Argali Trueaxe

[Script Wrecked]

// Argali's character submission //

// Argali's Dwarven Defender prestige class approval //

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Aurachil, The Eleventh Day Of Dry-Heat,  Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Argali is now on Mistone, in the Port of Hempstead. What a surprise, no?

To make a long story short, because everyone knows how you like a tale that is short and to the point and that doesn't go on and on and you never know when the end will be, when Argali told the master-of-arms she wanted to become a defender, he said that they could not teach her, as they did not have any defenders of Taur'en any more. Argali thinks they could see her disappointment, because they said that the other clans have defenders, and that Argali could go and visit them and ask if they would sponsor her. They said that when Argali becomes a defender to come back and help with the troubles.

When Argali said to go to Bloody Gate, they said that would be too dangerous, and when she asked about the dwarves on Dregar, they said there were troubles there too. So they sent her to Mistone, and to try with the Ulgrids who are in the Brech Mountains.

Argali is still practising her common too, like you said. She is speaking very clearly with no accent.

Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali
[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Aurachil, The Twenty-Fifth Day Of Dry-Forge, Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

You'll never guess what. Argali rans into a kin in Mistone who helps her with her quest. His name is Jacrum. He tells Argali of not one, but two defenders. This is marvellous, no?

But this Jacrum, he leads such a strange life. We returned from the swamps when there was all this nasty shrieking in the air, and dark shadows racing across the land. Then, from nowhere, appears this volpine creature with two swords {"volpine" means "fox like", Granny}. And Jacrum knows this creature, although it seems they do not share the same tongue. They are both looking for this Teeth-a-less person.

As well as this, Argali is doing well. She has found work delivering packages and keeping the Port's sewers unclogged. It is so stinky down there, Granny, and rats, never has Argali seen such a size of them. Do not worry though, Argali does it well.

Until next time. Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Mithrik, The Second Day Of Cold-Hammer, Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

You'll never guess what this time. Argali has found one of the defenders Master Jacrum was talking about. His name is Fenrir Thornaxe and he is from Bloody Gate. Who would have thought that Argali would have to come to Mistone to meet a defender from Alindor? He is working on important fighting techniques for defending. Argali thinks she can learn alot from him. He says Argali is to work on her weapon handling and he will steer her in the right direction. This is wonderful, no?

Argali is now doing work in the crypts in the Fort of Vehl. Argali will not say more because she doesn't want to scare you, but you can rest assured that Argali is being very careful.

Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*early morning, the silence behind the temple in Fort Vehl is disturbed*

"Lunge, lunge.

"Back sweep. Center.

"Back sweep. Center.

"Front sweep. Guard.

"Front sweep. Guard.

"Back sweep. Front sweep. Guard.

"Back sweep. Front sweep. Guard.

"Front sweep. Back sweep. Center.

"Front sweep. Back sweep..."

*the loud ring of metal on stone, and the sound of breaking glass*

"Zorry...

"Do not fearr. Argali will pay for the damages.

"'Ow much?

"Does Argali think therre iz a betterr place to prractice?

"The arrena? Wherre iz that?

"Oh."

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Agorin, The Twenty-Eighth Day Of Cold-Hammer, Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Please make sure you are sitting down when you are reading this, because it is a bit shocking.

Argali is working on a ship at sea when it is attacked by pirates! Yes! Very dangerous! They captured us, and burned our ship with the passengers on it. Fiends! Argali's blood was boiling and she was letting them know what she thought of them. All the time Argali had to spend in the recruits' mess hall was put to good use. Argali does not think the pirates are speaking dwarven so well, though. Argali is hoping the passengers made it back to the shore somehow.

Then it gets even more dangerous! Yes! Argali is put in the arena to fight the three, three! very big orcs. Argali must say that she acquitted herself quite well. Then the pirates are making the others fight each other. Fiends! Argali was horrified.

You will never, ever guess what happened next, Granny. Not in the hundred years. A gold dragon! Yes! A GOLD DRAGON! Argali could not believe her eyes. It was going to fight two of the others, but some other pirates stopped the fight before it happened. This was very strange.

