Motteditor's PFS2 1-10 Tarnbreaker's Trail GD9 (Inactive)

Game Master motteditor

Ready for another leg of the race, Snirt?

Anders attempts to read the lay of the land and watch for potential hinderances to their progress.

Nature: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 1 = 17

Despite Ellana's concerns distracting her from helping, you still make good time, especially as Ellien's preparation serves you all well. The Ustalavic man seems to notice every twig and track -- including some large clawed prints near the trail -- guiding him easily to the next checkpoint.

As you arrive at the next checkpoint, you see a small, frigid stream runs between the dense pines, opening onto a frozen pond. To the east, a few small columns of smoke rise above the trees from several small campfires. To the north, a dozen caribou walk along the surface of the ice, snuffling and pawing at the thin grasses poking up from the snowy shoreline. As a race official watches over the small herd, the wind carries the gentle sound of bells. You can see several other teams -- Without Trace or Fail, Fangs of the Remorhaz, and the Wyrding Wayfinders -- setting up for the night at the nearby campsite. Two Houses appears to have already moved on, while Bluetongue's Brawlers don't seem to have arrived yet.

An official greets you and explains that this trial is meant to recreate the events surrounding the loss of Balgird’s beloved pack horse. When the steed was lost in a terrible blizzard, Balgird tracked a herd of caribou across the tundra, and watched their behavior from a distance, looking for one that he might be able to tame. The legendary Ulfen spent more than a week trying to get close to the herd, and narrowly escaped death by hundreds of stampeding hooves before he finally managed to sling his saddle bags over the animal’s back and lead his new companion out of the herd and into the taiga.

He leads you to the northwest of the campsites which you can see as campfire icons on the map, where another race official watches over a restless herd of taiga caribou. "Don't worry, we won't make you train any of them," he says with a laugh before explaining that four of the caribou have had small bells tied into their antlers. The goal of the trial is to retrieve a set of the bells without disturbing the caribou. He warns you they'll run if they're startled.

You must retrieve at least one of the bells from the caribou’s antlers without harming any of the animals to pass the trial. The frozen pond the caribou walk on is ice, making it both uneven ground and difficult terrain. Retrieving one of the bells from one of the four caribous requires several steps. First, you must find one of the bells by making a Perception check; Once you've found an appropriate target, one of you must attempt to retrieve the bell from its antlers with a Stealth check to Sneak or a Nature check. Only one of you is required to attempt the trial, but you can make additional attempts or Aid* an attempting PC (though not both, as the race officials remind you before you begin your attempts). If you have some other method you want to try, feel free to run that by me too.

* Reminder that the DC to Aid is usually 20, and their is a penalty for critical failure, so it's not necessarily the best tactic at lower levels or an automatic easy choice like it was in 1e, though you can certainly try.

And, lastly, the map is updated.

Nodding to the explanation, Elanna assess the situation. Crouching low without a noise, she turns her fur coat outwards and carefully sets her pack and bow on the ground.
Whispering, she explains to her companions "That way, we'll look more like animals than humans."

Staying on the rubble-strewn bank, she listens to the bells and look for any faint light burst coming from the caribous that would signal the position of one of them.

"Let's try to look for the bell's first. Then I could sneak up and remove one, if that's fine with you all."

Perception for the bells: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Elanna has terrain stalker(rubble) so as long as she is in an area with rubble she can stay hidden and move 5 feet without stealth checks. This will not work once she is on the ice.

As sneaking up on animals is completely out of Sonna's wheelhouse, he defers to Elanna's knowledge and turns his coat outwards. He's ready to help with a rescue if something should go horribly wrong, but other than that he will stand back and allow those in the group better suited to this task work their magic.

"Oh. Wow. It's like sleigh bells on reindeer. How festive!" Elien whispers. "I've got a bit of experience in identifying clues and following leads. So, I'll do what I can to try my hand at this effort, too."

OOC: Elien will use his Pursue A Lead class ability to hone in on the sounds of any bells to pinpoint one of the prized caribou. I believe that should grant him a +1 circumstance bonus on Perception checks or any other check to investigate a designated subject...i.e., once he believes he's identified one.

