If Damen doesn't, Brigid will look around the underbrush for his arrow. Since it missed, there's hope it can be found and the magic still good.
Satisfied that all that needed to be resolved at the Erastil shrine has been, Svetlana gathered her horse as well and spoke with the group. Camping here does seem the best idea; it has a...peaceful feeling and the healing effects that it provides speak to its transformation. But perhaps we should continue exploring a bit before heading back to Oleg's. At present we would need to cross much of the same terrain as we have already seen to return to the post, and none of us are so burdened as to not be able to travel on. We could head northwest from here to unexplored land, then back to the area the fey said was trapped in some way, and then back northeast again to explored areas en route to Oleg's. The priestess pointed on the hand-drawn map while making her recommendations. This makes sense, yes?
"Agreed Let'us go back to Oleg's, but take the long way round exploring as we go"
With Zelter found so easily, Brigid could not help herself. She began scanning the ground for evidence of tracks, envisioning the game that could be found in this lush and verdant wood.
"I for one would like to avoid the section of forest that the faeries said was trapped. While I am quite content to push further West and then circle North and East again, I do not want to go wandering into an area trapped by some mad hunter. I've seen hunter traps back home... steel jaws to capture an animals leg at the ankle, camoflauged pits with wooden spikes, deaddrops and other nasty surprises." Ulryk said with a shake of his head.
He peeled off his helmet and ran his hand through his hair.
With a shrug and a smile Svetlana responded, avoiding the traps may work as well. Truly planning was never so much my way. Perhaps we camp tonight and push northwest tomorrow. Afterward we can decide our future steps, yes?
Brigid returns from her brief foray. Ve vill have to go further avay for larger game. Animals must have avoided the temple vhile it vas cursed. She unstrings her bow and rubs down Zelter, preparing for camp.
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{ooc]Ahhh...my post is gone!! I put a post up Yesterday and now it is gone....what the heck!! Ok..lets try again[/ooc]
5th of Gozran, 4707 (Starday)
You wake refreshed and ready to meet the day. Even the horses seem energized; wickering and tossing their heads like colts! The morning starts out cool and cloudy, and while the clouds never completely break, it does warm up to a very comfortable temperature. A warm south wind blows in the smell of wildflowers and pine. You travel to the northwest and begin exploring the area of forest found here.
Perception
Survival
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The day grows old and you have started to look for a place to camp for the night when Damen calls for a halt. He climbs down from his horse and slowly moves off the path you have been following to a small creek bed. A jumble of logs catches your attention, but it is not until Damen says the word deadfall that you recognize the tap for what it is.
He motions the rest of the group over, and one by one you dismount and carefully make your way to the shallow creek. Once there a grisly sight awaits you.
The remains of a middle aged man can be found partly buried under this trap. You are not sure, but it looks like this person might have been setting the deadfall when it went off and pinned him. Just out of reach, a well crafted hand axe is embedded in a stump, probably used by this person to make the faulty trap. You also locate nearby a number of iron-jaw hunting traps and a backpack. The pack has been torn asunder and whatever it held is long gone.
Kent uses a stick to trigger the iron-jaw traps and puts them in his bag. They might come in handy later.
Brigid turns her nose up with distaste at the trapper who succumbed to his own device. She pulls the axe from the stump and looks at it with an appraising eye.
Damen stroked his rough beard that had grown up in their days of travel and exploration. "Poor fool," he muttered as he looked at the decayed corpse.
He crouched and let his eyes wander the body's clothes for any identifying marks. "Ulryk," he said, "if you have your shovel I think we should properly bury this person. Whoever he was, he certainly placed a lot of traps... I doubt a fur trader would use a dead drop, and there are too many traps just to feed himself."
Svetlana frowned as she looked down upon the trapper's body. Fool is right, though I'm not sure I share much sympathy for him. I find it more than coincidence that a swath of land is dangerous for the presence of traps while we find a man holding more traps than he can possibly need to feed himself. Perhaps Calistria saw fit for vengeance to meet this man in a most ironic fashion.
The priestess otherwise stood back as Damen did his work. She nodded to Brigid as the woman assessed the ax. Might as well keep it, I doubt he'll have use for it any more.
