Maria arrives at the covenant one day, looking very annoyed.
Sir Richard says "Maria being Ahmed's wife?"
You say "yes"
You say "and the representative of Lord Ulrik"
Sir Richard says "and?"
Sir Richard says "what does she want?"
You say "dunno, she's in a huff, and demands to speak with Helena"
Sir Richard keeps her in the coutyard and sends a grog to find Helena
Sir Richard says "Mistress Gueros will arrive shorty, ma'am. Please wait here"
Sir Richard leaves her standing there but keeps two grogs watching her
You say "okay, then what?"
Sir Richard says "then he waits for helena!"
Sir Richard says "It's none of his buisness what she will do with Helena or what they will discuss"
You say "okay, eventualy she arrives and take Maria off and they talk for awhile inside the covenant"
Sir Richard says "OK"
You say "you don't here any shouting, at least...."
Sir Richard says "ok"
You say "after a while she leaves, still in a huff...."
You say "and Helena comes to you"
You say "Apparently, some of the villagers are complaining that the bandits are plaguing them again."
Sir Richard says "mistress, there are no bandits in this forest..."
Sir Richard says "Jan has assured me that all his men are here and there were no other groups in this area"
Helena says, "I should certainly hope so.  At any rate, we need to determine what the problem is, and resolve it."
Sir Richard says "OOC: hasn't he""
You say "yes"
Sir Richard says "Yes, ma'am. I will look into it"
Helena nods and lets you go about your business.
Sir Richard says "which villages and who made the reports?"
Helena says, "Ah...apparently more than one of the villages--but especially the nearest one to the northwest."
Sir Richard says "was there a head man? someone I could talk with?"
Helena says, "You know, I'm really not sure.  You'll have to look into that."
Sir Richard says "yes, ma'am"
Helena nods and walks away.
Sir Richard gathers 6 grogs including Nantos and Vassili
Sir Richard sets out for the village to the nw
MTKnife nods.
Sir Richard wonders how far the village is?
You say "okay, you walk for a little while and then arrive on the outskirts of the village; naturally, the villagers look at you curiously--some of them with open hostility, given that you're surrounded by five of the bandits."
You say "less than a mile"
Sir Richard points out to MTKnife that Vassili is a branded outlaw
Sir Richard says "but the others shouldn't be readily recognizable as such"
You say "these are _local_ bandits, remember"
You say "they've been around here for quite awhile"
Sir Richard says "so? do you know the local bandits in your area?"
You say "No, but I'll bet the average inhabitant of hte inner city knows the local gang members."
Sir Richard says "that's because the average inhabitant of the inner city IS the local gang member!"
You say "no, that's not true :)"
Sir Richard says ":)"
Sir Richard says "Your call... anyway... back to our heroes"
MTKnife nods.
You say "what are our heroes doing?"
Sir Richard says "does the big red cross on sr's tabbard not have any effect on these people?"
You say "yes, but...."
Sir Richard says "but the fact that he is surrounded by bandits kinda counteracts that!"
Sir Richard says "gotcha!"
You say "right :)"
You say "okay, now what?"
Sir Richard says "Now I need to find a mayor or smth"
MTKnife nods.
Sir Richard walks into a store... the first one he finds
Sir Richard has Vassili ask who the leader of this village is
You say "a belligerent loking peasnt points you to a hut at hte far end"
Sir Richard has Vassili say 'thank you' and departs to the hut on the end
You say "okay, what do yo do when you arrive at the hut?  what do the grogs do?"
Sir Richard says "the grogs stay outside except for the one who is interpreting for him"
Sir Richard knocks on the hut door
You say "a middle-aged man shows up at the door"
Sir Richard says "I understand you are the mayor of this village, sir."
Sir Richard has the grog interpret what he is saying
Headman says "Yes, I'm the headman here.  What do you want, sir?"
Sir Richard says "I have been informed that you have been having problems with bandits in this area. I am here to gather information regarding this so that we may help you in this matter"
Headman says "Yes, well what good are you going to do me, seeing as how you brought yoru own bandits?"
