"Eh? Ray? What on earth are you doing here?" Ben hardly had chance to finish his sentence when Raymond's cry came back to him. For those who cannot imagine, it sounded something like, "I - Can - not - Believe This!" with the appropriate pauses. He vaulted past the blond haired man with the sword and met me with a high velocity embrace. The excitement that had been shown to me was mirrored within myself and soon I was no less excited that Ray himself.

The man whose name was still unknown to the majority of the friends Aeth sent Ben an inquiring look. "I take it you know this young man? We encountered him on the road several miles west of here, claiming to be lost. Were you separated?"

As Ray's greeting spread, he noticed that almost everyone, Ben most especially, was bloodstained and bore numerous tears in their clothing. In fact, of all present, only Galen was spared any phsyical injury. Like himself, they were all mysteriously wearing soft leather shoes.

I am holding a leather-bound book with a flower inside a circle on the front.

EDIT: Whoops, everyone knows each other's name, I missed the fact that Ray introduced us in the last post. Rawr.

"Actually, I did not expect these people to be here..." I state to the man. I then look at my friend's grievous wounds.
"WHAT HAPPENED!" I am sincerely worried.

"Actually, I did not expect these people to be here." Ray turned to Aeth to mark his sincerity.
Aeth seemed to consider this for a moment, his eyes on Ben. "You asked me a moment ago if it would be possible for you to travel with us. While you are certainly more forthright than your friend was, allow me now to be equally so. I hesistate to ask, forgive me, for you do not seem to me to be old enough to be soldiers. As you can see for yourselves, we travel under armed escort. These days the roads are becoming exceedingly dangerous to travel, and there is safety in numbers. That alone suggests my answer to you, but we lost a man a few days ago, and I feel I must ask regardless. How many of your party can capably weild a sword?" For all his reluctance, the question was finally revealed. Aeth glanced back to Lady Emerita, still hanging back by the carriage. Evidently, he did not need to take stock of her opinion in this matter.

Further to the side of the road, Ray's welcoming party raged on. In a flurry of questions and answers, he learned that they had been attacked by skeletons and zombies after the woke up in the lower floors of some kind of temple. With promises of further details to come, they left the story there.

(Elation! After Ben and Aeth are finished their exchange, Aeth will volunteer to bandage the wound of those who are still injured (Rejoice! HDx2 healing tonight) while the driver, Gamet, will introduce himself. Everyone else will take a moment to stretch and relax, though maintain a careful watch on the part of the two guards. Thereafter, the carriage will be pulled to as close to the side of the road as possible with the surrounding trees, and a fairly late lunch/early supper will break out for us.)

"You asked me a moment ago if it would be possible for you to travel with us. While you are certainly more forthright than your friend was, allow me now to be equally so. I hesistate to ask, forgive me, for you do not seem to me to be old enough to be soldiers. As you can see for yourselves, we travel under armed escort. These days the roads are becoming exceedingly dangerous to travel, and there is safety in numbers. That alone suggests my answer to you, but we lost a man a few days ago, and I feel I must ask regardless. How many of your party can capably weild a sword?" For all his reluctance, the question was finally revealed.
Ben looked back at his companions, attempting to remember which ones could properly use a blade. He had definitely seen Galen use one before, but the others were a mystery to him. Ben turned back to Aeth with his answer.

"As far as I know, my friend Galen here, as well as myself, are the only ones capable of fighting with weapon in hand without hurting ourselves."

He looked back at his friends again to get some feedback from them, just to make sure his statement was right.

I point out, with Ben's declaration made, that I am no good at sword play, and not even combat as a whole, but am willing to do what ever it took to become a benefit to the party, even if it meant helping with other small chores.

Although slightly offended by how Bens response made it seem like one of us had injured themselves while using a sword, I kept my mouth shut. I was pretty sure I could use a sword, having fenced before and done quite well. However using a foil and a longsword seemed quite different. If I just went and started lunging and stabbing and an armed opponent its quite likely that the lack of a gaurd would end up resulting in the losing of all my fingers.

But whether or not I was capable of using a sword was not the issue. I would not be able to bring myself to stab someone, or at least thats what I had been telling myself for most of my life. Put in the situation I don't know what drastic measures I would resort to. I had definitely had very little restraint while attempting to beat the skeletons to death. I could try to argue that they were already dead, so it was like hitting a punching bag but I would not be entirely convinced.

