Kicking the Nest - RPLOG
Participants
Date
23/9/478
Log
The wagon lumbers slowly down the ill-kept dirt road on it's way to Summerford. The rolling hills and vast swathes of farmland sprawl all around as far as the eye can see. A keen-eyed being might see several other farming villages towards the north and the south-east, but the closest to this spot is Summerford to the west. The first sign that one is entering the village outskirts is one of the large barns adjoint to the road, along with a small farmhouse next to it. Several young salamander beings loiter around in the farmstead's grounds, while the older ones busy themselves around the place.
Just a bit further down is a sizeable graveyard, unmistakable in its appearance. Well-tended graves dot the graveyard's grounds, and the area seems rather well-kept as the First Text dictates. The village proper can be seen in the distance, marked by little more than an increase in the density of the cruck houses and the presence of the taller stonework buildings that make up the town square.
Fenris is rocking about in the back of the wagon. Not that anyone would recognize him of course. Today he is wearing the face of Amos Longtooth. The scarred old veteran wears his long, black coat and has added a wide-brimmed hat that hides his face for now. No need to spook any of the villagers right away, after all. This was just a follow up visit after the freesword excursion out here.
Rokarion was in the same wagon. The plant being was clad in his usual heavy-cloak as he busied himself with browsing one of his notebooks, going over some of the older topics he had written about. If the plant being noticed the spyguard he sure didn't show it, or perhaps didn't care, for him he was planning on visiting a certain alchemist to trade some knowledge with.
The wagon continues past the farm and turns a slight bend as it rolls alongside the wall that delineates the graveyard's grounds. The wall was built tall and sturdy, the better to keep any scavengers or other animals from disturbing the hallowed soil. The next few minutes are slow and ponderous as the wagon begins the final climb towards the village, but once the final hill is crested the dirt road it is travelling on takes on the more familiar shape of a street, with detached houses enclosing it from either side. Finally the wagon makes a sharp turn to the right and comes to a full stop in the town square, just outside the door to the village's one and only Inn.
Rokarion closes his notebook and slides it back underneath his cloak, for storage in a hidden bag certainly. The youthful plant being slowly exits the wagon, giving his limbs a quick stretch after the long journey, before he stops next to the wagon, eyes inspecting the town square and today's activity.
Amos slips from the wagon, keeping the wide brim of his hat down over his eyes. The grizzled old tom cat nods to the driver as he strides purposefully away from the little inn toward where the krick swarms had attacked previously, a slight limp on his left leg. Work to be done and all that. He keeps an eye on the locals, curious if things had gone back to normal yet.
The town square is fairly quiet this afternoon. A few young salamanders play in the garden under the supervision of an ederly being, while a young girl pauses her tending of one of the rose bushes to regard the two arrivals. Likewise, the Inn's patrons turn to observe what is likely the first event of the day even remotely out of the ordinary in this peaceful village. Many of them are salamander beings, of course, but among them is an adult marble fox accompanied by a younger one that is likely his child.
The two guardsbeings sitting by the Guard Post return to their card game after perking up to look at the new arrivals. A third one, standing guard by the road leading to the Mudlick farm watches Amos as he approaches. He raises his hand as if to stop him, moving from his post in his direction.
Rokarion looks around, well this village must be as boring as Zuri have said if the arrival of two beings is enough to get all these eyes turning. Rokarion didn't care however as he glanced the being he came with limping away towards the Mudlick farm. The plant being instead decided to move to the two guards in front of the Mayor office/Guardhouse. "Good morning fellow beings." he says with a smile and a gentle tone, "Is your mayor in her office today?" he asks as he looks around the square again before focusing his gaze on the guards.
"Walk with me, kid," Amos rasps, "Fill me in as we go." The old Spyguard does not bother to offer any credentials, just turns his milky white, blind eye on the young guardsman. "How are things on the old Mudlick farm?" he asks, "Better? Worse? The same? You still having problems?" He limps along at a pretty good pace, and will doubtless leave the young guard in the dust if he does not make a move to slow the old tom.
The two guardsbeings look up from their card game. One of them, a familiar-looking ringed salamander, breaks out into a smile and stands quickly. "Ah, I remember you. You're one of the beings that came over to help us with the bugs in the Mudlick farm." The guardsbeing, whom Rokarion might recognize as Zane, turns to his fellow and orders him to go retrieve the mayor before turning his attention to the jasmine. "Never thought we'd see you Freesword fellas again." He pausse. "Although, you're the not-Freesword that came with the lot, aren't you? Ol' Zane never forgets!" He turns aside as a female Marbled salamander steps out of the guardhouse, escorted by the other guardsbeing. She smiles politely. "Good afternoon. Jillian Radcliff." She extends her hand at Rokarion in greeting. "I believe you were looking for me, sir..?"
The guardsbeing pauses at the unexpected action from Amos. He stammers out something unintelligible that was likely to be the question he was going to ask, but hurries his pace as tries to catch up. "The farm should be safe, but the Mayor has ordered beings to stay away from it just in case. No more of those creatures have been sighted." He steps past Amos. "Sir, I don't think you should be going to the farm, it could be unsafe. Unless you are a Freesword. Are you a Freesword, sir?" He asks with genuine curiosity, and if the eager look in his eyes is any indication he might be about to ask Amos for an autograph, or otherwise gush at seeing a 'Freesword' again.
Rokarion nods his head at Zane and smiles, "Indeed, I am friend." he answers back before the mayor arrives. Rokarion accepts the hand with his own gloved hand and shakers the offered hand before removing his, "A pleasure meeting you again, Mayor Jillian Radcliff. You can call me Rokarion." he answers back, "Well, my trip here have many a purpose, but I wanted to check with you if everything is fine after we dealt with the swarms of krick around here? They are usually not found this far away after all." with a thoughtful rub of his chin, the plant being continues, "And I hope that the Mudlicks themselves are being helped after the lose of their arm." Rokarion says, but the thought of their farm not being owned by them does occur to him, after all he doesn't really know how things work in Sweetwater fiefdoms.
