Bump so thread can be kept until players are ready.

>>18830436

Woops. Forgot my trip.

>>18830441

... and again. Anyway, I'll be around all night, so someone can pick this up whenever they like.

Oh hey
get dressed and look out for Eames

Sweet, Nomad Quest!

Summon the dog and have it track Eames by scent (they can do that, right?)

>>18830564

You get dressed and make your way downstairs. You think that perhaps the man might be making himself a midnight snack, but the tavern downstairs is empty. He's not under any tables or kegs. So you check outside, instead.

The City of Noberem stayed awake while you slept. Although it's now early morning, you can hear voices from inside houses, towards market, in restaurants. It's a much more relaxed environment than in the day. You hear more than one lady's laugh and less fighting and rowdiness.

Finally, you see him. And not just him. Eames holds his hands before him, focusing on the creature standing before him. A wolf. And not just any wolf. The thing is giant. Perhaps one of the dire wolves of the north you've heard so much about, but it's clear it could tear an unprepared man limb from limb in a moment. It could probably even carry someone small enough.

Eames, at first, looks to be in trouble. Until he starts chuckling. Cackling even. And then dancing on the spot. His Wolf happily wags its tail and watches its master.

Seems like he has just completed the spell for the first time.

>>18830719
OH, that's great.
Watch him till he seems to have calmed down. Make him notice you (don't want to spook him by just appearing by him and talking). Congratulate him on job well done and go back to the tavern.

>>18830719
Be Amused

>>18830737
>>18830750

You lean against the tavern wall and silently yawn as he greets his new companion.

"Alright. Little Eames, paw."

The wolf's paw almost engulf's Eames's hand.

"Up?"

The wolf gets on its hind legs. It's as tall as a man when it does so, but clearly can't stand very well. It teeters to and fro.

"Alright, Little Eames, down now."

It falls forward, collapsing on the summoner. As he falls to the ground, the spell breaks, and Little Eames drifts off into the night. The bespectacled man keeps chuckling to himself on the ground, right up until he sees you. You congratulate him.

"Oh, thank you kindly." He stands up, dusting himself off. You ask about going back into the tavern.

"I can't sleep much..." He admits. "A little excited about going to Homme, maybe? I don't know. I'm surprised you can rest as easily as you do."

It is a little surprising, honestly. What with the whole thing that started this journey, and now Estrus and all this Balanceseeker business. Not to mention the old man who keeps appearing in your dreams.

"Are you doing okay, Mr. Thol? Not still thinking about those men from the tavern, are you?"

Say what you like about Eames, but he's astute.

>>18830842
"Well, I'm thinking about a lot of things. And that encounter with those men? It was more friendly than it appeared to you.

If you have trouble sleeping then I wont tell you to come back. If you want, stay and practice more. I'll go back to sleep"

>>18830842
"Don't worry, i'm just having a little hangover from yesterday drinking adventures... So when do we travel?"

>>18830868

Indeed, apart from Hawne's outburst and the feeling of being coddled, the intentions behind the Nomads were noble enough. If not a little pressuring.

"If you say so, Mr. Thol. I think I'll go about the town for a while, so don't be alarmed if you wake up to find the gondola gone, hm?"

You say your goodnights to Eames and return upstairs. Once again, you sleep easily. Perhaps you find it exhausting that you soon have to travel through the largest country in the Five Western Kingdoms. Regardless, you drift into a haze in the warm, southern sun.

You are woken the next morning by Eames pulling the windows open, letting a pale blue light enter the room.

"Rise and shine, Mr. Thol. Have to travel with the sun if we want to get to an inn in Vanthania in time."

He throws your clothes in your face. After a quick wash, a dress and breakfast, you bid your farewells to the sleepy tavern lady, still in her bedclothes. Before too long, you and Eames are out on the gondola. You decide to row this time since Eames has been rowing you around non-stop.

As you row deeper into Noberem, towards the other end of the city, heading north-west and closer to the border, Eames leans against the side of the boat. Leaning his jaw in his hand, he sighs dolefully. Something is on his mind, clearly. And it looks like he's about to share it.

"Say, Thol. I know last night was kind of rowdy and all, but... did you see that lady robed in white?"

>>18831075
Yeah he with a man

>>18831075
"Yes, yeas I did. Why do you ask?"

>>18831091
*she

why do you want to know?

