A Keep On The Borderlands: Arrival

Shayuri · Nov 7, 2011

Arcata nods. "And food you will have, when we reach this watchtower and make camp. I'll look forward to hearing more."

She paused, then added, "And that officer who fled the Keep...I don't know if you'll find it disquieting or simple justice, but as far as I know, he never reached the borders of the Empire. This expedition was arranged with the assumption the Keep had been lost, when the Court hadn't heard from anyone there in months. Welcome to our company, sergeant."

With a glance over her shoulder, Arcata gave Bastian a nod to let him know to give the order to get the men moving again. She trusted that he had made arrangements to keep these newcomers under discrete watch while the parley had been going. She waited for the line to catch up to her, then prodded her mount to fall into step and proceed along with the others.

jkason · Nov 7, 2011

Bastian Sangue, human cavalier

Bastian returns the nod. His own nerves were heightened at what might or might not be a reference to undeath, but they could get that sorted once they made camp. With one assault so far on the road, aborted or no, he wanted to get off the road sooner rather than later.

"I assume you remember how to fall into a proper rank and file?" he says to the newcomers, jerking his head to the foot soldiers. He smiles slightly as he notices his lieutenant had been quietly and quickly effective: there were no places in the formation where the newcomers might march adjacent to each other. They could be close enough to speak to each other--best not to make them feel too isolated--but not without being overheard.

He doesn't wait for the erstwhile bandits to fall in, but rather raises his arm. With a quick gesture, the unit starts up again. Bastian trots Stalwart a bit more quickly to take his regular place as forward guard, bowing his head as is expected as he passes the Lady of his house. Then he turns his attention forward again, watching Sh'aah for guidance to this watchtower.

ahayford · Nov 7, 2011

Greggory makes a few subtle hand signs to his men and they silently fall in to formation with military precision. Greggory's men are skirmishers, warriors that live and die by their ability to sneak up on enemy formations, strike, and then fade back into the shadows before the rank-and-file soldiers know what hit them. Everything in their demeanor reflects this training. After a few hand signals are traded between the 5, Greggory knows the armament of each soldier in the Dulat retinue. Good intelligence never hurt anyone...

Greggory bristled at the idea of a noble coming out here. The fort had officers and a magistrate....but they had mostly been old military men....too honored to drum out of the legion, but too infirm to be put on any post of importance. It did bring a smile to Greggory's face that the one surviving officer was probably lying face down in a ditch somewhere. Damn coward.

Still....this one promised to retake the keep, the one place he had been able to find some measure of peace. Even if it was for her own selfish gains, for now their goals aligned.

Kaodi · Nov 7, 2011

Once the small group of soldiers have fallen into formation, Comoray clears his throat. " While it is no doubt unfortunate to have lost a bastion of the Empire, that alone is not enough to extinguish the fire in each man's, or woman's, heart, " he begins, glancing at Cassie. " Each must choose for themselves whether failure will be earth or water to extinguish the dying flame of glory, or air to fuel its burning brighter and hotter than before. Such is the wisdom of the Lady Magnificient. "

Axel · Nov 8, 2011

Out in front, Sh'aah continued his slow thought process as the tobacco juices stimulated his brain.

Have to break their bodies. Everyone has a body, like faries and beastmen. Beastmen...there were turds back there with the new humans! Fresh turds! Stay awake, stupid!

Jerking his eyes up towards the horizon, and the approaching hill crest, Sh'aah tried to put the muttering of people behind him out of his head. The priest with the shiny shield and banded armour was droning on again. Who can understand this man? He speaks many words, but says nothing... No! No distractions! Keep looking.

Dr Simon · Nov 10, 2011

On the broad, flat shoulder of a low hill stand a clump of elven ruins. All that is left, mostly, is an arc of stonework that must once have formed part of a circular wall, now crumbled away to less than man-height in most places, except for a slender arch [like Gothic style] with weather-faded elf runes written over the top. There is also a small statue, about the size of a halfling, of a robed elf with arms outstretched. The face has been vandalised.

Hawthorn and clumps of tough rushes now grow amidst the ruins, the only sign of life.

Kaodi · Nov 10, 2011

Brother Comoray frowns. Though it is permissable to shelter in a ruin in almost all sects dedicated to the Lady Magnificient, it is something to be avoided when possible. It is seen as inviting bad luck to hide behind the ruins of the past...

" We should have this rebuilt and refurbished whe resourcs allow, " he says, the distaste clear in his voice.

Shayuri · Nov 10, 2011

Arcata didn't reply to the cleric, though she felt differently. The ruins of the elf watchpost belonged to history, and the elves. Rebuilding them would wipe out this reminder of the past and whatever might be gleaned from it.

But it might also be that a watchpost here would benefit the Keep. She'd have to bear that in mind. For now, something else nagged her.

"Sergeant Greggory?" she asked, "The statue there. Did your men do that to its face?"

ahayford · Nov 10, 2011

Greggory frowns and shakes his head.

No. We mostly avoid these old places. Patrols sent to the ruins tend to show up back at the keep with arrows sticking in them. The local elves mostly keep to themselves, but they get real prickly about humans poking their noses where they don't belong. Some of the officers talked about launching a campaign to push the elves out of the forests, but like most things they did, all it amounted to was a few after dinner farts.

jkason · Nov 10, 2011

Bastian Sangue, human cavalier

Bastian raises an eyebrow to the priest's suggestion. "From the sound of things, I think we'll be taxing our resources pretty well just trying to rebuild the fort," he offers.

The cavalier doesn't miss the implication from Aracata's question and Greggory's answer. He looks to his lieutenant, who is at his side on the moment.

"Perimeter sweep," Bastian says quietly, and the lieutenant moves back to the men with merely a nod.

"If the locals aren't inclined to brook our camp this close to their ... property," Bastian says, "We should find a different clearing before we set up, or at least camp as far from the ruins as we can to show a level of deference. I don't suppose we know anything about what kinds of offerings they give to their particular divine patrons?"