"Let me know in the morning if you want me as a guide," Zindra offered before she got up to leave.
After Zindra stepped through the door to leave the tavern, Darathra stood too and offered her advice. "I trust her and she may be of help, but the decision is yours."
She then, too, got up and left.
At some point everyone else in the group got up and left for the Northshield House, Urgala's Inn. The campgrounds were now packed and there was some tension due to the crowding. Another caravan had come into town, as expected, but the caravan you would be leaving with was still here. With the north campgrounds still a mess, with the smell of death hanging in the air, three caravans were squeezing into a space meant for one. The new arrivals could barely set up camp on the fringes of the campgrounds and had cause to be angry about the prime locations being taken. The guards under the direction of Urlam Stockpool, kept the peace. Their reputation alone was intimidating but it was their hands on the hilts of their swords and the I dare you looks that really maintained some semblance of order.
As the team arrived at the Northshield House the scene was similar. There were no rooms to be had and a crowd of angry folks were gathered in the common room, all calling out for accommodations. Urgala's three mastiffs stood in front of her barking at merchants that were barking at Urgala.
Eventually you make it to your rooms and in the morning gather for breakfast to make final plans. You will be traveling towards Yartar, escorting a caravan of two dozen wagons there. A dozen of Urlam's guards will be going with you.
He was relieved when all the 'meetings' were done. He was even more relieved when he made it to his room and was able get dome sleep. In the morning he was relieved when they were ready and headed out of town.
He watched and listened making little comment after all he was new to the group as well.
He watched the people jostle about and be generally unhappy at the current situation. Yet he had a room and he was able to sleep, which was important. In the morning he rose early, and cleared out of his room so that they could turn it over as quickly as possible. He traveled light and since they were leaving he wanted to be ready to get on the road as soon as the caravan was able.
The over-crowding in the town is starting to get on his nerves, and wakes up in the morning with a stuffy feeling in his head. Hoping that some fresh open air away will clear up his head, he will hurry up in packing, and meet with everyone at breakfast. There was still the decision to make to hire Zindra or not. It seemed that some were agreeable, and others undecided.
At breakfast, the noble was swift to bring the matter to a head.
"We have the wherewithal to hire the guide without problem. Her credentials and recommendations are in order. So, 'Aye' if you think we should make the outlay, 'Nay' if you think we shouldn't, and abstain if you remain undecided. Let's see if we have a quorum."
OOC: I'll help you guys make the decisions. The trip is 2 days to Yartar but getting all the way to Silverymoon, with detours, could take you up to two tendays. Moreover, what does the guide give you? Here's some ideas: 1) Advanced warning of "hot spots" where attacks have happened and identification of signs that danger is ahead. 2) Knowledge she could share of some locales, including some contacts and her insight about the personalities. 3) An additional armed resource. You might get away with a reasonable fixed offer.
Last edited by Neptune; Thu 27/08/2015:42 UTC. Reason: Adjusted the travel times to be more acurate
"Well, if the fee is not an issue", she glances between Kriv and Jaliera as it seems there is some disagreement about that point, "then I would vote in favor. Having a reliable guide traveling along with us can only be of help."
"I don't have any say as I haven't been with the group very long. I also have limited gold available. Though I am reasonably self reliant and don't need coin to get food or often a room. That being said I think a guide would be a good idea. I would suggest that we make a counter offer and haggle."
"As part of our group, you have as much of a say as any of us", he said seriously. "Whether we pay any attention to what you have to say ... well ... we are ... 'flexible' ... on that part", he added with a big grin. "For what it is worth, we usually have gotten =much= more 'reward' from our 'missions' that the 'fee' offered ... if there was one", he finished with a shrug.
Split among the five of them it would be two gold piece each a day. He has to count on his fingers to be sure, but he also figures that the jeweled silver goblet that was part of his share of treasure in their adventures is just collecting dust in his backpack. He pulls it out, keeping low in his lap and asks Jaliera, "I've been carrying this around since last year. What if we talk her down to half, and offer this once we reach Silverymoon?" He shrugs his shoulders at the idea as he does not really know its true value, but it does look expensive to him.
