Mossy Stone to Shanties, a mobile haunting - RPLOG
Participants
Date
23/4/478
Log
The wagon trundles down the road in the graying twilight. While most of the trip was pleasant, as the wagon draws close to Mossy stone, the clouds grow dark and ominous. Up ahead, the ruined gates of the city loom and a shrouded figure stands waiting beside a large cargo crate.
Angus is standing beside the figure, chatting with them as he hands over a large bag that jingles with coin. As the wagon arrives the fox is smirking, his little golem Mister lounging in the dirt beside him with their eyes focused directly through the broken gates in case of danger.
Arriving in the wagon, Thelergramor is in basilisk form again, clothed and such. He exits the wagon, a dark looking wooden staff in his hand as he drops out. He peers around, plague mask on his face and walks up to the shrouded figure. The basilisk isn't too concerned, really. He heads over to the figure and Angus, plants his staff firm against the ground. Proceeds to wait quietly.
Flinn Morteri, Fennec, hops out of the wagon, adjusting his black leather armor, nice and form fitting. Makes you wonder where he got it... He tightens his cuffs and grabs his black cane before walking up to Angus. Pistol, cane, sword... probably more up his sleeve. "Good day, Angus. Arrived, as promised," the Fennec says, leaning on his cane.
Cara walks in quietly from behind the wagon. She is wearing a dark cloak in order to stay warm from the rather long journey in following the wagon. They never told her that how they were going to get to Mossy Stone, but the wagon heading in this direction is too strange to be ignored. She walks over to the group currently assembled and smiles, "Good evening."
"We need to have words at your convenience," chimes a voice next to Angus, belonging to a short being dressed to the nines in a black tailcoat suit, complete with tophat and her smiling porcelain mask. Hands folded behind her back, she looks over the scene unfolding as beings slip out of the wagon. "It is important. It involves your new garden."
Natska blinks, then snorts, trying to fight back a snicker. The jaguar is rarely far from her fennec, and this close to Mossey Stone, she is still kitted out for heavy fighting. Her breastplate catches the evening's fading light, and the sword at her side is ready for use, although the grin that Cass' comment prompts is at odds with her otherwise serious posture.
"Pleasure doing business," the coweled figure says, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself before walking away toward the distant bandit encampment, leaving Angus to explain himself.
"Naturally." Came the foxes reply before he regards those who had come. Mister clicks as he sits up, regarding Natska and Cassidy before turning his attention back to the gates. "my garden? We can talk about...that next time we meet." He answers, having no idea what she was asking before he leans on his cane once more before giving a sigh. Many people, this was going to be intresting. "Good evening all, Flinn seems to have brought friends." Picking up his cane he rests it in the crook of his elbow as he walks over to the crate beside him, slapping it with a hand. "The task is simple. Just bring this crate to a friend of mine in Shanty town and you will be compensated, the only thing I ask is that you do not open it."
Thelergramor watches the cloaked on wander off, shrugs as he leaves... Doesn't think he knows him. The basilisk then turns his attention back to Angus and his crate. "Alright, shouldn't be difficult. Just move a box. Y'know I know a smuggler who would've been happy to handle that? Better off with us, though... Probably." He shrugs and moves towards the crate. Assuming noone stops him, he'd drop his staff, not too concerned for the dark wood, and try moving the crate. Assumes someone'll be helping him with that.
Flinn snorts. He'd been willing to do this alone, it's a simple retrieval, but apparently Thelergramor was required and Cara wanted to come along. Not sure about the other Fennec and the cat, though. His ears twitch and he peers at the crate. "Wasn't there something that needed to be retrieved from inside Mossy Stone, sir?" he asks. Hmmph, easier task than he'd expected. He peers at the crate, looking it over. "Shouldn't be a problem, assuming Alverriss doesn't make a mistake," he says, glaring at the Wolf before glancing inside Mossy Stone. He wouldn't mind exploring in there sometime...
