Back to Basics

[JBarca]

Tsera looks a bit surprised at the sudden decision, but quickly collects herself and nods.

"Right. We definitely need to continue this discussion... I can see excellent potential synergies within our group."

She smiles slightly, and murmurs, almost whispers, "The Liberators. I'm... Excited."

[SCARY WIZARD]

Thianne is surprised, as well, but cracks a smile at her companion's enthusiasm. Adventure was dangerous, and she'd only fought against the odd wandering hand or bar tough in her wilder days - sparring didn't count to her - but... so far, everything was to her liking! Not to mention, she suspected she would be learning a lot about Pelorite dogma with this group.

"Stretched legs stretch minds!" At this statement, Thianne purses her lips. "Ehh, well, it sounded better in my head... Let’s get those goods!" She tries her best to hide her embarrassment.

[cobaltstarfire]

"Oh yes! I am ready too!" Kosjir bounces a little in her chair, then with a slight hop gets up clearly ready to run off to adventure as fast as her little feet can take her.

[Math_Mage]

"Aye, the road calls," Aishe said, sweeping the daggers off the table and holding them up. "Does anyone wish to claim these? No? All right." One went to her belt, the other her boot. She checked and rechecked her supplies on the way out of the Hog; one got the impression she was deliberately preoccupying herself.

[cobaltstarfire]

Spoiler: ooc

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Just passing the time, also I wanted to have Kosjir somehow acknowledge that Aishe had found some of the parties old weapons so there's also that

While reclaiming her equipment Kosjir thanks Aishe for finding her old short spear and ties it to her pack as an extra.

"Now I have two!" She says cheerfully as she pulls on her pack and leans casually on the taller spear she had bought earlier in the morning.

[Sir Grave]

Bowan collected his glaive on the way out, and took a deep breath. Iv'e dreamed of this, he thought to himself, setting his gaze to the west. He smiled.
"Well, this journey won't start itself, now will it?"

[Amanil]

The road leading out of town is well-travelled - a steady stream of merchants, shoppers and tradesmen going about their daily business, with the occasional wagon passing through - but the gate is relatively quiet. It seems that most travellers set off early in the morning, and the Liberators have missed the "hour of rush".

Once outside the rolling countryside spreads out in all directions, with occasional clumps of woodland visible. The sky is clear and the sun shining.

Not being particularly heavily burdened, the group make good progress. A few miles out of town they see a horse-drawn cart further up the road heading the same way, with perhaps a half-dozen figures travelling with it. It seems heavily laden, and the Liberators steadily close the distance. They are clearly not dwarves, but the occasional glint of sunlight reflecting off of metal shows that they are probably well armoured.

They seem to notice the Liberators fairly promptly, and the group noticeably tightens their ranks.

[redzimmer]

Airn

Switching his quaterstaff to his off-hand, Airn palms one of his daggers should the need arise.

He then raises the staff in greeting, hailing the armoured troupe.

"We are well within our legal right to be on this road and we are a chartered mercenary company. No sense skulking about.," he tells his companions.

[Math_Mage]

"We're not skulking!" Aishe protested. "It's them who're nervous. Hello there!" She waved a slim brown hand, pitching her voice to reach the group ahead. "Fair travels to you."

[JBarca]

Catching the glint of metal, Tsera slows her pace a bit, ensuring that she is at the rear of her party, and directly behind someone... thicker than her. She does, however, smile politely at the other group.

[cobaltstarfire]

Kosjir nervously eyes the wagon ahead of them, and then decides to join Tsera near the back as well.

"Hey, maybe they're just traveling too yes?" She whispers up after her companion while wringing the shaft of her spear.

[Sir Grave]

Bowan kept his Glaive over his shoulder, non threatening.We... Uh... We're from Harlskeep!"

[Amanil]

As you approach, the group seems relatively indifferent to you. They have weapons to their sides, but none drawn. Now closer, it's possible to see that they are predominantly human adults - mostly quite young - with two elves in their number.

They are all armoured in chain, and one waves back. "Hail, travellers," he speaks, relatively warmly. "Good journey to you." He is clearly not overly interested in chatting. The road is wide enough that you'd be able to pass single-file past the cart, with room to spare.

Spoiler: Bowan

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You're not quite sure what it is, but something about these men seems... official.

[SCARY WIZARD]

Wishing to keep confrontation to a minimum, Thianne nods a greeting to the other group's spokesperson, but remains inwardly cautious...things are, after all, not always as they seem!

...she takes mental notes of their equipment. Chain armour. With enough blunt force, one could do some serious damage. Her axe would be little use, if it came to it.

[Sir Grave]

Bowan looked closer at the company, then stopped. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be part of the town guard, would you? You look fairly well armed."

[Amanil]

The spokesperson smirks a little at Bowan's question. "I don't know, lads, are we the town guard?" This gets a chuckle from a few of the others. The man stands to attention and gives an over-exaggerated salute, the chain links of his armour clinking as he does so. "Corporal Linus Tanner, of the 9th King's Regiment."

