Current Mood: Amused

[04:47a] Topic is: (RoG) Port Kar - Post-apocalyptic roleplay

[04:47a] Roleplay in. Setting: various places in and around Port Kar.

 Dalamar─O The wagon's kinda cool in the early morning, and I can smell the water off the delta. Good ole smells of decaying plants and salt water. Gots to loves it. No...no I don't. I dress and arm, put on my boots and sling a quiver or arrows onto my back, and test the swords on my hips to make sure they can be drawn easily, and they can be...is this a dawn raid? If my old friends could see me now. The only guards would be sleen if there's any alive, and the only traps would be the urts lying in wait

 

 Dalamar─O I adjust my hat and say a bit loudly "I'm going out for a bit to see what else i can scrounge", then go outside and move the bosk to another section of open area to graze, and then grab the little two wheeled self-pulled wagon thing i found and make my way towards the city of Port Kar, in all it's overpopulated glory.

 

 Dalamar─O I had also forgotten the bow. I figure i'd better get that back, it was the only bow i saw that was my size. As i pass through the one gate i parked near I remember times when i actually lived here, a long, long time ago. It's a good thing that the corpses are bloated and faces are unrecognizeable, i might have been a bit depressed. My woman would know how to cheer me up though, she and her teasing ways of baking things and then giving the stuff away to other people and leaving me a little portion.

 

 Dalamar─O I worry, sometimes. I pause near the House of Despair, and again decide against going in. I'll leave their stuff alone. Besides, any food in THAT place would be inedible. And the clothes too small. I keep going until I get to that plaza with the fountain i'm familiar with, and yes, there still sits the bow. I put the miniwagon down and pick the bow up, testing the string which...should be ok. I look down towards the docks and see...at least one man? Pretty far off but definitely people.

 

 Dalamar─O What should I do? Greet him? He might feign friendliness then turn on me. This doesn't bother me much, I can handle just about anything, but there's irony to consider...

 

 Dalamar─O Should I shoot him? I could get on top of one of the taller buildings here on the plaza and have good range, but I might be attacking an  innocent person who was probably scared and alone, and who does sort of things like that anyway? You'd have to be some sort of bad, unsavory Outlaw to...do that. I give myself a dry chuckle at that thought's destination.

 

 

Dalamar─O : Well, deep down, i'm not entirely villanous so no wall scaling or looking for second story accesses via back rooms. I'll do what attracted the last person that came through, which was cook a bunch of food, and then not offer to share any because i *am* an Outlaw, and sharing's not in the job description.

 Dalamar─O or...I could greet, sound him out from a safe distance with conversation and a mild show of force because let's face it, force is what i'm good at, THEN do breakfast. This is much better. Who knows, maybe I'll find that woman that accused me of mass genocide, and she can, oh I dunno, accuse them of something ridiculous like, trespassing, or littering the street with illegal corpses.

 

 Dalamar─O she can say something like, "Hey you know these are way past their sell-by date and look some exploded, you're going to have to pay a fine and clean these up by tomorrow or the fine gets bigger." I take the bow with me. I do learn.

 

 

 Dalamar─O I take a drink of the cold water in the fountain and then make my way down to the docks, it's not that far from the small plaza i used to rest in and try to maintain sight of the man, and draw an arrow from the quiver on my back and idly test the string a bit more as i get closer, then realize something imporant....i never picked up one of those wrist and forearm protector things, and a glove. If I have to use this, It's gonna sting just a little bit. Maybe I'll bluff.

 

 Dalamar─O I reach the docks and walk towards them, not hiding, afterall I'm wearing white except for the boots, including the hat. It'd be stupid to try it. I have another outfit for that. I stop at around 75 yards and idly tap the bow on the planks to make some noise, then half nock the...this is a flight arrow? at least it's not one with a resevoir.....and call out to the man with the animal, "Are you lost?"

 

[10:05p] WaylandSmith stepping outside the smith held firmly onto the chainlink leash of the jit. He was determined to find out where it might lead him and most preferably that it would lead it back to its owner. Concentrating on the creature he forebore to regard his surroundings and was therefore mightily surprised to hear:

[10:05p] 

DALAMAR: "Are you lost?"

