Tales of Phaedoras: Requiem of Ice

[Raelifin]

[ic=Garak]"No. I brought you along because you know the southern tongue. We walk." The flickering fire is suddenly extinguished and a wave of cold emanates from its place. The footsteps of the brutal kiag can be heard walking away. "Don't lag, I'm sure the Hrimthuur* would be happy to find you alone."[/ic]

* The Hrimthuur is a legend in the north about a demon of ice that wanders the wilds, bringing a terrible storm in its wake.

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]Carefully listening for Garak's footsteps, Kieru rises with a sigh and tries his best to keep up with the kiag. Just once I would like to travel after sundown...[/ic]

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
Zan will stop to look and listen around for what is out there. "Hello?" he says quietly.
Listen: [dice]1d20+2[/dice]
Spot: [dice]1d20+2[/dice]
[/ic]

[ooc=Zan]
So, where am I going?
[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

Zan: The howl of the wind is your only answer. Nothing can be seen or heard out in the night, maybe it was just your sleepy antennae playing tricks on you. The cold wind bites at your wings, wishing there was some way to protect them. Curling up in a warm blanket would probably be the best bet... Just thinking about it makes you cold.

The trader you spoke with said that there is a sandstone cliff face that is steep enough to not hold snow. In the morning it should catch the light quite well. The campsite should be at the cliff base. (He also pointed out the direction and distance)

Kianak: Your powerful wing beats blow snow away from the ground and causes your heart to beat faster, bringing warm blood to your wingtips. After a few minutes of flying you begin to wear out and decide it'd be best to walk a bit. It only takes you a little bit to realize that you've lost the trail. Frustrated, you sit down on a rock that is still freezing from the night's chill. A growl surprises you from a few yards behind. Turning around slowly, you can see a large grizzly bear prowling in the early snows, no doubt ready to begin its long sleep through the winter months. The large bear seems not to have noticed you, being upwind and it would probably be easy to escape. However, a strange sight catches your eye. AS the bear tears apart a rotten log in search of grubs, you notice a metallic glint on its thick arm. Unfortunately, the wind might change at any moment. Would it be best to investigate further or play it safe?

Kieru: After about an hour of walking Garak stops. "Young Kieru, have you ever heard of Ieklag the Ancient?" It's strange, the inflection of his voice seems almost friendly... it must be a trap.

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]Listening to the "befriending" tone of Garak's voice, Kieru catches up to the kiag. His path has been surprisingly straight during this journey, and though his blindness forces him to move much slower than desired, he has not trailed too far behind.

Thinking for a moment, Kieru runs a slender hand through his longhair. Or at least at first he appears to be doing so, until his fingers remain over his blindfold's knot. He is no fool. "No, I have not." Kieru carefully replies, his voice remaining on an edge. "Is that someone I should know?"[/ic]

[Poseptune]

[ooc] Are there any trees(with branches high enough to be outside the bears reach) near the bear? How long has he been flying?[/ooc]

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
"With all my wisdom, why didn't I buy some matches?" Zan sighs and he hustles towards the rocky cliff that should be up ahead.

If Zan can, he'll use a Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (nature) to try to figure out if he is within some distance of the cliff face.
Knowledge (either): [dice]1d10+3[/dice]
[/ic]

[ooc]
lol, omg, I have nothing to strat a fire with... I think I will be using the salt and my liquor to keep warm, :3
[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

Zan: You aren't familiar with the local terrain, but you did see an abandoned strip mine during the day. It should only be a few hundred yards to the south. Slightly delaying tomorrow's travel, but it would provide shelter from the wind.

Kianak: Yes, you are in a pine forest and it would be easy to climb or fly up near the bear.

Kieru: "Ieklag was a naikakaii who was the son of a wind spirit who lived long ago. Always was he envious of his father, and he wished to also become immortal. He left his village and set out on a journey to find immortality. Eventually, he came to an icy mountain where a hermit lived. The hermit told Ieklag of a magical elixir within the depths of the mountain that could grant him eternal life. Maddened by his own desires, the headstrong fool did not listen to the hermits final warning. Months later, Ieklag returned, triumphant, to the eerie where he had been born. However, the elixir did not simply grant him eternal life, it also transformed him. The moment he had flown from the village his soul had ceased to be naikakaii, the elixir changed his body to match his spirit and he had become a demon to his people. Fearful, they struck him down and nailed his ever-living frame to a tree as a warning to those who would give up who they were."
Garak stops, pours some of his imported cofee into his sharp beak and swallows. His voice becoming more stern he says "Remember that lesson. Those who leave their people are never welcomed back."
Without warning, the cold avian begins walking forward at a strong pace.

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]Kieru follows Garak in silence as he tries to keep up with the kiag, but his mind races as he tries to analyze the point behind his mentor's words.

