» Group #12

[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:

Fitzroy Prewett, 21, Beater for Puddlemere United
Thomas Browning, 22, Japanese Translator for Dept. of International Magical Co-Ops, Upper Class
Evangeline Asperhand, 17, Ravenclaw student, upper class
Elizabeth Blackwood, 18, 7th Year Hufflepuff, Middle 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

[Elizabeth Blackwood]

With Nolan home and safe, for the most part, her life had really taken a strange turn. Her fiance was kidnapped, forced to feed on someone and kill them, which makes it worse because he's a werewolf and yet no one knows and now, she's been drafted into this crazy expedition to search for new land so that Hogsmeade can expand and grow beyond its limitations. When she was alerted to the draft, she made a large survival rucksack with additional medical supplies, an additional knife that she had Nolan help her sharpen, extra set of candles, some extra ink, a couple more pounds of beef and venison jerky, and an extra canteen of water.

After the little strange adventure through the Ministry of Magic, she arrived in the forests of Hogsmeade, not far from the South Slums. She gazed around her to see if anyone else was with her and noticed that there were three other people. Immediately, she recognized Eva and squealed in happiness, running to her, pouncing her and wrapped her arms around the poor girl, purring all over, "Yay!! You're here! Oh thank the Heavens! I thought I would be with only strangers for this ludicrous occasion!" She giggled and let Eva stand up and dust herself off before she nodded to the two gentlemen, curtseying gently, "Evening, gentlemen, I'm Elizabeth Blackwood."

[Evangeline Asperhand]

Evangeline was ecstatic to get that chance. It was like dreams come true. Of course, she was disappointed when she learned that Elias wasn't placed in the same group as her, but when she saw Lizzy she lightened up immediately. Evangeline, except for her wand and some supplies, with herself brought a ton of books and some potions (she spent a lot of money especially on those that could heal). All nicely put in one bag. She intended to become animagi this year. She knew she could to it. It was her goal.
”Hello there, Lizzy.” She smiled. ”Gentlemen, my name is Evangeline Asperhand, I believe heading South would do us good.”

[Fitzroy Prewett]

Fitzroy clambered onto one of the Ministry of Magic’s lift, closed in on each side by both Ministry employees and expedition members alike, in nervous anticipation. Oh, of course he is not fearful for his existence. Indeed, very less so; but he was concerned upon the mere thought of whether or not Miss Odette de Montfault has received his letter. He has not received her letter previously, so he was distressing of whether or not he has proposed too soon for her comprehension. Could he have offended her with his hasty proposal? Of course, they have only officially known each other for nearly two months, but he had been positive that their time together had been a source of pleasure and delight on both sides. Either way, the letter did contain quite much for the conscience to process, so perhaps Miss Odette just needed some time to properly correspond? It seemed a more likely and reasonable explanation.

Nevertheless, despite Fitzroy’s nervous anticipation, he stilled prospered on and trudged through the crowd of people to the office he was instructed to enter to gather his supplies for the expedition. The two horses he had bought for the women to ride on should their feet become sore to the point that they desperately desired relief, were awaiting his presence in the office, and whinnying lightly. Rubbing the soft tuft of fur behind one of the horses (a female horse apparently) ears, Fitzroy could not but marvel at how beauteous a creature can be. Fitzroy only possessed one carriage and two horses, but he would not be averse to buying and gaining a few more horses along with a new carriage model. Besides, should Miss Odette consent to become his wife, he would need to ensure that she rides in a comfortable and sturdy carriage pulled by horses capable of making the journey to and from his house and Highstreet, or wherever she may desire to go.

After slinging the gray knapsack over his shoulder and pulling the reins of the horses to lead them, Fitzroy continued on his way towards his destination. Once there, he observed his group. His group consisted of Upper and Middle-Class folk only, which he found rather quite odd but decided not to question it. Miss Asperhand and Mr. Browning he knew by mere acquaintance at some society function or other; Miss Blackwood, however, he did not recognize by face, but rather by name as she had been mentioned on one of the rare days Fitzroy decides to read the Prophet. Apparently Miss Blackwood was engaged and would become a wife shortly after the expedition. He was unclear of the details surrounding the engagement besides Mr. Nolan, one of his seamsters, and Miss Blackwood apparently having had formed an attachment at the Flamel’s New Year’s Eve Ball, where he had danced with a woman by the name of Miss Hope. Though why he even attempted to discover her whereabouts in Wellingtonshire and Bartonburg he had not a clue, but all Fitzroy came to acknowledge was the fact that no Upper or Middle Class family had a female relative by the name of Hope within their household. Of course, the Winships’ had mentioned possessing a maid by that name, but Fitzroy could not believe that the Miss Hope he came into acquaintance with at the Ball could ever be a maid; she possessed too much class and beauty for such a lowborn task. Nevertheless, Fitzroy felt like the prince in Cinderella whom had failed in seeking out his princess.

