The nigt passes safely and you arise early, enjoying whats left of some rabbit stew before continuing on your journey, Venester telling stories about how he and Hoyre hunted a winter wolf north in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
The days pass safely until you arrive at a small town wherein, Hoyre attests, your ferry awaits. However as you approach the docks there seems to be some commotion.
"What's this?" Marcus puts his heels to his horse, forcing it into a trot.
Sir Percival stops some distance away, and looks to see what's happening. He sits silently and dismounts, tying his horse to a nearby strong post. Once too often, he has been caught out before in the docks.
Perception
"Do you want to see what you can uncover Marcus?"
Marcus sees that a large group of townsfolk are argiung with a farmer who has placed his cart in front on the gangway onto the ferry. He is heatedly arguing with the crowd and the crew of the barge. Tempers are rising quickly and things could soon turn nasty.
Marcus rides closer to the crowd before climbing down from the horse. He turns to a person on the outer edge of the crowd.
"What is all this about?"
'That ruddy farmer is claiming the ferryman swindled him, and he isn't letting anyone on the boat until his claim is settled. Goddamned rurals, always causing trouble for busy folk with better things to do!' One of the disgruntled crowd replies.
Marcus cuts his way through the crowd. "Excuse me...pardon. When he gets to where the ferryman is arguing, he gently taps the man on the shoulder.
"Perhaps I can be of some assistance."
Hal turns to the rest of the group. "We should get closer to the action in case things get out of hand".
Sir Percival, begins to get agitated and moves constantly in the saddle re-adjusting himself, trying to get comfortable. "What's wrong with these peasants, don't they know they are stopping a free man continue with his trade. What's Mouse up to, hasn't he sorted it out yet. " His cheeks flush red the more impatient he gets. "I've a good mind to sort it out myself, does that man want his money back. For Akadi's sake just give it him and let's be on our way. You boys ready to go down and give Mouse a hand?"
The ferryman snaps at Mouse and tells him he's busy, though Marcus does gather that the farmer would be assuaged by refunding him ten gold pieces.
Hoyre and Venester share a look, then Hoyre nods to Percival, they loosen their weapons in their loops.
Hal heads down to the confrontation assuming his allies to be at his back.
"Marcus what seems to be the trouble", asks Hal in a booming voice.
Marcus looks to Hal and gives him a wink as he pulls some coins from his pouch. "Nothing a little persuasion can't handle." He turns back to the man and pushes ten gold pieces into his hand.
"Will this satisfy you, my dear man?
The farmer seems overjoyed at somebody not shouting at him, and Marcus' charm quickly convinces him to take the gold and remove his cart. The ferry is quickly loaded and your journey begins as Hoyre presents your papers from the Mayor. The ferrymaster personally thanks Marcus later on.
Seeing Halstadt wandering down to aid Mouse, Sir Percival stops moving down, his respect for Halstadt means he doesn't have to intervene himself. The cleric can take control of a mob. Sir Percival speaks to Hoyre and Venester, "Hold here now, wait 'til Halstadt has calmed them down. We'll give him time to sort it out, just stay here a minute, sheath your weapons. Why!" Sir Percival sighs loudly and watches, still impatient but knowing to leave Halstadt to sort it.
The farmer seems overjoyed at somebody not shouting at him, and Marcus' charm quickly convinces him to take the gold and remove his cart. The ferry is quickly loaded and your journey begins as Hoyre presents your papers from the Mayor. The ferrymaster personally thanks Marcus later on.
Hal smiling slaps Marcus on the back, "There are few problems a handful of gold can't take care of! Well done.
Hal looks over the water alert for water based dangers. I should have prayed for a water walk Hal thinks to himself.
"Thank you, my friend. I feared the argument could lead to blood-shed. Should we board?" Marcus looks towards Hoyre as he gathers his things.
Sir Percival motions to the two fellows with them, Come, it looks like Mouse and Halstadt have diffused the problem with those peasants. Let's go down and join them now.
The 3 companions start down and join their friends getting on the ferry, Sir Percival looks appreciatively down at Mouse and Halstadt, "Took your time didn't you.", but smiles down at them, displaying the humour in his words and they were not to be taken seriously.
"Sorry for the delay Percival. I will try to move faster next time!" Hal says with a broad grin on his face.