Perception check: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 1 = 14

Nurten takes a quick look over the caribou, but his eyesight isn't very good...

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

He whispers to the assembled party. "They didn't say we couldn't tell each other which one had a bell, right? I'll leave it to Elanna. Little here, but not real quiet."

Anders peers out at the beasts.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Think I spot one... That's fine with us Elanna. I can try for one as well, if we want to go for more than one.

Each of you thinks you've identified one of the bell-bearing caribou -- though Elien just barely hears the tell-tale tinkle.

So, the next part of the challenge -- the Stealth check to Sneak or a Nature check -- to actually retrieve the bell has some consequence for failure. I'm going to resolve your attempts in the order you post, unless you indicate you'd rather go after a teammate. Again, don't forget you have a Hero Point available.

With minimal skill with taming wild animals, much less ill-tempered arctic moose, Orla encourages her team-mates.

It's likely been an hour since she last cast guidance. She'll do so for whoever attempts to engage with the caribou.

"Take care with those antlered arctic antelopes!"

"Thanks, Orla. I'll head for that one over there. I'm pretty sure I heard something ringing rather faintly in that direction..."

Elien moves slowly onto the ice, trying to recall everything he can from the studies he did on the natural phenomena to expect in the wintry north before joining the expedition. He feels his feet slip a bit, but does his best to maintain his balance until he can get closer to the animal, sliding just one boot forward at a time.

He also tries to think if he has anything on him that might appeal to a hungry caribou, fishing about in his pockets for any crumbs from the last bit of hardtack he ate that morning, so he can hold it out for the animal to feed. After all, he muses, the Ulfen organizers may have domesticated these animals to some degree to keep them here for the challenge. Perhaps he can woo one of them with a tasty treat?

Nature check w/ circumstance bonus: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 1 = 20

"Easy, boy...or girl. I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't know if you're male or female," he silently thinks to himself, "All I really need is that bell of yours...if you'll just hold still for me. Nice caribou. Please don't run away. Or trample me. Or gore me with those antlers of yours..."

Nurten looks on in silent amazement. "How's he doing that? It's not just up and running away. Still might, but wow!"

"If you can, Orla, I'll accept Desna's blessing as well."

As Elien moves openly towards the ruminants, Elanna grabs a small bit of moss and throws it in the air to get a sense for the wind.

"While Elien gets their attention, I'll try to grab another bell.", she whispers.

Still crouching and moving slowly to avoid slipping on the ice, she takes a roundabout route to close onto the animals downwind. Ever so slowly, she creeps towards another caribou carrying a bell. Once she reaches one, she catches the bell in one hand to mute it and tries to loosen the knot.

1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 1 = 18

Sonna stands beside Nurten and Orla, quietly cheering his friends on.

Fairly confident he can retrieve a bell as well, Anders sneaks out.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

I'll Hero Point that if necessary...

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Orla, no need to wait for an hour to cast Guidance. You can do it at will.

Ellien and Elanna manage to make it to the caribou -- Ellien by remembering a treat caribou will particularly like, Elanna by moving quietly and keeping downwind -- and claim a bell. Anders almost spooks the third caribou, but at the last minute freezes, giving it time to calm down before he resumes his approach and claims a third of the prizes. You did need to use your Hero Point.

Oddly, each of you note that the bells seem to have been stuff with a little bit of wool, stopping them from ringing quite as loudly as they would normally. Still, you managed to succeed at the trial three times over, and an official again checks with you to make sure you're OK if you want to continue, though night is quickly approaching.

You also hear some commotion that indicates Bluetongue’s Brawlers have arrived at the checkpoint -- behind you, but not by so much they couldn't still move ahead tomorrow.

If you stay the night, you can again spend some time this evening using Diplomacy to Gather Information to learn more about the next leg of the race, or Diplomacy to Make an Impression if you want to talk to one of the others teams who are also making camp -- everyone is here except Two Houses.

