|
"Well thank you, I forgive you Joseph. Oh trust me, I trust you especially over this group of ruffians you call 'friends' or 'companions'. You know once we close down a gate that the Soul Lords created I could guide you in tuning it so you could look at your wife, maybe even talk to her." The sword replies and casts cure moderate wounds upon Joe healing .
Before Joe can even finish his questions the sword begins to answer, "Oh my edge will never dull, well I do like moleskin and other soft skin but it is more luxury than... wait, what did the WARLOCK MUMBLE! Is it time?!" The sword stops mid thought obviously seeing that Joe noticed something it did not and ready up to any task at the moment.
"Well thank you, I forgive you Joseph. Oh trust me, I trust you especially over this group of ruffians you call 'friends' or 'companions'. You know once we close down a gate that the Soul Lords created I could guide you in tuning it so you could look at your wife, maybe even talk to her." The sword replies and casts cure moderate wounds upon Joe healing 2d8+5.
"Wow! Really?" asks Joseph astounded. "T-that sounds great!"
Then the paladin feels the unique feeling of positive energy washing over his body from Excalibur. He's felt similar sensations when in deep mediative states back on Earth, but this feels much more tangible, and powerful. Joe lets out an audible sigh of relief.Before Joe can even finish his questions the sword begins to answer, "Oh my edge will never dull, well I do like moleskin and other soft skin but it is more luxury than... wait, what did the WARLOCK MUMBLE! Is it time?!" The sword stops mid thought obviously seeing that Joe noticed something it did not and ready up to any task at the moment.
"Not yet! not yet." Joe says in a calming tone. "It was nothing!" The paladin makes a gesture for the warlock to get off the ground.
These were new hunters, best to take the safe route, Sven thought (and said).
During the first hour Sven and Frank do their best at imitating a boar call in order to bring them into the trap successfully capturing one by knocking it out and cutting down the other boar. Nothing the second hour. The third hour is productive knocking one of the boars out and killing two more as they come into the trap and the geoup ganging up on your quarry. Besides the boar calls to draw your prey into the trap minimizes your exposure and negates the chance of other surprises.
|
She meditates and listens to the plan, as the boys get quiet she slowly crawls over on hands and feet. With the unactivated lightsaber in hand she waits with them for the boar to come into the murder hole. After the initial barrage she gets into a flanking position and strikes with a humm as the beam of energy slices the air and soon after flesh.
After killing a boar she asks, ”Should I take my weapon to the corpse and makes sure to cautarize the wounds or would it be better to let the blood flow?”
———
After the four hours she asks, ”Five boars and there is five of us, should we burden ourselves and go for a few more? I know carrying one will likely tire me out quickly.”
|
|
”We should go, we don’t want to burden ourselves. We can always come back. Let’s see each boar is about 200 pounds. Two alive would be 400 silver or 40 gold, then three dead would be 600 copper or 6 gold, making the total 46 gold roughly. That should get at least three weapons and some armor too. Jellena I will help you, I will likely tire quickly too without help.” He says as he calculates mentally.
Artemis walks through the portal, landing onto the ground as he looks around quickly. He leans down and grabs his rifle, hoisting it on his shoulder to be held up by the strap on the underside. He does a quick search, able to find all six clips of ammunition within a few feet of where he picked up the rifle. Holding all six clips in his hands, he empties his pockets as he figures out to store all the ammunition on himself. Placing one clip in each of his back pockets, he places the remaining 4 in his front pockets, stuffing his wallet and phone/phone charger in case it would be helpful down the line. Reading the sign, Artemis smirks a little before sighing, "The greatest journey begins with one step they say...," he walks from the sign into 'New Beginnings' as it was called. Eying the two large buildings, Artemis walks into The Pig's Roast.
Outside of the tavern you see someone sitting in red scraps with a hand lifted palm open.
Within the tavern called The Pig’s Roast was a quaint almost classic tavern. After entering to the left was the bar which ran the length of the building. The wall behind the bar holds an assortment of weapons, a flail, a halberd, several different looking daggers, and an assortment of varying sizes swords.
On the right side of the tavern was a great fire place with a roasting pig on a spit within, slowly being turned by a ash smudged child of no more than six winters. A giant boar’s head with tusks at least a foot long is mounted to a plaque over the fireplace.
There is only one patron sitting at the bar finishing his meal, he has a shield on his back and a long sword sheathed on his belt. A large scar falls from his temple to his chin, his neck length black hair barely covering it. The bartender is partly bald with brown curls clinging to the side of his head, he is well overweight with a rotund stomach before him. He looks up as Sven enters the tavern and heartily says, ”Welcome to The Pig’s Roast, what will you have?” The bartender says, ”Mead. That will be a silver or an ale will be 2 copper, one moment please.” With a bit of clinging glasses and looking below the bar the rotund man stands up and places a pint before you in a glass mug.
