Goriel and beyond, part 4

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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Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: Given that they're hiding from patrols, I don't think Jamie & Co. would be showing a light just now. But they'll be along in a little while - in fact, after Desiree, Therese, Rose, and Argus have had a chance to talk some more, I'll start a new thread to begin with the other group's arrival.]
Last edited by Alberich on July 24th, 2012, 2:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Drannin
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Drannin »

Argus slid an arm around Rose. "Honestly? I'm not so sure. Tim... there's been something dark around him lately. Combined with his constant paranoia... Well, I'm just not sure what kind of road he's going to wind up walking."

Argus slid a long glance in Tim's direction.

"...I just don't know. Drusia was a little thrown by him, too. How do you get through to a man like that?"
Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

The light down the road turned out to be another Gibazov patrol. But apparently they were not as sharp-eyed as their Lord Semyon would have liked; the travellers were able to lie low, keep quiet, and let them thunder past in their hunt for fugitives.

* * *

Only two nights after the disastrous blow dealt by the outlaw attack to their clan's honor, the Yurkashevs' feasting hall was again hosting a feast. This time, the guests were all Gorielian, and the outsiders seemed to favor rubies and garnets. In the place of honor sat a man in his thirties wearing rich red and purple robes. His huge moustache pointed out to the sides but he wore no beard. The heavy golden chain drooped across his shoulders sparkled with the red stones, and the silka's sharp eyes spotted a couple pinned to the ends of that moustache. No prizes for guessing which chieftain this was!

A careful observer of human nature -- let alone a mage like Rose with an empathy spell -- would detect the heavy tension that hung over this hall, but on the surface all was good cheer. Yet the entertainment was less jolly and more martial than before. As the silka entered, the musical portion was ending, a male balladeer with a song about sheep-raiding and revenge. [OOC: I don't know what great sheep-raiding-revenge ballads sound like, but it might be the bastard child of this poem and this classic cattle-stealing ballad.] The Yurkashev guests especially nodded and pounded their fists in appreciation of the bloodier portions.

Weapon dancing followed, as it had before, and some of the Gibazov guests joined in. The movements were faster, cruder, harder, and more in earnest - there was some real anger being expressed there, and looks of fierce approval from the watchers as the dancers thrust, swept, and stabbed their imaginary opponents.

Many of the men who'd attended the previous feast were gone. There were no Duravsky guests in evidence, neither the noseless Leonid nor the blonde getera Tatiana (who had, inevitably, been re-exchanged for Valentina the morning after the disgrace). Luka, the merry jester of the Yurkashev, was nowhere to be seen, so there were no witty conundrums about the stupidity and cowardice of Clan Zukalin. In fact, the silka heard no such jokes even between the seated feasters. But through its eyes Eli saw Lord Semyon Gibazov excuse himself to attend a group of well-armed messengers who'd arrived at the door to the hall. The Silka got close enough to overhear part of the conversation.

Lord Semyon: "Any word of them?"

Messenger: "No, my lord."

Lord Semyon: "And the papers - the papers?"

Messenger: "No sign and no rumor."

Lord Semyon: "But have they seen anything on the north road?"

Messenger: "Only travellers - one group sounded like those foreigners that lodged here last night. But they were heading north, not south, and they were searched very thoroughly. No sign of them. Or any papers at all."

Lord Semyon's fury showed in his face, but he did not strike the messenger. "Keep at it! And tell Lord Kiril to change out the watchers in a few hours. I don't want them slipping past when some fool falls asleep. No one makes it there that hasn't already! When in doubt, strip them to the skin, and if they make trouble, strip them out of it!"

Messenger: "At once, my lord."

...well that was convenient.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Jack Rothwell »

The rest of the messenger's talk was lost to Eli's ears. Indeed, the man himself didn't notice the flecks of dust which floated down from ceiling from where the little creature had been, he absently brushed them off his lapel as he continued his discussion.

In any event Eli was no longer listening, he was climbing up the ladder with led to the waterway exit, a heading in his mind and a faint smile on his face. Progress would be slow for safety's sake, but at least he knew where he was going.

As he replaced the iron cover he put a hand to the amulet; the old man would need an update.
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Graybeard
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Graybeard »

"How do you get through to a man like that?"

Sister Rose giggled into Argus' shirt. "There's only one thing that will help somebody like that. He needs ..." She really wanted to finish the sentence to get laid, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. "A girlfriend. Unfortunately, his part of the church won't let him, at least not officially, and to his credit, he isn't at the point of flouting the rules yet." She giggled again. "We really need to convert him to one of the denominations without the celibacy rule, I think, but if Desiree couldn't do that, I don't know what would."

