The Tears of Thule!

[Excior]

Elkor, leaving his mount with Adhras, walks into the Dalim restaurant. He scans the area for signs of trouble, his hand resting on his dagger. The scent of cooked meat assails his nostrils, but he doesn't show his hunger. The locals stop what they're doing and watch with interest as Elkor and his group enter the weather-beaten building made of wood and earth.

Elkor chooses a seat where he can see both the entrance and the kitchen. He pulls out his dagger and sticks it into the wooden table within easy reach. Soon, food and drink are brought to them, and Elkor starts eating. He then asks his companions, "What's next, Where do we go from here?"

[Neopopulas]

CareersAssassin 2 | Temptress 1 | Dancer 1 | Thief 0 AttributesStrength 0 | Agility 2 | Mind 0 | Appeal 2 CombatMelee -1 | Ranged 3 | Defense 2 | Initiative 0 Lifeblood 10/10 Hero Points 7/7 Equipment KnivesKnives Attack:drop(3d6,lowest)+5 Knives Damage:drop(3d6,lowest,2) 10ft range, Thrown, Concealable | ArmourSilk and leather (Light Armour) -1 damage taken

 

"From here? Well we'll have to be very careful from here on out. I think.. Well i'm sure we'll be hundred from now on.."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jedaii]

Dalim

 

Everyone:

The party enjoys their hot meals and refreshing water after spending nearly a week traveling across the region. Various groups of locals come and go from the simple eatery, most giving the adventurers a cordial greeting as they pass. After sundown only a few locals remain outside as the moon shines down on the oasis village. Most of the small group of men sit under the water-palms smoking aromatic Kachtite herbs and talking amongst themselves in their broken Halakhian dialect. Most of Dilam has settled in for the night with a few of the primitive homes illuminated by a single candle. Outside all is largely quiet save for the gentle whistle of the evening's breeze and the occasional howl of a wild dog ....

[Jedaii]

Dalim

 

Everyone:

After a comfortable night's rest in one of the village's small bungalows, the adventurers are roused from sleep at dawn by the sounds of outside chatter and wagon wheels: a large caravan has arrived. The first rays of sunlight had just barely begun to extend across the region as other locals had began herding their flocks from pens, while dogs and children began running around the area. Looking over the scene from their mid-town flat, the party sees three wagons draped in tarps bearing a distinct banner:

Each wagon has four horses (suggesting heavy loads), several men and women dressed in white, gold and black robes exiting in the wagons, along with a company of horsemen wearing medium armor, bearing the same banner, and sheathed longswords. The robed travelers and robed locals greet each other with joyous hugs, laughter and mixed conversation. As a robed traveler attempts to haul a large wooden crate from a wagon, it drops to the ground, its lid popping open and large pile of gold coins spills out onto the ground! Locals rush to assist the traveler who crouches, shakes his head with a smile - and begins handing the gold to the locals!

An older woman exits the middle wagon assisted by a robed traveler, and, the old man's group who'd met the party the previous day. He hugs the woman and they exchange conversation, while the other robed travelers discuss the tending of the caravan with locals. The swordsmen dismount and survey the village, their gaze finally falling on any adventurers who may have ventured outside ....

[Jedaii]

Karim surveyed the caravan closely and when the broken crate revealed its bounty, "Ah! I cannot recall those banners, but obviously these are not impoverished vagrants. Vahana ... Adhra -- do you know what that crest represents? Or perhaps you, Elkor? They have good relations with these villagers, meaning they've been here before - and departed on good terms."

[Excior]

Despite the type of meat used in the meal he was eating Elkor found that he liked it, the barbarian would have preferred a nice strong ale to wash it down with but water would be good enough for now.  Elkor watched people, locals by the looks of them come and go from the simple eatery, most gave Elkor and his companions a cordial greeting as they passed by.

After the meal Elkor walks out side and walks over to the oasis where he had tethered his mount so it could drink from the fresh water, he pats the animal on its neck and begins to rub it down, not far away a small group of men sits under a palm tree by a camp fire they are smoking an aromatic type of herb known as Kachtite, they spoke among themselves in broken Halakhian. Most of Dilam had settled in for the night, a few of the primitive homes were illuminated by a single candle.

Elkor finds a place by himself and sits down and looks up at the night sky, the stars were everywhere and the barbarian could not but wonder what they were, somewhere off in the distance the evening breeze would bring the occasional howl of a wild dog to the Northman’s ears.