Fortunately, we were able to escape the pirate island, though the pirates did not let us go easily. Argali is not so keen to travel on the sea after that.

Vorax keep you safe. Vorax keep Argali safe, too.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*The stillness of the vast interior of the Fort Vehl arena is disturbed by a lone dwarven female drilling with a double axe. Out of armor, she is swathed in sweat as she repeats the movements over and over.*

*lunge, lunge*

*guard, high back sweep*

*guard, high back sweep*

*Although there is no oratory accompaniment, her look of concentration suggests an internal dialogue.*

*guard, high back sweep, front sweep*

*guard, high back sweep, front sweep*

*For a moment she stops to she reflect upon her practice, the double axe rests horizontally balanced on her palm held at her shoulder. Then she begins again, this time changing the lead leg.*

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common, stained by freshly cut pipeweed*

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Agorin, The Seventh Day Of Cold-Rust, Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

What a surprise! Argali has send you some pipeweed in with her letter. It is growing all over Mistone. This is amazing, no? She was going to send some in her last letter, but it was already very soggy.

The kind person at the place where Argali sends her letters pointed out that Argali was putting the addresses the wrong way around. So, Argali has changed this.

Argali has made some new friends on Mistone. They are very big, and Argali is feeling quite safe with them, though she has to be careful she is not squashed. Some people have said they are giants, but they are far too small. Argali is thinking maybe they are pygmy giants, but she is not sure. Anyhow, we have been busy making Mistone safer for everyone! Hopefully Argali will be able to help make Taur'en safe one day too.

Hope you enjoy the pipeweed!

Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*In the Fort Vehl arena, a dwarven female is making ready to practise her drill. She marks a circle on the floor around herself in charcoal, and proceeds to drill with her double axe, attempting to stay within the boundary.*

*After a while she stops, and examines the charcoal circle. There are some obvious smudge marks. After some consideration, she realises that this only tells her after the fact. She thinks a while, then leaves the hall.*

...

*The dwarven female returns with a whole manner of bottles and sets them at the perimeter of the circle. She continues with her drilling. Every so often, when the heel or toe of her foot knocks over a bottle, she stops and takes note of what she was doing and where she has moved to. She sets the bottle upright and continues.*

*smash*

*gasps, holds her cheeks*

*The bottom end of the double axe has collected one of the bottles. There is glass everywhere. The dwarven female busies herself cleaning up.*

...

*The bottles are gone. The dwarven female rummages through the weapon racks around the arena. Finally, she pulls out a large, round shield. After removing the strapping, she sets it flat on the floor.  Standing on the shield, she continues her practice.*

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Ferramis, The Twenty-Seventh Day Of Cold-Rust, Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Thank you for telling Argali that the pipeweed should be dried and pressed before it is sent. She will do this next time.

When Argali is responding to notices for help, she has to be on her guard. It turned out this little girl who wanted us to get her ring back, she was really some powerful spellcaster in changed form. Argali will spare you the details, but it really goes to show that things are not always what they seem.

Argali had her suspicions, though. Perhaps it was her desire to grow up to be an assassin, or her taste for ale and whiskey for someone so young, or maybe it was her evil, menacing stare, but Argali suspected from the beginning there was something not quite right with this little girl.

Do not worry though, Argali is becoming quite shrewd.

Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*As a dwarven female enters the arena at Vehl, the arena hostess speaks with her. The dwarf pass her a small consideration, and the hostess indicates a figure waiting at the side.*

"Zo, you arre willing to trrain with Argali?"

*The figure nods.* "For the price named."

...

"The point of the training iz to force Argali out of the cirrcle. Argali will be doing herr best to stay in the cirrcle."

*crunch*

*The training partner has thrown himself at the dwarf and tackled her to the ground.*

*The dwarf extracates herself from the tangled bodies.*

"Err, verry good, but we will be using the trraining weapons."

*She hands her training partner a heavy wooden training sword and shield, and takes a quarter staff for herself. She takes her position in the charcoal marked circle.*

"Ready? We begin now."

