Through Darkness, Light ("the plethora of prospective permutations")

[Macbeth]

The prince of darkness is a gentleman.
William Shakespeare, King Lear. Act iii. Sc. 4.


The days are long and the nights are hard while traveling, and your current journey has been no different. It seems that your little group of companions: Kelsis, Maedril, and Kel, sibbecai who seem to have known each other for some time; Aelin and Aernoeth, both faen, and fast friends, but also opposites of each other; Chenroeth, a master of blade and spell; and Aoe-Narara, a giantish women out to prove her prowess. Tempers wear thin as day after day brings nothing but more road. It seems that the road never ends. Its been weeks since you've all slept in real beds, or had a meal that you didn't have to work for.
And so it is a welcome sight when a city of considerable size looms into view over the horizon, breaking the monotony of the road. As all of you draw closer, a crowd can be seen around the city, it appears that a considerable ammount of people want to get inside the walls of the city. The road becomes more and more crowded as you get nearer to the main gate, and eventually you find yourself wading through a crowd of people, all of whom are pushing to get through the gates. After spending nearly half an hour pushing through the crowd, barely staying together in the mass of bodies, you reach the cause of the log jam, a couple of gaurds checking each person who enters, and taking their sweet time doing it. When your groups turn comes, the gaurds motion for you to come forward, and eye all of you suspicioulsy.

"Well, what kind of group do we have here?"

Before any of you can answer, the other gaurd responds
"The kind of group we don't let in, look at 'em, with all that armor and all they must be coming to make trouble at the festival."

"You think so?"

"Indeed I do, and, whats more, I think that, since their trying to enter the cities walls with a suspicious amount of weapons, that they are violating The Right Official Law Number 325."

"And which law would that be?"

"That would be the law stating that anybody who bothers to try to enter the city that I don't like is subject to arrest and undue prosecution"

"Sounds right enough. Off you all go then, since your breaking a law on what should be my day off I won't arrest you, but you aren't getting in either, I don't want to be blamed if you cause trouble. You can make camp with the others who won't be going in over in the camp grounds to the west of the walls."

And with a casual wave the gaurd motions you away, denying you what should have been a good nights sleep in a real bed, not another night in a bedroll under the stars.

******************************
The camp grounds are almost as overcrowded as the entrance to the city, with tents set up all over, and bedrolls laying around weak fires. People mill about, most trying to find somebody who somehow can get them entrance to the city. As you look around for a place to make camp yourselves a thin figure outlined in the flames of a small fire burning in the background motions for you to all come and sit at the fire. As everybody takes a place around the fire, you can see that the thin figure is in fact an old women covered in wrinkles, but with bright eyes that seem out of place on her faded face.
"So, I assume you are here because you wanted to get into the city? Its awful crowded with the festival going on, they've been turning people away at random since there isn't enough space in the city for everybody. I've been waiting here for days to find some like yourselves: obviously with skill for battle, your armor and weapons betray your martial skills; and you also obviously need a way to get into the city. If you would do me a favor, I can get you into the city. My possesions were stolen by bandits on the road here, nothing I was carrying had much worth, but it has sentimental value. If you could bring my bags back to me I could use the traveling papers that I had to get us into the city. What do you say? Will you do this old lady a favor so that you can get into the city? I know that you wanted to get in, and there aren't any other cities for at least a few day's travel"

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Kelsis the Bright-Eyed, Female Sibeccai Akashic 1

*Kelsis considers the offer carefully. While she appreciates a spot at a fire they didn't have to make themselves, she's slightly wary of the woman's offer. She's gone a bit stir-crazy with all the relatively boring travel however, and even chasing after bandits sounds like a welcome endevor. If it were possible to slay boredom and inaction Kelsis would have done it long ago; she hates being bored.*

*On the other hand, bandits that steal items of little worth from old women... It smells rotten. Yet even a rotten request would be better than bickering with the guards for entrance to a frivolous festival. There is nothing to be gained from cowardice or hesitancy, she thinks. The phrase has become her motto. She reaches her decision in a few heartbeats.*

"Doing such a thing would be well within our means. Where were you robbed, elder? How many did the deed? And what did your bags look like?," she says, then pauses and adds, "Provided my companions agree."

*I must remember to include them more often when making decisions, she thinks. Even if they do hesitate sometimes, it would be unwise to discount their imput. Each person has a story to tell. Kelsis considers her last thought and makes a mental note to put it in her journal.*

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

Aoe-Narara, Female Giant Warmain 1

After the old (human?) woman answers Kelsis' questions, Aoe-Narara asks, "Tell me about your travel papers. Who issued them to you and how many are allowed to accompany you into the city?"

