"That is fine, as long as we don't fall asleep from being awake too long, who is taking the next shift after Bran and I? Wouldn't want to wake the wrong person!"
Looking up and down the room I really hope this place is well and truly abandoned, the middle of the night would be the worst time to find something or someone moved in when the soldiers moved out...
"Well, if the gate has a typical bar-and-latch assembly, we can just hang the lock on the inside," says Ivo. "If not, I might be able to rig up something so that we can loop the chain through some hook or latch on the gate and the wall, double the chain back on itself and run the lock through that, so you can't unloop the chain without undoing the lock. Should keep us safe and snug inside."
"I need sleep like anyone else but I have pretty good eyes in the dusk or dawn and I don't have to do any kind of... magic stuff," he adds helpfully.
Seeing the large interior, Bran makes up his mind and brings Borne on in. "I'll get you out of the cold, no worry," Bran whispers to him, rubbing him down to warm the animal. Bringing out some feed from its pack, Bran gets the donkey situated, then takes a seat and begins to brush out his tail with long strokes.
Tove dismounts her horse with practised grace once the group is within the walls of the Fort.
She takes up Ros' bridle in her hands and leads the horse over to the stables, looking around for any extra feed or straw to keep her steed warm in the night. "I'm sorry it's so cold out here girl, perhaps we can find a way to bring you inside."
Tove only packed enough feed for Ros for one day, intending to stretch that over the two-day journey and let her horse graze to make up the rest of its requirements.
Once the animals are fed and bedded down Tove joins the others inside the Keep and pulls out some rations she retrieved from Ros' saddle bags. "I can take the last watch before dawn, I wake early anyway."
Taking Ros into the small stable located behind the keep, Tove searches around inside the structure and finds a barrel containing enough grain to feed a horse, pony, or mule for five days.
Realising Torsten had already called the last watch, Tove will take second-to-last.
The night goes by rather uneventfully, but fortunately inside the warmth of the fort as opposed to out in the frigid temperatures of the night.
You awaken to a cold but sunny morning. A fine layer of snow covers the ground and the road, but many tufts of grasses and other plant life peek out from beneath the snow.
With a new spell prepared in the morning, Torsten cleans out much of the mess that a donkey, a goat, a wolf and five people can create in the great hall before the others awake. "Right to leave this place as good as we found it, eh?"
Greypelt stays curled up around Bran as he sits in the courtyard, brushing his tail. He hums as he does, focusing on that connection with magic that he has and communing with it. The mixture of both spring and winter felt great as life began to spring up throughout the earth.
Tove spends some time meditating in the stable. When she is finished, she repacks Ros' saddlebags, reorganising things to fit the extra day's worth of feed left over from the barrel she found. Once that is done she saddles up her horse and brings it around to the front of the keep.
"Ready to head out."
In the evening, Ivo fiddles with some kind of small spring-coil mechanism, but eventually gets frustrated and puts it away. He gives his pony some casual attention with brushing and feeding, but doesn't seem especially skilled in that regard.
In the morning, slightly bleary-eyed, he says, "So what's the plan for the next stage? Ride through the day and camp, then finish the trip the next day?" He withdraws a pair of fingerless knitted gloves and puts them on, then rubs his hands together for warmth against the snow.
I watch in wonder as the toymaker easily deals with the large lock, and then step inside with everyone. Rufus watches Greypelt run off and considers going,but decides to stay with me. I sit down by the fire once it is roaring and pull out my rations and the remainder of the days meat for Rufus.
Once we have finished eating I take off Rufus' armour and then take my own off, it takes a while but I manage it with denting or scuffing the armour. "I can take any watch as long as this fire goes all night."
In the morning I half up another days worth of rations and meat and have a good breakfast before doing an hour of swordsmanship. Afterwards I use my armour as a mirror and making myself look good, then I put armour back on again. I struggle with my own, but eventually get it on. "Let's go then."
"Theodore, you mind if I use your armor to do my hair as well? It can be a bit of a challenge sometimes... I'm ready to go whenever you all are, don't have much to pack and I don't need to prepare any spells or the like."
Razarak bends down to look at himself in Theodores armor, then stands up and looks around, "you all ready? Let's go!
The group eats a quick breakfast and cleans up before gathering their things and heading out on the road again. The morning is cold, but the rising sun behind them warms the party's backs as they travel.
By mid-day the meager amount of snow that hand fallen overnight is but a memory as the temperatures rises to a cool, but certainly more comfortable level. Shortly after lunch the party's journey on the South Rostland Road turns north and away from the banks of the Shrike River to stay within Brevoy's borders.
By time night-fall arrives, the winds are beginning to pick up a bit but the temperature still remains tolerable as the group comes across a suitable area to make camp for the night.
