Kevan recovers his sling bullet and then walks to where Rejke indicates. "Nice work my lady. You will surely be rewarded for your endeavors one cannot doubt. You casters were amazing as well. And I feel lucky to be guarded by such as these great warriors. As for me, I will write of your deeds and see to it that they are put to song." Kevan says cleaning his nails with a rather large dagger for him.
"But, I mean, my brain made it hurt! Why would it do that?!" Felix ponders as he ravels his flail's chain and continues on in the direction the others indicate.
"These will come in handy for the gorge. Seems likely we'll be tested often, with each of our mentors taking a turn. I wonder what challenge we'll face next."
Jhessa ponders Esgean's words. Is that what this is: she wonders, a test of worthiness? Was it naive to believe this was more of a ceremonial task than anything more? She tries to recall tales of previous groups but it's been a few years since the last group went to the tomb. She weighs up whether voicing her opinion will expose her as stupid before deciding that it's preferable that everyone is better informed and will work better as a team: secrets, individual fears - that's what will divide them. "Do you think so?" she asks. "That this is just a series of tests?"
"But, I mean, my brain made it hurt! Why would it do that?!" Felix ponders as he ravels his flail's chain and continues on in the direction the others indicate.
She puts a consoling hand on Felix's arm. "It did that for all of us. It's very impressive magic but how do we tell whether anything we might encounter is real or not? And making the assumption that anything we meet is an illusion could be deadly." Jhessa runs a hand through her hair and tosses it. "Sorry," she says, biting her lip. "I'm struggling to get my head around this. And... and I'd much rather be open about this. We're going to be working as a team and relying on each other a lot here and that went pretty well but if there is a lot more to come then, well I'd rather we were honest about our worries rather than all hiding our own fears." She rushes through the last bit, the tone slightly defensive, armour for her own vulnerabilities. Slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushing in the cold, Jhessa is glad to have got that off her chest.
"Each of our mentors taking a turn..?" - Herskor pondered at Esgean's words - it was not obvious to him how she had reached that conclusion, but if that was the case he was looking forward to Arnama's testing, whatever it might be. She would be demanding for sure, but it would give him a chance to prove he is ready.
After quickly examining the gear they had recovered, he nodded in approval and set to the path with the others.
"I think you do well in speaking your thoughts" - he grunted at Jhessa - "There isn't much more we can do besides being as prepared as possible, is there?" - he added - "And that I think we are, within our abilities" - he offered as reassurance - "You have clearly shown that, back there"
For himself, Aldmus stands quietly, scowling. "Tests. That's all this is?"
The half-elf shakes his head slowly, "I agree, we can't just assume everything we encounter will be an illusion. That would be folly. But likewise, I have no wish to further waste my limited spells on opponents that do not require them."
"My arcane powers can be quite taxing, and Holgast knows it." Aldmus continues, frowning, before he seems to suddenly seems to realize he was thinking out loud.
"Apologies. Yes, of course you're right, Herskor. We just need to be prepared." He turns to Jhessa and adds, "I'll try to detect magic use as best I can...I hadn't even considered it when we spotted the orcs.."
Another pause, then Aldmus seems to relax a bit, and he chuckles to Kevan, "When you're writing it all up...lets leave out the fact that we fell for the first trick they threw at us, eh?"
--Esgean rewards Rejke for her find. Looks to find the sling bullet but is unable to find it in the fallen leaves.
--Kevan retrieves his sling bullet as he did see where it passed through the orc and found its home in the ground. Makes the remark of writing down the deeds of the group and put them to a melody.
--Felix ponders the spells ability to make him believe that he was hurt. But there WAS a wound and blood…
--The group discusses the possibility of each mentor testing the group. Looking back at the stories they been told by the adults of the village is unclear because of the vagueness of each ones’ story.
--Jhessa brings forward to the group that it could be deadly to assume that anything is an illusion.
The group continues with the discussions at hand. Possibly on edge as they go due to the test they just faced. But the day continues to go on without any struggles. 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, this causes Rejke’s ear to twitch and look off in the direction the howl came from.
