While the others are checking the shack, Thorek retrieves a suitably long stick and triggers the bear trap. "Not safe to have that lying where we're walking," he grumbles.
Dismayed that his spell returned nothing, Cyrioul simply says, Good idea, Thorek, when the trap is triggered. Assuming Bree comes back to report what she says, he frowns. It's possible that the person inside resisted my magic, but I wonder if something more dangerous has happened. Could the man be posessed by the spirit of his cat? Is his cat elsewhere?
Signing to Boudra, he asks, You're likely our best tracker. Can you see any tracks going from here that match those of a large cat?
Boudra frowns. I’ll look, she signs. If any of you see something, point it out to me...
Boudra finds very old wildcat tracks in the clearing, but it seems that whatever feline creature lurks nearby has not come close to the cabin in days, if not weeks. She also notices another bear trap, set up among the overgrown grass between the cabin and the smokehouse behind it.
The rest of the party hears the dry cracking of wood as the cabin's occupant rips the door open, almost breaking it off it's creaking hinges.
As the door whips open, an old trap triggers and fires an arrow from a recess above the door. Fortunately, it only grazes Cedric, rather than piercing his armor and embedding itself in his chest.
The old woodsman stands in the open entrance, his pale hair and bear wildly unkempt, with a long-handled axe in his hand. His eyes and cheeks are sunken, and his limbs look emaciated. Nevertheless, with red-rimmed eyes he glares at you with murderous intent.
"Ancestor's have mercy!" Thorek stands and readies his dorn-dergar, stepping up to block Kelloch's route to the rest of the party. "The Ironfangs didn't do this to you, did they?"
[ooc]If the Kelloch-wight attacks Thorek would go for a trip with his AoO then help the party gang up.
"Dear gods!" Bree shrieks, seeing what once was a man. Almost reflexively, she summons a patch of grease beneath the feet of the creature, hoping Thorek can put him down for good.
Like with their experience of the undead at the town before, Bree is obviously uneasy at the existence of such a creature. "What is this world coming to?" she moans.
"Damn," Cedric says, thoroughly dismayed by the discovery, to the point that he almost doesn't even notice the grazing arrow wound through the distraction. This is one more in a series of bitter discoveries since the Ironfangs decided to go marching.
He raises his mentor's holy symbol and channels energy to put their foe to rest.
Lily jumps back and screams at the sight firing an arrow at the wight.
Saddened by the man's fate, Cyrioul offers what guidance and foresight he can to his allies, aiding them with their strikes and disarming attempts.
Between Bree's grease and Thorek's tripping chain, the undead woodsman falls upon the ground of the clearing he once claimed as his. Cedric's divine channeling begins to snuff out the anger and hate that keeps the creature's unliving limbs moving. A well-placed arrow by Lily heralds the fate awaiting this poor, unfortunate soul.
Aided by Cyrioul and Boudra's magic, and Cedric's divine ministrations, it is almost effortless for the rest of the party to annihilate the last vestiges of false life from the late Kelloch.
With the obvious danger past, the party resumes its investigation of the clearing. Thorek triggers the other bear trap that Boudra discovered, removing the lurking threat to life and limb.
Dust and cobwebs coat the interior of the cabin. Most of the furniture has been overturned or smashed. Tiny footprints in the dust suggest that some small critters - perhaps the mites you encountered several days ago - have come through the cabin, looting what they could while the undead Kelloch was away.
Two weapons still hang above the old fireplace, though, out of reach of the mite looters: a longsword and a longbow, both of very fine quality.
Ranging further afield from the clearing, you find clues to Kelloch's fate. Rather than the Ironfangs, it seems the loner woodsman fell prey to mere happenstance. Disturbed ground and stones atop a rocky slope, and dried bloodstains amongst a pile of debris below, suggest that he took a bad fall while hunting one day. He likely became trapped, dying a slow, lonesome death from blood loss, exposure, or thirst. A sad end to a sad life.
Bree looks around slowly, helping piece together what happened to the poor man. "This is just so... sad. Of course, everything around here is now."
Looking around Lily says kind of despondently,"We sure aren't finding much to hope for aren't we?"
As Thorek tromps around the hut a floorboard creaks under his armored boot most suspiciously. "Hold a moment, what have we here?" Upon prying it up the dwarf discovers the iron lockbox, carefully freeing it and showing it to the others. "It's not trapped, right? The late Kelloch seemed the type to trap something holding his prized possessions."
