Blood Mage Apologist
Traveling was always an interesting experience. It might not be a fun one, but it was always interesting. Walking forwards, a man and his familiar were currently doing just that; the former was heading to see a friend in this distant land, and the latter was guarding a friend.
"You know that being so close to the badlands makes me nervous," his familiar growled, tail lashing. Visually resembling a black, wingless dragon straight out of a fairy tale, she was a fierce looking Dragonkin... although she might have been scarier if she wasn't the size of a large dog. Most people expected horse or house sized Dragonkin.
"Oh, it'll be fine," her bondmate said. But his words came out in a strange amalgamation of hisses and growls. "We're safe enough in numbers. And your frightful visage will no doubt give anyone who has ill-intent pause," he teased, which was met with an eye roll.
Strangely, they didn't seem to notice the other travelers, or at the very least weren't concerned by them.
Wooze looks at Glass with a 'please take her away' look
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Teuvatti sighed his stomach growled again. What? The ball didn't point him toward semi-mythical concepts like good work. Casually, he bid Rusas to alight, the overgrown frog all but dropping out the sky and sticking the landing after a couple hops and alot of dust.
"Well, we'll have an easy time hunting whatever didn't flee after that," Teuvatti was far too used to these landings to cough at the dust they kicked up on touchdown.
The Badlands? "Well," the traveler sighed, "this is what I get for wandering aimlessly." Then he spotted the other travelers and around a nicely made campfire. "Then again, this might mean hospitality." He patted Rusas happily.
Rusas croaked and readied to hop again when Teuvatti bid him to relax. "Excuse me?" the man inally acknowledged the people they''d almost landed on, waving and beaming as if he hadn't nearly flattened the dragonkin and his bonded or kicked dust in their faces. "Are you friends of theirs?" Teuvatti did not quite know whether to hope that they were or were not. This certainly was an icebreaker; though probably not the best way to slip into a caravan.
"Look, let's just get away before those soldiers return!" Monito insisted.
"Fine" Sea agreed, but he put the shell case in a pocket for later study. Then he continued along the road.
In the distance he could see odd pillars of stacked stones on the Badlands' side.
"What are those?"
"Shrines" Sea explained. "they were built to contain the Lesions."
"The what?"
"Ghosts" the young man explained, turning grim.
"What! You mean, those stories about the Badlands bring haunted- are TRUE!?"
"Well, the locals believe so."
"AHH! Now I REALLY don't want to be here! Let's run away!!"
The young Seeker laughed. "Calm down! Even if they were true, the Shrines bind the Lesions off the road. Do you think people would even travel by this here otherwise?"
The monkey said nothing, but was still on edge.
After a while, they spotted a campfire.
Since Seekers were universally offered food and lodge in exchange for their services, Sea said "We'll stop there, maybe they can share something to eat!"
"O-k!" the primate said, his mood improving.
He approached the camp, noticing at least two other Seekers present.
"Greetings! I am Sea Hunter The Traveler, of Fendair. This is Monito. Might we join you for conversation and food?"
The plains were a strange sight. On one side were rolling green hills. On another, arid wastes.
In the middle, a road winds its way. Today, a young man, bearing a wooden staff and carrying a monkey on his shoulders, strode upon it.
"Ugh, Badlands" the monkey said. "Must we walk so near to them, Sea?"
"Yes, Monito" the boy answered. "You know that Endrill is split by two Badlands. We either go between them or take the longer way around their perimeter."
"Feh. Just get into a town already. I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry" Sea laughed.
Suddenly he stopped, and stared at a spot near the road.
'What's up?" his familiar asked.
"Hmm... there was a camp near here. And recently. I can see campfire ashes and such."
"and?"
"This" he said, picking up a spent shell case. Using his high Wits, he identifies it: "its from a soldiers rifle".
"What would soldiers be doing in the middle of nowhere?"
"Good question..."
Players: you can have your Seekers meet Sea and Monito on the road.
edited 25th Apr '18 8:28:55 PM by Sijo