"Druid's intuition," Esgean replies to the questions about her assumption.
She nods to Aldmus. "I couldn't agree more. We'll be in real trouble if we're caught in another scrape before we can rest and replenish our magic."
Then she smiles at Herskor. "It wouldn't be a good test of our abilities if we anticipated the orcs were illusions. I won't assume that every challenge is a test but it's possible there will be more to come. At least now we know this won't be easy."
As they travel she feels like they did not make the progress she had initially hoped, but the late autumn sun does not shelter them against darkness for near the hours they need. 'Twould be a fools' errand to press on at night; Losing the trail would not be the end of the journey but it would set them back.
She begins to look for a good place to camp: high ground, a small clearing if possible, with available dry timber for a fire to last the cold night. But before any real progress can be made, Rejke's ears perk up and they hear the howl in the distance.
She is immediately unnerved, but it's not the first time she's heard a wolf howl. "We're in the woods," she says matter-of-fact. "We're surrounded by wild animals. If we keep a good fire they'll stay away."
Then she approaches Jhessa and touches her arm. Speaking softly she says, "My father has spoken highly of your family. He is a tree-cutter and compliments your mother's strength and skill. And your father is a wonderful craftsman. We often admire his sturdy and elegant chairs. I wonder if it's a coincidence that we do not follow in their footsteps. Would you mind sharing how you were called to the temple?"
She keeps looking for a suitable place to shelter.
"What do you mean leave it out. We crushed that illusion. It'll sound great with a little embellishment. As to your concern about running out of power, I've managed to survive so far without magic. I think you'll be fine. You just need a good blade. We could turn you into a fencer." Kevan says to Aldmus. "You could be like one of those eldritch blades. I trained with one of those guys once. Shocked me every time I helped him up."
---
"Felix, Felix, my good man. You have got to learn to embrace your inner halfling. We have a knack for spotting these sorts of things. I had an enchanter try to make me believe my favorite pig was a blueberry pie once. It almost worked but I figured him out. Come to think of it, that was some pretty good bacon."
---
After hearing the wolf howl kevan says, "Did I ever tell you guys about the time I assisted Dr VanCakil in hunting down a werewolf. Those were exciting days. I have a scar here somewhere." he says as he starts looking under his collar and pulling up his sleeves to presumably locate said scar.
---
As they settle in, Kevan pulls a halfling sized tent from his pack and looks at it dubiously. Then he begins to set the thing up. Finally, he puts the sticks back in the pack and piles the tent up. "You know, this reminds me of the mountains of Belkzen when I had to burrow into the snow to survive the cold nights." Then he crawls in amongst the folds of the tent and drags his blanket and bottle in with him. Then, popping his head out, he asks, "What kind of security are we doing? Can't be too careful in these parts."
After hearing the wolf howl kevan says, "Did I ever tell you guys about the time I assisted Dr VanCakil in hunting down a werewolf. Those were exciting days. I have a scar here somewhere." he says as he starts looking under his collar and pulling up his sleeves to presumably locate said scar.
"You assisted in hunting a werewolf?" - Herskor raises an eyebrow at Kevan's claim - "I might want to hear more details about that in the future" - he added, as he joined in finding a place to camp.
"You know, this reminds me of the mountains of Belkzen when I had to burrow into the snow to survive the cold nights."
At this the half-orc only shook his head.
Once a suitable camping spot is found, he begins on the task of setting up the campfire.
"We will need watches, in case the wolves decide to attack during the night" - he commented to the others.
--Esgean & Herskor team up to find a suitable place for the group to camp.
--Kevan entertains the group with his tales of yesterdays heroic deeds. No matter how potentially tall the tales might be…
Once camp is set and the group beds down for the night. 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 sounds would put you on edge.
Sometime during the fourth watch Esgean & Jhessa hear the howling wolf get closer until the two of you can see its outline just on the ridge with the first sight of dawn making its outline. You spot it and it spots you.
Esgean, with her Knowledge of Nature [/ooc]Taking 10[/ooc] can see that the wolf looks lean, as if the predator has had difficulty finding pray. If this one is part of a pack there could easily be more hungry wolves lurking these woods.
