Natoneya could be seen in the far side of the round hut. She was stooped down on her knees applying new bandages to Gregory's wounds. She and him were talking about something, smiling and nodding. As the door opened and Jargg walked in with Lamont Natoneya abruptly stopped their conversation. Blushing, she hurried over to Lamont. Her skilled eyes assessed the situation immediately. "Oh dear, now you be needing some medicine for tat. Wait here a moment and I'll go get ya some." Natoneya passed a quick glance at Gregory, smiled, and fetched a small bottle of liquid. She opened it and poured it gently over Lamont's legs. The smell of evergreen wafted throughout the hut. "Now, leave tat wound to dry for at least a few days. I know it'll burn for a moment-" Natoneya waved her hand, "then you'll be needing to wrap it in some bandages. Poor sailers- it's not too often we get a shipwreck. Few sail this close to shore, and these are dangerous waters. Strange though, I've never seen a ship so badly beaten as yours. Not but a few small pieces left!"

(OOC: *Hint hint wink wink* Knux )

Gualbert had been standing close to Jargg. As Natoneya finshed her treatment he said politely, "thank you Natoneya, you have been most kind. In what way can we repay you?" Natoneya looked up. Quietly she answered, "There is one thing. In that big city not far from here, called Tempus, which I expect you'll be heading to... My grandson, Kenday, he be a guard there. Would you mind giving him this letter?" Natoneya pulled a scrap of paper from her pouch and gave it to Gualbert. Suddenly one of the wounded in the hut gave a cry and recoiled. Natoneya ran over to him and poured some of the medicine she had given Lamont over a bad wound on his head. She looked back at Gualbert almost pleadingly. Gualbert nodded, and taking one last curious glance at Gregory left the hut. As he passed Ouur'mm he murmured, "I have this queer feeling that won't be the last we see of him."

(OOC: I take back what I said Wolem... you can make long posts

Woot! Jargg's was the 300th post!!)

Ourr'mm rose back from the waters holding the sections of anchor chain over his shoulder as well as the plates from the hull among some other scraps. He releases a cloud of steam and shakes off the dried salt from his armor and heads into the village, passing Gaulbert along the way. Hearing what he said Ourr'mm responds, "It would seem so. Primative as medical facilities there are in this age, he should recover still. My task will require some time... I appoligize for shortness here, but the forge is undoubtably in disrepair here." He says plodding off toward the old forge in the town. Entering the building it had obviously not been used frequently for anything more than cooking. Fortunately, there was enough fuel present to be of some use.

He sets up the bellows to be usable by his foot as he starts heating one of the links. He then completely rotates his torso toward the anvil and hammers feverishly to flatten them out repeating the process several times all while the furnace roars violently.

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"The good warrior knows when to fight, and when to withdraw."
- Sun Tzu

I'll smith anything up to 93 smithing if you have the material for me to make it with
My Story, Horrors of Myron County
RV's Drawing archive topic, post yours or comment on others

Gualbert glanced into the smithy as Ouur’mm worked. “When you are finished Ouur’mm, I’m ready to go. Jargg, Vevis, Endil, Wolem, Lamont, are you all ready? ”

Gualbert turned to Endil, “Endil, you seem a better woodsman than I. You see yonder?” Gualbert pointed west into the dark woods not far from the village, “by my guess, that’s the way to Tempos. You think you can lead us there? It shant be but twenty or thirty miles.”

“Woodsman is not a title I lay claim to. Still I have some skill in guiding, though I do not know these woods” Endil said and headed towards the Forest.
Suddenly he paused as a murmur of wind passed through the trees. “Though I have never traveled these lands before. That will be the greatest difficulty”.

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I really appreciate your reply sm12905- it's been a while and I was a little worried.
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Gualbert nodded. He looked out over the gnarled wood. The trees loomed like a black mass over the shallow green water that pooled beneath them. Rays of orange and white light penetrated here and there against the darkness. A soft wind could be heard rustling among the trees, like a whisper beckoning you to come in. An aura of anticipation emanated from the wood.

"If I can be of any help," Gualbert said as he pointed over toward the forest, "these woods here seem to me a little like the woods not far from my uncle's house. I stayed with him over a few winters before 'is passing. Rough wood it is, but tracking is fairly easy. Water is not in short supply either- it's just finding the drinkable kind. Uncle, he knew the woods well." Gualbert bowed his head in reverence before checking back to see that the party was ready. "Let's go," he said, "the exiles of Tempos await our arrival."

