Campaign Thread

[I'm Murrin]

You get a closer look at the guy as you approach. He looks to be wearing a uniform, his armor matched and with a tunic over it with the symbol of a golden pair of scales on the breast. He has a crossbow slung at his side, and a short sword on his hip. He's pretty young.

"Toll for crossing the bridge," he says. He's unshaven, and when he talks he tips his head back and you notice his helm doesn't fit very well. "Twenty Jovian silver." His eyes glance back past the two of you and Paula - who has moved a little closer while you were addressing the man - to the carts. He adds, "Per vehicle."

[Richard Slade]

Richard fixes his dark eyes directly on this young man, and squares his posture. He's a kid, and he looks out of place. "Do you really want me or my friend to go back and ask if he will pay 60 Jovian Silver to pass? He is a dangerous man. But he's not who you should worry about - I am even more dangerous. And he's riding with an even more dangerous women, you may have heard of her, her name is The Fox. If you haven't, it's probably fortunate that you have never met her. She doesn't take kindly to people who try to rip them off. Your uniform - I can't help but notice that it doesn't fit you. What do those golden scales represent? Actually, don't answer. I know you're not here officially."

Richard takes a step closer, and lowers his voice, "It's a dangerous game you're playing. If you want to get out of this alive, I'd advise changing your request. 5 Jovian Silver, I think, my boss will accept. Anything more, and... well, I can't be responsible for your safety. That crossbow and sword will not help you."

"So my friend, what's it to be?"

[I'm Murrin]

[Since you're trying to intimidate him, I'm gonna say this takes a Power roll.]

Roll: 8 [+1 Power] = 9

As you move up to him the guard actually takes half a step back, even though there's still a cart in between you and him. He looks nervous now, and his eyes keep darting over to the guard post building on his right. "Are you, um," he says, "are you threatening a member of the, uh..." He trails off, looking at something behind you. The Fox has emerged from Hestor's carriage, and is standing behind the rest of you, picking at her nails with the tip of her knife.

Eyes wide and still staring at The Fox, the guard yelps suddenly, "Jed? JED!"

A moment later, a second guard emerges from the hut, hastily putting a helmet on his head. It's an older man, and twice the size of the young guard. He's wearing the same guard's uniform, but his barely fits, stretched tight over wide shoulders and muscular chest. There's a long sword sheathed on his back. He has a full beard and bushy eyebrows, jet black. As he walks over, the younger guard lifts his crossbow, fumbling a little as he points it in the general direction of all of you.

"What's going on?" the older guard - Jed, you assume - asks the younger, then turns and glowers at the whole group of you.

You see the young man clearly get a grip on himself, standing a little taller now that he's no longer alone. "They don't want to pay the fee, Jed. This one threatened me." He indicates Richard with a nudge of the crossbow.

Jed gives the younger man an unsubtle nudge with his elbow. "You will call me Sergeant while we are on duty, Private," he says, with a significant look at his companion. He turns to Richard, puffs out his chest a little. "Is this true? Are you threatening a member of the Blessed Guard of Jove?"

[Bela Gin]

I hope I know what those scales represent.

I also hope nothing dangerous comes out of that hut.

*shift stance to clear the way for Paula, in case she wants to approach the young, impressionable guard* Even if she doesn't, just having a better view of her will break his concentration.

[I'm Murrin]

[Ha, timing. Imagine Bela's post came before mine.]

[Bela Gin]

[:lol:]

[Bela Gin]

"Gentlemen, we're strangers, and don't know what our equivalent of a Jovian Silver is. But, surely, twenty per cart is a bit steep."

[Paula Ridgeway]

Paula was shocked by the price of the toll but even more surprised at Slade's approach to it. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Paula stepped closer and put a hand on Slade's arm to allow her to take a different approach using as much charm as she could muster.

Persuasion

"Excuse me gentlemen," she says and addresses the guards. "Please forgive my companions. We have journeyed many days to reach Jovian and have been beset by thieves on more than one occasion hence their highly alerted actions."