..
.
.
Herskor proves the far more capable provider when it comes to shelter and Esgean is grateful for her friend's guidance and companionship. She too listens to Kevan's wild stories with amusement. Later she turns to Herskor while they work on the cape and says: "Remember that time we came upon the nest of bees in that old rotted tree and I thought it would be easy to smoke them out and steal some honey? But the little smoking stick was no match for that swarm and we had to race for the stream!"
Meanwhile she free Rejke to hunt for the her own dinner, usually a field mouse or sometimes a rabbit.
Before bedding down she casts her final spell of the day, and another small batch of goodberries is created. She eats two and offers another to Rejke, adding the rest to her sack.
With the chill of late autumn pressing on the land, Esgean huddles close to the fire in her winter blanket. She has wrapped her feet and is quote cozy with Rejke's radiating body like a bag if smoldering coals against her chest. The cat dreams of hunting and her paws twitch while she sleeps. It's very cute.
The trials of the day proved exhausting and she slept immediately, hard, and through, waking after a full night of good sleep, but to darkness and duty.
She smiles at Jhessa when the older girl emerges from her small tent. Esgean's cheeks feel warm but she blames the fire.
Speaking softly to her watch partner she says, "I was hoping to continue our conversation from yesterday before the needs of the camp intervened..."
But then the wolf emerges from shadow, presenting itself as hungry and desperate. If there are more then the group is in real trouble. Esgean does not panic.
She takes a couple goodberries from her sack and makes herself tall, tossing them gently in the wolf's directions. It's not exactly the meal the wolf is looking for, but it is a meal and one that will fill it's belly. Certainly it will give them a sniff and decide for itself just how badly it wants meat today.
"Felix, Felix, my good man. You have got to learn to embrace your inner halfling. We have a knack for spotting these sorts of things. I had an enchanter try to make me believe my favorite pig was a blueberry pie once. It almost worked but I figured him out. Come to think of it, that was some pretty good bacon."
Much later in the day, when the group is setting up camp and Felix is removing his armor to bed down for the night, he murmurs to Kevan, "I don't have a favorite pig. Should I get one to practice with?"
Then she approaches Jhessa and touches her arm. Speaking softly she says, "My father has spoken highly of your family. He is a tree-cutter and compliments your mother's strength and skill. And your father is a wonderful craftsman. We often admire his sturdy and elegant chairs. I wonder if it's a coincidence that we do not follow in their footsteps. Would you mind sharing how you were called to the temple?"
Flattered by the other girl's compliments, Jhessa replies in a similarly hushed voice. "Thank you, that's kind of you to say so. I'm sure your father is a talented worker too - it's no easy task to fell trees." She thinks for a second before continuing, "Woodworking seems to run through my family one way or another - other than me, that is. So yes, perhaps you're right and the fates have drawn us together on this quest. And of course," she smiles, keen to get to know her new companion and enjoy some female company. "Now may not be the ideal time but if we take watch together tonight we'll have plenty of time to talk."
* * * * *
As she is awoken by Herskor to take her turn on the watch, Jhessa yawns. She's used to rising for dawn prayers but this time of the morning is early even for her. She greets Esgean, who is already awake and alert, with a wave as she emerges from her tent. Taking a place next to the the druid, she wraps her blanket tightly around herself and huddles closer to the fire. "Hi," she says quietly.
With the approach of the wolf, Esgean calmly signals to Jhessa not to panic or make any sudden movements, though she can feel fear rising in her stomach. "Are you able to calm it down?" she whispers. "If it decides that we are a better prospect of a meal, I mean? You're the expert here so I'll follow your lead. If you think it's a threat just let me know." She doesn't want to have to shoot the wolf - the idea of attacking such a proud animal doesn't sit well with her - but she grips tightly onto her crossbow, waiting to see what the creature does.
Esgean remains absolutely still while she waits for the wolf to react to her offering of food. "We'll know in a moment. Pray its heart is not up for the fight."
Herskor snores.
