Of Kings and Commoners - Into Iobaria

Game Master KingmakerDM

Kara stares slack-jawed in complete non-understanding at what she just witnessed. If he had enough money to be stupid, he should have enough money to be efficient. She shakes her head, memorizing the faces in case she ever comes across them again.
This simply firms her resolve that she needs to take over Galt and install a system of a meritocracy. Surely then no one who was rich wouldn't also be a wasteful jerk!

Well, there's naught for it. But perhaps advantage can still be gained. She turns to Tethyana.

"Can you show me how to clean fresh meat? Some extra meat will certainly be of use on the journey. Perhaps we won't even need to touch our rations for a few days."

It's Mark's turn to drop his jaw. "Listen, I'm all for giving the poor beast a fair treatment, but we don't have time to butcher all...several hundred pounds of horseflesh," Mark says, waving a hand vaguely to gloss over his lack of knowledge about the weight of horses. "It'd take too long to properly butcher and salt all that meat. Let the scavengers have a free meal, I say."

Kara chuckles at Mark, catching the misunderstanding. "I merely wish to harvest what can be had. Of course we could not take it all, but a score pounds of prime horse-steak to leaven a daily fare of hard tack and jerky would be welcome. The scavengers shall still have plenty to fill their bellies. Since we're making camp anyway, I doubt we'll do any harm."

Kara quickly pitches her tent and starts a fire. Mark's statement joggles a memory, and she vaguely recalls something about 'smoking' meat. She uses three branches to set up a make-shift spit. Meh. It may not work. But at least I'll know I tried.'

Mark rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, see, I thought you meant the whole animal...makes sense.." he falls quiet, internally berating himself for not seeing the logic of it sooner. He focuses on unloading his gear from the back of his horse, preparing to help make camp.

Radek nods. "We're already stopping and the horse is already dead. We might as well get what use we can out of it." He gestures at Kara as she starts to assemble her tent. "We shouldn't camp this close to carrion, though. There will be scavengers here tonight. No need to tempt fate by camping right next to a bear's next meal."

The druid gestures at a likely spot away from the horse. "Let's set up camp over there and I'll show you how to quickly field-dress a kill."

"We ain't stopping here when Strathe is only a few hours more to the east," replies Kenn as he finally realizes what the others are talking about. "And we won't be taking time to dress that beast and harness any meat. At least, these wagons ain't waiting."

The intention was never to camp here. You were always supposed to make to Strathe and rest there for the evening. If those on the horses want to stay behind to see to the meat, I suppose that would be ok, but Kenn will be taking the wagons on to Strathe.

Here is the post with the start of this encounter. You are half-way to Strathe. It is mid-afternoon.

Okay, I see what my mistake was now. I read this:

In the middle of the afternoon, halway to Strathe and the groups stop for the night,

I read 'and the group's stop for the night' as 'as the group was stopping for the night'. Radek wouldn't have suggested they try to slaughter the horse if the wagons aren't stopping. I'm willing to bet that Kara and Mark made the same mistake. We can probably just skip the past few posts that refer to slaughtering the horse.

Agreed. Pjiana would want to move the corpse from the roadway so that it does not attract dangerous predators. However, she will leave it so that other animals can feed on it as party of the circle of life.

Also, Pjiana has skill ranks in Survival, Heal and Profession(trapper). I imagine that she is quite adept at slaughtering animals.

"Bloody noble impacience" Says Avery as he mounts his horse, secretly he had hoped that they were bandits and not ignorant nobles, It's been along while since I loosed the bowstrings not on a violin, he thinks, smirking slightly.

Ah. Yes. I ditto what Radek said.

No worries. Sorry for being unclear.

Mark is the first to hop down off his horse and help the druid to move the horse's carcass off the road and into the forest. He even closes his eyes for a few moments of silent, personal prayer over the fallen animal, before returning to the caravan to proceed onward.

Mark likes animals.