The Wader of Sangris part 2 has started at Outside Arx - Saffron Chain near Hissah - The Caldera.

After spending a comfortable evening as Calla's guest within the city you find the likely needs of your journey already packed and waiting along along with the S'ki egg-liberator you pursued just a day ago. He seems eager to get started and gestures widely as your party makes its way through the streets of the city to join a patrolling group of soldiers. Although the city is a fairly lush place with lots of flowing water and carefully arranged plants it quickly becomes clear that this is not a place of bounteous rains and lush growth. The city itself is practically surrounded by rank after rank of orderly crop fields but beyond that it quickly turns to grasslands of tall dry grasses. Sometimes those grasses part and sway as unseen animals part the shoulder high strands but the soldiers with you keep everything of interest away. Thus the first part of the day passes with lots of walking and little else.

The road has reduced to a track not much wider than a single cart when the young man stops you by pointing up towards a set of craggy dust-hued hills off to the west. "We go this way now"

Domonico had swung by the Tempest before setting off and now had a well used pack slung over one shoulder which one would assume is filled with his own supplies. The Magnotta Count sweeps his gaze over the rest of the group before falling in to the back of the party, checking to the sides and behind him periodically as he takes his self imposed responsibility seriously.

Domonico wields Raptor's Reach, a rubicund-tipped cornel-shafted Dory spear.

Graziella keeps pace near the middle of the group with her parasol continuing to protect her from the sun overhead as they travel along the road. When they reach a place where it looks like their path is going to diverge from the main road she looks up and around at a few of the others but then falls into step without missing a beat.

Oh it was certainly a comfortable evening for the Lord Martino Malvici. A new place to be and, well, people to meet. Stepping along with the group, Martino exhales like he has spent most of the night awake, leather=wrapped hands of his brush through his hair as he steps along with the group along the dusty track. Sighing as he cannot hold his hair back, a wince from his thumb brushing over a cheek's bruise, "Mm a long trip and... overnight stay needed?" Glancing, aside to the group, Martino's voice carries slight.

Checking to make sure all her supplies are full-ie medicines, wraps, whiskey, ropes-, Thea heads on her way.. Her hair IS braided back, but she looks completely at ease as she treks away. "Martino, are you feeling alright?" Since you know--he fell off a roof and all. Turning

Turning, Thea too checks on the others.

After a good night's sleep, Calla is refreshed and eager to go, dressed in the style of Sangris in her toga style dress, this one short, and sensible walking shoes as well. Her own supplies are being carried by her guards as she follows closely the young boy as he leads the way. When he points towards the craggy hills, she stops and sighs a bit, wiping the back of one hand over her forehead. Martino's words are given a smile as she turns to the youth, "You keep going, and we'll keep following, you're doing great." she encourages with a bright smile.

Toward the front of the group, Medeia isn't dressed much differently tday than the day before - practical shark leathers in the form of pants, shoes, gloves and a modest aeterna dress that's been cleverly tied within the skirts to lift the hem away from the ground for ease of walking. Her hair is braided away from her face and a satchel is slung across her body - containing various medical supplies and sundry. She's mostly quiet during the walking, taking in the surroundings as best she can.


For whatever amount of time Baroness Ember Redreef slept during the night, she did so with the crystal egg clutched in her hands. Currently, the egg rests in a small satchel carried by the Baroness, separate from the rest of her supplies. She seems at peace with the walking, and with the climate. Ember has exchanged the gown that was somewhat ruined by a chase through the city -- though the tailors of the Vaevici Baronial estate are confident that they'll have it repaired by the time she returns -- for a pair of trousers suitable for horseback riding and a red tunic, her sword belt around her waist, the tunic untied in such a way that reveals both a fair amount of battle-earned scars and a fair amount of Baronial breasts. Her hair is braided back; aside from that detail, and the difference in their facial scars, she would be very easily to mistake for her twin, the sailor Lady Marina, right now.

"Baroness," Ember asks of Calla, while glancing over toward Thea and Martino, "is there any local wildlife we should be aware of in the grass? Poisonous snakes... particularly vicious rabbits...?"

Pasquale has called for a check of luck at normal.
Calla is successful.
Graziella is marginally successful.
Medeia is marginally successful.
Martino is marginally successful.
Ember is marginally successful.
Thea is marginally successful.
Domonico is marginally successful.

Graziella is quiet but observant and she keeps a sharp eye on the surrounding area as they walk and when their guide gestures to lead them off the path she does her best to make note of the over landscape when the leave the path. She is still wearing her steelsilk with an unabashed confidence and even as she awkwardly picks her way along through craggy roads she does it with squared shoulders and perfect posture.

The leader of the patrol group obviously doesn't like the idea of leaving you to go off your own way into the hills but in the end his duty (and a few raised words) see the unit marching off down the road away from you. Your own path doesnt look like a path at all but the young man seem to know where he is going and he starts to pick his way through the shaggy grasses towards some distant slopes. An hour later and the terrain has barely changed but now you can pick out trees on the slopes. Another hour later and you are still surrounded by grasses but now you can see that it seems to be raining on the slopes ahead of you. An hour later and you reach the first of the foothills. A hour after that and the rain finds you, causing the ground underfoot to dissolve into a challenging morass of slimy ground pinpointed here and there by tufts of grass tough enough to strip skin from hands. Its truly delightful. The lower edge of the treeline stretches ahead of you. They aren't particular handsome trees but those gnarled branches do promise shelter.