Lamont thanked Natoneya, who had braced his legs and given him a salve that both numbed the pain and healed much of his injury, before walking out of the hut just as Endil began speaking. He shifted his weight from leg to leg until he was sure that the medicine made him comfortable enough to move normally as Gualbert spoke about his experience and uncle. "Heh... God knows what awaits us when we get where we're going, but I can't say this little adventure hasn't kept me entertained. Can someone remind me just what the Tempos means to us, though?"

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Goten is dead!

"I myself can hardly remember." Gualbert laughed. After a minute he said, "We are here to bring hope to the exiles. Those bereft peoples who have been sentenced to death. We began our own revolution along with others to stop this event before it happened.

"We were betrayed by Bal'doll at Cear Duldrae in helping the exiles. From there we decided to continue our work in Tempos. I know the leader of the movement there. Hopefully the resistance has gone well... Eventually we will want to strike the heart of the Kingdom. Now we must get to Tempos. I still have no idea when the military plans to dispatch the exiles. Perhaps they are already trying. There are thousands of exiles all over the Kingdom- we must stop this doom from coming. This is why we must hurry."

Jargg had been sitting on a rock, digging through his pack and pulled out his spear head. He cleaned it and attached it firmly to his staff. He then leaned the spear against the rock and pulled out his short swords and cleaned them both on his tunic. "Well then, no sense in lingering around. Let's get a move on" Jargg picked up his spear and trudged over to the eaves of the forest, then hesitated. "I'll follow whoever knows which way to go" Jargg said.

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Vevis leaned against a building, listening to the conversations, but not joining in. He held Fair Dealing, the blade that Gualbert (I think it was him?) enthrusted to him during the siege early in their adventure. He had not given the blade much action since the siege. He was always at the back of the group. He decided in his mind to participate in the battles as to shield his allies from harm. "I agree with Jargg. We have been lingering here for quite a while..."

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Endil quickly decided on the quickest path. Said path entered the forest between to trees that overhung it like a gateway to a cave. For very little light came down through the thick branches above the path.

“That is our road” Endil said, indicating the path. “We must all be on our guard. There are older and fiercer things than the empire’s solders in the dark places of the world".

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OOC (I drew a picture of it so here it is heh)
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/894/armorik8.png

BIC
Ouur'mm walks from the run down forge to where the group had started gathering. He had the armor wrapped in an old cloth he had there. He approaches and lays out the armor on a flat stone nearby drawing Gaulbert's attention. The armor is a dull white colored steel. Covering its surface are hammered ridges in the shape of wings. "I have it now completed. It will be well jointed enough that you need not worry about it hindering your mobility... The suit is also quite light in comparison to this era's armor. One key point to note... Here in the crest, I have embedded one of the same stones as my source of power. When the time is right, you will activate it... you will realize how when it is needed. It should enhance to some degree, your abilities in battle... Hmmmm important to note, the wings are that of the seraphim, heroes of my people in the light wars. People look to them for guidance and strength. I believe, for this age, you are the seraphim to guide the next."

__________________
"The good warrior knows when to fight, and when to withdraw."
- Sun Tzu

I'll smith anything up to 93 smithing if you have the material for me to make it with
My Story, Horrors of Myron County
RV's Drawing archive topic, post yours or comment on others

OOC: Awesome picture Znath.

I'm going to be gone a couple of days with my family so I won't be able to post. As if it matters much - I know I haven't been keeping up, finals has taken more out of me than I thought it would. Fortunately, I finished my last class today so I should be active again here in a few days. I hope to be able to end this quest by January, so look out!

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Hope to the Hopeless
Chapter Four: Tempos
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Worn and weary, the adventures start on their trek through the forest of Soonederk. Tempos awaits them, its broken spires looming over a cold hazy sky - mere signs of the dark road the humble redeemers would follow in order to bring hope to the hopeless...

Lamont's wounds had finally healed enough that he was again comfortable walking. His arms were behind his head, and he certainly looked the most casual of the group, as if it were a simple stroll through farmiliar woods. He was eyeing Gaulbert's armor nearly the entire time, then to Ouur'mm for actually being able to make it. Though he had not said it, Lamont had sworn to at least learn that much about craftsmanship from him after all was done with.

It didn't take long before a haze started to gradually form around the woods, soon going from a very fine, thin mist to a fog at the party's feet. Lamont noticed more and more shattered, crumbled piles of stones, which he knew were decorations that had crumbled from time and tear. His hands stopped propping his head up and slid down to the hilts of his swords, and his carefree face hardened in anticipation as his eyes glanced into the woods repeatedly. Though the party was in no clear line, he was one of the ones on the left of the road, so he kept at the ready in case trouble sprang at the party from his side. "Am I the only one getting uneasy about this wood?"

