Dragon’s Cradle has been a pretty safe place thanks to Astrid and Blue’s efforts over the last few months. They’ve been helping farms, rebuilding old taverns and freshly constructing new shelters for people displaced by the disasters around Charon. Things have been pretty good for Dragon’s Cradle.

The same cannot be said for Sol City. Astrid witnessed the massive earthquake that struck the city herself. It was an absolute catastrophe. So of course the capital would need to rely on the regions it governs to provide support in its time of need. Besides, it seems like some other things have been happening there that have made Capitol Landing not nearly as safe to be in as Dragon’s Cradle. That’s part of why the Baron visited Count Thadda, was to ask for some assistance. It’s almost like the capital made Astrid and Blue nobles as some sort of incentive for them to offer their help.

So here Astrid is with Blue Raspberry, escorting a caravan of goods to the port between Dragon’s Cradle and Capitol Landing – to make sure any brigands who would want to sabotage Sol City don’t stand a chance.

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SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: Escorting Goods
Participants: Requires exactly two people (you and one other, if the other participant does not qualify, they will not gain the reward)
Location: Anywhere (Can be repeated for a different region)
Post Requirements: 5 post per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +10 Security for selected Region (+10 more if your home region)
Description: Your region needs you to help escort a caravan of supplies and goods into the city. These goods will help the region continue to survive, using these materials to build better infrastructures, feed the region and build its moral. You must guard the caravan and bring it home, defending it from any enemies or wild creatures and keeping the travelers alive. You can be creative with how and if the caravan comes under fire as long as the requirements are completed and the supplies make it to the village.

Blue and Astrid had lots of experience with escorting wagons now. They'd even met for kind of, but not really the first time while escorting a caravan through the woods. That caravan was attacked by displacer beasts and the leader had been kidnapped by one of them, but it all turned out fine in the end. They got him back, Blue got to eat some displacer beasts, and they got some hides that they got made into some really cool cloaks. Now escorting this shipment of supplies as aid for Sol City felt kind of nostalgic to the ooze.

All of the political complexities of the situation completely went over Blue's head. Not much had really changed for them since becoming a Lord. They still felt exactly the same and did the same stuff. Now they were just clanking along beside the wagons as they made their way down the path toward the west coast of Dragon's Cradle where the goods would be taken onto a boat to be brought to the suffering city. They looked to the side and saw what looked like some kind of big dust cloud coming toward them with several large shadows within it.

"Hey Astrid, do you see that?"

Riding in the saddle strapped to Arcus’ back, Astrid feels like she has a little bit better of a vantage point when looking out for dangers while escorting the caravan. Plus it means she doesn’t have to walk the entire distance. Trudging along beside wagons isn’t all that entertaining, and at least from up here she can see and talk to the drivers while they travel.

“Huh?” she says, looking toward where Blue is looking. Astrid’s eyes squint as she looks to the horizon. Indeed there is a big dust cloud heading right for them. “Oh, aye, I do.” Pulling Arcus over to walk up beside Blue, she settles there while she watches it. Then she looks to the sky above, wondering if the Raiders are coming after the supply caravan. Seeing no drakes, Astrid shrugs a bit. “Looks like we’ve got a bit of company headed our way, don’t it?”

With a bit of focus, Astrid manifests two duplicates, Bstrid and Cstrid. “Stay with the wagons, won’t ya? Blue an’ I are gonna go check out whatever’s comin’ toward us, maybe steer ‘em off if we can.” Both duplistrids salute and clamber up on the sides of wagons to keep a lookout for any more danger. They won’t be able to hurt anyone, but the magic they can cast will at least be a deterrent if nothing else.

Astrid kicks Arcus into gear and flies off toward the impending dust cloud.

---

Replicant

Blue and Astrid charged forward, ready to meet the incoming threat. Huge shadows loomed, making it feel like whatever was approaching was going to be quite the challenge to fight. But, when they came close enough to make out the shadows in the dust cloud, they suddenly realized they appeared very familiar.

The giant boars skidded to a halt as their riders pulled the reigns back to stop them. The cloud of dust settled and they heard a shout from atop the frontmost boar.

"Ah fuck, not them again!"

It was the same giant boar riding raiders that had attacked them before, when they were escorting goods to Sky Peak Village! Blue remembered them very clearly, mostly on account of the huge feast of boar they'd had shortly after the battle was over, and it was clear the raiders remembered that fight too. They'd killed a few of the boars, but they let the riders flee without killing any of them, Astrid even going as far as to heal one with a powerful potion that Blue had accidentally crushed beneath his own mount.