Nurten doesn't think much of the wool. "Bells are loud. Might scare the things wearing 'em, even. But if they weren't quiet wouldn't it be way too easy? The ones in charge wouldn't want that."

If allowed, the goblin sticks around to watch the Brawlers attempt the trial. He then tries to smother them compliments tailored to their performance afterwards. "Had to sit this one out. Animals don't like me. And longshanks friend's dog is scary enough, even though I know it's probably fine."

Diplomacy, Make an Impression: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Making his way back to the rest of the team, Elien takes care to avoid disturbing any of the other attempts to retrieve a bell from the caribou. Leaving the ice, he holds up his prize with a smile. "Worked like a charm!" he announces, "I suspected some of these caribou might not be as wild. After all, the race organizers had to domesticate them at least a little to hold them here for the competition, right? And what does a domesticated animal expect when it sees its caretakers? Food, of course. Thus, a little grain to keep it docile was all I needed. You know, I think I rather like this challenge. It's a bit more brains over brawn, which is more my style."

Elien celebrates the return of his equally successful companions, and when they all compare their bells to reveal the bit of wool stifling their ringers, he frowns. "I don't mean to cast unwarranted aspersions," he states, "But I find this a bit suspicious. A bit of wool in one of the bells could have been inadvertent. But, in all of them? That seems more purposeful. Perhaps we should stick around and watch the next team's attempt to see if they face a similar level of difficulty. If not, we'll know we were somehow singled out...whether by a malicious race official...or sabotaged somehow by a prior team. Perhaps the Pathfinders aren't as welcome here as we'd hoped?"

With a mystery now in front of him, the investigator from Ustalav clearly has an elevated interest far beyond winning the competition...

"Well, the officials have seemed pretty helpful, but I guess with 2 teams of outsiders, that could make for some animosity." Sonna nods in agreement with Elien. "You seem to have a good rapport with one of the officials, maybe they would have some more information for you? I wonder if the other new team has had a similar experience."

Sonna wanders off in the direction of the Varki team. "Hey, you're the other new team, right? I'm Sonna. I figured it'd be nice to get to you know all a bit, since we're all newcomers. That last trial was a tough one, with that wool stuffed into the bells. Have you had any issues yet?"

Diplomacy to Gather Information: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Orla, no need to wait for an hour to cast Guidance. You can do it at will.

Either way, the target is then temporarily immune for 1 hour.

Once I cast guidance on someone, they are then immune for an hour to it.

” You’re all raising good points. Maybe it’s just the organizers making it more difficult for everyone. For the moment, the weather has been good, and they may think it makes things too easy. So, it’s a good idea to check if we’re the only ones targeted and to keep the evidences. ”

” That should be right up your alley, Elien so I’ll defer to you and Nurten for that. Maybe we can talk again and decide what to do when you all have done your inquiry. But if you’re right and someone is targeting us does that mean we can do the same? I’ve got one or two ideas we could use. ” she smiles devilishly.

Her mood turns sour as she remembers the instructions of the Venture Captain and she raises a hand to ward off replies ”I know, I know”, she grumbles, ”I promised to be a good little Pathfinder and not to sully the name of the Society…. I won’t do anything yet. ”

” To be frank, I don’t care if someone wants us to loose or not. And specially if they try to tip the scales. Let them try and we can always get even one way or another. That said, my job here is to be sure everyone of us makes it through unharmed and we can even have fun going through the trials. ”
Her training kicks in and her face turns very serious for a moment: ” But even harmless pranks can turn dangerous when you add a storm, a pack of wolves or a bad fall with broken bones in the mix. There’s a time and place for them and I suggest we be double cautious for now on. Starting with a full watch overnight. And I’ll double check someone has not decided to leave a food trail in the woods to lure a wolverine to our camp tonight.”

Elanna will leave the investigation to Elien, Nurten and Sonna. As the night falls and she goes about her routine of gathering wood and checking for any predator tracks around the campsite, she double checks for possible pranks that could turn sour overnight.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

After returning with a bell, Anders mutters, Close one there, must be getting old...

