| Logs |
2011 January 16
| Neverneverwhere |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Taps Logs |
Down, Down to Goblin Town
Dominic gives his orders some thoughts. Consulting with Sabrina, he selects samples of the goods; things that could be nothing but wares for trade, rather than supplies. But at the same time, nothing of supreme value. He doesn't know these people, and in spite of Sna'thaid's words -- or perhaps even because of them -- he doesn't want to look like a fat chicken to these potential foxes. Suraksha runs through a quick mental checklist, then sets up the party to enter the fort: herself, Chanticleer, and Dominic. She has Joe come along; he'll keep their weapons outside the fort. When Dominic brings the wares she has them neatly packed into the saddlebags of the three mounts she, Dominic, and Chanti will be riding into the fort. Once that's ready she glances around, "All right, are we all ready and good to go? Anything else I've forgotten?"
Joe says, "Other than the fact that walking into the fort sight unseen is a damned bad idea if there's something strange going on?" There's a hint of humor in his voice.
Suraksha grins amusedly at Joe, "All right, you try getting more and clearer information out of my godsmother!"
Chanticleer is disquieted by the consideration that there are rogue, unsworn fey about. He doesn't recall running into any, but those last days before the end... all the fey in service to his lord were killed, but maybe another, like him... he shakes his head. He'll have a slight glamour on, just enough to keep him from looking like a scion of d'Anver. That will have to do. In the meantime he leaves his sword in the caravan along with his other weapons -- he doesn't think they'd mind a utility knife -- then again, time is wasting, and they don't have time to futz around with the 'weaponality' of a utility blade. He leaves it as well.
Suraksha makes sure all four of them have crossbows -- Joe can hold those while they're in the fort, and still be armed himself. She mounts up with the others, kneeing her horse over to lean and give Joe a hug, "Thanks for being willing to hold our horses, sweetie." Poly and Pippa come trotting up, already mounted, and the first Amazon says calmly, "We will ride with Joe. We are better shots, if anything goes wrong."
Suraksha opens her mouth to demur... then smiles and shakes her head amusedly -- Poly's right. "All right. Yell if anything looks dangerous, though, so we can get back to the caravan soonest for defense, yes?" Pippa grins excitedly and Poly nods calmly, "Of course."
Suraksha glances at Dominic and Chanti, "All right. You both ready?" as she reins her horse around, heading for the fort.
Dominic inclines his head, festooned with his samples, looking the same as always. Calm? He can be calm in his sleep. "I'm good."
Chanticleer takes in a slow breath, checking to make sure his glamour is set. They'll probably notice fairly quickly, but if it's minor enough they might not think of it. It's just enough to soften the distinctive d'Anver features. "I'm ready."
Suraksha smiles encouragingly at the sidhe, leaning to give him a quick, one-armed hug too, "You look fine, dear! Can I mention that you're Seelie, or should that be kept quiet?"
Chanticleer purses his lips and murmurs to Suraksha, "Telling them I'm Seelie would probably be best." Inwardly, though, he wonders. [Am I still Seelie?] he thinks, [or am I a rogue, courtless, unsworn? No. I am Seelie, I've never stopped considering myself Seelie, and if Titania herself came to me and asked me to bend knee to the Crown I would. And once I find out what happened with my lord, I'll be recognized as one again.]
As they ride back down to the fort, they see someone waiting there. He's leaning on a heavy staff -- it might be a walking stick of some sort, but it looks a lot more like a quarterstaff. Suraksha waves cheerfully to the person, calling courteous greetings. The person meeting them stands upright and actually grins across at them. He's a youngish man with long, red hair pulled back into a ponytail. His skin is the unusual golden pale of a redhead that tans instead of burns; he's dressed in actual buckskins. Beaded fringe dangles from the leather, and he's barefoot, "Sorry about all the rigmarole." His voice is a lazy drawl; not the one speaking to them earlier.
