@ Silas The brothers look at you, glance at each other, look back at you, and shrug. Sten asks, "As long as you don't scare the beasts away, you are welcome to follow tomorrow. Come - tonight we celebrate the promise of a new day on the road!"
Tomid and Silas enjoy a festive evening with the Tinkers - in fact, you wonder at how...tame...their celebrations seem. Perhaps they are tempering their jovialty because you are leaving at first light and it will be a long day of travelling... Still, you have a wonderful night of eating, drinking, and dancing.
[ooc]But of course.[/dice]
Tomid is enjoying the different culture and actually trying not to be the center of attention. He listens to all the conversations, storing away details to follow up on later and generally learning who is who in this mobile community. But when the music starts and dancers begin to dance he has to join in. He watches carefully, tapping his foot the almost irresistible rhythms, trying to understand the movements and footwork and finally he asks his host to dance.
S'mantha, if you wouldn't think it too forward of me for askin, I'd be honored if you'd dance with me. he glances over to Nate to make sure he has offered no offense.
If S'mantha agrees Tomid will lead her by the hand to into the ongoing dance and starting out slow, at first following her lead do his very best to learn the dance, adding in his own flourishes before he is finished. He will be happy to dance with any of the young ladies there and even with the children.
At first light, the Tinkers set out to their next city, heading northward along the main trade road. The wagon train and riders stretch almost as far as the eye can see, slowly moving along like some giant, multi-colored millipede. You were matched with Tinker families and have the option of storing your gear and riding on or in wagons or walking alongside. There are outriders who scout ahead and alongside the column, disappearing for hours and suddenly reappearing to pass on tidbits of information about conditions ahead.
Tomid and Silas have met their hosts already. Abigail and Grizelda are partnered with a middle-aged mother, Trix, her teenage son Alec and daughter Elayna. Alec and Elayna are performers - their specialty is a martial combat dance that looks like an epic fight between them. You discover this as they are practicing some moves next to the wagon and you wonder why their mother is not ceasing the increasingly fast and furious blows.
Hugo and Doc are travelling with the Tinker's brewer, Hoffie. He has a still set up in the back of his large wagon and a few barrels of beer fermenting or other spirits aging...Hoffie is VERY outgoing and gregarious - quick to laugh, slow to anger.
Zinny and Gossamer are travelling with N'lin and his daughter Lauren. They are traders of various items, with special trays built into the side of their wagon that fold up or down to display their goods.
Once Tomid sees Alec and Elayna dance-fight he is mesmerized by it and asks to learn more about it. I been trainin to do somethin like that, only I don't got no partner. says rather longingly. Teach me?
As much as I would appreciate meeting my host, our mission might be bereft with danger. I have to spend this night close to my family
Before leaving he inquires wether or not he can bring extra luggae, namely water barrels.
Doc is no stranger to strong and bad smells, he immediately recognises the fermentation for what it is.
Hello, Hi. yes, *ahem* i am Doc Ginley, i am the apothecary back in town. I couldnt help but notice, you are brewing some beer here. What is it? Ale, stout, pilsner? Hum? I use to brew some a little bit before the kids came along. Nothing too great but always fun to do right. Oh what is that, is that malt liquor?
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Abby watches the performance with interested eyes, smiling and laughing once she's discovered it's not an actual all-out brawl between siblings. "That's wonderful," she compliments when they've finished for a moment. "I've never seen anything like it."
You know? Now is a great time. Sidling close to the children, she asks "Is there anyone in the camp who you'd consider a trained wielder of this?" she asks, unsheathing the rapier on her hip slightly. "Truthfully, I hardly know how to use it, and I would love to be instructed by a learned teacher."
In the hours leading up to that night's festivities in the Tinker caravan, Brother Silas Benedictine keeps himself busy in Sten and Jakob's home. He adopts a small sitting table and lays out the hundred or so fishing hooks he purchased, some with four hooks, others with only three, or two, or just one. Each is suitable to spear a mealworm or a cut of baitfish, but their purpose seems wholly unique for Silas. Using a tool from his tackle box intended to bend and clip stubborn metal hooks, he places the hooks together in small designs, twisting and clipping each combination until he holds a small charm in the shape of a stag. Where the hooves would be, the hooks are clipped, and where the head and antlers would be, the hooks are twisted back harmlessly to form blunt nubs. He runs a bit of twice around each one so that it might be hung upon a strip of leather, or a bracelet or necklace, or even just upon the lapel.
He does work with a practiced familiarity, but not so much familiarity that he is immune to the perils; by the time he has completed his collection of charms, his hands have been pierced and scratched several times and show the dried bloodstains of his progress. As he is cleaning his hands with a little bit of water and a little bit of gin from his holy symbol, Jakob and Sten return with a young woman in their company. Jakob introduces her as his wife, Leah.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am," the priest smiles, her tender eyes striking him with their intense marine azure. It takes him a moment to continue. "Your husband has my gratitude for opening your home to me while I do the work of my god. What meager returns I may offer, he can offer a hundred fold."
Silas is acutely aware of how tame the celebration is that evening after the sun has gone down. He remembers many nights outside of the city, years ago, with caravaneers. You never gave them the chance to steal the shirt from your back because you never wore it when you came. Chest bare and, in those days, hairless, he would partake of their strange bathtub beer and their meat and their women. No tribute ever seemed necessary. Ecstasy from their cup overfloweth and one night led to another and another until he awoke naked in a pig sty or in the middle of a cornfield or in the branches of a magnolia tree. These thoughts are with him as he shares in what these Tinkers have to offer, these memories of his youth.
