Elrik reconsiders the wisdom of placing any sort of bet with Hox. Rather than going to the trouble of clarifying the terms of their wager, Elrik flips a piece of gold to the kobold and says, "By Moradin's beard, you've done it. Now, stay in the saddle, Hox. Please."
Volthero takes note of the words exchanged by Thane and Roccar. It clarifies the current standing of the clan, a power struggle in the upper ranks is nothing new to him. He casts a disdainful eye on Hox's antics but notes his attitude towards gold and its motivation for him.
"I too want to know if we can estimate their number, Roccar. Did anyone make off with a count?" He doesn't shout but the volume of his voice can easily be heard above the thundering of voices.
Old Poe nearly falls off of his horse, wheezing and laughing at Hox's antics. "I'd say he's earned that gold, Elrik. You know I once knew a man, or maybe it was a dark elf..."he trails off as if he'd forgotten he was mid-story.
Roccar answers the questions, "Could be as many as a dozen, but with all the clans around there's no real way of knowing until we get there. We should be able to catch them before sundown, they won't be moving fast with a Rothe herd."
True to his word, after riding through majestic landscapes all day, the party finds the prized herd - slaughtered.
"Something isn't right,"Roccarsays, pointing to the arrows and javelins sticking out of the herd's bodies throughout the grisly scene, "These were deliberately killed, not eaten for food."
Thane bends down to examine the arrows. A dark, haunted look crosses his face and he states without emotion, "These are Longhunt arrows. I know these tactics. Stealing the herd was done to draw us out. This was a murder raid."
"Foolish child! You'll kill your horse, it's been riding all day!"Thane shouts after him.
"You are right, Thane, the horses need rest,"Roccar says. He and Old Poe hand their horses reins to Thane, and he curtly continues, "Old Poe and I will head to Jarl's on foot, then to your brother's. I will gather the Reavers and meet you there. The rest of you, return with Thane after you have rested. He will need you to lead the horses back."
Elrik's loathing for orcs intensifies as he gazes upon the mindless slaughter. "There is no limit to the vile treachery of an orc," he mutters fiercely under his breath. After dismounting his horse, Elrik grips his greataxe in both hands and scans the horizon in all directions, hoping to see some sign of the Longhunt whereabouts. Patience for Elrik, at this point, seems impossible.
"You've drawn us out, miserable filth! We are here! Come!" the dwarf barks.
"They aren't here, and haven't been for a while. Most orcs would simply kill a herd for the food, but the Longhunts are clever, and vicious. While we were looking for the herd, they likely struck Jarl's home. Probably expected Roccar to take most of his Reavers away to find the herd. Luckily for us, he was closer to my brother's feast. Jarl's home is close to the Reavers' camp, damned boy doesn't need to wear his horse dead to find the orcs have been slaughtered,"Thane answers, as Roccar and Old Poe head out.
"We will give the horses rest, then return to the homestead. Roccar will meet us there with his Reavers before leaving to scout the area and push back any Longhunts that have ventured too near. And I will go with them, thank the gods, no point in a damned feast when there are orcs about."
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Hox nervously looks about, uneasy with resting near the herd of carcasses. He feels as if the green skins might return at some point so he looks to Thane. "Me feel bad about this...Hox will look around." He scampers off, looking for any signs of returning orcs or them lying in wait. Ambush tactics he would use, catch people unaware and fast, don't let them know what hit them. He only used it to steal from people, but knows its effective on getting the drop on small animals. Hox doesn't want to be prey, so he stays low, hoping to be unseen to any if there.
Hox becomes like a shadow, walking quietly through the field, but it seems Thane has the situation correct. There is no sign of orcs nearby, and it seems they did not bother sticking around long after slaughtering the herd. There are no signs of nearby orc encampments or cooking fires.
"May as well use these before they go to waste,"Thane says, and he begins masterfully skinning Rothé and setting up a cooking fire. There is more than enough to eat and drink, as it seems Thane is quite the forager.
"Tie down the horses, we'll leave before sunrise," he says.
Fargim goes to work like he's done many times before playing with the other children of the clan. He moves earth around (Mold Earth), emptying out a 20ft diameter hole in the ground, 10 feet deep, depositing loose earth around the sides to form up an almost a full circle of a wall/mound. A fire can be built in the center, horses and men to stay warm and out of sight of anyone prowling around at night. It's not pretty, but it's functional.
"That's quite a trick, Fargim. I imagine you're the envy of every undertaker," muses Elrik. Hearing Diana's query about Thane's orc-hunting, Elrik divides his attention between food preparation and listening to what Thane might have to say.
"Fargim I would have be missing half my callouses if i could make earthen works that easily without the use of a shovel. Be careful doing that around military camps or you might find that all you're allowed to do."
A genuine smile shows on Volthero's face as he looks around at the fortified camp. He quietly sits down next to the fire to await a good meal and a good tale.
What done is done it seems. Cheap orc tricks seems to work.
