Group #7

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 1
After spending three and three-quarters hours wandering through the maze of the Ministry with several cramped lift rides (at least one having been uncomfortably haunted by a grumpy and blood purist old ghost), you have been given your supplies and map stuffed into a grey knapsack. If you are the first group member, you have also been given the responsibility of caring for a Ministry owl and are told to keep it with you at all times - you don't need to worry about feeding it, as it can hunt for itself. Then, you are shown the door and instructed to meet with your group members at a designated spot. You are also issued a harsh reminder of the consequences of being a deserter before you're shoved out into the spring's early morning sunlight.

The adventure has begun.

You have been informed that your group members are:

LuÝs Caldeira, 28, Silverwand Cauldrons Employee, Lower Class
Nicholas Flamel, age unknown, alchemist
Cole Agrippa - 24, Postal Worker/Errand Runner, Lower Class
Charlie Gilmore, 22, "People Person", Middle Class
Moira Prewett, 44, Old Maid, Upper Class

You introduce yourselves, review your maps, and then must come to a decision of which direction you need to start in.

Which part of Hogsmeade do you disembark from?
a. West Slums
b. East Slums
c. South Slums

OOC DIRECTIONS:
1.) Have your character introduce themselves. Mention in their post (doesn't have to spoken aloud) what else, if anything, they have brought with them. If it isn't mentioned here, then they won't have it later on in the trail unless it is found/made. Those who post first will be assumed to have spoken first.

2.) Assume all introductions have been made and then have them choose a direction/remain neutral. Points 1 and 2 should both be included in your character's first post.

3.) If the group comes to a decision before the round ends, you can have your group head in that direction. (Decisions will be made when all characters have had a turn to state their choice or the three days are up. Special instances are allowed and must be discussed with Lola.)

Round 2 begins May 19th

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• Somehow LuÝs had been dumped with the owl, along with all the so-called supplies the Ministry had handed out to everyone. The owl... please. Keep it with him at all times, who were they kidding? What was he gonna do it with, kill it and eat it? (The thought had already crossed his mind when he'd wondered if they'd starve out in the wilderness, and he really wouldn't have any qualms about it.) Perhaps he could just lose it along the way, tie it to a tree somewhere or something if it got too irritating. Until then, it had decided to perch on the shoulder of his shabby brown coat, and LuÝs begrudgingly decided he'd leave it be until everyone actually set off. As long as it didn't shit on him, he'd let it live.
  
  Other than all the stuff they'd been dumped with, he'd stashed a small collapsible cauldron (in case of urgent potion making?) and a couple bottles of Firewhiskey, intent on keeping those secret and hoping he'd be able to successfully ration or replenish them so he could stay sane - if not sober - on this expedition. Also, LuÝs had already rummaged through the supply bag while he'd been waiting, and had been most shocked (and pleased?) with the addition of a hunting knife. It'd probably serve him better than his wand, he ruminated idly, seeing as with only a year of formal schooling and his only experience in some shady backstreet hexes, he'd already realised magic really wouldn't prove his dearest friend.
  
  He wasn't all negatives, though, despite his scowling face. He was half glad he'd been drafted, if only for the prospect of payment and land if his group was successful. That could certainly prove useful to him. In fact, he figured it would benefit him more than most of his group. Perhaps he could scam them of their share along the way... LuÝs looked up as he was joined by the rest of his group, and narrowed his eyes as he surveyed them slowly, eventually giving a muttered introduction. "LuÝs Caldeira," He gestured loosely back at himself, explanation enough. He really didn't care who the rest of them were, so long as they were competent and refraining from annoying him the entire time. Perhaps if they were rich he'd pickpocket them along the way. A subtle smirk gracing his lips, when the introductions were over he continued, without even glancing at the map, "Shall we start from th'East?" He wouldn't admit that was simply his 'gut feeling' and no more, but he also knew the Slums reasonably well - you know, because he lived there - and that was the area he felt like departing from. What did he care? They'd likely all disagree anyway.

