As the group turns and heads down the ladder Brother Davco looks back at Diaz and asks, "Sergeant when was the last time you heard from Kneeblood Knoll?"
As the group turns and heads down the ladder Brother Davco looks back at Diaz and asks, "Sergeant when was the last time you heard from Kneeblood Knoll?"
"The all clear signal flame went up this morning at the usual time"
"That's good news. Do you need us to take anything to them since we are on the way?, asked Brother Davco.
If no messages he catches up to the group and heads on down the road.
Jorizer waits outside for the shaman as leaves the warleader's room.
"Warleader think something wrong. Words might not say but feeling he have. We move to next tower but stay to woods away from road. Humans think enemy dumb. Enemy use that against humans. Enemy can watch humans and copy actions."
"You know, glorious leader, what if they expect us to expect them to ambush the road and they ambushed the forest instead? We should expect them to expect us to expect them for ambushing the forests, after all.", says Castor, giving his fake smile at the half-orc, leaning on a wall.
As Jake and Davco exit, he energetically pushes himself off the wall, grabs his spear and says, "No time losing daylight. We can't all see in the dark, plus we get to see the sights! Glorious forests of... trees and stuff... Screw that.", he says, noticing the usual reception of his bad jokes, and marches down the stairs.
About an hour from the next outpost you come across a trail of blood drops that head from the road further into the bush.
Noticing the blood drops, Castor raises his hand in the air, gesturing for the conversation to seize. He then points to Jake to go for a flanking maneuver, and begins creeping towards the bush.
If only we could have more people wearing heavy armor. That'd make us even more noticeable..., thinks Castor, while drawing his longspear, going behind the bush.
Jake stows his polearm and draws his longsword and shield. He shakes his head at DuChamp and motions for the stealthier Jorizer to move to a flanking position. Jake takes up guard watching the back of the party. Keeping lookout for a trap.
Ragrimm draws his hammer and shield, taking a few steps back in order to blast anyone who came near.
Brother Davco checks the area where the blood was found and watches as Castor follows the trail.
I wonder where this blood came from
"Ragrimm you are better at reading the ground then I am, can you tell what happened here?"
As you follow the blood trail into the woods you find an injured man with a wound in his torso.
" help my friend and I were attacked by bandits, I think he is dead""
Ignoring the human Jorizer looks on the ground looking for any tracks.
"What attack you? More humans? How many? Where other man?"
Jorizer draws his kukri unsure if he should trust this human.
Ignoring the human Jorizer looks on the ground looking for any tracks.
[dice=Survival]1d20+8
"What attack you? More humans? How many? Where other man?"
Jorizer draws his kukri unsure if he should trust this human.
"Four humans with spears and axes, I think some of them had armour under their cloaks, maybe some other weapons too. My friend tried to fight, I ran and was hit by a thrown spear." The man coughs and spits out some blood.
Castor looks at the man, and Jorizer questioning him, sighing. "Brother! Come heal this poor soul. It's much easier to ask someone questions after they're dead, you know.", he says, completing the sentence facing Jorizer.
"Which way did they go? Did they came from the road? What's your name?", asks Castor in an inquisitive manner as soon as the man is healed.
Ah, the usual 'scare someone to life' method. Classic orcs., thinks Castor, as Jorizer draws his big knife.
"I fled into the woods when they attacked, you can probably follow my trail back to the road. Do any of you have some water?"
"Here you go lad." Says Ragrimm, grabbing a large leaf from one of the trees and bending it, making a makeshift cup and then waving his hand over it and chanting something in druidic, casting create water. He hands the leaf to the man.
Brother Davco comes down off the road and checks the man's injuries.
He begins to bind the man's wounds while the others continue to question him.
Brother Davco comes down off the road and checks the man's injuries.
[dice=Heal Check] 1d20 + 8
He begins to bind the man's wounds while the others continue to question him.
He seems to not be getting worse after you begin treating him.
Jorizer turns and glares at the talking man. One day he might get the opportunity to cut out the talking man's tongue and feed it back to the him...Jorizer inhaled deeply trying to return to a more calmer state.
"This one lives. But other might not. Come we move ahead and find other. Tracks head that way." Jorizer points with his drawn kukri.
As the rest of the partry go searching for the other man Brother Davco says, " Don't go too far. I will stay with this man until you get back."
He gets up and walks over to Jake and whispers, "Maybe Jorizer has me paranoid but help me disarm this guy before you head out. I can't figure out why the bandits would leave him alive. He could be one of them."
He walks back over to the wounded man, "My friend here is going to search you for anything that might be dangerous. Until we know more about you we have to be careful."
Laughing, but understanding the party's notion, Castor says, in a sarcastic tone, "You know what they say. It's not proper Lastwall hospitality until you've been strip-searched. Also, just saying, this one,", he says, pointing to Jake, "managed to feed an orc his own arm, so I'd be careful." he finishes with a smile, then begins sneaking around, looking for any other people that aren't bleeding out.
