Looking around the group, Peran clears his throat and speaks.
"I am Brother Peran of Seaton. I am a priest of St. Cuthbert, sent to Saltmarsh to help spread the gods wisdom and gather funds to help my father-temple in Seaton, as well as looking to create a shrine here in Saltmarsh. I grew up the son of a fisherman, so I know my way around the docks and water."
"My training is as a military scout. I'm supposed to survive on my own behind enemy lines until I can return to my command with intelligence. Our local enemy at home is primarily goblins. I also have some skill with a bow."
"My training is as a military scout. I'm supposed to survive on my own behind enemy lines until I can return to my command with intelligence. Our local enemy at home is primarily goblins. I also have some skill with a bow."
Soros
Soros nods at Rabalar's comment. "I am a trained mage...I didn't intend on starting out like that but fate and fortune placed me in the path of it. I actually left Saltmarsh with a group hunting a wizard suspected of black magic but it turned out that was a lie. Magic is not the reason for the plague...at least not in my estimation of it but it does seem to attract foul things. I have seen that with my own eyes when my teacher was casting. The stronger the magic the stronger the attraction. So my studies are in the fields of abjuration...protective magic and wards but I have some tricks up my sleeve to punch back as well. I am also a pretty good shot with the sling if things go really bad...
He looks back to the north in the direction of D'ogyrn. "D'ogryn will be missed. He had a knack for finding traps and tricks and had a sharp eye and good instincts. Those are hard to come by."
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Antas stands and holds out his hand is salute to one and all saying I am Antas Di Santos, Paladin of Heironeous, here with fast friends Ferona and Peran on task fer the township ta catch a killer of women. I am dwarven trained as a blacksmith and with a hammer and trained fer battle since a boy at my parents wishes by me adopted parents
Naia bends down to take the armor, finally sure it isn’t out of a misplaced pity on her new friends behalf.
New friends. Because though she felt close to Rab, as close as one could to an elf, that bond was only forged in battle and tromping through a creek and exploring a haunted house. Zove and D’og - one dead, one now gone. Soros - again, she didn’t know him like Zove and D’og. Thout, almost dead and now gone. Narciso and Grond she barely knew, though they seemed genuine, and Ferona and Peran and Antas...Wait...What?!?! Naia suddenly looks up at Antas.
”Hang on...you’re a dwarf?”
"My name is Grond - I was brought up to be a defender and an advisor for my tribe. Even though I am not with them anymore, my apprenticeship continues, learning from my travels, and from those around me" - he nods at Narciso - "My arm is strong and I can take care of myself and others in the wild. From my father I have learned honor, and to craft weapons of steel. From my mother..." - the half-orc pauses and chuckles for a moment - "I am still discovering her legacy, bit by bit everyday"
Naia stands holding the armor. She smiles back at Antas, trying to comprehend.
His parents, dead. D’og had no parents either. And Grond. I am so blessed to have family.”
”You know what Grond. You take it. I understand - me Nan gifted me her chain hauberk, but it was heavier than Thout. So I switched to this. I figured mobility beat wearing a wall of metal. If this suit is magical, you’ll probably need it...and be quieter too.” Naia gives the suit to Grond.
She turns to Antas as they move on, clearly feeling no need to introduce herself further to anyone.
”So...did you grow up underground? Did you hit your head a lot? Do you like human food? How about fish? I have some dried fish here that...” she continues conversationally...
Naia stands holding the armor. She smiles back at Antas, trying to comprehend.
His parents, dead. D’og had no parents either. And Grond. I am so blessed to have family.”
”You know what Grond. You take it. I understand - me Nan gifted me her chain hauberk, but it was heavier than Thout. So I switched to this. I figured mobility beat wearing a wall of metal. If this suit is magical, you’ll probably need it...and be quieter too.” Naia gives the suit to Grond.
She turns to Antas as they move on, clearly feeling no need to introduce herself further to anyone.
”So...did you grow up underground? Did you hit your head a lot? Do you like human food? How about fish? I have some dried fish here that...” she continues conversationally...
Narciso listens, trying to remember a bit about everybody. He chuckles at Naia's question as obviously Antas is no dwarf....
"Introductions all around then? I'm an entertainer traveling with a good strong friend! And sometimes my songs and chants can have almost magical effects.... OK, I'm a trained bard. I can do a little bit of a lot of stuff, but I'm not a master of much of anything. A bit too much of a dilettante for that."
