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Survival
The eladrin will give some wise advice on how to help survive this newest environmental hazard.
Turq joins in with the dwarf priest's prayer, while putting on his crampons, when Umikh suddenly scrambles up the tunnel!
Moradin's beard! the warrior scrambles up after, not to be out done!
Aggrammar huddles next to the others - "Maybe we can be splitin' efforts - half of us get a shelter goin', and the other half starts buildin' up a decent fire?"
Obviously no strangers to the dangers of the wild, the group expertly constructs a shelter in the deep snow. Quickly dividing i to groups to conquer the challenges, within an hour you all find your selves in the shelter warming your bodies and gear to a fire.
Spitzle and his Otter friends scamper around the den excitedly happy to be under your protection. ”This is great! Nice and warm. How long to do you guys wanna stay here? Mother Tusk is going to be happy to see us come home.” The Otters high, squeaky voice says quickly.
Turq looks up at the big druid and muses, Ye don't talk much, do ye, Mir?
Mир gives a warm smiles, shrugs, and then softly pats Turq on the shoulder.
Looking from Turq to Mир, Baldrick interjects: "Oh that reminds me - when Mир and I were talking... er," looks hesitantly at the goliath, ".... yeah, talking... earlier. He said ... well, it sounds like maybe Mother Tusk might think all animals out here are her children. Um... you know, like how we're all the sparks from Moradin's forge?"
Again, he hesitates, realizing that he's lapsed into stories told to dwarven children. Then, with a deep breath, he finishes his thought: "Well... we're supposed to ask those nomads not to hunt her children. But, so, what do they hunt then? Or do we just tell them to go away?"
Clearly, this is something that's been bugging Baldrick since Mother Tusk gave the group their tasks, but it has taken him this long to work it out, and to find a way to put it into words.
"Hmm... You can't ask a wolf not to hunt. There is a balance between life, survival, and death. The balance can get broken when a group abuses their station and hunts for sports, or show cruelty, or just kills to destroy, not to survive." reflects Emmet in answer to Baldric's point.
He looks around and says to no one in particular: "This is a nice shelter. I'm feeling much better already."
Mир grins knowingly at Emmett and then rumbles a reply, "Does not an elk fight off the wolf?"
Turq nods, Mayhap we should get clarification from Mother Tusk... If it is more of a family, like she says, we can have some way for her folk to signal the hunters, like wearing a colored ribbon or something?
I would wonder but if she doesn't view all the creatures around here as hers. But, yes, the meat eaters gotta eat same as the plant eaters, that's how it goes. We, on the other hand, can make careful choices. And his belly grumbles as a reminder that any food would be welcome right now. He digs in his pack for some vittles, offering others the meager rations.
Umikh will inquire about their greater goal, pushing through to Ten Towns, asking how close we think we are, the usual chit chat.
To Spritzel, You think we can make it back by day's end? We seem to be drying out nicely. Don't want to get too comfy here out in the open.
Turq nods, Perhaps we can broker a peace between them? Though, they would have to meet.
The eladrin will play with the otters, trying to find sparkly things to play with them.
Turq calls out to Rodalas, the only one that wasn't on the caravan with them, Roddy, what magicked accident brought ye ta the frigid North, eh? Ye popped in outta nowhere...
Having expressed his worry on the matter of the nomads, Baldrick quickly puts it out of his mind - no doubt wiser minds can solve this puzzle. He loses himself for a bit, idly watching the otters as they gambol around Rodalas, while mentally reliving the pride he felt in his idea for a shelter from the wind and cold
At Turq's question, Baldrick blinks, coming back to himself, and actually focuses on the eladrin, his mouth blurting before his brain has a chance to stop it: "Hey, yeah - where did you come from?! And whatcha wanna hang around a bunch of dwarves for?"
Emmett listens intently and wonders if any of the solutions proffered could work. It has been his experience that men respond to force more than to arguments. Or perhaps something had changed, a shift in the balance. They could work on peace, but only inasmuch as both parties wanted peace.
The shift in conversation takes a moment to register with him. He turns, now curious, towards the Eladrin.
I know Turq and Mир aren't dwarves, but that's how Baldrick thinks of them - tall dwarves.