Well, if someone was setting an ambush, I'd assume they wouldn't let a guy disarmed and bleeding under the tree, but hey, people do it differently here., he thinks, drawing a spear as he kneels in the bushes.
Jake looks at Davco and looks at the wounded man. Back to Davco.
"This guys hurt pretty bad. If he tries anything I'll make him bleed again."
Jake will stay with Davco and the wounded human keeping an eye out.
Jorizer starts to follow the trail. Every now and then he pauses listening for any sign of the other human or the humans hunting him.
Castor takes a long look around, skulking in the bushes. About half an hour later he pops up, right next to Jake and Davco, saying, "You know, we really should probably pay more attention." Leaning on his spear, he continues. "I was going to suggest we head onwards towards our goal, and take the wounded guy with us. If need be, we either run with him, or just kick him in the shins if a bear attacks us. I think it's a significantly better plan than kicking about in the forests in the middle of the day, wasting time. But hey, you don't have to listen to me."
Those of you that head to the road find obvious signs of a fight including two bodies, though there is nothing of worth left. Both the dead have several obvious wounds, one of the dead is separated from his head by about a foot, and there is a faint blood trail heading further south along the road.
"Glorious leader!", shouts Castor, showing the tracks to Jorizer. "I think we should check those out. Me and you are probably the sneakiest people in here, so I'd suggest leaving our more... clanking companions to watch over the others. Also, we got longer legs."
Castor keeps moving forward, trying to sneak. His more...urban experience wakes up, however, and he fails to see anything Jorizer doesn't.
"Jake let's get back up to the road."
He turns to help the wounded man up, "What is your name friend?
"Jake let's get back up to the road."
He turns to help the wounded man up, "What is your name friend?
"Septimus"
"I agree. We shouldn't stay separated too long. Follow me. Stay close."
Jake helps Davco get Septimus to his ffeet and leads the way back to the road letting the stealthier ones get a few seconds ahead before moving on.
"Two dead. More blood trail."
Jorizer looks at the ground around the dead humans. He then looks at the blood trail.
"Not sure how many follow blood trail. We move on."
Jorizer continues to follow the trail.
As Jake follows, he takes a peak at the trail(s) of blood and the surrounding footprints.
You guess there are three sets of tracks.
You follow the blood trail until about an hour before dark when it leads off the road into a cave several hundred feet from the road.
Castor leans on his spear and whispers to the rest, "Should we go and do some spelunking? If it's bandits on the roads, it would do them a favour to, you know, die and leave us their plunder. Also keeping the roads safe and other whatnots. I suggest I go and sneak on ahead while it's still relatively bright. If it's something scary, I'll come running and screaming for you. Glorious Leader, you can come with me, and the armoured people can be about sixty paces behind us."
Castor draws his spear and begins sneaking slowly ahead,
Jorizer lets the talking man lead. Sheathing his kukri he takes out his short bow and nocks an arrow.
With sword and shield, Jake will lead the rest of the party keeping about 60 feet between him and the 2 scouts ahead.
He'll keep checking the tracks to make sure they don't deviate as well as looking for a possible ambush.
As Brother Davco follows the others along the trail and to the cave he questions Septimus on where he was going and where he was coming from trying to found out more about his and if we should trust him.
As Brother Davco follows the others along the trail and to the cave he questions Septimus on where he was going and where he was coming from trying to found out more about his and if we should trust him.
[dice=Sense Motive] 1d20 + 8
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Septimus answers your questions as well as he can in his condition. He and his friend were wagon drivers for a rich merchant who recently died. His estate paid out their wages and let them on their way. They were journeying north hoping to find work driving wagons for the army in their expected campaign.
The more martially inclined members of the party begin sneaking into the cave which they quickly realize is quite shallow, though the entrance is very steep. After about 30 feet into the cave it quickly opens wide in an oval chamber that is about 50ft by 30ft. 3 humans sit around a fire on the east side of the cavern, there appears to be a small opening that lets most of smoke out there.
Castor hides in the nearest convenient spot, , and begins studying the men, mostly weaponry, and attempts to eavesdrop on their conversation, raising his fist in a sign to keep the others quiet. He then marks the targets to Jorizer and himself, taking the one that appears to be the most dangerous.
After the others enter the cave Brother Davco moves up to the entrance with Septimus.
Ragrimm stands next to Davco, a plan already forming in his head should attack or escape be required, My mist should obscure their vision so we can ambush. Knowing that he cannot make noise he simply stands quietly and waits for one of the heavy hitters to make a move.
The second Jake here's battle start, he'll move up to the cave room (I'll assume a double move to get to the room once initiative starts).
Jorizer nods the talking man's directions and indicates through hand gestures to the talking man that he will move in closer and wait for talking man to start.
Jorizer moves off ahead disappearing into the surrounding shadows of the cave. After finding a suitable spot he removes his short bow knocking an arrow and waits for the talking man to begin.