Sir Richard smiles "these men are no longer bandits, headman. they are in my employ and are loyal soldiers of the realm"
Headman rolls his eyes.
Headman says "All I know is men've been slinking about in the night, stealing our chickens and corn and disappearing into your woods-where these ruffians her with you ahve always made camp."
Sir Richard says "well, since you do not have the ability to face these bandits yourself, would it not be in your best interest to let me and my men take care of them for you? "
Silus licks his lips. He's gone straight and he's a bit nervous about being accused of thievery and briggandry again, and it shows.
Headman says "Sir, the way I see it, you ARE the bandits.  We've already been taken care off quite well enough, thank you.  I don't see why Lord Ulrik doesn't just run you and your weird freinds off the land like he should have in the first place."
You say "He slams the door in your face."
Sir Richard kicks the door in
You say "and?"
Sir Richard steps into the room and says in a very polite and jovial tone
Headman looks at you in disgust.
Sir Richard says "my weird friends and I are the only thing keeping you and your sorry people alive at this point in time. If we had let Ulrik have his way, you and all your people would be dead..."
You say "OOC, WHAT?"
Sir Richard says "I would appreciate some courtesy, if not appreciation"
You say "waitaminut,e pleas expian that last staement to hte SG"
Sir Richard says "So he's lying! Is he the first character you've ever had that used something other than the truth?"
You say "just making sure.."
Sir Richard says "he does have that 'overconfident' flaw that surfaces every once in a while"
Headman says "So I'm to believe the faerie stories of outlaws?  Sorry, sir, but I don't think so.  Kill me if you will, you ruffian."
Silus bites his lip to keep himself for retorting when it's not his place.
Sir Richard says "If I wished you dead, sir, you would be. And I am a soldier of the church, pledged to the holy father in Rome. I am not a ruffian..."
Headman says "The only ones that deal with ruffians are ruffians."
Sir Richard says "I am here to try to solve your problems. Not to take your abuse... We will talk again once I have investigated this matter further"
Sir Richard turns and leaves
Headman spits at you on your way out.
Sir Richard says "so what now?"
Sir Richard says "we need to go to the old camp. Vassili, Silus: take us there"
Sir Richard says "vassili, take left flank and check out the camp from high ground"
Silus nods. "Yes, sir," he responds, his voice carrying a distinctly annoyed edge.
You say "okay, you return to the woods; there's nothing odd in the bandits' old camp"
Vassili nods and leaves
Sir Richard says "no tracks? nothing?"
You say "not at the camp, no"
Sir Richard searches for any residual auras that might be around
You say "nothign that you can see, other than the usual magical aura of the forest"
Sir Richard says "anything on the fringes of the clearing?"
You say "well...Vassilli does see something interesting"
Sir Richard says "what?"
You say "there are tracks from a two-wheeled cart that head up the path to the north; the covenant doesn't have any such cart--and no one would be heading north, anyway."
Sir Richard says "where do the tracks start?"
You say "somwehre in the fringe of hte forest"
Sir Richard calls Vassili down from the tree and sends him into the forest following thecart tracks... they have a pre-arranged signal for danger
You say "okay...they really don't lead anywhere though--ther are tack going in and traks coming out..maybe more than one set even--but they don't go deeply into the forest."
Sir Richard says "Where do they go?"
You say "well tey lead off to the north, along the path."
Sir Richard says "and then just disappear?"
You say "no...they lead up along the path"
You say "not being at the other end of the path, you wouldn't know if they get there or not."
Sir Richard says "that's why I sent vassili off to follow them!"
You say "Well he walks a little ways north and tells you that the tracks keep going on."
You sense Silus supposes proficiency of some sort in the short sword would also be expected (since that's what he's armed with)
Sir Richard gathers up the rest of the grogs to follow the tracks and sends Vassili ahead to hold point
You say "okay, you begin to walk along...you're going qutie aways, and this particualr path doens't even come to a village for a couple of miles."
You say "and of course as you go north you're climbing higher into the mountians."
