Fedex: The man doesn't move to take the reigns from you right away. Instead, he stares at you for a few seconds his eyes narrowed and his hands on his hips. The look of someone not accustomed to hearing criticism. He seems to come to a decision about something and his expression softens to one of respect. He sighs and says "You sound like my wife, sir. And I am aggrieved to say it, but you're right." He takes the reigns from you and hesitantly runs his hand along the horse's side. The horse allows it for a few seconds, then moves slightly away. "Well, it's a start." He then reaches into his cloak and withdraws a handful of coin. "Thank you for the help. Sometimes... I need to hear these things." He hands you five gold pieces and says "Gods, now I sound like my wife... Farewell, all." The man then walks alongside the horse and the two head back the way you came.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"That was some horsemanship, you been around the creatures alot?"
Riona moves to keep in stride with Fedex and asks in what almost seams to be a proud tone.
As the man walks past them she shoots him and his horse an inquisitive look, shes been around long enough to know some of the things that cause an animal to be wary of its master. Scanning her eyes over the two she tries to see if there is anything ill natured about the man demeanor with his mount.
"FedEx, that was great. I never would have guessed you'd be able to calm the mare down that much. Was it just me, or did it seem his majesty didn't like a commoner telling him what he was doing wrong?" Lander motions towards the man as he walks away. "At first, I was wondering if this was an ambush of some sort."
“Out here, we’re all equal. And, in fact, he was pretty bad off. I’m pretty sure it would have been a long time, if ever, that that horse would let him touch her again. I hope he realizes that and will treat her better from now on.”
Fedex looks back at the horse and human as they fade in the distance.
”I’m glad he’s walking with her. And I would have suggested it. Him being on her level for a while should increase their respect for one another.”
Fedex returns his attention to Lander and in a softer voice,
”The thought of ambush also crossed my mind. But, on the plus side, our friend was coming from where we’re going and, did you see the saddle on that mare? If ever there was a target on the road, a lone rider of financial means would certainly be a juicy target. So, we’ll keep our eyes open but I’m feeling pretty good about the remainder of the trip.”
Fedex hitches up his backpack and calls out to the group:
”Does anyone else want to carry our package for a while?”
He then takes a swig from his water skin. OOC: gotta stay hydrated, you know.
You sense that the man has no knowledge of horsemanship and attempts to make up for his lack of knowledge with bluster and threats, a tactic he's become accustomed to, living a life of noble station. Unfortunately for him, this is a particularly proud horse and it does not recognize his "authority" like the sniveling boot-lickers that he employs. You don't believe the man would be walking if he'd actually struck the animal, as you've seen how deft is is at striking out when it feels threatened. Horses being natural prey for other animals, they are highly attuned to the intent of those around them. When confronted with impatience and anger, they defend themselves. It seems to you that the man has a lot to learn about horses and treating others with respect.
Lander looks to Fedex. "Nah, I'm good with whichever of you feels comfortable carrying it. You make a good point about a wealthy rider by himself though.....Maybe this will be an uneventful trip after all." Lander whistles a tune as they continue walking.
All: I'll give everyone some time to role-play a bit before I move the story along. I'll move the story along tonight around 08:30pm CST. I'll respond to anything I need to in the mean time.
After walking a while longer, Lander stops whistling his tune and drifts over towards Riona. "If I remember right, you told me your son got you interested in magic..........how did that happen?" He looks to her and continues to talk."Is he a pretty powerful wizard? I learned a couple cantrips from a hedge wizard in my town, but mostly learned on my own through research and experimentation. In a small town like mine, it's difficult to find the right books, scrolls, and ingredients. If I was going to progress at all, I needed to find libraries, new teachers, etc."
OOC: Okay lol, with those rolls either Fedex or Riona needs to be carrying the envelope
**
I just stare at the horse being tamed by this Fedex guy, watching it simmer down. If it were me I probably would have been wrestling it until submission, but his methods are suitable. Well for now I still travel with these peculiar individuals, an ambush seems likely though. My sense have been under par recently, I might not be able to protect myself, let alone others
Riona's eyes light up as Lander asks about one of her children. You can tell by the inflections in her voice that she proud of him and the man he's become.
