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Concentrating, Darl looks back at the recent history of the clearing below. His vision settles in on a time near day break; the people below have just begun to stir from the slumber. The two women disentangle themselves from the tangle of arms and legs that is the children. The skinnier of the two wanders off towards the edge of the clearing. Lifting her skirt and pulling down her small-clothes, she proceeds to relieve herself. The men that Darl was expecting to see are not in evidence and the vision fades away as Darl's site returns back to the present.

{OOC: The PPE table on your character's home page has been updated.}

OOC: Sorry, forgot to mention I was heading out of town on a fishing trip for a week, and internet access was more restricted than I'd hoped. I should be back to things within the next few days.

Concentrating, Darl looks back at the recent history of the clearing below. His vision settles in on a time near day break; the people below have just begun to stir from the slumber. The two women disentangle themselves from the tangle of arms and legs that is the children. The skinnier of the two wanders off towards the edge of the clearing. Lifting her skirt and pulling down her small-clothes, she proceeds to relieve herself. The men that Darl was expecting to see are not in evidence and the vision fades away as Darl's site returns back to the present.

"Hmm ... so they've been alone since morning. Which means that the others probably went ahead to town with the orb," he thinks to himself. "Perhaps all night."

But there could still be something to learn from these folks, before he continued on his way. The only question was ... how best to approach this particular situation?

"Well, they're already a little worked up," he adds silently. "Perhaps we can ease their minds, somewhat."

Strapping his backpack on, he crouches behind the hill. "You win!" he calls loudly. "I surrender!"

Waiting another 5-10 seconds, he then stands slowly, and begins to walk calmly down towards the women. As he nears the wagon, he pretends to notice his shirt for the first time. "Oh, there it is!" he exclaims. "I feared it was gone and lost forever! You know, it doesn't matter how much I practice, I'm afraid I'm just not cut out for this whole magic thing," he adds, playing himself off as a scatterbrained deebee child just learning to cast his first spell.

"Hello," he waves gently at one of the children as he grows closer. Stopping before reaching the women with their weapons, he asks, "Do you mind if I retrieve my shirt?"

"Well, they're already a little worked up," Darl says silently. "Perhaps we can ease their minds, somewhat." Strapping his backpack on, he crouches behind the hill. "You win!" he calls loudly. "I surrender!"

Unseen to Darl, five pairs of eyes swivel towards the sound of his voice and anxiously look for it's source.

Waiting another 5-10 seconds, Darl stands slowly, and begins to walk calmly down towards the women. As he nears the wagon, he pretends to notice his shirt for the first time. "Oh, there it is!" he exclaims. "I feared it was gone and lost forever! You know, it doesn't matter how much I practice, I'm afraid I'm just not cut out for this whole magic thing," he adds, playing himself off as a scatterbrained deebee child just learning to cast his first spell.

At the sight of the giant blueish demon in gleaming armor approaching, the skinny woman's faces blanches white and she looks on the verge of passing out. The other woman, the stronger of the two, calls out "d-Don't come any closer!" Only a slight stutter betrays her fear. "I know how to use this." she swishes the sword through the air a couple times.

'Adequate,' Darl thinks to himself 'but obviously no master.'

"Hello," he waves gently at one of the children now cowering as far underneath the wagon as he can get as Darl grows closer. Stopping before reaching the women with their weapons, he asks, "Do you mind if I retrieve my shirt?"

"Your... shirt?" The same woman responds, looking momentarily confused before she realizes that he is referring to the giant piece of cloth that appeared in their midst moments before. Glancing down she notices that she's standing on one giant sleeve. Shifting her balance she kicks at the shirt...sending it fluttering Darl's direction where it lands about half way between he and the women. "There, take it and be gone." She says with more bravado than her slightly quavering voice gives support to.

"Be gone?" he stammers, feigning a mock indignation. "But we haven't even completed the ritual of introductions yet!"

Stepping forward, he bends over to pick up his shirt in one hand; letting his backpack slip off his shoulder into his other hand as he stands again. Bending his elbows and raising both hands up near his shoulders in a 'I mean no harm' gesture, he steps around the woman and walks over to set his backpack down on the back of the wagon. Spreading out his shirt on top of the the wagon contents, he begins to carefully fold it, taking extra care to do so in an extremely slow and methodical manner while he thinks about how best to handle the situation.

Casting "Sense Magic", he reaches out and attempts to feel for any sort of mystic ability within the women or children; also hoping (but doubting) that the orb might be hidden within the wagon and open to his detection. "My name's Corbin Tasslewood," he explains as he finishes folding his shirt and transfers the garment over into his backpack. "Owner of Corbin's Curios, the best little shop for trinkets and baubles in all of True Heart. Perhaps you've heard of it?" he asks.

Now that he was among them, Darl takes a closer look at the women and children; attempting to get a sense of their well-being and health (outside of the obvious fear they were currently showing). "Perhaps an act of kindness would help ease their minds," he thinks silently to himself, looking to see if perhaps any of the group could make use of a charge from his healing blood stone.

