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Thud, hearing of more travel, promptly flops onto his belly with a snort.
"Well, that is one no and two yeses," Eina says looking at the yak.
Carith marches along with the others, giving thanks to The Inheritor for the cool summer day. He walked along without complaint, sweat trickling down his body as he trudged through the midday's humid heat with his armor on. After such a distance covered he would have loved to set up camp and rest his weary muscles, but the group's duty was clear. To let the rabbit-man he had wounded walk free would be to invite his future aggression upon the brace people who would continue to settle these sparse lands.
"Agreed." The priest dons his shield and pulls his longsword, thinking of the possibility of ambush in this rocky, hilly land.
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Stone formations grew more plentiful and rugged in opposite proportion to the green trees that appeared less often. What trees remained were rough and ugly, stout and gnarled. As expected the rains came on within minutes of leaving the empty campsite behind. The red dirt of the rocky hills quickly became red mud that covered everyone's boots and splattered upward with each step, likely staining red spots into any light colored garb from the knee down. Worse yet, the rain began to obscure what little trace of the beastman's passing remained.
In spite of the road's relatively easy path through, the weather combined with inclines and declines of the hills made for wearisome travel. After another two hours the strain had taken a serious toll on the group.
As she loses the trail, the rain dampens even Eina's spirits.
"I am sorry. I cannot find any sign of our wayward prey, and I do not think I can continue much longer," she tells the others as she stands up form checking for the trail. Her smile is nowhere to be seen and her eyes are dim with fatigue.
And suddenly, he sees it, a tell-tale sign. "Wait, the rain is washin' it away but I can still see the trail. There ain't nothin' quite like the way that hare-man hops. Now, I'm as tired as the rest of us. Well, except Pinto here, seems like he could walk through a danged hurricane without a problem. But let's try to push a bit farther."
Pinto takes a closer look and nods in agreement, "Good eyes. I see it also. The trail is clear but you all look like you're dead on your feet."
He added, "I can lead the way but we won't be in any shape to fight if something comes up."
"Can any of you call on your gods for some healing?"
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"My gifts are given to me by the spirits of my ancestors," Eina replies, "but I may be able to do something."
Taking up her staff, she moves to the middle of the group and with a crack of thunder, the carvings in her staff, her totems, and the interlacing knotwork designs on her clothing faintly glowed blue-white and her companions felt as if a refreshing cold wind had blown in and restored the strength to their limbs.
Channel - 6
The party trudged onward with the help of the barbarian oracle's magic. Their bodies were temporarily refreshed, as was their desire to reach their quarry. Another solid hour was behind them when their tiredness threatened to end the journey again. Feet were sore, legs grew tired, and backs ached with strain. The sharp-eyed trackers managed to keep track of the beastman's trail, but fatigue seemed to be a greater threat to a successful chase than the obscuring rain was.
Carith, weary again already so soon after Eina's strange magic had set them to right, called upon his patron to wash away their fatigue. "My Lady, this band is weary after a long pursuit, but the sharp-eyed amongst us have still managed to keep to the beast's trail in this rainstorm. We are doing Your will, so I humbly beseech you to wash away our weariness so that we may press on and put an end to this beast's banditry."
A faint glow emanates from the priest's grasped holy symbol, the fiery warmth washing over him and his companions. Feeling refreshed, he gives a final thanks to Iomedae before nodding to his companions that it was time to proceed.
Pinto had been holding up fairly well on the extra hours of walking, especially with the yak taking up his pack.
He looked around seeing mixed results from his fellow travelers, "I'm OK to continue but also understand if we want to call it a day."
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Brandt stretches his back. "Well our friends have given us a little more time to continue. So lets use it while we can."
He smiles ruefully, "I'm beginning to understand why my people are famed for their long voyages though. Long marches are a much more grueling thing."
The rainfall kept at a steady downpour, not getting heavier than a regular pitter patter, not yet slowing to a drizzle. For the first time in many miles the foot tracks made a sudden turn off the road, going a bit north and over a hill. They led to an overhang that apparently acted as a sort of shelter from the rain, indicated by the number of fresh prints in the dry dirt, and the fresher prints that led away. These new prints were not made yesterday, before the rains threatened to wash them away; these looked as if they were made in the new mud created by the rainfall.
The mud quickly gave way to harder ground, making the trail a challenge to keep in sight. At several points the tracks seemed to end suddenly, only to discover a scrape or mud remnant at a nearby outcropping. It seemed the bunny man was hopping from stone to stone, likely making a deliberate effort to obscure the trail. In spite of this, the party's excellent efforts and iron resolve kept them in line with their quarry.
