Thank you. I think they've been accepted into Orvain's domain. I feel their presence in every storm and hear their voices in the winds. They are an impressive sight, but one I could go a lifetime without seeing again.
You have heard the white dragon rumors as well. Hell, everyone has. The most common reasoning for the terrible terrible winter weather up here is that there is a nest of white dragons that cause it. The nest is assumed to be somewhere in the Permafrost. It's a solid rumor that has never been proven nor disproven. One of the largest points of proof for this rumor has been the very rarely found frozen solid statue of a person out here. People don't just turn into ice sculptures naturally.
(OOC: I want to give Viletta a chance to adjust her post before I push everyone into trouble with the survival rolls I made you all roll)
Thyrnn looks concerned at the mention of the white dragons. ”Everyone has heard the rumors about white dragons in the permafrost. Can’t say if they are true or not, but I believe them to be accurate. The overly frigid air and deadly ice storms indicate something a bit more than just the climate. Plus there are the Numb Nomads as we call them… the people that are found completely frozen… not even the subzero temperature could freeze them so completely.”
Skalma's temperament is the exact opposite of Abishai's dour mood. As the party sallies forth from the Last Hearth, the frost goliath seems to be teeming with energy, utterly thrilled by the prospects that lie ahead. Her long strides cut over the rock and stone of the mountain pass with relative ease, occasionally pausing to allow those on foot a chance to keep up. "Ye willnae find the abundance of life ye see down in the easy, soft lands of the southrons." She says to Abishai, her eyes shining with respect for the wilds. "But the things that survive up here are made hardier and stronger for it. Can anyone say they've really lived, if they've never been tested?"
Skalma seems a little wary as Iden describes his tutelage under a fey, but given her suspicion of all things sorcerous, she doesn't delve into the subject further. When Grelk brings up the ordeals she has suffered, her mood becomes rather less visibly buoyant. "White dragons are terrible foes, they say. I am sorry for the losses you've suffered, lass. I pray they've gone to a better place." She says gently, yet squeezing the orc's shoulder with a little more force than intended.
When Thrynn brings up the frozen, she peers up at the skies. "Aye, there's nae doubt of it. When faced with a cold, terrible truth, some folk wrap themselves up in denial, as if that will make it go away. But they're out there, as sure as the heavens themselves."
As the group finally arrive on the Permafrost, she takes a deep, steady breath, exhilarated by what she sees. "It's so pure. Full of trial. Full of truth." She murmurs quietly. Despite the ever-present chill, no plume of warm air seems to billow from her mouth.
Viletta replaces her scarf, hood, and goggles as the party tramps back outside into the chill, clear day. She unties her horse, and, fastening the tie to his saddle, she pulls herself up into the saddle. Immediately the sleepy horse seems to come alive, his head lifting, ears pricking forward, and a brightness coming into his eyes. He lifts his feet with a pep in his step, and leads the way out the palisades, finding footholds and leaping across dips in the stony pathway with near the ease of a mountain goat. He has no trouble keeping pace with Skelma, seeming to take her confident pace as a challenge to match.
When the party reaches the great expanse of frozen snowpack stretching before them, Viletta stops her eager steed for a moment, taking in the sight, her goggles mitigating the inevitable glare. She, too, remains silent at Iden's revelation of his tricks--having her own stinging memory of her mother's passing in the quest for sorcerous power--but after a moment of gazing on the frontier before them, she says, "This is a land where you know you are alive. One can live without magic tricks, without science, and even without bread, but what one cannot live without is beauty. Out here, the threats are many, but in the great, silent expanse, untouched by the hubris of human industry, you begin to contemplate who you really are. How can such scenes move our hearts so, perilous though they are? My horse here, all he sees is an open space across which he can enjoy a nice gallop. He does not gaze in awe at the sunset, merely turns himself towards it to capture the last warm rays before being plunged into the cold night. But we have eyes to see more. We have eyes to see the stunning beauty of what lies before us, the breath of the infinite in a landscape that stretches before us that we cannot tame, cannot control... to survive it, we must surrender to it. And yet, we make it all the grander, that we have eyes to contemplate its beauty."
She looks at Grelk with sympathy. "I too have lost friends and family. And that pain, too, reminds me that I am not in control... and I try to grasp it at my folly. Dragons, you say! Fiercer are the dragons in our own hearts than those that fly the skies. Conquer the former, and you will have no fear of the latter."
