Hearing Salt’s whine and the whispering of Cainneach as he tries to soothe the young hound, Famh looks over at her friend and countryman. She can sense his unease about the proposed journey, an unease that is certainly not absent from the mix of feelings swirling around in her own mind on the subject; and the echo sets her thinking more generally about the young man from her homeland and the friendship that has slowly seeded and grown between them as they journeyed together. Nowadays Cainneach spent much of his time out roaming the snow-clad hills and forests of Baron Aldred’s estate, while she had found a new delight in finding out about people as well as a new place and new things and customs that kept her closer to walls even when she wasn’t within the keep or castle town,, the endless fieldstone walls that and green fields all about Baron Aldred’s castle. And it has mostly been a rewarding and fulfilling exeprience.
Although she had so desperately wanted to make that oily-voiced Sir Alcuin bray like the jackass he was as he stood before Baron Aldred multiplying doubts and confusions into molehills, and the molehills into mountains, until he’d weaseled his way out of the common gallows tree the lying, slippery snake so richly deserved! She’d stood behind Sir Almeric loyally silent, loyally motionless … well, perhaps tit hjad also partially been due to he steady dark glower Myrddin kept bent upon her the whole time to remind her what he;d had Alais whisper secretly to her as they all solemnly paced in to take their places before the Baron’s high seat, where he stood with his hand on Alais’ shoulder as she stood quietly in her corner behind her father and farthest from Sir Alcuin – not as subtle as what she might have expected, perhaps, but she asked no questions. She knew well enough the significance of the older man’s name in the ancient Thulish sagas; and even if this were a modern sage who made a claim to a power and aincentry he did not possess by adopting such an appelation, such boldness was not unknown in the ancient sagas either and always also constituted a challenge thrown down by a magician whose confidence in their power was generally most well founded. Such a claim was not one made lightly in the stories, and she suspected this Myrddin was well enough acquainted with the stories to know it well.
But Cainneach had been there too, as one of the retinue directly concerned in the events under examination, and she’d felt a joy in being able to talk to her old friend again … old friend? She chuckled. It’wasn’t a sixmonth yet since she’d first met him in Igham, along with the rest of Sir Valor’s retinue. She’d heard enough of Sir Valor to satisfy her curiosity, and thought of him as fully as good a man as his cousin Sir Almeric. It was Cainneach her dreams had first drawn her to, though, and she smiles secretly to herself. Then, she walks slowly but confidently over towards the pair, holding out her hand for Salt to smell so he may judge that she is a friend of his new master as she remembers doing with many sheepdogs on the crofts and steading where she traded herd’s work for lodging. But she has never seen a beast one tenth this noble in all her wanderings, and admiration is in her gaze as she follows the classic lines of his muzzle to the clear pools of his eyes. She avoids too directly lloking into those eyes, instead leaving her hand down where Salt can decide if any more familiarities should be initiated while she otherwise straightens up to speak softly to Cainneach: “A journey north along the coast in winter? It must be something pressing, I’d hope a baron who’s treated us as kindly already as this one has wouldn’t send us unless it were. Don’y know that either of us has had a chance to see more than bit pieces of the way, but I think I remember a few cliff paths, and I remember the spots where I looked out from cliff or headland and saw the terrible rocks and thought how I’d like to warn boat and ship away.
...and Famh breaks off with a lump of tears in her throat as she suddenly realizes this means she’ll have to say goodbye to her new friend Alais! She takes a few breaths before she says, “Excuse me…,” to Cainneach, only a little shakily, and walks over to where Myrddin sits in his councilor’s chair beside the Baron. She cats her eyes down as she addressess him in a slightly uncertain voice:
“Ah … Sir … might I ask, could you...” she swallows, seems at a loss for words, then suddenly blurts out, “Would you please tell Alais I’ll write? When I can – I don’t know the art very well, just the little Brither Cadfael taught me when I was a girl in Thuland, before my wanderings. And Sir – when we come back, would you be able to help me learn to write better than that? A hand more fitting for a freewoman in the service of a Knight Capellar who serves so noble a laird as the good Baron?” She nods at Aldred.
Though growing up in a port, Fergus has zero experience sailing. Sometimes business brought him on board a ship that was docked but he has never been to sea. There were times when he daydreamed of stowing away and adventuring out into the unknown but for most of his life he preferred the devil he knew. As dangerous as this mission sounded, now that he was among friends he felt that he could finally brave those waters. Fergus fidgets with the crystal in his pocket for a moment, drawing courage from the power within before quietly volunteering for the quest
"Right, I'll grab me stick. When are we off?" Still slightly perturbed by the sudden appearance of the mask and Ori's inability to be rid of, Ori welcomes the change of scenery. While in the show, they were always on the move, never around for too long. He could only get "killed" just so many times before it started loosing its feeling with the crowds. So they were always ready to be on the move, traveling with the cast and crew. This was going to feel like the old days, hopefully with less performances however! Ori hadn't never been on a ship before but was excited for the experience.
