"Like I said earlier, I'm a historian of sorts, so if we are really in the past, I guess that could be handy. The name's Justin by the way." he says.
"Otherwise, of languages I heard smatterings of over there, I speak Latin, Spanish, and obviously English...don't think the Greek is going to be of much use here. Other than that I'm not too bad should we find ourselves in a scrape or two along the way."
Vincent scratches his head a bit looking a bit ashamed at being so out of place "Most of my knowledge is pretty current. I could potentially help with dealing with any animals, money, or medical needs. I suppose my experience in the wilds might help as well but I'm gonna be relying on you to help translate and such it seems." he said offering what little he felt of his expertise would be useful right now.
"I'm Daniel. Daniel Sutton," he introduces himself. "I'm a private investigator by trade. I do speak Spanish well enough, but I'm not sure how useful certain specific tricks of the trade will be here." He pauses to scratch his ear before he goes on. "I, uh, also did some other work on the side. Off the books, not always strictly legal. Some of those skills might come in handy."
While you are all introducing to each other make a perception + alertness roll.
"I'm Jessica Archer. I'm a lawyer. While this lets all get to know each other s&+% is cute I'm more concerned where the hell we are and who these weirdos playing dress up are. What's their end game? Do they want a ransom? And how do we get the hell out of here!"
As you all talk you note the closest wagon to you. The fire light illuminates the wagon to be multi colored and as you look closer you see a pair of ancient cloudy eyes staring back at you and realize it is a elderly gypsy woman wearing some sort of silver symbol around her neck which catches the light on occassion yet cannot be seen.
The wagon flap opens and for a moment you are treated with a mostly naked young and stunningly beautiful woman who says something in some slavic language stomping her foot and moving those curves in all th3 right ways and places before the curtain closes again and the darkness seems to swallow the old woman on the far side of the fireplace.
"Anyone care to take a guess as to why the old Romani woman is staring at..." Justin says, before obviously being distracted by something else.
With a half-smirk he says, "Maybe this place isn't so bad after all."
Vincent raises a brow as he listened to Justin's words, his eyes flickering and noticing the "show" but saying nothing for the moment. He shakes his head and looks at Justin. "If I were to guess, I would say the foreigners in camp looking confused and like a bunch of jackasses." he said shrugging slightly.
He decides that he would just start wondering the camp for now and checking out what was around them. He doubted this would prove to be all that beneficial given the language barrier but it didn't hurt to check out their "friends" just in case.
Jessica mumbles. "This will be the same but also different. Time does that."
She rises looking around, taking in her surrounding as if with a new perspective. "The only mystery isn't where we are... it's also WHEN?" Noticing the old woman and the moment of the dancing girl, who even she can't help but appreciate. "Hey Vincent, hang on I'm coming too." Jessica goes off following Vincent to explore the camp.
Through careful listening and asking you learn it is the year of our Lord 1434 and you find yourselves in a wagon train travelling to a merchant house in northern Italy with a retainer from the Venice merchant family Giovanni named Lothar.
The merchant train has picked up other wagons for safety who are also travelling to this meeting outside Venice.
Wagon 1: a soldier and his retinue
Wagon 2: a reknowned chef
Wagon 3: a Benedictine monk
Wagon 4: a gypsy grandmother and her stunningly beautiful granddaughter
Wagon 5: a reclusive man you know nothing more then he is a minor noble.
Still clearly unsure if she's gone insane, if this all a bad dream or on the really off chance that this is actually happening, Jessica drifts over towards the soldier and his men deciding it makes sense get acquainted with those of martial capability. After all, from she remembers of history, these weren't the safest times. "Hi, I'm Jessica Archer." she introduces herself. "How come you and your men are travelling to this meeting?"
The men all stand when Jessica approaches their camp fire and the soldier bows a small, curt yet courtly bow and looks to one of his men as you speak and the one man speaks to him and then the soldier speaks to you in what seems to be Italian and then the man speaks saying in what sounds like broken english but after listening you realize is middle english Lady Jessica, it is my honor to meet you. I am Bartolomeo Colleoni and these men are part of my mercenary company.
Jessica observes the interaction between the soldiers. Remembering victorian and middle age movies and tv she's seen, she decides on replying with a polite smile and what she remembers of a curtsey. She tries to mimic the language of that time, or what she thinks it was, "I am glad to have your company and that of your men, signor. These roads are dangerous for a woman to travel but I feel safer knowing I am in the company of such fine solders. She does her best damsel in distress impersonation while trying to sound charming and gently flatter the man without being too obvious. All this in the hope of learning something more about their situation and securing some protection.
Vincent paused and considered the information he'd found. He considered who he might talk to to try and gain more information, and had almost decided on the Military retinew when Jessica left his side to speak with them. He raised his brow but said nothing and instead considered the rest of the available people.
While the Gypsy woman and the rather unclothed daughter would be an interesting choice, he had to admit that it would be better to leave that to others. If his memory served him, Gypsies were typically not fond of outsiders and typically preferred languages he did not know. He settled on the nobleman and made his way towards them.
He raised a hand and "hailed" the wagon. "Good evening, you seemed lacking of company. I thought I might introduce myself and spend some time getting to know my fellow travelers. I am Vincent, Vincent Delaney." he offered simply to try and strike up a rapport.
As Vincent approaches a soldier stops him and says in broken English Lord Este is not seeing guests at this time Sir
Justin begins to wander around the camp, doing his best to eavesdrop on any ongoing conversations, as he tries learn more about what in the hell is going on.
