A World of Winter [IC]

[Soulserenity20]

Link to the OOC​

INTRO MAP AND PLOT RULES PLAYERS DICE SYSTEM GM DICE EVENT SKELETONS

• [dash=white]It has been winter for far too long now. The world was not built for stagnancy. Without change, there can be no future.
  You are that change.
  You must bring about the shifting of the seasons. [/dash]
• 
  Current Map in Spoiler
  [spoili]
  You've discovered Murn's Shack, where a mysterious Ice Man told you to head south along the glowing trails of the Tormarr to a warm, purple field called the Whispering Wilds. Once you get through, head West to reach a city called Dohmara to find the next steps in your fate.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [/spoili]
  Cabin Map
  [spoili]
  
  
  
  [/spoili]
  
  
  
  
  You never knew this world. It was always just a part of a story you heard as a child: a world where the seasons no longer changed and for an eternity, Winter maintained its hold on the land. This world was said to be beautiful, but dangerous, for it loomed in a delicate balance, like a set of scales, ever-nearing its tipping point. Stagnancy is not the stuff of life. A world can only stay frozen for so long.
  
  You awake from a dream in a world you never knew. The cold air swirls around you and silently, snowflakes drift down from the sky, kissing your chilled skin before melting away. The sky is dark but for the dancing lights that dazzle the skyscape. The stars are outshone by these lights of blue and purple. The beauty is entangling, but something within you demands you look away. All around, you see a white blanket of snow and hear nothing but the gently breeze. Where are you? You do not know this world of Winter.
  
  It becomes quickly apparent that you are far from home. Are you alone? With some searching, you come to discover there are others, more like you that are lost, unsure of this strange, beautiful place. You come together, one of you noticing a strange creature leaping about in the distance. It looks to be a deer of sorts, but it is larger than any you've ever seen and its coat is white as the snowy landscape, its antlers are made of ice, and its eyes are a cool, purple.
  
  Together with the others, you decide teamwork is the best chance at survival. But none of you are sure how you got here or where you must go. And so, as a team, you venture out into this wintry world, seeking answers and seeking shelter. If you can survive, you may find yourself caught up in a magical adventure.
  
  Welcome, to the World of Winter.
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  SURVIVAL
  This roleplay will be an unpredictable adventure filled with curious opportunities driven by chance. I will be rolling dice consistently throughout to determine encounters and sub-adventures you will come across in the main plot. Your characters will be your own, but I will be giving you situations where your character fails or succeeds at certain actions and you must react accordingly. Like survival in the real world wilds, nothing is certain, you will face a number of difficult decisions; this is all a part of the survival experience.
  
  MAGICK AND COMPANIONS
  Two key features in this roleplay will be the bestowal of a magical ability and a companion or familiar from the world of Winter. You will not be able to choose either of these. They will be given out at various times as the plot progresses. If you are not mature enough to be okay with the unexpected and extended equailty (not everyone will have a power at the exact same time, not everyone will get a companion at the same time, but everyone will get one) then I fear this roleplay is not for you. A key aspect of any great adventure is the unexpected. This roleplay will be based around how your characters respond to the world and you will not have the same OOC power you would have in other roleplays. That is the point of this RP.
  
  FORMAL RULES
  +Do not complain about your ability or companion. I will take generic requests at the start of the RP but the surprise is the nature of the roleplay.+
  +Be mature, communicate, and be kind.+
  +Posting requirement is once per week, sometimes once per two weeks. My roleplays are long term. We all have vastly different schedules and so a week to two week long window helps ensure everyone has ample time to post. We'll aim for movement in the plot once a week.+
  +COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR GM. I'm patient as hell but I do expect effort.+
  +I EXPECT GOOD WRITING. You'll be PM'd by me if I don't accept your writing level. Poor writing makes it harder for your GM's and harder for your fellow players. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is.+
• 
  1. Greenie playing Kirn
  2. Akashi playing Robert
  3. Cait playing Adeana
  4. Bitterblue playing Amalia
  5. Bitterblue Temporarily playing Arthur
  6. Soulserenity20 (GM) playing Sophia
  7. Soulserenity20 (GM) playing Jingim
  7. Reverend of Steel playing Olafur
  
• 
  BASIC SYSTEM:
  Severity Roll followed by a success or failure roll.
  
  COMBAT
  1-5= Easy (one man can handle it) 1 hit required for defeat
  6-10=Average (Requires at least 2 chars) 2 hits required for defeat
  11-15=Hard (Requires at least 4 chars to beat) 4 hits required for defeat
  16-20=Impossible (Escape necessary)
  NOTE: Hits can be done by multiple chars or all by one, but the char requirement remains the same. You cannot face a 2 person foe alone, but you can be the only one of the two to hit it and effectively kill it.
  
  1-10=Success/Unharmed Escape
  11-20=Failure/Harmed Escape
  
  Success roll determines A: defeat or failure (rolls of 1-15) or B: whether you are damaged in your escape or not. If you do not meet the requirements, you MUST roll for flee damage. The battle ends when you are successful at defeating the foe or when you flee. Damage must be taken with each failure, but you may keep rolling to win or you may roll for retreat.
  
