Redemption: The Preludes (IC post)

[Wizard of the Coat]

Ragz

---

Ragz turned from the retreating bugbear back to the others still hidden beneath the tree canopy. He did not like the idea of traveling by day. He did not like the idea of taking the road so soon after the dragon's passing. But he would not leave the bugbear without a guide and traveling companion. "Ragz and a bugbear will walk slowly," he offered lamely.

It was not quite an acceptance of the offer to join their numbers. But it was a signal that he was willing to travel with them until further discussion.

Turning, he followed after the bugbear, not bothering to call the stray black dog. Whether the dog followed or remained with the others mattered little, they would soon be traveling together.

The dog stood her ground, watching the retreating bugbear and kobold. She turned to the others, offering a grumble-whine vocalization that seemed to say, "Why aren't we all leaving?"

[Varen Tai]

D’Artegenon had been watching and listening quietly as he sat, his eyes following each person as they spoke, his face regaining more of its normal stoicism as he rested.

Finally, as the bugbear and kobold began to leave, he stood and held his hands up to signal that he was going to talk. “Ragz, Torben. I cannot and will not try to convince you otherwise, but I invite you to join us. I have some ability to help keep those that are hunting us at bay, and that includes the dragon. I have already been keeping Aly safe from those that are searching for her, and it would be a simple thing to do the same for you.”

He gestured generally northwest. “The Glacier of the White Wyrm was one of the places I had thought of going, as I have a friend at the Monastery of the Yellow Rose who knows a lot about a lot of things. He may be able to help us. If you would consider joining us, we will also accompany you to the Glacier.”

Finally, he looked at Yopine. “I had considered the Underdark, but it does not give us the space to hide easily from anyone coming like the overland has. That makes it extra dangerous for us where our best option is to be able to conceal ourselves easily. I am hesitant to put us in a situation where this is not an option. 

“I think the wisest course of action is to travel on the road until we reach the River of Shadows, and then take the river straight into Skuld. At that point, we can find a ship to the Glacier.”

He looked around at the group. “Let’s head out. I do not think the dragon will be back this way anytime soon, but if it does return, we will have time to hide ourselves before it passes over. We can converse on the way.” He strode in the same northerly direction that Torben had begun walking towards the road, stopping, for just a moment, to rub the ears of the stray black dog as he passed.

[Wizard of the Coat]

Ragz

---

Having trotted to overtake the bugbear, Ragz stopped and turned to hear the half-orc. It would have been rude to do otherwise. He considered stopping the kindly giant with a tug at his robes, but it felt too great a presumption.

When the half-orc had made his words, the kobold croaked what he took for repartee. "Funny that a half-orc can hide companions from an ancient green dragon but not a stray black dog."

The kobold looked to the dog and chortled far too deeply for such a small creature.

The dog trotted to the laughing kobold, licking his face.

The kobold wiped his face with a sleeve, the laugher stilled with a groan.

It was the first time Torben had heard the little kobold laugh since before Galt.

Ragz looked to Torben, wondering which way the bugbear would lead. Whichever way he chose, Ragz would follow.

[Varen Tai]

As the sun finally peeked over the mountains on the east, the half orc grunted and nodded. "Correct. I can keep the dragon from sensing us at a distance, but couldn't keep the dog from smelling us up close."

He added, "If you are going to scout, don't get too far away."

Edited April 17 by Varen Tai (see edit history)

[Zelphas]

Torben

---

Torben stopped for a moment to hear the half-orc's words. He looked to see what Ragz thought of the situation, only to realize that the kobold was waiting on him. Ragz had laughed, which was probably a good thing. And these people didn't seem as concerned with the fact that he was a bugbear as most others outside of the monastery. They were being chased as well, but still...

Shaking himself, Torben shrugged, settling his packs once again. "We're headed in the same direction, and it seems that we're traveling by day at least today. At the very least, we'll be in a group for the moment; if our paths split, we can figure it out from there." It's noncomittal, but Torben didn't like being the one who made the decision.

