Masquerade Part 2.2: Klaatu, Barada... Necktie

[Xinnidy]

"Well, let's hope your hunch is right. I certainly would not mind remembering how a normal night of sleep goes." Kadin smirked again, adding nothing concerning the archer's life calling. Good for you. You should know your calling better than I. The speculation about the council had reset Kadin's facial expression, a topic he was willing to spend thought in. "Hmm, that's a good question. Nobody is meant to know what's inside there --after all, nobody was ever recorded as a returner. Yet, the notion that the council is willing to fund mercenaries to go on such a goose chase is ludicrous. It either comes from Cedric's funds alone, or the council has good reason to do that."

A bit more thought sprung another fact in Kadin's mind. "Actually, from the gift Makin received, it seems the Economics Advisor is willing to put stock in this cause. If not just Cedric, then maybe the council does have some information concerning the castle. Perhaps a recent exploration had been made and was kept secret to the public? They should have something on the castle, then." Kadin stroked his chin, this was pretty engrossing food for thought. Good for keeping their mind off of the long travel, if anything.

-----------------

"Nicest guy, huh? ...If you say so." Maja had no snip to say against that, it's not like she really talked to the guys in the group overall, so nobody seemed stellar at that. She shrugged, "We're healers... right, I could heal her burns, but it's probably nice to ask the, uh, 'burnee' first." Professional wording.

Makin, on the other hand, had no intention to stop messing with Raith. Their whispers turned even lower, which was sort of bothersome to Maja --she could swear she saw the both shooting very quick glances at her. Maja crossed her arms, then they seemed even closer, and... they kissed.

"Wha-"

They kissed, as if out of the blue. Though it was not the first kiss Maja was front seat audience to, it still took the girl a moment to process it, that it was actually happening. They're also a couple? But... ok. Surprisingly, Maja did not feel her face flush for long. Instead, she let out a sigh, as if crestfallen. Are there going to be more couples in this group I don't know of? Am I just going to walk at everybody kissing? The notion wasn't pretty amusing for her, deciding to look away from the couple and put her thoughts on check.

"A.HEM."

The manner Maja cleared her throat was somewhat loud, enough to really remind the couple of her presence. The tone was really unfamiliar, holding the slightest hint of alien annoyance that Maja had never showed. The kiss had already broken by then, however, leaving less of an impact and more attention-drawing than she considered. "Uh, boss, if we need to get out of the wagon, then how are you going to do it, really? Do you even plan to leave here when we get in the tundra? It seems like you're going to have a really bad time with the cold, anywhere."

[SB.]

"Yeah, it definitely sounds like they know what's going on in there." The archer nodded, glancing at the tundra. "Well, I guess that making it there won't be too much of an issue, if they already managed to get in there before?" Although it does make it feel a little less exciting... There was one thing that bothered him about it though. "But in that case, why did they send us to check up on it? If there was anything the council wanted from in there, why did they not just get it themselves when they first investigated the place? It seems very... wrong." Angus frowned, then looked over at the snake, who seemed kind of busy, but still. If anyone in the group knew about what was waiting for them, it'd be her. "Hey, boss? Did Cedric say what we were meant to be looking for inside the castle when I wasn't there?"

Edited April 21, 2015 by SB.

[riariadne]

"J-just tryin' to help," Valha muttered. Ingverd seemed to do a much better job at elaborating on how she felt, however. "Yeah, w-what he said... words are h-hard, alright?" She looked at the small mage with amusement as she looked contemplative of the advice, then opted to go for a subject change to try and lighten the mood. "Hey, you p-probably have books that aren't for m-magic, right? D'you mind if I try r-readin' one of 'em some times when we get done? Just a th-thought..." Edited April 22, 2015 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

[spoiler=Best Elf Friends]

As the group settled for the night, Trist tied Amira up to a nearby tree branch and then headed towards the elf archer that he'd been meaning to talk to for a few days now. "Hey, it's Heather, right? Figured we should probably get to know each other a bit, since we're both elves and all. So you're pretty clearly an archer. How'd you get connected to this group?"