  

[Cole Agrippa]

Cole was still unsure of how he felt about this whole drafting and expedition thing. On one hand, it completely left Grip up to his own devices and it made Cole have to abandon the post office for Merlin knew how long, even though he'd been assured his job would still be there when he returned. On the other hand, if he survived, the rewards were going to be more than he could ever ask for in life. The money alone would be worth it, and if he could sell the land, they might be able to finally fix their house in the slums.

The ride through the lifts was rather terrifying, considering Cole had never been in the ministry before. He felt a little dizzy by the time they got off and took a quick second to regain his balance. A bit disoriented, he followed the directions to get his supplies and meet at the designated spot for his group. He automatically checked the contents of the bag. It was more than sufficient, in his opinion. He could make that food last close to two weeks. One benefit of being from the slums, he supposed, was that he wasn't going to go as hungry quite as quickly as all of those upper class folk, though he had nothing else useful to bring with him. Even though he had his wand, he would be mostly useless with it as he didn't really know how to use it. The hunting knife would certainly come in handy.

Another guy had arrived before him and Cole waited until the rest of the group appeared and followed suit with introductions. "Cole Agrippa." He wondered if anybody would connect his last name to the numerous newspaper articles about Grip, but couldn't really worry about it. Whether they liked it or not, they were group mates now, they'd have to get used to it.

He nodded in agreement with Luis' opinion of starting out to the east. Having lived in the slums for quite a few years now, he would rather head east or west rather than south. He feared that the south could take them the furthest away, though as he glanced at the provided map, which wasn't of any great help, he affirmed that east was a good choice.

  

[Moira Prewett]

An increase in light gives an increase in darkness

Moira was irritated by the draft. She felt she had much more important things to be getting on with and this ridiculous draft would only hold her back. It was sheer annoyance and she was thoroughly pissed off at the fact the Ministry were so very incompetent that they could not break the curse they had put in place. She fancied she could break it easily but she wasn't about to risk her life testing that and she had no volunteers to test it for her so she had only one option; to go through with it. She supposed the prize would be worth it in the end, she could leave her sister-in-law's home and be free of the madness.

In the end, she had packed lightly as she figured she would simply use magic to conjure what she needed. A couple fresh dresses for want of not becoming a stinky witch along the way. She had also packed her private necessities and one or two spell books she figured might come in use, especially if the company was exceedingly tiresome. The supplies she collected from the Minstry had not really met Moira's standards but she had of course accepted them nonetheless. She could always try and improve them with magic, after all.

Her face fell the instant she set eyes on the motley crew she supposed she would have to spend the next few weeks with. She certainly didn't hold out much hope for them, especially the 'young 'uns'. What was this? Had she been drafted into a daycare for immature adults who looked like they had just strolled right out of Hogwarts? Merlin help her! It would seem she was the only female in the group... Well that would prove interesting to say the least. She hoped they didn't expect her to cook for that mere fact, they'd be severely mistaken if that was the case. "I'm Moira Prewett, you may call me Miss Prewett; not Moira, Missus, Ma'am or any other deviation. I suggest we start off in a southerly direction."

Tag: Trail People Outfit Words: 342

created by kay of caution and sds

  

[Guest]

The old alchemist felt way too old for such silly expeditions, but if the Ministry wanted him in, he couldnt let them down. He didnt need land or money, because he already had it all, however this land and this money that he will earn on this expedition, could be a gift for some poor families. He should think about it deeply. As far as he knew Teddy, his beloved daughter, was drafted too.

On his way to the assembling point he received a letter from his dear friend Remus, that his wedding is approaching and he wanted to see him as his best man. Well, that was great news for Nicholas, however it can be difficult, yet not impossible, to do. All of this cheered him up a bit and he approached his group with wide smile on his face.

Im Nicholas Flamel, but you all can call me Nick he smiled to gentlemen and bowed slightly to miss Prewett. Pleasure to meet you. As to direction I always like to head East, so maybe we should go there? Miss Prewett, I believe that we can always change our direction, when we wont find anything interesting on the East.

