Out of Thin Air

The portal. It was as much a divide as it was a gateway. On the one end the screams of the dying could be heard over the din of battle. The smell of acrid smoke filled the air on the top floor of the wizard's tower at Brycly castle. The feeling of sweat from exertion of running upstairs and the early summer's sweltering heat made everything cling to you. The green-black tunics of the Rhidan soldiers had been crawling over the walls and forced the son of the household to flee into the tower, his ward right behind him and grabbing the wizard's apprentice from his bed before running upstairs. Azrahar had opened a great tome on his lecture and started recanting a spell in a language nobody seemed to understand.

Then a circle shimmered in the air and the wizard's hand pointed to it. But just as he was about to speak, an arrow pierced his neck and all looked to see that the enemy had made their way up more quickly than expected. Roland was pushed out into the circle which shimmered in a pale blue and white haze. As soon as he fell through that hole, he felt gravity pull on him in a different direction. He could feel himself falling and rolled through the air to see the ground but all was either grey or white. He hit the snow and tumbled onwards causing the snow to come down with him, sliding and rolling until he came to a rest and all around was white. He clawed hoping to find his way up but he wasn't sure which way that was now feeling disoriented from all the rolling around. He clawed at the cold snow that he could feel getting into his tunic. He paused when he had dug out almost a full room for himself but still had not found an exit.

He was alerted by movement around his ankle and before he knew it a hand had latched onto his bootstrap and started pulling him away, out through a white tunnel and into cold mountain air. Roland was sitting, quietly catching his breath after the ordeal and finding the mountain air thin, looked around at the snow-covered mountainside. Sitting by his feet was Ragnar who looked concernedly at Roland to see if they boy was alright. Standing behind him was 'Badger' who crossed his arms over his chest involuntarily just to try and keep himself from freezing. He looked over the landscape that his master had sent them to.

This side of the portal was quiet. The mountain wind disturbed the silence and the snow cut through the fresh air like small daggers.  Around them, rocks jutted out of the snow. Not a single other thing in sight moved or lived. Not even a tree. Beyond that, the cloudy sky was obscuring the mountain view. A new battle had to be fought here against an enemy that one couldn't cut. An enemy that wouldn't surrender.

Ragnar took off his gauntlet and shook out the snow that had gotten in there from pulling the Bryc heir out from under the snow. He saw Roland's face, pale from the cold, and every bit of hair the boy tried to grow on his face capped with a sprinkling of white snow. Instinctually, he looked around to see if there was any immediate shelter or firewood but they were far above the treeline. They would need to get further down to find a cave and some trees to build a fire from. Although it was easy to wonder where they were, the single most unspoken question was that of home. What was happening?

The siege had been a long enough affair for Roland to get comfortable, despite knowing that death and ruin lay so close at hand. One breech, one gate guard paid off, one false move...and smoke and ash was all that would remain if Bryckly. Intellectual assent was a poor substitute for real life experience however, and so it was with great shock he awoke and was hustled away by Ragnar when the end finally came. What has happened? How did those bastarda get through? he wondered as his most able and loyal companion guided him towards the wizard's tower. More importantly, where was his mother and father?

All such questions and concerns found themselves wiped clean when he was shoved, rather unlordly, through the Elvish wizard's portal. Azrahar had given him am escape, but it appeared at the cost of his life. Or at least some horrible scarring, if he managed to use some sorcery to save himself.

These thoughts, held in the split second between entering the portal and being dumped out, where themselves immediately stripped away by the cold. Curses died as th Roland discovered himaelf entombed in white, though they were revived as soon as he was pulled out by Ragnar. "By the hallowed balls of Omnitus, it is freezing. Ragnar, thank you." He noticed the gnome was with them, Badger he thought, Azrahar's understudy. "I don't suppose the August Azrahar taught you how to conjure up fire?"