As the discussion about what to do about Zindra, in she walks. First she stops by the front desk, where Urgala was organizing papers and room keys. At Urgala's feet were the three mastiffs who, when they noticed her, attacked Zindra, climbing on her, slobbing over her face with doggy kissed. They seemed to be her best friends. She reached into a pouch at her side and found treats that appeared to be more than acceptable to her canine pals. When the dogs turned their attention to the chewy snacks, Urgala got up from her seat and came around to first grasp the half elf scout's forearm in hers, but Zindra quickly drew Urgala in to a warm hug. The pair chatted for a few moments, Zindra turning away from Urgala only for a moment here and there to greet staffers that were passing by. She was wearing traveling gear, leather leggings and leather armor, a shortbow and quiver slung over her left shoulder and a longsword sheathed at her right hip. Her half elven heritage was revealed when she lilted her head and her shoulder length straight raven black hair swung away from her face.
Urgala pointed at your table and Zindra tossed three more treats to the puppies and made her way over to your table.
"Good morning to you all!" she said, standing there.
The noble bade her greeting in courtly style, perhaps incongruous on the hulking Dragonborn.
“Good morning. We were just discussing the potential procurement and retention of your services in your professional capacity. The general consensus appears to be positively inclined, though there are some misgivings about a potentially open-ended arrangement. I invite those who raised concerns to voice them that we may seek to swiftly resolve matters in everyone’s favour.”
She looked directly at Jaliera's when she asked about bargaining. "I would, but I am mindful not to undercut Urlam, and what he would charge for such services. He's sensitive about such things and I need no quarrel with him."
Then she looked at each other person around the table and sighed. "I understand you are headed at least to Yartar and possibly all the way to Silverymoon. I must charge you 10 gold per day up to there so that is 20 gold. We can establish a fixed fee for the trip from Yartar to Silverymoon. That can take close to two tendays. We can estimate it taking a single tenday. Does that make some sense?"
He didn't have a strong opinion either way, so waited to hear what the others might have to say that would help him decide. He scanned the faces to see if that offered any indication.
"A reasonable contract that respects the value of the service, with a break point should that prove necessary. I consent to this arrangement. Would you prefer it in writing?" Enquired the noble.
"I'm glad to join you on your journey. I will take the pay for the initial leg to Yartar before we depart. Master Kriv, I don't need a written agreement. Trust is important and I'm sure that you asked around and did your research and since you are hiring me it's clear that you know me to be trustworthy. I did likewise and I trust you. It would be foolish for me to sully my reputation and I am sure that you feel the same about how you are perceived. You'll pay me half of the fee when we depart Yartar and the balance when we arrive in Silverymoon. I understand that the caravan is already packing up to leave. I will meet you all at the entrance to the western caravan campground when you are done with breakfast. Does that work for you?"
A written contract is highly over-rated in his experience. A lying scallywag won't be bound by a contract anyway, and if relying on the written word to eliminate misunderstandings, that depends on both parties having the same understanding of the wording.
Perhaps this opinion is slanted by Arus having signed many documents in his service to the Protectorate and not feeling honourbound by any of them. He is bound by far more than a signature.
"It works very well for me, Miss Winterbow." He replies to the half-elf and is quickly on his way himself.
DM Shops in Triboar had not yet opened when the newly formed team exited the Northshield House, the in that they were staying at. As they exited front of the inn they looked out over the 30' high escarpment that the giants had climbed with great ease. It was a cool day but mostly dry once again. There were some clouds in the sky, but they were the white fluffy ones and they were moving slowly from east to west. The sun was just rising to their left, breaking through the clouds as shed light an over the town. Ahead of the party as they exited the inn, as they looked out to the north, they could see the first light of the morning hit the Tolbin Ranch, about a half a mile from the center of town. The giants and their fiery allies had warmed up for their attack on the town by stomping on the household and barn. Cows, hogs and chickens were wandering past broken fences and pens but the escarpment kept them from wandering too far. The ranch had suffered some major damage but ranch hands were actively working on recovery, mending fences, repairing the walls of the house and rounding up the stray livestock.
The path to the campgrounds passed a number of small farms and cottages. A minutes walk down the street they came upon the areas most harmed by the attack, but many of the folks here were fortunate because once the giants entered town, they focused on their objective, and ushered the orcs, orogs and magmen into the center of town and since they didn't linger long in one spot, the damage was lessened.
