Upward from Land's End

[Eric Zephlaer]

Antapkos, being a bit hot-headed and impetuous, took more offense to the actions of the caravan master than the others. “I hope that loud-mouthed, goat pellet takes some real offense at our successes and tries to make issue with us. I am going to stick him in the belly with this ceramic blade.”

Cormorante snickered at the idea. He shrugged. “We could always keep our game and just feed ourselves. That should generate some serious resentment his direction… but that just does not seem fair to these other caravaners."

Smiling deviously, Siofrita said, “I can taint his food to make him sick. I do not even have to be that close to him to do it.”

Britta laughed, but of all people it was Sprthnt who dissuaded any immediate action. “Would he not be able to smell it? He would recover and just take it out on the cooks. Though he deserves it, I cannot see this boding well unless that overgrown peccary desides to take physical action. Even if he does, he will get those two sucklings to do it. He has to see any negative action will result in six against two. This caravan needs to return to Asylim or it will cause repercussions, probably against South Road Fair. I think the four of us should accompany you two all the way back to Asylim, then see what comes of it.”

Antapkos choked on a piece of meat he was chewing and spit it, as he began laughing. Even Kuwaia smiled at the creative nature of Sprthnt’s name calling.

OOC: 92 + 57 = 149

 

[MacConnell]

The return trip to Bridgetown goes without incident or anomaly. Seemingly interested in returning to Asylim as quickly as possible, Vyerbluth only allows the caravan the one night’s rest, assigning duty to Cormorante and Antapkos, along with half of the remaining guards. The choice could be malicious, but half of the guards are always on duty.

Coming into South Road Fair, several days later, Vyerbluth again only elects to stay the one night. Antapkos and Cormorante are assigned duty while the other four friends are bluntly told that their pressence is no longer wanted and to go back to their own residences. “You four have tagged along with my caravan, distracting two of my guards, far longer than I wish to tolerate your presence. Since this is where you live, go away! Do not try to follow us, again, when we leave town.”

Spoiler: Character Data

Antapkos: full wellness
Sioftrita: full wellness
Cormorant: full wellness
Britta: full wellness
Sprthnt: full wellness
Tunic: 48
Kuwaia: full wellness

Spoiler: Collectibles

nothing at this time

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions and provide a random roll.

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Sprthnt, looking across the way toward Antapkos and Cormorante, gave a twitch of a smile. He spoke slowly and with simplified sentences, being far less than fluent in Ansylin. “Is that a threat? That is the sound to me.” Switching to Hebrian, he added, in a more competent manner, “Please say it is a threat, you bloated swine!”

Kuwaia smiled and shook her head, slightly. She knew it was for her benefit that he chose her native language. She reached up to touch Sprthnt. It was really all that was necessary for her to communicate that he should wait. Britta turned her back to the man and rolled her eyes to herself. She looked over at Cormorant and blew him a kiss, as she was walking away. Siofrita gave a vulpine smile at the first question asked by Sprthnt. She wanted to put an arrow through the man’s throat, just to hear him wheeze as he died. Just to kick at an ant hill one more time, she added, “Well?”

OOC: 92 + 57 = 149

 

[MacConnell]

Sprthnt... gave... spoke... Kuwaia smiled... reached... Siofrita gave... wanted... added...

Vyerbluth sneered at the four youths just as Kuwaia laid a hand on Sprthnt’s shoulder. The effect that her touch had on him was visibly evident to a perceptive person. Vyerbluth was not such a person. He bared his teeth. “Take it however you want. I suppose that here in the Fair, you think that locals will come to your aid should you attack one of us. They may. They may not.”

Other caravan guards began to take note of the confrontation, especially the two sycophants. The tension could be felt in the air. Some of the locals noticed the situation, as well, and began to walk toward the caravan. Giodavi, who tried to make a point of greeting every caravan, arrived on the scene. “Children, come away from there. We want no trouble, here. Come to the tavern. We will discuss matters.”

It was not an insult to be called “children” by Giodavi, given his age and fatherly disposition toward all younger people. He stood, full expecting the group to comply. All of the Sojourn Six were born intelligent. At this point being a bit above average on the uptake, it was readily obvious to all that the guards of the caravan had more experience in the field and were highly likely to, currently, be more formidable.

Spoiler: Character Data

Antapkos: full wellness
Sioftrita: full wellness
Cormorant: full wellness
Britta: full wellness
Sprthnt: full wellness
Tunic: 48
Kuwaia: full wellness

Spoiler: Collectibles

nothing at this time

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions and provide a random roll.