  
  WEATHER
  1-5=Mild Harm
  6-10=Moderate harm
  11-15= Severe harm
  15-20=Not survivable, flee.
  
  1-10=Unharmed
  11-20=Harmed
  Success roll determines if you are damaged or not in your survival.
  
  DISCOVERY
  1-5=Useless
  6-10=Mildly Useful
  11-15=Very Useful
  16-20=Life Changing
  
  1-10=Beneficial
  11-20=Detrimental
  
  No success roll required.
  
• 
  COMBAT EVENT
  ROLL:
  IDENTITY:
  SCENARIO:
  
  NATURAL DISASTER
  ROLL:
  IDENTITY:
  SCENARIO:
  
  DISCOVERY EVENT
  ROLL:
  EFFECT:
  IDENTITY:
  SCENARIO:
  
  
  Roller Site for Convenience
  

 

[PoetLore]

Becca watched as Amalia left the kitchen and went to the other room to investigate what Olafur had said was down in the basement. brave, but reckless. Still, they did need those blankets. "Maybe you should take the ax..." she said but the other woman had already disappeared into the darkness of the basement. She was fighting an inward battle of where to help and what was the most pressing need to be met. So many people were cold and injured.

She heard a voice from behind her and she turned from the people in the kitchen and went back to the sofa. She crouched down next to the man wearing her hat and smiled, "Yes, I did," she replied, "I was in Montana watching a campfire die out. I was luckier than most. I have on a few layers of clothes and I had the blanket and my hat." She looked at him and she could see the wind burns to his face and could see him shivering a bit as well. "That explains why you are dressed as you are," she said softly. She reached out to give his hand a comforting squeeze and blinked at how cold he was. "Oh dear," she said and wrapped both of her hands around one of his. "I'm not real warm either but This should help,"

She was concentrating on warming up his hands when she heard the voice outside as well. She turned and called over to Amalia, "Hey...there's someone outside..." She said loudly hoping someone would get the door. He tried to get up and she saw the wince of pain, "Are you injured?" she asked. "I have a bit of medical training...maybe I can help?"

@Greenie mostly

 

[Soulserenity20]

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What conspired before him startled him, to say the least. The creature that emerged was the first, and seemingly most startling discovery but as the moments passed, he would soon come to an even more startling discovery. It seemed that Amalia, the German woman, was actually speaking to the... the flying cat? A moment later, he was baffled again. "N-not on earth...?" His words were barely a whisper. It was all so much to deal with: a flying cat that somehow spoke to Amalia and the news that they were no longer on earth. Somehow, it made sense. Somehow, he was comfortable with the conclusion that they weren't on earth, after all, a flying, magical cat on earth would destroy everything they knew about the animal kingdom. Magic simply did not exist. But... if they were in another world, then perhaps it made just a little more sense.

"You can't hear her, can you Jingim?"

Shaking his head no, he furrowed his brows and listened intently to what she said. "Nixura... right." He struggled to wrap his tongue around the foreign words. "An iceman... is he.. dangerous?" Was all he could manage. He found himself oddly fascinated by the small, furry creature. It was telepathic, then. It had spoken to her via the mind. A small smile crept up onto his lips. Cool, he thought to himself. And truly, it was quite cool. A telepathic flying cat? If only earth had such magic! How much easier his job as a vet would be if the animals could describe to him their pain with more than just writhing, snarling, biting, barking, and snapping.

"Perhaps we should tell the others." And by that, he meant she should tell the others. The thought of trying to make sense of all this was a daunting one and he'd much rather Amalia take on that task. "If it isn't hurt, I suggest we get back. We can take inventory of what's down here later... or, not at all. If this iceman is dangerous, we might have to leave in a hurry."

He led the way back upstairs and as they came around the corner into the main room, even in the low light, Jingim could see the reactions forming and immediately hung back to let Amalia explain the strange creature on her neck.

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[Scath]

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Lior shifted restlessly in the snow, she was beginning to lose feeling in her legs and her fingers were starting to turn white from the cold. Inside the cabin there was a brief pause in the talking and she faintly heard someone say something about coming in. The exact wording was lost, but Lior took it as permission anyways and quickly got the door open, slipped inside where it was mildly warmer, and promptly closed the door again. There had been no signs of anyone else out there, so she saw no need to leave the door open. With the door closed against the winter chill, she turned around to face the rest of the cabin and its occupants, slumping slightly against the door.

There were quite a few people seeking shelter there, most looked to be okay, if only a little chilled, but a few seemed to be injured or had hypothermia. Eyeing everyone warily, Lior dipped her head in greeting and flashed a quick smile before moving away from the door, staying by the wall and out of the way of the more active people. She'd have offered assistance with those who were injured, but they had already been tended and had no need of her few abilities.

A bit at a loss as to what was going on, she determined that for the moment it would be better to just get some warmth back into her extremities, and to observe the goings on. Someone had to know the five W's...it was only matter of time before they said anything. Though perhaps the most important answers would be to the what, why, when and where questions...

