Brodock pockets the gems and decides he'll tell the others about them later as everyone is busying themselves with their current tasks. He takes a moment and watches the beauty of the movement and then joins in.
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Pa's agricultural knowledge of fording streams with cattle pays off, as he finds a low sloping bank that leads down to a shallow, but fast flowing section of the stream. The ground and bed of the stream are fairly solid and by placing several boulders into the stream, you are able to mark out the ford's route.
Satisfied with your day's work, you rest up and enjoy the fruits of your labours, catching a couple of salmon in the stream you eat and sleep well that night. The sun shines in the morning, your hoary breath demonstrates that as you climb higher, the air is getting colder.
After several more days of travel, your party moves out of the mountain forest, crosses the tree line, and approach up to the snow line. Without cover from the trees, the temperatures drop dramatically, the nights and days are freezing and when the wind blows it feels like a razor of ice on your faces. You are thankful for the winter clothing, the jackets of fur that surround your bodies. Beards gather the moisture, leaving small crystals of ice, though not enough for icicles to form yet.
You continue upwards, your heads bowed to resist the winds icy presence, but continue to travel upward and approach a wide valley that’s a clear pass over the mountain range. You trudge on through the snow, looking down steep slopes on the left that have a white carpet plummeting several hundred feet down the side of the mountain. Your feet feel the white pure snow shift under your feet as you hear the crunch of your marching boots compact it into ice. You stop to look up at the path you will be taking to the top of the pass snaking it's way up the snow bound slopes and pause look at each other.
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Xun shakes from cold. The snow and ice cover parts of his face as he uncorks the water skin and takes a sip of ice-cold water.
"It is bloody freezing here. And steep like hell. If we pass it, I am not sure how a caravan would."
Looks concerned Xun hoping for Pa and Brodock to have some ideas on the subject.
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Pa is walking along, teeth chattering lightly in the cold as he trudges up and up the mountain.
"Hoooo-ee. When I said I wanted to travel the world, I forgot just how dang cold some places get. But I think a caravan might still get through here. I know some make it by road to Tee-yan Sha, so I'm sure a wagon might fit through here. Hope they brought their furboots though!" he says, shivering all the while.
Pa takes a second to take a look around, and see if there's a better path they can take.
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Elsha grumbles. I just came from a cold place, but... I'm still not used to it.
He joins Pa in looking around at the landscape.
On the other hand, I suspect that if they use this path for trade, after enough sleds plow through here the snow will be sufficiently packed down and easier to walk over. Hopefully it doesn't become ice.
Brodock gives a little shiver and pulls Toad a little closer to keep him out of the wind. "There may be a decent trail here but from what I see it would take the right kind of gear fur sure." he says as he looks across the frozen fields. He points back the way they came, "Merchants would need a wheeled cart to come up that way." He then points the way deeper, "and they'd need a sled down that way."
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Elsha shuffles along through the snow, "I don't know what you're all worried about, this route is as safe as houses, come on let's go!" Pa looks at Brodock and Xun, horror in his eyes. Pa says is a level but authoritative voice, "Stop Elsha, don't go on there. If we go over that pass, the way the snow and ice are laying on one another we could cause an avalanche. Without the melts, this would be a safe passage, but just now, we face danger. We should split up into smaller groups to try and reduce the risk."
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"They always forget you're here too Toad," Brodock whispers to his leshy friend. He then pulls his hood a little closer and gives a look at the others. "Good luck to ya'll"
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Despite the difficulty of the snow drifts and the unsteady nature of the path, the party manage to cross the wide valley and the pass without causing an avalanche.
As you continue through the mountains, as the way becomes easier, the paths follow a downward trend, until you once again find yourself travelling through the woods, a green carpet across the mountain range. You crest over a small rise and into a clearing when you are faced by very large and extremely fluffy dog. The dog has a thick leather collar with a barrel attached. It stands and looks you up and down, as though getting a measure of the party approaching.
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Xun is relieved to begin descending. That last trail was treacherous and exhausting. When he sees the dog he turns to his companions and say
"Once I heard a joke, two men were crossing a mountain and were caught by an avalanche. A rescue party was sent with a dog just like that one. And when men saw the dog they said one to another: 'Look a man's best friend!' and the other responded: 'yeah and they even attached a dog to it!'."
He laughs trying to rise the morale of his comrades.