Ember checks stamina and survival at easy. Ember is marginally successful.

Domonico checks stamina and survival at easy. Domonico is successful.

Medeia checks dexterity and survival at easy. Medeia is successful.

Thea checks stamina and survival at easy. Thea is successful.

Calla checks Stamina and Survival at easy. Calla is marginally successful.

Graziella checks dexterity and stealth at easy. Graziella is marginally successful.

Martino checks stamina and survival at easy. Martino is successful.

"Oh I am good did you know that on visits to new places you should visit taverns?" Creasing his older green eyes, the wrinkles form in the corners of Martino's eyes as he steps smooth along with Thea. Pursing his lips, Martino quietly grumbles to Thea as he shares, "Although if I knew we had to walk maaaaaybe I would have rested a bit." Lie. Obviously. The flicker of a smirk in Martino's lips gives him away as he purses his lips follwoing the patrol group's leader. The rain starting to beat down on his decorative armour.


The rain finds Ember, and Ember's neutral expression dissolves into a frown at the same rate that the ground dissolves into mud. She's put the tailors of the Vaevici keep to work; next will be the washer-folk, as her trousers and boots find themselves caked in mud. The fact that she ties up her tunic to reveal less of her chest might be due to rainwater falling down her shirt -- but it also might be because of traveling too closely to Martino. The world will never know.

If it weren't for the fact that the aeterna won't be stained after it's washed, Medeia's outfit probably would be ruined right now. But the diminutive and plush lady manages to scramble along the rocks and mud with aplomb, thankful also for her gloved hands. On any given day, she might be seen draped in honeysilk while siping wine and seeming for all purposes to be a party girl, but there's a surprising amount of capability - and determination - in her. Even so, the rain itself isn't gaining a fan as she blinks through the wet.

When they leave the patrol, Calla does take possession of her own pack, and slings it over her shoulder as she follows along after the lad through the grasses. To Martino, she chuckles softly, lips pulled into soft amusement though she says nothing. The hours pass and Calla tries to fill them with pleasant coversation, pointing out various flora and fauna native to the region for her guests' benefit, well, the ones she knows anyway. Then the rain starts and it's not long before Calla is seriously regretting her choice of outfit for this little adventure as her lower legs get splattered with mud with every step. The treeline is spotted with some relief. "Hopefully it will be a little better when we reach those," she says, pointing in the direction of the trees. But really, what does she know? She's not really the outdoorsy type.

"Camp here." The young man tells you. And so the first day passes with nothing more horrible than an over abundance of mud to deal with. Surely a good sign. You set up camp amongst the trees, somehow manage to get a campfire going amongst the rain, and the young s'Ki even bags a pair of fresh birds for you to eat. Unfortunately the rain does not relent and after an hour or so it becomes impossible to keep the fire alight. The s'Ki looks up at some point, staring towards the clouds, and then tells you "The Wader not happy. Might as well sleep." before vanishing into his own tent. And for a few hours you sleep, or talk, huddled under canvas thats starting to get just a wee bit leaky.

BOOM. A peel of thunder echoes so close it seems almost to have originated under you. The sky flashes with the pre-warned lighting and everything goes oddly silent but for the ominous sounds of tearing wood..

Pasquale has called for a check of luck and dodge at normal.
TIE: Medeia is successful. Thea is successful.
Domonico is successful.
TIE: Martino is marginally successful. Ember is marginally successful.
Calla fails.
Botch! Graziella is simply outclassed. This is monumentally beyond them and the result is ruinous.

Graziella is displeased by the rain and mud, she has a frown for her useless parasol as the rain patters through the lace and she closes it to use as a walking stick to help with the mud... doing plenty to destroy her delicate lace parasol and leather flats but somehow managing to keep herself upright.

After they make camp the Princess keeps to herself and settles in early to sleep while the others argue with the sputtering fire in the rain.

Thea smirks at Martino aside, but starts to trudge ahead. The rain beats down on her leathers as she goes to catch up with the others. "This is almost like being back home..."

When they stop for the night-under a canvas that is not as good Harry Potter's closet, but gets the job done, Thea starts to dry off a bit. Until she hears someone in the woods. "What--is that,"pulling her dagger and kopis close.

Exhaling as he gathers up the pack, slinging it up over his shoulder, Martino exhales and follows the team up over the rocks. Inhaling as he goes, the older Malvici Lord sighs. His sharp greens flickering as he sighs, "Well armour was a good choice come the end... does... anyone know how to make fire work in the wet?"

Domonico checks luck and dodge at normal. Domonico is successful.

"Well I hope the Wader wil be much happier when we return his egg to him." Calla responds warmly to the youth as he retreats to his tent. She doesn't retreat to her own just yet though, finding herself something somewhere to sit that isn't on the ground, a rock handily doing the trick. A cloak from her pack has been removed and wrapped around her shoulders, as she tries to tame her wet mane of saffron hair into a braid to at least keep it contained. Then she finally retreats to her tent after bidding the rest of the group a good evening. When that first crack of thunder breaks, she awakens suddenly, but realizing it's only thunder she doesn't think much of it and rolls back over. That was a mitake. A tree helping to hold up the tent has been hit by lightning and falls over onto the tent before the Baroness can react, a muffled yelp of surprise as canvas falls onto her.


