Rumors (Psyre, Ivan, Vorin)

It just so happened to be that three people heard the same rumor, at three different times, from three different people, and yet, each one decided to investigate, and it led those three different people to the same place at the exact same time. Call it luck or chance; those wiser know better.

The rumor was one that most with a heart for adventure would investigate, as it was not the usual rumor. A bartender in the tavern had told the knight, the ranger had overheard it in a conversation between two hunters, and the warlock had heard it on the docks. Yet, each had heard it, and each had heard the same.

There was, or so it was said, signs of a strange creature, one like never before seen, and the signs were becoming more apparent. It was no bear, for the footprints it left were too shallow, and too long for any bear paw. It was no wolf, because it would rip off branches as it went, seeming just for amusement, as it would leave the branch in the snow. It was also no human, because of the way it killed, leaving it's victims, human or animal, ripped to shreds, partially eaten, though not completely, and with massive claw marks. No, the beast was nothing the people knew of, and one that was only read of in stories of legends. Yet, there is something intriguing about seeking out such a monster; the same thrill that one would get when they discovered the possibility of dragons being real, and then becomes determined to find one. Yet, this monster is no dragon.

(Okay, so, I'm thinking about making this be at least 3 topics long, each time switching location, but we will see how fast they go. You guys take it from here, I'll make a post once an NPC comes along.)

Vorin had heard rumors of the beast down on the docks. Such a monster sounded.. intriguing. He was becoming restless, sitting in his tiny room that he'd rented, or wandering the same streets, day in and day out. He wasn't remembering anything- nothing looked familiar, at least in the way that Vorin hoped it might. A trip would do him good- even if it turned out to be some wild goose chase halfway across the world, maybe something would jog his memory- the more he saw, the more likely he might spy something familiar. And if it did turn out to be a very much real, very much dangerous monster... well, he might as well try to get a look at it, maybe help some hunter trying t kill it. What did it matter if he got hurt? He wasn't anybody. He had nothing to lose, nothing at all, save that empty book on his little desk, with the word Memories written across the first page. And if he did, by some strange luck, manage to help slay this beast, if it even did exist, well, then he would really be somebody. There was something thrilling about the idea of danger, about  putting life and limb on the line, that Vorin was strangely drawn to. If I cant find who I am, Vorin thought, Then it's time to create who I am.

        Vorin strolled down the familiar little alley once more, headed for the docks. It would cost the last of his money to buy passage up to the north. He wasn't too sure what he'd do once he got there- maybe he had some talent that could make him a little coin. Perhaps he would bump into another adventure-seeker or too, also on the way to find this mysterious monster. Staff in hand, Vorin strode up the ramp onto the ship. He had brought the book on a whim, that perhaps he might remember some fleeting memory, from his childhood in the-- Vorin paused. There it was, pratically right in front of him, but he couldn't quite grasp it. Some vision of forest had briefly appeared, and then of fields and farms, all surrounding something... something... something he couldn't remember, but already it was fading, fading and gone, and the feeling had passed, and that word, that place where he had spent his childhood, just on the tip of his tongue, had disappeared. He tried desperately to focus on that thought again, to bring back the memory, but he couldn't. It was gone. For now. A harsh voice interrupted his thoughts.

        "You gonna get on, or what? Yer holding up the line, buddy." Vorin looked up to see the boatswain looking down at him from the deck. Vorin shook his head, then hurried up the ramp, half-tripping on his own robes as he stumbled onto the deck. It was a long voyage, but Vorin quickly realized that he was used to sea travel. He liked watching the open sea, stretching out endlessly with the bright sun above, and the flurries of activity on the deck as they let down the sail and adjusted their bearing. But sometimes, when Vorin was below decks, and all was silent and still, save for the sway and creak of the ship, Vorin felt some panic beginning to rise in him, some terror from something forgotten, something that was buried very, very deep. As much as  he liked the sea, Vorin was glad when they finally reached the docks of the North. It was still early in the day, so, after eating a quick bit of food he had snatched from the galley, Vorin set off, straight away, to the edge of the forest. 

        Upon reaching the forest walls, Vorin realized that he probably should have asked around town for more rumors of the beast, but it was no matter. He found a fresh set of footprints in the snow, and decided to follow them, hoping to find someone who might know more about this creature.

Ivan sat alone at a table in the corner of the tavern, looking wistfully at the corner where not to long ago he had heard he was "more than human". He took a sip from his tankard and then turned his thoughts back to matter at hand. The bartender had mentioned rumors of a great beast around the forest, and Ivan was caught in a dilemma about what he should do.

Ordinarily Ivan would have blown it off as just talk and gone of to hunt down more bandits, but now he was a King and he had to look out for his people. But then this creature, if it existed, had only been seen in the north, so that made it's Cedric's problem. But also he had an alliance with Cedric so at least he should try to help. But what if the beast got to the west and began to attack his people, Ivan couldn't risk this no matter how slim the chance (Ivan wasn't the smartest guy but his heart was in the right place). And beside killing this beast could bring him glory and increase his reputation. And this might increase his standing with his people and also might help the West gain increased power in world diplomacy.

Ivan made up his mind and stood up, walked out ignoring the the looks the bartender gave him when he didn't pay his tab. He reached his horse, which Edgar had been watching for him, and hoped on turning toward the forest, he spoke to Edgar in a confident but weary voice, " Ready to go Hunting for something that might not exist and might kill us in a very gruesome way" Edgar responded, "Ummmmm, sure, but can I ask, Why the hell are we doing this?", Ivan gave him a smile, and said in a voice almost laughing, " Because why the hell not?" Edgar couldn't think of a terribly good reason that wouldn't cause a large argument between him and Ivan, so he just shrugged and followed Ivan as he set of toward the woods.

When they reached the forest walls, Ivan noticed something and slide out of the saddle crouching down to observe the tracks running in to the forest. There were two pairs of them, on seeming as if they had just walked in and the other looked as if they had followed the first pair. Ivan wasn't sure who had left them but felt that he should find out. Maybe they might know something of the beast, this was where the supposed sightings had been and Ivan really didn't have any other better ideas so he motioned to edgar and began to follow the tracks into the woods.

