Anwyn awakes from a restful sleep feeling better than she has in a while, despite the rumbling of her stomach.
Stowing her winter blanket in her pack, she removes her heavy cloak and puts it away as well. The others note she is wearing a fine shimmering black silk dress with matching shoes, a style unfamiliar to those even of elvish heritage. On a closer look, while the dress will well-crafted it does show signs of wear and would need to be mended soon. Needless to say, the dress is ill-suited for this winter weather. While she hangs her spiked chain on her belt for easy access, the strange obsidian blade she leans against the wall instead and hangs her pack on the curved elk horn hilt of the blade.
She accepts the offered ration with a nod of thanks and devours it greedily. As the rest you watch the beautiful drow, you also see signs of malnutrition on her face and body.
"Mistä tulit , ruoka oli niukasti eikö ?" Fairin asks the lovely but clearly malnourished drow.
Anwyn replies to Faerin, a note of bitterness mixed with anger in her voice.
Faerin lays a comfrting hand on Anwyn's.
Hearing needing to gather food, Ihar'ryathlas speaks up rather cheerfully, "I sure can help out in locating food in the forest for us. Should not be difficult to do."
Turning to Anwyn, "Looks like you not eaten well for a long time. We get you back in good health soon.", ending off with a smile.
Listening to Anwyn and Faerin's discussion, Aerflae frowns.
Sylvan:
Anwyn gives the moon elf a dazzling smile and nods in agreement with his words. She then proceeds to pull her winter cloak over her body, covering up her dress.
Looking to Ihar'ryathalas, Aerflae notes, "No one should go out alone. Myself, and, I hope, Anwyn and Faerin will go with you. These are dangerous times, and I do not want to be caught flat footed again. We should see what the others wish to do, or if they can 'hold down the fort' for us without exploring too much or if they would like to act as the hunt's rear-guard."
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The doors to the master chambers open. Entering them, you can see that they occupy the whole top of the tree tower. One wall, looking towards western parts of the forest is completely made of glass. The walls and the floors are made of hard wood and there is no furniture. A large stone fireplace occupies one of the walls, but there is nothing else here. The large chamber is spotless.
As you search the strange dwelling, from the cellars through the hill cottage that makes the ground floor, you get the sense that the hill is supposed to be a common room, beneath it should be a kitchen and a cellar and each level of the tree tower should become a personal space for one of you to live in as you please.
Large room at the top is reserved for the master, though. That seems clear.
Marcus sighs to Raven, "It didn't answer my question... Maybe you should check if the previous master left any notes behind? Of course if there's nothing I guess we need to head out and get food."
Marcus waits to see what Raven does next.
Kitao is still gathering hos toughs as of what happened and were are they, it is so strange as he does not volunteer to go out, as he is lost tot his gaijin world of inconsistent and strange wonders, but still wondering what he can learn.
"Perhaps I can help to gather information about this place if you can show me to some library" as Kitao looks at all gathered Surely gaijin houses have some sort of scrolls or books were they keep some history"
Hearing the search came up empty, Marcus suggests, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sick of jerky and stale bread. Let's go hunt deer, there are bound to be some in the woods."
Anwyn gathers her few possessions together unwilling to leave them unattended in this strange place. When she receives the news the place is completely empty, her expression grows troubled.
Picks up her backpack, and walks to the front door, "I doubt the deer and rabbits are going to walk here willingly to be turned into meals for us."
With a slight chuckle Marcus nods his agreement and heads out saying, "I was never any good at following spoor and tracks but I can keep my eyes open and I'm a reasonable shot with the bow."
Marcus heads out with the hunting party, bow in hand.
"Marcus, I understand. I'll search for firewood... Although I could use a hand, Anwyn and Heichi, would you mind joining me as we search?"
Anwyn nods to the elf's request to accompany him as he points to the trees indicating the need for dry firewood. She wraps herself tightly in the winter cloak, and turns to Faerin speaking in the Sylvan tongue,
Later as the wood gathering party is underway, she unslings her obsidian blade and holds it awkwardly in one hand.
Nodding at Anwyn's words Faerin squeezes her shoulder as she replies.
"I will hunt as well and we will see what game there is." she says to the others, slinging her bow over her shoulder as they hunting party heads outside.
"I be joining the food gathering group. Hopefully we find a deer and some roots.", as she falls in by Faerin.
Seing that Anwyn and Aeflae are about to go by themselves gathering wood, Raven proposes to join them.
"I'm no hunter as well and will likely spook the game if there's any, so I'll join you trying to gather wood.", he says in Elvish to the two elves hoping that Anwyn understands.
Then he dons his furs and follows them in the woods.
