Post by ThurnockScormus on Aug 14, 2005 18:48:32 GMT -5
Amanita Vernia: VILLAGE OF ULLALI &THE MFALME HACARA // The group had once again split, leaving Amanita and Venor with the majority of the crew, Renn in charge, and the boat. The others, a small party including Arculeius, Brinlar, Thrnock, Mateo and about a dozen others. Enough to carry the supplies needed back to the ship. Arculeius was confident that they would be able to trade, though the added bounty that Brinlar suggested, a dagger, would only sweeten the pot. He translated both their welcome and the offer receiving little visual evidence if the chief was pleased or not, a moment of complete silence fell over the entire village, it seemed, but then the tapping of his staff against the ground broke that current. Arculeius translated it's significance to the others. "Hacara has agreed to trade." His hand slide into his sleeve slowly to retrieve the small pouch and hold it up. Again he spoke in the inland dialect telling the tribes chief the contents. Some among the jungles even believed that the rare beans used to make black wine could cure a man of any ailment. Arculeius, knowing this wise tale, played it up for the sake of their trade.
ON THE GALLEY // Meanwhile, Amanita seemed more than anxious pacing and waiting for the men to return. The work that had taken her weeks to complete in order to replicate the journal had finally come to an end, though it only made the waiting more torturous. There was the chance that Krakatoe would close in on them and they might find themselves in another trap, but at the same time they were still armed for whatever came and had the vantage of seeing it coming this time. One would just have to wait now... wait for whatever came
Brinlar Sevarii: ~The pirate captain nods, his smile still evident to the jungle chieftain, and mutters to Arculeius " Let us decide what he will exchange for our wonderous gifts then, so we can be on our way" Looking back at Thurnock briefly, then those silver-greys return to the tall nubian " Every ahn the Folly is moored is not to our advantage..I suggest you come to terms har-ta" <d>
Thurnock Scormus: ::he shot the captain a nod hearing him, he glanced around at the "natives" it did little to ease his own tension as he heard the confirmation that a deal had been struck the thought of Krakatoa still out there somewhere on the river played over and over in the back of his mind the thoughts too of the women back on the Folly, knowing that there were plenty of men back there to launch a good defense should it be needed too did not help ease his thoughts he looked to Mateo who though dark skinned himself was shifting uneasily, the inlet they had pulled into seemingly had good cover, he looked up to the skies light, then towards the Chief, hot and sticky, he wanted as much as the others to get the supplies and get out of there::
Debauched Caper: Aboard the Folly, along the bow, was Ven'. And Ven, was doing a rather good job occupying his mind, as he had been for...was it a hand already? Two, perhaps? He merely bided his time with the honing-stones, oils and whatever implement the crew and men of Silenti could offer, from arrow-heads and daggers, to the larger, more unwieldy blades...Not a job of little time, of course. And one that left him with free actions for his hands while his mind sifted through the various thoughts a mind could sometimes have. Of course, as he remembered it, he was...often, the quiet sort of man. So while not surprising, perhaps it was more...confusing, to think of yourself as someone else entirely while trying to become them, yes? Much of his time, he dwelled on that as he ground edges into a gleaming hone, sitting in the hard-won leathers and spare boots from among the crew (won over urt-knuckles in dice, no less), enjoying the familiar cloying heat of the jungle, now that he recalled it being something near to a first home...Thoughts bled away into idle speculation then, as he hummed, continuing his little chore.