But Cainneach had been there too, as one of the retinue directly concerned in the events under examination, and she’d felt a joy in being able to talk to her old friend again … old friend? She chuckled. It’wasn’t a sixmonth yet since she’d first met him in Igham, along with the rest of Sir Valor’s retinue. She’d heard enough of Sir Valor to satisfy her curiosity, and thought of him as fully as good a man as his cousin Sir Almeric. It was Cainneach her dreams had first drawn her to, though, and she smiles secretly to herself. Then, she walks slowly but confidently over towards the pair, holding out her hand for Salt to smell so he may judge that she is a friend of his new master as she remembers doing with many sheepdogs on the crofts and steading where she traded herd’s work for lodging. But she has never seen a beast one tenth this noble in all her wanderings, and admiration is in her gaze as she follows the classic lines of his muzzle to the clear pools of his eyes. She avoids too directly lloking into those eyes, instead leaving her hand down where Salt can decide if any more familiarities should be initiated while she otherwise straightens up to speak softly to Cainneach: “A journey north along the coast in winter? It must be something pressing, I’d hope a baron who’s treated us as kindly already as this one has wouldn’t send us unless it were. Don’y know that either of us has had a chance to see more than bit pieces of the way, but I think I remember a few cliff paths, and I remember the spots where I looked out from cliff or headland and saw the terrible rocks and thought how I’d like to warn boat and ship away.
And of course, this also means we’ll have to…”
Cainneach was about to reply to Famh, but the kind, yet strange, girl had abruptly departed, leaving him alone once again with Salt. So Cainneach whispers to the hound, "I am relieved that Famh knows something of the coast. My family never travelled that far east out of the Pagans, at least not when I was old enough to remember it. It is only in the past weeks that I've first glimpsed the sea. From what she says, it sounds a treacherous journey, ill-suited to anyone, let alone a boy of the forests and mountains and his lanky hound. But I suppose they need me. Hopefully I can keep myself out of trouble this time. At least I've practiced with my bow and these blades. I'll see if you can make the journey with us, as I fear we'll need all the help we can get!"
After hearing the others agree to join up with Almeric in the Baron's service yet again, Cainneach then rises and walks over to Fergus, remembering to ask Salt to heel, lest he make the scrivener uncomfortable. "Fergus, I will lend what skills I can to this venture. Now I know that for some reason, you and Salt don't see eye to eye, but I think he could be of use while we're making our way over land. He can travel as fast as mounted horses and take care of himself, but I will inquire with the baron's fewterer as to the proper keeping of the deerhound on a seafaring vessel, if it is even possible." After whatever acknowledgement Fergus might give, Cainneach will depart with Salt to seek the aforementioned advice.
(@Damian_May, would Salt reasonably be able to join the party for the full voyage, or only as far as Clyster? It sounds like Thatch might be in a similar situation with Shuck.)
In whatever time is available prior to their departure, Cainneach will consult with any available cartographer to get a better understanding of the journey. Presumably, he would have met some such person in the course of his duties as forester. I think that Cainneach would initially have been skeptical of the need for detailed maps, as his survival skills and keen mind had been sufficient up until now. However, with the scope of his duties and ranging expanded and the prospect of travelling even farther throughout Ellesland, Cainneach has recently developed an interest in cartography! (No translation into game mechanics at this time.)
Four days later the assembled group marched down the road towards Port Clyster, with the Barons colours flying high above the company there was little chance that robber knights or bandits would chance an attack and the procession passed through Candleford reaching Clyster by late afternoon.
The port of Clyster was bustling, despite, or rather because of the chill weather. Ships and crews spent the winter months there – there was coin a-plenty to be spent and the same to be made.
The retinue was put up at ‘The Hole in the Wall’, a large inn, with plenty of pilgrims and merchants and a smattering of returning Crusaders. A lavish spread was put on in a private room and the Baron and his attendants soon retired to bed warning they would be up and boarding the Linden at dawn. A room was prepared for Sir Almeric and Fergus, another for Ori, Cainneach and Thatch and another for Famh and Tana. There seemed to be no objections to Salts presence within the Inn, though the resident cats did give him a lot of side-eye.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As the group journeys towards Port Clyster, you notice Famh lapsing into a state you think of at first as "the old Famh' of the journey from Igham. But you soon find yourself adjusting that appellation to the more nuanced one of 'the traveling Famh'. With those she does not know she is as quiet a sponge of silent observation as the still half-feral wild shepherdess you remember from your first days together. But within the small group of Sir Almeric's retinue, as well as any of Baron Aldred's household she may have come to know well, she still glows with her new delight in talking and making friends; and she is slowly learning how to adjust her approach to people who fall between these two extremes in a more nuanced way as the acquaintanceship grows and trust is earned on both sides.
Ever since becoming aware of Cainneach's unease when she seemed to be forgetting their friendship, Famh has tried to keep in touch with him. The distance growing again between her and her Thulish friend was the one thing truly troubling her at Baron Aldred's castle, and she welcomes the chance to journey with him and the retinue again. But every once in a great while, there is a mysterious look in her eyes as she glances at him that reminds him ... should he be inclined to notice it ... that she is not only a friend and countrywoman, but a warm-hearted young girl on the cusp of womanhood. How much more there is to it than that you're not sure even she knows, but that twinkle has definitely sometimes been there ever since she whispered to Alais that her other friend was "...a boy ...".
But on the night of arrival in Port Clyster, curious Famh is in ascendancy,, and instead of going back to the room she and Tana share she finds herself drifting about the edges and shadows keeping an eye out for things and chatting while trying to stay inconspicuous. Remembering Sir Beorn's treachery, she pays particular attention to anyone who may seem to be paying undue attention to our group.