And then something terrifies him.
It lurks in the silence between the drumbeats. In that moment during Tomid's dancing where he reaches the apex of a movement and, for a fraction of second, stills before swinging his legs and body in the opposite direction. An arrested development.
The halfling is a black shadow against the bonfire, and Silas begins to quake from somewhere deep inside. Death marked the end of everything: memory, experience, joy, ecstasy, the future, value, worth, meaning. The quaking turned to a cold shiver when he dared to let himself consider that the path he had placed himself on, the path of an adventurer, was a road well-worn by death.
A sudden mouthful of warm liquor washes away the cloying cold and Silas expels his unreasoning fear with a shout of encouragement for Tomid. "Wonderful! No doubt Sarenrae has made your feet as light as the air itself!"
Jakob and Sten smile without showing their teeth, Sten moreso than Jakob. Leah does not smile at all. Her tender eyes seem wearier than her years, and she leaves their small gathering. Silas looks after her, and then at a stoic Jakob, intent upon a thought behind his eyes. He takes the rest of the night to get to know the Tinkers, asking about things you might expect a priest to ask about, such as what the predominant faith of the tribe was, where they had traveled, when Jakob and Leah had been wed, had the tribe ever crossed Varisia, what would they being doing once they reached the Pass, how Jakob planned to raise his children. Innocent questions that all nonetheless told Silas a story...
The following morning as the brothers leave for an early hunt with the priest in tow, he gifts them each with one of his charms. "The God of the Hunt is sure to be with us."
He even gives one to Leah with cousinly warmth. "It is the custom to grant a matching one to the wife. When her beloved wears one, Erastil is sure to see him home to her."
Never dropping his gaze from hers, he then pins one upon himself, and smiles.
On the hunt, Silas is eager to learn what he can from the brothers about the ritual and the science of the hunt. It was remarkable he had managed to make it this far in his conceit without ever having hunted so much as a pheasant. If the brothers' experience could lend his persona some verisimilitude, he could not turn it down.
Grizelda had begun to regret agreeing to travel with the Tinkers. The family was nice enough, but Gregor was quite unsettled by all the ruckus of the youths "play-fighting" and she struggled to find anywhere near the caravan quiet enough to study in peace. She found a nice sunny spot sitting atop one of the wagons during the travelling that suited her needs for a time until she realized that reading while ones seat is being jostled, bumped and rocked underneath you can make gazing at words on a page a little nauseating.
The strange spices they cooked with still irritated her nose and gave her wind, much to her dismay. She was certain she would succeed at offending everyone somehow before the day was out. It was going to be a very long trip...
The next day, following the usual quiet evening with his father, Hugo left the house while the sun had yet to rise. As early as he was used to get up, it wasnt often that he would rise this early, the sun painting the horizon with a soft glow in anticipation of traveling across the sky yet again. Knowing the Doc had spent his night with the family, Hugo made his way to the Ginley house, setting down outside the door and waiting. After a little while, the Doc exited, whispering his goodbyes to the wife before shuttting the door and realizing Hugos presence.
"'Ey Doc, ready ta get goin'?" he said with a smile. "Is real excitin' ta be goin' wit da Tinkers aint it? I mean, its sad why wes is goin', all dem sick people...but still excitin'."
Continuing to chat up the Doc during the short walk outside town, Hugo greeted their host Hoffie with a vigorous handshake when introductions were made.
"Ya makes beer do ya? Yer alrite in ma book den Hoffie!" He laughed a bit, before setting his backpack and breastplate down, looking at Hoffies wagon with a searching eye.
"Were do I put ma stuff den? An' wat do ya want me ta 'elp wit? Papa didnt raise no slacker, ya just tells me wat ta do."
@ Tomid: The twins Alec and Elayna are happy to show you some of their moves - especially after your phenomenal performance the previous evening. After an hour or so learning the basic stances, blocks, kicks and hand movements, the twins pronounce you a natural and send you off to practice what you have learned. They make you promise to come back tonight when the caravan has stopped to “show them something unique.” You spend the rest of the day practicing and thinking how your acrobatic tricks can be incorporated.
@ Abi: Trix is very proud of her children and accepts your praise of them. She answers your question about the rapier and if anyone could train you in its use, saying ”Oh, J’Taan over in the silver and blue wagon is our blademaster. If anyone can help you, it would be him! He likes fresh bread and wheat beer - bringing either will help convince him to teach you a few things. That is a unique medallion you wear - might I ask what it stands for?”
@ Doc & Hugo: Hoffie just about talks your ears off! How can one man talk for so long about beer and whiskey and brewing and distilling and ingredients and mash mixtures and aging and the right kind of barrels and where to get the best water for each and what the best temperatures are for every kind of malt beverage and distilling and…and…and…Somehow, in all of this chatter, you learn his still never stops; in fact, it is boiling away in the back of the wagon as you ride along. At lunch he opens a small petcock valve and draws out a small shot of the distilling alcohol, sniffs it and takes a swig, rolling the sip around in his mouth for a minute. And that is the only time he stops talking…then he passes the rest of the shot to Doc for a taste. You also determine he has at least two large barrels of fresh water in the back - both holding fresh spring water and serving two purposes: for condensing the alcohol vapor from the still and in preparation for making the next batch! About mid-afternoon Hoffie puts Hugo to work, carrying a small keg around to all of the other wagons and offering a small mug of beer for each Tinker that wants one. This takes Hugo at least two hours and involves a fair amount of running and walking and carrying the cask - luckily your hardy nature and upbringing allow you to endure the task without dropping you in the tracks!
