Upon the Road(Sunberth group + Serrif if he wants)

by **Antar** on December 3rd, 2011, 1:33 am

1st of Winter, 511 av

It was nearing dusk, the time for them to pitch camp and make ready for the next morning's ride. The trip from Zeltiva so far had left many of their number, including their 'friends' who were responsible for the reasons behind this trip to Alvadas to gain a number of saddlesores from their inexperience upon a horse.

But such was the element of things when you were riding dawn from dusk, and keeping a pleasant eye out for roving bandits. Such was life on the roads of the Sylira Region and he was at the forefront of the group, scouting ahead until the syna's light began to grow into the deep red of sunset.

Whistling loudly , the rogue pulled the convoy of people off towards a small copse of trees on the side of the road and shouted for them to make camp. Dismounting painfully from Dawnstride's saddle , Antar let himself walk a few paces forwards to grab the reins as he stood to usher everyone towards a promising camp site. Tying Dawnstrides reins to a stout tree branch he let himself water his horse as he waited for everyone to catch up. There were tents to set up, and wood to collect for a fire, as well as a brief meal of the staples of dry rations they had bought back in sunberth and zeltiva. It wasn't their first day on the trail, and everyone had settled in nicely to finding their own way to help with the packing and the chores to speed them along in as quick a fashion as possible.

Please ReadOkay guys, 2 posts only in this thread, I won't be counting this as a post as its a placeholder XD. First post- describe your riding and setting up camp in some way shape or form, or hunting a small animal near the camp. Describe your horse in the first post, and include a receipt for the grading mod. You'll have to have bought it from the zeltivan stables. I'll be asking oracle to grade this one here ^-^ so she knows.

Second post- anything character wise you want so long as its by your own. Last 'closing post' will be by me, having antar wake everyone up in the morning to get back on the road.

by **Zenai** on December 4th, 2011, 3:37 pm

Season of Winter, Day 1, 511 AV

Zen's receipt on StrikerWarhorse, Light (150 GMs) + Saddle, Light Cavalry (12 GMs) + Saddlebags, Large (8 GMs) = 170 GMs

I hope this is alright.

Zenai sat perfectly still, not wanting to ruin his balance while riding on his newly acquired steed. It seemed so easy when you’re not thinking about but when you do think about it, it’s becomes harder exponentially; what kind of logic is that? He would occasionally balance himself so there wouldn’t be the slightest possibility of him tipping over and fell off his horse like some village idiot. He grips the reins so tightly he could feel his fingers going numb; he wanted to loosen his grip on the reins but the fear of his horse suddenly going wild and bucking him off the saddle. More often than not, Zenai kept on checking to make sure his feet are in the stirrups so at least he knew that he was secured at that end. Zenai should have been better at this since he was trained to ride on horseback since his time as a page in Syliras but maybe it was time that just eroded his skills away. This should be the best time to retrain himself in the ways of horsemanship. Luckily, they weren’t really in a hurry to get to Alvadas and were perfectly good trotting throughout most of the journey; perfect opportunity for a practice trot.

He missed Stryker dearly but fate would have them separated. His new companion-steed, Striker was almost the same like Stryker; Striker had a mild temperament but was prone to being overexcited and was evident when Zenai met Striker for the first time; the war-beast galloped off the second Zenai got on the damnable horse. He had almost fallen off since he didn’t get the chance to secure his feet into the stirrups and had almost fallen off the horse. Zenai eventually secured himself and tried to calm the beast down while ducking under branches and signs. In the end, he managed to tame the beast and at least, got Striker to cooperate. If there was thing an animal would understand, it is that they would know who is the alpha and Zenai had proven himself as the alpha. Striker was of the chestnut variety; a light brown coat with black mane and tail. As a warhorse, Striker would have been trained to charge into the midst of ranks upon ranks of enemies and trampling would-be attackers but Zenai think he needed more time to bond with Striker before he would try to get Striker to charge into combat.

As the sun almost set into the horizon, Antar, who was de-facto leader of their little expedition, called for them to set camp. Fine with Zenai; his breeches were chaffing really badly and Striker seemed to be a bit winded. Zenai dismounted but it was of a fall rather than a proper dismount. Zenai lost his balance and fell onto the ground head first with his left leg still in the stirrup. “Oowwww…” was the only thing that Zenai could vocalize and Striker neighed as if he was laughing. “Haha, very funny; laugh while you still can, horse. I shall once again master the art of horse riding!” Luckily he still had his helmet otherwise Zenai would be getting up with more than a bruise to the head. He got up and dusted himself before tying Striker’s reins to one of the tree branches near Antar’s own horse. “Now, you stay here while I get camp set up. You get some rest or do your horse thing in the meantime or even talk to that horse over there.” Zenai pointed Striker over to Antar’s horse as if Striker knew what Zenai was talking about. Striker then grunted. “Well, too bad; get over it and try to make new friends.” Zenai didn’t know whether he really had the ability to talk to horses or that he was some kind of crazy.

