Duardlara with that check you can tell that the thing is actually a reddish creature flying in the sky heading in your direction.
She relays that information to the others.
”Ready yourselves. We have a visitor flying our way. I don’t have a good idea of its size or shape yet, but in this light, it appears to be reddish.”
She focuses and studies the creature as it approaches, sparing a glance in other directions to see if it comes alone.
Jetro loads up a bunch of arrows
Let's just hide in the hut until it passes and then head out. I'm tired of just waitin.
"We don't know that it's hostile. Being ready doesn't require having a blade in hand or an arrow on the string. It may be that Baba Yaga has allies here that come to greet her when the hut appears. I can wait while you return inside - just don't lock me out." She says this last with a partial grin, as it was completely meant in jest.
Jetro shrugs. well we could ride out to meet them. With our arrows, we can handle most anything
Not on Golarion?" Manos mutters to himself. "Where in all the hells are we then?"
He makes sure his weapons are ready to be used and moves so he's not in anyone's way.
Ok then. Duardlara and I will handle the ranged combat if it comes to that while Manos keeps them off of us if they go hand to hand, how does that sound?
Waiting patiently you see the shape flying closer to you. Eventually you can make out that it is actually 2 creatures. The first is a red dragon like creature while the second is appears to be a tall pale furred dragon rider. They come in fast and high until they dive down to within 50ft of you before pulling up again! The rider calls out in a harsh voice but you are not able to understand what is being said.
What? Jetro yells
Jetro points to his ear and then shakes his head, trying to show he doesn't understand.
Helgash waits.
Seeing Jetro point to his ears and shake his head no the dragon rider pulls back away from you. Landing about 150ft away the rider dismounts. Moving slowly you see the rider drop her lance on the ground and pull her bow from her back. She bends down gently and sets it beside the lance. Taking a few tentative steps forward she looks at you and points towards her weapons and the ground and then back to you.
Duardlara follows suit, setting her a sword, a mace, a dagger, and her bow on the ground. She turns to the others, "Seems clear enough. She has disarmed herself. I do so as a sign of faith. Suit yourselves."
Duardlara moves toward the figure, studying her build in an effort to figure out what she can about them - human, elf, something she hasn't met before.
Holding up her hand in greeting, she speaks in greeting, trying several languages.
Jetro sets down his bow and hammer
Duardlara you see that the creature before you is built in a similar fashion to an elf in that she is lithe, agile yet seems frailer than others. Yet she differs from nd elf in that the ears are not pointed and she has fur coverin her body.
She looks startled as Duardlara calls out different languages when she recognizes a partial familiarity to Draconic. She turns back to her dragon for a full translation. Between the 2 of them you think you can speak to her fluently. I am Bescaylie from Spurhorn. Who are you and where do you come from and whose side are you on?
"Well met, Lady Bescaylie. My name is Duardlara Frosthorn. I am not familiar with Spurhorn but I suspect we are far from home. Have you heard of the land known as Iobraria or the many lands of Avistan?" She pauses to allow for a response.
"We have been tasked with searching for a missing wise woman from our lands. She appears to have anticipated her disappearance and left many clues for those that would follow. However, we find them leading us to many locations new to us through magic and, once again, we don't know where it has brought us."
"I don't know what you refer to when you ask what side we are on. Are you in the midst of a conflict?"
Bescaylie looks at you in bewilderment. I have ever heard of those places before and I have travelled many leagues and flown to far off lands in Triaxia.
She looks at you as if trying to decide what course of action to take, or what to say about the conflict. Finally, There is always conflict here. It just depends on what side you eventually choose, The Drakelands Army or The Dragon Legion.
Jetro has no idea where he is or who he is.
”I would know more about this war, but I don’t know we will be here long enough to get involved. Do you want to meet my companions? I vouch for your safety - we can be a formidable group, but only when threatened.”
Spoken like an afterthought, she asks, ”Bescaylie, are you aware of anything that a two-headed eagle would represent? It’s related to one of those strange clues I told you about.”
Manos can't really follow what is being said, but he does notice that the woman does not look happy with Duardlara and covertly readies for any trouble.
Helgash steps forward next to Duardlara - "Apologies if our speech may seem disconnect at times - we have traveled far and wide" - the paladin pipes in - "Sometimes even ourselves are at a loss regarding where our quest takes us" - he smiles as much to his companions as to Bescaylie - "I am Helgash, and I can assure you we bear no ill will - the hands of fate brought us here. Now it is up to us to learn why. Please tell us more of this region"
Helgash's cool savvy words completely disarm the young Triaxian and she swiftly tells you more of the area and what is going on. My commander has a stuffed 2-headed eagle on his shelf in his room. We all thought it a novelty and that is why he kept it.
Currently we are in the Skyfire Mandate that was establish decades ago during the first clash between the Drakelanders and us, the Dragon Legion. We won that conflict and set up this area as a neutral area between the 2 of us that was free range to those that wished to live there. Now however the Drakelanders, led by the silver dragonkin Malesinder has marched upon our home and laid siege to Spurhorn igniting the wars all over again. I have been our scouting looking for others of my kind that have been scattered in the hopes of bringing them back and aiding the defenses of Spurhorn.
”Perhaps we are to see the eagle, as it were. Would your commander accept an audience from outlanders?”
