In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 601):

Godrick doesn't seem to like the idea, but as he can't seem to come up with a good reason otherwise, he says nothing further on the subject.

The five carts are soon loaded, thanks in particular to Enrei's help and on the way.  Arule rides thankfully in the back of one cart amid the grain, resting his leg.

The road from here is more well-worn and better defined than the one you came in on, it being at least intermittently used by carts, horses, oxen and the like.  Soon you have left the last field behind at which point the road rolls lazily to the west toward the woods.  It slopes downhill slightly too, making the going easy.

Within a few hours you are passing into a thin wood where the ground is still littered with the fallen leaves of the previous fall even as the trees above just begin to change colors.

Godrick keeps to himself but Arule loudly chatters with the commonfolk, and even sings a few religious songs to pass the time.

You learn that the mill is owned by a big man named Robert, who lives there with his many daughters.  The place is unofficially called the "Moaning Mill" due to Robert being extremely open to the idea of travelers loosing some coin to spend the night with one or more of his daughters.

The forests you are traveling through, they say, are not often beset by thieves (though there are certainly wolves) but brigands from the mountains are known to collect "tolls" between the forest and the mill.

By mid afternoon you have broken through the treeline again and find a land of rolling hills and sunshine.  Your farmers tell you that you'll make Moaning Mill well before sunset.

In reply to GM (msg # 602):

Brennan is content to ride in silence, studying the map and the journal carefully when not on watch.

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 603):

Titus has an extremely brief but heated exchange with Uldaf.  To end this conversation you see him nod once, pull his cloak back over his shoulders and show Uldaf his wrists before walking away.  There is a feeling of detente between the two of them.

I'll win him over... in time. 

Titus sits in the cart with Arule and even goes as far as to sing a harmony with him.  They sound good together.

Titus takes notes of the moaning mill with interest.  Asking after some of the more lascivious stories of the mill and files them away for use later.


When Brennan goes on watch so does Titus.  They ride closely for a time.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Mon 18 May 2015.

Enrei passes the time quietly during their trip.  At first he sifts through his sack of coins before deciding it is far too hard to discern the different types of coins when they keep slipping back into a pile.  He considers asking Godrick for help counting, but decides it can wait for somewhere not on tye move.

He listens intently to the gossip of brigands and nights in the mill, neither of which seem to mean as much to him as is said.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 605):

Keep your wits about you when we get to town. Anywhere with a name and reputation like Moaning Mill is sure to have a criminal element associated we would be wise to not run afoul of.

Let's have one quick and uneventful trip from A to B, shall we?

In reply to Uldaf Asbjorn (msg # 606):


Brennan chats with Titus for a while, but spends most of the journey studying the book and the map. He jots things down here and there, mumbling as he does so.

"Uldaf, can you look at this for a second?"

He motions to the map and waits to see if the Old Bear is interested.

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 607):

Uldaf is immediately intrigued by the map.

A drawing of the countryside where the wolf used to hunt and the bear was born? Let's see what fate has shown the young windcaller of my home.

In reply to Uldaf Asbjorn (msg # 608):

Watcha workin on?

Titus asks Enrei as his piles collapse for at least the 10th time.

Enrei holds up the bag, to Titus's inquizition, whatever efforts he'd made being again reduced to one mass of coinage, "This is only little bit pennies," he states difinitively, "And they all mix together." He reaches into one of his vest's pockets and produces a small handful of coins, "I have..." there is a pause, but just before Titus can offer help, Enrei continues, "six pennies." He returns the coins to their pocket, then reaches into a different pocket to produce a different handful if coins, "I have four," he says a word Titus is not familiar with, presumably the Chal'i denomination. "I do not know how many not pennies I have," he says hefting the bag again.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 610):

I'm not the greatest accountant in the party but do you want me to count out what you have for you?

He says smiling his best smile and holding out his hand for the bag.

How have you been feeling since you had your dream.  I know that you were not happy with what you heard.