@ Silas: Jakob’s eyes narrow as you talk with his wife, but he merely watches your conversation. Leah half-listens to you - she only has eyes for Jakob. The next day during the hunt, you manage to avoid breaking any large branches or trip over any roots, and even spot a set of wild boar tracks before either brother. "Well, well, little brother, looks like the soft priest has a good set of eyes, at least." The hunt goes well, and you all return to the still moving caravan about two hours before they stop for the night. Although tired and covered in sweat and dirt, you are proud of yourself for actually helping supply meat for tonight's stew.
After a long, dusty day on the road, the caravan stops and moves off the road, setting a hasty camp up in an open meadow near a meandering stream. the animals are watered, fed, and put into a makeshift pen off to one side, while a large central fire pit is dug and a blaze started. Soon there is food cooking, music playing, and folks walking about to talk and visit.
Having a good time, Tomid feels safe and sees little reason not to enjoy himself, but tries his best to remain both helpful and courteous to his hosts.
Lost in a fermented haze, Hugo spent the night drinking...heavily, dancing...badly, and eyeing the women...shamelessly. As the night was drawing to a close, he spotted Zinny across the camp, his vision blurry. So blurry in fact, he didnt recognize the woman, but instead saw someone else.
"Angel!" he yelled out, rising too quickly from his stool and promptly losing his battle with the copious amounts of alcohol, falling flat on his face.
When next he made a sound, it was a loud snore.
Thoughts of Leah distract Silas during his morning hunt with Jakob and Sten. Down in his darkest of hearts, he wonders what Leah would do if something were to happen to Jakob on his hunt, gored to death by a wild boar or mauled by a bear. She would be sure to weep, and she would need someone to comfort her. While he and the brothers wait and listen for the telltale sounds of the boar rifling for hillside truffles, Silas rubs his hand up and down the soft and supple bark of a yew tree, daydreaming of his comforting hand upon Leah's back, her cheek, her breasts...
"Well, well, little brother, looks like the soft priest has a good set of eyes, at least."
Soft? Too meek to speak before the brothers, who have been nothing but kind to him and his company, Silas instead makes a crude face while they aren't looking and runs a hand along his midsection. It was true. For a brief flash, he remembered his younger days when he could go shirtless and wow the caravan girls, but years of Daggermark's cheeses and wines and home cooking and comfort had added just enough padding to obscure his tonality. A difference markedly clear on the young brothers' washboard abdomens. By comparison, he was the wash basin.
It became more clear to him when they returned from the hunt. Leah was happy to see Jakob return and barely paid any mind to the priest, even though he was the one who found the tracks. Rather than become bitter, Silas just became sad. Oh, he hid it well behind his smiles and greetings to his adventuring companions who had joined the caravan while he and the brothers were out on their hunt, but it gnawed at him nonetheless.
No youth. No Leah. No love. But plenty of booze, and Silas partook to fill the void. Never had he been a mean drunk, or a sorrowful drunk. The priest was very much a happy drunk, and it became clear as peeks into his past became clear. For that night's celebration, he throws his inhibitions to the wind and, in a desperation to recapture old memories that even he is too far gone to recognize, goes topless and musses his hair and shares a hundred stories with the Tinkers and their company.
"There was a year where I worked as a courier and delivered, in the course of a single day, over one hundred and twenty packages to one hundred different locales in the city. Every other courier in the city was hungover from the Settlements Festival the night before, so I approached a Tien friend of mine who operated this hand-pulled chariot he called a, ah, rickety-shaw! Because the silly things were so rickety! Well, after losing several spokes and nearly breaking the axel..."
"...and that's how I knew where to have the church built in Daggermark. The grass was greener on that side of the town. It was a sign, and these are the things I pay attention to..."
"...they call it chasing the dragon. A few drops off this stuff through a sugar cube and you're in another world. Now, the Brevic princess and I couldn't possibly be seen together on the streets of Absalom, at least not while her family was engaged in diplomatic talks with the prince..."
"...well, I said to him, I said, You there! Unhand that woman! Ruffian that he was, he obeyed, but only so that he could use the same hand to wring my neck! Now, as a child, I was never much of a fighter, but when a woman is the victim of such violence I simply cannot, I mean, simply cannot abide it, and so with all the ferociousness of Old Deadeye in the back of my hand, I rebuked him heartily until he cowered and begged for forgiveness. And I said unto him, it is not my forgiveness you should seek, brother! Look upon her face. Look upon it! And now tell me, can you ever forgive yourself? For that?..."
"...and I awoke in hell. Not the kind of hell populated by fiends, but a hell that resembled the trappings of my own life. Fire everywhere. And looking into those flames, I think...I think that is when I first realized that nothing is lasting, nothing is enduring, except for faith..."
His final story is mixed with just enough of the truth that he frightens even himself, and before long he has broken into song, hoisting aloft a hefty Tinker brew.
♪ O the magic of their singing of the songs we love so well
"Shall I Wasting?" and "Mavourneen" and the rest
We will serenade our- ♪
"Tomid! Tomid, there's harmony here! I know there is, c'mon, sing along!"
