Again, he walks until he fears losing track of the time he's allotted for this exploration. The deer path runs on into the dim depths of the old growth forest, vanishing in a blur of brown and green. The party hears and occasionally sees small beasts and birds, but encounters no large creatures and no other humans.
Maybe another ten minutes would yield a clue, pass into a clearing, or...Who knows? But , leery of taking too long, Eric turns back for the fork.
From the fork, he leads the party back to the clearing and east toward the High Way.
The party emerges from the Darkling Wood and trudges up the flood-made ramp onto the High Way. The white paving stones gleam in the golden light of late afternoon. A cool breeze blows from the north, shaking the foliage growing near the road on either side.
A look at the sun shows maybe an hour of daylight left.
“Well we’ve answered the question of the missing Miller. We found the cart and the seed so he obviously made the deal and was heading back before befallen by bad luck... We should at least let the village know the money is gone and the seed gone to mold,” Shayne suggests. “I don’t know much about seed, but perhaps some might be salvageable?”
Shayne bent down to give Fammy a few scratches as the cat laced between his legs. “They’ll need as much time as possible to try to figure out what to do now that their last hope fell through... And perhaps raise proper search parties for the Miller now that we’ve at least an idea of his last whereabouts.”
"True to all. I wish we could take the wagon with us but at least we know where to find it. May be we do not need a safe house?Six miles is just a couple hours walk, we will be home just past the sunset."Adventure ended quite fast and Alyna was not sure yet if she is glad it did, or would prefer to stay out longer.
"Well, I suppose we should let the Elders know as soon as possible so they can, maybe, come up with a plan." Xylys seems a bit glum. "I don't mind dog-trotting to make sure we arrive before dark," he looks everyone over. "Seems we're all pretty fit so that should not be much of a strain, don't you think? Anyway, we can come back to investigate further tomorrow, early, unless of course, the Elders have something else for us to do."
Hustling , you make good time at first. But as the sun sinks low, the potholes and cracks in the road become harder to spot and some of you stumble now and again. A sprained ankle now could really slow your group down, unless the injured person is left behind to trail after the others....
The sun sets before the party reaches Rillford.
You aren't back home for long before a small crowd has gathered around you on the village green, with several boys holding rush lights, to hear your tale.
News of Werthan's uncertain fate, lost in the Darkling Wood, brings his wife and children to tears. The reported loss of the wheat seeds sets the assembly to grim mutterings about hunger this winter. Tired and worried, people soon begin drifting away toward their homes.
Mother Katerina, the village priestess, takes Alyna aside and says,
"We have all been praying for your success. Your party is the best Rillford has to send. None here track so well as Eric Whisperflower, and none else have got the sort of peculiar talents you and the two lads--yes, I know about Shayne and his cat-- possess. I do hope you haven't given up the search after only one day! Werthan is one of us, with or without grain or money."
She smiles and puts a reassuring hand on the younger woman's shoulder.
"It's late. Tonight we all must rest. There may be hard choices to make on the morrow."
“Of course we haven’t given up,” Shayne assured any and all who express concern. “But I must say, it doesn’t look good for the Miller. I just don’t believe he’d have abandoned the cart and not returned if he had a choice...”
Shayne will also discuss with the wife and anyone with horses about whether it is worthwhile to retrieve the cart or not. “For sure we could easily escort a couple guys and horses in to retrieve it, would be no trouble at all. If we are continuing the search it seems the place to continue from...”
later, at the tavern, Shayne would tell epic stories about the encounter with the giant bird and its flock of vicious henchlings...”Well sure, it was as large as this tavern, it was! With eyes that shown with the devils flames and feathers as silky black as old widow Willoughby’s heart!”
The deeds of each companion were destined in minute, albeit exaggerated, detail. The tracking skills and calmness under pressure of Eric, who led the group and assured they all worked as a team; the sly and subtly magics of Xylys - imagine such powers at the fingertips of one so young!; and the blessings of sweetness, kindness, and devotion displayed by Alyna in not only charming the savage bees and other fearsome creatures, but in saving yours truly from sure death! Each of them, every one a wonder. “And me lucky enough to travel in such company and witness it all so I could tell you all of the miraculous people you live amongst!”
But besides boosting, or perhaps creating, the reputation of his companions, Shayne has no particular tasks to perform this evening...
