[FINISHED] Collective Roleplay - Festival of Frost: The Barn

Published Jan 25, 2023, 2:21:48 AM UTC | Last updated Feb 14, 2023, 7:41:01 PM | Total Chapters 8

Story Summary

As required by the Festival of Frost event hosted by DracoStryx ARPG, two of us partnered for the Roleplay section of the event.

This work gathers our entries throughout the weeks we participated in.

6ftDemon 6ftDemon Eulas Eulas

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Chapter 3: The Barn

In the end, both stryxes let out a sigh of relief after having a small glimpse of the inside. Up until now, they had spent at least a full hour outside as the storm was slowly gaining power. Even after their arrival, the wind was only getting stronger with every blast hitting the walls of the barn, striking a high pitched howling within the cracks each time.

Sensing he was now in security regardless of all these scary loud sounds, Victor rapidly made himself at ease in the cozy environment and started exploring the lofts. On the other hand, Mortifer was staying at the entrance to analyze his surroundings from afar.

β€œBetter want to take the last stalls in the back if you want to rest. Some of our gals and pals are pretty territorial with their beds, wouldn’t want to be here if they found you in one of them when they return…”, mumbled the figure as he saw Victor approach a close by nest

The corva answered with a few chirps and happily bounced towards the indicated area. As he passed by a big mirrored object hanging on a stall separator, he saw himself and stopped right in his tracks. His orange eyes suddenly sparkled and he tilted his head in confusion while yapping:

"Friend?"…
"No, I'm asking you!"…
"No you!"…

"What a goof, how he survived to adulthood will forever be a mystery.", thought Mortifer with despise

β€œY'all pretty wet and shivering, but if ever you feel like you have any energy left to help unpack the stryxes when they'll be back from the mines… it would be much appreciated.”, said the figure as it passed by the gryph to make its way towards the exit

-  Eulas (290)

Mortifer scoffed at the figure as soon as they were gone. Why should he feel obligated to help? They were just passing through, and frankly it seemed like a poor security tactic to leave unfamiliar guests alone in your barn. Whatever, it wasn't his problem. For now he'd like to take a small break, he hadn't realized how big of a toll walking in the storm had taken on his body. His legs burned, body ached, and his voice felt hoarse from the cold and all the shouting he'd had to do to be heard over the wind.

"...so you're not gonna tell me your name then, huh?"

Victor was still yapping at himself in the mirror, trying to interrogate his reflection into giving out its name. Mortifer rolled his eyes. "I'm not here to babysit."
While Victor seemed preoccupied, Mortifer leapt into the rafters and settled there, the space being big enough for him to comfortably rest for a bit. He tucked his head into the abundance of fluff on his neck and chest, listening carefully for anyone who might be entering the barn at any point. All he heard was the wind taking its toll on the world outside.

"Well then I'll just have my friend get your name! He's big and scary and really strange, but he'll be able to do it." Mortifer didn't quite register what Victor was saying, having drifted off into a light sleep as he was perched. Well, until he felt a presence next to him. The feeling was startling enough to wake him up, sending him into defense mode. He puffed his feathers up and hissed, facing the unknown presence.
Victor looked confused and afraid momentarily, but once he saw Mortifer was awake that damn smile returned to his face.

"Onlooker, come with me! I have a friend I want you to meet, he won't tell me his name! Maybe he'll tell you!" Victor tugged on Mortifer's wing, trying to get the gryph moving again. Mortifer sighed but knew that if he protested that Victor wouldn't likely understand, plus it might be interesting to play along for a bit.

- 6-ft-Demon (357)

Seeing Mortifer complying to his request and preparing himself to get up, Victor became as energetic as ever. The corva started chirping and flapping his wings while bouncing back towards the mirror. "Does this kid never run out of fuel?" wondered the gryph while getting up. He slowly followed the corva to the mirror, where he could only hear him already starting to argument with his reflection.

 

"I told you my friend would come! You should've given me your name before! Now you have no chance to refuse!" said confidently the small stryx

 

That is, until Mortifer entered the reflection. Victor's feathers, by now fully dry and deprived of icicles, lifted themselves on his back.

 

"Huh… where… where do you come from? Why do you look exactly like Onlooker? Why are you so big? Who are you? Onlooker do you have a twin? Who is that?", asked the worried corva

 

Mortifer couldn’t hold his grin, which seemed to create more fear and confusion in Victor's eyes, still sticked to the newcomer's reflection. As the little one continued to panic, the gryph noticed the barn doors still open in their back and the snowstorm going off as strong as you could imagine. Although something seemed to get his attention… something shiny…

 

Ignoring Victor that was still asking one question after the other, he turned around and approached the entrance of the barn to have a better look. "A necklace? A bracelet? A mΓ©daillon?" asked himself Mortifer while the corva came rapidly by his side, still fearful of the two 'strangers' he had just met.

- Eulas (263)

"What's that?" Victor asked, suddenly seeing what Mortifer had spotted through the storm. As the two approached, the object of intrigue became clear; it was the metal clasp on a collar, one attached to a small barrel of water, most likely belonging to a windhound rescuer heading to the mines and had come undone, causing it to fall off before departure.

 

"Nothing, let's get back inside." Mortifer sighed, but was barely heard over the raging winds. As the gryph turned around and headed for the barn, the corva didn't budge.

 

"We have to return it! They will be doomed without rescue water!" Victor exclaimed, picking up the barrel and fastening it around his own neck. He began trudging towards the mountain, but stopped as he noticed Mortifer hadn't followed.

 

"No, we don't. They'll be fine, they have tons of other windhounds with food and water, they can do without one. Now get back inside." Mortifer scowled as he turned back around to face Victor. Victor frowned sadly.

 

"Onlooker, we need to return this. This storm will be hard on the village and its people, we need to help in any way we can. Plus a windhound is probably sad that it lost its cargo!" Victor tapped the barrel with his wing talon. Mortifer growled to himself, knowing Victor wasn't going to drop the subject. It would be easier to just get up to the mines and drop it off real quick, then they could return to the barn, hopefully in one piece.


"Alright, let's go get this over with." Mortifer sighed again, catching up to Victor as he excitedly bounced forward.

- 6-ft-Demon (271)

Total: 1181 words

 

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

 

MORTIFER

LITERATURE: (1181 / 100) * 2 = 23

EVENT [FoF]: +4                       = 27

BUDDY BONUS: +4                 = 31

FLOCKMATE: +2                      = 33

PERSONAL: +3                         = 36

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TOTAL AP                                 = 36AP

 

VICTOR

LITERATURE: (1181 / 100) * 2 = 23

EVENT [FoF]: +4                       = 27

BUDDY BONUS: +4                 = 31

FLOCKMATE: +2                      = 33

PERSONAL: +3                         = 36

-----------

TOTAL AP                                 = 36AP

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