[IC] Into the Unknown

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus introduces himself and allows that he may have been overly suspicious. "I will enter the hut first," he murmurs to his companions, "but keep an eye out; I still have a bad feeling about this."

[Julius Sleazer]

Dwelling

Cadmus crouches down and opens the little door. Within, he sees a short ladder leading down into a dim scene---many items of various sorts are piled up within, and the only light is from scattered candles and a cookfire. A grey-haired woman with rheumy eyes is stirring a bubbling pot.

Many small passageways, likely requiring crawling or stooping to navigate, seem to branch off from the room that Cadmus can see. Blankets or strings of beads cover the entrance to most of these. The dwelling smells musty and sweet at the same time.

"Who's there?" calls out the old woman in a hesitant tone.

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

"Travelers from afar," answers Cadmus, "seeking shelter for the night."

[Julius Sleazer]

Old Woman by the Fire

"Oh, it is many hours yet before nightfall," says the old woman. "Come, though, and be welcome! Stay as long as you wish! Warm yourself by the fire! I have a piquant broth prepared which shall chase the chill out of your bones!"

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus proceeds into the dwelling.

[Julius Sleazer]

Dwelling

Cadmus descends down the ladder. While the earthen structure only seemed a few feet high before the door was opened, the young cleric can now see that the total height of this room must be ten feet, more or less. Shelves, nooks, and crannies are piled with blankets, articles of clothing, jars of preserves, bundles of dried herbs, and many more miscellaneous objects.

The old woman hands Cadmus a bronze bowl and dips a ladle into the pot which hangs over a low fire. She slops a greenish-clear liquid into the bowl. From up above, he can hear one of the oafish louts loudly asking when he will get some broth of his own.

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

"I could not eat before the others," says Cadmus, "I shall therefore wait until your kin have joined us."

[Julius Sleazer]

Dwelling

"Ah, I can see that you were well-raised," says the old woman.

The young woman and two of the young men soon clamber down the ladder. From what he can hear from above, it seems to Cadmus that the older man and the third young man are offering to rub the horses down and tie them to the goat-enclosure so that they do not wander off.

The two young men now in the dim chamber with Cadmus complain of the cold morning air and stiff joints. They seem eager indeed for some hot broth. The loon with the feather-adorned chapeau presents an odd sight in the dim, poorly ventilated chamber. The old woman prepares bowls of the broth for all now in the chamber.

[Wyzard]

Tacitus the Multiloquent

Tacitus explains to the patriarch that they are wandering men, who are currently being pursued for an offense which was totally fabricated, and thus not worth discussing. "We don't want to strain your food stores, but we need to lay low for a couple weeks. We'd be willing to pay you enough in coin to buy a new horse, and maybe do a few odd jobs, if you could put us up for a while. We're also in the adventuring business, and if there were aught in the way of haunted structures or cursed caves in the vicinity, we could probably do something about that."

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

Alfius accepts the help from his hosts, explaining that they know best where to keep the equines. He makes sure to appear diligent in caring for his mount, Faenerator, while discretely inquiring to the third young man whether the goatherd who brought them in was bethrothed or otherwise romantically engaged.

[MonsterMash]

Decimus Numerous

Decimus also takes time to get his horse settled down before descending, he also tries to unobtrusively observe their hosts and the land surrounding the habitation.

[Julius Sleazer]

Tacitus the Multiloquent

Tacitus explains to the patriarch that they are wandering men, who are currently being pursued for an offense which was totally fabricated, and thus not worth discussing. "We don't want to strain your food stores, but we need to lay low for a couple weeks. We'd be willing to pay you enough in coin to buy a new horse, and maybe do a few odd jobs, if you could put us up for a while. We're also in the adventuring business, and if there were aught in the way of haunted structures or cursed caves in the vicinity, we could probably do something about that."

Viator, Man of the House

"Well, we certainly could use another horse! Food stores shouldn't be a problem. We've got preserves hidden all sorts of places around here, and jerky too. As far as odd jobs...well, if you're handy with a bow or a sling, we could always use help hunting, I suppose."

"Don't know anything about haunted structures, but there might be some away southwest, along the river that comes down from the northeast of, ah, some town to the east of Pontes. My sire told me of it, but I can't recall the name."

