Orick suddenly appears from out of the crowd.
"That could be a dangerous part of the woods," Orick says, "You'll probably do better with numbers and a bit of luck if we should stumble across anything. I'll help you guys out if you want though . . ."
Daetha nods. "That's what I thought. Yes, come along."
The lad also nods in greeting to Korgoth. He's been meaning to speak to him about some dagger sparing pracctice...
It is Wealsun, low summer, and the woods are just being to grow. All around the bushes are filled with small leaves and shoots, soon they will begin the fight for space.
High above the trilling of a bird calls away and is answered straight away.
Already the spring flowers are beginning to die away, but soon the summer roses and gorgeous vinevilleas will blossom and fruit. Every now and then it is all to easy to catch a hand on a dogrose thorn.
The party find themselves on less well trodden paths, with the way occasionally blocked by the work of night spiders.
Ahead the bushes part and everyone has reached the open farmground of the Tain's. A small meadow of useful tall grasses and poppies wave in greeting. To the left is a tiny duckpond, now overgrown and empty. Reeds clog the waters.
To the right is a small little used barn, and that has seen better days. One door bulges off its top hinge and the other lies on the ground.
Ahead the wooden hut, where Daetha and his family lived, has undergo the greatest change. The door is splintered across the middle and the lower half bangs in a breeze. The front wall shows signs of further ripping with several thick planks torn open.
However the place seems quiet enough.
Beyond the hut is the garden and that appears neglected and weedy.
Daetha
There are many scuff marks and there is a good deal of torn earth at the hut doorway. A clay pot is shattered almost to dust in the ground, only part of its rim left protruding.
A rank odour comes on the next breeze to everyone.
"You used to live here, Daetha? What happened? It looks like nobody's lived here for - ooh! What's that smell?" Beth wrinkles her nose in distaste and takes a step back.
Taya watches Daetha with concern. His memories of his family home cannot be good.
"Where should we look?" she asks gently, her nose twitching at the horrible smell.
And I really hope it isn't where the smell is coming from.
Daetha stands quietly for a few moments, fighting back tears and memories that threaten to overwhelm him, before half turning to throw Bethsemane a quick, dirty look, and Taya a more grateful one.
“I’m … not sure what we’ll find,” he says slowly. “It looks like someone may have looted here since …” He takes a moment to pull himself together and then starts again in a business like tone, devoid of emotion. “Anyway, my mum used to keep things all about … Inside in the kitchen and pantry, in the barn – though with the fire I’m not sure if there’ll be much left … there were also usually some useful herbs growing in the garden.”
Korgoth puts a comforting hand on Daetha's shoulder
"If it's too hard you can stay outside, and I'll take a quick look around for you."
Orick's eyes dart about. This place is old and deserted. It's a small wonder that vandals or squatters haven't found the place yet. He glances at Daetha, this place has bad memories for him, and it was only luck that this wasn't also his tomb. This was something Daetha didn't need to hear at this moment though.
He winces a bit at his half sisters remarks.
Orick nervously glances at the group. What would they find here? Orick's right hand sits on the hilt of the knife the militia had entrusted him with and his left slides under his shirt to grasp his holy symbol.
'Will I need Norebo's luck today?' Orick wonders silently to himself.
"Father Chance, it's time to roll the dice, please bring luck to me and my fiends," Orick whispers out loud, "and help us find medicines for the sick and dying. Amen."
Birds sing from the nearby trees and everyone sees a small squirrel stop and watch then dash up a far tree out of sight.
A large brown feather twirls in the corner of the entrance as the wind picks it up and leaves.
Daetha sets his jaw. “No, I’m alright,” he says. “I’ll probably recognise the herbs we need, I don’t know if anyone else will. Come, let’s see what’s left inside.”
He steps forward warily, making towards the split door into the house. Unless he thinks anything is out of the ordinary, he will enter.
Bethsemane realizes what she said and a look of horror comes across her face. She sidles up next to Orick as they go inside, whispering, "I can't believe I just said that! With everything going on, I completely forgot about what happened to his family. I feel so bad. D'you think I should tell him I'm sorry?"
Bethsemane realizes what she said and a look of horror comes across her face. She sidles up next to Orick as they go inside, whispering, "I can't believe I just said that! With everything going on, I completely forgot about what happened to his family. I feel so bad. D'you think I should tell him I'm sorry?"