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common, speckled with bits of dried pipeweed*

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Cuprig, The Fifth Day Of Cold-Lode, Fourteen-Twenty-Three

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Argali has finally sent the dried pipeweed. Hope you are liking it! It will help keep you warm in the months of the winter, no?

It seems Argali is still not having the good luck with ships. This time it is caused by the dark elf! Yes! Argali could not believe it. And even more astonishing, the people who Argali was going to travel with preferred to take the dark elf instead of the three of us! Yes! Argali would have been gobsmacked except she had fallen in the water at the time after the ship left port while the three of us were still on the boarding plank. Maybe this was a good thing. Argali is thinking perhaps those people need to spend some time in the tunnels under Taur'en, then they would not be so happy to see the dark elves.

Things are not all bad though. Argali forgot to mention in her previous letter that she had been given a magical helm for helping the lieutenant in the Fort of Llast. Argali is very proud of it and is wearing it all the time now.

Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*In the Vehl arena, a dwarven female is preparing for another training session when two shifty looking characters approach her. The dwarf looks at them, uncertain of their motives.*

"Pug an' me 'ave been watchin' ya, missy."

"Yeah. We been watchin'."

"Oh?"

"We reckon Pug 'ere can push ya ou' a' tha' circle."

"Yeah. Push you ou'."

"Oh, zis iz zo, iz it?"

"Pug being so big an' all, an' ya bein' so small."

"Yeah. Pug big."

"Size doez not matterr zo much."

"Care to put a small wager on that?"

"Yeah. Bet on that?"

*thinks a bit* "Verry well. Argali will wagerr you."

...

*After a whole series of contests and bets, with the balance of coin shifting between the two parties, Pug finally hobbles off with his handler, a little the richer.*

"Argali will see you boys again zoon, no?"

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Brenzik, The Fifteenth Day Of Dark-Crypt, Fourteen-Twenty-Four

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for this year. It is at times like these that Argali is missing everyone. Argali has send some more pipeweed. She has wrapped it separately this time, like you suggested. Hope you like it.

Argali is proud to say that she has been helping the guard to track down the escaped criminal. Unfortunately, he has eluded our search so far, but we are keeping our eyes and ears open for any word about him.

In the winter months, Argali would be thinking that she would be able to buy the travel cloak, but they are not to be found for sale from any of the merchants on Mistone. Do these people not know how good they are for keeping out the weather?

Anyhow, Argali must go now. Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

*A dwarven female enters the Vehl arena. It is more crowded than usual, and she wonders if she will be able to find a clear spot. More disconcerting, however, is that all eyes seem to on her.*

*The arena hostess walks over to the dwarf.* "They've all been waiting for you, y'know."

"They have? What iz it they arre wanting?"

"They've heard you are taking wagers."

"Oh."

*The dwarf thinks for a moment, then addresses the crowd at large.* "All who arre 'erre to push Argali out of the cirrcle forrm the line. There will be one bout each time, and then the next perrson. When Argali haz had enough, that iz the end."

...

"Argali haz had enough now."

*a few grumblings of discontent come from those still present*

"Maybe you can come again the next time?"

...

*Passing the Temple of Rofirein, the dwarf drops the modest collection of coins she had accrued into the collection box.*

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Adamachtis, The Seventeenth Day Of Dark-Deep, Fourteen-Twenty-Four

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Glad to hear that you are enjoying the pipeweed. Argali thinks of you and her time growing up in the Castel of Bydell when she is picking it. Especially in the winter Argali is missing your famous leek soup.

Argali thinks of her kin in Taur'en, too, and the troubles they are facing. It was good to spend time with them when Argali went back to Taur'en to join the recruits. And now Argali is away again. It seems she is always going and coming.

Argali must say she is not sleeping so well at the moment. When she wakes up in the morning, it is like she has just finished the heavy training session. Sometimes she even takes the afternoon nap.

