After a while, Peregrine seems satisfied -- or at least not disturbed -- by how Maddok is managing the load he's carrying, and returns her attention to the travelling group's surroundings. "So with Que-kiri is our destination and Xak Tsaroth beyond, and with these ... hm. I think I remember descriptions of these from before my time at Wayreth -- draconians, they were called. Odd place to find a double handful of them, and specifically looking for such an item." She frowns into the distance for a moment, in thought, but then breaks herself out of it. "Sorry. So with these draconians and the hobgoblins both looking for the staff ... well, the pass to Que-kiri isn't narrow, but it isn't terribly wide, either, and presuming we skirt the worst of the terrain," and here she nods to the tangled overgrowth of the underbrush between the road and Crystalmir Lake, "We'll probably get there by early afternoon at the latest. Any thoughts on getting by? Think we can just fight our way through?"
"Is there any way through without going through a mountain pass? Tactically speaking, it's going to be set up as an ambush, possibly several depending on how long iti is. I really don't want to spend the day fending off volleys of arrows from people on cliffsides."
"We'd need to go well out of our way to the north across the plains and south. Or South get closer to Haven and then East." He shrugs.
"I can scout ahead for ambushers. I may not be as light as Bander on my feet, but I'm not so clumsy as to give myself away carelessly."
Peregrine moves to flank Bander with Kalisuel, the kender holding the maps and the two 'humans' looking over his shoulder at them. "No, you can't get to Haven from the south," Peri corrects the kender. "We're here -- oh, turn it over, you have it upside-down. Solace is to the east of Crystalmir, not west, and the road to Haven has to go north and west before it can go south. See, the White-Rage River down here, that's the southern route to Haven, by river only."
She looks at the draconians' map, scowling at Nerakan military symbols with which she's unfamiliar, and trying to guess the distances involved. "Master Slam, it's probably ten or so miles to the Que-kiri road, and a couple miles through the gap, with another four or five miles past it to Que-kiri. I can't deny that there could be ambushes and the like, but -- wouldn't that depend on them knowing who we are and that we're coming?" She shrugs and reaches out a hand to wheatfield measure with her thumb as she walks with Bander and Kali. "Heading north around the mountains would be ... five to the north of Crystalmir, two three four ... twelve, maybe fourteen miles? To reach it, I mean, before we can swing around south again, or strike out across the plains."
"If we have to risk the pass, I'd prefer it if we had mounts, or even a wagon." he then shrugged and said "but we don't. We just have us, and the mission. If I provide the focus, you may be able to sneak along the sides of the pass without being seen. Other than that, you'll want to have ranged weapons." As he spoke, he thought for a moment, then added "Bander, I have a very important job for you to do, and you're the only one here who can do it." Once again, he hands Bander the staff. "Please store this in your bigger on the inside bag, and I'll carry you. We may have to run at some point and I don't want you to get left behind."
The unspoken part, however, was clear: if I get killed, please complete my mission.
"That's a number of miles from now, Master Slam," the Red-Robe mage observes. "Perhaps you might keep that to hand until we get to the Que-kiri road?"
"Very well." is all the Ogre says.
Bander looks up but clearly side-eyed at Peregrine with a smirk, "Well yeah I didn't say from the south I said heading south. Meaning after this little north westerly turn didn't know that needed to be said." He sighs and smiles, "But yeah right side up that is further out of the way than I thought."
the elf says nothing as he followa the group
"Can't say I've missed debating how to get where we're going," Kali says with a wry smile as she enjoys the crisp morning air and waits for the others to make up their mind, then thinks better on it and starts scouting ahead to see if there was trouble waiting to find them.
Once is enough.
Kali returns to the others and reports the way ahead clear.
Hearing Kali's report, Maddok lumbers inexorably forward. "No more lizardmans. We smashed 'em good."
We should be off the elf recommends We have no way to know if there are more of those things out there
"Sooner we get started, the sooner this will be behind us." Slam said.
"Let's to it then."
It will take you two days to reach the barbarian village.
"Well now that we have a overall location. Do we still need to visit the Qui Kiri. Or can we just head straight there?"
"We could head there, but are we equipped for delving a ruin?"
"Depends on the ruins."
