# Into the New World, Chapter 1: Amongst the Verdant Towers



## Zurai (Nov 8, 2007)

[sblock=OOC]Everyone choose a seperate color for your speech, please. Thoughts are in _italics_. I'll do 'passive' rolls for everyone (spot, listen, sense motive, knowledge, and so on); 'active' rolls (combat, search, diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, etc) should be rolled on Invisible Castle. At this point, you all have free reign of the town - don't feel obligated to try to 'meet up' with each other. I'll take care of that when the time comes, although if you want to, feel free to seek each other out. I want you to have some time to get into character and explore the town before I start the adventure full-on.[/sblock]The mood in town is festive. Spring is in full bloom, the Spiritwash river has flooded and left behind fertile soil for the year's crops, the weather is perfect with clear blue skies and a crisp breeze, and not only is today the monthly Bronzemarket, but there are travelling merchants in town as well! The combination of the fine weather and the travelling merchants has sparked the townspeople into declaring the day a festival, and preparations are being made for a night of revelry.

Nearly all of the people who live in the surrounding farm and herdland are streaming into town, eager for exotic merchandise and even more exotic tales from the merchants. The town square is overflowing with people - onlookers, traders, party-goers, and gaggles of children running giggling through the crowds. The travelling merchants have set up a stall in the center of the square and are the main attraction for the moment, although Anakletos' forge is open as well, repairing tools and offering this month's labor for trade.

[sblock=Enko]Through your connection with the spirits of the land, you feel charged, as if there was a great deal of restless energy coursing through your body. This isn't unusual when there's a festival going on, but you also sense a darker undercurrent to the energy. You can't seem to get a metaphysical "hold" on it, though - it's almost like when you see something out of the corner of your eye, but when you turn your head there's nothing there.[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 8, 2007)

Alistia has finally managed to persuade (some less charitable souls might say 'wheedle') some time away from the stall to look at the other wares on offer at the market. "Just an hour, mind!" her mother said. _An hour!_ thinks Alistia, _How will I get to see it all in an hour?_.

She looks out especially for any interesting fabrics or items of clothing, catching snippets of the traders' sales patter and their fanciful stories. _Some day, I'll be the one telling the tales_ she says to herself defiantly, _Just as soon as I get  out of making honey-and-nut cakes. If one more person asks for one, I'll scream!_


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 8, 2007)

Thane slips through the crowd quietly, not making eye contact when he can avoid it.  Over one shoulder is slung his bow, and on the other he carries a large bag, filled with what pelts and meat he hasn't needed to feed and clothe himself, brought to the market to trade for whatever supplies he can't make for himself.  A few new knives, probably, a new whetstone, and maybe some bread if there's any coin left over - after all, living on meat and roots alone gets a little tiring.

Maybe it's the extra weight he's carrying, or maybe the buzz of unfamiliar conversations distracting him, but as he rounds the corner he runs headlong into a young woman...the brewer's daughter he thinks, he's seen her around town occasionally.

"I'm sorry," says Thane quietly, bending over and picking up his bag again.  "I wasn't looking where I was going."


[sblock=OOC]
I figure I can keep food good for a while with regular castings of Purify Food/Water.
[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 8, 2007)

Enko's hair is still wet as he returns to town.  He'd gone to the river to bathe.  It wouldn't do to have the dirt of his travels on him during the night's festivities, especially if he was going to have a chance with Artimisia.

He finally makes it back and wanders the town square looking for any interesting herbs or seeds.  He finds himself walking behind Alistia and calls out in a friendly voice,  "Good day Alistia.  Uh, you don't have any honey-and-nut cakes today?  Uh- Oh my goodness, are you alright?"  Enko runs up behind her as a man he can't name collides headlong into her.


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## Masquerade (Nov 8, 2007)

"This must be a bit overwhelming for you."

"Uh-huh."

Cleyra reminds herself that her younger brother has not shared her privilege of frequently visiting the town proper. Until recently, their mother hadn't been well enough for them both to go into town; this is Mathis's first visit in nearly a year, and there are rarely so many people around. "Well, we've left the crops with Eriboea and gotten the few supplies we need for the coming weeks, so it looks like we're both free for the rest of the evening. Promise me you'll be on your way back home before sunset, alright?"

"Yeah, no problem," Mathis replies. "I think I'm going to talk with the other farmers for a while. If I'm going to make you proud, I've got to improve my art."

"You really are my brother." Cleyra laughs. "Bye-bye, then."

Leaving her brother, Cleyra confidently strides in the direction of the merchant caravan, eager as always to seize upon an opportunity to learn something new of the world.


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## Shayuri (Nov 8, 2007)

Erin was having a blast.

Oh, the beginning had been annoying. Her mother, Anka, had insisted she stay and help set the cart up. It was a simple wooden affair, drawn by Anka's tired old mule...good mainly as a showcase for the fabrics and dyes that Anka had made since the last festival. This year was bound to be good with the traded silk they'd dyed and prepared...it was beautiful stuff, soft and shiny and sleek...and it held dyes wonderfully. They had several squares of it now, edges neatly trimmed and hemmed and Erin, as much as she was fed up with the whole weaving thing, couldn't help but adore it. It was hard to imagine anyone wearing whole dresses made of the stuff though! The way even a square of it clung to the body made her think a whole dress would only be a step away from being naked. Which was kind of a naughtily entertaining thought.

Sadly, there wasn't enough for a whole dress.

She'd finally gotten away though, on the pretense that she'd advertise the silk while mingling and seeing the traveling merchants. To her credit, she did take her own bit of it. A humble square yard she'd worked very hard on to make a wildly multicolored dye on...twisting it and tying it, then untying it and dipping it again...to make the sheer fabric explode with reds and greens and blues and oranges. She then rolled it up and made a sash of sorts with it, tying it around her waist and letting flaps unfold down over her hips to add color to her white linen dress with its short sleeves and its slightly lower than Anka liked neckline. Thinking of that made her change her mind, and she undid the sash and made a sort of shawl with the silk, draping it around her neck and shoulders. Versatile stuff.

The square was alive with people, yelling and shouting and waving, pushing and shoving and buying and selling. It was madness. Erin loved it. A boy bumped her as he dashed past, with another, larger one in hot pursuit. The larger one turned and stared at her for a moment, and she stared back with a challenging little smile. His cheeks reddened, and he stammered an apology before darting away again. Erin chuckled. It wasn't that she was interested in him as such...but she enjoyed those brief encounters, the meeting of eyes, the blush...there was a sense of power in those moments. If she'd asked him to dance, would he have? She thought so. If she'd asked him to recite poetry, or to bring her something...would he? Most likely. It was heady, and a relief from the endless monotony of weaving and dying...cutting and sewing.

She fancied herself a gypsy wanderer as she circled the merchant wagon, with brightly colored garb and full of dark, mysterious allure. She wrapped the silk around her face as a veil and gave smoldering glances around freely, but not for long. Even the fun of flirting couldn't last long in the face of hearing stories from Outside. Outside the village, Outside the WORLD as far as Erin knew. Seeing wondrous things they had as well, yes.

One day she'd see them for herself, not dangling from some fat man's hand, but up close and personally. For now, she'd be content to spend her sizeable savings, and dream her sizeable dreams.

(Erin has moved from the weaver's cart to the traveling merchant. She's still kind of on the outskirts of the crowd though, looking for an opening. Between her hair and the colored silk, she should be easy to spot if anyone wants to, otherwise I'll go on. )


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## WarShrike (Nov 8, 2007)

Ryon strides through the crowd, Growl at his side. The duo are attracting quite a few stares. "Well Growl, theres alot of people around, eh? If this crowd don't thin out soon, i'm gonna hafta have you track those merchants by scent" he says, ruffling Growl's furry head. "My ears are still ringing from that last time that merchant turned around and saw you right up against him. And i thought only girls screamed that way." Those last few words cause him to grin as he looks for the salesmen and their exotic wares.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 8, 2007)

Lost in her own thoughts, Alistia walks along the busy street when her musing is broken by the sound of a familiar voice, _Oh, it's that strange boy Enko, the one who's always travelling about, what does he want? Aaaagh! I don't believe it!_ She turns and is about to retort something about what exactly he can do with the damn cakes, when a stranger bumps into her!

Recovering herself and about to fire off a volley at this new annoyance, she looks at the rather unimposing man in front of her and gathering her composure, replies to his apology, "No, that's alright, I was the one not paying attention. I was distracted" this last directed to Enko, "And yes, Enko," she adds with just a trace of irritation, turning to the healer, "I am perfectly fine, thank you. And good day to you too; I hope the spirits keep you well." she finishes with one of the traditional forms of greeting.

"I hope the spirits keep you well also. Sorry again for bumping into you." she says to the stranger.

OOC: awww, I like Enko! Alistia's just doing that thing where we take the people who are closest to us for granted.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 9, 2007)

"Aye, I am well, and you?  I'd have thought I'd have found you surrounded by baked goods.  How did you get away?"  Enko asks, smiling good naturedly.  "O- Oh.  You're that hunter from out of town... uh..."  He looks over at Thane, scratching his head as he tries to remember his name.

(OOC: It's alright Enko is much for forgiveness... if you hadn't noticed.  )


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## Shayuri (Nov 9, 2007)

As she ducks and goes on tiptoe, trying to find an opening in the merchant's crowd, she hears something that makes her turn around and look behind her. Coming through the crowd...and having little trouble with it by the looks of it...is a rather scruffy looking man with a wolf in tow.

A WOLF!

Erin's mouth drops open and she reflexively clenches her fists around a staff that isn't in her hands. She'd spent enough time watching over the family sheep to know that wolves normally didn't mess with people, and that usually a thrown rock or shouting and waving one's arms while running towards one would drive it off. If there were a lot, it was best just to stand and look vigilant though.

But here was one just...trailing after someone like a little baby! Tongue lolling out, lips peeled back in an occasional snarl.

She'd never seen one this close. It was kind of terrifying, but amazing too! Focused completely on the animal she nearly bumps into the man as she approaches, half-stooped, to peer down at the beast. With a quick apology, she backs up a bit and looks at him more closely.

_His wolf...my raven...I wonder if he's like me._

"Hello," Erin says, feeling unexpectedly shy at the thought he might have strange powers too. "Um..."

She points at the wolf, trying to think of something, anything, to ask.

"Why do you have a wolf?"

_Oh, -well said.-_


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## Zurai (Nov 9, 2007)

The crowd around the travelling merchants' stall is thick, but with a little patience and some determination one can make their way through the press of people and get a look at what they have for trade.

Spread out over one large table are a series of earthen jars. Each jar has a small square of fabric next to it with a sample of the contents; mostly these are spices and dyes, although there are some small fruits, jams, and oils as well. The next table over is covered in clothes, ranging from the plain to the elaborate. Quite a few of the village women look longingly at a silk robe dyed a deep saffron yellow. Further away, there's a table displaying objects of art - statuettes, small paintings, tapestries, and the like - and the final table bears several wicked-looking metal implements.

One of the merchants is resting in a wooden chair, telling a story to a small crowd of starry-eyed youngsters. His partner is tending the tables; currently he's haggling with old Thessala, a farmer's wife, over a jar of spices.


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## Masquerade (Nov 9, 2007)

Cleyra patiently presses her way through the crowd to get a closer look at the travelers and their otherworldly assortment of wares. She apologizes quietly as she brushes past individuals in the crowd, her objective drawing her ever closer. She studies the merchants astutely as she approaches, their clothes, their speech, and, lastly their offerings. Eventually, Cleyra makes her way up to the table, standing face-to-face with the travelers' many jars.

Immediately, the fruits and spices steal her attention. _Someone grew these!_ Cleyra is fascinated--the thought of new crops, and the fresh challenges they would bring with them, sets her imagination aflame. She wonders what sort of soil these plants grow best in, and if they could grow at all in her climate. She wonders how tall they grow, and what tools had been used to harvest them...

Lost her in curiosity, Cleyra randomly makes eye contact with a merchant across the table. "Excuse me, did you grow this fruit?" For him, there is no escape. Before he can answer, she immediately plunges into a series of countless inquiries.


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## WarShrike (Nov 9, 2007)

Ryon smiles at the girl's intrest. "Thats a hard one to answer actually. My name is Ryon by the way, Ryon Wolfheart. Maybe you heard of my family? We raise and tame animals. Wild ones. I wish i could say i tamed ol' Growl here, but in all honesty i can't boast of that deed" Ryon says with a laugh. He fondles the wolf's ears and chooses his next words carefully. "Growl and i met in the forrest about two years ago. It's hard to put into words, but from the first moment we locked eyes, i felt a sort of _bond_ between us. I assume he felt the same thing, because he followed me home. We been together ever since. He's no pet mind you, he's more like my partner. And he's a smart one too. He understands more than any wild animal should." He gazes proudly at Growl, then looks to the girl with a smile. "Would you like to pet him? He isn't tame by any definition, but so long as you keep your movements slow and deliberately unthreatening, he shouldn't gobble you up."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 9, 2007)

Thane collects his bag and makes his way over to the merchant's tables.  His eyes catch with interest on the spices, and lingers for a moment before sternly remonstrating himself.  _Necessities first, then I can think about luxury._  Slipping past the table he makes his way over to the one housing the sharpware and begins to check the selection for a knife and whetstone that might suit his needs.  Most things a clever man could make for himself in the forest, but a good copper edge was not such a thing.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 9, 2007)

Enko stares after the strange man as he walks off without a word of reply.  "Uh- Oh well."  he turns back to Alistia, raising his eyebrows at her questioningly, hoping that she at least will answer his question to her.


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## Shayuri (Nov 9, 2007)

WarShrike said:
			
		

> Ryon smiles at the girl's intrest. "Thats a hard one to answer actually. My name is Ryon by the way, Ryon Wolfheart. Maybe you heard of my family? We raise and tame animals. Wild ones. I wish i could say i tamed ol' Growl here, but in all honesty i can't boast of that deed" Ryon says with a laugh. He fondles the wolf's ears and chooses his next words carefully. "Growl and i met in the forrest about two years ago. It's hard to put into words, but from the first moment we locked eyes, i felt a sort of _bond_ between us. I assume he felt the same thing, because he followed me home. We been together ever since. He's no pet mind you, he's more like my partner. And he's a smart one too. He understands more than any wild animal should." He gazes proudly at Growl, then looks to the girl with a smile. "Would you like to pet him? He isn't tame by any definition, but so long as you keep your movements slow and deliberately unthreatening, he shouldn't gobble you up."




Erin breaks into an incandescent grin at his description, and does indeed lean over to offer a hand to the wolf. From how she moves, it's clear she has SOME experience with animals, if not nearly as much as Ryon. (Animal Handling at +5)

"Hey Mister Wolf," she babytalks to it, "Hey. Can I pet you? I have a little friend of my own...do you want to meet him?"

At the last she looks slyly up at Ryon. "Do you?"


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 9, 2007)

Alistia also looks as the stranger wanders off on his own errands, "Hm, sorry, Enko, what was that? Oh, yes - I persuaded Mother to let me have a look round; I really want to see if that fabric trader is here. What are you doing here? We don't see you in town much." she asks the young healer.


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## WarShrike (Nov 9, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Erin breaks into an incandescent grin at his description, and does indeed lean over to offer a hand to the wolf. From how she moves, it's clear she has SOME experience with animals, if not nearly as much as Ryon. (Animal Handling at +5)
> 
> "Hey Mister Wolf,"  she babytalks to it, "Hey. Can I pet you? I have a little friend of my own...do you want to meet him?"
> At the last she looks slyly up at Ryon. "Do you?"




"Certainly. Such festivities seem to be the proper time to make new friends, miss. miss?"


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## Shayuri (Nov 9, 2007)

"Oh! I'm Erin. Anka the weaver's daughter." She gives him a curtsy, then looks furtively around.

"I wasn't supposed to call him with people around, but no one's paying attention..."

She puts two fingers in her mouth and blows, making a shrill whistle. There's a flapping noise from above, and a large hoary black raven settles on her shoulder to regard Ryon and Growl with its beady black eyes.

"This is Quoth," Erin reports happily. "I have a bond with him just like you do with Growl! Except that..."

The raven clacks its beak abruptly and a sound comes out...an awful drawn out croak that sounds almost like a man strangling. But then, somehow even more startling, a single word.

"_aaaawwwwrrrrrk...hello..._"

"He can talk," Erin finishes proudly.


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## WarShrike (Nov 9, 2007)

"Hello Quoth. Nice to meet you" Ryon says with a smile. "Nice to meet you as well, miss Erin. Unless the two of you are busy, why don't we find ourselves a little space somewhere where we can sit and talk? I'd like to learn as much as i can about my new friends" he says with a wink and a grin.


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## Shayuri (Nov 9, 2007)

Erin gives him a coquettish grin and sways a little...then catches a glimpse of the merchant wagon.

"Yes, but...they're telling the stories," she points out. "Maybe after?"


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## WarShrike (Nov 9, 2007)

"After it is" Ryon says with a smile. "Goodbye for now miss Erin, Quoth." With that, he strides back into the crowd, looking for the travelling salesman. "We gotta find that guy, Growl. Hopefully he has some decent skinning blades. No offense to Anakletos's skills n all, but those bronze knives he makes can't keep an edge to save his life."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 9, 2007)

Lorthanoth said:
			
		

> Alistia also looks as the stranger wanders off on his own errands, "Hm, sorry, Enko, what was that? Oh, yes - I persuaded Mother to let me have a look round; I really want to see if that fabric trader is here. What are you doing here? We don't see you in town much." she asks the young healer.




"Oh, well actually I've just come back from a trip, but today is Bronzemarket, and I need my tools fixed.  Then there are the merchants in town and the festival tonight.  I couldn't miss that!  I've been trying to find some new herbs or seeds.  Have _you_ found anything yet?"


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## Zurai (Nov 9, 2007)

*Ryon* and *Thane*:

The weapons table is littered with knives of every imagineable shape. Short filleting knives, broad-bladed skinning knives, serrated knives for slicing meat, and some that don't seem to serve any real purpose other than to look deadly. Most of the weapons on display are made of copper or iron; not many villages have discovered the secret of bronze yet. There is one "knife", however - longer and broader than the rest by far - that looks to be made of some strange silvery-grey metal.[sblock=OOC knives info]Basically, any type of knife you might want in copper or iron, and one steel short sword.[/sblock]

*Cleyra*:

The trader tending the spice and fruit table answers your barrage of questions easily even as he fields inquiries from other interested customers. It's almost like he does this for a living. He obviously didn't grow any of the products himself, as he travels and trades for a living, but he has at least a passing knowledge of the wares he peddles. When he learns that you're a farmer, he directs your attention to several small bags of seeds.[sblock=OOC seed info]Olives, apples, grapes, and some varieties of grains that aren't native to the Cuirlen area. Each bag contains roughly 50-100 seeds.[/sblock]

*Erin*:

You catch the trader mid-story.

"... and so there we was, face-to-face with the biggest damn bear I ever seen. 'E looked hungry, too. So my partner Abel there, 'e shrieks like a little girl and starts runnin' -"

"Oi! That weren't how it went at all!" protests the trader managing the cloth table.

"Hey, it's my story an' I'm stickin' to it!" the storyteller shouts back, then returns to his tale with a conspiratorial grin.


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## WarShrike (Nov 9, 2007)

"G'mornin there friend" greets Ryon. "Fine blades you got there, most of em anyway. Lookin for a skinning knife that won't wear down three times while skinning a rabbit" he says, with a look over his shoulder to make sure he's well out of earshot of Anakletos's stall. "And that thing there, that long, odd color knife there. What might that be?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 9, 2007)

Thane slides through the crowd up to the table full of cutlery, waiting quietly for Ryon to finish his question before stepping forward to speak quietly.  "I need a blade that will take well to sharpening, I am used to spending a long time away from smiths, and a sharp blade is always useful.  What can you show me?"


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 9, 2007)

Alistia stops properly listening to Enko after "Bronzemarket" and nods at the appropriate moments, "Well, I haven't had much opportunity yet, having just had some wild man bump into me! I'm looking for cloth really." she replies. "Oh! There it is!" is her next exclamation, followed by her half-jogging to get to the cart.

_Who- huh, it's that Erin from the weaver family. Of course she'd be here; she thinks she's so marvellous, all dressed up fancy. I'll never forget last year with all of her ridiculous flirting! Yuck!_

Her clothes may be more rough hewn and she doesn't have the skill at attracting attention that Erin does, but Alistia is still attractive and she knows a little bit about how to show off. She saunters faux-nonchalantly up to the stalls and just to the side and behind the weaver's daughter.

"Hello, Erin! Spirits keep you; fancy seeing you here!" she says with a studied friendliness and surprise.


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## Shayuri (Nov 9, 2007)

Erin turns around to look at Alistia, a little surprised the other girl had actually accosted her. Instincts as old as she was took over, and she immediately smiled back at the other girl with an expression just as genuine as hers was.

"Why hello, Alistia," she purrs with false warmth. "Congratulations on getting away from the bakery long enough to get here."

She reaches out to pluck the fabric of Alistia's sleeve a little distastefully and her smile turns wicked.

"Too bad you didn't have time to change...but it's all right. The town's full of peasants right now. I don't think anyone'll notice."

The large black raven perched on the barrel beside where Erin is standing cocks its head to peer at Alistia with one shiny ebony eye and emits a huffing cawing noise that sounds eerily like laughter.

Despite Quoth's reaction, Erin felt a sting of guilt immediately after she spoke. She didn't really dislike Alistia...in truth, they rarely saw each other. Erin lived with her mother in the small house on the edge of the town, Alistia lived farther in, towards the center. All Erin had against the other girl was that she was pretty...all right, beautiful...and there weren't many beautiful girls of their age in town. It seemed somehow wrong that such a simple girl with such simple ambitions should be just as...all right, maybe even more...beautiful as Erin herself, with her lofty goals and mysterious powers. Unfair. As unfair as being trapped in this tiny village with its insignificant people doing their meaningless, trite, boring work season after season with no end in sight...

...so all right, maybe there was more behind her venom than just a little competitive jealousy.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko watches Alistia too runs off, leaving him alone.  He starts to move on as well, but then a thought occurs to him, making him spin back around and head towards the cloth merchant.  _I should get something for Artimisia.  I wonder if Alistia would help me choose something._  He walks over to find Alistia conversing with Erin, the weaver's daughter, and her strange talking bird.  "Alistia.  Oh, it's you Erin!  This is perfect.  I need some help choosing cloth."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

Alistia is a little taken aback by the overt rudeness of the other young woman's comments. _How dare she?!_ Mastering her temper, she smoothly says, "Yes, we've been working very hard today but I've managed to get a short break. Not too long though. Bread is after all,  very *important*. We'd all starve without it. So I feel happy doing something useful."

She thinks to herself _Well, that's not exactly true... but that should show her!_ And yet she can't help but feel that there is a grain of truth there, that she does take pride in her work and feeling that she can help people. _If I had her freedom, I'd do so much more with it..._

And also, a tiny idea begins to form at the back of her mind, but she struggles to bring it to fruition... perhaps lacking the vocabulary to give it full expression.. but at some level realising that Erin's jealousy reflects her insecurity rather than any real arrogance. _This is silly, I should make the most of today rather than getting into a stupid game with some girl I hardly know..._

She clears her throat, "You're right, Erin, I haven't had time to change... but I wonder if your mother has a scarf or something I could get? I should really like to have something new to go with my 'best' for tonight."

Alistia starts a little as Enko suddenly appears behind them.


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## Shayuri (Nov 10, 2007)

Erin sags a little as Enko joins the scene. At least the conversation with Alistia was _interesting_ or getting there. Now they were talking CLOTHES...it made her want to scream!

"Well, we got some silk in and dyed it," she says sullenly, undoing her own silk from around her neck and waving it to show them.

"That's really the best we have right now."

Abruptly something snapped inside of her, like a wooden rod holding a burden that had gotten too heavy to bear. She couldn't keep it inside anymore, she had to TALK about it or she'd explode!

"Alistia...I don't want to fight. I'm sorry I said that. Your dress is nice. I..."

She looks over at the storyteller longingly, though she can't hear over the conversation, then looks back at her friends. Well. Acquaintances at least.

"Do you two ever get the urge to just...go?"


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko cocks his head at Erin curiously wondering just what he'd missed.  "Well... I... go all over.  You'd be welcome to acompany me sometime if you wished, I'm sure people would be grateful to have you mend things for them.  That silk is beautiful."


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## Zurai (Nov 10, 2007)

*Ryon* and *Thane*:

The knives trader beams at both of you as you inquire after his wares. "Yes, yes, of course! Knives we have, and plenty! Skinnin' blades ye need? Take a gander at these fine pieces! We got 'em from a smith friend of ours way downriver of your little village." He shows you a set of skinning and filleting knives made of worked iron. They look fairly well-made, but it's impossible to tell how long their edges will hold.

At Ryon's inquiry, the trader sets the skinning knives down again and gently lifts the big knife. "This fine piece o' work is from way down south. Man who traded it to us wasn't from the village he was livin' in; said he didn't need it no more. It'll slice clean through iron and I'm willin' to bet even Anakletos' bronze! Dunno what you'd use it for - the man wouldn't say - but it's the best blade I ever laid my eyes on. Jus' between you an' me - it don't look suited for much else than killin'."


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## Masquerade (Nov 10, 2007)

Impressed by the merchant's ability to match her pace, Cleyra seizes upon the opportunity to acquire the new seeds. The chance to experiment with something new, something the older generation has never seen, is not a chance she can idly pass up.

...Unfortunately, she is not an experienced trader. Cleyra fumbles through her bag, urgently looking for something she might be able to haggle with, but she already left all of her crops with Eriboea when she first came into town. "Hmm...would you be willing to trade some of your seeds for...some of _mine_?" she asks, pulling from her bag a smaller satchel filled with grain seeds. _It's mostly excess anyway, and if I'm just losing it for more seeds it shouldn't matter anyway._ She had no idea if the traveler would be interested, but it was her only chance. She gave him a hopeful smile as she held the satchel toward him. _Maybe these seeds are rare somewhere else._


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

Alistia is a bit puzzled by Erin's flitting moods, and looks at her with a mixture of mild puzzlement mixed with caution, and her bafflement increases when Enko starts talking to the out-of-town girl. _Is he trying to court her or something?_ Alistia wonders to herself with amusement.

"Er, yes, Enko, I agree the silk is lovely," says the baker's daughter, rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger. "What do you mean? About wanting to go, that is?" she asks Erin.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko smiles at Alistia's comment.  "Oh, you really think so?  You think someone would like it as a gift?"


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

Alistia's eyebrows raise slightly in alarm. _What?! Is he trying to court *me* now?! _


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## Shayuri (Nov 10, 2007)

"No Enko, not like that," Erin denies with some scorn. "Not around HERE."

_It's like trying to talk to sheep!_

"I mean AWAY. Somewhere completely new. Like these merchants and their stories of things outside. Don't either of you ever want to see anything like that for yourself? Downriver or upriver...or even completely away from the river! Off to the mountains or...or...anywhere!"

She lost the momentum there as reality seemed to catch back up with her...as inexorably as gravity would renew its grasp when someone leaped upwards. She looked at her hands...long fingered and clever...the hands of a weaver.

"I just think of everything I can do, and everything I want to do...and it feels like this village isn't big enough for me."

There...she'd said it at last. Her secret conceit; the notion that had been tainting her attitude towards everyone for the past year or so. No matter what the consequence of sharing it, she immediately knew from the wondrous feeling of freedom that settled over her that it would be worth it.

Erin looks up from her hands at the other two, searchingly. "Do you ever feel like that?"


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

Alistia doesn't know what to say initially, but she realises that this is important, like nothing else she has ever experienced in life before, not even when she failed to be apprenticed to the storytellers.

Beginning hesitantly but growing in conviction she replies, "The spirits have shown you the same dreams they have to me, or.. maybe you have seen mine somehow... I want more than there is here, but I don't know where or what else there is. But, I can't even go as far as you two go... They *are* dreams, Erin, for someone like me at least."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko frowns in thought, trying to come up with words to both console the two girls and guide them away from the these dangerous ideas.  Obviously, the idea of buying a gift is momentarily forgotten.

"Erin...  Alistia...  You really both feel that way?  I admit, that the stories the merchants tell are interesting, but... Why would you want to put yourselves in that much danger?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 10, 2007)

Thane unslings his pack and pulls out some of the better furs he has - he can save the meat for trying to get some of those interesting spices.  Maybe they'd make fresh game taste a little more interesting.  He's not the best of hagglers, and he knows it, so he contents himself with a pair of the simpler-looking wrought-iron skinning and filleting knives.  A few minutes later - and with a rather lighter pack - he heads back into the crowd, headed for the wagon with the spices and the bargaining woman.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

"I just said they were dreams, didn't I?" Alistia replies rather testily to the young man.

"And anyway, what danger is there? You must have seen things and have some stories to tell? And surely... it wouldn't be that dangerous if a group of us went travelling together?"


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## Shayuri (Nov 10, 2007)

"Someone like you?" Erin replies to Alistia, suddenly in the grip of a burning elation. "What's wrong with you? Nothing, that's what! Look at you! You're...gorgeous, you're strong and quick, you have tons of valuable skills. I bet you could even swing a knife if you had to, if you were in trouble!"

She reaches out to grab Alistia's hands. "If we wanted...if we REALLY wanted...nothing could stop us. That's what I think."

Finally Erin glances at Enko with a scowl and releases the other girl's hands.

"I'm surprised I have to tell this to a speaker-to-spirits," she says coolly. "But nothing of consequence ever comes without risk. Does it? Or can you tell me that talking to the spirits is completely safe? There's no chance at all of saying the wrong thing and incurring their wrath? Hmm?"

She nods at Alistia and adds, "Yes! Together, there's nothing we couldn't face! I am not just some weaver's daughter!"


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko's thoughtful frown becomes more worried as Erin seems to be working herself up about this.

"Please Erin, you have to understand.  I understand the risks involved in speaking with the spirits.  What you are speaking of however is something completely unknown.  What do you know of the dangers you might encounter beyond Cuirlen?  Yes, no one could stop you from leaving, it's true.  If you wished to leave us we could do nothing but regret your decition.  We could not even mourn your death.  If you were to die out there alone no one would know of it.  Don't you understand?  Your choices effect more than just you."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

Alistia pipes up, "Well that's obviously why she wouldn't go on her own, she'd have to find other people who also wanted to go exploring as well as people who know the sort of things to look out, hmm?" At that she pokes Enko expectantly in the arm with her finger, "Now I wonder who that sounds like?"


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko takes a step back, looking positively aghast.  "W-what?  Me?  But... Just hold on a moment!  S- Suppose I agreed to do this, we would have to get the council to agree to let us go first.  I'm not going to just sneak off into the night and leave everyone worrying for us.  They _will_ worry either way, but at least if we have the council's approval then we know it's alright... I mean...  Look, let's just think about it for today.  There'll be a festival tonight, you don't want to miss that right?"


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## Shayuri (Nov 10, 2007)

Erin's eyes narrow to slits for a moment as she looks at Enko, but then Alistia speaks, and she smiles at the young speaker...

"Yes Enko," she purrs invitingly. "Come with us. Keep us safe. It's your...duty, isn't it? To look after us poor...defenseless...girls? It doesn't have to be tonight...not right away...just say you will."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko blushes slightly and steps back from Erin as well.  "E- Erin... What are you-?  Don't be ridiculous, if you two were defenseless I'd never agree to this.  C- C'mon now... You don't have to act like that with me.  I won't let you two go alone.  We should still talk to the elders about it though."


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## Shayuri (Nov 10, 2007)

Erin's smile widens and shows teeth as he backs away, giving ground.

"Act like what?" she asks innocently. "Is it my fault that most women of age...like myself and Alistia...find the notion of being protected very romantic? Why, our guardian would be like a prince to us...to be looked up to...and obeyed...no matter what he asked."

With each phrase she advanced on the hapless boy, voice dripping honey, eyes wide and full of innocence...but her grin was predatory and fanged.

Just before reaching him though, she stopped and shrugged, putting away the artifice as easily as a warrior might sheathe his blade...abruptly becoming all business again.