Silas sings a warbly third in falsetto, more or less, and if Tomid knows the old drinking song, he's close enough for horseshoes.
♪ We will serenade our lovers while life and voice shall last!
Then we'll pass and be forgotten with the rest. ♪
The priest lifts his hand as though he were directing a temple choir.
♪ We are poor little lambs who have lost our way, baa baa baa.
We're little black sheep who have gone astray, baa baa baa.
Tinkers and songsters off on a spree, damned from here to eternity!
Gods have mercy on such as we...baa baa baa. ♪
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Abigail smiles at Trix, lifting it from her neck to show her host. "It's a symbol of fortitude in the face of danger; What gives men courage, what gives them hope and what brings them luck. The mark of the God of Luck, Cayden Cailean, the Lucky Drunk who watches over all those who adventure and all those who need courage in their hearts. Patron saint of dogs and barmaids, as it were," she says-- finding that she could go all day about her Lord, she calms herself and thanks Trix for the tip.
Abigail listens to Silas's drinking song with raised eyebrows and a laugh caught in her throat. She finds it impossible to drag herself away for several stories, graciously turning down alcohol and spirits and everything else offered to her-- and when they push a bit too hard, she accepts in a humble manner, drinking one large tin cup but no more. Abigail was a barmaid-- of course, despite her sleight frame, she could hold her liquor and of course she knew when to stop.
Finding her hands full with yet another large stein, she tastes it-- wheat beer-- and it reminds her of what she was supposed to be doing. Taking the stein, she begins to search the crowd, trying to find J'Taan by name alone.
Traveling with Hoffie is a blessing to Ginley, all this talk of distilling and vapors and condensation fills his minf with new theories. On such that he could potentialy vaporize his own aura to cloud over his extracts creating an infusion that could be drank by potentially anyone. He takes a lot of notes whenever the road allows and otherwise talks excitedly with the brewer.
After supper has been had, he goes to see Hoffie and, during chores, cajoles him into letting him have a taste of his favorite concoction. When the drinking really starts it takes little time for the apothecary to be flushed in the face, he starts laughing a sort of goofy, hiccuped and contagious laugh Hyuk Hyuk Hyuk. He listens to the stories of Silas and others and before long tells some himself that should probably have remained confidential.
So Clement, you know Clement right? Sandy hair, brown eyes, smells a bit like pickled eggs. Hyuk hyuk yeah, so Clement he comes to the shop the other day,hyuk hyuk and he looks at me dead serious and he points down and says "There's an itch" hyuk hyuk hyuk so I say to show me and I look to his crotch right and he says "No Doc, not me pecker, me foot!"hyuk hyuk hyuk. SO he pulls his boot off hyuk hyuk Whoo and there, oh my, the worst case of foot fungus i've ever seen. I mean not just the foot, the bloody thing was all the way to the knee Hihihi.
After Silas finishes his song, Doc gets up onto his seat and proclaims loudly that He too has a song to be sung. His voice is untrained but years of singing lullabies have paid off. His gentle baritone drifts into the night quite unexpectedly.
Here! Here!. I have a song to be sung as well.
All night, all night
I've thought of you, I always do
At times I have failed to size
You know I miss making love to you, you
I always do, while I'm away from you
I miss your warm hips
I miss your soft kiss
And what your green eyes do when I'm touching you
So please, don't forget me
I would wish for you but you won't come true
While I'm away from you
Every night I turn out the light
And I dream of you babe, I always do
Hold tight, you have to enjoy life
As long as you're what I'm coming home to the skies are blue
While I'm away from you
While I'm away
While I'm away
While I'm away from you
After he finishes his song he says something about needing to tame a snake and disapears into the underbrush. On his way back a root ambushes him and he falls flat on his face and proceed to remain motionless for the rest of the night as he passes out right then and there.
Grizelda felt very out of place among the Tinkers. She had expected as much, really, but she was something of an oddity in Daggermark, so it surprised her that she was nigh invisible among the colorful people. But going unnoticed can have it's advantages and when her curiosity gets the better of her, she quietly casts Detect Magic and walks about observing the company of travelers.
Before too long, the girl Elayna brings her a steaming mug of something that smells strongly of cinnamon and clove and explains that it should help with her congestion. She eyes the brew suspiciously for a moment before tasting it tentatively.
"My my, that does clear the passages, doesn't it? Mmm... Quite tasty too. Thank you, child." Grizelda gulps the hot drink greedily and finds that when she has finished one mug, the young girl has fetched her another. She hardly realizes she has been drinking a rather strong beverage until she is at least 3 cups in. By then the damage is done and she is making a clapping, flapping spectacle of herself as she laughs and listens to her male travelling companions spin their tales and sing their songs.
She looks for Zinny and uses Prestidigitation to conjure a small handheld fan that she uses to play peek-a-boo with Gregor, trying to amuse the children and Zinny by changing the color of the owls feathers every time he peeks around the fan.
Zinny feels like a child again among the bright Tinkers, and, encouraged by some of the Tinker girls in their skirts and flowers, is eventually drawn from her shyness to join in in something like a folk line dance. She is definitely nowhere near Tomid's grace or skill, possessing only a simplistic enthusiasm for the joining hands and going round and round in the circle around the fire.
Her momma's dancin' is nothin' like this. Her momma dances so men get thoughts, and that's not a sort of dancin' Zinny's ever learned. This is just... fun an' free, dancin' cuz there's joy in it.
And after the dancing there's so much good food and beer...!