Suraksha nods to Chanticleer, then turns to the waiting man and smiles, studying him interestedly for a moment before she grins in return, "That's all right. So... what's going on? We brought some samples of our trade goods so you could see we really are traders. Also, Chanticleer here is Seelie, if that helps convince you?" Chanticleer nods politely to the raggedy fey before him. Dominic assesses the redhead coolly, thoughtfully. At Sura's comment, he stands ready to display wares when the other steps forward to see. Suraksha adds dryly, "We'd really rather be under cover by nightfall, if you've got rogue fey wandering around, after all."
The man says, "We're all a little nervous." He pauses, "Actually, they're nervous. I figure this is the sort of thing you have to expect when you run a trading post." He starts to move toward them, using the staff like a walking stick. "Please take out your wares, and if everything's fine I'll smooth over any ruffled feathers inside and we'll bring out the planks to help get you over the pits. Truth be told, I wanted to just fill them in."
Dominic nods and starts doing so. Cloth, some spices, raw metals. Suraksha finds the man's chakras startling -- to the extent that she's not at all sure he's human! He's exceedingly well-balanced. Admittedly, she's seen people this well-balanced before, but normally they have to work really hard at it. On this man, though, energy flows just as it ought to, both up and down, and all seven chakras are bright and unblocked. She nods at his request, twisting to grab her saddlebags and hand them to Dominic. Joe knees his horse forward to take the reins of Dominic's horse, and Sura curiously says, "Why don't you? I mean, are they being left open for a reason?"
The man smiles brightly and says, "I started filling one in. That night it was dug right back out again." He tips his head toward Joe, "He should back off a bit."
Dominic gives Joe room to lead the horse off and give the space the man asks for, as he opens each of the saddlebags that are now on the ground before them, showing the gathered samples. Suraksha nods to Joe, who leads Dominic's horse back a bit. The Amazons have already spread out a bit on each side of the trail, keeping watch around the little group. Suraksha murmurs quietly to the man, "All right, yes... that'd be frustrating." She curiously adds, "Do you... want introductions too?" She's a bit puzzled the man hasn't given any name at all. In her admittedly limited experience, the Seelie are a proud and courteous race. She recognizes this man from passage through this trading post on previous years, although she's never actually been introduced, since he tends to stay somewhat behind the scenes. Chanticleer inwardly chuckles; the man's definitely a fae, and quite a handsome one too. An equine sidhe, his bare feet are actually hooves and he has a luxurious tail and long ears. His eyes seem to have no whites to them at all, and his nose is long with a soft pad where humans have nostrils. He doesn't look like Del; he's more likely a horse sidhe.
The man comes closer and crouches near them, "Of course. I have been in the backwoods too long. Call me Abraxas." He flashes his very even, very white teeth in a grin, "Not my actual name, of course, but it will do."
Suraksha blinks at the man, then can't help a small giggle, "Abraxas? I see. No one has ever accused you of excessive modesty, eh?" She grins, waving a hand towards Dominic, "That is Dominic there, and this is Chanticleer. Joe has Dominic's horse, while Poly and Pippa are guarding us all... and I am Suraksha." She smiles and nods once politely, "Pleasure to meet you, Abraxas."
Abraxas answers, "Well, no, not really. But neither have I been told that I'm a blowhard." He looks Chanticleer over carefully. "Another one that doesn't like the courts?" he asks, with every appearance of being casual about the question as he moves to examine the samples of the goods Dominic has laid out.
Suraksha chuckles and says nothing -- his question is for Chanti to answer, not her. She waits relaxedly on her shaggy, stolid pony. Dominic grunts when introduced. Not unfriendly, but unless the man offers, he's not one to shake hands. Chanticleer says carefully, "We're... not really on speaking terms at the moment." It's somewhat evasive, but it's enough for this man, since he hasn't given them his real name. Tit for tat.
Suraksha smiles at the man, hopefully distracting him from Chanticleer as she asks, "Ah, so you're Seelie as well? That makes sense."
Abraxas' eyes move over the samples and he gives Sura another of those bright, toothy grins, "By oath, yes. But I don't go to court. Too much politicking." He pushes to his feet and says, "This all looks in order. Let's get you inside the walls."