Viletta appears to be become more poetic the farther out into the wilds they go. How else do you cope with the sheer magnitude and threat of this place?
Abishai turns to listen to his companions response to his question. First to Thrynn as the dwarf reminds the fighter there are some who prefer the solitude found in the great wild expanses such as this. He acknowledges the dwarf with a slight grunt. "Hmm." Then turning his attention to the bundle of clothing walking up from behind, Abishai turns around and listens to Iden talk about survival instinct and wonder about the dangers from wild animals in this environment. He raises an eyebrow when Iden talks about Fey and learning from one. The grizzled warrior seems about ready to ask a question, but instead watches as Iden quickly walks over to Thrynn. Recognizing the wisdom behind tiny Iden's question to the dwarf, the warrior remains silent. Even as the orc, Grelk, expresses an interest in the answer and shares a past trauma. As a guard, he'd seen his fair share of trauma and interacted with many individuals during their worst moments. Skalma adds her wisdom to the conversation and again Abishai diverts his attention respectfully. 'This giant woman certainly proves her claim that the cold reaches of the north can produce strength... it can also produce death that much faster.'The bearded warrior thinks to himself as his mood fails to improve.
'A dragon huh... Not many places out here to hide from one of those should the need arise.'
Abishai listens as Viletta pulls up on her steed and gets poetic. Talking about beauty as if beauty is all you need to survive in a place such as this. 'Beauty won't fill your belly, nor protect you from a pack of wolves. Beauty cannot keep the creeping cold from freezing your bones overnight...' The bear of a man seems ready to scoff at the woman's words when he recognizes the passion behind them and can't bring himself to disrespect the Knight while she shares her feelings. He lets out the slightest hint of laughter as Viletta mentions dragons in our own hearts. 'Perhaps I still need to slay the dragon within mine own.'The warrior thinks and scolds himself for losing control of his emotion and laughing slightly. There was a truth behind the woman's words, but it took the guard a moment longer to recognize it.
Suddenly feeling anxious in letting his guard down. He returns to scanning the environment for threats and dangers, making a slow circle around the group to scan the area.
kicks a pile of snow, not making eye contact
Thank you. I think they've been accepted into Orvain's domain. I feel their presence in every storm and hear their voices in the winds. They are an impressive sight, but one I could go a lifetime without seeing again.
Thrynn
You rolled a 13.
You have heard the white dragon rumors as well. Hell, everyone has. The most common reasoning for the terrible terrible winter weather up here is that there is a nest of white dragons that cause it. The nest is assumed to be somewhere in the Permafrost. It's a solid rumor that has never been proven nor disproven. One of the largest points of proof for this rumor has been the very rarely found frozen solid statue of a person out here. People don't just turn into ice sculptures naturally.
(OOC: I want to give Viletta a chance to adjust her post before I push everyone into trouble with the survival rolls I made you all roll)
Thyrnn looks concerned at the mention of the white dragons. ”Everyone has heard the rumors about white dragons in the permafrost. Can’t say if they are true or not, but I believe them to be accurate. The overly frigid air and deadly ice storms indicate something a bit more than just the climate. Plus there are the Numb Nomads as we call them… the people that are found completely frozen… not even the subzero temperature could freeze them so completely.”
Skalma's temperament is the exact opposite of Abishai's dour mood. As the party sallies forth from the Last Hearth, the frost goliath seems to be teeming with energy, utterly thrilled by the prospects that lie ahead. Her long strides cut over the rock and stone of the mountain pass with relative ease, occasionally pausing to allow those on foot a chance to keep up. "Ye willnae find the abundance of life ye see down in the easy, soft lands of the southrons." She says to Abishai, her eyes shining with respect for the wilds. "But the things that survive up here are made hardier and stronger for it. Can anyone say they've really lived, if they've never been tested?"
Skalma seems a little wary as Iden describes his tutelage under a fey, but given her suspicion of all things sorcerous, she doesn't delve into the subject further. When Grelk brings up the ordeals she has suffered, her mood becomes rather less visibly buoyant. "White dragons are terrible foes, they say. I am sorry for the losses you've suffered, lass. I pray they've gone to a better place." She says gently, yet squeezing the orc's shoulder with a little more force than intended.
When Thrynn brings up the frozen, she peers up at the skies. "Aye, there's nae doubt of it. When faced with a cold, terrible truth, some folk wrap themselves up in denial, as if that will make it go away. But they're out there, as sure as the heavens themselves."
