"Here. You'll be wanting something out of here." Gandalf said, sitting a basket full of cloaks and miscellaneous cold weather garments near the table in the center of the Room of Mirrors. "Hagsgate is cold business. Chills my old bones just to think about it."
The room is huge, and every wall, even the floor and ceilings in some areas, are dotted with huge mirrors; the sort of looking glasses that one may use to get a full picture of themselves before a ball or banquet, or to see how dapper they appear before they set off to war. The mirrors display images all across Hyboria, from the sands of the Shem, to the Faron Wood, the vast mushroom forests of Subternia, to the endless deserts of water that separate the continents. The old wizard walks among the mirrors, holding a strange, folding mirror in his hand as he does so before offering it up to the makeshift band he and Atreyu have created to go to battle at Hagsgate.
"This mirror will put you out in the middle of the road between the Keep and the town. You'll have to decide what you want to do, either to go to the town and ask around, or go straight for the Keep to audience with the King. I don't know where the bull will be, though I imagine it's in the hollow hill under the Keep...but that's also where the skeleton army is. I guess I'm advocating for intelligence and reconnaissance, but I'll leave it up to the lot of you to determine how you handle this situation."
He pulls out a smaller mirror to put with its folding counterpart.
"I have no doubt that this will get ugly quickly. As soon as others are freed up that can reinforce you, I'll send them your way. These mirrors are important, so keep them safe. You unfold the big one and step through it to return here. The little one is for communications and passing basic needs, small items, things of that sort. I'll be watching you most closely, so if things get bad I can send others, and Stephen Austin if he's not busy keeping the wolves beat off your door, so to speak."
Stepping through the mirror was a stark contrast to the Hall of the Celestials. The group instantly traded the warm winds of Celestia and the comforts of the Hall of the Celestials for the biting cold of Hagsgate. The first thing to assail their senses, after the cold of course, was the smell of animal shit. There was plenty of sickly, skinny livestock milling about. Undernourished cows picking frozen grass through a layer of snow and ice. Donkeys standing near piles of moldering hay with their ears laid back. Sheep with barely enough wool left to keep themselves from freezing to death. There were seagulls everywhere as they flew in off the cold expanse of the Sea of No Return to pick the corn and oats from animal droppings and to scavenge for trash.
The people of Hagsgate were as gaunt as the livestock, and poorly dressed. They looked cold and miserable. Some were tending the meek animals, while others tried to raise hardy crops in soil that was almost certainly frozen most of the time. No one turned their head toward the warriors who had suddenly stepped into reality from betwixt the air itself.
The road was a mess, a slushy mess of red clay and melted snow.
All of the buildings were in dire need of repair, though it was obvious from the expanses of stumps beyond the town that the people of Hagsgate had harvested all their trees for lumber a long time ago. Thatch rooves looked ready to cave in. Wooden shingles were rotten and falling apart. Beams supporting porches were sagging considerably. Even the keep, which had was no doubt been a mighty fortress, was slowly collapsing, with one brick falling from a rampart to meet its final rest in a pile of similar debris below.
Before the group heads through the mirrors Ward takes out an oddly shaped shotgun from his bag, placing it on his right arm before his arm begins to form around the firearm. Enclosing it onto his arm. Then, taking out what looks almost like a crossbow and affixes it to the underside of his right arm. Loading the odd metal tubes on his left arm with poison-covered darts. As well as a new hide armor peeking in the cracks of Ward's body. After stepping through the portal Ward turns to the group. "Following what he said, obviously keep the mirror safe. However should it risk being put into the enemy's hands destroy it, this, " Ward says, knocking against his helmet. "Can get us back, and in saying that, try as best as you are able to stay within my sight, so if things do become dire, I can get us to a safer location. " With that, Ward looks down the way, loads some shells into his gun, and looks back to the group. "Any opposed to meeting the locals?" Ward says as he cocks the shotgun
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P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
Ereni Shaidaro looks around at the frigid muck and decay of Hagsgate with and breaks a bright smile, drawling wistfully:
"Lap of luxury. Reminds me of the wicker hut I grew up in as a young child. Those were my wonder years. Later we fell on hard times."
Shaking herself from her reverie, she listens with head tilted and hand on her bow. "Aye, ah... sergeant? Are you our sergeant?" She looks at Ward a little doubtfully. "Locals it is." Of course, what Ereni understands the term "locals" to mean is a bit looser than most.
She gestures strangely and emits a series of unusual noises from her nose and throat, gesticulating with her free hand and feet, addressing the animals around them. All of them really, even the emaciated livestock, though most of all the seabirds.
Speak With Animals (Ranger Primal Awareness once per long rest): Ereni starts by commiserating on the poor condition of the land and the clearly slim pickings. She hints, especially to the seabirds, that she may have a bit of food for them, but only in exchange for good information. Have there been any large groups of humanoids or... bony individuals (skeletons) seen nearby recently? What about a unicorn mare or a large, perhaps spectral, bull-like creature? She describes King Haggard and Prince Lir as best she can in animal terms, with difficulty since she's never seen them herself. Have any of the birds gotten a good look inside the keep? How about under the or around the cliffs? The wreckage of the ship? Any chance of helping scout now?
