The Canterbury Tales- Chapter 4: Dead Drunk

[Deuce Traveler]

The introductions are given and the scouting party heads off at a brisk pace compared to the steady walking speed of the caravan and its creeking wagon. The road north is built upon the ruins of an old Roman road which has been partially patched throughout the ages with new brick and packed earth. The party notices that the caravan kicks up a dusty cloud behind it as it also exits Damascus. Small plots of farms are along either side of the road and continue for at least a mile, while becoming less frequent and tightly packed the further from the city walls.

OOC: Just a filler post to move things along. Action starts next DM post.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Alwyn
[sblock]
As you finished drawing the symbol into the ground, you saw the barely existent phantasm of a streaking, black arrow passing over the sign. You bite your lip as in the next instant a wave of pain moves up your left forearm and you see what looks to be a tiny arrow just under your skin. Ignoring the pain as best as you can, you look back to the emblem to see several arrows have pierced the symbol, which runs red from its wounds. A red silhouette forms from the blood inside the emblem and a remorseful voice runs in your mind.

Answer this riddle, son of Adam, son of Remus, son of Zeus, son of Woden, son of the first of men:

I am the ravager of the young,
ruiner of cities,
destroyer of civilizations,
and smoter of elder races.

I have waited for the trees,
I have changed rivers,
I have smoothed hills,
I have worn down mountains.

I am the ally of death,
but even death will not last me.
What am I?

[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

Sitting alone along the trail that the carvan would soon be coming across, the scouts notice a young man in a long sleevless trench coat. Using his suitcase as a seat the man holds a hat box on his knees and seems to be speaking to it. He voulminous white sleeve shirt, and noble bearing speaks of the aristocity, but his lack of jewerly or color in his outfit clash with this assumption.

[sblock=ooc]hope you don't mind the change in what I did thought it would be better to be with the PC's [/sblock]

 

[Dragonwriter]

Duncan pulls up to the lone man, sitting along the road. He reins in his horse and laughs good-naturedly, calling out, "Ho there, my friend! Greetings to you on this grand day! You look to be one who has packed to leave Damascus, yet I see no other travellers. Are you, perhaps, lost or injured?"

 

[HolyMan]

Still staring at the hat box for a moment, the young man looks up in bewilderment. "Hmm.. Oh sorry," he says in English though his accent is strange. "Just making sure my.. umm, hat box was secure."

"Greetings to you sir," he says standing hat box in hand. "I am indeed trying to leave Damascus. I am Professor Reginal Smiley, and it seems I have missed the caravan I was suppose to join on it's way to Canterbury, for they are not here."

He looks about sadly, "This is all your fault," he says to the hat box.

 

[ethandrew]

Francis gives the odd man a once over, eying him suspiciously with a hand to his waist, ready to grab a dagger if the need arises. "You've missed naught, Goodman Smiley," the young man states coolly and not altogether kindly. "It seems you picked an odd spot to wait, ripe for the plucking of bandits. You know they like to kidnap your sort and use your organs for black magicks, hmm?"

 

[Theroc]

Alwyn winced, before pondering the voice in his mind, the riddle it gave. The only thing that came to mind, was the very thing that seemed to be erasing the Old Gods themselves.

Time. The boy thought in response, before repeating it in a soft whisper to the bleeding symbol. "Time." He awaited anxiously for the result of his solution.

[sblock=OOC]
Seems Invisiblecastle is having issues again. Alwyn's binding check is 1d20+4, if you'd prefer to roll it rather than wait, Deuce.[/sblock]

 

[Deuce Traveler]

The scouting party continued north and through some twisting terrain. Within a few hours they bridged such a distance between the caravan and themselves that the winding of the road and hills blocked the view between the two groups. Richard Goodlake estimated a distance of about a mile and a half between the scouts and the front caravan wagon.

It was difficult to see the occassional farm on either side of the road, but every so often the high ground dipped down low enough to give a glimpse. The farms were definitely almost non-existant this far from Damascus.

Duncan was the first to hear the violent smack of wood against flesh somewhere over the hills to his left. The smack was followed by a large grunt of pain. As the smacks continued, Francis heard it next followed by the professor and Alwyn. There was some kind of combat near, about 50 meters off the road and over a hill blocking your view.

Alwyn
[sblock]
"Time...," the red figure wailed. "Yes, time. Time has bonded me for so long, yet will one day take me and end this existence. You show some wisdom and perhaps you will therefore achieve what I achieved while avoiding my fate. I will allow your will to bend my own." The figure disappeared as you felt a surge of power from a successful bind.
[/sblock]

 

[Dragonwriter]

Duncan immediately stiffened in his saddle. He called back to the others, "Sounds like battle!" As he looks back over his shoulder at them, everyone can see the wide grin on his face. He bends to the side and pulls a lance free, settling it in the crook of his arm for now.

He turns his horse to the noise and starts Gaoth walking along the way. He keeps a slow enough pace that all the foot-walkers can keep up, but it's rather obvious he wants to rush ahead and at least see what's going on...

 

[HolyMan]

Walking along suitcase in one hand and hat box in the other, the professor who had joined the group for fear of the bandits mentioned started looking around turning in a small circle. The tails of his trench coat twirling out as he spun. "Combat, oh dear!" he exclaims. Seeing the warriors start off the trail he looks around as he is left behind. "Oh dear," he repeats with a sigh and starts to follow the group.