Unfamiliar Roads (Travel Thread)

[Talib Zahir]

15th of Summer, 510AV

Talib hardly noticed the difference in the forest as he continued on. He had just made it to the border between Sylira and Taldera, a few miles northeast of the Suvan Sea. He could tell it was getting colder as he was getting farther away from Syliras and he former home, but it hadn't bothered him yet. His robe full of pockets was rather thick and should protect him for the summer. He would have to buy a thicker coat once he got to Avanthal, but for now, he hoped that the summer had kept even the most northern of territories warm enough to survive in.

He did worry about Ata though. The poor horse would soon have little to protect himself except for the tarp or a few spare blankets. But he was a trusting horse, and the only being Talib would talk to. Of course, he would talk to something were he in need of information or assistance, but only in the most dire of cases. Even in the vast reaches of forest and wilds, Talib felt the need to be discreet, to be alone and focused on what was at hand. Most societies were whimsical and uncaring to him, and it bothered him. How could they just wait around and do things that didn't advance their place in the world, regardless of society? They labored, yes, but it was futile.

Knowledge is what mattered. Knowledge was worth triple its weight in gold and jewels. And what was the ultimate show of knowledge? Magic. The craft was difficult both physically and mentally, and Talib loved it. The feeling of djed flowing around his body, in the air, in everything. He had started seeing it now, seeing how things truly were on a physical level, and sometimes an emotional one. His teachers had told him it was called auristics, and that everything had an aura - even plants and inanimate objects. What they were determined what you could see. Sometimes Talib saw many things: emotions, meaning of words, and the subtleties in conversation, when he conversed of course.

But when he looked at himself, he saw little. He could see how unsure he was, and only that. The emotions he felt were confusing; a strange mix of angst and self-disappointment, a dash of anger and the boredom of loneliness. But mostly, he felt like the world was fragile, and his could come crashing down at any minute...

The though ended when Ata whinnied and shook his head. Talib knew what he meant and lead him towards a patch of long grass. While the horse ate, he double-checked to make sure the bags were still on tight. He carried little, but what he did carry was important for survival, both for him and Ata. "Eat well friend. We have much travel ahead of us."

[Ja'soth]

The last vestiges of summer were fading from the great bloodwoods and the green of the leaves was changing to various bright reds and browns. The sweet scents of the growing things still perfumes the area as Talib and his steed cross into the giant forests headed toward the frozen north. The sounds of screams and screeches fill the air for now the duo is safe, but the horse shies as he smells the dire denizens and the threats nearby.

Talib finds his solitude as he desires it in that he is the only human or human like being for many miles, even the great city of the Jamoura is many weeks away from this spot. He would be familiar with the legends about this place and the enormous size of everything due to the unstable djed released during the Valterrain. He would also know that traveling alone through the great bloodwood forests was ill advised due to the things one could encounter such as the forest cats and elk to mention a few. The other danger is the oncoming winter and the lack of even outposts between Aventhal and Syliras except for the Spires to the northeast so laying in supplies at the city would be a necessity and the danger of running short between the two was very real so hunting would probably be a necessity or at least trapping something to bolster rations.


The dangers would increase as one went further north however the chance of running into Jamoura or Vantha patrols as one neared those territories was good and the Jamoura were known for their hospitality even if outsiders were confined to certain areas of the city which was rumored to be one of the most fantastic combination of life and architecture in all of Mizahar almost anyone passing through that area was encouraged to visit it and learn from their libraries or observe their art. However if one wanted knowledge from the Jamoura one had to wait for it as they are a long lived race and as such take their time since they have it.

The early morning is misty and cool as Leth sets and Syna rises in their eternal chase. It warms as Syna rises and the activity of the animals rises with the warmth. but fortunately the denizens of this place find the duo not worth their notice as they trek on their way to the frozen north. Day wears on as it does and Syna begins her descent and Leth his ascent in the eternal race across the sky

[Talib Zahir]

As travel continued, Talib began to truly notice the changing of leaves, the darkening of color, and an unfamiliar autumn air that seemed to be slowly taking over the land. "Look Ata. See how beautiful it is," he asked, receiving a snort of agreement. "Things are changing. Finally changing, and we are too. No more stagnation for us boy."

