"Oleg I understand you got that suit of plate mail I ordered. That's good news! Once we sort out the items we have for sale and I count up how much money I have, I'll pay you what I can towards it. Do you have any masterwork saddles in stock?"
"Oleg I understand you got that suit of plate mail I ordered. That's good news! Once we sort out the items we have for sale and I count up how much money I have, I'll pay you what I can towards it. Do you have any masterwork saddles in stock?"
"If we're going after the mites I suggest that everyone stock up on cold iron weapons and ammuntion. Fey have an aversion to that metal for some reason so every hit packs more bite. Hell, if Oleg is expecting more merchants on the way we may as well wait out the next 2 days here. The last time we unloaded our spoils here we bled the man's wallet dry, we stand to make a good deal of money if we sell all of the junk we're carrying around. Then we can just turn around and stock up before going after the mite nest."
Yeh - waiting for a day or two is no problem. Or we could shoot up to Restov to liquidate our expensive goods.
"Sitting around here would drive me crazy. Let us head to the unexplored hex just north of the mite's layer and scout it out. This should only take two days, including travel time."
If we are going back out, lets get that whole area and hit the mites while we are at it. We have several cold iron weapons. Lets get all three areas, the mites, the one above and the one to the right. Then return. We can probably leave anything we want here with Oleg so that it gets sold to these traveling merchants and does not deplete his stock.
The only thing is that I am not sure Cambyl is up for it. Despite Lukan's love of his keg, I think that he is not up for more travel right now and without him we are a little weak in healing.
"We can scout it out. Map the area above the mark and search around for the nest the next day to get a feel for what we're up against. Afterwards we can come back here and stock up accordingly."
"We can scout it out. Map the area above the mark and search around for the nest the next day to get a feel for what we're up against. Afterwards we can come back here and stock up accordingly."
Yup - sounds like one hex - in, out, and back to Olegs
.
The night you arrive a new traveller arrives at the gate. Here, Kesten shouts out over the wall.
"Who goes there?!" keeping his hand on his sword as he sees this stranger approch.
The thin wiry figure looks up from his well cared for horse seeming to wake up from a long nap. He wears an outfit that seems sewntogether from the hides of numerous small animals and seems to have almost his entire bodyweight in hair on his head and face. The scraggly ill tempered bird perching on his shoulder gives an angry screech and the man bats it off his shoulder as it takes wing and flaps jerkedly to a nearby tree and screeches again. "Damn bird I tol ya bout screaming in mah ear! Do it again and I'll cook ya! Not that there'd be anything ta eat!"
Upon hearing the question Telias furrows his eyebrows and seems to study the man a long time with the sort of glare an old man would give a young child after he unleashes a string of curse words. "I'm Oleg's neighbor up north. Who the hell're you? He can't afford proper guards and a bandit wouldn't bother ta ask 'fore he'd shoot ya."
The thin wiry figure looks up from his well cared for horse seeming to wake up from a long nap. He wears an outfit that seems sewntogether from the hides of numerous small animals and seems to have almost his entire bodyweight in hair on his head and face. The scraggly ill tempered bird perching on his shoulder gives an angry screech and the man bats it off his shoulder as it takes wing and flaps jerkedly to a nearby tree and screeches again. "Damn bird I tol ya bout screaming in mah ear! Do it again and I'll cook ya! Not that there'd be anything ta eat!"
Upon hearing the question Telias furrows his eyebrows and seems to study the man a long time with the sort of glare an old man would give a young child after he unleashes a string of curse words. "I'm Oleg's neighbor up north. Who the hell're you? He can't afford proper guards and a bandit wouldn't bother ta ask 'fore he'd shoot ya."
Kesten is a little taken aback by the surly man, but calls for the gates to be opened.
"We were sent by the swordlords. We are the contingent he asks for." he says proudly, however you know as well as any of Oleg's friends that he asked for a larger group than the one here months in advance and even sent multiple messages in fear of the first ones being lost.
Telias guides his horse inside and takes a brief look at the small collection of armed men. "Scuse my rudeness yer honor." Telias says but only half sarcastically "Hard to recognize a fine body of hard military men what with all the lack of men ye have. Where's Oleg I just got back from the sworlord's meself. I'm one of the poor bastards they suckered into doing their job for em. Erastil bugger me why they thought I'd need a godsblersted piece of paper ta do it with."
The bird, giving a screech launches itself to one of the posts surrounding the trading posts and stares long and hard inside giving the look of tireless concentration before relieving himself over the side and relaxing into a grooming session. The horse , for its own part looks in askance at passer's by perhaps in the vain hope of receiving small gifts of food.
