Kore | Kingdom of Harmony | IC

[doghead]

21st of the 8th month | Karatsu Castle

Taking your silence to indicate that you have no more question, Nagahama nods slightly.

"Then go with Sugimoto. He will show you were you can sleep, have a wash and some food.

"I will see you at daybreak tomorrow."

As if on que, Sugimoto raise to his feet and says gruffly, "After you."

After leaving the small hut, Sugimoto takes you back across the yard to the building that sits atop the wall on the far side. He points out the mess hall, wash room before leading you to a room at the end of the building.

Once he has shown you the room, he bows and exuses himself and heads back the way he came.

OODM: DarkElf and Sam, feel free to talk amoung yourself here. If there was anything you wanted to ask Sugimoto, you can. I am going to keep things moving while Avatar is away. Its mostly just continuity stuff, but you can jump in and do stuff it you want.

When you are ready to get moving, just present yourself to Nagahama and Sugimoto at the guard house.

IDM: A soft knock at the door turns out to be a servant bearing three coats. They are of simple but servical material. On each is the symbol of Lord Ari. There is also a folded silk banner bearing the same symbol. The soft grey light indicatess that is pre-dawn. Time to get moving.

 

[Sam]

Tharl dons the coat and examines the banner. "Hmmm, Chen, do you think we are supposed to ride out with this unfurled behind us?"

He readies his pack and looks at the others to see if they are prepared to leave. "Shall we take the steps to truly begin our journey?"

 

[DarkElf109]

Chen puts on his coat as well, which turns out to be a tight but comfortable fit. He looks at the banner himself and makes a short grunt. "It will just slow our horses down. We should leave it here." All of his belongings are in his pack and he's ready to go. "I'm as ready as ever."

 

[Sam]

"We should take it. It was offered to us, and won't take up much room in the saddlebag. If you are all ready, shall we then go find Nagahama?"

 

[doghead]

22nd of the 8th month | Karatsu Castle

Around the top of the stairs that lead down the hillside, there is a group of men standing and squatting. From the group there comes a low rumble of conversation and the smell of food. As you approach, you see that they are eating. Nagahama is amoung them, but this time wearing a light kimono. Sugimoto is there also, dressed in armour, as are a number of others. The rest are obviously attendants, although they seem to be doing as much eating as anyone else.

"There you are!" Nagahama exclaims, raising to his feet. A number of the other swordsmen do also, but he waves them back to their food.

"You are just in time for breakfast. Their excellent timing bodes well for us, don't you think Sugimoto?"

Sugimoto is also standing, having risen to his feet from his place in front of the small clay pots full of smoldering charcoal over which several small fish are cooking. He still holds the fan he was using to fan the embers, and glowers at you as if you are somehow responsible for his not noticing your arrival before his Lord.

"Let us hope so," is all he says in return.

Lord Nagahama waves you over to the food that is spread out on the ground. Bowls of rice and clear soup, pickles and eventually, from Sugimoto himself, a freshly grilled fish, beautifully cooked.

As everone eats, Nagahama talks. "I am glad we are able to see you off with good food in your belly. ... I see that the coats fit. Good. Do you have the banner? ... You probably will not have need to use it. But if the hill villages have had problems with bandits, it may help to clearly announce your allegience. Many of them will not recognise the crest, but riding under one will show you to be lawful men. ... The map is done, as are the letters to the Village headmen. And your own letter of authority. Here. See we have been busy! ... You will ride out of town with Takeda. He does not go south, but will travel with you as far as the first ford. Your horses are ready, and we took the liberty of grooming them for you. Can't have the men representing Lord Ari riding on scruffy mounts, now can we? But you will still need to walk them once you part ways with Takeda. They were run hard yesterday."

If you are surprised that Nagahama would speak so freely before his retainers and attendants, none of the others seem to act as if it were anything unusual.

The food is finished quickly and as the attendents collect the dishes, the rest of you head back down the massive stone stairs. Somehow Nagahama manages it so that he, Sugimoto and yourself trail the others by a short distance. As you decend he hands each of you a small folded cloth package.

"Here is your first payment. Seven iron pieces each, for yesterday, today and the next five days. I do not customarily pay in advance, but your dilligence in getting here so fast is apprieciated. It took my wife six days to make the same journey. It will take you longer than six days to get back here, I expect. Two weeks perhaps. Yes, that should give you plenty of time. So, I will not begin to worry until Father is half way back again*. Good luck. May your ancestors watch over you."

After that he says no more, Sugimoto doing all of the organising once you reach the base of the hill. Soon you are mounted and heading back through the town in the company of Takeda and his 3 men.

* Father is the smaller of the two moons. Father has a 28 day orbit, and was full 5 days ago. So it will be a waxing half moon in about 18 days.

OOC: OK. If there is anything you want to insert into the above, jump in.

 

[doghead]

Whoops, double post.

 

[Avatar_V]

As they ride, Kaijia casually inspects his new coat. It seems to be of fine quality. As they ride in silence, his mind whirs as he wonders what it is they should expect in these villages. Eventually, he turns to his companions and voices his thought. "Tharl, Chen, what do you suppose we're going to find?"

 

[doghead]

22nd of the 8th Month | On the Road

The road south is passes through some of Karatsu's best farmland. But even to you it is obvious that it has not been well maintained. The ditches that carry the water are largly overgrown, collapsed in places, and the condition of the small bridges that cross the irrigation channels occassionally give you cause for concern. Fields border most of the road. Those farmers close to the road pause briefly to form a line and bow. Those further off they just watch you cautiously but without stopping. Occasionally there is a farmhouse, or a cluster of buildings forming a little village. Like everthing else, they are run generally down and shabby.

For the first couple of hours the way is open and flat. After that it starts to close in in places and raise and fall a little. The raod largle follows the river, but on occasion the two part ways when the river bends around in a lazy loop.

The sky is blue and clear except for a couple of whispy clouds. By mid-morning it has already become quite warm and you can see the wisdom in the wide straw hats that the farmers are wearing. With the last traces of the rainy season humidy still hanging around, it is going to be a sticky days journey, no matter how easy you take it.

OOC: Could you let me know what you are wearing and carrying, and anything else you think is important. IC would be good, but OOC is fine.

 

[DarkElf109]

Chen continues along the path on the back of his horse, still a bit peeved about Sugimoto's attitude. This heat must be getting to me...I'm finding trouble where there is none! Almost as if on cue, Kaijia's question comes up. Glistening with sweat from the muggy air, he pauses his annoyed thoughts to think of what would be possible. "Nothing good, I can assure you. For rumors of an evil presence to reach all the way to the Middle Kingdom, it can't be anything small."

OOC: I'll get to the clothing and stuff in my next post. It's kinda late, and my brain isn't working as well as it should be =P

 

[Avatar_V]

Kaijia nods grimly as Chen echoes his own thoughts. He pats his bow that hangs around him and glances down at the two quivers full of arrows. His hand then falls to his rapier at his side. These things, he has a sinking feeling will be muh used. I just hope they bury themselves in Ork flesh and not some bandit wasting my arrows and time. He has his daggers as well, one in each boot, and three at his waste, but he hopes not to need them. His backpack hangs heavy on his back, his precious spellbook inside along with his rope, grappling hook, and trail rations. For as much as I trust these, Kaijia thinks as he pats his arrows, [I think what's in this pack has proven more useful in the past.[/I] That and the pouch of spell components that hangs from his belt alongside the other, more mundane, pouch containing his thieves tools and whetstone. His lantern and bedroll are attached to his saddle. He rides on quietly. Hoping that the day will end uneventfully.