The Crystal Shatters

[wildestmods]

[The events are seen happening in the background of several peoples' mirrors, in the wee hours just before sunrise. People that couldn't sleep or early risers. For those not on the mirrors, the noises are enough to wake everyone up.]

[The choice on where to go and when to leave is made for them. After several days of refuge, the protective crystal guarding Heartstone Trollmarket starts to make alarming crackling noises, like something electrical shorting out. Great groaning and cracking noises start to rumble through the cavern shortly after, like an iceberg cleaving off from a glacier. The glow from the crystal starts to flicker even more.]

[That's when they arrive, a wall of them, marching through the woods just before dawn. The screeching gives away that a frightening number of them has gathered under the leaves, even more than there were at the faire. The Nightrenders hang back near the tree line, as close as they can get to the Heartstone, sensing its failure is near. The mental effect they cause is still held at bay by the Heartstone's magic, but it feels almost like it's hanging in the air, crackling with menace, waiting to be unleashed.]

[With a final loud crack, the Heartstone shatters into a million crystalline shards. The sun still has not yet risen.]

[The Nightrenders start to advance - but something starts to advance towards them.]

Graga! Sgrabarabba rabba! [It is Gnome Chompsky, leader of the gnomes.]

[Oh, sure they kept trying to steal the gang's stuff, and they weren't overly fond of the trolls, who treated them like pests. But the gnomes' hearts aren't made of stone and seeing some of the squad pay their respects to the dead had still moved them, made them think that perhaps this was a group worth protecting. And many of them are far fonder of humans - especially Gnome Chompsky. The human Trollhunter and his friends, champions of the trolls, had always been kind to the gnomes. Many of the group is or looks human.]

[Need and Raistlin had reminded him of his old friends a little as well. They'd been very respectful. They hadn't had to be.]

Scragga ragga blagh!

[Who knows what he's saying but it's probably majestic! The gnomes pour out of Trollmarket in a surprisingly huge wave, beating the Nightrenders back towards the woods. The gnomes, not particularly prone to traumatic memories, are not easily hurt by the visions and are resistant to soul-sucking, and the massive horns under their hats make it impossible for the Nightrenders to bite their heads properly to get at the brains.]

[With each Nightrender tackled, it's a bit like watching a pack of wolves taking down a massive elk.]

[The wave of gnomes manages to push them back to the edge of the woods just long enough for the sun to rise. The Nightrenders back far away from the light but still freeze the second the light dapples through the trees, locked into whatever pose they were standing in. They can be more easily killed this way - but the effort to destroy one, let alone that many - is considerable. They could work at it all day and still not have killed most of them by the next nightfall.]

Grakkagrakka [Gnome says it approvingly, waving at his troops to return home.]

[This respite means they have a day to gather what they can and put as much distance between themselves and the Nightrenders as possible instead of being chased away so fast they had to leave much of it behind. The simple kindness of a few has earned the respect of many, and now the squad has a much easier and safer exit, with more time to collect their resources.]

[Time to get moving.]

Comments

[ferengineer]

[Nog calls out a thank you to the gnomes as they return home before getting right into the thick of things.]

Okay everybody. We need to be out of here before nightfall. Ideally even earlier. So let's get to work.

The checklist is done, so we shouldn't forget anything.

[the_hit_list]

You’re nicer than me. I would’ve given them until noon.

[ Tim is awake, because what is sleep, and already heading to help load packs of supplies. It’s not like he has excessive gear of his own to mind. ]

[ferengineer]

Just because I didn't say noon doesn't mean I'm not going to push for noon.

[Nog just didn't want to outright set a deadline beyond the obvious one after all the arguments.]

This could have gone a lot worse. Remind me to suggest bug-out bags once we have enough bags for that to be a viable option.

[konman]

[Just like Tim, Kon is automatically defaulting to "work" mode, aka superhero mode, zooming in towards Nog and their supplies to help sort. They'd already filled a lot of the water containers, so some of it is heavy.]

We should probably section out some of the heavier stuff for the bigger people to carry. We've got some really huge, muscular people, and some really small people, so we can't divide everything evenly.

We might want to have the bigger people carry a lot of the water. That's gonna be some of the heaviest stuff we need to cart along with us.

[ferengineer]

Good idea. I'm stronger than I look, but that probably won't apply to everyone.

[Nog, though he was on the smaller end of the group's members, exercised fairly religiously. He'd be fine with a large load, but not everyone had gone through physical training like he had.]

[hasapoint]

Good time for a travois. Wasn't there talk of sleds? I'm not sure about sledges on sand, it tends to pile up in front and you've got to wet it to keep things running smooth, and we've got a lot of people who're going to need that water. But you can drag more weight than you can carry.

[greyerrant]

I will carry as much as is needed, but I warn you it is probably unwise to put too much water on me, as my first impulse is to fight.

[okayimin]

[ Sawbones, who has still not seen fit to collapse, manages to squeeze herself out of the hole she'd hidden in when the crystal had cracked. Crystals, as a rule, do not crack on their own, so it's safe to assume nothing good can come from it. She's more astonished than anything when a horde doesn't descend on them.