Later, Anders decides to join Elanna's efforts in taking a look around the area. Not much of a talker, really, he says to no one in particular. C'mon, Snirt, let's have us a look around.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Got it, Orla. Sorry I misunderstood! Ellien, I'm assuming you're using your Pursue a Clue ability?

Ellien and Nurlen hang around for a bit to watch the Bluetongue Brawlers' attempt. They don't seem to have any issue with the bells, though their tactics for retrieving them seems a bit lacking. True to their word, they attempt to exert some brute force, grabbing one of the animals and holding it long enough to get the bell free. It's effective ... to a point. The other animals scatter, so though while they're successful, they only get one prize, compared with your three.

Still, they seem in high spirits as they chat with Nurlen. "You just need to show them who's boss. Have you tried wrestling the dog? I little training and you can ride that, no problem!"

While they're watching the last caribou challenge, Sonna heads over to talk to the Varki team, which consists of twin brother and sister human hunters Marbin Slickhide and Ylva Tunnelwalker, the agender human Runa Frostleaf, and Olin Tuskbinder, a male half-orc. They look at him for a moment in confusion at his question, then back at each other. "No," Runa says, "we haven't had any issues." You can get some similar answers if you have other questions, but you failed to Make an Impression on them with your roll.

Later that night, Elanna and Anders look around the area and they discover not a sign of treachery, but something maybe just as concerning! A dead caribou lies in the snow a bit apart from all of the other animals, its body mutilated and nearly frozen in the cold air.

Ellien, I'm assuming you're using your Pursue a Clue ability?

Yes. It's Pursue a Lead. I haven't played this class before, but from my reading of the ability, it appears I don't have to know the identity of whoever put the wool in the bells. I just need to know that they exist. So, by designating that "person" as my "lead" I should be able to receive a bonus on any skill checks in the pursuit of that lead. Particularly on Perception checks, but could be anything else, as well...Recall Knowledge, Sense Motive, etc.

Standing next to Nurten, Elien watches the so-called Brawlers intently, somewhat surprised when they attempt to simply wrestle one of the animals to the ground. "Well, I suppose brute strength is a solution to just about any problem," the investigator remarks, "But typically, I find it isn't the best solution, my friend."

As the competing team makes their way back off the ice, he stands aside to let them pass, but follows after them as they approach the race official to turn in their bell. When they hand it over, he makes sure to look closely to determine if it had any wool any in it...even going so far as to ask if he can examine it to see how the official reacts. And, if he's allowed to check it, he'll definitely know if their attempt was rigged to make it more difficult for them than the other teams. If he's not allowed to check it, he simply does his best to observe, putting his honed detective skills to the test...

Perception check with Pursue a Lead bonus: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 1 = 26

Agreed on your reading of it (and sad I managed to get the name wrong considering I had JUST looked it up to make sure I knew the name!).

You don't see any wool in the bell. The official shrugs when you ask if you can see it. "Don't see why not. The trial's over," he says, passing it to you, which lets you confirm what you thought you saw.[/ooc]

Diplomacy to Request: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 = 18

Elanna kneels by the dead beast. ”Ah, s**t, that's not what I expected and it's even worse."

She looks for bite or claws marks on the half-frozen carcass and treading carefully around, checks in any tracks are visible in the snow or on the ice.

"Anders, look at that! Do you think that this could have been done by the beast that left the large tracks on the road? You know, the tracks that Elien found earlier today."

She cocks her head and thinks about the problem: " If that's the case, it means it's following us or we're on its usual trail. And that's not good. If not, it means there are at least two of them and that's even worse."

"Let's find what we can here. Then we'll have to warn every one. This is way too close from the camp for my comfort."

Elanna uses either survival or knowledge nature to try to identify any tracks she finds and to check if the tracks match that they saw earlier. I'm not sure which skill is the best for that but Elanna is trained in both with a +5.

survival or knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

With his suspicions confirmed, Elien returns the bell to the race official with a word of thanks for allowing him to examine it. He then leaves Nurten to converse with the Brawlers on his own and heads back towards camp, musing about what this discovery means...and, also, what it might foretell about the remainder of the race. "We'll have to keep a sharp eye out the rest of the way," he muses, "Especially if the attempts to sabotage us grow more dangerous..."