As Esgean takes a few goodberries from her back and tosses them towards the wolf, the animal slowly creeps forward. Keeping an eye on the awake Esgean and Jhessa. Sniffing for what be food, it gobbles the berries up quickly. With a quick look towards the two of you, the wolf scampers off into the woods. With a potential sigh of relief Jhessa can lower her crossbow without having to down an animal that was clearly looking for something to eat.
As the sun continues to climb, Esgean and Jhessa know that the rest of the group has had enough time to sleep it is time to get a start to the day. With enough embers still glowing, you know that you could add more logs to get a fire going if you’d wish to soften some dried meat in water before heading off, but jerky is never too bad to chew on while out on the trial.
Looking at the map, the group knows that early in this morning you will be passing Gray Lake and should make it to the crypt before dinner time. If there are no complications.
Hearing that the group could make the Crypt before dinner time, Felix voices his opinion.
"Let's press on, then! It would be symbolic to have the Eternal Lantern lit before the dark of night comes. And..." here he spreads his hands as if offering a nugget of wisdom to the world, "...it might make some of us feel better about being that deep in the woods overnight."
Kevan crawls out of the folds of the tent, blanket in one hand and a brandy bottle in the other. He yawns and smacks his lips together, "Oh my, I'm afraid someone has lost a cat." He sticks out his tongue, tries to look at it and gives up. Finally he begins packing his stuff. Once it is packed, he looks around, "Any toast? Eggs?" he pauses and then more quietly, "Bacon? Ooh, well, this isn't going to be any fun. Next adventure I go on needs to be in a city. Did you guys hear all that noise last night? I think everything in the forest came to check on us."
After pulling apart a ration and nibbling on it and downing quite a bit of water, Kevan seems to be in better spirits. "There we go. Time to get on the road I guess. We need some horses." then he looks wistful. "That was a fun time. Me and a fella named Herman Geist used to train racing ponies. I can't count the number of times I was tossed." he rubs his bum as if remembering. "Am I walking up front, or am I rear guard?" he asks walking around to see anyone needs assistance with their stuff.
Kevan pockets some small item from whomever you choose.
--Felix shares the symbolism of lighting the Eternal Lantern before dark, which could offer comfort to the party.
-- Kevan looks for a hearty breakfast but only finds rations. Shares more stories of yesteryears.
The party packs up their camp sight and fully extinguishes any embers still light from the previous nights fire. It would 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.
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. Maybe the actions of Esgean detoured them?
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. There aren’t rabbits or squirrels adding finishing touches to their nesting homes for the winter. Unless there is much conversation, 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 stores that Jocyn at the Seven Silvers, or even Kevan, might have told before. None of you know anyone personally who has been successful with such a task.
Still some distance between the group and the lake, you all can see near the shore a dark form lies next to the water. It is a body.
You do not recognize the remains of the person here, or what is left of them. Their body has huge bite marks covering the upper torso. They are wearing armor has been rendered useless from the damage. The clothing is also of the style and type that you are unfamiliar with. A short sword and a belt pouch flank his sides attached to his belt.
Kevan moves besides Felix as he is getting his pack ready, and slips out the first thing his sees. A Potion of Cure Light Wounds.
Felix immediately veers towards the form lying by the lake in case it needs assistance. He can tell as he gets close, however, that the person is dead, having been ravaged by some beast.
"Oh no!" he laments. "Poor soul. I'd say we need to bring their remains back to town, but... I don't know that they've ever been to Kassen."
"Oh, the Gray Lake. Last time I swam it there was an elf lady in a swan boat. She wasn't nice though, she wouldn't let me in the boat. I was so tired I had to finish swimming to shore using all backstroke. I could taste that gray lake water for a week." Kevan says when they come in sight of the placid water.
Kevan heads over with Felix, "Well would you look at that. Maybe you could give him this." he hands Felix a potion (cure light wounds). Assuming the paladin tries to give it back he says, "No thanks. You'll probably need it more than me. Big guys like you tend to get picked on."
"Do we bury him here? If we don't take him back we can't just leave him out in the open." Kevan notes.
Kevan likes the interesting, not necessarily useful. But he does let his fingers do the walking.
