Crystal Mountains

Subject: Crystal Mountains Thu May 26, 2011 12:39 pm

The Crystal Mountains peak high above the clouds, their snow tips shimmering in the sunlight. They stretch for hundreds of miles through the center of the Elven Lands and deep into the Nation of Man. There are no cities in the mountains, besides a few small communities in the valleys. The passes are narrow but secure and dotted with caves that have yet to be explored. Rumors of powerful and dangerous creatures that dwell within the mountains are accompanied by promise of great treasure hidden within the confines of the caves. Few who dare to enter return, and those who do are never the same person as they were when they entered. The passages between the mountaisn are enchanted by Elven priests to safeguard travellers from evil creatures from within the mountains, but once an explorer steps over the stones that line the path, they are at the mercy of the mountains.

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After the battle with Morgan le Fay and Merlin, Alden finds himself within a cave with a raging blizzard outside.
What is this place, he began to wonder, is this the doing of Merlin and Morgan.
The ground starts shake and out of the deepest part of the cave a yeti approaches and gives out a thunderous roar.
"By God! What is this creature!?" yelled the knight as the monster swings his arm at him.
He deflects the hit with his shield and retaliates by slashing the beast across the chest.
This enrages the yeti and swings his arm harder, launching Alden against the cave wall.
As the monster charges for the kill, Alden extends his blade and stabs the beast in the heart and it falls down dead to the ground.
Picking himself up Alden begins to think, I must find a town or some sort of civilzation before more of these things come after me.

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:47 am

This outsider handled himself mightily well against the creature of the mountains. This was treacherous terrain; very few dared enter it. Gerwulf wondered what business this man had in the Crystal Mountains. And his armor... the crest was not that of Garamad or any of the other large cities of Men, at least as far as the middle-aged dwarf was aware. What was even more confusing was that Gerwulf had been tracking this yeti for two hours now, waiting for the most opportune moment to strike, and had seen no sign of this warrior until the moment he emerged from the cave. And what sort of imbecile in his right mind would leave the Warded Passage through the mountains?

This man was interesting. Certainly worth following.

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Alden walks outside the cave and through the blizzard to reach the bottom of the mountain.
After traveling far the knight finds himself in a forest and starts to build camp there.
He gathers random berries and plants, and starts to eat them to keep his strength.
Then builds his fire and puts some of his wet clothing near it and when it's done drying he puts it back on.
The night draws near I must get rest after that seemily endless journey down the mountain, Alden thought and falls asleep.

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Thu Nov 24, 2011 2:33 am

This fellow definitely had no idea where he was going. At first, Gerwulf figured this wanderer must be looking for another challenge to take on. But after a few minutes of following him, it was obvious that the warrior was completely lost. Not only that, but he was treading dangerously close to orc territory. The idea crossed his mind to warn the man of the danger, but something held the dwarf back. "Let's see what this bloke'll do if a party of Firewaders shows up," he muttered to himself. Gerwulf took his hollowed yeti horn in hand and bellowed powerfully through his pursed lips, sending a deep, echoing note bouncing through the chasms of the mountain range. That would definitely attract at least a few orcs. Firewaders weren't terribly great fighters, so Gerwulf could jump in and help if the warrior got caught in a bind, but it would be interesting to see how skilled this foreigner really was.

Gerwulf waited quietly in his hiding place for a good half hour before the band of four orcs showed up. They weren't the smartest of their clan, judging by the time it took them to find the man's tracks. But once they were on his scent, Gerwulf was hard-pressed to keep up with the larger creatures. The tracks led down through the mountain into the outskirts of Farlok Forest, and then deeper into the thicker part. He could see the glow of a dying fire in the woods.

Not a good sign. Firewaders may not be great fighters, but living so close to the forest caused them to be the quietest clan or orcs Gerwulf had ever encountered.

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As Alden dreams peacefully of his home in Briton, seeing his loving father, celebrating with the fellow knights of the Round Table, and becoming legendary for his achievements it turns for the worst. He relives the moment he was taken from his world and into the cave with the yeti and after defeating the yeti and exiting the cave and finds that Morgan le Fay is waiting for him with her army of the undead. As he tries the fight them off, he is slowly overpowered and then the knight wakes up in a fever pitch from his nightmare.
As he collects his mind together he hears, but the quietest rustling in the woods.
He pulls out his sword and shield and yells "Show yourself unless you'd be cowards to not fight Sir Alden of the Round Table, and slayer of Alfric the Beheader!"

