"ZZzzzzzzz"
"For the time being, let's see if we can get our foolhardy friend here back on his feet," Stilgar says, stowing away his hammer for the time being. Relieved as he was to get Gaius away in time, Jinjer's analysis of their situation troubled him.
Cure Light Wounds:
"At any rate, if they're under a spell of some sort, we have our ways of finding out. Might involve being uncomfortably close to them, though."
With the rush of battle winding down, Brodgar takes a seat and starts to favor the leg that had been savaged by the wolves. "I'm not overly inclined t' tangling with them again," he admits, "But if there's some fell magic afoot, we must see if we can figure out what it was about."
He then looks to his own wound and then to Gaius and remarks, "At least, if we can regather ourselves enough to go tromping about the woods."
As the group discusses the situation, a voice comes from outside the hut. In the Common tongue, though in a strangely flute-like tone, it says:
"Landbound, do not be alarmed by my presence. I have seen your signal and come as agreed."
Magnus sets down his weapon, and addresses the voice. " Approach. Show us your empty palm and we shall welcome you. "
Hearing the voice Tarrana becomes very wary. "Really Magnus? An empty palm can contain so many claws..."
A strange but not altogether unpleasant trill sounds from outside...you think the speaker may be laughing.
"I am already here. Look outside, and up. I assure you my claws will remain fixed to the branch. Otherwise, I might fall."
Magnus mumbles to himself
He then stands and exits the building searching for the speaker.
Perception:
Meanwhile, Stilgar will send another prayer to Baal, healing Gaius and Brodgar with his divine energy.
Channel Energy:
Jinjer joins Magnus at the exit, covering him in case of an ambush. At first there is nothing, but looking up shows a figure perched on the lowest branch of a nearby tree. What you at first take to be an enormous bird of prey actually appears to be an avian humanoid. Its feathers are brown, beige and gray, fluffed up against the cold. A sharp, curved beak is topped by two large golden eyes, the head crowned in a crest of dove gray. At the bend of its wings are thin-fingered hands. A light woven harness carries its weapons and other gear.
"Greetings, landlings. I am Ioiocaraaacareeoaa, but you may call me Io. I have a package for you."
"And now you see why I am more of a cat person. Oooo..." Gaius slowly climbs to his fee. His arm is pressed close to his body and blood is still slowly flowing from several wounds.
"Thanks, are they still out there?"
Frowning a bit at Gaius' sudden movement, Stilgar lends him a hand in getting up. Seeing that some of his wounds were still open, he made a mental note to make use of the healing kit he had on him when things settled down.
"The wolves appear to be gone, but it would seem that our contact has arrived," he says, looking to the door. Cautiously, he steps outside, glances about for the wolves, and then looks to Io with a curious expression.
Brodgar tenses up as the voice comes from without. Stilgar's invocation of Baal's blessing courses through him, alleviating both his injured leg and stressed mind.
"Think they're in retreat f' now," he answers Gaius. Assured that, for now at least, the half-elf isn't about to bleed out, he pushes himself up out of his chair and follows after Stilgar, favoring his right leg a bit.
He scans the hilltop, ever wary, before crossing his arms and looking to their visitor.
Io's eyes look to Stilgar as he exits the hut, fixing him with a predatory gaze.
"This one is not outcast. I may have mistaken you for someone else."
"Are you saying we should scar Stilgar's face? I don't think that would improve his mood much. And where are we going to find branding irons this time of night?"
"I say the people I was expecting to meet do not travel with dwarves, unless they bear the tattoos of exile," the avian says, "but then most dwarves would not travel with the likes of you either. You remind me a bit of an old friend, actually. This is proving curious."
"Some outcasts are not marked as such," Brodgar replies. "My friend's face may be clear, but he has been as marginalized as I have." He crosses his arms and adds, "As you said yourself, no 'proper' dwarf would be seen in this company, would he?" He all but spits the word proper.
"My colleague here speaks the truth. He is as much an outsider as any of us. I say "outsider" only with pride, of course. Now I understand you have some supplies to help aid the cause of outsiders like us? Shall we complete the business end of this encounter? "
Io contemplates this for a few moments, then nods, apparently coming to a decision.