Following the encounter with the wolf, Esgean settles into the early morning flow of camp. She sends Rejke to find her own breakfast and the cat returns a short while later licking its paws and cleaning itself happily.
Once on the trail she spies the signs of a larger group of wolves nearby, but she does not point them out to the group - no need to unsettle them now.
The arrival at Gray lake gives her a chill. It would be best if they moved on, but then Felix spots what is clearly a dead body.
"Be on guard, Rejke," she instructs her cat, then grips her quarterstaff tightly with both hands.
Kevan heads over with Felix, "Well would you look at that. Maybe you could give him this." he hands Felix a potion (cure light wounds).
"I think they're beyond that now, Kevan." Felix makes the sign of an ankh across his chest as he looks down at the body.
Assuming the paladin tries to give it back he says, "No thanks. You'll probably need it more than me. Big guys like you tend to get picked on."
"Thanks, but I already have one! When the mayor gave us all our packs, mine included a potion that can cure wounds! And since I already have one, it's better to spread the magical potions around, I think."
"Do we bury him here? If we don't take him back we can't just leave him out in the open." Kevan notes.
"I agree that we can't just leave them here, but it would be better if we knew more about who they were before burial."
Felix kneels down and respectfully starts to search the body for any identifying information.
Relieved at the wolf retreating, appetite sated by Esgean's magical offering, Jhessa exhales and lets out the breath she's not been wholly conscious that she was holding in. She didn't want to have to attack - and she certainly didn't want to be attacked - but the urge to talk and gossip which she had been looking forward to has deserted her for the present and she sits in companionable silence, which she thinks - hopes - the other girl understands.
* * * * *
With the others awake and the party on the road, Jhessa feels the weight of her pack but she keeps pace with the others, glad of her regular exercise.
When they reach the lake and discover a body, she is torn between Felix and Kevan's suggestions. On the one hand, taking the body back to Kassen would be a respectful thing to do but on the other, it's not wholly practical right now. She weighs things up before voicing this. "Kevan's right, we can't just leave it here. Do we have a spade so we can bury the poor soul and I can perform a blessing? I think that's the best option as we're not in a position to take it back to town right now and it doesn't feel right to just wait till we're heading back." She looks round the group. "Esgean's right though, we should be wary as we approach as whatever is responsible may still be in the vicinity."
to Felix, "Maybe that's where that one came from." Kevan says referring to the potion. "I found that at the campsite as we cleaned up. Keep it just in case."
Kevan helps to search the man and looks for anything that might help him identify where the fellow came from or who he was.
With a confused glance at Kevan and a shrug, Felix accepts the potion and puts it next to the other potion in his backpack.
As the group examines the belongings of the corpse, you discover that the short sword is of the masterworked quality and within the belt pouch is 87 gp inside. Each one looks to be newly minted from the capital city of Vigil.
Kevan and Jhessa look around together and discover the remains of an old campsite that has gone unused for a while.
From the looks of the wounds and decay of the flesh, this man has been dead for a few months.
You accept the potion from Kevan and go to place it in your pack next to the one you received from the mayor, only to discover that there is not one within your pack.
"That's a nice sword for somebody. My uncle Bertram was a wild barbarian sort of a fellow. He carried a sword about that size. He'd cleave into stuff just to see it splinter. He was one crazy halfling." Kevan says cleaning his nails with the oversized dagger he had the day before.
Kevan looks around to see if there may be enough rocks to build a cairn around the body. Digging a hole just seems like it would take a long time and he doubts anyone brought a shovel. If there are no rocks or an insufficient number he says, "I think the best thing we could do for him is cover him with tree branches. Then when we come back through we can arrange for a proper burial."
"Unfortunately I do not have a spade or a shovel" - Herskor nods at Jhessa, then goes to check the man's wounds.
"This man has been dead for months" - he comments to the others, trying to understand what kind of animal could cause such bites.
"Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no!"
Felix is frantically emptying the pack that the mayor of Kessan gave him. Off to the side is the healing potion that Kevan foisted on him; he has carefully placed on the ground while he empties his pack.
"Has anybody seen the healing potion that came in my pack?! It's missing!"