[/dash]

 

[Bitterblue]

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"Ice man...dangerous?" Calia and Amalia both shook their heads. "According to Calia, no. He just can't stand warmth, somehow it harms him." Amalia replied. As Jingim headed up the stairs, Amalia grabbed some of the other blankets to bring upstairs. Calia, still poised upon her right shoulder, leaned against her head, and a slight rumbling sounded. Purring? Following Jingim's lead, she headed up the stairs and laid the blankets down by the sofa. She caught people staring, and chuckled.

"So...this is Calia. She's what's called a Nixura, and can apparently only speak to me telepathically." Calia leapt off Amalia's shoulders to hover next to her, her feathered wings brushing the tips of her shoulders, tickling slightly. "According to Calia, we are no longer on earth...she won't tell me where we are, as the owner of the cabin should be home soon...she called him ice man. She says warmth hurts him, so that explains why there's no hearth. She also says he's not dangerous....but I think we should be prepared in case she's mistaken. We are intruding on his home, after all. What would you do, if you got home and there were multiple strangers lounging about?" Amalia looked around. Her knife was sheathed at her ankle, and there wasn't much, other than the axe that they could use as a weapon.

"We won't necessarily attack him, just be prepared to defend yourself if he is, in fact, dangerous. So, any questions?"

Amalia left it at that, being sure they had several, hoping Calia would help them out. [/dash]

[/dash]

 

[Soulserenity20]

Then, as if on queue, there came the sound of heavy steps on the wooden porch, muffled by the whirling storm and the thick, cabin walls. The steps paused, the doorknob jangled, and as the storm was unleashed into the heart of the cabin, the strangers struggled to make out what had entered. With a heavy thud, the door was pushed shut and as the swirling snow settled, a most peculiar sight was theirs to behold.

Standing taller than most men, nearing seven feet in height, the creature was very clearly humanoid and male. It wore dark, ragged clothing, but not the sort one would expect for such a cold weather climate. Simple trousers and a t-shirt were all the being wore, accompanied by a heavy rucksack filled to the brim with unknown goods. The clothing would turn out to be the least unusual part of the figure, for everything else, thought slightly human, was foreign and unnatural. The skin of the iceman was blue and covered his body in what looked like icy muscles. The skin was striated, just enough to be obvious, instead of the smooth skin that adorned a typical human. The striations ran along the curves of the iceman's limbs and face much like how the muscles of the body would run, hence, the appearance of icy muscles. His eyes were a blue so pale it hardly stood out from the sclera and the pupils were cat-like slits, instead of circles. His hair was white, knotted, and looked more like snow than anything else. It cascaded down to his shoulders and shimmered like fresh-fallen snow as he moved.

For a moment, he simply stared at them all, as if he was considering the fact that he had entered the wrong cabin. It wasn't until he saw the little Nixura sitting perched on Amalia's shoulder that he let out a low, annoyed grumble. "Damn Nix. What did you do this time? I thought I told you to keep out!" A cool, frosty cloud expelled from his mouth as he shouted the last words. "What the Novarra do you think you're doing bringing warm-bloods in here, the temperature must have risen 5 degrees already! Where did you even get them this far north!" He shook his head angrily and numerous icy crystals fell from his hair, tinkling as they struck the ground. It was difficult to know how to feel when observing the iceman's reaction. He was entrancing in his magical, foreign form, but frightening in his temperament and tone.

 

[Greenie]

Kirn nodded, a little upset at himself for letting the pain show on his face. "I have a bad knee for a while, but I'm afraid I may have sprained the ankle as well." He gave a crooked smile as he settled once more. "At least, I hope it's just a sprain." Anything more in this place would make him a liability, and he didn't want to be that. "If you could check, that might be helpful..."

His voice trailed to a stop when he heard footsteps entering the living room. Turning his head in the direction of those who entered the room, namely a woman, his eyes zoned nto the creature that was hovering next to her. Now Kirn had seen many different creatures in his lifetime, but never a cat-like critter with feathered wings! Not unless it was that anime... he couldn't remember the name. The creature- Nixura, he told himself- was certainly not something found on Earth. Did this mean they have been spirited away to some other world?

He wasn't much of a believer in the unseen, but he was beginning to think that maybe now would be a good time to change his opinion. Especially now with the mentioned of whose cabin this was. An iceman? Surely he wouldn't want his cabin to be warm then... whilst they, humans, needed the warmth unless they wished to die.

"Well this is a pickle," he murmured to himself, loud enough only to be heard by Becca, as she was closest to him.

If he had any questions, there had been no time to ask, as all the snow entered the cabin. Kirn lowered his head, shuddering as winter made itself known in the cabin. Only when the door was shut did he look up again. and when he did, his eyes widened to take in the sight of the man. He had seen men that tall before, but never that clour. He looked as if he was carved out of ice! The rest of him was just as strange. Kirn opened his mouth and promptly shut it when the man spoke, forcing himself not to cringe at the shouting. Once he had stopped speaking, however, he spoke.

"I don't believe she brought us here," he said, voice rather low in comparison to the ice-man. "At least, I was brought here by that man, Arthur. We had no other place to go unless we wished to die in the cold."

