Kreemon wandered around for the rest of the day, sometimes as a wolfhound, other times as a man. The tension in Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index had been rising for weeks, and it was finally breaking. Some people were bleary-eyed like they hadn't slept in weeks, and others were overly energetic, but almost everyone was happy. The music that was a constant background in Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index was dramatically increased. Minstrels sang a new song about Ulan's heir, the verses alternating between her and the Golden Priest, so as to invite comparison. Kreemon detected Forgolonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigForgolon
Description
The minstrel was tall and well-built. He had a developed moustache, although not so developed as Sahlman's, and the beginnings of a beard. The man wore baggy pants, and a loose vest. There were numerous places where he could have been hiding a small dagger or knife, and's work. The army hadn't attacked for days, and while the walls were still well-guarded, people weren't as worried.
But despite the improved mood, things had not really settled down. Priests were still evident in the streets, though they kept their thoughts to themselves. The guild masters kept quiet as well, as if waiting to see what would happen. Every jeweler had tripled up on guards. And there was a rumor, not widespread or widely believed, but clear to any listener, that the dramatic performace the day before was just that – a performance. Some even doubted that Koriscaplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigKorisca Valym
Korisca would be a beautiful woman if she bathed regularly. Most of the time, her face is soot-covered and her hands are grimy. Her blue eyes stand out as the only colorful feature of her face. Her blond hair is full of dirt and ragged, and is never combed neatly. Even after bathing, which never cleans her completely, she seems to draw the dirt back onto her skin within hours. Korisca is slim and light-footed. She wears a good cloak and breaches, soft boots and a vest. Two knife s… was Morenthianplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMorenth
Morenth's theology revolves around the simple idea that the entire universe belongs to him, and humanity is barely worthy to bask in his radiant presence. Those who refuse to acknowledge this simple, self-evident fact heretics, and deserve punishment or death. There is no repentance for heretics. She certainly didn't have the voice for it. Clearly, Forgolonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigForgolon
Description
The minstrel was tall and well-built. He had a developed moustache, although not so developed as Sahlman's, and the beginnings of a beard. The man wore baggy pants, and a loose vest. There were numerous places where he could have been hiding a small dagger or knife, and had his work cut out for him.
Then there were the odd things happening. Like everyone else, Kreemon found himself either exhausted or overly energetic at any moment, like he hadn't slept at all. Clouds zipped across the sky like they were in a hurry to get away from something. When night fell, Kreemon returned to his room and rested. He slept deeply, and was woken by the sun feeling again like he'd barely slept. He sighed, then turned into an owl and flew out the window and over the city wall, to the meeting point away from the army that Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… had described the day before. There, the two of them, with Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh…'s cloaked skeletons following behind, made their way south to the first farm, away from the river where the sailors waited, and away from Balban's army.
After days of bed rest and weeks of living in tight quarters in Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index, Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… found the walk difficult. He was soon panting with exertion. Kreemon had no such difficulty, and the skeletons probably could have walked to the end of the earth if Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… had commanded it. They entered the first farm, then turned to the east, where they crossed a second farm, then a third. Each farm was planted with short winter vegetables – carrots, kale, cabbage – so they could easily see that a small patch of forest seperated that farm from Felkon's. They stepped into the woods and found it to be much deeper than it had originally appeared. They walked and walked, but seemed to get nowhere. Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… knew something was amis. There was magic at work here. He had the skeletons walk ahead, and although their feet moved as if they were walking normally, they only advanced forward by fractions of an inch at a time.
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… told the skeletons to walk in the other direction, which they did without a problem. At least they weren't completely trapped. He asked Kreemon to walk towards Felkon's farm to see if it affected him as well. He had the same problem, barely moving at all, though it looked as if he were walking normally. Kreemon asked Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… to try, and there was no more luck there. Even Tah'iera found himself trapped, flying forward without moving.
