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"I don't understand him," Caveth says under his breath to Garadeer beside him while doing his best to not looked alarmed by the sheer number of the creatures before them. The mythical goblins do not appear threatening at the moment but there are a lot of them, enough to cause real trouble if they set their minds to it. He raises his voice and, in a wary yet jovial enough tone, calls out to the leader of the Nyriskus, "Do any of you speak the common tongue?"
Had a hectic weekend but I will be posting something after I get home from work today.
Responding to Garadeer's alarm, Caveth hurriedly gains his feet and heads towards the north end of the compound. Prior to the watchman's cry he had been sitting at the small table, mending his cloak, which had suffered rather grievous damage in the explosion at the logging camp, using the needle and thread he always carried just in case. He cast the garment aside rather than fuss with the sewing supplies so he is already wet when he reaches the north wall and can look forward to getting wetter in the incessant rain that has followed them as surely as the plague. "What is it? What do you see?" he calls, racing up the nearest stairs.
"The rest of the Hawcroft team should return from High Krandon soon. Until then, this is the safest place for you to remain. When Silas, Kay and Harbek get back, we can decide what to do next."
"Let's get some food into them." Caveth says to Roland. "They're probably hungry and it's likely to get them talking to us." He sorts through his gear and comes up with a few hard biscuits, an assortment of roasted nuts in a little burlap sack and a handful of dried apricots. Unsure of just how much longer the stay at the river gate will be, he decides it would be wise to ask Milani to restore the spoiled food he'd collected from the logging site the next day. It won't amount to much but every little bit will help stretch whatever supplies are available. Approaching the trio, Caveth smiles. "Good evening ladies, I am Caveth Itxaro, representative and agent for the Hawcroft Logging company although if you're looking to purchase or sell lumber, Mr. Atterleigh is actually the man to talk to." He motions to the older man in the expensive, albeit ruined, suit and chuckles. Offering the food, he continues, "I thought you might be hungry after such a long walk from, eh..." The half elf trails off and he looks to the women. His demeanor is entirely unthreatening as he pauses but it is clear he hopes one of them will pick up the story.
"I don't know Roland, they look fine enough to me but then so did Moffrey right up until the very end." Upon considering their attire, its condition and their lack of weaponry, Caveth decides that it is unlikely they are part of a ruse intended to trick Roland into compromising the river gate. There are not many places the women could be concealing weapons and, although halflings are often mistaken for children, he knows that's due to their size more than any other resemblance. They are simply dismissively overlooked as any child would be by most people other than their own family but it takes only a small amount of scrutiny to see the difference. He's quite certain the little one actually is a human child rather than some small adult rogue in disguise. "I do think they will continue on to the city if we turn them away. If they make it that far--I suspect they won't but if they do--they could bring the plague with them. I don't like the idea of sending them away. It seems rather cruel under the circumstances; they are clearly not equipped for extended overland travel. I also think it's better they stop here than get all the way to Barrjka if they are dangerous somehow so, no matter how you look at it, the best thing to do is let them in and we should help them."
Caveth hurries to Roland's side where he can view the trio approaching the river gate. His sharp eyes search for any outward sign of infection.
"It could be a scout but I don't understand why it would attack us. Surely it didn't believe it had any hope of defeating all of us on its own and, now that it's dead, it won't be reporting whatever information it gathered back to its leader." Caveth scratches his chin absently while pondering the strange assault. "I wonder if there were more of them with this one but they got scared off when they realized they underestimated us. There might be tracks outside the compound to give us some clue." The half elf looks to the others for thoughts and, in doing so, he realizes that breaking up the group again would leave the river gate manned by little more than a skeleton crew. Caveth reconsiders the situation. "Hmmm, actually, I wonder if that isn't the plan now that I think about it: get us to compromise our position here by sending out an investigative team that will be small enough to attack directly or large enough to have made those that remain behind too few to defend effectively. Maybe we should just sit tight and wait for the doctor, Kay and Harbek to return."
Although pleased with his accuracy, Caveth is mildly surprosed that he is able to down his foe in a single shot. He scans the area in the failing light. It is unlikely that such an unimpressive specimen would attack so recklessly on its own, there are likely more of the creatures about.
Caveth cries out in astonishment but reacts quickly, loosing an arrow at their attacker.
"I saw it again! It's in the wall somehow. One of those critters Moffrey was talking about, the goblins that are supposed to be an old wive's tale like the Durahjan." he explains to Roland and the others.
"I saw...something...by the gate but it's gone now" The half elf sounds hesitant as he points with his bow toward the north end of the compound. He creeps forward, scanning the wall while keeping the section their attacker seemed to melt into in view. "I'm not sure what it was, some unusual creature again. Or a spellcaster." He cringes inwardly as soon as he speaks that last sentence. Just when his mates were growing less leery of magic.
All good. Can't wait to see what we're fighting!
