"We have this from Ms. Thornton of the Miners Exchange" TT hands the note to Elmar. "I know its for 4 nights but I'm not sure if we will use them all in a row. Can they be split?"
"Also, we seem to have some gear that we don't seem to need anymore. Do you buy as well as sell?"
"We have this from Ms. Thornton of the Miners Exchange" TT hands the note to Elmar. "I know its for 4 nights but I'm not sure if we will use them all in a row. Can they be split?"
"Also, we seem to have some gear that we don't seem to need anymore. Do you buy as well as sell?"
He takes the writ and hollers, "M'aiq! When you and Thistle get that stock squared away, come stall these mules and stow the cart." He then turns to TT, "Yes, you absolutely can split up use and I do buy and sell. I have a shipment from Neverwinter too that should arrive any day. Now, though, honestly, I have a wounded fellow at the house and I'm a bit worried there may be in more trouble than this dragon talk. Come on into the store."
"Yes indeed Blaire!" TT follows Elmar into the store. "The town master said you were caring for a stranger that wondered into town injured. We've come by to check on and speak with him as well. Has he said anything to you about what happened to him?"
Ikki pauses outside the blacksmith to greet — however slightly downtrodden due to his recent conversation with Wolfsong — Jed and his family. He doesn't stay long, however, as he is interested in hearing the wounded man's tale.
Barthen looks down at TT, "Oh, Wester sent you about that? Makes sense. Well, we can settle up business afterward, come on with me. My home is across the yard."
And he leads you out a backdoor, across the ground and into his house.
It's a large one floor, one room studio style.
There's a middle aged man propped up in a bed. A stout short - maybe five foot - female half-elf with dirty blond hair pulled back in a braid wearing a long, off white tunic, light brown pants and high brown boots is tending to him and looks up hastily as you walk in.
"Hey, Sarah, thanks for helping. These folks, the Townmaster sent to help."
Addressing the man, Barthen says, "You up to fill us all in? Sorry, I know you need rest."
Sarah rings a rag out in a basin next to the bed. "He's only been awake a wee bit. Got some broth in him."
"Weston, my ... my name's, Weston. How, how long had I been here?", the man, Weston starts. He's bandaged heavily with large bruises everywhere on his arm, torso, face and shoulders. He has dark brown hair and a couple weeks scruff of a beard.
"We found you about a day and a half ago.", Sarah says.
Wolfsong nods at Ikki's answer and followed his gaze to to his far off home it brought memories of Wolfsong's tribe far to the northeast. Wolfsong takes note on the similarities between himself and Ikki but also the differences, while Ikki seemed sullen about having leaving Wolfsong had been far happy to leave his tribe to enjoy the hunt in other area of the realm.
Once the group reaches the house where the wounded man was Wolfsong keeps a little back so as not to crowd around the man but keeps his ears open to learn the man, Weston's, story
Robwinfinishes setting his alarm spell on on the cart just as Rinn and the shop-hands finish hauling the crates and such.
As the boys approach the cart and take it to be stalled, Robwin is initially pleased with the small tinkling alarm that triggers in his mind every time one of them touches it or climbs aboard. But it quickly gets annoying, going off every few seconds until the cart is safely stalled away and they eventually leave it alone.
Robwin then walks with Rinn through the store and across to Barthen's house to catch up with Wolfsong and the others around the injured man. On the way across with Rinn, though, Robwin will asks him "You know those kids? And the town?... Everyone here seems pretty kind... ... I hope we can help protect them, and all this, against the dragon!".
When they reach the house, Robwin listens from the back of the group as the man, Weston, explains what happened to him...
"I'm, I'm a bit of a seasonal had at Butterskull Ranch. I basically help make extra butter skulls, mend fence, do other odd chores. I'm not a fighter."
He pauses for a half a minute, takes a sip of water Sarah presents him then starts again.
"I was mending the south fence when the attacked. It was all loud bellows and animals screaming. I saw one cut out heading my way and I ran. I hit the forest line and kept running. I passed out at some point. When I came to I was so cold and I didn't know which way I was. I wandered until I found a clearing then I figured which way was east and headed for the road or the foothills whichever i found first. I walked until I passed out then I started again. I stumbled onto the road eventually. I don't remember that part. I was picking up by a wagon, ox drawn, heading to Phandalin."
He pauses again. This time everyone notices Barthen drag his hand down his face though he remains quite. Weston is staring at his hands. Barthen, Sarah, Eli, Robwin, and TT put together that Weston's rescuers and the delivery Barthen was asking Ander about are the same wagon. Wolfsong and Ikki hadn't heard that particular exchange and Blaire isn't quite as quick with logical connections as her companions.
