Joras sees the end of the fight and he is about to speak Brandark goes off to bind the sleepers, so he just says, "They will only sleep for a short time, so be careful." He looks around, suspiciously and says, "This seems odd, why a blockade, why now? We've seen no one else so this is not a well-traveled road."
"Should.. should we kill the others?" Miron asks hesitatingly. I don't want them to follow us if they get loose. Or do you think there are others around?" He looks nervously around the woods. "Are they from Belzken?"
"I don't know, but Brandark's got the right of it." Perri will move to assist with securing the unconscious and moving things out of their reach. "Well, we still haven't heard of them, but I think we should be believing in them!"
Roya turns to Conrad and tends to his wounds. Brandark begins moving around and kicking away the weapons from the beast. As Joras, Miron and Perri question why now and are they from Belzken.
The orcs on the ground still sleep.
You turn and look at Conrad’s wound and you see that there is no wound there.
Initiative
Conrad, Joras, Miron, Roya, Perri, Brandark
O1
O2/O3/O4
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Conrad takes a step back and his eyes widen in shock as the orc's blade draws a huge gash across his abdomen. For an awful couple of seconds, he looks down at his wound in utter disbelief, seemingly not noticing as the battle rages on around him and the orcs drop to the ground.
He only snaps out of his daze when Roya inspects his injury.
"No," he shakes his head vigorously. "I'm fine. Can't you see?" he chuckles. "Maybe it's a miracle!"
His wide smile falters a bit as he wonders whether that last sentence was a bit blasphemous or not. Surely, thinking that Shelyn herself might have interfered to save him was a bit presumptuous?
Or not?
Conversation around what to do with the unconscious orcs thankfully brings him back to reality.
"We can't let them here," he protests. "Not so near the villages. They're just going to hurt people!"
He tightens his grip on the flail. What he intends to do to fix the problem becomes clear.
Seeing that Conrad is uninjured and what he intends to do, Joras quickly says, "Hold off Conrad, something here makes no sense. That blow should have wounded you severely, but did not, so no need to hurry harm." Joras shakes his head, "This feels like the ceremony in the town, theatre - not quite real. This is a quest meant to test us, what are our elders testing us for, really?" Joras thoughtfully asks the group or perhaps just the air around.
Based on all his life in the area, and the people he knows, and the inconstancies he has noticed, what is going on here?
Joras, so what you are saying is that these may not be real.
he takes his Urgosh and prods the nearest orc.
Jolted out of his reverie by Brandark, Joras says, "I guess I am, - illusion? That would be a very powerful spell, think Jocyn couldn't do it, maybe Holgast?"
Identify spell if possible, look for little signatures for signs of any caster he knows, Holgast in particular, as he is the most powerful, by rep that he knows of.
Seeing the wound not be there, and remembering her arrow, Roya approaches one of the Orcs, then cautiously attempts to poke it with her finger.
To see if it is real, or if they just suffered from a collective hallucination.
She will share her findings with the others.
Perry continues removing things from the unconscious foes, trying to reduce the threat they will impose if they awaken.
"Illusion? They feel real enough. Put enough resistance against the bill . . .."
"Not real? But.." Miron relaxes his grip on his spear. "Um, let me look." He casts a quick cantrip and a faint blue glow shimmers over his eyes, and he examines the orcs.
The group begins to question what is going on. Wounds that could have killed a lesser man disappeared, arrows moving through a body without and bloodshed… As a few of you begin to move forward and prod the downed foes, like fog lifting from a grassy plane the orcs dissipate into nothing.
You do detect magic, and if you hold it for a little bit you do detect the school of Illusion but are unsure exactly what it was. But you’d think it was some powerful magics to make Conrad believe that he was wounded by the orc.
You look around and find a spot that was hidden in plain sight. It looks as if someone was standing there because the leaves have been cleared to prevent and crunching. You also find a small cloth sack with a hammer and three pitons within. Also, wrapped in a scarf on top you find a small steel mirror.
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"B-But I killed one-" Conrad suddenly interrupts himself. His flail, which he expected to be still stained with bits of gore and blood and skull is perfectly clean.
He feels horribly silly, then.
Still unsure whether they've been fighting against nothing all along or if something was in the orcs' stead, he starts inspecting the ground for fresh footprints.
