Southward On

[[sage]]

Kino woke up a little before sunrise. Standing up and stretching. Seeing that everyone else was still asleep, he picked up his staff and walked a bit away from camp. He grew kind of curious to what was to the South, deciding to scout ahead.
Looking around, he recalled that they had been heading towards some hills, so he figured that must be the way to go.

He took a couple of steps and froze. Beyond the warmth of the campfire, it was freezing. He shook his head. This was not going to be a good day. It was too cold. He shrugged it off and decided to jog. The ground was rough, uneven and almost jagged in some parts, and he almost tripped several times, but caught his balance with his staff. After jogging for a few minutes, he looked back. His companions were still asleep.

Suddenly it hit him. If everyone is asleep. Who took watch the previous night? Shrugging, he decided to ask about it later and just be glad nothing happened. He kept jogging, trying to keep warm. He jogged for about 10 minutes, when it started to get hilly. He kept going, still kind of curious. He jogged to the top of the hill, and gasped. Before him was a huge chasm, stretching for what seemed to be miles in both directions. It wasn't that far across, probably only a couple hundred yards, but it looked pretty far down. To top it off, it chose that moment to begin to snow.

"Damnit. This cannot be good. Maybe there's a bridge somewhere. Although I don't recall a chasm being near here. Well I guess i've never really travelled over here that much."

He decided to go back. He jogged back to them, arriving about 15 minutes later, to see the others starting to stir as the sun began to rise.

The party began to eat breakfast, in silence. He knew had to break the news to them.

"This morning, before you guys got up. I jogged ahead, to warm up. Well i kept going, wanting to see what was ahead of us, and over those hills, is a huge chasm."

They sort of stared at him for a minute, then went back to breakfast, sullen. Kino could hear a few curses being muttered.

After breakfast, they left the campsite and travelled over the hills and the others got their first look at the massive chasm. Their faces showed various expressions, from calmness to awe to anxiety.

Their spirits lifted a minute later when one simple was uttered.

"Bridge." tashir said, pointing to the right.

They all looked over, and sure enough was a wooden bridge.

"Doesn't look very sturdy" said Kino.

That was true enough. The bridge was swaying from the light breeze in the air, and was also covererd with snow.

"There's no way that will hold." Said Cian.

"We'll just have to go on it one or two at a time. The chasm looks like it spans miles." Kino replied.

The others nodded.

They walked over to the bridge, it was a pretty fair distance, especially in the cold on this terrain. Tashir called a halt on the way. They were all freezing and were already getting tired. After a few minutes they made the rest of the journey.

Their doubts grew as they approached the bridge. It looked old and not very sturdy.

"Well... who goes first?" kino asked.

Tashir just stepped forward, without saying anything and slowly stepped onto the bridge with one foot. When it didn't collapse, he stepped fully. Again, it didn't collapse.

They made the cross, one at a time. Tashir first, then Heret, Zax, Cian, and Kironlo. Finally, it was kino's turn, who decided to stay in his rearguard position.

Watching his every step, not trusting the bridge, he looked up for a second to spot a group heading towards the others, who happened to all be facing him.

"Damnit, not again." he muttered and shouted to them. "Behind you!" he yelled, and broke out into full dash, using magic to step lightly. His eyes went wide, as one pulled out a bow. The others couldn't seem to hear him cause they were staring widely at him as he broke into a run. The bowman fired his arrow.

As it flew towards him, he knew in his mind, he could not, in a million years dodge a shot in his current situation and the arrow hit him in the chest, fortunately missing any vitals. He came to a stop, eyes wide, gasping for breath. The others seemed to be watching him instead of turning around to face their approaching enemy. He made an effor and screamed out to them. The effort drained his energy, and he lost conciousness and tumbled over into the chasm...

[Prince Toad]

~If he'd just told me he was going to fall, I could have tied some rope to this crossbow and shot it at him. But no...~

This was the only thought that could run through his head before Tashir had to turn to face the attackers. These bastards had managed to ambush them twice now. Once when they were emerging from an underground hollow, at night, one by one, and no one had even gotten injured. But this time around, they'd been crossing a yawning chasm in the open mountains, and somehow their assaulters had gotten the drop on his group regardless. Tashir lacked the capacities to save the staff wielder below, but he did not lack those to fight.