===========
Perception 19
Insight 7
Investigation 5
Bleep, I forgot about the dice nannies LOL. These look like the numbers I remember, but if you want me to reroll them, : PER 7, INS 9, INV 23
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
Bleep, I forgot about the dice nannies LOL. These look like the numbers I remember, but if you want me to reroll them, : PER 20, INS 19, INV 15
Famh scans the crowd but it seems their group hasn't attracted too much in the way of attention, Baron Aldred has certainly been recognised by a few of the merchants and knights but nothing untoward.
Fergus assures Cainneach that Salt is more than welcome as far as he is concerned and hopes that some day soon the deerhound will accept him!
Fergus has mixed feelings on returning home. While he knows it is where they will launch from to their next adventure, in the back of his mind he feels like he is taking a step backward. This is all pushed from his mind as he proudly enters the town among the procession and stays in one of the best rooms in 'The Hole in the Wall' which had been beyond his wildest dreams growing up.
Almeric will take the time to mingle with the returning Crusaders, buiyinh a few drinks and findning out the gossip. Almeric will give nothing away as the presence of Baron Aldred, or the recent attempted coup de tate. Almeric's status of Knight Capellar and Household Kinght to Baron Aldred should loosen a few tongues. Almeric is ALWAYS on the look out for prospective recruits too. (Rolls to follow).
Almeric will take the time to mingle with the returning Crusaders, buiyinh a few drinks and findning out the gossip. Almeric will give nothing away as the presence of Baron Aldred, or the recent attempted coup de tate. Almeric's status of Knight Capellar and Household Kinght to Baron Aldred should loosen a few tongues. Almeric is ALWAYS on the look out for prospective recruits too. (Rolls to follow).
Persuasion = 8 (Nothing to see here)
Deception = 14 (REALLY nothing to see here)
Insight = 12 (Say what now?)
History = 4 (Heraldry, Politics, etc)
Sir Almeric has little luck with the returning Crusaders, most of them are Hospitallers with some Kurlandic Orders scattered through and they seem slightly wary of his Capellar insignia. Though the upside is none question him about Baron Aldred....
Ever since becoming aware of Cainneach's unease when she seemed to be forgetting their friendship, Famh has tried to keep in touch with him. The distance growing again between her and her Thulish friend was the one thing truly troubling her at Baron Aldred's castle, and she welcomes the chance to journey with him and the retinue again. But every once in a great while, there is a mysterious look in her eyes as she glances at him that reminds him ... should he be inclined to notice it ... that she is not only a friend and countrywoman, but a warm-hearted young girl on the cusp of womanhood. How much more there is to it than that you're not sure even she knows, but that twinkle has definitely sometimes been there ever since she whispered to Alais that her other friend was "...a boy ...".
(We'll let the dice decide how aware Cainneach is! He is a simple woodsman whose only notable female relationship was with Dru, his mentor and essentially an older sister.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thatch is saddened that Shuck cannot join them on their journey, although it is probably for the best as he cannot imagine the pony lashed to the deck of some longship straining to get into the water. He says his goodbyes in the stable with an extra helping of apples. Rather than take him to Clyster, Thatch leaves Shuck in the care of one of the grooms he trusts with strict orders on his care and feeding and a warning to avoid making the pony irritable.
He perks up with youthful excitement as they reach the port city, taking in the sights and sounds of his first time in a bustling port. He keeps his distance from the Baron, but peppers the others with questions. “Have you ever been on a ship before? What is the land to the north like? Is it cold there?”
At the Hole in the Wall, Thatch settles into a corner of the main dining room, making himself lost in the crowd as usual and watches the crowd while trying to overhear any snippets of conversation that could tell him more about their journey or the path ahead. Perception: 9.
Travel east to Clyster was easy for Cainneach at this point, as he had learned the lands relatively well. He and Salt would frequently scout ahead or venture into the flanking terrain to make certain no would-be assassins were lying in wait for their benefactor, the baron. Besides, simply marching along beside their little caravan quickly grew dull for Cainneach and his fleet of foot canine companion. And Salt needed to be run hard prior to embarking on the Linden, lest he be too much of an annoyance to their fellow travellers and the crew. The hound certainly loved to run, just as Tana had told him.
In between these little reconnaissance missions, Cainneach chatted and laughed with his companions, learning more about their pasts and aspirations. It was a nice turn to travel while healthy and not under constant threat. In particular, he relished the time spent exchanging stories of Thuland with Famh, even though the time spent there had been challenging for both of them. On the face of it, their stories might have seemed similar, fleeing persecution and ending up alone, lost in a foreign land, but they were in fact very different and Cainneach learned much from Famh's experiences. After all they'd been through, even though it had been not so many months, he occasionally forgot their first encounter and the dreams she told him of. There was definitely a connection between them, something beyond their shared homeland, but Cainneach couldn't quite understand it. Maybe it was an evolving thing, or something he hadn't experienced before, difficult to pin down either way. Sometimes there was a look about Famh as they spoke closely, getting lost in the stories and the feelings of the telling, that first startled, then intrigued him. "You still have a lot to learn, Cainneach, and about people most of all ..."
