[Vanguard] Book 1 - Chapter 4.6: Other Travelers

[Throndir]

72 miles from Pyletus Village
Day 4 - Early Afternoon

The rest of the journey was uneventful after leaving Ciara and the axe beak further behind. The same pace was kept, so the horses were being pushed to their limits. There was really no chance that Ciara could catch up even if she pushed the horses just as fast if the Thalia wagon kept its current pace. The members of Dian Cecht familia were rather restless. Though, Jars eventually ordered Rota to go back to sleep.

It would be another 10 or 12 more miles away to the town, according to the map Jars was using. Sometime in the late afternoon was when everyone would arrive finally at the destination.

Up ahead down the road were some people, who looked like they were crouched down on something. You also noticed another wagon, though it was horseless, but was left in the middle of the road.

Travel

Log
Day 3 Early Night +1 Hex, encountered lions
Day 3 Middle Night +1 Hex, encountered nothing
Day 3 Late Night +1 Hex, encountered nothing
Day 4 Early Morning +1 Hex, sleeping schedule shift, encountered axe beak
Day 4 Late Morning +1 Hex, encountered nothing
Day 4 Early Afternoon +1 Hex, encountered people

[close]

Sleeping Schedule
10 PM -> 6 AM (Early Night, Middle Night, Late Night): Jars, Eydis, Mimsy, Yuki
6 AM -> 2 PM (Early Morning, Late Morning, Early Afternoon): Rota, Taiga, Sotu
2 PM -> 10 PM (Late Afternoon, Early Evening, Late Evening): Ciara

[Mysticsage]

Taiga went back to sleep slightly under protest once the worst of the danger passed but the behemoth tiger tried his best to get comfortable in the bumping cart to get the rest of the sleep he missed.

Come to the rising of the noonday sun, and he sturred again so that he could begin to get ready for what was to be his day. Once he got the remaining sleep out of his eyes he moved to the front to give people more room sitting by Mimsy and trading off with her as needed to keep his mind busy.

"You can go rest if you want, Mimsy. That chase must have taken a lot out of you," He said with a bit of a grimace.

When the strangers just came into view he did his best to keep his an eye out to see what they were doing and what was going on.

"Hey, we have company," he said to the back of the wagon in case someone was awake.

Percption

Rolled 1d20+8 : 8 + 8, total 16

[pringerbeam]

     "Friends of your's?"  Inquired Yuki with a look to Jars.

[Throndir]

72 miles from Pyletus Village
Day 4 - Early Afternoon

"Thanks Taiga..." Mimsy said as she stretched her arms, then handed Taiga the reigns to the horse. Glancing back, she noticed Sotu was still asleep. Her younger sister had decided to stay up the night before to help keep watch through the night rotation, but she knew her little sister would be up soon. The encounter with those bird-creatures was indeed fairly stressful, but Mimsy hoped her little sister managed to get some hours of sleep.

"Oh..." Mimsy said, stepping backwards into the over-filled wagon once she switched places with Taiga. She gave a quick smile to anyone who was still awake and might have been looking towards her, but eventually she settled down next to Sotu. Gently playing with the cat girl's hair, before finally deciding to snuggle up herself.

She wasn't really that tired. Afterall, she had enough of a sleep for the most part. Plus... a few minutes with her sister wouldn't hurt.

[Throndir]

72 miles from Pyletus Village
Day 4 - Early Afternoon

Taiga's Perception: 16
Up ahead, you saw the people. There were five of them altogether, and they seemed to be crouched down either on their knees or even on all fours, crowding around something. They were moving quite a bit, as if engrossed in whatever activity they were up to. You noted that their clothes were rather dirty. In some cases, torn too. They haven't yet took notice of your wagon at all it seems, though it didn't look like any of the other travelers were really keeping watch at all. You had to get closer to see a better view of what they were doing.

[Throndir]

72 miles from Pyletus Village
Day 4 - Early Afternoon

Jars squinted his eyes, to try to get a better look at them.

"No... They seem a bit disheveled, plus, most of our familia is either in the Dungeon helping with an expedition or Babel selling our products to adventurers. Our group that left Orario is the only one out here."

Jars then sighed.

"Either way, their business is not our own. I doubt they can offer better than what the town of Tyresia is offering." He said simply as he watched Taiga take the reins from Mimsy. Looking towards the weretiger he offered his suggestion. "Just keep it going, we'll ignore them. They should ignore us like most travelers."

[pringerbeam]

     "Sounds good to me.  Whatever their problem is it's not ours."  Said Yuki as she sat back down on the bench of the wagon.

[pringerbeam]

Perception

Rolled 1d20+3 : 12 + 3, total 15

[Mysticsage]

"Let's just hope it isn't someone trying to take advantage of the town's weakness by setting up an ambush." Taiga grimaced.

Sense Motive

Rolled 1d20+2 : 15 + 2, total 17

[Throndir]

72 miles from Pyletus Village
Day 4 - Early Afternoon

The wagon drew by closer and closer to the group ahead. Yet for some strange reason, none of them bothered to look up towards you at all, so busy were they with their own activities. It was surreal, almost strange. Yet, the group continued to gather around at the center of the road, on their knees or on all fours busy with whatever they were doing. They almost seemed like animals, their dirty clothing only helping more with that particular thought.

You were now close enough to see their wagon, supposedly, to the side of the road. Even from your vantage point, you could see the variety of goods they were carrying. The brown color of baskets lined up neatly in the wagon. The rustic grey of a single locked iron chest. The green of vegetables somehow strewn about the bed of the wagon. Then what caught your eye the most was a unique color. Splashes of red on the otherwise vibrant cabbages.

http://www.youtube.com/v/-TUynzHV7L0

Some kind of liquid? Perhaps red cabbages?

Yuki's Perception: 15 & Taiga's Perception: 16
Then you heard it, the sounds of what seemed like loud chomping. About 50 ft. away, close enough now to the wagon and the group, you caught a brief sight of what they were doing. The five men were surrounding what looked to be a bloody mess. A corpse, barely recognizable, was in the center. It was hard to tell what it once was.

And they were eating it.

Taiga's Sense Motive: 17
One of them turned towards you. Unnaturally grey flesh and lifeless eyes greeted you. Blood and gore dripped from its mouth. It was hungry. An unearthly moan escaped from its lips.

Roll for initiative!

[pringerbeam]

Initiative

Rolled 1d20+6 : 15 + 6, total 21

[Mysticsage]

Initiative

Rolled 1d20+3 : 13 + 3, total 16

[Asta]

Initiative:

Rolled 1d20+4 : 1 + 4, total 5

[Linwelin]

Initiative:  1d20+2 : 16 + 2, total 18

[Throndir]

72 miles from Pyletus Village
Day 4 - Early Afternoon

Initiative 1d20+6 : 13 + 6, total 19