Kuldahar

Index > Game Forums > Icewind Dale > Chapter 6

Be sure to read and follow the guidelines for our forums.

9 of /17
<< First < 7 8 9 10 11 > Last >>
load previous

Natalie

Araklusta

Apr 18, 2019 3:18 am
Apr 18, 2019 3:18 am
Re: Kuldahar
Natalie growls wordlessly and seizes her broom, then moves to the door. It opens just before she reaches it, however, to reveal Erevain standing in the doorway. He stands aside as Natalie storms out.

As the young woman leaves Zenithral notices a dim greenish glow emanating from the wood of her broom handle. It is different from the nefarious flame that Jhonen used to conjure, and Zenithral has witnessed enough druidic magic by now to recognize it at work here.

Erevain

Araklusta

Apr 18, 2019 3:54 am
Apr 18, 2019 3:54 am
Re: Kuldahar
Erevain lets Natalie pass, then moved into the Inn common room. He shrugs away the good of his cloak and meets Zenithral's eyes. "I was out scouting and came across a couple of weary travelers on the outskirts of town. I did us all a favor and avoided an introduction with Mirek's blood hunters. I thought perhaps you would be most eager to see them first."

The elf smiles warmly, then waves two figures into the room - two familiar if weary faces: Arannis and Saki, Zenithral's grandparents.

Arannis Melerelel

Araklusta

Apr 18, 2019 3:55 am
Apr 18, 2019 3:55 am
Re: Kuldahar
Arannis' face is just as Zenithral remembers, though it has been some time since he saw his grandfather last. The elf's ageless features are as young as Zenithral's own, but that brooding silence behind his eyes speaks of centuries of sorrow - and in his recent adventures to the Hand of the Seldarine and Dorn's Deep, Zenithral finally understands some of that quiet pain.

Arannis does not smile when he sees his grandson, but the older elf does straighten with pride. For all his reserved nature, his posture speaks to Zenithral like an approving clap on the shoulder. He reaches out a hand calloused from a half-millennium of archery, ready to clasp hands with the half-elf who has been like a son to him.

Saki Melerelel

Araklusta

Apr 18, 2019 3:56 am
Apr 18, 2019 3:56 am
Re: Kuldahar
Saki, unlike her long-lived husband, does show signs of age. The years have been kind to Zenithral's human grandmother, but still the lines at her eyes have grown deeper. In a family of practical eternal youth, any marks of advancing age seem a stark contrast.

Still, Saki seems to carry herself easily enough. With steps too graceful to be considered hurried, she closes the distance between them and embraces Zenithral in a warm hug, a whispered prayer of thanks to Ilmater on her lips.

"Zenithral! How good it is to see you! You have grown since we saw you last." She pulls back long enough to poke him in the ribs with a slender finger. "Have you been eating well? Elf heritage or no, you're looking a little thin!"

Mirek

Araklusta

Apr 18, 2019 4:09 am
Apr 18, 2019 4:09 am
Re: Kuldahar
Mirek and the hunters pause to consider the words of these two companions. Alalla and Reòthadh can almost see the difficulty their seared minds have in trying to digest even this reasonable logic. In the end, reason wins.

Mirek releases the hilt of his sword with a frustrated grunt. "You're right. You're both right." He looks at the other hunters, and for a moment they all share an expression of shame. "Sorry about that. Of course you only have Kuldahar's best interests at heart. Life has just been hard lately. And this coming from folk who chose to eke out an existence in the middle of the Spine of the World!"

He raises his hands in a shrug. "We're just all worn down from the events of the last few months, and are doing the best we can with the tools we have."

Alalla

gardensun

Apr 18, 2019 4:34 am
Apr 18, 2019 4:34 am
Re: Kuldahar
"Of course you are. Just don't forget that everyone has been. Including your Archdruid. Including me." She makes her look less reprimanding, but no less serious. "You're inexperienced. That's not anyone's fault. At least I had the good fortune of being trained in the militia and town guard before all of this mess. You were given a war and a blood ritual and left to flounder without even a foundation to start from. We didn't mean to do that to you. A by-product of war, but one you didn't deserve. I'm sorry."

