The Half-Orc stands up and stretches. He feels life and energy move through his body and can tell that he is healing from his wounds. Noticing he is alone, he silently says to the sky above, “Thank zu, friend Dwarf, vhere ever zu are.” While looking up, he catches a glimpse of smoke rising in the distant south and starts making his way in that direction. While passing through the natural wall of the hidden glade and making his way south, the Half-Orc attempts to stay alert to any potential threats. He also keeps an eye out for a piece of fallen wood that would make a good club, spear, or staff.
For \-*^/
As you walk on the side of a trail in the shadows the stench of decay hits you like a wall. Further up the trail you can just make out snarling sounds and the occasional bark.
The Half-Orc's nose twitches and his face crinkles in disgust at the smells up ahead. His ears perk up at the sounds of more potential danger. He shakes his head, then crouches low and attempts a slow, quiet approach to the scene ahead.
For \-*^/
As you creep through the brush the sounds of dogs fighting and tearing at flesh becomes pretty apparent. In the open glen ahead two coyotes are fighting over one of the goblin corpse from your earlier fight. A quick look around and you notice that the large bugbear is gone and the other two goblins are picked almost completely clean.
For Tuon and Bri
Borin starts looking the goblin's bodies over and looks over at Bri, "Hey little one what is your name? You did well in this battle you should be proud."
York walks back into the fire light. "Well the rest of the camp didn't fare as well as us. One wagon is missing and the three guards watching it were slaughtered." York walks up to Tuon, "I checked with your employer and his is fine, luckily he was in the center of camp when the attack happened. Hows your brother?"
Tuon looks at his brother again and reacts defensively.
"He'll be fine. Probably needs a drink, I know I do."
Nevertheless Fair Tuon keeps an eye on Roderick.
The Half-Orc grins at the scene and thinks to himself, 'Better you than me.' He silently steps away allowing the coyotes the spoils of the battle and continues on his way South.
For Tuon and Bri
Borin starts looking the goblin's bodies over and looks over at Bri, "Hey little one what is your name? You did well in this battle you should be proud."
Bri caught off guard by the guards sudden change of heart towards her is actually tongue-tied stammers, "My name is Bri and I am glad someone notices me around here. Good job to you as well." Bri tries to hide the bit of pride that seems to be shining through. She turns to try to find Tuon.
Tuon isn't far away.
He winks at the halfling.
Borin looks over the carnage in their corner of the camp and looks back at the three adventures that helped him and York.
He can see Tuons shoulder is bleeding pretty freely and every breath he takes seems to cause him pain, the little halfling seem in good spirits but she holds her arm close to her belly and winces when she forgets her injury and moves it. Even though Roderick has seem to forgotten his injuries the broken arrows shafts still in his body ooze blood.
"York can you gather the dead creatures and we can start a large pyre once we deal with Meric over there." Borin gestures at the guard that fell in the initial surprise assault. "I am going to find a healer for our wounded friends and be back to help you."
Borin heads off toward the center of camp as York walks over to Meric the slain guard.
For Galen
Free from your duties to the Gilead army it is still hard to break old habits and you find yourself unconsciously following one of you old patrol routes north of Keepers Dale. Enjoying the morning astride you horse you both plod along a trail heading north.
For \-*^/
For Creed
Now that the brief battle is over you are rather annoyed that you didn't get to any of the fighting in time to offer praise to your god. As you walk toward one of the areas of conflict you hear a guard asking about for anyone that can heal some the the people injured in the fight.
Galen is listening to the comfortingly familiar sounds of the hoofsteps Filaren is making, still used to the idea of company scouts warning of danger, should there be any.
The Half-Orc stops as his ears perk up catching the sounds of an approaching animal. He quickly moves off of the trail and attempts to find a place to hide that will give him a view of the trail.
The Half-Orc stops as his ears perk up catching the sounds of an approaching animal. He quickly moves off of the trail and attempts to find a place to hide that will give him a view of the trail.
