A small caravan of travelers moves down a dirt road through an old forest. They're heading for Lovilra, one of the larger cities in Oshait. There are merchants, eager adventurers, and families - each with their own reasons for joining the trek. The caravan has grown as it has headed north, now about 20 or so strong.
There's a large merchant cart with assorted trinkets, potions, and dry goods being driven by a gnome. A middle-aged halfling and his young daughter ride a donkey and laugh to each other, while an assortment of other folks travel by foot. It's an undeniably beautiful evening, with the sun still about an hour or two from setting.
Eventually the caravan reaches a small clearing, and everyone stops and starts to set up tents or roll out blankets to rest for the evening. [Take this time to introduce yourselves, get to know one another, and interact with the other caravan members]
As people begin to ready for the night, a dwarf can be seen moving between seemingly everyone. Short, stocky, and fairly young with dark grey skin and surprisingly short hair for a dwarf (although still not that short by human standards) which is quite scruffy. He spends merely a moment with most, moving on after a brief exchange. A couple he spends some more time with, possibly examining them like a doctor, although from a distance it is hard to tell.
When he makes it to you and you look into his eyes, it's clear that he's seen too much for one lifetime. His voice though is calm and reassuring, checking that you have food for the night and that you are suffering from no illness, disease, or wounds from the travel. And then he's gone, off to the next person with no mention of name nor asking for yours.
A short while later, after the fires have been lit and the tents set up, you see him once more with a few people around him. For those who get close enough to hear, he is telling tales and stories, most of which are lighthearted. He is also encouraging others around him to join them and to do the same.
The latest one he tells is of 3 roguish young gnomes, a large suit of armour, a coronation, and a terrible plan to steal the crown jewels.
Lucina looks around once everyone begins to set up to rest for the evening. The young elven woman, with hair that looked a fiery color in the evening light and eyes the color of the ocean with mixes of greens and blues, moves around to find a spot to sleep. She had grown use to sleeping on the ground, no bedroll or tent. It was much more peaceful this way, at least that was her opinion. Her clothes showed that she was of a noble heritage, as did the signet ring she had started to twist around her finger. Upon finding a spot for her to sleep and placing her bag down, she walks over hearing the tales the dwarf was telling.
"That sounds like a rather interesting story." She smiles in amusement, listening to his latest tale.
Day turns into night, the travelers turn to settle, and a human soldier makes his way to the nearest empty plot. As he sets up for the night he scans the rest of the camp, occasionally making eye contact with the others, neither avoiding nor inviting company.
The others can see by his graying, swept back hair and wrinkled eyes he is no longer a young man, his scars and worn armor say he's been in trouble a few times around. Now that his work is done he sits alone. Fires have been lit around the site, he can see a few red faces, none recognizable. Laughter come from a group.
Curious, he sets down his shield, nearly the size of his body, and stands. His taller-than-average figure is still donning armour, sword sheathed as well, apparently never fully at rest. He moves toward the fire where a dwarf and an elf sit among others.
He reaches out his hand, to which it seems to ask a question.
Percival looked about at the individuals he was camped out with. He was a young human male with black hair, clothes and a signet ring that showed his status as a member of the nobility, as well as an ornate longsword at his side. When the dwarf came to examine him, he simply brushed him off with a polite declaration of "I'm fine, really."When the soldier comes to the group and extends his hand as he said what Percival assumed to be his name, Percival did the same. And then he turned to the elven woman. Curious. What brings a fellow noble out here? He gave a little bow as he introduced himself to her. "My name is Percival Blount, my lady. What is your name?"
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Lucina looks up at the soldier and smiles politely at him, doing the same as well. Seeing Percival and hearing his words, she bows a little herself upon noticing the signet ring on his finger. "My name is Lucina Benzenia. It is nice to meet you Percival." She lightly brushes her hair back out of her face, her clothes a bit dark and common instead of the expected fine taste that a noble would wear. Lightly twisting the signet ring on her finger, a noticeable habit of hers, she looks around a bit curiously before looking back at him. "What brings you out here? I haven't seen many others of higher status joining."