@Soulserenity20​

 

[PoetLore]

Becca nodded and moved the blanket a bit so she could feel her way down his leg. Watching his face for signs of distress she pressed his knee and then his shin. She looked at the knee but saw no bruising or obvious injury there. Her hands moved down to his ankle and there she DID see bruising and a few scratches as well. "Can you move your foot at all?" she asked and saw his toes wiggling. "It looks like a sprain to me." she said and pulled a bandana out of her pocket and wrapped it around his ankle for a bit of support. She stood and grabbed a chair and pulled it over tot he sofa and gently lifted his leg and tucked the blankets around it. "Elevation will help keep the swelling down and speed the healing."

She looked up and saw Amalia return from the basement with a flying cat? They were not on earth, and here cats had wings and could talk to people. She pinched herself, HARD. Definitely NOT sleeping, which was by all accounts of this situation, not a good thing at all. She was about to comment on the whole not on earth and talking cat topic when the door opened.

She turned her back to the wind and snow that came in through the door, when it opened. She felt a shiver ripple through her but then the door shut just as quickly as it opened. She turned to see who had entered and was about to ask if they needed help but the words froze in her throat. She was looking at a very large thing that was standing there looking at them with the same look of shock and disbelief. Blue...he was blue...all over...and he was BIG. OH Iceman. Callie the flying cat told Amalia about an Iceman, and this MUST be him.

She heard Kirn say something to the big man about Arthur bringing him in, "No one brought me here...I woke up in the snow and this was the first shelter from the storm I saw. Sorry we are warming up your house...but we can't live out there like you obviously can. Do you know of another place we can go?" She WANTED to ask why someone who does not like cold has blankets but, she refrained. He didn't look like he was going to attack anyone but he did look a bit annoyed that they were there.

 

[Soulserenity20]

The humanoid grumbled angrily at the first of them to speak up. "Neither the duration nor termination of your lifespan is of any concern to me. What of my lifespan, hmm? You're close to melting years off my time!" He shivered furiously and growled in annoyance. When the second, a woman, spoke up, he seemed a little less annoyed, a touch of curiosity dancing about his gaze.

"Woke up in the snow, eh...? The lot of you?" His gaze flickered from Becca to each of the others, lingering briefly on Sophia as she somehow willed herself to step forward. "Haven't you the Hunch, you scrawny little Nix?" He spoke to Calia then. It seemed he was the only other one able to actually hear the magical little creature. "Waking up in the middle of the woods around these region of the woods... those legends have more to 'em than a good 'oooh! Ahhhh!' round a campfire. The last batch didn't much survive long enough to do much though, did they...."

The iceman continued to grumble quietly to him self, pausing occasionally to shiver violently and curse the heat at the same time. It appeared he hated both the warmth and the cold.

Sophia spoke out then, somehow managing to convince her mind that the pitting storm in her stomach was actually excitement, not fearful anxiety. "Er.... sir, if I may..." She stepped a bit closer, almost immediately regretting it as she took in more of the details of the creature's face. It was unsettling... foreign, and frightening to her. "Er... I.. " She took a breath and tried to steady her voice before continuing on, this time without making eye contact. "You hardly sound surprised that we woke up in this part of the woods. If I might.... which woods did we wake up in, exactly?"

The man scowled at her before chuckling. "Of course you wouldn't know! You're not from this world. These are the Woods of Ascension. At least, this region is. The Woods of Ascension are a part of the Darkspine Woods, used to be the Icespine woods but then people started getting afraid and you know what happens when the masses shutter with fear!" He seemed appalled at the notion of a society of any sort, most especially one filled with fear.

"So... the Woods of Ascension. Have they any meaning?"

"Gods be damned, Warmblood! I look like your own personal Tome of Truths, hmm? The lot of you need to leave. You've been warming my home far too long and there's nothing here for ya! Your fate lay in the south somewhere." At the sharp tone offered by the being, Sophia flinched back, having lost the confidence to question him further.

 

[Bitterblue]

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No sooner had Amalia finished talking did she hear the footsteps coming. With a blast of cold air, the door swung open revealing a man of blue. Amalia tensed, seeing the look of confusion upon his face until his cat like eyes narrowed at Calia and scolded her. Instead of responding in shock like some of the others did, Amalia remained silent and listened to the questions and response, observing and putting some pieces together, not just about icey here, but about the others surrounding her.

"Woke up in the snow, eh...? The lot of you?...Haven't you the Hunch, you scrawny little Nix?...Waking up in the middle of the woods around these region of the woods... those legends have more to 'em than a good 'oooh! Ahhhh!' round a campfire. The last batch didn't much survive long enough to do much though, did they...." Her eyebrow rose at the word 'legends', she never was one to believe old myths that spoke of unspoken hero's. This just spurred more questions to mind.

Her thoughts trailed off as Sophia approached the surly, unhappy creature; she watched his movements, prepared to move at a seconds notice, determined not to let anyone get hurt. As he mentioned the Fields of Ascension. Hmmm, what had gone on to make the people fear this place?

Gods be damned, Warmblood! I look like your own personal Tome of Truths, hmm? The lot of you need to leave. You've been warming my home far too long and there's nothing here for ya! Your fate lay in the south somewhere."