"Just something to think about. But if you want to talk to the _elders_ first to make up your own mind...be my guest. They'll laugh in your face and say no. But there's no shortage of guardians around here."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

Enko fights to keep his senses intact as Erin lays it on thick, not giving him a moment to recover.  Then suddenly she stops and he's left staring at her, his mouth hanging slightly open in shock, his heart pounding in his chest, and his pants feeling very uncomfortable.  _So.  This is what it feels like to be toyed with._ 

"E- Erin, look, I've already said I'd help you both if you went.  If you really want to do this though you need to take it seriously.  We _must_ gain the council's approval.  We must be prepared.  I don't even go out to the farms without bringing some food and a bedroll in case I need it.  If we just sneak out in the middle of the night we might as well just run into the middle of a pack of starving wolves.  Besides, how would your family feel if you left without a word?"


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## Shayuri (Nov 10, 2007)

"No one said we'd leave without a word," Erin replies. "You're assuming a lot. We're not stupid, Enko. We'll prepare. We'll plan. And in the end, we'll go."

"Council blessing or not. With you or not."

She looks at the other girl, "Right Alistia?"


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 10, 2007)

A bit startled by how quickly things are moving, Alistia gnaws her bottom lip in thought, and then nods, "Alright, yes, I'm with you." she says seriously.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 10, 2007)

"Alistia..." Enko looks at her with a very serious and concerned expression.  "Please think about this carefully.  You _must_ gain the council's blessing on this.  To do something like this without it would be madness.  Look, just... promise me you'll speak with them alright.  If we go together I'm sure we can work something out.  I did... be...fore..."  Enko stutters to a stop and stares off into space.  Remembering things he's always tried not to think about.  He pushes the memories back down into his mind, but in their stead he is once again made aware of that strange uncomfortable feeling he's been sensing since, well he can't remember.  All day at least.


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## WarShrike (Nov 11, 2007)

Ryon frowns at the merchant's description of the blade. The thought of the blade being made for killing alone, and the statement that it would cleave through Anakletos's bronze makes him uneasy. Then, he is struck with annother thought. "Say, you think it would be any good against those feathered bear things that come near the town sometimes? There've been deaths. If it can be useful against that, it might be worth a few choice furs.


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## Zurai (Nov 11, 2007)

Cleyra said:
			
		

> Cleyra fumbles through her bag, urgently looking for something she might be able to haggle with, but she already left all of her crops with Eriboea when she first came into town. "Hmm...would you be willing to trade some of your seeds for...some of _mine_?" she asks, pulling from her bag a smaller satchel filled with grain seeds.



"Well there, Miss, I 'spect we can do some business along those lines. 'Ere, lemme have a look." With your permission, the trader closely inspects a small handful of your seeds, looking for signs of rot, cracks in the shell, and other assorted indications of their quality. After a few moments he hands them back to you and nods. "Yeap, I reckon I can do that trade. Which seeds ya interested in?"
[sblock=OOC]Both of you rolled low on your opposed diplomacy rolls, but you have a WAY higher diplomacy score than he does. You're able to get an even trade: one bag of his seeds for a more or less equal number of your seeds. Pick whichever kind(s) you want, but note that if you trade away too many of your seeds you may have trouble with the coming year's crops. Only the spring planting has been done at this point.[/sblock]




			
				Thane said:
			
		

> He's not the best of hagglers, and he knows it, so he contents himself with a pair of the simpler-looking wrought-iron skinning and filleting knives.



While you may not be so adept at haggling, your skins are high quality and the trader seems eager to accept them in exchange for a pair of knives. From his eagerness, you suspect you may have gotten the raw end of this deal.




			
				Ryon said:
			
		

> "Say, you think it would be any good against those feathered bear things that come near the town sometimes? There've been deaths. If it can be useful against that, it might be worth a few choice furs."



"Oh, aye, it'll slice through fur n' feathers like as they weren't there. Dunno as you'd wanna get so close to one of them as to use it on 'em, though. Still, it's your life; you want it, let me know. Those furs you got look real high quality."


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## WarShrike (Nov 11, 2007)

"Not so much intrested in gettin close to them, but would rather have somethin more than this here skinning knife if one of them decides to get close to me. I'll take it."


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## Zurai (Nov 11, 2007)

Ryon said:
			
		

> "Not so much intrested in gettin close to them, but would rather have somethin more than this here skinning knife if one of them decides to get close to me. I'll take it."



"Aye, I can see that. How's about the blade for that fine fox pelt you have there?"
[sblock=OOC trade details]The trader's got the better end of this deal. You didn't list which trade goods you bought in your character sheet, so I made one up on the spot  Basically there's a 50% markup over the PHB price; you'll need to trade a little less than half of your trade goods to get the blade. You can still decline, but the trader's unlikely to lower his price much if at all. He's aware of the rare quality of the blade.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Nov 11, 2007)

"Done." Ryon walks away with his new blade, wondering where he's going to equip it.


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## Masquerade (Nov 11, 2007)

Cleyra decides to trade a little more than half of the total seed she carries with her. Most of this she offers in exchange for the trader's grain seeds, which she assumes are similar enough to her own grains to be a safe gamble, but she also trades for one of the bags of fruit seeds (apple) for her own experimentation. Overall, she is quite pleased with the outcome.

As she concludes the deal, Cleyra spots a young man who has apparently just done the same over at the table of metal implements. As he passes by her area, holding a blade of most bizarre hue, Cleyra approaches him, and, without thinking, lets her curiosity take over. "Excuse me, hi. What is that you've got there? I've never seen anything like it," she says, walking alongside Ryon through the crowd.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 11, 2007)

Alistia jumps on Enko's last stuttered sentence, "What did you do before?! You left and came back?! Then why can't you do it again? If you proposed it and said that you needed people to go with you, and then we said we'd go, wouldn't that work?" 

She turns to Erin, "Erin, I think you're right - but Enko's right as well, we can't just run off; I've got responsibilities here. I think if we went about it properly then we might stand a chance."


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## Shayuri (Nov 11, 2007)

Erin's face fell as Alistia sided with Enko...now SHE was the odd one out. Elation turned to despair. This would never work if she didn't have allies! So close...she'd been so close...

"Listen," she says desperately, trying to re-assert herself. "Maybe..."

Deplorable. Hanging her fortunes on the whim of old men and women who hadn't had a breath of fresh air in years! How would THEY understand?! But what choice did she have? Deplorable!

Then something flashed...a burst of realization.

"Wolfboy," Erin blurts, appropos of nothing. Her grin returned, with no hint of art or deceit...just the simple, honest grin of a prisoner who found a key in her pocket.

"Wolfboy!"


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 11, 2007)

Enko continues to stare off into space, trying to find just what is causing this feeling.


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## WarShrike (Nov 12, 2007)

As Ryon passes the storyteller's cart, he hears something odd. "Wolfboy?"


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## Shayuri (Nov 12, 2007)

Startled, Erin looks around, then spies Ryon there. She waves, then beckons him to come over.


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## WarShrike (Nov 12, 2007)

Ryon walks over to where Erin stands with two others.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 12, 2007)

Finishing his transactions and getting a meager amount of spices in return for all that's left of his excess meat and last few furs, Thane turns and prepares to leave.  Before he does, though, he notices Ryon cutting his way through the crowd, recognizing him vaguely as another hunter.  With an uncharacteristically social impulse, he begins walking after him, deciding to compare notes of the game of late as long as he's in town.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 12, 2007)

Alistia turns to see who Erin is waving at, and is horrified to see a wolf padding along beside the newcomer. She grabs Enko's arm reflexively in fear.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 12, 2007)

Enko is shaken from his trance by Alistia's grasp and turns to look first at her, and then in the direction she seems to be staring at in terror.  He instinctively takes a step back and raises his arm in an attempt to cause Alistia to do the same, but then he stops and stares at the wolf.  "Alisia wait, this wolf is... special."


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## Masquerade (Nov 12, 2007)

"Hey wait," Cleyra says as she follows Ryon. She doesn't like the thought of being ignored but is willing to assume that he didn't hear her. However, as she follows him out of the crowd, she realizes a moment too late that she has just walked into some group.

"Hello," she says, greeting the group as a whole, trying to prevent the moment from quickly turning awkward. As she glances around at the odd bunch, she recognizes a couple of their faces but doesn't know any names. _No good._ Still, Cleyra is not going to make a fool of herself by walking away from this conversation now. She turns her attention back to the young man she followed over from the merchants. "Yeah, hey. I don't know if you heard me back there, but I was trying to ask you about that blade. I'm Cleyra."


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## Shayuri (Nov 12, 2007)

Erin gives Cleyra an annoyed glance, hardly even noticing Alistia's distress.

"You brought friends," she says to Ryon, a little reproachfully. "How...nice. Well I wanted you to meet a couple of friends of mine. This is Enko and Alistia."

She smiles now. "We're planning on leaving the village soon. I thought I'd see if you might agree to act as our guide? Enko was a little worried, you see...I thought maybe having someone as well-traveled as you would ease his fears."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 12, 2007)

Alistia mutters in a nervous tone to Enko, "I don't care how 'special' it is, Enko; it's a wolf!"


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## WarShrike (Nov 12, 2007)

Confused, Ryon tries his best to make sense of it all. "Leave? Uh... sorry miss... Cleyra was it? I appologize for seemingly ignoring you but i got sidetracked by someone shouting "wolfboy"." 



			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> Enko was a little worried, you see...I thought maybe having someone as well-traveled as you would ease his fears.




Ryon looks over the group, especially Enko. He cant help but feel that last remark was an insult of some sort. "Right. Leave. And where would you like me to guide you to? If you want to go to the bubbling springs where boys and girls go... to be alone... well, i know the place. beyond that, theres just wilderness and more wilderness after that. Where do you plan on going, exactly?" Looking about to get his thoughts straightenned out, he spots Thane. "Thane, could you spare a minute or two?"


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## Zurai (Nov 12, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]The energy from the spirit world continues to leak through to you. It feels almost like the buildup of power when you start casting a spell - except this power isn't the pure, radiant bliss that is positive energy, and you cannot seem to release it in a spellcast.[/sblock]
[sblock=Thane]As the day wears on, you begin to detect some sort of leaking energy from the spirit world. Although you do not have a direct connection to the spirit world through a spirit guide, you still draw power from it for your divine spells. Somehow, some of that power is seeping into you now; it feels different than any spells you've ever called on before, though. There's a dark undercurrent to the power, something unfamiliar that sends a slight chill up your spine.[/sblock]
[sblock=Ryon]Growl seems especially restless as the day wears on. He's always been pretty jumpy in town, since he's not used to crowds, but there seems to be something bothering him beyond the usual today.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Nov 12, 2007)

Noticing Growl's sudden behavior, Ryon ignores any response anyone makes and kneels next to the wolf in order to get down to eye level with him. "What's wrong Growl, talk to me." 

[SBLOCK=Growl's appearance]He's a big wolf, shoulders reaching Ryon's waist, head at about mid-stomach, long dark grey fur with splotches of dark brown and black, yellow eyes. Basicly a Timber Wolf.[/SBLOCK]


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 12, 2007)

Alistia asks quietly, "Enko... is he... talking to it?".  She lets go of his arm and looks at the man and the wolf in amazement.


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## Masquerade (Nov 12, 2007)

Cleyra's attention, too, is quickly drawn to Ryon's conversation with the wolf. She immediately forgets whatever it was she was trying to ask him, now intrigued by this curious company she has come into. _And did that girl say they were leaving the village?_ She tries to hide the look of bewilderment that has surely discovered her face.


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## Zurai (Nov 12, 2007)

Ryon said:
			
		

> Noticing Growl's sudden behavior, Ryon ignores any response anyone makes and kneels next to the wolf in order to get down to eye level with him. "What's wrong Growl, talk to me."




Growl whines and dances side to side, nearly colliding with a startled passer-by. He seems agitated even to untrained eyes. When Ryon speaks, Growl barks back at him and dances in a circle, then glances off north, towards the Noonshadow forest, then back at Ryon.

At the same time, Quoth bobs his head and squawks out, "awwwrrrrk... it comes. Shadow and flame, it comes." He spreads his wings and launches back into the air in a flurry of black feathers, although he doesn't go far, roosting on a nearby roof.
[sblock=Erin]Through your empathic link with Quoth, you get a brief mental image of the night sky stained a dull, angry red.





You can tell that something related to the image is frightening him badly.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Nov 12, 2007)

Eyes locked on Growl's, Ryon speaks, dread creeping over him. "Arm yourselves. Cuirlen is threatenned." Grabbing several nearby villagers, he tells them: "Find the council members. Tell them the village is in danger. Tell them to send every available hunter to the north end of the village. Go!" Ryon places his new blade, scabard and all, into his quiver. *This will have to do for now* he thinks, before drawing his longbow and stringing it. Returning his attention to the small group he speaks again. "If you've weapons with you, follow me, otherwise, get some or make sure the council is alerted." To Growl, he says: "Go." As Growl races towards the north, Ryon follows, on his heels.


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## Shayuri (Nov 12, 2007)

For perhaps the first time in her life that she can recall, Erin feels a stab of real, honest to the spirits fear. Not just the uneasiness of dark, shadowed places, or the dawning sick isolation of being lost...but actual, ice in the stomach dread.

"This is very bad," she says, backing away from something no one else could see. "This is bad! Uh...I'll go warn the council!"

She turns and flees away from the crowd, searching for a council member...any of them!


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 12, 2007)

As Ryon calls to him Thane approaches and opens his mouth as if to speak, but then frowns, a dark cloud seeming to pass over his face for a moment.  A second later he shakes his head.  "Something is wrong.  There is something...cold in the spirit realm.  Something alien."  Almost without thought his bow comes off his back and he looks around, a strange look in his eyes.

"Someone should get the people inside, something is coming."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 12, 2007)

Enko shakes himself out of his reverie again to find the hunter with the wolf already shouting about danger.  He looks around in confusion, _Have they all sensed it too?  But... how?  Surely this is an over reaction.  If none of the spirit talkers are this worried, so why should they be?_ "Ah- ... Alistia, Cleyra, find somewhere safe to go.  Erin, I'll come with you.  I need to speak with Pantheras." He runs after her.


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## Masquerade (Nov 12, 2007)

"Not so fast," Cleyra shouts out, chasing after Erin and Enko. "I have connections on the council, too, and I want to help. What's going on?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 12, 2007)

After the unaccustomed effort of speaking for so long, Thane lapses into silence and ignores the people running around and talking about the council.  Let them worry about asking for aid and telling authorities, he never had any business with the council and saw no reason to change that policy now.

Nocking an arrow to his bow but not pulling back the string, he tunes out the noise of the crowd and slips back into the familiar instincts of hunting, ignoring the crowd around him as he takes in all the details around him, searching for some hint of the source of this cold feeling inside him.


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## Zurai (Nov 12, 2007)

Ryon's and Erin's dire warnings send a wave of unease through the nearby crowd - which quickly turn to screams and general panic as the ground begins to shake and a rumbling begins to fill the air. At first, the shaking is no worse than a faint wobbling, but it quickly turns into a heaving, stuttering upheaval as most of the crowd lose their balance and fall to the ground. As the earthquake reaches its most violent point, the rumbling suddenly intensifies until the air is rent by the sound of a massive explosion. Screams fill the air as first one person, then another, then the whole crowd points northwest. 

The mountains are on fire.

[sblock=What you see]
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/sblock]


[sblock=OOC earthquake results]Enko, Cleyra, Ryon, Growl, and Erin lose their footing and tumble to the ground, but manage to catch themselves and aren't hurt. Thane hits his head on a nearby stall as he falls, taking 3 nolethal damage. Alistia twists her ankle in her fall, taking 2 points of nonlethal damage.
Many of the people in the square are knocked unconcious as they hit their heads or faint. None of the buildings in the immediate area seem overly damaged, but surely the outlying areas aren't so well off. All of the buildings in the river's flood zone are built on stilts, and can't possibly have withstood the violent earthquake.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Nov 12, 2007)

Ryon stops short and stares. "The mountain... what's happenning to it? Growl! Heel!" Ryon kneels and comforts Growl, thinking to himself: *Now what do we do*?


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 12, 2007)

(OOC: Wow, no one is going to survive this if it's a strato volcano.  Which it looks to be.)

Enko tries his best not to stare in awe at the flaming mountain.  Instead looking around to make certain that no one is injured.  Seeing that Erin is unharmed, but that numerous others are not so lucky he calls out to her.  "Erin, go find the elders.  I have to make sure no one is seriously hurt!"  He runs to the nearest injured person and realizes to his relief that they are not seriously injured, then he thinks about the stilt houses by the river.  He starts running that way, looking out for anyone who is injured enough to require his assistance.  He can't afford to use his healing magic carelessly on those with only minor injuries.  As he heads for the river he unconciously takes a route which would lead him past the home of Artimisia.


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## Masquerade (Nov 12, 2007)

Cleyra hesitates a moment before standing. This is the most powerless she has felt in a long time. _I hate the feeling of powerlessness._

But it's this feeling that seeds her leadership instincts. _I don't know what's going on, but...but these people do, and if they know what to do, I still want to help. I'm worried about my brother, but..._ As she stands and slings her bag back over her shoulder, Cleyra pulls her eyes away from the fiery mountain, staying focused instead on Enko and Erin, waiting for some indication of what to do next.

{{OOC: Posted this before seeing Dire Lemming's post.}}


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 12, 2007)

_Aaaghhh!_ Alistia winces in pain _I'll be damned if they're all just going to run off and leave me.. but all these people... someone has to do something..._

"Glad to see you not running off, Enko" she says through gritted teeth. Alistia manages to stand up and tries to find other people who are still conscious, and attempts to get them to help the unconscious ones to safety.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 12, 2007)

_This is not natural_ thinks Thane as he pulls himself off the ground, shaking his head to clear the stars from his eyes.  Looking around he strains to see if anyone is badly enough wounded to need immediate care or risk dying.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 12, 2007)

As Enko runs he repeatedly calls out to anyone in the area in general. "Is anyone hurt!?"


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## Shayuri (Nov 12, 2007)

Erin woozily gets back to her feet and nods at Enko, not needing any second thoughts about THAT.

She rushes to her mother's cart as she looks for the elders, to make sure Anka's okay before going on.

(assuming nothing wrong)

On finding an elder she grabs his sleeve and points at the mountain, "A mountain's exploded and everyone's panicking!" she tells the patriarch. "I didn't do it! Enko and...the...that boy with the wolf...they knew it was coming. So did Quoth. What should we do?!"


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## Masquerade (Nov 12, 2007)

_Ignored again,_ Cleyra thinks as the two she was following run off in different directions. _But I can still help!_ Enthusiastically, she joins those trying to help the wounded. Though she knows nothing of treating injuries, she might be able to keep things organized.

{{OOC: Now might be a good time to point out that I can offer +3 bonuses on Fortitude saves. As the area of this aura is 60 feet, Cleyra will center herself as to included as many of the fainted/wounded as possible.}}


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## Zurai (Nov 13, 2007)

Within the first few minutes after the earthquake and eruption, the paniced screams and shouts die down, the shock and terror gradually overwhelming people until they are numb of thought. People stare passively at the distant, fiery mountain even as those skilled in healing tend to their wounds. Some villagers close and bar their doors, fearing disaster; others stumble listlessly across debris-strewn alleys.

Gradually, order returns to Cuirlen. Healers stabilize the most injured and move them to a central location, while people who have kept their wits about them gently gather those who are more shell-shocked. Others run or ride to the outlying hamlets to assist recovery efforts there. The Elders move about the populace, offering aid as they can and doing their best to keep the people calm and collected.

As the sun begins its scarlet descent under the horizon, people from nearby hamlets begin to trickle into town. These people, especially the ones who lived nearest the river, show signs of hardship which the people in the village proper mostly managed to avoid. Broken limbs, long gashes where buildings collapsed onto them, and even a few corpses born on stretchers stream slowly into Cuirlen's central areas. Tales begin to circulate that the farming villages have been devastated. Fewer than one house in ten remains standing, and Sotera herself has been tirelessly expending her most powerful magics - creating living servants out of the River itself - to extinguish fires and prevent the surging, earthquake-driven waters from washing away what remains of the settlements.

As the rumors and tales continue to circle, threatening to start the panic anew, the members of the Council of Elders clamber up onto an overturned wagon. Phaidros casts a quick spell and raps the butt end of his staff sharply against the wood of the wagon; the noise it makes carries unnaturally far, quickly silencing the crowd. Pantheras steps forward and addresses the gathered populace; his voice, too, is amplified and projected such that all can clearly hear him.

"My fellows, tragedy has struck here today. I do not know what, precisely, has happened." Immediately, the crowd begins to mutter and murmur, but Phaidros bangs his staff against the wagon again and silence returns. "I do not know what happened, but I do know this: we are lucky. There have been deaths, yes, and few homes outside the village still stand. I mourn for those who have lost. We all do.

"_However_, most of the people were here, in the village, not in collapsing houses or near the river to be swept away. To my knowledge, there are only fourty-seven people missing or dead at this point - most of the missing are hunters out in the field who could not have returned so quickly - and only a few more still at risk of death from their wounds. Even now, Sotera communes with the river, expending all of her energy to turn back the second flood brought by the shaking earth. I have no doubts that she will be successful in her task. Our fields have already been planted for the spring. Our lives are, mostly, still with us. Our homes may be gone, but they can be rebuilt. We will continue. We will survive. The spirits are still with us."

As his speech winds down, Pantheras steps back and allows Eriboea to take his place. She takes a long moment, sweeping her gaze across the village square, meeting the eyes of as many hopeful people as she can, then begins to speak. "There will be much work to do. We need to get new houses built, which means we need to cut more wood. Some of the fields have been ruined by the second flood, so we will need to hunt and gather more food and perhaps even slaughter some of the herds. According to Phaidros' auguries, the earth-quake and the fiery mountain have disturbed the dark spirits of the forest and some of them may relocate closer to town; everyone outside town will need to be watched by those of us that can wield weapons and magic. Finally, we need to find out exactly what caused this disaster, so that we may prevent it from happening again if at all possible."

She takes a deep breath, then lets it out again in a slow sigh. "We will need volunteers from the village to do these things. Whatever your area of expertise is, the village needs it. We especially need hunters, for protection and for food. Anyone who can hunt or wants to learn to hunt will be welcomed, and trained if needed. We will immediately begin taking volunteers for rebuilding, hunting, healing, training new hunters, guarding the work parties, and for the exploration party. Anyone uninjured who refuses to help his fellow villagers ... will be exiled." Her eyes are hard as she ends her speech.

When Eriboea finishes talking, the Elders disperse to set up volunteer lists. Kallistrate holds the hunting list, Anakletos and Eriboea hold the rebuilding lists, Ambrosia holds the healing list, Mnason holds the guard list, Phaidros holds the training list, and Pantheras holds the exploration party list. At first the people stand in silence, then, gradually, the people being to talk amongst themselves and the crowd begins to disperse into smaller groups around each of the Elders. Even a few of the injured stand and hobble to one group or another, although they are gently escorted back to their beds and pallets.


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## WarShrike (Nov 13, 2007)

Ryon gets up and motions Growl to follow. C'mon Growl, lets help these people get to safety, wherever that is. The mountain spirit is really ticked off." Ryon helps treat the lightly wounded and revive the unconcious.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 13, 2007)

Enko moves to where Ambrosia is holding the healers list.  

He had not seen Artimisia when he'd gone by her house, presumably she had been hunting.  He now looked around again for her as he waited in line.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 13, 2007)

Thane shows up next to Pantheras, and speaks quietly.  "You would be hard-pressed to find a hunter who has ranged farther or for longer than I, with my father gone.  I will aid this exploration, and help discover what has troubled the spirits."


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## Masquerade (Nov 13, 2007)

Cleyra arrives late to the gathering. After aiding with the wounded in the town center, she quickly traveled home to ensure that Mathis and her mother were safe. Finding that they were and that damage to their property was fortunately minimal, she ventured back in time to hear the announcement regarding volunteers.

Naturally, Cleyra approaches her mentor's line, offering to help Eriboea rebuild. "However," she insists, "I also intend to lend my hand to the hunting parties whenever my duties will allow." Cleyra, as her father once was, is familiar with the motions of pulling a bowstring. She isn't much of a hunter, but she's reasonably confident that she could kill a rabbit if necessary, and these circumstances certainly seem to necessitate it.


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## WarShrike (Nov 13, 2007)

Ryon walks over to Pantheras. "Put me on that list as well, Pantheras. I know the land as well as any here, better than most. I know the forest as well as its denizens. How to fight them, and more importantly, how to avoid them. Kallistrate saw to that."


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## Shayuri (Nov 13, 2007)

Like an arrow shot, Erin appears at Pantheras.

"I'll go explore too," she says. "And so will Alistia."

She looks around, spies Enko and waves him over.

"Over here!"

Erin gives the elder a nod. "Enko too."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 13, 2007)

Alistia considers the various options carefully, wondering where she can best help. She reasons that there are already plenty of healers in town, and she probably isn't cut out for guarding or hunting... That leaves exploration!

She sees Erin dart over in her mercurial way to old Pantheras. _Well, looks like she got her wish_ thinks  the young baker _And she wants Enko on board... huh, she gets him over and not me... well, I'm going! _

Trying to muster all the confidence she can, she walks over to the exploration line and says to Pantheras, "If it's alright, I'd like to be considered for the explorers group. If I'm allowed."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 13, 2007)

Enko turns to look at Erin when she calls his name.  He lifts his hand to his forehead and shakes it in exasperation.  _Great, I guess, it's be safer if we go now.  There are sure to be others coming with us, and we'll have the help of the council._  As he stands, silently beside the almost manic Erin, he once again scans the crowd for Artimisia.


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## Zurai (Nov 15, 2007)

As dusk turned into night, and the stars flickered into visibility one by one, the crowds in Cuirlen's town square gradually congealed around the seven Elders, then began to thin out. By High Dark, only a handful were left. The crowd around Eriboea and Anakletos was by far the largest, although the group clamoring for Kallistrate's attention was also sizeable. Only a bare handful approached Pantheras.



			
				Eriboea's and Anakletos' List said:
			
		

> Naturally, Cleyra approaches her mentor's line, offering to help Eriboea rebuild. "However," she insists, "I also intend to lend my hand to the hunting parties whenever my duties will allow."




It takes some time for the crowd to disperse enough for you to speak to Eriboea. When you do, she smiles wearily at you. "I had no doubt, Cleyra. Still..." she pauses and turns to look at the small group speaking to Pantheras. "I think others might be able to use your talents more. You are a natural leader - although you need to work on your patience with others - and you're one of the most organized people I know. They..." and she looks again at the group around Panthereas; you note the five young people you were talking to before the earth-quake, as well as a huntress you're not familiar with and a pair of middle-aged men who look like herders. 

"... I would not say that any of those heading out into the wilderness are organized. Unfortunately, they are the ones who _most_ need to have someone to keep things together." She turns back to face you fully and looks you straight in the eye. "I would consider it a personal favor if you would accompany the exploration party and do your best to help them survive. We can ill afford to lose so many promising young ones, and their mission could be absolutely vital. I will not lie to you: the Elders are not expecting anyone who goes on that mission to survive. I cannot force you to accept this task, and I will not look down on you if you, who have so many people relying on you, were to refuse. Know that if you _do_ accept, I will personally look after your farm; do not fear that you will return to ruin there. So, what say you? Will you accept my request?" She gazes at you levelly.[sblock=OOC]Assuming you do accept, you move on and are party to this next speech as well.[/sblock]


			
				Panthera's List said:
			
		

> Thane shows up next to Pantheras, and speaks quietly. "You would be hard-pressed to find a hunter who has ranged farther or for longer than I, with my father gone. I will aid this exploration, and help discover what has troubled the spirits."
> ________________________________________________
> Ryon walks over to Pantheras. "Put me on that list as well, Pantheras. I know the land as well as any here, better than most. I know the forest as well as its denizens. How to fight them, and more importantly, how to avoid them. Kallistrate saw to that."
> ________________________________________________
> ...



[sblock=Enko]You don't have to look far to see Artemisia. She's one of the eight people gathered in front of Pantheras.[/sblock]

Pantheras nods to each of you as you make your offers. In addition to the five friends, there are three others gathered in front of Pantheras: Artemisia, the beautiful young huntress; Metrophanes, a middle-aged cattle herder; and Andronikos, a horse herder with his arm in a split on his side. Still, Pantheras says nothing and appears to be waiting, only half paying attention to those around him, for nearly a half hour. Eventually, another young woman approaches, who you recognize from just before the earth-quake. He gives her a grateful, if exhausted, smile, then turns to face everyone.

"I am surprised and pleased that even this many of you have volunteered. I had to argue hard and long to get the others to accept the importance of this mission; they felt that the risks were too high and the likelyhood of any group of size forming to accept the mission too low." He pauses here and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

When he opens them again, he sweeps his gaze across each of you, meeting your eyes. "I will be honest with you. We do not expect anyone who leaves on this mission to return to us. The world is a dangerous place for strangers, and the spirits are unsettled and uneasy by the explosion on the mountain. Enko, you know of what I speak. I cannot gaurantee that any of you will survive this task, and I cannot gaurantee that, even if you do, you will learn anything of value to us. No one will hold it against you if you turn back now and pledge yourself to another task." Here he waits, again meeting your eyes with his own.

Artemisia stands firm, tossing her hair back over her shoulder in defiance. The two herders, however, look nervous, and talk briefly between themselves. After their brief discussion, they look sheepish and duck their heads as they shuffle off to join one of the other lists. Pantheras watches without expression.[sblock=OOC]Again, I'm assuming none of you back down. You still can, if you so desire; just let me know.[/sblock]

"That was for their benefit, anyway. I had not expected the rest of you to back down. You will all need to be totally commited to this task to succeed, if success is indeed possible. Now that I know you are, I will accept your pledges. The seven of you are our hope for the future. Go now to your friends and family and be with them for one last night. Gather your things and meet me at the Council chambers tomorrow at Highsun. I will have some last words for you, as well as some information and what supplies and gifts we can spare." So saying, he smiles again at each of you, then turns and departs to commune with the spirits.


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## Masquerade (Nov 15, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> Eriboea pauses and turns to look at the small group speaking to Pantheras. "I think others might be able to use your talents more. You are a natural leader - although you need to work on your patience with others - and you're one of the most organized people I know. They..." and she looks again at the group around Panthereas; you note the five young people you were talking to before the earth-quake, as well as a huntress you're not familiar with and a pair of middle-aged men who look like herders.



_So it's that ambitious bunch, is it? They lack patience, certainly. And discipline. Hmph. If I'm to join them, I should accustom myself to going unheard.

Still, Eriboea is as insightful as always. Without organization, they are likely to fail...even die. And it does sound more interesting than staying here to rebuild, even if there is danger involved. It would be a new challenge. And just think of the things we might find...

I hope I don't regret this decision..._


			
				Zurai said:
			
		

> "So, what say you? Will you accept my request?" She gazes at you levelly.



"I would not take such a direct suggestion from you lightly. You know me well, and your advice has never failed me before. I will accept, and I do not intend to disappoint.

"Please check in on Mathis and mother while you're looking over the land. They're very important to me."


			
				Zurai said:
			
		

> "Now that I know you are, I will accept your pledges. The nine of you are our hope for the future. Go now to your friends and family and be with them for one last night. Gather your things and meet me at the Council chambers tomorrow at Highsun. I will have some last words for you, as well as some information and what supplies and gifts we can spare." So saying, he smiles again at each of you, then turns and departs to commune with the spirits.



Cleyra departs immediately following her pledge to the party, sparing only the words "goodbye, until tomorrow" for her new companions. There is too much about which to think, for which to plan. Quietly contemplating to herself, she begins the walk home.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 15, 2007)

Pantheras said:
			
		

> "The nine of you are our hope for the future. Go now to your friends and family and be with them for one last night. Gather your things and meet me at the Council chambers tomorrow at Highsun. I will have some last words for you, as well as some information and what supplies and gifts we can spare."