Psyre knelt over the deer he had killed and silently thanked it for that which it gave to him. He tied a rope around its neck, threw the other end over a branch, hoisted the deer up, and began the process of taking out the organs. It was a bloody process, but with the deer hanging from the tree, much faster, easier, and cleaner than it would have been with it on the ground. Psyre tossed the organs in a pile (all save the heart) for scavengers to come and eat later. No sooner had he begun moving to cut the first piece of meat so that he could cook and eat it while he felt the animal's presence still lingered than he heard footsteps. He silently grabbed his staff and moved to the side of a tree, cautiously looking past it to the area whence the sound had come. A moment later, two men, walking side by side, holding bows and joking with one another came into view. They were clearly concerned more with the company they had than with the "hunting" they seemed to be doing, as their laughter could be heard from hundreds of feet. Suddenly, the laughter stopped as one began to tell the other of a horror he had seen on his last hunting trip.

The man described a wolf, torn to shreds and mostly eaten, that he had stumbled upon while following a peculiar set of tracks. He stayed to try to figure out what had happened and, as best he could tell, the thing that had left the bizarre tracks had demolished this wolf. Psyre knew this kind of wolf, having fought one before, and knew how vicious and powerful they could be. And yet this creature seemed to have killed one with little struggle and without being injured at all. Psyre looked down at his robe and the two strips of pelts that were already there, those from his most memorable fights, and thought of how insignificant the wolf stripe seemed now. This thing seemed unnatural, and Psyre resolved to find it at the very least. Were it less monstrous than these men suggested, he'd figure out a plan there, but he knew that he wanted to find this creature as soon as possible. 

Psyre stepped out into the open, acted as jovial as he could, and said, "Good day! I've had some good fortune hunting already, but the thought of dragging my catch all the way home seems rather daunting, so I'm about to sit down and cook some of it up, would you care to join me? There's plenty to go around." He hoped that the hunters relished company in general as much as they seemed to enjoy each others', as he needed to hear more about this "monster." Psyre gestured to the clearing in which the deer hung from the tree, then gathered wood (as well as bark and leaves) and made a small fire. Even as the hunters moved toward him, he was already cutting off the three choicest pieces of meat he could find, as well as large piece of fat that they could break up and chew together after the meal. 

((Alrighty, let's get some NPC action! Sorry to make you post so soon...))

(might keep these two guys for the whole adventure, or they might break off. It depends how fast this goes by, and what level you three reach before finding this "beast" cause it's a pretty stupid high level)


The younger hunter heard the call first, and snapped his head to the sound, knowing it to be human. Upon seeing another hunter, near his own age, the man smiled, and nudged his older friend. He loved company, and those who were in tune with nature were generally better people.

"Hey there!" The younger hunter, Sven, called out. 

The older man, David, turned and looked at who his friend had called out, and saw another young man. His appearance suggested that he was one of the descendants of The Dragon, which was always interesting (seeing as David himself was one, and proud of the fact), especially with the legacy he left behind, though not uncommon. 

Shouldering his bow as his younger friend relaxed his grip on his short sword, the two made their way over to the young man, both happy to see another fellow hunter in the frozen forest. 

"That's a nice deer," Sven said, nodding happily, "and I kind offer that I'll take you up on," he said, glancing to David, who only raised an eyebrow. However, he had no objection.

As they drew closer, Sven began talking again, introducing himself, and his friend. "I see you're a fellow hunter. I'm Sven, and this old grouch here is David," he said, extending his hand to man.

The two of them both had similar clothes, with the thick fur clothes, and pouches at their sides, along with other winter gear. However, the similarities between the older and younger man stopped there, as Sven had short-cut blonde hair, with blue eyes and a more slender build. David on the other hand, had long black hair, eyes to match, and a shorter but broader build. The two of them had been hunting the monster only for a day now, but they were determined to find it. Perhaps this young hunter would join them. The more the merrier.

After only a short time of walking through the snowy forest, Vorin realized that it was rather cold. He had really come under-prepared. He stomped on through the snow, marching alongside the tracks, as his mind turned to thoughts of a roaring fire and a hot meal. He wasn't used to this kind of cold, Vorin realized. Staring down at the ground in front of him, Vorin realized that a second track of footprints had joined up with the first one some ways back. Vorin's spirits lifted for a moment, and he pushed on with a somewhat renewed vigor. 
        Aside from the biting cold, Vorin realized that he liked this. Just wandering out into the world alone, not another living being in sight-- well, excluding plants, of course. Vorin felt like he enjoyed this kind of exploring, this quiet solitude. But only if it were warmer, really, this cold was starting to get to him. Just as he was contemplating whether or not he should turn back, and actually get some proper equipment from the town, Vorin saw a fire up a head. He drew closer, until he could make out figures around the fire. It appeared to be three men and... Vorin darted behind a tree, hoping he was unseen. He cautiously peeked out from behind the trunk, and then realized that no, that was a deer, hanging from a tree, not a human. That probably means they have food, Vorin thought. He walked closer, and called out to the people.
        "Hello!" he called as he approached. He really hoped these people were friendly. After all, who knew what kind of barbaric scum might be trying to find this beast.

Ivan and Edgar followed the tracks and soon they saw a small camp up ahead both sets of tracks went toward the camps. Ivan could see the orange glow of a fire and the silhouettes of four men surrounding the fire. Ivan snuck a bit closer and continued to observe the group. They appeared to be hunters, judging by the deer carcass hanging from the tree near by. He got a little closer and noticed that one of the men looked familiar, getting a tiny bit closer Ivan realized it was the young ranger he had meet in the Zanthro incident. What the hell was he doing here? he asked him self. But if this guy thought this group was good then that was good enough for Ivan.

quietly unsheathing his sword and standing up and approaching the group with his arm's out stretched, his sword pointing down at an angle. As he walked forward he hailed the other, "Well look who we have near, if it isn't the kid and some other miscellaneous friends", then as he thought of something, " you guys wouldn't happen to be hunting a beast that may or may not exist and seem to annihilate anything in its path, would you? just wondering", after saying this he took a place by the fire standing, and smiling at the other, sword still drawn, in a kind of, don't try anything way. Edgar quickly took his spot a step behind and to the left of his king.

