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giraine:summary-365 [2024/11/09 13:38] – tim45tenwagiraine:summary-365 [2024/11/16 10:36] (current) – tim45tenwa
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-<- giraine:summary-364|The House of All Secrets - Part 2 ^ giraine:summaries-2024|Summaries 2024 ^ giraine:summary-366| ->+<- giraine:summary-364|The House of All Secrets - Part 2 ^ giraine:summaries-2024|Summaries 2024 ^ giraine:summary-366|Tomb of Ornovar One-Foot; and the King-Who-Walks ->
 ====== Summary 365: The Horses of Ridalstead (2024-11-08) ====== ====== Summary 365: The Horses of Ridalstead (2024-11-08) ======
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 The Wizard-Sages came with documents from Archon of Estali, giving authority to explore these lands (they had bodyguards; total = 3 Sages, 5 guards) The Wizard-Sages came with documents from Archon of Estali, giving authority to explore these lands (they had bodyguards; total = 3 Sages, 5 guards)
-4  days ago, around midday, the Wizard-Sages visited the stead to buy provisions and ask for the authorization to explore the thane’s land. They took the opportunity to question the thane’s herders, leaning on their intimate knowledge of the local terrain. Most of the herders pointed towards a big tumulus, locally known as Dwarf Cap. The Wizard-Sages soon left to visit this site, which is about 3 hours east of here.  +  * 4  days ago, around midday, the Wizard-Sages visited the stead to buy provisions and ask for the authorization to explore the thane’s land. They took the opportunity to question the thane’s herders, leaning on their intimate knowledge of the local terrain. Most of the herders pointed towards a big tumulus, locally known as Dwarf Cap. The Wizard-Sages soon left to visit this site, which is about 3 hours east of here.  
-4  nights ago, heavy snow fell that brought the area to a standstill. In the early afternoon, the horses stabled in Ridalstead started neighing madly. Two men braved the storm to check what was going on. They did not return… The thane Farakt went out on his porch only to face a fiery horse whose face ended in a hooked eagle beak; the creature reared, flailing talons towards the terrified man. He only had time to throw himself backwards! His men forced the creature back with spears and then barricaded the door. +  * 4 nights ago, heavy snow fell that brought the area to a standstill. In the early afternoon, the horses stabled in Ridalstead started neighing madly. Two men braved the storm to check what was going on. They did not return… The thane Farakt went out on his porch only to face a fiery horse whose face ended in a hooked eagle beak; the creature reared, flailing talons towards the terrified man. He only had time to throw himself backwards! His men forced the creature back with spears and then barricaded the door. 
 Unfortunately, the floor of the porch caught fire from the monster, with its body’s flames protected from the snow by the jutting roof, and thus able to set fire to its surroundings. The wind fanned the flames and blew them towards the wooden walls. Soon the veranda was ablaze. The snow-covered thatch roof was not at risk, but the flames threatened to spread to the inner beams. Thane Farakt Sun-Colt and his relatives armed themselves with axes to tear down the burning wall and throw away the burning logs. Suddenly, the creature, unafraid of the flames, attacked. Two men died, including the thane's son, Hendulf, but the wall was torn down and the fire extinguished.  Unfortunately, the floor of the porch caught fire from the monster, with its body’s flames protected from the snow by the jutting roof, and thus able to set fire to its surroundings. The wind fanned the flames and blew them towards the wooden walls. Soon the veranda was ablaze. The snow-covered thatch roof was not at risk, but the flames threatened to spread to the inner beams. Thane Farakt Sun-Colt and his relatives armed themselves with axes to tear down the burning wall and throw away the burning logs. Suddenly, the creature, unafraid of the flames, attacked. Two men died, including the thane's son, Hendulf, but the wall was torn down and the fire extinguished. 
 However, four other similar creatures soon appeared and forced their way into the great hall, knocking over the furniture and maiming some defenders. Protected by the men, women and children took refuge upstairs in the thane's living quarters. The thane Farakt Sun-Colt was killed protecting their retreat. However, four other similar creatures soon appeared and forced their way into the great hall, knocking over the furniture and maiming some defenders. Protected by the men, women and children took refuge upstairs in the thane's living quarters. The thane Farakt Sun-Colt was killed protecting their retreat.
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 You decide to head out to see what the situation is around the stead interior. Boamund and Bog go to the: You decide to head out to see what the situation is around the stead interior. Boamund and Bog go to the:
-  + 
-6.          Stables: this impressive 30m-long building is presently empty. Its doors have been knocked out of their posts and lay on the ground. they were forced from the inside, with great claw-marks scored into them. There are no horses, dead or alive, inside. There are taloned claw-tracks and hoof-tracks going out from the stable, until the snows soon cover them. +  * **6. Stables:** this impressive 30m-long building is presently empty. Its doors have been knocked out of their posts and lay on the ground. they were forced from the inside, with great claw-marks scored into them. There are no horses, dead or alive, inside. There are taloned claw-tracks and hoof-tracks going out from the stable, until the snows soon cover them. 
-  +  * **7. Cottars’ cabin:** a small wooden building housing a family working the thane’s land. No one is there. 
