The Fourth Sun's Shadow

[Gnomish Wanderer]

The villages gates slowly shut around the wooded area for the nite, a huge wall of wood and old sheetmetal surrounding the place. The darkening sun barely illuminated the workers, seven to each gate as they strained to close it. Meanwhile others nearby lit torches and cracked lanterns to help illuminate the town inside, the light barely wafting out of the giant walls. Inside a lush garden was being watched over again, the last time tonite. The many huts stood waywardly, some made of tree, others of rock and steel. The town, though slowly, closed for the night, and beyond that the long forests that stretch grow dark. The wind plays a slow and sad song for those who listened, and the world slept.

[Vella_Malachite]

I am thankful that I got to a store in time to buy meagre rations and curl up to bed down for the night under an awning.

[Perducci]

The creaking of the gates closing sent shivers down Vlad's spine. The feeling of being caged in presses upon him and lingers. The trip to find this village was hard enough. Only once or twice had he been to this place, and only then when he was younger. He had been told he could learn of 'cities' here and that drew him in like a beast to its prey.

Having no meat, skins or herbs to sell, Vlad settles down in an out of the way spot and prepares a small fire. He warms up some of his rations for a humble dinner of salted pork and lumpy bread. It isn't long before his mind trails back to the places of towering buildings.

Wonder who would know of such things...

[Eldan]

Just on time, in the last moment before the gate closed, a foot, clad in heavy fur boots was jammed into the crack.
"Stop that for a moment.", a voice demanded, then the door was pried open a little and a figure in heavy leather armour came in.
It was a large and muscular man, with red hair and beard and a network of scars all over his face. A greatsword and a bow were strapped to his back and he wore small packs of equipment on a variety of belts and straps.
"Looking for work", he explained then, and marched into the village.

[vivi]

A cloaked man walked through the street, and in to the inn "I would like a room" The man reached into his bag, and pulled out a few coins. "This should be enough" He went upstairs, and went into a room.

[Snooglebum]

A young man wearing a roughly woven cloth tunic and pants is one of the last to enter the village after the gate closes, drawing odd looks from the few that are still awake, as he frantically scribbles in a battered notebook he carries with him.
He walks with a slouch, possibly due to the heavy weight on his back; the backpack he wears is stuffed to explode. The weight of the warmace at his side, and the crossbow slug around his back certainly do not help. Looking up and noticing the late hour, he walked to the nearest inn, and went inside to bed down for the night. Yet a light from his room still shines as he stays up, presumably still writing in his tattered old notebook.

[thevorpalbunny]

An odd-looking humanoid with midnight-black skin hears the gates closing from the garden. "I think it's time to turn in, Rhodry." he said to the wolf at his side. "There won't be any excitement today." Rhodry growls. "No, I'm not sure if that's a good thing, either."
Chevaril rolls out his bedroll, lies down and goes to sleep while Rhodry curls up beside him.

[Chavik]

as night falls a young man with a heavy pack goes about setting up camp, on a hill overlooking the village. Watching as the lights go out and the gates close he mentally prepares for what he'll say when he goes into town tommorrow morning. He says a quick prayer and then slides into his bedroll, leaning against a tree and clutching his bow in his hands.

[Vella_Malachite]

I feed a piece of meat to the wolf next to me absently, looking at all the people arriving.

"They don't look like they belong here," I note to the wolf.

[Gnomish Wanderer]

The air was silent and the world was dark. The tiny inn, though crammed with visitors, also remained silent. The world seemed dead as the wind also died, its song ending.

Like a sudden breath, the wind picked up to a low howl, making trees dance and sending a wail throughout the village. Shortly after, the sky lit up and the world was like day for a moment. The light faded red, and dissappeared into the distance.

The light, it seemed, manifested from behind the village, far up north. As it died to a reddish color, it streaked downward beyond the horizon.

The world beyond returned to silence again, though many of the villagers left their homes to see the cause of the illumination.

[Vella_Malachite]

I put an arm around the wolf's neck and ask him: "Do you think coming into the town was wise?"

I begin to look around for escape routes.

[thevorpalbunny]

Though Chevaril has fallen asleep, Rhodry is still half-awake, and is fully woken up by the sudden light. He nuzzles Chevaril awake, and he quickly comes to. "Huh? What is it?" Looking around, he sees the very end of the red streak. "Was that really worth waking me for? Go back to sleep. I'll ask about it in the morning."

[vivi]

Ethan, seeing the light through the window, grabbed his pack and bow, and ran down stairs to the main street. When he got there he asked "What was that?" He put a an arrow to his bow and looked 'round.

[Snooglebum]

Samuel, hearing all the commotion, sticks his head out the window and manages to see the red light before it fades, and he begins feverishly scribbling in his notebook. Unfortunately, he overbalances and falls out the window, which sounded something like this: "Hmm... Why is-- by Lahnlar! What was that light? I've never seen anything like it! Let's see... The wind picked up late in the night, followed by the illu--WAAAGGGGHHH!!!! *Thump*"

[Eldan]

Rimgar jumps out of bed as he sees the light in the distance, grabbing his sword and bow.
Explosion?, he thinks, while running down the stairs. Mages?

