[RoS] Soldiers of Fortune (IC)

[Lacco]

Nazir

The man's answer came immediately. "The stone... it's called "moonstone", for it looks like the moon. It is said to protect people from magics, if you believe in such things. I found it on the road few weeks ago and kept it... to protect me from the dark man." he gulps. "And the flask? It's just herbs in boiled water, the healer in city gave it to me for my cough."

And certainly, when Nazir looked at the stone, he could easily imagine it coming from the moon. It was grayish, with small black veins inside. It looked like it was polished, with lots of small holes in it.

Ruark asked for it, and so he handed him the stone - maybe he knew more.

He then went to check the fireplace.

It was worthless. After few minutes of staring at the warm walls of the fireplace with his fey sight, he decided to try the old method - and searching through the grime and soot, he only discovered few large dead spiders and that it lead nowhere. If there was something, he couldn't find it and he was quite sure there was nothing.

Spoiler: OOC

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No successes. No findings.

---

Ruark

Ruark listened to the man describing the so-called "moonstone".

Nazir handed him the stone. He heard about the moonstones, but never held any in his hand. The black veins though intrigued him. There was something about a stone like this...a story... or a legend?

He was not sure, so he decided to return the stone to Nazir, who was just trying to search the fireplace. And then it hit him - just as he was looking at the fireplace.

Fire. The black veins. He heard about blades made of the black metal. They were rare, as he never heard about mine that mined it. And the fire that was required for the metal to melt had to be as powerful as dragon's breath. It was...

Ah, he could not remember the name.

He searched his memory, and remembered the old song he heard about Sigfrøðr Sverrir, the ancient Savaxen warrior, whose blade of legends was supposed to cut through helmets as knife cuts warm butter and - the verse went like...
"...the blackveined sword of great hero..."
and another
"...he slay the giant with sword made of ..."
No. He couldn't remember. He watched Nazir come out of the fireplace, apparently unsuccessful in his attempt to... well, what did he do?

His eyes turned to the crossbow. He wanted to try it out - and maybe occassion would present itself shortly.

Spoiler: Folk Lore

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So, good success. But you'll have to dig for some more sources to find out what it is.

---

Kate and Gerric

They stood in the secluded room next to the main room. It was the one with the large table, benches, few furs and nothing more.

They both knew this had to be solved somehow. On one hand, maybe there would be reward included if they alarmed the law. Revenge was a tasteful dish - and Gerric liked its taste - but also knew that it was rarely a profitable one.

And Kate herself felt a need for closure and understood Gerric. If the merchant had allies - or could influence the court, he would get off without punishment and she knew he deserved one. He deserved many.

---

Urukubarr

The inn main room looked almost homely after Urukubarr finished with it. There was food on the table, and the only reason why there was no fire in the fireplace was that Nazir was inside - for some reason.

For a moment he longed to be a blacksmith - so he could take the armour of the knight and remake it into something more... fitting.

He walked towards one of the windows, to look outside. It looked like a nice day, after the storm and the forest looked inviting.

But there was still work to do. And since Nazir was out of the fireplace, maybe he could put on some fire at all. He started to sort out the food and soon found out, that there is enough for them for a week if they feast like kings every night, or even for two or three if they pull their belts a bit.

He thought about it - and an idea formed in his head. As he thought about it, he started to smile, as he liked it more and more. But for the moment, he just sat down, took a whetstone and sharpened his blade, sitting directly against their prisoner...

Spoiler: OOC

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You were faster than me in posting

The idea is - you feast for tonight, and have enough food for 2 weeks after that. If Nazir and Ruark catch anything, you can prepare really a feast and tomorrow you start your journey back.
How about it?

[XIII]

The sound of the stone running along his blade was soothing to Urukubarr. He took his time with the task, there was no pressing matter at hand. Going on a hunt sounded nice, but he would sit this one out, curious to see how others would fare. Instead, he took his time thinking of what to prepare, and how. A wine-water mixture with salt and herbs marinating some meat sounded good. Earthy mushrooms would pair well with that, he thought. After his greatsword was sufficiently cared for, Urukubarr would seek out Nazir and Ruark, to briefly pray over them and ask Proud Hunter in the Stars to guide them. And if they found some edible mushrooms while they were out, even better!

