Game. On the Road in Thaemor.

[tibbius]

The first day out from Auspar goes at a crawl. After a promising daybreak (clear and cool) the weather takes a turn colder and wetter. By what you guess is mid-day, according to the ancient digital watch on Janks' wrist anyway, a bitter and stinging rain pelts your bare faces and other exposed skin. Your clothes are wet and cold. The crawler lurches and splashes along the potholed road, which is equal amounts of pavement and water.

You haven't seen any other travelers, but that changes in the middle of the afternoon when two people approach on lizard-back from the opposite direction. The sinuous movements of their mounts cause them to bob disconcertingly, in a way that seems certain to induce vomit, but they seem unfazed.

The larger one raises a gloved hand to the brow of a glass-visored helmet. Their pristine white riding jackets and helmets mark them as Angulan Knights, though they clearly haven't yet earned the privilege of riding xi-drakes.

"Good day!" the larger knight proclaims, as if by force of voice and will the sky will clear. "We ride to Auspar. Do you come from there?"

[cybersavant]

Randar "We do. And from where do you come?"

[shaidar]

Hopkirk keeps a pleasant look on his face, and is quite happy for Randar to do the talking.

[tibbius]

"We are returning to Ledos from the Clock," the big knight answers proudly. His companion sits quietly, keeping their riding lizard in check with twitches of the reins. "What is the news from Auspar?"

[cybersavant]

Randar "We were only there overnight, so i have no news for you.".

[tibbius]

"Ah well," answers the knight. "Watch out for margr on the road ahead. They are roaming down from the Black Riage! Good day to you!"
Unless you dally further, the knights press on toward Auspar, leaving you to pursue the road toward the Empty Sanctum.

[shaidar]

Hopkirk nods politely at the Knights.

"Thank you for the warning. Safe travels to you."

I'm happy to keep moving.

[tibbius]

The rain dwindles away to cold dry air near twilight. The distant slopes of the Black Riage glow red in the fading sunlight, beneath the eastward-moving clouds. The sky above is brilliant purple.

You have passed a few villages on the road but none is nearby now. Do you press on, or try to make camp in the open?

[shaidar]

What is the terrain like? Is there any cover? Is it flat, in the twilight would we see any nearby fires?

[tibbius]

Like most of Thaemor, the land is basically flat with scattered groups of trees - sometimes several hundred trees huddle together - among muddy and mostly fallow fields. You can see chimney smoke rising against the backdrop of the Black Riage, probably several miles further along the road. There most likely is a village over there. You could drive the crawler into darkness and make it to the village in under an hour.

[cybersavant]

Randar "Let's press on, see if that smoke is a settlement. That would be safer than stopping out here."

[shaidar]

Hopkirk

"Agreed, it's worth the risk of travelling in the dark."

[tibbius]

Whoever is driving, roll WIT to find out how well you navigate the crawler by starlight. Let me know your expected and better results. Worse is that you drive off the road and get stuck; much worse is that you hit a pothole and damage the track of the crawler.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Janks says cheerfully.

[shaidar]

Hopkirk

Expected result: we reach the location in around hour
Better result: we reach the location within half an hour (and it's a friendly farm with a nice warn barn )

WIT: [1d8]=6 + [1d10]=8 = 14

[tibbius]

The sky fades purple to black. Distant stars gleam but give too little light to navigate with any assurance of safety.

Nevertheless you arrive after about half an hour at a farmers. Hard to assess it in the darkness but it has a pleasant smell of roast chicken and boiled vegetables and fresh baked bread. You park the crawler.

[cybersavant]

Randar "Should we venture to the house, or just make camp here?"

[shaidar]

Hopkirk

"We could approach them in a friendly way and see if we could sleep in the barn. That food smells good, a hot meal would be nice. We could offer to help them with some odd-jobs in return for a meal."

[tibbius]

Janks takes the lead and knocks on the door of the farmhouse. You notice there is a wreath of corn stalks above the door.

There is a faint sound of bustling movement on the other side of the door, then an anxious voice: "Who's there?"

"Traverlers," Janks answers with his usual cheery tone. "We parked our crawler here, wondering whether we could ... uh ... sleep in your barn tonight?"

A few moments pass. The door does not open. "Come to under the window to the right," the anxious voice answers.

[shaidar]

Hopkirk heads over and stands by the indicated window, doing his best to look friendly and non-threatening.

[cybersavant]

Randar moves within sight of the window, but stays back a bit.