Cara slowly begins to frown, "That sounds a little too easy." Then, she begins to remember the long trip through Silvervein Pass and the many, many monsters that came from it. Her smile is back again and she answers quietly, "I think I understand now." She looks at the size of the crate and her frown returns, "Hmm, this will be a problem." The feline turns back to the assembled group and asks, "Does anyone else want to help Thel with this? IF there aren't any takers, then I'll help him out."
"I suppose that can be done. Why did you bring everyone here just to take a box and move it back? Why not just use the wagon?" Cassidy shakes her head and looks towards Natska. "But yes, we'll talk about the garden later, Angus."
Natska frowns at Angus for a moment, leans forward to whisper something to the fox, and then apparantly thinks better of it. "Yes. It is important. Very, very important, Angus. Find us when you get back to Firmament."
The crate is quite heavy, a bit much for a single being. Fortunately, the driver, a heavy folk Crocodile is willing to help heft the thing into the wagon. As they load the crate, whatever is inside jostles about, making rather unpleasant thumps and bumps. You would thing they would secure whatever this cargo is better. Still, nothing sounds like it has broken. Easy money right? Just get the wagon back through the pass to an unnamed contact in Shanty town with out opening the box. No trouble at all. Though it IS starting to get dark out here.
Thelergramor could've done it alone! Maybe. If he had more time. As it is, he's grateful for the croc's help. "Thanks." He tells him, retrieves his discarded staff and clambers back into the wagon. "Alright, faster we get this back, the sooner we're done... Good to see you two, Cass, Natska." He says before leaning back in his seat. "And I won't be making any mistakes, Morteri. I'm a professional, I'll have you know."
Angus handwaves. "I did not expect this many people to appear, never the less this crate needs to be delivered. My contact will be waiting for you." His ears flick a bit as Mister walks over, the fox leaning down to pick up his golem before looking to Cassidy and Natska. "I apologize but I do need to get going to deal with a few things."
Flinn looks up at the sky and grumbles. "This is why I wanted to do it in the morning," he mutters, climbing up to sit behind to Crocodile and watch the road, occasionally looking behind or at the crate. He glance at Thelergramor and scowls. "I should hope so, or you'll have a long walk back to Firmament," he says, words clipped in his typical Cliffsider fashion. Time to be professional about this! Though this many people was obscenely unnecessary for a delivery... Back in Cliffside, ya did it in twos, not with five people... unless the cargo was valuable... The Fennec glances at the crate again. This Delivery might've just gotten more serious if that was the case....
Cara slowly begins to frown and she grits her teeth as it gets dark, "Okay, I'm starting to get very worried now." She turns back to everyone else around her and speaks, "Sweet, the package is on the cart." The tigress hops into the back of the wagon as well after seeing just how roomy it is in there, "Is it okay if I ride with you guys?"
Cassidy rolls her shoulders and shrugs. "Well then. Is that all?" She looks towards Natska. "Think you can manage a sustained flight? I don't feel like riding," she says, already kicking up a bit of air magic to lift into the air.
Natska frowns for a moment as she looks at the cart, then nods her head. "I suppose," she replies. The jaguar concentrates for a moment, then bursts into flames; she stretches her wings for a moment, and then the phoenix leaps into the sky to join Cassidy.
The cart trundles along in the darkening evening. There are no crickets or frogs to fill the twilight with their song so close to mossy stone, but as the single wagon caravan passes near the diverging path to the old griffon shrine, there is a distant sound of night birds and a lone frog calling out for a mate by the roadside.
It seems that something has come loose in the crate. There is an irregular thump from within the big box every now and then. Hopefully nothing breaks. Up ahead is the path to the bandit encampment. Hopefully no one is up for any petty larceny or highwaymanship tonight.
Thelergramor yawns a bit, unconcerned with the crate overall. He tells Cara: "Eh, should be room." And with that just rides along, plagu emask still on his face, staff held tight up against him. "So... Nice night..." A hand comes up to fidget with his mask, wipes condensation from the lenses and peers about... Looking over those around.
