T-I-G LXVII: The Rangers of the North - The Fell Winter
 

Sorry but I’ll make you all men because the story is a story of rangers and there probably weren’t any female rangers – not to talk of half of the gang being females… Sorry.



The dark clouds that poured the snow down had blocked the sun already in the early afternoon but now it was getting actually dark. The wind grew harsher and colder by minute and the rangers trying to make their way in the snow were having no choices. They had to halt rather sooner than later.

“Baithïr’s hills should not be far… we’ll take cover for the night there!” Captain Nogrod yelled against the storming wind hoping that someone could hear him from the howl of the air around them. Well, if we find them in this blizzard… he thought to himself but kept the pessimism to his own.

They dragged on for about an hour in the blizzard when they finally saw the dark shapes of the small mounds the rangers called Baithïr’s hills in memory of a rather comic incident a few Breelanders had been involved with decades ago. None remembered the story too well anymore but the name had stuck.

“Here be it!” Fea proclaimed when he finally reached the slight cover of the mound and threw his backpack to the snow.

“Then fire…” said Nienna as he let his backage down next to Fea’s.

“Who has the firewood?” Inzil asked looking around for a suitable place to start building a fire.

“I has them!” Sally shouted from behind. “I’m coming, I’m coming… just a moment.”

Suddenly the wind sounded different. It was like it had been but it was also like there was something added to it.

“Now what’s that?” Hakon asked somewhat irritated.

“I don’t like the sound of it, whatever it is…” Mac said spitting to the snow and then raising his head to listen more carefully.

“Wolves?” Kath asked after listening to the sounds for a few seconds. “That could be wolves…”

“Wolves, here?” Loslote sounded unhappy with the speculation. “Now we don’t need to add wolves to our condition now do we?”

Suddenly Valier stood up from his pack he had been sitting on. “I have a bad feeling about this… it sounds like wolves but it’s not normal wolves. It’s something fouler…”

“You mean the stories of the White Wolves might be true?” Greenie suggested looking grim.

“I’ve heard even fouler stories…” Nerwen added and took a firm hold of his sword. “Whatever they are, they are nearer now!”, he shouted and stood up.

“A circle, form a circle!” Nogrod yelled drawing his sword.

“I can see one, there!” Roa called and ran to face the beast coming from the blizzard.

“I’m with you!” Lommy shouted and went after Roa.

“There’s one… no two here as well!” Boro yelled and charged.

“Coming! Coming!” Legate called after Boro.

“They’re everywhere!” Gwath exclaimed while turning against the nearest one.

“Cover your mates! Look around!” Brinn yelled as he went to help Gwath who was actually facing two wolves.

“One down!” Rune was all smeared in blood but the wolf laid down in front of him. The snow was dark red around the corpse. “Who needs help?”


The fight was over quite as soon as it had ignited. The wolves retreated as soon as they realised they had attacked tougher guys they had bargained for. But many were wounded, Captain Nogrod the worst. He had a bleeding artery and had been saved only by Hakon’s courage and determination.

“Loslote! The Cap’n! We can’t let him bleed to death!” Greenie yelled when he saw the blood around Nogrod and tried to rip the furcoat from him to get to see the wound.

“Fire someone... Sally, quick!” Fea called and went to her package looking for the little herbs he had left.


Soon the rangers had built a modest camp shoving the snow away from an area and building a fire in the middle of the sphere of uncovered soil. Nogrod laid by the fire and the fever started to rise. He was shaking all over even if the wounds had been succesfuly bound.

“Rest now me mate…” Mac tried to console the Captain stroking his hair. “Just rest, everything’s different in the morning. We’ll keep you warm my friend.”

Nogrod tried to say something but couldn’t.

“Okay, some people take care of the Captain but we need sleep ourselves as well…” Gwath said and looked around. “Wake me up in a few hours and I’ll pick me a mate to look after him for the next few. Okay?”

"Wake me up as well..." Roa said, "I'm no use in healing but I have my sword and my ears..."

Many nodded while others just turned away to get some sleep. Boro and Kath stayed at the side of their Captain as the first turn keeping up the fire and trying to make Nogrod to swallow their last herbs in a potion Valier had made.

"Just don't die now... don't you dare to die... we've seen too much together" Kath whispered while trying to make Nogrod drink the potion.