Caveth recoils, dropping the shattered bottle, then moves first to retrieve his bow. Once his weapon is in hand, he scans the north end of the compound where the gate was repaired; it seems the likeliest place to make a breach considering it had already been compromised.
Sorry for my extended absence. Luckily such things only occur very rarely. Hope everyone else had a lovely Easter holiday like I did. Looking forward to more adventure with you all!
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Roland." Caveth's tone is cheery given the circumstances. He doesn't like to look across the river to the far side of the compound where the scorched earth marks Moffrey's final resting place but the well of hope Milani nurtures in his soul sustains him, now as it did during past trials. Waiting around is glum business though and Caveth does feel for the company man who is undoubtedly used to someone else handling such tedious work for him. Taking a moment from the dice game, the half elf rummages through the odds and ends he's salvaged first from the logging camp and then from the ruined barge here in the compound. He finds what he was searching for and returns to the group of men, offering the small bottle of gin he'd discovered along with the "tobacco" he had given to Kay among other things what seems like so long ago. "Might help take the edge off things, help you get some rest too," he says, "But don't go getting rowdy, ok?"
Hope things improve for you Gatsby. I don't mind the slower pace in the meantime. Heads up: I got elected to host Easter dinner on Good Friday but no one told me until yesterday so my schedule is jam packed until Saturday. I'll do my best to get something up but I can't make any promises.
Once Moffrey's remains are dealt with, there is not much left to do but settle into the dull routine of manning a post in shifts and waiting for the others to return with news from High Krandon. "So one of you guys must have a set of dice around here..." Caveth says to the regulars who are not either sleeping or on watch. He has wiled away many long hours with little other than his imagination and faith to fill the minutes but that was not by choice; a round or two of Ogre Knuckles might help them warm to him as well as lighten the atmosphere and move the time along.
Caveth thanks Tandus for her kindness then, before he sets about gathering the makings for a funeral pyre for the driver, he checks on Atterleigh and the prisoner. They had both been affected by the apparent mastermind "she" but was that the same thing as infected? Moffrey had certainly displayed different behaviours and symptons. What were the other two up to?
Caveth hesitates, uncertainty clouding his face. Silas is the doctor, he is just an archer. Staring ruefully at Moffrey's mangled visage he finally manages, "I think we should burn the body."
The away team has been busy!
Moments after Roland, Caveth arrives on the scene bare footed, unarmoured and only his bow along with one of his quivers in hand. He stops short at the sight of Moffrey and numbly nocks an arrow as Roland takes his first shot. Caveth's hand trembles just slightly as he looses a shot of his own.
The stag was one thing but this was Moffrey, who had driven the cart upriver. The earnest young fellow who had tried his best to be helpful. Caveth's stomach turns, threatening to cause a mess all over. "Death is your freedom," he grimaces and readies a second arrow.
"I suppose old age won't be a problem for any of us here either if we keep standing around." Caveth says, favouring Tandus with a tight grin. "I'll take the mid-day shift with Joseph and the other two can take the evening."
"I grew up with my mom. My father only came around once or twice a season. It doesn't seem like that long to be gone if you're an elf but for a child, it was an eternity. It was hard on my mom too but she loved him even though he was so absent. He was a charming man and my mother thought he was very handsome." Caveth shrugs. "He was never cruel to her, or me for that matter, but they were from two different worlds." "Still, Mom gave me a good life. The best she could and I wanted for next to nothing." he pauses and takes a deep breath with one heave of his shoulders before continuing, "She died while I was...away. And I haven't seen my father in over a decade. I'm sure not much has changed for him." "It's hard to connect with an elf. There's no appreciation of time for them, never any sense of urgency or passion because there's always another day. Maybe it was difficult for my father to watch my mother grow old but it seems more likely that he just didn't notice and then one day she was gone," he sighs, betraying how much he is still saddened by the thought, "That's just kind of how it went." Then he asks a question that might be considered impertinent were they not trading so much information already. "Will Orcish blood affect your longevity?" This is what he'd been driving at from the start. Elves lived so long, humans aged so quickly and he was stuck somewhere in the middle. How did this half-blood compare?
"No, uh, I mean...not like that," Caveth clears his throat and continues, "It's just that, as much as most humans are decent, they don't really know what it's like to be only half human. I was thinking you might understand a bit better. I was thinking it might be interesting to talk to about family and..." He trails off, finally realizing how awkward this had all become.
"Do you want me to take a turn on the watch, Roland?" Caveth wants to help out but the atmosphere at the river gate remains uneasy. Considering all that had transpired, the way he had come to be in their company, it was not surprising the members of Roland's troupe regarded him with suspicion. He offers, hoping to be granted the opportunity to prove himself but knows he may well be disappointed. While Roland considers his offer, Caveth steals a glance at the half elf who seems to be his right hand "man". It's not very often he meets another of his kind and this particular specimen is not exactly hard on the eyes. He shifts his gaze quickly when Tandus catches him looking, and tries to decide if she is also intrigued.
Ok, thanks for the heads up.
