Dust and Ashes

[at]

Belomme gives a dismissive wave, clearly more concerned about the mule escaping with his possessions.

(moving things along ... Survival check if you want to follow the tracks, assuming half speed unless otherwise specified)

[harknail]

Vadania realizes she's being derelict in her duties and says, "Excuse me for a moment." She then goes to help Belomme get the mule on it's feet. Vadania doesn't have the strength to lift the mule, but she's used to working with animals and can calm it and help it get to it's feet on it's own power without panicking.

Handle Animal: [dice=20]+2=9

I guess Vadania doesn't have much practice with mules...

SageAqua (the barbarian) is having connection problems, it might be a few days before he posts.[rand=3218123787082732135290918406099084001566274091601403942252090200782]

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

Good news i have internet once more. he puts his sword away and picks up his crossbow and puts it over his shoulder.
Walking up to the newcomer who at this point would still be a stranger to Nilfree. wanting to give his own introduction and has his hand out to shack " And i am Nilfree. We were told that that you may be out hear. It is nice to have come across your path for looking and finding you would have been much harder in this wonderful weather. As a cleric I would hope you may have more information about the trouble in these parts. Any information would help us better understand what we have yet to face. I ask that you don't try to convert me, and i think we will get along just fine."

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion looks around the ground following the wolf's tracks in the area looking for clues as to where the wolves came from. Once he's satisfied he knows enough to figure out where the wolves came from. Belomme's clear lack of concern tells Ka'lion what he wanted to know. Belommes was a evil leader. But at the moment it doesn't matter. "Shall we go? Or are you going to continue using an injured animal to carry your load?

[harknail]

Once it's on it's feet, Vadania checks the mule for injuries.

OOC: I don't think the mule actually got hurt in the fight.

[at]

The mule is unharmed, and with a little more prodding and soft words it begins to move along once more.

Reasoning that there may be survivors nearby the group follow the wolf tracks away from the road, mindful that the light and weather may soon deteriorate.

Progress is slow but the tracks of the wolves are not hard to follow, the creatures appear to have been barging through the undergrowth as if chasing shadows. Hopes of survivors are dashed however as the the group reaches an opening in the trees - a small patch of higher ground where half a dozen bodies lie on the ground surrounded by a score of dead wolves.

They are dressed as warriors of Deviln’s Hollow, fallen back to back in a doomed last stand. Even from a distance it is clear from their wounds that none have survived and Vadania shudders at the thought of these armoured men rising as the caravan guards had before.

(slypride's not been on for a while, no point waiting for Belomme to make the call - i'll just move the game along)

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion takes off his pack and for now leaves it where the party is. He'll pick it up latter once he has checked the bodies and figured out where the wolves had come from in the first place. He'll want to set up a burn so the dead don't return from the dead. Wolves or men. This is a chance to pick up better weapons, extra gear, armor etc. and he looks over all of it very carefully. He asks the gnome to check the pockets for trinkets and they can split it up latter. Ka'lion is looking for a good set of chain mail and a two handed sword. Anything left over they don't need he'd leave behind to keep the weight load down.

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

The Gnome is more then willing to do so. to him the dead is no longer in need for their items and wealth and there is no good reason to leave it behind. Humming to himself Nilfree happily goes from body to body looking to see what he can find. He is also looking for papers, maps and any clues as to why the men were out here.
[dice=20]+7= 23[rand=7947307252325118533668872201815281909370562061678267449149861932]

[harknail]

Vadania comments, "I knew those wolves weren't acting naturally, and this proves it. Any normal wolves would have feasted, not continued on in a killing rampage."

Turning to the cleric, she asked, "Do you know of any way to keep these dead from rising again? I've seen that happen before and would prefer not to see it again."

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion looks at the druid and cleric. "We can use some help stripping the bodies of anything useful. Take some of their blankets and any rope they have and wrap anything found up. We can hide it nearby and pick it up latter. Then stack the bodies with some wood, oil and burn them. If you wish to say anything on the deads behalf you should figure out what you want to say. We need to leave in an hour or less if we are going to have any hope of finding out where the dead came from."

[at]

Searching the bodies is a gruesome business, cloth and parchment are torn and soaked in drying blood and the barbarians themselves have been rent apart.

All of the barbarians are armed and armoured, most certainly not a simple hunting party. A heavily tattooed individual catches Ka'lion's attention as he is relatively intact - on further investigation metal plates are found to have been bolted to the inside of his leather jack, and worn over a modest shirt of maille.

The men also carry a half dozen hand axes, two short swords, numerous knives and daggers, a battle axe, and a dark, pitted iron falchion. One particularly mangled individual carries a pair of punch daggers.

Little else has survived the attack - their provisions are ruined, the remains of a shortbow lay next to it's owner and what cloth they carry that has not been torn apart has been soaked through with their blood.
Nillfree does recover 58gp in assorted coins (2pp, 31gp, 66sp, 40cp)


Starting a pyre in these conditions may not be easy, though the mage has shown mastery of fire. It would take another half hour to backtrack to the wolves corpses - between the shopping and the group's slow progress Vadania estimates that they are little more than half way to their destination as the sun falls towards the horizon.