"Be gone?" Darl stammers, feigning a mock indignation. "But we haven't even completed the ritual of introductions yet!"

Stepping forward, he bends over to pick up his shirt in one hand; letting his backpack slip off his shoulder into his other hand as he stands again. Bending his elbows and raising both hands up near his shoulders in a 'I mean no harm' gesture, he steps around the woman in an attempt to get to the wagon.

The woman quickly moves to block Darl and brandishes the sword even more tightly. As Darl's angle changed, he caught a glimpse of a pale face in the back of the small wagon, in among the group's belongings.

Casting "Sense Magic", he reaches out and attempts to feel for any sort of mystic ability within the women or children; also hoping (but doubting) that the orb might be hidden within the wagon and open to his detection. As his senses expand out he finds no magic objects near or any magic being actively used.

"My name's Corbin Tasslewood," he explains as he stands with shirt in hand. "Owner of Corbin's Curios, the best little shop for trinkets and baubles in all of True Heart. Perhaps you've heard of it?" he asks.

"Name's Emma, and no, I've never heard of it or you." She says coolly and without wavering from her stance. "We're not interested in any curios, so you can just keep moving along."

Now that he was among them, Darl takes a closer look at the women and children; attempting to get a sense of their well-being and health (outside of the obvious fear they were currently showing). "Perhaps an act of kindness would help ease their minds," he thinks silently to himself, looking to see if perhaps any of the group could make use of a charge from his healing blood stone, like maybe the pale one in the wagon. Everyone else appears to be in good health.

"Ah ..." Darl states in understanding, while bending gently to set his shirt back down on the ground, thus freeing a hand. "Mother bird, protecting the nest. My apologies, I did not see the child earlier."

Studying the sword to ensure it's not a real threat, he reaches inside his cloak to pull out the the healing bloodstone hung on a chain around his neck. "I can help the child, if you'll allow me," he states.

"Ah ..." Darl states in understanding, while bending gently to set his shirt back down on the ground, thus freeing a hand. "Mother bird, protecting the nest. My apologies, I did not see the child earlier."

Darl studies the woman's sword momentarily to ensure that it's no real threat. He can tell that, although old and nicked in a few places, it is definitely a good serviceable weapon made from Wormwood resin and quite possibly capable of harming even him. The only way to tell for sure would be to invite her to give it a try.

He reaches inside his cloak to pull out the the healing bloodstone hung on a chain around his neck. "I can help the child, if you'll allow me," he states.

The woman looks torn between the desire to help her child and the fear of the demonic looking being standing before her. Unfortunately Darl is neither charming nor very trustworthy looking so winning the woman's trust seems to be very difficult. A sigh from the girl in the wagon finally makes up her mind; the possibility of getting help for her obviously sick child outweighing her mistrust of Darl. She gives Darl a curt nod and moves out of his way and off to the side where she can take immediate action with the sword if Darl appears to have any unsavory intentions.

The second woman, having finally regained some of her wits, ushers the other children away from the wagon. She whispers to the oldest of them and the boy gathers the rest of the kids and leads them off to take shelter in the surrounding pillars.

Lowering his hood, Darl pulls the chain holding his healing bloodstone over his head and moves over towards the wagon. Clearing away some of the wagons contents, so as to get a better look, he studies the child as if to try and determine the nature of his illness (though realistically, he doesn't really know much more than the next guy would).

"How did this happen?" he asks, adding "Did it come on suddenly, or over time?" if there is no obvious sign of physical injury.

Then, activating the bloodstone, he attempts to use one charge on the child; watching for a moment afterwards to see if it has any effect.

- Jeremy/Darl

OOC: At a software conference for the next week, so posting will continue to be slow. Should be back home around the end of the month.

Darl hears a sharp intake of breath from the leading woman at the full site of his visage, but she doesn't stop him or say anything. Obviously her worry over her daughter outweighs her caution and fear that Darl might harm the girl.

Darl finds the normal household items...cooking pans, clothes, plates...as he moves things around to examine the girl. Darl isn't sure, not being human himself, but from his observances of other humans she seems extremely pale. Her breathing is shallow and barely detectable. There are no visible wounds on her, but it's obvious that something's wrong.

"How did this happen?" he asks, adding "Did it come on suddenly, or over time?" Darl asks the woman.

"Gradually...rapidly...I don't know. She was fine about twenty days ago and then she woke up tired and not feeling well. The next day she couldn't get out of bed. One of the priests came and used a stone to heal her and that helped for a couple days, and then she relapsed again...and again...and..." She trails off and takes a deep breath, collecting herself. "We're trying to get to Chisel where hopefully they can do something more."

Placing the stone against her forehead, Darl activates it and watches. As magic flows from the stone into the little girl her color improves and her breathing deepens, but she still does not wake.