A servant was found to show Alec to a guest room, and everyone went to bed.

In the morning, after an uneventful night, breakfast was served, again in the Great Hall...

(Who shows up for breakfast? Each of you? Any exceptions?)

David was up when the first light showed on the blue horizon. He was groggy beyond measure thanks to the last two days, so he was thankful for the bed.

He wanted to be ready for the day with a morning workout, It wasn't going to be his best, the warmup would be alright, but the exercises required a little improvising. He had to utilize tomes for weights and find a jogging place where he might not awaken everyone in the place.

But by the end of it, he felt the joy of a body well maintained and was ready for what it would bring. Including breakfast, and so was glad to hear the Great Hall filling with activity of servants getting it all laid out.

He went in and waited to the side for the meal to be laid out. While he waited, he asked one of the servants where the armory  was. It would help when he needed to get a sword and arming jacket, whatever one of those was.

Jack only drops into the hall for a moment to make himself a breakfast sandwich. Piling an assortment of meats and some eggs onto a biscuit, and a goblet which he fills up with fruit juice. He eats both as he walks, and makes his way from the room, giving David a nod in passing as he goes to finish making his preparations.

He already has armor and a weapon, so it's mostly an issue of getting some things for all-hazard travel.

Alec shows up for breakfast a little late and misses everyone. He eats a good deal of meats, stopping and slowly savoring the crispy bacon before lamenting the lack of coffee. The apple juice is fresh and tasty though, and he has two glasses.

A servant tells him that Jack and David went to the armory. The servant asks if Alec needs a weapon and he pats the handle of his blade and shakes his head. Grabbing a biscuit after finishing his eggs and bacon, he follows the servant to a room where he can get a backpack, a tent, an extra blanket and rations for the road.

At last, you're all ready to go. As pre-arranged, you all show up at the front gate of the castle.

...Maximillian isn't there.

No one's seen him since last night.

"All right, so Max and Lilith are not quite here. Um, has anyone got their cards?" He said, feeling a little off from going just yet. "I need to give him a moment more to be here for this instructing. Gives me more time to try and have the feel of this castle."

"When they find him, my father can just bring him through with a trump, I'm sure he just wandered off to Rebma or some fancy lady's bedroom. Let's get going," Jack declares as he heads towards the stables to get good horses. As he does so, he begins explaining to David.

"It's useful to use a horse when you're traversing shadow. Horses are found pretty much everywhere because they're native to Amber. When we get closer to Earth and the middle of shadow, we can swap for automobiles and thundertrucks and the like, but good horses are an essential tool. Uncle Julian has a famously badass horse."

"I've heard about that myself. I did meet him, he seemed sensibly pragmatic. Must have had quite the trip to find such a steed." David admitted while looking pondering on what horse he would get.

"Say, that does bring up something. How do we ensure we don't stick out like a sore thumb? Our stuff makes sense here, but in some places, it would actually be disadvantageous."

Jack spends a moment arranging his saddle and pulling his well worn sword to the side just so, so that he can draw quickly and cut just as fast. With a roll of his eyes at the lackadaisical approach, he says shortly, "Let the stable keeper help you find one, and mount up. As to questions about traveling, save them for the end of the trip or until it's a relevant topic of conversation. One of the two main points of our journey is for you to learn through experience," he explains and starts off through the gates at a trot.

Not waiting any longer.

(I hadn't thought about horses! You may each have a horse. Each horse can carry a load of 10... but if you lose your horse somehow, anything you had in the saddlebags is gone...

If you were told your horse had a name when you got him or her from the stables, let me know and I'll tell you the name.

If your horse did not have a name when you got him or her from the stables, name your horse now.)

The three of you leave the stables, and begin the downhill journey toward the Valley of Garnath.

As they ride, Jack offers his first piece of advice, "The closer we are to the pattern, the harder it is to change shadow. We'll need to be a good ways away before we start to change things."

He has named his horse, "my horse."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:00, Sat 19 Jan 2019.

"Sure sure." David found himself grumbling. It's not like looking before leaping was a thing. But forget that sensible nonsense.

David mainly had someone help him for the sake of speeding things up, it could take a while if he looked for everything.
David got a horse for himself, she didn't have a name, so David went with Acacia. She wasn't the first horse he rode with a spunky attitude, and she wouldn't be the last.

With the tent and rations packed into the saddle, David was sure to follow towards the valley. Thankfully David had worked on his awareness of the local geography, so he could have gotten there himself if he was inclined.

"So the Arden is the closest spot we can give this walk a go." He responded to Jack's first bit of advice.

"I'm sorry, how do you know that? If you've already had basic tutelage, I can skip explanations like why we're riding where we're riding, and simply ride," Jack says, looking exasperated. He'd been under the impression David hadn't been on a trip through shadow before, and he didn't appreciate being jerked around.

Tapping his heels a few times he lets his horse engage with a bit more speed.

"It's called initiative and the library is the answer." David said, not wanting to take the attitude lying down. He made sure to catch up to Jack. "I wanted to see a map for Amber, the same map for Amber included Arden. I just put two and two together." Which was indeed enough of the truth to answer his knowledge.

"I have no idea how different walking is compared to cards and the pattern. Or the danger of Shadow-Storms for that matter - which I've read about." He quickly clarified before Jack decided to find offense in, like people tended to try finding when David was being frank or honest.

Alec gets a backpack, a bit of food, food for his horse, a flask of whiskey (for medicinal purposes, of course) and a first aid kit. He then collects some feed for his horse, named Locke, and packs the saddlebags up. He is impressed that someone sewed the tear in his leather coat last night, and begins riding. He is somewhat amused by the banter between David and Jack.

He shakes his head while they go back and forth, but clearly, he is amused by it, and no doubt appreciates having company, which he has missed for some time.

It is one of the things he missed whilst traversing Shadow. Women flocked to him, everyone liked to buy him drinks and some wanted to adventure with the son of Deirdre. But there was something missing from those people.

They weren't of the blood of Amber.

He looks over at David. "Did you bring the map? The only map of Amber I've seen was carved into a table."

"Well I couldn't bring a table, but I did make this to bring." David said as he passed on the drawn up map, a copy of the map he had seen in the library.

The detail of the map covered Amber, sailing routes around it, the mountain it sat on, the valley and the Arden forest.
It had enough detail to note one or two important locations within like the Unicorn Grove. It wasn't an ordinance survey, much to the annoyance of David, but it would do.
"It was in a book about Amber history, I wanted to get my bearings on here and the Golden Circle."

"The map will be useless for our purposes, but it's not a bad idea to have one until you get the hang of the Circle," Jack says as they ride, his head panning slowly from side to side as he keeps a watch. Even here before they've entered shadow. One hand resting on the pommel of his blade, the other hanging casually onto the reins of his horse.

Riding through the forest now, he continues to keep the horse going at a decent clip.

Alec looks at the map while they ride slowly. "Yeah. Mom did a pretty job with that map." He hands the map back to David with a laugh. "I think a table would have been encumbering."

Then he turns to Jack. "Having never ridden in or out of Amber, will we ride through the Golden Circle, or are there ways to get around them? I was told that a couple of them are at war on and off. I'd like to avoid riding through any wars."

David was a little curious that Alec seems to have have only moved from Shadow to Shadow. Or only came to his home both ways through cards.

But his eyes were caught on the beauty of the woods around them. The trees, the undergrowth, the flowers and more besides.
That "realness" that he had been feeling of Amber extended to here as well. Arden was the reason that so many Shadows had the natural beauty of the wilds. The things he could find in there.

Though David had heard Alex's question and wanted to ask further on it, he thought it better to hear how Jack would answer.

"The Golden Circle is the name for the shadows nearest to Amber. Each has enough relevancy to the greater pattern, and sometimes even a bit of the pattern itself, or a reflection of it, that they are 'golden' and worthy of respect for their proximity. We cannot avoid going through at least one of them, but as with all shadows, we can pass through them in moments once we are clear of the Pattern's proximity," Jack explains as best as he can and soon enough he indicates something with a sort of gesture with his hand.

"I think we're about there, okay, David, what color is the sky?" he asks.

What was Jack getting at? It was quite daft that such a question needed asking. No aspect of twilight remained  and the sky was clear when they entered the forest, so the answer should be obvious. "Blue of course. What next? Do you want me to dig the earth and tell you what breed of turtle we're riding on too?" David asked rhetorically with relentless sarcasm, his response to the inane line of questioning.

If the weather had changed, David knew he would be the first to notice such a transition. He looked up to the sky, trying to see past the canopy of trees above their heads, to see the expected hint of blue that answered Jack's query.

Oh, yeah that is blue indeed, David thought to himself. Little patches getting through the treeline - though he noted the blue was purer then Earth, part of that "Realness" that makes Amber fall into the uncanny valley in David's mind.
Along with that blue came God rays, golden curtains piercing through the greenery.

"Yup, blue as can be. Oh how I should have made a bet. Oh woe is me." David proclaimed like a thespian town crier giving the speech of his life.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:51, Fri 25 Jan 2019.

"Good now remember that color and everything you can about it, now let's walk for a moment," Jack suggests and starts to walk again, reaching out into shadow and grabbing hold of the color of sky he has in mind, he subtly pulls and starts to change the color of the sky as they walk, turning it from blue to a deep purple with a hint of lavender where the light is brightest. Simple enough changes, and turning in place, he looks back at David.

"Okay, what color is the sky now?"

A moment there to hear the answer.

"Excellent, now take us back to Amber. All I changed is the color of the sky. What you'll want to do is picture the color of the sky as it was, the feeling of the air, the way the light felt. Sort of see if you can assemble a full 'feeling' of how the light was, and that color, and beckon it with your .. being.." he explains.

Huh, that was surprising,now the question made sense. In David's mind, he imagined the shadow-walking to be something else, what else exactly he didn't know.
Maybe he expected it to feel like he turned a proverbial page? Maybe he expected to feel like he had globe trotted?

To put what he witnessed to words, if felt as though the three of them had transformed the universe around them, or repositioned it underneath them. Like a child had lifted their pieces and pulled the map. Maybe this is what Max had been meaning at the Hall?

David put the matter aside for now, he had something practical to try now. Something to relish. "All right then."  He said as he looked towards his sky, his challenge to overcome, his world to command.

David got to work conjuring the image of the sky into his mind. Both the colour of the whole canvas, and the different shades from horizon to zenith.
When he was ready, he raised his hand, and  imagined him dragging the sky away from purple and towards Amber's blue.

Jack takes off at a slow trot, but not backwards, he makes sure that David heads his horse straight ahead-- the way they'd been heading, and piles on an additional requirement.

"Loop us back to where we were, as closely as you can, but this way," he suggests, pointing the way away from where they were. "Also, you have to be moving to move shadow."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Fri 25 Jan 2019.

Alec rides behind the two, and he smiles faintly since parts of the conversations remind him of when his mother taught him how to shift the Shadows.

Knowing that losing your concentration while doing anything of this magnitude can be dangerous he keeps his mouth closed and rides close enough to Jack and David to ensure that he shifts with them.

Turning back on themselves was a peculiar extra layer to add to the task. But David was sure he could find a way of doing so.

David was certain he was moving along, but he must have stopped when seeing the purple sky. Ensuring that Acacia was pacing at a manageable trot, David tried to change the circumstance of the world, both in sky and direction.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:07, Fri 25 Jan 2019.

It took a fair while, from how he felt, it must have been around 10 minutes, no more than half an hour.
David knew he finally had done it right when he passed the same set of flowers from when they started the shadow walking along the path. Except for them being on their left side now rather than their right, so David knew he had turned them around.

"All right, I did it. Let's see if I can take us all back to Earth then." He said with a smile of victory on his face.

The whole multiverse was open to him now, but he wanted to see home first. He turned his mind to his home on Earth, though sometimes the thoughts of his goals along the way.

Travel Through Shadow
20:03, Today: David rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((1,5)).

Perception and horse bonus making +2, assuming no one tries to mess up David's first long stretch of shadow-walking

Travel Through Shadow:
10 or higher: you arrive where you meant to arrive or find what you meant to find.
7-9: you arrive at a place like your intention, but not the same thing.

The three men on horseback come to... a gravel road.

On that road, there is... a gas station. All righty...

However...