Though Psyre was still unable to truly trust people in general, he was curious enough that he was willing to talk to these hunters. Sven and David seemed nice enough, and both approached peacefully, so Psyre felt that his hospitality was well-deserved and reciprocated. As a fellow man of nature, he felt they shared an unspoken bond that assured that they would remain civil and even friendly. Even as he finished cutting the meat he had offered to the hunters, he heard another person approaching call out to them. "Hello," Psyre called back, "Would you like some food as well? There should be enough to go around." He began cutting off the next piece of meat, not quite as high quality as the others simply due to the absence of any more meat of that quality. He didn't know this other man, but for the sake of both kindness and appearances, he was happy to share food with another hungry mouth. 

Another set of footsteps. Two, actually. Psyre started wondering if the entire North had decided to go hunting on this particular day. And then, a familiar gravelly voice and commanding (though rather obnoxious and cocky) presence. It was the knight from the forest. "Sir knight! It hasn't been long, but I feel that we never properly enjoyed a meal together after our cooperation. You and your squire are welcome to join us. I had just overheard some intriguing tale of a beast that may be roaming these lands and bringing death to many of its residents. As a man of my land, I do not want this to continue. The Wild is a close friend of mine, but this thing seems beyond it, and I intend to purge this land of such a creature if it is as it sounds. I still hope that it is more natural and good than has been suggested, but we shall see."


Psyre had begun cutting meat for the newcomers in the middle of his rant, and, looking up as he finished, saw the sword. "Sir knight, everyone else has their weapons sheathed and is here in peace, courtesy, and trust. Please be kind enough to reciprocate, as I'd hate for this gathering to be anything other than civil." Then, he began distributing the meat to the group. "Cook it as you like, and feel free to take any more as you wish. The only thing I ask is that you leave her heart. Her heart is hers and hers alone. Also, if you gents," he said, gesturing to Sven and David, "wouldn't mind continuing the story on which I so rudely eavesdropped, I'd love to hear more."

(I apologize for what will probably be pretty bad writing. I've stressing a bit much over the calc test, and it distracts my mind from more quality stuffs. I'll also come up with stats and such for these two later, depending on if you'll need them or not for the fight.)

Sven and David watched, though David more felt than he saw, as three others came along, two knights and a warlock (though they could not tell their classes simply by sight). David chose to ignore them until they introduced themselves, which happened shortly, but until they did, he would direct his attention to the kind man before them. He seemed a ranger or hunter as well, just like the two of them, though he carried no bow, making Sven wonder just how he had caught the deer. 

"Hello!" Sven called cheerily back to the warlock who had arrived, as the man himself seemed friendly enough. However, the reaction did not come when the knight arrived moments later. He never actually introduced himself nor addressed either Sven, nor David, and so, in turn, neither addressed him.

Instead, after everyone was around, both Sven and David let Psyre, though they did not know his name yet, do all the talking. He offered them part of the deer, and good pieces as well, and generally seemed well mannered and tempered man. David, however, was not surprised to hear that Psyre had overheard their conversation, and expected that this beast what had drawn the other three as well. He knew they were the only ones hunting it, but he felt certain they knew the most about it.

"Aye, the beast," Sven said, after hearing Psyre's question, and urge to learn more. "Well, I'll assume you only know as much as you've heard," he continued, looking around at the others gathered around. "Which means there's plenty more to hear" Pausing once again to start roasting his piece over the fire, Sven tried to sum everyone up in his mind.
"It's no wolf, nor bear, that's for sure. Every soul after this brute knows that much," Sven said, somewhat happily, looking at the nice piece of meat. "But what they don't know is that it's lived here for ages... Or, it has if it is what we think it is," he said, nodding at David.

"The signs we have point towards a race of monsters in the legends," the younger man continued. "A Troll, to be exact. Now, before you object, and tell me that Trolls are child's talk, straight out of a fairy tale; they're not," he said, grinning almost wickedly, the contrast between his enthusiasm and David's calm sense of expertise showing. "I won't guess who's heard of them, and who hasn't, but there is nothing else this brute can be. Hell, it can't even be a Rune Wolf, dangerous as those are. No, we've tracked it for a week or so, and we think it never left the North once in it's life. Born and raised on the far side of the river, like the rest of 'em," he said. He was hesitant to tell them the exact source of all this information, because most of it came from the order. The order, always seeking more knowledge, simply to know it, never wishing harm, and so Sven saw none in working as a part of it.

"It is not a foreign beast," David said in Sven's pause; his voice flat and emotionless, as the grey hairs on his chin moved with each word. "It knows the land better than any hunter, and the cold does not bother it, unlike some of the imports from the center land. It hunts like a human, can hide it's tracks when it wants to, and has the tendency to kill large animals just to see if it is capable of such," he said, looking at the others.

"So yea, we're hunting the brute," Sven said, the smile back on his face. "But it'd be good sport if you joined us. The more the merrier, am I right?"

Vorin took the piece of meat given to him, then held it in his bare hands for a moment. What was he supposed to do with this chunk of flesh? Vorin couldn't remember. He looked around and saw they others had skewered the pieces om sticks, or spits, if that's what they were called, and roasting them over the fire. That seemed like a good idea. Vorin followed suit, and, after finding no suitable place to sit in the snow, decided to remain standing around the fire. He turned his meat over slowly as he roasted it, trying to judge how much he should cook it. He turned his attention back to the conversation as the knight and his squire approached. The man's face looked familiar- Vorin thought he had seen him on a poster back in the Western City. 
        Vorin turned his attention back to the group, as they had begun discussing the monster. It was more than he had heard down on the docks, but it still seemed to leave much unanswered. It seemed like it would be a long hunt, if they'd tracked it for a week with no success. But they were hunters, so food wouldn't be much of an issue along they way, or so Vorin thought. As long as he could prove himself useful, he would probably not have to worry about going hungry for some time more. 
        After Sven had stopped talked, Vorin took the time to ask his question, one that probably seemed very silly to everyone else, but he'd really didn't know the answer to. "I'm sorry, but may I ask- what exactly is a 'troll'?"

