ElfQuest Fan Art

(Are you f*ing kidding me, off course I will accept her friendship. Damn she is freaking awesome!!!)

Antaka let her jaw drop. They know each other! She looks back and sends to Toad. She is not sure, if she reaches him, but she give all her effort in it. (diced 4)
"I found Lady Ironglory and we both want to look for survivors from Wanders tribe in the cave.  She heard a scream from there. Best bring Yare back, if Wander is awake they can talk. Also Wander might be more on a watch, after what happend. He is a rockshaper, he could manage to protect himself, I think... But maybe, Yare likes to rescure some of his tribesman out of the cave?"

Antaka looks back and is unsure, how to act. She falls down to one knee and bows to Lady Ironglory. "I will be honored to walk by your side, Lady Ironglory, to face the evil and rescure possible survivors. And I'm very honored to call you a friend and will accept that offer. I am Antaka, named after my mother, huntress and goat Sheppard of the Norah tribe in the dessert, my friends call me Antaka. If there are issues in naming me by my name, please don't take a bird name..." she looks up and giggles a bit. "Sir Toad did and I just don't like it. Oh, and he is at the foot of the mountain watching a prisoner."

She stands and thinks, that she is kind of a bad person, to leave Toad just like that in the first place. But she don't know what to do with Yare. In her tribe situations like that never happend. All the outcasts accepted their fate and left the tribe. But also, non of them ever attacked another one like that. And no one wants to do it again so desperately like Yare. Maybe they have to kill him?

(Oh! I did not take offence! hahah! I just felt like saying that!)

Lady Ironglory is not nearly as tall as Toad, she is about the same height as antaka herself, so Toad might be ecxeptionally tall even in his own tribe... Ironglory nods and studies Antaka's weapon with her gaze...

"Yes, Sir Toad is one of my men... I am surprised to hear that he is in this weird land also..."

But then she pauses and looks slightly confused...

"Transforming Boar? Nay... I only saw a big hog... but no transforming..."

She walks towards her but keeps her weapons sheathed, there is a spear in a holster at her back and she has a short sword... she bows...

"If there might be survivors to this tribe... I will accompany you, good lady, to rescue possible survivors... will you accept my offer of friendship?..."

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Marut also looks at the new comers and looks a bit puzzled, but tells Runedance...

"Don't be in such en eager to kill another elf... you will taint your spirit..."

but after that his expression lightens up more, he doesn't want bad blood between anything, but doesn't like unnecessary killing... Marut also looks at Moondrop and is amazed that this mad elf called Wander was frail and kind at first... Woodfox tries to make friends with Runedance and waves at him...

"Hi! I'm Woodfox!... let's be friends!..."

Mehadrin suddenly cries out...

"My feet are cold! someone help me! I don't know if it's safe to go back inside!!..."

he shivers in the cold and again, huddles to Moondrop's side...

"Honey... keep me warm..."

He also glances at Stormvex with his beautiful shimmering eyes...

"... Hope a brute like you or your friend are not here to steal me away because of my beauty..."

Marut looks very confused and slowly looks at Mehadrin... why would Mehadrin immediately think they were going to snatch him?...

Stormvex returns Moondrop's nod. **You're welcome, although we didn't really do anything.** He studied Wander on the ground, bound up and unconscious. This female had mentioned a name - Wander? This sickly god must be Wander. He had seemed gentle and weak, but then maniacal...certainly there was more to this than he thought. Again, he thought possessed or split personality.

He leaned slightly, casually against his polearm. **We were traveling back home when we wound up here,** Stormvex wasn't quite prepared to go into detail. He still wasn't certain how well he could trust any of these new elves. They didn't seem threatening, but then, neither did this "Wander."  **I am Stormvex, my tactless friend here is Runedance,** he gestured slightly toward the other elf as he strolled up to them.  **These are our bonds, Solstice, my wolf, and Stormhunt, his snow leopard. Are you from a nearby holt?**

Moondrop pauses at the warning growls of the new beasts, desperate to get to Wander but scared of being attacked. One of the elves appears to be their master, as at his direction they allow her to get closer. She nods at him in thanks, and quickly covers Wander's eyes and ties his wrists as Laluna examines him.

Once Wander is bound, Moondrop shies back away from the large animals.

At Marut's question, Moondrop's gaze flicks to Laluna and Mahadrin. "Wander seemed gentle and weak when he offered to share his shelter with us, but it appears Yare may have been right about him after all."

She looks at the new elves with curiosity. They didn't seem to know about Wander's power, so couldn't be part of his tribe. They also looked like they knew how to take care of them selves, despite running unprovoked into danger.

"Thank you for your help." She looks to the forest where they appeared. "Are you alone?"

Any elf approaching Stormhunt and Solstice receive warning growls and snarls until Stormvex tells them to allow the others to have hands on the fallen elf. The bonds obey, but glare at the elves, letting them know they are not to interfere any further.  Stormvex follows the elves, letting them deal with the "god" since they seemed to know him and had a sense of what was going on. Perhaps he was from their holt or on some sort of relationship with them. He could be possessed or his personality split but was important to these elves. This was not his fight.

**Runedance, put the bow down,** he locksent to his friend. **You might hit someone...more importantly, one of our bonds. I promise you'll get to whack something later.**  He knew Runedance wasn't concerned with these elves, not knowing them, but the warning about the bonds made him lower his bow.

