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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Sept 28, 2022 9:08:02 GMT -5
Lightning flashes across the sky and a loud crack of thunder sends tremors through the very soul. Zarius can't help but wonder how in Charon did he end up in such a place. The answer of course is coin, it's always coin. He had found himself sitting at a table in a local dive in the town of Storm Gale, lamenting over how costly the journey to this land was in the first place and how light his coin purse is now. A lead he was following had dried up, which made things all the worse. He was considering what to do with his current predicament when he noticed a familiar face. Heian, the half-demon pirate man. What was he doing here? Did he dare ask? Yes. He did.
"Heian, friend, what brings you so far inland? As impressive as your ship is, I doubt it could weather these storms." He jokes and offers a chair at the rickety table. Surely a few heads had been smashed into it during a rowdy bar fight, leaving it in pitiful shape.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spots another. An elf who looks shockingly out of place, though maybe not to anyone else. It wasn't how she was dressed, no, she certainly looked the part of an adventurer which would not be uncommon here. It was how she carried herself. Perfect posture, delicate quiet steps, head held high with confidence and grace. There was no doubt in his mind that she was of noble birth, or at least spent time amongst nobility. He glanced around to see if any others had taken notice, a noble woman alone would certainly be a tempting target for any opportunistic thieves or bandits. It was no secret that many a criminal hid in these lands covered by the "safety" of the near constant storms.
One did approach the half-elven women, a meek yet grizzled looking human man in his late 40s wearing well worn dark clothes common in this region. "E-excuse me, miss. Are you an adventurer by chance? Me and my family over there," he points with a shaking hand to a table not far from the one Zarius sat at where a half-elven woman with messy brown hair and a younger human man in a tattered cloak sat, "need to cross the Lightning Fields. It is very dangerous and we would be grateful to have a guide."
Zarius narrows his eyes at the man. Something was off, but he could not yet discern what.
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Post by HeianWood on Sept 28, 2022 10:02:41 GMT -5
Just like last time, the weather was awful. At least this time Heian had something above his head to protect from the everlasting rain. The bad news was that the place was obscure and chances for getting something nice to eat or drink were low.
Sarris offered herseft to go get some of those, so he sat by a table alone. Heian was not a common guest hier, so he didn't expect to meet anyone familiar. But that's exactly what happened. -Hey, my favourite writer! This time I travelled by land, so no need to worry about kidnapping - another of his wide smiles decorated his face - And this time I'm not alone. This is Sarris - he showed the incoming woman.
The man who approached her seemed like the one they were supposed to search for. Charon was a small world indeed. Heian decided to leave it up to Sarris for now.
-So, did you fill that book I gave yet? Found something intresing to write about among all those shanties? The demon seemed more tired and shabby than last time. -You seem like local climate was not kind for you. You came hier after money too? If that was the case, they had a chance to end up with the same task.
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Post by Sarris on Sept 28, 2022 21:10:52 GMT -5
The middle-aged grizzled man approached Sarris. His dark clothes were well worn as was his body. "E-excuse me, miss. Are you an adventurer by chance? Me and my family over there," he said pointing with a shaking hand to a table not far from the one Zarius sat at where a half-elven woman with messy brown hair and a younger human man in a tattered cloak sat, "need to cross the Lightning Fields. It is very dangerous and we would be grateful to have a guide."
Sarris looked at them, her protective nature was to say yes. But her time with Heian and being in this place made her a bit leary.
"Sir," she said in a tone that was not quite dismissive but more of a measuring tone. "I wear no armor and I carry no sword," she continued, "and you have no supplies with you." She picked up the plates of food from the bar top. "How do you think you will make it across the Lightning Fields?" She asked. She walked the plates back to the table with the man in tow.
"Miss, we are a strong lot and have survived in this land for years. Had a farm..." He continued holding a hat in his hands as she set the plates down.
"Sirs," he said to Heian and Zarius.
Sarris sat down behind the bowl and then pushed it over to Zarius being polite.
"It would really help..." he said when Sarris cut him off.
"Let us cut to the chase here. I do not trust a man who just looks me in the eyes and does look at the rest of me," She started. "Miss, I had daughters.." He said in a semi-paternal tone. Sarris held up a finger to stop him. "And I think you are on the run from someone," she said. He looked at the two younger people. "Before you start on a story of forbidden love or something like that. Let me tell you that, I do not buy it," she said. "You wear the boots of a miner and not a farmer and so does he," she said in an accusing tone. "She is wearing boots that were soft leather wraps at one point," she said.
Then walking over to the table she said, "He has been sneaking glances at me and has not given her a glance and she has not gotten mad at him." Sarris reached out a hand and gently lifted the girl's chin looking at her. "and she is beautiful underneath the dirt," Sarris added while smiling at her.
