Stepping carefully around a particularily dry area of fallen leaves, Mar realizes once more why he dislikes sneaking in the woods; swamps just have water to not splash, plains have grass to not rustle, mountains have rocks to not dislodge, but woodlands are filled with things. He hopes the conversation at the camp ahead will cover the sounds of his approach though, as he carefully pads towards the camp from a different direction than his companion in an attempt at a pincer approach.
It doesn't apply to everything, just luck. Sneaking up on them is a matter of skill. Or so I'd assume. I tend to prefer to only bring up the matter for things that really matter, so it doesn't become too annoying/powergamey.
Of course, if Murphy decides that the bonus would apply, I wouldn't say no, but in general I only bring it up when it would be reasonable to be considered fully luck based, such as picking a path at random or not running into wandering monsters or getting the jump when both I and opponent sense each other at the same time.
Genesius unfortunately was caught up in listening too intently to the conversation that he failed to notice a rather large tree root sticking up right in his path. As he neared the conversation he ended up tripping over his feet and rolling face down into the camp where several stunned men looked at him before drawing blades screaming, "Intruder!"
-----
Mar quietly and stealthily moved through the trees setting up perfectly for a flanking maneuver. Just when he had gotten into position and began hearing the men in the camp talk about moving further east along the road, a loud crashing and muffled voice could be heard to Mar's far right. That noise was soon followed by a cry, "Intruder!"
The men in front of Mar turned their backs unknowingly to him and drew their blades preparing to move towards the cry...
Moving east along the road? Sounds like a breach of proper manners; why else camp so far from city walls? Unfortunately, Mar's thoughts were quickly interrupted by the cry of intruder, and upon hearing the cry he stilled himself, though mentally his thoughts flashed by at the speed of, well, thought. Hmm. Must have been Genesius, I think I would have noticed if there were others in these woods. Accident or deliberate ploy? Either way, I'm sure he can take care of himself long enough for me to be suitably impressive. At Mar's last thought, the ground directly surrounding his feet started to soften as brackish water started to silently seep from the forest floor, establishing the very smallest of a connection to the swamps he originally found himself in years ago, just enough to truly see the armed men who had turned away from him.
So, I trust that Genesius can bluff his way out of trouble for long enough; Mar may have no fear but he isn't reckless. If I am allowed to start laying lands, I'll put down a swamp; the intruder alert indicates that these fellows are hostile so it is something that Mar would do, especially since he knows that he's better once he has several lands, and the chance to potentially develop them without being interrupted appeals to him anytime he can get away with it.
If not, then he just opens a small connection, enough to summon soft ground and mute his the sound of his footprints.
Also, looking to see if any here have connections - as in, to lands or others - Mar's going to try and use his newfound knowledge of how communities work to try and figure out who this one revolves around, and whether there are magi amongst them.
Genesius landed face first after his tumble down the slope. Fevvers, however, had managed to fly off his shoulder just as he began his descent and was now circling overhead, keeping a clear view of the developing situation. As he rolled into the camp, Genesius' cord unraveled causing his cloak to fly around him during his roll, adding to the din of the scene. After he landed, he lay there silently, head swimming in pain.
"...Ow...my head..."
"Intruder!"
He looked up at the shout, instantly taking note of all the blades pointed at him.
"That's a lot of swords..."
The look on his face betrayed his shock before being replaced by a sheepish grin.
"Uhhh...I come in peace?"
Sorry, AoL. Genesius is a bit too forthright and sincere to make effective impromptu lies He will, however, be doing his best to distract these hostiles in the hopes that Mar won't be discovered as well.
I kinda expected that Mar, or course, will assume you know what you're doing, but, from what Murphy said he can't exactly see what's going on with where you are. Just... food for thought.
Besides, quests are always more fun when things don't go smooth. Longer, more difficult, and often more dangerous, but a lot more fun. Mar holds the opposite position, of course.
One of the armed men kicked dirt into Genesius' face saying, "A caught raider would say that! Where are your companions? How long do we have before we are attacked?!"
The guard let his questions sink in as another called out orders to set up a perimeter. One of the armed humans ended up standing guard just 2 yards away from Mar's current position...
I'm going to assume that the captor yelled that at Genesius in true bad cop interrogation style, since it makes it easier on my action.
Aslo, I do possess copies of Darkness, if it helps, so I have a background for my attempt
Hmm. Not immediately aggressive. Perhaps these people can be reasoned with. It would be nice to encounter people who didn't immediately want to fight me. And if there are raiders about, as these people seem to think, then perhaps they will be able to provide some useful information or help.
Still, Mar doesn't want to immediately break cover; they don't seem to have noticed him yet, and Mar calls on the shadows of the forest to help blur his form slightly as he stands guard watching the guard and listening for more signs from within camp, hoping that Genesius will, whether intentional or not, provide a good comment to allow Mar to introduce himself in an appropriate fashion.