One of the riders stepped forward and looked at the lead rider angrily.

"What's wrong? It's some kid and one knight, we can take 'em! Why'd you stop our charge?" He shouted, and a few of the other riders agreed. It was obvious these must be new recruits or ones that hadn't been involved in the horrible beat down that Blue and Astrid had given the others who looked uncomfortable.

At the front of the group, the lead rider swings his boar around to face the raucous bunch. His face is painted with absolute terror. “You don’t understand,” he says, desperation pouring in beads of sweat down his face. “They completely pummeled us last time!”

“Big fuckin’ deal, Bart,” the mutineer spits. “You’re all pathetic anyway. That’s why we’re here this time! We’ll show these two who’s in charge out here in the fields!” The rest of the rowdy ones cheer, raising their weapons high above. Bart backs down.

“Your funeral,” he murmurs.

It’s about this time that Astrid and Blue arrive, swooping in from overhead but avoiding getting too close in case someone decides to try anything. Astrid leans over in her saddle and gives the group a thoroughly unimpressed look, which just looks like a pouty preteen expression to anyone who doesn’t know her. To be fair, it is one of those.

“Not you guys again,” the girl says. She props her elbow on the back of Arcus’ neck as she looks over them. “Didn’t we already kick yer butts? I thought we gave ya a chance ta change yer ways.”

"Changing your ways is hard when you got a herd of giant boars to feed!" One of the riders shouted out from the back of the group.

"Several of us did change, but not our whole group was there. The ones that didn't experience it themself weren't convinced, and we couldn't find another way to survive so easily. We're not the only bandits in The Waste, and not the highest on the food chain." Bart piped up as well to try and smooth things over. They had made an effort to live honest lives after the thrashing they'd received, but things weren't so simple.

"Why are we even having a conversation with these losers!? Let's just mow them down and rob the damn wagons!" One of the mutineers called out, raising his spear high. The others cheered and started to pull their boars around the ones that were already experienced in the ways of being zapped and smashed by Blue and Astrid and refused to experience such a thing a second time.

Blue looked to Astrid, their head tilted and their fists on their hips. "So, you want to handle the ones on the right and I'll handle the one on the left?"

Before Astrid can try to explain that she understand the dilemma of going hungry, the mutineers are already ready to throw down. “Sounds good ta me, Wolfe,” she says, completely bored of this already. They’re about to wipe the floor with these guys. Her war hammer manifests in her hand. “Fer those of ya that have gotten a beatin’ before, this is yer chance ta back off. We’ll talk after we give the rest of yer friends a few bonks, yeah?”

Bart swallows hard. He’s not here to test the patience of Astrid and Wolfe. Pulling on the reins, he and about half the group drive their boars several paces back. The mutineers scowl, scoff, and jeer at them, calling them cowards. Bart knows what he’s about.

“Alright, that leaves a few fer each of us, Wolfe,” Astrid says. She digs into her bag and pulls out something tiny: a pebble. Then she charges it with lightning and tosses it into the right gathering of guys in the group. The raiders all watch the pebble fall between them with confused expressions. When it hits the ground, Astrid releases the magic, and the pebble explodes in a massive burst of lightning and thunder. The boars squeal in pain, several of them being knocked back by the blast or their riders freed of their saddles.

“I can do that again fer the next few minutes if ya want,” Astrid offers in the most disaffected tone imaginable. 

---

Thunder Bomb
Electrical Surge - 2 charges

Blue watched Astrid detonate a lightning bomb right in the middle of her half of the approaching boar riders. It was super effective! So she was doing something big to show them just who they were thinking of messing with, huh? That was a great idea! They didn't want to hurt these guys too badly, so scaring them off and avoiding fighting them at all was the best thing they could do. And, any that didn't take the hint they could rough up a bit. Blue grinned and looked toward their own approaching adversaries.

"Oh? You're approaching me?" Blue asked, trying to sound tough. Unfortunately, the boar riders didn't seem like they were listening at all, or maybe they just couldn't hear anything quieter than a shout with all the noise of the giant boars' hooves against the ground. Well, that was fine. What was really meant to intimidate them wasn't Blue's words.

The plates of Blue's armor separated as the ooze within grew larger and larger, a thick reptilian tail emerging from beneath the back of the black-furred faulds. Their helmet split apart into several sections that clung to their head as it grew into a large lizard-like head. Instead of the blue goo visible between the armor plates like the last time they'd fought the boar riders, it was an expanse of blue scales. Blue had definitely learned to be a little more careful after growing like this in front of Cirice and having her scream in fear and learn their secret. This time, they disguised their giant, gooey form as a giant, lizardy form. Genius!