He whipped out his crossbow and tore open the case from the previous night, jamming one bolt into the weapon's narrow slit and placing three others between his teeth. This was a maneuver he had performed many times at the castle. Tashir may have been a hardened nomad that had witnessed the merciless conquest of his homeland and those of others, but he was a teenager, and teenagers dreamt of heroism, especially in such troubled times as these. On dozens of occasions he had battled ambushers, ripping his crossbow out and loading it while dentally preparing for future shots; however, only twice now had the situation become real, and in the face of mortal danger his constant practice had kept true.

He furiously turned the crank as his mind turned to more current matters. Like the guy with the spear charging at him head on. The tracker was not exactly battle-hardened, but neither was he cowardly; he flinched some and jumped backwards about a foot, but did not break and run, instead pulling the trigger and embedding a quarrel in the man's throat. The spearman fell writhing to the ground, dark red blood pouring out of the hole in his neck. He'd killed in combat before, though it did not quite come naturally to him-- yet-- so he hesitated only the barest instant before reloading and looking for some cover. There were rocks nearby. He grabbed the spear (long stabby weapons were useful, especially for those untrained in melee) and darted behind one. The nomad was somewhat shocked to find a bowman behind that particular bit of cover, but the other was fatally more so, especially when Tashir slammed part of the shaft into and consequently impaled him. Just as a safeguard against any dying vengeance attacks, the ranger found a new rock to hide behind, stood, and fired.

The bolt missed, but he ducked behind before his target could notice, reloading. He also dumped out the half dozen remaining quarrels in this case (reminding himself to pick up the undamaged used ones he could find when the combat ended) for future use, looked over, and shot. This time his aim was true-- another enemy down. The battle raged on.

[ February 01, 2005, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[Lord Umbra]

(At PT's wish, I'm renaming Ulath to Ghazi. I won't bother to edit anything now, but that's what Heret's god will be referred as from now on. And that's why I haven't posted despite many chances to further the plot, because I was trying to find a god damn name that appeased His Modship. *grumble*)(LU! Proper capitalization, please! --PT)

Heret moved quickly as Kino fell, quickly dropping her spear and pack dashing to the side of the chasm with only a length of rope. She remembered the signal device, and shoved the object to Kironlo just as she jumped down into open air.

Heret: Keep it safe, I have to save Kino.
Kironlo: How can you save him?
Heret: Take things one step at a time, remember? You take care of things up here.

Saving Kino was vital, but the device was too important to risk losing in the rocky canyon she was entering. Responsibility was now placed on the boy, and she felt that he would do just fine. The boy had seemed troubled, but good. Things would happen and she could even regret her actions, but now she had to Walk. The frigid air rushed by her as she fell, and Heret closed her eyes. Slowly she began chanting, feeling her connection with Ghazi. It was very weak... but the godess still had some faith for the fallen servant. Heret opened her eyes, and looked down. Kino was still falling, and appeared to have an arrow in his chest. A single flake of snow went past her and Heret hesitated. She had stabilised herself... but would Ghazi's magic be able to support her? Heret remembered what she had mentioned to Kironlo, a popular saying among Ghazi's clergy. She just had to take a step right now... the others would fall in place. Heret had never Walked in a large open chasm such as this, only a few feet above solid earth. She recalled the procedure, it had been drilled into her. Pretend that you're on a stairway. Just move the feet, and don't think about what you're doing. Reality has been bent, don't waste time philosophising. Heret took a small step down, and was held up... barely. An arrow flew by nearly hitting the priestess. Heret smiled, and re-oriented herself at a steep angle while running. The explanation for what was happening was hard to describe, but somehow through Ghazi's magic she gained on Kino. Another arrow went by her, the enemy archers apparently trying to prevent her rescue attempt. Sweat began to run despite the chilly weather. Satisfied, Heret slowly swinged herself so that her feet were facing vertically down. Reality was broken for this moment, she'd do what she damn well pleased. Heret made a forced sprint, while unfurling the rope. Kino managed to catch the end, and Heret relaxed. A conveniently placed ledge jutting out into the chasm was nearby, and she dragged her wounded companion to it. The magic was fading, and Heret almost fell on her way to the ledge. Heret lay down to the side exhausted.