"While I am technically of noble status, I might be on the lower end of that. I am the sixth of six sons, which as you can imagine is not the best of places to be. All of my brothers are tripping over each other trying to win my father's favor so that he'll give them the lordship when he passes. I decided that I would prove my worth to father out here. Much less demeaning that way." Close enough to the truth, I suppose. Percival takes a spot next to her. "May I ask what brings you out here?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
As Percival and Lucinda introduce themselves, the dwarf finishes up one of his tales, and the young halfling girl jumps off the ground and starts clapping. "Another! Another story!" She's perhaps 8 years old with strawberry blonde hair down to her shoulders. Subtle freckles run across her nose, and a grin as wide as can be hasn't left her face since the storytelling began. She's very cute.
"Breni, leave that poor gentleman alone! Ha! He's probably tired," her father calls out, smiling. The halfling man has short brown hair and wears a light blue tunic. He fumbles around in the largest of their packs and pulls out a large leather wineskin. *POP* He pulls out the cork and takes a deep swig. He brings it over to the dwarf. "Care for some ale? There's not much left but tonight seems like a good night to share with new friends."
Lucina nods listening to his explanation, looking at him as he takes the spot beside her. "Ah, that makes sense. You're more noticeable when you leave and much more so once you've returned with skills you have learned through travel and experience. A rather smart move." She smiles politely, "I am the eldest of three children. I have younger twin siblings, Laucian and Leshanna." She sighs a bit at bringing them up, looking thoughtful. 'I am trying to find my family actually. I have not a clue on where they have gone. I just hope that traveling will help me find them. They have quite a few friends around the continent, so I'm trying to find clues going from town to town, city to city."
"My thanks friend. The name's Burik by the way." He takes a deep swig before returning the wineskin. He then address the girl, Breni, "I'll have one more story for you, but first I must eat. I'm sure one of these fine people will fill the short gap." He pulls some dried rations from the pack at his feet. "And after that i'll be time for you to sleep. But for the other elders that are brave enough, they'll be one last story before I turn in for the night." He smirks as he looks at the other adults around him before beginning to eat.
Between a couple of mouthfuls he says a few words towards Lucina, "If you think that's interesting wait until the finale..." winking at the end.
"Daddy, can I pleaaaase stay up for one more story?" Breni smiles the biggest smile she can muster for her father. "I promise I'll wake up early to feed Donk!"
"Oh, I suppose this one time it'll be alright." He smiles back, and turns to bring the wineskin over to where Rigg, Lucina, and Percival are sitting. He extends it and asks "Would anyone else care for a swig of ale?"
"Don't mind if I do." Rigg says while accepting the kind offer, "I came to the party woefully empty-handed and you never know which drink may be your last." After taking a drink and passing it to the next, Rigg turns his attention back to the Halfling, realizing his mistake with a smile. "How rude of me to take another man's drink without even knowing their name," he laughs, "I think it's time for our next story, tell us about yourself."
"Ha! No worries, friend. I'm Finfer - you've already heard my daughter Breni, no doubt." He continues smiling, but it fades to a somewhat more somber, subtle smile. Finfer turns to make sure Breni isn't in earshot. "Wife died a few months back. Breni took it pretty hard, as could be expected. As did I. Village harbored too many terrible memories...plus, not much work there anymore, which is why we're packing up and heading to Lovilra. What about you, friend, what's your story? How did the open road find you?"
"I'm sorry about that," Rigg looks into the fire and then back at Finfer "You've got a good kid and hope you both find peace there." He looks around to see who all is sitting around the fire, making sure no one is there who would shame him. "I worked for part of a city's guard. We were surprised by a unit of orc and ogres, under who's direction I'm unsure, that came in the night."
