Despite having the bad fortune of being all too familiar with Mordin's prophecies of doom and gloom, the eidolon looks up into the trees as well.
"I do not understand why you keep such inane company, Master."
Hearing her companion's comment, Cereza looks up as well, frowning.
"Oh Mordin, you silly. There's nothing up there."
Mordin sighs, though not quite in annoyance. "I'm telling you that there's something up there. Looks humanoid. Don't come crying to me if it kills you first."
As they walk down the trail; "There's a human in the trees?" Pieter asks Mordin, a note of concern in his voice.
He pauses for a second. Raising his free hand to his mouth, he shouts towards the boughs; looking to one side deep in thought his voice is raised again.
Knuckles white upon his falchions' haft he awaits the reply, elsewise he will move back on as the group continues scout out.
To Pieter's cry, there is neither movement nor response from whatever may or not be in the trees above...
"It is perhaps not so wise to wake the forest with challenges," Mai quietly chides the paladin. "Let us continue."
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Belgeon makes motion for Cereza to proceed ahead of him, if they end up being attacked from behind he'd prefer the attack came upon him rather than the naïve, and dainty seeming summoner. He can't help but wonder what the chances this group had in Rappan Athuk 'The summoner seems content to be unaware of danger, Mordin seems a competent tracker, but his constant talk of death is poor for morale, the cleric... what was her name? Appears to know her limitations, that is good, and the lady monk can make up for a number of foibles. Maybe a 5% chance we'll survive?' He hears Pieter bellowing into the trees '... maybe a 0.5% chance we'll survive.'
The stony warrior says nothing, but keeps a firm grip on his scimitar looking about to see if he can spot anything, likely if there was something nearby it knew exactly where they were now. Mai scolded the oaf, but the deed was already done. "Yes" He agrees with the monk "We shouldn't stay here."
Rasping his hang across the soft stubble of his lantern jaw, he considers Mai's words. "True, I don't wish to call all manner of horrible creatures upon our heads." he concedes respectfully. However, if there was some person hurt and dying I couldn't have it on my conscience that I didn't help them." He shakes his head.
"Hurt and dying... in the treetops? Most unlikely, Sur Usthausen. What makes you think anybody is hurt and dying?" Mai inquires curiously.
"Mordin said there was something human in the trees." Pieter says quietly; "Spiders could have dragged a youngster up there, cocooned her in their silk slowly being eaten from the inside. Den da spiders babies spill out, until the child is nothing but an empty bag." his voice trails of sadly.
He looks to Mordin sadly, with a nod of familiarity. "Saw it in the Black wood of Odranto." He slowly carries on walking.
"I heard him say he couldn't tell. Climb up and check, if you like. We will wait!" Mai nods decisively.
He looks to Mai and blinks the sheen from his eyes; "Thanks comrade." With a thunk he thrusts his heavy Falchion into the loam, it stands quivering.
Putting his off hand to his belt, with a soft sigh he releases his cold iron dagger to his grip. Gauging where he sees a mass of whiteness above, Pieter wraps his limbs around the dark putrid bark. Slowly he hoists himself up into the boughs.
Pieter is incorrigible. (Especially given half a chance).
Mai simply shrugs, pulls a shuriken from her belt, and keeps an eye on the man who is attempting to climb the tree.
It is impossible to tell what her intent is with the shuriken.
Pieter continues to climb up the tree, the soft white webbing not giving as much purchase as the armoured man expects. His powerful thighs wrap around the course trunk whilst he fluidly thrusts his body up towards the prize. His free hand grasping at the lower bowers.
Pieter hisses down from the tree. "AMBUSH!" in a low hiss that carries easily to Mai.
Knuckles turn white as they grip tightly on the leather hilt of his knife. Pieters eyes dart around the canopy looking for signs of life. 'Or is this a warning?'
He'll edge his way out onto the branch trusting that it can hold both his and the figures weigh.
"Ambush?" Mai looks around for trouble, shurikin still in hand.
The branch seems sturdy enough, and Pieter may even realize that it must have been strong enough to support the weight of whoever placed the humanoid replica on it in the first place.
Carefully he scoots out onto the branch pretty sure it'll support his weight, the life-less figure might hold some clues to what is going on around here.
'Much rather it wasn't cold wood between my thighs.' he thinks whilst he slides down the branch not taking any chances with his balance.
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Belgeon looks curiously towards Mai when she encourages Pieter to climb into the trees, it was a bit odd that, knowing his foolishness, she would instruct him to climb a tree.
At the announcement of an ambush he closes in closer to Cereza as she's closest and seems most likely to need defending. Gripping his shield tightly he stands ready to fend off any attackers, but nothing comes. "Where enemy?"
Tying a rope around the ankles of the mannequin, he loops the other end around the branch and after tossing the other end down for someone of the forest floor to take the strain with he cuts the figure off. Slowly backing off he ensures that it's safely lowered to the ground.
Pieter calls down to the party and flings a rope, Morbin catches it and helps Pieter lower the figure while Mai, Belgeon and Nicci keep a watchful eye on the surroundings. So far nothing attacks or even seems threatening.
The figure is a crudely made mannequin meant to resemble a humanoid. It wears a draping of loosely stitched leaves and the remnants of some tattered hide armor which would not be usable without serious repair.
What it was doing up in the tree is anybody's guess.
Pieter climbs down from the tree, a feline landing amongst the soft forest floor creates barely a whisper. He examines the mannequin closely upon the floor. "Sorry, thought they strung it up to ambush me & I wouldn't have you hurt for my sake. A warning, a boundary marker instead?" he wonders.
He picks up his sword again, in his other hand he lifts the leather model. "This'll be useful to spring traps." Then he sets off once more down the trail.
