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The Night Jevkins looks nervous, "Mmm'kay," he mutters as he readies himself near Scrive. As she turns to leave he catches Annalise's sleeve, "You sure you want me to follow? Scrive can't outrun... anything. If you make a break for it we might be able to ditch once it's clear but that will leave you two outnumbered and carrying Montis. If we follow you, there's going to be a fight if you stick around or not. If we lay low... we might all be able to get away clean. You're call boss."
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Aug 12, 2014 05:03
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Stoyan Stoyan looks over at Anna, his brow furrowed in thought. After a few seconds he whispers to her "I'm a hell of a lot faster on horseback than those Men-O-Wars, and I'm a skilled saddle marksman if they let the dogs loose. I can try to lead them off then circle back and meet you somewhere after I loose them.
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Aug 12, 2014 06:30
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Annalise Ardenne drat, drat! She had really thought that the 'jack, moving at speed, would be able to keep ahead of the Khador heavies. Not the Argus, but she had counted on her and Stoyan being able to lame the animal quickly. But if it will mean a running battle with the whole lot... Anna grits her teeth and then gives Stoyan a sharp nod. "Lead them off, lose them where you can; if you can circle back, so much the better, but if it's too hairy, keep going - we can meet downstream from the town, two furlongs, best cover at that mark." Morrow knows what's down there, but they need some sort of rendez-vous. "Luck be with you." She looks to Scrive. "We hunker down - hide it out of Stoyan can pull it off. If it doesn't take, I can try and lead them off - or make the stand with you, whichever it comes to." Annalise hates to break up their meager group, but it seems like it's the best option. And Stoyan did volunteer. If Stoyan is serving as decoy, he can leave Montis with Annalise and Scrive - the extra weight probably won't serve him any use
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Aug 15, 2014 02:14
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Stoyan Stoyan pulls his mask up to just under his eyes and his hat brim low enough to make sure no one could recognize his face, then he sets off against the darkness to his horse, hoping to reach it before the hounds and Khadorans spot him. agility+stealth=7
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Aug 15, 2014 05:04
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The Night Stoyan slinks through the shadows near silently (9 on the dice, 16 after abilities) and swings himself into his saddle. His horse snorts softly, but that is enough for one of the Argus' heads to snap up... Stoyan has enough time for one action before he has to go hell for leather. What is it?
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Aug 15, 2014 14:38
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Stoyan Stoyan hops into the saddle and simultaneously unslings his pistol and takes a pot shot at the hound's read thigh, hoping to slow the thing down but not permanently maim the poor beastie. we all know how well a crippling shot worked for him last time. RAT 7 POW 10 with the pistol, I have quickdraw so actually drawing it is a free action. AGI+Ride=7 for riding like hell away from the Men-O-Wars and their dreaded doggies.
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Aug 15, 2014 17:32
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The Night Stoyan, while missing the argus (13 vs DEF, miss!) does manage to hit the broadside of a barn. As he tears away on his horse, the argus howls. It's handler is jerked forward, and topples, as the beast gives chase. He maintains his grip, but is dragged along behind the furious beast. The other Man-O-War jogs along behind but is loosing ground. Stoyan has their attention, now what is he going to do with it?
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Aug 18, 2014 04:54
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Stoyan Stoyan realizes that actually killing a Khadoran soldier would be a very bad idea, so he tries to manage his pace until they are out of sight of the storehouse, Then he bolts as fast as he can towards the river.
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Aug 18, 2014 21:10
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Annalise Ardenne Annalise holds on tightly to her horse's reins, doing her best to keep the animal from reacting noticeably to the sudden burst of noise and motion. The last thing this plan needs is for the Khadorans to realize there are other people about. As Stoyan draws off the searchers, she leads her mount into the lee of the building, next to Scrive. "Hopefully they'll be trying to keep his trail - but I don't think we'll be safe here for the rest of the night. Stay ready to move, and if Stoyan can circle back, we'll move out and find ourselves another spot."
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Aug 18, 2014 21:31
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The Night Stoyan's mount is charging hell for leather down the road and keeping safely ahead of the khards and their argus. However, Stoyan now realizes he has no idea where he is, and is riding hard in unknown terrain. If he follows the road he'll be back in the town proper with all it's places to hide and winter guard to search for him in a matter of moments. If he breaks off the beaten pass he might be able to loose them in the treeline, but he might also lose his horse to a rut or a root.
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Aug 19, 2014 07:06
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Stoyan Stoyan had spent a decent portion of his life hiding in the woods of the Llael and Khadoran borders. He may not know these woods specifically, but he trusted himself and his horse in the woods far, far more than he trusted the Khards and their roads. Besides, he would need to hit a river and double back to catch up with Anna again, and the woods offered more and less visible opportunities.
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Aug 19, 2014 15:03
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The Night How does Stoyan find his way through woods? What is Annalise doing during this?
