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The Rise of Felskein [Completed]
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<blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 4481365" data-attributes="member: 60965"><p>Session 11, Part 1</p><p> </p><p>"How was the visit to your tribe?" Suniel said, glancing up as Grok'nar rode up on his shaggy horse. Kezzek looked up from where he sat sharpening his quor'rel and squinted up at the hobgoblin as he dismounted.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, I would have visited my tribe, it had still existed when I got there," Grok'nar said, pulling a wineskin off his horse before walking over.</p><p> </p><p>"Still existed? Explain Grok'nar," Kezzek said, brows furrowed as he watched the hobgoblin take a drink.</p><p> </p><p>"The High King got word of Shro'kar's deal with us and sent a small army of Iron Ring thugs to kill everything breathing in the place. I only got away from them with my life by giving them lies, misdirection, and false promises. Needless to say, I'm not in any hurry to go back there." The hobgoblin looked uncomfortable and hid it quickly with a long drink from his wineskin.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you sure that's all you gave them?" Kezzek said dryly. "The things that disappeared when the barge sank all seem to still be missing. The High Priest especially has been searching for some of his things..."</p><p> </p><p>"Gosh, that sure is interesting. If I hear anything I'll be sure to let you know right away," Grok'nar said. "Anyway, I'd expect the war will be on for real here before long."</p><p> </p><p>"I'd agree with that," Harold said, riding up on his warhorse. "We destroyed another raft camp this past week, skirmished with hobgoblins up and down the west coast of Mirror Lake."</p><p> </p><p>"You kept yourself busy then I take it?" Suniel said as Harold dismounted and joined them.</p><p> </p><p>Harold nodded and brushed his hand against the dozens of new iron ring necklaces that hung from his belt.</p><p> </p><p>"Anyway Kezzek, you were saying before Grok'nar and Harold arrived?" Suniel said, turning to the Greywarden.</p><p> </p><p>"Hm? Oh yes," Kezzek said. "Not much more to tell really, the Kellins, of course, abandoned the ones I found were involved in the Agony Ring to justice, turning over a few of their own for good measure. I'm not convinced that there aren't more of them involved, but there's enough Kellins that I could spend a decade here rooting them out of Northmand's underworld. They breed like goblins."</p><p> </p><p>"Master?" No Tongue said. Suniel patted the little goblin on the head.</p><p></p><p>"Instead of spending a decade in one little city, you could take the Steamship south with us and bring justice to the untamed, uncivilized expanses between here and the Crystal Towers," Harold said. "The steamship leaves tomorrow."</p><p> </p><p>"South... that passage will take us by the Landspear, won't it?" Kezzek said. Something in Kezzek's tone was almost... wistful? Suniel glanced at the Greywarden curiously.</p><p> </p><p>Harold nodded. "There are two routes around the mountain: the east path through the broken hills that lie between it and the cliff-edge of Felskein, or west, through Port. We'll be taking the Port road since the Ashen Tower controls all the passes through the eastern hills. Then on through the Freeholds and home."</p><p> </p><p>"Are there ruins in the hills at the Landspear's base?" Kezzek said, staring at his quor'rel. Suniel's curiosity grew.</p><p> </p><p>Harold shrugged. "I've heard of them, but I've never had much interest."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'd rather not be on <em>either</em> side of the war that seems to be about to start here," Grok'nar said. "So sign me up on your steamship."</p><p> </p><p>"You Suniel?" Harold said, turning to him.</p><p> </p><p>He turned from Kezzek and looked in the archer's hard eyes. <em>Back south, </em>Suniel thought. <em>How long have I been fleeing from there? Perhaps my past has forgotten me by now.</em></p><p> </p><p>"I'm in," Kezzek said.</p><p> </p><p>Harold nodded to the half-orc and turned back to Suniel. "Well?"</p><p> </p><p>"This steamship, it has room for the Black Carriage?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, whether your talking about the carriage itself or your followers."</p><p> </p><p>"Then I'm in as well," Suniel said. <em>I've run long enough.</em></p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>The iron steamship was small, small enough that Grok'nar wondered where they were going to put the wizard's carriage.</p><p> </p><p>"It doesn't look like much from up top, but there's actually more below the water than above it," Harold said as they rode up the dock towards it.</p><p> </p><p>"Wouldn't that be a problem for river travel? Rapids and shallows and the like?" Suniel said from where he sat on the bench of his carriage next to Guntl. </p><p></p><p>"Maaaaster," No Tongue said, gaping and pointing at all the boats, barges, and ships filling the dock.</p><p> </p><p>"No, you'll see why in a minute," Harold said as they came to a stop before the strange looking little craft. Two gnomes walked across the metal gangplank to meet them.