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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 8, 2018 2:30:29 GMT
Perhaps not so wisely, Eira made a bit of a face at Bear’s laughter, more disgruntled by the comparisons than perhaps she should. As it was, she took the bowl with pleasure, digging in, burning her tongue, making a “mm” sound, then proceeded to scoop off the top of the stew.
“Well, I am more than happy to give you a little performance,” she responded easily to the woman’s little joke, the corner of her lips tweaking. “But you’ll have to find me something to decode for me to prove who I am, Asha,” she added with a flirtatious little wink, aiming at the warrior woman. Ooh la la.
“Mm, I have to say, sir, this stew is, mm, utterly fabulous. The mix of spices, mm, and flavorings are so… mm… earthy and… mm! rich, dynamic! I’m glad you’re on side for the cooking!” Eira managed around several mouthfuls, managing to somehow inhale and still babble at the same time. “Me? Well I can play, and I’m good at finding firewood, but I’d burn water. Honestly, you should have heard my mother when she finally gave up trying to teach me…”
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zahz
Newbie
Posts: 40
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Post by zahz on Dec 8, 2018 5:44:13 GMT
"Name's Thazzeric. People call me Bear." He smiled and nodded approvingly. "Thank you Eira, my cooking is only one of the reasons rove about with Asha and the usual lot. I can find or scrape together a shelter, hunt, fight, and forage for edible plants better than most. Not a bad hand with beasts, or scaring off smarter things either. can set splint a break or sprain but I don't know a lick about setting them proper and only know enough of spell things to be wary of e'm."
"The crypt is massive. It looks like it walks from one place to another unthinking. It had trees on it. could be another of those walking places. We are sure it was the crypt we saw. It looked like there are openings in the side. inside who knows? We've got to catch it.
He pondered the current situation. If he hunted and gathered herbs and cooked, these two could handle the majority of the watches and other camp chores. Asha and Eira could switch out first and second along with other camp chores. He'd be up early with the last watch, prepping breakfast and milking his pack animal. There would even be music or tales before bed. Not such a bad start. Best of all tonight no one would have to sleep in the crude stable. Nor would they slumber on the hut floor as there were two rough cots in the way station. Which really was as much a way station as a shepherds hut. Built by the folk of the foothills to be strong sturdy and serviceable. He found that inside was a thing many of his people took for granted, but that settled sort knew well. Beds, safe, warm, and soft. Rough and Ready would be fine and better rested with his beastie in the lean-too protected as it was by a sturdy ring of stone and thorn bushes too. He'd dropped a gold to the owner to resupply the ceramic containers inside. The lock on the little safebox set into the wall was like the building small and crude, but sturdy. The amount was excessive for what he'd borrowed from the stores. In these parts, it was enough to make all the difference between a village of shepherds starving, or not. judging from signs in the pen and stable the shepherds were in the hills already too. A deeper testament to this gleamed dully with a blueish foxfire at the edge of the clearing. A Ward stone waist height on a human marked with symbols he didn't know the meaning of stood there. A protection against all save the most desperate predators and magical beasts. That was good. He knew of the stones and their purpose, but nothing else. The only thing that might pester then tonight would be two-legged vermin.
He nodded as his eyes skimmed past the stone. Like as not they might be able to share a fire or camp some evenings. Possibly in exchange for an extra set of eyes and ears looking for wolves, or for a hunt, if such creatures were bold this year.
"You good with the second watch Eira?" he inquired. "I'm taking the last and making breakfast. Asha said she'd handle cleanup and with it first watch. Unless you want to haggle with us over chores."
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Post by Kelathi on Dec 15, 2018 23:44:03 GMT
A smile tweaked onto Asha’s lips at Eira’s words. Personally, she thought the newcomer a welcome replacement for Lightfoot, she’d never been able to get on with that strange little man. He’d never done her any particular wrong, and he was good at what he did, but she’d never taken to him. She always felt that he didn’t walk around camp, but rather he skulked about it like a bad smell. Eira was lively and pleasing to look at, a stark contrast and therefore a welcome one. As for proving herself to be who she said she was, only time would tell. But before she could put any codex-cracking skills to use they had to find the damned crypt first.
