IoK Session 16

‘No… that is not yours!’

Cranic pulled the now torn bedroll from the young bear.  He and his brother had gained at least 10 pounds in the last couple weeks, and their constant roughhousing was beginning to wear on the lone beastmaster.  He had separated them for the evening, which only seemed to make them frustrated. 

Rylon, the larger of the two cubs, had taken to chewing leather when upset.  Cranic had already gone to the quartermaster to replace a backpack and a quiver.  Seemed his next silver would be spent on a replacement bedroll.  Despite the inconvenience, Cranic smiled as he watched the bear paw and play at the loose batting.  He would sleep on the ground tonight.

Cranic and the cubs had set up their own small camp just north of the Nine Hammers expedition.  Still close enough to aid in the defense of the camp, but far enough away that he need not listen to the constant berating of Bolan.  The older brother had taken up the mantle of Ironsbane, though he knew nothing of leadership. 

Then again, Cranic had to admit that the camp was developing at an impressive pace.  Though he and the Srylian still slept under hides and makeshift shelters, the dwarves had moved from their tent city into several rough cabins.  Three log houses which offered protection from the elements as well as potential shelter from attack.  They were built with heavy log walls and wood flooring.  The windows and doors were also heavy construction, capable of barricading from the inside.  Standing high above them, a stilted tower offered excellent vantage over the clearing of the camp.  Bolan had saw to removing all of the trees near the camp in order to eliminate cover for any approaching golyn incursion.  Though defensible, the camp was also obvious.  Easily spotted by any scout, they would be able to hold their ground but never hide.  Not a tactic Cranic favored.

‘Hobok… your bear is eating your bedroll.’

Cranic smiled, knowing that Felsyrlus had a knack for stating the obvious.  The Syrlian Jerule was neither subtle nor tactful, and this was on purpose.  Felsyrlus intended to be seen and heard… and honest.  Cranic found him always to be honest, even when it was inconvenient.

‘I think he appreciates the flavor.  It was a well-seasoned bedroll.’

The Jerule didn’t return the smile.  He never did, but with few in the camp who spoke the Created tongue, Cranic took his opportunities to express himself when he could.

‘Jerule… How are the dwarves?’

With no knowledge of Darian or Geonomic languages, Cranic suffered from both a curse and a blessing.  Bolan had tried several times to command the beastmaster.  The elder son had come to him with the Northwinds, no doubt as a show of authority.  He bellowed in a stern timbre and pointed to the forest.  Cranic took this to mean he was not welcome in the camp and had moved his tent further north.  Felsyrlus informed him after that Bolan had wanted him to scavenge roots and berries from the woods.  Not wanting to be the dwarves kitchen servant, the two had agreed to ‘play dumb’ regarding their shared communications.  This seemed to pain the Srylian, but he seemed to also appreciate being able to confide in someone.

‘They work hard building the camp.  They clear trees and raise walls.  Bolan has denied them any drink but water till the camp construction is complete.  Seems he believes they are more productive sober.’

The nod from the Jerule suggested he felt the same about the productivity, but the concern still shown through his scaled grimace.

‘I watched the woodsman shouting at the tanner this morning.  They were legitimately angry this time.  I thought they may come to blows until Drauk stepped between them.  I also saw young one, Fardal, crying.  He hid over by those trees from the others.’

Cranic gestured to the eastern woodline, not that the dwarf was still there.  Stress was building in the camp, and he feared that it wouldn’t be long before that young dwarf decided to test his luck in the forest.

‘No one is to enter the woods alone.  If Fardel continues, Bolan may make an example of him.  I believe it is only a matter of time before he requires a scapegoat to display his authority.  This one will not be able to stop it if the Nine Hammers declare their judgement.’

It was an odd sort of law the Jerule adhered to.  The Srylian respected strength and lineage.  It was one of the reasons they worked well with the Covalian Nobles… lineage was everything to them.  As the Nine Hammers were the ‘aristocracy’ of this camp, and technically they funded everything, their will was the law.  Cranic feared that in time, Bolan would need to demonstrate his power.

‘If Bolan possesses this authority, why did he let Ironsbane run the camp for so long?  Why would this noble dwarf from a strong house not wish to wield power from the very beginning?  He seems to be enjoying it now.’

The Jerule stiffened, and Cranic observed what he believed to be a sense of pride.

‘Because Ironsbane comes from a greater house.  He is not the servant of Talanik Nine Hammers… he is Talanik’s uncle.’

Iok Session 15 – Special:  Test of Dragonspeak dictation program

I found this amusing, so everything after the line is an attempt to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium Ver 13.  I’ve only calibrated once and I need to add IoK themed words to its vocabulary.  Overall, I’m rather impressed.  I was able to sit in my chair, think about the game, and just talk.  The computer did the rest.  Note the missing punctuation… it takes some practice to get used to controlling the program’s features.  For now, I see it as a great alternative method to writing… There is a different flow to the language that you don’t get from typing.  Just tell the story...

