"I think we should rest a bit and consider how we might proceed," Xylys says. "I have not more heavy spells, heavy being used guardedly for one such as me and, since this scene is rather old, one night and a fresh start in the morning. Though I am not sure we should spend the night in these woods. Maybe back on the other side of the road a bit?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
Eric knows the coppiced woods on the far side of the High Way, having hunted small game and wrangled acorn-fed pigs there many times. He can think of at least two likely spend the night east of the roadway:
1
a pleasant dell he's used as a hunting camp several times. No much shelter, apart from a spreading oak, but soft grass and loam for a bed, and a tiny stream nearby.
2
the small cottage of Swithun the Charcoal Burner. Swithun is an queer old fellow, not well-liked in the village. He has the habit of talking to himself, or to ghosts in the smoke, some folk say. The man may not be pleased to see to so many uninvited guests, but then again, he has always been friendly to Eric.
"But this is barely noon and we did not check the other deer path!"Alyna was as tired as others and though wagon's "resting place" was filled with the smell of rotting flesh (not the most appetizing aroma) also felt a bit safer here than in the woods. "We can rest a bit and walk along that sought path, just as we did with the northern one. If nothing is found there as well (truly, he could leave his smoking pipe or something so others could find him!) then we return and camp near the road. On the other side, if you wish. How does it sound?"
She though about moon as a light mentioned by the pheasant but was not sure the bird meant that. Not that she often spoke with pheasants and understood them well, of course.
Alyna searched the most upwind point and sat their for the meal, calling others to join. "Shayne... Is your cat really a cat? I tried to talk to her but Fammy does not speak cat? And neither do you, I think."
((If your party rests an hour at the small clearing, eating some of your day's rations and sipping water, you may mark a short rest on your character sheets. ))
"Is my cat really a cat? This is what you ask me?" Shayne replies, laughter in his voice. "If my cat wasn't really a cat then why would you call her a cat in the first place? Fammy, I think she is making fun of you!"
Fammy turns at the sound of her name and cocks her head as if listening. She then turns to Alyna and gives a little cat sneeze and a shake of her head.
With another laugh, Shayne snaps his fingers and temporarily dismisses Fammy into their little pocket dimension. Shayne lets out an exaggerated gasp! "Where'd she go?" But with two quick snaps of his fingers her recalls Fammy from their little dimension and with a pop the cat is back with everyone else once more, only standing atop Alyna's head!
"Of course my cat is really a cat... but of course no cat of mine is merelya cat! Why that would be unseemly!" Shayne walks over to Alyna and assists in getting Fammy down off her head and into her arms. "Truthfully, Fammy is.... Fammy. She's a friend. Sometimes a partner in mischief... But a cat? Mmmmm, she's cat shaped? At least usually. Mainly. But as for speaking cat? Fammy speaks to me, or at least I can understand Fammy... not language exactly. It is... complicated."
"But hey, I am entirely on board with checking out the deer path if Eric is on board with it. We never really picked a leader or anything but I kind of feel when in one's area of expertise that perhaps we should follow their lead? But yeah, Xylys... I think a bit of a rest, perhaps then a stroll up the deer path, then hightailing it out of these woods before night... What say you, Eric?"
"Fine. Eat and rest. I'll keep an eye"and with that he walks to the edge of the clearing. To those that knew him, this was normal behaviour. To those that didn't, which was this entire group, his tone would most likely come across as harsh, if not rude.
He reaches inside his pack and produces a small piece of hard tack. A biscuit made of ground almond meal, animal fat and salt. Nothing fancy, but it has plenty of energy without making you feel gluttonous. Perfect for hunting. Or being hunted.
As he crunches on the biscuit he looks at the head of the southern deer trail to see if anything stands out.
Two huge oaks reach out to tangle in an arch over the trailhead, making the shadows there that much deeper in contrast to the afternoon light of the clearing.
Looking about for indications of danger, Eric sees deer tracks, some scat from a small beast, and a lady's slipper--he once got a mild rash as a boy, handling a similar flower carelessly. But he finds no obvious wolf-sign.
"Yikes!" Maybe disappearing Fammy was not a real cat, but her claws felt pretty real and "catty". Alyna waited for Shayne to free "cat's" paws from her hair and then added: "So, you are a magician of some sort. I should have guessed."
She did not interfere with the search - did not want to accidentally step over some tracks - and was not in a hurry to return to the woods. Lazy talk on the sun warmed hill was much more pleasant. Though... In the bright sun the woods did not look scary at all, but rather welcoming. Alyna realised, that she she even hopes for some obvious tracks and clues. After a while ((after short rest)) she gave up patience and asked directly: "Shall we take a closer look?"