"Yes, that's me," Heather responded upon the other elf's approach. "It's nice to meet you- Tristram, I believe? But yes, you are right- bows are my specialty, and only weapon I really have proficiency with. They have the right level of precision that I can dedicate myself to excelling in... and being far away from the action has its perks. I'm not the strongest, after all. As for me... well, I heard about an excursion that was to be made on a councilman's behalf, and it seemed like quite the opportunity. I have been roaming for a while, so it seemed as good a chance as any to find myself a job. What about you? Have you been with these people long?"

"Ah, I see. Well that explains that. It's always good to know that there's someone watching my back while I'm charging forward to attack the enemy. As for me, I just recently joined the group as well. I was at the arena when I saw Maja, or as I call her the Rainbow Terror, fighting. Her ability caused me to talk to some of the other members of this group, and then I ended up coming back to the inn you all were staying at with them."

He chuckled. "Ended up running into a drunk Makin, which was... well... interesting to say the least. But I decided that it was time I did something interesting with my life instead of just delivering metalwork to the same cities over and over." He shrugged. "I have to say I'm glad I joined up though. This group is fun." He grinned, thinking of a certain half-elf.

"That is my duty, to defend the people up front," Heather reaffirmed. "Rainbow Terror? You've got a way with nicknames. Do you have one for me?" She was slightly teasing, but the thought that he just might crossed her mind as well.

"Makin drunk... probably not the best first impression. The people here are quite colorful... whether it's Maja who takes it literally as well as figuratively, Valha being hyperatice, or Vesta and her way with words. It's certainly not a boring group. And I suppose my own reasons aren't dissimilar. I was tired of a complacent life as a merchant in Ward with my fools for brothers. Where did you travel to? Perhaps we might have even done business in the past."

"Hmm, don't have one as of yet. Let me see you fight and maybe I'll come up with one." He grinned as she described the group. "Yeah, you've got those plus Meredith and her... unique way of being. Plus all the others who I'm sure have their own little quirks." He nodded as she explained her reasons. "Hmm, Ward... Did some business there though not a lot. I don't suppose you and your brothers had much interest in ornate metal work? Window bars and fancy gates, that sort of thing?"

"I see... well, ideally you won't have to see me do any fighting, if I'm doing my job right. Just small assistance from the backline, that sort of thing," Heather pointed out. "Yes, quirks... everyone seems to have some here. But then again, I suppose that's just how people are. I can't say we did that sort of business, though... more woodwork. There's plenty of that, I'm sure you can tell."

"Ha, yes, I can imagine there'd be plenty of woodwork in Ward." He frowned, glancing over at where Maja was holding an intricately carved wooden spear shaft, thinking back to his parents... The final lance she made... Shaking his head, trying to focus on the present, he turned back to Heather with a smile. "So, you and your brothers, huh? Tell me about them. I never had any siblings so I don't know what it's like really."

"It's one of the most populous jobs in the city. Still, there's a lot of variety- we have so much wood that most of the businesses can have entirely different specializations. For us, we dealt with a lot of bows, so you can imagine where I picked up my taste for archery. Personally, I was more on the retail side of it, and sometimes acted as a guard," the woman explained. "As for my brothers... one is older, and then I have three younger ones as well. They did more of the work with the projects themselves. I used to get along with them mostly alright, but... my father passed away not long ago, and he seemed to take their better judgement with him. So that's when I left Ward to search for a new opportunity." She shrugged as if accepting of the fact. "What about you? How are your family matters?"

Trist had been nodding along, holding back his comments until the end of her story, but at her question, he froze. He stared at the ground for a few long seconds before quietly saying, "They're... dead. Only ever had my mom and my dad and bandits... They saved me, sent me off on Amira here. But they didn't..." He shook his head. He continued staring at the ground, his hands curling into fists without him even realizing it.

Heather nodded understandingly, glancing at the ground along with Trist as well. "I'm sorry," she spoke after a few moments. "That must have been very hard on you... I didn't mean to bring up such a difficult subject." She pat him on the shoulder gently after halting herself for a moment, unsure if it would actually be effective in helping him in the moment.

