Seeing the others start to construct shelters for the night, Caladra decides to not just stand around but to try to aid in providing some form of protection for herself and the others.
"There, not to bad," SHe says to no one as she looks at the poor excuse for a lean-to. Moments after the words escape her lips does the shamble of sticks and leaves collapse upon itself. "Stupid shack, I was going to keep watch anyway tonight." She grumbles and leaves her pile of sticks.
"As we organize, we should try to play to people's strengths. I'm afraid I'm not much of an outdoorsman, but I'm willing to learn. In the meantime, I'm probably best used to scout and take watch. I can also help with shepherding if we run across any critters."
Bree puts on as brave a face as she can for the moment. It's important to keep up morale, especially in a group like this. Survival is step one. She repeats it over and over in her head like a mantra.
Cedric also tries to help with setting up a camp, but finds that he isn't much use at it. The best he can do now is to try to help console their charges with his background of religious training. That, and keep people hydrated with create water, to quickly ignite campfires with spark, and to make certain that food gathered from the wild is safe with purify food and drink. It goes to show that even though he, personally, isn't great at getting along in the wild, his faith in Erastil can still be of help. He can also lessen the burden of an unrestful night for a few if it turns out that there isn't enough shelter to go around, and his confidence in that solution is great enough to volunteer to go without in favor of others if necessary.
Aubrin the Green - Build Shelter:
Clidon - Build Shelter (Aristocrat 1):
Farrow - Build Shelter (Aristocrat 1):
Jet - Build Shelter:
Kining Blondbeard - Build Shelter:
Oreld - Build Shelter:
Townsperson (Adept 1) - Build Shelter:
Townsperson (Adept 1) - Build Shelter:
Townsperson (Aristocrat 1) - Build Shelter:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Commoner 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Warrior 1) - Herds:
Townsperson (Warrior 1) - Herds:
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As the refugees settle down for the night in their quiet, makeshift structures, Cyrioul tries to gather his companions together for a conversation. "Well, we've made it through one day, but we're clearly in for a lot more trouble in the coming days. With this many people to secure, I think we need some clear leadership for our group to lead and guide. I don't want the role myself, so don't think I'm asking for it, but we need a captain, or something like one. I'm as interested in the democratic process as the next Nirmathan, but having someone own the decision to move forward is going to help us all."
He looks around the group and asks, "Are any of you interested in taking on this role?"
Thorek shakes his head. "These aren't my people, and I'm no captain. I'm a warrior-priest of Angradd first and last. I'm perfectly willing to see to the training of anyone here who wants the help, of course." Scowling, he continues. "Maybe with a few pointers they'll be able to recognize a hobgoblin army before it's kicking down your door!"
Bree heads out with a few of the villagers to try to round up some of the domestic animals that got away from the devastation.
Coming back to the camp, she sits down to chat with the others.
"I kind of assumed Aubrin was taking that role, just because of her familiarity with the area. I'm not against a more democratic set-up either."
"I agree that having clear leadership is probably a good thing to establish with such a large group," Cedric agrees. "As the by-default ranking member of of a faith dedicated to maintaining and defending communities, I would be willing to accept such responsibility upon myself." He blows out a deep breath. "I wouldn't dream of demanding it, though. It's a daunting prospect that I'll admit kind of frightens me, but if everyone agrees that it's for the greater good I would do my absolute best to be the leader we need in these dangerous and trying times."
"I'm certainly happy to let Cedric take the lead. I think you are one of the best choices we have." Bree gives Cedric a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"Old Dead Eye is still friends with my lady. I would gladly follow you Cedric. I was never one to lead, protect and guard yes, but never lead." Caladra says. "My sword is yours."
Cyrioul nods. "It seems a wise choice - the leader who is first a servant will seek the good of others before his or her own gain. We would be well served by such a leader here."
He turns to Boudra and Lily, both speaking and signing, "What do you think? Do not be pressured to agree - let us know if you think otherwise."
Boudra looks slightly shocked when Cyrioul signs to her, but she grins and embraces it. I trust Cedric as well. Better him than me!
Thorek nods. "Lad seems to have a good head on his shoulders, for a human. And I'll be around to advise you whether you like it or not!"
Thorek is able to build a shelter that can house one.
Lily and Cyrioul are unable to build effective shelters.
Boudra is able to build a shelter that can house one.
As you bed down for the night, the sounds of the bleating of sheep and goats are interrupted by the occasional sounds of weeping from within the camp.
A bedraggled refugee stumbles across your camp literally bumping into Lily. His shock at seeing her makes him scream in fright.
Bree does her best to comfort the frightened fellow.
"Hey, it's okay. Relax. We're all refugees here. Come sit down, have a bite to eat. Are you from Phaendar as well?"
She whispers to Thorek and Cedric, "We need to get the watch schedule arranged, too. We certainly don't want any more surprises."
