Lariel breathes in the countryside's air. He likes the smell of the stables. nearby. He agrees with Coraline and is relaxed, only scratching the tip of his bow out of habit.
Not quite countryside just yet, within the city walls, the smell of the stables is indeed noticeable when coming near.
Upon Caroline's suggestion, you approach the guards currently on duty at the western gate.The closest two nod at you guys, as you approach them.
"Good day citizen, is there something you wish to ask?"
" Umm, well, I have information some horses recently fled into the woods here from the stable. Can you tell me about anything you saw or whoever was working here then saw? How did such creatures manage to bypass such excellent guards as you? This mystery is bothering me like barnacles on a whale."
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Indeed, any information would be most useful in our epic quest to... deal with problems without straining your resources!
" Umm, well, I have information some horses recently fled into the woods here from the stable. Can you tell me about anything you saw or whoever was working here then saw? How did such creatures manage to bypass such excellent guards as you? This mystery is bothering me like barnacles on a whale."
Another guard snickers at the obvious fake flattery that Caroline tosses at his colleague. Who just frowns faintly at it.
Even rolling his eyes at Aletha's hesitating attempt at fishing for information.
Guardsman: "Hearing hooves upon the street is nothing strange. It was right at a change in shift, that a couple of horses led by someone with a raised hood suddenly bolted for the gate. Almost had one, but they ran as if running in fear."
Leona comments hearing the guard commend on the hooded individual "Fear, Well then if one thinks on it from a crime perspective, that hooded fellow, was likely a pawn being used."
"Could be. But we will need to try and catch up with that 'pawn' and find the horses. He might be a simple thief. But he might be just one member of a group."
"Let's get going."
Leona comments hearing the guard commend on the hooded individual "Fear, Well then if one thinks on it from a crime perspective, that hooded fellow, was likely a pawn being used."
Guardsman: "A search was started to find the hooded figure, this morning. But it could well be what you think, i agree, that they are but a part of some plan. But it must be some weird plan, if it involves sending a couple of horses into the Gloom Woods."
Meanwhile Lariel walks some 150 feet down the cobblestone road, including a small bridge across a narrow river, before it becomes a natural road.
The traces of horse-hooves from that point on is evident, they ran down the road leading into the Gloom Woods.
And Lariel would be right, but Coraline sees the wisdom in getting the horses back first. " As much as I would like us to get the horses back, I want to question more here. However, by the looks you give, the finding of the horses may be more urgent, since they could be... eaten? Maybe eaten by something. So we get the horses back, and then question more."
Vasaam shrugs. "The hooded figure may live in the woods. That might be why he, or it, wore a hood."
He readies his new crossbow before they get to the woods.
The team heads bids the guard goodbye and start hiking out of the western gate, towards the Gloom Woods.
The initial horse tracks had already been spotted by Lariel.
Following these tracks over the road during the next half an hour or so, they lead to a fork in the road. As mentioned earlier, these outer area of the woods allow normal light, albeit indirect. The trees canopies above are close with another. But the fork poses a problem, there's horse tracks on both of them.
The left road's tracks look more recent.
A squirrel hurries up a tree with a nut at your approach.
Lariel having determined correct path that the runaway horses fled on, the group of rookie fixers follow the horse tracks.
Despite it's reputation about its atmosphere, there's still the traces of animals one may expect from forests. Cracked nuts, uprooted traces of an animal digging, and the sounds of the occasional small bird.
But this road leads to a spot where the horse tracks halt, and form an irregular pattern upon the road.
Horses faced with something that unnerves them need a handling to stay calm, these tracks indicate they were very much not calm.
You notice two discarded vials lying just at the edge of the road.
There used to be some potion in them, its effect similar in nature to the spell Pass Without Trace.
Your sight going off-path to your left, there are bushes and young trees' branches that are broken off, as if something large ran through them. A horse, for example.
Seeing the discarded vials Vasaam casts detect magic to study them.
But he isn't sure what the auras tell him....
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Lariel comments "The horses were very nervous when they came this way. It would take a trained horsemaster to handle the animals that came this way."
He notices the vials that Vasaam took, but he knows he can't possibly know what's in them. He readies his bow and continues moving, following the horses' track.
