Fantasy We are the Cursed

[idalie]

Lazarus Ceridwyn​

Lazarus accepted the offer of soup, tugging the bandage and wrap from his chin. The concealment of his hood was enough to keep away prying eyes, sipping now at the hot meal which would most likely be the last they’d get for a long while. It almost brought a smile to the sour archer with Bayan admitting the odd pair had little skill of the subtle arts. At least one of them had kept hold of his sanity, as amusing as the other creature was with his over-zealous cheers.

Their host went on to speak further of what they were to accomplish as a team, suggesting routes to take and garnering questions just as the final member of their team stepped through the door. Late. Not her fault, seeming by the guards' outburst and exasperation. Eve spoke again, less cryptic this time but equally, it reminded him of the scriptures. Yet peace was something odd for some, Empires conquered for peace. Men killed for peace. It would give him peace. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

Vincente he could agree with, but Lazarus had already tired of repetition when it came to introductions. The archer looked back to Tyr, beginning to offer his thoughts on the mission.
“I know the road from Hasa,” He set aside the half-empty bowl. “If we should need to take such a route. The mountains prove treacherous terrain, but with the weather, we shouldn’t have to worry. There are enough of us to carry the others if they become exhausted,” Namely the burned man regarded Eve and Gilles, one being a cripple the other merely weak in the frame. That much he could grasp from the momentary interaction they’d shared.

The cripple began to speak again, this pointedly to Lazarus and Vincente over the discussion of his name. Some rambling long thing of philosophy and scholarly words.
“I didn’t ask.” The burned man remarked, eyeing Gilles now. “Yet if you wish so vehemently to dislodge yourself from society, you should’ve refused the summons. If you want to pretend yourself a wise man, take it up with nature. You’re back here, back amongst the flock and the flock requires us to communicate. A name does not give power, it merely stands as a human descriptor. Some find themselves attached and there should be no shame in assuring oneself of identity, for a name can be a source of pride or neglect. We may not need it after we die, but when we’re dead who will call to us? Your ideology is faulty to my ears because you have distanced yourself so far from the action at hand. I find it even bolder to suggest a name is not instinctual of our kind, for are we not the ones who named ourselves when we first grasped language? Was it not us who labelled the skies, the roaming beasts? It has not changed them. How could it? We are creatures that follow a pack and society is not to blame, a society can be made of wolves and you would have no breath to complain that they kill the weak. It is not the essence that makes a man, it is humanity.”

He continued to rearrange the bandages over his face, “So would your essence mind telling us his name or will we have to pull one painfully like parents naming a screaming newborn? For blessed is he who dashes the little ones against the rocks.”

It was an opinion, evidently, but the answer he gave was far from heated. A disagreement of rumbling quality in the depths of his chest. There wasn’t time for debates and here he was engaging the cripple when matters more important were at hand. He had no doubt someone would call him something if he refused yet again, it would catch on and he would be satiated in his beliefs. He had little idea of the age Gilles was, but to speak so eloquently he entertained that perhaps the man attended higher education. The accent supported the idea and yet the demeanour did not.

Lazarus rested one of his palms on the nearby bow.
“On the other hand, I say we take the mountain passage. We all seem to be in decent condition, there’s no chance of disruption if anything, no having to walk through the more populated areas. However, I suppose we may borrow rations if that be the case? I doubt there’ll be many taverns which line our journey?”

Mentions: The Suspicious Eye Ennuis Malice Queen Moritz The Gunrunner
Interactions: Aloha Loha Shog

 

[Aloha Loha]

“Nope.” was the terse answer emitted from Gilles in response to the further inquiries regarding his name. Sure, Gilles could offer a false one and easily solve the matter. But that would encourage these folk to bother him more as he offered a familiarity by which they could address him with. It could breed further attachment. And Gilles did not want to entertain that behavior.

“The name marks a beast and makes it more beastly or less. The power of names upon the shell is evident. Look ‘pon a noble to a servant. Nor does it matter whether we are called upon when we are dead as the call cannot be answered.” Grumbling, Gilles allowed his tongue to roll around in his mouth. Idly the tumorous cripple tried to move the burs off by scraping it against the floorboard. However as indicated by the grimace, the motion just irritated him and caused the burs to go deeper.

As a few, a very scant few, flakes of dry mud fell off Giles kept his focus on Lazarus.

“I however, will explain the purpose of this quest as that ’hero’...” Gilles furrowed his brow and gritted his teeth. His mind wandered back to that escort who pelted him with acorns and forced him to trek through the stormy weather. “...And his words did not reach your ears. Completing this task will assure that I can be left alone forevermore and die as I see fit. The time spent in this suffering, regardless if I perish or not will be less than not taking it.”

 

[The Gunrunner]

Bayan

Bayan's visor watches his bowl go flying, the soup falling to the floor and its container clattering to the floor. He looks over to Moulder, who is no doubt ecstatic behind that wrapping - "That was a bad toast, but thank you." Bayan looks away, only then noticing Eve. She's... staring at him. Odd, they should be past that stage by now. Bayan stares back at Eve, unflinching to her gaze. It was dead, vacant, devoid of humanity... So? He'd spent his entire unlife around such eyes. He slowly steps up to her, the chainmail clinking, the shadowed sight into his visor locked on the small woman's figure. He stops a few inches from her, reaching out to her face with a gauntleted hand. "Boop," comes the rasp, as he tries to tap a finger on the end of her nose. "You're as weird as we are," he says, ignoring her philosophy of peace.

Bored of the mute, he turns to the argument happening behind him. The man of tumors was mad about... something? 'An epithet is a brand,' what? To establish power over others? The concept is not instinctual? The name exists without you? "Are the tumors in his brain?" he asks towards Moulder, gesturing to the two. The speech goes on, and on, and on... Lazarus' bluntness brings a chuckle from Bayan, almost reminding him pf what conversations with his brothers were like; the peasants always found their mannerisms odd, almost like they were always mad at each other. Bluntly pointing out failures and ignorances between them, and the living have so much more hesitancy. He never understood the purpose, and always preferred those with less of it.

The tumor-man denies a name again, but explains his purpose for being here. "Nor does it matter whether we are called upon when we are dead as the call cannot be answered,” Gilles claims... Bayan and Moulder share a look, Moulder's head shooting upwards with a wheeze and a series of pops and cracks. Seizing the moment, Bayan's dry chuckle emits again and his rasp comes with it "I'll show you what it will be like fighting with him," - Bayan grasps his sword, widening his stance and imitating a combat posture: "Quickly! Not Lazarus, not Moulder, not Bayan, not Tyryth, not Vincent, not crown-woman, not black-skin, kill that archer!"