Trist flinched away from the hand at first, but quickly settled back. "Sorry, just...bad memories. It's not your fault. I'm the one who brought up families in the first place." He sighed, clenching and unclenching his hands for a few seconds. "We were traveling towards Bau Berg. My mother was a weapon maker. She would enchant them, similar to Maja's lance.... Very similar..." He shook his head. "We were going to sell them there, but... Well, anyways, I made my way there. Lived on the streets for a few years before one of the local metal workers took me in as a helper. Carted metal and scrap and junk around for a couple of years. Once I was old enough, I started traveling to other cities, selling the work he did, and finding new places to sell, that sort of thing. He was sort of like a father to me but... Nothing can really replace the real thing." He shrugged, not having anything else to say at that point.

"Mm, still. It doesn't feel nice bringing that up accidentally." Heather gave a bitter smile. "Maja's lance? I haven't seen it in detail... regardless, I'm sorry to hear something like that befell them. At least you had someone to watch over you. How long did you work with him?"

"No, it's fine." Her question got him to look up and scratch his head. "Well, I ended up in Bau Berg when I was 13... met him 2 years later... so like 8 years? Been riding to places for the past 3 years though, so haven't spent a whole lot of time in Bau Berg. Hope he doesn't mind me leaving like this, heh. I guess it'll let him do for someone else what he did for me. That'd be nice."

"I see... I've only been to Bau Berg a few times, and Felson even less. They aren't really for me, I think. Ward is quieter, while still maintaining a good amount of activity. Traveling doesn't really suit me much, but I suppose it is necessary for a job like this one. We'll see how long it lasts."

Trist nodded. "Traveling isn't for everyone, but I've always enjoyed it. Hopefully as you spend time with us you'll get more used to it." He smiled at her and then glanced over at the rest of the group. "Looks like it's time to eat. We should probably go join the rest of them." Stretching, he headed over to the fire that had been started while they talked, figuring she'd follow behind him.

"We can only hope," Heather agreed. She walked slightly behind the other elf as the smell of food reached her. "Well, one thing's for sure is the meals don't disappoint. Maybe I can get used to this sort of thing after all..."

As the situation in the wagon became, well, awkward to continue to watch, Trist made eye contact with Maja and kinda smirked. Making a slight eye rolling gesture at the Makin and Raith, he headed away from the wagon, and over towards where the fire was starting to be made. Smiling at Meredith, he asked the rest of them generally, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Edited April 22, 2015 by scorri

[Xinnidy]

"Hmm. A good point. Well, if they were successful the first time they scouted the castle, then they shouldn't have reason to send us there again --assuming that is what they did, of course." The enigma just kept getting more intriguing. "But what if they did not?" Kadin spouted out his hypothesis. "This is all conjecture, but... in the case they did infiltrate the castle, maybe they actually found opposition. Perhaps their unit was not prepared for what they had to meet..." That was an unnerving thought. To assume some sort of threat awaited inside the castle's walls. It was always a possibility before, but the assumptions leading to it just added a touch more reality.

"Or, maybe, they were just low on supplies and would have starved out in the tundra if they did not return the time they did. You cannot just explore a castle in one day." There it was, another possibility. A far less grim one. "Well, there will be only one way for us to be sure."

Edited April 22, 2015 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

Very, Very Much

"Huh?" Makin questioned, as suddenly there were no more lips there. It took her a moment to realize what had happened, causing her to pout. "Heyyyyy. What gives?" It seemed there was a Maja to answer before she could pester him further, so she tilted her head over and thought about it. Her ahem was really cute. "If I really have to, I'll get out of the wagon, but I probably won't enjoy it. As long as I get to move around when I do, the adrenaline should keep me going, but I'm hoping we get to the castle soon." Had Makin ever actually felt snow under her tail? She couldn't think of a single time she had. What was snow even like? Was it cold? Was it wet? She hoped it wasn't wet...

