Rylan was all set to make his formal introduction when he is suddenly thrown off-course by Arkun's interpretation of Brandy's mutterings...

"I'm sorry..." He stutters... the words failing him in this moment. "Y-y-you actually spoke.... to my horse? I thought that was all just..."

He looks down the thoroughfare to see Brandy tied up, looking over in his direction. A slight curl of a smile emerges on his lips.

"How marvelous..." He says, looking back at Arkun and indicating toward Aldric. "Though, in the interest of discretion, I'd be much obliged if you could keep the finer details of your conversation between us for now..."

He turns to the knight and bows. "With apologies for the imprudence of my steed.... I am Rylan of House Belabranta, son of Korvar, sworn deputy of the Lord's Alliance and devoted servant of Lliira, Mistress of Revels. I came to this valley by way of an invitation from a man named Thurl Merosska, a former griffon rider of Waterdeep who now leads a society of nobles dedicated to the art of aerial beast riding. They call themselves The Feathergale Knights." He looks to Arkun for a moment. "My dear sister Savra recently joined their ranks and I..."

He measures his words. "It's given me cause to look deeper into their operations. As my contacts in the region do their diligence, I find myself at loose ends... And since this is my first time so far afield from the City of Splendors I seek to make the most of it."

He looks to the others, a boyish grin crossing his face. "Now, I find myself surrounded by a group of interesting companions... Each of us drawn to this troubled region for our own mysterious reasons... Enticed with opportunities to deliver justice, find lost treasure and perhaps even deliver a wayward spirit to its final rest..."

He stands tall and eager, chest out, inhaling deep, hand on the hilt of his sword. "Gods, you can just smell the adventure in the air!"

With a raised, Rumble cocked his head ever so slightly to the side in genuine confusion at Aldric's initial remark. Didn't everyone by now already knew each other, or more accurately their names at least? What more was there to... "Oooh, that makes sense..." He murmured, before in clocking a look from the older knight, promptly began adjusting even the slightest hint off impropriety in stance while listening to the rest. Beyond this, the earth genasi remained respectfully quiet for a time, solemnly nodding only once in affirmation of Aldric's words about Summit Hall.

Though the whole matter of talking horses seemed to go right over Rumble's head as point of concern, at the glance from Arkun, Rumble faintly nodded in acknowledgement. Even if it might've meant a reprimand later, if push came to shove, he'd defend the druid's right to remain unbound by the stricter formalities of the knighthood. But lingering doubts over the very possibility of it every occurring left him smiling inwardly and faintly shaking his head.

"Tehh! What it smells like is that there's a whole lot going on in the Dessrin Valley that aught not be. But at the risk of sounding arrogant, I do believe will more than rise to the occasion!" He assured the party and flashed a toothy grin. "Now, I've, uh... *ahem*... I've already introduced myself to everyone 'fore now. But, if only for the sake of formalities, I'll say again that my name is Rumble Siltskin, a novice knight of Samular. In the interest of full disclosure, my own mission was something of a volunteer effort on my part, as its not entirely standard protocol for one of my station to be allowed out in the field." He briefly glances over to Aldric. "As for what it entailed, I was to investigate into some avian kidnappers that s'posedly ran off with some homesteaders. And while I think I might have discovered a lead on that, I'd sooner pray for Tyr to strike me down fer turning a blind eye to all that's goin on with Red Larch as-is."

Sylra listened to the exchange, her attention shifting between each speaker as the circle of introductions and intentions wound its way around. The names, allegiances, and threads of purpose formed a web in her mind—different origins and loyalties, but enough shared ground to make cooperation possible. She let the others have their say, not because she had nothing to add, but because watching how they revealed themselves was as telling as the words themselves.

When there was a pause, she stepped forward just enough to be part of the inner ring of the conversation, her voice even and steady. “Sylra Galeheart, also of the Emerald Enclave,” she said, giving Arkun the faintest nod of acknowledgment before letting her gaze settle briefly on Aldric. “The Enclave sent me here to the Dessarin Valley after I raised concerns about what I’ve seen—winds turning against themselves, thunder without clouds, heat settling too early in the season. I was told there were others in the area worth finding, and it seems that task has been fulfilled sooner than I expected.”

She folded her arms loosely, letting the desert-dry breeze curl around her before continuing. “I’ve already spoken with some of the townsfolk. There’s the matter of a frightened child who stumbled across something she couldn’t name near a tomb, and quarry workers who’ve grown restless in ways their overseer won’t speak plainly about. There’s also talk of Lance Rock—something the innkeeper claims holds an ill presence. And now,” she inclined her head slightly toward Aldric, “there’s your Rivergard Keep and the bandits it shelters.”