Hearing Kesten shouting outside:
Perhaps the merchants are early. Lets see if our brave lead soldier needs any help.
I walk outside to see what all the shouting is about just in time to see the gates being opened and a rather disheveled individual coming in.
Good evening . . . friend. You are just in time to help Oleg finish off the last of dinner.
"Over here Telias." Oleg calls over exiting the small tavern area of the outpost. "The warriors of the greenbelt have made names for themselves. They have arrested many of the bandits that were plagueing me and brought the heads of local Tatzlwyrms."
Jameson walks outside to find out what is going on. Upon seeing the new arrival he leans against a wall and watches the proceedings.
"Ganit I think we have a new best friend for Lukan. This should be entertaining."
Telias is taken aback by the sudden materilization of a woman that was not Svetlana. He seems at a loss for a response when Oleg shows up and stops him from needing to ask or answer any awkward questions. He walks up to him leaving the scent of wild animal and horse behind him as he goes and walks straight up to Oleg. "So I delivered dat letter like ya assed me to. Royal bastards are too busy jerking their swords around ta give a damn about us folk down 'ere."
With that Telias pulls a weathered piece of parchment from his backpack and shows the charater to Oleg. "Lookit this. An official letter of "go away and deal wit yer own problems". Don't we pay our taxes? Okay, well, maybe you do. 'snow yer telling me we traded one band of bloodthirsty brigands fer another?"
"Watch your tongue!" Lukan pushes the door open just after Jameson, squaring himself off towards the fur ball of a man. "Those 'Royal Bastards' have sent quite a bit of support down to this god-forsaken land without receiving much in return." He watches as the man pulls a charter, similar to his own out and swears under his breath, loud enough for Jameson and Carina to hear, "By Erastil. Don't tell me I have to deal with this man."
"A man opposed to dealing with his own problems are you? Well then, perhaps you should not complain about us bloodthirsty brigands." Lukan looks to those who have made it outside. "You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the peace we have brought to these lands. I'm sure your pets would enjoy your company more than we would, judging by your impudent behavior so far."
Looking from Lukan to the newcomer and back.
Gentlemen, I see two ways out of this. We have you two get into a fistfight, or we all go in, drink Oleg's ale and eat Svetlana's food. Personally I would prefer the latter as these guys, as good as they are with swords, are terrible cooks on the trail. But, if it is a fistfight, I will cheerfully watch until I get bored and then put you all to sleep.
I then turn and begin to go back into the main hall.
Diplomacy:
"Watch your tongue!" Lukan pushes the door open just after Jameson, squaring himself off towards the fur ball of a man. "Those 'Royal Bastards' have sent quite a bit of support down to this god-forsaken land without receiving much in return." He watches as the man pulls a charter, similar to his own out and swears under his breath, loud enough for Jameson and Carina to hear, "By Erastil. Don't tell me I have to deal with this man."
"A man opposed to dealing with his own problems are you? Well then, perhaps you should not complain about us bloodthirsty brigands." Lukan looks to those who have made it outside. "You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the peace we have brought to these lands. I'm sure your pets would enjoy your company more than we would, judging by your impudent behavior so far."
While Lukan rants Telias reaches into his pockets and pulls out a long wooden pipe and casually fills it with a pinch of tobacco. As Lukan watches he snaps his fingers and a tiny blue flame emerges on them. Lighting his pipe he nods at Lukan. "Hot headed too. Piece of advice son; think about what you're screaming before you get worked up. Ain't no royals here, ain't no cities, and the only armies out here ain't on your side. And this?" Telias pats the pocket with the charter. "Don't mean spit here. Out there?" Telias waves his pipe in the general direction of the south. "Dere's things out there that don't care about whatever peace you bring with you and even less about whatever paper you're holding at them. They'd take you apart two, three times over before you invoke a single royal's authority. Now I reckon yer a good kid, prolly don't know any better so I'll let it slide. Now before you start up again and upset my neighbor here some more maybe you should start with a polite introduction." Telias proffers a calloused dirty hand. "Telias Markan."
"Men give things meaning, and I intend to bring meaning to these lands." He keeps his composure, having only blurted out once when leaving the room, "And you are nigh mistaken if you think I hide behind parchments or royal decree." Another braggart about what he has seen and what are in these lands. He sighs. "You have been the one disturbing the peace around here. Do not try to play games, old man." Lukan returns inside with Carina and goes to back to his plate.
"You called it, brother." Ganit replies to the knight standing beside him as he takes a few bites of a roll through a bearded grin. He raises his eyebrows to the soldier as he comes back into the tavern and asks in a condesending tone, "Making friends are we?"