Fortunately Alyna did not hear Shaynes story (she was not used to any kind of praising and would not know how to react to this). It was very kind of him, though, to offer his help in further search. Though it seemed they did not have much choice on the matter anyway - mother Katarina said it herself, they are the best and village is counting on them.
The girl spent her evening in prayers to the Earthmother (un-answered, as always, but she did not expect much anyway). Her dreams, though, were very colorful and even if fey did not come, she saw the woods - not frightening, but welcoming, full of light and awakening after the winter's sleep life. At the morning Alyna was more sure in her desire to help with the search. She was in the Temple at the first light and anxiously waited for Mother Katarina to come and reveal, what did the elders decided.
Xylys joined Shayne at the inn, cheering as he wrought such a fine, and inflated retelling of their deeds. When asked by those watching the performance he simply says, "He's good, isn't he, wonderful story teller; he is going to make a name for himself far and wide, don't you think?"
After a reasonable number of beers, Xylys will slip off to get a good nights sleep, knowing that their trial will continue early in the morning and that he needed to be well rested.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
Mother Katerina enters the chapel and finds Alyna waiting.
"I've spoken with the Elders. They ask you to continue the search for Werthan the Miller. We cannot abandon one of our people in the Darkling Wood, and him a man whose wife is with child. Oderic the Ploughman and his sons will take you up the High Way with spare animals and go as far into the forest as the first clearing, to retrieve the mill-cart. After that, it will be up to you four to find Werthan if you can."
Alyna soon finds her companions at the north end of the village, also ready to go.
It's chilly this morning, and cloudy.
Oderic the Ploughman, a bluff, hearty fellow in his middle years, and his two teenage sons, lead two yellow oxen and a dun mare, the latter with a woolen blanket tied on in place of a saddle. "Alyna can ride the mare if she likes. "
The man and his sons have also brought food and water to replenish the party's provisions. They will happily take turns carry some of the group's gear so that the searchers can arrive in the Darkling Wood less fatigued than otherwise.
Before the group leaves, Mother Katerina blesses it and the quest in the name of the Earthmother as a small crowd looks on. Enthusiastic murmurs run through the gathering (Shayne overhears several references to his account of the group's adventures).
Werthan's wife, Ella, rushes up and kisses each one of you on both cheeks, pressing her hands into yours and tearfully wishing you all luck and safety.
The journey up the High Way, six or seven miles to the place where Werthan inexplicably turned off to the western woods, takes as long as it did yesterday- the oxen walk slowly-- but you arrive a bit fresher.
Oderic and his sons, cheerful and talkative along the route, suddenly fall silent as they lead the animals down the flood-made ramp. They cast uneasy glances into the shadows gathered thickly under the huge trees.
Eric leads the group through the woods to the clearing.
Things appear much as before, although rather less flesh remains on the dead oxen and the birds or other scavengers also appear to have also eaten more of the spoiled seeds.
No sign of the ravens or the Gorcrow, except black feathers on the ground.
Getting the ox-cart hitched takes several minutes of work, but Oderic and his sons waste no time. Soon they have the yoke affixed and the yellow oxen ready to move.
They say nothing on the walk back, but after hauling the millcart atop the High Way, the man and his sons call out wishes for your success. They then roll away, taking the mare with them on a lead rope.
The party ought to be able to hike to either the big meadow in the west or the forked trail in the south well and take a short rest before midday, if you should wish to continue exploring the trails you did not take or did not walk to an end.
1 head north from the small clearing and then follow the west-bending path for big meadow, where a couple of unexplored trails lead away into the forest
2 take the game trail south from the brambles and dead oxen small clearing, to the fork where you found two trails that you only partly explored
"Well, which way will it be? I'm afraid I can't offer any insight as to which trail is correct." says the woodsman. His night spent in thought of the days travel, he woke refreshed but in a sullen mood. Being unable to find the Miller in these woods held in his mind. Gareth had taught him to track and to do it well. Why couldn't he find even a single sign.
His mood only darkened when they arrived back at the fallen beasts of burden. He picks up a few raven feathers (particularly those of Gorcrow). Perhaps he could fletch those to a batch of arrows. That was for another time though, now he was determined to find the trail.
“We should have left the seed,” Shayne says absently as they leave with the cart. “We had told the birds that we would..,”
Shayne looks this way and that but sees no particular reason one way would be better than the other. “Werthen!” Shayne called out suddenly, loudly. “Mister Werthen!! Can you hear me?!?” And then paused to listen closely...