After reaching Clyster, Cainneach experiences that familiar, oppressive feeling in the intense hustle and bustle of the streets. He's lucky that Salt had spent some time in the court and had been accustomed to such things, at least to a degree greater than Cainneach had, before the hound was released to his care. Cainneach vowed to rise early to get Salt some exercise before boarding the Linden in the morning. They didn't spend too much time in the common room of the Hole in the Wall before retiring for the evening, but Cainneach follows Thatch's lead and attempts to gather any intelligence he can overhear or see through his lip reading talent. After retiring to their room, Cainneach chats with Ori and Thatch about their respective findings, then nestles into bed, anxiously contemplating their trip to the docks, on the Linden, and beyond.
Perception19 (what's going on in the Hole in the Wall)
(Dare I risk having Salt roll a Wisdom save to not go after a cat? I dare! Although I'll give him advantage because he's such a good doggy ;-)
He perks up with youthful excitement as they reach the port city, taking in the sights and sounds of his first time in a bustling port. He keeps his distance from the Baron, but peppers the others with questions. “Have you ever been on a ship before? What is the land to the north like? Is it cold there?
Cainneach tells Thatch what he remembers of his time in Thuland, though he doubts that they'll make their way west into the Pagan Mountains, or at least hopes they don't. It's certainly cold up in the higher reaches of those dangerous peaks!
Thatch is saddened that Shuck cannot join them on their journey, although it is probably for the best as he cannot imagine the pony lashed to the deck of some longship straining to get into the water. He says his goodbyes in the stable with an extra helping of apples. Rather than take him to Clyster, Thatch leaves Shuck in the care of one of the grooms he trusts with strict orders on his care and feeding and a warning to avoid making the pony irritable.
He perks up with youthful excitement as they reach the port city, taking in the sights and sounds of his first time in a bustling port. He keeps his distance from the Baron, but peppers the others with questions. “Have you ever been on a ship before? What is the land to the north like? Is it cold there?”
At the Hole in the Wall, Thatch settles into a corner of the main dining room, making himself lost in the crowd as usual and watches the crowd while trying to overhear any snippets of conversation that could tell him more about their journey or the path ahead. Perception: 15.
.
Thatch does pick up the following:-
- One of the returned Crusaders seems different to the others, while they are relaxed and drinking and eating ( many in defiance of their holy orders....but Thatch is likely unaware of that) he surveys the scene with a predators gaze, occasionally sipping his wine while he assesses the crowd members.
- There seems quite a bit of talk about the north being even colder than usual this year and Katorheim being almost buried with snowfall reaching halfway up its walls.
- One of the barmaids appears to be playing two groups of merchants off against each other to increase her share of tonights profits...it appears to be working well.
- The pilgrims are keeping to one corner of the bar trying to ignore the raucous life around them...many of their number look more than a little tired of the mendicant life.
Travel east to Clyster was easy for Cainneach at this point, as he had learned the lands relatively well. He and Salt would frequently scout ahead or venture into the flanking terrain to make certain no would-be assassins were lying in wait for their benefactor, the baron. Besides, simply marching along beside their little caravan quickly grew dull for Cainneach and his fleet of foot canine companion. And Salt needed to be run hard prior to embarking on the Linden, lest he be too much of an annoyance to their fellow travellers and the crew. The hound certainly loved to run, just as Tana had told him.
In between these little reconnaissance missions, Cainneach chatted and laughed with his companions, learning more about their pasts and aspirations. It was a nice turn to travel while healthy and not under constant threat. In particular, he relished the time spent exchanging stories of Thuland with Famh, even though the time spent there had been challenging for both of them. On the face of it, their stories might have seemed similar, fleeing persecution and ending up alone, lost in a foreign land, but they were in fact very different and Cainneach learned much from Famh's experiences. After all they'd been through, even though it had been not so many months, he occasionally forgot their first encounter and the dreams she told him of. There was definitely a connection between them, something beyond their shared homeland, but Cainneach couldn't quite understand it. Maybe it was an evolving thing, or something he hadn't experienced before, difficult to pin down either way. Sometimes there was a look about Famh as they spoke closely, getting lost in the stories and the feelings of the telling, that first startled, then intrigued him. "You still have a lot to learn, Cainneach, and about people most of all ..."
After reaching Clyster, Cainneach experiences that familiar, oppressive feeling in the intense hustle and bustle of the streets. He's lucky that Salt had spent some time in the court and had been accustomed to such things, at least to a degree greater than Cainneach had, before the hound was released to his care. Cainneach vowed to rise early to get Salt some exercise before boarding the Linden in the morning. They didn't spend too much time in the common room of the Hole in the Wall before retiring for the evening, but Cainneach follows Thatch's lead and attempts to gather any intelligence he can overhear or see through his lip reading talent. After retiring to their room, Cainneach chats with Ori and Thatch about their respective findings, then nestles into bed, anxiously contemplating their trip to the docks, on the Linden, and beyond.
Perception19 (what's going on in the Hole in the Wall)
(Dare I risk having Salt roll a Wisdom save to not go after a cat? I dare! Although I'll give him advantage because he's such a good doggy ;-)
Cainneach picks up on all the same things as Thatch but additionally he notes an unattended money purse that has fallen between a gap in the floorboards at the edge of the stairs ( theres no telling how long its been there, its almost impossible to see from most angles. He also notes that there is something off about a number of the pilgrims, their hands are far more callused, their stomachs well fed and their shoulders broad than any pilgrims he has seen before....