(Ereni is happy to take requests from the party for additional questions to ask the local creatures).
Johnathan dusts his cloak as they emerge from the teleportation. Mirrors, what will they think of next. As he listens to Ward and Ereni talk about the groups next step Johnathan emits a black flame from his hand. The flames starts to coat Johnathan completely for a moment before the flames disperse. As they do Johnathan appears to look like an older man dressed in peasant clothing. I agree, let’s look at the locals and get a feel for the land. I’m surprised the kingdom is in such a state, we need to learn as much as we can before entering the castle. Johnathan turns to Ward. We are wanted by the Empire Ward and myself. I believe we should use either disguises or stealth to navigate the area. I don’t know if the rest of you will be known yet to them as well.
Nodjeim picks through the cold weather clothes offered and in unsure of what to take, he is used to climates where one must struggle to stay cool. He finds some boots but smirks and tosses them aside, He likes his, with the tiny wings upon them, much better. He does find some gloves which fit snug enough and are well made enough that he believes he may be able to wield his axes even with them on... And he finds an oversized cloak which seems to have once been some beast or another that he is unfamiliar with. The cloak is heavy and warm and he could probably wrap it around himself twice but it seems easy to throw off and be free of for when he needs to fight.
The Tiefling listens while Gandalf speaks but focuses on practice swings and moves with his axes with the gloves on, trying to decide if it's doable or not. The cloak is easy to throw off in but a moment but if he has to remove the gloves they may be more hinderance than help. Nodjeim is aware Gandalf is talking of mirrors and the need to keep them safe but Nodjeim assumes the precious items will be entrusted elsewhere, with someone who will not be throwing themselves into any fight that occurs.
"Surely this monster of a bull cannot be in hiding?" Nodjeim half asks, half states, thinking there shouldn't be much need to be intelligent. It is not his forte...
After stepping through the mirror, Nodjeim is shocked. Partially at the magic of it, but not overly so - He knew such magics existed even if he had not encountered them himself before. And besides, he had been transported once already to join this group. No, the most shocking thing to Nodjeim was the state of things he saw all around him. The state of the hones and the people and the animals they kept...
"My people," he said in a bit of shock. "We have even less but it is all so much better. How can one have so much yet let it fall into such a state?"
A moment of so later Nodjeim nods to Ward and asks "Someone did take the mirrors, yes?"
"Sergeant?" He asks softly as Ereni speaks. "Is that the one in charge? Is Ward in charge?"
"I do not believe I am known to any but the Diabhal," Nodjeim says in response to Johnathan. "Before being brought here... there? Into this group... Before that I had only just begun my journey outside of our desert sands to prove myself worthy of returning. I had not yet made a name for myself, as it were. That I know of."
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We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
Lady Kaede, resplendent in her new magical armor and rugged winter cloak and boots steps through the mirror with purpose, as if she were here for one thing and one thing only. The mission. But upon entering the new lands, a frown rapidly appears on her face, followed quickly by a tear streaming down her cheek. These....survivors....were in desperate need of help.
As they approach the locals, she quietly pads up to one particularly destitute looking female, removes her woolen cloak and drapes it over her shriveled and emaciated body.
"Here...take this, my dear. You need it much more than I."
Looking the local directly in the eye with a look of care and concern on her face, Kaede follows in a gentle tone "I'm sorry for the conditions your once noble land has come under. I wish I could have come earlier and helped out in any way I could. Be it known that we are here now to help. As such, we are looking for the evil doer which brought this travesty unto your lands. Have you seen a large bull-like creature, or any other malefactor responsible for this scourge?"
The woman shrinks away from Lady Kaede, even as the cloak is draped around here. The old woman continues to clutch a wicker basket that she holds near her middle, one of its sides busted and leaking a slow supply of what appears to be cabbage leaves. She tries to say something and at first it doesn't come out.
"Neh, neh I says!" She finally barks, shrugging the cloak away and letting it fall to the mud. She stumbles, almost falls, and dumps her cabbage leaves into the clay soup that is the road. "Ol' King Haggerd'll come down 'ere and whip me proper and takes it! On with ye now!"
She doesn't respond to any questions about the bull or dedications to help as she drops the wicker basket as she shambles away, casting a look over her shoulder at the young Samurai as she goes, the two teeth she has left an almost snarl as she move quickly away and deeper into the town.
Ereni straightens briefly from her conversation with the animals, carefully parceling out and distributing the contents 3 rations among them and admonishing them all to share, which she is well aware does not come naturally, especially for the seagulls.
"Shipwreck up to the northeast coast has a literal skeleton crew, or so the seagulls claim. Say the Bull glows fiery red and lives in a hollow down there in the cliffs by the ship. Comes out at night for a nice stroll through the countryside. More scared of it than a scout of an enemy spyglass, they are." Her gloomy drawl returns. "Might be, we don't even get to the Bull until the skellies have got us down to the last soldier. Probably me, with my luck."