"No. No magician at all. I know a few parlor tricks, maybe? But mainly I just weave a tale or whistle a tune or butcher a song... Any magic in Fammy is all her own, I assure you. And why she deigns to hang out with me, well nobody ever can figure out a cat. Can they?" Shayne answers...
Shayne all took the time to nibble on some provisions, which he shared with Fammy, and lay with his back against a tree to relax and recover some of the gusto that dealing with a giant bird and it's flock of normal, but angry brethren.
Once rested, and at the behest of Alyna, he leapt to his feet and says "But of course..."
Xylys will search along the trail for signs of interest, footprints, torn scraps of clothing. Anything that might indicate the miller had passed along the trail. Investigation. 18
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
Xylys will search along the trail for signs of interest, footprints, torn scraps of clothing. Anything that might indicate the miller had passed along the trail. Investigation. 18
He finds a fist-sized white rock with a blue spiral painted on it, near the fork in the trail, closer to the south end.
Xylys will search along the trail for signs of interest, footprints, torn scraps of clothing. Anything that might indicate the miller had passed along the trail. Investigation. 18
He finds a fist-sized white rock with a blue spiral painted on it, near the fork in the trail, closer to the south end.
"Hey, anybody seen the like of this before?" Pointing to the rock, Xylys softly calls out to the others, so as not to rouse any nearby 'things'.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
"Back in the city there was a widow that painted and sold rocks to make a little coin... Mainly bought by passers through or people who wanted to help her out without hurting her pride. But yeah, this does seem an odd location for such a thing," Shayne answers, looking around with renewed interest but not really moving to investigate anything. "Maybe dropped ages ago... Or you think perhaps a marker to indicate which path to take?"
While the party investigates the trail and some of its number discuss the painted stone, something scurries in the deep-shadowed leaf-litter and scanty weeds of the southern trail.
Eric notices this first.
((You may roll perception checks for any PC who finds this noise distracting or intriguing and turns his attention upon it.))
"I think we should rest a bit and consider how we might proceed," Xylys says. "I have not more heavy spells, heavy being used guardedly for one such as me and, since this scene is rather old, one night and a fresh start in the morning. Though I am not sure we should spend the night in these woods. Maybe back on the other side of the road a bit?"
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
Eric knows the coppiced woods on the far side of the High Way, having hunted small game and wrangled acorn-fed pigs there many times. He can think of at least two likely spend the night east of the roadway:
1
a pleasant dell he's used as a hunting camp several times. No much shelter, apart from a spreading oak, but soft grass and loam for a bed, and a tiny stream nearby.
2
the small cottage of Swithun the Charcoal Burner. Swithun is an queer old fellow, not well-liked in the village. He has the habit of talking to himself, or to ghosts in the smoke, some folk say. The man may not be pleased to see to so many uninvited guests, but then again, he has always been friendly to Eric.
"But this is barely noon and we did not check the other deer path!" Alyna was as tired as others and though wagon's "resting place" was filled with the smell of rotting flesh (not the most appetizing aroma) also felt a bit safer here than in the woods. "We can rest a bit and walk along that sought path, just as we did with the northern one. If nothing is found there as well (truly, he could leave his smoking pipe or something so others could find him!) then we return and camp near the road. On the other side, if you wish. How does it sound?"
She though about moon as a light mentioned by the pheasant but was not sure the bird meant that. Not that she often spoke with pheasants and understood them well, of course.
Alyna searched the most upwind point and sat their for the meal, calling others to join. "Shayne... Is your cat really a cat? I tried to talk to her but Fammy does not speak cat? And neither do you, I think."
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Fammy appears at the young man's feet, slipping out from some hiding place, and stares up at Alyna with a strange, knowing look in her eyes.
((If your party rests an hour at the small clearing, eating some of your day's rations and sipping water, you may mark a short rest on your character sheets. ))
"Is my cat really a cat? This is what you ask me?" Shayne replies, laughter in his voice. "If my cat wasn't really a cat then why would you call her a cat in the first place? Fammy, I think she is making fun of you!"
Fammy turns at the sound of her name and cocks her head as if listening. She then turns to Alyna and gives a little cat sneeze and a shake of her head.
With another laugh, Shayne snaps his fingers and temporarily dismisses Fammy into their little pocket dimension. Shayne lets out an exaggerated gasp! "Where'd she go?" But with two quick snaps of his fingers her recalls Fammy from their little dimension and with a pop the cat is back with everyone else once more, only standing atop Alyna's head!