Weston continues after another sip from Sarah, "The folks cleaned me up, fed me, said we would report everything once we got here. I was exhausted and apparently went much farther south than I thought I had. I traveled with the wagon, mostly sleeping, constantly seeing that tremendous brute speeding toward me, there was an incident with a small flock of blood hawks, one of the wagon guards called them, never heard of them, nasty creatures, the fellow kept saying they're too far south. Then one of them said we were probably a couple days from here and I should walk a bit along the wagon and I was out an walking. The horses in the front started screaming and there were arrows flying in from the trees. I saw one horse fall ontop the dwarf who had been managing it and the ox were bulking. The driver was hit from both sides and crumpled into the rigging. The guards were shouting, two grabbed me and started running. One saying goblins. We were chased. One the guards broke back, ment to hold 'm off. I don't think they lasted long I don't know. We were hit with arrows and there was a rush of wind and I kept running."
Sarah puts her hand on Weston's, "It's alright, Weston. You made it here. You survived to warn us. We'll get people out to deal with all this."
Barthen says, "She's right. Rest up. Sarah, I will send Thistle in a couple hours." Sarah nods.
Barthen gestures for the group to follow him out of the house.
Once away from the house, about halfway between it and the store, he stops. "Well looks like there are goblin on the road and orc at the ranch. I have no idea if they're the same group or not. Sounds like we have a lot of northern troubles coming down the mountain. If you're interested in helping, I'll throw in ten gold each of you for recovering my wagon and any news of the compliment that was with it and the same again for news of Big Al."
Once the party settles between the house and the shop, no doubt everyone will have observations and questions. At an appropriate moment, Robin will chip in and ask "How far is it, would you say, to where your wagon was ambushed,... and how far to Butterskull Ranch?... ...Are they in the same direction?".
At the same time (and rather distractingly to some), Robwin is unconsciously moving is hands and fingers: tracing invisible lines in the air like he's conducting a tiny invisible orchestra. He does this when he's nervous or concerned, feeling for the magical weave around him almost like a security blanket, and simultaneously rehearsing some of the somatic components to various protective magics ((TT would have seen this before from their days on the road together, as would some of the others (maybe) following the dragon attack)).
Rinn nods, an unusual solemn look on his face after hearing the injured man's story. "Maybe the dragon is forcing all these creatures away from their homes? Stupid dragon. We should go as soon as we can to find out what's happening at the ranch. There might be more survivors!"
The longer Weston tells his tale, the more Ikki's wings slowly move to encircle his body like a protective shell.
Outside, the birdman pipes up, "Orcs dangerous. Steal our eggs. But we fight." His neck and shoulder feathers ruffle as he clicks his beak threateningly. "Let us go!"
Eli says, "Hey, I agree with Ikki. Just let Blaire and I grab our packs from the cart. I don't think we'll want it with us for this. What do you think TT?"
He's listening for an answer but heading to the shop with Blaire in tow.
"Then we should make haste," Wolfsong says with a small nod. "But Rinn is right, so long as that dragon is around it will keep pushing other out of their normal grounds. We need to ready ourselves for that hunt or events like this will keep occurring."
“Yes, we should travel quick and light”, agrees Robwin. “We may need to sneak off-road, or follow a trail... Make sure you have everything you need with you”.
Then turning to Barthen, he asks “How long will it take to get to the wagon-ambush site? And the Ranch?”.
Then Robwin checks his gear, and is ready to head out...
Barthen replies to Robwin as they're all moving through the shop and collecting their gear, "Following the Triboar Trail 👣 to the crossroad is going to take half a day. If they were a day or so out from town, you'd take the road southwest to find them or what's left. The ranch is some sixty miles from here in the opposite direction, the northeastern branch. I won't lie, the town 'll be hurt'n either way if we can't get something done."
He's wringing his hands a bit, "I thought those damn ruffians were our biggest concern to be honest, but if you don't show or if the goblins or Orcs or one of the flying devils shows up, maybe Wester, Graywind, Thornton, Edermath, Stonhull and I can talk them round to ACTUALLY providing the town some protection."
He shakes his head, "Just go; do what ya think is best. Gods be with ya."
"Thistle, go relieve Sarah. Tell her to stop here before she heads anywhere."
"M'aiq, go tell Thornton we need to talk and it's important. Give her every detail you have. I know you hear more than most an she actually listens to you without a business deal."
"Ander, get as much done as you can. Your going to be shorthanded a bit. I'll take the shop chores "
Everyone is moving to do whatnot as you all head out the trail.
"We have this from Ms. Thornton of the Miners Exchange" TT hands the note to Elmar. "I know its for 4 nights but I'm not sure if we will use them all in a row. Can they be split?"
