What Comes Next (RP)

- Roald -"150? ..." For a moment it looks like the postmaster is about to haggle, then a light dawns behind his eyes. "... for the three packages. Done, and done!" He declares so quickly that you suspect —in your ignorance of the market— that you may have undersold yourself. But it is too late, now, to change the terms.

"They will pay you when you get there. No, I am not giving you valuable merchandise and money-for-nothing. I don't know you. What's to stop you taking the money and tossing the packages in the trash?" He forestalls any objections.

"But I like you, so I will do you a favour. Just take the packages to the post office in Ne' Castle city, they will know where to deliver it once there. No need for you to deal with the end-client." He scribbles an illegible note and attaches it to the packages.

Humphrey will understand about payment on delivery, so what little silver you have should cover your expenses here, and her can cover the trip with expectations of being reimbursed at the end.

What do you do now?

Each of the parcels can be carried by one person. One of the fragile ones is large enough to be awkward, but not very heavy; the other fragile one would fit in a backpack, but is surprisingly heavy, heavy enough that one would, at first, think 'gold' but it sloshes and gurgles when moved. The third package is small enough to fit in a pocket.

Daryl is all too happy to take Roald's excess baggage, his pack is bulging at the seems, but he insists he does not mind.

The box in Roald's pack is awkwardly shaped, and heavy, but, after weeks on the road, Roald is fitter than he expected and this weight barely slows him down (at the start).

Albert's barrel sling makes the large box carriable, but it is not convenient. It is an ungainly size, and rough and chafes, a lot. It may need to be shared around, others taking turns carrying it, and it is not clear if Albert's backpack gets in the way or helps pad and even things out. This may need some fine-tuning as you walk. (Possibly a roll once we set off?)

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Is there anything you do before you leave?
We can assume you say goodbye to the captain and Theo, do we want to see that scene?
You told Humphrey 'tomorrow evening' [ref]. Is that the plan? Are you setting off in the evening? Or the morning after? Did you mean to say to meet 'tomorrow morning'?
Is it just Albert, Roald, and Daryl joining Humphrey tomorrow? There was implication that there may be more.

Theo looks a little morose. "I thought the college would just accept me, with open arms." He says, looking embarrassed (his father doted upon him and 'spoiled' him, and in his village he was probably the second smarted person —behind his sister—, and may be suffering from no longer being the big fish in a little pond).

"But they first want me to do all sorts of tests.. which are kinda hard, but I can manage them alright, they say. the problem is, they want a 'testimonial' letter, from someone important, and, even if my dad were willing, I don't think he is the sort of person they would consider a good reference."

He leaves the topic hanging, possible waiting/hoping for one of you to step in and offer a testimonial, or suggest someone who could provide such a thing for him.

He is really focused on his current dilemma, and probably views a trip to Olmsford as an unnecessary distraction. If it somehow helped him with is application, or if he were to be convinced that he is not going to get into college right now, he may be persuaded to join you... though his last attempt at adventure did not turn out well for him.

What do you do?

"I spent a week crying in a cage." Theo says to Roald. "I did not think it was something I wanted them to know. Do you really think such a story would sway them?" He is genuinely asking your opinion the matter.

'' You mean that you endured a week of torture after which you escaped and together with your companions rid the world of an evil cult that performed human sacrifices?''

Roald looks at Theo trying to say '' see what I did there?''

It's only when you are afraid that it is possible to be brave.''

"Well, it sounds great when you put it that way." Theo says dubiously. "But is that really what happened? I don't want to start my college career with a lie."

The idea of a heroic essay with his application is definitely something he is now thinking about. If one wanted to persuade him to join them on a quest, the ground lies fertile (just saying:).

What do you do?

"Really? You'll do that for me?" Theo exclaims excitedly. Your recommendation might not mean much here, but back where Theo comes from, you are kind of a big deal.

He nods sagely at your advice to 'not follow blindly', but his eagerness suggests he maybe considers that to apply to other people, of course.

"OK." Theo says. "... where's Olmsford?"

You have another companion.

What do you do next?

You sleep badly the night before you set out, your dreams invaded by images you can not later recall. Around midnight Theo awakes, screaming and clawing at his blankets in a desperate bid to get free of something, he guesses he must have been recalling being in the cage, but did not know he was doing so till one of you told him (or not, of course).

Humphrey needs to be roused from his of bed, and is grumpy until he has had his morning coffee, but perks up once you set off, waving goodbye to the ladies and the bouncer of the place on Postern Way, and also jovially greeting the guards at the city gate by name and confirming with them that he is, finally, off to get his carriages repaired and back to work. He does not mention your destination, and the guards do not ask.

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Dense fingers of mist roll in off the sea, and have not thinned at all by lunchtime. Humphrey says this is pretty normal as you are following the coast road, but even he appears nervous as you travel.

What do you do?