Alvar Thorne & Associates, Part 1 - orsal judging

[Voda Vosa]

"I was surely sleeping on the table, because I would remember a female of my kind" he states

 

[Drerek]

"Well, while you lot were all curled up in your sleeping rolls, there was somethin' happened last night.... a dragon flew past. Off in the distance, clear as day. Pretty damn big too! He didn't come close enough to raise the alarm though, so I figured it weren't worth waking up the camp. Jus' don't be surprised if he makes an appearance tomorrow night!"

Ruud listens raptly, "Fascinating! What did it look like, color, markings?"

 

[Drerek]

[sblock=Spells Prepared]0--Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Ghost Sound
1--Shield, Color Spray, Reduce Person[/sblock]

 

[Boddynock]

Allistra, who had asked about the night’s happenings in a light-hearted way, is sobered by Valdaris’ answer. She is silent for a time, while the others joke and chaff the fighter, then asks quietly, “Which way was it headed?”

Upon being told it was flying south, she thinks for a moment, head down, then draws a deep breath. Expelling it in a half-sigh, she looks up, and says in a lighter tone, “Well, if we’d known we were going to be facing dragons, we’d have offered ten gold a week!”

“I haven’t heard much about dragons in this part of the country. Let’s hope that it’s just on its way to a more pressing engagement. I fear Milak would give it indigestion, if it decided to snack on us.”

She grins, and the dwarf, predictably, grumbles.

“Right, let’s get going. With luck we’ll be in Allimon in time for supper!”

[sblock=Voda Vosa]What spells has Ciprinus prepared?[/sblock]

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Ruud listens raptly, "Fascinating! What did it look like, color, markings?"

“From this distance! I’d ‘ave no idea. Jus’ big. An’ dark… I suspect it was just out huntin’ an’ doing it’s own thing. Though if that thing comes anywhere near us, I won’t be around too long to be eaten! Let's push on."

 

[Voda Vosa]

[Sblock]The same than before[/sblock]

 

[Trouvere]

Taelythenihel takes the last pancake between two thin fingers. "For later," she says, motioning to her servant. They make their way to the same wagon they sat in yesterday and climb aboard.

 

[Boddynock]

[sblock=Voda Vosa]VV, I've just noticed, when I checked the spells prepared list from your previous post, that you asked me to confirm that Ciprinus does indeed have the ability to spontaneously convert prepared spells to Summon Nature's Ally. The answer is yes, he does. Sorry I missed it before![/sblock]

 

[Boddynock]

The caravan makes good time. The horses, although initially skittish once again, pull strongly and steadily once they are on the road. The countryside gradually becomes more varied: the farms are left far behind, and the plain gives way to more undulating country, with hills off to the right and left.

The foliage changes too. There are more clumps of trees, taller and more substantial in girth. Finally, by the time the group stops for lunch, the line of trees along the roadside is unbroken, screening the surrounding country from view.

”All right, everyone - same as yesterday. An hour for lunch, and then we get underway. Unlike yesterday, however, don’t forget that you’re here to protect this caravan. Wild dogs and dragons aside, we’re that much further from Orussus, and there were those rumours of bandits. If you must go aside, make it quick!”

 

[Trouvere]

Taelythenihel gathers the food on offer and hands it to Ossa. "We shall not stray far, and if we encounter trouble, we shall hasten back immediately," she says. She smiles ruefully. "I call her my servant, but it seems to me I spend more time looking after her particular needs than she does mine. Come along, Ossa. You may find privacy in the wood." The two walk a few yards further, then turn off the road.

After a few minutes, Taelythenihel emerges from behind a tree, with Ossa a step behind. The servant's hood is back, and for the first time, her face is visible. It is a hideous ruin, burned and mutilated, with patches of hair clinging to a scarred scalp. As she turns towards the wagons, she raises the hood, but stops in her tracks. She swiftly lifts her shield to hide her head and retreats from sight. Taelythenihel follows her, looking tense and sad.

In a minute, the pair return from the woods directly opposite the wagons, Taelythenihel pulling the rehooded Ossa by the hand. "Do not be upset, dear," she says. "You were not thinking. The others will not mind." She looks about, as though challenging anyone to comment.