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Thu Nov 24, 2011 2:55 am

The hell? This guy must be sleep-drunk. Whatever was up with him, it disappeared almost instantly. He may not have a clue of where he was going, but the man knew how to hold a sword. His stance was perfectly balanced, if only slightly restricted by his shield. This would be an interesting fight. But the Firewaders had planned to wake him. They must have been very bored if they went out looking for a fight. Usually this orc clan resigned itself to taking sleeping travelers by surprise. The foreigner -- Alden he said his name was --, was facing the direction of only two of the orc assassins. The other two were positioned out of sight somewhere beyond the warrior. There was no way Alden knew that they were there; Gerwulf had only just noticed that they were missing. He had to help the warrior.

The tall dwarf gripped his hammer familiarly and hustled down the stone outcropping he had been hiding behind as fast as his short legs would take him. "Hold on there!" Gerwulf bellowed in his booming bass voice. "Let me give ye' a hand." Before the man could protest, as Gerwulf could tell he was about it, he shut him up. "Turn yer drowsy arse around and deal with the other two. I'll handle these buggers." He let out a battle cry and charged, head first, toward the bewildered Firewader Orcs.

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"Heaven above, I have truly gone mad." Alden says softly as the dwarf runs past him towards the Orcs, now in the clearing.
This is the doing of Morgan le Fey!, Alden thought and when he sees the other two orcs charge into the clearing, with axes at the ready.
"Have at thy!" Alden yells as he blocks both strikes of the axes and then as the three are at a standoff, the knight moves his blade in a swift motion to manuver around the axe and slashes the orc's throat on his right side, and turns his attention to the other. As the other clenches his throat and dies.

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:15 am

The warrior was impressive. His abilities to combine his sword and shield were excellent and, surprisingly enough, the shield didn't slow him down. But there as no time to dawdle on observations. The two Firewaders had since emerged from the shadows of the thick forest to face Gerwulf. Clearly this group wasn't part of their regular war party, or else they would have recognized Shiva, Gerwulf's enchanted hammer. They'll learn to fear her soon enough. The orcs shifted their weight off their heels, preparing to rush the dwarf. Gerwulf used this opportunity of unbalance to launch himself at the taller orc. He gripped Shiva tightly, coiled the muscles in his legs, and exploded toward the unprepared creature. The spike on the top of his skullcap skewered the orc cleanly, straight through the liver. Gerwulf dislodged himself from the body by shoving off with Shiva. The orc's body dropped to the ground, already being overcome with the poisons from the punctured liver. He turned to face the other orc, who was recomposed and ready to fight.

"Ye don't know what yer up against, fool. One more chance to run back to yer chieftain before i clobber ye." The orc remained silent. They may not be the best speakers, but almost all orcs could at least understand the common tongue. "As ye wish." Gerwulf took up Shiva and charged the orc, again headfirst. But this time, he twisted his body into a complete turn horizontal to the ground, landed with his feet planted powerfully, and used his momentum to plow Shiva's blunt face through the orc's knees. The bones shattered as the orc howled in pain, crumpling to the ground. There was a weak swipe of an axe, which Gerwulf barely had to dodge at all, and the Firewader dropped the weapon in surrender.

"Like I said, only one more chance. Now ye can't even walk back." Gerwulf brought his magic hammer down on the orc's cranium, smashing it in a gruesome explosion of skull bits. Now I wonder how the boy fared. As he was turning to face the warrior, the dwarf was aware of spatters of blood all over his beard. "Damn! I didn't mean to get meself dirty today. Blasted imbeciles getting themselves lost in the mountains..."