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 2
You spend all day traveling east through the forest. The trees are comfortably placed and you seem to make good timing. The shade and sun are dappled, so you may receive sun burns, but are not too warm. When the sun begins to fall, the trees finally thin out and you reach a meadow. You have the options to camp for the night there at the edge of the treeline, or you can continue following the meadow to see what's on the other side of it.

What do you choose?
a. Camp for the night and follow the meadow in the morning
b. Follow the meadow now and worry about camping later

OOC DIRECTIONS
1.) Have your character vote which route they are to take.

Round 3 begins May 23rd

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• The day turned out to be rather uneventful, in LuÝs' opinion, he ruminated, having been trudging through the unchanging clusters of trees for the whole day. He'd enjoyed the sun on his face - it would turn into a tan, making him look more Portuguese than ever. Apart from considering the weather, taking conservative swigs of his firewhiskey and shooing the owl - that had seemed to actually have taken a sort of liking to LuÝs, the daft bastard - off his shoulder every once in a while, he'd had very little to amuse himself but surveying his company. Despite a lack of pleasant talkativeness on his part, he'd scrutinised the bunch enough to come to a first impression of them. See, Agrippa there, he had nothin' against. The slum-type, LuÝs figured, would be in this for the same reasons as him... the reward. The youngest man might be alright, too. It had taken LuÝs a while to remember why Flamel seemed such a familiar name, but when he'd connected it to the famous, rich, seemingly immortal alchemist he'd only given his surprise away with a brief widening of his eyes. If only he could get his hands on that stone, for the gold alone... As for the woman, her first suggestion of going south, disagreeing with LuÝs hadn't bode well... though he hadn't cared all that much, because since she was obviously an upper class bitch he wouldn't bother to take her opinion into account at all. Also, he hadn't forgotten her serious introduction. No, he hadn't forgotten, and hadn't forgotten precisely not to heed it.
  
  "Well, looks like the end o' the forest..." LuÝs began, looking out on the shadowy meadow before squinting up at the evening sky. "What're we gonna do, keep on that way or catch some rest 'ere?" He questioned, turning the decision on his group members first. "What 'bout you, Missus, ya need yer forty winks now?" He mocked idly, not about to mention that his feet were aching if the others were all ready to carry on all night through.

  

[Cole Agrippa]

Cole was quite accustomed to a lot of walking and this was particularly easy land to cover a lot of ground on. It was flat and easy to navigate, the sunshine welcome on his cheeks. It helped him keep going. He was sure some of his group mates were not quite so used to so much physical activity, but Cole could probably have walked for a lot longer if necessary before really needing to rest. He supposed he was lucky in that respect.

Chuckling as LuÝs kept shooing away the owl, it would land on his shoulder, content to ride on him for a little while before returning to harass the other slummer every once in a while. Cole had learned how to care of owls in his time at the post office, so kept an eye on the little creature. He wasn't sure LuÝs was happy to be in charge of the creature, but they needed it, so Cole intended to make sure it was happy. He fed the little thing piece of cracker from his bag every now and then, watching it crunch on them contently. Unfortunately, the owl seemed to be his best company today, so he kept to himself. Cole had yet to form any real opinions about his group mates yet, though he could tell LuÝs was his kind of person. They seemed rather similar; that slum look about them that was hard to get rid of no matter how hard you tried.

As they approached the meadow, he watched as his fellow slummer stopped and he too paused in walking, shifting his pack from his back to give his sore muscles a break. Choosing not to say anything, lest he provoke the very proper woman in their group, Cole chose to just watch for the moment, thinking it best to keep mum.

  

[Moira Prewett]

An increase in light gives an increase in darkness

The other members of the group were thus far, inoffensive which she appreciated privately. The worst thing would be if she had been saddled with a group of disrespectful, irritating wastes of her time but so far she was not wholly disliking any of them. Yet. She rather reluctantly conceded defeat to Flamel on the choice of which way to go and reasoned with herself that she honestly didn't really care all that much. A path was a path was a path.