Soros
"Well I am glad to meet you Brother Peran and Antas. I am sure we can continue to chit chat as we make our way towards that house. I hope that each of you enjoy the company of bugs...spiders, centipedes, and roaches mostly. They are in abundance there it seems...and not the little ones you can squish with your toe...no no no...they are the type that will land on your head and take your nose off or crawl up your leg and bit you in spots that I would rather not discuss in the company of ladies."
He rubs his left arm as he finishes that comment...
"I actually think I hate bugs...all of them..."
Narciso strolls along as the party starts to move along the road toward the house. Hearing Soros comment on bugs he considers for a moment, then adds, "Bite off your nose? Sounds pretty terrible then! I mean, I've never heard of a nose-less bard, so I'll have to be careful and avoid that. And bugs in general are mostly brainless, so they wouldn't enjoy my caliber of entertainment. That alone deserves general 'squashing'!"
He continues along, humming various melodies mostly to himself.
Ferona chuckles lightly on mention she was a lady by Soros. Certainly she never considered herself one before now...except maybe by Antas...
'Large bugs and spiders infest this place? Certainly it helps whoever lurks there remain unmolested! We will have to be cautious though, as even a mild dose of poison could prove fatal." As she remarks this she is mindful to be more aware of her surroundings, even as she recalls what she knew of the disgusting vermin...namely the signs of their inhabitation, nests and such.
The olf nods to the group. "Most of you know where we're going, and will have a hard time missing it by staying on the road, so, I think I'm going to be off the road, keeping watch and trying not to be seen. Always good to have an unexpected flanker if you get jumped."
Unless anyone stops him, he will "wander" off the road to whichever side he remembers as providing better concealment through the trip, before working to not be seen by anyone they may come across.
Naia chats with Antas until she sees Rabar veer off the path. Remembering rather recent similar veerings she adopts a slightly hunched posture and attempts to avoid scrunching steps or twig breaking toes...
The group finishes tightening their packs and positioning their gear. They head east down the Coastal Road to the old house.
Rabalar veers off to the south knowing the edge of the forest will allow him to easily shadow the group. He also knows the goblins encampment was in a glen on this side of the road so if there are any more chances of goblins ambushing them it will more than likely come from the south. The road winds around and over grassy hills as it follows the coast line breaking north to wind around rocky areas or heavily wooded areas. The road follows the low land near the coast so that the hills north have the high ground. The woods south are filled with tall pines, birch and willow trees with spots of oaks and elms. Tall grass and wild flowers fill in areas where ferns have not grown in patches.
He disappears into the woods but Naia knows he is nearby in the shadows of the woods. He is often anywhere from 10 yards to 200 yards away at times. He seemed to have blended into the forest as soon as he stepped into it.
Rabalar notices nothing of import the first leg of the journey. It is quiet and peaceful and you find renewed vigor as you bounce from animal trail to animal trailing as you stay with your group on the road. On three occassions you see a wagon come along the road but as you watch it you can tell it is just a farmer or a some local craftsman heading to town.
The rest of the group notices the road is dry and in good shape today. Several wagons pass you that are handled by farmers or craftsman bringing in their goods to Saltmarsh. They give you a nod or a "Mornin/Good Day" as they pass you.
Naia chats with Antas until she sees Rabar veer off the path. Remembering rather recent similar veerings she adopts a slightly hunched posture and attempts to avoid scrunching steps or twig breaking toes...
[dice=Stealth]1d20 + 3 - 2
Naia's footwork has improved immensely and it is clear she has learned a great deal from watching both Rabalar and D'ogryn move.
** spoiler omitted **
I counted that one for you...
"Rabalar notices nothing of import the first leg of the journey. It is quiet and peaceful and you find renewed vigor as you bounce from animal trail to animal trailing as you stay with your group on the road. On three occassions you see a wagon come along the road but as you watch it you can tell it is just a farmer or a some local craftsman heading to town."
Peran walks alongside the others. He tries to keep his eyes and ears open during the trip.