Heret: As much as I'd love to attend to your wounds, my magic is too weak. I used too much dragging you to this ledge.
Kino: Can you at least help me pull it out?
Heret: Sure, give me a second.

Heret let her mind empty, enjoying the void. It had been hard to learn, but trainining had allowed her to meditate without thoughts of, "This is stupid." or "Don't think.", drifting into her mind. As she reached the empty state, she felt what was left of her magic. Certainly not enough to drag her companion up while dodging enemy fire, but enough to get the arrow out. She placed her right hand on the arrow, letting a numb sensation pass through it.

Ghazi... You are the Walker, traveler of this world. I ask that you help me with your knowledge, so that I may continue walking on the path of redemption.

Heret blacked out, and awoke to find the arrow in her hands, intact. Her body felt weak, an expected consequence of using so much magic, and the minor favor had been a little too much.

Heret: Looks like we're stuck down here.

[ February 02, 2005, 07:27 PM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[[sage]]

He stood up, still weak from his wounds, and leaned on his staff.

"Damn that hurt." He looked around, and then at heret.

"You should've stayed with the others. The mission is more important than I am." he said

Heret "I couldn't just stand by and let a person fall to their death."

Kino shrugged. "We should find a way out of here."

Heret "I don't have enough energy to get us out of this chasm."

Kino said "Then we'll find a way out on foot. Which way?" he asked.

The two of them looked down each direction.

"Looks the same to me." Kino said.

"Same here." agreed Heret.

"Maybe there's a cave or something. There's gotta be a way out of here."

He looked around, then looked up. "I could probably climb that on a normal day, but wounded, and snowing, I doubt it."

Heret shook her head. "I couldn't climb that either way without my Walking." she said.

"Well, then let's hope for that cave." he said. "Let's head that way, it doesn't really matter which way we go.

The two of them started walking slowly to the east. Kino couldn't really move fast wounded, and it was slow moving over the snow.

"I wonder how the others are doing." he asked. The priestess shrugged. He smiled at her.

"Hey heret... Thanks." Kino said.

[Wahsapa]

Kironlo tried to keep calm and cool, but he was losing his focus. The enemy was in a much greater number this time, compared to the last time they had encountered each other. The party was also down two members. Nothing was in their favor. If Kironlo could do anything, he would need time. He reached down to his side to try and find out what could help him, when suddenly he felt it.

My wand! Hnir's gift!

With a burst of energy he quickly grabbed the wand. As soon as it was in his grasp he took a moment to marvel its beauty. He had hand crafted the wand himself, using the richest of woods he could find. The true marvel of it, however, was the polished down shard embedded into its side. This shard was a breath taking orchid color and it contained the soul of his mentor, Hnir, in its blood-red center. He tapped on the shard and it suddenly glowed faintly, coming to life. Kironlo closed his eyes and entered what seemed to be a deep trance. Kironlo heard the words of Hnir passing through his mind.

Hnir: Kironlo, focus! You don't have much time, so you will need to use one of the simpler spells I taught you. However, I can sense you have no idea what I am talking about. Relax. Think. Do you recall the time when we trained on speed? Yes, you remember now don't you. Just believe in yourself and you can do this task. The enemy has a weak will, you can do this, just put some effort into it. Three quarter turns of the wand to the right, then a crescent shaped swoop to the left. And Kironlo, you may die if you try this curse on too many at once, your power isn't strong enough yet.


Kironlo opened his eyes again and grasped the wand tightly, raising it above his head. He was prepared to die, prepared to become one with the Great Circle that he had learned about during all his training as a necromancer. Ahead of him were about 10 to 15 men charging at him, and further ahead the rest of the group was already in what seemed to be a hopeless battle. He began chanting what seemed like gibberish and moving the wand in the way Hnir told him. The wand's shard lit up like a signal light, drawing the attention of a few nearby enemies. The men charging at Kironlo got closer and closer, and soon the nearest one would drive his spear through Kironlo's chest. That is...if he was fast enough.

