On The Road Again

Descending Water 14

Aden arrived at their meeting point outside the southern gate early so that he would arrive first. To the east, light had begun to show over the horizon, but the sun had yet to show itself. Although it was clearly spring when the sun was high in the sky, winter could still be felt early in the morning and late at night. A light frost covered the fields to the west and south of the capital. Even at this early hour, not long after the gates were first opened for the day, traffic was getting heavy going in and out of the city.

Aden had staked his horse, Lady, in a field to the southwest of the city gates. Lady was a reddish brown mare plenty strong enough to carry Aden and his supplies but no war horse. Aden stood beside her going through his saddle bags making sure that nothing he needed was left behind. A red jade daiklave was strapped to his back, and a pair of red jade bracers were on his wrists. Both were gifts given to him by his parents for his graduation and trip abroad. Aden's trusty straight sword, the one he carried throughout his time at the House of Bells, has on his hip. Aden wore light linen clothes despite the cold. Heavy clothing took a lot of room, and he would not need them once they reached the South. Over his clothing he wore his father's old breastplate. It was an old piece of armor that had been in his family a long time. His father wore it before he had jade armor and so did his father before him. Over the linen and armor he wore a heavy wool cloak to keep the cold off him while still here on the isle.

After deciding he had not forgotten anything, Aden paced near his horse to keep his blood moving and to kill the time before his companions would arrive. Aden didnt normally like to arrive early, but he felt that since this was all his idea, he should be here to take charge when the others arrived. Glancing eastward, Aden noticed that the sun would be rising soon and his friends wouldnt be far behind.

Unsurprising to Aden, Udo was the second of the companions to arrive that morning, the Cloister of Wisdom graduate looked wide awake and fairly energetic for this early in the morning. He was dressed in a simple hemp robe that was likely a bit thin for the mornings winter chill and looked as if it might be a bit warm in the deserts of the south. Across his back Udo was carrying what looked like a fairly heavy canvas pack, his jade powerbow was unstrung and attached to the pack along with several quivers of arrows and the semi-disassembled pieces of his breastplate. Unlike the rest of his companions Udo did not have a mount of any kind with him, instead he would rely on carrying his relatively modest belongings on his back and keeping up with the horses on foot. It sounded like a daunting task, but Udo had been trained for such endeavors at the Cloister and the perfected boots that Willow Rose had given him as a graduation present would undoubtedly come in handy.

Udo blended into the crowd of people more than most Dragon-Blooded would, his appearance relatively unspectacular compared to how some of his brethren chose to present themselves. As a result Aden didn't spot him approaching until he was rather close, despite Aden eagerly awaiting their arrival and keeping an eye on the crowd for their approach. Though it was worth noting, and perhaps brought a bit of a smirk to Aden's lips that Udo's approach was anything but stealthly, quite the opposite. Carrying a heavy pack with two quivers full of arrows, an unstrung bow, and the makings of a breastplate gave each of Udo's steps a rather distinct rattle one would expect of a loaded merchant more than a traveling monk.

Udo broke into a notable smile when he spotted Aden waiting for them to gather at the southern gate, greeting his companion with a cheerful greeting.

"Good morning old friend! Am I the first to arrive?"

--FyreFly 21:02, 25 August 2011 (EDT)

Aden grabbed the Udo's forarm in greeting. "Indeed you are. The others shouldn't be far behind though." Aden looked past Udo's to his pack and chuckled, "Those boots might let you travel as fast as us, but I dont envy you carrying that pack all over creation."

--Macabreengel 10:32, 1 September 2011 (EDT)

Peleps Caedmon rode towards the south gate atop his stallion, Homer. Upon seeing his companions in the distance, he picked up the pace, sprinting towards them until within earshot before slowing Homer to a trot. He looked more like a soldier of the Seventh Legion in his blue jade lamellar armor, to say nothing of the wavecleaver daiklave he wore at his side, an inappropriate weapon for the terrain but the only jade weapon Cad owned, given to him by his uncle and aunt for graduation, a reminder of the naval service expected of any able-bodied Peleps. Cad felt silly wearing his armor this early into the trip, but found the act of packing it too aggravating to be worth the trouble. As he rode towards the pair, his hearthstones glistened as they moved through the Sun's focus.

He called out to them, "You know, Aden, one can hunt Anathema at times other than the ass-crack of dawn. Also, morning Udo." Cad finished his greeting with a nod to his less familiar traveling partner.

He brought Homer to a halt and let loose an exaggerated, but legitimate yawn. Andromeda, Cad's falcon familiar, broke a hard, looping turn and began to circle overhead. After a moment's pause, Cad put his thumb and forefinger to his lips and blew a low whistle, calling the bird down to his shoulder. When the white bird of prey, decorated with a pattern of blue, steely bars, landed on Cad, he looked around, grinning slightly.

"You know, I like these sorcerers. They seem to sleep even later than I do."

Dan 11:39, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

Udo smirked in response to Aden's comments about his heavy looking pack, carrying it around Creation would be an unenviable task but the unassuming Udo would have it no other way. He watched as their next companion arrived by horseback, a well prepared legionnaire by appearance.

"Morning Caedmon." Udo spoke with a flat, yet pleasant tone that showed he was likely the early riser of the group.

"Perhaps our young lovebirds were delayed with something other than sleep..." The delivery from Udo was as deadpanned and awkward as anyone would expect; the comment left the possibility open that he hadn't just made a sex joke. But it sure seemed like he did...

--FyreFly 19:47, 10 September 2011 (EDT)

Aden grinned at Cad, "I feared that once you got into the habit of sleeping in, I would never break you of it. The other two should be along shortly. It is unlike Izumi to be late. She may be a sorcerer, but she has a bit of a soldier in her too."

In response to Udo's mysterious comment, Aden respond, "In that case, maybe she is a soldier with a bit of a sorcerer in her!" Aden slapt Udo in the shoulder and winked at Cad while he laughed.

The sun had finished rising and you could see a sliver of sky between it and the sea when Aden cocked his head like he was listening to a sound off in the distance. Aden shrugged and sighed, "It seems they ran into some trouble at the Sesus Manse and will be delayed. She says to get started and they will catch up. We are headed along the Great Coast Road, so they can't miss us." Aden pulled the stake from ground and untied the reings from it. He placed the stake in a bag, placed one foot in stirrup jumped up onto his horse, Lady.

After his companions readied themselves for the march/ride, Aden lead them onto the Great Coast Road proper and south towards whatever their fates would be. "So Cad, you never did tell me what you did to piss off that girl of yours..."

--Macabreengel 16:22, 14 September 2011 (EDT)

Cad smirked at Aden, replying to his first comment.

"Even at school, I never really woke up until after lunch anyway. You know as well as I that by the time we were upperclassmen, we could do those morning drills in our sleep."

It was rare that Cad wasn't sure how to handle a person, but his lopsided grin belied his total confusion at Udo's sense of humor... or whatever that was. Fortunately, the awkward moment didn't last; upon seeing Aden cock his head to he side, Cad had a feeling they'd be on their way. He patted Homer and hopped back upon his mount, waiting for Aden's confirmation of his suspicions.

When it came, Cad cynically replied, "Trouble at the Sesus Manse? I can't imagine how that would happen..."

Cad did, at least partially, share his father's views on House Sesus, particularly some of its older members - Like House Cathak, but without the discipline, or like House Peleps, but without the tact. Either way, there was little good to be said.

As they started towards their immediate destinies, Cad obliged Aden's prying.

"Well, it's a long story and things were rocky for awhile, but... Well, let's just say that it doesn't help when your partner unloads a bunch of self-deprecating but shockingly accurate criticisms of herself at the end of a long day, and you tacitly go along with those. And it really doesn't help if you try to point out that she said them, and not you."

Cad shrugged, half-grinning.

"She'll be back."

