Day 11: Purple and Orange

[voidtreckermods]

Purple: A Very Foggy Morning.

The night before the fifth day since the goblin ambush brings heavy and relentless rain. When the children and their helpers wake they will find the air damp and misty. If the treckers look at their SCA maps they are close to Um’i’les, very close.

However the mist thickens and by mid morning it is fog, thick and heavy. It’s practically impossible to see their hands if they stretch them out in front of them. Goblin activity has lessened considerably this far North but there are still dangers. Most notably the treacherous landscape. Paths turn sharply, hills give way to steep drops over jagged rock.

The children call out for each other and hold hands to stick together but the days of marching are taking their toll. They are tired, hungry and cold. This is much further than they usually go and now they can’t see. The older ones are irritable, some of the little ones burst into tears. Some whisper about getting lost forever in the blanket of fog.

Orange: Tumble Down.

Approaching Um’i’les from a different direction mean the farmers, merchants and their companions avoid the worst of the fog, mist rolls in but rolls out again leaving the hills hazy but still visable.

Just before noon it happens, one of the cattle dislodges a rock on the path. A small, unassuming rock but apparently vital to the structure of the hill side.

Everything crumbles, the section of path that the cow was walking becomes mud, parts of the path ahead and behind collapse or warp. People and livestock go tumbling. It’s not a sharp drop, luckily the slope here is one of the gentler ones but a mud slide is still dangerous. Merchants shout, chickens squawk. Hopefully the Voidtreckers bring some calm to this chaos…

If they look around they will see a path lower down the hill, if they could just get everyone out of the mud, hope no one is too badly hurt and get them on the other path this adventure might be salvageable...

Purple: Safe Haven

It might be the group splits, or perhaps they stick together. Maybe they stumble upon the city, find a section of wall and follow it round. Perhaps they wander lost for hours, so close yet so far. Or perhaps they decide to stay still until the fog lifts.

But eventually they find it. Um’i’les. A city, much larger than Culin’e’ai. Much better fortified. Guards challenge them at the gate but once they see the children will let them in and runners are sent to inform those that need to know.

Things happen quickly and soon there is one of the lesser halls of the keep prepared for their use. It is simple but there is a fire at one end and servants bring in tubs of water and also blankets. Soon there is pottage on the fire and enough bowls for everyone. A woman with a face that invites no nonsense can be seen around, clearly giving orders and instructions. If she sees any of the adults looking remotely competent she will watch them, though only approach if they seem open to the idea.

Orange: Help Comes

It might be that Orange Team are well on their way again. It might be that some have gone with the bulk of the citizens whilst others hang back to help those stuck or injured. Um’i’les has sent out riders, a huge group of children with a few adults arriving in from the fog was enough for them to search the hills for any other people who may be lost.

So it may be they find the city on their own, it may be they are found by riders, who will lead them to the city. If there are people stuck the riders will help with rescue efforts.

But unless anyone has gotten themselves well and truly lost they will arrive at the city a few hours after the children.

Purple and Orange: Reunited

Animals are stabled or put in paddocks, given food and water. The citizens are led to the same hall the children were taken to. Children are reunited with parents, or much more commonly grandparents. Stories are swapped and talk soon turns anxiously to those who are still out there somewhere.

In amongst all the clamour Orange Team are reunited with Purple Team, their charges safe for now.

((OOC: A reminder that if you want an NPC to show up in your thread just let me know here. Likewise if your character wants to do something outside of this framework that's absolutely fine! If it's something that you feel mods should be aware of let me know here or on the event ooc post!))

Comments

[dredefulchilde]

Reunited and it feels so good...

Five days. Five days of hard fighting, no sleep, the screams and sobs of frightened children. Five days of his body attempting to heal itself of a succession of mortal injuries while poison from the goblin crossbow bolts he’d taken in the first day continues to course through his body. Five days of icy rain and impenetrable fog, chilling him to his core.

Five days of looks of fear and disgust from the ones he’s supposed to be protecting.

By the time they finally reach their goal, Joscelin is at his limit. He attempts to hide his shaking hands as he barks orders to the children, eyes fever bright, but he’s close to collapse. He’s too tired to complain and doesn’t bother correcting anyone when, some hours after they arrive, he finds himself shepherded around with the children, having been mistaken for one of their number. Someone who looks very much like she ought to be the matron at a boarding school in some Victorian novel sits him down with a plate of something gooey and steaming that doesn’t, on the balance, taste all that bad.

He’s vaguely aware of the doors opening, of more people being admitted to the hall but it’s so hard to tell when black spots keep dancing in front of his vision faster than he can blink them away

He sets down his spoon, folds his napkin, and then topples backwards out of his chair in a dead faint.