The gas station is surrounded by a high barricade of thick logs, pointed at the top.

The station itself is visible from the road because there's a large gate in the middle of the wall, on iron hinges, and the gate is currently open, apparently being repaired. A crew of five short, squat men, each around five feet tall, are working on repairing one side of the gate. "Hurry, men, hurry..." says one...

"You think we're not hurrying?" says another in reply.

"Look!" says a third, pointing to the young Amberites.

The men all stop and stare for a few seconds.

"Great Jupiter, lads," says the first man calls, "get in here, quick! What're you doing riding those around like that? You know how they are around horses...!"

"Play along," Jack side-whispers to his cousins and spurs his horse a few times as he goes along with it and rides in through the open gates, dismounting when he finds a place to hook his horse up, he looks at the squat men and wonders at their words but seems content to remain quiet on the matter for the moment.

David follows suit, though his face shows a concern, one he feels about how casually Jack rolls with the alien situation. Of the weird civilization that there are wooden walls around gas stations. David wondered what else he would come across when they went inside. What they were.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:18, Sat 26 Jan 2019.

Alec had seen some strange things and some stranger things and he had met a lot of weird people. These repairmen were pretty low on the weird scale. He rode behind David and Jack, looked at the log wall and the gate.

He wondered about who specifically are they. Or would that be them? Pronouns were always touchy when people liked to capitalize them. Oh. There was another one.

He looked around for great scorch marks, knowing that dragons seemed to like feasting on horses. No matter, he headed for the gate and rode in behind the other two.

"What wants our horses?" He asked once he drew even with the repairmen.

"You-- you don't... Do you really not know? Whe-- where're you lads from...?!"

"Across the sea. An island called Bentham. Small. You probably never heard of it. I guess we were lucky in our ride."

A tiny bit of impatience creeps into his voice, although truth be told he's intrigued with whatever is going on.

"I'm Jack, this is Alec and David. So you were saying?" Jack introduces them and then immediately inquires of the squat men as he dismounts and moves to put his horse in to cover.

David hesitates to follow Jack's lead as he wants to know what could possibly want horses so badly. He awaits the answer to Alec's question, which would have been his own had he jumped at the chance.

"Yes, yes, I'm Harald Haraldson, and no, I've never heard of yer island-- how do you not-- I mean, you... I thought everyone k--" He takes a deep breath. "Decades ago, when I was younger, though not exactly young, something happened to the wildlife around here, in a stretch several miles long and maybe half a mile wide... the plantlife all turned black and nasty, and the... well, we'd always had problems with wolves, of course, this is the United States of America, but-- after what we call The Black Road showed up, the wolves got... bigger. Smarter. Nastier. Hungrier, even. No better at climbing walls, thank Jupiter, but..."

"We'll have to be more careful then. I thought I saw some odd things. Thank Jupiter we met you when we did." David said with relief, mentally putting aside the Black Road as something to talk about later.

"Oh! Yes, we've heard of that, I thought it'd gone away though? I see. Do you have weapons against the wolves, and how smart are we talking?" Jack asks and glances at the walls, out of curiosity. Curious not just at the wolves, but the level of technology here. He'd have to explain to David later about the Black Road, but more importantly, about why they'd stopped.

"What? Great Jupi-- Ah. Well. Now that I think about it, it did get better after, oh, the first year or so... but the Black Road didn't just go away, and neither did the wolves... their attacks just got less frequent. So maybe that's what you heard about."




"Got a rifle and a shotgun, but they don't always do very well against the wolves... Honestly, pickaxes and swords do better... if yer lucky, anyway..." He eyes your scabbards. "...I notice you lads are armed, yourselves... That's part of why we were a bit surprised you didn't seem to know you were in dangerous territory... As for how smart they are... I don't like to think about it. Traps do almost no good, I can tell you that... They're usually too smart for 'em..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:50, Tue 29 Jan 2019.

"What are your swords made from and what are your bullets made from?" Jack asks and draws his sword a half-inch to show off the Amberite version of steel, which is to say, one damned fine looking sword. His father's gift to him, some years back. "I'd heard once that stuff from the road sometimes dies better to silver or cold iron, that sort of stuff," he mentions.

Alec groaned when he heard the Black Road mentioned. It was the reason his mother had for getting him to walk the Pattern. He had crossed a section of it one time, with the Pattern in mind, and it was still a horrible experience.

Hearing more about the wolves is at least something easier to remember.  Alec looks at the steel Jack is carrying. Alec's blade was given to him by his mother and might have been crafted by the same smith.

"If you have extra rifles, we have military experience and are probably all pretty good shots."

David had to resist giving the look that said "seriously?" As if silver was so readily available to utilize. These people wouldn't survive like this.
Though he gave a nod in agreement over gun prowess.

David knew he would ask his siblings about the Black Road. When there weren't other people about, no need causing an existential crisis, or accusations of insanity.

"Th' bullets and shot are lead. Our other weaoons are steel, though. Mebbe you've got something there... I've seldom heard that rumor about silver, though. I'm starting to wonder if you lads aren't more expert on survival than I gave you credit for at first..."




"Nope, that's all we've got here... you can wield one, though, if you like... David, was it...?"

David was a little unsure how to carry on, pretending as though they were somewhat aware of this world's affairs, or ignorant. It seemed like his relatives were aware of the Black Road, was that a Pattern issue?

"We've been careful, and so far lucky." He said. Which was true of their shadow walk journey up to this point. Maybe he should have Shadow-walked slower? Only experience could teach him more.

"I can always have a look at one of these rifles. Though I wouldn't want to unfairly deprive you of a vital resource." David answered the stout man's question. David knew how important it felt to even have something to protect yourself with, even just a pistol like his own.

Glancing around, David wanted to be sure his newly gotten horse would be safe. It would be in danger while the gate was open.
People didn't tend to think much of predators, not until they are a victim, at which point, it's often too late.
"Look, I better get my horse inside and help secure your gate, time moves without our heed after all."

"Mm, we're almost done..." Harald turns to one of his fellow workers. "Leif? Y' think it's secure?"

The one named Leif turns and pushes on the gate, locks it from the inside, pounds on it a little... "Aye, boss, I'd say so... Good as it ever was..." The others nod, satisfied.

Harald, content, turns back. "So... are you t' be stayin' the night here, then? It'll be sunset soon..."

"Something for you to experiment with in the future. See if you can't figure out if some aspect of the steel is a bane to these unnatural wolves. Yes, we'll stay the night here goodman Harald," Jack replies and settles his hands on his hips as he surveys the area, already starting to think about how he might improve their lot, defensively. "I'm going to check your security, if you don't mind."

Jack is accustomed to building defenses in his homeland--an apocalyptic wasteland. This is practically a utopia for defensive needs. He goes over to check the sturdiness of the gate and then makes a round of the defenses as they are.

Sizing up the walls, their composition, the clearance to nearby trees. Spotlights? A good sniper blind perhaps, given that their opponents don't have ranged weapons?

"Thank you for having us tonight." David said to Harald. He would be glad to have the night to rest and figure out what went wrong to take him here.

When Jack started looking to the  security of the place, David looked to Alec, saying "A word if you could." There was something that seemed iffy to David.

Alec turned from his slow circle as he looked over what were apparently defenses for a small gas station.

"Hmm? Black Road. Haven't seen one in...what's on your mind?"

David made a glance around themselves without making it obvious, he spoke in a whisper to Alec, not wanting the multiverse to be laid at anyone's feet.

"From your reactions, it seems that the Black Road must exist across multiple Shadows. But, is it a "natural disaster" or not? From 1 to 10, how bad is it for the whole Pattern?"
By asking this, David couldn't help but feel like a wondering nomad asking into the weather surrounding himself. So unfamiliar with the land that surrounds him.

Having finished his examination of the perimeter, Jack returns to the others and then looks over towards the squats, wondering what they're expecting of them. For the most part, however, he is simply quiet and attentive.

Alec looks thoughtful for some time, and then shrugs. "I'm not that much of an expert on the Pattern. All I know is that it was everywhere, and it let things move through the Shadows that normally wouldn't be able to do so."

He turns away then turns back. "Oh yeah. It seemed to corrupt things that were in it or near it as well. I never really figured that part out. Random hopefully knows more than I do."

Another way to go over the wall from one to another. David had felt doubly uncomfortable with the prospect of a seemingly mutated invasive species. The harm that could do to shadows across the pattern.

He had looked back at Alec, away from the sky. "Thanks for that. Let's rest up shall we?" David asked his travel companions. Trying to ignore the worrying prospect that these people would be forever haunted. Haunted by the scabs and scars caused by the wound of the Black Road.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:20, Sat 09 Feb 2019.

"Wait, I might as well learn something." David said to his cousins as he turned back to one of the stout men.

"OK, so these wolves, is there any more events I could hear about them? Any behaviour different beyond aggression?" So David asked those who had anything to tell him about the corrupted wolves.

David asks Harald about the wolves' habits.

"Ah, well, you ought to talk to Sigmund over here about that. He knows a lot about the stories people tell about the wolves..."

Sigmund proves to be, indeed, a font of Black Road wolf folklore.

David surmises that the answers to the questions in his head might be:

--Are they social?

Yes.

--Do they still hunt in packs?

Yes, but not always-- they'll hunt alone sometimes, too.

--Do they have Alphas (male and female)?

It seems so. Usually male... there's just not enough information to know about female alphas.

"Then there are stranger tales," says Sigurd quietly, "told less often, about them using human speech... or changing their form... but most people don't believe those stories... even around here..."

David knew from his family home of Amber that stranger things can occur then an animal having speech. It did say something about their intelligence if it were true.

David came to the conclusion that these wolves still maintained their normal instincts. The heightened aggression forced their hand and meant they were more likely to be hostile, it might even make an individual go on their own to "let off steam".

"In those stories of speech and human form, what do the wolves say? If you don't mind my curiosity. It's the first tale I've heard of talking animals is all."

"I don't mind," said Sigurd. "But no one who has survived has ever reported exactly what might've been said, as far as I know..."

"Thank you for your time, I can better prepare for our travels. Stay safe." David said to Siguard.

When David was back with the other Amber royalty, he made sure no one else was close enough to overhear what he had to say next.
"OK, so did I take a wrong turn at Albuquerque or something? How are we this off course?" He asked in a low whisper.

"We aren't off course," Jack replies and crouching down over a patch of sandy earth, he uses a finger to draw. "Amber is here, all things radiate from it," he explains. "So, if in Amber we have an occasional single creature emerge from the black road, that uncle Julian hunts down within hours, then the nearest shadows," he moves his finger along further away from Amber, "Then here, a few steps from Amber, where we are now, there may be frequent several creatures that emerge, and further still, a world over-run by them, that we should avoid. But because it is contained in Amber, it should be a limited problem. A small stain on the tapestry of infinite worlds between the poles of reality."

A pause.

"The closer we get to chaos, the more that chaos takes hold, and things can simply be odd for the sake of being odd. But this close to Amber, it tells us things about Amber," Jack mentions.

He lets David digest that while he searches around in his pack and produces a bottle of wine, which he sets near at hand and pops the cork out of it with his thumb.

"Why stop here, you are wondering, perhaps? The answer is three fold. To take a measure of shadow and of Amber, done. To give you your first friends along the way, a place you can stop with your good friends you've done a good turn for, who can watch your back in a tight spot. And finally, in case we are being followed, this place is rather ideal to keep watch for a few hours. The land outside our little fort here is patrolled by savage creatures that would at least slow a follower a touch, and there are others to keep watch," he explains.

David contemplated on what Jack had told him, to think there were Shadows people could consider lost causes... That thought left him more then a little empty.

But at least David could see the wisdom of a place he could retreat to, should things go awry. In his mind, David dubbed the shadow "Fort Pitstop" for ease of recollection. He was sure he could think of other places in the Pattern to hide away, but this was a good start.

"Smart idea. As long as whatever follows me is at risk from Black Road creatures like I would be. But what if they aren't? Um, should I be worried of wolves talking and taking human shape? Is that typical of the road?"
The question David didn't ask was "What if they use the road intentionally to follow me? Which was answerable with simply avoid the road in whatever shadow you find

Alec stood silently, staring at a point somewhere between and beyond David and Jack. His eyes would occasionally flicker to one or the other while they had their discussion. A few times he nodded slightly and clearly had no objection to anything Jack said.

