As dawn's light kisses the town roofs, Rikka sits atop a table in the public square in seiza, meticulously sharpening and oiling her katana. Satisfied that the task is done well, the Ronin experimentally sheathes the blade, dips her hilt low, and immediately draws the katana in a blurring skyward strike, then resheathes it. She turns the sheathe over and repeats the eyeblink draw - this time in a shearing downward slice - before resheathing it again.
Rikka rises in a single fluid motion, straightens her dress, and smooths the wrinkles from her skirt before tying the lacquered scabbard about her hips. She steps lightly off the table and pulls an apple well past its prime from her pocket. She bites into it and sets out to find her erstwhile cohorts... ready to get on the road and track down the horde of shadowy beasts.
Maeltheron watches Rikka engage in a morning routine from a hidden position on a rooftop overlooking the square and West of the town. He climbs down from the roof and approaches Rikka.
Good morning, my lady. Shall we gather the others and head West?
At being called my lady Rikka almost glances over her shoulder to see who the rangy elf is addressing. She favors him with an amused smile. "Let's do that. I think I last saw our axe-wielding comrade in deep communion with a keg. We have only to follow the snoring and we should find him."
As they stalk the waking town, tracking down the others, Rikka considers why the elven archer would confer the honorific my lady upon her. The obvious answer strikes her suddenly, We may not have ever been introduced. Idiot!
She pulls another apple from her pocket and offers it to her companion. "Apple? They aren't particularly good - but our options are few. I'm Rikka, by the way. I have no title save that."
Ariella will rise with shortly before the dawn. She will find a secluded place to greet the sun and complete her morning prayers. After she's done preparing her spells, she will gather her meager possessions and seek out her new companions. Seeing Maeltheron and Rikka already together, she will join them. "I am ready to depart as soon as everyone else is." she informs them.
Can we assume that's the case for Alenthyn? I'd love to revisit my spells, and that requires sleep.
If you like.
Thank you, Rikka.
He bites into the proferred fruit.
I do not believe we had the chance to meet on the trip over. I am Maeltheron. I spent most of my time high in the rigging on look out with my bow. I was watching your swordwork this morning, and I must say, I was impressed.
He turns to the approaching Ariella.
Good morning, Ariella. Have you seen my Elven friend around?
"Not since yesterday evening. He was pretending to be a gargoyle. I'm sure he'll turn up soon." Ariella replies.
Some shuffling and scrabbling from overhead precedes the drop of seven feet of elf down behind the group. He's just scrambling to his feet as you turn around, and he looks at each of you awkwardly. "Um. Morning everyone. Maeltheron. So, we heading west?" As he speaks he double-checks his gear for any damage from the fall, finally stooping to pick up his bow -- which he spends a far longer time inspecting for damage.
I do not believe we had the chance to meet on the trip over. I am Maeltheron. I spent most of my time high in the rigging on look out with my bow. I was watching your swordwork this morning, and I must say, I was impressed.
Rikka nods. "That is kind of you to say, Maeltheron." She says, trying out his name and committing it to memory. "Hopefully, you will be more impressed with my skills after we run across these creatures we hunt."
She gives a polite bow to Ariella and Alenthyn as they arrive. "It seems we only lack a dwarf now."
Laying propped beside his now half empty keg Breunnor snores away eventually waking himself up with a snort.
He jums to his feet axe in hand (though held upside down)
Wha we under attack I heard a dire boar let me at it
after a few seconds Breunnor collectas himself glancing around to see if anyone saw him.
He soon realizes that the others are gathering to head out.
looks like dey already got it well dats good lets them feel like real warriors once in awhile.. good for morale ya know
breunnor rationalizes to himself as he joins the rest.
Alenthyn nods at the approaching Breunnor, "Not anymore. You think they have any horses we can use?" He shrugs, "Will make catching up all that easier."
Good thought Alenthyn. Maybe we should ask at the stables?
"No time like the present."
Fast forward it is, , the path you take is rough and doesn't seem to have been heavily used in the last few months, those of you more familar with the ins and outs of tracking will distinguish a few of the faded prints as fresh. Some hoof but mostly paws.
Over the course of a full day's travel you reach an area about two miles outside Jackal's Folly. Slightly off the beaten path you're drawn by the sight of blood and half eaten corpses. The remnants of a large fight seem very prominent in this area. Faded blood stains upon the ground and several partially intact skeletons of large flying creatures litter the ground.
