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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 6604463" data-attributes="member: 9546">The Coming Storm7 Pharast, 4715-7 Desnus, 4715A thorough search of the twisted pagoda of Kimandatsu turned up no sign of Ulf Gormundr, but Boris did come across a secret panel hidden away in a far corner. It was securely locked, but fortunately they had found of a set of keys on the oni's body. There was a passage beyond the door that carried a noticeable chill. Around a corner stood a pair of heavy wooden doors, one on each side of the hall, both secured with large locks. The companions paused before the first door, and Boris found a key on the ring that fit that lock. He unlatched it and pushed open the heavy door...to find himself face-to-muzzle with a white-furred wolf the size of a grizzly bear, with a rime of frost around its snarling mouth.Boris waited for the wolf's jaws to clamp down over his head, his eyes squeezed shut. When his death did not immediately come, he partially opened one eye and saw that the beast was still poised, a low growl emanating from deep in its chest. "That's a winter warg," Piotr said quietly from behind Boris. "They are highly intelligent. Let me try and speak with it. Keep your mouth shut, and don't move."The sorcerer stepped forward and cleared his throat."We have no quarrel with you," he began. "We are here searching for a friend, and we have been accosted continuously by the denizens of this keep. Judging by the large lock on the outside of your door, I assume you may have been held prisoner by these same individuals. If so, then our interests may be in alignment.""If not, then we kill you like we kill them!" Boris burst out, puffing up his chest.Piotr hissed, and Zula snatched Boris behind her."Please," Piotr continued, "ignore that. I assure you that we mean you no harm...if you can say the same."The wolf's cold, blue eyes glittered in the torchlight, but the growl grew quiet, and its lips once more covered its fangs."What has become of the ogre mage?" he asked in a distinctly masculine voice."She is dead," Piotr replied, "at our hands. You can see for yourself if you like. May I ask how you came to be here?""I was taken unawares from my home at the Crown of the World by that treacherous creature," the wolf replied. "She thought to tame and train me as one might a dog. I showed her differently, so she left me here to rot.""The Crown of the World?" Piotr asked. "The man we are looking for is to be our guide for an expedition there. Do you know of other captives here?""I have heard pathetic human screams from further down the passage," the wolf replied. "You're going to the Crown of the World? Do you wish to die so fervently?""Not at all," Piotr shook his head. "But we must traverse it to reach the lands of Tian Xia. Is there anything you can tell us of the dangers we might encounter?"The wolf issued a short bark, which might have been a laugh. "The dangers are as many as the hairs in my coat! Your human guide might know the way, but only one such as I can truly prepare you for the perils you will face.""Is that an offer, Mr....?""Skygni," the wolf said, and then shrugged his massive shoulders. "I am returning home in any event. There is strength in a pack. I could accompany you, seeing as how you have done me a service this day."Piotr looked to his companions, who nodded their agreement."It may be several days before we are ready to depart Kalsgard," he said to Skygni."Fine," the wolf replied. "I will meet you outside the walls of the human settlement in a fortnight. If you do not come, I will leave without you."With that, he shouldered his way into the passage and then trotted back the way they'd come._____________________________________________________________________Kimandatsu's keys also unlocked the last door in the hallway. Inky darkness filled the inside of the chamber on the other side, along with a stale, fishy smell mixed with the stench of unwashed bodies. The sound of dripping water and a low moan echoed through the still air. Boris's eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and he could see that the northwest corner of the room was flooded with tepid water, creating a shallow pool. Crouched in that water were a trio of frog-like creatures the size of  short, stocky humanoids with webbed feet and claws, and glowing white eyes. Nearer to hand, curled into a fetal position, was an Ulfen man. He wasn't moving, and Boris could not tell if he was breathing.The little goblin walked confidently into the room while his companions watched from the doorway. He went to the Ulfen, and bent down to listen for any signs of life."He just sleeping," Boris called over his shoulder, "or unconscious. Same difference."He then turned towards the frog creatures, who were all staring at him."Hello frog-people," he waved. "We here to free you. That what we doing today...freeing everyone...wolfs, frogs, humans...all free!"In response, the