[GRIM TALES] Wulf Ratbane's SLAVELORDS of CYDONIA
Fenris
Adventurer
Wulf Ratbane [color=red said:
Haskins calls a halt to the groups progress and barks out a name: "Hambrick!" As the young man ascends the small knoll overlooking the valley to join the sergeant, Haskins says "We need to game plan a safe way down for the horses and less experianced travellers. What do you think of going down that ridge there" as he gestures with his finger.
Either of us can make the Survival check, most likely Joshua with John aiding his roll. In any case a cooperative effort to find alternate routes.
Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Fenris said:
We don't want to get too far ahead of Brigitta, since Old One hasn't had a chance to post yet.
Joshua can tell from the completely dumbfounded look on Haskins' face that the decision may rest on his shoulders.
Joshua thumbs through his Bible and it falls open to Jeremiah 6:16. He's not sure whether that's a good sign or a bad sign--but he reckons if he was going to build a temple, he wouldn't build it in a swamp.
But then, he's not a dirt-worshipping pagan, neither.
Still... should probably head down on the west side.
Brigitta
Brigitta's plain face twitchs briefly into a grimace as she reaches up to push her long hair from her face and then sighs.
'Hmph,' she thinks to herself, 'the dead are so much easier to deal with...no complaining, showing off or manly need to prove themselves. I hope I haven't erred in collecting this bunch...the near disaster in Mexico has me re-considering.'
Her dark eyes sweep over the sweating quintent...gauging each for strengths and weaknesses. Haskins seemed competent and handled himself with practiced ease, but he was acting as if he was still on the parade ground. That could be a problem with the headstrong Americans. Although Hambrick and Sutton claimed military service, responsiveness to command clearly hadn't imprinted.
Her gaze lingers on Brown for a few moments. The lanky Texan carries himself with surety and even reflects a rough frontier charm, but he is unpredictable...perhaps even dangerous.
She ducks under Teddy's huge arm as he clears a path amidst the clinging vines. She favors him with a quick smile and bat of her eyes. She grins inwardly as he blushes slightly and looks away. 'Ahh...Dear Teddy...at least I can count on him,' she muses.
She notes the others bunching up ahead of her and catches some barbed quips being traded. She steps up to a slight break in the trail and sess the ground drop away steeply ahead of them. She shivers imperceptibley as supernatural tingle runs up her spin.
She notes the angle of the sun and clears her throat, "Gentlemen, daylight is on the wane. Perhaps we should cease our banter and find a way into the valley whilst we still have light. Sergeant Haskins, would you be so kind as to lead on or shall one of the Americans take his turn at the head of the column?"
She notes the irritated set of the British ex-soldier's face as she suggets his replacement. 'Pride...a good thing to remember...a good thing indeed.'
She dips her head, sending a wave of black hair cascading over her face to hide her brief smile.
~ OO
Brigitta's plain face twitchs briefly into a grimace as she reaches up to push her long hair from her face and then sighs.
'Hmph,' she thinks to herself, 'the dead are so much easier to deal with...no complaining, showing off or manly need to prove themselves. I hope I haven't erred in collecting this bunch...the near disaster in Mexico has me re-considering.'
Her dark eyes sweep over the sweating quintent...gauging each for strengths and weaknesses. Haskins seemed competent and handled himself with practiced ease, but he was acting as if he was still on the parade ground. That could be a problem with the headstrong Americans. Although Hambrick and Sutton claimed military service, responsiveness to command clearly hadn't imprinted.
Her gaze lingers on Brown for a few moments. The lanky Texan carries himself with surety and even reflects a rough frontier charm, but he is unpredictable...perhaps even dangerous.
She ducks under Teddy's huge arm as he clears a path amidst the clinging vines. She favors him with a quick smile and bat of her eyes. She grins inwardly as he blushes slightly and looks away. 'Ahh...Dear Teddy...at least I can count on him,' she muses.
She notes the others bunching up ahead of her and catches some barbed quips being traded. She steps up to a slight break in the trail and sess the ground drop away steeply ahead of them. She shivers imperceptibley as supernatural tingle runs up her spin.