Rigg once again looks to the fire, eyes steady. "They got passed some of our defenses. I know which side they made it through, and I tried to leave rank but it would be against orders and they wouldn't allow it. By the time we pushed them out they had already done some damage. After, I went to my home and it had been destroyed along with my family...so I abandoned the city and am looking for a purpose again." He forces a smile, perhaps slightly genuine with hope, "Maybe that will be in Lovilra too."
"Oh, that's awful, Rigg. I'm so sorry to hear." Finfer puts a hand on his shoulder. "Seems like a fresh start is what we all need." He gives another somber smile and heads over to Breni. He kneels down and playfully musses her hair. She laughs as she pushes him away and turns back toward Burik, who looks as if he is about to tell another tale.
Finfer goes over and unloads the last pack off of their donkey, setting it between their sleeping bags. One of the other caravan families has already turned in for the evening. The sun has nearly set, turning the bottom half of the sky into an enticing golden orange color. The gnome merchant yawns as he leans back in the seat of his wagon, snacking on some kind of jerky. A stray cat cautiously sniffs around the edges of the camp, and settles down on the dirt ten or so feet from the fire.
[OOC: After Burik tells his tale, let me know if you'd like to do anything else before turning in for the evening]
Finishing his snack for the evening, Burik settles himself into a comfier position before beginning the last tale for ears of children for the night.
This one tells of a time long ago, when mankind was still young. A time of nature and harmony, when the animals themselves could talk to those patient enough to listen. The Elves protected and listened to the animals, the Dwarves left them alone, and the small races played with them. But then mankind grew and they didn't care about the forests or the plains, pushing the animals further and further away.
But then a wolf stepped forward. Larger than a cart, but kinder than a Gnome. Her coat was a pure, brilliant white, like the first snow in winter. Her eyes a deeper blue than a perfect sapphire. Every time the humans tried to push the animals away, she pushed back, becoming an unbreakable barrier between nature and the cities.
Over time the animals have lost their voices, for there are too few left to listen, but still she watches over them all. Always ready to rise up once more to defend those that either don't want to fight or that are unable. And sometimes, if you're very lucky, you can see her eyes sparkle as the sun sets over the mountains.
"And now it is time for bed Breni, for I'm sure it'll be a long day tomorrow." After waiting for her to go to bed and ensuring that all other children (if there are any) are also in bed (or at least away from the fire), Burik will continue with the final tale of the night.
"Long ago, before history was recorded, was a time of gods and of devils. Many know of the legend of Satan, but it is unfair to call him evil at this time. For both good and evil are our own constructs, and these beings are beyond these things. As with all beings Satan wanted more power, although whether this was for himself or hell itself we will never know. Either way he was sold out by his own side, and then they tried to kill him. But a creature of such power is not easily killed, and all they could do was rip his form apart and scatter the pieces across all worlds and all times. What is not often told is where his mind went, everyone just focuses on the body. Between life and death there is place. Most travel through this place so quickly they'll never know it's there, finding themselves in whatever place comes after. But there are few that have seen this place and survived, and it is not empty.
Something lurks in this dark space, hunting, waiting. In the places deep down, where the darkness is complete, sounds can be heard. Thuds, knocks, and scratchings echo through the long tunnels, as if coming out of the walls themselves. The sounds strike fear in all who venture that far down, even driving some mad. But not nearly as much as when the sounds stop. For like a beast nearing its prey, it is silent. And one less miner comes out of the mine.
This is partly why I left my home. I have seen this empty place between life and death, and when I now walk the mines, they are deathly silent..."
As this last story goes on, his gaze lies more and more on the fire before him, both fire and darkness reflecting off his eyes. He stays silent for a while after, the only sounds the crackling of the fire. Finally he speaks once more in a quiet tone barely above a whisper, "Good night all, I will see you in the morning." Burik then begins to lay out his bedroll mere feet from the fire, barely out of range of catching fire.
A small caravan of travelers moves down a dirt road through an old forest. They're heading for Lovilra, one of the larger cities in Oshait. There are merchants, eager adventurers, and families - each with their own reasons for joining the trek. The caravan has grown as it has headed north, now about 20 or so strong.
