[Vanguard] Book 1 - Chapter 2: Rakian Borders

[Throndir]

Rakian Borders
Day 2 - Morning

Travelling just an hour southwards, the vanguard group made it to the Altora river. This river was both a natural and political boundary between Rakia and Meilstora. Relations between the two countries weren't always the best, so there was still a military presence on the side of Rakia through most of their roads. At the river itself was a bridge, on each side of the bridge was a simple tower and a building at its base. These served as checkpoints for both the country of Rakia and Meilstora.

"Mornin' adventurers, travelers, merchants, or whoever ya'll might be." The guard on the Meilstora side, a cat person wearing armor with a sword to her side greeted the group as the wagon rolled closer. "No toll on this side. But expect that Rakian ass to ask for some. I guess it's how they pay for all the soldiers keeping their roads safe." She paused as she lowered her voice.

"You aren't Rakian are you?"

[Linwelin]

"It's a little late to check that after words like those, don't ya think?" Eydis replied casually, not matching the lowered voice, keeping silence for a second, watching the driver squirm a little before smirking. "No, we're not. I mean, look at us!" The elf gestured to the rest of the carriage, where no semblance of order, nor riding posture, could be seen, save for Taiga trying to take up as little space as he could. "I don't think I've ever met a Rakian that actually knew how to relax while traveling like this." With that, Eydis re-assumed her own disorderly, as-comfortable-as-possible position, laying lazily among the supplies.

"What's the toll like? Hopefully not too steep, as we're a little lacking in free funds." She queried the driver while shuffling the supplies around to locate funds.

[Mysticsage]

"If the cost is reasonable I can cover for us to get through," Taiga said as he comically had to squat to whisper in Eydis ear like a schoolchild sharing a not in class.


"I need it to be 1000 Vals per head or less."  he then stands to his full height behind his sister, acting as a wall of muscle, arms crossed, flaring his biceps, to seem even larger without being threatening. He knew how important it was to make a good first impression with people like this. He did not want to be taken for being an easy mark by a guard or any of the additional passerby. They needed every advantage they had to get and spend in orario they could not afford to be swindled or stopped on the road.

[pringerbeam]

     "Uh huh...  tolls got it."  Yuki said as she broke from the group to head for the other side of the checkpoint.  She sauntered up with a hand resting comfortably on the katana slung at her hip.  Waving her other hand over her head she shouted to the guards on the Rakian side.  "Hail fellow Rakians!"

[info] Bluff check[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+6 : 17 + 6, total 23[/blockquote][/info]

[Throndir]

Rakian Borders
Day 2 - Morning

"Oh, oh, oh!" Mimsy said excitedly as Yuki waved her hand to greet the guards on the Rakian side. "I want to try!" Making her way with Yuki, she shouted out too, hoping that it would try helping Yuki's attempted ruse.

"Hail Ares!"

[spoiler=Aid Another Bluff] This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20+0 : 11, total 11[/spoiler]

[Throndir]

"What's the toll like? Hopefully not too steep, as we're a little lacking in free funds." Eydis asked.

"Toll's a rip off! Normally its 20 or 40 vals at most. But they charge 200 vals. I heard actual Rakian citizens get by with the normal toll. They just charge extra to everyone else. Oh! They make a girl so mad sometimes."

Once both Yuki and Mimsy sauntered up closer to the bridge and waved at them. The guards on the other side were stunned for a moment. One of them actually shyly began to wave back. But a moment later, the other guard next to him, slapped the first's hand, which soon stopped the bashful waving.

[Throndir]

[info]Side adventure! Continue to Chapter 2: Rakian Patrols are Slackers![/info]

[pringerbeam]

     Yuki made her way up to the checkpoint.  Waving back to her party as she got up within speaking distance of the Rakian guards, absentmindedly pulling at the low cut neckline of her kimono to air herself.  "Whew, warm day huh.  Closest I've got to breaking a sweat all week.  Nothing to fight out there."  She sidled up in between the guards and turned them away from the checkpoint.  "Hey so I hear you're giving the 'special fee' to the folks coming through here."  She looked over her shoulder as if to make sure the group hadn't moved.  "So let me level with you.  I've got no familia so I've been freelancing as a guide and caravan guard and these yokels are paying me.  I told them that the border crossing was going to be steep and I may have gone and told them I'd get a 'good' rate. You know like 100 vals a head."  She looked over her shoulder with equal paranoia to her first glance then back to the guards.  "I don't suppose we could get the local rate?  I'm trying to save up for some proper chainmail.  This old studded leather stuff really doesn't cut it you know?"  She asked as she pulled again at her reinforced kimono, her breasts barely remaining contained by the revealing garment.  "Maybe big strong hot shot guards wouldn't know.  A girl has a hard time getting quality gear oh her own.  Do a fellow warrior a favor?  I'd be forever in your debt."  She finished off her request with the most pitiful look she could muster.