The notion that there were people (living ones) in this world other than us was very comforting. As was how Ray was also here, his appearance led me to wonder if I'd be meeting anyone else I knew in this world. I had no idea who Aeth was or whether he could be trusted but I felt the need to have at least one of my questions answered. "Do you know anything of something called 'The Haunt'?"

"As far as I know, my friend Galen here, as well as myself, are the only ones capable of fighting with weapon in hand without hurting ourselves." Ray threw in his own comment about ineptitude while Aeth made a signal to on of the mounted guards.

“We have a few spare blades which we can afford to lend to you,” he tells the young men. “We will have safety in numbers, but that may not be deterrence enough. If you can use a sword, I would recommend you prefer these fresh weapons to a rusted one.” The mounted guard drew a long bundle from his saddle bags. From the bundle he drew a sheathed longsword, a standard three feet long, and held it out to Ben. Without hesitation, though with a grimace as he stretched wounded skin, he grasped the weapon by the offered hilt. He experienced the same sensation as when he first picked up the rusted axe, that somehow he knew by instinct how to wield the weapon. Of course, actual lessons in sword fighting were a boon in this situation.

Then the guard reached back into the bundle and pulled out a shorter sword, at most maybe two feet in length. He offers it to Galen, whom Ben mentioned could fight with a weapon. The long haired one, burdened with several rusted items already, stepped forward to take the sword by its hilt, but with slight signs of reluctance. The moment he took the blade into his hand, theorized practice coupled with some new innate knowledge from an unknown source. Just like Ben, good fighting habits were instinctively reinforced while misconceptions about actual melee combat were discarded. In an instant, he realized that he knew how to wield the short sword properly, how ever it actually happened.

The guard replaced the bundle which was considerably lightened.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Do you know anything of something called the ‘Haunt'?" Jeremy asked Aeth just after they sat down to lunch. The resulting quizzical look from the man practically answered Jeremy's question. “The ‘Haunt’, you say? Your companion has informed us of a temple ruin where he had to escape the dead who walk, is this what you ask of? If not, I can only think of the crossroads that lay further down our path, from which there have been stories.”

A thought struck me, memory of a quick fact brought to light by this talk of the dead. It used to be customary to bury the bodies of criminals at crossroads, so that their spirit would be confused and couldn’t find its way.

(Jeremy will have to continue his convo via backpost, if he so desires)

Before long the noble carriage was trundling through the forest on the half grown over road. The mounted soldiers took up position riding ahead on either side of the procession, as per usual. The new guards, Ben and Galen, sat outside the carriage, Ben next to the driver and Galen on the carriage top itself. The driver had enthusiastically treated each guard to a handshake and an introduction when he helped them up; his name was Gamet, he told them, a friend of Lady Emerita’s.

The remaining four were inside the carriage (which holds six) with Lady Emerita and Aeth. The majority of the journey passed with gazes locked out the windows on the doors, which were open to ventilate the summer heat out of the small, packed carriage. The only thing keeping some from dozing off was the occasional dip in the road that caused the carriage to lurch further to one side than it usually fell.

It was during one of these dips on the left side of the carriage that a piercingly high note shattered the late afternoon air, followed almost immediately by the sound of splintering wood. The lurch of the carriage fell even further to the fore left wheel quite suddenly, causing Galen to slide across the roof to the edge, but he braced himself against the low metal rail that he was about to flip over. Ben’s arms flailed uselessly against the air for a second after he jerked awake, before he caught himself, though it was the driver who was in danger of sliding off the seat, for Ben sat on the right.

“That is only a sample of my witchcraft! Now tell me, your money or your lives?” A voice cried from the trees on the left, broken immediately by hacking coughs. A second voice picked up for him, also from the forest, also to the left. “Do what he says, quickly now! We have you surrounded, don’t try to fight!” The guards on either side draw their swords and place their backs to the carriage, looking out in either direction. Inside, Aeth picks up his sword and grips the hilt, ready to draw it if necessary.

“I’m sorry, good sir, but I don’t believe we shall be doing that today. Run along and make honest men out of yourselves while you may still be redeemed, we have a broken wheel to fix.” Aeth calls out the open window. There is no reply for several moments; the air hangs tense about the trees. (No worries, I’m not ignoring the fact that most of you are going to want to do something during this time)

Ben pulled himself together, quickly jumping off the side of the carriage he was on.

