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#61
04-13-2010, 08:59 PM
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Last edited by X-Codes; 04-13-2010 at 09:01 PM. 
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#62
04-14-2010, 12:45 AM
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"That's fine by me." Paelias replies as he tends to his own minor wound. "Better not make it too long though. I'd hate to be caught in this canyon at night."
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#63
04-14-2010, 09:14 AM
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Xaokun is already off her wagon and tending to the oxen at the front. Most hadn't reacted too badly but still had veered off center of the path to avoid the battle as much as possible. This made the wagon procession sort of clustered with several pulled crooked and up against the rocks on the far right side of the canyon.
The gruff looking bearded driver who had turned away Healklyr's attempt to catch a ride suddenly hops from his seat and walks toward the fallen felines with a skinning knife in hand. "As long as we got some time, no sense in letting good hide go to waste." The other driver in the wagon behind makes a gesture to the half ogre sitting behind him, the large oafish fellow suddenly hopping out and brandishing a meat cleaver. "Jordick can make use of the meat." The brutish man sports a big grin, "Make em into jerky." He licks his lips and rubs his stomach with emphasis. Laughter resounds from Xaokun at the front, "Proper merchants this lot, they'll find a way to make a profit off anything."
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#64
04-14-2010, 01:01 PM
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“Correct me if I am wrong, but at the start of this expedition we were promised the spoils we found on the road, not to mention the fact that we were the ones doing all the hard work to fend them off.” Healklyr smirked at the bearded driver. “The meat’s not going to last and I don’t have salt or anything on me, so as far as that is concerned, I’d be more than happy to have something fresh and tasteful to go with my next meal…” He gave a questioning look at Jordick to see if he found that an acceptable deal, glancing at his mercenary companions as well to see what they were thinking.
“The skins are much easier to transport and should bring in more gold though.” He gave the bearded man a sly smile. “You are holding that skinning knife like you know what you are doing though and we would likely end up with inferior quality if we did the job ourselves. So how about we just sell it to you? We get roughly what we would get if we did the job ourselves and you get to keep the extra that your handiwork can add to it.” Proper mercenaries knew how to deal with opportunities when they arose as well and in this particular case, it was a good opportunity to annoy the bearded driver that had spoken up against him while making a gesture of good will towards those that had offered him help.
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#65
04-14-2010, 06:04 PM
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Sigurd recovers his craghammer and waits patiently for Xaokun to calm the animals and the other mercenaries to skin and butcher the lions. I was hired to protect and defend, not do mundane tasks. Besides, if these lions were crazy enough to attack now, we might need a guard for the down time. Sigurd begins to pace back and forth, scanning for other threats that might pounce. "I will guard the rest of you while you work, just in case lassy."
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#66
04-15-2010, 03:43 PM
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The squat man eyes the drow with more than mild distaste. He looks about ready to open his mouth in protest but his gaze flickers across the rest of the group as if suddenly realizing it might not be the best idea. To further disarm his protests, Xaokun shouts from ahead while leading her oxen back to the center of the trail, "Their kills, their hides Morgrend!"
With a snarl, the merchant sends a wad of spit to the ground and his objections go with it. He reaches up to scratch at the pockets of facial hair along his upper cheek while his eyes roam the dead cats, making a quick assumption of their quality and worth. "5 gold for each then. Don't think I'll get a full skin with all the blood stains."
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#67
04-15-2010, 03:55 PM
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Paelias inspects and cleans his dagger before joining Sigurd in looking for additional threats. "It's an interesting argument drow, but make the negotiation quick as we need to get moving."
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#68
04-15-2010, 04:11 PM
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Healklyr decided that this time he would follow Paelias’ advice. He was right that there was no need to make this short break longer than strictly needed. “That seems like a reasonable offer. Five gold for each of us in exchange for the hides it is.” He immediately extended his hand to Morgrend to seal the deal, not leaving the man to over think his words and keeping his face perfectly straight as if he had not just twisted this man’s offer to their own advantage. With a little luck, the man might not even have noticed until he was shaking his hand.
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#69
04-15-2010, 06:11 PM
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The stocky merchant almost slips into Healklyr's carefully worded trap but the mans opposed insight check = 16wits catch him just in time. With a few choice words muttered under his breath, the man makes quick work of the carcasses with a practiced hand that has likely skinned plenty more animals before this. When he is finished Jordick sets to work with his cleaver having no problem getting choice cuts of the tough, sinewy meat.