“I’ll get a fire started.” Zenai grabbed one of the more important responsibilities because in his mind, starting a fire would be one of the easiest thing yet important. Anyway, how hard could it be? Drawing from his observation and experience, he collected some sizable rocks as well as dried branches, sticks and leaves before making a clearing in the middle of the campground where the fire would be. He discarded any wet grasses and leaves as it would make the fire more difficult to start. He also made sure the ground was dry enough and would dig for much drier dirt. Once confident the area itself was clear and dry, he arranged the rocks in a circle pattern and around where the fire would be; he doesn’t know why people do it but there must be a reason to it. Having neatly arranged the rocks in a circle, he stacked up the branches so it would form a pyramid, and then carefully placed the dried sticks and leaves into and under the branch pyramid. He would use the dried sticks and leaves as a sort of starter for his fire as it was easier for those to be lite on fire than the thicker branches which took some time before it would catch fire.

He got out flint and steel; Zenai assumed one would strike these two things together to create a spark that would jump onto dry material to catch fire. Simple enough, yes? He held the flint in his right hand while holding the steel near the dried sticks and leaves. He held up the flint just above the steel and brought it down hard. “Krysus’s dagger!” Zenai cursed when he accidentally hit his own thumb that was holding down the piece of steel. After soothing the pain on his thumb, he tried again but this time he was a bit more careful when he strikes the steel with the flint. First strike; Zenai didn’t see any sparks. Second strike; he was some sparks but it died off before it could burn properly on the dry material. Third strike; Zenai actually got a small fire burning and he quickly blew air into it so it would grow but he blew too hard and he accidentally put out the fire. Fourth strike; he got another spark off. The fire was alive again and this time Zenai was a bit more careful with this blowing. Slowly but surely; the fire started to grow. Zenai carefully added more dried twigs and leaves to add more fuel to the fledgling fire.

It took quite a while but the thicker branches eventually caught fire themselves and burned, creating a good size fire for all to enjoy. Zenai congratulated himself for a job well done; a bit sloppy but the fire was there so who cares? Zenai added more wood to fuel the fire but found out that he was almost out of wood. So he went back to search for more wood in and around the camp. This time with a modest amount of wood as well as more dried leaves, Zenai tended to the fire once again; making sure it was big and roaring. There should be enough material for it to last most of the night and perhaps cook whatever the other would have brought back as their dinner. Hopefully, they weren’t going to eat their rations tonight.

by **Shai** on December 6th, 2011, 8:02 pm

Shai sat slumped over on Chivalis. It had been days and even with constant reminders that her body would get used to riding a horse she had her doubts. Her tumbles and stretches had prepared her for the posture well enough but the constant movement of the horse was terrible and left the spider tired even though she hadn’t really done anything by her estimations.

When Shai had first arrived in the stables to purchase the necessary beast, she had two prime characteristics in mind. The first order of business was a mellow horse would was unlikely to throw her and cause horrible damage to her fragile frame. Her secondary concern had been for comfort. The stable owner had assured her Chivalis had an exceptionally smooth gait. While Shai’s rump protested the claim, the thief had plenty of time to observe how the others’ horses moved and it did seem as though her horse jostled her less.

Picking out her horse had been quite the ordeal; the Symenestra woman really had no idea how to find an appropriate beast of burden. Opinions had been thrown from various corners about which horse was appropriate, but it had seemed pretty unanimous that Chi had been a poor fit. The horse was massive for the little woman, standing 17 hands high the beast’s shoulders were 4 inches over her head. This hadn’t deterred the spider though in fact the protests that the animal was inappropriate probably spurred her on in purchasing it. Who were they tell her what she could or could not do? Besides she could climb up just fine once Chi was used to her spider’s touch.

This new journey was shaping up to be vastly different from Shai’s first. She had arrived in Sunberth by way a very long ship ride, which had been tiring in a completely different capacity. At least now she had amble time to observe new scenery as opposed to the monotony of endless blue waves. The vast majority of the travelers seemed to be as new riding horses as she was which the Symenestra found highly interesting. Shai had always been of the impression that humans rode animals often, it was yet another dispelled misconception she had about the surface races.