He frowned only at the mention of wolves taking human shape. His mother had been captured once by creatures called weir. Alec had never seen one, although he had seen talking wolves. Wargs, really, but close enough, for what that was worth.

Alec glanced at the guardsmen once, but said nothing about them, either.

"Never mind. If I want their assistance in future, it might be best to give them a good impression. I'll help them now and a little tomorrow morning before we travel again. I think we can all agree on that? Good."

Before anyone could say anything more, he moved on. Getting Acacia a good resting spot, seeing to any small task he might help with before deciding to find a place he could tuck away and accept some semblance of sleep.

There are two gates, of the same type-- the one you came in by, and another on the other side. A paved road passes through...

...Where are you each sleeping in relation to the gates?

Possible answers might be:
--right in the center of the area
--in the gas station itself
--on the roof of the gas station
--between the back of the gas station and the high fence

On the roof of the gas station, Jack does a quick cleaning of his sword and then settles in for a night of sleep, though he doesn't imagine he'll get a full night's rest.

most like this of all options

--right in the center of the area

David sets up resting near where he kept his horse, as he wants to be at the ready to stop Acacia having an incident if something goes awry.

Beyond this considering, getting to sleep was an easy task for the Park Ranger, as he had dealt with worse circumstances in all factors of camping.

Alec looks up at the roof where Jack is going and decides that is probably the safest place to sleep, but the small area between the fence and the back of the gas station will be less windy. With his back up against the wall, he lays back and listens for a while until about an hour after nightfall.  Animals were allegedly more active around sunup and sundown. Hopefully, these corrupted wolves will be the same.

After sundown-- after what feels like a couple of hours after sundown, specifically-- there's a loud banging at the gate you all game in by.

Someone out there is shouting-- a low voice, that sounds a lot like the voices of your squat hosts.

David, having heard the commotion - and close enough to conceivably do something about it - tries to find a viewpoint. See if there is any way to look at the person at the gate, or at whatever pursues them.

(The wall's too high to see over... Do you have some other sort of suggestion of how this could be done...?)

Jack, standing on the roof, peers in the direction of the racket. "David, call and see if they say anything coherent," he suggests from his position at the edge of the roof. Clearing the sleep from his eyes with one hand while the other pulls on his heavy duty leather jacket.

Any sort of murder holes? Those thin slits for arrow shooting. To shoot through which might double as viewable points? Or a platform to stand and look over the wall via?

"The heck are you doing out there?" David demanded from the stranger.  He also looked to remind himself his the gate opens and closes.

(Nope.)



"--The wolves! The wolves are after me, damn it! Open up!!"





(Huh?)

It might be moot to ask, but can David see the stout man through the gate?

David feels the handle of his hunting knife to be sure he is ready for any enemy.

Alec awakened, hearing the noises. He was dreaming of the two men he had fought in the forest when the dream ended abruptly. He looked at the wall, right across from him, and wondered why they wouldn't have a small opening in the wall, so one could look out through it. For all he knew, an army of invaders was on the other side, looking to get in.

He stood up and walked to the corner of the gas station and a dream-besotted thought suggests that one of the wolves might be able to speak. But that would be silly. Besides, the gentlemen who lived at the gas station would have told them that. Surprisingly unannoyed by being awakened, he leans against the wall, watching as David talks to whoever is outside the gate.

Or whatever.

(David definitely cannot see through the gate at all at this time. The gate is made of the same stuff as the rest of the tree-trunk wall, only it stops less than an inch before it touches the ground. I suppose I would allow David (and only David, at this moment) a Perception roll to try to find a crack to peek through...)

"You never told me why you were out when dangerous wolves roam around here." David asked the question, in part for the answer, but also to distract them while he tried to silently position himself to see the visitor.

Perception
17:17, Today: David rolled 6 using 2d6+1 ((3,2)).

(David gets 1 new xp.)

There just aren't any gaps in the wall. This thing was built tight.

"--I--I'm a doctor-- was out on an emergency call-- --Hurry!"

Dropping from the roof of the building, Jack draws his sword and gives a knock at the door to wake the locals. Turning to the front gate,  he walks over to join David.  "Let's get it open," he says as he walks over.

"All right, let get them in." David said in general agreement, but he pointed to Alec's sword and made a motion like shoulder barging the gate to Jack. Hopefully they got the silent message the guest didn't.

David moved to the gate, and unbolted it. After that, he was swift with his opening and grabbing the doctor to pull him inside so things progressed on David's terms.

After David unbolts the huge gate and starts to open it, the gate flies open, and three huge wolves (each a little bigger than a large buffalo, thinks David) leap into the middle of the stockade.

"Fools," says the dark gray wolf.

"Helpful fools," corrects the black wolf.

"True."

"Thank the helpful fools."

"Thank you, fools," says the dark gray wolf.

"I'll make sure no one gets away..." says the light gray wolf...

David had rolled when the gate was swung open, forced that way by the mass of the three wolves in question. He thankfully managed to stay on his feet so he could face his mistakes.

He should have trusted in his instincts, as he should have trusted his sister's word about Chekhov's Gun. At least he had one of his own...

"Huh, I didn't know wolves would act so cowardly." He mocked, hoping he could goad them into asking him what he meant.

Emerging from the darkness between the building and the gas station Alec already had his hand on the handle of his sword.

"Fools?" Alec laughed.

"You three pups are the ones who just walked into an enclosure you can't escape from. I'll tell you one thing. I like wolf stew. Now which one of you looks like the best dinner?"

He laughed again and regarded the wolves, then drew his blade. "This should suffice to carve you pups up. Any last words now that you've fallen into our trap? Because this ends with the three of you dead, and wolf steaks for a month. You aren't going back to whatever crappy den from whence you came."

Jack doesn't talk shit with wolves. Jack is the wolf, he isn't impressed with the bluster. Instead he considers the situation tactically and takes a step two feet to his right, as he looks his opponent over. His sword held up in front of him, he keeps it between him and the wolf he has squared off with.

08:52, Today: Jack rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,3.
Tactical roll. +1 damage.

(CHR check: 10:54, Today: The GM, on behalf of David, rolled 5 using 2d6-1 ((2,4)).

CHR failure. David gains 1 XP.)

"You die first," said the dark gray wolf, not caring what he was talking about. It jumped at him.

(10:55, Today: The GM rolled 7 using 2d6 ((5,2)).
10:56, Today: The GM rolled 1 using 1d8 ((1)).

David, your bio line says you have 1 point of armor, but I don't see what you're wearing that is armor-like-- it's not listed on your character sheet (and yet, you're maxed out weight-wise...))






"You die next, I think..." muses the black wolf, and it leaps.

((11:00, Today: The GM rolled 5 using 2d6 ((3,2)).)

But the wolf misses...




"I think that leaves you as next most important. You smell... wrong..." the light gray wolf mutters...

(11:01, Today: The GM rolled 4 using 2d6 ((1,3)).)

The light gray wolf misses, though... "What are you three...?" it mumbles...

Alec chuckled when the wolf missed him. "Never go in angry. Unfortunately, the price of my lesson is your life."

Alec slashes at the side of the beast as it snaps at him and misses. Alec's footwork is that of a fencer, but his slashes more like that of a common footman. At least against a giant wolf.

David's arm bled and dropped blood onto the ground. The price to avoid something more vital being damaged. David cursed himself for not having his jacket on.

"I disagree strongly with that." David remarked through a smirk.

Reaching to his back, David pulled out a rope that he had previously lassoed for a different objective than this wolf - but it would work all the same.
Not spending time being fancy, David quickly threw the lasso at the dark grey wolf, hoping to wrangle it's neck.

Dex
19:25, Today: David rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((2,4)).

The rope went around the lupine intruder's neck and with a tug Davis secured it tightly in place and the wolf let out a whine in protest.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Sun 24 Feb 2019.

Alec attacks and:

15:16, Today: Alec rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 1,6.

Jack steps in and makes a few cuts that are evaded by the wolf, but when it finally comes in for a bite, he lands a diagonal cut across its flank before he leaps backwards. Landing on the balls of his feet, he swings his sword around in a tight arc with a flourish.

14:39, Today: Jack rolled 10 using 1d10+1 with rolls of 9.
14:37, Today: Jack rolled 13 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,6.
15:32, Today: Jack rolled 2 using 1d6 ((2)).

12 damage total.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:33, Sun 24 Feb 2019.

David now had the rope around the wolf's neck, and he had a good grip on the rope... now he just needed to keep the wolf from biting him.

(14:45, Today: The GM rolled 9 using 2d6 ((3,6)).
14:45, Today: The GM rolled 5 using 1d8 ((5)).
Ow. David takes 5 new points of damage.)

Er, keep the wolf from biting him again.

(However, David may immediately retaliate by trying to choke the wolf... Roll +STR... if a full success, roll 1d12 for damage. If partial, roll 1d6 for damage.)

Str
21:33, Today: David rolled 5 using 2d6+1 ((1,3)).

Oh for sanity sake!

David tried to utilise what leverage he had to try choking it, even just getting onto its back so it wouldn't be able to bite anymore.

But he was having no luck with that. His wounds were accumulating and his problems weren't getting solved.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:39, Sun 24 Feb 2019.

(David gets 1 new xp...

Let's let the other fellows resolve their actions before we continue...)

23:02, Today: Alec rolled 10 using 1d10 with rolls of 10.

Alec's blade carved deeply into the flank of the wolf. Ribs snapped and blood began to weep from the horrible wound, that would probably have cut a man in half.

He wondered if these things were tougher than the hook-handed men or not as tough. Hopefully not as tough, he mused.

(14:38, Today: The GM rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,3.
14:38, Today: The GM rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,1.
14:38, Today: The GM rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,1. Gad, what luck...)

The dark gray wolf tried to bite through the rope, just to separate itself from proximity to David-- but failed.

The other wolves tried to bite their Amberite opponents, but failed...

A cheering can be heard from the direction of the gas station-- Harald and his comrades like the direction this battle seems to be going...

Jack makes another quick decisive cut even as the wolf withdraws from his range, though this blow isn't nearly so deep, but still leaves blood on his sword. Turning to throw a quick glance over his shoulder he calls out, "Guns loaded! Hold your shots until we're in the clear."

14:49, Today: Jack rolled 5 using 1d10+1 with rolls of 4.
14:49, Today: Jack rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,6.

You say that G, but I'd enjoy getting some XP out of this, so some bad luck is okay..

The wolf wriggled around, trying to reach around to it's own neck, to no avail. This might not last forever, so what was David to do?

He realised his best course of action was to get onto the back of the beast to avoid making it easy for the wolf.

Dex
07:31, Today: David rolled 9 using 2d6+2 ((1,6)).

So, using the rope to his advantage, David moved to the side and himself onto the back of the beast. Yes, he succeeded, lying on the wolf, but a sitting position was hard to establish at this time.

I don't know about you Jack, but I love being alive. So I'll make sure not to take too much failure :P
This message was last edited by the player at 07:38, Wed 27 Feb 2019.

22:13, Today: Alec rolled 11 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,6.
22:14, Today: Alec rolled 1 using 1d10 with rolls of 1.

Alec switches to a thrust and he hits exactly where he was aiming, between the eyes, but the wolf is pulling back and the wound is a light one, although it leaves a gouge on the nose and up to between the eyes. It does not have the force to cause any real damage.

(08:43, Today: The GM rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,2.
08:43, Today: The GM rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,1.
08:43, Today: The GM rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,5.)

David's wolf tried to buck him off its back, but failed.

(09:40, Today: The GM rolled 4 using 1d8 ((4)).

Jack gets hit for 4, minus 1 for armor: Jack takes 3 damage.)

Jack's wolf tries to bit him in such a way as to make him drop his sword. That part failed, but it still hurt.

(No counterattack this time, because the wolf's penalty was that the disarm maneuver didn't succeed.)

Alec's wolf tries to bite him, but misses yet again...

David felt a little confused at the mix of familiar and strange in the act of riding a bison sized wolf tried to dismount him to no success.
David only raised his torso a little, just enough to try and chock the wolf out.

Choking (Str)
16:11, Today: David rolled 9 using 2d6+1 ((3,5)).