**If he starts up again, I'll put this arrow between his eyes or straight into his heart.** Runedance made his way toward the elf with the others, but certainly was in no hurry. Suddenly, things felt boring.

(No need to defense, I was just reminded.)

Antaka opens her mouth. Familiar footprints? Lady Ironglory could have been from his tribe, or they both meet. They do have some similarities like the color of eyes, the armor parts, the way of talking. (The height?)
she burst out: "Do you know Sir Toad?"

Then takes a deep breath. "Did you see the boar transform? Was anyone near it too? I have seen the head of an elk falling down into the valley from a far distance. It could have come from the cave. May I accompany you to find out if someone is in trouble? And we do miss ehm, a whole tribe, presumably dead."
She thinks that must sound silly and added: "I'm not afraid to go up there."

Just a short brief moment there was fear, but she wants to know. And with a warrior like this on her side, she might have a chance to at least take a look inside the cave. But she was cautious. This woman can still be the reason for all of this and just lie to her. It seems unlikely by her words, but Antaka don't know for sure. But she remembers the honor Toad have spoken off. A knight will be hornest she assumes.

(not that much of a darksouls player, but now that it's mentioned, she does look like a dark souls character! but to my defense this character is actually created be long before the game! one of my Estia oldies)

The knight looks at Antaka, but doesn't seem hostile... her manner is calm but alert..

"Good lady.... are you certain you would want to face what is above us?..."

her green eye studies Antaka, she must be one of those from Toad's tribe!...  but Toad doesn't seem as battle hardened as this one... it is a weird mixture smelling gentle perfume of blooming flowers and seeing a warrior in full armor... the more Antaka looks at her, the clearer it becomes that she is missing an eye and an ear on the same side... so it's not just her armor that has been marked by battle... her voice softly speaks out again...

"I have seen things on this mountain... some sort of... elk monster... I know not how to describe it by other words... and the boar, I saw familiar footprints that were chased by a boar, but heard a scream from this mountain, so I came to find out is someone is in trouble..."

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The bond beasts of Stormvex and Rundance pile on Wander but Wander isn't moving, he simply groans a little as air ascapes his lungs under the weight of the beasts... All is quiet, Moondrop and Laluna also soon realize that Wander really is out cold so Moondrop can easily tie him up... Mehadrin looks the new elves, and starts lifting his bare feet from the snow because they are freezing!.. Woodfox has moved a bit further from the whole group, clearly not feeling happy in a group...  Marut also walks to look at Wander but keeps an close eye on the snow leopard, clearly knows it is not a beast to be trusted...

"So... what is... what is going on here?..."

Laluna doesn't find anything wrong in Wander's head, it is like he had a massive migraine and collapsed...

Laluna is startled with Wander's cold sending. How could he just choose a partner without the other's consent?

She doesn't get a chance to answer him when he suddenly collapses. She hesitates to go to him, but when Moondrop does, she follows her. She's jumpy when she sees the newcomers' bond beasts approach them, but she cannot step aside before she knows that Wander is all right.

She crouches next to him, carefully examining his pulse and breathing. Maybe he had a seizure of some sort? She tries to feel with her magic if there's any damage in his head since he held his head before collapsing.

(Laluna's roll: 1! Whyyyy... -_- it's like me trying to play Dark Souls!)

"I don't know." Moondrop answers Mehadrin. Her eyes are fixed on the spike coming up from the ground. There was no doubt of Wander's power anymore, but at least his stamina was still low.

She looks at the newcomers, wanting to find out more about them, but needs to deal with Wander first. Is he really out? Or could he be luring them closer?

She cautiously approaches him, pulling some scraps from her cloak to blindfold him and bind his hands.

**Sending**  "Speaking" 'Thought'

Stormvex quickly explains what a god is to Runedance, but it has little effect on him. Obviously, this was no god, just a useless elf. As the ground shakes and rises as a spike where Runedance once stood, he bounces backward and lets out a startled, **Whoa!** before regaining his senses.  **Okay, I'm guessing this one's a rockshaper.** Grinning at Stormvex, he casually remarks, **Watch your step.**

Stormex turns his full attention to the rockshaper wielding the sword. Claiming to be a god and threatening everyone in sight, his assumption was this one was the problem and dangerous to all, including himself. He clasped his polearm and started toward the elf, eyes narrowed, teeth bared. He sent to the angry, snarling bonds to close in and pounce. His goal was to hold, not kill. The others weren't willing to take him out, so there must be something more. Still, this one was dangerous and needed to be stopped.

Runedance debates using a sword and taking Wander's head or just getting it over with quickly by using his bow. **Don't chew on this one, Stormhunt,** he sent to his snow leopard. **He's likely not good eats; tainted meat.** He finally decided on his bow, knocking an arrow and moving aside to not hit anyone else but the high and mighty "god."

When Wander suddenly collapses, Stormvex hesitates. He's known of something like this before. Or at least two possible scenarios. Could he be possessed by another's restless soul or one of those split personalities? He drew in a quick breath hoping it wasn't the latter; those things were so confusing. **Solstice, Stormhunt, pin him but don't kill him!** he called and continued toward Wander, but allowed any others in this group to get in front of him. He still didn't understand what was going on, and he wondered why none responded to him. Perhaps he and Runedance weren't welcomed in this strange conflict, but he wasn't going to get spiked in the meantime. Once the danger was removed, he would leave if requested, taking his friend with him.

Stormvex: 6               Runedance: 3