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As the evening comes, the wood-gathering party came to the cottage burdened with heavy loads of freshly cut wood. The stone sword of the strange dark elvish woman was not of use in cutting living trees, but it sliced through the deadwood like it was cutting paper. Raven has managed to find some still-green vines and to make a sled, and with his great strength the impromptu woodsman have gathered enough wood for days.
"There!", Marcus points to a mark in the snow, "Is that a deer print?"
Having spent several hours following the trail of a young buck, Marcus was understandably keen to do it right. He very cautiously approached and when range permitted he whispered a silent prayer and tried to dispatch the animal as humanely as possible with a well placed arrow to the heart.
'Lord Torm, your follower and his friends have need of food. Grant me a clear shot and a steady hand so that this magnificent animal doesn't needlessly suffer.'
If that hits, he'll attempt to immediately dispatch the animal, to put it out of it's suffering.
Marcus looks appreciatively at the wood and says mildly, "Looks like we shall be having venison tonight. Lets hope the others managed to find some tubers too."
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[dice=Survival to find wood]1d20+1
As everyone gather with food and firewood, Raven goes to the middle of the large common room and calls for attention.
"Excuse me, everyone", he suddenly stops and for some reason looks at his blade, as if annoyed by something. "Yes, I know, I know. Just let me speak!"
"Excuse me, everyone", he repeats. "We need to talk about something. While gathering wood, I've noticed some well-hidden tracks. They were left by humanoids. Larger than both goblins and men, that much I can tell you, but I'm no expert tracker. We need to figure out what to do next." Suddenly, he stops as if he's embarrassed. "Anyway, that's what I thought...", he mumbles.
Aerflae looks to Raven, then to the others. "While we are somewhat safe here, I do not trust that safety to last long. I think reconnaissance would be in order, perhaps look to see where the tracks lead, but not too far from here, lest we get lost in the cold."
Aerflae frowns at the thought of being captured by something larger, and hungrier, than the large humanoids he had been captured by before.
Anwyn looks up from her training exercises with the stone obsidian sword, swinging it around in various angles and also practicing various combat stances with the unwieldy blade. She fingers the elk hilt thoughtfully and replies in the only tongue the others easily understood.
Heichi is unaccustomed to such terrains and while he wields his bow with fair skill, he tries to find his way around much and something to hunt, as most will notice he seems out of place more than anything.
Marcus nods at Aerflae's words, "I agree, we need to know who the 'neighbors' are. Let hope they're friendly, although something tells me that's probably too much to hope for."
He paces for a few moments before continuing, "I know I'm not the only one who finds this place a bit unnerving. I want to know what happened to the previous master, but we've searched from top to bottom and uncovered precisely nothing. Anyone have any suggestions?"
Heichi shrugs his shoulders and speaks as a matter of fact "He left this pitiful, desolate, filthy place in search of enlightenment and meditation through the void as a Fudoist monk or simple perished and hopefully it does not become a Gaki, Hyakukei or another creature of it's kind."
Aerflae smiles a wistful smile at Marcus' words. Looking to Heichi, and then to Marcus,
"Or the previous master could have been eaten by goblins. That doesn't explain why this place is empty. Perhaps we'll figure that out as we explore the surrounding area."
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Aerflae looks to Raven, then to the others. "While we are somewhat safe here, I do not trust that safety to last long. I think reconnaissance would be in order, perhaps look to see where the tracks lead, but not too far from here, lest we get lost in the cold."
Aerflae frowns at the thought of being captured by something larger, and hungrier, than the large humanoids he had been captured by before.
Raven nods while listening to Aerflae's words. "Yes, we should investigate these tracks further. Perhaps some of us could hold down the fort - those who are not well-suited for the forest - and some could go and examine the tracks? I'll lead the reconnaissance party, since I know where the tracks are. Who will join me?"
"I will join you. I have a small amount of magic at my disposal, and I have my bow for everything else. Perhaps we will gain some sorely-needed allies from this. If not, then we know more of our enemy than they of us for the time."
"I'm far from the best woodsman or woman., Marcus nods at Faerin, "But my bow may be needed, so I'll come anyway."
"Of course." Faerin says quietly.
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"Very well, then", murmurs Raven. "We leave at the first light."
As the dawn come, Raven takes Faerin, Marcus and Aerflae to a small snow-covered mound that rises above a frozen rivulet leading up to a smallish lake. You have now penetrated even deeper into the heart of the woods and the silence is oppressive. Several trees near you have cracked from the intense coldness and the wind is howling with all the fury of an icy hell.
"Here", Raven whispers. "Here were the tracks." He points to a base of a large fir tree, rising high above the forest floor. If there are any tracks there in fact, they must be hard to find, since the ground is thickly covered in needles.