"An experienced woodsman can always find himself useful around here. My name is Ganit D'Artain," he reaches for Telias's hand in replacement of Lukan's. "So long as you keep your eyes open and stay out of the way of my arrows we should be able to survive eachother's company."
Shaking Ganit's hand Telias nods in acknowledgement of the actual politeness shown. "Not sure I'd call myself a woodsman. Makes it sound like a profession when no one's paid me fer it. Also don't make it a habit of steppin in da way 'o peoples arrows. Hope the rest of you are at least as polite as you or as easy on the eyes as yer..uh..woman friend is. As for what I do?"
Telias smiles broadly and instead of the crescent moon of cavities, black teeth and cracked yellow fangs you were expecting you instead see a perfect set of white, straight, and clean looking teeth. "Let's just say I'm a man of the woods rather than the other way 'round."
Telias turns back to oleg. "Sorry didn't bring ya any venison this trip. Had ta take care o dis wretched business. Now it looks like we're the ones that have to hang all the bandits 'round here." Telias shakes his head. "And now it's official."
Grinning and offering my hand. Pleased to meet you Telias. I am Carina - here for the off color jokes and to keep the rest of these scoundrels from killing each other.
Oh, and we tend to not hang the bandits, uses too much rope and might hurt the trees. Instead we just pile them on the wagon and bring them back for the sword lords to deal with. Originally I wanted to use them as fertilizer, but Ganit thought they might poison the ground.
"Honestly Carina, how are we to bring civilization to these lands if we are not civil ourselves? You speak of hating orcs only to act much like them."
Jameson turns to the newcomer.
"You may call me James."
Carina rolls her eyes at James and grins.
Taking a drag off his pipe and letting a cloud of smoke rise into the air and nods an acknowledgement. "James, Carina, what's the name of your easily upset young friend there?"
Telias points to the hawk who is staring at them i n that vacant predatory way birds tend to. "That there is ratbreath." The hawk screeches in response and Telias turns to the hawk. "You shut yer stinkin beak and be polite around the woman ya foul mouthed varmint!" Chastised the hawk hisses and goes back to preening its ever ruffled feathers. "Wel, 'spose we should get inside and talk about turning bandits to fertilizer and keeping ya from shootin decent folk by accident."
Turning my head in Lukan's direction.
That would be Lukan. He is good with his sword. Tries to be good with his tongue, but it tends to get tied up a lot. It will likely take a while, but I assume he will soften up eventually. Just try to keep from upsetting his view of law and justice.
Come in and join us, I think there is a little of Svetlana's fine food left, and Oleg always has some fine ale and mead available.
"Don't worry about the Venison, Telias. We've been getting more interested merchants since the bandits 'ere have left us alone, for now." he says, though there is a obvious look of concern on his face. "The local kobolds and mites have starts up fights again't eachother. God's know why. Could be arguing over who's the worse smellin' or most ugly."
"Which group would you say is currently more powerful Oleg? Also, do you know anybody here that can speak...boggard was it?"
"Don't worry about the Venison, Telias. We've been getting more interested merchants since the bandits 'ere have left us alone, for now." he says, though there is a obvious look of concern on his face. "The local kobolds and mites have starts up fights again't eachother. God's know why. Could be arguing over who's the worse smellin' or most ugly."
"Good!" Telias says taking a puff of his pipe. "Couldn't deserve each other more far as I'm concerned."
"Good!" Telias says taking a puff of his pipe. "Couldn't deserve each other more far as I'm concerned."
"Then you'll be happy to know that we aim to storm the mite's den," Ganit tells the haggard trader through a mouthful of Svetlana's stew; an action that results in a slew of broth and diced radishes to spill into the wiry nest of his beard. He slurps a bit back into his mouth and swallows before continuing on, "So stock up on cold iron if you plan to join us. I'm guessing they didn't hand you that charter just to tug on your short n' curlies. We leave tomorrow. After the rest of the merchants arrive so we can relieve ourselves of the spoils we've gathered thus far."
"Good!" Telias says taking a puff of his pipe. "Couldn't deserve each other more far as I'm concerned.""Then you'll be happy to know that we aim to storm the mite's den," Ganit tells the haggard trader through a mouthful of Svetlana's stew; an action that results in a slew of broth and diced radishes to spill into the wiry nest of his beard. He slurps a bit back into his mouth and swallows before continuing on, "So stock up on cold iron if you plan to join us. I'm guessing they didn't hand you that charter just to tug on your short n' curlies. We leave tomorrow. After the rest of the merchants arrive so we can relieve ourselves of the spoils we've gathered thus far."