After a minute of no response, Shayne shrugs. “Was worth a shot, no? What about you alll? Any bright ideas? What about you, fur face?” Shayne kneels and picks up his cat, shaking it gently. “Any nuggets of wisdom ready to fall out of you?”
“We should have left the seed,” Shayne says absently as they leave with the cart. “We had told the birds that we would..,”
Shayne looks this way and that but sees no particular reason one way would be better than the other. “Werthen!” Shayne called out suddenly, loudly. “Mister Werthen!! Can you hear me?!?” And then paused to listen closely...
After a minute of no response, Shayne shrugs. “Was worth a shot, no? What about you alll? Any bright ideas? What about you, fur face?” Shayne kneels and picks up his cat, shaking it gently. “Any nuggets of wisdom ready to fall out of you?”
(A careful look at the clearing would show that Oderic and his sons did indeed toss most of the ruined grain and ripped sacks out of the wagon before leaving. No point in hauling dead weight. But Shayne missed the man and his boys kicking stuff out the back of the cart. He was probably watching the forest all around....)
(Sorry, by Oderic and his sons wasting no time hitching the cart I assumed they just hitched it and left... all good though, best not to break oath with big birds anyway)
"We can as well ask you not-cat,"fully agreed Alyna. She was well rested (she did took the offer to ride, more for fun of it than for anything else) and now quite eager to "dive" into the forest - the night helped her to make peace with the idea. "Or we can flip a coin? Heads - south, tails - north."Alyna showed a copper coin then threw it up, skillfully caught, and slapped on the her other hand finally showing results: 1"I would prefer the meadow, to be honest, at least it was pretty if nothing else. But other than that - it does not look like that would matter anyway. If the forest is really ... what people say about it, it's up to forest to hide what we are looking for from us or to show".
(Sorry, by Oderic and his sons wasting no time hitching the cart I assumed they just hitched it and left... all good though, best not to break oath with big birds anyway)
(No need for the 'sorry.' I'd have offered a bit more detail if I had realized the party was still interested in the whereabouts of the ruined seed.
The lads kicked and tossed some trash out of the cart after yoking the oxen, as the cart rolled out of the clearing and back to the roadway with your party as an escort. Oxen move slowly. If the birds want the moldy seed, they can find more of it scattered in the clearing and some on the trail back. Shayne can gather moldy wheat and put it in one spot, if he likes.)
Again, he walks until he fears losing track of the time he's allotted for this exploration. The deer path runs on into the dim depths of the old growth forest, vanishing in a blur of brown and green. The party hears and occasionally sees small beasts and birds, but encounters no large creatures and no other humans.
Maybe another ten minutes would yield a clue, pass into a clearing, or...Who knows? But , leery of taking too long, Eric turns back for the fork.
From the fork, he leads the party back to the clearing and east toward the High Way.
6
BACK ON THE ROAD
The party emerges from the Darkling Wood and trudges up the flood-made ramp onto the High Way. The white paving stones gleam in the golden light of late afternoon. A cool breeze blows from the north, shaking the foliage growing near the road on either side.
A look at the sun shows maybe an hour of daylight left.
What will you do now?
“Well we’ve answered the question of the missing Miller. We found the cart and the seed so he obviously made the deal and was heading back before befallen by bad luck... We should at least let the village know the money is gone and the seed gone to mold,” Shayne suggests. “I don’t know much about seed, but perhaps some might be salvageable?”
Shayne bent down to give Fammy a few scratches as the cat laced between his legs. “They’ll need as much time as possible to try to figure out what to do now that their last hope fell through... And perhaps raise proper search parties for the Miller now that we’ve at least an idea of his last whereabouts.”
Those more knowledgeable than Shayne, which is all the rest of you, saw that the seed left in the cart was worthless. Moldering.
"True to all. I wish we could take the wagon with us but at least we know where to find it. May be we do not need a safe house?Six miles is just a couple hours walk, we will be home just past the sunset." Adventure ended quite fast and Alyna was not sure yet if she is glad it did, or would prefer to stay out longer.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
"Well, I suppose we should let the Elders know as soon as possible so they can, maybe, come up with a plan." Xylys seems a bit glum. "I don't mind dog-trotting to make sure we arrive before dark," he looks everyone over. "Seems we're all pretty fit so that should not be much of a strain, don't you think? Anyway, we can come back to investigate further tomorrow, early, unless of course, the Elders have something else for us to do."