Talib checked his surroundings with a tiny bit of auristics. He could see no ill wills in the closest areas, nor much at all excepting the hundreds of insects and a few rodents. At least their would be meat if he required it. Speaking of which, he decided to look in the sack of food he had. There was three days of emergency rations if he needed them, a few days worth of wild nuts and berries that would sustain him until he could get grains and meat into his system at a city. He was walking through a rather large forest though, and the fruit bearing trees should be at the perfect ripeness to give Talib and his horse a tasty treat. This would be especially true if they came across a wild orchard or gathering of berry-bushes. And if all else failed, he could try his hand at hunting small game using scrolls for traps.

"Yes.." He started, pausing as his normally apathetic face cracked with a small grin. "Things are changing for us Ata. Maybe this trip will bring us more than just knowledge."

[Ja'soth]

Talib finds the first night in Taldera one in which sleep was difficult due to the fact that he is not prepared for the much chillier nights here. Also their have been some unfamiliar sounds and his auristics would only indicate that there were living things nearby...some of them of greater size than normal. The morning brings a slight relief from the cold as Syna rises. If he scrounges about he can find some suitable wood to stoke his fire up to a level that will warm him. Food is abundant presuming he knows how to catch it and what is poison and what is not among the plants.

Morning will bring the necessity of breaking camp and traveling onward. Ata shies a little at the sounds of the great predators growling and shuffling through the dense brush and forest,however with Talib on his back he calms and they plod onward. The forest is alive with sounds and smells. There is the growls and grunts and various calls of the animals and the screech of birds. There is the sweet perfume of the growing thins, the musty,earthy smell of the decaying leaves as the have begin their descent from the lofty bloodwoods to the ground below. The air is still chilled even with Syna's rays warming things.

There is a path that seems as if it goes through the dense underbrush..more of an animal path than a riding trail but it is clear. Suddenly the air is split with the cry of something...a shrill trumpeting followed by some kind of animalistic scream.

[Talib Zahir]

Talib awoke with stiff muscles and reluctant eyes. He needed to get moving, definitely, but breaking camp would be difficult in his state. He decided to forgo trying to determine which plants were edible, or even to put more fuel-wood on the fire. He threw the rest of his collected kindling on the coals and blew on them, giving his hands enough warmth to break his canvas tent down and remove the majority of any trace he was there.

He was just making his way down the thin trail - the only one he could really make out in the thick forest foliage - when he noticed the screaming. It echoed eerily against the trees as Ata trotted on, just as nervous as Talib. The young mage readied himself, holding his staff across his lap by the reigns and felt the offensive djed in his body ready. It wouldn't do him much good if there was more than a few enemies though, his fireballs were still too weak to be used effectively more than thrice before he would be close to his limits, four if he was willing to deal with the terrible hangover.

However, these thoughts were of things he didn't want to see happen. He had heard of every region having a peaceful race with powerful forces. If he just remembered to respect the land's natives, violence probably wouldn't be an issue. The issue would be remembering to be respectful.

[Ja'soth]

Talib and Ata find themselves deeper into the forest as Syna continues her journey across the sky. The screaming has stopped and whatever was hunting whatever seems for now to be satiated.However the forest is not silent and the sounds of life here are very loud and close sounding, they can constantly feel eyes on them, eyes that are sizing them up for possible dinner. Ata shies at the snaps of twigs, trying to indicate to Talib that danger lurks nearby, the poor beast seems very nervous indeed here.

The day becomes high noon and the sounds seem to stop for a bell or so as if the forest were taking a nap. The path they have been traveling has been sparse and hard to see as few travel this area and those that do keep their presence low and difficult to detect. Once again after a bell or so the forest starts up again and they feel like they are being watched...something is following them, keeping at a distance but definitely there almost as if they were being tracked or hunted. Fortunately for them whatever it is does not attack..yet.

Syna is beginning to end her journey and the air is again taking on a chill so the weary ones must rest for the night and keep warm and fed for yet another day.

[Talib Zahir]

With a few gentle pulls on the reigns gently to give Ata signal to stop, Talib climbed down to build camp for the night. It had been a long journey today. They had covered much ground, just as much as Talib had been hoping to cross. But the nights in unfamiliar territory would leave him exposed as ever, even more so now that he was deep in the wilds of lands he didn't know. He chose a spot near grass for Ata, while also slightly elevated and partly hidden by bushes. Even a mage knows its best to be above your enemy in a fight, to force them to put themselves in a strange, upwards angle.

Talib tied Ata to a tree and began collecting small bits of wood, along with larger and larger pieces, until he got to logs as thick as his arm. He would rather need to continue putting logs on the fire, rather than worry about not being able to put it out when the time came. After a few minutes of setting up a stable looking log formation, with no leaves or flammable materials nearby. He took a deep breath and exhaled a long, cool feeling breath, full of vaporous djed. It had been awhile since he tried using djed in this form, and it was always easiest to use his lungs to expel it.