"Ya," Orick says looking up at his sister, despite there being only one year in the age difference the height difference between the two is remarkable, "I think Daetha will understand, I mean mom's been running us pretty ragged these last few days. But now's not the time. Let's wait till we're heading home. Daetha has got to confront some demons right now and he'll probably want to be alone with his thoughts."
As Daetha reaches the doorway, he can see into the hut through the entrance but also where the wooden walls have been ripped open.
Inside what was once a homely place for him and his family is now a scene of devastation. The hochebi had torn down the shelves and (his mother's pride) the rough wooden dresser which held all her precious pots and jars. They and the table had then been chopped up and splinters lie everywhere.
There are many broken and lovingly labeled glass shards, parts of the containers for components. They may hold clues.
However since the attack, something else has been in here. The source of the rank odour is a pile of faeces near the far wall. More feathers lie nearby, big and brown just like the one at Daetha's feet. Also something has clawed at the wood, lots of triple lines score the inside, showing where a beast has sharpened talons.
The bedroom area has been wrecked. Beneath where Daetha and his family slept the wooden floor provided some comfort. Now it has been destroyed and the ground dug. A careless plank lies across the hole covering it.
"Oh my. This is horrible."
Taya is not sure whether to be more disturbed by the devastation of a well-loved home or the stinking evidence of some kind of animal.
"Hush. Whatever it is may still be around."
She holds a warning hand up to the others and listens intently.
Birdsong, breeze through the leaves and the odd flutter of a feather is all there is to be heard.
Korgoth notes the owlbear's leavings grimly and attempts to look about for any other evidence.
Spot: 1d20-1=6, Listen: 1d20-1=9
Daetha kneels to examine the prints and detritus, breathing shallowly to avoid the worst of the smell.
At first he can’t quite place the prints … a similarity to bear prints, but not quite … then he recalls Running Fox pointing out a similar spoor to him once, deep in the forest. Oh no …
“Owlbear!” he hisses, standing quickly. The sudden movement and the shallow breathing causes his head to swim slightly as he stands, and he tries to steady himself for a moment, whilst beckoning Taya, Korgoth and any of the other kids who have entered the cottage close for a whispered conversation.
“I don’t know exactly what they’re capable of, but they’re dangerous – I’ve heard of them killing fully grown men, armed hunters … and even Running Fox seemed wary when he saw their prints. We need to be really careful …” He trails off, thinking.
Daetha keeps whispering. “I don’t think it could be hiding anywhere in here, but we don’t want to be here when it comes back. I think a few of us should wait outside and keep watch, and yell if it comes back, while a few of us search for herbs and stuff in here … I’ve got pretty sharp eyes … but I probably need to stay and look for the herbs … ” He trails off questioningly.
Stagyar still finds his new surroundings a little strange - he misses his friends, but has grown used to moving regularly. He's only been here for a couple of months, arriving after his father came to work with a local animal farmer, but he’s already becoming settled in the area. He’s a little distracted by the presence of the farmer’s daughter, but generally his work with the animals keeps him occupied, and has helped him to build up quite a decent frame.
So far, in what spare time he gets, he's managed to avoid the girl - Taya's her name - and instead has found the local militia. Much to his gratification, he’s been able to take up his training here, after having to give it up when he left his last home, without too much disruption to his own, self-imposed, training regime. He’s spent the last couple of years learning how to fight properly with both his fists and a morning star, and he thinks he’s getting better at both of them (and the previous militia he trained at seemed to be happy with his progress). He’s also started working on mastering the use of a longsword (courtesy of the militia).
Unfortunately, underneath his large frame (and his ability to pick up a sheep under each arm) he’s quite a gentle soul at heart, and this has caused something of a dichotomy. When he was growing up, his size meant that he was singled-out, by older boys, as someone good to fight – big enough to be a challenge, but young enough not to know how to fight back properly (albeit that many a boy found out, to his cost, that Stagyar only had to land one punch to end a fight). As a result, he’s become strongly opposed to unnecessary violence (whilst, at the same time, being perfectly in favour of necessary violence), and has done his best over the last couple of years to talk his way out of as many fights as he can. (This is, of course, a good thing given his size, and his inherent ability to punch through doors!)
Following Daetha's example, Taya also whispers.
"Maybe Beth and I could help you look Daetha. Raggedy showed us a lot of herb lore."