"Oh that boy took to magic the second he could read on his own, see his father was also magically inclined and kept all sorts of spell books around the house, and seeing as he was an elven man you can just imagine the amount of knowledge his family had accumulated over the years. Anyway, Erendriel, my eldest son, was casting spells before his brother was even born so when him and I moved back to my home city I made sure get him into a school to further his studies. To be honest I'm relieved he was as talented as he was, once the school noticed his fast progressed the began to help with funds seeing as I am from a modest background and his father was uh... otherwise occupied."
You notice see rolls her eyes a bit at the mention of her elders sons father.
"A hedge mage really? And must be a natural if you were able to get this far without a traditional education. Though I guess were both more or less hedge mages now, imagine that! What about your family? Children? Siblings?"
You can see the genuine interest in her eyes as she asks, and laughs a little at the idea of being roaming hedge mages.
Lander gives a broad smile back at Riona. "You must be very proud of him.... He sounds like a wonderful boy. As for my family, right now it's just my ma and pa. They have a small farm in Belkin with some cows, pigs, and goats. They grow several different crops and vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, corn, carrots, radishes, Whatever the family doesn't need is sold at a small vegetable stand. It's nothing fancy, but it's a good life. Alas, I have no children yet......................."
Lander gets a little teary eyed but quickly tries to hide it with a quick wipe of his forearm. "I was engaged to a beautiful girl quite a while ago, her name was Jillia. Oh, she was so sweet and kind. Her beautiful green eyes shone like the most precious emeralds. Unfortunately, she succumbed to the fever. That was a rough time for me, but I know she's in a better place and someday we'll meet again. Since then, I just haven't had the heart to settle down with anyone again."
He tries to perk up and take the mood back in a more positive direction. "Anyway, sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with that. So, what of your younger son?"
She puts a hand on his shoulder for comfort, adding a small squeeze. She looks at him with gentle and all too knowing eyes.
"I lost my mother and three sisters to fever when I was young, life and loss go hand in hand far too often I'm afraid but we will see them all again some day."
She gives him a hopeful smile with ever so slightly watery eyes. Her smile shifts to a fonder one as she thinks of her younger son.
"My younger boy, Colum, took after my sister, pretty much idolized her. She also enlisted in the military when we were young but she was born to fight, unlike myself." She grins widely and shakes her head slightly.
"He would always find ways to sneak out of the house and follow her too work. Eventually we both gave up and let him start training with the other younger recruits. He became an officer before there was barley even hair on his chest! About a year ago they sent him on tour through the country, I get letters from him now and then but he's off living his life now, I just hope he's staying safe."
You notice her gently touch the hilt of her dagger as she mentions him and smiles to herself.
"I know it's every mothers dream to watch their children grow old and go off on their own, but sometimes I wish it didn't happen so damn fast!" She laughs at herself and continues walking with a fond smile on her face.
Lander reaches up and gently squeezes Riona's hand as she squeezes his shoulder. "Thank You. Your boys both sound wonderful and you should be proud."
Lander glances over his shoulder to both Fedex and Keragri. "You two can feel free to talk a bit too. Don't let Riona and I monopolize the conversation." He laughs.
On the side of the road, Lander notices a branch that would be perfect as a walking stick. He picks it up, pulls a small knife out of a pocket in the side of his backpack, and begins to cut off the smaller stray branches. "I figure a good walking stick might help me keep up with all you long legged folk!"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
All: The morning passes without further incident. You travel away from Hill's Edge at a leisurely pace, sharing stories, and getting to know one another. You cross the River Reaching and see the Northdark Wood off in the distance. You find a hill near the road that offers excellent line of sight for the area around you and decide to break for lunch. More stories are shared and bonds are strengthened. Lander finds a peculiarly shaped rock that resembles Keragri if you squint just right and Mr. Declan stretches his wings in the now clear sky. You all finish your lunch and pack up, being careful to leave no trace of your camp. You venture onward toward the woods crouching on the horizon. After another few hours of uneventful travel you find yourself nearing the edge of the woods. The trees of the Northdark Wood stand tall behind the remains of a burned-down farmstead. The blackened timbers of the farmhouse claw at the blue skies like a skeletal hand. A Dwarven woman paces next to a well in front of the farmhouse. She sees you and starts jumping while waving her hands and calling out to you. She then leans over the edge of the well and yells “Help is here honey! We’ll get you out of there!” before running as fast as she can toward you. She reaches you out of breath and teary-eyed. “Help me please! My son was playing here and fell into the well!” she says with her hands clasped in front of her.