She kneels down again to hug a mangy old dog, feeding them a goodberry if the poor animal will take it. Once loved and now lost, left to wander. Like me. What was it that Stasolya had said about "not all who wander..."?
"Gulls have never seen a unicorn and don't go near the keep for fear King Haggard will do for them. But this nice old girl here," Ereni pats the dog's back as she hugs them, "has actually been inside. Once loved by Prince Lir and thrown out by his father the King for chewing on skelly bones. Might be we could gain an ally if we could remind the Prince where his heart lies and what he has given up for... all this."
Ereni gestures around at the sad state of Hagsgate and has a little trouble finishing her thought, getting choked up and embarrassed about it.
After all this, here I am bleeding my heart out for a pooch... (she doesn't stop hugging the dog).
Nodjeim waits. He's unsure of what Ereni is doing as she feeds birds and a stray dog and while he admires Lady Kaede's attempt he knows it's doomed from the get go. Even if the old woman had accepted the gift she would not have had it for long. Someone younger and stronger would have taken it. Stolen, if she was lucky, violently if not. Just looking around at the state of things it is quite obvious this land and it's people have forgotten compassion.
He turns to look at Ereni with a bit of a quizzical look as she begins to tell them what the animals said though. "The countryside? At night? So we need not hunt the bull, just hide and wait for it to stroll by?"
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We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
Ward chuckles as they begin to call him a Sergeant. "No friends nothing near it. Just been through a few wars is all." Ward says, then smiling at Ereni as she begins to talk with the animals. "Smart, as connected to nature I may be that's not a thought I often have." After seeing the old lady's reaction he scowls a bit, looking off towards the keep, then after Ereni says what the animals have told her he takes a moment before speaking. "Well, it seems we know where the king's motives lie, and that it does not seem he will be of a great amount of help in this fight, and we know where our target lies. In the countryside I believe we will be at a disadvantage, he will have space to run us over or flee while we will have no cover. If there was a way to deal with the skeletons and get inside I believe we could kill this beast. There are some tricks up my sleeve that would give us an edge in such a place. Did the birds say how many skeletons occupied that ship?" Ward says, looking toward Ereni and the seagulls. "If it is, I might be able to help take some of them out, and that shipwreck gives us a fairly good cover story for it." Ward says smiling a bit, then thinking on what Johnathan said uses disguise self to turn into a tall, slightly haggard-looking human male. "Fair point fellow fugitive." Ward laughs
Still hugging and petting the sad, old dog with whom she feels such kinship, Ereni asks the seagulls how many skeletons are on the shipwreck. After what seems an interminable amount of screeching and squabbling on the part of the birds, she relays to the party that the best guess is fewer than ten skeletons there. Though whether there are any elsewhere is anyone's guess.
To Jonathan and Ward: "If the Empire knows me, it's as a lowly archer and scout in the Infantry before I... deserted." She swallows and continues, despite clearly wanting to say something more about that. "So I need less disguise from the Empire than a squawking seabird does. Doubt they know we slowed Vader's path through Subternia when Andromeda's Answer convinced the Kruthiks there to collapse the tunnels they were taking underground to Hylia."
To Nodjeim: (ruefully about the 'sergeant' bit and also the ironic use of the word 'strolling' to describe the Red Bull's alleged nocturnal excursions.) "Ah, sorry axe wielder... um, figure of speech. Been an infantrywoman since I was a orphaned. Always some sergeant or other yelling exactly which way to put on my breeches or stir the stew. Could be that that Atreyu and Gandalf purposely chose no leader, trusting us to decide or fight as equals." She shakes her head and instantly regrets uttering the word 'equals' as she glances at Lady Kaede. Place your arrows better, archer... "Speaking of which, Nodjeim, take another goodberry but save this one. There's a bit of healing in them. Enough to bring up a downed ally."
To everyone: "Doubt the king helps us. Probably just the opposite with his skellies. Man who can't change to help his own people won't change for our sakes. But Prince Lir, perhaps..." She continues hugging the old dog. "Might be Prince Lir misses his old doggie after his Pa threw her out for chewing on his favorite talking skeleton. Don't know if they and the unicorn mare are all in the keep. What next? North to investigate the huts partway?"
Nodjeim nods understandingly to Ereni as she explains. He then listens attentively about the goodberry and tries not to let his embarrassment show too much. "I... I did not understand. I do now," he says as he accepts the berry and holds it reverentially. "I shall keep it safe until such a time it is needed." Nodjeim then looks about his person for a safe, yet accessible, place to store the berry.
"I can be a bit light of foot but stealth and infiltration are not things I am trained in," Nodjeim says as talk turns to strategy. "In my lands though guests can be expected to be treated to the highest standards. Would this king have a similar responsibility here? Would honor require him to invite us in and show us hospitality and travelers visiting his domain?"