Next to Graziella's sleeping figure sits Baroness Ember Redreef. Rather than fiddling with the fire, she's opted to simply get out of the rain, and her muddy riding trousers are laid out on the ground next to her so that she doesn't get mud all over her sleeping mat in addition to water. Despite not wearing pants, she's still wearing her tunic and sword belt, which admittedly looks ridiculous but good luck saying that to someone with a sword. Her legs are adorned with plentiful scars -- she looks like someone who's fought more battles than could possibly fit into her short lifetime.

"Worry less about the fire and more about not catching your death of pneumonia," Ember calls out from the tent toward Martino. The egg satchel sits between Ember and Graziella, and Ember looks away from it for a moment, distracted by the same noises that catch Thea's attention.

Graziella went to bed first so she is deeply, deeply, unprepared when the crack of lightning rips through the air and knocks over a tree adjacent to her tent, "Aiyeee." A scream escapes her as the cracking sound of breaking wood rips through the rainy air and then- it falls. The large tree topples over onto the tent and the only indication that the Princess is still alive under all that mess is another sharp shrieek followed by, "Help! Something is attacking me!"

A flash of lightning briefly hilights the scene in the final seconds before a tree falls on Calla and Graziella's tent. Almost immediately the storm dies off to nothing more than an occasional splash of rain. There is no sign of Calla and Graziella..

Other than some muffled screaming that is.

Graziella checks perception at normal. Graziella is successful.


Ember, by sheer luck, is seated in the tent next to the tent hit by a tree. The top of the tree collapses her own tent in on her, but at least doesn't crush her except under canvas. When the tree falls and Graziella shrieks, Ember grabs the satchel instinctively and then tries to claw her away out of the collapsed tent to figure out what the hell just happened. "Princess, Baroness, hold on," Ember calls, muffled by canvas. "I'm coming--" Ember struggles to find an opening in the cloth. "I think--"

Calla checks perception at normal. Calla is marginally successful.

Ember checks wits and survival at normal. Ember is successful.

Soaked within his tent, probably using Thea to put it up, Martino has swapped armour for a loose white shirt and breeches. The flash of lightening, the roar of thunder, stopping him from resting proper before that tree lands. Gasping awake, shooting up from the bedroll, Martino steps brisk out of his tent without shoes. His head glancing around as he notices the collapsed tent and quickly makes his way across, "Ohh umm... Medeia, Thea! A tree and... tent." Glancing to Ember, Martino asks, "Do we lift it?"

Medeia is /also/ surprisingly capable of sleep in these conditions, and so it is that when she climbed into the tent she fell asleep fairly quickly, with just a blnkaet pulled shawl-like around her shoulders. The thunder wakes her with a jolt, and the screaming sends her flying out of the tent to help. Spotting Ember, she moves to assist with getting the tree and tent separated. "Tino!, come help me with this branch."

"Calla?! Baroness, is that you?" Graziella swipes at the canvas, "Why is so dark?" The panic in her voice is slowly subsiding as she comes to the realization that she is trapped in her tent and she can hear the others just outside trying to help them. "Why are we stuck." Her thin hand flicks out and grabs at the tree from the inside of the tent. She is especially confused because she was awoken suddenly and as she is feeling through the darkness she brushes past Calla, "Calla, are we still in the tent?" Strange question.

Domonico had been fine sleeping in the conditions, used to rough seas of course. He is out of his tent swiftly, sweeping his gaze around to assess the situation, a hand on the hilt of his xiphos just in case this was preceeding an attack. He spies Medeia shouting at Martino regarding the tree and the Southport Admiral heads towards the fallen tree with purpose, moving to take the heaviest looking part of it.

Fighting with the heavy canvas collapsed on top of her, Calla takes a few deep breaths to calm herself as she tries to get her bearings and making sure she's whole. Graziella's voice helps to guide her to the Princess' location, shuffling under the heavy canvas until she can reach out and touch the Pravus Princess. "It me, I'm pretty sure we're in the tent. I don't know what happened. Something fell on the tent I think." She calls out, "Help please! We're stuck in here!"

Thea rushes out from her tent, blinking a bit. Trying to grt her eyes to adjust to-well definitely not the light. "Baroness, princess, are you alright,"she calls. But there is another scream in the woods that has pulled her attention as well.


Ember audibly growls in frustration at trying to find an opening in the collapsed tent, which probably doesn't do much to soothe the nerves of those trapped inside, if we're being honest with ourselves. Finally, Ember finds an opening, whether one made intentionally or one torn by the tree crash, and starts to work her way inside. "I'm coming in -- are you hurt? I can hear both of you so you're not dead," Ember says, then qualifies it with, "probably," which is why she's not the third medic in the party.

Ember's quest is to get in there and use her prodigious Bloody Baroness strength to try and help lift the tree from the inside. And also maybe make sure neither of the trapped women have broken legs or anything. She's still not wearing pants, which may make her wiggling into the tent even more alarming.

Medeia checks strength and leadership at normal. Botch! Medeia catastrophically fails.

Ember checks strength at normal. Critical Success! Ember is inhumanly successful in a way that defies expectations.

Domonico checks strength at normal. Domonico is successful.

Martino checks strength at normal. Martino is successful.

Thea checks strength at normal. Thea is marginally successful.

"Not hurt, just trapped." Calla calls back as queries reach her from the outside, lifting her hand to gingerly touch along a shallow scratch along her cheek. When it looks like people are going to start trying to dislodge the tree, she braces herself to be able to move once it is lifted, if they manage it.

