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Vojtek nodded to Kappi and Edward and as the group began to set up camp, Vojtek took the opportunity to look for some dinner.
He silently indicated his intention to do a walkabout by pointing out in a rough direction where he planned to go, and after a nod from Kappi, he trudged off into the treeline.
The quiet of the forest was broken here and there by creaking of cold hardwood in the gentle wind, and the occasional soft flop of snow sliding off of evergreen boughs. In short order, Vojtek spotted a game trail and went about setting up a snare.
First, he tied a little noose line to the end of a green sapling he had stripped. He bent the sapling gently until the snare line touched the ground and marked the spot with a divot in the snow. Driving a forked stake into the ground at that spot, Vojtek hoped to set a simple trigger with another small stick. By running a but of string from the trigger stick to the snare itself, then under the fork and onto the tip of the bent sapling, the barbarian balanced the trigger stick on a few small twigs. Any rabbit that investigated the small bit of dried fruit Vojtek baited the snare with would bump the balanced trigger stick and snap the little noose around its neck as the sapling sprung back to true.
The northman immersed himself in the task at hand, but remained alert for any approaching foes or better still, larger game. He set a series of snares along a route that kept him within shouting distance of the hut, but a bit further than could be seen.
Closer to nightfall, Vojtek would be able to follow the circuit of his little traps and hopefully collect a few tasty rabbits for the pot. He wondered at Ali's cooking ability... she was unlike most females he had ever seen but Vojtek was fairly certain she would be able to do something with a game bag full of rabbits. He headed back to the camp in the lee of the Hut, grabbing a few pieces of deadfall to feed the small fire he hoped the party had kindled by now.
Vojtek's snares manage to snag a trio of curious rabbits, and he returns to the Hut camp as though he had secured an eighteen-point buck.
The Hut, as is its wont, pays no attention to the overly proud Northman or to his companions.
The Varisian lad heartily slaps Vojtek on the shoulder for his manly brace of coneys he caught. Kappi takes one of them and quickly begins skinning and dressing it for cooking. Mmmm, these sure look good Vojtek! While I sadly lack any taters, I DO have an onion or two. That should be good...
While the boy is no expert, he has done this before, and has very nimble fingers.
Survival Take Ten
After the first rabbit, he pulls his stone out and gives it a quick resharpening. Stalling a little bit he clearly is hoping that someone else will dress the other two rabbits. However, if nobody does the lad will finish the job the minimal eye rolling.
And "yes" the lad will take first watch.
Vojtek pitches in and helps dress the catch.
Davosh will take last watch. Ali and Edward 2nd, Vojtek 3.
I concur (and it was me who was low on resources...perhaps I'd missed a rest period in there somewhere...)
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Vojtek asks, "Is it possible that we could do something to release Ratibor from his servitude? If what Davosh says is true and Utgaart is dead, then getting his head should be much easier than I thought at first."
This should go without saying, but Ed does heal everyone of their wounds.
[dice=Survival assist in skinning and cooking]1d20+8
Kappi thinks for a moment about the best way to Ed from "helping" with the rabbits. Umm... uuuhhh... You know Edward, my knife is WAY sharper for prepping these rabbits. Why don't you let me finish up. You must be tired from all that healing and putting my spleen back together...
Vojtek asks, "Is it possible that we could do something to release Ratibor from his servitude? If what Davosh says is true and Utgaart is dead, then getting his head should be much easier than I thought at first."
Davosh and Ali know that the ways of Baba Yaga are often mysterious, but that there should be a way to release the savage from his curse, if only they can find it.
I presume Ali and Edward and Davosh are making sure they get the requisite eight hours of rest to renew their spells, so the watches will be four hours each...?
That was my plan, yes. :-)
The party rests through the night, and the first two watches pass without incident.
During the final watch, Vojtek has nodded off while Davosh is feeding Liska bits of rabbit jerky. Both are startled to find a quartet of half-man, half-horse creatures surrounding the porch of the Hut!
In perfect Sylvan, "We are NOT spies, though I admit our location likely weighs heavier than my words." Davosh tries to adopt some centaur body language. It's mildly embarrassing, but Davosh doesn't seem to care. "We have arrived here with the opposite intent, I assure you. Her long and icy grip reached through to OUR lands and we have been following the trail of breadcrumbs back to the source."
The Speaker to Ancients stops a moment at his mixed metaphor and does his beast centaur shrug...
"Still, I'm bad at words to people other than my fox here. Listen instead to the well armored chap over there, and note his livery as it lends evidence to the truth of his words."
The slippery rogue comes to wake in an instant as he goes from horizontal up to a crouched position in a single spasm of scrawny muscle.
He draws no weapon at the moment but has a hand on his blade as he waits for his friends to speak in strange tongues to the Four Horsemen.
The warlock replies in a language different from that which the lead centaur spoke, but they seem to comprehend his words.
"My friends are not cunning linguists. I shall endeavor to translate their words as accurately as possible."