Brodock snorts at the message in a barrel comment. "A barrel usually holds liquid or food. Doubt there is a message. But doesn't hurt to look" He then squares up a little and watches Elsha's exchange preparing to get in there if needed. For now, he'll sit back and watch the show.
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As you meet the dog, you hear the sound of 4-5 ravens that caw in the background and fly off to the north, their caws fading into the distance. A strange eerie feeling, a cold shiver runs up Brodock's back, as though this is the proof he has that you have been followed.
The big fluffy dog, nuzzles up to Elsha, and let's the man taste the warming brown liquid from the barrel, a very reasonable brandy. The dog smells Elsha, all over his body, occasionally licking his hands, arms and legs. For some reason the smells that surround Elsha are far more interesting than even Brodock's or Pa's interesting aromas. The dog wags its tail and let's everyone pet it, before it starts off through the snowy forest. It goes on about 50 yards before turning and barking at the group of travellers, wagging its tail furiously.
Elsha, who has built a rapport with the dog, turns to the group, "I think it wants us to follow." So without much ado, the party follow the dog through the forest for several hours until you all reach a small orchard of pear trees that circle and hide a log cabin. Reaching the clearing the dog barks loudly announcing his return, causing the old half-orc to stop chopping wood by his porch and look up and see you. "Wilbert, welcome back and you have bought travellers with you. There have been many travelling through these mountains recently, who are you?" the old hermit asks.
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Xun takes a step forwards.
"Greetings my good man! My name is Xun and I am a storyteller. Weaving tales for the ones that are willing to listen. And here are my comrades in the journey to collect more materials for my tales."
He clears his through and introduces
"This is Elsha, an alchemist soon to be known in the whole wide world. My dwarven friend is called Brodock and he has a gift when it comes to dealing with animals. "
Then he turns the other side
"And this is Pa, string as an ox and a man that cares for the land. And who are you?"
Asks Xun
Brodock gives a slight bow at the introduction. He points to his shoulder where his little mushroom capped friend had crawled up his back and just stared at the man. "This is Toad." he says simply and remains silent for the man to answer Elsha's question.
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The old half-orc looks at Brodock and speaks an ancient tongue,
"My black friends of the sky have told me of their respect for you. Are you and your party feeling the effects of travel or injury. I would aid as I can, come in and we can share bread and drink, I can help those that might be injured? I have some pear schnapps, it will warm your bones and remind you of the taste of summer. Stay the night if you wish, it's warmer than fending for yourselves outside?"
He smiles and motions to the cabin.
Brodock lets out a little chuckle. Turning to his companion he says, "The man knows the crows and has invited us to stay for the night. Oh, and a drink. So, I vote we take him up on the hospitality."
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As Brodock accepts his invitation the half-orc smiles and starts to talk in Taldan, making it easy for you all to converse. You enjoy a hearty meal and pear schnapps, talking about your trail and the encounters you've had. He nods sagely and ponders your words, "Then it may be good to have a trail pass through these mountains, if it's travellers are as respectful as you to the flora and fauna that surrounds them. I may even be able to trade with such caravans."
A wistful smile overtakes his face, before clouding over, "However, your trails do not end here, your journey up ahead might become more dangerous than the trails you have encountered. I have an understanding with the orc tribes in the region. They leave me alone, and I leave them alone. It is each others best interests." He stops and rubs his chin, muttering something that you vaguely make out about mutually assured destruction.
He leans back, nodding his head and taking another swig of the pear schnapps, a look of concern on his face, "Recently the orcs have been crossing through my territory more often, even hunting and placing traps. This is strange. While the local tribes can be as brutal as any other orc tribe, they have kept this arrangement for many years. I have tried to contact the tribe, but to no avail. There is something afoot, but I don't know what it is. They sometimes resort to this sort of behaviour when either there is a dispute between the individual groups over territory, or otherwise a disease in one of the camps. But for any caravan to be safe travelling through these territories, you would need to either make a pact with the orcs or drive them off. I can give directions to one of the smaller scout camps in the region, should you want to find out more yourselves. But now, it's time I look to the stars and then navigate with my dreams til morning. A new dawn will arrive and I will see it in as it bursts on this land."