"I see nothing, Belegon, beyond what looks like more of those dummies," Mai replies, then drops her voice even further. Can you believe he climbed the tree? Still, good to know what's up there.
"I guess we can proceed in safety now," she says much more loudly and falls back into line. Stay alert, in case not all those things are scarecrows, she hisses to the rest of the group.
Pieter carries the effigy, like he would a drunk companion. Thick muscled arm around its shoulder, he drags it along in a slight stagger whilst still moving at Belgeons pace.
Dropping back a step he whispers softly to Mai; "You don't think they are innocents? Ya know, people getting eaten by spiders." he wonders. Then his eyes glance to Nicci, just in case she thinks he's whispering honeyed words into Mai's ears. But he gives a little shrug.
"Eh, that thing is creepy. Especially with Pieter lugging it around like that..." Cereza says nervously as she casts wary glances at the mysterious effigy. "Do we really have to carry it around with us?"
"Maybe it wasn't always a doll," Mordin offers, his frown persistent, "Perhaps it was once a man, and was bound into this form. Perhaps we will be turned into dolls as well." The alchemist's words devolve into mumbles, making it difficult to tell whether he is trying to be sarcastic. "Frankly, I'd rather be killed..."
Looking back at the young looking aasimar; "Sorry about that, I thought I could use it to spring traps. Rather than this dummy." he pokes himself in the chest, his handsome face splits into a warm smile. This is promptly wiped off by Mordin's grim words that remind him of a story his nanny used to read to him.
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Belgeon nods to Mai as she speaks with him, and replies in a hushed voice since she was speaking quietly "I was surprised" He looks over towards Pieter then back at Mai "Perhaps he does anything you suggest."
After listening to the others discuss, and whisper to the monk beside him, at Mordin's talk about a man being bound in the form of a dummy and give his opinion "Dummy keep spiders away" In case that wasn't clear he points towards the dummy "That dummy." Then he points towards Pieter "Not that one"
"Good point, could be t' mannequin has properties to keep spiders at bay." he replies generously ignoring the insult, or being oblivious to it. "Useful for town then." Pieter adds whilst he carries on walking through the forest.
Pieter looks to Cereza, a sheepish look on his face; "Sorry, should I chuck it over me shoulder?" A strange look breaks across his countenance as his vision glides to Sapharael. 'Is it an angel, I never did ask?'
The adventurers have traveled further into the forest. The sun is traveling towards the west and light is shifting through the leaves, but not yet darkening. The track Mordin had been following has become easier to see, the path more obvious. Now that the party knows to look for them, vague humanoid shapes dot the trees along the path. As no attack has yet occurred, the shapes are either more dummies or just very patient watchers...
Soon, the shapes of small huts are visible up ahead in the distance.
Pieter stops, "So we scout them out? They maybe the evil goblins? Or friends" he then remembers where he is and shakes his head. 'Not unless we got turned around.'
"I am not too quiet." he whispers putting the dummy against a nearby tree trunk. "But we don't split up." He says hopefully.
"The noisy ones could advance in a group while the quieter ones fade off to the side, into the brush," suggests Mai, "It would not be splitting up. We'd be harder to hit as a group, and if the quieter people go unseen, we would provide cover and surprise in the event the armored ones are attacked."
Pieter looks around the group; "Do we have quieter people? I am not the most silent, I'll be with the main group. Plus people like me, I hardly ever get axe's thrown at my head." he looks to Mordin pointedly. "Yes, except for that one time."
His words have been quiet in the woods, whilst he looks towards the small huts.
"We actually have a plan?" Mordin says morosely with genuine surprise, though the only noticeable change in his expression is a raised eyebrow. "I'll scout ahead, then. Don't mind me..."
The alchemist saunters off to the side and slowly approaches the huts.
"Of course, it's as good as my usual plans." Pieter replies with a touch of irony; taking the lead walking down the distinct path towards the village. He's aware of the figures lining the path ahead, but keeps to Belgeon's pace.
Mai quietly fades into the brush on the opposite side of the path from Mordin and also moves forward to observe the huts.
"You go with the others, Sapharael," Cereza tells her eidolon, nudging her head towards Mai and Mordin. "Let me know if anything goes up." The aasimar taps her the glowing rune on her forehead pointedly to describe the method.
The outsider nods once, before moving along to follow its master's orders.
Mai and Mordin seem to fade into the foliage and disappear from sight after a few steps. The pair are last seen swinging wide to the right and left in a pincer like pattern.
Sapharael goes into the bushes in Mordin's direction. The eidolon's path is not so quiet and sounds somewhat like a prey thrashing in trap.
"Stop where you are!" a voice says from the direction of the huts. "We've got you surrounded."
Pieter straightens up; his voice bouncing around the road as he attempts to obscure the sounds of the stealthy companions.
"We mean you no harm, though as we are surrounded..." he inclines his head conceding; "... I suppose I should have asked it the other way."
"We are but travellers hoping to right the injustices of the world. Have you suffered injustice?" he asks in a heart-felt manner despite the villagers seeming to be hostile. He takes a step forward earnestly.
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"Hello," Nicci calls as cheerfully as she can, "We have stopped, as you asked. We come seeking knowledge of this area, and perhaps safe rest for the night, as the afternoon deepens. I am Nicci of Cheliax. Who are you folks, and what place is this?"
She halts as soon as the command to do so is given, but does not put away her weapon.
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Belgeon moving along with the louder group, although with Sapharael joining the other group it's not as easy to tell which is louder. He stops as they're instructed to halt and looks towards the huts to see if he can spot whoever's talking to them.
He looks towards Pieter and Nicci deciding he'll let them do the talking, communication wasn't exactly his strongest point.