The Wildemount Irregulars (2020)

Magnum, you manage to find a trail of drag marks and footprints leading two hundred paces west, where you find the bodies of the travellers whose campfire this was.

Searching them, you find a few possessions worth very little, as well as 21 silver and 37 copper pieces.  Either they were very poor, or the half ogres already took what wealth they had.

There is a letter in a sealed envelope on one of the bodies, tucked into a jacket pocket, addressed to Aunt Annai but with no address.

Magnum reads the letter. 

The letter is clearly from a niece to her aunt, telling her about her news - how tall her children are, how well their business is doing - she and her partner offer tourists tours of the Nicodranas harbour by boat.  She talk of her hopes for expanding both the business and her family, and says she's sorry she won't get a change to visit her aunt in Felderwin this year, but maybe next year.  You get a few names but no surnames.

Are any of the bodies female? 

Two bodies appear male, two appear female.

In which one’s pocket was the letter?

After cleaning the half-ogre blood off his blade, Silent will catch up with Magnum near the corpses of the travelers. 

Find anything? 

Just some coin and a letter. It was sealed, so probably still to be delivered. If we get the chance in Felderwin I may try to locate the intended recipient. Twenty one silver and thirty seven copper. I’d like to bury them properly, if you’ll help.

Silent nods and will start digging using his hands, possibly using the flat edge of his handaxe as a makeshift spade. 

(OOC: Forgot to ask earlier, would Silent have been able to salvage his javelin from the dead half-ogre?) 

It takes a long time to dig a hole without a proper tool, and it's tiring work.  But with Magnum's help (Solro does not volunteer to help) you are able to give them a decent burial. 

You can always recover a javelin unless there's a specific reason not to.  

Depending on how late in the day it is, Silent may suggest camping here. If there are still a few hours of daylight remaining he will ask Magnum if he wants to press onward. 

Magnum agrees.

You resume your journey.

What made you get involved?  Solro asks curiously.   It seemed an obvious opportunity for an ambush.  Did you seek conflict?

If you walk into an ambush ready to get ambushed, is it still an ambush? He squints his eyes and scratches his beard. Wait... think I confused myself with that one. Eh, I dunno, my feet move before my head most o' the time. 

Ignoring and moving on was an option, but let's just say that ignoring things hasn't always worked out for us.

I see, Solro says.  And then... No, actually, I don't see at all.  I think it was foolish, but I suppose it's rude of me to tell you your business, so I apologise.  I just felt the need to say that.  I am however glad that you did not give me any foolish responses that involved heroism.  A foolish notion, in my view.  He looks interested to hear your responses.

I had a chance to be a hero back in Nicodranas. Slaughter an army of sea-monsters and save the Coast, doesn't get much more heroic. I ran away from that fight because I was scared, and because I stopped believing in it. 

Not sure if I believe in heroes anymore either. But I believe in people trying to make the best of a bad lot, and some of 'em find ways to help others while they're at it. I reckon that's worth doing. 

Perhaps, Solro replies, and he does not continue the conversation as you go on.

You now have a journey of around three days to reach Trostenwald.  Is there anything you'd like to do on the way?

Can you also please both give me Perception checks?

2 4 20  

Silent will be attempting to hunt for food each day along the road (in case that calls for a Survival check, 21 )

Perception 5 

Perception - 7.