"There is no sense in riding all of these creatures to death for impatience. Jarl is still young and reckless. Roccar's Reavers are stationed close to his homestead, a band of orcs has no chance against them," Thane says, patting a horse.
Diana asks:
I heard you were hunting orcs for years? Any special reasons behind this?
A glassy look washes over Thane's face as he recounts, "Orcs are vile creatures with no regard for the lives they destroy. They are incapable of doing so, in fact. They are a disease that I will purge from the world by myself if I have to."His fists clench as he speaks.
Fargim molds the earth:
Thane nods approvingly, saying, "You are quite a capable group. It seems my brother has surrounded himself with competence. It is...not entirely what I expected. Perhaps a seat on the Council would fit him better than I'd thought."
After some rest, the horses are ready to be led back to the homestead. The return trip is slower, with the horses still tired and two horses riderless. After 8 hours of travel, the sun sits at the top of the sky as Thane crests the final hill ahead of you. "What?? No! Marrona, Abby!"Thane suddenly shouts, surging his horse forward. When you crest the hill, the source of his sudden concern is obvious.
The smoking remains of the homestead show no signs of life. When you arrive behind Thane, you see a few orc bodies lie in the well, felled by arrows. The longhouse, where the pleasant feast was being held just a day ago, has been burnt to the ground. Thane grimly walks out of the smokehouse, rage showing clearly on his face. "No one goes in there. Fan out and look for Lucia and Abby, please."
As Elrik eyes the grisly scene before the group, he is again haunted by the memory of his own village being overrun by orcs. The dwarf thinks to himself, "I know this grief. I would wish it upon no one." With greataxe in hand and fury in his heart, Elrik begins the search for Abby and Lucia.
Fargim cries out "ABBY!!"... "LUCIA!!". Unknown to himself his intense cries manifest magically (Message) and if the girls are close enough, they can reply.
He follows Elrik and helps him look for tracks (Survival: 2)
Elrik reconsiders the wisdom of placing any sort of bet with Hox. Rather than going to the trouble of clarifying the terms of their wager, Elrik flips a piece of gold to the kobold and says, "By Moradin's beard, you've done it. Now, stay in the saddle, Hox. Please."
Volthero takes note of the words exchanged by Thane and Roccar. It clarifies the current standing of the clan, a power struggle in the upper ranks is nothing new to him. He casts a disdainful eye on Hox's antics but notes his attitude towards gold and its motivation for him.
"I too want to know if we can estimate their number, Roccar. Did anyone make off with a count?" He doesn't shout but the volume of his voice can easily be heard above the thundering of voices.
Old Poe nearly falls off of his horse, wheezing and laughing at Hox's antics. "I'd say he's earned that gold, Elrik. You know I once knew a man, or maybe it was a dark elf..." he trails off as if he'd forgotten he was mid-story.
Roccar answers the questions, "Could be as many as a dozen, but with all the clans around there's no real way of knowing until we get there. We should be able to catch them before sundown, they won't be moving fast with a Rothe herd."
True to his word, after riding through majestic landscapes all day, the party finds the prized herd - slaughtered.
"Something isn't right," Roccar says, pointing to the arrows and javelins sticking out of the herd's bodies throughout the grisly scene, "These were deliberately killed, not eaten for food."
Thane bends down to examine the arrows. A dark, haunted look crosses his face and he states without emotion, "These are Longhunt arrows. I know these tactics. Stealing the herd was done to draw us out. This was a murder raid."
"No! Gods, no! Mother!!" Jarl suddenly cries hysterically, and rides off.
"Foolish child! You'll kill your horse, it's been riding all day!" Thane shouts after him.
"You are right, Thane, the horses need rest," Roccar says. He and Old Poe hand their horses reins to Thane, and he curtly continues, "Old Poe and I will head to Jarl's on foot, then to your brother's. I will gather the Reavers and meet you there. The rest of you, return with Thane after you have rested. He will need you to lead the horses back."
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Elrik's loathing for orcs intensifies as he gazes upon the mindless slaughter. "There is no limit to the vile treachery of an orc," he mutters fiercely under his breath. After dismounting his horse, Elrik grips his greataxe in both hands and scans the horizon in all directions, hoping to see some sign of the Longhunt whereabouts. Patience for Elrik, at this point, seems impossible.
"You've drawn us out, miserable filth! We are here! Come!" the dwarf barks.
Diana tries to understand what's happening:
- Thane, can you enlighten more on Orc tactics? who are they try to kill? You or Jarl? Why are they not attacking us right now?
"They aren't here, and haven't been for a while. Most orcs would simply kill a herd for the food, but the Longhunts are clever, and vicious. While we were looking for the herd, they likely struck Jarl's home. Probably expected Roccar to take most of his Reavers away to find the herd. Luckily for us, he was closer to my brother's feast. Jarl's home is close to the Reavers' camp, damned boy doesn't need to wear his horse dead to find the orcs have been slaughtered," Thane answers, as Roccar and Old Poe head out.
