Arc 1: Leaving the Nest

[Merc]

Marcelo cups his hands in front of his mouth as their group approaches, shouting ahead, "Hey, what's with the road blockage??" even as he scans the situation to try to make out the answer on his own.

[Dracos]

OOC: Hitting post helps, I find. *eyes work computer*
IC:
Mesina looked over the map as the caravan carried on, trying to figure out if it was still a long ways off until they were near the spots where guards had vanished in the past.  If it was, it might not be bad to have some company for the journey.

[Bjorn]

The disappearances have been spread out over a range of about ten or fifteen miles from where you currently are, with no particular order to them. 

The caravan (which is inwards bound to Brindisi) is moving, but slowly.  At Marcelo's question, the nearest of the guards shifts his bow slightly from the ready to spit on the ground.  "It's a small bridge, boy, and we're doing big business." He glowers at you.  "Wait your turn."

It's pretty obvious that he's telling you the truth, as far as it goes.  You're approaching the bridge from an angle, and it's clear that there's nothing slowing things down other than the confusion of trying to get the wagons across the bridge, which is only wide enough for one wagon at a time.  However, it's also clear to you that it's been made worse because the caravan has pulled itself in, wagons and guards closer together for protection.

[Dracos]

Spinning a coin between her fingers, she considered the scene ahead.  It could be just a case of paranoid caravans.  They do have good reason to be so during travel these days and she remembered plenty of times of seeing similar behavior.  But even so, it never hurt to find out.

"Roads quiet enough up ahead?"  She wondered conversationally at a different guard as they protected the slowly moving caravan.

[Brian]

Seeing that the caravans are going to take a while, Gwythyr waits until the caravan they are traveling with comes to a full halt, then sets up with his lap-harp, eying the guards and the caravan and playing something inconsequential, almost tuneless.  But nerves are short and tempers are hot, so if there's any discernible theme to the piece, it's that it's soothing.  Once he's settled into the tune, and the guards can be confident he's not trying anything else, he lets the tune fade off, then starts a rendition of The Narrow Pass -- really a dance song, but also the story of dwarves who found trouble with their 'perfect' tunnel system when the main connection was too narrow for more than one pair of dwarves at a turn.  The lyrics aren't perfect outside of the dwarven language, but it's close enough.

OOC: Inspire Competence to give the caravaneers a +2 competence bonus on crossing-related activities.  This probably won't accomplish much, but it may set them at ease and make them easier to talk to.

[Bjorn]

At first, Gwythyr's melody seems to have the opposite of his intended effect, as the caravaners slow down, drawn in by the music.  But haste was making waste, and as people relax they get less in each other's way.  Soon the tail end of the caravan is in sight.

The guard Mesina approaches is one particularly enthralled by the dwarf's music, who's come off the path (and, coincidentally, stopped wandering in front of a particularly skittish ox) to pause to listen.  At her question, he too spits in the grass.  "Quiet for the moment," he says.  "Lost Roberto, though, so we didn't stick around to see if that'd change."  His efforts to sound tough are a little put off by his voice breaking.

[Dracos]

"Roberto?  Another guard?  Did something happen?"  Sympathy was clear in her voice, even as she pumped the man for information.

[Bjorn]

"Vanished, about two miles back."  The guard swallows, his prominent Adam's apple bouncing.  "Heard a scream."

[Dracos]

"That's dreadful!  Near the road?  We were heading out that way ourselves."

[Bjorn]

"Just north of it, I think he was."  The guard swallows again, clearly nervous.  "Good luck to you, but you're a fool for risking it."   There's a shout from the caravan, and he jerks, then runs back to his place without another word.

[Dracos]

Turning back to her compatriots, she gave a slight nod of appreciation to Gwythyr for his pleasant tune and cautious aid.

"It seems we are in luck.  Perhaps baiting may be entirely unnecessary.  We're a mere two hours from where the last victim was.  Let's try and find signs of him and maybe it can give us an idea of what we're dealing with."

[Ebiris]

"It's a sound lead," Rudi agrees thoughtfully. "I'm surprised they were close enough to hear a scream and didn't investigate, though... from what we've been told, the victims have simply vanished with no clue nor trace."

[Dracos]

"They're paid to keep the caravan safe, not be heroes.  Why would they risk their necks and their caravan?" Mesina shrugged.  "We're at least getting paid for the trouble and don't have to come back to a caravan that wouldn't have appreciated sticking around with something dangerous nearby."

[Brian]

"Fortuitous," Gwythyr agrees, stowing the lap-harp carefully.  "I suppose onward, then, to see what may be discovered?"

[Dracos]

"Indeed," Mesina lead them off, keeping attentive for any signs of a struggle as they walked together.