1 The First Season
Icescale stepped out into the searing heat and desert sun, shading her large eyes from the glare with one hand. She peered out to the large, half-ruined buildings towering like sentries before her and, further out, she caught sight of the giant Pit that she had heard tales of. With a deep breath and a quick prayer she ran down the path towards the Newbie Killing Grounds, flexing her claws in readiness. She did a quick practice kick, finding her balance, then chased after a nearby Decaying Skeleton.
As soon as it felt the contact of her fists on its dry bones, the skeleton whirled around and dealt her a jarring blow to the side. She gasped at the force of the blow, and quickly retaliated with a kick. The skeleton raked its claws across her face, tearing loose a few scales, but fell with a rustle of carrion when her balled fist thumped hard into its ribcage.
With a sense of elation Icescale looted her new kill, picking up the three bone chips and destroying the worthless skull. Her kill faded slowly into the red dust as she stood, wiping a bead of blood from her brow ridges. The skeleton hadn't really wounded her badly, and she quickly healed to full strength. With a new bounce in her step she went after a young scaled wolf, and caught it hard in its side. The pup whirled around, snapping at her fiercely, but she dodged and felled it with a kick to the skull. She was about to loot this kill when two more pups, drawn by the scent of blood and their sibling's snarls, latched themselves to her tail and left leg. She hissed in pain and kicked them off, swinging her fists at the two antagonists. She missed, they bit her wrists, and she kicked one in the side. Concentrating on the wounded one she dealt out two hefty blows in succession, killing the pup. By now, though, she was in bad shape. Her health was low and she was bleeding from numerous wounds and cuts inflicted by the pup's small, sharp teeth. She turned to the last pup and raked her claws against the rough scales, tearing some skin up. The pup bit her hard, causing her to wince, but she retaliated with a crushing kick to the dog's spine. With a low whine, the animal fell dead, and Icescale fell to her knees in exhaustion.
After resting a few moments so that she could move quicker, she looted the three corpses and moved up the path towards the city to recuperate. Idly she wondered how much the hides she'd gotten from the pups and the bone chips from the skeletons would get her. She spoke to a Klok in the upper levels of one of the ruined buildings, and realized with dismay that the hide were worth only 6 copper. She chips were a bit better; a silver and a few copper could be earned from each. She was about to sell off these objects when a claw tapped her back. She whirled around, startled, and found herself facing a male Iksar only a few seasons older than she. He wore a desiccated skull on his head, and a few scaly bits of armor covered his chest, legs, and hands.
"Hello, I saw you about to sell those skins. There is a merchant in town who will make curscale armor for you if you bring him eight skins," He said, indicating the three pelts in Icescale's arms.
"Really? What shop?" Icescale asked, folding the skins back up.
"The merchant's shop right across from the Court of Pain. Also, if you collect twenty of those chips, some practitioners of the Dark Arts might pay platinum for them."
"Thank you, sir."
"My name is Makaar," The male said, bowing, "And I am of the Shadowknight Class."
"I am Icescale, a Monk," Icescale replied, bowing also. "Thank you for the information. What season are you?"
"I am just a lowly fifth season," Makaar replied. "I think soon you'll catch up to me. You dealt with those pups well."
"Thank you, sir."
"I speak only the truth," Makaar shrugged. "Here, buy yourself a helm with this." He dug his claws into a purse at his side and pulled up two gold coins, which he gave to Icescale. She took them gratefully and bowed again, storing them carefully in her own purse.
"Not a problem," Makaar smiled. With one last bow he was off, running towards the Pit.
Icescale mentally thanked Tunare, carefully hiding her heretical thoughts from any of Cazic Thule's agents. She knew the dark god would not answer her pleading prayers, so she often asked aid from the Earth Mother Tunare, the Rain God Karana, and the Wurm Queen Veeshan. In her own way Icescale was very in tune with Norrath's elemental spirits, and she used that connection to her advantage. If the Necromantic Priests of Cazic sensed her prayers. she shuddered at the thought of the mental tortures they would use to brainwash her into worshipping the God of Pain.
"I'd best get back down there and fight," she muttered to herself. "I'd like to reach my second season of power before Sunset."
The seasons of power Icescale referred to were levels of physical capability. Once a being had slain a certain number of creatures or done enough deeds or quests, their inner strength would rise a level. Sometimes they would gain access to new abilities and, in the case of spell-casters, new spells.
So Icescale, on her first Season of Power, ran out once again to the Killing Fields to attain her next season. She immediately ran into a pack of three Scaled Wolves and, with the confidence Makaar had given her, killed them all. She picked up the two skins she'd gotten and stowed them away and sat for another moment, recuperating strength. She sensed an inner power waiting to be released, and knew instinctively that she was almost at her second season. With that in mind she ran after another Decaying Skeleton, fists swinging. With two punches and a hefty kick the Skeleton went down, and Icescale heard a silvery ringing in her head that signified her new power. She felt her muscles strengthen and her health go up, and proudly she roared out "Ding, season 2!"
Iksars gathered in the Field, who knew the common use of the word 'ding' (probably derived from the ringing that accompanied this transition) to signify a new season, shouted out their congratulations. One of those to shout was Makaar, who added "I told you you'd catch up, Icy!" to his shout. Icescale swelled with pride and happiness at her new nickname and shouted out "Thanks, all!" With a massive grin and a full load of wolf pelts, she headed back to Cabilles to train and seek out Klok Mugrak for her Curskin armor.