The whole process takes a bit of time but at the very least, everyone feels All HP restoredfully rested and renewed for the rest of the trip. The three hides are drawn taught to dry on Morgrend's wagon, while Jordick drops the cuts of meat into a small barrel on his own wagon. Apparently some sort of dry salt mixture within will keep the meat from spoiling and serves the double purpose of dehydrating it into a jerky-like quality. "Be ready by camptime," the slow spoken fellow advises with an eager grin. With almost a full hour of daylight lost to the fight and subsequent break, Xaokun rushes the caravan into a quick forward lurch and the journey through the mountains resumes.
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#70
04-16-2010, 03:56 PM
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Loric stretches out his arms as he walks alongside the caravan. "How fortunate! It seems that bit of exercise got my blood flowing again." He keeps his eyes open as he talks, not wanting to find any more mountain lions. "You know, despite the morning troubles, you guys really should come to the next party! It's no good to be a dullard all the time."
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#71
04-16-2010, 04:44 PM
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Paelias moves forward to talk to Xaokun. "How far through these mountains do you feel we'll get today? Do you have a location in mind for stopping tonight?"
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#72
04-17-2010, 04:27 AM
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"Well it's hard to say about now," the caravan master starts her response to Paelias with a contemplative look afforded upwards to the sky and then around the trail in search of landmarks she might use to place their progress. "We made fantastic time right off the getting. Even with the long break we've got enough light left in the day to put us well past my usual first stop. Won't be long before we're at the Canyon of Gold..."
The the same one who sat at her side during the job negotiation last night in the tavern.merchant seated in the wagon she drives interrupts her with a startled gasp. "Already?" "Yep," Xaokun nods over her shoulder. "We're about an hour out if I'm seeing things right which means we got a good shot of punching through Bagger's Blade Peak before darkfall. There's a plateau on the other side with a few freshwater hotsprings... great campsite. This'll be the first time for me ever getting there at the end of the first day's ride." As Xaokun talks, the trail ahead spreads wider between the towering mountains and a brilliant golden light seems to be reflecting off the rocks. About 100 yards ahead of you, the pass makes a sharp turn to the left around a bend and the right side wall comes to an abrupt end. The road continues around the bend with nothing but a sheer dropoff on the far side. How steep, or even perilous, that dropoff might be is yet to be seen. "Well how do you like that...?" Xaokun ponders out loud. "Nevermind being an hour out. Friends, welcome to the Canyon of Gold!" When you reach the bend you are presented with a breathtaking sight. A mighty canyon at least a half mile wide stretches out in winding fashion before you. Under the direct light of the sun, it practically glows with golden splendor aptly giving it it's name. "Not real gold mind you, had a fellow tell me once it's some kind of pyrite rock... not worth a thing... still darn pretty if you ask me." The road you travel has become little more than a 30 foot wide ledge with sheer rockwall on one side and about 1000 feet of dropoff to the other. It winds it's way down the side of the mountain to the bottom of the canyon in a series of switchbacks, each stretch about a quarter mile long. Those daring enough to peek over the edge see that the very bottom is concealed by vegetation overgrowth and jagged overhangs. "All right you lot! Keep the wagons to the cliff and don't tread the ledge. Nice and easy until we're to the bottom."
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#73
04-17-2010, 12:07 PM
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Healklyr gave a small shrug as his attempt to get a little more out of the deal failed. It wasn’t worth the effort of haggling, so he left it at that and let the skins go for just fifteen gold pieces. The sooner the animals were skinned, the sooner they could get going again. Walking was the most boring part of the journey, so the sooner they were back into the civilized world, the better.
When they came to the Canyon of Gold, even the Drow could not deny that this was one of nature’s miracles. In daylight he thought that it was too shiny however. There was nothing that didn’t seem to glow. He was positive that at night when the tiny bits of light from moon and starts fell upon it, this place would show its true splendour.
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#74
04-17-2010, 12:35 PM
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Awed by the magnificence of the view Paelias stops dead in his tracks. "That's amazing," is about all he can say.
Barely hearing the commands given by Xaokun to keep the caravan moving along the walls of the cliff Paelias stumbles along behind the wagons as they start to move away, constantly looking back out across the canyon forgetting about other things not wanting to miss the view.
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#75
04-17-2010, 05:41 PM
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Loric, too, is awestruck by the sight. While walking alongside the caravan, he's constantly staring out over the valley instead of paying attention to where he was going. He wanders closer and closer to the edge, as if the shining valley was calling to him. Suddenly he feels his footing start to give and shouts a yelp, scrambling back away from the ledge as some rocks loosened by his foot tumble down the cliff. After a failing to speak discernible common for a minute or so, he finally manages a "I'm ok, I'm ok, carry on. Nothing to see here..."
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