Crouched behind a bit of brush you see a man riding a horse further down the trail. The sun shines off the silver studs in his leather armor as he casually look about enjoying the view at the base of the mountains.
For Creed
Now that the brief battle is over you are rather annoyed that you didn't get to any of the fighting in time to offer praise to your god. As you walk toward one of the areas of conflict you hear a guard asking about for anyone that can heal some the the people injured in the fight.
Seeing that, at present anyway, hostilities have ended, Creed sheaths his greatsword and approaches the guard.
"You there!" yells Creed to the guard in a booming voice, "I say! You there!!" Once he has the man's attention: "Take me to the injured before others do work that I have to undo!"
Spot check 12-1=11. "Hmmm," Galen thinks to himself, "there seems to be a bit of dirt on my saddle." He is polishing the saddle.
Borin look the huge man over and looks him in the face with a raised eyebrow, "You can heal the injured? OK follow me."
Borin leads the large man out towards the edge of camp and walks up to the slain worg where Tuon and Bri are waiting. "This man here can help you with your wounds. I am going to help York gather Meric and take him to the center of camp." He walks over to York and helps him wrap Meric in blanket and they start carrying the body to the center of camp.
Borin leads the large man out towards the edge of camp and walks up to the slain worg where Tuon and Bri are waiting. "This man here can help you with your wounds..."
Without speaking, Creed looks at the wounds of the scarred man and the halfling woman to see who is in more need of healing . "Curse my lack of a healer's kit," he mutters to himself.
Extracting his holy symbol from under his armor, Creed puts his other hand on Tuon's wound "Hmmm," He frowns then turns his attention to Bri.
Placing a hand on her wounded shoulder "Better," he mutters.
Without another word, Creed stands and looks at Roderick. "Is that a sapling growing out of your body, or will you snap out of it and let me take a look?"
Bri looks up at Creed, "Thank you for the help, not many folk take to helping someone of my stature, your kindness will not be forgotten. But that doesn't mean I will die for you or anything like that you understand." Bri snapping back into her feisty self.
Bri then looks towards Tuon, "How are you feeling my friend?Ready to drink a pint and laugh at how ugly those goblins were/"
Tuon smiles, "Yes Bri oh yes."
"Well healer what's your name? I'd like to thank you for cleaning my wounds."
"Just so you know that stiff guy is my brother Roderick and I'm Tuon."
"But that doesn't mean I will die for you or anything like that you understand."
"Die for me?! Haw!" The large man says, "Stature?! HAW!!" He laughs like thunder, and looking at the halfling woman, he says, "Your wounds tell the true tale of your stature, and--after tonight--most would do well not to underestimate yours, I'd say!"
Bri then looks towards Tuon, "How are you feeling my friend? Ready to drink a pint and laugh at how ugly those goblins were?"
Tuon smiles, "Yes Bri oh yes."
"Oh, he'll be alright. Look's like you've survived worse, yeah?" He says as he crouches again to look at the man's wounds.
"Well healer what's your name? I'd like to thank you for cleaning my wounds...Just so you know that stiff guy is my brother Roderick and I'm Tuon."
"Your brother'll be a might stiffer if he won't let me take a look at that wound." With a smile, the big man says, "Name's Creed, and I'm not the one to thank for your healing. Without a proper kit, there's not much I can do one way or that. The Strong One. Kord. That's who you'll be thanking if you're wise, eh?" Rising again he adds, "But what do I know of wisdom? Haw!"
He approaches Roderick, "What'll it be, brother? The stick will have to come out first before I pray. He can heal, but even Kord knows to wait until the arrow comes out! Haw!"
Roderick absently reaches down and rips the arrow head out his hip and leg. "Do what you must. There is a healers kit in my bag." Roderick continues to sit but he seems to be recovering from his initial shock.
Galen continues to ride up the trail but suddenly his horse shies to the right staring into the brush.
