[Ankalar] The meeting at Rhur Corell

[Michael Jotne Slayer]

[OOC]This game is currently full, if you want to join, PM me and I will see if the story allows it
The rules: Dont kill any NPCs or PCs without consulting me and the PC first. Dont describe what you do, describe what your character is trying to do.  
Dont introduce your own plot points to the story without my permission.
In other words, be a good roleplayer!

A few notes.

This is not based on anything yet, we will just see what happens as we go along. But we are in times that could be compared to the medieval(no gun powder). Your character cannot use magic! Even though magic might exist.
The PCs has to be humans also, though this does not count for the NPCs.

You will recive info on things only your character knows or has seen etc through PMing or other means. Please do not use OOC chat which can ruin the story..

For more rules see; http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?topic=1617.0 Check this thread out regulary since this is where gaming issues will be brought forth.

You should also check out the thread; http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?topic=1618.0
which conserns the entire region of Ankalar.

Background on your character- She/he has been given a package and a bag of money by a mysterious man. They have been told to go to a sacred place named Rhur in the forest Corell. Here they will meet three others, each carrying a package of their own. Their packages seen toghether will reveal the task at hand.

                                                          Hope you enjoy, Michael


Chapter 1

The meeting at Rhur Corell

Darkness was encroaching, long shadows as blue as ice creeping along the woodland carpet, over rocks and toadstools, moss and wildflowers. It was the time of the evening when, normally, the changeover from diurnal to nocturnal was being made. Larks and finch giving way to whip-poor-wills and owls, boar and rabbits to foxes and weasels. There was little stirring.
He paused to search the woodland ahead... no signs of danger. But his sight was not what it used to be. A younger lad of his clan would have been able to see more in this failing light.
His name was Masarn Sengel, but he did not really use that name anymore.
He preferred to call himself Aki. He was about 45 years old, but still strong and fast.
Women swooned at his impressive build, curly black hair and blue eyes which were slightly wrinkled by half a century of laughter and emotions. He was clad in grey and brownish
hunting clothes. A heavy oak spear and a  long willow bow were indispensible artifacts when he was in the wilderness. The knife was for practical uses rather than fighting, but he had learned to keep an open mind on this subject.


He drew his breath silently as he once again scanned the area for any signs of human activity.
He ran lightly through the underbrush, shielding his face with his arm.
As he reached a small stream, he jumped, rolled and hid behind a rock.
"There it is" he thought with a grin.
The runestone was where the meeting was to be held. There was a circle of lesser stones surrounding it.   As he stepped into the edge of the clearing, he hesitated momentarily and felt a chill run down his spine.This was clearly a holy place, used of old to worship the pagan gods.  Being a practical man, he quickly moved on to the task at hand: the meeting.

Nothing was to be heard or seen; if somebody else was nearby they were certainly skilled in the art of the shadow. He crept closer.

He thought back on the chance meeting that had brought him to this place.  He had been sitting in the Red Lantern, unwinding after long travels.  To his right he noticed a hooded stranger, drinking nothing and talking to no one.  He had the sense that this man was sizing him up through the veil of his cloak.  Staring straight ahead, the man spoke in an undertone, "You know the woods in this area well, Aki?"

"Nobody better."

"Good.  I have a job for you, one that you will find pays quite nicely.  I need you to bring a package to a meeting I have arranged.... at Rhur Corell. You know the place?"

"In the heart of the Sacred Wood of Corell; yes, that's a dangerous piece of territory.  You never know what you'll run into in those parts.  But if the price is right..."

"I assure you, it is."   From under the voluminous folds of his cloak he produced a bag of gold.  Aki eyed the bag.  "Do you trust me that much?"

"You'll get another bag when you complete the task.  But if you decide to disappear, I guarantee you it will be permanent."  He laughed, and the sudden movement put his face in the light, revealing rotten teeth, corroded and brown to the core.