[10:08p] WaylandSmith at a distance of about 125 feet a figure in dark clothes had hailed him. Turning in the hope of seeing the familiar leather robed and veiled figure of his friend he frowned. Not only was it not Fury but it was a man holding a bow with a cocked arrow. At this distance he didnt pose too much of a threat but it was disconcerting nonetheless, all the more so as Wayland had left his weapons in the cart - apart from the ulo knife he now considered a lucky charm - and was therefore defenceless.

[10:08p] 

WaylandSmith : NOT REALLY!

[10:10p] WaylandSmith he called back in a vein attempt at humour but above all to gain time - the docks were dotted with all manner of objects behind which he might hide but it would do him little good if the stranger could approach. Stranger in Gor is the same word as enemy something the smith had not forgotten and men or indeed amazons with bows - were not to be trifled with. Feeling himself a little too much out of cover he looked up to the sign swinging above Slaver's place of business and traced a few steps back.

[10:17p] WaylandSmith The sign was fairly large and would impede in part a shot that might be aimed at him - simultaneously he held up his hands ensuring the jot stayed tied to his hand by looping the leash over his thumb. Should an arrow now fly he reckoned there would be time to hide or even swat it out of the air. Realising words were likely better shields than his hands he said:

[10:18p] 

WaylandSmith : Name is Wayland - I am a smith. Are we the only people left alive in this cursed town?

DALAMAR:

Are there more people, not a tricky question but...honesty works for now. 

 

"I am Dalamar, an Outlaw.  But a very long time ago, I used to be a Magistrate here in this city.  No, there are perhaps one or two more people that I know of, including a woman who owned a jit.  And I see you have one there.  Is a Caste forming for jit owners or something?  Everyone I meet seems to have one....then accuse me of mass murder..."

 

I don't see anything weaponlike I'd consider a threat...and I've a good eye for threats...so i move closer another 25feet, and lower the bow a bit so it points generally off into the harbor.  Shouting could attract unwanted attention, and if this guy feels skittish he might run in any case.  He looks unarmed.  Says he's a Smith?  That's...pretty useful, maybe the idea?  It'd be a wonder, if that particular one came true. 

 

"I ain't gonna shoot you if you don't do anything stupid.  Besides, there's no one around to patch anyone up if they get perforated.  Did you see anyone else around here while you've been here also?"

FURY:

Just about the time I rounded the corner thoroughly convinced my jit had found some unfortunate demise - I heard voices...

"Ohhh no, we're not going here again.... first bosks and tarsks frolicking in my swamp now voices from the dead... not buying it... no can do."
 
I stopped and plugged my ears for a bit, willing the demons that must have pervaded my brain to go the hell away.... repeating the mantra within my mind "the dead do not speak, the dead do not speak, the dead do NOT speak" Once I was convinced it was all in my head and the dead do not speak, I unplugged my ears again... and listened - like the glutton for punishment that I am.

 And then I heard it.... the word Outlaw.... The Man in White!! I picked up my pace a bit as I headed toward the location of the talking.... Thankfully in my home city of Port Kar no robes or veils were necessary and I wore none that would slow me down, just boots, black leather breeches, a cream colored tunic and my hair snaking in a rope braid down my back. I was glad there was no bustling sound of robes moving as I made my way closer.

 Was the Outlaw in trouble? Was the other voice a friend? as I finally stepped within view of them I saw my jit and immediately called out .....

 "BUGGG!!!"

 ....but I did not run towards them, my jit would come to me if possible... and he tried. I saw him scramble full bore to the end of the leash that held him and then recoil back as it snapped tight, tumbling him ass over teakettle to land in a lump back at the feet of the man that had him restrained.

 Both the jit and I screamed in frustration..... the jit glaring up to the man holding his leash, and I yelling furiously.....

 "Let go of my jit!"

 I wasnt sure what I was going to do when I got to them , but that was my jit and I was going after it.

 I didnt think of pins or blades or even a whip as a weapon (not that I had anything but my usual dirk sheathed on my belt) If the Man with my jit was foe, at least I'd have the Outlaw to back me... I hoped.

[08:08p] WaylandSmith the smith had been trying to do his damndest to look non-threatening but he could not repress a slight eructation of surprise as Dalamar presented himself. A magistrate of Port Kar - considering that kleptomania seemed the norm - well the norm before all the people died anyway, it seemed decidedly odd to hear of a magistrate. Either it was an ivory tower style recluse in which case he couldn’t handle the bow and was no threat to the smith or he was the prince of Thieves and ran the gang.

