Chapter 2 : V-day : Aglakti

[DSIGFUSS]

Sigyn frowns…. and takes a much more defensive tone.

I wish to know your business with the Ijiraat mother and her cubs. Where is she taking you and for what purpose? I had hoped we could be friends. I could teach you much about my people’s magic. The 18th rune will come to you in time and on this very island if you know what you are searching for.

But… If you don’t wish my friendship Shaman and wish to continue sinking my… war dragons, then may ruin fall upon your people like locusts and plague.

Aglakti sees that Sigyn’s hands are clenched tightly around the porcelain dish she holds to prevent poison from dripping into her husband’s mouth. Suddenly the dish cracks and the blackish poison dripping from the giant snake’s mouth overhead spills all over Loki’s face.

Loki’s eyes open wide and he screams; his mouth full of venom. The whole hut shakes violently as Loki thrashes about in agony.

Sigyn holds his arms down as best she can. She reaches out and calls to Aglakti.

Shaman… Please… Find me something to wipe the poison. He’ll shake your island to pieces…

[Laraqua]

"Careless," Aglakti snarls defiantly. "You preach friendship and yet even the man you protect suffers under your care?!" She tears some fabric from your clothing and hands it to her.

OOC: I think Aglakti's my one true arrogant bitch character. Sorry you have to put up with her!

[DSIGFUSS]

The hut quakes as if an Ice Giant had lifted it into the air and shook it like a rattle, whilst a thousand storms crackled and howled their displeasure all around. The wolves howled in unison and Aglakti could tell they were all very close by. Sigyn gritted her teeth and grabbed the rag from the Shaman’s outstretched hands. She immediately began to wipe her husbands lips clean of the blackish poison. The giant snake dangling from above hissed. It seemed the reptile had finally scored a blow and had the taken the opportunity to gloat. Loki vomited on Sigyn’s dress and then entered a mad state of spasmodic convulsions which shook the hut to its core. Sigyn placed the rag over Loki’s mouth and ran to the fire to gather a pot made of solid iron. She held it over Loki’s mouth and began once again to collect the poison. The poison crashed down on the metal making a hollow dripping noise that gave Aglakti a hint of satisfaction.

Having saved her husband, Sigyn turns on Aglakti

You made me do this you wicked Skraeling wench!

Aglakti had never heard the word Skraeling before, but she did not like the sound of it.
Then Aglakti finally remembered Pandoval. When the hut began to shake he had run for cover. Now the poor Ijiraat bear cub lay unconscious; the heavy wooden book-shelf pinning him beneath its weight.

Sigyn chuckled malevolently.

Tell me where you are heading with the cubs mother and I will help the Ijiraat bastard.

[Laraqua]

Aglakti goes to ljiraat's side and struggles to lift the book case. "I will not betray their confidance to one who shows such gleeful cruelty."

[DSIGFUSS]

Sigyn laughs wickedly as Aglakti strains with the heavy book shelf resting on Pandoval.

You will pay for your insolence with the life of your companion child of the frozen rain. The Bear God approaches.

oc – roll a STR resistance check to move the shelf. 1d100.

[Laraqua]

"Murderous wretch," Aglakti swears as she strains with the bookcase.

[DSIGFUSS]

Aglakti can’t budge the book case and she hears a terrible growling coming from the distance. She remembers the sound well. It is the Black Bear. The sound of the howling wolves grows quieter as the bear gets closer to Sigyn's hut, grunting and roaring its thunderous rage. Suddenly Aglakti knows she is not safe here. Safety lies only in her old Shaman’s hut, her one connection to the real world.

Pandoval wakes up and his eyes widen with panic. He struggles for a moment before giving up.

He’s coming Shaman. Nanook is coming! Help! Please! Momma!

Sigyn mocks the bear cub laughing meniacly as the hut continues to shake from Loki's writhing.

oc – Inuit Mythos check please.

[Laraqua]

Aglakti knows nothing to help the situation and so keeps struggling to lift up the bookcase, this time possibly managing to heave it off.

[DSIGFUSS]

Aglakti summons a rush of strength and finally budges the bookcase enough for Pandoval to squeeze himself from under it.

Sigyn immediately stops laughing and stares at the Shaman intensely, gritting her teeth as Agalkti frees her friend. Loki stops his convulsing from the poison he had swallowed and passes out, his arms falling limp to his side. As Loki passes out the room stops shaking and a dull silence fills the air. Only Agakti’s labored breathing and Pandoval’s soft whimpering could be heard before Sigyn voiced her frustration.

No matter! The Shadow bear is here. You are both doomed.