The war had been taxing on them all, the siege the worst thing he had been through in his 35 years to be sure.  It was never apparent what was more trying to Ragnar, the sight of dogs fighting over the scraps of a long dead pack-mate, or the sight of his friends and fellow soldiers fighting over the scraps of a long dead dog....

Ragnar was appointed the high honor of protecting Roland, it had been the most proud moment of his career when he was chosen and no matter what, as long as his body held breath in it the young heir would be protected.  The escape was nothing short of miraculous and the feeling of flying like and eagle through the portal was even more amazing, and unnerving.

On the other side it was cold, so damned cold.  "You will see to your wounds master Roland."  Ragnar said as he put a gentle but firm hand on the young heir's shoulder, giving him a once over and not seeing any visible life-threatening wounds he felt mildly relieved.

"As for you..."  The ranger said as he whirled about and looked down upon the gnome.  ....what has your master done?  Where has he sent us?  Surely he informed you of our destination before just throwing us into the wild.  Have an answer upon my return."

Ragnar started to trudge off, hoping to search the area and become familiar with it quickly, to better find a safe place to seek shelter and find warmth from the deadly cold and wind.

OOC: Survival to search nearby to find a path towards a safe place.

Badger shouted at the man's back as he walked away.

"He saved your stinkin' hide human, along with your prince. Maybe a little gratitude is in order?"

Then he glared daggers at the man's back for a few minutes before he calmed down. It had been a scary night for him as well, Master Azrahar has woken him only moments before the men had arrived to help with the spell and then ordered him through with these two. All he knew was that they were on top of a mountain somewhere, probably in Emgard somehwere.

"Oh well, no point in crying over spilt milk. I can start a fire, Highness, but we're going to need something to burn or it's not going to do much good."

He opened a small pocket in his vest and let out a small bird that had been hidden there.

"Alright Butterbrickle, go see where we are and how we get down off this mountain."

And with that he tossed the bird up in the air and watched it fly up to scout the area.

The shouting didn't last long. Not only did the wind overpower their voices, the thin air was taking their breath away and the cold had turned their sweat to ice in their clothes leaving the trio shivering. The descent began soon enough as the boy's guardian led the group down the snowy slopes while the owl flapped overhead with its nose against the wind and wings spread wide to soar above the white waste.

Once on the move, and covering their faces with any piece of clothing they had, the discordant trio started to feel at least a bit warmer. Getting the blood flowing and slowly finding their way down the mountain, it seemed things would get better before they would get worse. Before long, they saw the pine trees below them and this once made them feel more comfortable, knowing they would be able to protect themselves from the harsh winds in there and maybe find something to keep them warm. When they finally entered the forested mountainside, the wind was no longer streaking ice flakes across their cheeks.

Ragnar looked through the pine canopy at the sky and watched as the grey-streaked owl came down and landed on its master's shoulder and huffed its chest before letting out a short hoot. The tracker's eyes went back to the clouds in the sky and he knew that it would only be one or two hours more until dark would settle in.

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OOC:
Badger's Foretelling Rolls: 5, 17

After stewing and thinking hard on the words of the wizard, and now able to finally speak without wanting to cover his own mouth, the ranger spoke to Badger. "I was not trying to besmirch the good name of your master, I know I would have failed my duty were it not for his actions."

Ragnar looked around and tried to find a game trail or something that might tell them a direction to go to find shelter before he continued. "Frustration set it and I let it boil over me, twas but a hope that you had a better idea than I where we were and how we could return home. For it is very well that Roland is no longer our prince, and is the rightful king to all his loyal subjects, of which I hope you are included."

The ranger crouched and he looked down the slope with his eyes close to the ground and tracking the virgin sheet of snow for traces of anything passing through it. There was nothing that caught his eye and after having satisfied his curiosity, he decided to continue the trek, hoping to find a cliff wall where caves and hollows would be located. He followed a slightly sideways route, hoping to find what he was looking for. The other two followed, knowing of the tracker's expertise through stories of his past told by soldiers around the glow of a coal-laden brazier in the night. Stories that usually had to be taken with a pinch of salt and a swig of whisky.

