Tales of the Old World 16

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Tales_GM> The journey to Altdorf takes you through some of the most dense stretches of the Reikwald forest. The woods here are near impenetrable, and barge travel becomes a necessity.
<Tales_GM> Your vigilance allows you to remain safe, more than once having to break camp as movement along the woods, or the sighting of mutants and often worse signal the need to move on. For all the horror stories, and perhaps because of them, you become seasoned forest travellers.
<Tales_GM> Once you reach the river Bogen on the outskirts of the town of Trosreut, you have an option. Continue your journey on the river, or take the roads to the next stretch of travel.
<Tales_GM> Cost bearing a heavy burden, your decision to travel along the roads has you encountering a peculiar feeling. On the surface, everything seems normal. But the river parallel to the road holds a sickness, and animals appear sickly and tainted, and disease seems to hang in the air. Foraging efforts expose Far'Foririan and Afrock to the taint of this land, as though a sickness of the soul
<Tales_GM> has infected them.
<Tales_GM> The final stretch of the journey past the town of Bruckthin is experienced through a dreadful downpour; the skies roar heavily, and you are suddenly taken back to your experiences on the river Teufel.
<Tales_GM> As thoughts of those dreadful circumstances pass through your mind, through the thick fog figures on either side of the road suddenly pop up. Coinciding with a sudden and violent clap of lightning and quick roar of thunder, the horses spook.
<Tales_GM> Try as you might, the reins give you no control as they snap against the force of the skittish beasts, and soon the coach is driven near full gallop off the muddy road, nearly trampling pedestrian travelers as you are hurled sharply left onto the stone-covered river shallows.
<Tales_GM> Here, a wheel violently cracks open, digging its uneven shape into the mud and stone, the horses freeing themselves and bolting through the thick fog.
* Seig whips the broken reins down in frustration "Feck!"
* Roderick braces himself against the violent jarring of the coach. "Seig! Dietrich! What in Sigmar's name is happening out there?!"
<Tales_GM> "Sigmar preserve us," Kruger exhales, as his body eases from the tense posture he held to avoid getting slammed against the coach interior.
<Seig> "Dietrich you alright?"
<Tales_GM> "I'm done for..." he says almost to himself as he jumps off onto the soaking wet mud to inspect the damage.
<Far_Foririan> "Well this is just great."
* Shivva_Runna wakes up and lets out a little scream from the jolt.
* Seig climbs down and goes to the side door of the coach. "Horses got spooked by some people on the road, the reins snapped when they bolted and they worked themselves free when we hit the shallows."
<Seig> "Coach ain't moving anytime soon even if we had the horses from the looks."
<Tales_GM> The skies roar fiercely, occasionally lighting up in scattered patterns.
<Roderick> "That's the capstone of this shite journey it seems. See if you can help Dietrich. With luck we can get it repaired and be on our way soon enough."
<Tales_GM> "Not a chance. I'm done for. This is it. Lost a company coach..." Dietrich shakes his head.
* Seig moves round the coach. "Don't suppose you carry a spare wheel I hadn't noticed?"
<Tales_GM> "Axle is warped, probably near breaking point" you hear him say with his head peaking under the coach.
<Seig> "So even if we had a spare wheel we definitely don't have a spare Axle..."
<Tales_GM> "With this downpour, the river will swell," Kruger observes, looking at the waterline.
<Shivva_Runna> "Guess we are walking then?"
<Far_Foririan> "Yea it seems that way."
<Afrock> "Best be on our way."
<Thorek> "So no saving it then..." What shite weather, and being banged around in the wagon like a bag full of rocks. "Umgak."
* Seig appears back at the coach window, water dripping down his waxed cloak. "If we are lucky we might find the horses, get your stuff together."
* Afrock collects his paltry gear.
* Roderick steps out into the rain and approaches Dietrich. "Is there nothing that can be done? Otherwise we will have to abandon the coach and continue moving."