~Isn't he a big ball of fun? Got a stick up his frozen bum, it seems. But keep pressuring, he normally isn't the type to let people wander off to their deaths, as he know you would if you went out.~ Amalia huffed at Calia's remark, unable to keep her reaction to herself. Returning her attention to the brute before them, she picked up where Sophia left off. "If we could leave, we would. Unlike you we won't survive out there! I don't know who you are...or what you are, but we can't leave, at least until the storm dies. Besides, Calia here seems to think you're not the kind to send people, warmbloods or not, to their deaths." Amalia kept stern eye contact with the creature before him. "My name's Amalia, what do we call you?" [/dash]

[/dash]

 

[PoetLore]

Becca looked at the huge man of ice and furrowed her brows. She could well understand his anxiousness to see them all gone, especially if what Calia said was true, and their presence was hurting him in some way.

She looked at Kirn, "Please try not to move," she said with a gentle smile.

She stood and moved to where the iceman was standing with a few of the others, "Sir," she said, "I understand you are not happy to see us here, but we cannot go out into that weather until the storm passes," She motioned around the room, "We have a few injured people that would not be able to travel easily. What can we do to make this more comfortable for you? can we section off a part of the cabin and stay there and somehow contain out heat? can we bring some snow from outside for you? Please, how can we work together so that all of us may survive this storm?"

She looked at the others wondering what else she could say, to maybe change his mind. "I'm not hurt," she said, "I can go out and bring you in some ice and maybe make a nice chair out of it in the other room?" she was trying...but ideas were not coming fast enough she feared.

 

[Greenie]

After the Ice humanoid spoke, Kirn was a little unsure of what they could say to the fellow to allow them to stay. While going out in this harsh weather would be detrimental to those who were injured, including himself, was it really alright to impose their presence in the ice-man's house, especially when it seems as if it was harming him?

He caught the names of the locations mentioned. Woods of Ascension? Darkspine Woods? They sounded like places that belonged in the old fantasy novels he would read. Not that it was important at the moment, was it? Right now it was stay in or perish outside.

Kirn looked over at the one named Amalia, a little impressed that she spoke so sternly to the imposing figure before them. Was it good to test his patience, however? Well, he couldn't say anything, being unable to move. He looked away when Becca spoke, giving her a mild smile. She was kind to help him, but would it all have been for naught?

If it was just himself, Kirn wouldn't have been so conflicted, he would have just left, as dangerous as it was. Perhaps then it was best they were all in a group, even if it meant more than one person had been snatched from their world. How did that even happen? Focus, he told himself, not wanting the circumstances to cloud his thought.

His eyes followed Becca when she stood, and he was impressed by her thinking. It made sense to him. "I would help if I could," he said, more to himself than anything. "There's a basement in the house, right? Perhaps some of us can stay down below?"​

 

[Soulserenity20]

As the humans continued to offer various accommodations, the icy figure's temper seemed to lessen, though he never did seem any less irritated. He grumbled to himself for a moment, a bead of water dripping from his brow, which he flicked away with a huff. "Won't be any use if you move to the cellar. Warm air rises, haven't you heard? And you all are nothing but a bunch of flesh-made sacks of hot air, bubbling on with hot blood. All that heat and the cold gets to ya, does it! Ha. Doesn't make a lick of sense to me." He flicked another bead of water from his face and shivered furiously, both melting and freezing all at once.

Looking around at all of them, he nodded his head at the one that had offered the ice chair. " I don't need a throne from you, but you could be useful and fill the box under my bed with snow. Keeps me cool enough to sleep without freezing my bones through." He turned then the one with the Nix on her neck. "You can call me Murn. My name won't make much sense to you anyways. Your kind can't sort out the sounds of my language, no use in trying." Looking around then, he seemed to count the lot of them before huffing. "One night, you hear me? You can stay the one night. Tomorrow you're out of here. I haven't much for provisions but I'll give you what I can to spare you a chance at surviving the woods. You'll head south. There's nothing the Woods of Ascension can do you now. Not if you can't survive them. You head south, right clear of the Darkspine, and look for a city with crystal gates. Aervesta. You'll find your answers there, no matter what question you ask."

And with that, he grumbled a little more to himself and began hauling snow into the bin under his bed, speaking only when spoken to, minding his business as he scowled and grumbled about his house.

NOTE: You have 2 days IRL to ask Murn whatever questions you'd like. A simple post of the question will do, I'll respond the same way. If you're done asking questions, I will move us on to the departure, the next morning.

 

[PoetLore]

Becca smiled a bright smile and nodded and grabbing a large bowl off the counter she began to go out and get snow and carry it to his bed. The bowl wasn't very big but she filled it and then moved to the box under the bed to dump it. It was a fairly large box and was a bit heavy to slide out from under the bed, but she got it. She dumped the snow and went to refill her bowl a second time. She did hear him say they could stay one night, and she hoped the storm would end before that time.

Soon he was carting snow as well and with both of them working it was full in only a few trips. "Thank you, Murn," she said when the last of the box was filled, "You are kind. It will not be forgotten, at least by me."

She moved to the door not wanting her body heat to cause any more issues for him, "Is there anything else I can do?' she asked earnestly. She frowned then and paused at the door to his room, "Do you have any idea why we would all be brought here? Surely there is some purpose."