</p><p> </p><p>They all dismounted and stood facing the two gnomes. One had a white dress shirt and red vest, a tricorne cap sitting at a jaunty angle on his head. The other wore greasy leather coveralls and had soot smeared on his face and through his thinning hair.</p><p> </p><p>"Welcome! I'm Captain Rumple Shingleclank, master of this fine vessel," the one in the vest said with a bow and a wave to the Steamship. "This is my brother, Machinamentalist Bingor Shingleclank."</p><p> </p><p>"Machina-what?" Grok'nar said as the others shook the captain's hand.</p><p> </p><p>"Machinamentalist. He handles the machines and the slave-elementals that power them. One of the best Machinamentalists Steamport has ever produced, if I say so myself."</p><p> </p><p>"He's exaggerating," Bingor said. "But just a little bit," he added with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>"So, where do we fit the horses and the carriage?" Suniel said as he looked the steamship over.</p><p> </p><p>"Bingor?" Captain Shingleclank said, glancing at his brother. The machinamentalist was already running across the gang plank. It retracted into the ship a moment later and a minute later, black soot was billowing from the steamship's smokestack and Grok'nar could hear grinding and clanking noises from somewhere inside it. Then with a blast of soot and a wave of water that splashed onto the dock at their feet, the ship shot straight up six feet, revealing a door inset into the side of the hull.</p><p> </p><p>A moment later, the door fell open to the dock with a <em>clang</em>, revealing a surprisingly spacious cargo hold. "Load your things up in the middle. Guest quarters are in the rear and our other passenger's things are up in the front. And trust me - you definitely don't want to get too close to his things," the Captain said with a wave to the hold.</p><p> </p><p>"What other passenger?" Grok'nar said, trying to shift to where he could see into the hold better.</p><p> </p><p>"Will it stay up long enough for us to load?" Suniel said dubiously as the ship shook, the grind and clang of metal echoing from inside.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh sure, we can keep it up for a couple hours without wearing out the elementals. As long as we don't do it all the time anyway. Not that you should take your time of course," Captain Shingleclank said. No one moved. "Go on, it's perfectly safe."</p><p> </p><p>Grok'nar sighed. "If I'm supposed to die someday, I doubt it's aboard some gnomish contraption." He led his shaggy horse into the ship, nose wrinkling at the strange smells - oil, grease, char, and something else that he couldn't place. The others followed him in.</p><p> </p><p>An hour later they stood at the rail of the steamship, watching as Northmand's docks and, farther away, the fainest outline of the Ragged Hills, dwindled in the west. Grok'nar had the feeling he'd never see those hills again. <em>Well, good riddance,</em> he thought. <em>Nothing left for me there anyway.</em></p><p> </p><p>He turned and walked to the bow, pulling out his wineskin as he looked forward, at the first stretch of the long journey.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Iron Sky, post: 4481365, member: 60965"] Session 11, Part 1 "How was the visit to your tribe?" Suniel said, glancing up as Grok'nar rode up on his shaggy horse. Kezzek looked up from where he sat sharpening his quor'rel and squinted up at the hobgoblin as he dismounted. "Well, I would have visited my tribe, it had still existed when I got there," Grok'nar said, pulling a wineskin off his horse before walking over. "Still existed? Explain Grok'nar," Kezzek said, brows furrowed as he watched the hobgoblin take a drink. "The High King got word of Shro'kar's deal with us and sent a small army of Iron Ring thugs to kill everything breathing in the place. I only got away from them with my life by giving them lies, misdirection, and false promises. Needless to say, I'm not in any hurry to go back there." The hobgoblin looked uncomfortable and hid it quickly with a long drink from his wineskin. "Are you sure that's all you gave them?" Kezzek said dryly. "The things that disappeared when the barge sank all seem to still be missing. The High Priest especially has been searching for some of his things..." "Gosh, that sure is interesting. If I hear anything I'll be sure to let you know right away," Grok'nar said. "Anyway, I'd expect the war will be on for real here before long." "I'd agree with that," Harold said, riding up on his warhorse. "We destroyed another raft camp this past week, skirmished with hobgoblins up and down the west coast of Mirror Lake." "You kept yourself busy then I take it?" Suniel said as Harold dismounted and joined them. Harold nodded and brushed his hand against the dozens of new iron ring necklaces that hung from his belt. "Anyway Kezzek, you were saying before Grok'nar and Harold arrived?" Suniel said, turning to the Greywarden. "Hm? Oh yes," Kezzek said. "Not much more to tell really, the Kellins, of course, abandoned the ones I found were involved in the Agony Ring to justice, turning over a few of their own for good measure. I'm not convinced that there aren't more of them involved, but there's enough Kellins that I could spend a decade here rooting them out of Northmand's underworld. They breed like