Grey Lake 1

Edge nods to the knight as he gives her instructions on what she should do, a small smile creeps across her lips as she walks away from him. When she reaches the small group of men, and one young man they all speak of demons and dragons. Edge had not heard of such things... They were all fairy tales to her, but if the people of this village saw demons and dragons, she believes them. She walked toward the group of men surveying the area, and noticed a small set of footprints between what appeared to be demon tracks. Are these.. Smaller demons? She thought to herself as she listens and observes the people of the village. A small sigh escapes her lips, she was searching for an adventure and an adventure she surely found.

"How can I help, gentlemen?" she asks as they stare pointedly at Uydr, the man-beast who had approached her, asking if she was okay. Uydr makes a lot of noise and talks really loud, she observes in her head as she waits patiently to be noticed. She was a pretty young woman after all, but most men are more interested in hunting dragons, than paying attention to a silly girl.

[[Bleh, crap post.]]

Once the boy has spoken to the knight he runs back to Olaf, who is cleaning up the debris from one of the burned homes. He tells Olaf all that he has told the knight, and of the reactions the knight has given. Olaf says nothing while the boy speaks, just continues his labors while he listens.

“A circus?” the knight asks of Uydr, not comprehending where the man is getting this from. “I suppose it’s a possibility. Good work on spotting the wheel marks, they’re as clear as day now that you point them out.” He nods approvingly at the beast man and turns to speak to the handful of people around him.

“We need people who are willing to take on whoever or whatever caused this madness. Ask around,” Sir Talmark says. “We leave by the end of the hour.” The knight notices the stunning young woman before her again. The lady, Edge, asks how she can help and the old man stammers only slightly when he tells her that they are “soon to be hunting a dragon or something of the sort. We’ve found their trail and are going after them. “ But… “It’s no place for beautiful young lady like yourself,” he adds.

When the tracker Yornok talks to Olaf about the situation, he is surprised when the big man turns to the youngster beside him and says; “What do you think, Tom? Do we want to go with them?”



[OOC: Next update comes Thursday night as the group sets off to track the dragons and the demons into the wood. Also, a map of the general area that you've been in so far has been added to the companion thread]

Looking back toward the tracks, Uydr wants to scout ahead.

Turning back toward the knight, who is stammering talking to the girl he met before. He says "Need to scout?" pointing towards the direction the tracks are going.

The knight waves Uydr off, which either meant "go away" or "go ahead." Either way, if Uydr were to wander off, it would be considered following the knight's request.

Focusing on the stalking lessons he used to have. He silently moves through the woods. A hunter looking for his prey.

She smiles as the knight stammers again and shakes her head. "Sir, I am a capable young woman. I've been travelling with a band of gypsies for as long as I can remember, and it was a rough and tumble sort of life. I think I can handle it." she smiles at him as she slips a dagger out of her boot to show him, then slips it back it. She is also quite taken with the knight, he is rather handsome, but she tries to conceal that fact once again. The people here needed her help, and she always held a soft spot for helping people. Just as she was about ask where they should start looking, her cat nudges his way around her legs and she smiles at him. Edge bends down and picks him, then puts him on her shoulder. "Ready when you are Sir." she nods and smiles hopeful.

Tom, taken aback, considers. He scans the scorched remains of Rivers Ridge, spotting the farmer, baker and old woman he'd talked to earlier. Finally, he turns back to Olaf, clenching his jaw in resolve.

"Yes, sir, I'd like to. I want to help these people. I-If that's okay."

Uydr moves as silently as his size allows, his time among the mountain lions taught him the art of minimizing the audible output of his foot steps, but nothing is truly silent. Especially not something of Uydr's size.

He leaves the rest of the party behind, disappearing into the Ahriman Forest and following the impressions of the wheels in the earth. The tracks follow a trail with an average width of five feet; more than enough to move a cart along.

As he goes he hears a soft growling sound and turns around to see a small bear cub sitting off of the trail not far from him. Looking at the animal, the features of this creature are decidedly unbear-like in the face. Where the mouth should be is a large downward curving beak, and though the eyes are large and endearing, look like something more akin to a bird than a bear.