"I will spend the night outside the town.  The forests are uneasy, I should speak to them, perhaps I might learn something of what is to come."  In a rare occurrence, Thane cracks a slight smile.  "If I do not return tomorrow, I think you can assume your trip will be dangerous."

Without more words, Thane turns and strides off, quickly melting into the crowd.

[sblock=Zurai]
I'm just heading a short distance out of the town so I get into the wilderness, then I'm casting Guidance and using Survival (+10 with the Guidance bonus in the wilderness) to try to get a feel for what we're in for.
[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Nov 15, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Without more words, Thane turns and strides off, quickly melting into the crowd.
> 
> [sblock=Zurai]
> I'm just heading a short distance out of the town so I get into the wilderness, then I'm casting Guidance and using Survival (+10 with the Guidance bonus in the wilderness) to try to get a feel for what we're in for.
> [/sblock]




[sblock=Thane]
Even after dark you can see a dull red glow on the horizon in the direction of the mountains. You can also make out massive black clouds rising through the red haze; you can't tell for sure, but it's possible you may have to deal with falling ash as you approach the mountain more closely.

In the more immediate sense, the weather should be relatively clear for the next couple days. Your connection to the wild feels vaguely out of synch, and you can't see or hear any of the wildlife you would normally expect to be out and about at this hour. Even the insects seem subdued.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Nov 15, 2007)

"Highsun it is then. I'll be off to the Wolfheart's compound now, unless any of the ladies present want to go off to _explore_ the bubling springs with me?" If he recieves no positive responses, he walks towards his home, whistling.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 15, 2007)

Alisitia pulls a face at the animal-tamer's suggestion, and after he has left looks at each of her new friends resolutely and nods once, biting on her lip.. and leaves. Time to tell her parents...


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 15, 2007)

Enko finds himself silently watching as the other leave.  "I won't let anyone die..." he mumbles under his breath.  "No way... I won't."  Hesitantly he approaches Artimisia and greets her.  "Hi...  Artimisia.  So... what do you think of this, huh?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 15, 2007)

Thane turns his head and pauses in his stride as Enko speaks, retracing his step and speaking quietly to the young healer.  "We're going out into the wild, healer.  Out there, it's not you that gets to decide such things, it's the forests.  You'd best get used to that."


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## Shayuri (Nov 16, 2007)

Erin smirks at the others, gives Ryon an appraising look...perhaps a bit surprised by his forwardness...then shakes her head.

"I need to help mother get set up so she can watch the sheep while I'm gone. Besides, there'll be plenty of time and plenty of springs. Get your rest while you can."

With a grin and a laugh, she runs off towards her house.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 16, 2007)

Enko, ignores Thane completely.  Primarily because he is concentrated on Artimisia, and secondarily because he has no idea what the hunter is talking about.


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## Zurai (Nov 16, 2007)

> Hesitantly he approaches Artimisia and greets her.  "Hi...  Artimisia.  So... what do you think of this, huh?"




You catch Artemisia just as she begins to leave the town square. She looks over her shoulder at you and says simply, "I think bad times are coming. The anger of the mountain spirit is an ill omen. I hope to be able to appease it. I would have gone alone, even without the Elders' call. I am ... grateful that I will not have to go alone."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 16, 2007)

Enko smiles nervously as he replies, "Oh, of course.  Me too.  You... wouldn't have had to go alone.  I mean... I would have gone with you... if you asked."  he blushes as he realizes how silly he must sound.


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## Zurai (Nov 16, 2007)

Dire Lemming said:
			
		

> Enko smiles nervously as he replies, "Oh, of course.  Me too.  You... wouldn't have had to go alone.  I mean... I would have gone with you... if you asked."  he blushes as he realizes how silly he must sound.




She shakes her head and begins to walk away again. "I would not have asked anyone." She walks for a few paces, then slows and turns. "Still. You _did_ choose to come, and not because of me. Don't think I didn't notice the weaver's daughter calling you over. Maybe..." You can't quite make out her face in the darkness, but her voice is wistful. "I would welcome you to walk with me a ways. You are a spirit-talker, yes? The one blessed by the Blackfrond. Perhaps you will understand where others have not..."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 16, 2007)

Enko lets out a disapointed sigh as she starts to leave that is suddenly cut short when she turns and adresses him again.  "Of course-" Enko starts to answer without thinking, then pauses.  Whatever she means to ask of him, it is obviously something important to her that requires his aid as a spirit talker. "Er, Yes.  I'll... walk with you."


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## Zurai (Nov 16, 2007)

Artemisia waits for you to catch up, then turns and resumes walking towards her cabin on the outskirts of town. She begins talking hesitantly, then more fervently as she gains confidence. "Have you ever felt ... felt like there was something ... _waiting_ for you? _Calling_ you? Not something evil or dangerous ... it's almost like ... there's a purpose out there, waiting for me to find it." She walks for a bit longer in silence, then stops and turns to face you.

"Pantheras thinks I'm delusional, that I'm just searching for some reason to abandon the village. I swear I'm not! Just before the mountain exploded this afternoon, I felt ... it almost felt like I was drowning. Whatever happened with the mountain spirit, _something_ caused it - and as soon as it happened, I knew that this was my purpose." She looks straight at you, but it's almost like she's looking _through_ you at something ... beyond.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 16, 2007)

Enko at first begins to offer some shallow words of reasurance, but he holds himself in, and thinks carefully about her words.  "It... it seems like the urge to leave the village is farely common.  Erin and Alistia, the weaver's daughter, and the baker's daughter, they too have felt that way, but I am not sure if they have ever even been to one of the farms.  For you to feel like that, it really is strange.  I believe you though.  I do.  What you felt when the mountain exploded... it sounds like you heard a spirit.  Have you spoken with Pantheras about this new feeling?"

(OOC: Is there anything Enko can do to commune with the spirits and maybe learn something else about Artimisia's feeling?)


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## Zurai (Nov 16, 2007)

Your words seem to shake her out of whatever reverie she was in. "What use would it be? Everyone knows that the spirits either bless a child or leave it be. No one not born with their blessing has ever been able to hear them. He would never believe me." She shifts her focus to you, then suddenly falters. It's hard to tell under starlight, but you almost think she's blushing. "I think ... I think I need to be alone now. To think. Thank ... thank you for walking with me. Perhaps we can talk more later. On the journey. Spirits be with you!"

And with that, she turns and runs down the hill toward her home, her waist-length black hair billowing out behind her.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 16, 2007)

"Uh, if you eve-"  Enko pauses once again.  She's far too far away by now to hear a normal voice  "Great job, Enko."  He mutters to himself as he turns and heads for home.  "She _ran_ away from you, and you weren't even _trying_ anything."  He looks back and sighs.  _Maybe I can still do something to help.  I should talk to Pantheras...  Well, I'll just make sure he's not busy first..._  Enko changes course and heads for Pantheras' home.


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## Zurai (Nov 16, 2007)

Dire Lemming said:
			
		

> Enko changes course and heads for Pantheras' home.




When you get to Pantheras' home, you find it unoccupied. Pantheras must be elsewhere tonight.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 17, 2007)

Enko wonders where Pantheras might have gone.  If he can't think of anything he heads on home, hoping that he'll have time to ask about it tomorrow.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 17, 2007)

A Daughter's Farewell.

Alistia meets her parents after the line-ups; they ask her where she was and which line she signed up for. They didn't see her at the re-building group? 

She tells them which group she volunteered for.

There is a moment of silence, of shock. "No." says her mother quietly, "No, no. Tell her no. Kereos." she says to her husband.

Father gets up from his chair and after a pause says, "Alistia, we love you. Why would you do something like this?"

"Because.. because I have to. I know with all my heart that this is what the spirits want me to do. I can't talk to *them*, but I can almost hear them talking to *me*" she replies with unaccustomed seriousness.

"I haven't been able to tell you what to do since you since you were 10," he says wryly, "Now I wonder who you get that from?" he adds with affection, looking at his wife. "We can't stop you, so I won't make this harder than it needs to be. Go with my blessing, my daughter. Spirits guide you."

They hug. All three. For perhaps the last time.

Later on, as Alistia starts packing a bag of supplies, her brothers Oraon and Kemlos drop by the house; Oraon has signed up for the re-building and Kemlos is finishing training to be a hunter.

"So, Ali, I knew you were crazy, but not this crazy." says big Oraon  with an odd catch in his voice. 

Kemlos carries with him his hunting club, which has served him well many times. It is a fine piece of work, elegantly crafted. He says hesitantly, "Ali... I... you should take this." He presents the weapon to her. "Go on, I can get another. You might need it. I hope not... but... Be careful."

Kemlos' club 

Oraon regards his sister with eyes that swell with tears he cannot bear to shed. "I was meant to look out for you; hope I taught you enough about giving as good as you get." He gives her a light tap with his great fist on her shoulder.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 17, 2007)

The forest at night.

Thane is alone, or at least most people might consider so.  He could never understand the concept of being 'alone' in the forest, among the trees.  He only ever really feels alone in the town, surrounded by people who do nothing but talk, never simply sitting back and listening.  Even the spirit shamans sometimes seem like they get so caught up in speaking to their special guide that they forget the whole that is the world around them.

Sitting with his back to a tree, Thane relaxes.  He's almost invisible under a thin layer of leaves and twigs that blend in with his clothing.  As a young child he had constantly shifted, itching and scratching at the leaves, but now he simply relaxes unmoving, like his father always had.  His eyes closed, Thane _feels_ the forest.  Even through the silence of the animals and the bugs, he can feel the pulse of the land.  Restless, disturbed, on edge, but still there.  Still more slow and patient than any man.  Slowly, gently, Thane slides into a light sleep, his dreams walking amidst the boughs and branches, searching for something never found.


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## WarShrike (Nov 18, 2007)

Ryon spends the remaining daylight hours amongst the animals in the compound. When he had told his family about his decision, there had been no surprise. It was the logical choice for one with his skills. The night was spent in the forest, renewing his bond with the natural world, seeking to draw out every memory he had aquired of these woods where the dark spirits dwelt. He would need them when the group would travel throught it.


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## Shayuri (Nov 18, 2007)

Dinner at the weaver's house was awkward...silent. Erin and her mother sat across the table from one another, neither knowing quite what to say. Even once the food was done, and Erin started clearing off the plates.

Finally her mother said quietly, "So...tomorrow?"

Erin nodded shortly.

"I...I always knew this day would come."

Pausing where she was, Erin looked over at her mother.

"I always knew you'd go."

"Of course you knew," Erin said with a chuckle. "I kept saying it over and over."

Her mother nodded and dabbed her eyes, but she was smiling too. "Well, kids always say that, Erin. They always say they're going to go...they always have such big dreams. But then they grow up and settle down, and learn to be happy with their lot in life."

For a moment, she looked at her daughter...a little sadly, a little proudly. "But not you."

Erin smiled. "No...not me."

"Just be careful."

With a roll of her eyes, Erin replied, "I will...I have magic you know...and there's others. There's a whole bunch of us going."

"No, I don't mean...well, I do mean that. But not just that."

Erin frowned, confused.

Her mother leaned forward to point at her. "You're strong, Erin. You see what you want, and you go and you get it...that's not a bad thing. But you have to pay attention to what it is that you want too. It's not enough just to have ambition. Blind ambition can be worse than none." She trailed of...aware from Erin's expression that she wasn't making much sense. "I worry about you sometimes, Erin. You're so focused on you...on what you want...you forget to think about other people."

"What do you mean?" Erin said defensively. "I think about other people."

"How to use them," her mother answered. "What they can do for you. It's all right to consider those things...just don't limit yourself to them. See people not just as...stepping stones or tools, but as _people_. To do anything else is to turn onto a dark and lonely path at the crossroads."

Erin glided over to her mother and cupped her cheek to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"You worry too much, mother. I'll be fine. I'm going to turn in...we're leaving early. Do you want me to wake you up before I go?"

Her mother sighed and nodded. "Yes..."

"Good night then."


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## Masquerade (Nov 18, 2007)

"Oh, and these, too," Cleyra tells her brother, handing him the rest of the new seeds.

"What are these ones?"

"Fruit seeds. The trader said that they'll grow into trees, so try planting them close to the house. Have you got all that?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Just remember, Eriboea will be by to help from time to time, and she knows even more than I do about these things. Listen to whatever she says and the farm will be just fine." She hesitates. "Has mother already gone to sleep?"

"Yes. Shortly after you left. Are...are you going to tell her that you're going?"

"In the morning. I think she will understand."

"You are going to come back, right?" Mathis says with uncharacteristic doubt.

"Of course. You have no need to worry." Another pause. "We should get to bed, too. It's getting really late." Cleyra does feel guilty about leaving her family behind, but she is confident that they will be fine without her, and that she will return. _There really is nothing to worry about_, she reassures herself.


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## Zurai (Nov 19, 2007)

And so the village settles down and attempts to sleep through the long night. Those without homes of their own are housed in the village; those with homes find that an eerie red light filters in through northward-facing windows as the fires on the mountain continue to burn. Eventually, even the most nervous and unsettled villager manages to find their way to the realm of dreams, and the night slowly passes.

When the sun finally creeps over the horizon the following day, people stumble out of their houses into a world draped in ash. The skies are dark with clouds and visibility is so low that neither the river nor the forest can be seen from Cuirlen proper.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 19, 2007)

Thane wakes up, finding himself mostly free of ash due to the thick layer of leaves he slept under.  Squinting and frowning, he pulls out his rarely-used bedroll and one of his new knives.  Slicing a square off the corner, he fashions a crude bandana to fit over his nose and mouth, wetting it from his waterskin to keep keep the worst of the ash out of his lungs.

An hour later he arrives back at the town, and makes his way to the council's building.  He pauses at the door and reaches out a hand, running it along the frame of the door, a look of contemplation on his face.  After a moment, he shakes his head and steps through the door, pulling off the mask.

"I am here."


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## WarShrike (Nov 19, 2007)

Ryon makes his way into town, quietly contemplating the ash covered landscape. It's kind of pretty in a grey colorless way. He makes sure his equipment is ready, having finally decided to strap his new blade to his waist. It felt odd, slapping lightly against his left leg, but he'd get used to it. Growl padded softly behind him, an expression of curiosity on his face, as he studied the land he knew well, so changed.

Arriving at the council hall, he strides in boldly, after shaking the ash from himself and his companion as best he could.

"Ryon Wolfheart reporting in. Am i early?"


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 20, 2007)

Enko's parents were obviously against his leaving, but when he explained the situation to them, with the help of his grandmother he was able to calm them, and get them to accept it.  His sister had little to say about it, but when he left the house that morning she looked like she was trying not to cry as she gave him a farewell hug.  After saying farewell to his family for what he hoped would not be the last time he headed for the council hall.  Hopefully he would get there before everyone else as he wished to speak with Pantheras about Artimisia's feeling.

Closing the door behind him, he shook the ashes from his hair and looked around at those assembled.  "Uh, Master Pantheras...  I need to speak with you about something.  It concerns Artimisia."


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## Masquerade (Nov 20, 2007)

After bidding farewell to her family, Cleyra leaves her home early the next morning, wondering intensely what effect the ash will have on the fertility of the soil. With this thought at mind, she is able to stave off any doubts she may still have about her decision as she makes her way into the town proper.

Cleyra keeps her head high as she steps inside, brushing ashes from her bag and shoulders. She tries to maintain a confident demeanor in order to gain the trust of her new companions. "Greetings, everyone. I am prepared."


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## Shayuri (Nov 20, 2007)

A flurry of coughing and muttered curses precede Erin's arrival. She's dressed in her shepherding clothes...rugged breeches and vest over a light tunic shirt, and carrying her staff. While it's not as glamorous as her party dress, it has a certain tomboyish appeal on her.

She comes in the door, waving in front of her face and grimacing. On seeing everyone there, she looks a little taken aback.

"Oh good...right on time. Carry on."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 21, 2007)

Alistia enters quietly, so much so that hardly anyone notices her arrival; the incongruity of the beautiful young woman wielding the finely crafted hunting- club is striking. She nods at Erin with a nervous slight smile; a smile which gets warmer when she spies Enko. _For all his strangeness, I'm glad he's here._


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## Zurai (Nov 21, 2007)

As each of you enter the ash-covered Council building, you are greeted by old Lempetie, the village historian/bard. "Come in, come in dearies! Here, let me brush all that dreadful ash off you. You're early, you know! Eager to be off are we? Heeee!" she cackles softly to herself, as if she'd just made a joke. "Pantheras and Sotera are out at the moment. Communing with Old Man River, I think. Artemisia likely won't be here til Highsun either - always the punctual little thing, she was. Here, come with me, I'll find you somewhere to sit and bring you some oat-cakes to eat while you wait."

She ushers you into a small antechamber then disappears for a few moments before returning with a tray piled high with oat-cakes and a small pitcher of honey. "Here you are dearies, eat up, eat up! You'll need your strength! Heeee!" Again she laughs to herself.

After setting the tray down, she backs up into one of the remaining chairs in the room and flops down un-gracefully. She grins at you, displaying her nearly-toothless mouth, and asks, "So, tell old Lempetie why you all are willing to risk your lives venturing to the mountain through unknown lands! Heeeeeheheh, I didn't scare you away did I? Heeee!"


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 21, 2007)

Alistia regards the old woman with a mixture of bravado and deference, "I think you might be able to guess why I'm here. When I wanted to become an apprentice to the bardic circle, you said that I didn't have enough experience fof life and that my stories were just the same ones that had been passed down; that I didn't add anything or provide anything new to 'bring some light to the darkness' was how you put it."

She continues, "Well... that's why. So I can bring back new stories, and so we can spread the light of our town and our people into the dark."


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## Masquerade (Nov 21, 2007)

Cleyra ponders for a moment upon the question. She has many reasons, some more personal than others, but it was only at her mentor's advice that she decided to join the expedition. _I can't say I'm here because I believe they need me. I want to seem trustworthy, not pretentious._

_Better give another reason._ She had thought of a few since the night before. "I wish to experience things that have never before been experienced by our people. In returning, I will use that experience for the betterment of our community," she announces in a nearly political fashion.

_Did that sound too constructed?_ "And," she continues, speaking more honestly, "I want to put my talents to use doing something larger than growing crops for once." She sighs, feeling a bit better about herself having said it.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 21, 2007)

Thane speaks quietly.  "The forest is my home, not this village.  If something has happened, then I must first look to the safety of it.  Would you not seek answers if your house was alight?"


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## WarShrike (Nov 21, 2007)

"To boldly go where no Cuirlenian has gone before. To see what lies beyond our meager borders, and to see the lands, creatures, and spirits that live beyond our knowledge. To record it all and bring back maps that will allow Cuirlen to extend it's influence to lands and peoples currently unknown. Think of those travelling merchants. I'm betting they make great profits here. Sure, they bring things we need, but at a high price. If we knew where these other villages were, we'd be able to send out our own traders and get honest deals. I mean, seriously, a pristine white fox fur for a knife? That hide was one in a thousand, yet once the trader laid eyes on it, he wouldn't trade me the blade for anything else. If need be that one fur could have paid for an entire season's grain, or all the exotic spices they had, or whatnot. But no, because these traders are so damned greedy, all i get is a new knife. And i need knives. Livelyhood n all.

And you Limpetie? Since we have time before the council arrives in full, tell us of how we came here? Where did the settlers come from? And why did they leave their home? They all say you were there even then. You were one of the settlers. Please, tell us what you know of the world?"


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 22, 2007)

Enko seems reluctant to answer Lempetie's question, and listens quietly as the others give their own answers, looking concerned.


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## Shayuri (Nov 22, 2007)

Erin just smirks insouciantly.

"Because I can."


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## Zurai (Nov 23, 2007)

Lempetie simply nods as you all answer in turn, then gives you all another toothless grin and waves at the pile of oat cakes and honey. "I said eat up and I meant it! Younglings these days... Heeee!" she cackles to herself for a moment, slumped back in the chair, then leverages back up to look at all of you. She looks strangely serious, now. "Aye, you can go, and you _must_ go. The spirits are confused and wild. I know you can feel them, Enko, and I'll wager even the rest of you are feeling more restless than usual. Something is _wrong_ and we need to find out what it is and how to fix it. We are relying on you brave young people more than you know." She closes her eyes and sighs softly to herself. The silence stretches on for so long that you almost think she's fallen asleep, then her eyes open again, and it seems that her previous mirth is back.

"So, stories I asked of you, and a story you asked of me in return! Heeee! A fair trade, that. Settle in, settle in, eat up! I won't start until you've all had sommat to eat, but I promise you'll have the tale out of me afore you leave."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 23, 2007)

Enko, feeling a bit guilty about not answering Lempetie's question, quickly takes a cake and munches on it quietly.  Grateful that she has not pressed the matter.


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## WarShrike (Nov 23, 2007)

Ryon sets himself up with several cakes slathered with honey and waits for the story, munching quietly.


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## Masquerade (Nov 23, 2007)

Cleyra follows Enko's example, taking one cake for herself. Even after the walk, she hasn't quite regained her hunger since breakfast.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 23, 2007)

Thane takes a cake and looks at it skeptically, taking a few halfhearted nibbles.


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## Shayuri (Nov 23, 2007)

Erin glances at the cakes and doesn't make an immediate move to take one. She squirms a little though, and finally her appetite exceeds her desire to spite the old woman's instruction, and she takes a big bite out of a cake while trying to look nonchalant about it.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 23, 2007)

Alistia has had enough of cakes to last a  life-time. She declines the offer with a slight shake of her head.


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## Zurai (Nov 26, 2007)

After Lempetie watches each of you eat at least one oat-cake - barring Alistia, who she frowns at, but says nothing to - she settles back into her chair and draws a whispy breath.

"So, a story of beginnings, you want, yes?" Her beady brown eyes sweep over the group. "A story of history, then, to bide away the time." Her eyes unfocus then, seeming to stare through the walls of the council building. "I was young, then, even younger than the youngest of you lot. Times were hard. There were spirit-talkers still - I am one, after all - but the people roamed the hills in families instead of living in one place year-round. There were no farmers, only plant-takers who gathered what plants they could find as they travelled. Food was scarce and we had to hoard what we had for the winter, when no plants grew to be gathered and few animals wandered around to be hunted."

Her voice takes on a lilting, sing-song quality as she describes to you over the course of the next half hour the troubles and trials her family faced in the time before Cuirlen. She tells of feast and famine, sickness and fear; she paints livid pictures of the hills her family wandered over the seasons; she spins tales of devastating storms, deadly grass fires, and terrible droughts. All throughout, her gaze remains distant, unfocused, unseeing.

Eventually, her tale winds down to a pause, and she seems to once again remember where, and when, she is. "... but none of that is what you wanted to hear. You want the tale of the founding of Cuirlen. Not as exciting a tale, I fear. In truth, 'twas all the spirits' doing. One summer, each and every spirit talker received a vision of a hilltop overlooking the river and the forest. We all felt it was important to gather our families here. By the end of summer, more people than I had ever seen were gathered on Cuirlen Hill, in tents and rude huts. When the final family arrived, the spirits told us that we should stay here - build permanent homes for the first time ever. They showed some of us how to plant the seeds of the plants we gathered, and they and their families became the farmers. Others were shown how to hunt in the Noonshadow forest, where few had dared to travel before. On and on the spirits revealed secrets until things were much as they are today - farmers and herders, hunters and gatherers, smiths and weavers, bakers and tanners."

As her story finishes, she sinks back into her chair and her eyes half-close. She looks tired; she probably hasn't told a story this long in years.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 26, 2007)

Enko hangs on her every word, and is left speechless by the tail.  It is hard to imagine a time when their was no Cuirlen, but here is living proof.  Still, the story reminds him once again why they must succeed.  They can't go back to the way things were now.


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## WarShrike (Nov 26, 2007)

"Why here Lempetie? Does it have anything to do with that big stone building? It was here before cuirlen was established wasn't it? I'm sorry, for badgering you i mean. I was just thinking that, well, it is made of stone. Like the mountain. Perhaps whoever made it was linked to the mountain spirit. Perhaps before leaving Cuirlen proper, we should take a look inside. Surely if it was build to honor the mountain spirit, it will be displayed properly inside. Enough at least for a spirit-talker to recognize." At this point Ryon looks to Enko pointedly.


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## Masquerade (Nov 27, 2007)

Cleyra tries her best to listen carefully to each word of the story. _Under different circumstances_, she thinks, _this would all be very interesting, but at the moment, I just don't see the relevance._ She left home intending to embark on an adventure, yet now she finds herself listening to these tales from the past. _She must realize we have other things on our minds._

Cleyra wonders if her sudden impatience is just her doubts resurfacing. Putting aside that thought, she tries again to focus on Lempetie's history, managing to take some interest in the mentions of her profession.

As Lempetie finishes, Cleyra gives a few respectful nods, hoping to appear attentive. She tries desperately to think of some question to break the silence, but, luckily, Ryon beats her to it.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 27, 2007)

Surprised by Ryon's question, Alistia considers it. That does seem funny that the one place the spirits would choose would be somewhere that had a big stone building here already. _Maybe the spirits built it a long time ago?_


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## Shayuri (Nov 27, 2007)

Erin fidgets during the story, but manages to control the obnoxious need to yawn pointedly. Even so, when the old timer is done talking, she does complain, "We've all heard that story before. If there's supposed to be some kind of meaning, can't you just tell us? You could say, 'Remember the story of how the village began, because...' and so on."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 28, 2007)

Alistia gapes open-mouthed at Erin's rudeness.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 28, 2007)

"Erin..."  Enko shakes his head, and doesn't say anything else.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 28, 2007)

Thane listens with half an ear, perhaps not the most interested in tales of the town.


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## Shayuri (Nov 28, 2007)

Erin has the good grace at least to blush and look embarrassed.

"I'm just saying...I mean, time -is- an issue here, you know..."


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## Masquerade (Nov 28, 2007)

"Such recklessness already," Cleyra remarks under her breath, sighing. _But...she is right. And that honesty may prove valuable._


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 28, 2007)

Enko shakes his head again, though faster this time to imply disagreement rather than disapproval. "I'm glad to see that you're taking this seriously but we still have to wait for Artimisia and Pantheras."


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## Zurai (Nov 29, 2007)

> "Why here Lempetie? Does it have anything to do with that big stone building? It was here before cuirlen was established wasn't it? I'm sorry, for badgering you i mean. I was just thinking that, well, it is made of stone. Like the mountain. Perhaps whoever made it was linked to the mountain spirit. Perhaps before leaving Cuirlen proper, we should take a look inside. Surely if it was build to honor the mountain spirit, it will be displayed properly inside. Enough at least for a spirit-talker to recognize." At this point Ryon looks to Enko pointedly.




Lempetie just shakes her head. "There's no one that knows that - at least not that anyone's told _me_! The spirits told us to come, and we came. They told us to build, and we built. The results speak for themselves, so far. As for that building - no one's been able to figure out how to get the door to open. It's ancient. Even the spirits don't know anything about it."



> Erin fidgets during the story, but manages to control the obnoxious need to yawn pointedly. Even so, when the old timer is done talking, she does complain, "We've all heard that story before. If there's supposed to be some kind of meaning, can't you just tell us? You could say, 'Remember the story of how the village began, because...' and so on."
> 
> "I'm just saying...I mean, time -is- an issue here, you know..."




Lempetie scowls at Erin. "I was asked to tell the story of the founding of Cuirlen, so the story I told. As for time being an _issue_... you can leave now, if you're so impatient. I'm sure Artemisia will catch up. You'll be missing out on the guidance and provisions from Pantheras, but I'm sure you'll manage. I'll let him know how concerned you were about the timeliness of your task." With that, the old woman creaks to her feet and shuffles off in a huff.


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 29, 2007)

Enko closes his eyes and sighs in exasperation.


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## WarShrike (Nov 29, 2007)

"Maybe theres a window we can climb through?" says Ryon, to no one in particular.


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## Shayuri (Nov 30, 2007)

"Wait! Lemptie! I..." When the old woman hobbles out anyway, Erin leans back and shakes her head exasperatedly at the ceiling.

"I hope I don't get that oversensitive when I'm that old."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 30, 2007)

"That shouldn't be a problem," Thane observes dryly, "I don't particularly foresee you growing old."


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## Masquerade (Nov 30, 2007)

Cleyra restrains herself from giggling as she hears Thane's comment.

Turning a serious face, she addresses him and the group. "Come now, such hostile remarks will get us nowhere. We're allies, remember?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Nov 30, 2007)

Raising an eyebrow, Thane speaks levelly.  "It's not hostile, it's simply a truth.  I don't see myself growing old either.  Of all of us I think I perhaps have the best guess as to what life will be like in the wilds, and it does not bode well for long life.  The land takes as much as she gives."


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## Masquerade (Nov 30, 2007)

"You are also used to operating alone, am I wrong? I believe that, with teamwork and determination, we have little to fear."

_Or, at least, I would like to believe it,_ Cleyra thinks, hoping that the boldness of her statement will allow her to be taken seriously.


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## Shayuri (Nov 30, 2007)

Erin scowls at Thane.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," she informs him loftily. "I have no plans to die."


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## Dire Lemming (Nov 30, 2007)

"The spirits will guide us safely through this... If we are willing to listen."  Enko says calmly.  Looking at Erin and Thane in turn.  "Let's stop bickering, Pantheras will be here soon."


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 30, 2007)

Alistia looks at her new companions with mild disapproval as they bicker and try to get one up on each other.

"You know... instead of listening to the sound of your own voices, perhaps you ought to listen to what people have to say. You all act like you know so much, but at the end of the day, none of us knows anything about anything. And telling us we're all going to die is not what we need to hear. The spirits have chosen us. We should try to live up to that."

She turns, mildly embarrased at lecturing people her own age who are more talented than her, and goes after Lempetie.


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## WarShrike (Nov 30, 2007)

"You are not the only one who was brought up in the wild, Thane. And while i recognize the danger in our task, i don't get a feeling of our impending doom. As long as we all rely on each other in situations each of us are best suited to, and work together, i see no reason we shouldn't return safely. That said, the forest we must travel through, where the dark spirits dwell, will be quite dangerous. Tis a place where the struggle between life and death are daily occurences, and there will be no room for arrogance or petty bickering. Artemisia, Thane, and myself are in our element there. I expect compliance if one of us gives a directive, as i would comply with Enko on matters concerning the spirits who speak to him. For i lay it out plainly now, so there are no misunderstandings. As far as i myself am concerned, if you can't or won't heed those who know the particular situation best, you are on your own. The very survival of all of Cuirlen and the surrounding hamlets may well depend on the success of our mission, and i personnaly won't be throwing all that away for one person's pride."

Ryon looks around the room as he speaks, making eye contact with every person present. When he's finnished, he looks stoicly towards the entrance, waiting for the elders to return, and munches on some more cakes.


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## Masquerade (Nov 30, 2007)

Cleyra nods as Ryon turns his eyes in her direction. "I agree," she announces as he completes the speech.

Although she _does_ agree that they must work together, she is made a bit uncomfortable with the idea of taking orders from the others in the group.


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## Lorthanoth (Nov 30, 2007)

Alistia goes to the old woman, and misses Ryon sounding off about something or other. He was going to be insufferable she realised.


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## Shayuri (Dec 1, 2007)

Erin's expression darkens at Ryon's declaration.

"Expect compliance...Alistia, wait up!"

She hurries out to accompany the girl. Outside she calls to Lempetie and goes to tug on the old woman's sleeve.

"Wait! I'm sorry. I...I'm just really excited, and a little scared and I wasn't watching what I said. I didn't mean to make you angry."

_There...maybe NOW they won't all hate me..._


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## Zurai (Dec 3, 2007)

> Alistia goes to the old woman, and misses Ryon sounding off about something or other.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...




Lempetie turns to face you again, leaning on a crooked stick, and lets out a soft sigh. "There are lessons and then there are lessons, young lady. Let this be your lesson from me, then, since a lesson you wanted: _Respect given is respect earned_. You will be going out far beyond where anyone in living memory has travelled and interacting with beings no one here has ever interacted with. If you treat them without thought to the consequences, your worries will go beyond hurting poor old Lempetie's feelings. I do not wish you ill, child; go now back to your companions and wait for Artemisia and Pantheras. They should not be long; I can feel in my bones that it's nearly time for my nap, which means the sun has almost crested the sky. I wish you all well in your journey." So saying, she turns and shuffles off deeper into the building.