( Cainneachs requests about a map back at the castle netted him the following:- https://www.cobwebbedforest.co.uk/Images/Ellesland_fs.JPG It is likely one of the most detailed and exhaustive maps of Ellesland in existence barring some of the royal cartographers and Baron Aldreds man could not recall where it had come from. )
He perks up with youthful excitement as they reach the port city, taking in the sights and sounds of his first time in a bustling port. He keeps his distance from the Baron, but peppers the others with questions. “Have you ever been on a ship before? What is the land to the north like? Is it cold there?
Cainneach tells Thatch what he remembers of his time in Thuland, though he doubts that they'll make their way west into the Pagan Mountains, or at least hopes they don't. It's certainly cold up in the higher reaches of those dangerous peaks!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Immediately after returning to their room, Cainneach will consult with Thatch about what he's seen in order to confirm that he is not off base with his observations. Additionally, he suggests that the two of them should speak with whoever is currently tending to the baron's security regarding the odd Crusader and the state of the pilgrims. Maybe Thatch is more knowledgeable regarding these groups of people and why they seem a bit off. Cainneach is also curious about the reports regarding Katorheim. Though he has never travelled there, he has heard tales of the place.
Insight19 (attempting to understand the motivations of the Crusader and pilgrims)
Survival17 (trying to recall similarly cold and snowy winters in the Pagans and their cause)
Ori, unlike his normal self, is relativity quiet compared to how he has been. The mystery of the mask unnerved him, and now the weight of his new found role is weighing on him. Now that the Baron is traveling with them, Ori is feeling like he needs to take the safety of one that so many depend on more seriously then he expected. Ori was naturally a protective by nature, but it had been a long time since Ori had to one person above others. He was afraid he couldn't provide expected protection, where he normally he liked to watch from afar. Over protective friend was a much easier part to play then a bodyguard.
Hearing his room mates mention a number of folks that seemed out of place didn't help his nerves either. Debating if he should see for himself of the suspicious nature of the crowd, he decides that discretion is the better play as they were trying not to bring attention to themselves and questioning the interests of the crowd screams the questioner has something to hide.
Famh sighs, looking around the room from her place in the shadows on the far side of the main hearth from the door where they all came in. She has picked up nothing untoward with her finely honed instinct for things on the edge of her awareness; but every time she tries to focus and consciously watch the specific events and people around her, she finds herself getting ... distracted. Her eyes stray to Cainneach moving quietly but surely about the room, clearly doing much what she has been and perhaps as little suited to it by his natural bent as she is, and she smiles. She has never had the chance to giggle with other girls ... until Alais ... and gain even a rumor of the knowledge that would allow her to understand what she was feeling. All she knows for certain is that she is happy to be traveling with Cainneach again, and that she feels safer when he is around. She rises soon after and slowly walks back to the room she shares with Tana to ask the young druid what she knows about their mutual Thulish friend. Hopefully not TOO mutual, though ...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hearing Salt’s whine and the whispering of Cainneach as he tries to soothe the young hound, Famh looks over at her friend and countryman. She can sense his unease about the proposed journey, an unease that is certainly not absent from the mix of feelings swirling around in her own mind on the subject; and the echo sets her thinking more generally about the young man from her homeland and the friendship that has slowly seeded and grown between them as they journeyed together. Nowadays Cainneach spent much of his time out roaming the snow-clad hills and forests of Baron Aldred’s estate, while she had found a new delight in finding out about people as well as a new place and new things and customs that kept her closer to walls even when she wasn’t within the keep or castle town,, the endless fieldstone walls that and green fields all about Baron Aldred’s castle. And it has mostly been a rewarding and fulfilling exeprience.
Although she had so desperately wanted to make that oily-voiced Sir Alcuin bray like the jackass he was as he stood before Baron Aldred multiplying doubts and confusions into molehills, and the molehills into mountains, until he’d weaseled his way out of the common gallows tree the lying, slippery snake so richly deserved! She’d stood behind Sir Almeric loyally silent, loyally motionless … well, perhaps tit hjad also partially been due to he steady dark glower Myrddin kept bent upon her the whole time to remind her what he;d had Alais whisper secretly to her as they all solemnly paced in to take their places before the Baron’s high seat, where he stood with his hand on Alais’ shoulder as she stood quietly in her corner behind her father and farthest from Sir Alcuin – not as subtle as what she might have expected, perhaps, but she asked no questions. She knew well enough the significance of the older man’s name in the ancient Thulish sagas; and even if this were a modern sage who made a claim to a power and aincentry he did not possess by adopting such an appelation, such boldness was not unknown in the ancient sagas either and always also constituted a challenge thrown down by a magician whose confidence in their power was generally most well founded. Such a claim was not one made lightly in the stories, and she suspected this Myrddin was well enough acquainted with the stories to know it well.
