ic Icy Dead People

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo stroked his goatee, and hmmed. He conjured a small coin and rotated it across his fingers as he thought.  "A conundrum indeed, duckies...Well, old Phantasmo isn't without his tricks. If the top of the mountain is indeed brimming with the old Mystic Hoo-doo, I should be able to zero in on it to enhance my "Puff of smoke" trick like I did to get to this icecube that is somewhat ironically named Greenland - insert Iceland is green, Greenland is icy joke here -  but I've never teleported with more than one additional person - could be a bit of a trouble there."

 

He 'ported over to Tanya and gave her the once over, then did the same to Arna, then again to Black Knight. "Hmmmmmmm...Well, the added weight MAY be a problem - but then again, it might not be. So - I could try to teleport us all at once, ORRRR...I could 'port us one at a time. Unless we don't do that route. What say you, young-Black Knight-me-lad?" he asked the armor-clad youth. 

[Exaccus]

"Allow me Phantasmo, I may have a more time saving solution." he says, emboldened by his string of successes and eager to continue to be impressive and Valiant he takes a jab at the air and exerts his will unto the sword, urging it to rend a path of Utterdark through the time and space of his location and destination, it is a monumental strain to channel such might even with aldonite's Consenting and egging him on to flex its formidable powers but it is not long before a corona of swirling darkness springs into being around the hilt of his sword and spirals out around the blade like an opening iris.

 

he removes his blade and plants it onto the ground quickly enough to make it look like a simple gesture of pride rather than needing a crutch to lean on "I fear this is where things become truly dire, fair maidens; I'm sure myself and Phantasmo will do all we can to protect you should you choose to join us but there is no shame in sitting this one out."

 

<Know I would if I didn't have a magic sword.>

[Supercape]

GM

 

"I'm in!" said Tanya and Arna, eager to be seen to be brave, even if they were not. It was hard to say who spoke first, or with more passion. 

 

One swim through arcane realms and ride through ley lines later...

 

Whatever else, the ancient runestones of the Vikings had some pagan power. It was like travelling through fog, floating and ephemeral. And as the foursome wafted to the mountain through time that was not time and space that was not space, the voice of Erik the Red came through...

 

Protect my line, Protect her....

 

The Mountain was beyond freezing. Even Tanya and Arna, who were unafraid of most cold temperements, started chattering teeth. There was wind here, and cold cold air. 

 

On the plus side, the sun was coming up, a dim glow that could be seen from their elevation. 

 

And it was elevated. And precarious. A thin path, or more like a thin space where the terrain was not perilous, leading upwards...

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo was not the least perturbed by the fact that the air was yelling at them. "Righty-o, duckies! Onward and upward, as my dear old mum used to say! Well - she actually used to say - 'Never count your chickens before they've hatched.' But whatever!" 

 

The zombie pauses and looks over at the two freezing women. "Whoop - you two look colder than my last girlfriend! I kid, I kid - Lovely woman, actually - I heard she got married and has three grandchildren now. Hmmm...Ooh, I know!" He snaps his fingers, and two warm magician's cloaks appear folded in his hands. They aren't much, but they'll provide SOME protection. "It's not much, but they'll prevent you from freezing your ti - er, time off." He passes the cloaks to each woman. "Right, BK old boy - d'you think that magic pigsticker of yours might have an idea who Erik the Red's great-great-great-etcetera grand-child may be? It's not me, I'm damn sure - my ancestors were Welsh."  He leans against a nearby ice formation.

[Exaccus]

"Thou art also not a her." he says slightly tongue in cheek as he feels the cold begin to cut into him again "Erik settled in these lands and he was a viking, i imagine a great many people could draw there lineage to him from variouis degrees of directness, but id wager the warning is for one of you ladies in particular; though it matters not, we will protect you both unto our...well my last breath and phantasmo's final card." quite certain phantasmo didn't mind him speaking on his behalf this time he turns his attention back to the path of least resistance "Looks to be treacherous." he huffs taking a moment to catch his second wind for what he was sure was going to be a fight with an evil wizard..his first real super villain, the adrenalin and anxiety sharpening his wits and pumping might into his muscles.

 

"let us make haste....and not bother with this winding icy way." he says as with another flick of his sword he opens another portal to the summit "my solid steel and iron plate giveth protection sound, but a hostage of fate i would become if i should slip and fall to ground." as he steps through and out onto the plateau.

[Supercape]

GM

 

With the faint dawn, a sun low and heavy hinting at its presence, peeking over the horizon, the view was magnificent. For all its cold and dark, the air in Greenland was of unmatched clarity. At this height, one could see for miles. The air even tasted clean. 

