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<blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 4594198" data-attributes="member: 60965"><p>Session 15, Part 2</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Boulder finally came to rest next to what had to be the Rift. It was as if a continuous rock slide was falling from out of the clear sky and coming to a stop not ten feet from the ground. Occasionally, a rock would clatter out of the rift and some of these rolled off on their own. The rumble was deafening. Suniel was looking about for whatever passed for the leader of the elementals when what he thought was a cliff-face moved. </p><p> </p><p>“Earthquake Moves,” the boulder that had escorted them rumbled in Ignan.</p><p> </p><p>Suniel stared as the “cliff face” toppled over, slamming into the ground ten feet from where Suniel and Keeper stood.</p><p> </p><p>Suniel bowed deeply and collected a couple small rocks and began clattering them together and stomping.</p><p> </p><p>“Hail great one, we come to offer our services against the forces of air against which you battle.” Suniel's Ignan was rusty, so he really hoped he was saying what he thought he was saying.</p><p> </p><p>“How would it help against the wind? It is one flesh thing and a fleck of iron,” it rumbled back.</p><p> </p><p>“Perhaps I could help negotiate peace between you. Surely you can see that this war you wage can never be won?”</p><p> </p><p>“What does the flesh thing know of this? The wind-hate goes to the core, only the Cursed Ones bear more hate,” the massive thing shifted, as if somehow agitated by the conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“Bring one,” it rumbled.</p><p> </p><p>What Suniel had thought of as a loose pile of rubble formed into a vaguely humanoid form and moved off to the far side of the rift. When it returned, a tiny gnome child twisted and thrashed in its rocky grip.</p><p> </p><p>Suniel knew what was next and raised his hands. “Please, great one, spare the little one. It knew nothing of what they did. Surely your vengeance must be sated now! Return to your realm, leave this world. What do you hope to accomplish here?”</p><p> </p><p>The massive boulder heaved into the air, its immensity made it seem to move almost in slow motion. Suniel and Keeper moved back quickly and the earth elemental that heard the gnome fell apart into the rubble. The gnome child screamed.</p><p> </p><p>Earthquake Moves hit the ground hard enough to knock Suniel from his feet and rattle more pieces from what few ruins still stood nearby. When the dust settled, Suniel rose to his feet, disgusted.</p><p> </p><p>“We will push the wind back into their realm and then we will claim this world too, rule its dirt and rock and stone. We will press every Cursed One into the dirt, press them out, roll them under us and even this will not be enough to repay the slavery they imposed.” Earthquake Moves' Ignan speech rumbled out as an earthquake, buckling the ground around it with its intensity.</p><p> </p><p>Suniel shook his head. “Then this is a fruitless gesture. I will go now.” He turned to leave, back the way they had come.</p><p> </p><p>“No.” The word rumbled through the soles of his feet. “You will aid us. You will bring us more Cursed Ones that we may press into the earth or you will go nowhere.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then I will go no where,” Suniel said, sitting down on a nearby rubble-pile and staring up at the immense elemental. He stared up at it, gritting his teeth for a moment. Then, without looking away he spoke.</p><p> </p><p>“He said nothing of you coming or going Keeper. Head back to the ship and let the others know my predicament.”</p><p> </p><p>He watched carefully for any sign that Earthquake Moves would stop Keeper. It sat still as a mountain as Keeper left, leaving Suniel again at an impasse.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Harold ran hard through the ruins, glancing behind him to see if any of the elementals were still pursuing. A quick glance showed nothing, but ducked inside a half-crumbled tower anyway. He was heading deeper into the ruins when he tripped over something in the shadowy dark. Cursing he felt around, eventually finding a small but heavy chest half-buried in fallen, half-burned timbers. He popped it open and his eyes widened.</p><p> </p><p><em>Need something to do while I'm waiting for them to give up on looking for me anyway,</em> he thought, starting to count the coins. <em>Guess this venture wasn't a total waste of time.</em></p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Kezzek awoke to a face looming over his. Instinctively, he reached to throttle it, his orc blood raging, but the figure was too quick, moving just out of reach.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold there Greywarden, it's Harold,” the figure said, slowly coming into focus.</p><p> </p><p>His orcish side was screaming for blood but he managed to resist long enough for it to simmer down. “Harold,” he was finally able to say as he examined the bandages wrapped about his arms and chest. “How in the bloody hell we're sitting in the middle of did you find me?”