Jasper and Kayassa: Inspecting the goblin bodies, the seem to be very very dead. In addition, it seems that they have nothing of value on their person. 

Thrax: Investigating the dead horses, you are able to surmise that they have been dead for around a day (Healing/Lay On hands wouldn’t be able to save them now). One more thing that catches your eye, is that upon closer inspection, it looks like these animals seem to be the very horses Sildar and Gundren had rode ahead to Phandalin on just days ago. 

Ryzen: “Justified,” drawls Gerizon as he slowly recedes to your subconscious.

Please make a survival check.  

"That went quickly," Orro says to himself, looking at his companions, impressed.

He also will help investigate the horses and the goblins. He looks into the trees, peering about for any other foes or watchers, and also will look for anything nearby -- a camp, a fort, a trail of any kind. Survival: 13

Investigation: 13

Ryzen and Orro: Through your combined efforts investigating the surrounding thickets, you come to the realization that this area has been used many times by the goblins as an ambush site. Additionally, hidden on the north end of the thicket, there seems to be a second trail leading northwest. The tracks of a dozens so goblins line this path along with what seems to be the marks of two human-sized figures being hauled down the trail.

-kinda disappointed, Jasper searched for the dagger he threw, before dusting himself off, giving Kayassa a small informal bow before  walking over to join Orro and Ryzen-

Kayassa pouts and kicks at the dirt before she goes back to the wagon to retrieve her bagpipes. She sets it on her back but stops in the middle of starting to play to see what the others are doing. "What are you looking at?

"Isn't the first time they've done this. And look, over there, those two paths through the undergrowth. Seems about what you'd leave behind if you dragged two people. Wonder who they were." Orro looks off into the forest.

Survival: 9

Thrax retrieves the javelins he threw at the goblins, then rejoins the group. "The horses are a day or so gone," he says to them. "And they belonged to Gundren and his guard. Should we continue on to Phandalin with the cart, or do a quick search for them?"

Ryzen hurries back to the group. He approaches the wagon and lookalike He is about to says something, but he pauses when Thrax speaks. After Thrax speaks, he looks thoughtful for a moment before he says, "Orro and I scouted out the area the goblins came from. We found a trail that leads away that looks to have two sets of boots being dragged in the dirt by goblins. If these are their horses, then they must have been taken hostage." He looks off in this distance towards the trail and says quietly almost to himself as an afterthought, " I hope they aren't dead. "

“There’s no one to deliver this cart to if Gundren’s captive in these woods. We have to go find him. Should we get the cart off the road and camouflaged while we retrieve him?“

Orro gets his things ready for a long trek.

(OOC: I think that we can, in nearly all scenarios, assume that Orro is using guidance for skill checks, so it’s fine by me for people to add a d4 to their rolls. As long as Orro would know about the attempt, and we’re not in combat.)

Kayassa nods, setting her bagpipes back into the cart. Once returning to the group she readies her staff, looking to the other to see what else they have to tell her about the attack. "So then we should try to find them. If they aren't where we need them to be then we won't get the gold you all seem to want so much."

"Gold? Yea, gold it is that binds us to this arrangement we all entered with Gundren. These horses, and the trail leading off, give us the impression that Gundren and his escort may have been waylaid and hauled away. I just want to voice this thought: we were retained to escort this cart to Phandalin. If we breach that contract, we may receive no compensation."

Thrax looks around at the group, then looks up to the sky, appearing to be listening to something. After a minute, he nods three times, and says under his breath, "I will comply."

"Gold is but a means to an end, and if Gundren's life is in danger, we should deliver him from that danger. Has anyone investigated what this cart carries? Perhaps we can carry the most valuable goods with us, so that we don't leave them to be carried off by any opportunists."

"And again, if Gundren is not in Phandalin, he cannot complete the contract either," Orro says to Thrax. "Someone might be able to find a path through trees to wherever they might be, but I don't trust trees, and I'd guess carts don't either. Good luck. I'll help hide it off the side of the road, but I'm walking after that."

The cleric begins to entice the oxen to turn off the road before the roadblock, toward the path the two humanoids were dragged. Once he gets the cart off the road a dozen or so yards, he'll look for vines or leafy branches or something similar to disguise it. 

(Fosforo, it seems we've picked a very similar color scheme for speech -- I'm happy to change mine if folks think it's too close.)

(I'll go to a new color; no prob)

"I do not break oaths frivolously, my good fellow," Thrax says to Orro. "But Gundren's life is what matters here. Let's get this wagon and poor beast off of the road and out of sight as best we can, and waste no more words."

Thrax takes a peak inside the wagon to see if he notices anything of obvious value: (Investigation 14)

"Gundren's family. Distantly related, but family. I'd be going to look for him even without the contract. Was trying to get the rest of the group on board." Orro finishes his work with the cart, ignoring what's inside, and tries to find the path the bodies were dragged.

-Jasper looked at each party member and sauntered over to help Orro with the task, stating "I'm not too picky what we do as long as long as none of us loose a limb or life along the way..", kneeling before continuing with "It's to the rest of ya," he offered, his accent weaker than the ride there-


(speaking off ^^" and i personally dont mind)


(so the above two posts didnt show up until after i sent this...ignore this one if it inturupts anything ^^")

Thrax: It doesn’t require too much investigating to see what the cart contains. The majority of its cargo is mining supplies and food, and according to your estimation, the value of everything seems to be around 100 gp. 

Orro: No need to make a check to hide the cart. Triboar Trail is not the busiest road, and the thickets in this areas are quite dense, making it easy to conceal the goods. (The trail with goblin tracks and the body marks is easy to find and seems to head northwest, leading out of the thickets on this area of the Triboar Trail.)

Once everybody has confirmed what they wish to do next, we can move on. 

"Well since I was told to find Gundren Rockseeker I guess that means we have no choice but to look for him." Kayassa agrees as she moves to shove her bagpipes back into the wagon before looking to the others once more. "So who should lead the way?"

Thrax stows some of the food from the wagon in his pack (2-days' worth - a warrior's gotta eat!), adjusts his belt and cloak, knocks on his helmet twice, and prepares to move out. 

He looks to Ryzen and Orro for further direction.

Orro nods to the others, giving out guidance as people attempt to do things, and begins walking slowly along the path. Eyes alert for any danger or curiosity. Likely goblins.