Suraksha laughs at that and nods, "Yes, I've heard the Courts are quite, um... involved." She smiles as she adds, "I hope you mean all of us, yes? The entire caravan?" She doesn't rush, giving Dominic time to pack up again. Chanticleer bites his tongue when Suraksha comments on how the Courts are 'involved.' He's grateful for her distracting Abraxas, and doesn't want to invite additional questions.
Abraxas says, "Of course. I keep trying to tell the rest that caravans are not likely to be full of bandits and sluagh. The lot that's been hounding us is probably no more than four, maybe five."
Dominic looks at Sura and Abraxas. "Will we need to show these items to those inside, or can I send them back with our companion?"
Suraksha smiles and nods at Abraxas, then says to Dominic, "Take the samples back to the caravan, please? Then you can tell them we've been welcomed to come on in." She adds interestedly to the sidhe, "That few? Hm... are they that hard to track down, then?" Joe comes forward with Dominic's horse, and Sura adds to him, "Ask one of the Amazons to accompany you back to the caravan, please? The other should come with us." She doesn't know if Abraxas will invite them in before the caravan arrives, but she wants to be prepared either way. Dominic repacks then, and returns to the caravan with Joe to pass the word. It seems for the moment they have passed muster, so he relaxes enough to leave the Lady alone with Abraxas so the caravan can be brought into shelter.
Abraxas says, "They are. I know this area like the back of my hand and I can't find them. I think they may be just that good at illusion... which worries me."
Suraksha says thoughtfully, "Do you not have any good hunting dogs then, or other scent trackers?"
Abraxas' eyes twinkle with amusement as he says, "Oh, yes. We've got at least one very good scent-tracker. But he's not been able to find anything."
Suraksha nods slowly and consideringly. Ordinarily she'd offer the help of the caravan's better trackers, to aid the trading post in its predicament... but if a sidhe is having trouble seeing through illusion... then she'd guess their assistance wouldn't be that useful, and might be seen as presumptuous. She compromises with, "Well, if we can be of assistance, do please let us at least know?"
Chanticleer frowns. "Perhaps they're masking their scents somehow?"
Abraxas starts back toward the walls as if he expects them to follow, replying to Chanti, "They might be. There are some plans to go out and look for them again, but at night this time."
Suraksha glances back over her shoulder at the caravan and, closer to her and Chanticleer, Poly. She waves 'all clear' to the caravan, then turns and starts following the man into the trading post. Poly comes trotting in closer, keeping a thoughtful eye out as well. Chanticleer remains quiet and staid, near Suraksha. He doesn't like the idea of a band of Unseelie who can mask their scent. Dominic returns the goods to storage, has the runners passing the word to the rest of the wagons, and then comes back up to the lead wagon, waiting for the signal to get the caravan under way again. At the gate Abraxas calls out, "Open up! They're traders!" A voice calls back, "What about the rooster?"
Chanticleer stifles a laugh. Yes, he figured someone would see through his glamour. Suraksha blinks startledly, then laughs, "He's quite dependable and in control of himself, I assure you!" She smiles and doesn't mention her godsmother... although she feels sorry for anyone who tries to denigrate the Lady Sna'thaid as just a bug!
Abraxas laughs, obviously enjoying the humor of the situation, "Come on. You trust me! I trust him. He doesn't smell crazy." There's a moment that feels heavy with reluctance. It's almost tangible -- but then the gate opens.
Suraksha smiles relaxedly, waiting -- although she's now quite curious to see whomever it is with the very smooth and cultured voice. Dominic comes back up to join the others just in time to hear that, and blinks. "What does crazy smell like?" he finds himself asking on impulse.
Suraksha murmurs quietly to Dominic, "Overheated, frantic, a bit angry," as she nudges her horse to head on in through the gates. Chanticleer leaves the glamour on for the time being; it may make it just that little bit much harder to peg his house, and he'd rather avoid that for now. He nudges his horse along after Suraksha's.