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We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
The people of the town begin to take notice of this group of outlanders. The raving old woman who Lady Kaede had offered kindness to is pointing and creating a fuss as she goes, acting like the young Samurai had imparted some great injustice upon her. She utters the words 'young wench' and 'prissy girl' more than once as she goes, her mouth full of hateful words.
An old farmer watches from far up the road, a pitchfork in one of his hands, his hand up to shield his eyes from the...well not the suns. The sky is too overcast.
A spit of snow lands on Nodjeim's nose and melts away.
The old dog nuzzles itself into Ereni, loving every second of her warm embrace. The dog whimpers a little, licking her nose and closing her eyes and shaking gently...
Ward stifles a laugh as he hears the old woman insult Kaede and turns to the group. "I'm going totry and see what the king has ****ed up in this place, it seems they fear him more than anything else." He says before walking over to her, growing a flower in his hand. "We mean no harm ma'am. We come here to assist, and it seems we overstepped. How best could we help you without bringing the ire and sticky hands of the king upon you." Ward says, gesturing towards the land around. "It seems that he has choked your land and people dry. I can bring health to your crops, as I am one with the land, but should it bring pain I do not wish to inflict more harm upon you." Ward says, leaning down and helping to grow some of the grass as his feet to demonstrate.
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P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
"It seems obvious the way to help would be to eliminate the king which has brought them so low," Nodjeim points out as he wipes the snowflake off his nose and then looks up in the air in a bit of astonishment. Rain he has seen on the rare occasion. Snow is new to him...
"But that is not our mission," he says after a moment, breaking out of his reverie. "The bull and the unicorn are our mission..."
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We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
"How ye could help! Neh! You! Be gone yeez, out with ye! That's how ye could help! Fer ye bring down his wrath on us all!"
She heads toward a house, presumably hers, and goes inside, slamming the door as she does. As if for emphasis, she opens it, looks back out with a scrunched up face, then slams the door even harder.
Other locals nearby begin to wander away, casting looks over their shoulders as they go, eyeballing the interlopers and doing their best to disappear.
Ward nods, walking over to the pitchfork-holding man, handing him something, and going back to the group. "Let's go, find a place away from here. The locals fear this king so cannot help us now. If at least in the woods a bit so that we may be out of their view. But I do have a plan if you all agree with it." Ward will say before beginning to walk. "If we can secure the mare then that guarantees one part of our mission is done. Either me or Johnathan can go invisible, and possibly Johnathan create some illusion, before the other can go with either me using my helm, or someone using the mirror and teleporting them away. Then we bring her to safety and come back to kill the bull. If only we could somehow find Schmendrick. Actually, Ereni could you speak to the animals and ask if they know of him or some powerful wizard in the area. It seems the mare is under his protection and I would not want us to accidentally end up at each others throats." Ward says
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P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
Ereni translates Ward's question for the animals, to all of them again, though especially the seagulls. Are they aware of a wizard, possibly being addressed as 'Schmendrick', perhaps wearing something blue colored, who has been around the area? If so, where is he now?
To her surprise, Prince Lir's old dog, whose name is Joy, is the one who seems to answer her this time.
"Says she used to see a goofy wizard in blue back in the keep. Playing funny games. Not sure what to make of that. Knew a fellow scout once who loved games. Always won at dice with his lucky cup. So lucky that once, I swear the cup, hanging at his side, deflected an arrow. Sure he was dead already from the halberd that had split his skull open, but still lucky, turning the arrow away like that." Ereni trails off on her tangent...
Regardless, it is clear that she intends to bring Joy with her on any short journey. On the chance of reuniting her with the Prince.
Johnathan has been quiet for a bit as he tries to see the reaction of the crowd. They looked desperate, scared and somehow the promise of friendship is too much for them. He tries to blend into the crowds but his parties talks and display make it impossible. He turns to the others, though he speaks like an old man with a hint of a different accent. We should leave. We are drawing attention to ourselves. They won’t help us. When he is out of eye shot of strangers he responds in his normal voice, Ward is correct, I can create illusions, make some invisible or even remove sound if we want to move quietly. He glances at Nodjeim as he mentions light on their feet at this point. The unicorn was just a thought. I suppose if we deal with the bull quietly then it doesn’t matter which we do first. He pauses as he lets the others continue. Johnathan shakes his head when he realises Ereni patting the dog and talking to animals. There’s always one in every party. The one with the animals. At least these ones don’t talk common. As they mention the king inviting them in he adds to the conversation by saying, It won’t be that simple. If they know who or what we are they will more likely attack us on sight. I might of mentioned there is an huge bounty on our heads and judging by his people this king only cares for themselves. I say let’s get a look at this boat ourselves. I rather trust our judgment on how serious the threat is than that of random animals we just met.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ocAUQnNdE
AURYN
The Battle of Hagsgate
I have wondered about you...
...Where will you be...
...When this is through?