The effort to lift the tree is rather chaotic and confused with Ember wriggling into the tent and then pushing upwards and the others trying to find positions where they can get a good enough grip to push but eventually, between you all, the tree moves away and the two trapped noblewomen can escape their canvas nightmare. It's strangely peaceful when you get the burden lifted away. Even the rain has stopped.

And the young S'Ki? He's hovering in the nearby treeline with wide eyes and a reverent murmur of "The Wader." on his lips.

Gripping beneath the trunk, Martino's hands tuck underneath as he groans heavier and moves with others to lift it. Pursing his lips, groaning, the older man slowly lifts along with others as he holds it, "Mmm my... ba... back.. Ca-can you all ge-get out please?" Gritting his teeth, Martino's feet sink into the mud for grip.

Graziella calms down once it looks like they are being helped and she slinks back just enough to allow Calla the chance to slip out of the tent first... for whatever reason. A reassuring hand is placed on the Baroness' shoulder from behind to comfort as she quietly mummers, "We'll be out of here soon, its just a tent." Her voice is light and kind but drenched in a layer of airy panic- an eerie calm. "Just a tent." She adds softly, with a creepy nervous little laugh.


After some confused, flailing attempt to pull up on the tree from inside the tent, and then an attempt to get onto her back and push it upward, Ember does what seems like the most medically stupid thing. As others lift the tree enough, she finds space to wiggle in underneath, face down, and lift up onto all fours, using her spine as a fulcrum to help the others tilt the tree upward in a way that would probably result in a broken back or a slipped disc ninety times out of one hundred. The space created by Ember lifting onto all fours also provides room for Calla and Graziella to climb through: "Out, out, out, out, out," the Bloody Baroness says through gritted teeth, clearly feeling the pain of her choice and making it clear in her exhortation for the pair of trapped women to hurry hurry hurry in their scurry.

Whoever put the mud under Medeia's feet is fired, especially since she slipped and did not help with the tree lifting effort at all, instead landing on front and knocking the breath out of her momentarily. She's fine. Wounded pride, is all.

Domonico concentrates predominantly on lifting that tree, although his eyes shift to see his brother and he quickly comments. "Use your legs more brother." Domonico's muscular arms bulge as he assists, "Everyone out. That includes you Baroness Ember..."

Calla smiles warmly at Graziella when she catches her eyes. "Of course, just a tent," She adds to the reassurances. When the tree finally shifts, she wastes no time at all in crawling out from the tangled mess of canvas at Ember's insistance and into the fresh air, taking deep breaths even as she's moving out of the way to let the Princess out behind her. A little shakily, she gets to her feet, toga dress disheveled and threatening to come undone from the knots holdin it up being loosened in the chaos. She seems remarkly ok other than that, only the slightest little scratch on her cheek, not even half an inch long.

Graziella ducks and tries to make her five foot six frame as compact as possible as she chases after Calla and slips out of the tight opening in the collapsed tent. Once she is outside she stamps a foot in the mud and despite her fine clothing she looks like a drowned mud covered rat; blonde hair stuck to the side of her face and mud caked along her neck and breastbone. "Ooo." She stamps her foot again, then the other, then she waggles both fists around as she tantrums off a few paces but doesn't leave the immediate area. After a beat she turns back around and calls to the group with a certain childish acceptance, "Thank you all for saving me." And then she just plops down butt first into the mud and crosses her arms.

Pursing his lips heavy, flickering his eyes over his shoulder for a moment to Medeia, Martino's brow furrows in, "Y-you okay there Medeia?" Still holding up the branch, sinking in, Martino part-way squats to keep the branch up. The mud sticking to his white night-shirt as he sighs.

With the group crawling out, finally, Martino can lower it back down with a groan, "Mmm do... do you need a new place to stay now?"

When the tree has been moved and its obvious that Graziella, Calla, Martino and Ember have all suffered nothing more than a few minor cuts and bruises, you realise that the entire camp is in a dissaray. Supplies are missing and the entire place is rapidly turning into a shallow pond. There isn't much point in staying here much longer. "Wader not want us to sleep." the helpful S'Ki tells you all. "We go now. Sun up soon. Long way still." Picking your way through a strange forest in the wolf-light before dawn sounds wonderful right?


Ember is the last one out of the tent, and she growls like an agitated dog the entire time until she's free -- and then a few moments after. Her tunic extends down far enough to protect her modesty (and she has on underthings besides, but for one, now is hardly the time to go looking, and for another, it's dark out anyway) but her legs are otherwise bare. She's favoring her shoulders as best she can, since reaching behind oneself to massage one's shoulders is... awkward, at best, and the movements produce more grumbled curses. When the S'ki youth tells everyone it's time to keep moving, Ember grumbles and grabs her things -- she doesn't even get dressed, just slings her trousers over her shoulder and makes another deep, annoyed growl as if to say 'FINE.'

Taking a moment to let her lungs get air back in them, Medeia stares at the muddy ground beneath her, hands flat and elbows bent ready to push herself back to standing. Once up, she attempts to brush any of the mud off of her, but it is not much use - she's soaked through. She looks at Calla and Graziella. "Do either of you need medical attention?" Then a grateful look to Martino. "I'm fine, thanks." Once determiing what anyone needs by way of care, she

...she'll quickly pack up her supplies to get ready to go.