Bree claps Thorek on the shoulder. "Good catch. Now, let's see what was so special." She pulls out her new picks and works on the lock.
Thankfully, Kelloch lacked both the expertise and the money to manage the finer machinery required to trap the lockbox. Bree picks the lock as though it was child's play and easily opens the container, revealing a stash of coins, two copper flasks, and a doe-skin quiver filled with arrows - including five that have bright red fletching.
These should be fairly helpful, Cyrioul says as he hands the fiery arrows to Lily (along with the rest of the quiver). Just a little hope, at least.
With that, he recommends returning to Hidden Hope. From there, we can send out scouts, perhaps, and see if there might be any others we can bring to our aid.
"I haven't got any better ideas," Cedric admits. "I didn't have any other ideas on how to find the Rangers besides asking Kelloch if he knew. If only I knew how to ask him anyway." He shrugs, then a baffled expression crosses his face. He opens his mouth, closes it abruptly, then opens again, frowning.
"Possibly a stupid question, but has any of us asked Aubrin about tricks for finding the Rangers? I don't think I have, but that seems like a plausible option."
You know... it never occurred to me! Cyrioul shakes his head. Seems like our best chance, even if she has been out for a while.
"Hmm. In all the chaos, we may have forgotten that, Cedric. Umm, it may be a little distasteful, but there's also the chance that we may figure out a way to ask Kelloch anyway. I've read of magics that allow certain practitioners to talk to the dead. Is that an option worth exploring?"
"I had that thought, too, but unfortunately I don't know how to do that. Yet. If we had a scroll I could probably use it, but the odds of stumbling upon that sort of magic seems slim." Cedric sighs. "I think the best thing we can do is take a different path back to base than we took to get here. We might get lucky on the way. Otherwise, we'll ask Aubrin. And, if that yields nothing, then we may need to set a different goal for the time being."
As this was a former hunter's stead, it occurs to some of you to check the smokehouse behind the cabin. The path is safe, as Thorek discharged the other bear trap hidden within the overgrown grasses around the wooden shack. Although Kelloch has been, perhaps, several weeks gone, there is much heavily salted and preserved meat and fish that remains edible.
As you continue to mill about the clearing, discussing the pitiful woodsman's fate, the source of the distant howls and the claw marks on the trees makes itself evident.
A wildcat ambles out from the treeline, carrying a dead rabbit in its jaws. It is about 28 inches tall at the shoulders, weighing perhaps 50 to 60 pounds, and there are black tufts of hair extending from its ears.
Almost ignoring you, the cat pads over beside the body of Kelloch. It places the rabbit beside the dead woodsman's head, nudging the carcass closer. The cat lays down near Kelloch and, seeing no movement from the fallen hunter, offers a mournful yowl.
Poor creature. It must have belonged to the hunter, Boudra signs sadly. She wonders for a moment whether there’s anything they can do for it—or any way to take it with them—but she doesn’t know how to Handle an Animal like this.
She has no idea if it will help at all, but Bree can't help but empathize with the poor lynx. She tries to explain that they'll bury the cat's friend, using gentle hand motions and speaking in a soothing, if slightly tearful, voice, wondering if she's even making sense to herself. She looks at the others. "Well... I would want someone to explain things."
The lynx turns her sorrowful eyes to Bree, either showing some semblance of understanding or simply too despondent to react with hostility.
The preternatural bonds formed between hunters and such animal companions is legendary. If this lynx was left to watch her partner slowly die, only to rise as such a twisted creature, the damage done to the animal's psyche is unfathomable.
Thorek retrieves a haunch of jerky and nudges Bree, gesturing meaningfully towards the poor wildcat with it.
I wonder if she even can be saved, Boudra thinks sadly. But she doesn't want to interrupt the others, just in case.
The lynx tentatively sniffs the jerky proffered by Thorek. It gingerly seizes the meat with its mouth, but plops it on the ground beside its fallen companion.
After some plaintive, mournful trills, the wildcat allows itself to nibble upon the jerky to provide itself some sustenance.
"Should we...take her with us? She could be useful maybe, and I don't think she'll make it out here alone."
"We can try. Either she will or she won't I don't think we can force her."
Boudra nods. I'm all for it...if she will come, she signs.