Folding her arms across her chest, Alalla examines the men. They look sufficiently meek and apologetic. Maybe they'll be more compliant now. "Im sorry, but we're here now. And you must tell us what happened during the attack. Truthfully. Unbiased. What happened that night and where the twins have gone could mean a great difference to how my team and I will need to proceed."
Last edited April 18, 2019 4:36 am

Mirek

Araklusta

Apr 18, 2019 7:54 am
Apr 18, 2019 7:54 am
Re: Kuldahar
Mirek kicks at a loose stone. "We all heard that woman ask the Archdruid for the... the twins. It all came out. Some of us went looking for them while the others tried to minimize the damage to the town." His eyes flare red as anger builds up once more. "It took everything we had to rebuild after the orcs gutted the town. We didn't want that woman to destroy it all again. Better she take the little monsters than stay and wreck the place."

Mirek takes a moment to calm down before continuing. "We found the twins in the Temple of Ilmater standing over Father Tulfyr's body. The girl was chanting something strange, working some kind of magic over the dwarf." The man bites his lip. "We attacked. Not to much effect. The fiends fled the Temple and disappeared into the night. We don't know where are."

He rubs his nose. "We took the Father's body as evidence - and also to keep it from being further desecrated. If you want to have a look, we can take you to where we hid it."

Alalla

gardensun

Apr 18, 2019 2:25 pm
Apr 18, 2019 2:25 pm
Re: Kuldahar
"Harmony has powerful healing magic. She saved Zenithral from death, once, nearly dying herself in the process. I wonder what she might done for the Father, had we done things differently." Alalla passes a weary hand over her face. She had failed him and the twins both.

Just as frustration and sorrow threatens to well up, Alalla recalls the painted pillars of Trueheart. Torm had shown her many of his own failures, but despite them his victories are great. Her own failures were depicted on those same pillars. This is not her first, but she still had many successes to view. She will have more. She can make a difference. She straightens.

"We must find justice for the Father, and those children must be found and protected. If not for their well-being, then at least because they could be turned into powerful weapons in their father's hands."

Alalla turns to Reòthadh. "We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. I still need to talk to my orcs, but I can manage on my own. Would you like to take these men and examine the Father's corpse?"
Last edited April 18, 2019 2:27 pm

Zenithral

Carcabob

Apr 18, 2019 7:49 pm
Apr 18, 2019 7:49 pm
Re: Kuldahar
"Arannis?! And Saki!" Zenithral jumps to his feet and strides over to them, firmly grasping Arannis' outstretched hand, then giving Saki a warm hug. "What are you both doing here, now? Goodness, you just barely missed the wedding! Arannis, Saki, meet Halla, my wife. Halla, meet my Arannis and Saki, my grandparents."

Halla

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 3:57 am
Apr 19, 2019 3:57 am
Re: Kuldahar
Halla hesitates for just a brief moment, then steps forward with an awkward smile. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you both in person. I admit I did not know when you might answer my summons. I - "

She is interrupted by a sudden embrace from Saki. The druid stiffens, unused to such affection from strangers. When Saki releases her, Arannis greets her with a respectful bow. Halla returns it with a simple nod that could never be mistaken for a curtsy.

Obviously out of her element, she looks at Zenithral for some help. "When you first left for Dorn's Deep I sent Saki a message about the twins." She holds a hand to the bridge of her nose. "You may wish to enlighten them as to all that has happened since... whenever it was you saw them last."

Arannis Melerelel

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 4:02 am
Apr 19, 2019 4:02 am
Re: Kuldahar
Arannis flinches at the mention of Dorn's Deep, and then his eyes search out Zenithral's. Again, there is a deep-seated pain there, not far beneath the surface. Even centuries after the fact, his grandfather remembers keenly the loss of friends and kin to the orc horde that overran both the elf and dwarf citadels.

The older elf seems to steel himself. "Perhaps we should sit, Zenithral. If you have time to share your tale, that is."

Saki Melerelel

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 4:06 am
Apr 19, 2019 4:06 am
Re: Kuldahar
Saki gives Zenithral a kiss on the cheek and uses the opportunity to whisper quietly in his ear. "You know your grandfather. He loves you more than he will say. We are both so proud of you."

Then she takes Halla by the hand and leads her to the same corner table that Halla and Natalie used earlier. Light conversation soon follows, though Halla looks somewhat like a wild animal caught in a trap.

Erevain

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 4:08 am
Apr 19, 2019 4:08 am
Re: Kuldahar
Seeing the lot of them settled, Erevain tosses a subtle wink Zenithral's way and slips back out into the night's shadows.

