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> "Let's spend the day here, I need help."
[Reduce harm from major to moderate: stabbed shoulder] <





Despite only just beginning your march home today, it would seem that returning to your client to collect your payment simply couldn't come soon enough. Even so, the sting in your shoulder beckoned you to stow your impatience. "I- ah-" you winced at the sensation, interrupting yourself. A slow shake of your head from side to side dismissed the prospect of hitting the road again as you continued. "I gotta get my arm looked at, at least while we're in town. No need to waste one of my potions just yet." A concerned look came from your companion, who then cast her gaze across the road toward the buildings that lined this street. "Yeah, there has to be someone who can help us, a doctor or maybe even someone who knows some healing magic..." she trailed off as she read the names of each establishment in eyesight. You helped direct her focus with the tinge of impatience from earlier though, stating "Someone with magic would certainly be faster. Hopefully not terribly more expensive, though." One last "Mhm," came from Aika's pressed lips. "A church it is, then. Can't imagine that there isn't one around here."

It only took another round of stopping folk on the now less dense late afternoon street to acquire the directions you needed. A simple stroll placed you and Aika in front of a taller structure than the one-story market fronts you had been walking through for the past few minutes. From the outside, the gentle drape of snow atop the slanted roof was distinct against the thicker piles that sat on the flatter tops of the rest of town. A small flight of stairs before you acted more as decoration than any legitimate elevation into the structure's main hall, a cozy single hall of mostly wood construction. Candles lined small and low-placed shelves to the sides, upon which a few individuals knelt in isolation. In the middle of the room, several benches gave audience to a central podium from which sermon was likely read. No session seemed to be held at the moment though, the mostly hushed mumbles of prayer around you set a somewhat formal undertone as two people seemed to be wrapping up conversation before the podium.

Both of these individuals dressed the part of priests, though it would appear to two different faiths. On the left, an older and balding human was cloaked in white and grey with wide tassels of bright red draped over his shoulders, a motif befitting the banners decorating the hall. On the right, an inhumanely thin figure towered over the daldoran priest, sporting what looked like a greenish undertunic beneath a black hybrid of clerical robes and traveler's coat, accented by a large puff of white fur as a collar. Protruding from this collar was a long, serpentine neck which culminated in a draconic looking head, and coiling on the floor behind him a similarly winding tail. His silvery scales just barely reflected the amber candlelight within the church, giving him an even more supernatural glow about him as he tapped his staff against the floor lightly.

In what you were now beginning to think was her typical bombastic fashion, Aika drew quite a bit of attention to you both as she elevated the average volume of the church greatly with her voice. "Hey!" she called to the two priests. "Either of you know any healing spells?" Her pace towards the two of them matched her eagerness to get you help, and if you were any less injured you might have felt some level of embarrassment as you more calmly caught up behind her. The eyes of both men turned toward you two, as well as a few heads turning from the corners of the hall. You rolled the bad shoulder, more tactfully addressing the point. "Excuse my friend, but yes, I've seen better days and could use some help." By now, you at least weren't bleeding everywhere, but the damage was still quite visible beneath the patchwork that you and Aika fashioned to control the wound a bit. The dragonborn was the first to reply, succinctly stating "Why yes, we both do, in fact." His voice had a bit of raspy quality to it, a pitch above medium-toned which carried into a thoughtful "Hmm..." as he tilted his head down to examine the injury. His pondering was interrupted by the human clearing his throat and interjecting, much less friendly sounding. "Er- Yes, for a small donation, I'm certain that Udhir's blessings would-" "Nonsense," the dragonborn stole the moment back. "The whims and wills of the gods aren't swayed with coin, fellow cloth of the earth." The dragonborn leered to his side at the human who shrank from being called out for his greed, but soon returned his eye to you. "I shall see what I can do. Come, sit with me." And with that, he beckoned you to follow him to the nearest bench, much to the disapproval of the other cleric.