Moulder had found the room discomforting for him, but the joke seems to relax him - His arms unwrap and go back to hanging to the floor - "Yes-yes! Go fast, Whatever-you-will, before they long-stab poor Moulder and Tooth-head!"
Bayan's body shakes more violently, the emissions of a deep laugh growing louder, mixing with his words "Oh no, Nope! They're about to sound the alarms!"
Moulder's arms swing like pendulums, "No! Not the noise! Whatever-You-Will, quick-quick! Stop them- No, not you, Shadow-Stink! Moulder scream-tells Whatever-You-Will! He is closer!"
Bayan's laugh booms louder, and louder, never changing in emphasis or pitch - Only volume. To those listening in, they would notice the lack of pauses, not even to breath - Then his words sound out, overlapping with the laughter as if there were two voices: "Not-Moulder-or-lazarus-or-Tyr-or-Bayan-or-anyone-else, pass me my sword!" The two laugh along together, Bayan's eerie, unending, flat laugh repeating over and over as his body shakes in place. Moulder's body undulated, chittering in response. As the two finally start to calm themselves, Bayan slowly points to Meryth, "Shadow-stink."

Finally calm again, Bayan readjusts his sword-belt and turns to the others. "Crossing the mountains is a bad idea, but any path that is quick and won't kill the others is good. I want to take the river, I like being off the road, but I have not planned hikes for your needs before - My vote should mean nothing. Still, pick quickly, before the philosophers hear 'politics' and we are here forever."
Moritz idalie Aloha Loha Shog Ennuis The Suspicious Eye Malice Queen

 

[Moritz]

Moulder let out a strangled hiss as Bayan stepped away to irritate Tooth-head and he suddenly found himself exposed, no longer hiding behind the once-man's bulky figure. His arms quickly corkscrewed tightly around his chest like snakes, in an odd self-hug. His attention abruptly shifted towards Lazarus and the oddly-proportioned human, tuning into their argument last-second.

“The name marks a beast and makes it more beastly or less. The power of names upon the shell is evident. Look ‘pon a noble to a servant. Nor does it matter whether we are called upon when we are dead as the call cannot be answered.”

A strangled wheeze found itself ejected from Moulder's hidden mouth, his gaze slowly drifting back towards Bayan as another wheeze slipped into the air, followed by a rather disgusting series of pops and cracks as Moulder's head shot upwards by a good three inches. He recoils slightly as Bayan's hand dives towards the hilt of his blade, surprise quickly shifting to amusement as the Once-man dives into the argument.

"I'll show you what it will be like fighting with him," - Bayan grasps his sword, widening his stance and imitating a combat posture: "Quickly! Not-Lazarus, Not-Moulder, Not-Bayan, Not-Tyryth, Not-Vincent, Not-Crown-Woman, Not-Black-Skin, kill that archer!"

Moulder's body shook with silent mirth, his arms slowly unwinding as the walking Corpse continued on with his comedic charade. "Yes-Yes!" The Leech-thing chittered excitedly, fully embracing the distracting display. "Go-Fast, Whatever-You-Will!" He cackles, playing along, "Before they long-stab poor Moulder and Tooth-head!"

Bayan shakes rather violently, his laughter growing louder, "Oh no, Nope! They're about to sound the alarms!" barks Bayan. Moudler's arms eventually come to swing back and forth wildly by his sides, false fingers nearly scraping the cabin's floor, gloves hanging well past his knees like a pair of odd pendulums. "No! Not the noise! Whatever-You-Will, quick-quick! Stop them- No, not you, Shadow-Stink! Moulder scream-tells Whatever-You-Will! He is closer!"

Moulder kept chittering along with Bayan's abnormal laughter, his body taking on a strange partially-undulating appearance which quickly added the idle drone of shaking chainmail to the light wall of noise the pair were emitting. It takes the creature a good five minutes to calm Itself down, and the sudden realization that he was still in the presence of unfamiliar company had him cutting himself off with a muffled, blunt click of teeth clenching shut. "Much-Sorries." He croaks, quietly shuffling off towards the northern corner of the room, shrinking in on himself again, "Moulder will be silent, and... Eh, wait till It is time to Leave-go."

The Gunrunner idalie Aloha Loha Shog Ennuis The Suspicious Eye Malice Queen

 

[Malice Queen]

Meryth Alesani

​

The cloaked figure would stop in place as swords drew, her own arm reaching for her blade only to stop as the guards would seemt to know each other. 'Gerath, hm? Never bothered to learn his name...', she would turn towards her escort as he seemed like he nearly shitted himself from the sudden yelling. Once they had dismissed the young man, calm fell over the humans once again and the cursed began to talk amongst themselves after the semblnce of a plan was scraped together over a hot meal.

The woman that gathered them had been passing food out, to which Meryth would pass up. Quietly the woman listened and interjected once there was an opening. "Either way we're going to be pushing ourselves. Either over a mountain top or by traveling a great distance to get back 'on course'.", Meryth fell silent for a time as she began to think before her silver eyes floated to Gilles. "That was a very fancy way of saying 'call me whatever you want'. My name is Meryth.", she blurted after her quip to Gilles. "So, our choices are: start way off course, go through a path we don't know actually exists, or climb over a fucking mountain. Personally, it's a simple choice for me...", her voice seemed to pick up in expression. If one was keen on hearing, they could swear she was grinning under her hooded cloak. "Let's cut the useless philosophical chatter and get to decide what we're going to be doing, alright? We have plenty of time to discuss...whatever we want on our journey.", her voice carried a hint of annoyance.

The odd display between Moulder and Bayan, which she thought of as an example of just how stupid the tumor man's resistance of giving a name was, seemed rather comical to Meryth. Her cloaked figure would begin to shake and a burst of small laughter would pass her lips to join the chorus. Though she hadn't caught the name they had bestowed on her until it was thrown into her face. The young woman would simply shrug her shoulders, with a grin plastered on her lips now. "That was entertaining... 'Shadow-stink' is it? Hah...smells that horribly does it?" she would chuckle dryly and touch her right arm for a moment to feel the bandage moist. 'Guess I'll have to change these soon...', she thinks to herself before turning her body so that the good side of her face was in sight for most. Tugging down the hood, she would offer a small weary smile to the group. "I'm Meryth, but I think Shadow Stink will work just as well...", she didn't' seem to mind the name too much. "Just try not to wear it out, eh? Never know when I'll decide to hate it.", a jest surely and yet...not?

This was quite the band of misifts...

