Salticiel and beyond

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
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Graybeard
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Salticiel and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: OK, picking right up where the other one left off...]

The wagon and its occupants were uncharacteristically quiet and introspective as Sister Rose drove it eastward.

The scenery was nice, Rose thought. The farmland was becoming gently rolling as it rose toward low, forested hills in the distance. Salticiel probably lay on the other side of those hills. Might the reputedly sinister elven ruins be somewhere in the hill country? It wouldn't be surprising. One of the elven races that she'd read about in the Heretic Knowledge Vault supposedly preferred terrain like that, and even though the hills didn't look particularly high or craggy, they'd still provide some degree of cover for whatever miscreants might be found there.

Rose noticed that Drusia was scanning the terrain ahead in silence, decided to chance an inquiry. "You might have heard the woman at the greengrocer's say that there are small elven ruins ahead of us on this route. Do you have any idea what they are?"
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Drusia
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Drusia »

"You might have heard the woman at the greengrocer's say that there are small elven ruins ahead of us on this route. Do you have any idea what they are?"

"I'm not sure," I reply, "I don't come down this way very often, and when I do, this isn't my usual route. Case in point, didn't know there was a town of religious nutballs on the way either."

I wonder if any of the others think its odd that Rose is asking me about Elven ruins. Or has the word already circulated through the group that I'm really an elf? Well, it won't stay a secret for much longer.

Ruins, huh? Actual ruins or faux ruins to cover relatively modern teleporters I wonder. Fake ruins would mean an unfortunate interest in the area, one that I'd prefer to keep to a minimum. Real ruins... would be far more interesting.

-- Drusia
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Graybeard
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

"Fair enough," Sister Rose said. "I just thought you might have, well, passed through at one time or other." She turned her attention back to the road and the scenery. (Brad wasn't noticing either road or scenery; his gaze was still fixed on the slumbering Lillith.)

They were about half way up the low hill when they came to a clearing. "I presume this is what Edith was talking about," Rose said. It wasn't much to look at: a cleared stone circle set in the ground, surrounded by obelisks and crude stone arches. One might almost have had the impression that it had been put together by some older, cruder civilization than the elven one.

"Wonder what it does? Or at least did?" Rose said, scratching her head; she had the feeling she'd seen something like it before. "And who are the unsavory characters that she said are around here from time to time?"
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Drusia
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Drusia »

"I presume this is what Edith was talking about. Wonder what it does? Or at least did? And who are the unsavory characters that she said are around here from time to time?"

Crap. She meant these ruins. This must be a new road - last time I reported back in person this place was still wooded. Couse that was a least a hundred years ago, so...

I've always thought these ruins looked too cheezy. It's like something out of a children's story book, artfully rendered to look old and decrepit. "I don't know," I say softly, "I've never seen anything like this before."

<"It's a travel platform,"> I warn Rose. <"Active. For when Rangers like myself need to call in reinforcements, change patrol areas, or deliver a report in person.">

Also, a good way to avoid pursuers. Worst case, we could use this to get away from the psycho bitch. Of course, she knows my name and a rogue ranger... would not be tolerated. And, after they killed me, they'd likely send someone to investigate the area... find Snamish and kill them all. Besides, even if I only sent Lillith and Argus through, and made my competition think I'd simply disposed of the bodies, it still wouldn't guarentee Lillith's saftey, nor would it introduce any new - healthy - blood to Snamish.

Actually, even being this near a gate is probably a bad idea. Going in is one thing, but I'm more worried about who we might meet coming out of it.

-- Drusia
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Sareth
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Sareth »

In the bed of the wagon, Lillith stirred. She blinked as though it was taking her time to shake the sleep from her eyes, then sat up to glance over at the ruin. "What's that," she asked.
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Graybeard
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

Oh, my, Sister Rose thought, hoping she could keep the thought to herself. The Veracian government had wondered for ages how the elves got around in their country. When an elven party showed up in Emerylon for what were politely termed "good will visits," they just seemed to appear out of nowhere. There'd been speculation, of course, that the ruins had something to do with it, but nobody really knew... until now. Drusia might be a friend and an ally (at least for the time being), but eventually, she was still going to have to report this.

Well, there were other things to worry about first. "<Got it,>" she sent back. "<I think we should do a quick inspection, to see just what had that woman clucking about a 'bad crowd.' From your description, I can't imagine a 'crowd' of elves using it, can you? So what else was on her mind? And then, once we answer that, let's give it a wide berth.>"

Then Rose turned toward Lillith. "Elven ruins," she said, trying to be as nonchalant as she could. "Looks like they've been abandoned for a long time." Of course, appearances can be deceiving. "Let's pause here and let the horses rest after their climb up from the plains, then head on for our destination. We shouldn't stay long, though." For a number of reasons... "Did you sleep well?"
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Sareth
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Sareth »

"Yes," Lillith replied, although at the mention of the word 'elf' the tension in her body could almost literally be seen to ratchet up several notches. She eyed the ruins as she drew her legs up to her chest and hugged them to herself, too busy staring at the ruins to notice the effect it was having on the hem of her skirt. "You don't need me to come, do you?"
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Graybeard
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Graybeard »

Sister Rose tried to muster a reassuring smile; Lillith was still shocked at anything smacking of elves, obviously. (That also meant that she hadn't figured Drusia out yet. That was good -- probably.) "No, why don't you just stay right here and be comfortable. This should only take a few minutes. Drusia, Argus, let's see what we can find about this place while the horses graze." She dismounted from the wagon.

Meanwhile, Brad was noticing what the hem of Lillith's dress was doing, and very definitely noticing what it wasn't concealing any more. The half-elf girl had very nice-looking knees ... "Are you -- getting cold?" he stammered, then pulled a cloak out of his traveling pack. "Here." Dare he wrap it around those enticing legs?...
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Drannin
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Drannin »

Argus dismounted from the wagon, blissfully unaware of how his daughter was being eyeballed, and started forward. He glanced around, sensing for unusual magical energies. Nothing, really, aside from the gate itself. "Harker..." he began, then noticed that his familiar was slung over the cart of the cart, clearly sleeping in an unusual position. "...Never mind." Well, at least he wasn't snoring.
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Sareth
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Re: Salticiel and beyond

Post by Sareth »

"Oh!" Lillith blinked in surprise, then smiled, a touch nervously, but honestly. "Thank you," she replied she reached out and helped place the cloak over her legs.

"Dammit," came a soft, muttered voice. Harker, still playing at being asleep, had one eye open and aimed at Lillith. "I went to all this effort to get just the right position to see up her skirt, and you go and use a cloak to block the view at her cuUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuu"*THUD*

Whatever anatomical description Parker was trying to get out ended with his impact against one of the pillars, a red faced Lillith clearly having a good pitching arm.

[OOC]Sorry Drannin. It sounded like you wanted to take Harker out of action for a bit, but for some reason I just could NOT resist this... Maybe the blow will stun him for a bit?[/OOC]
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