HuntressSakina: Sakina looked every hort the model of a free woman, right down to the sandals and ankle length sari of emerald green, long sun streaked dark hair worn in a high twist, soft tendrils of hair fell to her shoulders lending a distinctly feminine and, to her own dismay, delicate, appearance to the slim woman, eyeing the satchel, she pursed her lips, much depended on fate, but that was just the way life worked, and as she mentally recounted the supplies concealed within the sealed messenger pouch she tensed, hearing the men speaking, she understood both dialects and paced a bit in Hacara's hut. Only he and one other in the village knew the truth behind the illusion, and of course her scouts, the subtle bird calls myriad in the jungles, were not alwats as they seemed to an outsider and she had a fair estimate of where they were as she remained for the moment within the hut she had carried water to, Hacara's hut, the sound of his staff thumping the ground brought a slow cruel smile to the woman in the cool shadows of his hut, unseen as of yet, she knew her part and could, hell had before, played it well, it remained in his power now to guarantee her passage, hands smoothing down the soft fabric of the sari, uneasy being mostly unarmed, but she could not take the chance on overt weaponry and a heft of the satchel, strap brought over a bare shoulder, assured her all she needed was within, protected if they were honorable men by that seal of Hacara himself, she waited as they began to deal~
Beast of Nyoka: || The Village of Ullali || At the perimeter of squat little village, at a place where the small smattering of human civilization gave way to seamless jungle, something snaked about the slender trunk of a fan palm. The paw was massive, large enough to surround the crown of a man's skull and crush it. Six digits slowly wrapped the wood, flexing and shifting oddly. Each digit was double jointed with wickedly long raptor claws. Those talons slowly sunk into the bark as if to hone their razor tips just a little bit more. Just a little bit more. The great hulking nine foot frame was partially concealed by the tree and moreso by the pocket of shadow it had chosen. Yet, even hidden away as it was; the jungle knew of it's unnaturalness. The animals sensed the thing and decided to move on for better greens to nibble, better hunting grounds, or choosier places to scent out the females of the species. Overhead, the canopy The canopy coughed up a torrent of birds, small specks spiraling dizzily upwards before they took up residence in the plush cover once more. The thing's eyes flicked up, jett pupils narrowing within their yellowish corneas before returning to glare down into the open cut of land where Ullali lay. The kur had a name but it would be impossible for a human larynx and tongue to spit out. The human had named it Mbwiri, which loosely meant demon in the inland Ukungu tongue. It had accepted this use name even though it was a far cry from the illustrious titles once savored when it lived with the others in the Steel Worlds. Lifting a claw, the silent signal drew forth two other's of it's kind. Moving up behind Mbwiri on all fours, using the lurching knuckle-run of earthen apes, the things glared down upon the people. The gruff snarls and guttural spats of their language were quiet while they briefly discussed what they saw. No woman in white nor the other. Good. They need not try to control the blood lust if the one they could not slaughter was not here. <d>
ABOARD THE FOLLY // The same men who'd watched Arculeius pace the deck while the merchant was missing now watched as she did the same. The guardsmen, though it was abondently clear he was quite more than that, wasn't missing, but still there was worry for his return... for all their return. While Arculieus was confident that the Mfalme Hacara, an ally to his own tribe, would not harbor Krakatoa or any under his command, Amanita knew better than to trust any entirely. Even her own blood, she could not trust and found herself safeguarding her own fate. Venor now knew how they were connected, he may not of remembered everything yet, but he knew the just of it. He hardly spoke to his sister and at the same time she avoided him. Watching from afar as he worked on whatever trinket he had in his hands. Yes, the woman was quite stubborn about things, even when they were her own fault. ULLANI VILLAGE // Arculeius did not need to be told anything more by Brinlar, he could feel the tension among his men and the pirates, he could feel the clashing of what it was to be an outsider and he even noticed the flight of birds in a small patch of clearing overhead. They too wanted to leave this place. Terms had been set and the list of supplies needed were exchanged, as usual Arculeius asked for more than they truly needed, expecting the tribes chief would subtract items, but instead he agreed..... with a condition. They would have to deliver something to Schendi for him. This is where Arculeius failed to think ahead, knowing the men wanted to get out of the village as soon as they could, he agreed. Blindly agreed to take whatever it was Hacara wished to have delivered to Schendi.