Arus was out ahead of the others. Their combined journey was just beginning. As he walked down the path from the northern campgrounds to the street ended at the Lion's Share trading post which he passed on his left. Narth was already directing new wagons that had come in the night before where to go to unload and reload. Narth, noticing Arus approaching, stopped his work and stepped inside. Moments later he was out again, back at work and Aleastra Ulgar stepped out the back door behind Narth. Aleastra came directly up to Arus. They talked a moment and both Narth and Aleastra waved him goodbye.
Everyone gathered a few hundred feet past that intersection, on the other side of the town square, betwee the gate to the western caravan campground and the Triboar Travelers. Urlam and Valken were talking to a dozen men and women, all wearing black shirts. These were the caravan guards. Urlam spots the approaching group and finishes up with the guards who break away from their dispatcher and head towards the wagons which were lining up outside the campground in the town square.
Darathra was out in the street too, working with the twelve, the elite town guard, who had to deal with the logjam of people that flooded the town. Some had to camp at the Happy Horse Ranch which abutted the campgrounds. Darathra was effusively thanking a Chondathan woman that sat atop a horse nearby. The woman had a stern look on her face and had the reins of the horse tight in her hands as she listened to the Lord Protector. At the end, she simply nodded and turned the horse to the left and started towards the ranach. Darathra crossed the street to meet the party. "Janele helped us out last night but she didn't like it. I get the feeling she doesn't like help at all - at least not from people. I trust you are all rested?"
You also see Zindra Winterbow nearby. She seems ready to go.
The caravan was attacked by hill giants, ogres and orcs on the way to Yartar.
As the two dozen wagons gathered, they were organized in double file heading down the Evermoor way. Zindra took the lead alongside Bern. In addition to the wagon drivers and Zindra, Urlam Stockpool, the man with the eye patch that ran the Triboar Traveler's, provided a dozen guards. You learned that merchant sponsors hire the personnel and the vehicles of the Triboar Travelers to make caravan runs. It is an expense that merchants are willing to account for as monsters from the Evermoors are known to prey on caravans along this route. It therefore is a very lucrative business. The guards seemed to look to Jaliera for direction, taking her advice at word and glancing at her for approval when someone else made a suggestion.
Zindra proved useful. She was able to help avoid some trouble and when trouble was unavoidable, you were alerted to it OOC: provided advantage on perception to avoid surprise. She also had in-depth knowledge about places along the way ooc: you can ask for details about locations along the way to Silverymoon so that you are better prepared for what you might encounter.
The first day of travel was relatively uneventful but on the second day, the caravan was attacked in a hill pass. The hill giants set themselves up in the hills with perches above the road. Those giants are not particularly smart beings and so they weren't able to hide from the party and Whisper, who flew overhead. But hill giants are tough to take down - as are ogres. They put up a fight, but with enough warning, what might have been a deadly encounter turned out to be a victorious battle. Some of the guards dropped during the battle, as did Zindra, but they were revived. When Zindra dropped, that left Bern alone fighting a number of ogres and orcs. It was interesting that the hill giants and ogres seemed to be more focused on killing and taking the horses. OOC: inspiration given to Arus and Jaliera for deducing that it seemed like a food thing. The giants and ogres did not appear to be undernourished so that is a mystery.
OOC: I stepped back from going through a blow-by blow review. As we did last time, I'll let you all describe your actions. We'll step forward after that. The battlemap, as it was when we called the encounter, is attached.
He had been expecting some attempt from ... 'someone' ... to attack the caravan. When the 'it' finally occurred it was more like 'relief' ... the 'waiting' finally over.
His bow had been 'at the ready' and he didn't hesitate. He let fly with his arrows. His first 'targets' were those at the forefront of the attack. Once everyone was engaged, he did his best to use his arrows to help those that seemed to need it most ... at least until he had to drop his bow and pull his sword to take on those that wanted to make this 'up close and personal'.
The 'sword play' was more intense and immediate. He had to move as he took out his immediate foes. He sighed, as he fought, wishing for the 'distance' of a bow attack ... not that he minded killing this 'scum'. It was just that it was 'messier'. Slaying with a bow was =so= much cleaner!