"This man has been dead for months" - he comments to the others, trying to understand what kind of animal could cause such bites.
Jhessa raises an eyebrow in surprise that so little could have passed the body here over such a period of time, but she does not dispute Herskor's assessment. "So they were killed but then neither eaten nor robbed, either at the time or since? I'm not an expert here but this seems a little strange to me. Any idea what might have done this?" she asks the half-orc.
"And I agree with Kevan, covering it in rocks or branches is probably the best thing we can do for the time being." She starts looking for suitable materials nearby. As she is doing this, she hears Felix's worried outburst.
"Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no!"
Felix is frantically emptying the pack that the mayor of Kessan gave him. Off to the side is the healing potion that Kevan foisted on him; he has carefully placed on the ground while he empties his pack.
"Has anybody seen the healing potion that came in my pack?! It's missing!"
"No," replies Jhessa, hurrying over. "This isn't meant as a stupid question but are you sure? Have you taken it out at any point?" she asks.
"Like I said, I found it at the last campsite. Probably yours anyway. Just lucky I found it." Kevan says. "If there is a missing one, I'll keep my eyes peeled for it." Kevan says and then continues grabbing branches and stones.
"I mean, I don't remember doing taking it out. There's no need, and I wouldn't want to break or misplace it. But I guess I might have.
"Good thing you found it, Kevan."
Felix breathes a sight of relief. After the body is buried, he takes a quick inventory of his pack to see if anything else has been misplaced before they head out.
"Yes, well done Kevan," echoes Jhessa. "That's definitely not something we'd want to lose, and the most likely scenario is that it is indeed the same potion. I'm glad you found it." She offers a prayer to Shelyn to thank her for the safe return of Felix's property and her figure is momentarily limned in a subtle soft pink radiance.
Those with any history of spending time in the woods would know that covering the body with branches would not prevent something from getting to the body if it wanted a easy meal. But as Herskor pointed out, the man has been dead for months and nothing has eaten the flesh to this point.
Looking around the shore of the Gray Lake you do see a scattering of decently sized rock that you could use to construct a cairn for the body. It would take a bit of time that could delay arriving at Kessan’s crypt by nightfall.
Looking over the bites you notice something very familiar, yet odd. Then it strikes you, this is the exact same bite pattern that a snake or another kind of serpent would leave behind. Except on a much grander scale. This creature must range in size from 40-60 feet.
Reading the situation, you believe that Felix is honestly perplexed about how the potion from the mayor has magically disappeared. Kevan, on the other hand, is hiding something. His silver tongue is covering something up. You’re unsure of exactly what.
"These bites puzzle me" - Herskor frowned while going over the wounds on the corpse - "The pattern is the same as those caused by snake bites, just... Much bigger..." - he looked around - "We are talking about a serpent with forty feet in length, probably more. So keep your eyes open"
"So this poor soul's body might be poisoned, if the giant snake is poisonous. Or I guess the snake would be venomous. So this body might be venomed.
"That could be why scavengers haven't taken them."
Felix thinks for a moment.
"I mean no disrespect, but if this body has remained here for this long, another couple days of exposure isn't going to do much. I think a decent covering of foliage pays respects, and it allows us to continue our journey to the Everflame. Then we can find a way to bring them back to town on our way back."
Esgean's eyes go wide when Herskor makes his deduction about the size of the serpent. And it is beyond her how a body would just lay here, mostly preserved for months. That's not how nature works at all.
"We should make a pyre and burn the body. Though this man's relatives will want to know he was found dead, this corpse could easily come apart if we try to take it with us or in any way move it."
She looks around the group who may seem unconvinced. "Fire is a noble end. We come from earth and we should be returned to it. If no creature would consume his flesh that is an ill-omen we should be wise to consider. It would not take much time to cover him with kindling and branches and set it ablaze. And the flames would ward against any creatures - or very large serpents - lurking nearby."
Jhessa nods at Esgean’s suggestion. ”I have no problem with fire as a fitting burial, it’s accepted by many regions and cultures. But would it alert others to our presence here?“ She frowns, wanting to reach a decision but not entirely sure what the best option is. ”Sorry that this isn’t necessarily helping, I do think we need to make the best decision we can for now and be on our way again.”