Urukubarr began preparing what he could now for what he imagined would be a feast fit for the greatest of heroes. First, he would start all the fires again.

[Cavir]

Rarely did his eyes and skill fail him. Ruark and Urukubarr were there waiting for him to get out of the fireplace. "Hunting, archery, and someone to share both with? Certainly! And yes, with proper aim either bow will puncture armor. Back before being in jail I had a nicer bow along with arrows made for piecing armor. I need to remake my collection. During the hunting trip I hope to find good wood so I can craft some arrows of my own, maybe even a new bow. I'll have to wait for town to get better arrowheads."

"First, something about the fireplace is weird but I can't find any secret compartments in here. Maybe you two can take a look too? Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way. Maybe it is something from the back side. I'll try there next"

Nazir checks the other side of the fireplace, from both side rooms

Spoiler: OOC

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"I want to give that strange southern bow a test"
Which bow were you talking about? The older one I left on the table or the newer one? Did it seem like he'd like the newer one?

Searching the back side of the fireplace from both side rooms.
Left side room (7d10)[2][9][2][1][7][8][10](39) TN8
Right side room (7d10)[3][5][4][1][9][6][6](34) TN8

No successes. No findings.

Got a 9 with TN8? Probably a difficult roll :)

[Anyr]

"Hmm," Gerric grunted, she made a point. "This world o' yours is different than mine. In mine, if you're caught committin' a crime the one that caught you will kill you, or bring your name to the clan leader. Then they'll kill you. So we all learned young, never get caught.

If it were up to me, we use Rulg. If he's as much a toad as he seems, a promise of his life an some silver to betray his master could work. We have his cart, we have meat to put in his barrels, hell, if he really needs it we have fresh corpses to put in there as well. We have surprise on our side, the merchant doesn't have a bodyguard, he lives alone, he talks to no one. But the longer we delay the more time he has to think somethin' is wrong. Rulg said he had to work fast all day. The longer we wait, the more likely he slips through our fingers."

From a tactical standpoint, Gerric's advice made plenty of sense. Being bloodthirsty didn't necessarily make you wrong. Kate knew for a fact that his way of doing things got results. But she also knew what awaited at the end of that path. Gerric would just have to restrain himself this time around. No doubt he'd get plenty of chances to indulge himself on later occasions.

"The other thing I wanted to say. There are some tricks to bein' in command we all pick up. You first got to actually lead, show them that follow you you're worth followin'. Second you have to win. You've done those two so far. But third, you need to set some boundaries. If you let Uruk, or Rurark, or me, 'specially me, question you in front of an enemy, even one as spineless as Rulg, soon they'll be questionin' what they would be doin' in a fight. Soon enough they'll be disobeyin'. And that can get us killed. Just, keep that in mind, leadership is like walkin' on the edge of a mountain, try to stay too safe you'll never get anywhere, but if you don't focus at all you'll fall off the edge. Alright, I've said my piece. And I already said I'll follow you on this venture. So, I wait for your orders." Gerric gave her a nod, and if she didn't have anything to say to him, he'd leave and head back to help the others at whatever needed doing.

"Thank you for the advice, as always. And rest assured that I'm not going to let you walk all over me. If you ever cross the line, I'll be sure to send you flying back to the other side."

The slight smile on Kate's face implied that she wasn't serious; Sort of. Kate was no fool. Though she trusted Gerric, she hadn't deluded herself into ignoring his darkness. Letting him have free reign would be disastrous. She wouldn't always be able to chat amicably with her teammates like a friend. Distasteful as the idea was, sometimes she'd have to impose her will upon them. Someone incapable of that wasn't fit to call herself a leader.

[Dienekes]

Gerric nodded to Kate. "If I cross the line, I sincerely hope you can drag me back." He gave a thin smile "Use Uruk, if you have to."

With the conversation over, Gerric headed back to the prisoner. It pained him, what he planned to do. Kate was good, clever, and braver than anyone he expected to find when he came south. But the merchant had betrayed him, and he couldn't let that stand.

"Hello Rulg," he said as he sat down in front of the prisoner, some of the food Uruk had made in his hands. "You didn't answer my question, before. When was the last time you saw the dark man? When do you expect he'll see the merchant next?"

