Mountaineering (Open)

[Amica]

The Parnus Way now being free of the bandits that plagued it, Amica could finally go on her fortune-telling business along the road, all the way to the Etrurian border, without having to fear for her safety, so long as she remained on the Ilian side of the road. But she feels a little disappointed to be left out of the efforts that actually led to securing the Ilian portion of the Parnus Way, with nothing to show for it, despite elaborating the bait and switch scheme that led to its success, with some injured participants, so perhaps - perhaps! - she may still get in on some of the action along the Etrurian side of the high road. To play a role in cleansing the high road of bandits that still plagued, according to other travelers that were still brave enough to use the road, the Etrurian side. Because the Etrurian side of the road was not yet being acted upon, unless proven otherwise, she had to stay on her guard along that road if she was to cross it, not that the mountain road wasn't troublesome in its own right to begin with. Given that her share of the provisions originally earmarked for the Ilian portion of the expedition were unused, she set out to get to the Etrurian border villages, hoping to get to some inn where she could peddle her fortune-telling services to the population, whom she would usually find to be gullible enough to get one or two auguries out of, using tarot cards. On the mountain road where most merchandise that came from the Ilian side was mostly timber or lumber, or perhaps iron ore, and most merchandise from the Etrurian side was foodstuff and textiles, it could take her hours to get from village A to village B, whatever names they bore, with abundant trees sometimes punctuated with holes consistent with mine shafts. And stop in one village knowing getting to the next may as well take hours, too. She stopped in a church for the night, in a mountain village that doesn't have an inn, hoping that somebody would still host weary travelers for the night. She starts to feel that some of the residents are afraid to get out at night in these mountains, as she tries to get a feel for the village which, like many villages on the Ilian side, lived from either ironworking or lumber. As she enters the church by nightfall, she realizes that maybe some prayers are in order until the clergy that took care of the premises would actually, so she stood at the altar for her prayers, even though she wasn't quite that religious. If there was one thing she learned abou Etrurian customs, it was that prayers were regularly expected in travel. Yet there seemed to be no one around for auguries, so she just kept praying until the clergy would come out, which she knew isn't going to be instant, so long as she kept quiet while praying.

[Moreau]

Moreau had been wandering the mountains straddling the border between Ilia and Etruria for some time now, a few weeks, a month or two maybe, he was never one to pay particularly close attention to the passage of time. While not proving to be particularly bothersome most of the time, his bad leg would have him never make especially great distance in any one day. He would stop for rests often, and spent a day or two in most villages he came across. Sometimes he would join another group if they happened to be leaving town while he was staying there, he enjoyed the company and it made him less of a target to brigands. But, he never stayed with any one band long, and now he was alone.

Moreau had had quite a full day of walking, with one prolonged break at a particularly scenic ridge. The old monk had an appreciation for natural beauty not found in most people, due to the fact that he'd spent the vast majority of his life in a very small radius around one monastery. It was beginning to get dark when Moreau saw a village on the path ahead of him. It was a quaint and small town, clearly not developed with visitors in mind, but Moreau felt happy walking down the street while a cool breeze blew through the nighttime sky. He made his way to the village's church, typically his first stop at any town he stumbled across, as it was where he felt most comfortable. Not seeing anyone in the nave, he let himself in to the priest's quarters, typically off limits to non-clergy, but Moreau had found that most priests had no problem with his entrance once they saw his robes, and he had made several acquaintances along his travels this way.

However this time there was no one inside. After looking around a bit, Moreau decided that perhaps the church's resident priest lived in a separate house in the town. When he exited the quarters though, there was a young woman in a mage's robes praying at the altar. It wasn't common to see a mage among the common townsfolk living in the mountain villages, and it also wasn't common to see someone praying alone in the church at night. Though hesitant to interrupt her prayers, he figured that something must be wrong due to the special circumstances. "Is there anything wrong my friend?" Moreau asked in a gentle voice.

