Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 795192" data-attributes="member: 114">The next day is clearer and the caravan makes good time towards the ford over the river Nepri. Dariol espies a number of birds of prey around the caravan and calls one to him with a little magic. The animal is well disposed towards him, and soon Dariol can be seen riding out with the bird perched on his arm. It is dubbed ‘sharpeye’ by the Druid, no doubt in the hope that this will encourage the bird to be a useful scout.As they reach the Nepri ford, it becomes clear that it is in use by a large number of horse tribesmen. Vladimar observes for a while and consults with Mischa. They agree that these folk appear to be Pechenki-Mul, much less aggressive than the notorious Pechenki-Vel. Nevertheless, they are crossing the ford much earlier than expected, and Vladimar is curious. Trusting to his previous encounters with these nomads, Vladimar rides out on his own to meet them The party wonders on this apparent rashness, but the difference between this and Katarn’s earlier behaviour is that Vladimar knows these people!He return after nearly two hours to explain that he has agreed to let the Pechenki pass over the ford first, and the caravan will cross just before dusk to pitch camp on the South side. The time passes pleasantly as the tribesmen drift by within 200 yards. They are some 300 in number, and have a great stock of cattle, dogs, and of courses horses with them. Most of their goods appear to be pulled on travois. As Pelor’s glory kisses the horizon the caravan is organised into a column and led across the ford. Although it is quite broad in late Spring, the early campaign means a narrower passage. Nevertheless, things are progressing well, if slowly when a soldier in the distance suddenly spurs his horse forward. Dariol thought that the vague thumping he could hear was coming from someone kicking a wagon, but now he’s not so sure. He sends sharpeye aloft to scout over the soldier and tries to focus on where that sound is coming from. Others can clearly hear it too, and several of the waggoners appear to have trouble controlling their oxen.In the distance the soldier shouts, raises his hand for the caravan to stop, and canters to a halt looking down into the grass. The thumping sound is quite loud now, coming in threes, very very low. The soldier dismounts and drawing his sword prods at something unseen in the grass. Arcane fire sparkles on his blade, up his arm and over his head momentarily and a sharp ‘snap’ sound crackles over the bass thumping. The soldier jerks once, twice, and collapses backwards out of sight. His horse bolts away to the South. Sharpeye returns to Dariol’s arm as the various party members start somewhat nervously to arm themselves and start out into the plain . Sharpeye describes a ‘shiny thing with legs, many legs, moving, making noise’. Dariol has not heard of anything like this before, but along with others can now see a trail of grass being bent over by the passage of some low thing towards them in the grass. The thumping comes again, very low, very loud. Oxen snort in discomfort, and horses lift their feet coquettishly to escape the queasy vibration through their hooves. The thing scrambles almost up to the side of a wagon, and thumps again still unseen. This time the sound is so loud that teeth buzz and stomachs flip.</blockquote>

Verification