[Mathis]

Ruark nodded at Rulgs words, and replied with a straight face "Aye it's important to be protected from magic, you never know when some sorcerous evil is going to cast a curse your way. Better to be prepared I say. I've heard of such dark metal you mention as well, the great hero Sigfrøðr had such a blade when he slew the giant...that I can't remember the name of."[/COLOR] Ruark seemed to be taking the notion of magics, giants and supernaturally sharp swords completely seriously. The world was a strange place and the Savaxen seemed to be more superstitious than most.

"Something strange about the fireplace eh, since you are searching down here I can look upstairs. There might be a hole built into the floor that stretches down along the chimney. If we don't find anything then we should go out and look for some food, as well as wood for your new bow. I'd be happy to help with that."

[Lacco]

Urukubarr

With the fires burning again, Urukubarr went to Ruark and Nazir, bowing his head, praying for their success. Then he set to prepare the meat. Wine, salt, herbs he found in the kitchen - these all formed a tasty marinade, but when he added a drop of honey to it, it strengthened the flavour. He put the meat inside a pot he found in the kitchen and let it soak a bit.

He then started to prepare a simple soup - he saw that Gerric was watching over the prisoner, so he ventured outside for few minutes, returning triumphantly with few roots he knew would add to flavour there. He cut up some meat, carrots and cast them into water together with crushed peppers.

---

Nazir

There was nothing. The side walls and the back walls were completely firm, solid and he couldn't find any openings.

Nazir gave up. He was sure that there was nothing hidden in the fireplace - only dirt, soot and grime. His search was also disturbed by the thought of going outside, to hunt.

He picked his bow, let Urukubarr pray over him to give him success in hunting, and accompanied by Ruark he left.

He decided to point Ruark to the hunting trail he found, in the back - it looked like it would be a prime hunting ground - and he decided to check the less-travelled paths, which offered worse chance, but since he believed in his hunting skill, he took this disadvantage.

It was not the best choice. During the first hour he only found tracks of few hares and a pheasant. At least there were the wych elm trees he sought after - the ones he made his first bow off.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ruark was talking about the crossbow.

And I should have said "no net successes".

Finding wood PER/Craft (7d10)[9][3][7][7][6][5][8](45) TN 8

---

Kate

With the talk being over, she left the room, entering the main inn room. She saw Gerric sit in front of Rulg, to interrogate him some more. Nazir and Ruark were just leaving to hunt something for them to eat and Urukubarr was already preparing what looked like a small feast.

And the table with loot was still there. Only the crossbow Ruark took for the hunt was missing.

Maybe it was time to plan how to distribute the loot. As a leader, this right belonged to her - but there were lots of local customs to adhere to.

She sighed, silently. The work of leader never stops.

---

Gerric

The man startled when Gerric addressed him. But he replied, his voice a bit calmer than when they talked outside. "My apologies. I saw him only once - only at that time. But if you are asking when did he last visit Sraciq... let me think... yes, around 3 weeks ago it was. I am quite sure. He had that pale visage, looked weak, as if something drew most of his blood. He looked like a corpse. That was a sure sign he saw the dark man. And I'd expect him sometime this week - Sraciq usually gets that pale only once per month. Around a week before the full moon."

---

Ruark

The world was a strange place and the men of Savaxen had lots of strange stories about magic, giants, sorcerors, lizardmen and other stuff no sane man would like to see.

He watched Nazir as he searched the fireplace and then went upstairs. His attempt to find any openings in the chimney was not fruitful - there were none and it was a sturdy and solid fireplace.

Ruark shrugged for himself and went downstairs - he took the crossbow from the loot table, and attached the quarrel with bolts to his belt. Urukubarr came to him, smelling like some delicious food, and passed a short prayer.

The world was a strange place, indeed, and he learned not to underestimate the powers of the unknown.

Nazir finished his search, also unsuccessfully, and came to Ruark, with his new bow in his hand. They ventured outside together, and Nazir pointed one path to him - stating that he should take that one, and that they should meet in an hour.

He obeyed, as he saw that the path was made by big game, and he set out to find his prey - and to try out his new weapon. The weather was pleasant - there were clouds rolling over the sky, but sun shone between them and warmed the ground. It would be a good day - he saw tracks of a large deer, and it seemed it was not far away...