Damage
16:14, Today: David rolled 1 using 1d6 ((1)).

At most he got a slight cough from the lupine monstrosity. David would need to put his back into it the next chance he gets, if he gets another chance that is.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:17, Wed 27 Feb 2019.

"Mindful cousins,  they are clever enough to try to disarm you," Jack warns the others and then promptly drives a decisive blow through one of the creature's eyes or perhaps somewhere very close.

Bloodied himself in the exchange though.

16:52, Today: Jack rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5.
16:52, Today: Jack rolled 9 using 1d10+1 with rolls of 8.
16:52, Today: Jack rolled 13 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 6,5.

Another crit with my talent.  14 damage. 30 damage total.

This message was last edited by the player at 04:40, Thu 28 Feb 2019.

Alec tries for another stab into the same place he scored earlier. His blade bites deeply into the creature, which is leaking a large amount of blood.



22:15, Today: Alec rolled 10 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,5.
22:15, Today: Alec rolled 7 using 1d10 with rolls of 7.

(18 points of damage so far)

The creature tries to bite him and Alec easily steps back from the bite, and is waiting for the creature to bleed out.

David's wolf runs at the gate, hoping to scrape David off.

(08:01, Today: The GM rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,2.

08:05, Today: The GM rolled 1 using 1d8 ((1)).

David takes 1 new point of damage.)

But it not only fails to unseat David, but scraping him against the gate only does a slight amount of damage.



Jack's wolf-- very obviously-- dies. This greatly alarms the other two...





(Really? By my notes, this made 20. Maybe I haven't been taking notes as well as you.

08:01, Today: The GM rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,4.)

Alec's wolf, starting to panic, rushes for the gates-- to escape-- but finds that one of the two young princes has already moved to block the path of retreat. (Is it Alec, or Jack?)

David wouldn't let getting scraped deter him. No, the fact that the wolf had done so showed that he was desperate to remove David, reassuring him the he was too safe from claws up on his position.

David tried to choke the beast again. But hanging so low, he only had his arms to indirectly damage the creatures neck.

Str
15:29, Today: David rolled 6 using 2d6+1 ((3,2)).

I am literally this close to leveling up and I hate how quickly I'm getting there.

This time, his labour bore no fruit at all, all he felt was how precarious his situation kept being.

Stepping over to assist David, thinking that Alec will handle his fleeing wolf for himself, Jack flourishes his blade once to catch the wolf's attention and then stabs it with another of those devilishly dangerous stabs of his. He seems to be having a hell of a night for his swordplay, really living up to his father's image.

14:37, Today: Jack rolled 10 using 1d10+1 with rolls of 9.
14:37, Today: Jack rolled 11 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,6.

It's relentless.

Alec finds his spot to deliver the coup de grace and he swings.


14:30, Today: Alec rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,3.

He staggers, since running away was the last thing he expected the wolf to do. It throws him off balance since he was swinging pretty hard.

He raises his eyebrows, seeing the wolf running away, which genuinely surprises him. "Oh," Alec exclaims. Then he sees Jack can head the wolf off, but Jack goes for David's wolf. Alec smiles and charges after the wolf he has been carving up. The fact that Jack was more concerned about David's welfare than getting an easy kill speaks volumes about Jack's character. Alec's mother had told him how her brothers might argue over "getting a kill" or making each other lose face. Her brothers sounded like a bunch of assholes. Alec hopes that wherever his mother is, she is happy that her son is hanging out with a higher caliber of people.

(GM rolls dice)

Alec's wolf streaks out of the gates, fleeing fast.

Well, at least the wolf David is riding seems done for. Two out of three isn't bad. Because instead of concentrating on attacking, David's wolf focuses on bucking its rider off and getting away-- but it fails...

David saw Jack helping him, he heard the wolf run past him. All while he could hardly hold on, never mind killing the beast. David's pride was hurt, and he felt so damn useless.

"This is enough, just die already!" David exclaimed, as he pulled out his pistol from its holster and shot his own wolf point blank.

Shoot
19:18, Today: David rolled 9 using 2d6+2 ((1,6)).

--You have to take several shots, reducing your ammo by one
(I'll just take this option, just to see about not being hurt for once, unless GM you want to assume I'm in danger being on its back.)

Damage
19:19, Today: David rolled 9 using 1d10 ((9)).
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Sun 03 Mar 2019.

Jack throws one last stab into the wolf and runs to the wall, trying to intersect the direction that the wolf had run, he throws a hand at the top of the wall and tries to leap it with the help of a hand.


13:30, Today: Jack rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 6,2. Strength for jumping.

Alec runs after the large, bleeding wolf and as he starts to run past David's wolf he hears gunfire. Sliding to a halt, he hacks at the back leg of the great creature...and scores.



15:08, Today: Alec rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,1.

15:09, Today: Alec rolled 5 using 1d10 with rolls of 5.

The wolf he carved up will hopefully bleed out, but now Alec's attention is drawn towards helping David. "Hey Alpha in charge, I have a new deal for you. How about you die, then we stop hurting you."

Hopefully, the wolf will get enraged at Alec's banter and leave the wounded David alone.

David's wolf dies.

The threat is over...

There is cheering from the gas station...

Balancing on the edge of the fence, Jack drops to his feet on the ground and rolls through his shoulder. Walking over to the wolf he'd killed personally, he proceeds to cut its head off with a wood axe yanked from a pile and then promptly stakes it near the front gate.

Doing his grisly work in silence, he cleans off his sword. "No problems with resilience against steel or your shot, it seemed like, but it'd take some more testing to be sure. Maybe their guns are just shoddy work," he says to the others as he cleans his blade.

Alec pauses when the wolf keels over and dies. When he is certain it is dead he cleans the blade off on the matted fur of the dead beast, then keeps his word and walks over to David.

"You okay?"

David struggled to get himself up, he refused to need aid in that part at least. While cleaning the gun of lupine blood,  he reflected on how close he was to death. If the wolf had landed on him in its last moments...

"Nothing I suspect a night's sleep won't resolve." David said, looking at his wounds. "My pride on the other hand..." He wasn't being direct when he said this, as he was looking to where the last wolf was running.

It had almost vanished into some outcrop of trees when he looked. Damn, even if he wanted to, David knew that wolf would surround him with pack-allies if he wasn't swift enough.
There was foolhardy, and there was suicidal.

David turn back to the residents and said boldly "If any of you want to return the favour, I could do with some bandages, a night's rest, and a few more bullets for the road."

The height-challenged men rush out and close and lock the gates once more.

Harald looks at David's pistol. "Ooh, haven't seen one of these before... Some new Frankish model, eh? I'm afraid what we've got aren't the same caliber as yours, my friend... I'm sorry to say...! A night's rest we can offer you, though, as we're certainly not opening those gates again after dark, not for anything! Bandages, mm, not sure if we've got that or not... You're free to look around in the garage for aught, if ye'd like, though..."

"That is fair, I guess I'm glad that no one was hurt. It was foolish to open the gate, even if it could have been an innocent." A thought that mortified David.
"Before I go, can I make a suggestion, Harald? How about a platform over that gate, to look down in case it is a person? With murder holes of course. Just think on it, good night."

David walked past his relatives, informing them of his need to grab supplies. David wanted to be certain he would get care, so he used his own bandages that were with Acacia. He could look tomorrow morn for replacements.

One use of Bandages, whatever good that will do.

"Mmm, that's a good idea... like a duck blind-- maybe with a trap door, so the enemy wouldn't even see if someone was in there or not... hmmmmm..."




Bandages are slow to help heal, but now that the wolf attack is over, there's more than enough time. (David regains 4 hp.)

David was sure to tell his travel companions his desire to sleep in for the night.
"You both show your long years of experience in this -" David complimented. Clearly trying to imply their capacity to live for endless years without aging without saying it outright.
"- especially swordsmanship." David finished, looking to Jack and his history - Along with his father - with the blade.

David looked once more at the wolves, their corpses still not quite set into the stages of decomposition just yet. After that, he go for his bed and night of sleep upon it, having over-paid in pain for it.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:41, Tue 05 Mar 2019.

"You think I'm older than you? Interesting, I guess we could try to puzzle that one out sometime," Jack questions even as he is busy cutting the head off of the second wolf-corpse and hops up so that he can yank it down hard on a spike opposite the other wolf head.

Turning his attention to the squats, he looks towards their garage and then thinks about it a moment.

"Okay, good night everyone. Harald, I trust you guys can get your gate locked up correctly again?" he asks of them, not wanting to play with their fortifications in the dark he moves to the edge of the building, makes the same jump he'd made earlier and pulls himself onto the roof. Bedding down for the night.

Alec considered tearing part of the shirt of one of the useless denizens of this place, but David had things well in hand. Alec didn't say anything when David talked about Jack's and his swordsmanship.

It wouldn't be of any use to tell him that his mother had taught him to fight and hid him from the rest of the family because she knew there was a traitor, maybe two, and that most of her siblings were not to be trusted.

Not that Alec had any plans of ever getting in a swordfight with one of them.

Returning to his shelter between the building and wall, which had already proven its usefulness, he sat down again and tried to drift off to sleep.

It was exceeding early when David awoke, the dawning light was weak and the sun rise itself was blocked by the wooden defences.
David could see the silhouettes of the wolf heads, so Jack had finished his work. While it seemed a tad much, David could see the wisdom, maybe some fear would be enough to curb the aggression?
No, it would take more then that for a permanent solution to their wolf worries.

David took note that he felt a bit tired from yesterday, he felt more at ease after the morning exercises, which were shorter than usual, as David could feel a long day was ahead of him.
Next it was his equipment, which didn't need much, though they were true about the ammunition, he was glad to find some measure of old cloths. With a simple scrub up and a sterilisation, they would be as good as new.

Next, he went to check on Acacia, his steed. Looking her over, she seemed to have slept all right. Acacia behaved normally, she ate as usual and trotted along just fine. "You don't scare easily, no, you're braver then that." David said in a soothing tone, the tone being more important then the contents of the words when it came to horses.

This was excellent news, she was just the steed David would need along the peculiar road that was the Pattern. He would just have to see if anything else would happen along his trip back home.

Things are going well... the sky gets more and more like that of Earth... The huge forest was incredible, but the smell was rich and loamy like nothing Janessa had ever experienced before... now it's just sort of pine-y, in a vaguely... almost-Earthy-but-not-quite way... Janessa is on a road that almost looks like an Earth highway, or at least it's paved in almost the right way... and up ahead, she sees...

Hm. A sort of wooden blockade wall made of tall thick logs, pointed at the tops.

There's a big gate in front of her... The road goes up to it... Doesn't seem to be a knocker...

Suddenly, Lirilla slows down, snorts, starts to whinny and nicker, scared.

Three wolves jump out-- two behind, and one lighter gray wolf in front. It looks like it's been in a fight recently.

Lirilla whinnies louder, not sure what to do.


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&


Just over 100 yards away, David turns his head. Sounds like a frightened horse... But all three of his and his cousins' are over there...

"What in the blue blazes?!?" Janessa exclaims as the wolves jump out. She uses her spell, magic missile, on the wolf up front. She screams "A LITTLE HELP HERE PLEASE!!!"
22:12, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 6 using 2d6+2 ((1,3)). Really dice Gods, really?

David knew the difference in horse call between annoyed, scared and extremely distressed. It seemed the second one, but no, it couldn't be... Could it?
Then he heard "Blue Blazes?!?!" You have got to be kidding me.

David had to be sure, which meant climbing the wall in quick succession like Jack had, he wasn't sure about opening the gates a second time and endangering an entire community.

What do I need to roll to have a vantage point? Jack rolled Str right?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:53, Mon 11 Mar 2019.

(• On a 6 or below, the spell is cast, but the GM will choose one:
--The spell is somehow less effective than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what).

I'm going with 1d4 dam instead of the 2d4 in the spell's description

07:45, Today: The GM, on behalf of Janessa McCoy, rolled 1 using 1d4 ((1)).

The wolf takes 1 point of damage.

Janessa gets 1 xp.)

As Janessa speaks her spell-word, a glowing orange missile like a crossbow bolt forms near her, and then speeds off like a little guided missile...