The attack, when it came, was somewhat of a relief. After her warnings and the attack on the town it seemed unlikely that they'd get to where they were going unmolested.
She'd taken up a position at the rear, the range of her spells, and the fact she was mounted, made that a position where she could reach the front fairly quickly at need.
When the giants and giant-kin attacked, she dutifully rode up towards the front and placed her Fireball and Lightning Bolt spells to good effect.
After a time, the party and the caravan guards overcame the foes, and she nodded at Arus' comment that perhaps it was a food issue that they seemed intent on taking the dead horses.
He had been comfortable moving with the caravan, attack was expected, and when their guide mentioned the likely location, his own shoulders tensed. He played an upbeat song and said a few words of inspiration to several of the group.
Because of their guide's warning, they were able to respond more quickly to the attack. He was a good distance from the front of the caravan. Yet he moved forward and tossed green eldritch energy at one of the hill giants. Then he adjusted his route and whispered painful effects at the other hill giant. He kept up his pressure and continued to get close to the combat, while supporting the combatants.
When the attack came, it had been towards the front, where the noble had presciently placed himself, and only Kriv's glassstaff had deflected a boulder hurled full force by one of the giants. He'd gone toe to toe with ogres and slaughtered several orcs, before assisting in stopping the giant that was trying to abscond with one of their horses. That it seemed to be prioritised as a food item was insightful, but that in turn begged a follow-up question.
"They weren't malnourished or scrawny. What, then, are they trying to feed?"
As for Kriv himself, one grisly task remained. Decapitating each giant corpse, and preserving the heads as best as could be managed for transport. He had his reasons, and they would benefit the party greatly.
While not entirely surprised with them being attacked since Zindra had warned them that it could happen, he was not terribly swift at providing some extra fighting help by summoning two large grizzlies to engage the ogres at the front of the caravan. The one bear was quickly dispatched, the other badly wounded when he moved up to see that Bern was all alone up front when Zindra was knocked down from her injuries. Quickly he conjured a second pair of bears and they moved up to block the ogres from reaching Bern at least for a bit.
Strangely though it seemed that the Ogre's and the hill giant wanted the caravan and horses more than their deaths. Thankfully everyone worked quite well and they routed the attacking ogres and hill giants. With a one horse down he manages to heal it back and anyone else that might need a healing spell.
Although she had been told that the guards would respond to her, she had really expected them to go about their business as they usually did. So it was a little disconcerting that they awaited her instructions from the beginning! She has never organised others before, at best just making a suggestion. This was a whole new experience! But she had to do something and so applied common sense, keeping them in pairs, spread throughout the wagon train with a slight increase in those up front. She hopes she has made a good decision because they have no idea if an attack will come.. or from what direction.
The first day passed uneventfully and she started to feel a little more relaxed until Zindra and Whisper warned of an ambush. As soon as it became clear that the attack was focused on the front, Jaliera ordered the guards forward to use spear and shield to defend the wagons. Almost to her surprise there was no hesitation and immediately she started to worry. These were no longer just guards, she knew them by name! She herself considered the hill giant to their right the biggest threat. It was closest to the wagons and partially in cover so she targeted it with her bow, hitting it, but her arrow looks so small against such a large creature. Then it moves further away and is more in cover, so she uses her magic missile spell. By this time she is aware that two of the guards are down, several have thrown spears and so have only the one remaining. She must be able to help somehow. Three of the guards from the back have no reached her position. She instructs them to throw their spears to aid their colleagues in melee, then casts magehand to retrieve 3 spears so the guards can use them again and again.
Arus is studying the creatures who seem to be trying to take horses, he suggests they might be malnourished. Certainly it seems that the horses are needed for food and she says so. One hill giant grabs a fallen horse and starts to run off with it but Kriv and others target it to stop it from doing that. It still runs off but without the horse. They finish off the stragglers and the battle is over.
Jaliera is so relieved when the fallen guards and the horse are revived. They didn't loose anyone! She tells the guards what a good job they did, how brave they were. They too seem to be relieved that they had the groups support as several think they would have been wiped out on their own.
When Kriv asks the question about why the creatures wanted food as they looked quite well fed, she makes a suggestion.
