Lalai was quite surprised by the turn of events. She had counted on a hard fight with this mob and was astonished her own words served to find a peaceful solution. Still, she was not satisfied and watched them a bit warily.
Those are strange folk. I´m not sure i like them. If everyone is free and equal, how am i supposed to get back what was taken from me? My house, the family, the servants, the slaves, all the trade goods? mhhhh...but then i didn´t like to be a slave myself. Horrible time, don´t want to remember. More important, it was undeserved, below my station and power! We will see. Perhaps they can be free and still serve me. First i need to survive this and watch what happens to Korgunaard.
Her normaly friendly face bore a very calm expression suddenly, like a marvel statue. She was so busy with her own thoughts, she didn´t participate in talks for some time. Instead she stood there, watching the stones.
As Nemburri dropped by she turned:
Idiot! You may be free but that doesn´t protect you from being silly! Do you always speak of things you know nothing about in this way? A sorcerer king just tried to kill him! Even though you call him Great One i´m pretty sure he has no interest in you or any other slave, except seeing you alive and happy. Ala´a speaks of fire, but there is more to this. I saw it myself! An overwhelming force and power, but not like the destructive one the dragonkings use. A healing one! In time, it will heal you too.
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You are right Hecco! Using magic doesn´t make people evil. It´s evil people that make magic evil. What did you name him? Gossamer? I saw something similar what you describe in my visions, at least that´s what i think. We will see what comes out of this. First he must be protected and survive though! Ala´a says the truth though, i can testify that. His mere presence calmed down a whole tribe of the kreen people, they would probably have eaten us else.
It seems you are a good person Hecco. May i ask you a favor? If you hear of any threat to us or Korgunaard, please give us a warning. And if it´s just that the mood drops.
If we have to talk to every single one now i´ll go crazy. Can´t they just name a speaker and make up their mind? Perhaps this is one of the weaknesses of everyone being free. They all have their own opinion. How can they make decisions or operate? Or are they just a horde?
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In a calm minute when no one was near but her friends, Lalali asked them: What do you think about this no masters thing? Isn´it a bit frightening? All of them just doing what they want? How can they operate and reach decisions?
After the initial confrontation was resolved, Barega pulled Ala'a aside and indicated that he was going out to scout and would return after a few hours. He walked a ways off into the desert, furtively glancing behind him a few times. When he was out of sight and sure he was not being followed, he crouched low to the sand and went through his painful transformation once more.
The vulture climbed into the sky, heading to the west. It spent the next few hours circumscribing a large circle around the camp looking for other travelers, the abandoned oasis that the freeman had mentioned, strange migration patterns in the movement of the desert beasts, or anything else of interest. He then returned to the camp to report his findings, taking care to make his final approach low to the ground and to land out of sight of the others.
...
Barega returned as his companions were speaking with the Freemen. He paused his approach when he was just inside earshot and listened to the exchange, with some trepidation. These travelers were foolish, sectarian, niave, emotional, short-sighted -- a dangerous collection of dry tinder. He hoped he would be away with Korgunard before the storm struck and set them ablaze.
When the freemen had wandered off, Barega rejoined his companions and gave his report about the surrounding area.
Barega considered. "They will do what they can to survive, as do all creatures. Some will not survive, and then their ineffective paths will end with them. But many paths are adequate. The strong eat the weak, and survive. Or the weak band together for their greater good, and survive. The fast may evade, and survive. The stealthy may hide, or steal the fruits cached by the unwary, and survive. All of these paths and more, they will travel."
He paused. "I am not sure that I understood your question. In any case... these folk are dangerously ignorant -- I think we endanger our task by speaking so freely with them."
Thanks for letting us know.
I just returned from a weekend long unexpected trip; I'll catch up in the next day or two.
Game on!
