Kithayn - 01 Home Burns

"This is not good," Kithayn mused to herself as she knelt beside the last trail of her journey home. She could clearly see that a band of Varou had - judging by the freshness of their tracks - followed the trail within the last watches of the night. Although rare, it was not completely unknown for Varou to pass through her home steading of Northbridge - after all  it was the site of the most northerly bridge over the river Anfyn - but they sometimes caused trouble over the toll and it would be best if she were there to help old Glami, the warrior that manned the toll station for Lady Caelia.

But, never having been one to let her heart rule her head, Kithayn decided to search around to see if anything more could be learned ...

Gather Information - 4,1 : 3 + 3 wits; STRONG

Back down the trail Kithayn saw some of the small bushes at the trail's edge crushed as if a large animal had forced its way off the trail - or someone had crawled that way. Intrigued, Kithayn went over and crouched down to get a better look. She saw a Varou on the ground with its back to the trail. At first she thought it was asleep, but then noticed the stumps of arrows in its back and flies crawling around the wounds - it was dead.

Kithayn reached under the bushes towards the Varou with one of her war-darts and dragged the body to the edge of the trail. Seeing the paleness of its skin and the not quite stiffness of it limbs, Kithayn knew it had died since the sun's rise - it must have been straggling behind the rest of the band when it gave up the fight for life and crawled away to die. But as she rolled the body over and saw its face, the blood drained from her own ...

Shock of the revelation : -2 spirit (3)
Endure Stress - 5,4 : 4 + 3 spirit; STRONG; Embrace +1 momentum (3)

Kithayn had never seen Varou with red facepaint - all the other colours under the sun, but not red! She knew the stories - red is the colour of war to the Varou, only worn by them at war. This was no trading or secretive hunting band - these were raiders headed for her home!

The corpse in front of her must have been wounded in an attack, fallen behind and then left to die by the others.  Kithayn dropped the buck she had been bringing home and started her mile-eating fast jog along the trail toward Northbridge, seeing as she did that there were boot-prints interspersed with the Varou tracks - they had captives!

Face Danger - 10,7 : 4 + 2 iron; MISS; most obvious result - too slow

Cresting the last ridge before Northbridge, Kithayn could see a thick plume of smoke rising from where she knew Northbridge to be - she was too late! With a heavy heart, she continued without a pause knowing that she could no longer change what happened at the only home she had ever known.

As Northbridge came slowly into sight, she could see that the toll station and the Inn were burning fiercely; Glami lay dead in the yard atop a dead Varou and there was Sula, Mother's best friend, with her back opened from shoulder to hip ... There were no wounded - only corpses ... and no sign on Kithayn's Mother.

As she looked around and drank in the devastation, Kithayn's innately practical mind took over and she found herself at the log store where she hid her gear when away from home - she had learnt the hard way that some people would take anything they could find. She thanked the Gods that the Varou had not found her store and retrieved the gauntlets and helm that had once been her Father's along with the padded coat she wore when learning from Glami. Putting them all on, she began to feel her spirit strengthen and her spine stiffen.

Per Ironclad asset, Kithayn is now Lightly Armored [sic] 

Searching around the still burning buildings, a strange tale began to tell itself to Kithayn ...

Gather Information - 9,7 : 1 + 3 wits; MISS; unearths dire threat & unwelcome truth

The Varou had obviously fought amongst themselves about something and two separate groups had left the steading.  One (with all the captives) had gone north along the riverbank in the direction of the Varou tribal lands, while the other had followed the road toward the Wardenhome of Connu.

Kithan did not know what to do - she knew that her duty to Lady Caelia required her to warn the Warden, but her heart yearned to follow the captives in the hope that she could find her Mother alive amongst them ... but Mother could be lying dead, burnt to ash in the ruins of the inn ...

Indecision gripped her, but then Kithayn drew her Father's Iron Dagger, his mark of eternal shame, that she always kept inside her shirt where its leather sheath nestled next to her skin.

Gripping it tightly in her left hand so that its blade cut into her palm, she swore, "On my Father's badge of shame, I swear that I will find you Mother and learn your fate."

Swear Iron Vow - Learn Mother's Fate - formidable
  9,2 : 3 + 1 heart; WEAK; +1 momentum (5)

Gripping it again, so that it cut new lines of blood in her hand, she swore another solemn vow, "I swear that I will get to Warden Connu and tell him what has happened here, though my heart tells me to find Mother, I will do my duty first."