</p><p> </p><p>Harold gestured behind him at a dozen tiny whirlwinds that danced about them. “They led me here, good thing too. Looks like something half-killed you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which half? I think I could handle losing the orc side sometimes,” Kezzek said with a grunt and a wince as he stood. He looked up at the black tornado roaring high into the sky to the west.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I've talked with the leader of Fire,” Harold said. “Big green bonfire that called itself Greenpyre.”</p><p> </p><p>“And?” Kezzek said as he pulled his Gauntlet on.</p><p> </p><p>“Let's just say it's probably not a good idea to go back there."</p><p> </p><p>Kezzek grunted.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, might as well get moving,” Kezzek said, pointing towards the tornado. “I think we need to go talk with that.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Kezzek felt like he was leaning almost parallel to the ground by the time he was able to reach the wind-blasted plateau around the giant tornado. As he approached, a second twister detached from the massive Rift-tornado and drifted towards him, stopping only when it was so close he had to cling to a craggy outcropping to keep from being blown away.</p><p> </p><p>“I come to ask you to give up this pointless war against the Water. Close your Rift and return to whence you came, this is no place for you,” he shouted, voice straining with the effort of shouting over the wind.</p><p> </p><p>“Our Rift grows wider,” the wind boomed back. “When the Rifts of Wind and Fire and Stone close and the last of the Cursed Ones is torn apart and their remains scattered to the four winds of the place, then will we return.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that will never happen! Anyone can see that this war you are waging is pointless,” Kezzek said. “In this world, does the sea or the wind or the fire or rock ever win? How will any one of you ever find victory here?”</p><p> </p><p>“If it takes ten times the span we were in bondage to snuff out the other Rifts, then that will be soon enough. If we are blown back through our Rift in defeat, the knowledge that whichever remains will destroy that vortex of Cursed Ones we left in place to collect the Cursed Ones all from the four winds, then that will be enough.”</p><p> </p><p>“Vortex of the Cursed Ones?” Kezzek shouted. Then it came to him. <em>Watersprock! They left alone so that the gnomes would gather there within easy striking distance!</em> He stared at the swirling, somehow malevolent swirling black wind that swayed before him and swore, using the rock to pull himself away until the wind had died down enough for him to stand.</p><p> </p><p>“It didn't kill you, that's something at least,” Harold said. “Any luck?”</p><p> </p><p>Kezzek just growled in return. “Let's get back to the ship.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Suniel was just about to give up when he saw Keeper appear out of the ruins, Harold close behind.</p><p> </p><p>“I see Keeper reached the ship,” Suniel said.</p><p> </p><p>Harold nodded and looked over at the Stone Rift, glancing right past Earthquake Moves. “Yes, just as I reached it myself. So what's the situation here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Simple. He says I either bring him more gnomes to slaughter or I don't leave.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, that. Don't worry, I've dealt with this before,” Harold said. “Where's their leader?”</p><p> </p><p>Suniel pointed at Earthquake Moves. “That.”</p><p> </p><p>Harold stared at it for a minute. “What, behind the cliff? Oh. <em>That's</em> their leader?”</p><p> </p><p>Before Suniel could answer, Harold was walking up to it.</p><p> </p><p>“You there, I have a message for you,” Harold said, shouting up at the rock. “We'll bring you more gnomes, we just need to go get them. Give us some time, we'll get a bunch, bring them back.”</p><p> </p><p>He stood staring up at it and Suniel half-expected Earthquake Moves to shift once and flatten him. Instead, a boom echoed out, sending Suniel and Harold staggering. Suniel motioned Harold over quickly when he caught Harold's eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that?” Harold said as he approached.</p><p></p><p>“He said yes,” Keeper said.</p><p> </p><p>Suniel looked sharply at the construct. “You speak Ignan?”</p><p> </p><p>Keeper's looked back, expressionless as ever. “No. Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, regardless, what did you just agree to?” Suniel said. “There's no way I'm going to do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Harold whispered, leaning in. “I agreed to the same thing with Greenpyre. I don't know about you, but there's no way I'm ever coming back here again. Are you?”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, you're saying you saw a silver turtle <em>here</em>?” Kezzek said.</p><p> </p><p>Guntl and many of the other crew members nodded. “Yes, it went to the beach, opened its mouth, and a figure walked into the city with what looked like a crate. It didn't move an inch the whole time until a few hours later when he returned. Then it swallowed him and headed west. I could see the bubbles.