Second Adventure 01: Through The Desert

At dawn you meet up with the others, a group of young Banderlings, Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, and Elves who are making a sojourn to Al-Jalima. Most of them, as you learn talking during the trip, are not heading there to study, as it's far out of their price range, but rather to seek work. Apparently Al-Jalima just recently opened up another wing in the collegiate and the demand for the monstrous amount of workers, bureaucrats, cleaners, servants, guards, etc. to support the new wing is quite high.
They make friendly conversation and learn piecemeal that you are an adventurer troupe and most of the people here can't possibly imagine such a life. No steady paycheck, constant danger... They'd much prefer a simpler life of a regular job and worrying about bills.
The first day passes without real incident, though the reports were not exaggerated and you were forced to make a very slow pace through the desert as biting winds rip through the group from about noon on. The group as a whole decides it'd be best to stop when they reach a nice crest in the dunes for the evening, a bit earlier then planned. After pitching canvas and tarp over everything and huddling in the tents and bags laid out, one of the elves bemoans the fact that this will be the first time in several years he hasn't recognized the Day of Remembrance with his family.

Wanting to get an early start most of the convoy is up and cooking a light broth soup before the sun has risen. Then just as it comes creeping over the hills, all the members of the convoy retire to their tents to sit in quiet remembrance and honor the many dead. It is currently dawn at January 25th, 348, the Fifteenth Day of Remembrance.

Zeiss looked at the other travelers going back in their tents to meditate or pray. He ignored them. He walked away from the camp and observed the road. He didn't know how long before they would continue their journey. So he waited. While making sure nobody was observing them

Spoiler:

Snarg emerges from his tent every so often to sniff the air, look around, and then duck back inside.

"You can join us if you wish," says Kolson to the homesick elf in Elven. He joins Gwydo and the others in sharing some ale in honor of the fallen Green Mages.

*Kezrinthka washes up quickly before moving to the campfire, happily trying out her new recipe for Armadillo Steak. First she marinates the dried armadillo to soften it back up then pulls out her assorted spices. A few hours later she beings the steaks into the other room sizzling hot.*

"An offering for friends long gone, and a toast to friends still with us. Cheers."

"Very nice, Miss Kez. Thank you."

Spoiler:

Tabran sits quietly as if in prayer, he had heard the story meny times but it still didnt make scene what could have caused so much death he had sat talking it over for hours and spent even more time thinking about it and it bugged him no end that there was no way to solve this mystery and one thing he didnt like was an unsolved mystery.

as Zeiss got up to leave and Kez and Kolson's words Tab looks up from his thoughts.


"thou some of us want to Pay homage to the dead we most think of our own live's, should we set a watch tonight? i dont mind been first if others want to sleep or pray?"

"Watch sounds good. We should probably make a habit of it too."

Ashakel was sitting quietly, mourning and remembering with the caravan folks. He knew how it felt to lose a loved one. It still hurt him, and the memory of his stepfather came to him every night before sleep. "I'll do first watch from now on", he said silently.

Araiguna is thinking quietly to himself as he walks along behind one of the wagons, obviously deep in thought about something and not watching what is happening outside his own little world. getting him to pay attention to anything else would be... difficult.

"Huurrhh, yes, yes." Snarg's voice came from inside of his tent, slightly muffled, "Watch first: troll and Snarg, then we sleep and go to next. Need more - one, two, three, four, five, six more for watchin' from dusk 'til mornin'."

Sitting by the glowing fire, Gwydo speaks up "I will volunteer for the last watch of the night. I would like to see the sun rise over the desert."

Hanuel sat slightly apart from the group, withdrawn, and a little disheartened at the group's decision not to go south. They were quiet, mostly contemplating the day that was to follow, the anniversary of an event they were too young to remember, but something that affected them deeply every year.

Sethos lifts his drink in recognition of Kez's toast before emptying the glass. He is lying back with one hand behind his head, supporting it, and his other holding his pipe in his mouth, small patterns of smoke occasionally gliding out of his nostrils and rising from the glowing bowl of the pipe. Then as quickly as it lit the pipeweed fizzles out with a final dim tuft of smoking rising and disappearing, Sethos attempts to relight but finds nothing left in his pipe. He stares at it for a minute before placing it back into his robes pocket. His supply is now exhausted, a fact he immediately tries to distract himself from.

As the sun starts to crawl a bit higher over the horizon several of the convoy members, despite their haste, mention idly one towards another the thought of not traveling today in respect for the many dead.
A few scoff, but the discussion continues for several minutes, eventually spilling over into your group as well. The question of whether to continue traveling today or to take a day of rest on this, one of the world's only continent-wide events, is one that a consensus will have to be met upon.

"As much as I would like to take a day to relax and observe the remembrance of those fallen; there are people suffering in Kheynth, while the dead suffer no more. I recommend packing up and continuing our journey. The sooner we get there, the better off Kheynth will be.."

"Not to disrespect, but there's a town full of people without water to drink in the middle of a desert. Just consider that, if you really want to stay here for the day."

As the day dawns, Rory seeks out sociable caravan travelers to learn of the reason the day is marked and remembered for, and traditions and customs observed, as well as a general idea of what's acceptable and what's offensive.

Spoiler:

Rory Vallon wrote:As the day dawns, Rory seeks out sociable caravan travelers to learn of the reason the day is marked and remembered for, and traditions and customs observed, as well as a general idea of what's acceptable and what's offensive.

Spoiler:

You learn from the locals, and your own party members, that on this day 15 years ago a horrific catastrophe occurred in which several hundred thousand Green Mages across the continent died abruptly and without apparent physical damage. The investigation into what happened is, technically, still going on fifteen years later but not with any real strength as no one has ever found any clues to help determine anything whatsoever. Most people spend the entire day doing essentially nothing but quietly lamenting the massive loss of life, and if they go about their daily business it is notably subdued. Most crowded and loud markets go quiet, and it is often noted that even the Metropolis itself, Holtburg, is the quietest it is year round on this day. Any given activity is not strictly forbidden, merely encouraged to be quiet about it.

"Sorry, friends, but as Gwydo said, the living require our aid more. We should make for Kheynth."

The others were already trying to convince the locals to continue to travel. Usually, he would have done the same. But there wasn't anything to gain in Keynth. They would be lucky if they were paid. For that reason, Zeiss observed his colleagues, not taking part in the discussion.

"I mourn my father's death every day. While walking, sleeping, hunting, and talking. There is no need to stop. Push on, friends. Your fallen would tell you the same. The desert is dangerous", quietly spoke Ashakel to the convoy members around him.

After he grabbed a glass of ale from the keg to quench his thirst, Rory sought out a man in charge. "My vote is to move on," he said in a polite tone, "but if our group majority decides to move on when the caravan won't, I'm not averse to the possibility of splitting up. We're on a bill, so we are in haste to reach our destination, so for what it's worth, I personally respect the decision the caravan reaches separate from our own."

The fairy retracted his purple wings, and moved his long white scarf aside, starting his attempt to explain his view of this to those close to him.

"We can mourn the dead and move at the same time, mind you. Plus, I feel the dead might somehow feel like they are causing us trouble by keeping us from doing our work. So yes, my vote is that we move on", said the fairy, trying to sound as respectful as he can, since Javan was still trying to get his head around why everyone would want to stop living for the sake of the dead.

His gut instincts told him people just wanted a day to get lazy, but he knew better than to say that out loud.