Stygian Empire: Blackguards

Unaware of the threat outside, Weyland decided to be more friendly. He extended his hand towards the sole human member of the group, whom he was sitting next to. "It seems we shall be working together. I am known as Weyland. Would it be amiss to ask what you are known by?"

Having to resist the honed instinct to hide in the treeline with Shadow at the sight of horses, be they soldiers or easily jumped travelers, Devlin warned the others, speaking rather loudly to be heard over the noise of the horses, "Horsemen up ahead. Can't make out any details yet so I don't know what they are yet. Be on your guard."

Mirana walked next to Al, who trotted along down the road. The coachman seemed to be pushing his horses to let them get ahead of Al, despite being tethered to a full carriage. But it was a journey, not a race.

She tried to think of a witty comment she could say for when the horses passed out, and kept an eye on the road and the surroundings.

"Colm," He said, "I'm a from a bit aways but it is a pleasure to meet you Weyland."

He bowed his head, only to hear another shout warning of horsemen, "It seems we're to meet some more company soon; as well, since it seems our carriage will be going no further."

edited 31st Jul '14 11:57:35 AM by Fauxlosophe

"So it seems," Weyland said. "Bandits would be the most probable threat, I suspect, although it could simply be other travelers. Still," he continued, removing his hammer from the loop in which it rested in his belt, and resting the weapon on his lap, "It would probably be wise to assume the worst."

Suddenly, a dark thought sprung into Weyland's mind. "I know not much of the ways of sorcery and magic, but a bitter thought has come to mind. Could it be that our prey has divined our intentions, and is sending out a force to reverse our positions of hunters and hunted?" The dwarf placed the question to the man he had been talking to, but also said it loudly enough so that the self-styled magi could hear as well. It seemed to be his area of expertise, after all.

Weyland's hand found itself clenched around his weapon, and from the folds of the cloak in which he hid his prosthetic, a faint rattling could be heard, the scrape of metal on metal. Weyland reflected to himself that idle patience had never been one of his strong suits, but that was all there was for him at the moment.

The coachman reined in the horses at the warning, "You seem like the type to know if they were bandits, dark elf!"

The horsemen drew back out of sight behind the hill as the coach stopped dead. Having been on the other side of many similar situations, to Devlin, they certainly seemed like bandits.

Mirana was still a ways back, though she thought she heard a warning.

"Possible," Colm said, "Though I'd wager first that our employer was after our heads. Still, bandits or even wary travellers who hope to avoid trouble themselves seems more likely."

edited 31st Jul '14 11:02:07 PM by Fauxlosophe

The horsemen retreating from sight certainly gave the feel that the group were raiders. He knew some groups preferred to use hills instead of his scheme of ambushing the travelers. Wary of drawing attention to the group and himself in case they were simply idle travelers. "I'll scout ahead to gauge their intentions. I'll shout for help if I need it." That said, Devlin directed Shadow for the treeline, before spurring him into a slow gallop, rather than the trot he'd been leading Shadow at before.

Mirana grumbled when she heard the annoying dark elf's voice in the distance mentioning something up ahead and about guarding. If those fools were getting robbed, whoever was doing it probably didn't know about her.

She patted Alistair on the head to communicate for him to pay attention and snap out of his trudging walk, and pulled him to the side of the path they were heading on.

They started to circle around their original path by heading into the shrubland before heading forwards, getting behind the cover of trees if any existed on the brushy terrain.

"Why would our employer want us dead?" Weyland asked, surprised. "We are doing his toil, are we not? Even if this is a ruse to get us killed, it would have been easier to kill us before we were aware of him, or when we were all gathered at the inn."

The dwarf shook his head. "This is not the time for such discussions. Wizard," he said, turning to the robed figure, "This would be your domain. Is it possible that we are being spied upon, and if so, can you determine if this is so?"

He turned to the window, trying to see some sign of the horsemen.

Vythlian looked up, his eyes heavy and dreary. He didn't sleep the previous night, instead arguing with the voices in his head. He had resisted their temptations yet again, but that would not stop them. He clutched the box containing his book, and he snapped out of his headache inducing trance.

Vythlian turned his head to face the carriage and shouted to the others, "if those riders are indeed foolish enough to attempt and attack us, we are more than equipped to handle them." His tone was snarky, as if it were a challenge to the other members of the party.

The coachman scowled at Vythlian, "Don't invite trouble."

Mirana advanced silently, almost invisible against the trees as she moved. Alistair attempted the same, though he was considerably less successful. Still, it didn't appear as though anyone had spotted them.

As Devlin crested the hill, he saw no sign of the horsemen among the brushy terrain on the other side. The vantage point he now had over the road was ideal for a brigand, he realized. He could see a good distance in either direction down the road as it wound around the hill below; perfect for picking targets to rob or watching for guard patrols, whereas from below, the curving, shrub-lined path gave little vision ahead.

Then he heard a sound from the trees back toward the road, like a predator advancing upon him through the foliage. Shadow nervously shook the reins.

edited 1st Aug '14 11:31:05 PM by StygianEmperor

Spear in his hand as soon as he heard the noise and Shadow was nervous, Devlin twisted Shadow round in a circle poised to defend himself in case of an attack.

Alistair noisily poked his horns through the shrub as Devlin turned, startling both him and his horse. Shadow reared back on his hind legs, clearly wanting to be nowhere near Mirana's huge beast. Mirana similarly jumped at the sudden whinnying, though she quickly recognized the horse and its rider.

edited 2nd Aug '14 10:52:59 AM by StygianEmperor

Mirana gave the dark elf a stare. "I heard shouting," she said. "I think you're heading the wrong direction for scouting, outsider."