The hunting group begin tocarry their boars but soon realize that it is too heavy for the group to carry. At present it will take a few days to get back to the town of beginnings.
Artemis would look over towards the bartender as he called out towards him, listening to what he had to say, before glancing around the tavern. Artemis takes a seat not too far away from the other patron. "Do you by any chance have some water?" Artemis asked, "I don't exactly have money on me to exactly pay for mead or ale."
"And I'll try to carry what I can", the paladin interjected. "I have broad shoulders. Sometimes things are easier for me to carry there."
”A good idea. Let’s move quickly then. This much meat will be sure to attract predators. And it won’t stay fresh long either. You and Joe make the sled. I’ll smoke the meat, so it won’t spoil. We’ll need salt to keep it for any length of time though.”
"But, Sven", Joe interjects. "the innkeeper said nothing about having the meat smoked. Just very fresh or still breathing. If we smoke the meat, we may not get paid."
”True...true. You make a good point. Alright, let’s get this done with.”
= 20 minutes later and 3 of the boars are strapped to the sled, leaving the last two boars in the hands of Joe and Frank,
It takes you about an hour to leave the forest easily guided by Sven and Frank. Then back to the village of New Beginnings after a few more hours, with no troubles on the way.
Determined and sore, Joe, with Excalibur in his sheath, helped carry their quarry to The Pig's Roast's door.
Breathing hard and sweaty, the out-of-shape paladin grunted, "Someone..tell the guy..we have..his boars!"
Artemis raises an eyebrow at the mention of outsiders, before digging through his pockets and pulling out his wallet. Taking the IDs out and putting them back into his pocket, Artemis would place the wallet with money on the counter, beside the water mug. "This... this is what I'm willing to trade for money, I'm too attached to the rest of my items." Artemis pauses for a few, "What would you say this is worth, the whole thing?"
|
|
She smiles at Joe and the others who graceouly carried the boars, ”No worries gentlemen, I will speak with Roland on your behalf. Take a load off and I will get a round ready for you.” With that stated she turns around and enters the tavern.
A woman in a scantidly clad outfit likely from your previous world, comes into the tavern like she owns the place. She walks up to the bar and says excitedly, ”So Roland, we have two boars that are alive and out cold, then three more that we had to put down. What should we do with them? Also I would like eight ales for my parched friends outside.” She also eyes the items on the bar next to Artemis.
Artemis would turn around away from Roland to look at the new arrival, glancing up and down as she talks towards Roland before turning around back to the barkeep. He would shift a little in the seat before looking down at the small array of items on the bar, being one brown leather wallet folded up, with $9.41 in assorted coins and cash being laid out beside it.
The paladin sits down a few feet from Frank. Joe looks to see what the warlord is looking at.
"I wonder what the night sky looks like on this world", Joe guesses out loud. "Imagine..new constellations. Maybe even more than one MOON!"
Joe's expression went grim. "I'm not in a hurry to forget my former life..or those we left behind."
Roland nods to Jellena and asks, ”One moment, I need to finish with this lad first. If you have them bring the boars around back next to the shed back there, not my workshop. I will give you 6 silvers for the lot, lad.”
Later Roland brings a tray with 8 ales balanced out to the back. Likely with Jellena’s help he passes them out and then instructs the men to move the dead ones into the shed and let them hang on the hooks. ”I will get them skinned and cut soon enough, bring the living ones over here.” Bringing them over to a large pen complex, Roland opens two empty pens to put the living and out cold boars securely away.
Roland eyes the two before him now and thinks to himself before thinking out loud, ”about 180, no 190... and... 170... that would be 360 sp, then 20 sp for the ones in the shed. That means 420 sp, I can probably pay out half of it in gold and silver but the other half will need to be creidt. 110 silver and 10 gold. Does that work for you, oh and the ales and dinner tonight is on the house?”
Artemis frowns a little, thinking a little bit before shifting a bit and looking up at Roland, a little nervous about his request, "How about eight silver for the whole lot? I know the coins and paper money wouldn't be worth much except for melting down, but the wallet can be used to not just carry money, its pockets will serve you well as a small organizer for notes or reminders."
Seeing Artemis, Sven grunted and pointed at the man. "Look. Another fool that sticks out like a sore thumb and has no idea where he is. He's probably one of us. Who wants to go collect him and answer the same questions that we all asked?"