Enemy 1 (man with spear): Take this, you damned caster!

The spear got within striking distance of Kironlo, but Kironlo was ready. He opened his eyes and then it happened. The air around the battlefield grew cold and dark. Kironlo looked at the spear in front of him. Although it was less than inches from his face that was not the part that shocked him most. It was moving so slowly that he could grab onto it disarm it from the enemy if he had wanted too. The curse was a success, Curse of Slowness. He had cursed a very large area, the entire field of enemies.

Tashir: What is this? Did the kid do this?
Tashir fired a bolt off into the closest attacker, right into the heart.
Cian: It would appear as if the enemy has slowed down at least three fold. They still move with a decent speed, but this has increased our combat output by many times.
Zax: Eh, keep your numbers to yourself. They are easier to kill now, and that's all that matters.

Kironlo weaved in and out through the enemies, trying to get to the rest of the group. He could see them fighting not too far from where he was, he needed to catch up with them before his energy wore out. The curse had taken a lot more from him than he imagined. Although these particular enemy’s wills were easily cursed, it was a very large number still. Kironlo only hoped that he had cursed them all. His fear was realized as a voice behind him called out.

???: So, what the hell did you do? Why are my men like this? Actually, I could care less. I am impressed.

Kironlo turned wearily, only to face a large armor clad man. He had a fearsome looking longbow on his back and he was waving a large sword around in his hands. The sword seemed to have a glow to it, Kironlo could sense that it was enchanted with some sort of magic, but of what kind he was unsure.

???: My name is Noland, 5th general of the Phaeraldeu Order. I am here to kill all of you and your friends. Why, you ask? We-

Kironlo: No, I don't ask. I will have time to ask you all the questions I want when you are beneath me, in a pool of your own blood.

Noland: HAHA! Boy do you have some guts or what! I like that, you would make a find addition to the Order. But besides that, how do you plan on stopping me? Your curses don't work on me, and you look tired after using all of that magic.

Kironlo: I plan on not telling you my plan, how's that for you?

Noland: Heh, you sure do have spunk. Just for that, I will give you the first move. Now... attack me with all you have, boy!

Kironlo knew he couldn't fight Noland, his armor was fortified and Kironlo didn't have enough energy to cast anything that would help in a battle. Still, Kironlo gave it his best, hoping to stall Noland long enough for his friends to arrive to his aid. However, he knew this could potentially be his last moment with the group.
One step at a time Kironlo, one step at a time.
He prepared to rush forward when suddenly he felt a weight on his shoulder, it was holding him down. He looked up and saw two intense eyes looking straight ahead. Like a hawk, the eyes were keen and focused on its target...Noland. These eyes no doubt belonged to Tashir. Without removing his gaze off of Noland, Tashir spoke to Kironlo.

Tashir: Kironlo, this fight is not yours. You have the signal device, you must be protected. Leave, now.

Kironlo hesitated, he wanted to help fight Noland, he pleaded with Tashir, but Tashir didn't budge. Kironlo gave in, letting Tashir fight the battle. As he turned and walked away, he noticed that all of the other enemies had been slain, he felt better about this as he walked back to Cian and Zax, who he could barely make out in the distance. Kironlo felt himself get heavier as he approached the two, and he collapsed, he was drained.

Cian and Zax went to check on Kironlo.
Zax: Is he....?
Cian: No, he is only resting. That spell really drained him. It was a very noble deed though, I am proud of him, I think we all are. Let him rest, we need to help Tashir.

Tashir continued to stare at Noland, his gaze on was intimidating, and Noland didn't like it at all.

Noland: Damn, strike me already. I will die of boredom before you even get to my throat.

Tashir readied his blade, going into an offensive stance...

[ February 07, 2005, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: Wahsapa ]

[Prince Toad]

The child may have been unsettling to Tashir's magic-using companions, may have practically won them the battle, and may have had the first attack, but nevertheless the nomad did not want to send a mere pup into a duel against a heavily armored general, doubtless a veteran of many battles. Especially now that his strange, mystical actions, which the ranger did not pretend to understand, had drained him of his energy. In the kid's tired state even such a one as he gave way to the look of iron determination in the Ghaneris clansman's eyes.

