"So, lets bind him and put him on his horse. His motivation went beyond the call of duty - I'd like to ask him some question as to why he was so insistent on seeing Rain dead.", Alia voices her opinion, while warily looking at Rain.
"Exactly what I was going to suggest, I'll just search the horse as well to make sure it has no weapons"
Zokon searches the horse and then joins Alia is picking up and binding Grogan to his horse
"Hehe, yeah good boy. One sec, they want to spare that idiot." Also exhausted, Scarlet follows Rain for a bit while catching her breath.
Zokon will take the dagger from the horse and the dagger and battleaxe from the man himself
Zokon remembers something after seeing the coin
"Hmm Our friend here may be more trouble than he is worth, do not let your guard down, anyone else heard of the Aspis Consortium"
"Not saying it is so, but maybe you're reading too much into that coin. Could be he only robbed it himself, or got into possession of it some way and doesn't even know about it's meaning. Maybe we should present his membership as a fact when he wakes, or try and do it sneaky, lulling him into false safety. What do you think would be our best course of action?
Posh thinks for a moment. The name has come up every once in a while back in the River Kingdoms, but nothing else.
What would the Aspis want with these people, if he was sent by them and not simply hunting the creature for some extra coin.
"Aspis whosit?" Scarlet scratches her head. "Why would they be so eager to chase down Rain? Unless...Tamris?" Scarlet frowns.
"I hope they didn't get to Tamris. Maybe Grogan's here to tie up loose ends."
Rain stops and returns.
"WOOF WOOF! HOWWOOOO!" Rain limps about in a tight circle three more times and makes to tear off again.
Alia, finishing binding Grogan on his horse, and tethering his horse to her own, looks quizzically at Celyne:"I gather he wants us to follow him towards Tamris, but whats with that circling? Is that trained behaiviour, or natural?"
Either way, Alia would mount up and get ready to follow Rain.
Mounts up and follows Rain.
"Yeah, I know Rain. I know! Right behind ya."
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dice=Kn: Nobility 1d20 + 13
"I too have heard of this Consortium. They have an ill reputation, though they are mostly merchants looking for profit... but they are said to use any means, fair or foul."
"But if this Grogan is truly a member, there is likely a lot more at stake here than a 250 gold piece bounty. That would seem to be small potatoes for that group."
"We will likely to need Tamris to explain this in any case, so let us be off. Let's go, Sir Didymus!"
"Come here lad." Fan sets his hands on the woozy big wolf and heals hims of (after some time) most of his wounds.
"There. Better but still haggard. How are you all holding up?" He asks.
Yes Zokon mounts up and follows to keep an eye on Grogan
Ignoring Fan, Alia rides past him, following Rain.
Rain heads off west chasing the sun which itself sets the sky above the Narlmarches blazing red and then deep purple. About a half-hour after setting off from the cave evening dawns and the lands grow dark.
Scarlet enjoys the trip. The village was nice, but all of those eyes on her were causing her to get nervous.
"Rain isn't going to stop; I suggest we don't, either. Do you need a torch, Zokon?" Scarlet reaches for one in her pack.
"Umm the horses don't see in the dark either, don't forget it's not you walking around it's them and they'll have to see obstacles to avoid them. I think we should stop."
"I do not know what he is trained to do... nor what commands were used to train him. But I will try to help slow him down, nonetheless."
"Rain, stop! COme!"
"The horses will see just as well with torches as you. Maybe break out one of the sunrods? We don't know what situation Tamris is in, Time could be important...and if he is held somewhere, approaching at night might give us an advantage of surprise. I'd continue, slowly, until we grow tired, at least. Then we can try luring and lulling Rain with food, and sleep in a makeshift camp."
Alia leans forward to touch a piece of leather hanging from her horses harness, casting light on it.
"Rain definitely wants us to move on. I'm willing, what about you guys?"
Posh nods to Scarlet's suggestion.
"Let's move on and keep going. I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as anyone here does." Posh states simply as he looks at Rain quizzically. "I only wish I could do something more for her."
Zokon will light up a torch
"Seems the animal needs to go forth"
Lacking any special light spells or devices, Celyne tries to stay near those who have such deployed so her horse can see well enough for sure footing.
"All right, Rain, we're coming."
Numalar spurs on Sir Didymus again as soon as the party seems to have enough light.
Lacking any special light spells or devices, Celyne tries to stay near those who have such deployed so her horse can see well enough for sure footing.
Posh nods to Scarlet's suggestion.
"Let's move on and keep going. I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as anyone here does." Posh states simply as he looks at Rain quizzically. "I only wish I could do something more...."
Posh nods to Scarlet's suggestion.
"Let's move on and keep going. I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as anyone here does." Posh states simply as he looks at Rain quizzically. "I only wish I could do something more...."
Posh decides to dig deep and casts a spell on himself.
"I'll see if we can get more information out of her." Posh states, moving up closer to Rain. "Hello again Rain. Where are you leading us?" he looks to the group for any suggestions as to what to ask her about.
"Quick now. I cannot do it alone." Rain barks.
[Ooc]PS Rain is a male wolf. Groga's harried and now dead wolf was female.[ooc]
"If you are able to ask him questions, I wonder if Rain has any idea why Grogan seemed so fixated on killing him. If he has any information at all, it may help when we confront our guest once he wakes.", Alia suggests.
"We go to save my humanoid companion, Tamris half-elven from that one's pack." He nods his great muzzle toward Grogan.
"Quick now. I cannot do it alone." Rain barks.
"He and his pack and I are enemies."
After hearing the info from the wolf
"Lets get on with it then"
"Enemies? Maybe Aspis has personal reasons to go after Tamris. Well, you heard the wolf-let's get movin'.'
It's three hours later (about 9-10 pm) when when the party pierces the black edge of the Narlmarches west-most spur. And another hour of game trails and rough hilly terrain before Rain begins to slow.
Gorik whistles unconsciously. Grogan doesn't stir.
The air is cool and brisk and the clouds have rolled on and the stars burn bright above you.
He takes the scent at various points along the trail, and doesn't seem to like what he smells. He looks at the group with appraising eyes.
Then a firelight appears around the curve of a short tree and brush-studded hill ahead. It appears to be a large campfire. There doesn't seem to be anyone about. Rain (more cautiously than ever) approaches.
In an area of dim light, a character can see somewhat. Creatures within this area have concealment (20% miss chance in combat) from those without darkvision or the ability to see in darkness. A creature within an area of dim light can make a Stealth check to conceal itself. Areas of dim light include outside at night with a moon in the sky, bright starlight, and the area between 20 and 40 feet from a torch.
"Huh? Why did we stop? Did Tamris fall down a well?"
Scarlet dismounts the horse and heads towards the campfire.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Posh notices nothing in his tone when speaking with Rain earlier, but notices she appears to be worries.
"Is there something you can smell?" Posh questions, noticing her sudden hesitation and looking around the area carefully.
"Is there something you can smell?" Posh questions, noticing his sudden hesitation and looking around the area carefully.
Rain dips his head into a stand of tall grass and pulls up a smooth stick--except by torch and starlight you see it isn't a stick. It's a small javelin--of a make you have all seen before.
Rain whines.
"Huh? Why did we stop? Did Tamris fall down a well?"
Rain has a quizzical look on his face the sort that pet herding dogs have when you ask them something intriguing that they cannot understand.
Scarlet doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary as she moves forward aside the sounds of croaking frogs and hooting owls.
"The kobold's javelin- everyone, look out for ambushes from the group."