Enrei cocks and eyebrow before handing the bag over, "Is okay, I will take road less traveled," he says with a smile, "First man is better hero than Juggernaut.  This is good dream.  I did not know this when I wake up," Enrei explains.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 612):

While the townsfolk stop at the edge of the wood for a brief rest before pushing on to the Mill, Titus quickly counts the coins in Enrei's bag and returns them to the Chal'i.


Meanwhile, Brennan and Uldaf look over a rough map that the former has drawn.

In reply to GM (msg # 613):

Uldaf analyzes the map with interest before engaging Brennan.

Are you sure this is accurate lad? I know where the ruins are, but you seem to be eyeing a location just east of there. I'm not familiar with anything in that area. Can you tell me more of what you saw?

Is this where the red wolf walked, and the white wolves demurred? Can it truly be coming full circle?

In reply to Uldaf Asbjorn (msg # 614):

"There are answers there," Brennan says. "Among the ruins and beyond them. The clues we need to unravel this book and learn more about the ritual that empowered us. And about the the men who performed it."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:28, Thu 21 May 2015.

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 615):

I cannot claim to have laid eyes on the place, but I can tell you with certainty that I know the way.

In reply to Uldaf Asbjorn (msg # 616):

Brennan smiles.

"I would be glad to have your company. I believe we will find much that will benefit us all."

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 617):

What you have here is a good amount of money... about 100 pennies here.  Maybe you should collect the money for us from now on

He gives Enrei a rudimentary education on the coins.

Have you given any thought about the bone charm in your hair?  I think I can make it work.  Do you want to try it?

"No, is not hundred.  Is..." Enrei pauses for a long time.  When Titus begins to speak he immediately claps a hand over his mouth, before eventually speaking again, "Twenty sev- twenty six.  And they are not all pennies.  See this," he grabs the bag and sifts through it for a moment before producing a silver coin, "is not a penny." Enrei shakes his head admonishingly at Titus, as if he should be ashamed to have looked at the bag and not been able to tell the coins apart.

When Titus begins to explain the idea that the silver coins were worth more than one penny, Enrei at first struggles with the idea, but is eventually able to accept that if someone asks for four pennies he can give him a silver chip and everything is okay.  He even understands, more or less, that a silver sun would be worth three chips.  The idea that a silver sun is also worth 12 pennies seems to leave him dumbfounded no matter how Titus attempts to work out the arithmetic.  Eventually Enrei is satisfied by having Titus help him count out the amounts of each denomination, which he then assigns each of to a different pocket, putting all his chips in the bag.

When Titus finally changes the topic of conversation, Enrei quirks his head at the question, "Is not work?  What is supposed to do?  My friend say if you keep it is good luck.  How is luck not work?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:32, Sat 20 June 2015.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 619):

The small caravan moves on without incident and before long the mill is in sight.  It sits near a bluff that drops off to the west in a large field of gently blowing grass.

It is a round structure built of irregular rocks several stories tall.  On the far side, overlooking a sloping path westward are the enormous wood and skin blades of the mill, turning slowly in the wind.


From one side of the mill tower a large house of daub and wattle juts out.  A well-worn path leads to and from a heavy door in the base of the mill where farmers bring their grain to be ground into flour and then haul it away again.  There is also a large fenced-in area where you can see several sheep and a single lonely cow.

A short but respectful distance from the mill are a few small huts.  These, you are told by your travel companions, are the homes of those who work in the mill but are not of the mill owner's family.  Between these huts you see a few children chasing one another naked through the grass, while their mothers hang clothes to dry or busy themselves with other chores.

Beside the mill, you see several men working to load sacks onto a cart.  Looking up, you see a half dozen or so have scaled the mill and are moving carefully along the straw roof, apparently re-thatching part of it.

"Mind the Lord of the Mill," one of your travel companions warns.  "He's fair enough, but prickly.  Be respectful and all will be well."

"Also," another points out, this one barely old enough to be considered a 'man', "Don't go sniffing around his daughters until you've already worked out terms.  He don't like them making their own deals."

"It's only duty to Lord Gent as concerns us," Godrick drones airily.