“That is only a sample of my witchcraft! Now tell me, your money or your lives?” A voice cried from the trees on the left, broken immediately by hacking coughs. A second voice picked up for him, also from the forest, also to the left. “Do what he says, quickly now! We have you surrounded, don’t try to fight!”
Unsure as to where the voice was coming from he drew his longsword and held it with both hands, readying himself for the attack. He watched the surrounding area carefully, waiting to see where they would come from first.

“I’m sorry, good sir, but I don’t believe we shall be doing that today. Run along and make honest men out of yourselves while you may still be redeemed, we have a broken wheel to fix.”
"If you intend on taking our lives, hurry and show yourselves, we do not plan to go down without a fight!" he yelled out.

Ian backed up in his seat so that the bandits wouldn’t see him. Realizing that it would be a foolish thing to do, he sits up. If anything the bandits had already seen him and they could probably still see him anyway. When Ian heard Ben’s speech from the side of the carriage, he gained some courage to stand up and face the bandits. He tried to squeeze through to the left of the small carriage to step out of the vehicle. Seeing this, Owen grabbed Ian’s shirt and pulled him back. “Don’t be an idiot!” He dragged Ian back into his seat. Ian opened his mouth as if to protest, but he realized that Owen was right, so closed it.

I don’t like being so useless. I wonder if I could help in someway. Well I can help later with the wheel. He tells himself then wonders. What was left in that bundle of weapons?

If you call it the craft of a witch, then you know little about it, and aren't worthy to wield it. These people, bandits, more foolish than the Fool himself... no. Not foolish, but ignorant. Ignorant of how pathetic they truly are. Parasites. Even the Fool knows to follow their dreams, and their heart; parasites do nothing more than steal and wound the dreams of others.
"I will not let you interfere with my dream." Galen murmurs, his voice barely audible over the proclamations of the others.

With a steady motion, Galen draws the blade, while the other hand feels the left belt pouch for the wooden card. A Fool, perhaps, but also a Priestess if needed.

After the forest hung quiet for several seconds, it became apparent that the highwaymen were expecting their magical display to eliminate resistance. Perhaps they might have had a plan for such situations, but they used it so often that it took a moment before they could determine how to act. Alternatively, perhaps they did not outnumber their quarry by nearly as much as they suggested, and were afraid to show themselves.

Regardless what the matter was, the stalemate had to be broken soon. On the right hand side of the carriage, Ben and whichever of the two mounted guards he was with were met with a mighty disappointment when the attack began, for it began with two pale men running out of the forest on the left (or southern) side of the carriage. In each of their right hands they carried a wicked knife as they charged at the guard. They ran at him from the front on either side and thrust their blades at him. Right stabbed his dagger into the guard’s kidney and sunk it into his flesh hardly an inch. (3 damage and the absolute most pathetic sneak attack damage I’ve ever seen yet) Left, on the other hand, thrust his dagger at the man’s heart, only to be inhibited by the tried and tested fish scale design of the guard’s armour.

The guard raised his sword with both hands for a fell strike on the cloth-armoured highwayman on his right side, when a dark ray akin to a black ribbon streaked out of the trees and struck him across his abdomen and caused him to flinch (5 damage, this guard is now Yellow Status). The black trail hung in the air for a second and faded like a line of dark steam. The pain did not stop the guard, however, and he finished his swing at the pale man, cutting into his chest, causing his grungy shirt to become stained with a dark crimson blotch (4 damage .

Meanwhile the guard on the northern side of the carriage reared his horse around and lead it around the back of the carriage, coming up in time to deliver a one-handed blow to the back of the neck of the second infidel (crit 16 damage and this unlucky one is on his way to death’s door), damaging his spinal column and sending him down for a dirt nap.

No sooner does the sword blow fall, though, than a third man emerges from the trees with a dagger in his hand. Whether this was supposed to have been a coordinated strike or not, this man must have missed the queue to attack when the other two did. He ran into the combat just as the first two, and came up to the second guard (Ruiel, as if anyone would have paid attention to learn which was which XD) as he delivered his fatal strike to his ally. Taking advantage of Ruiel’s distraction, he managed to stab him in the side that held the reigns of his horse. (3 damage)

(Don’t worry now, I haven’t forgoten that I have players for this game; a convenience of rolling placed nearly every NPC in close initiative order (not to mention a delay action to place the first two rogues together) You people may now post actions, preferably a couple rounds worth if you already know that you want to attack next round after you use this round to move, for example. Note that only Galen and Ben are armed, so the idea that anyone else might get up to attack may be met with deterrence. If it matters, Jeremy and Ray are sitting closest to the southern door (aka, where all the fighting is happening) and they are getting a front row seat of Barig’s back (he who was attacked first).)

