"Trying to keep out of sight must have pulled us off course a little. Which way is the lake?" He looks off in the direction that is indicated by folks who live here. He looks over at the bridge and the Hobgoblins. Looking for a safe path.
"Let's backtrack a bit and head toward the lake to stay out of sight."
Bander heads off again moving to a place wave the others over when he thinks its safe.
After a fair number of minutes bumping along through the woods with everyone, Peregrine finally mutters something to herself, then says quietly, "Hold up a moment, Maddok." Going on her toes, she retrieves a leather-covered 'something' hanging on the outside of her pack, then nods and strips off the outer leather cover. With a shift of one thumb, she opens up a shutter, and a steady, unwavering light, faintly reddish, emerges from the forward face of the lantern, spreading itself into a long cone of light.
"There," she says quietly, "I can see again." Gesturing to her right, she recommends, "Thataway, Bander."
"Here's the lake, so we just need to find the boat," Kali asks.
"Find a boat, Kali," corrects the dark-haired mage. "You don't have one, I don't have one, so we're going to have to borrow one." She glance around, considering her companions, then says with quiet ruefulness, "Hopefully one that can hold ten people, considering the size of some of our companions."
Bander looks about for a boat or signs of a boat beingpulled ashore." Any of your neighbors fish?"
Slam followed along behind the others, wondering how he got into this situation. He was meant to protect people, not follow them around like a lost puppydog.
Unfortunately, no other options presented themselves, so he stayed with this course of action for now.
Besides he thought to himself at the very least they're not cowards.
"But it's the boat that'll take us across the water, right," Kali asks with a beatific smile on her face, at least until she turns her head to regard Bander.
"Can't say that any of them are, although there was this one lady in Haven that kinda looked like a fish that lived near where I did," Kali answers, appearing to give the question serious thought.
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Maddok works to make himself as small as possible, a difficult feat, in hopes that the group won't look to him for guidance. Minotaurs were renowned as talented sailors across the face of Ansalon. Separation from his people at a young age had left him without the opportunity to learn those skills. The fact that he could hardly tell the difference between a bowline and clove hitch was a failing that the big bull was painfully self-conscious about.
"How deep is your lake?" Slam asked.
"Deep enough I wouldn't want to fall into it wearing armor," Peregrine replies absently, trying to keep Bander some distance from the shore while they work their way along it, hunting for a boat that'll carry all of them. "Actually, I wouldn't want to fall into it wearing my cloak, boots -- a lot of what I have on, to be honest. So, y'know, let's forego the experience in favor of getting across the lake, eh?"
After a couple of minutes, she pauses, then 'hsst!' at the kender. "Bander!! To your right, that look big enough?"
Also, looking for a boat:
The white robe will also look for a boat
Bander giggles "Did I say fish? I mean fishers. Own a boat."
Bander follows Peregrine's direction in search of boat or boats for the trip.
I do not trust these goblins not to be lurking about in an attempt to Waylay us or others he says as he reaches into a pouch and begins to chant in the spider language of magic
Ast tsinonrhan Loren ribsr panrjib
Casting aura sight.
The white robe will also look for a boat
1d20+8
Thalasi is distracted by the moons, the water, and the stars.
I do not trust these goblins not to be lurking about in an attempt to Waylay us or others he says as he reaches into a pouch and begins to chant in the spider language of magic
Ast tsinonrhan Loren ribsr panrjibCasting aura sight.
The goblins figured out their error and they are making their way to the lake with murderous intent. If you don't get a boat fast, you'll have a fight on your hands.
"Are there a lot of boat thefts. I would think a city on a lake would you know fish and use the lake. Perhaps we should just try going around the lake. Or at least further out of town and sight and stop for the night." He looks to the others.
He will communicate that to the group.
Bander listens as the elf shares the news about the Hobgoblins. "Great. Seriously no fisher people with boats."
He continues to look around for boats, or marks of boats being brought in from the lake.
Bander finds a boat! And its a fairly sized one.
Kalisuel begins to undo the moorings as the others board the boat.
Bander notes a distinct line in the muck and mud near the lake and follows it up to a small copse of bushes and trees, "That's why we didn't see it before."
He pops out from the bushes. "Pst. Slam, Maddok. A boat a big one enough to get us all I think."
He moves up beyond the boat looking for any signs of pursuit or boat security.
He nods at Kali as she unties the boat.
He pulls out a piece of chalk and moves to a nearby rock. He writes,
Hehe.
All traps were disabled, though they mostly consists of flying fishhooks.
Bander sticks a few fish hooks in his pouch.
His hooves knock on its deck as Maddok climbs aboard the vessel.
Na'shok follows in his companion's stead..
1/2 a mile away, those with low-light vision can see them clearly.
I estimate that the goblins are about a half mile away the elf states as he gets into the boat.
Bander keeps his eyes peeled as they carry the boat to the water he hops and moves to the front of the boat. He passes oars to others as they move into the boat. "Let's go." He looks around, "Hope everyone can swim. I mean. Just in case."
