Judoc's journey had stretched across the entire Megalan Empire, from Azer in the east all the way to the southwestern border where Megalos meets Caithness and al-Wazif. Judoc had been keen to arrive at their destination, but this opportunity to travel had filled him with excitement. He also took the chance to acquaint himself with the wizard from the Mages Guild, a man named Finn Razzel. Judoc hadn't had much opportunity to talk shop with a magic user who wasn't affiliated with the Battle College, and the student was keen to share experiences, though Judoc left out many details.
Judoc's other companion had been a curious surprise. Back in Azer, the young mage had been studying alone one day in his room when, with a woosh of air, a large hawk had flown in and perched on the window sill. Judoc had jumped up in surprise, and the hawk had stared at him. After a few moments, Judoc had said,
"Hello there," and the hawk had looked at him curiously. Then, bizarrely, Judoc had heard it clearly say telepathically,
"Hello," and Judoc had gaped in surprise. Had Judoc attracted this magnificent creature solely on the basis of his phenomenal arcane abilities? Or was there some other reason? Judoc had spoken to the hawk further, first verbally, and then through his thoughts alone, and the hawk didn't seem to know why it had been attracted to Judoc, either. A mystery. Judoc had named her Aiah, and she seemed to stick close to him except when she was out hunting.
The three had traveled first from Azer to the coast, and then by boat to the capital. Judoc wished he could have spent more time exploring the city, but their mission pushed them on. From the capital, they traveled to Dekamara, and then boarded a ship for Hyrnan with a brief stopover in the goblin city of Yibyroak. From Hyrnan, Judoc and Finn had ridden along with a merchant who was heading west, Aiah sometimes flying along overhead, sometimes riding perched in the merchant's wagon, and now they were here at Three Corners Fort. The Templars had given Judoc and Finn enough coin to make to the fort, but now, Judoc finds the funds have run dry. No matter. After the group eliminates this necromancer, they will no doubt be amply rewarded for their services, and privately, Judoc wagers the necromancer will have quite a few items of interest to a student mage.
And what a group they make. Judoc had been expecting more soldiers, but he was pleasantly surprised to be reunited with a former classmate. Judoc grinned when he saw Giles and had thumped him on the back.
"Giles! Look at you! Why, you've jumped to the head of the class, lad! And you've already made officer? That's fantastic!"
Judoc's goal had long been to become a battle mage himself in the Megalan Army, but now, becoming a Templar was becoming more and more attractive, though his obligation to the secret organization known as the Murderers Row dimly nags at him from the dark recesses of his mind. Well, he'll deal with that obligation when it's necessary to do so.
The others prove an interesting lot. He has already heard of how the group dealt with a group of bandits masquerading as Imperial toll collectors, so they could handle themselves in a fight. The minotaur in particular looks like a formidable warrior, and the man named Gustav's blade intrigues him. He grimaces slightly at the sight of the two women, but he remembers Mariana, and grudgingly admits to himself that women might have their place in this endeavor as long as they have the good sense to leave the important decisions to the men. Judoc introduces himself to the others in turn as "Judoc, from the Templar College of Battle Magic in Azer."
When Captain Brashear returns to brief them, Judoc listens carefully and then frowns. What? No further support from the army? Ridiculous! He had traveled hundreds of miles for this? Fuming, Judoc crosses his arms and continues to listen. Well, at least the captain will be sending Giles along. Three mages and five fighters make a formidable strike force. Judoc by himself is worth an entire squadron of infantry, and the other two will probably be able to contribute in some way as well. Hm. He leans over to the minotaur and says quietly,
"OK, I'm thinking I cast Great Haste, Invisibility, and Hawk Flight on you. The necromancer will never know what hit him."
Judoc raises a hand. In a normal voice, he says,
"Captain Brashear, I was given that we were here to serve as a support unit to the Megalan army. What about food and horses, sir?"
OOC: I'm not sure if Judoc and Finn would have traveled together (or if the Templars would have given Judoc a travel allowance), so if they did not, let me know and I'll amend this post.
Judoc will see about acquiring food and a horse. If he needs to pay for everything, then he'll just buy food, seeing as how he doesn't have the funds to buy a horse.
Aiah
(Ironically for a male chauvinist like Judoc, the female Harris hawk is bigger than the male.)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:36, Fri 23 Feb 2018.