[Amica]

She hardly noticed that there was no one in the nave, and with that, no one in the pews, but then again the church was hardly used by the local residents outside of the religious services and maybe the occasional prayer, wedding or funeral. Of which there wasn't that many given the diminutive size of the village. Peace and quiet for a village that lived mostly off quarrying. And she never wanted to go to the priest's quarters without the priest prompting it. But when another clergy member entering the scene close to the altar, after she made her nightly prayers:

"Bandits are still plaguing this mountain road: the Ilian end of the road is much more secure than the Etrurian end"

And my only contribution to securing the Ilian end was to formulate the plan, and I received a very paltry sum for that, then again I didn't pull a whole lot of weight, she thought, after seeing the 40 gold she got paid for her role in fighting the bandits along the Ilian side of the Parnus Way. Also, it is obvious that, once news of her arrival spread across the village, she will get some attention from the residents. She knew that her profession had a way of making her stand out among a crowd in the countryside, for whom a mage was uncommon. So she patiently waited for the monk's reaction, hoping that the monk could be part of the solution to the brigand problems of the Etrurian end of the mountain road. Yet most solutions would require backup, too.

[Moreau]

Moreau was surprised by the frank response. Despite the already uncommon circumstances of the encounter, Moreau had still supposed that it was probably some stroke of ill fortune in the girl's personal life that had prompted her to come pray. But her answer led him to believe that she wasn't simply praying for a solution to the bandit problems, and that she seemed determined to do something about it herself. Despite having traveled with bands of warriors along the roads, they were never setting out against the brigands, they only fended them off if they were attacked, and Moreau had yet to meet a villager who had the resolve to try and bring the fight to them either.

"Er, yes it's quite unfortunate, I can't understand what makes someone so cruel as the brigands who roam the roads." Moreau said, still hesitant to comment on his suspicions on how that correlated to the mage herself. But then he was flooded by thoughts of the people he had met along his journeys, and the quiet peaceful villages he enjoyed so much. He also had never seen this mage in combat before, and figured that if her magic ability was comparable to his own, she wouldn't be able to do too much on her own.

"A-Ah, I do hope you aren't planning on setting out yourself, to try and stop these bandits." He said, but quickly, before she had a chance to respond added, "But if you are, please let me join you.

Moreau realized that she would probably be curious why a priest would offer to leave their church so quickly, and continued, "I don't belong to this church you see, I used to be monk, but now I simply walk the land. I don't have much experience with combat, but I'll be of any help I can, if you don't mind my company. My name is Moreau."

[Amica]

"That said, I know we can't tackle the remaining bandits in the Etrurian mountains with just the two of us. I'd just rest in this village first, before attempting to collect backup"

She knew that there had to be a solution somewhere, she knew that the solution would involve rallying whoever she could, and she could tell the monk appreciated Amica's frankness in the matter. And then she remembered the real reason why she was left out of the hunt for the brigands on the Ilian side of the Parnus Way; she lacked the magical skill to actually make much of it, however motivated she was, and however sound the plan otherwise was. However, provisions will be an issue here. It will take much longer than just three days by her estimate, and even using a cart loaded with lumber or stone as bait to lure bandits - these bandits would steal just about anything if they had the opportunity to do so - may not suffice. However, convoys could not be too big or the brigands would not take the bait. Just two or three covered carts would be enough for what she has in mind: large enough to carry the party responsible for fighting the bandits, but small enough to be an effective bait.

"The question is: to what extent do you think lumberjacks would be able to use their axes to help fight brigands, with us in the back, and any other ranged combatants we might picked up? Perhaps the rally point in the town with the lumber mill would be a good place to start looking for backup, after using whatever the village could muster of course"

[Moreau]

Moreau was again surprised by the mage's response. He was accustomed to friendly conversation with most of he people he'd met, but this mage was clearly driven in her goal. He wondered if something had happened in her personal life to give her this determination. Her idea caught him off guard too, he hadn't thought about getting the people involved in this way, but thinking about it he realized that it was probably their best bet, and that if they could get enough of a group, the townspeople would be motivated fighters having been plagued by the brigands so long.