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen is basically running on instinct and leftover adrenaline at this point, after five days of convincing old people to get out of town, herding chickens over a cliffside, and arguing with smug goats mocking him while he tried to navigate a mudslide. The first thing he plans on doing when he gets back to the train is having a long shower. Maybe a burger too if he can find one; he would do many things for a burger right now. For now, though, whatever's offered for food here would suffice.

However, when he notice a child completely collapse, Reigen decides food can wait a little longer while he takes this one to get some first aid...wait. Once he's close enough to pick up the boy, Reigen recognizes who it is.

"Joscelin? Dammit, kid, you've got a health condition, you could've sat this one out--WHAT THE FUCK."

Reigen's already concerned running on the assumption that an anemic ten-year-old has had to trek through the mountains for nearly a week, but then he notices that Joscelin's clothes are covered in blood, and his concern turns to full-on panic. Is that Joss' blood? How long has he been hurt? Does his weird anemia mean that even a scratch could kill him?! Fear brings on another boost of adrenaline, and Reigen near runs to the nearest medic with Joscelin carried in his arms like a small baby.

"Help...d-doctor, I need a doctor--the kid's hurt, do something!" Reigen gasps through his words. He just got here and he's already desperate.

[dredefulchilde]

He’s not actually hurt, as they will discover when they lay him out on a bed and start to remove his clothes. The only thing marring his perfectly pale (if somewhat dirty from five days of bloody battle) skin is, curiously, what looks to be a faded tattoo of the kanji symbol for child, 子, right above his belly button. A healed scar on the palm of his left hand is the only other mark.

Still, he’s obviously unwell. Despite the fact that his skin is cool to the touch, he has every appearance of someone burning up with a fever.

“Mum,” he mumbles deliriously. “Mum, it’s hot.”

Evie Grimhilde - OTA

[blueberryprincess]

The last leg of the mission had been treacherous and difficult, the path narrow, the drop dangerous and the children they were tasked with guarding tired and crabby and miserable. Evie could understand why, however, and she wasn't going to fault them for being angry at the situation. They were far from their parents for days, and that distance was filled with an uncertainty that Evie tried her best to not let the kids think of.

Finally, however, they'd made it. Safe as houses and tired as Hades. It was when the kids were all seated and eating that Evie realized just how tired and sore and downright burnt out Evie was. While the children sat and ate, Evie had found herself sitting on the hard ground, her back against the wall and her eyes closed as she tried not to rest, but to pause for a moment. That was what she wanted. To just pause.

It's the small unidentifiable sound nearby that has her opening one eye, seeing the smiling face of one of the younger girls they'd helped. She couldn't be more than six or seven. The quietest child in their group, she'd taken to Evie within a few hours and had been something of a shadow for her. So when Evie spots the girl, she gives her the best smile she has and reaches for her, the child quickly settling into Evie's lap and resting her head on Evie's shoulder. Soon, the child is out asleep and Evie's almost out, too, opening her eyes occasionally at the smallest of sounds.

She's not sure she'll stop being this jumpy for a good, long while.

[stealsyourheart]

"Miss Evie." The voice is quiet, a mud-covered Kaito stepping into view with a mug in hand.

"You look as tired as I feel. Drink?"

[blueberryprincess]

Evie opens her eyes at the voice, shifting the weight of the sleeping child some and stretching a leg out with a groan as she looks Kaito over. She'd answer his question or respond to his offer, but she has concerns.

"What happened to you?"

[tinkerheart]

Down the river of mud. For Renee.
The mist sets in as they climb but the air clears fast enough that Fëanor hasn't spared it a single thought. They are in the mountains after all. The weather can change at any moment. Nothing special with that.

Then the ground turns liquid and the whole slope runs down the hill taking everything and everyone with it.

A few moments of chaos later Fëanor finds himself knee-deep in the mud that's quickly setting around him. At least he didn't break anything but he can't move. He lost both of the daggers in the fall but by some nearly impossible luck he still has his hammer and the broken sword.

None of those will help him much if the wolves come.

Purple and Orange reunited. OTA
While at first Fëanor was quite content to be off the train on the move for once, right now he's just tired. It was a difficult trek to the fortress. Five days of mud, fog, and cold. Five days with herding both cattle and people, fending off wild animals, hunting, gathering what little food they could get from the land. He's almost sure they lost some people on the way. They surely did lose animals and property in the mudslide.