Flinn glances at the crate with every thump. His ears flicks and he listens carefully to it. "I think something broke," he says. Or it was a Zombie or some such. He taps the side of the box, trying to locate the broken piece. Or maybe it's a Zombie. And this is why you don't listen to people talk about Mossy Stone. You get paranoid. More paranoid than he usually is, anyway. He squints, brow furrowed. "Somewhere... maybe..."
Cara looks at the box for a second and brings her right hand to her staff, ready to draw it just in case. Then, she takes a deep breath and moves her hand away. "Everything should be good so long as we don't get attacked." After sticking her head out she looks up to find Natska and Cassidy, then smiles before looking back to Thel. "We should be good with their magic helping us out." She scowls as she notices Flinn tapping the box. She whispers, "Stop touching it!"
Cassidy keeps an eye on the pass from above as she darts above the wagon, a hand clutched to her hat. "It's still so strange seeing you as a phoenix," she says to Natska, grinning. "Though it makes me contemplate becoming a phoenix sometime. I bet it'd be awfully interesting! And then we could makes Bird of a Feather jokes," she comments as an aside.
Natska cuts back and forth across the cart's path, up in the sky, as she tries to not get too far ahead. She gives Cassidy a grin as she catches her comment, and makes a wobbly motion with her hand. "I don't know, hun. It would certainly be something hot. I wouldn't ash it of you unless you really wanted to, though."
As Flinn taps the side of the crate, his efforts are rewarded with a loud, returning THUD as something heavy crashes against the inside! The driver turns to look over his shoulder, concerned. "What are you lot doing back there?" he asks, "I'm gettin' paid to deliver a crate and a cart of mercs! Don't mess with the merchandise!" The croc turns back to his driving, the pack animals plodding quietly along.
A low moan comes from within the crate. Or maybe it was just the creaking of the cart. Or an owl. It really could have been anything.
Thelergramor sighs and shakes his head. "...Dammit, Angus. Alright, don't touch the crate. Leave it shut, stop touching it... We really don't want that to open if I'm right about what's inside."
The basilisk is slightly unsettled... For reasons pertaining to some... creepy shit he's hearing. Not obivous, given his mask hides his face well. He looks up to the croc: "Keep driving. Ignore us."
Flinn scrambles back, yelping sharply in surprise and blinking. "What the fuck?!" he says. He looks at the driver, then Alverriss, then the crate. "Oh, dammit, we're transporting a zombie, aren't we?" he asks, face deadpan. "What kind of Courtier tasks am I getting saddled with?" he mutters, rubbing his face and looking at the others.
Cara groans loadly as she hears the moaning, "Darn it!" The fit feline scowls as she realizes something immediately and she glares at Flinn then snarls, "I told you to stay away from that crate! Great, now we will get attacked for sure." She brings out her staff and keeps it ready to whack whatever might be in that crate, "If I see that fox again, he is definitely going to pay for this."
"Oh? Well, today is a day for jokes, isn't it?" Cassidy says with a snicker before nodding. "Well in that case, maybe when we finish this and get back to the mountains I'll speak to the ascetics. I've done plenty for them, so hopefully they won't fuss much about letting me near the dedication point-" She cuts off at the whispering and laughter. When someone was laughing in the dark that wasn't her, that was never a good sign.
All business now, Natska works her way in a slow spiral around the cart, then back to Cassidy's side. "Mmmmhm. Maybe tonight is going to get interesting after all," she muses. "Look sharp, Thel, Cara," she calls down.
It looks like the bandits are all tucked safely in bed tonight as the party passes the mountain encampment without any difficulty. Night has fallen in earnest and the driver stops for a moment to light a pair of lamps which he hangs on the front posts of the wagon before he whips the docile pack animals back into their plodding gait. They seem nervous, however, puffing and blowing as their ears swivel about almost non stop. A fine mist has started to rise from the ground as the wagon starts down into the silvervein pass.
There is another THUD from within the crate and a very definite moan, shortly after joined by a second. The crate seems solid though. Nothing to worry about.