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Sprthnt reached up with a hand to touch the one Kuwaia had placed on his shoulder. He said nothing further to the pernicious man, taking two steps backward, Kuwaia pacing him, before he turned to walk away. He nodded his acknowledgement to Giodavi, heading for the Boar’s Head, Kuwaia in tow.

Siofrita took a parting shot at the man before walking away. “You have man an unrecoverable mistake here. You resent people who are better than you. You resent us greatly. You should have taken out presence for the blessing it was.”

Britta laughed and turned back to look at Vyerbluth. “You are woefully ill-equipped for an intelligent discusion.”

OOC: 92 + 57 = 149

 

[MacConnell]

Sprthnt reached up... Siofrita took... Britta laughed...

Giodavi shook his head and spoke quietly with Vyerbluth for another few seconds before trailing along behind the departing youths. Once inside the tavern, he inquired of the four as to the dilemma. Gathering what information was to be provided he shook his head in the funny manner that he usually did when a thing made no sense to him. This situation really made no sense. The youths seemed to have been resented for their charity. Only a person with some sort of mental illness would resent another for being helpful. “I am sure there is no way for me to dissuade you from following that caravan, especially with the two new friends you seem to have made. If conflict is sure to happen, I would prefer that it be away from here. I cannot see any good coming from this, but then I am no diviner. I would also prefer it, if you did not get yourselves killed. You seem to have such potential.”

The caravan departed without fanfare of difficulty, early the next morning, slightly sooner than the usual manner. Cormorante and Antapkos were assigned drag duty, which is the roving term for being the rear guard. While this is often assigned to the least competent of guards, it was currently slated as an idea of punishment. As the train of wagons crossed the river and the dust of the road began to rise, Cormorante and Antapkos were the last people who could be seen clearly.

Spoiler: Character Data

Antapkos: full wellness
Sioftrita: full wellness
Cormorant: full wellness
Britta: full wellness
Sprthnt: full wellness
Tunic: 48
Kuwaia: full wellness

Spoiler: Collectibles

nothing at this time

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions and provide a random roll.

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Siofrita was already standing in the road, watching the caravan, as the others approached. “Well, are we going?”

Britta cracked her knuckles. “Of course, we are going.”

Sprthnt looked at Kuwaia and then nodded to the other girls. “Yes.”

Since the four had their own water supply, at least what might get then up to the pass before the desert, even if not through it, they will lag behind, close enough to be seen but not close enough to be hailed, unless Vyerbluth decided to actually start some trouble. If Cormorant or Antapkos found the opportunity to visit, the four would share extra game with them, if they had it. Nothing was planned, at this point. The four would wait to see if any opportunity presented itself.

As the caravan was departing Cormorante looked at Antapkos, as he pulled a coin from a pouch. “It worked once before. Maybe Fortune could bless us again.”

Antapkos retrieved his own coin. “It could not hurt, to say the least.”

Both flipped the coin over their left shoulders, as they trailed behind the caravan, then each placed a cloth over his face against the dust.

OOC: 92 + 57 = 149

 

[MacConnell]

Siofrita was... Britta cracked... Sprthnt looked... The four... wait... Cormorant pulled a coin... Antapkos retrieved his own...

The distance from South Road Fair to the Dragon’s Footprint, where the pass laid between the smaller mountain range and the southern part, called the Dragon’s Tail, of the main mountain chain, would normally take a single person six days to walk. It took the caravan seven. During that time, to the chagrin of Vyerbluth, the Sojourn Six found ample opportunity to interact with one another, and Antapkos and Cormorante were grateful for the extra food.

The pass between the two mountain ranges was a nine-day walk in length and about a day’s walk in width, through most of it, with the heights of the mountain ranges readily visible at all times. The caravan normally required a Tenday to make that leg of the trip. As the caravan was preparing to break camp to enter the pass, trouble arose in the form of bandits. Attacking a caravan of that size was foolhardy, but occasionally clans of indigenous tribes would attempt it; or at least, hostile youths looking for quick spoils or garnering some reputation would make an initial assault, using rudimentary spears constructed from simple sticks with stone heads. The equipment arming the guards was little better. Ceramic blades were very sharp but easily broken. In the rocky scrubland that composed the area between the mountain ranges, any missed throw would likely result in a ruined weapon. Hostilities almost never continued beyond an initial skirmish with a single exchanged volley before the bandits would run. A caravan could ill afford to remain stationary and any fallen were left where they fell, their fate sealed.