The so-called "lord of the mill" is not hard to find.  He stands with one hand resting on a fencepost, the other holding a large heavy staff of dark red wood, looking up at the men repairing his roof.  He is a large man with a scraggly beard gone to grey and a belly barely held in check by a massive belt.

In reply to GM (msg # 620):

Sometimes luck is there and sometimes it is not.

He says punctuating the sentence clauses with a sleight of hand to make a ball appear and then disappear.

These charms do not have a luck that is working all the time, it only works after you start it.  Do you want me to show you?  But realize that it only works once...

a bright idea hits him.

They are lucky when you wear them.  They are MORE lucky if you crush them. 

Titus continues to sit near the big islander and try to explain the true nature of the charms as the mill looms ahead.  He watches its approach nonchalantly and allows others to take the lead.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:45, Wed 27 May 2015.

"Oh, then this one is very lucky," Enrei comments, pulling the cracked and broken charm out from amid his many adornments.  "This one break on its own.  I think maybe I wait, and let other charm break itself too.  Maybe is happen for reasons, yes?" he nudges Titus, apparently proud of himself for starting to understand how magic thinks.  As the windmill comes into view Enrei seems quite impressed with the structure, staring at the huge blades that power it in awe.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 13:41, Fri 29 May 2015.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 622):

Titus takes a deep steadying breath and begins to mount a very logical and well thought out response that goes entirely over Enrei's head.  As the mill looms in the distance and the islander's jaw goes slack and he watches in amazement as the mill goes round and round.  Titus' shoulders slump as he realizes the islander is not the best place to try to test the bone charms... at least not at the moment.

He is going to drive me to drink... more.  So my options are crack mine, try to get Uldaf to do his, or continue up against this wall

Titus fiddles with his bone charm as the mill looms in the distance.

Pissant half a horse town, the better we are out of here the better

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 623):

The walk down the hills toward the Mill is uneventful, and at the wooden fence that surrounds it, Arule and Lump hop down off the carts while the villagers go about their work bringing grain to the mill to be ground.

The people thank you profusely and offer to pay for whatever food, drink and accommodations you require for the night.

Godrick saunters over to the "Lord of the Mill".  Though you cannot hear their brief exchange, it is clear the miller is not overly impressed with Godrick nor overly concerned with his presence.  He finally dismisses Godrick with a tired flick of his hand and goes back to bellowing at the men on the roof above and the many women moving in and out of the adjoined cottage.

Godrick stomps over to you with a sour look on his face.

"Impertinent..." he spits.  "The man has no sense of duty to his Lord.  Do you believe he actually told me to come back in a month, and that it would be two months if I didn't stop.... 'yammering'?!"

Godrick's face is red and his eyes wild.

"The... IMPERTINANCE of the oaf..."


OOC:  Both Brennan and Uldaf will know that your rendezvous is half a day's journey to the West at your present speed.  You COULD get there without spending the night, but you'd be marching  past midnight.  There's also the question of whether you're continuing West or going North immediately.  Less than a mile from the mill is a fork in the road that you can go north along the mountains or continue west to meet up with Flynn.  If you do that you can then take the longer road to Longplain on your way to Losthelm.

So, your choices are:

A. Spend the night at the Mill
B. Rest briefly then march into the night.

Then, whenever you DO leave:

i. Break off with Godrick and to north along the mountains, territory Uldaf knows,
ii. Continue west to meet with Flynn
     a. Use main roads through Long Plain toward Losthelm
     b. Skirt between main road and the mountains toward Losthelm
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:01, Fri 29 May 2015.

Enrei looks at Godrick, his tirade drawing attention from the windmill itself, "Does Oaf have Lord Gent's money?  This is what means duty, yes?  We can help collect money, I am very good at this mercenary work," Enrei offers confidently.

In reply to Enrei Omal'i (msg # 625):

  Yes Enrei, this is mercenary work.  He has Lord Gent's money.  Go be a mercenary.

It may be your last time to be one... then you are a hero

...Also its about damn time someone entertained me instead of having to caper around all the time.

He broadly smiles and surruptitiously positions himself to watch the big islander do his work.