"We will probably need to purchase food, at the very least. It may take a while before we finish."
"Alright, to Que Kiri we go!"
the elf nods.
(Still think you should get some food.)
Alright, since you are moving, everyone make a survival check to forage for some food in the plains.
[dice=Survival]10+6
Maddok has found some food.
Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Slam found some food also. (DC 12)
Bander holds up a long work. "Not today." He pulls out a Vallenwood nut. He put the large nut on the ground and put the sharp end of his hoopak along the seem. A quick stab and a few hops with his full weight on the weapon. The nut split and he brushes some sand off the nut. He put half back in a pouch the other he munched on for awhile.
Peregrine packed several days worth of food for herself; she knew she was going on the run, and isn't foolish enough to leave home without something to eat. But she isn't surprised that her compatriots can find food; after all, the fields through which they cut are those that feed Solace, and collecting something probably isn't all that hard.
At some point, she winds up walking alongside Slam. "Master Slam, do you have any idea what returning the staff will entail? Just in general, I mean."
"An interesting question. I was specifically told to hand the staff to the statue of Mishakal, but I'm not sure what that specifically means. I'm assuming that it will be obvious when I see it. Right now, I'm more concerned with arriving alive than solving puzzles." Slam lowers his voice, but he still is clear enough to hear, before saying "Truth be told, I am surprised I have made it as far as I have. I can only assume that it is by the grace of the Gods of Good that I have made it this far."
"Grace of the gods. Wow. I mean if we helped you. We would be part of that grace. Never thought of myself as you know. Part of what's that hoity word religious folk used to use. Providence." He chuckles and looks up a Kali, "Hiya, I'm Bander Drunkensquirrel on a mission from the gods." He throws out a reassuring hand, "Don't worry the good ones." He laughs.
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Peregrine’s lips curve in a small smile. “Not just the gods of Good, I think,” she murmurs.
Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
You can.
Alright, Kalisuel can scout ahead for any hobgobs to your north, and after that, we go straight into Que-Kiri.
"Grace of the gods. Wow. I mean if we helped you. We would be part of that grace. Never thought of myself as you know. Part of what's that hoity word religious folk used to use. Providence." He chuckles and looks up a Kali, "Hiya, I'm Bander Drunkensquirrel on a mission from the gods." He throws out a reassuring hand, "Don't worry the good ones." He laughs.
Kali laughs before putting on her most "serious" face and tone of voice.
"Ah yes, I have foreseen this moment! A most noble and handsome kender shall rise and spread the husks of valenwood nuts far and wide," she intones before she cracks and a snort of laughter slips through.
Slam pats Bander on the shoulder as gently as possible and says "You have more bravery in you than most. Do not hide behind jokes or your stature. Be proud of your choices."
The white robe follows, not joining into the conversation as he is in deep thought about these dragon men.
"Well I can do some scouting ahead."
Bander hops forward and quickens his pace moving a ahead paralleling the road.
Bander notices a camp of barbarians. It looks like they had a tussle already. For there are dead goblins around.
That they do! ;)
Upon seeing the barbarians, Slam says "I'll wait here while one of you goes and talks to them." he was not hiding, but was trying to seem as inoffensive as possible: after all, it was the Qui Kiri's lands that they were going to travel through.
Bander turns to head back to the others and realizes he has not gone far ahead as he thought and returns to the team. "Oh hey. I guess you already see the barbarians. Good news they are Qui Kiri." Bander starts to head toward the strangers.
He holds up his hand in greeting, "Hiya. Whoa looks like you have had some trouble today. Is there anything we can do to aid you?" Bander stands with the spear end of his Hoopak high rather than sling end hoping they note the Qui Kiri styled craftsmanship.
They look at your spear end, and note that you have Que-Kiri craftsmanship. The camp is small, not like the larger camp. This was a hunting camp, although the heads of goblins are on pikes.
"Goblins came at our camp looking for a crystal staff," said one of the barbarians. "We liberated their heads from their bodies."
Bander smiles "Gobs don't use 'em. Makes perfect sense." He looks back at his friends, "Greetings. I am Bander know to some as Drunkensquirrel. We are hoping to get aways east but were hoping trade for some supplies first."
"What do you have to trade?" one of them asks. "Are they valuable?"