"I see no reason to doubt you. Our mutual friends would not have given you the signal if you weren't trustworthy."
Using its wing-hands, the akaara removes a leather bag from the harness it wears, transferring it to one of its taloned feet, proffering it without leaving the branch.
"Here is what you came for. There are instructions for its preparation as well as how and when to administer it."
Jinjer shakes her head at the strange avian creature and then goes to check on Gaius.
Stilgar remains silent as Io looks over him, unsurprised by the avian's misgivings towards him. He does however chuckle over Brodgar and Magnus' summation of his situation.
No, I suppose I'm not a 'proper' dwarf by any means.
"Thank you, Io," he would finally say, as the package is passes to one of his companions. "Best of luck to you."
" Before you away, friend. Could we ask a favour of you? as a creature of the skies, could you fly up and see if you can find a wolf pack nearby? We were attacked unprovoked earlier and it would be of great advantage for us to know where they are now. "
The avian's head cocks at an odd angle as it regards Magnus. When it speaks again you think there might be amusement in its voice.
"Attacked by wolves? I hadn't noticed. Their trail leads up to the hills. I'll go aloft and see what's become of the ones you left alive."
At that, Io launches into the sky, moving away from the hut in widening circles.
Gaius remains in the shelter until the bird-man leaves.
"Well handled. The bird-man are very easy to startle and they have all the mercy of a sparrow-hawk."
To Stilgar "What do you expect to be in that package?"
"Medical supplies of some sort, from the sound of what Io said," Stilgar says, looking over the package while doing nothing to disturb it overtly, "For the treatment of what, I do not know. I dare not open it to find out."
Giving it one last good look, Stilgar would stow it away for the time being.
"Some form of illness that is otherwise easy to treat if I were to guess." Tarrana says flatly. "In any case are we spending the night or moving to better shelter? The answer determines whether or not Giaus sleeps comfortably tonight."
Several minutes later, Io returns, circling gently before coming to light again on the tree.
"The wolves have put some distance between themselves and you. It's unlikely they'll return. Strange that you were attacked. The wolves in this area don't often attack humans or dwarves, unless they're starving. There is plenty of game in the area for them."
"We had come to the same conclusion. Very odd indeed. Thank you, Io. " Turning to his allies, and gesturing to the supplies, Magnus says "...but the mystery of the wolf attack will have to wait. These supplies could be needed sooner than we think, and could be used to save lives. There are too many unknowns to leave to chance. We should take these to their intended recipients right away. "
Io gives a nod of agreement.
"Mind your travels. The dwarves have patrols out in force, hunting rebels. Some soldiers were killed higher in the hills and the dwarves are out for blood."
"Well that will set the anthill abuzz. Thank you for the warning. You should make yourself scarce as well Io. The burrorwers have no love for the petrel-folk."
"We should head back now. If we are in town before the wounded patrol returns then we are less likely to be suspected." "Well no more than we are already I suppose."
"Agreed. Even worst for us if we were to cross paths with Captain Morgrim. The night has been restless, but it is perhaps best to make haste."
Io nods at Gaius. "Safe travels to you," she says, as she spreads her wings to fly. Her eyes move to Tarrana again, and then back to Gaius.
"More memories of old friends...now you're reminding me of a couple of them."
Tarrana looks at the ashen remains of her bedroll and sighs. "Well, let's hope we can make it to town before we have to ignite more of our gear."
"Clear skies and gentle winds to you," bids Io. With that, she launches herself skyward again, winging in wider circles as she gains altitude.
Your trip back to the farm is uneventful, but tiring due to the new-fallen snow. Your approach seems to be watched for, for as you approach the signal flag appears from the loft, indicating it is safe for you to approach.
Before we arrive at our destination, (and possibly before we depart from our current location), Magnus will look closer at the bag of supplies Io has given us and open them. I'll attempt to identify any magical properties of the cargo.
Magnus detects no magical auras from the contents of the bag. It contains what appear to be dried plants and herbs. A Knowledge(nature), Survival, or Heal check might tell you more.
