[FINISHED] Collective Roleplay - Festival of Frost: The Mountains

Published Jan 25, 2023, 2:21:48 AM UTC | Last updated Feb 14, 2023, 7:41:01 PM | Total Chapters 8

Story Summary

As required by the Festival of Frost event hosted by DracoStryx ARPG, two of us partnered for the Roleplay section of the event.

This work gathers our entries throughout the weeks we participated in.

6ftDemon 6ftDemon Eulas Eulas

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Chapter 4: The Mountains

"Poor people! I hope everyone is alright over there… this storm is really something! I've never seen so much snow… I mean… I do live in the South to begin with. I wonder if Onlooker figured I’m not from here yet?", thought Victor as he leaded the way out of the village.

 

He didn’t fully know where the mines were located and based himself off what was the most logical direction to borrow. The snow was still falling in big clumps and the stryxes were just able to see enough for both of them to not lose each other.

 

"If we get lost, I have this awful visibility as a good argument.", thought Victor with a bit of relief. The corva got snapped out of his thoughts when a blast of wind managed to push him backwards, crashing against Mortifer who let out a huff. Although it was his idea, Victor started doubting if it was a good one as the fear of not having enough strength to help out was growing bigger on him.

 

"Sorry Onlooker!", yelled Victor through the wind

 

Mortifer, again, unimpressed by this small bird trying to play hero, was about to reply when a movement within the corner of his eye stopped him. Something… white… alive… dan-…gerous?

- Eulas (212)

Mortifer froze in place, causing Victor to also stop and look in the same direction.

 

"What's up?"

 

Mortifer said nothing, squinting to try and see through the snowstorm. Yeah, something was definitely moving out in the woods now that they had left the village.

 

"Stay here." Mortifer commanded, slowly creeping towards the treeline. Victor began to feel anxious standing still for so long, deciding to follow Mortifer anyway.


Mortifer inspected the area ahead carefully, seeing nothing but snow and ice and snapped tree branches from the wind. Maybe it was just a snowball rolling down the mountain.

 

"Let's keep going, I thought I saw-" Mortifer was cut off by a shriek nearby, one that sounded almost like a *howl.* Victor by now was trembling, more from the cold than the potential danger, but he stuck close to Mortifer just in case.

 

"What was that?" Victor shouted, to which he received a glare from Mortifer to stay silent. Before either of the stryx could react further, a huge white shape, one almost as big as Mortifer, came hurtling towards them, colliding with the gryph at full speed.


Mortifer cried out as he was struck, droplets of crimson staining the snow where he'd fallen. Victor felt his stomach drop at the sight, running up to Mortifer but being blocked by a sudden presence in front of him.

 

A giant, pure white, velvet rhakos stood in his way, jaws dripping with drool that was streaked with blood. Victor squeaked out a response, nothing comprehensible but a sound of fear indeed. Just as the rhakos began to approach, it was knocked away harshly by Mortifer's sweeping tail. The gryph had regained his composure, a nasty red bite mark visible on his chest from the rhakos.

 

"Victor, behind me!" Mortifer instructed, to which Victor obeyed swiftly. As the rhakos got to its feet, Mortifer's jaws began to hiss and crackle in a chargeup, a cold misty substance emanating from his open maw. This should send a message...

- 6-ft-Demon (332)

The albino rhakos, impassible as ever in front of Mortifer's threat, emitted a loud screech and stomped both his feet in the snow.

Preparing his breath for a blow, the gryph started to wonder "Is he actually gonna char-", but the runner did not let him a chance to finish his thought. As the rhakos fiercely sprinted  in his direction again, Mortifer let out a blast of ice shards in the opponent's direction, hitting the neck and face of the creature.

 

The rhakos let out a striking howl and changed abruptly his course, giving the gryph a short - but better - sight at the stryx as he ran past him. He managed to note something interesting about the eyes of the runner: "Red eyes and white pupils, huh? So you're blind… that explains.". The rhakos ran within the snowstorm to disappear, leaving behind a few red stains in the snow.

 

But Mortifer didn't let his guard down… this beast could comeback at any given time, and the injury he suffered from him first was very much spreading the crimson scent.

 

Still behind the gryph, Victor was shaking from everywhere: cold, fear, confusion, everything was happening all at once. The imposing posture of the stryx made it a little worse, as the corva was simply unable to assess the current situation in front of his friend. A few flashes, screeching sounds and howls were heard, Mortifer's hissing feathers were seen and the snow at the gryph's feet, more ruby than Victor had ever seen, was all he could witness from his traumatized view.

- Eulas (261)

"Let's get moving, we're not safe this far out, even if that thing wasn't out here too. The storm's only getting worse." Mortifer huffed, another red droplet falling from his chest onto the snow.


Victor was at a loss for words as Mortifer, holding a wing over his chest injury, trekked onward. It was all he could do to keep up with the gryph, who was now moving faster than before.

 

"We should go back. I was wrong, I shouldn't have brought us here, I-" Victor was cut off by Mortifer stopping and turning back to glare at Victor.

 

"If we turn back now then we've done this for nothing. I'll have been injured for nothing, so let's just keep going. I'm sure the mine is close by anyway." Mortifer hissed. Victor kept his beak shut, tears threatening to fall, and followed sheepishly after the gryph, every noise and howl of the wind making him jump. He still had the windhound's water barrel fastened around his neck.

 

Every now and then they would hear rustling sounds behind them, accompanied by occasional hisses and growls. The rhakos was following the red trail left behind by Mortifer, for sure, but there was nothing they could do. If they stopped to fight they risked even more than just one injury, especially now that Mortifer was weakened.


Through the darkness of the storm, suddenly, a light shone. Victor's face lit up with hope, putting a bounce back in his step. They'd made it!

 

"Who goes there?" A loud voice cut through the wind, calling out to the two stryx. Victor chirped loudly, letting the voice know they were close by.

 

"We need to find shelter, there's a rhakos after us!" Victor cried out. The light drew closer, revealing a familiar shape in the snow flurry. It was a fellow corva, one with feathers more akin to Mortifer than Victor; big puffy mane of feathers and a silken tail. She was holding a lamp attached to a staff in her beak.

 

"Damn it, I knew he'd show up. Come with me, there's a safe spot up ahead." The corva ushered the two along, directing the trek.

- 6-ft-Demon (361)

Total: 1166 words

 

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MORTIFER

LITERATURE: (1166 / 100) * 2 = 23

EVENT [FoF]: +4                        = 27

BUDDY BONUS: +4                  = 31

FLOCKMATE: +2                       = 33

PERSONAL: +3                          = 36

-----------

TOTAL AP                                 = 36AP

 

VICTOR

LITERATURE: (1166 / 100) * 2 = 23

EVENT [FoF]: +4                        = 27

BUDDY BONUS: +4                  = 31

FLOCKMATE: +2                       = 33

PERSONAL: +3                          = 36

-----------

TOTAL AP                                 = 36AP 

 

SHARD

LITERATURE: (593 / 100) * 2 = 11

EVENT [FoF]: +4                      = 15

BUDDY BONUS: +4                = 19

FLOCKMATE: +2.                     = 21

PERSONAL: +3                        = 24

-----------

TOTAL AP                                 = 24AP

 

CYM

LITERATURE: (138 / 100) * 2 = 2

EVENT [FoF]: +4                      = 6

EXTRA STRYX: +3                   = 9

FLOCKMATE: +3                     = 12

-----------

TOTAL AP                                 = 12Ap

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