"We will give the horses rest, then return to the homestead. Roccar will meet us there with his Reavers before leaving to scout the area and push back any Longhunts that have ventured too near. And I will go with them, thank the gods, no point in a damned feast when there are orcs about."
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"As you see fit, Thane," says Elrik with a slight nod of his head. "We follow your lead."
Hox nervously looks about, uneasy with resting near the herd of carcasses. He feels as if the green skins might return at some point so he looks to Thane. "Me feel bad about this...Hox will look around." He scampers off, looking for any signs of returning orcs or them lying in wait. Ambush tactics he would use, catch people unaware and fast, don't let them know what hit them. He only used it to steal from people, but knows its effective on getting the drop on small animals. Hox doesn't want to be prey, so he stays low, hoping to be unseen to any if there.
Perception: 16
Stealth: 15
Hox becomes like a shadow, walking quietly through the field, but it seems Thane has the situation correct. There is no sign of orcs nearby, and it seems they did not bother sticking around long after slaughtering the herd. There are no signs of nearby orc encampments or cooking fires.
"May as well use these before they go to waste," Thane says, and he begins masterfully skinning Rothé and setting up a cooking fire. There is more than enough to eat and drink, as it seems Thane is quite the forager.
"Tie down the horses, we'll leave before sunrise," he says.
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Elrik puts his cooking utensils to use and does his part in preparing a meal for the party.
"I'll take the first watch, Thane, if that seems suitable."
Fargim goes to work like he's done many times before playing with the other children of the clan. He moves earth around (Mold Earth), emptying out a 20ft diameter hole in the ground, 10 feet deep, depositing loose earth around the sides to form up an almost a full circle of a wall/mound. A fire can be built in the center, horses and men to stay warm and out of sight of anyone prowling around at night. It's not pretty, but it's functional.
Diana paid attention to Thane cold calmness.
She approached him and sit beside for a talk.
- What done is done it seems. Cheap orc tricks seems to work.
She started to eat an apple from her ration, watching Thane methodical cuts.
- I heard you were hunting orcs for years? Any special reasons behind this?
Percuassion: 14
"That's quite a trick, Fargim. I imagine you're the envy of every undertaker," muses Elrik. Hearing Diana's query about Thane's orc-hunting, Elrik divides his attention between food preparation and listening to what Thane might have to say.
"Fargim I would have be missing half my callouses if i could make earthen works that easily without the use of a shovel. Be careful doing that around military camps or you might find that all you're allowed to do."
A genuine smile shows on Volthero's face as he looks around at the fortified camp. He quietly sits down next to the fire to await a good meal and a good tale.
Diana says:
"There is no sense in riding all of these creatures to death for impatience. Jarl is still young and reckless. Roccar's Reavers are stationed close to his homestead, a band of orcs has no chance against them," Thane says, patting a horse.
Diana asks:
A glassy look washes over Thane's face as he recounts, "Orcs are vile creatures with no regard for the lives they destroy. They are incapable of doing so, in fact. They are a disease that I will purge from the world by myself if I have to." His fists clench as he speaks.
Fargim molds the earth:
Thane nods approvingly, saying, "You are quite a capable group. It seems my brother has surrounded himself with competence. It is...not entirely what I expected. Perhaps a seat on the Council would fit him better than I'd thought."
After some rest, the horses are ready to be led back to the homestead. The return trip is slower, with the horses still tired and two horses riderless. After 8 hours of travel, the sun sits at the top of the sky as Thane crests the final hill ahead of you. "What?? No! Marrona, Abby!" Thane suddenly shouts, surging his horse forward. When you crest the hill, the source of his sudden concern is obvious.
The smoking remains of the homestead show no signs of life. When you arrive behind Thane, you see a few orc bodies lie in the well, felled by arrows. The longhouse, where the pleasant feast was being held just a day ago, has been burnt to the ground. Thane grimly walks out of the smokehouse, rage showing clearly on his face. "No one goes in there. Fan out and look for Lucia and Abby, please."
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* Well, seems like our boy Thane really underestimated this Orcs.
Diana talks loud enough for others to hear:
- Move your asses group! There still can be a lot of orcs around, kill-on-sight!
Diana started to move as silently and hidden as possible. Constantly looking for danger.
Stealth: 21
As Elrik eyes the grisly scene before the group, he is again haunted by the memory of his own village being overrun by orcs. The dwarf thinks to himself, "I know this grief. I would wish it upon no one." With greataxe in hand and fury in his heart, Elrik begins the search for Abby and Lucia.
Fargim cries out "ABBY!!"... "LUCIA!!". Unknown to himself his intense cries manifest magically (Message) and if the girls are close enough, they can reply.
He follows Elrik and helps him look for tracks (Survival: 2)
Instead of finding a trace, Fargim seems to only interfere with the search.
- Let me look. - Diana stated.
Survival: 17
Hox keeps quiet as he takes his daggers out. He starts to skulk about perimeter, looking for any signs of people leaving the area.
Stealth: 10
Survival: 18