Her gaze swept the group, not in challenge but in measure. “I’m not blind to the truth that we can’t chase all of these at once. If the Keep truly holds organized trouble, that may demand the sooner answer. But I’d not see these other threads left to rot until they tangle around someone else’s neck. So if we’re to work together, let’s see it done with the understanding that what matters to one of us matters to all. For now, I’m willing to put my steps toward Rivergard—so long as the road circles back to these other leads when the moment comes.”

She fell silent then, letting her words settle among them like the weight of a weather change before a storm.

At the conclusion of everyone's introduction, Aldric takes in and releases a satisfied breath. He doesn't quite smile, but his lips part around his tusks in a friendly kind of way. The realization that aside from the novice, he's going to be working with "adventurers" for lack of a better term doesn't unsettle him, but it does encourage caution. Job one is to address concerns.

He turns first to Arkun. "It's nice to meet you, Arkun. How the horse feels about me aside, I hope we can work together in a way that works for everyone. I'm not knighting anyone, and so no saluting will be expected. We're working together — not necessarily under one banner — but under a common cause: the safety of the valley."

He turns to Rylan and nods his head. "It is nice to meet you, Rylan. I will pray for Tyr's protection over your sister."

His eyes pass by Rumble and settle on Sylra. Once again, the knight pauses briefly at the sight of her. Finally, he says, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sylra Galeheart. I agree that there is much distress spread across our valley. It may be difficult to choose who to help and when. I appreciate your flexibility."

Finally pulling his eyes away from her, Aldric looks back at Rumble. His face hardens a little, and his back straightens. "Novice, I'm glad you're here." He pauses again, clearly scrutinizing the earth genasi. "I am heartened that you do not immediately react to my name. It gives me hope that ... " The words die away in his throat, and he clears it.

Seeming to come out of some kind of trance or memory, the half-orc looks at the four others. "As Sylra said, we have choices to make."

He looks at Rylan. "I'm not sure what effect our axes may have on whatever Pell encountered. I'm hoping it is a ruse or misunderstanding and that information might be gained by confronting whoever or whatever she thought was a ghost. If it does turn out to be a specter, I suppose we will do our best. Is this a good task to start with?"

Turning to look down at Rumble, he continues, "On the way, you can tell me what else you've learned while in town."

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

 

He looks at Rylan. "I'm not sure what effect our axes may have on whatever Pell encountered. I'm hoping it is a ruse or misunderstanding and that information might be gained by confronting whoever or whatever she thought was a ghost. If it does turn out to be a specter, I suppose we will do our best. Is this a good task to start with?"

Rylan shakes his head, passing his eyes around the others. "No, I defer to the wisdom of the others in this regard. You all say brute force will bring no harm to such a being and I... having no lived experience with such things... take you at your word.

"The plan to route yon southern brigands... if such a deed really is possible for a band of our strength.... seems a judicious course of action. Opening trade roads does a service for the Lords' Alliance. It earns us the favor of the locals... and perhaps yields us with some bounty that might better equip us to deal with such... otherworldly matters."

Looking to Rumble he adds, "Besides, if these bandits know aught about the flying menace harassing your homesteaders... I would do well to learn about it." He stops short of saying why. His expression looks grim and he falls silent, nodding in acquiescence to Aldric's ranking leadership.

Arkun silently nods to Aldric, satisfied with his answer.  He listens to the change in plans as they decide to pursue the ghost that frightened Pell.  “Either way is fine with me.. it seems like we have a lot on our plate.”  He stands there leaning on his staff, waiting to see which way they will go.  

Sylra listened quietly as each man spoke, weighing their words and the shift in direction that seemed to be taking shape. Aldric’s acknowledgment of their shared goals was met with a slight incline of her head, her expression calm but thoughtful. She understood the practicality in beginning with something close at hand, but she also carried the awareness that each path they set their feet on would cost them time, and every lead they let grow cold could fade beyond reach.

“I can see the merit in starting with the matter of the tomb,” she said, her voice steady and without hurry. “If whatever frightened the child is more than a shadow and a story, better that we know it now before someone else stumbles across it unprepared. And if it is only rumor or mischief, we’ll have the truth and can set it aside with clear minds.” Her gaze swept across the group, the faintest pull of wind tugging at a loose strand of hair as she regarded them in turn. “After that, we can put our full attention toward Rivergard and your bandits, Aldric. But I mean to keep the other leads in hand as we go. It’s too easy for small troubles to grow into storms when they’re ignored.”