"Look!" he calls out after a while. Not very well hidden among the vegetation is a spot where the leaves have been cleared, and a couple of items.
Conrad prods a small mirror with his foot. "What's that doing here?"
"Well, I'm glad they aren't real, but, seriously, why scare us like this? They already know we know how and are willing to fight if we have to. What's the point?"
Perri notices the hiding spot that is pointed out, but doesn't pay much mind to it.
"Maybe it was a test of resolve...", Roya muses, answering Perri..."See if we drop the lantern and run at the first sign of trouble. Or if we're ready for the task they gave us...still, it seems cruel."
Well i guess its a test of resolve, anybody got an idea if we can expect more.
He shrugs out of his pack while they take a breather.
Anyone mind if i snag the mirror?
"If they are going to test us this early, they will test us later." Perri shrugs. "I don't see a reason to argue about you taking the mirror. So, back to it, then? Music and all?"
Miron looks over the items. "If this was a test, then maybe these things are a reward for defeating them." he wonders. "If it was someone else, I don't know why they would leave them. Still, they might be useful later on, we should take them."
If no-one stops him, he takes the hammer and pitons and puts them in his pack.
Joras nods to all that was said, "I think it is a test of our character a bit but also it's a tradition; it may have started when toughness mattered more and there were real dangers, now it's just something they had to do, so we have to."
Also Joras talks to Miron waving to show he should go and take the items, "Yep, I think they are hints at what's to come I think that map showed a gully or something, best we have them."
Joras smiles at Perri saying, "I can play for hours with some breaks but I should save my voice; if I sang all day, I'd be whispering for days."
Roya smiles at Joras: "Well, I guess then we should take turns singing. Everybody can do a song, or two, and you just play."
With that, she starts securing her bow and picking up her backpack again, while starting to sing.
It was a nursery rhyme she remembered from her grandmother, but it was melodic enough, and fitted well for her bright voice.
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"I don't get why they'd play such a trick," Conrad mumbles, none too happy about the whole thing. To get stabbed in the gut was bad enough, but to be deceived into hallucinating it...
He grimaces when Roya offers that the group takes turns singing, reflexively ducking his head every time a ditty is over in the hopes that he won't be asked to perform a song.
Back when he was still looking for ways to create something beautiful,he'd asked Jocyn to teach him music, once. He can still hear the man laughing, and doesn't believe he has stopped laughing since.
As the concept of what they just faced being a test settles, some conclude that it was from a time when there were real threats, others are none too happy about the impact of a test making you believe you were almost gutted.
The group continues, possibly on edge as they go due to the test they just faced. But the day continues to go on without any struggles. In fact, it is a rather plesant journey as they continue. Joras playing familiar melodies on his mandolin and thanks to Roya’s suggestion, each person taking turn singing the familiar tune. Except for maybe Conrad who seems to be busy as the previous song concludes. You follow the map for most of the day, as the sun is starting to set. But this time of year, it does set early.
By this time, you know that if you were to set camp, now would be the best time to start looking for a comfortable and safe place to set up tents and make a fire. Before having a chance to look for a place to rest you hear off in the distance the sound of a wolf howling. Is this a test or a real wolf in the distance?
brandark shrugs out of his pack and then drags out his tent.
Once i get this set up, i will be off to grab some wood.
brandark will go no more than 5 minutes into the woods in each direction to grab dry wood for a fire.
he also will not be going unarmed.
"Wolves are more likely than orcs to be real, I guess. We should keep a good watch tonight."
Miron joins Brandark in gathering wood, keeping an eye out for tracks as he does so.
"Wolves only attack humans if they are very hungry? Right? They will be afraid of us and stay away, won't they?", Roya recalls some things she heard about Wolves, but her voice shows that the howl did not leave her unfazed.
After setting her own tent, she stays near the center of the camp, helping by digging and setting up the fireplace and arranging the wood the others bring in.
To Roya, Joras says, "That's great, I'll play accompany for the songs. And don't worry about not being a good singer, no one can be worse than drunken travelers in a tavern."
Joras asks as Brandark sets up his tent, "Brandark can you show me how to pick a good spot to set up a tent and how it should be done? I've never had to do it before and I suspect it's not as easy as it looks."