The opposing general was now laughing openly. The garish hawk tattoos on Tashir's face, as well as the tracker's penetrating gaze, had unnerved him at first, but now he seemed to realize the absurdity of the situation. The man-- if he was old enough to be called such-- roughly six feet away from the imposing soldier was holding a dirk, apparently contemplating hard combat with an enemy wearing half plate. And quite seriously, too. The nomad's eyes searched the general, looking for a weakness, shifting his stance accordingly. His hand kept dipping toward his belt, though...

Tashir, of course, had no intention of running up to this man and trying to stab him in a vital area before he could react. The stances he adopted were a complete farce, fabricated on the spot-- he'd never trained as a melee combatant. The tracker was not exactly blazingly brilliant, but he had an uncanny knack for survival that was kicking in just now. Another of the maneuvers that practicing at heroism had netted him was the one which he was about to attempt. He knew he'd only get one shot before the enemy charged, and if he waited too long the soldier might conveniently forget his word and rush him. If that happened he had no chance but to turn and run. This would not make Koreikala proud.

The thought of the steppes led him to another, of more immediate importance, this one concerning his continued life rather than the one he'd left when his home had been overrun. Koreikala was far, far behind him (~It's in front of you now, south, southward on~) but he'd brought more with him than his pet Keen and bowstrings. As he had said in the court, his ancestors protected him. Now was a time to call upon them.

The guardian spirits of the Ghaneris Clan were not powerful sentinels capable of rending a man in two or bringing down a debilitating pestilence upon a rival people. Rather, they helped in small ways, aiding small actions, healing small wounds, etc. The action which Tashir was about to undertake was minor in and of itself, though of course its true weight would tip the scales in favor of life or in favor of death.

And so the Koreikalan narrowed his eyes, focused his energy, and called upon his ancestors. They had not been with him for some time, and were presumably satisfied with his ability to survive on his own, so they answered immediately. Silver whispers sighed through his head, promising help, help now, help soon. Tashir told them of his plan, and they soughed agreement, yes, yes, help, they would help. His hands began to move.

For the duration of the next several moments, the space surrounding Tashir seemed to move as slowly as Kironlo's spearman. He made his hands move fast, since they had always done so when he'd practiced at the castle, but it seemed to him merely a formality. He knew that at this point changing his promised action would result in abandonment and subsequently (most likely) death, but it felt to the nomad like he could have dashed up to the general and removed his whole suit of mail before puncturing him in a thousand different places. But the tracker's body wasn't entirely under his control anymore, so he let things happen as they would.

The dirk was on the ground. Tashir supposed he had hurled it there unconsciously. His crossbow was in his hands, similarly-- he'd taken it from his belt and had now begun to aim it, but he couldn't really remember doing so. Air rippled past him in layers, he could see the wind, but he couldn't see himself...

He was aiming now. There had been a quarrel in the slit already, he did remember doing that, but that was before his current state, this unnatural but blessed stasis. His crossbow locked onto the general's throat guard, directly in the center. At this range a crossbow bolt would penetrate even his tempered steel.

The silver voices sighed again. You're on your own now...

On his own? Ha! To pull the trigger? Accursed ancestors! Tashir actually smiled a bit. That was what General Noland would hate most of all in his last fleeting moments. Not the young nomad's impossible speed, that was acceptable, but the smile. What was he grinning at?

Noland, 5th General of the Phaeraldeu Order, would never get the joke, nor would his quixotic desire to explain in detail his presence and the attack under his command be realized. As Tashir's temporal exception remissed, his finger crooked, and his aim was true. The bolt took the enemy commander in the throat, killing him almost instantly. The ranger let his left arm, the one holding the crossbow, drop to his side. Now they would continue their journey, but first...

I thank my ancestors for their aid. The Ghaneris remain true.

[ February 04, 2005, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[Wahsapa]

I must say PT...nice post.

[Prince Toad]

^Thanks, I liked it too. The first one I've done so far that's been more description than plot.

[Wahsapa]

(Hey guys, I tried to post this as soon as I said I would, but a real life emergency came up and well...you know...this had to wait.)

