[Game Thread] Book 2 Chapter 1: A New Dusk

[Caveman]

Tam nods as Chester greets him.
"Yep, not supposed to. I hear right? The girl thinks there's a city out East? Don't sound likely to me, but this town's runnin' low on interesting new beers, so I'm gonna join her for the trip."

As he turns to leave for the quarantine building he overhears Chester and Sparkles and his ears prick up. "Say, what's that yer talking about - a glow? What glow?"

[jj_wolven]

Kalbee, Central US - Wednesday morning

Grant looked at John and nodded, "Guess I'll be takin' the twenty metals for two hundred."
He fishes out the money and hands it over the man, slipping the ammo into a pouch as his attention is drawn to the ratmen.

Sprinkles eyes flicker from the ammo transaction back to Chester, repeating almost under his breath, "Where? Where? Where?"
The whiskers twitch before he slowly looks up at Chester, "Maybe...in...holes?" he shrugs, "I crawls in a hole and found. It was...um...by a tree."

[Unforgiven]

John John smiles at the man in a very lopsided, yet excited manner, "Excellent, most excellent indeed. It has been a pleasure doing business with you! I will have all my kits with me on the road if you need further ammunition and travel with us! But now I must close up and prepare for the trip. I must pack my things and my angel..... Oh beautiful angel, I will finish her soon I hope!" John then hops into his steam work, and goes through a few minutes flipping switches and turning the steam engine on so that it could crank a gear shaft and compress a large metal spring, then the clockworks began working and he used the mechanical arms to pick his whole stand up and takes it back to his shop so that he can pack his things into the cart.

[Jeffkevlar]

Chester sighed. Sparkles was legendarily difficult to pin down. He often was off doing his own thing and, while useful, often was unable to pass along the information needed for others to follow after him.

"Ok Sparks, I hear you," the Ratfolk gunslinger said. "We’ll keep an eye open for a tree out east. Hopefully we can find something glowey. If not I recon we will find something."

[Jeffkevlar]

"Hey," Chester said, a thought occurring to him, "Sparky, do you recon you can come along? It might be easier if you were there, to show us the glow, you know."

[jj_wolven]

Kalbee, Central US - Wednesday morning

The ratman pauses in thought, then glances to each other person. When he doesn't notice any dissension he nods, "Yea, I can go. Nothing special here now anyway.

He turns to Tam, still speaking in his abrupt fashion, "Glow like in metal arm. Not exact, but similar." he glances back at Chester, "We go east then?"

[Caveman]

Tam considers the ratman's response, then hawks and spits. "Same glow as the one I can see on the arm pal? Be tough in the wilds to spot sommat like that. Maybe you got better eyes than me though. So - anyone else takin' the cat girl up on the offer of a trip past the Stones? I'm lookin' forward to a little walk in the country..."

With his best attempt at friendly bonhomie exhausted, Tam slouches off towards the meeting point. Scar, after a disdainful yip at the ratman joins his master and slinks along beside him. As he walks Tam considers the implications of the creatures revelation. Sounds like he's been seeing magic auras out in the wilds - interesting. Now there's a really good reason to be heading out there - a few swords might keep the beasties off my back long enough to find something interesting. And if there is a city out East - well now that would be something indeed...maybe even far enough I can stop running for a time.

[ricktur63]

Joya After a few last minute errands Joya made her way toward the quarantine building and waited for the others to arrive. After they started to arrive Joya spoke with the guard on duty and explained that they were on business for the council. She still wanted to inspect the two cocooned bodies but she wasn't sure if that was part of her purview in this adventure. OOC: I'm glad to be back.

[jj_wolven]

Kalbee, Central US - Wednesday morning

Sprinkles whips his head around, staring intently at each person in turn and shaking his head before finally turning to Chester.
"If go east need more." he says as he shifts from foot to foot, "Me go get, meet at quarantine."

He nods quickly, then scampers out the door, only second behind Joya.

Grant raises his eyebrows at the ratfolk, "Huh...looks like we're meeting at the quarantine house." he shrugs, then pats the recently purchased pouch of ammo, "I guess I get this packed up and meet you there."

[Unforgiven]

John After John packs up all of his shiny baubles, his clockwork angel, and all the tools and equipment he may need on the road, he gets his wagon hitched and begins to head to the quarantine zone slowly, with two big beasts of burden pulling the cart and a big white canopy giving the cart a large space inside to hold his things and keep them free of the elements.

