Velkirth was only just able to hide his surprise at the old man's sudden transformation. Looking at the others he shrugged, I know of great epics that start much like this. Let us hope ours ends better than some of them. His tone already speaks to his acceptance of his new "companions".
If it's an epic it is more than sufficient don't you think as I drink some more mead What a glorious omen and way to start, just like some heroes of old
Well let's enjoy this fire while it last and make our way up in the morrow unless you are all up for the trip right now saying my last words with a grin to see if everyone wants to go right now insted of waiting.
I can scout around a bit to see if I can find our missing wood gatherers. If anyone else has skill with tracking, I would certainly appreciate any assistance you'd be willing to provide.
Karl begins a slow circuit around the campsite, knowing that it will be difficult to find specific tracks with 9 sets of feet on the ground. As he searches, he replies to Caelin,
On the morrow? It's only mid-day man. I'm sure the mead is good, but surely we can make the citadel before dark.
I'm no expert by any means but I can handle my self in the wilderness
Perception
Survival
Bjørn was prowling as mamma asked, wary of the fire and the scents of many new man creatures. At her call, his ears prick up, and he slowly starts forward, his eyes and senses keen.
|
I can scout around a bit to see if I can find our missing wood gatherers. If anyone else has skill with tracking, I would certainly appreciate any assistance you'd be willing to provide.
[Dice=Perception]1d20 + 11
[Dice=Survival (Tracking)]1d20 + 7
Karl begins a slow circuit around the campsite, knowing that it will be difficult to find specific tracks with 9 sets of feet on the ground. As he searches, he replies to Caelin,
On the morrow? It's only mid-day man. I'm sure the mead is good, but surely we can make the citadel before dark.
Beneath the protective shield of her scarf, Kari's smirk grows into a grin.
"If there is track, my Bjorn likely would have found it," she says confidently. She looks to Karl and nods. "If you will have us, we will lend you our eyes. I have no wish to frighten the lady's pet."
Karl swiftly returns to the group and softly calls Ragnar back from the road to rejoin them.
He speaks softly, but not in a whisper, The tracks lead to a large mound of snow, I do not think it fell from the heavens as snow typically does. As he speaks, he squats down and draws a quick map in the ground showing the campfire, trail and snow-mound. If we are to make our way to the hall of the Blackravens, I think we should investigate. It may be one of their patrols, or something worse...
He then removes his tent and cooking pot from his pack while keeping his weapons slung about his body, checking the daggers at his wrists, the points of his javelins, that the blade of his greatsword has not stuck to the scabbard from the cold and that the chain of his flail is not kinked. He carries the tent and pot over to Dagmar's mule, while tucking a flask of acid into a loop on his vest.
May I make use of your beast? It will not be for long, only until we finish our investigation.
That done, he waits for the others to make their preparations and accompany him.
Dagmar nods her assent at Karls question as she finds herself suddenly preoccupied with holding the now squirming fox. Guessing that Alfdis has caught scent of something interesting, she lets her down to see where she leads. "What do you smell Alfdis? Can you lead me to it?"
As Alfdis starts off slowly in the direction of the smell, Dagmar begins to follow a few steps behind her, leaving the mule tethered in the clearing. "Your pardon, but I think my fox caught wind of something that interests her."
Ragnar loosens his sword in its scabbard and slides his battered round shield from his back onto his left arm.
"Ruhduh."
Svalk stands and looks around until he locates where his pack landed. After securing its straps, he joins the group preparing to investigate the snow mound, standing behind Karl and Ragnar, with his longspear ready.
"I hope the mound doesn't portend anything dire for the men who started this fire. Let's see what there is to see."
Lead the way then as I wait for everyone to pass to take rear guard holding my weapon.
Kari remains beside the crude warrior while the others charge ahead, pulling her scarf down slightly to allow him to see her smile. Her Lille Bjørn is beside her, without direction sniffing at Caelin's legs, and snorting, his breath misting on the air.
"You are the only that has demonstrated an interest in preserving my life," she explains without being prompted. "Pay no mind to my companion. He will not harm you unless it is my command."
Nod with a grin Well I was never good dancing with bears anyway chuckling afterwards Now let's get going, I'm wary of this omens and unusual events.
Lead on. A suspicious mound is worth a look. Velkirth makes sure his horse is securely hobbled before turning away from the fire and following the group.
When everyone is ready, Karl leads the group back to the mound, warily keeping watch for an ambush.
