Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Moderator:Lazybones
+800xp for Greggs, Washington, Sarge, the LT, and Kemal for IC posting.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
"The Departure"
Majid had planned to complete the letter to his parents and ask Magda to take it with her to Bagdad. Before he could do so a tragic event took place in the castle and they had to rush downstairs to hunt some assassins. Destiny had decided that for the time being nobody would go home. They now had to chase some rebels in the mountains. Although it might be a bit cliche Majid was happy to have a chance to explore a new region of this world. Perhaps it was a good time to summon a bird of prey...
Majid had planned to complete the letter to his parents and ask Magda to take it with her to Bagdad. Before he could do so a tragic event took place in the castle and they had to rush downstairs to hunt some assassins. Destiny had decided that for the time being nobody would go home. They now had to chase some rebels in the mountains. Although it might be a bit cliche Majid was happy to have a chance to explore a new region of this world. Perhaps it was a good time to summon a bird of prey...
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Magda lay awake listening to the sound to the sound of the male members of the squad sleeping in the tiny cabin around her. Somewhere outside there was the soft humming of the Sergeant on watch. The embers of the fire they had lit had long since died down and lying in the near absolute dark that was left, with the sounds of the men nearby and the background sounds of the wild beyond that, she was reminded of old hunting trips. Replace the men around her with her brothers, and the humming out there with that of her father, and she could have been in the woods back home ... back then.
Except the woods back home didn't contain wild pigs the size of an elephant, or green-skinned mad men, or lizards that had forgotten they were supposed to be animals, or what was it now? Trolls? Creatures that, according to the priest, required fire or acid to be killed. The 'magical' weapons they had aquired might well deal with that but still ... what was it about this place that the seemed to make some of them want to stay?
Kemal would doubtless argue the simplicity, but she'd seen nothing about that simplicity that appealed so far. Most of that simplicity seemed to be either directly or indirectly trying to kill them, and there was nothing simple about the politics of a place that left people to starve and slaughtered the ones hungry enough to be reduced to petty theft. Washington was enamoured of the luxury they'd encountered, that was obvious, but the luxury had been brief and born by the backs of the lower echelons of society. Surely Washington, of all of them, would have recognised the problems with that? No, they could goddamn well keep it. The sooner she could get back the better; there was nothing for her here.
Yet, she thought muzzily as sleep began to take her, and yet there was peace in the stillness of the dark. In the deep shadows cast by the minimal light of the embers. A place to hide where none could now find her unless she willed it. A safety she'd not found even after she left. And that? That felt good.
Except the woods back home didn't contain wild pigs the size of an elephant, or green-skinned mad men, or lizards that had forgotten they were supposed to be animals, or what was it now? Trolls? Creatures that, according to the priest, required fire or acid to be killed. The 'magical' weapons they had aquired might well deal with that but still ... what was it about this place that the seemed to make some of them want to stay?
Kemal would doubtless argue the simplicity, but she'd seen nothing about that simplicity that appealed so far. Most of that simplicity seemed to be either directly or indirectly trying to kill them, and there was nothing simple about the politics of a place that left people to starve and slaughtered the ones hungry enough to be reduced to petty theft. Washington was enamoured of the luxury they'd encountered, that was obvious, but the luxury had been brief and born by the backs of the lower echelons of society. Surely Washington, of all of them, would have recognised the problems with that? No, they could goddamn well keep it. The sooner she could get back the better; there was nothing for her here.
Yet, she thought muzzily as sleep began to take her, and yet there was peace in the stillness of the dark. In the deep shadows cast by the minimal light of the embers. A place to hide where none could now find her unless she willed it. A safety she'd not found even after she left. And that? That felt good.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Greggs turned over the events of the day in his head, back resting against the wall of the cramped cabin. This world seemed determined to make him ever more cynical and suspicious, which was quite an impressive feat. Bad enough that the wildlife was so suicidally hostile, but the charming intricacies of petty feudal politics did even less to brighten his disposition.