Joras gets his tent back from Conrad, "Thanks for carrying this, it was just too much." He then proceed to set it up trying to follow any advice given. Then he looks around and says, "Does anyone know how to field cook or just travel rations for tonight?"
About the wolves, "That's what I thought, Roya, healthy wolves don't attack people, they lose, but sick ones might. I guess we'll need that watch for the night, as Miron suggests, and a fire." Joras sees others going to gather wood so he waits for their return.
untrained
The young fighter stubbornly refuses to ask for help as he works to put up his tent. "Yes, watches and a fire. Fire does a good job at keeping wolves at bay, right? He looks around for a minute. "I won't say I can do a good job cooking under these conditions, but unless one of you has a pot, our cooking options are pretty limited."
"Oh, yeah! Pot! Water! We need to find a spot to refill our 'skins, too."
"I can cover for you, there. Maybe not spring water, but no forest animals doing their business upstream either..", Roya jokes, then generates some water by drawing humidity from the air. "I can also try cooking. I don't mind. I'm still learning though so you don't get to complain."
Of course, such a task would force her to remain in the camp, near the fire - not fetch wood or go anywhere near wolves for any reason. The implication is unspoken but clear.
As the group sets off at the task at hand. Securing a safe camping location, setting up camp, and Conrad with Miron checks for wolf tracks. All of which are successful. The group finds a relatively flat area that would allow you to set up tents between scattered trees, while Conrad and Miron do find signs of wolves in the area. But that is not an uncommon occurrence in these woods.
A campfire is struck, and you all begin to warm yourselves around the fire. Though trail rations might not be exactly what sounds best for dinner Joras’ songs bring warm memories of the Seven Silvers. Even if it was just yesterday that you possibly had your last visit there.
Once camp is set and the group beds down for the night, all of nature’s sounds come alive. For those who have spent a night in these woods, you hear familiar sounds. Howling of a wolf, the hooting of the arrival of the winter owls, sounds of scurrying through the leaves of nocturnal rodents trying to find food. But for those who are unfamiliar with the woods and the common sounds, these unknown noises would put you on edge.
Sometime into the first watch while everyone is sleeping, Conrad & Miron hear the howling wolf get closer until the two of you can see its glowing eyes reflecting the light from your campfire. You spot it and it spots you.
After gathering the sticks and logs Brandark comments
So should I try to grab us some fresh food, or do we want to go with trail rations
Brandark heads out with both crossbow and Urgosh to see if he can get dinner for the group.
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"Wolves only attack humans if they are very hungry? Right? They will be afraid of us and stay away, won't they?"
"They're mostly scared of fire," Conrad answers, his brow furrowed in worry. "But that doesn't mean they won't attack us if they're hungry enough. Or if there's a lot of them. "
Preoccupied by the tracks he spotted, he again keeps to himself as he puts up his tent. If Brandark leaves to find fresh food, he offers to go with him, keeping his flail ready tensely.
When the party settles in their respective tents to sleep, he goes and sit by the campfire to take the first watch, his backpack left closely by his side. Though he is fine with conversing in whispers with whoever's keeping him company, the discussion is still rather awkward, often interrupted with long silences whenever Conrad fails to think of something else to say- which is often. He still doesn't seem completely at ease with the rest of the group.
Of course, the apparition of two glowing eyes in the vegetation is enough to silence whatever poor back-and-forth had been trying to pass for a lively conversation. Without taking his eyes off the wolf, Conrad reaches in his backpack for one of his torches, which he lights in the fire.
"[smaller]Can you see any others?[/smaller" he asks his companion in a low voice, then stands up.
Taking cautious steps, he approaches the wolf torch first, feigning to bring it suddenly closer to the beast, or to toss it in the wolf's direction to scare it.
"Back off!" he snarls.
Miron shivers next to the fire, pulling his coat around him as daylight fades to night.
He makes some small talk with Conrad, consequential stuff about village life and the work they do.
As the wolf makes itself known, Miron stumbles to his feet and grabs his spear. He tries to scan the area, but all he can see is the afterimage of the fire he was staring into. "I don't know." he answers Conrad.
Preparing for combat, he focuses his power and pushes the cold into his spear.
Flexing his hands with slight dulling of the cold, he calls out "Wake up! Wolf!" to rouse the sleepers.