(Just kinda a short post today, but unless I go on a tangent about Vorin's random thoughts, I don't have much to say.)

Ivan and Edgar stood around the fire , both roasting the meat they were given. Ivan listened as the other hunters told their tale, and was glad to hear that they were hunting the same thing, and that these two actually seemed to know what they were talking about. When they were finished the odd fellow who seemed to be very cold, and very confused asked a dumb question, "I'm sorry, but may I ask- what exactly is a 'troll'?. At this Ivan gave a laugh and slapped the other man on the shoulders, "you mean to say that you haven't't heard of trolls? What did your mother tell you was going to eat you if you didn't do your chores? A Goat?", Ivan laughed a bit more then said to the man with a smile, "sorry about that, just, haven't't heard of trolls... Wow you must have had a sad childhood". He smiled at the man and slapped him again then turned his attention to the kid. "So, kid you wanna fill in our strange little buddy", Then before the kid could answer he turned to the other hunters and said, "nice to meet you, the name's, Ivan Pendragon, King of the west" smiling and holding out his hand for them to shake.

As the hunters shared their story, Psyre listened intently. He had heard of trolls, of course, and many other superhuman beasts that lived beyond the River, but he had never before the havoc they were capable of wreaking. The fact that this beast was sentient and had more knowledge of the landscape than he himself did filled Psyre with fear and dread. This did not bode well. Psyre hunted animals. Animals, as ruthless and clever as they could be, did not possess the cognizance necessary to pose a significant threat to him. This, however, was no animal. Superhuman. Monstrous. Terrifying. Enigmatic. And something about which these hunters knew far more than he did. Philosopher and student that he was, Psyre had to learn more.

"Why on earth would a troll come this far from the River? I've lived in the North my whole life, most of it relatively near the River, and I've never seen a single troll attack, much less a slew of murders on the order of a massacre." Psyre wanted to know. He had to understand the troll if he was to hunt it. And if it had a good reason, who would he be to dictate its life and death? "What would motivate something like this? Also, how do you know it's a troll? Have you encountered them before? Even my people didn't know much about them." Psyre choked back a sob at the mention of his tribe, coughed, and hoped that the others would pass it off as no more than part of that cough. He was getting better, but the mere mention of them still pained him. 

"Oh! I learn your name at last! Nice to finally properly meet you, Ivan."

Both Sven and David took in all the other remarks, and when Ivan offered his hand, Sven shook it, but David only nodded his head in response. Then, they heard the question of the warlock, the smart remark of the knight, and the questions and comments of the fellow hunter. David decided he would explain.

"Trolls are no animals," he said, mostly towards the warlock. "They are one of the older races of this world, brothers to elves, goblins, dragons, and the other ancients. Trolls however, live in the north, and have not left its shores for a hundred years," he said. Of course, The Dragon had held council with the ancients, but that meeting was only a story to everyone. "They are smarter than most humans, and far stronger and faster than I could ever hope to be. Their blood is poison, their saliva is acidic, and they have teeth and claws sharper than a long-sword." They were also claimed to hold unknown knowledge of runes, but again, that was another story.

"Yet," Sven said, seeing that David had paused. "He's dumb enough to hunt one, and I'm all the dafter to follow. 'Course, it's for a reason," he said, nodding his head towards Psyre. "And aye, it is a rare and unfortunate day that they venture this far from the river border. They're rarely seen, and only by those who cross, but they've never been hostile. They're smarter than that. So, the only reason we could think of, is this one's gone mad. Lost it's mind, and gone berserk," Sven said, twirling his finger around his temple, showing the common hand sign for crazy. "So, naturally, anyone daft enough to call themselves "brave" is going after the beast, ourselves included, though few know it's a troll," he finished, nodding with a smirk. David, however, was contemplating Psyre's last question.

"Neither of us have ever seen one in person," Daivd said, quietly. "Though there are books, with complete detailed drawings and descriptions. The way it has been killing, and the results of the victim match up complete with the descriptions. There is no other beast similar to it. Not in the North at least," he said to the boy. Of course, the exact book, he could not say the name of, being one held by the order, comprised over fifty years of work. 

"But," Sven said, having finished the bit of meat. "If we move quickly, we should have it by the end of the day. We've been gradually following it's path, but the tracks are more fresh with each passing day."

    Vorin frowned at the answer the "king” gave him. Sad childhood, indeed. Vorin had begun to remember more, these past few days. They weren't quite memories- more like feelings- but Vorin could understand them all too well. He had some memories of being happy and careless, but it seemed that death and war were all too familiar to him. He only had one distinct memory, one clear image that he was sure of. He remembered seeing a building on fire, burning to the ground as others ran past him. He wasn't too sure how old he was then, but it had been at least several years ago. He didn't remember running that time. Just watching, and some half-formed thought about the end of the world as he knew it.
        But it wasn't the end of the world for him- or at least he had a new world now. Vorin shook himself out of his forgotten pasts and self pity, and turned his attention back to the group. The hunters had described what a troll was- but not what it looked like, even though they claimed to know of books with “detailed drawings”. After Sven told him that they had maybe a day left before they caught up to the beast, Vorin felt just a twinge of panic rising. Vorin realized that these guys had swords and bows and squires and whatnot, while Vorin had a stick. He knew that his staff could be just as dangerous as any sword, but he wasn't very strong, or very fast. Perhaps he could distract it and run away screaming, while the others took down the beast.
        Vorin realized that he his question wasn't really answered yet - perhaps he ought to rephrase it. It was interesting to know what kind of creature it was, and what it did, but they were hunting the beast now, and Vorin wanted to know what he was up against. “So, this... troll. How big is it, exactly?” Vorin asked, directing his question more towards Sven than David. There was something shifty about that hunter that he didn't quite trust. Not like the “king”, whom Vorin just disliked, but something else... Oh, well, Vorin thought. At least there seemed to be two other good people here. And the squire, too, but he hardly counted- he hadn't spoken, and his job seemed to be to lead the Ivan's horse so the man could have both arms free, so he could slap people on the shoulders with one hand and shake people's hands with the other. Well, Vorin thought, we've got an interesting little group here, haven't we?

