Chapter 1 - A Gathering of Many, A Choosing of Few

Garak only nods in recognitions of Tamrik's response. It was true. The emotional scars were just as deep as the physical ones. It was also true that the emotional wounds were the ones that Garak truly loved to inflict...

Ara nodded in turn as each chose a mount, eyes turning with slight surprise,and agreement, at Raen's words. This one knows our ways...
Lorem was the only one to choose a pure-black horse. Tamrik, Joachim, and Raen had each chosen a white mount, whereas Garak had selected the black-white mix.
Kashue was the only one that had not yet chosen, and Ara turned her attention to the most familiar with these mounts, besides herself.

"Surely, Sandrider, you know one to take?" Ara asked, "Unless you want your old mule!" she added, unaware that her words simply spurred the others into action, limiting Kashue's choice. Hearing her words, the erstwhile silent Zetroc and Korakk each selected a black horse, Korakk heaving Zetroc up to his before clambering onto his own.

Delphine, meanwhile, glanced uneasily at the remaining horses, then at the mule, and finally at Raen and his chosen mount.
After a moment of hesitation, the young elven maiden lifted herself easily up onto the chestnut-colored horse, looking across at Raen with a smile on her face. The horse gave a light whinny, the air expelled from its nose blowing up a small cloud of sand.

And thus, it was down to two, the lone remaining black horse, and the mule at the end.
"Well, Sandrider, what will it be? We cannot afford unnecessary delays!" Ara said, as Zetroc glared at her target.

End of Chapter 1

It's your new favorite tradition... End-of-Chapter XP!


First off, everybody take a well-earned 500 XP for your gaming excellence. I don't think I saw one shoddy/horrible post the entire time, so congrats!
Second, right below here you'll see your own special XP, for a combination of 2 things:
1) Participation - This isn't a measure of how many posts you make, but your overall participation in the game thus far. Did your character participate in the game, and did the player show the DM he/she cared about the game?
2) Bonus - This is for those "wow" moments that great gaming creates. Posts that seem to glue visuals to the inside of my eyelids, words that I can hear in my head, details that bring your character to life. It's not about the longest posts, but about the best posts. I'm proud to announce that our favorite sociopath, Garak, is tops for Bonus XP awards this round!







A couple things to take note of:
1) Each character should start at 3000 XP, and reach the next level at 6000. Garak and MoreDread, please fill this out in your c-sheets
2) Make sure your c-sheet is complete and accurate. Things like gold, language, spells, and info are important, and count towards Participation XP.
3) Stay frosty!

As everyone wondered about the interrogations, Kashue watched everyone's reactions, but he wasn't interested in that role. Not only he was ill suited for it, but he wasn't interested at all at the prisoner.


Kashue took a few moments to watch the horses, he was never good with animals, but these few where trained since birth by him and his family, and he knew them very well. The horses seemed alright, they looked healthy and eager to get out, a feeling they would most likely loose quite fast.
He also didn't seem worried by the others choosing first, as he knew the last horse remaining, from the descendants of Fahim's mount, this was the one that inherited it's determination and stubbornness, and it was not going to let itself be mounted by anyone that it didn't appeared as worthy to it's eyes.
He was also a bit amazed at Raen's comment, as he didn' t expected to see such reaction in anyone in the group
He approached it and patted it's head, and said in a low voice
" We have a long journey ahead Azzam"