Masozi eyes the approaching elf as she wipes her hand against her cheek, leaving a smear of orc blood against her dark flesh. She looks to each person in turn, dark eyes emotionless as they linger a moment on each familiar face. Looking back to the elf she shakes her head with the barest of movements.
Midnight: Shadow of the Gods - Chapter 1
- Thread starter gambler1650
- Start date
gambler1650
Explorer
Chapter 1 - Scene 2.1
Eliael nods once, "Good. Arunae knows where the halfling village I'm heading to. He'll be able to lead you back, but just in case..." she hands Armigil a map. The map itself has no words on it, but it has a road on it and what looks like a forest, and a thick river that borders one edge. She quickly explains:
"The river represents the Kaladrun mountains. The road is a small stream that flows from the village you'll be going to, towards the mountains, on the return trip. It is probably one day's journey from here if you angle southwest towards it. Then it's another day along the stream to the human village and Sethin. The forest is where we are now... the outcropping. See this tear at the bottom edge of the map? That's the halfling village. You notice that if you travel due south when you find the end of the stream on your return journey, that you'll run right into the tear, or the village on the map. At the pace we've been generally travelling, it will take you 2 days to reach it from the end of the stream."
She then turns as Arunae comes up. "Help these new ones to the cause as much as you can, but only guide when asked. Let them make the choices along the way. The only constraint is, I don't think we will stay in the halfling camp more than a week once we arrive, so you probably shouldn't stay in the human town more than a couple of days at the most."
In the background, the rest of the elves and some of those you had met on the boat have begun to move south seperately. The commotion seems to have agitated the cats on the outcropping again as they yowl a bit more loudly, but otherwise show no inclination to come down from the rocks as the group moves away. The dwarf, Morthik gives a brief wave with one of his Urutuk hatchets. Keelosh appears to have moved slightly off to the side of the main group, but doesn't acknowledge the group he originally started with. The gnome, Gac, isn't spotted, possibly behind one of the pack horses.
Eliael glances at the group and says, "I hope you have a safe journey, and find ways to strike at the Shadow along the way. We will meet again soon." While she speaks to the group as a whole, she glances more often at Arunae. Then, like a pale ghost she slips through the tall grass towards the south.
Arunae turns towards the group and smiles slightly wistfully, once in awhile glancing back towards the others as they move out of sight. He speaks first to Masozi, "I am Arunae. You handled yourself quite well in a confusing situation. I'm sure it doesn't appear much better right now." To the group as a whole he asks, "Shall we go? Or do you want to examine the area further?"
Eliael nods once, "Good. Arunae knows where the halfling village I'm heading to. He'll be able to lead you back, but just in case..." she hands Armigil a map. The map itself has no words on it, but it has a road on it and what looks like a forest, and a thick river that borders one edge. She quickly explains:
"The river represents the Kaladrun mountains. The road is a small stream that flows from the village you'll be going to, towards the mountains, on the return trip. It is probably one day's journey from here if you angle southwest towards it. Then it's another day along the stream to the human village and Sethin. The forest is where we are now... the outcropping. See this tear at the bottom edge of the map? That's the halfling village. You notice that if you travel due south when you find the end of the stream on your return journey, that you'll run right into the tear, or the village on the map. At the pace we've been generally travelling, it will take you 2 days to reach it from the end of the stream."
She then turns as Arunae comes up. "Help these new ones to the cause as much as you can, but only guide when asked. Let them make the choices along the way. The only constraint is, I don't think we will stay in the halfling camp more than a week once we arrive, so you probably shouldn't stay in the human town more than a couple of days at the most."
In the background, the rest of the elves and some of those you had met on the boat have begun to move south seperately. The commotion seems to have agitated the cats on the outcropping again as they yowl a bit more loudly, but otherwise show no inclination to come down from the rocks as the group moves away. The dwarf, Morthik gives a brief wave with one of his Urutuk hatchets. Keelosh appears to have moved slightly off to the side of the main group, but doesn't acknowledge the group he originally started with. The gnome, Gac, isn't spotted, possibly behind one of the pack horses.
Eliael glances at the group and says, "I hope you have a safe journey, and find ways to strike at the Shadow along the way. We will meet again soon." While she speaks to the group as a whole, she glances more often at Arunae. Then, like a pale ghost she slips through the tall grass towards the south.
Arunae turns towards the group and smiles slightly wistfully, once in awhile glancing back towards the others as they move out of sight. He speaks first to Masozi, "I am Arunae. You handled yourself quite well in a confusing situation. I'm sure it doesn't appear much better right now." To the group as a whole he asks, "Shall we go? Or do you want to examine the area further?"
gambler1650
Explorer
Chapter 2 - Scene 1.0
Arunae nods to the comments made, glances at Danyd and Masozi. Danyd for his part just returns the nod, then with a wry grin looks at the two Dorns and speaks in Erenlander, "I think my heart might slow down sometime in the next month. I'm sure it actually stopped a couple of times tonight."
Arunae glances around and then says, "Then, we should go. We'll continue south-southwest until we run across that stream Eliael was talking about. The village uses it as a water source, so it makes it easy to find. I will take the lead unless someone else wants to? I suggest someone with good eyes and ears take up the rear. With the magic used, and if those Orcs were indeed part of a larger group, a Legate or two might have been close enough to sense the magic. We can hope that any such individuals are concerned by whatever mission they are currently on, too much so to follow us. But... we can't assume they will be." He settles immediately into a relatively fast walk, mentioning, "We will normally travel during the day, but for now, I agree we should place some distance..."
