From PROLOGUE - Josiah
From PROLOGUE - Silvui

The Wagoneer's Stables were a hive of activity in the early dawn light. The stables were a large single floor building 120ft across and was filled with rows of wagons. It appeared to be a popular storehouse for merchants and traders on their way through Valls. A similar sized building was beside it, a stable with large barn doors open. It was filled with horses of all breeds and sizes. Six staff were preparing as many wagons for departure with many more wagons still stored in the large wooden warehouse. Horses were guided from the stable nearby and hiched to wagons before dues were paid and the wagon set off.

Sitting on a bench just inside the entrance to the main building was Sten, she seemed to be enjoying a piece of fruit for breakfast and was watching the staff scurry about with a smile on her face. Neither of her two guards we with her presently.

Silvui arrived first, shivering from the cold and his disrupted nights sleep. Sten gave a wave and then looked behind him to another man and waved again, the hunter who entered the Resting Weasel last the previous night.

Josiah was not far behind, following the younger man who was at the table with Sten's usual guards last night at the Resting Weasel. Sten waved to the man and then noticed Josiah, waving to him as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:05, Wed 07 July 2021.

Silvui emerged from the alley's he'd nearly gotten lost in, his already poor mood not helped by the unexpected adventure, and definitely not by the fact that his little spell on his coat was nowhere near as helpful as he was hoping it would be. At least he'd made it on time.

He tensed and looked over his shoulder as Sten waved to someone behind him, and relaxed only marginally when he looked over his shoulder and recognized the appearance of the hunter from last night. Turning back, he quickened his step, both to escape the wind beginning to blow in and to put a touch of distance between himself and this new person.

When he got within talking distance of Sten, he looked around the stables for her guards before speaking. "Morning, Sleep well? Where're your guards, hung over round back or something?"

Josiah returns Stens greeting with a nod and a smile. Lingering back near the door out of the wind and in a spot where the first rays of sun struck as they feebly attempted to warm the cold morning air. Giving Sten and the haggard looking man from the night before a chance to discuss any private business before intruding.

He couldn't remember Sten mentioning the mans name last night, but it had been late and he had been incredibly tired at the time. As he waited he watched the activity and listened to any conversations that were loud enough to be heard.

Sten smiled as she stood and met Sulvui just outside the stable doors, "Glad you came." She tossed the core of the apple towards a horse who ate it from the ground, "Not that I doubted you Caleb, but I've met more liers than not in this business. But I always say it's better to believe someone until they show you otherwise rather than walk around with distrust in your heart."

She shrugged at the mention of her guards, "They'll be here before I depart. Always manage to wait until the last minute, avoiding any work except a lazy walk alongside my wagon looking threatening." She didn't seem to have any doubt they would arrive and appeared to know them well.

She motioned to Josiah, "Ah, Josiah. Come." She flicked a thumb back towards the warehouse. "Good haul that one, if you kept that sort of hunting up you wouldn't be working for me. You'd be feeding the King's tables in Bloodstone City itself."

As the three met Sten made introductions, "Caleb, this is Josiah, a hunter in these parts. Josiah, Caleb, a young man on a mission to help his friend."

A call from inside caught Sten's attention for the moment and she looked between the pair, "I'll be right back, wagon's getting prepped right now. Keep an eye out for those two loafers if they come." She said referring to her other guards as she stepped inside the warehouse to organise her wagon.

Time passed with the two new guards keeping to themselves. Minutes dragged on to a half hour before Sten's other two guards arrived, surprisingly looking fresh and ready for duty in their leather armor and weapons. This morning the two were not exactly jovial but from their quiet conversation and dour expressions the previous evening they seemed to be in better spirits. The pair walked straight past Josiah, apparently unaware of his involvement in the days travels and headed to Silvui.

The human, Rodrin, clapped Silvui on a shoulder as the pair approached, "Mornin' Caleb. Good to see you decided to join us."

Turiel, the elf, held a light crossbow in his hands and offered it to Silvui, "I want it back hear. But you can look after it while we're on the road." He unclipped a quiver of bolts from his belt and passed them across too. "You'll need these." He looked over Silvui with a skeptical eye, "Know how to use it?"

Sten arrived at this time and approached the three. "Right I'm up next so a few more minutes and we're done." Noticing Josiah off from the group she waved him over and made introductions. "Everyone, this is Josiah, he will be joining us for the day. Bagged us a good elk yesterday so we'll be bringing that with us. I noticed it's already packed and loaded." She gave an appreciative nod to Josiah.

Her name was called from inside and she entered to finish preparing the wagon.

Turiel had a longbow over his back and eyed the similar longbow over Josiah's shoulder. "A hunter? More coin in guarding caravans if you have skill with a bow. More nights indoors too."

Josiah moved closer to the group of men, shrugging at the mans comment, "Probably true on both counts. But there wasn't much call for caravan guards until recently." The two men looked the part at least, and were probably competent. But the one called Caleb didn't quite fit the bill, especially having to borrow a crossbow. But that was none of his concern apparently the man was on some sort of personal quest to help a friend and he could at least understand that. Even though his personal list of friends was short and none quite close enough for such a effort.

Silvui stumbled a bit at Rodrin's slap, but recovered well enough and returned the friendly greeting in kind.

"'Course I came, I'm a man of my word," he said as he accepted the crossbow and bolts gratefully, slipping the quiver onto his own belt.