Aki was completely unfazed.  He'd met much worse than this in his travels.
The man finished describing the task, and Aki left the Red Lantern pondering his nebulous assignment.  He wondered, could he trust this man that had somehow, mysteriously known his name with no introduction?   For this kind of money, in these hard times, he would have to.  He equipped himself for the journey and, seeing no reason to waste time, immediately set off into the forest.
And now here he was, in the middle of a pitch black wilderness. Not only did great beasts dwell here, but wild men of the wood could still be seen at the heart of the forest. He did not intend to enter the clearing yet.
He wanted to size up the others when they came, if they had made this far...

[CaptainPenguin]

Tree Viper dropped to a lower branch, hanging by the fingers of his right hand to gaze into the clearing where the runestone circle was. He grinned with anticipation. Chances like this didn't come along but once in a lifetime.
Dropping to the ground, he ran a leather-gloved hand through his shaggy blonde hair, which was held back by a colorful headband. His clothing was green, all in green, baggy trousers and tunic, with cloth wrappings and a hooded cloak. His cord-sandaled feet made not a sound across the sward.

Tree Viper fingered the package at his belt and the pouch of gold, remembering the nasty sod who had contracted him. A sorceror, if Tree Viper had ever seen one. Hooded robe, rotten teeth, pocked club nose. At first, the hooded man had not impressed the bandit, who had told him to bugger off and buy his own beer. But the gold impressed him. So Tree Viper had parted ways with his bandit band, who had been a bit miffed, but who wouldn't be with six inches of steel between their shoulder-blades?

Tree Viper padded from between the trees toward the runestones. He wondered what other sorts of tossers he would encounter on this errand.

[Michael Jotne Slayer]

Aki had been hiding by the rock for some time; it was almost midnight and darkness had taken the woods completely.
There was something in the air - a smell perhaps - that Aki could not quite define. His head came up and he looked around as if he suspected that he was not alone. He rose completely from his hiding place as silently as any animal of the forest would.

On the other side of the clearing he noticed the dim figure of a man moving towards the great stone.
There was no point in hiding anymore. He walked openly into sight and proceeded to the runestone. As he came to the circle he noticed that some of the stones were stained by dark brown spots. Fountaining blood had spattered here.

"Hoi stranger, be you one of the four?"

Aki halted. If this man was indeed invited to the meeting he would know
what he meant. He tried to look relaxed, casually holding his spear to show no signs of ill will...

[Alec_Shadowkin]

Aaron got up from the rock he'd been taking a breather on and started again.This walking around in the woods bit was starting to get very old. This bloody Rhur Corell should be in just a mile or so, and all the better for that. He was getting tired. And hungry! He hadn't had anything to eat since the mushrooms he'd found the previous morning, and now it was closing on mid-afternoon. Aaron dearly hoped there'd be some food, or some way to get food in this place. He had almost no belongings, just his book of scripture, his belt puch with a few coins left in it, and the last two or three swigs of a bottle of whiskey. His mace hung on his simple rope belt, and his brown priest's robes were torn and dirty. Things were not looking up for "Father" Aaron...

After the accident, he had turned away from his parish and his vows. The drink held him in its tight grasp, though he never complained. He was perfectly willing to shovel manure or do farm work for a few coins, enough to get him his next drink, at least. He'd been traveling from town to town, never staying anywhere for more than a week or two before moving on again, until that night in Carollis.

He'd been drinking himself into a stupor, as usual, with his day's earnings. He passed out at some point, and when he woke up, he was in a nice room at the town's inn. His belongings were piled neatly on the dresser, along with a small package, a drawstring bag and a note. Once the drums in Aaron's head died down a little and he had gotten some coffee into himself, he read it. It was short, and instructed him to carry the package to the sacred site of Rhur in the forest Corell. The drawstring bag was filled with enough money to keep him trashed for a full week, but he supposed he should do as the note said. Maybe this was a sign from the Great Tymat that he should follow to find his path again. He gathered his belongings, safely put the gold away, and left for the Corell.....

Ha! Some redemption this was turning out to be. He'd hiked through these woods for days now without seeing a single other soul. At least he was closing on the heart. He'd hopefully find some answers here. He finally reached it and saw two men talking. He moved forward as quietly as possible, wanting to make sure these men weren't his enemies before he revealed himself....