[Mathis]

Ruark smiled as he felt the sun warm his face, these southern lands did have it's simple pleasures as well. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the smell of forest and sun. The tracks of the deer got him excited and he recalled memories of earlier hunts he had attended. Boar, wolf and moose had all been hunted before and he imagined himself returning triumphant with a deer carcass, congratulated by all. As Ruark and Nazir split up he was also grinning at the thought of competing with the half-elf, he seemed a much more experiecned outdoors man than Ruark and if he could return with more prestigious prey than the half-elf the bragging rights alone would keep him for months!

He made sure the crossbow was strung and ready to fire as he continued forward, following the deer tracks. He walked slowly, deliberately towards where the deer might be and he felt empowered. The weapon fit well in his hands and it gave him a strange feeling to aim it, looking down the length of it as it required.

AGI/Sneak, TN 6. (7d10)[2][1][2][6][8][1][3](23)

Spoiler: OOC

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Just wanted to mention that Ruark wouldn't carry his entire compliment of gear while out hunting, just wearing his clothes, a hatchet and a dagger tucked into his belt a long with the quiver of bolts for the crossbow.

[Lacco]

Ruark

The deer tracks led him to a small meadow with a pond in the middle. The sun shone through the trees, the leaves were emerald green and there was no thing that disturbed the beautiful vista.

His heart again beat with excitement - he noticed the stag. It was drinking from the pond. He had a chance. It was quite far, so he slowly approached, trying to pick where he stepped, not to spook it.

And then it was only about 25 yards from him, from the side. He had a clear shot. He now could count the points - and it was a nice, young 12-pointer.

Ruark carefully placed the crossbow at his shoulder, and aimed it. It seemed simple - you point it and you pull this thing...

...there was a loud "thunk" as the crossbow released the bolt...

...and another, when the bolt hit the stag.

It let out a terrible sound - and fell to the ground.

As he approached, it was still moving - in throes of death, he would say. He sat behind, far enough for the stag not to hit him, and waited. When it stopped moving, he took out his dagger...

Spoiler: OOC

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I would normally allow you one sneak roll to see if you can get nearer, but you already did .
Full AIM: (5d10)[3][6][8][7][2](26) TN6 = 3 successes
Hit location: (1d6)[3](3) = ribcage
Damage: 6p + 3 successes
Resist: 5 TO
Level 4 ribcage wound!
Oh, TN is 6 and damage is 6P due to the weak bowstring.
And let's say there are about 35 kg of venison on this one.

[Mathis]

His hands was shaking after the shot, the adrenaline was surging through him. A beautiful stag even! This was more than he had ever hoped for when he set out with Nazir. While he sat and waited for the stag to bleed out Ruark drew the bowstring back on the crossbow, he knew that sometimes the smell of blood could attract predators and he'd be damned if he let a hungry wolf chase him away from his trophy, tonight they would feast on venison! As he waited he was struck by how powerful the bow had been, he dreaded the thought of what the crossbowman could have done to one of his companions in the grotto had he been as good of an aim as Nazir. When the stag had bled out he knelt down beside it, put the crossbow down carefully at his side and drew his dagger. He had considered calling out for Nazir to let him know they would have enough meat for several days but decided not to, he might chase away whatever beast Nazir was tracking. While he was uncomfortable doing all this work by himself, turning his back on the forest he still set out to gut the deer.

While doing the work he would take ample breaks, often taking a minute to look at the forest around him to make sure nothing was sneaking up on him. Some would call him paranoid but Ruark wouldn't live long if he didn't keep his wits about him out here.

When the deer was emptied and drained of blood he sighed, it was large and heavy and now he would have to carry it with him back to the inn all by himself. With a mighty effort he lifted it up across his shoulders, holding the stag by its legs. Now with the stag across his shoulders he carried the crossbow in one hand and held the stag in place with the other. With slow and deliberate steps he walked back to where the hunters had agreed to meet up. The closer he got the bigger Ruark's grin got at the thought of Nazir's face when he would see what Ruark had accomplished, and with just one lucky shot! The gods had surely been pleased with their recent fight to grant him such luck.