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Aug 20, 2014 06:27
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Stoyan Stoyan rides in the forest for a few minutes until the baying of the dog has settled into the distance. Then he makes a sharp right and rides a few more minutes, then another sharp right. That should point him south towards the meeting place. He slows down and rides more slowly, allowing the animal a few minutes to catch its breath, then makes a third right back towards the town, hoping to follow the road from just inside the cover of the treeline.
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Aug 21, 2014 16:04
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Annalise Ardenne As the sounds of pursuit fade into the night, she breathes a sigh of relief. Then she checks Montis, making sure that he hasn't started to try and slink off yet. But even with the threat led away, she can't help but worry what will happen once Stoyan shakes his tail. Will they give up? Search for him? Or come back here to search for any clues left behind? She doesn't want to be waiting for the latter. Turning her attention to Jevkins, she whispers "Alright, I think we're clear - but who knows how long. I reckon we should move Scrive, at least, and the cargo - back the way we came, so we overlap our tracks, then cut for the backup rendez-vous with Stoyan. If the Khards get lost and stumble back, we're still not able to outrun 'em alone."
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Aug 21, 2014 20:30
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The Night Between a horse and an argus the smart money is on the argus. Between a horse and an argus dragging a man-o-war behind it the smart money is on the horse. Stoyan looses his trail and heads towards town. However, he is forced to reflect on the fact that if they are no longer chasing him, they're still out there between his allies and safety... Back down the road Scrive is pulling the cargo and Montis' liter behind him, heading back north where they found the blackguard. After a good mile or so Jevkins ask "I think we may have muddled our tracks enough, but how do we get past those two and their pet and back into town?" What route do you see and what challenge does it present?
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Aug 26, 2014 06:21
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Annalise Ardenne Mounted up, Annalise is feeling a little better about the distance they have put between them and the Khards. Of course, it's possible that the Argus will pick up their trail, but by overlaying their tracks hopefully it will be confused long enough for them to get away. Scrive has a good point on the whole 'getting away' front, though. Peering into the shadows, she gnaws on her lip as she considers it. "I don't like it, but I think we need to cut back to the river, use it to head back to town. If they know anything about us, I don't figure that they'll expect that. And if they do, well, we can at least lose our trail and make it a little harder for them." Ok, so if I have my directions right we can cut West(?) to connect to the river north of the town, and then follow it to the town. With a 'jack and cargo, they'll expect us to stick toward the roads or overland, not the water. For good reason, because this will mean navigating the uncertain shoreline in the middle of the night...!'
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Aug 29, 2014 04:51
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The Morning Stoyan watches the night give way to the odd monochrome of pre-dawn, then actual day. His compatriots have yet to arrive at the rendezvous...
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Aug 29, 2014 05:25
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This kind of dropped off my radar because I was thinking it was in Stoyan's court - are you waiting on me? 
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Sep 8, 2014 04:07
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Yeah, I was kinda waiting to see what happened with you, guess I can respond Stoyan As the sun comes up over the horizon, Stoyan has his first moment of worry. It should take them this long, and it's possible the patrols caught up to them. It's also possible they made it out but had to circle around like he had, and looking for them was likely to just get both of them lost for now. Instead Stoyan looks for an easy place to hide and the hope that a traveler may be coming down the road away from the town with possible news.
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Sep 8, 2014 05:54
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The Morning "Okay," Jevkins grunts as his make shift trowel shifts the last few pounds of river muck away from the 'jack's feet, "think we got it this time." Scrive's foot makes a wet sucking sound as it pulls free from mud and the 'jack lumbers forward. It pulls the liter with Montis and the trunk up behind it, making sure to keep away from the softer ground near the water. "Well," Montis chuckles before being wracked with another coughing fit, "that only took all night." Sorry for the delay, I should have been more clear with what was going on. The scene has shifted to Annalise.
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Sep 15, 2014 06:41
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Annalise Ardenne Annalise rocks back as the 'jack lurches free, spattering her with mud and cold water. Not that it makes an appreciable difference, with how dirty they've all gotten on their excursion. Biting back a comment to Montis, she struggles to get to drier land herself, almost losing a boot to the sucking mud in the process. She has already threatened to kill the man several times in inventive ways, and if she doesn't follow through soon the threats are going to lose their luster. "And here I thought that nothing could compare to being stuck in your company. Be glad we got the 'jack loose, because my tolerance ends at carrying you personally." She walks to her horse, pulling a dingy cloth from the saddlebags and wiping her face and hands clean before offering it to Jevkins. "Sorry about that - but I'll wager nothing will track us through that, eh?" The fact that no Argus or Khards descended on them while they were digging free is a glimmer of hope that their route has served that purpose. Annalise heaves a sigh - it's been a long night of sneaking and walking and mucking about, but still not time for rest. "If you and Scrive are in shape, I think we can head back to the road from here - we should be past anyone paying too much attention." She grimces "Plus, now we hardly look like anything but refugees."