MEANWHILE BACK IN RIVER RIDGE

The majority of the travelers from Grey Lake elect to stay in River Ridge and rebuild before returning to their own city. Very few agree to continue along in search of the demons and dragons.

Sir Talmark looks over his group of volunteers; the woman (Edge) who joined them in River Ridge, the farmer whose family was killed by the dragon, the young man (Tom) and his big body guard, the scarred man and his dark haired brother, the ogre-like woman, the tracker known as Yornok, a trio of adolescents who joined simply for the adventure, an older man with a grizzled white beard and a bald head, and a strong looking man dressed in plate mail over top the brown robes of a Kelimahn* preist.

"You have my thanks for joining me in this quest. We will be in search of these so-called dragons and demons, and we will recover what we can. From what we've been told, there will be prisoners. Freeing them should be our first priority.

"Those who yeild shall be spared, taken back to Grey Lake where they will be judged. The rest.... Do to them as you will."

Sir Reinhold Talmark cleared his throat and scratched at his chin, "Now then," he said; "Are there any questions before we set off?"




*Kelimahn being the god of war.


[FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT WANDERING OFF ALONE INTO THE FOREST; converse, state your actions, etc; next update we leave. If the updates from you three are in before Thursday, I'll update on Thursday. If not, next update will be Monday. If you have questions, or want to interact with an NPC, message me. Thanks.]

As the Knight rounded up a decent looking group of individuals, she took her place among them. She was standing beside a small boy, his name she did not know, but he seems like a nice young man and she smiles. As the Knight speaks, she listens intently to what he says and nods appropriately. When he is done speaking, she sighs slightly. She really did feel sorry for the people of the village, demons and dragons. Well, at least her sense of adventure is on the rise. "So, we're travelling in a group right?" she steps forward and asks the Knight. "Don't you think we'd alert the dragons and demons with a bunch of us blumbering about the woods?" she says, concern and worry written all over her face as her cat happily wraps himself around her neck.

"Yes, my dear we'll be travelling together;" Sir Talmark says with a patient smile. His patience seemed unending when in the presence of pretty younger women. "As it stands these... Well whatever they are, they nearly a two day start on us. When we start to get closer we'll disperse. Hopefully by that time we'll be in a position to surround them." Perhaps she's the type whose into older men, he thinks. Though the age difference was something like twenty years, the suit of armor had won him the adoration of many a woman before.

"Ah, good. That is indeed a smart plan, I look forward to a little rough and tumble. I haven't stretched my legs like this in a long while, I am just sad to see that the people of this village have suffered as they have." she sighed and shook her head, she hopes the Knight does not find her questions silly. When she looks at him again, she smiles softly. He was significantly older than she, but there something different about him. A young spirit, that of which was attracted to. Edge, looks away quickly as the thought brings a slight blush to her cheeks. "For now, should we prepare by gathering some food and supplies?" she looks back at him briefly for an answer.

Uydr, looks towards the bear thing and moves slowly toward it waiting to see how it reacts. Defiantly not wanting to startle it.

As Uydr's hand comes close to it, the creature swaps clumsily at his hand; its claws gently grazing his skin. It makes a little cooing sound as the swipe over balances it and sends it sprawling to the ground.


He then smirks and can't help for laughing. Smiling a warm kind smile and being as un-threatening as possible. He bends down to help the bear creature up.

As Uydr bends down, thinking this the most fun I have had since I left the over the cub he hears something large moving quickly through the bush toward him.

He jumps back quickly. Knowing this is most likely the mother coming to protect her child. He jumps back quickly.

Uydr jumps away from the cub as two large owl faced bears approach. They alternate between growling and a deep squaking. They continue, making threatening gestures toward the beast man. In his years living among the animals Uydr had seen sort of behavior many times, and it was always just before an attack.

One of the owl bears stands up on its hind legs and lets out something that is half squak and half roar.




-- -- -- -- --



"Now where did that beast man go?" Sir Reinhold asks, looking around at the men with him. "He said he would track them for us."

