"Shadows of Ravenloft" IC

[Crimson King]

In an undisclosed location in Pastich, the creature paused to read over the note.
<i>Hail to Zee of Might and Walor!
I, yumble Burgomeister of Pastich, zend honor to zee. Ve plead for zhy zo desperately needed assistanz vitin our kommunity.
Mein daughter, und der rest off our willage, hass been afflickted by a kreatur kallink his race "wamphyr"!
Zere is little vealth in hour kommunity, but vatever ve haff vill be yourss if you are savink us from diss Ewil.
Kome qvickly for der hour iss at hand!</i>
(signed)
<i>Zoltan Burgovich
Burgomeister</i>

The fiend smiled, revealing his cruel fangs. "Da, ziss is goot enuff." He folded the paper and sealed it with crimson wax the color of fresh blood, and stamped it with his signet ring before handing it to the waiting Vistani, who pocketed it -- and a purse heavy with coin -- beofre bowing to the nobleman and leaving.
"Fly, my little Vistani messenger." He leered again, his fangs prominent and now dripping with drool. "Zoon ziss vill bring blut -- <i>vresh</i> blut -- vresh <i>delicious</i> blut -- to ziss forsaken willage." He paused to swallow with a sick, slurping sound. "Ja, fur der todt reiten schnell! Und zere vill be heroes here, uff might und walor . . . <i>for me to zuck on!</i>" He threw back his head and laughed with unholy mirth...

[ImaiSiafanar]

Imai looked around the dank bar that they had found themselves in enroute to the Old Kartakan Inn - which appeared to be further away than originally thought - and raised her eyebrows at Firion, who was sat next to her. As some kind of unspoken response he covered one of her hands with both of his, idly rubbing at the stone in one of her many rings.

[steveflam]

Pietro appeared to be very uncomfortable, to say the least. It was as if he didn't know what do with himself. He sat at the bar with his two new traveling companions, looking around nervously. He nursed an ale as he looked around. Lowering his voice, he told the two elves "I don't usually frequent theese type uff establishments. I prefer ze outdoors, ja. If ve are soon finished viss our business here, I prefer to find a proper spot to make a camp for meinself and you, if you so vish."

[ImaiSiafanar]

Imai seems to have become quieter than before - if such a thing was possible. The usual unspoken signals between her and Firion that Pietro had come to notice were also missing for the moment. Imai was so closed that it looked like she hadn't heard Pietro. Firion looked at her before turning his attention back to Pietro.

"I think that may be a very good idea."

[steveflam]

Pietro nods to Firion and leaving his half full pint of ale on the bar, stands. He looks around quickly and exits the establishment. Once outside, he waits for the two elves. As they exit, he finally smiles. "Okay, ve vill find a safe place to camp not far from here. I warn you, we must take guard duty, ja?" He doesn't say why unless asked.

Soon the bar is an hour behind them and the sun looks to be setting. HE looks around and nodding to himself, turns into the forest. He eyes the ground and the surroundings closely and soon exhales. "Zis is de ze place, ja." He points to a small clearing that opens in the forest. Walking into it with purpose, he stretches. He removes a few items from his pack and soon a lean-to is constructed, attached expertly to two large trees.

A fire is also started and soon he is cooking some stew in a traveling pot. "I hope you don't mind but dis is ze only thing I haff to eat. Now I must tell you about the nights here in Kartakass. They can be very safe or very dangerous. I haff experienced both. Lycanthropes roam the lands, so zis is why we must take turns doing our guard duty."

Unsheathing his massive two handed blade, he lays it next to him as he cooks. Patting it, he looks at the two elves. "Zis has been my only friend for long years now."

[ImaiSiafanar]

"Guard duty...I haven't done that for a while." Glancing at the still quiet Imai, he reached out and did the only thing guaranteed to get her attention - tickling her ear. This illicted a huff. "What are you thinking about?"

"I am trying to work out, based on the...atmosphere of Kartakass, and what we've seen so far, if trying to make an attempt at creating a gateway home would be any use."

"Not that either of us have the strength to create a gateway..."

"I think...there might be a way. I'm not sure though." she becomes distracted again. "Did you hear that?" She gets up and walks quietly towards a bush.

"Hear what, and where are you going?"

"It was a quiet little..." she reaches into the bush. "...mew!" She holds up a tiny kitten that is somewhat startled at its removal from the bush.

[steveflam]

"Mein gott! An abandoned kitten? I think that perhaps ze muzzer is deceased as is the rest of the litter, ja." Pietro appraoches the small bundle of fur and picks it up as gently as he can. He inspects it and holds it up to his face, smiling. He hands it back, stating "It is a gurl, yes! You haff found her, so you must name her, fraulein elf."

The talk of gates is totally foreign to the big man and he says so "I don't know about thees gates you speak of, ja. I haff personally seen gates at several peoples homes here in Kartakass. It is a decent decoration to one's home, ja. Zis is vat you talk about, no?"

[Crimson King]

A cat -- now that was unusual.

From what the two elves had seen so far, Kartakass was a land of rolling hills and steep, deep, dark valleys of streams (which Pietro explained flowed out of the Musarde River to the north, eventually pooling into small lakes), lushly forested with deciduous trees. In just a few days they had seen plenty of wolves, ranging in size from large-dog to large-pony, and wild boars of comparable scale. They had heard evidence of even more wolves; the place seemed to be infested with them, and they sometimes "sang" to each other all night; Imai sensed that it was clearly some sort of at least semi-intelligent communication, if not a language then a simple signal or code.

But it did not seem a great country for cats.

[ImaiSiafanar]

Imai seems quite taken with the little cat, tickling its ears and is murmuring to it.

"The simplest way to explain the gate we mean is...you walk through it but reappear somewhere else entirely. Like going in someone's front gate and finding yourself in their back garden." Firion peered at the cat. "You're different to the cats on Sildeyuir, they have longer ears. I hope we don't find anything else while we rest here."

[steveflam]

"I agree. Let's get settled in and then hopefullly pass an unevetful evening, ja?" Pietro finishes cooking and hands out the stew. Chewing thoughtfully on his meal, he turns to Firion and asks with a straight face "So zis gates are arcane? I know nothink of magik, ja. It is taboo, my grandmother taught me. A shaman's power is more to my liking. I haff never encountered any arcane peoples before, so pardon my ignorance."

Once finished his meal, he rinses his bowl with some water and wipes it clean along with his spoon. Putting them away, he continues. "My grandmother taught me that arcane magik is not a part of the natural order. Shamans are. If you build zis gate, I won't help you," and Pietro makes a strange sign with his hands before continuing.

Changing the subject, he adds "I will rest first. Four hours will be sufficient time for me to sleep. As we are three, hence we each do a watch of four hours. Dis way der ist always two peoples."

Pietro nods to the elves and moves off slightly and installs his blanket. Laying back, he places his hands behind his head and closes his eyes. Soon he is fast asleep.