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Goten is dead!

"Why would you be uneasy about woods, Lamont? Rabbits, birdies, snakes, hogs, and small dogs live in the Woods! Taaasteeee! Besides if the woods scare you I could start a fire. The wind is blowing in a easterly direction so it would blow away from us..."

Wolem began searching for matches.

Is it any wonder that Wolem was banished from his tribe? It is a reliable estimate from numerous historians that at least 12 of the 20 great urban fires in that period were caused by Wolem. In folk lore to Wolem would live on, any child fascinated by fire was called a "cub of Wolem". And for an 100 years after his death major fires were still laid directly at the paws of Wolem. Most notably Wolem was honored by the Drow elves as an agent of Lolth (the Goddess of Chaos), the only non-drow to ever receive that title.

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Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love."~Jonathan Swift

"Nay, I wouldn't advice a torch with an open flame in here. It could attract unwanted attention to us and who knowns how flammable this place is. The last thing we need is to have to run into the unknown with trees burning right behind us." Jargg grasped his spear tighter, his knuckles turning white, as the fog got thicker and an eerie sense of dread crept over Jargg. "Does anyone know if we are still going the right way?

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"But smoke provides excellent cover Jargg." Wolem said as he put his matches back into his pack. Wolem was oblivious to the creepiness of the fog. Sniffing carefully Wolem annouced. "I think I smell something that could become meat up ahead! So of course this is the right way!" Wolem definition of meat is notably broad, including all the creatures of the World, except of course the noble Balam.

Once Wolem was trapped for 3 weeks in a mine disaster with three dwarves. Wolem came out as sleek and happy as ever.

__________________
Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love."~Jonathan Swift

OOC: Here’s my rendition of Gualbert in Ouur'mm's armor. I tried to stay as faithful to the design as possible. Thanks again Znath. Also, in the top of the drawing is “Fair Dealing,” the weapon Gualbert gave Vevis. Just as a minor note, I’m wielding a wooden mace I took from a guard at Cear Duldrae.

BIC: Gualbert had been in deep contemplation since they entered the woods. He feared something here, like he did the woods behind his uncle’s house. As the night came he felt even less at ease. “Maybe it’s just a childish fear” he whispered to himself. “Though there is no room for mistake here; my medicines can only heal so deep a wound…”

Gualbert had not been paying much attention to the conversation, but Wolem’s last words caught him. Gualbert motioned for the party to stop. “What – what do you smell Wolem? Ouur’mm – Ouur’mm, dim your eyes.” Gualbert could feel his grip tighten on his mace. "What do you smell?" he repeated, looking on into the darkness.

Suddenly he realized they had entered an unusually large clearing.

Endil’s senses were on high alert. He could hear heavy thudding a few hundred yards away. He nocked an arrow. The crude form of sonar with which elves are blessed came online and gave him a clear view of a creature in the deep shadows of the trees. He whispered to Gualbert “I’m not certain, but I believe there are three evil Hurtons in the shadows over there. If they are, move slowly and touch no weapon that could harm a tree.”

OOC Hurtons are evil Ents. If this isn’t what I’m supposed to be posting this, ignore it

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Gualbert shivered. He had seen Ents walking among the forest trees, but not in battle, and such a sight he never hoped to see. He griped the hilt of his mace, knowing that the wood of his weapon, though toughened, would do little damage against such a tremendous force of twisted nature.

Gualbert whispered, "wait, what is that sound Endil?" Abruptly the air resounded with the whiz of arrows being loosened from their bows. A hail of shafts flew around the adventurers toward where Endil heard the Ents come. Then, to Gualbert's surprise, a return volley came back. A moment passed as then around them came the swoosh of swords being pulled hastily out of their sheathes.

A few yards away, Gualbert saw several figures charge out of the mist that seemed constantly to enshroud the wood. They wore the grayish cassocks of the Kingdom's elite soldiers, with swords and axes drawn. Although they were not charging at the party of adventures, unknowingly hidden in a shadowed glade, but at something in the wood behind them. "They don't seem to know we're here, by thunder," whispered Gualbert. "Looks to be about forty of them in all, not counting the Hurtons they have mastered. Any thoughts as to a plan fellows?" Casually Gualbert drew his mace.

"You guys can charge into the middle of the fight! I'll start throwing infernos and grenades at Everything that moves!" For good reason Wolem was never a general. Except possibly during the siege of Tenishanal which was known for a combination of wave attacks and catastrophic explosions. By the end of the siege Tenishanal and the besieging army where no more. But Wolem continued on his merry way the very next day.

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Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love."~Jonathan Swift