Aleria: Lost in the night

A Canyon in the Land of Ice and Water - Night

A small group of soldiers are huddled around a meager fire. A constant wind tugs at the flames as the bard holds their attention with a story.

Bard

You see appearances can be deceiving. You wouldn’t think it, but this land, which has caused us to lose our way, is more dangerous than the ice-encased city of Vorago. Here it appears empty of life and, in a way, it is. But half-living things crawl just under the surface, around the corners, inside the holes, in the ground and behind the bushes. Even under the rocks you sit on! Their lives, once normal, were destroyed when the tempest came through over one hundred years ago and forced them into submission as baseless slaves. Now, the scourge has left in search of new conquests, but a new evil has been let loose in these half-living slaves who have no master to control them anymore. They lost hope long ago and there is nothing left for them but the instinct to survive. They are savage by no fault of their own. Yet savage they are, nonetheless.

The wind picks up the fire embers and scatters them away. A dark silence embraces the group and they tense as one who is the prey sensing a stalker close by. Raj alone seems unmoved by the omen as he stands to look around.

Raj
(pacing contemplatively) Everyone of us will die.

Issak, the leader, gets the fire going again.

Issak
I know you’re afraid Raj. But If you show weakness they’ll come and you’ll get your wish. You have to pull it together.

Raj
I don’t mean like that. I know we’ll get out of this. What I mean is we’re all going to die eventually. No matter what we do or how right we are, we’ll die just like those things eventually will. We can hope to leave here unharmed but we can be sure that death will come at some point.

Matt
Eghm. Issak, his attitude is bringing my morale down. I might hesitate in battle. So I think Raj should be hog tied or else we might follow his lead.

The men erupt in laughter.

Issak
You know, I think you’re right though. Tie him up. And Raj, if you fight them I will kill you.

Raj
Wait. Are you serious?

Issak throws a thick rope to the men closest to Raj. He scuttles backwards, trips over his feet and falls to the ground.

Raj
Wait. Wait. I didn’t mean it. I was just thinking aloud. I do that sometimes. Come on guys. Please don’t do this.

They reach him with their rope and ball and pause an inch from his face.

Raj cont…
Come on guys! It’s just stupid Raj opening his mouth again. You know that!

Issak
Yeah I know. I was just messing with you.

The men can’t contain their laughter. Raj falls back to the ground and joins in.

Issak
Seriously though. What you say is good and true but let’s hold the philosophizing until we’re back in Aleria. We have enough to think about.

Perry
He’s right. That story wasn’t just a story. I should know. It’s true. There are creatures to be feared here and we should keep our eyes and ears open because I won’t let this land of ice and water become my home again.