Fitzroy had to smile and chuckle at how excited and thrilled the two young women were in acknowledging the fact that they would be journeying together; especially Miss Blackwood whom appeared very much relieved to have been arranged with someone she was on intimate terms with. Fitzroy’s eyes swiveled towards Mr. Browning’s form, and he gave a nod of acknowledgement. Being so close in age meant that he and Mr. Browning ran through a similar social circle involving those Upper and Middle Class gentlemen and women. Of course, Fitzroy never acknowledged Mr. Browning’s presence until he returned to Hogsmeade the previous autumn, but nevertheless, their ages arranged them together at various social functions and parties. Gesturing to the bag over his shoulder, he continued, “I have brought extra canteens of water for us all, a tent that I shall magic to shelter us all, extra food, extra medical supplies should we ever need it, and extra wool blankets to fend off the chill at nights.” He also brought other items such as extra shirts, pants, shoes, wizard robes (he thought them quite comfortable for the journey), hair gel, and extra parchment and quills for his own personal use.

tag: Group #12 | outfit: a suit | notes: none
made by Emily exclusively for Charming

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 2
You travel south through the forest for the rest of the day. It's cool and shaded, but because it is so thick with trees, manuevering around them proves difficult. You do not come across any creeks or ponds, so are unable to refill your canteens with water. Finally in the late afternoon, you see mountains beginning to rise into the sky. The closer you get, the higher they become until you see that there are two different paths you can take. You could either try and climb the mountain, though it looks fairly steep and would not allow for the horse to be able to make it. 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. Night will fall soon, so you'll need to find a comfortable place to camp as well.

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

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

[Thomas Browning]

There was no shoving needed to get Tom to go out into the fray. He bounded out of the Ministry merrily, nearly beside himself about the upcoming adventure. He had his supplies and map and a picture of Genia in his pocket. He was ready for anything. He didn’t really know anyone in his group. He’d not gone to Hogwarts and didn’t really keep up with Quidditch. Though, meeting new people and making friends had never been a problem for Thomas Browning. He knew the names, and recognized the faces, but he had never really been close with any of them. He met up with the group as the two females were greeting each other in an overly familiar fashion – which was fine with Thomas because he nearly shook the poor Prewett boy’s hand off in greeting. “Thrilling, isn’t it? Simply thrilling. I simple can not wait. Ladies, Sir, we are in for an adventure, I am sure of it.” As they were all introduced and Prewett rattled off his over-preperation, Tom nodded congenially. “You’ve all thought ahead,” he admired, nodding to their packs, all bigger than his standard one. The conversation turned to which way they ought to go. Tom couldn’t have cared less. “Any direction. Any.”
They started South and Tom eagerly followed along, keeping his trail-mates entertained with tales of Japan and his school days in America, asking about their married lives or lack thereof while showing off Genia’s picture to them all. “She couldn’t join in on the expedition. Pregnant, you know.” When they came to the base of the mountain, Tom scoffed. “We can make that. Let’s go over. I never cared for horses.”

[Elizabeth Blackwood]

Elizabeth was extremely happy to spend some time with Eva outside of school, something they didn't get to do very often. Eva was her best friend and that was something which Elizabeth treasured above all. With Nolan's return and the date coming soon for Elizabeth and Nolan to marry, life would soon be changing rapidly. She hadn't told Eva yet about her plans to get married after graduation, but at least Eva knew that Nolan and her were getting married. Nolan was constantly on her mind all the time, wondering and hoping he was alright.

The trip was hard and self-consuming on such a young woman unused to the hardships of wilderness survival. She was used to having servants and a fresh source of food that she could quickly and easily consume. She had Eva and the others though, so it made it easier than how it would be if she had done this alone. She looked up at the mountain side and sighed, not wanting to do some serious climbing on a mountain. As a woman, she dressed in a way that was counterintuitive to the natural order of survival.

"Must we really climb the mountain? Can't we just walk around?"

[Evangeline Asperhand]

Evangeline stood in a hard position. A part of her wanted to agree with Lizzy, but the other one wanted to agree with viscount Browning. After giving it much thought she finally decided. ”Life is all about taking risks, Lizzy. We need to take that risk now. The road up is much shorter than the one around. It might be steep, but it's not dangerous. We can do it” She said supportingly.