-7.          Cottars’ cabin: a small wooden building housing a family working the thane’s land. No one is there. +  * **2. Granary:** a high wooden structure built on small stilts, with engraved depiction of Asrelia, against rodents. Walls are plastered with packed earth against fires and topped by a slatted roof.  
-  +  * **3. Barn and sheepfold:** sheep were kept on the ground floor while the hayloft, supported by posts, housed the estate’s thralls, you can infer. But the place is a terrible ruin. The monsters broke the door down and surged in; the thralls climbed in the hayloft, but the monsters knocked down the posts and slaughtered the falling men and women. Frozen, dead but torn and burned bodies of men, women, children and sheep litter the area around the building. It’s a gory, sad sight. 
-2.          Granary: a high wooden structure built on small stilts, with engraved depiction of Asrelia, against rodents. Walls are plastered with packed earth against fires and topped by a slatted roof.  +  * **4. Barn and cowshed:** basically, the same as above, but the building housed bovines instead of sheep. The same carnage awaits.
-  +
-3.          Barn and sheepfold: sheep were kept on the ground floor while the hayloft, supported by posts, housed the estate’s thralls, you can infer. But the place is a terrible ruin. The monsters broke the door down and surged in; the thralls climbed in the hayloft, but the monsters knocked down the posts and slaughtered the falling men and women. Frozen, dead but torn and burned bodies of men, women, children and sheep litter the area around the building. It’s a gory, sad sight. +
-  +
-4.          Barn and cowshed: basically, the same as above, but the building housed bovines instead of sheep. The same carnage awaits.+
    
 Boamund and Bog are headed to check out the cluster of three cottars’ cottages when a shrieking cackle comes from somewhere out in the driving snows. They have just enough time to prepare themselves for defense as a horse-monster trots into view. Its hulking silhouette, wrapped in the mist produced by its body heat, becomes increasingly visible through the billowing curtain of snow as it hurries in. It has the appearance of a tan horse whose head ends in a sharp, serrated beak and whose front hooves have been replaced by cruel talons. Its body flickers with flames and twists the air with heat. It has two large purulent wounds on its shoulders. Bog soon recalls the myth of King Hippogriff, who had his wings and some other features torn off and eaten by Zorak Zoran. How mythically resonant now to be fighting some demonic form of that ancient foe! But there’s no time to think as it rushes in, talons slashing at him and beak rending his way. Yet Boamund is there to aid him, and the two of them quickly bring it down, then Boamund severs its head. Its fires go out as it dies, and slowly it transforms back into a horse. Boamund and Bog rush back to the main hall as they hear more shrieking cries from somewhere out in the snows, but too close for comfort. Boamund and Bog are headed to check out the cluster of three cottars’ cottages when a shrieking cackle comes from somewhere out in the driving snows. They have just enough time to prepare themselves for defense as a horse-monster trots into view. Its hulking silhouette, wrapped in the mist produced by its body heat, becomes increasingly visible through the billowing curtain of snow as it hurries in. It has the appearance of a tan horse whose head ends in a sharp, serrated beak and whose front hooves have been replaced by cruel talons. Its body flickers with flames and twists the air with heat. It has two large purulent wounds on its shoulders. Bog soon recalls the myth of King Hippogriff, who had his wings and some other features torn off and eaten by Zorak Zoran. How mythically resonant now to be fighting some demonic form of that ancient foe! But there’s no time to think as it rushes in, talons slashing at him and beak rending his way. Yet Boamund is there to aid him, and the two of them quickly bring it down, then Boamund severs its head. Its fires go out as it dies, and slowly it transforms back into a horse. Boamund and Bog rush back to the main hall as they hear more shrieking cries from somewhere out in the snows, but too close for comfort.
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 You’ve been puzzling over the identity of the creatures, and what brought them here. Adessa knows no reason why her people would be accursed. At first you wondered if the things were Chaos monsters, but the fact that they turn back into normal horses upon death casts some doubt on that. Rather, you wonder if the Wizard-Sages have some role in this— are they ensorcelling the horses and sending them as monsters, for some reason? But Shrett has seen no sorcery hereabouts with his magic sight. The timing, though, is too obvious: something about the Wizard-Sages’ visit triggered these monsters to appear. And if 12 remain outside the main hall, you hope that not all come at once! You dealt with five easily enough, but in a less advantageous defensive location or with greater numbers of foes, you’d be in big trouble. You’ve been puzzling over the identity of the creatures, and what brought them here. Adessa knows no reason why her people would be accursed. At first you wondered if the things were Chaos monsters, but the fact that they turn back into normal horses upon death casts some doubt on that. Rather, you wonder if the Wizard-Sages have some role in this— are they ensorcelling the horses and sending them as monsters, for some reason? But Shrett has seen no sorcery hereabouts with his magic sight. The timing, though, is too obvious: something about the Wizard-Sages’ visit triggered these monsters to appear. And if 12 remain outside the main hall, you hope that not all come at once! You dealt with five easily enough, but in a less advantageous defensive location or with greater numbers of foes, you’d be in big trouble.
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giraine/summary-365.1731159514.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/11/09 13:38 by tim45tenwa

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