Caged basilisk and gunshot victims - RPLOG
Participants
Date
18/4/478
Log
It's raining. Glorious. With the light rain falling into Silvervein Pass, there stands a badger. Full plate armor, cloaked and hooded due to weather, stands a badger wearing full plate armor and a grey cloak to keep the rain off. Armed, sword and shield, looks unhappy. Beside him stands a crow, female, wearing a long leather coat slightly too big for her over a black dress, a red stripe of feathers across her face. She leans on a staff, looking as unhappy as the badger beside her, while they wait for whoever chose to show up.
Zuri wipes some sweat off his brow on account of the long walk to Silvervein Pass. The excitable little salamander moves down the trail as part of a small group arriving at the badger's call. He brings with him his usual bright smile, and as he moves up close enough to the badger that their eyes meet he offers him a curteous bow. He doesn't introduce himself just yet. He peers back at the others, his eyes scanning the group while he waits for everyone to gather.
Serana flicks her tail, the ostensibly male shark looking about. No introductions from him either. Though, he mostly also didn't care as much. Currently, his weapons were holstered, and his arms crossed a bit, golden brown hair tied in a ponytail falling to about shoulder height. Tapping his foot he continued to wait, impatiently. Didn't even know why he was here.
Burton comes jogging up the trail, puffing and panting but looking to be in high spirits. The Broffalo is wearing some kind of hooded jacket, to keep the rain off, but it is hanging open and just a little on the small side, showing of the bovid's chiseled physique. He is also wearing a pair of trousers cut just long enough to avoid getting him arrested for public indecency. He reaches the gathered beings and stops jogging and starts stretching. "T'sup?" he asks, swinging his arms in a dynamic stretch, "Heard there was a chick up here who needed some help!"
Mindaugas is more than willing to contribute his dourness to the icy atmosphere of the sullen Crow and Badger, his face drooping and impassive as he joins the clot of beings gathered, dressed in some uncommonly pristine mountaineer wear, a long alpenstock at the ready in both hands.
The somber priestly Moose was willing to chalk this up to a populace straying from the First Text, too--not only had they grown lax in their morals, but they had failed to glean important and useful education on handling the wilds, preferring instead to stay holed up in cities, growing soft all the while. Well, except for the buffalo that had arrived, though he seemed lacking in...other ways. Like appropriate dress.
"You arre awarre that it grrows cold high up in the mountains, sirr? I may have an extrra cloak or woolen stockings with the rrest of my gearr," he offers to Burton, with a definite edge of patronization.
While the others seem have made the trip out to Silvervein pass on foot a certian cloaked coywolf by the name of hannibal. Seems to have made the trip perched on the back of a golem. His gaze sweeps over the group that has gather to continue the investigation. Frowning slightly when he sees that not one of the previous group aside from himself appears to have shown. A frown which dissapears as he looks to Ipswitch, and the crow. Nodding to the badger he says. "I see you have found our witness." He says while lightly drumming his fingers across the top of a small chest resting in his lap.
The badger and crow look over the gathered group, the crow scoffing a bit at the bow given to them, then badgerguy speaks. "...That's one way to put it, sure." He says to the Broffalo. "But, yes, the witness. She wasn't that hard to find... Anhyway, we're here for a captured noble." "Not a noble, just involved with one." The crow corrects, making Ipswitch (The badger) shrug. "Whatever he is, we're here to get him back. We tracked the bounty hunters who took him a few days ago to somewhere just ahead of us, nearing the end of the pass."
He gestures down the trail, continues to speak: "So, whenever or however you're ready to go deal with them... Well, go deal with them. We'll be coming with you as backup, maybe move ahead to cut them off if they run or something."
Zuri nods, the short-statured salamander keeping his bright smile even through the scoff. He's used to it a bit. As the orders are given he turns back to the gathered group, looking for whomever is likely to be the leader of this outfit. He focuses on Hannibal, the one that addressed the badger and seemed know some of what was going on beyond their basic briefing. He tucks his coat up and walks towards the Coywolf. "Right, ready to head off."
