Dot here. Will get going later tonight.
Cartimandua sheds a tear as she departs her tribe. Her family, her friends, all that she has ever known. Alone, in the unknown wilderness, she has been cast out to die.
She won't lay down to let dead overcome her. She will fight.
She is brave.
The sun rises on the horizon, the wind is brisk on the faces of the three of you. You each remember wandering the wilds, over the past week or so. You each bring a tenacity to live...survive. You band together for greater odds of surviving the unforgiving wilds around you. Snakes, ferocious great cats, even the tiny spider could spell your doom...if the sweltering heat or frigid cold don’t claim your body first.
Cartimandua, your tribe views weapons as a sign of weakness. Even ifbyour family has great respect throughout the tribe, your reliance on weapons has brought shame to your tribe, it’s people...and most importantly your kin. You see the backs of your tribe as the chieftain tosses you into the wilderness. While you may not possess great hunting or tracking skills, you’ve managed to stave off death by killing a few small game animals with your “forbidden weapons”.
Kyras, your skill in healing and knowledge of natural work around you isn’t matched by many from your tribe with such “real life” experience as you. However, after your return from the wilds, you tried to find your way back into the tribe. While not many voiced their concerns at first, you always felt as if the tribe was judging you, discriminating against you and your highly unusual “pet” titanboa. After a few months, the elder chieftain had succumb to the pressure of keeping peace within her tribe. You were exiled, all the while whispers were still flying around the tribe. With a heavy heart, the chief woman banished you of your seventeenth birthday, it was either banishment or getting stoned to death out of fear. At least you had a small chance with being thrown out.
You look around for the third that was thrown out to perish. You had slept next to him, but perhaps he woke early to find a meal before the meal found him.
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Kryas picks himself up off the ground, he seems oddly unbothered, not caring about his current dilemma. Despite his skinny appearance he has an oddly enchanting air about him, his red and black massive snake slithering around him as if a bodyguard. Without saying much he begins hobbling around, surveying the area, looking for food for his coming journey.
Fenal marches back into the camp, carrying 5 dead squirrels.
"I've found breakfast for the three of us. Sorry, didn't find enough for that great beast of yours. I hope that he's eaten recently"
As he tosses the squirrels by the fire one of them suddenly rises and flies of its own accord into the flames
"Riger, stop that! There is no reason to be rude!. Chinkmek. would you please be good enough to pick up that one before it burns?"
The squirrel in the flame slowly rises and floats to where the other dead squirrels lie, landing gently among them
"Thank you Chinkmek, I appreciate it"
A small songbird that was on Fenal's shoulder takes to the air and addresses the other two
"Come on you two! He brought in the squirrels, seems only fair that you should dress and cook them. Hurry up! I'm hungry"
Cartimandua thank Fenal for the squirrels with a nod of her head and sits to let it finish cooking before eating it.
Fenal comes back with a few squirrels, even though one appears to be “alive” as they cook. It appears that whatever seems to show interest in him, cares not for the two of you knowing about it. The squirrel is tossed back out of the fire moments after it is singed.
Fenal is accustomed to what he calls spirits toting with him. A few more bites after the meat cooks, off in the distance you see a half-bred orc wander towards your makeshift encampment. He is clearly alone, and when he is 100 paces away, the scars on his body tell his tale before he even speaks. You can only presume his is an outcast...much like yourselves. His tribe humiliated him before casting him to be reclaimed by the land.
After a brief questioning, you take a survey of the surrounding land. To the north, you see mountains off in the distance. To the east you see more plains as far as you can see. To the south there is more plains, with what looks to be spotted with the tops of trees. The trees could be sparse, or it could be the beginning of jungle. To the west, you can see rolling hills, and plains. The only question now, which direction to take.
Cartimandua points at the direction she thinks is better for them.
"That way... we should find food and shelter."
The half-orc sniffs at the air, smelling fire, heading in the direction of... cooking food. He grins when he sees they're a small group and reaches behind him for his greataxe, though the closer he gets, the more he realizes they're just like him, not having much. He relaxes a bit and, if they'll let him, will sit with them and decide where to go. "Payngor. Nice to meet all of ya."
Then he contemplates the directions to go. "Mountains likely mean shelter in a cave, but no food. Plains and hills have food, no shelter. I'd say we go south. Trees are good for cover and hunting."
But that was just from his limited experience living out on his own. The orcs had preferred mountains, but also raided for food often. Possibly due to said lack of food.
Cartimandua surveys the lands, taking in all variables. She takes in bits and pieces of the others opinions; which are correct. The mountains would likely have caves for shelter, which hardy animals like boars, and goats amongst its dwellers. The potential jungle would have pseudo-shelter, but probably more food sources.
Being a Highlander herself, Cartinadua points north, towards the mountains.
Payngor looks towards the mountains and shrugs. "Good a direction as any. Might as well stick together, protect each other." So long as they weren't near orcs or small villages of humans, it ultimately didnt matter to him if they were in the mountains or the jungle, though he did wince slightly, remembering the last time he'd been atop a cliff. Still, he was ready to go when the others were.
Your group starts to head towards the mountain range off in the northern distance. The day passes, uneventful. The sun beats down on you, but it’s a mild day for the heat. The evening goes by as well without interruption. The next day you continue you journey, as the mountains get closer and Cartimandua can tell that you will reach the base by nightfall.
It’s midday of your second day, and the sun is dipping in and out of the clouds. You catch the glimpse of a boar in the distance, grazing on a small patch of tall grasses.
She will signal the others to keep quiet, and then move her arm in a rounding movement, trying to convey the idea that she will try to stealthy get behind the boar, so it is surrounded.
