Perhaps unexpectedly, Takra walks to the middle of the junction, looks north and then south. Facing east, she closes her eyes and murmurs, apparently praying.

Tahra performs an Augury.  It's one of those witchy things she does.

North... or South?



Meanwhile, the Argentoses are frequently but mildly surprised by the range of knowledge demonstrated by their performers.  After all, performers are not the usual people, they learn, they observe, they are generally undaunted by "different".  So it's a welcome surprise, but no great shock, that the Faun knows the Baiovari people.

With such skills available, and the fearlessness of the performers, Phileas Argentos is heartened.

"You are right.  We have performed for Orcs.  It is our purpose to bring these people a taste of our arts.  Why deny them what we have shared with others?  So we will stop at the next settlement we reach, and then, onward."

Tahra kneels and says Thank You. She rises and says The spirits save one, tell me that we should fare south. The one probably apprehands some danger, but most likely not serious.

Alayna, having come back out to ride Angel, had no hesitation. "We travel. And I say we perform for anyone. If we are open, they will accept us. So let us go on."

She was young and ambitious, and it showed. But she was also ready to perform, and for the young teen, that was enough.

Iuliomagus is, like many towns, a crossroads town.  It's current inhabitants don't know it, though.


They reach the town late in the afternoon.  In its day it was a sleepy, simple place.  Nothing big, nothing fancy, no great fortress or palace or landmarks that would last through the centuries.  Instead, there were the necessary standards of a town: theater, baths, market and farms, but laid out in a more open, rustic plan, with lots of wood and not so much stone.

Indefensible, it was abandoned as the Empire withdrew.  The Huns bypassed it, the Baiovari inherited it.  For an iron age warrior tribe, even a third rate Roman town was a thing of wonder.  But they did not understand many things, and with others, had higher priorities.

Like raids from Orcs.

Thus, what stone the did find here was repurposed.  Blocks from wealthy homes, temples, and the market, were removed to build walls around the one home the chief thought was the best.  This became the citadel from which the town would be defended.  Baiovari took over other structures, changed them, demolished them, or used them as is, but in a chaotic, haphazard way.  Thus, now there is a just one walled enclosure around an old villa, and a chaotic sprawl.

They are watchful- strangers moving along the road might be friends or foes, and they react to the sight of the approaching caravan with the sounding of a horn.  Within a few minutes a party of warriors, a few mounted, the rest on foot, heads out to meet the performers before they reach the town.  They have that "barbarian" look- long hair, lots of muscle, battle scars.

Argentos has been expecting this, of course, and he makes sure his very knowledgeable Faun is close at hand at the front of the column.

Tahra, whose wagon is at the rear of the column, has been looking back. Seeing the riders approaching, she pulls out of the column and starts toward the front and to the side so she can be seen.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:48, Tue 22 Sept 2020.

About whether he's been to Iuliomagus in specific before, Topaz is a mite vague.  He leaves the issue as an open one.  He was young, though there are those among the tribe who might recall him in person for reasons of friendship, others perhaps more familial.  He's not really sure, but as a Faun, he doesn't really worry about things like that overly much.

Viewing the approaching group of warriors, he shifts his own clothing.  He's not bare to the waist, but recognizable to any of the company as a travelling bard.  As they near, he raises a hand and hails them aloud in the patois of Celtic, Latin, and Germanic that's so often used in these Marches.  "Ho, riders!"

He dismounts the wagon, then gestures Hylensos to come with him.  "Keep your dagger visible and your hand on or near the hilt, if you would, sir.  Violence is unlikely, but the appearance of willingness to use it can be of importance." he says sotto voce.

To the riders, he speaks to whomever has the most jewelry or the finest weapons.  "Hail.  We come as guests to the Baiovari, I as kith to Euric, great grand nephew of Radagaisus, though I do not know whether he lives still.  Did he marry Eithne or Aisling?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Sat 19 Sept 2020.

Alayna, for her own part, stayed further back in the caravan than was her normal habit. After all, she did not need to be the lead of this show. And with the warnings from her elven friend, she did not want to be the lead. So she stayed back.

Seeing the barbarians, she did not truly want to be forward! They frightened her, and so was Angel frightened. The horse reared, and she pulled a dagger from her saddle. She would not want them to capture her, after all!

Nwofia moves to stand beside Tahra. She wears as little as she can in the weather but she carries her quarterstaff in her hands. It is not her favourite weapon but it is showy and so she carries it to make a point.

Siankiir stayed hidden in Tahra's wagon, uncertain what to make of this "stop".  The Argentos had yet to know of her presence and they were still too close to the elven village for her own liking.

Gods, I cannot risk being sent back!

The elf silently prayed that the caravan's stop among the barbarians would be brief.

Marcos was not surprised by the stop, as the last wagon he did not have to worry about another wagon behind him needing to stop abruptly. Even before the call to stop the caravan, he had stopped his wagon. He remained in the rear keeping an eye for anything of interest from the rear.

