Chapter XI: Welcome to Town

[Madfox11]

At the news of his friends' survival, Ulgar grins widely, "Didn't I tell you they would survive? Sens a runner to fetch Sharvea and the others. They have been with them longer, and where less trusting of their survival. Their timing is impeccable, I can probably use their aid tonight." Without waiting for a reply, Ulgar grabs his axe and cloak, and rushes out the room down towards the gate.

Once he arrives at the gates, he rushes forward to his friends, ready to give them a hug or hand (depending on their preferences), while loudly saying. "Welcome my friends. It is good to see that you survived the ordeal at the Glacier. I am curious what happened after the crash, and I am sure that is one saga that would do well at the hearth during cold winter nights. Your timing is also most fruiteous. I might need you aid tonight..."

Ulgar looks well-rested, and relatively well-fed. It is obvious that he has been in the town for days. There is something haunted in his eyes though for those who know how to look.

Edited by: Akoss at: 9/6/06 5:47 pm

[wizofice]

"It is quite a tale. May take some time in the telling. We have rested... and I'll leave that at that."

Eryk looks around at faces.

"We heard that most survived. Is Sharvea...?"

Eryk leaves the rest unspoken.

[Dalfen]

Illith appears wearing a long black dress. The suit seems to be made by shadows. They appear alive and move randomly, letting to a casual observer to see too much skin of the executioner, but allowing the imagination to daydream about the others parts of the goddess.
Although she is barefoot, Illith's feet doesn't touch the floor. Instead of walk like a mere mortal, the air seems to sustain her celestial body.

Finally a cloak made of shadowstuff seems to protect her of the cold and other unwanted threats.

She approaches to Ulgar, and with the most seductive voice that any mortal has ever heard, says:

"You miss me?"

[Madfox11]

Ulgar looks curiously at Ilith for a few seconds before giving a reply in a level voice, but with a twinkle in his eys. "Always, although I must say you have changed a lot since we last met. I am not sure though what exactly has changed, you look the same and still there is something different..."

He then turns towards Eryk, surpressing his curiosity about Ilith's appearance, and replies in more serious tone, "We all survived, although Malryl got hurt pretty badly while we penetrated the siege-lines. The wound was not lethal and she is recovering quickly. The baths here have some amazing curative properties. I did manage to get the supplies here, sans napta that is. I used it to blew up some tarkecs, rhacs and a hill giant. Our arrival angered some people though, and apparently some assassins are out to get me as well as Sharvea, Andail and Malryl. By now their target range probably has extended to include you as well. The people besieging this city are such sour loosers. Shane also returned together with an old acquintance of us, although you don't know her. Raiks chose to remain in captivity to allow Shane's escape and to try and save the other captives."

"One thing is for sure, these people here asked me to kill a sea monster that prowles the bay's water and has destroyed any ship entering it. I definitely could use the aid of men, and women, like you."

Bending forward, whispering so that only his compandions can hear it, "One thing, I have not told the people here about the frozen shipyard and its mariners. The Hellbound have spies everywhere, and I fear what they might find there. I saw some things there that just radiated magic of pre-Ragnarok date!"

Edited by: Madfox11 at: 9/4/06 8:36 am

[Dalfen]

Illith barely moves her lips but a tiny wind seems to transport all her words allowing you to hear her voice with no problems:

" We should talk about a lot of things in a more discrete place. Maybe is a good idea if we go to that famous baths. Their natural smoke with a little help from my part could make that no one, not even a god, can detect, interrupt or scry us. "

Edited by: Dalfen at: 9/4/06 10:59 am

[Madfox11]

At Illith's remark, Ulgar just shrugs, "I would love to keep you up on that offer, but since I am not the lord of this place, etiquette forces me to introduce you first to the lord of this city." Follow by a quick whisper for Illith's ears, "One thing, no insult intended, but it would have been better if you had given yourself a more... erm... mundane look. While I admit, it is a pleasure to look on, it draws a lot of attention. Besides, now the assassins on my neck are going to use magic, and I would have prefered to keep that out."

Edited by: Madfox11 at: 9/6/06 12:31 am

[Dalfen]

Quote:

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I would love to keep you up on that offer, but since I am not the lord of this place, etiquette forces me to introduce you first to the lord of this city

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Maybe I should send that poor little lord a shadow. After all a mortal is a mere shadow of a goddess. This Ulgar treats me with an insulting familiarity. Perhaps he was a really close friend of this mortal shell. I should inquire about that. Disguise me like a mere mortal? Hmm... Odin was very fond of disguises; maybe it can be funny.

Ok bard, I'll follow your game. But you shouldn't worry about a bunch of pitiable thugs. Even Nymrael can solve this nuisance. And having me as a target, well you're not worthy of attention. Better not worry about it. Now you are now under my divine protection
for the moment.

Illith suit changes to a black leather armor and several weapons appear distributed in her body. Shadow duplicates of the exotic weapons that the executioner wear in other times, finally a black cloth mask covers her face.

LET'S FINISH WITH THIS CHARADE, BEFORE I LOSE MY PATIENCE.

[wizofice]

As they walk, Eryk moves next to Ulgar and whispers, "We, too, have seen magic dating far into the past. She is not herself," without actually looking at him.

[Madfox11]

Dalfen, you do realize you just accused Ulgar of being a coward and a weakling? Which is not a good way to make friends in a Viking like society.

Ulgar's face turns blank, but a fire in his eyes and a slight raise in his voice, makes it clear he holding back his anger about Ilith's remark. He states coldly, "Pride comes before the downfall, and those that rise high fall deep! Under different circumstances I would have challenged you to a duel for those remarks, but I am not going to do the enemies work by getting myself or you killed about something as trivial as words!"

He than turns towards the others, completely ignoring Ilith, stating with considerably more warmth in his voice, "Please follow me while I take you to the keep. I am sure Lord Valdi is eager to bid you welcome."

Akoss, what is the relation between humans and the gods? Just checking whether Ulgar's reaction makes sense. In Viking myths the gods were mortal after all. They ate a special apple to prevent dieing from old age or disease, but even that would offer little protection against the blade of an enemy (especially not giants and rivals from the opposing families). There were also a lot of them, and the weakest were hardly more powerful than Midgardians. They were also not particularly prone to step forward and state that they were a god. Hence Ulgar's rather dismissive reaction to Ilith's claim of divinity. If the relation is a bit more like in say Greek mythology, Ulgar would be a lot more careful. He doesn't want to spend an eternity as a spider just because he happens to be better at say weaving than a god

Which reminds of another question, Valhalla in Viking myths is a place to gather the powerful warriors to form the army to be used during Ragnarok. Now that Ragnarok is passed, is that still its purpose?

Edited by: Madfox11 at: 9/6/06 8:16 am

[Akoss]

Madfox, Dalfen see your private posts...

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NAMEA - An Iron Heroes campaign.

[Akoss]

To be continued in Book II - Dark Domain.

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NAMEA - An Iron Heroes campaign.