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a moment of silence as everyone took the information in. Finally Harold spoke.</p><p> </p><p>“Our course takes us west. The journey to the Crystal Towers that is. We can keep an eye out for the turtle as we go.”</p><p> </p><p>“And warn Watersprock,” Suniel added. “If what Kezzek found out was true, the little city we were helping organize is a trap.”</p><p> </p><p>There was another silence. Then Keeper strode from Suniel's side towards the aft-castle, shouting at the crew as he went. “Avast! Make ready the sails. You sailors or landlubbers?</p><p> </p><p>The others all glanced at Suniel who simply raised his hands and shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>“Don't ask me, I just turned him on.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Iron Sky, post: 4594198, member: 60965"] Session 15, Part 2 The Boulder finally came to rest next to what had to be the Rift. It was as if a continuous rock slide was falling from out of the clear sky and coming to a stop not ten feet from the ground. Occasionally, a rock would clatter out of the rift and some of these rolled off on their own. The rumble was deafening. Suniel was looking about for whatever passed for the leader of the elementals when what he thought was a cliff-face moved. “Earthquake Moves,” the boulder that had escorted them rumbled in Ignan. Suniel stared as the “cliff face” toppled over, slamming into the ground ten feet from where Suniel and Keeper stood. Suniel bowed deeply and collected a couple small rocks and began clattering them together and stomping. “Hail great one, we come to offer our services against the forces of air against which you battle.” Suniel's Ignan was rusty, so he really hoped he was saying what he thought he was saying. “How would it help against the wind? It is one flesh thing and a fleck of iron,” it rumbled back. “Perhaps I could help negotiate peace between you. Surely you can see that this war you wage can never be won?” “What does the flesh thing know of this? The wind-hate goes to the core, only the Cursed Ones bear more hate,” the massive thing shifted, as if somehow agitated by the conversation. “Bring one,” it rumbled. What Suniel had thought of as a loose pile of rubble formed into a vaguely humanoid form and moved off to the far side of the rift. When it returned, a tiny gnome child twisted and thrashed in its rocky grip. Suniel knew what was next and raised his hands. “Please, great one, spare the little one. It knew nothing of what they did. Surely your vengeance must be sated now! Return to your realm, leave this world. What do you hope to accomplish here?” The massive boulder heaved into the air, its immensity made it seem to move almost in slow motion. Suniel and Keeper moved back quickly and the earth elemental that heard the gnome fell apart into the rubble. The gnome child screamed. Earthquake Moves hit the ground hard enough to knock Suniel from his feet and rattle more pieces from what few ruins still stood nearby. When the dust settled, Suniel rose to his feet, disgusted. “We will push the wind back into their realm and then we will claim this world too, rule its dirt and rock and stone. We will press every Cursed One into the dirt, press them out, roll them under us and even this will not be enough to repay the slavery they imposed.” Earthquake Moves' Ignan speech rumbled out as an earthquake, buckling the ground around it with its intensity. Suniel shook his head. “Then this is a fruitless gesture. I will go now.” He turned to leave, back the way they had come. “No.” The word rumbled through the soles of his feet. “You will aid us. You will bring us more Cursed Ones that we may press into the earth or you will go nowhere.” “Then I will go no where,” Suniel said, sitting down on a nearby rubble-pile and staring up at the immense elemental. He stared up at it, gritting his teeth for a moment. Then, without looking away he spoke. “He said nothing of you coming or going Keeper. Head back to the ship and let the others know my predicament.” He watched carefully for any sign that Earthquake Moves would stop Keeper. It sat still as a mountain as Keeper left, leaving Suniel again at an impasse. *** Harold ran hard through the ruins, glancing behind him to see if any of the elementals were still pursuing. A quick glance showed nothing, but ducked inside a half-crumbled tower anyway. He was heading deeper into the ruins when he tripped over something in the shadowy dark. Cursing he felt around, eventually finding a small but heavy chest half-buried in fallen, half-burned timbers. He popped it open and his eyes widened. [I]Need something to do while I'm waiting for them to give up on looking for me anyway,[/I] he thought, starting to count the coins. [I]Guess this venture wasn't a total waste of time.