Under a Dark Sun(2nd Ed. AD&D)

[Kazilan]

Bas approached Jonas' group and raised a hand in greeting, his other hand gripping his staff.

"Hello, fellow travelers. How have things fared here while we were away? It looks like you've seen some danger, and this place has changed some since we were here last."

[Man Who Fights Like Woman]

Lorath decided to answer their second question, and let Ulik handle the other one. "We're explorers," he replied, simply at first. "We came here from another world, through a portal not too far from here, and figured that the best place to start looking for information that we're interested in would be an old ruin." He looked at each of them in turn, thinking of something more he could ask them. "If you don't mind, how did you wind up dead?"

[dplax]

Anne

Anne walked next to Bas, but did not approach Jonas' group with him. She'd learn what he found out later. Instead, she waved down a passing man.

"Would you know whether there are any healing services here? I'm also in need of buying a few things, could you point me in the right direction?"

I could also find out somewhere what is written on this small cup, she thought, fingering the object through the fabric of her trousers.

[Caleb808]

Ulik took note of the woman's cough and Evon keeping his distance from her and the others. He lets Lorath do the talking while he looks back at Evon and raises an eyebrow, waiting for any signal that something wasn't right.

[Armen]

Tamora

Tamora waited with Anne for the man she had called to walk over. “Good idea”, she said, “it would be good to know if there is a fletcher here.” She continued to look around the clearing trying to judge the numbers, type and disposition of the people she saw. If she can buy arrows she’ll go with Anne – if not she will leave her to her business and continue to observe the comings and goings in the clearing.

[PurpleXVI]

Lorath, Ulik, Evon

"Well, you probably already know there are unpleasant creatures down there," said Ors, searching the folds and pockets of his robe distractedly for something as he talked, "They killed us, or we accidentially killed ourselves trying to fight them off. I accidentially brought a ceiling down on me and Jarval," he withdrew a thin, brown paper cylinder from a pocket and indicated the wounded man with it, then lit one end of the cylinder with the campfire and stuck the other in his mouth, "Place seemed pretty calm when we first got down there, but then Roraz fumbled one of those damn spheres while examining it, dropped it on something hard and we were knee-deep in things that wanted to eat us."

Evon noticed Ulik's looking at him and waved a hand dismissively, "Don't mind me," he said, "I'm just a bit on edge."


Bas, Balth

Jonas perked up on seeing Bas and his companions, "Ah! Looks like you survived your trip into the wilderness!" While Anne and Tamora left, Balth stayed with the druid, and Jonas indicated that the two were welcome to join them by the fire, "Oh, things have been fine, we had a bit of trouble with some locals, though, that's why someone decided to try and make this pitiful stockade," he slapped one of the fenceposts with a loose backhand and it fell over, "We'd just recovered from our last little mishap when a bunch of them arrived at the edge of the clearing, small army, really, looked like halflings from home. We figured they were just a trading band, but the moment someone approached them they started howling for blood!"

"Vicious little bastards," spoke one of the others, a bit muffled, he had a bandage across his face, covering his nose, "One of them literally climbed up my armor just to headbutt me!"

Jonas nodded, his expression turning less cheerful than usual, "We lost some good people, but we drove them off, the worrying part was that they carried off some of the bodies, though, I mean, I could understand carrying off their own corpses... But ours? That just doesn't make sense. How's your trip gone, though? None of you seem to be missing any important parts, though you're down a few men. Did you lose anyone?"


Tamora, Anne

Anne had managed to accost a shady-looking fellow who smelled of dubious hygiene and looked constantly poised to run, "Go find out for yourself, kid," he told her, pointing her towards the huddle of buildings and tents, "Just don't bother with the holy men if you want your hurt patched, and if you want to buy stuff, just look for anyone yelling at people trying to get them to come over."

He didn't bother to wait for a reply, instead walking off towards the southern treeline.

The man's advice seemed about right, though, at the temporary village, just about every merchant or trader who'd made the trip was waving people down and trying to explain to them why their dubious junk was more worthy of someone's money than the next man's junk. Mostly they were selling useful things, like weapons and equipment, but a few were also selling trinkets and luxuries. Judging by the desperation with which the latter tried to attract customers, few adventurers were interested in spices or cheap jewelry made out of brass and tin.

Tamora easily found several men selling arrows and bows. Examining their merchandise, however, she found that several of them had not the faintest clue what they were doing, and were selling things she'd rather use as clubs than for firing arrows. Of the remainder, one seemed more competent than the others, he looked like a soldier, rather than a merchant, and for a moment it seemed odd that he was selling goods, rather than searching for riches in the forests, until she noticed that one of his legs was missing below the knee, instead replaced by a length of wood.

[Man Who Fights Like Woman]

Lorath nodded as Ors finished speaking. "I had two of those things on me for a while. Damn near died getting them removed, but it didn't do any permanent damage, so far as I can tell." He shifted his weight to his other foot and continued. "Roraz, I'm guessing, is the one we ran in to down there. The symbiotes seem to have totally taken over his body and were controlling his actions. He was barenly recognizable as a humanoid when we found him, and was trying to get access to a whole host of the creatures. They've all been destroyed now, though." He sat down, and set his pack down next to him. Looking at the four battered and recently resurrected adventurers, he asked them, "So, what's it like to be dead?"

