Goggeck tries to glare but the sheer brightness impedes his efforts. Which only annoys him more.
"Bizarre, water-colours above...let us either head for the tower or hunt these goblinoids!"
He looks about for a trail with visible irritation.
With the puppy seemingly calmed, Adu inches forward. Despite her eagerness, she's smart enough to not rush the creature without warning. "Let him know that I'm going to heal him now, okay?" She could speak with him herself, but she'd rather save the spell in case she needs it later.
Puppy healed, Adu pays attention to Goggeck's suggestion. "We have to go hunt the goblin-creatures, of course. They took his family!" She gestures wildly at the pup, then pauses. "What's his name, anyway?"
”Seriously? We are supposed to reconquer our heritage, and we are going to get sidetracked for a...” She waved at the pup while searching for words ”...thing! That we’d likely have eaten if it had more meat and we were hungry.”
"Killing goblin-kin is always a worthy deed. They are enemies of the dwarven people and lengthy is the list of their misdeeds against us. I am fine with hunting them down and killing the lot of them."
Toulbe relayed everything to the others before turning to the pup "Now, I won't be able to understand you for a while. But I'll still try to get what you mean. I can only use this magic a little each day. But when I do, I'll let you know." he offered as Adu healed the pup.
He looked at Brunhild as he stood up and marched up to her with a ruffled look and a puffed up mustache. "You should be nice to nature, without it's bounty you'd be eating rocks. This journey we are on is going to take a long time. Before you know it, this pup will be a proper hunting companion. I may know how to stumble and bumble about to get mushrooms and herbs and berries, but I can't tell you there is fresh prey trails nearby or stalk an animal quietly and catch it. Iffin we take good care of him and do right by his pack, we may have never have to worry about hunting." he said a little passionately.
He turned to the others "I think it'd be good to get rid of whatever took the coyotes, it did happen right off the doorstep of the place we just secured. Best not to leave them with a problem when we can solve it on the way." he said in agreement.
She shrugged. ”Sure. Your investment. And nothing wrong with killing tuskers. So let’s go.”
Toulbe thinks Big. Hairy. Goblinoids. Oh yeah, its gotta be bugbears.
"Oh yes. Let's hunt some goblins." Hezekh says, flexing his metal fingers.
Toulbe nodded feeling a bit better after what he said and then looked a bit embarrassed "Oooh..I hate confrontation, I am sorry I got a little heated."
He looked back at the tracks and mulled over the description for a moment. "Bugbears...would probably be what we are looking for. Definitely would help calm everything down around here to get rid of the nasties." he said none too pleased by the revelation.
He walked over to his cart and rummaged around for a bit before making a small space in his cart and used his winter bedding to make it a bit more comfortable. Then once Adu had taken care of the wound, he carefully picked the pup up and put him in the wagon before giving him another bit of meat.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Adu is perplexed by Brunhild's intensity. From the stories she'd heard in various taverns, she'd always been under the impression that killing monsters and rescuing people's families is just what adventurers do. Maybe she didn't like puppies? She nods along as Toulbe confronts the dwarf with a rant about nature. (Not that Adu herself has ever been much of one for nature, and it could also be argued that the bugbears are a part of nature, but she remains blissfully ignorant of her own hypocrisy.)
Fortunately everyone else seems to be okay with hunting down these bugbears. Even Brunhild, once she's reminded that they're a type of goblin and dwarves hate goblins. Adu quickly pulls out her diary and adds that to her growing list of 'Things Dwarves Don't Like.'
Silly pranks
Jokes (particularly those involving beards and whether their length compensates for anything)
Snarky comments about security
Undead
Toil? (Only certain kinds of toil, others are okay. More research needed.)
Goblins
"Alright, let's go hunt down these bugbears!"
"Let us hunt then!"
The group follows the ravine south, and finds this canyon joins up with another, and another and another further down. The tracks prove hard to follow, but you get the general sense the bugbears were moving southward.
