Travigan huffs, "'Course I'm not a bandit, I'm a blacksmith! One that's gotten tangled up in messes far beyond him, as it turns out." He shoots the others a rueful look, recalling their time in the catacombs hunting for the poor Shoanti boy's remains. Turning back to Travis he nods in greeting, "Th' name's Travigan. That's Marnos, this is Tina, he's Crux, and if that Orsini fellow was to be believed, you're expectin' this lass here already." He gives Trinia a reassuring pat on the shoulder at this. "We had a heck of a time gettin' out here to you folks."
"Thank you for allowing us entrance." Crux says to the sourpussed guard. "It has been a long road for my decrepit bones and your hospitality is very welcome." Crux drives the wagon into the compound.
Greetings, a good meal would be fine.
Travis the rustler is a bit flabbergasted by Travigan. "A blacksmith? Blacksmith? What in the seven circles of hell are you doin' all the way out here, smith? This is hard country, no doubt." He spits a bit more tobacco and nods at Marnos' comment. "Aye, ranchin' here is tougher than some, but the these walls save our skin an' our herd when them orcs come callin'. We just drive the whole lot in here and stand our ground. After a few arrows, the orcs'll just pass us by and look for easier pickin's."
The discussion last a few moments, enough time for Boris to return with a large, weathered looking bald man with a walrus mustache. "I am Goodwill. You must be the bodyguards hired by Orsini. And this..." he makes an awkward formal little bow. "This must be the lady of the hour. It is my pleasure you to welcome you to Harse. Please come onto the veranda for some refreshments. Dinner will be ready soon, and I made sure there was enough for all. Even in these hard times." The man seems quite personable, and quite happy you have made a safe delivery of your charge.
"Boys, keep a sharp eye on the walls. With this guest, we may have to fight off more than orcs before we're done." The two hands return to their post, pushing the cart back across the palisade wall gate.
Goodwill leads you to the wide veranda of the big house, where comfortable seats and cold lemonade await you, brought by a demure halfling servant. Goodwill asks about your trip and then goes on to talk politics. "I was no fan of the King, but take even less a liking to the imposter who sits the throne now. She's not even Korvosan. They tax us and tax us, and for what? The orcs run more rampant here in the borderlands than ever. What are we paying all those crowns to the Crimson Throne for anyway? We'd be better off on our own." It's pretty clear that he's no fan of the government, which might explain his agreeing to harbor the most wanted fugitive in the land.
It's good to see that our friend will have a secure place to stay, our thanks. she turns to the others. So what will we be doing after this?
Crux partakes of the offered lemonade. "After our journey, this is a most refreshing beverage." He makes small talk trying not to anger their host.
Goodwill nods at Marnos words. "Spoken like a true son of Deadeye, y boy. We make things and those in the Castle Korvosa take them. It ain't right." He goes on with his Ayn Rand impersonation for several more minutes until the bell rings, thankfully announcing that dinner is ready.
The meal is large and rich. A big roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn bread, several kinds of roast vegetables and fruit pies for dessert. The hands, except for Boris and Travis, who stay on the wall, join the family in the big house, and all pay their respects to Goodwill and his honored guests, knuckling their brow and welcoming you warmly.
After dinner, Goodwill offers you a cigar and a fine Chelish brandy. He sits on the wide porch and speaks more. "I suppose you'll be headin' back to the city soon enough. Goodness knows we could use the hands out here, but there's bigger fish to fry in Korvosa and Orsini knows it. With that Blackjack running loose, perhaps the city'll rise up against the Throne and really make something out of it this time. In any event, pass my good wishes on to Vencarlo, and give my bile to that b*@%~ queen, if you see her."
After dessert, the halfling servant shows you to the guest rooms of the big house, which are spartan but comfortable enough compared to sleeping on the hard ground. Trusting to the walls and the watch, you sleep, with a fully belly, better than you have for some time.
Tina chows down on the fine food. Far better than iron rations and trundles off to bed.We'll be heading back for sure, lots of help needed in the city and there seem to be bigger troubles on the horizen.
Goodwill rolls his eyes a bit at that. "Bless his heart, our sheriff is a fool. Busy worrying about politics instead of his business. We could put a militia together and go raze those orc camps north of here, but he won't hear of it. He's worried about offending the Guard or something. He just defends and doesn't take the initiative. If you want to strike a blow, I can tell you where the camps are, and you can go make your mark. Or you can just ride back to the city and do some good there, don't matter to us. We'll make due here at the ranch either way, until things change for the better."
I can lend a hand then, I have a number of useful items. We could destroy their supplies with just five good men people and thus force them to abandon any plans for this area.
"If we are going to do this, let us be prepared. Do you have any maps of the area, Goodwill? Or any who would care to come along with us?"
"I know! It's like I said, I got meself all caught up in troubles far beyond me. S'what happens when ye go tellin' folk ye want ta help." He rubs a meaty hand on the back of his neck as he chuckles. The two chat amicably until Goodwill arrives and Travigan follows along up to the house proper, offering Travis a parting nod.
"Aye, I'm inclined ta go after these orcs as well. Not only did I tell the sheriff as much, but it seems a poor thing fer us ta do ta jus' move Trinia here from one fryin' pan an' into another. If it's not the guard, then the blasted orcs." He shakes his head at the thought and scratches his beard roughly. "No, if'n I can, I'd like ta be leavin' you lot off better than when we found ye. An' while we can't fix the problems in Korvosa proper, maybe we can help fix yer troubles at least."