But mostly, five days of worry how Maglor and Maedhros are holding up, there with the Red team. Wondering, doubting, if he really made a good decision going with the Orange. He did. He wouldn't have left Curufin alone and for all his talents he can't be in two places at once. He had to make a choice. As reasonable as it is, it does nothing to lessen his worry.

When his group of refugees finally reached the fortress Fëanor hoped he would find his sons already there. But they are nowhere to be found. The Purple team arrived but no sign of Red. Still, he doesn't stop searching.

In dire need a metal worker (NPC request)

[tinkerheart]

Fëanor leaves the refugees and the fellow Voidtreckers for some time. Since the Red team has not yet arrived, he can't just sit in place. He needs something to occupy his mind with. What's better than work?
So he goes on a quest to search for a smith. It's a fortress. They must have at least one.

Re: In dire need a metal worker (NPC request)

[voidtreckernpcs]

They do have at least one, three actually. The one in the keep itself is not the place where random strangers can wander into but there are two in the city surrounding the keep and it is not difficult to get directions.

The blacksmiths shop is quite large with space for horses to be tethered outside. There's a man by a fire, hammering away. It seems Feanor has come to the right place.

Down the river of mud. Ew.

[afterburner]

Renee had been given a responsibility, and so it was important for her to check up on the other teams. Blue was doing all right, she knew her own team was getting close to completing their objective, and she'd checked in on the Red team too, to give Tony a status report. Orange was the only team she needed to check up on.

Looks like she got there just in time, too! She rockets on down the mountainside, doing her best to maneuver close to the elf.

Hovering is not her strongest skill, yet, but she manages to at least slow down enough to fake it, reaching down to Feanor. Train members got priority! Of course she'd end up rescuing chickens, cows, and any others stuck in the mud, but he's getting his first.

"Grab my hands, and I'll take it slow! I'll get you out!"

[tinkerheart]

At first, he doesn't know what is that he saw. Just a tiny speck against the sky. Anyone else would have missed it but elves have exceptional sight and the shape is familiar.
If he didn't know better Fëanor could easily mistake her for a Maia. She really wasn't joking with that whole Homo Sapiens Superior. Truly, the Atani are more remarkable than he ever suspected.

"Thank you!"

He grabs her hands but it goes extremely slow. The moment the wet soil stopped moving it set like cement. For a few moments, it seems as if no matter what she does he's not moving at all but finally, the bog releases him with a terrible squelching sound.

"Do you have any news from the Red team?" he asks as she finally drags him out of the mud. If she was able to fly here. Maybe she found the others too.

The places where the ground solidified are actually stable enough to hold his weight. Though probably no one else. Elves are quite light, humans no so much. This is going to be interesting.

[stealsyourheart]

Tumble Down

As the slide starts his head snaps up, and he swears. Instinctively, he looks for Conan and Heiji first, although objectively the tanteis can look after themselves. His agility is put to good use scrambling up and down and testing for stability as he scrambles to try and reach anyone swept off their feet and get them to mostly solid ground. He'll take any help he can get, at this point.

Reunited

He's covered in mud, and limping slightly, but the grin on his face never falters, the cheer in his voice as he encourages the older folk along still bright.

"Come on, obaasan - I see lights! We're almost there, then you can rest!"

He'll collapse later. He does more good with a smile than anything else, right now.

Tumble down

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin spots Kaito doing the same work as he himself is, rescuing people from the mudslide. A hundred feet away, a small party of city-dwellers are struggling to pull themselves out of the mud.

"Kaito! Over here!" he shouts, and starts running towards the people. His feet splash through the muck some of the time and he leaps between small islands of slightly drier ground, most of them with trees holding the dirt down. (What little of it is held.)

Re: Tumble down

[stealsyourheart]

"Curufin-san!" He waves back, boggling at the elf's ability to seemingly skim over the worst of the mud.

"Have you found any one?"

[faithfulson]

[Foggy Morning]
Luke felt bad for these poor kids, he really did. It reminded him of his own life on Tatooine, before he had run away; how he had to live with the fact that one step out of the safety of home could possibly mean the end of his life. It wasn't an easy way to live, and he couldn't blame the kids for being scared.

He couldn't blame them, but they couldn't afford for them to be blinded by fear either.

He stopped at the head of the line, taking a deep breath, before calling out so he could be heard over the others.

"Listen, everyone, I know it's scary, but I know we're close to civilization. We just need to hold on a little bit longer, and everyone will be able to rest. I just need you to take the hand of the person in front and the person behind you; stay close to each other and don't let go, no matter what. I'll lead us through the fog."

Luke knew he could do it; if he focused on the Force, he would be able to sense where the ground was. He could do this.