 

A return to Freedom City would seem dirty and filthy after this, one would not notice it normally, but when pure air was inhaled, it would show the contrast. 

 

So, a pause, a moment, atop a mountain, with perfect clarity, and perfect cold. 

 

And then...

 

From the Icy summit, a figure emerged. He could not have been much more than five foot, and thin of build. Dark, withered, with eyes as black as a starless night, bedgraggled hair, wearing ragged and soiled furs. Around his waist, a leather belt and knife. In his hand, a long and sharp spear. 

 

"<What devils are you, that would stop the dead from rising? What devils are you that would stop long awaited vengeance? This land is mine, part of me and my kin, and still it suffers the shame of foreign plundering!>" he said in old Icelandic, his voice cold, empty, and without breath, yet full of will.

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo blinked. Well, the lights in his eyes went out for a second then lit up again. His version of a blink. 

 

He coughed a bit, feeling a bit awkward. "...Sorry, my fellow member of the undead community, I have no idea what the bloody hell you're going on about. Could you hold on for just a tic? Thanks." 

 

The zombie 'ported over to sit next to Arna. "D'you speak his lingo, love? D'you think you could provide a bit of translation? I mean - if he's the chap who summoned those dead buggers, tell him - in a very polite manner, no need for us to be rude - but indicate that we're going to kick his arse up and down the mountain 'till the great Odin widens the eye he doesn't have. Well, by "We" I mean the armored lad and myself. Don't get me wrong," He patted her hand gently - his hand felt like slightly rotten shoe leather wrapped in a silk glove  - "I'm sure you can prod buttock in your own way, but BK and I are old hands at it. Age before beauty, duckie, age before beauty." 

 

He leaned casually against a nearby rock formation and gave a cheery wave to the disgruntled viking zombie-summoning chap. "Be with you in a minute, old man! The show's about to start!"

[Exaccus]

Black knight found himself in the midst of some very confusing and conflicting feelings, the ghost was jabbering at him in what he presumed to be some form of Icelandic, this meant it was intelligent or so pouring over the monster manual when it was his turn at dunlake's gamesclub would have him believe; It would likely be more powerful than the puppet corpses they'd pulped not long ago; it made him rather more weary of what tricks it might pull, considering there were two non-combatants behind him.

 

<Better take this guy seriously, dug his way out of his afterlife for this showdown after all.>

 

"Feigr, I would have words with thee." he says with stony resolve "On the subject of thy fruitless quest for vengeance upon those long since passed; as thyself should be."

Edited December 31, 2014 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

Agna knew her stuff. Feigr Iss spoke in an centuries old dialect, but she could handle it. Languages and words was her business. And translate she could. Shivering, she clamped her jaw shut and stopped her teeth chattering. 

 

"Well Mr. Knight. You are quite the charmer, taking me to the top of a freezing mountain and talking to a ghost on our first date!" she said boldly to the swordsman. 

 

She exchanged words with the zombie, talking for him and the two heroes. 

 

"He...wants to know why you are here....why you are slaying the Viking dead....he says...he wants vengeance on Erik the Red and all his folk. This land was torn for him...and his kin..."

 

She paused, shocked. 

 

"And...he says that I am one of his kin..."

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo began to chuckle incredulously.  "Oh, F*** off." He saw her expression. "Wait, really?...Well, that's just awesome. I'm in the presence of Viking Royalty! Ooh! That's...wow. Arrrrna - " again with the rolling Rs - "Remind me to buy you a great big crown when we get back, right? Something nice and impressive - wait, back up."

 

The magician looked at the disgruntled dead man. "...You serious, man? You're making skeletal lads and tearing property up because you're mad that Erik the Red took your land?...Not to sound unsympathetic, duckie, but it sounds to me like you just got your arse handed to you. Nothing to feel ashamed about. Happens all the time in history. People die, get their land stolen, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

 

You want old Phantasmo's advice - you should listen to BK here - that's him, in the armor - and rest in peace. You've fought the good fight. Time to head off to Valhalla or wherever." He sighed, then continued. "But, considering your culture - you're not going to go about quietly, we're going to have to get in a bit of a scrape...You're like old Jenny Jackson in that respect. I can respect that, but enough dilly-dally! Right, then, Arna - Tanya - do stay back, please?"