"I am guessing you all stole something," she said thinking it was the girl. "Or are running from slavers," she said. It was a term for indentured servants that would never be able to fulfill their contract. "or..." she said turning back and pausing for him to give her a better suggestion.
Sarris was good at conspiracy theory thinking, she noticed things, and she was a sucker for a good forbidden love story.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Sept 28, 2022 21:40:18 GMT -5
Zarius gives Heian a bit of a look. "I was not worried about being kidnapped in the first place. You are welcome to try another time though." He chuckles at the ludicrous idea, but he had learned the Heian was one to talk about outlandish things being the outlandish half-demon pirate with two souls in one body. It was amusing at least. He looks at Sarris who is engaged in berating the older human man. Her words had visibly shaken the poor fool. Zarius was glad he had not said anything to her yet as he might have been the recipient of her ire for underestimating her. He could understand how she was someone Heian was already acquainted with.
Zarius looks back at Heian. "I am afraid my notes are lacking. I came up here to pursue a lead on an interesting story, but it was merely a rumor with no substance. Now I am light on coin once again." He gives Sarris an appreciative nod as she slides the bowl over to him.
Meanwhile, the older man is shook by Sarris' accusations. The woman exchanges a nervous look at the younger man, especially when Sarris touches her and comments on her appearance. She clears her throat. "Miss, all we need is to be escorted to the border, we can pay you and-" she glances at Heian and Zarius, guessing they were all together, "your companions well for the trouble."
The older man finds his voice again, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow. "Please, Miss, there is nothing like what you are accusing us of going on. We just need an escort across the wastes."
Zarius leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. Sarris was on to something, of that much he was certain. These people were hiding something. It was just a matter of discerning if one of her accusations was the truth, or if it was something else completely. He looks at Heian. "What do you think? They are offering coin which is what you are seeking, yes?"
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Post by HeianWood on Sept 29, 2022 4:37:41 GMT -5
Heian sat silently, sipping his mead and listening to the conversation with amusement. Sarris seemed to inherit his trust issuesperhaps for the good. But she went in too agressively. For now he let them argue some more, first replying to Zarius. -Let me guess. Your heard about your "lead" from a shanty? - A slight smile appeared on his face. He liked the demon journalist more and more with every meeting.
When questioned about his opinion he took a glance at potential customers. Most of Sarri's observations were correct. They did have something to hide, for sure, but they seemed harmless enough to give a credit of trust. -Relax, Sarris. As long as noone familiar to us died from their hands we shouldn't care about motivations. nformation is a currency too, and if they wish to keep it, they will just pay in solars instead He shrugged at his last words. -Yes, yes, we will pay - the man bowed to Heian, with an unfriendly look at Sarris. - Just bring us to Frost Gale safely, please -Let us finish the meal first. I hope you have supplies, we will be in the wild for a couple days at least -About that... -Great! See you at the west gate - "If they had money to pay them, they could also buy supplies for themselves. Or steal if Sarris was right. After all they were leaving this place" Well, Wood had a point. They could as well save some money.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 3, 2022 13:36:43 GMT -5
Sarris sat down and pouted slightly. She crossed her arms in a I know I am right and you are not going to budge me from this mindset.
She was going to say something more when Heian, Wood, or both of them gave her the “Stop” look.
Her redheaded temper was fully stoked and ready to dig to the bottom of what was going on. The young man, the girl, and the old man all kind of looked at her with a puzzled look.
She finally said, “Just because I think there is something going on does not mean that I would not help.”
The bar keep brought a glass of wine in a fancy wine glass and placed it before Sarris.
They had been set up, she knew it in her heart that this was a con and they were going to get fleeced.
She sipped the wine which was really good, she turned at looked at the bar keep who held up the bottle after pouring himself a glass. “What supplies do we need?” She asked the two men.
She made a mental note of what she thought they might need: Rope, pitons, a hammer, truth serum.. She short the three of them a look as they headed out to make arrangements and get provisions.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 3, 2022 16:38:20 GMT -5
It takes less than an hour for their new clients to gather the necessary provisions and supplies for the journey. They were anxious, constantly glancing over their shoulders at others passing by. It was certainly suspicious behavior, but then again, there were plenty of shifty folk to be nervous about in Storm Gale.
Once they had what they needed, the party escorts them to the edge of the town. Keeping a keen eye, it did fee like some of the folks they passed on their way out of town were watching them closely. A quick glance back over the shoulder and Zarius swears he caught the sight of someone darting out of sight behind the corner of a building. Curious. They should keep their guard up in the wilds for more danger than just lightning strikes and acid pools.
Setting out from the town itself, the tension never really lessened. The wind was high and clouds of dust and debris scratched against their clothing and skin as they trekked across the barren wastes.