[pringerbeam]

[info]Diplomacy check: Influence Attitude[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 1 + 2, total 3[/blockquote]
Diplomacy Check: Make Request[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 15 + 2, total 17[/blockquote][/info]

[Mysticsage]

Taiga is letting other less threatening familia members handle the law figures for the time being as he did his best to keep an eye on the crowd and cart. He will try to keep an ear open to try and listen to what Yuki is saying in case things go wrong.

[info]perception
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 14 + 8, total 22[/blockquote][/info]

[Throndir]

[info]Taiga's Perception: 22
You're easily able to hear the conversation even given the fact they were at least 50 ft. away.[/info]

When Yuki approached, one of the guards actually gulped down anxiously. It was obvious that the guard was eyeing Yuki's curvacious body. The guard next to him however, elbowed the man hard.

"Stand at attention! That's just an Amazoness, you can find them at any brothel back in the city." The guard growled at his companion.

"Y-yes, sorry sir." The first one cleared his throat.

However, the moment Yuki had come close enough, pulling on her kimono, accentuating the tightness of the clothing on her already far-too-revealing form, even that second surly guard began to eye Yuki almost hungrily. When Yuki spoke, both the guards listened to her quite intently.

"Y-yes! I can see how hard it is to earn vals these days... It's why I took up being a soldier myself, oof-" The man was cut off as his companion elbowed him again.

"Hmph... Well, only because that our god Ares is a benevolent god, and understands the plight of fellow warriors. 40 vals a head will do." The man said. The first guard was smiling shyly towards Yuki, while the second one did his best to remain stoic. However, there was a particular tell-tale sign coming from the guard's groin areas that made it obvious their minds were on something else entirely.

[spoiler=Excelia earned]CR 1 x2, split between the party earned[/spoiler]

[pringerbeam]

     "Oh thank you so much!  I'll make sure these hicks don't know a thing."  She said, sharing ally wink with the guards and paying the toll to them out of her purse.   "And...  Maybe keep an eye out of you're ever on the road?  It gets a bit chilly some nights out there and you know these bookworms are hardly what I'd call real men."  She said as she started to make her way back across the checkpoint to the wagon. 

      "Toll's paid. You guys owe me 200 vals later.  Let's go!"  She said with a smug grin on her return.

     As the party finishes crossing through the Rakian end of the checkpoint Yuki makes sure to turn and blow a kiss back to the guards.

[Mysticsage]

Taiga smirks, "I got everyone covered, good work Yuki." The large weretiger will signal the horses move through the checkpoint before someone had a chance to stop them.

He will also fish out his bag of money and throw it to Yuki, "Count out what I owe you."

As he continues to drive the cart forward he will continue to watch the guards and look over the landscape to this new nation. He wants to see what he can see as their adventure really begins.

[info] perception for general scene description and getting a sense of things
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 9 + 8, total 17[/blockquote]
[/info]

[Linwelin]

As they were riding by, Eydis couldn't help laughing at the 'condition' Yuki had left them in. "At ease, gentlemen~!" She called out from the cart, looking them in the eye, then down at their crotches, then back up to them and winking.

"See anything of note, Taiga?" Eydis asks as she leans back into cart, still giggling a little and giving Yuki a knowing, yet grateful, look.

[Throndir]

The Rakian guards continued to be stoic, though one of them had completely fallen for Yuki's spell. When Yuki blew her kiss to the guards, one of them blushed fiercely, while the other only tried to stand straighter, as if to put up a good impression.

When Eydis came and told them to be 'at ease', the soldiers only nodded, though of course the noticeable bulge didn't really go away.

[info]Taiga's Perception: 17
With the two horses pulling the covered wagon, and everyone else on board again, you trained your eyes to see as far as you can see. This was the start of the long Rakian plains. There were rolling hills, and a few patches of trees, but nothing really to obscure your sight. Behind you was the Altora river, and your village which you had already lost sight of, leaving behind the country of Meilstora.

The morning sun was still bright, and the wagon and the group that made up the vanguard of Thalia family headed off into the horizon.
[/info]