Being a rather stubbornly resilient woman by nature, she made sure she more than kept up with the men and was determined to show them that A) she was just as fighting fit as they and that B) she was a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, her patience was put to the test when one of the men decided they were going to antagonize her. Or at least that was how it came across to her.

Pursing her lips briefly in irritation, she then snapped back at him, "If you are insinuating that because I am a lady, I must be fatigued and wishing to rest, you are quite mistaken. If you are also happening to suggest something as to my age, you are also very much mistaken and I can promise that you will regret it. And it's Miss Prewett to you, sir." She stopped to collect her thoughts and make an informed decision as to which direction they would be going. Deciding that she would rather continue on rather than stop in the forest, she put her opinion to the group. "I say we continue and think about camping later." They of course all had magic and could very quickly set up a camp site were night to fall before they found somewhere again. And anyway, she wanted to finish the expedition quickly and get her land.

Tag: Trail People Outfit Words: 310

created by kay of caution and sds

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 3
(Coin flip = keep going)
Your group decides to cross the meadow during the last few hours of daylight. As you near the end of the meadow, you can see the shape of a mountain begin to form. The closer you get, the higher they become until you see that there are two different paths you can take. You could try and climb the mountain, though it looks fairly steep. The other option is to go to the West to go around the mountain, or at least until you find an easier place to climb. It's getting really dark, but you have the option to continue ahead now or find a place to camp and wait until morning.

Which do you choose?
a. Climb the mountain
b. Go around the mountain

OOC DIRECTIONS
1. Make a decision

Round 4 begins May 26th

  

[Cole Agrippa]

Their day went by rather quickly and uneventfully, even the decision making hadn't been as big of a battle as he thought it would. The mountains in the distance were getting ever larger as they approached and Cole had some serious doubts about trying to climb it. In their current company, he wasn't sure it was the best idea for this group. As two paths identified themselves near the base of the mountain, Cole wondered what his group would choose to do this time around. Everything would start to run low if they continued on for much longer, though he supposed he would survive the longest, being used to not having much food. He was quite capable of finding things in the woods to eat.

Pausing to take a sip from his canteen, Cole watched some of his group members slow as well, looking at the two paths. "I suspect we should go 'round or camp soon for the night." He said quietly, probably only those closest to him would hear, but he wasn't about to go ahead and voice his thoughts very loudly; he wasn't exactly in any place to go making demands.

It was getting dark and it was high time they break for the night. The meadow crossing had been quiet and with the darkness bearing down on them, it wouldn't be very safe to go traipsing through the woods when they could hardly see two feet in front of their face. He wasn't much bothered by sleeping out in the wilderness; at least it wasn't winter. He'd suffered through a lot worse, that was for sure.

  

[Moira Prewett]

An increase in light gives an increase in darkness

Moira was beginning to think she rather liked this expedition business. It wasn't quite her normal 'thing' but it was stimulating for the most part and a pleasant escape from her sister-in-law. So the company wasn't the greatest but she intended to take charge pretty soon and make them better company if she had to. Was she tired now? Perhaps she was a little but she wouldn't be admitting to that, oh no. She was in a group of men and she would be damned if she allowed them to think her less capable than them when she felt the opposite was true, even with the disadvantage of a corset.

"I think we ought to climb the mountain," she announced authoritatively. "We might find a cave to spend the night in and the peak will offer a most advantageous view so we can decide where to go next." Her argument actually turned out to be quite logical, much to her own surprise. She merely want to climb it to prove a point but now she had thought about it, it could be more than just a show of strength.

Tag: Trail People Outfit Words: 189

created by kay of caution and sds

  

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 4
(Coin flip = climb the mountain)
Your group chooses to try to climb the mountain during the last few hours of daylight. Unfortunately, the mountain is so steep that it is slow going and you're forced to continue climbing in the dark. With wands lit, you're able to pick your way up the mountain, but it doesn't stop someone from injuring themselves. There's a 'pop' of a bone breaking before LuÝs Caldeira falls to the ground. A quick once over and it's obvious that his ankle is broken. He's in a lot of pain and your group must decide whether to keep going until you find a better place to camp, or to camp here and hope to get him some rest. Unfortunately, you don't have a healer in your group so the chances of it being a quick mend are slim.