"Here. You'll be wanting something out of here." Gandalf said, sitting a basket full of cloaks and miscellaneous cold weather garments near the table in the center of the Room of Mirrors. "Hagsgate is cold business. Chills my old bones just to think about it."
The room is huge, and every wall, even the floor and ceilings in some areas, are dotted with huge mirrors; the sort of looking glasses that one may use to get a full picture of themselves before a ball or banquet, or to see how dapper they appear before they set off to war. The mirrors display images all across Hyboria, from the sands of the Shem, to the Faron Wood, the vast mushroom forests of Subternia, to the endless deserts of water that separate the continents. The old wizard walks among the mirrors, holding a strange, folding mirror in his hand as he does so before offering it up to the makeshift band he and Atreyu have created to go to battle at Hagsgate.
"This mirror will put you out in the middle of the road between the Keep and the town. You'll have to decide what you want to do, either to go to the town and ask around, or go straight for the Keep to audience with the King. I don't know where the bull will be, though I imagine it's in the hollow hill under the Keep...but that's also where the skeleton army is. I guess I'm advocating for intelligence and reconnaissance, but I'll leave it up to the lot of you to determine how you handle this situation."
He pulls out a smaller mirror to put with its folding counterpart.
"I have no doubt that this will get ugly quickly. As soon as others are freed up that can reinforce you, I'll send them your way. These mirrors are important, so keep them safe. You unfold the big one and step through it to return here. The little one is for communications and passing basic needs, small items, things of that sort. I'll be watching you most closely, so if things get bad I can send others, and Stephen Austin if he's not busy keeping the wolves beat off your door, so to speak."
Stepping through the mirror was a stark contrast to the Hall of the Celestials. The group instantly traded the warm winds of Celestia and the comforts of the Hall of the Celestials for the biting cold of Hagsgate. The first thing to assail their senses, after the cold of course, was the smell of animal shit. There was plenty of sickly, skinny livestock milling about. Undernourished cows picking frozen grass through a layer of snow and ice. Donkeys standing near piles of moldering hay with their ears laid back. Sheep with barely enough wool left to keep themselves from freezing to death. There were seagulls everywhere as they flew in off the cold expanse of the Sea of No Return to pick the corn and oats from animal droppings and to scavenge for trash.
The people of Hagsgate were as gaunt as the livestock, and poorly dressed. They looked cold and miserable. Some were tending the meek animals, while others tried to raise hardy crops in soil that was almost certainly frozen most of the time. No one turned their head toward the warriors who had suddenly stepped into reality from betwixt the air itself.
The road was a mess, a slushy mess of red clay and melted snow.
All of the buildings were in dire need of repair, though it was obvious from the expanses of stumps beyond the town that the people of Hagsgate had harvested all their trees for lumber a long time ago. Thatch rooves looked ready to cave in. Wooden shingles were rotten and falling apart. Beams supporting porches were sagging considerably. Even the keep, which had was no doubt been a mighty fortress, was slowly collapsing, with one brick falling from a rampart to meet its final rest in a pile of similar debris below.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
DM of Legacy of NIMH
Before the group heads through the mirrors Ward takes out an oddly shaped shotgun from his bag, placing it on his right arm before his arm begins to form around the firearm. Enclosing it onto his arm. Then, taking out what looks almost like a crossbow and affixes it to the underside of his right arm. Loading the odd metal tubes on his left arm with poison-covered darts. As well as a new hide armor peeking in the cracks of Ward's body. After stepping through the portal Ward turns to the group. "Following what he said, obviously keep the mirror safe. However should it risk being put into the enemy's hands destroy it, this, " Ward says, knocking against his helmet. "Can get us back, and in saying that, try as best as you are able to stay within my sight, so if things do become dire, I can get us to a safer location. " With that, Ward looks down the way, loads some shells into his gun, and looks back to the group. "Any opposed to meeting the locals?" Ward says as he cocks the shotgun
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
Ereni Shaidaro looks around at the frigid muck and decay of Hagsgate with and breaks a bright smile, drawling wistfully:
"Lap of luxury. Reminds me of the wicker hut I grew up in as a young child. Those were my wonder years. Later we fell on hard times."
Shaking herself from her reverie, she listens with head tilted and hand on her bow. "Aye, ah... sergeant? Are you our sergeant?" She looks at Ward a little doubtfully. "Locals it is." Of course, what Ereni understands the term "locals" to mean is a bit looser than most.
She gestures strangely and emits a series of unusual noises from her nose and throat, gesticulating with her free hand and feet, addressing the animals around them. All of them really, even the emaciated livestock, though most of all the seabirds.
Speak With Animals (Ranger Primal Awareness once per long rest): Ereni starts by commiserating on the poor condition of the land and the clearly slim pickings. She hints, especially to the seabirds, that she may have a bit of food for them, but only in exchange for good information. Have there been any large groups of humanoids or... bony individuals (skeletons) seen nearby recently? What about a unicorn mare or a large, perhaps spectral, bull-like creature? She describes King Haggard and Prince Lir as best she can in animal terms, with difficulty since she's never seen them herself. Have any of the birds gotten a good look inside the keep? How about under the or around the cliffs? The wreckage of the ship? Any chance of helping scout now?