 

[Aloha Loha]

Gilles simply stared at the scene annoyed; while they might not recognize the chains that bound them, Gilles did. The prancing and pirouetting of a faux combat did nothing besides keep an irritated sneer upon his face. After all, who would call a cripple into the line of fire? Generally such an event would not happen. So he allowed them to make fools of themselves and drag attention away, while the man of malaise kept a firm grip upon his staff using the good hand.

Once again clattering his toe-nails upon the floorboards, Gilles attempted to remove the burs from his feet. Again it was to no avail. Allowing his good shoulder to slightly rise, Gilles dragged his staff against the floor scuffing it slightly as he adjusted the position of where he wanted it to be.

“Hrruhm.” Gilles grunted out, as more drool poured down his mouth and reinvigorated the mud. The tumors continued to gently throb in a simplistic pattern, while Gilles glanced around the scene.

“I’d rather not discuss anything, nor be disturbed by your prattle, during the voyage. Do this for me and I shall not disturb you.”

Of course this would not be heeded. Such was the misfortune he would have to suffer through before finally getting a secured solitude.

 

[idalie]

Lazarus Ceridwyn​

“A noble is only powerful due to the title, not name,” Lazarus countered, then tipped his head forward in a slight nod. “Ah yes, I can see why a man such as yourself would prefer to remain in solitude. Yet solitude is easily found, men and women commit to isolation day by day and remain unfound. The hermits, who live happily if not alone. If I were a man of imagination, I’d suspect you’d of returned the summons out of some … desire to see the world one last time. Yet your enthusiasm shows me a deducement such as that is not so easily proven.” The archers' eyes were drawn toward Bayan’s antics, first with his light touch of the empty-eyed girl’s nose, whos sombre face had yet to move into an expression beyond lifeless. Even the dead were more uplifting, something he had to admire them for.

The act was joined by Moulder and even Lazarus couldn’t help but let his shoulders silently shake in withheld laughter. One hand pressing to his mouth as he leant forward on a knee. Meryth, the newcomer as she’d introduced herself, had also laughed between their shared ideas of where to go and what to do.
Lazarus at last let out a short chuckle quickly quelled but set off further by the end note of philosophers and politics. “When I learn of the workings of governments, you’ll all be doomed.” He glanced between both hooded woman and the undead, Moulder now slinking off and Meryth making herself far more heard. Evidently a confident new arrival, she was in better condition than Gilles at least.

“Personally, I’ve heard of better journeys starting out. Ah, but I can see why a majority may be against the mountain route, though if we are to find a middle ground I vote to follow the river with the corpse twins. I’ve travelled the lesser of beaten tracks and find myself capable, rations can easily be sorted out. I’m sure they wouldn’t send us off without them, otherwise, we may have to deviate from the path for those necessities.” Lazarus glanced toward their host for an answer. Whether or not he received one which fit with his hypothesis was something to add upon a growing pile of questions and half uncovered answers.

Lazarus turned his gaze to the familiar tumor-covered cripple and barely smirked beneath the bandages which wrapped his burned complexion. “You’ve asked the wrong people and gone on the wrong voyage, I suspect you’d be more acclimatised to something of a pilgrimage from the way you’re talking.” He got up to his feet again, moving about to dull the ache now permeating the back of his thighs. Sitting or lying down too long always did it. Rather than bounce his knees up and down and disturb his neighbours, Laz preferred to try and stretch the muscle. Walking around the side of the table to inspect other areas of the shack, as unintrusively as he could manage between the general discussion ongoing.

“Shadow-stink?” His features bunched up enough to crinkle the corners of his eyes in amusement. “Not what I’d call a lady, but as you will. One of the boys already, huh?” Lazarus arched his brow, returning to his search without a clear direction for as to what he was searching for. Perhaps nothing, or something. Rations, traps, weapons -- gods knew the cripple needed something or he’d be torn to pieces if he ever got jumped. It wasn’t like they could cover the tumours with a blanket and be done with it, or he’d look something akin to a lumpy mattress on skinny legs.

Mentions: Shog The Suspicious Eye Ennuis
Interactions: Aloha Loha Malice Queen The Gunrunner Moritz

 

[Aloha Loha]

“And is a title not a name?” Was the simple inquiry to refute the semantics Lazarus clung to. His eyebrows narrowed while his nostrils crunched together in disgust. It was not due to the rot of the woman, hers was merely an additional stench to the jesters present. No, the direction of his disgust was Lazarus which was plainly seen by the beedy eyes focusing upon the lad clad in black.

“I have stated the words and I have stated them thusly.” Gilles began, his mouth oozing with a venomous spite not to mention a smidgen of pus mixed in with the drool. As his lips contorted into a sneer this new drool rolled down and moistened the mud. However unlike the drool before this particular bodily liquid began to bubble the muck slightly making it reminiscent to an active swamp. Gilles attention became clearly directed to Lazarus. “Only the self can identify the essence. You are engaging in the errand of fools, a task I have warned against.”

Dragging his feet across the floorboard and manipulating his staff to adjust its position he let out a low pitched moan. His tongue rolled around in his mouth and began brushing against Gilles teeth. With that pause finished he spoke.

“It is a simple endeavor which I have uttered. A simple policy of non aggression, do not infringe upon me with your prattle and I thusly follow suit.” With the distinctive sneer he allowed the moment to breath as the glare continued to be directed at Lazarus. “I have stated my motive plainly; do not read any further into it as it is a waste of your time. Refrain from any further lines.”

 

[Shog]

Tyr had no intention of joining in on the philosophy of names. It was clear Tumor Man had a skewed perspective on such matters, possibly from a lifetime of isolation, and there was no use trying to convince him otherwise. Tyr could say something like "A name describes a being while a title describes their power," which is why anyone from the lowliest of slaves to the ruler of the land could be named Elred but adding "King" beforehand implied great political power. Similarly, a wolf will act like a wolf regardless of what it's called. Someone could call it an ant while another called it a himogat, but it's behavior would not change. Most would simply accept this as proof that names held no such power over anythings and rather acts as descriptors for communication. But Tumor Man had clearly already denied such claims. It was certainly going to be a struggle to travel with such a man, but the end result should be worth it for them all.

"It is clear that we are never going to convince Tumor Man to change his perspective as we do not feel compelled to change our own," Tyr finally said after finishing his own bowl of soup. "So if we might remain focused on the task at hand, as Meryth suggests, that would be great. Following the rivers, as seems to be the popular opinion right now, has the benefit of keeping us away from large groups of people. It shouldn't be too hard of a trip and should offer relatively easy hunting opportunities. But as said earlier, it will take us further north and we will probably have to figure out how to make up for lost time as we head back south on the other side of the mountains. Does anyone object to this rout?"