...And barely wings the light-gray wolf in the shoulder. The wolf winces slightly. "So, this one is a little mage... a little fledgling mage, it appears... and not wearing a sword, I see... I may have been defeated by your kin in the blockade-- I can smell the kinship-- but I'll have my revenge on you, at least... Or should I let my friends devour you, instead? I promised them payment for helping me in the accursed daylight..."


(Yeah David, go ahead and use adventuring gear for a grappling hook and rope)

Thanks!

Janessa's eyebrows arch as the wolf speaks. Of course it can speak. She thinks. She glances towards the barricade. The boys are in there!

"So you met David, Jack, and Alec. My cousins do that to you?" She responds loudly, to make sure it travels. Janessa casts Magic Missile at the Light Grey Wolf again.
08:13, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 12 using 2d6+2 ((5,5)).
She's trying to get closer to the gate. So if this knocks the wolf out of her way, or gives her any opening she's taking it.

(08:38, Today: The GM, on behalf of Janessa McCoy, rolled 3 using 2d4 ((1,2)).

Light gray wolf takes 3 new damage. And considering that you had a roll of 12...)

As soon as Janessa starts speaking the same magical word she'd spoken before, the wolf snarls and leaps... her next missile not only hits a bit harder than the last one, but it sends the wolf off-center, and it misses her (and Lirilla)...

There! There's a slim chance! If Janessa can just control Lirilla, maybe she (well, they) can make a run for it!

(I have decided that horsewomanship, at least in this situation, is about controlling the horse, and so should be a CHR roll... CHR check, please...)


(David: Nah, you're an Amberite. I say with a hook and rope, you're strong enough. Just climb on up there without a roll, bud, and take a look)

Having quickly got a rope and hook together, David scaled the wall swiftly. His time in the mountain climbing club paying off.

He looked over the walls, seeing the wolves, and the one that got away speaking. All about to fight it out and magic - goddamn magic! - was flying around the place.

"We got company! Look alive!" The ranger called over his shoulder. If that didn't work, the gunshots will. David got his pistol and pulled the trigger a few times for good measure.

Shoot
13:48, Today: David rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((4,2)).

-Take what you can get, -1d6

Damage
13:50, Today: David rolled 7 using 1d10 ((7)).
Subtraction
13:51, Today: David rolled 5 using 1d6 ((5)).

= 2 Damage... Whelp.

Getting the angle right over the wall was precarious, all without hitting this new person (not from around here with her height and horsewoman ship). The barking of the gun would be heard all over, his efforts graced him with grazing shots.

10:34, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 12 using 2d6 ((6,6)).

She urges Lirilla towards the gate. She smiles when she hears a voice shout and shots being fired. Welp I got someone's attention at least. She thinks as she nears the gate.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:51, Mon 11 Mar 2019.

Success! Janessa manages to make Lirilla understand what she wants done... Lirilla certainly wants away from these hungry wolves... Lirilla takes off at full speed toward the curved wall of the little fortress.

Janessa sees a man up at the top of the wall-- it must've been him who shot at the wolves...

...The trouble was, would the gate open in time to let Janessa and Lirilla in...?

And then if it did... could it be closed again before the wolves, in hot pursuit, got in as well...?

Alec drifts out of an odd dream and hears David yelling. Then the gunshots make him awaken fully. Was there a breach in the wall? The wolves couldn't get over it? Through it? Under it? A quick glance around as Alec emerged from his outdoors sleeping area revealed that the wall was working as designed.

He looked up at David and saw the worry on his face. Someone who was not a wolf was out there.

Drawing his blade, he moved to the gate to open it with his left arm and shoulder, while keeping his blade at the ready.

As he did so, he wondered where in Hell the world's worst guardsmen were. Well, this world's, and probably a few others.

He opened the gate.

Janessa uses her years of barrel racing to guide Lirilla through the open gate. “Close it quick!” She shouts as she bolts inside. She pulls Lirilla to a stop and dismounts like she’s done it before and races over to help close the gate.

After sheepishly trying to open the gate by swinging it out, he pulls in it, because of course the hinges would be on the inside.

The horse rides through and a comely redhead dismounts and tells him to close it. Now he puts his shoulder into it and begins to close the gate.

David was glad to have heard what must have been Alec. It was appreciated.

He would have liked to have helped Alec with the gate, but he was hopeful he could stop them coming. His manner of aid was firing at the wolves closest to the gate before they caught up to the stranger.

(I know we're all Amberites here, but these are 3 buffalo-sized wolves with human-level intelligence who're right behind her. Alec, do an STR roll.

David, if you're gonna shoot again, roll DEX for it)

Finally awakened, Jack launches himself from the roof, rolls through on his shoulder and runs over to throw his shoulder into the gate beside Alec.

17:55, Today: Jack rolled 11 using 2d6+2 ((6,3)).

Shoot
23:02, Today: David rolled 11 using 2d6+2 ((5,4)).

Damage
23:03, Today: David rolled 5 using 1d10 ((5)).

Despite his one handed, hanging position, David had a clear line of sight with the wolves. So he made a clean shot for the closest wolf - the scarred survivor (likely trying to knowingly intercept with their gate closure) - and made him regret returning.

15:38, Today: Alec rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 6,2.

Alec nods to Jack when he lends a hand, well, both of them. They push the door against the strength of the wolves. Hopefully, David is picking off a couple of creatures. The people here will be able to eat for a long time.

There are two thuds as multiple wolves hit the gate as it closes just in time behind Janessa and her horse.

David sees that the wolves give up and head to the side, for the thick woods...

Janessa skids to a stop as the gates close. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to bring her heart rate back to normal. She turns and heads back to Lirilla to soothe the horse. "Shhh. There's a good girl. Yes. Calm girl." She says softly to the horse as she pats her neck. She turns and fixes her hazel eyes on the three men who came to her aid. "Imma gonna go out on a limb here and say you three must be David, Alec, and Jack?" She absentmindedly plays with a gray metallic marble in her right hand.

David was changing a clip of his pistol one handed to try getting at one of these other wolves. But by the time he completed his practiced motion, they were gone into the woods again. They were lost to the wilds.

Damn do they move fast, maybe an extreme dire wolf would be better than his original idea? No, his ambition would surpass most others.

David got himself down in quick order, dislodged the hook and packing it along with the rope.
He turned to the new arrival to answer her. "David. Allow me to do the same, and say you come from the castle, right?"

David's eyes glanced towards the town centre, hoping to not see the stout men with curious questions for them all. Keeping their story straight seemed proper for now.

Janessa pockets the marble and smiles at David. She follows his glance and nods. "You would be correct David. Thanks again for saving my backside." She then walks over, right arm extended out to shake his hand. "Names Janessa. Though most people call me Jan. Considering y'alls family, you can call me Nessa like the rest of 'em." Once she's close enough to shake hands she drops her voice to a whisper. "So, care to fill me in on the official story? Don't want to blow y'alls cover story with the locals by saying something I shouldn't."

Alec looks at the gate, chuckles when the wolves crash into it. He calls after them. "You need to fight more like wolves, not puppies."

Then he looks at his jacket and nods, seeming surprised he didn't get hit.

When it comes to wounds, it is always better to give than to receive.

He looks at Janessa. Nessa, he corrects himself.

He nods to her politely, not wishing to interrupt her and David.

Like the rest of them... How big was this family anyway?

After a swift glance to the fort centre, David used a low tone to quickly catch up his new relative. "You're welcome, Jan." David said without skipping a beat.
Clearing his throat he carried on. "All right, um. We're from across the sea. A small island, um, Bent-ham? No, Bentham. We never said our reason for being here, but passing through works. It is the USA here, but I don't know how different it is from "our Earth" however." David said the last part with uncertainty as he wasn't sure his Earth was the Earth to the rest of his family.

David gave Alec a look that said Feel free to correct me here.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:24, Thu 14 Mar 2019.

Janessa nods along as David talks. "That easy enough for me to remember." She looks around. "It's not what I'm use to either. We don't get wolves that big, or that can talk, in Wyoming." She turns and looks up at Alec. "So are Alec or Jack?" She asks, extending her hand to shake his.

Watching his cousins interacting with the recent arrival, Jack tilts his head a little and withdraws for a touch of privacy. Not having said anything since they'd managed to shut the gate on the wolves. Reaching into a pocket, he pulls out a small protective case and then his deck from that. Picking out one of the cards, he concentrates on it.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:59, Thu 14 Mar 2019.

(Willpower check, please, Jack...)

12:48, Today: Jack rolled 9 using 2d6 ((6,3)).

Alec looks at Nessa when she asks her question, then looks at Jack for a moment, seeing him doing something with his back turned.

"We're related, yes. Nessa, right? Alec. Nice to meet you." He offers his hand, then takes off the bloody glove and shakes her hand with his bare hand. "Sorry. Wolves bleed."

He looks around, wondering what the guards are up to.

David saw Jack go around a corner, rude he thought to himself.

But something bothered David, he couldn't help but cross his arms as he asked."Curious thing though Jan, Nessa. I don't know how you got the name drop on me or anyone else for that matter. Who spilled the beans?"

Standing away from the others, Jack seems to be having a quiet conversation.

“Hi Alec. Yep, we’re cousins.  Nice to meet you too. She takes his hand. “Aw I don’t mind the blood, grew up on a cattle ranch.” She glances at Jack and recognizes a card call when she sees it. When David speaks she turns her full attention to him. ”Whelp. I asked my Dad and he told me. He figured it was time I learned how to shadow walk? I think that’s what him and Uncle Random called it. Anyways, I wanted y’alls names for when I found ya.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the gray marble. “By the way, this should probably go to you. My Dad made it to help me find you specifically David. Not sure how he did it though.” She holds it out to him.

David couldn't fault her desire to know who to look out for. He had done the same with his own parent. But did she know Amber but not get initiated? She was throwing spells a while ago...

Considering the hair, marble, and "Dad", David was pretty sure he know which parent gave Janessa her Amber bloodline.

David stroked his beard of strawberry blonde hair as he considered the little marble. "Probably through magic, something to do with how those cards work -" and something that will make my privacy feel violated David thought to himself. Does Bleys think that little of him?
"- however it worked, it helped." David concluded as he plucked the metallic thing. He payed careful attention to any new sensation he may feel.

When David picks up the marble, it turns to dust and falls apart, showering the ground in a micro-shower of gray dust like a teeny tiny plume of volcanic ash falling to the soil.

On the one hand, it was nice for David to not need to look over his shoulder all the time. But on the other hand... "So much for learning huh, Bleys. Guess I should learn to make those cards then." David sighed with a brushing of his hands to removed ashen remains.

Coming back over from his card-call, Jack nods to the others and says, "We should decide if we're going to hunt for the wolves or move on--with the adjustments to their ammunition, I imagine our hosts will be fine in the long run. Welcome," he says to Janessa then. "I'm Jack." Having heard that last from David, he shakes his head. "That's some high end magic, and I didn't get the impression you're too familiar with magic," he points out.

When everyone starts talking about magic Alec tunes that out. His mother had told him that when it came to magic, that belonged more or less to the redheads. More or less.

He walked over to the guards.

"Are you carving this thing up? Jack already gave you a head start."

No pun intended.

David let out a groan, and grumbled something about "Stupid hocus" and "tarot pocus" under his breath. He found himself pacing the gate in frustration over this whole predicament.

David knew that he needed to move on to better himself, but he couldn't leave these people to their own devices. His experience told him that the wolves were not merely desperate.

"I would love to have the freedom to abandon things when they get inconvenient, but it's my turn to be the expert.

Any normal wolf pack would not be this desperate, never mind their aggression. They would move on and they would hunt in their full five - if that even is their pack limit. It's all wrong here. But even if we kill them, another pack will just hunt them when we leave..."

"We've had mixed feelings," says Harald. "Some of us would be glad to, if he doesn't mind. Some of us are hesitant to touch it more than we have to... and that caution has made the rest of us hesitate. If the young hunter doesn't want it, we're currently leaning toward nailing it on the outside wall as a message to the others... But then, the fact that we all heard them talk is... well, we still don't know what to make of it... I mean... this is the United States of America, for Jupiter's sake..."

"If you mean me - it was my kill after all - then feel free to go ahead. I might have a few claws if that is all right." David said, making a glance towards Alec and Jack. In case they knew something of Black Road corruption that was new to him.