[/I] *** Kezzek awoke to a face looming over his. Instinctively, he reached to throttle it, his orc blood raging, but the figure was too quick, moving just out of reach. “Hold there Greywarden, it's Harold,” the figure said, slowly coming into focus. His orcish side was screaming for blood but he managed to resist long enough for it to simmer down. “Harold,” he was finally able to say as he examined the bandages wrapped about his arms and chest. “How in the bloody hell we're sitting in the middle of did you find me?” Harold gestured behind him at a dozen tiny whirlwinds that danced about them. “They led me here, good thing too. Looks like something half-killed you.” “Which half? I think I could handle losing the orc side sometimes,” Kezzek said with a grunt and a wince as he stood. He looked up at the black tornado roaring high into the sky to the west. “Well, I've talked with the leader of Fire,” Harold said. “Big green bonfire that called itself Greenpyre.” “And?” Kezzek said as he pulled his Gauntlet on. “Let's just say it's probably not a good idea to go back there." Kezzek grunted. “Well, might as well get moving,” Kezzek said, pointing towards the tornado. “I think we need to go talk with that.” *** Kezzek felt like he was leaning almost parallel to the ground by the time he was able to reach the wind-blasted plateau around the giant tornado. As he approached, a second twister detached from the massive Rift-tornado and drifted towards him, stopping only when it was so close he had to cling to a craggy outcropping to keep from being blown away. “I come to ask you to give up this pointless war against the Water. Close your Rift and return to whence you came, this is no place for you,” he shouted, voice straining with the effort of shouting over the wind. “Our Rift grows wider,” the wind boomed back. “When the Rifts of Wind and Fire and Stone close and the last of the Cursed Ones is torn apart and their remains scattered to the four winds of the place, then will we return.” “But that will never happen! Anyone can see that this war you are waging is pointless,” Kezzek said. “In this world, does the sea or the wind or the fire or rock ever win? How will any one of you ever find victory here?” “If it takes ten times the span we were in bondage to snuff out the other Rifts, then that will be soon enough. If we are blown back through our Rift in defeat, the knowledge that whichever remains will destroy that vortex of Cursed Ones we left in place to collect the Cursed Ones all from the four winds, then that will be enough.” “Vortex of the Cursed Ones?” Kezzek shouted. Then it came to him. [I]Watersprock! They left alone so that the gnomes would gather there within easy striking distance![/I] He stared at the swirling, somehow malevolent swirling black wind that swayed before him and swore, using the rock to pull himself away until the wind had died down enough for him to stand. “It didn't kill you, that's something at least,” Harold said. “Any luck?” Kezzek just growled in return. “Let's get back to the ship.” *** Suniel was just about to give up when he saw Keeper appear out of the ruins, Harold close behind. “I see Keeper reached the ship,” Suniel said. Harold nodded and looked over at the Stone Rift, glancing right past Earthquake Moves. “Yes, just as I reached it myself. So what's the situation here?” “Simple. He says I either bring him more gnomes to slaughter or I don't leave.” “Ah, that. Don't worry, I've dealt with this before,” Harold said. “Where's their leader?” Suniel pointed at Earthquake Moves. “That.” Harold stared at it for a minute. “What, behind the cliff? Oh. [I]That's[/I] their leader?” Before Suniel could answer, Harold was walking up to it. “You there, I have a message for you,” Harold said, shouting up at the rock. “We'll bring you more gnomes, we just need to go get them. Give us some time, we'll get a bunch, bring them back.” He stood staring up at it and Suniel half-expected Earthquake Moves to shift once and flatten him. Instead, a boom echoed out, sending Suniel and Harold staggering. Suniel motioned Harold over quickly when he caught Harold's eyes. “What was that?” Harold said as he approached. “He said yes,” Keeper said. Suniel looked sharply at the construct. “You speak Ignan?” Keeper's looked back, expressionless as ever. “No. Why?” “Well, regardless, what did you just agree to?” Suniel said. “There's no way I'm going to do that.” “Exactly,” Harold whispered, leaning in. “I agreed to the same thing with Greenpyre. I don't know about you, but there's no way I'm ever coming back here again. Are you?” *** “Wait, you're saying you saw a silver turtle [I]here[/I]?” Kezzek said. Guntl and many of the other crew members nodded. “Yes, it went to the beach, opened its mouth, and a figure walked into the city with what looked like a crate. It didn't move an inch the whole time until a few hours later when he returned. Then it swallowed him and headed west. I could see the bubbles.” There was a moment of silence as everyone took the information in. Finally Harold spoke. “Our course takes us west. The journey to the Crystal Towers that is. We can keep an eye out for the turtle as we go.” “And warn Watersprock,” Suniel added. “If what Kezzek found out was true, the little city we were helping organize is a trap.” There was another silence. Then Keeper strode from Suniel's side towards the aft-castle, shouting at the crew as he went. “Avast! Make ready the sails. You sailors or landlubbers? The others all glanced at Suniel who simply raised his hands and shrugged. “Don't ask me, I just turned him on.” [/QUOTE]
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