You say "after a piece your do reach a village"
Sir Richard says "and the mountains being rockier won't allow wagons to go mych higher so they'll prolly be leaving it somewhere here"
You say "no, there is a pass her as the road passes beneath the great walls of Mankup."
Sir Richard strides into the village and asks who the headman is
You say "...it's a massive plateau, high up in the montains--unassailable--on which rests the capital of the Goths, the walled city of Theodoro."
You sense Silus nods. "Okay. That helps a great deal then."
You say "a peasnt points ou to a hut."
Sir Richard says "thank you"
You say "the peasant smiles and walks away."
Sir Richard walks up to the hut and raps on the door
You say "an elderly man appears."
Headman says "Yes, sir, what can I do for his lordship?"
Sir Richard says "I am on the trail of some bandits sir. "
Headman says "Well...we've got no bandits here, I'm sure!"
Sir Richard says "I have trailed them to this village... have you had any incidents happen here in the last few days?"
Headman says "No sir, not a one."
Headman says "Are you sure they stopped here, sir?"
Sir Richard glances at Silius...
Silus's brow creases a bit as he wonders what Richard is trying to convey to him.
Sir Richard says "did the bandits ever come up here?"
Sir Richard says "i mean our bandits?"
Silus shakes his head. "Nay. We ne'er came this far."
Sir Richard says "I was asking whether the group of bandits that is now the covenant's turb had ever raided this village or stolen from here"
Sir Richard says "then it's strange that there would be a path leading from your campsite to this village, would it not?"
You say "yes, you had a campsite in the woods...you hid and lived there"
Silus fidgets nervously. "This is too far for us to have come."
Sir Richard studies Silus intently...
Silus doesn't seem to look guilty. He just looks a bit upset that he's being questioned about this.
Sir Richard turns back to the headman...
Headman says "Yes, sir?"
Sir Richard says "very well... and you have not noticed any strange happenings around here?"
Headman says "No sir, can't say that I have, other than those fellows passing through her a few times."
Sir Richard says "fellows? what fellows?" He is interested now!"
Headman says "Some peasants I didn't recognize, from the south--or maybe the north.  Anyway, they were pulling a cart, going to and from market I suppose."
Sir Richard says "what was in the cart"
Headman says "Well I don't know, they've had it covered."
Sir Richard says "how many peasants?"
Headman says "Just a few."
Sir Richard says "where were they heading after they left here?"
Headman says "As I said sir, to the north and south."
Sir Richard says "and how many times did they come through?>"
Headman says "I can't rightly say, sir--a few times"
Sir Richard says "OK... I think that'll be it for now sir. we may come back to ask you some more questions later."
Headman says "Certainly, sir, let me know if I can help you."
Sir Richard nods and leaves
You say "now what do you do?"
Sir Richard says "We follow the trail to the north... the origin of the trail was the clearing, right? As if someone had cleared out any stuff that our guys had left behind and made away with it?"
You say "they never really came near your guys' old camp"
Sir Richard says "So where was the origin of the tracks? I thought you had said that they started off at the clearing and went north"
You say "the trail runs off to the north, then joins a lrager road befire ti runs beneath Mankup"
You say "yes, they did..they were coming into the clearing and ging away from it"
Sir Richard says "what's Mankup?"
You say "...it's a massive plateau, high up in the montains--unassailable--on which rests the capital of the Goths, the walled city of Theodoro."
You say "tell me what you're going to do next"
Sir Richard says "Well, until I discovered that the tracks led both north AND south, I was going to follow the tracks to the north!"
Sir Richard says "now, I'm kinda stumped..."
You say "why?"
You say "they end in the forest after al"
You say "so the only place on the tracks you havne't been yet is to the north"
Sir Richard says "Well, because I never checked the south! Where do they start from?"
You say "look, I don't know how much more cleraly I can put this:"
You say "the track go into the forest clearin,g and bakc out"
Sir Richard says "so give it to me one more time!"
You say "they come form teh norht, they lead off to the north"
Sir Richard says "Ooohhhh!!!!"
MTKnife chuckles
Sir Richard says "So the clearing IS the origin!"
You say "well sort of..it's one end of hte path anyway"