Not long after dawn the Rangers are up and moving. It's still dark and the sky is filled with clouds, but with the help of Ohanzee and the Enlo a serviceable track is soon found.

It's not long before other folk are spotted, small groups of travellers, not unlike the Wandering Rangers, armed and armoured and heading for the nearby city. Soon a large group of vagabonds, scoundrels and adventurers have banded together as they all follow the great walls to their final destination.

Tents are spied: a vast camp of Sable riders, their folk already up and about, but still far enough away to mean that the Rangers will be unmolested for the moment.

Ohanzee feels the eye of the other travellers on his giant Rhino and there's mutterings about the Enlo in their midst. It's been decided to give Badside a wide berth and to cross the river by bridge and make a beeline for the nearest gate which Hoskar says opens into an area called Riverside...

It's only when the Ranger's turn west that Feldspar suddenly stops, digging his feet in and refusing to budge. His eyes roll and he begins to paw the ground angrily.

Kobal reins in Black Hoof.  "What's with your rhino, Blue Arm?"  He has his shield and lance ready, in case the animal is raising an alarm.

The rest of those travelling to the city pass by, heading to Badside and the bridge beyond. Hoskar intends to bring the Rangers to the bridge but to bypass Badside.

This morning, Hoskar has been busy ensuring his own armour is largely packed up and secured with some improbably-involuted knots. He thinks they say, "Property of Two-Hands reward for return", hoping that if lost they'll find their way back to his mother; but thanks to an unfortunate miscalculation and his own limited knowledge of knot-writing, they actually proclaim, "Best luck rancid fish knee jerky" as well as securing the bundles.

He also spends some time roping his father's sword into its sheath, with one end of the rope looped tautly round his waist and exerting a slight pull.

If you are attending to me, you are not looking aggressive around the law here he observes to the Rangers in general.

Issaries grant us words to soothe and enter he implores silently

When Feldspar pulls up, so do Hoskar and Ram. It's okay he murmurs soothingly. Is the stone here wrong? although he's not at all sure why he's talking to a rhino who's likely to lack means to reply.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:04, Tue 16 Jan 2018.

Melock watches Feldspar's antics and shakes his head, "This isn't good, if he's like this now, what's he going to be like in the city?" He looks in the direction of Pavis, "At least he's got enough sense not to want to go there."

Ohanzee slips from the rhino's back landing on his feet "He's not going to be in the city. It's walls are not natural. They are an affront to Great Rhino and Feldspar knows it."

He turns back to the beast and pats him "We must go in. Take yourself off out of this place and I shall call you with horn when we are leaving."

"We will be going to the Pairing Stones in a few days, meet us there if you like."

He transfers to the zebra he's been using as a pack animal.

Kobal frowns.  "Do we have to do that?  I'd be nervous with my sword bound, particularly with all these Sables and Moon worshippers around."



And that rhino is natural...?

"If they bind swords, then we should just use javelins and spears or axes to kill our enemies." Amara hazarded "I'm not overly fussy in how we go killing people....if the need should occur."

She watched Feldspar with some sympathy "It makes my skin crawl to know we are heading to this city filled with the thieves of the Garden and more. I can understand Feldspar's feelings. I have no real desire to enter it myself, but we are promised to get the mother of my heart to this foul place regardless....and if I am being honest I wish to see if these people are as decadent as everyone says they are."

"Yes, I wonder what I'd have to do about my lance and javelins," says Kobal.  "I'm fine fighting with my fists, if but my enemy has a weapon, I'd rather have one too."

"As for the city, I don't care about thieves and decadence.  It's full of foreigners and I'm sure it'll smell.  The Khan of Khans himself once stormed its walls.  But we have some things to do here, and at least we can report back to our elders about it."

"There may come a time again, when we reclaim this place for us and ours....but not today." she flashed a smile at Kobal.

Feldspar trots off, leaving a trail of dust in his wake and the Rangers are now able to navigate their way past the outskirts of Badside, which looks to be a collection of ramshackle buildings, lean-tos, tents and rubbish. A place filled with thieves and worse, says Hoskar as he leads the way.

Once past they approach the stone and wooden bridge that arches over the Zola Fel. Across the other side is New Pavis, it's 6m high walls gleaming despite the day's gloominess.

Far below, the river already teems with reed boats, and a dozen fires along the banks send their acrid smoke trailing into the sky.

As for the bridge it's already crowded with scores of people and herd beasts, the animals being sent over to the city for slaughter. At it's start there's a guard post with several Lunar soldiers looking over those that are crossing, but they seem not be stopping anyone.

After receiving barely a glance the braves find themselves winding their way up a steep track toward a small gate in the walls above them.

River Gate.

Hoskar points out the Temple of Zola Fel below, it being a large wooden boat tied up at the bank.

Nearing the gate the Rangers are assailed by locals, selling wares and offering services within the city.

Kobal glares at any hawker who gets too close to Black Hoof, and ignores their sales pitches.  They're all likely thieves.  Otherwise, his eyes are drawn the mass of people and creatures heading into the city, and its high walls.  Despite any emnity between Waha and Pavis, the walls are impressive.

"Ere mister wots your name?" Asks one of the young locals, a teenage girl with a cloth strip covering one eye. She tugs at Kobal's leg insistantly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:35, Wed 17 Jan 2018.

"None of your business," replies the brave, pushing her away, firmly but not violently, with his leg.  Probably a thief.  Probably a ploy to distract him, while an accomplice steals from the items packed onto Black Hoof.  He tries to glance back every now and then to make sure nothing of the sort happens.  And with her injured eye, probably a diseased thief.

He groans inwardly.  Pavis is going to be a fun place.