It had not been easy trying to pin the thing down, working from rumours or scriptures, the latter which often only dedicated an ambiguous (at best) sentence in regards to it’s location. But they were getting close, she was sure of it.
(Sorry for the short post!)
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 16, 2018 5:17:35 GMT
“Sounds like an ideal arrangement,” Eira replied with a little smirk as Bear listed off what he could do, essentially listing off what she wouldn’t have to worry about. She could only hope that the other - Asha - was able to cover some of the other parts, like healing.
She paused at the suggestion that she keep watch, however, her eyes innocently blinking. “Watch?” she echoed, clearly startled that she - SHE, a delicate little reed that wouldn’t be able to do much except simply raise an alarm - to watch for two burly warriors. The idea of haggling over chores, however, straightened her up a bit. Nope, she was not that interested in chores… or haggling with two burly warriors. “Of… course?”
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zahz
Newbie
Posts: 40
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Post by zahz on Dec 16, 2018 22:24:28 GMT
(OOC I have an idea for a caster churning in the back of my mind, but they’d run more off my head-worlds magic system. More to the point they study medicine <western as though Rome never fell>and alchemy in conjunction with magic. I'll work on them Monday. we’ll pick up the bone-weaver after we start crossing the mountains.) Bear stood to pace, not the agitated pacing, just the restless sort. A corner of his mouth tugged back into a smirk that his tusks made look more like a sneer at the note in Eira's voice but he seemed to exude a dangerous sort of seriousness as he spoke. "First time in the wilds I take it eh' girl? I'm not thinking to be mean here. When the lot of us are out in the wilds we divide the night so we all share a hope of getting decent sleep and a hope of rousing quickly should trouble visit. You get used to the difference between safe and not so safe sounds readily enough. We share all the chores so we each can put our feet up. That way camp goes up, meals are made, and camp breaks in the morning with less fuss. Even if you're just gathering firewood and setting the first coals or fetching water you're helping. By the Wolf mother mending and washing is a help. If you don't know how to do things like how to build a fire so it's harder to spot in the night, how to spot the types of trees that burn with less smoke even when green and other such things well show you and you'll get used to it in time." He brooded for a few heartbeats then plucked up a stick. As he Looked the stick over with a critical eye also watched both girl's faces out of the corner of his eye. finding the stick acceptable he began to prod the fire. : right Bear. Best not shine s*** over the hard part of adventuring.: he thought. "Tonight should be easy. This camp is a luxury. Inns in town are a luxury. Most of the time things ain't this fine. I can't remember their names. That first lot I traveled with early on in this business bickered over those things and others constantly. Anyhow one night a couple of the fools nearly got the rest of us killed when they decided they were too good to take a watch and decided to nap instead." The story was common enough even if the players changed in the telling. In the wild mistakes could kill. Enough managed to live through the experience for it to become parable though. He snorted and shook his head. Necessity, death, and other kinds of tales. Things never talked about in the stories that drew folk to adventure. Sure the wonder of the world had caught them all in its way. Those who lived the longest used every trick they could, half-remembered or not. They fought dirty when they had too. Some lost the taste for it quick the wonder of the world not worth the toil, or the losses. The rest well, they accepted the necessity of a few camp chores.
"Asha, were you going to set up your bell and trip wires this time, or we not bothering with it tonight?"
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Dec 20, 2018 3:04:04 GMT
Eira sniffed daintily at Bear’s description of the glamor of traveling and camping, squaring her shoulders even as the much larger figure paced.
“I’m not concerned about luxury,” she replied, managing to keep her voice even rather than grow annoyed. “As the newcomer to the group, I hadn’t thought you’d trust me with something as important as watch.”