The trek was halted by the rare sight of a glacier. Ragnar stopped at the edge of the treeline and looked across the glacier to the other side where high cliff walls provided a lot of shelter. To the left and up the mountain, the ice funnelled between a crag in the rocks; to the right and down the steep descent the ice stretched as far as the eye could see, as far as half a mile perhaps, where it started to level out a bit and then disappeared into the mist that the low clouds formed.

He was also the one to notice the tree trunk. Empty of branches, a pine tree's trunk lay some distance from the treeline just where the snow met the ice. Ragnar took a few steps forward to inspect this new sight. The trunk was only lightly covered with snow and although it hadn't been snowing much, the wind would have quickly heaped quite a load on it. It therefore couldn't have been there long. Looking down the length, it looked liked the branches were stripped as close to the trunk as possible. The end of the tree was broken off as though it had been pushed over without the use of tools; the wood was still fresh. All in all, Ragnar guessed it would not have been there longer than a few hours and it certainly didn't roll out of the woods on its own.

Badger looked around to see if he could see what might have broken off the tree. Then told Butterbrickle to fly over and see if there are any tracks around it.

The bitter cold knifing through him was a comfort upon this occasion, despite the looming threat of frostbite and a slow, painful death. The snow, the burning frost, stripped away any superlative thoughts. The questions that threatened to overwhelm him were held at bay.

Roland's focus on trudging through the drifts, putting one boot in front of the other, was only broken by the sudden interchange between the Gnomish wizard and Ragnar. "If my house has fallen, then you two are my last allies. The loss of Azrahar is a blow my family can ill afford, even if my parents escaped via some other means." He took a cold breath, leaning against the trunk of a pine. "I will need both of you. Your master was likely killed by the Straw King's men. I don't know what your relationship was, but I intend to avenge my house and Azrahar. No throne awaits me while Terram and his dog Morded live, and I would see them burn for bleeding my people. If you aid me in this, and we see Marland free, I will owe you a great deal Badger. Having a king in your debt is no small matter."

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves. There is much to do."

Ragnar didn't like the sight of the felled tree, it was amiss with the surroundings. "The tree is freshly felled, by something with immense strength, perhaps this bitter cold, perhaps not." Ragnar took a few steps forward, his well trained eyes scanning the country-side for any signs nearby. "We must move, lest we freeze."

The ranger continued to search, relying on his experience and training to help him find a spot to safely rest.

OOC: Survival check to find shelter

The owl swooped off of Badger's shoulder and past the treeline before making a big U-turn and landing on the end of the tree trunk. Its head swiveled around to look at the surrounding landscape. Badger closed his eyes and then watched through the bird's. If there had been any tracks, it looked like the snow had been blown over and covered them again as there was nothing visible.

OOC:
You didn't find shelter on this side of the glacier. You can either continue your journey and try to find something downhill or cross the glacier where you'll have a better chance of finding a cave or hollow of some kind. You'll need to make a decision.

"Something must have felled that tree, my gut tells me that it is nearby in the rocks on the far side of the glacier, but that is also our best bet for shelter before this cold takes what life we have left from us."

Ragnar turned and looked to his companions, he would not imperil them without say in this matter. "What say you, I say we have to take the chance and cross to find shelter."

The two options didn't seem particularly enticing. Freezing to death in a cold mountain, without even having apit in the eye of his enemies, was clearly too underwhelming a way to go. "We need shelter. The tree celling beast may lie between us and life, if it is a beast that did this. Risk the logger or attempt to build a cabin?" He rubbed his hands together for warmth, though his gloves made the gesture futile. "I say we take the risk and get out of the cold, hopefully."