>>18831091
>>18831096

"She was beautiful." He muses, sinking down against the boat. "I saw her again last night. She almost glowed with the moon's light. She was standing right across the water from our room. I don't know who she is or why she was there, but she seemed to be amused by my Summoning. I didn't say a word to her, but just kept showing off until I almost fainted from exhaustion."

He chuckles, before sitting upright.

"Well, I don't even know her name, so much for that, hm? Anyway, I say we have a full day's ride with one break if we want to reach Vanthania. But when we get there, we have a couple methods of action. There are primarily three routes through the country, you see. One is called the merchant's trail, which will take us a little close to the north, but we'll pass by plenty of inns and cities. The southern path will take less time, but... well, they call that one the bandit trail. Finally, going even further south, we can pass through the Soul Swamp. But... well, it's a giant swamp, I'm sure you can see why we wouldn't want to do that. So. Which course shall we pursue?"

>>18831205
Lets take merchants trail. No sense in taking any risks.

>>18831205
Ohohoho, looks like our friend Eames found himself a lady huh.
Well, we're not exactly in a hurry. We can for for the Merchant Trail

>>18831229
>>18831244

"Thank goodness for that." He chuckles, lying along the inside of the gondola. "Now keep steady, will you? I want to daydream of her."

You probably roll your eyes. But regardless, you row on through the city. You've never travelled on the water before so you didn't realise it was actually quite tiring if done for a long time. And it turns out Noberem is quite the large city. You pass the market district, the officials district, you even get a small glimpse at the palace. Then as you pass through the other side, you get a look at the much less glamorous side of the city. Still, the people look content, even those who clearly don't have any more than the clothes on their back.

Finally, you come to the dock at the other side. Your legs finally reach land and you return your rental gondola. From here on, it's Eames's responsibility to do the travelling for you. After he harnesses and saddles the horse, he gives you his backpack and climbs on. You sit up nice and cosy against his back before the two of you set up. You are riding to the north now. Like Eames said, it is a long journey. You watch the progress of the sun, feel its heat bear down upon you as you pass farmlands, overlook villages on your journey and cross the occasional river and forest. Overall, it's an uneventful day's journey.

(continued)

>>18831395


By the time the sun is hanging red over the sky, Eames wobbles on the top of the horse and leans back against you.

"Apologies, Mr. Thol. I need rest. Food."

You agree. You stop at a crossroads. The left choice leads to Vanthania, the right leads to the Equius Reach. You have never seen a sign leading to your home before. You look at the horse symbol beneath it. Vanthania doesn't have an animal for its symbol, but rather an elaborate coat of arms including a book, a sword, a mask and a gold pouch.

Eames sets up his tent and even lays out a soft bedroll for you over the hard dirt ground. He takes two of the otherwise useless hare hearts you have and, after you start a fire, begins to cook it in a stew.

"We'll be here for an hour or so, Mr. Thol." He informs you as he chops up some recently purchased potatoes. "Perhaps you would like me to quiz you on your alchemy progress, hm? Or I could even try to teach you a higher level of Summoning. Or... you could always have a nap until dinner's ready. Either way, this'll take a while."

>>18831398
I think summoning is more useful. Lets do that for now.

>>18831398
I got a new recipe but haven't tested it yet.
Though i feel the urge of practicing summoning.

>>18831432
We don't have ingredients even if we wanted to practice potionmaking.

>>18831431
>>18831432

Eames tosses you his chalk piece. After dropping the potatoes into the stew, he reaches into his backpack and pulls out a scroll before handing it to you. From the title on sleeve, it's clearly the Summon Horse, spell.

"Here. If you learn this, maybe we can even share the load." He chuckles. You unroll the scroll and look over it. It looks... a hell of a lot more complicated than the Cat or Dog spells, that's for sure. There are many more round shapes, circles overlapping, figure-8 loops, shapes that join together and the entire symbol has to be drawn in one stroke. And you only have limited time learn it.

You already know about focusing your energy and the actual conjuration, so it really is the summoning sign that you need to perfect.

Roll a six sided die. You want an even roll.

rolled 2 = 2

>>18831554
Here goes nothing!

rolled 3 = 3

>>18831554
rolling for goddamn TIGER HORSE

>>18831575
>>18831586

By the power of concentration and chance combined with your destiny as TIGERMAN, you hold your hands over your perfectly drawn circle and...!