Their host, at Lazarus's comment, began pulling packs out of a storage chest in the corner. She didn't say anything, but it didn't take a genius to figure out they were already packed with rations and supplies. Bed rolls were even rolled up on top of it all. Once they were all out on the table and Tyr stopped speaking she interjected once more. "Whatever you're going to do, figure it out soon. We all have a schedule to keep, so we're kicking you out in just a few minutes."

Upon hearing this, Tyr stood up, stretched, grabbed his bow, and selected a pack. Without sitting down again, he began poking through it to see what all was inside. As expected there was several rations, as well as a pair of gloves, cooking tinsels, tinder, flint and steel, a few maps, and even some writing materials along with a few other miscellaneous items.

 

[Ennuis]

Deciding that he had enough of the hijinks in the hut, Vincente got up with Tyr and grabbed his own bag with him. "Ah, I see you gave him a name yourself, but I do think it could use a bit more work. Perhaps Lumpy would be better? But more importantly, the river might be the smarter option. If they're deep and wide enough, we might be able to get access to a boat to speed our travels, plus mountains come with all sorts of dangers that could delay us even more. People tripping, rock slides, bandits, or other such things." Vincente rubbed his chin as if he was thinking, but grimaced when he felt the hair that had been growing. He would need to find a razor soon to deal with this. "Plus, I do enjoy sleeping by the water. Much more than I enjoy sleeping on top of rocks, and I think everyone else here will feel the same."

When Tyr started going through his bag, Vincente casually poked through his as well. He wasn't really worried about the contents of the bag, but the others might get concerned if someone wasn't thinking ahead. "Ah yes, I see." He nodded his head while searching the bag, feigning interest. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I refuse to be kicked out of anywhere, so let us leave before it comes to that, yes?" Slipping the bag on his shoulder, Vincente then approached the strange girl and snapped his fingers repeatedly in front of her face. "Wakey wakey, go get a bag so we can get out of here."

Vincente then approached the door, but instead of leaving, he leaned against the wall next to it and waited for the others. While it was unlikely anything would happen, he had seen plenty of people make the mistake of going out into the night first and paying for it with their life. Old habits died hard and that was the way Vincente wanted to keep it.

Interactions: Shog The Suspicious Eye

 

[The Suspicious Eye]

Eve

Eve kept her eyes locked onto Bayan as he stared back at her with the same lifeless stare, although a bit more daring. There was light still within him, the light of youth even after death. Slowly her head swiveled following him as he stood up and moved over to her. Others small girls would grow a bit tense as a stranger suddenly walked up to them, hovering over their small frame like a giant. However, Eve's state never changed. In truth she almost seemed to be more relaxed as he came over to her. Staring up at the deceased man she watched him as he spoke through his visor and then booped her nose. The words fell of deaf ears, however, the cold metal tapping against her skin caused a strange jolt in her. Blinking in surprise her eyes rolled down to her nose, looking to see the source of this new sensation. Her hand rose up from her lap as she rested it against her nose and rubbed it gently. Her brow lowering and furrowing ever so slightly giving off a look of perplexed annoyance.

Staring at her nose her surroundings faded even more as she stared into the distance missing the rest of the conversation. Her mind wandered somewhere else, as the sounds of squabble and laughter danced around them. There was something in the distance, something she could reach if she just pushed herself a bit deeper. Then feeling was stripped from her as someone snapped their fingers in front of her face. Hearing the words recited to her eyes adjusted to the present. Nodding Eve rested her hands against the side of the wooden table. Trembling a bit from the force she pushed her chair away from the table, letting out a loud screech of wood scraping against wood. Shade engulfed Eve as she slid underneath the table and moved slowly under the banter between the other members. Weaving around the forest of legs she found the clearing of the darkened forest of limbs and crawled through.

Standing up in front of Meryth ( Malice Queen ), Eve looked at the rotting woman for a moment. Her hollow gaze stripping the hood off her skin. Piercing into her like an invasive chill unwrapping everything that kept her safe. Laying her bare to the unsettling eyes of Eve. Staring at her for another moment Eve teetered on her feet and tilted around to the guards standing by the doors. Losing her balance she teetered to the left, her eyelids falling heavily as she appeared to be fainting. Catching herself almost instantly she sidestepped Meryth and made her way over to the guards.

Gliding up to the duo who came with her she stopped right in front of them and raised her hand. Upturning the palm to the heavens her eyes trailed up from their torso she tilted her head and stared into their eyes. Letting out a soft sigh her voice murmured out from her hollow throat. "Buy boat?" She asked in such a deadpan question that it was unclear if it even was a question.

The guards looked at each other and then back to Eve, "by boat?" One of them asked, clearly confused. "Are you agreeing to go by boat?" Watching her eyes glimmer with the joy of understanding her head dropped as she nodded. Eve pointed to the pack that the guards took off the horse, the pack the queen provided for Eve on her journey. Following the finger the duo of guards looked down at the pack and raised a brow. The small stature and frame of the girl made them wary of giving the woman a pack. It was a smaller pack than the ones provided to the others, and yet weighed just as much as the others. Hesitating for a moment the guard reluctantly gave in and handed her the bag, saying, "be careful Miss Eve. It's heavy."

As the bag left his hands and fell into her she instantly lost grip of it as it fell to the ground. The familiar jangle of a bag full of coins resonated from the pack taking the ear of those close to her ( Ennuis ). Lowering her heavy head down to where the bag fell she crouched to the floor and inspected the pack for a moment. The single strapped white bag was small and cylindrical, reaching out and opening it up there were the basic rations, a silver brush, a few maps and a large purse full of coins. Pointing to the bag of coin she looked up at the guards. "Buy boat?"

"Oh!" The guard said as he realized fully what she meant from her question. "It's probably enough to rent a boat."

Inspecting the strap Eve lifted the strap over her head and stood up. She teetered from side to side trying her best to keep her balance with this new weight only to stop and grow still. Taking a deep breath she steadied herself and looked over to Vincente. Turning over to the guards she bowed to them and turned over to Tyr. "Rent boat."

The Gunrunner Shog

 

[Moritz]

Moulder let out a small grunt, angrily flapping his arms in Gilles' general direction, "Shush, Whatever-You-Will! You hurt Moulder's thought-meat with your words!" He hissed stupidly, quickly shuffling over towards the others as they began taking stock of their supplies. His body was slowly filling with nervous energy as he yanked one of the packs to his chest and waddled over to Bayan. He unceremoniously jammed the thing into the taller fellow's chest. "Take-take!" He barked, "Moulder has no need, and agrees with Torth and Lazaries! We shall go-go to the river!" He announced, arms waving dismissively as he forcefully abandoned the backpack. He twists towards the door, giving Shadow-stink a floppy two-armed wave as he bounced impatiently towards the exit "Hello-hello! Moulder will refrain from rude-talking to Merf!" He chirped happily before shoving his way out into the night air.