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
Hustling , you make good time at first. But as the sun sinks low, the potholes and cracks in the road become harder to spot and some of you stumble now and again. A sprained ankle now could really slow your group down, unless the injured person is left behind to trail after the others....
The sun sets before the party reaches Rillford.
You aren't back home for long before a small crowd has gathered around you on the village green, with several boys holding rush lights, to hear your tale.
News of Werthan's uncertain fate, lost in the Darkling Wood, brings his wife and children to tears. The reported loss of the wheat seeds sets the assembly to grim mutterings about hunger this winter. Tired and worried, people soon begin drifting away toward their homes.
Mother Katerina, the village priestess, takes Alyna aside and says,
"We have all been praying for your success. Your party is the best Rillford has to send. None here track so well as Eric Whisperflower, and none else have got the sort of peculiar talents you and the two lads--yes, I know about Shayne and his cat-- possess. I do hope you haven't given up the search after only one day! Werthan is one of us, with or without grain or money."
She smiles and puts a reassuring hand on the younger woman's shoulder.
"It's late. Tonight we all must rest. There may be hard choices to make on the morrow."
OOC
Everyone may take long rest. Decide what you want your characters to do next.
“Of course we haven’t given up,” Shayne assured any and all who express concern. “But I must say, it doesn’t look good for the Miller. I just don’t believe he’d have abandoned the cart and not returned if he had a choice...”
Shayne will also discuss with the wife and anyone with horses about whether it is worthwhile to retrieve the cart or not. “For sure we could easily escort a couple guys and horses in to retrieve it, would be no trouble at all. If we are continuing the search it seems the place to continue from...”
later, at the tavern, Shayne would tell epic stories about the encounter with the giant bird and its flock of vicious henchlings...”Well sure, it was as large as this tavern, it was! With eyes that shown with the devils flames and feathers as silky black as old widow Willoughby’s heart!”
The deeds of each companion were destined in minute, albeit exaggerated, detail. The tracking skills and calmness under pressure of Eric, who led the group and assured they all worked as a team; the sly and subtly magics of Xylys - imagine such powers at the fingertips of one so young!; and the blessings of sweetness, kindness, and devotion displayed by Alyna in not only charming the savage bees and other fearsome creatures, but in saving yours truly from sure death! Each of them, every one a wonder. “And me lucky enough to travel in such company and witness it all so I could tell you all of the miraculous people you live amongst!”
But besides boosting, or perhaps creating, the reputation of his companions, Shayne has no particular tasks to perform this evening...
Fortunately Alyna did not hear Shaynes story (she was not used to any kind of praising and would not know how to react to this). It was very kind of him, though, to offer his help in further search. Though it seemed they did not have much choice on the matter anyway - mother Katarina said it herself, they are the best and village is counting on them.
The girl spent her evening in prayers to the Earthmother (un-answered, as always, but she did not expect much anyway). Her dreams, though, were very colorful and even if fey did not come, she saw the woods - not frightening, but welcoming, full of light and awakening after the winter's sleep life. At the morning Alyna was more sure in her desire to help with the search. She was in the Temple at the first light and anxiously waited for Mother Katarina to come and reveal, what did the elders decided.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Xylys joined Shayne at the inn, cheering as he wrought such a fine, and inflated retelling of their deeds. When asked by those watching the performance he simply says, "He's good, isn't he, wonderful story teller; he is going to make a name for himself far and wide, don't you think?"
After a reasonable number of beers, Xylys will slip off to get a good nights sleep, knowing that their trial will continue early in the morning and that he needed to be well rested.
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
THE NEXT MORNING
Mother Katerina enters the chapel and finds Alyna waiting.
"I've spoken with the Elders. They ask you to continue the search for Werthan the Miller. We cannot abandon one of our people in the Darkling Wood, and him a man whose wife is with child. Oderic the Ploughman and his sons will take you up the High Way with spare animals and go as far into the forest as the first clearing, to retrieve the mill-cart. After that, it will be up to you four to find Werthan if you can."
Alyna soon finds her companions at the north end of the village, also ready to go.
It's chilly this morning, and cloudy.
Oderic the Ploughman, a bluff, hearty fellow in his middle years, and his two teenage sons, lead two yellow oxen and a dun mare, the latter with a woolen blanket tied on in place of a saddle. "Alyna can ride the mare if she likes. "
The man and his sons have also brought food and water to replenish the party's provisions. They will happily take turns carry some of the group's gear so that the searchers can arrive in the Darkling Wood less fatigued than otherwise.