But Cainneach had been there too, as one of the retinue directly concerned in the events under examination, and she’d felt a joy in being able to talk to her old friend again … old friend? She chuckled. It’wasn’t a sixmonth yet since she’d first met him in Igham, along with the rest of Sir Valor’s retinue. She’d heard enough of Sir Valor to satisfy her curiosity, and thought of him as fully as good a man as his cousin Sir Almeric. It was Cainneach her dreams had first drawn her to, though, and she smiles secretly to herself. Then, she walks slowly but confidently over towards the pair, holding out her hand for Salt to smell so he may judge that she is a friend of his new master as she remembers doing with many sheepdogs on the crofts and steading where she traded herd’s work for lodging. But she has never seen a beast one tenth this noble in all her wanderings, and admiration is in her gaze as she follows the classic lines of his muzzle to the clear pools of his eyes. She avoids too directly lloking into those eyes, instead leaving her hand down where Salt can decide if any more familiarities should be initiated while she otherwise straightens up to speak softly to Cainneach: “A journey north along the coast in winter? It must be something pressing, I’d hope a baron who’s treated us as kindly already as this one has wouldn’t send us unless it were. Don’y know that either of us has had a chance to see more than bit pieces of the way, but I think I remember a few cliff paths, and I remember the spots where I looked out from cliff or headland and saw the terrible rocks and thought how I’d like to warn boat and ship away.
And of course, this also means we’ll have to…”
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
...and Famh breaks off with a lump of tears in her throat as she suddenly realizes this means she’ll have to say goodbye to her new friend Alais! She takes a few breaths before she says, “Excuse me…,” to Cainneach, only a little shakily, and walks over to where Myrddin sits in his councilor’s chair beside the Baron. She cats her eyes down as she addressess him in a slightly uncertain voice:
“Ah … Sir … might I ask, could you...” she swallows, seems at a loss for words, then suddenly blurts out, “Would you please tell Alais I’ll write? When I can – I don’t know the art very well, just the little Brither Cadfael taught me when I was a girl in Thuland, before my wanderings. And Sir – when we come back, would you be able to help me learn to write better than that? A hand more fitting for a freewoman in the service of a Knight Capellar who serves so noble a laird as the good Baron?” She nods at Aldred.
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
Though growing up in a port, Fergus has zero experience sailing. Sometimes business brought him on board a ship that was docked but he has never been to sea.
There were times when he daydreamed of stowing away and adventuring out into the unknown but for most of his life he preferred the devil he knew.
As dangerous as this mission sounded, now that he was among friends he felt that he could finally brave those waters.
Fergus fidgets with the crystal in his pocket for a moment, drawing courage from the power within before quietly volunteering for the quest
"I too am at your service."
"Right, I'll grab me stick. When are we off?" Still slightly perturbed by the sudden appearance of the mask and Ori's inability to be rid of, Ori welcomes the change of scenery. While in the show, they were always on the move, never around for too long. He could only get "killed" just so many times before it started loosing its feeling with the crowds. So they were always ready to be on the move, traveling with the cast and crew. This was going to feel like the old days, hopefully with less performances however! Ori hadn't never been on a ship before but was excited for the experience.
Cainneach was about to reply to Famh, but the kind, yet strange, girl had abruptly departed, leaving him alone once again with Salt. So Cainneach whispers to the hound, "I am relieved that Famh knows something of the coast. My family never travelled that far east out of the Pagans, at least not when I was old enough to remember it. It is only in the past weeks that I've first glimpsed the sea. From what she says, it sounds a treacherous journey, ill-suited to anyone, let alone a boy of the forests and mountains and his lanky hound. But I suppose they need me. Hopefully I can keep myself out of trouble this time. At least I've practiced with my bow and these blades. I'll see if you can make the journey with us, as I fear we'll need all the help we can get!"
After hearing the others agree to join up with Almeric in the Baron's service yet again, Cainneach then rises and walks over to Fergus, remembering to ask Salt to heel, lest he make the scrivener uncomfortable. "Fergus, I will lend what skills I can to this venture. Now I know that for some reason, you and Salt don't see eye to eye, but I think he could be of use while we're making our way over land. He can travel as fast as mounted horses and take care of himself, but I will inquire with the baron's fewterer as to the proper keeping of the deerhound on a seafaring vessel, if it is even possible." After whatever acknowledgement Fergus might give, Cainneach will depart with Salt to seek the aforementioned advice.
(@Damian_May, would Salt reasonably be able to join the party for the full voyage, or only as far as Clyster? It sounds like Thatch might be in a similar situation with Shuck.)
In whatever time is available prior to their departure, Cainneach will consult with any available cartographer to get a better understanding of the journey. Presumably, he would have met some such person in the course of his duties as forester. I think that Cainneach would initially have been skeptical of the need for detailed maps, as his survival skills and keen mind had been sufficient up until now. However, with the scope of his duties and ranging expanded and the prospect of travelling even farther throughout Ellesland, Cainneach has recently developed an interest in cartography! (No translation into game mechanics at this time.)
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
Come join the Worlds of Pphost, a new and growing PbP community! Adventures are currently running in the world of Haven or do some role-playing!
It never hurts to help! ---- PbP: [Rolling Dice] [Tooltips] ---- DDB Content: [Free Adventures] [Encounter of the Week]
( Salt will be fine aboard, Shuck not so much with their proclivities. Shuck may either be left at home or ridden to Clyster and stabled there.)
Four days later the assembled group marched down the road towards Port Clyster, with the Barons colours flying high above the company there was little chance that robber knights or bandits would chance an attack and the procession passed through Candleford reaching Clyster by late afternoon.
The port of Clyster was bustling, despite, or rather because of the chill weather. Ships and crews spent the winter months there – there was coin a-plenty to be spent and the same to be made.
