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Post by Wicksy on Mar 6, 2006 6:39:38 GMT -5
Mal, your words of wisdom sway most of the angry folk in the room. They quieten take on a more sombre look. It seems they will see to young Selena. However, your words fail to get through to Geraint, who seems hell bent on hunting them, with or without you. At the hesitance of Ewan and Akatas, Geraint simply shrugs "You have done much for us, we would not expect you to join us, it is our fight". His words are genuine and bear no spite. To Mal, Coppertop and Tender he smiles "Thank youu for joining us, I pray with your aid we can stop them".
A few minutes later, an old man in his mid forties appears. This is old Brytack, the huntsman. He wears a simple outfit of buckskin normally. However, now he weaks a jacket of studded leather. A fine quiver of green-wood arrows hangs from his hould and he carries a finely wrough re-curve bow. A bone carved dagger hangs from his belt. He nods silently to you and leaves. Geraint follows.
You are all silent on the way to the Buck resisdence. No one dares to make a sound. It takes slightly less than half an hour to reach the place. What was left of the house now glows and crackles in the night air. The structure practically burnt down. The barn lies un-touched, the animals calmly milling around as normal. With little effort, you find the charred corpses of a woman and a young boy. Outside, near the barn lies the body of a man covered in slashing wounds.
Brytack silently scans the devastation and shakes his head. He murmurs "The ground is firm, but with luck, we'll find their tracks." He drops to one knee and scans the floor with earnest. Scowling, he glances at Geraint "Bring that torch here boy, even in this moonlight, things are difficult to make out"
OK, DC to track the raiding party is DC 23. [roll+mods=19]. After about 10 minutes of scouring, he shakes his head. "They're too good, we'll not find them this night. Maybe tomorrow we can pick up their tracks, but who knows what'll happen tonight"
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Post by Fangor the Fierce on Mar 6, 2006 8:33:31 GMT -5
"Let us go about the burial then. The bodies should not be left out for the animals of the wilderness to scavange." Mal then sets about trying to find a place to begin the process of digging a grave. He knows he is not the best suited for this process, so instead, he will survey the barn, looking for the shovel that should be there. He then takes it to the site that would best serve as a grave, and closes his eyes.
As he opens his eyes, he says a few words, arcane as usual, and weaves a single force into existence. The force propels the shovel into the ground, then back out. It is not enough to hurl heavy tufts of dirt, yet it is enough to constantly dig small chunks little by little. He concentrates, letting the shovel do his bidding, as Slythre scavenges about. He then gets an idea, turns to Slythre, and speaks in his own tongue.
When it is over, Slythre begins scurrying about, sniffing here and there, first near where the bodies were, and then towards the surrounding area. He will try to assist the man in finding the scent. (He has the scent capability, and would try to see if that helps in finding the tracks. It won't track, but it can find the scent.)
"It seems as though we will wait here until morning, when the others arrive. The animals should be guarded, for that is all that is left for the girl, as well as the barn."
Going about setting up camp, he looks up to the barn, looking for a loft. Perhaps it would be the best place to watch over the area. Higher ground, better vantage point, and away easily defendable.
"So, do we make camp or head back to return in the morning with the others? I say we wait it out here, just in case the Drow decide to return. If it gets too bad, then I can get the others here in a flash. At full force, we should be able to cope with whatever comes this night. As for watches, you all know I only have need of only two hours to rest and be ready for the morrow. That being said, wake me in two hours, and I will take watch for the rest of the night."
Mal then ascends into the loft of the barn, finding a cozy place to lay down and rest. Slythre takes the time to scour the place, barn, ruins, surrounding area, trying to pick up on anything the others may have missed. He will then go and lay beside Mal, sleeping away until there is need of him.
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Post by Wicksy on Mar 6, 2006 9:17:42 GMT -5
Ahh, Scent ability. OK
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The small rat sniffs around near to where the man lies dead. Picking up a strange smell it conveys to you "Blood, not beast, something else. Not human"
Familiars wisdom check: 13
After a few minutes, Slythre locates a scent...Whatever it is, its bleeding and moving away from the farmstead.