She played a good game - she knew traveling wasn’t easy or really her style at this level of pay. And she was still young enough to not have much worldly experience. But she knew what she DID want and DID have - a mind and skillset that was just itching to be put to a challenge as great as the wandering crypt.
She also knew that keeping watch had to mean a measure of trust, which had in truth surprised her a little, even if she didn’t relish the thought of keeping said watch.
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zahz
Newbie
Posts: 40
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Post by zahz on Dec 29, 2018 7:18:45 GMT
(Ooc posting from cell phone so short) Thazzeric snorted. The girl's statement was true enough. He didn't trust this waif. He had few reasons to. Her argument though played as well for her as against.
"I doubt you bespelled or bedded our thief to gain his trust." The half breed gave a thin smile. "A Thief who barely trusts any thing that draws breath and "doubly so-" or so he says "if they're clever and pretty" as he's fond of saying."
As he spoke a mischievous and feral grin spread across his features. "Unless you are suggesting we shouldn't trust you. In which case we'd let you sleep the night, but we should probably tie you up.....
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 3, 2019 22:49:54 GMT
Asha merely sat back and watched in amusement as the two spoke. She was pleasantly surprised as the girl countered back, somehow matching Bear’s tone. With the half-orc many daren’t answer him back, even when he meant words only in jest. She did still feel he had been right in his initial description of the girl though, watching this was like watching a little bird chirping at a lion. Eira seemed so fragile and slight, but evidently, she more than made up for it by being very clearly headstrong. And hopefully, clever, if she was to be of use. In terms of personality, however, she’d already won the quiet warrior over.
Bear’s last words, Asha couldn’t help the small smile that slipped onto her lips at his tease. Although on the one hand she was happy to see the discourse play out, her companion had made a good point about the tripwires. She placed her empty bowl back on the rocks besides the fire, and made to stand up. “Pay him no mind, Eira! Come with me, I’ll show you how we set up the tripwires.”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 9, 2019 2:49:30 GMT
Surprisingly enough, given the sheer size difference, Eira only made a face at Bear’s “threat,” either not taking it seriously, as it wasn’t intended, or just insulted at the idea that they’d do anything of the like to her. “Oh, sure, tie me up, because I’d be able to cause oooooh so much harm to you lot, even if I did have the whole night to do it,” she retorted, somehow managing to smoothly switch between a haughtily royal accent and a bar crawler’s drawl. She seemed to intentionally miss the suggestion that she had somehow flirted her way into getting the thief’s role in the group, clearly unimpressed at the idea of doing anything suggestive with such a figure.
Finishing up the last few bites of the otherwise hastily gobbled up stew, Eira looked up with momentarily puffed cheeks at Asha as she spoke. “Triwirs?” she mumbled through the mouthful, clearly surprised that they would be used. Taking a few moments to swallow, she rose quickly while brushing crumbs off her lap. “I should warn you, I’m perfect for the role of cryptographer and bard, but there’s a reason I didn’t pursue hunting…” she noted even as she followed, not to skip out of doing the work but as a warning of what her work might accidentally deliver later.
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zahz
Newbie
Posts: 40
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Post by zahz on Jan 12, 2019 6:50:08 GMT
Bear sighed as the girls walked off shaking his head.
This new girl was like a magpie who just learned to fly. All chatter and sass, and she seemed to have plenty of both as most bards did. They needed more than a clever tongue. Specifically, they needed clever hands and a clever mind. Somebody, as his father would say, who can think left, right, and sideways.
Asha would cue her into the trip wires. They weren't precisely being used to catch things per se. Deadfalls, snares, and pit traps were for catching and killing. The tripwires were only attached to Asha's bells. They were set as alarms in lew of a spellcaster.
Worse yet this waif was seemingly mistaken. All it took to kill was a willing desire to kill, a bit of patience, and a mind to turn anything at hand to that purpose.
