"Why exactly would we just kill something that rare? It attacked us, but it's a predator and we're in its territory. Let it live. We've got a fine prize in this boar."
"What better way to show our mettle as knights, Bran? All the great heroes of the past have fought dragons! Beowulf, Sigurd, the mighty Hercules and our own Saint George! What greater honor could there be than to be counted among them as dragonslayers?"
"Why exactly would we just kill something that rare? It attacked us, but it's a predator and we're in its territory. Let it live. We've got a fine prize in this boar."
"A fine jest!" Martin laughs. "Having tracked and cornered and speared that majestic boar, there, we should also abandon it and hunt one of the sheep in the fields! Come, come. No more jests until we have finished this first majestic creature."
Bran just laughs. "Alright you two, up the tree then."
Raedwald leaps up to try and climb it, failing miserably.
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"What a bother," Martin laments as he pulls his dagger. He bites down on the blade, holding it in his mouth as he grabs for purchase in the tree.
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We injured it badly fighting it off. We can't let it go like that it is likely to go made and start attacking Sir Amig's tenants. That would be a poor way to repay him for his hospitality.
Sion leans his lance against the tree, then cleans and sheaths his sword. Are you two going up the tree or not? as he watches Raedwald and Martin struggle to climb the tree.
"Fancy yourselves dragon slayers and you can't even climb a tree? It's just going to bite you in the face if you do."
Edward glances up at the dragon, stepping a bit closer. "We could just wait for it to bleed out, then climb up and get its corpse."
"Blaidd!" Bran says, rushing to his dog's side to make sure he's okay. He sets his lance down and pets the dog. "Am I going mad, or was that a real dragon?"
Sion glares at the dragon in the tree. "Damn beast tried to eat me. I don't think we have much choice but to wait for it to die. Unless someone wants to climb up there and kill it.” He says as he retrieves his lance from the forest floor.
Edward looks at the tree next to him, scratching his stubble. "I could do that." He puts his lance on his back, then climbs up a tree that is ten feet away from the one the dragon is in so he can reach the dragon but it can't reach him.
"That is NOT the honorable way to slay a dragon!" Raedwald rams his lance up into the tree, but all it hits is a branch. "GOD'S HOOKS!" His frustration is evident to all now.
Martin picks up a small rock from the forest floor. "Unless we intend to cut down the whole damned tree..." He throws the rock with a disgusted look on his face and not much hope of success.
"Why exactly would we just kill something that rare? It attacked us, but it's a predator and we're in its territory. Let it live. We've got a fine prize in this boar." Bran suggests.
"What better way to show our mettle as knights, Bran? All the great heroes of the past have fought dragons! Beowulf, Sigurd, the mighty Hercules and our own Saint George! What greater honor could there be than to be counted among them as dragonslayers?" Raedwald questions.
"A fine jest!" Martin laughs. "Having tracked and cornered and speared that majestic boar, there, we should also abandon it and hunt one of the sheep in the fields! Come, come. No more jests until we have finished this first majestic creature."
Bran just laughs. "Alright you two, up the tree then."
Raedwald leaps up to try and climb it, failing miserably.
"What a bother," Martin laments as he pulls his dagger. He bites down on the blade, holding it in his mouth as he grabs for purchase in the tree.
"We injured it badly fighting it off. We can't let it go like that it is likely to go made and start attacking Sir Amig's tenants. That would be a poor way to repay him for his hospitality.” Sion leans his lance against the tree, then cleans and sheaths his sword. as he watches Raedwald and Martin struggle to climb the tree. ”Are you two going up the tree or not?”
"Fancy yourselves dragon slayers and you can't even climb a tree? It's just going to bite you in the face if you do." Bran comments.
The mortally wounded dragon hisses at the approaching Edward. It nimbly steps to another tree top and
<< | | | >>
Bran just sits back and comforts the injured Blaidd while he watches the others attempt to slay the dragon.
Sion looks up into the tree the dragon just disappeared from. Well that is not good. If we can't find it we will need to warn Sir Amig that he may have an injured dragon on his lands. he starts climbing into the tree looking to see if he can spot the dragon among the leaves.
