Senna has no reason to doubt his word. "Huh. You're an interesting fella, Slip." She adds with a laugh, "If you have some sort of odd insight into me, keep it to yourself. I'm not sure I wanna know."
Slip smiles, tilting his head to the side and nodding. "Okay. Can do."
Once they're well on their way with Archie far behind them, Lady Sable says what's been on her mind.
"There was something about Archie that I saw in his eyes. I don't think he's human. At first I thought lycanthropy, but now I doubt it. I think he is Reombarth."
Archie seems to accept Slip's explanation without missing a beat. Huh. Well, I've heard of prophets and oracles and the like, so I guess you're not that weird. Especially if you have Other Places poking around in your head.
He leads you on (and sometimes drifts behind) at a friendly pace, occasionally wandering off the road to check on something only he perceives as odd. He gives your arrival time to be about "Dinner", so probably around the latest time you're supposed to report back to Lilibet.
Yash followed along, leading the horses as they went. Most of his time and attention was spent caring for them, but as Sabelina spoke, a strange word caught his attention.
"What that?" he asked.
Even if it isn’t exactly on schedule… Before they get to town, Senna lets most of the others (including Archie) get ahead of her. When she is by Yash and the horses, she calls to her allies. ”I’ve going to Message our folks. It’ll only take a minute. Yash and I will catch up.” She hopes that keeps everyone moving off, especially the sharp-sensed Archie. When it looks like they have sufficient space, she’ll make the motions of casting a spell while pulling out the Sending stone.
She feels dumb but speaks quietly into the stone, ”Lillibet? This is Senna….”
Arrows (46):
Blunts (33):
Perfect Strike (3):
Ki Pool (4):
1st Spells (6):
Blood Intensity (1):
Dancing Lights (3):
Inspired (1):
Effects:
xxxx = yyyy for zzzz time
A voice answers after a long moment, Yes, Senna. What is your report?
Senna continues to speak to a… rock. ”We’re on our way to a village called Axebite, which may be a trading opportunity. It sounds like they could use finished tools and possibly some help with a blight that is confounding the local druid. I’ll be able to tell you more at the next check-in. Axebite is located near... <provides location details but not in reference to Threshold, just the obvious landmarks anyone that followed their initial direction would see (road, lake, etc.)> We’ve been told there is a dragon named Reombarth in the area. He appears to be killing the right people.”
The rock responds after a few seconds, Thank you Senna. Be advised that we haven't heard from Simple Simon yet and Arthur has reported contact with undead forces in the area to your west, though nothing significant.
"Thanks. We'll keep our eyes open."
With the rock going silent, Senna puts it away and looks at Yash. "Onward to Axebite."
Archie's prediction of "Dinnertime" for your arrival proves to be spot on. The first evidence you discover of Axbite is not sight or sound, but smell. A woody smoke is first, but almost immediately after is the smell of cooking food. Soon after that you see the blue haze of cook fires drifting like the morning fog through the trees. Then you come to a clearing, but not entirely natural one. Trees have been cleared for close to a hundred yards before their stumps fall away into a more natural grass. In the center of the clearing is a small town, a village really, of maybe a dozen buildings all told. You're not sure because the buildings are surrounded by a newly built palisade and you have to count chimneys. Smoke rises from each of her stacks and lanterns frame the gate that swallows the road.
Welcome to Axebite! Best place to kick up yer heels in about three days travel any direction!
As you get a bit closer a lone patrol man rounds the wooden wall. He wears battered breastplate and carries a long pike. He notices you immediately and rushes to the gate. His armor clanking all the way and telegraphing it's poor fit.
Who goes there! a gruff man's voice demands.
Calm down, James, It's me! Arty! And I've found some friends in the woods. Artie calls, clearly trying to calm the eager guard down.
Ain't nobody friendly anymore! Not around here! James acuses.
So you say, but if anybody's gonna find a friendly, it's me, eh? Archie counters. James pauses, but his eyes, which you can now make out, narrow.
Fine. But straight to the Mayer, ya here! he commands.
That was the plan, James, that was the plan. Artie sighs and waves you through the ajar gate. James' eyes follow you until you pass through, then he clanks away on his circular patrol.
The town seems somehow bigger on the inside. You do indeed count a dozen buildings, only one of three stories, to which Archie is leading you. Other buildings you note immidiately is a blacksmith, a wood worker's or carpenter's hut, an alchemist's shop (with a sign proclaiming that it is also Alma's Ale House), and a single circular building with a man sleeping in its doorway.
Senna sidles up to Archie. "You've got a lot of folks packed in here... Are they refugees from other villages or folks from outlying steads coming in for safety?"
Archie lowers his voice. A little of both, really. The fog and the war scared lots of people. The blight didn't help. They're sleeping five to a room now. All except Crazy Mergil and his circle house. Fool's convinced the house is out for blood.
While Lady Sable remains convinced Archie is very, extremely disguised, she does become less wary of him, especially after arriving at the little village. James might seem a bit of a buffoon, but even dim independent confirmation of Archie's good intent helps.
While she looks around, Lady Sable voices her early impression of Axebite as a question to their guide.
"Would it be wrong to think the goods most needed here are the basics, food, raw materials, those sorts of things?"
Archie thinks for a moment. I'll let the mayor fill you in there. I'll say tough that the town's stores won't last long with this many people, and with the blight out there messing with the crops, not to mention military vultures from both sides... he pauses again. The future is uncertain.
At three stories plus a steep roof, the government building/mayor's house is the tallest building in town. It's sturdy foundation is cut stone and it's beams are old growth timbers. The second and third floors over hang the floor below, creating a significant overhang above the road through town. The place smells of wood smoke and books, but feels like a guardian watching over all the other smaller buildings.
When you enter the first floor you notice first how bright it is. The walls are lined with many bright lanterns that overcome the wooden wall's efforts to drink in the light. It's mostly empty save for a short stage on the far wall and a desk manned by a middle age human on the right.
He looks up when you come in, his eyes heavy and dark-ringed. They smilw weakly when they land on Archie.
Archie, my friend. Welcome. I was wondering when you'd be back. Who have you dragged in this time? he says. His voice is cheery, but guarded.
Oh, not dragged, Mr. Mayor. These here are trading scouts from a company I... Uhh.. say, I forgot to ask which company you're from!
He turns and looks at you apologetically.
Senna decides there is a lot to unpack in what Archie said…
But now wasn’t the time. She offers the mayor a polite bow. ”We represent a group of merchants, actually. They believe there is ‘safety in numbers’ when traveling through Ustalav, especially right now. I’m not even sure if they’ve settled on a name yet. But, to keep it simple, let’s call it Thresher after our principle employer.”
”Mr. Mayor, we’d like to understand your town’s needs and what resources you can do without to see if we can help each other. As a token of our hopes of building a beneficial relationship here… we’ve heard a report that some of our scouts spotted undead west of here. It wasn’t a large force and I have no idea if they were heading in this direction but forewarned is forearmed.”
Yash watched the faces as they made their way around the buildings, and he felt sorry for these people. Out here, caught in the middle of things bigger than them, life was hardly ever fair. He looked to Senna, with a genuine desire to help.
"Mogę wyprodukować wodę i chronić żywność przed gniciem, jeśli to pomoże, ale nie mam nic na wymianę."
"I can make water and keep whatever food they have from rotting, if that would help, but I have nothing to trade.
Senna lays a hand on the big half-orc’s shoulder. ”To hojna oferta. Wspomnę o tym. Wygląda na to, że ci ludzie potrzebują wszelkiej pomocy, jaką mogą uzyskać.”
She turns to the mayor and Archie. ”If your cisterns are low or you have food that may soon spoil, Yash has magic to create water and prevent rot. He’s offering to help, if you need it.”
Lady Sable doesn't really have any ideas to pitch, and she's rather not make any vague promises on behalf of Threshhold's merchants before she knows what might be needed or offered in return. She waits to hear more from the Mayor.
The mayor thinks for a moment. Very well. I am Greg Silverwroth, by the way. Don't know if Archie mentioned that. Your offers are tempting, but I hope you'll forgive me if I'm a bit shy. I haven't heard of a company called Thresher, and I know most of the companies in a year's radius. That being said, nothing is as it was around here.
Very well. Let's see this magic. Our cleric was "called" to service the crusaders early in the war and our local druid is a rare sight recently, so any help you can give will be thankfully received and paid for as we are able.
Head to the South gate and look for four flat strones. Those are our sistern lids. Archie can show you. Stick with him and nobody will give you any trouble save maybe Alba. That old bat respects nobody under 75, I swear. After that, head to the westernmost building. That's our main storehouse. The more you help, the more you'll be helped, on my word.
Senna doesn't quite trust his words but she translates for Yash exactly what the mayor has said. She looks to all her allies and concludes in both orkish and common "Anything else we should ask the mayor right now that I may have forgotten?"
With no other questions readily apparent, the group makes their way out with all proper pleasantries. Archie strides along beside them, perfectly at ease.
The water cisterns are just where the Mayer had described. Four large, flat stones stand in a diamond in perhaps the single lot in the walls that wasn't taken up by some kind of building. In the center stands a wooden crane with a hook clearly intended to help in lifting the lids.
With no knowledge of engineering, Senna can only speculate. ”I’m guessing these lids are heavy, hence the need for a crane.” She tries to lift a lid, which doesn’t budge. ”Yep. Heavy.” She wipes her hands on her pants and offers their small shadows a smile and a wink.
”So, shall we try to lift this together?” Senna stands ready to help lift.
Arrows (46):
Blunts (33):
Perfect Strike (3):
Ki Pool (4):
1st Spells (6):
Blood Intensity (1):
Dancing Lights (3):
Inspired (1):
Effects:
xxxx = yyyy for zzzz time
The kids slowly seperate into the brave and the shy. Two boys and a girl, all with a healthy layer of dirt on them, edge into eyesight to get a peek at what's going on.
Yash spit into his hands as he approached the cistern lid. Finding a handhold, he grunted and strained as he tried to lift it.
"Need help..." he managed to get out through gritted teeth.
Sabelina contributes nothing to anything.
The lid refuses to budge. My word this is heavy... is it stuck somewhere or secured or something??
"We've fought bugbars. We're not getting stopped by a stupid lid."
She waves some of the braver children over, "Come over! We don't bite. Wanna help us lift this lid? If you do, we'll show you some magic!"
Senna waits for some of the kids to come help and then makes one more try to lift the lid.
The stubborn lid slowly aids you in gaining the trust of the local children. At the failed displays of strength you slowly start to hear snickers and whispers. Slowly, so slowly, 13 children appear from around you. They are universally dirty. Most are barefoot, but walk like they've never worn shoes. Most are human, but you spot a couple especially small ones that are halflings. Eventually the children gather around the lid and one of you actually gets a grip. The lid rips off the hole. One light spell later (to excited giggles and cheers and ohhhs from the kids) you determine that the water store is very low and dirty. A few quick spells take care of that.
From there you go to the food storage trailing your new entourage behind you. There you find the stores low, but are able to cure whatever rot you find with ease.
As you are making your way back to Mayor Silverwroth, the clank of badly fitting armor sounds from the opposite gate from where you entered and the zealous guard sprints down the main street toward the town hall, a look of dread in his eyes and a paper flapping in his hand.
Seeing all the dirty children made Senna wish she had learned a spell like Prestidigitation.
Senna is inclined to quickly follow the guard to the mayor's office... and they can't do that with a retinue of children in tow. She turns to the children. "I'm sorry, we've got to go see the mayor now. But to thank you for all your help..." She pulls the rations out of her pack and offers them to the kids, "Now, share them and don't eat them all at once. And here's a little extra magic for you."
She conjures four balls of different colored lights and has them dance in between the children for a minute, letting the kids touch them if they dare. Then she sends the four balls bobbing and flying down the street at a leisurely pace, hoping to draw all the kids away.
That done, she follows the guard timing her arrival at the mayor's home at the same time.
Hearing the guard approach from a distance reminded Yash why he disfavored metal armor. Besides being heavy, it was loud. In the wilderness, quiet was invaluable. He looked at the guard with a disapproving eye, but kept his thoughts to mostly to himself, until he noticed the guards demeanor and potential missive he carried.
He nodded to the guard and asked "what wrong?", unsure if he would even answer the half-orc.
The man doesn't answer, seemingly set on reaching the Mayor as fast as his legs will carry him.
The kids all respond with characteristic wonder at the little lanterns of magic and predictably follow them off, leaving the party free to follow after the clanking Tin Man.
You enter the town hall just as the guard... what was his name... James? is saying We'll be overrun! He notices you instantly and his jaw clicks shut.
Lady Sable can't help with the spoiled water or food, but she makes good use of Prestidigitation and Mend to spiffy kids and other things up and make minor repairs.
Curious, she follows the guard to find out what is going on to upset him so. Pointing to the piece of paper he holds, Lady Sable asks him about it.
"Seems like bad news. Mind sharing?"
Senna adds the most compelling argument she can think of, "We can't help with a problem we don't know about." She doesn't add ...and I'm not willing to help with a problem that is concealed from me.
The mayor nods at your arrival and tells James, Go ahead, son.
James takes a moment, but reports, Just got a message from a contact of mine. He was "called up" into the crusade about a year ago and got stationed up near Dunn's Crick.
Undead are on the move. Lots of 'em. The scouts might already be around here. We need to bring everyone in and button up while we still can!
I took care of the scouts. Archie replies matter of factly. Archepex's horde, so not to many of the nastier creepers, but he's got numbers, that's for sure. He's been harvestin' the forrest for light troops if the local Druids were to be believed before they disappeared. They'll keep to the road without that forward news, so they'll be comin' right here.
Senna frowns, considering the matter. ”How far away is Dunn’s Crick? How much time do we have until the army arrives?” She continues, ”There are three basic strategies to consider: Can we run? Can we distract and lead them away? Can we fight them effectively? Or can we do some combination of those tactics?”
She looks to the locals for answers to some of those questions, ”We might need to see a map of the area as well.”
Lady Sable does have to wonder if a stand is the best decision they can make.
"If they are moving through and we are merely in the way, perhaps an evacuation of everyone here until this horde has passed is the better solution? This could be especially so if this horde's number are very large. Besides, the undead have no motive to loot."
Mayor Silverwroth answers Senna while James gets a map. Dunn's Crick is about a day north. Given the time it would take to get a message here, we could expect them as early as tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning at the latest.
Unless you have some magic reinforcements up your sleeve fighting them in open battle is right out. We're overcrowded with farmers and woods-people, not soldiers. We can button up pretty tight in here, so just hunkering down for a siege and letting them pass us by is an option. We aren't exactly an important strategic objective for anybody. They'll probably try to take a crack at us though on the way.
Running and hiding in the woods would be an option if we had a place to go. The forest's Druid Circle would be relatively safe, but no one knows where that is.
As for leading them away, well you would stand a better chance of that than us. We're simple folk, no guerilla fighters.
James produces the map. It's not a fancy one. It essentially shows Dunn's Creek to the north and the winding road through to Axbite and then south still until it veers eastish toward the lake you spotted where it turns full east around the southern edge of the lake and proceeds on to a town called Fury's Ferry some distance and a few days' travel off. You are in a VERY rural part of Ustalav. A second, larger map puts you in west-central Ustalav in general, right on the outskirts of the famous Crusade. There isn't much precise detail on the maps though. You think that Simple Simon and his band of woodsy folks should be somewhere nearby in these woods. So should Arthur, come to think of it.
Senna looks grim at the facts, and conveys what little she knows of military strategy with the team. "That's not enough time to find someplace safe in the woods, move all the townsfolk, and cover our tracks... even IF we can avoid their scouts and spies."
"So, if we can't get out of the way, we need to think in terms of strengthening the town defenses and how to give a raiding party enough of a bloody nose to leave. Or figure out a strategy to lure them away. If they know a town is here - which seems certain - it'd have to be a hell of a lure... I just don't know..."
She looks at the mayor's residence. "This is a sturdy building. Is this the most defensible building in town? There wouldn't be any brick or stone behind these wall, would there?"
Yash placed a hand on Senna's shoulder, worry clear on his face.
"To nie jest nasza walka. Pamiętajcie o naszej misji i czasie, w którym żyjemy. Nie możemy wiedzieć, jak ingerencja tutaj wpłynie na nasz czas w tym miejscu. Powinniśmy już wyjść."
