[IC] Shamutani Hills - psi/gng

[doghead]

November 13, in the farm.

The old woman turns to the burly man.

"Are you offering Jack?" she says sweetly. "You won't find the world out there any more friendly than it was when you fled it. But if that's what you want, I won't stop you. You are, after all, the most familier with the hills amoung all of us."

The old woman's statement is met with a cry of protest from the young woman. The old woman hold up a hand warningly.

"Don't try my patience dear. If you do, you will be lucky if you get to go as far away as the south field before your next birthday."

The old woman returns her attention to Jack.

"Well, are you offering?"

At Jacks affirmation, the old woman nods emphatically.

"Right. Then its settled then. It is too late now for anything but bed. We can settle the price over breakfast. You," she says to Casparan, "and your companion can sleep in the barn with your mounts. I'm sure that you will feel more secure that way anyway." She peers into the darkness for a moment. "One of which is still wondering around out there somewhere." She waves vaguely off to the east.

"It beats a cave, and I trust you have everything you need. Next time, when you return, if you arrive like decent people, we will see that there is a bed for you as is fitting for a guest.

"But come to the hall at dawn, and you can join us for morningmeal. I won't have it said that we sent away strangers, no matter how unfortunately they chose to arrive, without a decent meal in their bellies. We can what is "fair" then, and you can be on your way to save your precious Kingdoms.

"We don't have enough ponies to spare, so Jack can ride one of yours. The other you can leave here with anything else you don't need. The pony will be fed and well looked after until you return to collect it. You will see well enough for yourself, there are no badly treated animals on this farm."

If there is nothing more to be said, she turns and heads back to the hall. Without needing to be told, the man with the dogs takes over getting things sorted.

 

[Scotley]

Bendyn

Bendyn steps from the shadows and eases muscles stiff from holding the crossbow for so long. He waits until most of the others have dispersed before returning to his companion. "You handled that pretty well my friend. I don't think I could have done as well. If you feel safe being alone for a few minutes, I'll go and see about rounding up my horse."

 

[Hypersmurf]

The old woman returns her attention to Jack.

"Well, are you offering?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Jack glowers a moment, then shrugs.

"Bah. Fine. I'll take them where they need to go."

"Right. Then its settled then. It is too late now for anything but bed. We can settle the price over breakfast. Come to the hall at dawn, and you can join us for morningmeal."

Jack eyes Casparan up and down, and shrugs once more.

"In the morning, then. Don't oversleep."

He turns and heads off towards one of the smaller buildings.

 

[Sado]

Casparan

"That is agreeable," Casparan tells the woman. "Until morning then. I appreciate your offering to help us, Jack."

He goes to see if Bendyn needs any help. "Knowing that you watched over me from the shadows certainly helped," he says. "Let's try and get some sleep.

"Though it may still be wise if we keep watch tonight," he cautions. "Even if I trusted the old woman completely, not all of the others were pleased with her decision."

 

[Hypersmurf]

"Until morning then. I appreciate your offering to help us, Jack."

Jack merely grunts in reply as he leaves - certainly not the sunniest character around.

 

[Scotley]

Bendyn

"Yes Casparan, I don't trust that lot. Try and get some sleep and I'll take the first watch. I'm too edgy to sleep just yet." Bendyn retrives his horse and examines their resting place for safety and selects the best place to stand watch.

 

[doghead]

November 14, morning and morningmeal.

Bendyn finds his horse not far from the barn, munching contentedly on some grass.

Night passes uneventfully enough, although footsteps outside and occassional snatches of conversation tell you that guards have been posted around the farm. They make no attempt to hide their presense though, and Casparan and Bendyn remain undisturbed in the barn.

Dawn arrives with a knock on the barn door. A moment later, the small door creaks open and a rather nervous young man pokes his head around it.

"Morningmeal is ready. Umm, I'll wait for you outside, shall I? Right, yes, that seems best."

The head is withdrawn.

Outside Casparan and Bendyn find the young man nervously kicking at stones in dirt. He starts slightly at their approach. Blushing furiously, he turns and heads for the main hall.

Inside Casparan and Bendyn are lead through a door to a sizable room dominated by a large table. A quite decent spead of food is laid out upon it. About 8-9 people, including the old woman, the man with the dogs (sans dogs) and Jack stand around the room or sit around the table. The old woman, who everyone seems to refer to as Ma, waves off any attempt to discuss financial arrangments until everyone has eaten.

Ma opens negotiations at 100 gp as compensation for the loss of Jack and his services to the farm. As for Jack's compensation, that she says is between Casparan and Bendyn and Jack. But she does venture to suggest a gp per day not unreasonable amount given the importance of the task ahead and Jack's not inconsiderable skills and abilities.

ooc: I'm going to assume that anything of Erik's and Lirithan's not listed on your character sheets is left with the forth pony at the farm.

Sado: You don't actually seem to have melee weapon (which means Jagged Soul is just a twinkle in the DM's eye at the moment). Is that a deliberate decision related to his Warrior-Priest Initiate of Demonkeep background?

 

[Scotley]

Bendyn

Bendyn looks shocked at the figure Ma tosses out. "Well perhaps you have too high an opinion of our station. That kind of money is not to be spent lightly. We might be able to come up with half that amount."

 

[doghead]

November 14, in the farm.

"Actually, its is Jack's value that I have the high opinion of," she responds with a smile that does little to reassure.

The old woman is a hard negotiator. She has a sharp eye for weakness and a forceful personality. Bendyn does well to walk away with the party purse only 89 gp lighter.

With the exchange of money, the breakfast is concluded.

Crunch: [sblock]: Old Woman - Bluff 25, Party - Bluff 11. Couldn't see any rules for haggling, so just used the Check value difference (14) to modify the median value (75gp).[/sblock]

Hypersmurf: [sblock]Some background. I'll give you knowledge rolls along the way for more specific details as appropriate. If you have any questions, let me know.

There are several main villages along the high trail. Cantopanti, Kiristanti, Dhumpus and Birritanti, Torrepani. The other two have already passed through Cantopanti. The villagers are generally friendly enough if not provoked, and there are inns in each of them where you can stay in relative safety. Goblins are fairly common in this are of the hills. Mostly they work in mines, a number of which are scattered around the area. However, the mines yeild little; there hasn't been a decent strike in all the time you have been here. Again, they generally don't make trouble unless provoked. Beasts roam the hills. Night is especially dangerous. Trolls ocassionally wonder down from the north and set up toll gates along the road, extracting coin and valuables from passers by. The Elvin (fey folk) are not so common along the high path. They tend to stay more around the low path. But they will occasionally be encountered. With Elvin, you just never know what will happen.[/sblock]

 

[Hypersmurf]

After breakfast, Jack heads off to his hut, returning some ten minutes later with a pack.

He now wears an ancient and battered steel breastplate over his leathers; a wooden shield and a quiver are slung across his back, and a wicked-looking axe is shoved through his belt at his right hip to balance the hatchet and knife hanging from his left.

"We travel during the day," he states bluntly to the two strangers. "Wherever possible, we want to be indoors at night - there are a few villages along the way. Being abroad after dark isn't recommended."

"You have names?"