"Well I do think we could find support out in the town, it is already late however." Moreau said, looking up at the intricate stained glass windows. "I assume you don't live here. We'll have to find somewhere to stay for the night. Perhaps we can find someone still awake to take us in."

Thoughts filled Moreau's head as he walked towards the heavy wooden doors of the church. He had never set out for something that would inevitably lead to combat, all the fighting he'd done thus far was spontaneous defense of himself or someone else. He also dreaded the thought of endangering any of the townspeople, but thinking about how the brigands terrorized the town gave him some motivation. As he walked out of the church he realized he really didn't know anything about the company he had just made as well. "And what is your name my friend?"

[Amica]

"Amica. And you?" she asked the monk on her way to the heavy wooden doors of the church, and out of the church, passing through the nave's intricate stained glass windows along the way.

I know it would be fruitless to find the support itself this late at night, plus night out in the mountains is just as dangerous to brigands as it is to travelers. But perhaps using the issue of the brigands will make people more sympathetic to hosting us for the night, she thought, while realizing that she'd rather not go alone into the village knocking at the doors of the villagers still awake in hopes that one of them will actually let the two weary travelers pass the night without good reason. Then again, mages were uncommon in the mountains, and at least one of the residents would probably be happy to host the two of them for the night, and potential hosts will probably come to expect them to be part of the solution to the bandit problem. Because, after all, she knew that the bandit band was terrorizing an entire region, in which the village is just one area they terrorized. She then knocked at the door of somebody that seemingly still has candles lit, under the assumption that the occupants of that farmhouse are still awake, about three doors away from the church.

"Who's there?" the homeowner asked, somewhat disturbed.

"I'm a mage that is resting here for the night in an attempt to rally the population of the neighboring villages to fight the brigands terrorizing the region" Amica answered.

"Come, little mage, I'd like to hear about how you intend to fight the bandits: they make life along the road more painful by the day"

[Moreau]

"Moreau" he replied as they exited the church.

He decided to simply follow in the mage's footsteps, she seemed to have a confidence in her actions, and Moreau was fairly quiet and reserved by nature, so he didn't mind taking a backseat. As Amica, which he now knew to be her name, introduced herself to a villager and stepped inside his home, Moreau followed closely behind, introducing himself as well. The man showed an interest in their plans to take on the bandits, and Moreau wondered if they would find their first supporter here already, which would be quite the promising start.

"Well I suppose I'll leave the explaining to you then," Moreau said to the mage, "but as for me I think I'm quite ready to turn in for the day. You have my thanks for taking us in my friend." He said to the villager with a gentle smile. After being directed to a small vacant bedroom where he would be spending the night, Moreau set down his walking stick in the corner propped against the wall, and set down his light tome on a small table near the door, well aware he would probably have use for it soon enough. Sooner than he cared for too, he still wasn't one to anticipate combat, even if he was more than satisfied with the cause which he fought for. But, he wasn't so naive as to pretend there never is a need to fight, so he looked on the bright side and saw that he had a new opportunity to refine his magic abilities. As Moreau rested his head on the old and worn out bed, he began to anticipate the coming days events, and thought about making introductions to the townspeople for more than just friendly conversation like he was used to. Not long after he had set down his things his fatigue caught up with him, and he drifted to sleep.

[Amica]

"We're going to need a convoy of two or three covered wagons, one of which will be laden with stone blocks, or lumber, whichever we have in stock around here, ready to be sold at the regional marketplaces, and, if we have both, then one wagon of each. The final wagon is for us to be in alongside our provisions, where I will stay behind cover, alongside any other ranged combatants such as archers or other magic-users" she explained to the villager.

"Why only 2-3 wagons?" the villager asked, confused.

