@ Team 2 Cool 4U - Remember what I told you two. As long as we are in human lands, we need to eat the human foods. I am sure that there will be plenty of bacon and eggs, perhaps even some stake or other wild game.
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I watch the blind man for a few minutes. Good morning sir. Can I help with your cleaning?
"Of course thats what I eat, I'm not a monster!"
"I just eat a lot of it."
The Ogre sits down and starts on his significant breakfast, it looks as though he has taken the time to ensure his armour and weapons are clean, and even he himself is clean.
Ragnvald takes his meal loudly, with satisfied grunts and with little in the way of table manners. Though he bears himself as a king he eats like a wild hog.
Having grown up in a land where dinner was just as likely to be elf as it was to be served by an elf, Jez gnaws on the breakfast with the best manners she can. At Attalas' comment, she gives him a grin while ordering another side of bacon. Looking at Ragnvald, she just shakes her head and wonders why the least human of the group is the only human.
The old man grins and says
No need, as long as no one changes the positions of the table, I can do the job as well as any seeing person. But thank you my dear, I bet you are a real beauty.
The speed in which Attalas and Ragnvald devour large portions of food really makes the innkeeper sweat, but after about an hour everyone's hunger is satisfied - however, it dawns on you that the breakfast was much more expensive than the rooms for which you paid...
My vote is Attalas/Mobo in the front with Ragnvald - lets just scare any would be attacker away. Nymeria and Jez second. With Cordron right behind. We are on a wide road after all.
After two days of wandering northwards on the Lost Coast Road you reach a roadsign in the afternoon that reads:
Left: Sandpoint 5 miles
Right: Devil's Platter 7 miles
A small shrine of Desna stands next to the sign. It's a marble butterfly with many coloured wings.
Ravensmoor is supposed to be inland, I say we head toward Devil's Platter. On top of which, it is a much cooler name for a place than Sandpoint.
I would think that provisions would be more the concern of the elf, dwarf and human. The rest of us just eat whatever is available - although an elf barbecue does sound tasty.
I will pay 3 gp for my more normal sized meal/lodging, and one for the blind man.
Nymeria enjoys her breakfast and is ready to go soon after. She follows Jez's example for paying, not seeming to really know or care much about money.
Along the way, she keeps an eye out for anything of interest.
Perception:
Hmm, yes, we could go up to Devil's Platter and then back to the coast in a kind of loop. But we might have better luck picking up rumors in a port city, no?
Well, I suppose heading through this Sandpoint place would be preferable. But remember, in these smaller towns, they may have had problems with attacks by goblins or ogres, so we will have to be careful. Perhaps send myself and Nymeria in first to talk with the town guard so that we are not attacked on the spot due to imbedded prejudices.
I grew up where monstrous humanoids were the norm, and generally much less dangerous than many of the alternatives. Even in this wild northern country, I doubt they are very understanding. You all recall how the other patrons responded when they realized that Mobo was not a halfling the other day.
I know, but our big friend is not as easy to hide. And while he always means well, he has a habit of being truthful in situations where coloring the story might be preferable. We shall see, but my goal is to succeed on this mission. I have grown fond of all of you, even the waifish elf, and would hate to lose anyone to the prejudice of locals.
As I say this, I look down and grin at Mobo. You my friend will someday be famous so that you will not have to hide in plain sight.
"Well I wont talk to many of them people then, then they wont get upset"
The big lug simply shrugs.
While you still look at the road sign and debate, suddenly you hear the fearful mooing of a cow from a small grove about 100m away. The trees are in the middle of one of the fenced-in grassland areas the local farmers use to keep their cattle. There are no other animals nearby and you wonder what could have caused the fear.
Hey guys, sounds like lunch. Lets see what is there.
I begin heading toward the sound.
"Ware a herd animals cries. They have a sense for predators we'd do well to recognize."
Perception
Attalas looks about, curious as to what the disturbance might be about.
His grips his massive blade reflexively.