Thelergramor rubs at his mask again, stays in his seat, noting only that there's some fog. "Iv'e got this, Natska!" He calls back, calming a bit despite the moan. "Bah, you call that a moan?" He shakes his head and chuckles, less concerned now as the laughing seems to be gone. He glances at Cara. "Want to watch that, threatening payback on the nobility is not a good idea in front of those who work for him." He shrugs, though, and yawns again. "You two worried?" Leans back, tries to get comfortable while they move on.
Flinn raises an eyebrow at Cara. "Excuse me? You didn't tell me anything," he says, scowling before looking back to the crate. "Is that a zombie? Why're we transporting a zombie?" He asks, looking to the two beings in the cart, then up at Natska and Cassidy, still scowling. After a while of looking at the others occasionally, and the animals' nervousness... "Honestly, why are you all so tens-" The sudden thumping and moaning causes Morteri to jump, then shiver, the Fennec pulling out a jacket and tugging on. "Dammit, something's not right," he mutters, squinting at the crate. He ignores Thelergramor's question, instead asking his own. "So. We appear to be transporting a zombie for Lord Angus Solacious. Not to mention we seem to be taking it to an unknown contact in /Shanty/ Town. Might I ask, again, /why/ we're doing such a thing?"
Cara takes a deep breath and speaks to Thel for a moment. "I'm sorry for getting so angry there and it won't happen again. It's just that I'm getting this annoying buzzing in my head. I have a faint idea who is whispering, but honestly I forgot the name." She continues to keep her staff ready at all times, just in case. "Honestly, whoever keeps sending these annoying messages is a real pest." As a new message comes to her again, she grits her teeth as she looks to Flinn, "I told you to stop touching the crate and it's happening again."
Cassidy nods at Natska and ducks out of the air down towards the cart, coming to a stop in front of it, a number of flickering embers sparking to life in the air around her. "Prepare yourselves. Something is coming." She adjusts her hat and tightens her white gloves, taking a soft breath as she runs over her magic in her mind.
Natska drops to the ground next to Cassidy, her wings tucking in behind herself as her fire reignites. She draws her sword, and takes up a defensive stance next to her fennec, eyes on the road ahead.
The sturdy little ponies pulling the cart suddenly shy away from something ahead in the thickening fog and the driver has to struggle to keep them under control. "The hell is wrong with you beasties?" he shouts at the ponies as he fights with the reigns.
The thumping and moaning from within the crate grow in volume and intensity. There can be no doubt that whatever is in the crate is not cook ware.
Suddenly there is a swirling in the mist and a hideous, skeletal form appears from the darkness, leaping forward and slashing at the driver with an enormous scythe that seems to be growing where a being's hands ought to be!
Thelergramor didn't need any more than the Captain telling him to prepare himself to... well, prepare himself. Thus, when the skeletal being came lunging at the driver, is ready with some air magic to send straight at the bony thing! "Driver, down!" He yells, getting up and, while the gesture is unneeded, pointing his staff to direct the air at the scythe wielding thing, hoping to interrupt it before crocman dies. Horribly.
He doesn't acknowledge the others around, having gotten all focused at Cass's warning.
Flinn rolls his eyes at Cara. "You said /no/ such thing, and I only tapped it /once/." His gaze hardens as he glares at Cara. "Maybe you should pay attention to the /zombie/ in the /crate/, that just happens to be in the same /cart/ as us," he growls, getting to his feet as Cassidy warns them, his grip tightening on his cane as he flexes his other hand, looking around, that scowling seeming to become a permanent fixture. As the skeleton lunges out of the mist, and as Thel throws some air magic at it, the fennec clenches his unoccupied hand and aims some fire at the skeleton! FennecFire!
Cara smiles a rather large grin as she tucks her staff away and aims a rather short range punch directly at the skeletal form. "Time for you to clam up!" She follows it up with a series of rather fast, yet surprisingly powerful punchs aimed at various parts of the skeleton's form.
Cassidy is ready when the skeletal form leaps forward, bringing forth a gust of wind to try to blast the bag of bones straight up into the air, where she'd try to slam it right back down with a reversed gust, if successful.