It's a Horse. A rather majestic looking thing, too. Unlike Eames's, it's white rather than black, but it still, like all Summons, has the glowing circles over its body. More than have learnt a new spell, you feel like you understand Summoning and magic just a little more. You even feel a little more intelligent. Eames glances up from the stew, taking a taste from his wooden spoon and nodding.

"Very good. Now you can do half the riding."

Teamwork! Perhaps this was his plan all along?

"You're not getting my wolf, though." He shakes his head. Well, he has to have some pride as a Summoner. You let the spell fade, realising you won't be able to cast again for a while, as you and Eames sit down to feed.

As you take your time with that wholesome, delicious hare heart stew, Eames glances over from his bowl.

"Mr. Thol, I was wondering... how long do you plan on staying in Homme for?"

>>18831644
Not long I think. Although it depends on what I find there.

>>18831644
I don't think I'll stay there too long. The sooner I'm finished, the better?
Why? Did you want to stay there for longer?

>>18831672
>>18831723

"You don't really know what you're in for, hm? I find that rather brave." The young man smiles to himself as he looks towards the fire. "My father would call it foolish, however. He doesn't understand the excitement of the unknown. He grew up in Losaid, didn't leave Settehem once in his life and now he plans to die in Losaid. He wants the same future for me. Says I'm the most equipped to do something good for our hometown."

He shakes his head, setting his bowl down on the ground before looking up to you.

"I want to come with you, Thol. I don't plan on going back after leaving you at Homme. Whether you want to take me with you or not is up to you. But I'm not going home. Not for some years, anyway."

By his expression, the scholarly young Summoner seems entirely serious.

>>18831907
(for the clarification, did we promise to accompany Eames back home?)
"...Well, I wont tell you what to do with your life but you should at least send a message back home so that your family and friends know what happened to you. Leaving them completely oblivious to your fate would be the worst thing to do."

Hmm, he is the son of the Guard Captain, right?

>>18831907
"It is always great to be have a partner.
But remember Eames, nobody knows what will happen to us.
your father at least deserves to know what you will do"

>>18831961

You remember the stern looking Captain Bennet. You can't imagine he would be too pleased to find out his oldest son has quit the home, but then again, it was never your responsibility to look after Eames. He was to return on his own.

"Please, Thol, I'm not a teenager running from home. Call it a pilgrimage if you wish, but my intentions are more than rebellion." He chuckles, regaining some of his usual joviality. "Of course I will write my father and brothers. And I plan on paying him back for the money he's given us for this trip, too. But you know, I can't help but think that Gram set this up on purpose. He knew you needed a horse and he knew how much I wanted to leave Losaid."

He finishes his bowl and lets the pot sit on the cool grass for a while.

"Well, then, Thol, I'll follow you as long as you'll have me. I'm not entirely sure what this trip is for, or where you plan on going afterwards, but you can count on me to shoulder the burden. If I had a Pact scroll here, I would be sure to sign it." He gives another good natured laugh.

>>18832022
Cheers mate

>>18832022
"If you insist on doing this, then I suppose I cannot withhold some information. Prior to meeting you, I went to the woods to gather some ingredients, while I was there I heard cries for help. I found out that 2 young men with dog summons had dragged a homeless man out of the docks and were threatening him. I am not sure if they intended to kill him but they ran away as soon as they knew I was there.
Later, when I first met you, I saw those men again. I asked Gram who they were and, I'm sorry to say this, they turned out to be your younger brothers. I gave Gram all the information I had and he said that he will take it to the Captain. Your brothers are paying for their crimes now.

I'm not sure if this will change your decision in any way but I wanted you to know of this. It would be unfair of me to keep this information from you, when that could mean that your father might be left with no sons to replace him."

>>18832126

Needless to say, the information comes as something of a surprise to Eames. Blinking at you, his bowl slips from his hand, rolling along the dusty ground.

"Oh, dammit..." He quickly picks it up and wipes with his sleeve. After stuffing it into his bag in an agitated haste, he grunts and sits back on his rear. "Those fools. Aramus and Cornerre are their names. They're not truly my brothers... well, they are as true to me as my father, so I suppose I should feel some familial warmth towards them."

He shakes his head.

"They've always been rash, empty minded fools, but to abuse the citizens of the very town our father has been charged to protect?"

He stands and starts packing up, slipping the now lukewarm pot back into its sack along with the wooden bowls, putting the Horse scroll in your satchel for future practice.