[Adel]

Deja slipped in and out of the dense vegitation watching silently as the  men eyed each other. were these the men she was to meet? they too held a familiar parcel. She decides to aproach them. " I know not if he is  one of the four but I can assure you that I am." she stares at the men through her deep seagreen eyes, as she fingers the dagger at her side. Her deep brown hair gives her a decievingly innocent appearance as it falls down her back. You will notice a long bow set squarely around her sholder. She is clad in brown traveling breeches and white fencing shirt. She wears a brown leather head band embriodered with jade colored stones that ties into the back of her half ponytail were it ends with two white feathers standing brightly out against her  dark hair. She has a wild untamed essense about her. " Well,"

[Michael Jotne Slayer]

As Aki posed the question to this shaggy haired fellow, he turned to the side and was quickly aware of the source of the scent that he had briefly caught earlier.  Creeping forward in the underbrush, trying, very unsuccessfully, to stay unnoticed, was a haggard man in priest's garments;  the man smelled rank with bad alcohol.  His hand strayed to his belt just in case this man meant trouble, but Aki was more annoyed than frightened.  What was this drunk old fool doing, spying on their meeting?  Just as this thought crossed his mind, a striking young woman boldly entered the clearing and approached them...

[CaptainPenguin]

With surprising suddeness, three others approached the Rhur Corell- three men and a woman. One of the men, the old sod that Tree Viper had noticed first, held a spear at his side.
"Hoi, stranger. Be you one of the four?" called the spear-wielder.

Tree Viper regarded the geezer with a sardonic grin.
"Well, I gots a package, if thas' what you mean. Whas' all this business 'bout now?" he said, his thick peasant accent revealing low birth. He glanced once more about the Rhur- one was the spear-carrier, an older man, one looked a priest, another was the woman, a girl more at by her looks.
"So, whassa' geezer wiv' a spear, a god-mouthing rober, me brilliant self, an' a pretty little bird gonna' do wiv' fahr' packages?"

(OOC: Fahr means four. He counts like this- warne (one), tway (two), thray (three), fahr (four), et cetera.)

[Adel]

" You must be thick to think I am poultry. However you do bring up an interesting question what are we to do? You bird man where did you get your parcel from?"

[CaptainPenguin]

"Bird man?! I'll 'ave you know, I 'ave de' distinct pleasure of being the infamous Tree Viper, Lord of the Bandits of Kestor Wood!" exclaimed Tree Viper indignantly, jerking a thumb at his own chest.

[Alec_Shadowkin]

This was starting to look up a little. At least one of these people should have some food, and maybe he'd get to sleep for the night. It was odd though. They were all extremely different, that much was obvious from first glance. Why should they all be given these same packages?

"Yeah, I've heard of you, Tree  Viper. You should probably take into account, however, that this is the Corell, not the Kestor. In any event, I am Aaron. Who might the other two of you be?"

[Adel]

"I am Deja from the Northern forests of Lyonelle. I have heard of you as well Birdman and the rumors are true... You do smell rather badly. Each of you has a parcel much like the one I was given. Does anyone have any futher instructions?  Who did you aquire your package from?" Deja stares at them  her hand still fingering her dagger. " It'll be getting dark soon might as well start a fire. Anyone got anything to eat if not we had better be getting some hunting done too."

[Scrasamax]

Greyson paused and took what bearing he could of the sun, it was getting on in the day and still the mosquitoes were eating him alive. He slapped another one that had landed on his neck. Suddenly, taking up the peddler on the salve to repel insects seemed like a much better idea than it had before. He hefted his falchion and resumed his trek towards Rhur Corell. The heavy blade made short work of leather and mail, so the vine and wood offered little resistance.

It had been three days ago when he had been sitting in the common room of the Gilded Lily Tavern. The hearth had been cold, but those were still the best seats in the place. Three empty cups littered the table, drained of all liquid. He had been working on his forth ale when the old man had approached him.

