Against the Cult: The Next Day (1.2)

Players can make insight checks if they want their characters to potentially be credulous about Xana's noble background (Insight opposing her performance check of 13). Otherwise, you're in on the joke and appreciate how finely she performs the role.

At this point I'm going to abstract the set-up of the charade to a group check. Each character should contribute setting up the wagon as a juicy merchant/carriage for nobility appealing to banditry, themselves as guards, etc. by making a roll, either Deception or Performance, along with a description of what they're doing to disguise themselves and/or the wagon. It's at least Easy difficulty to fool a bandit leader who's just had a bunch of heroes thwart him in Hochoch, maybe Medium (you won't know how well it works until it's put to the test, after all).

Klak considers. "I could ride up front and look like a guard." He takes his shield and axe and readies them with what he feels like is a fearful look of concentration. But, as the shield covers most of his face, mostly it's just some creased eyebrows under a helm.

Durren gathers together some supplies for a disguise, making himself out to be a bodyguard for the "Miss Xenia." Soon he's added some scars to his face, a bit of stubble, changed the color of his hair, added a paunch, walks with a slight limp, and altogether looks like a grizzled veteran of many years, who has gone a little bit to seed.

Morgran gives up the idea of a disguise after considering for a moment (and realizing that he's no good at subterfuge). He hops into the back and stays quiet like cargo, only taking brief sips from a flask on occasion.

Ready at last to leave on Cecily's Road, "Miss Xenia" clicks at the oxen.

They do nothing.

She sighs, and shifts around to ask someone for some rope. After much fumbling to retrieve hidden packs, someone gives her a 10' length. She wraps a bit around her fist, and then uses the rest as a whip and snaps it dramatically in the air.

The oxen continue to chew their cud.

Exasperated, Xana flails with the rope and slaps the hindquarters of the two animals. Placidly, they lurch into motion and amble down the road. Soon enough, the party's lack of proficiency with land vehicles makes itself felt again, when the road veers and the oxen don't.

In the end, after a long and comic interlude of hauling the disguised wagon out of the weeds, the groups hits upon a more effective strategy. Sara, walking alongside, pushes firmly on the shoulder of one ox or the other when the road turns. An occasional slap of the rope from Xana or a slap with a "beater" arrow from Sara is enough the keep the oxen moving.

In this way, the wagon wends its way out of Hochoch proper, through the East Gate, and through the outer borough to the bridge over the Realstream and east on Cecily's Road. The pace seems slow at first, eager as everyone is to find and punish Black. But the oxen are stolid walkers, and soon enough the city of Hochoch and the Realstream have disappeared in the distance behind you, and the open fields give way to copses of trees. Those copses grow larger and closer together, until by mid-afternoon, you are definitely within the Dim Wood. There are occasional crofters at first, but as the day continues toward sunset and you continue east, deeper into the forest, there is no one else on the road.

Will you continue through the evening?