Zinny remembers Momma's words about A lady never indulges to excess, however, so she is careful to politely decline after the third round.
There's a moment that makes her blush-- Hugo goes calling for his angel, and she stares across the camp at him, sure that everyone is watching either her or him.
Maybe he's really talkin' to Gossamer. Who knows.
Red-faced, she enlists the help of a few of the less-drunk young men to drag Hugo back to his bedroll, so nobody steps on him or spills food on him. She's strong, but she dunno she can lift Hugo when he's dead weight. He's a big boy.
After that Zinny seeks her own bedroll to turn in early, and have dreams of laughing faces and twirling scarves, music around firelight, all the million wonderful stories Brother Silas told, and nobody unhappy with anybody else, ever.
@ Abi: Within 10 minutes, and after having to ask only 3 people, you find J'Taan, an average looking man with a slight pudge and short cut hair with grey throughout. Although he doesn't look like much, you know after years in the tavern to always judge a person by their actions and not their appearance. He talks with you for a while, listens to your request to teach you how to use the rapier, and agrees to teach you what he can. Its a good thing you controlled your drinking, because the next two hours are the most physically demanding you've ever experienced. J'Taan puts you through the paces, teaching you basic stances, footwork, how to grip the weapon, how to move and block and strike, how to stand, how to breathe. Your mind is almost as exhausted as your body when you finally make your way to your bedroll. But you impressed the blademaster with your tenacity and athletic skill (gained from dodging drunk and grabby customers...) and he expects to see you every night for the rest of your time with the Tinkers to continue your training.
@ Tomid: During the evening (before you get too plastered!) you find the twins and go over your moves with them again, even adding in a few acrobatic moves adapted from your bar-jumping tricks. One move in particular, a flipping twist back-kick in the air, so impresses them that Elayna insist you show her again. But as impressed as the twins are with your 'dancing' skills, the audience most enraptured with your moves are all 5 and under. Jak and his pals are truly mesmerized by their 'Toad' and follow you all night!
Stealth vs. Perception
Initiative
Randomizer
It took some of you the better part of the morning, and a lot of water, to finally lose the hangover and get the cotton out of your mouth. Luckily for everyone except Tomid, your Tinker hosts only tease you a little but generally leave you in peace. Tomid is not so lucky, having to endure his little fan club and their unending energy and noise…
The road is mesmerizing - it stretches before you in an endless ribbon, broken only by the occasional stream or fallen tree. It is midafternoon at one of these fallen trees, as the wagons roll around with the forest close on either side, when a giant spider the size of a man jumps out of the trees and attacks the caravan! The caravan is spread out along the path so you are in various locations. It takes one full round of movement to get to the next caravan section.
**Front**
Silas
**1/4 back**
Doc, Tomid
**1/2 back**
Grizelda, Hugo, Zinny, 2 Tinker Guards
**Back**
Abigail, 2 Tinker Guards, Spider
Doc, Hugo, Silas, Tomid and Zinny manage to spot or hear the spiders when they approach - everyone else is surprised.
Surprise Round
Spider -
Tomid
Doc
Zinny
Hugo
Silas
Tomid enjoys his evening: The food, the drink, the dancing, the story telling, and the young ladies. He gets a little carried away with the dancing and incorporates his scimitar in a dervish demonstration, parting silk scarves tossed into the air and leaps and tumbling and shouts. He had hoped to impress the ladies present, but partly due to the amount of adult beverages he had consumed, managed to only impress the kids.
Undaunted, he accepts his audience leading them off to a separate small fire and telling his best stories of princesses and heros and dragons late into the night. And as he reaches near the end of his best story he thinks to himself Perhaps I should have had one less glass of wine. as he passes out mid sentence.
Tomid wakes to the thunderous sounds of normal camp being broken. He does not recall that they are normally so thunderous, and had to cover his ears with his hands to stave off the pain of the noise. He risks opening a single blood shot eye and light lances into his brain without mercy. Ouch, ouch ouch! he manages trying to hold both his ears and his eyes at the same time. Slowly he manages to sit up, unsure if he is going to be sick, not wanting to, but betting he would feel better if he does throw up. Scents of breakfast cooking adds to his nausia and as he tries to lay back down for just a few more hours of rest he is accosted by shouts of Toad! Toad is finally up. Look how funny he looks. as Jak and his friends pile into the wagon and right into bed with him.
Finally rising and dressing he drinks the large glass of water that Jak had fetched him. He eats a small bit of food as a test run to breakfast and says to himself Thats it. I'll not drink any more. as he goes to look for Doc, hoping he has some remedy to save him. As he begins his search he adds with a smile. Of course I'll likely not drink any less either.
Later in the day he is resting in the back of the wagon feeling a little guilty for not helping more with the morning's chores, and letting the sway of the the travel rock him to near sleep. Looking back over the long train of movement behind him he watches the steps of the horses, content to pull their loads after a hearty breakfast, and the colorful troop on the move, and the spider, at least twice his size, attacking one of the tinker guards. Wait, one of these things did not seem to fit in. His fatigued brain takes a moment to process the information.With a start he leaps to the ground and begins to move towards the massive creature unsure of what he will do when he gets to it, and also unsure what warning to call out. Calling "spider!" seems to fail to convey the urgency.
Zinny's ambling along enjoying the morning sun. She woke up with little bit of a headache, but having stopped early the night before means she's nowhere near as badly off as some of their little group.