The pawed prints resumed at a patch of somewhat flat ground in a clearing, heading off toward a gate-like opening in what is clearly a wall made of huge natural stone slabs, fifteen feet high at the least. Deceptively crude in architecture, the slabs appeared to have hardly been tooled, if at all, and yet somehow created a nearly seamless barrier between the clearing and a widening fissure at the north end of it. There was no apparent gate - only an opening where a gate might have been. The beastman's trail seemed to head directly across the clearing toward the wall's opening, though the late hour and waning sunlight made it difficult to see with any greater detail.
"I see little point in marching all this way, then stopping to camp when we come to what is possibly our destination. Let us explore the immediate area, then we can camp if nothing turns up. As for light, I have a few torches, and I believe someone called up a magic light yestereve."
At Erodin's comment, the priest grins, "Nor am I...I am not opposed to scouting, if there is someone skilled at it, but it should not be me."
Mmooo. Mmmmmoooo.
A pair of fuzzy brown cows ambled out through the wall's would-be gate. They continued on across the clearing toward a shadowed corner, each with a softly clinking cowbell at their neck. They began eating from a sort of trough, unseen until now as it was not only enshrouded the deepening dusk shadows but it was at a far edge of the clearing not previously scrutinized by the party.
Pinto was not happy about a lone man scouting ahead. After his fears were assuaged by the elf's words, he nervously grabbed his new weapon and waited impatiently for the signal to come in.
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Taecuss sneaked toward the wall, doing his best to stay unobtrusive. In spite of his efforts the elf could not manage a very quiet approach, and so he garnered attention from something beyond the wall. Something with a monstrous deep gravely voice, roaring in outrage, sounding...sleepy?
"GNAARR! GNAAAGLR! Gock frect noct pella boorsh, rek tonin bick!!"
"Sleep! Sleeeep! If you make one more sound, smashing of your face!"
The cows looked up at the outburst, slowing chewing the foliage from the trough, nonplussed. Their bells made soft metallic jingles as they then turned back to eating.
Thunder rumbles as Eina taps the end of her staff to the ground and the carvings light as if they were lightning forged into the patterns and shapes of ravens and feathers that had been carved into the sturdy wood.
"Though I can only have one item light up like this," she says as she gestures to the glowing staff. "And would it not be wiser to go in as one? Our prey knows we are tracking it and may have friends ready to sting us."
Carith glanced nervously ahead as Taecuss started forward to scout the position. As the others start to share their reservations about the man's safety, the priest advocates patience and teamwork. "As each team has many players, not all fill the same role. Would you expect Eina or I to dispatch our enemy whilst you tried to heal? Let Taecuss fulfill his role...a useful scout is a great asset in time of war."
The Cleric watches the elf's progress for as long as he can make out his silhouette, then just waits, sword in hand, ready to rush to the elf's aid if needed. As the booming voice echoed through the night air, though, Carith realized the group might be overmatched. Still, he could not leave his ally undefended. He motions forward, hoping the others will follow.
Eina quickly strings her bow and nocks an arrow.
"Who was it that said out prey might be leading us into a trap? I wish you were wrong about that."
Brandt clutches his axe tightly, ready to move in. He'd heard a deep voice, but no movement? "Wait for Taecuss to signal." He suggests in a low voice.
Pinto fidgets again with the weapon in his hands. He flexes his fingers and rubs the kinks out of his shoulders.
He waits for the scout's signal.
At the booming voice, Taecuss froze like a statue. He looked back across the clearing toward his friends, deciding that a stealthy retreat was the wisest course of action here. The elf began to quietly walk away when --
...Still, he could not leave his ally undefended. He motions forward, hoping the others will follow.
Erodin was fine waiting for Taecuss to scout ahead, but once he hears the rumble he's up and ready to go. "Come on, let's hope Taecuss leads whatever that is towards us!" Polearm in hand, Erodin leads the way forward.
As two armored warriors shuffled toward their lone friend their armors rattled and clanked, certainly making more noise than Taecuss had a few moments ago when the voice first called out. The monstrous voice called out again without hesitation, again in a voice no one understood.
"Tor herrick klek mebok clod sera forl."A being as tall as the fifteen foot vertical stone slab wall came into the fading light, stepping through the opening and into the clearing. This was no hulking ogre. This was a giant. This was a creature that legends told of versions both good and evil, ravenously hungry for manflesh or willing to bring battle to mankind's enemies. But which kind was this one? It appeared to be a male, lanky and long, with hardened dark gray skin. Cryptic tattoos covered much of his torso and arms, and a crafted leather kilt covered his loins.
This is a Stone Giant. They are among the more level-headed of the giant races, but they are exceedingly strong and should be treated with care during any dealings.
This is a Stone Giant. They are among the more level-headed of the giant races, but they are exceedingly strong and should be treated with care during any dealings. Their skin is as hard as armor and they are exceedingly good at throwing and catching boulders.
