(I will post tonight, takign my NEW pc in to be fixed... yes, seriously)

Artys nods, saying I assure you I take no pleasure in abandoning this current endeavor but my family's safety is my current priority, a events are such that I must leave to ensure their immediate safety. However your mission is important to all the realm, and so I will try to forward anything tjat may be of use to you as soon as possible.

Claire remains quiet during the exchange, and silently nods to bid them a non-verbal farewell while she tugs at her cloak anxiously, only finding her voice at the last possible moment.  "Safe travels Artys... Ayed.  I hope we'll meet again."

Torsus, once hearing that one would be leaving, chuffed and huffed a few times before shrugging. He considered the situation and though it would make it harder for the group overall, in the end ... You must do what you have to do. You have already provided us with a decent amount of aid as it is, and we cannot force you to do more. That, and we have our own priorities, and while grabbing the gold coin as the walls collapse around someone may be theirs, abandoning the coin and fleeing while it crumbles is the priority of some... he paused a moment, and realized that his statement may sound like an insinuation instead of.. Ah I mean it as only a metaphor to emphasize my point. We all value different things in different strenghts. Take care. And I'm sure that you will hear much of our tales!

With your goodies done you all split ways with Aeyd and Artys. You begin your trek north once again following the long road to Everlund. Two days into your journey and the road cuts right through a hill range, making the journey much more tiring than the realively flat and winding road before it. On the third day of your journey around mid day, as you are heading around one of the larger hills in the area, you come across the sight of what appears to be a recent battle. Before you lie the corpses of 3 frost giants and about 9 humans covered in furs and leathers, their arms and chests inked with primitive looking tattoos.

"I can't tell if its just our fortune or some other nonsense at work. But either way, it looks as if the local wilden folk didn't take too kindly to the giants... and vice versa." Narz commented as he diverted his mount's course as necessary to begin approaching the field of skirmish. As per usual precautions as well, he pulls out and sends Spaz up at least 60ft in the air to keep an eye on the surroundings as he sought to investigate things. 

"I know what'cha'll prolly wanna say Torsus. But every opportunity to maybe learn just that tid bit more about our main business can't hurt to do while we're at it. And who knows. Maybe we'll get lucky. Maybe you can take a bit of'em giants to claim some reward in whatever settlement or city might come across next." He chuckled, but its clear in tone that his heart wasn't fully in it. Although it would be the first time in the past few days that his mood at least showed a semblance of brightness, as whatever 'change' that had started with his voice spread through the rest of him. His skin now was more of a bright, cherry red, his ears became more pointed, and some of his skills at arms seemed to have atrophied during the times in which he'd usually spend to practice and maintain them in the first place. 

If inspected by the others, nothing life threatening at least seemed to be happening. And if asked pointedly on the subject, he would've tried to put off answering for a day, citing a need to further figure it out himself. But eventually he'd come clean and make mention of a rare 'malady' that at times befell his people, causing them to "regress" to some fey touched state.  Beyond that, he had no more answers; only the certainty that he wouldn't die or become impaired, but rather be able to rekindle some ancestral magic within himself. In time. 

Regardless, in the present time, Narz would start his examinations of the field trying to look at some of the tattoos on the humans and try to discern or recall any noteable information.

History: 21. 

Torsus seemed confused at Narz' assumption. His face showing as much as the orc-kin prattled on about it as though Torsus would be against examining the area. I am quite afraid I do not understand what you mean Narz. I am more than willing to examine such a thing. However, I doubt giants body parts would sell for much.... though I could be wrong...  he said ponderously. as he moved towards the smaller humanoids, to examine their tattoo's ... trying to recall anything he may have learned about them in the past, though unlike Narz, Torsus' mind travels to the arcane nature rather than the historical. However, he opens his mind... ever so slightly to one of his 'masters' to aid his memory...

Arcana +  Guidance: 19 + 3

Sharing whatever he noticed... if anything with the others before beginning to check the dead for valuables .. trinkets.. or anything otherwise noteworthy, even if it might simply be some tribal insignia. Torsus had noticed the change.. probably more than anyone else but... as far as he was concerned... so long as it didn't seem a threat to Torsus himself, or otherwise a hinderance, he would simply allow it to continue until it became an 'issue' .. if it became an issue.