(+1 if on hilly or rocky areas)
Cartimandua knows the most efficient way to trap a boar is with a snare system that has a way to deal damage. Boars are known for having thick, tough hides.
Cartimandua moves slowly, and steadily. She starts to loop around the prey, whom is too focused on its meal to notice her. She notices that this is not a normal boar. It has sharp, pointy spines around its head and neck to dissuade becoming a meal for bigger hunters.
"I'm not overwhelmingly good at sneaking. Perhaps I should drive the boar towards you?"
"I'll fly overhead and keep an eye out for other predators. Also will make sure we don't lose it if it runs away"
Payngor grins, pulling out his axe just in case things went awry with the sneaking option, staying back-the thick layers of hide on him made him a bit clumsy, and didn't want to alert the creature-but you could be damn sure he'd be ready to tear into it when if it came at him
"That's a nasty one. I've seen em before. They're... and in a hushed tone, he describes what the creature is.
Cartimandua recognizes that the creature is a bristle boar. They weigh in at about 200 pounds, and stand 4 feet off the ground. They are cousins to your normal woodland boar, but these variety are more aggressive and even more ill tempered than the basic ones. Their spines remind you of a porcupine, jagged and viscous looking. They have a thick hide prove ding ample protection from threats.
Cartimandua tries to set up the snare. using one of her javelins as the projectile.
Cartimandua feels that he snare is positioned perfectly between herself and the beast.
Cartimandua moves away from the snare as if running away from the beast as if fleeing. She tries to keep the snare between the beast and her.
Cart 12
Fen 20
Kyras 12
Payngor 17
Boar 9
Cartimandua runs from the snare and while far enough away she reveals herself to the prey, enciting fear and anger in the beast. The boar, charges at the meaty food source, and triggers the snare trap. Cartimandua hears the *twang* of the snare releasing. The angered beast is wounded, and isn’t quick to react from the wound.
Watching as Cartmandua led the boar into v the trap, though upon seeing that the Trap didn't kill the Beast, he swore. Bursting from the bushes, eyes red with Fury, he charged the Beast, brandishing his axe wildly.
Fenal stands back and throws a spear at the boar
"Hah. Take THAT"
Cartimandua charges the beast, drawing her boar-spear while she does so.
Fenal
Payngor
Kyras
Cartimandua
Boar (-19)
Kryas sends his pet snake forward to hit at the spiny boar. The snake bites air, but the fangs come close to its target. Payngor charges forward, axe swung in a viscous arc. It clangs hard on the ground, sending reverberations through his body. Fenal tosses a spear at the boar, it sticks in the beasts tough hide. It roars in pain. In this moment of pain, Cartimandua rushes forward, delivering a powerful blow of her own to the formidable foe.
The boar, with multiple wounds on its body tries to gore Payngor. It’s sharp tusks dog into Payngor’s thigh. Blood pours from the wound.
Looking down at his bleeding thigh made him even angrier. Gritting his teeth, he choked up on the handle of his weapon. Trying to focus on killing the boar, he swung his axe once more, aiming to bring it right between the creature's eyes.
Payngor turns the axe on its side at the last possible second, managing no to avoid shattering it tiny pieces. He is unable to get out of the way of the sharp spines as one breaks off in his thigh. Blood trickles from the open wound, even if it’s at a slow pace. He retaliates against the equally raging enemy, and slams the sharp axe head into the beasts head, splitting it open like a melon. The beast crumples to the ground, motionless. Might makes right, and the beast should just how deadly it could have been.
Falling to the ground with a hearty laugh, Payngor fell on his back next to the dead boar, laughing loudly for a moment until he looked down to see the spine sticking out of his leg. "Can't have that"
Sitting up, grunting in pain, he tried to pull it out himself and, using part of the rags he was wearing, tie it around thew wound in his leg
Unable to really get to it based on where the wound was, he couldn't apply pressure and deal with the wound on his own. He grunted, then sighed, almost reluctantly calling out "Could use help here..."
Cartimandua, fumbling somewhat, kneels next to Payngor and helps to press on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
The spine doesn’t budge, but it appears the wounds still trickles despite his gruff exterior.
Cartimandua than kneels next to Payngor, wrapping the cloth around and a better angle. She manages to get a good grip on the spine, and yank it out of his leg. Blood trickles, but soon stops as the reason for the bleeding wound is gone.
"Then stop talking and do it! He is in a bad shape!"
Cartimandua breathes more easily after Payngor is healed.
She turns to see Kryas.
"We will need to have more of these encounters if you want to eat!"
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beasts like that can feed us for a few days at a time. In between hunts we can gather and forage along with the meat. While we search for a place to set up. It might also be better to hunt different prey, other herbivores. Fish maybe as well he has a calm demeanor and voice as if ready considering the possibilities.
Cartimandua easily gathers one spine, as the others are too brittle or small to be effective. Kryas tends to Payngor’s wounds. After a few moments, the thigh wound closes, all that is left is a microscopic scar.
You gather your prized boar meat, and head towards the mountains in hopes of reaching the base by nightfall. The trek is bland, nothing but grassland. Luckily, that also means you aren’t being stalked like wild game by bigger hunters. You indeed reach the base of the mountains, just as the orange ball of warmth is setting behind the mountains.
Kryas, given enough time constructs a small fire to both keep warm, and cook a bit of the boar meat you hunted. The night goes by, getting colder by the hour. Your teeth chatter, but you are otherwise no worse for wear. In the morning you all rise, and prepare to investigate the mountains.
"Well done Payngor"
Cartimandua will try to make a dagger from the spine.
If successful, she will offer the dagger to Payngor.