The over-enthusiasm stops. "Now get a move on, we've got places to be." He waves you on.

Spoiler: Aishe, Tsera

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The cover on the cart isn't secured entirely, and you notice what look like a variety of polearms as a breeze flaps at the tarpaulin.

[Sir Grave]

Bowan went red with embarrassment. What the hell is wrong with you?They were wearing chainmail! How could they possibly be guards?!
Bowan slouched a little more, and kept moving.

[Math_Mage]

"Oh, it's good to see the King's men out here keeping the peace," gushed Aishe, all innocence. "We've heard awful things--why, there's news of dwarven bandits preying on honest folk 'twixt here and Davven!" She looked up at the guard wide-eyed. "Have you seen any such? Ought we fear for our lives?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Well, I'm just having a little fun, and so is Aishe--wattaham. Diplomacy? (1d20+7)[24]

[Amanil]

The corporal strokes his clean-shaven chin. "Don't know about dwarves - though banditry draws all folk, I s'pose - but last I heard there were some goblins on this stretch. You keep an eye out, they like to attack at night."

[SCARY WIZARD]

Thianne arches her brows at Aishe's questions, and begins a sigh...until some truly life-saving information is given. She suppresses a chuckle at her companion's display, and fakes a sneeze for good measure.

[Math_Mage]

"Goblins! Those wretched green beasts. We will be careful. Thank you, sir!" Aishe bobbed and turned to move past the wagon, with only a twinkle in her green eyes betraying her mirth.

[Amanil]

The Liberators moved on, soon leaving the wagon behind as the road started through a wooded area. The vegetation was light, particularly near the road itself. The trail here was a little more rough, with occasional patches lacking in paving, and some damaged slabs present.

As noon arrived, Garrius spoke up.

"Might we stop for a brief salutation and some noontide victuals?" he asked, hopefully, buffing the copper of his sun-like holy symbol with his sleeve.

[Sir Grave]

Hmm...I know I wouldn't mind. With all the walking we're doing, we should break for a moment anyway."He looks to the rest of the group. Uh... everyone else okay with that?"

[Math_Mage]

"'Of course. The ghost hour is not for travelling," Aishe said. She unrolled her blanket and sat down on it, already holding a handful of nuts and dried fruit.

[cobaltstarfire]

"Yeees....My feets hurt!" Kosjir exclaims, she is quite happy to come to rest and start digging in her own pack in search of travel rations. Before she finds anything though Slithers starts to tickle her ear with his tongue.

"AHHH! Ahh.. ooh, I forgot you were there Slithers! Do you want down?" She looks around embarrassed about having yelped, then carefully takes Slithers and places him on the ground.

"Don't go too far, yes? ... And look out for meanies!" She tells the snake as it wonders off the path.

Finally she sits down and finds the rations she bought in town, and starts to eat them.

"It's like eating rocks...." She mumbles to herself while she munches.

[SCARY WIZARD]

With it being decided that a rest was in order, Thianne begins on her rations. Mostly preserved vegetables. Of course, she liked lamb, but she wasn't about to go out of her way to locate lamb-based rations at the market...

Still. "Wish there were some lamb nearby..." The half-elf thrusts her arm forward, and is rewarded with a satisfying "pop!".

[Amanil]

Spoiler

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Majority vote, so stopping for lunch. Democracy is the future, people. On a more serious note; in general, if everyone so far is in favour of an action then once it hits the majority I'll wait a little while to give others a chance to say something, but may move on with it (assuming I don't see a reason for it to massively conflict with a character's dogma.

Garrius looks quietly pleased and proceeds to clear a small area just off to one side of the road - about 3 feet across - such that he has room for a rollmat that he takes from his pack. He lays out a small plate of bread and hard cheese, then spends a moment looking up through the loose foliage to find the direction of the sun and aligning himself in that direction.

He looks around a little expectantly as he starts a quiet prayer.

"We are blessed, as the Sun Father blesses us; oh Shining One, may your light illuminate the path before us." He pauses, as if listening for something.

"We are found, as the Sun Father guides us; oh Shining One, may your light drive back darkness."

Spoiler: Aishe, Bowan, Thianne, Tsera

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You know, for whatever reason, that the typical response to a refrain of prayer to Pelor is "Your light <verbs> us", where <verb> is whatever followed "Sun Father" in the refrain.

Spoiler: All

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Excuse the religious cheese; I feel a need to indoctrinate you all as well as give you a hatred of dwarves.

[cobaltstarfire]

While Garrius prays, Kosjir walks over and sits near him (but not too close) and watches with curiosity.

[Math_Mage]

Aishe murmured the words of response. All gods deserved courtesy, at least.

Finishing her food, she produced her flute and began idly stringing notes together, light and playful, last night's tavern song still on her mind.

[Sir Grave]

Bowan laid his glaive before his feet and took a knee. "We are safe, as the Sun Father protects us; oh Shining One, may your light preserve us... and those we love and hold dear..."
Bowan says this without much pause, unlike any other sentence he's uttered, like he's made this prayer many times before.
He eats quietly.