[08:11p] WaylandSmith the statement that he was not going to be shot unless he did something stupid did little to reassure Wayland. Bows he had always held were the weapons of cowards and amazons neither of which he frequented without life changing circumstances for either of them. Just as he was about to answer with regard to other living beings there was a shout of utter outrage to his left - reflexively he moved with his back to the wall of Slaver's warehouse to reduce the amount of sides he could be attacked from.

 

[08:11p] 

WaylandSmith : A furious Fury: "Let go of my jit!"

 

[08:14p] WaylandSmith Smiling wryly Wayland reckoned that his strategy of trying to find other living human beings through use of the jit had turned out rather better than he could have hoped for. In the short space that he had captured the little animal xenia had turned up, a former magistrate of Port Kar had aimed a bow at him and now the owner of the jit seemed to have made an appearance.

 

[08:17p] 

WaylandSmith : Uhm Dah-la-mahr - I am kind of being solicited from too many sides here. Is releasing the monkey considered something stupid? If it is - forgive me lady but I would rather cling to your monkey and my life - otherwise you are welcome to have him back. My hope was to find other things than animals in this dead town and you are right there would be no green physician to patch anyone up if we fight as well. I say we call a truce for the nonce?

 

[08:20p] WaylandSmith throughout the smith had kept his hands up and his thumb still held the jits furiously jerking body attached to the leash - a few more pulls and it might actually slip off though Wayland reckoned he could probably snatch the metal links. Such a brusque movement might frighten the man holding the bow and if the choice were letting go of the jit or letting go of his life he would choose the former. Meanwhile he had managed to side-step the revelation that xenia was hiding in Slaver's place of business.

[08:20p] WaylandSmith slaves were after all mere animals - so strictly speaking he had not lied - he wouldn’t want to get off to a bad start with the outlaw.

[08:23p] WaylandSmith Having done with speaking the smith tried to keep his eyes on the man with the bow. It was a minor relief that it now seemed aimed towards the water's edge rather than at him. Thus he allowed himself a glance of an ihn or two towards the outraged voice demanding her jit. Swiftly he looked back to the man with the bow, he thought to have recognised his friend Fury as her leathers were a sort of trademark but he was not 100% certain. If it was she they would have the advantage over the bowman.

DALAMAR:

The Man in White stood there nonplussed.   A man and a jit, and a woman hollering about a jit, and here i am standing here with a bow watching it all.  Was this what the end of the world as we know it, has become?  Reality sure took a nosedive lately.  I should never have gotten out of bed.  I should have put the wagon back on the road two days ago.  My woman might just be waiting for me somewhere, confectionate in hand, with a smile, and a denial of said sweet until i'm properly ashamed of myself and she feels better. 

In answer to the question about stupidity, he merely shrugged.  "Not my animal.  I take better care of my pets.  And keep more intelligent ones, too.  If you two want to argue over it, be my guest, it isn't any of my business."

And with that, took the arrow out of the bow, putting it back in the quiver, and leans on the bow in the manner of a staff, watching the proceedings with vague interest, just keeping track of where people are.  I might get bored with this and go find something else to do, if this just remains all jittery stuff.  I don't need any of this.  I could be cooking steaks again, and maybe loading up ice blocks in sawdust to take back to the wagon.    I could be banging irony....wouldn't *she* be surprised.  I could even be...

[08:43p] WaylandSmith Noting the sudden relaxation in the attitude of the man with the bow he also relaxed a little - enough to let the leash slip from his thumb and allow the animal to run towards its owner. Lowering his hands slowly he wiped them on his leather vest, they were a little clammy and the injury in his left arm was smarting like a bitch.

 

[08:44p] 

WaylandSmith : She got what she wanted - you did me the favour of unnotching the arrow. It’s pleasant to know that at least the people that have survived are intelligent eh?

[08:44p] 

Dalamar─O : Well. One of us is. Which one, time will tell.

 

[08:45p] Dalamar─O squints up at the sky

[08:45p] WaylandSmith exhales quietly.

 

[08:46p] 

Dalamar─O : Good thing I didn't have to use this.

 

[08:46p] Dalamar─O idly taps the bow

 

[08:46p] 

Dalamar─O : I'm way out of practice, and i'm not equipped for it.