Brinlar listens to Arculeius , his eyes impassive, that smile of his still plastered on his handsome face, when the hairs on the nape of his neck raise and that familiar tingling runs up his spine. Never a good thing. No,not at all. Slowly his head swivels about..noo...not the villagers..they remain where they originally gathered, but the unseen threat that assails his senses is strong. On Thassa, he would disconcern what it might be...but here..in the jungles? He is clueless..and it frustrates him moreso than the unease he already feels. Graspsing Arculeius arm, he murmurs quietly, that smile still offered Hacara "We need to hurry...something...is not.....right..."
In a firm portion of his mind, Venor was almost as concerned as his sister for the sake of those on-shore. Though it was more for the purposes of, he doubted he could run the ship. And further, didn't exactly dislike Brin's handling of it thus-far. The man listened, which seemed a failing among most...shtck-shtck-shtck, steel and bronze over the honing-stone's faint rasp, getting that deadly gleam...This one an arrow-head. Lifting it....he worked his jaw, glancing off to the jungle path a moment...and let it pass, resuming his little hone. There was just nothing to say, just then.
[hearing the negotiating, as well as the quick agreement, a smile curled her lips in the darkness of the hut, lifting her "walking stick", the spearhead removed and concealed well, a gruff call from one of Hacara's men, he no wiser then most others as to her identity or the delicate dance of deception at hand, and she drew a steadying breath, to see the transformation might have seemed to some no less than a work of a magician, every detail attended to, from the subtle lift of chin to the smaller more delicate step one might possess unfamiliar with the terrain displayed as she stepped from the Mfalme's hut, allowing a look of stark relief to flood her features as she laid eyes upon white men, a demure smile as she moved, care taken to make certain the seal of the Mfalme was seen upon the messenger's satchel she carried as she joined the circle of men, careful step and for bonus points even a lovely incline of neck in a free woman of a city's habitual nod of respect to men, her words spoken in untainted Gorean, giving no hint to her familiarity with the inland dialects nor her true origins "thank the kings, I am grateful sirs, that I will be, at last, returning to Schendi, the hospitality here..." a smile and formal bow of head to the Mfalme given "has been exquisite, but I am quite ready to go home now" her words and the sincerity of those soulful dark eyes belying her tale, even the walking stick was used at the moment as just that, as if she, the delicate misplaced creature, might stumble over an errant root as she drew a deep breath f seeming relief, left hand keeping satchel close to her hip as right held the stick with slim fingers~
/color]
|| The Folley || The path to Ullali began on that patch of riverbank that was the true beginning of the Nyoka River. One of two tributaries that drained Lake Ushindi, the Nyoka river was sired from that very same shield-shaped lagoon. So to look west from the path was to see the river snaking off into the trees. To look east from the path was to be dazzled by the seemingly endless blue-green horizon of the lake. Hopefully, for their sake, some of the men left aboard the Folley were keeping a good look out westward because the nose of the Kilimanjaro slowly came around the bend. At the prow, he stood. The Beast. He was not aware that the woman he sought was aboard the ship he had been chasing all these hands with the main portion of her crew deep into the heart of the jungle at the village. He thought them all to be there most likely instead of separating and he was going to close the door on their one route of escape. Like sweeping a kaissa piece effortlessly off the board. "ROW YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!!" He howled seeing the Folley, just where he had hoped she would be, waiting for supplies, slumbering peacefully in dock. Ripping the panga from its belt loop, he spiraled it in one hand, jumping down from the rail.
|| Ullali Village || Mwbiri's mouth dropped open, black tongue slipping between the points of lower cannies, slithering out to touch at the air. It could almost taste the stench of the humans. The other two that joined the thing were Dominants like it was. Similar to the males of other species, the Dominants fought for the right to breed. They knew warfare, even amongst their own kind, very very well. The lead kur dropped to it's knuckles and charged out of the tree line, wide palm leaves slapping at it's powerful body before it emerged from the thicket and out into the open. It was not alone. Two others, their pelts darker than the "Eye" crashed through the foliage. One man, a village sentry perhaps, or the unluckiest poor bastard on Gor, swung his spear in the direction of Mwbiri but a fraction to late. A swipe of claws gouged out one eye, popping it out like a over plump grape before ripping down and giving that man a second smile. Gurgling on his own blood, the sentry fell like a full sul sack. The current opposition took about 5 ihn to take care of and the three beasts came barreling down the small slope towards the huts where the white men were just finishing their shopping.