Since Badger was using the owls senses instead of his own he completely missed the conversation. However, when he didn't find any sign of the mysterious logger he had the owl fly over to the other side of the glacier to scout the area for anyplace that looked like it might make a decent shelter.

With 'Badger' not within the full control of his faculties Ragnar walked over and started to access the young gnome's pack, checking to see if he had any tools that would aid them in getting across the glacier without dying.

Pitons and a hammer were found to their extremely good fortune and Ragnar started to direct the party how they would use the rope as well as the pitons and hammer to safely get across the wide glacier, a process that would take some time due to having to extract the pitons for future use as the final member crossed over.

"I will lead, tie yourselves to me and we can protect one another from falling down the face of this glacier or even some crevasse." Ragnar ordered as he prepared the pitons and supervised the trek.

Athletics: +3
OOC: Order of troupe, Roland --> Badger --> Ragnar (leading)

The bodyguard's first step onto the ice lets him know they might be in for a tough ride. One by one he knocks the pitons into the ice, taking several steps between each to make as much progress without falling while his two comrades hold on to the last pitons and hold steady in case something happens.

They're not even halfway when the slip happens. Ragnar's footing is uneven for a split moment as he heaves his hammer to hit one of the pitons in. His toe slips and the momentum of his fall means he starts skidding downwards. He shouts to warn his companions but they are already hearing the scratching of metal over ice and brace themselves. The rope holds fast and Ragnar comes to a stop about ten feet lower than he was before.

Using his hammer as a pick to claw his way back up, he makes it back eventually and continues his work quietly with his back to the everblowing snow that cuts over the ice. No sooner is he at work on hammering the piton into the ice or slids again and the ritual is repeated over. Everyone is starting to wonder whether this is not an exercise in futility. Some progress is made eventually.

After three more skids, none with any setbacks, the trio make their way to the other side and only leaving behind a handful of pitons. It's just in time before the darkness sets in but they haven't found shelter yet and this side of the mountain is bare of trees. Quickly they make their way to the cliff walls and scramble from rocky outcrop to jutting stones through the snow until finally when all is dark and hope of finding shelter fades when they find some semblance of shelter.

It's nothing more than a large crack in the mountain. So narrow, taking more than a few steps into the hollow means having to squeeze any further. But it's enough space to sit and lean your head against the stone and attempt to sleep. The wind doesn't reach in here but only howls at the exit. The small space will also be easy to keep warm with a small fire. All in all, it could have been worse.

OOC:
You used up 5 pitons from Ragnar's Dungeoneering Pack.
You'll need to make some fire to stay warm. Please let me know if you're going to keep guard (short rest) or all try and catch some sleep (long rest).

The trek across the glacier had been treacherous, perhaps one of the more challenging trials he'd face in some time.

Upon making it across and finding some semblance of shelter Ragnar was finally able to start and relax, to calm himself from the adrenaline filled journey. "We need to rest in shifts, I will watch first and wake you in a few hours, tis not safe enough to all sleep."

The trek across the ice was not something that life under siege had prepared Roland for - and the fact he'd lost everyone he cherished hours before but Ragnar made the crossing even more nerve wracking. Every slip and slide left his heart hammering in his ears. If the stalwart guard were to fall to him death the young paladin would be left bereft of any true or loyal friend. Badger had made his ambivalence towards him and his cause known. No matter his training or skills vengeance would remain beyond reach without the aide of those Roland could trust implicitly. Ragnar is all that remains of my hope, at least until we reach some populated place and we can learn of Bryckly's fate. Marland must not remain under Terram's boot.

It was with great relief that they found the break in the rocks. It wasn't much, but he'd rather huddle 'round a fire in the wilderness than be a frozen corpse. "Wake me for the second shift?"

Ragnar's advice was sound, Badger nodded as he spoke.

"I'll take third watch then."