(Continued)

"Well, I suppose this very well seals my fate, doesn't it? If no-one else in the family is willing to take heavy crown that is public service, it will have to be me, won't it?" His voice grows louder, more heated. He rolls up his Wolf scroll again, pointedly shaking it towards you.

"Well, my family will have to wait, first. I'm going to travel the world. I'm going to study the magics of each region and their origins. I will be the first to compile a comprehensive study of every school of magic, and then I'll finally settle down in Losaid, with a beautiful, white robed lady at my side and-"

He is cut off as a carriage appears around the corner. It comes from the same direction you did, a single horse affair, but rather ornate looking. You recognise the man leading the carriage. It's the ponytailed man from the tavern. And, as the carriage passes you, you can very clearly see a figure inside, robed in pure white. The carriage turns left, heading for Vanthania.

Eames stares for a while. In less than a second, he is on his knees, furiously running his chalk over the dirt.

"Quickly, Thol! Pack up the rest of our stuff and take the horse, we have to find out who she is!"

>>18832281
"Heh. You are really head over heels for her."
Quickly pack up, I want to help our bro.

>>18832281
Help him
He deserves his girl

>>18832281
You really are stupid in love, but who am I to stand between my companions dreams. If you get hurt I'll help you back on your feet, let's go.

>>18832300
>>18832380

"Nonsense! I just know a damsel in distress when I see one." He shoots you a grin as his horse once again materialises. Taking on all the baggage and hopping on the horse with a strength as of yet unseen from him, Eames reaches down and grabs your arm, helping you on so you can finally start.

The horse isn't as fast as one would like with the both of you on, but it catches up to the somewhat slow carriage. As you begin to ride alongside, Eames leans towards the window. However, your sudden descent upon them causes a yelp from inside the carriage.

"Cu! There are men!"

She calls out as if she saw heretics. The carriage slows, and you soon find yourself face to face with her associate, the stocky Cu. With one hand on the reigns, he pulls out a short sword from his waist. It looks like a toothpick in his grasp.

"Name your purpose or clear the road!"

Cu and the white robed lady speak in an odd, lilting accent. It's not one you've ever heard before. It makes her sound remarkably soft, yet the male seems to almost cough his words.

"Begone, ya bastards!"

Eames grasps onto your shoulder.

"Tell them who you are, Thol! Your people carry a good reputation!"

Not the smoothest introduction to courting, but there's some truth in the saying that the hardest apples to reach are often the sweetest. Either that or the most expensive.

>>18832520
Well tell them you're a Nomad from the Reach and Eames is our traveling partner

>>18832520
My name is Thol, a Nomad, neither I nor my companion are bandits or anything of that ilk. We come in peace.

My friend here is simply a hothead with little knowledge of traveling etiquette who wished to talk with the lady in white here.

>>18832520
>>18832541

We should also apologize for such sudden appearance. We did not intend to alarm anyone. It just happened that we are on the same way (are we? We didn't deviate from our path, right?) and we got kinda overexcited with the prospect of travelling companions.

>>18832586
>>18832573
>>18832541

You explain your sudden appearance and why exactly your horse is bearing down upon them like a madman's steed. Luckily, you both hit a straight road and everyone calms a little. Cu looks you over with a rather intense, but not altogether bright, stare, whereas Eames leans towards the carriage window. As you ride on, it becomes clear that you're not attempting to attack. Despite this, Cu keeps a tight hold on his trust short sword.

"Here, now, you say you're a Nomad? I believe you, young Thol! But the Maiden will not be stopped and distracted by men, regardless of where you come from."

"Wait," came the voice from inside the carriage. "Stop, Cu. I recognise these gentlemen."

"M'lady, we-"

"You are sworn by pact to follow my orders, Cu."


(Continued)

>>18832718

Her soft, airy voice turned surprisingly sharp and, before long, the carriage slowed to a stop. You turn on your horse, too. Eames happily slides down the beasts back and makes for the window. Cu leans over the side like a watchful guarddog.

"Ease from the Maiden, now! Honourable nomad, control your friend!"

But it seems too late. Just as Eames peers in, the white hooded figure leans closer to the window. She looks to Eames at first, before she raises her head to look at you, too. She is every bit as pretty as Eames described her. Thin, pink lips, a small nose and graceful cheekbones adorn the lady's face, whilst green eyes shimmed from the shade of her hood.

"You two were at the tavern last night. And you, rash man, were summoning on the streets." She smiles to you both. "Neither of you know who I am, do you?"