Mirek

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 4:16 am
Apr 19, 2019 4:16 am
Re: Kuldahar
Mirek shrugs. "It did not look like healing to me, but I am no magician. It was a stressful night for all involved."

The former cobbler looks at his hunters, judging their mood. "If the master dwarf wants to look the Father over, some of my men can take him there." He points at Kaleel and a handful of others. "Take Reothadh there if he wishes. The rest of us will accompany Alalla."

He turns his attention back to Alalla. "I hope you are right. About all of this."

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 4:24 am
Apr 19, 2019 4:24 am
Re: Kuldahar
OOC:
Changing this group color to 'saddlebrown'. If Reo decides to go investigate Tulfgyr's body he can use 'purple' for that, or stay with Al.
The journey to the orc camp is short. Within a quarter of an hour the group is met by a handful of orc sentries. These are not the young or old orcs that Alalla met on her earlier visit to these orcs, but seasoned warriors. While she does not recognize them, they seem to be under orders to not attack villagers on sight. Has Keggruk's group grown in the past months?

One of them steps forward and calls out in rough Common. "You come close to camp. What want?" For general orc customs, Alalla finds this greeting extraordinarily polite. Perhaps Keggruk has indeed found some success in teaching the orcs here.

The blood hunters hardly seem encouraged, however. They keep their hands close to their weapons, squinting into the lengthening shadows.

Alalla

gardensun

Apr 19, 2019 4:43 am
Apr 19, 2019 4:43 am
Re: Kuldahar
Alalla smiles at the sentry and lowers her hood. "My name is Alalla, chieftess of the Cagebreaker tribe. I have come to speak to your chief." She repeats herself in orcish, both to make sure she is understood, and to let the sentries hear her native fluency.
Last edited April 19, 2019 4:45 am

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 12:00 pm
Apr 19, 2019 12:00 pm
Re: Kuldahar
The sentry, unlike Alalla's human entourage, has no trouble seeing in the dark. His eyes flick from her faces to her weapons, and then to the teeth of her smile.

He raises his spear - a nasty weapon with a barbed hook on the business end - and speaks in Orcish. "You do not match the description we were given of Thur'Kafaz. When Keggruk lay dying at your feet, for what did he beg?"

Alalla

gardensun

Apr 19, 2019 12:30 pm
Apr 19, 2019 12:30 pm
Re: Kuldahar
Alalla's smile broadens, though she covers her tuskless teeth with a hand. She replies in the same language. "He begged for me to show our people a better way to happiness. I told him he could show them himself, but I think that's about when he passed out." She nods approvingly at the sentries. "It seems like he's been doing well in my absence. I'm very pleased."
Last edited April 19, 2019 1:56 pm

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 3:35 pm
Apr 19, 2019 3:35 pm
Re: Kuldahar
The orc nods curtly, then raises his spear high into the air. "Thur'Kafaz! Thur'Kafaz! Welcome to our camp. Chief Keggruk will want to see you." He beckons Alalla and the hunters forward.

Alalla's eyes easily pick out the camp's details in the darkness. Mirek and the hunters squint, but from their sniffling and snuffling they seem to remain alert to their surroundings.

This camp is much larger than the last one. Where there might have been a few dozen orcs, mostly women, children, or those too young or too old to see combat, now there are several hundred - many of them fit fighting stock. Indeed, this would normally be an alarming number so close to a settled human town, but the majority of orcs are engaged in calm behavior.

Sitting. Talking. Staring up at the night sky. It is unusual behavior for the normally brutish and wild people.

A crowd grows with Alalla as the sentry leads her through the camp as curious orcs take note and follow. By the time she reaches Keggruk's tent, most of the camp is aware of her presence and watching closely.

Keggruk

Araklusta

Apr 19, 2019 3:37 pm
Apr 19, 2019 3:37 pm
Re: Kuldahar
Keggruk steps out of the tent with Chaide at his side. The muscled orog is without his armor tonight, dressed in a simple hide tunic. His formal salute of a fist over his chest is spoiled slightly by the large grin that splits his face, exposing his fearsome tusks.

"Welcome back, Alalla Thur'Kafaz!" All around the tent, orcs erupt into howls and cheers.
load next
Index > Game Forums > Icewind Dale > Chapter 6
9 of /17
<< First < 7 8 9 10 11 > Last >>

You do not have permission to post in this thread.