The retinue was put up at ‘The Hole in the Wall’, a large inn, with plenty of pilgrims and merchants and a smattering of returning Crusaders. A lavish spread was put on in a private room and the Baron and his attendants soon retired to bed warning they would be up and boarding the Linden at dawn. A room was prepared for Sir Almeric and Fergus, another for Ori, Cainneach and Thatch and another for Famh and Tana. There seemed to be no objections to Salts presence within the Inn, though the resident cats did give him a lot of side-eye.
Bleep, I forgot about the dice nannies LOL. These look like the numbers I remember, but if you want me to reroll them, : PER 7, INS 9, INV 23
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1
Famh scans the crowd but it seems their group hasn't attracted too much in the way of attention, Baron Aldred has certainly been recognised by a few of the merchants and knights but nothing untoward.
Fergus assures Cainneach that Salt is more than welcome as far as he is concerned and hopes that some day soon the deerhound will accept him!
Fergus has mixed feelings on returning home. While he knows it is where they will launch from to their next adventure, in the back of his mind he feels like he is taking a step backward.
This is all pushed from his mind as he proudly enters the town among the procession and stays in one of the best rooms in 'The Hole in the Wall' which had been beyond his wildest dreams growing up.
Almeric will take the time to mingle with the returning Crusaders, buiyinh a few drinks and findning out the gossip. Almeric will give nothing away as the presence of Baron Aldred, or the recent attempted coup de tate. Almeric's status of Knight Capellar and Household Kinght to Baron Aldred should loosen a few tongues. Almeric is ALWAYS on the look out for prospective recruits too. (Rolls to follow).
Persuasion = 8 (Nothing to see here)
Deception = 14 (REALLY nothing to see here)
Insight = 12 (Say what now?)
History = 4 (Heraldry, Politics, etc)
Sir Almeric has little luck with the returning Crusaders, most of them are Hospitallers with some Kurlandic Orders scattered through and they seem slightly wary of his Capellar insignia. Though the upside is none question him about Baron Aldred....
(We'll let the dice decide how aware Cainneach is! He is a simple woodsman whose only notable female relationship was with Dru, his mentor and essentially an older sister.)
Insight 5
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
Come join the Worlds of Pphost, a new and growing PbP community! Adventures are currently running in the world of Haven or do some role-playing!
It never hurts to help! ---- PbP: [Rolling Dice] [Tooltips] ---- DDB Content: [Free Adventures] [Encounter of the Week]
Thatch is saddened that Shuck cannot join them on their journey, although it is probably for the best as he cannot imagine the pony lashed to the deck of some longship straining to get into the water. He says his goodbyes in the stable with an extra helping of apples. Rather than take him to Clyster, Thatch leaves Shuck in the care of one of the grooms he trusts with strict orders on his care and feeding and a warning to avoid making the pony irritable.
He perks up with youthful excitement as they reach the port city, taking in the sights and sounds of his first time in a bustling port. He keeps his distance from the Baron, but peppers the others with questions. “Have you ever been on a ship before? What is the land to the north like? Is it cold there?”
At the Hole in the Wall, Thatch settles into a corner of the main dining room, making himself lost in the crowd as usual and watches the crowd while trying to overhear any snippets of conversation that could tell him more about their journey or the path ahead. Perception: 9.
.
Travel east to Clyster was easy for Cainneach at this point, as he had learned the lands relatively well. He and Salt would frequently scout ahead or venture into the flanking terrain to make certain no would-be assassins were lying in wait for their benefactor, the baron. Besides, simply marching along beside their little caravan quickly grew dull for Cainneach and his fleet of foot canine companion. And Salt needed to be run hard prior to embarking on the Linden, lest he be too much of an annoyance to their fellow travellers and the crew. The hound certainly loved to run, just as Tana had told him.
In between these little reconnaissance missions, Cainneach chatted and laughed with his companions, learning more about their pasts and aspirations. It was a nice turn to travel while healthy and not under constant threat. In particular, he relished the time spent exchanging stories of Thuland with Famh, even though the time spent there had been challenging for both of them. On the face of it, their stories might have seemed similar, fleeing persecution and ending up alone, lost in a foreign land, but they were in fact very different and Cainneach learned much from Famh's experiences. After all they'd been through, even though it had been not so many months, he occasionally forgot their first encounter and the dreams she told him of. There was definitely a connection between them, something beyond their shared homeland, but Cainneach couldn't quite understand it. Maybe it was an evolving thing, or something he hadn't experienced before, difficult to pin down either way. Sometimes there was a look about Famh as they spoke closely, getting lost in the stories and the feelings of the telling, that first startled, then intrigued him. "You still have a lot to learn, Cainneach, and about people most of all ..."
After reaching Clyster, Cainneach experiences that familiar, oppressive feeling in the intense hustle and bustle of the streets. He's lucky that Salt had spent some time in the court and had been accustomed to such things, at least to a degree greater than Cainneach had, before the hound was released to his care. Cainneach vowed to rise early to get Salt some exercise before boarding the Linden in the morning. They didn't spend too much time in the common room of the Hole in the Wall before retiring for the evening, but Cainneach follows Thatch's lead and attempts to gather any intelligence he can overhear or see through his lip reading talent. After retiring to their room, Cainneach chats with Ori and Thatch about their respective findings, then nestles into bed, anxiously contemplating their trip to the docks, on the Linden, and beyond.