ON THE GALLEY // Meanwhile, Amanita seemed more than anxious pacing and waiting for the men to return. The work that had taken her weeks to complete in order to replicate the journal had finally come to an end, though it only made the waiting more torturous. There was the chance that Krakatoe would close in on them and they might find themselves in another trap, but at the same time they were still armed for whatever came and had the vantage of seeing it coming this time. One would just have to wait now... wait for whatever came
Brinlar Sevarii: ~The pirate captain nods, his smile still evident to the jungle chieftain, and mutters to Arculeius " Let us decide what he will exchange for our wonderous gifts then, so we can be on our way" Looking back at Thurnock briefly, then those silver-greys return to the tall nubian " Every ahn the Folly is moored is not to our advantage..I suggest you come to terms har-ta" <d>
Thurnock Scormus: ::he shot the captain a nod hearing him, he glanced around at the "natives" it did little to ease his own tension as he heard the confirmation that a deal had been struck the thought of Krakatoa still out there somewhere on the river played over and over in the back of his mind the thoughts too of the women back on the Folly, knowing that there were plenty of men back there to launch a good defense should it be needed too did not help ease his thoughts he looked to Mateo who though dark skinned himself was shifting uneasily, the inlet they had pulled into seemingly had good cover, he looked up to the skies light, then towards the Chief, hot and sticky, he wanted as much as the others to get the supplies and get out of there::
Debauched Caper: Aboard the Folly, along the bow, was Ven'. And Ven, was doing a rather good job occupying his mind, as he had been for...was it a hand already? Two, perhaps? He merely bided his time with the honing-stones, oils and whatever implement the crew and men of Silenti could offer, from arrow-heads and daggers, to the larger, more unwieldy blades...Not a job of little time, of course. And one that left him with free actions for his hands while his mind sifted through the various thoughts a mind could sometimes have. Of course, as he remembered it, he was...often, the quiet sort of man. So while not surprising, perhaps it was more...confusing, to think of yourself as someone else entirely while trying to become them, yes? Much of his time, he dwelled on that as he ground edges into a gleaming hone, sitting in the hard-won leathers and spare boots from among the crew (won over urt-knuckles in dice, no less), enjoying the familiar cloying heat of the jungle, now that he recalled it being something near to a first home...Thoughts bled away into idle speculation then, as he hummed, continuing his little chore.