Dan 23:39, 14 September 2011 (EDT)

The three travelers followed the Great Coast Road most days, but occasionally followed short cuts when locals told them of quicker paths. The group was making good time even without pushing themselves to get up too early and continue too late. The road was lined with fishing villages and farming towns that provided fresh food and cheap beds, so the three rarely had to make camp or do their own cooking. Cad and Udo discovered that they both knew a little about birds and would pass the time pointing out rare species to eachother. Aden and Cad would often drink too much too late into the night when they were staying at an inn, and they would grumble in the morning.

Aden, Cad, and Udo were following a farmers road between two fields when things began to feel queer. They had been off the Great Coast Road for about a day and a half and it was about noon. Aden was in the lead and a few paces behind him Cad and Udo were spotting birds. The stalks from last autumn's corn harvest had not yet been plowed back into the earth in these fields and it was making it difficult for Udo to do much spotting from his lower vantage point. Aden came to a stop and the other two stopped right behind him. The narrow path could barely accomadate two side by side and was too narrow to turn a horse around in, so Aden half turned his head back to Cad and Udo. They both nodded without Aden even asking. A hundred yards ahead a man had stepped out from behind a tree with a crossbow, seen them, and jumped back into hiding. Then about 70 yards ahead in the field to their right a murder of crows quietly took flight.

Aden sighed, "I suppose it is better us than an unaware farmer. Thoughts?"

--Macabreengel 14:03, 19 September 2011 (EDT)

((Just a guess but I'm assuming you meant for Aden and Cad to drink too much late at night and grumble in the mornings, if Udo did that with frequency it would not be in keeping with the character. -TK LOL fixed -DK))

Udo had rather enjoyed spotting birds with Cad and was glad they had decided to take this walk through the familiar countryside as it provided a wonderful and comfortable means for Udo to get to know him as well as to reacquaint himself with his childhood friend in Aden. Udo's quirky personality did not fade, confirming that his odd remarks and dialogue tone were simply a part of his personality, however it did seem far less noticeable to both of his companions by this point of the trip.

Udo went still with both of his other companions as the figure up ahead disappeared behind the tree, his eyes raised to the birds taking flight as he slowly and deliberately reached to his back and pulled the unstrung bow from his pack; he remained silent while he pulled a thick cord from his side and set about the task of stringing it to his bow with quick, practiced movements. For the moment he seemed willing to allow his more militarily gifted companions do the strategizing.

"I was thinking about the birds....." His offhanded remarked was whispered quietly, as if to himself and was the only thought he shared while setting about his task of stringing his bow.

--FyreFly 19:46, 20 September 2011 (EDT)

On Descending Water 14,

Back at the Sesus Family Manse in the Capital...

Tycho and Izumi woke with plenty of time to meet their companions. They were getting dressed and double checking their luggage when a messenger arrived for Izumi. He handed her the scroll and took his leave. Izumi opened the scroll and read it quickly to herself. She smiled then sighed. "My cousin exalted last night. Obviously this is good news, however, my aunt wants us to stay for a small celebration being thrown tonight. I don't think I will be able to get out of it. I guess we will have to tell Aden and the rest to go on without us, and we will leave tomorrow and try to catch up."

The two spent the morning and afternoon together because they had little to do and had already packed and prepared to leave. The party in the evening went quickly and wasn't very large due to the short notice. Tycho and Izumi got to bed early so that they could leave as early as possible and begin to catch up to Aden and the rest. Izumi had told Aden to go on without them because she didnt want to hold things back. She knew Aden would be chomping at the bits to get going.

The next morning Izumi and Tycho put on their riding gear and walked out to the stables where their horses were being prepared for them by the stable hands. Izumi's riding clothes were black, but she wore her blue jade breastplate over them. Over her shoulders was a black cloak. Her hair was down, and she wore a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun from her eyes. Izumi's Lightning Rifle was strung across her back. Her jade saddle was already on her horse, The Black Wind, as was the rest of her baggage. Izumi checked to make sure everything was there and strapped in securely before she jumped on her horse. After waiting for Tycho to do the same, the two of them rode out to the front of the estate to meet up with Tycho's retainers, which had been instructed to be ready and waiting for them there.

--Macabreengel 14:06, 3 January 2012 (EST)

The couple arrived at the front of the estate. In stark contrast to Izumi, Tycho was wearing a white tunic and cape, sitting attop his white horse he named Mira. (Forgive the vague physical description, I haven't yet decided on a picture) Before they turned the corner they heard some yelling in the distance. Soon, their cart came into view, and in front of their cart lay a crate with packaged food and supplies strewn about the ground. Izumi's cousin, Serykh, was scolding Tycho's guard, Malam, who apparently let the crate tip off the unsteady cart. Malam had his hands folded across his chest while Serykh was cleaning up the mess.

Tycho approached and dismounted, "Good morning everyone. Is there a problem?"

Serykh closed the crate and dusted herself off, but Malam spoke first. "It seems she packed a bit too much," he motioned to the cart, which looked quite full. Serykh glared at him. She was a bit of a firebrand, which was one of the reasons Izumi was against her coming along. But Tycho tried to diffuse the situation right away. "We can afford to lighten the load a bit, there will be opportunities to restock. Have we all met? It will be a long trip, it's best we start off on the right foot."

Izumi had also dismounted as the other retainers emerged from the other side of the cart. Tycho walked over to his trusted cook, Severen, the oldest of the crew. "Everyone, this is Severen, the greatest cook east of the Blessed Isle." Severen smirked, "and this is Malam Aristide, our muscle." Malam was taller and darker skinned than any of the others, with thick arms and a large sword sheathed on his back. "They have traveled far, from household Ledaal Catala, to accompany us."

He turned to the two women in the group. "This lovely lady is Ankara," he motioned to the scout. She was small, but looked very athletic. Izumi scrunched her eyebrows a bit, wondering if Ankara's looks had played any factor in her being hired. It had. But Tycho would never admit it. "She will be our eyes and ears. And I'm sure you all know Serykh by now," he motioned to healer, dressed in decorative robes.

After the group mingled for a few moments, acknowledging the introductions and idly chatting, Tycho had to get them moving. "Let's leave some of these extra supplies here and get moving. There will be plenty of time to get to know one another on the way to Paragon."

Kirkland 17:15, 17 January 2012 (EST)

Tycho and Izumi enjoyed getting to know each other outside of the Heptagram as they traveled along the Great Coast Road. While she did not intend for them to be left behind, Izumi was enjoying the two of them having some time to themselves. With the other four trapped in the cart together, Tycho and Izumi spent almost all of their time in only each other's company. At night the two of them would share a room and the other four would sleep in the common room, as befit their station.

The two groups kept in touch using Wind Carried Words, with Caedmon speaking on behalf of Aden. The lead group slowed their pace (often meaning they got to sleep-in, to Cad's delight), while Izumi and Tycho got started early and ate lunch in the saddle. It took the better part of a week, but the two groups were finally about to meet up.

Before Cad could respond, the three heard the creak of a wooden wheel and the clop-clop-clop of hooves. Moments later Tycho and Izumi came around a bend in the path about 75 yards behind them followed by a cart with four others. "Aden," yelled Izumi as she waved her hand in the air at him. Aden waved back and motioned towards the path ahead of him. Then he unstrapped the Daiklave from his back and drew it. Frowning, Izumi said, "Seems like trouble," as she drew her Lightning Rifle from across her back.

--Macabreengel 08:51, 18 January 2012 (EST)

((My apologies for not delivering the promised Thursday post. Celebrations of the end of fellowship application season were more raucous than expected.))

Cad turned and nodded in greeting to the new arrivals before looking back to the path ahead, where they'd seen the man with the crossbow, and shook his head slightly. He said, "I figured we'd hit trouble eventually. Still, we don't know the context here..."