 

[Soulserenity20]

As he settled down onto his bed, sighing with relief as he slowly stopped melting, he hummed, listening to the human as she spoke. "Not much an idea so much as an old legend. The Woods of Ascension are called just that because these woods seem to be a part of some other time, some other place. Folks think heroes will rise up and appear out of these snowy hills. They keep dragging your kind in, so we figure your world is somehow connected to ours. We've learned a lot about your world, Earth, they call it? Legends say there's a reason behind it, but there's 'bout a hundred variations on what that reason is. Simple folk think the humans will deliver our land into an era of bounty. Idiots, they are. The smarter folk, the ones who know more than field and farm, they think there's something more to it. Stories float around about a dark age falling on us. Somethin' to do with why they call these woods Darkspine instead of Icespine now. But that's a bunch of this and that. Truth is, human lady, I've got hunches, I've got stories, but nothing sure enough to share. All I know is nothing's here. All the others died up here, clinging to the idea that they might get home the same way they got here. Let's hope you're not stupid enough to fall into the same trap. There's nothing here. These woods are an entrance, not an exit." He seemed lost in thought, as if recalling all the other times he'd had humans wandering around his land asking questions about their home and their fate.

 

[Bitterblue]

Amalia, curious as ever, followed Becca and aided her and Murn in filling the bucket under his bed with snow. She stayed silent as Becca asked her questions, but raise an eyebrow at Murn's response. A link between their worlds? Maybe this could be the key to those mysterious disappearances that seem to be connected, but had no link. Amalia had been working on several missing persons cases, where the loved ones saw them to bed, and they were gone the next morning. Not unusual, that. But what was unusual was there was no trace of where, or why they'd gone, no sign of packing was there. All their clothing and personal items had been accounted for. There were no ransom notes, so kidnapping was unlikely. They had simply....vanished.

"So they're dead. All of them? Well shit. There goes my missing persons case...." She trailed off. Now she had no idea how to get the group hom. What if..."Has there been any instances that happened vice versa? Has anyone from your world been transferred to Earth?" Maybe this was the key to getting home. Find the places where people from this world had vanished, maybe they could get back home that way as well. "What's the safest route out of these Woods of Ascension? If we get stuck in another storm such as this, we're as good as dead. Could you possibly help me make a map?''

Once started, the questions just kept coming and she stated them as they came to mind. Amalia had taken it upon herself to keep this group safe. She would protect them to the best of her abilities. ​

 

[Soulserenity20]

When Amalia asked about a counteroccurence regarding the Ascension, Murn laughed a cold, sharp laugh that sounded much like ice shattering. "Not likely, little human. Our world has a stronger anchor on its inhabitants it seems. Our world keeps its creations close at hand, won't be sending them spiraling through dimensions to fix things elsewhere." He looked at her then, when she asked the best way out of the woods, and cocked his head to the side. "I guess surviving the winter isn't exactly the strength of you hairless little beings, is it? Weak little things, aren't ya? Hmm, I guess the best path might be the migration routes of the Tormarr. They weave protective barriers into their paths, keeps the Vanerek and Enyar away from their young. But be warned, they won't take kindly to strangers trekking along their paths. Keep your wits about you and if you come across one... just don't say anything stupid. Bend a knee and beg."

That was all the curious being would say that night. Whoever else came to him with questions was sent away with a cold huff of air and a firm swat. He wanted silence so he could sleep and as the group huddled together through the night, on the floor, on the couch, wherever they could find room, they would drift into sleep to the sound of chattering teeth as the Ice Man shivered all through the night.

When morning came, he offered them each a bag of the black grain, explaining that they only needed to eat a a handful of them a day. The amount he gave them would get them through 3 days but after that, they were on their own for food. He gave them each one of the carpets to keep as a blanket to warm them, even offered a few ties so they could wrap them up as coats, and then briskly sent them on their way. No more than a few minutes walk to the south, they would find a trail of glowing hoof-prints, wide as a river, there were so many. They glowed a deep blue color and trailed off into the horizon. This was the Tormarr migration path, heading south to the Whispering Wilds, a place with purple grasses that warmed the land by a heat they naturally produced. If they found the Whispering Wilds, Murn assured them they would be near their destination. If they head south to the fields for three days, and West for 2 days after they found the Wilds, they would find the city of Dohmara. Certainly someone there would help them find the answers their fate requested. And so, within an hour, they were alone in the woods, following a trail.

As they pushed on, walking through the flattened snow, Sophia spoke up, shivering slightly as the cold air bit at her legs. She wore her warm coat, but her pants were not made for this weather. The sky was bright and constantly shifting between a blue and a purple color, the white clouds drifting by in stark contrast. She found this world oddly... enchanting. Everything was so beautiful. As they walked, she had noticed things she hadn't noticed in the dark of the night before. The trees, though certainly a deep green color, bore a mix of teal and green needles, giving them a rich, exotic appearance. The skies with their unusual colors danced about under her gaze, and the trail they followed was captivating, pulsating with a deep, royal blue color.

