Escaping The Empire - The Nonhuman Chronicles

"Well, we should pretty easily make it to town today. I don't know if any of your ah...pursuers" Thialin's eyes glance at Gerid before he continues, "Could have made it there before you. I don't believe that Lady Hanna would abide them, but they may still be in the town. While i think that most of us should be able to pass by unbothered, I am a little worried that our big friend here might cause some unwarranted attention." He nods his head towards Axel.

@Daylan The caravan stopped briefly in the town of Ingstone before going to trek across the mountain range. Since your detachment had to make their presence known to the Lord-Mayor of Ingstone while passing through, you would have heard the name. While not related to the Lord-Mayor in any way, she did seem to have a surprising amount of power in the town. You recall quite a bit of stalling while waiting for her to be informed of your caravan's presence before your captain simply got fed up and left to continue on.

 

Wilhelmna nods. "Yes, Axel would likely draw unwanted attention."

 

"If he felt the need to backtrack so far, the captain would be more likely to send a scout such as myself ahead to any such town to have them deal with the politicing at this point," Gerid said to , "Sometimes he remembers he does not have the patience for it. Sometimes."

He looked over at Axel as well as he thought. "And maybe if he were roaming about free he would draw attention," he added, "but..."

He first nodded at Wilhelmna and Ariel. "Were he a broken willed manservant of one who looks like some form of nobility and her eldest daughter..."

He then nodded at Talia. "Tasked with carrying their frail, blanket bound, youngest daughter and cherished sibling... Well, you might be surprised how quickly many would look away and think no more of it."

 

"Not a bad plan..." Wilhelmina nods. @Omega98 @moonblack "What do you two think?"

 

“It's not a bad plan, but... what about my light blue skin? Or about my wings? I don't think I'll be able to pass as your daughter, unless we can find some way to hide them – and considering our lack of resources that seems unlikely.” Ariel pointed out. “I suppose I could pretend to be another servant instead, charged with taking care of the daughter...”

(Quick reminder that Ariel's picture is a bit different than her actual look, because I suck at editing images:
- Ariel's skin and wings are light blue in color.
- Her hair is dark purple and reaches to her shoulders when she lets it down (which is how she starts the game))

 

Axel nods in thanks to the Vampire and proceeds to devour the meal.

The hulking Minotaur stifles a snort at the plan. He wanted to get as far away from humans as possible. Walking into a town full of them was pretty much the opposite of that. If any of them prodded him or got his blood up he might not be able to control his actions. Plus he wasn't all that keen on playing the roll of servant. But they did need supplies and information; and the elf's plan wasn't that bad...

Resigned, Axel shrugged and nodded.

 

Thialin shrugs. "I think the simplest solution might be to cover your body and face in a cloak and pretend to be an old hag with a hunched back. It would be difficult though and possibly hard on your back."

 

Talia squirmed and glanced at Axel briefly before returning to her meal "i...suppose....if I'm not too heavy that I could ride on Axel's shoulders."

 

The hulking Minotaur fixed the little fawn with his best placating look and nodded.

 

Wilhelmina nods. "That could work. I'm confident that I can carry out my part of the plan, so if you are too, little one, we can be off.

 

"Good!" Thialin stood and started rummaging around the camp. It wasn't long before he came back with the supplies required for the deception. "We still have some time before we reach Ingstone. So we don't have to start our little rush yet, but we should get moving before we have any unwanted company."

 

“Alright, let's give this a try...” Ariel took a cloak and tried covering her body and face.

 

"Very well then," Gerid says as he stands up, giving a small, professional looking bow to Wilhelmina, "When we are ready, we shall resume our journey, m'lady."

He barely manages to suppress the twitch of irritation over having to address the vampiress so formally but... it was his plan so best he get used to it as swiftly as possible.

 

She gives a self satisfied smirk. "Let us go, then." @merkros Haughty and imperious, Wilhelmina leads the group.

 

To say that hugging the cloak close to your body and hunching over was comfortable would be a lie. It was bearable but extremely uncomfortable to do for long periods of time. Fortunately, you didn't have to

@Tjf @Daylan @Omega98 @moonblack

The remaining trip down the mountainside goes unabated and pretty much all of you are relieved to be back down on the forested road. It was a little after noon when the stone fortifications around Ingstone came into view. The town sprawled out in the center of the forest. The town itself started as a small woodcutting village before quickly growing to the point where it was now. Nowadays, the town served mostly as a hub for the very woodcutting that saw its beginning to hunting game in the forest to being a hub for travelers before they trek across the mountains toward The Empire's capital.

A bit of Haughty confidence from Wilhelmina was all that it took to get past the gatekeepers and arrive in the town. There were obvious mistrustful looks at Axel, but for the most part people minded their own business. Inside, Ingstone was much more spacious than the large wall made it appear. There were clusters of houses spattered between wide roadways and the businesses were clustered near the center of town. Two buildings dominate over the large town. One was clearly the mayoral palace. It was the only building that seemed to be entirely made of stone and was composed of two wings. The other was nestled farther into the town and only the higher floors could be seen from this distance. It had a mix of stone and elaborate wooden panelling on the exterior. Ultimately, Ingstone was on the rise and there were signs of progress and expansion all over. Indeed, the walls around the city had only been completed in the last few years or so. Still, it's sprawling mass inside of the heart of the forest gave it a feeling of oppression.

Thialin looked around and didn't seem to have a problem with being seen as he was. "I think it would be best if I go on ahead to the mansion and speak with Lady Hanna's men first before. I'm sure that she'll want to speak with you, but I don't know if there's any special protocol that she'll want to follow or not for her own safety. That is...Unless there's any objections."

Thialin unconsciously looked at Wilhelmina for direction.

 

Wilhelmina nods her head in assent. @moonblack @Omega98 As he leaves, she decides to tour the town a little bit, imperiously leading around her 'servants' and looking to see if there's anything worthy of her attention whilst she waits.

 

Gerid stuck close to Wilhelmina, his uniform making it look as if he were some royal guard protecting the noble... which his grim appearance alongside her certainly added to the air of.

He was fairly sure he had not stood out at all, so the chances of anyone recognizing him were low (and if someone did, he could easily fabricate a story of having been re-assigned to ensure these upper class people had protection in an emergency).

Looking over at Thialin as well, he muttered, "Only if you plan on betraying us."

 

There were a few things of note. Obviously the Mayoral Palace wasn't a place for casual tourism, but the large market square also had a few amenities. There was a baker and a blacksmith along with a tavern which seemed quite busy. Most of the rest of the city appeared to be residental and one path led towards an industrial segment where sawmills and the smell of tanned hides wafted through the street. Most of the residents appeared human, but there was the odd nonhuman lingering along the edges. Often in the streets or huddled in an alley.

Thialin walked with a brisk pace toward the distant wood and stone building. Presumably that was where Lady Hanna residence was.

 

Ariel followed along in silence, using the chance to explore the town without attracting any attention (as everyone seemed focused on the lady).

 

It was about an hour before Thialin returned. He looked to be a good mood as he approached. "So it would seem as if Lady Hanna is willing to at least shelter you for the night. However, considered everything involved and determined that it would be best to wait until nightfall and come in the back way. She doesn't really want the optics of a bunch of nonhuman fugitives walking in her front door it seems."