Perception 19 (what's going on in the Hole in the Wall)
(Dare I risk having Salt roll a Wisdom save to not go after a cat? I dare! Although I'll give him advantage because he's such a good doggy ;-)
Saving Throw WIS 18
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
Come join the Worlds of Pphost, a new and growing PbP community! Adventures are currently running in the world of Haven or do some role-playing!
It never hurts to help! ---- PbP: [Rolling Dice] [Tooltips] ---- DDB Content: [Free Adventures] [Encounter of the Week]
(Shoot, forgot ...)
Cainneach tells Thatch what he remembers of his time in Thuland, though he doubts that they'll make their way west into the Pagan Mountains, or at least hopes they don't. It's certainly cold up in the higher reaches of those dangerous peaks!
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
Come join the Worlds of Pphost, a new and growing PbP community! Adventures are currently running in the world of Haven or do some role-playing!
It never hurts to help! ---- PbP: [Rolling Dice] [Tooltips] ---- DDB Content: [Free Adventures] [Encounter of the Week]
Thatch does pick up the following:-
- One of the returned Crusaders seems different to the others, while they are relaxed and drinking and eating ( many in defiance of their holy orders....but Thatch is likely unaware of that) he surveys the scene with a predators gaze, occasionally sipping his wine while he assesses the crowd members.
- There seems quite a bit of talk about the north being even colder than usual this year and Katorheim being almost buried with snowfall reaching halfway up its walls.
- One of the barmaids appears to be playing two groups of merchants off against each other to increase her share of tonights profits...it appears to be working well.
- The pilgrims are keeping to one corner of the bar trying to ignore the raucous life around them...many of their number look more than a little tired of the mendicant life.
Cainneach picks up on all the same things as Thatch but additionally he notes an unattended money purse that has fallen between a gap in the floorboards at the edge of the stairs ( theres no telling how long its been there, its almost impossible to see from most angles. He also notes that there is something off about a number of the pilgrims, their hands are far more callused, their stomachs well fed and their shoulders broad than any pilgrims he has seen before....
( Cainneachs requests about a map back at the castle netted him the following:- https://www.cobwebbedforest.co.uk/Images/Ellesland_fs.JPG It is likely one of the most detailed and exhaustive maps of Ellesland in existence barring some of the royal cartographers and Baron Aldreds man could not recall where it had come from. )
Salt stays happily at his side.
Immediately after returning to their room, Cainneach will consult with Thatch about what he's seen in order to confirm that he is not off base with his observations. Additionally, he suggests that the two of them should speak with whoever is currently tending to the baron's security regarding the odd Crusader and the state of the pilgrims. Maybe Thatch is more knowledgeable regarding these groups of people and why they seem a bit off. Cainneach is also curious about the reports regarding Katorheim. Though he has never travelled there, he has heard tales of the place.
Insight 19 (attempting to understand the motivations of the Crusader and pilgrims)
Survival 17 (trying to recall similarly cold and snowy winters in the Pagans and their cause)
Active - Player: Sleeping Gods ---- Complete - Player: Masquerade, Teleportation Machine ---- Complete - DM: Extradimensional Spaces
Come join the Worlds of Pphost, a new and growing PbP community! Adventures are currently running in the world of Haven or do some role-playing!
It never hurts to help! ---- PbP: [Rolling Dice] [Tooltips] ---- DDB Content: [Free Adventures] [Encounter of the Week]
Ori, unlike his normal self, is relativity quiet compared to how he has been. The mystery of the mask unnerved him, and now the weight of his new found role is weighing on him. Now that the Baron is traveling with them, Ori is feeling like he needs to take the safety of one that so many depend on more seriously then he expected. Ori was naturally a protective by nature, but it had been a long time since Ori had to one person above others. He was afraid he couldn't provide expected protection, where he normally he liked to watch from afar. Over protective friend was a much easier part to play then a bodyguard.
Hearing his room mates mention a number of folks that seemed out of place didn't help his nerves either. Debating if he should see for himself of the suspicious nature of the crowd, he decides that discretion is the better play as they were trying not to bring attention to themselves and questioning the interests of the crowd screams the questioner has something to hide.
Famh sighs, looking around the room from her place in the shadows on the far side of the main hearth from the door where they all came in. She has picked up nothing untoward with her finely honed instinct for things on the edge of her awareness; but every time she tries to focus and consciously watch the specific events and people around her, she finds herself getting ... distracted. Her eyes stray to Cainneach moving quietly but surely about the room, clearly doing much what she has been and perhaps as little suited to it by his natural bent as she is, and she smiles. She has never had the chance to giggle with other girls ... until Alais ... and gain even a rumor of the knowledge that would allow her to understand what she was feeling. All she knows for certain is that she is happy to be traveling with Cainneach again, and that she feels safer when he is around. She rises soon after and slowly walks back to the room she shares with Tana to ask the young druid what she knows about their mutual Thulish friend. Hopefully not TOO mutual, though ...
Famh Thrawn Fiadhaich - 'half elven' sorcerer (wild magic) 2, Sleeping Gods - A Dragon Warriors campaign in the Lands of Legend
Quspira Inirali - tiefling cleric (Life domain) 4, Painted's "He'll be the father of my child"
---RETIRED HEROES' REST HOME---
Sae Ivui Nailo - wood elf rogue (inquisitive) 5 , Sea of Death: Captain Hailstorm's Lost Treasure
Ryshraxea "Shra" Naranthi - tabaxi artificer 1, Nyx's Tomb of Annihilation - Group 1