Coraline notices the bottles, but she was not able to figure much out of them given she was not a spellcaster, but a cleric. She tries her best to understand, but given she was no master of horses, she simply says " We will be on the right place at least then."
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He readies his bow and continues moving, following the horses' track.
No further horse tracks are found the road, they simply cease from this point on.
While most of the team sees but the immediate surroundings, Leona checks a bit further. The branches she can see look broken from the side of the road. She sees at least 2 instances of this.
The off-road terrain is still within the outer regions of the Gloom Woods.
One of the slightly thicker branches broke off particularly unfortunate, as by a small wet red mark on its breaking point, what ran through it must have gotten a slight cut.
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The blood drops are only few in number and not too close to each other.
However they lead to a very shallow stream. You notice some drops have hit a stone half-hidden behind another on the other side.
After searching and debating, you notice some blood drops on a stone half-hidden behind another on the other side, and resume the search.
The blood drop trail stops eventually near some small animal burrows. There's a few small eaten rodent corpses.
There's a trampled animal to the east! That away!
How frustrating, where'd those horses go? Looking around the scene, you see some dead animal. It looks trampled from the side you are currently. Onwards, to the east.
You arrive at a natural clearing, as much as it could be called with its low vegetation.
There's a smell of...manure??
In one point away from the clearing, at least one of the horses had to 'make a stop'. Smelly, but the direction is clear.
There's a certain smell in these woods, some of the vegetation smells funny, but something nearby is foul.
A little later you find some horse dung. Yuck, but now you know the direction they went.
You arrive at a natural elevation. Traces of something passing is clear, as some of the small rocks have fallen down, as if pushed away by someone of something trying to get up.
Acrobatics: you successfully navigate the uneven loose rocks.
Climbing: you manage to climb a loose root up the elevation.
The elevation goes down a little further, but the ground gives way, and you start sliding downwards. You are sliding towards a fallen tree.
Once down, bruised or not, you dust yourself off.
You hear talking, a single voice, from the northwest.
"Good horse. Not bad ride, yes? We give you food and drink now."
Not passing the perception:
You hear laughter, 3 voices.
[ooc]Stealth checks please, as you head towards the sound.
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Coraline shares the information she gathers to the group, allowing all the checks to be passed with her perceptive eyes. The fact there is someone speaking means the horses may not be harmed at all.
" We may should treat with them, see if they are able to be reasoned with? Perhaps they did not steal the horses?"
[dice= Perception] 1d20+8
[dice= Perception] 1d20+8
[dice= Perception] 1d20+8
[dice= Climb] 1d20-4
[dice= Perception] 1d20+8
Coraline shares the information she gathers to the group, allowing all the checks to be passed with her perceptive eyes. The fact there is someone speaking means the horses may not be harmed at all.
" We may should treat with them, see if they are able to be reasoned with? Perhaps they did not steal the horses?"
During the slide everyone, except for Lariel, hits the fallen tree. Lariel, instead of sliding mostly in half-sitting or rolling motion, presses himself flat on the slope. He passes underneath unharmed, if a bit dusty and a few vague earthy smears on his clothing.
A small clearing shows a fine horse tied to a thick branch of a large tree.
What looks, from the edge of the clearing, to be a single gnome, stands patting the horse, feeding it.
Spread between the bushes, lie a total of 3 small backpacks.
He spots Aletha's high ponytail haircut, tilts his head slightly.
"Who's there?"
Vasaam stays quiet to let the more diplomatic people reply.
Leona whispers in a low voice so the others of her party hear, but not loud enough for the group in the clearing.
"I see 3 backpacks, in the bush."
The short guy calls out agaim.
"I see you, big-hair person! And you too, big-hat lady!"
Vasaam assumes that the gnome is speaking to him so he stands and speaks up. "Big hair guy? I assume you mean me. Let's go with proper introductions then, my name is Vasaam. And my friend here is Coraline. And what should we call you? I don't want to be rude of course."
"Vasaam assumes that the gnome is speaking to him so he stands and speaks up."
The small fellow is surprised by the appearance of a 3rd person at the edge of the clearing. "Not you! That one!", as he points towards where Aletha's upwards ponytail sticks out like a sore thumb.