Natska remains on guard with Cassidy until the skeleton leaps forward. However, the sudden onslaught of magic encourages her to hold her place, at least for now. "Let the mages handle it, keep it back."
The driver, busy with his animals, did not even see the skeletal apparition lunge from the mists, but drops down at the shouting, narrowly avoiding a rather unfortunate shave. The skeletal apparition is blasted from three fronts with air and fire! By the time Cara arrives, she finds herself flailing at a form rapidly dissolving back into the mist from whence it came. There is no time to celebrate, though as two more of the monsters appear from opposite sides of the cart!
Grinning at the dissolved skeleton, Thelergramor turns towards one of the other approaching monsters, specifically the one on the right side. "Got more!" He calls out, then drops from the cart, points in the direction of it and attempts a 'fan of heat' in it's direction. All... magicky and such... Also doubts his basilisk abilities will help, so he doesn't attempt to 'petrify' the creatures.
Flinn scowls and turns to face one of the scything skeletons, scowling as he fires another blast. "Damn that fox," he mutters. "He had to have known this would happen..." The dark gray Fennec is now relatively grateful for the assistance... relatively, mind you.
Cara notices the dissolving apparition, and sighs, "Great, figures this happens to me." She turns around and notices one of the apparations next to Flinn. She proceeds to bring out her sabre and tries to slice the skeletal apparition from the top down.
Cassidy sets her attentions on another one of the skeletons and snaps her fingers, trying to create a nice little explosion inside one of its rib cages, trying to blow its midsection out entirely. "Bold, getting up close when mages are at play."
Natska turns to face the nearest skeletal horror, eyeying it; she shifts her weight, then dashes forward, flames gathering around her gauntlets before she throws herself into a heavy uppercut into the skeleton's mid-section.
Thelergramor's blast of heat forces the mists back, revealing one other skeletal monster deeper in the mists while rocking the one in front back from the cart. Flinn's blast of flame goes wide, crashing into the rock face of the pass. Cara's target seems solid enough this time as she wedges her sabre into the joint of its shoulder, severing one of its scythe arms and allowing Cassidy to finish it off with an explosion of heat that forces the fog back further. On the other side of the cart, Natska has engaged the second skeleton with a mighty strike, knocking its skeletal jaw from its skull.
The driver has regained the reigns and cracks them with a snap, sending the ponies galloping down the pass!
Thelergramor goes after the third skeleton, the dark magic in his staff lending it a shadowy glow as he charges at the creature. "Got a third one here!" The basilisk charges, pulling the staff back and spinning it once before leaping and swinging hard at his target.
And not aiming for the groin. It... probably doesn't have any particular weaknesses in the region.
Flinn swears as his shot goes wide, but has no time to fix his mistake as the driver whips and takes off, lurching off his feet and falling on the crate, mildly dazed from the jolt... until he realizes he's on the box with a zombie inside. Then he's pretty quick to back pedal and press against the wood of the cart, behind the driver. He wasn't planning on letting this croc leave behind perfectly good reinforcements. He clears his throat and speaks, using his Siren dedication to try and convince the the driver to stop and turn around. "What're you doing, sir? You forgot the others! They're the only thing protecting your cart from more skeletons!"
Cara notices another skeletal apparition in the area and smiles as she sees the basilisk handling himself rather nicely. "Maybe I was wrong about him after all, but still I better help him." She jumps out of the cart and aims an aerial spin kick directly at the opposite side of the skeleton so that she doesn't risk hitting the basilisk.
Cassidy draws her rapier and quickly steps into Natska's side, thrusting out at her opponent's spine, hoping that a firm poke will be enough to snap it in half, if she lands it right. She was reluctant to try her usual magic stunts in such close range.
Natska brings her longsword around in a series of chopping swipes at the skeleton, then turns her head as the cart takes off; with a muffled 'mrph' she takes off after it.
The crocodile pulls up on the reigns, convincing the ponies to stop, but he is obviously badly shaken. "I can't go back!" he says, "I can't!" Strangely, the fog does not seem to extend here.
With two beings landing vicious strikes on each skeleton, they burst apart, dissolving back into the mist. Then even that fades, a distant, female laugh sounding, even as the fog disperses into the night.