Edward laughs. "It's still got a fire in it's heart, gotta give it that. Do we really want to follow this thing through the trees?" He looks down at the two squires failing to climb the tree. "I suppose I'll be alone in doing so." He says with a smile.
Sion follows some blood-trails on leaves and catches a glimpse of the dragon in the canopy
Edward follows Sion's eye and begins heading in that direction through the trees.
...You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand. While climbing, you can’t move to avoid a blow, so you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). You also can’t use a shield while climbing. Anytime you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.
There it is. Sion calls out pointing to where the dragon is hiding. I don't think we can get at it where it is. Maybe if we had bows we could bring it down.
Raedwald frowns as he thinks about what to do, but then he turns to Bran and Blaidd and notices the boar near them.
"Hold, brethren. What if we were to lure it out of the trees? It was chasing that boar already. Perhaps a haunch of it would prove tempting bait."
Bran just sits back and comforts the injured Blaidd while he watches the others attempt to slay the dragon.
Sion looks up into the tree the dragon just disappeared from. ”Well that is not good. If we can't find it we will need to warn Sir Amig that he may have an injured dragon on his lands.” he starts climbing into the tree looking to see if he can spot the dragon among the leaves.
Edward laughs. ”It's still got a fire in its heart, gotta give it that. Do we really want to follow this thing through the trees?” He looks down at the two squires failing to climb the tree. "I suppose I'll be alone in doing so.” He says with a smile.
Sion follows some blood-trails on leaves and catches a glimpse of the dragon in the canopy. Edward follows Sion's eye and begins heading in that direction through the trees.
”There it is.” Sion calls out pointing to where the dragon is hiding. ”I don't think we can get at it where it is. Maybe if we had bows we could bring it down.”
Raedwald frowns as he thinks about what to do, but then he turns to Bran and Blaidd and notices the boar near them. ”Hold, brethren. What if we were to lure it out of the trees? It was chasing that boar already. Perhaps a haunch of it would prove tempting bait.”
Martin attempts to climb his tree without cutting his mouth with his dagger.
The dragon watches Edward slowly approach with its fierce yellow gaze. It does not appear threatened by the squire but does look mortally wounded, so it decides to hunt another day. It vanishes into the heavy oak canopy.
Growing bored after a few moments of watching the other squire's antics, Bran turns back to the boar and uses his dagger to field dress the pig. He piles the offal on the forest floor. "I don't know how smart dragons are, but if one of you hides yourself well enough and are patient, the smell of the pig's guts might draw out the dragon again after some time." Bran mutters a prayer of thanks to the pagan good of the hunt over the boar's corpse before tying its feet to his lance and hoisting the gutted animal over his shoulder. "I'm going to get this back so that we can eat it for dinner. Shall I tell the steward that you'll be in the forest chasing the overgrown snake?"
Edward peers in the direction the dragon disappeared. "Doubt it. He's smarter than that." He finally relents and swings down from the tree. "Well, aren't you the cheery one."
"Where's your spirit of adventure, Bran? We just saw a bloody dragon! We had a chance to become heroes!"
Raedwald is clearly disappointed at the beast's escape.
Sion drops out of the tree and collects his lance from where he left it. We have the boar so our hunt was successful. We should get back and tell Sir Amig's steward about the dragon. My injuries and the damage to my armor should be sufficient proof of our story. he starts to walk back to the horses mumbling to himself about repairs to his armor
"Where's your spirit of adventure, Bran? We just saw a bloody dragon! We had a chance to become heroes!"
Raedwald is clearly disappointed at the beast's escape.
"The dragon was harming no one. The old heroes in the stories killed dragons that were a menace to the land. That thing was merely hungry and territorial. I take no pleasure in killing things I can't eat, I'm sorry if that's unadventurous," Bran replies in an honest tone. "It was magnificent to see a live dragon though. I can't really believe that just happened..." There is wonderment in Bran's voice as it fades into silence.
"The dragon was harming no one. The old heroes in the stories killed dragons that were a menace to the land. That thing was merely hungry and territorial. I take no pleasure in killing things I can't eat, I'm sorry if that's unadventurous," Bran replies in an honest tone. "It was magnificent to see a live dragon though. I can't really believe that just happened..." There is wonderment in Bran's voice as it fades into silence."Where's your spirit of adventure, Bran? We just saw a bloody dragon! We had a chance to become heroes!"