Galen stops and stares at the spot in the bushes where his horse is looking. Search check 11+1=12. "Nothing there," he mutters to himself, and spurs the horse along the patrol route. Ride Check take 10+10=20. Or Handle Animal 19+8=27.
The Half-Orc stares at the trail waiting. Then a human on horseback comes into view. The man seems to be unware of his presense, but then the horse snorts in his direction. The rider still not sensing the closeness of the Half-Orc nudges his horse forward once again.
Against the Half-Orc's better judgement, he slowly rises to reveal his scarred body covered only by ragged, torn, and bloodied clothing. With his arms streched out, he says calmly but loud enough to cover distance and carry over the sounds of the horse's hooves, "Vait! Dangiier vup ahead. Goblinzzz and other furvey beasties!"
The Half-Orc then attempts to postion himself close to a tree to provide cover and foil any attempt at a potential charge.
Galen spins Filaren around on the trail, hand instinctively reaching for his sword until he sees the unarmed and ragged half-orc. Still wary of the danger that seemed to creep up from nowhere, he asks, "How do you know of the evil that lies ahead? Are they allies of yours, or enemies you have escaped?"
The Half-Orc tilts his head to gain a better view of the horseman from around the tree. "Not friendzzz. Ze goblinzzz vy met are dead. But vhere are probably more in viding."
Still being cautious because of his unhealed wounds, the Half-Orc continues to stay by the tree for added protection.
"You needn't fear me."
Galen displays his surcoat, which still displays the emblem of the Gileadan Swordstars.
"I am...was a Swordstar Knight, and we do not attack those who cannot defend themselves. I do not say this as an slight to your fighting prowess, for your scars show you to be one who does not shy from battle. Rather, I say this to allay your aprehension. I will not attack you without just cause, and not until you are ready to face me in honorable battle. You do not seem to be an enemy, and I thank you for your warning of those who may be. Is it your intention to face them, or to warn others who may be traveling this way?"
Fair Tuon Clawed grins at the big guy.
"Kord it is then."
Looking at Roderick and the now-removed arrow, "Haw! That's one way to do it! Course, sometimes you'll need to push'em through or cut'em out if they're barbed."
Again, tugging at his holy symbol, he puts a hand on Roderick's arrow wound.
"Well," says Creed, eyeing the brothers, "never quite sure how the Strong One'll work." Without explanation, he stands saying to Roderick, "If I can take your kit, your brother still needs to be wrapped. Seems as Kord wants him to heal on his own. Or, perhaps there's another wound that needs to heal first, maybe?" He says in Tuon's direction, "hmph."
After rummaging in Roderick's bag, he returns and tosses some bandages and a bottle of ointment in Tuon's lap. "I can't imagine a man with your face doesn't know how to bind a wound. Call me if you need help. I'll be helping with the dead one over there." With that Creed moves to assist the others with Meric's body.
As light pours out of Creed hand Roderick completely disappear. Roderick nods in thanks but falls back into himself thinking.
As Creed walks up to York and Borin, York looks up at him "We can handle our friend, he is beyond any help you can offer outside a prayer to see he moves on to the next world."
"While we deal with him you could help the others gather together the goblins and other creatures so we can burn them. In three days the road will be in passable from the smell if we don't."
"If he was strong in life, he'll be strong enough to get himself off to the next world," says Creed, "and no prayer of mine will change that one way or naught."
Creed gets up and helps search the goblins for anything of value and then stacks the dead goblins onto the pyre.
The Half-Orc looks the self-proclaimed Knight up and down trying to gauge the validity of the claim. The title, in and of itself, means nothing to him. His memories, or lack of, help him naught in deciphering if this ‘SwordStar’ name is good or bad. Since the horseman opened with talking though and seems to be no friend of goblins, the Half-Orc takes a leap of faith and slowly approaches the clearing with his arms still outstretched.