He unlatched the leather strap holding his wavecleaver daiklave in, sliding it slowly from it sheath as he leaned in towards Udo and Aden. He spoke quietly - although their would-be assailants were much too far away to hear normal conversation, Cad's combat training was freshly ingrained, and he always kept it quiet in tactical situations unless there was a direct need for louder voices.

"If these guys are mortals, they don't stand a chance unless there's a hell of a lot of them. Are we sure that leaving these guys in a mess of their own gore is the best course of action here? Sure, if they're professional bandits who've made a living terrorizing passers-by, good riddance, but if they're trying to get an extra obol to feed their kids because of a bad harvest, creating a few more orphans probably isn't the best thing - for those kids or the nobility's relationship with the rural Realm. I'd cautiously say we have the upper hand unless there's more to this situation than meets the eye - do we want to try to see what they want first and feel out whether these guys are criminals or desperate parents? We can always capably defend ourselves if they attack suddenly."

Cad thought a bit more before suggesting a more concrete plan.

"If we do want to go that route, Cad and I could approach cautiously and Udo could keep an eye on that field to the right, in case they've got people hidden there... Still, just a thought. I could be taking us right into a more sophisticated trap and risking the whole endeavor. What say you, gentlemen?"

The tone in Cad's voice was merely suggestive rather than commanding - he wasn't insisting that the group try to negotiate with the bandits and didn't seem to mind the thought of engaging them outright (despite his pacifist suggestion, he too had daiklave in hand at this point). He was just playing devil's advocate, as he was wont to do.

Dan 17:12, 21 January 2012 (EST)

"Absolutely, let us exercise some restraint until we know the true nature of the opponent. Surely if they are a band of mortals they should know better than to try their luck with a group of dragon-bloods. Once they see us, they should let us pass." Tycho was a pacifist himself, avoiding combat when at all possible. But that didn't mean he would hesitate to defend himself and his group if it came to that.

As Tycho spoke, their cart had come closer and Malam and Ankara had already dismounted, Malam had his sword drawn and Ankara was pulling an arrow from her quiver. Tycho turned to the two, "Ankara, Malam, watch our six." then turned back to the group, smirking when Cademon said "Cad and I ..." ((I think you meant Aden and I?)). "I'll accompany Cademon and Aden in the negotiation attempt, Izumi, help Udo keep an eye on that field."

Kirkland 12:58, 23 January 2012 (EST)

Malam and Ankara moved around behind the cart to watch for anyone coming from behind. Tycho's other two retainers drew their weapons but remained with the cart.

"Ledaal Catala Tycho, is it? Good to meet you. I agree, the three of us will go up and see what is going on while the Udo and Izumi cover us." Then to Izumi with a nod, "Good timing cousin." Aden whispered to Cad as they got off their horses, "If there is trouble, we might get to see what this guy is made of sooner rather than later. Also, what's with the posse?"

The farmer's road was too narrow for the horses to pass eachother so Izumi and Tycho got down off theirs and met up with Aden, Cad, and Udo in front of Aden and Cad's horses. Right behind Aden and Cad's horses were Tycho and Izumi's horses. The cart was last in line with Malam and Ankara guarding it from the backside. Aden, Cad, and Tycho begin walking down the path as Udo and Izumi take position to cover them from right in front of the horses. Aden pointed to a tree about 100 yards ahead and said to Tycho and Izumi, "We saw a man with a crossbow step out from behind that tree. Then he quickly jumped back behind it." Then the three began the walk towards the tree.

About half way between the rest of the group and the tree, Aden, Cad, and Tycho heard a rustling in the fields on either side of them. Tycho, reacting faster than the other two, turned his head quickly and saw a face appear and then disappear a few yards into the field. Back from where Udo stood, he could see the tops of the crops on either side of his companions quiver as some number of people moved within. The three stopped for a few seconds, their eyes on the field besides them, but there was no further movement.

--Macabreengel 13:49, 23 January 2012 (EST)

Cad saw Tycho's sidelong glance and began to suspect more and more that these bandits may not be friendly to negotiation. His tactical urge was to take solid footing and call out the man behind the three - if the bandits were inexperienced, this could prompt an attack and would leave Cad and his crew in a more favorable defensive position, since they'd know it was coming. On the other hand, if they were amenable to negotiation, a call out could serve as the first step. Still, Cad's level-headedness and cautious nature when dealing with unfamiliar colleagues stopped him from acting on his own. He whispered to Tycho and Aden,

"Should we call out to them? That puts the ball in our court - at the very least, we can steel ourselves for an attack before calling out, rather than risking them attacking us while we walk. Could be too risky, though."

((Dan - if the man behind the tree comes out to talk to us, I'd like to use Scent-of-Crime method with Personal Essence on him. Cad hopes to ascertain if he's feeling guilty about his crimes (if there are any). Obviously if there's no negotiating to be done then Cad isn't too worried about veiled social charms.))

Dan 14:12, 23 January 2012 (EST)

Udo nodded in greeting to the newly arrived companions on the trip, he took a moment to look over the cart and retainers Tycho and Izumi had brought with them which caused a faint, tight lipped smirk to cross his lips. Their arrival and traveling arrangements notably less humble than his own, Udo had to remind himself that it was he who was out of the normal and not them. He turned to his attentions back to the plan at hand, generally nodding along and certainly agreeing to watch the field as the trio decided to approach in order to negotiate.

"It is unfortunate that the context of the situation eludes us, however I can not help but wonder if it is of notable relevance when looking at the big picture situation we find ourselves confronted with." Udo spoke more confidently and directly, as opposed to his typical whimsical tone, "I could not agree more with Cad, leaving these men in a mess of their own gore, as he so eloquently put it, probably does no one any benefit. However, I'm afraid that simply securing ourselves peaceful passage would be a grave oversight of our more noble duties and the charge of the Elemental Dragons for us Princes of Creation to better those who we come into contact with. We cannot allow the plague of banditry and debauchery to continue to exist, or more egregiously to spread across our beloved Blessed Isle."

Udo paused briefly to allow his words to sink in and to compose himself to continue, "I wholeheartedly do not disagree with the plan, avoiding combat and not overpowering the weak for no benefit is of the utmost importance. But whether these men are professional bandits or starving farmers looking to spring a trap; we cannot ignore that we are traveling on a farmer's road and if we do not address the problem at hand than without a doubt by tomorrow a different unsuspecting traveler will fall prey to this ambush. I fear that the next group will not be so uniquely and adequately equipped to deal with this situation as we are."

"I do not mean to be excessive, I simply mean to suggest we must disperse these bandits, though peaceful methods are undoubtedly preferred simply securing safe passage for ourselves is a response as equally inappropriate as an immediate bloodbath would have been."

(I was literally typing this up as Dan and Dan posted, so you're getting it even if it's a bit delayed in the context of the thread.) --FyreFly 14:25, 23 January 2012 (EST)

Udo had almost no perceptible reaction to the flutter of cornstalks alongside of the path near the trio of companions, his breathing was steady and calm and his focus unbroken. He had raised his powerbow so that he could quickly aim and fire off a shot if the need called for it, until the recent movement along the path the arrow he had seated in the notch of his bow had drawn no tension along the heartstring, but the slightest draw of Udo's wrist took in the slack. He waited silently for his companions, or the bandits, to make the first move in tense silence while keeping his senses keen all around him for the impending trap. If Izumi was not as keenly focused as he, undoubtedly she would notice that Udo was preparing as if they were in for the fight of their lives, whether it was because he knew something they did not or because he entered even the most trivial of encounters with such focus was unclear.

--FyreFly 17:53, 23 January 2012 (EST)

Tycho nodded, agreeing with Cad's suggestion to call them out. He whispered, "Call them out, we'll be ready." He took a more defensive posture and kept his eyes and ears open for any change in the situation.

((if an Investigation roll becomes pertinent I would spend 2 motes of personal essence on my Investigation excellency to add 2 dice to my dice pool.))

Kirkland 11:36, 25 January 2012 (EST)

"I suppose here is as good as anywhere. Will you do the honors Cad? Or shall I?" responded Aden.