The bonny lass sitting on his knee hadn't even felt him shift his weight and wrap his off hand around the haft of his throwing dagger. If the old man proposed trouble, he would get more than he bargained for. Instead, the stubby-toothed man had pressed upon him a package to be delivered and enough gold to make it more than worth his while. Unfortunately, the old man's breath drove the bonny lass from the table. A pity that, she had been a pretty one and he hadn't even known her name.

'I'll take your gold old man,' he had said, swiping the gold and the item. The bag had more heft than he expected. The old man made some sort of threat against his life if he didn't deliver the package. Threats clouded around mercenaries the way flies were drawn to horses.

Sweat trickled down the nape of his neck, down his spine. He paused in his chopping; he heard an animal make a plaintive cry. Except that it was one of the wild men who lived in the forest. They were fierce, and dangerous, and deserved respect as foes. They lived like predators, killing and eating, leaving the scraps of their kills behind.

Thalion was looking better and better. But, he had agreed to deliver the package. One of the downsides to being a mercenary was that making a deal or a promise was sacrosanct. Break even one, no matter how bad it was, or how small the break, and everyone knew. Reputation was everything. The mayor of the woodcutters’ village was unhappy that he was leaving, but it was legitimate. He paid the mayor out of the gold the man had given him. It was a small part of the money, but it would serve the village well enough until another defender could be found.

After a long silence, he shifted his pack, and resumed his trek. The blade fell with mechanical regularity. A thick patch of grass bent, rather than shear against the blade. He stopped and tested the edge with his thumb. It was dulled by the long day of chopping. No matter, Rhur was not much further ahead. Greyson dropped his pack on the ground and pushed the grass aside until he found the deep pool of water that they invariably concealed.

It felt wonderful and he filled his helmet with the liquid, and then dumped it over his head. He could fancy the water sizzling against the metal in his armor. He took a long drink, and donned his helmet again. It was hot, but it would keep the arrow of one of the wild men from punching into his skull.

Dusk settled across the wood, but the light of the moon was sufficient to navigate by. He rested for perhaps the passage of an hour. Twilight was a dangerous time to travel. He rested and drank some water from another nearby pool. He refreshed what was left in his water skin; draining out the day heated water. A quick search turned up several wood bird eggs. Greyson cracked the shells and swallowed the eggs raw. It was a slimy meal, but a rich one.

The stars rose above the wood, and he reshouldered his pack. Rhur was close ahead. It was not long before he saw the head of one of the rune stones. A few minutes and he entered the ring of stones.

Four people stood in the circle of stones. The stones were spattered with blood, old blood. This had been the sight of a battle. He adjusted his grip on the blade; it smelled like an ambush.

It was an interesting bunch that had gathered in the stones. One was a man dressed all in green with long blond hair. It was quite a contrast to Greyson's own nearly shaved head. The stubble on his head wasn't much long than the stubble on his face. Employers liked the grizzled look, made him look tougher and meaner.

There was also a woman there, long hair with a pair of white feathers, it reminded him of Her. He dismissed the sentimental thought, such thinking clouded the senses and got men killed. She was warrior. She had a bow and looked like she knew how to use it. Her bow could probably outrange his twice over. She was also very likely a better shot than he was.

There was another man, seemingly close to his own age. No gray touched his black curls, and maybe he was one of the lucky ones who would go to his grave with that beautiful head of hair. Greyson's had long since fading to gray, and thinning, all the more reason to keep it shaved. Grizzled was good for a merc, but old was not.

He could smell the last man as surely as he could see him. It was the smell of a man who lived in a bottle. He had likely climbed out to come to the circle, but the smell lingered on a man for days after he had his last drink. That sort could be dangerous, irrational.

"Let me guess, old guy with bad teeth?" Greyson said. His voice was easy, but he made no motion to hide his blade.

[Adel]

Deja had been pondering whether or not to tell the others about her journey through the forest. Something was out in those trees she didn't know what, but something was amiss. She stared at the new member. He looked vagely familliar. He too had a parcel." Well you have reached the right place if you are carrying one of those. Should we eat?"

[Scrasamax]

"Okay," Greyson said, looking each person standing in the circle in the eyes, "We might be in a bad situation here. Some of you might have noticed the blood splattered on the rocks, I certainly did. We are in an exposed location and there are wild men around us."