Goodwill smiles as it seems you are willing to take up the challenge of striking back at the raiding orcs. "My boys know where they make camp, and we can draw you a quick map. Those fellas aren't warriors, but cowhands, and I don't know if they'd relish a fight with those killers without the protection of the palisade wall. They might lead you there, but I wouldn't count on any in a fight. I can get a couple of the boys to lead you out in the mornin'. I can also have the local priest of Erastil here to help heal you when you return, if you need it. Just showin' those orcs we ain't lambs will be a big step towards stemmin' the tide."
He offers to refill your glasses with more of the fine, rich brandy and puffs away on his cigar, quite happy.
Tina gives Travigan a potion of Enlarge in case he wants to get biggun for the fight(3rd level)
Travigan nods as Tina hands him the vial, though he gives it a cursory sniff before his face scrunches involuntarily at the smell. "Whoa. Lass, don't take this th' wrong way, but I'm really hopin' this stuff tastes a whole lot better than it smells."
Good medicine tastes bitter.
"I will be retiring early. I will need my rest if I am to participate in the mission."
If we can combine our efforts, we can have a better chance of finishing things quickly. Perhaps Crux has an entanglign spell so I can throw my bombs at trapped foes.
Tina will then turn in for the night.
Tina munches eggs and plenty of coffee. Indeed, I have some extracts that can make people invisible for a short time. Good for scouting.
After last night's fine dinner, you are surprised you have appetite for today's hearty breakfast, but the ranch hands know they will be in for a day's work and they eat the well-made food greedily, but with respectable table manners.
Master Goodwill joins you for breakfast and brings a rough sketch of the lands north of the compound, where his cattle and aurochs graze freely. It appears the land is mainly compromised of a number of rolling hills. At the north end of the Goodwill's property, a fast-flowing stream, the Mellifluous, provides a natural boundary. Beyond the that, the gentle hills break up into an uneven badlands of broken crags and steep valleys. One such valley leads indirectly northeast, and that is where Goodwill thinks the orc camp is located.
"My boys tracked their trail up into the that canyon, but they got spooked by some sentries and high-tailed it out of there. The canyon's more crooked than old Queen Ileosa herself, but there's a natural spring fed back in there, and I bet them grunts are camped right along it. They've been crossing the creek for weeks and stealing my herd a bit at a time. We seen 'em once or twice, but there were too many to give battle out in the open. Maybe a dozen or so in the party we spied."
After feeding and refitting your mounts, the ranch hands bring them out to the dooryard for you to depart. And, with handshakes all around, you make way, leaving the comfortable compound, and heading north towards the edge of the rancher's property.
The ride is uneventful, the wide plains dotted here and there with groups of herd animals and scrubby trees. The long grass blows gently in the wind, and you can see the charm of life out here in the open places under a cloudless blue sky.
After an hour or more of riding, you come across the fast-flowing stream mentioned at the farmhouse. The banks are steep and stream moves quickly. No obvious easy crossing places are readily visible.
The far bank is lower than this side, but the ground is littered with big boulders and a few deadfall logs. After that, there is sharp rise into the broken lands beyond.
Tina looks nervous. Umm..This is probably a bad time to bring up that I can't swim.
"I would rather find a bridge or at least a better place to ford the river."
Travigan looks at the swift flowing water with a furrowed brow then turns to regard Tina as she mentions he inability to swim. "That water's lookin' rough regardless, lass. I'm thinkin' Crux has th' right I' it anyway: findin' a better spot seems best ta me." He nods up stream then and unless someone offers a reason to search downstream instead, he begins plodding in that direction. "Let's see what we can find. We'll be no help to anyone drowned."
Tina nods and follows TRavigan.
Looking longingly at the far side of the fast-flowing stream, the group decides discretion is the better part of valor and moves downstream to look for a better spot to ford the Mellifluous. The other side continues to have a rocky, broken look about it, while your bank continues to be soft, even grazing and farmland.
It is not long, perhaps an hour or a little less, before the stream flows down the hill into a little swale. There between a pair of hills, the stream widens out and slows, providing a natural fording point.
Travigan calls the others over as he shakes some mud from one boot. "Hey, look at this! I don't think any of us could've made these prints."
"Are you suggesting that we an orc war band recently passed this way?"
"I'm a blacksmith, not a blasted tracker, Crux! I can't make up nor down of it, 'cept that something or things came this way an' went that way, toward th' side th' ranch is on."
Well, can we afford to follow them back?
Travigan nods at the pronouncement, not happy at all that a group of the brutish thugs was already on Goodwill's land. "Sounds good ta me, lad. Lead on!"
Sure
Making the choice to follow after the warband that seems to already be on the Harse side of the creek, the party follows Marnos lead. The half-elven inquistor examines the tracks closely and then sets out at a quick pace following the signs of the passing orcs as best he can.
Farther along the trail there are more signs, another footprint in the soft earth, broken stalks of corn left hanging, once you stumble upon the half-eaten remains of what looks like a rat. Before long, you can see the warband, 8 in all, climbing over a hedgerow fence about a half-mile in front of you.
The foes look to be moving quickly, confident that nothing is back-trailing them. On horseback you can close most of the distance quickly. Back to thew southwest, the palisade wall of the Goodwill house can be seen, but the orcs seem to be headed south of there, and more toward Harse itself.
"Oh I don't think so, you filthy mudsuckers." Travgian mutters loudly as the orcs come into view. He looks to the others for their readiness before hurrying onward to bear down upon the warband.
Tina chugs her dexterity mutagen, goes Rawr! and joins Travigan.
Crux goes with the others.
Without guile or pretense, the heroes charge after the orc-band, spurring their mounts forward to ride down the inhuman raiders. Crossing the flat prairie quickly, the riders are soon within bowshot of the orcs, who, of course, heard the horses thundering down upon them. Taking what scant shelter is available, the orcs have readied bows and make ready to assail the mounted company.