Carefully, he guided the lightweight magical substance into the heart of the fire and compressed it into a tiny ball. A snap of his fingers lit the ball aflame with a steady but white hot flame. It was taking a lot of energy just to keep the ball from collapsing before all the tinder could catch, and he could feel his strength slowly draining out of him. As his fingers began to tremble and the sun to set, he finally let the rest of the ball catch and burst with a small bit of force. It sent a bit of ash outwards, but nothing more terrible than a coughing fit befell the wizard.

He stood then, and pulled his packs off of Ata. His tent went up in minutes, months of daily practice in putting up and tearing down the canvas and knotted rope. He was too tired to do much else besides grab a handful of berries and shove them in his mouth before lying down in his bedroll. He would need to gather more berries in the morning, if he and Ata survived that long. Thankfully, he was a light sleeper.

[Ja'soth]

Talib and Ata weather the cold night with no interruptions except to throw a few more logs on the fire so they can stay warm. However being a light sleeper has both advantages and disadvantages, the advantage is that it is harder to surprise him, the disadvantage is that the noises of the forest, still yet unfamiliar to him wake him every so often. The nights are getting cold indicating they are heading further north and that the time of year is getting colder, yet another indicator that Taldera is an unforgiving land that does not take to visitors lightly. Morning comes with a welcome warmth and a few sparse finds of things to eat, luckily they have not yet found anything poisonous.

Travel goes on like this for a few weeks and as they head further north toward Avanthal they begin to notice that the forest is becoming thicker and the plants larger and more unusual. The path begins to become lined with various spore plants of bright colors and there seems to be a pattern to them. There are indicators that something is different and the days are starting to become cold as well as the nights. There is the feeling of being watched and observed.

About four days into this strange land, the pair find themselves resting by a stream trying to rest. The animals are doing their usual screaming and screeching and there is the sounds of very large things crashing through the brush. But this day trouble finds the pair, out of the woods springs a beast in the form of a forest cat, as big as a pony, the creature has a black,sleek coat, rippling with muscles and its huge maw is open as it growls a warning then snarls before leaping.

[Talib Zahir]

The lack of sleep is nothing new to Talib. Having been camped out for most of the recent few months, he expected to be woken up by sounds he couldn't understand in a place he did not know. The last good night of sleep he had was over a year ago.

But that isn't to say he wasn't affected by this. His mind was sharper, of course, but sharper in the way of paranoia. His reflexes were improved, but to the effect of twitchy movement. And his demeanor was the best of all; having aggression thrown at him was like dumping water on a candle, only to find out it was kerosene. His face went from what had become almost a smile into a displeased growl. With a whip of the reigns, Talib sent Ata off in a gallop while he leaped from the saddle and rolled to the ground. Staff in hand, he stood ready. He had narrowly avoided losing his horse and himself to a jungle-cat, and his first reaction had not even a hint of panic.

Talib stood now, staring down a menacing predator. Ata was well away now, he was trained enough to know not to come near a battle. From Talib's outstretched left palm came a thin, liquid-like djed that was almost transparent enough to not even distort the air. He stretched it out into the shape of a foot-long cylinder, about 2 inches wide. The next second, he lit the outer surface on fire and smiled like an arsonist. This cat would pay for slowing him down, and he would eat a fine meal this night in revenge.

But he wouldn't attack first. Oh, no, that's what the cat would have wanted, something he could dodge and then counter and have the upper hand. But Talib could be patient, and he would have that advantage over his attacker.

[Ja'soth]

Talib's reaction to the cat's leap was the correct one Unfortunately his skill is not sufficient to accurately pull off the maneuver, he miscalculates his leap from Ata's saddle and crashes to the ground feeling a snap in his left leg as he lands making it difficult to stand. Ata on the other hand senses his master's dilemma but as he is trained, he flees the area awaiting the end of the battle. The cat however sails over Talib and lands nearby being momentarily distracted by its prey suddenly changing directions on it.

There is a moment, but only a moment between predator and prey as the cat reassesses its position. Talib begins to generate Res but at his level it takes time to summon Djed and create Res and in those precious moments the cat attacks cutting deep into his abdomen with a swipe of its paw. Between that and the broken leg, Talib finds himself toppling down to the ground bleeding from a wound to his abdomen. The intense pain of both wounds is making him feel dizzy, however the cat does not seem to be finished with him, it tears into the flesh of his shoulder and face.