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. ]

[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.

[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. ]

[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.

[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.]

[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.]

[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.

[the_hit_list]

We could also suggest people tie whatever passes as blankets into makeshift bags and pack them each morning, even if we’re not marching.

[ It’s not unreasonable that they may find a semi-defensible position on the way to replenish supplies and recuperate. They should still stay packed. ]

[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.

[hellbentley]

Actually dark works just as well as light cloth.

[He knows from experience.]

It does absorb the heat more but it dissipates it fast enough that it still doesn't reach your body. It's more about the air circulation and having something else either reflect, or absorb and dissipate, the heat instead of your skin doing it.

[Hence why peoples like the Bedouin still used dark cloth.]

[hasapoint]

True enough. And dark cloth is on balance better for blocking the sun. It had better be loose with the right weave, though.

[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.

[hellbentley]

I've seen linens used. But they've got to be very loose - cotton's awful if it's soaking up sweat. But also silks or light wools.

[garmr]

You won't be the only one signing up for pack mule duty.

[konman]

Most of the adults or near-adults can probably carry various degrees of something a little heavy but we've got people who are like 3 or 4 feet tall.

[hasapoint]

[Cotton... no, better not derail, that's a Material For The Rich to her]

Know anything about making headgear out of straw? I've had people who could do that kind of thing quickly, but it's been a long time. Light reflecting up from the sand and then down from the inside of the brim, too... hm, maybe better not.

[hellbentley]

I know clothes and how they're worn. [Even when he miracles them, you have to know how all the bits look and work.] Making things is getting into artisan work.

Cloth head-wrappings will do. Stay on your head better if there's wind when there's no brim.

You just need a square scarf for a keffiyeh.

[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.

[credit_not_blame]

I'd say that we should toss them in that empty well, but we have no idea if they'd behave like crabs in a bucket or if they'd just teamwork their way out. Best to put that energy into us getting as far away as possible.

[unsealthecatbox]

We have a bunch of mages here, don't we? I wonder if it'd be feasible to have a spell to weaponize sunlight.

[credit_not_blame]

There's magic like that in my world, but I've only ever heard of it as a flashbomb. But it's something to keep in mind. Probably while on the move, I don't think anyone's hankering to stick around here.