Despite being the last cart, it was far from a weak straggler, it "appeared" to be one of the tallest and widest and "appeared" to rest on 8 sets of dual wagon wheels. It's many folding stages, backdrops, set pieces, and awnings; made it " appear like a small tower of flame resistant wood on wheels that "appeared" to be over 1 foot wide themselves.

Marcos's size made the wagon seem bigger then it actually was, but folded up it "appeared" to be nearly a solid block of mostly gopher wood, a naturally insect resistant wood. The wagon was not a created for battle by any definitions, but just the same, its size (20 ft long 10 ft wide and 10 ft tall) made it "appear" defendable if that were necessary.

…and then there were all the illusory tinkering Marcos had done to his wagon so he could augment any performance. Illusions that were use activated and/or often continuously under Marcos' control.

Marcos' seemed to do nothing during the stop, but those that had seen him preform knew that there was always a border that extended 800 ft spherically from his wagon that was the limit of the reach of Marcos' illusions, within that border Marcos could control visual, auditory, and olfactory sensations; and that he was working on illusory manipulation of temperature. With the snap of a finger the perceivable landscape could change, to "appear" as something different.

During Topaz's introduction, a convenient spot light highlighted him.

There is surprise all around the meeting up front.  No one expected the Faun would know so much!

Perhaps he doesn't, and is merely throwing out some trivia he picked up by chance... but the Baiovari men here know there are very good reasons for such name dropping.  If nothing else it makes one pause and think... what kind of friends do they have?

And "what kind of friends do they have" is a very good thing to contemplate if one is thinking about doing harm.

The Baiovari look at each other, and at Topaz, for a few moments before the oldest of them speaks.  He looks to be in his sixties, with long unkempt gray hair, and very weathered skin.  But of course the barbarians show age early, because of the elements they endure; he could easily be in his fifties.

"We are furthest of our people and away from events.  Last I heard Euric was still alive.  Aisling is a a foreign name, Ethne would be his wife.  We are closer to the court of Baderic than our own, often the Thuringians wish to bring us under their banner.  We thought you might be them.  Clearly you are not.  I have not seen the like of travelers like you in many years and that was south of the Alps.  Are you refugees, fleeing home?  Do you wish our protection?"

While there is a long, awkward pause, Topaz waits, casting a brief glance at Phileas.  Had Euric been overthrown?  When an elder speaks, mentioning that they are far away from court, he nods sagely.  "It gladdens me to hear he lives yet.  It has been many years, decades in fact, that we've traded words.  Once, before he held court in his own hall, I was friend and occasional Skald to him."

Quite unlike the casual and flirtatious self his companions may be familiar with, here the Faun assumes a serious, almost formal mode.  He steps briefly forward to greet the still-mounted speaker.  He offers his hand and forearm in greeting, hand holding the hilt of the fine dagger he sometimes wears, as if he expected no less from the elder rider.  "Topaz," he says by way of introducing himself.  "Not Thuringians, no.  We play in villages and towns as a Skald does in the hall.  Some dance, others play the lyre, drums, or horns.  One rides beautifully, moving like seeds in the wind when she does.  We've a cunning woman among us, woodwise and a speaker with spirits, and one of the small-folk who covers the world in seemings."

Gesturing to both Argentos, he says, "Phileas and Hylensia Argentos.  They lead our company."  He pauses there, letting silence carry the moment.  "We've not fled, but come asking guest right,  for a meal, an open field, and safe passage afterward, offering performance and news in return."

Even after Topaz introduces the leaders, the Baiovari men continue to speak to the Faun.  Perhaps they believe he is the interpreter, or another person with the duty of speaking for his liege.

"Performance?  It is not the best time to offer performances, I am sad to say.  It has been less than a week since we lost three children to forest spirits.  Our searches have been in vain, the families have lost hope of seeing them again.  It is a time for mourning, not merriment.

"But also it is not the time for unkindness.  We offer you hospitality.  Camp with us, if you wish.  Share news and stories, we shall share what we can."

Tahra hears what the Baiovari men say.

Alayna heard what was said, but did not move. She would wait for her bosses to tell her it was okay.

She dropped back towards the back trailers, passing the info as she did. After all, she was a comely girl and they were barbarians of sorts. Only her imagination told her what that meant.

The Baiovari people here are certainly not in a good mood.  The settlement has a melancholy feel.

A few hundred people live here, occupying the remnants of what was once a much larger settlement.

They don't look like they are living in misery, they seem well fed and comfortable.  Not wealthy, but well fed.  Their clothing and equipment all looks primitive.  Not much woven cloth except for linen underwear.  Most of the outer wear is animal hide or fur.  Ropes are woven leather or plant fiber, and buildings are mostly materials recycled Roman block and tile, with woodwork added where needed.  Cattle are plentiful, and scattered around- every family seems to own at least a few.