Those who leave their people are never welcomed back...I never left my people. What could he have meant by that? Did he leave the clan? If he left, then why did he take me along?...[/ic]

[Poseptune]

[ic=Kianak] Kianak lands in a tree not to far from the bear, but out of reach to get a better look at the metallic object.

Spot=[dice]1d20+8[/dice]
[/ic]

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
Zan runs up ahead with the wind blowing him back slightly. Zan sees what he thinks is the mine and begings to enter it.
[/ic]
[ooc]
If it's empty or you just don't care if I go in it or not, just make me go in it.
[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

Zan: After a few minutes of traveling through the dark, you find the abandoned strip mine. Like the prospectors that you're going to meet tomorrows, the mine was made by southerners from Minmika. Usually nyamm or twimi, the southerners mine for precious metals and prospect for sebayet shards hoping to get rich. This copper mine was probably abandoned this year, because some of the wooden structures are still intact, too large to be worth moving.

Exercising his wings, Zan floats slowly down to the quarry basin and ducks under some scaffolding. The improvised shelter is wonderful; its clear of snow, the drop makes the entire area quite calm and the cliffs would deter most wild animals. Lying on his stomach, Zan carefully opens his wings so that they are fairly flat against his back and pulls up a blanket. Normally, the risk of damaging wing tissue would deter covering his upper torso, but the cold would probably freeze them off anyway. Weary from exhaustion, Zan drifts off to sleep and begins to dream about his home.

Kianak: Flapping up to the lower branches of an old Ponderosa Pine, Kianak can see a golden pin snagged in the bear's fur. The bear turns to face you, clearly having heard your wing beats. Roaring territorially, the giant moves over to the base of the large pine and begins to slash at the bark with it's huge claws. The pin drops off and lands in the snow at the base of the tree. Frustrated at not being able to reach his prey, the bear gives up and wanders off after a few minutes.

Kieru: Finally, just before noon, Kieru and Garak reach the encampment. Kieru's keen ears can pinpoint at least sixteen different voices before the two witchdoctors are noticed. Sloppy. These miners must be green to not have sentries posted in these wild lands.

Zan: Zan wakes up bright and early tot he sound of howling wolves. Packing up quickly, the nimunbella flies up above the mine and can see a of the canines emerging from the wood to scan the open rocks. They notice you, but pay no heed and continue on. Following their example, Zan continues his journey northward.

Kianak: Dropping down to the base of the tree in a glide, Kianak checks for the bear again before scooping up the golden pin. Emblazoned with a stylistic shining eye, the pin is multi-purpose. You remember when you bought the pin from a purrabok merchant in the port town of Ekutwas. [spoiler]Ekutwas is a twimi trade town just south of Pokobru lands. The name "Ekutwas" means "red-house" in totwimi. "Eku" is actually an Ubin word that roughly means "of rose hue" and is used to describe deep red objects with high saturation. I don't know why, but I needed to rant about that. ;)[/spoiler] It's strange that the bear should be wearing your stolen pin. Perhaps the bear is the thief? O_o No.
Please roll a wisdom check for common-sense.

Kieru: Northern Lunan: "Don't make any sudden moves! We outnumber you." The voice sounds roughly like a nyamm male and the very thought of any of these bumpkins being able to even scratch either of you is laughable. Six miners stand in front of you. Judging from the sound of their breathing and footsteps they're all nyamm. Garak doesn't seem to find the nyamm's comment funny, and continues to walk forward. In shiienaii,  "I'm in no mood to play nice today. I'm going to see your leader. Come along Kieru." It occurs to you, perhaps a bit too late, that neither Garak, nor the prospectors can likely understand one another.

Zan: At about lunch you hear the faint sound of some strange eagle just before you reach the encampment the trader spoke of. The camp is roughly semi-circular, built on a fairly level section of ground on the edge of a cliff-face. Several nyamm with heavy cloaks scurry about the camp excitedly, one notices you and hurries over. Speaking in hurried Luanan, the nyamm introduces himself as Minras. "You'd best hide, peace-walker. Two intruders just broke in and you're in danger."

Kieru: A weapon is thrown toward the kiag as he steps forward and you can hear it ricochet off of the magical shield Garak no-doubt summoned. Garak's cold voice screeches into the air, "My power is absolute! I will not have my will denied! Submit or die!"

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]"Wait! They can't understand you! Let me translate, then we may go without soiling our hands with blood." Kieru sharply whispers to Garak. It's remarkable how thick-headed he can be...

Turning to the sound of the miners, he hastily speaks to the group in Northern Lunian. "We come here to speak to your leader. I don't want anyone to be hurt, please step aside."[/ic]

[Poseptune]

[ooc]Wisdom: [dice]1d20[/dice][/ooc]

[Raelifin]

Common sense indicates that if the pin somehow caught on the bear's arm, the bear must have crossed paths with the thief at one point. Backtracking the bear might let you find the culprit's tracks.