He wandered a good fifteen feet from the cabin before dropping his arse to the ground, distancing himself from the noise and activity within. His arms curled up like springs as he shaped himself into a balled up bundle of stringy limbs and rusted armor, an angry wheeze escaping his toothy maw. "Noisey. So noisey. More noise to come." He squirmed, uncomfortable with the sudden realization. "Hungry." He added, deadpanning to himself, idly smacking a false hand into the dirt. Things were getting loud again, a thick buzzing sensation washing over his nerves like an awfully irritating blanket. He'd need to eat soon- Perhaps at the river? He could fish well enough, or perhaps they'd get lucky and find an animal for him to eat. He wasn't quite sure how the others intended to cross the water; He could swim well enough, but Bayan and the others looked like they might sink- and he had absolutely no idea what Toothhead had meant by 'Rent boat'. "What is rent?!" He babbled to himself. He knew what a boat was!, Those silly wooden things the humans had swim for them- They looked fun at least.

He couldn't help the sense of dread that filled him as his mind quickly wandered towards the group's future destination, a frustrated whine splitting the air as he pressed his false hands to his face. Things were going to get much worse down the line, and he certainly didn't think he'd be able to handle things- or hide, for that matter, once they began approaching the aforementioned Capitol.

He hoped Bayan had a good enough plan. He needed one.

Minor interactions: Aloha Loha , Malice Queen
Minor mentions: Shog , idalie

 

[The Gunrunner]

Bayan

The knight's helmet turns to Meryth, nodding to her with the sound of a quiet chuckling. It's then he hears Lazarus' protest: "Shadow-stink? Not what I’d call a lady, but as you will. One of the boys already, huh?" Bayan's visor turns to Lazarus, "It is fitting, just like 'Corpse twins,'" he starts, turning back to Meryth, "But I will call you whatever you like. You smell no worse than I do, Shadow-stink." Suddenly conscious of his scent again, he grabs the ends of the cloak and pulls them together, a vain effort to better contain the powerful stench of all the herbs.
“Hrruhm.” Gilles' grunt draws in Bayan's attention - "I’d rather not discuss anything, nor be disturbed by your prattle, during the voyage. Do this for me and I shall not disturb you.” Bayan stares for a few quiet moments, not quite understanding how Gilles could disturb him, but he doesn't comment. Not yet.

The tumour man goes on, with a manner of speaking that again made Bayan feel like his brain wasn't functioning properly. "Only the self can identify the essence"? He had to linger on it after it was said, causing him to miss the rest of Whatever-you-will's thought. What did that mean? What in the fuck did that mean? Bayan was never a philosopher... he thinks. Probably not. He isn't now at least. It sounded like the man was saying 'I can recognize things,' but then why was he making something that simple so complicated. "Whatever-you-will, please, I am not smart and I do not debate ideas. I can barely understand anything you are saying."
Still, he at least hears the ending: "Refrain from any further lines," Gilles states, sneering and glaring at Lazarus.
Bayan answers quickly, "As you wish, whatever-you-will. I joke only as a comrade, and mean no offense." Gilles' vitriol isn't visually directed towards the 'corpse twins,' but it still seems appropriate to answer; they had, after all, just mocked him infront of everyone.

Tyr speaks from his corner of the hut, bringing the topic back to their task at hand - "So if we might remain focused on the task at hand, as Meryth suggests, that would be great." Bayan turns his body to face the speaker, nodding in answer. The rivers seemed a decent route, but it was not for Bayan to decide. Still, though: A comparatively easy trip with good hunting opportunities seemed to be what the living would need. Their host, soon after, explains they will have to leave soon and pushes over a box of supplies. Moulder takes some of the supplies into a pack, and immediately shoves it into Bayan's chest - "Take-take!" He barks, "Moulder has no need!" Bayan stumbles back, no reaction afterwards aside from simply taking the supplies as requested.

The others prepare themselves for the journey, Eve ready to rent a boat and Vincent leaning by the door. Bayan moves the backpack behind him, and joins Vincent near the doorway. "As you wish. I am ready to g-" It's just then that he hears "Hello-hello! Moulder will refrain from rude-talking to Merf!" followed by Moulder bouncing out the door into the night. "That is, /we/ are ready to go."
Shog Moritz Ennuis Aloha Loha The Suspicious Eye idalie Malice Queen

 

[Aloha Loha]

At least one of them understands the non-aggression policy. Thought Gilles immediately as the 'Stalwarts of Stank', the armored one - the good armored one, announcing he had no idea what Gilles was speaking of as well as noting that he would try not to bother him. Softly stomping down as he moved his feet in such a way to address Bayan, Gilles spoke. "Then we are in concordance and after this explanation the orders shall be heeded - speak further not to me, nor I to you."

If the policy was broken by their interference, he at least had mentally noted the ones he needed to note. Tyr seemed to fundamentally missed the idea that the name was power but he had immediately surrendered after and spake no more on the matter. Considering Gilles had brought up the non-aggression policy, it would behoove him to make sure that he was not the first to violate it. If he did he would be in the moral wrong as opposed to being morally right if they had violated the principles and bothered him.

The mind of the tumorous cripple wandered, making notes of a variety of things. The first and foremost that came to his mind was the inactivity of any substances that might've been present in the soup. Perhaps it was simply safe as to trick them for the contents within the bag; however if that was the case perhaps it could be disassembled for use. At the very least Gilles would have a new bag. Slogging towards the chest, a few of the burs finally managed to come out from Gilles feet, the tumorous ridden cripple bent slightly while using his staff to catch the straps of the bag.

Utilizing his staff, Giles once again repeated an ever familiar pattern of limited mobility to add this bag over his shoulder alongside his proper bag. With this gesture completed, Gilles trudged out into the night.

The Gunrunner Shog The Suspicious Eye Ennuis Moritz Malice Queen idalie

 

[Shog]

Tyr hesitantly looked down at the girl. She still unnerved him and didn't want to look at her in case he saw her looking through him again, but she was now an ally and they had to work together. She already seemed to understand this, so he had to try and reciprocate. "If we can find a place willing to rent us one, that could work. We'll have to hold off until we've crossed the border so the river flows favorably, though." Even while speaking to her, he tried his best to avoid her eyes. He might eventually feel comfortable enough around them, but that was still a ways off.