After you are safely boarded upon the modest barge you begin your journey towards Lake Syrantula, there to disembark and travel to Turtleback Ferry by foot.
As your gear is laid in a safe position Hoyrse informs you that the journey up the river should be safe and predictable. Venester gives him an odd look however, then adds 'Every time you say that, I get a bad feeling. I think I'll man watch with the crew tonight.'
Halstadt groans. "I knew I should have sought divine inspiration for a water problem!"
Marcus takes advantage of the lull and rests.
As usual Sir Percival sticks his head in a book, and appears to be grumpier than usual as the boat continues on.
The barge moves even as you sleep and you awake to find yourselves many miles upriver. Despite Venesters supersttitions, the next two days pass uneventfully and the aquatic leg of your journey some comes to an end on the Korvosan side of Lake Syrantula, where the Skull river empties into the Lake across from the town of Ilsurian.
After setting up camp on the lake's edge Hoyre asks the party whether they would prefer to travel up along the river, and risk not arriving before the heavy snows, or trying the more dangerous and direct path through hainted Ashwood.
Marcus raises his hand. "I vote for the quickest route. The snow will ruin my clothes. Not to mention that I am prone to the sniffles."
"These dwarven eyes saw enough water on our last trip. I agree with Marcus let's travel by land".
Sir Percival consults one of his note books and spends sometime on his own wandering up and down thinking, pensive as he weighs up the options. Racking his mind as he tries to remember details about the shortest path and the dangers they would face. He then compares it with the dangers from arriving after the snows, before coming to a conclusion.
Knowledge (geography)
Knowledge (history)
Knowledge (local)
Knowledge (nature)
Percival consults his remembered knowedge about the reasons, rumors have it that the woods are haunted by spectral undead and lycanthropes, as well as other forest threats while the bank road may have bandits, but otherwise be safe, however if the snows arrive before you you could take far, far longer to arrive to Turtleback Ferry, maybe too late to establish or affect the problems threatening it.
"Despite the lycanthropes and spectral undead of the forest, I still think its a better idea, than the thought of arriving too late at the destination and being unable to fulfil our destinies." says sir Percival to the party members make ready to eat. "I too think despite the dangers, it will be to advantage to arrive earlier, rather than later."
'So your all agreed,' Hoyre says, then asks 'and what order will we travel in?'
'It is best for us to expect danger at all times.'
"If the path is relatively easy to follow, I can scout ahead as we go." Marcus says.
]
"If the path is relatively easy to follow, I can scout ahead as we go." Marcus says.
I will travel in the back so Percival is not the last member in the party.
Your journey begins as you set off into the depths of Ashwood, the canopy quickly becomes dark and obscuring overhead, and the horses grow increasingly nervous.
The first day's travel passes uneventfully and you establish camp in the evening. That night, long after you settled down to rest, you are a woken by Venester during his watch.
He claims to have heard a noise approaching from the forest.
Marcus readies his bow as his ears strain for even the slightest noise.
Perception -
Perception
While Halstadt and Marcus can't seem to see anything, though they swear the wind is whispering something almost distinguishable, Pery sees what he thinks might be a humanoid shadow reatreating just our of sight.
Sir Percival asks the others if they saw that shadow. When they say no, he suggests we all go and check it out, they don't want to be disturbed in their sleep by brigands and thieves?
Sir Percival asks the others if they saw that shadow. When they say no, he suggests we all go and check it out, they don't want to be disturbed in their sleep by brigands and thieves?
"Agreed," Marcus says as he pads softly in the direction Percival indicated.
"I agree as well. I am known as one of the stealthiest dwarves in my entire community! I will try to come around from the other side," Hal whispers.
Stealth -
You search into the forest for fifteen minutes, but find no sign of the figure Percy claims to have seen. Hoyre suggests that a double watch is kept, but that the group returns to camp.
Marcus agrees to whatever watch schedule is put forth from the group. He does, however, sleep with his sword at his side.
The night passes uneventfully, and you arise the next day and begin to make progress over th enext few days you begin to hear and see more strange shapes in the woods, though you can never quite catch up with them. Roughly half way true the journey as Hoyre declares, you set camp near a small river stream, when are about to set up camp when you hear the first true sound you've heard from the eerily queit forest.
A howl, long and loud, ending abruptly. The howl is soon answered by two more howls as the sun begins to set behind a thick layer of dark clouds.