"Bring me back your story, so that it can be sung for the following generations as an example to all..." She half-whispers as she disappears around a corner.


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 3, 2007)

Enko gets up and follows Erin a short way, wondering just what she is up to, but stops a few feet away from them when her intentions become clear.  _Thank the spirits, I knew she wasn't hopeless._ he thinks to himself with a faint smile.


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## Zurai (Dec 4, 2007)

Shortly after Alistia and Erin return from apologizing to Lempetie, the outside door swings open and a swirl of ash-laden air gusts into the room, followed closely by a tall, cloaked figure. The figure turns and closes the door securely, then lowers the hood of its cloak, revealing itself to be Artemisia. The huntress shakes the ashes off her cloak then looks around the room at those gathered.

"Well. At least everyone's here. Where is Pantheras? We should be on our way soon, if we want to get anywhere today."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 4, 2007)

Enko returns to the main room to greet Artimisia.  "Hello Artimisia!  Pantheras still has not arrived.  In fact, I have not seen him since he made the lists yesterday though I sought him afterwards with questions."  He slowly shakes his head.  "Um, so, how is the storm out there?  Is it getting any better?"


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## Masquerade (Dec 4, 2007)

"Lempetie said Pantheras was communing with Old Man River," Cleyra adds. "I'm not yet worried by his absence."


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## Shayuri (Dec 6, 2007)

Erin watches the old woman leave, not sure how to feel.

She gives Alistia a look, then shrugs and heads back into the meeting place...not saying a word for once.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 7, 2007)

Thane nods briefly to Artimisia, but doesn't speak, apparently having exhausted his daily ration of words already.


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## Zurai (Dec 8, 2007)

Artemisia leans against a wall, shaking her hair out, and says simply, "Then we wait."

_____________________

The group waits in the small antechamber for another quarter-turn, making small talk (or not, as their preference lay). The wind howls around the eaves of the council building and rattles the shutters occasionally, but when the door opens again, no wind-borne ash swirls inside. Instead, Pantheras strides into the chamber, then turns and holds the door open for a younger woman with tiny wavelets splashing and dancing around her feet. Whether through direct knowledge or inference, it's easy to place the woman as Sotera, the spirit-talker marked by Old Man River.

Sotera smiles at the gathered party, then crouches down and appears to address the waves at her feet. The words that pour from her mouth are indecipherable, sounding like the crash of waves on a shore or the gentle trickle of a forest stream. When she finishes speaking, each of the wavelets seems to twist upwards and evaporate into the air, almost like a reverse rainstorm. She turns her attention again to the group, curtsies, and says, "My apologies for our lateness. Our communion with Old Man River disturbed a crocodile and we had to start over again after soothing it."

Pantheras also apologizes. "I had intended to have you on your way well before highsun. Still, there is news you will need to know, and I have provisions for you inside. Come, let us talk in the council chamber, where there is less noise from the wind to interfere" He leads you all into the large circular center chamber and takes one seat at the round table in the middle of the room, gesturing for you each to take a seat as well. On the table are seven bundles; inside each bundle are an assortment of food and basic survival tools, as well as three small clay pots, each a different color.

"There is enough food in each of those bundles to last you a week, and gear to keep you safe and warm in the wilderness. The pots contain magical drinks from Phaidros; the blue pot will close wounds and restore strength to your body, the red pot will protect you from extreme heat or cold, and the green pot will allow you to see more easily in the darkness.

"In addition to these gifts, we have some information for you. After a discussion with the traders and our communion with Old Man River, we believe that you may be able to follow the banks of the Spiritwash River through the forest nearly to the base of the mountains. However, there is a great expanse of water there that you would have to cross. Another possible route would be to skirt the edge of the Noonshadow Forest westward; the traders say that the forest eventually turns northwards and ends at the base of the southernmost end of the mountains. The most direct route would be to cut a path straight through the Noonshadow Forest, which will avoid the great water and hasten your passage by many days; with the ash storm, it might even be preferable to stay under the canopy as long as you can.

"It will be your decision which path you take. The spirits do not know which way will provide the least danger or the highest chance of success." As Pantheras finishes speaking, Sotera again addresses you.

"If you choose to follow the river, I can provide you with charms that should quiet the currents and allow you to cross easily, but they will only work once."

[sblock=OOC]Feel free to make comments at any point during this section. If you want to ask Sotera about the wavelets, or whatever, feel free to do so. I just figured that the thread has been slow lately, so I thought I'd speed things up a bit.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Dec 8, 2007)

"I've travelled the forest since i began taking my first steps. That is where i am most comfortable" Ryon says. Drawing forth his shortsword, he lays it on the table. "Have you ever seen it's like before, Pantheras?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 8, 2007)

Enko is about to speak to Pantheras and Sotera when Ryon suddenly reveals his bizarrely massive blade.  He stares at it mutely for several moments, feeling strangely uncomfortable.  "Um, Pantheras, I actually wanted to speak with you about something."


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## Zurai (Dec 8, 2007)

WarShrike said:
			
		

> Drawing forth his shortsword, he lays it on the table. "Have you ever seen it's like before, Pantheras?"




Pantheras runs one hand over the blade, then shivers and cradles the hand against his chest. "I have never seen its like. The blade is far too big to be used as a tool; it makes me uneasy. Where did you find it?"



> "Um, Pantheras, I actually wanted to speak with you about something."




"Yes, Enko? What is it?"


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## Shayuri (Dec 8, 2007)

Curious, Erin goes over to see what the commotion is about the blade. Quoth tilts his head and flaps down from his perch on her shoulder to peck at the sword experimentally.

_"CAUGH!...shiny..."_

"Shiny and sharp," Erin warns the bird as she reaches out to stroke its somehow shaggy-looking head. His feathers are still fluffed from getting all ashy outside, though he's dislodged most of the powder by now.


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 8, 2007)

Alistia turns to Erin and says quietly, "Seems like the river would be the safest to me, if we have charms to help us, rather than the forest."


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## WarShrike (Dec 8, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> Pantheras runs one hand over the blade, then shivers and cradles the hand against his chest. "I have never seen its like. The blade is far too big to be used as a tool; it makes me uneasy. Where did you find it?"




"I purchased it from one of the traveling tradesmen. The one that brings the iron knives. He himself claims not to know it's true origin or purpose, although he did say that it would cut through bronze with ease, and that to his way of thinking, it's purpose was merely to kill. It made me very uncomfortable, the way he described it, but at the time, i was overcome by the feeling that i would need such a blade in the near future. For use against the dark spirits of the forest. Do you think the spirits were trying to warn me?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 8, 2007)

"A blade made only to kill...  Why would someone create such a thing?"  Enko shakes his head in disbelief.  "It's hard to believe, though it's right in front of me..."  He looks downward for a moment, looking concerned, then looks up again at Artimisia.  "Uh, Artimisia.  I think we should speak to Pantheras about what we discussed yesterday.  Is... that alright with you?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 8, 2007)

WarShrike said:
			
		

> "I've travelled the forest since i began taking my first steps. That is where i am most comfortable" Ryon says.




"I agree with Ryon," says Thane abruptly.  "The river may be safer, but it is unknown to us, we would do best to keep to the forest, where the hunters have the most experience.  It will also give us a better chance to gauge the disturbance among the spirits.  Were we to take the river we would have little to compare it to."


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## Zurai (Dec 9, 2007)

> "Do you think the spirits were trying to warn me?"




Pantheras looks troubled, but only says, "The spirits move in mysterious ways. Perhaps it was a warning that this blade will be needed; perhaps it was a warning that this blade will bring doom. Perhaps it was even nothing more than the wind down your back. I cannot tell you."



> ""Uh, Artimisia. I think we should speak to Pantheras about what we discussed yesterday. Is... that alright with you?"



[sblock=Enko OOC]I'll give you a break and say Pantheras didn't overhear your question or her response, being too busy talking about the steel sword [/sblock]

Artemisia's eyes flash with anger as she glares at Enko. "What I _confided _to you and specifically said I did _not_ want to talk to Pantheras about?" she hisses. "No, I don't really think that _is_ alright."

She turns away from Enko, her shoulders stiff, and addresses Ryon and Thane. "I agree that going straight through the forest would probably be wisest. Not because we know what's there already - no one's been that deep in the forest - but because it's the quickest route. _All_ of the routes will take us through untold miles of uncharted territory, each with its own danger. The less time we spend in unknown lands, the safer we'll be."



> ""The river may be safer, but it is unknown to us..."
> "The less time we spend in unknown lands..."




Sotera responds in a teasing voice, "Who says the river is unknown? I can provide a map of its entire course and the lands it moves through. I can't help with what lies beyond the river's banks, though." 

She closes her eyes and begins to chant softly. "Sslish verash quoirashs veliashs, yss juroshk, yss deliash..." As she chants the words to her spell, she takes a small waterskin from her belt and spills the water onto the council table. As her cadence picks up, the water seperates out into dozens of individual droplets and each begins to jump around as if it were a drop of grease on a griddle. When she reaches the crescendo of the spell, a look of sheer joy on her face, the droplets _twist_ and expand, and the table is covered with hundreds of tiny, animated waves, similar to the ones that escorted her into the council building earlier.

The spell completed, she removes a long, narrow leather strip and a vial of black dye from a pouch at her side. She stretches the leather out onto the table, then pours the dye out next to it. Immediately, the wavelets converge on the inky mess, soaking up all the dye. She lowers her head and quietly asks a question to the wavelets, and they begin to dance and cavort across the leather strip. In a matter of seconds, the dye has been spread out in thin trails and curls that clearly show the Spiritwash River's path north from Cuirlen, as well as a limited amount of detail of the river's shore. At the far north end of the river, it opens out into a wide basin, which the wavelets seem disinclined to map out fully.

Once they fulfill Sotera's request, the wavelets surge towards her, and she laughs and stretches her hand out. They climb up her arm and over and across her body, quickly drenching her. She smiles at the group, obviously not the slightest bit concerned either with being wet or being a playground for such odd creatures, and pushes the leather strip closer so that it may be examined in detail. Of note is the fact that there are no mountains indicated anywhere along the river.


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## Shayuri (Dec 9, 2007)

Lorthanoth said:
			
		

> Alistia turns to Erin and says quietly, "Seems like the river would be the safest to me, if we have charms to help us, rather than the forest."




Erin watches and listens to everyone, then shrugs.

"I think it's a wash, really. River has clean water and lots of food. Forest has easy shelter. If I had to pick, I'd say we go through the forest, but stay near the river. That way if one starts getting bad for some reason, we just switch to the other."

She pauses, then adds, "Sotera, what -are- those things?"

Quoth the Raven flaps to the table and eyes where the dancing water had just vacated, clearly hoping to nab one. He ruffles his feathers disappointedly when he sees they're gone.


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## Zurai (Dec 9, 2007)

> Erin pauses, then adds, "Sotera, what -are- those things?"




Sotera smiles serenely as the things in question play with her hair, making it stream out around her as if she were underwater. "They are the River's children and my companions. Some day, long in the future, each will be a river or stream somewhere in the land; for now, Old Man River sends them to me so that we each may learn from the other."



> Quoth the Raven flaps to the table and eyes where the dancing water had just vacated, clearly hoping to nab one.




Sotera giggles and extends a finger towards the raven. One of the river's children darts down her arm and splashes onto the raven's beak, making Quoth squawk in surprise and beat his wings. It makes a quick exploration of the bird, despite its host's raucous protests, then drops back to the table, nimbly dodging Quoth's retaliatory pecks.


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## Shayuri (Dec 9, 2007)

"Awwwrgh!" Quoth caws. "Do not want!"

He flaps to Erin's shoulder and frantically preens himself while Erin glares.

"That wasn't..." she pauses, then amends, "...was only mildly funny."


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## WarShrike (Dec 9, 2007)

Lorthanoth said:
			
		

> Alistia turns to Erin and says quietly, "Seems like the river would be the safest to me, if we have charms to help us, rather than the forest."






			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> "I think it's a wash, really. River has clean water and lots of food. Forest has easy shelter. If I had to pick, I'd say we go through the forest, but stay near the river. That way if one starts getting bad for some reason, we just switch to the other."




Looking at each of the women in turn, Ryon says: "I see wisdom in both suggestions, although, to be honest, i do not like the idea of this 'great expanse of water' that we would have to cross. Also, the river provides us with no cover from unfriendly eyes, and the dark spirits of the forest must also go to the river to drink." That said, Ryon flashes them a smile. "However, your opinions matter as much as anyone elses, perhaps more even, considering that if we follow, or remain near, the river, we also have a map to guide us." Ryon looks at each member of the expidition in turn, and says: "Let us each then say what is in our hearts and hold nothing back. For whatever course we choose to follow in the end, we will be committed to it, for better or worse."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 9, 2007)

"If I had more to say," remarks Thane simply, "I would have said it before."


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 9, 2007)

"The forest scares me." says Alistia defiantely. "There you go, I said it. We have a map of the river and we should at least follow it's course. I don't care how many of you claim to know the forest and all its ways; w're going where none of you, none of us have gone. The river has given us this, and I think we should use some sense."

She looks at each one in turn, trying to sway them to argument through sheer force of personality.

"We'd be foolish to spurn a map, in favour of something that will be completely unknown to us. The river is on our 'side', you might say, it's done something to help. I'm not sure the forest is with us, and I don't want to find out what might happen if it isn't."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 9, 2007)

Enko recoils from Artimisia's sudden harsh tone, and is so bothered by it that he ends up missing most of the other's conversations.  He finally speaks again with a hesitant start.  "I- think that- that if there is anything else that anyone can think of to add, that might have anything to do with this, it would help with our decision."  He glances quickly at Artimisia, meeting her eyes for just a moment before looking away again.  "Even if you... may not think that other's would consider it important...  I think that we must be able to put our trust in one another if we are going to survive."


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 9, 2007)

Alisitia sigh, "Enko, I was just saying what I thought we should do; weren't you listening?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 9, 2007)

"I- yes, but..." Enko again glances at Artimisia.  "I'm... saying that we should all be certain we have shared everything we can think of that might possibly be important."


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## Masquerade (Dec 9, 2007)

"I agree with Alistia," Cleyra announces, speaking up for the first time after giving consideration to all the options. "Safety, not expeditiousness, should be our priority. The journey will be dangerous enough without us marching through the darkest depths of the woods--I suggest we take whatever help we can get."

"We _should_ be thanking Sotera and Old Man River for presenting us with this opportunity, not bickering over it.


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## Shayuri (Dec 9, 2007)

(HO HO HO... Sense Motive: 20 (natural 19) http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1415432 Who be in trouble? YOU be in trouble!)

Erin, standing back a bit, narrows her eyes a little at Enko's constant looks at Artimisia. Obviously the boy was besotted with her, anyone with eyes could see that. This seemed different though. The feeling she had was similar to the one Quoth had when eying a nice polished button.

_Shiiiiny..._

There was something -between- Enko and Arti...something stretched and strained. Not romance, but even better. A -secret-.

How delightful.

Now she just had to decide which one to peck first to see if they'd let go. Between the two, she'd bet wool against silk that Enko was the weaker link.

Erin wanders over to stand near Enko, but doesn't look at him or seem to notice that he's there.

"Based on what we all now know," she begins innocently, "and I'm sure no one's held anything important back, I stand by what I've already said. Follow the river's course in the forest just off the bank."

She nods, and drifts over to stand by herself at the doorway to peer pensively out...making sure there's plenty of room and quiet for a guilty soul in need of confession to feel safe in.


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 9, 2007)

Alistia nods, "Thank you Cleyra. Yes, we should follow the course of the river; if there were a boat large enough for all of us I would suggest we use that, and we could go quickly downstream and also avoid any trouble on shore."

Alisitia looks at Erin suspiciously, _What_ is _she doing?_

She then turns her attention back to the majority of the group, especially Thane and Ryon, "I'm glad that the rest of us, who aren't so knowledgable about the wild and can't hear a twig snap at a thousand paces and talk to savage beasts, have been allowed to have our say. I'm also glad to see that our opinions won't be discounted immediately."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 9, 2007)

Thane raises an eyebrow.  "Do you believe we should give your opinions more weight precisely because you don't have any idea what you're talking about?  We'll be traveling longer than the rations will hold out, and while I cannot speak for Ryon, I can't promise I can hunt to fill the whole party on the riverbank.  I may not have a map, but I know the forest as well as anyone."


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## WarShrike (Dec 9, 2007)

Ryon seems momentarily speechless after Alistia's remark. He glances at thane for a moment, then shifts his glance to Growl, sitting beside him, and cocks his head at the wolf. Growl cocks his head in response. "Well, Growl ol boy, looks like we've just been snubbed, and after being genuinely intrested in their opinions." Shifting his gaze back to Thane, he continues: "It's a good thing we are so knowledgeable about the wild, and can hear a twig snap at a thousand paces, and can talk to savage beasts, because we obviously don't belong in polite company. In retrospect, it's a good thing we held a firm grasp on the basics of the langueage here in Cuirlen. Could you imagine how hard it would be to trade our furs if we could only growl and bark?" Ryon then turns back to growl and plays good-naturedly with his ears.

As he plays with Growl's ears, he says: "Hunting the riverbank would indeed be difficult. We would have to either fish for food, or slay aligators. But as Thane says, i cannot guarantee success."


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## Zurai (Dec 9, 2007)

Artemisia is quiet for a while, seemingly lost in thought. When she looks up again, there is a look of determination on her face. She starts to speak slowly and deliberately, but her words soon bely her passion. "I cannot offer a map of the forest, nor a charm to negate its dangers, nor even true knowledge of what dangers it holds so far from Cuirlen." She sweeps her gaze across those assembled, drawing strength as she talks. "What I can offer is a certainty that we _will_ have to cross the forest at some point. Every path has dangers. Even here, at the nearest point of the river, Pantheras and Sotera themselves disturbed a crocodile. Do any of you - any of you who will be going on this journey - think you can _persuade_ a twelve-foot eating machine to leave us alone, as they did? I certainly can't, unless arrows count as persuasion."

She stands up from her chair and begins to pace, like a caged lion. Her eyes are like living green flames. "In the forest, I know how to find shelter. In the forest, I know how to find food. In the forest, I know how to avoid many common dangers. I'm sure Ryon and Thane, and maybe even Enko, can as well. Can any of us say the same for the river? Can you, Erin? You, Alistia? Cleyra?

"Sotera will not be going with us. I appreciate the help she has given us, truly I do. But her map _does not lead us to the mountains_. We don't even know where we'll need to leave the river to reach the mountains. On top of all of that, we have no idea how long this ash is going to continue to fall. I know you all saw what it looked like out there when you came here this morning. Imagine the river choked with ash, its banks thick and heavy with the stuff. Do _you_ want to drink ash with your water? Do you want to walk hundreds of miles through thick wet ash - as bad as snow, I'd bet - and _not even be at our destination yet_?

"On the other hand, if we go by forest, the thick canopy will shield us from the worst of the ash. I know; I slept out in the forest last night. I didn't even realize there was ash falling until I had already broken my fast and left the forest for the village. Heavier ashfalls will likely break the canopy, but there will at least be shelter and probably clean, clear water in forest pools. Normally going through the forest is slower than open ground... but not in poor weather. And, as I've already mentioned, going straight through the forest is by far the shortest route in actual distance." She whirls in place, turning to face everyone again, her eyes blazing with passion. "So *I* say the choice is clear. Go straight into the heart of the Noonshadow Forest and spend the least time overall, staying in the most familiar terrain. Go in, do what we came to, and get out. What say you?" Her cheeks are flushed as she closes her argument.


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 9, 2007)

Alistia gapes at the two men and then laughs in shock, "Oh my life! It was a joke!" she shake her head slightly at the mis-understanding "Ryon, Thane..." she says as she spreads her arms in an open gesture, and says to them both in a kind manner, "We all appreciate your knowledge and experience, but this is what I'm talking about; we can't just rely on you and Artemisia. We need you to *teach* us, rather than *lead* us. We can all learn something from each other. Maybe I can teach you both to bake the perfect honey-cake?" she grins.

OOC: I suppose we can assume she said this before Artemisia's speech?


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## Zurai (Dec 9, 2007)

Lorthanoth said:
			
		

> OOC: I suppose we can assume she said this before Artemisia's speech?




OOC: That's fine.


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## Masquerade (Dec 9, 2007)

"As far as food is concerned, I am confident that I can forage enough to feed myself, at least, regardless of which route we take. As for the crocodiles," she pauses, contemplating Artemisia's "eating machine" comment for a moment, "we need only stick together."

"I am hesitant to suggest it, but may I propose we decide our route by vote?" Cleyra is smart enough to realize that, as things stand, she is setting her side up to lose, but she does not wish to frustrate herself further by arguing with those who will only refuse to listen.


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 9, 2007)

Enko continues to look uncomfortable throughout everyones discussions and speeches, though he does not add anything to them himself.  Anyone sensitive to this kind of thing would think he was building up the courage to say something he really didn't want to.  Finally he takes a deep breath and says, rather anticlimactically.  "Artimisia, I- I need to speak with you...  Before we make this decision." he is blushing very noticeably.


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## Shayuri (Dec 9, 2007)

Erin turns back to look into the room and shrugs.

"I honestly don't care which way we go," she says. "I'm a weaver. Rivers, forests...it's all the same to me."


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## WarShrike (Dec 9, 2007)

Ryon gives Enko a huge smirk. "Enko, now is not the time to visit the bubbling springs. The darkness of night will fall all the more swiftly now with so much ash in the air, and so we must be off as soon as possible. As for the route, i am undecided, and therefore will not vote, but will follow the majority. For while i would prefer to cut through the forest, the fact that we would be in the open following the river means that unlike in the forest, we would actually be able to _*see*_ the mountain. Ash or no, it probably burns still. Surely the closer we get, the more we will be able to see it. But under the trees, with the ash acting as a thatched roof, we will see nothing of the mountain or it's flames. The dark spirits in the forest will also be agitated by whats happenned. I believe they would be much more inclined to act irregularily, and therefore, differently than what we would expect, making the woods all the more dangerous. Therefore, as i said, i am undecided."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 9, 2007)

"N-no, that's not- I mean-" It looks like Erin has been trying to drown Enko in one of her dye vats.


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 9, 2007)

Alistia thinks for a second and says, "I agree with Ryon; we have a map for the river, but Artemisia points out that we don't know for sure how we'll get to the mountain. We don't have a map of the forest but we have people who know it well. I really wish we could do both, send one group to follow the path of Old Man River and another to seek the trail in the forest, but... we can't do that."

She turns to Sotera and Pantheras, "If I may be so bold, what would *you* do in our place? We would value your counsel now."


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## Zurai (Dec 10, 2007)

> Finally Enko takes a deep breath and says, rather anticlimactically.  "Artimisia, I- I need to speak with you...  Before we make this decision." he is blushing very noticeably.




Artemisia stares at Enko long and hard, then whirls, her hair fanning out behind her, and heads for the hallway, jerkily motioning for him to follow.

[sblock=Enko]As soon as the door closes behind you, Artemisia lights into you. "Do you _normally_ take things people tell you in confidence and blab it all to the next authority figure you see, or am I getting the _special _treatment?" Her voice drips with sarcasm.
[/sblock]



> Alistia turns to Sotera and Pantheras, "If I may be so bold, what would you do in our place? We would value your counsel now."




Sotera grins and asks, "I'm a bit biased, don't you think?" She tosses her head, creating a fine spray of mist from her wet hair. "Obviously I would go by river."[sblock=Alistia and Cleyra]Her curious choice of words makes you wonder if she didn't mean that a little more literally than it seems.[/sblock]

Pantheras, on the other hand, slumps forward, resting his elbows on the table and shaking his head slowly. "If I were in your place, the expedition would fail regardless. I'm too _old_ to go exploring unknown lands. Some days I'm lucky to make it here from my own home!" he chuckles drily. "I think Artemisia's words have merit. The direct route may not be the easiest, but it should by all rights be the quickest - and speed has a way of avoiding danger, sometimes. Not to mention... the sooner you soothe the spirits, the less danger we will all be in."


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## Masquerade (Dec 10, 2007)

"Sotera..."

Cleyra proceeds reluctantly, hoping that she has not misunderstood. "Would you? Would you come with us until we part ways with the river?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 10, 2007)

Enko is genuinely hurt by Artimisia's harsh words, and looks it.  Despite his continued believe that what he did was right he cannot help but feel guilty.  "I thought... well... I just thought that if another spirit talker spoke to Pantheras about it he might listen...  It seems like it's important, and you said that you had not told him about what you felt yesterday..."


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## Zurai (Dec 11, 2007)

> Cleyra proceeds reluctantly, hoping that she has not misunderstood. "Would you? Would you come with us until we part ways with the river?"




Sotera smiles sadly, but it is Pantheras that replies in a firm voice, "No. Sotera must stay here, at Cuirlen." He offers no explanation, and the look on his face suggests that it would be unwise to ask for one.



[sblock=Enko]







> Enko is genuinely hurt by Artimisia's harsh words, and looks it. Despite his continued believe that what he did was right he cannot help but feel guilty. "I thought... well... I just thought that if another spirit talker spoke to Pantheras about it he might listen... It seems like it's important, and you said that you had not told him about what you felt yesterday..."




She tries hard to continue being angry with you, but your hurt look and your apologetic tone quickly breaks down Artemisia's resistance. Her shoulders slump and the fire goes out of her eyes. "Enko..." she sighs softly, her head bent. "I told you last night that Pantheras thinks I'm delusional. Well... it goes a little further than that, I'm afraid. When my mother first brought me to him, he was angry. I've never seen him so angry since. He said that the spirits don't make mistakes, that no one can hear the spirits who wasn't blessed at birth, and that therefore I couldn't be hearing the spirits. He took me aside and told me... I was five years old... he told me that I was lying, and that if I kept lying I would be exiled." 

Tears fill her emerald green eyes and trickle down her cheeks, while her voice grows hoarse and ragged. "He said that my family has always been trouble, and my mother was should have been exiled since she wouldn't ever say who my father was. He... he t-told me that if... if I ever told anyone ... he'd have us b-both _exiled_!" She whirls away from you as she breaks down completely, sobbing into her hands.[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 11, 2007)

Erin rubs her nose and glances towards the hallway Artimisia and Enko vanished down.

"Fine, the fast way then. That sounds good to me too, as long as we can just go."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 11, 2007)

Enko starts to move towards Artimisia to... actually he doesn't know what.  He stops and stares at her flabbergastedly.  "B- but... ... ... Why would...  That's..."  After sputtering pointlessly for a few seconds, he again falls silent.  _How could this be true?  Pantheras would never do such a thing, yet Artimisia wouldn't lie about such a thing either..._ 

He slowly walks up beside her and puts a gentle hand on her shoulder.  Wanting to simply embrace her, to reasure her that everything would be alright, but knowing of course that he couldn't.  It was as likely as not that they wouldn't even be alive in a few days.  "A- Artimisia? ...  I ... I can't imagine why Pantheras would say such a thing... I...  I won't say anything to him about this, I promise... You can't keep hiding this forever though.  I have a feeling that this is important, will be important to us on this journey.  Look, I..."  Enko pauses abruptly looking for a moment even more pained than he had for Artimisia's sake this entire time.  "I promise I won't let you, your mother, anyone, be exiled, never again... I..."  He stutters to a stop, and looks nervous as if he has said more than he meant to.


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## Zurai (Dec 12, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]







> He slowly walks up beside her and puts a gentle hand on her shoulder. Wanting to simply embrace her, to reasure her that everything would be alright, but knowing of course that he couldn't. It was as likely as not that they wouldn't even be alive in a few days. "A- Artimisia? ... I ... I can't imagine why Pantheras would say such a thing... I... I won't say anything to him about this, I promise... You can't keep hiding this forever though. I have a feeling that this is important, will be important to us on this journey. Look, I..." Enko pauses abruptly looking for a moment even more pained than he had for Artimisia's sake this entire time. "I promise I won't let you, your mother, anyone, be exiled, never again... I..." He stutters to a stop, and looks nervous as if he has said more than he meant to.



Artemisia turns around at your touch, her green eyes luminous and vulnerable, her cheeks flushed and her lips slightly parted. For a moment, it almost seems like she's going to fling herself into your arms, but all she does is rest one slim hand on yours. She brings her other hand up to her face in a futile attempt at dashing the tears from her cheek, sniffles, and quietly says, "Thank you, Enko. I'm sorry for burdening you with all of my problems." Her eyes drop from yours and she takes a small step back, letting your hand fall from her shoulder but still holding it with hers. "I hope you can forgive me for yelling at you."
[/sblock]



> "Fine, the fast way then. That sounds good to me too, as long as we can just go."



Seeing no disagreement from the others, Pantheras stands, Sotera a half second behind him, her eyes downcast. "Well, if that's all, then I won't hold you any further. May the spirits be with you."
"Spirits be with you."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 12, 2007)

Thane shoulders his bow and checks his daggers almost without thinking, then turns to the other explorers with a nod.  "If we stay light on our feet and make haste we should be able to make it to the forest edge quickly.  Staying in the open ash is most likely not a good idea, we do not know what ill effects it might have."  The young hunter is brisk, clearly eager to leave the houses and streets of the town behind and get back into the woods.

[sblock=OOC]
Thane is essentially proposing that the party hustle for the distance to the forest edge - which doesn't have much statistical downside (1 nonlethal damage if it would normally take more than two hours), but may or may not be welcomed by the more *ahem* sedentary members of the party 
[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 12, 2007)

Alistia chews her lip in frustration and at Sotera's obvious discomfort, and then narrows her eyes at Thane's commanding tone.

_I'll show you..._

Brightly she says to the group, "Yes, let's go then. We can't hang around here all day!"

[sblock=ooc]Alistia gets all G.I. Jane from here on in haha[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 13, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]Enko slowly nods, speaking in as soothing a voice as he can muster given the recent revelations. "Of course.  I... probably would have acted in the same way.  Really, it's not a burden.  In fact I'm glad you told me.  Maybe I can do something to help.  Um, here."  He extends his hand to her, holding a small piece of cloth.[/sblock]

OOC: For some reason it didn't occur to me to put my replies in sblocks until now.  Sorry about that.


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## WarShrike (Dec 13, 2007)

With a resigned look, Ryon slips his blade back in it's sheath, readies his bow, and ruffles Growl's ears. "Fine then, let's move. All the talking in the world won't get us into that forest."


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## Shayuri (Dec 13, 2007)

Nearly hopping with excitement, Erin waves at Sotera and Pantheras, and calls 'goodbye!' as she heads out the door. Quoth flaps up to ride on her shoulder just before she makes it out.

Outside she deftly wraps her silk scarf around her nose and mouth to provide some protection against the ash, and walks restlessly around as she waits for the others.


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## Masquerade (Dec 14, 2007)

Cleyra reshoulders her pack as she quietly follows her companions outside. She tries to appear stoic in order to hide her obvious disappointment. _He could have at least offered an explanation,_ she thinks, still wondering about Sotera. _Things were so close to working out for us, but now, here we are, marching toward the unknown without a guide._ She is not at all pleased to have seen her plan so swiftly shot down by Pantheras.

She looks ahead, toward Thane. _Let us all hope his confidence is not misplaced._


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## Zurai (Dec 14, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]







> Enko slowly nods, speaking in as soothing a voice as he can muster given the recent revelations. "Of course. I... probably would have acted in the same way. Really, it's not a burden. In fact I'm glad you told me. Maybe I can do something to help. Um, here." He extends his hand to her, holding a small piece of cloth.




Artemisia accepts the cloth gratefully, daubing the tears from her cheeks. She looks like she's about to say something more, but then the handle on the council chamber's door begins to turn and she hastily pulls her hand from yours and steps back further away from you.[/sblock]

As the group from the council chamber files into the hallway where Enko and Artemisia were talking, Artemisia asks, "Are we leaving, then? What path was decided?"