Perception:
Perception:
Perception:
Perception:
Perception:
Soros
Falls in with his companions. He takes a position by Antas and Ferona. As he does he takes the time to look back where they came from and scan the road, the side of the roads, and especially the hills to the north that sit above them. He also scans the hills ahead to see if anyone sits on them watching them. He seems a bit worried about the trip to the house. Even when he is chatting he just seems to pause and look back and forward and then catches up with the group if he pauses to long.
"Mistress Ferona, are you a trained mage? Or is your interest in the arcane simply academic in nature?" He pauses and looks back and then forward and realizes he had stopped walking and picks back up again to keep up with the group. "I myself was trained...apprenticed for a time and I had just returned home to settle back in but with all the sickness and accusations flying around I have had to learn to keep my specialty quiet..."
Narciso strolls along with the team. While he'd like to sing some 'walking chants', he notices the concerns of others, and remembers that there may be some bandit or goblin activity in the area, and he doesn't want to alert everything in the area....
"Mistress Ferona, are you a trained mage? Or is your interest in the arcane simply academic in nature?" He pauses and looks back and then forward and realizes he had stopped walking and picks back up again to keep up with the group. "I myself was trained...apprenticed for a time and I had just returned home to settle back in but with all the sickness and accusations flying around I have had to learn to keep my specialty quiet..."
Ferona nods readily, clearly pleased to have another spellcaster to talk shop with, so to speak. "I am indeed trained in the arcane arts, yet my...schooling was more esoteric in nature. I had access to...my master who was a practitioner in some of the more ancient Suel teachings. I feel blessed he felt it on himself to pass on those teachings to myself." She dabs a tear from the corner of her eye briefly before continuing, "Yes being versed in the arcane arts is not looked upon well in the lands. My master warned me to be mindful of this and advised to study in a needed profession so as to disguise my true talents. I discovered I have a natural aptitude to scribing," she beams with a note of confidence here.
Naia follows Rab, keeping an eye on him and the group on the road, and anything that seems out of the ordinary. Which to her sea-borne lifestyle, is just about anything...
Damn woods! So untidy!
"Mistress Ferona, are you a trained mage? Or is your interest in the arcane simply academic in nature?" He pauses and looks back and then forward and realizes he had stopped walking and picks back up again to keep up with the group. "I myself was trained...apprenticed for a time and I had just returned home to settle back in but with all the sickness and accusations flying around I have had to learn to keep my specialty quiet..."Ferona nods readily, clearly pleased to have another spellcaster to talk shop with, so to speak. "I am indeed trained in the arcane arts, yet my...schooling was more esoteric in nature. I had access to...my master who was a practitioner in some of the more ancient Suel teachings. I feel blessed he felt it on himself to pass on those teachings to myself." She dabs a tear from the corner of her eye briefly before continuing, "Yes being versed in the arcane arts is not looked upon well in the lands. My master warned me to be mindful of this and advised to study in a needed profession so as to disguise my true talents. I discovered I have a natural aptitude to scribing," she beams with a note of confidence here.
Soros
He walks with his new companions and listens to Ferona as intently as he can as he watches the landscape around him and his friends. "That is odd you would say that as I believe that all of us, for the most part, considering what we are doing have training that is esoteric but you seem to be saying your arcane training in itself is more specific...How so? My training was broad at first in the magecraft but as I discovered
the danger involved in this new profession of mine I decided on girding myself against those dangers as best I could with more specified training in the arts of abjuration. I find the art of necromancy to vile and so didn't bother in learning any more about it past the basics of it that would be required to understand it and identify it... Enchantment seems so intrusive to me...I don't like the idea of invading someone's mind or forcing someone to do something they would not normally consider. My teacher has said many times that I tend to live in to much of a black and white world..." He laughs to himself as he stops and checks the area around the group and then turns and keeps walking.
As the group starts to descend down one of the many hills this road has Naia, Grond, Soros, Peran, Ferona notices a plume of smoke (light grey and thin) to the north and east of their position.
Rabalar notices it as well but figures it is northeast and probably about 2 miles or so away. He figures from the look of the smoke it is probably from a chimney...a farmer's home more than likely. He stands on a small rocky landing and is following an animal trail that is running alongside the road about thirty or forty yards away. He notices the spot of the original ambush is not far away and remembers the woods get a bit thicker on the south side
Narciso and Antas don't notice it as their attentions are on the road ahead.
"We should check that" - Grond points at the rising smoke - "Seeing as we may not be the only ones interested in the house, and returning to it..."
