《Alternate Worlds》NL Chapter Five: Wayfarer's Rest

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By evening they find an old abandoned house. The roof is slate and free of leaks but the door is missing and the shutters on the windows have many holes.

Still it's chimney works and with another of Nyesha's homemade blessings and careful markings on certain parts of the house it becomes another safe place for travelers.

To pass the time they do some experimenting with the vest and get -Grenade, no pin - thrown in to a wicket of thorn plants (15ft fire ball, now no plants there, but they found a large pile of bones, both humanoid and animal) shows were a carnivorous plant had been and what caused the holes in the shutters and why the door was missing. - 24ft ladder, leaned it to the side of the house. - potion of Band Aid (heals a single cut or minor bruise) put it on a shelf. - 50ft of hemp rope, placed in bag of holding, maybe useful later - Ladder, in bag of holding - 10ft pole, they looked at it, then broke it up for fire starter as they could think of no other use for it. - an Hour glass, set it on the mantle - a necklace of garlic (24 heads), Nyesha added it to her supply pouch as seasoning. - more rope, placed to side for now - a 10ft x 10ft x 10ft pit, which fortunately opened outside near the now dead carnivorous plant. Several of the bones fell in to it and it split the remaining roots of the plant killing it completely. - a 2ft x 4ft window complete with glass, Nyesha set it in place of one of the houses drafty windows, it attached itself and lets in light but not wind. - a 'magic armor repair kit, with instruction book, states it's good for 1 suit of armor, as they don't have any armor it goes on a shelf - a silver coffer, 1ft x6in x 6in. Nyesha let Freyah have it, it seems to make the immortal one happy to have such a treasure. - 1 silver dagger, Freyah got that one to. Now she is armed and silvery, she laughs - Yet another ladder - placed it over the pit, then laid the first one over the pit to, to keep from tripping over said pit. - 12ft row boat with sail and rudder, No idea what to do with it so they drag it over to the area next to the pit and leave it - Another pit, now that Nyesha knows what the patch will do she puts it off to one side, making an latrine she says (well away from the house) - a 10ft x 10ft thin wood door, Nyesha puts it in place of the house's missing door, like the window it attaches itself, while not all that sturdy it does keep out the wind - A large battering ram, complete with wheels and thick wooden roof, but when they try to push it the wheels fall off and the ropes holding the ram up break. Leaving a pile of parts.

They look over what is left and then take it fully apart, while the axels are worthless the wheels are in good shape as is the roof. They set the roof over the 'latrine' and the wheel's they take down to the road, setting them up so travelers in need can get them. The metal of the ram they drop in to the first pit having no other use for it. The left over broken wood finds its way in to their fire place.

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After all that work they settle down. Nyesha makes herself a dinner and Freyah sets up the bedrolls and then wanders out to catch her dinner only to return a couple hours later with no luck. Seems all the noise they made scared off any local meals.

The next day Nyesha decides to clear the path to the house and the surrounding area (she finds and destroys 2 more of the dangerous carnivorous plants in the process) then decides to make the wheels into wards against such dangers and sets them on the path and around the house (One behind the house and one to each side of the house and the last two on normal tree's on each side of the path to the 3 room stone house.) She spends the whole day on this project, happily building a wayfarers rest stop as she calls it.

Late evening she starts to pull patches again, trying to learn what each one of the hundreds of small patches can do.

-Scroll with a spell, she puts it aside for later - Next she pulls forth a tree, carefully she sets it to the side of the house, well away from the building. Very quickly it plants itself and grows to a good sized Mulberry and produces some excellent fruit. After tasting one of the sweet fruits, Nyesha spends a good couple hours harvesting the tree, adding the berries to her stockpile of tasty treats.

Freyah just watches her work, shaking her head over the huge variety of things that vest can produce.

The next item is another purse of gold, which Freyah puts in her coffer. - Freyah pulls off the next one, hoping for more gold - she gets instead a huge, very muscled warhorse in full chainmail barding but with a strange saddle design (American cowboy Western type) she looks over at Nyesha, "Why do I keep getting the animals, you pulled patches all day yesterday and did not get one. I pull 1 I get another animal, oh and the cat caught up with us somehow." she nods to the cat, who is happily eating a bird it caught. a bird that is at least 3 times his size. Nyesha nods, "The bird apparently attacked him, carried him over even as he was fighting it. Seems he won, though their crash landing hurt my tree." Sighing Freyah pulls the horse over to one side. The horse keeps looking around, like it is looking for its rider or maybe a land mark cause it sure was not in a deep wood a moment ago.

Nyesha waits for her to get back, thrusting her chest out, "Pick another one", she encourages.