And unless stopped, he would do similarly to the giants.... checking for markings, trinkets, anything that wasn't simply clothes on their backs. After which.... Torsus would examine the area around the battlefield, attempting to discern where the Giants had come from.... he considered also trying to do the same for the cro-magnums but decided that would likely just lead to delays... And once more his mind opened to the other master if only a sliver, asking for guidance...

Investigation? + Guidance: 9 + 3 (If perception, just subract 1 from the toal)

Narz, judging from the tribal tattoos and manner of dress you're able to determine that these humans are Uthgardt Barbarians, specifically park of the Tribe of the Elk. You've read a bit about the Uthgardt people their tribes are scattered throughout the North. 

The Uthgardt are a black-haired and blue eyed people, large, hale, territorial folk who don’t trust outsiders. Few Uthgardt are willing to trade with non-Uthgardt settlements. Many are raiders who pillage and destroy any caravan or homestead they come across.

Uthgardt barbarians take their name from Uthgar Gardolfsson, a great hero-chief who battled giants and conquered much of the North before ascending to godhood. In addition to revering Uthgar, each tribe venerates a totem animal spirit after which the tribe is named.

Uthgardt speak their own language called Bothii, which has no alphabet. Each tribe is made up of several widely scattered clans, each with its own chieftain and tribal shaman. The chieftains of a particular tribe choose one among them to become the great chief of the tribe, with power comparable to a monarch. Uthgardts fear magic to the point of trying to kill and dismember any spell caster they meet, the only exception being their tribal shamans whose magic is supposedly comes from their ancestors spirits. You're also aware that Uthgardts hold Orcs and Giants on particular contempt among their many enemies though you know should you meet them they are unlikely to greet goblinkin with anything less than an axe.

As for this tribe specifically, you know the elk tribe are known to wander around the hills south and north of Yartar and around the Evermorees. You suspect you're probably just reading the souther edge of their territory. 

Torsus, unfortunately there's  almost nothing arcane in nature here for you to examine and your knowledge of barbarian tribes is limited to the fact that they are generally unwelcoming and fearful of magic in general. As for loot, you find little beyond weapons on the barbarians and primitive jewelery. Any symbols of their tribe seem to be tattood on their skin. The furs and horned helms they wear are significantly damaged and not worth much to anyone. The giants however seem to be more worth your attention. You find 300 gold between them, a 50ft coil of hemp rope, and curiously enough a live pig in one of their bags.

Torsus splits the gold found between everyone (3 people?) placing the rope within his sack, and then, after some consideration... he looked to the party Shall we slay the pig? We're too far away for it to be from the town we came from, most likely its from the ... barbarians here. And it'll be a good source of tasty food for the next few days. Regardless, I shall bow to the will of the group. My vote it to kill and prepare it though. It seems that the giants came from the north-west (as per discord) And as our task is to find these creatures... perhaps we should seek out their lair, cavern, village... whatever it may be.

(OOC: Three indeed!)

"Hmm... It would be a waste." Narz comments while his Worg eyed the pig with a hungry gaze. "But no. If we're to continue on our way, be it to try 'n find these giant domicile or onward to the next city -- Yartar, if'n I recall right, best we be on our way far sooner than what it would take to properly tend to the pig." He said. "That is, least we run into more tribesman. Who I might add, won't need much encouragement to attack us while I'm along with ya." He further explain, before furrowing his brows and combing his beard in thought.

"... No. Way I see it, we aught be moving on our way to Yartar, 'n quick like at that. Much as I'm tempted -- and I AM sorely tempted mind you, BUT I ain't exactly prepared today to extract the sorta information we'd need from'em when they inevitably become hostile. Which I might add, any living frosty we might run into are all too likely... except that Harshnag we're looking for." At which point, Narz looks to Claire. "Seems you're the deciding vote on this one. We scoot'n along or we trying our luck all the same. 'cause maybe if nothing else there'll be more loot to scoop up if those three giants lived alone."