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Post by Fangor the Fierce on Mar 6, 2006 10:25:34 GMT -5
Mal turns to Brytack, pointing at the trail that Slythre seems to have found. "There is a trail of blood, not that of the girls or her parents. Perhaps one of the Drow was wounded, as it seems to be trailing off from here... in that direction."
Mal shows the tracker where Slythre seems to have picked up the scent, hoping that with the newfound information and aid, he can find the trail. He knows that Slythres scent ability is only enough to find the scent, and not keen enought to track it. But, perhaps that would be enough, in case the scent would be found another time, then Slythre could confirm if it is one and the same....
(OOC - Knowing that its more than likely not possible to track at night, unless Brytack can, he will agree to stay here and stand watch during the night, until the others arrive in the morning.... Where he will show them where the scent is that Slythre found...)
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Post by Wicksy on Mar 6, 2006 11:15:23 GMT -5
Chuckling to himself, Brytack studies the area you show to him. His face changes and the smile drops. "Here they are. Damned things were covering their tracks. And one is bleeding though the bloods near as damn faded away. We should be able to follow the trail though"
Drawing his bow, he creeps forward silently into the bushes...
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Post by Japic on Mar 6, 2006 12:06:50 GMT -5
{OOC: I'm not exactly hot on the idea of going too far without the others. We rely on eachother for survival day in and day out; I'm not ssing the wisdom of moving on without them.}
Watching the exchange between the tracker and Mal with his familiar; Coppertop starts to get a bad vibe about continuing on tonight.
"This be folly lads; the others should be with us. We could well be walking into an ambush with naught the strength to defend against them. Big Bear brought up a good point back at the Inn, numbers are deceiving. Sure, the girl saw only three; but what if they are three out of fifty or more? It just doesn't feel right."
Though torn over the idea of the townsfolk walking into an ambush; he does not fully agree with their idea. Following these creatures of darkness into the night with naught but man-senses is folly. Coppertop knows the limitations of the human body; and knows that this is not wise. He speaks to all present, hoping for one last chance to dissuade the crowd.
"I know you seek justice this night, but be wary of the creatures of darkness. They thrive in the dark, while us humans merely adapt as best we can. As creatures of the dark, the most likely sleep in teh day, while they are active in teh night. Would it not be better to strategically strike their sleeping camp; than to waltz blindly into an awakened one? Stay the night with us and on the morrow we can hunt them in force, and take them unawares."
Regardless of what the mob decides to do:
"Those men might need help; but these murdered souls need guidance to find peace. I will pray for them."
Coppertop will follow proper burial procedures, dressing each body and wrapping them in linen (if I can find some). He will help bury them and spend a few hours in prayer, guiding their souls towards the heavens.
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Post by Fangor the Fierce on Mar 6, 2006 17:13:34 GMT -5
"The blood will still be there in the morning, when our others arrive to aid. It is not going anywhere. Neither should the group at this time of night. We would be at their advantage, as Coppertop noted. In the morning, when they are weary, then we shall take pursuit of them. You must first honor those slain by prayer and guidance, as well as a funeral. Do not let them to lie here, in the open night, for all manners of creatures to take advantage of."
He then moves with Coppertop to help bury the slain. He gives warning to the mob, should they continue to try and track the drow. "I would hate to have to halt our progression tomorrow, with the necessity to have to build more graves for those foolish enough to try and hunt drow by night...."
Bluff +19
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Post by Lin on Mar 7, 2006 0:06:27 GMT -5
Ewan chills, awaiting first light.
Much needed to be done. The nerves needed to be settled. The wind needed to be measured. Many things. He badly wanted to shine the plates of his armor, but that was simply not going to happen. No time for rest. In this warm climate, where food was plentiful, what was the need? No, this night would pass and the morning would bring a new path. Care must be taken to ensure that the farmers and barkeeps did not throw away there lives for this. They had not his strength, his fortitude and only anger to use as courage. Real courage showed through the spectrum of emotions, for it was a mark of character. Not a temporary state of being.
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