He put his sword back in the scabbard and showed his open palms, an expression of peace, and good will. "Our chances of survival will be much greater if we work together. The wild men don't like interlopers in their wood. If they capture us it will not be pleasant, least of all for the lady." he said with grimness.

"They are making the animal calls, in case you were wondering." he added after a fashion.

[Michael Jotne Slayer]

Aki was troubled by all of this, to much was happening at once.
He sized them all up before he spoke.

"Deja from Lyonelle huh?" He said adressing the young lady.

"Food can wait! We have to straighten this out before we do anything else! First of all there are five of us instead of four.
This alerts me, something has gone wrong or I have not been properly informed. Is everyone carrying a package?
Second if we start a fire all the wild men and beasts in the entire area will be on us like a storm.
As goes for you mercinary, the blood is not from a battle but marks of a ritual. A pagan ritual if I ever saw one."

Aki wiped sweat from his forhead, he had not intended to be so rough towards this soldier, but he could not help it. He despised the fact that people like him killed for money.

"And at last nameless one, when I travelled here I did not hear any animal cries. Do you know why? Because I run swift and silent.
They are on to you if you heard them, and now you brought them here...."

[CaptainPenguin]

Tree Viper cast his eyes about, at the prompting of the newcomer, a man with a shorn jaw, but not shaven, grizzled looking. The bandit made a snap decision- a sellsword if he ever saw one.
"I dinnay hear any beast calls. You sure yeh' aren't just hearin' th' forest?" he said.

[Adel]

Deja stood and looked sternly at the strange birdman, " I saw something out there too. I was debating with myself on whether this information should be shared or not. I wasn't sure I quite believed it myself; I just thought I was being paraniod. I not only heard the calls but I have seen the beast. I haven't seen it head on at first I though I was hallucinating I have had nil to eat in four days. It kept happening I would see an animal just as it was moving out of my sight then it would disappear, but if you heard them to then maybe I wasn't hallucinating." Deja flushed as she peered around the group perhaps she had said to much. After all this to made her guilty of leading the creatures what ever they may be to the group.

[Alec_Shadowkin]

"I must admit I heard something too. It sounded like some type of forest beast, but mangled, like it was fake. I think we might be in trouble."

Aaron glanced at the one who seemed to know what was going on, at least in part.

"I do have a package. I don't know what you mean by 'something is wrong', but I just did as I was asked."

[Michael Jotne Slayer]

This was maddening.  The last five minutes had been a mess.
He could not freeze.  He had learned that lesson years ago - almost half a century ago - in the hills of Halidon.  To freeze was to become a target.  One had to be flexible within the perimeters of common sense.
One had to,  above all,  use one`s natural instinct and stay intensely alert
in situations like this. Staying alert, retaining the ability and capacity to move swiftly,  these were important things.

How could he have become the victim of a situation like this?
Three of these people had drawn the wild men`s attention to this place, from different directions. That meant that they were surrounded.
Amateurs.

None of the others seemed to grasp the peril they were in.
He had to act.

"Hear me" he cried.

"Matters like the packages will have to wait, we are in danger!
The wild men could be all around us, watching us as we speak"

He blanced at the thought, what could their numbers be he asked himself.

"Since we already have their attention we should build a great bonfire.  Then we can do nothing but to await their attack. Take all the wood you can find, move fast and do not stray to far from the Runestones."

He paused to see how they reacted,  they had to do as he said.
They needed a leader right now. Somebody that truly knew these woods.
If they survived this night,  they could quarrel all they all they wanted about
who was to be in command. Right now they needed haste,  he could not afford to wait for someone else to step forward.

"The wild men`s tactic are like old horse droppings, they will try to cut us down one by one until we are too few to withstand a single devastating assault. If we get a bonfire going we can gather around it and watch the
clearing from all angles"

He began to gather dry twigs while he gestured for the others to do the same...

[CaptainPenguin]

Tree Viper went about gathering branches and sticks from the forest floor. While he did so, he said over his shoulder:
"Aye! May'aps we should watch above, tway? I fancy I did see some smarshed leafs up 'ere."

