(Adventure) Rivenblight's Castaway [Creamsteak judging]

[Thomas Hobbes]

Jaan approaches the group of fiveor so caravan guards loosely circling a small fire. They’re chatting idly as he approaches, most sparing him at least a nod of greeting.

"Hey lads. Jaan. We're heading up the Rivenblight road tomorrow. Any of you just come down that way?"

There's brief pause, and then a short stocky man spits in his palm and sticks out his hand for a shake. His head is completely devoid of hair and he has both a longsword and a dagger at his belt. He smiles jovially, although it doesn't totally reach his eyes. "I'm Rown. Kiel and I," he jerks his left hand to a half elf of average height and build, who gives you an expressionless nod, "came down that way today, plus a few. Through the forest. Why'dyou ask?"

Meanwhile, Ioleta enters the inn to see Tylkin, his dinner finished, idly sipping a glass of wine. He doesn't rise this time, simply gesturing her to a seat, and waves the serving girl over with a meal equal to his home. As Ioleta begins to eat and drink, he opens with a casual, disinterested inquiry. "Have you been in Orussus long?"

 

[GnomeWorks]

Ioleta ... bustles off to get a meal for each of her companions. She hurries it out, while the meat is still hot and the ale cold... er, well, cool. ish.

Troi takes the proffered meal from Ioleta silently, and quickly wolfs it down. He drains the mug, and sets it on the wagon.

As Jaan wanders away, Troi watches wordlessly.

"I'm going over there." He says to Velbrik, motioning at a patch of ground a good distance from the wagon. "If ya need me, yell fer me."

He then walks a small distance away, still well within sight of the wagon and its surroundings, and lays down on the ground. He looks up at the sky, searching for stars.

"Zidaniel..." He says quietly. "I wonder where you are... and Shiva, too. I can feel it... soon... I'll come back. Not now, no... but the time is near..."

He bares his left shoulder, and gazes at the long, jagged scar there. He ponders it for a great while, then settles his clothing back to its normal position, and resumes his star-watching.

"I still have to find something to complement my whip. I wonder..."

 

[doghead]

There's brief pause, and then a short stocky man spits in his palm and sticks out his hand for a shake. His head is completely devoid of hair and he has both a longsword and a dagger at his belt. He smiles jovially, although it doesn't totally reach his eyes. "I'm Rown. Kiel and I," he jerks his left hand to a half elf of average height and build, who gives you an expressionless nod, "came down that way today, plus a few. Through the forest. Why'dyou ask?"

What the hell is that? Lucky 'im wearing gloves. Jaan shakes the man's hand.

"I'm heading that way tomorrow with that wagon," he says, indicating the direction with a nod of the head. "Heard that there has been trouble in the wood, and was wondering if you had seen anything. Never been this way before."

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

"Nah, no trouble," says Rown, leaning back on a wagon. "I haven't heard of anything, but whatever it was, we missed it. I dunno. Maybe we scared 'em off- there's two more of us plus the halfling. And hell, I was almost scared off by Yoln. A face only a mother could love, let me tell you." He juts out his lower jaw, and further strikes the point home by miming tusks with his hand.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Troi suddenly sits up, as though remembering something. He pulls the large tome out of his pack, accompanied by a small jug of ink and an inkpen. He opens it to a blank page, and begins writing.

 

[WizWrm]

Velbrik leans against the wagon, watching the proceedings silently as he eats the meal. He finishes, wiping his mouth before meandering over to where Jaan is chatting with the other guards. Velbrik listens to the conversation for a bit before asking, "Ah, wait, so you thought there might have been something after all?"

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

The apparently gregarious Rown takes Velbrik's entrance in stride, continuing with his talk. Kiel still hasn't said a word, or betrayed much of an expression.

"Nah, Yoln's one of us. 'E's a little green around the edges, if you know what I mean. I sure as hell wouldn't want to mess with him."

 

[doghead]

Jaan nods to Velbrik as he arrives.

"Yeah, I think that I do. This is Velbrik. He's traveling with me.

"So it all seems pretty quiet on the road. Not what I expected to be sure. There are rumours and stories enough around Orrusus (spelling?) to get us this job. Not sure if our fellow would have hired otherwise. You come down from as far as Rivensblight?"

If they know anything of the fabled city, Jaan will be more than happy to chat about it (so long as he can keep an eye on the wagon from the fire). He is interested in going there one day. He might even pick up something useful.

 

[Sparky]

Meanwhile, Ioleta enters the inn to see Tylkin, his dinner finished, idly sipping a glass of wine. He doesn't rise this time, simply gesturing her to a seat, and waves the serving girl over with a meal equal to his home. As Ioleta begins to eat and drink, he opens with a casual, disinterested inquiry. "Have you been in Orussus long?"

Swallowing a rather-too-hot mouthful, Ioleta's eyes tear."Ow." She waves her hand in front of her mouth, "Orussus? Not long at all. Went to Orussus from the Monastery of St. Feragon and before that, Ithyria." She reaches for a mug and takes a long drink to cool her throat. She looks at Tylkin over her mug and puts it down, "You?"

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

"Nah," says Rown. "Never been. Dangerous place, I've heard."

Tylkin looks amused at Ioleta's eating habits. He shrugs at her question. "It's one end point of my regular trade run. A monastary, you say? You don't seem like the type."