Once they get moving, Adu stays on the wagon to make writing easier. She eagerly looks around the new area and jots down copious notes. "If we do end up creating a new settlement, people will need to know which way is the safest way to travel. Maybe I'll even write a book detailing our explorations and pointing out the best route. Do you think it would sell well in Taggoret? We could be famous! The first explorers of a new region!"
Brunhild kept her eyes open for any dangers as they traveled, as well as any evidence of her people’s works.
”Aye, that it might. But it is evidence of how far we have fallen that such a book will he needed. These surface of these mountains rang with the sounds of iron shoe boots, and the bowels echoed with the noise of craftsmanship.” She said, looking around, imagining what the lands must have once been like.
"Recording lore is a worthy task, Adu. Purging the goblinoid is a step on the road to restoring what was lost, as Brunhild refers to."
Goggeck sets his training to task, and seeks the path of said goblinoids.
Detect Chaos (Sp)
At will, an exarch can use detect chaos.This ability replaces detect alignment.
Track (Ex)
At 2nd level, an inquisitor adds half her level on Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.
Glor notes Them bugbears, they are a might close ta that back door ta be left alone. We gotta be killin them or running them off we do. No choice about it. Asides, iffin there is somethin I hate as much as orcs its gotta be goblin kind. he sneers.
Glor will use his Prosector's eye his first turn out, thinking that a mine near the back door would be a fine thing.
Whenever exploring a hex, Glor can make a Profession (Miner) skill check to search for veins of metal ore or clusters of gems. The GM will determine the success of the search, what materials are discovered, and the value of the materials obtained based on the roll and environmental factors. Using the Prospector's Eye ability requires a full day of exploration.
"They're goblins. That's reason enough."
Toulbe watches carefully for signs of tracks, better footing for Bistro and the wagons, as well as good vegetation to stock supplies along the way as they try to find the wolves and bugbears.
He softly hums as the make their ways about.
Hezekh feels a magnetic pull in his beard. These hills are rife with iron. He and Glor conclude, the best spot to mine would be to the South-West of Akil Lushon The abandoned mine Girtul spoke about is likely to be there. Brunhild confirms this when she spots ancient wagon ruts running in that direction.
Additionally, Glor spots an outcropping of amethyst crystal, exposed by a recent landslide. It doesn't take long to mine out the crystal grouping from the rock face.
Goggeck must be disoriented by the innate lawlessness of the untamed wilds, so good thing Toulbe is focused and on liberating the coyotes from the bugbears. Toulbe continues to follow the bugbear tracks, distinguishing them from the rest of the wildlife. Toulbe is certain the bugbears went to the South-East He does take note of something; sure are a lot of ant mounds around here. Big ones too. Toulbe wonders just how big ants could get.
In terms of foraging, Toulbe finds these high altitude, arid desert plants to provide little in terms of food. However, he knows juniper berries are used in the brewing of gin, and sagebrush can be as a savory spice in the preparation of game and fowl, so he goes about and gathers a pouch of each.
Finally, Adu spends the day taking copious notes of her companions' discoveries. She outlines what she knows about the Flatiron Hills so far:
-Akil Lushon (Formerly the Theocrats' Vault) in B-2
-Abandoned Mine in B-4
-Bugbears in B-5
-Rugged terrain, makes for slow going.
-Big Ants?
-Plenty of Iron, Amythest discovered.
-Little in terms of foraging. No game spotted yet.
At the end of the day, the Sharp End moves follows the bugbears south-east and sets up camp. The temperature drops sharply at night, and the stars shine bright and clear. The night passes quietly, a few bats swoop around the campfire picking off bugs attracted to the light. There is a notable absence of coyotes howling in the distance.
"Solid finds thus far. Though these lands sorely lack the hand of craftsdwarfship. We will rectify that lack!"
Goggeck sets to securing the perimeter of the camp but not before noting:
"Should any of you wish to sleep in sturdy armour, I can assist. You have but to ask."
