Café de Nuit

Draven looks taken ababck by the show of solidarity form the others of the group. "Thankyou" he whispers with a slight shake of his shoulders.

Van looks outside the fit forest and frowns.

"We will travel in an unknown forest during the night? I prefer doing it in the morning."

Jacob tells Van it is actually mid morning. Once the midday meal is done, the party exits the shelter. Jacob dismisses the magical home. Outside, six elephants await, with a note attached to one of them. It reads as so:

Effendi's:

Please accept the loan of these elephants and supplies. Once you've reached Tvashtri, please leave the elephants on the outskirts of Tvashtri, and my agents will retrieve them. Thank you for being caring friends of Alexander.


Najiyah

Jacob looks at Alex. "Your friend has aided us in our return journey. Let us take the time to acquaint ourselves with how to ride these huge beasts!

And so, for the better part of an hour, the party gets the hang of riding an elephant. Those how have no riding skills, the others who do help them. The elepahants seem to be very friendly, as compared to horses, or even camels, for those who've rode them. The party departs and for the next few hours, travel in peace towards Tvashtri. The trip is more enjoyable as Najiyah has put in the supplies some insect repellent as well as many waterskins. Jacob reassures the party that he and Lucius can purify the water, so there's no cahnce of disease from drinking it.

Those who have armor remove it after thirty minutes of travel. The humidity is just too much. "I'll pray for some spells on the morrow to help us cope with this unbearable heat. Actually, all of us spellcasters can cast this one. It's called endure elements. Those of you who have it, memorise it. Those who don't can get it from me this evening. Lucius, as you must already know, you can pray for it."

The first leg of the trip is uneventful. The jungle is bustling with life. The sounds of exotic birds fill your ears. In the distance you can hear the growling of a tiger. Thankfully it's too far off. Sound travels quite far here. The insects are huge, like you've never seen before. If you've read about Souragne, then these rival and even surpass those mosquitoes!

Evening finally arrives and you make camp. Though Najiyah has "lent" you the tents, Jacob casts two shelter spells. One is for the party. The other is for the elepants. Once he's settled the elephants in their new environment, he joins you in your shelter. "Cornelius, how about a nice meal? I've a little something put away for such an occasion." Jacob reaches into his pack and removes a rather normal looking case. Frost appears on it.

He opens it and removes several frozen packages. "Venison. Let it defrost. Here's some herbs, Cornelius. I need to have my elvish reverie now, as I haven't for two days." Jacob does appear to be exhausted. He hands over a pouch to Cornelius and trods off to his room, leaving the door open. If anyone looks inside, he lays peacefully on a modest bedroll. Eyes closed, he breathes slowly. His hands lay across his chest in an "x"

Cornelius fetches an iron pot from the depths of his rucksack.

''I'll see what I can do. Venison stew, yes. Any night's a good night for stew.''

The dwarf sets to cooking up some vension stew, dumping in the various herbs along with chopped up roots, and some peppers he found growing wild in the jungle. He defrosts the meat by the simple expedient of setting it near the fire on a couple of flat stones.

As he cooks, Cornelius talks a bit.

''Those oliphaunts are wonderful! Clever beasts. They have eyes like a dwarf- real intelligence in them. ''

Van makes a great effort to not laugh, he prefers to just nod and say:

"They are intelligent and capable to walk many hours without stop, I'm really curious to see what they are eating and how much!"

If anyone does get curious about the elephants, they'll see that the mastadons eat a lot of greenery and hay. They're also friendly enough with anyone who fancies to take a rather large brush and scratch or rub them.

Ail I hope you kept that PM I sent for those spells from Jacob's book Lucius has had the time to learn one of them thus far.

The rest of the night passes without incident. The next morning i s business as usual. Jacob looks rested. When you awake the table is set with fruits, fried eggs, toasted bread and even some of the food Cornelius likes, insects included!

After breakfast you pack up and head out. This day it rains. The humidity is quite bearable with your spells, but you're drenched by the noon hour and it's not looking like it'll stop anytime soon. "I don't mind traveling in this downpour as it is actually safer. No beasts will lurk about in this weather. I think I''ll create the shelters once more and we can stay in their comfort for the time being. Unless you wish to go on. I don't mind. Stopping only after a few hours is a waste of time in my opinion. Weather can be a hindrance at times."

