Laughing a bit at how James handled the bottle incident. "Sounds good James, don't mind if I do..." Draining the last part of his new drink, he would wave the tankard for more.
Zaralstras idea didn't sound too stupid. *A group name makes it easier to surround them, makes it easier for the city to recognise us again...* Putting the tankard down, Luke would look at them with a slightly solemn look of approval... Even though he wasn't that much older than anyone, probably even younger. "I say, we, The Hunting Party, will go out searching for the Giants that left those tracks."
Lifting his tankard for a toast, he would nod to those that said no to the drink. "I accept the fact that you don't drink... So no worries on that. But for the rest of us..." looking at the others, "I hope you will join me on this last drink, before we all get a good night's sleep... We are going to go an hour after sunrise, meeting at the northern gate..." grinning a bit, he would make ready to clink the tankard against the others.
Zaralastra is not much of a drinker, but he can imbibe when the situation calls for it. Raising his glass he says:
Well then, I hereby christen us, "The Hunting Party."
Jin clinked his empty tankard to the rest " To the Hunting Party! We set out on our Quarry in the Morn'! Just be sure to drink responsively till then you all.. I don't want to have to drag you the whole way. Eventually even MY back would get tired. " A resigned smile brightens the scene.
" Early in the morn, I'll have a few reagents ready along the way, just in case something happens. "
Lan had the distinct feeling that someone was going to shoot first, given all the talk of quarry, hunting, and the like. Maybe he'd have a chance to speak before things went badly. At worst he'd get information before someone acted too hastily.
He continued to watch the others, not partaking personally. As long as he wasn't too active in a day, his body didn't bother him about sustenance.
Draining his tankard for the last drop in a gulp worthy of dwarves, Luke empties his and smacks it down. His cheeks getting a bit more red as the blood is pumping a bit more around in the body, he smiles around, his eyes lingering a bit longer at Elisa than the rest, even though he know better. *Not a chance if even the Giants threatened her...*
Clearing his throat, and his mind, Luke speaks up for one last time. "Then my friends, I bit you a good night and a good rest... I know I will sleep like a stone, so... I will see you all tomorrow."
Taking his sweet time getting up from the chair, he would swing the bow around his shoulder and start walking to the door.
He felt like he had actually accomplished something here tonight... *Let's just hope it wasn't a lucky fluke this night...*
Lan would stick around to see if anything interesting would happen with the others, before he'd slip away as well.
She wouldn't react to Lucas's gaze.
"Which means I am no longer needed, I'll be ready tomorrow, let me know if I am needed before then."
If she wasn't stopped she would leave to return home.
James simply wrestles his hip flask back from the bartender, gives the gathered, remaining friends a short bow, takes a heavy and rather demonstrating swig from his hip flask and flees out of the door with his rifle slung over his shoulder.
Jin bid everyone farewell ensuring the bartender was appeased and that everything was in order. He sighed at the task handed to them currently, but was resolute in his choice. He wondered however, ' Could I take TWO boulders the size of this place...? I guess we will see. I need to work on a few curatives once I return home. '
" I'll have to reinforced the plating for tomorrow, and train a little. " Heading home to prepare for the morning.
The barkeep puts his hand on Cornwell's forehead to keep him at arms length, holding the flask in his other hand with an outstretched arm. "Whoa there little guy. Do we need a nap? Someone's cwanky". He then escorts James to the door and keeps the flask.
Returning to his bar, he looks to the others. "He can come back after he's had a wil nappy poo".
The group founded, your meeting concludes. Each of you head separate ways, intent on meeting again in the morning. The night gives you time to recognize the gravity of the situation. Giants are dangerous. A single frost giant or stone giant could easily kill the lot of you. Multiple giants... Perhaps it would be wise to approach this as the council has instructed.
You wake before daybreak. Your walk to the meeting point finds the streets to be still quiet, save the noise of your party, which can be heard as you round the nearby corner.
Lan stands quietly, the starburst pattern on his shoulder glowing as he waits for the others. Every thirty seconds or so, he concentrates, and the rune flares. A soft scent of almonds permeates the air, and then it goes back to its active glow.
Elisa approaches the meeting area and is a bit disheartened as she only spots Lan but it was early so maybe the others would follow in soon.
She would move to stand beside Lan but would remain silent unless spoken to
Zaralastra strolls to the meeting point, feeling the dawn light on his face - literally - as he is maintaining Synesthete.
Jin comes with the clank and sound of metal as a titan in red and with armor approaches. Powerful arms and legs with multiple wires and lights ablaze the man. The Signature Piston hammer draped over its shoulder signifying who resided in the suit.
One he approached in close proximity Jin stopped and looked around, noticing a few of them were missing soon. An almost metallic recreation of his voice spoke through the helmet" SO, IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE GOTTEN HERE LATER THAN MOST. NO ISSUE I HAVE COME PREPARED TO FIGHT GIANTS. HAVE FAITH IN MY ABILITY WHEN THE TIME COMES. " A bit of steam comes from the neck area as he stops.