But! More pressing matters! Snow could wait, she had to know what was up with the tomato she was resting against. "What was that for? I was enjoying that, and you got cold feet and jerked away. What's up?" She looked almost hurt, almost, but there was a playful grin creeping onto her face as she questioned him. She slowly squeezed him tighter, leaving little room to move. "Just one kiss, Raith--"

A scream shot through the air. A scream, like no human, monster, or elf could produce. It came from the bridge. Makin froze immediately, huddling against Raith on instinct, so terrifying was the noise.

"Wh... What was that...?" She shivered. "I... I think we should get going across that bridge, sooner than later. Isabelle!" She quickly called over to the driver of this wagon and uncoiled herself from Raith. "E-Everyone, we're moving!" Whatever that was, if they had to face it, she wanted to face it quick, before anything else could show up. I knew there was going to be some sort of hitch...

Bothered

"I'm sure you'll figure it out one day. And yes, I am bothered, thank you. Otherwise I wouldn't want this darn fire started so soon." Speaking of fires, Ken had finally set it up, giving Isabelle the time to finally smile and sit herself next to it, warming up her hands. "Sorry Tristram, you missed all the fun. Fire's ready. Feel free to come and warm yourself up~ Oh, and Ken. She said she hopes you die--" she was about to answer Ken, not caring for tact, when the scream happened. She shivered, and started out towards the bridge, eyes wider than they'd ever been. What? And just as quickly, she was called over to the wagon. They had just gotten the fire going, but Isabelle wasn't about to argue about that sound. She rushed over to the wagon and started getting the horses ready.

Alicia wasn't either. While she wanted to try and play parent to whatever was happening with Ken and the mage, she had to be around the wagon to get a hold of her weapons. Alright... Alright, that, that wasn't normal, but you signed up for this, and you're going to do your darnedest to keep that wagon safe. She quickly followed suit, and got her axe ready.

Convincing

Vriska finally sighed. "Fine... I suppose if I try, and he doesn't, then I'm in the right. I can live with that. Sure, Valha. If you even can read," she shot over with a smirk. "I'll try to talk to him after we cross the brid--" that scream was silencing everything, and it definitely silenced Vriska, hopping back into the wagon and into Lanos' arms. She wasn't even going to ask about what that was.

And neither was Ingverd, who ended up holding Valha tighter. "I... I don't think I know what that is. I don't think I want to stick around to find out. Valha, time to stay awake." He slid her off his lap as gently as he could, and got his swords ready, for whatever that had been. He didn't want to find out soon, but he had a feeling they would.

Edited April 22, 2015 by I have opinions

[scorri]

Tristram froze as he heard the scream, visions of those monsters floating through his head again. "No... I could have sworn that was fake. What if..." He shuddered. "Guys, I uh... If that's what I'm afraid it is, there are monsters up ahead. And not anything I suspect people have seen before..." He nudged Amira into a quick trot, hoping to scout out the bridge a bit before everyone else got there.

[Sandalphon]

Well shit, Vesta thought, that thing doesn't sound very pleasant. On the odd chance that whatever makes that noise makes it over here, I just hope it eats my eyeballs last. I kinda like those.

"uh, y'all better hold onto your butts..." She called to nobody in particular as she wrapped her hand tightly around Mr.Choppy's handle, "Whatever the flyin' heck that thing is, I'll bet my bottom that it ain't friendly."

[Vestige]

"What do you mean, 'what gives'? Gods, when did you start becoming so bold?" he muttered, rolling his eyes. Maja had every right to be annoyed with the pair, though she carried on with the conversation as if nothing had transpired. "You could have picked a better time y'know," he sighed. "I'm not going anywhere particularly fast. I'm sure you can wait," he said, matter of factly. Cold feet? I don't have cold feet. I just don't want to be kissing my boss, with the entire company getting a free show. The commander would kill me if he found out I was doing stuff like this. Time and a place... and all that. Enough time had elapsed since the "attack" that he managed to regain his composure, and most of his wit. "Besides, I wouldn't want Maja to start feeling jealous or anything," he grinned.