Remember to keep wrapped up and the fire stoked. Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali[/I]

[Script Wrecked]

**In the Vehl arena, a dwarven female is coming to the end of a lone training session with her double axe. In a moment of abandon or revery, she turns and pirouettes across the arena floor, the double axe horizontal at her waist. The double axe is lifted above her head and twirled as she continues to whirl across the arena. The double axe is flicked out to be held at one end, spun around her head once in a great sweeping arc, and then used as a counterbalance as she spins around and around. The double axe is brought into the waist again for a finishing twist, and then a flourish of attacks, canoe-paddling the alternate ends of the double axe.

She defends against some imagined foe, her fervor increases, a chill runs down her spine. A lost feeling of dread washes over her. Caught unawares, she freezes for what feels like minutes. Bewildered, deflated, she discontinues her practice.**

[Script Wrecked]

*a letter written in common*

Argali Trueaxe
Port Hempstead
Mistone

Granny Hornpipe
Bydell Castle
Alindor

Mithrik, The Tenth Day Of Damp-Mood, Fourteen-Twenty-Four

Dear Granny Hornpipe,

Argali has to be more careful answering the notices for help. This time we were drugged and framed for the murder! Yes! By the sly and cunning dopple... [/i]*several struck-through words* shapechangers. Everybody is soon becoming paranoid and untrusting when they do not know who is who.

While we are helping the guard find out what has taken place, the dastardly dopplers are framing us with another murder, this time of the famous captain of Spellgard. This was very bad. Who can we trust? Even from the people who are not dopplers, will they believe our story? It is so bad that we are breaking out of gaol so that we can figure it out for ourselves.

Eventually, we are making the contacts with people, and return to Spellgard to explain everything. But even then, the deceitful doppler is showing up to make things confusing again. However, this helps us, because now more people are seeing our story. We go to see the lawkeeper, and there is plenty of talking as we are telling our story. With the proof we are finding while we are escaped, he is believing us. All we are having to do is pay for the damages and fix the gaol door that we are breaking, and everybody is happy again.

Trusting the wrong person can get you killed. Not trusting the right person can also be bad. It is the tricky thing, no? Especially when the dopplers are still out there.

Vorax keep you safe.

Love,

~Argali

[Script Wrecked]

*In the Vehl arena, a dwarven female stands on a round shield with a double axe.*

*guard, right overhead strike, left overhead strike*

*guard, right overhead strike, left overhead strike*

*She repeats over and over, leading with the right foot, and then with the left, trying to find the natural rhythm, trying to redirect the natural inclination to step off the shield. For the moment, she settles on a square stance, with neither foot forward, keenly aware of the vulnerabilities of such a pose.*

*She stops a moment, and dares to pirouette and twirl the double axe overhead. The feeling she was looking to recapture elludes her. She continues her practice, reversing the swing of the double axe.*

*guard, right uppercut, left uppercut*

*guard, right uppercut, left uppercut*

*And on and on.*

[Script Wrecked]

"Granny!" Argali gave the elderly dwarven female a big hug as she opened the front door. "So gude ta see yoo agin!"

"Och, lassie," Granny Hornpipe replied, "Wot a surprise. Come un, come un.

"Yoo can pop yer gear on tha rack thar. Ut saves tha furniture, yoo know."

...

"So, wot brings yoo ta Bydell Castle?" Granny Hornpipe finished pouring hot tea into a mug.

"Thar were trooble on B'ar Islan' wid tha bugb'ars. Argali were thar ta help oot. So, she uz on Alundor an' comes ta see yoo," Argali beamed.

Granny Hornpipe handed Argali the mug. "My, my, wot adventures yer havin'. Jus' dinna be foolish an' go an' get yerself kull'd. Th'ars eno' o' tha' un Taur'en."

"Aye, Granny. Nay, Granny."

"Well, dinna jus' sut thar loike sum bump on a log, tell yer Granny wot yer bin oop to."

"Argali uz busy practisin' har foightin' skulls so tha' she can become tha defend'r o' har kin un Taur'en..."

And so the exchanges and story telling went through the rest of the day and into the evening.