--Macabreengel 12:59, 25 January 2012 (EST)

Cad nodded, replying to Aden, "Happy to."

Relaxing his stance a bit, he raised a tilted left hand to his mouth - his right still held his Wavecleaver daiklave. Taking a breath, he called out in a voice that was plenty loud, but free of aggression. He made sure to avoid sounding accusatory. On the other hand, he let some of his cockiness shine through in his tone - it was clear to the bandits that he wasn't threatened by what he perceived to be a band of mortal thieves.

"We see you up there! There was a man behind the tree carrying a crossbow, and you've got people hidden the fields. We don't know what your game plan is, but we mean you no harm; we're just passing through. I think we can resolve this without bloodshed. How about you show yourselves and we'll talk this out? That way maybe everyone can go home tonight."

((Let me know if any rolls are necessary. My prior statement about Scent-of-Crime-Method stands.))

Dan 13:31, 25 January 2012 (EST)

If anything, the fields next to Cad, Tycho, and Aden was even quieter than before. Likely anyone in there was caught off guard and were holding their breath. It was harder to tell if anything was happening at the tree 50 yards ahead. Cad was certainly loud enough, but 50 yards is a quite a distance to hear any whispering. Then, after almost a minute of waiting, a middle aged man with a crossbow came out from behind the tree. Two younger men with pitchforks followed and then two boys with slings. The man was holding the crossbow loosely in front of him and seemed confident. The two men with the pitchforks were holding them out and ready. The boys were visibly nervous.

Cad channeled essence into his senses and looked the men over. The two boys gave off a slight stench of guilt. It was doubtful they were guilty of anything serious. Young boys often get into trouble, and it is impossible to tell if there was anything more to it. The two men with pitchforks stank of sulfur and their doubts and worries filled Cad's ears. It would be safe to say that their list of crimes is long and terrible. The man with the pitchfork, on the other hand, gave off no such signs. He is either pure as the driven snow or something else is going on.

"Well what do we have here," yelled back the man with the crossbow. "I suppose we can handle this without blood. Just hand over your weapons and supplies and we'll let you on through."

--Macabreengel 22:39, 25 January 2012 (EST)

Udo looked briefly towards the group and the tree as the five potential bandits stepped out from behind the tree, a quick and analyzing gaze of the potential threat posed by the revealed bandits. Gauging that the five did not pose and overly significant threat, at least not immediately, his attention quickly returned to the field expecting the men out front to be a diversion for an ambush launched from the side or rear.

He spoke in a hushed whisper to Izumi who was standing near by with her lightening rifle poised for action, "Unless they are well disguised a frontal assault makes little sense, keep your attention on the potential ambush."

--FyreFly 11:44, 26 January 2012 (EST)

Tycho smirked at the ridiculous proposal and responded. "You and I both know that's not going to happen. Though, I suppose we could spare some medical supplies to use on those whose lives we spare," his voice projected confidence and compassion under a veiled threat. His gaze shifted to the more nervous boys, who didn't quite look up to the fight and would likely be the ones spared and receiving their courteous medical treatment.

Kirkland 14:41, 27 January 2012 (EST)

((Dan, did you mean "The man with the crossbow, on the other hand,..."? I'm assuming you did since you already covered the pitchfork users in the previous sentence. If you didn't mean that, let me know, and I may change my response.))

Cad remained calm, saying, "I think you know as well as I that we can't do that. You must be upset."

Cad paid careful attention to the man with the crossbow and his pitchforked companions, wondering how their different levels of guilt and worry would affect their reaction.

"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish - if I did, I might be able to help you. And you're already thinking that there's no way I can help you, I know that. But you're wrong. Clearly you need help - look what you've had to resort to just to try to help yourselves. I don't know if you're trying to feed your kids, start a militia, or just entertain yourselves, but no sane man would feel good about resorting to this to do it."

Cad paused for a moment before continuing, "So you must be upset. At least tell us why and keep your minds open to the possibility that we might be able to do some good on our way through. This can go one of two ways - We're nobles, as I'm sure you've noticed. That means we have resources, connections, and power. That means that if you've ever wanted someone who can actually affect change to hear your voice, now is your chance. That also means that we could kill every last one of you without batting an eye and never see a shred of consequence for it - it'd barely be a footnote in our day. Don't make us do that. And if you're going to, for Daana'd's sake, send those boys home. They've got no place here."

"Your choice, gentlemen."

Cad remained in a defensive stance, though it was a relaxed one - at Udo's suggestion, he was more concerned about being able to change his direction quickly in the likely event of an ambush.

Dan 15:05, 27 January 2012 (EST)

Izumi listened to Udo's instructions without taking her eyes off the scene in front of her. She nodded in agreement when he finished and kept her eyes on the fields to either side of them.

Aden focused on their surroundings since Cad was handling the negotiations. In response to Cad and Tycho's words, there was some movement and maybe some whispering in the fields near them. If the hidden bandits were still near the three of them it meant they probably intended to focus all their attention on Aden, Cad, and Tycho before moving on to the ones guarding the horses and wagon. Dividing their forces against superior foes would have been a mistake. By focusing all their power on a small portion of their opponents they could hope to drag them down and then move on to whoever was left. It was unlikely to matter though.

In response to the negotiations, the man with a pitchfork to the man with the crossbows left started to stay something to the man with the crossbow. Aden, Cad, and Tycho were to far to hear, however. The man didnt get a chance to say much though before the man with the crossbow backhanded him, yelling, "You know they can't do anything." The man with the pitchfork sufficiently cowed, the man with the crossbow responded to the negotiations. "You see Magistrate Karl von Eberstein has disenfranchised all of us. He told everyone in these prefecture that if they helped us, he would disenfranchise them. He also told all the surrounding prefectures of what he accused us of, so none of them want to take us in either. So you see, you 'nobles' really brought this on yourselves. Everyone here knows that to go with you means death when Eberstein finds out." It isn't clear if he is explaining the situation to you, or reminding the other bandits.

On the field to the left, nearest to Aden, there is a loud commotion and a teenage girl bursts through the crops holding a hand scythe. From behind her a woman's voice shouts, "NO! Don't!" as the girl drops the scythe and screams, "PLEASE Help us!" She runs straight for Aden, who catches her, and she collapses in his arms. The man with the crossbow begins to raise it and take aim. Seeing the man's actions, Aden pushes the girl behind him and prepares for battle.

--Macabreengel 01:11, 28 January 2012 (EST)

Tick 1

Udo: Udo draws back his bow as the young woman emerges from the field, his aim follows her but as she drops her weapon and joins the trio of companions he refocuses elsewhere. He takes a short intake of breath as quickly raises the aim of his bow and releases an arrow for the leader of the bandits, the trajectory of the arrow passing only a few feet above the head of his companions on its path into the chest of the bandit leader. (Speed 4 Attack, Accuracy 10, Damage +10L, -1DV.)

Cad: Cad delays his action, although he advances toward the boys with pitchforks with move actions. Noticing over his shoulder that Udo has begun to take aim at the leader, Cad hopes that Udo's arrow will dispatch the leader. If it does not, Cad hopes to finish the job with an elemental bolt attack as a show of power - his plan is to take out the leader and hope that the rest of them back down, so they don't have to hurt anyone else. His plan is to move in range (Cad's elemental bolt attack as a 40 yard range) and fire an elemental attack when that becomes possible (so tick 4). If he is attacked before such time by a melee-using opponent, he will instead attack them with his daiklave the tick after they attack him. He'll spend Willpower on the Elemental Bolt Attack if he ends up taking it, as he would love for this battle to end without having to dice everyone up - he wants to find out more about this magistrate. If it comes down to melee combat before he's able to try, he won't waste the willpower.(Elemental Bolt Attack: Speed 5, Accuracy 4 (+1 will), Damage 6L, -1 DV) OR (Slash with Wavecleaver Daiklave: Speed 4, Accuracy 10, Damage 11L, -1 DV)

Before the bandit leader could fire his crossbow, Udo released an arrow from his power bow. The shot sailed just over Udo's companions as Cad began to advance on the 5 bandits ahead. The leader tried to twist out of the arrows path but it still struck him in the right shoulder, piercing through his light armor and sticking there. The leader's right arm went mostly limp and gushed blood.