He will take his turn in a watch.
This spell makes even the clunkiest armor feel soft as silk to the wearer.
The subjects of this spell are able to sleep comfortably in medium or heavy armor without suffering from fatigue the following day.
”Goggeck, truly a gift from the gods.” Brunhild said after experiencing the recuperative effects of his powers. ”And aye. These lands will be prosperous once resettled and developed. We are close to the bugbears, no? And are they near the giants ants that were mentioned yesterday?”
Toulbe begins working with the spices that he found along the way and the reserves he had restocked before heading out. A bit of aged meat, some mushrooms from the caves, and some potatoes to make a nice stew with a touch of spiciness to it.
Toulbe gave it a taste and felt that he was ok with the job he'd done. He made sure to get the spices for gin in a carefully sealed jar. He only realised now that there was no Dwarf around to do the brewing anymore. He scratched his chin...it shouldn't be too hard right? I mean it's cooking in a manner? He nodded realizing he'd have to start experimenting when they settled down for a minute.
He rang the dinner bell after making sure the pavillion tent had been set up and the food had time to merry. While the others begin grabbing grub, Toulbe gets out a tiny bell and a bit of wire and began ringing it gently as he slowly went around the camp setting up a bit of magic to protect the camp.
He wrote down the password in Dwarven and posted it on the side of the wagon. "I've got the password over here. Went ahead and did a bit of magic so that we can have a bit of extra protection for the camp. Just whisper the password as you leave the light of the campfire if you plan on going out and about." he said before he got his own bowl of stew. "I'll burn the paper after I finish my bowl." he said worried about the new dangers that might present themselves now that they were out and about again.
He made sure the pup and Bistro were well taken care of for the evening once it was time to go to bed.
Adu looks at Goggeck with wide eyes when he makes his offer. "Really? It would be nice to not have to struggle in and out of this thing tonight. That's a really handy spell!"
As they settle around the campfire, she consolidates her notes, (which frequently contained interesting but useless observations such as 'there was a really cool looking bird here'), into something more immediately useful.
"Yep, looks like we're getting close to the bugbears. Not sure exactly where the ants are; I saw lots of ant hills but never any actual ants. I mean, if the ant hills are here then the ants must be as well, unless they migrate? Do ants migrate? No, that wouldn't make any sense..." Realizing she's getting off topic, she returns to the original question. "Ahem. Yes. Bugbears nearby, we'll probably run into them sometime tomorrow. Or maybe the next day, we're moving pretty slow."
Never having been adventuring before, it won't occur to Adu to take a watch unless she's specifically asked.
Me thanks Goggeck, but this here shirt o' mithril links s'as soft as me nightshirt. Save your magic for them what needs it. Glor eats with most of his usual relish but keeps glancing up at the sky. When someone notices he only comments Biggerin what I expected, s'all. Can make ya feel small.
"Certainly. We should also set up a watch. I suggest that we have the three of us all go either for the first or third shift, so that we can benefit from eight hours sleep."
Toulbe yawned and scratched his back a bit after he disposed of the paper. "I doubt we will really need much of a guard. Between the magic we placed down and Bistro guarding the animals, we will be up and raring to go should something be curious enough of us." he said trying to get out of working a guard shift.
He paused "I suppose though if you wanted me to work the shift before everyone wakes up, I could use that time to prepare breakfast while I watch." he offered as a consolation.
I'll be takin the mid watch. Glor offers. Me power comes from the earth proper an I don't need rest ta restore them only ta be on good earth an stone.
"Second watch by Glor, breakfast by Toulbe. That sound reasonable to me."
"I can take any watch. It ain't like me arm needs rest." Hezekh says absentmindedly, whilst examining a bit of the ore-bearing rock they'd found earlier in the day. "Yes, definitely mine potential in this." he says to himself.