OOC: This is a time-sensitive event, so I will roll Initiative for everyone. Please post in your initiative order if possible. If you need to post out of turn, that's ok, we'll just use that post when your turn comes up.
Riona's eyes open wide as when the woman mentions her son is trapped and start running over to the well, all cation thrown to the wind with the thought of him being in danger.
"Of course we will help! Its going to be okay now. Lander and Fedex will you help me with the rope? Keragri keep an eye out okay, hopefully were all it takes?"
Movement: All movement will be spent running towards the well
Action: Pulling the 50 ft of rope out of my adventurers pack
Bonus Action : none
**OOC
i think at this point we probably handed the package off to Keragri
Lander will immediately begin to run towards the well with Riona. Like her, he will use all his movement to get there as quickly as possible. He takes the other end of her rope and begins to help her untangle it and get it ready to throw into the well. He is going to tie a loop in the end of the rope that's about a foot around. "Have the child put the loop around themselves or step through it so they aren't trying to support their entire weight with just their hand strength."
**If Lander has time during his turn, he'd also like to take a quick peek down the well.**
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Fedex grabs the dwarvish woman by shoulder and spins her to face him. Grabbing her other shoulder, he bends towards her face and shakes her to assure he is making eye contact. In Common he firmly shouts,
”Tell me, honestly ...”
Then Fedex suddenly switches to Dwarvish and perhaps a little louder,
” ... how long has your son been in the well?”
Fedex expects a trap. Why would a child be playing near an old burned down farmhouse? Why would the woman be pacing instead of seeking her own means of extracting her child? The question is posed to quickly test her for deception.
Fedex: The man doesn't move to take the reigns from you right away. Instead, he stares at you for a few seconds his eyes narrowed and his hands on his hips. The look of someone not accustomed to hearing criticism. He seems to come to a decision about something and his expression softens to one of respect. He sighs and says "You sound like my wife, sir. And I am aggrieved to say it, but you're right." He takes the reigns from you and hesitantly runs his hand along the horse's side. The horse allows it for a few seconds, then moves slightly away. "Well, it's a start." He then reaches into his cloak and withdraws a handful of coin. "Thank you for the help. Sometimes... I need to hear these things." He hands you five gold pieces and says "Gods, now I sound like my wife... Farewell, all." The man then walks alongside the horse and the two head back the way you came.
Fedex watches the man walk away several dozen steps, then he weighs the coins, tossing them slightly in his hand just enough for them to jingle.
"Our next accommodations and meal will be on our friend there."
He then tucks the coins in a pocket, separate from his coin pouch.
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
”I am not young enough to know everything.” - Oscar Wilde
"That was some horsemanship, you been around the creatures alot?"
Riona moves to keep in stride with Fedex and asks in what almost seams to be a proud tone.
As the man walks past them she shoots him and his horse an inquisitive look, shes been around long enough to know some of the things that cause an animal to be wary of its master. Scanning her eyes over the two she tries to see if there is anything ill natured about the man demeanor with his mount.
insight : 14
Fedex to Riona:
“Yes. I come from a large family and my chores kept me away from guests and neighbors. Working in the family’s stables has its benefits, it seems.”
He says as he jingles the coins in his pocket and grins.
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
”I am not young enough to know everything.” - Oscar Wilde
"FedEx, that was great. I never would have guessed you'd be able to calm the mare down that much. Was it just me, or did it seem his majesty didn't like a commoner telling him what he was doing wrong?" Lander motions towards the man as he walks away. "At first, I was wondering if this was an ambush of some sort."
Fedex to Lander:
“Out here, we’re all equal. And, in fact, he was pretty bad off. I’m pretty sure it would have been a long time, if ever, that that horse would let him touch her again. I hope he realizes that and will treat her better from now on.”
Fedex looks back at the horse and human as they fade in the distance.
”I’m glad he’s walking with her. And I would have suggested it. Him being on her level for a while should increase their respect for one another.”
Fedex returns his attention to Lander and in a softer voice,
”The thought of ambush also crossed my mind. But, on the plus side, our friend was coming from where we’re going and, did you see the saddle on that mare? If ever there was a target on the road, a lone rider of financial means would certainly be a juicy target. So, we’ll keep our eyes open but I’m feeling pretty good about the remainder of the trip.”