Kreemon opened his senses to the woods, hoping that this was similar to the effect that had brought him and Koriscaplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigKorisca Valym
Korisca would be a beautiful woman if she bathed regularly. Most of the time, her face is soot-covered and her hands are grimy. Her blue eyes stand out as the only colorful feature of her face. Her blond hair is full of dirt and ragged, and is never combed neatly. Even after bathing, which never cleans her completely, she seems to draw the dirt back onto her skin within hours. Korisca is slim and light-footed. She wears a good cloak and breaches, soft boots and a vest. Two knife s… days back in time, to Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index. He had a feeling about this, but couldn't identify it. On the bright side, this was the first time he had sensed anything of the kind.
The group backtracked, indending to go around the woods. They left to the west, then went north and followed the straight line of woods for a while. Then, where the next farm to the north began, they turned back east. Their progress was unhidered for some time, before they found themselves blocked again.
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… asked Kreemon, “Is there anything you can do? Seems there is something blocking us.”
Kreemon visualized of a wall of leaves, since the True Zahiranplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZahira
by Diane Hutton and the DM
The Common View
Zahira is seen as a dangerous cult that welcomes the Zioth and embraces death. It is led by mysterious druid-like entities known as “True Zahirans.” There is quite a bit of legend surrounding these druids, such as their ability to appear out of nowhere, or the fact that they all look alike. used a leaf to show the path. He thought of a narrow path, cutting through the wall – a path that they could take to pass through. If there was anything to find, he didn't find it.
“Let's check to see how far this goes,” Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… said, and headed further down the invisible boundary, occasionally checking to see if they could go forward. There didn't seem to be any end to it. However, he soon got the impression they were making a circle around Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index. At the same time, he sent Tah'iera up, high in the sky, to see if the magical border had an upper limit. As the bird rose, it moved closer and closer to the town, even though it often tried to fly away from it. So the boundary could be a cone, or a dome.
“This doesn't bode well. Maybe there is a portal or opening near the army since you saw a boat over there. Let's head that way, but we need to be careful.” The group continued along the boundary, headed in the direction of the sieging army.
They circled the town north and east. Each time they went too far, it soon became obvious that they had to curve more tightly, always staying the same distance from Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index. After some time, they reached the river, and saw an unusual sight. Where the water met the boundary, it rose, as if flowing uphill. At the peak, it foamed like the rapids of a narrow stream.
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… and Kreemon continued along the river, tossing pebbles or sticks from time to time at the barrier to see if there were any gaps. What happened was as strange as the rest of what they'd seen that day. The object would approach the barrier, then slow down in the air, defying logic. Eventually, it would slowly fall to the ground. The strangest thing was that, at first glance, this didn't seem strange at all.
Soon, the receeded river curved in towards Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index, and the barrier was out of reach. Kreemon pointed upstream. “The barge was over there. Maybe some of the occupants are still here and can shed some light on things. Though, you might want to do the talking. I will stay scarce. I don't think my presence will help get answers.” Kreemon continued on with Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh…, looking out for the odd priest he had tried to kill.
Soon, they saw the river barge in the distance. A camp, a few days old, was set up on the river bank, and while most of the crew of the barge were packing things down as if getting ready to leave, a couple were on the bank. One man on the barge, the man Kreemon assumed was the captain from the negotiations with Balban, was watching them approach. There was no obvious sign of the man Kreemon had tried to kill.
The captain gave them a big smile, and called out, “Greetings travellers!” He sounded like a shopkeeper trying to make a sale. “We were just pushing off. Before we leave, can I interest you in some trade goods from far away lands?” The man was clearly not from Huerten. Both his odd style of dress and his unusual accent suggested he might even be from outside Rangplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigThe Kingdom of Rang
Overview
Rang is a huge kingdom, covering more than a million square miles, and extending from the Great Sea to the Ice Sea. It dominates the area politically, militarily and religiously. Rang is a monarchy, led by King Diure LXIV, but its immense size weakens the central government. Most feudal lords manage their lands independently, and only answer to the king in the loosest sense. The king does have several pockets of power, such as in Huerten, which allow him to maintai….