Having said his bit, Torben began walking again, fading towards the edge of the road. When he'd been traveling alone, he'd taken to hiding at the road's edge whenever someone came near, and he found himself falling back into that tendency now that he was traveling again with the sun rising above him.

Edited April 17 by Zelphas (see edit history)

[Basil_Bottletop]

Wyckmere Mirth

---

 

Wyck could feel the anxiety in the air as everyone stutter started through various ideas on how and when and where to start up again. He waited patiently, hoping to hear from D'Artegenon soon but knew better than to prod him about it. There had been a time when prodding him felt proactive, but it rarely resulted in anything but wasted words.

He heard the half-orc's groans before he saw him stirring. His eyes flashed back toward him to await the instruction, having drifted away to the ever-departing kobold and bugbear. But as the half-orc spoke, Wyck's face twisted into a semi-veiled look of confusion. He'd not ever heard the half-orc muster up multiple pathways for consideration, nor had they ever been on such a mark for so long or over such great distances. When D'Artegenon mentioned meeting yet another contact at a temple, it was all Wyck could do to keep his lips firmly pressed in rebuttal.

They were including three more moving pieces and potentially more once they found this glacier. That was multitudes more than they'd ever had to press before and made even more difficult that this was not a singular location. In Havenmere, it had been four people and it had been no more than a week of discovery before their mark revealed themselves and ultimately showed them what they came to see. See. Not all this other stuff.

The idea of six, plus a dragon-cursed dog, and days of travels suddenly felt very taxing on his mind.

He shook the feeling as best he could and adjusted his pack on his shoulder, recouped his stiff upper lip, and fell in line behind D'Artegenon's march.

Once they were back to moving, Wyck double-timed up to catch D'Artegenon's elbow and held a curt, whispered, council with him before falling back in line behind him a few feet. Whatever was said seemed to lighten his steps and his mood, and he no longer kept his rigid shadowing of the half-orc's movements.

 

[Varen Tai]

And so that was that. The Fated seven had found each other and were now headed towards a common goal. The friendships shared amongst each other grew over time, each not feeling alone in their goals or trials like they had before. 

It is strange to me that suddenly, I do not feel alone anymore. You are the closest thing I have for a friend. I can talk openly without worrying about losing your attentiveness to me. Even when I look in the mirror, I cannot be open and honest with the person I see there. I gained all the power and security I ever wanted, but what was the price? I cannot look in the mirror without flinching and a paralyzed man magically trapped in a pocket dimension is my only friend.

But in spite of the burning, I feel some sort of peace for the first time since I remember. I do not understand it. The fire is there, licking at my soul, and yet because I have a friend, a friend that I am bearing the pain for, I feel peace. It is an odd feeling, to be in so much pain, and yet to have a delicious taste of something below it. None of my questions are answered, but for the first time since I began speaking to you, it seems as though they do not matter as much as they did. 

But is that what I want? To let go of my questions, to stop chasing them? Then what? I am unsure. 

One more important thing happened just a couple of nights later. I will share this with you, and then I will go and think on what has happened today. Plus, I feel more exhausted than I have in a very long time.

Two days of travel, with D’Artegenon guiding them off the road before they could be seen, had allowed them to slowly get to know the kobold and bugbear a little more. Both were earnest, but as they felt more accepted, they began to join conversations a little more. Mist and the dog entered an uneasy truce after the first day where the dog had delightedly chased the cat on and off the road, until she had leaped into Wyck’s backpack and hid there, hissing at every excited bark requesting more play time. Eventually, the dog stopped chasing her and Mist crept out, avoiding the dog where possible and swiping with a hiss when the black snout came too close.

The dragon had not been seen again, though everyone still worriedly looked into the air on a regular basis. I knew she was furious at having lost the trail, and had gone to ground, searching through other, though futile, means, but they didn’t know when she was going to turn up again.

After the second day of travel, they set up camp, planning on reaching Surbroar the next day. They were still getting used to each other at this point, with each trying to figure out where they fit in the larger scheme, both in the events they found themselves in and the interpersonal dynamics created by being in close proximity to others. 

