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.