Lily jumps up at the man screaming. After hastily taking out her bow and realizing the man is harmless she sighs. She says,"Im sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. We are from Phaendar and are trying to move towards safety. Who are you?"
Boudra looks up sharply from her work tending the wounds of refugees when the bedraggled man enters camp, but when she sees that Bree and Lilly are dealing with it she settles back on her haunches and continues her work. She watches the exchange out of the corner of her eye.
Bree continues to use a soothing voice, like you would with a small child or a scared animal.
"I know your scared. We mean you know harm,", Lily says while acting only slightly less panicked than the poor man.
The man calms down a bit.
"My name is Edran. I was staying at the Taproot in Phaendar, on a business trip from Taldan. I was so terrified at seeing the invaders in the streets. I fled the Taproot, and managed to hide behind buildings. I was able to flee to the river before being spotted."
Putting his head in his hands, he continues, "I witnessed a ferocious bugbear with a scarred head tearing one of the townsfolk apart. Oh, the screams! I can still hear them in my head!"
Thorek looks grim as he hears, this, and moves to post several pairs of villagers as pickets along the route back towards Phaendar. "We should be making ready to move, so where are we going?" he mutters to the others.
Cedric winces as he hears the man's story. That's horrible, but it's fortunate you managed to elude capture for so long by yourself. There's safety in numbers, though, and if you choose to stay with us we'll do everything in our power to make sure you stay safe."
He turns back to Thorek and lowers his voice. "I'll set up some watch schedules for tonight, for sure. We definitely need to keep moving toward somewhere in the mean time," he agrees, thinking that even if there's nowhere else to go, the people believing that there is can help to ward off the deepest of despairs. "Unfortunately, I don't really know much of what's around that might also be far enough away from the Hobgoblin army. I'll go see if Aubrin had or has any ideas about that."
He goes to seek Aubrin out and ask her what she had in mind for after reaching the woods, first, and then if there are any other towns that would make for a likely destination to lead the refugees.
Aubrin sits down with Cedric. "I have no plans other than what Nirmathians have done for generations. That is retreat to the woods. If we try to seek out other villages, we'll have to be cagey. We cannot go across the plains, we'll have to go through the woods. That way, we'll be unlikely to be spotted by a hobgoblin patrol. Taking out the bridge will probably give us several days before they can build a temporary bridge and start sending patrols into the woods looking for us. What we can hope to do now, is to find an area of relative safety, and strike back at their patrols. If we can make it 'expensive' to search for us, they are more likely to call off their search."
Cyrioul consults with a couple of the local traders, Clidon and Farrow, to quickly assess the nearby area and see if they can help determine the best course to set to avoid such patrols...
...but it's clear that he's still learning the area, and the traders are obviously more knowledgeable than he is about what to do.
"Best listen to them, Cedric. I'll just get out of the way, listen, and learn."
Boudra watches Edran closely. She doesn't think he seems like a liar, but you can never be too careful...
Seeing that Bree and Lily have that situation in hand, she follows Cedric over to Aubrin. She watches the conversation closely, and then taps both of them on the shoulder. When she has their attention, she does her best to communicate her idea through simple signs...
Are we sure that the hobgoblins are holding Phaendar? It might be worth sending a scouting party behind us to check.
"I wish I had a good map, but there may be a few places in or near the forest that we could head for."
Bree nods at Boudra. "Not a bad question. Are they simply on a series of raids or is this more of a fortification they're building, a territorial expansion?" Bree sighs. "There's just so much we don't know. Like that black tower in the town... where did that even come from, and what does it mean?"
By the middle of the day, your group has packed up their belongings and moved farther into the woods.
After assembling a passable lean-to agains the trunk of a tree, the dwarf wanders the camp silently. He wanted to comfort these people, these souls who no longer had a home to go back too--but his burned face and leaden tongue were poorly suited to inspiring others. So he held his peace, and though he felt guilty about it he was grateful that Kraggodan was still there, strong and proud and unbowed by the siege efforts of human or goblin.
After a time, he turns his attention to sorting out the guard arrangement for the night, dispatching them in pairs to stand watch a safe distance from the camp, with another pair walking a long circuit between the pickets. That task accomplished, the warpriest seeks out the others from that tavern--the heart and spine of this group, it seems.
Finding Cedric (and any others nearby), "So where to now? A neighboring town would be easiest, but the hobgoblins will likely make for them straightaway. We could try to find shelter in the forest, but we'll be moving slower and a group this large would be easy to track."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Boudra marches through the day with the others without too much difficulty, although the weight of her gear slows her down somewhat. That night, she easily builds a shelter before joining the others.