* Far_Foririan makes his way out of the coach while gathering his things
<Tales_GM> "Do you have any spare oxen I don't know about?" Dietrich asks, defeated.
<Thorek> "Afraid not, umgi." Thorek is saying as he's prepping to get unpack their gear and supplies out of the carriage.
<Roderick> "I am afraid not. Well you're welcome to accompany us to the city on foot Dietrich but we must keep moving."
* Seig climbs up onto the riverbank and attempts to get his bearings.
* Roderick moves the coach and retrieves his gear and the golden idol of Sigmar.
<Thorek> "Dietrich, have you got all your things?" He says as he cinches on his belt and secures the last of his belongings.
* Shivva_Runna takes his handcart and fills it with his gear.
<Tales_GM> "I... I can't go. There are important deliveries I must make," he taps the lower rear compartment of the coach.
<Thorek> "Aye....and how are you to do that with no cart or horses?"
<Roderick> "You would've gone with us to the capital anyhow Dietrich. Gather your things. We can use Shivva's handcart to help with transportation."
<Tales_GM> He looks at at each of his passengers, as though measuring his level of trust for you.
<Tales_GM> At last, he produces keys, and opens the chest. Inside sit neatly-wrapped parcels, of some weight, marked with accompanying documentation which he quickly moves out of the rain and into his coat.
<Thorek> "Aye, wouldn't be worth my salt as a bounty hunter if I didn't help a comrade in need. Even if you're just with us for the journey."
<Tales_GM> "I... I am obliged to you," he says, nodding, the rain dripping through his canvas hat.
<Roderick> "Think nothing of it." Roderick claps the man on the shoulder. "Everyone else have their gear? Right then let's get moving."
* Shivva_Runna sighs.
<Seig> "Roughly where'd we get to anyway Dietrich?"
<Tales_GM> "Two days off, perhaps."
<Tales_GM> "In good weather... with the coach."
<Tales_GM> He looks back at it, despair on his face.
<Thorek> "Aye, so I suppose roughly a week to get to Altdorf. How far off is the next Inn or town?"
<Tales_GM> He pauses to think a moment.
<Tales_GM> "If we can catch the road to Dabernick, we may reach shelter by nightfall."
<Roderick> "Let us hope so Dietrich."
<Thorek> "Aye, slogging time. Grimnir give us all strength."
<Tales_GM> "Dabernick? We may be nearer the capital, but the road south is not often patrolled," Kruger says directly to Dietrich.
<Afrock> "Gonna be a long walk ahead of us."
<Tales_GM> The coachman simply nods his head.
<Tales_GM> An almost deafeing clap of thunder strikes your senses as a bolt of lightning explodes just above you. The storm has no intention to let up.
<Roderick> "Hear that everyone? Be on your guard, dangerous roads ahead."
<Far_Foririan> "What?"
<Thorek> "Aye." And Thorek pulls up the hood of his cloak and start walking towards the road.
<Afrock> "Danger ahead Far."
<Tales_GM> Dietrich insists on traveling with Shivva, and the cart.
<Shivva_Runna> "Just don't touch mi cart."
<Tales_GM> In truth, both sight and hearing are severely limited. A man could run up behind you and you wouldn't know it until he was within striking range. For this reason, the atmosphere is tense.
* Far_Foririan keeps his eyes on alert as the move.
<Tales_GM> Dietrich's brow contracts into something approaching a squint as he looks at Shivva through the rain.
<Thorek> "Elgi, you take up the front, I'll bring up the rear." He directs Far'Foririan
<Tales_GM> The trek is absolutely miserable. You are soaked, feet heavy, and worst of all, you feel vulnerable with every step forward. An hour into it, you're sure you see a source of light on the road ahead, moving through the thickness of the weather.
* Far_Foririan trys to make out the source of the light ahead.
<Thorek> Thorek tries to keep his own spirits up, humming several dwarven drinking songs and bawdy sailor shanties taught to him by the bargemen of Ubersreik.