As he plays with the otters he suddenly becomes a bit more serious, It is Rodlas. I thank you not to abbreviate or shorten it. he responds to Turquoise and then goes back to playing with the otters.
This raises Turq's eyebrows, Noble, eh? Well then, Ro-da-las, what brings ye here? Why leave yer comfy noble's home ta come here?
The human fighter's tone is no longer warm, but still simply... polite.
Mир widens his eyes and gives Turq an sidelong look. He then wags his finger mockingly at Turq with a frown for a couple moments and follows by giving Rodalas a thumbs up and a smile.
Noble as in a child of Corellon Larathien and one who takes pride in their lineage but not as humans understand nobility as lords and ladies. How feudal. Having pride in one's lineage is important, from what I understand of dwarven culture, which goes a long way to remember their forefathers. he says with a small smile and shrug at Turq's comment.
I come from the Feywild on a mission for, as you would understand the concept, of a guild. he says as he pets one of the otters as it has fallen asleep in his arms.
All animals can speak in the Feywild, this is not something to be surprised about.
"Hmph" - Aggrammar snorts at Rodalas's comment, and continues munching on his beef jerky - "Would be preferin' some mutt...." - he was about to say something but stopped dead on his tracks - "Huh... Buttered.... Potatoes. That hehe" - he nods with a sidelong glance at Spritzel.
Turq looks at Rodalas, I must say, I never met any elves, save the mongrels and muddled bloods, or at least had more reason than ta exchange more than a word o' greeting.
Ain't made much of an favored impression, so far, the young warrior mutters as he turns his attention back to the fire. Then in an insightful turn, Turq continues, O' course, I probably ain't presented the same ta him, neither...
He looks around, How's all yer coats? Dry enough ta get movin'? We oughtta be poundin' ground if we want ta make the cave 'afore sundown...
Everything's dry enough for me. And you're welcome to keep traveling with us, Rodalas. His name he carefully enunciates. I assume yer headed to Ten Towns, too, or thereabouts?
The eladrin nods in agreement.
Turq’s question has everyone checking their belongings cloths and belongings. The tight quarters makes all of the basic movements seem like quite the commotion, rousing the dozing otters. Everything seems died out and everyone seems ready for the return trip home.
Spritzel affirms that the trip home is very doable before nightfall. You all gather your things and crawl out of your hovel leaving the relative warmth behind.
Making it back to Mother Tusk’s encampment, she starts a fire to warm you up. Spritzel excitedly recounts the harrowing fight with the wolves and the journey back, and he offers you his earring as a thank you, as well as other small gems and trinkets he’s hidden away in the area. Mother Tusk rewards you with two spell scrolls of cure wounds. You can also take a long rest in her care.
On the trip back, Turq constantly encourages those falling behind, helping them if they have any trouble. He cannot help but notice Rodalas easily passing over the snow, leaving shallow tracks, rather than sinking deep like everyone else.
Come one, Emmett! Yer almost there now!
--
Upon taking the rest, in Mother Tusk's care, Turquoise asks, We were thinking, Mother, ye said that the tribesmen of the tundra were huntin' ye and ye kin. If'n there is a possibility of truce, they should meet with ye. Are ye willing?
Emmett glares at Turq, but the pain in his legs makes the warrior's point more salient and prevent Emmett from thinking of anything convincing to say.
Instead, he looks down and focuses on making good progress, which he does, more or less.
When warm again and in the presence of Mother Tusk, Emmett adds: "Help us understand the situation, yes. Is a truce a possibility? Was there a misunderstanding? What changed?"
Baldrick sighs and is visibly relieved to be back in Mother Tusk's cave, and murmurs to himself: "Ahh... it's nice to have a bit of weight over my head again." He looks around a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable - these hill dwarf cousins of his seem so much more comfortable out in the open world!
Still, he listens to the questions the others ask of Mother Tusk, curious to know how they should approach the next task, but also, at the end of a long day, more than ready to sit drowsily around the fire, listening to old Emmett tell another story.
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Once they are back, Umikh realizes he is exhausted from all of the activity. He wouldn't have thought the short trip could make him sooo sleeeeppppy.
The eladrin will begin to make snowballs to play with some of the animals that are present with the walrus.
Turq watches Rodalas with interest, He is like a child... That would explain his behavior...