Only some cursory planning revealed that the next important thing she needed to purchase on their journey was a way to stay warm. They weren’t traversing the most inhospitable of Mizahar’s regions but that didn’t mean winter would be comfortable. Shai had purchased warm mittens but they made her entirely comfortable because they blocked her ability to cling to her mount, so she often removed and replaced them several times a day. Additionally, she had paid for a tailor to alter the hood of her comfortable black cloak to include fur lining to keep wind off of her face. Her final acquisition made specifically for this journey was a pair of riding boots which had taken days of wearing to allow her foot to sit comfortably.

All of these discomforts made for an exceedingly grumpy spider. Pitching her own tent at the end of the day was one of the most annoying chores the spider could imagine. She had only managed the practice for a few days before she found herself seeking creative solutions. Shai found nothing agitating about removing the gear from the horses every night, infact she had gained a great deal of respect for the beast the bore her weight every day with minimal complain. While the others had taken to pitching tents and starting fire, the spider had busied herself relieving, primarily her mounts but anyone else’s, of their burdens. She highly suspected most people were too tired from the day’s ride to really pay attention to her activities and that is precisely why she got away with it. After the horses were squared away Shai would sit by the fire and warm her supper. Should the question ever arise of where she slept Shai had a readied response; a lifted eye brow and a condescending tone, ‘Have you ever actually seen me sleep? Assumptions are a bad idea, Human.’ The truth was simple though, of course Symenestra slept but the only person that had caught her doing so was Antar. Being the de facto leader of their small band, Antar woke them in the morning to continue on the road. Which was precisely why Shai waited, tending the fire, until the others had nestled into their bed rolls to sneak her own bedroll and winter blanket into Antar’s tent and promptly fall asleep.

Receipt :

Horse and Weight Information :

by **Nil'Anon** on December 9th, 2011, 1:10 am

Nil’Anon had no need for a horse when traveling, she was small enough in either human or cat form to ride along with Antar, if she wasn’t running along beside the horses. Her belongings were also taken care of by Antar, the man having assumed the role of her guardian, and she had pretty much entrusted him with all of her things, including her miza. With all this in mind, it seemed pointless for her to get a horse or a pony for the journey. Instead, she spent most of the trip riding with Antar, traveling on her own four paws between resting in front of Antar. However, wanting to conserve her energy for when they made camp, she had spent most of that particular day riding with Uncle Noth. She would need to be able to hunt once they stopped for the night, and she would need her energy and wits about her for that, well, as much wits as a cat could have anyway. Hunting was exactly what Nil’Anon set herself to doing when the group stopped to make camp. As Antar reigned in his horse, she leapt down from her spot on the saddle and run over to the edge of the small copse of trees they had decided to settle in for the night. Her front paws resting on a rock, her head held high in the air, she sniffed at the wind to see if there was anything that smelled tasty. Her keen senses caught nothing, and so she darted off into the trees in search of any signs of a trail that animals might frequent. She was looking for a trail that might lead to a watering hole or a frequently visited grazing spot, something that prey animals might travel along.

The caracal Kelvic wove her way through the trees as quickly and quietly as she could manage, her soft pads falling on the dirt with the softest whisper of a sound as she ran. Her slender body moved through the shadows, her eyes scanning the ground and the brush around her for any sign that something had passed through the area, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed at the air around her for even the faintest trace of anything living. She was looking for broken branches, foot prints, tufts of fur hanging from branches, patches of the ground that were worn from frequent travel. There was nothing at first; not a single trace or sign of anything for her to follow, until she got further from the copse where the camp was being set up. Nil’Anon’s head poked out from a clump of tall grass and found her head sticking out over a small trail through the brush. Not the kind that would be used by large herbivores, but the smaller kind. There were scents on this trail, lots of small mammals. There were no visible tracks and the scents were faint, but it was Nil’s best bet. She turned in the direction where the scents were the strongest and took off running again, seeking to find where the trail ended. She leapt a small downed sapling and skirted through some overhanging brush as she went on her way, all the while focusing her senses on detecting anything nearby. Her ears perked up, twitching slightly before they tilted forward and she raised her nose to sniff at the air. She could hear the sound of water ahead, a light splashing and a fluttering of wings. The sounds of birds bathing in the shallows, perhaps even a flock of waterfowl.