[sblock=DC 10 spot check]Her cheeks are flushed and moist and she's holding a damp cloth in one hand.[/sblock]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 14, 2007)

Thane's eyes linger a moment on Artimisia's cheeks (Into the New World: Spot Check (Post #229) (1d20+6=12)), but he only says "We go by the forest, and we should make speed until we have reached the edge, staying out in the open is a bad plan right now."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 14, 2007)

Enko quickly steps in front of Artimisia and says as distractingly as possible,  "Good to know, come on Artimisia, can't leave our packs behind can we?" Enko tries to pull her past the others into the main room where he left his backpack before the they get a good look at her face.


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## WarShrike (Dec 14, 2007)

DC 10 Spot Check (1d20+5=24)
Ryon sighs deeply. "This is going to be a long trip."


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## Zurai (Dec 15, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> "We go by the forest, and we should make speed until we have reached the edge, staying out in the open is a bad plan right now."




"Agreed. Let's move, then."

Artemisia and Enko gather their gear from the Council chamber, and the party sets off. The landscape is shrouded in deep layers of ashfall, although for the moment the skies are clear. Within the village proper, trails and paths have been blazed through the ashes covering the main streets, but once the group starts down the hill they have to break their own trail. The view from the top of the hill looking towards the forest is at once beautiful and terrible to behold. It's as if the color has been leached from the world, leaving the normally vibrant countryside a lifeless charnel gray - and yet, the ash throws the world into stark contrast. Every shrub, sapling, and tree appears as a statue of intricately worked granite.

Off in the distance, the Noonshadow forest is the only visible color. While the canopy of the forest is mostly the same ash-gray as the rest of the landscape, the wind has sifted enough of the ash out of the treetops that some green shows through, almost like a beacon of hope.

It takes a couple hours for the seven of you to make your way to the edge of the forest, but there are still several hours of daylight left when, at last, you begin making your way between the towering tree trunks. As expected, there are still clumps of ash on the forest floor, but it isn't nearly so thick as outside the forest, and the party makes steady progress.

As you walk further and further into the shadowy woods, Artemisia raises a few issues to the party. "Right. Now that we're in the forest, there's some things we need to think about. Firstly, what order are we going to be marching in, and are we going to go single file, two abreast, something else? It's probably a good idea to have one of us hunters ranging ahead, one leading the group, and one at the rear.

Secondly, how long do we intend to travel each day? I'm sure we'll be making stops every few hours to rest and eat, so eight hours of actual travel is probably going to take most of what daylight we'll get.

Thirdly, do we want to start supplementing our food with hunting already, or do we want to wait a few days? Hunting will slow us down.

Lastly, once we do make camp, we will need to set watches. Not all animals hunt by daylight - and who knows what else is out there now? I'd prefer two at a time for three hours each, but as long as we have the whole night covered, I won't complain."

[sblock=OOC]OK, at this point I need some administrative stuff: Marching order, formation, how long you intend to march each day on average, who the primary survivalist(s) is/are, watches, etc. Basically, any "standard procedures" you can think of, speak up![/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 15, 2007)

Alistia speaks up, "Well, I suppose it makes sense to go two abreast. Maybe? And I think I'm probably best off in the middle somewhere; I know I won't be much good at any of the things you've mentioned. And I don't know about 'watches', but maybe those of us who aren't as experienced should be paired off with someone who is, so we can learn about stuff as well as have an eye open?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 15, 2007)

Enko seems surprised when Artimisia begins to speak about discussing thing and starts to say something, only to immediatelly silence himself when it becomes clear what she is speaking of. "Artimisia, are you- oh...  Right, well I have never traveled with others before, and never far enough into the forest that I would need to camp here, I'll travel for as long as needed.  I completely agree about the watches though..."  he looks towards his feet for a moment, then looks up again.  "I guess I should be somewhere in the middle.  I'm no hunter, but I can help with gathering food, if we can find any plants with all this ash.  So if we are to have pairs of watchers, who will they be?"


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## Masquerade (Dec 15, 2007)

Cleyra seizes the opportunity to apply some analysis to the situation. "I'm no hunter, either, but I'm a pretty good shot," she says, pressing her hand against her quiver, "especially if I'm near my target. Further, my eyes may not be yet attuned to this wooded backdrop, but I am at least as observant as any hunter. If I take the rear, we can assign one hunter to the lead, leaving _two_ to range ahead."

"And since we have already bought ourselves some time by taking the faster route," Cleyra says with a hint of passive aggression, "I would like to suggest that we begin hunting tomorrow. We should make our rations last as long as possible because have no way of knowing whether the conditions nearer the mountain will lend themselves as well to hunting as this area does."


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## Shayuri (Dec 16, 2007)

Erin says, "I'll stay in the middle with Alistia, if that's all right with all of you. I'm no hunter...but I do come with an extra pair of eyes."

She reaches up to chuck Quoth gently around the back of his head...something he appears to enjoy.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 16, 2007)

"I'll go ahead," says Thane quickly, "I have the best chance of remaining unseen."  The fact that it would also mean that he didn't have to walk with all these other people no doubt also factored into Thane's decisions.


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 16, 2007)

"Hm... Ryon has that wolf."  Enko points out, glancing guardedly at the furry quadroped walking along next to them.  "I'm sure that'll help with scouting.  What do you think?  Then Artimisia can lead the rest of us."


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## WarShrike (Dec 16, 2007)

"I'd already decided to range about. I myself, and Growl of course, will take a position some ways behind Thane, ranging from one flank to the other, and focus on tracking. I also agree with Cleyra. We have no idea how long this trip will be, so we should start hunting as soon as possible. Perhaps lengthen the mid-day rest period to allow those of us skilled to make an attempt at hunting or forageing."


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## Shayuri (Dec 16, 2007)

Erin shrugs noncommittally.

"You guys are the experts. Just keep me fed and watered, and I'll be fine."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 16, 2007)

Thane wraps the cloth around his face again, shouldering his pack - now filled with the supplies from the Elders - and drawing his bow to carry it lightly in one hand.  "I will keep an eye out for sources of food along the way.  Cleyra is right, so long as we are in the forests there should be little need for us for us to begin to dip into the rations we have been given.  Those can be saved for when we reach new terrain or have need for more haste."


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## WarShrike (Dec 16, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "You guys are the experts. Just keep me fed and watered, and I'll be fine."




"Like a horse, then?" says Ryon, with a playful smile.


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## Shayuri (Dec 16, 2007)

"Hmm...powerful, sleek, smart...and takes a skilled, strong man to handle..." Erin gives Ryon a saucy smile.

"Yes. Exactly like that."


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## WarShrike (Dec 16, 2007)

"Did i ever mention how good i am with horses?"

[SBLOCK=OOC]I might actually want to keep my Ride skill now. Lol[/SBLOCK]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 16, 2007)

"Just don't break an ankle," says Thane, his voice muffled by the square of cloth across his mouth.  "Horse doesn't taste very good.  A little stringy.  I'll check in at noon when we break."  With these words, Thane slips off to take the lead.


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 16, 2007)

Enko sighs and directs a pained expression at Erin.


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## Shayuri (Dec 16, 2007)

Erin laughs and replies coquettishly, "Talk is cheap. Maybe someday, you'll have a chance to show me."

Noticing the exasperated sigh from Enko, she looks over at him and can't help but stick her tongue out at him.

"Another time, Ryon. We're embarrassing the children in the group," she says with humor.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 16, 2007)

[sblock=OOC]
Casting Guidance out of sight of the party for +1 on the first Survival check:

Into the New World: Feeding the Hungry (Post 248) (1d20+10=22)
Into the New World: Predicting the Weather (Post 248) (1d20+9=27)
Into the New World: Avoiding Nature (Post 248) (1d20+9=20)

Net result: Thane can feed the entire party (himself plus one other per 2 he beats DC 10 by), he knows the weather for the next 3 days (1 day plus 1 per 5 he beats DC 15 by) and he can provide a +2 bonus on fort saves against environmental effects for himself and 5 others (himself plus one per 1 he beats DC 15 by).  So as long as at least one other person in the party can make a DC 15 survival check to get that +2, we're all good.
[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 16, 2007)

Enko shakes his head but doesn't reply, it's not like Erin has ever listened to him before.


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## Zurai (Dec 17, 2007)

After a short discussion, Thane, Ryon, and Growl split off from the main group and range ahead, scouting for signs of trouble and for potential meals. Artemisia leads the remainder steadily northwesterly through the ever-darkening forest, down a game trail. As you become gradually accustomed to your surroundings, you realize that the forest still sounds fairly lively. Insects chirp and buzz, birds call in the distance, and the wind causes branches to creak and leaves to rustle. The going is slow but steady, with much pushing between saplings and stumbling over massive tree roots. As the sun begins to fall, swarms of insects take to the air, buzzing in your ears and biting exposed flesh.

[sblock=Ryon]OOC: I'm going to go ahead and roll survival rolls for you just so I can keep the game moving.

You happen to recall a game trail that leads northwest into the forest, and after marking it for the party, you proceed down the trail, keeping alert for deer or hogs. Your memory and vigilance pay off around sundown, as you spot a young doe about 50 meters off the trail. Carefully and quietly knocking an arrow to your bow, you aim and then loose, killing her in one merciful strike. You quickly propitiate the doe's spirit with a hunter's prayer, then dress the kill. By the time you're finished, the sun has gone down and you can hear the group catching up with you down the trail.[/sblock][sblock=Thane]It's hard to predict the weather while fully under the forest's canopy, especially with all the ash in the air, but what glimpses you get at the sky make you fairly certain that there won't be any storms in the next few days.

As you scout ahead, You keep an eye peeled for edible plants and animals, guided by your enchantment. You don't manage to locate any big game, but you bag several squirrels, a brace of fat forest birds, and a sackful of edible roots, leaves, and berries. As the last daylight fades from overhead, you decide to head back to the main group to help set up camp for the night.[/sblock][sblock=Enko]With the guidance of the Blackfrond spirit, you manage to locate a young Blackfrond plant and harvest a single useable frond from it.[/sblock][sblock=Main Group] Artemisia, leading the group, swats at a particularly bothersome bug, then suddenly freezes and motions for the group to stop. She stares off into the shade-drenched undergrowth and slowly and carefully backs up to the rest of the group.

"Erin, Alistia, Enko, did any of you see anyone up ahead? By that huge oak tree?" she whispers very quietly. "It looked like a woman, but I only saw her for a bare moment before she ducked out of sight."

None of you saw anything up ahead, and Cleyra was paying too much attention to the sides and rear to have seen anything.[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 17, 2007)

Erin squints and peers at the tree, then skeptically back at Artimisia. "No, no tree...ladies."

Quoth makes a gargling noise, but cuts it off when Erin shushes him.

(GM note...remember having Quoth near me gives me the Alertness feat. It's easy to forget. I do all the time. )


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 17, 2007)

Thane materializes out of the underbrush a few minutes after the party settles in.  His bow is slung over his back, he carries a collection of squirrels and plump birds in one hand and a damp sack in the other, and some strange-smelling green substance is smeared over his hands and ears.  He carefully places the game on a few leaves and dumps out the contents of his bag - roots and herbs - before pulling out a small pouch filled with oozing leaves and passing it to Erin.  "It keeps the worst of the bugs off.  Smear the sap on whatever will be outside your blanket or you'll be itching all tomorrow.  Pass it around when you're done, there won't be much rain coming soon that I can tell, so a little should go a long way."  After this uncharacteristically (so far) altruistic act, he turns to Alistia.  "Do you know how to clean small game like this?" he asks quietly.

[sblock=OOC]
That's just me having fun with the +2 on saves.  Figured I could apply it to not getting devoured by bugs.[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Dec 17, 2007)

Artemisia nods at Erin and the others as they confirm that no one else had seen anything unusual, then gives a startled gasp and whirls, arrow knocked and ready to fire, as Thane sneaks up on the group and begins talking. When she realizes who it is, she scowls and says, "You need to be careful approaching so silently. I nearly feathered you."

She then slips away down the trail, clearly checking for signs indicating the passage of a large creature.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 17, 2007)

Thane shrugs.  "I'm sorry," he says in what might almost be a genuinely apologetic tone, "It's been a long time since I've been out in the wild with anyone at all, and even when I traveled with my father he had harsh words for me if he could see me coming."


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## Masquerade (Dec 17, 2007)

Cleyra is concerned by Artemisia's comment about the woman. _Perhaps it was a hallucination. It could be related to the mood swings. Still...I have no choice but to trust her eyes, just as she relies on mine._ She takes one final, long glance about the woods before catching up to the others.

Hearing Thane address Alistia, Cleyra joins them. "Let me help," she says quietly yet assertively.


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## WarShrike (Dec 17, 2007)

Ryon returns to te party dragging a young doe with him, forelegs over his shoulder. Stopping at the edge of camp, he begins dressing his kill. After looking around, he tosses a large chunk of meat to Growl. "Where's Artemisia?"

Spot Check vs Cleyra (1d20+5=19)

Ryon notices Cleyra's mood. "What is it Cleyra? What's wrong?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 17, 2007)

"A woman?  Wait Artimisia, you shouldn't go off alone if something strange is going on."  Enko hurries to catch up with her as she leaves.  "I'll go with you."


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 17, 2007)

Alistia nods and takes some of the game from Thane.

[sblock=ooc]It would be weird if she didn't know how to.[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 17, 2007)

As she watches Enko hurry off, Erin whispers something to Quoth, who cawps and flaps off into the trees, in a different direction than Enko and Artimisia.

In the meantime she accepts Thane's offering. "Thanks. It's...uh...very nice..." she wrinkles her nose at the smell. "I can see why they avoid it."

(Quoth will, of course, follow Enko...trying to stay in earshot without drawing attention to himself. )


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## Masquerade (Dec 17, 2007)

"Nothing is wrong. Nothing yet," Cleyra says while looking into the woods in the direction Enko just ran, making sure he is out of earshot.

"But, since you asked, Ryon, I will not lie. I am concerned by Artemisia's behavior. Her emotions seem wild, and she may be seeing things that aren't there. And she just ran off unannounced like she was looking for something. It is troublesome that, given this position we are in, she may be hiding something."


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## Zurai (Dec 18, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]







			
				Dire Lemming said:
			
		

> "A woman?  Wait Artimisia, you shouldn't go off alone if something strange is going on."  Enko hurries to catch up with her as she leaves.  "I'll go with you."




"I saw someone, I swear it. There's no tracks, though. Not even a bent twig!" She spends nearly fifteen minutes inspecting the area around the tree in minute detail, although you can't imagine how she's able to make out much in the failing light.[/sblock]

[sblock=Erin OOC]Quoth isn't spotted by either Artemisia or Enko. Feel free to eavesdrop as much as you want.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Dec 18, 2007)

"The darker spirits of this wood have a way of playing on one's emotions. T'is best to be on your guard, not only for the beasts without, but also the beasts within. These beasts must be quelled, for if they are allowed to rage, here, in this place, well..." Ryon stares off in the direction Enko went. It's obvious where he'd run off to.

"I had hoped she would have gotten control of her emotions before we entered the wood. She was weeping when we exited the council chamber. Whatever was said that broke her spirit so, those words were powerful indeed. For Artemisia would not be one of Cuirlen's greatest hunters if she burst into tears the moment the inner beasts came growling. 

You say she has been seeing things that weren't there? I can only hope it is her inner beast that shows her these visions. In time we may be able to comfort her and reign the beast in. But if it is the forest itself that is preying upon her, it will only get worse. I will be extra careful in my scutiny of our path. Not all visions are false."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 18, 2007)

Thane holds his peace as Ryon speaks, but when he finishes the shorter hunter remarks quietly, "If you see the forest as your enemy, as a beast that preys on you, you are wrong.  This place is no more an enemy than the air we breathe or the blood that flows through our veins.  It is not a foe, it simply...is.  Listen to the words of the trees, and understand, we are the only beasts here.  The madness you fear does not come from around you, it comes of refusing to hear what is being spoken plainly."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 18, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]Enko frowns, looking around himself for signs of a person's passage.  "You're sure?  Any signs would be hard to see in this light.  Then again, I can't think of anyone who would be out here either.  Can you?  What did she look like?"  Enko gazes at the oak, wondering just how old the tree must be to be so large.


OOC:  So I guess that would be either a survival (+8) or spot (+2) check for the traces of a person, and a Knowledge Nature (+5) check for the oak.[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 18, 2007)

Alistia looks at first Ryon and then Thane as if they're speaking gibberish, and then goes off to gut the game.


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## Shayuri (Dec 18, 2007)

Erin stands near Ryon and Thane, but seems distracted. She nods vaguely at appropriate moments, but it's clear she's reacting more to the cadence of the words than to the content of them. Despite looking at the forest floor, her eyes are unfocused.


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## Zurai (Dec 18, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]







> Enko frowns, looking around himself for signs of a person's passage.  "You're sure?  Any signs would be hard to see in this light.  Then again, I can't think of anyone who would be out here either.  Can you?  What did she look like?"  Enko gazes at the oak, wondering just how old the tree must be to be so large.



You don't see any tracks of any sort, nor anything especially out of place. The oak itself is massive, far larger than most of the other trees you've seen so far, but you really don't have any idea how to determine how old it is.

"I didn't get a good look; she was only visible for a moment. When she saw me looking at her, she ducked behind this tree. No one in the village would be out this far at this time of day, no. I don't know ... maybe I am delusional after all."[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 18, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]Enko shakes his head absently, still staring at the oak. "No... Look at this tree.  Have you ever seen one so large?  Surely it must have a strong spirit."  He walks over and places his hands on it. "I wonder if I can communicate with it."

OOC: Well I don't suppose there are any game mechanics for what I want to do so...[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Dec 20, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]







> Enko shakes his head absently, still staring at the oak. "No... Look at this tree.  Have you ever seen one so large?  Surely it must have a strong spirit."  He walks over and places his hands on it. "I wonder if I can communicate with it."




"I don't know much of spirits, or trees for that matter. I do however know that  trees tend not to be strong conversationalists." She continues poking around the base of the tree for a few more minutes, then sighs and shrugs. "No signs of anything bigger than a squirrel. We should probably get back and help the others set up camp."


OOC: Not in any official books, no. I have a general idea how I want to go about doing spirit seances and communions and so on, though. As far as what Enko knows about communicating with spirits, he's probably only rarely communicated with any spirit other than the Blackfrond. Usually spirit talkers are pretty specialized at a younger age and gradually take over more generalized roles as they grow older. He knows, more or less, _how_ to set up the ritual to contact the spirit world, but he's never done it alone before.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 20, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]"Hm..." Enko cocks his head at the tree.  "Uh, yeah..." after a moment of silent contemplation he turns away looks back at Artimisia with a concerned expression.  "Artimisia... I'm, kind of worried about the others...  If you don't tell them about your visions, they're bound to start noticing things eventually.  There's no telling what ideas they might get if they don't know the truth.  I'm not too worried about Erin, but Alistia's a different story, and Cleyra's been taking care of her family by herself since her father died."[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]







> "Hm..." Enko cocks his head at the tree.  "Uh, yeah..." after a moment of silent contemplation he turns away looks back at Artimisia with a concerned expression.  "Artimisia... I'm, kind of worried about the others...  If you don't tell them about your visions, they're bound to start noticing things eventually.  There's no telling what ideas they might get if they don't know the truth.  I'm not too worried about Erin, but Alistia's a different story, and Cleyra's been taking care of her family by herself since her father died."



"Visions? This is the first time I've seen anything. If I _did_ see it, that is. What else is there to tell? I feel that there is a purpose to my life, and when the mountain spirit unleashed its rage I knew I had found my purpose. That doesn't sound much different than Erin's story to me." With that, she kicks the tree in frustration and starts to walk back toward the camp.[/sblock]
[sblock=Everyone else]While you start setting up camp, making makeshift shelters and clearing the ground for a firepit, Artemisia and Enko walk up the path towards the oak tree Artemisia claims she saw a woman at just a few minutes ago. It's difficult to tell through the gloom, but it appears that her search isn't bringing up any clues. After a few minutes, she kicks the tree and starts walking back towards the camp.[/sblock]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 21, 2007)

Thane's eyes - which seem much more keen now that he is at home in the woodlands - pass over Enko and Artimisia briefly, but he doesn't make any comment, instead just saying "I will take the first watch, who wishes the second?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 21, 2007)

Enko winces at Artimisia's small violent outburst, and then watches her leave, feeling rather brushed off.  He looks back at the tree for a moment, sighs, and then turns to follow her.


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## Masquerade (Dec 21, 2007)

"I'm rather used to early mornings," Cleyra points out. "I will take the last watch."


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 21, 2007)

Keen to appear confident, Alistia says, "Yes, I'll go first as well." and smiles a winning smile at Thane brashly.


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## WarShrike (Dec 21, 2007)

Ryon walks over to the aforementioned tree and looks for tracks. He also has Growl sniff the area around the tree. "Your nose sees more than my eyes do sometimes, Growl. Anything here i should know about?"


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## Zurai (Dec 22, 2007)

[sblock=Ryon]You are unable to find any signs of large creatures around the tree, except the patches of trampled ground where Artemisia and Enko walked. Growl doesn't detect any unfamiliar scents either.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 22, 2007)

Enko waits to see what Artimisia has to say.


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## WarShrike (Dec 22, 2007)

Ryon rejoins the group, lights a fire and sets some venison to sizzle. "Growl and i will take a night shift. Where have the star-crossed lovers gone off to?" he asks of no-one in particular. "I sure hope they don't decide to take a watch together tonight. I swear, a pack of rabid, growling, snarling bears could charge into the camp while Enko was staring at her all doe-eyed and he wouldn't even notice."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 22, 2007)

Enko, who had obviously passed Ryon on his way back to the camp, turns to stare at him as the hunter returns with his bizarre, and embarrassing question.  "W-What!?" He glances at Artimisia, and then quickly looks back at Ryon.  All the while blushing profusely.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 22, 2007)

Thane snorts in reply to Ryon, and murmurs "An understatement if anything."  Turning to answer Alistia, he shrugs indifferently.  "Very well.  Assuming Artemisia will stand watch alone, that leaves Erin and Enko together."


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## Shayuri (Dec 22, 2007)

Erin shrugs as Quoth flaps to her shoulder. The raven tilts his head towards her and makes a sound that for all the world sounds like whispering. A sort of murmuring noise with occasional sibilants mixed in. Erin keeps her head still but looks away with her eyes. Quoth stops and caws, half-flapping his wings for balance as Erin turns to regard Thane.

"I could take a watch with either. I'm not picky."


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## Zurai (Dec 25, 2007)

Although your minds are telling you that the sun has barely set, there has been only the vaguest hint of light for about an hour now. Thane sets himself up watching over the camp as the rest of the small band quickly make shelters and a small firepit - the hunters showing the others how, as needed. The sounds of night in the forest echo strangely through the trees.

Chrrrr-_vhhhhht_ ... Whhhhhrrrrrrrr*eeeeeeet*! Chrrrr-_vhhhhht_ ... Whhhhhrrrrrrrr*eeeeeeet*! _Crkrkrkrkrkrkrkt_ whhhhhhhhsshshsh rrrrtttrttt_crk_! 

A chorus of nocturnal insects serenade the unseen moon, and in the distance leaves rustle in the wind and branches creak and snap. Those unused to spending nights out in the wilderness have difficulty drifting off to sleep. Just as the dreamy haze starts to fog their minds ... a branch snaps, an owl hoots startlingly close by, somewhere in the distance a wolf howls only to be answered by Growl - something happens to snap them back to wakefulness. Still, exhaustion eventually wins out and one by one, everyone but Thane falls asleep.
[sblock=Enko, Cleyra, Thane, Ryon]You recognize the insects as thorn-singers by their calls (Chrrrr-_vhhhhht_ ... Whhhhhrrrrrrrr*eeeeeeet*!). Thorn-singers are about an inch long with a thorn-like spike on their backs; they cling tightly to trees, their shape and coloration giving them effective camouflage from predators. Thorn-singers are edible, but they taste slightly bitter.
[sblock=Enko, Cleyra]Thorn-singers sing at night to attract mates; they're active year round, but usually most dense in autumn, when their calls can approach near-deafening levels at times.
[sblock=Cleyra]Thorn-singers make an effective early-warning device, as they only sing when they cannot see any large creatures. Thorn-singers see very well at night, and they have been known to stop mid-song when a human is moving over 500 feet from the tree they cling to.[/sblock][/sblock]The second insect call (_Crkrkrkrkrkrkrkt_) is not one you recognize.[/sblock][sblock=First Watch: Thane]Your watch technically began as soon as the group stopped for the night, but it took over an hour for the city-dwellers to finally drift off to sleep. You settle in to start your watch in earnest, keeping your eyes and ears peeled for unusual sights and sounds. The fire casts a faint flickering shadow across the landscape, twisting and distorting the shapes you know - trees, bushes, sleeping humans - into nightmarish caricatures. The sounds of night in the forest also seem ever so slightly _off_ to you, and there are insect calls you do not recognize.

About halfway through your watch, shortly after the last of the party has stopped tossing and turning under their blanket, you get a crawling sensation up your spine, as if something were staring hard directly at your back. With the Chrrrr-_vhhhhht_ ... Whhhhhrrrrrrrr*eeeeeeet*! of the thorn-singers echoing loudly in your ears, you slowly turn, acting naturally, slitting your eyes to keep the light of the fire from ruining your night vision. Straining to see in the darkness, you realize that you're now directly facing the large oak tree that Artemisia was so interested in earlier; it looms in the shadows about a hundred paces down the path, the light from the fire barely making it visible in the darkness. Try as you might, you can't see anything unusual about it from this distance.[/sblock]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 25, 2007)

[sblock=Zurai]Thane lets his eyes unfocus, not looking anywhere, but rather seeing everywhere, alert for movement.  He's hunted by night before, and knows plenty of tricks, but every time he gets comfortable his thoughts drift to the others with him, a new complicating factor.  The very concept of standing watch is slightly strange to him, really, and the unnatural sounds of the forest don't help him settle down.  Nearly an hour after the last city-dweller nods off, he finally decides that before he wakes Ryon he might as well go take a closer look at that tree.  Artemisia may not have been at her best, but she was known as a good hunter - as those from the town went - and it bore at least a look.

OOC: Moving stealthily to take a look around the tree.  Hide, Move Silently, Listen and Spot are all +9s.
[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Dec 25, 2007)

[sblock=Thane]You let your eyes and mind unfocus, attempting to see by not seeing. As you begin to creep towards the distant tree, you suddenly realize that the thorn-singers have stopped calling, leaving only the occasional mysterious Crkrkrkrkrkrkrkt. As soon as the thorn-singers go silent, the sensation of being watched disappears. By the time you get to the tree, the silence has become even more unnerving than the insectile chorus was.

The ancient oak tree towering over you is wider than a man is tall, its bark gnarled and tough, its roots sinking deep into the ground. Around its base, a deep layer of decaying leaves and plant matter squelches under your feet. You make a careful circuit of the tree, examining the ground around it and the branches above your head as well as the trunk itself. You find depressions in the layer of dead leaves that signify something else having stood here recently, but that's not surprising since Artemisia, Enko, and Ryon have all examined the tree before you. As you near the end of your circle around the tree, something falls from one of the branches and bounces squarely off the top of your head. Looking up, you see nothing but leaves and boughs; at your feet is a sizeable acorn. The wind whistles through the branches, sounding almost - almost! - like distant laughter.[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC Watch Order]
1. Thane
2. Erin and Enko
3. Ryon
4. Artemisia
5. Cleyra and Alistia[/sblock]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 26, 2007)

[sblock=Zurai]Thane gives the area one last look before picking up the acorn and, with a more troubled mind than before, heading back to the camp.  Leaving his blanket stretched out on an empty patch of ground, he goes over to wake Enko and Erin, before lying down - not in the blanket, but a short distance away in the leaves under a tree, blending in with the dappled ground - to go to sleep.[/sblock]

[sblock=Second Watch: Erin and Enko]When two hours have passed, Erin is woken quietly by Thane's hand on her shoulder.  In a near whisper, the young hunter says "Wake Enko, your watch is now," before disappearing into the shadow of a nearby tree.[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 28, 2007)

Erin wakes up with an inhaled breath and a quick startled jerk...then her eyes focus on Thane and she relaxes. As she sits up, there's rustling from the tree branches overhead, and something like a rough black comet falls to the earth next to Enko, to tower over his head like a giant raven. Or, in this case, like an only slightly larger than usual raven that just happened to be right next to his head.

_"Awwwwg...wake up!"_


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 28, 2007)

Enko's eyes snap open and he immediately sits up and looks around. "Huh?  What the?  Who's there?!"  he notices Erin and stares at her for a moment before it clicks and he looks back down to see Quoth.  "Ah..."  He takes a deep breath and looks back at Erin.  "Why'd you have to make him do that...  So it's our watch now is it?  All right."  Enko shakes his head as he stands and picks up his weapons, then heads over to the edge of the camp and faces the giant oak tree.  "Keep alert Erin.  Tell me if you see or hear anything unusual."


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## Shayuri (Dec 28, 2007)

"You mean, act as if I was standing watch?" Erin inquires wryly. "And here I was going to go back to sleep."

She gets to her feet and goes to stand at the other side of the camp, leaning against a tree trunk and shielding a yawn against the back of her hand. Quoth flaps up to her shoulder and regards Enko with a beady black eye.

It's hard to shake the feeling that it would be grinning at him if it could.


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 28, 2007)

Enko remains silent for a while, then he suddenly turns to Erin and says in a quiet voice.  "Hey Erin...  Are you sure about this?"


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## Shayuri (Dec 28, 2007)

Quoth glances back at him and ruffles his feathers with a little cawping noise. Erin doesn't look around though.

"Sure about what?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 28, 2007)

"You know.  About coming...  I mean it's, going to be really dangerous."


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## Shayuri (Dec 29, 2007)

Now Erin does turn to look at Enko, a little surprised.

"Well...it's nice to know you care, but your timing still needs some work." She smiles. "It's a bit late for anyone to back out now."

She walks over to lean against the tree nearest Enko.

"But even if it wasn't too late, I'm not having any second thoughts at all."

For a moment Erin looks down, at her hands, as she turns them as if washing them in the soft light of the moon and stars.

"You really have no idea what I can do."

Erin looks back at Enko then with a wry look. "No need to ask if you're having second thoughts. Not as long as she's still here."


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 29, 2007)

Enko blushes, and looks away from Erin, saying in a badly disguised embarrassed tone, "I- didn't even actually know she was coming...  I did promise you and Alistia that I'd go with you if you left the village, you know."  he looks back at her, "What do you think you can do out here?"


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## Zurai (Dec 30, 2007)

[sblock=Second Watch: Erin and Enko]As the night wears on, the insectile chorus gradually begins to fade. While the forest is quieter, it is still by no means silent; now that the closest and loudest sounds are gone, you can hear some of the other background noises. rrrrreeeeeeee ... rrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeep ... rrrreeeeeee*ooom*! oooo-oo-wooo-oo ... wooo-ooo![sblock=Erin and Enko]All you are able to identify about the animal calls is that they're probably from frogs and owls.[/sblock]Nothing unusual seems to happen during your watch. As much as the distant oak tree has been an object of interest, right now it appears to be nothing more than another tree in the forest.
[sblock=OOC]Nothing happens on second watch, other than your discussions. I'll advance to third watch (Ryon) tonight/tomorrow morning, so try to tie things up tonight if you can. If not, feel free to continue your conversation in spoiler blocks.[/sblock][/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 30, 2007)

"A lot of things," Erin replies with a secret smile. "Maybe anything I want."

"I bet I could outshoot Artimisia or throw a spear farther than Thane," she amplifies.


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 30, 2007)

"Uh..."  Enko is struck speechless by the extent of Erin's delusions.  After a few seconds of silence he carefully says.  "Well, you really don't need to prove it to anyone.  I mean... look.  When we get attacked by something, don't try to be heroic alright?  Just stay behind Thane or someone and do what you can to help.  It's not cowardly, it's just that...  *People* will worry that you'll get hurt, and then they'll get distracted.  You see?  So... just be careful.  Alright?"


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## Shayuri (Dec 31, 2007)

Erin laughs and shakes her head.

"It's all right that you don't believe me. It'll just make it that much more fun when you see."

She strokes Quoth's head and glances at Enko.