"it's starting to get dark, we should start thinking about setting a camp. I say we should set up near the trees, break the wind and kinda provide some cover if we decide to set up a fire. What do you all think?"
Razarak starts looking around for a suitable campsite, trying to find somewhere that is a little elevated, and dry.
Hopefully we don't get into any trouble tonight...
I smile as Razarak asks to use my armour, "By all means, go ahead. Always have to look out best for any unexpected situation." Once he has finished I climb up onto Rufus' back once more and set off.
I am loving the warmth of the sun and while I am relaxed, I do keep an eye out for any danger. The day passes too quickly though, as all the best do. At the mention of camp I let Rufus go and hunt for some game and also try to find a decent spot to set up. "The trees as a wind break sounds good, lets have a look. "
Finding what I think is the perfect spot I unravel my tent and begin setting it up. Once I have finished I get to building a small fire for warmth mainly, but also usable for cooking.
Ivo accompanies Razarak in looking for an elevated, somewhat-less-snowy spot.
"Snow will be less likely to linger on areas covered in tree litter," he says helpfully. "Large rocks will tend to stay covered because the rock stays cold underneath the snow."
Tove enjoys the day spent riding with the sun on their backs. She watches the birds dart from tree to tree along the side of the road. When the group stops for lunch she allows Ros some time to graze what grass there is free from the weight of her saddle.
When the others have found a suitable campsite Tove dismounts and pulls out her small tent, rolling it out and setting up near the tree line before heading over to the fire to warm her hands.
Bran follows behind the others, not making much conversation. As they stop for the night, Greypelt once again silently heads off to hunt for a few hours. Bran pulls out his bedroll, the most he ever prefers when outside. Making sure Borne is situated and taken care of, Bran sits and begins his brushing once more.
It feels like a longer day for Torsten than some. Horses. I must learn how to ride some day.
At the campsite Torsten moves some dead branches to improve the windbreak before laying down his bedroll. "The same watches as last night, or does anyone feel like a change? Without stone walls there might be more to see, for good or ill."
"Greypelt will be a while, so I'm fine with taking the same watch," Bran says.
Still warming my hands by the fire as well as making sure that it won't go out at all, I look into the dancing embers and flames. "I'll take any watch, as long as the fire's still going."
"I'm gonna hunt some rabbit before it's totally dark. I'll, uh, try not to get lost," says Ivo as he strings his shortbow. "Maybe I can flush them out toward Rufus or even toward the camp."
"I will take the same watch as last night, unless anyone else wanted it then I'll switch, I don't mind either way"
I think I'm going to climb up into this tree to keep watch, plus keeps me off the ground...
Razarak starts tossing a rope into the tree, until he manages to finally get the end of it far enough over the biggest branch to grab it and pull it down, "Bran, do you mind holding onto this end of the rope so I can climb up in this tree?"
While the majority of the party sets up the campsite for the night, Rufus goes out on the prowl for food. Ivo is able to shoot a rabbit and about the time the rabbit is gutted, skinned and ready for the fire, Rufus returns dragging a deer faun.
The party eats well tonight and Rufus and Greypelt are only too happy to partake of the evening's kills as well. The moon is nearly full and bright tonight, only occasionally being obscured by a passing cloud.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
During the second watch, Ivo notices something moving in the brush to southwest, a stocky, muscular mammal, the size of a badger, its snarling lips revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth.
Before he can react, the snarling creature is upon Ivo and clawing and ripping at the gnome's flesh.
Initiative Order:
Creature - Done
Torsten - Sleeping
Ivo
Theodore - Sleeping
Bran - Sleeping
Tove
Razarak - Sleeping
Tove yells out for the others to wake as she rushes over to where Ivo struggles with the strange beast, trying to get a look at the creature.
When she gets a chance, she lays her hands on the gnome's back and channels Erastil's healing energy to him.
Razarak, hearing Tove, stands up and casts shield on himself, then glances around and sees who is still sleeping.
Strauch wakes instantly and nips Torsten to get him up faster. Torsten bewilderedly slaps Strauch, saying "Ternesj eligne wux!". The goat's hair takes on a granite glitter as he moves towards the creature.
"AAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhheeeeeee..." Ivo's initial scream of pain trails off like a tea kettle whistle.
"AAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhheeeeeee..." Ivo's initial scream of pain trails off like a tea kettle whistle.
A light sleeper, Bran is up in a moment when the scream cries out. Jumping up, Bran closes his eyes and focuses on that small, formless energy within. With a steady chant, Bran releases a stream of greenish energy into Greypelt.
What's going on? Bran wonders, now trying to see what made the noise.
At the sound of snarling I stir in my sleep, but when Tove calls out for aid my eyes flicker open, "Huh, my turn for watch now?" It is then that I notice Rufus bound off towards the rest of the group. I exit my tent and finally see what is happening I draw my blade and move towards the danger.
