Seeing the group agree Telias searches for a suitably covered site wiht plenty of cover such as the aforementioned abandoned barn.
"Come, come you are joking with me right? You would not pass up hot stew and a chair by the fireside for a frosty camp? Besides we will need to talk to the farmers to get permission to camp on their land. We would not want to sleep in the same pasture as the farmers prize angry bull now would we?"
"There is no need to lie, we ARE travellers heading towards Canorate, there may even be an inn nearby. Shall I knock?"
"There is no need to lie, we ARE travellers heading towards Canorate, there may even be an inn nearby. Shall I knock?"
"Correction. We are five armed travelers coming from an enemy land. I can handle prized bulls. It's patriotic innkeepers that fill me with worry."
"Besides." Telias smiles wryly "What kind of gladesman fears a night udner the stars?"
A whining noise comes from the barn. This noise is not dissimilar to that of a dog who has been reprimanded or is otherwise unhappy. A sharp bark follows shortly thereafter.
Telias, can you do anything about the noisy dog in the barn...you are good with animals, right? Let's decide where to camp out of site of the farmhouse, eh?
Perception:
Two-Fisted dismounts and ties his horse to the far side of the barn, placing it between the party and the farmhouse.
"Not as good as Ryarg I think."
Perception . sigh.
To Telias. "I will leave the stars to you my friend, I prefer my roof a bit closer."
To all."If you are going to sleep in a man's barn it is polite to tell him. Besides, something is wrong here. We've been making enough noise, we should have been met."
"I'll check the house, someone come with me in case I'm right?"
Tom rides slowly up to the house. He is in clear sight from any windows.
He dismounts well before the door and speaks loudly but not yelling.
"Hail the farm. We are travellers come in peace. We seek shelter from the night."
Ryarg shrugs, gets off his horse, and leads the way towards the barn. Once there, he'll peer inside.
Perception:
I'll stay put...the farmer will not want to see the likes of me. I will hang with Ryarg.
Two-Fisted draws his Double-Axe and creeps up to the door to the barn behind Ryarg.
No response comes from the house in return to Tom's hails.
The wounds on the wounded animal were clearly inflicted by the others.
Louder. Hello the house!
To Telias if he is with me. "This is....strange."
Approach the door. Listen/look for any activity. Knock.
Shrugging he heads towards the house with Tom.
"No it's not. It's suspicious."
Clearly anxious Telias looks around listening to the calls of the nightly animals hoping they can tell him the danger he doesn't know.
Two-Fisted stands in the doorway to the barn, clearly being able to take in the grizzly scene, regardless of the low level of light. He slowly waves his Double Axe back and forth in front of him as he shifts his weight from foot to foot, and he says with a deep voiced snarl,
Ryarg, are you going to try and calm them, or should I put down the wild beasts?
Wild Empathy:
Ryarg approaches the dogs, holding his hand out in a soothing gesture. It's quite clear that he has either little experience or little confidence, and the dogs growl all the louder.
"I'm more of a plant guy, myself," Ryarg says, readying his axe for the first dog to attack them.
Attack:
damage:
Two-Fisted wades in and attacks the nearest dog.
AXE ATT:
AXE DAM:
Confirm Crit:
Total DAM: 36 points
CRIT DAM:
Ryarg's efforts to soothe the dogs clearly irritate them instead. However, just at the point where the dogs seem certain to attack, Ragar wades into the barn, his double-axe swinging violently. There is a sickening crunch as one dog's head is ripped from it's torso, flying into the gloom and smacking against a wall, then another wall, and finally rustling to a stop somewhere in the hay. The other dog yelps and uses it's last vestiges of energy to flee out into the night through the slightly open barn door. Suddenly, Ryarg and Ragar are left alone in the barn with a wounded canine, a severed head that continues to growl for a few seconds before realizing that it is dead, and a torso which is spouting blood everywhere through a gaping neck wound.
