I know Rugger better than that.
No, you are not coming anywhere near my sister either, you and your lack of soul…abomination! Unless we need her to cure you, which may involve a laying on of hands. Then, what are you going to do?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
sorry. just slipped out.
Oh, we’ll see how ultra-religious she is.
To Gardiren!
Sound good, glee, Koldanar?
As long as my objection to the abomination (sorry if you aren’t, Rugger!) stands.
The hour is moving on, and so should you. You continue your trek north. The weather today is drier and warmer. The sun shines about half of the time. Santo, you are a bit uncomfortable in the sun.
You work your way along the road until you hit the Silver Way junction. East is Naniom Bridge, west is Gardiren. At the junction there are five knights and a few squires. They are unmounted, but there are horses nearby. They look camped out. All knights bear arms that you haven’t yet seen. (Quarterly, gyronny azure and argent; sable, a horse’s head couped of the second, if you must know.)
One of them addresses you: “Well well, what have we here? Looks like someone is going to have to pay a toll!”
Greet them courteously.
Inquire what the toll is to which he refers.
He holds up his lance. “If you’re a man, the toll is right here. If you’re a little girl, the toll is back the way you came. Which is it?”
Hoho!
5 knights, eh? Don’t think we can swing that kind of a brawl.
Perhaps we can deferentially ask whom they serve, while making it clear that we don’t wish to present ourselves as enemies?
Good idea, in the meantime I will nudge Glee to ready himself. Just in case.
As for who they are, you can tell a little bit from their heraldry, and the way that it is differenced. Four of them are, like you, deputized. The ring-leader is someone’s son.
How do we know that? Is there any indication of whose son he is?
Do the nobler members of our group have any familiarity or relationship with whatever order or lord or whatever we can identify about them?
You can tell that he is a son because of certain markings on his shield – that is, he is not the clan head. But none of you recognize which clan he’s from. You know he’s not an Elendsa or an Indama, but nothing more.
Ah, OK.
Well, we can’t just turn and run.
Glee should probably speak for us on such matters, but if he’s got a lance pointed at me…
I’ll bid the good knight to stay his hand for but a moment, as he has us at a disadvantage, and pray that he will inform us on what errand he and his party have come to this place.
NAF can’t ask the Goddess to make me sound better, or make the listener more likely to trust me or us, or anything like that, can he?
NAF has a few prayers to instill awe, give you a martial advantage, or make everyone disinclined to fight.
The ring leader continues to taunt you. “Bunch of little girls! Are you afraid to fight me? You have no honor. Larani would be ashamed.”
He turns to Santo. “You look familiar. Have I bested you before?” He then turns to Jimmy. “And you… You look like my no-good, no-account brother-in law! Take off your helmet so I can see your face, you scoundrel!”
Let me ease the tentions with the disinclination to fight prayer.
Well, helmet off, sheepish face on.
NAF says his prayer.
Sir Jerk looks at the helmetless Jimmy and says “You are! You are my no good brother-in-law! I’ll have your head for what you did to my sister!” He draws his sword. “I’ll kill you! I… I just don’t feel like it right now.” He sheaths his sword.
None of you, with the possible exceptions of Santo and Koldanar, really feel much light fighting.
Ok, Jimmy you seem to know this guy. Maybe you can pump him for information for us?
"Good Sir Knight, in the name of merciful Larani, I beseech you. It is clear that you and I have a history; I swear to you that I remember it not. Whatever lies between us, for the moment, I pray you allow to lie, and I will atone for what I must in due time. Again, I swear to you, my recollection has failed me utterly; surely you observed that I knew you not?
My companions and I seek only passage to Gardiren so that we might learn more about what has befallen us. Perhaps it is a blessing that we have encountered you here.
If nothing else, perhaps you can answer for me questions that have plagued me since I awakened without my memory. We will tell you what we know, and what we do not know; will you do the same?
If not for my sake, then perhaps for the sake of my companions, good Laranians with whom you have no quarrel, will you aid us? If you must have your vengeance, so be it, but upon myself only. As I have said I know not for what misdeeds I ask your forbearance, but at the least, tell me my name!"
“Will you swear an oath to make my beloved sister the happiest lady in all of Kaldor? Will you return to her and produce a son? For if not, she has many suitors.”