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… put himself a few steps ahead of the rest of his group. “Excuse me,” he said. “Is it possible to purchase safe passage from this area?”
“Certainly! I am headed down river to the ocean. Is that far enough away? If it is just the four of you without cargo I could take you for two hundred aglars. We can negotiate the purchase of goods on the voyage. I'll even credit you one-eighth of your fare to your purchase of trade goods. If you require more than hard tack and river water for subsistence the price will be higher of course. Likewise, storing more than you can carry will incur extra expense.” There were six other raftmen, four of whom were at the corners of the raft ready to push off with poles. The gentleman speaking, a man of average build with sun-bleeched hair, old but high-quality clothing and a wide-brimmed straw hat, was holding the bitter end of a line that was tied to the raft on one end, then looped around a rock and snaked back to the raft. The raft slowly drifted away from the bank as he spoke and the line began to draw tight and lift above the water. In between sentences, he issued short commands to the crew.
“Trade would be welcome. Transport would be nice as well. What goods do you have, and what is your next port of call? We are actually headed east but could use a ride a few miles south away from the city before we strike out. We could come aboard and peruse your wares while we are underway.”
“Excellent! Are you ready to leave now? Provisions shouldn't matter for such a short trip. Though, if the winds allow I could offer a hot meal for a small fee?”
“Certainly, then I can look over your wares as well.” While Kreemon climbed aboard nimbly and Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… with help, Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh…'s silent bodyguards were awkward about it, as if moving from land to raft was a new thing they had to invent, and they made a strange, quiet clattering sound like they had some sort of musical instrument hidden in their clothes. Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. could have sworn he saw a brief glint of red under one of their face-concealing cowls as the man struggled to get aboard.
At Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier.'s command, the barge set off downstream. The water level had dropped even further, so there were many rocks and banks to avoid that had not been a problem there before, but the crew was competent and had forged through much worse, so there was barely a bump. Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… perused the remaining goods, but wasn't impressed. “Nothing here tickles my fancy; I am more interested in herbs and gemstones.”
“Garlic and peppers are similar to herbs, no? I'm interested in gemstones as well. Unfortunately, I've yet to find an opportunity to buy-low any gemstones.” After making his half-hearted sales pitch, Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. lost interest in the conversation and started mumbling about making it down river and back to the ocean.
Before long, the barge approached the strange formation in the water. The current pushed the water slightly upwards, giving it an unnatural slope, and it rose until it overflowed the banks, like a storm wave in the open sea. With the strength of the current and plenty of effort from the oarsmen, the raft made its way up the slope, moving more and more slowly until, at the peak, it all but stopped. Oars kept moving, but the raft just sat there, bobbing up and down but moving at a snail's pace at best.
“This seems odd,” Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… said. “Have you run into this phenomenon before?”
“Yes, I have seen this before, two days ago in this exact spot. I had another passenger - some sort of mystic. I was hoping to bring him back here and get some answers, but he wandered off. Do any of you have any thoughts on the situation?” He turned to look at everyone. “I'm at a loss myself.”
“Were you able to move through it? It appears we are still moving forward, just at a very reduced pace.”
“We were unable to move any faster than we are now. I gave up the last time in hopes of finding my former passenger for answers. He called himself, 'Messenger' and seemed to know quite a bit about the strange weather lately. I urgently need to go back down river, and you lot seem eager to get our of here…” Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. sighed. “Seems we have no choice but to push ahead and see how far we can get. If your muscle are up to it, an extra paddle or two can't hurt. Joos over there can get them set up.”