Eventually the caravan reaches a small clearing, and everyone stops and starts to set up tents or roll out blankets to rest for the evening. [Take this time to introduce yourselves, get to know one another, and interact with the other caravan members]
DM - Above & Below
As people begin to ready for the night, a dwarf can be seen moving between seemingly everyone. Short, stocky, and fairly young with dark grey skin and surprisingly short hair for a dwarf (although still not that short by human standards) which is quite scruffy. He spends merely a moment with most, moving on after a brief exchange. A couple he spends some more time with, possibly examining them like a doctor, although from a distance it is hard to tell.
When he makes it to you and you look into his eyes, it's clear that he's seen too much for one lifetime. His voice though is calm and reassuring, checking that you have food for the night and that you are suffering from no illness, disease, or wounds from the travel. And then he's gone, off to the next person with no mention of name nor asking for yours.
A short while later, after the fires have been lit and the tents set up, you see him once more with a few people around him. For those who get close enough to hear, he is telling tales and stories, most of which are lighthearted. He is also encouraging others around him to join them and to do the same.
The latest one he tells is of 3 roguish young gnomes, a large suit of armour, a coronation, and a terrible plan to steal the crown jewels.
Lucina looks around once everyone begins to set up to rest for the evening. The young elven woman, with hair that looked a fiery color in the evening light and eyes the color of the ocean with mixes of greens and blues, moves around to find a spot to sleep. She had grown use to sleeping on the ground, no bedroll or tent. It was much more peaceful this way, at least that was her opinion. Her clothes showed that she was of a noble heritage, as did the signet ring she had started to twist around her finger. Upon finding a spot for her to sleep and placing her bag down, she walks over hearing the tales the dwarf was telling.
"That sounds like a rather interesting story." She smiles in amusement, listening to his latest tale.
Day turns into night, the travelers turn to settle, and a human soldier makes his way to the nearest empty plot. As he sets up for the night he scans the rest of the camp, occasionally making eye contact with the others, neither avoiding nor inviting company.
The others can see by his graying, swept back hair and wrinkled eyes he is no longer a young man, his scars and worn armor say he's been in trouble a few times around. Now that his work is done he sits alone. Fires have been lit around the site, he can see a few red faces, none recognizable. Laughter come from a group.
Curious, he sets down his shield, nearly the size of his body, and stands. His taller-than-average figure is still donning armour, sword sheathed as well, apparently never fully at rest. He moves toward the fire where a dwarf and an elf sit among others.
He reaches out his hand, to which it seems to ask a question.
"Rigg."
Percival looked about at the individuals he was camped out with. He was a young human male with black hair, clothes and a signet ring that showed his status as a member of the nobility, as well as an ornate longsword at his side. When the dwarf came to examine him, he simply brushed him off with a polite declaration of "I'm fine, really." When the soldier comes to the group and extends his hand as he said what Percival assumed to be his name, Percival did the same. And then he turned to the elven woman. Curious. What brings a fellow noble out here? He gave a little bow as he introduced himself to her. "My name is Percival Blount, my lady. What is your name?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Lucina looks up at the soldier and smiles politely at him, doing the same as well. Seeing Percival and hearing his words, she bows a little herself upon noticing the signet ring on his finger. "My name is Lucina Benzenia. It is nice to meet you Percival." She lightly brushes her hair back out of her face, her clothes a bit dark and common instead of the expected fine taste that a noble would wear. Lightly twisting the signet ring on her finger, a noticeable habit of hers, she looks around a bit curiously before looking back at him. "What brings you out here? I haven't seen many others of higher status joining."