"It's alright," Yornok tells him. "I'm as good a tracker as any and besides," he points to the impressions left behind by the wheel marks. "Any fool can follow these tracks. Whatever it is, a cart or somethin' else, it's probably wide enough that they'll need to stay on the trail. We'll catch up to them soon or late."

"Very well," the knight says gruffly. "Lead the way."

Yornok starts walking and the rest follow, they are soon beneath the towering trees of the pine forest. The knight falls in beside the young lady who had just joined them. "So," he says, "You don't look like a Northerner, where is your home?"



Olaf insists that Tom stay with him near the center of the group in case any danger should arise.

As they walk a voice calls from beside him, "You're a little young to be chasing dragons, aren't you?" It is the farmer from before.

As they set off in a large group to track down whatever wreaked havoc upon the land, Edge fell somewhere in the middle of the group with the Knight by her side. She looks up at him when he speaks and smiles at him.

"To be honest, I don't really have a home. The home I had as a girl, was ransacked and burned by a group of pirates. I lost my family and house that day, and I was one of the few who survived the whole ordeal. The rest packed up and left for another village... I was so grief stricken, that a group of travelling gypsies found me half-starved and on the brink of becoming ill. The fed me, clothed me and protected me since. The gypsies are kind people, but I grew tired of travelling about the land, living off of what we could find or what little money we could make by selling potions, fortune tellings and what not. So, I left. And here I am, the only thing I really remember of my home was the ocean. I believe I lived near a beach." A small sigh passes through her lips as she walks beside the Knight. Her eyes eventually dart back to the path she is walking on.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are you from Sir Knight?" she looks back at him after a moment's silence. The group is following the trail pretty closely and from what she could tell, it could take them a night to track down what they are looking for.

Tom spins around, somewhat startled, but upon recognition gives the farmer a half-smile. “Maybe,” he replies, “but every little bit helps, isn’t that what they say? Besides, what kid can say they haven't ever wanted to see a dragon up close?”

He holds out his hand. “I’m Tom, by the way. And this is Olaf, my, uh… well, he guards my Pa’s inn. What’s your name, sir?”

His years of living based off animal instinct and climbing rock faces with his mountain lion parents served him well here. As he dashed as quick as he could to the nearest tall tree, his body moving with absolute precision as he switches to climbing. His years of climbing mountain faces with no apparent foot holds help him scale high quickly. It gets easier once he reaches the the branches staying near the trunk he climbs as high as is possible.

Sir Reinhold smiles politely to the young lady, Edge. "I am Reinhold Talmark. My familie's land is in the middle of the land, not far from here. The old kingdom of Diomedes. It is a calm and peaceful country. The Aldaires who conquered the world were once our neighbors, we have always been loyal to them,

"I'm well past my prime now, fair lady; but in my day I was a man of some repute. Perhaps you have heard of the Minotaur uprising some ten years past? I was one of the knights sent to dismantle their forces. Only two other men beside myself who were there still live. Sir Reilin Hilder was there, and the famed Lucan Valdek."


-- -- -- -- -- --


The farmer was hesitant at first, but accepted the handshake of the young lad. "Mejan Crowfoot," the farmer told the boy, Tom. He eyed him skeptically, for the boy this would be some grand advenure; but for him it was a matter of far more import. And what was that big fellow who accompanied him doing bringing a kid out into a life threatening situation like this?

It didn't matter. All that mattered to Mejan was avenging his family.








Ahead they can hear the loud shreaks of what sounds like a very big bird of prey.



-- -- -- -- -- ---



As Uydr scrambles halfway up the tree he feels it start to shake and glances over his shoulder to see one of the beasts on it's hind legs, fore legs leaned upon the trunk and bouncing, shaking it as the wildman tries to climb. Uydr is practically shaken from the tree but somehow he hangs on.

The owlbears let out loud shrieks and soon the first one begins to attempt climbing the tree, slipping down after making very little progress in the first place.

Tom decides not to press Mejan; the farmer has been through a lot and he clearly prefers to be left alone with his thoughts at present. It’s not long after he turns back around that he hears a terrible, ear-piercing shrieking. He leans forward and presses an ear into his horse’s mane, covering the other with one of his hands while keeping one on the reins.