"Cursed caves, now...I'd wager you could find some if you keep going north or northeast especially, hard by the Wicked City. Every now and then you see a drifter headed that way, sometimes with a mule and a pickax, maybe some sieves too. Looking for gold, right? Well, they never return. So, they're heading into the hills, and they never come back? I say something isn't right in those hills, especially as close as it is to all of those witches."

"As far as putting you up for a while, ah, well, I'd have to speak to my wife about it first. Might be imprudent to make a decision and leave her out of it. I'd be the one living with the consequences long after you boys were up and gone."

[Julius Sleazer]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

Alfius accepts the help from his hosts, explaining that they know best where to keep the equines. He makes sure to appear diligent in caring for his mount, Faenerator, while discretely inquiring to the third young man whether the goatherd who brought them in was bethrothed or otherwise romantically engaged.

Third Young Man

The loon seems unaware of the obvious implication of Alfius' question.

"Betrothed? Of course not! Who would she marry out here? That funny old peddler that comes around once a year? No eligible young men out here."

[Julius Sleazer]

Decimus Numerous

Decimus also takes time to get his horse settled down before descending, he also tries to unobtrusively observe their hosts and the land surrounding the habitation.

Decimus gets the impression that neither Viator or the young man with whom Alfius is conversing are particularly bright. Other than the weapons which he has already noticed, Decimus sees no obvious signs of further concealed weapons or mail-coats hidden under plain garb. Aside from the anomalous line of trees, and the dwelling and goat-enclosure, the land surrounding the habitation seems no different than that through which the adventurers have been passing.

A small plume of smoke wafts up through a hole cut in the low earthen mound of the dwelling-place. Decimus looks around in all cardinal directions to see if other smoke rises; the young mage finds no such signs. He also keeps his eyes peeled for circling carrion birds which might indicate the presence of a wounded or recently deceased man or animal. No such birds present themselves to his cautious eyes.

While no practiced tracker or truly reliable wilderness guide, Decimus grew up in the country and has a basic familiarity with identifying common tracks. The young man, in a hopefully unobtrusive manner, casts his eyes down upon the ground. He finds no sign of tracks other than those of humans and goats, with the exception of tracks made by the recently-arrived horses. Back home, Decimus knew some men with isolated farmsteads who kept packs of vicious dogs which could be set upon those who attempted to exploit the vulnerabilities of an isolated agriculturalist. Here, however, he sees no signs of tracks which might indicate either dogs or wolves.

Please let me know if there's anything specific for which you're looking which is not addressed in the post above.

[MonsterMash]

Decimus Numerous

Decimus makes his way down into the dwelling. "Tell me what is this wicked city that you speak of and what is so wicked about it?"

[Julius Sleazer]

Dwelling

Decimus makes his way down the ladder and takes a seat as the old woman offers him a bowl of broth.

"Wicked city!" she hisses. "Valeria, some call it! The witches and warlocks that dwell there are responsible for half the misery and three-quarters of the wars that plague the earth. They lurk in the shadows like grinning monsters, pulling strings. Nobles and princes, kings and queens, heads of merchant houses....all dance at the call of those cursed string-pullers, whether they know it or not."

"It was to escape such wickedness that my grandsire led us here," chimes in the young woman.

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus waits for the goatherd to drink the broth before tasting it.

I hope this is an okay post. I couldn't figure out a good way to phrase this without making it sound conditional.

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

After the horses have been cared for, Alfius asks the young man for his name (and his sister's name) and where the young man expects to find a wife of his own.

[Julius Sleazer]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus waits for the goatherd to drink the broth before tasting it.

I hope this is an okay post. I couldn't figure out a good way to phrase this without making it sound conditional.

Dwelling

The loon nearest Cadmus noisily slops up his broth. The female goatherd makes delicate motions with her spoon; the level of broth in her bowl slowly descends.

Haha, you're cool. Thanks! You know how much conditionals are a thing of mine.

[Julius Sleazer]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

After the horses have been cared for, Alfius asks the young man for his name (and his sister's name) and where the young man expects to find a wife of his own.

Loon

"I am Maurus. My sister is Selenia. As for your third question, sir, you touch upon a most delicate matter indeed. I must admit that it seems unlikely that any women would wander through this isolated area, and even more unlikely that any would then wish to settle here."

The lad's face takes on an expression of contemplative dejection.