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 3
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 Thomas Browning 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 4 begins May 26th

[Thomas Browning]

“That’s the way of it,” he chimed merrily when they decided to go on over the mountain. He knew it was probably a bad idea, but it was the more adventurous one! As night closed in around them, they kept on, much to Tom’s delight. Wandlight was good enough for him. It gave everything a sort of creepy feel which made the trek all the more interesting.

…and then he felt it.

The rock underfoot had looked sturdy enough when he’d passed over it with his wand. Though, upon placing his foot upon the rock to push himself forward, his weight dislodged said rock and his ankle turned at a wholly unnatural angle. In a wild blur of flailing arms and colorful curse words, Tom went down, scraping his hand and bloodying his elbow – of course, not to mention, breaking his ankle.

Such a pain he’d never known! And he let his group know it. “Oh! It’s killed me! Bloody rock bastard! Am I going to die?” One of their group looked him over and deduced that, indeed, he’d broken his ankle, which translated to Tom, meant he was dying. “Oh, Merlin! I’m about to be a father! And I’m going to die in the damned jungle!” This mountain was hardly a jungle, and, considering he’d been born in Africa… Well, it was safe to assume that his life as a viscount had been rather cushy.

A discussion broke out about what they ought to do – go on or make camp. Tom felt the need to add his two knuts. “Are you MAD?!!? You can’t just leave me!!! Have you all taken leave of your senses?” Trying to hold his scraped elbow and gesture wildly with his hands was doing nothing to give any weight or validity to his argument. “I am Viscount Thomas James Browning and I will not be left on the roadside like some lamed horse, is that understood? You’ve all got another thing coming if you think you’re just going to keep prancing up the Ridge of Murderous Scenery and leave me here for the werewolves. The gall!”

[Evangeline Asperhand]

”Stop being such a crybaby. We will stop and camp for the night. I have healing potions with me and I know how muggles deal with broken bones. You're lucky the bone hadn't gone through the skin, otherwise it would have been nasty. Evangeline rolled her eyes. The viscount turned out to be a spoiled rich kid and if the auror won't take control, she was the one that needed to take charge. Of course, she only knew everything in theory. Luckily, the potion she brought was bought, not homemade, so it had a guaranteed success.

When they settled in, Evangeline pulled up the mans trousers to see the ankle clearly. ”You're really lucky. It could have been way worse.” She said. ”Here, drink this. It's a healing potion. I bought it in the apothecary. It should work.”

outfit

[Elizabeth Blackwood]

Elizabeth laughed at the older man whining and complaining about his injury. He's lucky it wasn't worse than it was. She nodded to Eva and looked to Thomas, "I'm sorry, Sir, but I agree with Eva. Relax and be happy we aren't muggles...I hear they cut off limbs as long as it can't be set." She moved over to him and pulled his leg up, taking out one of her blouses, ripping the fabric and wrapping his ankle, adding a long, straight stick to set it. She used some clean water to get all the dirt and rocks out of his wounds then wrapped them.

She stood up and shook her head, taking out her tent to get ready for camping for the night. She couldn't believe the gall in Thomas. Just relax, cowboy. She smirked and nodded to Eva, again.

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 4
Luckily, Evangeline and Elizabeth act quickly and are able to heal Thomas' ankle as best they can. It'll be sore the next day, but it should heal up quickly. You decide to build a campfire and rest there. In the morning, your group needs to decide whether to continue on upwards or to climb back down the mountain and go around it instead. The first decision is much safer, but the second decision could also be an interesting option.

What do you decide?
a. Continue upward
b. Climb down and go around

OOC DIRECTIONS
1. Make a decision

Round 5 begins June 1st

[Evangeline Asperhand]

Evangeline was very proud of herself and Elizabeth. They managed to fix Tom up the best to their ability.
"No sense to turn back. Let's climb up." Angie said with a smile.

[Hogsmeade Trail]

EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 5
You climb higher and higher. For the next week and a half, it seems that all that lies before you is the mountain rising upwards. There is a thick layer of snow all around you. Fitzroy slips on a patch of ice and tumbles down the mountainside. He hits his head on the way down and is knocked unconscious. The Ministry is notified and he is sent home to receive medical care.

Your group continues on without him. On June 1st, you have reached a high enough altitude where the temperature has dropped unexpectedly quickly and just as the sun has disappeared behind the mountain, you are forced to make a quick decision before you all freeze to death. You can camp for the night where you are and hope to keep sheltered from the elements, or you can try and find a cave that will not only offer shelter, but warmth. The trouble is, you'll have to look for it in the dark.

What do you think is best?
a. Camp here
b. Search for a cave

Round 6 begins June 4th