Thelergramor grumbles a bit, sends a few angry glances about into the night, then leaves his combat stance and shrugs. "...Damn voice. Gonna have to meet the owner." Mutters low, to himself. Quietly. Then turns and heads towards Flinn, slowly walking. "Good job, Captain, Sergeant. And you, Cara." He nods, smiling behind his mask as he walks towards the cart, tail wagging a bit and using his staff to as a walking stick.
"How's the crate!?" He calls out.
The Fennec nods sympathetically, still working his Siren magic. "I know, I know...." He looks back and thinks. "Well, it doesn't look like the fog extends here, sir... If we just stay here, they should catch up..." He pats the Croc's shoulder kindly. "It'll be alright, you have five highly capable Freeswords protecting you, everything will be fine as long as we all stick together..." He pats the driver one more time, then looks behind him at the others. The crate? He looks down at it, looking for any damage or weaknesses.
Cara lands back onto her two feet and she tenses up as the laughter is heard. She stomps the ground with one foot and bitterly mumbles to herself. "Why is she laughing? It's not like she...Oh no, the crate!" She quickly turns to Thel and yells out, "Thank you!", before she runs back after him in order to catch up to the crate. "I really hope it isn't open right now."
Cassidy turns to follow after Natska as the skeleton falls, remaining silent. Her sword returns to its scabbard as she takes up a position near the cart and next to the jaguar. "I don't think we should be taking this thing back anyway, to be honest. But if we are, we need to do it quickly."
Natska lands on the crate, light on her feet, and her fire fades away once more; she perches there a moment, then hops off and uses her wings to land next to Cass. "Angus wanted it. Whatever is inside is his responsibility. I agree though... we should make it quick." With that, she takes to the air again.
The driver waits only long enough for the others to catch up before whipping the ponies into a fast trot that they are all too happy to maintain all the way to the edge of Shanty town where a rather suspect looking wolf waits, puffing on a cigarette. "You the Solacious Kid's delivery crew?" he asks. The crate has lain quiet for the rest of the trip.
Thelergramor nods at the shady wolf, recognizing him for various reasons oweing to his affinity for such things... "We are. You want the crate, yeah? Have fun with it." He smirks behind his mask, then looks over at Flinn and the wagon. Assumes everything's fine in there... "Good job, Flinn. Kept it safe, then?" Seeing as the job seems to be done, Thelergramor starts heading off... Not sure where he's going yet, but going he gets.
Flinn peers at the shady wolf, then glances at the crate. He turns back to the wolf. "Are you the recipient?" he shoots back. Of course he is, why else would he be waiting here, or asking about Solacious? "Alright, move the crate. Let's get rid of it," he says, scowling as he crosses his arms. "Where's our payment? Solacious didn't pay us up front, you know," he says gruffly. D'aw, gruff Fennecs... Anyway, he's talking payment, now that the job's finished.
Cara stares at the shady wolf and opens her mouth, almost ready ask more but she sighs and waits for the payment as usual. Maybe after all of this she might be able to afford more magic lessons from this. Still, that voice was strange though. It sounded familiar, but who could it have been? The tigress shrugs and puts it behind her. After all, it's not it was someone who mattered any longer.
"I'll have to speak to Angus about this later. A looong chat," Cassidy says, adjusting her hat before offering her arm to Natska. "Well. This was an eventful day, wasn't it? Shall we head home? I'm eager to grab a nice drink and take a nap."
Natska lands near the cart as it reaches Firmament, and her brilliantly hued feathers begin to molt, combust, and drift away as so many sparks on the wind, until the jaguar is back to her normal shape. She walks into town beside the cart, and collects her portion of the payment, then smiles at Cassidy and nods her head. "Yes. I think I am ready for that as well. Nice job on the road, everyone."
The shady looking wolf nods and distributes payment, looking a little surprised that the crate made it all the way here unopened. "Good work," he says, "I'll let Lord Solacious know that you fulfilled his request to the letter." Looks like they pulled it off!