The sounds of chatter and wagon wheels wakens Elkor who had fallen asleep gazing up at the night sky the night before. He sees a large caravan pull into the village, The sun had just crested the hills to the east casting its light upon the region, other locals had begun herding their flocks and dogs and children were running around the area. Elkor watches the caravan and sees that three of the wagons are draped in tarps bearing a distinct banner.

“Those wagons must be carrying something heavy.”  He noted that each wagon was pulled by four large draft horses. He gets to his feet and walks over to his own horse watching the events unfold at the caravan. Several men and women dressed in white, gold and black robes exited the wagons, a company of horsemen guards most likely were stationed near the wagons they wore medium armor draped with a surcoat bearing the same banner, Elkor sees that each man is armed with a longsword. The locals greeted the travelers with joyous hugs and laughter giving the barbarian the impression that they had been here before.

Off to his right the barbarian hears a loud crash and looks to see that one of the Robed caravan men had attempted to take a crate off the wagon, but it fell and busted the lid off spilling gold coins onto the ground.  Elkor smiled in spite of himself, that one crate held a small fortune, enough for the barbarian to life the good life for several months.

His smile was short lived because several of the villagers rushed over to help put the gold back, but the traveler just shakes his head, smiles and begins to hand out the gold to the locals.  

“ They are very friendly” he says while walking over to the caravan to see if he could help pick up the gold.  “ I am Elkor of Valgardia let me help you with those crates.”

  travelers discuss tending to the caravan with other locals, The ever-attentive barbarian also sees the guardsmen dismount and survey the village, one of them looks directly at Elkor.

[Malkavian Grin]

❤11

 

✦7

Assassin 2	Priest 1	Hunter 1	Thief 0	SneakyYou are lithe and nimble. Roll a bonus die where stealth is important.	UntrustworthyMaybe your reputation proceeds you, or you just make no effort to hide your true intentions. You take a penalty die when the situation calls for someone to believe or trust you.
Strength 1	Agility 3	Mind 1	Appeal -1	Quick RecoveryYou have a much better constitution than many. When recovering after a combat, you regain one additional lifeblood, on top of the half you recover normally. In addition, you recover one lifeblood each day regardless of the type of activity you carry out after being injured.	Distinctive AppearanceThere is something about the way you look that sticks in men’s minds. Your milky eye and scarred face is an immediate telltale sign of who you are. You gain a penalty die whenever you try to disguise yourself or maintain a low profile.
Initiative -1	Defense 2	Melee 1	Ranged 2	Friends in Low PlacesYou have friends in various hives of scum and villainy around the land. These favors might entail putting you in contact with a fence, getting you a hiding place, etc.	HuntedBy Sari Jahdom
				AlertRoll 3d6 & drop the lowest die when rolling for Priority/initiative

 

Adhra still had issues trusting that these people were being helpful out of the kindness of their heart. She'd left some of her hard-earned coin on the table for the meal, though. Hard-working folk deserved at least a fair wage--she wasn't that heartless. Even a Priestess of Death had some honor.

 

That night, Adhra spent some time on the roof of a building, just taking in the night stars. They always were a source of wonder for her. She thought perhaps one of the twinkles held Nemmereth's essence, or more probably, that he was the black void between them.

 

"Nemmereth... am I worthy yet? Have I sent you enough souls to ascend?.... Likely not. But how many must I send you, before you embrace me?"

---

The next morning, the sound of horses forced Adhra awake with a start. She sat up in bed and listened as they alerted dogs and children. "The snake has found us..." she hissed.

Grabbing her gear, Adhra made for a window and climbed out, then around a corner to spy on the caravan. She stayed low and pulled an arrow free. She squinted, trying to recognize the symbol. Surely she'd spotted it in one of the clergy's books...

OOC

Whoops. Supposed to be +5 not +3.

Double whoops. I forgot the bonus die from Sneaky.

That's a 15 total.

[Neopopulas]

CareersAssassin 2 | Temptress 1 | Dancer 1 | Thief 0 AttributesStrength 0 | Agility 2 | Mind 0 | Appeal 2 CombatMelee -1 | Ranged 3 | Defense 2 | Initiative 0 Lifeblood 10/10 Hero Points 7/7 Equipment KnivesKnives Attack:drop(3d6,lowest)+5 Knives Damage:drop(3d6,lowest,2) 10ft range, Thrown, Concealable | ArmourSilk and leather (Light Armour) -1 damage taken

 

"I wouldn't know it.." she makes her way around the back of the building so she can stand by the corner and watch the wagons. She doesn't trust this at all, the generosity.. this sort of thing never comes for free...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by Neopopulas (see edit history)

[Jedaii]

Dalim

 

Elkor:

As the gleeful locals walk away with handfuls of gold coin and Elkor approaches the spill, two of the swordsmen move quickly towards him!