"Also, we seem to have some gear that we don't seem to need anymore. Do you buy as well as sell?"
He takes the writ and hollers, "M'aiq! When you and Thistle get that stock squared away, come stall these mules and stow the cart." He then turns to TT, "Yes, you absolutely can split up use and I do buy and sell. I have a shipment from Neverwinter too that should arrive any day. Now, though, honestly, I have a wounded fellow at the house and I'm a bit worried there may be in more trouble than this dragon talk. Come on into the store."
"Yes indeed Blaire!" TT follows Elmar into the store. "The town master said you were caring for a stranger that wondered into town injured. We've come by to check on and speak with him as well. Has he said anything to you about what happened to him?"
Ikki pauses outside the blacksmith to greet — however slightly downtrodden due to his recent conversation with Wolfsong — Jed and his family. He doesn't stay long, however, as he is interested in hearing the wounded man's tale.
Barthen looks down at TT, "Oh, Wester sent you about that? Makes sense. Well, we can settle up business afterward, come on with me. My home is across the yard."
And he leads you out a backdoor, across the ground and into his house.
It's a large one floor, one room studio style.
There's a middle aged man propped up in a bed. A stout short - maybe five foot - female half-elf with dirty blond hair pulled back in a braid wearing a long, off white tunic, light brown pants and high brown boots is tending to him and looks up hastily as you walk in.
"Hey, Sarah, thanks for helping. These folks, the Townmaster sent to help."
Addressing the man, Barthen says, "You up to fill us all in? Sorry, I know you need rest."
Sarah rings a rag out in a basin next to the bed. "He's only been awake a wee bit. Got some broth in him."
"Weston, my ... my name's, Weston. How, how long had I been here?", the man, Weston starts. He's bandaged heavily with large bruises everywhere on his arm, torso, face and shoulders. He has dark brown hair and a couple weeks scruff of a beard.
"We found you about a day and a half ago.", Sarah says.
Wolfsong nods at Ikki's answer and followed his gaze to to his far off home it brought memories of Wolfsong's tribe far to the northeast. Wolfsong takes note on the similarities between himself and Ikki but also the differences, while Ikki seemed sullen about having leaving Wolfsong had been far happy to leave his tribe to enjoy the hunt in other area of the realm.
Once the group reaches the house where the wounded man was Wolfsong keeps a little back so as not to crowd around the man but keeps his ears open to learn the man, Weston's, story
Robwin finishes setting his alarm spell on on the cart just as Rinn and the shop-hands finish hauling the crates and such.
As the boys approach the cart and take it to be stalled, Robwin is initially pleased with the small tinkling alarm that triggers in his mind every time one of them touches it or climbs aboard. But it quickly gets annoying, going off every few seconds until the cart is safely stalled away and they eventually leave it alone.
Robwin then walks with Rinn through the store and across to Barthen's house to catch up with Wolfsong and the others around the injured man. On the way across with Rinn, though, Robwin will asks him "You know those kids? And the town?... Everyone here seems pretty kind... ... I hope we can help protect them, and all this, against the dragon!".
When they reach the house, Robwin listens from the back of the group as the man, Weston, explains what happened to him...
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
TT moves to the mans side and smiles down at him.
"I can help you feel better of youll allow me to.." and she holds her hand out waiting for him to respond
I will cast cure wounds if he allows it 8
"I'm, I'm a bit of a seasonal had at Butterskull Ranch. I basically help make extra butter skulls, mend fence, do other odd chores. I'm not a fighter."
He pauses for a half a minute, takes a sip of water Sarah presents him then starts again.
"I was mending the south fence when the attacked. It was all loud bellows and animals screaming. I saw one cut out heading my way and I ran. I hit the forest line and kept running. I passed out at some point. When I came to I was so cold and I didn't know which way I was. I wandered until I found a clearing then I figured which way was east and headed for the road or the foothills whichever i found first. I walked until I passed out then I started again. I stumbled onto the road eventually. I don't remember that part. I was picking up by a wagon, ox drawn, heading to Phandalin."
He pauses again. This time everyone notices Barthen drag his hand down his face though he remains quite. Weston is staring at his hands. Barthen, Sarah, Eli, Robwin, and TT put together that Weston's rescuers and the delivery Barthen was asking Ander about are the same wagon. Wolfsong and Ikki hadn't heard that particular exchange and Blaire isn't quite as quick with logical connections as her companions.
