Tales of Phaedoras: Requiem of Ice

[Poseptune]

[ic=Kianak] Kianak scans the area once again to make sure the trail isn't hidden from him, and then decides to check the path down to the waterfall[/ic]

[ooc]Spot: [dice]1d20+8[/dice][/ooc]

[Raelifin]

[ooc]

Besides, I didn't know I'd be dropping into a well-populated frozen world. Ah well, it's actually just a variation on the english language, like in the Dark Tower.

Usually I like to refrain from commenting on someones character or playing style, but I would like to clarify that it is winter in the mountains, and any civilization isn't going to be very "well-populated."
Also, Lunian is an entirely new language, as are all in Phaedoras. See the website article on Hizzari if you want. That's the only language with any decent amount of work.[/ooc]

EDIT: Added map to the front page!

[Raelifin]

Zan: The void overtakes you. Within the dark realm beyond sight and sound, the spirits of the campsite whir around you in a tangled stream. Slowly, you focus your mind and the individual spirits separate and float with the ebb and flow of your inner pulse. In total, there are a little more than ten spirits. You reach further. In the emptiness, the spirits become nyamm and purrabok. The weak life force of buried seeds waiting for spring drifts upward as tiny wisps of air fly in and out of the darkness, laughing gaily. Suddenly a flash of energy pierces the void, the fey spirit of a flame grows before you, her outstretched arms bringing light to a world of nothingness. Her nimunbella form is but a guise, but her youthful joy lifts up your spirit until...

The world spins to a sickening halt as a mad scream fills the air. Like a chorus of children crying out in pain, an endless howl of misery tears at your soul. Standing fast, the wicked pain of the nearby totem flows around you like water around a stone. You can almost feel each individual spirit screaming madly... it's almost too much, but you might be able to hold on. (If you wish to end the pain, you wake from your trance. Otherwise, the torture continues and you can get more of an insight into the land as a whole and the power of the trapped spirits.)

Kianak: Just about to give up and go down the stream, you glance once more at the waterfall. Deep within the icy depths, a light sparkles. Blinking a few times and walking closer, it is clearly no illusion of the setting sun. There appears to be a cave behind the icy sheet, but would it be worth exploring? The freezing waters might just kill you without protection.

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
"Well, gosh be darned," Zan says as he falls to the ground with a few tears in his eyes. He looks around at the prospectors. "I need a little bit of rest," he says to them, "when I'm done, I will need your help."
[/ic]

[ooc]
Well, I suppose since Raelfin is still making it (I assume) then it wouldn't hurt to add the language in. But, I guess since most D&D campaigns are based off of a 'north-western'-medievil society, I'll hold off on the new culture in a campaign. Raelf can make that discision if he wants. Still, I'll talk like a guy who knows a lot of words... :)
Also, Raelf, I need to know if I can identify what that thing was. Also, I'm not so clear on the different types of spirits and what they represent (Like totems, dead spirits, land spirits, and/or others).
[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

[ooc]Screaming = Totem(s)
Prospector Spirits = Nyamm and Purrabok
Seeds = Plant Fey
Wind Spirits = Wind Fey
Flame Fey = Campfire

@ Wix: I'm sooo confused. Are you trying to make a language for Phaedoras? A culture? Hunh?[/ooc]

Kieru: You stop in the center of camp. Most of the southerners have backed away from your group, but you can hear one Nyamm who sounds quite desperate as he speaks in hurried northern lunian. "Wake up peace-walker! They are here! Spirits guide me, wake up!" Finally, he breaks into a run, desperate to get away from the area.

Zan: You look up, but find yourself alone by the fire. Some 15 feet oof, you see the "intruders" Minras was urging you to avoid. Surrounded by a small company of lightly-armed miners are two figures, one towering, the other small. The towering figure is a kiag, scourge of the north. Standing about 6'1â,¬Â with his slouch, his face is deep red and is marked by many scars from vicious battles. A gnarled oak club hangs by his side and he is covered with a thick layer of heavy hides. Around the gray feathers of his neck, you can see several small charms and trinkets. As you look at him he turns his head at you and you can see his eyes. His large, golden eyes bore into your soul with a look of hatred and hunger and you quickly turn your attention to the smaller figure. Clearly a nyamm, the character wears a white cloak and holds a twisted black staff. His hood is pulled too low to see his face, but by the way the prospectors watch him, it's clear he is with the kiag, probably a slave. Thankfully, the kiag is no longer paying attention to you. Instead, he is watching a figure that moves out of one of the tents.

Kieru: A small figure approaches your group, probably twimi. One of your escorts says "Lady Natynas, these... they said they were invited here."
A voice, clearly twimi replies "I'll eat your entrails! I sent for a shaman, not a spirit-blasted kiag! Are you trying to kill me?!"
The nyamm begins to apologize, but is cut off by Garak's cold screeching. "Tell these weaklings who I am and what I will do to anyone who steps out of line!"

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]"Patience, Garak. It is difficult to translate with so many speaking at once." Kieru carefully replies before switching back over to northern lunian. "He wants you to know that he is Garak, spiritbinder of the Deragai clan. According to him, there has been a disturbance amongst the spirits. We are here to find out why."[/ic]

[Poseptune]

[ic=Kianak] Kianak decides that following the thief is not worth dieing for. He rests for a moment and then continues on to his destination.[/ic]

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
"An' what in bunting blazes..." Zan curses as he gets up seeing the kiag. Zan, -abost as tall as the kiag- picks up his staff and bag of salt and heads over to the kiag's nyamm priest who is currently speaking to a little twimi. Why does a Kiag want to know what is wrong with the land? he thinks to himself.
[/ic]
[ooc]
Lol, I guess I'm just trying to liven things up. Nevermind, I'll just make my language be a bit more normal.
Anyway... two things I need to know:
1) What is a totem?
2) What languages to I know (again)?
[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

[ooc]No problem Wix. I'm glad you're so enthusiastic. ^_^
1) Quote from intro on Realifin.com "Witchdoctors, on the other hand, use their innate powers of mojo to bind spirits into physical objects, tearing them out of the spirit world. These totems allow the witchdoctors to release the powers of the tortured spirit within to produce devastating effects."
2) Northern Lunian (a.k.a. Lunian) and Shienaii[/ooc]

Kieru: A large person approaches. Long strides... light steps.
The sounds of clinking jewelry surrounds Lady Natynas' voice. "It is strange to see a kiag without bloodshed, but resistance would be pointless. I will let you both investigate as much as you wish, I only ask that you take whatever you find... oh, you've arrived."

