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Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 A Crone, A Marquis & Missing Medallion RPG - Page 161

Life is not something given for granted in Bumi. Every being, lest it be an animal, a monster, people or even a god, hangs from a thin spiderweb thread: his existence can be suppressed at any moment by the lightest gust of wind. The five mounds lined on the edge of the clearing remind you of your own frailness. While Tomas murmurs his last farewell to the souls of the dead workers, everybody observe in silence. After the small ceremony, the commoners start taking care of the two wounded workers: using the wooden bridge as an improvised and disproportionate stretcher, they lay the two men on the long and narrow catwalk and get ready to move back to the camp.

Ja'laron observes the preparations in silence, keeping his arms joined behind his back in a thoughtful fashion. When everything is ready, the group starts to move. The three thugs, helped by the two fugitive workers that were caught in the woods, slowly and with great effort enter the woods carrying the long and cumbersome litter. Not having found an agreement on who should go to bring word back to the ranch, the whole party set out to follow them. Krusten joins the group as well, when the sluggish procession passes near her, being careful not to reveal her friends' presence.
Anntreen, Ferrin and Jeaal follow from a distance. They soon realize that, with the bridge slowing down everybody, staying close to the main group will be an easy task. A couple of times Ferrin and Anntreen produce loud noises while moving through the thick vegetation but the sounds merge with those produced by the front group without causing any alarm.

After a tiring walk, the group comes to another clearing, way bigger than the one in which the workers set their improvised camp. It is immediately obvious that this clearing is not natural but it was created intentionally: several chopped trunks lay on the ground and the area is dotted with stumps and cut branches. A few feet from the woods border, several bedrolls have been scattered around a big campfire. The party is welcomed by a several commoners, similar in everything to the thugs that are now accompanying you. Krusten takes the time to count them: there are 9 people, two of them being the messengers departed from the worker's camp some time before the rest of the group.

If you ever thought that nothing bigger than a few town rats were involved in this story, what lays behind the Sorian commoners is enough to make you change your mind. A roughly circular trench encloses a large area in which you can see two large tents. One of them, is nothing more than a perimeter of poles covered by some thick fabric. Barely enough to provide shelter from the winter rain, so common in this period of the year. On the left and right of the enclosed area are two tall trees that haven't been cut. But what really catches your eyes is the other tent, a short distance from the improvised one. Is a proper military tent: all around its visible part, is the drawing of a crown of laurel in a blue and white shield. The symbol of Soria. The emblem of the Empire.

The commoners welcome your arrival in a deferential attitude, casually glancing now and then to the badge on Ja'laron's clothes. "We have been informed about what happened", says one of them, "You will want to talk to Berghost about it".

RPG Medallion Missing and Marquis Crone Dragons and Dungeons

Jeaal remains at the edge of the clearing, bow in hand. He watches the circumstance carefully, wary, stories of bandits drifting through his mind.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 A Crone, A Marquis & Missing Medallion RPG Archive Pathfinder / D&D

Carnosus just follows the group, he had given up on trying to find a moment to sit down. He looks around and cracks his stiff neck

Page 161 RPG Medallion Missing and Marquis Crone Dragons and Dungeons

Ferrin tries to feel if Alaric sensed any danger from this area before getting too close. Once they have arrived, he will mentally beckon his familiar to return to the safety of his cloak pocket.

RPG Medallion Missing and Marquis Crone Dragons and Dungeons

"Your badge is drawing much unwarranted attention," Tomas says to Ja'laron. "Are you sure you are allied with that symbol?"

Tomas withholds the fact that Kursten is carrying a brooch with the same symbol since he know Ja'laron is involved with guilds and fears it may go missing. However he confronts her about it, whispering, "See the pin he's wearing, maybe he can answer your question about the brooch from the illusion hut."

Then he suggests to the party getting into the military tent and straight out honestly telling the leader their mission.

Edited: iCon on 29th Apr, 2013 - 12:18pm

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 A Crone, A Marquis & Missing Medallion RPG

In Character: Krusten nods at the holy man and then looks at Ja'laron for an answer but she is not taking her awareness off of her surroundings. At some point she asks, "What now?"

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Crone Marquis & Missing Medallion RPG - Page 161

Mina looks around the camp noting the condition the men are living in. Then nods in agreement with Krustens query. Mina then adds to Thomas quietly, "What if this Berghost is not military?"

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Crone Marquis & Missing Medallion RPG D&D / Pathfinder Archive - Page 161

Ja'laron rises his shoulders and whispers, in answer: "Is not what you think it is. I never saw it before too".
The men put the wounded workers on the ground and sit, exhausted. One of the commoners starts waving his hand, looking at the area beyond the trench. You can't see anybody on the other side but the message must have been noticed by somebody because, after a few seconds, a man slowly approaches the border of the trench. Is a sturdy man, with a dark brown skin and a big scar running from his left temple until his chin. You can easily see the difference between him and the simple thugs that surround you. He wears a leather armor and good leather boots under thick, brown pants. But are not only his clothes that put him aside from the other men. This is clearly somebody used to get what he wants, in a way or another. He is walking slowly, in a martial way, a hard expression in his eyes. When he reaches the border he stops, crossing his arms on his chest and observing your group intently, one by one, without any apparent worry or any hurry.

After a long pause and a silence that seemed to last forever, the man finally speaks, talking to nobody in particular: "So? What can you tell me about the workers? They tried a rebellion or is just Albert causing problems again? I see everything is quiet now". Then, like if he forgot a minor detail, he adds in a casual way: "Oh, by the way, who are these people?". His eyes keep staying fixed on you, confirming that his lack of interest was just a way to give himself more importance. The Sorian commoners seem confused, maybe uncertain about who should communicate the news and which effect they could have on this hard man.