As he spoke the words, the color seemed to drain from Makin's face. And for a moment, Raith wondered if he'd said something completely outlandish. It was just a joke... But he finally began to register the cause of such alarm, and the grin he had be wearing, was wiped clean. As the echoes began to die off, a second roar erupted in the air--this one, much more familiar to his ear. He couldn't tell what it meant, but it seemed like Ophelia was making her own declaration of war to the creature. He just hoped she hadn't attracted more of... whatever it was they could be dealing with. Still, a sense of pride washed over him. Ophelia was not one to be tamed quite so easily, by man or by beast. Without delay, he could hear Ophelia descending from the sky. The timing was impeccable, quite frankly. Had she seen the creature herself?

"Right, well, I suppose I'd best be off. My ride's here anyhow. I'll let you guys know if I spot anything. Just be careful, okay? I don't know what manner of beast that was, but it would be best to tread with caution," he said to Makin, offering a nod to Maja as well. He picked himself up off the floor, and exited the wagon, bringing along his supplies as he went to go saddle up. Without missing a beat, Ophelia took off, claiming her rightful space in the sky. This was the most excitement she'd seen all day--all week even. The sooner they got moving, the sooner she'd be able to tear into some flesh.

[Xinnidy]

"Well, better for you to keep to the wagon then, boss. It kinda feels like snow is just going to make your tail feel awful." And just as quickly, Makin was giving all her attention to Raith again. That didn't bother her one bit, did it? Before Maja could even sigh in response, Raith threw a witty comment at her, there was no mercy from those two. "Jealous?! I'm not--" Before Maja could complete the sentence, the echoing screech overtook the wagon.

Maja turned around, looking to the horizon in an attempt to see something, anything that could be the source of that scream. What... what was that? Nodding to both Makin and Raith, Maja picked up her weapons and staves, making her way out of the wagon. She didn't so much as know how to react to something so alien, her face just holding a serious expression.

------------------------------

Kadin flinched slightly at the scream, trading glances with Angus. "...Guess it will be the former." His tone not at all amused, he stood up from his position and made to the back of the wagon, outfitting himself with his lance and helmet before following the group outside.

[eclipse]

"What the. . ." Meredith had barely registered Trist's presence before he took off in the direction of the scream, looking none-to-well. "Uh, nice fire, Ken, but it looks like we won't be able to enjoy it," Meredith told Kendeall, sadness in her voice. "I'm gonna grab my weapons. I'd rather be overprepared than caught in some attack without my gear." With those words, Meredith made a mad dash towards her belongings, hastily grabbing everything that was pointy and good at skewering enemies. Next came her armor, followed by a quick look around.

"Let's go!"

[Oersted]

"H-Hey n-now..." was all Lanos said on her behavior. It surprised him just how much colder it was without the blankets but he was stiff from laying down for so long so he stood up and stretched. He struggled over what to say, not content with just echoing Valha and Ingverd, but before he could come up with anything the scream happened. "Wh-what the H-Hel was th-that?" He couldn't tell if he was stuttering because of the cold or because of the scream. Probably both.

He barely manged to catch Vriska as she literally jumped into his arms; she was even more scared than he was apparently. He realized the seriousness of the situation and did his best to put on a brave face and calm his nerves. "Hey, stay close to me out there. I'll keep you safe." After a bit he set her down so that he could grab his weapons and walked to where the other mercs were gathering.

[MRDRHAWK]

Kendeall grumbled, clearly pissed. Yeah, he was definitely not in the mood for this shit now. "For fuck's sake... Fuck this cold, man, I swear to fucking...!" Kendeall swore repeatedly as he hopped into the wagon, trying to grab his weapons. "God, my axe better not be fucking cold..." Kendeall grumbled some more, before he let out a big sneeze. "Guh... fuck! I hate this fucking cold!"

[algae]

Did that come from the bridge? We're going toward it? WhyarewedoingthisthisissuchabadideaWHY? The prospect of seeing monsters and other assorted things-that-should-not-exist was no longer (as) exciting, but that was okay because apparently the group was going to go toward whatever that scream originated from. Even in the context of exploring an ancient murder-castle, that seemed like a very, very bad idea. But if everyone else was going to go through with it... Maybe it will be less horrifying than it sounds, she thought, since apparently the part of her mind that was willing to entertain such an idea was also unaware that it was on par with 'what could possibly go wrong'.

