Salvus and homeward

For in-universe game play. Journey through both familiar and foreign settings, explore lost ruins and forgotten cities, and try to bring light to the darkness of the world... or, you know, blow stuff up. Either way.
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Graybeard
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Salvus and homeward

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[OOC: OK, new topic, just one for the moment but with a likelihood of spinning off another for Tim almost immediately. Incidentally, Tim would be finding it almost impossible to get anything out of the Dragonslayer servants, at least at first. They are exaggeratedly closed-mouthed. Why? Good question. :shock: ]

"Luminosita's Sacred Sweatband," Sister Rose gasped as the group made it back to the inn and she saw the contraption sitting in front of it. "What on earth is that?"

"That" was a vehicle, or at least the wheels suggested it was, but it was like no vehicle she'd ever seen before in her life. It was a good forty feet long and ten feet wide, with a door at the back and another along one side. Furthermore, it didn't have horses, nor apparently, any place to hook horses up. Instead, the front end was emitting a column of steam that was escaping one of two smokestacks with a whssshhh. There were wisps of black smoke coming from the other stack, which rose fifteen feet or so above the road. Standing next to this remarkable apparition was Dess Marson, who had a huge smile on his face.

"This be our transp'tation to points south, ma'am," he exclaimed, pride in his voice. "Picked it up off'n a man tradin' in dwarven goods, took him to the cleaners on it too." The smile broadened. "Refuelin' it tonight so's we can get out bright and early tomorrow. Just wait 'till you see the inside. All the comforts o' home, plus a few comforts home definitely don't got." His smile broadened even further.

[OOC: Yes, this is what it looks like: Rose, Argus, Desiree, Therese and Tamina are going to be traveling in a steam-powered motor home...]
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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Tamina had emerged from the inn and the aftermath of her latest magic lesson with Argus to greet the returning women. However, the kobold's welcoming call had died in her throat at the sight of the vehicle parked in front of their accommodation. She gaped unreservedly as she spoke.

"What in Spirits is that thing? Another dangerous ride thing? Is it a-"

The humanoid's question was cut-off by another hiss of releasing steam from the transport. She yelped and began scrambling for rocks to throw.

"Ahhh! Kill it! Kill it!" She suggested.
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Graybeard
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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Dess Marson's eyes got big. "Whoa there, missy!" he shouted. "Don't be throwin' rocks, that's our ride to Salvus!" He moved to interpose himself between Tamina and the contraption, which he patted familiarly as one might pat a prized horse. "Fast on the road, she is," he continued. "She'll make two hundred miles a day easy, if'n we lay in enough wood to keep a fire up and water to keep th' boiler goin'. We get out o' here good and early tomorrow, we'll be in Salvus by tomorrow night." Another pat.

Two hundred miles a day, thought Sister Rose, impressed. That was a lot of traveling, not quite on a par with what an airship could do, but vastly superior to horse and wagon. This trip might be endurable yet.

"Oh, one thing," Marson continued, now that things appeared to be calmin', er, calming down a little. "There'll be another with us, with all th' trade goods I chiseled 'em out of here. But make sure y'know which one we're ridin' on. The other one ... well, she'll defend herself." The bonhomie had been turned down a bit for this statement.
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Drusia
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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I frown a little at the... thing... we're supposed to ride in. It's not pretty, but... well that does sound like pretty fast travel.

I follow Rose's lead. If she thinks it's safe, then I'll trust her jugement.

-- Desiree
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Graybeard
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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[OOC: The only real reason for introducing this in the evening, rather than the morning of the next day, is to give Tim a chance to come back to the inn and grab his belongings before going off to the guest house, and possibly a new thread. If that's not going to happen (i.e., if Tovah Dragonslayer sends a servant back for his things instead), we can just skip to morning, but first, to introduce one more person, and perhaps a little tension, for the ride south:]

"You're going to drive this thing all the way to Salvus?" Argus asked while the women goggled at the steam-powered carriage.

Dess Marson produced a large belly laugh, emerging from a large belly. "Blue hells, no!" he said. "That's what retainers are for. TOMAS!" The last in tones that would wake the dead.

A door at the steam-emitting end of the thing opened, and a sullen-looking young man stepped out. "Yessir?" he said, in a more or less appropriately deferential tone ... but from the moment he emerged, he was looking at Tamina, and what was written on his face wasn't deference.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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Tamina met the emerging man's gaze with a sheepish look. She hurriedly pulled the hood of her jacket tighter around her face, stifling a wince as it pressed on her ears.