She gawks for a frozen second at the ginormous spider. Only when the Tinker guard screams as the spider savages him does she jerk into motion, running forward to try and help the poor man.
Her fence-post is in her hands as she tries to cover ground back towards the eight-legged horror. "Abby! Watch out!"
Round 1
At the commotion from the rear of the caravan, Silas, who had been chatting pleasantly with the driver, jumps to his feet and steps up to peer over the top of the front wagon and to the back. Upon seeing a man-sized spider assaulting the guard and leaves falling from the tree where it leapt, he turns his eyes to the branches above their own heads to see if another one lurks in waiting.
Should he spy one, he points it out with a finger and a shout, but doesn't stay for long!
At the sound of screaming, Hugo looked up from the road, having been walking alongside the wagons. Upon spying the giant spider, he looked at his wagon longingly for a moment, thinking about the breastplate within. But there was no time for that, so instead he brought out his hammer and sheild which he thankfully had on him, and charged towards the thing.
Fighting nausea brought upon by the movement of the cart, the sight of the monstrous spider chills his heat with fear. Cold sweat covers his body while a scream gets stuck in his throat. Adrenaline kicks in a second later and he vaults from the cart and runs toward the spider some distance behind Hugo.
Round 1
>Grizelda<
Spider
Tomid
Doc
Abigail
Zinny
Hugo
Silas
Tinker Guards
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**Front**
Silas
**1/4 back**
**1/2 back**
Doc, Tomid, Grizelda, 2 Tinker Guards
**Back**
Abigail, Hugo, Zinny, 2 Tinker Guards, Spider
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The spider bites one of the Tinker guards, but thanks to the quick actions of your group, the entire caravan is alerted!
Trying to get the spider of the poor guard, Tomid steps forward, pulls his short bow, and takes a shot at the very large spider
Round 1
Round 1
When in doubt, hit a spider with a big stick! Zinny stares at the enormous eight-legged horror, eyes wide, but she can't let herself stop and be afraid. That poor guard's gonna die if she does. If he isn't already dead...
Round 1
Grizelda looks up from her book with wide, searching eyes at the commotion. When she spots the spider looming over the wounded guard, she makes a sound of alarm that sounds much like a chicken being stepped on and plops down from her seat. She launches Gregor into the air and hustles toward the spider pointing her finger as if to admonish the creature.
From the tip of Grizelda's finger comes an oblong sphere of green liquid, shooting towards the spider. However, her aim is a bit off and the acid flies wide.
The spider attacks the guard again, clearly looking for dinner tonight!
Tomid fires off an arrow, hitting the spider in the side of it's abdomen and drawing it's attention from the guard...
Round 1
Grizelda
Spider
Tomid
>Doc<
Abigail
Zinny
Hugo
Silas
Tinker Guards
Round 1
Doc keeps running until he is about 20 feet from the spider
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Abigail draws her sword quickly and decisively, menacing the spider with the sharpened tip. "Leave him alone!" she cries, and tries her best to mimic what J'Tann had showed her.
Of course, she's frail, slow, and weak from training. She does as much as hold the sword and will it to kill the spider, faintly jabbing once or twice as it weighs heavy in her hand.
With a roar, Hugo charged at the spider, his voice cutting off abruptly into a different pitch like an adolecent boys. The previous night of vigorous singing and hollering had left his throat sore and his voice raspy. His hammer arm however was well rested and ready.
After Tomid gets the spider's attention with his arrow, Hugo and Zinny combine to squish the eight-legged monster! And by squishing, I mean they hit it with such force with their blunt weapons that spider-guts are splattered over an 8-foot radius! If the Tinker guard wasn't suffering so much from his bite and others weren't so terrified of becoming the spider's next meal, the Gallagher-esque splattering would be almost comical...Thankfully, no other spiders emerge from the woods and the caravan proceeds without further incident.
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At camp that night stories are told of your bravery, embellished more and more as Hoffie’s brew is liberally consumed. Zinny and Hugo get the most attention, due to your spectacular obliteration of the arachnid. Your mugs are never empty, people continue to bring you food all night, they want to dance with you around the central bonfire, and ask you to tell the story of how you slew the hairy beast that almost ate Fred (the guard). Tonight, Zinny and Hugo are the heroes of the night and have earned a new name - “Spider-slayers.”
But others actions were noticed, too…Elayna came to find Tomid after camp was set up and her chores were done. She grabbed you by the hand and pulled you along through the camp, saying you had to practice your moves some more. She leads you to the outskirts of the wagons, where you have more room to move and are less likely to accidentally knock into someone. You may wonder where Alec is and why he’s not practicing with you, but Elayna merely shrugs and claims not to know. After an hour of practicing the martial dance and trying some new moves with weapons (your scimitar dance inspired her), Elayna calls for a break. She pulls a basket out from under a nearby wagon, sits against the wheel, and pats the ground next to her while looking at you. She pulls some food out of the basket and divides it into two portions. While you eat, she keeps glancing at you and asking about the spider attack. You tell her all about it, embellishing your actions (only a little!) and enjoying the way she is looking at you. And then you notice how closely she is sitting – you can almost feel the warmth of her body next to yours – and how her green eyes sparkle when she looks at you. She leans towards you, closes her eyes, and gently puckers her lips for a kiss…
Abigail, flustered at herself for not doing better today, finds J’taan for another training session. He can tell you are not focused on his lessons, though, and correctly guesses that you are stewing over the fight and how you did not even score a hit before it was all over. Instead of practicing physical routines, he talks with you for at least an hour about the mental aspect of fighting. As a new understanding begins to sink in, he orders you to your feet and you practice your sword forms. A peace comes over you when you stop thinking about what you are doing and just let your body do what it has been taught. Your mind contemplates the why while your body accomplishes the how of fighting. After the physically and mentally demanding practice, you thank J’taan and head for your bedroll, almost oblivious to those around you. So, when Sten steps out from the shadows and says hello, you nearly shriek! ”M’lady, forgive my brash tongue, but I could not help but notice your bravery today during the attack, and watching you now with old J’Taan was like watching the goddess herself dancing with death. Tell me, are you a hunter or a great warrior back in Daggermark? You move with such grace it would be an honor to dance with you - without the sword, of course!”