The three clients kept in the middle of the group, bundled in cloaks and carrying what little supplies they had procured in town. They didn't say much and every now and then the older man would glance back nervously.
Zarius chose to travel at the back of the pack so that he could keep an eye on their clients. If they were up to something, then maybe he would be able to pick up on it before they could bring any harm to the group.
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Post by HeianWood on Oct 3, 2022 17:48:34 GMT -5
Heian too noticed a potential tail. While normally this could not be a problem, this time was different. They had to aditionally watch out for their sheeps and for an unpredictable weather those grounds were known of. heir flock stepped silently, not speaking with their guides or even with themselves. No matter what they did, the fear in their eyes and poses was authentic. Scared people can be just as unpredictable as Cradle weather.
He noticed Zarius already watching them, so he gave him a thumb up and approached Sarris. -Zarius is already watching over our Vips, so they will not run away easily. There's a vacancy for weather watcher and bandit watcher, which job would you like? The more Hean thought about it, the more he regretted taking this job. He just had to worry about too many things, even people he was supposed to escort were not trustworthy. If one thing goes wrong, everything could turn into a disaster.
They safely made it through their first day. Heian prepared something warm to eat while Zarius and the suspicious group set the tents, and Sarris watched the horizon. The campfire and food gave them all a feeling of slight comfort.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 5, 2022 21:05:08 GMT -5
Sarris thought for a moment then said “Weather!”
It maid sense since she had enough hair that if lightning was going to strike near by her hair would start to rise if she left it unbraided. She would not undo her hair till they were out of town and far enough away. She did not send the wrong message.
She still looked at the group from time to time. She knew there was something up but she could not figure it out.
She would stop and watch and if it was calm enough she would fly up to check for weather coming their way. She also spotted their tail following behind far enough to spook them yet. When the winds got bad she took out her rope and tied everyone in.
She would take short flights to check the weather and when she came down she said to Heian and Zarius, “I miss my dogs, back home I had two packs of hunting dogs that would follow me everywhere I went. The retrievers always went into the brush and ended up with burrs and ticks. The blood hounds, they would just keep going as fast as their little legs would take them. She had a plan to give them shelter and a place to hide for the night. She hoped the boys could read between the lines.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 6, 2022 9:05:10 GMT -5
Zarius looks at Sarris with a curious head tilt. She was obviously trying to communicate something with the cryptic tale. Was she suggesting they hide from their pursuers? They had already set up camp and moving now would quickly use up the remaining daylight in the sky. He surveys their surroundings.
The wastes of the Dragon's Cradle weren't called that for nothing. The land was predominantly exposed stone blasted with the near constant wind and rain. Despite the rainfall, the land itself is arid without any topsoil to actually hold the moisture. As such, the land is scarred with cracks and acidic waters pool in the low lands dotted with volcanic geysers.
Fortunately for them, the foul weather has yet to turn into a blizzard or deep snow fall. In fact, it seems to have been a while since the last frigid storm drowned the lands below the Dragon's Spine in snow. In the place of snow though they had to contend with the roiling storm clouds, charged to the brink with electrical energy.
Due to the lack of any substantial foliage, traveling across the wastes meant being completely exposed to the elements. The wind buffets the group relentlessly out on the barren plains and the lack of cover makes it easy to be seen over great distances. They were at a disadvantage though, they were headed downhill from the village of Storm Gale. Those in pursuit would be able to see them easily form the hills to their backs.
It would be several more days of travel in the valley between the mountains that define the Dragon's Spine before they would start climbing up towards Skypeak Village. If they could get there without any issue, it would be a miracle in itself, but that only marked the half-way point to the border to Frost Gale.
Their traveling companions had behaved so far, but they certainly would whisper amongst themselves when the rest of them were occupied with other tasks.
He turns back to Heian and Sarris, speaking in a hushed tone. "If the bloodhounds are closing in on the rabbits, perhaps the retrievers should bare their own fangs."
Starting a fight out here wasn't ideal, but getting the drop on their pursuers early rather than waiting for them to pull an ambush in the night might be the way to go about the situation. They would also be less likely to lose their clients if they scattered in the dark.
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Post by HeianWood on Oct 8, 2022 17:01:01 GMT -5
Heian was a little suprised by his companions starting to speak code, they didn't mention it before and he was pretty sure they met up for the first time. Such makeshift code was usually easy to read for outsiders. -If so, a shepherd should stay and watch over the herd He could as well play their game, if their "sheep" are moderately smart they will get the meaning anyway and if they aren't, the code works. He didn't like the situation at all. They had to split their attention onto three different factors, all potentially not pleasant.
Like in response to his thoughts, a lightning stroke on a hill nearby. Soon followed by the heavy rain, that quickly lowered their field of view. While theoretically it gave them a potential advantage of suprise, in reality it would only make the fight more messy. On the other hand spotting a shelter didn't get any easier as well. For the first time in a while neither Heian nor Wood knew what to do and it scared them.