When he reaches the campsite, Elien is somewhat surprised to see Orla is the only one left, and he asks the whereabouts of the rest of the team. After learning they've gone off to undertake various tasks of their own, he settles in to keep the halfling priestess company. "Is there anything I can do to help prepare the evening meal?" he asks, setting about rummaging thru their supplies. "I've got a bit of insight to share with the rest of the team regarding the wool in the bells. But I'll wait to discuss it when we're all together, though..." he mentions as he produces the half-drunk bottle of wine from their last repast. "Ah! This should go well with a bit of fresh meat if Anders of Elanna can catch us anything in the wild. I was thinking...stew...something hearty to keep us going tomorrow."

The investigator gets a fire started as he talks, and puts on a pot of water to boil, filling it with fresh snow and pure ice so it can melt down. "You know, you've been rather indispensable these last two legs of the race, Orla. I've never seen anyone scamper up a tree as nimbly as you managed with that elixir. And then, aiding us with Desna's blessing on retrieving three of those bells. I daresay you're our good luck charm. And I hope it lasts us to the finish line!"

Orla blushes at the compliments.

”You’re too kind,” Orla giggles. ”I’m just happy, darling, to not be slowing the team down. Now tell me - I don’t understand this thing about wool in the bells. Is there something amiss afoot?” Orla stirs a pot of stew over the fire she already has going.

”You can boil your water over this fire if you want,” she says as she watches Elien try to light another fire.

After a brief amount of small talk with the Varki Sonna returns to the camp. "Well, the Varki didn't notice any issues like wool in there bell," he says with a shrug, "it's starting to look like we are being targeted for some reason."

Keep back from that, Snirt, Anders warns his dog away from the dead caribou.

Yup, could be, Elanna. Not fresh, at least. See anything else?

Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

"Now tell me - I don’t understand this thing about wool in the bells. Is there something amiss afoot?”

"Well, I confirmed the team that came in behind us didn't face such a challenge. Their bells were wool-free, which means we faced a higher degree of difficulty than the others."

Orla stirs a pot of stew over the fire she already has going. ”You can boil your water over this fire if you want,” she says as she watches Elien try to light another fire.

"Oh! I didn't realize you already had something going. In that case, I'll just save the wine for later..."

...Sonna returns to the camp. "Well, the Varki didn't notice any issues like wool in there bell," he says with a shrug, "it's starting to look like we are being targeted for some reason."

"Indeed," Elien nods as Sonna arrives. "I was just telling Orla here that the Brawlers completed their challenge without any tampering. I examined the bell they retrieved myself. No wool means someone singled us out. But who? It's a mystery I intend to solve, if I can."

"I believe someone resents our presence here and wants to make sure we do poorly. I don't know if it's a xenophobic judge or a devious competitor. Either way, it could bode ill for us. Not just in winning the race, but also in winning the respect of the Ulfen and Varki for the Society. I imagine we should re-double our efforts on achieving both of those goals. But, if I had to pick one over the other, I'd recommend the latter. Just finishing the race should earn us considerable renown with the locals. But, making friends will create longer-lasting opportunities and cooperation for those who follow us."

"For the remainder of the race, I recommend all of us be on our toes. There's no telling what else we'll encounter from our saboteur. And, the further we go, the more desperate they might become if they fail to sufficiently deter or impede us. That kind of desperation could create a lot more danger if we're not careful."

"Maybe they don't like us," Nurten says, returning to a more dejected mood. The advice he got from the Brawlers was bad, in his opinion. He tries remembering Bjersig Torrsen's exact words to no avail. "Some Ulfens don't like the Varki, right? Not a lot, but I guess them not getting messed with tells us something? Maybe we can talk to them about all this if not the race organizers. They're new too, it could help."

The goblin doesn't have as much to say about the caribou. He instead tosses a hot stone between his hands and ponders who might have it in for the Frostfur Friends.