"Perhaps they have an army to feed.. maybe slaves or captives."
She sends whisper, with a word of caution to stay hidden, to see if she can track that hill giant which should be easy to spot. Might be useful to see where they are and what they are up to.
For a triton from the deep sea Protectorates, a devout crusader who believes in the greatness of his people and country, Arus is unusually open-minded. It comes with the job.
He's always been interested in the surface world and readily adopts new and foreign things into his personal realm if he has use or liking for them.
He doesn't wear coral armour any more, he wears old metal plate he recovered from the Ooze Tomb of the Oathbreaker. He wields a sword and shield and doesn't plan to replace his trident if he loses it.
Arus is geared up for the surface world and when he summons his celestial steed before setting out on the road, he doesn't employ the form of some weird amphibious creature like a giant salamander, he employs the form of a warhorse. Dark bay coloured with a white blaze and white socks. Classic.
This is the steed he's riding when the caravan is attacked, steering it into the thickest of the fighting. Weaving through the wagons at a gallop, Arus invokes a Shield of Faith around his mount and himself.
Hill giants, ogres, they look the same to Arus. Just like the fire giant attack in Triboar, these monsters aren't intent on annihilation rather retrieval of a specific objective. In Triboar it was an artefact, here it is the horseflesh.
The attackers don't look ravenous but they're highly motivated towards their one goal.
Seeing guards fall, Arus brandishes his sword and cries out the name of the Leviathan, unleashing a wave of terror from the deep. 2000 tonnes of primordial fear, crashing over the subconciousness of the attackers.
Those that feel it are shaken in their core, but fear alone won't stop a marauder mid-battle.
Arus sees Jaliera rallying the guards. Zhu's fireballs and magic missiles wreak havoc, and the roar of brown bears signals Davroar's arrival in the fray. On the opposite side of the road, Kriv's maul pounds out a beat. Somewhere ahead Bern's bow sings and somewhere behind, Arus hears Sindar's bardsong, energising the triton with its tempo.
Arus ploughs into the fight, sword-arm rising and falling until their foes are driven off.
In the immediate aftermath, the heroes catch their breath. Arus brings the fallen guards back from the brink with his paladin healing, joining the discussion after everyone is back on their feet.
"Both giant attacks have been very focused. To me that speaks of an effective command structure. Whoever sits at the top knows exactly what they want.
"First the artefact. Now meat."
Arming up and building food supplies? It doesn't bode well.
With the current attack seemingly over, his focus is to watch for a follow up attack ... while the others are distracted with recovery and the like.
While he 'kept watch', he couldn't help but wonder about the actions of their foes of late. There had to be something else going on. Meat was 'easy' enough out here. So why attack an convoy with lots of guards. It didn't make sense. He would have to have that discussions with his friends when there was some free time.
DM The healing took some time - this was a tough battle. Zindra commented that leaving dead carcasses on this road, would be bad form and make the road dangerous for others. They would attract carrion and block the road for the next caravan. The guards agreed with her immediately and noted that it was in their agreements that they would make sure that the roads were clear. After a bit of discussion, they indicated that "clear" meant no dead bodies.
As they worked to clear the roads, she added a comment about the hill giants, "That is indeed strange. I've heard from others that Hill Giants have attacked ranches and gone after livestock." While there was more to discuss, it all was conjecture at this point, but corroboration of Zindra's comment with what they had witnessed, certainly identified this as more than coincidence.
Eventually they set back out onto the road. Whisper, flying 100 feet above, is able to see some a fallen tree here or there that might have been toppled by a giant, but these were hills and the trees could have also fallen in a windy storm. There were no obvious tracks to follow. So they moved ahead. They were behind schedule, starting a day late and having to stop for the encounter but in the afternoon of the second day traveling west, they made it through the hills. Zindra pointed to the river to their left and said, "We are close. That is where the Horn Stream and the River Surbrin meet. We are but two hours away from Yartar.
As she pointed, people looked and it was Sindar that was the first to notice a flock of very large birds circling something in the river, repeatedly diving down and attempting to pick it up. As you close in you see that there are four giant seagulls. They are trying to retrieve from the water: a 6-foot long white, opaque, cocoon-like container. The birds screech loudly and argue over their prize as they pull it from the water, and it drops onto the bank next to the river. The seagulls land and peck at the cocoon and each other, each attempting to be the first to break the shell.