eyes of the creatures suddenly blazed with blinding light as they rushed forward. Boris's vision went white, and then he couldn't see anything anymore. Though the light was intense, Lucian could still see well enough to put two arrows in the closest creature headed for Boris. The second little beast leaped towards Mazael, whose sight was also nothing but dazzling spots. The war-priest, however, was accustomed to fighting under less than ideal conditions, and with a bit of guidance from Suishen, he timed his strike perfectly to colide with the frog-thing just as it landed in front of him. Behind him, Zula had been struck blind as well, but she had had enough time to glimpse the layout of the room before that, and she hurled her thunderous voice towards the center of the chamber. The resulting concussion killed two of the things outright, and then Lucian fired another pair of arrows at the last one just as it raked its claws at Boris, dropping it before it could inflict more damage.______________________________________________________________________It took some time for the vision of the companions to clear, and for Spivey to tend to the wounds of the Ulfen man. He was disoriented once he regained consciousness, and at first shied away from the strange individuals surrounding him."Be at ease," Piotr said reassuringly. "Are you Ulf Gormundr? If so, we have been looking for you. Uksahkka asked us to find you.""Uksahkka?" the man asked. "Is she with you? Is she safe?""She dead," Boris blurted, earning him another withering glare from Piotr, and a slap on the back of his head from Mazael."Yes," Piotr confirmed. "We only received word of this recently. She was murdered by the same people who kidnapped you, but we have avenged her.""She will not be avenged until every member of the Rimerunners Guild is dead at the point of my blade!" Ulf snarled. "We actually believe that the Kalsgard chapter of the Rimerunners was a front for another, far more dangerous organization called the Five Storms," Piotr replied. "They reside in Tian Xia, and we are journeying there across the Crown of the World to bring them to justice. If you would guide us there, you could have your revenge."Ulf's eyes smoldered with rage, and he nodded once, curtly."You have your guide," he said._______________________________________________________________________Two days later found the companions and Ulf Gormundr back in Kalsgard. Koya was inconsolable when she learned of the loss of a second son, but after time spent in mediation and prayer with her fellow Desnans, Spivey and Mazael, she came to realize that her goddess had larger plans, and her boys had played their part in the tapestry. She was at peace.Lute Haggersly had kept his word, and returned Haroldo's body to the caravan, where Koya had kept it in a gentle repose. The merchant had since revealed publicly the truth about Thorborg Silverskorr and the Rimerunners Guild. This had caused a major shake up among the Kalsgard guilds, and Sveinn Blood-Eagle has suspended the Rimerunners' operations and seized all of their assets while investigations were conducted. The Linnorm King then publicly distanced himself from his formal cordial relations with Silverskorr.For their part in avenging his blood feud upon Asvig Longthews and Thorborg Silverskorr, Fynn Snaevald officially relinquished ownership of Suishen to the Scions. He also offered to invest 2000 gold pieces into Sandru's caravan in exchange for a cut of any profits. Sandru was most pleased. After all of her help, and for the loyalty she had shown, the companions told Zula of the true nature of their quest, and Ameiko offered her an official place among them. The Thundercaller felt strangely drawn to the young Tian woman, and accepted the offer graciously. Still, Sandru felt like they were short-handed, and with the recent revelations of the lengths the Five Storms were willing to go to to stop them, he suggested that they look into hiring on a mercenary or two. In fact, he had already gone so far as to put up postings, and had already received several inquiries. The others were less than pleased, and even less so when they saw the motley crew that had answered the flyers. Sandru was determined, however, and Ameiko supported his decision. They waded through the interviewing process, weeding out 9 out of every 10 applicants, until only four remained. The first of those deemed sort of worthy was, of all things, another goblin. He rode into the caravan grounds mounted on a shaggy wolf, and carrying a long, golden lance. He introduced himself as Nex, and was quite well-spoken...compared to Boris. He boasted of his jousting skills, and Boris liked him immediately. Mazael was less than enthusiastic. The second candidate was a human, Kelishite by the look of him, named Zane. He was dressed gaudily, with a large peacock plume jutting from his jauntily cocked cap, and leather boots that rose to his thighs. He bore a scimitar that he carried in a