voidtreckermods: (train)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] middleofsomewhere2019-09-21 06:31 am

Day 11: Purple and Orange

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!))
dredefulchilde: (looking down)

[personal profile] dredefulchilde 2019-09-22 05:36 am (UTC)(link)
“It’s not all my blood,” he says, still flat against the pillows. Why must the room spin so?

“‘s the goblins, mostly. I think. There was that wolf on the first day...”

He doesn’t seem aware of the fact that he isn’t making sense. “I got shot, and then there was the poison. I think it’s the poison that’s making me—“

He breaks off and starts coughing painfully, his tiny body rising and falling violently with each spasm.
internetsexsymbol: (nervous)

[personal profile] internetsexsymbol 2019-09-22 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
If Reigen was confused before, then Joss' statement just makes him even more baffled. A sick child is splattered with the blood of his enemies? Not that Reigen's a stranger to super-powered children, but it's still not something he assumes of every kid he meets.

"...are you telling me you fought a wolf? This really isn't the best time for jokes, Joscelin. I'm already worried enough--hold on, you were what?! How--why--what--"

A lot of questions go through his head, particularly 'How are you still alive?!' and 'Why don't you have any injuries then?!' along with a bunch of questions as to who or what Joscelin really is. Then the kid starts coughing, however, and Reigen decides the more pressing matter is the fact that he has poison in his system.

"Never mind, we can talk about that later. The sister's gonna take care of the poison right now. You just, uh...focus on not dying."

dredefulchilde: (evil eye)

[personal profile] dredefulchilde 2019-09-22 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately, Joss is too busy hacking up a lung to give a coherent answer to any of Reigen’s questions. The poison swirls through his bloodstream, doing its level best to kill him while his body struggles to repair the damage. Bruises appear on his pale, skinny chest, signs that the poison is breaking down cellular structures, and then vanish again without a trace moments later.

There’s blood on his pillow now.

“F-flask! I need to drink...”
internetsexsymbol: (freakinout)

[personal profile] internetsexsymbol 2019-09-23 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
Well, that's not good. That's a lot of things really, but good is not one of them. Between the confusion from the mysteriously vanishing bruises and the panic from the fact that Joss is coughing, there's only one coherent thought in Reigen's head.

Oh, fuck.

"Hold on, I'll get you some water--eh? Flask? What?" Reigen has no clue why the kid is asking for a drink when he's dying (why would you even have alcohol on you, Joscelin?!), but he goes to look through where they discarded the stained clothes for something like a flask. Who knows, it could just have water or medicine in it.
dredefulchilde: (Default)

[personal profile] dredefulchilde 2019-09-23 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
The “flask” in question is a largeish water skin that is mostly empty save for a trickle of something sloshing around inside of it. He has little more than one swallow left. Any longer and he’ll need to resort to finding a donor. Maybe Reigen will volunteer. He seems uncommonly committed to caring for a stranger he’s just met.

Joscelin reaches a small hand for the flask and has the presence of mind to say:

“It’s...from the train. The last of m-my medicine.”

When is the train coming? He’s weak as a kitten right now, but still strong enough to drink from someone and then erase their memory of the attack if he needs to. He doesn’t want to. Not even when he’s like this.
internetsexsymbol: (dread)

[personal profile] internetsexsymbol 2019-09-23 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
Reigen manages to find something flask-like in the discarded clothes, which he assumes is what Joscelin is talking about. "Ok, found it! Here, drink up."

Quickly taking the top off, he hands Joss the flask. At least there's some left in there, though definitely less than enough to be ideal. Hopefully it lasts long enough for the train to show up and get them out of goblinville before Joss ends up coughing up more blood.

Man, all this stress is giving Reigen a migraine. He's never looked forward to going to bed so much in his life.
dredefulchilde: (looking up)

[personal profile] dredefulchilde 2019-09-24 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
I It’s old blood, at this point, more congealed mass than strictly liquid substance. It tastes disgusting, sliding down his throat, and the age means that it’s not as effective as it might have been.

But it’s still better than nothing.

The coughing subsides and the bruising calms down.

“Water,” he gasps.

Then, miracle of miracles, he follows up with a...

“Please.”
internetsexsymbol: (thumbsup)

[personal profile] internetsexsymbol 2019-09-25 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Reigen breathes an audible sigh of relief when the 'medicine' starts taking effect. Maybe they weren't entirely out of the woods yet, but at least Joscelin is no longer hacking up a lung.

"Right, water! One minute!" He rustles through the supplies in the room (it's debatable how much permission he even has for that) to get some classic hydration. Once he's gotten the water, he hands it to Joss and takes another look at the flask the medicine was in with some curiosity.

"If this is how things go, we'll have to pack two of these things on trips from now on."
dredefulchilde: (looking down)

[personal profile] dredefulchilde 2019-09-25 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
The water is blessedly cool, and he sighs happily. Already, he can feel sleep beginning to take him again as he watches Reigen fiddle with the flask.

“Mm,” he admits muzzliy. “I miscalculated. I was not expecting to get shot with poisoned crossbow bolts not an hour out of the train. I used too much then, and I’ve been playing catch-up...since...”

If Reigen wants an explanation, too bad for him. The next sound out of Joss is a light snore as falls asleep. It’s a much deeper and more peaceful sleep than before. He looks less agonized, less fevered. Not out of the woods yet, maybe, but better.