Changelings Part II: A Holiday In The Sun

[alhoon]

After a voyage in the mists, Seradon is happy to strech his legs in this sun-blasted land. He looks around and turns to the professor.
M: "Where are we now Professor? I think it would be safe to tell us now"

[VAN]

Catherine is happy the mist travel is over, even if she trusted the Vistani she feels safer feeling the sand under her feet. She looks around noticing that the inhabitants seem to avoid their group. No surprise since they arrived out of nowhere...

When the ship is unloaded Catherine looks for Rupert and asks him:

"So Rupert, will we depart immediately or we will spend the night to the inn's village?"

[kintire]

The professor smiles at Seradon

"Yes of course, you are quite right: it can do no harm now. This is the realm of Pharazia, or at least that is the nearest spot. Desert as you can see and the scene of little in the way of activity. But about twenty years ago, so the desert noamds say, a great sandstorm unearthed...unsanded... a ruined city of some sort. That is what we are here to study!"

He gazes up towards the sandy ridges

"Just ten days travel I hear..."

[kintire]

Rupert grins

"Well neither exactly. We'll be staying the night, but that inn won't take all of us. So its a good oportunity for camping practice! We'll need to get these tents up efficiently if we arent to waste travelling time, and the time to practice is now when there's no pressure. So, all these academics and suchlike have to learn to raise tents. This should be good for a laugh!"

[steveflam]

Rupert grins

"Well neither exactly. We'll be staying the night, but that inn won't take all of us. So its a good oportunity for camping practice! We'll need to get these tents up efficiently if we arent to waste travelling time, and the time to practice is now when there's no pressure. So, all these academics and suchlike have to learn to raise tents. This should be good for a laugh!"

"HAw haw haw! Yeah I bet." Gorn puffs happily on a cigar, eyeing the Inn. "Rupert. Ale any good here? I gots me a thirst after that long
voyage."

[kintire]

Rupert grins at Gorn.

"Absolutely no idea mate. Never set foot in the place before. What we need is some brave volunteer to check the stuff out for us! You in? I'll charge it up as essential expenses!"

[steveflam]

Gorn grins. "Yeah I be in. Follow me." The large Caliban heads for the Inn.

[alhoon]

Seradon ignoring the men and women brought for manial labor that had to built up the tents for the educated people as they milled about, continued his discussion with the professor.

"Pharazia eh? Well, I'm not sure the nomads or the city dwelers would appreciate my special talents. Do you know if I should keep my profession secret and act just as one more scholar among them?
Also ... are you sure those people are trustworthy professor? I mean, they're nomads; if we're never heard of again while in the desert there will be little if any reprecursions or risk for them. Perhaps that would tempt them to just chop off our heads, take our possessions and go to mingle with their tribe or clan.
While Gorn, Helfried, Catherine and I could fend off against a small number of hostile nomads I'm not sure we could repel 30 of them ambushing us or attacking by suprise in the night.

[VAN]

Catherine follows Gorn and Rupert at the inn and asks"

"What language speak in this land Rupert? And do they have any customs we should be aware of?"

[kintire]

The Professor nods at Seradon

"Ahh, a well learned man! But don't worry. We won't be going anywhere near the civilised regions, and the Nomads won't enter the region we are heading for due to some primitive local superstitions"

Rupert laughs.

"They speak ongo-bongo gibberish, and their customs include not bothering heavily armed civilised folk with their customs!"

[steveflam]

Gorn has only one thing on his mind. Booze and babes He pushes through the door of the Inn and finds a table near the back. HE sits on a chair and looks around, his back to the wall. He wants an easy view of the place, its patrons and most importantly all exits, be they doors or windows. Although if he ends up throwing someone through the wall, he could create his own exit. It was something to think about in case he had some real fun tonight.

Not one for diplomacy, he calls out to whomever looks like the waitress or barkeep in Mordentish "I'll have your cheapest ale and keep 'em coming!"

Once Rupert sits, he'll ask the man, in front of Catherine no less. Yes Gorn is Gorn after all. "Rupert, yer think I could find a wench to bed
here?" In his defense, he does whisper it, but in a more comical way than a real actual whisper.

[alhoon]

Seradon nods smiling to the professor and heads towards Helfried since Catherine and Gorn seem to have gone in the tavern.
F: "Helfried, I think our current employer has less than perfect sense. We're heading to a place that the nomads that populate this desert outside the Phiraz city walls, are avoiding. While I believe a place where head-chopping barbarians avoid is bad news, the professor seems to think that's a good thing actually and that ancient city ruins nobody messed with for 20 years are as safe as a stroll in Paridon. Oh, and about those head-chopping savages, for some reason the professor thinks that in 10 days journey, and I assume 10 days to return too, we won't encounter them in substancial numbers to be a threat.
More or less Helfried, I think we should warn the others and Rupert to not underestimate the situation. I have no expertise is how ambushes work, but I bet you as a military man and perhaps Rupert as a ... less-than-law-abiding-person could have better sense to see if we're heading to a trap."

After informing Helfried to have his guard up, Seradon heads towards the inn to inform Rupert, Catherine and Gorn. More or less he relays the same warnings to them about the dangerous nomads and ancient city ruins everyone else avoids.

[steveflam]

"What can we find thass so terrible in ruins? Nuthin there but peoples dead a long time. A zombie gonna come an bite us on the behind? An if them barbarians wanna have a go, I dont mind. They probably are honorable bein nomads n all. I dun think they'll bother us. Just look it Helfried an me. I doubt they want he or me ter git our noses in their business. Awready, I'm sure our presence is known and one of these town folk might be lettin em know somehow. People avoided us like we carry diseases which is fine by me. easier ter do our job n git back home to Paridon."

[VAN]

Catherine doesn't seem to be bothered by Gorn's question to Rupert, even if they haven't been in Paridon for long time she has gotten his way of thinking by now. But when Seradon tells them that the nomads avoid the ancient ruins they are going to she gets a concerned look and says:

"I agree with you Seradon, the nomads aren't to underestimate, they might have a reason to avoid a certain area. Maybe we should ask them, I know that they don't trust us and they hardly will understand us but if there is a possibility to get some info about them will be great. I prefer to hear supersticions and local legends than go there and don't know what we may encounter...The problem is how we will ask them since we don't speak their language."

[alhoon]

Taking Cat and Gorn aside to speak privately, Seradon adds with a low voice:
M "The Nomads, which are not always nice to people they meet by the way, consider these ruins cursed. That's why they avoid them. If I had to bet, I would say that those of them that went there returned changed or not at all. But cheer up, because those savages didn't have well educated persons like the professor with them like our group has, probably didn't know how to look for traps like Catherine nor had access to the ..." Seradon looks around uncomfortably, not willing to share that he's a magic user in this strange land " to people with my specialized skills and knowledge".