Druk's raised voice snapped her out of her daydream. She assessed the situation and understood on an instinctive and intellectual level what was required. Bryon is no dummy, she simply has difficulty with attention, preferring her own inner world to the one beyond her body. Now though she knew she needed to intervein, Druk did not understand what was required. "Master, please, if I may?" She waited for his acknowledgement before turning and given the other man a sweet smile. "You see we are owned, property of our master, the servant and myself." She flicked her hand at Greynull indicating him as the servant. "I am an...how should I put this...an entertainer. The sort who entertains one person audiences?" As she says this she traced the line of her bodice with a finger. "Master is very kind, much kinder than my first. He feeds me and gives me pretty clothes to wear. He takes me outside so that I can see things, but in the end I am property. We were hesitant to let this be known here because...well...I am very expensive. We did not think any here could afford me." She nodded, waiting for the other man to catch on too  what she is alluding.

The local staff goes back to their quiet, minimal interaction, standoffish ways.  No need to get an Orc excited... even if there's clearly something odd afoot.

Not our problem! 

Bryon, at least, seems safe to talk to, when there has to be talking.

"No one has enough copper here for anything like that, then," one of the waitress/cook/maids (the staff has no assigned role, they merely do what needs doing).  They say.. before the wars.. but that was a long time ago.

"The baths worked then," the older man grumbles.

The waitress continues. "Even the things that look nice.. the olive trees are owned by people in Massilia, we just work them here.  If you want to find the kind of people.. that can afford you, and you're going east, there's Monoikos."

There are mutterings of agreement.  "Monoikos!"

Monoikos is a strange town, east of Olbia.  It sits on the border between Visigoths and Ostrogoths.  To help prevent war between two rival groups of Orcs (any two groups of Orcs are rivals, really, but these are particularly powerful rivals) the kings agreed that the little town between them should belong to neither, and should be a neutral ground for meeting.  So, they handed it off to a human leader.  Now, the Prince of Monoikos has a small, wealthy, but very nervous territory.  He has parties and fun and tries to ignore the fact that he is wedged between two strong Orc kingdoms.

Druk thinks he remembers something of Monoikos -
22:12, Today: Druk rolled 15 using 1d20+5.  knowledge local.

They got wizards an magic there! he says with feigned disgust.

'course money an ships are a plus. He considers in an Orcish way as though his mind were concocting a tricky life-hack that includes getting very lucky on purpose without getting caught.

Druk the Ook would love to make a life in Monoikos - maybe open his NPC messenger service there and perhaps expand it to other places. I guy can dream.

A cringing Greynull awaits Druk's decision about what to do.

What are you looking at?
get our gear, and the animals - we go

Druk tells his manservant as he gets the last of the meat in his mouth.

Greynull bobs his head and hurries to bring animals and gear to a place most convenient to Druk.

Bryon followed along, waiting on her own horse. She was actually proud of herself, she had come up with a suitable cover that would play to all their strengths. She hummed happily and watched her companions.

Mystal circled the group as they travelled
This message was last edited by the player at 06:15, Sat 19 Dec 2020.

Greynull, slumped, brings up the rear, eyes looking right and left. Every now and then, he looks back too.

They set off in the direction of Olbia- the sooner the better, from the point of view of the inhabitants of the town.

The road is reasonably civilized, the Via Aurelia is still a vital link, and well traveled.  Usually.  A surprising number of regulars find excuses not to be on the road when the Orcs are up to strange things.

There are villages along the way, and stopping there is much like a stop in Aquae Sextiae, though with no ruins, as they there only little hamlets to begin with.  They pass in much the same manner.

After the second village, there is the turnoff to Olbia.  It is not a real road, only a  trail, as most people to go to Olbia do it by boat.   The trail goes through a gap in the hills, and isn't nearly as straight and level as a Roman road.

It's not even a well used trail.  In fact, there are no recent marks at all, and plants are growing in the wheel ruts.  People must go this way only rarely.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:00, Tue 22 Dec 2020.

Unless Druk objects, Greynull rides ahead about five horse lengths. He does so in scouting mode.

Druk asks Greynul: Uh..a moment please sir? Clearly behaving more Ookish,
He beckons for the ladies as well. We are now coming into Olbia...uhm...should I continue to play the Orc? What do you all think? I don't know if it frees us or limits us and - would an Orc come this way at all? Unless I am a landed pirate looking for the coast but why am I here what am I feeling?

Druk, like many an actor, is feeling a bit of crisis at his role.

Greyunull asks Are you goad enough at fighting, and willing to. If so, don't pretend anything; just be. You are form somebody important in Massilia escorting this bountiful lady. I am your servant. It's nobody business why you're arriving in Olbia. ... Oh it would do no harm to ask about points east of here, what you'd do if traveling on.