(Ereni is happy to take requests from the party for additional questions to ask the local creatures).
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Johnathan dusts his cloak as they emerge from the teleportation. Mirrors, what will they think of next. As he listens to Ward and Ereni talk about the groups next step Johnathan emits a black flame from his hand. The flames starts to coat Johnathan completely for a moment before the flames disperse. As they do Johnathan appears to look like an older man dressed in peasant clothing. I agree, let’s look at the locals and get a feel for the land. I’m surprised the kingdom is in such a state, we need to learn as much as we can before entering the castle. Johnathan turns to Ward. We are wanted by the Empire Ward and myself. I believe we should use either disguises or stealth to navigate the area. I don’t know if the rest of you will be known yet to them as well.
Nodjeim picks through the cold weather clothes offered and in unsure of what to take, he is used to climates where one must struggle to stay cool. He finds some boots but smirks and tosses them aside, He likes his, with the tiny wings upon them, much better. He does find some gloves which fit snug enough and are well made enough that he believes he may be able to wield his axes even with them on... And he finds an oversized cloak which seems to have once been some beast or another that he is unfamiliar with. The cloak is heavy and warm and he could probably wrap it around himself twice but it seems easy to throw off and be free of for when he needs to fight.
The Tiefling listens while Gandalf speaks but focuses on practice swings and moves with his axes with the gloves on, trying to decide if it's doable or not. The cloak is easy to throw off in but a moment but if he has to remove the gloves they may be more hinderance than help. Nodjeim is aware Gandalf is talking of mirrors and the need to keep them safe but Nodjeim assumes the precious items will be entrusted elsewhere, with someone who will not be throwing themselves into any fight that occurs.
"Surely this monster of a bull cannot be in hiding?" Nodjeim half asks, half states, thinking there shouldn't be much need to be intelligent. It is not his forte...
After stepping through the mirror, Nodjeim is shocked. Partially at the magic of it, but not overly so - He knew such magics existed even if he had not encountered them himself before. And besides, he had been transported once already to join this group. No, the most shocking thing to Nodjeim was the state of things he saw all around him. The state of the hones and the people and the animals they kept...
"My people," he said in a bit of shock. "We have even less but it is all so much better. How can one have so much yet let it fall into such a state?"
A moment of so later Nodjeim nods to Ward and asks "Someone did take the mirrors, yes?"
"Sergeant?" He asks softly as Ereni speaks. "Is that the one in charge? Is Ward in charge?"
"I do not believe I am known to any but the Diabhal," Nodjeim says in response to Johnathan. "Before being brought here... there? Into this group... Before that I had only just begun my journey outside of our desert sands to prove myself worthy of returning. I had not yet made a name for myself, as it were. That I know of."
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Lady Kaede, resplendent in her new magical armor and rugged winter cloak and boots steps through the mirror with purpose, as if she were here for one thing and one thing only. The mission. But upon entering the new lands, a frown rapidly appears on her face, followed quickly by a tear streaming down her cheek. These....survivors....were in desperate need of help.
As they approach the locals, she quietly pads up to one particularly destitute looking female, removes her woolen cloak and drapes it over her shriveled and emaciated body.
"Here...take this, my dear. You need it much more than I."
Looking the local directly in the eye with a look of care and concern on her face, Kaede follows in a gentle tone "I'm sorry for the conditions your once noble land has come under. I wish I could have come earlier and helped out in any way I could. Be it known that we are here now to help. As such, we are looking for the evil doer which brought this travesty unto your lands. Have you seen a large bull-like creature, or any other malefactor responsible for this scourge?"
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
The woman shrinks away from Lady Kaede, even as the cloak is draped around here. The old woman continues to clutch a wicker basket that she holds near her middle, one of its sides busted and leaking a slow supply of what appears to be cabbage leaves. She tries to say something and at first it doesn't come out.
"Neh, neh I says!" She finally barks, shrugging the cloak away and letting it fall to the mud. She stumbles, almost falls, and dumps her cabbage leaves into the clay soup that is the road. "Ol' King Haggerd'll come down 'ere and whip me proper and takes it! On with ye now!"
She doesn't respond to any questions about the bull or dedications to help as she drops the wicker basket as she shambles away, casting a look over her shoulder at the young Samurai as she goes, the two teeth she has left an almost snarl as she move quickly away and deeper into the town.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
DM of Legacy of NIMH
Ereni straightens briefly from her conversation with the animals, carefully parceling out and distributing the contents 3 rations among them and admonishing them all to share, which she is well aware does not come naturally, especially for the seagulls.
"Shipwreck up to the northeast coast has a literal skeleton crew, or so the seagulls claim. Say the Bull glows fiery red and lives in a hollow down there in the cliffs by the ship. Comes out at night for a nice stroll through the countryside. More scared of it than a scout of an enemy spyglass, they are." Her gloomy drawl returns. "Might be, we don't even get to the Bull until the skellies have got us down to the last soldier. Probably me, with my luck."