HuntressSakina: Sakina looked every hort the model of a free woman, right down to the sandals and ankle length sari of emerald green, long sun streaked dark hair worn in a high twist, soft tendrils of hair fell to her shoulders lending a distinctly feminine and, to her own dismay, delicate, appearance to the slim woman, eyeing the satchel, she pursed her lips, much depended on fate, but that was just the way life worked, and as she mentally recounted the supplies concealed within the sealed messenger pouch she tensed, hearing the men speaking, she understood both dialects and paced a bit in Hacara's hut. Only he and one other in the village knew the truth behind the illusion, and of course her scouts, the subtle bird calls myriad in the jungles, were not alwats as they seemed to an outsider and she had a fair estimate of where they were as she remained for the moment within the hut she had carried water to, Hacara's hut, the sound of his staff thumping the ground brought a slow cruel smile to the woman in the cool shadows of his hut, unseen as of yet, she knew her part and could, hell had before, played it well, it remained in his power now to guarantee her passage, hands smoothing down the soft fabric of the sari, uneasy being mostly unarmed, but she could not take the chance on overt weaponry and a heft of the satchel, strap brought over a bare shoulder, assured her all she needed was within, protected if they were honorable men by that seal of Hacara himself, she waited as they began to deal~
Beast of Nyoka: || The Village of Ullali || At the perimeter of squat little village, at a place where the small smattering of human civilization gave way to seamless jungle, something snaked about the slender trunk of a fan palm. The paw was massive, large enough to surround the crown of a man's skull and crush it. Six digits slowly wrapped the wood, flexing and shifting oddly. Each digit was double jointed with wickedly long raptor claws. Those talons slowly sunk into the bark as if to hone their razor tips just a little bit more. Just a little bit more. The great hulking nine foot frame was partially concealed by the tree and moreso by the pocket of shadow it had chosen. Yet, even hidden away as it was; the jungle knew of it's unnaturalness. The animals sensed the thing and decided to move on for better greens to nibble, better hunting grounds, or choosier places to scent out the females of the species. Overhead, the canopy The canopy coughed up a torrent of birds, small specks spiraling dizzily upwards before they took up residence in the plush cover once more. The thing's eyes flicked up, jett pupils narrowing within their yellowish corneas before returning to glare down into the open cut of land where Ullali lay. The kur had a name but it would be impossible for a human larynx and tongue to spit out. The human had named it Mbwiri, which loosely meant demon in the inland Ukungu tongue. It had accepted this use name even though it was a far cry from the illustrious titles once savored when it lived with the others in the Steel Worlds. Lifting a claw, the silent signal drew forth two other's of it's kind. Moving up behind Mbwiri on all fours, using the lurching knuckle-run of earthen apes, the things glared down upon the people. The gruff snarls and guttural spats of their language were quiet while they briefly discussed what they saw. No woman in white nor the other. Good. They need not try to control the blood lust if the one they could not slaughter was not here. <d>
ABOARD THE FOLLY // The same men who'd watched Arculeius pace the deck while the merchant was missing now watched as she did the same. The guardsmen, though it was abondently clear he was quite more than that, wasn't missing, but still there was worry for his return... for all their return. While Arculieus was confident that the Mfalme Hacara, an ally to his own tribe, would not harbor Krakatoa or any under his command, Amanita knew better than to trust any entirely. Even her own blood, she could not trust and found herself safeguarding her own fate. Venor now knew how they were connected, he may not of remembered everything yet, but he knew the just of it. He hardly spoke to his sister and at the same time she avoided him. Watching from afar as he worked on whatever trinket he had in his hands. Yes, the woman was quite stubborn about things, even when they were her own fault. ULLANI VILLAGE // Arculeius did not need to be told anything more by Brinlar, he could feel the tension among his men and the pirates, he could feel the clashing of what it was to be an outsider and he even noticed the flight of birds in a small patch of clearing overhead. They too wanted to leave this place. Terms had been set and the list of supplies needed were exchanged, as usual Arculeius asked for more than they truly needed, expecting the tribes chief would subtract items, but instead he agreed..... with a condition. They would have to deliver something to Schendi for him. This is where Arculeius failed to think ahead, knowing the men wanted to get out of the village as soon as they could, he agreed. Blindly agreed to take whatever it was Hacara wished to have delivered to Schendi.
Brinlar listens to Arculeius , his eyes impassive, that smile of his still plastered on his handsome face, when the hairs on the nape of his neck raise and that familiar tingling runs up his spine. Never a good thing. No,not at all. Slowly his head swivels about..noo...not the villagers..they remain where they originally gathered, but the unseen threat that assails his senses is strong. On Thassa, he would disconcern what it might be...but here..in the jungles? He is clueless..and it frustrates him moreso than the unease he already feels. Graspsing Arculeius arm, he murmurs quietly, that smile still offered Hacara "We need to hurry...something...is not.....right..."
