Borderlands II - This is the OLD game thread

[Stik]

[OOC] Thousand Yard Stare[/OOC]:

Although surprised by Angel's sudden outburst, Maughus continues to watch the perimeter. He does, however, move in slightly closer to the guardhouse.

Angel rushes back to the wagon, finding the others waiting there for her, although Elias has the presence of mind to remain in place and continue watching his sector.

There follows a frantic search for Fraso, with everyone involved expressing the same sort of "he was just here" sentiment, which lasts for all of about three second, after which time Fraso says: "What's going on? What's the fuss about?"
Fraso is standing next to the wagon next to a toppled camp stool upon which he had apparently been sitting. In his hand is a book, one of the few that he had refused to part with before setting out on this journey. This one has a heavy leather cover with metal hinges and locks on it, the locks roughly forged as if by a blacksmith, although they do have some of the blacksmith's art to them, the metal stock forming the shafts of the latch hasps having been meticulously twisted to a very uniform degree, each twist being the same distance from the one next to it for the entire length of the rod. Right-hand twists, too, much like a vine working its way up a tree. Why do they always do that - twist up in a right hand spiral? How does a plant know which way is right and which is left, anyway?

"Gallius, what is all the fuss about?" Fraso says, sternly. "What is it that you need?"

[Jenara]

Angel seems a little put out at the mention of her name, she was loosing her cool and she hated it.

"Frankly I am a simple Solider Sir, yet there is something wrong here, I feel it, someone is there, then they aren't." She scans the area nervously, "I don't like this."

[Stik]

"Perhaps you should hire a bodyguard," Fraso says. Angel does not know the man well enough to know whether his sarcasm is nasty or if he is just making a joke to lighten the mood. Probably a little of both. "In any case, we have the local experts on hand, that man that lord Culla sent along, and that elf that Cirin sent. We are a fairly large, armed party. And if there is someone out there, you'll simply send him into my area of expertise. That's what you're being paid for, isn't it?"

Angel listens to the nobleman speak, but at the same time she notices that there is a rather large caterpillar, about as long as her thumb, walking on the side of the wagon, a light brown one with black spots and long spiny hairs on its back, hairs that look like the brush she used to carry in her pack, until the handle broke and she was forced to buy a tortoise comb in that little nothing village. Tortoise comb, as if a tortoise needed a comb.




[OOC]Edited post to avoid confusion. The original post said "rather large caterpillar". The term "rather large" is also rather subjective. It was intended to mean "rather large for a caterpillar" which is about 2 or 3 inches long. Not big enough to be a threat by any means, unless someone should accidentally inhale it. [/OOC]

[Jenara]

"Understood Sir, Also I understand I am just looking out for you..." Seeing the caterpillar she adds: "Please step away from the wagon. Some local wildlife seems to have taken a shine to it." She steps back, hopefully moving Fraso with her.

This man was impossible, he was going to get himself killed, that was for certain,

[Tempest]

Elias nodes his head one direction, letting Liri know which way he's watching.

As Angel begins giving orders Elias becomes tense, keeping his eyes on the surroundings.

Not having detected what Angel saw, he asks.

"What was it? Which way?"

[Breila]

"I saw it, too." Liri calls loudly enough for all to hear. "When we rested, I saw a figure in a hooded cloak on the road behind us. I couldn't tell if it was man or woman, human or elf. When Bastian went to look, it hat vanished without a trace.

And unfortunately, Master Fraso, you are wrong. I am as much a stranger to this land as you are. I was sent because I am both an imperial messenger and an elf, to bring back the result of the investigation of the strange body to my people at Orr's Bay."

[Ismaels-Legacy]

Bastian looks confused for a moment, but finally decides to try something out. Looking to Salia he says, "Place the food to the side of the stove and follow me. I need to speak to a friend and I'm not allowed to let you out of my sight. Besides, something tells me that you and she will get along well!" Standing up Bastian offers his hand to the girl, but shrugs when she refuses it and stands on her own.

((OOC: My idea is to go to Gertrude [my mule] and casting Speak with Animals on her. I'd like to know if she's noticed anything a bit odd, herself.))

[Stik]

Salia is a bit hesitant to go anywhere alone with the priest. On the one hand, they have been traveling together for weeks. On the other, he has mentioned being sent out on the road due to some improper behavior with a young lady. In the end, she looks to her brother for judgement, and Hiric allows it, but stands nearby, watching.

Gertrude is right outside, and Bastian begins his spell. The mule pays close attention as he does so, and gives a little head-shake as the spell takes effect. "Carrots? Sweet feed?" she asks immediately.
Bastian gives her a carrot from his pouch, earning a happy sigh, then poses his question: has she seen anything odd?
Gertrude thinks for a moment, then says: "People are carrying a dead thing instead of leaving it behind. And this girl is putting people food on a fire in a barn full of shite."
"But earlier today?" It takes a while to explain to Gertrude what "earlier" means, animals not doing all that well with the idea of time or before and after.

Eventually she does mention that: "The strange man became very afraid. He has a small horse. He wants to mate with me, but I won't let him, even though I am coming into season."
"He WHAT?"
"Wants to mate with me."
"Who?"
"The little horse."
Relieved, Bastian presses the more important line of questioning. "What scared the little man?"
"He's scared always. But he got even more scared when we stopped."
Bastian continues to question the animal, getting very little more, other than a confirmation that something shook up Maughus quite badly during the day.