Boro stared at the fire and the snow piled on his jacket... It was going to be a long night to all of them.

It's Night1 now (and I'm ten minutes late...).

Hush...

Night 1
 

Even if the temperature fell down to minus 20 degrees during the night Nogrod was sweating all over moaning and groaning in pain not being able to sleep. Finally the shaking ceased for a moment and he managed to open his eyes a bit. He saw the worried faces of Rune and Lommy bending over him.

“I’ll warm the potion to you Cap’n… I mean if you could drink it now? Mead and herbs… makes good.” Rune asked and rose to warm the tin-mug in the fire.

“Nightmares as well Nogs? That’s what it is? You sounded terrified…” Lommy whispered to his long time Captain.

Nogrod nodded slowly and sighed trying to fully open his eyes, with little success. “And the pain… It’s like… like my whole body and soul are on fire that consumes all from the inside…” he muttered quietly. “Sorry…” He drew breath and closed his eyes to regain some power.

“What is this devilry…” Lommy whispered as he wiped Nogrod’s forehead with a warm cloth. “You’ve been like a father to me, don’t fade my friend...” he murmured quietly before Rune came with the potion. Together they lifted Nogrod’s head up and forced him to drink the potion Valier had made. He coughed long and hard trying to swallow the potion but finally at least some of it was inside him and the two rangers carefully laid him back on the ground.

“Okay then…” Nogrod began concentrating on the few words he felt he had strength to utter. “I don’t think I’ll be seeing the light of day anymore so listen carefully…”

“Don’t you dare speaking like that.” Rune protested. “We’ll get you well, we’ll carry you to Bree… We’ll walk night and day if needs be…”

Nogrod laid his hand on Rune’s arm and just hushed quietly silencing the ranger.

“I know it mates… I’m dying. That comes to everyone one time.” He paused and looked at the other ranger to the eye. “Listen now both of you. You should not go to Bree… We’re the farthest to the west of any company. You should head for the Shire; Tuckborough, Hobbitton… just think what those foul beasts could do with the hobbits…” Nogrod gathered some strength and continued. “You need to choose a new Captain for you…”

“No!” Fea had woken up and had come to see what was going on with their captain. A small tear fell down his weather-beaten cheek. “You’re the Captain, Nogrod. We’ll get you out from here, out from this foul winter. We’ll not let you down comrade... my Captain.”

Nogrod looked at Fea in anguish and shook his head, but then continued with what he had started. “And you’ll need to set up some guards during the Nights so as not to be surprised the way we were… and keep walking…”

Suddenly Nogrod’s body jerked violently and he howled with pain. Yes, he howled. He howled so eerily that the sound sent shivers to everyone’s spine. His body twisted and it looked like his skin was melting away from his body.

“What is that?!” Loslote yelled rising up.

Everyone was up now. Some tried to keep Nogrod down and still, fighting against the disgust with the melting and transforming body.

Nogrod panted heavily between the fits: “Kill me! Kill me now! That’s an order!” Then the jerking continued and he yelled in pain. “Give me the sword, for Valar’s sake, give me my sword!”

The rangers looked at each other not quite knowing what to do.

“Kill the beasts! There’s four more! Kill them!” Nogrod shouted and then swung himself up finally transforming into a gigantic werewolf as he went up.

Lommy and Rune took cover ducking the swings of the huge paws coming for them.

Inzil, Hakon and Nienna fired their arrows in concerto and they penetrated the tough wolfskin making the wolf howl.

Another set of arrows were released from the bows of Mac, Kath and Boro felling the giant.

“Quick now, it’s not the Captain anymore!” Legate yelled and ran his sword through the wolf’s chest while Roa cut the head off. The others followed the example and stabbed the beast in fury for so long it was merely a mess of bone, muscle, innards and blood.

Then it was quiet. No one dared to face the others for a while. They had killed their long-time Captain in a frenzy… and yet it was not him they had butchered.

Four more?

The first rays of the sun came from between the edge of the forest and the dark clouds hanging over them but Nogrod was not there to see the light of the day anymore.



