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Abe Sargent · 08-13-2016, 10:26 PM

(Yes I sure do have KaiScreen)

Instinctively you crouch down and take cover amongst the nearby foliage. You also call upon your Kai camouflage and psychic skills to help mask your presence from the creature which is circling high above the trees. For several minutes you stare at the loathsome creature, not daring to move a muscle; then you see it fly away and you breathe a sigh of relief.

A chill night wind whistles through the trees and you shiver. But it is not the cold that is chilling your blood—it is the sudden fear that you may never see your homeland again

Dorst doubles the guard in case the Kraan should decide to return during the night. Then he and the others unpack their sleeping furs and settle down to a night’s rest beside the warmth of the campfire embers. For an hour you lie awake, staring uneasily at the sky, until fatigue finally overtakes you and you slip into a deep sleep.

You are woken at dawn by one of Dorst’s men who immediately hands you a steaming mug of Huas, a delicious Palmyrion beverage. You notice the others are in various states of waking and, as you sip your reviving drink, you watch Dorst shaving at the stream. After a while the Baroness emerges from her carriage. She appears as fresh as a spring flower, and together you breakfast before the camp is struck and you go your separate ways.
‘If ever you visit Lucia Province,’ she says, leaning from the open window of her carriage, ‘be sure to visit my estate in Gadorvo.’

‘I would be honoured, my lady,’ you reply, and wave to her until, at last, her carriage and riders disappear into the hills.

The weather is warmer than of late and you make good progress despite the poor condition of the road. An hour past midday, as you are crossing a treeless valley, you happen upon a young man praying at a wayside shrine. He is dressed in a guildsman’s tunic and cloak, and he appears to be unarmed.

(I stop)

The young man gets up off his knees and greets you with a friendly smile. He is unusually talkative for a guildsman and you soon learn that his name is Frello, and that he is a journeyman from the Silversmiths’ Guild of Vanamor. He has stopped here to offer up a prayer to Ishir to protect him from ‘bad strangers on the trail’. It appears that he was robbed yesterday by some Eldenorans on the road out of Vanamor. He offers to share half a loaf of bread with you, but you decline his generosity, thanking him nonetheless. You sense that it is all the food he has. Mindful of wasting time, you bid him good luck and then continue your journey east.

Beyond the valley lies an expanse of coarse and thorny vegetation which is alive with wild game. You stop to catch yourself an evening meal and then make camp beneath an old twisted oak (restore 3 ENDURANCE points). The night passes uneventfully and at first light you resume your ride east. Shortly before midday, you arrive at the ruins of an ancient church where a signpost, pointing to the east, says:

Vanamor—42 miles

You allow yourself a smile; with luck you could be inside the city walls by nightfall.

Later in the day you see a dust cloud approaching along the road. You magnify your vision and see a dozen armed horsemen clad in ragged uniforms of green and black. A sense of unease pervades your mind; these are the colours most often worn by Eldenoran soldiers. Trusting to your Kai instincts, you steer your horse off the trail and take cover among the trees of a nearby copse.

(I toss a 2)

As the riders approach, your initial suspicions are confirmed: these are unquestionably Eldenoran brigands. Their saddle-cloths bear their emblem and their steeds are laden with sacks and pouches that bulge with ill-gotten gains. You decide to remain hidden until they have passed by, but as they draw level with the copse, your horse suddenly shrieks and rises up on its hind legs. With shocked dismay you see that a harmless grass snake has coiled itself around your horse’s foreleg.

The cry of your frightened horse betrays your hiding place. The Eldenorans wheel away from the road and come charging towards the copse, their swords drawn in eager anticipation of yet another easy kill.

(I choose to fight)

Upon the bellowed command of their leader, the onrushing horsemen split into two groups. One group continues its charge towards you while the other slows to a halt to await the outcome. You sense that they are used to picking off lone travellers in this fashion; no sense expending the energy of twelve men when the job can be accomplished by six. But this time they have underestimated their enemy and it is a mistake you intend them to pay dearly for.

(I charge to keep them off balance rather than use a bow)

As the horsemen close in, unexpectedly you spur your steed straight at them in a bold countercharge. The move takes the leading pair of riders by surprise and, before they fully recover their battle-senses, you speed between them and lash out with a single scything sweep. Both riders crash to the ground—minus their heads.

Shocked by your sheer audacity, the brigand leader shouts a recall to the others. They wheel around in a wide arc and form up in a line behind him, cursing you vehemently for the death of their comrades. Then, with a vengeful yell, the brigand chief leads his gang of saddle-bandits in a charge that, he hopes, will leave you trampled into the ground.

As this wave of brigands comes thundering down upon you, the leader lunges at your head with his straight-bladed sword. It whistles by just inches from your scalp, but you do not allow him a second try. You twist in the saddle and strike like lightning, splitting his helmet and his skull with a single mighty blow. He falls before his men, yet they prove to be hardy rogues and they press home their attack regardless.

Eldenoran Brigands: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 41

(I toss 1, 1, and 8. They die, and I take 9)

You sheathe your bloodstained weapon and dismount in order to search the bodies of your slain foes. Your search is thorough and it uncovers the following items:

• 6 Swords
• 4 Axes
• Broadsword
• 2 Spears
• 260 Lune (equivalent to 65 Gold Crowns)
• 4 Backpacks
• 5 Daggers
• Enough food for 12 Meals
• Rope
• Boar Whip
• Hammer
• Lantern
• Blanket
• Spyglass
• Silver Seal (Special Item)

If you choose to keep any of the above items, remember to record them in the appropriate sections.