"what is that thing?? Razarak says while looking around at his companions
Ivo's screams are more than enough to wake the party.
The tinkerer scurries away from the creature , making room for his more martially inclined companions, while Theodore, Rufus, and Strauch move in. Razarak and Torsten cast spells, in preparation for combat while Tove casts a curative spell on the wounded rogue.
With Ivo away, the fierce creature turns its attention to Rufus, claws and teeth doing significant harm to Theodore's trusty mount.
Initiative Order:
Creature - Done
Torsten
Theodore
Bran
Tove
Razarak
Ivo
"A wolverine! We may have inadvertently set up camp too near its den!" Tove calls out in response to Razarak.
Directing her attention to the beast. She speaks to it in a soothing voice. "Easy there, creature of these woods, we mean you no ill in travelling these lands."
Moving to noble Rufus' side, Tove looks over the wolf's wounds.
"You have done well this night, Rufus, now take in Erastil's holy blessings."
Looking at the blood and fur flying Torsten decides to drop some true magic into the battle to end it sooner."Wait for me Strauch, then attack its left!" Torsten moves up a little to get a clearer view then pulls out the dab of butter and flicks a bit at the creature. As he speaks words of power the tiny bit expands into a great flying blob of grease which engulfs the area around and behind it.
Razarak will move within 25 feet of the wolverine, and cast jolt (edit) on his turn
I wince as Rufus lets out a yelp of pain and rush to try to defend my companion.
Rufus although hurt and in a lot of pain tries to retaliate on the creature that has wounded him.
He lunges forwards, snarling and growling and manages to bite the creature on the leg and tries to shake it to the floor.
- Pass
The wolverine manages to keep its footing, in spite of Torsten's grease spell and Rufus's tugging on its leg.
Meanwhile, Tove comes around and heals the overwhelming majority of the damage done to Rufus, while Razarak blasts the beast with a small jolt of electricity.
A strong musky odor fills the area as the wolverine seems to be getting even angrier.
A wolverine, Bran thinks, closing his eyes. This is not a fair fight, but a fight it is.
Sighing, Bran picks up his bow and orders Greypelt to attack. Carefully aiming, Bran sends an arrow after Greypelt at the wolverine.
Bran fires an arrow in the general direction of the wolverine, but the shot is not paarticularly close. Greypelt's luck isn't much better as he bites at the air ineffectually.
Ivo draws his bow, steps to get a clearer shot and fires at the wolverine but the shot is wide.
(firing into melee)
The wolverine, now angrier than ever, continues to claw and bite at Rufus, but fortunately for the wolf, Theodore's distraction is enough for Rufus to avoid the attacks.
(rage)
(rage)
(rage)
(rage)
(rage)
(rage)
Initiative Order:
Creature - Done
Torsten
Theodore
Bran
Tove
Razarak
Ivo
Half-heartily, Bran fires again. The shoot goes wide, but Bran is not sure if he is glad for that or sorry.
Greypelt continues to attack, though, working with the other wolf to try and bring it down.
Torsten dashes across the campsite and flings a spear at the beast which didn't exist a moment ago. Strauch tries to gore it again but too timidly for success.
Razarak casts Shocking Grasp then moves up to the wolverine, his hands morphing into scaly, bronze colored claws. He swings at the wolverine, taking advantage of it's attention being on Rufus
If this doesn't do the trick then I don't know what will... This is one tough bugger!
The party acts in unison, delivering deadly attack after deadly attack on the wolverine.
First Greypelt taking a significant chunk of flesh from the beast's side, followed quickly by Torsten's spear piercing the other side of the wolverine.
Razarak manifests his claws and manages to keep his footing in the grease while delivering an electrified claw to the creature's throat, ending the threat.
Bran takes a few deep breaths as the creature falls to the ground under the assault. With a wistle, Bran has Greypelt back off the dead animal and approaches it.
"Wolverines are usually only this aggressive if people linger near its den," Bran comments crouching down and touching its hide. "I fear we've killed an aniimal that was only trying to protect its home."
Closing his eyes, Bran whispes a short prayer to whoever would listen for such an animal. Looking up to the others, Bran says, "It would be a great waste to leave it here dead. I will skin it in the morning and we can use its meat for supplies."
"Does anyone require aid?"
Razarak's claws seem to slide back into his fingers, the scales on his hands appearing to melt back into his skin and take back on his regular color. He flexes them a couple times, just to make sure they're back to normal and then glancing around at the rest of the party.
Well that was exciting, but I think enough for one night. I would offer helpwith wounds and the like, but my magic is purely offensive so I am pretty useless now
I am definitely looking forward to this expedition...