[riariadne]

"Hey, what was that f-for?" Valha's eyes narrowed, irritated at Vriska cosnsistnely being rude while she attempted to be helpful. "You d-don't much chance to do that when you're b-busy fightin' for your life every day-"

A deafening screech split the air, Valha freezing in place (figuratively now as well as literally). "W-what's that? Are we g-gonna have to f-fight...?" She landed with some level of dignity, readying her sword that had been fixed up now and snarling. "Fine then, big shouty th-thing out there, if it's a fight y-you want, count me in!"

[Nanami Touko]

Forwards

Going towards the noise might not have been the best idea, but they had a job to do, and they wouldn't be able to get it done going backwards. "Good luck, Raith," Makin said to him with a rather feeble smile, not able to hide her worries over that noise. But the group moved on, and approached the bridge, the snow on the ground plainly visible as they came near. Makin slowly slunk off the wagon and felt the cold frozen water under her tail. It was the least pleasant feeling she had ever been privy to. Getting stabbed probably felt even slightly better than this. She couldn't just sit on the wagon, though, she had to lead the group! "Good l-luck, everyone! Stay on your t-toes!" So on she went, said group in tow, to face whatever awaited them.

Turn 1! Player Phase!

Turn 1/11!

Goal: Get to the highlighted area in 11 turns!

Sheet

[Oersted]

Don't see anything yet... The lack of anything in sight bothered Lanos, almost as much as the cold did. "I-I'm gonna fly up top, try t-to get a b-better view."

Lanos moves to 26,8 and prays not to be attacked looks around, ready to draw the Tulwar at a moment's notice. Also use charm.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Oersted

[scorri]

26-5

[Vestige]

Opting to take the coastal route, Raith moves to (25,12)

[Xinnidy]

"Are you sure it was a good idea to split up from the bigger group?" Kadin sighed.

"It'll be fine, Kadin. There's only so much space on the other side too, it's better if we don't slow down to a crawl due to space constrictions!" Maja reasoned, finger raised as if to emphasize her sharpness. Somehow. "Besides, Raith came here too, I followed him to make sure he wouldn't be alone."

"Raith has a mount and can fly to the other side as he pleases, Maja." Kadin replied in monotone. "The fliers should take the high ground, anyways. We would not be as constricted as you imagined." Sometimes, Maja's tendency to act on her quick judgments were... lackluster.

"B'aw, you're no fun today. We'll be fine!" She pointed to the others present. "We've got Sonia, Ferdinand, and even the boss! See? We're following the plan fine!" Snapping her fingers, Maja took the lead, only to immediately face a tricky pile of snow to walk on.

"Yeah, I wonder whom they might have followed." Kadin rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Just stay by my side, either me or Makin should lead."

Maja to 28,10, Kadin to 28,11.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Xinnidy

[algae]

Seems stable enough...

Sonia moves to 29,11 and contemplates the snow pile

Edited April 23, 2015 by algae

[eclipse]

Curious to see how Trist would handle himself in a fight, Meredith followed him.

Meredith to 27,5

[SB.]

With no enemies in sight, Angus begins to trudge through the snow towards the bridge. Hopefully they would meet the thing that caused the scream while he still had feeling in his fingers...

Angus moves to (25,5).

[eclipse]

"Huh? What's he doing?" Meredith muttered to herself, as she saw Angus trudge past her. "Hey Angus, aren't you supposed to be an archer? As in, not in front of everyone?" Cedric would never forgive her if Angus died on her watch!

[Bluedoom]

"Actually, it might be better if you two stick with Sonia. I'll need to keep up with Raith, because I doubt he's going to handle it well if he gets into trouble alone...if only traversing this terrain were easy!" he told Maja and Kadin.

Ferdinand moves to (29,12)

Edited April 23, 2015 by Bluedoom