"Oh, I think I'm pointing my spear in the right directions, half-breed. If these people really are brigands then where do you think the optimal position for doing just that is? If they are planning on attacking us, their either around here or across the path." Devlin answered curtly, glaring at Mirana, before directing Shadow around the near vicinty. If the horsemen weren't anywhere near, he would go deeper into the treeline.

Irritably, Alaeddin replied to the dwarf.

"No. Magic is not so convenient. Layman as you, one who wouldn't understand the Twelve Theories if it hit you upside the head, should well keep from presuming my -or the Sorceress'- method. Any magician in her workshop with half a grey matter to rub together would know to cloaks their scrying, such that the travelling" He spat that word contemptuously "Arcanist may find no purchase to their surveillance."

"Putting that aside, logical deductions would indicate that Saigar Blackmaw would have taken measures to ensue she know not of our approach- by the simple evidence that he was not a charred corpse on the side of the road for his transgressions against the Sorceress."

Taking a deep breath as his explanations winded down- his lecturing voice rusted in the same manner as the rest of him- he concluded. "In summation, likely highwaymen. Foolish people who mistook us for easy marks. If they do not think better of assailing us at the sight of the mongrel's mount, my art will settle them."

"Why do you think I was looking here, half-wit," Mirana replied. "And why do you think I came from this direction? Unless they have horses, they'll be up ahead to cut us off. And if they have horse, then there's a simple way of finding them."

"Alistair, find them," she said, patting the rhino on the head like she had before. It lifted its head up and took a few whiffs of the air, trying to find a direction to head.

As Devlin and Mirana argued upon the hill, four horses vaulted over the hedge on the other side of the coach, landing and circling around the vehicle in a practiced maneuver. The leather-clad riders atop them brandished sabers and spears, and one among them leveled a loaded crossbow at Vythlian.

"Stand and deliver!" she shouted, "Your guards will not be able to save your lives, so do the smart thing!"

Vythlian turned to face the one pointing a crossbow at him; his eyes flared and the fire grew larger. He raised his shield somewhat, bringing it up in case he needed to protect himself. "I am not this man's guard," he paused, "perhaps you should reconsider this arrangement?"

In exasperation, Alaeddin laid his palm on his face.

"The idiocy of men never ceases to amaze." With that, he reached inside his components pouch and took out a cloudy-colored pearl. Crushing it in offering to the lesser Jinn, Al-Khumul, he enlisted its service with a muttered incantation under his breath. A gesture, and the spirit will act.

Preparation complete, he threw open the coach door and challenged one of the Highwaymen.

"Do you have any idea who you're trying to rob?" He allowed the Beast inside to crept into his eyes, his gaze subtly glowing a bestial yellow. Barely perceptible to human in the morning light, but perhaps adversely effecting their mounts.

In the back of his mind, he wondered where their escorts- the Dark Elf and the Halfbreed, respectively- went. Did they turn tailed and ran, or turn coated and betrayed them, already?

"Or... they could be over there where you just were," Mirana said, pointing back where Devlin had come from. "Mighty fine tracking you did there. Al, hide, get ready, we have to fix this one's mistakes," she said as she pointed in a direction and patted the rhino, who trotted half in the direction of the carriages, and half deeper into the cover of the underbrush.

She turned back to Devlin and looked him in the eyes as she pulled out her bow. "So far there's no fighting. We're far enough away that they can't hear you, but when we get close we'll need to be quiet to get the jump on them. Are you capable of that much? If not, I'd suggest waiting before you charge in there headfirst, so as to provide an excellent distraction." With that, she started making her way along the opposite side of the road Alistair was on, hiding in the underbrush, and slowing down if she managed to get into audible range before the fighting started.

Giving Mirana a scathing look and hissing his disapproval of her, and meaner words besides, he followed Al, keeping his spear leveled at one of the highwaymen as he approached them through the undergrowth, although he didn't let it fly.

"Spear down, elf, if you want your masters to live!" one of the riders shouted at Devlin, "You don't think we saw you following us up that hill?"

The leader of the group kept her crossbow trained on Vythlian, though she clearly had trouble holding eye contact with him, "I don't give a shit what you are! Draw your sword and I put a bolt through that helmet!"

As Alaeddin stepped out, her horse took another step back as she spared a glance at him. "You'd best not be as poor as you look," she replied.

The brigand with the spear unsteadily held the point up to the Vizier's neck as his horse fought against him, "Looks to pass himself off as Tarulic nobility, this one."

The fourth rider knocked his saber against the opposite door, "Who else we got in there? What part of 'Stand and deliver' did you not hear!?" At this, the coachman fumbled for his purse, offering it to the nearest rider.

Mirana had no trouble avoiding their notice. Alistair was making a fair bit of noise, but he seemed to go unheard against the shouting.

edited 4th Aug '14 4:36:10 PM by StygianEmperor

Mirana positioned herself at the edge of the brush, and kept her bow and an arrow out. If things got hairy she would pull and fire on the bandit with the crossbow, but for now it seemed like a better proposition to wait for the right moment, as the others were probably positioning themselves as they spoke to the highwaymen. Plus, it would give Al and Devlin more time to get close

She was glad, she supposed, that the bandits didn't seem to have noticed that lumbering dimwitted beast making his way slowly and cautiously along the other side of the road and failing due to being ill-suited for the task, or the rhino either.

Until they did. Still, she hoped he would buy every some more time before he died.

edited 4th Aug '14 11:56:23 AM by nman