"But I like sleeping." Pursing his lips, Martino lifts his mud-and-bark covered hands to his eyes before grumbling to wipe them off of dark silken breeches. White shirt clinging to the hair-kissed chest of the Malvici Lord, the bruise from falling off a building stretching up to touch near his shoulder. Stepping away, leaning down to offer out his hand to Calla first before collecting his gear, Martino agrees with the S'Ki boy, "The forests. Are they safe?"

Domonico hmmms as he considers the current state of the campsite and his companions, pausing to check on Martino and Ember before speaking up clearly, "Get yourselves dressed everyone and take stock of what supplies we still have." He sets to taking his tent down, satisfied that it was secure. He pauses to kiss the charm around his neck before looking at the sky. "A fine storm."

"Yes, thank you all very much for your swift action." Calla adds her thanks to Graziella, taking Martino's hand to help her up, she tries to fix her dress even though it's wet and muddy now from crawling out of the tent. Turning to the youth, she sighs a bit heavily. "Now? Right now? Oh alrigh, if you do insist. This Wader is a fickle creature it seems, hopefully getting the egg back will soothe his...her?.. mood." To Medeia, she smiles gratefully, "I am fine, perhaps check on Graziella," she offers even though the Saik lady is doing just that, a look of concern where the Pravus Princess is plopped down on the mud. It doesn't take her long after that to right herself, get her supplies and be ready to continue the journey after the s'Ki lad.

Graziella gives a haunted little shake of her head and she looks back to the destroyed tent where she was sleeping only moments ago and intones, "It seems to me that we should be careful to heed this Wader's warnings, he speaks in lightnting and rain." She flips over the backs of her hands to check them and then begrudingly pushes to her feet to move along with the group if it was time to depart. "No injuries, just mud... everywhere." She gives the bottom of her fancy dress a sharp snap to shake off some of the muck as she walks.

The youth just tells Martino. "Safe for group with spears." before turning into the surroundings and starting the next phase of your trek.

Its actually not that bad, that walk through a pre-dawn forest. The trees are well spaced and other than the fact you keep slipping and an annoyingly persistent feeling that you are being watched, everything goes fine.

Eventually, at about the same time that the sun makes its way into a position that says morning rather than dawn you break out of the forest and into a much rockier area. You can hear rushing water but can't see it. Not until you turn about a rock formation and discover a river rushing headlong through a deadly deep chasm. At first the boy just shrugs at any worried looks that might get cast his way but when you turn another rock formation and discover the tattered remains of a rope bridge he calls "Oh no!" before running over to the stumpy remains. "This bad. Take whole week to go round!"

"Oh no... no... you missed a bit here..." Martino chuckles hush to Calla, his hand brushing to flicker away mud from her shoulder before speaking hush to the Baroness, "Nearly, mm?" With the youth speaking to him, Martino steps from Calla and nods, scooping Medeia's elbow to lead her along, "Come on, Saikland Delight. It's like that time we chased around in the Vineyards."

Now following the boy once more, Martino's lips twitch as he tiredly stomps along in his night attire. Pack on his shoulder, wincing as he goes before groaning at the rope bridge, "Well... isn't that a thing? Now, first we need to see if this rope is still usable. Probably. Kaia once said that bridges can be rebuilt if the support is still there."

Thea trails after the other after brushing mud and things from her persons. She was totally help lift guys! Catching up, she looks around their surroundings. Seeing the bridge, Thea thins her lips. "I have rope, but not THAT much rope. Maybe we can fix parts if it?"

Domonico hmms at the destroyed bridge, his eyes sweeping across the area and to the others, "What I would not give for a detachment of Southport Engineers right now..." he mutters before he hefts down his pack. "Thea. I have some rope I picked up from the Tempest. We may be able to rig something up." He chuckles, "Remember all that training in knots? Might just be useful here."

"Well, I don't /have/ a fucking spear," Medeia mutters, clearly starting to lose some of the finely tuned composure she normally holds in difficult situations. Where's Haakon when she needs him? /He/ has a spear. Still, she sucks it up, marching her muddy self alongside Martino through the forest as the sun slowly makes its way up to provide morning light. "And now I don't have a fucking bridge." She thought she kept that thought in her head. She did not. A deep sigh pushes out of her lungs as she surveys the problem. She's pretty sure she can't sweet talk this problem into submission. But maybe? She's good at bandaging things. Maybe she can tie and stitch something up.

While the others begin to discuss the very important task of repairing the bridge Graziella walks over to it and crouches down nearby the ropes to examine them... examine the structure, looking for signs of recent fresh damage or any other signs that someone recently crossed the bridge and broke it to keep from being followed. Maybe she is paranoid... she's still checking.

Graziella checks wits and investigation at normal. Graziella is marginally successful.

Thea glances around, remembering something,"When a group of us went on another exploreration, Vitalis tied smaller pieces of the rope to make a smaller bridge. Maybe we can do something like that,"Thea also suggests.

Graziella stands back up and as the others rush around trying to fix things she lingers there with her arms hanging limp and helpless at her sides. Grazi stands there with a mournful expression and quietly states, "The Wader took out the bridge, it was probably the storm that broke it."

Crouching still by the edge where the bridge is partway, Martino's lips twitch as he sighs and considers the rope, "Oh that sounds like a good idea Thea... we then don't need to chop anything. It will need us to be balanced. Slowly stepping across the thin piece of rope. Right?"

Calla checks charm and leadership at normal. Calla is successful.

Domonico mmms as he nods to Thea's suggestion, "Good idea Thea," and he begins organising what resources they have ready for this.