What do you do?
a. Keep going
b. Stop and camp for the night

OOC DIRECTIONS
1. Make a decision

Round 5 begins June 1st

  

[Luis Caldeira]

• LuÝs would have been having a fine time of this rather dull hike if there hadn't been the sneering upper class women he couldn't even force himself to be polite to. His hatred was deeply ingrained, he supposed, of all the rich and wealthy... but LuÝs could also hold a stronger grudge than most. Facing the mountain, privately he would have agreed with Agrippa, but no, apparently the group placed more significance on the upper-class opinion too, even if it was damn rubbish. Still, up the mountain they went, even as night fell, and LuÝs kept most of his grumbling to himself.
  
  The problem was that, fumbling in the dark with only a weakly-Lumos-lit wand to guide him, as well as climbing behind some of the others including the idiot woman, any faux-pas they made trying to find sturdy places for their feet called for scraps of rock and moraine showering down at him, the damned mountain was so steep. He wished they'd all just speed up, too, as dragging out this unpleasant activity just made it a worse purgatory. Watching with a sneer as someone caused a couple rocks to bounce down, LuÝs ducked to the side, putting his weight on a small boulder. A moment later, it had dislodged, LuÝs had lost his balance and he was falling for a second. Except his foot was caught in an indented foot hold, and with the fierce downward momentum, it was forcibly wrenched out. LuÝs was sure everyone had heard that break.
  
  His descent was even more unpleasant than the climb had been, his whole body feeling bruised all over by the time he'd come to a halt against a solid rock face back on a flat-ish ledge below. His ankle hurt like hell, but his face was more contorted with anger than anything. "Oh, an' whose idiot idea was it to climb the moun'ain in the dark? I am goin' t'bloody kill you..." He raged with gritted teeth, just waiting till they all reached him again - or left him lying where he was, he wouldn't put it past any of them - though he had already started trying to pull himself up again, using the rock nearby as a support.

  

[Cole Agrippa]

Annoyed that in the end they decided to climb the mountain, Cole should have expected that somebody would get hurt as they traipsed up the rough terrain in the dark. He couldn't even light his wand, so it stayed, unless in his pack as the felt his way up the mountain. At least he had both hands to use, which was a good advantage.

As Luis fell and the distinct sound of break bone was heard, Cole flinched, glad nobody could see him do so, but the sound went right through him. Unable to just let the guy lay there, Cole made his way slowly over. "I'd ask if yeh were alright, but I think that would be a dumb question." Cole tried not to sound too annoyed and exasperated. He wasn't even annoyed that Luis had gotten hurt, he had been expecting it to happen sooner or later, but annoyed that they were climbing the mountain in the first place.

Leaning down, he extended a hand and helped Luis right himself. "Broken or sprained do ye think?" He questioned, though judging by the sound, he'd say broken. He'd had a sprained ankle before and could still work with it, broken was an entirely different story.

  

[Moira Prewett]

An increase in light gives an increase in darkness

Her enthusiasm since starting the climb had withered and died and Moira felt like giving up right then and there. Why had she been stuck with such a group of useless lumps? Could she not have been placed with a more useful, intellectual group of wizards? Mr. Flamel had to be the only half-decent wizard present who could be of any use. The sound of bone splintering caught Moira's attention from her own brooding thoughts and she quite literally rolled her eyes. Could they not handle their own limbs now?

Oh and if it couldn't get any worse the one who had hurt himself was a whiner. Typical. Well, at least it wasn't her. She felt no desire to hurt herself any time soon. "Someone help him so we can continue - magic or carrying, I don't care - let's just get to the end."

Tag: Trail People Outfit Words: 145

created by kay of caution and sds