Dominic considers that. "Overheated is probably sweat," he concedes, murmuring, "but I don't know how you smell frantic-ness, or anger either."
Suraksha smiles and shrugs apologetically to Dominic, "I'm sorry, dear... I don't know how to describe it better than that?" Dominic waves it off. Sura is, of course, different from him in many ways. It doesn't surprise him at all that she can smell emotions. She smiles at him apologetically again, then glances around searchingly as they enter the trading post, exceedingly curious as to who -- and what -- is left here.
The inside of the trading post is as they remember, except more confined. The gates that would normally be invitingly open are barricaded and barred on all sides. Buildings inside the walls are closed up and windows shuttered. The person opening the gates is dressed as a prosperous businessman, with nice trousers and a wide-sleeved shirt with a vest. The sleeves are gathered with plain cuffs. He is dark-skinned, with dark hair, and built more or less like a tree stump. There are three or four people evident, but no other caravans or large vehicles are inside. It's almost eerily silent. Suraksha smiles pleasantly at all within as she enters, glancing around and saying to Abraxas, "Do you want the caravan anywhere in particular?" She frowns thoughtfully at the gate man, though, checking his chakras. She'd guess he's not human either, from the look of him.
Suraksha makes sure to smile very calmly and non-threateningly to the man at the gate once she's checked his chakras. By the look of them she'd guess he's an urbanized dwarf: lower chakras extremely strong, upper ones less so, very connected to the earth's energy -- and practically shimmering all over with angry caution! Chanticleer is still a little tense. This is not an abandoned outpost. So why are things still so wrong here? The chickens weren't being fed, for example. Dominic looks at each of the gathered folks in turn, curious, assessing... he can't read them like Sura can, but he can at least be alert.
Abraxas strides into the compound, "Come on, Stephen! They're perfectly normal traders!" The possible dwarf snorts and says, "Not so normal. You know that yourself! They've been through here before."
Suraksha laughs at that, her voice teasing, "Oh, so going through this trading post makes us abnormal? A pleasure to meet you also, Stephen."
Chanticleer adds at the exchange between Abraxas and the dwarf, "Yes, we've been through here before. Several times, coming and going over the Pass." [So why are we so strange to you now?]
One of the other people inside the trading post calls over, "Stephen! We are running out of provisions!" The tone of the woman's voice is almost chiding, as if she were a parent talking to a sulky child.
Dominic grunts. "It's my recipe for refried beans that makes me abnormal." Was that a joke?
Suraksha adds more seriously to the dwarf, "Pardon my bluntness, but why do you stay, if you are so worried about the rogues?" A couple of other people are moving toward the door carefully but quickly, carrying heavy planks. Suraksha dismounts, handing her reins to Poly, and goes to help with the planking. She can chat with the dwarf later; her caravan needs to get safely indoors as quickly as possible.
Dominic's eyes narrow... not from what he sees in the gathered people, but from what he himself senses better than anything else. At first he thinks it's natural instability... but no. Someone is moving the earth. Not to fill in the pits... but to make more. There's a Tap nearby, a powerful one, and they're hemming in the caravan with sinkholes. He coughs then, loudly enough to make Sura turn... and when she does he taps his chest with his fist as if clearing his lungs, and makes a silent gesture signaling 'menace, looming.' Suraksha's eyes widen and she pauses, knowing Chanti and Poly saw that too. Sure enough, the Amazon heads over swiftly, growling softly, "Mount up," as she glances around, her bow in her hands. Suraksha does so as quickly as possible -- she's not an easy or natural rider -- and murmurs to Dominic as she does so, "What?"
Chanticleer frowns, then nods as Poly gives her command. He mounts his horse, cursing silently the outposts' requirement that they not be armed. Now they're all vulnerable! Dominic whispers curtly. "Tap here, Earthmover, they're boxing us in with sinkholes." It's not clear to him this is an overt attack... but if it was for the caravan's protection, why not make them open pits instead of sinkholes? His eyes scan those present, wondering if he can pick out where the Tap is...