Calla was just starting to dry off a bit in the morning's warmth when they come past the second rocky outcropping and she sees the destroyed rope bridge and her face falls. "Well this certainly isn't ideal. I don't think we have the supplies to go a week around this. We're just going to have to figure something else out." She determines as she squares her shoulders resolutely, listening to the others as she quickly takes in the individual ideas, formulating a plan. "We can handle this. No problem. Yes!" She replies to both Domonico and Thea when they mention they have rope as well as their idea. "That could certainly work, we'll give that a try. Anyone else have any other ideas that we can use?" She asks, taking on the role of leader in this emergency endeavor is no one objects.

Martino checks intellect and stewardship at hard. Martino marginally fails.

Twisting his lips as he inspects the rope, Martino's lips purse as he glances across to Medeia to mention, "Did you say you brought things in the medic pack to help secure it? Like a bandage? So... it err... looks like..." Rising up to his feet, still holding it and glancing further across the water, "Okay. So if we pull up this bit of rope down there." Pointing into a piece of rope further away that is within the water, "And fasten it back. We have half a bridge. The foundations here are good." Pat. Pat. The wooden stake is still there, it's the pathway that's gone, "We just need to get the sides up and someone to simply throw it to the other side to hook on over there." Pointing further, Martino's fingertip notes the other wooden stake in the ground on the other side of the river.

The rope bridge has come undone at this end leaving the supporting structure mostly intact. You can see the remains of the bridge are still attached to the other side. You just need to somehow reconnect the ends. There are two main options, as determined by Martino.
1) Someone does a difficult climb to connect a rope to the bridge and then you pull it up and fix it to the support. 2) You somehow get a rope onto the bridge by throwing another one. That.. would be extremely hard. But safer.

Thea checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Critical Success! Thea is spectacularly successful.

Thea checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Thea is marginally successful.

Domonico checks strength and athletics at hard. Domonico is successful.

Domonico checks strength and athletics at hard. Domonico is marginally successful.

Ember checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Ember is marginally successful.

Ember checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Ember is marginally successful.

Calla is listening intently to Martino's assesment, her expression thoughtful as she formulates a plan. "We need to get down there and get those ropes first up here." She looks at the others consideringly, "Who is good with climbing? We can help you from up here make sure you're safe on the way down." that's the plan anyway, and with that, the Baroness will do what she needs to do to ensure the safety of thsoe who take on the challenge of the climbs.

Graziella stands nearby ready to help but she is looking off across the chasm as if focusing on the future or the otherside of the bridge... so to speak.

Medeia checks strength at hard. Medeia marginally fails.

Martino checks strength at hard. Martino is marginally successful.

Calla checks strength at hard. Calla fails.

Climbing? That's something that Domonico is more than confident with and he quickly listens to Graziella's plan, before nodding and securing ropes for the climb.

Climbing? That's something that Domonico is more than confident with and he quickly listens to Graziella's plan, before nodding and securing ropes for the climb. Many years of climbing rigging and masts on ships has helped prepare him for moments like this. Competent and assured he works with the other climbers, smiling inwardly at Thea's controlled descent.

Graziella checks strength at hard. Graziella is marginally successful.

Thea is actually an amazing climber most days. She's built for such. As she listens to the plan set out, she secures herself tightly with the rope and starts her descent. "Neilda would LOVE this,"she says with a laugh. Careful and swift, her footing precise, Thea makes her way to the bottom ahead of the others.


Ember climbs downward. She's not an amazing climber in her own right, but she has determination and physical strength, and those are just barely enough to make up for it, along with Domonico's invaluable assistance. She's the last to reach the bottom, and still has the quartz egg in a satchel slung from one shoulder. At the comment about Neilda loving this, Ember replies with something like "Hrrrrrrrrrrrr" from deep in her throat.

Medeia checks dexterity and medicine at normal. Medeia is successful.

Domonico hmms, "Yes. Neilda would enjoy this immensely." He pats Ember's shoulder as she reaches the bottom. "Well done Baroness. Good climbing." He looks to Thea and just gives his sister a nod of respect at her speedy climbing display.

Gripping onto the rope, Martino positions himself at the very back of the holding-onto-the-rope-gang. Hangs of his wrapping round it like a snake, determined in part to not be the reason why brother or sister end up being lost. Ugh. Mother would be mad... oh wait, "Mm you know... I am her favourite." As the group drop down the sides, those holding onto the rope shift slightly forward as the weight of Ember, Domonico and Thea carries through it. The Malvici Lord distracted, glancing over his shoulder to watch Medeia for a moment, thinking that is life so bad without the brother and sister.

"Ooofff." Martino slides slightly forward in the mid, bumping into Calla in front of him, chest of his kissing her back before realising that the siblings and Ember are down there. Digging his feet in, pulling back with heavy groans, "Mmm ok... okay u... uppp." Gradually, the bridges comes along with the gang of three.

Graziella was still staring off across the chasm when she notices the heave-ho of the rope out of the corner of her attention. She leaps to and grabs the front of the rope near the edge of the cliff and gives a few meaningful tugs that cause her to grunt loudly. "Lean back into it, step and pull, step and pull.." She's trying to guide Calla as best as she can, shouting over her shoulder and pulling on the rope with a determined growl.