Aoe-Narara continues to ask questions confirming the old woman's story ("Why do you think the bandits let you live?") until she is allowed to make a Sense Motive check (Sense Motive +4), aiming to see if the old woman is telling the truth or if there are obvious holes in her story.

After these questions are answered Aoe-Narara's line of questioning unsurprisingly turns to the bandits. "How were the bandits outfitted? Describe their tactics to me."

 

[Arador]

Maedril, Sibeccai Champion of Death 1

Maedril studies the woman, aware that he is not the best judge of character, but also realizing that the partyneeded to enter the ity. He carefully watches Kelsis and Aoe-Narara question the woman.

After the woman has answered their questions, he puts onhis most charming face, and approaches the woman.

"My good lady, you must be starving, come eat with us and tell us more of your tale. Sadly, I have naught to offer you but trail rations, but then you shall not starve - the bandits would have taken all your food and money. We can discuss the details then."

*Maedril attempts a diplomacy check (Diplomacy +3) to make the woman comfertable and to talk more freely. This is slightly against his normal demeanor however - it is almost a forced act, which he has done before to gain aid.*

 

[dead_radish]

Aelin, unsurprisingly, takes the respite by the fire as an excuse to pull out a book and peruse it again (though he's read it at least 3 times on the road) and make further notes. Really, whatever the group decides, he'll go along. He doesn't have a clear goal in mind these days, and every trip with these folks ends up showing him no end of new sights. But all the mundane details - the trust, the negotiations, the testing of honesty, there's little of interest there.

As talk turns to the bandits and the location, Aelin offers up a pen and paper. "Would you perhaps enjoy the use of a writing device to make a crude map? Locales of interest would be welcome, as well as locations of ambush sites, last recorded observations and what-not."

 

[Murphy's Law]

Kel, Male Sibbecai Snake Totem Warrior 1

"Well m'lady, I am more than willing to chase down these brigands if it will gain me entrance into the city and a good nights sleep. I would never leave an old lady such as yourself in this camp."

*Kel seems to be quite welcome to the ladies request, and is eager to see action in combat. He seems very trusting with the old women, and accepts her words without much doubt*

 

[Macbeth]

"Doing such a thing would be well within our means. Where were you robbed, elder? How many did the deed? And what did your bags look like?," she says, then pauses and adds, "Provided my companions agree."

"I was robbed just east of the city, at the edges of the forest. I don't know how many robbers there were, it was hard to tell in the midest of the fight, but I would say at least 10, maybe more. My bags should be easy enough to find, the bags all have my name, Veesiva, branded into the hide used to make the bags. Also, I know that the bags have not been ransacked, since before traveling I cast a spell on the bag so that I will know if someone opens it. So far they have not opened it, most likely because it is a fairly cheap bag. I was traveling with a few others at the time, and I suspect that the other bags look much more worthwhile then mine."

"Tell me about your travel papers. Who issued them to you and how many are allowed to accompany you into the city?"

"The travel papaers were a gift from my youngest son. He is a traveling merchant, and visits this area often. When he heard that the Nerarie festival was being held here he secured these papers from the city government as a present for his dear old mother so that I can enter the city without being searched by the gaurds. The papers allow me to bring in a group of up to 10, so we should all be able to enter easily."

"Why do you think the bandits let you live?"

"I think that they were more interested in my belongings and the belongings of those traveling with me then they were in our lives. And, if they were to kill us they might attract the attention of the the cities government, I hear that the Mayor of Samar does not look kindly on murderers."

"How were the bandits outfitted? Describe their tactics to me."

"I'm sorry Miss, I don't have the training to be able to describe their tactics in detail, I just know what I could observe. They ambushed us as we left the woods, some of them even dropped down from the trees above us. They all had weapons drawn, and they made us all put down all our belongings and keep walking towards the city. I didn't dare turn around to see where they went. They seemed well armed, but as I said before I am no expert in matters of battle."

OOC: The women seems to be sincere, her story appears to be true.

"My good lady, you must be starving, come eat with us and tell us more of your tale. Sadly, I have naught to offer you but trail rations, but then you shall not starve - the bandits would have taken all your food and money. We can discuss the details then."

"Thank you kindly, with my posseions stolen and without being able to make it in to the city I have been living off of the kindness of others." She gladly takes any food you offer and eats it hungrily as she continues to speak. Maedril's words do seem to make her quite comfortable, and she is greatful for the hospitality, "This proves what I thought when I saw you kind fellows, I thought you looked like the kind who would help an old defenseless lady, and this proves I was right."

"Would you perhaps enjoy the use of a writing device to make a crude map? Locales of interest would be welcome, as well as locations of ambush sites, last recorded observations and what-not."

