As the Two Sisters Watched(into the breech)
- Thread starter alsih2o
- Start date
alsih2o
First Post
(dm's note: the party is all human, and few humans have ever seen anything other than humans. so the group is not an ignorant or inexperienced bunch, they are rping their little hearts out. Children of the Wood are one race of dwarves in my world.)
Thabyra whispered to her companions "So, you know what he's talking about?"
"Completely lost" replied Kolindra
The Children of the Wood broke rank and approached as they sense the dialogue becoming a conversation rather than a questioning. The men stood around foot feet tall and had deeply tanned skin with a small ripple of lighter color that was more visible in broad daylight. They wore long beards, frequently hanging to their waists, and when they moved the slow sounds of the woods issued from their thick limbs.
Fin was feeling reassured and spoke loudly and clearly to the group “Good sir, what is ‘the landbearer’?”
Tavania locked her gaze on the strange men and tried to assess what they could be. Tales began to form in her mind that she could share when she was back at the home fires.
"Hilltopple owned many acres in this wood, he was one of the many halflings in this area" Responded Domme
“Halfling?” inquired Thabyra “The woman in the dream was a midget. Is a halfling a midget?”
Domme tried to explain, “Not a midget, a halfling, short peoples, and none too thick, and they have petty beards, but natural to the magics they are, to the last one."
Finn whispered to Kolindra “"Are they flesh and blood or made of wood or something? The way the creak and groan" Kolindra responded, “Clueless, I have no idea.”
Fin decided it was best to step in to the general conversation at this point. “so, uh, why did Hilltopple leave?”
“He and his have been missing for nearly 200 years” Domme explained
“200 years, and yet you speak if them as if they still live?” wondered Thabyra, feeling confused.
Domme showed the great patience of his people in his explanations, choosing his words carefully without hesitating for so long as to be seen pondering how much truth to reveal “Not everyone has your short span of years woman. My kind live for 500 years, if they do not come to frequently upon the Shokta."
Thabyra felt humbled, responding, “We know nothing of any but our own kind.”
“Why do you think Maissen sends you?” asked Domme, hoping to open Thabyras eyes to her goal
“To decrease the surplus population, I figured.” She replied, explaining “We're misfits.”
The core of the short men surrounding them laughed heartily, and her statements was repeated through the group in several dialects of a language none of the party recognized.
Drawn by her humor Domme decided these peoples were ones he could trust. Many had from Maissen had passed through the lands he belonged to. Most had been good people, of honorable intent, and he had a good intuitive sense for this group. He presented Thabyra with a stone saying “I take you in confidence, toss this stone and it shall always land towards mine" He held a similar stone in his hand, small and polished. By appearances alone one would give it no significance.
Thabyra whispered to her companions "So, you know what he's talking about?"
"Completely lost" replied Kolindra
The Children of the Wood broke rank and approached as they sense the dialogue becoming a conversation rather than a questioning. The men stood around foot feet tall and had deeply tanned skin with a small ripple of lighter color that was more visible in broad daylight. They wore long beards, frequently hanging to their waists, and when they moved the slow sounds of the woods issued from their thick limbs.
Fin was feeling reassured and spoke loudly and clearly to the group “Good sir, what is ‘the landbearer’?”
Tavania locked her gaze on the strange men and tried to assess what they could be. Tales began to form in her mind that she could share when she was back at the home fires.
"Hilltopple owned many acres in this wood, he was one of the many halflings in this area" Responded Domme
“Halfling?” inquired Thabyra “The woman in the dream was a midget. Is a halfling a midget?”
Domme tried to explain, “Not a midget, a halfling, short peoples, and none too thick, and they have petty beards, but natural to the magics they are, to the last one."
Finn whispered to Kolindra “"Are they flesh and blood or made of wood or something? The way the creak and groan" Kolindra responded, “Clueless, I have no idea.”
Fin decided it was best to step in to the general conversation at this point. “so, uh, why did Hilltopple leave?”
“He and his have been missing for nearly 200 years” Domme explained
“200 years, and yet you speak if them as if they still live?” wondered Thabyra, feeling confused.
Domme showed the great patience of his people in his explanations, choosing his words carefully without hesitating for so long as to be seen pondering how much truth to reveal “Not everyone has your short span of years woman. My kind live for 500 years, if they do not come to frequently upon the Shokta."
Thabyra felt humbled, responding, “We know nothing of any but our own kind.”
“Why do you think Maissen sends you?” asked Domme, hoping to open Thabyras eyes to her goal
“To decrease the surplus population, I figured.” She replied, explaining “We're misfits.”
The core of the short men surrounding them laughed heartily, and her statements was repeated through the group in several dialects of a language none of the party recognized.
Drawn by her humor Domme decided these peoples were ones he could trust. Many had from Maissen had passed through the lands he belonged to. Most had been good people, of honorable intent, and he had a good intuitive sense for this group. He presented Thabyra with a stone saying “I take you in confidence, toss this stone and it shall always land towards mine" He held a similar stone in his hand, small and polished. By appearances alone one would give it no significance.