Nil slowed her pace and began to move with more care, keeping her body close to the ground, her breathing controlled. Her jaws were open ever so slightly, hot, misty breaths curling up into the cold evening air. The caracal moved along the ground, her belly brushing at the soil beneath her as she moved into position behind some tall brush grass. Through the grass, she could see the pond that the waterfowl were on. There were several swimming and bathing in the water, and a few walking along the shore, looking for other sources of food and the like, and generally exploring the grasses and brush nearby. Nil’Anon’s eyes followed one particular duck as it waddled closer to the brush line, her ears twitching at its quack-quack-quacking. It was an irritating noise to her, and even if she wasn’t looking for a good meal, she’d love to eat it and its buddies just to shut them up. Food was more important though, so Nil was focused on watching the female duck waddle closer to where her feline body was crouched in waiting.

Her chest moved evenly with her controlled breathing, her eyes followed the movements of the fowl. Nil’s tail and whiskers twitched almost in agitation as she tried to be patient, it was hard when every fiber of her being was screaming at her to go after the waddling feather duster, but even she knew that she had to be patient, to wait for the right moment to attack. The bird needed to be within a certain distance or her chances of catching it would be less than optimal. Step, step, step. Rush. The duck entered the strike zone and Nil’Anon pushed herself forward, curving slightly to come at the duck from the front, the direction it was sure to try and take off in. There was a loud raucous of quacking and wing flapping as all of the ducks in the area finally noticed the predator and started to flee. The particular waterfowl that Nil was after stopped in its tracks as she appeared in front of it and tried to turn back toward the water. The bird’s wings flapped wildly as it started to try and waddle away. Nil scrabbled a bit on the gravel and soil lining the shore as she moved to intercept the duck’s take off. The fowl’s webbed feet left the ground as its body moved up towards the safety of the sky. It could taste the freedom of escape… almost.

Two powerful paws, claws extended, wrapped around the bird. Nil herself almost seemed as if she was taking off to fly as her powerful back legs propelled her upwards after the bird. Her paws, wrapped around the duck, the two animals seemed to hover for a few moments before gravity took hold and brought Nil back to earth. Nil brought the duck with her, paws pressing the hollow-boned body against the ground, claws digging in deep. She curled herself around the duck, her jaws moving for the neck and snapping down around its slender form. She was cutting off the struggling bird’s oxygen. The bird thrashed wildly for what seemed like forever before the struggling started to slow and finally ceased. Nil bit down harder on the bird’s neck and gave a sharp jerk, the fragile bones snapping as she made sure the animal was truly dead. The Kelvic rose to her feet, the duck hanging limply from her mouth, feet and tail brushing along the ground as the cat turned to bring her catch back to Uncle Noth… so he could do the hard work of cleaning and preparing it for everyone.

by **Antar** on January 10th, 2012, 10:55 am

Pack Horse BoughtName: Duskplodder
14hh; An all black mountain pony, this mare is useful on long trips for carrying Noth's extra items.- 50 gm
Saddlebags Large-8gm
Saddle -light calvary (for dawnstride)-12gm old saddle of sp switched to duskplodder.
Total- 70 gold mizas

Antar waited silently as the rest of the group began to trickle into camp; his thoughts were present on searching for a place to gain some dinner or so; but not until he was ready. When he spotted Nil creeping out , he grew a little concerned. Concerned enough to turn towards his newest acquisition, Duskplodder, where Ellise lay in the saddle; while Nil had rode with him, he had tied plodder up behind her; and the other mare was seeming to get along very well with his primary means of conveyance; actually accepting her as a the dominant mare of the group. Though whether that was to be the same to the other horses was one thing he would leave undecided.

Besides, his feathered friend seemd quite reluctant to leave and fly off, and he pondered if that was because she was getting used to being a scout for him. Twice a day he warranted sending her up into the skies to search for any problems which might block their route. Threats ranging from bandits to anything else which might impede their journey.

But no matter, for now he simply would lift the falcon to his glove as it gingerly stepped off the saddle horn. He'd let Ellise remain upon his arm for a moment before he transfered her to a nearby tree branch and unsaddled the horses to rest; putting their tack upon a low bough. He'd leave them tethered to a small tract of grass to let them both graze. They'd earned it, and had worked hard this day.

Afterwords, he'd whisper a few words to the falcon and toss her up into the air, throwing her from his wrist to get her the added lift she'd need to vault into flight. For a few moments, the falcon would circle, then head off in one direction; a direction which Antar would follow. He had sent her off towards wherever Nil had gone; seeking to ensure the tiny cat's safety. Though indeed, his plans changed as he watched with pride as the Caracal netted herself a fine pheasant bird of some sort of water fowl as the rest took to the skies. Not that they'd get away.