"Yeah, I know how to use a crossbow. Wouldn't have asked for one if I couldn't," he said in response to Turiel's question. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it and have it back to you unharmed."

Once he'd handled the quiver and bow, he finally properly turned his attention to the newcomer, the hunter. He extended a gloved hand out to shake. "Nice meetin' you Josiah. Elk, huh? You must be a damned good shot, best I've ever managed is rabbits and the like."

Josiah shook the mans hand in greeting. "Well met Caleb. Truth be told I believe Tymora or some other force had a hand in my bringing that one down." He wouldn't bore them with the details now, maybe later once they were on the road.

Shifting subjects, as they talked. "Sten tells me you are on a quest to help a friend/ Hope it is going well."

It was about two hours before Sten came out of the building riding a wagon drawn by two horses, she directed the cart with the deft of an experienced wagoneer. It was a simple two horse cart, a common enough sight on the roads and there was nothing special or odd about the vehicle, Sten appeared just another merchant transporting her goods around Damara. The wagonbed was filled with crates and barrels and it unfortunately looked like the guard for the day would be traveling on foot.

She did pat the seat beside her as she shuffled her small form across, "Seat for one if you want to work out shifts." She smiled in a friendly way but did not seem to be interested in getting involved with the choice of who started off the journey beside her.

"Bit later than I would have liked but we'll be at Barrow's Edge before the sun goes down." She smiled and looked to the sky, "Ahh, a meal back at Mallie's. Whole roasted hare straight off the spit with herb baked vegetables. You'll all get a plate if we make it by dusk!"

She waited for the guard to sort themselves out before turning the cart to the west and following the road out of Valls.

"It's going pretty well, all things considered. Sten's promised to introduce me to a friend of hers named Thamior, she thinks he'll be able to point me in the right direction." Silvui in response to Josiah before settling against one of the interior walls, out of the bitter chill and wind.

He spent the wait mostly in silence, answering questions when spoken to but otherwise keeping to himself. When Sten emerged with the wagon though, he stood up properly and approached. "Well, who can turn down a roast hare dinner? Let's get going," he said, seeming genuinely eager and just a hint impatient to get on the road. It was cold enough during the day after all, he didn't want to know what it'd be like after nightfall.

"I'll pay my dues walking now and ride into town at the end of the day, if that's good with the rest of you," he said, looking around at Josiah and the two guards.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:21, Fri 09 July 2021.

Josiah suspected there may be more to Caleb's story but it was none of his business. He talked with those that felt the need to talk as they waited for Sten, otherwise he was pretty quiet.

As Sten returned and offered a ride he shrugged, "I'm good for now. Once we are out of town and on the road proper I'll wander a bit ahead to keep an eye out."

Really it was more to keep from having to talk so much. But it never hurt to be watchful for a goblin ambush or such.

Travel was easy along the main trade road to Bloodstone City, no other carts came from the other direction, being far too early in the morning for traders to be arriving to Valls but a few wagons followed behind Sten's group in the distance. Wildlife was seen to the side of the road, fleeing across the plains or into wooded thickets as the wagon approached. The start of the day was entirely uneventful and Sten, Rodrin and Turiel all chatted between themselves and with the two new recruits were they willing.

Sten owned a general goods shop in Barrow's Edge and often ran a trade caravan from Heliogabalus, the old capital of the nation, and back to her village. Goods were still cheaper there compared to Bloodstone City she explained, even though it was an extra couple of days travel. She also spoke proudly on the small hamlet she called home. Barrow's Edge was home to around a hundred families and although they had reached close to half that again the goblinoid attacks over recent months had scared many of the newer residents off. Ever since the bounties were rescinded by the King the goblins had been a problem, once again raiding the small village.

Rodrin and Turiel spoke of their experience as well. They had been with Sten for the past three trips and it was only on the previous one that they ran into some problems when departing Barrow's Edge. It was a few months ago last they left and a small band of goblins attacked the wagon as they departed the town. Pointless, they thought, and stupid. Why attack an empty caravan? They didn't question the intelligence, or lack of, of goblins and both of their assumptions were that the creatures were just desperate and hungry.

After a few hours Sten took the wagon south and called out that it would be another five hours or so to Barrow's Edge. Turning off the main road the path was more difficult, narrow but for the moment open with plains on either side. In the far distance the path seemed to head through a dense thicket of trees.

Please make Perception checks with your next post.

Josiah ranged ahead of the wagon at times checking the road for any tracks or signs of possible problems. He wasn't really worried about it on the main road but he took greater care when the turned off onto the road to Barrow's Edge.

He talked with the guards, Sten or Caleb at times as the time passed. He related the story the old farmer had told him about how the goblins were becoming more of a nuisance north of Valls as well.

As they got closer to the dense tress Josiah again moved ahead of the wagon watching for tracks and signs of trouble.

OOC: 09:39, Today: Josiah Tanner rolled 22 using 1d20+6.  Perception.

Silvio kept nearer to the wagon than Josiah. He asked questions about the area, who was worth knowing, where to go to get what, what kinds of troubles and dangers were out this way, and the like. He spoke little of himself if asked, relating only his recent journey readily.

As the group turned off the main way, he became more tense, keeping the borrowed crossbow raised and ready to fire. He paused when he saw the thicket and began looking around for any signs of movement. He might not have been a woodsman, but he knew a good spot for an ambush when he saw one.

Ooc: rolled my perception with a result of 5