There continue to be no responses to your knocks on the door, Tom. However, you and Telias do hear some commotion from the barn, followed by a dog streaking out of the structure into the twilight as though it's feet were on fire. It runs into the cornfield, and shows no sign of stopping.
"Poor beast," he says to the dog. He holds a hand out to let the injured dog sniff it.
Wild empathy:
He sighs as the injured dog bares its fangs and snarls at him. He fishes out some dried meat from his rations to feed it, and creates some water for it to drink. With those needs taken care of, hopefully it let's him approach to tend its wounds.
Heal:
"Damn, I miss my grapes."
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"Poor beast," he says to the dog. He holds a hand out to let the injured dog sniff it.
Wild empathy: 1d20-2He sighs as the injured dog bares its fangs and snarls at him. He fishes out some dried meat from his rations to feed it, and creates some water for it to drink. With those needs taken care of, hopefully it let's him approach to tend its wounds.
Heal: 1d20+7
"Damn, I miss my grapes."
Looking at the fleeing dog Telias shrugs and looks back at Tom. "Huh."
And all the while he's mangling the dog, Bern sits in the doorway, growling jealously.
The wounded animal, after initially showing hostility, eagerly laps up the water and devours the food. It does allow Ryarg to treat it's wounds, although it's restlessness complicates the process, and the druid is unable to adequately poultice the wounds.
Meanwhile, Tom's knocking on the door has still produced no response. The windows are shuttered, but no light seems to come from inside.
Perception
"Someone running round back. Should we check?"
Telias squints in the darkness unable to see anythign but nods in agreement and follows Tom to wherever he runs.
Tom peels off around the corner of the farmhouse, pursued closely by Telias as Two-Fisted and Ryarg emerge from the barn at the sound of a warning growl from Bern. The bearcub is looking to an area directly behind the farmhouse, teeth bared. Neither of you is able to see any assailant from your current vantage point.
Map
Tel:
Ragar:
Ryarg:
Bern:
Human Antagonist:
???
Telias's expression softens at the sight of the boy. He takes a few short steps towards him holding his hands out in a conciliatory gesture and calls out."Wait! We mean you no harm!"
As Telias is focused on the young man, he is barely able to react to the sound of a twig snapping off to his right. His head whips around just in time to see another, bigger young man obviously lying in wait, holding a sap.
"Easy there, if I wanted to harm either of you I would have already done so. Drop the weapon, I'll drop the axe and we can discuss this like men. Tom! I could use a hand over here!"
Perception:
Updated Larger Map, Updated Smaller Map
You haven't been in the house! It's us or them, Kelton! Get 'em!
Order:
Telias (acted)
Thuggish lad (acted)
Ryarg (mid-action)
Tom (not acted)
Bern (not acted)
Two-Fisted (acted)
Kelton (not acted)
Ryarg will continue to U8, ordering Bern to "Follow", which he will (up to X7 behind Ragar).
"I meant me," Ryarg growls as Bern rushes past him to hang with the half-orc.
Perception:
"Dammit kid we're on your side!"
Draw and load light crossbow.
Shouting. "RAGAR, RYARG, BACK OF THE HOUSE!"
The young man that has been referred to as "Kelton" reverses course, moving (to AF-7) toward Telias and his friend. He gestures delicately and speaks a few arcane words. Immediately, a misty vapor rises around him, obscuring all sight beyond 5 feet.
Telias takes the blow across the face and shakes his head.
"Very well. If you can't discuss this like men I'll beat you like a child needing discipline." Wiht a spin of his halberd the ranger focuses on the shadows before him and lashes out with the thankfully less lethal sides of the axe.
Attack Nonlethal
Damage Nonlethal
Otherwise. "That sound was your friend hitting the ground. We can probably get him on his feet again but not if we have to take time chasing you down. So come out of that mist before the bear has to go in and drag you out and we will see if we can't find a way out of this mess."