Swear Iron Vow - Warn Warden Connu - dangerous
  6,2 : 6 + 1 heart + 1 [bond w. Connu]; STRONG; +2 momentum (4)

Taking up her, Kithayn followed the Varou that had headed toward the Wardenhome. She knew a shortcut that would take her over the big ridge that lay between Northbridge and Connu's Wardenhome, while the road ran round the end of the ridge - luck might see at the Wardenhome before the Varou .. it was unlikely to be sure, but Kithayn felt that she had to try ...

Undertake Journey - Northbridge to Wardenhome of Connu : dangerous
5,4 : 5 + 3 wits; STRONG; move at speed +1 momentum (6), -1 supply (4);
Milestone - Warn Warden Connu - 2/10

Kithayn made good time, climbing the ridge without mishap until she reached the edge of the scree slopes that she had to cross before she could make her descent. She had crossed the treacherous scree many times, but never at the speed that she had to use now ...

Undertake Journey - Northbridge to Wardenhome of Connu; 2nd segment
  4,2 : 5 + 3 wits; STRONG; move at speed +1 momentum (7), -1 supply (3)

Luck? the Gods? her Father's spirit? something was Kithayn; she seemed to float across the scree with nary a problem and began her descent to the Wardenhome

Undertake Journey - Northbridge to Wardenhome of Connu; 3rd segment
  9,9 : 5 + 3 wits; MISS w. TWIST

What- or whom-ever had been with Kithayn on the scree, left her as ran her determined jog down the slope of the ridge toward the Wardenhome. As she rounded a boulder, she saw Clover, Connu's old milk cow, running across the path and away to her left. Distracted by the incongruous sight, Kithayn completely failed to see the 2 Varou that had been chasing the cow, spot her and change their target to the running woman.

Enter the Fray - Ambushed, 2 slightly wounded Varou = dangerous
  7,2 : 6 + 3 wits; STRONG; +2 momentum (9), +INIT

As they leapt out though, some sixth sense of Kithayn's warned her and her axe leapt up toward the first Varou.

Strike - 4,2 : 6 + 2 iron; STRONG; 2 harm + 1 harm [STR)]
  Progress - 2 Varou - 6/10 ; +INIT

Catching it in the thigh, the creature's artery sprayed its life out across the path and its compatriot. Not giving the remaining Varou time to recover, Kithayn's axe swept towards its head.

Strike - 8,8 : 4 + 2 iron; MISS, BURN (9 -> 2), STRONG; 2 harm + 1 harm [STR]
  Progress - 2 Varou - 10/10 ; +INIT

Striking deep down into its skull, Kithayn had put her boot on the Varou before she could tug her axe free.

End the Fight - 10,3 : 10 progress; WEAK
Endure Harm - 9,4 - 1 + 3 health + 1 ironclad; WEAK; -2 health (3), + 1 momentum [ironclad] (3)

The fight over, Kithayn realised that the first Varou had caught arm a nasty slice as it fell. Removing her pack, she found one of her bandages and bound her arm tight - stitching the wound would have to wait.

Heal - 7,2 : 3 + 2 iron; WEAK; -1 supply (2), +2 health (5)
Milestone - Warn Warden Connu - 4/10

Replacing her gear and restoring her pack to her back, Kithayn took stock. She was almost at the Wardenhome, but meeting the Varou here meant they almost certainly were there themselves.

Reach Your Destination - 8,3 : 6 progress; WEAK; unforeseen hazard ...

As Kithayn stepped out toward the Wardenhome, another Varou stepped onto the trail ahead of her - murder in its eyes ...

Enter the Fray - ambushed by a Varou = dangerous
7,4 : 6 + 3 wits; STRONG; +2 momentum (5), +INIT

Dodging the manbeast's first lunge, Kithayn brought her axe up in an underarm swing, intent on slicing open the ceature's groin

Strike - 10,4 : 6 + 2 iron; WEAK; 2 harm
  Progress - A Varou - 2/10; -INIT

Her blow almost ineffective, the Varou flowed from its own parry to a strike

Clash - 5,2 : 6 + 2 iron; STRONG; 2 harm + 1 harm [opening]
  Progress - A Varou - 10/10; +INIT

But Kithayn's own riposte opened the Varou up from throat to sternum and, as disbelief filled its eyes, it sank slowly to its knees ...

End the Fight - 6,6 : 10 progress; STRONG

... and Kithayn decapitated it with a double handed swing of her axe.

Milestone - Warn Warden Connu - 6/10
Milestone - Learn Mother's Fate - 1/10 

Looking up, there was the Wardenhome of Connu, on a small rise at the base of the valley