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Being startled out of his sleep, Ed woke up still not comprehending what exactly was happening, but then it dawned on him that the conversation was in a language he didn't understand. Praying to Apsu for a brief moment Ed asked for a blessing to be able to comprehend the language. He also takes a moment to see the purity of the souls around him.
Standing up, and wrapping himself in his cloak. My humble apologies Sir. I am Edward Fell, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Davosh, can you catch me up?
Nodding at the synopsis. Ed takes a few strides towards the centaur who spoke. Davosh is correct, spies we are not. We are newly arrived to Iobaria. We are searching for a few things to remove a Winter Witch's control off of our lands. We are also in search of new friends, ones that are familiar with the area. What do you say, can we become friends?
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Vojtek starts awake with a grunt. He eyes the centers suspiciously. With a shrug, he looks at the beastmen with a critical eye and notes a disturbing thing... these guys have two ribcages each. Vojtek wonders - knowing more than most men that ribcages are for one thing only: protecting a heart. Do these men hold both hearts of men AND hearts of beasts?
With a shudder, he stands to his feet. Gives the lead centaur a nod of respect that should speak volumes to warriors like these.
At the same time, he tightens his grip on the haft of his war axe. The blades are naked, and the tips slowly dig into the cold ground at his feet.
It takes some time for Davosh to translate back and forth, but after a while the centaurs appear less hostile and maybe even a little friendly.
Davosh translates faithfully, repeating the comment about steel twice.
"Well then, let's get on with it!"
The rogue considers Vojtek's great ax...
After a few moments he rummages around in his bag of holding and starts pulling all sorts of things out. Soon he has a pile of gear several times the size of the bag out, but he finds what he was looking for.
A scrap of tarpaulin several feet long. He takes this and wraps it around till its completely covering the entire metal head of the ax. Then with a length of twine he binds it all up.
He gives a Vojtek a nod of approval and then glances over at the others as if to double check if that will be okay.
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Vojtek shrugs and hoists the weapon in its bright blue plastic covering onto his shoulder. He had to hand it to the lad, the bungee cords were a great buy, especially since they were on sale.
Once the party is ready, they are guided by the centaurs Through the Hoofwood. Kappi and Vojtek conclude they move in a generally east-northeastern direction, and cross a small stream before reaching their destination. The centaurs are polite but do not converse much, speaking in Sylvan to Davosh and Ali when the need arises, and repeat "all will be revealed" frequently.
Up ahead in the distance, a thin plume of smoke drifts above the treetops. Soon enough, a large clearing containing a sizable encampment appears, with broad, circular tent-huts made of hides stretched over wooden frames forming a crescent around a large campfire. The muddy ground is churned with numerous hoofprints as centaurs mill about throughout the camp, carrying firewood, filling water buckets, and roasting spitted pheasants over a pit of glowing coals. These stop momentarily as the party enters the camp, with the youth of the tribe gawking as the non-centaurs come amidst them.
Davosh gives an overly friendly smile and wave. While not eagle-eyed, he does look about for anything interesting.
Young Kappi might be doing a little bit of gawking himself. While enrt Vojtek whispered his strange observation about "a creature with two rib cages..."
This got the Varisian lad thinking about not only two hearts but having multiple stomachs. And THAT kept his mind churning for a bit. He remembered caring for horses back with his Family. They would graze for endless hours on grass. They would also eat an oat or grain mash for they couldn't survive on grass alone.
Sooo, does a centaur have to fill up both his "horse belly" and his "human belly"? But it all has to go in through his human mouth, so are they shoveling grass and oats down first? Then roast pheasant and such for thier human bellies...
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Davosh grabs Kappi by the shoulder and explains as much about centaur anatomy and physiology as possible, filling in any gaps in his knowledge with ludicrous claims.
"But what's really going to get you Kappi, is which way do they wear pants?!"
Davosh quiets down and focuses on meeting with the locals.
The party quickly discovers that centaurs not currently girded for battle have no use for pants.
The scouts escort you through the throng to a tent-hut much larger than the others, of finer construction and standing in the middle of the crescent of other tent-huts. The centaur guards stop outside the entrance and motion you inside.
Within, the interior is furnished sparely, if with good quality. A broad-shouldered, powerfully-built centaur looks up as you enter, her brow topped by a simple silver diadem and her expression as opaque as the hides across the frame of her shelter. I am Korak Kaag, Voaldyn chieftain and defender of northern Hoofwood. Her voice is calm, but firm as iron. You have trespassed in Rashalka lands. Explain your presence here, and how it relates to the Dancing Hut from which you came.
Davosh looks at Edward.... (Ready to translate into any and all languages.)
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Ed step forward palms open and facing forward angled out from his sides. A stance almost every diplomat has taken when meeting a possible hostile host for the first time.