"While I am technically of noble status, I might be on the lower end of that. I am the sixth of six sons, which as you can imagine is not the best of places to be. All of my brothers are tripping over each other trying to win my father's favor so that he'll give them the lordship when he passes. I decided that I would prove my worth to father out here. Much less demeaning that way." Close enough to the truth, I suppose. Percival takes a spot next to her. "May I ask what brings you out here?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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As Percival and Lucinda introduce themselves, the dwarf finishes up one of his tales, and the young halfling girl jumps off the ground and starts clapping. "Another! Another story!" She's perhaps 8 years old with strawberry blonde hair down to her shoulders. Subtle freckles run across her nose, and a grin as wide as can be hasn't left her face since the storytelling began. She's very cute.
"Breni, leave that poor gentleman alone! Ha! He's probably tired," her father calls out, smiling. The halfling man has short brown hair and wears a light blue tunic. He fumbles around in the largest of their packs and pulls out a large leather wineskin. *POP* He pulls out the cork and takes a deep swig. He brings it over to the dwarf. "Care for some ale? There's not much left but tonight seems like a good night to share with new friends."
DM - Above & Below
Lucina nods listening to his explanation, looking at him as he takes the spot beside her. "Ah, that makes sense. You're more noticeable when you leave and much more so once you've returned with skills you have learned through travel and experience. A rather smart move." She smiles politely, "I am the eldest of three children. I have younger twin siblings, Laucian and Leshanna." She sighs a bit at bringing them up, looking thoughtful. 'I am trying to find my family actually. I have not a clue on where they have gone. I just hope that traveling will help me find them. They have quite a few friends around the continent, so I'm trying to find clues going from town to town, city to city."
"My thanks friend. The name's Burik by the way." He takes a deep swig before returning the wineskin. He then address the girl, Breni, "I'll have one more story for you, but first I must eat. I'm sure one of these fine people will fill the short gap." He pulls some dried rations from the pack at his feet. "And after that i'll be time for you to sleep. But for the other elders that are brave enough, they'll be one last story before I turn in for the night." He smirks as he looks at the other adults around him before beginning to eat.
Between a couple of mouthfuls he says a few words towards Lucina, "If you think that's interesting wait until the finale..." winking at the end.
"That's a very noble goal you have, Lucina. I hope you accomplish it."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Lucina nods at his words, smiling wistfully to herself. "i hope I do too. It has been quite a long time since I have seen them."
Hearing Burik, her smiles becomes amused and she folds her hands over her lap. "Well in that case I can't wait to hear the finale then."
"Daddy, can I pleaaaase stay up for one more story?" Breni smiles the biggest smile she can muster for her father. "I promise I'll wake up early to feed Donk!"
"Oh, I suppose this one time it'll be alright." He smiles back, and turns to bring the wineskin over to where Rigg, Lucina, and Percival are sitting. He extends it and asks "Would anyone else care for a swig of ale?"
DM - Above & Below
"Don't mind if I do." Rigg says while accepting the kind offer, "I came to the party woefully empty-handed and you never know which drink may be your last." After taking a drink and passing it to the next, Rigg turns his attention back to the Halfling, realizing his mistake with a smile. "How rude of me to take another man's drink without even knowing their name," he laughs, "I think it's time for our next story, tell us about yourself."
"Ha! No worries, friend. I'm Finfer - you've already heard my daughter Breni, no doubt." He continues smiling, but it fades to a somewhat more somber, subtle smile. Finfer turns to make sure Breni isn't in earshot. "Wife died a few months back. Breni took it pretty hard, as could be expected. As did I. Village harbored too many terrible memories...plus, not much work there anymore, which is why we're packing up and heading to Lovilra. What about you, friend, what's your story? How did the open road find you?"
DM - Above & Below
"I'm sorry about that," Rigg looks into the fire and then back at Finfer "You've got a good kid and hope you both find peace there." He looks around to see who all is sitting around the fire, making sure no one is there who would shame him. "I worked for part of a city's guard. We were surprised by a unit of orc and ogres, under who's direction I'm unsure, that came in the night."
Rigg once again looks to the fire, eyes steady. "They got passed some of our defenses. I know which side they made it through, and I tried to leave rank but it would be against orders and they wouldn't allow it. By the time we pushed them out they had already done some damage. After, I went to my home and it had been destroyed along with my family...so I abandoned the city and am looking for a purpose again." He forces a smile, perhaps slightly genuine with hope, "Maybe that will be in Lovilra too."