"Perhaps it is best if Atterleigh remains here at the rivergate," Caveth suggests, "If "she" has some sort of influence over him, we should keep him away from the city at the very least. If he stays here "she" won't see or learn much of anything new. I don't think we want him going to High Krandon if there's any chance "she" can learn what the Dwarves are up to through him."
Sorry to be so absent guys, I had some personal junk come up. I'll be and posting ASAP. Not much going on at this point for Caveth anyway since I'm staying at the river gate.
You should have 17 HP's now Kay. Everyone was healed for 5 with that burst. You can trust me, I've been paying close attention like a good healer should.
Ya but that's +4 on a Dwarf so it's really like -68 :p Will Roland be joining us full time now that the Professor is no longer available? That would be cool.
Sorry to see Professor Miraculous go. I don't think we have a party face anymore, he was the diplomacy guy, wasn't he? Regardless, I am pleased that we are moving forward again! Don't forget to add 5 HP's back onto your profiles :)
"I think it's best if I stay here and help hold the gates. As a foreigner, I'm not sure I want to bring the news of a terrible plague making its way to the city; that's how foreigners get themselves lynched." He glances sidelong at Harbek, "And Dwarves seem to take exception to my pointy ears for some reason."
As the group huddles together over the map to decide the next course of action, Caveth surreptitiously positions himself behind Silas and Roland. Touching his holy symbol he intones a quiet plea to his matron, trying not to call attention to his magical ability as he channels Milani's healing energy.
I hope I haven't caused any unhappiness in any of the players. I'm enjoying the game and all the conflict has been in character only. I'd post more often but I don't want to get too far ahead of the rest of the group or make autocratic decisions about the group's actions. I feel I was overzealous a couple of times in the past so I've been trying to ensure most everyone has posted before I go again.
Caveth helps Harbek to his feet and brings him under the lean-to where he applies a compress to the Dwarf's head.
"This will help but mostly you just need rest. You'll be fine in a few hours."
I'd like to get Harbek healed enough so that he's at least not staggered anymore but I'm not sure how to go about that. I've never been in a situation where a character's subdual damage was greater than their total HP pool before. Can you tell me what is required to get him not staggered, so I can decide on the best use of resources please? Would a heal to determine this information be in order perhaps? And I definitely agree we should keep the party together here.
"Of course we would ensure that anyone headed for the city is not going to carry the plague there using Silas' test. I really do think this would be the best way to protect this rivergate and warn Barrjka at the same time. What do you all think?"
"Now that we are here, we can help fortify this position while your men travel to the city to alert the proper authorities." Caveth suggests to Roland.
"Thanks Kay," Caveth says to the halfling as they wrestle Atterleigh up and over the river and then down the stairs on the other side, "What an exhausting day!"
Shushing the dog a bit, Caveth calls back across the water, "I could use some help over here! Atterleigh is a hefty sack of potatoes to carry up and down the stairs myself!" Waiting for someone to come help out, he has a careful look around just in case the dog is being so noisy for a good reason.
"Oh and thank you for saving all of us!" he tips an imaginary hat in Silas' direction and nods respectfully.
Growing weary from all the exertion, Caveth props Atterleigh sitting up against the wall of the gatehouse. Leaning against the wall himself to catch his breath a bit, he is too distracted by the interactions across the way to pay much attention to the dog. Caveth watches in amazement as the metal behemoths appear to surrender, yelping in shock when the forcefield drops to drench him as thoroughly as his swim had earlier.
Caveth carries the paralyzed Atterleigh upriver to the broken gate, plodding carefully along the muddy riverbank and keeping an eye on the automatons across the water. They do not seem interested in him at this moment, one focusing on Moffrey and the other engaging Silas in conversation in a strange language.
The gate structures likely have a way to cross the river eh? The upstream gate is broken but the downstream one is still intact. Would I be able to get across there?
Caveth finally manages to latch onto Atterleigh and make his way to the far shore with the paralyzed man. The half elf drags him out of the water and checks his vital signs before returning his attention to the chaotic scene across the river where Kay and Harbek are both still on the ground. The sheer size and power of the creatures seems to be overwhelming the group. Unsure of the plan at this point, Caveth forgoes attacking to see if Silas has any success speaking to Durahjan and looks for a way to traverse the river that does not involve swimming back.
I figured with the way you've been adjudicating that I'd be safe with a 10. Now I just need to roll a 10 *shows dice the pimp hand*
It's actually quite difficult to drown and you've been rather lenient in your officiating so far. I am sure it is only a matter of time before I get Atterleigh out of the water, I just didn't want to take liberties with such crappy dice rolls. Also if anyone knows what sort of offering or ritual sacrifice will improve my rolling I am all ears!
It seemed like a simple task when he endeavoured to rescue the man but Caveth finds himself struggling to stay above water with Atterleigh. He coughs and sputters and does his best to get to the far side but does not make much progress. Instead he drifts downriver, behind the Durajhan and towards the closed gate.
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