Mia, that had been their last wizard's name. What with her "pesant magic". He smiled a brief fond smile. Mia had been mostly useless in combat but while she was with them their blades never dulled, the food didn't spoil. it had pissed rain none ever made it through their gear to soak them, and their fires would always light. she once managed to set a whole group of brigands to sleep with a spell. Woke the party and proceded to the throats of the sleeping bandits.
Mia was no tougher in form than this new waif. It was an arrow during an ambush that ended Mia.
He listened to the deepening night. Hearing Eriah tromp loudly through the brush. Tomorrow he'd start showing her some basics for moving through the wilderness, and other such things as they broke camp and traveled.
She didn't have the shrill whistles they used to signal each other either and sound alerts. Trail signs might be a good thing to begin showing tomorrow too. He resolved to ensure that he'd see to these things as they went even if it slowed them down by a day.
If she was the kinds of clever they needed she'd pick up quickly on some of them. He polished off the last of supper and fed the fire. He'd leave to fetch more water to boil for dishes, washing, and tea when they returned.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 15, 2019 21:56:26 GMT
Asha didn’t say a word until she deemed they were far enough away from the camp to start setting up the wires- which meant close enough for them to hear the bells but away enough to give them ample time to react. “Tripwires are for alerting us of people approaching.” She explained, not unkindly, drawing the wires from the satchel at her side. Each was tied neatly into a loop, untying the string of the first, she dug again in her satchel and brought out a small bronze bell. The bag itself had been treated with a spell to muffle its contents, it wouldn’t do to have her jingling everywhere she walked, after all. Slipping the bell onto the end of the wire, she handed it to Eira. “Tie this to that tree over there, about knee-height. I’ll tie the other end here, like so.” She demonstrated, and the wire, now it was no longer folded it was barely visible and it was clear it would only be spotted if someone were really looking for it. “It’s pretty simple.” She added, as they began to do the next wire. “As for hunting, we can teach you that later on, if you’d like to learn.”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 16, 2019 1:58:26 GMT
Eira watched Asha’s hands carefully as she explained the tripwires, noting silently how the bag didn’t make a noise despite its cargo. Taking the offered wire, she hesitated, twisting to look at the tree mentioned before studying Asha’s example. Then she asked a surprisingly relevant question, given how in other circumstances it sounded rather ludicrous.
“Ok, so… knee height? Your knee or my knee? Because your knee is… well, I would say significantly higher than mine.”
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Post by Kelathi on Feb 4, 2019 12:44:59 GMT
The laughter was sudden and perhaps a little too loud, but she hadn't been able to help herself. For some reason, Eira's comment was immensely amusing to the warrior. Instead of answering, she took the wire from her, tying it to a branch besides herself, before passing the string back to the woman. "About, this height." she added, with a grin. She hadn't noticed the immense difference in size between them before the woman had pointed it out. "So... will we be blessed with some music, tonight?"
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Feb 4, 2019 18:49:22 GMT
As she had assumed, the wire was higher than her knee. Not by as much as she had indicated, as a bard one was expected to hyperbole more often, but it was a few inches. Good to know.
She flashed a winning smile at the suggestion of music, drawing herself up to her still short height. “Anything you wish,” she flirted, brushing a few strands from her face with a wink as they began heading back towards camp. Would the other, far more serious warrior be so accepting of having music played? She hoped so, since this wasn’t the first time that the warrior accompanying her had remarked on her musical talents.
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zahz
Newbie
Posts: 40
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Post by zahz on Feb 8, 2019 7:40:11 GMT
Bear, still sat near the fire. Seemingly not having moved from where they had left him when they went into the woods. He grumbled softly under his breath though it was difficult to tell whether his words were in Orcish or the speech of their larger cousins the giants. A person with keen eyes might make out a small idol cut so it resembled a flat topped alter. A very sharp eye might see well it took the form of a stylized two-year headed wolf b**** with a cub crouched below it. Its face twisted in a sinister snarl. (Edit for clarity. Post originally typed out on phone. Was difficult to edit and clean up thoughts.posted when I went ehh good enough for now)
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