"Oh, that's awful, Rigg. I'm so sorry to hear." Finfer puts a hand on his shoulder. "Seems like a fresh start is what we all need." He gives another somber smile and heads over to Breni. He kneels down and playfully musses her hair. She laughs as she pushes him away and turns back toward Burik, who looks as if he is about to tell another tale.
Finfer goes over and unloads the last pack off of their donkey, setting it between their sleeping bags. One of the other caravan families has already turned in for the evening. The sun has nearly set, turning the bottom half of the sky into an enticing golden orange color. The gnome merchant yawns as he leans back in the seat of his wagon, snacking on some kind of jerky. A stray cat cautiously sniffs around the edges of the camp, and settles down on the dirt ten or so feet from the fire.
[OOC: After Burik tells his tale, let me know if you'd like to do anything else before turning in for the evening]
DM - Above & Below
Finishing his snack for the evening, Burik settles himself into a comfier position before beginning the last tale for ears of children for the night.
This one tells of a time long ago, when mankind was still young. A time of nature and harmony, when the animals themselves could talk to those patient enough to listen. The Elves protected and listened to the animals, the Dwarves left them alone, and the small races played with them. But then mankind grew and they didn't care about the forests or the plains, pushing the animals further and further away.
But then a wolf stepped forward. Larger than a cart, but kinder than a Gnome. Her coat was a pure, brilliant white, like the first snow in winter. Her eyes a deeper blue than a perfect sapphire. Every time the humans tried to push the animals away, she pushed back, becoming an unbreakable barrier between nature and the cities.
Over time the animals have lost their voices, for there are too few left to listen, but still she watches over them all. Always ready to rise up once more to defend those that either don't want to fight or that are unable. And sometimes, if you're very lucky, you can see her eyes sparkle as the sun sets over the mountains.
"And now it is time for bed Breni, for I'm sure it'll be a long day tomorrow." After waiting for her to go to bed and ensuring that all other children (if there are any) are also in bed (or at least away from the fire), Burik will continue with the final tale of the night.
"Long ago, before history was recorded, was a time of gods and of devils. Many know of the legend of Satan, but it is unfair to call him evil at this time. For both good and evil are our own constructs, and these beings are beyond these things. As with all beings Satan wanted more power, although whether this was for himself or hell itself we will never know. Either way he was sold out by his own side, and then they tried to kill him. But a creature of such power is not easily killed, and all they could do was rip his form apart and scatter the pieces across all worlds and all times. What is not often told is where his mind went, everyone just focuses on the body. Between life and death there is place. Most travel through this place so quickly they'll never know it's there, finding themselves in whatever place comes after. But there are few that have seen this place and survived, and it is not empty.
Something lurks in this dark space, hunting, waiting. In the places deep down, where the darkness is complete, sounds can be heard. Thuds, knocks, and scratchings echo through the long tunnels, as if coming out of the walls themselves. The sounds strike fear in all who venture that far down, even driving some mad. But not nearly as much as when the sounds stop. For like a beast nearing its prey, it is silent. And one less miner comes out of the mine.
This is partly why I left my home. I have seen this empty place between life and death, and when I now walk the mines, they are deathly silent..."
As this last story goes on, his gaze lies more and more on the fire before him, both fire and darkness reflecting off his eyes. He stays silent for a while after, the only sounds the crackling of the fire. Finally he speaks once more in a quiet tone barely above a whisper, "Good night all, I will see you in the morning." Burik then begins to lay out his bedroll mere feet from the fire, barely out of range of catching fire.
[OOC: If anyone else would like to chat or do anything else before bed, please feel free. When you are done:
Everyone: Please roll a perception check
Burik: Please also roll a religion check with advantage]
DM - Above & Below
Perception: 9
Religion: 7
(wow... I think he's a little distracted at the moment...)