As was typical, once they found a suitable place to camp off the road, the half-orc wandered off a little ways by himself, but he did not take Wyck with him this evening, which happened on occasion.

Edited April 18 by Varen Tai (see edit history)

[Rumrunner]

Rillik d'Sivis

---

This was fourth nation's borders they'd entered since they'd began this trek, though by land like this it was often hard to tell where one nation ended and another began. She could hardly recall when they entered or left the beastlands, but they were definitely in Mulhorand by now. The forested areas were infrequent and cover was sparse. At least there was the general advantage of their enemies would not be able to sneak up on them easily.

The dragon fear had long subsided. Relegated to a memory of a thing rather than a thing onto itself, so if not entertained it would affect them not. What did affect them was the infection good mood of the black dog, and a cat's frustration. It wasn't until they had setup camp that she'd felt relief from it.

They'd began settling in to a routine, she managed a small square log cabin styled fire, it generated the most heat for the least amount of smoke, so would suit them well. Laying the sticks deliberately, two by two until it was in place, then the tinder and then the consuming flame was conjured to it, raking it's ravenous tendrils along the curls of bark, grass and twigs before catching the larger sets. More wood was added, and more was consumed. It was felt soo good, an odd release of natural destruction she looked down at her fingernails half expecting blood when Mist strode up, slinking between her legs and purring. His paws were wet as he trod off, then looked back with his satisfied cat smirk, beckoning her to follow. Rillik knew the look. A quick scan of the site brought her eyes to the bugbear. She needed muscle and he seemed to be waiting for something to do. She knew the type, eager to help but not a clue. That would come with experience, they made great members of a company, seeing an example of cooperation... At least she hoped so, this was a bugbear, maybe he was looking around aimlessly because he was wondering who'd taste best. She shrugged it off and gave him a chance.

"Um, big fella. I'm probably going to need some muscle, are either of you equipped to field dress a kill? Probably a deer, could be boar, I haven't seen much game, but it'll be more than I can lift for sure." She extended her hand and drew out closed, signaling for him to follow, assumed acquiescence and followed the small cat through the underbrush. Just along the forest edge she spotted the flatted grass and the slain gazelle, the dry earth greedily soaking up its blood, the mud making for a rich earthy scent. When it was a living thing, the small antelope's shoulder probably stood taller than her, but its its slender antlers and agility weren't sufficient. It had claw marks down its neck and it's throat torn out by claws. A close inspection could see where Mist had dropped onto the much larger creature from a slender branch and then raked its neck. Rillik knew that wasn't what killed it, the psychic damage from the little murderous fey cat's claws would have dropped the thing before it knew what had happened, and then Mist had taken the pleasure of ripping its neck to pieces. That dog had been frustrating Mist more than she thought, at least her familiar was... not really empathetic... more like socially aware enough to not attack the dog. It didn't want to miss out on being carried and pet when it wanted to be.

"So this should do us for a bit, maybe feed the dog the entrails so it won't beg so much."

[Civit]

Aly Treltor

---

 

When Rillik returned with the spoils of the hunt, Aly went to work cutting up the diminutive gazelle into proper cuts of meat. She would cook the back strips tonight; it was the best cut and should be cooked fresh. The haunches were best when given a few days aging, so she lightly salted the exposed surfaces to protect from decay and flies. the ribs were wrapped in oilcloth... probably tomorrow's dinner. The bones she immediately got those in a pot of boiling water to extract the marrow and connective tissue. She then reduced the stock to be reconstituted later for soup or stew. She had thought to use the intestines to make sausages but smoking them would take too long.

In the boiling bones she added some parsnips to cook to go with tonight's meat. Once food was underway, Aly took the scroll from her pack. Like before, she took notes first to get as much into her 25 words. Satisfied with her message, she read the scroll and spoke her message to her friend River.

Being hunted. Who Why Unknown. Lysander researching. Need favor. Ride to glacier white worm. Me, half-orc, two humans, two gnomes, kobold and bugbear. Meet Skuld.