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As the battle was shifted to one on one the orc gave a mighty swing, hitting Alden's shield. The force of the blow shoke all the trees around the two and broke Alden's shield in two, but avoided injury to his left arm.
The knight backsteps so he can throw down his shield, revealing his missing two fingers, and tries distancing himself from the Orc, but failed. The Orc grabs his left sholder and lifts him into the air. The monster slowy crushing Alden's collar bone, and the knight drops his sword down from the pain.
Though, the knight is quick to recover from the intense pain and sees a dagger in a sheath on the orc's chest.
As the orc swings his ax for the kill, Alden pulls out the dagger and stabs the orc in the throat.
When the beast hits the ground on his back, struggling to breath, staring at his killer, the knight says "May God show you the mercy I could not give you.", and the orc dies chocking on his own blood.
Alden gets of the dead attacker and retrieves his sword, and looks at his broken shield.
He runs his left hand through his greasy black hair and thinks, How did Morgan aquire such beasts? They seem too bashful for her to control. Wait! Morgan didn't even travel through the portal it was the apprentice. Less worries for me knowing the master sorceress isn't here, but I can not be sure of the strength of the other fairy.

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Fri Nov 25, 2011 1:08 am

So perhaps he wasn't as skilled as Gerwulf had thought. Nonetheless, he was alive, if slightly bruised.

"So, stranger, what be yer name? I like to know my allies so that I can remember their face in the next battle." Gerwulf approached the warrior and held out his hand. As the stranger grasped his hand and introduced himself as Alden in response, he noticed that there were only three fingers on his hand. Interesting... battle-scarred. I wonder what sort of creatures he is used to fighting. "Well, that was some quick thinking you did there. Not the best swordplay perhaps, an' your footwork needs some honing, but you've a quick mind an' some mighty fine creativity up there in yer 'ead. Those are just as important as the muscles in yer arms an' legs. Me name's Gerwulf. Gerwulf Bullsturm. Pleasure to meet ye'." The short dwarf smiled a gap-toothed grin. "So friend, where do ye' hail from? Yer certainly not from around these parts. An' if you don't mind me asking, where'd you lose those two fingers? I'm mighty curious."

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I must stay calm in this situation. I have to ignore that I am seeing a midget, and I battled what must have been people who refused to keep their bargain with a fairy and become their mindless, deformed slaves, Alden thought.
"I am Knight Alden of Britain and member of King Arthur's Round Table, and you correct, I am not from these parts. And If you truely wish to know, I lost my fingers to Alfric the Beheader during our battle, but I was fortunate enough to leave with my head, though he can not say the same." Alden tells the dwarf as he looks to see that the sun is starting to rise.
"Also if you wish to be allies I must let you know of my task at hand I must slay a dangerous sorceress trained by Morgan le Fay. If not attended to, she could cause choas throughout these lands, and I would greatly appreciate having warrior like you by my side to stop her."

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Sat Nov 26, 2011 3:02 am

"Sorceress, eh? Sounds fun. We dwarves are known to resist magic well enough. Whereabouts is the wench hiding?" Alden explained the story of the battle and how he ended up in the Crystal Mountains. Gerwulf listened intently, intrigued by the whole ordeal. "So yer telling me that yer from another world?" He chuckled heartily. "I've heard some mighty crazy stories in me time, but that's the strangest thing I've ever heard. But ye seem to be the honest type, an' I believe ye, odd as it seems." Gerwulf paused. "I don't know that I can help ye though. It seems that the witch might be stuck anywhere in the world, an' I can't leave me kinsmen an' the mountain. But I'm sure yer welcome to stay with the clan for a few days to rest up and get yerself composed before you go out witch hunting." He smiled again. Alden was a curious fellow, very proper and awkward in his own way. But despite his weak social fluidity, he was an honest fellow with a kind heart. "Follow me, friend. The camp is up this way." Gerwulf led the knight back into the rocky confines of the Crystal Mountains.

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During their hike through the mountains the sound of all the animals slowly disappeared. Alden grew more known to this fact the more he walked with the Dwarf while exchanging stories to pass the time.
Soon the two reach to a small forest and reached the middle of it a fireball came flyng at them.
The two jumped out of the way to safety and drew their weapons.
"My, you'd be quick knight and your... friend too. I may not know who you are warrio, but thout will die all the same." said a woman's voice echoing through the forest, and continues to say "I hope you didn't grow fond of the animals here warriors for they'd also be your enemy." the sorceress continued as two bears, and three mountain lions come out of the treeline to attack the two, and begin to attack the two.
Alden is attacked by both mountain lions and foxes, while Gerwulf takes on the bears.
Alden quickly kills on lion junmping to kill him first by stabbing it in the heart while still in the air. Th other two begin to circle him, on in the front of and one behind him.
The two mountain lions attack at the same and Alden forces himself to the ground causing the two creatures to collide in the air. The knight takes his chance and beheads one of them while the other backsteps to safety.