Kari laughs once, inclines her head in a nod and then speaks to Bjørn softly, commanding him to walk beside and guard. Kari's eyes slide to the side and narrow, considering their surroundings. If the mound bode ill, being attacked from without while the bulk were concentrated on one point would be a catastrophe.
|
|
Two animals do not pay much attention to each other. They are sniffing the air and the snow-covered soil and both of them quickly find the trail that Karl found before.
Bear cub is slightly swifter than the fluffy fox and it reaches the snow mound rather quickly. Not waiting for its mistress, little bear starts to dig and soon uncovers a dead body, dressed in black mail and furs. The blood around the body and in the snow hasn't turned to ice yet, so that means that the kill is fresh, probably made only moments before you arrived at the fire.
Uncovering the dead man, bear cub rushes back to its mistress, all the while looking at the white fox and playfully mumbling at her.
Bjorn has uncovered only a part of the mound, though.
Grom help us and Erastil hunt the b(*&#@$ that did this as I approach the mound with the rest seeing the body Didn't that Old man said something of the people that actually owned the fire we rested at? as I take my shield out in case we are being watched.
Ragnar frowns, bowing his head and mumbling a brief prayer before walking over to the mound and beginning to clear off the snow.
Karl pulls the shovel out of his pack and silently clears away the snow.
Very softly, Karl says Someone should go get the Black Ravens. I can stay here and stand watch, to make sure their dead are not disturbed, but someone should go and tell them to come and see to their brothers. His voice is sad, low and monotone.
Velkirth glances at Karl, his voice low and his eyes moving. Might it not be better to determine how this happened? I would like to avoid the Blackravens laying the blame for this at my feet.
You think highly of your self Velkirth as I face him But even I wouldn't boast that we can kill 20 Blackravens with so few of us to fight them looking at the mound again We would be the corspes making a small mound... Let us go then and take them the grim news of their fallen so they can be buried properly.
Dagmar looks sadly at the bodies they have uncovered trying to determine what caused their deaths. "I'll go and tell them after we figure out what killed them so I will know what to tell them. These poor men deserve a proper burial by their brothers. "
Ragnar starts pulling off the Blackravens' badges and insignia.
"Jus' shuh duhm dhuhz."
He takes a quick look around for any signs of struggle- to see if they were killed here.
Perception:
Kari has been studying the mound of corpses for some time, her gloved fingers resting just above the neck of her bear. It is not the first such display that she has seen.
"Why cover them?" she asks aloud. "This number of men is too many for a regular patrol of the perimeter," she pauses, frowns and then tugs her scarf back over the lower portion of her face and crouches beside the grisly scene.
"Look," she indicates one's armor with a gesture, "what manner of assailant would simply leave such a valuable thing behind?" she inquires.
Kari slides her eyes closed and thinks on the old man's words. Them who gathered the wood, the rises and looks to the citadel.
"This is recent. The fire is what remains of their camp, or might have been," Kari recognizes, and rises. "Like as not, whomever perpetrated this planned an assault on the Citadel."
Kari has been studying the mound of corpses for some time, her gloved fingers resting just above the neck of her bear. It is not the first such display that she has seen.
"Why cover them?" she asks aloud. "This number of men is too many for a regular patrol of the perimeter," she pauses, frowns and then tugs her scarf back over the lower portion of her face and crouches beside the grisly scene.
"Look," she indicates one's armor with a gesture, "what manner of assailant would simply leave such a valuable thing behind?" she inquires. ]
TPerhaps the sort of assailant that wanted to leave a message to those who would look... Or the sort that had no use for such, or who could simply not take with him... He glances up suspiciously at the sky, scanning for any movement. "What did your friend say? Not welcome in these parts? No coincidences? Partial to white?
The last comes out as almost a hiss as Thorolf then bends down to inspect each corpse, looking for clues as to their manner of deaths, and also to see if he might recognize any of them.
|
|
Dagmar looks sadly at the bodies they have uncovered trying to determine what caused their deaths. "I'll go and tell them after we figure out what killed them so I will know what to tell them. These poor men deserve a proper burial by their brothers. "
|
|
Ragnar starts pulling off the Blackravens' badges and insignia.
"Jus' shuh duhm dhuhz."He takes a quick look around for any signs of struggle- to see if they were killed here.
Perception: 1d20+1
After examining the bodies, Dagmar adds to the discussion. "I think that the reason nothing was taken from the bodies is because what killed them couldn't use it. The bodies show marks of being killed by a large animal, such as an adult bear. Those puncture marks there were made by teeth rather than blade and those parallel slashes on that one were made by a large set of claws."
Ragnar kneels, pulling something from under a corpse- a sheet of lambskin parchment. Studying it, his brow furrows, his frown deepens.