She notes the angle of the sun and clears her throat, "Gentlemen, daylight is on the wane. Perhaps we should cease our banter and find a way into the valley whilst we still have light. Sergeant Haskins, would you be so kind as to lead on or shall one of the Americans take his turn at the head of the column?"
She notes the irritated set of the British ex-soldier's face as she suggets his replacement. 'Pride...a good thing to remember...a good thing indeed.'
She dips her head, sending a wave of black hair cascading over her face to hide her brief smile.
~ OO
Brigitta
Brigitta nods and shifts her worn leather writing satchel from her left hip to left thigh. Her slender fingers dip carefully into the bag and pull forth a delicate parchment. She shades her face with one hand and studies the faint symbols on the map. She looks up and tries to match symbols to salient landmarks.
Sweat beads on her back as she realizes everyone is looking at her...
Fenris said:
Brigitta nods and shifts her worn leather writing satchel from her left hip to left thigh. Her slender fingers dip carefully into the bag and pull forth a delicate parchment. She shades her face with one hand and studies the faint symbols on the map. She looks up and tries to match symbols to salient landmarks.
Sweat beads on her back as she realizes everyone is looking at her...
Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Old One said:
Brigitta has many reasons to be confident that she has led her expedition to the right place, but her 'map' is little more than a rubbing from a shard of pottery (carefully 'aged' by Brigitta to legitimize her expedition to her backers and her current companions). The images from the shard show Kulkulkan, dragon-king of the serpent people, departing the valley of his worshippers and returning to the clouds through a shining gate. It also shows the general topology of the valley, but that will be of little help in locating the temple within.
If she had the original shard, or if she had had more time with the stolen rutters, or the translations of Fra Diego de Landa, she might have been able to reinforce her instincts with more concrete science.
Instincts, the shard map, the Spanish rutters, Fra de Landa's linguistic translations, the culminations of centuries of myth, and the stars... the stars. Brigitta is willing to bull forward on this evidence alone. The question is: Will she be able to keep her expedition together?
Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Folks, please reserve red for OOC comments (and the GM).
Brigitta
Brigitta wavers mentally for a few moments and then clears her throat.
"This is the place, gentlemen. Unfortunately, the overgrowth below masks our exact destination, so we may have some searching ahead of us. I trust those experienced in such things can find us a way down to the valley floor. I would, however, prefer to skirt the swamp for the time being...they tend to be...unhealthy."
She closes her eyes briefly, letting all of the clues and images swirl for a few heartbeats before re-ordering them to her best guess.
[She wants to make in INT check (or other appropriate knowledge check) as to her best guess for a starting point in the valley floor]
She points to the dense jungle below.
"That, gentlemen, is where we begin our search. As mentioned before...there may be others below. I would greatly prefer any hostilities be avoided if possible...at leat until we know what we are dealing with." She pauses for a moment and looks meaningfully at Bill. "Is that understood, Mr. Brown?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continues, "That said, if we are attacked outright, let us not hesitate to defend ourselves!"
"Mr. Haskins, lead on, if you please..."
As the others turn towards the valley, she quickly pulls her Webley Bulldog, cracks it open and checks her cartridge load...just to be sure.
Brigitta wavers mentally for a few moments and then clears her throat.
"This is the place, gentlemen. Unfortunately, the overgrowth below masks our exact destination, so we may have some searching ahead of us. I trust those experienced in such things can find us a way down to the valley floor. I would, however, prefer to skirt the swamp for the time being...they tend to be...unhealthy."
She closes her eyes briefly, letting all of the clues and images swirl for a few heartbeats before re-ordering them to her best guess.
[She wants to make in INT check (or other appropriate knowledge check) as to her best guess for a starting point in the valley floor]
She points to the dense jungle below.
"That, gentlemen, is where we begin our search. As mentioned before...there may be others below. I would greatly prefer any hostilities be avoided if possible...at leat until we know what we are dealing with." She pauses for a moment and looks meaningfully at Bill. "Is that understood, Mr. Brown?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continues, "That said, if we are attacked outright, let us not hesitate to defend ourselves!"
"Mr. Haskins, lead on, if you please..."
As the others turn towards the valley, she quickly pulls her Webley Bulldog, cracks it open and checks her cartridge load...just to be sure.