bejeweled sheath. He was happy to demonstrate his skills, hopping and dancing about like a fool, all the while spinning his sword about him like a dervish. No one was impressed. Third came a Mwangi screamer named Fang, armed with a large axe carved out of bone. He was monosyllabic, and spoke mostly in grunts, though when he swung his great axe, he nearly cleaved a fallen log in two with one stroke. Last was an elven woman dressed in simple robes. A small, delicate dragon sat upon her shoulder, and the only name she gave was Sly. She didn't walk into the camp, but instead floated gently out of the air. She demonstrated many strange magical abilities, which caused Piotr to mutter the word 'witchcraft' under his breath. The companions debated the merits and drawbacks of each of the candidates at length, weighing their own current strengths and weaknesses, and what role they were most in need of. They had more than enough people who knew how to swing a blade or shoot a bow, especially since they intended on resurrecting Haroldo just as soon as the Amatasu Seal was recharged. In the end, despite Piotr's protests, it was decided that Sly best suited their needs. Her spells and skills would nicely complement the sorcerer's, who, even he grudgingly admitted, had been carrying the lion's-share of mystical mayhem up to that point. Contracts were signed and agreements were arrived at. Sandru estimated it would be approximately two weeks before the caravan would be ready to leave Kalsgard and, upon the advice of Ulf Gormundr, the companions would do well to equip themselves for a long, cold journey. ________________________________________________________________________Two weeks later, Sandru's caravan pulled out of Kalsgard, bound for the Crown of the World. Just beyond the city, Skygni found them, and took up position in the fore of the train. The horses whinnied skittishly, but the drovers managed to keep them under the control, though the men muttered to themselves under their breaths, and forked the sign of the Evil Eye at the warg. Over the next month, the caravan travelled through the Thanelands of the Linnorm Kings before following the line of the Stormspear Hills to reach the taiga and tundra beyond. At that point, the two Avistani ends of the Path of Aganhei joined together to cross the Rimethirst Mountains. Along the way, the companions were able to use the Amatatsu Seal to restore Haroldo to the land of the living and bring him up to speed on all that had transpired since his demise. He was not particularly saddened to hear about Neko's death.It was on their second day on the Path of Aganhei that Skygni brought the caravan to a halt when he stopped abruptly and lifted his muzzle into the air, sniffing intently. "My brothers are near," he growled. "They will try and surround us. Prepare yourselves."No sooner had he spoken, than four large shadows separated from the mists on all sides of the wagons. They were white-furred wargs, similar to Skygni, but slightly smaller than the big alpha. Boris quickly rolled underneath one of the wagons and hid himself behind the front wheel. From there he snapped off a shot from his bow into the nearest wolf, taking it through its left eye. At the front of column, Skygni lowered his head, a low menacing growl coming from his throat, and the fur on his back bristling. The warg in front of him adopted a similar pose, and then the two brutes charged one another, colliding with massive impact, teeth and claws ripping and tearing as they rolled through the snow. On the caravan's rear, Lucian fired off a barrage of arrows at the warg closing on him, while on the right flank, the final wolf charged at Piotr and Sly. Piotr prepared to unleash his magic upon the beast, but before he could, Sly stepped in front of him and her fingers wove a complex pattern. The wolf collapsed in mid-run, sliding to a stop mere inches from the witch, deep, rumbling snores echoing from its snout. The half-blind, pain-maddened warg Boris had shot rushed towards the goblin, its jaws parting and a cloud of frost gathering there. At the last moment, Mazael stepped in front of it and absorbed the brunt of the frigid blast, Suishen's fiery glow bathing him and protecting him from the cold. The war-priest then reversed the blade and drove it through the wolf's throat, putting it out of its misery. Lucian continued to loose arrows at his wolf, and Shalelu joined him. With the combined barrage, the wolf never reached them. At the front of caravan, Skygni and his rival finally rolled to a stop, with the larger warg atop the smaller, it's throat in the alpha's jaws and its life's blood spilling onto the snow. Finally, Haroldo strode up to the sleeping warg and cut its head from its body."Well done," Ulf said as he walked among the corpses of the wolves, "but this was easy. We still have at least three months upon the Crown, and the danger is just beginning..,"</blockquote>

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