The sky was a lovely, deep, blue color. The wind had seemed to lost some of it's vigor as well, it was no longer violently lashing out as it did just hours ago. There was a gentle breeze around Kironlo's head. It blew his silky, brown, hair and carried it in the air, giving it the strange appearance as if it were dancing around, moving with the wind. There was a certain serenity to the whole scene, which was quite a paradox, for much blood was shed in the last raging battle.

He opened his eyes one at a time, gazing up at the sun. His focus was blurred, he wondered where he was. He had no sense of direction, his breathing was slow and shallow, he tried to utter words, but as his lips moved there was no audible sound to be heard. The boy closed his eyes again, receding back into the darkness.

He opened his eyes again sometime later, he wasn't sure how long it had been, nor did he care. Suddenly he felt a chill take over his body. He tried to sharpen his vision to make sense of the blurred objects in front of him. Attempting to speak once again, he moved his mouth, this time letting out moans and groans into the air.

He heard some humanly sounds coming from one of the blurred objects in front of him, it was a light voice, pleasing to the ear. Could it be Heret? No, she was trapped in the...wait...was the battle over? Was he a prisoner? What had happened? Had Kino lived, did Heret rescue her? What about Noland? Panic and trauma rushed through his mind, and he lost consciousness.

???: ...Kironlo...Kironlo...Kironlo...

He felt something warm embracing him, it had a maternal warmth about it. Somehow, this feeling seemed to shower him with life, it ensured him that everything was going to be okay. He opened his eyes and found himself wrapped in blankets, it felt as if he was being cradled by someone, or something. He tried to wriggle out wrappings, weakly at first, but he managed to peer his head out. He saw a woman cuddled with him, was it she that was keeping him warm? He couldn't make out who it was, or more precisely what it was. The figure before him was a large celestial being, glowing with light, speaking in hushed whispers.

Mother...

Kironlo was confused, his mother had passed away and gone to a place of eternal rest. Had Kironlo taken the same path? Was he reliving a memory? Was this all just in his head? He wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it had kept him alive.

Kironlo: Mo...mo-ther..?

She had a warm smile on her face, she looked tenderly back at him.

???: Kironlo, you scared me. I thought you weren't going to make, Kironlo.
Kironlo: Mo-ther...what happened? Where are the others--and Kino and Heret? How long have I been here? Is everyone okay? How are you here?

The celestial figure let out a little laugh, she was glad that Kironlo was still himself, always curious and never stopping to get answers from his questions.

???: Shhh...don't worry yourself about this. They are all just fine. However, if it wasn't for your noble actions, none of them would have been here today. What you did, however, almost cost you your life.
Kironlo: I understand. I thank you for taking care of me, however I must now return to my friends. Goodbye, Mother.

Kironlo's eyes opened in a rush, and he found himself lying down on the ground. He lifted his head up a bit, he still felt fatigued. He found out that he was near a small fire, wrapped in some makeshift blankets, most likely taken from the enemies they had defeated earlier. Kironlo spotted Cian a couple of yards away and called out for him, hoping to be heard with his weak voice.

Kironlo: Cian...Cian...Cian...Cian

The robed man turned to look at Kironlo, and quickly notified the others.

Cian: HEY, HE'S UP! KIRONLO IS UP!

The others came in a hurry. Tashir, being the most agile, was the first to arrive by Kironlo's side.

Kironlo: Tashir...my pack...

Tashir realized the boy wanted his pack and went to fetch it, handing it to Kironlo. Kironlo gave Tashir a thankful smile, and rummaged through his pack, picking out a small vile which contained some sort of blackish-green substance. He popped the lid off the vile and it let out an unpleasant odor. Kironlo covered his nose with one hand, raised the vile to his lips, and chugged all contents within it. After a few seconds, he hopped up on his feet, obviously impressing his companions with his sudden burst of energy.