As everyone prepares to bed down, Brandark sets off to see what he can add to the food supply. Getting away from the sights, sounds, and smells of the camp Brandark finds a location where he can set up and wait for game to come through. But not too far away because of the howling of wolves you have been hearing. A couple hours pass by and Brandark returns to the camp site with a rabbit and a couple squirrels. It looks like some of the group is already asleep as we are in the first round of night watch, but still early on in it. He can clean and start roasting his catch.
Conrad and Miron aren’t sure if it is the roasting of the meat, but there are the glowing eyes of a wolf. The two of you jump up and set to action. Conrad grabs a torch and approaches it with fire. Tossing the fire towards the wolf, Conrad sees that the creature looks to be in rough shape. At the same time as Conrad shouts Back off! Miron calls for the rest of the group to wake up; Wake up! Wolf!
Those who were asleep sit up in time to see the animal turns and rush away back into the woods.
[ooc]Earlier
As the meat is roasting over a low flame
He glances up and sees Myron staring into the fire.
Myron, place your back to the fire, that way you will not destroy your night vision, and you will still remain warm
Once the meat is slightly burnt
Well, there is enough here for everyone to snack on while they sit up for their shift. I am off for my rack
A few minutes later, his tent reverberates with the sound of snores.
negative due to sleep.
He just rolls over and continues to sleep.
When the warning is yelled, Roya quickly sits up in her bed. It had taken her a while to fall asleep, and now she was back to being awake.
The wolf had gone, but would it STAY gone?
She turned in her bedroll, not finding rest.
After about half an hour, she gets up and approaches Conrad at the fire.
Looking at him sheepishly, unable to meet his eyes, she speaks in a low voice:"I...er...I need to...uhm...make water. With the wolf I'm afraid to go alone. And I can't do that right here. Could you...stand guard for me?"
She blushes a furious red as she asks her question.
If able to do her business without interruption, she will thank Conrad and swiftly return to her tent, trying to sleep.
Cry of Wolf sounds in the camp as Joras is dreaming of a summer field full of songs.
To hear and awaken.
Which is shattered by the noise as he rouses to pops out blade in hand.
Joras asks, "Where is it?" Looking around the wolf, if any had left.
Joras shrugs and says "I'll see if I can return to my rest. Call if anything show up."
Joras tries to set aside fear, and promptly goes to sleep sure that it was just another trick.
As the cry of wolf is made, Perri rolls over.
An eye pops open, and he lifts his head, looking out of the tent towards the fire. He sits up and grabs his bill just in time to hear that the animal had fled.
"So, up, or sleep?" He asks without his butt having left the ground.
"Sorry" Miron apologises to those who woke, "It got scared and ran - I don't think it was in much shape for a fight."
He adds another log to the fire and scans the forest cautiously for the remainder of his watch.
Conrad & Miron’s actions appear to have been enough to spook off the wolf for it not to return. Eventually those who woke up make their back to their bedroll as their time at watch will come soon enough. The rest of the night goes through without any other disruptions. Outside of the wolf scare, each watch is rather pleasant thanks to Brandark’s roasting rabbit and squirrels for people to share.
Morning comes and it is possible that the thought of your own bed back home seems to be a welcomed thought, hopefully only one or two more nights to be spent in a tent. The group packs up the camp sight and fully extinguishes any embers still lit from the previous night’s fire. It would only only take one stray ember to fall into the dry underbrush of these woods to cause a major fire. One that could hurt the lumber industry of Kessan for years to come.
As you find your way back to the trail, and even following the trail, you find that there are signs of a small wolf pack that was in this area recently. It looks as if they are circling this region.
The group makes their way from the camp sight to the trail with ease. During this leg of the journey, you might take note that there is less game than before. Brandark would notice that moving forward it might be a less fruitful hunting ground. There aren’t rabbits or squirrels adding finishing touches to their nesting homes for the winter. Unless conversation and music is struck up the trek is cold, grey and might put a down mood on the task at hand as the sky begins to become overcast. There is a slight scent of rain about.
The group presses on to a point where the trees begin to thin, and the trail starts to widen. It reveals a field of short, green grass that leads to the shores of a wide, calm lake reflecting the overcast sky above. A dense fog hangs over the center of the lake, obscuring the far side. This is the Gray Lake.