Bless her heart, Calla is really trying to help with bringing the bridge back up to the ledge where they need it so Medeia can work on fixing it. But her skinny arms are unblemished by the bulk of muscle, her strength not her best trait. She's doing little to help even though she's huffing and puffing, her face going red. When Martino bumps into her from behind, she lets out a little yelp of surprise as her feet slip out from underneath her and she almost goes down if it weren't for her hold on the rope. So she dangles for a moment as she scrambles to her her feet under her again in short order. Once accomplished, she takes Graziella's instructions and does a bit better, helping to haul up the load with the others.

There isn't much Medeia can do while Thea, Ember, and Domonico climb. Graziella, Calla, and Martino are ulling the ropes and she's... Got Martino, apparently. When he looks back at her, she notes that look on his face and shakes her head - letting his siblings fall down a sheer rock face is probably /not/ the best option at the moment. Thea and Dom's comments float up to her and she smiles, calling down, "Yeah, Nel would love this." And she'd probably be more useful. Well, until now. Now the bridge has been lifted, and she's able tospring forward and deftly secure the ropes with secure knots and few quick, skillful passes of a needle with sturdy thread to help secure things. It takes several minutes to complete, but once done, that bridge is definitely secure enough for them to cross.

And with those final touches from Medeia the bridge is finally intact enough for one person to carefully cross at a time.

Graziella checks charm and manipulation at normal. Graziella is marginally successful.

Medeia checks perception at easy. Medeia fails.

Martino checks perception at easy. Martino is successful.

Calla checks perception at easy. Calla is marginally successful.

Thea checks perception at easy. Thea is marginally successful.

Domonico checks perception at easy. Critical Success! Domonico is spectacularly successful.

Ember checks perception at easy. Ember is marginally successful.

Once the bridge is up and while everyone else is debating how to test it Graziella goes over to the boy leading them and gestures for him to take a step closes. Graziella leans over to whisper something into the boy's ear, "Tell me your name?"

"Arn." The boy answers with wide confused eyes as he watches the Princess.

Graziella then points across the bridge and nods in that direction, "The Wader is calling to all of us, but he wants you to go first.. you're the most worthy. You are born here, of this land and its your destiny to repair the damage in Wader's heart, not ours." She gives him a gentle nudge of one shoulder, "Do you hear him, Arn?"

"Oh sorry... about that Calla." While Medeia is securing the bridge once more, Martino's right hand brushes over Calla's shoulder where he left a mud print on her toga-style dress. Crinkling his eyes slightly as he steps around her, Martino watches Medeia work as he rests his hands on his hips. Listening to Graziella speak to the young boy before lifting his chin, raising his fingertip up to point far on the opposite side of the bridge, "Umm... there are some... really - really - big birds taking off there. And..." Squinting, Martino adds, "They are coming this way!"

Thea hears Martino and smirks. "Rather Father's than mothers." Even if he's dead. When the others join her, she looks up and lifts her eyebrow. "That flock of birds. Where the hells did they come from?" And you cant miss them. It's a huge flock!

Graziella checks perception at easy. Graziella is marginally successful.

The young s'Ki points at himself as if to ask if Graziella really means for him to go first, his eyes wide. He looks to the bridge, seems to gulp, and then just runs across the entire thing. The mans got all the grace of a mountain goat thats for sure. He stops on the other side and waves back to the group. Look! I lived.

Domonico points to the flock of birds as well. "Something has disturbed the birds over there. Be wary," is his warning to the others as his gaze sweeps the area searching for danger.


Ember waits for the boy to cross, and then without discussing it with the others, moves to climb across herself. After all, this way if the Wader strikes her down while she's holding the egg, at least it's only the boy who's trapped on the other side! Not that she'll say that aloud. Still, Ember grits her teeth and crosses carefully -- looking up mid-crossing at a big flock of birds overhead, which distracts her for a moment, but she quickly re-focuses on crossing.

"It's ok." Calla assures Martino with a smile over her shoulder at him. "Not like I can get any dirtier at this point." She chuckles, a release of nerves more than anything. She smile approvingly at Graziella's words to the boy, nodding her own encouragement as he takes the challenge and then starts crossing the bridge. It's then that the flock of birds catches her periphery vision just as the others mention it. "What are they doing?" When Martino points out they are coming this way, her eyes widen in panic. "Birds don't attack people, right?" she asks a little uncertainly.

There is just. So much mud still. Everywhere. And Medeia is really trying to pack up her satchel without getting her things all muddy. And that requires so much focus. All the focus, in fact. Because mud. Everywhere.

Graziella isn't stalling but she calls out, "I don't like those birds but none of us are bridge makers by profession, are we?" She's got her gaze canted up as a few of the others make their way out onto the bridge. "I say we spread out and move quick, don't bunch up on the bridge. Too many of use might take it down, especially if some of those those ropes were weak enough to break in the storm earlier."

many of us*

Thea checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Thea is marginally successful.

"Come on Medeia... 'least those birds decide to visit." Martino follows on with Ember and Calla to make his away across the bridge. His hands reaching out to offer extra balance as he just angles his eyes forward. Don't look down. Forward. Inhaling slightly as he murmurs hush in reply, "It depends if they are... hungry or not."

Whilst Arn the S'Ki and Ember cross the rope bridge a flock of large grey heron like birds have come up from somewhere and started to flock around the chasm itself. Arn passes without any hardship and so does Ember but when Thea is half way across that changes. They wheel and turn and then one of them flies right at Thea! Then another flies at her from the opposite direction! Both veer away at the last moment but Thea still gets struck by wings as they soar past and for at least a moment her balance is horribly off.