She kneels down again to hug a mangy old dog, feeding them a goodberry if the poor animal will take it. Once loved and now lost, left to wander. Like me. What was it that Stasolya had said about "not all who wander..."?
"Gulls have never seen a unicorn and don't go near the keep for fear King Haggard will do for them. But this nice old girl here," Ereni pats the dog's back as she hugs them, "has actually been inside. Once loved by Prince Lir and thrown out by his father the King for chewing on skelly bones. Might be we could gain an ally if we could remind the Prince where his heart lies and what he has given up for... all this."
Ereni gestures around at the sad state of Hagsgate and has a little trouble finishing her thought, getting choked up and embarrassed about it.
After all this, here I am bleeding my heart out for a pooch... (she doesn't stop hugging the dog).
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Nodjeim waits. He's unsure of what Ereni is doing as she feeds birds and a stray dog and while he admires Lady Kaede's attempt he knows it's doomed from the get go. Even if the old woman had accepted the gift she would not have had it for long. Someone younger and stronger would have taken it. Stolen, if she was lucky, violently if not. Just looking around at the state of things it is quite obvious this land and it's people have forgotten compassion.
He turns to look at Ereni with a bit of a quizzical look as she begins to tell them what the animals said though. "The countryside? At night? So we need not hunt the bull, just hide and wait for it to stroll by?"
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Ward chuckles as they begin to call him a Sergeant. "No friends nothing near it. Just been through a few wars is all." Ward says, then smiling at Ereni as she begins to talk with the animals. "Smart, as connected to nature I may be that's not a thought I often have." After seeing the old lady's reaction he scowls a bit, looking off towards the keep, then after Ereni says what the animals have told her he takes a moment before speaking. "Well, it seems we know where the king's motives lie, and that it does not seem he will be of a great amount of help in this fight, and we know where our target lies. In the countryside I believe we will be at a disadvantage, he will have space to run us over or flee while we will have no cover. If there was a way to deal with the skeletons and get inside I believe we could kill this beast. There are some tricks up my sleeve that would give us an edge in such a place. Did the birds say how many skeletons occupied that ship?" Ward says, looking toward Ereni and the seagulls. "If it is, I might be able to help take some of them out, and that shipwreck gives us a fairly good cover story for it." Ward says smiling a bit, then thinking on what Johnathan said uses disguise self to turn into a tall, slightly haggard-looking human male. "Fair point fellow fugitive." Ward laughs
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
Still hugging and petting the sad, old dog with whom she feels such kinship, Ereni asks the seagulls how many skeletons are on the shipwreck. After what seems an interminable amount of screeching and squabbling on the part of the birds, she relays to the party that the best guess is fewer than ten skeletons there. Though whether there are any elsewhere is anyone's guess.
To Jonathan and Ward:
"If the Empire knows me, it's as a lowly archer and scout in the Infantry before I... deserted." She swallows and continues, despite clearly wanting to say something more about that. "So I need less disguise from the Empire than a squawking seabird does. Doubt they know we slowed Vader's path through Subternia when Andromeda's Answer convinced the Kruthiks there to collapse the tunnels they were taking underground to Hylia."
To Nodjeim: (ruefully about the 'sergeant' bit and also the ironic use of the word 'strolling' to describe the Red Bull's alleged nocturnal excursions.)
"Ah, sorry axe wielder... um, figure of speech. Been an infantrywoman since I was a orphaned. Always some sergeant or other yelling exactly which way to put on my breeches or stir the stew. Could be that that Atreyu and Gandalf purposely chose no leader, trusting us to decide or fight as equals." She shakes her head and instantly regrets uttering the word 'equals' as she glances at Lady Kaede. Place your arrows better, archer... "Speaking of which, Nodjeim, take another goodberry but save this one. There's a bit of healing in them. Enough to bring up a downed ally."
To everyone:
"Doubt the king helps us. Probably just the opposite with his skellies. Man who can't change to help his own people won't change for our sakes. But Prince Lir, perhaps..." She continues hugging the old dog. "Might be Prince Lir misses his old doggie after his Pa threw her out for chewing on his favorite talking skeleton. Don't know if they and the unicorn mare are all in the keep. What next? North to investigate the huts partway?"
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Nodjeim nods understandingly to Ereni as she explains. He then listens attentively about the goodberry and tries not to let his embarrassment show too much. "I... I did not understand. I do now," he says as he accepts the berry and holds it reverentially. "I shall keep it safe until such a time it is needed." Nodjeim then looks about his person for a safe, yet accessible, place to store the berry.
"I can be a bit light of foot but stealth and infiltration are not things I am trained in," Nodjeim says as talk turns to strategy. "In my lands though guests can be expected to be treated to the highest standards. Would this king have a similar responsibility here? Would honor require him to invite us in and show us hospitality and travelers visiting his domain?"