In your youth you have heard stories of those who have tried to swim out into the denseness of the fog to see what secrets it hides. But those are only stories that Jocyn at the Seven Silvers have told before. None of you know anyone personally who has attempted the task.
Still some distance between the group and the lake. All of you can see a dark form lying next to the water on the shore, you can tell that it is a body.
You do not recognize the remains of the person here, or what is left of him. Their body has huge bite marks covering the upper torso. They are wearing armor that has been rendered useless from the damage. The clothing is also of a style and type that you are unfamiliar with. A short sword and a belt pouch flank his sides attached to his belt.
There was a small group of wolfs here, we should be careful not to stray to far alone.
Brandark steps off and while he walks along, he points out to Roya some of the edible plants that he learned.
add 2 for unusual stonework.
Hey, there is a body over there. Should we go take a look
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Though still tired from a night spent either dreading the wolf to return or tossing and turning in a cold tent, Conrad tries to stay alert for any signs of more predators.
He finds some. More wolves. One, two, or several of them, he can't tell. Not currently in these parts, but stalking these grounds not so long along.
He keeps his hand close to his crossbow.
***
When the party arrives at the lake, he makes a stop to admire the peaceful waters of the lake reflecting the cloudy sky like a mirror, marveling at the fact that he can visually tell the difference between nuances of grey, see grey on grey, white on white, all because of some subtle hues he can't even name. He wonders if that's how painting works.
That's when he spots the body.
"H-HEY!" he cries out, knowing full well it's probably futile. "ARE YOU OKAY?"
Joras gets up and readies himself for the day, quietly for him playing scales and checks his voice showing an excellent quality and vocal range. Spell slot renewed 2/2.
Joras plays his tunes, selecting for this somber day more reflective songs, with a overall mood of endurance, determination and eventually triumph.
Noticing Brandark, explaining about edible plants, he moves closer, playing softly enough to overhear.
Joras says in general, "We should always at least be in pairs. Every chilling story Jocyn tells has someone going off to a bad end."
I spy with my little eye ...
Joras pales at the appalling sight saying unsteadily, "Conrad, given his well chewed torso and armor, no I'm sure not all right." He then forces an emotionless and calm voice saying clinically, "From his dress I'd think he is a foreigner. Be cautious."
We should be aware, that this area is pretty much hunted out by predators. Hungry predators equals more risk of them deciding that we are prey.
Brandark starts walking towards the body.
Well chewed, but we should at least look as to what he had, and maybe we might be able to return to his family that which was his.
The sight of multiple wolf tracks make Miron feel a little better about waking everyone up in the night. Lucky it was just one last night. A pack might not have run off so easily.
--
He shivers as they approach the lake. He already has no wish to enter the chill waters, and the stories of the lake only cement that feeling. He starts when they see the body. The only dead people he'd seen before were at wakes, and they were nothing like this.
"What do you think killed them?" he asks "There's wolves around, but these bites look too big for a wolf." He tentatively pokes at the body with the shaft of his spear.
Perri struggles to get the tent back in his pack. It was such a tight, pretty bundle when he pulled it out last night, but it really doesn't look much the same this morning.
As the group moves along and the others start talking about a pack, and less meat available, Perri thinks back to last night's charred snack and visitor, then finds himself wondering how much worse it was actually going to get.
He tries to take a turn singing, but it feels like the air absorbs the sound, and Perri's enthusiasm appears to be waning, but he keeps moving along well enough.
"A chewed up body? On GRAY LAKE? I'm guessing whatever's in the lake killed him! Sure, let's get what he has that's worth saving. I doubt we're going to find his family, though. He's not going to be much help . . .."
"Careful. Let me take a look. The body seems...too intact. The wolves, or other animals, would have eaten the remains - but there's only bite marks. So either he died very recently, or scavengers stayed away for a different reason..."
Roya slowly approaches the body to take a closer look. She had helped the healers in Kassen, and not all illnesses ended well - and some people's time was simply up. As Healer and Cleric, it was part of her future duty to wash and dress the corpses, prepare it for burial...she had taken part in that several times in the last years.
But a body as violently mangled as this one was...difficult to behold, compared to someone passing peacefully in their sleep.