Weston continues after another sip from Sarah, "The folks cleaned me up, fed me, said we would report everything once we got here. I was exhausted and apparently went much farther south than I thought I had. I traveled with the wagon, mostly sleeping, constantly seeing that tremendous brute speeding toward me, there was an incident with a small flock of blood hawks, one of the wagon guards called them, never heard of them, nasty creatures, the fellow kept saying they're too far south. Then one of them said we were probably a couple days from here and I should walk a bit along the wagon and I was out an walking. The horses in the front started screaming and there were arrows flying in from the trees. I saw one horse fall ontop the dwarf who had been managing it and the ox were bulking. The driver was hit from both sides and crumpled into the rigging. The guards were shouting, two grabbed me and started running. One saying goblins. We were chased. One the guards broke back, ment to hold 'm off. I don't think they lasted long I don't know. We were hit with arrows and there was a rush of wind and I kept running."
Sarah puts her hand on Weston's, "It's alright, Weston. You made it here. You survived to warn us. We'll get people out to deal with all this."
Barthen says, "She's right. Rest up. Sarah, I will send Thistle in a couple hours." Sarah nods.
Barthen gestures for the group to follow him out of the house.
Once away from the house, about halfway between it and the store, he stops. "Well looks like there are goblin on the road and orc at the ranch. I have no idea if they're the same group or not. Sounds like we have a lot of northern troubles coming down the mountain. If you're interested in helping, I'll throw in ten gold each of you for recovering my wagon and any news of the compliment that was with it and the same again for news of Big Al."
Robwin is clearly concerned by Weston's tale.
Once the party settles between the house and the shop, no doubt everyone will have observations and questions. At an appropriate moment, Robin will chip in and ask "How far is it, would you say, to where your wagon was ambushed,... and how far to Butterskull Ranch?... ...Are they in the same direction?".
At the same time (and rather distractingly to some), Robwin is unconsciously moving is hands and fingers: tracing invisible lines in the air like he's conducting a tiny invisible orchestra. He does this when he's nervous or concerned, feeling for the magical weave around him almost like a security blanket, and simultaneously rehearsing some of the somatic components to various protective magics ((TT would have seen this before from their days on the road together, as would some of the others (maybe) following the dragon attack)).
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Following everyone out of the house
"There seems to be so much going on right now...Manticores and Dragons now Orcs and Goblins."
TT lets out an exasperated sigh. she shakes her head and immediately begins to smile again.
Rinn nods, an unusual solemn look on his face after hearing the injured man's story. "Maybe the dragon is forcing all these creatures away from their homes? Stupid dragon. We should go as soon as we can to find out what's happening at the ranch. There might be more survivors!"
The longer Weston tells his tale, the more Ikki's wings slowly move to encircle his body like a protective shell.
Outside, the birdman pipes up, "Orcs dangerous. Steal our eggs. But we fight." His neck and shoulder feathers ruffle as he clicks his beak threateningly. "Let us go!"
Eli says, "Hey, I agree with Ikki. Just let Blaire and I grab our packs from the cart. I don't think we'll want it with us for this. What do you think TT?"
He's listening for an answer but heading to the shop with Blaire in tow.
"Definitely wont need the cart. We need to travel light."
"Then we should make haste," Wolfsong says with a small nod. "But Rinn is right, so long as that dragon is around it will keep pushing other out of their normal grounds. We need to ready ourselves for that hunt or events like this will keep occurring."
“Yes, we should travel quick and light”, agrees Robwin. “We may need to sneak off-road, or follow a trail... Make sure you have everything you need with you”.
Then turning to Barthen, he asks “How long will it take to get to the wagon-ambush site? And the Ranch?”.
Then Robwin checks his gear, and is ready to head out...
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Barthen replies to Robwin as they're all moving through the shop and collecting their gear, "Following the Triboar Trail 👣 to the crossroad is going to take half a day. If they were a day or so out from town, you'd take the road southwest to find them or what's left. The ranch is some sixty miles from here in the opposite direction, the northeastern branch. I won't lie, the town 'll be hurt'n either way if we can't get something done."
He's wringing his hands a bit, "I thought those damn ruffians were our biggest concern to be honest, but if you don't show or if the goblins or Orcs or one of the flying devils shows up, maybe Wester, Graywind, Thornton, Edermath, Stonhull and I can talk them round to ACTUALLY providing the town some protection."
He shakes his head, "Just go; do what ya think is best. Gods be with ya."
"Thistle, go relieve Sarah. Tell her to stop here before she heads anywhere."
"M'aiq, go tell Thornton we need to talk and it's important. Give her every detail you have. I know you hear more than most an she actually listens to you without a business deal."
"Ander, get as much done as you can. Your going to be shorthanded a bit. I'll take the shop chores "
Everyone is moving to do whatnot as you all head out the trail.
TT asks Elmar. "Do you have any healing potions in stock?"