[Dienekes]

"So the dark man will be back in a weeks time," Gerric thought about what was going to happen next. There was no way they could pull off pretending to be Rulg for a week. "Alright, now, what were you expected to do for the rest o' the day? When were you to meet with Sraciq?"

[Lacco]

Gerric

"I was supposed to get here yesterday evening, but the storm caught me. Sraciq will assume I return in 2-3 days, cart loaded with...stuff. He'll expect me to come to his warehouse. The guards know me - so they won't stop me, and even if they did, I'm bringing just some venison."

He looks quite calm now, a bit apologetic. "There's this sargeant in the city guard - he's the straight type. If you want, we can go to him and I'll tell him the truth."

[Anyr]

"We might just do that."

Kate entered the room in time to hear Rulg's latest divulgence. Handing him over to the city guard was exactly what she intended to do. However, she'd probably choose a different officer than the one he suggested. For all she knew, his candidate might be a corrupt accomplice, who'd free him as soon as her back was turned.

The rest of her day was occupied with mundane tasks. She did maintenance on her weapons and armour; Calculated ways to fairly divide the loot; And generally helped with whatever needed doing. They'd be leaving this place before too long. Kate certainly wouldn't miss it.

[Lacco]

The evening came fast that day, as for the whole day they were occupied by small tasks, that needed their attention. At the end of the day, the loot was distributed and what was left was prepared to be loaded on the cart. Their weapons were cleaned, sharpened and oiled. And they sat behind the table, with the fireplace warming them, to enjoy the feast.

Kate observed the loot distribution. As their first choice, Nazir claimed the longbow and quiver from the dead archer, and in return, gave his own bow for taking. Gerric claimed the Mad Dog's mace and Ruark took the savaxen sword from the pile. Ruark then traded his own shield for knight's heather shield, and Gerric took Ruark's shield in return. Urukubarr liked only the strange curved dagger. They continued picking from the pile whatever caught their eye and whatever they needed most.

Gerric then asked for the scale armour Mad Dog was wearing - and nobody protested. He immediately donned it - and it fit him even better than it did for Mad Dog. Only twice she had to intervene was when Ruark, Urukubarr and Nazir asked for the same item - the small copper figure of wolf, and when they discussed who should get the knight's armour. Her answer in the latter was a strict one - whoever had money to pay for the refitting, as it wouldn't fit any one of them. They decided to wait for the blacksmith to say his final word.

After that, she ordered the rest to be packed and prepared to be loaded on cart.

Urukubarr spent most of his time during the day preparing the feast. When Ruark and Nazir returned with their prey, he welcomed them. The gods of hunt did bless them as Ruark returned carrying a huge amount of deer venison, and Nazir with two pheasants and a hare. The good fortune was even more surprising, when Nazir returned with their horses - he found their footprints and found them grazing on a meadow. Especially Urukubarr was pleased by return of his equine companion.

Ruark and Nazir went outside, to practice their archery - Ruark with the crossbow, Nazir with his new bow - and after an hour spent shooting at various targets, he felt that the bow fit comfortable into his hand and he was able to split one of his arrows with another.

Gerric spent his time watching the prisoner, thinking about their next steps. The gloom that fell upon his brow when he thought about revenge was not dispelled by his companions' chatter, neither by the peaceful evening. Only after sunset he stood up, ready to join the feast - and when they made him forget about the vengeance, by asking him to tell them of the Dragontooth mountains, for that moment he was a different person.

The feast was wonderful. On the table stood a large pot of venison stew, right next to a bowl full of honey-glazed roasted pheasant meat, and few plates full of marinated meat, supplemented by he vegetables, fresh bread and pieces of cheese. The selection of drinks was also breathtaking - they had beer and wine from the cellar, the hard-liquor from the clay flasks, and Urukubarr also boiled some wine with a piece of cinnamon he found between the herbs, to warm their hearts.

They enjoyed the peaceful moment, the company and their last night at the inn. One by another, sleep overtook them. Only the guards remained awake, waiting for their companions to let them get some sleep.

In the morning, as the sun rose, they woke up, loaded the wagon, harnessed the horses and left for Zhengar, leaving the Gray Tankard Inn behind them. In front of them there were days of travel, and after that - the city where their fortune awaited.