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Sep 16, 2014 03:54
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Getting Out It is late in the morning by the time Annalise and the rest of the crew make it back into town. As the day dragged on, Stoyan noticed something disconcerting about the way the Khadorans were acting. What was it?
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Sep 17, 2014 03:48
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Did I screw this up again? I was sure that was Stoyan's cue.
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Sep 25, 2014 22:16
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Ashcans posted:Did I screw this up again? I was sure that was Stoyan's cue. Naaa, I hosed it up this time and just missed the last post altogether. Stoyan While Stoyan waits along the roadside, he sees several Khadoran units moving in and out of the area. Not in and of itself unusual, but the men barely speak and all, and shuffle along quietly in the cold morning air. These men seem half dead and horribly afraid of something, occasionally looking over their shoulders as they move in towards the city. Then it hits him... they're all moving in, none out. They aren't changing guards or shifting patrols, they're pulling people into the walls. He and the others may not see many Khadorans on the road, but they certainly won't be alone.
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Sep 26, 2014 02:43
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Getting Out "The look a bit spooked eh?" Montis manages before a coughing fit doubles him over, "I'd hurry up and get me home nice and safe before whatever hell they're worried about breaks loose." Montis waves his mangled hand as Stoyan comes into view, "Looks like your man got here safe, looks like 'e managed to stay out of the mud as well. Why'd I have to get carted around by the brawn instead of the brain?" At this point the party is back together. Sorry, busy weekend.
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Sep 30, 2014 06:27
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Annalise Ardenne It's a good thing they are such a strange company, otherwise there's a good chance Stoyan might not recognize them in the mess their in. It's a relief to see him here and, from a look, apparently uninjured. She waves a hand to signal him. "The Brain is likely smart enough to leave you in the muck to drown, you miserable hacking cripple. I'm a slow learner, but maybe I'll get there soon." She wonders if she could re-negotiate their deal so that she can be the one to pull the hangman's lever on Montis. That thought is getting sweeter every day. Riding up toward Stoyan, she signals the man with a wave. "Glad to see you made it - and somehow had a better trip of it than us?" She glances around, hoping no one is going to pay particular attention to their group. They should get out of sight and find their way out of here. "Any idea what's eating the Khards? Don't suppose the Swans are making a move this way."
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Oct 2, 2014 14:03
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Stoyan Stoyan looks the group over and recognizes the tell tale signs of river travel. Seems like Anna was able to avoid patrols, at least. He waves as the group approaches then rides into step besides Anna. "I was beginning to fear you wouldn't make it. I took to the woods rather than the river, lost the hound and its escort then doubled back. Seems you found a way to improve Montis' appearance at least, though not his attitude." He muddles over her question about the Khards for a second, trying to think of what to say. This didn't seem like repositioning for the war, and the men looked weary and haggard, undisciplined even. Like they'd been running from something, and when they couldn't possibly run any further they'd walked. No marching, no order to it. Whatever was out there wasn't going to be good news for them. "Doubt it. They look weary and nervous, and they aren't moving defensively or sending out scouts. They're buckling down for something big... could be a storm, could be something else entirely, but we need to get out before it hits."
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Oct 2, 2014 16:08
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Getting Out "That's a good idea chief, but how?" Jevkins asks, "We need to get downriver, do we do it by boat, by foot, try to hop a caravan? And if the Khards are buckling down here... maybe we should do the same." What are you planing on doing for the rest of the afternoon?
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Oct 3, 2014 03:40
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Stoyan "If the Khards are buckling down here, and whatever they're fearing arrives, its likely we'd be conscripted or worse. I'm all for getting out by following the road and hoping whatever it is comes from the forest."
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Oct 3, 2014 04:53
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Annalise Ardenne "I decided that the river would shake the Argus, and the mud would dissuade the heavy Khards from footing after us. Unfortunately Scrive had a similar problem..." Annalise considers what might spook the Khador forces. This far into Llael these are hardly green conscripts, they will have seen their share of Cygnar forces and likely tangled with the insurgent locals as well. To send them scuttling has to be something ominous. "The town would be better for sheltering, but the longer we're there the more likely we'll catch notice. Specially as they've already been sniffing around for us. Whatever is out there might be ugly, but it doesn't seem to be gunning for us in particular." She's filthy and tired from the hike out here, but it seems like the thing to do is keep moving. "Alright. Let's take a quick break, feed the horses, clean up. Then we'll move on downriver. I'd favor a boat if we could find on - faster, for one, but otherwise we hit the road and hope the extra speed makes it worth it. If we find any caravans heading our way I'd not say no to joining up. There's strength in numbers and we'll benefit from some crowd cover." Right, so after a short breather we should explore our options - if there is a way to get a boat without venturing back through all the Khards to the docks, we can look into that. Otherwise, we should probably hit the road and get a headstart. Thoughts? Ashcans fucked around with this message at 15:07 on Oct 3, 2014 |
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Oct 3, 2014 15:02
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Ashcans posted:
I agree completely
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Oct 3, 2014 17:40
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Alright. We'll look for any docks or anything outside the town - even just a likely cove for smugglers or something. If that doesn't fly (or we can't work out where it is in reasonable time) we start moving on the road and hope for the best.