Paula gestured to the carriage and spoke with authority. "I am personal, private secretary to Lord Smith and I had correspondence with the Merchant Guild who required that we pay in advance directly to them. If you let us pass, I will return within a day with a member of the Guild to vouch for us."

[I'm Murrin]

Roll: 6 [+2 Charm, +2 Persuasive] = 10
[Paula Ridgeway gains +1 xp]

[Jed totally believes what you're saying. Whatever Paula says now, he's convinced you are who you claim and that you'll do what you say.]

Jed's eyes narrow at mention of the Guild. "Now, I'm sure there's no need to have some guildsman come all the way out here." He puts a hand on the other guard's shoulder, and the young man lowers his crossbow. A smarmy grin comes across Jed's face, revealing a couple of missing teeth. "I assume you have some sort of proof of this... correspondence?"

The younger guard is looking at his 'Sergeant' strangely.

[Bela Gin]

Why couldn't you roll like that when I was in bed with The Fox?!

[Paula Ridgeway]

Persuasion

Paula turns on the charm even more with a bright smile and a laugh.

"Well, if I had the payment receipt, it would hardly be necessary for me to bring the Guild member back with me.

"But, I can assure you I will return with a Guild member and we can sort this out later."

She acts like this is just a simple misunderstanding.If her feminine wiles can't get her through this, then she had possibly made matters worse.

[Bela Gin]

"Hey, Private," to the younger guard, conversationally. "I'm new here. Can you tell me about the Merchant Guild?" Motioning to the symbol on his tunic. "Do they rule here?"

[I'm Murrin]

The young guard, momentarily distracted from the exchange between Jed and Paula, gives Bela a puzzled look. "You're here to do business and you don't know about the Guild?"

Jed pays no attention to the two of you, still talking to Paula. "I'm sure that won't be necessary," he says, still with the shit-eating grin on this face. "If you'd just give us a moment to confer," he continues, and gives the younger man's shoulder a tug. The other guard jumps a little at the contact, then has to adjust his helmet up off his eyes. He looks at Jed, who nods toward the guard post. They both disappear inside, the young man giving a worried look back at the rest of you as he goes.

[Paula Ridgeway]

"I've done all I can," Paula says and indicates for Bela and Slade to follow her back toward the carriage where Hestor and The Fox can hear.

In a low voice, she says, "My guess is that the real guards are in the hut. If we can help them, it might give us an "in" when we enter Jovian."

[Bela Gin]

Walking back to the carriages, muttering under my breath "Lovely. 'Grrr. I'm so dangerous.'"

Passing Rum "Really, Boss?"

Climbs back onto the last carriage, ready to drive when this is resolved.

[I'm Murrin]

Hestor, who has been watching all this from his window, looks concerned. "This certainly doesn't look like a legitimate operation, but we don't know that there's anyone else at harm here, and I'd rather we not get ourselves into any trouble."

"Could just kill 'em," The Fox says. "Easy enough. No witnesses, drop the bodies in the river."

Hestor looks like he just tasted something foul. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He looks to Paula again. "Do you think they'll let us pass?"

[Bela Gin]

"Nobody else seems to be coming out of there to attack us. We could hope they are what they seem, and just move their cart out of the way."

[I'm Murrin]

[Are you shouting this from all the way back on the other cart?]

[Paula Ridgeway]

Paula considers.

"Jed will do whatever I ask him to do at this point. The other fellow - I'm not so sure. He looks scared.

"Perhaps if Slade and The Fox were to accompany me to the hut, we could find out. That way, if they attack us, we are innocent of any wrongdoing.

If they don't attack us, then we can find out just exactly what's going on.

"Then again, we could do as Bela said and just move the cart while they are in the hut and be on our way."

Paula looks up and down the road to see if there are any other travelers. Safety in numbers always stood her in good stead.

A Guild member would be a godsend right about now because she was fairly sure that these men were not official guards.

[Bela Gin]

[Are you shouting this from all the way back on the other cart?]

I'm taking to Rum. I don't think he's far from me. And Paula had good ears.