He looked at Zarius and Sarris with hope. -What do we choose? Another lightning stroke nearby, like if in an attempt to make the situation more tense.
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Post by Sarris on Oct 8, 2022 20:54:48 GMT -5
The rain made the decision in Sarris' mind. A wet bowstring makes for a liability in a fight. It did not take long to know that a wet string made the power of a bow less and the strings tended to break when drawn.
Sarris nodded to the two men and said, "Sheppard" Looking at the sheep, she said to them, "Come with me!" Her tone was not a request but an order and the non-hunters walked towards the hill.
With a shout and a wave of her arm, Sarris released some of her magic making a cavern for them to hide from the storm and giving them a place to hide. The entrance was small and it would be easy to hide with some of the scrub brush that grew here and there.
"Crawl in," she told them the area behind would be larger and dry. She would create light when she got inside herself. Lightning struck the top of the hill again making the ground rumble and making her hair start to rise. Crawling in she used her magic again to make the cavern larger and added a room off to the side deeper into the hill. She hit rock it stopped her progress. The room was large enough for the entire party.
Being inside meant that she could shoot anyone coming through the entrance. Best if she stayed where the light was behind her. Giving her an advantage as she would see them before they could see her.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 9, 2022 0:51:29 GMT -5
Zarius gives Sarris a nod and watches her lead their clients to safety.
He turns to Heian. "Well, let us scout back a ways along that ridge there." He points to a point up the hillside away from where Sarris created a hole to hide in. "If they spot us, we can at least draw their attention away from Sarris and the others. If they do not, we can take a closer look at what we are up against and ambush them from behind."
Starting off, Zarius leads Heian up and around their pursuers, careful to dip in behind boulders to break line of sight when they can. Eventually they make it up to a decent vantage point and can see down the slope towards where their pursuers are.
The group was a decent number of individuals and they appeared to be mounted on the backs of large scraggly looking wolves. It was hard to tell from this distance their races and equipment as they all wore dark cloaks with hoods to keep the rain off of them.
Zarius curses under his breath. "They are likely tracking us by scent then. Let us hope that the rain is enough to wash away our scent trail."
The group of pursuers draw closer. There is a moment where they pause, the wolves sniffing the ground and the air. The leader of this mounted group raises a hand and makes some sort of signal to the others. Carefully the group spreads out, searching for any sign of their quarry.
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Post by HeianWood on Oct 14, 2022 6:56:00 GMT -5
The rain surely would wash their scent out, even for horse sized dogs. The water falling from sky felt almost like a cold blanket, covering every inch of surface. -As long as they won't use some magic, we're safe. But your idea should work, if we somehow draw their attention to somewhere else at worst case scenario Sarris will get more time The problem was, how to draw attention of a band of wolf riders without risking your life? Cerber would be a good bait, also allowing him to escape quickly, but such ammounts of water would do no good to the nether horse.
Meanwhile bandits moved downwards, in the general direction of where Sarris buried their herd. They set themselves in a V shaped formation, arms pointed forwards. The leader however stayed where he stood, with two guards and an expensive looking horn in hand. They somehow knew where Sarris was. That was not a scouting maneuver, they were preparing for assault. -So hier's the plan. We attack the leader before he manages to give any orders and randomly doot into his horn to bring confusion upon the squad, maybe we could even mimic an order cut in half, to make them go back
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Post by Sarris on Oct 17, 2022 14:00:19 GMT -5
Sarris had her hands full with the seep underground. She pulled her lantern out and let the ghost hold it. “Stay behind me and I front of them,” she said to the specter holding the lantern. Walking towards them she spoke to the group, “I need you all to stay very quiet. Any noise will tip them off and we will have to fight.” “If any of you are fighters, we could use swords to drive them back out of the tunnel,” she said.
“What if they burry us?” One of the sheep asked. “I will dig you out,” Sarris said. Excluding the possibility that she was dead or hurt. Giving them a wink, she said, “I have one more trick up my sleeve.”
She left them to figure their own defense and stared to crawl out the tunnel. leaving them with the lantern. Near the entrance she closed her eyes and her body began to change. She was getting smaller and the world bigger. The shape felt familiar as she smelled the fresh dirt. Her vision was not the best, but her nose worked well. That was part of being a Mephitis mephitis. She had been saving this for when Heian and Wood really gave her a rough time. With a raised tail, she would get them to surrender. She would only do that at sea, no where to hide.
Using her paws she clawed at the walls and the ground covering the group’s tracks. As she heard people approaching she raised a tail and went out to meet them. She snorted, hissed, stomped her feet, and most importantly sprayed the tunnel entrance. She acted, or more to the point tried to act like a momma trying to protect her cubs in her den.
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