"I would gladly do so, but I am no scholar, my map may not be of much help." She starts to sketch out a map on Alein's paper as she finishes her trail ration. After a few moments of frantic scribbiling she hands the paper and pen back to Aelin with a crude map.

OOC: The attachment at the bottom of the post is her map, I'm not much of a cartographer, so feel free to post questions about the map either as IC actions or just as questions in the OOC thread

 

[Macbeth]

OOC: The above post got a little mixed up, so it may be hard to read. Since I don't like editing in IC threads, read this one instead. Same content, better use of quotes.

"Doing such a thing would be well within our means. Where were you robbed, elder? How many did the deed? And what did your bags look like?," she says, then pauses and adds, "Provided my companions agree."

"I was robbed just east of the city, at the edges of the forest. I don't know how many robbers there were, it was hard to tell in the midest of the fight, but I would say at least 10, maybe more. My bags should be easy enough to find, the bags all have my name, Veesiva, branded into the hide used to make the bags. Also, I know that the bags have not been ransacked, since before traveling I cast a spell on the bag so that I will know if someone opens it. So far they have not opened it, most likely because it is a fairly cheap bag. I was traveling with a few others at the time, and I suspect that the other bags look much more worthwhile then mine."

"Tell me about your travel papers. Who issued them to you and how many are allowed to accompany you into the city?"

"The travel papaers were a gift from my youngest son. He is a traveling merchant, and visits this area often. When he heard that the Nerarie festival was being held here he secured these papers from the city government as a present for his dear old mother so that I can enter the city without being searched by the gaurds. The papers allow me to bring in a group of up to 10, so we should all be able to enter easily."

"Why do you think the bandits let you live?"

"I think that they were more interested in my belongings and the belongings of those traveling with me then they were in our lives. And, if they were to kill us they might attract the attention of the the cities government, I hear that the Mayor of Samar does not look kindly on murderers."

"How were the bandits outfitted? Describe their tactics to me."

"I'm sorry Miss, I don't have the training to be able to describe their tactics in detail, I just know what I could observe. They ambushed us as we left the woods, some of them even dropped down from the trees above us. They all had weapons drawn, and they made us all put down all our belongings and keep walking towards the city. I didn't dare turn around to see where they went. They seemed well armed, but as I said before I am no expert in matters of battle."

OOC: The women seems to be sincere, her story appears to be true.

"My good lady, you must be starving, come eat with us and tell us more of your tale. Sadly, I have naught to offer you but trail rations, but then you shall not starve - the bandits would have taken all your food and money. We can discuss the details then."

"Thank you kindly, with my posseions stolen and without being able to make it in to the city I have been living off of the kindness of others." She gladly takes any food you offer and eats it hungrily as she continues to speak. Maedril's words do seem to make her quite comfortable, and she is greatful for the hospitality, "This proves what I thought when I saw you kind fellows, I thought you looked like the kind who would help an old defenseless lady, and this proves I was right."

"Would you perhaps enjoy the use of a writing device to make a crude map? Locales of interest would be welcome, as well as locations of ambush sites, last recorded observations and what-not."

"I would gladly do so, but I am no scholar, my map may not be of much help." She starts to sketch out a map on Alein's paper as she finishes her trail ration. After a few moments of frantic scribbiling she hands the paper and pen back to Aelin with a crude map.

OOC: The attachment at the bottom of the post is her map, I'm not much of a cartographer, so feel free to post questions about the map either as IC actions or just as questions in the OOC thread

 

[Arador]

Maedril, Sibeccai Champion of Death 1

"My good lady, let us just step aside and discuss your plight, so that we may better....help you."

Maedril stands, and steps a few feet away, gesturing for the others in the party to join them.

When the other party members approach (assuming that they do,) he speaks, in a more normal less flowery tone.

"I don't know about you, but I believe the woman. And even if she is lying, I think we can handle a few bandits. The woman's map is clear enough - I suggest we circle around the woods, and try to sneak up on the bandits, perhaps even one of us climb up a tree to suprise them."

Maedril waits for others suggestions, glancing over at the woman to make sure she is still happily ensconced by the fire.

 

[Murphy's Law]

Kel, male Sibbecai Snake Totem Warrior 1

"Yes, I agree we should help the old lady, it is the only some bandits, should be no trouble for the like of us. But I must disagree with your strategy, Maedril, we don't know that the bandits are still there. We should still check out the ambush sight, and be aware that the bandits may still be there, but they may also have moved away with the ill gotten gains of their latest raid. Either way, we should spend the night with this kindly old lady, and make our way to the ambush site in the morning."