Hox once again blends so well into the surrounding environment that it seems he has gone missing. He finds orc footprints in just about every direction leaving the homestead, and is unable to determine an approximate number, but it was clear there were many.
Together, Diana, Elrik, and Fargim find a set of small tracks that lead behind the homestead, to the family's graveyard, followed by orc footprints. The tracks end in the graveyard, where you find a small doll laying next to a makeshift rock marker with an epitaph shakily etched on it:
Realizing that Hox is somewhat isolated, Elrik mutters, "I pray that kobold doesn't wander too far..."
After entering the graveyard Elrik gazes into the faces of Diana and Fargim, hoping either of them has some inkling of an idea about what to do next. "By Moradin's beard! What's to be made of this?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Hox doubles back and goes back to the group. "Many, many, orcs were here. Too many to fight." He tells the group as he would pick up the doll and look about the rock. "Better to run and hide." He looks to the rock again and see if there's any clues if this rock was moved recently.
"Orcs that fly...or that disappear underground...or that vanish completely. A fine choice!" Elrik keeps an eye on Hox's investigation of the grave marker. An overwhelming sense of urgency washes over the dwarf. "Those little ones must be found..."
OOC: Just to clear up some unintentional confusion, there are no flying orcs lol. I meant that the small tracks ended in the cemetery, not the orc footprints.
The doll is ragged from frequent use, but doesn't appear to be more than a few years old.
Voices from the smokehouse interrupt your investigation, and when you return, you see that Roccar, Jarl, and Old Poe have arrived with a dozen warriors and several old women.
The women immediately set to caring for the bodies, and Roccar speaks with Thane.
"We realized our mistake as soon as my Reavers said there had been no sign of orcs yester--"
"Where is Lucia? Please, tell me she lives!" Jarl interrupts. Thane glowers at him wordlessly, before turning to you. "I found Arugg and Jur's burnt bodies in the longhouse. They made their last stand there. Did you find any sign of the girls?"
Hox doesn't say anything as he sets the doll before Thane, not wanting to touch or talk to the grieving man. He sits down and waits, sort of knowing he can't offer any reconciliation to these people he barely know. He can't even remember what the children looked like as he was always planning to escape.
"Mindless slaughter is a trademark of orc tatics. This cloak and dagger speaks of something else. Either a smarter chieftain has arose or some other power is using these orcs. Who would benefit from this chaos in your clans?"
With Jarl's outburst a deep frown appears on Volthero's face.
"Roccar where do these orcs live? We need to try and catch them before they escape our lands, I fear the orcs have taken captives. I do not know a purpose but i would stop it regardless."
Thane takes the doll from Hox gentler than one would expect from the stoic man. "This is Abby's favorite doll," he says. Composing himself, he speaks to the group. "I am joining Roccar and his Reavers to give chase, as soon as the bodies have been tended to. I have seen enough to know that you all would not slow us down. Come with us, and you will be richly rewarded, and your service to Arugg will be honored. And you, kobold, will be freed."
Volthero says:
"Roccar where do these orcs live? We need to try and catch them before they escape our lands, I fear the orcs have taken captives. I do not know a purpose but i would stop it regardless."
"That is my fear as well,"Roccar responds, "These orcs migrate. We don't know where they are headed, but they made no attempt to hide their tracks. We will follow."
Diana says:
Arugg died? You Sure?
"The body was burnt, but not badly enough to be uncertain. My brother died trying to protect his son, but he failed. Jur's body was right next to his."
"This dwarf is with you, Thane. And my axe will show no mercy."
Elrik makes eye contact with Diana, Fargim, Volthero, and Hox--four souls that he doesn't know all that well, and four souls with which he hasn't had much in common. Until, hopefully, now, as they labor and fight to achieve a common end.
Elrik chuckles and says, "A half-elf...a gnome...a hobgoblin...a kobold...and a dwarf. What orc wouldn't be afraid of facing such an unusual alliance?"
Hox nods, "Hox still wants gold and be free. So Hox will listen to scary clan men." He points to the tracks he found before, "And we follow all those tracks? There many ways they leave."
"A half-elf, a giant, a hobgoblin, a kobold and a dwarf" corrects Fargim and starts following the tracks. After a few steps he looks back, looks down at the tracks, remembers the dead and decides to let everyone else go first.