“What is that?!” he asks Olaf.

As the bears slowly climb higher each time they try to climb the tree. Uydr retreats a few feet higher.

Then, knowing more about animal instinct then most. He breaks of a small branch and throws it into the near by bushes. It created the effect of an animal in the bushes.

He hopes this makes the bears go after easier prey.

Edge likes listening to Sir Reinhold tell stories and talk about himself, he seemed such a fascinating man. He may have been past his prime, but Edge was surely enamored by him. "Oh wow, so you have your own land? And are a Knight? I do not know much of the ways of most people, but this is surely a pleasant encounter." she nods vigorously and smiles at him brightly. When he spoke of the stories about the Minotaur uprising, her eyes grew wide, and she blinks in wonder of him. "You and only two others survived that?" she blushes as her amazement runs away with her. "Sorry, I may be a grown woman, but sometimes my fascination and imagination gets the better of me.." she shrugs and continues to walk with him, side-by-side.

Misjudging the owlbear's interest in him for a predator/prey relation, Uydr throws a stick toward some nearby bushes. But the beasts pay it no heed. They are protecting their offspring from harm. While one of the bears stays near the cub, the other draws ever near; closing the distance between it and the beastman in no time.


---


Olaf looks down at Tom but before he can answer, Yornok appears from ahead of them on the trail. "Sir Reinhold," he says; "We have a problem. That fool animal-man is up in a tree. He's being held there by-"

"Owlbears," the knight says. "Yes, we can hear them."

The knight orders the group to move more quickly in the hopes of reaching the beastman in time.

When they reach him, they arrive in time to see a beast take a hard swipe at Uydr's leg, putting three deep crimson gashes in his limb.

Olaf looks to Tom and hands him a dagger from his belt. "If one of them gets near you," he says; "Go for the eyes."

As if on cue the owlbear on the ground lets out a loud growl/shriek and positions itself between the men and the tree, the cub behind it.

"My lady," the knight says to Edge; "I hope you are prepared to fight." Around them everyone draws their weapons.

Edge watches as they near a clearing where Uydr is up a tree trying to escape an owlbear. She blinks as the cubs bumble about, while the mother jumps from one man to the next, staring and making an odd sound. Its a mix between a growl, and hoot noise. It gives Edge the creeps instantly, and she shudders just as the owlbear starts to close in on them. Sir Reinhold, then asks if she is prepared to fight. Of course she is, this was just the kind of adventure she'd been waiting for! She quickly pulls out the small dagger she keeps hidden in her boot, then prepares herself by bouncing on the balls of her feet, keeping herself light and nimble. "Sir Reinhold, what is an owlbears weakness?" she asks tentatively, as she watches the other men and women in the group prepare for battle. This would be the first time she had ever fought a wild animal, gypsies were so keen on treating them with respect, that Edge really didn't know what came over her. She stood up straight, and blinked.

This beast is only out to protect its young, so why then should we kill a mother for protecting its children? She wondered to herself, she looked from the owlbear to the group of ragtag people. This wasn't fair, the owlbear was outnumbered by about twelve to one. She tucked her dagger away, and then looks at the Knight and says, "would you kill a mother for protecting her children?" she blinked, the owlbear wasn't really attacking them. Just looking like she was about to, her cubs were right behind her. She was defending herself, her territory and her young. So when then did she deserve to be hurt or worse...?

Everything seems to be happening so fast to Tom. One second Olaf’s pressing a dagger into his hand, the next there’s a mammoth, furry thing with a beak and razor-sharp claws coming their way and making the most bizarre and horrifying noise the young servant boy has ever heard.

Tom’s horse turns skittish, snorting and moving backward, eventually spinning around to flee. He has to pull hard on the reins to get it under control and face the others again. Sidling up beside Olaf, he watches as the gypsy woman and Sir Reinhold exchange words about an ensuing battle; the gypsy seems confident at first, taking out a blade of her own from her boot. But just as soon as she enters her fighting stance, she shakes it off, asking the head knight if it’s right to hurt a creature that’s only trying to defend its offspring.