 

[08:46p] Dalamar─O smiles a bit

 

[08:47p] 

WaylandSmith : It seemed an odd thing for a magistrate to use - but then again I am not one for bows. You might have had a clear shot - I am pretty injured from a recent fight.

[08:47p] 

Dalamar─O : I was one of those a very, very long time ago, practically another lifetime.

 

[08:48p] WaylandSmith nods pursing his lips

 

[08:48p] 

Dalamar─O : At least I know my way around. Little Miss Screamer there is the only other person I've seen.

 

[08:49p] WaylandSmith glances to the left but for the moment forebears to declare his affiliation with the 'screamer' he would tease Fury later in company with that little nickname, he was sure that would garner a few laughs.

 

[08:49p] 

Dalamar─O : I was going to cook some breakfast but i saw movement here… One of my favorite restaurants has an ample supply of steaks in its freezer

[08:50p] 

WaylandSmith : There is a kitchen in the house of Slaver here - the food has not all gone off - in fact I used some myself. There is also an animal that might do the cooking if it hasnt fled the coop.

[08:52p] 

Dalamar─O : An animal..? Oh, okay. I'd rather cook for myself, I don't trust anyone forced into slavery to touch my food, you'd never know what they did to it.

 

[08:52p] WaylandSmith shrugs and nods as if to say - to each his own - Wayland was not much in the cookery department though he managed well enough on the road. It was therefore generally a pleasure to have the food served at the times that he wasn’t making his own stews.

 

 [08:53p] 

Dalamar─O : I usually do stews but i'm good with a grill sometimes

[08:53p] 

WaylandSmith : It says it fell off a ship with a little help from its masters - washed up on here and sewed up my arm. That was useful.

[08:54p] 

Dalamar─O : Who'd toss overboard something obviously useful…Their loss, your gain.

[08:55p] 

WaylandSmith : She indicated there had been questions about her usefulness - I didn’t inquire in detail - she wears red silks - one can easily imagine what it was he felt unhappy with, she also alleged he drank.

 

[08:56p] WaylandSmith waves his hands in a non-committal gesture and shakes his head vigorously.

 

[08:56p] Dalamar─O shrugs

 

[08:56p] 

Dalamar─O : Well it doesn't take much to get reds

[08:56p] 

WaylandSmith : I own one animal already, 'Big Jim' he's enough to take care of and unlike rich magistrates or wealthy thieves the life of a smith is bordering on perpetual penury.

[08:56p] 

Dalamar─O : Well... hings are looking up… Gold's useless now. All manner of things are just...lying around, for the taking

 

[08:57p] WaylandSmith nods in agreement having felt that the shiny soft metal was useless at all times.

 

[08:57p] 

Dalamar─O : No one's going to stop you

[08:58p] 

WaylandSmith : Yes - on that point I need to acquire a new anvil - the former one is at the bottom of the Vosk holding down a raging Kurr.

 

[08:58p] 

Dalamar─O : Just look around for one and walk off with it

 

[08:58p] WaylandSmith looks around the docks area before coughing discretely and asking a pointed question.

 

[08:59p] 

WaylandSmith : My remark was not completely without a hidden intent, you said you were from Port Kar and so I thought you might direct me to the house of a local smith. Offhand I don’t know this place well enough to find my way there on my own and there seem to be few people to ask directions of.

 

[09:00p] Dalamar─O nods in understanding

 

[09:00p] 

Dalamar─O : The place has changed a bit, so I had to do some wandering myself.

 

[09:01p] 

WaylandSmith : Do you know what actually befell?

 

[09:01p] 

Dalamar─O : But as a Smith you would know what certain buildings would look like, if not the smells from coals, or burnt metal.

 

[09:01p] 

Dalamar─O : I've no idea. This isn't the only place like this, i was at Brundisium before this, and it’s worse there.

 

[09:01p] 

WaylandSmith : The kurr that attacked me spoke of some event - him and his kind seemed to know or have expected this cataclysm to befall mankind but I am still at a loss to understand what happened.

 

[09:02p] 

Dalamar─O : I've not seen any...kur.

 

 [09:02p] 

WaylandSmith : Brundisium as well eh? Now that's a shame - there is - well was I suppose - someone I had wanted to speak from there. Oh well - such is life.