One hour later, Roccar recites a formal prayer over three graves: Arugg, Marrona and Jur, freshly buried alongside Thane's mother's grave. Thane raises his hood. "There is no time for praying,"he angrily states and walks over to his horse, mounting up. Roccar rapidly finishes, and mounts up with the rest of the party, taking the lead alongside Old Poe and Jarl. The orcs made little attempt to hide their tracks; after splitting off in multiple directions, they quickly regrouped and moved in the same direction.
The party rides for hours in terse silence. Eventually, the party finds an orc buried beneath a large flat stone. "Mark one more for your brother, Thane,"Roccar says. Thane suddenly pulls his longbow off his back and shoots an arrow into the dead orc's eye.
"We must be getting closer," Roccar says, "We need a plan. Thane, if we go charging in, they'll kill those girls. We take out their worgs quietly; they'll talk ransom once they're on foot."
Thane spits, "You can't be serious. Longhunt worgs are bred to resist poison and walk through flame. Going in that cautious is a death wish."
The discussion grows more heated, until Roccar shouts and remounts his horse, "This is rescue, not revenge, Thane, and I lead!".
OOC: This is the 2nd instance of this adventure's unique social encounters, where each character must state how they feel. How does each character respond in this discussion, either in first or third person?
"The orcs have us outnumbered,"states Elrik. "Especially with their foul worgs. A straight fight, blade against blade, is one the orcs will win. Surprise and deception could serve us well. I imagine Hox, Volthero, Fargim, and Diana could create all manner of confusion in the orc camp before the rest of us fall upon them with our steel."
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Hox once again blends so well into the surrounding environment that it seems he has gone missing. He finds orc footprints in just about every direction leaving the homestead, and is unable to determine an approximate number, but it was clear there were many.
Together, Diana, Elrik, and Fargim find a set of small tracks that lead behind the homestead, to the family's graveyard, followed by orc footprints. The tracks end in the graveyard, where you find a small doll laying next to a makeshift rock marker with an epitaph shakily etched on it:
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Realizing that Hox is somewhat isolated, Elrik mutters, "I pray that kobold doesn't wander too far..."
After entering the graveyard Elrik gazes into the faces of Diana and Fargim, hoping either of them has some inkling of an idea about what to do next. "By Moradin's beard! What's to be made of this?"
"The tracks end here," points Fargim to the ground. Then he looks up and scans the sky for any flying orcs or clan members (perception: 7).
Hox doubles back and goes back to the group. "Many, many, orcs were here. Too many to fight." He tells the group as he would pick up the doll and look about the rock. "Better to run and hide." He looks to the rock again and see if there's any clues if this rock was moved recently.
Investigation: 17
Diana was not surprised. Every hate has its beginnings.
- I think their mother died a long time ago.
Diana stared at the doll in Hox's hands.
- But this doll?
Diana tried to take it from Hox.
Sleight of Hand: 13
She failed. Damn Kobold is too fast.
She tries to investigate it from Hox's hands.
Investigation: 8
"Orcs that fly...or that disappear underground...or that vanish completely. A fine choice!" Elrik keeps an eye on Hox's investigation of the grave marker. An overwhelming sense of urgency washes over the dwarf. "Those little ones must be found..."
OOC: Just to clear up some unintentional confusion, there are no flying orcs lol. I meant that the small tracks ended in the cemetery, not the orc footprints.
The doll is ragged from frequent use, but doesn't appear to be more than a few years old.
Voices from the smokehouse interrupt your investigation, and when you return, you see that Roccar, Jarl, and Old Poe have arrived with a dozen warriors and several old women.
The women immediately set to caring for the bodies, and Roccar speaks with Thane.
"We realized our mistake as soon as my Reavers said there had been no sign of orcs yester--"
"Where is Lucia? Please, tell me she lives!" Jarl interrupts. Thane glowers at him wordlessly, before turning to you. "I found Arugg and Jur's burnt bodies in the longhouse. They made their last stand there. Did you find any sign of the girls?"
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
"Footprints, Thane, that led to your mother's grave...and a doll." Elrik gestures toward Hox, who holds the doll. "I wish we had more to report."
Hox doesn't say anything as he sets the doll before Thane, not wanting to touch or talk to the grieving man. He sits down and waits, sort of knowing he can't offer any reconciliation to these people he barely know. He can't even remember what the children looked like as he was always planning to escape.