Not being a religious one, and not having a particularly strong opinion on what should be done with corpses after they are dead, Herskor stays mostly out of the conversation - "I say we cover him with branches and be gone" - he does voice his opinion, and then makes himself useful by being on the lookout for very large snakes.
With the rest of her companions eager to cover the body and move on, Esgean begins to harvest wood. She only offered the suggestion of fire as an alternative to burial.
"There, that's done. Let's be off."
With the body covered as best they can in the time available, Jhessa recites a couple of prayers to Shelyn to preserve the body until the group is able to return and to guide the spirit of of its former inhabitant in the afterlife.
"Agreed," she says in response to Esgean, "let's keep moving in order to make it to the crypt today."
Of the three options; leaving the body, covering it with branches or covering it with rocks. The group decides on the option that would still honor the remains and get them to their destination before too long. In this fall season there are plenty of downed branches to cover the remains and any extra that would need to be cut down is done so with ease.
Leaving Gray Lake behind it is roughly a 3 hour journey until you reach Serpent’s Gorge. The trail leads ever deeper into the Fangwood, through a twisting maze of trees and confusing ravines. As it tops a small rise, a broad valley spreads out before it. The opposite side of which looks like a writhing serpent. Yet between the two lies a steep hill sloping down into the valley. A cold rain starts to fall, making the ground slick and treacherous.
You know that Kassen’s final resting place is somewhere within the valley below.
As they depart the lake, heading into the thicker trees of the Fangwood, Jhessa glances at Herskor and Esgean. The two of them seem perfectly at home in the forest and, while alert, do not seem troubled. [i]If they're happy enough with where we're going then I am,[i] she thinks, trusting them to keep the party on the right path. Not wanting to distract the group from any potential danger in the woods, she is also aware that an oppressive silence may be just as threatening. Nor would it be useful in building links or maintaining morale as the journey becomes something of a trudge.
Taking things into her own hands, Jhessa draws up next to Felix and flashes him a smile. "Hi," she says quietly. "How're you doing? I hope you're not giving yourself a hard time over the potion thing. Everything's a bit different out here for all of us, isn't it? But everything turned out ok and we all pulled together." She places a hand on his forearm in companionship. "Besides, I need a big strong warrior such as yourself to protect me, should we run into more trouble. That's a compliment, by the way." She looks up at his face, tossing her hair and batting her eyelids at him flirtatiously. "Seriously though, I've seen you chop wood and I've seen you swing a hammer, and sword, and from what I can see you know which end is which," she grins, "but I am interested in what drew you to Sir Dramott. So please put a poor girl out her misery and spill."
Felix shrugs good-naturedly. "I don't know how the mix-up with the potion happened. I've been wracking my brain, but I just can't figure it out. I'm just thankful that Kevan found it! I mean, I know that healing potions are valuable, so I didn't want to lose it, and I wouldn't have forgiven myself if we had need of it and I couldn't find it!"
Felix thinks on his own words for a moment and then shrugs again, as it to say, "It all worked out."
"Did you get anything good in your backpack?"
"Seriously though, I've seen you chop wood and I've seen you swing a hammer, and sword, and from what I can see you know which end is which,"
"Oh, this is a flail," Felix interjects.
"but I am interested in what drew you to Sir Dramott. So please put a poor girl out her misery and spill."
"Well, I guess it's better to say that he found me. Or maybe Iomedae sort of pointed me out to him? I don't know. I tried a lot of different things, but I didn't take to them the way I do being a paladin. Training for combat AND for battle, you know? And maybe, if I can prove myself, I can find a way to serve and protect Kassen or even Nirmathas!
"I mean, between you and me, Sir Dramott's food and lodging are paid for by Lastwall, and I don't see the mayor paying me for anything unless I'm being useful."
to Felix, "Always happy to help, my good man."