He opens his mouth and speaks slowly to try and mimic the Knight‘s accent, “My intentions are to travel south to the city in the distance. I speak truthful when I say, I do not know who I am, where I am, or why I am here. Some distance away, I found myself leashed to a cave until a brave Dwarf champion rescued me. On our exiting the cave, we ran into some goblinzzzzz.” At this he stops for a moment, noticing his voice is filling with excitement and his speak is becoming less accented. He briefly shakes his head and then continues, “…goblins,” He corrects himself. “The Dwarf and I vanquished the devils. Actually the Dwarf must have won the battle. I fell to my wounds.” The Half-Orc displays his stomach to show the scar, then continues, “The Dwarf must have healed me, and then hidden my body in an enclosed glade. I woke up there, but then the Dwarf disappeared. I now find myself here, looking for help and answers. I mean no harm and ask that you allow me passage.”
"Tis not my road to allow or disallow. But if you wish to travel to the city in the South, I know the way, and would be glad to escort you. The city is called Keepers Dale, by the way. What say you, shall we travel together?"
Galen dismounts.
"I am Sir Galen Kranath. What is your name?"
The Half-Orc watches the Knight dismount and approach giving an offer of an escort. He then nods and says in a rough, tired voice, “I thank you for your offer and accept.”
His hard dark green face framed by his red fire-like hair then puts on a strained face. “Well met Sir Galen Kranath. I would give you my name, but I no it not. I am afraid I know nothing of my past since my release from the cave. My goal is to find some answers in due time. For now though, my hope is that civilization in this dark world may offer some work that will help feed and cloth my broken frame.”
The Half-Orc then attempts a half-hearted smile to wipe away the darkness and hopefully shine a few rays of hope on this potential friendship.
"You mentioned a Dwarf champion, but you don't know where he is. Perhaps we should try to find this champion before we go to Keepers Dale."
Once Creed is gone, the smile drops from Tuon's face. He begins the bandaging process but the wolf wound is in his shoulder.
"Bri, can you get this please?"
When Bri agrees, Fair Tuon relaxes a little and mulls over the healer's words and his actions.
"You mentioned a Dwarf champion, but you don't know where he is. Perhaps we should try to find this champion before we go to Keepers Dale."
"That is a good thought, and if you are an experienced tracker I might agree. I would like to find him again and thank him once more. He is a warrior of the forest though, and I doubt we could find him unless he wants to be found. Also, the state of my wounds need attending, and I am ill equipped to move back into goblin country. I believe my path still lies with this 'Keepers Dale', and I am open for company if this is your path as well. If not, fare thee well." The Half-Orc then begins to turn and slightly limps South again. He does not move far though just in case Sir Galen decides to accompany him.
Galen shrugs and follows the half-orc, whistling the Follow command to Filaren.
"So tell me more of this battle with the goblins. If the dwarf healed you, and it still looks like that, you must have sustained a horrific wound."
As the Half-Orc walks beside the Knight, he looks over his battered body. With comfort of companionship his tongue loosens and he does not concentrate on his speak as much. "Theze woundzz are many. Thiiz one here," he points to a white, crinkled scar on his stomach, “iz from the zword of ze big furvey goblin.” He pauses for a moment and his face fronts a look of confusion. Then he continues still looking over the scars on his body, “But ze other woundz must be oldier. I wazzz badly beaten when ze Dwarf rezcued me. Exiting ze cave we ran into ze goblinzzz. They zpoke in a tongue I did not zpeak. They ran from uzzzz. I think they may have recognized me. We, ze Dwarf and I, gave chase. I wanted anzwerz. During ze battle, I fell but ze Dwarf must have won ze day. I owe him my life and my freedom.”
The Half-Orc walks a little more in silence then turns back to the Knight. “After I heal and get zome weaponz and clothing, I will come back and get my anzwerz.”
After walking another short distance in relative silence the Half-Orc turns to the Knight again and asks, “Zo, you zaid you were a Knight. No longer? Vhy not?” He then turns away before turning back again with a side glance showing a sheepish frown. The Half-Orc is hoping he did not ask the wrong question.