You discus what the old hermit druid has said and make your plans for the forthcoming day, before falling into a deep and satisfying slumber. A new day dawns, a fresh layer of snow has fallen during the night, giving the land a fresh and untouched feeling. You have breakfast and start out once more on your journey.
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As Brodock accepts his invitation the half-orc smiles and starts to talk in Taldan, making it easy for you all to converse. You enjoy a hearty meal and pear schnapps, talking about your trail and the encounters you've had. He nods sagely and ponders your words, "Then it may be good to have a trail pass through these mountains, if it's travellers are as respectful as you to the flora and fauna that surrounds them. I may even be able to trade with such caravans."
A wistful smile overtakes his face, before clouding over, "However, your trails do not end here, your journey up ahead might become more dangerous than the trails you have encountered. I have an understanding with the orc tribes in the region. They leave me alone, and I leave them alone. It is in each others best interests." He stops and rubs his chin, muttering something that you vaguely make out about mutually assured destruction.
He leans back, nodding his head and taking another swig of the pear schnapps, a look of concern on his face, "Recently the orcs have been crossing through my territory more often, even hunting and placing traps. This is strange. While the local tribes can be as brutal as any other orc tribe, they have kept this arrangement for many years. I have tried to contact the tribe, but to no avail. There is something afoot, but I don't know what it is. They sometimes resort to this sort of behaviour when either there is a dispute between the individual groups over territory, or otherwise a disease in one of the camps. But for any caravan to be safe travelling through these territories, you would need to either make a pact with the orcs or drive them off. I can give directions to one of the smaller scout camps in the region, should you want to find out more yourselves. But now, it's time I look to the stars and then navigate with my dreams til morning. A new dawn will arrive and I will see it in as it bursts on this land."
You discus what the old hermit druid has said and make your plans for the forthcoming day, before falling into a deep and satisfying slumber. A new day dawns, a fresh layer of snow has fallen during the night, giving the land a fresh and untouched feeling. You have breakfast and start out once more on your journey.
"A tribe of Orcs huh. That sounds like somethin difficult. I think we try negotiation first and then aggressive negotiation if that doesn't work." Brodock says.
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Xun nods to Brodock idea about negotiation and to suggestion from Elsha to make the druid someone to keep the pact in working order.
"We should try to present this passage as an opportunity for them. After all, they could make money off them."
As they go to rest Xun begins to working on a story about a dwarven druid talking with crows.
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The temperature improves as you climb down from the higher peaks, but the wind makes it feel just as bitterly cold. The mighty pines reach up to the sky as you trudge through the snowy ground, as you continue down the pass, though landmarks are few and far between as you map your route.
Eventually, the light darken as you walk through the tall trees under the shadow of a large cliff. Brodock stops walking forward, "Up there" he says pointing to the top of the cliff, "would give a great view of the surroundings and assist with scouting the terrain. If we climb up over there those hardy bushes growing at the bottom of the cliff, might soften any fall."
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As Pa starts to take up the rope offered to him by Elsha, he gets himself in a tangle as he tries to make his way up the side of the cliff. He settles himself down and tries again, but the moss makes the hand holds difficult, however eventually he finds a couple of good places and starts to climb, then as he gains more height his boot slips off a small ledge and he falls to the ground landing on a small bush growing at the bottom of the cliff. He flattens the bush, but it takes the sting out of the fall, the only hurt the farmer's pride.
Not put out by that he starts up again, following the same route up, he makes sure his footing is firm as he ascends and this time, steadily climbs high up the cliff. In his excitement of nearing the top, he is less careful and his hand looses its grip as he hauls himself up. With all his weight on the hand, he cannot stop the hand slipping off from it's ledge, in slow motion it slips, slips and slips until the big man is plummeting down towards the bottom of the cliff. He flattens the bush once again, but this time he injures himself in the fall,
With grim determination, Pa gets up and starts up the cliff again, this time he is even more careful and makes it to the top .... where ...
- success 1
- success 2
- fall 10ft
- success 1
- success 2
- success 3,4
- fall 20ft
- success 1
- success 2
- success 3
- success 4
- success 5
Brodock is looking at Toad and whispering to the creature. There is some back and forth amongst them and with a final nod he turns to the others. "Toad and I think that the best way up would be for me..." He stops seeing that Pa had already started. "Or Pa can start."
He waited for a moment and saw Pa fall. He cringed a moment but watched him get back up. "Did I mention I have a climbers kit?"