The Living:

Fea
Nienna
Inzil
Sally
Hakon
Macalaure
Kath
Loslote
Valier
Greenie
Nerwen
Roa
Lommy
Boro
Legate
Gwath
Brinn
Rune

The Dead:

Nogrod (mod) - turned into a werewolf and butchered on N1.


It's now Day1.

It's your turn!

The first kill was werewolf? Go village...?

Alright, there is no doubt that this is a very complicated game with a lot of ways to die. So, let's get the most complicated thing out the way first- captain. Is there anyone who for any reason does NOT want to be captain (either for RL reasons, not comfortable with the role, etc.)? At least that will narrow down the options while we pick each other apart with angry paranoia. Same for NG's- anyone absolutely against being an NG? (Not that there would be, since it's basically guaranteed protection with no responsibility.)

Also, we must vote for a captain, but unless I'm very much confused, we don't need to vote for NG's. I don't have a problem having NG's- it's always good for the village to limit the wolves. Does anyone else?

*Wonders how many of Nog's buttons I must push to get mod-fired. Let's start with...*

Here and reading. :p

Actually you have to - as said in the rules (everyone votes for one and the two gaining the most votes will be chosen).

You don't have to vote for the BG's as they will be picked by the Captain.

Boro: there is no such button... :)

For Day 2 I will not be around for the latter half, and certainly not for DL. Beyond that, I have no issues with being Captain, and no issues with NG at all.

Ok, that makes sense. In that case, I will be holding my vote for NG until much later. (When I have an idea of who would benefit most from it.)

Inziladun, am I correct then in assuming you don't want to be a captain candidate toDay??

OHHH Poor Noggie!!! Werewolves in our midst? Well that is frightening!

I'm here, but will be busy most of the night (rl night) I don't have any problems with being Captain or NG. I will, like Roa be saving my vote for Captain at least awhile, I need to see who is worthy to lead us.

Well, toDay wouldn't be a problem, but Day 2 could be. Whatever you all think best.

Okay, that's what I like about Roa - straight to the point (and now people can speak about nonsensical first posts). Anyway, as for me, I have nothing against either, Captain or NG. And NGs are certainly positive, so let's choose them carefully too. Especially as voting them is far more "random" given that there are two of them and it comes from different votes.

I am probably not going to hang around now, it's pretty late and I just stopped by as I am online, but I will come and post more after I wake up, which is in some eight (or ten...) hours. So until then, good Day, village...

Good news for you Legate, is at least you can't get lynched if you are a NG or BG choice. I would find it humorous to make you Captain for a Day (of course lynching you the next :p)

*pokes village*

*pokes you back* :p


Telling y'all now, don't vote me for captain, at least not for a while. I'll be far too busy for a few days and I really don't understand the rules. I'll have to go review things but for now it's dinner time and I'm bloody starving. Back after some tidying and foodstuffs. :)

Hello.

You may make me anything you like, but I make no promises I'll be any good at it. Deadlines shouldn't be a problem for me.

Personally I think Valier and I are the most obvious choices for captain, but do we want to the responsibility?

We might never know. . .


Anyways I expect this will be an even more random day 1 than normally, as there is sure to be alot of confusion surrounding the rules.

OK! I admit it, this purpose of this post is mostly to tell that I will be arround for a short while.

Out of curiosity, why are the two of you the obvious choices?

We are good looking and eat lots of carrots!

Actually, it is because we are fantastic. . . Maybe not as wolf killers, but as persons and personal relations is often what people base their trust on.

Zil- perhaps they're eeeeeevil?

Hm. Perhaps I shouldn't post when I'm sleepy.

In any case,

++Boro

--Boro

++Boro

--Boro

Because I loathe having floating retractions around. I like my votes to mean something when I cast them.

(Boro was chosen as the first alphabetically. Nothing more complicated than that.)

Erm....okay?

And maybe I should not post while tipsy, but I did (and you did) so we just have to live with it.

Anyways I realy dislike retractable votes as well, it confuses me and at times enrages me.

*pops back in*

Pst... Rune... I can see you...

I'd like a better reason than "good people skills" for voting you captain. Why do you want to be captain?

And what exactly are you trying to say about the rest of us? :p I have fantastic people skills, as everyone knows. (riiiiiiiiight....)

Oh, it occurs to me to answer my own question: I have no logistical issue with being captain. I make no promises on being a good one. Or socially adept one.

