Aftersome hunting around, Zdena's able to find the boar's trail with everyone's help. Collectively you track to a small thicket where you think the boar is hiding. The sunlight streams through the trees, low in the sky. Lirosa and Taidal each take a bear trap, and circle to opposite sides of the clearing, deploying traps and climbing trees.
Premek finds a tree in the middle of many trails and climbs up 10' or so.
Zdena crouches in the treeline a short distance from Lirosa, studying the thicket and trying to spot the boar.
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Malgrim moves into the area, their new pink cloak fluttering around them, and looks for signs of the boar.
All three of you can see the boar hidden among the thicket, Ryll will have to make a check to see if she can see the target....
He continues to root in the thicket, pausing only for a moment to grind his tusk against a nearby tree. Premek and Malgrim both spot a glint of something on the tusk the large boar is grinding against the tree.
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So... I'm chatting this guy up first?
Ryll peers around the thicket, trying to catch sight of the fabled Gashmaw.
Yowl if you need me to calm him
Sighere watches the bushes Premek just disappeared into hoping to glimpse their prey Spirits guide my sight
Ryll doesn't see the large boar, however the rest of you can. Your move...
What's that on his tusk?
Malgrim whispers to Sighere
His tusks could be bound in steel, I've heard dwarfs do that for their war pigs... Or they could be enchanted silver binding a prince of the Fae into this form. I guess it could be part of a trap that got imbedded into the tusk years ago and has been bothering him ever since. I hope it's the enchanted Fae prince, it'll make a great story.
Malgrim tries to sneak around to get a clear view of the boar and that glinting tusk
Premek will certainly pause for magical favor before diving in...
Premek climbs into a tree and then is startled to see the boar is nearby. He hops down to a slightly closer branch, maybe only 9' up, and delicately clears his throat. If that doesn't get any response, he will meow a greeting.
Ahem. Greetings great master of the thicket.
Premek is trying to be non-threatening and get a sense of how smart Gashmaw is. Is he "have a conversation smart" or is this still "train a wild animal"?
Also, if I can get a better view of that glinting bit on his tusk....
Gashmaw's hackles rise as Malgrim attempts to close upon the thicket, but Premek's attentions start to calm the beast, Sighere's able to get to his intended range, as Premek's conversation holds the agitated animal still for a moment.
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My two-legs will fix your jaw if you will leave two-legs alone...
Malgrim slowly moves further around the thicket trying to get a better angle to see what is glinting on the boars tusk.
Malgrim wanders closer to the thicket, and their keen eyes can pick out there appears to be some kind of a band at the base of the large boar's tusk.
The massive boar lies down, acquiescing to the ca's offer. The boar will nervously lie down, and allow the humans to approach slowly. Examining the boar, there is clearly something round embedded against the boar's jaw around its tusk.
Owl-shoulders! This is you. Move slow!
Hearing Premek call Sighere cautiously moves into the thicket and approaches the boar. Caleb sits on his should as if trying to reassure the beast. Let's see what this is he says as he kneels down spirits guide my hand
With some careful coaxing, Sighere is able to distract Gashmaw, and remove a finely wrought ring from the base of his tusk. The boar shakes himself free of Sighere's careful ministrations, and backs through the thicket...
The ring Sighere removed has no damage done to it, and is exceptional in its construction.
Yes! Go ahead. But please be nice to my two-legs if you see them again!
Oooh! Well isn't that a beauty.
The large boar cautiously edges away from Sighere deeper into the thicket, seemingly waiting for the humanoids and cat to depart this thicket. As you pull back from the thicket and regroup with the half-elf siblings, they carry the traps over their shoulders somewhat dejected about missing out on so much boar meat, but pleased that no one was injured.
Taidal speaks first, I'm impressed you all were able to get so close without spooking him, and to remove whatever that was from his tusk! Impressive. Trying the longbow from the hobgoblin hunters, neither of the two is able to draw it sufficiently where they feel comfortable shooting it. Too powerful for my elven arms! jokes Taidal.
You see the large boar amble off southward, leaving the thicket, but not wanting to tarry that close to the party. The sun's setting rays remind you that it has been quite a day already between the hobgoblins and healing the ornery boar.
Just then Zdena notices something...
Do you smell that? Caleb, go look
Since I'm apparently distracted by the pretty ring...
One of you combat-prone people should wear that ring, it's protective.
Edit:
Smell what? All I smell is stinky boar musk.
Fire, Zdena tells Premek in a worried tone as she squints at the northwest sky. Long way off, though.
Huh. Somebody heating their cabin kind of fire, or the forest will be reduced to ash by morning kind of fire?
Ryll follows the direction of Zdena's gaze. Would have to be a big fire if it's far off and you're still seeing or smelling it. She scowls. If the Hobs have started hitting the woods, that could be Gristledown.
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Crap
Malgrim looks up at the distant line of smoke. A grim look comes across their face as they take in the party and the half elven siblings.
This is the closest to Gristledown we've been. We should check it out. Lirosa and Taidel can go back to the camp at the hunters cabin and tell the others what happened. I think we should press on and investigate.
I am hoping it's only an isolated fire, but I fear for Gristledown. If Gristledown does burn I would say we need to move East in a hurry. Give Caleb a minute to get above the tree tops and we'll at least have a little more information than some guessing about a line of smoke above the trees. Sighere looks up again at the smoke, worry on his gave
It's a day and a half to the village, and then two and a half back... if we aren't leading people. That's four days, plus we've already been out one. So five. Maybe seven if we pick people up.