Tick 2

Cad: Cad continued to advance (move/guard/delay). He cautiously took a glance over his shoulder as he heard the crackle of Tycho's lightning staff. He ducked slightly as the electricity soared just over his head. When he noticed it fanning out to hit all three men, he muttered to himself, "Damn, those sorcerers aren't messing around." Cad figured the best he could hope for was that the lightning would kill the bandit leader but disable his two sidekicks. ((Cad is continuing with his stated actions, but if the lightning kills the bandit leader, Cad will attempt to stop combat on Tick 3 with a monologue. Let me know if Cad sees him go down and I'll post the relevant dialogue and stats.))

Tycho: Tycho sighed, not being left with much of a choice other than a violent confrontation. As Cad charged Tycho remained standing and lowered his staff, pointing it toward the group of bandits ahead. Electricity charged at the tip of the staff and released with a loud crack, arcing over Cad as he ran forward and targeting the bandit leader and the men on either side of him (Bandit leader, bandit 1, and bandit 2). (Lightning Fan: Speed 5, Accuracy 10, Damage 7L, -1 DV, spent 5 motes from essence battery, 15 remaining)

Nearly seeing his leader killed at the opening of battle was enough for one of the boys and he dropped his sling and took off into the field to his left. The bandit leader and Tycho took aim and fired simultaneously. The bandit's injured arm threw off his aim, and his shot sailed into the field to Cad's left. Tycho's aim, however, was dead on. The cone of lightning arched towards the bandits and struck all three in their chests. As the three were knocked back from the blow, the smell of burnt flesh and hair filled the air. There was no apparent sign of life from them as they lay crumpled on the ground.

Tick 3

Cad: Cad slowed his advancement, sheathing his daiklave as the older bandits crumpled to the ground, dead. "Damnit, Tycho..." Cad pursed his lips as he muttered quietly to himself. He'd hoped Tycho would kill only the bandit leader, as he suspected the others may have been coerced, but it was Cad's own fault for not being explicit about this. Cad took careful stock of the fleeing boy's appearance, just in case, but didn't feel the need to run after him. He figured that the two young men would have a more realistic understanding of the situation, but Cad was still hopeful that the two younger members of the bandit party would be able to explain. The girl seemed especially willing to enlist their help. Cad called out, loud enough for the fleeing boy to hear (if possible) in case it would change the boy's mind. Although Cad felt that killing the other two men was a bit excessive, he made no show of it here - a trained soldier, he unilaterally supported his colleague on the battlefield. Disagreements were for private quarters.

"I think we're finished here! I'm sorry you had to see that, but we warned those men that we were not to be trifled with. I have no interest in harming children or bringing even more misery to a village. My offer to help you stands. Would one of you - " Cad gave a glance to the boy still here and then to the teenage girl cowering behind Aden, " - care to explain to me the situation here?"

Cad remained calm and confident. He had sheathed his weapon and relaxed his stance, projecting the impression that further combat was no longer an option. Cad certainly hoped not.

Tick 3 The group relaxed a little and Cad began to sheath his weapon when 6 bandits burst from the fields around them (4 from the left and 2 from the right). Two of the bandits from the left charged Aden and swung their hand scythes at his chest, and Aden rolled beneath them. Two bandits charged Cad, one from the right and one from the left, and slashed at him with their hand scythes. Cad easily blocked the one from the right, who started closer, but misjudged how fast the one from his left was closing in. As he turned to parry the second attack, the scythe caught him on his left shoulder. The farming equipment didnt even scratch his jade armor, however. Tycho turned to face the bandit charging his left side but failed to notice the bandit coming from the right. Tycho dodged under his attackers blow, and luckily, it took him out of the path of the attack he didnt see coming.

Tick 4

Cad: Cad sighed, "Figures." Just as soon as the daiklave had settled in its nest, it was called to action again as Cad ripped it from its sheath with his right hand. With his left, he grabbed the attacking arm of the bandit that hit him and yanked it as high as he could, exposing the bandit's torso to attack. As he drew his blade, he extended the motion into an upward slash across the bandit's midsection, whipping around as soon as the slash reached its height and swinging the blade back down into the side of the other attacker's neck. Angry at the ambush and angry at himself for not anticipating it, he privately channeled a bit of retaliatory Essence into the attack. ((Slash #1 against attacker who hit: Speed 4, Accuracy 10, Damage 11L, -1 DV; Slash #2 against the attacker who missed: Speed 4, Accuracy 9, Damage 11L, -1 DV; Cad spent 2m and added 2 accuracy dice to each attack with his Melee excellency))

As he slashed at the bandits he called out to Aden, "Don't let them get to the girl!" Cad figured she was their only chance at figuring out what was going on at this point. He wasn't even sure why he cared, but if it a magistrate was involved, it was probably interesting.

Results: Aden's dodge carried him behind his two attackers but left them between him and the girl. Cad grabbed his opponents wrist as three more bandits burst out of the field to their right and charged the melee near Aden and Tycho. Meanwhile, Izumi leveled her rifle at the bandit that had attacked Tycho from behind. Aden struck down his first opponent before she could even turn to face him. As Aden raised his blade the second bandit raised his arms up in a desperate attempt to prevent the blow. The daiklave easily based through his arms and landed between his neck and shoulder. It continued downward until it came to rest in the bandit's gut. A few yards away the bandit Cad grabbed tried to twist out of the way as Cad's wavecleaver struck home, severing his arm and head from his torso. Cad carried the momentum up, around, and eventually down on the other bandit leaving her head and arm severed in a mirror image of the first. Izumi pushed a few motes of essence through the rifle and lightning burst out the end towards Tycho's attacker. The force of the shock knocked him into the air and left his burnt, crumpled body on the side of the path. The three bandits that emerged from the field charged and attacked their targets just as the companions were beginning their counter-attack on the last wave. The first bandit, a young man, charged the teen girl while screaming, "BITCH!" He took a wild swipe at her with his hand scythe, but she managed to duck out of the way. Seeing the young woman charging him, Aden slid the body his sword was stuck in between himself and his new attacker where it absorbed her blow. Tycho, meanwhile, found himself backing further away from Aden and the girl as a woman charged him, and forced him to take another step back to avoid her clumsy blow. Admist all the chaos and carnage, the second boy with a slingshot ran off into the field to the group's left.