"Do you believe that Artimisia saw a woman beside that tree?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 31, 2007)

Enko thinks for a moment, then nods.  "Yes, I believe her."  He looks over at Artimisia's sleeping form. _She's even more beautiful when she's asleep._ A few seconds pass before he realizes that he's staring and tears his eyes away, blushing.  "Y- yes..."


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## Shayuri (Dec 31, 2007)

"But not me," Erin notes. She strokes Quoth's head and neck, eliciting a hoarse chucking sound of approval from the bird.

"Funny though, about Artimisia, isn't it? She never struck me as the sort to have...visions like that. As a spirit-speaker, what do you think about that?"


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 31, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "But not me," Erin notes. She strokes Quoth's head and neck, eliciting a hoarse chucking sound of approval from the bird.




"Uh- uhm...  Enko seems embarrassed and slightly nervous but is relieved when Erin starts speaking again before he can snswer..



			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> "Funny though, about Artimisia, isn't it? She never struck me as the sort to have...visions like that. As a spirit-speaker, what do you think about that?"




The relief quickly vanishes as she asks her next question. "Uhm...  Well. ... You know.  It's usual but... I mean, I don't think it's dangerous...  I mean..."


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## Zurai (Dec 31, 2007)

[sblock=Erin and Enko]Feel free to continue your conversation in sblocks. I'm quite interested in the responses to all these questions! But the game needs to continue.[/sblock][sblock=Third Watch: Ryon (and Growl)]Sometime shortly before midnight, Erin shakes you awake and informs you that it's time for your watch. Enko is already making himself comfortable again near the fire.

You notice once you fully awaken that the thorn-singers have gone silent, but the forest is still noisy as ever. rrrrreeeeeeee ... rrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeep ... rrrreeeeeeeooom! szzzzszszszzzzzzzzzzszzzzzz

You recognize the former as the call of the leafback toad, a small nocturnal toad that gets its name from its habit of burrowing into the rotten leaves littering the forest floor. Although their skin is smooth, it's covered in a sticky mucous that binds leaves to it, trapping moisture against its skin and providing camouflage from predators. If caught, the mucous from a leafback toad's back can be carefully scraped off and thickened to create a serviceable glue, without harming the toad.

The latter noise belongs to a death's-head beetle. Death's-head beetles are so named for the white markings on their iridescent blue shells, resembling a leering skull. Despite their ominous name, death's-head beetles are harmless unless eaten. Their horribly bitter taste and mildly poisonous nature, however, generally results in the emptying of their predator's stomach. The noise they make comes from the rapid beating of their hardened chitin wing-covers as they cling tightly to plants.

About a half hour after your watch begins, a slight rustling of the underbrush catches your attention. At first you pass it off as just a small animal or a gust of wind, but then you hear it again, closer to camp, and Growl suddenly stiffens and starts to snarl. Straining your eyes to see in the near-total darkness, you think you can just barely make out a small form crouched about sixty feet from the campfire, slowly making its way towards where Alistia is curled up.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 31, 2007)

[sblock=Shayuri]Let's finish our conversation in sblocks[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 31, 2007)

[sblock=For Enko]Erin raises an eyebrow. "Really?"  she asks, interested. "If you don't THINK it's dangerous, that suggests it -might- be. Now why might a little thing like seeing visions be dangerous? And dangerous to whom?"[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Dec 31, 2007)

[sblock=Erin] "Uh... no!  Look, I don't think it's dangerous alright?  Some people might think otherwise but there's no reason to.  She'll be fine.  Don't worry about it."  Enko turns back around and stares at the tree.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Dec 31, 2007)

[SBLOCK=Zurai]Ryon fondles Growl's ears and says: "There now lad, none of that. It was just the wind. Come on, mister grouchy, let's go for a walk. Spirits know we both need it." Walking off in more or less the opposite direction of the crawling form until screened by trees and bush. Then he draws his bow, nocks an arrow and moves to a position where he can watch the camp. And he won't go farther than 40 feet from the camp. All the while he good naturedly berates Growl for all his quirks, real or imagined. As he moves back towards the camp to get a good position, he will lower his voice in an attempt to fool the listenner into thinking he's farther away than he actually is.

Constantly mocking Growl, he waits.
[/SBLOCK]


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## Zurai (Dec 31, 2007)

[sblock=Ryon]The crouched over figure freezes as you start to talk and remains motionless as you walk away. It sits there for what seems to you like an hour but probably is no longer than a minute. Finally, as you're starting to question whether you were seeing things after all, it begins to creep forward again, even more cautiously. As it gets closer to the flickering camp fire, you can pick out some of its features out of the corner of your eye.
[sblock=That Which Goes Bump in the Night]
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/sblock]

[sblock=Tactical Map]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



The two large concentric circles are the light radius of the campfire (the inner circle is bright light/no concealment, the outer circle is shadowy illumination/20% concealment, beyond that is near total darkness/50% concealment). Smaller circles are trees, which block line of sight. The entire area except the 10-15 feet immediately surrounding the camp fire is covered in underbrush, but not heavy enough to count as difficult terrain.

[/sblock]

If you don't act soon, whatever it is will be upon Alistia. Action?
[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 31, 2007)

[sblock=Enko]Erin laughs softly. "You're a terrible liar, Enko. First, no one thinks something's dangerous without SOME kind of reason. Second, you're obviously a nervous wreck about _something_."

She pulls away from the tree and walks up to Enko, pushing into his space and trying to hold his eyes captive with her own.

"Is it a spirit she saw, do you think? Is that why you're worried? That she saw a spirit and you didn't? Or maybe you think the spirit is dangerous?"[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 1, 2008)

[sblock=Erin]Enko keeps staring determinedly at the oak, and tries to scoot over when she sits she close to him.  "I... don't know...  I guess so...  I just... I don't know if you know this but, when I was little I got lost in these woods.  I don't really remember it but my parents told me about it.  I was gone for almost two weeks, and then a friend of my dad's found me.  I guess... I never really knew what to think about the stories of spirits in the forest, but...  I don't know...  Look.  Don't talk to Artimisia about all this ok?  She has enough to worry about."[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 1, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Zurai]
Rolling Initiative:  Initiative (1d20+6=9) slow reflexes tonight.

When it's his turn, Ryon will shoot at the _thing_ then move 30' towards Alistia, Growl at his side.

1d20+3=8, 1d8=3 The new IC hates me.
[/SBLOCK]

Moving towards the camp, Ryon shouts: "Awake! Awake! A dark spirit is upon us!"


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## Zurai (Jan 1, 2008)

[sblock=Ryon]Heh, IC has always hated me. Fortunately for you, I rolled your bluff vs the _thing_'s sense motive on dice, and my d20 seems to like you. You get a surprise round, as whatever-it-is was convinced you hadn't seen it and was totally focused on its plan for Alistia.

Unfortunately, your arrow sails over its scrawny little head.

Growl snarls and growls as he lunges forward on his own, eager to repel this dark invader in _his_ forest.[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC Everyone]Roll initiatives, please. As Ryon got the surprise round, he was able to wake you all before the imminent attack. You will be awake and able to act normally in round 1.[/sblock]
[sblock=Tactical Map]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




The two large concentric circles are the light radius of the campfire (the inner circle is bright light/no concealment, the outer circle is shadowy illumination/20% concealment, beyond that is near total darkness/50% concealment). Smaller circles are trees, which block line of sight. The entire area except the 10-15 feet immediately surrounding the camp fire is covered in underbrush, but not heavy enough to count as difficult terrain.[/sblock]

You are all awakened by Ryon's shout, Growl's snarling and growling, and a series of strange, ululating shrieks that seems to echo from all around you. At the western edge of the camp site, a scant two dozen feet from Alistia, crouches a demented-looking creature with a cruel looking knife in its small hand.

[sblock=That Which Goes Bump in the Night]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 1, 2008)

OOC: After firing the arrow, i moved 30' towards the camp, so i should be closer on tactical.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 1, 2008)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1448807/


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## Zurai (Jan 1, 2008)

OOC: On a surprise round you only get a standard action. Oh, and I should have said "Initiatives and actions please". You are all awake, though prone (except Ryon and Growl) on round 1 of combat.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 1, 2008)

Enko awakes with a start, and seeing the creature, runs to position himself between it and Alistia, drawing his knife and shouting.  "Stop, spirit!  We mean you no harm if you mean us none!  What are your intentions!"

[sblock=OOC]  I'm not sure what skills I can use for this but I want to see if Enko can determine anything about the creature with his knowledge skills, and also try to disarm a conflict with it.

Diplomacy +10 (4 ranks, Cha +3, Misc +3)
Knowledge (Geography) +3 (2 ranks, +1 Int)
Knowledge (History) +3 (2 ranks, +1 Int)
Knowledge (Local) +5 (4 ranks, Int +1)
Knowledge (Nature) +5 (4 ranks, Int +1)
Profession (Herbalist) +6 (4 ranks, Wis +2)
[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 1, 2008)

OOC: Gotcha.

IC: Ryon fires annother arrow at the creature:  1d20+3=10, 1d8=2

Them moves 30' towards it.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 1, 2008)

WarShrike said:
			
		

> OOC: Gotcha.
> 
> IC: Ryon fires annother arrow at the creature:  1d20+3=10, 1d8=2
> 
> Them moves 30' towards it.





OOC: Well, that kind of ruined Enko's Diplomacy check. :\


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## Zurai (Jan 1, 2008)

[sblock=Enko]You know nothing about this creature.

OOC: Diplomacy normally takes 1 full minute to use; using it hastily is -10 to the check and still takes a full round action. I'm going to assume you're not going to waste that effort, especially since Ryon has already shot at it once by the time you act and Growl is hurtling towards it, fangs bared in rage. Remember, a round is only 6 seconds. It's _really_ hard to defuse a combat situation in just 6 seconds by talking.

OOC2: Also, standing up, moving in front of Alistia, and drawing your knife are each move actions. Pick two. (If you had +1 BAB, you could draw your knife as part of the move to get between the _thing_ and Alistia, but...[/sblock][sblock=Thane]You have neither seen nor heard of a creature like this before, but you can sense that it is somehow connected to the spirit realm.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 1, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]Ok, Enko will just get in front of Alistia then.[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jan 1, 2008)

Init 21 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1448838/

Alerted by the noise, Erin sits up and looks around wildly, her hair comic, tangled mass and clothes in disarray as she stumbles to her feet.

She spots the little critter where it crouches and instinctively raises her hands.

"Quoth, fly!"

There's a rustle above, as leaves disturbed by the flapping of dark feathered wings.

Erin then begins swaying slightly from side to side, a glassy look in her eyes as she begins to repeat, "I have thunder in my hand...I have the fire from the sky...I have thunder in my hand...I have the fire from the sky..." in a slowly building cadence. Quietly and slowly, but building in both speed and intensity towards some unknown end.

(Sending Quoth up out of danger, I hope...move action to get to feet...delaying standard action...will cast Electric Arc at the creature if it moves any closer.)


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 1, 2008)

Thane rises from his sound sleep, one hand instinctively pulling his bow close as he rises, looking into the darkness to see what is going on.

[sblock=OOC]Into the New World: Initiative (Post 321) (1d20+3=8), move action to stand, move action to draw bow.[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Jan 1, 2008)

Alistia wakes up and yelps at the sight of the strange creature, "Wha- wha- what is it?!"  she frantically scrabbles for the club and scrambles to her feet.

[sblock=ooc]Initiative (1d20 2=13) move action - grab club, move action - stand from prone. Hope the image comes out ok![/sblock]


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## Masquerade (Jan 2, 2008)

Although woken suddenly, Cleyra quickly makes a survey of the situation while drawing the bow and quiver from her pack. Only detecting one foe, she leaps from her lying position while keeping the cover of fire between her and the intruder.[sblock=ooc](Initiative 1d20+2=*22*)
Move Action: Take shortbow
Move Action: Stand from prone[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Jan 2, 2008)

[sblock=Initiative Order]Cleyra
Erin
Enko
Artemisia
*things*
Alistia
Ryon & Growl
Thane[/sblock][sblock=Tactical Map]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



The two large concentric circles are the light radius of the campfire (the inner circle is bright light/no concealment, the outer circle is shadowy illumination/20% concealment, beyond that is near total darkness/50% concealment). Smaller circles are trees, which block line of sight. The entire area except the 10-15 feet immediately surrounding the camp fire is covered in underbrush, but not heavy enough to count as difficult terrain.[/sblock]

Everything seems to happen all at once. The camp explodes in a frenzy of shouting, chanting, and hurried movement. Enko moves to place himself between Alistia and danger; at the same time, his opponent scrambles forward on all fours, pale white knife clenched tightly in one clawed hand. Erin's chanting comes to a crescendo and sparks chase across her fingers then leap in a coruscating wave towards the charging _thing_. It staggers and screams in agony as the electricity crawls over its body (hit, 2 damage), then leaps the last five feet, plunging its knife deep into Enko's side (confirmed critical, 1 wound point damage) and grinning at him with a face full of sharp, pointy teeth until Growl leaps on it from behind, tearing at its back with savage efficiency and bearing it to the ground as it yelps in surprise (hit, 5 damage, trip successful). Even as it falls, however, more ululating shrieks answer from the forest beyond the fire's light and three more _things_ scamper into the fire light.

[sblock=Combat Status]
Thing 1: _losing confidence, prone_
Thing 2: _confident in victory_
Thing 3: _confident in victory_
Thing 4: _confident in victory_

Cleyra: 9/9 12/12
Erin: 6/6 14/14
Enko: 10/10 13/14
Artemisia: _confident in victory_
Alistia: 5/5 12/12
Ryon: 10/10 14/14
Growl: 16/16 15/15
Thane: 9/9 12/12[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 2, 2008)

Enko's teeth clack together audibly (at least for Alistia) as he grits them against the pain.  He'd been clawed and bitten before, but he'd never been stabbed by a weapon... "Err...  Alistia, stay back..."  He draws his knife, but then seeing that the creature has been knocked to the ground, he considers that perhaps this would be a good time to recover from his injury.  He touches his free hand to the wound and it quickly closes.

OOC: Cure Minor Wound on Enko


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## Masquerade (Jan 3, 2008)

Cleyra notes the appearance of another thing right behind her. Although her instinct is to shout, she suppresses it, staying focused on protecting the group. Flinging an arrow into her bow, she fires at her assailant while stepping back.[sblock=ooc]Standard Action: Fire at thing 3
Move Action: Move away (south-eastish, away from things)[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 3, 2008)

When Ryon's turn comes up and it's time to move, he'll move towards the closest one, the one near Cleyra. 

***EDIT: Actually, he'll move right up next to Cleyra. Will draw Shortsword next round.***


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## Shayuri (Jan 3, 2008)

Erin at first brightens at the lightning bolt...then looks dismayed as the creature weathers it. She looks around for a weapon...preferably a hunting bow.

"I need a bow or something! Anything!"


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 3, 2008)

"Erin, get my sling!"


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## Shayuri (Jan 4, 2008)

"A sling?! Spirits take...nevermind!"

Erin taps her fingers together, discharging little residual sparks, then focuses on the creature that looks like it might come for her.

"All right then...I need a weapon little monster. Maybe I'll just take _yours!_"

She makes a grabbing gesture with her right hand as she says the last word...

(Greater Mage Hand, trying to affect Creature 2. He gets a Will save to negate, otherwise, if I read the spell right, I can move his knife 20 feet towards me this round. The spell's effective Str is 10, so a contest of Str to get control of the knife perhaps? Anyway, DC is 14 for will save. )


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## Zurai (Jan 4, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]I'm going to run the round until the things' actions, then take actions from the party. That way you're all acting at the same time instead of being split. People after the things that have already submitted an action can re-think their action based on the updated sitrep. By the way, you all are welcome to roll your own attack and damage rolls if you want. I'm only enforcing passive rolls on my end (stuff like Knowledge, Sense Motive, Spot, Listen, etc).[/sblock][sblock=Tactical Map, round 2.5]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Key:





Alistia





Artemisia





Enko





Growl





Ryon[/sblock]

Hearing a spine-chilling scream from behind her, Cleyra whirls and fires an arrow at the rapidly approaching figure. Her attack misses wildly (rolled a natural 1, auto-miss), but it buys her time to put more distance between herself and the scuttling creature; the thing which had been headed for her instead veers to its right and leaps at Artemisia, spoiling her own attack but inflicting no real damage (Artemisia's attack misses, thing 3's attack hits Artemisia for 2 vitality damage). 

Enko closes his eyes and draws energy from the spirit world, sealing his wound shut. His opponent tries to stab him while Enko's eyes are closed, but Growl keeps it pinned to the ground as his jaws clamp shut around the thing's neck, making its eyes glaze over from the pain and its knife drop from its grasp (Enko casts _cure minor wounds_; thing 1 takes AOO but misses due to prone penalty. Thing 1 stands up; Growl takes AOO and hits for 4 wound damage, stunning it; Enko takes AOO and hits for 3 wound damage).

Erin reaches out with an eldritch grasp and takes hold of one of the things' knife, but the dark spirit refuses to let go, and the magic of Erin's spell propels it unerringly towards her. Her eyes widen as she sees the creature flying at her, knife first, and barely manages to sidestep in time; the knife slices through the side of her dress (Erin casts _greater mage hand_; thing 2 succeeds will save. Thing 2 charges Erin, hits for 1 vitality damage).

The final creature gibbers in unholy glee and charges at Thane, ducking under branches and leaping over small shrubs. Thane spins to meet it, barely deflecting its vicious knife slash with his bow (Thing 4 charges Thane, hits for 3 vitality damage).

[sblock=Combat Status]
Thing 1: _sorely pressed, prone, stunned, fatigued_
Thing 2: _confident in victory_
Thing 3: _confident in victory_
Thing 4: _confident in victory_

Cleyra: 9/9 12/12
Erin: 5/6 14/14
Enko: 10/10 14/14
Artemisia: _confident in victory_
Alistia: 5/5 12/12
Ryon: 10/10 14/14
Growl: 16/16 15/15
Thane: 6/9 12/12[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 4, 2008)

Ok, not too sure what my options are so here goes.

Realizing the risk to his comapanions if he tries to shoot the things now, he drops his bow, draws the shortsword and either:

A: Charges Thing #3:  Charging Thing #3 (1d20+3+2=21, 1d6+2=6)

Or if thats too many actions,

B: Moves 30' NW. That should take him 4 squares, 2 squares SE of Artemisia.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 4, 2008)

"W-wow... Good job... Growl... Can you... Just hold him there?"  Enko takes a moment to give the creature an incredulous glance as he bends to grab it's knife.  "Hey, now..." he says to it.  "We don't mean any harm...  If you'll just stop attacking us."

OOC: If I get any more AoOs on the creature they'll be unarmed attacks.  Kicks, or whatever.  I'm trying to avoid killing it.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 4, 2008)

Thane lets out a grunt as the creature strikes him, and moves backwards, loping sideways away from the creature before him and nocking an arrow to fire at it.  All the while he murmurs quietly under his breath, whether in prayer to the spirits or something else.

[sblock=OOC]Moving away from the creature to the spot on the same row as the fire at the far right of the inner circle (provoking an AoO), and firing an arrow with extra skirmish damage.

Into the New World Attack Roll (Post 334) (1d20+3=16)
Into the New World Damage Roll (Post 334) (1d8+1d6=8)[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Jan 4, 2008)

"Now you leave her alone!" screams Alistia almost hysterically, as she runs towards the thing attacking Erin and swings wildly at it with her "fighting stick".

[sblock=OOC]move: Charge thing 2, attack Attack (1d20 3=10)[/sblock]


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## Masquerade (Jan 4, 2008)

Leaving her target in capable hands, Cleyra realigns herself, this time setting her sights on Thane's assailant. With another arrow and another pull of the bowstring, she fires. _That last shot was just nervousness. I'm in control now._

[sblock=ooc]Move Action: Move within point blank shot range (if necessary)
Standard Action: Fire at thing 4[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Jan 4, 2008)

[sblock=Enko]







> Enko takes a moment to give the creature an incredulous glance as he bends to grab it's knife.



Now that you can examine it a little more closely, the knife appears to be made of sharpened bone. You can't be sure until you can give it a more thorough examination, but it _looks_ like a bone from a small child or baby.





[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Jan 5, 2008)

DM's Note: I'm NPCing Erin for this round of combat. I know you're online, Shayuri, but as you'll quickly see it's not going to matter much anyway.

The creature menacing Erin lands ungracefully, but somersaults to its feet quickly enough to avoid Alistia's wild swings with her fighting stick (Attack misses). Erin backpedals away from the creature before it has a chance to attack her again, however (5' step away from the thing).

Ignoring Enko's entreaties to not hurt the little menace in front of him, *Growl* bites hard at the back of its neck, and an audible _crunch_ reverberates around the camp, accompanied by a shriek cut mercifully short (Attack hits for 4 wound damage; thing fails fort save and begins dying).

Meanwhile, Thane nimbly disengages from the dark spirit attacking him and fires an arrow on the run, nailing the thing through its shoulder and spinning it around in a circle, causing Cleyra's arrow to miss cleanly (Thane moves; thing takes AOO and misses. Thane hits for 8 damage; thing takes wound damage but passes its fort save to avoid being stunned. Cleyra rolls another natural 1 to attack, automatically missing).

Ryon, realizing his companions are at risk, draws his new knife and charges the monster trying vainly to gut Artemisia. The little creature doesn't even notice him coming, so intently is it attacking the huntress, and Ryon's knife impales it from behind. Immediately, it lets out an ear-splitting wail of pure agony and screams, "Szas Fhel! _Szas FHEL!_" (Ryon's charge hits for 12 damage due to creature weakness. Thing passes fort save to avoid being stunned, barely). All three remaining creatures turn and begin to run away, gibbering, "Szas Fhel!" to themselves over and over (Things 2, 3, and 4 execute Withdraw actions on their turns, provoking no AoOs).

As soon as the creatures pass the edge of the illumination provided by the firelight, the darkness seems to swallow them, and you can no longer hear their gibbering. Indeed, one of them was cut off mid-word; it's as if they vanished into thin air. Artemisia, however, doesn't seem to be affected as she nocks an arrow and lets loose. A moment later, one of the things reappears about twenty feet from where it disappeared - but with Artemisia's arrow sticking out from its back. It wails and shudders, then falls still. 
[sblock=Ryon]You noticed that the wound you caused with the odd knife acted as if it was caused instead by a burning brand; the flesh blackened and sizzled, and a trail of smoke emitted from the wound for the entire time the blade was in contact with the thing's flesh.[/sblock][sblock=Combat Status, End Of Combat]
Thing 1: _stable but unconscious_
Thing 2: _fleeing_
Thing 3: _disabled_
Thing 4: _fleeing, fatigued_

Cleyra: 9/9 12/12
Erin: 5/6 14/14
Enko: 10/10 14/14
Artemisia: _victorious_
Alistia: 5/5 12/12
Ryon: 10/10 14/14
Growl: 16/16 15/15
Thane: 6/9 12/12[/sblock][sblock=Experience]100 xp each for defeating 4 CR 1/2 creatures.[/sblock][sblock=Side Note OOC]I had set 4 different "win conditions" for this fight. You all managed to achieve all 4 _on the same round_  
For the record, the conditions were: kill one thing, drop two things to less than 1/2 wound points, deal wound damage to 3 things, or score a hit with the steel shortsword.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 5, 2008)

Ryon stares at his blade in shock. "It scorched it's flesh." Regaining his senses, he runs over to Thing #3 and examines the body. "This ones still breathing. It appears his wounds are not fatal. Do you still want to talk to it Enko, or shall i end it?"


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 5, 2008)

Enko quickly holds up a hand to Thane.  "Wait, don't kill it!  And call Growl off, quick!  We shouldn't cause any more damage than necessary.  Whatever these spirits are, they must have had a reason for attacking us.  We should try to find out what it is, and maybe we can avoid further conflict with them."

[sblock=OOC]Assuming no one kills them, Enko will make sure that both the injured creatures remain alive.  Using magic if necessary.[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Jan 5, 2008)

"Oh goodness, it looks horrible, Enko." says Alistia quietly.

[sblock=OOC]We are so rocking. Said the player whose character achieved precisely nothing. [/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jan 5, 2008)

(hee, I only did 2 damage. Even for a 1st level mage, that's pretty bad. )

"These can't be spirits," Erin says, pulling out her skirt to look at the long rip in it where the creature's knife had struck. "They're flesh and blood...and knife. But what ARE they?"

Quoth flutters down from the tree to alight on one of the creatures, tilting his head to regard it with a beady eye...but when he sees it breathing, he hops off with a squawk and joins Erin.


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## Masquerade (Jan 6, 2008)

Cleyra drops her bow to the ground. She sighs, both from relief and from frustration. _Useless..._

Although unpleased with her own performance, Cleyra is reassured by the swiftness with which the group reacted as well as by how brief the encounter was. However, in reflecting upon the battle, she quickly comes to a realization. "We did well to fend these four off," she announces, not quite as shocked as some of her companions and not at all as preoccupied by the wounded thing, "but, in all likelihood, there are more of these creatures nearby. It is also likely that we have angered them greatly. I suggest we relocate as soon as possible."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 6, 2008)

Thane keeps an arrow nocked to his bow, but doesn't fire again.  "They do not seem to be spirits, but they have some connection with the Spirit Realm, I'm sure of it.  Whatever it is, I don't trust it, it is not a natural part of this forest.  Keep it guarded."


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## WarShrike (Jan 6, 2008)

Ryon grabs Thing #3 by the ankle and hauls it, face dragging on the ground, closer to the campfire. "While i agree with you in principle, Cleyra, travelling by dark is going to be far more dangerous than staying put, in my opinion. The ash covering the forest blocks out moon and stars. It's as dark as a cave out here. We would require torches, which in turn would attract anything within a mile of us, just as the campfire has apparently."

He then strips the creature of all it's possessions and clothing, and looks to see if the horns are part of Thing #3's head, or they are part of a helm.

OOC: Do we know of helms in Cuirlen?

"I appologize ladies, for any lack of modesty towards this creature. I'd rather avoid any more surprises, especially if enko is intent on talking to it. Enko, don't bother with the other one. I heard Growl crush it's neck bone from the other side of the camp. Let it die in peace."


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## Zurai (Jan 6, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]Those are floppy ears, actually, not horns. And no, helms aren't really known in Cuirlen, although hats are.[/sblock]

The creature is genderless; only a smooth patch of skin exists between its legs. The only hair on its body is the clump of limp, oily strands on top of its head. Both of the things are absolutely filthy; you can't even be sure of the color of their skin between the poor light of the camp fire and the layers of grime coating them. Both carried only a knife in addition to their ratty leather hats and loincloths; the knives, however, appear to be carved from the sharpened bone of some small creature, and are stained red and black from blood both fresh and dried.[sblock=Bone Knives]
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/sblock]
The creatures are small - only three or four feet tall - with squat, compact bodies and long gangly limbs. Their heads are nearly as big as their torsos, and each has a gaping mouth filled with serrated, needle-sharp teeth. Their beady eyes are set wide on either side of their heads; the eyes have no irises or pupils, being instead a solid off-white color. They have broad hands and feet, with long four-jointed fingers and slightly webbed feet.


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## Shayuri (Jan 6, 2008)

Erin wrinkles her nose in disgust as she goes over to look at what Ryon's doing.

"You know what's odd..." she says after a moment, "is why they're bothering to wear loincloths. I mean...look at them. Why bother? And the hats...what's with the hats? Since when do froggy little monsters wear hats?"

She picks up a hat and looks it over, trying to assess the level of workmanship in it, and possibly gauge the type of material it's made of.


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## Zurai (Jan 6, 2008)

The thing's hat is made from patchwork leather; probably a dozen different types of skins are crudely sewn together in strips and chunks. Most of the leather is badly tanned, at that, with patches of hair and fur still attached.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 6, 2008)

Enko ignores Ryon's suggestion and continues working to save both creatures, using magic if necessary.  "I can fix it...  I think I can.  Just please try to keep Growl from being so vicious if you can."  At Erin's comment he shrugs and replies  "What do you mean?  They have less hair than us.  I'd think they'd be cold in just a loincloth.  Why _wouldn't_ they wear clothes? ... Be careful with this one Ryon, when I heal it it may awaken, and it'll probably try to flee.  Hold it so it doesn't get away."


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## WarShrike (Jan 7, 2008)

Ryon sheathes his sword and grabs Thing #3's wrists, holding them behind it's back.


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## Shayuri (Jan 7, 2008)

"That's what I mean," Erin says. "A loincloth is pretty useless for protection. All it does is keep your modesty safe. But these things haven't got anything to be modest about... Which is itself pretty creepy."


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 7, 2008)

Enko is clearly confused by Erin's choice of words.  "You're 'modesty'?  Wait, does that mean genitals?  Oh, right, well that _is_ weird...  That's another reason why we need to try to talk to them...  They must be somehow related to the spirits of the forest, so we should do our best to make peace with them."


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## Masquerade (Jan 7, 2008)

"If you are serious about this, just do it quickly," Cleyra commands Enko. She is still more concerned with the safety of the party than the wounded thing. "I would still like to move from here as soon as possible. As per Ryon's suggestion, that would be the moment the sun shines its first rays."


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## Zurai (Jan 8, 2008)

As soon as Ryon gets a good grip on the creature, Enko summons the spirit of the Blackfrond to him and allows its healing powers to ease from his hands and into the broken, malformed body at his feet.[sblock=Enko]At first, there's a strong feeling of resistance, as if the creature's body and organs just don't work the same way yours do. Then, the resistance suddenly collapses and the creature gasps in a deep breath.[/sblock]Enko's brow creases in concentration, then relaxes as the creature shudders and gasps in a deep breath. It opens its eyes, sees Ryon glaring down at it, and instantly squirms and scrabbles at the ground in an attempt to escape, screeching "Szas fhel!" in a voice filled with terror.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 8, 2008)

Enko heaves a sigh of relief as the the small creature's breathing becomes regular and it's eyes open.  However, when it's distress at Ryon's presence becomes apparent, he  quickly leans forward to try to force the creature to concentrate on his face.  "Ryon, try not to look so imposing.  You're scaring it."  He speaks in a soothing voice to it, though he has no idea if it can understand his words.  "No one will hurt you.  You do not need to be afraid."

[sblock=ooc]I guess I want to make a diplomacy check here, but I can't really think of a minute's worth of words to say...  Enko is mostly trying to calm the creature with his voice and make it trust him.[/sblock]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 8, 2008)

Thane stays behind the creature, keeping an eye on it.  He shoots Enko a look after his reassurances, but doesn't speak, instead paying close attention to the thing and seeing if he can't figure anything out about it from its behavior.

[sblock=OOC]Rolled a natural 20 on a sense motive check for 25: 
Into the New World Sense Motive (Post 356) (1d20+5=25)[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jan 8, 2008)

"This is a bad idea," Erin says flatly as she glares at the little monster.

"Remember these guys tried to gut us with bone knives?"


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## WarShrike (Jan 8, 2008)

"Yeah, well, let's give Enko his chance. Not that i agree with him. I'm all for reducing the numbers of things trying to kill us. It's odd though, we're still so close to Cuirlen, yet i've never seen or heard of a creature like this before. If we _can_ communicate with it, it wouldn't hurt to learn more about it."


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## Masquerade (Jan 8, 2008)

"It doesn't seem to know any words. At least not any that we can understand," Cleyra observes, talking to nobody in particular.


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## Zurai (Jan 10, 2008)

[sblock=Thane]You don't think the creature is faking its terror, but at the same time, it's not _Ryon_ that it's scared of.[/sblock]Seeing that Ryon has a strong grip on it, the creature ceases struggling, whimpering and moaning in abject terror. However, a few seconds later, it surges upwards and manages to pull itself free from Ryon's grasp. It immediately turns and tries to run again. Artemisia nocks an arrow and takes aim...[sblock=OOC]If no one else takes action, Artemisia will shoot. Ryon rolled really low and the creature rolled really high on the opposed grapple - there was a 17 point difference in the die roll and even the massive penalties the thing was under weren't _that_ massive. So it's free. For now.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 10, 2008)

"Wait!"  Enko rushes towards Artimisia and tries to grab her bow to obstruct her shot. "Don't kill it!"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 10, 2008)

As Enko leaps in front of Artimisia...Thane calmly raises his own bow, steps to the side and fires a single shot...