Ivan listened to the kid's questions and then the hunter's responses. As he listened he realized that he really didn't know what a troll actually was. When the confused one spoke up once again, Ivan didn't tease him as the question was one that he too wanted an answer to. Taking another bit of meat he sat down and motioned Edgar to sit beside him. He said nothing but to himself he began to ask himself, is this truly something that needs to be hunted? Edgar noticed his lord's discomfort, and quietly asked him, "sir, are you alright, you look like you are upset?", Ivan shook himself and then smiled at Edgar, not wanting his feelings to affect his friend, "I'm fine, just thinking" and he left it at that.Turning back he waited for the hunter's response.

Still perplexed about how these hunters knew so much, Psyre listened intently. He also felt something almost reassuring in their voices. In Sven's, it might have been the youthful energy to which he could so easily relate, and in David's, perhaps it was the knowledge that he was so eager to learn. For whatever reason, Psyre enjoyed listening to these men. They were also men of the Wild, and Psyre couldn't help but want to get to know them better. Perhaps after this whole affair with the troll. 

"By the end of the day!? If it's that close, shouldn't we be moving?" Psyre paused for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure which way he wanted to move. Toward the troll was the goal, yes, but he also felt woefully unprepared to fight a beast that strong. "Does this troll have any weaknesses of which we know? I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'd certainly like to be a little bit better prepared before I go off on what may well be a suicide mission. My main goal in chasing this thing was to gain information and then come up with a plan." Even as the words came out of his mouth, Psyre realized the obvious. "Oh. Wait. You guys knew what you were doing. I imagine that you probably have gear and a plan?" He certainly hoped so. If not, he intended to do some research. Maybe find those books they had mentioned.

Psyre couldn't stop himself anymore. He was always curious, and now he just had to know. "Okay, really, how did you guys know so much? What book could have possibly contained that information? Back when I was on good terms with the King, I saw what I imagine must have been most of the books in the North, and I don't remember seeing anything like that. What book is there that has such vital information about the North that isn't even available to the King?" Psyre had said all of that in a single breath, his thoughts racing out of him as quickly as they could, so he paused for a moment to catch his breath. Then, the second he was capable of vocalizing again, more thoughts streamed out. "Also, do we really want to try to fight the troll today? We barely know each other, what if we can't fight well together? If the troll is as smart as it sounds like it is, won't it be able to take advantage of that?" Another pause for breath. "Will it know that we're going after it? Is it smart enough to, say, lay traps?"

Psyre's concerns abounded, but he finally managed to keep some of them to himself. He had said far more than he had meant to, but perhaps something good would come of it. He looked up at Sven and David expectantly. Perhaps his flurry of questions would make him seem childish to them, but he needed to know some of these before he recklessly pursued an ancient creature of great power and wisdom. There was no way he was going to charge after the troll without -at the very least- learning more about it. And he would certainly like to get some better gear before he tried to fight the thing. Somehow, he felt like the cloth he was currently wearing wasn't exactly going to cut it. Maybe get cut. Which was exactly what he wanted to avoid. In all honesty, Psyre was terrified. Excited, but terrified.

The first few questions asked were simple ones, and the two hunters answered each one in turn.
First, the size, which Sven answered.

"Oh, they're large brutes," he said, once again seemingly happy about the whole thing. "I'd say, seven feet tall if they stand up straight, though they usually don't. They charge on all fours, you see," he explained. "But they near a thousand pounds or over," he said, his voice lowering. "Some of the chiefs are a bit shorter, but strong as hell, and get near the weight of a great bear."

Then, Psyre's first few questions. The one's which were not so difficult to answer. He asked about a weakness, if they were aptly prepared to face it, what the plan was, if they truly would strike tonight. All the questions which Sven had expected. The two had traveled from the South West, though both were of the Vengern tribe, the South West simply happened to be where the book was held at the time, and had grown accustomed to the idea of having these questions asked when the time would come.

"I'm afraid the beast has no known weakness, other than cold steel," Sven replied to the boy. "We are both prepared to fight it, though it would likely be a struggle alone. If you three, err, four, want to head back to a librabary and study up, but by then, either the beast will be dead," Sven looked around smiling, "or the both of us. 
"I doubt the two of us could be any more prepared than we currently are, though we might not look it," he continued. "No special poisons, since no one knows how effective those will be, but my blade is sharp, and David's quiver is full," he said with a sigh. "So, that's the most ready we will ever be. 
"And so! If you want to join us, then tonight is the night," he said, finishing.

Then, however, came the hard question that Psyre asked; the one that would expose the order if answered incorrectly. However, there was something he had mentioned, which David noticed could be used to answer without telling a single lie, but also without telling the exact reason they were there.

"Well, now," David said, carefully. "That would be the North Library you've seen," he said, pausing thoughtfully. "This book, however, is not any that you would find in the North. There's only one copy, and it's more of a journal rather than a book. Of course, such a book is held in the South West, in the largest library in the known lands," he said, glancing to Sven. "I happened to stumble upon it while searching the endless shelves, and thought it interesting enough to read through. I never knew it would serve me so greatly later.
"And, like the boy," David continued, motioning to Sven, "I am ready to hunt the monster this day. You're free to join us if you wish."

((do we get any stat bonuses from the Zanthro topic, when it finishes?))

(This topic will end right before you right the troll, and then another will begin to do the fighting. Any stats currently on your character sheet on that time will be counted, but unfinished topics won't be.)