Joining the others, she watches Thorek wonder about their situation, then turns to Cyrioul
Can you translate? Thanks. Turning to the rest of the group, she signs--much more fluidly and rapidly now that she's confident of being understood--Aubrin is right that most Nirmathi would just disappear into the woods, and unless someone knows something I don't, I'm not aware of any towns or villages that we can get to from here--not that would be able to take all of us in, without risking the wrath of the hobgoblins themselves. But a smaller place might be easier to defend. If we can find a cave or valley or something, with only one entrance, we'd have a pretty good base from which we could send out scouts to find out what's happened in Phaendar and where the monsters are going.
"I hope we find permanent shelter soon. Whatever we end up doing constantly moving like this is bound to end disastrously ," Lily says while fidgeting.
Having studied everyone elses attempts at making shelter, Caladra felt she had a better grasp on the mechanics than she did the other night. "Ha!" She said with a grin seeing her completed work. she duste her hands and went to find the others.
"I have no problem taking a watch tonight if needed," she says as she approaches Cedric and the others.
"If nobody objects, I'm happy to scout ahead to see what's around or I can take watch as well."
Cedric takes in all the information and suggestions and spends a great deal of time thinking about their options, and which ones would serve them best. Finally he gathers the core group from the tavern to explain.
So here's what I think," he begins. "While having a destination can be good in the short term, the long term ramifications can be devastating if we spend a lot of time and effort getting there and it turns out to not be viable, either because they won't help, which I suspect is unlikely in Nirmathas, or because they've already fallen. That's the one I'm more worried about coming true.
"The other problem is the captives of Phaendar. Every one of us has a desire to get back there to try to do something for them. The farther away we get, the less feasible it becomes to mount a rescue mission later on. So I think our best bet is to find someplace relatively easy to defend, and make it our base of operations. Once we no longer have to spend all day building the next day's shelters, then we can actually start putting effort into raiding the Hobgoblins and gathering information we can use to achieve our more distant goals: rescue of living captives and, more long-term, total expulsion of hostiles from our homes.
"So, to that end, I propose to send Lily and Bree out ahead of us a little as we move farther into the woods, so that they can potentially spot dangers before the whole group gets there, and also to keep an eye out for points of interest that could make for a defensible settlement. Once we stop for the night, I think our top priorities have to be food and shelter. We can worry about expanding the flocks once we don't have to devote so much energy just to being able to properly sleep at night. Everyone who can pitch in works on gathering food or putting up shelters, one or two maintain our existing animals and the rest take shifts as sentries."
"Gotcha. Come on, Lily. Let's go have a look around."
" That sounds like a plan. Much better than me trying to get these bundle of sticks into something resembling shelter,, she says.
Cyrioul lets Boudra know that he's happy to help with translation, and does so to the best of his ability before he also helps with seeing what leaves and shrubs he can find to eat...
Knowing that they must make the best of things, Cyrioul foregoes his normal spell preparations and focuses on getting folks as comfortable as possible for their nights of rough sleep. He will use his arcane powers to give himself, Lily (whose shelter fell down), and Cedric the ability to endure difficult environmental effects, and it helps them sleep more pleasantly that night.
Thor, Reta and Guinnep have trouble sleeping through the night, and are sick the next morning.
Edran to maintain the herd.
Boudra wakes feeling refreshed on the second day of the exile, but quickly notices that some of the others are unwell. Hurrying to Thor, Reta, and Guinnep in turn, she indicates that each should lie quietly while she evaluates them. She gently probes and examines each of them, trying to determine whether they're simply exhausted or have come down with something more serious.
"Thanks, Edran. You're really good at corralling those animals! Are you a shepherd?"
Cyrioul spends the day breaking down the camp, then foraging on the way to their next campsite, trusting that the others will know where to go.
"So I'm scouting ahead right? The only alternative for me is to help someone else as I'm playing dominos more than building a house," Lily says with a slight grin on her face.
Depending on the results of Boudra's diagnosis, Cedric will try to do what he can. If it turn's out that they're just feeling a little under the weather he'll use his calming touch to provide some relief. If it turns out to be more serious, then he'll assist her in providing treatment.
Thorek will quietly let Cedric and Boudra know that he has some experience in healing as well if they require assistance. He then gathers up any blades not being used currently by those on watch and sits down to apply his whetstone with a will.
Boudra (with Thorek's help) determines that all three drank water from a particular waterskin. While the water put into it was fine, the waterskin itself is tainted.
While the three sick refugees can still work, their work is less effective. Until healed they will take a -4 penalty on skill checks and Fortitude saves.
A successful DC 20 Craft (alchemy), Heal, or Knowledge (nature) check will allow one of you to spend an hour assembling a remedy from local plants that will provide a +2 alchemical bonus on saving throws against filth fever.
"I'm no shepard, but I've always been good with animals," says Edran.
"You seem to be one of the one's in charge. Are you planning to resist the invasion? Do you know of any other groups?"
Picking through the vials and boxes of his healer's kit Thorek is able to put together a fever-fighting concoction, which he gives to Boudra. He then goes back to sharpening weapons (starting with his throwing axes).