PMs

Aidrin nods at the monk, That's th' the man, alright. We set out from Deuxchay... a few... days ago." Rubbing the back of his head, he continues, "We were set upon by night by ogre-kind and those fluent in the magic arts. I made it away but have seen nary a soul from the entire company."

"I've seen you. In Duexchay. Something to do with the caravan trades." Asher looks the man over trying to place exactly where he had seen him before. "How did you come to travel with Arkexis?"

Though somewhat gladdened and relieved that his healing art is not required, Perrato begins to listen more intently to the newcomer's account of the caravan incident. "¡De verdad! Ogre-kind? And these practitioners of magic, señor, what do you recall of them?" he asks of Aidrin.

"I've served as wizardly consultant on more than one caravan out of Duexchay, perhaps we met there once. As for Arkexis, he offered a good sum for magical services and I was looking for passage across The Wilds."

An exasperate look comes across the wizards face, "But clanna na cú I cannae remember much from that night. If we go to the encampment, I can collect whatever belongings the brigands haven't carried off and perhaps tell you more."

Aidrin takes another look over the company, "By the by, what are you doing here off the safer paths, unhorsed?"

Hearing Aidrin's comments upon returning from briefing Totmacher and Caylin, Villhalas adds with interest - "Wizardly Consultant?? - Please -- Do Go On "

V

OOC:  I say we get packing - and make for Aidrin's encampment..

PM

Totmacher notices that the head count is the same but the face is different.

"Vil, what reward do we get for saving this human?  Were you able negotiate a trade for the other human?  What else were you able to get from the Elves to alleviate this new handicap?  At first pass Totmacher sees this as a wash."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:00, Wed 22 June 2005.

"Reward??  Well - apparently, we may be adding some additional magical prowess to the Party.  I'm not sure."  At this, Vil offers a wry smile in Asher's direction.  "Aidrin - if you would be so kind..  Elaborate a bit on your background and.. skills as it were."

V

OOC Translation:  Brian, could you please post your character sheet in an OOC thread for us?  Party MO to date has been a 'bare all' approach w/each others' character sheets..

At this Asher sighs, shakes his head slightly, and exits the conversation.

 "Garryn, take my mount. I am accoustomed to walking and will not have a problem keeping up. Besides, my sandals are more dependable when under attack."

OOC: Kev, correct me if I am reading this incorrectly; I believe that both Tot and Asher can keep pace and duration with a light horse bearing a rider (32 miles overland per day).

Brian, if you have not checked out the rest of the parties Character sheets, and would like to, they are in the OOC threads from 13 to 16.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Wed 22 June 2005.

Totmacher catches the tail end of Asher's comments regarding the availability of his horse.

"Let the Rogue walk, he needs the exercise and needs to keep his senses sharp."  With that Tot pops his neck and back and promptly perches himself upon Asher's horse.

Perrato walks over to his horse, Eco, pets his muzzle, and offers some comforting words, "¿Te asusaste un poquito, amigo? De todos modos pareces sano, ¿no? Vayamos." The priest walks his mount over to where Caylin's pony is standing, gathers his gear from the overburdened animal, and places the tack and harness back on his own horse. After strapping on the saddlebags, Perrato smiles and says, "¿Estámos todos listos? I, for one, am eager to return to our travels. Let us discover how Señor Aidrin's friends have fared."

Aidrin is led through the tall grass and into the little draw that shelters the rest of the party members.  The Phanarian mage is introduced to Totmacher, a hulking half-orc barbarian, to Caylin, a halfling archer also originally hailing from the regions of Phanar, and to Perrato, a Palonish priest from the sunny sea shores of southwestern Arret.  The half-orc is dismissive, and the halfling merely nods neutrally.  Perrato evinces some concern over the fate of Aidrin's companions, and questions the wizard concerning those who attacked the caravan.

Villhalas requests that Aidrin inform the party as to his skills and background.  The wizard does so, somewhat guardedly, sketching out a brief depiction of his employment and a cursory review of his skills.  Apparently, Aidrin has spent some time in Sargod, but has recently been East and associated himself with the caravan trade.

Aidrin talks while the party prepares to move, "Some traveling groups hire wizards toh perform magic-related tasks, or ahs an asset when lore or wisdom in general is needed. Think of it as keeping a travelling mage-shop ohn retainer."

"No't the most glamorous work, but it pays well, and keeps you moving; and I'd rather work for those that need it than in any city I have seen" the wizard says as he shrugs slightly.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:11, Fri 24 June 2005.

Ashers head cocks involuntarily as he ponders the bewildering workings of Capitalism. Unable to concieve of the value of magework, he shrugs and focuses on the matters at hand.

"Clearly the Great Ki has willed you here to us, mage. We are, in fact, looking for the last known place of the missing Caravan. Are we ready to depart?" Next he turns to the half-beast atop his mount. Inspired by Villhalas' approach with the elves, Asher makes an akward attempt at diplomacy, "Totmacher, you seem to be one of the only members of this group who could keep pace with these mounts for an entire day. Perhaps Garryn would be a better choice to ride."

11:26, Today: Asher Willbourne rolled 10 using 1d20+1. Get off my horse half beast.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:31, Fri 24 June 2005.

Totmacher looks at the Monk and smirks, "Totmacher is in the mood for comedy.  Why don't you ride your own horse, Monk?  This beast is too frail and malnourished to support Totmacher's mammoth frame.  A most impressive selection," rolling his eyes as he speaks, "perhaps this beast too follows the 'Great Ki' like it's master." gestering with his hands from folded position as he humors the party.