goblins." "Master?" No Tongue said. Suniel patted the little goblin on the head. "Instead of spending a decade in one little city, you could take the Steamship south with us and bring justice to the untamed, uncivilized expanses between here and the Crystal Towers," Harold said. "The steamship leaves tomorrow." "South... that passage will take us by the Landspear, won't it?" Kezzek said. Something in Kezzek's tone was almost... wistful? Suniel glanced at the Greywarden curiously. Harold nodded. "There are two routes around the mountain: the east path through the broken hills that lie between it and the cliff-edge of Felskein, or west, through Port. We'll be taking the Port road since the Ashen Tower controls all the passes through the eastern hills. Then on through the Freeholds and home." "Are there ruins in the hills at the Landspear's base?" Kezzek said, staring at his quor'rel. Suniel's curiosity grew. Harold shrugged. "I've heard of them, but I've never had much interest." "Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'd rather not be on [I]either[/I] side of the war that seems to be about to start here," Grok'nar said. "So sign me up on your steamship." "You Suniel?" Harold said, turning to him. He turned from Kezzek and looked in the archer's hard eyes. [I]Back south, [/I]Suniel thought. [I]How long have I been fleeing from there? Perhaps my past has forgotten me by now.[/I] "I'm in," Kezzek said. Harold nodded to the half-orc and turned back to Suniel. "Well?" "This steamship, it has room for the Black Carriage?" "Yes, whether your talking about the carriage itself or your followers." "Then I'm in as well," Suniel said. [I]I've run long enough.[/I] *** The iron steamship was small, small enough that Grok'nar wondered where they were going to put the wizard's carriage. "It doesn't look like much from up top, but there's actually more below the water than above it," Harold said as they rode up the dock towards it. "Wouldn't that be a problem for river travel? Rapids and shallows and the like?" Suniel said from where he sat on the bench of his carriage next to Guntl. "Maaaaster," No Tongue said, gaping and pointing at all the boats, barges, and ships filling the dock. "No, you'll see why in a minute," Harold said as they came to a stop before the strange looking little craft. Two gnomes walked across the metal gangplank to meet them. They all dismounted and stood facing the two gnomes. One had a white dress shirt and red vest, a tricorne cap sitting at a jaunty angle on his head. The other wore greasy leather coveralls and had soot smeared on his face and through his thinning hair. "Welcome! I'm Captain Rumple Shingleclank, master of this fine vessel," the one in the vest said with a bow and a wave to the Steamship. "This is my brother, Machinamentalist Bingor Shingleclank." "Machina-what?" Grok'nar said as the others shook the captain's hand. "Machinamentalist. He handles the machines and the slave-elementals that power them. One of the best Machinamentalists Steamport has ever produced, if I say so myself." "He's exaggerating," Bingor said. "But just a little bit," he added with a grin. "So, where do we fit the horses and the carriage?" Suniel said as he looked the steamship over. "Bingor?" Captain Shingleclank said, glancing at his brother. The machinamentalist was already running across the gang plank. It retracted into the ship a moment later and a minute later, black soot was billowing from the steamship's smokestack and Grok'nar could hear grinding and clanking noises from somewhere inside it. Then with a blast of soot and a wave of water that splashed onto the dock at their feet, the ship shot straight up six feet, revealing a door inset into the side of the hull. A moment later, the door fell open to the dock with a [I]clang[/I], revealing a surprisingly spacious cargo hold. "Load your things up in the middle. Guest quarters are in the rear and our other passenger's things are up in the front. And trust me - you definitely don't want to get too close to his things," the Captain said with a wave to the hold. "What other passenger?" Grok'nar said, trying to shift to where he could see into the hold better. "Will it stay up long enough for us to load?" Suniel said dubiously as the ship shook, the grind and clang of metal echoing from inside. "Oh sure, we can keep it up for a couple hours without wearing out the elementals. As long as we don't do it all the time anyway. Not that you should take your time of course," Captain Shingleclank said. No one moved. "Go on, it's perfectly safe." Grok'nar sighed. "If I'm supposed to die someday, I doubt it's aboard some gnomish contraption." He led his shaggy horse into the ship, nose wrinkling at the strange smells - oil, grease, char, and something else that he couldn't place. The others followed him in. An hour later they stood at the rail of the steamship, watching as Northmand's docks and, farther away, the fainest outline of the Ragged Hills, dwindled in the west. Grok'nar had the feeling he'd never see those hills again. [I]Well, good riddance,[/I] he thought. [I]Nothing left for me there anyway.[/I] He turned and walked to the bow, pulling out his wineskin as he looked forward, at the first stretch of the long journey. [/QUOTE]
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