“I'll be happy to help,” Kreemon said, and got a paddle from Joos. While exercising the paddle, Kreemon let his new senses peer out, attempting to discern the nature, and possible counteragent, of the invisible force keeping them at bay. In the past, the “new senses” Kreemon was trying to explore rarely told him anything. This time was different. There was something wrong about that barrier. Kreemon had a sense that a storm was coming. Looking up at the fast-moving clouds, that was far from surprising, but the clouds were small and white. The storm shouldn't seem so close, when it had to be a day or more away. The nearly bare trees up ahead twitched and shook under strong winds that seemed to blow in all directions, but where they sat on their raft, the wind was mild. A bird flew by – Kreemon thought he was the only one who saw it. He had never seen a bird move that fast.
“Where is this 'Messenger' now?” Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… asked.
Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. stooped down to re-tie a knot holding the raft together. “Playing soldier with the army outside Maelborg. He makes about as much sense as this torrent of water underneath us.” He stood up. “Why, you a friend?”
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… shook his head. “No, but if he knows something… I mean, this doesn't seem natural.”
Kreemon said, “It looks like we are in the barrier now. Time has slowed for us but has sped up outside. See?” He pointed out out how quickly things were moving ahead of them. “We need to continue on, or we will be stuck here.”
The oarsmen pulled over and over, working their way very slowly forward, or at least it seemed like that at times. Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. wasn't sure. It felt like the raft was moving, but were the landmarks any closer or farther? It was hard to tell. After what must have been two hours of pushing forward, Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. was starting to think the answer was no.
Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. gave orders to gradually slow the pace of paddling and see if the apparent lack of progress changed at all. The effect was minimal, and soon, he found a slow and easily sustainable pace that would maintain their position without losing ground. He hoped the situation would pass, and when it did, they'd be able to move immediately. In the mean time, Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. gave the order for a hot meal.
Maintaining position was easy. The water seemed to be frothing in place for the most part, despite that they were a little higher up than the rest of the river. Clouds continued to fly overhead as lunch was prepared and handed out. Noon came and went, and still there was no sign of any change, except that the river was calming a little, and more water was spilling over the banks.
“Things will probably seem even slower for us while we are in the barrier,” Kreemon said. “We need to redouble our efforts.”
“Captain,” Jan said, sweating despite the chilly weather, “I don't think we're going to get out of… whatever this is.”
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… said to Kreemon, “let me see the end of your pole for a moment.” He tied a small piece of errant cloth to the end. “Now poke the pole at the barrier. Let's see how far it goes before the cloth waves in the breeze as it normally should.”
Kreemon set down his oar for the moment – the loss of his exersions seemed to have no effect on the position of the raft – and walked to the front with Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh…'s pole. He quickly realized the walk was taking too long. It had felt like he was moving forward, with the pole slightly extended, but he had been doing little more than walk in place. The tip of the pole, and the flag that hung from it, had gotten no farther than the front of the raft. Kreemon heard one of the crew snicker behind him, but his mirth died nervously before Kreemon could see who it was.
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… said, “It appears that is where the barrier lies. The question is, how thick is it and can we pass through it?”
Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. paused for a while. Was it indecision? After observing all on board for what seemed like too long, Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. issued the order to paddle 'with all due vigor'. The raft's crew put in extra effort to move forward. It was not as 'no-holds-barred' as before - but, there was now a steady stream of calories exerted towards forward momentum - no matter how slight that extra movement was. Even Kreemon felt invigorated. As the party padled, pushed and scraped forward, Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. saw that all got a steady stream of reasonably edible food, water and mildly strong alcohol to keep them going.
Soon, the men took up a song, and that got the rhythm going - for all but the two cloaked men, at least. They kept to their own, tireless, unvarying rhythm as if they'd been oarsmen all their lives. The hours passed, and night fell quickly. Still, there was no more progress. They didn't pass a single tree or bush that hadn't been behind them to begin with. The water rose around them, diminishing the unnatural slope of the water, and the river widened, as if the water too was having trouble penetrating the strange barrier. It was full dark before the men, one by one, started to show how tired they were.