Tick 5

Udo: Udo couldn't help but feel disappointed at what the situation had become, it was far from a feeling of sadness, guilt, or anger but he was undoubtedly disappointed. He reached into the quiver on his back and with a single, smooth, practiced motion drew two arrows from his quiver and quickly notched them both into his powerbow and drew back the string. He was disappointed in the bandits and their failure to live with dignity and honor, he was disappointed in the magistrate who had taken away their choices and forced them to turn to desperation, and he was disappointed in their group, who had failed to help these bandits without violence. Udo lifted the bow higher in the air and rotated it 45 degrees so that it was parallel with the ground rather than vertical, as he did he took aim with his arrows at the bandits in combat with his companions. He released the arrows, as he channeled 2 motes of his personal essence, on a trajectory that looked as if they were aimed directly for Tycho, but as the arrows quickly covered the distance to their target they slowly separated so that they narrowly whizzed by Tycho on either side, finding their targets in Bandit 10 and Bandit 13. Udo hoped that they could at least save the girl who had surrendered herself to their mercy, by eliminating the attacker targeting her and the final attacker of Aden, freeing him up to focus on protecting her. (2 Shots with Powerbow, 1 mote on 1st MA Excellency each: #1 @ Bandit 10 Speed 4, Accuracy 10, Damage 10L, -1 DV, #2 @ Bandit 13 Speed 4, Accuracy 9, Damage 10L, -1 DV)

Results: Izumi gasped as the two arrows hurdled towards Tycho's head, and Tycho heard something buzz by each ear like the sound of an angry hornet. Izumi sighed in relief as the two arrows struck home in the bandits skulls, and they fell over dead. (Three die stunt)

Tick 7

Tycho: Tycho had started walking toward the first three victims of his lightning fan, feeling that perhaps he may have used excessive force in dealing with this minute threat. Those feelings quickly faded as he was surprised by the additional attackers. He spun around and watched the bloodbath unfold and prepared to defend himself as the attackers closed in. He didn't even have time to react to the arrows whizzing by his head, but breathed a sigh of relief when they struck his attackers on either side of him. Seeing the bandits begin to flee as others were cut down, the situation was clearly favoring the dragon-bloods. He wasn't about to strike down the two young, threatening women with lightning--THAT would be excessive force. He grabbed the woman's hand scythe as she tried to slice him, attempting to subdue her and calling out to the remaining bandits, "You have lost, stop this at once!" (Attempt to clinch Bandit 14, forgive me I don't have the rules handy or memorized.)

Results: As Aden approached one bandit and Tycho grabbed the other, the remaining fight left in the girls was evaporating. Tycho grabbed the bandits right hand and slid around behind her, twisting her arm behind her back, and said "You have lost, stop this at once!" The girl Tycho grabbed put up no resistance once he grabbed her and dropped her weapon in response to his command. The other girl took one look at Aden, dropped her weapon, and fell to her knees. All three girls then began sobbing.

Cad dropped out of a combat stance, but did not sheath his sword. He turned to the girls, struggling a bit to control his temper. He was more angry at himself for letting the ambush occur; he understood that they were likely manipulated or coerced. Still, that didn't stop him from taking out his anger a bit on their attackers. He directed his comments mainly to the older of the two who'd attacked; his condescension wasn't meant for the one who'd given herself up or the girl young enough that Cad believed she was probably blindly following an older sibling or friend.

"We made it quite clear to all of you that if the attack were to proceed, it would end in bloodshed only for your companions. That's exactly what happened. Why did you continue attacking after it was clear that you stood no chance?"

He didn't intend for or expect that question to be answered. He continued, although he regained more of a steady calm in his voice.

"You all must have had a very good reason for following that man with the crossbow, even to your deaths. I know all of you are feeling terrible about this choice and past ones. What happened here?"

Dan 18:29, 2 February 2012 (EST)

Udo slung his bow over his shoulder, not such a definitive end of combat that he felt the need to unstring it, but decisively set aside as he did not want to appear threatening. He looked over to Izumi, who he was still standing next to before looking back towards the cart of Tycho's retainers.

"It is most likely safe to bring the cart up now." Udo spoke it rather flatly, which Izumi and certainly the retainers might find a bit odd, though the others who knew him a bit better would have expected nothing less. Though it was perhaps impressive, or even a little disturbing that such violent combat seemed to leave him unphased.

After his brief comments to the group he tucked his hands into the baggy sleeves of his cloak infront of his body and began to approach the battle with a brisk walk towards his companions and the trio of survivors. He was just within range to overhear Cad speak to the surviving girls, he was certainly interested to hear their response to his question.

--FyreFly 21:19, 2 February 2012 (EST)

Aden wiped his blade off with a spare cloth as Cad confronted the three survivors. Jade did not rust, of course, but he had developed the habit at school and was likely to keep it unless he went out of his way to change it. Meanwhile, Izumi nodded to Udo and yelled back at their travelling companions to bring the horses and cart up. When she turned back she noticed that Udo was almost halfway up to the group due to his head start and enhanced stride. Not wanting to miss anything and noticing that all three survivors were girls, she decided to jog to try and catch up. She arrived not long after Udo.

Tycho released the girl he had grabbed, and she ran over to the youngest girl and put her arms around her protectivly. While holding the youngest girl and without looking towards anyone the oldest girl bitterly said, "Look what you have done now, Sarah. You know no one else will accept us and now they are all dead, because of you."

The girl that had run out at the beginning of battle looked at Aden, then at Cad, then at her feet, "He was our father."

--Macabreengel 13:17, 7 February 2012 (EST)

Udo came to a pause a few feet from the gathered crowd, intently watching the interaction between the three girls who seemed at first to be sisters, but clearly something had come between them. He looked at the bodies scattered across the farmers path, regarding each one individually as he listened to the response from the eldest girl. Because Cad had started the conversation with them, and because he was fairly certain that Cad was the better speaker he allowed Cad to continue their line of questioning about what had transpired that led the family to such drastic action. Udo never entirely relaxed, and while the girls and their body language certainly had his attention his eyes often darted around their surroundings.

--FyreFly 21:39, 8 February 2012 (EST)

Tycho walked toward the ongoing conversation between Cad and the girls with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. They had just killed a man in front of his three daughters; and although it was in self-defense, it was a tough situation for everyone. Had they done enough to try to avert this outcome? Tycho would wrestle with this question in his head for days, but he tried to cast it aside as he listened to the conversation. Perhaps the girls' answers would ease some of Tycho's anxiety (or, perhaps, make it worse.)

Kirkland 14:40, 13 February 2012 (EST)

Cad shook his head. That was a tragedy. Still, jaded by his comparatively plush upbringing, the young Cad may not have fully grasped why some people were willing to resort to violence, when, in Cad's opinion, it seemed unnecessary. He'd never had to deal with being ignored by the powers-that-be while trying merely to provide for his family.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I regret that we resorted to lethal force against our attackers, but it's hard to do anything else during an ambush."

Cad let the silence hang for a moment; he realized it was an awkward thing to say to the girls at this moment and it hit him that he was probably justifying his own actions out loud more than anything else. Not liking that behavior from himself, he took a moment to reset his state of mind before continuing.

"This is not any of your faults. The fault was with the men who forced you to do these things and the men who decided that negotiation wasn't even worth attempting. I don't think it's true that nobody else will accept you, but to help you, I have to understand what's going on here. Please, tell me how this came to be. Let us make this right."

Cad forced as much sympathy into his voice as he could; some of it was genuine, but he may have overdone it - adrenaline from the ambush was still dying down and making finesse difficult. He took to one knee as he talked, coming to eye level with the older girl holding the younger one.

Dan 11:17, 15 February 2012 (EST)

The oldest girl stood, faced Cad and bowed, "No, I am sorry. Regardless of our past crimes, attacking all of you is a crime deserving of death. I thank you for deciding to spare us so far." The middle and youngest girl watched the eldest with fear, but she continued, "Our father was cheating the Realm out of their just taxes. When Magistrate Eberstein came to investigate, we remained loyal to our father and did not help the investigation, and so we were punished along with him. Magistrate Eberstein said that we were to live in poverty for the rest of our lives and that if we tried to avoid our punishment, he would find us and put us to death." When she stopped talking, the two other girls looked relieved. Even without their help, it was apparent that the girl was hiding something.

--Macabreengel 22:12, 21 February 2012 (EST)

"Please continue your story." Udo spoke to the eldest daughter with a flat and expecting tone, as if he took her attempt to hide something was a brief pause and had never considered that she didn't intend to continue.

Udo was otherwise unchanged as he appeared to be listening rather intently with arms still neatly folded into the sleeves of his robe, he hunched over just slightly as if he were an old man straining to hear the conversation or an old oak bending under the pressure of a strong wind. His somewhat docile manner obscured that he was still quite sharply aware of his surroundings and his eyes occasionally darted around the nearby fields at the slightest disturbance.

--FyreFly 00:13, 26 February 2012 (EST)

Cad nodded in agreement with Udo. Although he feared that he'd cause the girls to panic and become hysterical again, he decided to call direct attention to their withholding of information.

