PlanetADnD.com

The mood around the room is fairly cheerful. The clientele of the place consists of a few strangers but mostly local residents, evident by their bearing and behavior more than anything else. These men are former soldiers, and old habits die hard from their posture at the table to the way they break small pieces off their bread before eating it.

Most of the tables are occupied by families, but there are also groups of single men sitting together. It is noteworthy that the groups of men all appear to be of similar age. Liri puzzles over that for a moment, then remembers the induction policy for human legionnaires: men are inducted at their sixteenth birthday, and each particular century usually consists of men who had come through infantry training together. So each group are likely veterans of a particular conturbina.

The conversations are light, for the most part. Men are talking about work, or about the boxing match two nights before, or the dog races to come. Nowhere does Liri hear anything out of the ordinary, although some of the younger men in the tent, men without families, are talking about the rumors from last night – how a corpse walked and killed a man. So far none of them have made the connection that Liri’s group was involved, but that is fairly certain to come up eventually, there not being very many strangers in town tonight.

========================================

(Put this and my reply in my last post....)
“I can certainly arrange for accommodations, Gallius. Your pay, however, may be a bit delayed. The majority of my traveling money was in a small chest, which was secured to the wagon bed. I am sure I don’t have to tell you what became of it.
“But rest assured, you will be reimbursed for your service upon reaching our destination.”


[OOC] Might be a bit of a time warp here. If Jen wants to continue Angel’s conversation with Fraso, Eldon’s arrival must wait a bit. Otherwise…[/OOC]

Eldon approaches Fraso, who is busy picking broken crumbs of bread off his plate. When Eldon reaches the table, Fraso looks up towards his bodyguards. Angel gives him a slight nod but otherwise says nothing.

“You are the one that Gallius mentioned, I take it? The viatori? You are surely welcome among our party. And I should like to ask you some questions, if I may. I expect Gallius has mentioned that my interests lie in the study of the dead, yes? Well, I confess myself curious as to how a people with no gods view the afterlife. Is there an….”
Fraso is still talking, Eldon knows this, but that stain on the tent wall looks familiar. Like a footprint from an elk. Slightly misshapen, perhaps, but elk-like nonetheless. Perhaps an elk which was dragging a hind leg, from some injury. There are still wolves hereabout. Coyotes, too. Not that a coyote could take down an elk.

Could a coyote take down an elk?

"Gallius?" He asks, a little confused, was Angel this Mercs real name? Interesting. "Yea, thats me my Lord." Eldon responds, his mind was wandering, damnit, all he wanted was to get out of this place, and now he was thinking of Elks.

"I have been raised as Viatori, their beliefs are mine. The Gods are nothing, they don't owe us anything, and we don't owe them anything in return.. ." He speaks, trying to drag his mind from where it was wandering off to. "Way I see it, we die, we might leave a memory my Lord, but it fades."

Laughing off the serious tone he sits himself down right next to Angel, "Who wants a drink?" He grins.

"The spirits live on, even in the hearts and minds of those that saw them fall..." Angel muses.

Fraso continues to speak to Eldon: "I beg to differ, sir. I doubt that the souls of your people simply fade. There is always some aspect that remains when a being ceases its metabolic processes, else there would be no non-corporeal post-living individuals roaming the world. Extensive studies..." the rest of his words are lost, as Eldon begins to examine the stains on the wooden table. There seems to be a pattern there, in the food stains and sweat rings from months or years of tankards. He tries in vain to follow it, finding himself instead recalling a pattern for a rope net he had learned as a child, one that could be used to hang supplies in or on a wagon.
He realizes he's been drifting when someone nudges his elbow. The effect is disconcerting - like when you lean your chair back on two legs, go too far, and almost topple over, but regain your balance at the last instant.

=========================================

Liri manages to catch the eye of several groups of the younger veterans. One of them motions her over with a tilt of his head and a welcoming smile. His companions have shifted positions to leave an open space in the middle of one of the benches at their table.

Liri hesitates for a moment when she notices the young men welcoming her into their midst. After a few thoughts, she decides that there would probably be little else to learn by talking to them, so she shakes her head at them with a friendly smile and returns to her seat beside Angel. Her little tour had reassured her that the strange distractions were, like before, tied to Master Fraso. "Let us retire as soon as you can" she whispers into Angel's ear as she sits down.

"Uhhh, errr.. Forgive me my Lord, you believe what you want to believe." Looking utterly confused he winks at Angel, well someone was going to have a nice night it seemed.

"I had planned to." Angel whispers back, "Master Fraso, I am tired, so many days on the road constantly alert.. It drains you." Trying to ignore the conversation currently going on she gives Bastian and Elias a smile, before tapping Eldon on the Shoulder.

"I will place a room on your tab My Lord, Liri, you are welcome to share." She smirks, "Eldon, do not let him confuse you too much... Hiric, I assume Salia will be sharing with you?"

Confuse him? This guy was messing him up, he needed a drink, and fast.

Bastian simply observes the conversations going on back and forth between all his companions. Between mouthfulls of food, he leans over slightly to Salia and and says, "Strange group of individuals we seem to attract, no?"

"You must be the God Botherer?" Eldon says with a light hearted grim towards Bastian.

Angel sniggers slightly at the comment.

Salia smiles at Bastian's comment, and at Eldon's response. "We used to see viatori in the marketplace, sometimes. They were interesting, but Mama would never let me talk to them, or play with their children. She said they would steal me away.
"The ladies were so beautiful. I liked to pretend I was one, when I was little."

"It is doubtful they would have 'stolen' anyone, even a pretty little thing like you." Eldon says with a wink, "We, well they are are a quiet people really, they don't bother anyone, and expect the same in the return."

"The women are very attractive, in a exotic kind of way, much different to say your friend Liri here. Oh and they could teach a boy things." He winks again, his eyes directly on Angel this time.

"Smooth talker.." Angel mutters under her breath, he'd fit in well.

"I stayed with one of your Caravans for the night, the people were friendly, helpful, the women were indeed attractive." She adds, still standing.

"Well, some would call me that. Time in the Legions made me philosophical and it seemed like a logical choice when I was discharged." Bastian looks to Angel when the comment about "learning" and gives her a half hidden smile that says "Hehehehehe. I know how uncomfortable that makes you!"

A thought occurs to Bastian and he rises. I'm going to go get the next round of drinks. He looks at their new companion and asks, "What was it you are drinking?"