 

[PixCO]

Yopine (Svirfette) Quietclock

---

The deep gnome girl moved with the others in fearful silence. This is what it's like for field-mice. She thought to herself. When they know the owl is overhead, waiting...

Every instinct drove her to seek cover, shelter, and darkness. Dive into the shadows and vanish, but apparently their guide had better means at his disposal. Yopine wouldn't pretend to understand how, forces this powerful made her want to scream 'impossible' until her lungs burned, but she remained quiet and watchful. D'Artegenon was trusted. He knew what he was doing, even if Yopine did not.

It wasn't until their first rest stop several hours later that she started to suspect how it wasn't impossible at all. A few things were starting to click in her mind. She thought about their shifting destination, the gathering companions, the way she felt like she was being watched all the time now...

A memory of her recruitment speech came back in a rush. There had been a detail that she hadn't considered for a while. Svirfette thought about it now, and lined it up with everything else. There was a look of amazement on her face as pieces began to click. There was an audible sound as her gaping jaw was snapped shut in determination.

There was a lot to process now, better to get on as normal while information tumbled through her mind like rocks in a polisher.

During the longer breaks she continued her juggling practice and offered to show Aly some more on the combat uses of the knives. Practice had always taken place with dulled blades, and it was easy to see why. There was no way to hold the blade safely other than to throw it. Its design was almost entirely edge, leaving only enough to hold flat against the palm for stability. Any attempt to use it in melee, or even catch one without expertise, would leave the user slicing themselves more than anything or anyone else.

She demonstrated how to place the thumb along the texture roughed into one part of the central, leaded disk in order to get a stable tumble. The slim blade whirled around the central weight and remained both accurate and deadly over significant distances. Very little momentum was lost thanks to the added mass.

For closer distances, she put on a show around some of her Guild training, one of the few things they taught her correctly. Yopine was a short girl, with short arms and not much reach. By laying an index finger along a smoother groove worn into the center of the weight, she demonstrated how to snap the knife out like a dart. Not tumbling as it would need for distance, but rather a straight-line throw that could be made without warning. The range was much reduced, but far better than any rapier could extend. She could put a blade straight up through the jaw of fighters three or four times her size, and they might never realize she was even underfoot.

That was, more or less, the extent of her socializing. While responsive and willing to engage with others, she was now watching more than talking for a change.

Of course, with all that watching, one could hardly blame her for being surprised at the arrival of the campsite when she was without either tent or bedroll. This was a City Svirf'. Had she even packed camping supplies in the crate?

[Zelphas]

Torben

---

Still they were traveling by daylight. Torben was reminded, over the past few days, that there were some people who couldn't see very well in the dark. He was still adjusting to the sleep schedule change, but at least he could see the colors more clearly in the daytime. That was nice enough, even if he hadn't been able to restock on his paints. It seems quality paint was another unknown luxury of monastery life. Besides that, traveling with others was...

...Well, he'd like to think it was pleasant. Hopefully, it would become pleasant. Eventually.

Rillik's call to him surprised him; of all the new people, he thought the gnome was the least trusting of him, the most concerned about his... bugbear-ness. Still, he was more than happy to be of use. Camp life was still mostly a mystery to him, and he'd gotten along with Ragz simply by letting the kobold tell him what to do, and then doing that. "I can't do 'field-dressing'--I don't really know what that is--but I can definitely carry the meat back."

Following Rillik to the sight of the downed deer, Torben blinked in surprise, looking over the extensive wounds on the creature's neck. How had the gnome... he tossed aside the question as unimportant and walked over to stand beside the deer, clasping his clawed hands together. Bowing his head, Torben silently recited a short prayer of peace and thanks to Ilmater.

Then, using one long arm and no apparent effort, Torben grabbed the deer around its middle and lifted it into the air, ready to travel back to camp. "The dog would probably love the entrails, you're right," He said agreeably, eyeing the food in his hand. The arrival of several others had meant the reintroduction of vegetables and grains into Torben's diet, and he was generally too polite to skip over what food was offered to him. This deer, though, was good, fresh meat, and plenty of it...