Walking with determination in his striding steps, Luke showed up just in time to hear Jin's metalic voice. Walking with a lot less metal on him, Luke walked behind Jin and said with a sly grin. "As silent as ever, aren't you Jin?" Knowing better, Luke wouldn't have been sneaking up and close to him. Jin had a habit of hitting hard when people showed up behind him without his knowing.
Quickly stepping away from Jin and a bit more in a group-ish formation, Luke put down his backpack with his entire travel kit in. Extra quivers hang from one side, the tent he had hang underneath it; from the top of it a thick jacket would be easily spotted as it hang a bit out form the opening.
Taking a look at each of them, Luke smiled slightly. "I might not be as smart as you or as good at bending reality so that it follows the shape of my mind, but I can assure you that there will be no warm places to sleep out there... So I hope you came prepared."
Glancing up at the morning sky, Luke noted the time and took a deep breath of the city. He knew there always was a chance he wouldn't come back when he left, so he had to savor the smells and taste every time. It was more a ritual than anything else, but Luke still enjoyed it.
"So I'm guessing you lot didn't have a hard time getting here this early, eh?" Smiling to each of them, Luke knew none of them had had much, if any, to drink the last night.
Zaralastra swaps his explorer's outfit for a cold weather outfit before heading out.
Lan looks much the same as the day before. Still in the same thick furs that block most of his features, leaving only the sigils etched into his body visible, and then only when they glowed. The only real difference was that he now carried a knapsack. His face was still impassive, though he quirked his head at Lucas. Sarcasm was still so... odd.
Though it takes several hours, Luke is able to lead you right to the place he found the tracks, which are several feet in length and many.
Lan hadn't realized he'd meant giants -this- big. That... was definitely not good, if something wanted to attack them... and stories of 'tavern-sized' boulders, were, in fact, unexaggerated.
Jin activated his sensors as the Giant print spelled bad news for them.
Jin also tries to retain this print to memory jut in case.
Zaralastra examines the footprints and their local surroundings for anything of note.
(includes Synesthete bonus)
Jin seemed to be more distracted than he normally would be on his own, perhaps it was the increase in those he had to watch over?
James has clearly dusted off his old set of winter cloths, seeing as as he tumbles behind the rest of the party, he is packed from top to toe in a heavy set of furs and skin that nearly covers every inch of his body with the strange exception of his fingers and hands which only has a very light set of gloves on them.
His attention, however, is turned to the ground and the around lying countryside rather than being homed for conversation.
Zaralastra also casts Detect Psionics and scans of the area for psionic auras, just in case the being that made the footprints is psionic and still in the vicinity.
Jin reached down and placed his metallic hand over the tracks assisting in the process of tracking them further.
You've heard rumors of giants before, but the evidence at hand truly causes you to wonder. What type of behemoth could have left such a footprint? You shake it off in moments. You must focus on the task at hand, though perhaps with a mind of a bit more caution.
Jin takes the lead, tracking them for miles. A couple hours beyond mid day, James and Elisa both spot smoke to the west, though the tracks continue north.
Zaralastra studies the pattern of the smoke, attempting to discern whether the smoke is more akin to the smoke of a single chimney, or that of a raging conflagration.
Is there someone here more skilled at tracking than I am who can discern how far we are behind the beings who made these tracks?
Jin tilts his head somewhat, not exactly easy in his current form and speaks to the Elan. " I AM MORE CONCERNED THAT THE TRACKS GO ONE WAY WHILE THE SMOKE COMES FROM ANOTHER. STRANGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING BUT OUR ONLY JOB IS OBSERVATION AND INFORMATION RECOVERY. CURRENTLY THERE WILL BE LITTLE TIME LEFT IN THE DAY SO I ADVISE WE SEARCH THE CLOSER TARGET TO THE WEST. " His metallic voice issues to the group
He looks in both directions however trying to figure out the distance from their current location
Lan follows, continuing to maintain his temporary hit point, and his psionic focus on Humanoids of all kinds. He stays as quiet as ever. Which is insanely quiet. (21 stealth on take 10.)
Jin swivels around and back his helmet masking his worry. " IT ALSO SEEMS I HAVE LOST LAN ALONG THE WAY. THAT, OR HE IS ESPECIALLY QUIET AGAIN "
I am hesitant to assume that the smoke and the tracks are connected. If they were, why are there no tracks heading towards the smoke? Still, if the group prefers, I see no reason why we cannot to take a detour to investigate the smoke before returning to the tracks.
" THEN TELL ME WHY THE GIANTS AVOIDED SUCH A THING IF THEY ARE SO POWERFUL? EITHER THEY ARE AFRAID OR HAVE HIGHER REACHING REASONS. THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING WE WERE SENT TO FIND OUT.
James' eyes glide from the ground and to the sky, where they seem to narrow down on something in the distance. He smacks together his lips and spits out a small glob of phlegm before raising his right hand towards the smoke trail. He turns his head towards the rest of the group and raises his voice to pierce the air:
"It seem we have a minor issue, lads."
Lan looks towards the smoke, and simply shrugs. He wasn't really sure why that was a 'problem'. He couldn't really get any reads off of it from this distance.
" JAMES WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT? A COMPANY OF MERCENARIES PERHAPS? "
Please elaborate James