janestarz | Maerquin Short Adventure

"Hello"; there was a smile in the word, hidden somewhere.
"Hello." The group of adventurers ground to a halt. They gathered around the tall blonde man, hilts of two swords peeking over his shoulders. The woman who had stepped out from behind a tree startled them, and they were unsure how to react. I saw movement on my side of the same tree, and in a fluid motion stepped out as well.
The short-haired woman motioned with her hand as she explained. They would need to pay a fee in order to pass. None of the brave adventurers stated it was highway robbery, which in fact it was. There were no swords out, except those of a bandana'ed brute. A sword in his right hand, and a mace in his left, his head looked tiny over the big leather armour.

"You want money?" an older man said. He'd been beautiful once with blond hair, but lines etched his face now and his hair looked bland as grey hairs had appeared. He moved like a young man, carrying a tall shield. He stepped closer to me, and then our third friend dashed from the woods. As the adventurers turned around to face him, I struck out with my sword hitting only the tall shield. I dashed aside, getting clear of the group.
One of them spoke with the voice of reason. "No, wait. If they only want money..."
The older man put his sword up, and fumbled in a purse. He took out a blueish coin - a whole diam! - and held it out. "Here, take this." he said, pity in his voice.
When I took the coin, he laid a hand on me and softly whispered; "By the powers of Shelindra - seduction!"
A powerful feeling washed over me and I gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. I felt lost, drifting on an ocean, his face the all-powerful sun above me. No, I was a starry sky and he was my moon. No... I couldn't make up my mind, but he was the center of my universe. Such a handsome man, so kind and gentle...

"It's not enough!" Ria smirked, but the man put his hand on my shoulder. It was the best feeling in the world for him to touch me. "What are you doing here?" he said. "It's not safe here, ruffians in these woods. Where do you come from? Why don't you go away from here."
"Can I come with you?" I asked, breathlessly.
"Not right now. But you can come and find me, later. I will be at the pearl."
"I don't know where that is." I sighed.
"The Pearl of Shelindra. It's a temple." He smiled, and a thousand butterflies burst into flight.
"Oh..." I sighed. Of course he was a follower of Shelindra! "I will find you."
He gently turned me around and I started to walk away. After two steps I turned around. "What is your name?" I asked.
"Leopold."
"I will find you, Leopold!" I sighed breathlessly.

---

The players approached a hut, and were greeted by Milos. They were very interested in his work, and Milos grabbed my hands and dragged me from my sitting position.
"I craft dolls"; he said, the evidence in his hands. Carefully he positioned my arms. "Lifelike dolls. Lifesize dolls!"
He turned my head, manipulated my face from blank to a smile.
"Why?" one of the fighters asked.
Milos turned to him, leaving me in my previous position. "I saw the dolls before. Small dolls and puppets. Won't they be amazed when they see my dolls!? Aren't they beautiful?"
"Yes..." the blonde Hugo said. "Nicely crafted contours."
The other people scoffed the burly man, commenting on the tight dress. The blue-faced gnome Dabbet stepped in and moved my right arm, flexing each of the fingers carefully.
"Are they done?" someone asked Milos, who turned to answer.
"Not, not done." he said. "This one isn't done." he pointed to the doll standing limply against a tree. "Very hard, to paint her eyebrows! Tiny hairs and all." he turned to me. "This one, this one is perfect!"
Aurelia, the warrior female, stepped closer. She pulled my right arm down next to my body and stepped back.

Milos accompanied the group back to the path. He sounded suspicious, and then he started singing. "It's all a great big dream, great big dream, great big dream. It's all a great big dream, go and sleep."
Nobody could move, but the tall Hugo, who looked around, confused. Milos continued singing. "Dolls are very far from here, far from here, far from here. Dolls are very far from here, go and sleep."
"What are you doing!" Hugo shouted, and walked aroud to follow the still singing Milos. "Release them!"
"You have never ever seen me, never seen me, never seen me. You have never ever seen me, go and sleeeeeeep."
As the last sounds stretched out in time, the players all fell asleep and Milos and his dolls disappeared...

---

Next to the path sat Lynn. She was alone, and looked bored. She hardly looked up at the group as they approached until they were near her. "What are you doing here, child?" the dark-haired woman asked.
"I'm lost." Lynn pouted. "And I don't want to stay in this scary forest. What are you doing here?"
"We were out on an errand." the woman replied.
"An errand? Here? That's weird. This forest looks very scary. I don't want to stay here when it gets dark. Can I come with you?"
"Sure you can."
Lynn looked at the others. They didn't seem to be coming closer, instead choosing to group at a little distance. Well, it was now or never. She took her handkerchief and shook it out at the two fighters near her, turning away as she did. The sneezing powder wafted on the breeze, and both fighters and Lynn started sneezing. Quickly, she put her fingers in her mouth and tried to whistle. She walked away quickly, looking around. "Come on, guys! Come on!"
There was no movement. The group was still behind her. "Come on then! They're just standing there, get them!"
Still nothing. Lynn decided to run, running up the path. "What are you waiting for!" she shouted to the trees. "Get them!"
Nobody came. But then, on the bright side, nobody persued her either, and she hid in the undergrowth.

-----
The players were very, very slow yesterday. They seriously need some pepper!
Chinese food in Nieuwegein was very good though, and fun! Afterwards I drove home by Gorinchem to avoid the traffic near Woerden where they're working on the road. The weather had collapsed into rain storms so I dropped off Leona at her home, and then Luthine went home from our house after that.

I had the most fun in my doll-role, though I couldn't keep a straight face when NoKey said I was perfect.