"No, wait! You misunderstand! I thought you might have been raiders!"
Coughing from the dirt kicked in his face and eyes watering from the dust, Genesius slowly rose to his feet, hands held up showing he meant no harm. He swayed a little, his head still aching from the fall, but nevertheless managed to get his words out coherently.
"You see, I saw smoke from your campfire and I didn't know whether this camp was full of raiders or not, so I decided to sneak and check, not wanting to take the chance of raiders ambushing further along the road. Yes, I'm with a travelling companion, but we mean you no harm! If you're still suspicious and would rather not let us go, then feel free to detain us for questioning. I'd rather you not, seeing as the two of us are headed to San in a real hurry to fix the germ problem, but if it makes you feel better, by all means..."
"And that wasn't very nice!" says Genesius to the man who kicked dirt in his face.
"Where *is* Mar, anyway?"
With that thought in mind, Genesius whistles sharply. Almost immediately, Fevvers returns to her usual perch.
Mar'll continue to wait, if it isn't clear; he doesn't want to appear right after what could be a signal to attack. Of course, if things get dicey he'll have a response, and by response I mean darkness to block the damage, but otherwise he'll stay out of sight behind their backs and see what happens.
I'm well aware of that It's just Genesius didn't really notice Mar move away to flank, and suddenly he's tumbling down a hill into a group of sword-wielding men. Meanwhile, Mar's nowhere to be found.
Genesius knows Mar is probably still around. He's just wondering what he's up to.
"Either he is a fool, a foolish raider, or a clumsy traveler." responded the man who had kicked dirt at Genesius.
Another guard spoke up saying, "He seems willing to let us question him... Let our merchant know that we have two mages who are looking to travel to San. One is in our custody, the other is being tracked down."
Looking to Genesius he said, "Well then follow me."
As the man walked towards the center of camp he spoke to two other guards saying, "Find his friend so we can work his story out. Stay vigilant for any raider though. I don't want to become the fool today."
With that the guards brought out torches to help them see deeper into the shadows and began to fan out in search of Mar.
Hearing them say to 'find his friend', Mar decides that now is a good time to come into sight.
He steps into the camp, dropping his darkness, and cheerfully says "Hello there. I see you've found my friend. I don't suppose you'd allow us to share food with you; we must get to San before it is far too late.
The guard gives an affirming nod as he leads the two mages into the center of the camp. The two can see that the caravan keeps a tidy camp and that the merchant is most likely successful based off of the wagon and tent set up in the center ring of the camp.
Leading the two inside the tent, the guard clears his throat getting the attention of a middle-aged man with brown hair in the middle of the tent. As the man turns the mages can get a good look at his face noticing his brown eyes, well trimmed and oiled beard, and fine woolen clothes. The man, who is most probably the merchant in charge by the air of leadership he was displaying through his body language, took a moment to appraise the two mages before asking, "Are these the ones who caused the ruckus a moment ago?"
The guard gave a simple nod which the merchant registered with a flick of his eyes before he asked the two mages, "What did you plan to gain by attempting to sneak into my caravan? Hoping to swipe some of the war supplies?"
"'War supplies?' I haven't heard anything about a war in Kush or in the direction of Sursi..." says Genesius with a puzzled look on his face.
"Regardless, we weren't sneaking with an intent to steal anything, nor were we planning to sneak into the caravan. Merely around it. We were sneaking around to see if this camp was full of raiders, brigands, marauders, or something of the like. I'm sorry. I know it isn't exactly polite to sneak around someone's camp, but you can understand that we didn't want to take our chances, yeah?"
"Yes, with the current state of things, there are all sorts of dangerous people about, as I'm sure you are aware. Cautions important in these troubled times, and speaking of cautions, I don't suppose you've heard any news from the Sursi borders?."
Its not obvious, but Mar is amused by the suspicions of the Merchant.
The merchant's face furrowed at Genesius' comment. Then frowning the merchant asked, "Have you been deaf to the gossip in Estark? There have been goblin horde's raiding the northern borders of Sursi. Most of the fighting has been contained in the northern regions, though small raiding groups do make it down this far along trade routes, hence my heavy guard."
Looking to Mar the merchant said, "And no, I have not heard anything lately. My caravan has been making it's way to the borders of Sursi and as such we have not heard much. There has been a distinct lack of refugees this past week and that leaves me worried..."
This is going to be fun to play out.
Sucks as a player to get a 1 but it sure is fun when you're the story teller. >.<
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
And thus do empires and settlements fall
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
Of course, if Murphy decides that the bonus would apply, I wouldn't say no, but in general I only bring it up when it would be reasonable to be considered fully luck based, such as picking a path at random or not running into wandering monsters or getting the jump when both I and opponent sense each other at the same time.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
-----
Mar quietly and stealthily moved through the trees setting up perfectly for a flanking maneuver. Just when he had gotten into position and began hearing the men in the camp talk about moving further east along the road, a loud crashing and muffled voice could be heard to Mar's far right. That noise was soon followed by a cry, "Intruder!"