Time to get serious. "This Gibazov presence is a complication I hadn't been expecting. I had the idea that ruby mining was kind of like panning for gold on a larger scale, something that a few people, or tens of people, would do. It clearly isn't like that, if the security is this elaborate." She didn't add and if the amount that Boris was skimming off was as large as what we saw in his office. "If Blaise really is up there at the mine, he's going to be hard to get at."

She subsided as the Gibazov patrol came into view; this was a time not to call undue attention to the camp. When they were out of earshot, she continued, "We're going to have to find some way of getting to him in the face of those defenses. That's going to be tough with all those patrols running around ..."

And then she had a brainstorm.

"Unless we can get him to come to us."

On that note, she fell instantly asleep.
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Sareth
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Sareth »

[OOC]First off, many congratulations, Drusia! May the little one sleep like a baby instead of sleeping like a baby. *eyes his four now teen and preteen daughters and vows that someday he'll catch up on all the sleep he started missing 16 years back)

Second, I have good news of my own. After two years being unemployed, I have finally re-entered the ranks of the gainfully employed. I am extact, happy thrilled... and totally exhausted emotionally and physically. Which leads to...

Third, I have bad news. The job is full time, and they work four ten hour shifts. The commute is an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half one way. I have Tai Chi (also known as physical therapy for militarily disabled wreck of a body) an hour after I get off work. This means basically that I spend 10 hours at work, two hours in town, and two and a half to three hours on the road Monday through Thursday. There's no way I could even keep up, let alone keep up and post those four days. Given that I already pretty much disappear Friday night through Sunday afternoon it's completely unrealistic for me to even think I can continue with Errant Road. It's a statistical certainty all that would do would leave people hanging waiting for my replies. I'm not going to do that to you.

You're a good bunch, so if you want to turn Jamie, Lillith, and Katie into NPCs that are shared in common, or have one or two of you take them over completely, or gracefully slip them out of things, I'll be good with any of the above. Consider them my gift to a fun bunch of writers and players.

Oh, and yes, for those wondering if the excess of back pain/stiffness and vomitting while stressed portends things to come, Lillith is indeed pregnant. No, Brad doesn't know. She doesn't want him losing focus during what may well be the most dangerous week the players have seen.

Anyway, I'll still drop by every now and then to wave, but this is my swan song.

Goddess bless.[/OOC]
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Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

[OOC: Supreme congratulations to you, Sareth, as there is nothing to compare with being employed again after too much idle time. I'll miss your posts as they are always lots of fun; but I'm glad for you.]
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Drusia
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Drusia »

OOC:
Congradulations Sareth! Finding a good job in this ecomony is not easy (and I've been looking).

We'll miss you around here. If the situation changes at all (or if you think you can get away with posting from work, as I know some of us (including myself) do) let us know. Otherwise, (unless anyone else has other ideas) I imagine we'll use Lillith's pregnancy to let the happy couple step gracefully from the adventuring spotlight. I think they both deserve a happy ending.

**hugs** Good luck and blessed be.
Alberich
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Alberich »

[Agreed! - After this adventure, we should concoct a happy sunset for Jamie as well...given how sad Tamina was without her, maybe they'd do better to sail off into the sunset together? There must be a tropical paradise that would suit them somewhere...]
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Graybeard
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Re: Goriel and beyond, part 4

Post by Graybeard »

OOC:
Alberich wrote:[Agreed! - After this adventure, we should concoct a happy sunset for Jamie as well...given how sad Tamina was without her, maybe they'd do better to sail off into the sunset together? There must be a tropical paradise that would suit them somewhere...]
Not so fast. There are still ... plans ... for Jamie. :evil: A PM or two may be needed depending on what happens as the Blaise stuff unfolds.

Lillith, on the other hand, can definitely get a happy sendoff into blissful mommyhood (keeping in mind that half-elf pregnancies take rather a long time). When things finally quiet down from this Goriel stuff, if people don't mind, I'd like to at least consider doing a brief, low-violence, "romantic" thread before resuming the main quest, as Rose has already promised various now-absent characters that she'd preside over their weddings, and we also have Fayna and her boyfriend to deal with. Lest it get too goopy and sentimental :mrgreen: , be it noted that there's still a BBEG out there somewhere ... but perhaps a brief break for some more mundane domesticity would be acceptable. Okay?

Congratulations on the job, my friend, and stay in touch.
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