Re: To the 'Town' on the Hill

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan was silent, and Aeris sighed. "If you're not going to say anything, then I'm going to guess," she told him. "You're an exile, aren't you? Zoltan isn't a dwarf name, and the only reason I know if that a dwarf would have a non-dwarf name is because he's exiled."

Bluntness was her nature, and Zoltan was well aware of it. He didn't hold her guess against her, as much as he didn't want to talk about it.

But they deserved something.

"When ye're tossed ou' by yer own people, an' betrayed by them you call comrades, ye don' have much trust lef' te give," he said flatly.

[Kara Winters]

Reed opened his mouth to argue that while he understood the trust issues (both he and Aeris had figured that a long time ago), it didn't excuse for the rude, almost borderline hostile treatment of a stranger. However, he also knew how easily Zoltan shuts down, so closed his mouth and breathed through his nose.

Allen however did not, "That is a fair point, however..." the ranger added, "You were unpleasant to Melrik, that is beyond the usual distrust, and he was aware of it too. I understand you are slow to trust, but I don't need to tell you any other dwarf would have taken great offense to that."

He already had heard from Risa how uncomfortable the merchants who hired them were.

[Nara-pyon]

"I wasn'e unpleasant, I jes' wasn'e open an' immedia' friends," Zoltan replied, slightly bristly. "Yer readin' too much inte things. An' even if I had been as frien'ly as all o' ye, how d'ye think he'd o' reacted if he'd heard my name an' knew right away tha' I'd bin exiled? D'ye think I'd still've been welcome? Or d'ye think tha' bein' exiled don' matter te those no' involved in it?"

His blue-green eyes were hard and cold as he gazed out the back of the cart.

"I don' know wha' ye want from me, bu' if ye're goin' te ask me te be social, ye're goin' te have te take wha' ye can ge'," he shrugged. "Ye're askin' me te be somethin' I'm no', so don' expect me te be perfe' a' i'."

[Kara Winters]

There was a silence that stretched uncomfortably, because everyone who had been at the table last night picked up on Zoltan's coldness. Aeris, of all people called Zoltan out on it, and she had traveled with him, and knew very well how he was. If he really think that was normal social behaviour even out of him, well...

"I'm not asking you to be perfect," Allen replied, "I'm asking you to behave."

And the half elf left it at that and the group continued on their journey. Things would slowly get back to normal among the group, even if there was an awareness to perhaps not have Zoltan around if they had to talk to any dwarves. After nine days of travel the group found themselves on a wide stretch of road with little greenery, more red dirt than anything else. However, the other caravans that were traveling to the same destination were filled with flowers, leaves and fresh fruits and vegetables.

[Nara-pyon]

"Not a particularly pretty area," Aeris commented, mostly to herself, as they traveled along the road. "How much longer before we arrive?"

Even she was beginning to reach her limits of how much travel and inactivity she could stand.

[Kara Winters]

"Yea, not particularly, I think it's the mines near by that had done it," Allen admitted, "The town is just up ahead."

It was hard to make out at first until they got close enough because the stone used to make the wall was as red as the dirt around it. Slowly the caravans began to line up in single file towards the gate as people were checking into the town. At one point along this road, the road split into two, forking off upwards to a hill in the west, which was where the group would go to eventually.

"Hard to believe it's called Glimmer Quarry," Reed commented.

"More for what is inside the mines than outside," Risa explained.

[Nara-pyon]

"So what's the plan?" Aeris asked, looking at the others. "Where are we heading first?"

[Kara Winters]

Allen looked to the sky, it was about noon at the moment so they still had plenty of daylight left.

"Well, we could go up the hill now and find a place to set up camp that will be our base for however long it takes us to explore the area, or we can go into town and stay in the inn for a night. Which would you all like?"

He mainly looked to the four that would be doing the primary job, as his role was to secure the camp and make sure it stayed secure for them.

[Nara-pyon]

Aeris looked to Zoltan, but he didn't look at her. She had a feeling she knew what he would say, anyways.

"Aside from a night's rest, would there be a reason to visit the town first?" she asked, looking around at the others. "We have everything we need, right? Shall we just begin then? Set up camp right away?"

[Kara Winters]

"No real reason to drop by town right now," Allen confirmed.

"If that's the case, we could just set up camp, better than waiting in line," Risa commented on the long line of caravans that was waiting to get in, "Do you do think Reed? Zoltan?"

"Sounds good to me, even if we don't get to the town today, then we don't have to make the trek tomorrow," Reed replied.

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan nodded. "Aye, I'd prefer no' te wait longer'n we have te te get started," he agreed. "Wi' all the sittin' we've bin doin', I think we're rested enough."

Aeris was glad he hadn't made it about not being around other people, though she wouldn't have been surprised it if were indeed the case.

[Kara Winters]

"Welp, better than staying in line," Allen replied cheerily and the moment they got up to the fork in the road, he had the horses take the alternative road.

Once they were out of that line, the horses were clipping along at a good pace despite the fact they were slowly going up a hill. Though the term hill was probably not quite right because once they got to the top they saw that the land plateaued. And it was a very large expanse of land, and unlike the town below actually had some greenery. Granted it was mainly grass that was allowed to grow long and wild.

