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Main Sim - Alien Planet - Landing Party 2 Inside Valiki

Posted June 12, 2022, 10:57 a.m. by Gamemaster CockRoach (GM) (Robert Archer)

[snip]

“I spoke loudly of....”, Kajhel tried to find a way not to break character too much, “… the place I come from, which I wasn’t supposed to do. I thought we were alone, we were not. Then I started panicking, I threw up, when I realised what I had done. A colleague came to help me, offered to be kind and help me through the panic attack, and then I hugged her, without checking for consent. Another colleague then came, and bounced me off of her, and threw me on the ground. It hurt, but I’m physically OK, I think. My brain is still messed up from all of this. I really, really messed up. Badly. I don’t know what to do, or if I can do this any more. I feel sick to my core.”
Alwyn listen to him without interruption before replying with a soft voice : “Again, that’s something everybody could do, especially on their debut. That is something I could have done myself. And for the unwanted hug, if you tell me if you were in a state of panic, that also is something everybody could have done.”

He let him catch his breath a bit. “Now, let’s go catch the others, shall we ?” he says with a smile. “Can you stand up ?”

Kajhel tried to stand up, but dizziness caught him. Now was not the time to get up again.
Alwyn caught him before he fell : “Woah, easy there. You might stay sit for a moment.”

“Oops,” he said, while sitting down on the ground, just at the stem of a tree. “I think I lost my water in the whole ordeal of it. Can you see my bag anywhere?”

Quickly looking around, the doctor found Kajhel’s bag behind him, took him, and grab the goatskin filled with water.

“Here”, he says giving him the water. He then search in his own bag and found a little leather case, with little compartments on the inside filled with pills. He took two of the same kind and gave them to Kajhel : “Take it with some water. That will help you with your dizziness.”

”..If we are finished with you stumbling blind outlanders, can we keep moving please?” Catherine asked.

Once they got going the group trudged through the nearby market area. It was quite bustling different wares being called out from fruits, vegetables, ropes, and other general goods, there were even two stalls which had a bored looking old woman and an equally bored looking old man occasionally calling out about offering information, knowledge, or rumors for the right price.

Kovan watched the market bustle with longing. The sounds of a lively market was not something he thought he would keenly, deeply miss. There was something thrilling and exciting about markets, the lifeblood of cities. He wanted to loose himself in the crowd, to see every strange and exotic ware, to find something he wanted to have and bargain for it. It hurt to keep his focus on their team and the two girls. A hurt not too unlike the withdraws he’d experienced from drugs or alcohol.

The second girl as they passed those two rolled her eyes, “..Pish half the time those two when they give out information on ‘rumors’ just make stuff up, no way to verify it till you get there and then when you get back here they are so entangled as ‘friends’ with the local militia they overlook it. Bunch of con artists if you ask me, but they do still give out enough good reliable information to folks and the militia especially that they get away with the bad stuff for idiots..” she said, again brushing her right ear as she spoke. The first girl chuckled nodding a bit and rubbed her nose, but said nothing else.

Rand wondered if it would be worth talking to the two people the girls pointed out. Most certainly it would be a gamble if the information was useful or not and they would be far over charged for the potential lies. What got Rand’s attention though was the subtle hand signals. After studying Tradealogue with Kovan, and her theatre training, Rand was aware of the significance of body language and signaling. She moved getting Kovan’s attention and raised a brow with a slight tilt of her head towards the two girls. Had he noticed or was she making more of it than it was? She didn’t think so, but Kovan was their language expert.

Kovan caught Rand’s look. He had noticed. Could be a simplified sign language, something the girls made on their own or from observing adults. Silent communication would be a critical skill for a pair of pickpockets and these girls have proven to be cunning and motivated to survive. He returned Rand’s look with a slight nod of his own head and would keep a closer look on the two girls body language going forward.

Passing the market the group took a side path which lead into a residential area, this seemed a district for the middle class folks, as well as businesses not suited for the market or elsewhere. It was evident here that the district was more ‘homely’ in scope. But they had hardly any time to take it in then they were through it and into the docks.

Entering this area the wafting smell of fish, and unwashed bodies hit them like a punch to the gut. The girls though seemed unphased by it. Mixed in with the stench was also a few nice smelling scents that were likely of someone running a stall or the like grilling, smoking, or such with fish and bread. Ahead passing through another gate the guarded by a pair of bored militiamen in leather armor and armed with spears, they emerged from the city unto the lakeside docks themselves. Along the dock 12 piers were set up all host to a variety of sized fishing vessels. All 12 were occupied at the moment, all showing them empty of their crews, or only having a few idle hands moping about the decks. Pointing to the 11th ship in the line and the largest of the 12 the second girl spoke, “..Down there is Marzo’s ship. Can we go now?” she asked.

Rand waited to see what Alden would do. Personally she didn’t think the girls should be paid until they actually introduced them. For all they knew the girls were lying about something or everything or nothing.

Yeoman Rand

Kovan would rather they confirm Marzo’s identity before letting them go. He almost said as much before catching himself. He discretely looked around, attempting to gauge what kind of reaction their group may be getting and see if anyone was paying too close attention to them.

Roman did not want to let them go until they introduced them to Marzo, either. They could lie, or perhaps they were telling the truth, but perhaps Marzo wouldn’t believe that the girls sent them unless the girls were there to confirm it. He looked quite uncomfortable dealing with kids though, he hoped it would go quickly. “Erm, no, not yet. Can’t you introduce us before you take off?”