"We never got to chat much to each other about who we all are..." She spoke quietly, a bit hesitant as her anxiety threatened to silence her, but she focused on the curious beauty of the world and treated it like one of her tours, the other survivors as her touring companions. "I used to give wilderness tours, in Russia. People from all over the world came to experience the thrill and beauty of the wilds." She spoke to no one in specific, trying her best to make a bit of small talk, get to know her companions after realizing she might be with them a lot over the next few days, or weeks even. "These woods look so... different. It's the subtle details, though. The snow is more of a blue color than back on earth, isn't it? And the trees... they seem so alive." She was right about this, of course. The trees, like any others, were alive, but these ones seemed to lean in to the group as they passed, like a nosy neighbor wondering what was happening on the other side of the fence. "I wonder what kind of dangers lay out in these woods though... we haven't any means to defend ourselves."

 

[PoetLore]

Becca thanked Murn for her bag of seeds and the rug and tie. She had warm clothes, unlike some of the others, but extra protection was always a good thing. He had been extremely generous, at least to her way of thinking, and since the storm had passed, she thought it was best they be on their way to finding answers.

She checked on Kirn's leg and wrapped it a bit more firmly so extra support before they headed out. She tipped her head, "Are you going to be ok walking on it?" she asked, "Or are you going to need some help?"

She stayed close to him just in case as they walked along the path Murn had suggested. She heard Sophia speak and smiled, "I've never been to Russia, but I bet that was a nice tour," she said. "I'm from Montana...I help my father run a ranch. We breed and train horses." She smiled a soft smile, "It's beautiful country, but you are right...this is different but still easy on the eyes."

She looked over at Kirn then, "How are you holding up?" she asked, "Where did you come from?" she asked, "You weren't dressed for winter, that's for sure."

She glanced around at a few of the others wondering if they were going to join the conversation. They needed to communicate or surviving in this strange place was going to prove difficult.

 

[Greenie]

Kirn was a calm and sensible person, but even for him, it was a whole lot to take in at once. He was quite alright with simply spending the rest of the time in the iceman's hut conserving warmth by remaining still and sleeping away. His dreams took strange turns, one moment in a hot desert, the other moment the same desert becoming full of snow and ice. He woke up more than a few times, and each time he hoped that perhaps he had returned home. Alas, it wasn't to be.

Still... he supposed his fate could have been worse. At least they had been allowed to stay, and so far, it seemed everyone was cooperative and kind, especially Becca, who had been kind enough to tend to his sprained ankle.

Come morning, he accepted the bag of black grain, listening carefully to the instructions given by Murn. He had never seen grain of this type, but that was only natural, wasn't it? He thanked the man for the blanket as well. It seemed he wasn't as harsh as he had seemed at first. Lucky for them, of course. Kirn hoped that luck would continue visiting them as it had. The world here seemed cold and unforgiving, after all.

Walking was... difficult. This time, however, he was warmer at least, using the carpet Murn had given as a coat. He was slower than the rest though he tried not to lag behind too much, forcing himself more than he should. He was grateful and relieved for Becca's help, because without it, he was quite sure he would have been left far, far behind. That, or perhaps delaying things for others. Listening to Sophia talk took his mind off the pain at least. It was fascinating, hearing how she and then Becca were from so different places, yet ended up here. Obviously whatever force had brought them here wasn't biased about where it picked them up from.

He smiled in Becca's direction, giving a small nod. "I'm doing better than not," he replied. "Mostly due to your help, so thanks. As for where I'm from... well, I was headed to Kruger National park... as you probably know is in Africa. I was dressed for summer, that too, a hot one. I worked as a teacher in Africa for a few years, in underdeveloped villages." His smile wavered slightly, thinking of why he had decided to even move there in the first place. What would Mara have done in such a situation? "Before that, I worked in Canada, as a kindergarten teacher." He smiled once more. "You can say I like being around children."

Having said that, he quieted, deciding to let the others speak.​

 

[Soulserenity20]

Jingim listened quietly, keeping himself a little ways back from the three that were chatting about their countries of origin. It was nice to hear of someone else from Canada, and one woman was from Montana, which wasn't far. Jingim kept quiet, as he usually did, listening to what the others were saying and keeping a close eye on how his body was adapting to the cold weather. He was beginning to sweat a little, warming his body to a comfortable place and making the trek through the thick snow a little less miserable. The snow was about two feet deep in most places, making it difficult to walk. There was a massive, flattened path they were following but occasionally they had to stray to avoid fallen logs or other obstacles that the deer would have likely just jumped over.

Jingim listened to Sophia talk to the others about her home, the horses, the ranch, her work. She didn't say a thing about her family, he noticed, but found nothing unusual about it. He could tell she was used to chatting with strangers. It was as if she had every conversation topic predetermined and knew exactly which words she would use to give them a connective feeling without providing them with anything too personal. She was odd to watch, but that was why Jingim liked people watching so much.

The man that spoke with the two women was an interesting character that seemed to be driven by the size of his heart. It was calming knowing that at least a few of the people he was with were caring, capable individuals. He began to wonder how long he would be spending with these strangers when a low thudding sound could be heard in the distance. He stopped, listening carefully. After a moment, Sophia noticed and stopped as well.