[sblock=Zurai]I'm not sure how we're doing nonlethal with VP/WP, so if there's a nonlethal option Thane's taking it, but if not he's still shooting it.  Subtract 4 from my roll if nonlethal is possible.

Into the New World Attack Roll (Post 362) (1d20+3=15)

[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jan 10, 2008)

Erin yells after the thing, "Szas fhel!"

On her shoulders, Quoth half spreads his wings and cawps excitedly, "Szas fhel! Szas fhel!"


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## WarShrike (Jan 11, 2008)

Ryon, his bow quite a distance away, draws the dagger at his belt and throws it at Thing #3.
Throwing Dagger at Thing #3 (1d20+3=21, 1d4+2=4)

"The time for games is over!"


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 11, 2008)

All Enko is able to do as the others completely ignore him and attempt to kill the fleeing creature for no apparent reason is impotently shout, "NO!"


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## Zurai (Jan 11, 2008)

The scampering creature collapses back to the ground with a knife and an arrow protruding anew from its back. Artemisia scowls at Enko, lopes up to it, leans down, and slits its throat. "Those ... things ... tried to kill us in our sleep. I don't know what they were, but the very forest cried out in horror at their presence. I see no reason to give them mercy." She turns and looks at Ryon. "What did you do to scare them so badly? As soon as you drew your knife, they seemed to lose all will to fight. Whatever it was, you did well." She turns back and starts walking towards the remaining, paralyzed creature, obviously intending to finish it off as well.[sblock=Enko, Thane]Neither of you felt anything of note from the spirit world when the creatures attacked. Certainly nothing to justify Artemisia's "the forest cried out in horror".[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jan 11, 2008)

"They had a name for Ryon's new sword," Erin says. "They kept yelling it as they fled."

She looks around at the forest.

"It makes me wonder who they were yelling it TO."


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 11, 2008)

Enko runs to grab the paralyzed creature, and holds it in his arms in an attempt to shield it with his own body.  "NO!  What are you doing!?  Have you lost all sense of sanity?!"  He almost screams, obviously distressed at the others' actions.  "These creatures are... people!  Look, they're made of flesh just like us, they speak!  Why did you kill it?!  WHY!?  Are you going to eat it?!  We have more than enough rations!  There's no telling how many more of them there are and you've just killed one of their kind in cold blood! H-how do you think they'll react to that when they already saw us as enough of a threat to attack without warning?"  By this point Enko seems practically hysterical, and it seems he's started crying due to sheer distress.


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## Shayuri (Jan 11, 2008)

Erin blinks, taken aback.

"Um. Enko...they attacked us because they wanted to kill us. Not because they saw us as a threat. In fact, the instant they thought we were a threat, they tried to run away. I don't get it...what's wrong with you?"


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 11, 2008)

"You're wrong," says Thane calmly.  "They're afraid...but not of us.  There's something worse out there.  That's what we should be worried about.  Do no over-mourn its passing, death is a part of the forest as much as life."


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 11, 2008)

Enko glares at Erin incredulously. "What's wrong with _me_!?"  He asks, nearly throwing his arms up and dropping the creature he's trying to protect.  "What are you saying?  That's ridiculous!  Why would they attack us simply because they wanted to kill us?  They only fled because it became clear that they would die if they kept fighting!"  He then turns on Thane, his face getting noticeably red.  "You keep saying that like it means something, but the only death so far has been brought by us!"

All the while, he avoids looking at Artimisia, even as angry as he is, he cannot bear her doubtlessly reproachful glare.


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## WarShrike (Jan 11, 2008)

Ryon retrieves his dagger, then walks to where he dropped his bow and retrieves it as well. 
"The next time we meet these things, and i have a feeling we will, you're more than welcome to go up and try to talk to them. It's like you're trying to defend that feather bear that killed a bunch of villagers. I'm all for coexistence, but if something becomes a threat to us or our comunity, it _has_ to be dealt with.

Now, let Artemisia do what must be done. Even if you saved it's life, i doubt you can mend it's backbone, and without such healing, it will never walk again. Will you stay here with it for the rest of it's life, protecting it from predators and tending it's needs? Would you want to live that way?"


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## Masquerade (Jan 11, 2008)

Cleyra goes silent, afraid that speaking up will only worsen the dispute. _Hmm. Erin is being unexpectedly rational. Even Artemisia makes a good argument, troubling though her demeanor remains._

She glances around at the woods, and then up toward the sky, hoping to see sunlight emerge from the horizon. _I hope this can be resolved quickly. I don't want to be here if those things return in greater numbers._


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 11, 2008)

Enko shakes his head furiously. "You deliberately killed that creature while it fled for it's life!!  WHY!?  It was no threat to you at that point and still you killed it!  Do you not realize what you've done?!  Talking will be pointless now!!  We've shown our intentions as hostile!  They'll attack us like we did the Owlbear, for the same reasons we did!  To preserve their own existence from a threat that kills them for nothing.  You can't kill every single one of them just because they were afraid of you!  That's... that's... insanity!"  He continues shielding the creature, maybe it will never walk again but at this point all he can think about is avoiding more death.


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## Shayuri (Jan 12, 2008)

Erin stares, utterly bewildered.

"And that changes things how?" she asks. "They -already- attacked us. Talking was -already- pointless. Enko...I don't know where you're getting this idea that these things are somehow nice guys that we somehow pissed off by, I don't know...sleeping?...but I don't see anything to support it in what happened."

"Really, Enko...why don't you just calm down a second and -talk- to us instead of treating us like -we're- the monsters here. I mean, its not like we sent them invitations to a tea party, set up an ambush and then sucker-punched them when their backs were to us!"


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 12, 2008)

Enko seems to at least try to calm down. "You don't... _know_ that...  We had them at our mercy, and we...  Why don't you understand?  What would you do if you were one of them?  We're the invaders.  Why don't you get it?  We're the ones who came into their territory.  If we'd shown our good will, maybe we could have made peace, but now... We've proven our intent to harm them... How could you do that?  Why?  They'll take revenge now.  Just like anyone would have, now our only option is violence, and we're in their territory.  There are only seven of us, and who knows how many of them?  Why won't you understand? ...."  He trails off, and slumps to the ground.  Still holding the small creature like some sort of bizarre child.


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## Shayuri (Jan 12, 2008)

"Okay, wait just a second. We're not -invaders-. Anyone looking at us can see we're not soldiers," Erin replies.

"Besides, what do you want, for us to just stand there while they jab -these- into us?" She scoops up a bone knife and tosses it towards Enko...sideways, not trying to make a 'knife throw.' 

"If they'd been at all interested in trying to MEET us instead of EAT us, they wouldn't have had their first contact be a midnight knife ambush, Enko! If there were strangers coming up in our lands, you KNOW that's not how we'd react. We'd try to talk to them. We'd be NICE to them."

She takes a deep breath.

"And what we've proven is that we're not pushovers. Maybe now that they know they can't just kill us in our sleep, they'll be willing to try to talk."


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## Zurai (Jan 12, 2008)

Artemisia looks back and forth as the argument rages. Her face grows more and more expressionless until, at least, she states quietly but firmly, "Enko. Erin. Ryon. Everyone." She makes eye contact with everyone and waits until silence returns before she starts to talk in a low, earnest tone of voice. "Please, before I say this, everyone must understand that if word of what I'm about to say gets back to Pantheras, my mother and I will be exiled from the village. Enko knows why; ask him later if you really need to know."

She gathers in a deep breath and begins. "I don't know how or why, but I have ... an affinity, I suppose ... for the forest. Pantheras swears it's nothing to do with the spirits, and everyone knows I'm no spirit-talker. I'm not marked. But yet, I can _sense_ the mood of the forest. I can feel its pleasure as a strong wind caresses the canopy, and I can feel the sorrow now that ash drapes the land. I have never once - not even when I was a little girl wandering alone - gotten lost in the forest. I have always had what others would call amazing luck with finding game and hunting predators.

"I know better, though. It's not luck. I get a _feeling_ that guides me. That dire bear I slew? It was wounded by another hunter but got away and had gone mad with pain and rage. Its presence was a feeling of _wrongness_ as it slew out of pleasure and insanity rather than for need. That feeling guided me to it." She turns and looks Enko straight in the eyes. "Enko, you have been kind to me when everyone else was indifferent at best. Understand that, when I say this, it is no slight towards your reaction here tonight.

"Those ... creatures ... whatever they are, the very forest recoils in horror at their presence. They are un-natural to the highest degree. The bear was a candle compared to these things' campfire. I don't know what they _are_, but I know what they _represent_. They are evil and destruction and malicious bringers of terror. Their only reason for existence is to destroy. Doesn't the fact that they have no genitals mean anything to you? _These things cannot create, only destroy_. Even their clothes and weapons are made by destroying other creatures." She shakes her head at the obvious retort to her last statement. "Yes, we use skins and bone as well, but we _also_ grow crops and use unliving metal, and the skins and bones we take are always after propitiating the spirit of the slain. We have the capacity to create. The forest tells me that _these do not_. They kill for the simple joy of slaughter. They do not even _comprehend_ that another way of thinking exists."

Reaching the end of her revelation, she seems to lose steam and deflate. "Or maybe I'm just delusional after all, like everyone thinks anyway." With that, she turns and makes her way back to the campsite, crouching down in front of the fire, her head bowed.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 12, 2008)

Putting his bow away, Thane pulls out one of the copper dagger he had purchased in town as he walks over towards Enko, and holds it out hilt first.  "If you truly wish to offer the creature mercy, then you can be the one to give it a quick end."  The hunter seems completely serious.  Turning to Artemesia, he replies simply.  "The forest speaks to all those who are willing to listen, whatever those in the village might say.  I have heard it since I was a child."

[sblock=Zurai]So you're saying that I didn't feel any of what she's saying she felt about these creatures?[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jan 12, 2008)

Erin listens, face still. 

_That explains...a lot..._

"I did think it was weird they didn't have anything between their legs," she says after a moment, a bit defensively.


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## Zurai (Jan 12, 2008)

[sblock=Nac Mac Feegle]Nope. Her connection to the spirit world is a little different than yours (see OOC thread for explanation). I hadn't intended to spill the beans all at once like this; I wanted to draw the mystery out a little longer. Circumstances forced my hand a little, so stuff doesn't quite make as much sense as it should. Apologies for that.[/sblock]


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## Masquerade (Jan 12, 2008)

"Artemisia, I appreciate your honesty, and I apologize for thinking you delusional," Cleyra states genuinely. _This is progress._ "I think it would be best if, in the future, we were all this open with one another. We must rely on each other for survival, and keeping such secrets could only lower our chances."


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 12, 2008)

Enko is about to give a retort to Erin, but then Artimisia begins to speak.  Listening to her, he is unable to reconcile the conclusions he has come to with his faith in her.  What she is saying... makes no sense, but... Why would she lie to them?  He ignores the others and follows her back to the fire.  "You... you're sure about this?"  He asks, still holding the creature.  "I mean...  You mean...  Of course. ...  So everything I... Oh..."  He lays the creature down by his feet and just let's his head slump into his arms.  "Damn it..." he mumbles. 

_Everything I try to do to help... amounts to nothing at best, and...  at worst... Why do I even try?_ 

"Damn it.  Damn it. Damn it."


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## WarShrike (Jan 12, 2008)

"I suggest you get what sleep you still can tonight. My watch is only half way through."
Ryon examines the tracks left by the creatures in order to familiarize himself with them.


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## Masquerade (Jan 13, 2008)

Cleyra prepares to take Ryon's advice, albeit with clear reluctance.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 13, 2008)

Thane quickly drops back into a light sleep in his pile of leaves, putting aside troubling thoughts until the morning.


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## Shayuri (Jan 13, 2008)

Feeling unexpectedly a little sorry for Enko, Erin goes over to sit next to him. She doesn't say anything...just listens to his self-abuse patiently.


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## Zurai (Jan 17, 2008)

Artemisia doesn't look up as Enko follows her, nor when he sets down the paralyzed creature. When he starts to curse himself, though, she speaks up. "Enko ... you did nothing wrong. Didn't you listen to what I was saying about them? You _proved_ that we're different, that we're better. That _you're_ better. _You_, out of compassion and kindness, stopped your friends from killing a murderous creature. _You _ then healed its wounds and did your best to give it succor. If the situations had been reversed, they would have probably eaten you alive. They _certainly_ wouldn't have healed you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You should be proud."

She looks up, green eyes searching for Ryon. "I doubt I'll be able to get any useful amount of sleep between now and the start of my watch. I'll stand the rest of your watch with you if you, or you can go ahead to sleep and I'll take over now."
[sblock=OOC]Feel free to continue conversations if you want, just use sblocks. I'm advancing to the final watches. Also, I need to know what the group intends to do with the paralyzed creature. Artemisia will defer to Enko's judgement, but the rest of you have time to decide. If it has any impact, it won't be for a long time to come.[/sblock]
____________________________________________________

[sblock=Cleyra and Alistia]Artemisia gently shakes you awake and whispers, "Nothing more interesting than firemoths out there for the last few hours, thank the spirits. There aren't too many things I know of that hunt near dawn, so your watch should be uneventful as well. Now, I'm going to get some sleep." And with that, she curls up and within a scant few minutes the regular rise and fall of her chest and the soft whispers of her breath indicate that she's fallen asleep.[sblock=Cleyra, Alistia]Firemoths are small winged insects that are most active at dawn and dusk. Their wings are dull red and their abdomens give off a faint yellowish-orangish glow that grows in intensity if it's near another firemoth. There have been occasional stories of firemoth swarms so big and bright that it seemed like the very sky was on fire - thus their name.[sblock=Cleyra]Firemoths are mildly poisonous if ingested. Some of the village herbalists use them as purging agents, since the most common response to eating one is to throw up.[/sblock][/sblock]
Your watch passes mercifully uneventfully. You hear no unusual sounds (or lack of sounds), see nothing out of place, and after an hour or so you can make out, through the gaps in the canopy above, the sky begin to lighten as the sun once more climbs over the horizon.[/sblock]
One by one, each of you wakes up to the early morning gloom. Cleyra and Alistia stand the last part of their watch as Artemisia prepares meals. As you break your fast and break camp, despite lingering aches from sleeping on hard ground and from the brief combat, there is an atmosphere of confidence. You survived a night ambush by murderous savages. Not only survived, but soundly defeated them, sending them fleeing in terror back from wherever they came. If _those_ things couldn't even seriously hurt one of you, with their cruel bone knives and obvious intelligence, then surely your mission will be a success!
[sblock=OOC]Congratulations on surviving your first night in the ash-draped Noonshadow Forest. 400 experience to all of you, for roleplaying and for the two encounters you passed without knowing  That _should_ level everyone. Please update the Rogue's Gallery and post a note in the OOC thread so I can double-check everything.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 17, 2008)

[sblock=After the fight]Enko doesn't feel much better after Artimisia speaks to him.  It is some small solace that she does not seem to think his actions towards the creature to be as absurd as the others do, but he still feels as if a rug has been pulled out from under him and he is in a perpetual fall.  It's like she says however.  He can't afford to feel sorry for himself.  He lifts his face and looks at the creature that still lives.  "We still know very little about these creatures.  We can learn from this one.  It... won't run away."  He glances at Growl.  "If Ryon stays away from it, I might be able to calm it down enough to talk to it."

If everyone agrees not to kill it immediately, Enko goes to sleep.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jan 17, 2008)

"I'll keep my distance, as will Growl. And you're certainly right that it won't be running away. No one is master of any other here. I did what i believe i had to do. And so must we all. If you feel you must do this, then it is the right thing to do. Though it won't run, do heed it's teeth. They are by far the nastiest i've seen so far on any creature."

In the morning, Ryon will roast the remainder of the venison so it won't spoil if it wasn't already done. He will also see if the 2 arrows he shot the night before are salvageable, and finally, he'll make a wide patrol around the camp (about 100 meters out).


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## Lorthanoth (Jan 17, 2008)

Alisitia has looked uneasy throughout the whole encounter, and has remained silent (mainly out of terror at the strange spirit thing). At a suitably private moment, she finds Enko and says "Enko... I... think you have the biggest heart of us all... perhaps in the whole village. I'm sorry if I've been snotty with you before. I guess... well, you show us how we should be, how people should be. And you should be true to yourself."

She takes a deep breath, "We need you, just as much as we need Artemisia, and Ryon and Thane I guess,"[COLOR] she adds with a slight smile, "You 're a good person. But not everything we'll meet is as kind as you. But don't ever change." With that she hugs him quickly in an embarrassed manner


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## Masquerade (Jan 17, 2008)

Cleyra awakes with renewed enthusiasm and confidence. Following her watch with Alistia, once the others are awake, she decides to make an address to share her optimism.

"None of us really know what lies ahead of us. However, as a result of last night's skirmish and Artemisia's honesty, we now know more than we did when we departed. We know that we are not alone in these woods, and we know that what is out there will want to hurt us. But, together, we defended ourselves once, and, as long as we stay together and continue to learn from our mistakes, we can do it again.

"So let us go forward now with greater speed and greater confidence. Not because we no longer have anything to fear, but because we know what it is we fear!"

"That's...all I wanted to say. Thanks."[sblock=OOC]I think it's an unwritten requirement that every new marshal level is accompanied by a rousing speech. ^_^[/sblock]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 17, 2008)

When Thane wakes up, there is an extremely small owl perched on his head.  The hunter doesn't comment on this, but simply goes about his business, rising, checking his bowstrings to make sure the night's dampness hasn't gotten to them, counting arrows, and eating a small piece of the previous day's catch.  Throughout all of this the owl remains perched in his hair, occasionally shifting its feet or extending its wings to stay upright.  When he is finally ready, Thane walks over to the rest of the group and listens quietly to Cleyra's speech.


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## WarShrike (Jan 18, 2008)

Ryon catches a glimpse of Thane and says: "Thane, you've got feathers in your hair." with a smile.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 18, 2008)

Thane doesn't reply, but the owl fixes Ryan with its wide eyes and gives a yelp that sounds like an eerily good replica of an annoyed Thane.  The hunter for his part heads over to where Enko meditates, waiting for him to finish before speaking softly.  "I told you before, Enko, you cannot save everything.  To try to do that, it is to go against the natural order of the forest.  Death is as necessary as life in these woods, if you treat it as an enemy it will not forgive you."


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## Shayuri (Jan 18, 2008)

Erin shifts in her sleep at the sounds of people talking and moving around, but doesn't awaken.

Quoth, however, does, and stands next to her head protectively with his wings half spread and arced over her like shields. Sort of like how a hawk stands over a fresh kill.


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 18, 2008)

Enko smiles at Alistia somewhat embarrassedly, but can't think of anything of anything else to say to her.

When he finishes his spell meditation he looks up at Thane passively.  "Thane.  You should not think so much of death.  It will only happen to each of us once, and that will be at the end of our lives.  Life on the other hand, is far more important, and far less permanent.  Death is inevitable, that is why we must cherish life while it lasts." He stands and glances at the still sleeping Erin.  "That's a nice owl by the way."  He walks over and looks down at Quoth.  "Quoth, it's time for her to get up, we can't leave without her."  leaning over her, he shakes gently shakes her shoulder.  "Erin, it's time to get up.  Come on."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 18, 2008)

Thane shrugs and walks away, back to where Cleyra and the rest are preparing to leave. _Well, I tried.  I should have known a shaman wouldn't be willing to listen._  Checking his bow again, Thane absent-mindedly reaches up to run his fingers through the owl's feathers, before setting his back against a tree to wait for the others.


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## Shayuri (Jan 19, 2008)

Quoth cawps and flaps his wings at Enko and hops away a step as Erin opens her eyes and pulls her blanket up a bit, then stares at Enko with bleary confusion.

"Enko...what are you..." Then she seems to realize where she is. "Oh. Oh right."

She sits up and stretches her arms...a good trick since she has to use one hand to hold up the blanket...then nods at Enko.

"Alright...just let me get dressed."

With that she vanishes under the blanket. Much bumping about underneath ensues.

A moment later, her red hair all wild and mussed from rubbing around under there...but wearing her blouse and skirt from the day before, Erin emerges.

"What's for breakfast?" she asks with a yawn.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 19, 2008)

Thane slices off a piece of the venison Ryan has roasted with one of his copper knives and passes it over towards Erin.  "We should conserve the packed food, it will last longer, and we do not know how long we'll be able to hunt."  He goes back to cut himself a slice as well and makes his way over to Artemisia and Ryan to work out who will be where in the marching order.

[sblock=OOC]With the new level and the new familiar I've updated Thane's senses block.  Assuming he stays next to it, Thane will have Spot and Listen at +12 each, +15 spot in low-light conditions.  Assuming it's adjacent, the owl will have Spot +8, Listen +16, and the spot will rise to +16 in low-light conditions.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 19, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]Lol, Erin takes her clothes off before sleeping when she's camping?  [/sblock]

Enko looks after Erin for a moment, wondering when she had a chance to undress during the night.  Then thinking about the fact that she really is quite beautiful...  He blushes at the thought, and turns away, heading over to eat some breakfast.  

"Artimisia, I've been thinking about what you said last night.  I think that I should try to communicate with the spirit of that oak tree.  I've never done the ritual before, but I know how it's done.  The only problem is that it will require some time.  Maybe an hour."  He looks around at the rest of the group for their opinions.

His eyes eventually come to rest on the crippled creature.  "Do you think that it needs to eat?"  Taking a piece of the meat with him, he goes over to the creature and examines it.


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## Shayuri (Jan 19, 2008)

(hahaha...not ALL her clothes. She was playing a little coy. )


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## Shayuri (Jan 22, 2008)

"I don't know," Erin replies with sarcasm as she puts her shoes on, "Let's find a puppy and we'll find out."


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 22, 2008)

Enko glances over at Erin, questioningly. "A what?"


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## Shayuri (Jan 23, 2008)

"Puppy," she repeats, "Baby dog."

Erin sighs and shakes her head. "Nevermind. It was a joke. Are we ready to go?"


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 23, 2008)

Enko continues to look confused "What's a..." he starts, but trails off when he loses Erin's attention.


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## Zurai (Jan 26, 2008)

By the time everyone has eaten and camp is broken down, a faint shimmer of sunlight has begun to filter through to the forest floor. Birds chirp in the canopy and leaves rustle as small animals scurry about in search of food and shelter. The captive creature groans softly, still unconscious from the combat the night before.

Upon seeing the owl perched on Thane's head, Artemisia looks startled, then purses her lips and trills out a bird-call. The owl blinks at her, but doesn't respond. "A striped owl, huh? I've never seen one so comfortable around people before. You should be honored. At least, until it messes your hair, anyway." she ends with a giggle. "I think that we have enough food for now; hunting slows us down and speed is of the essence. We don't have enough salt or time to preserve the meat we hunt, so we'll have to go in cycles of hunting for a day then traveling full speed for several. Hopefully we won't need to use the food we have packed, but it's good to know it's there when we do need it."



> "Artimisia, I've been thinking about what you said last night. I think that I should try to communicate with the spirit of that oak tree. I've never done the ritual before, but I know how it's done. The only problem is that it will require some time. Maybe an hour.
> 
> "Do you think that it needs to eat?"



"Well... we won't have to hunt today, so even if you do your ritual and nothing comes of it, we'll still go farther than we did yesterday. If it'll make you settle down some, I don't see the harm in it. I could use the time to take a little nap, myself." Artemisia looks to the rest of the group and asks, "Anyone else have anything to say about it?

"As for eating ... well, it's alive. Even plants eat. I would suspect it only eats meat, given its ... inclinations."


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## Dire Lemming (Jan 26, 2008)

Enko nods in response to Artimisia and holds the piece of meat close to the creature.  "H-hey.  Can you here me?  I've got some breakfast for you..."

OOC: Can I do a heal check or something on it to see how close it is to awaking?


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## WarShrike (Jan 26, 2008)

"I'm going to partol the area. I doubt very much it's gonna talk with me around, and you definately don't want Growl here when it starts moving."


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Jan 26, 2008)

Zurai said:
			
		

> "I think that we have enough food for now; hunting slows us down and speed is of the essence. We don't have enough salt or time to preserve the meat we hunt, so we'll have to go in cycles of hunting for a day then traveling full speed for several.




"The forest will provide, don't worry," says Thane simply.  "Don't throw out any food, I'll see to it that it's edible if we need it."  With that he heads off with Ryan, probably for largely the same reason.


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## Masquerade (Jan 28, 2008)

Cleyra, ready to go the moment everyone else is, sits down to wait. Still optimistic, she decides not to remind the others that she's wanted to get moving since the attack last night.

From her position ten feet away, Cleyra witnesses Enko trying to communicate with the creature. "Umm, let me know if you need help with anything," she tells him and Artemisia.


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## Shayuri (Feb 4, 2008)

"They need help moving," Erin grumbles as she stuffs her things in her satchel and grabs her shepherd's staff off the ground.

"We all do. Come on, Enko, you can feed your new pal as we go."


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## Shayuri (Feb 6, 2008)

(ping?)


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Feb 6, 2008)

(Still here and hoping everyone else is )


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## WarShrike (Feb 6, 2008)

OOC: checking in everyday.


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## Masquerade (Feb 6, 2008)

OOC: me, too!


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 7, 2008)

OOC: I'm not here at all.  I'm invisible.  Stop looking at me!


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## Lorthanoth (Feb 7, 2008)

OOC: Word.


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## WarShrike (Feb 14, 2008)

***BUMP!***


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Feb 14, 2008)

I know I saw Zurai around here somewhere.

Z, if you see this, give us a status update (I know I for one would rather know I'm on hiatus than wait around wondering).


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 14, 2008)

He's in the Planescape game in my signature.  He's still posting in it too.  At least he was last week.  :\


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## Masquerade (Feb 14, 2008)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> (I know I for one would rather know I'm on hiatus than wait around wondering).



Agreed.


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## Zurai (Feb 14, 2008)

I'm still here. Busy and frazzled as all heck. Game's not on hold, just slow. It takes a lot more time and thought to update this than a game I'm playing as a PC, which is why you see me updating those more. Not an excuse, just an explanation. Anyway, I promise I'll get an update today if I have to chain myself to the desk.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Feb 14, 2008)

Yay!  Just don't burn yourself out, that's all I ask


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 15, 2008)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Yay!  Just don't burn yourself out, that's all I ask




QFT


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## Zurai (Feb 15, 2008)

Dire Lemming said:
			
		

> Enko nods in response to Artimisia and holds the piece of meat close to the creature.  "H-hey.  Can you here me?  I've got some breakfast for you..."



The smell of food in close proximity seems to awaken the creature, which reacts to its plight with pitiful whimpers - about all it can do at the moment. Still, when Enko offers it a strip of meat, only his youthful reflexes keep him from losing fingers to the creature's sharp teeth. It eats noisily, glaring around it as much as it can with its limited mobility.

Artemisia crouches beside Enko as he carefully hand-feeds the thing and says softly, "You need to decide what to do with this thing, Enko. We're leaving soon. I won't argue if you want to keep it for whatever reason, but if you do, you need to figure out some way of moving it without hurting it even more than it already is, and I don't think any of the others is going to offer to help you carry it." She pauses momentarily, then speaks even softer, so that only Enko and the creature can hear.
[sblock=Enko]"Just be careful, Enko. You're special, and I would hate to see you hurt - physically or spiritually."[/sblock]
As soon as she finishes speaking, she moves away, not giving Enko a chance to respond, and heads off to talk to Thane and Ryon. "We don't need to hunt today, but after last night I think it's probably a good idea if we keep up our scouting . I suggest we rotate the duty every day, with two scouting - one in front, one behind the party - and one leading the rest of the group. Ryon and Thane, you two scouted and hunted yesterday; who wants to play guide today?"


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 15, 2008)

Enko is left blushing and staring after Artimisia as she walks away; barely remembering to keep his fingers away from the creature's mouth.  "Ah, uh... Hey, stop that.  I can't keep feeding you if you bite off my hand."  He looks down at the little creature, watching it carefully to make sure it doesn't choke.

OOC: So it's mouth works, do it's arms work? 

I guess we don't have time for the ritual but for the future do I have everything I'd need for it?


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## WarShrike (Feb 15, 2008)

"Growl and I will take the rear again, if it's all the same to you." says Ryon.

[SBLOCK=OOC]Zurai, was Ryon able to find the 2 arrows he shot last night, and are either re-usable? Just seeing if i cross them out or not.[/SBLOCK]


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## Zurai (Feb 15, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]Enko: It's paralyzed from the neck down. It has limited mobility with the neck and nothing below that.

Ryon: For simplicity's sake, we'll do this: Any arrow that hits its target, breaks, but you can recover the arrowheads if you have a little time. 50% (round up) of arrows that miss are recoverable if you have time after the fight to look for them.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Feb 15, 2008)

[SBLOCK=OOC]Ok, rolling 2 d100s for arrows. 01-50 are re-useable.
Arrow #1:  (1d100=98) = Broken
Arrow #2:  (1d100=34) = Re-useable
[/SBLOCK]


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Feb 15, 2008)

"I'll lead the group," says Thane quietly.  "Are we ready to leave?  I think last night's suggestion of putting some distance between us and this campsite was a good one.  Also, when we make camp for the night I think we might consider being more discrete."


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 16, 2008)

OOC:  So... about the ritual to contact the dryad that I keep mentioning?

Also, I'm thinking I could make a carrier for the little bugger with some sticks and a bedroll.  Something that can be carried alone or with two people if anyone else has a heart.


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## Masquerade (Feb 16, 2008)

"Yes! Thank you," Cleyra responds, glad to hear someone else eager to get moving.


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## Zurai (Feb 17, 2008)

[sblock=OOC Dire Lemming]







			
				Dire Lemming said:
			
		

> OOC:  So... about the ritual to contact the dryad that I keep mentioning?



You can do it, but it involves wreathing the tree in aromatic herbs, then meditating for an hour. During the meditation, a spirit may or may not come from the spirit world to speak with you. It's up to you if you want to try to persuade the party to give you the time for the ritual.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 17, 2008)

OOC: I already did bring that up, everyone but Artimisia ignored me.  Though oddly, they payed attention to Artimisia's response to me, just ignoring the part that had anything to do with me... :\


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Feb 17, 2008)

OOC: Sorry, when you said you figured we didn't have the time I thought that was the end of the discussion.


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 17, 2008)

OOC: We never discussed it though.  I brought it up, Artimisia said we'd probably have time and if anyone else had anything to say about it and then everyone else ignored it and acted like we had agreed to leave immediately.


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## Lorthanoth (Feb 17, 2008)

Alistia goes over to Cleyra and says for her ears only, "Everyone's so on edge! Well, I can see why, but it's almost like the forest has made them all crazy. We need everyone to pull together. I think Enko's not taking all of this too well; probably being so close to Artemisia's making him go funny too. I think we should help him a bit with this... spirit... thing. It gives me the creeps but Enko seems so down. What do you think?"


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## Masquerade (Feb 17, 2008)

Cleyra has felt like she was being ignored since before they even departed, so she is taken a bit aback by Alistia's attention. She quickly decides that pursuing this friendship might be a good idea if anyone is to listen to her. Still, her intentions aren't entirely machiavellian--Cleyra realizes she is too quick to forget that friendship is it's own reward.

After a pause, Cleyra nods. "You are right, Alistia. If it's the only way...I will help." _Okay, now let's just get going!_


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## Lorthanoth (Feb 20, 2008)

Alistia goes over to Enko and asks him if he needs help transporting the strange being.


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## Shayuri (Feb 20, 2008)

Erin leans back against a tree and folds her arms over her chest with a long-suffering sigh.

Quoth perches on a branch over her head and surveys Enko and his charge with a beady black eye.


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 20, 2008)

"Oh, yeah, can you help me find a good straight branch or another staff?  We can make some sort of a carrier with a bedroll."  Enko starts looking around for a suitable piece of wood to compliment his staff.