Fedex hitches up his backpack and calls out to the group:
”Does anyone else want to carry our package for a while?”
He then takes a swig from his water skin. OOC: gotta stay hydrated, you know.
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
”I am not young enough to know everything.” - Oscar Wilde
Riona:
You sense that the man has no knowledge of horsemanship and attempts to make up for his lack of knowledge with bluster and threats, a tactic he's become accustomed to, living a life of noble station. Unfortunately for him, this is a particularly proud horse and it does not recognize his "authority" like the sniveling boot-lickers that he employs. You don't believe the man would be walking if he'd actually struck the animal, as you've seen how deft is is at striking out when it feels threatened. Horses being natural prey for other animals, they are highly attuned to the intent of those around them. When confronted with impatience and anger, they defend themselves. It seems to you that the man has a lot to learn about horses and treating others with respect.
Lander looks to Fedex. "Nah, I'm good with whichever of you feels comfortable carrying it. You make a good point about a wealthy rider by himself though.....Maybe this will be an uneventful trip after all." Lander whistles a tune as they continue walking.
All: I'll give everyone some time to role-play a bit before I move the story along. I'll move the story along tonight around 08:30pm CST. I'll respond to anything I need to in the mean time.
After walking a while longer, Lander stops whistling his tune and drifts over towards Riona. "If I remember right, you told me your son got you interested in magic..........how did that happen?" He looks to her and continues to talk. "Is he a pretty powerful wizard? I learned a couple cantrips from a hedge wizard in my town, but mostly learned on my own through research and experimentation. In a small town like mine, it's difficult to find the right books, scrolls, and ingredients. If I was going to progress at all, I needed to find libraries, new teachers, etc."
OOC: Okay lol, with those rolls either Fedex or Riona needs to be carrying the envelope
**
I just stare at the horse being tamed by this Fedex guy, watching it simmer down. If it were me I probably would have been wrestling it until submission, but his methods are suitable. Well for now I still travel with these peculiar individuals, an ambush seems likely though. My sense have been under par recently, I might not be able to protect myself, let alone others
Riona's eyes light up as Lander asks about one of her children. You can tell by the inflections in her voice that she proud of him and the man he's become.
"Oh that boy took to magic the second he could read on his own, see his father was also magically inclined and kept all sorts of spell books around the house, and seeing as he was an elven man you can just imagine the amount of knowledge his family had accumulated over the years. Anyway, Erendriel, my eldest son, was casting spells before his brother was even born so when him and I moved back to my home city I made sure get him into a school to further his studies. To be honest I'm relieved he was as talented as he was, once the school noticed his fast progressed the began to help with funds seeing as I am from a modest background and his father was uh... otherwise occupied."
You notice see rolls her eyes a bit at the mention of her elders sons father.
"A hedge mage really? And must be a natural if you were able to get this far without a traditional education. Though I guess were both more or less hedge mages now, imagine that! What about your family? Children? Siblings?"
You can see the genuine interest in her eyes as she asks, and laughs a little at the idea of being roaming hedge mages.
Lander gives a broad smile back at Riona. "You must be very proud of him.... He sounds like a wonderful boy. As for my family, right now it's just my ma and pa. They have a small farm in Belkin with some cows, pigs, and goats. They grow several different crops and vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, corn, carrots, radishes, Whatever the family doesn't need is sold at a small vegetable stand. It's nothing fancy, but it's a good life. Alas, I have no children yet......................."
Lander gets a little teary eyed but quickly tries to hide it with a quick wipe of his forearm. "I was engaged to a beautiful girl quite a while ago, her name was Jillia. Oh, she was so sweet and kind. Her beautiful green eyes shone like the most precious emeralds. Unfortunately, she succumbed to the fever. That was a rough time for me, but I know she's in a better place and someday we'll meet again. Since then, I just haven't had the heart to settle down with anyone again."
He tries to perk up and take the mood back in a more positive direction. "Anyway, sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with that. So, what of your younger son?"
"No burden Lander."
She puts a hand on his shoulder for comfort, adding a small squeeze. She looks at him with gentle and all too knowing eyes.
"I lost my mother and three sisters to fever when I was young, life and loss go hand in hand far too often I'm afraid but we will see them all again some day."
She gives him a hopeful smile with ever so slightly watery eyes. Her smile shifts to a fonder one as she thinks of her younger son.