"I'm awfully confused," Orla says thoughtfully as she stirs the stew pot, "about this wool in the bells thing. Are you saying that the three bells that OUR team retrieved from them caribou had wool stuffed in them, but others' retrieved bells didn't? How is that sabotage? It sounds like our team has been given a leg up, not sabotaged."

The player of Orla is also confused at the paranoia rampant here. I don't understand, says the player of Orla.

"True, the wool would keep the caribou from running away," Sonna replies as he watches the stew being stirred, "but amongst all those caribou we would likely have had to rely on the sounds of bells ringing to single them out... if we didn't have such keen eyed team members. We may be cynical here, but the wool was likely placed there to make it harder for us to locate the bells."

"Exactly. The presence of the wool would have muffled the ringing of the bells, Orla, and made them exceptionally more difficult to identify, much less obtain without unduly searching every caribou on the field and making it far more likely we'd frighten the more skittish ones into running away. Furthermore, the fact that the wool was present in all three of those we retrieved, whereas it was absent in the ones the Brawlers and Varki obtained, makes it appear we were purposefully put at a disadvantage by someone...likely, someone who doesn't particularly care for our participation in the Balgirdtrek."

"As such, I don't imagine it would be the Varki. They're outsiders just as much as we are in this year's competition. But, if...as Sonna says...the Varki didn't notice anything wrong with theirs, it implies we're the only ones facing such additional constraints in our challenges. Therefore, someone doesn't appreciate the Pathfinders being here. And, if we're to succeed in our true mission...to win the hearts and minds of the Linnorm Kings so it makes them more accepting and cooperative towards the Society...we need to figure out who it is so we can avoid their attempts to make us look bad."

"Thus, it's all the more imperative that we finish this race...not just to prove that we can...but to earn their ever-lasting respect. After all, claims of foul play will only make us look like sore losers and complainers if we raise such issues at the end. And probably even moreso if we bring them up now. My recommendation is that we stick together to fend off any more attempts to impede us. And, if we do manage to identify who's doing it...whether a race official or a cheating competitor...we weigh our options when this is over to determine if we confront them at all, or simply let it pass, depending on how we do."

"But," Orla says with a frown as she tries the explanation from Elien on inside her head, "how would a saboteur know that the three bells that we'd find inside the caribou herd would be the ones that they muffled with wool? I mean, did someone get into the herd just as we were about to go to try and find them and plant these doctored bells? Weren't there other people around - like race officials - or maybe weren't there other groups trying to get bells right around the time we were there?"

"And besides," she concludes, "wouldn't it be better to not have the bells ringing so as they wouldn't alarm the caribou? It seems like a really stupid means of sabotaging us finding the bells if we just spotted them with our eyes. Or what if we charmed the animal and just started giving it a good scritchy-scratch? Wouldn't we just find them bells with our hands?"

Orla shakes her head. "It just seems like lots of work for no real benefit."

"Getting frightened by something around your neck is dumb," Nurten says sagely. "No, I think someone did this to mess with us. And I don't get why you don't wanna call 'em out! But we don't know who it is yet, so I'll go along with that for now."

"I'm just saying I have a hard time figuring out how they were targeting us," Orla counters Nurten. "Wouldn't muffled bells screw up the entire competition? And besides, how did they put them doctored bells in the caribou fur? If we're worried about someone messin' with us, then I'm worried about the Balgirdtrek officials. Someone had to turn a blind eye."

Orla clanks her spoon into the tureen in frustration. "I just think we press on and keep our eyes to the stars. None of this paranoia is getting us anywhere but agitated."

"Not agitated. Just forewarned, I think," Elien responds, "But I agree with you, Orla. Let's just press on and see what else happens...if anything. Even if someone did mess with us, perhaps it was just at this particular challenge. And, having overcome it anyway, maybe we'll have won the respect of whomever put the wool in the bells...and three times over by my count."

"Has anyone seen Anders or Elanna? We should inform them of our findings, as well, just in case. And, if they don't hurry along soon, I can't guarantee there'll be any stew left for them to eat," he adds with a wink.