Zinny seems as surprised as anyone else that she hit the darned thing. Well, smackin' an ugly eight-legged thing seems about as hard as smackin' a grabby man at the brothel. That night, the tall girl is flushed and giggly as a girl half her age, unwilling to turn down any of the booze the Tinkers willingly give.
"HEAR THAT HUGO?! WE'RE SPIDER-SLAYERS! LIKE ONE-TWO BAM! MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT AN' WE'RE GONNA BE REAL BIG HEROES!"
Thanks for deafening everyone in a ten-foot radius, Zinny.
Hugo guffaw'd heartily at Zinnys alcohol induced mirth, thoroughly enjoying seeing the woman come out of her shell for once. Emptying his tankard, spilling more than a little in the process, he answered with a mischievous tone. "AAAHAHAA, YAH DATS RITE, BUT YA KNOWS, I WUS DA ONE WOT KILLED IT. SO YER KINDA MORE LIKE A....A....uhm...SPIDER uuuuh DIS-TRAC-TOR, AINT YA?! He slapped her on the back with a laugh, accepting a fresh mug of ale. Lowering his voice, he added solemnly "Bah, but aint about WHO done da last 'it anyhow. Aint many stories bout 'eroes who done it alone, ya knows? Is about teamwork, an' even if it dun last but a moment, taday ya showed yer gonna step up an' 'ave our backs, ma back, wen tings start gettin' messy. Dat means more dan all da last 'its in da world." Cheering up quickly before things had a chance to get too serious, he nudged Zinnys shoulder with his tankard, before raising it in a gesture of "cheers" and emptying it in one ravenous gulp. Standing up with a slight wobble he offered her a hand, a big grin splitting his head from ear to ear. "Ya knows, I aint seen ya dance yet Zinny. I wus kinda 'opin' yer as bad at it as I is." He barely contained a boyish giggle as he waited for a reply.
"NUH-UH! I BASHED ITS HEAD IN AN' YOU JUST PULPED WHAT WAS LEFT OVER!" This very loud, mock-argument is being conducted with no real regard (by Zinny at least) for actual facts.
She sobers up (kinda) when he does, nodding as earnestly as only someone several ales into their evening can manage.
"Well yeah. Got yer back, an' Abby'sh an' Doc'sh an' Tomid'sh an' Brother Sh- si- sish- Shylass, an' miz Owlll, an', an', an' errybuddy. We, we oughta swear one of them. Oath things."
Casting about for something to honor with a sacred vow, Zinny picks up her big fencepost. She squints at it a second-- oh, the wood's kinda gunky with spider juices that didn't really wipe off in the grass. Oops. Water would be good but water is awfully far away.
She dumps some of her ale on the club instead, managing to even get most of it on the wood. Don't Brother Silas do somethin' with... consey-crated wine?
"...Uh... so this is blessed," she mutters. "Cuz of. Um. Cayden. An' Erastil. Like Erastil grew th', th' wheat, see, an'... anyway thish is holy, so-- so on my weapon--" it's got to sound like it does in the stories, all big and noble and things, "I... swear 'm... alwaysh gonna have your back, alla you. Your backs. Yours backs. The backs of alla my friends. An' 'm gonna stan' side by side with Hugo like sholdiers an'..."
It's probably just as well Hugo's invitation to dance interrupts the rest of what could have been an interminable oath. Sober!Zinny would sheepishly duck and mumble at Hugo's invitation. Drunk!Zinny promptly drops her club, gets to her feet, and drags Hugo to the center of the campfire ring. "Don't go trippin' now, Hugo, yer a heavy fella to move around!"
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Abigail weathers his flattery with a nervous smirk and a raised brow, startled. "I appreciate the kind words, but, hardly," she says, and recovers from her shock mostly, hands checking her belt to re-sit it properly. "I'm a barmaid. And about as good with a sword as a child, as it is," Abigail sighs. She puts her hands on her hips. Blue eyes stare him down for a moment.
"Dancing's about all I'm practiced with. I could sing a tune while I did it. And if you shoved a tray full of beer steins in my arms, I could carry it around as graceful as a dove." A bit dismissively, she waves. "Where are my manners? Thanks for the compliments. I'm just... tired, and a bit exhausted, and a little rude. I hope you can forgive the goddess-of-death-dancer, though that's hardly a title that rolls off the tongue."
She keeps an eye on him. Tinkers were supposed to be crafty, and as a young girl, she knew what she was in for if they turned out to be like the dark rumors said. Abby's hand strays from her sword, of course. She was born in a house, not a barn.