Eames glances to you. You can make a perception check (1d10) to see if there's anything out of the ordinary, but you're sure you don't recognise them.

rolled 1 = 1

>>18832726
is she a TIGER PERSON?

rolled 9 = 9

>>18832726
Not a single clue milady, my friend was stricken by your beauty and that is why he pursues you.

rolled 7 = 7

>>18832726
"Some... priestess, perhaps?"

>>18832763
Damn you and your tigers!

>>18832798
Tigers are awesome man.
They give us a Dao and Wine.

while the Ram gave us some stupid spiritual search.
Tiger is still my favorite spirit

>>18832763

You desperately search her for any signs of Tigerism, but she just doesn't got it. Thoroughly disappointed in her lack of tiger, you fail to look for anything else. And Eames is far too busy searching her features to look for anything else.

>>18832776

Your answer quickly distracts him, however. This also makes him lose his focus and the horse disappears from beneath your backside. You and the saddle fall to the ground, hard. Cu stares in disbelief as the lady laughs.

"Ooh... sorry, Thol." He gives you a sheepish smile, before sudden realisation hits him. "Oh no, our horse! I won't be able to do a summon of that level for hours, now..."

You're not sure if these laments of his are a ploy or genuine, but the lady in the carriage giggles regardless.

"Cu, let them board."

"Milady!"

"They were heading in the same direction as us, I think... gentlemen, we're heading through the Vanthanian merchant's trail on the way to Homme. Would you like to come aboard?"

She looks at the two of you with such naive trust, and amusement, that it's hard to imagine her being the same skittish thing that ran out of the tavern the night before. She couldn't be older than seventeen, yet she carries herself with the grace of a woman long past the days of vain beauty.

>>18832862
It would be an honour right Eames?

>>18832862
It would be an honor fair lady, might we have the pleasure of your name?

>>18832862
I bet Eames would love that.

ask her if she's from that h place we're going and show her our goat medalion thingy we found with our opals

>>18832905

"No," she cheerfully replies and shakes her head. You see a few vibrant red curls fall from behind her hood. "Conversations go much more pleasantly when I don't give it."

Cu looks back at the entire scene with a mixture of confusion and dread. Still, you get in the carriage after Eames, who can't climb in quick enough. The two of you sit across from the young woman. Your earlier guess that she might be some kind of priestess looks likely. The robe is designed for modesty. It shrouds the chest and the layers around her waist do their best to hide all traces of womanhood from her figure. To Eames, it just serves as a resplendant frame for her face.

"We're going to Homme ourselves. That's why we caught up with you. We saw you going in the same direction as us and wondered if you would like company on the road. My name is Eames Bennet of Losaid, pleasure to meet you."

He holds out his hand. The lady smiles at it for a moment and watches. After a long, awkward silence, he retracts it and she nods.

"I see. Sir Eames of Losaid and Sir Thol the Nomad. A pleasure. Might I ask why you are heading to Homme?"

"Of course!" Eames replies immediately. Then turns to you. "... why are we going to Homme, again?"

You still haven't told him.

>>18833060
"...to find answers."

>>18833060
Eames travels in search of adventure and learning. He travels for the sake of travel.

Myself, I travel to learn of certain things and to right a great wrong.

Conversations go much more pleasantly when I don't give details, isn't that how you put it?

show her our medalion

>>18833104
Second this

rolled 8 = 8

>>18833060
She must some big-shot. Not just a priestress, but some important priestress.
Lets try to look for details again now that we are closer.

>>18833128

Had you been sharper on the ball, there might have been more to see outside the carriage than inside. But you can see a very faint, pale green gilding to her robe. How lovely.

>>18833104

Your answer makes the girl cover her mouth as she surpresses a pleased chuckle.

"You mainlanders have a good sense of humour. You say there is a wrong you wish to right, Sir Thol? And Sir, Eames, are you a scholar?"

Your companion shakes his head. He attempts to speak.

"I'm not even that smart, really, I'm just the son of a guard's captain, my father doesn't really understand me, you see, he's attempting to have me stay at home and inherit his title whereas I just want to travel the world and catalogue magics, all of the different schools in one tome so that one day man can read and understand how all the different schools of magic really come from the same source, well, I just hope they come from the same source as that happens to be my grand 'theory' on magic, then again, I only know, say, four spells, right, Thol?"

He turns to you, bright red and sweating bullets. Only you can save Eames. Mother of Us All knows he can't save himself now.