Draven shivers miserably in his sodden clothes, despite the heat. "We should press on until dark, the dangers of these jungles by day are nothing to those by night" he says grimly.

Van tries to protect himself as better as he can from the rain, but nods to Draven words:

"Totally agree, it's better continue and stay in Jacob's shelter later when it's dark and more animals will be out there. "Also I think that riding these elephants no animals will dare to attack us."

"Aye, movin' on seems the best course." William says loudly enough to be heard over the pouring rain. He sits somewhat uncomfortable atop his mount, crouched over, clutching his pistol to his chest is an attempt to keep it dry.

And so, for the rest of the day the party trudges along at a slower pace than normal. By nightfall the party is completely drenched and exhausted from the incessant rain. Jacob creates the two shelters and quickly the elephants are put away and the party settles into their shelter.

Inside a room, Jacob hammers four pegs into a wall on one side of the room, then four pegs on the other side. Exitting the room he says "All right, get out of your wet clothes and into some dry ones. In a few minutes we'll have a place to dry the wet clothes."
As he speaks he removes two ropes from his pouch and reenters the room.

Carefully he removes a tool and in each peg drills a hole big enough to fit a rope. Then he cuts each rope in half. Methodically he attaches each rope to pegs so that four taut ropes span the room. He stands there a moment and puts his hand to his chin, cupping it. Snapping his fingers he reaches into his bag and removes a few items. Smiling in satisfaction he pokes his head out of the room and speaks. "Okay I've constructed a makeshift clothes hanger in the room. We'll hang our clothes and I'll then cast spell that will dry them. I don't know about you but I hate wet clothes!"

He returns into the room. Removing a cloak from his bag, he quickly removes his and dons the dry one. Then he hangs his wet cloak on one of the ropes. Satisfied, he exits and waits for everyone to do the same as he.

Van looks satisfied the cloth hanger and says:

"Very nice Jacob, indeed that is what we needed!"

With that he gets a dry robe form his backpack and put the wet one on a rope.

"Much better. Now I think we need a good fire to get all this humidity off our bones."

So he gets to the fire place and lights a fire. Satisfied, Van gets a seat by the fire waiting the others to get ready.

And so the evening passes without incident. The next morning the party eats. Once done, the shelters disappear and once more you head off to Tvashtri. Many days pass. In fact, for the next six days you travel southward, towards your destination. The party encounters little or no wildlife during their trek. When they do, it is either tigers or serpents, and they are easily dispatched. Finally on your eighth day from your former location, you arrive at the outskirts of Tvashtri.

Jacob looks to William. "William, I think it best if we head in alone to the port. The item I gave you will come in handy for dealing for a vessel back to this Darkon you've all spoken of. For now, the others will remain in the shelter and we'll leave the elephants at the outskirts nearby for Najiyah's agents. Let's head into the city and appropriate us a vessel."

Jacob and William leave the others at a shelter that Jacob created. Once out of sight of the others, Jacob turns to the sailor. "William, put on the item I gave you and concentrate on an image you'd like others to see of you, not your self. This will be your disguise. I gather it will make things easier for you to negotiate us a boat this way."

William apprehensively pulls out the hat he was given by Jacob. "This is a crazy idea, mate." He places is on his head, and closes his eyes, thinking of all the sailors he had known and what he is expected to look like.
He decides on a fair haired older man wearing a weathered tri corn hat and a closely cropped beard.
"Alright Jacob, how do I look? Lets go get us a vessel!"

Jacob grins at William. "You look fine matey!" Even as he speaks, his shape shifts into that of an elder human man. Salt and pepper hair, attired in simple pants and a tunic. He sports a patch over his left eye and a bandana around his neck.

It's the noon hour and the streets of Tvashtri are bustling with all kinds of people. Some natives of course, but there are all kinds of nationalities abounding the streets. William and Jacob make it to the port which is even more bustling with humanity. It's a slow process but you make it to the quartermaster's and wait in line. Once it's your turn you are processed into an office. An elder man sits behind a desk. He looks up as you enter and bids both William and Jacob to sit.

"Good day effendi's. How might I be of service to you this day?"