Iron Kingdoms: Trollkin Unleashed! (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

craft: skinner: 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 4) + 6 = 14

Eoghann, seeing that the bairns will live and that there are others for the lifting, will set to ply his skills on the mawgs.

"You all take care o' that bit, I'll get some hides to use on those limbs we got, an' make some stretchers."

Still a might nicked from the mawg's assault, Oengus lends his grunt to the lifting of the tree:

STR Check (ditto on Havar's approach - 1 FP paid): 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 3, 4) + 6 = 19

"C'mon lads! Let's shift this timber an' get the weeines back hame!"

As Eoghann sets to skinning mawgs to use as bloody stretchers, Oengus and Havar combine to easily heft the tree off the bairns. The release of weight draws fitful moans from the lads... and their lower bodies look as though most of the bones are splintered and shattered.

The stretchers take a while to makeshift together, but after a span of effort you've a pair of bloodied wooden framed monstrosities that should hold enough weight to ferry the young'uns krielwards.

Óengus grimaces as the extent of the bairn's cracked bones are revealed, but the fell caller puts a brave face on;

"Och. Wee scrapes and breaks laddies... Ye'll be back chasing the lassies and leading the charge soon enough! Lets get ye all haim eh?"

As the group take their positions for lifting and ferrying, Óengus suggests he could bellow their position for help from the Kriel...

"A Signal shout would likely be heard... but also perhaps by mair nefarious ears in the woods also..."

"What could they do that four strapping men couldn't? Best we make haste without alerting any more hunters to our being here. Hopefully they decide to feast on the mawgs while we get home."

Óengus grins at the scout's taking charge;

"On yerself wee man! Lead away... we'll lift and carry whilst ye scout an' harry!"

Havar shakes his head. "Nay, there will be no scouting on this journey back. We need all four of us to carry two litters, and I doubt the wee Eamon is up to the task after getting his innards all munched on. Katherson is going to have to carry his end of the litter if we are to get anywhere. Eamon can lead the way!" Havar crouched and gripped the arms of one of the litters, before glancing up at the gathered men.

"Let us no sit around no longer."

Eoghann lifts his stretcher with his partner, ready to get the bairns back.

With Eamon at the head, the group sets off through the night back towards the kriel. Darkness has fully descended and at times the bairn hesitates as to direction... but with some light prompting you manage to forge through and the flickering lights of home start shining through the black. The sounds of the kriel (which would usually be boisterous by now) are muted somewhat and you pick out Conrael standing sentry at the gate awaiting your return.

Just leaving the skinned corpses where they fell?...

well, i'd bring em with if able, no sense wasting meat. just not sure on encumbrance. but trolls are damned strong, sooo

No way you'd be able to manhandle all the skinned corpses as well as the makeshift and unwieldy sledges for the crushed ones.

The pyg rolls his eyes as Havar attempts to give orders.

"It's your face that'll be eaten if there's no scouting done boy, but by all means if you're not strong enough I'll help."

"Boy?" Havar laughed softly, shaking his head. "You crack me up midget. Go. Run your little legs all over the forest. I'll drag the litter." Havar picked up the litter and began to follow after the two Trolls.

"Don't come screaming to us if something mistakes you for a snack and tries to take a bite."

Just as an aside, it has been said more than once, but Havar isn't young. He has been out in the world. He lost his sister then stayed out in the world for years. He is well in to his late 20s early 30s in terms of Troll age.

And you're talking to a full blood troll that is tired of being disrespected and doesn't feel like taking orders.

"If something can find me it's welcome to try."

Katherson takes his leave and moves through the woods back to the kriel, telling Conrael of the mawg attack.

Oengus grunts a laugh at the verbal sparring;

"Quite the match eh lads? I've a gold on the wee man!"

EDIT:

"You win that bet then Oengus because I am not fighting. I have better things to do. Eoghann, how long till these wee bairns are in danger do you think?"

Óengus grins in mock affront;

"Whoa there big yin! Naebody was talking aboot fichting! An' I heartily agree - much better things tae do... like drinkin', gamblin' and wench' Har!"