---

Spoiler: OOC

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If anyone has something to add, let me know. If you decide to change the destination - I'll need to know it as soon as possible. If you go to Zhengar, there will be around 3 days of travel, so if you have any plans what to do during them, I'm all ears.
Good news is - Rulg does not look like he wants to escape. And the weather is quite pleasant. There may be some encounters on the road, so I'd like to know the "travel arrangement" (marching order, scouts, etc?) - that can be discussed in OOC thread.
And if anyone wants to do the "scene request", PM me or OOC. Campfire thread is still open for free discussion.

[XIII]

Urukubarr hated cities. It's just that, everything smelt horrible, accompanied by an encompassing aroma of piss. Other than that, he didn't mind them at all as long as they weren't destroying the land. His nostrils flared every so often, anticipating the reek to hit him at any moment.

[Lacco]

Three peaceful days passed. The weather was, except for a drizzle one day, very good for travelling - overcast, so the sun did not scorch them, but only a warm breeze in their backs. The travel was not only peaceful, but quite fast - while they saved their horses, they covered more ground than before.

On the third day, before noon, they noticed first signs of civilization - a farmstead, followed by a mill and a small village. They were close. From then on, they continued even faster - the road was wide, kept and the people they met did not pay them any attention - they seemed to hurry, mostly in the opposite way.

In the afternoon, just as the sun started its descent, giving them still few hours to reach their goal or find a suitable spot for a camp, they spotted the silhouette of the Irongate Fortress perched on its high cliff, and the spires of the Cathedral of Vigilant Guardian right underneath, glimmering in the sun.

And then they passed over the last hill, and they saw the whole city, surrounded by its walls, hundreds of smoking chimneys, and the large harbor, full of ships. With it came the gust of wind, carrying the smell and sounds of the city.

As they came near the East Gate - which lead to the Guilds' District and the famous New Market, the central square of Zhengar - they noticed something was wrong. The previously open gate of the Free Trade City was closed, and a queue of wagons stood in front of it. They noticed a group of soldiers clad in city colours guarding the gate and going over the wagons - and then the gate opened and a small wagon was let outside.

A large, armed group was on the road to south-east - they saw the cloud of dust coming from under the hooves of their horses and saw them bearing a standard of some kind.

As they came close to the city, the queue shortened. A female, clad in chain mail and surcoat, bearing the sign of city guard approached them, hand on her sword pommel. Her voice sounded melodic, but carried the firmness coming from authority as she addressed them.

"Halt! State your names and your bussiness, travellers."

Spoiler: OOC Party

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Feel free to insert first actions to the point where you are standing on the hill.
When you left, the gates were open - and only suspicious characters that entered were questioned.

Spoiler: Nazir

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The soldiers at the gate are city guards. Sinkrin's people belonged to city army - and while he had some contacts to the guard, the army and the guard are not always on best terms.
The armed group are free mercenaries, contracted by the city as irregular army - he saw their standard - a raven sitting on a skull, circled by a wreath of rose thorns, but did not recognize it.

Spoiler: Kate

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The gates are usually guarded by city guard, which is kept separated from the army - they are not on the best terms usually.
And the armed group are free mercenaries, contracted by the city as irregular army. She recognizes the standard - a raven sitting on a skull, circled by a wreath of rose thorns - it belongs to the Blight Scavengers, a mercenary brigade led by Razin Daranerl, a condotierre. Their motto is Superiority through Defiance and Diversity - they accept almost everyone to their ranks - even prisoners, escaped slaves..., but their training is brutal and demanding. You wouldn't want to stand against them in battle.
However, there is another heraldic sign attached to the pole - a sign they are escorting a noble emissary - but you don't recognize the symbol.

[Anyr]

Not the best start to this visit. The group had more than enough on their plate, without piling extra complications on top. Kate had to admit, though, that it was nice to finally see a woman in uniform. Their absence had been bothering her. She tilted her head respectfully to the guard, and spoke in a businesslike tone.

"My name is Katherine. I and my comrades are here to purchase supplies; As well as to report some bounties and suchlike to the authorities."

She also kept half an eye on the mercenaries. That particular company was bad news. Not the sort of group she'd normally expect to be escorting nobles around.