”Hi Jack.  She says after listening to him. ”Dad just taught me a couple spells and conjuring.”

“So you know Dad.” She shakes her head. ”They do look like they can come in handy. But you definitely don’t seem to be fond of the hocus pocus. Sorry if my using it bothers you David. Maybe i should conjure up a weapon. Dad said sword would be easier than a bow. So I might go that route.” She arches an eyebrow at Harald. ”Hi. So wolves that size are normal but not the talking?” Janessa looks around the group. I am definitely not completely up to speed. Dad what in the hell did you forget to mention. She thinks to herself as she watches her cousin. ”Rob would love this.” She mutters to herself.

"Please, take whatever you want first," says Harald.




"They're only 'normal' around the Black Road, as we call it hereabouts. The talking... there've been a rumor or two, but almost no one believed it until last night, when those of us here first heard it for ourselves..."

Oh great. As usual, David managed to make others think of the worst interpretation of his words. It would be a talent if it was useful.
"I know him as well as the rest, which is little. But please, don't think it a bother, 'Nessa. It is just a case of arcane envy. Though I would say bring a tool that doesn't need magic, just to be safe. Just a moment."

With that, David went to make his claim of the claws, they would be handy later.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Mon 18 Mar 2019.

She nods at Harald. Black Road? I’ll ask the guys when we don’t have an audience. she thought.  Janessa smiles as David calls her Nessa and follows him over as she speaks. ”If it makes you feel better I don’t know him that well either. I only met him when he saved me from an attack.” She chuckles. ”I’m glad it’s not a problem then. I really only know the three spells. I’ll conjure up a sword when there’s not so many witnesses.” She whispers.

"You should destroy the bodies, the Black Road is a source of corruption, I wouldn't suggest keeping any part of them," Jack suggests and then after a moment of consideration, moves over to grab one of the wolves by a leg and start dragging it from the walled compound. Or at least moving it over towards the gate.

"Eh?" says Harald. "What do you suggest, burnin' it? ...And... how do you know? You're not even from around here..."

"We have seen a few other places with similar problems, they call it by other names though," Jack lies casually, not that he really cares about sharing that they can traverse reality--he just wants them to listen without needing to show their abilities. "But yes, burning would be good. Outside the walls, we can keep watch. Best not to let them fester near your food."

"All right, let's do it that way, then," says Harald. "Er... where else have ye been with a problem like the Black Road? Is there summat where you come from? Is that why y' left...?"

When Jack started dragging the dead wolf, David gave him a hand by getting the gate open and giving him a hand, speeding up the process.

David said in-between tugs of the wolf corpse. "Our home. It was tormented, by hideous, twisted grey men. They invaded my home. When my relatives explained what the Black Road was, I knew it was the source. So I intend to put a stop to it."
It wasn't a lie, because they had invaded his home, and David suspected the road to be the source of their hatred. The aggression and twisting of form matched, if they were formerly human.

It didn't take David long to start the fire on the body once sufficient distance was made.

Once he has moved one of the wolves out, Jack doubles back to grab the other one and drag it out beside the first one. Drawing his sword, he stands guard for as long as it takes to get the bodies burning, and then will retreat to the compound with the others.

"So, David, given that you seem to speak with some knowledge of woodsy-fair, could you track the wolves? I've little practice at tracking, so I'm not sure I'd be much good at it," he mentions.

David made an audible chuckle at the inquiry. "With targets this big running that fast, I'm sure anyone with a little practice could find them.
But they have the lead, so I should do it." David said with gusto and we acknowledged need for haste.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 09:04, Thu 21 Mar 2019.

Harald has clearly overheard at least part of this part of the discussion. "So... you're goin' to go out lookin' for more wolves t' kill...? Sounds pretty dangerous... Hunters around here who've tried it either find nothing, or don't come back... Usually they find nothing, but they don't come back often enough that no one really tries anymore..."

"I am not they Harald. I can find them. I can kill them. Especially if that is what it takes to make them look elsewhere for a meal."
Looking at the charring corpses, David felt a bit of remorse. They might have been predators, but it was not their fault the Black Road twisted their instincts so.
To have such an unbeatable measure of hatred and anger beyond themselves, that rationale only served as a tool for those emotions.

Harrowing indeed.

Harald scratches the back of his head. "Well, I'd normally say you're crazy, but you lads've killed two of 'em so far, and wounded the third, so... I'll be th' last to say what you can and can't do, I guess..."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. Jack get your things, I want to finish this quickly so we can get to that destination. David said, walking at the fastest pace that could be mustered without sprinting. He needed to catch up to them to stop this being an affair that ate into his day.

At the mention of 'grey men' Janessa pales and absentmindedly rubs a spot on her left arm. She stares off at the woods and continues to listen to the conversation. She walks forward to Jack and David.  "A'ight. I may not be much of a help, but if you're gonna go huntin I'd like to join y'all. At the least, I've got a first aid kit in my bag." She steps closer and drops her voice to a whisper. "I only know three spells. The one you saw David, magic missile. One gives me magical armor and the last I'm not sure if it'll come in handy for this or not. Plus I still need to conjure up a weapon of some kind." She sighs and shakes her head. She pulls her backpack off, opens it, and pulls a smaller bag out. She opens the smaller bag and pulls out a bottle of ibuprofen, opens it, pours two out and puts it away. She grabs her water bottle out of the backpack as she drops the small bag in and then takes the medication before putting the backpack back on. "Any thoughts on what type of weapon I should get?" She whispers.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Mon 18 Mar 2019.

"I'm no weapon expert, and I don't know your preference. So it is hard to say. But if you can only have one..."

David looked to her side and remembered where she said she was from. Maybe...
David showed his pistol, safety on of course."Say, have you handled a firearm before? If so, you could take this and I still have a backup. You summon something for melee, you might want some reach to avoid claws - if your spell can specify.
That leaves you sorted when the missiles backfire."

"Get my things?" Jack questions and sort of looks at David like he has grown a second head, after a moment he laughs a little and goes over to see if he has something to eat in his pack while he waits to see if Alec intends to join in the proposed hunt.

Janessa smiles when he pulls out the pistol. "Is that a semi-automatic?" She asks as she points to the pistol. "My adoptive Dad started me on revolvers when I was 8. Moved to pistols, single shot and semi-auto, when I was 10. Shotguns when I turned 12. Crossbows and regular bows when I was 13. I've had some sorta blade in my hand since I was 6. So I pretty comfortable knives. Swords, not a lot of call for 'em in Cheyenne." She takes a step closer to get a better look at the weapon in question. "You sure you don't mind letting me borrow it?" She looks up at him, hazel eyes unquestioningly searching his face.

David could tell Janessa was in that "impress all the cousins as best I can" phase. He had gone through it to, must be the pressure of pride to keep up with relatives.
"Yup, semi auto. It's fine, just be careful with ammo and get it back to me when we are done. David said as he handed her the gun and the clip of ammo.

Obtained: Pistol
Ammo 1 Weight 1
Tags - Near, Far.

With that, he went to get Acacia and get on top of this tracking so they could start immediately.

Alec returns from the back of the building and looks at Jack. "Crap. Please tell me that..." he sniffs the air and smells the smell of burning wolf. "Okay. Are we going? What did I miss?"

Jack asks Alec about the hunt. "Wait, why are we going around indiscriminately making animals extinct here? The people survived before we will here and they'll be here long after we've left. How many wolves do you think there are?"

His manner is calm, not accusing.

"It's the black road making them dangerous, they aren't 'animals' they're monsters, and our actions have echoes. A purge here may affect nearby shadows as well, I feel it's the duty of every Amberite to purge remnants of the road wherever we find them," Jack answers Alec privately. "For the good of all shadows."

Janessa smiles as she takes it. "Thanks David! I'll take care of it I promise." After checking the pistol out, she puts it in her waistband and pulls her shirts back down over it. She glances at Jack and Alec before walking over to Lirilla and making sure she's ready to go when the others are.

Harald, nearby, notices Janessa store the pistol, and raises an eyebrow. "Make sure the safety's on, lass. Had an uncle who had an unfortunate incident one time that way when it wasn't."

Janessa looks at Harald and smiles. "It's on, but I'll be safe. Promise. I've used one similar to it before. Definitely don't need an unfortunate incident." She gives the man a wink before turning back to Lirilla.

David had gotten his steed Acacia, talking soothingly to her to help with his bond to her. "I think I'll have to kill them, Acacia. I do feel sorry for them. I hope you have the strength and will to stay by my side. But I'm sure you will have no problem doing just that." The specific words weren't so important, as the tone with which you said them. But David always knew the right tone for handling animals. It was part of his job after all.

When he was done brushing her, David adjusted his equipment, making the bow more readily available as well as his sword. He would need both today.

When he felt confident, he used the time before his relatives were ready to look over the early signs of tracks. To get a bearing for when he goes to the forest undergrowth.

(Perception check, please...)

Perception
20:38, Today: David rolled 4 using 2d6+1 ((2,1)).

For flip sake.
Anything for special Study? If not, fair enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:39, Wed 20 Mar 2019.

The tracks aren't too hard to spot at first, but they get harder and harder the farther you go. Seems like they're deliberately trying to make it hard to be followed. Unless they let their guard down later on, this is NOT going to be easy... (-1 to David's next Perception roll in regard to tracking the wolves...

EDIT: But David does get 1 new xp...)
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:32, Wed 20 Mar 2019.

"This is going to be difficult guys. They seemed to be hiding their tracks. It's like tracking Bengal tigers in their natural home." David sighed. They were already aware to use grass clumps to avoid leaving notable disturbances, would they have false tracks? Break off and regroup to make forked tracks? He would have to take this seriously.

David mounted Acacia and started in the direction they ran, hoping to find their tracks.

Perception
09:49, Today: David rolled 10 using 2d6+1 ((6,3)).

-1 penalty from before makes the result 9. Oops.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:47, Fri 22 Mar 2019.

Alec seems fairly quiet when they begin their hunt. So they have to go kill the monsters, but isn't Shadow supposed to be infinite?

This is not the career he had envisioned for himself.

But David seemed pretty determined, as did Jack, so Alec was nothing if not supportive of his family.

Leaving his horse behind, Jack isn't about to get a horse bitten or spooked out from underneath him and risk getting a leg pinned for the few moments it takes to get free. He was better off on foot, and following along, he jogs or runs as necessary. "I'll help as best I can," he offers.

Aid: 17:31, Today: Jack rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5.

"Thank you Jack. It's all appreciated." David accepted.

Looking back to take stock of his fellow hunters, David saw a look on Alec that had him concerned.

"You all right Alec? You look, sullen?" He was probably just in the moment contemplating those wolves, David thought to himself.

If GM permitted, replacing the die that rolled a "3" with Jack's 5 takes us to 11 instead of the 9 from before. Very nice.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

Janessa quietly follows the guys on her horse. She watches David as he does his tracking. Cool. I never did have the patience to learn that. She thinks. She looks around to see if they’ve gone far enough for her to conjure up a sword without scaring the locals.

It'd make it a 12. You rolled 6 (+1) and then my 5.

The GM said a -1 would apply as consequence for my previous roll. Otherwise we are in for a good tracking time

Ah! I see it now.

To David: "Well, since you ask, it just seems a little bloodthirsty since we killed two and put their heads on spikes. The other was given more than just a punch in the nose. How many do you want to kill before it's enough? I ask that without rancor. I was just raised not to be so bloodthirsty. Either way, my mother taught me that you support your family's play. So I'm with you."

“I may be over stepping here but I think at the very least the light gray one needs to die. It’s personal for that one. It told me it would have its revenge on y’all by killing me, since we’re kin.” She looks at Alec. “I do believe the light gray will continue to hunt us after we leave if we don’t kill it. The other two might try to avenge the light gray but I’m not sure. I got the impression that the other two were basically hired hands from what the gray said.” She shrugs.

I need to perception roll to make sure there are no muggles around before conjuring, right?

After a little while, and with Jack's help, the trail becomes easier. It feels like the wolves figured that they'd made their trail hard enough to follow that no one would get this far, and then let down their guard and then just ran for it.

Presuming that "North" means "North" in this shadow as far as the path of the sun in the sky goes, they're basically headed north-by-northwest.