"Come on," Tyr said. "The sooner we get moving, the better off we'll be." He slung his pack over his back and slung his bow over his shoulder. After a quick moment of thought, he walked over and retrieved the girl's fallen pack as well. This one he'd just have to carry, but the resources were still valuable and he might be able to consolidate later. He followed the others outside, attempting to give Vincent and Moulder a friendly nod as he passed, and stopped to take a look at the sky. The moon was over half full and waxing. Not a good sign, but when the dreadful night came he could probably try and disappear for the one night. Then again, this entire trip was probably going to be nothing but stressful so he probably would not be able to resist shifting the night prior to the full moon as well. Ah well, just another problem to add to the list. But his real intention was to look at the stars. Even in the forest he'd learned many constellations to help keep himself oriented at night. He found the northern serpent, a constellation that always pointed north, and began wandering off. Without meaning to, he lost himself in thoughts of old hunting trips back at Ithguard. Thoughts of his old home usually brought upon feelings of sadness, knowing he couldn't go back there with his condition, but there were moments like these where the good times came front and center.

Aloha Loha The Gunrunner Moritz The Suspicious Eye Ennuis idalie Malice Queen

 

[Malice Queen]

Meryth Alesani

​

Well, it had been decided...they would head north towards Danon Lake and follow the river to the source in the mountains and cross through there. Meryth would watch as the packs were placed on the table and distributed to each body nearby. The creepy dead-girl appeared to have her pack taken by the rugged man. He seemed...the most normal of them all, and that surprised Meryth. Silently, the woman would grab her pack and sling it over her left shoulder. That blackened limb would hang nearly limp, an occasional twitch coming from the bandaged fingers. She seemed to be deep in thought had hadn't bothered to reply to the others who addressed her.

Brow furrowed and thoughts elsewhere, Meryth would move towards the door on instinct; she was ready to go, regardless whether the others were or not. "It's going to be...an interesting homecoming...", she finally muttered aloud as she looked to the rest of them with a forced smile. She took care to ensure her disfigured face wasn't on display. While she had her curse for some time now, she felt the need to be considered human and took great care to ensure that even among this group she would be as...normal as possible.

The rest of the group would proceed outside and Meryth would cast her glance skywards with Tyr. "Beautiful night...I'm sure not many of us will make it back from this excursion. Best enjoy the peace while it lasts...", she gave a small nod and a glance to rest of the misfits and freaks in their rank. With a soft sigh, the woman would pull up her hood and roll her normal shoulder where her pack was slung. "Think we should consider resting after some time...for the sake of that dead-eyed girl and the...walking flesh mass. Hopefully, he ceases spouting such philosophical nonsense in future events. I could hardly understand the words leaving his lips and Lazarus was not helping..." The woman would offer a huff of amusement at the thought of an argument deep in the 'enemy' territory.

 

[Ennuis]

"I'm sure we will be able to acquire a boat one way or another, so don't worry about it." Vincente's tone was sweeter than usual when he spoke to Eve, after all she was just a child. Maybe not by age, but surely by mental capacity at the very least. "And if you want you can even stand at the bow, just as long as you're careful about it."

The rest of the group wasted little time in leaving the shack, and Vincente followed after them. Tyr, the only other normal one here, seemed to be taking lead of the group. While Vincente wasn't sure if he was actually suited for it, he felt as if he could actually handle talking to him for any extended period of time. The others were far too ugly, far too rancid, or far too simple for him to hold a conversation with and while he did his best to try to pretend the worst offenders weren't there, such an act would require a miracle and he found his eyes drifting over to the loud ones. Deciding he should do something sooner rather than later, he got close enough to comfortably talk to them while staying far enough away to not smell them too much. "While I'm sure you're excited about having other people forced to be around you two, you should try to contain it for now. Without how obvious our escorts were, I wouldn't be surprised if anyone followed us. It's really just a matter of who and how badly they can ruin this for us, so let's not make it too easy for them."

Without waiting to give Bayan and Moulder a chance to reply, he quickly moved on and approached Tyr and Meryth, who were now stargazing. "While this is quite romantic, I can assure you that the stars will return tomorrow night and every night after as well." Despite chastising the others for their excitement, Vincente couldn't help but feel his own excitement grow. He went into this quest with low expectations, but the more he thought about his reward the harder it was to contain his joy. "We only have so many hours of darkness to hide the..." He took a moment to think of a way to describe the others without being too insulting. "Less normal members of our group, so we should take advantage of it while we can. Maybe even push ourselves until dawn and find a dark cave for them to hide in? But that's not my decision to make, I just thought I'd let you know. Might be easier than traveling during the day."

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[idalie]

Lazarus Ceridwyn​

Lazarus took his pack, swinging it over a shoulder and adjusting it to his comfort, “No wasted time I see,” He remarked, arching his brows slightly. Soon enough he was drawn back to Gilles with something of a shrug.
“It’s as harmless as refusing to have a name, anyhow debate is good for the soul wouldn’t you say? My father was often adamant on it.” The archer took a moment to reminisce this small fact before he headed toward the door. Vincente had the same idea after snapping his fingers expectantly in front of the dead-eyed girl. Eve had risen, on the other hand, venturing toward the guards and spent little time in getting her money from the armoured figures. Renting a boat? That’d cut a few days off their journey, hopefully the river wasn’t too much of a pain to conduct. He knew a decent amount about boats having lived on the coast yet getting dashed across rapids had never been in his desired outcomes. That and getting his bandages wet which was unsurprisingly uncomfortable.

Moulder had left the cabin in his odd, jittery fashion with a few humorous remarks. Lazarus still wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate to find them amusing, certainly when it came to the irritated waving of his arms in the direction of Gilles, truly the two undead members of the party appeared the most alive. They had that memorable character about them. Bayan spoke up and the burned man’s eyes creased for a second time, “You caught me there, I’ll freely take the hypocritical downfall.” Lazarus raised his hands in a fleeting mock surrender, reaching for his bow as they prepared to head out.

Back through the threshold they went, Lazarus standing beneath the now gentle glow of the evening sky. Glancing up before he surveyed the distant treeline where silhouettes loomed and swirled, eyes still adjusting to the dark. He’d often called it a miracle his sight had been spared amongst the flames, if not for that he wouldn’t have been sure of the direction his life took. Perhaps it would be soothing, or perhaps he would be driven mad by the contents of his own head. There was more than flames which raged after all. He vaguely heard his name mentioned by Meryth which caused a subtle glance and a small sigh.