[XIII]

Urukubarr knew the smartest, and easiest, way to him to get into a city without molestation was to shut up and let the humans talk. He observed his surroundings and the people. The banners caught his eye, he could hear his instructors in Savaxen now, "You know how to fight, for sure, but knowing who you're fighting is important too. When someone comes knocking on your door, you'll at least know what to call them." He hated studying the banners, but the importance of knowing your prey was not lost on him. He strained his memory to identify all the banners he saw, nothing else better to do.

Spoiler: OOC

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Using Heraldry or any other applicable skill to identify banners/symbols

[Mathis]

When they set out from the inn, Ruark had picked up a small log that was supposed to be used as firewood and started whittling away as he drove the wagon. At the end of the first day it started looking like a small figurine of some Savaxen god, but at the end of the second day it had turned into an ugly little thing since Ruark had gotten too excited about his own creative ability. At the end of the third day, it ended up as it had started, as firewod.

As the city came into view Ruark spoke up, "Y'know I came here once, to Zhengar. When I was very, very young. I was just a kid when my father and some mates of his were selected to travel here with some gemstones they had eh...aquired from a merchant sailing with more goods than sense. My father thought it a good opportunity to teach me about the far away world, and he was right of course though I didn't learn the lesson he had hoped I would I think. After we had sold the gems, at the street of...no I can't remember. Anyway, after we had sold the gems we were set upon by some raggedy band of misfits, probably no worse than we were, they made off with the pouch of gold and killed a few of my fathers friends for good measure while they ran off. Never saw or heard of it again, never saw a larger bag of gold again either. I wonder if those old goats are still around here somewhere, still spending my fathers gold."

When they reached the city gates and they were approached by the guards Ruark too sat still at the reins of the wagon. He smiled though and tried to not to look too Savaxen. Urukkubarr and himself had enough trouble in the past with the city guard of various cities to start trouble here as well. He knew it wouldn't take more than a look at Urukkubarr to know he could be trouble for someone who didn't know him and they had been denied access to many smaller towns in their way south already. Luckily this place was large enough to tolerate at least a certain amount of extraordinary individuals like Uruk. Kate was probably good at talking to these kinds of people, poor men with more authority than they were used to and so Ruark shut up and let her talk.

[XIII]

"Do we seek vengeance against these thief-goats? Spent all your gold by now, they pay with blood, no?"

[Cavir]

Nazir spent a lot of the time riding back to the city ahead of the group on watch. He knew the area the best and even though they had stopped one bandit operation, they could come upon another group looking to rob a caravan outside the city limits. He hoped not to come across an army patrol. At least he knew their tactics and could keep a better eye out for them. Out here was peaceful and very enjoyable. He also kept watch on the weather, hoping to better figure out nature's patterns. He watched the clouds but also paid attention to how the air felt and how the birds were acting. When the rain came on the second day he had believed it was going to but had predicted a heavier rain. Still, it was an improvement.

In the evenings after camp was made the halfling's hands and eyes focused on carving a nice long piece of wood he had found near the former inn. He really was taking his time working on it meticulously. He kept up with the chats around the campfire, staying part of them but mostly listening and learning about the others.

With the city in sight, Nazir sighed. Life in a city was not his thing. He would have to get used to it somewhat if he wanted to further his archery skills and compete in tournaments. Their prey was in there but the city would create many complications. Too many unknowns and possibilities. Instead, he looked up, reminding himself of the pleasant weather and enjoyed it while he could.

As the mercenary guards approached, he let Kate move ahead. He kept his hands on the reins and stayed relaxed. He glanced over the mercenary group to see if he recognized any. Nazir then reversed his gaze across the group briefly noticing their weapons, particularly if any had bows. He kept quiet and tried to just blend in with the group behind Kate.

[Mathis]

"Bah, the gold was never mine to begin with. It was over a decade ago now, I bet you they're all dead or moved away to some other city of thieves. I doubt I'd even recognize any of those people now, seeing as it was so long ago. I was just a child back then, maybe my father or some of the other men who survived that attack would recognize them but they're all scattered to the winds at this point, who knows where they are."

"Though, it sure was a lot of gold..." Ruark spends the next few moments wistfully imagining what he could have done with a whole bag of gold. The pretty clothes, the golden jewelry. Maybe he could even buy his own ship...