Elanna, you can't tell if the marks came from the same creature that made the ones you saw on your way here, but you can tell they definitely came from an animal of immense size and strength. You think you could start Tracking it as you go forward in the race with a Survival check.

Sorry for the delay, everyone. I'm really enjoying the role-playing and discussion, however!

After a long time studying the tracks Elanna stands up, dusts her trousers to remove the snow and ice and blows in her mittens.

"Well, I have no frigging clue what that is." She stamps her feet to get the blood flowing again and raises a concerned eyebrow at Anders. "But it sure is bigger and stronger than anything I've ever encountered. Let's go back and warn the others. We'll need to be on our toes tomorrow in case we cross its path again."

Elanna briskly makes her way back to the team camp and calls to the party sitting around the fire. "Hey all, do you know what is 10 feet tall, weights more than a ton and eats caribou for breakfast ? I don't, but whatever it is was here not long ago and eviscerated one of the caribous about a hundred yards from here."

She paces around the fire, all merriment gone from her voice. "I'm serious, there are tracks larger than I've ever seen and the blow that fell the caribou was made by something far bigger and stronger than a bear."

Still pacing, she counts on her fingers: "First, we need to set up a watch. We don't know where it lives and it could come back to finish eating. Second we need to warn the other candidates and the officials. We can do that in a minute. Third, no food in the tents. None. Any leftover, we hang up the trees over there. Fourth, we keep our eyes open all day tomorrow. I should be able to track it as we go along. And Five, ", she grabs two plates and dishes out what's left from the stew. "We do not forget to feed ourselves because we'll need the energy tomorrow."

She turns towards Anders and hands him a plate "What do you think, with all your experience out here. Am I missing something here ?"

Orla chuckles. "Well I didn't join the Pathfinder Society to be bored to tears. That all sounds logical and terrifying, Elanna. You'll need to have two helpings of stew in order to finish off all that's left there so that we don't have to worry about stowing it in them trees."

Orla tries to keep the mood light.

Nurten reluctantly divests himself of his rations, which he would've surely wanted later in the night, but digs into the stew with gusto.

He later heads to the largest grouping of other racegoers with anyone else who will accompany him. His part of the message is short. "We're pretty sure something real nasty got one of the deer. You've probably got people on it already, but I'd sleep better if there were patrols. Hope we can all stay safe!"

Anders shakes his head. That about covers it, Elanna. Well said. Around a mouthful of stew, he adds, Snirt and I can take first watch.

Seems some of ya have a rapport with the other groups, but if ya need us to warn any of 'em, say the word.

Orla chuckles. "Well I didn't join the Pathfinder Society to be bored to tears. That all sounds logical and terrifying, Elanna. You'll need to have two helpings of stew in order to finish off all that's left there so that we don't have to worry about stowing it in them trees."

Orla tries to keep the mood light.

Elanna sits down by the fire and smiles a little sheepishly to Orla. "I've been a little over the top, haven't I? Sorry for sounding so alarming. That's my first job with the society and I want to be sure not to miss anything."

She tucks into the stew. "But I really meant what I said. The tracks I've seen indicate that this beast is bigger than anything I've ever seen. I don't think it will attack this night but it's better to be prepared. Besides, around here, keeping food in the tents may draw smaller critters like wolverines or bears. So I think it best we take those simple measures."

Finishing her plate, she stands, stretches and yawns. "I'll go and warn the organizers. I can take the middle of the night watch, I've got a good night vision. I'll be back in a minute."

Elanna walks over to the race organisers' fire.
"Sorry to bother you, my companions and I have found a dead caribou close to our site. I don't want to sound alarming but Anders and myself have found tracks of what has killed it. It seems it is much bigger and stronger than any animal I was expecting to see here, like bears and wolves. So we think you and the other teams should be aware of that."

"Larger than a bear, you say? Well, that is rather alarming. No need to apologize for overstating it, my dear. And your news trumps anything the rest of us have been up to in your absence. Definitely, by all means warn the others, starting with the race officials, of course. I defer to the rest of you on the best way to secure our safety."