"Certainly there must be some content between when you were disenfranchised and when you became highway robbers. How did this arrangement come to be? When did your father decide that theft would be less risky than dodging the magistrate's sanction? Both constitute crimes - what made this a safer arrangement? I can tell there's more to this story."

Cad did not speak accusingly; the adrenaline had finally worked its way through his system and he had better control of his act now. He came off as less of an interrogator and enunciated his question as someone who needed the whole story to really help the girls out.

Dan 12:05, 27 February 2012 (EST)

The oldest girl looked nervous and bit her lip as she stalled. The middle girl watched her very closely and with fear. The youngest girl chimed in sobbingly, "Daddy said that since we knew the land around here better than outsiders, we would be safe." Then she continued her crying. The older girl nodded, "He said that we would all be safe if we stuck together no matter what." She glancingly gave a death look to the middle girl as she spoke. The middle girl responded by looking down at the ground and avoiding eye contact. Aden whispered to Cad, "There is something going on between these two girls. It might be key to getting to the bottom of this."

--Macabreengel 14:34, 5 March 2012 (EST)

Udo was a man of patience and temperance, however he would not be blatantly disrespected to his face by a trio of girls who had just committed treason, among other crimes by staging their highway robbery against a group of dynasts. His eyes which had darted around the nearby fields locked onto the oldest girl with previously unfamiliar intensity as he spoke with a far sharper edge in his voice and with his usual directness.

"Is this all of the information you wish to provide in defense of your sins?" he paused long enough to let his words settle on the three girls, but not long enough for them to interject before he continued. "You three sisters have committed treason against your Realm, and more egregiously you have committed heresy against The Immaculate Faith. Each crime alone would be punishable by death, together there are members of this Empire who would do far worse."

Udo did not threaten, he stated simply a matter of fact. For his high talk of heresy and treason Udo viewed people far more equally than most dynasts, in this instance that meant he expected the girls to repent and be truthful in confession of their sins. They had committed treason and their actions were heresy, there was no judgement needed to determine that, he had hoped their punishment might be light and their crimes performed out of naivety. Udo straightened his back from his previous hunch and slipped the jade powerbow from his shoulder and into the coiled grip of his left hand.

"It would be a service to the Dragons to return you to the cycle of reincarnation, let the Dragons themselves purify your souls in hopes that you be returned to their graces." Udo would personally perform the burial rights for the entire family, regardless of the fate of these three sisters, so that their souls may rest peacefully and return honorably into the cycle, unless of course one of the sisters provided a bit of clarity to their situation.

--FyreFly 21:09, 5 March 2012 (EST)

Cad shot Udo a sidelong, slightly surprised glance; he was a bit blindsided that execution was suddenly on the table. Still, Cad was not ignorant of the fact that something was going on between the girls and their middle sister. Growing slightly impatient with the continued obfuscation, he tried a more direct approach. He looked to the middle girl, then to her sisters, speaking up.

"Do you girls blame your middle sister for this? Don't think we haven't seen the stares you've been giving her. What is she hiding? And also, another question - just how much tax was your father cheating the Realm out of? Magistrates are powerful and feared, but they're also hated in this day and age. It takes a lot to be worth their time. You girls need to start giving us the truth, or this isn't going to be worth our time."

Cad normally played it cooler than this, but was still a bit on edge about the whole situation, and wasn't quite sure how to play off of Udo, whose calmly-delivered death threats, tranquil as they seemed, didn't exactly blend seamlessly with Cad's (equally far-fetched) "We're with the government, we're here to help," approach.

Dan 12:09, 21 March 2012 (EDT)

Tycho shot Udo a confused glance. Was he seriously considering this, or just trying to strike fear into these girls' hearts? His tone was very convincing. Everyone does things they later regret, just as these girls were doing now. Tycho was a believer in second chances. These girls were young, and after the trauma of the carnage that had just ensued around them, had already been punished plenty enough.

Regardless of the moral dilemma, the group needed to be continuing their journey. This ambush had already cost them time and they had a long way left to go. He turned to his followers, and spoke to Serykh. "Prepare the wagon for the continued journey," then he turned to Udo, "I think these girls have distracted us long enough, don't you think? Let's continue on our way." He said, trying to diffuse the situation, letting the girls off the hook by pointing out it was probably not worth the Exalts' time.

Kirkland 18:45, 25 March 2012 (EDT)

Despite Udo's calm delivery, the oldest girl was horrified. She grabbed the youngest girl by the wrist and dragged her around behind Cad so that he was in the way of any shot Udo may try to make. The oldest girl nodded with agreement with Tycho, and responded to Cad, "We are not worth your time. If you leave us to bury the dead we promise you will never hear from us again and we wont cause any more trouble." As she was finishing the middle girl stepped forward toward Udo and asked, "If we accept our punishment now, will our punishment in the next life be lessened?" Aden frowned, if things were this complicated with simple bandits, they were in for quite a trial on their journeys.

--Macabreengel 14:39, 26 March 2012 (EDT)

Udo regarded the oldest girl with a scornful look as she retreated behind Cad, starring at her for a long moment as if looking through Cad. The youngest certainly had an excuse through the ordeal as the eldest clearly seemed to be leading her in the general continued deception of the exalts. However, simply leaving the girls behind seemed irresponsible, and possibly a selfish way to begin their adventure, an inauspicious beginning. When the middle girl spoke he drew his attention away from the eldest, he was pleasantly surprised by her bold, respectful question. Udo was silently thoughtful as he studied her for a long moment, gauging how serious her question was, after a brief moment he glanced to Cad and Tycho, finally on Aden.

"Very well. Perhaps it is not in our mandate to pass judgement in this instance." Udo spoke flatly, given his odd manner of speech it was rather difficult to be sure, but he seemed to be taking the hint from the other exalts, who appeared to all agree that punishment was not necessary in this case.

"I will remain here to perform the burial rights for the family and catch up with the group afterwards." Udo spoke directly to his fellow exalts, before looking to the middle girl as he continued. "If you wish to remain here and help with the burial of your family, I will gladly council you on The Immaculate Faith and your fate in the next life and allow you to make your own choice."

Udo couldn't help but agree that this delay had already taken far too long and was ready to be on their way again, he did not foresee any further problems along this road and knew he could easily catch up to the wagons of the group. Even if this family had committed crimes they deserved proper burial rights, and as the closest thing to a monk among their group he felt it was his responsibility to perform them, a duty he did not mind. The middle girl could help with the burial of her family and make her own choice, her fate would be of her own choosing. As for the other two girls, the other exalts could make their judgement and do with them as they saw fit as the journey continued.

--FyreFly 21:46, 26 March 2012 (EDT)

Tycho cast a suspecting glance at Udo. He didn't know the exalt well enough, and could only hope he wasn't planning on taking the matter of justice into his own hands after the rest had departed. He distanced himself from those thoughts as he conversed with his retainers, who were busy doing what was needed to get the wagon moving again. He re-mounted his horse, as did Izumi, and he addressed Udo, "Very well then, we will continue the journey at normal pace, there should be plenty of time for you to catch up."

Kirkland 14:48, 2 April 2012 (EDT)

Cad massaged his forehead lightly with his thumb and forefinger.

"Alright, fine. So Udo, you're going to stay here, help with the burial, and... deliver salvation, or something along those lines. We're going to go onward, and Udo, you'll catch up. That's fine with me. If this is still a problem on the way home, we'll deal out some major justice, find Magistrate Karl and explain social stratification to him, since I doubt the bastard has more than primary school under his belt. Aden, thoughts?"

Cad turned to the companion with whom he was most familiar for confirmation of the next steps. His slightly sarcastic use of the term 'salvation' wasn't intended as a mockery of Udo's faith and practices, but rather an expression of frustration at his own inability to fully comprehend Udo just yet.