His bow would fell two of them, and Ellise would dive down upon a third, taking her own prey as she slashed one on a downward dive before letting her beak sink into it's chest. They'd fall to the distant waters as Antar watched in silence his friend Nil proudly cart her catch back to the camp. It wouldn't be long before he and Ellise would join her, with their own quarry. In a situation like this, upon the road, Noth was somewhat diffident about sharing his meals with traveling companions who weren't amongst the inimical few of Nil, Shai, and Ellise. But he would not have Dhalvasha, a prisoner go hungry. Nor their friendly escorts from the Alvadas government. They all got a share, even if it was less by the portioning. By the time the birds were defeathered, and defrocked, and the fire started he'd have let the carved guts spill out under his blade as he cleaned them. Proving more then a feast for the falcon. Though to Nil he'd give a prize choice bit of flesh of a wing and the bone to Nil; leaving it only partially cooked and smoked to ensure no parasites were present within it.

He didn't want the little furball to get sick of course though he hoped it would still be bloody enough to her liking... As she ate, he would somtimes stretch out a hand to pet her and praise her hard work and her catch. The two kelvics were eating first after all; they had done much of the work in the hunt. The rest of the water fowl were roasted, spit over the fire in a rotisserie and the meat would be divied up amongst the campgoers, though if they caught any more then that would be cooked as well. Some was even politely given to Dhalvasha, before Noth excused himself to set up his tent before all light was lost with a very sated Ellise and Nil in tow.

He'd leave the flap unbound, and when Shai slipped inside, he would merely smile and hold her close amidst the extra blankets and bedrolls, sharing her warmth amidst the cold of the night as he dreamed the dreams of nysel's realm. The first seemed a recurring dream; a dream about an armored figure, covered in ice, brash, bold and turgid in its mannerisms yet being hunted. Much like he himself had been. The second was about the woman in his arms, and a pride of fierce little cats hunting their way through a dense jungle. The third was about flying through the air like a bird; free upon the winds.

If only such things were true; as in the morning he would merely awaken again to find himself making himself ready to stand another day upon the road.

by **Eridanus** on January 10th, 2012, 12:39 pm

Eridanus rode steadily on the new horse he acquired in order to travel from Zeltiva to Syliras. It was not his style to rush from one place to another, and he usually traveled on a slower pace along with merchant caravans. However, the agents who picked them up quite urgently emphasized the need for speed and so leisurely traveling was out of the question.

It had a very strange name, and it was its name that brought the vantha's attention to it. The stable owner mentioned that 'the wife' named it in a sudden moment of 'inspiration', and he added "Painters" in a conspiratorial whisper that made Eri laugh. As a vantha he definitely knew about these sudden artistic impulses. Still, the animal was a good fit for Eri and despite his inadequacy in riding he felt quite at ease with this horse - with help from Antar of course.

It was a strong a healthy mixed blood horse, a yellowish one with random splotches of off-white that reminded one of its flowery namesake. It would be a horse in pretty high demand, if not for its name that generally turned people off. ChrysanthemumChewer. It was not only long but pretty embarrassing with the other horses having names like 'Striker' or 'Dawnplodder'. Worse still, it refused to answer to any other names but its full name. No alternate names, no nicknames, no short-forms.

The vantha bought ChrysanthemumChewer in the end, not only because of his innate familiarity with this horse out of all others, but also because of the stable owner's wife's sense of humor in naming.

They arrived at the campsite, and the various members of the group set out to do their own tasks. Eri helped to gather wood for the fire, and as he lacked a lumberman's axe he instead gathered pieces of branches that have fallen. Once in a while he would find a large piece of trunk left and he would use his sword to hack the fallen trunk (which was much easier to hack than living trunks due to decomposition and decay) into more manageable pieces.

He was loathe to make too many trips though, and so the resulting piece was still large enough for him to swear under his breath. He had a tendency to overestimate his strength, and he did not want to invoke any magic on such a mundane task. Magic was much better suited for last-resort instances, and so he had to rely on pure strength and brute willpower as he staggered with large pieces of wood, hauling them back to their self-designated fire-starter Zenai and returning back to the clearing he found in the woods.

He would have to bring back enough wood to start a hearty fire, and enough to last them throughout the night to maintain the warmth for a night out in the wilderness could be very cold. Not to mention to discourage any predators from snacking on their sleeping bodies.