Tentively Freyah carefully points to one that to her mind looks like a money pouch, "That one, but you pull it." she states.

Nyesha pulls it off, sets it down and they both watch as a heavy set draft horse, with feed bag and full cargo set appears. The bags are empty save one small bag of black olives hanging from the harness as if set there just moments prior. The horse's eyes are closed as it contently eats it's meal. When they open it looks around, and seeing the war horse just calmly walks over to it and stands there waiting.

Freyah sighs and sits, "Animals, always get animals. What is the chance of that ?" Nyesha shrugs, "Odd, wonder if it's cause you are hungry or someone thinks you should start a stable."

Freyah, in a snit randomly rips a horse shaped patch off, it turns in to a bag. Tentively she looks in to it, and finds it's full of gems. She goggles at them, "I pick one that looks like a purse and get horses, I pick one that looks like a horse and get treasure. What is up with that ?"

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Nyesha shrugs, "They don't look anything like what comes out. The tree looked like a square shape, the door was round, granted the ropes all were squiggly shaped but the 2cd such I pulled turned out to be a ladder. It's sneaky that way."

Upset Freyah randomly grabs two and tosses them on to the ground. One turns in to a tall thin stemmed glass with a triangle shaped bowl, clear liquid with a slice of lemon on the rim, the other in to a wood plate with a selection of four fine cheeses, a wood bowl of pate' and several wheat crackers on it. Nyesha sniffs the drink and makes a face, "Yuck, Vodka." and puts it down, the cheese platter she happily takes however, "you can have the drink. It's called a Martini, made with Vodka which is an alcohol made from potatoes I think. From the Russia's I believe."

Freyah takes a sip, shrugs and sips it along, "It's ok. Nothing special though. The lemon is a nice touch. And at least it was not animals." she adds as an afterthought.

Using her knife and pointing at the Pate, "That would be the animal portion, this is Pate and it is made from finely ground meat and fat then chilled for a few days before being served. From the taste I think it's beef."

Freyah grins, "My kind of animal, food ready." Nyesha smirks.

Picking up her meal, Nyesha heads to the house. There she puts the cheese platter down then comes back outside, going on a hunch she pulls an almost ball shaped patch off. It expands in to a 2in thick iron door. As it is growing, Nyesha notes a handle or the like on one side and aims that inward. In a moment it attaches itself to the house and Nyesha, being quick witted, rolls inside before the door can close itself.

Once closed it drops a heavy metal bar down, locking her inside. The other side of the latch appearing in place on the inside wall of the stone mantle. The wooden door that was there before is popped loose and pushed inside where it breaks apart in to pieces only good for the fire place.

Freyah runs around to the only other open window and looks inside, "You ok ?"

Nyesha nods, "I am fine, but the wood door is tinder. Well at least this is a more secure door. It even has a lock on this side. Freyah nods, "Right, but for the fact that the house windows are open that is."

Nodding, "I think I got some of this vest figured out though. The Round shapes seem to be doors, more round stronger the door. The diamond shape turned in to a window, so maybe that is a clue to that one. Little work and we can have this place set up right. 3 rooms, front room here with fire place, side room where you are at can be a bed room, and that smaller room a store room. It has the shelves after all. I put in a couple more of the wood doors on those rooms and walla, we have a proper house for travelers. Well a good start at least." she amends. Freyah nods, "Then what oh adventurous one ?"

"Then once this place is properly set up we move on. Find homes for the horses, and continue our way to finding your sire and setting him on fire, one piece at a time."

Freyah grins, "Yes that sounds like a good plan."

This time being more careful, Nyesha sets up the window. But something a little different happens. The wall on this side is thicker than the window and the 2ft high, 4ft wide magic window ends up only filling in the 2ftx2ft space then creates a 2ft wide shelf next to the window itself. The glass making a backing that is slightly reflective. Shrugging Nyesha sets a lantern in that place and it proves to make the room a bit brighter at night by reflecting light from the open sided lantern back in to the room.

Next she finds the wood doors and places them in the appropriate area's and ends up with a modest cottage that is well secured against the elements and nature.

Apon consideration she puts down a pit in the room, the opposite side from the bedroom, using a ladder she goes down and sets another pit down, but angles it so it's only a couple feet deeper than the first and Under the wall. This way over the span of 4 days she builds a nice basement area, with one of the wooden doors over the top and the ladders, broken in to appropriate lengths, between the sections. A few Windows along the walls and she has shelves with reflective backs. Some carefully enchanted crystals (just some crystal quartz she found) gives light to these rooms from those shelves.

On the last day there she uses a bit of wood to make 2 signs, in common, pointing to the way rest, welcoming all travelers a place to rest on their journey. She has added her sign both to the signs and to the door and inner walls of the building (to keep some greedy soul from trying to claim it for their own).

