Menace of the Icy Spire (Ozymandias79 judging)

[changer]

The "snowshoes" - two-inch thick pieces of planking lashed roughly to a boot - prove to be heavy and incredibly awkward, and Janus finds that Shorrin is constantly pulling ahead of him and getting held back. He's tiring quickly, too, from the sheer awkwardness of pulling each plank along with each step.

Janus notices that he is lagging behind the pace due to the shoes and realising that they are probably better over snow drifts and not pack ice, calls for a quick halt, removes the shoes and starts out again with much apologies.

Noticing the sea birds Janus thinks to himself, "If they come closer we may have Gull Stew on the menu tonight. Mmmmm Gull Stew..."

If Shorrin looks around to see why Janus has stoped...again. He is standing there with a dreamy look on his face and drool running down his chin.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Shorrin looked back at Janus as he called for a brief halt. "You should probably wipe the drool off your chin, else it freezes until we leave this land."

 

[Moon_Goddess]

Larinza watchs the birds a little nervious, but figures they're no threat.

"I suppose a bird like that would be tough and stringy to eat. We can probably get by a few days without."

 

[balth]

The birds circle the area once and then scatter. Several swoop low over the waves, diving for fish, and a few alight on the ice in various places, pecking at things you can't make out.

Balth treks back slowly to the sleds.

He pulls down the fur covering his mouth, and his breath forms into a wispy cloud as he breathes out. He says quietly, Can't make out what unroosted the birds, the way they're pecking at the ice, I have a feeling there might be remains of the crew there. I don't think I remember the Captain saying exactly *what* happened to the ship or her compliment. I think we should be on the ready as we approach the ship; if there is something that means us harm, they're going to have plenty of opportunity to see us coming if they haven't already. I recommend pressing on, but about a hundred paces out; ready our weapons. I'll ready my bow before that, but we'll have to move quickly, as I'd like to keep me hands.

What do you all think?

 

[changer]

"I concur, if we can discern what happend to the crew we might be better prepared than they were. I suggest that it would also be a good idea to spread out a little as well, if we bunch up and there is a spell caster of any discription we might all be affected." Janus replies as he produces a small, deep blue crystal orb from a hidden pocket beneath his robes.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Shorrin nods as Janus speaks. He didn't care much for carrion meat anyway. It was the comment about the caster that had him somewhat nervous. The dragonborn knew nothing of magic firsthand, only the stories of others have built his somewhat pathetic knowledge.

 

[renau1g]

Murphy also nods in agreement, hoping that his fears are for naught. He wasn't as worried about spellcasters, they usually liked nice, warm places to study. Not this accursed frigid wasteland.

"Next time I need to be more selective of whom I help" the human thinks as he trudges along.

 

[JoeNotCharles]

You approach the hulk of the ship. The damage is even worse than it looked like from a distance - the ship is split completely in half, with the bow thrust upward on a spike of ice that emerges from the featureless sheet like a landlocked iceberg. A gaping hole leads into the bowels of the ship. You peer inside, but see nothing moving - just shadowy bales of cargo stacked on all sides and spilling across the floor. The hold is illuminated by sunlight filtering in through cracks in the planking above, so there's no need for light sources yet.

As he approaches the ship, Balth's foot skids on the ice and he looks down as he catches himself. Under a light dusting of snow he sees a dark mass. Clearing the snow away he finds himself face to face with a human sailor, mouth gaping, staring up at him. The corpse hangs vertically in the ice as if it were swimming - or drowning - and was frozen in an instant.

A sea bird perches on the railing and cocks its head at you. "TEKELI-LI!"

 

[Moon_Goddess]

"Balth what do you see over there?"

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Shorrin eyes the shipwreck carefully. "It appears to me as if the ice rose suddenly, striking the ship. Is such magic possible or was the ship a victim of a well timed accident?"