The broad brawler mulls the chieflings words further and his battered brow furrows a little;

"B'sides... If it came doon tae a rammy between us all, I'd knock seven bells oot o' the lot o' ye! Har! For I'm a Son O' Bragg boys!"

Just a small aside that despite Havar having the careers of Trollkin Chieftain / Kriel Champion it doesn't imply that he is in any explicit position of authority over the others.

Eoghann knows that the ones with the crushed legs are out of immediate danger, but they still need to convalesce in a better location than the middle of the forest. There's the second issue of the now charnel house nature of the clearing drawing

Note - I narrated the arrival back to the outskirts of the Kriel above, so it's on the party to state their approach to the lookout, unless there's something else you want to assume / do on the way back.

Havar has never claimed authority. Havar has acted as Havar would act. People don't have to listen to him, he doesn't try and force people. If they want to listen they can. If not, it doesn't matter to him. He is a take charge personality so that is what he does, is take charge. If people follow they follow. He will do what he wants to do. I've never once intimated that he is of a higher rank than anybody.

Havar dragged the litter forward, towards the gates of the Kriel. He nodded at Conrael as he reached him, gesturing over his shoulder at the young Troll. "The other one is on the way with the other two. Best we get them inside and comfortable fast. We left that clearing in a bit of a mess."

Earlier (sorry was at work)

"Eh, no immediate danger. They need safe rest in the kriel. They'll need bones set tonight, preferably sooner th'n later."

i assume their bones heal faster than human bones, so a sooner set is better

Conrael takes in the bloodied look of you all and the mawg-skin stretchers that you've cobbled together and nods. "Aye, bring 'em in, bring 'em in. We'll get 'em steady and ye can go bring the chief up to speed."

As Eoghann comes through he smiles "Bit o' luck eh? - nei the bairns... but ye must be swimmin in glands now eh?"

"May a few. Paid the bairns more attention. Carcasses left to the birds."

Eoghann - as per your actions, you've only skinned some of the mawgs. None of the other components were harvested.

Taken aback with surprise Conrael confusedly responds "Aye... take care o' the bairns first... but tae leave the rest behind." shaking his head he waves you to follow as he leads you into the kriel and towards the healer's hut.

yeah, i figured i got few if any. oh well.

"Ay, the others were antsy. Had ta hurry n make a field stretcher. Still bleedin', it is."

Eoghann escorts the bairns to the healer's hut, ready to render assistance if needed.

Time to go back and get them once we deliver the bairns? What could go wrong?? ;)

Katherson stomps to one of the watch positions, then takes out his rifle and cleans it, frowning.

Teenage angst! But yeah, for anybody that is wondering I'm playing him as a young kid with fresh responsibilities and a huge case of small man's disease.

Time to go back and get them once we deliver the bairns? What could go wrong?? ;)

thought about it, but are mawgs or their glands all that rare?

Considering each mawg adrenal gland carries a 5 gc price - they've got a goodly worth to them.

As Katherson fades off the group to stand sentry against the dark, the others follow Conrael off and towards the healer's hut. Trollkin of the kriel come forward to see what news there is, but the old warlock sees them off with a wave and begrudging "Yeah they're livin... now p1ss off and let mae work."

He gets you to set them down within the confines of the hut and transferred onto more comfortable bedding before taking a deep breath and beginning to survey his work. An appreciative hmm... a concerned furrow of his brow and finally some words mostly towards Eoghann "Good work in the field boy, stiched 'em up good. Poor sods are crushed up frae tha tree though... I've got 'em 'ere - off tae the kuar... fill in the other old buggers." waving you off. You can tell though, that there's approval running beneath his rough exterior.

Pleased with his own work and the group's success, Eoghann leaves the warlock's hut and heads over to the others, relying on Oengus's trademark guffaws to guide him to his position.

Moving towards the kuar you see knots of like-minded and like-aged trollkin formed. The chief and a couple of other elders are on one fringe in the relative shadows and grim-faced talking over their cups.

I'm assuming you're heading towards the chief to report in?