In a firm portion of his mind, Venor was almost as concerned as his sister for the sake of those on-shore. Though it was more for the purposes of, he doubted he could run the ship. And further, didn't exactly dislike Brin's handling of it thus-far. The man listened, which seemed a failing among most...shtck-shtck-shtck, steel and bronze over the honing-stone's faint rasp, getting that deadly gleam...This one an arrow-head. Lifting it....he worked his jaw, glancing off to the jungle path a moment...and let it pass, resuming his little hone. There was just nothing to say, just then.
[hearing the negotiating, as well as the quick agreement, a smile curled her lips in the darkness of the hut, lifting her "walking stick", the spearhead removed and concealed well, a gruff call from one of Hacara's men, he no wiser then most others as to her identity or the delicate dance of deception at hand, and she drew a steadying breath, to see the transformation might have seemed to some no less than a work of a magician, every detail attended to, from the subtle lift of chin to the smaller more delicate step one might possess unfamiliar with the terrain displayed as she stepped from the Mfalme's hut, allowing a look of stark relief to flood her features as she laid eyes upon white men, a demure smile as she moved, care taken to make certain the seal of the Mfalme was seen upon the messenger's satchel she carried as she joined the circle of men, careful step and for bonus points even a lovely incline of neck in a free woman of a city's habitual nod of respect to men, her words spoken in untainted Gorean, giving no hint to her familiarity with the inland dialects nor her true origins "thank the kings, I am grateful sirs, that I will be, at last, returning to Schendi, the hospitality here..." a smile and formal bow of head to the Mfalme given "has been exquisite, but I am quite ready to go home now" her words and the sincerity of those soulful dark eyes belying her tale, even the walking stick was used at the moment as just that, as if she, the delicate misplaced creature, might stumble over an errant root as she drew a deep breath f seeming relief, left hand keeping satchel close to her hip as right held the stick with slim fingers~
/color]
|| The Folley || The path to Ullali began on that patch of riverbank that was the true beginning of the Nyoka River. One of two tributaries that drained Lake Ushindi, the Nyoka river was sired from that very same shield-shaped lagoon. So to look west from the path was to see the river snaking off into the trees. To look east from the path was to be dazzled by the seemingly endless blue-green horizon of the lake. Hopefully, for their sake, some of the men left aboard the Folley were keeping a good look out westward because the nose of the Kilimanjaro slowly came around the bend. At the prow, he stood. The Beast. He was not aware that the woman he sought was aboard the ship he had been chasing all these hands with the main portion of her crew deep into the heart of the jungle at the village. He thought them all to be there most likely instead of separating and he was going to close the door on their one route of escape. Like sweeping a kaissa piece effortlessly off the board. "ROW YOU WORTHLESS BASTARDS!!" He howled seeing the Folley, just where he had hoped she would be, waiting for supplies, slumbering peacefully in dock. Ripping the panga from its belt loop, he spiraled it in one hand, jumping down from the rail.
|| Ullali Village || Mwbiri's mouth dropped open, black tongue slipping between the points of lower cannies, slithering out to touch at the air. It could almost taste the stench of the humans. The other two that joined the thing were Dominants like it was. Similar to the males of other species, the Dominants fought for the right to breed. They knew warfare, even amongst their own kind, very very well. The lead kur dropped to it's knuckles and charged out of the tree line, wide palm leaves slapping at it's powerful body before it emerged from the thicket and out into the open. It was not alone. Two others, their pelts darker than the "Eye" crashed through the foliage. One man, a village sentry perhaps, or the unluckiest poor bastard on Gor, swung his spear in the direction of Mwbiri but a fraction to late. A swipe of claws gouged out one eye, popping it out like a over plump grape before ripping down and giving that man a second smile. Gurgling on his own blood, the sentry fell like a full sul sack. The current opposition took about 5 ihn to take care of and the three beasts came barreling down the small slope towards the huts where the white men were just finishing their shopping.