_________________________  Dragon Speak is now ‘on’__________________

Testing 123 so how well is this dictation working Nepal struggled to keep her mind focused as the undead Golden rose around her. The scouts drew weapons and prepared for a fight that they did not comprehend. Nothing about this place was real and they did not know that. What they saw and what they felt in their minds was undead Golden rising up out of the snow. What Nepal has learned from past adventures in the dreamworld was at nothing here was real. They were simply within someone else’s nightmare. Up until now Nepal had thought it was hers. Something else was here that she was not familiar with it. It was Armin who noticed first. In his dream it was his mind that had been cracked open wide through his eyes and ears represented by a helmet he wore more of a leather mask with gears and ratchets lenses which focus his vision and sharpen the Sears years. As lenses rotated he caught sight of something in the distance. It was a tree and standing beneath the tree was a figure that Apollo did not recognize and have not entered the world with her it was here first and it was not part of the nightmare. While Armin watched and listened guard gripped his acts and prepared for the real world encounter that he felt this world represented unfortunately the large Hind did not have the mind or willpower to understand how this world worked and treated just like the physical world he was used to it would flex his muscles and swing his acts thinking that his muscles actually existed. The creatures here were nothing but allusion and Garwood have to realize that on his own. Unlike Gar though the hynid and the lizard man possessed strong minds. They had already discovered that the reality around them was flexible and could be bent to their will. Earlier both had discovered how to grow wings and were now flying as if they had done so their entire lives. As the gold illusions rose up around the scouts, the hynid fired his bow the strength of his mind enhancing it into a silver rain of needles. Tearing through the gold. The dwarven Templar seemed to possess the mind necessary to understand this world but his beliefs held him back. Call was a being of law. Every ounce of his being rebelled against the Imperial nature of this world. Was not that he didn’t understand that this was a dream, it’s that he was offended by it. Despite his beliefs he still possess the will depend is reality. He fought the Golan with the righteous fire she dreamed he always held. As Nepal watched the scouts, she paid particular attention to the other flatlander. MIP was both a skin dancer and the total must. The skills he had learned altered the physical world on a regular basis doing so on the dreamworld did not require much disbelief. The golyn is Armin watched the tree and saw the form standing there it appeared as a man one that he knew there also appeared to be another man on the ground in front of him. Not possessing the wings of the lizard man that she did, Armin directed Zürich to investigate. Flying closer to the tree and over the snow-covered landscape, as it got close enough to see that the man standing next to the tree was Neville. But how could Neville be a dreamer if they had seen him murdered in the forest. At Neville’s feet was a sick looking dwarf that appeared to be irons bang in Neville’s hand was a knife as this is a realized he was watching the scene play out again from the fight in the forest. The pale iron Spain held a wound in the stomach with blood slowly and Neville leaned over him watching and wondering if his pain. It was then that this is a realized it flown to close and caught Neville’s attention. You’re not supposed to be here set Neville. With that Neville left iron Spain side and began to approach the gold fight the scouts are currently engaged in himself now aware that there was more to this dreamworld than he originally thought. While he watched the scouts battled their nightmares. Every goal man ever fought in the forest seem to crawl back out of the snow and animated courts and nightmare of what they had been. Of keen horror was the swarms of gold heads, a rolling wave of teeth and decaying flesh which sought revenge on the scouts would slam them. As several discounts were bitten the speaker from the head seeped into their wounds not a poison of the flesh but of the mind. It was Armin who first to come to this poison is the swarm of head snapped his ankles and gnashed at his wrist. In a panic, is reality began to break in Armin’s dream was no longer his own. Around him the undead Golden shifted and swarmed faster than he was able to swing his sword’s. It was now up to the others to put down this nightmare. COLM had envisioned a way to give himself an advantage one which he could not have in the physical world. Yet grown in size near doubling his height and stature. Now it giant in this dreamworld he quickly flung the gold around him to the ground breaking them with his hands and swinging a massive flaming sword now worthy of righteous his name. Gar continued to be Gar regardless of dream or physical. With a singular purpose, his acts lasted any goal within reach. Reach was at least work Gar had begun to grasp the nature of the dream as his acts stretched and bent to his will. In time the scouts had defeated once again every goal may have fought, and now look to the trees to see only Neville. As Nepal looked at the scene play out seeing the scouts stand before Neville she realized that this was no longer her dream. She could not control or limit the actions of the goal nor could she stop Neville. If it was his dream his powers here would be immense. Before she could signal or somehow motion for them to understand, MIP was charging across the snow in his woven form. He charged Neville, snapping at him with pulling teeth. The taste was not of copper but iron, foreign. Too late, MIP began to realize that this was not the Neville he knew. Neville himself did not seem to really know MIP, is an almost confused state he pondered the scouts and how they could be in his dream. You’re not supposed to be here screamed Neville. And then his body shook and morphed and changed. His legs ripped in half, stretching and breaking. Metal ripping from flesh’s legs now appeared as kitchen knives balancing the larger Neville top of the. She now looked a spider made of knives and screamed at me in anger. In near panic Nepal tried to purge the scouts to leave to guide them back to the portal. But they fought not understanding that Neville could not be defeated in this world this was his world. Dodging blades snapping and cutting arrows and spells axes and swords. If by nothing but time and time did not move the same here as it did in the real world. Neville anger grew and as the scouts attempted to outrun him to move around he called forth a swarm of gold but just their heads. Flying through the air like screaming cannonballs they rained down on the scouts. As Gar and Armin and Coleman kept kept Neville distracted the lizard man had flown back to iron Spain. What they said could only be heard by them but Nepal saw as the dwarf handed the lizard man something. In the lizard man held it close to his chest as if it was everything. He then left the dwarf delay in his nightmare. Nepal and the others now needed to flee they had at least bought time from Neville is Neville became confused and his spider form shattered about. They took this opportunity to flee to make it back to the doorway of their minds. As they crossed the footprints in the snow, Nepal realized that she realized this was the limits of Neville’s nightmare.