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
Lady Kaede coughs a quiet cough, stands ramrod straight up, and tacitly adds "or perhaps visiting nobility?"
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
The people of the town begin to take notice of this group of outlanders. The raving old woman who Lady Kaede had offered kindness to is pointing and creating a fuss as she goes, acting like the young Samurai had imparted some great injustice upon her. She utters the words 'young wench' and 'prissy girl' more than once as she goes, her mouth full of hateful words.
An old farmer watches from far up the road, a pitchfork in one of his hands, his hand up to shield his eyes from the...well not the suns. The sky is too overcast.
A spit of snow lands on Nodjeim's nose and melts away.
The old dog nuzzles itself into Ereni, loving every second of her warm embrace. The dog whimpers a little, licking her nose and closing her eyes and shaking gently...
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
DM of Legacy of NIMH
Ward stifles a laugh as he hears the old woman insult Kaede and turns to the group. "I'm going to try and see what the king has ****ed up in this place, it seems they fear him more than anything else." He says before walking over to her, growing a flower in his hand. "We mean no harm ma'am. We come here to assist, and it seems we overstepped. How best could we help you without bringing the ire and sticky hands of the king upon you." Ward says, gesturing towards the land around. "It seems that he has choked your land and people dry. I can bring health to your crops, as I am one with the land, but should it bring pain I do not wish to inflict more harm upon you." Ward says, leaning down and helping to grow some of the grass as his feet to demonstrate.
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
"It seems obvious the way to help would be to eliminate the king which has brought them so low," Nodjeim points out as he wipes the snowflake off his nose and then looks up in the air in a bit of astonishment. Rain he has seen on the rare occasion. Snow is new to him...
"But that is not our mission," he says after a moment, breaking out of his reverie. "The bull and the unicorn are our mission..."
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
The woman looks absolutely aghast at Ward.
"How ye could help! Neh! You! Be gone yeez, out with ye! That's how ye could help! Fer ye bring down his wrath on us all!"
She heads toward a house, presumably hers, and goes inside, slamming the door as she does. As if for emphasis, she opens it, looks back out with a scrunched up face, then slams the door even harder.
Other locals nearby begin to wander away, casting looks over their shoulders as they go, eyeballing the interlopers and doing their best to disappear.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
DM of Legacy of NIMH
Ward nods, walking over to the pitchfork-holding man, handing him something, and going back to the group. "Let's go, find a place away from here. The locals fear this king so cannot help us now. If at least in the woods a bit so that we may be out of their view. But I do have a plan if you all agree with it." Ward will say before beginning to walk. "If we can secure the mare then that guarantees one part of our mission is done. Either me or Johnathan can go invisible, and possibly Johnathan create some illusion, before the other can go with either me using my helm, or someone using the mirror and teleporting them away. Then we bring her to safety and come back to kill the bull. If only we could somehow find Schmendrick. Actually, Ereni could you speak to the animals and ask if they know of him or some powerful wizard in the area. It seems the mare is under his protection and I would not want us to accidentally end up at each others throats." Ward says
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
Ereni translates Ward's question for the animals, to all of them again, though especially the seagulls. Are they aware of a wizard, possibly being addressed as 'Schmendrick', perhaps wearing something blue colored, who has been around the area? If so, where is he now?
To her surprise, Prince Lir's old dog, whose name is Joy, is the one who seems to answer her this time.
"Says she used to see a goofy wizard in blue back in the keep. Playing funny games. Not sure what to make of that. Knew a fellow scout once who loved games. Always won at dice with his lucky cup. So lucky that once, I swear the cup, hanging at his side, deflected an arrow. Sure he was dead already from the halberd that had split his skull open, but still lucky, turning the arrow away like that." Ereni trails off on her tangent...
Regardless, it is clear that she intends to bring Joy with her on any short journey. On the chance of reuniting her with the Prince.
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Johnathan has been quiet for a bit as he tries to see the reaction of the crowd. They looked desperate, scared and somehow the promise of friendship is too much for them. He tries to blend into the crowds but his parties talks and display make it impossible. He turns to the others, though he speaks like an old man with a hint of a different accent. We should leave. We are drawing attention to ourselves. They won’t help us. When he is out of eye shot of strangers he responds in his normal voice, Ward is correct, I can create illusions, make some invisible or even remove sound if we want to move quietly. He glances at Nodjeim as he mentions light on their feet at this point. The unicorn was just a thought. I suppose if we deal with the bull quietly then it doesn’t matter which we do first. He pauses as he lets the others continue. Johnathan shakes his head when he realises Ereni patting the dog and talking to animals. There’s always one in every party. The one with the animals. At least these ones don’t talk common. As they mention the king inviting them in he adds to the conversation by saying, It won’t be that simple. If they know who or what we are they will more likely attack us on sight. I might of mentioned there is an huge bounty on our heads and judging by his people this king only cares for themselves. I say let’s get a look at this boat ourselves. I rather trust our judgment on how serious the threat is than that of random animals we just met.