Enroaching Darkness - RPLOG
Participants
Date
21/8/476
Log
Evening, with an overcast sky, the shattered moon but a dim glow behind heavy clouds. Not that it's a strange thing on this side of the pass, what with the tragedies in recent decades, but it certainly does add to the local atmosphere. Just out of the mouth of the pass, a palisade has been erected, and actually looks to have been there for some time.
Watchers carrying lanterns and spears patrol the tops of the defenses, consolidated from bits of broken wagons and sharpened stakes with earthen and stone defenses filling in the gaps. But that is not the main attraction - a middle-aged german shepherd lingers by the entrance with a lantern of her own, waiting for the arrival of...something.
Zevran makes his way out of the pass, a lantern of his own held out in front of him. His attention is drawn to the palisade ahead, and he approaches the unfamiliar structure slowly. Upon spotting the waiting german shepherd, he picks up his pace until he is within the range of her lantern. He gave the shepherd a wave to show his good intentions. "I suppose you're the one who posted the request at the inn?" He asked, wanting to make sure he was in the correct place. It would not have been too difficult for him to get lost coming out of the pass, especially with the fading light.
Selena makes her way through the trail to the camp, the little lights guiding her way - once she's close enough to the camp to see them, though flight would be undoubtedly faster. The shepherd is met with a friendly wave and smile - as is Zevran. "I haven't seen you for a while. What've you been getting up to, Zevran?" She qeuries, before her attention is directed back to the aging canine.
Angus looks up at the sky and frowns with a sigh. "Is it just a little to much to ask for sunshine while the undead lurk?" He mutters, hoping it doesn't rain as he follows the trail behind Selena. Stepping up to the shepherd he nods in greeting, before he turns to give Zevran a tip of the hat. "Hey there horns, good to see you out an about." He teases, snapping back to a serious expression as he looks to the canine as well.
Tzerya comes across the pass, quite literally skipping along her way. Approaching the camp, she gives a large wave while continuing towards the german shepherd. Waving at the three already here, she gives them all a quick little nod, "Greetings all", she says eagerly before focusing upon the canine with a small wiggle of her ears.
Night time, the perfect time for a lion to prowl about and promote his true potential, stalking his prey with grace, courage, and majesty. At least maybe if a certain coat and scar wearin' lion didn't just get done waking up, as evident by his unkempt and frazzled mane. Regardless, Dio give his equipment one last check as he strolls up a bit late nehind the others, stetching his arms towards the sky in a giant bellowing yawn. "Hello there lads 'n' lasses," he says, nodding and waving to those more punctual. "Is this where we're meetin'? And ah!" The lion, noticing a new face, quickly runs up to Zevran and invades his personal space. "Yer a big one! Don' think we've met before lad. The name's Dio the traveler."
"Strictly speaking, child, we don't have anyone who posted a request at the inn. None of us have the time to spare in order to make the trip through the pass. No, we got an old friend of mine to run into town for us. But where are my manners? My name is Selan, and I am headwoman of this little village you see before you.
"Usually, there isn't much trouble with the dead - Mossy Stone, or what's left of it, is some distance from there, and the gryphon rock tends to dissuade most of them from wandering all the way south. But they've been wandering further and further afield of late - maybe all those fools fiddling about up north have stirred up something - and that needs to come to a stop. We'll need to think of a more permanent solution later, but for now, that's where you come in. My watchers are very good at what they do - they noticed your approach hours before your actual arrival, after all - and there haven't been any deaths so far, but I'd rather not take chances. I need all of you to clear the road mostly to the south where it joins up with the pass, but a little to the north as well. Any that you slay, tell my watchers where the bodies are so the corpses can be gathered and burned."
Zevran chuckles at Selena's comment, giving her and Angus a friendly wave as they arrive. "Traveling mostly. I've been finding new things to punch. Oh, and drinking. Lots of drinking." He replies jokingly to Selena. He watches as the others approach, giving them a friendly nod. However, his whole posturing changes as Dio invades his space. His muscles tense and his ears flatten as his right hand curls into a fist. He stays like this for a moment before deciding that the Lion in front of him isn't a threat. "I'm Zevran." He introduces himself to Dio, Tzerya, and the shepherd. "So we'll be re-killing some undead? Doesn't sound like too much trouble." He states, turning to give Selan his attention.