 

Phantasmo 'ported to the side of his Armored Companion. "LET THE SHOW BEGIN! EEEEEEYYYAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Edited January 2, 2015 by MisterShoebox

[Supercape]

GM

 

Feigr Iss hissed, crouched over, hand on spear. His eyes were black, yet somehow still shone a deathly cold in the cold and clear air. He spoke in his native and old tongue, and raised his hand. From the icy rocks, cracks and splinters of ice grew, coldness in the air, then, a wall of ice fell upwards, like a waterfall in reverse, but hard and crystal clear, sealing off Tanya and himself from Agna and the two heroes. Tanya, for all her boldness, and hanging around Phantasmo the unliving had just made her bolder, could not help but scream. To her credit, she stamped and strangled it to death halfway through. 

 

Agna gulped, shaken. 

 

"Ah...ah....he said that I am his heir...and that Tanya is the heir of Erik the Red! And he will have his vengeance!" she said, shaken. 

 

Protect my kin...Protect my kin...came the ghostly and faint voice of Erik once more, whispering through the mountain air. 

[MisterShoebox]

"...Well, that's just..." Phantasmo paused,, and looked a bit taken aback. "...Plenty of time to sort out later, I suppose - "

 

He cleared his throat and gave out an awesome bellow. "FOR THE FIRST ACT, AN ACT OF DISAPPEARANCE! ABRACADABRA!" 

 

The zombie 'ported up to the Viking Warrior Ghost...thing...and gave a punch that could have broken the skull of a charging bull!...Or tried to, anyway. "OH DAMN!" 

 

Having not accounted for the icy ground, Phantasmo accidently slipped, slid...and ran into the wall, spread-eagle. "...Ow." Right, well, that was embarrassing. 

Edited January 6, 2015 by MisterShoebox

[Exaccus]

Black knight swallowed slightly nervously, this guy was the real deal it seemed, ancient wizard fella with command over his enviroment, which happened to be a already quite icy mountain peak, but situations like this were to become a daily occurance for him and now was no time to falter, not whilst tanya's very life was on the line, snapped from his internal analysis by phantasmo leaping into action he follows after in his own way, opening a portal and stepping through, placing a large, reassuring gauntlet on Tanya's shoulder and pulling her towards the portal even as he steps forward, stomping across the ice and raising his sword at Feigr, horizontaly  across himself, hoping to convey his message through body language even as he spoke it.

 

"You'll have to go through us first, villain!" ready to close the portal the moment tanya was safely on the other side with agna "I assure thee it will not be easy."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"<What foul sorcery! You dress in the armour and steel of the devils who pillaged this land!>" hissed Feigr Iss, spinning around. Between Black Knight and Phantasmo, he was set at from all angles. 

 

Yet the short dead spirit was not easily undone. 

 

"<You are fools to face me on this sacred rock! In all this land, here the spirits of the dead are strongest! It is here I was reborn!>"

 

"Uhhh...ohhh...he said this mountain is sacred, where dead spirits return...." shuddered Agna. 

 

Without a pause, Feigr Iss walked through the wall of Ice he had created, as if was nothing but air. On the other side, the heroes could hear him laughing. Now, he was on the other side of the ice wall, and the two women, Black Knight, and Phantasmo were on the other!

 

"I...don't feel so good..." said Tanya, her red hair waving in the wind, her teeth chattering, her eyes pale and shining. 

 

And then, at Feigr's command, Phantasmo felt a creeping cold sensation in his legs, as the ice of the mountain crawled up his legs, encasing him...

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo hadn't survived...well, not survived...the  meaning is clear - this long for nothing. The instant he noticed that Mr. Ancient Freezy Jerk was attempting freeze him, he 'ported to safety, doing a little bow as he did so. "WAIT 'TILL THE CURTAIN FALLS TO ASK FOR AUTOGRAPHS, PLEASE! THE SHOW HAS JUST BEGUN! BUT HAVE A CARD! EHEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAHAHAHAHA!" 

 

As he 'ported, the zombie also tossed a hastily-conjured playing card at the ancient warrior - it hit him in the ribs! ...w00t! "EHEEEEEHHEEHEHAAAHAAHAHAAAA!"

 

He was interrupted mid-evil laugh by Tanya's...commotion. He looked over at her, a bit worried. "...Uh...Tanya, you're..oh, dear. Are you going all exorcist, duckie? ...Dooooh, this can't bode well." He paused. "...But, since I don't know exactly what is going on, and can't do anything about it right now because of this prat - " he jerked his thumb at the Ancient Viking Warrior Zombie. "...I'll file that under "Bloody Weird Goings-On."

 

He 'ported over to Black Knight. "Tell you what, BK-me-lad - Howzabout you ask that magic pig-sticker of yours? After we send this poor sod to Valhalla, of course." 

Edited January 10, 2015 by MisterShoebox

[Supercape]

GM

 

Feigr Iss almost crumpled as the card bit into him, slicing so hard it came out of the other side. A dark congealed blood formed around the entry and exit points, and a cold breathe of dead air hissed from his mouth and ribs. 

 

Feigr Iss was but old cold bones and skin, fragile. But, whilst fragile, it didn't kill him. He was already dead. Instead he looked with black eyes at Phantasmo the unliving. 

 

"<Like the axes and spears of old...>" he whined, the first note of anything approaching fear in him. 

[Exaccus]

Slightly short on temper with feigr and if he's honest with himself a little bit disorientated from all the teleporting around, black knight opts to take a more direct and euclidean route to feigr, hoisting his sword and calling on the utterdark within it to edge it with entropy and with a swing shatters the wall before him into brittle fragments that crash down around him. "harken unto me feigr, you cannot hope to win. return to your grave and pass on, there is nothing in this world for you." he says rather confidently as he strikes up to the damaged undead.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Exaccus

[Supercape]

GM

 

Feigr Iss was loosing a thick oozy congealed blood from the hole Phantasmo had throw about. That card would be embedded in ice for centuries. And be a mystery to future archeologists. 

 

THe undead spirit looked up at the Black Knight. "The wheel turns, the centre changes. Ever will their be men of sword and axe, come to bring their strength against others. Are you not one of them>" he asked Black Knight, who could not understand the old Native Dialect, but could the cold hate. 

 

Agna screamed, her coldness gone. 

 

"This...is it...the mountain of souls....every one of them...." she said voice echoing cold and pure, as she lifted off the groud, arms wide, to recieve those very souls, and come to the ground with jet black eyes. 

 

"<Away with the Northmen defialers! The land is ours!" she whispered in an unearthly voice, before juping on Black Knight, trying to bring both him and her off the cliff face, to the rock an ice below them. Her strength was incredible, fuelled by the spirits inside of her and their dead rage. 

[MisterShoebox]

"GAAAAH! HOld on then, DUckie!" Phantasmo shouted as Anya leaped.  He  snapped his fingers and a long chain of scarves flew from his sleeves, and then  lassoed Anya before she could fully pull the youthful Black Knight off the cliff. "Jumping the bones is usually left for the third date!" 

 

She was very strong, indeed, but he was no slouch in the super-strength dept himself...still, hopefully the SCARVES would hold. "HOld up then, Anya-dearie! Old Phantasmo doesn't want to have to knock some sense into you! That'd be uncalled for!" 

 

He gripped the scarves with both hands, clearly attempting to keep Anya restrained, yet prevent her from hurting him. "ANYTIME YOU'RE READY, BK!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Scarves of Phantasmo, who, it was said, was both unliving and amazing, wrapped themselves around Anya, around and around, typing themselves into knots for her feet, binding her to the mountain. 

 

"Defilers! Defilers! Defilers!" shouted her white eyes and cold breath, as she flailed her arms around. Whatever else Phantasmo had intended, they at least kept her safe. Her wild strength on an icy mountain was more dangerous than even the undead magicians playing cards. 

 

She tensed, and looked straight at Phantasmo, her blue eyes clear for one moment...

 

"thank - you - " she whispered to him, before her spirit once again fell under a dark spell, and she began cursing and chanting once more...

[Exaccus]

Hale feels an immense pressure on his brow as he finds his face twisted into a scowl, mind flooded with white hot anger and his entire form shaking with palpable rage he hefts his sword over his head and without so much as a second thought calls upon its dreadpowers in their fullest capacity,  the air growing noticiably colder for those who could feel it as the life stealing magic within robbed the very snow of whatever warmth it might hold.

 

"You had your chance." He hisses through his visor "Now I condemn you to languish in your grave forever more, formless and powerless as a shadow in the deep ice." and not waiting or caring to listen to whatever feigr or the spirits currently infesting arna cared to say to him he brings his weapon down, the blackness from within exploding out wards like blackest bilefire,splitting the ice and indeed the solid stone beneath it rending the very mountain to its core, fragments of stone and dust errupting as the landscape fissures and fractures from the destructive forces loosed within it.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"<Defiler! You attack the land!>" screamed Feigr Iss, a bitter and horrible scream too, that seared through the cold mountain air and echoed below. 

 

"I..uh..that hurt..." said Anya, collapsing onto the cold ice "...this is sacred land...." she whispered, clear in the air. It was not quite clear if the pain of possession or the ruination of Greenlands heritage had hurt her - or both!

 

Feigr Iss was livid, cold and livid. He slid towards Black Knight on the rocks and ice, moving like a spider on a web. His spear was held back, as he shot forth his arm and grabbed the Black Knight by the neck. 

 

"<You shall pay most horribly!>" he hissed, and the Knight could feel the heat of his life force being sucked out...