[Alphaeus]

Terry Len "Hey, Bubbles, you know what the quarantine building looks like, right? Because I can't see over Ralphs' big shaggy mug. I swear we need to install a booster seat if he's going to ride up front." The handsome man gave the bear across from him in the hot tub a meaningful gaze as the tub responded to his commands with a series of creaks...though not creaks particularly distinguishable from all the other creaks that come from a large clawfoot tub running through the countryside. Somehow amid the bouncing the man was able to use a straight-blade razor to shave and not cut himself. After a couple more moments of shaving, he tossed the blade into the pack hanging outside the tub on his left, grabbed a bottle of mead from the pack on his right, and broke into a song. It was strong voiced and in tune, though without particular care to the nuances of actual singing....   Look for the bare necessities The simple bare necessities Forget about your worries and your strife I mean the bare necessities Old Mother Nature's recipes That brings the bare necessities of life Wherever I wander, wherever I roam I couldn't be fonder of my big home The bees are buzzin' in the tree To make some honey just for me When you look under the rocks and plants And take a glance at the fancy ants Then maybe try a few The bare necessities of life will come to you They'll come to you! Look for the bare necessities The simple bare necessities Forget about your worries and your strife I mean the bare necessities That's why a bear can rest at ease With just the bare necessities of life Now when you pick a pawpaw Or a prickly pear And you prick a raw paw Well next time beware Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw When you pick a pear Try to use the claw But you don't need to use the claw When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw Have I given you a clue? The bare necessities of life will come to you They'll come to you! Oh man this is really living So just try and relax, yeah cool it Fall apart in my backyard 'Cause let me tell you something little britches If you act like that bee acts, uh uh You're working too hard And don't spend your time lookin' around For something you want that can't be found When you find out you can live without it And go along not thinkin' about it I'll tell you something true The bare necessities of life will come to you Look for the bare necessities The simple bare necessities Forget about your worries and your strife I mean the bare necessities That's why a bear can rest at ease With just the bare necessities of life With just the bare necessities of life

[Jeffkevlar]

Chester went home to gather up his gear. He carefully gathered all of his ammo, his basic gun kit for maintenance, some rations and other things he knew would be helpful.

He stowed his guns, carefully made and monisified for himself, by himself, on his person and saddled up his riding dog, Posey.

"Looks like we are going on a trip, posey," he murmered as he scratched her behind her ears.

He looked around his meager home one last time and then set out. It was always dangerous to travel. He knew that if he kept his wits, trusted his training, he should be fine but was always on edge before setting out.

He left his home and headed for the quarantine area.

[jj_wolven]

Kalbee, Central US - Wednesday afternoon

The short quarter mile to the quarantined area is initially no different from before, passing the rows of houses and building that have been mostly empty for several generations. The buildings are the same as always, but the guarding has changed.

Chester is the first there to see this, as a guard in a dark purple tabard steps out and holds up a hand. He recognizes the tabard as the ones used for special guard duty, meaning it was likely there was council or a top merchant nearby.
"Stop there." he says, his eye flickering around then locking on something behind the ratfolk for a moment before coming back, "What's your business here? You as well."

A quick glance back for Chester shows John coming down the road behind him with horse and cart. Right before Chester turns back to the guard, a furry hand darts out of an alley and waves. He exits the alley behind John, then surprisingly pulls a girl out of the alley with him. She is a petite young woman with pale brown hair tied back. The almond shaped eyes and slightly pointed ears indicate a half-elf, but exotic for the race. Her clothes appear plain, though her cloak covers most of it, but the sway of her walk reveals some sort of dark armor underneath, along with plain gloves reaching halfway to her elbow and a dark crossbow at her waist.

Other players approach as you see fit.OOC

[ricktur63]

As the guard called out to Chester and John, Joya stepped from a side alley and called out to the guard in his purple tabard. "They're with me. I asked them to come and meet me here. We have business here for the council." Her clothing and scarves were flowing with the slight breeze that blew through the alley. Joya wore a travel cloak that she hadn't worn earlier. Other than a simple dagger the strange exotic dancer wore no other visible weapons. When she approached the guard she handed him the note from her father Louis.

[jj_wolven]

Kalbee, Central US - Wednesday afternoon

The guard glances at Joya, then studies the paper, "Is this all of them?"

He hands the paper back to her, awaiting her answer.