[Perducci]

Vlad was still sitting in front of his little fire with his eyes closed half-asleep when the wind and light started. He jerks to full wakefullness and stamps out his fire. He gathers his things and looks about for a high place where he could look northward over the wall.

[vivi]

Ethan walks over to the man who fell out the window. "are you okay?" Ethan offers a hand to the man. "Any Idea of what that flash was?"

The man was ~25, tall, had green eyes, and brown hair. He had a tunic with chain mail under it. Ethan also saw a holy symbol 'round the mans neck.

[Maurkov]

Thaden happened to be passing under Samuel's window, though not near enough to prevent the accident. "I think it was a fireball-- that is, a very bright meteor."

Thaden is a strapping red-haired youth. He shows his courier's bag, "Any mail headed north?"

[Snooglebum]

Samuel takes Ethan's hand, saying "yes, thanks, I'm--ow... That smarts..." Then he hears Thaden, and says, with a note of excitement in his voice: "A meteor! Wow, I've never seen one! I better write this down!" He starts pulling out his notebook, but halts to take a letter out from his pack and hand it to Thaden.
"If you get anywhere near Lahnholm, could you deliver this? It's for my parents"
He says, handing him a few gold pieces. "Now", he says with a gleam in his eye, "I'm going to check that meteor out"
(OOC: I hope I got your names right. )

[Maurkov]

Thaden

"Parents," Thaden repeats thoughtfully, "Names?" Gold and letter vanish into the bag.

"Now? You mean right now? It may be quite a distance. Leave tomorrow and I'll go with you, at least as near as the road takes us."

[Snooglebum]

"It's not urgent", says Samuel distractedly, "You can deliver it whenever you see fit." He turns to Ethan "I'm going over there, you coming?"

[vivi]

Ethan tightens the straps on his backpack, then speaks "I'll come with you, when are we leaving? Now?"

He strides over to the inn and grabs a book, "What's your name?" Ethan asks. "Mine is Ethan Silentshot"

Ethan hands the book to the man "Must of dropped it"

[Eldan]

Now fully armored up and equipped Rimgar walks out on the town square.
"So you two are the brave explorers of this village, then?" , he says to Samuel and Ethan, with a broad sneer.
"I'll take the opportunity to see you in action. I bet it will be *extraordinarily*impressive."

[Maurkov]

Thaden hastily appraises the new arrival. Bully. He stays to the side and watches to see how the scholar will deal with the brute.

[Snooglebum]

"Oh, I'm not from this village", says Samuel, waving a hand dismissively, "I'm from Lahnholm, up north." He turns to Ethan. "Well met, Ethan Silentshot. I'm Samuel Flanders, and in answer to your question, I'd like to leave as soon as possible. Think of what could be learned from studying a meteor! Oh, and thanks for finding my notebook. I don't know what I would do without it" He turns to the other two men, saying "Are you two coming as well?" He asks.

[Eldan]

"Wouldn't want to miss it."
Rimgars sneer turns into a real and friendly smile. He is at least 1.90m tall, with upper arms the size of small children, a chest like a beer barrel and clad from neck to toes in black, studded leather. He has an enormous mass of red hair, both falling over his back and as a full beard. About a dozen small scars cover his face and even more showed up on his hands. He wasn't young anymore, about probably nearly thirty, which made him an old man when compared to most travelling mercenaries. His backpack was stuffed full with various items, even a small beer barrel strapped underneath it and a greatsword with a blade of over a meter lenght and a good twenty centimeters of crossguard beneath it.
"I'm Rimgar. May Odin not let you join his forces today."

[vivi]

Ethan came to the same conclusion as Thaden, the man was a bully. "So your coming with us then?" Ethan was hoping the man would back down and leave them alone.

[Eldan]

"Oh yes, I am. Craters are always fascinating, even the old ones. If there's a new one around, I have to see it."
He looks around.
"Well then, everyone ready to go hiking a little?"

[Maurkov]

Thaden

I've been walking all day AND I already paid for my room. Damn.

"I'm not accustomed to being a voice of wisdom, but shouldn't we wait until... morning? You know, when there's light and fewer wild things about? At this time of night they may not even open the gates."

Thaden is nearly as large and heavily built as the northman. A certain softness indicates he probably spends less of his time actually working. His thick red hair is cut spikey short. Across his lip is an orange caterpillar which under certain lighting conditions could be mistaken for a mustache.

[Snooglebum]

"You're right." Says Samuel, nodding to Thaden.
"It probably would be best to wait until morning. Who knows what horrible things could be waiting for us? Oh, and I didn't hear you say your name." After a pause, he grins sheepishly and says: "By the way, what's your name? I forgot to ask."