When Anders suggests some of the party members may have a better rapport with everyone else, Elien nods along. "A good point. I've had some relative success interacting with the race officials on every leg of the race so far. Perhaps I should accompany Elanna? And, while we're at it, I'll see if I can learn anything else about the trail...and challenges...ahead. In the meantime, maybe those of you who have talked with the other teams could build some further goodwill by sharing the news directly with them rather than waiting on the organizers to get around to them."

When dinner is done, the Ustalavian investigator tags along with Elanna. Once she's shared what they found, and the general concerns have been addressed on camp security, he approaches another of the officials to strike up a conversation.

"So, I guess that certainly raises the stakes for all of us in the competition," he begins, "Among our band, we're likely to see it as more of an adventure and yet another challenge to overcome. Not that I'm suggesting any of you would have arranged such a thing. Far from it. The wilds were always going to present their share of obstacles to overcome. And, in truth, isn't that what Balgird himself faced?"

"Speaking of which," he continues, "I don't suppose you can share a bit more about the trail ahead so we're not caught completely unprepared? Is there anything we should carry with us for the next challenge? Or anything we should leave behind in order to move faster and avoid attention from this unknown predator? Or, do you think the trail itself will be easy and fast enough to navigate?"

Diplomacy check to gather information: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

OOC: I doubt that'll bring in any information, but I'm going to save my hero point for later rather than try to re-roll it.

"Ah...my apologies, sir," Elien backtracks once he's rebuffed, "Clearly, there are much bigger concerns on everyone's mind at this point. We'll just follow the course as best we can and keep a sharp eye out for tracks from this predator. Have a good night!"

"Yes, we'd best let the other teams know what to expect." Sonna finishes his stew before getting up and heading over to some of the groups Nurten hasn't approached. His message is similarly to the point,"Hello friends. I wanted to let to know that a few of my teammates have found evidence of a large predator in the area. I'm sure it's nothing you all can't handle, but best to be alert to possible dangers, right?"

The officials definitely seem alarmed as Elanna and Ellien share her discovery with them. "A dead caribou?" one exclaims. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention!"

Unfortunately, they seem so concerned with this news, they ignore Ellien's attempts to get any further information about what may be coming next, clearly making sure they don't have any problems before then.

"Don't you worry, we'll make sure it doesn't get too close to the checkpoint, so you should have nothing to be concerned about. Rest, and get ready for the next day," one of the officials assures you.

Sonna and Nurten, meanwhile, approach the other racers. The Fangs of the Remorhaz and Bluetongue’s Brawlers greet your words with appreciation, welcoming you before you deliver the news, then offering gratitude as you inform them about the potential danger lurking nearby. The Wyrding Wayfinders are less warm, looking up warily as you approach. Once you let them know about the situation, though, Faergim nods her appreciation. "Thank you. I'm sure between all of us" -- it's not clear if she means all the teams and officials, or simply herself and her companions -- "we'll be safe, but forewarned is forearmed. Thank you for letting us know."

Only Without Trace or Fear seem unimpressed by the warning. "A beast you say?" Hjeldr says sarcastically. "I'm sure it's a great big linnorm out there. Whatever shall we do? Don't worry, if it comes for us, you mighty Pathfinders can come hide behind Signe's skirts, and we'll make sure you all make it back to your warm home in Absalom."

"Maybe, but I don't think so," Nurten replies to Hjeldr. "Linnorm's're bigger than bears, at least." It takes him a few seconds to process the rudeness, which inspires a dramatic shift. "Hey! We're gonna keep racing, and my home for sure isn't Absalom. Drop me off in Numeria, thanks! But you gotta wait until after the race, because the Frostfur Friends are sticking around until we win!"

Coming back to the fire, Elanna busies herself preparing for the night. "Well, at least we warned everyone we could. I hope the organizers will get the warning to the teams that are not here in time."

Getting ready for an early night, she adds: "We have a long road ahead tomorrow and I better rest before I take my watch. Please, wake me just after two, I'll take my turn at that time if that's fine with all."