"So," the darker-clad cleric lowered himself beside you. "If you are feeling at all generous, I would only ask for your names as payment." You pulled your cloak down, and shed just enough of your armor and tunic to grant him ingress to the troubling site of your shoulder, during which your companion took the chance to introduce you both. "My name's Aika," she spoke with a much more setting-appropriate volume this time as she sat on your other side. "And this is Verity."

"Aika, and Verity," he repeated back with a nod. "And mine is Yachir. It is a pleasure," he completed the formalities and then turned his attention to your arm. He began to speak softly to himself, likely the beginnings of some incantation as he lifted a clawed finger to your skin. "Likewise, though it's not every day you see one like yourself this far west. Don't suppose you're of this church, are you?" Yachir completed his spell, pulling his hand away from you with a small chuckle. "How astute, you'd be correct. I am a traveler of sorts, as I can only guess you two are as well." As he withdrew, you felt the stinging begin to subside. Not as quickly as a potion, but noticeable at least. You verified his guess with a nod as you stretched your arm and covered it once more. "We've quite a bit of traveling to do, so you'd be right."

"Is that so? Where might you be traveling?"

"Just on our way home, to Geland," Aika quickly stated, leaning forward to look past you.

"I see. Might you entertain the idea of another companion, then?" Yachir's hand lifted to his chin, scratching it as he wondered outloud. "I too would make my way there eventually, and surely it would be safer to keep one with healing magic among you, yes?"




• Accept Yachir's proposal.

• Decline Yachir's proposal.

• Say something else.
[Write in: Briefly describe a verbal response.]
Gunna look for time to write tonight amidst the new years plans.
Ill be honest I completely forgot that yesterday was Sunday, was real busy with family stuff. Since today is Christmas I probably won't be writing today either, might just skip this week. Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!
Of course the first thing to be dealt with upon touchdown is pleasantries and formalities. Big-wig red tape and double-speak. Steel hated this kind of fluffy ass-padding that these "influential types" loved to dance with. Luckily she had already donned her helmet, or everyone on both sides of the conversation would see her rolling her eyes several times over. Flint however, was more tolerable to this kind of process. While he didn't exactly like it either, he at least could keep a straight face as Sunrise and Richard played their banter.

With the proposition laid before them, it sounded to him like an easy opportunity to prod for a little bit more. His throat cleared enough to take center-stage in the conversation. "We only just touched down, we're not here to sight-see and be on our way," he pointed out. "Safe passage isn't going to cut it as an offer. But it seems that hide and seek is the name of both our games. If you're as connected as you say, you should have no qualms with aiding our search while we aid yours."
Thanks again for your patience last night. I've also updated Verity's character sheet to describe her evolving personality with tags rather than a run-on paragraph. Whenever you all have her consistently act in a certain way, that tag will be added to her sheet.
> "We should have them arrested at the town." <




"Some things can wait," you turned back towards Aika, a stern look in your eye. "The risk is too great, not everyone who takes to these roads can protect themselves like we did."

"So what do we do?"

"Take this one in. We've backpedaled towards the town quite a bit anyway, might as well hand them off to the guards. Plus, I'm sure someone there is going to want an explanation for the carriage with no rider that rode in." You knelt down and jostled the driver's shoulder, much to their disgruntled disapproval. "C'mon, get up. If I can deal with what your buddy did to my arm, you can walk with some light scratches." You both knew it was a bit more than scratches, but with a few more shakes you convinced them that it was in their best interest to cooperate. The walk towards the hamlet up in these mountains was otherwise quiet, the soft crunching of snow eased the tension as you and Aika kept one pace behind your prisoner.