Go, save him with your wit whilst the lady is still bedazzled by his rambling monologue!

>>18833205
"Oh, do not sell yourself short, Eames.
Milady, he is a quiet bright fellow, being able to grasp difficult concepts and theories in no time. Even if he is not officially a scholar, he sure does qualify.

If it is not a secret, what is your purpose of this journey, milady?"

>>18833205
"You know how these scholars are, always trying to undersell theirs abilities, very quick learner, an excellent teacher and a really good friend"

>>18833257

"How impressive. I've never had a mind for magic. Druidry is as far as my mental faculties allow."

She chuckles. The mention of Druidry, however, snaps Eames's attention back to her. Is there something important about that?

"As for my purpose...," her voice becomes quieter as she dips her head. Still a small smile remains. "I am like you, Sir Thol. I have a right to wrong. It may not be my own wrong, but it is my duty to right it, nonetheless."

>>18833307
"Hmm... bringing balance to the world, perhaps?"

Seems that Eames recognized her as soon as she mentioned druidry. Try to remember anything we know about that.

>>18833307
Well, we all have our burdens to bear do we not? I don't believe I have ever met a druid before, and by mainlanders I must assume you are either from the coast or an island, you are rather far from home either way.

>>18833324
Um, it's magic and Eames likes magic?

>>18833324

Your memory is your memory. Do you recall any mentions of Druidry? With your answer, the lady's smile fades altogether. She raises her head and stares at you. Those green eyes, that seemed as harmless as a field moments ago, now waver with a sudden intensity.

"Sir Thol, what do you know about me, exactly?"

Eames looks back to you, again. Seems like you're the authority on this one, hot shot. The sudden atmosphere in the carriage seems to be your fault.

show her our damn medalion

might make things easier for us in the city

>>18833377
Wild guess, everybody these days seems to want to bring balance to the world. It's a popular vocation.

Show her the amulet, know anything about goats?

>>18833377
I'm trying to delve in my memories if there is something I can cling on to get better picture. But no, I do not know anything.
Your words just reminded me of something I've heard before.

>>18833404
>>18833391

Your vague answers only seem to alienate the girl further. Eames leans in close for a moment.

"What are you doing, Thol, you're clearly scaring her with all this... balance stuff. Do you know her?"

You shake your head and reach into your bag.

>>18833380

When she sees the Sigil of Arethos, the lady's eyes open wide, almost like big green irised mirrors. She attempts to quit her seat and get onto one knee. However, a jostle of the carriage knocks her onto both hands and knees.

"Milord Arethos! Please, forgive my behaviour, I did not realise it was you." She reaches forward and takes your hand without lifting her gaze from the floor. "It is I, your penitent Green Maiden, Siobhan."

Eames, too, is dumbstruck, until he shakes his head.

"Damnation, Thol, tell her the fact of things before you go around showing family sigils!"

He reaches down and takes hold of Siobhan's shoulder, trying to help her onto her seat. She seems determined to stay where she is, however.

tell her to sit and explain things to you

tell her you woke up with it in your bag and you'd never seen it before 9 shoreo

>>18833491
Siobhan, sit down normally. I have next to no idea what the hell is going on in my life and you aren't exactly making it clear by kneeling before me.

My village was destroyed, green flames, nasty business. I woke up afterwards with this sigil in my bag, and apparently I'm supposed to bring balance to the world and save a goddess. Could you enlighten me some?

>>18833491
I have no idea what's happening.

Tell to Eames. "Right, I probably should have told you this earlier..... Though it is quiet convoluted how I got this. I suppose we will talk about this later."

Turn to the girl and tell her to sit down. "Like you said, leaving some things out makes conversation more pleasurable."

>>18833555
>>18833570
Lets not. We should at least pretend to understand what kind of weight this sigil carries.

>>18833491
Jesus Christ.
How many people are searching for us

>>18833594
I think the sigil denotes a noble rank.

>>18833594

If you're going to take to calling yourself Lord Arethos, then quite a few people may be looking for you, yes.

How much truth will you tell? Will you at least tell the girl to get up off the floor? I need a decision.

>>18833570
I don't think we should tell them we just found the sigil lying around in our bag. At best it will bring us back to status quo, at worst they might accuse us of impersonation.