"Hi Mr Tomas. Sorry 'bout the.. umm, rocks." She greeted him.
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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At first Sister Rose didn't have a strong reaction to the way "Tomas" was looking at Tamina; the kobold had been about to throw rocks at his vehicle, after all. However, there was something about that look ... She turned away and brought up the Empathy.

Uh, oh.

"We must never leave Tamina alone with that guy," she whispered in Therese's ear, wishing she could use telepathy. "The way he's thinking... I'm worried that he sees her as someone to sell to the, er, exotic toy trade in Port Lorrel that Tammy told us about."

Well, it could have been worse: Marson was still in charge and honest (for a trader, anyway), the slaver-wannabe was well outnumbered here, and besides, he hadn't turned his attention to Desiree ... yet. Still, the ride south didn't look to be as ... relaxing ... as she might have hoped.
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Drusia
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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OOC: So we're still waiting on Tim to post, right? Just making sure. Not that I mind - we're coming up on finals soon and I've got a ton of grading.

OOC2: No, I'm good. Thanksgiving has me pretty busy. I'm guessing Al is having a similar issue.
Last edited by Drusia on November 28th, 2013, 12:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Graybeard
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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OOC: Yes, Tim's is the next shoe to drop here. However, if people get tired of waiting, there are things to do at and within the steampunk RV. For starters, have any of the current characters had any encounters with, or knowledge of, the Ghob?
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Graybeard
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Re: Salvus and homeward

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[OOC: Where did everybody go? I think I've heard from enough people that that question is rhetorical, but in particular, I've heard from Alberich, who's alive and well but still off line for a few more weeks, although he does plan to be back. I'm going to pre-emptively resolve the waiting-for-Tim plot point, in a way that needn't be incompatible with Tim popping by in the morning to say goodbye, but allows us to move forward, and have some other interactions. Let's get this puppy running again!]

"We'll roll outta here bright 'n early, half past dawn," Dess Marson said cheerily as the sullen-looking Tomas set about servicing the odd steam wagon, with a greater diligence, and apparently competence, than one might have expected. "Ever'body get a good night's sleep." He leered at Argus and Sister Rose and winked. "Or not."

Half past dawn, thought Rose, ignoring the wink; tonight wouldn't be the night for ... well, not getting a good night's sleep, for several reasons. "Uh, why's that?" she ventured. "We have a long way to go to Salvus. Most of us will be up with the sun or before it, for our various religious reasons. We can get off earlier if you want us to." She squeezed Argus' hand and issued a quiet mental <"Sorry about that.">

Marson's open (but, Rose suspected, carefully stage-managed) face showed concern. "Oh, no, ma'am, we don't want t'do that," he said. "One thing, we wanna make sure all th' night wyrms have gone underground 'fore we get into their turf. We don't wanna run into a night wyrm, bad for business." He shuddered. "'Nother thing, we got arrangements to make a trade visit by th' Ghob first thing after high noon. Things work better with th' Ghob if it's all accordin' to plan, exact as it kin be. Sure don't wanna get there too early; they might think we're invadin' the place, and we wouldn't want that." Another shudder.

Ghob, thought Rose, subsiding immediately. That may explain some things. What little she knew about the semi-mythical troglodyte race had been winkled out of the Heretic Knowledge Vault back when she'd been preparing to go to Albigenish. They'd been identified as possible allies of the Albigensians (although, in the event, none had appeared on the battlefield), and she'd tried to learn more about them, as a responsible commander would regarding a possible new, unknown threat. She'd only made it through the first page or two of some tedious contact report before a gruff librarian appeared and snapped the case shut, growling that she didn't have the need to know, and what was a mere woman doing in here anyway?

She was about to pick Marson's brains for more about this visit to the Ghob, but she was pre-empted when Yehuda, from the Dragonslayer compound (and the Matins service), trundled up in a small wagon. He addressed Rose. "Ma'am, Lady Dragonslayer sent me to pick up Brother Timothy's belongings. He's going to be staying in the Lady's guest house until he finds a permanent place. Do you have any thoughts to pass to him?"

Rose composed her face blandly as she looked around the group. Of course, he'll also pass those thoughts to Lady Dragonslayer, she thought, but no matter, she'll have those soon enough through Tim's ... distinctive lens anyway. "Anyone?" she asked, making sure the inquiry encompassed all those present.
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