"This I gotta see... We'll head there first."
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After a full day of travel, you reach the Narthropple camp. You find it currently occupied by the hunter team assembled by Norton. They'd just begun eating.. a second boar is still roasting on the spit above the campfire. A half-elf woodsmen is tending to the boiling potatoes, and gravy. "Share camp for the night, or forging on to Stagfall? It'd be after midnight before you get there... and you can see, we've plenty eats t'feed ya.."
Rook's Report to Norton:
"Just came back from Camp Thorn. Used to see brush dogs tracks everywhere I looked in my time there. Little sign of em now. Word's out to I guess. So stocked with healthy game, getting to look like royal hunting grounds up there."
"Also found a boar's nest between here and there. Big one. Might be that Tuskgutter. Gruesome ring of carcasses around it. Quite a few sizable boars around, but the big guy wasn't around. That area is pretty thin on game." Spoiler:
"Can you do that?" "Sure thing. Rather not take out a bunch of greenhorns if it can be helped. If you're willing to gimme 500 gold and about 4 days, and I'll put together a decent team. And if you've found no use for Budgie's brother Arliss yet, he's worth his weight in salted pork... I could use him. I'd be glad to have someone else sifting through droppings."
You head out, expecting to be back to Oleg's before nightfall. Mikmek ends up riding with Alice, and is quiet for most of the ride. Rook seems interested in hearing about your latest battle...
"Master Furiel? How does it work? Do you tell the bird a where to go? or .. what?" as he gets the horses ready of the group he knows now not to be 'horse people'..
"I guess so. Thing is... that's the direction the bird flew."
When Furiel mentions the use of the feather tokens, Rook speaks up.."I don't s'pose that has anything to do with the bird that flew out of the hole while you were down there? Though that was a bit strange, but slipped my mind .. you know .. meeting my first kobold and all. " feather tokens(from PRD): Bird: A token that creates a small bird that can be used to deliver a small written message unerringly to a designated target. The token lasts as long as it takes to carry the message.
You return to the surface, after a bit of climbing - luckily the east side was an actual path, unlike the side you descended. Rook, Kjell, and Alice are there to greet you .. the sky is overcast, but still blinding to you after your time below. The grass is slightly damp, there must have been a light rain. Rook is arranging kindling and a teepee of small broken branches. "Good to see ya back. Was about to check after settin up a camp." He sees Mikmek and jumps "Ho! ... kobold?"
know(nature)DC11:
Mites are fey. Related to gremlins, and look like tiny blue pudgy goblins. Rook points to the huge tree. "Just keep an eye out.. They probably won't attack such a strong looking group.
Rook looks around at the group and notices no one else seemed to see what he saw. "Uh .. think we might have found a mite. Tighten your purse strings and be ready for a midget ambush. Where there's one, there's a dozen."
Rook and Kjell seem to appreciate how they have been treated. You come to find out that Kjell is able to communicate with a slightly adapted thieves cant. Rook knows a little but its a little slow getting anything out of the mute farmboy.
Perception DC15: A tiny bald blue head peers out from behind the tree then disappears
After Rogar speaks of moving west, Rook asks to see your >map< .. "Here is what's known as bluecloak territory (circled in blue on map)... here was my main hunting grounds (circled in yellow) ... just west of the hunting grounds .. the wood's is different .. its 'old woods'" he uses a sylvan phrase for old woods that has multiple difficult to translate subtexts (.. magical, mystical, impossible is possible...) "South of the river (points to just below yellow circle) is where you find the less agreeable hunting .. brush dogs can get nasty, especially out on yer own. They're getting worse too - killing all the good game. .. used to cull 'em .. but no one hunts out there anymore... balance is all catawampus... "
Rook chuckles a bit from the story, and you catch smile from Kjell before he covers his mouth with his hand ... Rook speaks up "Aye, all the talkin you folk do doesn't compare to an evening with Budgie - if ya can't spare a sock to gag 'im with."
Rook takes a step toward Ta'de-win and speaks only as loud as necessary. Sylvan: Caution. Keep sharp. He is of the Bloodband. Marking on his arm. This is not their territory.
Kjell looks at Rook "Don't look at me boy .. Time to make your own decisions."
"Believe Mr Graenkin is still leading the Bloodbands. Good to hear about the other two. Both monsters .. things got right awkward when Fenning came back. Budge seemed to think he had somethin to do with Ma'am Grundy's disappearance a while back, but hadn't the stones to face him. Kept on me and Happs to get rid of Fenning for em." Rook shakes his head .. "I'll kill a man if I hafta ..." He stops and rubs his wrist which still carried a scar the shape of Murak's bite. ".. but if ain't about survival .." shakes his head again. Green: After 30 minutes of searching, you find a fair amount of various edible greens and shallots to supplement your food from Olegs.
"Eh .. won't get much outta him." Rook cocks his head to indicate Kjell. "Happened upon him a few years ago .. tongue cut out. He listens alright, but haven't heard much from him." He shrugs and continues talking to Furiel. "Don't know how much you know or think you know .. Story on Kressle is she was just a young outlaw with a chip on her shoulder. Some of the fellas that ran with Hruska tried to take somethin she weren't offerin. Didn't end well for them and she left. Started her own enterprise, Papa Grundy and his late wife paid her and her boys for protection. Grundys were fine with it cos Mr Graenkin, Kressle's old leader took easily twice as much from the Grundys." "That's about when I joined. Was on my own, fendin for myself when I came across Kressle and Grundy's boys. They saw value in me they did. The lot were lousy hunters, living on Ma'am Grundy's vegetables and whatever they could steal." "Bout 4 or 5 months ago, we woke up to "Him", the Stag Lord, and a dozen men - including Hruska and Fenning Grundy - holding swords to our throats. Nasty press gang. He said 'You work for me now' and told us Hruska and Fenning were staying with us, last we knew they were still with Mr Graenkin." |