Immersive Ink

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Nearby Hills

Meanwhile... Highbough squats upon the ridge-top with his back to a flat rock, facing away from the gatehouse. The bulk of the company are in the shallow vale, some 20 yards before him.

However, looking out over the grassy hills that the company has traversed this very morning, his sharp eyes detect a far off movement. What is that..? He watches a while longer, but is soon convinced the company is being tracked...

Guest wrote:
"Sorcery!" Nidhogg exclaims backing out of the room, "show yer self and we'll talk as much as you like."

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Gatehouse

"Alas, my astute little fellow, it is merely a trick of ventriloquism," says the voice, proud as a parent beaming over some toddler's feat, and as Nidhogg steps back from the door he at last espies the speaker, and his heart at once pounds as a hammer upon an anvil.

For out of the shadowy kitchen emerges Saxxon's mercurial advisor, the one called Copernicus! Ordinarily a silent figure, ever brooding in the shadows at Saxon's back, he is rightly feared and despised by all the brigands alike, and rumour runs afoul among Men of his evil doings.

But strangely, Nidhogg thinks to himself, he has never once seen any such incrimination for himself. It is all the stuff of rumour, gossip and defamation. For all he knows, this Copernicus might simply be another fellow looking for an out, much like himself...

"Here I am, my friend," says Copernicus, holding his hand outward to show he is unarmed. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some tea? I've just brewed a fresh pot..."

waysoftheearth wrote:
Meanwhile, in the nearby hills...

Highbough is convinced of it. A party of at least six Men, possible more, seem to be following the company's trail toward where they took the noon meal. If they took a bee-line they would likely be only 100 yards off now, and arrive in some 10 minutes.

They might even spy Highbough if he remains perched among the rocks too long...

mushgnome wrote:
"Here they come... keep your heads down!" whispers Highbough.

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

"The rocks and the cart provide good cover against missile fire. We should turn the tables upon them and attack first!" he says quickly, turning away from the gate house. Feeling the heft of his war axe he regrets leaving behind his short bow in the dunjon.

Guest wrote:
"It has been an age since I had a good tea, perhaps, yes some tea would be nice. We should set in the sun, warm our old bones with some tea and have a chat." Nidhogg lowers his hood revealing his bald head and a studded leather headband, loosens his belt a bit. " But what of...," a puzzled look flits across his face, " never mind, Lead the way Ser."

eris wrote:

mushgnome wrote:"Here they come... keep your heads down!" whispers Highbough.

If Olaf hears Highbrough, he whispers back, "Where? From the Keep?"

waysoftheearth wrote:
In the Hills...

It takes but a moment for Highbough to scuttle down from his position among the rocks and convey the situation to the his companions.

For those presently stationed in the hills (everyone bar Nidhogg), this is the lay of the land:



``````/``````x```x/`````x`P```````
`x``````````````/````````/X`````x`X
x`````/``````x``X/```````/x```````/`
``````xX```````/`````````````````/`
`````x/``````x/`````````````````x`
````/````````/```````x/```````````
```/````````````````/````````x`````
`x/``````````x````/`````````X``````
`x`````````x````/``````````x```````
X````````x/````/````O````/x````/```
````````/````/``````````/`````/```x/
``````/`````x``````````/`````````xX
````/````````````````/```````````x/ R
``/`````````/``````/`````````````| a
```````C```X/`````/`````````````X| v
```````````/```/```````````````xx i
````````/X`````````````````````/ n
```````/x`````````````````+==+/ e
``````/```````````````,---)..(=====
````x````````````road/````+==+ bridge
```x```````````````/`````keep`\
`S````````````````/````````````\
E+W``````````````'````````````X|
`N```````````````/````````````x/
xX = Rocky out-croppings
/ ridge
`` grassy hills and valleys

P = Last sight of pursuers?
O = Site of company's noon meal
C = Company's current locale

The company is perhaps 50 yards from the gatehouse.

waysoftheearth wrote:
At the gatehouse...

Copurnicus pours a couple of nice cups of tea, and he and the Dwarf sit down and have a friendly chat about Nidhogg's exploits since joining Saxxon's Men, what happened at the ambush, and thereafter. Nidhogg (wisdom 15) doesn't incriminate himself too strongly, slanting his defection more as self-defense.

Copurnicus is older than Nidhogg at first thought and, as it turns out, is a rather good listener. He "ohs", "ahs" and nods sagely in all the right places, and refills Nidhogg's cup as they talk.

"My, my," tisks Copurnicus when Nidhogg has told as much as he is willing to of his uncertain circumstances, "You have been in the wars, haven't you?"

"But don't worry, you'll be safe here with me," he promises, pouring more tea. "Well, me and my friends, I should say. Did I mention them?"


(All this has taken a turn or more, so I'll pause this thread here until some more of the action outside has been resolved...)