The yowling of the felines slowly fades into the distance as the party moves off through the night, the cloud covered sky overhead feeling close and heavy.
OOC Note: Please let me know your normal 'marching order', keeping in mind that the humans can barely see at night. Feel free to roleplay the discussion here or on the accompanying MUSH (though in the latter case, someone please send me a log
)... Remember, you can always roleplay conversation when I don't respond for a couple of days.
Arunae nods to the comments made, glances at Danyd and Masozi. Danyd for his part just returns the nod, then with a wry grin looks at the two Dorns and speaks in Erenlander, "I think my heart might slow down sometime in the next month. I'm sure it actually stopped a couple of times tonight."
Arunae glances around and then says, "Then, we should go. We'll continue south-southwest until we run across that stream Eliael was talking about. The village uses it as a water source, so it makes it easy to find. I will take the lead unless someone else wants to? I suggest someone with good eyes and ears take up the rear. With the magic used, and if those Orcs were indeed part of a larger group, a Legate or two might have been close enough to sense the magic. We can hope that any such individuals are concerned by whatever mission they are currently on, too much so to follow us. But... we can't assume they will be." He settles immediately into a relatively fast walk, mentioning, "We will normally travel during the day, but for now, I agree we should place some distance..."
The yowling of the felines slowly fades into the distance as the party moves off through the night, the cloud covered sky overhead feeling close and heavy.
OOC Note: Please let me know your normal 'marching order', keeping in mind that the humans can barely see at night. Feel free to roleplay the discussion here or on the accompanying MUSH (though in the latter case, someone please send me a log
)... Remember, you can always roleplay conversation when I don't respond for a couple of days. Evarus flashes a quick grin at Danyd when he comments, relief showing on his face that someone else had a little trouble staying calm and cool. He doesn't volunteer himself to take up the rear of the party, but he does say, "Armigil has good ears."
He glances at his fellow Dorn with an expression that's an odd mix of pride and tentative query, as though he were asking if it was okay he spoke.
He glances at his fellow Dorn with an expression that's an odd mix of pride and tentative query, as though he were asking if it was okay he spoke.
For someone habitually stern and unsmiling, Armigil looks briefly pleased, even warm, at the words from Evarus, and a corner of his mouth quirks briefly.
Perhaps it's the shadows playing tricks.
"We will walk together at the rear," he remarks to Evarus. A statement, not an offer or suggestion. "You need to learn how to keep watch more closely."
Perhaps it's the shadows playing tricks.
"We will walk together at the rear," he remarks to Evarus. A statement, not an offer or suggestion. "You need to learn how to keep watch more closely."
gambler1650
Explorer
OOC Note: Sorry for the delay guys. Work! Update tomorrow, promise.
gambler1650
Explorer
Chapter 2 - Scene 1.1
The first evening passes easily enough, although Arunae and Danyd both seem a bit twitchy due to the recent battle, and often the party stops because one or the other of them senses something, a sound or sight, that normally would be ignored even by a relatively careful group. Eventually though, the sky lightens and even though the sun itself is invisible behind the clouds, the humans in the group can make out their surroundings more easily. They really haven't changed, except that the stone outcrop is gone. Dry looking grass stretches in all directions.
Arunae calls a halt finally after a few hours into the day and says, "Orcs are unlikely to travel hard during the day. We can set up camp here. Perhaps a bit of hunting is in order? We have rations of course, but fresh food would go well. I can take my hand at it too, though I'm more skilled with magic than I am in sneaking up on animals. And how would you like to set up a watch?"
As the day wears on, chances to sleep and talk are present no matter the watch schedule, and at some point the Erenlander, Danyd walks up to Masozi when most of the group is in camp except for Arunae who is on watch, and asks in Erenlander:
"So.. You've got something to show Sethin? At least that's if I heard right after all that confusion. It seems curious that two people in the same group would have the same mission."
OOC Note: As always, feel free to RP amongst yourselves as desired. I'll try to poke my head in here relatively regularly the next couple of days and respond when I can.
The first evening passes easily enough, although Arunae and Danyd both seem a bit twitchy due to the recent battle, and often the party stops because one or the other of them senses something, a sound or sight, that normally would be ignored even by a relatively careful group. Eventually though, the sky lightens and even though the sun itself is invisible behind the clouds, the humans in the group can make out their surroundings more easily. They really haven't changed, except that the stone outcrop is gone. Dry looking grass stretches in all directions.
Arunae calls a halt finally after a few hours into the day and says, "Orcs are unlikely to travel hard during the day. We can set up camp here. Perhaps a bit of hunting is in order? We have rations of course, but fresh food would go well. I can take my hand at it too, though I'm more skilled with magic than I am in sneaking up on animals. And how would you like to set up a watch?"
As the day wears on, chances to sleep and talk are present no matter the watch schedule, and at some point the Erenlander, Danyd walks up to Masozi when most of the group is in camp except for Arunae who is on watch, and asks in Erenlander:
"So.. You've got something to show Sethin? At least that's if I heard right after all that confusion. It seems curious that two people in the same group would have the same mission."
OOC Note: As always, feel free to RP amongst yourselves as desired. I'll try to poke my head in here relatively regularly the next couple of days and respond when I can.
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