A New Beginning

[at]

None of the levers help, but Lynette is able to magically summon light for an hour or so each night - enough to get to the camp with the sunrods.

The cart is not the most comfortable way to ride and Vadania walks most of the way, but the giant metal construct serves to scare off any passing creatures and the group reaches the camp unmolested.

Peering out from the edge of the clearing Vadania can see that the barricades are still up and guards man the gate as they did when she first came here, with no goblins in sight.

[harknail]

OOC: What time of day is it? If I remember right, the goblins stayed out of sight mostly last time, can Vadania see any likely hiding places?

[at]

It's a around mid-day, the journey having taken two and a half days with the construct. There are plenty of hiding places for something as small as a goblin behind the brush and other obstructions.

[rhinobullet]

Garrot will look at the area in front of him and say to Lynette and Vadania "I can go scout things out if you want. I am pretty good at being sneaky."

[at]

(if you want to go ahead and roll hide, and choose how far out / close to the camp he is going)

[rhinobullet]

Garrot will creep up close enough to where he can look for any concealed goblins and/or hear them. he will stay in the shadows and wait and listen patiently once he gets close. (I would say he would go close enough to see the walls/houses but stay in the trees/foliage)

Move Silent AdnLxgOWp_1-20
+16=28

Hide: p_1-20
+16=29

Listen: p_1-20
+9=251-20�1-20�1-20

[at]

Aug 14, 2014 8:03:43 GMT -5 rhinobullet said:

Garrot will creep up close enough to where he can look for any concealed goblins and/or hear them.

As Garrot sneaks towards the camp he can see no sign of goblins, only the human archers guarding the entrance to the camp just as Vadania had described from her previous visit here. Last time the goblins had been waiting away from the camp in the bushes and in shallow holes allowing travellers in but not back out in order to drain the camp's resources.

He spots the occasional sign of a goblin in the form of a half eaten rat or crude discarded knife but nothing fresh, and is wary of where he can move without being seen by the archers and perhaps mistaken for a goblin himself.

The ground around the entrance to the camp shows signs of countless wagons that have travelled in and out over the years and the wooden palisade looks old but recently reinforced and expanded. Inside caravans and tents are packed into the fortified enclosure with animals penned beyond. A crude forge has been set up near the entrance and there are cooking fires and stacked crates and barrels of food scattered around.


Behind the camp a fast river runs and beyond to the east he can see more humans, a watch group holding a stone bridge. It would seem that the siege had ended.

[rhinobullet]

Garrot will slowly return to Lynette and Vadania and report that he cannot find any active signs of Goblin activity, and that the siege appears to have been lifted.

[harknail]

"Looks like we weren't needed here after all," said Vadania. "But as long as we're here, we can stop in and see if anyone can read that book and tell us what that magic canvas actually does."

"Let me lead the way, the device might make the guards nervice." So saying Vadania starts towards the gate in plain view. She does keep an eye out for any goblins that might have been missed.

[at]

The guards at the camp quickly form up with bows as the construct emerges from the treeline, but they relax when they recognise Vadania.

Inside the camp she recognises a few familiar cases, though Aelos is absent and many of the caravans have departed. Isolde, the leader of the warriors, greets Vadania and informs the group that three others had arrived not long after their departure - Luthor, Liana, and Jassca, who Vadania and Ka'lion had informed of the camp's plight.

The three had joined with Aelos in clearing out the nearby caves that the goblins had been using as a base and pushed them back across the river allowing the caravans and refugees to escape. The priests and a lone trader, Kreed, who had earlier had dealings with Ka'lion.

With the siege broken Aelos had travelled into the mountains with the other three seeking to circumvent the monastery wall and bring warning of the demons to the eastern lands. Since that time however matters had taken a turn for the worse as those who held the temple had brought new forces to bear - the priestesses former companions, twisted and corrupted to fight against their former friends.

Isolde inquires about Eldon, and the possibility of support from Burr Town.

[harknail]

Vadania answered, "Last I heard when we left Burrtown is that Eldon was planing on coming here soon. Burrtown is just out from being under siege themselves, so I don't know what support they will be able to offer. We were coming to try and break the siege, glad to see that someone else has already done that. Are there any wizards or clerics still here? I have something I'd like someone to look at."

[at]

The warrior nods, "yes, Kara's tent is near the water at the back of the camp" Vadania recognises the name from before, the old woman who had asked her to seek out Eldon.

When Lynette has a moment to speak to Vadania unheard by the others she whispers, "remember what Xana said about priests, perhaps this isn't the best place to reveal the symbol if that is what you intend"

[harknail]

Vadania answers Lynette also in a quiet voice, "I didn't have anything in particular in mind for what to do with the canvas. I just didn't like George's idea of leaving it behind stretched out and activating. My original thought was to give it to the priests of the flame for them to figure out and destroy if appropriate. But it looks like this book can answer the question much more easily. I just need someone who can read the book. Then I can point out the picture of the symbol that was on the canvas and find out what that particular symbol does."

OOC: I'm assuming that Vadania found an exact match of the symbol glowing in the moonlight in one of the illustatatios in that book.

[at]

Lynette replies, "I could read it with the right scrolls, though that is arcane magic and I doubt they would have them in a place like this". She shrugs, "A trader might know the language but the coins we found looked really old, perhaps nobody speaks it anymore."


(the symbol was in the book several times, including one full page with a single word written beneath it - "zceryll")

[harknail]

Vadania answers, "I think clerics have a spell that lets them read unknown languages. George tried doing that with Ka'lion's book, I'm hoping other clerics can do so as well."

[at]

Vadania finds Kara's tend where it was indicated, the old woman herself is busy over a small iron pot with a number of odd plants and stones nearby.

Elsewhere Garrot's construct has garnered much attention while Garrot himself is drawn to the trading caravan literally packed with odd knicknacks, strange weapons, and curious devices.

[harknail]

"Hello Kara," says Vadania. "I've talked with Eldon, he said he will be coming this way soon. I've got another book I'd like you to take a look at if you could."

[at]

Kara takes the book but only scans the first few pages before looking up, "where did you find this? It is a work of terrible heresy, an affront to the gods themselves."

[rhinobullet]

While Vadania is talking with the others, Garrot will inspect everything in the caravan closely. He is very interested in finding good daggers, decent armor instead of this oversized chain shirt, and he will also start showing the vendors the items he found recently, especially the statuette. He is interested to see if anyone recognizes it.

[at]

As Garrot finds a spot for the construct and makes his way to the merchant he notes that the blacksmith has quite an array of weapons and armour, though doubts any would have been made for one of his stature.

The merchant looks over the statue, "ahh, if I am not mistaken, and I very rarely am, this would be Hanali Celanil or as you would know her the goddess Sune, back from when man was young and the fey still roamed the lands. Probably from the north, very traditional bunch up there." He taps it and listens for the noise, "very pretty, perhaps not suited to some of my customers but i'm sure I could find a buyer. Perhaps you would want to trade for a few coin or a symbol of a god more suited to yourself? Good holy symbol is worth it's weight in gold in these dark times I think."

When Garrot inquires about weapons, "yes I have a fine selection". Fiddling around under the main counter of his wagon/shop he pulls out a tray of knives and daggers ranging from the mundane to the exotic. One in particular catches Garrot's eye - a peculiar twin-pronged knife with a tracery of glass. Very shiny.