I am Edward W. Fell, Palidin of Apsu, and along with my friends liberator of aforementioned hut. Our purpose here is two fold. We seek to dethrone a cruel and power hungry winter witch that has imprisoned her mother, and hatched a plan to make all of Golarion her winter playground, and save our home from that fate. Since we are unfamiliar with these lands, we were hoping for a guide to assist us in traveling around your beautiful Iobara.
Davosh tries to include flattery in Edward's speech, trying to respectfully translate, even if they speak his tongue. He does so trying not to sound patronizing.
She listens to the party's entreaty in silence, then: Liberators of the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga? Little human, I was born at night — I was not born last night. It is clear she is skeptical of your claim.
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Chieftan Kaag, your skepticism shows your wisdom. If I didn’t experience it, I wouldn’t believe it either, but alas Apsu has guided our way. Though I have the capability to lie, I do not, nor will I lie. I would also like to show my appreciation of your scouts on their conduct and kindness in bringing us here proving again in their trust of your leadership. Might we break bread together, and we can discuss the Rashalka lands, and possibly our destination Artrosa
Davosh then adds the tale of how the hut was shackled, the story of the Black Rider, etc.
Vojtek appears to be about to start a line of inquiry into centaurian anatomy and scatalogical concerns, when a sharp elbow from Kappi shuts him up. "Davosh explained it to me Vojtek, I'll tell you later"
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Aid another:
Ed's words combined with Davosh's elaborations on The Story So Far, aided in no small part by Vojtek's intervention when Kappi tries to bring up centauri anatomical concerns, is enough to put Korag Kaag more at ease. She is receptive to the notion of a meal, and calls for a handful of roast pheasants for you and another handful for herself.
During the repast, Korag Kaag shares some of the history of the Dvezda Marches and its status today. She tells you that the centaurs avoid the ancient site of Artrosa, but shares a legend that suggests dungeons deep within the three giant figures. Dangerous to go there, she says between mouthfuls of roasted game bird. Evil, nasty balls of light protect it.
"Can you give me a detailed description of these Big Balls?"
"Ah! Yes, I think I know of what you speak. We would go to Artrosa. Within the three wombs may be items and knowledge which can aid in bringing spring both to the land and hearts of those around us."
Korag Kaag, having been moved to friendly by Edward's Diplomacy, invites you to stay the night in the camp. That allows you to do whatever preparations you'd like this evening/tomorrow morning.
Ready. Let's do this.
Giddyup (hehe)
I take that back, Kappi procures two tanglefoot bags
-100gp
Ready. FYI Ali recharges staff 1 charge.
WAITWAIT...should we get another CLW wand? I'm sure we could barter for it.
Vojtek putters about camp a while, and eventually finds himself leaning against a tree a few paces from a scarred old centaur while they both warm themselves by a fire.
Vojtek engages the centaur, and begins trying to ascertain the frequency of draconic raids they might experience here. After the line of questioning gets a confused look, Vojtek explains his backstory and wonders again if The White has ever visited destruction on these lands. Perhaps the cyclopes were eradicated by dragonkind?
After some back and forth, it became clear that the scarred centaur had no first hand knowledge of dragon raids, but his shrewdness as a warrior shone though regardless - the centaur remarks that without a proper ranged weapon, Vojtek would be at the mercy of a dragon which would only need to fly above him and rain death down.
Vojtek agrees, noting that his friends had also admonished him on his tactical limitations, but where oh where to find a mighty bow?
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With a bit of help from Davosh with translation, and from Kappi with financing, Vojtek works his way through a successful centaurian business transaction. With a final nod to the seller, Vojtek agrees on a price. Davosh nods to the centaur in a somatic translation from a human style nod to a pretty much identical centaur style nod.
Kappi, getting a jump on the proceedings nods in rapid succession to Davosh and then Vojtek. He turns away slightly to ensure the proper amount of coin will be disbursed.
Vojtek and Davosh return Kappi's nods simultaneously, then Davosh nods in Vojtek's direction whilst The Eye is peering at the centaur with interest as he strings the new bow, which leaves everyone a little unsure as to who this last nod was actually intended.
The next nod was one of satisfaction as the centaur proprietor finishes preparing the weapon for use. He pairs his nod with a stomp of a front hoof and a semi-verbal "hrmph."
Kappi stands ready with the payment in hand and looks to Vojtek for a final nod of approval. Having received it, he nods back and laboriously counts out the currency on the head of a barrel. All heads nod in timing with the lad's careful reckoning.
Upon completion, the centaur nods acceptance, Vojtek nods his thanks, Kappi nods his excitement at Vojtek's new weapon. Davosh appears to have nodded off, as his eyes are both mostly closed and he looks to be swaying on his feet.
The centaurs about the camp are amused to watch the little human go about trying to find a weapon. Several smirk, expecting Vojtek to try to draw the bow's pull without success. Their mirth turns to astonishment, then to begrudging respect, as the Northman pulls the bow with ease.
Kappi restocks his supply of tanglefoot bags while Davosh communes with his ancestors and Ali studies her spellbook.