I am headed that way, but i will let one of the more gregarious sorts or one with some modicum of rank around here speak. I'm a healer's assistant, basically.

Óengus lumbers toward the chief and elders, happier now he's quickly drained a tankard and collected to take the edge of his wounds and the discussion to come...

The scrapper awkwardly tips the nod toward the ranking members of the kriel, and mutters an aside to Havar between quaffs;

"Pssst. Yer up haggis! Gie them the spiel!"

Havar looks at Oengus for a second before shrugging and beginning to speak. "We returned the wee-uns to the Healer just moments ago. They are alive, if severely hurt. We encountered some resistance, in the form of a rabid pack of Mawgs. They have been dealt with now, so no need to worry about them particularly, though that clearing is now full of their skinned corpses, so best it be avoided till the scavengers have had their fill, would be my suggestion." He stopped for a second, staring at his feet, before speaking.

"We found human tracks, the tracks of booted feat, and an insignia." He pulled the insignia out of his coat, holding it out to the Elders. "There looked to be a heavy flow of traffic and it was recent, within the last few days."

Óengus nods sagely as Havar gives the account, then chips in with;

"Oh we fought bonnie! Dropped a score o' mawg each, an' got the bairns back tae the bosom o' kith an' kin!"

Eoghann stands there, feeling no need to add anything. He looks for signs of what the elders are thinking.

Appreciative nods of elderly heads appear to be the initial response of note, combined with a rumbling "Aye, finely done... Few mair scars fer the lads... Nice bit o' gland..."

The chief waves away the relatively officious manner in which Havar reported in and reaches out to take the insignia. Furrowed brow and thought follow as he grumbles "Khador buggers been through... wonder why... Ye didnae see hide or hair o' tha northerners?"

"Nay, nothin. The tracks were fresh enough but we did nay see any Khadorans this night. They are awful close to the Kriel and we have nay been hiding our presence, as we didn't know we needed to. Id say they know where we are, and that can nay be good."

Grunting and waving with some dismissiveness "We been here a while, it'd be a real surprise if the buggers didn't know of us. Nothing we can do about it at any rate... enjoy the night lads." giving a short nod to show that he at least considered the matter closed for the moment.

Anything tangible tonight? - or should I move on to the morrow?
Also, who's still injured?

i took only 1 damage, which i think i can do my troll thing to get rid of, so i should be good.

I've taken 5 damage and yeah just Revitalize it straight back. So I am fine.

I've still 3 damage on the clock.

Uninjured. Yay hiding!

Although unanswered, I'm guessing nothing more tonight.

The night carries on for a while, and the moon's likely passed it's midpoint before trollkin stagger off to their homes to sleep through till morning. The echoing snores of Gordo rumble and resonate through the kriel, giving you a sonorous backdrop to resting your tired bones and waiting till morning.

Cockerels cry and awaken you, sun working it's way slowly up the horizon and into the sky. The snores of Gordo still echo despite the dawn... which is a-typical as Conrael would usually have roused the troll by now to get to field-work.

Nursing his sore heid, Óengus yawns and reaches for his flask;

"Wee hair o' the mawg... Just the thing tae take the edge aff..."

The scrapper shoots a dram, then rises and stretches, cracking weary bones and examining his wounds from the previous day.

"Big yin's a bit tardy this morn eh..?"

he grumbles to all and none in earshot.

"Let's go take a look, eh?"

Havar made his way towards the main gate, falling in to step with the others, a concerned frown on his face. "Summat does be off here. Where is Conrael?"

A furrowed brow from one of the gate guard comes first before a flicker of remembrance. He imparts "Still wi' tha bairns... hell of a job tae try and set they're bones right."

The remainder of the kriel is also slowly wakening, with hearths being roused from embers to flame again and the moderate sounds of industry ringing through.

Katherson swings by the front gate, refreshed by his evening on watch and having seemingly forgotten about his terrible behavior yesterday.

"We left a trail but I didn't see anything come in after us last night."

The gate guards confirm Katherson's view on the activity outside "Aye, she's been as quiet as the morning after the night before" coughing up a lump of phlegm before sending it sailing into the earth.