 

 [09:16p] 

Fury as the loop of the leash fell from his thumb my jit came scrambling back to me... much to my relief. His animated movements were further exacerbated by his leash getting caught up between his scurrying movements. When he got to some 7 feet away he lept into my arms and I immediately divested him of that leash. Carrying him as I moved closer to the Men who were now speaking amicably... I was right, it was the Outlaw from the other day... what I didn't expect to see was a blast from the past...

 

[09:17p] 

Fury : Wayland?? What on Gors green planet?? How did you get here?

 

[09:18p] 

Fury I turned then to the Man in white, the Outlaw who's name I still didnt know as I'd only unplugged my ears in time to hear "Outlaw" between the two men...

 

[09:18p] 

Fury : You know each other?

[09:18p] 

Dalamar─O : Never seen him before.

 

 [09:19p] 

Fury my gaze shifted back and forth between the two as once again nothing in my world made any sense…’so there ARE others alive.’ I thought to myself.

[09:19p] WaylandSmith With all the questions in the air the smith bided his time to respond to the one or the other.

[09:19p] 

Fury this was said with more relief than it probably should have, and thinking there was only the two of us left on the planet was wholly depressing.

 

[09:20p] 

WaylandSmith : Well Fury I was actually on my way to the Den when it turned out your warning about it being inaccessible by land turned out to be true. After some misadventures and it seems the wholesale death and slaughter of near everyone Gor I came down here in yonder boat.

[09:21p] 

WaylandSmith : As for the former magistrate here - well we met as strange men are wont to do on Gor - no fights have erupted yet, so we have done well so far.

 

[09:21p] 

Fury it was then that I noticed the bandages on his arm... a recent injury.

 

[09:22p] 

Fury : A boat? Magistrate?

 

[09:22p] WaylandSmith pointing with his right arm towards a ship tied to the furthest quay. With some annoyance he noted that his inexpert tying of the ship allowed one of the ropes to slip loose. The flat bottomed craft turned out into the middle of the river held only by a single bond of no doubt equally dubious reliability.

 

[09:22p] 

Fury I turned again to look at the Outlaw. Somehow expecting him to hold the magic card of answers here.

 

[09:22p] Dalamar─O sighs

 

[09:22p] 

Dalamar─O : "Stuff happened".

 

[09:23p] 

 

Fury Just blinks and the cynicism of my name kicked in...

 

[09:23p] 

Fury : Really?

[09:23p] 

Dalamar─O : Once or twice, it seems.

 [09:24p] 

WaylandSmith : Err - just keep talking - I think I need to take some steps to ensure that useful little craft over there doesn’t float into the Tamber bay.

[09:24p] 

Dalamar─O : Not like there aren't any other ships or boats around

 

[09:24p] 

Fury and Dalamar looked towards where Wayland was pointing as they did, in a bit of an afterthought Wayland closed the door of Slaver's establishment allowing it to fall into the lock. It wouldn’t do for xenia to be surprised by an outlaw without his presence.

 

[09:25p] 

Fury : No, I suppose there are plenty.... but that one’s flat bottomed

[09:25p] 

WaylandSmith : This is true but those are sea going vessels requiring multiple hands - I don’t know about you but I am a landlubber of the first order. That flat ship is our only ticket out of here.

 [09:25p] 

Dalamar─O : Believe me, I’ve no intention of going near the water.

[09:26p] 

Fury : Are we going to walk out of Port Kar? And go where??

 

[09:25p] 

Fury indicates all the cargo ships moored in the slips.... and laughs at the concept.

 

[09:26p] 

Dalamar─O : Well, I have a wagon. And if i go alone, then i go alone.

[09:27p] 

Fury : I'm not one for owning anyone anything, my Friend. We all know what happens to people in debt.

[09:27p] 

Dalamar─O : I really only came back for the bow, i left it at the fountain.

 

[09:28p] 

Fury tips her head curiously to the Outlaw.... that wasn't what he'd said last time we spoke... she didnt think he'd forgotten his offer. So that told her that perhaps he had no intention of keeping his word which would be a disappointment. She uttered a simple word that made that plain.

 

[09:28p] 

Fury : Oh.

 

 [09:29p] Dalamar─O Gave Fury a sharp look for a brief ihn.

 

[09:29p] 

Dalamar─O : Your ship doesn't have a full complement of oars, does it? I see. It doesn't.

