I propose after acquiring significant provisions for the Fort we go hunt one of these "Tatzlewyrms", besides the hides themselves could be quite supple. If they are say as supple as the creatures they are related to they could fetch quite a nice sum...
"bokken is that close huh, all right we will stop in and talk to him.
Any messages or anything you want us to pass?"
Oleg pulls Ranzo aside to talk with him for a moment. "I was looking at the goods you all retook. Now I may not be the smartest man, but I have an eye and nose for these things. There are a few things in there that I reckon could be worth a few coins, if you know what I'm saying. That music box? Saw one once in Restov go fer over 70 gold, and this one is a step up in grade, ya see. Reckon it around 85-90 gold.
And the hides? Mind if I just buy them off you? Say... 50 gold a crate? I reckon I could make something nice for the outpost here with them." Finally, with a little glance around he puts an arm around Ranzo's shoulder. "Now, I don't have the ability here to do much with bandit silver, them silvery earrings. Not much demand for that sort of thing round here, see? But, and I hope you don't mind, I could take the pair off ya and ya friends for, hmm... 100 gold? I'm willing to even do 140 if you don't mind waiting until I ship off everything else."
Svetlana is out of earshot on this, doing laundry. Kesten has finally tumbled back in, drawing himself a seat. One of his men rushes forward with a tankard of water, which he slowly swallows down.
Mikhaela wanders off. She finds Svetlana.
"Mind if I help? My hands get restless if I do not do something useful." and with that Mike pitches in.
Svetlana smiles at Mikhaela warmly. "I appreciate that, Miss Greenhilt. So, you worship Erastil, yes? Oleg and I keep him and Desna formost here. Their messages really ring true with us, you know?"
"Oleg, you seem fair, and we are willing to wait for the coin for the ear rings.. I will ask everyone else but I think you have a deal for the furs."
Offers hand to shake.
Alright! The day is cool, the overcast clouds just making it seem more. A nice little breeze from the north comes in, making everyone chill slightly.
Agreed, we let Tessandriel take the lead in hunting, I am providing security and Komana is ready to handle ambushes.
Alright, the day passes easily enough until around noon when a light spring shower begins. It's not much, more a nuisance than anything else.
Untrained Survival to assist Tessandriel:
Obviously Ranzo is more interested watching for bandits and such at distance than hunting.
Impressed by the elf-blooded woman's abilities in the wild, Kossuuk begins to strike up a conversation with her, "So you seem to know your way through these woods, better seemingly than one born into them. Tell me child, how does one with the blood of the darkened deep come to master the untamed wilderness of the sunlit lands?"
Mikaela spends her time in prayer, meditation and mending.
(Bexer rides along in companionable silence)
Orsino takes note of the surroundings...
perception
*Consults notes*
Alright, a few hours in, the party has successfully acquired around 10 pheasants. Just as the party is approaching another thicket of bushes, an man dressed in a mish-mash of furs, feathers and an odd and worn ushanka cap steps from it, dazed looking before he sees the party. "I say, the birds fly north and south, but have you ever seen them fly west and east? Nevermind, nevermind! Bokken's me name and speeches are no fun. Why are you here, unless your bandits in which case leave!"
Bexer looks down at the wild man, Looks like living out here has turned him strange
"We're not bandits, sir. In fact, we are hunting them. Oleg mentioned we might find you out here. Have you been sign of bandits or other dangers recently?"
"Bokken!" Ranzo gets off his horse and leaves his bow behind.
"Oleg and Svetlana send their regards, I am Ranzo, this is Orsino, Bexter, Mikhaela, Tessandriel, Kossuuk and Komana. We are happy to meet you." Offers hand to shake.
The man jumps as he hears his name, and looks between Ranzo and Bexer nervously. He looks at Ranzo's hand and laughs. "Know my name and I know yours now. You've sent their tidings and ask if bandits about? Yes, bandits everywhere. Leave me in peace, they do. Scared them off, think my home haunted. Haunted! All I had was the sick. You have the sick? No, look healthy from here, especially those two!" He points at Mikhaela and Kossuk. "Or my eyes lie. Ha! Lie eye!" He scoots about, reaching around in the bushes for a moment before pulling out what looks like a caterpillar which he places in a small belt pouch.