Well, impressions could be remedied. Philosophies through hard work. Vincente commented on the effectiveness of travelling at night, for the ease of moving their tumorous colleague about. Lazarus, half keeping his attention trained on the distance let it turn to the scruffy swordsman. “Depends how deep we’ll be going into the woodland, or far from people. Otherwise I’d agree, still, we’d have to go through torches or try navigate by moonlight. I’m admittedly a little worried how our visibility will be out there in the dark.” He decidedly gave his input. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind starting now and or finding a place to camp, as you said, we’ve got more than enough hours of evening left.”

It did cross his mind that he should ask the younger of the group if she required any help with her pack, but at that he was unsure whether to be offending the young lass. Still, she did have quite the unstable sort of gait with her pack. By the end of his, he had little to no doubt she'd be exhausted. Lazarus had been correct by his first guess that physically the girl wasn't strong, mentally perhaps somewhere else, but something in her lifeless gaze told him she registered it all.

Mentions: Moritz The Suspicious Eye Aloha Loha
Interactions: The Gunrunner Malice Queen Ennuis Shog

 

[The Suspicious Eye]

.

Eve

Standing in the room she stared at Tyr as she pointed to her bag on her hip. Her body unnaturally stationary as the romo around her began to liven up. The discomfort on his face was evident, yet Eve did not know why. He took precautions averting her gaze, while her empty gaze stared deeply through him. The whimpering discomfort of her presence screamed out to her. Doing her best to not worry him she looked down at the bag as he finished. "What...do..." She asked quietly as she looked at the heavy bag. Still she nodded her head rolling back into place as her eyes rested on him. Watching him in silence as he spoke and then as he turned and left. Her confusion only grew as he returned and plucked the bag off her shoulder and took it for himself. The bag...no...my bag. Where did I get it?

Her mind trailing off her hand patted where her bag once was, now feeling nothing. Lifting up her small hand she wrapped it around a lock of her hair and began to run her hand down the long black strands in thought. Looking down at the emptiness to her hips she felt it in turn in her chest. Erin... The feeling of a kind smile engulfed her mind as she began to tremble at the sensations running through her. Something was wrong, she realized it as Vincente spoke. I..I need that bag...it's mine. She gave it to me. Tilting her head at Vincente as he spoke to her she let her head grow heavy and fall as she nodded. As he mentioned standing at the bow if she's careful she spoke softly. "I don't worry."

Turning from Vincente her dull eyes looked out to the open door, piercing through the dark night and into the back of Tyr. Her eyes like a hook, piercing deep into Tyr's flesh, an invisible line pulled at her body as she began to steadily march to him. There was a desire within that piercing hook one that burned quietly in those hollow eyes. With every careless step she trampled across the earthy floor below. Her mind spiraling through masses of emotions, darkened meanings and burning pain all hidden under a silvered song.

Reaching her hands out she marched on. Stumbling across the terrain her foot caught on a branch and she tumbled to the ground with a loud plop. He body shocking and easing from the hard contact. Closing her eyes she laid on the ground for a moment, her body trembling from the impact. She moved her hands out and slowly lifted her body up and stood up to her feet. Swaying on her feet, her clothing was still surprisingly purely clean, no scrapes or bruises seemed to form either. Letting the pull take her again she paced herself across the terrain as she steadily made her way towards Tyr.

In the middle of Tyr's conversations with Vincente, Lazarus and Meryth Eve finally caught up with them. Her breathing non-existent she moved closer, an hollowed existence her aura was almost camouflaged with the terrain. Moving up to Tyr she reached her hands out and wrapped them around her bag that was slung over his shoulder. Leaning back she began to tug at it with all her force letting out a weaken grunt of exertion with every tug.

Shog Ennuis

 

[Shog]

"Agreed," Tyr said in response to Meryth, forcefully pulling himself back to the here and now. "But we can't go too easy. In fact, the harder we go now, the less of a shock it'll be when going easy isn't an option." He glanced over at her and took special note of her bandages. They weren't unlike the ones encasing Lazarus, but hers did not cover nearly as much of her body. Tyr was trying to think of something to say about it to try and put her more at ease when Vincent approached the pair.

"Bad idea!" Tyr said a little too quickly. "Constantly traveling at night, I mean. There's, uh, a lot of predators that hunt at night. Besides, we wouldn't want to throw everyone off their sleeping schedules too much. At least... at least not immediately, right?" Gods he must have sounded pathetic. Anyone with even half a brain cell could figure out he was trying, and failing, to hide something and the hypocrisy of it all was not lost on him. Not even a minute earlier he was trying to say something to try and make Meryth feel more comfortable about whatever she was hiding under her bandages and yet here he was still trying to keep the nature of his own curse a secret. At least Lazarus's comments took the attention away from himself. "Anyway, I was reading the stars. I've never personally been to Danon Lake, but I know it's north of here. If we follow that star, we should stay on course for a while."

No sooner did he finish speaking did he feel something grabbing at his bag. He turned to see who it was, but almost instinctual knew it was the dead eyed girl. What really caught him off guard was how much force she was using. "If it's your bag you want, then take it," he said, holding out the bag still in his hands as there was no room on his back for both his own pack and hers. "I just thought you..." his sentence trailed off as he realized there was no way to not sound like a complete ass-hole. What he was thinking was that he thought she might have been too weak or frail to carry the bag, after seeing her drop it earlier, but he now realized that wasn't it at all. He honestly figured that if he didn't grab it that it would still be left on the cabin floor. "I wasn't stealing it, if that's what you're concerned about."

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[Aloha Loha]

“Then do not speak to me, I shall not speak to you. I have stated these words before – none cared to listen then – perhaps you will now.” Gilles grumbled out towards the woman with a snort as he trudged along through the woodlands. His perpetual scowl was slightly lessened as he finally managed to get the rest of the burs out from his feet. However he still was covered in all of the muck and mire. Motioning on his heels as he began taking quick and short steps he positioned himself to face Lazarus, and slowly began to use his good hand to place it in a gesture with his palm facing upwards. “To that I shall concede.”

That there was merit to, as opposed to constantly having to pry into affairs that were not their own. It would serve as an avenue to go forth on as by bogging down with debates on matters which were meaningless it would serve to drive attention away from prying into his own affairs. And Gilles very much enjoyed the thought of keeping everyone at bay with such things.

Paying little attention to the rest of the events going on, such as the strange child trying to communicate about the nature of bags and further discussion of what their course of action should be. Gilles began to slowly march further into the woods before giving out the following sentiment.