Kali pushes the boat off and clambers in as the others begin to row. She looks back and watches the goblins, wondering if they'll notice the boat.
The hobos notice the boat going into the water. They make gestures and are mad as hell.
"Good eye," Peregrine compliments Bander, looking with interest at the distinctive line the longboat made when dragged up onto the shore and to the bushes. "Hm. So that's what that is; good to know." Peri doesn't bother to help dragging the boat to the water, though she does make sure they have the oars necessary to move the thing. Clambering in, she fits each to its oarlock, then moves to the back of the boat, shuttering her lantern and replacing its leather sleeve (which makes certain no light escapes) before turning her eyes to the shore and keeping watch along with Kali. "Bows have so much more range," she frets quietly.
"Well, I do know how to use a bow," Kali says as she finishes stringing her and readying an arrow. "If they decide to do something stupid, we can at least reply."
Peregrine nods, glancing back at the ogre and minotaur rowing for the far shore, the kender at the prow to guide them, and shakes her head. Turning back, Kali can probably see a slight, whimsical smile on her lips. "What are a couple of young innocent ladies doing, running off with three strange males? Four, if you count the wolf."
"Hey, weren't you making fun of my taste in books earlier," Kali asks with a grin, "I think we'll be alright. Slam and Maddok seem nice enough, and I can't see Bander doing anything bad to us intentionally. I'd be more worried about Thalasi, to be honest. You and he are the third and fourth wizards I've met, and he reminds me of the first."
Kali's grin is gone as she looks out over the water and the receding shoreline as she watches for any signs of pursuit. Her eyes are dull as she keeps watch, part of her mind wandering through her memories. She shrugs like someone poking at a bruise and finding the pain unchanged from the last time.
"Do you think Tika and Otik will be alright," she asks, changing the subject.
"What are a couple of young innocent ladies doing, running off with three strange males? Four, if you count the wolf."
"Hey!" the worg objects.
Kali can't help but chuckle at Na'shok's indignant reply.
"Nash, right? Do you mind coming here for a second," Kali asks as she keeps an eye on the shore.
"Ah, so that's why you're out here," Peregrine says with a judicious nod. "But why am I out here??" Squinting against the darkness, she eyes the hobgoblins on the beach, grimacing a little in frustration at her inability to really do anything at the moment -- including better conceal the boat and its passengers.
"Probably," she responds to the change in subject. "Don't get me wrong, Otik is no pushover, and Tika has a pretty firm backbone, but it'd take a true fool to mess with the best inn in town, no matter what town you're in. They'll be all right." Probably, her mind can't help but add to herself. Depends on how much they aggravate the hobgoblins further.
She glances back at the aforementioned canine, then aside at Kali, then returns her attention to the shore.
The worg lopes over to Kalisuel. "The name's Na'shok actually. The big guy calls me Nash because he's not so great with longer names. What did you need a hand with? I'd help with rowing but it looks like Maddok and the ogre have it covered."
"Ah, so that's why you're out here," Peregrine says with a judicious nod. "But why am I out here??" Squinting against the darkness, she eyes the hobgoblins on the beach, grimacing a little in frustration at her inability to really do anything at the moment -- including better conceal the boat and its passengers.
"Because you read the same books I do," Kali answers Peri's questions with a mischievous grin.
"Probably," she responds to the change in subject. "Don't get me wrong, Otik is no pushover, and Tika has a pretty firm backbone, but it'd take a true fool to mess with the best inn in town, no matter what town you're in. They'll be all right."
"I know," Kali admits, her mood darkening just a little. "It just seems like... Nevermind. It's nothing."
The worg lopes over to Kalisuel. "The name's Na'shok actually. The big guy calls me Nash because he's not so great with longer names. What did you need a hand with? I'd help with rowing but it looks like Maddok and the ogre have it covered."
"Sorry, Na'shok," she says as she turns to him and gives him an apologetic smile. "How good are your eyes? Think you can help us keep an eye out for trouble?"
Slam takes up a spot in the middle boat, to best keep it balanced. He then grabs a pair of oars once everyone is aboard and begins rowing.
As he rows, he quietly mutters a prayer to himself under his breath.
Bander smiles at Kali's assessment. "Technically we have not established if Nash is a werewolf or not." He looks at Maddok, "Or if Maddok isn't just a ventriloqizer." He shrugs and looks away. He quickly looks back as if to catch someone in the cookie jar.
"How do you know it's not me," Kali asks as she finally gives in and starts scratching Na'shok behind the ears.
it is not unwise for the uninitiated to be wary of those trained in the Art. We often have items which if handlws by those who do not know the Art or the basically trained could do much damage to themselves or others hence part of the reason for the Test of High Sorcery and the reason that Conclave ordered the destruction of two Towers of High Sorcery during the Lost Battles when Bdonas Pilofiro, the last of the Kingpruests turned mobs and the populace against all 3 Ordees. the elf states.