How fortunate for the noble Duke that his disrespectful guests had found cause to take up arms against this vicious thorn in his side. How fortunate that such a thing should happen right on the eve of their departure. How fortunate that the identity of these conspirators, absent any actual evidence, seemed so clear precisely from the lack of any evidence present. And how especially fortunate it was that no matter the results of this coming confrontation, the good Duke would see ones that had previously slighted him dead.
And he'd thought politics back home had been fishy as hell.
How fortunate for the noble Duke that his disrespectful guests had found cause to take up arms against this vicious thorn in his side. How fortunate that such a thing should happen right on the eve of their departure. How fortunate that the identity of these conspirators, absent any actual evidence, seemed so clear precisely from the lack of any evidence present. And how especially fortunate it was that no matter the results of this coming confrontation, the good Duke would see ones that had previously slighted him dead.
And he'd thought politics back home had been fishy as hell.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Junior squirmed as he tried to get comfortable on the floor of the cabin. He wasn't all that thrilled to be out in the boondocks looking for rebels - not particularly rich one either, probably. Course, it beat hunting for insurgents armed with rpgs and ieds back in Iraq. These trolls supposed to be infesting the forest had him worried. He had no magical weapon, fire, acid or what not, so wasn't sure what exactly he was going to do if he ran into one. Probably just run. He rolled over again and drifted off to sleep.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Simmons strolled up and down outside the cramped hut as the others rested. He had the feeling that tomorrow was going to be another busy day.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
+800xp to Greggs, Washington, Mogenson, and Kemal for IC posting.
EDIT: and the Sarge squeaks in under the wire.
EDIT: and the Sarge squeaks in under the wire.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Nothing like the fresh air of the mountains. The situation was more complex than expected. The location of the crystals was still unknown. A group of refugees were in dire need of assistance.
Majid would have to go to find some herbs needed to make a soup to cure a woman who was sick and had high fever. Majid had managed to use a natural spell to lower the temperature of the patient that was the best he could do for now...
Majid would have to go to find some herbs needed to make a soup to cure a woman who was sick and had high fever. Majid had managed to use a natural spell to lower the temperature of the patient that was the best he could do for now...
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
It had been no surprise that they'd been used once more, but being correct in your suspicions didn't make the fact less bitter. The question was, used by who? Magda's instincts leapt to the Duke, but this man Kelantis seemed to think the subterfuge beyond him. He'd never seemed the sharpest tack in the barrel to her, just a man with an over-inflated ego who not only craved power but considered it is right. History was full of men like that, and it was rarely anything good.
But who did that leave? The priestess who was attacked might know something. It was still possible that the woman had been helping someone, albeit unwittingly. Do-gooders wanted to see the best in everyone, which made them damn easy to fool. At least if you were a cynic you were never disappointed and potentially fore warned.
Magda could see no reason anyone else would send them after these people politically, and there was a chance the Duke had simply leapt to a conclusion himself. What if it was subtler than that? What if someone had planted the seed in his mind, knowing he would take the opportunity to achieve the destruction of these people? What if the real reason was simply to get the squad as far away from the city as possible? No one else at the castle had come over as that Machiavellian. They must have missed something.
But who did that leave? The priestess who was attacked might know something. It was still possible that the woman had been helping someone, albeit unwittingly. Do-gooders wanted to see the best in everyone, which made them damn easy to fool. At least if you were a cynic you were never disappointed and potentially fore warned.
Magda could see no reason anyone else would send them after these people politically, and there was a chance the Duke had simply leapt to a conclusion himself. What if it was subtler than that? What if someone had planted the seed in his mind, knowing he would take the opportunity to achieve the destruction of these people? What if the real reason was simply to get the squad as far away from the city as possible? No one else at the castle had come over as that Machiavellian. They must have missed something.
Re: Saturday Morning Guns, Goblins, and Steel
Junior made himself comfortable on a low boulder lodged against a rocky wall of the cavern as the others debated their predicament. It was increasingly clear, they'd been sent out on a fools errand. This handful of refugees was no threat to the duke. Someone had wanted them out of the way, and if they got killed in the process, it'd be all the better. He mulled over potential suspects but no one particularly stood out in his mind. He pretty much ruled out the duke himself though, he wasn't the subtle sort. Perhaps more facts would reveal themselves by the time they returned with the news of the "great victory".