pull harder, hoping to get to shore before anyone was hurt. The minotaur was the first to gain the shore, trudging up the beach and loosing the gigantic spiked chain from around his arms. [I]So, little grey men, you wish to test us? Let me know how I do[/I]. The massive spikes at the end of the chain wrapped fully around the closest man's head, cleanly severing it from the neck in a violent whipping motion. Hawk, as always, couldn't help the slight feeling of regret at the sight of death. But, as the javelin of the dead man's companion nicked his ribs, Hawk decided he'd best use his time to plan his next move. A nod and an unrecognized word from Zahkura was clear enough: Hawk went to stand with her against the grey-skins. Vargas rowed his boat with all his strength, determined to join the battle before the lone woman was cut down. He reached the shore only a little behind Hawk, and leapt into battle against the gray-skinned warriors, his twin broadblade swords flashing in the sunlight. Zahkura suffered a wound from one of the Burowao warriors and replied with a lethal jab from her spear, dropping him. More appeared from the jungle and ran past her, looking to attack the new arrivals, but she gave chase. Between Vargas and the native woman, another of the Burowao attackers fell. Vargas then charged to the aid of one of the other warriors who had just made it to shore. A quick cut from one of his blades ended the threat from the Burowao who menaced her. As soon as her boat reached the shore, Jazira jumped out, ready to attack the gray man closest to her. Before she could do anything, however, a human man came up and quickly dispatched him. He greeted her, obviously recognizing she came from Suel, and Jazira responded with a wry comment, "Not exactly the welcoming committee I had expected," which drew a laugh from the man before they both moved towards other gray men on the beach. Hawk, meanwhile, stood with Zahkura, fully expecting her to signal that they run to some sort of shelter as the clouds grew menacingly dark and close. He gestured up, toward them, and she seemed to signal that shelter was not far, into the jungle. At least, he hoped that's what she'd meant. At that moment, a javelin found its mark in his back, and he turned his thoughts again to the battle. "One... more... pull!" Lyra shouted. As her boat finally reached the shore, she focused on the two Burowao ahead of her. She hopped out and reached for her rapier, sizing up the enemy and formulating her plan. Flying up the beach, she headed for the weaker looking of the two, but, before she could engage, a javelin ripped through her shirt, narrowly missing her spleen. She looked at her attacker and shouted "This is the warmest welcome I've had in a year!" Her thrust with the rapier missed, so, instead, she ran toward the mysterious Elven woman a short way down the beach. "So, now what do we do?" she asked, with a woozy smile. The sight of all the bodies on the beach, in particular the ones the minotaur had killed, was the most gruesome sight Jazira had ever seen before. She could feel her gorge rising in her throat as the reality of the scene hit her. Gritting her teeth in determination, she turned her face away, taking slow, deep breaths until her stomach started to settle. [I]I will not shame myself before these people[/I], she thought fiercely, directing her gaze instead to the thick jungle growth. The question from the vocal Halfling woman, now smiling cheerfully up at her, also helped distract her from her nausea. "I believe we need to get off this beach and find protection from the storm, once all of these ... gray men have been dealt with." She swallowed carefully, and looked around the beach, avoiding another close look at the bodies. Elin jumped from his boat as soon as he felt it hit ground. He immediately drew his sling and went to work casting stones at the grey natives threatening the woman by the fire and the elf and halfling, but his aim was off. He did not worry about the great men, especially the one with horns. If the natives had had any brains they would have turned and ran before he got to shore. As Stormbringer stepped from the boat and straightened, grateful to be on land once again, he saw that most of the savage natives had already been defeated. There was one, however, who was as yet unoccupied and making his way closer, waving a javelin fiercely. "One is of the Starfallen Mark," Stormbringer shouted in protest. "One does not mean harm!" It was evident, however, that the native either did not understand or did not care. Reluctantly, Stormbringer unhooked his large great hammer from his belt where he'd secured it to row and stepped closer, hoping that his greater size and mighty weapon might dissuade the man. Even though Stormbringer towered over the man by a good two or three feet, however, the native was not to be frightened off. He stabbed his javelin into Stormbringer's thigh. Though the goliath's thick skin and leather armor combined to reduce the force of the blow, a small puncture wound was opened. Sighing regretfully, Stormbringer swung his hammer once, and then again when the native refused to give up the attack. The final blow drove the man to the ground in a bloody heap, and Stormbringer stepped sadly past to make his way into the forest where the others were already coming together. With all nine of the grey-skinned warriors slain, the six strangers (seven including their host) quickly gathered together. Hawk quickly related that the storm was very dangerous; others agreed. Zahkura seemed to be indicating the same through gestures and the tone of her words, which were clear enough despite being largely incomprehensible other than “Soulivim” (to which she pointed at the storm). "Soulivim! I know that word!" Lyra shouted. "It's bad! We have to get to safety, perhaps in a cave." The group agreed and quickly followed Zahkura into the jungle, running through the dense foliage while conversing as best they could, quickly confirming they were all Starfall Marked and had traveled to Mivilious to seek out the mysterious Oracle for guidance. Stormbringer did not question the native woman's urgency. Not taking time for introductions, though he admitted that he too had the Starfall Mark when the large horned man asked, he hurried to keep close behind the native. At least she wasn't trying to kill him. Even though they all hurried to keep together, there was some small discussion as they walked. The elf, Stormbringer noted, kept quiet though she eyed everyone with the same measure of wariness. One of the halflings (Lyra), a female he could tell now, kept up a constant chatter about islands and the natives that he could not quite keep up with. The elf looked down at her every now and then with a rather bemused expression on her face, but she mainly concentrated on moving as quickly as possible through the thick jungle. Every now and then the furry one called Hawk, who was not much smaller than Stormbringer himself, would interject with a comment about the natives. "One was told that some of the natives to this island are unable to distinguish between outsiders," Stormbringer told them. "An offense made by any outsider is an offense shared by all." Jazira didn't recall hearing that fact from either Inar or Dymass, but the thought it might be truth was worrying. [I]I wouldn't think the Mious would be like that, surely, as they are the ones who host those blessed by the Old Gods[/I]. She mentally raised her hands at the mention of the Old Gods, in affectionate imitation of Dymass. [I]But if we are all to be held responsible by one person's mistake, I think we must tread very carefully while here[/I]. She hoped that the others would feel the same responsibility. Vargas knew next to nothing about this island, but he was willing to follow the lead of his new companions if it meant avoiding the obviously ominous signs of the growing storm. Elin wondered why the storm was so worrisome to their guide, but he had learned to follow the wisdom of others. And after the display the woman had put on at the beach he was more than willing to follow her lead, especially if there were more of the grey natives lurking in the woods. Zahkura led the party to a shallow stream, which was much easier to follow than the narrow, vine layered paths in the jungle. It had the additional benefit of being slightly cooler, a welcome relief to the newcomers. The storm clouds continued their growth: they extended nearly over the group and shed a dark, angry purple light over the air. The wind was still and the jungle nearly silent in anticipation as the group rushed down the river, rounding a corner and spotting a small patch of beach with an obvious cave opening from a nearby hillside. [/QUOTE]
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