The cobblestone and dried oak framework of the buildings ahead of you drew nearer and nearer with each step, until you found yourselves seamlessly transitioned onto the main road that split the large town in half. Slightly less than ceremoniously, a large wooden plank mounted to two posts fashioned a sign that read twice, once in Daldoran and likely repeated in what looked like Dwarven, stating "Welcome to Guthram." The population that walked and rode the wide street was overwhelmingly human, a sea of winter-pale faces and hair of darker earthly-tones. Among them, the lively Daldoran chatter of commerce pounded a rhythm that was the heartbeat of the town. Some light questioning by you found directions to the town's outpost, where several guards stood in confusion around the lone horse and carriage. As you drew closer, you could see the reigns were held by one of the soldiers, while two more stood within the wagon's storage space. The burlap cover and its securing twine had been tossed to the cold dirt as they scrutinized the contents aboard.

"Excuse me," you began, stepping past the driver and up to the guards. The three of them looked up to you, and the one holding the reigns spoke on their behalf. "Good day, miss. We're a little busy at the moment, if you need something you can head inside and speak to our front desk." Your hand lifted up in a "wait" gesture, and then you turned slightly to direct his attention to the driver. "I would say that wagon belongs to them, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they stole it, along with whatever was under that cover. You see, my friend and I were stopped by-" you paused, a thought crossing your mind as you turned to the driver. "What even is your name?"

Being prompted to speak, the diver elected to say something very different, as they leaned forward and began to plea with the guards. "Guards! Please, you have to help me! These two women attacked me, scared my horse to run off with that wagon, and are threatening to kill me!" A very confused and startled Aika could only manage a "Wait- wha..?" as you rolled your eyes. Of course, the soldiers all tensed slightly at the prospect of such an accusation, but your rogueish demeanor kept the driver from being entirely convincing. "Oh please, if that were true, why would we walk ourselves right up to the Emperor's men and let you tell them about it?" A rejuvenated "Yeah!" called from over the driver's shoulder as Aika jabbed a finger at them. "You guys tried to kill us! All because we didn't wanna deal with your highway robbery... Literally! You're lucky we only left your goons unconscious on the road instead of dead."

Before the commotion could escalate any further, the guard that had spoken first shook his head and asserted in an ordering voice. "That's enough. All of you are coming with me, now." He beckoned one of the other guards to take the horse's reigns from him, and then again for you to follow. "We'll sort this out the right way. Shouting at each other in the middle of town isn't going to resolve anything."

The three of you followed the man into the outpost, you and Aika agreeing, and the driver nervously.




By the time you and Aika were let go, the sun had dipped considerably in the sky. The faded pale blue of the morning was now replaced by a deeper royal, tinged with licks of orange near the horizon where the day would eventually set. She took a few steps ahead of you, stretching her arms high overhead and adding a long yawn for good measure. "Well, good riddance, I guess." The feeling was mutual, as the gash in your shoulder radiated a dull and deep soreness that would fill most with contempt. She looked up towards the sun, shielding her eye from a direct glare with one hand as she continued. "Looks like we've still got a couple hours of light left. Wanna hit the road again? Or should we just try again tomorrow?"




• "Let's keep moving, I'm fine."
[Maintain major harm: stabbed shoulder]

• "Let's keep moving, I still have some potions."
[Spend one potion: Clear all harm]

• "Let's spend the day here, I need help."
[Reduce harm from major to moderate: stabbed shoulder]
Hate to do this but today just wasn't a good day for me, even as I fail to force myself to write something at nearly 3:30am. Just gunna try again tomorrow. Sorry.
Bumping this to see if more people wanna hop in
> Spare the driver and stand up. <
roleplayerguild.com/rolls/26219




The gentle winter breeze across the open mountain expanse was the only sound around you three for a moment as you glared down at the driver, blade in your hand. Frozen underneath you both in fear and pinning, the driver stared through their scarf and cap with wide unblinking eyes. In this pause, another call of your companion broke the silence. "Verity," Aika exhaled as she straightened her back out, a short and self-directed "ouch," interrupting her as she placed a hand on her back. She broke her wincing to return her attention to you, stepping closer as she spoke. "What's gotten into you? Didn't we already have it under control?" You looked down from her to the driver once more, and with a frustrated "huff," you picked yourself up off of them, after which they rolled onto their side and began to cough up blood.