She left it at that, her stance open but settled, ready to follow once they chose their direction. The matter of where they went first was decided, but she made certain the rest of her purpose was spoken aloud, so it would not be forgotten in the dust of the road.

Rumble canted his head and raised a brow at the half-orc in a look of genuine confusion. And in that moment in turn, it's plainer to see the earth genasi either hadn't given too much thought over Aldric's name and surname, or was just blissfully ignorant beyond recognizing seniority purely by, well, Aldric's advance age and way he carried himself. In either case, he continued to listen on respectfully to the exchanges, but would softly sigh in disappointment upon realizing the direction things were turning towards by the end.

Once it eventually dawns on him that -- unless he misheard -- there was no actual narrowing down of the bandits location, thus making pursuing them less than ideal in the moment anyhow, the earth genasi closed his eyes and looked away seeming almost bashful. But then with deeply furrowed brows, Rumble began second guessing himself. That was until...

"... What? Oh, uhh, yeah, er.. *ahem*... Y-yes sir." Rumble replied after not only snapping to attention in response to Aldric, but readily following after the others presumably to the tomb. "Though, uhh, there isn't much to report with regards to the keep front, as neither Ms. Melikoh, Mr. Imkarr, and uhh... shoot, what was the head shrine keeper's name again? I-I can't remember, but none of them knew anything about it. The shrine keeper did make mention of a Starview -- no, uh, just 'Star Mountains' being where most Aarkocra seem to flyby. Though, I'm realizing in hindsight that it might behoove us to start collecting maps of the region and so on. 'cause like, I had one of the great Desrin Valley, which is how I was able to make it here in the first place, but gosh darn bird flew off with it a couple days back!" He confesses, then sighs in defeat. 

Aldric scowls at Rumble. The more the novice speaks, the less respect the half-orc has for him. He's beginning to wonder if the earth genasi has had any training whatsoever. What is going on at Summit Hall these days? Are things so different than when he trained? No matter how they have treated him, he had assumed the Knights were still upholding the order's tenets and discipline.

Considering the locations of the tasks as described by the others, Aldric says, "We should head west first. To Lance Rock," he says, glancing at Sylra. "Then, we can come back to town and report to Kaylessa at the inn what we found. If there is still enough daylight, we might head south along Cairn Road to where the sheriff said bandits have been reported. Otherwise, we can wait until the morning. Then, the ghost." He looks at Arkun. "This is the most strategic plan."

He hopes looking into these rumors will reward them with more information concerning the greater threat to the valley.

"Lance Rock..." Rylan lets the location's name sit on his tongue for a moment after speaking it. "...the source of the valley's woes we're told."

His serious expression partially twists into an amused grin. "Vague enough to be intriguing..." Glancing over at Brandy, he continues. "I'll be honest, I'm hesitant to stray too far from my business with the Feathergale Knights... But given that I must wait to hear tidings from my contacts on that matter, I suppose a mysterious journey towards the unknown might be just the thing to invigorate the spirit. Lady of Joy, guide us. Let's do it."

Then as almost an afterthought he turns to Arkun and adds... "Oh, and would you be so kind as to..." He looks toward his steed. "...update dear Brandy on the plan..."

He quickly lifts a hand. "Erm... Delicately though... I wouldn't want to overly concern her about the danger we might be heading toward."

He smiles at Brandy who looks over at him with a concerned expression of... Oh oh... What's happening over there?

It took maybe a moment or two longer than it should've, but Rumble eventually registered the scowl from Aldric as being more than just his natural neutral expression. After that, it didn't take much to piece together what triggered it this time, prompting the earth genasi to suck in his lips and look away. Yet for all of his rising fear of further angering the elder knight with more shameful incompetency, to respond with nothing at all after the half-orc set down a reasonable plan was folly, or so he figured.

So, after taking a quiet, steadying breath to gather back his nerves, he... bravely nodded in agreement. "Sounds good, sir. You have my axes, and I'm ready to move out now if everyone else is. Which judging from the expression of some of ya, I suspect that'll be immediately." He flashes a weak and wry grin at the party, or mostly everyone, as the moment he locks gazes with Aldric again though it fizzled out on the spot.