[Scrasamax]

Greyson gave the man named Aki a cool look, if the man thought he could ghost through the woods with no one the wiser, then let him him think that. The wild men had lived here for generations, they knew the forest and its ways. They had likey followed the man just as surely as they had followed him.

"Deja is it?" he looked at the woman with the bow, "Perhaps you could offer us some covering fire with that bow of yours? That might keep the wild men at bay until we have enough for a fire."

He loosened the straps of his pack and dropped it down against the base of one of the menhirs that circled the clearing. Blood was blood, and something that no one sane would spill lightly.

"Maybe I can answer of a few of the questions you have about me. My name is Greyson, and as some of you obviously suspect, I am a mercenary." He lifted a deadfall branch, and drug it back to the clearing. "Now I would like to disperse a few notions some of you might have about my choice of profession. First of all my word and my honor are paramount to any monetary gain. Secondly, I am not an assassin. I primarily deal with helping guard towns that are in a bad spot, and training townies into militia."

He heaved his load onto the growing pile in the center of the clearing. It was growing at a good rate. There was one thing, one disadvantage to the wild men. They were curious, and would observe someone until they thought they knew what was going on, and curiosity sated, they would descend like raptors (bird, not dinosaur)

"You've not eaten in four days?" he asked Deja. He stopped next to his pack, all forty pounds of it, and untied the top drawstring. He pulled out one of the spare water skins and a large piece of cured venison. "The meat is fresh, cured less than a week ago," he handed her the skin and the dark piece of jerked meat.

Hungry people were often distracted, or made mistakes. The last thing he wanted was an arrow protruding from his hide. Experience taught him that arrows at the very best hurt like a devil. There was no thought of his dead Eliza as he handed Deja the venison and returned to gather wood.

There was only the discipline of a soldier.

[Alec_Shadowkin]

Aaron begins gathering firewood, just like the others, helping, even though this Aki seems to be rather full of himself. When he was a small distance from the others, he turned his back on them and took a small drink from his rapidly emptying flask. He'd be lucky to get two or three more shots from it. A bad omen. When a man runs out of alcohol, there's sure to be worse things to come...

[Adel]

Deja thanked him and accepted the food and drink.  She turned her back and smelled the food and water carefully she had been poisoned before and would not stand for it again.  Once she is convinced that the food is safe she ate and drank greedily, wiping her mouth she stepped forward with her long bow and fit an arrow on its string snugly.  She crouched and moved around the stones listening and watching intently for any sudden sounds or movements.

[Michael Jotne Slayer]

Aki watched the flames as they reached towards the fading stars.
The bonfire was built, but clouds darkened the night even more.
This was a bad omen indeed.
Deja, the girl all dressed up in warrior clothes seemed to do a good job at scouting for possible dangers. He wondered if she sensed them, they were completely surrounded now. No way of escape, they had no choise but to stay here for the night.

"Make a circle people, let there be no holes in our defense. Those that have not eaten yet should do so while you have the chanse. Not to much though, one can not fight properly with a heavy stomach."

A cry shrilled trough the night, he could barely make out some shadowed figures far off in the forest. There was no point in trying to shoot them, yet.
To far away these marks were.

"Do not waste your arrows in the darkness, shoot first when they enter the clearing."

He knew some of these people disliked him already for giving orders.
Well he disliked giving orders, but he was fond of living. And to live trough this night he would have to gather this lot and make them work together.

Several howls were heard again, with amazing suddenness a figure clad in wolfs fur leaped from the trees and threw a spear that flew by Aaron, missing his throat by inches only. Before anyone could react he had disappeared into the darkness again.

[Alec_Shadowkin]

Aaron fell on his side next to the fire, his eyes wide. The spear was still quivering where it had stuck into the ground. What a wonderful night to be running out of booze! He reached into his robes and pulled out his mace. It was one of the few things he was proud of: heavy steel head, stout haft made of smoothed ash wood. It was plain, except for the head, which was etched with his god's holy symbol. Ever since he had 'fallen' the symbols didn't give him much comfort, but it was better than nothing. He hoped he would live through this night....