She decides that now is not the time to mention that Raggedy might not be the most reliable source in the world.
Search and Spellcraft to find and identify useful herbs: (1d20 1=14, 1d20 1=8)
"I don't wanna be anywhere around here when an owlbear shows up," Bethsemane declares, also keeping her voice low. "Whatever that is. But it sounds strange. An owl and a bear together? I'll bet a wizard made it. They're always sticking two things together to make new things. But an owl and a bear? That's just weird."
Beth realizes that no one's really listening to her babbling. I must be nervous, she thinks. I babble when I'm nervous. I hope it doesn't come back while we're here...
"I'll help look," she tells Taya. "Daetha, what herbs do you need?"
Orick edges outside.
"An owlbear," he mumbles to no one in particular, "that sounds dangerous. Let's hope we're lucky and we don't run into it."
Daetha shrugs. “Anything that might be useful in healing. But maybe just grab anything that looks useful.”
“We’ll probably go quicker if we work together,” he whispers, moving to help Bethsemane search.
[ooc]Search: 10+1 = 11. Knowledge, nature (untrained): 13+1 = 14
The searching uncovers a large number is dried and dirty herbs. Most are in such old condition that telling what they were is difficult. The more common ones are easily identifiable by Daetha and the others as such healing herbs as woundwort and lorassium.
However among the pot shards are several labels, camomile, serge-point, weathermoss, gangril and dogrose seeds.
When the searching reaches the plank and the hole below, a broken wooden chest is found. Lice and spiders dart away as the light hits them. Worm curl and burrow for all they are worth. Among the splinters are the remains of a scattered brownish fungi. A silver ring with a black hawk emblazoned rolls down onto a grey-green torn cloak. A corner of vellum pokes out from under the material.
Stagyar's still not convinced about his father's request, but it's clear that everyone's on edge at the moment - this illness has affected the whole village, either through the loss of a loved one or through the general atmosphere of fear that now pervades the area.
Unfortunately for Stagyar, his father's cousin (they're related, but he's not really sure how) as asked if Stagyar would keep an eye on his daughter, Taya. She's quite headstrong, but has obviously been badly affected by her brother's illness.
Earlier today, Taya's father saw her and some of her friends heading off into the woods, and so Stagyar has been dispatched to follow her (at a distance) to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. After all, with Nagy so ill, Taya's father and mother couldn't cope with anything happening to her.
Having followed Taya and her group of friends for what seemed like miles (although it was obviously not), Stagyar has seen them enter a very run-down, and extremely pungent, hut. As carefully as he can, Stagyar creeps to the doorway and listens carefully, for anything untoward.
d20 roll result: 8
Finally someone picks up an old sprig of what looks like lucksy to Daetha and maybe recognisable to others.
Before Stagyar gets near the hut, Taya, Korgoth and Bethsemane hear footsteps outside. That snap of a broken branch is like a shock sounding to them. Especially when they have been discussing owlbears.
Daetha however has his eyes on the hidden trove and the vellum letter poking out. He did not know about this chest or its contents.
---
When young lived fey, and trees ruled all,
Those ill by day, danced night's fall.
The witches tea, made warm not hot,
Only drunk a wee, brewed in a pot.
A fresh lucksy sprig, bright green shiny slug,
In deep dark dig, then rub in dew.
Never be glum, the true nectar wins,
This in your tum and everyone grins.
Bethsemane's head snaps up as the sound of the twig shatters the silence. "The owlbear's come back!" she hisses. She pulls out her crossbow and loads it with shaking hands, trying to remember everything that her mother taught her but finding her mind a confusing jumble of panicked thoughts. She backs into a corner, crossbow held at the ready, looking wildly around for a place to hide.
Startled by the noise, Taya instinctively ducks behind the door and peers through the crack in the hinges.
Her fingers flex and she pulls a twist of wool from her scarf, ready to cast a spell if needed. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she's almost hoping it will be the owlbear. The prospect of someone else - Jerrid for example, arriving now is not good.
After identifying an old sprig of lucksy (“Lucksy! That’s just the sort of thing that Palfourd will need”), Daetha stares in surprise at the broken, hidden chest, trying dumbly to figure out how it might have gotten there.
So engrossed in the chest and its contents is he, that he does not hear whatever the others in the hut react to – but he notices their reaction.
He looks up and about wildly. Seeing Bethsemane and Taya looking like they are about ready to fight, he shakes his head and hisses, “No, we need to get out!” , pointing towards the door.