({[OOC: trying to powerlevel before we fight the troll, so sorry if this is a bit lengthy.]})

        Seven feet tall, Vorin thought. That wasn't too big. But a thousand pounds, too- now that sounded dangerous. A half-ton of troll charging you down would be quite a frightening sight. Vorin wondered briefly if they had horns. Probably not, he reckoned. They probably have big tusks, like a boar. Things in the north seemed to like to maul and gore people- like bears, for instance. Vorin tried to think of the last thing he had seen that had horns. He vaguely remembered oxen, back from his childhood, which he would watch plow the fields. Funny, though, how he couldn't ever remember actually working in the fields himself. He had a memory or two of walking in them, maybe having to plant something, but it wasn't real work, like the farmers and peasants had to do. Maybe his family was rich- it would make it easier to find them if he ever went looking. But what did it matter now? Given his memories of the oxen, Vorin had grown up in either the East or the South East- any family he had was halfway across the world, rich or not.
        Sven mentioned cold steel as a weakness. It looked like he and the King had swords- that would be pretty helpful. Of course, those swords would be no good at all unless they could actually get close to the troll- a task which Vorin did not envy. David had arrows, though- hopefully they were steel-tipped, although Vorin wasn't too sure. Vorin did know a little magic, but he wasn't too sure what he could actually do to fight the troll. He wanted to help though, in whatever way he could. Well, at the very least, he couldn't drag the down, so long as didn't slow them down while tracking the troll. Vorin was getting a little more nervous, now that he realized that he was really doing this- he had crossed the seas, again, and was now only a day away from what was probably the most dangerous creature he had ever faced.
        Vorin tried to push that last thought from his mind. He thought about the book that David had mentioned. If it was some sort of journal, that means that someone had gotten close to the trolls before, and lived, presumably. Unfortunate that no one had made a copy, since the book was thousands of miles from were it would actually be useful. Vorin had heard of the Library in the South West. He rather wanted to visit it know- perhaps he could head there after the troll. There didn't seem to be much in the West for him anyways, what with its Imperial Military and fancy whatnot. It didn't seem to be the place for a scholar like him. On the other hand, perhaps he could get on good terms with the king during this hunt. He seemed friendly enough, possibly even helpful, despite seeming full of himself. He seemed to actually be pretty good, as far as Kings go. He was the kind of King who actually cared about the Little People, Vorin guessed, although it did still seem like Ivan thought of them as little people. In any case, Vorin was glad he was here, despite his first impression of the King. He had a sword after all, and perhaps even the squire (Vorin still didn't know his name) could do something.
        But something else that David had said didn't quite seem to fit- This book, however, is not any that you would find in the North. That seemed strange. It must have been written in the North. So why wasn't it here now? Vorin at least would have found it useful.
        “Why wouldn't you find the book in the North?” He asked David. There was probably some practical reason for it, but Vorin still wanted to know.
        Having finished the meat, Vorin tossed the stick into the fire, watching a few sparks rise into the air. He rubbed his hands together, realizing that they were quite cold, then shoved them into his robe, his staff resting in the crook of his arm. It had seemed like such a great idea at the time, to just head off to the North, with nothing more than himself and his staff, but now Vorin was beginning to regret such recklessness. At least the troll was less than a day away- he shouldn't be spending too many nights in the cold forest here. But he was set on doing this, so he would join them. It's not like turning back was an option, anyways- he had committed himself to finding the troll from the instant he set foot in the vast forest.
        Without waiting for his question to be answered, Vorin said to David and Sven, but the group as a whole as well,
“In any case, I'm willing to join this hunt. I'm no hunter myself, though, but I'll help to do what I can.”
        Along with the small bit of panic, Vorin was also a little excited, too. Sure, he could easily die if he was foolish, but it was going to be the greatest adventure he'd been on that he could remember. Admittedly, he couldn't remember very many, but it was going to be quite an experience nonetheless. The average person probably would never see such a creature during their lifetime, let alone try to kill the beast. He was actually doin something in his life. Some years ago, some teacher (though clearly not a very good one), had once told Vorin, “We're born, we suffer, we die. That's it. And if you don't suffer, then you're life is even less meaningful.” But now Vorin was doing something, something meaningful, and he wasn't suffering. He would show that old grouch what life was realy about- although he doubted whether they were still alive- he vaguely remembered that person suffered a lot. Perhaps they had already accomplished number three on their life goals. Vorin grinned a little, turning his eyes skyward as he waited for what the others would say.

"cold steel eh?" Ivan said with a little laugh. "I can do that" he hefted his sword and smiled. When the hunter named David began to talk about the books Ivan payed less attention. He didn't care about how they knew about this beast or what it looked like, he only cared about the fact that he could hack it and injure it. 

After David had finished, the confused one asked another question about the book, at this Ivan let out a little sigh and stood up from where he was sitting,and after the other man had finished talking, Ivan spoke up "As long as we can injure it, maybe even kill it with our weapons then i'm very much for the idea of hunting this beast, the sooner the better." with this he smiled at the group and backed away motioning Edgar to follow. When they were a good 60 ft from the group he stopped and turned to his friend. "Are you ready for this?" he asked, Edgar was a wee bit scared but he nodded and said, "Of course I am" Ivan smiled at him and gently slapped his shoulder. "Good! Just checking... But did you figure out that strike i told you to learn?" Edgar smiled and let out a little laugh, just like Ivan to bring up training at a time like this. "Of course I did" Ivan stepped back and pulled out his sword, "Well then let's see it!". Edgar smiled and pulled out his own. They both took up stances and began to circle one another. Suddenly Edgar lashed out with a downward strike from the upper right stepping forward with his left leg. Ivan quickly dodged the strike but was caught by a knee that Edgar threw at him, it hit him in the stomach and made him lean forward. Edgar toke this chance to sweep Ivan's legs out from under him. Ivan was expecting this but it still knocked him to the ground. Edgar pointed his sword at Ivan's chest smiling, "How was that?" he asked. Ivan smiled then with a quick kick knocked Edgar off his feet and sprawling in the snow. As Ivan got up so did Edgar, As he reached his feet Edgar attacked one last time, a trust at Ivan's midsection, Ivan saw it coming and blocked it with a downward swing, directing Edgar's sword to his right, as he did so he stepped to the left, using Edgar's momentum against him, he guided Edgar once more in to the ground. Laughing Ivan helped Edgar up, "That was good, your getting better!" He told him. Edgar smiled and accepted Ivan's help up. They walked back to the circle, Edgar looking a bit sheepish.