But they are not happy.  They designate a place for the entertainers to pitch their tent- an unused plaza with a row of small empty old shops along side it.  True to their word, they share their what they can, which is beef soup and ale.  Lots of ale.  But they have children do the deliveries, and the adults avoid talking to strangers.

Celeste Argentos asks one of the children about the "recent tragedy" in a gentle voice.

"We cannot mourn, there is no funeral yet because it has not been a month and they say that is too soon, with no bodies," a little blond boy says.  "But for children to be gone even a week, in that forest..."  there is a glance to the east.  Perhaps its a blessing that its not the direction of the Elves.  "There were lights and sound and they say the smell of magic.  That forest has spirits.  You don't come back if you are gone a week."

Topaz frowns when the Baiovari spokesman mentions that children have gone missing, saying they'd been lost to forest spirits.  Unsure, exactly, what languages The Argentoses speak, he reverts to vulgar Latin in relating that they've been given a field to camp and will be fed, but that the town is in mourning given the missing children.  "Led away by forest spirits, they say," the Faun observes.  "Though they've offered little information beyond that."

He wastes little time in approaching Tahra.  "By 'forest spirits', I don't expect they mean my folk, but something else, like the unquiet dead or perhaps a wisp.  Is there something you might do to inquire?  I can speak with the Small Folk here, I think.  The Baiovari aren't so removed from the wild as to not know of and treat with them.  I expect I'll find a Brownie, maybe a Hob, or even the cousin of that wag Vulenk with not too hard a search."

Afterward, he takes to chatting with the children, who deliver things, performing "magic" via simple sleight of hand, producing shiny coins from behind ears and the like.  He knows well enough that magic can intimidate country folk, though they've likely a priest or hedge-witch they can rely on when such things're called for.  Here, he sticks to tricks meant only to delight the children, occasionally he lets a clever one catch him in his tricks.

Eventually, he does ask if any of them know those missing and where they might have been seen.  "The smell of magic, you say?  Now I've seen mighty wizards and a dragon flying in the sky, far away, even an enormous turtle, as big as a hill with a temple on the top of his shell, swimming in a sea far away to the west, but never have I had a whiff of magic tickle my nose.  Maybe you can tell me about the scent?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:55, Wed 30 Sept 2020.

Yahra hears and nods. We shall see; we and maybe others can...it near breaks may heart....

WQhen things are settled, she approaches the oldest able-seeming woman she sees and bows her head. Grandmother, I mourn, but I would seek to create hope and just maybe more. I would know all that can be told about the children and the peril they seem lost to.

Nwofia speaks no Germanic and so instead of speaking, she watches all Topaz's tricks and tries to replicate them, also without magic. She has, of course, no idea whether Topaz is using magic or not but she is not. She has no clue how to.

Marcos makes his way to the front of the caravan. Pausing for a bit, then he offered his assistance.

I am but a simple weaver of seemings and illusion. But I would be honored to assist in any search if that is amenable.

I wager your searching was limited by torches and what light of day that came through the trees. I can make it seem as if the noonday sun shines anywhere I wish, whenever I wish, for as long as I wish.

I have seen many of my kind found alive after longer then a week. There is the occasion that a wild beast, or some other creature is responsible, and for a race that loves practical jokes. We have the ability to express our feelings clearly when we find something to not be funny or when a joke goes to far.

Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, but he'll itself will shutter at the creativity of a scorned gnome.

Topaz is amused at the momentary image of the lower dimensions closing up and locking the brazen gates over the appearance of a single disrepected and angry Gnome.  He'll have to think about composing a poem or ballad of the event.

He thanks those choosing to involve themselves to gather more information in their ways.  Their assistance will be most helpful.

The question of magic versus mundane is always a blurry line with the Faun, as much as it is with the troupe's resident Gnome fabulist.  In this case, it's simple misdirection and legerdemain.  He's happy to involve Nwofia with the children, plucking things from behind a child's ear, passing them to Nwofia to drop into his, only to cause them to vanish again.

News of the missing children eventually filtered to where Siankiir was hiding.  She shook her head sadly.

What could I even do?  I am no tracker...  To say nothing of the risk to the Argentoes if she dared to reveal herself now.  Goddess, grant me wisdom...

Alayna paused, dismounting and turning to allow Angel to nuzzle her. Coincidentally, she had stopped outside the wagon with the runaway elf inside. She had no idea that Siankiir was near. All she knew was that she was scared, and having her hose close was what she needed.

"Oh my love, what am I to do? I fear that Irkayo would be disappointed in me. I cannot face those... those barbarians. It is bad enough I am a part blood and not a true elf. Or a true human." She sighed. "And I have no one to talk to. Just as always."

In reply to Topaz (msg # 27):

At first, Nwofia followed instructions to the letter, as a lovely assistant should do, but soon enough, she began 'losing' the things and finding them in the children's hair or behind their ears herself.  Once, she even found one behind Topaz's ear, which brought laughter bubbling from the mouths of the children just as she had intended.  She winked at Topaz and curtseyed before continuing with the impromptu act.