The ghouls are quite wary. Finally, one waves and steps forward. "What do the living want with us?"
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News of the road ahead of us, and a fair trade if you desire to know about the road behind. We have traveled from the Camp to this place and can tell you what we have seen along the way, and could share news of the camp if you would know it. What can you tell us of this road and what might lie along it?
The ghouls look at you, clearly not used to being interacted with. The one closest to you says, "The caravan is likely to be along this night. It always is whenever there is cold about."
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Azaraunt stops where he is and looks around the desolation. That is good to know. The Hill Giant mercenary and his orcs have recently returned to the camp. They were not of their right mind when they returned but have since recovered. he barters in return for their information. Then asks What is it that you hunt here, so far away from what I know to be your food sources?
"We are not choosy on what we eat. Living or dead makes no difference to us. Marrow is good to us, but it is much like the jerky that you living ones make...tasty, but not exactly filling. In this waste, it is hard to build up reserves, you will see that the more that you are out here."
"We don't, but our flesh is different from yours. We can handle the storms better, for the most part. If it is a really bad storm, we still hurt like you. However, the winds blow away the ashes, revealing, for a time, dead ones that no longer really need their bones."
No, this is the closest that we have been to the wall in nearly half a moon.
"There are bodies not far from here. Do you have a map?" The ghoul uses a bit of ash to place a marker where 'A1' is on the map. "We did not consume them, because there is something that is trying to take them. We do not know what, but their screams keep us away."
** spoiler omitted **
Nothing to see here.
I'll need Perception checks from each of you before I go on.
Now that the horses have moved off the main road, it's a bit more slow going, dealing with the sand and ash in the absolute cold weather. After an hour and a half, you come to the area that the ghoul pointed out on the map. It takes you a few minutes, but soon you find two bodies on the ground, now partially covered by the same sand and ash.
One is a dwarf, wearing chainmail, while the other is human, clad in leather. Both are quite dead, wounds cover both bodies, the ash turning grey where it sticks to the now dried blood. The human is still brandishing a rapier in his right hand, grip tight as rigor mortis has set in. The dwarf is holding the broken wooden haft of a weapon in is right hand.
Both of you find one set of humanoid tracks leading off to the northeast. Turning the dwarf over, you can find the rest of his ax buried into his right thigh, the wound appears to be self-inflicted. The rest of the wounds seems to match the weapons on hand. It would appear that these two fought each other to death.
Nothing
As you start to move out from the dead bodies, you spy something in the distance...
Perception rolls, please.
[dice= Calendir Perception]1d20+14
[dice= Lagash Perception]1d20+5
The party sees two "creatures" slowly skulking towards them from about 350 yards away. They shimmer in the dull light and appear almost incorporeal. They have spotted you, but do not seem to think you have spotted them.
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Getting more and more used to the whole telepathic communication process, Calendir immediately contacts his companions through Imbukar.
Guys, stay hidden, I don't think we have been spotted yet. And by the way, anyone can tell me what those are? They seem... Blurried..?
The ranger immediately starts looking for hiding places, and moving to get the group out of sight.