Listening to the size of the trolls, Psyre couldn't help but become daunted once again. He'd killed a bear once and wolves several times, and while they could have a savagery and ruthlessness that could be terrifying, they didn't have the cold intellect and knowledge that the troll seemed to have. Those were Psyre's greatest weapons, so the fact that this enemy was also possessing of them did not put him at ease at all. He wasn't looking forward to trying to fight this monster. He looked around at the group and took some comfort from the fact that the six of them all seemed rather well-positioned to fight in general, as they had a couple of melee fighters and at least one ranged fighter, but against an intelligent enemy, it's entirely possible that would mean nothing. The troll could circle around the group, end up behind David, and attack their ranged support in melee before any of them were ready to fight it. Perhaps Sven and David felt adequately prepared, but Psyre certainly didn't. He didn't fancy the idea of rushing into a fight with this beast. But when he heard that Sven and David were intending to do so regardless of their support, Psyre made up his mind. 

"I'll join you guys. I don't want to later look back on this day and think that I had the potential to save your lives but failed to do so anyway. I still don't entirely like this idea of running in there without more information, so if there's anything else at all that you can share, I'd appreciate it. I'll leave off the questions that aren't troll-related for the time being, but when we succeed, I do have some more questions for you, so I hope you won't mind me asking them." Psyre was starting to break camp while he spoke, lowering the deer and quenching the flames. "It sounds like we need to be moving now, though, so let's talk while we walk.


"Okay, so you mentioned trolls are poisonous. Is there a known antidote? Some way to counteract the effects? What are the particular effects thereof? If the troll charges, is it slow enough that people are likely to be able to move out of the way in time? 1000 pounds charging at you is quite a lot. Armor isn't going to do a whole lot to protect you from that, so it'd be great if we could have some kind of contingency plan for situations such as that one. Do we have to fight it like that? Is there any chance it'd fall for a trap if we baited it properly? Even if the trap only delayed it for a few seconds, that would let us get a significant advantage." Psyre racked his brains. He had more questions, hundreds of them, but he was trying to only allow himself to ask those that were relevant. "When you say that cold steel is a weakness, do you mean that other things will damage it and cold steel will hurt if more or that cold steel can hurt it? I'd like to know as much as possible before trying to fight something of this strength.


"You said they normally fight hunched over. Does that mean that despite their size, their reach isn't particularly significant? Do they have any tricks they'll try to pull off in combat? Has anyone killed one and studied the weak points of its anatomy? If they're so heavy, it seems like attacking their knees would make a lot of sense, as the joints will be pretty stressed already. Is that the case? I'm sorry about all the questions, I just want us all to be prepared. The more ready we are, the less likely we are to die. And if we don't get all the information, if you two die," he said, nodding at Sven and David, "then we'll be entirely in the dark. Which is something I'd rather like to avoid. So if you wouldn't mind giving us all that and any more information that might come to mind, I'd certainly appreciate it."

Psyre's mind was already racing, trying to plan out ways to approach and fight this thing. If they had their ranged fighters behind the melee ones before the fight began, it could try to pick them off first, but if they clustered together too much, it was entirely possible that the troll could take several of them out in a single charge. Psyre was running through all the things he thought were possible, and the possibilities and issues seemed endless. He resolved to stop trying to figure things out for a bit and instead wait until he had more information. Then, he could talk to Sven and David about what they thought would be the best course of action. Psyre glanced around at their group once more. They seemed ready for a fight, but one of this scale? Psyre was dubious of that. He looked at Sven and David expectantly, awaiting responses to his many questions.

(Alright, last post from me, then I'll make a new one where the actual fighting happens) 

"I'm afraid the only known way to fight the poison is time," Sven said, twitching his mouth at the mention. "It's more of an acidic saliva than poison. It works quickly, hurts like hell, but only damages the area that it touches for a good five minutes I'd say. Still though, best to avoid the mouth if you can.
"As for their speed, I'm afraid these beasts can run faster than a grown wolf in full sprint, and they do so often. I doubt a trap would snag the monster, and though the beast is mad, it is still smarter than any animal we are likely to cross," Sven said, then, he grinned. "But, if it will ease your mind, I'll take the first hit of the charge. I have a proficiency for taking a rough beating," he said, and it was true, as Sven was a warden of the fighter category. "It'll hurt, but I'll live, I assure you.
"And nay, by cold steel, I mean anything that bites. A blunt weapon will likely bounce off the monster, but an edge will cut."

"Hunched over, yes," David said, continuing with the answers where Sven had left off. "But they still have a reach. Each of their arms can go to four feet in length, but they usually charge on all fours to gain speed. Their claws are dangerous and sharp, but it is the two large teeth on the bottom jaw that you need to watch for, and the brutes usually use them as tusks. They do, however, have runes, which they use frequently and without hesitation. I cannot say what runes this one may have, because they differ from beast to beast," David said, hoping the difficulty of the fight would not discourage the others. (buttt, I think the three of you alone would have enough total levels to fight this without these guys). "The legs might be a good idea, yes," he said, thinking about it. "Though, you'll often find one swiping with one arm, and leaning on the other, like a bear might."

If there were more questions to be asked, but with that, the two men stood, and looked around.

"Well, if that'll be it," Sven said, pulling a rather small round shield out from behind his back. "I'd say we're good to go," he finished, fastening the shield in place. "I'm sure we'll do just fine."

(exit, technically. Once everyone else exits, I'll make a new post on the far side of the river.)