"And what are you doing here?" He frowns.
His one hand cautiously descending to a dagger on his hip, while not moving yet.
Coraline takes her time before answering honestly, hoping for a good ploy " We heard word of horses stolen from the stables in town. But it seems very good citizens such as yourselves have recovered them, and I am very sure there is a reward for the return of the horses."
Coraline takes her time before answering honestly, hoping for a good ploy " We heard word of horses stolen from the stables in town. But it seems very good citizens such as yourselves have recovered them, and I am very sure there is a reward for the return of the horses."
"Right...i'm sure someone somewhere would pay for returning their horses. But it doesn't mean the first horses you see are those same horses. These aren't."
The guy's lying, or in the least feigning ignorance.
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Purposely trying her best to pretend she didn't know he was lying, she tries to best approach the issue presented. " Well, we have many clues that point to the horses coming this way. Why not let the dealer in the horses determine that? If he is dishonest, we will expose a crook, and hang him from the cliffs. I mean, unless you are the crook, and you need to hang. Only a dishonest and thieving person would try to keep another's hard work, and you seem to honest for that."
While Vasaam isn't usually any good at reading people, this little one must not be a very good liar. With Coraline commenting though he leaves any accusation alone for now. "Right. Stealing a man's horse is a hanging offense. I would assume that lying about stealing a horse would carry a similar penalty. Maybe you can help bring him to justice."
Coraline's words don't convince the gnome to budge.
After both Coraline and Vasaam spoke, two other gnomes arrive.
One with frazzled dark hair and sharp eyes asks what is going on.
The one you spoke to just now replies.
"They are looking for horses. They want -these horses-."
The other gnome sighs, picks up his backpack, and he walks towards one of the horses, extensions hanging from the saddles for short people to get on.
"Then they'd have to make a very attractive offer, because we're on a schedule, aren't we."
" Well then, since you are in such a hurry, returning to the stables would be the easiest way to avoid the hangman then. Come, we will walk together. Otherwise any attempts to escape will only prove your guilt and as horse thieves, I believe the punishment is death. At least my people kill thieves." Coraline talks calmly, but her words would be a slight signal to be ready for battle.
The gnome doesn't look over, but detaches the extensions.
"That's not an offer, is it lads. Sounds like tall folk throwing threats."
He then does turn towards you.
"Take your damned horse, but don't expect us to go anywhere with you. Since we did not steal these horses, we paid for 2 horses to be delivered to us. Just shows again cityfolk are untrustworthy."
It could be your imagination, but the gnomes look rather pale of skin now.
"Hmm.... Sounds like you were dealing with thieves. You say you paid for two horses to be delivered? Who were you dealing with?" He looks at the gnomes. He's not a diplomat, but just taking the horses doesn't sound fair either....
"You say all city folk are untrustworthy. We could just say that all folk living in these woods are untrustworthy. But trust has to be earned, regardless of where you live. We're here to recover stolen horses. It appears that you bought them. Maybe we could help you get your money back?"
"Hmm.... Sounds like you were dealing with thieves. You say you paid for two horses to be delivered? Who were you dealing with?" He looks at the gnomes. He's not a diplomat, but just taking the horses doesn't sound fair either....
"You say all city folk are untrustworthy. We could just say that all folk living in these woods are untrustworthy. But trust has to be earned, regardless of where you live. We're here to recover stolen horses. It appears that you bought them. Maybe we could help you get your money back?"
Picture of the frazzled haired gnome
He snorts, but remains serious in tone.
"Sure, that's easy to be said, if one hasn't traveled these woods. Though in general, experiences with cityfolk have not been good for us."
"I seriously doubt you could get us our 150 gold anytime soon, if at all. If in the unlikely event you actually try to find the man who sold us the horses, average build and he's missing a tooth in his left upper jaw, and a cauliflower ear on the same side."
The frazzled haired gnome takes something from his pocket and flings it towards Vasaam.
"If you happen to genuinely want to make right and return our money, this will guide your way to a meeting spot. You'll be going deeper into the woods, mind you.", this is accompanied with a slight smirk.
The three make motion to back away, keeping their eyes on you.