Then on cue, the Shadow Bear slowly peaks his head into Sigyn’s hut. Aglakti recognizes the bear from her nightmares. Both cruel and powerful, the Shadow Bear had haunted Agalkti’s dreams and preventing her from entering the spirit world. She had not visited the spirit world for some time now until now. Though the bear could not kill her in her dreams, she knew enough about the spirit world to know the Shadow Bear could do her great harm in this place. Perhaps even worse than death.

The Shadow Bear inched in, parting the flap of Sigyn’s tent, sniffing as he moved forward. The bears face was covered in an unnatural moving shadow. Black maggots crawled in and out of his fur, tearing the skin as they wriggled and squirmed. This was no particular surprise to Aglakti as she had seen the dark bear many times before. This time, however, Aglakti noticed something odd in the light of Sigyn’s fire. A small patch of white fur around the Shadow Bears eye, poking through the swirling shadows. The shadow seemed unable to cover the white fur, not for a lack of trying.

ooc – spot hidden.

[Laraqua]

She sees all that she needs to see.

[DSIGFUSS]

Aglkti instinctively looks from side to side for a way out. There were two options now… Fight or Flight. From her previous encounters with the Shadow Bear, Aglakti knew there was little chance she could defeat this mindless beast.

As she quickly scanned the hut, Aglakti noticed one of the hide walls had been slit near the bottom. On the floor she saw what appeared to be a painted red gull feather, capped at one end with bone. She recognized it immediately from her old Shaman’s headdress. The headdress she had given to Yuralria when she first left the Dorset Village.

[Laraqua]

Aglakti hurries Pandoval with her as she makes for the slit, taking up the feather as she tries to get through it, holding it up a little to help the cub through.

[DSIGFUSS]

The Shadow Bear pursues Aglakti, grunting and growling. Maggots of shadow and death ooze from the space between the beast's claws for every step he takes towards the Shaman. He swipes savagely at Aglakti's feet, trying to knock her to the ground.

Sigyn laughs aloud as the Shaman flees.

Kill her! Kill her Nanook! Make her and all her kind suffer!

Pandoval quickly changes into a short white furred lemming and scampers ahead of Aglakti into the snow.

Hurry Shaman! We must make it back to your hut!

ooc - Roll Dodge! (I'll look it up.)

[Laraqua]

Aglakti tries to dodge out of the way of the heavy paw but it had never been her strong point.

[DSIGFUSS]

The Shadow Bear rakes one its claws against Agalti’s backside sending a hot wave of searing pain through her body.

OOC- Aglakti takes 9 damage. (-3 for the hide she wears) (so 6 damage total.)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1661711/

She falls onto the snow, the hides on her back shredded and torn.

Pandoval scurries along the ground in the form of a white furry lemming.

Run Shaman Run!

[Laraqua]

Aglakti struggles to rise and continue on. "Just keep going, Pandoval! Fear not for me! I am not afraid!" She feels her acceptance rise. She will neither lay down nor will she fear her fate. The beast is grotesque and her duty half-done but she will give it not the satisfaction of her fear ... even if she cannot prevent her death.

[DSIGFUSS]

Pandoval wimpers and slowly backs away from Aglakti before turning into a full run back down the main walkway of the Dorset Village. A wolf howls in the distance just outside of the village. It appears as though the Shadow Bear had scared it off.

Aglakti rises to her feet as a set of long black claws tears through the hut's soft leathery walls. The Shadow Bear sticks it's nose through the hole it had just made and sniffs the Shaman's blood pooling on the snow at Aglakti's feet. He roars and bits of black oil covered maggots fly from it's mouth, landing on the cold snow.

ooc- roll Idea check and if you fail roll under your luck.
ooc - roll Sanity check.

[Laraqua]

Aglakti felt thebeginnings of a cunning plan form in her mind even in view of the disturbing beast.

[DSIGFUSS]

Summoning her courage after the Shadow Bear's frightening roar, Aglakti remembers her spear. Sedna had given it to her personally after she had combed the godess' hair during the combing ceremony; her first year as Shaman. She knows that she cannot defeat the Shadow bear on her own, but perhaps she could send it a message.

ooc- With a POWx5 roll you can summon your spear and attack. If your POWx5 roll is successful you can make your spear attack roll. If that is successful roll damage 1d8/ 1d4 It will have modifiers/ bonuses in the spirit world as it is a spirit weapon of sorts. I'll add them myself. Or you could just run!

[Laraqua]

Aglakti decides to keep running. There had to be an escape route somewhere. Some symbolic entry to her own world.