It is uncommon for Stone Giants to live alone. If this is indeed a loner, it may indicate that this is an elder who has strayed from his people, sometimes going centuries without returning.
Upon seeing the adventurers, the giant appeared surprised as if he were expecting something or someone else entirely. He stormed across the clearing to get close the group, grabbing a sheep-sized boulder along the way.
He stood there with boulder in hand, somewhere between a brandish and a carry, staring angrily down upon the travelers. He said nothing as he hovered there, waiting before taking the first action.
Ah s$!@, was this how it all ended? Before it even got started?
Pinto thumbed his axe and weighed the chances of penetrating the hide of a stone giant.
He put the axe away and stepped forward, "It's like he said. We were chasing someone who killed a very dear person to us. But it is obviously not you."
He raised his hands, "We are very sorry and won't bother you again. We will leave now, OK?"
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As the giant emerged from the ruins, Carith felt the stirrings of an emotion that seemed suspiciously like fear. Swallowing it down with a cartoonish gulp, the young man was prepared to press on, not content to let Taecuss become the giant's plaything if he could help it. Which he very likely couldn't, he admitted to himself.
As Taecuss and Pinto started to converse with the giant, and seeing that the large creature's posture was threatening but not necessarily violent, the cleric sheathed his sword, holding his hands up for a minute to show that they were empty. "My Lady, if my purpose is to die this day, then so be it. I perish knowing that your wonderful Kingdom awaits me. However, if it be your desire, please help us, the arbiters of your Justice, through this matter."
There was nothing left to do except wait and see what the giant decided to do. Carith did manage to hold up a hand to those that had not come forth yet. At least they might be spared if it came to the worst.
The giant's long stone-gray arms relaxed, and his arched back resumed a more relaxed posture. His brow stayed somewhat furrowed but there was no malice there; only a dash of confusion and curiosity remained, mostly at the elf's hand gestures and rabbit imitations.
He harrumphed before speaking in the common tongue of men,
"You were attacked...by a coney...who killed your friend?"
"Explain again, I do not understand. If you are mocking me, you will regret it."
Taecuss can't mask his relief that the giant doesn't attack and does speak common..
"A beast-man, like a rabbit. He attacked us with an ogre and two others of his kind. We slew the others, but this one escaped us. We followed him, and his tracks lead us here."
Pinto slowly approached to stand next to the elf, "Not just attack us but attacked a peaceful village and slew women and children indiscriminately. They were not just hunting. They were out killing."
The stone giant's eyes grew wide.
"Gore and his man-beasts! I believe you when you say they killed your people. May they all rot from this world and labor in the pits of the nine hells for all time!"
He slammed a frustrated fist into the ground, sending shards flying and web-like cracks growing outward. He drew nearer the group then turned his right leg toward the adventurers, displaying a deep white scar that stretched over a yard, running from his upper thigh to the top of his calf.
"The man-beasts are led by a devil called Gore. That one bears a weapon of hellish sharpness, one that opened this wound, one that bled worse than any I've ever suffered."
"They hail from east of these hills, surviving on theft and murder. They have taken my cows on several occasions, leaving me with only Wirt and Derry over there," he motioned to the shadowed edge of the clearing where the soft clang of cowbells was heard, "and those two will not sustain me for much longer."
His eyes grew wide once again as he made a realization,
"You tracked one here?! Show me!"
He began hastily looking for a sign of tracks, then looked around the clearing as if some of these beastmen might just be standing around.
Pinto called one of his companions over, "You heard our giant-friend; let's bring some light over and show him the trail we've been following."
The trapper added, "We are blessed with healing power. Would you like for us to see what we can do about that wound of yours?"
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Eina quickly replaces the arrow in her quiver as she sees the giant appear. When he asks for a light, Eina brings over her glowing staff and positions it so the Giant can see.
This is the first time she has ever seen a giant this close, and Eina is silent as she studies him in awe.
Carith blew out a long-held breath as it appeared the giant spoke, and more importantly, understood the Common tongue. What had once been near-certain doom for at least some of the group had been salvaged into a possible relationship with a powerful ally. Letting Taecuss and Pinto take the lead, the priest stays near the forefront, the better to shield his allies a possible ambush if such a risk still existed. After all, the rabbit-man had used a bow to cause his mayhem.
As the talked turned to devils the priest's face darkened. He didn't relish the idea of anything that could put that gash on the giant's leg, but a powerful devil gathering power in this fledgling land could nip the bud of civilization in the area before it could sprout. Such a confrontation could wait, for now. Carith's gears churned in his skull...the giant had lost many resources to these bandits. Perhaps they could secure his help and gain a powerful friend to help keep a portion of this wild land tamed.