Graggorids are one of the more rudimentary tribes of people inhabiting the land and, by far, the simplest among the Mhytre species. Little is known about them. Being on the shorter side of average, the stone-gray colored Mhytres highly decorate their skin with designs in dyes made from various berries or clays, which often makes them harder to see in their natural environment. As a tribe, they are extremely violent and aggressive, being known headhunters and suspected cannibals. Despite any semblance of natural camouflage, they announce their attacks by making loud noises and shaking their spears, before running headlong at a chosen target. They are not known to have any actual language.

The thin mist that formed near the ground each morning, in the area, due to the difference between the temperature of the day and that of the night, had not quite burned away with the rising Daylight. An initial war cry from the right flank of the caravan signaled the intended assault. Gray shapes that could barely be distinguished came charging forth from through the fading mist. The assault seemed to be one clan of about ten members, and its assault was aimed toward the rear wagon. Antapkos and Cormorante were both already standing and waiting on the forward movement that was interrupted, being about ten strides farther back. The other four friends were, of course, standing and readied but an additional 30 strides farther away

Spoiler: Character Data

Antapkos: full wellness
Sioftrita: full wellness
Cormorant: full wellness
Britta: full wellness
Sprthnt: full wellness
Tunic: 48
Kuwaia: full wellness

Spoiler: Collectibles

nothing at this time

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions and provide a random roll.

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Siofrita and Sprthnt, as soon as they realize that the caravan is under attack, draw arrows to fire at the charging bandits, both mystically augmenting their accuracy. Britta and Kuwaia who have no means of projectile assault, run straight toward Antapkos and Cormorant, not wanting to be in the line of fire from behind them. Britta mystically obscures her pressence while Kuwaia augments her speed. Having little experience in the field, Cormorant, as he mystically augments his speed, launches one of his javelins, with no regard to its possible loss. Antapkos chooses to hold his weapons, waiting on any enemy to reach him, as he mystically enhances his prowess.


Not fully understanding a relationship between a god and a patron, Cormorant makes his first, ever, statement with any semblance of ritual. “Fortune guide my hand!”

OOC: 92 + 57 = 149

 

[MacConnell]

Siofrita and Sprthnt... draw arrows... Britta and Kuwaia... run straight toward... Cormorant... launches... Antapkos chooses to hold... Cormorant makes...

Coming into the field of view, the Graggorid Talons were already prepared for their first assault, each launching a crude spear before anyone of the caravan could react. The initial estimate of numbers was wrong. there were more, almost twice the first guess. They were a mixed group of males and females with little distinction between the coverings for gender. Only two of the guards near the rear wagon were hit, but the damage from the crude spear was significant. Both went down, bleeding and groaning. Four more spears struck regular caravan members, including one child. One of the men tending the animals had the misfortune of being struck in the neck. Reflexively reaching up to cover the wound, he was dead before his body collapsed. Several other spears struck wagons or objects. The rest fell short or went long, missing everything all together.

Having previously thrown a coin over his shoulder and now calling upon god he was not even sure existed, paid off in a mighty way. The javelin from Cormorante sailed by the nearest enemy, just nicking the side of his neck as it sailed one to plant into the gut of a second enemy. The first Graggorid struck, did not even realize he had been wounded until so much blood had been lost that he was losing consciousness as he fell onto his face. The second, a female, fell onto her back, gripping the weapon in her gut and screaming.

Britta and Kuwaia reached Antapkos taking positions on either side of him, but the enemies were focused on the wagon, 10 strides farther on ahead. Siofrita and Sprthnt each let loose their arrow, which both found their way into the same target. Two arrows were significantly damaging, and he staggered to his right for about two steps before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

Vyerbluth could be heard up ahead, yelling orders to get the wagons moving. Of the other, now, six rear guards, all threw one of his javelins. All six found a target. Just over half of the Graggorids had been eliminated as a threat in the span of about three seconds. The other retreated away, back into the ever-thinning mist. With their gray skin, the little obscurity was enough to hide their departure.

The entire caravan Party began to move forward and within a few steps reached as fast of a pace as it could and still remain a unit. Within a few more seconds, it too would be out of sight for any of the Sojourn Six who remained standing where they were, especially Siofrita and Sprthnt who were still 30 strides farther than the other four. It would not be possible for the caravan to maintain anything close to its current pace for more than about one minute.

Spoiler: Character Data

Antapkos: full wellness
Sioftrita: full wellness
Cormorant: full wellness
Britta: full wellness
Sprthnt: full wellness
Tunic: 48
Kuwaia: full wellness

Spoiler: Collectibles

nothing at this time

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions and provide a random roll.