"Of course my cat is really a cat... but of course no cat of mine is merely a cat! Why that would be unseemly!" Shayne walks over to Alyna and assists in getting Fammy down off her head and into her arms. "Truthfully, Fammy is.... Fammy. She's a friend. Sometimes a partner in mischief... But a cat? Mmmmm, she's cat shaped? At least usually. Mainly. But as for speaking cat? Fammy speaks to me, or at least I can understand Fammy... not language exactly. It is... complicated."
"But hey, I am entirely on board with checking out the deer path if Eric is on board with it. We never really picked a leader or anything but I kind of feel when in one's area of expertise that perhaps we should follow their lead? But yeah, Xylys... I think a bit of a rest, perhaps then a stroll up the deer path, then hightailing it out of these woods before night... What say you, Eric?"
"Fine. Eat and rest. I'll keep an eye" and with that he walks to the edge of the clearing. To those that knew him, this was normal behaviour. To those that didn't, which was this entire group, his tone would most likely come across as harsh, if not rude.
He reaches inside his pack and produces a small piece of hard tack. A biscuit made of ground almond meal, animal fat and salt. Nothing fancy, but it has plenty of energy without making you feel gluttonous. Perfect for hunting. Or being hunted.
As he crunches on the biscuit he looks at the head of the southern deer trail to see if anything stands out.
Survival 16
(Short rest HD 12
Two huge oaks reach out to tangle in an arch over the trailhead, making the shadows there that much deeper in contrast to the afternoon light of the clearing.
Looking about for indications of danger, Eric sees deer tracks, some scat from a small beast, and a lady's slipper--he once got a mild rash as a boy, handling a similar flower carelessly. But he finds no obvious wolf-sign.
"Yikes!" Maybe disappearing Fammy was not a real cat, but her claws felt pretty real and "catty". Alyna waited for Shayne to free "cat's" paws from her hair and then added: "So, you are a magician of some sort. I should have guessed."
She did not interfere with the search - did not want to accidentally step over some tracks - and was not in a hurry to return to the woods. Lazy talk on the sun warmed hill was much more pleasant. Though... In the bright sun the woods did not look scary at all, but rather welcoming. Alyna realised, that she she even hopes for some obvious tracks and clues. After a while ((after short rest)) she gave up patience and asked directly: "Shall we take a closer look?"
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
"No. No magician at all. I know a few parlor tricks, maybe? But mainly I just weave a tale or whistle a tune or butcher a song... Any magic in Fammy is all her own, I assure you. And why she deigns to hang out with me, well nobody ever can figure out a cat. Can they?" Shayne answers...
Shayne all took the time to nibble on some provisions, which he shared with Fammy, and lay with his back against a tree to relax and recover some of the gusto that dealing with a giant bird and it's flock of normal, but angry brethren.
Once rested, and at the behest of Alyna, he leapt to his feet and says "But of course..."
2
3
DOWN THE SOUTH TRAIL...
Walking in the cool shade of the tall trees, your party soon reaches a fork in the trail. One branch bends west and the other continues south.
Xylys will search along the trail for signs of interest, footprints, torn scraps of clothing. Anything that might indicate the miller had passed along the trail.
Investigation. 18
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
He finds a fist-sized white rock with a blue spiral painted on it, near the fork in the trail, closer to the south end.
"Hey, anybody seen the like of this before?" Pointing to the rock, Xylys softly calls out to the others, so as not to rouse any nearby 'things'.
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
"Back in the city there was a widow that painted and sold rocks to make a little coin... Mainly bought by passers through or people who wanted to help her out without hurting her pride. But yeah, this does seem an odd location for such a thing," Shayne answers, looking around with renewed interest but not really moving to investigate anything. "Maybe dropped ages ago... Or you think perhaps a marker to indicate which path to take?"
While the party investigates the trail and some of its number discuss the painted stone, something scurries in the deep-shadowed leaf-litter and scanty weeds of the southern trail.
Eric notices this first.
((You may roll perception checks for any PC who finds this noise distracting or intriguing and turns his attention upon it.))
"Shhhh." He shushes the group as their trampling of twigs and leaves seems to have disturbed a critter. He creeps towards the sound of the skittering.
Perception 2
((He happens to notice that the grass seems grassy. Even that may be beyond his skill with that roll))
Alyna was bout to comment on the idea of miller keeping the rock on him, when noticed the movement from the corner of her eye:
Perception: 21
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice