A table for my less 'civilized' friends.
Dotting.
Dot
Dot.
.Dot.
Cuddles wondered if it was time to turn the meat over yet. The deer had been hard to catch, but Cuddles managed. It's harder to dodge rocks when three are thrown at a time.
The side near the fire was black already. Elf Lady had made it not-black somehow. Brown and juicy. Maybe it needed more cooking...
Someone came into his clearing. He had the teeth of an orc. And the eyes, sharp and fierce in both cases, but not the build. Cuddles smiles and waves. His sharp, yellowed fangs made a visage that would probably be more effective at scaring people off, but he seems sincere in his friendly greeting. Hi!
His first kill was an orc, so the bulky one with the burnt food didn't scare him. He wandered toward the smell and stood just outside the fire, his hands under his cloak and near his antique sword's hilt. He nods at the orc's greeting.
"Greetings...cousin. My name is Cole. Looks like you have a nice fire there. Do you care if I sit and warm up across from you? I'm tired and have been on the move all day long with no luck hunting."
Cuddles nods vigorously. Food's done... almost... I think. He scrunches up his eyebrows in concentraion. Not sure how elf lady made meats brown and juicy. He licks his lips. You notice that the animal (perhaps a deer?} has been brutally butchered and shards of bone are visible in several places. It might be more accurate to say is was dismembered.
Should be tasty soon though. I hopes...
His last taste of orc cooking when he was younger was nearly-raw owlbear meat wrapped in a torn shank of its own blood covered fur. Cole shrugs and waves a hand at the half-burned venison-thing.
"You seem to get the gist of the idea. It may not be pretty, but I'm sure its edible."
Pulling up a rock/log, Cole turns the meat on the spit and raises an eyebrow at the orc.
"The main idea is keep turning the meat: It evens the cooking out. So...what's your name big-guy?"
Cuddles. His expression turns suddenly from welcoming to worried. You wanna be friends? Guy came before. Not nice man. Tried shankity-shank. I hug him all better, but maybe break him too. He in a hole over there.
Great. He's one of THOSE kind of orcs.
Cole shrugs and pantomimes as he talks.
"No problems...'Cuddles.' I'm safe: NO stabby-stabby..arrrg...die orc...kind of stuff from me. Anything you've done before I met you is none of my business either unless you want it to be. Just to warn you now however, I'm NOT a hug-ger. I like my personal space. Do you have a tribe around here?"
"Who starts a fire in the middle of the night in a forest," a scratchy voice grumbled a ways off in the trees. It belong to a tall, for a hobgoblin, woman in thick Issian fashioned furs and breastplate covering her scarred grey skin. Her long black hair, already streaking with grays and white, was slicked back. From her back sprouted some small gray bat-like wings that seemed to twitch rather than flap, and inbetween them hung a long green blade. In addition to the rest of her armaments ornamental drinking horns hung from her armor.
"Orcs apparently, they may be tough, but not too tough for a bear to not be interested in chewing on them... are bears around here?" she asked her companion.
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"I'd be more worried about owlbears honestly, and wolves, though bears live here too." the other woman says to her traveling companion.
Leaning on her staff, essentially a long branch, the human woman stares of toward the firelight. While her vision was nowhere near as good at night as the warrior woman beside her, the bit of fey in her blood left her still able to see relatively well in low light.
Finding Nozhe about to wander into a patch of quicksand, Iolandra had called out a warning, likely saving her life given the heavy weapons and armor. The two had traveled together since, making their way across the wilderness, having to deal with the occasional bandit or wild animal until they'd ended up here. "So what d'you think. should we approach or just avoid them?"
"Oh yeah, owlbears, forgot about them... those are cool." the hobgoblin thinks aloud before turning her gaze back to the campfire. "I'unno, there's just the two of them, but they could be laying a trap for bandits or bigger game. Though with how differently they're dressed they could just be some misfits like us."
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"It's possible. I suppose it can't hurt to find out, besides after seeing you fight those bandits, I'm not too worried." Iolandra says with a smile brushing a lock of her wild silvery-white hair out of her eyes.
Rolling her shoulders back, she heads toward the campfire and the two hulking figures alongside Nozhe.
Bolstered by the compliment and the fun memories Nozhe smiles for a second before hiding it away as she straightens herself stiffly and begins marching silently by the Druidess in the way she had been disciplined to, arms reach in case she needed to grab or shield her with her shield arm, sword arm free to draw.
Cole immediately starts obsessing over/going OCD on the campfire, shuffling the hot stones around the fire like it is nothing.
"Big guy? I know orcs like fire, but you also have to be careful about how you place your stones around the fire. They need to be big enough to contain the coals and ashes and leave no gaps, and you should pick a bigger/flatter one you can place a pan on for heating water...or making less charred food-things. You don't want to burn down the entire area around you...or me. Especially me."
By the end, Cole realizes he's really only muttering to himself as he watches cuddles picks at his nose like an angry enemy is hiding in there somewhere.
No, not "like". There is! It's pokey and slimy and he felt it move! After a couple seconds he grunts in victory and pulls out a hard blob of yellow-green and flicks it over his shoulder. Better! Lucy said, "NO eat boogers!" so I not eat boogers no more. Lucy slap hands when I tries.
Without any humor showing, Cole nods, since he knows Cuddles is serious too.
"Sounds like a really smart lady. Hopefully I get to meet her someday."
Cuddles's eyes light up at the opportunity to talk about this Lucy person. Lucy is best! Lucy teach the Hug! She bestest hugger!
"Is that where you got your name too? 'Cuddles' is not very orcish from my experience."
Hearing the...random conversation between the two sets Iolandra slightly more at ease. Talked a lot, which wasn't a common thing among the really murderous types, and the other definitely thought with his muscles. Looking at Nozhe with a shrug she steps into the range of the firelight. "Hello...mind if we share your fire for a bit?"
The hobgoblin keeps in step with the Druidess as she approaches the orcs, letting her deal with the conversation. In contrast to her own scratchy tone Nozhe had an appreciation for pleasant sounding voices so this was worked out perfectly fine for her.
Cuddles smiles in suprise. More peoples! Woods be full tonight! Come! Join fire! Cuddles happy to share! Not like last guy. He shelfish meanie.
Cole stiffens at the appearance of strangers, and quickly clarifies Cuddles' last statement holding up both hands to show they are empty.
"Not me. He's talking about the dead guy in the shallow grave...I think. A bandit of some sort. I just got here a few minutes ago myself. This is Cuddles, and you can call me Cole."
He then points in the direction Cuddles pointed in earlier for the grave he made. Then he looks at the human then back at Cuddles.
"I'm guessing your not a half-elf. Cuddles is waiting for a half-elf...or two. I think."
Cuddles nods vigorously. You can't be sure to which part. Maybe all of them?
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Sharing a glance with Nozhe, Iolandra turns back to the half-orc. "No, I'm not half-elf, perhaps not all human, but not half-elf." she says a bit cryptically.
Given the circumstances, these two didn't seem the outright predatory type, and while she could see the mound of freshly turned earth they'd indicated, it wasn't as if she and Nozhe hadn't left a few dead bandits to feed the worms and wild animals themselves.
"I am Iolandra, and this is Nozhe," she says nodding her head to shorter but far more powerfully built woman beside her. "Thank you for sharing your fire."
Although the comment made her take notice she tried her best to play it off as interest and not an insult that the half-orc thought the Druidess was elfblooded. As far as she knew it was just an insult between hobgoblins anyway, and she hadn’t seen a need to keep up with such ingrained disdain without ever actually meeting an elf. As Iolandra introduces them and gives thanks Nozhe silently gives a bow. ”Your food is burning.” she then promptly says.
Why does most everyone I meet insist on cooking the flavor and benefit out of food?
Cole smiles slightly and shrugs noncommittally.
"I was just explaining that to 'Cuddles' here: Turning the food regularly on the spit evens the cooking. This side here is less burnt and more raw, but will be cooked edible soon. As long as 'Cuddles' doesn't mind, you and your friend can eat from that part. Burnt doesn't bother me really."
He then gestures casually.
"Pull up a rock and relax...and since the subject has already come up in discussion: Whom did you kill to get here? Note that I will pass on to you what I told Cuddles here too: I won't hold anything against him that happened before I met him. Everything's a clean slate as far as I'm concerned. I've got my reasons for being here in the middle of nowhere, same as you I'm sure. Heh. The 'Stolen Lands.' I say give them back. They're boring and a bit too dangerous from my opinion."
”Bandits. No one of consequence.” Nozhe promptly replies.
A voice booms out from the surrounding woods. The snap of branch, the crush of twig, easily directs your gaze towards the approach of whomever it is that is approaching the camp.
A figure resolves into effect, pushing through the brush and trees. Standing at just over 6 foot, but with a thick heavy set body, with a large backpack hitched over his shoulders, a human comes walking into the clearing. Rather, he could pass as human if it wasnt for the two large tusks that jut from his face.
The man pauses, and stares at the scene, taking in everyone. orc by the fire, orc sitting on rock by the fire, weird looking goblin, half elf lady...interesting.
Apologies for the intrusion. I smelled your fire from a mile away. thought i'd come here. You see....im lost. Got myself turned around. Trying to find Isarn.
Tensing at the shouting Nozhe draws her axe and holds as the giant man comes into the clearing. Then when he strikes up a conversation she promptly points in a direction. ”That way.”
Just need a bugbear and we got the whole f%*~ed up family.
Cuddles is impressed immediately by the height of the man. He's still not tall of large as Cuddles, but he's closer than a lot of many others have come. Cuddles stands for the first time. He is easily head and shoulders above everyone else and his bulk is unquestionable. This is the kind of person that could crush skulls with a single hand. His smile is just as implicitly threatening featuring sharp, yellowed teeth that glint in the light. All this strikes your mind just before the Orc's actions set up a massive conflict with how he looks. He goes up and looks the man over closely. He even sniffs a couple times.
Huh. You big boy. Not big like Cuddles, but a little big! Wanna chow? He points over to the brutally dismembered deer that's being roasted. Is done yet, Coal?
Cole shakes his head, sliding his half-drawn sword back into the makeshift sheath he managed for his antique sword. He then looks up at the moonless night sky, realizing the light from the fire would draw anyone nearby, much like it had done to himself.
"Suddenly this fire and camp has become Absalom, crossroads of the world! Might as well grab a rock or log to sit on whoever you are. Truthfully, I expected to meet owlbears or even dragons out here. Not...whatever we all are. The gods must be laughing at our motley group. Now would be a great time for some beer or mead. Anybody here worship Cayden? Their kind always carries booze from what I hear."
Soon after the half-giant walks into the light, everyone hears an almost-muffled voice from behind him.
Hmm, yess, these ones will do. Warm fire, dulled minds, no hostilities.
Having approached Grx'Tryn first, Cuddles sees the bare outline of a cloaked figure emerge from behind him. It is truly a shadowy outline through which, at first glance, you think you can see through. Only when he steps into the light does a very pale face appear.
Oh good, another big one. he remarks, before taking a few steps closer to the fire. It now appears he is, in fact, corporeal and not really just a shadow.
Absalom? Perhaps you mean to say Kaer Maga. All the ssame, thanks for sharing your fire.
"Not me, but my father was," Nozhe states. She makes no move to offer up any of the drinking horns arrayed on her person.
Her ears then twitch as the shadow makes his presence known with some incorrect assumptions. "I assure you, everything on me is sharp." she says while shifting her grip on her axe.
Cole laughs a little to himself, leaning more closely toward the fire.
"Now all we need is a kobold who thinks he's a dragon, a bleached gnome who thinks he's a comedian, and tons of alcohol to show up out of nowhere. THEN we'd be having a REAL party."
He then slowly pulls a dagger to cut off a piece if meat to test it's ability to feed anyone yet.
"This side is cooked rare, but edible I think. It appears to be deer or elk...I'm not sure which really now."
"Fire should just be used as seasoning," Nozhe grumbles under her breath. Cole's... confusion over what exactly that is the orcs had been cooking certainly didn't endear her faster to chowing down with them.
Grx'Tryn looks at Cuddles, and although the orc stands just taller than the half-ogre, Grx conveys a sense of standing equally to Cuddles. Indeed i would, Cuddles. It is Cuddles right? The half Ogre smacks the orc upon the shoulders in a thankful manner.
Feeling his presence by his side before he speaks, Grx looks at Dravox. My friend. you were supposed to wait for the thumbs up. Ah well. We are amongst fire-friends. Grx'tryn reaches out and pats his friend upon the shoulder, pausing momentarily to squeeze it.
Grx walks up to the fire, unsheathes his large straight edged dagger, and easily slices through the proffered meat, taking a chunk from the hind quarter. He blows on it slightly and then stuffs the chunk into his mouth. Mmmmm tasty. Good juice flavoring. Needs some salt though. Id say this is done. Let me cut this up for everyone. He says, dropping his ruck and tossing it to Dravox's side.
He wipes the blade of his straight edged dagger and puts it away, only to pull out a larger, thicker blade from another part of his body. Long, over 14 inches, it has a clip point, and a heavy serrated spine. He grasps onto one of the legs and begins to slice through the meat, and saw through bone. The first leg done he tosses it to Cuddles.
You, sir, have the look of a man who is always hungry. Hungry for food, hungry for life. hungry for adventure. Did you catch this animal?
Slicing and sawing through the forward leg quarter, he offers it to Nozhe, juices flowing from the fresh cut and onto the ground. Miss, hungry? I assure you, its quite tasty.
The blade makes quick work of the back loin, and Grx easily pulls it back from off of the deer's spine. Mmmmm backstrap. For you, Lady. he says, tossing it to Iolandra.
Rotating the carcass on the spit, the half-ogre reaches inside, and runs his hand from the front, but the neck, to the rear, and removes a narrow strip of meat. The tenderloin. For you, my friend Dravox. you know how you get when you dont get meat. he says, tossing the meat at his companion.
Grx cuts off the neck, and hands it to Cole. For you, good man.
finally, Grx serves himself last, sawing through ribs and removing the section from shoulder to rear of ribs and thin meats.
he steps back and sits next to Dravox. My thanks again for allowing us to participate around your fire, and to eat your food. Name's Grx'Tryn, and you all have heard me call my friend here Dravox...well, Dravox. Heard there's jobs to be had in Isarn. Needing a wall built or house raised. Or even see if we can just get lucky and come across a corpse with some gold. We arent picky. Just trying to make some gold. He pauses, and easily chews through meat and rib bone, the sounds of bone being crushed and pulverized by his dense teeth. Dravox, in my bag. The gnome paint remover. Im sure we can share it with our fireside folks this night.
What you do know about your blade is that it seems to absorb heat. For the time being you have fire resistance 1
Nozhe, you can feel that someone died a valiant warriors death to the southeast about a days travel away.
Iolandra - There are two packs in the camp, clearly elven make, but you can sense a hint of fey magic in the weaving. They are clearly not the orc's, Probably the elves or half-elves the orc was waiting for.
"I'm good," Nozhe says without taking the meat of questionable origin. Even if it had been... whatever they thought it was she was curious if the the newest arrival was going to start vomiting from poison or poor preparation. At any stage of it's acquisition now that she thinks on it more.
When he tosses the meat to Iolandra she reflexively intercepts in a catch with her shield without thinking, then promptly catching the catch with her axe hand so the meat wouldn't bounce to the ground.
Angling it like a hostess she then holds it out for the Druidess to inspect.
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Trying not to read into the half-ogre's gift of meat choice, Cole chews the carbonized food slowly. He easily enjoys his first hot meal in days regardless of the condition or cut.
Glancing around at his new 'companions', he wonders how the night will end. Keeping his mouth full of food allows for him to read the situation, attitudes, and how it will probably proceed as time passes.
The big guy will try and boss everyone one around. His shadowy friend will keep behind the half-ogre's bulk, trying to remain as far away from the others as possible and maintain minimum safe distance. Cuddles is...Cuddles. He knew enough orcs like him back in Belkzen, they weren't just as touchy-feels as Cuddles seemed. The woman and her strange hobgoblin friend were an enigma. The woman claims to be fey-touched, and the hobbo seems protective of her. Something's going on there...but what? What were they all doing out here in the middle of the night. Wandering around in the dark? Chasing down a campfire's light from a distance? Something was going on. Pharasma's spiral was always a path to enlightenment for Cole, even if he never understood it very well. But now, his path had become a puzzle wrapped up in horse manure, then dipped in fire of a devil's unclean heart, and then left in the middle of a minotaur's labyrinth. The gods MUST be laughing.
Outwardly, Cole only takes another bite of his food, chewing slowly.
My friend. you were supposed to wait for the thumbs up. Ah well. We are amongst fire-friends.
The pale man shrugs at his friend's chiding.
I could read a good situation from your interactions, but apologies. A plan is a plan.
The tenderloin. For you, my friend Dravox. you know how you get when you dont get meat.
He immediately shoves a piece into his mouth. Hmm, yesh. I remember. The sscurvy.
As he finishes his portion in short order he eyes the well-crafted, seemingly elven bags near the orc. He gestures vague to the group at the fire.
Sso, the four of you make an interesting party. What brings you out into the wild together?
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Iolandra stares at the haunch of meat with an unreadable expression for a moment, before somehow managing to combine both an appreciation of Nozhe's interception and a decline of the meat into a single gesture.
"We have already eaten, though the warmth of the fire is welcome." the druidess quietly studies the odd array of strangers, sharing a meal by the fire. "Interesting question, considering that we met only moments before you arrived."
Grx'tryn tilts his head to the side at seeing how Nozhe reacts to his sharing of the meat, not only for herself, and how she catches it with her shield before offering it to the Human lady. he mutters to himself in a pained whisper but...its tenderloin he whimpers slightly.
only just met? as in all of you? Grx waves his meat filled hand at everyone around the fire, brings it back to his mouth and crushes through another hunk of meat. The way she Grx nods at Nozhe reacted, id say you two know each other. Perhaps how i know my friend Dravox here. What would you say, going on close to a year now since that fateful night in the shadow of Gallowspire?
Clicking his tongue as he absently plays at a tendon caught in between a toot and a tusk, Grx leans down and rifles through his bag for a moment with his non meat filled hand. Pushing stuff around, he finally pulls out a small glass jug filled with a strange yellowish white liquid. You sir, grx nods at Cole, you mentioned alcohol. It's not much, but it's what i have. Although, id step far away from the fire when you open that thing, as it'll catch fire otherwise. Gnomes call it their paint stripper, and Ive seen them use it as such. Even seen some seafolk use it to kill barnacles attached to the hulls of ships. although some used a bit too much and it ate through the hull. Grx laughs out loud at this.
Cole wrinkles his nose, which is a feat for a half-orc, and waves off the offer.
"Sounds like the stuff orc tribes make in Belkzen with some weed there. Mostly its used to get drunk-stupid with. Although it is occasionally used as a flaming weapon-bomb against vagrant frost giants. Never could get used to the stuff my self. Not as powerful as an alchemist's fire potion, but it burns pretty hot nonetheless."
Silently, Cole longs to see the stuff in the jug burn, or even explode, just to see what makes the liquid so unique to the flame...and what would happen if every person here were on fire too? Would they run and make it worse? Oh the writhing...the DEEPER flame would come.
Visibly, Cole merely sighs and looks down at the ground at the remainder of his latest meal.
"Cuddles and I just met a little earlier and were starting to get to know each other. The ladies walked up after that. Now you too. The gods know how to start a joke. Right?"
"Gallowspire?" the name catches Nozhe's attention. She had never been to Ustalav, or dealt with anyone of the Whispering Way (to her knowledge), but in her line of work that was definitely a name familiar to her. Unfortunately.
Whatever the case, it certainly raised a question or two in her mind about Dravox's appearance.
Cuddles takes the meat and chews with his mouth closed. He swallows and says "Thank you" to the server. He even manages to not get his sleeves bloody! Lucy would be so proud.
Lots of words were swirling around. Most of them he didn't know. Everybody was pretty wary right now. Except maybe that big Grox guy. And except Cuddles, of course. Being scared was natural. It was ok.
He takes another bite and chews nicely.
Everyone here would be a friend soon enough. He just knew it! He couldn't wait to tell the Elfs!