The Ancient Paths - Path I

[hippocrachus]

~ Dowkan ~

The word around the camp fire was that the merchant caravan that just got into Silverdown this morning was full with aspiring entrepreneurs looking to set up shop in the newly reconstructed hamlet; they may need a strong mercenary to do some heavy lifting. After a whole week of just about the entire population of Silverdown helping with the Temple of Tyr, the building required little in the assistance of outside laborers. Another place that could use a helping hand is in the many labor camps stationed along the outskirts of Silverdown, where the construction of a wall is underway; the only thing that will separate the town from the wild Silver Marches.
If Dowkan doesn't feel comfortable choosing where to take up his time, he can always go speak with Syrriel at her shop. Even though Silverdown is nearly completely rebuilt, the Tyrrans still seem to acquiesce to her commands. The wall was her idea.
He could always venture back in Sunder's Smithy, too...

 

[Legildur]

Seeing the Temple essentially complete, except for detailed masonry for which he was unqualified, Dowkan decides instead to head out to the wall for two good reasons - that the wall made good sense to a warrior for a place like this where they had already once been subject to a raid, and that Syrriel was the intellectual architect and she seemed to know up from down.

 

[hippocrachus]

~ Dowkan ~

Most of the labor camps are hiring under weekly contracts. Dowkan manages to convince one of the camp leaders to take him on for the day at half the daily rate. Dowkan will be paid three silver for working on the wall for the rest of the day.
Ultimately, his time may be better spent seeing if his imprisoned companions needed anything of him. Dowkan's contract might be to protect Hrolf, but the wizard at least seemed to mean to do the same...in a sense.

 

[ae1vart0n]

He sits quietly on a bed. The guards had taken his weopons and backpack, but they had left him all that was in his pockets. The symbol of his gods. The lock picks. Though he wsa confident (maybe even overconfident) that he could open the door of this prison, the guard made it useless to try.

Sitting there, he decides, quiety that he's not going to trust anyone from now on. Too many lies, secrets and betrayals. And deaths. Thinking back to the cave, those corpses could as well have been tortured for a reason. Some of the Kobolds had run. That's what Hildor wanted to do, but just like the kobolds he would be cut down.

Words didn't matter either. He had tried to tell Braggi he was making an exception for Nae'talis, and he had been thrown in prison for it. He wouldn't speak again.

If they wanted to use Hildor like a tool for their personal games, he could not stop them, but he wouldn't go out of his way to help intentionally. The Tyrrans and the Red Wizards were now an obstacle, and nothing more. If people died it was fate. If Hildor died, it was out of his control anyway.

 

[Legildur]

Most of the labor camps are hiring under weekly contracts. Dowkan manages to convince one of the camp leaders to take him on for the day at half the daily rate. Dowkan will be paid three silver for working on the wall for the rest of the day.

With the complexity of his position now apparent following the discussions in the tent, Dowkan figures the best way to make sense of it all is to do some plain old hard work. He spends the rest of the day working on the wall and returns that night to see how the others are faring in their less comfortable surroundings.

 

[hippocrachus]

~ Dowkan ~

Dowkan spends the rest of the day keeping in shape. At the end of the day, the dwarven warrior decides to check up on Hildor and Nae'talis. As he makes his way to the garrison, he spots Hrolf walking fast away from town. In the fading light, Dowkan can only imagine what the cleric is up to. Duty calls and Dowkan doesn't dawdle in pursuit.

~ Nae'talis & Hildor ~

Just around the time the mage and rogue find themselves getting sleepy, they hear a door open somewhere down the hall and a loud conversation between the guard and a familiar dwarven voice take place.
A few moments later, Dowkan comes bustling down the hall swinging the keys to their cell around his finger.
"We got a sit-che-ation. Our buddy Hrolf bugger'd off and tha big blue feller Braggi wants fer us to go get 'em," the warrior says simply. He looks at both of them with a wide grin and gives them both their weapons and other belongings that were confiscated from them back. Expecting them to follow, Dowkan turns and walks down the hallway.

 

[Majin]

Nae'talis looks at the now open celldoor out of the corner of his eye for a few moments before quietly rising and dusting the back of his robe off. Horrid. A brand new prison and already it's filthy," he grouses to himself as he quietly begins to follow the dwarf.

 

[ae1vart0n]

Why did they send Dowkan to get them? Sounded like a jail break. If Hrolf wanted to run off, Braggi would certainly send most of the available forces after him. They surely didn't need help from a couple of convicts.

Hildor was interested in getting the Tyrrans to let him go without pursuit, but this didn't seem like the way to do it. So he laid still in his bed and gave a lazy motion with his hand to show he didn't care to participate, then rolled over curled up to get some rest.

 

[Dhes]

[sblock]Hrolf spends his “house arrest” mostly in meditation and the study of law. Not wanting to disobey Father Braggi’s somewhat strange orders, Hrolf stays to himself only going out to go to temple and to make some purchases.

Just as the day comes to an end, Hrolf leaves his inn room for his last prayer at the temple. As he steps out of the inn, Hrolf sees his three companions exit the garrison. Hailing them, “Nae’talis, did Father Braggi judge you innocent?”[/sblock]

 

[Majin]

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