The Necessity of Travel

May 7, 2024 4:27 am

"I was thinking." Oxana says facing away from Tatianna as she pulls on a fresh set of linen underwear. "Maybe we should each get a tattoo or something that we could use to identify one another that can't be seen easily."

The scars from the tax mans whip are still visible on Oxana's pale skin.

"Maybe parts of a thing that make up a whole item." She says lacing up the front of her undershirt and turning about. "What do you think?" Oxana asks before pulling her skirt up and lacing that in place. "We can think about it." She finishes pulling on her top and lacing up her corset.

"Brother Irwin and Johnsan will likely be beside themselves with worry by the time we get to them so lets hurry."

Brother Irwin

testlum

May 7, 2024 6:10 am

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

Where is Johnsan? I thought he'd gone to the springs too.

Brother Irwin stands under the barren boughs of an old tree where the imperial road starts, waiting to leave. The sky is bright and a warm breeze tousles his pale hair, but his thoughts turn inward despite what looked to be a beautiful day. Being alone, away from the others he'd shared the disturbing day in Agnon's Wood with, did little to calm his unease. For a good while the scribe stares at nothing before he registers something strange in the air. A burning smell.

He shakes his head and rubs at his eyes, surveying the horizon for the source. In the distance, from the mountains, smoke furls into the air. The rest of them would want to know about this.

GameMaster Inactive for 1 months

May 7, 2024 3:29 pm

The Necessity of Travel

Johnsan spends his down time outside the town limits, walking his usual game trails. He is rather perturbed about what happened to him last time he went out hunting, and it is good for him to walk familiar ground where he can be safe.

Next time, I will take a buddy with me when I head out. This land seems much more dangerous than I initially thought.

As expected, he does not find any game, but spends his time drawing energy from his favorite creeks and clearings. When he returns to town, Johnsan is a little less on edge and is ready to take on the great unknown outside the village again.

Tatianna Andrevna

Ysolde Inactive for 4 months

May 7, 2024 3:31 pm

The Necessity of Travel

"Tattoo? Probably a good idea. Maybe some time when we have more time and, in the meantime, some easy phrase of confirmation. One all four of us can use, I'll think on it while we walk."

When they get to Brother Irwin, she greets him saying, "Hello Brother Irwin. Which way does the wind blow?" She wonders if he even remembers that this was her original code phrase and that he should say it blows ill from the north. They would really need to get everyone on board with something for sure.

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 7, 2024 5:32 pm

The Necessity of Travel

"What if we each had a phrase?" Oxana ponders as they approach Brother Irwin and Johnsan.

She grins at the young men as she waits for the Brother to respond.

GameMaster Inactive for 1 months

May 7, 2024 5:51 pm

The Necessity of Travel

"Hey gals, you are looking fine and refreshed! Ready to be off?"

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 7, 2024 11:57 pm

The Necessity of Travel

Oxana nods a smile on her face, "To the crossroads and then South to Dürward," she looks thoughtful for a moment, "should we check out the Saint’s tomb before heading south. It’s not far from the crossroads."

Brother Irwin

testlum

May 8, 2024 12:02 am

The Necessity of Travel

Brother Irwin sees the approach of the group. He greets them with a quick nod, and rather than words, directs their attention southward where smoke climbs into the sky. "That's coming from somewhere close to the mountains," he says. "People, maybe. I'm not sure. If we hurry, we might find out what is going on."

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 8, 2024 12:12 am

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

@Falconloft, the North - frozen mountains or the South - Ghost Cliffs.

Brother Irwin does not answer the phrase correctly so Oxana clears her throat and asks, "Which way does the wind blow Brother Irwin?"

Brother Irwin

testlum

May 8, 2024 12:35 am

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

Hmm, I think Falconloft might mean the mountains leading to the cliffs?

The scribe blinks. "I... What?"

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 8, 2024 1:19 am

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

I think so too but I want to make sure.

Falconloft

May 8, 2024 3:49 am

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

I did mean south. The cliffs are where the southern mountains hit the water!

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 8, 2024 4:05 am

The Necessity of Travel

"He doesn't know the phrase." Oxana says to Tatianna, she pats her hammer, "Do I bonk him or give him an iron bar?"