"Come here today for more than food, yes? Potions wanted maybe? Well, I may have a few, can't think of them for now. Reagents! That's what I need now. Crawlers and hawlers and pretty pretty flowers is what Bokken needs!" He starts back round the bushes, waving them to follow with a hand missing it's pinky. "Come come, before Lady Sun sleeps and Lady Moon rules. My home is here here here." He scurries off to a small, rundown looking shack, just large enough for one or two people to huddle. A small extension from the roof overhangs a hollow in the ground that is filled with ash.
Tell me Bokken, are you by chance interested in what the people of Avistan call "alchemy"?
The man looks back to Orsino, a funny look on his face. "Alchemy? Yes, some. Like a moth to flame til burned, yes. I make potions and fun things. Made a magic fire once. Scared a horse, but good thing since I think the man on it was a bandit. I think. Maybe a traveler. Traveler heading south. South! South like me brother." He holds up his hand missing the pinky. "He took my finger! Then lived in a tree! A tree! No sane person lives in a tree. I tried living in a hole once, too muddy. Hut it was. Wanted to find him, take his finger, but scary things south of here." He shivers, then laughs with a roar.
"So so so! You have gold, yes? But things or go, yes? Or you here to help Bokken? Bokken needs help some. Folks say I need help at least, but I need help, not help. Help for saves, yes? You help me, I sell you potions cheap cheap like a chick chick bird!" He roars with a laugh again.
Bokken do you know of those of us who are called "Lotus Masters"?
"Lotus? No Masters, no. No Slaves either though... Tricky, very tricky. Lotus flower though? Yes yes yes, by Lady Moon, yes! Help with them too!" He rushes into his hut and sounds of things moving in it can be heard until he returns with a moldy and thin book. Opening it, he reveals the title. Lotus Recipes and Their Properties "Wanderer dropped this a while back. Or was it years? Last winter or the first winter? Nevermind nevermind. I see some of these flowers to the south. Tried to find place for new home when I came here, saw wonderful pretty pretty flowers. Nasty creature scared me, so I move here. Pretty flowers... You get me these, and I make you cheap potions! Lots of cheap potions!"
He scurries over to the small hollow in the ground, wiping some of the ash away and pulls out a vial with a red liquid, hurriedly handing it to Mikhaela. "Healthy person stay healthy. Don't catch the sick, yes? Be like me now, all healthy! More where that came from! But you must pay! Pay pay pay. And tell Oleg I need a few furs. My bottoms need mending and the critters don't like me no more here. Flee flee flee from me is all they do."
The book that began my studies, this man could be useful... If he can be rendered semi-sane that is, perhaps the priestess might know of a way to render him sane...
Orsino smiles and reverently slides his finger down the book's spine. You have exceptional taste in reading materials my friend, tell me have you ever considered "expanding" your studies?
diplomacy(lets see if I can befriend the evidently useful if slightly deranged hermit)
"Expand? To where? My head stays the same size. But you, I don't know if your head changes. Probably. Wait wait wait, studies? Like a school child? Never went, pop and ma never let me or my brother go. Did you know my brother took my finger?" He holds his hand up again, a sour look on his face. "Bully, that's what he was. 'Oh, take your finger, then live in a tree.' Fool too! Not like me, no no no."
He shuffles back into his hut, pulling out a small pot and two split logs. He heads to the hollow and sets the logs down. You see him mutter something under his breath, and the hand he has the missing digit on snaps forward as a jet of flames fires forth for a few seconds, almost threatening to catch the area around it on fire. It ends quickly enough, and he places the pot on it. Another murmur, and the pot fills with water. "Soup soup soup, gotta eat to stay healthy." Pulling the bug from earlier from his pouch, he drops it in with a small splash. "Spices, need to flavor it!" He pulls a few strips of bark from another pouch, and his dirt covered hands root around in another pulling forth a powdery substance. He drop both in.
