Nic watches the whole exchange silently, resting his tired legs as he sits on the discarded log.
Shaking his head as they prepare to move on, he reaches out his hand, "I'm Nic." He avoids cutting his eyes over to all the Thrane-haters, "From Thrane."
He also takes the opportunity to try out a small cantrip, both curious about the paladin and how the cursed lands will affect his magic.
The paladin indeed has magic, his plate armor is magical, and he has an aura about him.
The paladin indeed has magic, his plate armor is magical, and he has an aura about him.
"At least someone here has the light of the flame inside their soul." says Leonardo, "Now, are we going to stand here or are we going to have that glass of wine or not?"
Vorik shakes his head in disgust "That has to be one of the most unmanly statements I've ever heard"
"Well boys... Now that we have stopped all of this theological pissing match... How about we leave here?" The Elf grins, running his hand through his hair. "Master Paladin, I would love some of that wine!"
"This way to Thrane!" the paladin says, flashing a smile that would melt a hag's heart. He then marches out of the green grove and into the cloying gray mists.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." whispers Kaius.
Dakvor was silent during the tense conversation between Leonardo and most of the group who clearly have prejudice against Thrane. The war wounds are indeed still fresh.
The young half-orc monk looks closely at the rest; patiently waiting for the others to follow Leonardo.
Well if my guess is right Darius would initiate following Leonardo as he quite nicely put it that the pissing match is over and it's prudent that we now move on.
Not having a clue what else to do, Nic follows the paladin with a shrug to the others after Kaius's whispered words.
Whistling a faint tune to himself, Darius followed the man, not looking back to see whether the others did also. 'Best to just go on with this, till we have a stronger place from which to work from!'
Vorik sighs, then follows Darius, keeping an eye on this so called Paladin.
___
Time passes, and you make your way to the border. Jumpy and uncomfortable in the mists, the trip seems to go on for ages, but luckily, none of the supposed monsters of the Mournland attack you.
After what seems to be an eternity of marching through the mists of the haunted land, you arrive at a river bank. The water is rushing and deep. The paladin marches up and down the bank for a while, before settling on a place, muttering "Here, it has to be here." Leonardo strips down to the bare essentials, placing his armor in a backpack, and begins to wade in. The paladin seems to have no qualms about swimming across the river.
You can see the other side, but the water is wide and deep. What do you do?
-- Leonardo treads water, about 10 feet out from the shore.
Darius takes a couple of steps back, away from the waters edge. With a grin, he darts forward and leaps, () landing lightly on the Paladins head, before kicking straight off again, ().
Bones decides to remove his armor make the swim easier. Death by drowning is not one that will get him into a bard's tale. Once that is done he will take 10 on the swim check.
Darius' leap, landing him on the paladin's shoulders, draws a grumble from the knight, but an amused laugh from Ria. Her and her crew (Til clutching onto one of them as a small child would) remove their excess clothing, putting it in bags if possible, and begin to swim across
Ria and her crew make little, if any, progress across the water.
On Darius' leap off the paladin he lands on a sand bar - exactly what the paladin was looking for!
I took 10 so my swim check is a 14.
Vorik eyes the water warily "Wait, you want me to remove my armor?? and swim across??"
Vorik eyes the water warily "Wait, you want me to remove my armor?? and swim across??"
Seeing an opportunity to get under Vorik's skin:
"You can swim without removing it, but I would not advise it, and if that other paladin can make it surely you can. Then again, maybe his deity just cares more about him than yours do about you. If it really bothers and you don't trust your gods to help you out I can build a boat if you don't mind waiting a few days."
Bones treads water.
"It looks like you'll have to." Kaius says, as he reluctantly begins to wade into the river.
Nic eyes the water warily. "Hmmmmm."
He seems to be about to ask a question when he stops, shrugs, and begins a slow chant. Then he begins growing... and growing. After a few seconds, he's standing twice as tall as any of you, then he begins to march across the water.
As Vorik begins to complain about his armor, Nic looks back with a smile, "Want me to carry you or something?"
The water is over 10 feet deep in parts, although it appears that the section the paladin led you to us riddled with sandbars.
"Come now Master Vorik, why so glum? Surely it is THAT time of the year again? You know... Your bath? It must be... You are beginning to smell faintly!" Grinning, Darius pulls a length of rope from his backpack and an arrow from his quiver. Tying the arrow to the rope, he pulls his bow, which has here to remained dry, from his back and turns to face back the way he had come. Raising the bow, he sights at a solid looking strip of bank, close to where Ria and Kaius had entered, before taking a deep breath.
Grinning, Darius slides the bow back on to his back, before grabbing the rope and gripping it tightly, setting himself as best he can.