Serana was already a distance ahead, a shark of action! Oh, wait. He stopped, staring back to the group "Well?" he asks, isharan accent on the young sounding shark. "You guys following or are we going together?" better if they would head on ahead. Easier to get things done."
The air fills with the cacophony of tumbling rocks. It's a landslide!!! Probably triggered by this... light... drizzle? Actually no, most of the rocks tumbling down the cliff face towards our heroes are pebbles, at best, and the large one is not a rock at all, but a wolf. "Hey guys! What's goin' on down here?" the canid calls from afar with a cheerful tone, raising a hand high to wave to them as he skids and slides his way down at breakneck speed. Barefoot. You'd think the only thing he'd be able to say is "ow my feet oh geeze the pain this was a horrible idea" but no apparently that's not going to be a thing. Well, not until he's only five or six feet above the trail, when he suddenly loses balance and falls the rest of the way, landing face-down on the cold stone pathway. He only lays still for a beat, however, before he thrusts upright, coming face to face with... the tightest set of abs he's ever seen. "Sweet -Erick- you could grind meat on tho--oh, hey!" Rainer suddenly remembers that there is a person attached to that midriff and quickly gets to his feet, brushing himself down, pushing loose a few smaller stones that had gotten caught in his fur somewhere during his descent. "Hi! Rainer!" he addresses the buffalo specifically, only then seeming to notice the others are around... some of them already moving away. "Neat! A thing. I love things. You guys don't mind if I tag along, right?" No opportunity to refuse given, he's already heading after Serana at a hastened pace.
"Chillax, old dude," Burton says, doing a bit of shadow boxing, "With all this hotness, I can't get cold!" He is a little disappointed that the Bird in question was not the damsel in distress he had been hoping for, but as long as he is here he might as well join in. "Come on, Dudes!" he cheers, trotting after the shark, "Let's rock this!" He stops when Rainer comes crashing down the hillside to slide to a stop at his feet. The Broffalo's face lights up at the introduction. "Bro!" he shouts, giving the wolf a congratulatory but slap, "That was totally wicked!" He jogs along by the wolf's side.
Mindaugas's giant nostrils flare in distaste at the 'leaders' of this expedition. "I was made to believe this was a rrescue mission," he snorts, frowning--or was it just his neutral expression? "Neverrtheless, I suppose brringing errrant Beings to justice is imporrtant as well..." In the time it had taken to scold the duo, much of the party had left without him, to his annoyance. Doubly so when he actually had worthwhile insight on the situation.
"HALT!" the grand Moose bellows, banging the butt of the alpenstock on the ground. "You would rrush carrelessly into the mountains? In the sprring thaw? In purrsuit of a crriminal who may lie in wait to ambush us? By the Firrst Text, do you all lack the good sense the Crreatorrs endowed us with?" he calls out to them, his voice stirred to obvious annoyance as he advances on them, trying to impose some sort of order in this gang of misfits.
Hannibal rolls his eyes at thE Broffalo's behavior. As he watches tbe group depart one by one. Before directing his golem to head out down the path the group had been pointed to. Not really all that worried like the moose seeing as with the groups number of warm bodies. And his golem, and creator tech. They should easilly be able to handle the bountyhunters.
Ipswitch and Calisiel don't know what to make of Rainer's glorious slide and such, though the crow grumbles something, before flying off with the aid of wings and air magic, probably either going to set up ahead of the opposing beings, or leaving... Though with the direction she flew, if anyone were to look up, it is towards where their targets are supposed to be.
Badger grunts. "Damn bird. Stuck with the rest of you, now. I'll bring up the rear." And move to the rear he does. "This -is- a rescue mission." He says to the moose. "How we go about dealing with the hunters is still up to the rest of you, but the goal is to get this... Thel-stuff-name guy back. But, by all means, lead them." He chuckles a bit, seeing the Moose somewhat adgitated.