Selena nods, rubbing the back of her head for a moment. "I'm curious why you'd set up so far from anyone and so near mossy stone in the first place, but that's neither here nor there." A brief pause to roll her eyes and sigh at the mention of the settlement to the north is had before she adds; "As for the bodies, we can burn them ourselves if it'd save you the trouble. You did just imply you had very little free time."
Angus is given a half-wave, as are Tzerya and Dio. "I didn't expect to see you out here without your sister, Tze-rya(?). Either way, I suppose that can't be helped. Ever the drunk, aren't you Zevran? I swear, you're worse than I used to be..."
Angus smirks at Zevran and shakes his head. "Why am I not surprised?" He teases, before he taps him on the shoulder when he notices that clenched fist. "Dio is harmless...as long as your not bed sheets." jokes aside he smiles to Tzerya and Selena before he turns back to the german shepard. "We can take care of them, Selena can probably burn them all to a crisp easily." Smirking he undoes the clasps on his cloak and folds it up so that it would not get in the way.
Tzerya nods to Angus, "Hehe, well we've been occupied lately...I'm sure, Tzenya is resting well.". Spinning her attention back to Zevran, she curtsies and grins, "Pleasure to meet you, Tzerya Talai.". Tilting her ear with a smirk, she snickers a small bit, "Ohh don't worry, I'm more than proficient when it comes to lighting things on fire.". Stretching out, she continues to stare at the shepherd and nod.
A normal being would've taken the rhino's tense motions as a sign. A sign to back off just a little bit and give them their space. However, this lion didn't seem to register any signs at all. "Travelin' an' drinkin'?!" Dio shouts nearly at the top of his lungs. "I can already tell we're goin' to be good friends," he chuckles, patting Zervan on the back swiftly but a few times before returning his attention to the problem at hand. "What I did to those bed sheets I'll be doin' to the undead! I got my equipment ready to go when everyone's set."
Selan gives Selena a small nod, carefully avoiding the issue of why there's a settlement to be had so close to danger in the first place. "Perhaps it would be more convenient, but if I'm going to be paying your bounty, I do need to have some form of assurance that you aren't just going to be walking up and -" her words are cut off by the faint ringing of a bell in the distance, and her grip on her lantern tightens. "Forget what I just said! All of you, behind the palisade now! If Saint Alan won't go to the proverbial ark...then it seems the ark has decided to come to Saint Alan! Hurry!"
Indeed, grass rustles...but the air is still, and no mere breeze is strong enough to crunch gravel underfoot. Silhouettes shift in the darkness just beyond the reach of the lanterns...and every watcher is now on the alert.
Tzerya looking over Dio, she takes a few quick sniffs and a chuckle, "Good, you're still rather fresh". Blinking a few times, she realizes what he said before shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the lion, "That poor poor maid.". Her thoughts suddenly scattered by the bell, her ears droop as she nods to the shepherd, "Let's see what we have", she mutters making her way behind the palisade, pulling out her bow as she does.
Zevran chuckles at Dio's comment before his attention is drawn by the ringing bells. He turns back to Selan as he hears her warning, before turning back to the silhouettes. He waits for a moment, almost as if trying to decide whether he should stay out here to fight whatever it is, but eventually relents and slowly backs towards the palisade.
Selena's ears perk high up as the bell rings. "Sounds like something from a Cliffside academy." She observes, casting a quick orb of fire out over in the direction of the rustling to illuminate the ground below it, pacing back cautiously towards the settlement as she addresses Selan again; "Fair enough. A word's one thing, but I can appreciate why you'd want tangible results from this kind of operation."
And indeed, Dio did smell rather fresh. Well, as fresh as your average commoner these days. In response to the bunny's comment, he gives his arm a gentle sniff, still not too sure just what people were talking about in regards to his smell. He was fine then and he's fine now, right? "I gotcha lass. Gotta 'ave a little pr-" Hearing the bell ring, the lion looks about and heads the warning by heading into the palisade, drawing his sword and equipping his buckler for an impending battle.
