Group #7

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER ù ROUND 9
After a much needed day of rest, your group sets off again in a southeast direction. The area begins to level out, the trees continue to grow more sparse, and in the distance you're able to just barely make out the shimmer of what could be a lake on the horizon. It will take several days to reach it, but it might be worth taking a look at. Otherwise, you could write to the Ministry and see if the level area of land you have found would be something that they're interested in.

Round 10 begins June 16th

  

[Cole Agrippa]

This terrain was much easier to navigate as they made their way toward something sparkling in the distance. Cole couldn't discern if it was a lake or something else, but it looked days away and his wrist was throbbing and he was starting to wish he could go home. Leaving Grip alone for this long was never a good idea and he could only imagine what his little brother had gotten himself into while he was gone. Cole supposed that as long as Grip hadn't gotten arrested or something like it, that he was most likely fine, but it was always hard to tell with that little brother of his.

Choosing not to say much as they walked, he kept his wrist cradled against his chest in an effort to keep from moving it too much. The makeshift sling dug into his skin, but there was little he could do about it. Once they got back he was definitely having it looked at. Cole was starting to really wonder just what the ministry had them looking for out here. It seemed like if they were looking for good land to expand the town, this was it. "Think we should report back to the ministry?" He questioned his group at large.

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• They'd survived an avalanche, survived the next few days, survived in the company of his trail members - surprisingly - and LuÝs was still surviving with his untreated broken ankle. He'd gotten used to hobbling along at a more careful pace, though he thought back wistfully to the days when once he'd managed to pickpocket something, he'd been able to masterfully dodge away and flee the scene, quick-witted and fleet-footed. He had hoped it would heal in time, as most injuries were supposed to do, but all the continued exertion of this long trek had proved healing problematic.
  
  He was feeling cranky again. However, something about the shimmer up ahead caught his attention, and try as he may, he kept glancing over at it, wondering what was there. Could be a lake, he figured... but it was probably wise to check. Cole's suggestion was taken into consideration for a minute, but LuÝs wanted this done good and proper so the Ministry had no excuse but to lavish him with land and galleons.
  "I think we should keep goin' - after all this, what's a few more days? - just to take a look at that" - he gestured over at the horizon - "before we suggest anythin'... in case it's somethin' the ministry doesn't like, 'cause I'll be damned if I don't get my money now."
  He shrugged at the others, prepared to go on for a few more days even with his bloody ankle, and added, "If there's nothin' wrong when we get there, I'll write to the Ministry." After all, that stupid owl - that had flown to and fro as it pleased, escaping every time the group had been in trouble - was still his responsibility, apparently.

  

[Guest]

"I can give you more money if you tell me why do you need them" Nicholas smiled a bit mischievously at Luis. [b]"But I have nothing against to look around and then write to the Ministry. God, I miss my family right know..."

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• The old - ridiculously old... immortal - man Flamel had kept reasonably quiet for a portion of their 'adventures', and LuÝs wouldn't have guessed that the famous geezer could have taken a liking to him in the least, so he was slightly surprised when the man spoke up... offering money. LuÝs snorted at first in disbelief, but even more so when Flamel asked what he might need it for. Fine, LuÝs would rise to the bait and offer a response. "Look, we ain't all got a magic stone to tide us over for the next century... some of us could just use the money to be able to pay off the Hog's Head on everythin' we owe, alright?" He shook his head, sure that the alchemist wouldn't be interested in paying for the entire slums of Hogsmeade to make themselves a better life. So LuÝs began to trudge on, waving an arm as if to say, 'now can you all get moving again...'

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER ù ROUND 10
It takes a lot longer to reach the lake than you had originally thought it would, but as you near it you can see that the lake is actually quite small. It's rather long and stretched out, but it's doubtful that it is home to any sort of magical creatures - it appears to only be deep enough to hold fish of the regular sort. Farther past the lake, you can see the silhouette of a few very poorly built wooden buildings. Whoever built them clearly hadn't the slightest idea what they were doing. They look almost half hazard in appearance. At the moment, you don't see anyone around. It could be possible that the town is long abandoned. Do you choose to camp and rest first as well as send word to the Ministry, or do you push on and head into the small village?

Round 11 begins June 19th

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• LuÝs was plainly surprised to see the lake take shape as it did - small, perhaps a few fish in there - but he still reckoned it was a useful discovery: the Ministry'd like anything that made building new houses or whatever there more convenient. Freshwater, tick.
  But there were already buildings there. He stared, trying to scope them out. "You don't think another group got 'ere days ago an' already built the expanded village?" He half-joked; the buildings were pretty much a shambles, though they hardly looked new. Perhaps the Ministry had drafted an expansion trail a few years ago, when they were still thinking about setting up Hogsmeade...
  
  LuÝs didn't know. But his attention was piqued and at the very least, he wasn't complaining about his broken ankle. "What d'ya want to do?" He threw out there, shrugging, though he muttered... "I say we check..."
  Hey, maybe there was something valuable laying around forgotten in there. Maybe there were people there who could fix a broken ankle.

  

[Moira Prewett]

An increase in light gives an increase in darkness

Moira wrinkled her nose at the sight of the shacks that could hardly qualify as buildings. "We haven't been traveling that long," she snipped, not really catching onto the humorous side. "I say we take a closer look. There might be something of interest there." She honestly couldn't think of anything that interesting to find but it was better than camping at that moment for she had no desire to stop walking and feel obliged to socialize to some degree with her little troupe of ignoramuses.