As the group moves on, if they're not all stopped by Mindaugas trying to speak sense at them anyway, they'd eventually find that, no, the hunters aren't 'right up ahead.' It seems to be at least a mile of walking along the trail before they see, after rounding a cliff face, a wagon. Or... a cage on wheels, really. It's stopped, with four or five beings standing around it, smoke billowing up from what looks like a small fire near them.
Zuri hurries after the group, joining them as they start on the long trail. He slinks around in the middle of the group, easily blending in on account of his short size and low profile. The salamander picks up the pace when the billowing smoke becomes apparent, moving to a position where he can observe the beings huddled around the cage. "Well that's certainly something." He turns back to his companions, that bright smile still gracing his features. "Figure these are the fellas that are holding our charge? We could slink down and take em out nice and quick." The salamander draws his two weapons, a dagger for each hand, while watching the group to see how they respond, ready to follow them down. Always the quiet shadow, he would rather let someone bigger and tougher to go first.
Rainer's tail stands straight up and bristles as he is made the recipient of a slap on the caboose, when sends him hopping the next couple of paces forward before he slows and peeks back. "Oh, you thought so? ...I mean -- yeah! It's just... what I do. Be wicked." Aaand now he's grinning ear to ear. Way to give the kid a big(ger) head. The pup does slow to a stop and turn back to regard Mindaugas, when the latter calls for them to, but now he's all overflowing with confidence. And sass. "Well... yeah! Although in my defence I didn't know that was what we were doing until you mentioned it. But don't worry, you're in the capable hands of Rainer the Wicked, hero of the Shadow War, veteran of the Cliffside War, and world-renoun explorer extraordinaire! Navigating treacherous paths is what I do!" As evidenced by the odd patches of rust-tinted fur where he scraped himself up during his grand entrance.
"See, moose Bro?" Burton says, "No ambush, the dudes are all just standing around." The Broffalo waves at the bounty hunters. "Hey dudes!" he shouts, cupping his hand to his mouth as he shouts, "There's some kind of misunderstanding!" He doesn't even slow as he jogs toward the camp. "Come on, Wolf Bro!" he says, "we can handle this, right?"
Surprisingly enough, nobody opted to listen to the spoilsport Moose with mountaineering experience. Presumably, then, nobody listens to Mindaugas still as he spends the entire trek regaling the group of First Text lessons they should have paid heed to--on the dangers of landslides, on the risks of hiking with insufficient supplies, on the spoilage of provisions due to shoddily-manufactured packs being soaked in the rain...the list goes on and on, though at least he has the sense to shut up as they approach their target. Well, kind of. Though, once Burton goes ahead and blows their cover, the sanctimonious Moose figures he might as well at least try this the civil way, swapping his soulgem and appearing a bit more glorious as the spirit of his family's sacred duty takes hold.
"Hold, and stay yourr weapons!" he calls to the other gathered beings, stepping ahead of them. "I am Mindaugas Alderrman, of the Hillrock clan of Alderrmans, and I mean no harrm. We simply seek a...fugitive, it seems, by the name of...of...Thelerrgrramorr," he manages to choke gracelessly out through all the rolled 'r's. "Have you any news?
Hannibal slams his palm into his brow, and shakes his head as the brofallo announces their pressence. "Well there goes the element of surprise." He mutters then proceeds to direct his collection of miniond to target the bounty hunters. His crusher, twirligig, and of course the advanced offensive gole
golem move into formation around the edge of the camp. While his divine shield sits ontop of the golem with hannibal. "I'd come quietly if I were you lot. From the looks of what your captive did to you lot on his own. I doubt things will go very well for you. If you fight the lot of us.......But I really really hope you choose to do things the hard way."
Serana you know. why bother talking." Serana complains, their cover already blown, she just removes her two of her six pistols and lines up a target, should someone get in the way before she fires, they may have a hole in them, as The shark really doesn't care for people trying to stop her after she's all lined up.