Receipt :

by **Bob Barton** on January 16th, 2012, 1:59 am

Bob was at the camp along with everyone else and more importantly his new acquisition which will get him to Syliras just so he can go to Alvadas at the request of a few odd people that found him in Sunberth but it did not take much to convince him to leave the city. His mind was already half away with the thoughts of escape after that mass haunting of ghosts and their offer only helped him make the decision of where to. At least Alvadas as he was told made an effort to conceal the bad parts of the city which is more than can be said about Sunberth. As long as Bob stuck with his group and his hosts, hopefully he would not run into trouble too fast giving him enough time to pack up and move again once he was done getting all that he wanted.

It was easy for Bob to get his horse from Zeltiva since he came grew up in the place himself. Unfortunately even if he knew the people and the places they did change a little and all that time he was gone made them change a lot. So much that he had no pull despite trying to convince them with old connections like "this is your old buddy Bob. Remember? The guy who used to be in your team?" or old favours that "I got you the drugs you wanted from Uncle Marny's stash. You know how expensive those were? Now would be a good time to collect." There was one thing which did not change which he could use though and that was the experience that he got from the two seasons of work that he had in Killroy's Kennels. It was enough for him to get the horse which was worth every miza that he paid for. Too bad the rest of his group did not trust him enough with his experience then they could have paid for quality too not to mention Bob's other try to get the horse cheaper, that "we are buying in bulk so good customers" like himself of course "should get a better offer."

While the rest of the group were doing whatever it was that they were doing, Bob was leisurely riding into camp after enjoying whatever scenery that the Wildlands provided and never too far away from his group. Controlling the horse was easy since he had nothing much to carry along with him and he himself was already pretty small in size. It also helped him with his options which was why he had chosen to get himself a tidal pony. He always did see it as a breed of choice when the children came to the kennels trained specially in ways to handle them and what was Bob to everyone else's eye at first glance? "You might know better" but that does not mean that the horse would not be used to Bob from its training. Various questions were asked including about "how long it has been trained and what has it been trained in." Equipped with the knowledge that their long journey is going to need a lot of water for the party and their animals that they would not be able to completely provide on their own Bob realized that he was getting a good deal for Bobo especially with its breed's natural affinity with water. Yes, Bobo. He already had Jinsen and another strange animal would not be any more embarrassing. In fact it is welcomed since the only thing wrong with it so far was its name.

A long time daily of holding on to the reins and sitting rigidly on the saddle to make up for his haphazard lesson in riding Bob finally got to stop quickly dismounting off the horse after much difficulty getting it to the tree that he wanted. He pulled and tugged to get the horse pointing towards the train without the response he wanted until he remembered the command he was given after the money had traded hands. Quietly with embarrassment he told the horse "snuggles..." After he tied up the horse he finally got to Jinsen. A very "good boy for following through without difficulty." Bob took the chance of the journey to train his dog as well for as far as it could walk before he had to carry it with him on the horse. As the days of encouragement and commands went by the dog became more confident and obedient learning when to "come" or get left behind if not dragged along by Bobo and when to "stay" in order to conserve its energy. Bob tied up Jinsen to the tree too so that "you both can keep each other company"

After calming down the animals and convincing them that "it is alright. Rest until tomorrow" for them to lay down on the grass Bob started to prepare the next part of the usual, boring yet necessary routine. His belongings on the horse were already well arranged the way he wanted it to speed up the process after learning what he needed. Bob unfastened the saddlebags which contained all the non-fragile essentials like his tent dropping it on the ground. "Shhhh...I'll deal with it later" he said as he started stroking Bobo until it stopped fidgeting and he was able to throw its blanket over it. "You stay in there together Jinsen. You guys really need some alone time the way you have been going at it. No, don't think that I don't know about that." Now that the animals were out of the way Bob took his backpack and the saddlebags with him to where everyone else was being gathered.

receipt :

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on January 28th, 2012, 2:32 am

It was a rarity, finding a Frostmarch horse in Zeltiva. He had originally thought he would find a trading caravan to head out with, but after a few days of roaming around and no trading caravans to be found…well he thought he was going to have to head out alone. He detested that thought because a lone rider was always more of a target. So he had purchased a frostmarch horse. It stood about seventeen hands and was pure white with brilliant blue eyes. It was said that these horses loved the cold. Which was good because he knew there were plenty more cold nights ahead of him, it was looking like it would be just him and this horse. He hoped he could make it on the road alone; but he knew he was observant enough to make it out there even if the worst was to happen. He just didn’t want to be a target out in this wildland.