Toulbe cooks up a hearty stew for the groups first night out under the stars. Everyone concurs, the stew proves satisfying and comforting, like being back home.
Everyone makes preparations for the night and watch shifts are settled.
Camping in the bottom of a ravine is probably best for a bunch of dwarves, as the sun takes a while to rise above the canyon ridge above, giving our heroes a couple hours of daylight to adjust their eyes before the solar disc appears above. It is a bit easier on the stomach than yesterday, they find. Must be Toulbe's cooking.
Once camp is broken down and the wagons loaded, The Sharp End begins the day anew.
Adu is in good cheer, happily eating breakfast and assisting with getting the wagons in order afterwards. She does note the way the dwarves all seem to be warily eyeing the sky. "Do they not like the sun?" she whispers to Toulbe. "I know they all live underground, but I'd think that would just make them enjoy getting out more. I haven't seen anyone give the sun that sort of glare since-" She cuts herself off, eyes widening as a theory occurs to her.
Fact: Dwarves drink a lot.
Fact: Dwarves prefer living underground, where the light was constantly dim.
Fact: People with hangovers hate bright lights.
Conclusion: Dwarves are constantly hungover.
"That explains why they're always so grumpy!" Heedless of how Toulbe would have missed the chain of logic leading to her brilliant conclusion, (or that the last statement was definitely loud enough for every dwarf in the vicinity to overhear), she rushes for her journal so she can record her new theory.
Opening it, she sees her notes from yesterday on the bugbears and is reminded of why they're actually there. To rescue the puppy's family! Oh, and also to kill a bunch of goblins. And orcs. And whatever else is currently lurking in Droskar's Crag.
Right. Focus Adu. We're on an epic quest!
(She does still take a minute to jot down her new theory regarding the grumpiness of dwarves.)
"Okay, judging by the tracks Toulbe found yesterday the bugbear camp should be that way." She points. "We can probably make it there today if we make good time."
Once they get going, Adu returns to making notes on the areas they pass through.
”The longer we linger, the longer our lands are polluted by their presence. Aye, let’s put an end to this here and now.” She said, though her mind was somewhat elsewhere. She really wished that she had brought a hat or a cloak that could have kept all the light out. She had no idea how the surface races could feel so comfortable up and about. That; and there was the constant feeling that there was nothing up there. Just emptiness. Like a huge hole...only above. It just didn’t feel right.
"We end this, and them, now."
Using pieces of what they learned, the group quickly hones in on the bugbears. The signs point them down a certain canyon, and along the northern wall they come to a cleft in the rock. The sound of yipping coyotes, and some other animal noises, echo from behind the rocks.
"What, because we've got to drag two gnomes all over the mountains?" Hezekh mumbles, not-exactly-quietly, with a sidelong glance toward Adu.
”Look. We’re not stealthy and they aren’t smart. Us ranged types will take up position in cover. While ye brawny boys challenge them right and proper. When the fools rush out to meet, we’ll lay down a wall of arrows and spells. Seems to me that this would have a higher chance of going right than all of us trying to be quiet.”
Might be we could climb up and fire down at um too. Might be. Glor says as he studies the rocks and seeming trails up through them.
"I fully intend to smash goblin skulls with this hammer. I suggest cover for our approach so that they cannot make easy plans against us. However, I may be giving them too much credit. Climbing has its appeal, I will say."
Toulbe starts jumping up and down trying to find a good vantage. He spies somewhere that he can see the cages and the battlefield. "I think I know where I can be best heard. We'll overwhelm those bugbears with our power!" he said as he grabbed his bag of flasks and prepared to sneak to his battle position.
Brunhild’s ability to hide was about as good as an ogre’s. As it turned out her method of doing so made it look like she was manning a rampart.
"Toulbe, if you wish support up there, I will join you. Otherwise, I shall find another spot for crossbow shooting."
Either way, Goggeck will advance, heavy crossbow and grappling hook ready, and seeking route up.