(Janessa, that sounds good, but I'll give you a +2 bonus on that perception check this one time, because reasons. Go ahead)

10:00, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 9 using 2d6+2 ((1,6)).

(Hmm... anyone (ONE person only) wanna Aid 'er?)

"Ok Janessa, what is going on with you at the moment?"
David looks around, puzzled at what Janessa is trying to look out for beyond the wolves.

Aid
17:21, Today: David rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Aid

Well whoops, I knew I should have just track rolled again.

None of you see anyone around...

Seeing that they had overcame a difficult part, David was free to ensure no confusion between David's words and intent. Politics is personal after all.

"I am thankful you would choose to help me with this. As annoying a diversion it must be from instructing my Shadow-walking.
But, I think these attackers branched off, or were sent by an Alpha." David had seen to more than enough packs to know they could have territory of 30 up to 1000 miles.

"If the rumor of talking wolves is true, I would not be surprised if the Alpha or a confidant of his could shapeshift. The possible Trojan horse leaves me very uncomfortable."

David went back trying to further follow tracks.

"Oh just making sure it's just us. Don't want to be scaring the locals when I start conjuring myself a sword." She smiles. Janessa nods as David explains. "That is a uncomfortable possibility." She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "Better get this sword taken care of while I got the chance." Janessa focuses on conjuring a sword.
13:44, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 7 using 2d6+2 ((2,3)).
Bloody hell....

I realized just now that I was SURE I'd made rules for Conjure somewhere... found that I'd posted them in your private thread, Janessa...

CONJURE is basically a lot like Cast a Spell...
When you have somewhere between several seconds to a few minutes, roll 2d6 and then add your Willpower modifier...

(Depending on what you are trying to get, the GM may add an additional modifier for how hard/easy it will be to find. (But not this time.))

• On a 13+ the the conjuring is extra-successful-- what you get is practically perfect for your needs, and you may conjure again, the next chance you get (the next round, if you want and if nothing's interfering with you).

• On a 10-12 you get what you want, or something good enough. You may conjure again, the next chance you get (the next round, if you want and nothing's interfering with you).

• On a 7 through 9, what you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what)... The GM may also ask you to choose one:
--You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
--Your conjuring wears you out a little; take -1 ongoing to cast any spell until the next time you rest for at least an hour.
--After it is done, you cannot conjure again until you rest for at least an hour.
--What you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what).

• On a 6 or below, what you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what)... The GM may also choose one of these:
--You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
--Your conjuring wears you out a little; take -1 ongoing to cast any spell until the next time you rest for at least an hour.
--After it is done, you cannot conjure again until you rest for at least an hour.
--What you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what).

So... Since I agree that David is right... (if there was another magical type here, then maybe, but as it is, no...) so, 7...

• On a 7 through 9, what you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what)... The GM is also asking you to choose one:
--You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
--Your conjuring wears you out a little; take -1 ongoing to cast any spell until the next time you rest for at least an hour.
--After it is done, you cannot conjure again until you rest for at least an hour.
--What you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what).

(On a 7 through 9, what you get is less useful than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what)...)

What Janessa gets is a very large, two-handed sword. For someone with her strength-- even though she's an Amberite-- it's going to give her a -1 penalty to hit (though +1 to damage if she does manage it...)

However, the conjuring also gets noticed by someone else. "...I SAY...!" Everyone looks over. There's a fellow in a hiking outfit and pince-nez who's just stepped out of the bushes. He obviously saw Janessa pull the giant sword out of thin air...

"You shouldn't. What are you doing here anyway? This is wolf territory." David was very concerned how he didn't notice this man earlier. Something is very off about him.

"Eh? I shouldn't what? Who are you, if you're so worried about this being 'wolf terri--' I say, did you not see that gal just summon a frightful big sword out of thin air?!?"

David made a "ppffftt" noise like someone taking a spit-take and chuckling "Summoning? Ludicrous, I think you saw the metallic sheen of the blade in the morning sun. It happens to us all."

Is he a stout man like from the fort? Or like our stature?

"Oh, no, I know what I saw-- who are you people? What are you doing here? How d-- How did you do that, miss?"

Whatever Harald and the crew back at the gas station were, this fellow is of a size and shape much more like what the Amberites normally think of as "human."

Janessa arches an eyebrow. "I really don't know what your talking about. I simply was lookin at my cousin's sword." She nods at the boys, but doesn't point to a specific guy. "Though he," she nods at David. "raises a valid question. Why are you out here, in wolf territory, like it's a regular stroll through the woods? I don't see a weapon on you in case of attack."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:44, Tue 26 Mar 2019.

"David, any tracks?" Jack asks, not really caring about the local. They'd be leaving as soon as the wolves were found, in either case.

The fellow reaches behind his back and pulls two matching pistols out. Even from where you're sitting, you can tell that the barrels are oddly long, and they're a shiny steel-blue color (a little lighter than "steel-blue" normally is, really). "I've got these for protection if I need them... And I see that you're armed, though I don't understand how... Who are you people? You're not Americans... are you...?" There's something about the way he says it that suggests that he's not an American (whatever the local value of "American" is here), himself...

(He's not going to buy that he didn't see what he knows he saw unless someone passes a CHR check (and has a darn good lie to back it up...))

"Nice weapons. We're just travelers from a small island called Bentham. You probably never heard of it, most people haven't. I think the government of Bentham likes it that way." She shrugs. "But then you're not an American either. I'm sure your home has some strangeness to it from an outsider's perspective." She glances back at the guys as Jack speaks and then back to the hiker. "My cousin is right, we should be on our way. Don't want to be out here come nightfall."

Seeing Janessa feel all right with the situation, David continued with his tracks. No point trying to stop his belief if he was native, no one would believe him.

"Agreed. Here are some tracks, let's get moving." He gestured where to go.

Tracking (Per)
15:16, Today: David rolled 8 using 2d6+1 ((5,2)).

In the back of his mind, he hated the seeming foreign nature to their intruder, David's unfamiliarity left him unable to conclude if he was from afar, another Shadow or the wolf in question.

Jack nods at David and starts to walk in that direction, sword still in hand, he is watchful for signs of the wolves.

"Well now wait just a minute, where are you going-- and how do you know I'm-- oh, well, the accent, guess that's a-- say, get back here! If you're investigating these 'black road wolves,' I'm coming too! And nothing back home is as strange as what I just saw you do, miss...?!"

The man hurries to follow you.

(Are we all on the horses, or are some of us walking...?)

I know I am riding a steed. Jack stored h Though I am slower by trying to maintain tracks.

She fixes him with hazel eyes and a no nonsense look. "Miss. McCoy. As for what I did or did not do, it's common back home; part of the reason the government keeps our island hush-hush. It's also common back home for a man to introduce himself when talking to a lady." She arches an eyebrow and gives him a pointed look. "But then you bring up the 'black road wolves'. None of us said we were looking for them, just wolves. So I think you should tell us not only your name, but why you're so interested in these so called 'black road wolves'?"

I believe everyone but Jack is riding.

"Eh? McCoy? From Scotia, are we? Well, nothing wrong with that, no matter what people say..."



"Eh what? I'll never believe that the things they say about the outer Hebrides are true! This is the 27th century, for Nike's sake! You'll have to do better than that, young lady!"




"Ahem erherm harumph. Lucius Callus Falco, at your service, miss. But--"




"Because they're bloo-- they're ruddy interesting, that's why! The last fragment of superstition and pagan fear that persists in the 27th century-- and it seems to be a new eruption, at that! In this time of science and autocars, I ask you!" Lucius calms down a little. "I'm a writer, with the Geographic Society, and I'm here to find out the truth about this black road thing, even if I have to shoot a few bl-- ruddy wolves to do so!"

David couldn't help but chuckle at Janessa deducing that he independently knew of the wolves from the Black Road. She would be no weak (or at least meek) lamb in politics.

27th century? Either history recording was weird, globe rotation was off, or time dilation was a b****. On Earth, time and space were part of the same thing, so of course he should have seen time acting funny.

David had slowed his horse to hear this conversation to its end.

Yes, Jack is walking.

Turning his head slightly, Jack looks back at the man who has decided to tag along. He doesn't mind having the extra hands, so he doesn't tell the man to go away, yet. He also doesn't mention how loud they're being for hunters.

(Hmmm... time for an INT check, David...)

Int
20:53, Today: David rolled 6 using 2d6 ((1,5)).


I didn't start the fire.

"Nice to meet ya Lucius." She says with a bit of a smile. "It may be the 27th century, but there are still plenty of undiscovered lands out there. Some lands like it that way." She gives him another pointed look as she slowly follows David and Jack. "Also you don't have to edit yourself on my account. Grew up in a ranch, so I doubt you can shock me. So if you want to say 'bloody' go for it. I do have two more questions for you, if you don't mind. 1) Where in the world do call home? I can't place your accent exactly. 2) What have you heard about them wolves?" Again she smiles, softly, at him. The entire time she speaks she keeps an eye on him. ~Don't trust him as far as I can throw him, but he may prove useful. I'll play nice until given a reason not to.~ She thinks to herself.

"Hmph... Simply not the way I was raised, at least not in the presence of a lady..."




"You can't? I'm from Britanniae-- Oh, you mean which province? Valentia, specifically..."




"Not a lot... vicious beasts, larger than they're supposed to be, clever, man-eaters... Could be a new specie... Or perhaps an atavistic throwback to prehistoric times...?"



(Int: 20:53, Today: David rolled 6 using 2d6 ((1,5)).

Anyone gonna try to Aid David...? I already owe him some extra trouble for rolling a 1 the last time he tried to Aid someone...

quote:

(--If you roll a 1, the GM will probably put you at risk, make trouble for you, or make things worse in general, even if the GM can't think of any way for you to share the same problems as the character you tried to help.)

...So he could really use some thoughts and prayers right now...)

20:11, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 2 using 1d6 ((2)). Oh for pity sake. I tried.

Janessa nods as Lucius talks.



 "Valentia Province? Where abouts is that in Britanniae?" She asks, keeping her tone soft so David could focus. "I'm not big on geography, I'm afraid."



"Heard the same things. Also a rumor that they can talk." She shrugs. "How prehistoric are you thinking?" She glances at him. ~I ain't about to reveal my hand to this one. Heck I haven't even told the boys the third spell yet. Maybe I'm just gettin as suspicious and paranoid as my father.~ She muses to herself.

David is pleased as he effortlessly follows the wolf tracks. This couldn't be easier, now. They're making a beeline for somewhere up ahead. He urges Acacia to hurry just a tiny bit... he and his new family (plus one local) are about to pass through a thick section of heavier forest, but the path ahead remains wide and clear...





"Mm? Oh, nowhere special, just a little village between Segontium and Venta Silurum. But I left there to live in Londinium when I was 13..."




"Pshaw-- oh, please! That's just local superstition! They would whisper that to one another, wouldn't they, shivering in the night...?!"




"Ah, well, it's just a theory, but I was thinking what if we've got a strain of something that was around when the sabertoothed cats died out... a sort of dire wolf that lived on the bison and which some stray trick of random animal husbandry has re-introduced into the--"

Ambush. A wolf leaps out at David, almost completely surprising him. Only Acacia's sudden snort of fear half a second before it happens warns him.

(David, a wolf is trying to knock you off Acacia.

You are going to take damage.

You can roll Dex to stay on Acacia, but take damage, or you can roll Dex to get knocked off Acacia, but to try to take less damage.

So, roll Dex... but will you choose to hurt and try to keep your seat, or to lose the mounted advantage, and try to get hurt less?

Don't anyone else do anything else yet, this is David's moment of ouch.)

Stay on Steed, that is what David will do.
15:20, Today: David rolled 11 using 2d6+2 ((4,5)).

David had just seen the movement in the corner of his eye. He had only moments to react and direct Acacia away from its dangerous claws. He was not leaving her to fend them alone.

(Nicely done... is David still sans protective clothing, like he was last night?)

He has the protection now, because he actually woke up and donned the gear like a sensible Amberite.
He might have to ask about sleeping in armor in the future though. ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:49, Wed 27 Mar 2019.

David's reflexes kick in, and he ducks just in time. The wolf's claws tear through the back of David's flak jacket, but not through David.

More wolves leap out of the foliage-- one is the light gray one.

The light gray one attacks David...