Claire shows some concern for Narz’s condition and press him for details- perhaps to an annoying extent at first, until he’s able to convince her it’s natural and mostly harmless.  Her concern seems to be stemming from the loss of Rollo, which she doesn’t seem to be quite ‘over.’

While Torsus and Narz poke around the battlefield, Claire wanders around being less that useful until the group gathers to discuss.  After the other two each speak their piece, she considers.

”I agree we should move along sooner rather than later.  The tribes seem unlikely to help us unless we had some kind of bargaining clip, but I doubt something like ‘protection from the giants’ would fly with them.  That being said, if we could learn where the giant’s den is quickly, it may be worth looking into. I can use a spell to speak with the pig and see if it knows anything useful.  After that, if it seems worth our time we can check it out, and if the pig isn’t helpful…”  Claire gestures to Torsus, implying his suggestion to eat the pig. “… and then we move along.”

Narz looks from the pig to Claire and raises a brow. However, as it clicked that she meant to use magic -- just as Torsus might in hindsight due to swiftly slay and prepare the pig perhaps afterwards -- the hobgoblin still furrowed his brows in further consideration, before smirking and nodding in agreement. "A fair enough compromise, if nothing else. So very well. I will spare a bit of my reserves to summon some hawks to survey the greater area in the meantime, as well as try to follow the trail Torsus picked up." 

Narz pulled out his focus, and begun the process of weaving lesser threads of the weave into a spell. But as he did so he adds, "A few minutes. No more or less shall we tarry here regardless of our collective findings." He asserts absently as he soon a trio of hawk appear flying just above him. And with but a thought, they all fly off their separate ways for th emost part: One for further up the road, another to the south, and the last one following the trail, and the last one generally circles a wider perimeter of the immediate area, ready to warn Narz if it should spot approaching barbarians or giants. 

[Spending a third level to cast Flock of Familiars, summoning (celestial)hawks. 

Giant Trail Searching Hawk - Perception: 21. 
(if survival, ignore the 2nd roll and subtract only a 2 from the roll)

Road Hawk - Perception: 24. 

Perimeter Hawk - Perception: 16. 

(OOC: The spell is Flock of Familiars.)

The trio of familiars fan out to search the immediate area for any threats or points of interest. The hawk tracking the giants finds the remains of a small giant camp about 3 miles to the North West. The hawk traveling along the road finds little of interest as the road seems safe enough to travel through it seems that any travelers are avoiding it given the lack of traffic. Your final hawk spots a camp fire off to the east, approximately 5 or so miles away. It seems to be a camp of humans set in the hills.

(Dealign with housing issue. Will try to post tonight. Sory. Also Ayu look at discord. )

Narz relays as much almost absently to the group. All of which save about the camp itself. That one he would hold his tongue on for a little longer least he demoralize and distract from Claire's interrogation of the pig. As curiosity had its grip on him well and true. "If you could confirm with uh... sir bacon their numbers and mayhaps see for how long it had been kept by the giants, all the better." He requests as well, smirking a bit midway at the conferred title for the pig. 

Claire casts Speak with Animals and does her best to communicate with pig, adopting the speaking pattern she picked up from the lizardmen.  "How long big men have you?  How many big men took you?" she asks.

(Waitign for resolution of claires pigterrogation)

Don't belittle my intelligence, the pig says in an elegant sounding voice. I may have been pignapped but I still have my pride dammit! The pig snorts and stomps one of its feet. Anyway there were three of these blue skinned bastards. Came and crushed our homemade, and our human. Ate the others the dreadful beasts but it seems they got their comeuppance eh?

As Torsus doesn't have any clue what the pig is saying (unless it's speaking common?) He mills about, not quite sure what to do in the meantime. Maye he could speak to the pigs mind but he'd never thought to try using it on an animal as he wasn't sure if it would translate over or not... Well Narz, I highly doubt a pig has a concept of numbers.... It likely can only distinguish that there are no things trying to harm it, one thing trying to harm it or more than one thing trying to harm it. It likely can barely form a thought that isn't "Ooh, food" or somesuch. he said not-dismissively, though he did chuckle at the thought. 

(Gotta be clearer on which camp you didnt mention narz :P since there's two!)