"This is not our fight. Remember our mission, and the time we are in. We can't know what interfering here will do to our time in place. We should leave, now.
The mayor nods with some hesitancy after the spoken Orcish, which he clearly doesn't understand. Umm...There is some stone in the bottom floor here, but the wood is old and strong. This is easily the sturdiest structure in town.
"To nie jest nasza walka. Pamiętajcie o naszej misji i czasie, w którym żyjemy. Nie możemy wiedzieć, jak ingerencja tutaj wpłynie na nasz czas w tym miejscu. Powinniśmy już wyjść."
The sorceress hopes that none of the locals understands Orkish. She gives Yash a grim nod of acknowledgement but saves comment for a moment, turning her attention to the locals.
Umm...There is some stone in the bottom floor here, but the wood is old and strong. This is easily the sturdiest structure in town.
Between the mayor and the guard she asks, ”Could all the townsfolk fit in here? The horde… are they all undead? No living creatures among them?”
She looks to Yash, ”Słyszę cię, bracie. Musimy porozmawiać z Lillibet, aby dowiedzieć się, gdzie są nasze inne zespoły i co widziały. JEŚLI jesteśmy już otoczeni przez wroga, może to być najlepsze miejsce na spotkanie z nim.” She adds in Common, as if translating the conversation, ”We will contact our scouts. They might have useful information that will help.”
Lady Sable doesn't like the idea of leaving the village to it's fate. It runs counter to a certain degree of noblesse oblige that she plays footsie with. On the other hand, she is temperamentally uncomfortable with defense of a fixed location. Everything about her prefers ambushes, raids, tactical retreats, and other means of combat that emphasize mobile strikes.
She agrees to a private conference afterward, curious to see where the others stand.
There mayor nods vigorously. We might be able to fit the whole town in here if we used every room, but it would be cramped, for sure.
As to the force, we don't know if it's purely undead. There could be orcs or other takes monsters too. The Horses of Belzken are their allies, after all.
But yes, please, use one of the meeting rooms upstairs. First door on the right, second floor.
The meeting room is simple with ten chairs around a long table and a chalk board along the far wall. The rest of the second floor seems to be other meeting or storage spaces.
Yash nodded in agreement with Senna, and then turned to make his way to the stairs. He paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Must talk", and then indicated the stairs with his head.
Lady Sable gets the ball rolling, and she has serious reservations.
"So, you do understand what a roll of the loaded dice it would be to attempt a defense by besiegement would be don't you? We are totally at the mercy of numbers. Maybe we're lucky and the numbers are fairly small, if so maybe we're okay at the end of it."
"But with sizable numbers, and we have no reason to believe they won't be. We're just standing still in a wooden structure waiting to be surrounded. Once we make the decision to go that route, it can't be undone."
"This will not be a typical besieging force either. The undead, the rank and file, will most likely be mindless. They will act as directed by their commanders without fear, or loss of determination. They cannot be discouraged by their own inevitable destruction as they assault our 'fortress' and will continue the attack until there are no more of them."
"If there are living allies with them, it's actually almost worse for us. Orcs or others might be discouraged if we are a prickly and dangerous enough nut to crack. But, they will also understand that we can be burned out. This might even happen if there are intelligent undead leading the force."
"That's my prognosis. If we attempt a defense of a fixed position with no means of escape we will either be overwhelmed by foes who have no need to rest, eat, or drink during the time it takes them to break us, whether it be hours or days, or we will be burned as soon as it is apparent we are a difficult target. This is a losing bet."
Senna pulls out the magic stone. "Lillibet? We need an update."
Senna? Lillibet sounds suprised to be hearing from you so soon. Ok, an update. Well, Simon has yet to report in. I'm starting to get concerned for him as he is usually very reliable.
Arthur is playing a game of cat and mouse with some undead to your west still. He recently reported contact with a an undead mage and a couple enthralled trolls, but he was was well west of you, near the lake.
News from the other sectors is promising. There seems to be mostly a token undead presence in this area and there have been friendly contacts with several Crusader detachments. I hear one sector in the north already has a trade deal in place.
Your tone, however, has me just as concerned as Simon's lack of report. What's going on?