Sylra listened to the exchange in silence, letting the others weigh their thoughts aloud before she spoke. The half-orc’s plan was sound, and though his manner was blunt, she could not fault the practicality of his reasoning. Lance Rock had been named more than once now, and leaving it unchecked risked allowing a hidden danger to fester while they busied themselves elsewhere. Better to face what lay to the west first, where rumor and warning both pointed, than to leave it to grow in shadow.

“I agree,” she said at last, her tone even and deliberate. “If Lance Rock is truly the source of what unsettles this valley, we should not tarry in investigating it. Once we know the truth there, we can return to Red Larch with clear answers for Kaylessa and turn our steps toward the bandits after. The ghost will wait long enough, I think, and perhaps the way to confront it will be clearer when the rest is behind us.” She glanced between each of them, meeting their eyes in turn with calm assurance. “It is a sensible path, and one I’ll walk with you.”

She adjusted her shield at her side, the faint brush of air stirring around her as though echoing her readiness. “If we mean to leave, better that we do so while there is still daylight ahead. The road west will not grow shorter for waiting.”

Arkun nods, saying “Yeah, I’m ready to leave.  Whenever you are ready..”  He smiles when Rylan asks him to relay things to Brandy, saying in speech to the horse, with occasional neighs and whinnies, some odd clicks and snorts, he seems to be telling the horse what is transpiring, then after he is done, he stands leaning on his staff, a wan smile on his face, looking at the rest of them, ready to march with the others have finished sorting out their priorities.  

Hills partitioned by fieldstone fences or hedges into fields and pastures surround the town of Red Larch. You depart together in the late afternoon, walking the Kheldell Path west of town. A mile or so outside of town, cultivated areas give way to unspoiled wilderness. Miles of hills, woods, and grassland stretch on as far as the eye can see, filled with plentiful wildlife.

Most of the day passes without event, giving you plenty of chances to converse with your newfound companions. As the sun rides low in the sky, you spot Lance Rock in the distance, visible from miles away and standing in stark contrast to the flatlands that surround it. Aptly named, it is a narrow, twenty-five-foot menhir of bare, gray rock that juts eastward at a sixty-degree angle. 

Aldric starts in the lead, but it isn't long before he is overtaken, passed, and then becomes an anchor dragging along behind and slowing the whole party. His old bones, bogged down by the weight of his armor, has him plodding along with sweat pouring off his body. His face becomes stonier and stonier as he feels the others' frustration — real or imagined.

When he was walking alone, he had convinced himself that — despite the urgency of the situation — he was taking his time getting to Red Larch on purpose. Now that he wishes to arrive in a timely manner at their destination and finds it hard to keep up, he has to face the reality that he is woefully out of shape.

This does not help his demeanor. By the time they spot Lance Rock, his responses to the questions and comments aimed at him have gone from short to monosyllabic to grunts and finally to silence.

When someone has the gall to suggest they stop to take a break, the half-orc actually growls at them, not pausing in his relentless march.

After a comical battle untethering his thoroughly uncooperative horse, Rylan finally manages to guide the steed into something like good behavior, whispering calming words in her ear as they trot forward to catch up with the others.

As he approaches Arkun he nods towards the steed and shout-whispers, "Oi! What did you tell her? She's spooked, like the devil's after us!" 

As the group makes their way beyond the town gates, Brandy finally finds her pace and Rylan is able to appreciate the crisp air of the open land. 

On his mount it's hard for him not to lead the vanguard, occasionally pushing forward a few yards ahead like an over-eager child to "scout" ...but really, he's just riding out to enjoy a pretty vista, smiling with the sun on his face and the wind tossing his hair about. Seeing Rylan and Brandy together on the open road makes sense. They both share a certain playfulness in the way they move together.

At one point, early on, Rylan falls back, moving to Syrla's side. "You know.... They call my home, the City of Splendors... But I've yet to see a single sight in Waterdeep as splendid as this horizon..."

He stares off at it for a few breaths, smiling earnestly before turning to look at her.

"I must seem like a naif though, saying this to one such as you. You strike me as someone accustomed to life on the open road, if you don't mind me saying."

He looks back at Rumble, trodding along nearby. "I offer early apologies for my ignorance, but I can't help but wonder. Is there something more than a twist of fate that would bring two of your... wel... that is... um... beings of the... how should I say... of the elemental persuasion? Or is this happenstance as uncommon to you as it seems to me."