He has no quarrel with seafaring seagulls but he's learnt that their inland cousins are rapine, flying cutthroats.
Giant seagulls can be very dangerous, especially if they form a mob. They'll attack and eat anything they can cram down their throats.
Arus's warhorse is the incarnation of a celestial spirit. Its very purpose is to serve and carry its rider into battle, so Arus doesn't worry about taking it down to the water's edge and charging the seagulls.
If he catches any seagull on the ground, he'll scythe its head off with his sword. That might scare the rest away, or at least give them something else to peck at. Seagulls aren't beyond cannibalism.
Her experience has taught her that her bow is the best attack form against anything airborne. First though she calls Whisper in so she can protect her and then takes out her bow.
It seemed that the group had decided to 'deal' with the 'angry birds'. He didn't really mind. These gulls were quite hostile. He got his bow out and started in. They might have quite a feast tonight!
Flames danced on talon-tips, the erudite noble scion ready, willing and able to give the birds a warm welcome as and when the group collectively made their move.
He is not willing to kill the seagulls just because it is in their nature to eat, so he will cast his conjure animals one last time for today, calling forth two large golden eagles. Normally any lesser birds will flee at the sight of a bird of prey, as he commands one to fly up and swoop down to scare the seagulls off and command the second eagle to follow close behind to grab the cocoon and bring it here.
The two golden eagles arrive and before the the heroes fire arrows. That, coupled with Arus charging on his celestial warhorse is enough to spook the seagulls. They got in a last peck or two before flying off. Now closer to the unusual oblong object, you can see that it has been ruptured. Who investigates?
DM Arus, riding on his arcane steed, reaches the object and indeed, it looks like a cocoon. It has been ruptured, and he can can clearly see what lies within: a naked, unconscious man with translucent and slimy skin, covered in several inches of grimy water. The cocoon does not seem like the product of any natural beast to Arus. It seems to be made of soft, membranous tissue, that isn’t webbing or fabric.
When Davroar's 'solution' seemed to work without harming what he had hoped would be a great meal, he sighed quietly and, bow still at the ready, turned his attention outward while the others went to investigate the 'cocoon' that had so attracted the gulls.
"There is a man inside." He says aloud, "But I like this not. It has an unnatural look about it, corrupted perhaps."
There are many foul things that lurk in the deep, twisted by dark magics. Morkoths, the ixitxachitl. They tend to twist the environment around them too.
Arus doesn't know what made this cocoon, only that it is a cocoon and so was made by a creature.
"Well done!" He exclaims when the seagulls are driven off. He will join Bern in the duty of watching for their return or something else. He was curious about the cocoon but didn't want to crowd too many of their group in one place.
"Any way to tell if the being inside is alive", he asked. "I would not expect those geese would have been so interested in something dead or 'corrupt'."
Bern made a good point but she also wants to hear what Davroar has to say. She smiles at him. His solution for the seagulls was inspired. She sends Whisper aloft but not far away, to warn of any further trouble.
By the time the entire party has gathered around the cocoon, the man begins to gain consciousness with a shuddering breath and his stark blue eyes flutter open. "Wh- Where am I?" he mutters with a broken voice. He looks up at the party, a confused expression on his young face. "Who… Who are you? What have you done with me?"
While he listened to the 'conversation', his main focus is still on watching for new threats. He didn't have any reason to believe that there was nothing else returning ... or coming.
When it seems the man is not at deaths door, he will take a few of the torn shreds of the cocoon and examine them to see if the material is naturally made.
[ooc: not sure what sort of roll you need from me to see if Davroar can recognize what/where the cocoon is from. ]
Once the scavengers are driven off she approaches with the others. Arus and others are talking to the man, but she is quite interested, intellectually, in the cocoon so she looks at it closely.
Davroar looks at the man, at first thinking that his life is not in immediate danger, but as he looks closely he determines that the man’s weird skin condition is probably the product of some sort of twisted magic or unnatural disease. He is certainly not well and needs to be taken care of. He will not survive on his own.