* Seig joins in with some of the shanties recognizing the tunes.
* Afrock tries to join along as best he can.
* Far_Foririan looks back to the group. "Looks like we got some wagons ahead."
<Thorek> "Could be a good thing." He keeps his hand on the head of his axe just the same.
<Roderick> "Guess we'll see won't we?"
<Far_Foririan> "I could try something to see if they are good people."
<Thorek> "And what would that something be, elgi?"
<Far_Foririan> As he continues to walks forward them he readies his staff. "I can try and listen in to see if they are talking to get more info, granted I have not had any use for this spell but its all I have at the moment."
<Thorek> "So you're suggesting you use magic to scout out the wagons?" Thorek frowns and grumbles something in dwarven.
<Afrock> "I see no reason not to."
<Far_Foririan> "Yep"
* Far_Foririan then begins casting the spell and he reaches out to listen in for any details, though he is able to reach out even further and catching a second person, the bits of conversation he is able to pick up talk of setting up camp off the road and someone referred to as the doctor.
<Far_Foririan> As the spell ends he turns his head to the others, "Seems like they are ok from what I was able to pick up, they have someone called the Doctor and they seems like they will be getting off the road to set up camp.
<Far_Foririan> "
<Thorek> "Think we should risk it?" He asks Roderick.
<Far_Foririan> "From what I was able to pick up, seems this Doctor is of some authority."
<Seig> "They're likely just travelers caught in the rain like us I don't see the harm."
<Seig> "I suppose caught in the rain is somewhat of an understatement..."
<Roderick> "I think Dietrich should have the final say, carrying the parcels openly could attract unwanted attention if we attach ourselves to another group."
<Thorek> "Aye, that's a fair point."
<Tales_GM> "Whether we stop or not, I am staying with the cart," Dietrich says, determined.
<Tales_GM> Ahead, it appears the wagons are slowing.
<Tales_GM> The weather creates a color-draining atmosphere, yet as you approach you can see the garish colors on the canvas draped over each of the carts fight against the dreary gray.
<Seig> "If we're heading around we should at least alert them so as not to spook them and maybe we can learn a thing or two, I'll go on ahead."
<Tales_GM> Doktor Wolfgang Hollseher's Pandemonium Carnival and Peripatetic Menagerie of Wonders
<Roderick> "If you want to talk to them Sieg, I'm not going to stop you. I'd agree if we were still in the coach but they don't own the road. We owe them nothing, and I'm sure we haven't been the only travelers to move past them on the road."
<Tales_GM> The wagons struggle to exit the road onto a clearing, they are large, and clearly heavy.
<Tales_GM> As they turn off the road, you can see the text on the next wagon.
<Tales_GM> The Greatest Collection of Monstrosities and Bizarre Creatures of Dark Foulness held in Captivity.
<Seig> "On second thought...."
<Tales_GM> With a dangling lantern, a third.
<Tales_GM> By appointment to Crowned Heads of the Old World and of many Lands Beyond.
<Tales_GM> They begin to form a horse-shoe along the clearing.
<Tales_GM> An Amazement to All who view the Menagerie and Its Denizens.
<Tales_GM> The last of them lands harshly on the ground as a wheel passes over a fallen tree.
<Tales_GM> Accept no Substitutes! Believe only your Own Eyes!
<Seig> "I get on with most travelers but these ones seem like they might be rather queer."
<Tales_GM> "Strange folk," Kruger says, with a wise nod of the head.
<Afrock> "Aye."
<Tales_GM> When the wagon train's drivers and working hands spot you, they seem universally untroubled.
<Tales_GM> As you work your way down the road, they continue their work setting up to find respite from the weather.
<Tales_GM> A small opening fold on the canvas on one of the larger wagons gives you a glimpse of a small, but incredible creature the size of a Halfling, with fur made of pure metallic gold. It's shine recedes as the lantern near it is lowered and taken elsewhere.