Frank puts the rusty sword back in the barrel.
"Thank you Roland, I could use one of your blades. A rapier, longsword, or scimitar would do nicely if you have one. Some of the others may need a weapon as well."
"I'll just be happy with a little walking-around money", confesses Joe, seeing the small return. The paladin stops and gives his collar a sniff. "Aand maybe a bath, and some laundry..or just someone who can teach me the prestidigitation cantrip."
Seeing Artemis, Sven grunted and pointed at the man. "Look. Another fool that sticks out like a sore thumb and has no idea where he is. He's probably one of us. Who wants to go collect him and answer the same questions that we all asked?"
"Allow me", breathed Joe. A tall and broad, overweight man in his forties with a shaven head, with full eyebrows and a mustache, with a golden hilt poking out from behind his back walks up to the impressively armed man and asks, "So, are you from Earth or other Parts Known?"
22 silver and 2 gold for each of you and that again in credit.
Roland agrees to the 8 silver for Artemis’s stuff.
Roland offers a suggestion after your comments, ”I would suggest going to a proper town to join a guild. Each town is aligned more one way than others. To the North is mountains and is more chaotic. To the South is plains and is more lawful. To the West is savannah and is more good. To the East is swampland and is more evil.”
Roland opens a chest and pulls out a rapier, he handles it a bit before handing it to Frank. Then he opens up a book and after turning a few pages crosses his finger over the page and states, ”Well uh Frank. The price of the rapier is 20 gp. The blades and weapons inside are master craft and cost at least 300 gold each. I could make you a longsword or scimitar but you will need to still come up with more gold to pay for them.”
rapier, longsword, or scimitar
1 means he has one
22 silver and 2 gold for each of you and that again in credit.
Roland agrees to the 8 silver for Artemis’s stuff.
Roland offers a suggestion after your comments, ”I would suggest going to a proper town to join a guild. Each town is aligned more one way than others. To the North is mountains and is more chaotic. To the South is plains and is more lawful. To the West is savannah and is more good. To the East is swampland and is more evil.”
"Interesting", the paladin considered. "I'm for either The South or The West."
”I say north. It is too hot down here. Just not south. South is always hot.”
Sven tossed his two gold to the man. ”Wouldn’t forgive myself if you bled to death because you didn’t have a weapon. But you better use it to save my life to make the gold worth it.”
Artemis nods and turns around towards Joe, glancing at the golden hilt before noticing that he still had his own weapon holstered on his shoulder, "It was the gun, wasn't it?" He nods a little, "Yeah... I'm from Earth, decided to request this from a goddess that gave me a single wish/ability," gesturing towards his rifle before pondering a bit before adding, "But now that I think about it, a rifle might not have been the most inconspicuous object to request."
The paladin sticks out his hand for a shake.
I'm Joe, formerly of Michigan, USA. And the gift the Goddess gave me is sitting between my shoulder blades. He's Excalibur. Apparently THE Excalibur."
Joe looks to Roland. "The ale here is good. I reckon you're welcome to join us as we determine which direction we're heading."
Artemis would take the handshake offered, "Artemis, before I came here, I lived Delaware, USA." He would blink a little at hearing it was THE Excalibur, "Excalibur or not, I would not want to be on the receiving side of that..."
|
|
Frank nods to each of the men.
"Thank you both. I will protect you as I would any friend. I will pay you back as well. Double in fact. That's my rule. A friend gives you something try and pay it forward but double the efforts. So here you go Roland with mine and Delman's cut as well as two gold from Sven should cover the Rapier. Thank you. It may be hot Sven but sticking with good and helping them first if they are having trouble with the dark souls may be easier just as they may be more hospitable to us and our funds as do gooder adventurer types. So I would vote South, and since I'm from Florida I doubt the south will be that hot." Frank smiles and laughs a bit.
|
|
With a coy smile she pipes up with a sassy attitude, ”But my hair hates the heat.” After a few moments her smile breaks as she laughs, ”Just joshing you, I am fine with either of the selections, though I would suggest good over lawful.” She takes her ale and walks into the tavern hoping the others will join and meet the new recruit.
Inside she has a seat and kicks her shoes off before putting them on an adjacent chair, continuing to drink, now her second ale.
Roland nods and gives Frank the rapier. Taking the tray with any empty mugs in with him. He nods at Joe’s compliment and simply says, ”Thanks.”
As the others enter into the tavern he asks, ”Did anyone else need a weapon? I also have a chain shirt, chainmail, and a breastplate that I could adjust to fit you.”
Joe frowns, "I can't afford armor at this time."