But before he takes his own advice, he reaches into the hole for the chest. Just as his hand hovers inches away from it, he realises that trying to get the decaying chest and its contents out of here could be the death of him. Instead, he pulls the plank hastily and roughly back into place over the hole and stands, getting ready to run towards the door.
Vladimir has kept quiet for the most part, not sure what he would say to the younger Tain anyway, soothing people in moments of pain has never been easy for young Vladimir, having also lost his parents he feels for the boy. He stands outside the cottage keeping vigil incase any orc or owlbear return. He fails to notice the oncoming threat.
Anyone looking out the hut, either at the doorway or through one of the cracks can Stagyar creeping forwards.
The clumsy boy has a longsword at his side.
Behind Taya and the others feel the presence of Daetha after he finishes his search.
Taya lets out a sigh of relief.
"It's Stagyar. He's followed us."
Peering out from behind the door she glowers up at the newcomer and says quietly "Are you planning to help? Because clomping around like that isn't the way to do it."
Anxiety makes her snippier than usual and she unconsciously continues to twiddle the bit of wool in her hand.
Not for the first time, Stagyar silently cursed his size - whilst it could be very useful on the farm, or when it came to practicing with the militia, he was the first to admit that he wasn't the lightest person on his feet!
Trying to suppress his embarrassment (and to ignore the small humiliation he's inflicted on himself with his clumsiness), Stagyar whispers back:
"Of course I'm here to help - I'm supposed to keep you out of trouble!
What ARE you doing here? And what's that hideous smell?"
"Owlbear droppings."
Taya bristles a bit "What do you mean, keep ME out of trouble? I'm just helping Daetha."
"It doesn't matter who you're trying to help. Just think about how your parents will react if you end up hurt, or worse!
Now, where's this Owlbear? I'm not sure that tangling with one of those is a good idea at the moment."
As he speaks, Stagyar surveys the scene of devastation within the hut, wondering whether it was thieves, the elements or the owlbear that did the damage.
Vladimir looks at the older boy with a mix of admiration and jealousy that comes with being an adolecence. "If we found what we are looking for, its best we keep moving lest we tempt the fates and have that Owlbear return" Vladimir looks at Daethea, "Can I help with carrying anything?. Vladimir supresses the pain he feels from being reminded of his own loss when his fmaily were killed, Vladimir looks at the ruined hut, Stupid Orcs! Vladimir hisses.
Orick glances over at Vladimir when he curses orcs, then he quickly glances over at his half sister. Although younger he's very protective of his sister and doesn't like it when people speak poorly of her.
'It's not like he insulted her directly', Orick thinks to himself, 'he meant that in general. Beth has heard worse from her other brothers and sisters.'
Bethsemane sighs in relief when she hears it's not an owlbear coming to eat them, only Stagyar, but she leaves her corssbow loaded just in case. She's secretly amused that Stagyar is so much older than she is, but that she's his equal in height. Fortunately, she's so preoccupied with her thoughts that she doesn't hear Vladimir's orc comment.
Listen (1d20-1=2)
"Daetha, whatdja find in that hole? Do you want to take it with you?"
Korgoth tenses when he hears Stagyar's approach, but relaxes when he realizes it'd not the owlbear come back. He stays quiet, watching Stagyar with a certain mix of envy and admiration.
"Don't worry Stagyar, we'll be out of here in a jiffy." Korgoth says in a light tone, trying very hard to act cool and nonchalant.
Daetha reaches the doorway, and looks questioningly at the newcomer, noting the sword belted at his waist … he hasn’t been around town much in the past couple of months, and doesn’t know quite who the newcomer is, but the others seem to vouch for him.
“Yes, I think we’ve found about all the herbs we’re going to find inside,” he says. “Can someone give me some help with those things in the hole … I’m not sure what it is … but it might be important, or valuable.
“We should check the garden too, see if there’s anything still growing there – and someone should keep watching out for the owlbear, in case it comes back!”
"Daetha - this is Stagyar. He's sort of a cousin."
She looks around the ruined cottage. "If you're sure there's nothing else here, then the garden makes sense. So does keeping a watch out for that owlbear."
Quickly going to Daetha she gives him a hug. "Let's leave." Her lips twitch a bit, thinking of the memories this visit to the cottage must be bringing back for her half brother.