Arkun’s mind tends to wander as they walk along.  Being led by someone who is becoming more and more grumpy as they go, Arkun tends to let his mind float back to the forest, to his grove, and a faint smile comes to his face as he stares off, plodding ahead.  Periodically, he gives a cool gentle breeze to flow around them, helping with the heat of the day, for the hot places in the armor of those walking around him that must be chafing and causing irritation, discomfort.  When he hears a curt answer, a grunt, then a growl, he makes a random plant in front of them (sparse as they are on this section of the flatlands) flower and bloom, trying to distract and assuage ill humors.  

“Well, there it is.  So, how do we want to approach?  Just walk right up to it?  I imagine someone may have set up lookouts..if we feel a group of bandits or something worse may be holed up here.”

Sylra walked with steady ease, the long miles of road no stranger to her legs. She kept her pace measured, listening to the rhythm of her companions—the plod of Aldric’s heavy boots, the uneven scrabble of Rumble’s stony steps, and the lighter sound of Arkun’s staff tapping the earth in cadence with his stride. Rylan’s horse added a restless counterpoint, its hooves clopping unevenly whenever the rider coaxed it forward or held it back. The soundscape of travel was familiar and, in its own way, comforting.

When Rylan fell back beside her, she turned her head slightly to listen more closely, his words carrying easily in the open air. His earnest wonder at the horizon made her lips curl in the faintest of smiles. “The land holds its splendor as surely as the city does,” she replied evenly. “Though I cannot claim to be a creature of the open road alone, it is true I am more at home beneath the sky than within stone walls. The wind carries fewer pretenses than city streets.” Her tone was calm but not unkind, acknowledging his sentiment without diminishing it.

At his fumbling question about her heritage and Rumble’s, Sylra was quiet for a long moment, long enough that the breeze stirred faintly at her shoulders as though echoing her thought. “The elements are vast and ever-present,” she said at last, her voice measured. “It is less surprising than you might think that we would both be drawn here. Whether by chance or by design, the currents of air and stone shift toward need. Perhaps we are both where we must be.” She left it at that, a truth spoken without embellishment.

As Lance Rock came into view, she regarded the sharp rise of stone with quiet focus, its silhouette stark against the fading light. Arkun’s question broke the silence, and she gave a small nod. “If danger lies there, walking openly into it may be folly. Yet circling too far might cost us the light that remains. I suggest we approach carefully but directly—cautious steps, eyes and ears keen. If there are lookouts, better we find them before they find us.” Her words were even, her posture calm, but there was a clear readiness in her tone, the kind of quiet resolve that came from long practice in walking toward the unknown.

Rylan shields the sun from his eyes as he gazes out at Lance Rock, nodding his head at Syrla's wisdom.

After a moment, he inclines his head toward the others. "Does it look evil to any of you?"

Rumble was by and large an amicable and social fellow; and yet, unless a point is raised during the journey that required his input, or someone simply wished to converse with 'him', the earth genasi would spend most of his time during the journey trying his best to subtle watch and emulate Aldric without coming off as rude or mocking.

At least, he called himself being subtle. But, with Aldric gradually slowing down, thus forcing Rumble to do much the same without visibly showing much sign of growing exhaustion, it becomes harder 'not' to notice any overattentiveness from the younger knight. Though without being confronted in one way or another, most are more likely to presume any mindfulness on the earth genasi part to be more for Aldric's sake than his own, in so far as making sure the older knight isn't accidentally left too far behind. Either way, Rumble himself isn't too bothered by the changing of pace, and even gave his best disarming grin and a distracting commentary about the heat if Aldric ever took notice.

At Rylan's questioning of fate and happenstance, Rumble cocked his head to the side a little and raised a brow, and then looked to Sylra, half-figuring and hoping her eloquence where it came to speaking might better avail the paladin than any honest but clumsy word play from Rumble. The fact that she appeared to need to think on it only seemed to leave his eyes alight with anticipation. Her ultimate answer, however, is one that left Rumble frowning and looking positively ponderous himself, before eventually regarding Rylan once more and giving a hapless shrug. "In short, could be either way, but it certainly weren't no conscious design of ours to meet." He conveyed as nonchalantly as ever. "That said, I'm not complaining, as its nice seeing kinfolk, even if they kinfolk in a very, very, VERY adjacent way." With a chuckle, Rumble once again let his attention drift for the remainder of the journey.

When at last the party are able to spy Lance Rock and stratagems are considered, Rumble looked to Aldric at first, though the question from Rylan has him staring more intently at the rock. "No eviller than any other magnificent stone formation. At least far out, anyhow. Perhaps once I'm closer though I might get a better feel for it."