"In my experience, convoys larger than three covered wagons are too large for those brigands to actually attempt attacking, if that's any indication of how many brigands there are"

It was logical, in her mind, that only the larger bandit gangs would attack larger convoys; from a bandit's standpoint, there seemed to be a correlation between the security level of a convoy and its size. Much like piracy for sea trade. While Moreau has already been placed in the worn-down bedroom for the night, Amica, on the other hand, would have to sleep on the haystack, given that there really isn't much furniture in any given villager's house. And, in a sense, she was used to this level of comfort, which was, well, the comfort level of the everyday villager. Maybe some cot could be found in another village, but that was to wait for the next day. Or when the bandits will actually be dealt with. So she went to sleep, while ensuring that her elemental spellbook is secured.

[Moreau]

Moreau was typically the first to wake wherever he was ever since he left the monastery, as his whole life he had woken up at the crack of dawn for morning prayers. While he offered his prayers by the window of his small room, he heard the sounds of someone splitting logs outside, a lumberjack beginning the day's work. Moreau decided he would take a walk through the village before most of its denizens were awake, and as he made his way outside saw Amica sleeping on a "bed" of hay. He felt a pang of guilt, wasn't very selfless or befitting of a monk to secure comforts for himself before others, but the exhausting day had left his mind hazy and he hadn't put much thought to it.

When he stepped out onto the road outside of the hut, he was surprised to see how many people were already up and about. It gave him a newfound respect for the hard work the townspeople gave, and also strengthened his will to fight off the brigands who exploit it. He also took note that there was a type of square in the center of the town which seemed to be more populated than the rest of the town. Albeit it didn't take much to have more people relative to the rest of the town so early in the morning, despite being more awake than he'd expected it still wasn't many. But Moreau knew that this would be their best bet at finding support for their plan, and after buying a small bread roll from a stand which had already opened, the monk took a seat on a bench at the edge of the square to watch the passersby.

[Amica]

To be fair, perhaps the homeowner preferred to let the elderly sleep on the more comfortable (relatively speaking) amenities, and Moreau seemed to be old enough to be Amica's father or maybe even grandfather. Older than the homeowning lumberjack for sure. So, after waking up, she went to the square at the center of the town, of which the church took up the eastern side, where she became the center of attention pretty rapidly, to the extent it was possible for a mage to attract such attention. So it didn't take long for the villagers in the square to go around and look at her like some curio or anything else of that nature, most of which hoped that Amica's magic would be the solution to a problem they had, regardless of what problem her magic is supposed to solve.

"Tell me, little mage, what solutions can your magic conjure?" the baker asked, before she could even have the chance of buying anything from him.

"The solution to the bandit problem plaguing this road!"

"Where does your magic fit in this?"

"Magic is just part of a plan to fight the brigands, to soften up bandits before they close in, and this is where the remaining townsfolk able to fight come in, along with any mercenaries that might be in this region. The bandits have been plaguing this region for far too long, and two or three covered wagons should be enough to lure them out, depending on what we can actually ship out of town"

"What do you mean, depending on what can actually be shipped out of town?"

"If we can only fill one wagon with lumber, or with stone, then two wagons, if we can fill one wagon of each, then three, with the understanding that the final wagon will contain the combatants and their provisions"

[Moreau]

Moreau chuckled as he saw the young mage hailed by many of the villagers in the square as soon as she arrived. He knew that mages weren't common in small villages like this but was still surprised at the attention she drew in such a short time. He began to make his way over when she began speaking to the baker who he had purchased his bread from. Overhearing her explaining the plan already, he realized that her instant popularity in the town would bode well for finding support.

As he got close he took notice of two people who looked rather shaken entering the town from a path which snaked through the forest. One was a middle aged man wearing clothes typical for the common people of the town but even more worn out than average, and a younger boy in his early teens by the looks of it, also wearing rather common clothes and a simple skullcap. Moreau gestured to Amica just to show her that he was there, but then turned off from her and the baker as well as the group she had drawn, and approached the two.

"Is there something wrong my friends?" the monk asked with a gentle tone and expression of concern. "The bandits just took our second load in a row." The older of the two replied. "There's nothin' we coulda done o'course but I'm not sure how long we can keep up like this." "How terrible, truly. But, there might be something we can do." Moreau replied, turning back to the group Amica had drawn. "Come with me, if you would." He split the bread roll which he had purchased into two and gave half to each of the men, a smile spreading across the face of the younger boy, and took the pair over to Amica's group.

