Not even an hour have passed before Mari ordered all to depart; Charles didn't protest for a moment and had his brother and his wife come after her; he rode on his horse, she walked in front of him, and behind them, Gregor and Charlotte.
They didn't take a road, nor ask for directions; Mari kept walking north, north-west, north-east, sometimes stopping and striking a chord on her lute, then standing still for a second or two before resuming her march. From fields surrounding the towns they got into a forest, and then deeper into it. The buzzing of insects started to dissappear; so did the sound of the wind and chirping of the birds. The only sounds left were the breathing of the four travelers and crunching of leaves and grass under their feet.
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a ruined castle appeared. The brown stones of bygone area and the size of the construction should make it visible from between the trees at least a minute ago, but no; it's as if someone just plopped the castle here, right in front of their noses.
"A warning, my friends. Whatever you see, be it food, drink, treasure or anything of the kind, do not touch it. Gingin is master of poisons and hexes. A drink that makes you lose your memory, or apple that kills you instantly with otherworldly poison - that kind of dark magic are mere tricks for the entities like Gingin, he can come up with much worse things. Stay calm, and stay close to me and Charles." After that, she took her lute and struck some chords, listening a while after the sounds turned to silence.
"Gingin, he is north-east of where we stand now. Keep your eyes open."There was no enemy in sight. No shimmering walls or things out of ordinary (beyond the castle appearing out of nowhere).
And it was completely quiet in here.
~~Player Turn 1~~
Allies stats!
PCs:
Charlotte von Hexham: 40/40
Gregor von Hexham: 48/48
Allies:
Charles von Hexham: 44/44
Mari: 35/35