[09:30p] 

 

[09:29p] 

Fury : I'd not be able to take a ship through the delta and from here... there is no way to other places but up the river

 

[09:29p] WaylandSmith The smith had set off at a trot but the pulsing pain in his left arm soon convinced him that a more sedate pace was called for. In any case the ship seemed to be tied with sufficient strength for the moment to prevent it from slipping away. With his good arm he pulled it as close to shore as he could before jumping on board holding the other rope that had slipped its ring on the boat. After about a dozen ehn he returned to Fury and Dalamar.

 [09:29p] WaylandSmith Wandering back calmly the smith noticed a certain cooling in the air between Fury and Dalamar - he wondered whether he should intervene and then recalled that Fury as a rule was well able to state her own concerns.

 

 

 [09:30p] WaylandSmith coughs discretely to defuse the tension.

 

Fury looked to Wayland but held her tongue, she knew this was no time for arguing. Dalamar─O meanwhile unstrung his bow and placed the string around his neck in a loose loop.

 

[09:31p] 

WaylandSmith : Something has happened - the waters are much much higher than normal - there is no landward escape from Port Kar possible - the whole area of the Karian marshes is under water. I also own a cart and a bosk - I didn’t choose the boat by choice.

 

[09:31p] 

Dalamar─O : I'm...parked not too far outside the city.

[09:31p] 

WaylandSmith : You will be lucky to find your cart still there - I arrived from the north and the Vosk has burst its banks as wide as the eyes can see - barely any land except the city proper is not under water.

[09:32p] 

Fury : If we've any chance of finding others... it’s going to have to be going inland.

 [09:33p] 

WaylandSmith : I could be wrong and it is the sea that has risen...

[09:33p] 

WaylandSmith : I do know there is water everywhere at the moment - the flat bottomed ship has a small sail - it’s not hard to manoeuvre and has ample space so much I learned these past days.

 

[09:32p] Dalamar─O looked entirely unconvinced, his demeanour expressing serious doubts about the proposed endeavour. Cutting his eyes in the general direction of the wagon...he recalled he had walked here with the smaller thing too...

 

[09:34p] 

Dalamar─O : I don't know. I just parked and walked. I know i didn't swim though it wouldn't be the first weird thing that's happened to me. I admit I didn't look at the water too closely, except to make sure i didn't step in the mud when I stepped down.

 

 

[09:35p] WaylandSmith bent a little to the right to check that Dalamar was not hiding a finned tail. It seems the outlaw was jesting, laughing good-naturedly he explained:

 

[09:35p] 

WaylandSmith : The water rose and/or is rising gradually the further I travelled from the edge of the Marshes the higher it was. My supposition was that it has something to do with what befell but truth be told I am not sure.

 

[09:36p] Dalamar─O looks at the sky again with Wayland reflexively following Dalamar's gaze. The lemon-yellow sun forcing him to squint.

[09:37p] 

Fury as the jit fidgeted in my arms I set the small beast down for him to scamper off and play - to him it was just another day in paradise with things to see and do. He paid no mind to the discussions between the three of them... Or rather the two of them now. I wondered if we were all just going to die in Port Kar... it wasn’t the worst place to die, I supposed... for a moment I thought that it might have been better to perish with everyone else than to have survived and die a slow drawn out death

 

[09:37p] 

Dalamar─O : I'm making sure it isn't getting close to being dark. I don't want to be here in the dark. These corpses...

 

There was a pregnant pause as the outlaw waited for understanding to hit. Fury however looked non-plussed and gave the outlaw an odd look. The latter forebore to role his eyes that she did not get his point.

 [09:38p] 

Fury : They haven’t moved. I checked when I was searching for my jit.

 

[09:38p] Whilst Fury seemed to think this should lay Dalamar’s fears to rest, the smith also failed to understand. Not being the superstitious kind Wayland found it hard to imagine what terrors the darkness might hold for the outlaw. The dead were - well dead and unlikely to come back to cause drama. That ability was reserved to certain FW.

 

[09:39p] 

Dalamar─O : Not them specifically. Go buy some oars! It's the things that'll come out at night. To eat them.

 

[09:39p] 

Dalamar – vainly as it turned out looked to see whether they might comprehens. Fury looked at him as if he'd grown a third eye - right in the centre of his forehead...Oar’s where was she supposed to get those – it seemed to her the outlaw was determined to speak in riddles like an oracle.