[Safe Haven]
Even when everyone else rests, Luke doesn't, not yet at least. It's in his nature to worry about others first, and he's doing that now, checking in on everyone to make sure they have what they need and they're eating well.

Someone will need to physically drag him down into a seat before he relaxes, and that's probably obvious after about a half hour of this.

[voidtreckernpcs]

It's not every day they are presented with an entire city of refugees. But Vera has organised this city through sieges before, a large group of children and farmers do not phase her. She had quickly secured lodgings and food and after a few hours went to inspect the situation herself.

There were some who did not seem like children or farmers at all. Fighters. She saw how the children especially interacted with them, they were not well know but they were trusted.

She didn't want to interfere too much. They were all exhausted and some injured. But she saw one of the strange ones by himself, one of the older ones at that, and so approached.

"Greetings."

[faithfulson]

Luke started at suddenly being approached, stiffening slightly, as if coming to attention out of habit. He smiled faintly after a moment, trying to play it off.

"Ma'am," he returned her greeting with a nod. "How can I help you?"

[thebiggestguy]

[Safe Haven]

Well, that had been unpleasant.

Dread didn't begrudge the effort for a moment, mind. The kids needed to be protected, and that's exactly what they'd done. But he couldn't pretend that the whole trip had been anywhere near as enjoyable as punching a primal into the ground or kicking a vengeful Garlean across the room.

Still... worth it. As the children settled in for their food or got comfortable in blankets, Dread visibly relaxed and let himself lean against the wall. Given his size and bulk, the tension draining out of him really did make him seem to lose a couple inches in breadth.

"I wonder," he said, quietly, "if we arrived here by good timing, or if the timing never mattered."

Reunited

As soon as they stepped in, Dread looked around for signs of the others. Which was a pretty easy matter at his height. As soon as he saw someone from the other team, he moved that way, slowly easing his way through the crowd.

"Is everyone on your side all right?"

Safe Haven

[voidtreckernpcs]

"Timing always matters." A voice from close by spoke. There were some in the groups of refugees who were clearly not from Culin’e’ai. This was one of them. Vera hasn't seen anyone so large, though she has heard of peoples from over the sea who could grow larger than those here.

She approached him confidently though, she was interested in the ones who didn't fit in. How they had come to find the children and lead them here. "I'd say it is fortuitous that you arrived when you did."

[thebiggestguy]

Oops. Well, he couldn't explain exactly what he meant, so Dread simply lifted his shoulders in as mild a shrug as someone his size could make. He thought for a second, then said, "Unless it was fate. If destiny exists, who knows?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Orange: tumble down

Curufin just narrowly avoids being in the landslide. He loses his balance when part of the hillside slides out from under his feet, but he grabs a tree branch and saves himself. The tree is so large and rooted so deeply that it isn't pulled down by the mud, miraculously.

He works his way back up onto solid ground, and then begins rescuing people and animals. It's fortunate that the slope is no steeper than it is, but there are still people stumbling through the mud and looking for their animals or their friends and families.


Purple and Orange: Reunited

Curufin helps the farmers with the animals and then goes to the hall to see if all the people he sent down the safe path after the muslide have made it to the refuge. He's also looking for his teammates or his train companions.

[deductionrival]

"Curufin!" Heiji calls out. He had managed to not get completely buried in the mud, but something caught around his leg and try as he might, he can't pull himself free. It felt like a rope or a lead, something that just kept tightening painfully around his skin. It wasn't helping matters that every time he reached for something around him it just sank into the mud too.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin heard Heiji call out, whirled around, and spotted him struggling in the mud. He ran to help him.

"Whooo, looks like some animal's lead rope got caught around your ankle," he said, hip-deep and with his arms buried in the sludge while he groped for the source of Heiji's trouble. "Wait, I think I can cut this rope without cutting you." He pulled out the knife he had taken off a goblin's body, dipped it under the mud, and very, very carefully slid it under the rope.

[deductiongeek]

There were a lot of drawbacks to being so small. Conan had been right at the edge of the landslide, but it had still been more than enough to sweep him away. When the slide finally comes to a stop he find himself stuck in the mud and unable to get enough leverage to pull himself out.

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen, unfortunately, was not as lucky in avoiding a landslide. He managed to avoid getting actually injured, but now he's waist-deep in mud, holding a panicked chicken above his head. Neither the chicken nor Reigen are happy with this situation.

"Just stop flapping, I'm trying to help, dammit!" He notices Curufin on actual solid ground, and holds out the chicken to him. "Oi, you're the animal guy, c-can you take her? Come on, Nugget-chan, go with the pretty elf man..."