Ambush, Aye, Aye, Sure 'Nuff

Northreach Road


 * One of the newest highways in Fastheld, the aptly named Northreach Road runs a direct north-south path between the Seamel Township of Northreach in the north, and the Mikin city of Wedgecrest in the south.


 * The route itself is practically flawless, with the Imperial Engineers that constructed it having used tricks learned from Mikin Road - that is, to build through anything that stood in their way, or change the landscape to meet the lay of the road.


 * To that end, the road has a habit of cutting neatly through the middle of a copse of trees of hedges on it's perfectly direct path, which makes it an absolute dream to travel, as well as somewhat interesting as well.


 * The road itself is paved with smooth stone cobbles of the finest cut and design, with ditches running on either side for surface water to drain through the channels and be collected by. Raised slightly above the height of the surrounding landscape, the water is encouraged to drain in this manner, though the elevated height also makes it slightly more difficult for bandits to lay in wait as a result.


 * The northern stretch of road extends beneath the shadow of the Northern Aegis wall, and within the sight of the wonderous North Gate that bridges the gap in the Aegis and the Wildlands beyond. The stone palisade wall that surrounds the township of Northreach is evident in the north, as is the southern gate of the township that the road ends at.


 * From the east side of the road, the sound of gutteral spitting can be heard, and like a sling stone, a glob of extremely sticky green spit arcs, then hits Otto on the left arm. The stench of sulfur and copper waft up from the substance.

"Scabby Scow bells!" howls Otto as he's bushwacked. Already not exactly ship shape, this sticky spit that is going to possibly ruin one of his works of art just throws him all sorts of out of whack. While he's going out of sorts, he lobs the fish he was carrying towards the east side of the road. "Have that, you buggers! Leave Ol' Otto 'lone!"

Another spitting noise, and another green blob sails for Otto, but hits right where he was previously standing. A feral hiss can be heard.

With a knot on the back of his head, vomit on one unlaced boot, and some dried blood in his mustache Otto's not exactly in his best form, but he shrugs out of his pack and unlimbers his axe and shield, anyway. He says, again, "Leave Ol' Otto be, beasty!"

Another feral hiss, and then the sound of skittering on cobblestones, heading away from the man. "We will have it one way or another," a warped, almost otherworldly male voice echoes.

Canny salt that Ol' Otto is he doesn't quite make the connection to the hand yet. Instead, he yells, "Ol' Otto'll give you an axe to the head is what he'll give you! Free of cost!" This yelling seems to upset the delicate balance that is his head injury because he leans over to dry heave.

The sound of skittering off into the distance can be heard, then silence.

Swaying some, Otto straightens up to squint into the night. Then, he seems to remember the strangeness that is the gunk on his left arm. Like any real man, he pokes at it with a finger instead of being a wimp and using a stick.

Ol' Otto heads north back to the Medial District of Northreach of the entirely too long room desc where he spreads the word likes, aye, aye, sure 'nuff.

Gefrey Seamel is standing by the stables, near Thayndor. "Mm. And then the Duke Kahar made an announcement... One which will have people talking for a while, I think, if you haven't heard it."

It's Otto! Only, he's moving at a shambling run, and he's got his boots laced up. He's also got his axe and shield out. Stranger and stranger!

Gefrey Seamel turns to look at Otto, blinking a few times, before calling over, "Master Stonefish, I don't believe there is a battle here today, if you wouldn't mind putting those away."

"Scabby Scow's bells there ain't, your lordship! Ol' Otto just put it to a nasty beasty!" Otto yells at Gefrey, apparently forgetting himself in the heat of the moment. He drops his roundshield to reveal some goop stuck to his left arm. Pointing to it with the back spike of his axe, "Spitting beasties!" The gunk, for the record, smells of sulfur and copper. It's green, and some of it is stuck to the back of his shield where it must have rubbed off. Most of it, though, still seems to be on his arm.

Gefrey Seamel frowns, then motions for the stable boy. "Bring me Whitehaven," he orders, before stepping to Otto. "Beasty? Where?" he asks. "You will show me the way." He motions for one of the demi-lancers to follow.

Dry heaving before he answers Gefrey, Otto holds up a hand to keep the man back. Then, he says, "Runned off, your lordshship, headed east. Maybe four bow shots south of the gates. Long gone now."

"What are you talking about, Stonefish?" Thayndor asks, stepping forward as well. He squints at the goop, and calls, "Shar!"

True to her name, Ashleather emerges from inside the stables, a hand on the sword at her hip.

"What did it look like, Stonefish? Describe it to me."

Atop Whitehaven, Gefrey Seamel frowns, then waves the Lancer back. "What sort of creature, yes, Stonefish?" the Seamel asks. "One of the gargoyles, or something else?"

"Dark, your lordship, sir. Ol' Otto could not get a good look at it," says Otto with a shrug. "Hissy soundy voice. Talked not right. Spit at Ol' Otto!" As he comes back to this point, he points to the greenish stuff on his arm again with the axe.

"What did it say?" The Zahir frowns at the goop. "Scrape that off, Stonefish. We don't know if it's late-acting poison, or what. You're not a very lucky man, are you -- may need two trips to the healer in one day, you."

Atop Whitehaven, Gefrey Seamel grimaces. "Tell us," he says. "If it's something especially dangerous, we will need to get people out hunting it. It was running, yes? Not flying?"

"Tried, your lordship, sir, not budging it's not," says Otto. "Said they'd have it no matter what. Ol' Otto told 'em he'd give them a keen edge to the head free o' cost. He thought that was mighty keen, he did, and he must have runned off then. Running, heard its feet skittering on the cobles."

Thayndor Zahir frowns. "Have 'it?'" he replies. "What did the creature mean by 'it?' Did the thing attack you in particular, or were you just in the way?"

"Weren't no one else, your lordship. Only thing worth having o' Ol' Otto is his helping hand," says Otto before the combination of head injury and excitement cause him to fall out.

Season 6 (2007)