(12:14, Today: The GM rolled 6 using 2d6 ((5,1)).)

But its attack fails, because Acacia rears up and threatens the wolf with her hooves, and the wolf is forced to hesitate...


The third wolf attacks Janessa...

(12:15, Today: The GM rolled 11 using 2d6 ((6,5)).

12:15, Today: The GM rolled 7 using 1d8 ((7)).

Janessa takes 7 damage.)

David directs the horse to move a little away with his stirrups. This frees his hands to try and use a bow and arrow from horseback.

Shoot
17:49, Today: David rolled 9 using 2d6+2 ((6,1)).

- Take what you can get, -1d6 damage

Damage
18:02, Today: David rolled 6 using 1d10 ((6)).

Subtraction
18:03, Today: David rolled 3 using 1d6 ((3)).
Total = 3

Without stopping Acacia's movements, David had to take a shot when he saw it at the wolf that attacked him.

(So wait, the one that tried to knock you off your horse, or the light gray one?)

Tried knocking me off.

(Got it.

Okay, proceed, Jack, Alec, and Janessa.)

Jack steps around with his sword and flicks a quick biting swipe with the edge of his sword as he moves to engage beside the others.

16:47, Today: Jack rolled 3 using 1d10 with rolls of 3.
16:46, Today: Jack rolled 7 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,4.
16:46, Today: Jack rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,3.

Failed tactics roll, -1 on them going forward.

3 damage. Taking a hit in reply.

(3 against which? The one David just hit?)

yes

Lirilla was factored into this right? The wolf didn't unseat her?

As the wolf claws at her, Janessa let's loose a string of curse words that would make a seasoned sailor blush. She throws some magic missile at the offending wolf.

18:58, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,3. Well that's better than a 1.

Having not prepared his horse in the morning, Alec is walking with Jack and nearly goes for his weapon when their newfound companion draws his pistols, but all is well until the attack starts.

Alec draws his blade and goes to the aid of the injured Nessa.



21:10, Today: Alec rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,3.

21:11, Today: Alec rolled 4 using 1d10 with rolls of 4.  damage.

Alec tries to get between the wolf and the injured cousin.

(GM rolls dice

The wolf's counterattack against Jack does 3 damage (armor already subtracted))

The wolf bites Jack, one fang in particular tearing at his flesh...


(More from me tomorrow... time for bed... don't do anything until I get back...)

• On a 7 through 9, the spell is cast, but choose one:
--You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
--Your casting wears you out a little; take -1 ongoing to cast any spell until the next time you rest for at least an hour.
--After it is cast, you cannot cast that particular spell again until you rest for at least an hour.
--The spell is somehow less effective than it was supposed to be, or has some other unexpected side effect (the GM will tell you exactly what).

I will take The spell is somehow less effective than it was supposed to be option please.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:12, Thu 28 Mar 2019.

(18:23, Today: The GM, on behalf of Janessa McCoy, rolled 2 using 1d4 ((2)).

The wolf takes 2 new damage.

18:23, Today: The GM rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,5.

18:24, Today: The GM rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5.

Wolf takes 5 extra damage.)

Lucius fires at the wolf that attacked Janessa. He's so surprised, that only one of his pistols hits. "There! That! What was that! Where did that come from?!" bellows Lucius. "How did you ruddy do that, for Nike's sake...?!"

(Stand by, I gotta do the wolves' moves next, but I'm out of time... back later... Don't do anything else until I get back...)

"Bah! This isn't working! Retreat!" orders the light gray wolf.

(09:14, Today: The GM rolled 2 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,1.
09:14, Today: The GM rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,4.
09:14, Today: The GM rolled 10 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,6.)

The light gray wolf turns to run-- but it leaves itself open to an attack from Jack.

The other wolf that was trying to attack David also opens itself to an attack from David.

The wolf that was trying to attack Janessa, however, gets clear of Alec without endangering itself, and heads for cover.

(Jack and David may attack the wolves nearest them if they wish.

Only those with missile attacks ready may attack the third wolf.

On the other hand, if you get lucky and kill all three wolves... how can you continue to attempt to track them back to wherever they're coming from?)

Sidestepping the brief riposte attack, and lightly blooded by the earlier attack. Jack is looking just fine, and swings his sword with that usual alacrity and swift movement, but his attacks seem to be lacking the devilish amount of damage they'd inflicted the evening prior. All the same, he presses when he can. With a twist of a wrist and a quick step, he manages a cut on the wolf as it throws an easily evaded bite at him, and takes off running.

Laying a trace of blood up its haunch.

10:22, Today: Jack rolled 2 using 1d10 ((2)).

Two damage.

"Tell me where the Black Road is. You might live." David called to the wolves, trying to shoot the wolf retreating from him.

Shoot
15:59, Today: David rolled 7 using 2d6+2 ((1,4)).

16:00, Today: David rolled 2 using 1d10 ((2)).

16:02, Today: David rolled 3 using 1d6 ((3)).

-1 Total...

Between the quick retreat and caution, David's shot had (by some miracle) only knotted itself into the beasts fur.
Maybe it would reflect on how lucky it was, and consider his offer.

These two black wolves seem less talky than the light gray one. It says nothing as it runs off...

"Where do you bloody think it came from Lucius?!? I'll explain the best I can if we survive!" She shouts at him.

As the wolves run away, Janessa slumps forward on Lirilla, cradling her left arm. She continues to mutter curses punctuated by swear words.

Seeing the blood, David got off acacia quickly and moved over to Janessa. "Here, let me see to that for you. It's a little awkward to apply first aid to yourself, I should know." David offered to his cousin.

"Thanks David." She says as she careful dismounts Lirilla. She winces as she pulls her backpack off. "There's a pretty decent first aid kit and my Maleficent bag of medicine in here." She drops the bag at her feet, removes her jacket and long sleeve button down. "Dang it." She mutters as she looks at the claw marks on both her upper and lower arm.

"It's nothing, the sooner we patch this up, the sooner we can conclude the issue and move on."
David had looked at the kit, as well as the cut. "Decent indeed. It could be worse." David remarked. Remembering his own youth, falling off cliffs and almost getting tiger mauled. Never mind the gun-wielding poachers. Amber DNA was good for survival at least.

As David patched her up, he hoped that sterilisation would be enough to stop the corruption of the Black Road. David didn't even know what would stop that, if anything.

All the more reason to destroy the road.

Looking over his work, David said "That's good to go. If we want to catch up, we will need to be on the move." David got up to his horse and into the saddle in a practiced motion.

David upon his horse looked again at the ground to see if he could find those tracks that tried to evade his vision.

Tracking
15:13, Today: David rolled 6 using 2d6+1 ((4,1)).

They seemed to elude him at this time.

(Aid, anyone...?)

10:25, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1. well that's the last time I let my niece roll for me. This is gonna suck.

Janessa watched David patch her up. "Thanks David. Feels better already." She takes some pain meds from her bag before putting everything back in the backpack. She tossed the shirt into the backpack, puts her jacket and backpack back on, and climbs into Lirilla.

Looking around, Janessa finds a set of wolf tracks that David missed... They seem clear enough to follow...

(David and Janessa, you'll get 1 new xp each when Bad Things start happening again...)

Yay, so much Exp. Colours should have been Blue, Silver and Black, while constantly talking about how "I need more power" and call myself Vergil.

"That I didn't find it is just terrible. Thanks."

David looked around to the whole group. "Does anyone know how one would end the Black Road? I don't like the harm it does."

He doesn't trust the wolves, of course, and Alec waves at the intelligent wolf who backs off when he tastes Alec's steel.

David quickly goes to Janessa's aid, and Alec warily protects them while first aid commences.

Once all of that is done and David asks about the Black Road, Alec shakes his head. "Walked across it a few times. Didn't like it."

Janessa thought back to what her father had told her about The Black Road.

12:28, Today: Janessa McCoy rolled 11 using 2d6+1 ((6,4)). Yay INT roll. This is why I won't let her roll for me no more.

Janessa brings Lirilla alongside Alec. "Alec. Thank you for stepping between that wolf and me. I really appreciate it." She looks to Lucius. "Thank you too Lucius for stepping in." She trots Lirilla up to David. "Uh....I might have an idea but, don't think it's safe to say out here" She whispers and nods towards Lucius and casts her eyes around the forest.

"So no road removal... Disappointing." Knowing it was out there, messing life and ecosystems up, it got under his skin.
He could feel his left eye twitch a little, so he knew he was furious. He just had to be calm, and return to these tracks.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 07:52, Sun 31 Mar 2019.

"David. I might have an idea about breaking the hold the Black Road has on this Shadow." She whispers to him. "Just don't know how to tell you without our tag along hearing. Aside from a spell, which may just draw his attention more." She shakes her head. "I knew I should have packed a pad of paper and a pen." She mutters.

He bows slightly, acknowledging Nessa's thanks. "My pleasure, my lady."

When she rides off he then looks at Lucius. "Are you really brave? Or just crazy to be out here by yourself?" It seems like a sincere question. Then he looks at Lucius, who is still freaking out about the magic he has seen.

"Yeah, yeah, it's magic. So what's your story?"

Lucius is stomping along, pistols reloaded and put away again behind his back (the double-holster rig back there is really quite ingenious), but he's not happy. "...Magic... Wolves... Talked... Ambush... Nike... Strange... Talked...! Secrets..."



"I'm questioning many things right now, young man..."



"How can you be so ruddy cavalier about it...? Who are you people...? Oh, that's right, it's a big secret we don't want the talking wolves to know about-- how can the wolves talk, tell me that? Oh! I forgot again! It's magic! Since when is magic a thing, tell me that?!?!"

He keeps stomping. "...Also, I've already given my name, where I'm from, and what I'm doing here... Why should I give you any more Nike-loving details, when you're all so closed-mouthed about every blessed thing...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:47, Mon 01 Apr 2019.

David looked to this situation, one which was not only starting to turn sour, but was a bad distraction to David. He remembered his mother's advice. Politics is personal...

David got off his horse so he was more level with Lucius. "OK. Lucius, I'm sorry for our general closed-off nature, while being so demanding of you. That isn't fair. But neither would spilling all about us to the papers.
We are this way to try and protect not just ourselves, but you too. You who would be in danger if you knew some of what we know."

David sighed. He was not cut out for trying to feel out the stupid words to make things agreeable. He felt like a hare going towards a trap knowingly.
"So, if you can keep matters beyond wolf and road to yourself, let's make an arrangement.
From now on, a question asked to us, and we get a question from you. Either party can back out when if a particular question is a bit much. Will that do?"

"Are you... are you saying this is some sort of government secret...? B-but-- But you aren't even from here...?" He stops. "Oh--" He whispers. "...Are you saying the Empire sent you people...?!?"




"Yes, yes, certainly-- who goes first?"
This message was last updated by the player at 12:47, Mon 01 Apr 2019.

"A government secret indeed." David admitted, Monarchy was considered a Government, right? That should work.



"I'll answer one of yours first, those talking wolves. Rumor has it the Black Road corrupted them, larger, talkative and some might well shapeshift. You saw how true that is.
The road damages and twists what is left."

"Yes, well, but how--?! --And don't just say magic--! --No, wait, I see, it's your turn. Although I think my answers will surely be far less interesting than yours..."
This message was last updated by the player at 12:47, Mon 01 Apr 2019.

"Those guns of yours, David said, looking at their make, that peculiar steel. "how did you come to decide that those pistols would be adequate against large wolves?"

"Eh? My guns? 'Why wouldn't they be,' I thought... They served ruddy well enough against the Uzbeks when they tried to rebel and take Transoxiana away from the Empire, so..."

"Now my next question-- How does this Black Road change things, and if your answer is 'magic' then you'd better explain. How come I go my whole life without ever seeing any sort of--"

Lucius pauses. "...Well, there was that Persian chap that time in Samarkand... But I thought that was just... you know... trickery..." He looks at each of you. "What is ruddy magic, anyway...? How d'you explain it? That's my real question..."
This message was last updated by the player at 12:47, Mon 01 Apr 2019.

"Magic means different things to different people. Basically my understanding is that Magic is the control and manipulation of energy. Magic words allow you to use energy to alter reality. It can be learned, but it's easier if you have some natural ability. I'm still learning." She glances at him  "So what do you know about the black road?"