Also: I find it suspicious that you seem so eager.

Rune typically likes to be put into a position of power and extreme importance, if my memory is accurate. It's good to see Rune, and his normal persona back, and because of that he has quickly shot up my list of Captain candidates.

Sorry, but that last sentence I find it hardly convincing.

"Nothing more complicated than that?" said the noble, wisened figure. "Well, my lady Fea, it is your task to explain yourself still against your words, which few now look to see."

To the person who can identify the Chapter this references, you are up for being my Captain's vote. I'll give a hint: I think you'll find this book very...fitting. (Granted I tweaked the quote to fit the situation, and it probably makes no sense, but whatever)

To the person who can identify the noble, wisened figure I'm quoting, you will be considered a NG vote.

To the person who can identify who the noble, wisened figure is talking to, you will be also consided a NG vote.

Now have at it! (One answer per person please).

Edit: crossed with Roa twice, and bolding important key words.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

















:p

Thanks. . . I will probably forget to become visible again after the game, it is kind of an unintentional tradition.

I want to be captain because I have the most faith in my self, although it could be interesting with Fea as captain.

Ok I will go to bed now, I will see you guys tomorrow.

It's simply that I needed to vote for somebody in order to un-vote for somebody, and I forgot to see if self-votes are allowed, and I was too lazy to go look before posting, so I needed to vote for somebody that wasn't myself.

I knew that anybody I voted and unvoted for would be questioned, so I attempted to preempt the problem by saying point blank that I'd merely gone alphabetically.

Anyway... I'm an old lady, and it's time for me to snuggle under my blankets with Isak Dinesen.

I'm confused. What exactly are you trying to say?

Also, what is unconvincing about what Fea has to say? What aren't you convinced about? :confused:

I'm here...but I probably won't be super close to deadline, plus this is my first time, so I won't be a good captain. ;)

Loslote, you're visible. Go to your control panel, click on edit options, and then check invisible mode. Unless much has changed sinceI've been gone, it's a requirement for playing.

And I'll be out for a few hours.

Oops, sorry. :rolleyes:

You still have to be invisible these days.

I think I would game a decent captain. Feel free to vote for me if you want to. I do happen to have some leadership qualities. And let us hope that we do not vote a gifted into the role of captain. My role of course is not a gifted. I still continue my time as an innocent in this game.

That seems a bit odd to me. If you'd left it with 'I have some leadership qualities' it would look better. Are you certain you're innocent? :rolleyes:

And again....awkward.


People who won't be getting my captain vote:
Rune (weird)
Lottie (bwahahahaha, I makes her a fun nickname, but she's new)
Hakon (weird)
Fea (because she's Fea) :p

Yes. I felt the need to state I was. No really, I just wanted to see if I could type a hidden message without it being too suspicious. The first letter of every sentence spells out if I am. The last sentence was just thrown in. By if I am I meant if I am captain.

Well then, Sam I Am, we'll take that into consideration. (But it's still really weird. I mean really, you could just say you're an ordo and not try to be all clever. Are you sure you're not another Phantom account? :p)


Oh, and as a reminder, I'll probably be busy most of tomorrow. I will be voting, but I won't be talking much I fear.

Also, I think it's weird when people leave codes just because they can. If you've got something to say, fine, but if you're just trying to be tricksy save it.


Also also, I'm really excited that Kath's playing. If only she'd post....:(

I'm here and should be around for a while. I won't be around for deadline toDay or even a few hours before as I have class.

So we need to vote for the Captain, the NG, and the lynch... right? And Fea has used both of her retractable votes so she's now locked in for the game... I believe.

I was not convinced by the "nothing more complicated than that" statement and asked for further explanation by taking a quote from a lovely book, written by an author I'm sure we all love to read and changed a few words to fit what I was asking for.

The other purpose was to see if anyone wanted my vote for Captain/NG than they would have to answer the questions about the quote.

Speaking of which, only sally has attempted, which she failed that means so far everyone else has failed. I was trying to figure out how I was going to decide on a Captain/NG. I could have approached it a normal way, that is wait to see if there's anyone who jumped out that I trusted, and my other way would be to see how many hoops someone would jump through to appease the monkey (ie me).

Any takers? The offer I made in my last post does have a time limit.