Stephen and Abraxas are close together and talking heatedly about the safety of letting the caravan in. Stephen is gesticulating and red-faced. Abraxas is calm but not nonchalant -- right up until people start moving like there's an emergency. Then he hastily joins them, and there is the unmistakable sound of clopping hooves, "What's wrong? Is something happening with your caravan?" Stephen is starting to shout that the caravan has tricked them all; things could easily collapse into chaos.
Suraksha nods once to Dominic, then turns to Abraxas and says clearly, "You have an Earth Tap. Why do you attack us?" She hopes that will cause the Earth Tap to give themselves away with some startled flinch -- that should help identify the person. Poly's already easing Sura's horse towards the gate as she speaks.
Abraxas looks flummoxed at Suraksha's question, "We what? Stephen is... an earth person, but not a Tap! What are you talking about?"
Chanticleer isn't a Tap, but wonders if they'll try to open a sinkhole under the caravan. Suraksha's eyes narrow as she studies the dwarf. Could he be an 'inside man'? She says to Abraxas, "There's an Earth Tap hemming my caravan in with sinkholes." She takes a deep breath, then barks with all the authority she can muster at the shouting dwarf-type, "Quiet!" Hmm... not very good, she can tell. Dominic wishes now that he had the power to undo whatever the enemy Tap is doing... he needs to work more on his skills. He's mostly about sensing the earth right now, rather than shaping it. He stands close by Sura, ready to defend her from attack.
Abraxas stomps one foot and swears with a shake of his head, "Dammit!" Stephen just glares back at Suraksha and says, "I'll be quiet when I wish, young lady!" Nothing looks unusual in his chakras -- or at least, no different from when they first came in.
Outside there is a shout, and the painful screams of a creature that's been injured, followed by the baying of hounds. Dominic's head snaps up, "Dammit all to hell." Suraksha whirls and heads out at a brisk trot -- someone in her caravan is injured, and she should be there, not arguing here! She keeps the reins loose, letting her horse pick his way. Chanticleer bares his teeth and whirls his mount around to keep up with Suraksha. [Damn fools! Even if they're not doing this, they're responsible for causing these problems!] Dominic is about to follow... but Chanti is there, and he can protect her better -- where there is one thing Dominic does better as well. He sinks his mind deep and tries to find the power flow. Where is the shaper? Where do they hide and do their grim work?
Suraksha adds tightly to the others, "I don't think it's Stephen -- which means it has to be someone outside." She adds over her shoulder to Abraxas, "If you want to help, come along -- I'm guessing it's one of your rogue fey!" She has no more time for the trading post folk past that, though. She's glancing around warily as she emerges from the gate; who got hurt? Hopefully it was the attacker. Abraxas nods -- tosses his head, really -- and moves with them out toward where the emergency is happening.
The commotion seems to be coming from somewhere about the middle of the caravan. Dogs and other canids, along with Alg, are snapping at something, and the oxen pulling a large cargo wagon are bellowing in pain and anger. Suraksha slips off the horse -- she's better on foot anyway -- and runs swiftly through the wagons, weaving amongst them like the runner she once was. As she goes she calls warning about the sinkholes around the caravan, and to beware illusion from the rogue fey. The warning about the unseen sinkholes is timely, as the wagons fore and aft of the panicked oxen were starting to pull to the side to let the creatures have room. Suraksha's shout stops them from running right into sinkholes which Dom can feel just waiting for the slightest pressure from above to collapse. Chanticleer sees Suraksha getting off her horse and grimaces a little, getting off his own and taking to the roofs of the caravan to scramble towards the commotion. Poly and Pippa and several other guards are already turning warily outwards, crossbows and other weapons in hand.
Suraksha pulls up next to the wagon closest to the emergency, looking around quickly before she says anything further. From his high vantage point Chanticleer can see there seems to be some sort of small creatures swarming around the feet of the bellowing oxen. Up close, Suraksha can see it's weasels. The creatures are darting and biting at the flanks of the oxen and the dogs trying to keep them off the oxen. Suraksha pauses, looking around for a moment... then frowns, her eyes narrowed. Is this an illusion? She calls to the goblin, "Alg, are they real or an illusion?" She's searching visually for whomever screamed as well.