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Mon Nov 28, 2011 7:03 pm

"Oi! She's a tricky one now isn't she?" Gerwulf laughed heartily. Bears were no trouble at all. He gripped Shiva firmly in his hands, balancing on the balls of his feet. Gerwulf released the tension in his powerful leg muscles and tucked into a somersault as one of the bears came plowing toward him. He popped back up behind the bear, gracefully swinging the hammer through the beast's left hind leg. The crunch of bone echoed off the rock face. The other bear took the opportunity as Gerwulf recovered from his swing to charge, but it was expected. He bunched up the his hamstrings and quadriceps and planted his feet on the ground. The dwarf crouched beneath the bear's abdomen, pressed the flat top of his hammer against the beast's stomach, and pushed hard, launching his attacker across the clearing into a sharp stone protruding from the crags. The bear twitched once, then sighed heavily, and died.

Gerwulf turned his attention back to the other bear, taking note that Alden was doing quite well on his own. The bears in these mountains were known for ferocity, and would fight through nearly any wound. This held true, as the wounded foe gathered itself for another attack. This time, however, it didn't charge. Instead, the bear approached cautiously, intelligently, waiting for a moment to cleave at Gerwulf's short frame. Gerwulf lowered Shiva, coaxing the bear to take a swing. The beast lifted it's body onto it's strong hind legs, raised it's massive paws to slash at the dwarf, and began to swing. As Gerwulf pulled Shiva up to block the blow, the hammer was thrown from his hands by an invisible force. There was the sound of a woman cackling as the dwarf blocked the bear's attack with has bare hands. THe cackling stopped. The veteran dwarf snapped the bear's foreleg bones and slammed the beast to the ground. Drawing one of his battle axes from his belt, he hefted it high above the bear, and brought it down, execution style. "Don't mess with me woman. You haven't any idea what yer up against," he called out blindly.

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As Alden faces off the last mountain lion sent to kill him, the posessed animal's body stiffens and turns around, running into the woods.
"Thou not wit what thee faces.", said the soceress as appears laying on a branch on a tree bordering the clearing and the forest. Only looking towards the sky. She resides on the other side of the clearing from the other two.
Her beauty outmatched her magic with her long flowing black, her emerald green eyes, ruby lips, and her gown with a mix of gold and green similar to what Morgan le Fay wears.
"Thee bore me. I seek a worthy battle for myself yet both of thee dost naught fulfill my desires. Pity." She continued still looking towards the sky and not at the two warriors.
"Thou dost naught desire to battle from thine location, thou dost naught durst brawl with a knight by oneself. Ye be fearful of fighting me and send one's pets." Alden says hoping to entice the witch to get closer to fight.
Though the foe simply turns her head and looks at Alden with a cold look and proclaims "Why ye naught travel towards me?"
Alden walks to Gerwulf and whispers "She's wilt and has most likely set obsticles to end us both. We must proceed with the upmost vigilence."

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Sun Dec 04, 2011 12:49 am

"Now just wait boy," whispered the veteran dwarf. "You best take all yer tools to mind before ye go chargin' into battle. We dwarves are particularly tough against witchcraft. Whatever she springs on me won't cause but a small scratch." He smirked proudly. "And I know the paths better than you do. If anything looks out of place, I'll know it." He patted Alden smuggly on the shoulder, hefted Shiva high, and crept toward the witch.

"What tricks do ye have up yer sleeve, she-devil? I'm not afraid of yer little traps. Give me what ye've got, and we'll see if ye deserve me full attention." A sarcastic cackle was her only response. Gerwulf approached the small cleft in the mountain face that his foe was tucked away in. A prime place for a magical booby trap. Nothing seemed out of place on the tight walls, but the dirt seemed to swirl to the tempo of a non-existent wind. "Aye, she's got something waiting for me," he muttered to himself. What he had said was true; Dwarves were particularly resistant to magic. But not so far as he had boasted. Gerwulf had a significant number of scars on account of spells being thrown his way. But this witch wasn't of this world, and wouldn't know any better.