“Time is a precious commodity.” It was clear with these words, and his actions, he was firmly supportive of the idea of continuing onward. After all, he needed to finish this journey as quickly as possible to minimize the time spent here. Surely the longest part of the journey would be killing those that needed to be killed and dispatching them as opposed to walking. And as they picked to go the route where it was more likely they were to be fighting against time, it was obvious that they needed to maximize their traveling now.

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[The Gunrunner]

Bayan

Bayan steps out of the house last, stopping at the doorway and resting a hand over the book strapped to his chest. "Soon," a quiet voice promises, and he sets out of the hut with the others. He quickly notices that a few of the others are ogling the night, like it wasn't something seen at the end of every day. Was it really that pretty? He looks up to find out, trying to search inside himself for any feeling from the sight. Any semblance of beauty or serenity... hmm... no. Blackness with dots of light. His only thoughts on it were its present disadvantages: Night was a bad time to travel; you couldn't see damn near anything, and that gave plenty of advantages to bandits or wildlife. Thankfully, it wasn't so bad for now.

His curiosity takes a pause as he notices Vincent keeps looking over to him and Moulder. The man soon decides to come over, though keeps a distance from the stench: "While I'm sure you're excited about having other people forced to be around you two, you should try to contain it for now. Without how obvious our escorts were, I wouldn't be surprised if anyone followed us. It's really just a matter of who and how badly they can ruin this for us, so let's not make it too easy for them." He leaves quickly afterwards, preferring the company of Shadow-stink and Tyr. Bayan turns to Moulder, nodding "He is not wrong... But I would prefer to meet them," he states, a finger tapping against his falcata - "Oblivion to the malevolent."

"Bad idea!"
The outburst draws Bayan's attention forward again, watching Tyr, vincent, and Meryth. Tyr practically stammers out a few excuses for not traveling at night, none of which making any sense. There's a few seconds of silence afterwards, before he tries to change the subject. Bayan stares for a few seconds, before deciding to drop it - It didn't matter what the man was so worried about. Hopefully... Hopefully. They all had to have a curse of some kind, yet Tyr and Vincent seemed to be the most normal... and one was clearly desperate to not constantly travel at night. After Tyr gives Eve her bag, Bayan steps closer to the others to speak: "Is there something we should know, Tyryth? In fact, if anyone has something that we should know, it's best to say now."
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[Moritz]

Moulder let out an idle hiss as he trailed after the others, shucking his gloves off into Bayan's pack before the fellow could protest. He flexed their mandibles wide before pinching them together, "Dark-sun best for moving Yes-Yes, occasionally good for stalking hunt-meat." He chitters, tugging at Bayan's arm a moment later, "Hungry." He deadpans, interrupting the conversation between the two Taller fellows, arms coiling by his sides. He cocks his head as Bayan turns to address him, "He is not wrong... But I would prefer to meet them." hazards Bayan, drawing an small nod from the Leech, "Yes-yes." It chitters again, "Bad-stupid, if truth! Hunters best leave Us-We alone, or Moulder will bite at their feets." He nods, puffing out his chest in a display of obviously false bravado. "Moulder shall Short-stab all the follower!" An arm snakes up, mandibles patting Bayan assuredly, "I-Me will keep all the stinkies safe!"

With Bayan's obvious fears settled by Moulder's remarkably courageous assurances, the Leech shuffles over towards the others and there odd little huddle. His gaze is not-so-casually drawn towards the 'Teeth' sticking out of Eve's head, and they remain his soul focus as he addresses the group, "If Night-Predators are of the worryings, Moulder offers himself as the Eyes-and-Ears. Can feel many thingies, smell many thingies, and taste many thingies." He informs, wiggling a single arm each towards Meryth and Gilles respectively- and then, after a moment's pause and a violent, easily noticed bodily recoil towards Bayan. "I say Yes-yes to Vin'seat'. Travel beneath the Dark-sun safer, easier. Harder for people to short-stab us. Moulder likes not being short-stabbed." Rambles the noodly terror, his words a string of simple words and odd symbolic nonsense. "Agree that we should move quick-fasts. Vin'seat correct, might be follower-peoples. Many cruel Humans want to short-stab and long-stab Moulder. Good to move fast, stay on legs. Go-quick, yes?" He finally falls silent, nervously toying with his helmet as he stares at Eve's head-teeth.

 

[Malice Queen]

Meryth Alesani

​

Meryth would look back as Vincente's voice would interrupt her train of thought and conversation with Tyr. The womans features would contort with displeasure. "Yes, you're right. My apologies for taking in the last bit of relaxation we may have for a while." The sudden outburst from Tyr when it was suggested they should travel at night drew Meryth's attention. "That may be the only way we can manage this journey...unless you'd rather split us into two teams, one to travel by day and the other to travel by night...", as she spoke her silver eyes drift to the malformed and inhuman people of their party.

A sigh escapes her lips before they would curl into a faint smile as Bayan presses Try for answers. "Yes...", she would state in simple agreement to Bayan's words. If it was something that could hinder their journey, it was best to know such things.

Meryth would turn towards the awkward yet amusing shambling of Moulder as even it speaks its piece on the issue of when to travel. "Sorry to say, but I think you may be outnumbered on this one, Tyr.", the woman would offer a small playful grin before once more adjusting the pack over her shoulder. "As for additional information, though I doubt it matters at this point, I was born near Danon Lake. Small village, not that many people, and not even on any map. I'm pretty damned sure that people think I'm dead...or I hope so at least." she says flatly, shaking her head softly to dismiss reminiscence.

 

[Shog]

Tyr took a long, shaky breath. He'd never admitted his condition to anyone before. Even when approached with this job offer they already knew. Still, it shouldn't have been this hard. Everyone here was dealing with their own problems and were the least likely to judge him for his. Especially Moulder, though he did quest that one's mental capabilities in general. Still, his enthusiasm was almost charming in a way.

"We can travel most nights without too much issue, but..." he stopped for just a moment to finish collecting his thoughts before continuing. "But I'll have to disappear for a night or two every month or so. Otherwise... Otherwise I might try and dismember you all." Tyr wanted to just leave it at that, but he knew the others wouldn't be satisfied with that answer. He wouldn't if one of them said something like that. It didn't help that he felt panic building up in his chest, like the beast was trying to forcibly crawl out of him. He had to squeeze his eyes shut and focus on calming down. He'd much rather be surrounded by a pack of wolves or something like that. Those he could just kill and be done with.

"I have lycanthropy," Tyr finally said, opening his eyes but refusing to look directly at anyone or even in their direction for too long. "I turn into a bloodthirsty beast according to the phases of the moon. I'm sure some of you are very capable fighters, but trust me: a wild werewolf is tougher to take down than any of you think."