Telias nibbles on his pipe for a second and then stares at Ganit. "Why would you go and do somethin' like that?"
"Are you asking after our reasons for selling spoils of battle or attacking the mites? For the first we require the money to resupply ourselves. For the second the mites have Svetlana's ring by way of Kessel, and so we need to recover it."
"Are you asking after our reasons for selling spoils of battle or attacking the mites? For the first we require the money to resupply ourselves. For the second the mites have Svetlana's ring by way of Kessel, and so we need to recover it."
"'Spose I can't rightly fault ya then. Figured it'd be better just to let the little bastards murder each other to their black little hearts satisfaction."
Much as I would enjoy watching them kill one another, and evil usually does a good job of culling itself out, I do not think that our charters involve sitting back and waiting for nature - or unnature - to take its course.
As James said, our plan is to see if we can find these mites and get Svetlana's ring back. And then it is onward further south where the big game supposedly resides.
Much as I would enjoy watching them kill one another, and evil usually does a good job of culling itself out, I do not think that our charters involve sitting back and waiting for nature - or unnature - to take its course.
As James said, our plan is to see if we can find these mites and get Svetlana's ring back. And then it is onward further south where the big game supposedly resides.
After the night you set out the morning, heading down south as you suggested. The first area you pass the bones, many appear to be missing and possibly scavenged by something whilst the old spider's body appears to have been torn apart by wild animals, leaving only a few peices left behind.
Now roughly 11am you arrive in a new area and just as you decide to map out and note down the area you notice a particilarly rocky crag rises up from the hills which Ganit spots there is a large overgrown 5ft crack. Large enough for anyone to enter with ease.
Group Perception:
Catrina Stigard:
The Hermit Ganit D'Artain:
Jameson Addercop IV:
Sir Bronwyn Raslov:
Lukan Swane "Swaney":
Telias Markan:
What do you think is in the crack? Didn't you guys find some fawns in the last hole you investigated in this area?
Ganit tugs at Felicity's reins, stopping her short of the cave's mouth by about 20ft. "There was a hell of a more gore and viscera to greet us at the last one, nevertheless we went stumbling on in to find a pair of giants." He slings his left leg over her saddle and allows the momentum to pull the rest of his body to the ground. He reaches over his shoulder to retrieve the base of the sunrod sticking out from the covering flap of his rucksack and carefully jiggles it out of the supplies stacked atop of it and walks slowly towards to the peculiar crack in the hillside with, carrying his new axe by the middle shaft. In mid-stride the ranger calls back to the crowd, "Don't everybody come at once." He then stoops over the crack carefully and peers down as far as he can see.
He then takes note of the area surrounding the entrance, searching for any well traveled patches of dirt that may suggest something residing inside.
"Do this one the same as the last, line the outside with bear traps and send in a few people to check it out? Those nasty little things make for a good line of defense while retreating."
Lukan closely follows alongside Ganit with sword and shield at the ready. He travels to the opposite side of the entrance, waiting to flank anything that may jump out. He takes a quick look down into the chasm.
He looks to Ganit after the ranger provides a suggestion and shakes his head, "Who knows how narrow it becomes down there. A hasty escape does not look possible. Didn't someone mention these creatures as being small? I'm sure they would have the advantage and overtake anyone fairly quickly. I should head first, shield at the ready, with the rest following close behind, arrows knocked and spells ready."
He looks back to Telias and sarcastically snarks, "That is unless our more 'seasoned' members have a better idea."
There doesn't appear to be any nearby footprints that would lead you to believe that anything has entered or left this cave in quite a while.
As Lukan looks inside, he uses his torch to get a better look and the walls appear to be covered in gold coloured stones reflecting off the torch light.
Just as anyone can assume, the walls are covered in a natural ore of pure 24 carrot gold. This must be a source of gold that Oleg heard about. Possibly had been here since the settlers from Taldor came here. It appears as if thereis still plenty of gold to be mined and would be a great place to start a mining operation.
"Hmmm. Anyone know anything about mining or prospecting? You might want to take a look in here." Lukan points inside the cavern.
I look into the mine, letting my dark vision show as much as I can.
Appraise:
Well, if we want to make a gold mine, this would be a great place to start. Looks like pure 24 carrot gold in there.
Telias watches the crag cautiously but otherwise makes no comment. Grumbling under his breath at the mention of mining.
"Donal loves carrots. Ah, my mistake, a mine full of carrots would be gold for a herd of horses. Does it appear that anybody has claimed it? I've heard prospectors can be a cantankerous breed."
Perhaps Lukan and Telias know them.