"I do have it under control," you expressed, fighting the pain in your shoulder to keep a straight face. "Would you rather have just let them drive off towards that town to swindle someone else? Just let them get away with trying to kill us, too?" Your reply was met with a conflicted look of concern, as Aika averted her eyes from you and towards the driver. "Well- no- I... Just- wasn't that a little excessive? You weren't gunna kill them if I didn't catch up, right?"

You shook your head and stowed your knife beside the others on your belt, allaying her fears. "No, that would be excessive," you justified as you shot an accusing glare at the driver, who had composed themselves just enough to turn onto their back once more and meet your eyes. "Even if they were going to be less cordial to us." A sigh of relief from Aika expressed her satisfaction at that, but she still had another concern. "Well, what do we do with them, then? You make a good point about not just letting them go... But I don't wanna waste so much time when we have such a long hike still."





• "We should have them arrested at the town."

• "Perhaps they're more willing to negotiate now."

• "You're right, this actually isn't worth our time."
> Attack the driver too. <




If looks could kill, the driver would be the first to actually die among the gang that failed to mug you and Aika. While their companions lie writhing or out-cold in the snow, you flipped your knife around to aim the point directly at this fool who thought that all could be cleared up with words. "You're out of your mind if you think you're off the hook," you sneered at them as you stepped closer. As you passed Aika, her eyes widened in realization. She reached out to place a hand on your shoulder, but doing so would touch your injured side. That moment of hesitation from her was enough for you to clear the gap between her and the wagon itself, at the verbal detesting of both her and the driver.

"Um- Verity- I think we've made our point-"

"Yes, yes!" The driver, clearly shaking now, shrunk further away from you. "You're clearly as reasonable as your friend, aren't you?"

Sure, you felt what you were about to do was reasonable, even if it wasn't for the reasons the driver liked. However, the moment you grabbed onto the wagon to climb aboard, a fearful "Ahh!" was quickly followed by a flick of the driver's wrists, causing the surprisingly well-behaved horse to finally spring into action. Your body lurched to the side as you hung onto the wagon, the sound of Aika shouting your name quickly receding from the speeding caravan. Taking a moment to look back, the spell-sword was off in a sprint, trying her best to follow you and the driver back towards the village you had passed earlier in the day. In the broad and cloudless daylight, you figured she'd have an easy time catching up as you turned your attention back to your new target.

With one arm still quite injured and a dagger in your good hand, it took more time and effort than you'd have liked to pull yourself into the seating of the caravan, especially with the bumps in the road aiding the driver's attempts to jostle you off the side. Eventually you managed your way onboard though, and wasted no further time closing in. A slice from your weapon was ducked at first by the driver, who then risked some control of the horse to raise a hand before you. Unfortunately, with a sitting posture and a wagon to drive, they had little room to evade you forever. You found your mark, sinking your knife into the flailing arm of the driver, and took their pained recoil as a perfect chance to end this fight quickly. As quickly as you stabbed down, you pulled back up and used your looming posture to grab and shove the driver off the other side, though with only one good arm to push with, you were unable to stop yourself from falling as well.

A chill surrounded you as you tumbled through the thicker snow on the side of the road. The sounds of the carriage's creaking wheels and the horse's stamping feet continued down the road as you and the driver struggled against each other on the ground. By the time Aika finally caught up, she arrived to see you sitting on top of the driver, your victim beaten near senseless and bleeding from a few more cuts. "Verity!" she shouted once more as she doubled over on the road, catching her breath. Her voice alone wasn't enough to stop you though, as you lifted your dagger over your head. The only other sound now was the meager and terrified stammering of the driver.

"M-m-mercy, p-please!"





• Kill the driver.

• Knock the driver unconscious.

• Spare the driver and stand up.
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