Blue grabbed the tusks of the boar charging right for them before it could stop and leaned their head in close to its frightened rider.

"You still want to fight us?" Blue asked, trying to be intimidating, but not able to keep themself from smiling. With their giant lizard-like face, the smile just scared the man in front of them more though, so mission accomplished.

---

Red Rogue's Coat
Bull's Strength

The man faced down by Blue gulps audibly, the lump in his throat moving as he does. Beneath him, his boar squeals and flails but fails its attempt to escape from the giant blue lizard man. Many of the others tear off from the main charge to get out of Blue’s perceived reach. What the heck is with these two?!

“W-We’ve fought a giant before..!” one of the marauders claims. “This is nothing!”

Astrid looks over the group. “There’s less of ya than there were last time,” she says. “An’ we’re stronger than before. Yer not gonna beat us.” She’s trying to be diplomatic here, but grown folks can be so stubborn.

One of the raiders glances past her toward the seemingly undefended caravan in the distance. “We’ll just have to beat you there!!” He snaps the reins and charges off on his pig. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaks past him and strikes the ground ahead of him. He looks back to taunt Astrid about missing only to see she’s no longer in her saddle but instead on the ground in front of him?! Well then, he’ll just run her over! The boar charges full steam ahead and collides with Astrid’s tiny body and…comes to a complete stop?! It squeals in pain, stumbling back, dazed.

Astrid just rolls her shoulder, having still taken the hit but not gone anywhere.

“Wh-What the hell are you two?” the raider sputters.

“I’m Astrid, an’ this is Wolfe. We're nobles from Sky Peak, an’ we’re guardin’ that caravan,” she says simply. “Ya ain’t gettin’ past us, so go back.” She looks to the rest of the group, her expression turning sympathetic. “Look, I get it, life’s pretty tough out here. The Cradle ain’t the friendliest place, an’ some folks here ain’t much better. But attackin’ caravans of supplies meant ta help people ain’t doin’ anyone no favors, 'specially not us. We're tryna make thin's better here.”

Reaching forward, Astrid pats the bonked boar on the face. “I got where I am ‘cause a couple good folks showed me a little bit of kindness,” she continues. “So maybe that’s what the lot of ya need is a chance ta live an honest life. If yer interested, maybe we could help. Guard the caravan with us, show us ya can do a good job, an' we'll make sure ya get paid. Maybe that could be a real line of work fer the lotta ya.”

---

Lightning Bolt/Bolt Dancer
Cuirass -1 hit prevention
Immovable Bastion

Bart exchanged glances with some of the other riders. It was a good offer. Probably the best offer they'd ever get. Turning their fighting and boar riding expertise into a guard business rather than a group of raiders wasn't a bad idea. But, some of them might be too used to their current life. What would happen to them? They were a close-knit group. They couldn't accept the idea of just leaving some of their own behind.

The man face to snout with Blue Raspberry grabbed his spear and tried to stab them in the face, but their attacks just felt like an annoying poke to the oversized ooze.

"Ow. Ow. Stop it. Ow." Blue muttered as they received repeated pokes to the face. Finally, they'd had enough and chomped down on the spear, pulling it out of the man's hands and slurping it up. The man held his hands up in front of him in defeat with a frightened squeal. Seeing just how strong the opponents they were facing were for themselves, on top of the warnings from the other boar riders who had already been beaten by them, the reality sunk into the mutineers of just what a mistake they'd been in the process of making.

Bart pulled his boar forward again to the front of the group and spoke. "We'll still need to convince the rest of our group. Like you've seen from these fools, your strength is something that needs to be seen to be believed, so it might be difficult. But, I believe all of us here would be willing to accept your offer." He announced and the other riders nodded in agreement, including the former mutineers.

Blue released the boar they'd been holding and shrank back down to their normal size, redonning their armor in the process. The boar immediately took a few steps back while the rider mumbled to themself about that being their favorite spear.

The rest of the escort was uneventful, the giant boars walking along either side of the caravan. Anyone that might have looked toward them with bad intentions was scared off by the massive guards, not knowing the true terrors hidden amongst them. The cart drivers were a little unnerved by the former bandits surrounding them, but Blue and Astrid would deal with them if they turned back on their word. Thankfully for them, they stayed true to the deal and escorted the caravan all the way to the port where the goods were loaded onto ships to be taken to Sol City.

Bart wished them farewell before the group left, their payment received. Hopefully they'd be able to convince the rest of the group to change. Maybe the pouches of coin would help with that. Either way, Blue and Astrid's jobs was complete and it was time to head home.