"The brigands have just struck again you see." Moreau said to the group of townspeople and his mage companion, gesturing to the two men. "Perhaps, together, we can do something to put an end to this yes?"

[Amica]

So the bandits stole a second load from those townsfolk that are now willing to volunteer for this operation? She would readily find that they were the first to throw their proverbial rings into the hat, and several townspeople had rather similar stories to tell the two magic users. With each of these stories resonating, they were now more motivated than ever to go fight those brigands, wherever they were. Hunters, lumberjacks, and, of course, the town watch. Of course, with the news of a plan to fight the bandits back being announced, and circulating around town, the remaining townsfolk didn't waste time getting their weapons ready and, in the case of the town watch, they were already wearing both weapons and armor. From what she knew, the only exits from the town were along the high road, so that prompted a change of plans.

"It's certainly a good thing to be able to get some support, just that we can't go in blind. A scout or two will do a tactical retreat to lure the main bandit gang so that we can fight them just outside the town, and catch them into a bottleneck near the road, where the road will be too narrow for the whole bandit gang to engage all of us at once, and then we will pick them off at range before they can close in"

The brave townsfolk willing to be fighting on the first line were those who lost the most to those bandits, and it made sense from her standpoint. Just that the scout that volunteered to try and lure the bandits to town was a Sacaen nomad; may that nomad come back to town with bandits in tow. And hopefully the townsfolk will actually fight them back.

[Moreau]

Moreau's stomach was fluttering as he watched the volunteer scout set out on the road. He glanced around him at the makeshift group of fighters that had assembled in wait. The town guardsmen were the most confident looking of course, though there weren't more than a handful of them. The others were mostly well out of their comfort zone obviously, but for the most part they didn't seem frightened. Not showing the same confidence which came from the experience of the towns guard, many of them made up for it with determination. Several of the lumberjacks had grouped together, wielding two handed woodcutting axes, not intended for combat to be sure but still unpleasant on the receiving end. A couple of hunters had joined Moreau and Amica behind the main group, wielding different types of homemade bows, and the church's clergy had joined their group as well, wielding staves with which to heal the injured.

Moreau felt to see that his light tome was still secured in his satchel probably every minute that passed. Every rustle in the bushes caused him to tighten his grip on his walking staff. But every time he took a look at the people around him he felt more and more confident. He hadn't experience the bandit troubles first hand, but seeing the locked jaws and furrowed brows on those around him gave him a sympathy which manifested through confidence. Partially to distract himself, as he dreaded the high-tension wait, he began talking with one of the priests. The townspeople had been talking a little bit amongst themselves as well, but all went silent when the scout burst back into the town square.

"The bandits, the bandits!" He said, between breaths. "They're not far behind!"

[Amica]

"Open fire!" Amica shouted along the town square, alongside hunters, once the bandits were within firing range.

The bandits may well be not far behind the scout, just that it was time to kill or at least injure as many of the bandits before they coulde close range. Now it's time for a little payback for my inability to take part in the cleansing of the Ilian side of the road she thought, while casting the fire spell aimed at a bandit that was dangerously close to the lumberjacks wielding those double-bit, two-handed woodcutting axes. They didn't even need to be sacrificing a cart's worth of merchandise to be luring bandits out: needless to say, the fireball caused some burns and the resulting injuries to that bandit that was too eager on closing in to the villagers. Meanwhile, more bandits were hit by arrows from her fellow hunters, but there just wasn't enough archers to consider that the bandits were making their disorganized approach were fighting under the shade. But she knew the battle was just beginning: even though she knew that the bandits were just people who wanted to swing axes around, there were so many of them that ranged attacks alone were not enough to kill all the bandits. Said bandits discovered that two-handed woodcutting axes were swung rather wide, and, unfortunately, some of the people using those axes were wielding them pretty wildly, and some of them were left vulnerable to openings that a lucky bandit was able to exploit, forcing the priest to act quickly to heal what was possible.