But he had been fortunate enough to find what appeared to be a ragtag group of adventurers heading his direction. So without much thought he asked to join them. It took a little convincing, but telling them he was a healer sure seemed to help a good amount. Every travel group could use a good healer. They hadn’t asked if he was marked, but he knew they were likely assuming that he was. Which only really worked in his favor to be sure. He was just now getting used to the feeling of riding a horse. It was odd letting another beast burden you and your things to another location. But, it was calming and since he wasn’t tired he was able to keep a keen eye on the road and a steady hand on his bow. You never knew when you would need to put an arrow in something, especially here on the road. His climbers quiver was on his right thigh so he could draw arrows out quickly if need be; he hoped it wouldn’t come to that without an adequate warning though.

But like many others in the group he was still uncomfortable with riding. He had never done this before and the feeling of riding along on this horses back was still uncomfortable to him. But he assumed like many other things it would be something he got used to over time. The price for this horse was steep, but to get the best one always seemed to pay a little extra. Such was the case for his daggers, and his bow. He didn’t mind placing a little more coin down if the end result was a superior product. And in the case of Hasmere, he was superior. Sure he was no war horse but he was a sturdy looking horse that was going to be perfect for the journey up ahead. He knew only one thing, Riverfall would be pretty heavily locked in snow this time of year. That was what all the locals in Zeltiva had told him; he was up for a good winter suckerpunch if he continued on to Riverfall now. He assumed he would make it there around the 40th or so. But that still left a good amount of time for him to get pounded on by winter.

So the more things he had working in his favor the better. And having a horse that loved and operated well in the snow was a must in his case. Especially since he would be making the second part of the journey by himself. It seemed this group would be going as far as Sylrias…then he was on his own. But until then he would be taking in the company and seeing what he could do to learn from them and help them along the way. Several of the members made him a little uncomfortable, some for reasons he could explain and others for reasons he couldn’t. For instance the self entitled leader was a little dodgy. But it was clear like him that this man was skilled in archery, likely even more skilled than he was. But there was also the Symenstran woman…it wasn’t her race that made him uncomfortable with her. It was the fact that he had this nagging feeling that he knew her; but he didn’t know from where. The fact was he could’ve met her back when he was in the camp. Did she escape too? Or was she one of his torturers? That was a question he was sure would be answered in time. But he would be keeping a steady uneasy eye on her whereabouts until he knew for sure.

His entire demeanor was collected…at ease. Only because he made himself so. What was going to happen would, all he could do was keep his mind about him and hope that clarity saved him in times of turmoil. Having a chaotic mind never helped in a horrible situation, however if you were composed you could make quick and decisive decisions that would save your life and others as well. He could in a moments notice make a surgical decision if need be; and he preferred it this way. He was sure in his skills. He knew that he could reach through his long cloak and draw an arrow, knock it, and let it loose in mere seconds if need be. He wasn’t uneasy, no…he was composed. Knowing well that what would happen would just be. What mattered was how you acted against such forces.

He was comfortable, dressed in his long all fur cloak and thin scarf wrapped around his face. He wore white for simple reasons, it was winter and white blended in better than black. Also, if you wore all black there were certain hostilities and amounts of distrust that you invoked. He found that by wearing white one could subvert some of this; although a more observant individual would still be distrusting. But he wasn’t worried about the more intelligent individuals, they could be persuaded other ways. Sometimes it was the more ignorant that one needed to be careful of; these individuals were convinced using more primal means of persuasion.

It was getting cold as this group of rejects found a place to setup camp. He would help however he could but first of all he would setup his tent for the night. It was a task he detested but at the same time it was needed. He did after all need somewhere to sleep tonight that was out of the snow and cold. So after a few minutes struggling with his tent he finally found a way to set it up and get it stable. Which was good because if the wend blew he needed the tent to stand up, not fall down around him. Now that he had that bit taken care of he would need to find something to eat. He could hunt for something. Ildin had taught him the basics of hunting. Enough for him to find something in the snow…especially since the tracks would be clearly visible. So it was only a matter of what he wanted to track down really. He figured he could find something, and his bow could make quick work of it. And if he failed…well he could always just go hungry for one night and learn his lesson.

He stripped his armor off, he wouldn’t be needing it since he wasn’t hunting anything dangerous. He would much rather not have the shifting of the metal give him away. Animals were more acute than people when it came to such things as oddities in their surroundings, and why wouldn’t they be? He unloaded Hasmere and set all his belongings in his tent. He had a good accounting for all his things, so he would know if anyone was to try and take anything from him. He fixed his dagger harness atop his cloth shirt and attached the ends to his leather belt around his waist. So he would have his daggers and his bow about him for this hunt. He figured there had to be something stalking around the camp area. He wasn’t sure what but there had to be something, and he would find it. So he set off into the forest in search of something that he could have for dinner. His steps measured and placed slowly into the snow as not to alert any wild animals to his position. Clad in his long white full fur cloak he had to look like a predator out here. And a predator he was. He kept his bow parallel to his chest with a broadhead knocked at all times in case he only had a fleeting moment to place a shot. And sometimes a moment was all he had for a good shot.