Ears perk up as the bell rings, and Angus tips the brim of his hat up as he sighs. "Well, parties starting." He mutters, drawing his pistol and cocking both hammers back as he slowly backs towards the defenses. "Seems that we didn't even have to track them down hm?" Selena's illuminating fire makes him smile, and helps him take aim if something comes out of the grass.
Standing on the palisade as the orb lights the area up, Tzerya gives a small nod, smirking as she taps her foot. "Hey, in my opinion that's an advantage...tracking the undead is never a fun exercise.", she chimes back over to Angus, one hand on her bow, the other raised as she prepares to either knock an arrow or start with the magic
The orb of fire explodes over the incipient field of battle, lighting it up like a flare shot into the air. Clearly illuminated by Selena's fire is a small horde of the walking dead in various stages of decay, shuffling and shambling about in search of...well, whatever the living dead ultimately seek. Selena's flare is answered by a number of signal fires all around the village, and the faint sounds of shouts and ruffling and can heard from within the village.
"Something must've riled them up, pushed them this far south from Mossy Stone and in a group to boot," Selan says as the gates are drawn closed behind the party. "I wonder what did...damned nobles and their lot, poking up north, stirring up things where they should have let them lie..." the canine doesn't stop to realise her assumptions, and points up at the palisades. "Well, it seems your bounty just changed. Get up and help where you can, or if you'd rather wade out there, we can always lower a ladder for you. Not that I'd understand why, but you can, if you'd like."
"I assure you that this is not the work of Nobles, the Solacious at least." Angus frowns as he takes off his hat and places it atop his cloak on the ground out of the way. Turning around he looks up at the palisades, and switches his gun to his right hand. "hmmmm...Zevran, you feel like doing a little wading? Keep them away from the gates so that they don't come crashing down and swarm us?" He asks the Rhino as he draws his Rapier in his free hand. Waiting to activate the Creator fire leashed inside the steel until he stood facing the threat.
Zevran clasps his lantern onto his waist and climbs up to the palisade to survey the undead pack. "Finally, some fun. And here I thought we were going to stand around all night telling campfire stories." He chuckles, motioning for somebody to drop a ladder down for him. He climbs down the ladder and faces the undead, drawing his two wicked swords with what can only be described as a look of enjoyment or eager anticipation on his face.
Selena shakes her head. "They're trying to 'take back' mossy stone at my last check. I appreciate the idea, but the execution of it is downright terrible." She sighs, twirling a finger in the air. "You can thank Mirana Solacious for that, specifically."
the horde down below is met with a surprised look -- "There weren't even that many in Mossy stone the last time I was there. Either way - if you see something that needs to go fast, tell me immediately." She replies, settling back as she begins to emanate soft magic and turns the ground under the approaching horde to a mire - creators know how that works in such a rocky place as this. "And Angus - Don't die."
Grimacing at the sight of the hoard of undead, Tzenya makes her way to the top of the palisade, seeing where she can aid though keeping her attention on the encroaching group, the tension keeping her ears up as she waits till the group is in range for something large. "Ehh, this could be worse...there could be...I don't know...worse things. Everyone just be careful and keep your heads."
"Nobles?" Dio tilts his head to the side, a littler curious as to what her assumptions are. He had a little guess, but the time for accusations certainly wasn't now. Now was the time for action! With the signals going off, the lion peers over the palisade and acknowledges the impending threat with a short chuckle. "Right behind ya lad," he shouts, quickly following behind the rhino, his certainly new friend. Right? After descending down the ladder, he bangs the sword on his buckler a few times and lets out a small leonine roar.
It begins! Those who prefer to keep at range do so, the few who feel brave enough to engage in melee have ladders lowered down the palisades for them. Selena's mire keeps the small horde confined to a few chokepoints - although a good number simply wade through the mud and come out on the other side, what with the whole not needing to breathe thing.
As for the locals, they appear to be doing their part, what with most of the village now awake and every single able-bodied being up on the walls. In addition to the usual bows and muskets, a couple of cannons have been wheeled out - now where did a poor village like this get those from? - and are quickly primed and at the ready for what is to come.