Badger woke with a shake. His eyes opened widely and he felt the young boy's hand on his shoulder. The latter's eyes flickered with the dieing embers of the fire that they had gotten going in the small crevasse. The gnome stood and being the shortest of the three had no time scrambling past the other two and out as he took the last watch. As the boy sat down and rested his head against the wall and was soon sound asleep having had little sleep all night. It occured to Boddyknock Burgel Bereknackle that it was a lot quieter. The wind had stopped its aggravated howl much to everyone's satisfaction as the assault on their ear drums had been a tough ask to fall asleep to hours before.

A familiar hoot overhead kept Badger from once again closing his eyes. Though cold, the short sleep was overcoming his senses. He looked back at the fire and saw the embers were not going to be much help to the other two at this rate. He stepped out of the hollow into the snow and walked to one of the trees from which they had been gathering dry wood. Butterbrickle swooped overhead and landed on a high branch from which he could look around, nothing escaping his eyes in the dark of the morning. Having gathered enough, Badger trudged his way back, up to his knees in the snow. At least the work was keeping him from falling asleep again.

Back at the campsite, he managed to get the fire going again and warmed two handful of snow over the heat to sip at as it melted satisfying his dry throat. He rummaged through one of the packs they had brought and found a trail ration which he snagged and then sat on one of the outcroppings looking outward where he had the best view of the immediate surrounding area. He opened the rations and started eating the dry biscuits and the chewy jerkey. What his viewpoint also gave vantage to was perhaps the most splendorous occassion one could witness in a place like this.

As the dawn neared and the light started to open the skies, the clouds in the distance colored orange and over the distant mountain tops rose the sun disc. The shadows it cast across the land quickly crept away over the snow and trees and down the mountain and lifted the curtain on what had just the day before been a treacherous mountain. Now basked in the glory of the morning light, Badger could see one mountain top after another, reaching as far as he could see in any direction. In the valley below, he could only see snow-capped trees and rocks and nothing seemed to move except the owl which circled overhead. Soon, Badger heard the other two start to move about, their armor giving away that they were awake and not exactly sitting still anymore.

OOC:
Rise and shine!
You used up 3 rations.

Badger looked over the beautiful valley with mixed joy and dismay. The view was amazing, untouched wilderness, but the fact that it was untouched also meant they might be hiking for quite some time before they got back to civilization. He looked up at the sun and noted the direction in which it had risen and then pulled out his lore book to see if he had any maps that might give him a clue as to where they were or where the closest village might be.

Investigate: +6

As he read he absently greeted the two who were just waking.

"Good morning gentlemen. It's a beautiful day, have a look at the valley and see if there's anything that you might recognize. Maybe we can figure out where we are or at least where we need to go."

Ragnar stirred awake and rubbed the palms of his hands into his eyes. He quickly found his faculties gathered and did the same with his belongings.

The ranger said nary a word, for he would not spoil such a beautiful moment with his ramblings, instead he tried to see if there were any noticeable landmarks, failing that, at least a way to civilization...

Although the sleep was still in his eyes, Ragnar seemed to have eagle eye in the mountains as he was able to distinguish what the others couldn't without his aid. He pointed out the landmark in the valley below. The trees covered pretty much everything but there was one circular clearing with something at the center of it. It was hard to tell from this far as it looked to be about two or three miles away, but the clearing and the structure were certainly nothing naturally made.

The other feature was only a sign of something else. Over the ridge of the next mountain, which in itself was some five miles away, there was the dark billowing cloud of smoke rising over the rocks and snow and disappearing in the air. Not big enough for a forest fire but not small enough to be a cooking fire, it was hard to tell without seeing its source.

Knowing where north was now that they had seen the sun come up, it was easier to navigate around the place. They were definitely in the far mountain reaches of the north but it was impossible to tell where just yet. The trio's view was to the south-east with the clearing and structure laying south in the valley below and the smoke rising in the east.

While he was waiting for Butterbrickle to scout the area and come back with what ever info he could find, Badger began studying his spellbook in preparation for the day.

Cast Mage Armor