He stalked paying attention to any markings in the snow that could give away the position and tracks of any beast. He would prefer maybe hunting something that could feed him for a day or so. Maybe even provide him with some smaller meals along the road. That would be a nice change to not eating and going hungry until dinner for sure. He could feel the snow crush under his feet with every step he took. He was careful not to produce too much noise, but he knew at some point the noise couldn’t be helped. Every step was carefully placed into the light snow as to not step on any fallen branches or anything that would really give his position away too much. Every time he stepped down he also looked about his emerald eyes piercing through the white noise to see anything that was out of the ordinary. He thought he saw movement, so he paused and took a little cover near a tree. Looking out he saw a dark, small black figure moving through the trees. He looked it over carefully…it appeared to be a small hog of some kind. It was a lone hog so likely not much of a thread honestly. But it hadn’t detected him just yet, but he knew it was only really a matter of time before it did.

So he had to act fast while he had time to. Gently and slowly as not to alert the animal he pulled up his bow and waited patently. He observed the creature, it still didn’t see him. It was unaware and nuzzling through the snow to try and find something to eat. It was also moving toward him. Which was good because it meant his arrow would bite harder in the animals flesh and likely kill it easier. So he waited, until the hog got within killing distance. He then slowly drew back and waited for a few more seconds…Then the hog suddenly became aware and at that very moment Serrif released the arrow. The bowstring hummed and the arrow struck deep into the animals skull. The hog went limp but still somehow managed to streak off for a good twenty or so feet before it fell over and spasmed violently. The hog was indeed dead, but it seemed its body didn’t want to believe this truth yet. He moved over to the animal and knelt down. It’s eyes were panicked and glazed as its body continued to shutter. He took his dagger from it’s sheath at his chest and then set it at the beasts throat.

He mentally said a quick prayer to Kihala thanking her for this life as he then brought the sharp razor edge of his dagger firm against the hog’s throat then slit it. He held the animal down almost gently as the spasms subsided and eventually life halted from it all together. He wiped the bloodied blade of the dagger off on the animals fur and then picked it up in his arms to carry it back to camp. It seemed to weigh about twenty or so pounds by itself. He didn’t know how much actual food it had but no matter the case he was happy that he had something to eat. Especially something as relatively delicious as pig. It would provide him a good amount of nutrition as well. And maybe there would be enough for him to have food for a few days or so. He would however need to spend a decent amount of time cooking it. But that was part of the job. He would likely start a small fire and cook portions of the meat in a skillet or pan. He had no idea how long this would take him but he figured it likely depended on how thick he sliced the meat. But all this was to come.

He was glad to see that there was a fire going when he got back to the camp. He didn’t know who started it but it was all going pretty well. He found a few hot wood coals and he sat a pan down on them so it could warm up while he sliced the pig up some. The pig was laid out on the ground and he started carving it up easily with his dagger. He carved up some of the meat and laid it on the pan. It seemed he was the most successful in his hunt. He carved the meat up and cooked the pieces in turn and distributed them to the rest of the party. He wasn’t going to be greedy and keep the meat for himself. He was cooking meat until the night, and when it was all over he wasn’t allowed the niceties of the company of another…No he was alone in this world. And he was happy with it.

receipt :

by **Antar** on April 1st, 2012, 6:33 am

In the morning, the rogue awoke amidst the sheets curled up by Shai to ensure that everyone made themselves ready for another hard day upon the road. There was many miles to travel and not much time to delay.

Breakfast was cold, strips of salted flesh of the catches the night before and within a mark they were all awake and upon the road, heading towards the cold uncertain future on their horses. Destined at least to ride this day in the saddle.

But who knew what other days might come?
~Fin.

by **Paragon** on April 10th, 2012, 6:25 pm

Adventurer's Loot

Everyone who rode by horse take this lore: Basic Riding, and + 1 Riding XP.

Everyone except Nil'Anon gets + 1 Land Navigation XP

Antar gets + 1 Falconry XP

Serrif and Nil'Anon get + 1 Hunting XP

Serrif gets + 1 Tracking XP

Nil'Anon gets + 1 Stealth XP

Nice little transition thread, sorry if this grading was a bit scatty, hope it's ok - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, don't hesitate to PM me.