K(nature)
All the herbs and fungus contained herein have medicinal properties. They also are not found within the confines of the Iron Marches. When you do see them, they are usually brought in by gnomish or halfling traders and command high prices. There is also a jar of small, fine crystals, which you determine to be an alkaloid salt.
"I'll be happy for a warm bed tonight. Though not so warm as yours m'lady." Giaus quips as they enter the farm.
"No sense in keepin' them waitin', huh?" Brodgar asks. "We've run their errand so let's collect on their end of the bargain." The remark is significantly more polite than some of his grumblings about their chore on the way back.
As the group enters the barn, they find Evram and Ravenna still here, along with some others, though certain faces appear to be missing. More of them appear to be in the loft, bows in hand and eyes on the surrounding farmland.
When you hand off the satchel, Evram seems both pleased and relieved. He gives the bag off to Ravenna, saying "Get back to the caves." She nods, then leads a shaggy horse from a nearby stall and mounts. Two others open the barn doors and she rides out at an ambling gate, heading east.
As the doors are closed again, Evram turns back to your group.
"We owe you thanks. Those will be of great help to us. Now I believe I owe you some information. Best ask me the questions directly again, so I give you exactly what you want, or at least what I know."
"So, did you ever get anything to eat around here? Fighting wolves and delivering packages is hard work." Jinjer smirks and then smiles, crossing her arms as she waits for her companions to start asking questions.
Evram smiles in return.
"I'm afraid you'll have to make do with cold mutton, day-old bread, and apples. We finished up our daily feast just before you arrived."
Thinking of the snowy landscape around him, Magnus feels isolated and cold
"What is your ultimate goal? That is my question. When does your group claim mission accomplished? Who is it you fight, and why?"
"Well, you're not asking for much, are you?" asks Evram, as he settles on a stool and takes a pull from a nearby wineskin. "If that's how we begin, then here it is."
"The Hand of Jorin fights for the sovereignty of the human race. Ultimately, the dwarves will grant us the freedom to choose our own leaders and live by our own laws. Once Jorin, King of the North, ruled these lands. Now the dwarves claim everything both above and below. They take what they wish and humans labor hard to keep them satisfied."
"We harry the dwarves at every turn, taking from them to replenish what our people have lost. With the gods grace the dwarves will learn that keeping the yoke on us comes at too high a price. Any dwarven merchant or soldier that crosses the surface becomes fair prey."
Stilgar finds himself nodding at Evram's response, unsurprised by their motives. They were not so different from what he had preached before his incarceration. The humans' means however...
Deciding not to question the Hand's methods, Stilgar steps forward, a question of his own in mind. The question that started this whole escapade across the countryside. He wanted nothing more than to put the ideas of conspiracy and treachery swimming in his head to rest.
"The Thane's son, Grundar Ironfist. Who was it that killed him? And why?"
Evram sighs. "Now mind you, this is a hunch, but it bears out when you have the facts that I do. I'll tell you what I know, and you can decide for yourself if it makes sense."
"Grundar is a maggot. You show him a wound and he'll crawl into it and poke around. No. A maggot at least will clean out a wound. All Grundar will do is poke around and see where it hurts worst. Before his death, he liked to slum around with humans, make them as uncomfortable as possible...found a lot of sport in it."
"On the day he was killed, the Inquisition burned two villagers. An uprising happened and was quelled. When it was over, certain folk were unaccounted for: The Baalite, Asheron; our comrade, Damaris; apparently this Aidan Hakar; a gnome bard by name of Dimble Daergal; and last, Shade Eventide."
"Now they found Grudar's body in the middle of the floor of the inn in Dunshale. He'd been stabbed in the back with two blades. I hear whoever did him in gave them a good twist before they pulled them out. This happened on the same day that a man and his wife were burned at the stake. The Eventides. They die, Grundar goes slumming to poke at a raw wound, ends up killed, and the only son of the couple goes missing."
"Of course, they'd have gone after him anyway. His mother was the offspring of a fiend, hiding in human guise. He's fiend-blooded. The Inquisition would have hunted him down as well to put to the torch."
"Hell, he'd fit right in with our group," Jinjer mutters as she helps herself to cold mutton. "Where do we start looking for these missing persons?"