Perception:
Oh, it sounds like there's a scared animal over there! I do hope it's alright! Nymeria says, moving towards where the sounds came from.
Mobo scurries ahead and even though his legs are short, he is pretty fast and reaches the grove before anyone else does.
Between the trees you find an odd sight:
There is a cow and around it a half dozen goblins. One sitting on its back, two poking it with horsechoppers, three pulling at a lasso that is wrapped around the cow's neck. The goblins belong to the licktoad tribe and wear colourful feathers in their hair. Their leather armours are also colourfully painted in yellow and light blue.
Attalas sets off following the path of his little friend.
Scared animal means lunch. Lets see what this disturbance is.
I keep heading toward the noise.
Stealth:
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Mobo has his dogslicer and Boomstick out just in case, but calls out to the wranglers in
Mobo help to kill this cow.
If some fun you will allow,
Make some tasty moo-moo chow!"
Loud enough so his friends can hear his little gnashing voice.
But don't pay them any mind
This cow is your tasty find,
Mobo's slaves are these mankind."
"...what?" Ragnvald says turning to the others.
I don't know, sounded like he got a hairball stuck in his throat. Lets make sure he is ok.
I continue to move toward the unhappy cow.
The goblins cheer and scream in joy as they hear your rhyme! One even hands you his yellow warty toad and grins like an idiot.
You friend? Which tribe you are?
From inside the grove you can now hear the cheerful yelling of more than one goblin...
The Ogre keeps moving towards the sounds...
After a moment or two Mobo and several goblins leave the grove. The goblins drag a fat cow behind them. They have yellow tribal tattoos on their arms and yellow feathers in their hair. Even though you don't know much about goblins, these look rather uncivilized. While two look at you and your weapons in awe, the others rather regard you with an impression that reminds you of...hunger?!
Attalas goes to step forward, a stern look on his face. Then he pauses, thinks, and stops.
"Hmmmm I am not a Guardsman anymore, whether or not this cow is stolen is none of my business now. Wait they said. Secret mission they said. Don't move they said. Then they never came back."
This makes him look a bit sad.
They just look hungry. If they wish to share their lunch, we can join them.
The sound of fresh meat makes Jez's mouth water.
What are they doing to that cow? My mother always told me not to play with my food...
"Torturing it likely." Says Ragnvald. "All I can say is the first goblin that tries to take a chunk out of me will have to learn the trick of living without skin."
The goblins look at Mobo expectantly and still hungry.
Ooh, a barbecue. Yummy. Can I have the heart? Oh, and Mobo, please remind your friends that if they try pokey pokey with their dog slicers on any of us, they are likely to meet several large swords.
You great leader of big folk why are you roaming these lands?
The goblins look at Mobo with wide eyes - the small gunner seems to have made quite an impression.
[b]Frog Torturers? Nice tribe, but somehow moved away, not met one of them for a long time...We not know Arnolf, but we found Frogtorturer Cave north of here with painting on the wall, shows big man with axe and beard! We like cow, eat cow now, you want cow too?
The talk between Mobo and his goblin friends mostly consists of high pitched snickering and evil giggling...goblins are a strange race for sure...
Mmmm, fresh cow. We might want to start a fire for the human, the elf and the dwarf. Is the dwarf still in the party? I have not seen any posts in several weeks as far as I can tell. I do not think that they usually eat cow uncooked.
I slice in and take a chuck off the cows shoulder and start gnawing on it. I then rip off a leg and offer it to Attalas.
Cast Purify Food and Drink (better safe and sound, you never know what the goblins might have decided to flavor it with.)
Mobo, tell your friends thank you. This is much better than those traveling rations I thought I was stuck with.
Wait, well aren't you going to at least kill it firs--oh! Nymeria exclaims, raising her hand to shield herself from the spurting blood.
Umm...yes, I think I'll start a fire...Jez, could you save out aleg to be cooked?
Nymeria gathers some wood and starts a fire.