OOC: I was trying to roleplay high INT, low WIS with the logical step "steps end, they must have gone up"
"Mindless slaughter is a trademark of orc tatics. This cloak and dagger speaks of something else. Either a smarter chieftain has arose or some other power is using these orcs. Who would benefit from this chaos in your clans?"
With Jarl's outburst a deep frown appears on Volthero's face.
"Roccar where do these orcs live? We need to try and catch them before they escape our lands, I fear the orcs have taken captives. I do not know a purpose but i would stop it regardless."
Diana was really surprised, as the main goal of her mission seems to have ended before it began.
- Arugg died? You Sure? - her voice shakes a bit.
The question was rhetorical in all sense. She knew the answer.
* The authorities won't be happy, but I need to report it, until then.. stay with a group.
Diana looks out of the picture for a moment. She took a flute and performed a sad tune.
Perfomance: 17
* I hope they don't punish me too hard..
Thane takes the doll from Hox gentler than one would expect from the stoic man. "This is Abby's favorite doll," he says. Composing himself, he speaks to the group. "I am joining Roccar and his Reavers to give chase, as soon as the bodies have been tended to. I have seen enough to know that you all would not slow us down. Come with us, and you will be richly rewarded, and your service to Arugg will be honored. And you, kobold, will be freed."
Volthero says:
"That is my fear as well," Roccar responds, "These orcs migrate. We don't know where they are headed, but they made no attempt to hide their tracks. We will follow."
Diana says:
"The body was burnt, but not badly enough to be uncertain. My brother died trying to protect his son, but he failed. Jur's body was right next to his."
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
"This dwarf is with you, Thane. And my axe will show no mercy."
Elrik makes eye contact with Diana, Fargim, Volthero, and Hox--four souls that he doesn't know all that well, and four souls with which he hasn't had much in common. Until, hopefully, now, as they labor and fight to achieve a common end.
Elrik chuckles and says, "A half-elf...a gnome...a hobgoblin...a kobold...and a dwarf. What orc wouldn't be afraid of facing such an unusual alliance?"
Hox nods, "Hox still wants gold and be free. So Hox will listen to scary clan men." He points to the tracks he found before, "And we follow all those tracks? There many ways they leave."
"A half-elf, a giant, a hobgoblin, a kobold and a dwarf" corrects Fargim and starts following the tracks. After a few steps he looks back, looks down at the tracks, remembers the dead and decides to let everyone else go first.
Deluded for a moment, Diana found a reason to follow this circus of freaks.
- I heard an orc hunting season is open? When do we start?
The reason is simple and clear. These orcs have taken something from her, now she will take their lives.
Elrik, mischeviously, "How good it will be to have a bard with us. We'll need someone who can write songs about this little adventure, right?"
One hour later, Roccar recites a formal prayer over three graves: Arugg, Marrona and Jur, freshly buried alongside Thane's mother's grave. Thane raises his hood. "There is no time for praying," he angrily states and walks over to his horse, mounting up. Roccar rapidly finishes, and mounts up with the rest of the party, taking the lead alongside Old Poe and Jarl. The orcs made little attempt to hide their tracks; after splitting off in multiple directions, they quickly regrouped and moved in the same direction.
The party rides for hours in terse silence. Eventually, the party finds an orc buried beneath a large flat stone. "Mark one more for your brother, Thane," Roccar says. Thane suddenly pulls his longbow off his back and shoots an arrow into the dead orc's eye.
"We must be getting closer," Roccar says, "We need a plan. Thane, if we go charging in, they'll kill those girls. We take out their worgs quietly; they'll talk ransom once they're on foot."
Thane spits, "You can't be serious. Longhunt worgs are bred to resist poison and walk through flame. Going in that cautious is a death wish."
The discussion grows more heated, until Roccar shouts and remounts his horse, "This is rescue, not revenge, Thane, and I lead!".
OOC: This is the 2nd instance of this adventure's unique social encounters, where each character must state how they feel. How does each character respond in this discussion, either in first or third person?
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
"The orcs have us outnumbered," states Elrik. "Especially with their foul worgs. A straight fight, blade against blade, is one the orcs will win. Surprise and deception could serve us well. I imagine Hox, Volthero, Fargim, and Diana could create all manner of confusion in the orc camp before the rest of us fall upon them with our steel."