"Certainly doesn't hurt to try," Cedric agrees. "I feel really awful for the poor thing. I'm not very good with animals though. Edran would be good at this, but that's a bad idea for so many reasons. Whoever wants to give it a go, give it your best shot. Then, one way or the other, we should probably move on and keep looking for signs of the Rangers as we go back to base."
Retrieving another piece of jerky, Thorek scoots a little closer to the cat and proffers it. While she chews the piece he slowly, slowly reaches out to scratch her behind the ears.
"I ain't much to look at, but I know what it's like to lost the ones you care about," he whispers to the wildcat. "Come along with me, I'll take care of you."
The lynx does not recoil at Thorek's touch, which is an unexpected yet positive sign. It rests the side of its head against Thorek's wrist, allowing itself to accept support for its weary muscles.
When the party prepares to depart, the lynx slowly takes to its broad paws. It keeps a distance, still wary of these strangers, but the cat does follow nonetheless - seemingly eager to put this place behind.
Boudra is surprised, but heartened, to see the lynx following Thorek. Perhaps there is some hope for us after all, if we can make such a difference even in the smallest life... she thinks. To the others, she signs, We should head back to Hidden Hope. The weather's likely to turn foul before the next day's out, and we should avoid getting caught in it if possible. Not a bad idea to make sure we're on hand for when it turns on us at home, too, to see how the caves hold up.
Cyrioul nods in agreement, saying and signing, I agree about staying back at Hidden Hope for now. I'd like to finalize repairs on the forge, just to make sure we can make any equipment repairs that we should need. Also, after we talk to Aubrin about the Rangers, I'd like us to see about making a map to get back to Veld, in case we need to.
Lily starts petting the lynx very gingerly. "Yeah let's go back. One of these times we're bound to find someone helpful", she says quietly.
Although Thorek seems to have earned the lynx's tentative trust, it recoils from Lily's touch and bounds away into the brush. It does not flee entirely; it simply keeps a distance.
The lynx follows several paces back as the party returns to Hidden Hope. Drawing near to the rocky outcropping that hides the cavern, the lynx perks up - its tufted ears twitching and nose sniffing the air. The wildcat proceeds to investigate, almost as though patrolling, the area around the rocks and shallow crags. Caladra stands on guard duty, watching over the refugees tending to the meager flock of livestock.
"So what's next? We should make regular patrols in the area, but we seem to be out of clues for where to find the Chernasado Rangers." Thorek talks as he gathers a handful of dried jerky strips, leaving it out for the lynx whenever she gets hungry.
"I guess we should name her," the dwarf remarks to no one in particular.
There's still a storm coming, Boudra signs. Let's ride out the storm indoors, and we can strategize about how to find the Rangers...or if there's any way to do so.
Bree agrees with Boudra. "Let's see what Aubrin has to say," she says, hoping that she'll have some insight to the Rangers location.
Caladra remains on guard duty, warily eying the lynx left to explore the perimeter.
You find Aubrin in the watery cavern further back within Hidden Hope. She sits beside the water. Both the boot from her right foot and the leather sheath that normally covers her left leg has been removed, and you see that she is washing her feet in the cavern stream. While the artesianal spring closer to the passage down has provided the drinking water for the refugees, this stream has provided washing and bathing water.
She continues to wash her legs even as she notices your approach, and she makes no effort to hide her clubfoot on her left leg, seeming to find no shame in the deformity.
"This one's actually been easier to live with than losing my sight," she says if she catches anyone staring.
"Of course, I was born with this thing," she says, patting the malformed foot. "It's never slowed me down before. The eyes took getting used to, especially since I still miss looking at the pretty young things."
She leans back, seeming to be self-satisfied as you ask about the Rangers.
"Take it from someone who served with the Rangers: they're probably the only reason the Ironfangs are interested in the forest. Even more so than the Molthuni, the hobs fear the fey that lurk deep within the Fangwood. However, if the Legion hopes to hold the region, they can't ignore the Chernasardo Rangers. Putting every last one of them to the sword is probably a more pressing concern for the hobs than finding us. Of course, it'll take a mountain of either men or gold to find them."
Aubrin slides back from the water and sets about drying her legs before putting back on her footwear.