As the group finally arrive on the Permafrost, she takes a deep, steady breath, exhilarated by what she sees. "It's so pure. Full of trial. Full of truth." She murmurs quietly. Despite the ever-present chill, no plume of warm air seems to billow from her mouth.
Survival: 20
Viletta replaces her scarf, hood, and goggles as the party tramps back outside into the chill, clear day. She unties her horse, and, fastening the tie to his saddle, she pulls herself up into the saddle. Immediately the sleepy horse seems to come alive, his head lifting, ears pricking forward, and a brightness coming into his eyes. He lifts his feet with a pep in his step, and leads the way out the palisades, finding footholds and leaping across dips in the stony pathway with near the ease of a mountain goat. He has no trouble keeping pace with Skelma, seeming to take her confident pace as a challenge to match.
When the party reaches the great expanse of frozen snowpack stretching before them, Viletta stops her eager steed for a moment, taking in the sight, her goggles mitigating the inevitable glare. She, too, remains silent at Iden's revelation of his tricks--having her own stinging memory of her mother's passing in the quest for sorcerous power--but after a moment of gazing on the frontier before them, she says, "This is a land where you know you are alive. One can live without magic tricks, without science, and even without bread, but what one cannot live without is beauty. Out here, the threats are many, but in the great, silent expanse, untouched by the hubris of human industry, you begin to contemplate who you really are. How can such scenes move our hearts so, perilous though they are? My horse here, all he sees is an open space across which he can enjoy a nice gallop. He does not gaze in awe at the sunset, merely turns himself towards it to capture the last warm rays before being plunged into the cold night. But we have eyes to see more. We have eyes to see the stunning beauty of what lies before us, the breath of the infinite in a landscape that stretches before us that we cannot tame, cannot control... to survive it, we must surrender to it. And yet, we make it all the grander, that we have eyes to contemplate its beauty."
She looks at Grelk with sympathy. "I too have lost friends and family. And that pain, too, reminds me that I am not in control... and I try to grasp it at my folly. Dragons, you say! Fiercer are the dragons in our own hearts than those that fly the skies. Conquer the former, and you will have no fear of the latter."
Viletta appears to be become more poetic the farther out into the wilds they go. How else do you cope with the sheer magnitude and threat of this place?
Abishai turns to listen to his companions response to his question. First to Thrynn as the dwarf reminds the fighter there are some who prefer the solitude found in the great wild expanses such as this. He acknowledges the dwarf with a slight grunt. "Hmm." Then turning his attention to the bundle of clothing walking up from behind, Abishai turns around and listens to Iden talk about survival instinct and wonder about the dangers from wild animals in this environment. He raises an eyebrow when Iden talks about Fey and learning from one. The grizzled warrior seems about ready to ask a question, but instead watches as Iden quickly walks over to Thrynn. Recognizing the wisdom behind tiny Iden's question to the dwarf, the warrior remains silent. Even as the orc, Grelk, expresses an interest in the answer and shares a past trauma. As a guard, he'd seen his fair share of trauma and interacted with many individuals during their worst moments. Skalma adds her wisdom to the conversation and again Abishai diverts his attention respectfully. 'This giant woman certainly proves her claim that the cold reaches of the north can produce strength... it can also produce death that much faster.' The bearded warrior thinks to himself as his mood fails to improve.
'A dragon huh... Not many places out here to hide from one of those should the need arise.'
Abishai listens as Viletta pulls up on her steed and gets poetic. Talking about beauty as if beauty is all you need to survive in a place such as this. 'Beauty won't fill your belly, nor protect you from a pack of wolves. Beauty cannot keep the creeping cold from freezing your bones overnight...' The bear of a man seems ready to scoff at the woman's words when he recognizes the passion behind them and can't bring himself to disrespect the Knight while she shares her feelings. He lets out the slightest hint of laughter as Viletta mentions dragons in our own hearts. 'Perhaps I still need to slay the dragon within mine own.' The warrior thinks and scolds himself for losing control of his emotion and laughing slightly. There was a truth behind the woman's words, but it took the guard a moment longer to recognize it.
Suddenly feeling anxious in letting his guard down. He returns to scanning the environment for threats and dangers, making a slow circle around the group to scan the area.
Perception: 16
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights. DM for Dragons of Icespire Peak Pbp