Zan: You approach the group largely unnoticed. As you get within the last few yards, the kiag and the twimi both turn and notice you. The twimi lady stands about 3'6", tall for her kind. Red-brown hair covers her body, and her longhair is clipped together so if forms a thick cascade down her back. Dressed in silk, and adorned with a number of earrings and other jewels, she is clearly quite rich. Seeing you, she says in a squeaky voice "Oh, you've arrived. These sbiritbinders have come to investigate the same thing I hired you for. I'll be with you in a moment."

Kieru: So quietly that even you barely hear, Garak clacks his beak and scoffs "They hire nimunbella... weaklings."
Natynas returns to her previous train of thought "As I was saying, you are free to search as you will as long as you do no harm nor hindrance and that you take whatever is causing this "disturbance." As I'm sure you know, I am Lady Twanimi Natynas. I advise you to come to me before you do anything... disruptive."

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

Shailikanomisonakai: Darkness... to go in the light is death. So cold under the earth. Like a tomb. Shaili the nimunbella stands up, shivering. This frozen cave is nothing but a death trap. What possessed you to crawl under the waterfall using the hide of that dead deer anyway? And why was there an untouched dead deer lying by the edge of the stream anyway? the whole thing was like a dream. But this is reality. Your calloused hand finds a stalagmite in the gloom. Behind you, the frozen light emanates like a beacon of death. Turning, you can see the horrid holes in the ceiling around the glowing crystal. The deerskin sits beneath like a fleshy lure. If only you could get the skin, you might be able to escape... or at least curl up. A shiver runs down your body again. You'll freeze if you don't find a fire soon. Spiders... blankets of them... to go in the light is death... Only the frozen passage of darkness is safe. Deeper into the earth. Like a tomb.

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

Kianak: You sit on a stone by the waterfall, eating an early dinner and gazing into the depths of the waterfall. The twinkling light shines out curiously. There are many mysteries in Phaedoras, investigating each would be too dangerous. After finishing a chalky piece of hard bread, you get up and begin to journey northward once more. Ever on the road is the way of the wanderer.

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]A nimunbella? Heh. For once I agree with Garak, they are weak.

"This one says we may look, but only if we don't...'harm or hinder.'" Kieru says to Garak, his mocking tone conveying his own distaste toward the diminutive twimi. "She claims to be one of significant power, but," Kieru grins again, "I'm afraid my eyes fail me."[/ic]

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
A brutal Kiag and a shifty bunch of other characters. I wonder if any of them can make good food? Away from the fire, Zan will undo the loop on his belt and takes a small sip from his jug to keep himself warm.
[/ic]

[Raelifin]

[ooc]Just fyi, Zan can understand all of the speech going on between Garak and Kieru. Garak and Kieru are speaking in Shienaii.[/ooc]

Zan & Kieru: Garak laughs and agrees "All right. That's why I brought you. I'm going to go take a look around... hold this." With a shrug of his shoulders, his layers of furs fall to the ground to reveal his thick, muscular frame. Stretching, he leaps up from the ground, blasting wind downward with his enormous gray wings. Flying upward, he looks down and Zan can see arcs of electricity running from claw to claw. A few more moments and he is gone. Flying up the mountain.

Lady Natynas lets out a long breath and snaps her fingers. Two of the guards go off toward a tent. The twimi noble turns to address Zan. "Now, we can talk, peace-walker. I trust you can understand me? Pyal weh nitan Minmikan?"
Either of you may make a Knowlege: Geography check to identify the second laguage, not that you should need to. ;)

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
"Of course I can," Zan says letting out a sigh after finishing another sip, "I'm actually quite a bit more interested in what the Kiag is doing here. I suppose you can answer that, can't you spiritbinder-kin?"
[/ic]
[ooc]
Sweet, that's kinda funny, lol. I won't let on though.
[/ooc]

[Senkennomei]

[ic=Kieru]"No, I cannot." Kieru flatly replies as he crouches low to the ground, his hands blindly searching for Garak's furs within the confines of his cloak. "I don't know why we came here, nor what motivates him to continue." Locating the furs, the nyamm places them in a heap before him and takes a seat amidst the snow, keeping his body beneath his cloak and his face sunken deep within its cowl. The gentle breeze swirling about him causes the furs to smoothly ripple and flow, and beneath his garments Kieru's fur bristles as another thought occurs to him. "Besides, why should I tell anything to the likes of you?"[/ic]

[ooc]Wix, just so you realize, Shamans and Witchdoctors have an extreme animosity toward one another. You also might want to re-read the Spirit-Diving post from before.[/ooc]

[Wix of Bel-Air]

[ic=Zan]
Zan looks at the witchdoctor with an unnerving glance. Turning around abruptly he looks at the Lady Natynas and says quietly, "We should definately talk. Alone." Zan marches off towards where he saw her come out of.
[/ic]
[ooc]
Actually I can't find the part of amnimosity between them. Care to direct?
[/ooc]