There was a single large tree that had long ago since died, leaving it's branches bare of leaves. Off in the distance a good 90 feet or so was the location they were going to scour. Which was covered in a light fog, which was unusual because it only covered that area and nowhere else. It did make it hard though to make out the complete features of what was there, but they could see peeking out from the top of the fog the roof of a large building in the distance.

[Nara-pyon]

Aeris was saddened by the sight of the dead tree.

"I wonder if that's also a result of whatever it is that's going on here," she murmured, pointing it out to the others.

"Where exactly are we going to camp?" Zoltan asked, calling ahead to Allen.

[Kara Winters]

"Preferably as far away from that as possible," Allen replied as he peered over the way they came, "I think if we stick by the tree, that is as far away as we're going to get without the cart accidentally going back down hill."

So 90 feet from the 'town', the fog certainly covered a location large enough to be a town, and he had heard it being called such back in it's hey day.

Allen began to unhook the horses, he teetered the unnamed horse to a root that was sticking out by let Sugar free.

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan and Aeris hopped out of the cart, and Zoltan began to set up the camp.

Aeris stretched and set her bag down before helping where she could, gathering bits of dead wood and piling them together. Then she used her Create Bonfire cantrip to light it for them.

[Kara Winters]

Risa and Allen began to set the tents in case it started to rain, otherwise, during the summer like this, they could probably sleep uncovered to be honest. It would also be more pleasant as the weather was starting to get uncomfortably hot the past few days. They had to take more breaks in the past three days for the horses.

"I'll see if there's a water source, otherwise we might have to make a trip down the hill for it," Reed commented.

As he didn't have anything that could create water. He would be back a bit later letting the group know there was water about 30 feet east of the camp behind the tree. There was a small stream of water that they could use if they had to stay out a while.

[Nara-pyon]

Once things were more or less set up and they had settled a bit, Aeris suggested they sit together around the fire.

"I think it might be wise to come up with some kind of strategy for going forward," she told the others. "Do we want to scour the town in a specific way? A specific direction? Do we want to cover a certain distance each day? Or take it as it comes?"

[Kara Winters]

"Hmm...." Reed looked thoughtful, "I think we should map it out if possible. Especially if it takes us a few days to get through all of that. But I don't think I brought ink or paper to writing."

Which was silly now that he thought about it, he should correct that if they stay in the town, what bard doesn't have ink and paper?

[Nara-pyon]

"I have ink and paper," Aeris offered. "I haven't studied mapmaking, but I've studied diagrams enough in my studies. I can try map it out as we go, unless someone else wants to."

Zoltan laughed. "No' me, lass. Ye wouldn'e understan' what I drew."

[Kara Winters]

"I'm okay with making a rough map, but I wouldn't say I know anything about mapmaking," Risa offered, "But it's just enough to give us a rough idea of where we are and nothing more."

She had been taught how to by Lovrick, but she never had to do that on her own before.

"Better than me, I know how to read maps, but how to make one, not so much," Reed commented.

[Nara-pyon]

"I'm happy to leave it to you, if you think you could do it," Aeris told Risa sincerely. "I leave the decision to you."

Her hand hovered over the top of her bag, just in case Risa did want the paper and ink.

[Kara Winters]

Risa thought about it for a bit and then nodded, "I'll do the map making then, it won't be the greatest map, but it'll give us a rough idea of where everything is.

"Well, that settles that," Reed smiled, "And what about an exploration plan?"

[Nara-pyon]

Aeris reached down into her bag and pulled out her single sheet of paper, her ink, and her ink pen, handing them over to Risa happily.

"Zoltan probably has the most experience," she suggested, looking to the dwarf. "What would you suggest?"

Zoltan sniffed. "Break i' inte a grid," he said flatly. "Search each quadran' thoroughly before movin' on. Easier te do if we knew wha' the place looked li', bu' we can make do. If ye wan', I c'n lead."

He was used to doing such things after all, from his days in the army.

[Kara Winters]

"I wasn't at the meeting," Allen admitted even though everyone else knew this, "Did the merchants say anything that would cut down the search? I mean, I know we'll probably have to search the whole place anyways for stuff, but best to get out of the way whatever is... adding to their numbers I guess? I don't even know if whatever the creatures are will disappear after this thing we're looking for is dispelled."

He looked to Risa since her position in the guild would give her more information. Risa crossed her arms and thought about it.

"Not likely, but if we get to whatever is causing it, at least nothing new will appear, is the idea according to the wizard they consulted."

"I'm surprised the wizard is not here..." Reed commented.

"Apparently he became fascinated on how such an item got to the lord, and has been holed up researching ever since, it sounds like he is one of those absentminded study types," Risa chuckled at this, "But what I do know, is that the item is said to have been sold to the lord of this area."

She motioned to where the fog was.

[Nara-pyon]

"So we're looking for a large or fancy house," Aeris guessed, looking over at the fog. It struck her as unnatural, and she wondered, if they found the magical item, if the fog would lift as well.

She thought for a moment, then asked aloud, "So ... do we clear the entire town as we go? Or do we find the item and destroy it, and then clear the town afterwards?"

Zoltan chuckled, but it wasn't an amused chuckle. "If we want te survive," he said seriously, "we've go' te clear i' as we go. Otherwise we're goin' te end up ou'numbered an' dead, even if we do fin' this thing qui'ly."

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