Before the group leaves, Mother Katerina blesses it and the quest in the name of the Earthmother as a small crowd looks on. Enthusiastic murmurs run through the gathering (Shayne overhears several references to his account of the group's adventures).
Werthan's wife, Ella, rushes up and kisses each one of you on both cheeks, pressing her hands into yours and tearfully wishing you all luck and safety.
The journey up the High Way, six or seven miles to the place where Werthan inexplicably turned off to the western woods, takes as long as it did yesterday- the oxen walk slowly-- but you arrive a bit fresher.
Oderic and his sons, cheerful and talkative along the route, suddenly fall silent as they lead the animals down the flood-made ramp. They cast uneasy glances into the shadows gathered thickly under the huge trees.
Eric leads the group through the woods to the clearing.
Things appear much as before, although rather less flesh remains on the dead oxen and the birds or other scavengers also appear to have also eaten more of the spoiled seeds.
No sign of the ravens or the Gorcrow, except black feathers on the ground.
Getting the ox-cart hitched takes several minutes of work, but Oderic and his sons waste no time. Soon they have the yoke affixed and the yellow oxen ready to move.
They say nothing on the walk back, but after hauling the millcart atop the High Way, the man and his sons call out wishes for your success. They then roll away, taking the mare with them on a lead rope.
The party ought to be able to hike to either the big meadow in the west or the forked trail in the south well and take a short rest before midday, if you should wish to continue exploring the trails you did not take or did not walk to an end.
(some options:
1 head north from the small clearing and then follow the west-bending path for big meadow, where a couple of unexplored trails lead away into the forest
2 take the game trail south from the brambles and dead oxen small clearing, to the fork where you found two trails that you only partly explored
3 other, please specify)
"Well, which way will it be? I'm afraid I can't offer any insight as to which trail is correct." says the woodsman. His night spent in thought of the days travel, he woke refreshed but in a sullen mood. Being unable to find the Miller in these woods held in his mind. Gareth had taught him to track and to do it well. Why couldn't he find even a single sign.
His mood only darkened when they arrived back at the fallen beasts of burden. He picks up a few raven feathers (particularly those of Gorcrow). Perhaps he could fletch those to a batch of arrows. That was for another time though, now he was determined to find the trail.
“We should have left the seed,” Shayne says absently as they leave with the cart. “We had told the birds that we would..,”
Shayne looks this way and that but sees no particular reason one way would be better than the other. “Werthen!” Shayne called out suddenly, loudly. “Mister Werthen!! Can you hear me?!?” And then paused to listen closely...
After a minute of no response, Shayne shrugs. “Was worth a shot, no? What about you alll? Any bright ideas? What about you, fur face?” Shayne kneels and picks up his cat, shaking it gently. “Any nuggets of wisdom ready to fall out of you?”
(A careful look at the clearing would show that Oderic and his sons did indeed toss most of the ruined grain and ripped sacks out of the wagon before leaving. No point in hauling dead weight. But Shayne missed the man and his boys kicking stuff out the back of the cart. He was probably watching the forest all around....)
5
(Sorry, by Oderic and his sons wasting no time hitching the cart I assumed they just hitched it and left... all good though, best not to break oath with big birds anyway)
"We can as well ask you not-cat," fully agreed Alyna. She was well rested (she did took the offer to ride, more for fun of it than for anything else) and now quite eager to "dive" into the forest - the night helped her to make peace with the idea. "Or we can flip a coin? Heads - south, tails - north." Alyna showed a copper coin then threw it up, skillfully caught, and slapped on the her other hand finally showing results: 1 "I would prefer the meadow, to be honest, at least it was pretty if nothing else. But other than that - it does not look like that would matter anyway. If the forest is really ... what people say about it, it's up to forest to hide what we are looking for from us or to show".
(Heads - North, meadow :) )
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
(No need for the 'sorry.' I'd have offered a bit more detail if I had realized the party was still interested in the whereabouts of the ruined seed.
The lads kicked and tossed some trash out of the cart after yoking the oxen, as the cart rolled out of the clearing and back to the roadway with your party as an escort. Oxen move slowly. If the birds want the moldy seed, they can find more of it scattered in the clearing and some on the trail back. Shayne can gather moldy wheat and put it in one spot, if he likes.)