"What's the matter, J-Jingim, was it?"

He said nothing, only raising a finger slowly to his lips, hushing her without a word. He continued to listen and the thudding grew louder and louder. "I.. what is that?"

It was mere moments that passed between her question and the flurry of snow that was kicked up in the nearby trees. From around the bend, following the worn down migration trail, a massive herd of elk-like deer bolted around the corner, thousands in number. "Get off the trail!" Jingim yelled at the top of his lungs. They'd all be run dead if they didn't get out of there as quickly as possible.

The massive herd pressed on for minutes as countless individuals bolted through the snow. The herd was made up of does, bucks, and various generations of youth it seemed. The beasts were larger than moose and the males bore mighty, heavy racks that could easily nestle a grown man into them with room to spare. Jingim smiled from his place behind a large stump, ignoring the cold entirely to enjoy the beauty of what lay before him.



ROLL: 4 - Mild Damage
IDENTITY: Stampede! (Natural Disaster)
SCENARIO: A massive herd of what you can only assume are Tormarr Elk rushes from the woods, following their migratory route and you are forced to get out of the way in time.

1-10 = You Escaped Unharmed
11-20 = You sustained a mild injury in your escape attempt.


PAUSING FOR ROLL

Movement nearby caught his attention, but it turned out to be Sophia, crouching in the snow nearby. She looked unharmed, which brought a sigh of relief to Jingim. He had escaped uninjured as well, but he feared for the others. How many injuries could they handle if they were to venture along the entirety of this path to the city in the south?

He was about to get up, but the sudden cry of a wolf stopped him dead in his steps. The herd was beginning to thin now, as the fastest and strongest disappeared over the horizon and the weak, weary, elderly, and young lagged behind. One calf appeared to have an injured leg and within minutes, Jingim saw a horrifying entity emerge from the woods with several of its kind to stalk the injured calf. It's mother defended it aggressively but the wolves advanced, nipping, toying, teasing, as if confident that they would get their meal. The wolves were chilling. Their appearance was nothing like he had ever seen. It was as if they were made of snow, wind, and the spirit of the hunt itself. Their fur faded into wisps that teased the line between reality and the ethereal, and blue runes danced across their white coats. They were beautiful, but proved just as frightening and dangerous as any real wolf. They were going to try and take down the calf, and maybe its mother, too.

Jingim was caught in an ethical predicament because he wanted to save the calf, but knew better than to meddle with the perfectly natural order of things. He bit his lip, struggling to come to a decision when Sophia bolted forward and heaved a large stone at one of the wolves that neared the calf. "Hey! Back off! Find some other meal!"

Jingim tried hard to swallow the lump in his throat. What she was doing was impossibly dangerous, leaving him no choice but to help her. He wasn't ready to see one of his companions ripped to shreds by snowy wolves. Not while he had breath in his lungs and strength in his limbs. So he rose from his place behind the stump and grabbed a large branch, running to where Sophia was. She continued to heave rocks at the wolves and as they began to divert their attention to the pair, Jingim made himself look as big as possible and aimed to stand his ground against the animals, fending off any threatening advances with the thick branch. They began testing the two humans, seeing how strong their pack was, testing to see if they were new prey to take out and devour.

"You acted foolishly, Sophia. We must now face down their more dominant individuals and show them we've claimed this prey as our own or they consume us all." He spoke with a deep, even tone, never looking away from the wolf that was consistently testing him.

 

[PoetLore]

Becca saw Jingim ahead of them, and noted that he seemed to be very comfortable with the cold, just as she was. She idly wondered where he was from, but since he wasn't as close she didn't shout to ask, but figured she could later. She smiled at Kirn, "Good, I'm glad it helped." She saw some snow fall off a branch and smiled. To her nothing was more beautiful than a snow covered forest. There was something pristine and pure about it, and this forest had an other worldly quality with the sow's hue and the colors of the trees that made it even more striking.

She listened as Kirn spoke of where he was from and her wide eyes conveyed her understanding, "Oh this must be horrible for you then!" she said as she grimaced, "I am used to the cold. I walk the rails of the ranch every morning. I have a nice internal heater most times," she looked up and saw Jingim put his fingers to his lips. "What?' she asked and then she heard it too. "Oh no.." She said and had already started to push Kirn to the trees, "It's a stampede...get off the trail!"

((Sorry can't figure out how to delete the first erroneous dice roll...please disregard))

Becca saw Sophia try and save the calf and almost growled. She looked around for something she could use to fend off the wolves, and all she could find was a branch. She pulled the knife from her boot and began to quickly shave off the extra branched and quickly bring the end to a sharp point. it wasn't much but ti was something. She glanced at Kirn, hoping he was ok, but moved to where Sophia and Jingim now were. She handed the sharpened stick to Jingim, "Take this...I need to make a few more." She found another branch that was thick and stiff enough to be useful and did the same. She was really glad now that she had a cautious streak and always had that knife in her boot.

She had two more hastily prepared and handed one to Sophia, "I hope they just leave," she said out loud but obviously didn't believe they would. She glanced at Jingim, "Any thoughts? A brilliant master plan about now would be wonderful."