Kironlo: Ah...I needed that.
Cian: Uh, what was that?
Kironlo: It's extract from a Avrulthan plant mixed with a few drops of blood from young a Soosha.
Zax: A what mixed with a who?
Kironlo: ...or as I like to call it, my "Get-up-n-go Elixir", it gives enough "umph" to practically revive the dead, Hehe. Anyways, how long have we been here?
Cian: Well, we have been camped here for nearly three days, waiting for you to come about. We have already looted the remains of the soldiers, and we came across many supplies that were useful. We have blankets, more rations, more projectiles and ammunition and more basic supplies. Tashir has grown quite fond of the longbow he took off of General Noland, it has some sort of energy pulsing through it, and he also states it is very accurate. Noland's blade also appears to be enchanted, but I am not wise in these types of magics, magics put on weapons, made to harm people. We would need somebody like Kino to help us figure the blade's magic out. Which leads to the next subject...
Kironlo: Where is Kino? What happened with Heret?

Cian let out a sigh.

Cian: They would appear to still be trapped in the chasm, we have called out for them, but to no avail. During the fight, if I recall correctly, they were being bombarded with arrows. They must have hid somewhere, but since Kino had been injured before they must have not been moving quickly enough to dodge any arrows or bolts. The only logical thing to do would be to find some sort of niche to hide in, but they can't hear us calling them, so we believe them to be further into the chasm wall, in a cave of some sort. We can only pray that they are still alive.
Kironlo: So what do we do now?
Cian: We have the supplies to get down there, we picked up a great deal of rope from the fallen soldiers, and Tashir and Zax have been tying them together, and soon it will be long enough to reach into the chasm. But even with the rope being secured at the top, our rescue mission may be a suicide mission.
Kironlo: What do you mean? We have to save them!
Cian: Well...this so called "Phaerldu" order has found us twice, they appear to know something we don't. They are always one step ahead of us. If we all go down there looking for the others, they may come back and cut off our rope and ambush us from above, giving them the advantage in our next battle.

Kironlo and the others talked over for some time, trying to decide what do to. They had the supplies to rescue Kino an Heret, but if they were caught off guard in their rescue attempt, they may be stuck down in the chasm with the others. Furthermore, there was no telling if the others were alive or not. Kironlo suggested that their may be an exit to the chasm from below, some sort of exit within a cave. The chances of this were slim though, and the group talked over their decision more.

Hours passed by before the group finally came to their decision. They were to depart into the chasm and find their missing companions. Once the camp was wiped of all supplies and everybody gathered their belongings, the team descended into the chasm.

[ February 08, 2005, 02:35 AM: Message edited by: Wahsapa ]

[Blake]

[ February 12, 2005, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: Guy That Goes To The Roleplay Forum ]

[[sage]]

downhill? its a straight drop...

After rereading it, that post made no sense. We're not currently on a mountain, it's just a chasm. Maybe there's a mountain nearby, but we're not on a slope, it's just a straight drop.

[ February 07, 2005, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: Marth ]

[Prince Toad]

Okay, uh... Blake? Not to be a jerk, but your post kind of didn't make sense. I dunno. Wanna edit it so it's more logical, or should we just delete it and move on?

[Blake]

[ February 12, 2005, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Guy That Goes To The Roleplay Forum ]

[[sage]]

What about the whole part about us somehow magically getting out of the massive chasm in 5 minutes?

[Blake]

[ February 12, 2005, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Guy That Goes To The Roleplay Forum ]

[Prince Toad]

^Heh, calm down. Look. Most of this is supposed to be fairly ridiculous. We don't really care if it's particularly realistic, as long as it's cohesive. I guess the snow cushioned his fall or something, or... wait. Yeah, Heret ran down and saved him with some rope or something. Realistic? No. Explainable? Yeah.

See, your thing... well, I guess Marth wanted searching for us to be a plot thing for a while. What you did more or less killed that. Not that you can't advance the plot, but it didn't make a lot of sense. I got the impression we entered cave complexes at opposite ends, and most of us went downhill a lot, and Heret/Kino went uphill a lot, and we met at a bridge or something, but I don't know if that's actually what happened.

The part with the forest in the mountains... um... yeah, that confused me too. There are forests on mountains, though. As for the reason we were attacked, well, you yourself explained that. Grah.

[[sage]]

Ya... the whole thing with the forest. I was imagining us more in a valley or surrounded by mountains rather than on a mountain. So I figured woods aren't a big deal.

[Blake]

Well whatever, delete this post and the three posts of mine before this one and someone else can post for now.