Stone Angel
First Post
Lets go you had a week off. But lord knows that you have what like thirty other projects lurking around the corner. Where are your priorities man. The people want to hear more about the hero's of Maissen. Besides I can't wait to see the write up from the last session.
alsih2o
First Post
(DM note: i have lost my log from the end of this conversation. basically, domme assured the party that the seers oftheir community were also seeing the halflings n their dream and that is probably meant that danger was afoot as "the planes reach out for one another." and then the children of the wood backed away into the fog, woshing the party luck and reminding them to behave in this territory)
The party stomped on as the scrublands gave way to grasslands interspersed with pine growths. Far in the distance lie the mountains the sought, supposedly loaded with gems for the taking. Thabyra continued asking questions, mostly to herself, only to be answered in echo by Rinneys questions.
This was much easier traveling than the grasslands. With a distinctive mountain ahead of them at least they could tell what direction they were headed, and the abundant game left them all feeling a little more confident.
While walking they came upon a small drop, just some 5 feet, in the grass as a fissure broke the sod and let a creek pass through. This fissure went unnoticed until they approached closer and were shocked to see that they had unexpectedly come up behind two Shokta, each with a bison, filling water skins and gourds from the small burbling creek. The sudden shock of seeing Shokta up close for the first time made some give pause, but not Thabyra, she ran forward, pausing at the fissures edge and let fly a bullet from her sling. Her stone leapt wide of the two and startled them as it bounced into the creek. As they turned to what was happening Tavania pierced the chest of the nearer one with an arrow.
His cry broke out across the field and for the first time it became apparent that these two were younger even than the party. Mere teens, caught in a menial task.
“BARBARIAN BASTARDS!!!” cry Tavania with a spirit none of the others had seen from her before.
Rinney stepped forward, moving around the fissure for better position and drew his rapier, Finn opened fire with his crossbow. As the remaining uninjured boy clambered to mount the huge hairy bison beside him he was struck by Finns bolt and fell to the ground.
Staggered by the blows they had been dealt the two boys spent their dying moments struggling for their mounts and Thabyra struck again, bouncing a sling bullet off the skull of the faster moving one, dropping his small body into the creek, never to rise again.
That is when they heard the charging feet behind them.
Three mature Shokta warriors were charging in, whooping and crying for blood on the backs of their awe inspiring bison mounts. The Bison snorted and snotted, their massive hooves chewing the ground before them as they close with the party.
Tavania calmly stepped towards the fissure and picked the middle warrior of the three from his bison with a well-placed arrow. The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.
Rinney concentrated and held his bronze charm aloft, murmuring quietly a sleeping song. The song took one warrior into slumber and he fell gracelessly from his mount. The other remaining warrior resisted the effects of the magic…but his mount did not. As the bison charged in he suddenly quit everything, his great stonelike head slamming into the ground in a huge cloud of duct, his shocked rider flying from his back and biting into the earth deeply.
The dust began to fall, quicker then the adrenaline in the adventurer’s blood. Tense seconds passed as it settled upon them that they were again alone in the wood.
“Well, what do we do with them?” inquired Thaby
A debate began about tying them up or running before the remainder awoke and during this argument Tavania went warrior to warrior, slitting throats in turn.
“Well,” said Finn “we are gonna eat well tonight.”
Rinney, upon remembering he would be paid well for the horns of a Shokta mount began the messy and laborious process of removing the large black horns while others set about searching the gear that belonged to the dead, and butchering bison in the field. The bison did not come apart easy. Their thick hides and massive size made everything about them difficult to deal with. Next to Ichiopa they were indeed massive, making the Rinneys cow look like so much of a paperweight.
Finn drew a necklace off the head of one of the fallen warriors. It was a polished stone with a symbol on it, appearing to be a raven on a bison’s back.
“What do y’all make of this?” asked Finn
Before anyone could answer him he noticed the butchering preceding and hollered “Save me some butt! I always wanted to say I ate some bison butt!”
After securing as much meat as they felt they could safely move the party decided to evacuate the scene, in case more Shokta should arrive and find a better place to make camp.
Camp that night was a raucous affair. Each member of the party took turns inflating their part in the day’s battle and boosting their confidence on dealing with the savage plains barbarians. The fire roasted their newly won meat for dinner and suddenly the world outside Maissen didn’t seem so large and unconquerable.
Sleep came easily to the overexcited adventurers, but restful sleep did not. The dream returned.
Two men with rough hands dragging the small woman to the fire.
Her screams for help, and mercy for her child.
The fire growing as she was about to be cast into the flames….
And then It happened. As each of them stirred in their dreams a gate appeared, the gate from their dreams, right at the edge of their campsite, it’s lion emblazoned door open and the glow and crackle of a massive fire inside.
“HELP ME! SAVE MY BABY!” cried the woman’s voice from inside the disembodied gate.