"I joined the Giledean army as a way to seek my fortune, so I could help my sister and myself get away from where we where. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that Ordell took us in, but I had more in mind for my life than being a stableboy, and my sister deserves more than a life as a serving wench. And I suppose I am still a Knight, but I don't feel comfortable proclaiming it. I left the service to head home, and once you join the Swordstars you do so for life. Leaving was not an easy decision, but I wish to know what has happened at home. Uggh, this isn't making any sense. It's complicated.
The goblins around here have been a problem for years, but the city militia usually keeps the roads fairly safe. I am surprised to see two attacks so close to one another. I will help you get your answers. My friends in the knighthood can help there. But I still feel the need to go home soon."
“I am zorry. I know none of theeeze plazes. I am zorry to hear of you and your zizter’z trying timez. Onze I get preeepared, maybe we can help each other. No?” The Half-Orc’s limping gait becomes less so. He is starting to feel a small sense of hope. His comfort level in his surroundings is improving, and he feels he is on the right track for his future endeavors. “Well, Keeperz Dale it iz then. To ztart at leazt. Well met again Zir Galen. Let’z zearch thiiiz world and find out who we truly are."
With this, the Half-Orc picks up his pace to the South toward Keepers Dale.
When Bri agrees, Fair Tuon relaxes a little and mulls over the healer's words and his actions.
Fair Tuon shrugs off his questions about the healer. Harmless enough really. After the wound is bandaged, the warrior gets up and goes to his brother.
"Mate where's that drink and rest. It's been a tough night all round. Let's go."
He waits to see how his brother responds.
Bri sees the cleric moving the dead and decides that she could give him a hand. "I will help you move all of these, that is if you can keep up with me." Bri says the to cleric with a smile, hoping he will get her joke. "By the way I am Bri I don't think I caught your name when you were helping Tuon?"
Bri keeps helping the cleric until the work has been done.
"I think we should make sure that Tuon is alright and that we are going to be ready to move in the morning. So what is your deal anyhow? Do you want to travel with us or not? I make it a rule not to "borrow" anything from friends, if that is any comfort to you." Bri waits for him to answer as they are heading towards Tuon.
As they near Tuon Bri smiles, "I forgot we need to drink a pint or two? she says as she gets closer to Tuon.
"I will help you move all of these, that is if you can keep up with me." ... "By the way I am Bri I don't think I caught your name when you were helping Tuon?"
Creed smiles at Bri's joke and replies, "Most call me Creed. Some call me not-so-nice names." His smile broadens. "Thank you; your help is much appreciated."
"I think we should make sure that Tuon is alright and that we are going to be ready to move in the morning. So what is your deal anyhow? Do you want to travel with us or not? I make it a rule not to "borrow" anything from friends, if that is any comfort to you."
"Haw!" Laughs Creed. "It is fortunate, then, that I do not have much to lend!" He says with a wink. "However, if you happen to come across a healer's kit that isn't being put to good use, perhaps you could, um, borrow it for me."
"As to travelling with you," He continues, "I didn't know I was invited! But there is, as they say, strength in numbers. And I've never liked drinking alone! So, yes, I will travel with you if you'll have me."
As they near Tuon Bri smiles, "I forgot we need to drink a pint or two? she says as she gets closer to Tuon.
"Ah! The truest words spoken today! Drink will do Tuon some good. Drink, and then sleep." Addressing Tuon, "In the morning I can check the wound and beseech The Strength once more. Perhaps, before turning in, you should do some beseeching as well!" He smiles broadly, "But whatever you do, don't beseech sober! Kord answers the drunk, as they say! Drunk on battle, but Ale will do for the rest of this night! HAW!"
After an hour of quiet travel, Galen begins to speak.
"So is there anything you do remember about your past? You said you wished to find weapons. Are these anything you could use?"
Galen produces a pair of javelins and hands them to the half-orc.