[LPF] Velvet Underground

[InVinoVeritas]

Dramatis Personae:

Mortar Foehammer
Yoshiki Akita
Elenka Danyllova
Vincenzo del Vecchio


Tilsit arranges for a carriage to carry the four adventurers to Baron's Cross. The road is simple, flat, and the occasional sound or smell from the nearby swamp crosses the path. After about an hour, the carriage arrives at Baron's Cross, really little more than a crossroads, signpost, and a small run-down waystation built on the driest patch of land.

"Here's your stop," the coachman responds. "Road back into town's easy, but I'll rest up here a day should you come back quickly. Stick to the road, that's safe. Oh! And stay out of those woods! Filled with monsters and bandits, I tell ya."

 

[HolyMan]

[sblock=OOC]Subscribing. Do you need a judge IVV?[/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

Elenka, human female Summoner

Elenka steps down from the carriage onto the rutted road. She gazes about; she was here not too terribly long ago but with Venza so near she pressed on and doesn't really remember anything about the place. Or was it some other insignificant crossroad? She shrugs inwardly since it didn't matter. She wanders back and forth along the road in front of the waystation looking around with interest. "Hmm..."

Soon something along the side of the road catches her eye and she kneels to examine it. From a distance it looks like it might be a rock or an acorn. She slips it into a pocket and, still kneeling, begins to sing. She clearly has no vocal training, Master Dimplecotton would likely be quite disdainful, but she has a bit of natural talent. She sings an oddly enchanting little song that recalls the wind in the trees and it appears like an illusion that a tree grows...

First it is a sapling straight up and tall and growing taller second by second. It spreads out branches and leaves and thickens until it towers over the girl and is wide as two men. And when the music changes the tree changes: branches fade away until only two massive limbs remain, a burl takes the shape of a head and finally the wood-man, Drevezh'korol, stands solidly before her. He gently places one hand on her head in greeting.

When the wood-man retrieves his hand Elenka stands and returns to her traveling companions. She smiles and inclines her head toward the wood-man. "This is my guardian, Drevezh'korol, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you shortened his name in some way." She claps her hands together obviously eager to get working. "So, where shall we begin?"

 

[deisenhut]

Yoshiki, human male monk

As he steps down from the carriage, Yo simply replies to the driver, "To the woods is exactly where I think we are headed. Wish us luck!" Jumping down, he watches with strange interest the ritual performed by the magic user Elenka. They are the strangest type! When she completes, he walks up to her. "How about just Drev? Are you one of those druids I've heard about?" Looking back to make sure the rest of the party has joined, he turns back and answers her question, "Start heading up the road and towards the woods."

 

[Scott DeWar]

Vincenzo was asleep in the carriage, but whe every one retired to the road he woke up, brabbed his stuff and stepped out as well.Setting his pack on the ground he strreeches and looks around and sees -the wood man! His hand goes to the hilt of hos rapier, but does not drsaw. He hears the the young woman say that it was her guardian, no, she said HE was her guardian. She said a comment about his name. What magic is this? his hand slowly moves to a more neutral location and he ponders the name of the -wood man.

tentatively he approaches and with a bit of trepidation extends his hand to the wood man in greeting, "Uh, Saluti, Drevekzh'zkorol" he is clearly having trouble wrapping his mouth around the name.

 

[GlassEye]

Elenka, human female Summoner

Elenka ponders Yoshiki's question as she walks with him towards the woods. "I do not believe I am a druid. I know magic and a little about the forest and I have the protection of the wood through the son of Lesovik, Drev." She pauses as if exploring the feel of the shortened name on her tongue. "I don't think that is the same, though. How about yourself? I have been trying to figure out what skills you bring to this expedition but you are enigma to me."

Drevezh'korol wraps his larger more solid hand around Vincenzo's and holds it firmly but gently for only a moment before releasing it again. "A pleasure, sir. And you are?" The leaves that form the wood-man's brow raise questioningly. His face is remarkable expressive for being carved from wood.

 

[deisenhut]

Yoshiki looks down at himself when Elenka asks about his skills. He sees a short, thin man wearing loose fitting clothing and his bare feet showing through his sandals. There are no obvious weapons or armor showing, just a backpack strapped securely to his shoulders and waist. He looks back up at her and says, "I am quick on my feet and skilled in the martial arts. Do not worry, I can handle myself if we encounter any of these bandits. If you need a second opinion, perhaps you can ask the dwarf. For we have fought lizard men and giant crabs together." He turns to look back towards Mortar.

 

[GlassEye]

Elenka, human female Summoner

Elenka flushes red again. Apparently it is something that happens quite easily. "My apologies! I did not mean to imply you had no skills, just they are well hidden. I mean... you look so comm..." She bites her lip and trails off into silence. Her face and neck by this time are the brightest red you have ever seen on human flesh. "Erwahai," she mutters, "if you truly are Justice then you would kill me now!"

Drevezh'korol leans forward and interrupts. "I believe what my mistress means to say is that she looks forward to getting to know you better. This tale of lizard men and giant crabs would be a fine one, I think."

 

[deisenhut]

"Thank you Drevezh'korol" struggling with the punctuation, "I look forward to getting to know your mistress as well. But we should get moving first. There will be plenty of time for telling tales as we walk." Glancing around, "Shall we go?" Looking back towards Elenka, Yoshiki tries to be a gentlemen by gesturing forward as he simply says, "Ladies first if you please".

 

[GlassEye]

Elenka, human female Summoner

Elenka chooses to retreat to the safe topic of the job they have been hired to perform. "Considering the demanding deadline imposed by Master Dimplecotton it is logical to assume that the craftsman... what was his name again? ...took the risk of passing through the Tenebrous Wood." She marches fearlessly forward. Drevezh'korol a pace or two behind keeping eyes scanning for danger.