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Oct 8, 2014 03:55
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Getting Out A few mouthfuls of stale bread and flat beer later you begin looking around the town. There are boats heading south and wagon trains doing the same. You have quite a few khards walk right past you, one even yells for Scrive to get out of his way, with out them seeming to pay you any mind. If you had to guess, something's got the khards spooked fierce. Also, ship captain and trail master alike are acting awful queer. You've noticed a few captains turning down folk that likely had quite a bit of coin to their name, in favor of men and women that had weapons and looked like they could put them to use if need be. Whatever has the khards spooked seems to be catching... You have water and over land routes available, ranging from above the board merchants and Morrowan relief workers, to war profiteering smugglers. Everyone is looking to hire protection right now and they're not being too choosy about who.
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Oct 8, 2014 05:56
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Annalise Ardenne The lack of attention they are getting is a good thing, but she can't help but worry about whatever has everyone else so wound up. Maybe they can gather some information while they are looking for a ride, but if the town is about to get ugly it's all the more reason to be out of here and back to more friendly ground. After the company conference it seems like water is their preference - the river served them well on the way up, and it should be faster heading downstream than a wagon train. Of course, if something goes wrong and then all end up in the drink... No point dwelling on chances. Annalise eyes the boats remaining in dock. They don't have a lot of choices, but she'd rather throw in with a crew that seems likely to make it. After some thought she settles on an unremarkable ship that looks weathered by in good repair. She glances over her crew and settles a grim look on Montis. "Alright, let's look sharp. We've got to make a good enough impression to get our dead weight on board." And between Montis, the chest, and the horses, they have a fair amount of that. Squaring her shoulders, she heads for the gangplank. "Ahoy there! Where's the boat heading?"
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Oct 9, 2014 22:50
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Stoyan Stoyan makes sure to hold his coat open enough to show off his pistol and the long tapered blade of his sword. If everyone was as frightened as they seemed, it would be best to seem more like a tried and true killer for higher than anything else at this point, both to encourage a ship to bring them along and discourage them from asking any questions about Montis. When Annalise speaks he raises his eyes to someone he hopes is important atop deck and rests his hands loosely on the hilt of his blade and the grip of his pistol, then scans sizes up the remainder of the crew onboard. Hopefully the choice was good, because he knew there wasn't time to find a better one.
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Oct 10, 2014 00:17
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Getting Out "South," a man growls from the top of the gangplank. He looks over your crew, his eyes lingering on Scrive, "Boat's drat near full, how many more of you are there and how do you plan to pay your way?"
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Oct 13, 2014 05:01
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Annalise Ardenne Getting this lot onto a boat is going to be a hard sell, but they have the advantage of very little dead weight, besides Montis. She's willing to consider whittling him down to a smaller package if that is required. She stalks up the gangplank to the man, doing her best to exude the confidence of an hardened campaigner who knows they're needed. "You in charge? Commander Ardenne. We're headed south too, just our luck." She touches the brim of her hat in greeting. "This here is it." She jerks her thumb over her shoulder at the assembled group. "For passage, well, truth be we normally charge for riding along, but I'm to understand there's plenty of passengers waiting. We'll be happy to work our way; able fighters all, not a green hand here, and the 'jack worked dockside plenty before he enlisted so he knows boats and loading just fine. Even got a little mechanik and bonesaw knowing tossed in. Sound fair?"
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Oct 14, 2014 01:21
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Getting Out The man's face sours, clearly distraught over the possibility of giving away valuable space, but he grunts and jerks his head to the side, beckoning you in. "Anchor's up in an hour," he snaps, "if you're not aboard then you're not aboard a'tall." Any last things you want to do here?
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Oct 15, 2014 05:46
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Stoyan Stoyan turns up his collar and steps aboard. "No need for me to do anything in town, I can just take the time to clean my weapons and prepare for the journey."
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Oct 16, 2014 05:47
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Annalise Ardenne She breathes an inward sigh of relief, and flashes the man a tight smile. "You won't regret it." She turns back to the group "Let's get loaded up so we're secure before the launch." Best to get settled before anyone rethinks the arrangement. I think the only thing we might want to do is get supplies, if needed - I think we're in the clear for ammunition, but food and coal for Scrive, if needed.
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Oct 16, 2014 15:02
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