She looks at her friends, "Fae are repulsed by iron. Everyone knows this."

"We thought after the woods maybe we should each have a secret phrase." Oxana adds, "So we know who we're dealing with." She grins, "Pretty smart huh? It was Tatianna's idea, I wanted tattoos."

Brother Irwin

testlum

May 8, 2024 4:11 am

The Necessity of Travel

Brother Irwin shrugs. "If you mean the smoke, it's blowing from the south. As far as I can tell at least. And..." He frowns. "You keep mentioning these fae. I didn't, don't know what we saw in the abandoned village. The one that wore Johnsan's appearance." Something he didn't ever want to meet again. "What makes you think it's one of your fae?"

Last edited May 8, 2024 8:01 am

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 8, 2024 1:21 pm

The Necessity of Travel

"Because the fae are shapeshifters and tricksters," Oxana replies confidently, "they steal peoples babies from time to time and replace them with odd children."

"My far thought I was a fae child for a while." She says with a hint of pride, "I was odd and didn't talk till I was almost four but then I did and now I work iron so I can't be a fae right?"

Last edited May 8, 2024 1:21 pm

Brother Irwin

testlum

May 8, 2024 1:28 pm

The Necessity of Travel

"No, ah, I suppose not." The scriptures never made mention of fae, but it didn't say anything about face-robbers either. Not quite knowing what to say in reply to Oxana, he turns and nods at the road instead. "We should be off. It'll be harder to see the smoke when it gets dark."

Tatianna Andrevna

Ysolde Inactive for 4 months

May 8, 2024 5:53 pm

The Necessity of Travel

She shakes her head, "Well best not bonk him. He sounds far too much like Brother Irwin to be fae. In the meantime we need to try and remember a code word or phrase everyone can use to let each other know it’s the real us. We don’t want another fake Johnsan incident."

Oxana Goranova

Emberskyes

May 8, 2024 7:48 pm

The Necessity of Travel

"We really don't want that." Oxana says her stomach doing flips at the memory, "Are we investigating the smoke or?"

"What should be my secret phrase?" Oxana asks, "Perhaps something about how I slept and what my dreams were about."

Falconloft

May 9, 2024 7:13 pm

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

It sounds as though you're off. The conversation can continue on the way. I just need a destination. I've seen polls work good here in another game I'm in, so let's do it that way this time and then if anyone objects, we can figure out something else next time.

Where are we headed?

The Ghost Cliffs

Vote to view results.

Durward

Vote to view results.

St. Elbert's Tomb

Vote to view results.

Falconloft

May 15, 2024 7:25 pm

The Necessity of Travel

OOC:

I must have posted too close to the daily shutdown or something. Three games I'm in or running are missing posts I know I typed out. Sorry guys. I should have double-checked sooner than this.

You set off in the direction of the smoke. There's smaller roads that you can follow for a while, and then trails for a while longer. You pass the remnants of what used to be far-flung farms where the village's crops would be grown and then sold in the village market, but the crops that grow on these farms now are twisted and wizened, a paltry shadow of their former glory. You might be able to spend all day here and find enough food for one person.

As the farms fall behind, you find the forest growing taller around you, starting with the occasional shrub or bush a ways off, to more and more growing right up against the paths, and then as the paths get narrower, it becomes hard to tell if you're on one at all. Fortunately the smoke is a ready marker, so high above you, but even it becomes obscures are the trees close in and the older, taller growth covers the sky except for bit and pieces of sun stabbing through.

OOC:

We need two moves resolved. One move should have already happened: Plan Ahead. You set out in an orderly manner, so you'll ALL roll+Wits. On a 10+, hold 3, on a 7-9, hold 1. You can spend 1 hold to gain a +1 on a roll that you're making because of your Want. In other words, you don't just get the bonus unless you give us a bit of a story about why whatever you're doing is relevant to your Want.

Secondly, you're heading out to a place no one of you has ever been, and there's no roads straight there. So you'll need a Scout and a Navigator. Both of these people (and they shouldn't be the same) need to roll+Wits - after you figure out who's who of course.

[ +- ] Scout

[ +- ] Navigate

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