"The Rangers keep three well-hidden forts throughout the Chernasardo. When I first joined up with them, I trained briefly at Fort Nunder before they took me back out into the wilds. I could lead you there once we're sure Hidden Hope won't be tracked and can fare on its own. As for the other two, Forts Ristin and Trevalay, I could only guess."
"That would be extremely helpful, I think," Cedric says. "Even if they are there, we might get lucky and find some indication about the locations of the other two or something. Thanks for the offer."
He looks at the others. "I'm really at a loss for what to do in the mean time, though."
"In the meantime... we train, we build, we make sure Hidden Hope is safe and self-sustaining. We give these people a sense of normalcy. And, much as I hate it, we wait. The trader may be back before long. If that forge is fully operational, we might even have some homemade goods to trade next time." Bree smiles and sits down on a rock. "Aubrin, what can you tell us about the fairies in the forest? Is there a chance they'd be willing to ally with us?" She holds up her hands to stop any arguments. "I'm not saying this is the best idea, just AN idea. Fey tend to be capricious, and often cruel, I'm well aware. But, if we can direct that toward the hobs, perhaps they'll provide an incentive for the hobs to stay out of the forest."
"Lay in a good supply of food, and fortify the entrance--on the surface & Darklands sides." Thorek stretches and yawns. "Nothing that can't wait for morning though I supposed."
The storm sweeps over the forest, borne along by easterly winds carrying it from over distant Lake Encarthan. Hidden Hope offers true respite for your weary group, finding shelter in the caves from two days' worth of driving rain and howling winds.
The time is anything but idle. Under the stern, taciturn supervision of Kinning, you finish repairs to the old forge and its gas vents - both providing a peerless workplace and preventing unwanted buildups of flammable gas. Meanwhile, efforts to fortify the Darklands tunnel are also planned and prepared.
Efforts to clean the tunnels have all but finished. It may simply be the wet air, seeping in from the storm outside, but even the horrid troglodyte stench seems to have been effaced. The preserved meat and fish from Kelloch's smokehouse have been added to your stores, alongside the troglodyte's own supplies and the edible mushrooms harvest from within the caves.
Kelloch's lynx - whose name, according to Aubrin, is actually Pila - makes only sporadic appearances. You suspect she has made a lair within one of the smaller crevices along the rockface, not far from the entrance to Hidden Hope. Though the animal's mind is hard to fathom, you suspect that she is very adverse to suddenly being surrounded by so many people, even as she puts the traumatic death of her companion behind her.
Thorek braves the storm a few times to make sure that Pila is faring safely, before turning his attention to the fortification of Hidden Hope's entrances. He sets a few of the guards to work sharpening stakes for the construction of a pair of cheval de frise, as well as a small wooden gate set within the cave mouth so as to make it less visible from a distance. He then puts the guards through several drills to make them practice deploying the stakes at the cave mouth.
Lily just sets her sights on fixing the forge. While taking breaks she hangs around the entrance just sort enjoying the storm as it bears down with rain a lightning.
Bree spends most of her time helping Lily with the forge. Working takes her mind off thinking. And remembering. She spends a fair amount of down-time with the villagers, trying to help with morale. She isn't as good a story-teller as Aubrin perhaps, but she has a knack for helping to work out disputes.
Thorek finds that Pila is quickly asserting herself as chief predator upon the rocky outcropping, feasting upon the vermin that might otherwise sneak into Hidden Hope and despoil the refugees' supplies. She retreats into her narrow den and curls up in the recess when followed; although she does not bristle at Thorek's approach, she still needs time to acclimate to having new companions.
As work on the forge reaches completion, focus shifts towards defenses. Kinning especially throws herself into affixing the stakes and gates upon the tunnel. Although she is no less taciturn and abrasive, the hands-on work with the forge and now defenses seems to have improved even her morale.
Running the militia is very similar to running the rebellion in Hell's Rebels, which is handled on a weekly (in-game) basis. First there is the Upkeep Phase, where we determine any decrease in militia training and readiness due to attrition, notoriety, or treasury shortfall.
After that is the Activity Phase. Your current militia level allows 1 activity per week, but having an assigned Strategist provides a bonus activity. The Activities tab on the worksheet details the different possible militia actions, but since you are just getting the militia started, the best options are probably Recruit Team or Drill Militia.
Finally comes the Event Phase, where we see what sort of shenanigans befall the militia at Hidden Hope this week.