The eladrin nods.
"Food comes first, and we are not denying the need to hunt, honourable Shaktal. It would be like asking you not to breathe the air. But when we hunt, we see other sentient beings in a different light. Men do not hunt other men, or Dwarves, for food. There is an unsaid understanding. Our Gods, we know, would punish us... And so far we have been lucky, for sentient people we are able to recognize. But things have changed, and some that look like animals, now think like us. All we are asking is that these not be hunt for food. It might be as simple as asking, for they can answer." offers Emmett while warming his hands in front of the fire.
Looking over at the group, trying to figure out their intentions, Baldrick realizes that he's started to stare at them, and the goblin in particular. So, instead, he shifts around the fire a bit until he's a bit closer.
Stopping himself halfway through a salute to the goblin, Baldrick ends up standing awkwardly with his hand half-raised, palm out: "Hello. Er... Privat... er... I'm Baldrick."
Will you meet with Mother Tusk? Turq asks, Then maybe we can go out on a hunt with you. Take down something big that can help to feed your tribe.
Mир grunts in agerement.
Shaktal listens to Emmett nodding seriously but not saying much in return.
At Turqs’s mention of hunting something big, the tribe leader looks down and to the side for a moment in thought and then says... ”I will meet with Mother Tusk on the condition that you perform a task for me now. You may have noticed our traps along the hunting trail, we set those not for catching game, but to snare and hopefully kill an Owlbear that’s been hunting these woods. Find and kill the creature and I will meet with you’re awakened friend about some kind of an agreement.”
Baldrick’s stammering speech is met with a questioning look from the goblin. ”Me common not so good. What you say?”The dwarf does realize now though that he may have been mistranslation on the “eyeballing” since now he notices that the eyeball in question is glass.
Owlbear, ye say? Dangerous game... Are they good eatin? Turq turns to regard his party.
What say ye?
More like getting rid of the competition than good eating. she replies seriously.
Would ye join us? Turq asks with a friendly smile.
That seems reasonable. What have you tried so far?
Baldrick raises his eyebrows and then speaks slowly and a bit louder, reverting accidentally to dwarven: "I ... be ... Baldrick... Who ... you ... be?"
Just as he's finishing this elaborate mime and slow-talk, he overhears part of the other conversation and bursts out laughing - twisting to look at the rest of the group, he blurts out (still in dwarven): "I thought you said 'owl-bear'! HaHa! What a ridiculous name for a creature!"
An owl bear? Sounds simple enough retorts the eladrin.
Emmett nods and keeps his hands close to the fire. Somehow, he wonders whether them helping with an owlbear should be reason enough not to slaughter sentient being for food; as if cannibalism was something negotiable... But the others were making progress, so he opts to keep his musings to himself.
The goliath's face wrinkles in unsurity.
”Aye, I will join you.” The tribe chief stands and graves a battle axe leaning on a log near by. She nods at her clansmen and signals that she is ready to join you on the hunt.
The goblin looks even more confused at Baldrick and then shakes his head. The goblin points at the others and motions for Baldrick to follow. ”You go with friends now. We talk if you make back.”
Turq smiles warmly, obviously impressed with her decision, Pleased ta have ye.
It is pretty obvious to anyone in the group that Turq is smitten, but he may be blinding himself to that fact... So, where we going? The wood North o' Dougan's Hole?
Emmett sighs to himself. The fire... He enjoyed the fire, now the negotiating had turned into a hunt.
He gets up and feels his back disagree, but he manages to move away from the fire's warmth and shoulder his kit.
This was, after all, much better than a bloodbath.
"It is a great honour and privilege to go and hunt with you. Your traps we found inspiring in their cunning and deadliness. We all have much to learn from one another."
He pulls the hood over his head to keep his heat and prepares for a mighty hunt.
The eladrin's ears perk at the mention of the snap traps. He is about to say something but thinks better of it.
”Nay, my scouts have seen signs of the beast here in these woods. We just need to find it and put it down. We’d have done it by now but we ain’t been able to find it. By tracking us here, and getting past our traps, you’ve shown tracking skills maybe beyond ours. Let’s be off and see if we have better luck.”
The goliath reluctantly aids in tracking. He seems torn between a care for life and a utilitarian approach.
The eladrin will attempt to aid the goliath in tracking
Survival
Seeing as how tracking is usually something Umi is good at... ...he sees clues where their new mates do not. He tries to helpfully point out a few of them to help break the ice, get a feel for this Shaktal (and anyone else that came with).
Turq climbs up a nearby tree, knocking sheets of snow to the ground, Heads up!
Emmett stays a bit behind. He knows little of such things, so he opts for covering loose ends, checking for tracks where nobody is looking.
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Feeling confident about tracking because of his previous success with the otters, Baldrick bids farewell to the goblin and tramps off with the others in search of 'owlbear' tracks.
Baldrick's not really sure what he's looking for though. Reasoning that the old bard must know the most about strange creatures, Baldrick keeps up a running stream of questions - enough that Emmett is too distracted to notice what seems obvious to the rest of the group.
Shaktal seems impressed with your party’s team work, and follows you along with growning confidence in your prowess.
It only takes an hour or two before randomly, while asking questions, Baldrick notices the trail of a large creature and Umihk identifies it as what must be an owl bear. Turq scrambles up the tree and though he couldn’t see anything in the distance, hears a strange skreaching roar in the wind that coincides with the direction of the tracks. Rodalas takes it from there and follows the trail at a quick paces with they’re light steps on the snow.
Before long, after Emmett shushes Baldrick when the elder realizes that the party is getting close. A short distance away, you can hear the sound of a large creature making its way through the woods. With a the sound Emmett’s “shhhhhh” the sound stops. It seems you’ve been noticed as well.
Turq shoulders his maul and moves in to engage the owlbear!
"Huh!? What's wrong?"
iniative
:(
,
A loud screech roar sounds through the frozen woods and you see the shadow of a large creature charging toward you. Fortunately Turq and Umikh have a chance to move into a more advantageous position and prepare for the charger.
Turq nods at Mikhey and closes the distance, hoping to give his friends time to get into place!
The stout human warrior slides to the side as he swings his maul in an upward arc!
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Umikh sidesteps the charging owlbear and takes a wack at it from the other side (opposite Turq).
Turq and Umikh rush forward meeting the Owlbear, Turq’s swift strike lands solidly behind n the creatures left should while Umikh’s attack sheds off the creatures thick, feathery hide.
Seeing Turq as the immediate threat, the large beast claws at the warrior while striking down hard with it’s beak.
Turq falls to the ground seriously wounded.
Umikh is so shocked by the brutal attack his axe swing goes wild.
"Get it Rodalas! Turq needs you!" shouts Emmett, then he conjures a halo of light to cover the owlbear.
"Get it Rodalas! Turq needs you!" shouts Emmett, then he conjures a halo of light to cover the owlbear.
"Get it Rodalas! Turq needs you!" shouts Emmett, then he conjures a halo of light to cover the owlbear.