The man gets up. He's well enough to do that, but he does so on very shaky legs and he is still confused. He looks around, sees the caravan off in the the distance and the river bank a few steps behind him, and says "Last I remember… I was in Yartar… I don’t understand..."
Then he looks down, sees Zhu and Jaliera, covers himself with his hands and says, begging "Clothes, or a robe?"
Once he has that, he will introduce himself and presumably his companions will do so too, while they ride. No need to delay the caravan longer than absolutely necessary.
The pudgy blond man grasps Davroar's forearm. His touch is weak shaky.
"Thank you. Thank you. That is what I would have asked for. I am Lord Artan Rossolio. Yes, yes. We must go as fast as possible. My mother will give you more gold than you’ve ever seen, when I return to her," with desperation and sincerity in his voice. "Oh, by the gods, she must be worried sick!"
Just then he trembles and he starts to scratch his arms and then his neck.
"It would seem that there is something more serious going on than just being in an unnatural cocoon. I am not a cleric, but I can offer some healing if we think it would aid the Lord." He didn't want to make things worse.
Watching all of the conversation she asks Lord Rossolio, "Return to where exactly?"
She then turns to Arus and Davroar and continues, "Are you able to determine if this itching is more than just contact with the cocoon? If Lord Rossolio has some sort of disease we do not want to bring him into the midst of the caravan."
(OOC - Has she ever heard of a Lord Rossolio or the family name?)
He takes a brief look as his own arm that Lord Rossolio touched. With some concern swirling in his head, Davraor thinks if the disease is contagious it would be best to get keep the infected as far away from the rest of the caravan people.
"Lets get the last wagon cleared as much as possible, and I'll ride with him."
When Lord Rossoloio demands water, he will empty his waterskin over his arms. "Does this help? If the itching is unbearable, I can cast a spell of barkskin that might alleviate the sensation for a little while."
Never one to sully themselves with charity, the scholar took a closer look at the 'egg' from which the 'human' had emerged. If the skin was insufficiently formed and the hatching premature, that might explain the apparent itching. A humanoid had emerged, but was there any evidence of one having been put in first?
This cocoon is outside of her experience, so she watches with interest at least up to the point the man emerges naked, then she blushes and averts her eyes.
She is sad to hear the man might be ill but Davroar and Arus seem to have the matter in hand. She moves back to the wagon she's been on before, suggesting the guards do the same. It would be good to be underway. She is not too concerned about an ambush as Whisper is on overwatch.
He directs Davroar's waterskin over his head and lets it pour over his skin, and sighs, relieved. But his skin will need more, much more. Arus's spells seem to be of no assistance. Kriv finds nothing other than the cocoon itself. It seems to have been meant for the young lord.
"Thank you" he says, "My mother, the Lady Dezhia Rossolio must be fraught with worry. I am trying to recall what happened. It is all so hazy..." his voice tails off as he begins to walk gingerly along with Davroar to the last wagon in the caravan, as some of the other head back to the wagons they were riding with.
He says nothing but calls his horse over and mounts up.
Once they're underway, out of earshot of the lord, he'll share what he knows about the young man and his ailment with the rest of the party.
The Rossolios run a wealthy, influential barge-building operation in Yartar. And Artan's disease isn't natural, perhaps a form of poisoning or magical infection.
Before leaving the river he will refill his own water skin, and grab any buckets to fill up for the trip to Yartar after helping Lord Rossolio into the wagon. Re-joining the Lord, he says in a reassuring tone, "Some extra water for the trip."
Luckily, going by Zindra's directions they are not too far away, and perhaps they can find a better healer in Yartar.
She feels guilty when Arus explains because her first thought is that Davroar is probably safe from catching it. She turns and watches him head for the cart thinking how caring he is. She feels proud of him.
†Restricted forums can only be accessed by DreamLyrics members of the age of 18 years or older. Access which is granted by the Behind Closed Doors Procedure. ™DreamLyrics Play-by-Post. DreamLyrics Play-by-Post does not own copyright on DreamLyrics texts or graphics, except trademarked DreamLyrics logos and logotypes. The works contained in DreamLyrics are copyrighted (automatically, under the Berne Convention) by the original authors and may be available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence. (See Copyrights for details.) Privacy Policy