"Duhn' wuhzt yuh tuhm wuth plunz uh vuhnjuhnz.", he says to Thorolf,"Thuhz muhn wuhnnuhd uhz duhd."
Translation, if necesary:
The mute strides over to Dagmar, holding out the smeared and bloodstained parchment for her examination.
"Zhuppuhz wuh uh Buh-uhn uh thuhnkz fuh muh duhn duh fuh."
Translation:
After accepting and reading the note that Ragnar hands to her, Dagmar's fair skin manages to pale even more as she looks rather distressed by the note. She hands the note out to whoever would like to read it next. Shaking her head she asks, "I don't understand, what is this all about?"
Well... a big creature with claws and fangs that can deal with 20 men, is not a bear, maybe a troll as I spit instantaneously when I say it Aye! Old Beorn might have spared us this fate, glad to know of their untimely demise as I take one of the medals from a corpse Dark wings... dark tidings then looking Dagmar What makes you so special, besides your looks?
Ragnar shrugs.
"Uht suhd 'duhl' nuht 'uhduh'. Muhbuh duh duhn uhll wuhn uhz duhd..."
Translation:
Looking thoughtful, though still rather pale, Dagmar speaks slowly as if gathering her thoughts while talking. "I'm not sure why I and Ragnar were singled out. Though maybe it could be for something that we will do rather than for anything we have already done. Whoever wrote that note obviously had some arcane means of foresight to know that the nine of us would just happen to gather here at this time. Maybe that same gift of foresight has told that person of something that the nine of us will do in the future that he doesn't like?"
"Maybe you simply angered someone in your past," Kari opines flatly. "As Caelin has observed your that your beauty is stunning, perhaps they simply wish to possess you? Or your fox pissed in a lording's soup?"
Kari growls irritably and issues an order for Bjørn to stand. "A druid with the amount of power to shift his shape into something capable of defeating twenty men would not leave a track," Kari observes. "And his bear would be far more capable than mine own. Witness the prowess of mine only son," Kari practically purrs, removes a glove and scratches Bjørn's neck affectionately.
Dagmar throws her hands up in exasperation. "I just don't know. I can't think of angering anyone enough to wish me dead. And why would that druid even care what happens to any of us? I have certainly never met him before. What is it to him if we live or die?"
Karl listens intently to the heated exchange, thinking slowly as he does.
Could this Beorn have planted the note in order to set us at odds with the Black Ravens? He looks uncomfortably at the corpses. I just cannot believe that the Ravens would do us harm. They are meant to protect the realm from the Witches, aren't they?
He shakes himself and scans the horizon.
Either way, we must act. If another patrol happens by and finds us like this... He shudders. It will not go well for us. He looks back and forth between Dagmar, Kari, Caelin and Ragnar. What shall we do?
|
|
Karl listens intently to the heated exchange, thinking slowly as he does.
Could this Beorn have planted the note in order to set us at odds with the Black Ravens? He looks uncomfortably at the corpses. I just cannot believe that the Ravens would do us harm. They are meant to protect the realm from the Witches, aren't they?
He shakes himself and scans the horizon. [Dice=Perception]1d20 + 11
Either way, we must act. If another patrol happens by and finds us like this... He shudders. It will not go well for us. He looks back and forth between Dagmar, Kari, Caelin and Ragnar. What shall we do?
No one is coming. The citadel looks peaceful.
Ragnar shrugs, points to the pile of bodies then jabs a thumb toward Blackraven Hall.
Tell them.
He points to the note, then makes a circle with his finger and puts a finger over his lips, shaking his head. Keep the note between us.
Stolen-Voice points to the fire and hooks his two thumbs together, fanning out his fingers like a bird, flapping them for effect. Then he shrugs, both hands spread apart.
Tell them about the old man/bird?
"The note says 'kill them all', not deal with them. It mentions this being part of a deal, however. As for why we should be killed? We seem to have agreed that fate has drawn us here together, so I would guess that whomever wants us dead wants to prevent whatever our fate is from coming to pass. While some are marked for great deeds, the future is not set in stone, and it seems that someone wants to avert what fate has planned for us."
Svalk thinks about what he knows about the Black Ravens, and opens his mind to other sources of knowledge as well, wondering if he's ever heard of them working against the Ulfen, or having unsavory allies in their history:
By Erastil can we stop this discussion it's giving me a headache and it's getting us nowhere as he silently steps in front of the group Let us go to the Blackravens and bring them their badges so they know about their fallen and deal with the rest as it comes at us
Velkirth nods his head at Caelin's words. He's right. There are too many unknowns right now for us to try to anticipate the next move of our mysterious enemies. Plus the Blackravens themselves might have more info as to who in the area might want us dead.