Tavania jerked to her feet and squatted defensively as Thabyra began running before she was all the way to her feet. Thabyra mentally recoiled from the flame, but charged headlong through the door.
“Well,” said Rinney “I do suppose it is up to us to save this little woman.”
Like true heroes the fled through the gate with great haste to find themselves standing in a open courtyard in bright sunlight.
The party stomped on as the scrublands gave way to grasslands interspersed with pine growths. Far in the distance lie the mountains the sought, supposedly loaded with gems for the taking. Thabyra continued asking questions, mostly to herself, only to be answered in echo by Rinneys questions.
This was much easier traveling than the grasslands. With a distinctive mountain ahead of them at least they could tell what direction they were headed, and the abundant game left them all feeling a little more confident.
While walking they came upon a small drop, just some 5 feet, in the grass as a fissure broke the sod and let a creek pass through. This fissure went unnoticed until they approached closer and were shocked to see that they had unexpectedly come up behind two Shokta, each with a bison, filling water skins and gourds from the small burbling creek. The sudden shock of seeing Shokta up close for the first time made some give pause, but not Thabyra, she ran forward, pausing at the fissures edge and let fly a bullet from her sling. Her stone leapt wide of the two and startled them as it bounced into the creek. As they turned to what was happening Tavania pierced the chest of the nearer one with an arrow.
His cry broke out across the field and for the first time it became apparent that these two were younger even than the party. Mere teens, caught in a menial task.
“BARBARIAN BASTARDS!!!” cry Tavania with a spirit none of the others had seen from her before.
Rinney stepped forward, moving around the fissure for better position and drew his rapier, Finn opened fire with his crossbow. As the remaining uninjured boy clambered to mount the huge hairy bison beside him he was struck by Finns bolt and fell to the ground.
Staggered by the blows they had been dealt the two boys spent their dying moments struggling for their mounts and Thabyra struck again, bouncing a sling bullet off the skull of the faster moving one, dropping his small body into the creek, never to rise again.
That is when they heard the charging feet behind them.
Three mature Shokta warriors were charging in, whooping and crying for blood on the backs of their awe inspiring bison mounts. The Bison snorted and snotted, their massive hooves chewing the ground before them as they close with the party.
Tavania calmly stepped towards the fissure and picked the middle warrior of the three from his bison with a well-placed arrow. The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.
Rinney concentrated and held his bronze charm aloft, murmuring quietly a sleeping song. The song took one warrior into slumber and he fell gracelessly from his mount. The other remaining warrior resisted the effects of the magic…but his mount did not. As the bison charged in he suddenly quit everything, his great stonelike head slamming into the ground in a huge cloud of duct, his shocked rider flying from his back and biting into the earth deeply.
The dust began to fall, quicker then the adrenaline in the adventurer’s blood. Tense seconds passed as it settled upon them that they were again alone in the wood.
“Well, what do we do with them?” inquired Thaby
A debate began about tying them up or running before the remainder awoke and during this argument Tavania went warrior to warrior, slitting throats in turn.
“Well,” said Finn “we are gonna eat well tonight.”
Rinney, upon remembering he would be paid well for the horns of a Shokta mount began the messy and laborious process of removing the large black horns while others set about searching the gear that belonged to the dead, and butchering bison in the field. The bison did not come apart easy. Their thick hides and massive size made everything about them difficult to deal with. Next to Ichiopa they were indeed massive, making the Rinneys cow look like so much of a paperweight.
Finn drew a necklace off the head of one of the fallen warriors. It was a polished stone with a symbol on it, appearing to be a raven on a bison’s back.
“What do y’all make of this?” asked Finn
Before anyone could answer him he noticed the butchering preceding and hollered “Save me some butt! I always wanted to say I ate some bison butt!”
After securing as much meat as they felt they could safely move the party decided to evacuate the scene, in case more Shokta should arrive and find a better place to make camp.
Camp that night was a raucous affair. Each member of the party took turns inflating their part in the day’s battle and boosting their confidence on dealing with the savage plains barbarians. The fire roasted their newly won meat for dinner and suddenly the world outside Maissen didn’t seem so large and unconquerable.
Sleep came easily to the overexcited adventurers, but restful sleep did not. The dream returned.
Two men with rough hands dragging the small woman to the fire.
Her screams for help, and mercy for her child.
The fire growing as she was about to be cast into the flames….
And then It happened. As each of them stirred in their dreams a gate appeared, the gate from their dreams, right at the edge of their campsite, it’s lion emblazoned door open and the glow and crackle of a massive fire inside.
“HELP ME! SAVE MY BABY!” cried the woman’s voice from inside the disembodied gate.
Tavania jerked to her feet and squatted defensively as Thabyra began running before she was all the way to her feet. Thabyra mentally recoiled from the flame, but charged headlong through the door.
“Well,” said Rinney “I do suppose it is up to us to save this little woman.”
Like true heroes the fled through the gate with great haste to find themselves standing in a open courtyard in bright sunlight.
Stone Angel
First Post
Aww there's so much more. Thanks for the update.