Gbaji listened to the arguments of the two strangers, but he didn't reply. He wasn't too sure about anything right now. But even so, he wouldn't give up Kornugard now without a fight. They had battled and tricked their way out of Urik and across the desert towards Tyr, and he'd be damned if he was going to give up now. The others rebuffed Nemburri's arguments so he didn't need to get involved. He smiled as Lalali tore a strip off the man - the little human girl was surprisingly fiery.
But when she asked about the perils of being free, it was his turn to become annoyed. "My master just sent me out into the arena to fight people who I had not argument with. He didn't care about me. I lost my family when he bought me like a kank. If I'd died he wouldn't have even thought about it, except maybe if he'd been betting on the outcome.
"I've lived in Tyr, without a master. And it's not always easy, having to decide what's best for you or for others. I've made mistakes, but they were my mistakes to make. I'd have that anytime to a master who doesn't care."
Turn 041 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
PS: Yes, we have slowed down a bit and that's my fault for not pushing but, quite frankly, I've been busier than expected. I hope everyone is OK with the pace but let me know otherwise.
Gbaji came out of the dark dream. It simply confused him, leaving him with a sense of dread he could not explain. The face in the stone seemed significant, but he did not know what any of it meant. He looked around at the others.
"Anyone know what that was about?"
*********************************************
Ala'a woke from the strange dream slowly, replaying the images in her mind.
"Toward Tyr, but not to it ... and not by the roads," she said. "That's something, at least. And that mountain with the face on it seemed important - is that anything you recognize, Barega?"
Ala'a thought hard about the places she'd seen or heard about in her travels, trying to dredge up some memory of a narrow canyon and a rock spire with a carved face in it near the Tyr valley.
~~~~0~~0~~~~
After the others had offered their obvervations, Ala'a quietly maneuvered the group and Korgunaard toward their wagon. Trying to be subtle about it, she directed her companions to lay out their bedrolls in a circle around the unconscious preserver, ensuring no one else could approach unnoticed.
"We'll set a watch as we normally would. I think the Free mean well, but there's no sense taking chances," she said.
~~~~0~~0~~~~
The next morning, the elf priestess approached Elentha and took her aside as the other members of the Free shared a cold breakfast.
"I'm not sure what you had in mind, but I think it will be safer if we go on with Korgunaard alone," she said. "Large groups draw attention and - as we all saw in Urik - there's a greater chance for betrayal. If the Free don't object, they could help by covering our backtrail and harrying anyone that follows. We seem to have lost Hamanu's agents several days ago, but templars have a way of turning up when it's least convenient."
Barega paled as he shook himself free from the vision.
He spoke in a low voice. "I do not recognize the place. But we may follow the setting sun toward Tyr from here, without meeting the road for the entire trip. There are foothills along the way; perhaps we will find the ravine. I do not think we will see the stone man -- I think it is... a symbol. It is hard to explain, but the stone man's face...to me, he feels like the wind, or the land. Under assault."
He moved as if to stand, then crouched back down somewhat sheepishly. "We should leave at first light."
Guys, I'm getting ready (working overtime) to go on a two-week vacation and won't be back until June 22.
As such, I won't be able to dedicate any time to the game.
Sorry but please don't expect to hear from me until then.
Enjoy!
Hey guys,
I'm back (been back since Monday) but, unfortunately, I'm not feeling the urge to get the games up and running at this time.
I won't lie and tell you otherwise. The simple truth is that I rather spend my limited time doing other activities.
As such, I'll put these games on indefinite hiatus. Good players that like to write are not easy to find so I'll contact you when the urge strikes again (I know it will).
Thanks for your time; it's been lots of fun.
Game on!
No worries Fabian - hope things get better.
Allright, happens. Hope your situation gets better soon should you have problems.
I have to say, this format here is very good on the one hand, on the other a bit taxing though^^ So i can understand.
I had hoped to sneak in a player here though and even was prepared to give up my spot for him.
So if the rest would continue in some other game, i would be happy to introduce that person. Due to some circumstances i think PbP might be a very good fit for him, but it´s difficult to get into good games.
Understood Fabian - thanks for communication and the gaming we did have!