"Yes" - Helgash nods at Duardlara's words - "It would certainly assist us in our search. Do you believe he might receive us?"
Bescaylie shakes her head slowly side to side as if trying to figure out a way to make it happen. I would certainly think he would entertain the idea for you to see the 2-headed eagle. The problem though is that we have the entire Drakelands army laying siege to Spurhorn and I don't know how to get you to him. IF youcan get past the besiegers and get to him I would be willing to say that he would even allow you to have the eagle in exchange for your support against the Drakelanders.
"Ah... you are able to fly well over and around their forces, I suppose. What can you tell us of the challenge the Drakelanders army poses? Is their army made of people like yourself and draconic allies or are there other types of foes among their forces?"
The Drakeland army is composed of an amalgam of different peoples, including other Winterborn Triaxians. There are frostdrakes that patrol the skies along with ceustodaemons summoned by enemy spellcasters. Dragons as well count their lot with the Drakelands Army. There are rumors of other creatures as well that have thrown in with the Army but those have not been seen much to my knowledge.
"Could we somehow hope to pass unnoticed among such a large army?" - Helgash ponders aloud - "To casual onlookers?"
"Biscaylie, if you do locate someone from your side in your scouting, how are you to deliver them to Spurhorn to aid in its defense? And how might we contribute to the defense in return for visiting your leader?"
She looks at Helgash, "Perhaps we can be useful skirmishing our way through the lines?"
Helgash smiles at his friend, while Greta's smile is from ear to ear at the idea of 'skirmishing through the lines' - "We can do amazing things Lara, and we may even be able to fight through an army" - he nods - "But if we can pull through unnoticed, we may avoid unnecessary bloodshed?"
"Well, of course, Helgash, but where's the fun in that, am I right, Greta? More seriously, I can certainly prepare myself for a full-on stealth mission, but I don't know if my resources would be enough to get us all through. We will need to see what Cynehelm can offer."
Turning to their newly-met dragon-riding associate, she adds, "We are truly at the mercy of your knowledge of the land. If you had found allies that you wanted to get through the lines to Spurhorn, might we be able to utilize the same route or methods as you would have used for them?"
Well stealth is something I am not good at. So without magic I'm going to make a lot of noise.
"I was not talking about stealth Lara" - Helgash explains - "I meant we could simply blend in among the 'crowd' - regions at war with several different conscripts usually have a hard time keeping everything under tight control - there are mercenary bands, hired warriors, and a multitude of others who are not 'soldiers' per se" - the paladin adds - "We could risk walking in under that assumption, if indeed this is a war zone"
Maybe get some local clothing? Plus we don't sound like locals that is for sure.
Biscaylie nodsher head at the ideas floating around. If I did find some others I would try to fly them in under cover of night. However you are not locals and any attempt at that would be met by resistance from Spurhorn itself. We have developed special lanterns that give off no light but dispel all invisible creatures once one gets wtihin 60ft of then parapet. Flying in during the day would mean we would be attacked by flying patrols from the Drakelands army. Sneaking past some of the guards and pickets might work to get closer but you would still have to make it to the summit to gain entrance.
There is no easy answer and I will leave it up to you what you decide to do. I will help however I can though as you seen intent on helping us.
"We know so little. Spurhorn is a mountain? Not a city? Or a city within a mountain, perhaps? How far a climb is it to reach the summit? Perhaps you could fly us to the base of the mountain and we could climb from there?" She shakes her head and waves that idea off, "I'm not trying to put the whole task on the capable wings of your mount, just running through ideas aloud."
She muses, "How far is Spurhorn from here? Everything appears very flat from here - I presume a mountain would be easy to find if we went in the correct direction. I know, I know, it's the one surrounded by an invading army."
It s a 3 days journey by foot to the plateau fortress that is Spurhorn. The summit is 300ft above the base and a steep climb. I doubt I could fly you to the base as the army would see us. It seems the easiest path would be to have you fly somehow as then we would only have to avoid the air patrols but you do not look capable of flying.
"I can empower three with the power of flight for a brief time. There is a longer-lasting magic that I am aware of, but I have yet to master it. If someone were able to take a flying form, they might carry another, but no, I am afraid you are right. Flight is not an ability we have developed as a group."
"I'm afraid we will have to do this the old-fashioned way unless someone else has an idea."
Looks like we are in for a long walk. This place has game animals to hunt, right?
"Let us try to find traveling rations inside the Hut Jetro - it has surprised us before..." - Helgash nods at the others - "Then I see no other alternative but to start walking. Though our chances are slim to simply walk past an army, we need to try"
Indeed you scour the Hut and are able to find sufficient supplies to make a journey into the wilderness. Bescaylie remains outside as she is quite distrustful of the Hut.
The 3 days of travel go smoothly as she leads you through safe areas and away from territorial beasts. She also gives you a bit more of the history of the area. Towards the middle of the 3rd day you can see the vast army sprawling around the plateau that must be the fortress of Spurhorn. Seeing the amount of forces arrayed before you you get the idea of the task ahead of the Dragon Legion in staving off the assault. Bescaylie shakes her head sadly. We are just 1 of many of these fortress clans but the strongest. If we fall then the others will fall as well in time. I pray that when the attack does come we are strong enough and defended enough to repel them and break the siege.