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… frowned. “This isn't good. Don't tell me we are stuck here. When did you all arrive? Was the barrier already in place?”
The barge had been in the area since around the time of the earthquake, Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. said. The river had been normal enough when they'd gotten here. Kale, one of the barge's crew, shook his head slightly and looked down, as if he knew there was more to tell but was trying not to let anyone know. Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh…'s noticed. “Is that everything?”
Kale looked to the first mate, but the mate just shrugged his shoulders. He tried Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier., but the captain was still staring at the water, trying to figure out how to get through an impenetrable, and downright impossible, barrier. “We came here on the Hornblow.” At Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh…'s uncomprehending look, he continued. “You don't get it either? We're on the Roe now. We've got to be, if that's really Maelbourgplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaelbourg
[This map is obviously missing a lot. There aren't huge open spaces in Maelbourg.]
Maelbourg is a walled town in the Barony of Huerten, with a population of approximately six thousand. Its primary exports are textiles, wool and coal, the last of which it acquires from deposits in the nearby hills. The land on which the town sits was added to maelbourg index over there. The Hornblow's miles from here, and there ain't no way to get from the Hornblow to the Roe unless you want to drag your ass over land, or go all the way out to the damn sea and back. You want to know when we got here? Fifteen years of poling up and down the river tells me we aren't here at all. Come on! Doesn't anybody else think this is crazy? That blizzard, then the earthquake, then we're in the wrong damn river, and then this?!” He gestured to the invisible barrier in front of the craft. Many of the crew nodded their heads. Only one, a spindly, bug-eyed man, shook his back and forth.
“There has to be an explanation,” the bug-eyed man said.
“Yeah? You come up with one, smarty. In all my years, I never once saw anything like this, and I'll bet a year's pay and more you haven't either.”
Cundeeplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigCaptain J. Cundee
As a seafarer and merchant I am probably as alien as an elf or dwarf to most landlubbers. I am educated, but not a clergyman. I am obviously modestly wealthy, but not nobility. I have a physical appearance of a farm laborer (tanned, rough hands, etc), but I clearly am not a peasant. I dress in strange dress, walk differently and even talk differently. I carry a sword and may have even trained in its use, but I am not a soldier. looked up. “Yes sir, I agree with your logic. We somehow jumped rivers. Though I know it happened, I don't know how it happened. Rivers do shift their course over time. Perhaps one of the torrential storms shuffled the channels long enough for us to switch rivers? In any event, the question of which river we're on is less pressing than the fact we are stuck here.”
Ziedonplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigZiedon
Ziedon stands a little under six feet tall and is relatively thin. He has a neatly trimmed black beard and mustache which stand out considerably against his pale skin. His hazel eyes seem to see everything around him. Ziedon's white hair is cut short in the traditional townsman's style. Ziedon's garb is of a well-to-do townsman. He normally wears a thin, off-white shirt with eleven pairs of wooden knobs and strings in the front with a brown and green band of cloth was laid across his sh… replied, “Well, we can attempt to turn around or press on; at this point, I don't know which is better to try.”
“I've tried waiting it out; nothing seems to change. I think we should push on. We'll keep a reasonable pace so we don't tire ourselves out. I'd hate to miss an opportunity because we can't move fast enough.”
“As long as you have plenty of food and drink available, we should persevere. Do not worry about these two men here though; they seldom tire and do not need much of any sustenance.”
The rowers pushed on in the dark, but their enthusiasm waned. Some tried to strike up a song, and that too, died out eventually. As the night brightened into dawn, they started taking shifts. Songs came and went, food was passed out and eaten without enthusiasm. Every once in a while, one of the rowers would suddenly put in more energy, becoming desperate to get out of whatever impossible trap bound them. Sometimes the entire crew was affected at once, but even that didn't move the barge forward a single inch that anyone could tell.