>>18833634
Not a fan of hiding behing this dude name.
We are not Lord Arethos, atleast not right now

>>18833633
Tell her to get off the floor.
I don't think we should say anything because we have absolutely no idea what this sigil means and we cannot let her on that we don't know jack shit.
Revealing this to Eames is safe, he will teach us what it means. But that must be done later, in private.

At least that's my opinion. Since I don't have much info it can be absolutely the worst way to do things. On the other hand, I like to be mysterious and more important than we are.

>>18833634
>>18833651
>>18833671

After a moment of deliberation, you reveal that you are not Lord Arethos. Siobhan blinks up at you, once again distraught with confusion. She lets Eames help her into her seat, the Summoner taking a seat beside her.

"Terribly sorry for the confusion, milady, but we are actually on our way to see Lord Arethos."

He glances at you, confused and looking for support. This is officially your cover story as the whole Arethos thing has suddenly become quite a big deal. Realising her downright embarrassing behaviour, Siobhan's cheeks turn as red as her face as she shrinks from the two of you.

"My apologies, Sir Thol, I lost myself. You see, I have devoted myself to Druidry since I was a young girl. I have been raised with purpose in mind and it is Lord Thaddeul Arethos who will help me. Why is it that you seek our Green Lord?"

She looks expectantly to you.

>>18833763
Just Answers milady.

say, all this Green Lord and Green Flames things. Arethos killed our tribe right?

>>18833763
"Unfortunately that is something I cannot divulge, milady". Keeps the importance illusion up and since we have no idea what we want from him, that is technically the truth.

Or maybe we could say that the spirit of Ram guides us there and when we arrive there, we are hopeful that it will be revealed to us what our purpose there is. Spirits work in mysterious ways, you see?

tell her we woke up on a battlefield with the object in our alchemy bag

we're going for answers not and we're not gonna get any if we try to lie and keep having to keep them up

Need a final answer. That will be whichever gets another approval.

>>18833914
Can't we compromise. Give just a little bit of information but otherwise keep else concealed?

>>18833937

Of course, you can say whatever you please. I may have you run a Bluff check depending on what you say, however.

>>18833802
Green lord because he is druid king. Why are people reading so much into things? Just relax.

>>18833971
A bluff check? Oh, then I don't want to risk it. I hate relying on dice.

Tell her that we are not sure. This sigil is the only lead we have for the answers we seek. Maybe destiny will show its way when we arrive at Homme.

>>18834004
This sounds alright

>>18833999

THE GREEN CORRELATES TO THE GREEN
GOD YOU DON'T GET IT
THIS IS A CONSPIRACY

>>18834004
>>18834031

She nods quietly as Eames looks between the two of you. He finally decides to rejoin your side to give the lady some space. She keeps her gaze out the window for now, intent on regaining her composure. It seems you will be waiting a while. In the meanttime, Eames leans towards you.

"Thol. I finally got it. The Green King. He's the head of the Oak Circle. They're the Druids of Homme, they're on par with royalty over there. I don't know about this 'Green Maiden' stuff, though... sorry, Druidry isn't one of my strong points since it's not really a school of magic."

Well, that was helpful of him. Eames sits back in his seat as Siobhan finally regains the nerve to look at the two of you. However, that red has not yet disappeared from her cheeks.

"Please, Sir Thol, I must ask your forgiveness again. I have been waiting to meet Lord Arethos for so long, now. You say he is to help you find answers... well, he gave me my answer. On his orders, I am to head to Rooksland."

"Rooksland!?" Eames practically jumps off his seat. However, he is quickly seated by another jostle in the road. "I see..."

He shakes his head, but remains silent.

>>18834130
"Rooksland?
Is there any particular reason he wants you to go there? As I understand it is a long and dangerous journey, no?"

>>18834130
Rooksland, I think I've heard the name. Where is Rooksland and what is it known for?

>>18834174
It's in the North and has cold climate. Unless you weren't genuinely interested in the information and just wanted her to reveal more.

>>18834159

When you ask the question, Siobhan looks at you in confusion, before Eames leans in.

"Forgive him, milady. Thol has never ventured outside the Equius Reach before. He doesn't know too much about the troubles in the north."

She weakly smiles and speaks: "Oh, I see." It is Eames who takes this opportunity to explain to you, clearing his throat.

"Rooksland is a nation to the north, Thol. Once a somewhat prosperous, if not hardened place, it became the source of a great calamity. Tell me, Thol... do you know what necromancy is?"

He scratches his forehead. He's clearly uncomfortable talking about it already. Siobhan simply keeps her eyes on him as if he were one of her teachers.