The men in front of Mar turned their backs unknowingly to him and drew their blades preparing to move towards the cry...
If not, then he just opens a small connection, enough to summon soft ground and mute his the sound of his footprints.
Also, looking to see if any here have connections - as in, to lands or others - Mar's going to try and use his newfound knowledge of how communities work to try and figure out who this one revolves around, and whether there are magi amongst them.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
"...Ow...my head..."
"Intruder!"
He looked up at the shout, instantly taking note of all the blades pointed at him.
"That's a lot of swords..."
The look on his face betrayed his shock before being replaced by a sheepish grin.
"Uhhh...I come in peace?"
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
Besides, quests are always more fun when things don't go smooth. Longer, more difficult, and often more dangerous, but a lot more fun. Mar holds the opposite position, of course.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
The guard let his questions sink in as another called out orders to set up a perimeter. One of the armed humans ended up standing guard just 2 yards away from Mar's current position...
Aslo, I do possess copies of Darkness, if it helps, so I have a background for my attempt
Hmm. Not immediately aggressive. Perhaps these people can be reasoned with. It would be nice to encounter people who didn't immediately want to fight me. And if there are raiders about, as these people seem to think, then perhaps they will be able to provide some useful information or help.
Still, Mar doesn't want to immediately break cover; they don't seem to have noticed him yet, and Mar calls on the shadows of the forest to help blur his form slightly as he stands guard watching the guard and listening for more signs from within camp, hoping that Genesius will, whether intentional or not, provide a good comment to allow Mar to introduce himself in an appropriate fashion.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
Coughing from the dirt kicked in his face and eyes watering from the dust, Genesius slowly rose to his feet, hands held up showing he meant no harm. He swayed a little, his head still aching from the fall, but nevertheless managed to get his words out coherently.
"You see, I saw smoke from your campfire and I didn't know whether this camp was full of raiders or not, so I decided to sneak and check, not wanting to take the chance of raiders ambushing further along the road. Yes, I'm with a travelling companion, but we mean you no harm! If you're still suspicious and would rather not let us go, then feel free to detain us for questioning. I'd rather you not, seeing as the two of us are headed to San in a real hurry to fix the germ problem, but if it makes you feel better, by all means..."
"And that wasn't very nice!" says Genesius to the man who kicked dirt in his face.
"Where *is* Mar, anyway?"
With that thought in mind, Genesius whistles sharply. Almost immediately, Fevvers returns to her usual perch.
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
A cautious fellow is Mar.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
Genesius knows Mar is probably still around. He's just wondering what he's up to.
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
Another guard spoke up saying, "He seems willing to let us question him... Let our merchant know that we have two mages who are looking to travel to San. One is in our custody, the other is being tracked down."
Looking to Genesius he said, "Well then follow me."
As the man walked towards the center of camp he spoke to two other guards saying, "Find his friend so we can work his story out. Stay vigilant for any raider though. I don't want to become the fool today."
With that the guards brought out torches to help them see deeper into the shadows and began to fan out in search of Mar.
He steps into the camp, dropping his darkness, and cheerfully says "Hello there. I see you've found my friend. I don't suppose you'd allow us to share food with you; we must get to San before it is far too late.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
The man waited for Mar to indicate that he will follow him.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
Leading the two inside the tent, the guard clears his throat getting the attention of a middle-aged man with brown hair in the middle of the tent. As the man turns the mages can get a good look at his face noticing his brown eyes, well trimmed and oiled beard, and fine woolen clothes. The man, who is most probably the merchant in charge by the air of leadership he was displaying through his body language, took a moment to appraise the two mages before asking, "Are these the ones who caused the ruckus a moment ago?"
The guard gave a simple nod which the merchant registered with a flick of his eyes before he asked the two mages, "What did you plan to gain by attempting to sneak into my caravan? Hoping to swipe some of the war supplies?"
"Regardless, we weren't sneaking with an intent to steal anything, nor were we planning to sneak into the caravan. Merely around it. We were sneaking around to see if this camp was full of raiders, brigands, marauders, or something of the like. I'm sorry. I know it isn't exactly polite to sneak around someone's camp, but you can understand that we didn't want to take our chances, yeah?"
WReya DawnbringerWGBounteous KirinGRUrabrask the HiddenR
Its not obvious, but Mar is amused by the suspicions of the Merchant.
And thus do empires and settlements fall
Looking to Mar the merchant said, "And no, I have not heard anything lately. My caravan has been making it's way to the borders of Sursi and as such we have not heard much. There has been a distinct lack of refugees this past week and that leaves me worried..."