And whilst Thea is dealing with her new wingsy friends out there on the bridge a single male lands on the end of your bridge, spreads his 2 meter wide grey wings, and hisses!

Domonico checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Domonico is successful.

Domonico checks dexterity and medium wpn at daunting. Domonico is marginally successful.

Thea blinks. "What the fuc-,"Thea shouts when she is cornered by loud and obviously not friendly. Reaching for her dagger, or trying, Thea starts running, swinging her arms and tries dodging. When her feet finally get to land, the Alfred Hitchcock birds finally leave her be. Which--weird.

Pasquale has called for a check of wits at daunting.
Martino is marginally successful.
Graziella marginally fails.
Calla fails.
Domonico fails.
Medeia catastrophically fails.

"Bird!" Graziella screams and points at the bird when it lands and hisses at them... that's all she's got, "Bird- bi- bird!" She's not offering much to moment but her alarm and identification of the animal is accurate and might be useful to Domonico.

Martino checks dexterity and medium wpn at easy. Martino is marginally successful.

One does not simply buffet one's sister and then threaten one's brother (and the others). The rubicund tip of Raptor's Reach comes down and then Domonico has stepped forward and into a stunningly fast and deadly accurate stab. This is a killing blow and there is no doubt about that as the scarlet speartip moves to end the hissing bird's life. Time seems to slow and...

Watching Thea struggle, Martino's eyes track the bird as he notes, "That is... a wader!" Widening his eyes, glancing at egg. At bird. At egg. At bird. At Calla. Egg. Bird. Domonico! "No! Brother wa-wait!" Martino starts keeling into the ground, quickly lifting up his spear, turning it in his hands to swing it up sharp. Crashing it somewhat near the top of Domonico's spear, away from the giant bird with Luck more than anything. Breathing hard, Martino shares, "Imp-portant. Wader bird. Wader egg. Wader God."

The moment Thea got to the other end of the bridge the two birds that were harassing wheeled away and join the main flock. They clack and wheel overhead, intimidating just from their presence.

Domonico's attack on the aggressive male stood on the original edge of the bridge was right on point right up until the moment that Martino knocked Domonico's spear away. Their clash, or the yelling, or the movements of Medeia and Calla, or perhaps the instructions of some foreign bird-god, cause it to screech and flap its heavy wings a moment later. It almost seems to heavy to fly in those first moments but then its up and off to join the others of its flock.

There is a brief look of fury as Domonico's killing blow is deflected before he hears the panted explanation. "Huh. Very well. They carry on swooping on Thea like that and I'll stab that damn God myself." He step backs slightly, spear still held at the ready... just in case...

Thea is waving her arms from across the bridge, shooting,"Im fine! Once you know, you get here, they seem to stop." Which still--weird. "Hurry up!" Easier said than done,Thea!

Arn, the young S'ki, who's already crossed the bridge waves his arms and points down the hill behind him. "Hurry! We close!" he then waves his hands at Ember and Thea, showing them that the lake they are heading for is just an easy climb away.

Distracted by the flock of birds trying to knock Thea off the bridge and then on the heron that lands in front of them hissing, Calla misses the fact that Domonico raises his spear to it. It's Martino's cry that spins her to towards the brothers, her hands coming up much belatedly in a motion to halt. Thankfully Martino has luck on his side as he knocks the other's spear aside. "Yes, please don't hurt it! This is no coincidence. We need to appease the Wader, not anger it further." When the bird flaps his wings then finally takes off she sighs in relief as she calls out to Thea, "Are you ok? Can you keep going?" Reassured by the woman's call back, she follows next over the bridge, stepping carefully, but confidently as she doesn't intend to stop on the way over for anything.

And nothing happens on her crossing and Calla is safely across the bridge, heaving a sigh of relief before turning back to anxiously watch the others.


Ember stands there with Arn, and the two seem to have a brief conversation when glimpsed from afar, that ends with Arn pointing somewhere further along the journey. Ember lets out a huff of breath, looking back over her shoulder in time to see the drama of Thea's crossing.

With Thea across, Ember says to the Malvici woman: "The boy is pointing me toward a lake further along. You and the boy remain here, make sure everyone either gets across or..." Ember pauses, trying to come up with a good 'or' to end her sentence. "...or just doesn't die."

"We'll find you a different bird to get." Creasing his eyes, sinking his spear down, Martino pushes himself up as he exhales as he turns to watch Calla cross before standing beside Medeia, Domonico and Graziella, "Alright let's get over this and... well. See a bit more about this God." Glancing side-to-side, Martino waits his turn.

Medeia crosses the bridge with some amount of grace. Maybe. She crosses, at any rate.

After Calla's perilous crossing under the eyes of the birds it seems that the birds have lost interest in you. There are no more attacks and you all get safely to the other side. And once across you can easily see the lake that you are aiming to and the winding path that connects this bridge to its shores. It isn't exactly close. You'll be walking for another hour or two at least. But it looks easy. The whole area also looks completely different to the grassy almost arid areas you just left. Down here in this crater-like valley its humid and the foliage is lush and almost tropical.

Thea keeps watch on the others, nodding aside to Ember. "I can do that, sure. Assuming the boy knows where we go next."

Graziella is a graceful dancer in the best of cases and she gathers up her skirts daintly and breezes across the bridge with all of that grace and poise carrying her right across to the other side deftly.