Raedwald is clearly disappointed at the beast's escape.
"A pox on that dragon and all its kin! That beast will bleed out hidden in the canopy somewhere, and end up as food for the worms. Better it should have died here, and been mounted on my mantle. At least there its strength and beauty would have been honored for years to come!"
Martin kicks a fallen branch in frustration.
"You know, there's another alternative... If I were wounded and bleeding, I wouldn't hang about in the wilds. I think I would head for the shelter of home. Wouldn't you?" Martin starts back at the spot of the first attack, and scans the ground for the creatures tracks.
"Maybe instead of chasing it down, we could head it off by tracking where it's been..."
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Looking for tracks, Martin sees dragon claw marks in the oak tree. You conclude that it travels through the trees. Attempting to follow its trail will take you a very long time.
Raedwald sighs.
"You're probably right, Bran. There's probably no chance to find it now. God, how I wish I'd been able to slay a dragon, though. For a moment there I felt like I was in one of Mother's stories."
So Bran starts carrying the boar back to Imber manor, what are the rest of you doing?
Edward is prepared to return to Imber manor as well.
Sion realize that Bran could probably use some help lugging the heavy boar carcass back to the horses but is feeling a little hard used at this point so keeps walking back to the horses.
Raedwald lifts the other end of the boar, to make it easier on Bran.
"Thanks, Raedwald.
"Anytime, Bran. You're right that this boar is a great prize in and of itself. After all, boars can be as deadly of monsters as dragons. Is Blaidd going to be alright?"
"I think so. He's a tough pup. The boar didn't get him too badly. I'll be sure to give him a big piece of the meat. Let him get a little revenge," Bran says chuckling.
"He certainly deserves it. He did more damage to that boar than I did. I'm nowhere near the fighter that Rience was."
Edward leans down to look at the pup's wounds. He scratches him behind he ear. "Took some good hits there, didn't you boy? I bet I could help with that." Edward smiles and talks to the dog while he binds his wounds, doing what he can to stop the bleeding. When he's done he stands and goes to help Bran carry the boar back. "Fine creature he is."
"He certainly deserves it. He did more damage to that boar than I did. I'm nowhere near the fighter that Rience was."
"You acquit yourself well in our practice sessions. Do not let the results of one hunt which was unexpectedly turned into battle with a beast of legend color your perceptions. When the time comes for real battle, I will be glad to call you brother." Bran pats the taller man on the shoulder. "You are a giant after all! Heh...Riesige Raedwald."
"Heh. I suppose I'm almost a creature of legend myself!"
Twenty minutes of hiking through the old, thick forest returns you to the edge of the fields of Imber. Following the tree line, you find your mounts in ten more minutes, and Sion reunites with Rhianwen. After securing the swine carcass to Bran’s horse, you make your way back to the manor.
Tudfwlch welcomes you back and orders slaves to prepare the boar for tonight’s supper. While he listens to your dragon tales with enthusiasm, you think he has practice appearing to believe lies. The feast during the evening is much more splendid with the boar than the previous evening. Even Blaidd eats his fill. Sitting around the trestle table enjoying dessert, Tudfwlch says, ”You should leave no later than lunch tomorrow to make Tilshead. If you would please, I have a satchel of scrolls to bring to Sir Amig.”
"Who would we talk to in order to put the manor's men on alert for that dragon? We wouldn't want it coming after Sir Amig's livestock."
Bran nudges Raedwald with a "pssst" sound to get his attention. "I don't think he believes we saw a dragon..."
"I know that. Doesn't matter. Whether it's a dragon or a rampaging animal, there's still a big, angry predator out in the woods that might start seeking easier prey than boars, and now it's tasted the flesh of man."
Sion is a little annoyed at Tudfwch's apparent disbelief. Listen here goodman Tudfwch. You have the word of five men that there is a dragon in those woods and you have my injuries and the damage to my armor as proof of our word. We will not be to blame if that beast harms Sir Amig flocks or tenents because you failed to heed our warning.