Leading a trail of pack mules, the Lumberjacks explore the forest west of the Rio Grande. The woods they encounter are not a dense as what is found in the Yucatan but still thicker than most of them are accustomed to seeing in places like Lone Star. A mixture of indigenous and alien flora coexist to form an exotic landscape here. Animals like jaguars and foxes brazenly watch the caravan pass. Trails crisscross and meander through the region, but the directions from the villagers keep the Lumberjacks and their steeds on a direct course due west.

Before dark, they arrive at a place which sticks out from the rest of the terrain like a sore thumb. A bluff about three feet or one meter tall and circular sits in contrast to the flat ground all around it. Over the bluff, a gentle hill covered with a tall grass rises up above the woodlands. At the crest of the hill, a tall stone tower sits. The tower is too small to house any town itself, more like a lighthouse or a silo in size. An unseen figure from within the tower shouts in an unfamiliar language. The voice is male and brash.

The current time is a couple of hours until sundown.

 In Elvish and then Spanish Arulas asks "Do you understand me?" he waits for a response and looks at his companions and says "I don't think they are from Chi-Town."

Doc sits idly by, waiting for the communicators to do just that. Communicating wasn't his thing, shooting was, and this wasn't the time for that.

Polkitain as a donkey walks along carrying some of the heavy equipment for the team.
His ears twitch as he hears the person talking.

Riding at the head of the packtrain beside Sir Arulas, Nyx let the wind catch his fine black hair as he sat up a little straighter. He smiled, though it was a thin line that belayed amusement and anticipation, perhaps at the lightly laden donkey with the axe that had become the Lumberjacks symbol strapped to it. Despite his ambivalence about the world, Polk's innocent explorations and raw draconic power recalled the tales his own kin had told him before they came to this Earth. He smiled, and sent out a questing though

OOC: Activating the power of Sense Evil

Calista repeats Arulas' words in Euro.

After the question has been posed in three languages, a pause of several awkward seconds fills the air. Then the voice responds in Spanish, "Aye, I speak the Human Tongue, and I do so a good deal better than you do. Our clergy speaks the Dragon Tongue also, but I not clergy. My trade is to tell you to go away, vagabonds. You were not invited to Harl Hall. If you would like shelter for the night, you may stand underneath my window and prove your mortality as I spit upon you -- then you may leave uninvited still. Whatever you sell, we are not buying. Get drained, elves!"

Kalista was undeterred, and she spoke Spanish, "While I keep company with Elves, I am not one myself. Neither are we vagabonds, we are the Lumberjacks. I am Lady Kalista Nugendare Hawthorne, Cyberknight of the order of Lord Coke. We bare you no ill will. Neither do we seek shelter, we can provide it for ourselves. We do seek information, and if you are willing we can give in kind. If you do not wish us in your hall but still wish to speak send a representative whom we will gladly speak with."

Ethan hadn’t enjoyed the long slow mule ride to their destination though not because the pack animals were naturally slow and not exactly pleasant to ride. His dislike had more to do with the amount of time the slow moving pack train gave him to reflect on his missing friend. The combat medic wasn’t on the verge of depression or anything so clinically debilitating. Ethan was just mindful of Samuel’s absence.

When the Lumberjacks did finally reach the “Hollow Hill” it came as a relief as he now had something to focus on instead of his missing friend. He didn’t understand the words that the unseen speaker in the tower was shouting but he understood their meaning all the same. Ethan had discovered that one of the true universal constants was “Go Away!”. No matter language he had heard that sentiment, somehow the message came across despite not knowing the exact words.

Fortunately the mystery speaker seemed to know at least one human language and even better, it was one his wife spoke. He knew enough to identify that it was Spanish but his command of the language was limited those words and phrases traditionally important to soldiers; Necesito Cerveza y Senoritas. Other than “y”, Kalista had said none of the words he knew. From the sound of her though, she was trying to be diplomatic or at least it didn’t seem like she was threatening to storm the tower and cut them into pieces at any rate.

Doc arched an eyebrow at the mention of spitting on him, "Reckon I'd have to kill 'im if he did." he said quietly to his brother.

  Arulas sighs "Spanish it is then. Listen I understand that spitting on people where you come from might be ok, but here it isn't. As for having issues with elves get in line. I am a cyber-knight first. I just happen to be an elf. Now we want one thing and need another. Who do you have a bigger issue with Elves or Vampires?" he asks quite frankly.

Nyx nodded to his sibling, "Might choose to, regardless"

Doc nodded, a quick grin on his face.

A hidden door in the wall of the cobblestone tower opens inwardly. A male figure emerges from the deep shadows within the tower. This shirtless man stands less than five feet tall but at least three feet broad at his shoulders. His nose is large, crooked, and looks to have been broken more than once. His beard is dark and curly. He holds no weapons, but he has a heavy-looking metal chain with weights wrapped around his waist. His arms and chest are covered in tattoos and scars.

The man is followed by a woman of equal height. Whereas he wore little besides a pair of slacks, she looked overdressed for the climate. She wore a long hooded robe of embroidered fabric in a scale-looking pattern. She also holds no weapons. She has an elaborate bracer over her left

The man speaks with the same voice that greeted the Lumberjacks already. He says (in Spanish again), "We have no desire for any information you are selling. The lady decided to meet you merely because you speak the words of Wyrms, and it is her custom to greet visitors who do such."

The woman is only slightly more cordial. She speaks Elven-Dragonese with a purposeful growl and deepness which definitely favors the Dragonese side. "I am one of the priestesses of this colony. Tell me what information you came to learn from us. I will tell you what I know so that you may leave quickly."

Any character with Lore: D-bees can correctly guess what the players have probably already figured out about these people. Elven characters get a +10% bonus to that skill roll. Characters with Lore: Religion can make an educated guess as to the faith of the priestess, but a -10% penalty to the roll applies here. If you are not rolling either of those skills, I will let you roll the Recognize Weapon Quality skill to identify their armaments. If your character has none of those skills, you are pretty much stuck with no insight until someone in the know shares.

Sitting taller astride his stallion, Nyx narrowed his eyes as the two figures emerged, studying them. His lips curled upwards in a sneer, though he said nothing

09:21, Today: Nyx rolled 49 using 1d100.  Recognize Weapon Quality, 55%.

Doc gives both figures a polite nod, then shrugs and glances at his brother.

08:34, Today: Doc rolled 65 using 1d100.  reco weapon quality.