Tag: Trail People Outfit Words: 86

created by kay of caution and sds

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER ù ROUND 11
As you enter the village, you suddenly see two women - dressed like people from the slums - step outside one of the shacks, entirely unaware of your presence. However, when they turn and realize that they are no longer alone, their faces are frightened and equally suspicious. You haven't the slightest idea who these people are or what they are doing here. They could be dangerous or they could be harmless. What do you do?

Round 12 begins June 22

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• LuÝs glared suspiciously at the women even before they had turned around, gesturing over to them if the rest of his group had not yet seen. They looked like slum dwellers, no better off than him - or worse off, and that said a lot - but LuÝs didn't recognise them. He was well-versed enough at scowling at familiar slum faces to easily decide these people weren't from Hogsmeade.
  
  There was no point backing away furtively now, for they had turned. Two women... and they looked equally as suspicious, though perhaps more worried. LuÝs didn't know whether they were magical or muggle, but he'd only go for his wand if they looked about to pull out theirs. He cast a glance at his expedition group out of the corner of his eye, unwilling to look away from the strangers in case they decided in that moment to attack, wondering what his group were thinking of doing.
  Well, he didn't know.
  "Oi, who the hell are you people?" He called brusquely, certainly not going to be unnecessarily nice about it (or anything.) He had plenty of other questions - how many of you are there, where did you come from? - but first things first, and let's see if they answered, LuÝs thought darkly.

  

[Cole Agrippa]

Cole was starting to get extremely tired of this whole expedition thing. His arm was throbbing nonstop, a slow, steady pulse of pain through his entire arm. His shoulder ached from carrying his arm cradled against his chest, but if he put it down all the blood would rush to his fingertips and then the throbbing got intensely worse.

As they entered what seemed to be an abandoned village, Cole peered around. It wasn't entirely different from the slums, perhaps shabbier, if that was even possible. Couldn't hurt to look around though. That was what the ministry had sent them out here to do after all, wasn't it? However, when the two women appeared out of a building, Cole couldn't help but freeze. It was shocking to actually find people in this kind of a ramshackle village.

Cole wasn't so sure letting Luis do the talking was such a good idea, but since he had already addressed the women, best to let him continue. Cole had no issues with Luis, he just wasn't the politest of people. Decided to stay mum and let the other slum dweller do what he felt was right, Cole stood beside him, wand ready, though he'd be pretty useless with it.

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER ù ROUND 12
Your group chooses to head to shout at the women. They run back inside without a word - but only for a moment. When they emerge again, both are holding pistols, and they're pointed right at your group. Suspicious and obviously feeling threatened, they demand to know what your group wants and what you're doing there.

There will no more rounds from this point on - post as quickly and as often as you'd like to let the story unfold.

  

[Nancy Ingrahm]

Nancy held her pistol tightly, her hand shaking it slightly as she eyed the group. "Who are ya?" she demanded aggressively, glancing briefly at the other woman for reassurance. "What d'you want?" she demanded, adjusting her hold on the pistol slightly in lieu of her somewhat sweaty palms.

  

[Pearl Northdrop]

• More strangers.
  
  Pearl's life had taken a strange course, but only in recent weeks had the woman began to resent itùand now strangers were stumbling into her new home, a place that was supposed to have been safe. They had already apprehended one band of trespassers, and now here came another. Would this never end? They were supposed to be safe now! Even with the pistol clenched tightlyùnervously soùin her hand, Pearl Northdrop did not feel safe at all. The blonde situated herself behind her companion, allowing the other woman to do the speaking. Pearl herself did not trust her voice to remain strong under these circumstances.

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• Oh, so asking one simple question had them running back inside? LuÝs was about to snort, when he realised they were coming back out. So now they were facing two women with pistols. Well, damn.
  
  He would bet anything he wasn't the member of his group most taken aback by the sight. He also noticed a few more things in the moment or two he took it in, being stared down by a pistol... despite all their hostility, they didn't look too intimidating, two young women and all, and LuÝs figured he and Cole alone, without the help of Flamel or Miss High n' Mighty Prewett, would have been able to take them on. Of course, they were armed... but as LuÝs reached into one of his pockets for his wand, he stopped, his hand loitering just above it. If they were refugee witches - as he had first assumed, being not too far from Hogsmeade - they would have done the same. Instead, they were clutching muggle weapons... His eyes narrowed, and he didn't take out his wand, still courting the possibility of overpowering this opposition with casual force; if they could just take them unawares and disarm them...
  
  He thought he'd allow the other members of his group to decide on the course of action.
  
  But he couldn't help retorting to the woman who had spoken, loud and brash. "Eh, I asked firs', you answer firs'... what are you people doin' here? You tell us and we'd be 'appy to explain..."
  LuÝs left it to someone else to come up with a story if they didn't resort to revealing their magic to fend these women off.

  

[Moira Prewett]

An increase in light gives an increase in darkness

This was ridiculous. The two women were clearly muggles with their non-magical weapons and the rest of her group were just standing there like idiots. She really was in a group of squibs! Or at least they had the mental capabilities of squibs! And really she had expected much better from Flamel at the very least. No, she was not going to have filthy muggles pointing their pitiful little weapons at them.

"You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves! You are the most useless excuses for wizards in all of Hogsmeade!" she directed this at her group, completely ignoring the muggles who wouldn't have understood what she was talking about most likely. Moira didn't care, she didn't perceive them as intelligent beings worth wasting her breath over. Drawing her wand, she pointed it at the muggles and silently cast her chosen spell with the intent of rather violently knocking them unconscious due to a feeling of increasing pressure in their heads.

Tag: Trail People Outfit Words: 162

created by kay of caution and sds