(note Concentration merit and being able to shut out distractions)
Justin learns that Lothar the Giovanni servant and caravan master is well liked and respected and takes the evening and night watch every day preferring to sleep in his wagon where he can be not bothered. You learn that Lord Este is from Venice and has not come out of his wagon all trip. You also learn the old gypsy woman makes everyone uncomfortable and if not for the fact she was Christian and had such a beautiful granddaughter who eased tensions that things could have gone bad.
Vincent looks perhaps a bit more than mildly annoyed at the Soldier for stopping him so, but he takes a breath and nods. "A shame, let him know that others of the camp would appreciate the pleasure of his company if when he would enjoy it." he said trying not to sound annoyed.
Finding that avenue closed, he shakes his head as he returns to camp. He knew better than to approach the monk, not because they were unfriendly but because he knew he wouldn't do well at keeping his own foot out of his mouth about things regarding the spiritual side of things. Vincent had seen the world for what it was and if he had truly had any faith before, it was gone now.
He would be curious to talk to the chef, but he had a feeling that come after a meal he'd have a better opening to speak with him. Leaving him with only really one group left to interact with for now...he turned towards the Gypsy Elder's cavan and bowed politely and respectfully. "Good evening ma'am. I hope you take no offense to my company or intrusion....I had hoped to know more about my traveling companions and I must admit I enjoy learning about others ways of life." he said hoping to earn some favor with the woman.
The old gypsy's rumy, white eyes peer at you when you approach and when you talk she listens closely to the language and then she motions to the fire for you to sit and then she stands slowly and gathers a pot and a cup and offers you what looks like very dark coffee.
Just then a pot starts being beat by wooden spoon and all the wagons except Lord Este cone to the center fire and you all eat roasted pheasant and carrots with a good wine. It is all amazing and you realize you are eating without processing...
Vincent took the cup from the older woman and smiled politely, he sat the cup down and got his share from the cook and made his way back to the hospitality of the old gypsy and was curious how he might converse given what he assumed was a language barrier...or hell perhaps she was just quiet or mute.
Still, the pheasant with carrots was delicious and he partook of the dark coffee she offered.
Daniel is snapped out of his reverie by the sound of cooking implements and the smell of food. He lightly slaps his cheeks as he regains his composure. Enough standing around trying to figure this all out. We'll just have to go with it for now.
He takes his meal off to one side and begins to dig in. He finds it surprisingly tasty. A little unusual in how it tastes so much more natural than his usual fare, but delicious all the same. His eyes go back to looking around the camp, picking out the different groups and individuals and mulling over what information he might be able to get from them. "So then," he mutters between bites. "Which of you do I talk to first?
The meal finishes with each group sitting amongst themselves until the lead monk stands and delivers a short prayer for the group in Latin upon the finish of which the group splits up to their wagons.
He listened to the Sermon from the comfort of the "company" of the Gypsy's wagon area. He looked around as the others turned in for the night unsure what to do himself given their unusual predicament?
The grand daughter comes to sit with you and the old woman after dinner Vincent and after a bit will start teaching you what you think is Russian by the point and repeat method.
Joel finishes his private talk with Rodrigo but he is no closer to finding any answers than he was before, it's as if Rodrigo believes Joel has always been here from this time.
Joel heads over to Vincent whispering, "Sorry, got sidetracked for a while. That guy I was just talking to is one of my trusted employees back home and he is acting like I've always been in the here and now with him.
Maybe we're all in some sort of shared delusion? Maybe we were gassed, I've heard of stranger things done to soldiers by the military..."
The night continues to pass uneventfully and in the morning you all wake in the same place you were before, a wagon train born for northren Italy. The frail old grandmother sleeps inside her wagon on the ride and you see no sign of the young beautiful girl either. In their stead an older wagon hand rides on the gypsy wagon steering it with the other wagons down the road. The noble is also not to be seen as well. Finally, the soldiers riding along serve a simple breakfast and a prayer for those up early enough and then you break camp and are back on the road.
Joel stays close to his "companions".
"Well, shared delusion seems to be out as an explanation. Something has happened to us, something... I can't explain and I've seen a lot of crazy s&+$ and death.
I say we ride this out and see where it takes us as we don't have much of a choice in the matter anyway. Let's stick close together and see where we end up. Maybe there will be someone who can explain what has happened to us where we are going".
"I'm not sure we really have much of an alternative." Justin says.
Vincent attempts to use his newfound toddler like understanding to offer to try and drive the carriage for the older wagon hand. He figured this would at least make him seem useful.
He nods to the others "Yea, might as well attempt to make ourselves useful and go along with this until we can figure things out."
Rodrigo speaks of you with much resoect, a former elite fighter in many wars across Europe until you took up construction and destruction of buildings. Rodrigo is the hiring and site boss of your construction sites where you have several crew travelling with you now to do some light work you have been hired to do at the Giovanni mansions.
[ooc]3xp for a new skill and then 2x current level for cost to raise so 2 for lv 2, 4 for lv 3, etc
Joel chuckles at Rodrego relaying a history known to him but of another time and place played out here in the past, "It seems history does repeat itself. Or does history mirror the future?"
Joel speaks with his fellow time travelers, "My life here is not much different than my life in the future. Odd. Regardless, our final destination is where I will be handling a construction project for this Giovanni family. If you all do not have anything else to accomplish, you can blend in as part of the crew for now. Until we can figure out how the hell to get back to our own time, if we can".
"Construction? What he f%!# do I know about construction?" Justin asks rhetorically. "Without a better plan I suppose that will have to do for now."
"I'll teach you enough to get by, to be honest, I am not sure what I know about it back here as opposed to what to do in the time we're from..."