 

[09:39p] 

WaylandSmith : This is true - there will be a loot of food for the scavengers.

 

[09:39p] 

Dalamar─O : Ok one of you gets it. They won't care if the food's moving or not. I ain't gonna end up in a giant urt or a sleen's stomach

[09:40p] 

WaylandSmith : The house of Slaver here is safe enough - I found - err borrowed his keys - unsurprisingly there are several areas that are easy to secure. Whatever wanders Port Kar at night would not find its way in not unless it’s cleverer than countless kajirae that were kept there.

 

[09:40p] 

Fury truth to her name grew more frustrated which only drew an exasperated look from Dalamar. As she started to explain that her warehouse was safe and had room for bosks and carts he cut her short.

 

 [09:41p] 

Dalamar─O : Night time means you might get eaten by sleen or giant urts.

 

I am not risking it.

 

I've got a palace on wheels outside.

 

[09:42p] 

Fury : So you'd rather be out of town in a wagon??? Those things are coming from somewhere you know!

[09:42p] 

WaylandSmith : Scavengers tend to be lazy creatures - when there is ample flesh they will avoid living dangerous prey - however your point is well made. I need to find that anvil before we can leave - so whilst you - errm discuss - I suggest you do so inside. There is a girl - xenia - she can serve you. I shall be back anon.

 [09:42p] 

Dalamar─O : Some random sleen's going to have to walk a long way to bite *my* leg off. Yeah, I’ll wager inside the city. They won't go far from a food source. Hey I could be wrong and there are no critters at all. But i ain't risking it, i leave at sundown. I got four bosk that'd love to stomp a sleen if it got antsy.

 

 [09:43p] WaylandSmith pulling out the large key ring he unlocks Slaver's door and gallantly sweeps it open - it is also the only door to give onto an open area the remainder being enclosed. A necessity due to the nature of his business.

 

[09:44p] 

Dalamar─O : I'm gonna go cook some steaks over in that one place you saw. Join me or not.

 

[09:45p] Dalamar─O turns and waves half-heartedly over his shoulder and goes back to where he parked the half wagon thing to bring it closer to the restaurant, then going inside and he fires up  the grill. Tending to the cooler freezing section through a heavy door and taking out some of the slabs of meat and he tosses them in a line on the grill, straightening them out and adding some seasoning in their general direction

 

Wayland meanwhile was about to ask about the four bosk cart - it seemed like something out of those kailla races he'd seen in Vendara long ago. He found the drawing power of his single bosk Big Jim more than ample, not to mention the work in grooming the animal. Ere he was able to formulate his question, the outlaw had already moved away. Making a gesture that could be understood as - I will be back later - he scouted out a little carrier cart and went off to find an anvil.

 

Wayland did not fancy expounding on the amount of water that flooded the Karian peninsula - people took his advice or didn’t it was all equal to him. What was not equal however was to be a smith short of an anvil - this matter needed to be remedied at once! His hope that the local knowledge of the outlaw would have helped being dashed he made for what he remembered to be the tradesmen's quarters. To avoid getting lost he occasionally marked a wall with a chalk so that he could find his way back.

 

Fury just stood there and watched the possibly only other living humans on the planet turn away from one another and walk off... She sighed, then shrugged and considered a steak dinner... It wasn’t like anyone was concerned what became of her - may as well have one nice potentially last meal. She followed Dalamar into the restaurant and said..."throw one on for me".

 

[09:51p] Dalamar─O Nodded curtly as there were already several there. He then turned back to convince Fury.

 

[09:52p] 

Dalamar─O : I said "if I go alone" because I was giving you a choice.

[09:53p] 

Fury : But what if what Wayland says is true? What if it IS all water? It was when I rowed in… It could only have gotten worse. What if the water has risen more? It was rising when I arrived.... exponentially!

 

Sitting back in lamentation, she waited for the steaks to cook filled with fear rather than being argumentative. Dalamar meanwhile made his case:

 

 [09:54p] 

Dalamar─O : Well I took the road from Brundisium to here and I didn't float it. Well, I say "road", if the water rises I'll deal with it. I don't know for sure what's between us and the Genesian, so I’m not going to get worked up about it.

If I have to find a ship...a big ship...then I’ll have to.

 

[09:59p] Dalamar─O turns the meat over and tosses some more spices around

 

[10:02p] 

Fury : Medium rare please.