[dplax]

Anne

Healing services seemed to be lacking indeed. Looking around the camp, Anne could see no paladins or clerics, nor anyone bearing any healing symbols. The merchants trying to sell, more or less aggressively, their healing salves and mixtures could only offer treatment for the symptoms of Anne's leg injury, not the underlying causes. All simply peddlers of wares which did not achieve the desired effects.

Anne looked around again, looking for different types of merchants or adventurers this time. There weren't many elves at all in the encampment. A small band of four was gathered outside of one of the taverns. Apart from them Anne could only see three other elves, merchants all of them. One sold swords and various daggers, another seemed to be running a pawn shop, while the third was selling rations.

She glanced over all of them in detail, noting that as she examined the band of four, one pair of eyes also examined her from the group. Adventurers, quite probably, she told herself. Of the merchants, the sword-seller looked to be the oldest and it was him whom Anne approached.

She showed more than cursory interest in his wares, especially the long, thin-bladed stilettos and the short swords. Still looking at a stiletto, she took the silver cup from her pocket and held it up for the merchant to look at.

"I do not understand old elvish. Would you be able to tell me what these engravings mean?"

The merchant took the cup from Anne's hand and held it up to catch the sunlight as he read it, his lips moving while his eyes skimmed the symbols. As he finished, his eyes narrowed and his features hardened, he quickly glanced at her and then read the cup's symbols again, as if to make sure he had read it right the first time. "I don't trade with grave robbers," he growled at the thief, but gave her back the cup before staunchly ignoring her.

Anne took the cup back with an unsteady hand. "I'd just like to know what is written on it. I can tell you that even if the means that I acquired it with aren't fully honest, I am no grave robber. Would you be as kind as to tell me what the inscription says?"

She was met by a glare from the merchant, who looked for a moment like he was going to test his goods on her, then he relaxed slightly, "You didn't seem like the kind," he said, "But I can't tell you what it says, only enough to see that it was meant for someone's grave. It's either ancient elvish, a strange dialect or something else entirely. I also felt uneasy when I held it, I'd rather not look at it again," he sighed, "And I'm afraid I'm here to make money, not chat, do you intend to buy anything?"

Anne relaxed, almost imperceptibly. "The creatures here in the jungle use long claws or far-reaching weapons to get at their prey or enemies. I've been a dagger user all my life myself. Would you perchance have a short sword similar in weight to a dagger or a particularly long dagger?"

Seeming pleased to have the topic changed, the elf showed her a variety of daggers, from stilettos through main gauches and parrying daggers, then made an admirable attempt at selling her on a short sword, telling her that it was no jungle to be armed with only a knife in. He also pointed out a tent a bit farther down the 'road,' really just a flattened distance of dirt, where an old man was selling armour, informing her that she should pick up something to protect herself.

A quarter of an hour of haggling and two frustrated looking, but secretly glad merchants later, Anne had bought herself a stiletto and a set of leather armour. Passing the elven rations-seller, she paused. Tamora was more than capable of providing them with food in the wilderness, but Anne still hungered for a taste of home and she preferred to be prepared for the eventuality of being separated from the ranger.

She was able to get two days of rations and a couple of ripe fruit from the merchant.

All in all, the food, armour and weapon had cost Anne a mere five gold pieces, but still, she only had twelve silver pieces left.

She turned to look around, searching for what Tamora had found for herself.

[Armen]

Tamora

Tamora picked up one of the arrows on display and sighted along it then checked the fittings of the arrowhead and flights. She addressed the man. “It is good that someone here at least can make an arrow,” she said, “Would you be prepared to trade finished sheaf arrows for these heads?” She took the salvaged arrowheads from her pouch and handed them over to the trader who examined them carefully. “I’m sure that anyone with half an eye would have come to you rather than these others. Have you heard anything interesting?”

[Kazilan]

Bas took a seat near the fire, staring into its flames as he considered what to relate from his journey so far. His left hand tapped against the wood of his staff, which rested against his shoulder.

"We did lose one member of our group, possibly to those halflings you also saw. They were no more friendly to us than they were to you."

Bas paused to glance at Balth.

"We met our new friend, Balth, in the wilds. He was battling a strange insectoid creature." The druid switched his gaze back to the fire. "Some others elected to search a site of old ruins in the hope of learning more about this world, not to mention the prospect of finding treasure. We hope to meet up with them soon. This land is certainly a violent one, and I'm sure we would benefit from the safety of greater numbers."

The druid glanced at Tamora and Anne in the distance, suddenly self-conscious. He had spoken more than he planned, more than he usually allowed himself. Perhaps he was grateful to have someone to talk to after the dangers of the jungle? Bas shook his thoughts clear and looked at Jonas.

"Have many more adventurers gone into the wilderness?"