Gerwulf stepped cautiously over a strange looking stone. It was weathered very smoothly, with almost no blemishes in it's perfectly round shape. He dismissed it, deciding it was unimportant. Too late. As the dwarf stepped over the rock, black vines sprouted from it and entangled his entire left leg. More tendrils burst from the walls around him, seizing Shiva and his arms, and pulled him off the ground, hanging spread eagle in the air.

The witch burst into hysterical laughter. "What was that you were saying? Your full attention? You are right, I do not. I deserve far more than just your attention. Perhaps we can start with your lovely beard there. You must have spent a great amount of time tending it. A pity if it were to... disappear." She chuckled viciously again. "What will you do, poor mountain man? Who will save you?" Gerwulf struggled to break free of the bonds, but the didn't yield in the slightest, holding ever tighter with every attempt he made to break free. "Do not bother trying," the sorceress sang malevolently. "You will never break free of these vines without magic of your own. Face it," she said. "You are finished."

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Alden runs swiftly towards the vines and cuts them like a knife slicing through butter. This kills the vines releasing Gerwulf and falls flat on his face. The Dwarf staggers all over the place trying to get back on his feet.
"My apologies friend. For I've naught tell you of how Merlin enchanted my sword to combat Morgan, and her apprentice." Alden says to Gerwulf passing him his weapon.
The witch sees that her trap fails and jumps of the branch and lands on her feet like a cat. She starts grabbing her head. When the witch stops focusing on her head she waves her hands and the tree next to her comes to life as a monster. The tree's five large branches start acting like arms, the small branches wrap around each other to form fingers, two holes start growing on the tree that have a disturbing red glow to them, and the tree rips its roots out of the ground with the roots wraping together, forming eight legs helping it making its way towards the two warriors.
The witch turns around and walks deeper into the woods, escaping and letting her perversion of nature to deal with her foes.

Subject: Re: Crystal Mountains Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:18 pm

Damn this witch. She never stops. Gerwulf lifted Shiva into the air and aimed the smooth bludgeon to the sky. In a commanding tone, the dwarf began to chant. "Bring me thunder, bring me stone. Bring me fire to smite my foe!" A crack of lightning exploded above the clouds, sending a bolt down from the heavens to strike the hammer directly on the head. The energy flowed about Gerwulf's body, but didn't harm him at all. After the light had faded, Gerwulf stood adamantly in the center of the pass, Shiva glowing in a bright green flame. "Let yer bloody abominations come. I'll tear them to shreds. Hear me woman! I will burn down every tree on this mountain until I find ye, and when I do, ye'll wish ye'd never cast a spell in yer life!" Gerwulf let out a monstrous roar and charged the animated tree. He pulled Shiva aroudn behind him, and swung the mighty weapon in a fluid horizontal arc, slicing through the tree's trunk like a hot knife through butter. Splinter's flew all around, but any that struck Gerwulf burst into flame just before touching him. The remains of the tree were caught in the same bright green flame that engulfed Shiva, but burned to ash in a matter of seconds.

Gerwulf turned back toward Alden. The glow about his body and the weapon started to fade. Once the aura had deceased, Gerwulf dropped to one knee, propping himself up on the mighty bludgeon. He gave a weak smile and a light chuckle. "I forgot how much energy that took. I haven't used it in years." Slowly, the dwarf stood up and, resigned, rested Shiva over his shoulder. "We should get back to camp. It's getting late, and these peaks aren't a safe place at night, even for us." He beckoned for the knight to follow him, and they set off with the setting sun at their backs.

((Move to Hammerstoe Dwarf Encampment section))

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Watching the two walk away from their battle victorious, a shadowy figure wathces them from within the forest.
The witch that has tortued the two, rests so she can fight another battle. A mountain lion rests at her feet as though it was a loyal watchdog.
"It seems I won't be bored by simple warriors anymore. I finally have a challenge worthy of my craft." she says softly petting her faithful guard.
"I wonder what else this world holds in store for me?" she ponders as she drifts into slumber.