(I take the Boar Whip as a weapon, fill my gold pouch with 50 crowns, I also grab a Blanket)

08-13-2016, 10:26 PM	#498
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	(Yes I sure do have KaiScreen) Instinctively you crouch down and take cover amongst the nearby foliage. You also call upon your Kai camouflage and psychic skills to help mask your presence from the creature which is circling high above the trees. For several minutes you stare at the loathsome creature, not daring to move a muscle; then you see it fly away and you breathe a sigh of relief. A chill night wind whistles through the trees and you shiver. But it is not the cold that is chilling your blood—it is the sudden fear that you may never see your homeland again Dorst doubles the guard in case the Kraan should decide to return during the night. Then he and the others unpack their sleeping furs and settle down to a night’s rest beside the warmth of the campfire embers. For an hour you lie awake, staring uneasily at the sky, until fatigue finally overtakes you and you slip into a deep sleep. You are woken at dawn by one of Dorst’s men who immediately hands you a steaming mug of Huas, a delicious Palmyrion beverage. You notice the others are in various states of waking and, as you sip your reviving drink, you watch Dorst shaving at the stream. After a while the Baroness emerges from her carriage. She appears as fresh as a spring flower, and together you breakfast before the camp is struck and you go your separate ways. ‘If ever you visit Lucia Province,’ she says, leaning from the open window of her carriage, ‘be sure to visit my estate in Gadorvo.’ ‘I would be honoured, my lady,’ you reply, and wave to her until, at last, her carriage and riders disappear into the hills. The weather is warmer than of late and you make good progress despite the poor condition of the road. An hour past midday, as you are crossing a treeless valley, you happen upon a young man praying at a wayside shrine. He is dressed in a guildsman’s tunic and cloak, and he appears to be unarmed. (I stop) The young man gets up off his knees and greets you with a friendly smile. He is unusually talkative for a guildsman and you soon learn that his name is Frello, and that he is a journeyman from the Silversmiths’ Guild of Vanamor. He has stopped here to offer up a prayer to Ishir to protect him from ‘bad strangers on the trail’. It appears that he was robbed yesterday by some Eldenorans on the road out of Vanamor. He offers to share half a loaf of bread with you, but you decline his generosity, thanking him nonetheless. You sense that it is all the food he has. Mindful of wasting time, you bid him good luck and then continue your journey east. Beyond the valley lies an expanse of coarse and thorny vegetation which is alive with wild game. You stop to catch yourself an evening meal and then make camp beneath an old twisted oak (restore 3 ENDURANCE points). The night passes uneventfully and at first light you resume your ride east. Shortly before midday, you arrive at the ruins of an ancient church where a signpost, pointing to the east, says: Vanamor—42 miles You allow yourself a smile; with luck you could be inside the city walls by nightfall. Later in the day you see a dust cloud approaching along the road. You magnify your vision and see a dozen armed horsemen clad in ragged uniforms of green and black. A sense of unease pervades your mind; these are the colours most often worn by Eldenoran soldiers. Trusting to your Kai instincts, you steer your horse off the trail and take cover among the trees of a nearby copse. (I toss a 2) As the riders approach, your initial suspicions are confirmed: these are unquestionably Eldenoran brigands. Their saddle-cloths bear their emblem and their steeds are laden with sacks and pouches that bulge with ill-gotten gains. You decide to remain hidden until they have passed by, but as they draw level with the copse, your horse suddenly shrieks and rises up on its hind legs. With shocked dismay you see that a harmless grass snake has coiled itself around your horse’s foreleg. The cry of your frightened horse betrays your hiding place. The Eldenorans wheel away from the road and come charging towards the copse, their swords drawn in eager anticipation of yet another easy kill. (I choose to fight) Upon the bellowed command of their leader, the onrushing horsemen split into two groups. One group continues its charge towards you while the other slows to a halt to await the outcome. You sense that they are used to picking off lone travellers in this fashion; no sense expending the energy of twelve men when the job can be accomplished by six. But this time they have underestimated their enemy and it is a mistake you intend them to pay dearly for. (I charge to keep them off balance rather than use a bow) As the horsemen close in, unexpectedly you spur your steed straight at them in a bold countercharge. The move takes the leading pair of riders by surprise and, before they fully recover their battle-senses, you speed between them and lash out with a single scything sweep. Both riders crash to the ground—minus their heads. Shocked by your sheer audacity, the brigand leader shouts a recall to the others. They wheel around in a wide arc and form up in a line behind him, cursing you vehemently for the death of their comrades. Then, with a vengeful yell, the brigand chief leads his gang of saddle-bandits in a charge that, he hopes, will leave you trampled into the ground. As this wave of brigands comes thundering down upon you, the leader lunges at your head with his straight-bladed sword. It whistles by just inches from your scalp, but you do not allow him a second try. You twist in the saddle and strike like lightning, splitting his helmet and his skull with a single mighty blow. He falls before his men, yet they prove to be hardy rogues and they press home their attack regardless. Eldenoran Brigands: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 41 (I toss 1, 1, and 8. They die, and I take 9) You sheathe your bloodstained weapon and dismount in order to search the bodies of your slain foes. Your search is thorough and it uncovers the following items: • 6 Swords • 4 Axes • Broadsword • 2 Spears • 260 Lune (equivalent to 65 Gold Crowns) • 4 Backpacks • 5 Daggers • Enough food for 12 Meals • Rope • Boar Whip • Hammer • Lantern • Blanket • Spyglass • Silver Seal (Special Item) If you choose to keep any of the above items, remember to record them in the appropriate sections. (I take the Boar Whip as a weapon, fill my gold pouch with 50 crowns, I also grab a Blanket) __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent Last edited by Abe Sargent : 08-14-2016 at 08:12 AM.