"My younger boy, Colum, took after my sister, pretty much idolized her. She also enlisted in the military when we were young but she was born to fight, unlike myself." She grins widely and shakes her head slightly.
"He would always find ways to sneak out of the house and follow her too work. Eventually we both gave up and let him start training with the other younger recruits. He became an officer before there was barley even hair on his chest! About a year ago they sent him on tour through the country, I get letters from him now and then but he's off living his life now, I just hope he's staying safe."
You notice her gently touch the hilt of her dagger as she mentions him and smiles to herself.
"I know it's every mothers dream to watch their children grow old and go off on their own, but sometimes I wish it didn't happen so damn fast!" She laughs at herself and continues walking with a fond smile on her face.
Lander reaches up and gently squeezes Riona's hand as she squeezes his shoulder. "Thank You. Your boys both sound wonderful and you should be proud."
Lander glances over his shoulder to both Fedex and Keragri. "You two can feel free to talk a bit too. Don't let Riona and I monopolize the conversation." He laughs.
On the side of the road, Lander notices a branch that would be perfect as a walking stick. He picks it up, pulls a small knife out of a pocket in the side of his backpack, and begins to cut off the smaller stray branches. "I figure a good walking stick might help me keep up with all you long legged folk!"
All: The morning passes without further incident. You travel away from Hill's Edge at a leisurely pace, sharing stories, and getting to know one another. You cross the River Reaching and see the Northdark Wood off in the distance. You find a hill near the road that offers excellent line of sight for the area around you and decide to break for lunch. More stories are shared and bonds are strengthened. Lander finds a peculiarly shaped rock that resembles Keragri if you squint just right and Mr. Declan stretches his wings in the now clear sky. You all finish your lunch and pack up, being careful to leave no trace of your camp. You venture onward toward the woods crouching on the horizon. After another few hours of uneventful travel you find yourself nearing the edge of the woods. The trees of the Northdark Wood stand tall behind the remains of a burned-down farmstead. The blackened timbers of the farmhouse claw at the blue skies like a skeletal hand. A Dwarven woman paces next to a well in front of the farmhouse. She sees you and starts jumping while waving her hands and calling out to you. She then leans over the edge of the well and yells “Help is here honey! We’ll get you out of there!” before running as fast as she can toward you. She reaches you out of breath and teary-eyed. “Help me please! My son was playing here and fell into the well!” she says with her hands clasped in front of her.
OOC: This is a time-sensitive event, so I will roll Initiative for everyone. Please post in your initiative order if possible. If you need to post out of turn, that's ok, we'll just use that post when your turn comes up.
Initiative Rolls: Keragri 14, Fedex 12, Lander 5, Riona 4
Initiative Order:
1. Riona
2. Dwarven Woman
3. Lander
4. Fedex
5. Keragri
All: I'm headed to bed for the night, I'll be back on tomorrow at the usual time (10am-3pm CST).
Riona's eyes open wide as when the woman mentions her son is trapped and start running over to the well, all cation thrown to the wind with the thought of him being in danger.
"Of course we will help! Its going to be okay now. Lander and Fedex will you help me with the rope? Keragri keep an eye out okay, hopefully were all it takes?"
Movement: All movement will be spent running towards the well
Action: Pulling the 50 ft of rope out of my adventurers pack
Bonus Action : none
**OOC
i think at this point we probably handed the package off to Keragri
**
Lander will immediately begin to run towards the well with Riona. Like her, he will use all his movement to get there as quickly as possible. He takes the other end of her rope and begins to help her untangle it and get it ready to throw into the well. He is going to tie a loop in the end of the rope that's about a foot around. "Have the child put the loop around themselves or step through it so they aren't trying to support their entire weight with just their hand strength."
**If Lander has time during his turn, he'd also like to take a quick peek down the well.**
Fedex grabs the dwarvish woman by shoulder and spins her to face him. Grabbing her other shoulder, he bends towards her face and shakes her to assure he is making eye contact. In Common he firmly shouts,
”Tell me, honestly ...”
Then Fedex suddenly switches to Dwarvish and perhaps a little louder,
” ... how long has your son been in the well?”
Fedex expects a trap. Why would a child be playing near an old burned down farmhouse? Why would the woman be pacing instead of seeking her own means of extracting her child? The question is posed to quickly test her for deception.
Insight: 21
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
”I am not young enough to know everything.” - Oscar Wilde