But we know the greenies are actively searching for us, this deep in the woods. Our camp is not safe. Five days is long enough for it to be spotted by scouts, and attacked by a major force, and we come back to nothing.
And if the order came to burn one village, the order came to burn both.
We should go back, and prepare to move deeper into the woods.
Caleb circles back after a few moments, and Sighere gets the impression that the fire isn't exactly close, but is definitely noticeable from where Caleb spied it; which tells you that it is likely Gristledown, the small logging thorp off to the northwest. Lirosa and Taidal look at you hesitantly, So we'll head back and you'll investigate out there? she asks If we push through the night we could be back to the camp by morning, and quietly get people ready to keep moving, but to where?
Caleb takes his usual spot on Sighere's shoulder. I fear for my home if they are attacking the smaller settlements. I feel I need to return. I would say we take our camp to Thornwood and see if we can move everyone into a safer place deeper into the Forest and hope the Hobgoblins stop soon.
Thornwood is too exposed. We can't take our camp there. Maybe we can converge them with our camp as we move deeper.
Zdena frowns in thought.
Camp at cabin is pretty good. No reason right now to think Hobs are very close to finding it. They know where Thornwood is, though, is in scouting notebook. Need to warn them, not move camp there.
She glances back up towards the distant plume of smoke. Probably too late to help Gristledown, but I want to try. I think we have some people go back to camp, and on towards Thornwood, but the rest of us see what's left there.
She hesitates. Pushing through night... maybe good idea. Can tell Pharus, and he can push on to Thornwood, get warning soonest. Group going to Gristledown could probably get there by morning, too, but in rough shape if there's fighting.
I'm not saying we move there permanently, I'm suggesting we see if the population would join us and move deeper into the woods away from the hobgoblins. I don't think the cabin will be safe for long, if the main force of hobgoblins sacked Gristledown and is moving towards Thronwood, they will run right over the cabin. As we have seen scouts are already moving East. He pauses a second and looks at up the distant smoke. If you want to help those of Gristledown, I'm afraid I must leave you, return to camp to gather Pharus, and head to Thornwood to warn them. As a shaman of Thornwood I must prioritize my people. After the Elders are warned I will be more than happy to return and continue to assist you. As he speaks his face changes slightly, the innocent youthful expressions are replaced by a look of determination born of a lifetime of experiences that seems out of place on the young face. When he finishes speaking his face appears normal and he seems almost shocked at his statement.
Ryll looks thoughtful, then tuns to Sighere. Think your friend Caleb could find his way home to Thornwood from here? Could he carry a little note? Not saying you shouldn't go check on your people, but Caleb can fly faster than a person can stumble their way through the woods at night. Could buy the people of Thornwood some time.
Lirosa looks at you weighing your odds, Well, you figure out what's happening, Taidal and I will make time for camp now, and get Pharus on the move with us in the morning to Thornwood if that'd help. Or we can go back and Abby can cast one of those animal messenger spells to warn the town if that'd help?
Caleb could make it no problem, however I would have to follow as he would not be able to easily find us again. We can sense each other but only with in a mile, and the cabin is still too new for him to find easily again. I just worry the army is already pushing in this direction and Thornwood will only have several days warning at most and not be able to flee. The animal messenger may be a good solution to send ahead of Pharus. He turns to face Zdena I know this will sound cold, but how much good will we do getting there exhausted a day after the town has been burned? It pains me to leave them to their fate, but do you think we can arrive in time and in the condition to do anything helpful? I have already used some of my resources today As he says it he looks briefly again like a man far beyond the years his face shows.
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Ryll looks to the siblings. The animal messenger spell is a great idea, Lirosa. Thanks. She turns to the group. Anybody know if it can take messages back? Ideally, we'd send warning to the people of Thornwood, then meet them wherever they fall back to, deeper in the wood. I'm sure Sighere's folk know the deep woods better than most of us do.
She turns to Sighere. I could be wrong, but I doubt they've sent their army proper into the woods. Not with a newly captured town to hold. They will likely have sent a few smaller bands to deal with the stragglers. Bigger than the patrol we ran across, sure. But not so big that it would be slowed down like a full company would be, moving in these woods. Her voice takes on a sympathetic tone. They may need to leave well before the three days it would take us to get there.
The greenies won't beeline from one village to another through the wood. It would be easier for them to just go around, especially since they are probably using our town as their base.
Or they just deployed two separate units and it's already done.
If we do decide to go on, either direction, I have some tricks left I've never needed before.
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Don't know how much good, Zdena admits. But if there's people to save in Gristledown, no one else can save them.
Lirosa and Taidel to cabin overnight, then animal messenger, or person who has slept, go on to Thornwood tomorrow morning. That's *faster* than we can get there in person.
Understand if you need to go with them, Sighere. I'd be anxious if it were my folks. *WAS* anxious when it was my folks. But other people can message. For rescuing, is just us.
Her face hardens. And if there's no one to rescue, maybe still someone to kill about it. Running away is just making them chase harder, I want to turn and *bite them*.
Zdena's face by the end of that is a fierce grimace, and she clearly puts conscious effort into taking a moment to stop baring her teeth.
After a few breaths, she adds, more calmly, Will do what the group wants. But that's what I want.
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With a smirk that might be a laugh: What I'm hearing is you think you should be worth more than 50 gold.
Zdena looks confused at Premek's comment for a moment before letting out an amused snort.