A bit embarrassed about drooling over a fresh kill, Torben wiped his mouth with the back of his other hand, then turned back to Rillik. "Where do you want it?"

Edited April 20 by Zelphas (see edit history)

[Rumrunner]

Rillik d'Sivis

---

Rillik watched curiously as the bugbear took a moment of silence and bowed his head over the deer carcass. He was such a curious fellow, she wondered if the large goblin kin needed a moment to regain some measure of self control at the sight of blood and violence, perhaps some form of monastic supplication to help him calm his demons. The blood soaked earth squelched a little as she reflexively stepped back from his reach, his long arm hefting the gazelle with ease. The effortlessness of it wasn't a particular surprise, but it was heavier than her and all her gear combined by a fair margin, and the reminder that he could physically overpower her without a second thought was unsettling despite his apparently placid demeanor.

She walked beside him to the camp, on the side with the gazelle. A glance caught him drooling over the kill, another reminder of his monstrous nature. At his query she looked about for a suitable place and strode to a barren space. With a gesture the earth gave way to her will, smoothing away dust and debris into a clay slab, but she extended a hand for him to wait. Tracing her fingers along a tattooed fissure, the gnome once more drew upon her magic, as if reaching into another dimension she pulled a square of glowing fabric, a canvas that she laid upon the cleared space. "There."

Once the bugbear laid the kill down Rillik rolled back her sleeves and knelt beside it, unceremoniously slashing open its paunch and tossing the entrails aside for the black dog to tear into, then carving back the pelt as she slowly separated it from the meat. Without looking up from her work she spoke the words low, enough her him to hear but not carry across the camp. "Your name is Torben right? Can I ask you something..." She didn't hesitate before pressing on with the same deliberate pace that she cut skin from flesh. "You cover yourself to hide the fact that your a bugbear. Do you resent it?"

[Wizard of the Coat]

Ragz

---

Ragz returned from his nightly hunt with two hares draped over his shoulders, the black dog close on his heals. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the boiling pot, the meat cuts, the remains of the butchered gazelle. His shoulders drooped back down to their usual position.

The black dog barrelled passed the kobold, suddenly at the campfire, sniffing about, tail wagging. She checked out Aly's boiling pot and meat cuts as if searching for a new toy. Then she moved to the butchered gazelle, still sniffing about. But her tail suddenly stopped wagging. She lifted her head and scanned the camp, sniffing, searching, not finding.

Abandoning her search, she trotted back to the kobold, who had moved to the campfire. He held the two hares up for Aly's inspection. "Should Ragz let two hares ripen for a day or should a dog have them?"

[Civit]

Aly Treltor

---

"Set them there. I'll dress them and make roast rabbit quarters for trail friendly lunches. Allqu, we saved all the yummy parts for you over there" pointing to the collection of offal.

In her mortar, Aly ground pepper, salt, sage and lemon myrtle. Using a touch of honey to bind the seasoning, she covered the Hare quarters and set them aside to marinate and put over the fire after the broth was done.

It was quite a bit of work. The only times she had cooked for so many she had time to prep ahead of time. But it was meditative for her, occupy her mind with something other than her predicament. She also reasoned she was cooking dinner and lunch as well as getting a start on a soup and aging steaks for future meals.

[Wizard of the Coat]

Ragz

---

The black dog seemed to resist the glow of the campfire, her coat clinging to the deepening shadows. She looked to where Aly pointed as if she understood common, but then cocked her head at the human woman, confused. A moment later, she'd turned her attention back to the hares sitting her rump down and staring--a clear canine signal that she was waiting patiently to be fed without begging.

Ragz made a rumble in his throat, perhaps the elderly kobold equivalent of ahem. "It seems to Ragz that a stray black dog only partakes of meat if the kill was... merciful. Even then, a dog avoids offal. A stray black dog is much trouble."

Both kobold and mastiff remained at the cookfire, watching as Aly busied herself with the hares and the remainder of the food prep, Ragz offering to help in any way possible, the mastiff eyeing the hare quarters impatiently.

Edited April 22 by Wizard of the Coat (see edit history)