The robed traveler looks up at the barbarian, "Valgardia? You're further from home than even we. Thank you for you assistance, Elkor. It seems Afyra was in a most giving mood today. So what has brought you so far beyond the Axos ... to here? Love?" He holds up his hand dripping with glittering gold coins before the barbarian, "Money?" The swordsmen stop a few steps from Elkor glaring at him, their hands finding a rest on the hilt of their sheathed swords ...

[Malkavian Grin]

❤11

 

✦7

Assassin 2	Priest 1	Hunter 1	Thief 0	SneakyYou are lithe and nimble. Roll a bonus die where stealth is important.	UntrustworthyMaybe your reputation proceeds you, or you just make no effort to hide your true intentions. You take a penalty die when the situation calls for someone to believe or trust you.
Strength 1	Agility 3	Mind 1	Appeal -1	Quick RecoveryYou have a much better constitution than many. When recovering after a combat, you regain one additional lifeblood, on top of the half you recover normally. In addition, you recover one lifeblood each day regardless of the type of activity you carry out after being injured.	Distinctive AppearanceThere is something about the way you look that sticks in men’s minds. Your milky eye and scarred face is an immediate telltale sign of who you are. You gain a penalty die whenever you try to disguise yourself or maintain a low profile.
Initiative -1	Defense 2	Melee 1	Ranged 2	Friends in Low PlacesYou have friends in various hives of scum and villainy around the land. These favors might entail putting you in contact with a fence, getting you a hiding place, etc.	HuntedBy Sari Jahdom
				AlertRoll 3d6 & drop the lowest die when rolling for Priority/initiative

 

It didn't matter who these people were. They'd either attack or not. Adhra would wait to see which.

 

She spied Elkor walking forth and get stopped by two swordsmen. She really hoped he wasn't about to start something here fresh off a heist. But if he did... Nemmereth would merely have two more souls--she'd make sure of it. Elkor was more useful alive than dead, she wagered.

[Excior]

As the swordsmen advance on the Valgardian, his hand goes instantly to the hilt of his broad sword. However, His actions are stayed by one of the robed travelers handing out gold. He seemed to recognize Elkor, which caused the barbarian to stop in his tracks.

 

"Valgardia? You're further from home than even we. Thank you for you assistance, Elkor. It seems Afyra was in a most giving mood today. So what has brought you so far beyond the Axos... to here? Love?" He holds his hand dripping with glittering gold coins before the barbarian, "Money?" The swordsmen stop a few steps from Elkor glaring at him, their hands resting on the hilt of their sheathed swords...

 

“Any day I choose not to draw my Valgardian Blade is a day the Goddess of Healing will take joy in.” the barbarian assumes an aggressive stance and glares at the swordsmen his hand firmly grasping the hilt of his own broad sword. “I have journeyed this far south because there is nothing left in my homeland that I care about. “He turns his gaze once more on the robed merchant. “ I have loved and lost, sought wealth and wasted it, Now I seek fame and glory." He nods his head at the merchant. "Nobody gives gold away for free, what is going on here?”

Edited July 17, 2023 by Excior (see edit history)

[roryb]

Barbarian 0 | Scholar 1 | Mariner 1 | Merchant 2 Strength 0 | Agility 1 | Mind 2 | Appeal 1 Melee 1 | Ranged 2 | Defense 1 | Initiative 0	Lifeblood: 10/10 | Hero Points: 6/5 Equipment: Light Armour (-1 Damage) Weapons: Bow Sword

Karim gleamed a wide toothy grin between his black bristled jowls. Holding his hands aloft, he came between them. “We are all friends here in this blessed and hospitable village! Let your hilts remain un-grasped, and clasp your hands in peace! Why would not Elkor’s name be borne upon the wings of renown?”

Then the merchant of scripts turned to the robed man. “Pray, what is your name? What chance spilled such wealth upon you, I wonder?”

OOC

Trying to be as nice and disarming as possible. I’ll throw a disarming roll at it…

 

[Jedaii]

Dalim

 

Everyone:

