Fort Knocks - knight otu judging

[Someone]

"Yes, let´s look for another ass to kick." agrees Nodis.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

After the encounter with the gaint bats another half hour of travel brings you to the end of the switchbacks and to a campsite away from the alarming drop-off. The Hoar Suns divide the watches with a small group to each watch, and the night passes without further incident.

In the early afternoon of the next day, the group finds itself at "Stone's Gate" a small but normally busy trading center that marks to some extent the beginning of the stonespikes mining communities. It was to here that the survivors of the mine attack fled, and here that the mortalists first got word of the attack. There is an egde of nervousness to the town today, and your large group of armed travelers is greeted with actual enthusiasm by the gate gaurds.

Rurik: [sblock]You are aware that there is a small forge in Stone's Gate run by a member of the Axebender clan. He mostly does assays of ore purity and such to aid parties doing trading here, as opposed to actual smithing, but he picks up a lot of information (usually about supply and demand for different metals) which he conveys to other clanmembers.[/sblock]

 

[dpdx]

Rurik enters Stone's Gate with no small measure of pride, relief and happiness. His companions have held up well under the journey, and though it is not over yet, the past couple of days have proven to be a good test of his party's mettle under fire, a test they've passed with flying colors.

As the party assembles next to the default tavern, Rurik takes the opportunity to stable his new horse. Flipping 5 gold to the stablehand with the instruction to "do 'e best ye can for 'im," Rurik grabs his pack and sets off in search of his third cousin Brannam, who at last report was still operating out of here.

With the helpful aid of the townsfolk, Rurik indeed finds his cousin easily. Stepping through the door of Brannam's office, he directs his familial greeting in Dwarven to the man behind the counter.

"You look like you could use an ale or seven, my cousin."

[I leave tonight for a trip - I'll be back home next Wednesday, the 18th. In the meantime, I'll have occasional access to the web and therefore the boards; but if you don't hear from me for a while, that's probably why.]

 

[Kahuna Burger]

(ooc: er, does anyone but rurik wanna do anything 'in town'?)

 

[azmodean]

(ooc: not really, terminal lack of money and all.)

 

[Someone]

(sorry, couldn´t post before)

"I need a rest, and maybe a bath" says Nodis "And something to drink and eat that´s not water, smoked meat and dry bread. Come on, Artax, let´s see what this place has to offer. And we´ll try to find out what these people know about those undead."

 

[Kahuna Burger]

ooc[sblock]Sorry for the delay, the meatball and I have both been sick, and creative brain work hasn't been my bag.[/sblock]

In the shop, Brannam turns away from a table covered in different liquids he has been placing metal shavings in and grins at his clansman. "When could I not use a drink, brother? Last I heard you were seeking adventure on the river plains hubward, what brings you to the Gate of the Stonespikes?"

****

Meanwhile, Rainca, Skeeter, Anderew and Susan lead the Hoar Suns to a camping area within the getes where they and their horses can stay for a nominal cost. The Hoar Suns have been energized in the wake of the battle with the bats, and Rainca spends some time drilling them in the kind of teamwork that allowed so many of the blows to be struck.

The other companions walk through the town, and the sharper eyed member soon see a sign above that of an apothocary, bearing the sign of a lit candle, again burning with a magical flame. The building is not large enough to house a true hospice like that you visited before, but it seems likely you have found the Mortalist meeting house in this town.

 

[Boddynock]

Eusebius says, "Ah, friends, it appears we have found the Mortalists' meeting place. Shall we make ourselves known to them? Then perhaps we can camp with the Hoar Suns - I for one do not have the funds to avail myself of any more expensive hostelry this night!"

Matching actions to words, he knocks at the door of the apothecary's shop and enters, saying as he does so, "Benedicite! Peace of the Sun Lord be upon this place, and all creatures of good will!"

 

[dpdx]

In the shop, Brannam turns away from a table covered in different liquids he has been placing metal shavings in and grins at his clansman. "When could I not use a drink, brother? Last I heard you were seeking adventure on the river plains hubward, what brings you to the Gate of the Stonespikes?"

Rurik returns his cousin's grin with a sense of relief and homecoming.

"Aye, that was true. Caught no small measure of the fire for it, too, afterwards from Mum, for leaving the Journal un-annotated. I -finally- caught up about a week ago, and after that, it was fortune indeed that my next job was much closer to the clan lands, praise Chennet'. I may even make it back in time for Orren's ordainment ceremony if we don't diddle around... love that kid. Even with the withered shield arm, he's as good with axe as any of the others, and better than most...*

Anyway, word is one of the supplier mines out this way has been overrun, living dead, and is no longer producing. There's a small mob of us took a commission to see if we could set it right. The rest are making camp and grabbing a few last provisions.

So why don't you close up early and help me find some proper ale in this hamlet, Brannam Axebender? You can tell me what you know about the mine, and I can catch you up on what I know from home, and ply you with what's left of Mom's..."

*Orren's my future adventure hook, for when I go behind the curtain...

 

[Someone]

Eusebius says, "Ah, friends, it appears we have found the Mortalists' meeting place. Shall we make ourselves known to them? Then perhaps we can camp with the Hoar Suns - I for one do not have the funds to avail myself of any more expensive hostelry this night!"

"why not?" says Nodis. "It´s likely that they´ll be helpful"

Matching actions to words, he knocks at the door of the apothecary's shop and enters, saying as he does so, "Benedicite! Peace of the Sun Lord be upon this place, and all creatures of good will!"

"Bah, don´t worry about it, I have the money. You´ll invite other day, if we get some money from this advneture."