I uh... I don't hurt unless I must...I don't like to hurt. I cannot just be. If they see an Ook ... nothing goes well for an Ook.

I will continue as an Ork then, you are right. Let us find the sea

Druk steels himself to continue on with no changes.

Not so fast! Nobody sane likes to hurt, but the question is? Are you willing to do what it takes to get the mission accomplished? If you are, then act like it, a person who is on private business and is willing to do what is necessary...and enjoy it. Get out of this Ook business; you are you, not some stereotype. By the way, you're better than the average Orc, or human. You have self-control.

Druk is silent, thinking and continues to ride forward.

The sprite stays somewhere above them...

Little wings working hard...


On the ground, trudging along, at the very least there are no signs of Orcs along the so-called trail.  Nothing seems to come this way.  There are the remains of old farms ahead, and judging by the state of decay and overgrowth they have abandoned for a long time.

On a hill, there is a large, old bear, looking kind of worn and mangy.  The sort of bear that has been through many fights and, if not victorious, has at the very least been a survivor each time.  Its nose picks up the presence of the party, and it sniffs the air expectantly.  It seems hesitant, but curious.  Of course, the need for food is a strong drive.  It walks slowly, cautiously, on an intercept course.

Mystal dives coming to hower beside the long legged Nepris Teek care goodfellow; not only be threteth yon a Bear but beyond, beith a largeth pack oft wild looking Hounds.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:32, Sat 26 Dec 2020.

greynull takes aim with his shortbow and lets the ear know that she should hunt elsewhere.

20:27, Today: Greynull Nepris rolled 2 using 1d6.  Damage.

20:23, Today: Greynull Nepris rolled 17 using 1d20.  Arrow. +7 =24

Druk tries to stop the shot.

Wait wait! There is no need to attack the animals. Let them see and be seen we may convince them to leave.

If able to prevent the attack on the bear, Druk will dismount giving his reins to Greynul, he'll move ahead of the others with arms wide and show with body language to the bear that they need not be enemies but that he is confident and no easy target.
22:01, Today: Druk rolled 23 using 1d20+7.  Wild empathy

Druk is a Ranger


He’s had years of living in the urban ruins and managing even at times watching over the wild things there and the n the old farmsteads and quarries as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:35, Sun 27 Dec 2020.

Bryon's owl, Carl sat perched on her shoulder. They carried on a quiet conversation, oblivious to the bear or the danger it represented. "And then Scrumff decided it was time to go have baby ferrets and he left. I was sad until I found you, now I am happy again."

The owl opened one eye, "I'm sorry you were speaking? I fell asleep at 'this is my life story,' and have only just awoken."

She smiled and nodded, "Oh that is okay, I can just start again."

Carl got a 'why me?' look...

Druk is able to intercede and prevent the attack on the bear.  Which might be for the best; brown bears are big and arrows usually just make them angry.

This is something he his able to do, displaying competent rangerness.  It's not something Druk has been able to do often, as the population of wild animals within the walls of Massilia is close to zero.

People keep eating them.

But here, in the warm hills, and with the utter lack of judgement of his appearance being given by the bear, it works.  It also works because generally speaking, bears are not out looking for trouble.  Most are looking for food and will usually take the easier way out of anything.

In doing so he goes forward onto a hill near the bear, and then he sees what the sprite was talking about.

There is a pack of dogs here, about 20 of them.  Mongrels, feral descendants of escaped and abandoned dogs.  A pack of hungry dogs is much less predictable than a single bear.  Bear and dogs were on an intercept course.  Druk is able to direct bear into a different direction, but now it seems like the dogs will still run into the party unless the dogs, too change direction.

Druk considers the dogs and his longbow. He turns to the others. There are dogs coming - I don't want to hurt them either. can you make a loud noise and scare them like a wizard?

or maybe...I have some magic...

He reaches into his vest and pulls out four old used wands of different colored wood, looking carefully he selects one and swings it around trying just the right movement to make it work.

21:52, Today: Druk rolled 21 using 1d20+9.  use magic device.

Druk is able to make the wand work, and sends a shot over 400ft at a dog meandering away from him that the others can see - it will glow with an outline of yellow light.

Maybe they will get interested in that one and leave us be....

he says putting the wand away.

Bryon began to sing, "If you go out in the woods today, your surely in for a surprise. If you go out in the woods today, better go in disguise - for every bear that ever there was will be there simply because today is the day the teddybears have their picnic."

An irritated Greynull looks at the two others in disbelief. Or we could ride away he points out.