The robed traveler looks at the swordsmen and nods - the duo look at Elkor and Karim, then one walks away back towards the others who are talking with locals. One remains, but assumes a more relaxed stance while keeping an eye on the adventurers. With Elkor's assistance all the coins are recovered and the crate closed, then the robed man looks over Elkor, "Well, careful what you wish for, northman ... fame and tranquility can never be bedfellows." He smiled and met Karim, "Oh there's no enmity here - just the caution of our caravan guards. They're being paid quite well to keep the rest of us from mishap. I am Khremel Xour, deacon of Lysor's temple of Afyra, and first to its arch-bishop, my lady Charmegaila. Our small company has been many weeks traveling across the Gulf of Satarla - overcoming treacherous sea-monsters in the process - to grand Parsool, where we thought to achieve our objective, but Afyra would not grant it. So, we resumed our quest across the plains, arriving here, among our friends of Dalim, to rest a bit before venturing into Halakh. Perhaps there we will find that which Lysor prays for ..." He sighed and wiped sweat from his brow, "On our many pilgrimages across Lemuria, we've come to embrace the fast charity of the people of Dalim. In the middle of nowhere with simple means and inhospitable wilderness at their face, these people maintain their ancient lifestyle - content and humble. Dalim has been a strong proving ground for our young missionaries: we send them here to learn what Afyra means by "fulfilled"."

A scruffy cat strides up to Khremel and he squats, giving it a pet while looking at Karim, "You seem to have the vernacular style of an educated man, traveler. Grant me your name, perhaps?"

In the background, the local boys have negotiated their services and take away the guardsmens' horse headed for the oasis pool - the guardsmen then split: a group headed for the richly-robed woman who's chatting with the old man's group, and a few guardsmen who walk towards Khremel. Many of the other robed priests (?) huddle either around the older woman or chat with locals ...

... the guardsman standing nearby Khremel nods at Elkor, "Is it true ... what they say about Valgardians? That, they're not trained for battle, but that they're born to it?"

Edited July 18, 2023 by Jedaii (see edit history)

[Malkavian Grin]

❤11

 

✦7

Assassin 2	Priest 1	Hunter 1	Thief 0	SneakyYou are lithe and nimble. Roll a bonus die where stealth is important.	UntrustworthyMaybe your reputation proceeds you, or you just make no effort to hide your true intentions. You take a penalty die when the situation calls for someone to believe or trust you.
Strength 1	Agility 3	Mind 1	Appeal -1	Quick RecoveryYou have a much better constitution than many. When recovering after a combat, you regain one additional lifeblood, on top of the half you recover normally. In addition, you recover one lifeblood each day regardless of the type of activity you carry out after being injured.	Distinctive AppearanceThere is something about the way you look that sticks in men’s minds. Your milky eye and scarred face is an immediate telltale sign of who you are. You gain a penalty die whenever you try to disguise yourself or maintain a low profile.
Initiative -1	Defense 2	Melee 1	Ranged 2	Friends in Low PlacesYou have friends in various hives of scum and villainy around the land. These favors might entail putting you in contact with a fence, getting you a hiding place, etc.	HuntedBy Sari Jahdom
				AlertRoll 3d6 & drop the lowest die when rolling for Priority/initiative

 

Staring on at the scene, Adhra refused to relax. Only the vigilant got what they desired, especially among such a strange situation.

 

When the caravan seemed to split, she made sure her position was still out of view but purposeful to attack from in necessary. The robed ones caught her eye most; Elkor and Karim had things well enough in hand.

 

Adhra was more interested in determining if these robed people might actually be priests or just mere pilgrims. She needed to know if she was dealing with a handful of priests capable of deific vengeance or not. She decided to try a new tactic.

 

Slipping her arrow back into the quiver, and bow more relaxed in hand, Adhra crept around trying to find one of the locals. The assassin's intent was to find the seediest looking one among them and ask if they'd know more about the caravan. After all; Adhra simply got along better with other such scum and villains.

[roryb]

Barbarian 0 | Scholar 1 | Mariner 1 | Merchant 2 Strength 0 | Agility 1 | Mind 2 | Appeal 1 Melee 1 | Ranged 2 | Defense 1 | Initiative 0	Lifeblood: 10/10 | Hero Points: 6/5 Equipment: Light Armour (-1 Damage) Weapons: Bow Sword

Karim enthusiastically carried on the conversation with the priest. “Many happy greetings, Brother Khremel! Indeed, I am a man of letters, and as a matter of fact many of the texts of Afyra have afforded me a trove of wisdom and insight whereupon my scholarly interests are concerned. Many a time have her virtuous ecclesiasts been of generous support that I may count them as allies.”

He drew in a breath.

“As for name, you have met Karim of Halakh, follower of the Twenty at large, at your disposal,” he sang with an exaggerated bow. “Perhaps you have heard of me? My unconventional band of danger-seekers also quests for that which is beyond immediate comprehension — which may be summarized as a coming doom we would wish to thwart — of which I have no moniker to conveniently impart.”

“Indeed, Dalim is a place of remarkable customs and unexpected kindheartedness! Pray, what purpose has your goddess set you upon?”