[Game Thread] Chapter 1: For Love or Money

[Insacrum]

Ollona stood there thinking about the girl's predicament. 'When will humans learn. Wait until your parents are dead, or too obsessed with something else before running off with some random idiot.' Ollona was a little intrigued with how easily the others were so inclined to help this man out. Maybe by helping them out, she could help the girl out as well. How exactly, she didn't know.

"I guess I can help out. I have a feeling these two might need some help in staying alive."

[Glenn Coco]

Groz lets out a loud sigh. All the anticipation for this, some silly love affair. Humans have no sense of honor, this man's daughter should have know better and now Groz was getting dragged in to the mess. Seeing as how he already accepted the gold and promised his service, Groz would see this through to the end. Plus some action was better than none.

"Aye sir, I'll take up your quest." Groz said with the full intention of dealing with the bandits after the daughter was safely in their care.

[darthcharon]

Bela smiles as the group one by one agrees. "Excellent." He turn to Holly. "To answer your question, they are believed to live somewhere in the woods to the northeast, across the river. You will likely need to take the ferry to cross. No one know's for sure though, as very few people go looking for them, and they don't strike often or hard enough to warrant the local lord's attention. They are clearly skilled thieves, as they seem to know exactly when and where to strike, and rumors write them off as crack shots, but they are still just bandits. As to their numbers, I cannot tell you for sure, but I doubt they have more than ten. As to her appearances, I should have a portrait of her somewhere... Ah, there it is."

Fetching a small frame from his desk, he brings it over. Julianne appears to be about seventeen years old, with dark brown hair pulled into a bun, bronzed flesh, and bright green eyes. As Holly examines the portrait, he turns to Marcus and shrugs. "My concern is purely the safety of my child. I simply fear that a battle could endanger her life uneccessarily. If you wish to kill them, I can assure you I will not be bothered, and you will certainly have done the town a favor, but the life and well being of my daughter comes before anything else right now. Now, unless you have more questions, I'd prefer that you get to work immediately. The sooner she is returned to me the better."

[Quadra Wield]

Holly examines the portrait of the daughter and hands the portrait to Marcus so he may examine it as well.

"Well mister Bela, I have no further questions."

Holly stands up and waits for her new companions so that they may leave the estate.

[DukeofTuring]

Marcus glares at Ollona, but says nothing.

When offered the portrait by Holly, Marcus takes it, examines it, then offers it to the dwarf. Turning to his companions, he says "Unless anyone has any objections, I believe we can get started right away. Should we pay a visit to young Wil? The child might be able to tell us more about the bandits."

[Glenn Coco]

Groz took the portrait from the priest and gave it a quick glance. He then offered it to the elf.

"Aye, sounds like a fine plan." responding to the priest.

Groz was anxious to get on their way.

[DukeofTuring]

Marcus turns to Bela and says, "We're not familiar with the area. Could we have directions to the town? A guide?"

[Insacrum]

Ollona takes a look at the portrait offered to her of the girl. She looked pretty enough, although homely by Elvin standards. She noticed Marcus’s glare in her direction, but paid it no mind. Humans were such touchy creatures. Their pride was more often to get them killed as a blade, bow or blast.

Ollona handed the portrait of to Molly, the only one that she thought hadn’t see it already.

At hearing the question for a guide Molly was just about to say something but then remembered that even she had trouble getting where she wanted to go if she wasn’t in an area of woods that she was familiar with.

Oh well.

[darthcharon]

Bela sighs. "I apologize, but I have but one servant and need his services here. If you need directions to a specific place I'd be happy to help you now, else I'm sure anyone here would be happy to point you in the direction you are heading. Perhaps you could even convince that boy, Wil, to come with you if he's feeling better. Now, I have one last thing to ask of you. Do keep this to yourself, would you? I'd rather it not be known amonst the town that I allowed my daughter to escape because I was too busy sticking my nose in my books. If your looking for a place to start, other than perhaps with Wil, I know that she was fast friends with the apothecary, Dasha Malatova. She lives conviently next to the surgeon, about a block east of that tavern, what is it called, 'the dancing halfling'? Something like that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have several things to do before the day ends, and I'd like to return to them." With a nod to Bertram, he gestures with his hand for you to follow and escorts you out of the building.

[DukeofTuring]

"We will take our leave then, lord Bela, and go find your daughter" Marcus says.

Unless any of his companions suggest otherwise, Marcus will be escorted out of the manor, then begin down the road to town, confirming his direction with anyone he meets along the way. Chatting with his companions, he says, "We could split up to get this done more quickly. I could go to Wil, as I already have a rapport with him, and some of the rest of you could go to this Dasha the alchemist."

He looks to his companions for approval or disapproval.

[Glenn Coco]

Groz follows his companions outside and listens to the priest's plan. If it was up to him, he would just set off to the forest now but he guessed getting a little more information couldn't hurt, as long as they were quick about it.

"What ever will get us to killing some bandits faster." Groz says agreeing with the priest about splitting up.

"How about me and the lass go to the alchemist and you and the elf can go see the boy" Groz said in more of a commanding rather than suggesting tone. He would prefer to go alone but assumed that his companions wouldn't agree with that. So having to choice one he'd much rather have the company of the human girl, at least she could hold her liquor.

[Quadra Wield]

Holly is escorted outside along with her companions. She listens to Marcus's plan, and although she wished to see both the alchemist and the boy, she knew Marcus's plan was a more efficient way to go about this business.

She nodded at the dwarf's suggestion.

"I'll agree to that."

In her head, Holly was thinking about how she would much rather travel with the dwarf, rather then the elf, she never trusted those elves.

[darthcharon]

OOC The groups have reunited, please rejoin this thread and feel free to discuss your next move.

[Quadra Wield]

Holly looks up as the two other group members enter the tavern.

"Been waiting for you two, take a seat and tell us what you found out, I got some information as well."

She waits for the two to be seated comfortably before explaining what she found out. In a soft whisper, to avoid being heard,

"The girl bought some medicine, for nausea, three days ago. I don't know if your coming to the same conclusion I am, but it seems we might have her reasoning for running off with this bandit."

Holly sighs, visibly stressed, and waits for the others to tell her what they learned.

[DukeofTuring]

Marcus begins the process of setting down all of taking off all of his equipment and weapons, hopefully for the last time this night. "Nauseated? Is she sick ... ah. Pregnant, we're thinking?" Marcus also sighs.

"Well, Wil's doing quite well, healing up quite nicely. He and about half a dozen other young men were hired for the same job we were, at the same pay for the whole group. Some of them had experience scrapping with each other, but they shouldn't have been sent out there. Anyway, they got headed out in the direction of the bandits when they got ambushed by archers and cut to pieces. Wil made a break for it when he saw his companions going down, and wound up back at the tavern. We all saw what happened from there. Some of the other ametures may have survived, or they may have not."

"Also, I hired on Wil as a guide. He'll be here tomorrow morning as soon as he's able. I think that about covers it." Marcus tries to get the attention of one of the halflings running the tavern and make an eating motion to them.