All Hugo could muster in reply to Zinnys words as she hauled him off for the dance, was a surprised "Bwuh?" Truth be told he had been expecting to have to argue with her about the matter, but not this time it seemed. He had even been so sure about it, he had given very little thought to how he was supposed to dance in the first place. He really was that terrible at it.
When Tomid is congratulated on the shot he stammers a little saying It was a lucky shot. I had to do something to save Fred, right? Good thing for me Zinny and Hugo were there. Did you see the way that thing turned to look at me?
Later when Elayna finds him he his delighted to go along. He practices hard wanting to both improve and to impress the young lady, and its not long before he is glad that Alec is somewhere else. Tomid nibbles a bite or two but is feeling other things than hunger at the moment. He thinks back trying to recall if he had seen Elayna with any of the Tinker men. As far as he knows she is unattached. These things flit through his mind as he feels the closeness of her body and leans in closer to her. When she closes her large green eyes he places one small hand onto her cheek and kisses her, unsure where this will lead and uncaring for the moment.
It's right about now, when things are going well for Hugo and Zinny (mostly because neither has stepped on each other's toes =), exceptionally well for Tomid ("Is this a kissing book?!?"), and so-so for Abigail ('So look into his eyes-Are you a princess or a fly?'), when chaos erupts again in the Tinker camp. There is a loud BANG in the central bonfire - followed by burning embers and sparks exploding out in a 15' radius!
Zinny and Hugo: As you were the closest to the bonfire, make a DC(13) Reflex save or take 1d6 points of burn damage.
Abi and Tomid: You see a bright flare and hear the bang, followed by screams and cries for help.
Everyone else: You have a 25% chance of being within the blast radius. Please roll your own d100. 25 or less is bad. If you fail this roll, then make a DC(13) Reflex save or take 1d4 damage.
The flying embers catch some of the surrounding wagon covers and various blankets and Tinkers on fire. People are running about frantically, trying to put out the flames or tend to the wounded or hide from whatever happened. What are your actions?
"C'mon, you silly," Zinny says with a mock-punch to Hugo's upper arm. "Don't you just stand there, c'mon, th' Tinkers showed this dance las' night..."
Further words are cut off by the burst of flame. Zinny's reflexes are, apparently, not slowed by the alcohol, lucky for her-- with wide eyes she drops to the ground, a stray ember just passing the tip of her nose.
As Tomid's lips close with Elayna's he sees fireworks. He always knew it would be like this... Wait. There are not supposed to cries for help with the fireworks. He blinks a couple of times, breaking away from the embrace. Someone needs our help. Bad timing, but we gotta go help!
Tomid rises and assume his normal mode of moving quickly buy quietly, using the available cover as he towards the fire, drawing his scimitar as he goes.
Grizelda sat near the fire, facing away from the flames so she had adequate light, observing the people and scribbling notes in her journal about the spider. She had looked over the corpse of the beast in with an examiners eye that gave the Tinkers pause and had now worked up a fairly accurate sketch. She had spoken with the șef about how the people kept their own history, but had been disappointed when she explained her people did not write or keep many books. Grizelda just did not understand a world without books.
When the explosion is heard, she curls herself protectively over her freshly inked page and is singed by some of the embers. She tucks the book away and is grateful for once that Gregor is away hunting for his supper.
She winces against the pain of her burns but turns to face the commotion looking for what may have caused the blast and on guard for further threat.
Silas had been sitting alone, feeling a little sorry for himself and nursing a single malt and staring at the fire when the fire becomes unbearable to stare at. It becomes very bright for a moment and then erupts! The bang stops his heart for a second and he nearly chokes on his mouthful of beer.
When the Tinkers begin to catch on fire from the minor explosion, Silas thinks quickly. Coughing, he runs around looking for a source of water, but if he cannot find water anywhere nearby, he kicks over a barrel of beer into the dirt and quickly makes mud.
"Here! Here!" he shouts at those who are burning, and throws them into the mud, which should serve well to smother the flames. He struggles to douse as many people as he can this way, and then starts using mud and water to smother any flames that catch on fabric or the wagons.
Hugo had just about started moving his feet and shuffling around with a sheepish, self conscious look on his face when the campfire flared up. If Hugo had ever felt unlucky in his life, any previous experiences paled in comparison to what happened next.
As the fire leapt into the air, Hugo and Zinny had just moved in such a way as to place Hugo with his back to the sudden inferno. To make matters worse, a brisk breeze rolled across the camp that very moment, causing the flames to practically lean in over the blacksmiths son, setting his short hair alight. In that moment, Hugo felt fairly unlucky, but it had all been a precursor to the real show. Without warning, his woolen shirt caught on fire, copious amounts of liquor having soaked the fabric the night before.
He stared at Zinny for a brief moment, his eyes seeming to plead for her to tell him he wasnt actually burning, before roaring at the top of his lungs at setting off at a run.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHH!!! IT BUUUURNSS!!! GORUM SAVE MEEEE!!!"
"HUGO! Hugo, my boy, over here! Quickly!"
Silas' shout isn't near as intimidating as Hugo's, but he cries out to him nonetheless, ready to throw him to the ground into the mud. "Down, down, get down!"
Flailing about for several long moments after Silas starts yelling for him, Hugo finally came to a stop, turning this way and that before spotting the priest and rushing towards him. Reaching Silas he dove face first into the mud-beer broth.
Once Hugo is down on the ground, Silas heaves mud over him to put out the fire, as well as anyone else who leaps in the makeshift pigpen.