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Antas keeps a sharp trained eye on the road sweeping left to right and back again his fingers caressing he well worn hilt of his hammer his mind on the code of Heironeous and of keeping his friends and the Lady Ferona safe.
Antas turns toward the smoke he missed seeing considering it saying it may show danger to be sure and we should keep others are on the road
"Or it could be a trap, meant for us in particular." Ferona nods slowly, "We has best proceed here, albeit cautiously."
Noticing Grond point out the thin column of smoke that he hadn't seen Narciso looks toward it. "It may be nothing but a simple cook fire. But you are right that there are enemies in the area."
"Our enemies use stealth so it is unlikely that they'd advertise their location.... Unless it is a signal to their allies, or a trap specifically meant for us. Hmm..."
Soros
He studies the smoke plume for a while as the others talk. "That grey plume seems like all the other skinny grey plumes of smoke we see coming from the chimneys in town." He turns to Naia..."There are farms out here right? I thought there was a bunch of shepherds and farmers. That could be one of them...maybe." He doesn't look to sure about that last comment.
”There are homesteads dotted around the inlands, but I’m not sure who lives out here.”
Rabalar sees a small cart with two mules turn on to the road. They appear to have come from the north and turned off some sort of trail about half mile up the road and turned west towards Saltmarsh.
A cart wagon with an old farmer, his plump wife, and two teenage boys go by you. They have two mules pulling the cart and the two boys are walking beside the cart. The farmer and the wife look a bit upset as if they are fussing at each other as they go by you. One of the boys is carrying a long stick (half the length of staff) and walking with it. The other boy on your side of the cart...with curly brown hair and a skinny face looks at the group as the farmer and his wife give you a wide berth on the roadway. The farmer tips his straw hat..."Gud day tu ya" The wife nods and smiles...a cautious smile as the cart goes by. The boy nods to you as well and brings up his hand to give you a half-hearted wave...he seems unsure of you.
Ferona places a smile upon her face though she honestly felt little kinshup with them. Still she should try to at least empathize with such plight. She had heard tales of farmers being chased out of their long standing homes due to the Plague...could this family be one of them?
"Ho and well met to you, good man," Ferona greets the farmer, "How is the road ahead? Has your journey been a quiet one? The road to Saltmarsh is clear ahead."
Naia steps on to the path, smiling broadly, hoping to see if she recognises the family.
”Hey folks!” she says easily.
Ferona places a smile upon her face though she honestly felt little kinshup with them. Still she should try to at least empathize with such plight. She had heard tales of farmers being chased out of their long standing homes due to the Plague...could this family be one of them?
"Ho and well met to you, good man," Ferona greets the farmer, "How is the road ahead? Has your journey been a quiet one? The road to Saltmarsh is clear ahead."
[dice=Knowledge (Local)]1d20+10
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+6
As the cart moves by your group slowly the plump women smiles at Ferona and Naia. "Thank ye lady! It is fine...it is fine..but we have only come a sort way mind ye. Our farm is just a bit ways off got to get ourselves into town to get some coin."
The farmer looks at her stunned..."Labella! Ya can't go blubbering ta every stranger on the road what we are doing!" His wife turns and slaps him on the shoulder..but the slap is more to put him line. "Oh don't mind him...he sees shadows behind every tree he does!" The two teens still watching both laugh and look at each other. When Naia speaks up the women looks at her..."See! A Temlow...as clear as day I told ya! That be the youngest daughter if me eyes are right! Stop looking for trouble!" He brushes his shoulder away... "We just had problems with goblins women! Farmers have had their wagons attacked...farms attacked ya know that!" The women bumps him with her body and laughs..."That has been taken care of I heard from Mia...she said the town had a group of brave souls hunt those goblins down and scare them off!"
The olf stays off the road, secluded and watching. When the others stop and discuss the smoke, he waits, confused because he doesn't understand why they've stopped, though an occasional arm pointing in the direction of the smoke gives him a clue.
As the family cart comes along, he smiles, pleased to see normal traffic along a road that so recently was as dangerous as this had been. We did this! he thinks with some pride, before remembering what became of Zove and Thout. Those memories drive the smile from his face, though the warm glow of seeing the family openly on the road remains.
He turns his attention back to his task, though, and forces himself to scan the road ahead of them, and the cover on either side.