Icescale stepped out into the searing heat and desert sun, shading her large eyes from the glare with one hand. She peered out to the large, half-ruined buildings towering like sentries before her and, further out, she caught sight of the giant Pit that she had heard tales of. With a deep breath and a quick prayer she ran down the path towards the Newbie Killing Grounds, flexing her claws in readiness. She did a quick practice kick, finding her balance, then chased after a nearby Decaying Skeleton.
As soon as it felt the contact of her fists on its dry bones, the skeleton whirled around and dealt her a jarring blow to the side. She gasped at the force of the blow, and quickly retaliated with a kick. The skeleton raked its claws across her face, tearing loose a few scales, but fell with a rustle of carrion when her balled fist thumped hard into its ribcage.
With a sense of elation Icescale looted her new kill, picking up the three bone chips and destroying the worthless skull. Her kill faded slowly into the red dust as she stood, wiping a bead of blood from her brow ridges. The skeleton hadn't really wounded her badly, and she quickly healed to full strength. With a new bounce in her step she went after a young scaled wolf, and caught it hard in its side. The pup whirled around, snapping at her fiercely, but she dodged and felled it with a kick to the skull. She was about to loot this kill when two more pups, drawn by the scent of blood and their sibling's snarls, latched themselves to her tail and left leg. She hissed in pain and kicked them off, swinging her fists at the two antagonists. She missed, they bit her wrists, and she kicked one in the side. Concentrating on the wounded one she dealt out two hefty blows in succession, killing the pup. By now, though, she was in bad shape. Her health was low and she was bleeding from numerous wounds and cuts inflicted by the pup's small, sharp teeth. She turned to the last pup and raked her claws against the rough scales, tearing some skin up. The pup bit her hard, causing her to wince, but she retaliated with a crushing kick to the dog's spine. With a low whine, the animal fell dead, and Icescale fell to her knees in exhaustion.
After resting a few moments so that she could move quicker, she looted the three corpses and moved up the path towards the city to recuperate. Idly she wondered how much the hides she'd gotten from the pups and the bone chips from the skeletons would get her. She spoke to a Klok in the upper levels of one of the ruined buildings, and realized with dismay that the hide were worth only 6 copper. She chips were a bit better; a silver and a few copper could be earned from each. She was about to sell off these objects when a claw tapped her back. She whirled around, startled, and found herself facing a male Iksar only a few seasons older than she. He wore a desiccated skull on his head, and a few scaly bits of armor covered his chest, legs, and hands.
"Hello, I saw you about to sell those skins. There is a merchant in town who will make curscale armor for you if you bring him eight skins," He said, indicating the three pelts in Icescale's arms.
"Really? What shop?" Icescale asked, folding the skins back up.
"The merchant's shop right across from the Court of Pain. Also, if you collect twenty of those chips, some practitioners of the Dark Arts might pay platinum for them."
"Thank you, sir."
"My name is Makaar," The male said, bowing, "And I am of the Shadowknight Class."
"I am Icescale, a Monk," Icescale replied, bowing also. "Thank you for the information. What season are you?"
"I am just a lowly fifth season," Makaar replied. "I think soon you'll catch up to me. You dealt with those pups well."
"Thank you, sir."
"I speak only the truth," Makaar shrugged. "Here, buy yourself a helm with this." He dug his claws into a purse at his side and pulled up two gold coins, which he gave to Icescale. She took them gratefully and bowed again, storing them carefully in her own purse.
"Not a problem," Makaar smiled. With one last bow he was off, running towards the Pit.
Icescale mentally thanked Tunare, carefully hiding her heretical thoughts from any of Cazic Thule's agents. She knew the dark god would not answer her pleading prayers, so she often asked aid from the Earth Mother Tunare, the Rain God Karana, and the Wurm Queen Veeshan. In her own way Icescale was very in tune with Norrath's elemental spirits, and she used that connection to her advantage. If the Necromantic Priests of Cazic sensed her prayers. she shuddered at the thought of the mental tortures they would use to brainwash her into worshipping the God of Pain.
"I'd best get back down there and fight," she muttered to herself. "I'd like to reach my second season of power before Sunset."
The seasons of power Icescale referred to were levels of physical capability. Once a being had slain a certain number of creatures or done enough deeds or quests, their inner strength would rise a level. Sometimes they would gain access to new abilities and, in the case of spell-casters, new spells.
So Icescale, on her first Season of Power, ran out once again to the Killing Fields to attain her next season. She immediately ran into a pack of three Scaled Wolves and, with the confidence Makaar had given her, killed them all. She picked up the two skins she'd gotten and stowed them away and sat for another moment, recuperating strength. She sensed an inner power waiting to be released, and knew instinctively that she was almost at her second season. With that in mind she ran after another Decaying Skeleton, fists swinging. With two punches and a hefty kick the Skeleton went down, and Icescale heard a silvery ringing in her head that signified her new power. She felt her muscles strengthen and her health go up, and proudly she roared out "Ding, season 2!"
Iksars gathered in the Field, who knew the common use of the word 'ding' (probably derived from the ringing that accompanied this transition) to signify a new season, shouted out their congratulations. One of those to shout was Makaar, who added "I told you you'd catch up, Icy!" to his shout. Icescale swelled with pride and happiness at her new nickname and shouted out "Thanks, all!" With a massive grin and a full load of wolf pelts, she headed back to Cabilles to train and seek out Klok Mugrak for her Curskin armor.