Totmacher then hops down from the horse keeping eye contact with Asher.

"Totmacher's stomach is making more noise than a ranger-bard screaming in mortal pain as he is being hacked to pieces by a Great Axe.  How about some of that Horse meat, Monk?"

"Lets get moving, Tot you can eat as you stumble along, can't you?" Garryn asks as he fastens his gear onto Asher's horse. Instead of riding it himself he adds the saddles from fallen horses to its load in the faint hope that they will acquire new mounts.

"I'm with the Rogue..   Aidrin - Why don't you show us where this encampment of yours was..."

V

Initial introductions are made, and Aidrin studies his new-found companions.  The half-elf, the one who had defused the tense situation with the elves, appeared to act as a de facto leader.  Incredibly to the young mage, the hulking half-orc barbarian deferred to the slight half-elf--more, the barbarian seemed to hang upon the smaller man's words.  The barbarian was dismissive and openly hostile to the others, so this odd gentleness and attention seemed even more jarring.  Aidrin considered...perhaps the half-orc was a servant of the other?  More likely they were lovers...Aidrin nodded, satisfied at his conclusion.  Stranger matches had been seen--the young wizard could recall rumors of a bizarre relationship between an urbane harpy and a somewhat deranged Drow priestess that had circulated in Rimsedge prior to the wars.

The monk, Asher, was very much the product of the mountain monastaries of Narvil--quiet, thoughtful, and competent.  No love appeared to be lost between the man and the half-orc, however.  Such hostility could only end in bloodshed, thought the wizard.

The human rogue...Garryn, was his name?...seemed reticent, almost brooding.  He and the halfling archer seemed to be friends, however, as the two would talk together quietly.  The Palonish cleric of Vagrani also seemed typical of his sect--compassionate, friendly, travel-canny, and skilled in the healing arts.

The party prepares to depart the little, brush-grown draw in which they had gathered.  After some initial tension, the situation resolves itself with respect to the horses.  Totmacher and Asher are on foot, and Aidrin swings into the saddle of Villhalas' spare mount.  Garryn lashes the two extra saddles and tack on the remaining riderless horse and eschews mounting the animal, figuring that even on foot he can keep up with Caylin's pony in an afternoon's travel.

Following his raven's lead, Aidrin begins to lead the party along the margin of the Blackthorn Hills, keeping to the more level portions near the long plains of the Central Wilds.  The Hills, crowned with thick brakes of blackthorne and to the left of the party, are awash in the hot afternoon sunshine.  Bright splashes of color, in the form of flowering foxglove, fireweed, aster, and lupine, abound across the landscape.  Large, multi-colored butterflies flitter from flower to flower, competing with the ubiquitous honey bees, bee-flies, and other pollen-gathering insects for space on the flowers--chased away when speedy, nectar-hungry hummingbirds come to visit.  Swallows dart through the sky, snatching insects on the wing, and meadowlarks call to one another across the grasslands.  Cicadas add a dull, throbbing backbeat to the afternoon, and the air fairly thrums with the combined sound of bird and insect life.  A herd of plains buffalo, distant, watch as the party makes its way along the Hills' margin, and lone pronghorn antelope, startled from their browsing, spring away in leaping silence.  The hot sunshine pours down, drowning the day in sleepy, liquid gold.

The miles pass.  Eventually, the party regains the beaten dirt path of the caravan route, as it begins to angle away from the Hills into the plains.  The westering sun has been floating lower and lower into the sky, and the long shadows of the snow-clad peaks of the Turgrad Mountains, and the nearer foothills of the Blackthorns, are stretching their cool fingers across the plains.  The day is coming to a close, and Dusk is beginning her long summer sojourn before She gives way to Night.  Perrato murmurs a string of melodic-sounding prayers, as this time of the daily cycle is holy to his order.  The smell of grass, warmed earth, and growing things is palpable on the air...along with the briefest whiff of putrefaction.  High in the air, some miles away, a handful of turkey vultures circle, and the faint barking laugh of a hyena is heard...

Seeing the tell-tale signs of death in the distance, Villhalas offers a grim nod to his traveling companions.

"Aidrin, can you communicate with your Raven?  If so, It may not be a bad idea to send these two off ahead - get a glimpse of what we have in store..."

Adding with a brief snort - Vil quips "Still Hungry Totmacher?? "

V

"We had better speed our pace if we care to see by daylight what those vultures obviously see."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:19, Sun 26 June 2005.

"Or smell," Garryn adds to Ashers suggestion."If we can make it on time then I say lets press on, but I'd hate to get there just in time to for sunset," he adds grimly.

"If I might, I'd press a word of caution," Aidrin says leaning towards the other party members from his borrowed mount. "Things ca'n be...strange in the time-between-times, when it is neither night nor day. We would be wise to keep our wits about us."

"But we will see how far we have left to travel yet," Aidrin says squinting into the sky, and impresses a sense of urgency in finding the "loud sleep-stop" to his raven.

OOC: Sorry fellows, I was out camping all weekend (I probably should have mentioned that before-hand).
This message was last edited by the player at 14:21, Mon 27 June 2005.

Perrato concurs with the need for haste. "Whatever danger is responsible for the death of this unknown creature will not be averted by us by stopping short of the corpse's location. It may very well be seeking out new victims. I agree we should proceed at our best rate."