The one girl huffed but sighed, “..Oh fine! Come on..” She muttered. Heading down the dock’s proper they came up to the 11th ship in line. Now closer they could make out the slightly faded wording calling it the ‘Valiki Sprite’. Trudging up the short gangplank the girls went over to a 5‘11 tall human man, with deep tanned skin, dark brown hair, and while a bit wide in the shoulders, body and legs seemed fat, was as they got closer shown likely to be mostly muscle.

He was dressed in a well worn garb of ankle high pants, short ripped sleeve shirt, a heavy weathered bandana, and a hefty work belt where on it were various fishing implements, and a well cared for short blade. “..Marzo! We got some visitors for you..” The girl said.

Turning after whacking down a wooden peg in one blow to a railing, then beefy man turned regarding the group. “..What’s this? You two think after last time you can just barge unto my ship and bring…” he regarded the group one by one, “..A bunch of outlanders?” he said.

”..Hey! You owe Parns down below that favor remember? He said you had to accept us on board at anytime, sides we’re not here for any of that. These folks wanted to meet you about all that fancy magic light show a day back..” She said.

Given that the girls had pocketed all Rand’s currency and she had promised to let them keep it in exchange for the communicator she had no way to pay the girls for introducing them to Marzo. Rand made her way over to Alden, nodded her head toward the girls and held out her hand in an obvious and age old gesture of ‘I need money for that.’

Roman seemed to instantly understand what Rand wanted and reached into his money pouch and handed her some of the coins from inside. Then he turned to the girls and said a somewhat awkward, “Thank you.”

Spitting a thick wad of phlegm in disgust to the side into the lake Marzo gave the group another go over, “..You all here about that huh? Well I guess you all probably ran into these two when they tried slipping a little something something from your pockets and you caught’em right?” he said the last part directed to the girls who just shrugged. Waving it off then he made a ‘shooing’ gesture to the girls, who without another word made to run off the boat. “..Bah whatever, so you outlander folks want to know about that magic light show north east of here huh?..” he said turning back to begin winding thick rope for later use into bundles.

Rand stopped the girls as they started to run past. Keeping one hand on her bags to make sure they didn’t pocket something else, she dropped the coins into the nameless girl’s hand and let them be on their way.

Nearby two more men of similar stance like Marso were on the aft port side of the large fishing boat who gave gazes to the group too, along the forward starboard bow a woman with much whiter skin, and more elfen like pointed ears was busy sewing up some sails she did not seem to be giving the newcomers much notice beyond a simple glance.

Roman turned to the man who the girls had introduced as Marzo and nodded. “We are. We… research these kinds of events. We came a long way when we heard about it.” He said to Marzo. It wasn’t technically a lie.

Kovan eyed Marzo and his crew. If this goes south on thin ice their group could be in trouble. It was clear that the people of this town did not favor “outlanders” and any kind of altercation now would only end badly for their landing party. Best they get the information they needed and find a place to lay low for a while. Too much attention on their group. . . Kovan stepped forward, “You could say magic is a specialty of ours.” He said, in a calm, almost indifferent tone.

OOC: Pasting in my split!

Marzo gave Roman his first look, “..Research huh,” he followed that with a more annoyed look at Kovan, “..magic specialty huh? Bah you outlanders are always poking your noses where they shouldn’t go. Last bunch that went poking their noses around strange happenings like this two of them came back to Valiki ranting crazy nonsense and having a desire to sacrifice people and drink their blood! To those Sunkisser folks over a month to track those two down and deal with’em! by that point they’d killed 8 children and 2 adults to who knows what evil nonsense!” he spat off to the side of the boat then putting down a wrapped up bundle of rope.

Sighing then he shook his head, “..Whatever, you stupid outlanders want to go poke your noses into this light show nonsense, that’s on you, but if you all die, go crazy, or become twisted flesh eating monsters you better not come looking for my hide or crew!” he said.

Turning back to the bow he pointed off to the north-east. “..Was about a few days ago, my boat and crew were up along one of our usual fishing spots along the north-eastern shore of Lake Zarovich here. There’s a small deep water inlet that lets boats like mine find even primer choice spots about a mile off the lake down a side river. By that point you’re pretty far east along ole Barovia’s countryside, in fact if you wanted you could probably trek overland within a day or so through the Slavich Woods to Barovia Village proper. Assuming you survive all the wolf and worg attacks.” pausing he seemed to realize he was getting off track, “..Anyhow it was nearing sundown so my crew and I were bolting down the boat for safety with the coming night. About 4 hours after night fell a gloomy grey storm clouds rolled over the sky from the east further on. Next thing we see this eerie white-blue glow spark up from the mountain side over Barovia Village..” he then paused again seeming to make a strange gesture with his hands, likely some local superstious gesture to ward off evil or spirits. His crew did the same, though the elven woman seemed to do something different. “..Looked like it was coming from The Devil’s Castle..” he said in a much lower tone of voice, “..the blue-white glow seemed to be like covering a huge swath of the mountain area up there, and we all swore even from this distance we could hear a weird humming sound on the wind. The air seemed charged, no doubt from the strange magics afoot, and then suddenly there was this land and air shattering ‘pop’ sound and the magics ended as did the light show. Well after seeing all that my crew and I decided screw bedding down on the Lake, we risked rowing back to the docks here even at night with the risk of unknown night horrors in the sky or under the water..” he finished.

GM CockRoach


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