"The bank wont hold it folks but it is the best I can do. Ill hold as long as I can if anyone needs the help!"
"It's not the swimming I have a problem with, rather I just hate having to part with my armor. I feel naked without it, it's an integral part of who I am. It would be like if you were suddenly stripped of your wit and charm Darius" Sighing heavily he removes his armor, clearly unhappy about it, and wades across the to the other side where he quickly re-dons his armor.
Bones treads water.
"It looks like you'll have to." Kaius says, as he reluctantly begins to wade into the river.
Bones dons his armor, and smiles at the angry look on Vorik's face completely unaware his joke may have gone to far.
Leonardo easily naviagates the powerful currents of the water, swimming to the middle, where he stands on a sandbar waiting for the rest of the group to catch up.
Nic follows after the paladin, using his vastly improved height and weight to try to avoid having to actually swim.
Before Bones has a chance to don his armor, Vorik walks over to him and punches him in the mouth "Don't you ever speak that way about my family's religion ever again or next time I'll run you through."
Before Bones has a chance to don his armor, Vorik walks over to him and punches him in the mouth "Don't you ever speak that way about my family's religion ever again or next time I'll run you through."
Bones is surprised, but takes it as a reminder this one is not as even tempered as other paladins he has met.
Bones thinks, "I guess making religious jokes to someone who is all about religion is a bad idea".
After regaining his balance:
"Ok maybe I took things too far, but you sure did get across that river fast." , Bones says with a smile even as his lip is bleeding.
Darius laughs softly and shakes his head, watching the Paladin deck the Dwarf. "Fun times ladies and gents, fun times!"
"Come on you fools!" shouts Ria, "A tale of infighting is not as interesting as a tale of high adventure!"
Kaius swims further out, his thin yet muscular body skirting through the water, keeping pace with the paladin.
" You should learn to be more respectful of a man's family and their traditions. Surprised I need to tell a dwarf this though. And your right, I did get across the river fast, cuz my gods favor me, and are more than just some spooky voice in some oddly colored flame"
" You should learn to be more respectful of a man's family and their traditions. Surprised I need to tell a dwarf this though. And your right, I did get across the river fast, cuz my gods favor me, and are more than just some spooky voice in some oddly colored flame"
With a grin about to swallow his entire face.
"Vorik you can't criticize me and then make fun of the flame in that manner can you?"He then looks to see if the other paladin is listening.
"Sure I can, my gods have done nothing to you. The Flameics on the other hand, killed my descendants, because we worshiped differently. Thus, I can and will say anything I want about their special little flame"
Nic looks back with a smirk, "Lead by example, eh, Vorik?"
The paladin, captain and crew, and Kaius make it across the river.
The paladin, captain and crew, and Kaius make it across the river.
"Sure I can, my gods have done nothing to you. The Flameics on the other hand, killed my descendants, because we worshiped differently. Thus, I can and will say anything I want about their special little flame"
"I would love to actually debate this seriously, since everyone has their own side to a story, but we got places to be. As for Thrane, I say we stay together until we get to Thrane, and then Sir Leonardo can go on about his business."
Dakvor looks calmly at the flowing river and sighs inwardly. I guess it's about time we all take a bath anyway.
As he hears the bickering between Vorik and Bones that seems it may get out of hand, the half-orc monk thinks, Yeah, a bath I hope calms us all
And so he did and enjoyed the waters for a while.
"Lets leave the theological debate to another day yes? This is foolish. Lets just be about our business. My pockets are terribly light!" Darius grumbles softly.
Vorik begins the trek to get the hells out of the Mournland. He asks Darius to scout ahead, but to stay close to the group. As the man heads out he says in voice low enough that only the rogue can hear "If your worried about your pockets being too light, perhaps our Flameic friend can donate to the church of Darius??"
"I expect his pockets are a tad light at the moment but my bets is his Estates aren't!" Darius winks at Vorik before chuckling.
Turning, he slides off in to the land ahead, crouching low, moving swiftly.
As you all successfully make your way across the river, Darius lands gracefully on the sandy shore and goes into a crouch, looking around he spies nothing alarming, but does spot a village or small hamlet a mile inland.
The paladin, still drenched wet, turns his eyes to the group, "While my country is often unkind to visitors, I owe you my life. I am more than willing to lead you to whatever town you would like, and make sure you do not run into trouble there... if that is possible." He eyes Darius while making that last remark.
game still going?
Vorik gazes sternly at the other Paladin "I am not all to certain I want Flameic hospitality, though if you could take us to a nearby town, that would be beneficial, provided it's a town with actual people in it"
"Oh that is gratitude... I fight in your corner then you suggest I am a trouble maker? I am shocked!" Darius laughs softly and shakes his head.