Tusks, Vorin thought. Of course they gored people. Well, Sven said he could take the first charge and live- a pretty brave thing to do, actually, as Vorin was fairly sure that neither of these two hunters had actually face a troll before. As long as they prepared properly, they could probably finish it off rather quickly, with Psyre and Ivan coming in with their swords and Vorin... casting a little spell. Perhaps he could borrow Ivan's extra sword- although Vorin was not familiar with swords at all, and wasn't very sure if he ever was. Well it couldn't be too hard, could it? Just grab it by the hilt and flail about... probably not a good idea to try. Better to do very little than to accidentally hack off a friend's leg. It seemed it was time to move on. Vorin hoped that the ranger- who's name he didn't actually know yet- would stop asking so many questions, or perhaps at least wait until they had begun to walk. Vorin was still cold, and wanted to get moving. Still, if he were to actually do something in this fight, he had some work left for him. He walked over to a nearby tree and leaned against it. He pulled the book he had been carrying out of his robe, then flipped to a page near the back. He reviewed the spell that he had been working on. It was a summon, of sorts, but it felt natural, as if Vorin had done summons before. He checked the last few notes and mentally prepared himself. He would be ready to use it now.
        Then, Vorin set to work. He pulled up his left sleeve and began to inscribe a few runes. The wound on the back of his left hand had completely healed now, but his hand was still a bit weak and twitchy, and Vorin didn't trust it to inscribe runes with. So, he had to put all of his runes on his left arm. He traced three down onto his fingers- two healing runes, each made up of small a pair of overlapping triangles, and one small fire rune, A simple line down his finger, crossing throught a circle, with other lines, shaped like fire, radiating outward from the circle. Then, another rune on his hand, one with jagged lines that seemed almost to follow his scar. He paused a moment in his work, inspecting the scar. It had been somewhat recent, he felt, yet long ago enough that the wound appeared to have healed. It must have been quite a wound at the time, stretching across the entirety of the back of his hand. He hoped it had been from something worth it, or at least something that would make a good story, once he could remember it, and that it wasn't just from some silly little thing like tripping on the stairs and cutting his hand on knife he had been carrying. That would be rather disappointing. He sighed, then returned to inscribing his last rune. It was along the length of his arm, a series of kite shields, bearing a coat of arms that Vorin had remembered from his childhood- or at least he thought it was a memory, as it came to him so clearly that it couldn't be just an idea. He couldn't remember what it stood for, though- hopefully nothing evil or corrupt. He finished his work, then leaned forward and stood upright again, prepared as he could be.
        Listening to David's and Sven's descriptions, Vorin had built up quite a strang image of a troll in his mind. He would was sure that it was wrong, however, and would be surprised when when he actually saw the beast. Vorin supposed that it wasn't really a beast at all, given its superior intelligence and knowledge of runes, but goring people with your own teeth... just didn't sound like an intelligent thing to do. Vorin grabbed his staff and one in hand, briefly inspecting his runes.
        “If we're good to go,” He adressed the group. “Then let's get going!”

({[Requesting exit as group leaves the forest walls. 3,366 words, and I can actually spend it on runes and whatnot. This is actually useful. I am surprised. This is much better than playing as a seer. Anyways, 67 attribute points, 38 to patience and 29 to memory, then 800 words to learn Shadow Rusher, then 750 words to learn and inscribe one Soul Shield, 450 words to learn and inscribe one Flame Touch, 600 words to learn and inscribe two Small Healing Runes, and 750 words to learn and inscribe one Fire Ball Rune. 16 words left over, going to Servant Wind, 246 words remaining to learn said rune.]})

Ivan listened to the last bit of the description of the troll, He was very interested in finding out what it actually looked like, and how it fought. When Sven said that he would charge it head on Ivan nodded in approval, the heads on approach had always been Ivan's favorite, " AS long as my sword can hurt it I'm willing to charge it too" he said. He quieted and the listened to David's description of some of the other aspects of the troll. When David mentioned the whole rune stuff, Ivan raised his eyebrows but remained silent. This talk of runes brought back a memory that Ivan hadn't thought about for a long time. He closed his eyes and went back to the time, twenty years ago. 
       He and his mother were at home eating dinner. His father had been on a trip with some friends, Ivan couldn't remember what they were doing on the trip. Suddenly the door burst open and his father half walked half fell through the door. Half of his body, from the collar bone down to his thigh was burned and blistered. Immediately his mother had ran to her husband's side, helping him up she had begun to cry a little. She helped him into a chair, Ivan was in shook and couldn't get over the fact that his father was badly injured. Quickly Ivan got his bearings back and asked his father, "Are you ok?". His dad gave him a pained smile and responded, "I'll live". his mom came back from another room, she had gone into, with a small salve bottle in her hand, she got to her husband and began to apply the salve to his burns. He grimaced as she touched the burns but didn't cry out. " How did this happen? Who did this to you?" Ivan's mother asked as she applied the salve. he cringed and the began to tell his story, "I was a mile and half from home, me and my friends had split up and I was hurrying home. Suddenly a man stepped out from the bushes on the side of the road..." He paused and took a sharp breath as his wife touched on e of his more burned areas. "He stepped out and walked in to the middle of the road." he continued, "I slowed down and watched him, he put his arms up and pointed them at me, as I began to dodge, there was a flash of red light from him and a blast of fire exploded from his arms, I threw my self off of the horse but wasn't quite in time, I got hit by some of the fire and it burned me as you can see. When I hit the ground I almost passed out, but I managed not to. I got to my feet as quickly as I could, but he was already rushing at me a long knife in his hand a crazy look on his face. I unsheathed my sword as quickly as I could and pointed it toward him, he squired himself on my blade. I had just enough strength to make it home. and that's what happened". That was Ivan's first, and only, experience with runes and it was what created his dislike for magic and runes.
      Ivan came back to the present in time to hear Sven say, "I'm sure we'll do just fine.", At this Ivan laughed, happily, and said, "Yes I'm sure we will, but we better get going"

[EXIT: 2100 words, 42 points +9 to strength,+10 to memory,+10 to endurance,+13 craft , 2,000 words to learn Armor Crusher, 100 to Armor Experience 928 left]