 

Adding quickly as Dalamar gave a snort of disgust at the suggestion he might be so inept.

 

Fury: ‘Hey I've seen some people char those things until they were unrecognisable as meat.

 

 [10:03p] 

Dalamar─O : I like meat, not bits of meat-shaped charcoal.

 

 

 

[09:58p] WaylandSmith wandered the city meanwhile realising that Dalamar's concerns had not been totally groundless - the place was a charnel house and besides urts and sleen, disease and the increasing stinking rot would render it decidedly unpleasant in short order. Hastening his pace he wandered in and out of places for an ahn or two before finally hitting upon a smithy.

 

[10:02p] WaylandSmith The smithy was well kitted out and Wayland spent an appreciable time examining the tools and workmanship of the late Karian smith. The only downside being that the latter seemed to have found his end as he worked and had fallen face first in the fire of his forge. The scent of burnt rotting meat was heavy in the air - the thought of sharing a steak with Dalamar suddenly seemed rather unattractive. Finally he shuffled around to manoeuvre the heavy anvil onto the little cart, it was hard due to his injury.

[10:05p] WaylandSmith Finding his way back to the docks as dusk was falling the smith kept a watchful eye out for creatures that might come out early to prowl but barring the buzzing of incessant fat flies heavy with feeding on the eyes of the dead there was nothing. Storing the anvil with his cart he made his way back to Slaver's kitchen reckoning that Fury would know to find him there at need.

 

[10:05p] 

Fury nodded and reached for a deck of cards left on one of the tables, shuffling and mixing them to keep her mind off more depressing things. The meats eventually defrost and became easier to cook, the timing between flipping not quicker but more regular. Taking one out of the several he puts it on a plate and plunked it down on the counter before her. Fury looked up at him and then the plate before moving to take is and then returning to her seat at the table... Her dirk removed from its sheath, wiped on her leathers; used to cut off small bits of meat.

 

[10:07p] 

Fury : Thanks, I've only had fruits for the last few days - meat is good

[10:07p] 

Dalamar─O : Any place that served hot food has a place in it with cold food.

[10:08p] Dalamar─O Punctuating his remarks by waving the utensil he is using to flip the meat with, he continues. Fury’s gaze followed the utensil but she nodded in understanding making a mental note to look for food places.

 

[10:08p] 

Dalamar─O : Look for those. I think...when i manage to escape the delta, I’ll head for Bazi. Maybe Samnium? Haven't been to Bazi in...many many years.

 

[10:09p] 

Fury Is there a reason for that?

 [10:10p] 

Dalamar─O : A reason? Well maybe there's not so many dead people. And if there are, it'll prove it's all over two places is kind of a hint, but three...

 

[10:10p] Dalamar─O shrugged returning to tending to his cookery. Taking a box fitted with some waxed paper he placed the remaining steaks in them. Fitting the two smaller boxes inside one larger, he closed them. Fury meanwhile chewed slowly... reaching out to turn a card over from the deck she'd placed back on the table... studying it, then turning another - as if she were playing some sort of game with them. She realised she’s never been much further afield than Port Kar, though the delta had been silent there were no ‘dead thing’ in them. What Dalamar said might make sense. As he returned with a pair of boxes to her he said:

 

Dalamar─O : this is for your friend and his slave. I'll try to get the wagon moving first thing tomorrow.

 

Fury : I'll take it to them on my way to the warehouse.

 

Fury: Grabbed the box of steaks and the cards and headed towards Slaver’s place of business. Her eyes alert to mischief saw none.

 

[10:10p] WaylandSmith Wayland entered the kitchen expecting to find xenia but she seemed to have heeded his recommendation and hid. Calling out got him no response but he expected that she might turn up at one moment or another. Instead he made for the wine cabinet of the old gold caste - there were three locks on it but that was no matter - he had all the keys after all.

 

[10:12p] WaylandSmith : ‘Well Slaver - you are not here but I recall the words of Gillian Seal well enough:

‘If one must die — and this seems to be the general fate — why perform the act in mean and vulgar style? Rather, die splendidly, in a manner all will envy, dead drunk from Falernian wine.’

I thank you kindly for having left it for me to find even if you never managed to enjoy it before your death.’

 

 

 

EDITOR's Note: Roleplay edited for readability and flow of action. Any mistakes are the responsability of Wayland's typist.