She heads for the gnome legion before anything else, armed with bandages. ]

Everyone all right? Numbers all together? Hold still, I can't tell if that's your blood or not.

[ Yes, she is going to worry over the gnomes for a bit before she scampers off to help finish the packing. ]

[wildestmods]

[The gnomes that are hurt allow her to bandage them. They're a hardy species but a few have scratches.]

[When she finishes with each one they pat a little hand on one of her hands appreciatively, chatter something incomprehensible but is probably thanks, and make space for the next injured gnome.]

[okayimin]

[ She chatters back, though hers in the common tongue. Just because you don't know what someone's saying doesn't mean you can't fuss a little. ]

Go on then, and mind you wash that careful when you get where you're going.

[hourglasshalfempty]

There you are!

[Raistlin nearly rolls his eyes when he sees what she's up to, but she's clearly intent on it. But surely they have their own healers...]

Meet me at the medical station, I'll be packing. Hurry!

[okayimin]

[ It's probably best he didn't roll his eyes. Sawbones calls back from her tidy line of gnomes. ]

Are you telling me you haven't been packing?! [ She doesn't stop working, but she is frowning in his general direction. ] Check the alcove near where they had that silly meeting, I've got a pack there.

[hellbentley]

When people aren't rushing around as much I'm going to give a tutorial on how to turn linen sheets into functional - and actually still a little fashionable - proper desert wear.

I'll do it over my clothes but we're going to want as many people as we have enough linens for to completely change so we're wearing those only and leave the warmer clothes in our packs.

I know we haven't got much in the way of room to carry things, but it's worth the real estate, trust me. Even if the journey's only just one day out there, it can be the difference between life and death for mortals.

[hasapoint]

[Need is absolutely calm.]

I'll back that up. I've lived in deserts a couple dozen times and passed through them more than that, the value of the right clothing can't be overstated. Loose, pale, lightweight where possible.

That blue girl mentioned making a form of cosmetic that helps with glare, too. Sun in the eyes is going to be a problem, even if we hit a stroke of luck and this isn't going to be terribly hot.

[millenyal_pink]

We can probably load up the heaviest stuff into Bumblebee, the stuff that we won't be accessing as often. And save some room in case people need a break from walking. We can take turns, if necessary.

I'll start collecting food that will last. I'm not as strong as the werewolves, but I'm strong enough that I can be on carrying-heavy-stuff duty. Or carrying people, if it comes to that. We have folks who aren't used to doing this kind of thing.

We should probably try to get moving before nightfall, if possible. Afternoon, so we can avoid the worst of the heat, but I'd like to put as much distance between us and those things as possible before they wake back up.

[unsealthecatbox]

It's too bad trying to block them so they don't follow so easily isn't an option.

[The Nightrenders probably would get over anything the party can do. Sunlight may be the one thing they can't overcome]

[credit_not_blame]

[Stacia had just gotten to sleep again after a bout of nightmares when the cracking of the Heartstone and the howling of the Nightrenders wakes her up. She'd been prepared to fight, but then: gnome defense wave. She's baffled for a moment or two, then starts whooping and cheering the gnomes on. As the successful gnomes pour back into the Trollmarket, she crouches down and offers her hands for (low down) high fives.

Once that's done, she turns to her mirror.]

If we don't have the sleds or travois ready, I can still carry more in Hispo than I can in Homid. Having fur in the desert is going to suck, but I'll manage.

[hasapoint]

[Need, as usual, wasn't sleeping.]

If you or anyone has the time to spare I can help make some. Travois, I mean. Sleds are a bit beyond me, especially with the time crunch, but we've got wood, steel, and cloth to bind the wood together with.

[wheyoftheadept]

[Saturday had actually started to assist the gnomes, until the first 'render she aimed at got taken down in a wave before she could even close. After that, she shrugged and let them handle it]

Okay, fighters, who's point, who's rear, and who's scouting? I'd recommend Guts for point - anything scouts might miss, he'll pick up. I'd prefer rear.

[zerg_rush]

I'll scout.

[Without her gear, she's not as stealthy, but she's still pretty damn stealthy.]

It means I won't be able to carry much, though.

[ferengineer]

I can take point. If the others manage to miss something I should be able to hear anything long before it's on top of us. These lobes aren't just for show.

And my crossbow packs a pretty serious punch even when it's not firing bolts of magic.

[credit_not_blame]

If we're having me and Ace drag things, they'd better be things that we can drop quickly if something attacks us. You're gonna want our claws and teeth.

[greyerrant]

Guts and I are functioning as our logistical movers for the moment, but should a fight break out we'll shed gear and head towards the battle.

[ as if anyone could stop them with anything short of an assault cannon. ]

[zerg_rush]

Looks like we're going desert. Anybody got sunblock?

[Says the redhead, dryly.]

[pasthole]

If it gets bad enough, I can fix some of it.

[ You know the situation's actually pretty serious because Karkat's not finding a way to make this into a monologue with three confusingly gross asides. ]