Dan 19:06, 2 April 2012 (EDT)

Aden nodded to Cad and responded, "I will stay and help Udo with some of the physical labor. I could use a break from slowly riding day after day. Let's clear the road so the wagon can get by. According to the guy that sent us this way, there is a town with a small inn only a few miles down the road. We will meet you there tonight."

"So we can go?" chimed the eldest girl as she edged towards the nearest field. Assuming she gets permission or no one stops her verbally or physically, she dashes off into the field with the youngest girl in tow. (If any of the characters do intend to prevent them from leaving we will pick up from here.)

After the two girls were gone the companions and the remaining girl moved the bodies off the path and Aden led his hourse down into the field so the wagon and other horses could move on. When the others were gone Aden turned to Udo and asked, "What should we do to get started?" (For the record, the middle girl is still there.)

The group arrives at the town around 4 in the afternoon, it seems to be a normal town. Assuming the group stays as Aden asked, they would now have some downtime until Udo and Aden catch up later that evening/night. (You are welcome to have your character relax, socialize, ask around town about the family, or anything else. If your post requires an answer from me, post whether you want me to just summerize what happens or if you want to rp it out. Or you can just post a summary about what your character does while waiting. Or if you are too slow, we will move on.)

--Macabreengel 14:19, 4 April 2012 (EDT)

After arriving in town, Cad and Tycho tracked down an inn. While Tycho's retainers bartered with inn keeper, Cad and Tycho stood a few feet away, occupying an open space on the floor of small lobby, lit dimly by the afternoon sun's efforts to creep through its small, dusty windows. Although they hadn't yet had a proper introduction when the chaos broke loose earlier, they got to know each other a bit more on the walk to town. Izumi was outside with another of Tycho's retainers making arrangements for the horses.

"Gotta tell ya, I kinda figured Izumi and yourself would be the strange ones. But how about this Udo guy?"

Cad let the thought hang for a moment in case Tycho wanted to interject, but Tycho listened patiently. Still, a slight smile from the young sorcerer let Cad know that Cad wasn't the only one who found Udo's calmly delivered death threats a bit on the strange side of things.

"He's gonna be a valuable ally to have along the way, I have no doubt, but I'll admit I don't have him figured out yet in the least."

Just as Tycho was about to reply, Izumi and Tycho's other retainer came back in. Cad turned and greeted them, speaking mainly to Izumi; despite his distaste for the noble lifestyle on paper, Cad's Dynast sensibilities were sufficiently ingrained into his behavior that he paid little attention to mortal service staff if Dynasts were present.

"Izumi! We were just gossiping impolitely about our travel companions. Should we do this over a drink, perhaps?"

Cad's sheepish grin made it clear that he wasn't taking himself too seriously; he knew he probably shouldn't be poking fun at any of his companions but couldn't resist filling the downtime with small talk of some kind.

Dan 11:44, 5 April 2012 (EDT)

Udo nodded to Aden at his offer to stay and help with the physical labor, which all things considered was probably for the best as digging the graves would have taken him quite some time without help. He began the process of neatly shredding his heavy pack and placing it gently along the side of the road so that he may set about his work of burial without being encumbered; at the question from the eldest girl he looked up from his pack with an uncharacteristic sharpness, but gave her a calm nod that he did not object to their release.

Spotting some of Tychos equipment he brought with him in the wagon, Udo humbly borrowed a pair of shovels Tycho had planned to use for any opportunities for treasure hunting and artifact mining, Udo of course promised to return them undamaged. He stuck his shovel in the ground next to his pack and began the work of gathering up the bodies and cleaning them appropriately, not that any of them would be clean or finely dressed but it was improper to bury them without respectfully making them look their best. In this task Udo recruited the help of the middle daughter, and as he worked he would begin to calmly strike up a conversation with her, Udo wasn't one to lecture but he wanted the girl to have all the proper information.

"So tell me, did you only say that to get rid of your sisters or are you truly interested in your fate?" Udo asked with no hint of suspicion either way without looking up from his work on the bodies of her family, if she was squeamish and didn't wish to help he didn't let on that he noticed as long as she didn't go running off.

(I'm not sure it's actually necessary for us to play out Udo giving this girl a lesson in The Immaculate Faith, as long as she is genuinely interested Udo would give her an accurate, albeit brief lesson on Immaculate Faith, especially focusing on the lessons of life, death, and the cycle of reincarnation all the while setting about the work of burying her family. Other than that the choice would be legitimately up to the girl, and if she was particularly honest and repentant and wanted to live Udo would offer to let her come along with them long enough for him to deliver her to the next Immaculate Shrine or Temple along their path where she could pledge a life in service of the Immaculate Faith, should they accept of course. May be much much quicker for Dan to just post a summary of this scene rather than post-by-posting it. Or at least fast-forward all the way to the conclusion of it.)

--FyreFly 21:10, 5 April 2012 (EDT)

Izumi smirked, looking back out the window at the wagon briefly. She knew they were talking about Udo, but pretended it was about the retainers. "They are somewhat difficult to work with. A drink is sounding really good right now." She led Tycho and Cad over to the bar and they each took a seat. Izumi was quick to order the first round of drinks. Continuing the conversation about their travel companions, she asked "Tycho, on which archaeological expedition did you dig up that cook? He sure likes to talk."

Tycho laughed, knowing Severen well. "You'd be wise to listen to him, he has a knack for giving out advice you never thought you'd need. And he's right most of the time."

Izumi pondered it for a moment, reflecting on the conversation she had with him. "I don't know if I have that kind of time." to which Tycho immediately responded, "Sure you do, Paragon is a long way from here." The bartender sat three frothy ales down in front of them.

Turning the conversation back to Udo, Tycho asked the two, "So, was I the only one that was a little relieved when Aden said he'd stay with Udo? I'm not sure what he would have done by himself. Seems like he will be very difficult to read." Tycho took a sip of his ale, savoring the taste of the Blessed Isle fare -- reminding him of another reason he was happy to have Severen along.

Kirkland 04:36, 7 April 2012 (EDT)

When given the nod, the eldest and youngest girl disappear into the field. The middle girl stays and Udo and Aden find out her name is Sarah Craster. The three spend a very tiring afternoon digging, praying, and dragging bodies around. Sarah is surprisingly strong for her age and size. When they finished the sun was low in the sky; luckily the town they were headed to wasnt far off. When they were finished, Sarah stood around awkwardly, afraid to make eye contact, because she was unsure what would happen next. Aden said they could take her as far as Noble where she could do work for the local Immaculate temple if she wished to atone for her sins. Udo agreed that that would be an acceptable fate. When Sarah found out what town they were going to for the night, she indicated that they might tell the magistrate that she was traveling away with some dynasts. Aden said that they would be arriving after dark and that she could sleep in the wagon and hide there until they were out of the town the next morning. The plan seemed fine to her.

It was dark when the three made it into town, but since there was only one inn, it was easy to find. They found the stables and tucked Sarah away in the wagon while the stable hand was busy with their horses. Tycho, Izumi, and Cad were up drinking at one of the tables when Aden and Udo came in. Izumi hadn't talked to her cousin since before the trip began, Tycho hadnt had a chance for a proper introduction, and all three wanted to know what happened with the final girl. Aden ordered a beer, Udo ordered some tea, and they joined their companions at the table. Aden quietly told them of the plan to take the girl to Noble where she could serve the local temple or seek out her fortune as she saw fit. She was sleeping hidden in the wagon because the townspeople knew her family and of their punishment. They group didnt stay up long because they were tired and they were getting up early to get moving, as always.

The rest of the trip to Noble went smoothly, and they made good time. Aden informed them that it seemed they were going to be a few days early. He would meet with their captain if she was in port when they arrived, but they should have time for a few days rest and relaxation before the next leg of their trip.

--Macabreengel 13:51, 9 April 2012 (EDT)

End Scene. XP 4. Total XP (w/ background) 9.