[Jenara]

Angel watches Bastian with Sallia, she liked him, but did she trust him? Hmmm.

"Master Fraso, something is wrong here, I don't know what its.. But he" She points to Maughus, "He is jumpy, and for man in his position that means only one thing.

(Ooc: Bit of ablibing here)

If Bastian comes over and explains what Gertrude told him, she frowns, then nods.
"We eat, we move." She announces, "Keep your eyes peeled."

Sitting down next to Salia she tries to help with the meal, maybe concentrating on something simple might help her nerves.
"Can I help?" She asks, pushing her sword out of her way.

[Breila]

Liri is scrutinizing the area before her, both with her eyes and ears.

1d100=75, hear noise, fail

[Stik]

The area around Liri is fairly mundane, exactly what one would expect for a temperate woodland a few miles inland from the sea. Scrub oak and pitch pine predominate, and the area supports a fairly strong population of birds and small mammals.
Although everyone is on edge, there is really nothing out of the ordinary here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If we try to move at night, it's going to be a real short trip," Papa pronounces. "Boy Wonder got the wagon stuck in the daylight. No offense. We try to move this thing in the dark and we'll be lucky to get a mile before we get stuck or break down.
"Look, if there's someone following us, we might as well meet them here, where we can see them coming and be ready for them, rather than out on the road.
"And if there is an ambush waiting for us on the road, I'd rather find it in daylight rather than blundering into it in the dark.
"Oh, wait, now I get it. You're thinking we can avoid an ambush by getting stuck, right? Now I get it. That's thing of pure genius." Were there a sarcasm detector nearby, it would be bouncing off the scale at this point.

Fraso's voice cuts through the silence that follows Papa's rather lengthy speech. "While I do not like your tone, Father, I agree with your advice." His voice is startling to everyone nearby - who was that!? Oh, it's Master Fraso. Forgot he was here in all the excitement.

Fraso turns his gaze on Angel next "What one thing is that, Gallius?" When he speaks to Angel, his voice is very reasonable, the kind of reasonable voice you use on children, large dogs, madmen and hostile drunks. Like the one that went after Papa in that tavern tent in Fort Garion. Local man. Muleskinner. Don't know why he thought he could drink with legionaires. Teamsters always getting into trouble, and how is he supposed to whistle at his mule train with a mouthful of broken teeth. Funny, that. "Gallius, are you listening?"

[Ismaels-Legacy]

Bastian returns to the fire and ponders to himself for a bit. After spending some time making faces to himself he stands up and looks to Salia and her brother. "Keep an eye on each other. I'm going to go take precautions to secure our unorthodox encampment." He looks to Salia directly and says "I just turned the bread and covered the loaves with fresh coals. When the coals turn black, rather than grey, it's time to remove the bread. I should be back before then, but if not, please take care of it for me." He smiles gently and walks purposefully from the ramshackle building.

He takes some moments to stare at the walls of the structure, walking around them several times. Finally he finds a rock suitable for marking the surface and starts to draw the symbol of his order and some briefly scribbled blessings. When complete, he presses his palm against the inscriptions and leans his forehead against the wall, chanting a prayer. ((Casting Bless))

Next, he finds Elias and unceremoniously sits next to him. Making sure that Mug-whatzit is out of earshot he whispers conspiratorially to the scout. "If you can get me access to Mug-wort's drink, I can make sure that, for a short time, he can speak nothing but the truth. This would be unconscionable were he not acting so strangely, but odd things have been happening today, and I don't believe Angel is at fault. She has proven to be rather stolid in her awareness, even when influenced by drink." He sits there waiting for Elias's reply, a twinkle of intensity in his gaze.

[Tempest]

Elias purses his lips and then nods. He smiles at the cleric.

"I'll see what I can do."

(OOC- Okay, I need to get a clear vision in my head. What exactly is our "other scout" doing now? And from where can we get drinks? What are the sources of water, wine ale, or whatever available about the camp?)

[Stik]

Thumbnail - click above for larger view

Sorry it's not exactly to scale - no graph paper handy at the moment.

The tower ruin is on the top of a low hill, with a clear view to the north.
To the south of the building is a broad flat plain covered with high grass and clumps of trees, mostly scrub oak and pitch pine, with an occasional maple thrown in at the edges.

The wagon and team, and your mounts, are wherever you want them to be outside the structure

Maughus is stationed near a stand of trees, occasionally sitting in the low spreading branches of a maple and sometimes walking from one group of trees to another.

There is a well in the guardhouse for water, but no bucket for drawing water. Hiric has made do with a bucket he had in the wagon, and is watering each mule separately.
If you were really desperate, another source of water would be the ice melt in the back of the wagon (mmm, mmm!)
There are also several canteens of water in the wagon, and a case with several bottles of wine and several of cider.

[Breila]

Liri sighs. Guard duty was always what she hated most, and her stomach began to rumble. She hoped the food would be ready soon, and that someone would bring her some. Bastian probably would, if only to show off his bread...