(A single suit of hide armour can be salvaged, and enough material to make several padded suits. The barbarian's leader wears brigandine - the light chain shirt underneath can be worn alone with the same stats as studded leather but both must be worn together for full effect)

[harknail]

Vadania asked, "Ka'lion, I'd like to see how you start a funeral pyre with wet wood in a constant downpour. But I don't think we have time for that, we need to find a place to camp soon."

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

"Well these Poor, poor men need not worry about being wet, in a kill zone or starting a fire that will just go out. We on the other-hand do. Also i don't like the idea of sleeping in an area that was heavily attacked. we don't know if there are more wolfs out hear and this is not a good place to set up camp. As to the bodies, we don't have time. I mean no disrespect but it is on their tribe to do what they wish with the bodies not us. I will not dig or lay to rest strangers. We are wasting time and we need to move out of a kill zone. So i vote we leave the bodies as is, unless the druid or cleric say other wise. but i am not helping in laying them to rest for i am not religious."

[namklim]

Sorry for not being on much, finals week took much out of me. That's done now so I'll be one again more often (turning alarm back on). Also, Slypride had been busy with finals week as well, I'll tell him to post when he gets back (at parent's for father's day).

"Normally, I'd want to give them a burial, but if the demon is returning, then I vote for doing what we can to prevent that first- else more bodies may need burial. As for preventing them from turning undead, there is little I can do. If we could contact the temple, they would probably be able to prevent it, but for now, all I can really do for them is pray."

[sageaqua]

"Oil burns regardless of weather. Wood in oil burns regardless of the weather. The bodies with oil on them will burn. Oil even burn on water. I'm going to take the leaders armor. I have plenty of rope - if you need it. Burning the dead has nothing to do with faith. I was just trying to be considerate, to anyone here of faith. Personally I don't care if they have your prayers. It has to do with safety. Our own should the dead walk and others which may not have the ability to defend themselves. If you want to set up camp go right ahead. I'll catch up to you latter." said Ka'lion

[at]

Jun 18, 2012 15:22:31 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

"Oil burns regardless of weather. Wood in oil burns regardless of the weather. The bodies with oil on them will burn. Oil even burn on water.

(If only you had oil)

With enough dry tinder, the rope perhaps, it should be possible to nurse a small fire - but building and fanning the flames into a pyre could take hours.

Ka'lion finds that the barbarian's armour fits well enough, a little loose around the arms perhaps. He also finds a crude bronze talisman tied around the man's neck, hidden beneath the armour, though he does not recognise the symbols engraved upon it's surface.

The howls of distant wolves unnerves the group, with so much blood it is not the dead but the hungry living that may soon concern the party. Belomme suggests the more practical solution of dismembering the remains - even zombies need legs to walk.


If the map was accurate you will soon leave the shelter of the forests for more open ground and likely a starless night.

(add anything you are taking to your character sheets, and note any plans you have for the night's rest, or lack thereof...)

[sageaqua]

Vadania starting a fire even in a down poor can be done with a little luck. I do carry flint and steel. Oil makes it easier and I seem to recall a few of you have some. We are not setting up camp tonight. We don’t have enough time. Not with the howls of wolves in the air. What we can do is hide and sleep in the high branches of trees. It’s not conferable. It doesn’t help the animals but it would protect us until morning. In the morning we can take a look around. It seems suddenly like it was a very good idea that I’m carrying enough rope. Someone should load up on rocks. When you get high in your tree tie yourself off." said Ka'lion as he buckles on the brigadine armor and puts on the talisman.

[namklim]

"As gruesome as it sounds, dismemberment would probably be the fastest way to deal with potential undead. As for climbing a tree to sleep, I'm not so sure that's the best idea. Although it would protect us from the living, I recall that there are also flying swarms to be wary of. Being stuck in a tree if one of those came along does not seem to be appealing to me. If we're going to keep moving, then let's move on, otherwise we should create some shelter and set up a watch." Aelos is not planning on taking anything from the corpses.

[sageaqua]

"Well chop them up then. It might work. It might not. I don't know anything about the undead. But we have been on a forced match for I don't know how long and I'm still badly hurt. I'm in no condition to have another fight with wolves in the rain today. You want to move on. Go right ahead. I'll see you in the afterlife." said Ka'lion walking over and pulling out his rope and cutting ten foot sections for every one while he picks a tree to hide in. "Yea. I know we could be attacked in the trees from above but I'm not hearing any bats or birds and right now I'm in no condition to continue."

[harknail]

"We need to move away from these bodies, they'll attract too much attention from scavengers tonight. The one good thing about the rain is that it will wash away our scent trail. And it's not bats and birds that attacked me before, it was an insect swarm. Like those wolves, it wasn't acting normal. If you're still hurting, have a berry or two."

Vadania will lead the group what she considers a safe distance away, then starts looking for shelter for the night. Most trees soak though and provide no shelter from weeks of constant rain. But an evergreen tree with dense sloping branches directs the rain to the edges and stays dry in the middle. So she looks again for one of those so they can at least be dry for the night.