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You find a small glade but a short way from the unfortunate trappers resting place. It is a good camping site, and you set up camp just as the light begins to fade. Again the evening is quite and restful.
06 GOZRAN, 4707 (Sunday)
The night was chilly but the warmth of the blankets and campfire kept most of the cold away. The sun rose to a slightly cloudy sky and soon the temperature has risen to a very comfortable level.
You continue your exploration of the surrounding forest, finally marking its western and north-western edges. A rolling grassy plain greets you to the west of the woods, with still more woodland to the north and south.
Ulryk would assist Damen in examining the body of the dead hunter and providing him a proper burial. Though he knew no words for it, he would call on Kent to once more offer a sparse blessing to Ol' Deadeye to watch over the misguided soul.
Ulryk was mostly silent, still dealing with the recent relevations. That a god had chosen them with the task of cleansing a curse from a temple was no small matter. It made this journey into something more, though he still felt bringing civilization to these wild lands was an important mission in of itself.
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07 Gozran, 4707 A.R. (Moonday)
After a good nights rest at the edge of the forest, you pack up and head out onto the grasslands northwest of the forest. The partly cloudy sky threatens rain, and the light wind from the southwest seems heavy and damp. Travel is much easier and quicker, taking only a single day to search the entire area.
Percep
Survival
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Other than getting wet, you find nothing in this area.
08 Gozran, 4707 A.R. (Toilday)
You waken to a light rain and cooler temperatures. The clouds scuttled by on a brisk southwestern wind, giving you short glimpses of blue sky.
Brigid-Perception:
Survival:
Svetlana-Perception:
Survival:
Kent-Perception:
Survival:
Ulryk-Perception:
Survival:
Damen-Perception:
Survival:
While not the nicest of spring days, you still enjoy being out of the confines of the forest and in the rolling hills of the plains. Kent notices, in the distance, a strange looking formation. As you close with the unknown formation, you begin to see it is an ancient cairn, thickly overgrown with blackberries. How Kent managed to see this feature from so far away is anyone's guess.
"It's simply. I'm a wizard I used MAGIC"
Svetlana proves pleasant but distractable during the group's overland explorations. Always upbeat and cheerful no matter the weather or conditions, she does nothing to damage morale. Yet she tends to banter playfully with Damen and Ulryk, and excitedly announce the presence of animals (Look at the deer! Isn't it cute??) more than offer any serious assistance in exploring the land.
As Kent announce the location of the cairn, the priestess closed in with the rest to investigate the formation.
Despite the cooler weather and the pitter patter of drizzle on his helmet, Ulryk seemed to be in a good mood. A smile occassionally crossed his face as he he rode the sorrel stallion Rynel at a walk, tugging on the rope lead with which he guided his mule and cart behind him.
The rolling hills of the plains struck him as an ideal place for settlement and he imagined familes thriving and growing wine or hardier crops in this area once he and his companions had cleansed it of bandits and established the law of Restov over the region. Maybe he would even try to build a home here, though in his heart Ulryk expected he wouldn't settle down for at least five or six years when he was in his early twenties.
He participates in the playful banter with Svetlana, ranging from such topics as 'wouldn't it be wiser to wear the winter furs and use the goddesses blessings in a more constructive manner?' and 'That deer would probably be a good supper this night, let me get my bow'.
When Kent pointed out an ancient cairn site (I am assuming he pointed it out?) Ulryk rode forward with care. As his white cape hung limply over his back, he tightened up his grip on the reins and soon dismounted. Securing his steed and his trusty mule, Ulryk went around to his cart and pulled forth his halberd, his stance wary.
At the start of this journey Ulryk had been ignorant of the other faiths, save three - The Gold, the Red, and the Black. Pharasma represented the black and though he had only heard her name spoken during harvests, births, and deaths he had a tutored uneasiness with disturbing the buried dead.
"Our Lady of Gentle Repose, forgive us our trespass."He intoned under his breath as he came nearer to the blackberry bushes.
Brigid calmly surveys the cairn as she circles it, alert for possible danger. This early in the year, the berries are likely still green and intensely sour, so she avoids them.
"Let's move on"