>>18834270

"Not exactly. What can you tell about it?"

>>18834309
Going with this if Thol doesn't know jack about necromancy

rooksland is our destination after we're done with our journey to this city, right?

WE TIGER WARRIOR!

>>18834309

Eames opens his mouth explain, but instead, it is Siobhan's voice that sounds. She repeats the words like the dutiful tone of a bell that has rang many times.

"Necromancy is a form of magic. It neglects the natural laws of the world and utilizes a power source outside the covenants of the Spirits. Necromancy specialises in re-animating the bodies of the dead. Often these tormented souls have no memories of their lives, and their minds are easily molded by users of occult magics."

Eames nods and carries on.

"Long ago, hundreds of years before our birth, the Mad King of Rooksland found the power of necromancy and used it to wage war. The Driscoll States, one of the Five Western Kingdoms, has been able to hold off his forces but, alas, the country of Crostforst fell to them nearly two decades ago."

He gestures to Siobhan.

"Our lady here, the Green Maiden, is a Druid chosen to pilgrimage to the North in the attempts of gracing Rooksland with nature once more. Several Druids have ventured in..."

"But none have returned," Siobhan continued. "I will not fail, however. Since my birth, I have devoted myself entirely to the Spirit of Nature, Ram. I believe his power flows through me and that I can make all the difference, even if I can bring but one flower back to Rooksland."

>>18834461
"That's.... that's a noble cause."

>>18834461
Foolish girl, why not fight for a better chance at survival? Restoring nature can come once this menace is gone from the north.

>>18834461
I wonder if the Nomads we met before are trying to do something similar or completely the opposite.
Hmm...

Anyway, ask Siobhan if she is expected to do this alone with her helper, Cu.

>>18834537
>>18834588
>>18834599

One of these responses... is not like the other.

>>18834609
I say we abstain of calling her foolish.... because we are the ignorant one here, not them.

>>18834599
this one.

also, tell her we may be going there with some fellow nomads for some sort of ritual we know nothing about after our business in the city is concluded

>>18834622

"Thank you." She answers. Then, as you mention Cu and if he's the only help she will get, Siobhan's brow twists in a troubled fashion. "We were to meet someone... a magician from Crosftforst. That's why I was at the tavern last night. But he didn't appear. This was the third night we had waited. When I saw you summon..."

She looks to Eames.

"I thought it might be you. But it does not seem you are the ones I was waiting for. I have been forewarned that there are enemies to our cause. I must simply accept that our ally has already fallen to them. So yes... it is just I and Cu."

She gives a resolute nod. She seems intent on believing that the two of them are enough. Given Eames's expression, however, you can only guess that their chances are slim at the very least.

(Continued0

>>18834681

"Identifications, please." You hear a voice from outside the carriage. In a clean, slate booth, a man leans out a window and glances inside. He is dressed in a prim blue coat, tipped with a blue, short cap with a pointed peak. He casts a dubious eye over the three of you. It looks like the opening to a joke. A nomad, a priestess and a teacher walk into a bar.

"I can vouch for them." Eames reaches into his inner pocket and produces a medal. Like his father's pin, it shows a pig blowing a trumpet. The guard looks over it.

"You can cross the border, Mr. Bennet, but I'm afraid this only covers your family."

Siobhan sighs and produces a wooden carving from her pocket. It has a strange shape, and the outer edges glow softly with green runes.

"Ah... of course, forgive me, Princess Thulstry. You may enter right away." He bows. "Welcome to Vanthania."

And so the carriage starts again. Eames is staring at her now. This girl is just full of revelations. You recognise the name Thulstry. It's a pair of islands to the north of the Reach. You've met a couple of people from the country. And now you get to meet another. Lucky you.

>>18834766
"They are sending princesses to do high-risk jobs now?"
Don't be surprised or anything, this is just a regular day for us anyway.

>>18834766
Looks like Eames' girl is from the royal family

"So much for name secrecy"

>>18834766

Aaand that is it for now, folks. The thread, as always, will be archived for posterity and the character sheet will be updated before the next thread. Speaking of which, it should be tomorrow, 15:00 chantime. I hope to see y'all there and I hope even moreso that you have enjoyed another riveting adventure in NOMAAAAAD QUEEEEST

>>18834858
Oh man, I certainly did!
Not sure if I'll be able to attend tomorrow but I sure hope so!