Tom had a similar thought, briefly, when he spotted the cub, but gods above, those claws. He concludes that, in this case, principles might lose out against the desire not to be slashed to ribbons. He looks to Olaf for a sign as to what to do.

Uydr feels the cut happen and that it. His instincts and subconscious takes over.

They only see to options fight or flight. Since flight hasn't worked its fight. Using what adrenal is left in his body uydr lets go of the branch he is on and falls/kicks on top of the bear.

"My lady," Sir Reinhold says, speaking to her as though she is a child; "these beasts will kill anyman who comes near it, or die trying. The very presence of owlbears is reason enough to kill them."

He returns his attention to the others around him. "We must surrond the beast so that she cannot escape, and put her down. After the sow we'll worry about the boar; as soon as she's down we get him out of the tree."

Olaf looks down at the boy. "Hang back a bit," he says; "but keep your dagger ready just in case."

Men spread out, keeping their distance from the owlbears.

"Make sure you don't stab anybody," Olaf says to Tom before stepping forward.






Uydr... I still can't make out what the hell you're trying to say other than the fall/kick thing, so we'll just focus on that.

Uydr lets go of the branch and falls almost three feet onto the owlbear climbing up from below, his heel smacks hard into the creature's massive shoulder, causing it to momentarily lose balance. Uydr, meanwhile; gets flipped by the momentum and does a somersault through the air. He crashes through several smaller branches, cracks his ribs on a larger one, and bashes his head against another. He is losing conciousness as he falls, some forty more feet between him and the ground below.

Above him, the boar falls as well; it screeches as its head bounces off of one of the larger branches.





"Together now," Sir Reinhold instructs them as they close in on the beast. One of the young men who joined in Grey Lake runs in with a spear, screaming a fierce battle cry. The owlbear swipe at him with razor sharp claws, ripping apart his stomach and sending him flying off tot he side. The beast lets out another ear drum shattering screech.

Behind the group, the farmer stands with his axe ready. Mejan isn't interested in these creatures. He is only interested in vengance.


[OOC: I looked it up, boy bears are called boars and girl bears are called sows. Don't worry, there are no pigs in the trees]

Tom nods to Olaf, holding his blade at the ready, despite his fingers (and the rest of him) trembling something fierce. He guides his horse to follow after the burly man’s, keeping back as instructed. He swallows down the lump in his throat as Olaf joins the rest of the men to attack.

Sir Reinhold shouts the order to move in together. One of the older boys from Grey Lake ignores this order, mindlessly charging at the mama owlbear with his spear. With what seems like a casual flick of her powerful wrist, she mercilessly tears the boy open, gore flying out of him as his body is flung off to the side. Tom cries out in horror and scrambles to get off his horse, falling to the ground in the process, and vomits onto the dirt road.

When he looks up, he sees the farmer, Mejan, standing apart from the others, looking ready to fight and yet doing nothing to help the others. Tom fails to understand why.

Wiping his mouth of sick and retrieving his fallen dagger from the dust, Tom forces himself up. He looks straight at the man and points. “Your axe! Mister, throw your axe at its head or… or something!”

Not waiting for any response from the farmer, Tom turns back to look at the owlbear some ways off from him and, desperate to do something, anything to help, leans back and hurls his blade toward the beast with all the might his young body can muster.

She now knows why she was warned about Knights. They didn't have any regard for life, death and destruction. Maybe if they had tried leaving the damn thing alone, then they would not be in this mess? Oh no, that stupid half-man, half-creature just happens to wander into the owlbear territory. Now they must kill the poor beast, no creature should have to die when its only instinct was to defend itself. Edge was torn, but she watched a young man get ripped to shreds at his attempt to spear the animal. Edge did as she was told. She pulls her dagger and gets as close as she dare, but she will not be the one to kill it. Just as this thought went through her mind, she heard the whooop whoop whooop of a spinning blade. It was Tom, the kid that the man Olaf was protecting... What were his intentions doing this? It all seemed to happen in slow motion, she watched the blade continue forth, not knowing what its target would be...