In a hushed tone Orsino speaks to his fellows...
My allies this man could be exceedingly useful but he is clearly to forgone to be worth the trouble, unless you my dear priestess can somehow restore a fraction of his sanity... Note that only a fraction needs to be restored, insanity is a force of creativity but their is such a thing as "too much of a good thing"...
"Bokken, would you like a pheasant to help thicken and spice your soup up a bit?"
Ranzo goes back to his horse and holds up on of the birds hanging over the neck of his horse.
"We would be happy to pass your message along to Oleg, and we might deliver them for you. We are going to be wandering around here for a while. Can you tell me whats around your house, South and East?"
<points>
To Orsino and all:
"Nothing wrong with a Deranged Hermit, he seems to be happy, lets get to know him more before we decide his life for him." Ranzo smiles ironically.
"He may seem deranged, but he has every right to go about his business. Leave him be or trade with him if he be willing."
Tis not my opposition to his derangement, it is simply that I fear what might occur if this man were caught unawares by bandits or the like... He may well give out information concerning us without a second thought if he met someone on the road, someone like a bandit scout. If we could but find some way to stabilize or at least steady his mind it may well help both us and him in the long run... Sadly my knowledge of the Lotus does not yet extend to mixtures that can alleviate and treat conditions of the mind.
Talking particularly with her fellows. "I guess the problem of this man is his loneliness, social conviviality is essential to keep our minds healthy. Moreover, it seems that the story of violence with his brother is something aggravating." Later, talking with Bokken. "We would love to help you Bokken, if you want, we´ll reap the feedstock needed to your potions. Anyway, I don´t undestand the reason why you dont move for the Oleg establishment, it would be a safe place in which you could easily sell potions, buy ingredients." After a pause. "Well, I see that story with your brother's is a torment, if you want to vent, talk to me, stay comfortable, you find friends among us."
He stare at Ranzo before nodding some. "Birds make good soup, nice soup! Better than crawlies and skitterers." He accepts the bird and starts plucking some it's feathers as he looks at Komana. "This is my home, not Oleg's. Oleg's is Oleg's. I live here, not there or there or there. And easy to sell, always someone want. And ingredients plentiful some some some around here. And brother? Yes brother torment, but vent? No, no need. He gone south to live in a tree. Fool! Splinters in the butt, that's what he'll get! And friends? Yes yes yes, you are friends. If you help. Friends if not maybe, too. Tough to say say say."
With the feathers plucked, and little else, he drops the pheasant in. "Thanks for food. Will you want some? Cost gold it will! But you helped with it... Hmm, tough tough. Okay, you can have some free. But don't tell anyone! It's a secret among friends. Maybe friends. Tough tough tough."
"Bokken, thank you but no, we are doing some work and we should get on it. We will be staying with Oleg, at least for a while. I consider you a new friend. What type of potions do you make and what do you charge?"
Bokken simply nods and laughs some more. "All nice potions, good potions. Some bad, taste isn't very good, but good good good for health. Keep the sick away and keep your blood in you! But need things for them before I can make them. Well, some things. I have some, you get some, then everyone gets some! But they pay more more more than you! Friends! Friends, I like you friends!"
He stirs the pot some with a spoon you are fairly certain he pulled from somewhere in his shirt or pants as a knife that has seen better days seemingly appears as well to start slicing the pheasant open. "Good bird makes good soup! Better than crawlers and crawlers and dirty little hawlers." He looks around and smiles at you all. "Traveler's are you? Maybe tales you tell later, now go go go, a storm a coming and I need to eat the soup. SOUP!" He slices the head of the pheasant off with the knife with a little cackle.
"[b]Very well Bokken, don't hesitate to call on us if you need anything. Thanks you for your time. Shall we Ladies and Gentlemen?"
Ranzo heads back to his horse.
Somewhat bemused, Bexer mounts up and continues.
Bokken laughs as the party leaves and yells out at them. "Don't forget my pretty pretty flowers south south south! Good potions, cheap potions for friends who bring them!"
Lets finish the hex.