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## Shayuri (Feb 20, 2008)

There's a -thump- near Enko. When he looks, he sees a quarterstaff sized length of straight, polished wood, with a crook on the end lying in the grass there.

Erin dusts her hands off.

"Anything else?"


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 21, 2008)

"Oh, thanks Erin."  Enko gets both staffs and attempts to fashion them together with his blanket into a stretcher of sorts.


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## Zurai (Feb 22, 2008)

As the rest of the party packs up camp and Ryon sets out to scout the area, Enko begins preparations for a Ritual of Communion in an attempt to contact the spirit of the great oak tree. First, he carefully lays out twelve small bundles of fragrant herbs in a rough circle about five feet from the tree trunk. Then, he paints stripes of ash from the campfire across his arms and face and matching stripes around the tree's trunk. Finally, he sits just outside the circle of herbs, places another batch of herbs in a small stone bowl held between his knees, lights the herbs carefully, and inhales deeply from the pungent smoke they give off as they slowly burn.
[sblock=Enko]As the smoke pours into your nostrils, you feel your spirit separate from your body. Before your mind's eye, you see a circle of brilliant verdant color, about twenty feet across, taking up roughly the area defined in the ritual. In the center of the circle is a swirling mass of energy; lines of pearlescent white, raw sienna, pale jade, shimmering sapphire, and even a few strands of angry vermilion twine and twist into an awe-inspiring conglomerate that towers hundreds of feet into the air - the spirit of the great oak tree.

Humbly, your spirit-self drifts forward into the circle, as required by the ritual, to speak to the spirit. Even as a question forms in your mind, a sense of benign amusement washes over you. Several impossibly thin lines of color untwine themselves from the tree-spirit and stretch out towards you, gently brushing against your spirit-self and pulling you towards the great spirit. Again you feel a wave of emotion wash over you, this time tranquility; you feel, for a brief few seconds, all the tension, pain, and worry of the previous days and nights vanish from your consciousness. 

The tendrils of spirit force slowly surround you and draw you closer and closer to the great spirit, until at last you are completely - and harmlessly, thanks to the Ritual - subsumed within the great pillar of color. For the first time in the Ritual, you receive a sensation other than sight or emotion - a pair of slim feminine hands slide sensuously up your chest and neck and lightly cup your face in their palms. Again you feel the benign amusement, followed quickly by a burst of pride, as if you had done something that needed to be done, and done it well. Then the hands withdraw and you feel a pair of warm, full lips press against yours in a searing kiss; accompanying the lips is a mental image of Artemisia and a rapid series of emotions - caution, longing, companionship, protectiveness. Then, the image and emotions are gone as quickly as they came and your eyes snap open to the soft light of morning in the Noonshadow forest. 

Even as the last of the smoke wafts up from the bowl in your lap, however, the wind blows about your head, feeling for all the world like a hand fondly caressing your hair, and you can swear you can hear a feminine voice whisper "Follow the Guide"[/sblock]He remains there, seated facing the tree with his eyes closed and smoke trailing up from his lap, completely unresponsive to what is going on around him. After nearly an hour, his eyes snap open and he appears to be cognizant of the world around him again.

________________________________________________________________

Refreshed from the morning meal and the cool breeze that seems to follow them, the party sets out again at a faster pace than the previous day. Thane leads the bulk of the group while Artemisia and Ryon slip into the undergrowth to guard the others at a distance. Thane sets a hard pace, and by mid-day the town dwellers are panting and sore, and greatly relieved when a break is called for. At this point, the party is about one solid day's travel into the Noonshadow Forest; few hunters travel much deeper. By the end of the day, they will pass into unknown lands.


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 22, 2008)

As Enko becomes aware of the world around him again, he opens his eyes and stares for several seconds at the tree, before picking up the bowl of burning herbs and turning to look at the others, trying to put his experience into words as he awaits their questions.


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## Shayuri (Feb 22, 2008)

"Well?" Erin asks. "What happened?"


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 22, 2008)

"Um... well I felt that... she did not intend any harm.  Um... It's really not easy to explain."  Enko looks at Artimisia.  "She... seemed to know you.  Or at least of you.  I'm not entirely sure if it was my thoughts or hers though... erm.  Hm.  Well, I haven't ever really spoken with a spirit other than my own guide before..."


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## Shayuri (Feb 22, 2008)

Erin glances at the tree with a faint frown.

"It's a girl? I'm learning all kinds of things about spirits today. I didn't know there were men and women. I figured they were just...spirits."


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## Lorthanoth (Feb 22, 2008)

Alistia chips in "Well in some stories, spirits can be just like people, and er... you know, er... do stuff that people do. Sometimes they can be like animals or plants. It is weird to see one in the flesh though."


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## Zurai (Feb 27, 2008)

> Enko looks at Artimisia.  "She... seemed to know you.  Or at least of you.  I'm not entirely sure if it was my thoughts or hers though... erm.  Hm.



"The spirit knew me? I can't imagine why; I don't think I've ever seen that particular tree before. And what thoughts would you have about me that would color the spirit's message, hmmm?" Artemisia asks, arching an eyebrow at Enko with a teasing smile on her lips.
[sblock=OOC]Sorry for the brief "update"; I was headed out the door but saw an opportunity to have Artemisia tease Enko that I couldn't resist. I'll have a real update in a couple hours, I swear.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Feb 27, 2008)

Enko looks a bit like a deer who's just heard a hunter as he stares at Artimisia, though he is considerably redder.  "I..."  He quickly realizes however that there is little else he can say without making himself look foolish, so simply fall quiet, and waits for any further questions.


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## Shayuri (Mar 3, 2008)

"So..." Erin presses impatiently. "Did she say anything? Travel tips? Advice? Did she know what this...thing you've got on sticks and blankets is?"


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## Dire Lemming (Mar 3, 2008)

"She um, well.  No, not really.  She said something about following a guide.  All I can think of that she might mean is my spirit guide."  Enko shrugs.


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## WarShrike (Mar 11, 2008)

Bump!


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## Zurai (May 7, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]Because of the extended break, I'm going to interject a bit of time into the game as well. We pick up with the heroes about a week's journey from where we left them - in other words, 8 days' travel into the Noonshadow forest. At this point, they are far past the farthest anyone from Cuirlen has gone to and returned from.[/sblock]

The past week has been equal measures agonizing, tedious, thrilling, and tense. Everyone is fully aware that everything you have seen for days has been _new_. You have seen wondrously beautiful scenes of natural beauty, such as the pristine forest glade with the miniature waterfall spilling into a crystal-clear pool of water, untouched by the ashfall; at the same time, you've seen things that make even the most hardened hunter cautious - trees with massive claw marks fifteen feet off the ground, swaths of underbrush trampled by creatures that must be of immense size, strange and frightening hoots and calls at night.

And yet, nothing significant has happened. Your progress has been slow but steady as you blaze a trail through the forest in a generally northwesterly direction, towards the distant mountains. You've managed to hunt and gather enough food along the way that you havn't needed to eat into the supplies given to you by the Council. The weather has been relatively pleasant, with only one rainstorm, on the fourth day of your journey, which presumably cleared away most of the lingering ashes, as you havn't seen any since then. All told, things have been tiring but almost pleasant.

This day, Artemisia volunteered to be the forward scout for the party, with Thane watching behind the group. Travel is uneventful again for the first half of the day, but when the main group stops for their mid-day rest and meal, neither scout returns to the camp, as is the usual procedure. Even by the end of the hour break, there has been no sign of them.


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## Dire Lemming (May 7, 2008)

Enko, who always seemed a bit unsettled when Artimisia left is now quite obviously worried.  Constantly shifting and looking out into the trees.  "Um... I think we should go look for them.  They should be back by now, but what if they got hurt or something?"


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## Zurai (May 10, 2008)

[sblock=Flashback: Journey Day 4]The constant steady rainfall and distant rumbling thunder set the mood for the day in the pre-dawn hours. By the time of the mid-day rest, everyone is tired, irritable, and soaked to the skin - everyone, that is, except for the paralyzed creature captured from the raid on the camp the first night in the forest. It has almost seemed to wilt with every passing hour and by mid-day it hangs limp in its stretcher, not even bothering to lift its eyelids. Its skin had gradually drained of all color until it seemed almost translucent, and its breaths were sparse and ragged.

Finally, it gave one final breathy gasp and ceased all movement. Enko's healing spells and herbs were of no avail; the creature was dead. Not sure what else to do, he insisted on burying it. However, even before he was finished digging the grave, Enko noticed a small glowing light dancing around the creature's corpse. A closer inspection revealed it as a sourceless ball of light - it appeared to have no physical or spiritual presence whatsoever. As everyone watched, another light appeared and hovered over the fallen creature, then another and another. After a few moments, all four lights dipped and spun in the air, then darted away into the trees. Attempt to follow them failed - the lights vanished without a trace into the dreary boughs.

No one knew what the lights were, where they'd come from, or where they'd gone to. The creature did not seem to be affected by their presence, and the lights ignored the party while they were present. Finally deciding that they needed to get moving, the toothy creature was buried and the party continued their journey.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 10, 2008)

"I agree" says Ryon. Ryon begins searching for Artemisia's tracks a ways further on. "In theory, tracking Artemisia should be easier. If she's still ahead of us, her trail should be fresh and unblemished, whereas Thane would be walking along our trail and mixing his tracks amoung ours. We should catch up with her first. If Thane got lost or something, well, Artemisia will probably have an easier time finding him than i would."


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## Shayuri (May 10, 2008)

Erin shrugs.

"Are we all going to look?" she asks. "It would be a cruel joke if they got back right after everyone left..."


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## Dire Lemming (May 11, 2008)

"That's a good point."  Enko looks around the area again.  "Hm, they might not have returned because they're too injured to move, I better go with you Ryon.  If you two stay here you can take care of either of them if they make it back, they shouldn't be that bad off if they made it back by themselves." Enko starts following Ryon after Artimisia's trail.


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## Zurai (May 17, 2008)

Enko and Ryon head out of camp in the direction they believe Artemisia to be in, leaving the other three women alone in camp.
[sblock=Erin, Alistia, Cleyra]The two menfolk quickly disappear into the thick undergrowth and densely-packed trees, leaving the three of you to wait for the return of Thane or Artemisia. Your small fire crackles quietly and, off in the distance, you hear the call of some sort of bird. Time stretches out...[/sblock][sblock=Ryon, Enko]Within a few minutes of leaving camp, Ryon notices a thorny bush that has been hacked up to clear a path, with a bit of cloth stuck to one of the thorns that matches Artemisia's cloak. The pair of you follow her trail for the better part of an hour until her tracks simply stop. [sblock=Ryon]You note that just a few feet before her footsteps stop, the branches of two trees flanking her trail cross overhead, almost like they were an archway. Artemisia's (presumably Artemisia's, anyhow) final visible footstep has a deep indentation at the toe, as you would expect from a person that was walking normally.[/sblock] Try as you might, you are unable to pick up any sign of her past this point.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (May 17, 2008)

[sblock=Ryon and Enko]"Ryon... The trail.  Where is it?"  Enko starts becoming agitated as he casts about for some sign of Artimisia.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 17, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"It's gone. It's just gone. The tracks, to my way of seeing, seem normal, as one would walk in a normal fashion. As far as i can tell there was no struggle. I noticed something odd though. The boughs above us, and above the vanishing tracks coincedently, form an arch of sorts, as though it were an entrance to a hut or whatnot. I'm at a loss here. Can the spirits tell you nought?" says Ryon with a grimace, backing away from the "arch".
[/SBLOCK]


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## Dire Lemming (May 17, 2008)

[sblock=Ryon and Enko]Enko shakes his head, "It doesn't really work that way.  I need to perform that ceremony to contact the spirits."  He stares upwards at the tree branches, strangely forming an arch and goes back a few paces, placing his feet in Artimisia's tracks.  "It's like she just... walked through a doorway, and then it vanished."  He starts walking, placing each step in one of Artimisia's until he steps under the arch of branches[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (May 17, 2008)

Erin finds waiting is not something she's well suited to, and starts wondering why she didn't elect to go. She busies herself for awhile exploring the immediate area. Then she manages to find some interest in laboriously climbing a tree (taking 20 basically ) and getting a look around, while Quoth snickers about her flightless fumbling. For a little while she fights an imaginary foe with her walking stick, until she's quite sure she could probably take on even a merchant's guardsman with her savage skills.

Then she's reduced to sitting glumly and throwing burrs at Quoth, who dodges them gamely, cawing and hopping about.


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## Zurai (May 17, 2008)

[sblock=Enko]You carefully place your feet in Artemisia's footprints and follow her trail through the arched pathway. When you reach the end of her trail, you turn and look at Ryon to see if anything has changed - but Ryon isn't there. The terrain looks identical, and you can see Artemisia's footprints stretching out behind you just like they were. Turning again, you see her footprints continue past the point where they had stopped before.[/sblock][sblock=Ryon]Enko carefully places his feet in Artemisia's footprints and follows her trail through the arched pathway. When he reaches the end and leans forward to begin his next step, the air around him _shimmers_ and he vanishes, mid-step.[/sblock][sblock=Erin]About two hours pass as you desperately try to keep yourself occupied. Alistia and Cleyra aren't much company - Cleyra decided that there needed to be a sentry, so she took off and began to walk a perimeter patrol of the campsite, and while Alistia tries to engage you in conversation, it seems to come out awkward and forced.
Eventually, just as you feel like you're about to go crazy from waiting (and afraid Quoth might be getting just a _little_ irritated at being used as target practice...) you hear the sound of something fairly large crashing through the undergrowth vaguely to the west of the camp.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (May 18, 2008)

[sblock=Enko] Enko stares at the spot where Ryon used to be.  It's clear that something happened when he stepped under the arch, which is what he had hoped might be the case.  Looking at Artimisia's trail, he begins to follow it, but soon realizes that it it would probably be unwise to wonder off alone at this point if he has a choice and so stops and turns to watch the archway, hoping to see Ryon appear through it shortly.  If he does not appear after five minutes or so however Enko decides that his best chance is to follow Artimisia's trail as best he can in hopes of finding her.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 18, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Zurai]
"Aww wolf-poo." says Ryon, dejectedly. He then immitates Enko, after ordering Growl back to the camp.
[/SBLOCK]


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## Zurai (May 20, 2008)

[sblock=Ryon]Growl whines at you, but after a short while he turns and lopes back to camp. You repeat Enko's actions, following Artemisia's footprints, and as soon as you take the last step of her visible footprints, Enko appears about ten feet in front of you, further down the trail.[/sblock][sblock=Enko]Only a few moments after he disappears, Ryon _shimmers_ into view along Artemisia's trail. Growl does not seem to be following him.[/sblock][sblock=Ryon and Enko]Artemisia's footprints continue onward to the northwest. Neither of you see any signs of struggle or haste.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (May 20, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]"Where's Growl?"  Enko asks curiously.  "Keeping watch on the other side? ...  Well look, it's her trail, she must have come through that arch just like we did, come on let's hurry!"[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (May 20, 2008)

Erin pops to her feet as if on a string.

"Alistia, something's coming!" she hisses urgently. She then calls, "Cleyra! Come back!"

Her eyes then settle on Quoth, and an idea occurs to her.

"Quoth, go fly and see what it is, then come back! Hurry!"


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## WarShrike (May 20, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"Ordered him back to the camp. Let's find her quick and get out of here. This _place_ is un-natural."
[/SBLOCK]


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## Dire Lemming (May 21, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Enko nods in whole hearted agreement and starts trying to follow the trail.[/sblock]


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## Zurai (May 23, 2008)

[sblock=Erin, Alistia, Cleyra]Alistia grabs her cudgel and grips it tightly, her knuckles white, and Cleyra dashes back into camp. Even as she starts asking questions, Quoth swoops into the treetops to spy out the approaching visitor. [sblock=Erin]After a few moments, you feel amusement wash over you from your empathic link to your familiar. Whatever he found, he's laughing raucously about it.[/sblock]After maybe a minute, the crashing sounds stop, only to be replaced shortly thereafter by a whining noise, much like that of a distressed animal.[/sblock]
[sblock=Enko and Ryon]You are easily able to follow Artemisia's tracks through the muddy, mulchy forest floor. Intent as you both are on following the trail, you fail to notice that the underbrush on the sides of the trail have become gradually thicker and thornier the further you travel. It isn't until Enko nearly walks into a wall of briars with long, needle-like thorns that you realize it would be nearly impossible to do anything _but_ follow the trail at this point.[sblock=Enko]These briar plants are unlike anything you've ever seen. They are incredibly densely packed tangles of thorn-tipped branches reaching up to nearly a short man's height. The tips of the needle-like thorns are colored a brilliant, glistening red, and a very careful test shows that the red coloration is actually some sort of liquid - presumably a poison of one sort or another. Most thorny plants have very mild venom, but most venomous thorny plants are much smaller than these.[/sblock][sblock=Ryon]The realization that you're forced to follow Artemisia's trail gives your mind enough of a jolt that you re-examine the tracks again. As you do, you realize that they're a little _too_ clear. While there is some mud still from the rain a few days back, the ground is mostly covered with fallen, rotting leaves. Leaf cover like this doesn't usually hold tracks as well as you're seeing; the leaves tend to spring back up after being pressed down by the foot. Artemisia's tracks - if that is, indeed, whose tracks these are - are clear indentations in the leafy mulch covering the ground. You can easily make out at least three out of every steps, but the distance between steps indicates that Artemisia was walking at a relatively normal pace - she shouldn't have been exerting enough pressure to deform the ground this much.[/sblock][/sblock]


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## Shayuri (May 23, 2008)

As the crashing noises stop, Erin relaxes and shakes her head.

"It's not dangerous after all...Quoth thinks it's funny. A deer or something maybe."

She moves towards the sound and her raven, pretending annoyance but actually kind of relieved.


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## Dire Lemming (May 23, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]"Ryon, these thorns look very poisonous, we'd better be careful not o get stuck with them.  Maybe you can use your long blade to clear the path a bit."  Enko continues on more carefully now, making sure not to get too near the thorn bushes as he follows Artimisia's trail, and glancing forward every once in a while to see if he can make out her form ahead.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 24, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"Um, thing is, i'm not sure these are even Artemisia's anymore. The tracks themselves are, for lack of a better term, not behaving like normal tracks. I get the feeling they are being layed out specificly for us to follow them and i don't like it." Ryon puts away his bow and draws the sword. "It seems however that we don't have much choice either way, i guess."
[/SBLOCK]


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## Dire Lemming (May 24, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]"That... Are you sure?" Enko stops and stares more closely at the tracks, suddenly becoming worried again.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 24, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"The unusualness of the tracks themselves is worrying, but to think Artemisia might guide the group into a hedge of poison thorns is too much to just follow along blindly. Artemisia would know better than anyone if these thorns were dangerous. She'd just find a path around them. We're being set up."
[/SBLOCK]


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## Dire Lemming (May 24, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Enko clamps his hands to the sides of his head just about his ears.  "Damn it...  What if she were possessed by an evil spirit?  We would need to rescue her!  But she might not even be there."  He looks at Ryon, at least he was glad to have him with him.  He did not trust Thane, and with any of the others he would have felt more concerned for their safety than his own, even if such feelings were foolish in Artimisia's case.  Ryon however, he knew he could trust, he knew he could take care of himself... and he wasn't Artimisia.  Still he hated feeling lost and helpless like this.  He had no idea what to do. Taking several deep breaths, he looks down the path where Artimisia's trail supposedly leads, then back the way they came.  "If we had the time, I could ask for guidance from the spirits, but we don't...  The Oak Lady said... follow the guide.  I still have no idea what she meant, but it's possible she knew of this place, and that this is what she meant...  Still, the only guide we have is Artimisia... I... I think we should go on a little further.  Until it becomes too tight to continue.  Then we'll know for sure that she didn't come this way." Enko takes one more look around for signs of Artimisia other than the tracks, and prods one of the poison thorn bushes with his quarterstaff.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 25, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"Then let's make as much haste as these briars will allow."
[/SBLOCK]


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## Dire Lemming (May 25, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Sure, just gotta wait for the DM...[/sblock]


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## Zurai (May 29, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Wary now, the two of you return to following the un-natural tracks. Although the path is lined with brambles and briarthorns, it remains wide enough for a mounted man to negotiate without impaling himself or his mount. Your wariness quickly makes you realize another strange fact about this trail: it is perfectly straight. You could fire an arrow from the start of the trail to where you are now, had you a bow powerful enough, and yet hit nothing but the ground at your feet. There have been no obstructions - not even an exposed root or vine - along the path so far, and, looking ahead, you can see none in the stretch ahead either. 

After some considerable time spent travelling, both of you hear an odd sound coming from up ahead. After a brief moment, you're shocked to realize it's a voice - but _not_ Artemisia's, or Thane's for that matter. It is slightly high pitched, but carries a strong undertone as it sings, 
"O mo dhùthaich' stu th'air m'aire
Uibhist chùmhraidh ùr nan gallan
Far a faighte na daoin' uaisle
Far 'm bu dual do Mhac 'ic Ailein"[/sblock][sblock=Erin, Alistia, and Cleyra]Following the sound of Quoth's cawing laughter, you are quickly able to find the source of his amusement: a wolf caught in a pit of collapsed earth. There's a thick layer of vegetable matter at the bottom of the pit with it, and the pit itself seems more like a pit trap than a natural occurrence - it is far too deep and its walls too regular to be a simple sinkhole. [sblock=Erin and Cleyra]It's hard to tell with the dirt and leaves covering it, but the facial markings on this wolf _look_ the same as those of Growl, Ryon's wolf companion.[sblock=Cleyra]You also notice, embedded in the wolf's haunches, what appears to be a tiny arrow or dart.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (May 29, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Enko stops, remembering the strange short toothy 'men' they had met all those days ago, as well as their strange language and high pitched voices.  Then he remembers the one he tried to help, and how it had withered and died despite all of his care.  His heart starts to grow heavy as he fights down the unsettling memory and speaks to Ryon.  "Ryon, do you hear that?  Do you think it could be more of... them?  You know, the little mad people with the bone daggers and long teeth..."  He squints ahead, trying to make something out.  "It sounds like... it's singing?" He looks back at Ryon with a confused expression.  Then it suddenly becomes one of horror. "What if it's some sort of ritual and they've got Artimisia?  Come on we need to hurry!"  He starts heading down the path again as quickly as he can without making a huge ruckus or running into any thorns.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (May 29, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"If it is more of those things, they're gonna get annother taste of Szas Fhel." Ryon says, gripping the blade and hurrying after Enko.
[/SBLOCK]


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## Zurai (Jun 2, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Steeling yourselves for the worst, you hurry down the path. To your relief - and utter surprise - the voice comes, not from one of the toothy critters, but rather a brightly-dressed, red-haired boy seated to the side of the trail. The boy doesn't seem to be paying much attention to anything; he puffs on a pipe in between verses.

He wears red breeches, a bright yellow waistcoat, and wears no shoes upon his feet. His skin is ruddy and his flame-red hair stirs lightly in the breeze. He wears no armor and does not seem to be carrying any weapons.

He seems oblivious to your approach, as he does not turn to face you and continues to sing in the same strong, but high-pitched voice, 
"Tir a' mhurain, tir an eorna
Tir 's am pailt a h-uile seorsa
Far am bi na gillean oga
Gabhail oran 's 'g ol an lionna

Thig iad ugainn, carach, seolta
Gus ar mealladh far ar n-eolais;
Molaidh iad dhuinn Manitoba,
Duthaich fhuar gun ghual, gun mhoine."[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 2, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Enko glances at Ryon, a look of wonder and bewilderment on his face.  "It's... a kid."  He looks back at the boy and hesitantly calls out to him, "Hey kid.  Um, what are you doing?"[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jun 2, 2008)

Erin cracks a smile on first seeing the wolf's predicament, but quickly covers her mouth. Then she sobers as she realizes the implications.

"Isn't that Ryon's pet wolf?" she asks, crouching down to get a better look. "I've never seen it leave his side before. Quoth...that's enough."

"How are we going to get it out of there?"


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## Zurai (Jun 6, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]The "child" whips his head around at the sound of Enko's voice, cutting off his song mid-verse. Looking at him head-on, now, you can tell that, while young, he is not a child. Looking only at his face, you would guess his age at perhaps early 20's; his body, however, is small, reaching barely four feet tall. Even as his head whirls towards you, you notice his hands moving in motions similar to those Erin makes when she casts her spells, but he stops almost as soon as he starts, his hands dropping to his legs and dusting himself off as he stands.

"What'm I doing? I was waiting for you lads to make your way here. Took your own merry time of it, didn't ye? I'd ask if ye got lost, but it's hard to get lost on a Straight Path." You can clearly hear the capitalization of "Straight Path". "You can call me Brann mac Llyg. 'Tis not my real name, of course, but it'll do for the nonce." He pauses a moment, then asks, "I don't suppose ye'd have any food on ye? I've been waiting a terr'ble long time here and I've had nought to eat."[/sblock][sblock=Erin, Alistia, and Cleyra]"Yes, I'm sure that's Growl. And look! There, right by his back leg, doesn't that look like an arrow? And this is clearly a pit trap of some sort. But no one from Cuirlen has ever been this far into the Noonshadow Forest!" And, sure enough, now that Cleyra points it out, you can make out what appears to be the shaft of an arrow protruding from Growl's thick fur.

"We need to get him out of there, before ... whatever ... comes and checks its trap! Maybe we can dig some of this earth away and make a ramp for him to crawl up out of the pit?" Alistia adds.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 6, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]"Uh..."  Enko glances confusedly at Ryon before realizing that he has no more idea what's going on.  "Uh... I've got some trail rations... but we've been saving those for when we can't find anything to hunt...  Um...  Are you a... spirit?"[/sblock]


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## Lorthanoth (Jun 7, 2008)

OOC: Sorry, I seem to only intermittently receive updates from ENWorld...

Alistia considers their situation... and ponders... and thinks...

"Are there any er... vines or something?"


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 7, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!  Enko would have been so sad to lose Alistia.  Also, yeah, don't rely on the emails.  ENWorld is really screwed up and tends to stop sending them for long amounts of time for no apparent reason.[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Jun 7, 2008)

"A wolf can't climb vines," Erin sighs. "We could find a log...or cut a tree down. I expect he could probably climb up a tree trunk as long as it was...at an angle...like a ramp..."

She demonstrates by holding her arm at a forty-five degree angle.


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## Zurai (Jun 14, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Brann cocks his head to the side. "A spirit? An' what'd make ye think that? I'm Brann mac Llyg, an' that's all ye need t' know about me fer now." He pauses briefly, eyes darting to your pouches and packs. "I sure am mighty hungry. I'd take it as a true favor if ye'd let me have a bite o' yer trailbread." He licks his lips subconsciously and you note that his tongue is bright red and pointed.[/sblock][sblock=Erin, Alistia, and Cleyra]After a bit of foraging, you manage to find a log long enough and sturdy enough to serve as a ramp. You have to excavate the edge of the pit a bit in order to get the slope of the tree trunk shallow enough for Growl to climb up it, but after about a half hour he finally heaves himself up out of the pit and collapses at your feet.

Now that you can see him at close range, it's very clear that it is indeed a small arrow embedded in his flank, and you can also see wounds along his back and haunches that are clearly not bites or claw marks. His fur is caked and matted with blood. Examining the arrow more closely, it is made of a silvery colored wood and its fletching is made from iridescent feathers the like of which you've never seen before. The arrowhead is lodged solidly in one of the powerful muscles along Growl's flank, and the blood that wells slowly out of the wound appears dark and tainted.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 14, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Enko sighs, "Alright alright."  He starts fishing around in his satchel for a ration to share with the little man, he breaks off a breaks off a goodly chunk of bread and approaches to give it to him. "Um, Brann?  You wouldn't happen to have seen a woman named Artimisia come by here would you have?  She's about this tall, and she has black hair, down to her waist and she's... really beautiful.  We were following her."

OOC: Of course Enko would describe her eye color, what she was wearing, and other pertinent information about her that he wouldn't be embarrassed to recite as well but I can't remember it and I think the only description of her is in the recruitment thread.[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Jun 14, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]Brann's eyes light up when Enko pulls out the bread, and he darts forward and snatches the proferred hunk out of your hand, stuffing it into his mouth in quite unseemly haste. "Ahh. 'Twas a modest repast, grudgingly given, but a kindness all the same. I like ye, so I'll tell ye a bit o' prattle ye be needing to know. Ye aren't where ye think ye are. Ye be in the Fey realms now. You've passed beyond the Veil on a Straight Track to the heart of the Summer Court. That means nought to ye, I'm sure, but know ye these three things:

Firstly, e'en the most gracious of the People here will prove fell to those greedy or rude, and e'en the most vicious will return respect with respect. Gifts an' insults must both be repaid in kind.

Secondly, neither eat nor drink save what ye brought with ye. The fruit of the Fey Realm is ev'ry bit as subtle and tricksy as its People.

And finally, and above all else, _stay on the Path_. The Path will always go where ye need to go, though the route be long and may take its own time to bring ye there.

Now, because ye will forget, or stray, or be tricked from your proper course, I'll teach ye this rhyme. Thrice you may call it, and if I hear I will come to aid as best I am able. Call it a fourth time, and ye owe me a debt, which I shall surely reclaim. Ready?" Here he waits for a moment, then in a singsong voice, intones,

"Come Brann of Llyg, Come Brann of Llyg,
By branch and bough and tinder twig."

He cocks his head at you again, and says in his normal voice, "Now I've done as I've been asked, and I bid ye both good day. The one ye seek ye shall find, all in good time. Remember, follow the Path! And now I'll be off, as I came, in hop and a pop a burst of flame." And he spins twice on his heels and is consumed into a column of flame that vanishes as quickly as it began, leaving nothing but a faint scorch mark on the ground where Brann of Llyg once stood.[/sblock]


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 14, 2008)

[sblock=Enko and Ryon]"Wait what abou- Gah!!!" Enko covers his face as Brann apparently spontaneously combusts.  He stares at the spot where the little man once stood, his mouth agape and his expression blank.  For several seconds he remains that way, completely oblivious to everything around him.  Finally, his eyes start to hurt and he blinks, and turns to Ryon.  "...Please... please tell me you saw and heard that too and I'm not just completely insane.  Did he just... explode?"  He shakes his head, trying to make sense of any of it.  "He said... said that rhyme... then...  The path... follow the path and I'll find Artimisia.  Right."  His expression slowly becomes one of determination as he speaks, and he looks down the long straight seemingly endless path through the brush.  "Come on.  Let's go.   Remember to be polite."

The young Spirit Shaman starts down the path again at a quicker pace than before, but continues to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.


OOC:  Good lord!  We've entered.... 4E!!!  Hm, that or the realm of Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness.[/sblock]


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## WarShrike (Jun 14, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Enko and Ryon]
"Saw what?" says Ryon innocently, "i didn't see anything. But lead on, and remember, stay on the path."
[SBLOCK=ooc]
That had a hint of Tom Bombadil, didn't it?
[/SBLOCK]
[/SBLOCK]


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## Shayuri (Jun 15, 2008)

"Cleyra?" Erin asks slowly as she sees the extent of the wound. "Uh...do you know anything about healing, because...I don't. And this looks really bad. Should we take the arrow out?"

Inwardly she can't help but admire those feathers though. _Look at how the colors move and shift...if I could find the bird...or better yet, some eggs...we could practically coin our own money!_


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## Shayuri (Jun 25, 2008)

(piiiiing...is this thing on? I am getting lonely )


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 25, 2008)

(OOC: Me too.  How can Enko go on without knowing what happened to Artimisia?!)


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## Dire Lemming (Jun 29, 2008)

(OOC:  Bumpity bump.  Hello, Zurai?  You still in to this?)


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## WarShrike (Jul 9, 2008)

/kick Zurai

Wake up!


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## Shayuri (Jul 12, 2008)

Huh. His profile says he was on just today.

Either he's not seeing this thread, or he's canceling by default.

No idea which. Sigh. I really liked where it was going too.


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## Lorthanoth (Jul 12, 2008)

That is a shame.


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## Dire Lemming (Jul 12, 2008)

Truly a shameful shame of a sad shame and sadness.  On the upside, I got to play with kittens yesterday.


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