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[flabort]

OOC thread

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

The Northern Sandiron Oasis is a popular resting spot for those entering or leaving the kingdom. A road is marked out with flags, heading north, and there's another marked heading south east and a third south west. The lake is large and clear, and it's surounding fauna is sparce but definitely present. Many tents and wagons form a large camp, and there are two permanent buildings; the first is a well-used stable and the second is a watchtower, long since decayed from lack of use.

There's a large plaza in which you currently are, where empty boxes and crates from merchant caravans passing through have been made into makeshift tables and a large platform where a old dwarf is pacing back and forth yelling messages of doom.

"Treachery! The winds that blow are foul and evil, Treacherous winds from the North! Evil winds from the East! Foul winds from the West! The Greensea laps up on the south shore, and the desert of Sandiron shrinks every day! Treachery! A great team of wizards, or perhaps one, seeks to wipe away the sand into the water, and steal our lands for their kingdoms! I have seen the signs in the wind, the treacherous wind from the North! A wizard by the name of Whitetree sends the winds from the North! Treachery! Foul and evil winds from the North!"

He's been carrying on like this only elaborating here and there for several days without rest, only stopping to drink from the wine flask on his side. There are a number of other people around, though, setting up or taking down their camps, watering their camels or horses, or like you sitting in the plaza listening to the dwarf. There are representitives of the King in the plaza as well, bringing news of a reward to the man, women, or group who saves the desert.

[Pencil_Art]

"Who is this 'Whitetree' you speak of?"

[flabort]

The dwarf overhears you over the crowd. He points his finger at you.

"In garb much like this one Whitetree sits in his chamber and sends the Treacherous Winds from the North! The North! The East sends winds too, and the West! Whitetree and his accomplices, or maybe just himself, sends winds from the North, the East, and the West! One wizard or a hundred, they send winds that sweep away our desert into the sea!"

He keeps ranting, and paces away on his stage.

[Pencil_Art]

"Either he's one heck of a powerful wizard, or he has a lot of wizards helping him." Hyphien mumbles.

"Not sure which possibility I find more frightening."

[My Name is Immaterial]

Portia stops for a moment to heckle the dwarf. "It's a desert. Who cares?"

[sjm9876]

Coral listens, shaking her head at the heckling, before yelling out a question of her own.

'North is a big place. Could you be a little more specific?'

[Dwarmin]

Portia stops for a moment to heckle the dwarf. "It's a desert. Who cares?"

Arno pipes up as well, following his sisters lead.

"Yeah! If you like the sand so much, bury your head in it, old man!"

He pokes his sister in the side with his elbow, and speaks to her in a normal tone.

"Shouldn't we get a move on? You know...I heard they're offering 10 silver a head for Snot Trolls in the Rockmoots. And, I've always wanted to visit the Rockmoots...the best Luckney White in Sandiron! So it's claimed. I'm relentless in my quest for the truth, you know me...and of course, fighting the Snot Troll scourge. Buggers are everyone these days."

Snot Trolls are probably fictional, by the way. Luckney is a type of wine, of course.

[My Name is Immaterial]

"Ten silver a head? For a troll? What's the catch?"
Poria scans the area for the camp of the King's men.

[Dwarmin]

"No catch! These are Snot Trolls! 10 or 20 ft ft tall, big gnarly fangs and razor claws, breathing poison fumes that'll kill a man stone dead, and yet so quiet they're near invisible, even in daytime-hardly no one has ever seen one and lived to tell the tale. Might be you ain't heard of em, on account of all those who met 'em got themselves ate." He implies.

[Pencil_Art]

"Ho! Let me tell, you, young hobbit, I have heard of a great many animals in my travels, and never once have I seen or heard of a Snot Troll!"

[flabort]

You know that to the north is the large Western Empire, and two smaller kingdoms north of that. To the east is the Eastern Empire and the ocean, and the ocean encompasses Sandiron's entire southern border. To the west is the Black Hills, and Rockmoots sits on the border there. The desert of Sandiron once filled the kingdom's entire borders, but no longer.

One of the King's men passes by you, and overhears the conversation.
"His grace Steel the Second cares about the desert. It protects us, and our precious iron is drawn from it. It's why he's offering five hundred gold pieces to the man, women, or group to stop the removal of our sand. And if you want to find Snot Trolls, though I was sure they were a bedtime story, that man might be your best bet to ask; he claims to be from Rockmoots."
The King's man points at another dwarf, passed out in the back of a wagon filled with lumber. The dwarf is almost naked and looks like he hasn't bathed in a year.

Spoiler: Portia (click to show/hide)

[13+1]The King's men have set up their tents near the watchtower. They are not in their camp right now, though.

[My Name is Immaterial]

Portia looks at her brother. "I'd rather stab a wizard or two, and get 500 gold, than stab a fairy tale, and get 10 silver a head."

[Pencil_Art]

"Have we had past quarrels with any of these empires? Is there any reason anyone would want to remove the desert?"

[sjm9876]

Coral hears the conversation continue, and with the latest comment wanders over.

"The Empires want land. They want our iron. They want a staging point against Skyfair. The desert stops that. If it goes, we go."

She shakes her head, forgetting that whilst she has had a military upbringing, most others have not.

[Dwarmin]

Arno whistles, and juggles one of his handaxes.

"So, sand for gold-not a bad trade, maybe better than trading snot for silver...we should hear about it, see if it's worth our time, ey Porti? (he pronounces this "Pour-tea")...it strikes me we're sort of getting underpaid here-an account of saving the whole lands of Sandiron from the evil wind...wizards...windzards, but maybe it'll be fun.

...Also, what's in the Nine Hell's is a Hobbid?" He asks, pointing to the weird elf who accosted them.