On their way down the road they meet several persons and Nyesha happily tells them about the house and how it was set up by the followers of a god of travel as a safe resting place. Though never once does she mention the name of the god they follow. Shrugging when asked and saying she just noted the symbol of the god but does not recall the name. Freyah just shakes her head and keeps walking as Nyesha does these things yet does not take credit for them.

---

Several weeks later a high level group of elven adventurers comes to the house. They had heard of it from this nice halfling woman and with a strong storm blowing in this place is a welcome respite for them. Once in and secured the priest of the group sets up his portable shrine and calls apon Corellon Larethian, "Oh mighty protector of the People, we pray to thank you for our safe journey and this lovely haven for travelers."

Before he can continue an azure haze forms then a youthful looking elven man steps in to the room and starts looking around, "oh my she really out did herself I see. Glass windows, hm, Vags sign, AH so that is what he meant. HA! Good old Vag. Really picked a winner this time I think."

The elves, all wide eyes, stare after the divine one as he walks about the small house, looking things over and muttering to himself. Eventually he turns to them, "Sorry been meaning to come here and look the place over once I heard about it. That little halfling really did a fine job on this place."

A warrior slowly speaks, "Are you speaking of the Priestess Nyesha, the one we met on the road and wished us a safe journey ?"

Corellon smiles, "Priestess, HA! Oh I think I am going to like her. That my children was a Goddess, a very modest one by all accounts. Her blessing is why you had such a safe journey. She seems to like blessing well deserving travelers. She spent some two weeks here, clearing out the monsters that made this place a danger to travelers then set up wards around it to keep it safe, put in the doors, windows and basement using bits of old magic and allot of creativity. She even planted the Mulberry tree outside, though I understand she conjured that by accident more than design. She is young In these things and still learning how to do things. She is the Hin's Goddess of Travel and Weather and a tenacious warrior to boot. I heard she killed almost 100 demons just between the Land of the Gods and Border Town, then in Border Town she exposed and destroyed 3 greater undead by using her winds to pull them from their hiding holes and in to a shaft of pure sunlight, keeping them there until their ashes were ashes. All that in just the first week of coming in to this world. That is Physically in to the world mind you. The Sky God, Lord of Fate, decided she needed to travel the world in humanoid form to truly understand her place in it. From all accounts she is doing well. Setting up safe places, camp sites, way stops and the like where violence is not permitted and safety for a time is assured. Yondalla found herself a good one this time. Tall Fellow, with deep red hair and ice grey eyes. Happy as most their kind but with a warriors spirit to boot. Woo, I would not want to anger that one, I would win of course, but It would be one heck of a fight. She tends to lead with weather, lightning wind, temperature extremes, then the weapons come out. Nothing like a halfling on the warpath, they are tough." he states while looking all over the room, up the chimney and down in the basement. Finely he comes to a stop and smiles at them all, "New faces in old pantheons are always interesting. Especially the good ones. From what I have been told Yondalla was tired of the only adventuring god being their thief god, so she got the Sky God to look in to finding her someone more honest and less mischievous. I think she got a winner." His elves are grinning at him and he stops, "I know, I am chatty. Truthfully she has a powerful symbol here." taps the mantle with the sign on it, "And I could not enter here without being invited by mortal means. Well I Could, but not without destroying it and I did not want to do that. Still that is one Potent sign, I doubt she realizes it either. That girl has some serious potential. Anyway, I just wanted to look around and thank you for making that happen." he nods to his priest, who bows to him, "Oh and Becareful of her version of a latrine, from what I can tell it's really just a pit with an old door and a couple of large ladders holding it up. The roof over it came from a broken ram, that is where the wheels' with her wards carved in to them, came from as well. Imagine finding a battering ram out here, ropes rotted through and axles broken but the rest. Well most of the rest she found uses for. The metal part is in the pit to the right of the house, near the big dead plant. She had no use for it so dumped it in there. Right, that is everything." he states, then walks out the door and heads for the mulberry tree where he picks a good handful of ripe fruit, "Good berries." he states as he munches on some. Then he turns in to a azure light and is gone. The elves all shake their heads. They had met him once long ago after a particularly dangerous adventure. He was almost as chatty then to. Though then he allowed them to get a word in edgewise. Seeing a god excited is interesting. Especially when it's in a good way. Smiling they turn and set up for dinner. Marveling at a Humble God. That is a first for them, most gods even of their own people tend to let you know who did what. Though as one of them put it, the Halfling gods are a bit more subtle and subdued for the most part. So maybe a Humble one is not all that strange.

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