As they walk into the Fangwood the young halfling, like many of his race, seems little concerned. Whether it is true courage or just the inability to imagine himself in danger is sometimes in question. "Dr. VanCaskil and I traveled through a forest like this once in search of a werewolf. Mean, nasty things. But he was a brave one. He was a tough old bird. Sad thing is how he died. Was it a vampire or a werewolf? Nope, he choked on a chicken bone. It was so sad."
At the top of the hill. "We're heading down there, right?" Kevan asks.
Esgean smiles at Kevan's stories. She knows they are lies, but they are very entertaining, and he performs them with such conviction. On the other hand, it's hard to know how to strike up a conversation with the halfling, as the dialog would be unreliable. He's certainly likable, if not entirely trustworthy.
"Kevan, I wonder. What is the most interesting place your journeys have taken you?" Esgean waits eagerly for his next tale.
Then when they finally reach the gorge she nods to his question. The rain complicates things, as rain often does. She tries to estimate how deep the slope is, and whether the group has enough rope to proceed down safely.
"Who has rope? Any pitons or hooks?"
Felix shrugs good-naturedly. "I don't know how the mix-up with the potion happened. I've been wracking my brain, but I just can't figure it out. I'm just thankful that Kevan found it! I mean, I know that healing potions are valuable, so I didn't want to lose it, and I wouldn't have forgiven myself if we had need of it and I couldn't find it!"
Felix thinks on his own words for a moment and then shrugs again, as it to say, "It all worked out."
"Did you get anything good in your backpack?"
Jhessa nods along as he speaks. "Yes, that's the main thing. I didn't get anything as exciting as that," she says, "but I do have a healing scroll and some holy water that I added myself. Shelyn protect us that we won't need them though."
"Well, I guess it's better to say that he found me. Or maybe Iomedae sort of pointed me out to him? I don't know. I tried a lot of different things, but I didn't take to them the way I do being a paladin. Training for combat AND for battle, you know? And maybe, if I can prove myself, I can find a way to serve and protect Kassen or even Nirmathas!
"I mean, between you and me, Sir Dramott's food and lodging are paid for by Lastwall, and I don't see the mayor paying me for anything unless I'm being useful."
Listening to Felix talk, Jhessa notes the passion in his voice. This she can relate to, both in terms of having found her calling and struggling before that. "That makes a lot of sense," she agrees, "and I can relate. My whole family are woodcutters and woodworkers but it never felt like a good fit for me, you know? So I was guided towards Shelyn and the temple after it was pointed out to me that maybe she had been guiding me the whole time. And it just feels right," she says, subconsciously placing a hand over her heart.
"I'm really glad Iomedae called you because you seem happy, if that doesn't sound too stupid. What I mean is, it just seems obvious to me that you should be a warrior of faith but what if fate hadn't led you down this road? Or maybe it would always have happened? I'll have to ask Father Prasst when we get back. Sorry, I'm just rambling now," she apologises. "Thank you for sharing though. I don't think you need to worry about your situation - you have the opportunity to be useful now and I'm sure there will be plenty of need for a strong arm in defence of the town in the future. Plus even if that weren't the case, I don't think it would look good for the mayor to kick out a paladin so I think you're pretty safe."
* * * * *
Then when they finally reach the gorge she nods to his question. The rain complicates things, as rain often does. She tries to estimate how deep the slope is, and whether the group has enough rope to proceed down safely.
"Who has rope? Any pitons or hooks?"
"Sorry Esgean," says Jhessa, "there wasn't any in my pack. How much do you think we need?"
Conversations spark between Jhessa and Felix over keeping one another safe, and what draw the Paladin to Sir Dramott. The conversation turns to what was in each other’s backpack for the first time. All the while Kevan shares of yesteryear’s journeys.
Arriving at Serpent’s Gorge quickly changes the topic of conversation. Seeing the distance, you believe it is roughly 100 feet to the bottom of the gorge. It does look as if the group could make their way down without setting up a rope, but it would make things significantly easier due to the light rain making everything more difficult.
As Esgean ask about pitons, the group remembers the hammer and pitons the group found the previous day.
"I'll go first and see how slippery it is."
Conscious of his heavy armor and a general idea of how far down the slope he'd tumble if he fell, Felix takes his time moving down the slope.