Chanticleer frowns. [Weasels? That... that almost doesn't make sense!] Both Alg and Chanticleer can tell the creatures aren't really there -- but the appearance of them is driving the brute beasts crazy. The driver of that particular wagon is slumped limply in his seat with a bloody gash on his temple. Chanticleer calls out to Suraksha, "They're not there! The weasels are an illusion!" He jumps quickly to the driver of the wagon, to try and get the oxen calmed. "It's some kind of distraction!"
Suraksha looks relieved, "Excellent. Don't touch the driver! Get Del over here -- she can calm the oxen!" She heads for the driver herself, calling, "Alg, come see if you can track whatever hurt Billy-Joe here!" Chanticleer nods and moves to get hold of Del to get her to care for the oxen. He takes this opportunity to quickly grab his sword as well.
Once it's established the weasels are illusion, Alg is able to calm the dogs. With them calmed, the oxen begin to calm as well. Billy-Joe is unconscious, but doesn't seem mortally hurt. Slowly, quiet falls again. In the trading post, Dominic curses as he comes back to himself. Too slow. The sinkholes are in place, and the trail is cold. He rushes out to the others then, trying to see where he can help... and get a weapon. He snatches up the first crossbow he can find. Back at the caravan, Alg finally scrambles up into the cargo wagon and snuffles around. After a moment he finds a rock about half the size of Sura's fist that's marked with blood. "Hit driver-man. Knock him down."
Suraksha sighs and nods, shifting over to check poor Billy-Joe and bind up his head, "All right. Thanks, Alg. If you can, remember the scent of the thrower." She calls out to Abraxas, "Can we get in as soon as possible, please?" She adds to Alg, "Sweetie, can you go make sure no one that's a stranger slips into the trading post with us, please?"
Abraxas nods tersely, "I'll hurry them up." He moves off to let the people know to hustle with the planks, and to keep an eye out. Alg moves off to do his duty as well, growling at the people who try to ask him questions. He's agitated, but is going to do what pretty lady says! Suraksha trusts Alg and the dog pack to stop anyone with an unknown scent from creeping in with them. They all have better scenting capabilities than a horse, after all, and she's assuming it's the rather equine-seeming Abraxas who is the trading post's major scent tracker. For now, though, she makes sure Billy-Joe is all right, handing him off to Suze's care, then takes over driving the oxen.
It takes very little time after that to get the caravan inside -- even Stephen helps out with getting the wagons across the pits and into the trading post. Once the doors are closed and barred people relax, but only marginally. Chanticleer, now wearing his sword, moves up to Suraksha after the caravan is in the outpost. "I'm getting the feeling we're more or less trapped here," he murmurs to her.
Suraksha nods once, then smiles grimly, "Let's think of it more as casting in our lot with the folk here. The sooner we help them take down these irritating rogues, the sooner we can carry on."
Dominic looks grim, having joined the others. "I can't get us out either, Lady. I'm not strong enough. Only way we're going to be able to leave is to get the original Tap to stabilize the earth again."
Suraksha smiles at Dominic, "That, actually, does not worry me as much. Enough people with shovels can accomplish miracles, as we all know. We just have to first make sure they're safe as they work. Pass the word, please? Everyone should stay sharp and keep an eye out for illusions; stick with the buddy system."
Chanticleer nods, taking in a soft breath. "Right." He looks around. "I'll work with our new 'hosts' to set up a guard watch. We may be here for a bit...."
Suraksha smiles quietly at Chanticleer, "I doubt it. I suspect hunting the rogues tonight may be more successful than they expect here. Find out who is willing to go a-hunting, please?" Dominic nods fiercely. Time to go to work, and help organize and marshal the caravan. Someone once quoted to him -- he can't remember who -- that 'readiness is all.' So, time to get ready.
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