Ben turned around to discover the fighting behind him. He felt frustrated that not only were there not enough enemies, but they appeared behind him to boot.

"From behind? Dammit, this day couldn't get any worse," he grumbled to himself.

Quickly he followed the mounted guard around the carriage, and dodged past the corpse laying on the ground. He moved in to attack the third bandit that had came to the party late. Getting as close as he could, he readied to attack him with everything he had.

((Attacking next round, power attack, stuff like that))

Galen quickly scans over the combat zone, taking into consideration viable options, before choosing the most applicable one.

Nodding to himself, Galen holds his index and middle finger extended on his left hand, drawing in the air a shape that one might say is an oval, as representative of the number zero. As his two fingers form the zero, small sparks seem to fly between the two, and he quickly murmurs the incantation.

Gectwd ao wsg hq etvkau!
With that, a lowly spark of electricity, a miniature lightning bolt, fires from his fingertips toward the enemy...

(We already covered which would-be-waylayer is being targeted over MSN ^^)

Owen watched the fight as best he could from the opposite side of the carriage. Caution bid him to glance out the window to his left, but he didn’t see any more attackers forthcoming. He did, however, see Ben run past and around the back of the vehicle. Despite the sheer number of injuries on his body, Ben still moved quickly to intercept the battle. Owen almost decided to get out the door and follow him – to keep him from kill himself, that is, but Aeth stood and drew his sword from its sheath with a metallic ring. He filled most of the carriage with his body, bending slightly for the low roof, and Owen decided that it would be a better idea to not to crowd him. Aeth went for the handle of the carriage door while a loud electrical crack filled the forest for a split second.

Outside, on the carriage roof, Galen was standing now with his first two fingers outstretched pointing to the bandit. He felt an electrical pulse tickle him as a thin arc of blue electricity lashed out and connected with the earth for an instant. With the guard and highwayman taking each other blade-to-blade, Galen had to adjust his aim so that there would be no chance that he might miss and zap him. As it were, the highwayman wasn’t quite where Galen’s finger-eye coordination was targeting. Meanwhile, Ben joined Ruiel with the third of the highwaymen.

Inside, Raymond was looking for the same reservoir of psychic energy within himself that he touched the first time, at the ruins. He shut his eyes and with frustration, tried to get a grasp on the elusive state. He might have kicked himself for releasing the focus earlier, but steadily he felt himself growing closer to rediscovering it. The philosophy of the four elements, as the world used to believe in. Hot and cold, moist and dry, four parts of a whole. As he sat there, he felt the higher functions of his brain take a hold of this concept and expand. He turned his attention to fire, the element of warmth and dryness. On the hot summer day, the area around Ray seemed to emanate further heat as his mind expanded to fill his body with the understanding of the excitable and biting flame.

Descending from the metaphysical to the more tangible world outside, the skirmish continued. Where the highwayman’s first attack scored blood, he was not so lucky again. His initial confidence that arose when the warrior was wounded by the dark energy was ebbing away like the drops of blood that flowed down his shirt. After his dagger was kept back by the links of the guard’s armour, he glanced over his shoulder to the man in the back, hoping that the signal would be received to use his ‘witchcraft’ to smite the guard. Turn him into a toad. Anything.

The man may or may not have seen his cohort’s apprehension, but nevertheless, he stared determinedly at the guard and willed his power to well up in his hand. The gold and supplies that would be had from this raid would set them well off for a while. He tried to will more force into the next blast, but he knew that it was a capricious thing. He aimed at the guard, with a minor mental note not to kill the fool beside him, and let fly another shadowy arrow piercing the daylight with a blackened ribbon. His aim was off, however, and the dark ray streaked just past his arm. A pity too, the blast was a powerful one, judging by the damage dealt to the back corner of the carriage body, from which the splintering of wood was heard, even for the lack of visual damage. (You know how things sometimes do that).

In response to the beam, Barig tried to finish his enemy off quickly, but the little bastard was moving too quickly to score a full shot on. His sword cut into the highwayman’s arm instead of his chest, where he was aiming (3 damage). Ruiel, on the other hand, was having even worse luck, as the thief pulled under his blade before it hit him. The highwayman returned the favour but the dagger only rang with steel on steel.

(That's pretty well most of it. I have to go to bed)