Play@YSDC

"Strange..." Yuralria furrows her brow and rubs the black substance between two fingers. "If it is hiding in here, it would not be wise to go in after it, considering we will likely get trapped inside. Do you have any ideas?"

OC Are you going to bother npcing unulaq or just wait for him to get back from surfing?

"Or ... we could be the ones doing the trapping. We could corner whatever it is and prevent its escape. We might fare a better chance at success in battle while it is confined into an area far too small for it than to confront it out in the open," Unalaq counter-offered as an idea. He smiled to Yuralria nearly-apologetically as he said "Once a hunter, always a hunter."

Yuralria raises her eyebrows in surprise and curiosity, "But the footprints! They're massive! If we do find it inside and it attacks us, we may well be unable to get away. Do you.....have a plan to overtake it? Rope to tether it or lasso it? What have you got planned?"

"This is unfamiliar to me, this spirit world. I do not know what sort of creatures wander about, especially in these trying times. But I think we should find out what we can about it. Maybe we can stalk it and observe from a safe distance then decide what to do after," Unalaq suggested.

"Yes, perhaps." Yuralria says thoughtfully. "We need to follow these footprints. Otherwise they wouldn't be here. But we are physically still in my hut, with Ogtuk-luk watching over us. So we..we should be fine. " Her voice falters like she's doubting her own logic, however.

Thorrin is still hunched over the foot prints.. He dips his fingers in the black goo and it seems to writhe slightly along their tips. He flicks it to the ground with disgust..

Odin's beard! This is stranger a place than I have ventured Yuralria, even with my own magics. I will trust your judgement. If you think our answers lie down this hole then I will follow.

Unalaq nodded with a smile, "Yes, indeed. It is your call, Shaman. We are but your humble servants."

"Yes, of course." Yuralria gives a feeble smile, breathing in laboriously, and trudges forward. "Would you like to go first, Unulaq?"

Oc Bait first? LOL

Unalaq nodded, "Of course. It would not be right to send you in first. You are more valuable than I am. There are dozens of warriors, but only one real Shaman of our people."

He readied his spear and headed on in, trying to keep quiet with his footfalls. It certainly helped that his boots were made of skins (or it should at any rate. Do I get a bonus?).

ooc - it's more that you don't get a penalty with leather boots.

Unulaq, Thorrin and Yuralria enter the tunnel carved through the ice by some long forgotten astral river. Light is not a problem as the rays of Malina's brilliance penetrate deep into the ice, illuminating everything around the spirit walkers. They travel for only a few minutes into the heart of the giant iceberg before they spot something ahead on the icey floor. The glint of sparkling red stone, tied crudely to the end of a long pole. There are others just like it, scattered around the ice tunnel. At first glance, they appear to be spears of some sort made from a stone neither Unulaq nor the Shaman had seen before.

Thorrin looks wide eyed at Unulaq and the Shaman. He draws his shiny Viking steel and waits patiently for the others.

Curious, Unalaq approached the first of the red-stoned spears for a closer look at the rock.

Yuralria lets out a gasp of excitement, and approaches one of the spears to inspect it. She looks quizzically at the rock before experimentingly touching it.

"It's beautiful. I wonder what it is, Unulaq!"

"It's like... red ice," Unalaq stated. "Thorrin, have you ever seen anything like this?"

Thorrin nods.

They look like rubies. A valuable gemstone to my people. To use them as weapons... A single spearhead... a ruby of this size could feed an army for months with its worth.

He picks one up and holds the spear in his hands testing its weight.

Impressive. It is remarkably balanced.

ooc- spot hidden both of you.

Unalaq grabs up one of the spears as well and tests its balance. That's when he notices something.

Whatever Unulaq is looking atis lost on Yuralria, as she's too fixated on the beautiful 'ruby' in her hand.

"Ruby...what a pretty name. And will it penetrate a man in battle, like your shiny weapon, Thorrin?" She asks.

Thorrin puts the spear hread up to his lips and begins to sing softly to it. The gem glows brightly and then Thorrin turns back to Yuralria.

I beleive so... The rubies are enchanted in some way, though it could just be this place. Their magical properties will allow the ruby tip to penetrate most forms of armour. Much like my runes...

Thorrin then turns to Unulaq who seems interested in something else besides the spears.

Blue-ish blood nearly the same color as the icey walls is scattered throughout this section of the of the tunnel. He also spots some of that same black material he had found at the entrance to the ice tunnel.

Unalaq asked the others, "Do you think there's some reason they are all located right here? I think we should take them. I am very good with a spear." He starts scooping the spears up. "Did you notice? There was a fight in here. Something was injured... with blue blood. Whatever squeezed in here was involved... the black bear?"

ooc- Yuralria. Make an Inuit Mythos check.

Yuralria rubs her fingers in the black substance, then leans back to sit on her heels and stare at it quizzically. "Seems to me....I've heard of this before."

OCInuit mythos passed