The Road to Salaband

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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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"I'm chasing a thief!" Jade yelled, her eyes wild. "Out of my way!"

The blacksmith was no murderer, but it was obvious the man's time to remove himself as an obstruction was very, very short.

OOC Sorry for the short one. I'm just feeling pretty run down, and creatively drained, at the moment. I'm just glad I'm not back at work til Friday./OOC
Alberich
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Alberich »

The man with the staff looked ready to block any sword-blow. "Now, really, talkin's better than goin' in them Mushroom Woods...there's sec'erts in there ain't too healthy to learn..."

But Aden decided not to play along - he preferred to run straight for the dangerous woods. The woman with the knife tripped him up, but he rolled and bolted. The staff man sighed, stepped aside, and let Jade go after him.

[OOC: Up to you how it goes from here. If Jade catches Aden she can knock him out, and he'll end up back in Falkenrohr hands. If she doesn't - then they'll have an adventure in the woods.]
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Jack Rothwell »

Jade gave a brief grateful look at the old man (there were precious few people who'd cooperated with her lately) and took after Aden with a renewed determination. The scramble to the woodlands added additional urgency; she might have been a country girl, but chasing people through the trees at night-time would be an exercise in stupidity.

With a dip to her boot and a hard pitch at the man's pin-wheeling legs she made one last attempt to bring the him down before he was inside the treeline. Her knife hissed through the air as it travelled faster than even an enthusiastic escapee could manage.

OOC I'm easy either way as to whether or not the knife hits Aden. Jade's a good shot, but not Jaime-good./OOC
Alberich
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Alberich »

Jade's knife stuck right into Aden's buttocks. "YEEOWTCH!" he observed. He pulled it out and whirled to face her, ready to defend himself as he backed towards the trees.

"Okay, miss," he gasped, "I got a knife now." Jamie couldn't see how much blood was pouring down the back of his pants, but she was quite sure he wouldn't be running or walking normally, and would rather be binding his wounds than fighting.

"Mister," said the man with the staff, well to Jamie's rear, "You really don't wanna be goin' in them Mushroom Woods. Whatever you done, you're better off with the Falkenrohr than with them."

"No way," said Aden. "They're handing me over to a sure quick execution. I may as well get eaten by the mushrooms." But he wasn't going anywhere 'til Jade got a chance to act.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"Sword beats knife." Jade said levelly, pointing the tip at the source of her aggravation. "..and I am a bleedin' surgeon with this thing. So save yourself the dissection and let me check you for my effects. Otherwise two of us are going in there, and only one is coming back out."

The blacksmith wasn't great at bluffing... luckily the threat was completely genuine.

OOC Fight to the finish in the mushroom woods?/OOC
Alberich
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Alberich »

"Sword beats knife, and I am a bleedin' surgeon with this thing. So save yourself the dissection and let me check you for my effects. Otherwise two of us are going in there, and only one is coming back out."

"So you want me to give up and let you operate? Naah. I choose freedom. Lay on, Gropey!" - and he made a stumbling backwards retreat into the dark woods, hoping the trees and darkness would save him from the Wrath of Jade.

"Yah durn fool!" said the man with the staff to the rear, who otherwise did nothing to interfere.

[OOC: A fight to the strange encounter that may delay the finish, if Jade's up for it. Aden should not die in your next post.]
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Jack Rothwell »

Jade, heedless of the old man's (what would undoubtedly prove sensible) warning, pelted forwards after Aden with her sword flashing eerily in the dull moonlight. She picked out the retreating shadow of the man's silhouette through the crackle of leaves and the thin beams that penetrated the thickening trees and gave chase, offering a silent prayer to all the Gods she could call upon that the blasted criinal would trip on the tree root and break his damn leg.

So far it had been one of the longest days of the blacksmiths life. She was tired, she was angry, and she was desperate to get back to Ester and retrieve the scattered pieces of her father's gun that this callous man had thrown so disrespectfully onto a tavern rooftop. Negotiations were over. Even if it turned out that Aden's highly suspicious flight hadn't concealed anything worse than his mistrust of her, the infuriation he'd caused her justified (in her mind at least) a retaliation in blood. And besides, if he was destined for the noose, wasn't it possible that there might be a reward for his execution? Was it just her sleep-starved mind offering a glimmer of optimism to motivate her?

"Just give up already!" She called, willing her limbs to move faster.
Alberich
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Alberich »

"Just give up already!"

Aden didn't obey. He was of the opinion that this was one of those times when a man must rely solely on his own efforts to preserve his own continued existence, relying on no outside support, but only his own wits and will to survive. Or as he would've put it, "Root, hog, or die."

A mysterious shriek erupted from the air beside Aden. With a "whoooooooah!!!" he tripped and slid down an overgrown slope. Jade couldn't afford to be so reckless and had to find her way down carefully. That gave Aden a little lead, but she knew she could close it, thanks to his knife wound.

As she did, she began to notice a smell. A sharp, earthy smell. Strange but familiar. As if she'd smelled it often before, but only faintly.

Aden staggered to what he thought was freedom - but it only took him deeper into darkness, with his nemesis Jade not too far behind. Worse for him, she noticed that the way he was going was the way the smell was strongest. A high-pitched screaming, as of bats, broke the heavy-breathing silence and startled them both - but Aden was going into it, and where he went, she and her sword would follow.

And now the sharp smell was at its strongest, and there was a sound ahead, as of laughter. Male but mirthless. Aden seemed to be making for it - no doubt feeling he had to find someone to treat his wound. But Jade didn't think he'd get there before she got him.

[OOC: If Jade has no specific acts, I'll finish this post later.]
Alberich
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Alberich »

They were on a path of sorts now, in the dark, and the ground was easier to traverse. There was a clearing up ahead too, and a little light from the setting moon. From that Jade could see Aden's hulking, staggering form, enough to know she'd have him before he crossed that clearing. A wolfish snarl creased her face as she moved in for the kill. The sharp smell was everywhere, the sound of mirthless laughter from several directions, but what did that matter? She'd give them something to laugh about all right...

Aden was halfway across and Jade was five yards behind when he cried out with a "YARGH!" and fell to his knees with a loud rasp of vegetation. This last noise was loud and all around them now. Jade felt a sudden grip on her legs and realized she could walk herself. And then the clearing lit up and soulless laughter filled the air.

The light was pale and ghostly, from the berries of strange vines, and all around creepers were writing and dancing. Some of these vines were thrust through the brain pans, eyesockets, and mandibles of human skulls, and these were being twisted open and shut in a parody of living laughter. Looking down at the creepers on her legs she saw they were moving - but their stalks and leaves were brown and faded, as if dead or mostly so. She might cut them off with her sword, but there were more all around and she might be caught again.

Aden was on his knees and facing her now. Oddly he was not slicing at the vines - had he lost his fierce will to survive and escape, or was something else in his mind? He started to speak but the laughter drowned him out.
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Jack Rothwell
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Re: The Road to Salaband

Post by Jack Rothwell »

The blacksmith mood had gone from infuriated to fearful in approximately five seconds between the chase, Aden's fall, and their subsequent, creeping predicament. The laughter chilled her bones; it was clearly a sign of some kind of magic being at work here. However, animated or not, old vines were old vines and her sword was strong and sharp as a razor. It was the work of an instant to cut the intruding tendrils loose.

"Shut up!" She shouted at the skeletons with a confidence she didn't feel, and tried to walk closer to her target.
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