[Game Thread] Part 1: The Stolen Lands

[Colatine]

Lana smiled at the comment from Stanley, here grey eyes twinkling merrily."Well, young master? The building there is the guest quarters. she said pointing towards the longer building. "As for the meal, I thought it would be good for you to warm up from the cold on this morn, and wine is, ehh, rare, so I opened it in your honor." she said, sounding a bit chagrined.

"Do you all have names? Thank you for coming so quickly, to take care of our problem." she hastily added.

She looked at the noble and winked. "Matronly huh?"

Oleg glared at the pretty Lamont. "We've only been here a few months and the catapults need a LOT of work. I am sure that now that we have such an able bodied youth like you, it will be fixed in no time."

He looked at the well mannered priest and gave a small smile. "We are grateful for your help. Providing shelter was the least we could do." He paused, glancing towards the back of the group.

"And why are those two staring at my wife and not saying anything" he said, pointing at Oakheart and Karth.

[moggthegob]

Alistair takes off his boots at this point smiling at the matron It was my pleasure. This is the land of opportunity after all. The name is Alistair Lebeda. Let's just say I am the spirit of this operation. Whenever you see fit, Oleg, I would like to discuss the situation out here in further detail. But, go ahead and finish what you were doing. No job should be left unfinished, am I right?

He was quite weary, but the energy for his walking seemed unrelated to his energy for talking. He seemed ready to stay up and discuss things all night.

[Colatine]

"So what's your plan to deal with the Bandits? They'll be here soon, I think." asked Oleg, looking dubiously at the noble.

[Klomag]

Rather alarmed, Grannlaw turns toward Oleg with a frown. "I suppose I hadn't been thinking about it, but I didn't think we were coming here to fend off a raid." His brows then raise quickly, and he adds, "But don't think I'm not willing to do so!"

Going through some logistics in his head, Grannlaw's lips move softly and his hands move about; his eyes are far off in the sky. After a few moments of this, he, quite ready to ignore the comforts of a dusty, decrepit trading post, asks the owner, "Eh... assumin' you do have weapons, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting anything happen if they're in the same condition as the walls. If you'll show me the forge, I can be gettin' to work on that before this... attack." Grannlaw gives a solid pat to his shield, as if to assure Oleg of his skill.

[OwenQuillion]

Karth busies himself with making sure he has all of his equipment stowed as it should be and dismounts, listening to the chatter about him with half an ear. He keeps a hand on Newleaf's reigns as well, and waiting to be the last to enter the inn.

His eyes eventually come to rest on Lana, and while he acknowledges she's attractive the eventual reprimand from Oleg startles him. He hadn't realized he was staring, lost in thought, and coughs and excuses himself somewhat lamely before pouncing on the current thread of conversation.

"I don't mean to speak for Mr.* Lebeda, but we should probably know more before we start planning. Anything could be an important detail." He looks towards Alistair with a grim look, his general thoughts plain on his face. I don't recall anything about a specific group of bandits here. Why was I not told?

OOC *Karth would of course use whatever honorific is appropriate; I'm just not sure if Mister or Sir is what I'm after.

[Birched]

Stanley, who'd just picked up his pack saddle with a great heave, drops it again onto the floor when the talk about bandits starts up. He nods to Karth, indicating he's happy the man spoke up the way he did.

He, too, turns to Oleg, and looks up into the well-worn man's aged stomach, and then still higher to his face. "Indeed. Please tell us everything you know. We came out here prepared for anything, but I'd much rather know against what exactly I'll be supporting these brave warriors."

[Ravenor]

Lamont frowns as Oleg, who was growing uncomfortable with the stares given his lovely wife, turns his talk to that of bandits. Instinctively, the paladin's hand moves to rest on the hilt of his longsword and grips it lightly. His gaze shifts back toward the walls of the trading post then to its gates leading out into the untamed wilds surrounding the structure.

As the others react in unease or even alarm, Lamont steps over to join the discussion. He addresses Oleg in a serious tone, all admonishment gone from minutes before, "Bandits will of course be dealt with as their kind has been since the first stone was laid in the first village, by the full brunt of the law. I have heard that a few such bands might roam in the Greenbelt but you make it sound as if you are very much intimate with their dealing? I take it they have plagued you before? What are their numbers and the cut of their men? Professional vagabonds or mere backwater ramble come together for strength in numbers?"

[moggthegob]

Alistair straps his boots back on and gets an alarmed look on his face. He had been lead to believe they had a bandit problem, but not one that was shaped like a vendetta. His thoughts seemed to mirror Karth's. I had no idea you were expecting them. I thought this was more of an...incidental problem.

He stands behind Karth placing a hand on his shoulder My associates Master Karth and Lamont raise good questions. Are we talking human or goblinoid. Have they made any demands? You make it sound as though this is a planned is it. Is that the case and if so how long have they been harassing you. What direction are they coming from? We may have time to prepare some defenses in the form of traps. Alistair then pulls his crossbow off his side.

Rest assured, I have no qualms about taking them out, but its always good to have a plan, no?

[Chrystrom]

OOC Since I’m so far behind in posting, this post will back track and cover some of the ground the rest of you have already posted on.

Sartov ambles alongside the horses of his party of fellow explorers, his long legs steadily eating up the leagues. “Why these city folk think their legs are too good for walking is beyond my understanding Sko. My people have been walking for generations and it’s never hurt us.” The tall druid, who seems as tireless as the auburn colored bear that paces the trail besides him, shakes his head at the foibles of the town-bound.

Up ahead the halfling’s mule seems to be slowing down once again to crop some grass along the trail. Skogand, the young Estrovian bear, ambles up behind the bulky mule and with a prodigious yawn displays all of his sharp white teeth right besides the mule’s flank. Quickly enough the halfling’s steed decides that the grass doesn’t look so tasty and quickly moves further on down the trail. With an affectionate thump upside the bear’s head Sartov walks past the bear. “Now Sko stop harassing that poor beast. He’s only doing what’s in his nature and that’s being obstinate. “

As the trail stretches before them, Sartov takes stock of his companions. Well Karth seems to be able to handle himself out here in the woods but I’ve got my doubts about the rest. They might be fine in civilization, but out here they just appear out of their elements. Hopefully Karth and myself can keep them alive long enough for them to learn how to survive out here. I need each of them if this plan is going to succeed and my people can’t afford for it not to.

Suddenly from up ahead, Karth, who was riding point, signals that their first destination is in sight. Quickly the party rides for the outpost and the questionable comforts it might offer. As the party meets the host of the outpost, Sartov stand in the background. I’ll let the nobles handle the pleasantries since they seem born to it. I just hope the two of them can use those swords as handily as they do their tongues.

Suddenly the sight of Lana moving across the open space loses Sartov in his memories. Something about how this woman walked, the sway to her step, pulls forth delightful yet intensely painful memories of his own wife. When Oleg speaks and points towards him, Sartov is jerked from his mental fog only to realize he has been standing there staring that the man’s wife. Embarrassment making his deep voice even gruffer than normal, the druid turns towards the man. “My apologies good sir, I was just remembering my own wife and I meant no disrespect. I appreciate the hospitality you have offered all of us. Have no worries about Sko here,” Sartov rubs the bears thick fur, “He is a gentle brute at heart.”

Embarrassment still making him uncomfortable, Sartov settles back as the discussion of bandits begins. Well I didn’t figure on bloodying my sword this early but if the prey is going to walk right up to us it’s time to hunt I guess.

†