[Dienekes]

"Hmm," Gerric muttered at Ruark's story. "Your father was weak, should have fought better for his gold."

As they drew closer, Gerric did his best not to look threatening.

"Ger," he said to the guard that asked for their names. "I work for her."

[Mathis]

"Bah, gold is gold Gerric, it is nothing. He has earned more in the time he has been alive since then than was in that pouch, but I am sure it nags at him when he goes to sleep at night. All material wealth fades when we die, all that remains is the way we lived our lives, how we are remembered. He will be remembered fondly."

"Oh, I am Ruark", he added almost forgetting that the guards had asked for their names.

[XIII]

Urukubarr holds a fist to his chest in salute, "Urukubarr! Knight-Errant of Savaxen, Last Druid and Ambassador of the Ahvori!" His chest swelled with pride as he spoke his titles, bittersweet as they were, for where were the Ahvori and Savaxen now? Their legacy, for all he knew, lived and died with Ruark and himself.

[Cavir]

Nazir didn't want to draw attention to himself, but keeping quiet when the others were giving names was counter productive.

"Nazir"

[Lacco]

The guardswoman listened to their names, stopping at Urukubarr's salute.

"Ambassador?" there was doubt in her voice, but she let it pass. But something else caught her interest in what Uruk stated. "Never heard about Ahvori, but I heard enough about orcs and Savaxen.". With this she turned to Ruark. "Behave in the city, and we will not have to meet again. We have laws here - so adhere to them, or you'll get at best escorted out.". Her voice was not hostile, she just stated it as a fact. She looked over the ragtag group, taking in everything, and stated "This is valid also for the others. We take peacekeeping in the city very seriously around here.".

As she finished, she turned to Kate. "You stated that you wanted to report bounties - you can report them to me, or in the fortress, I don't care. I'm also interested in what you have in the wagon.

This was strange. For the trade hub Zhengar always was, they never searched the wagons that entered...

Spoiler: Urukubarr

Show

MA/Heraldry (3d10)[9][3][8](20) TN7

Urukubarr recognized the standard - a raven sitting on a skull, circled by a wreath of rose thorns - it belongs to the Blight Scavengers, a mercenary brigade led by a man assigned from the city. Their motto is Superiority through Defiance and Diversity - while they accept almost everyone to their ranks - even prisoners, escaped slaves..., their training is brutal and demanding. You wouldn't want to stand against them in battle.
However, there is another heraldic sign attached to the pole - a sign they are escorting a noble emissary. He's unsure about whom it belongs to.

[Anyr]

Kate hoped that certain teammates took the guard's warnings to heart. The less reputable members of their group were on thin ice around here. It wouldn't take much troublemaking to get them shoved in a cell (or worse). When asked about the wagon, Kate moved aside to allow access. They had nothing to hide; At least, as far as she knew. She actually felt rather sorry for the soldier/cart inspector. Guard duty was a thankless, boring task. This woman had probably been berated by many travellers today, just for doing her job. So when Kate next spoke, her tone was genuinely sympathetic.

"Be my guest. It's mostly supplies and assorted clutter. Be warned, though: There are a few heads in there too. We needed some proof of identification for the bounty.

If you don't my asking, why the change in routine? I don't recall carts being searched on our last visit. Has something happened?"

[Lacco]

She let a quick, tired smile flash on her face. "Thanks for the warning."

As she circled the wagon to climb on it from the back, she explained.

"There have been some trouble in the city. Assassinations. Disappearances. Even one member of the Council has been found dead - and that was enough to warrant searching everyone who enters. Or leaves."

The wagon shook a bit as she jumped on it. Then she noticed Rulg.

"And what about this one...? Why is he bound? He has no bounty on his head, I know that for sure!" her voice became alarmed and she placed her hand on the pommel of her sword again. "Explain yourselves!"

[Anyr]

Ah yes; Rulg. That did require an explanation. Kate's reply contained no tension or malice. Again, the guard was just doing her job. And in this case, they genuinely had nothing to hide.

"He's an accomplice of the people whose bounty we're claiming. He has information that will help the watch make several arrests. We'll be taking him straight to your headquarters for a full report. You're welcome to assign us an escort (or come along yourself), to make sure that everything is above board."