Alenthyn had pointed out the addition of hoof prints to the paw tracks -- suggesting it could be wild horses, but more likely riders. As the continued through the day, he'd kept giving the dwarf and Rikka looks. Finally, he rides over to Rikka as they continue. "Pardon me, I have to ask. You seem to favor that blade of yours. You carry it like you know how to use it. But I don't see any armor... do you not use any? Are you a caster of some sort?"
----
Alenthyn stops to investigate. He creeps from body to body, looking for clues or prints.
Rikka debates how to answer the questions of the spidery Elf, unsure if her response will make sense in the Common tongue or to a non-Sarannan. "The blade and I strive to be one. I have no magic nor defenses greater than my skills with it. I know the ways and value of armor... but I rely on my speed and blade skills. In this way, I test myself."
The strange woman's words bring to mind a quiet human Alenthyn had once adventured beside. A man of study and discipline from some abbey to the east. Rikka doesn't seem to be very religious, though… He's content to nod at her answer, "Then consider me intrigued to see you and your blade in combat. Well, not that I necessarily look forward to you being in combat. I just mean… well… um..." Apparently he never seems to wrangle the concept he actually meant to deliver through his lips. Finally, he finds the words to speak again, "So where did you learn the blade?"
Ariella slows her pace to give the others more skilled in that area a chance to determine what happened here. She will stand off to the side, her hands clasped in front of her waist waiting patiently.
"So where did you learn the blade?"
Rikka gives the Elf a curious look, before offering a seemingly odd tangent, "What is an Elf's childhood like? For a child of Saranna's warriors - there are weapons of wood, wicker shields, tales of great deeds, tactics, practice, and bruises... We don't learn blades, we are born to them."
Maeltheron acts as an outrider, flanking the party as they travel forth. He comesinclose when Alenthyn checks out the tracks.
I saw Rikka practicing with that blade this morning, and I told her that what I saw was impressive.
"So where did you learn the blade?"Rikka gives the Elf a curious look, before offering a seemingly odd tangent, "What is an Elf's childhood like? For a child of Saranna's warriors - there are weapons of wood, wicker shields, tales of great deeds, tactics, practice, and bruises... We don't learn blades, we are born to them."
Breunnor give a snicker at that comment on Elves
would explain alot he mumbles under his breath.
There is a good ammount of horses, many of them had actually left the city limits as their pen was destroyed and several horses were killed in the attack but they managed to round up several. You had to get a couple on your own but it's pretty trivial so don't worry about it.
You're pretty certain that these are some species of bats, the arrangement of the bones and the hollow in the skull leave little to doubt however these are amazingly huge for bats, large enough to feed on herd animals rather than just fruit and small insects.
While you're not sure what killed them exactly, you do see an unconcealed trail leading to a rocky outcropping several hundred yards to the southeast.
Rikka, we Elves are taught many things in our upbringing, including the bow, swordsmanship, and how to best survive in our wooded homeland, regardless of what our cave-dwelling small one has to say about it.
Maeltheron smiles and winks at Breunnor as he notices Alenthyn's attention drawn to the southeast.
What is it, Alenthyn, what have you noticed?
Alenthyn looks confused at Breunnor's comment, "What would that explain? I just --"
Something in the maze of prints and signs on the ground interrupts Alenthyn's train of thought, and he dismounts quickly take a look. After a few minutes of duck-walking around -- hands on knees -- he unlimbers his long body, standing to his full height as he looks southeast.
"The corpses are of some kind of large bat. Really large. Whatever killed them left a trail over to that outcropping." He looks around at the group… especially at Breunnor and Miss Ariella's armor. From some mysterious and elusive source that must reside within him, an air of confidence suddenly enters his voice. He then indicates himself, Maeltheron, and Rikka. "Armor's loud. The three of us should lead off. You two follow at about fifty steps. If we shout, be ready to come running." The wave of confidence passes as quickly as it came on, and the spindly elf once again shrinks back into his normal demeanor and gives a quick shrug. "At least, I'm curios to know what's back there…"
He doesn't move to re-mount his horse, leading it by the nose over to the dwarf, holding out the reigns for the short fighter to take.
It's a trail that breaks off from the ones that you've been following, the tracks that you've been following since Bosh which you assume to be those of the adventurers that left town two days past which continues west. The second path heads off to the southeast.
Alenthyn shrugs, "Though the original trail -- the one from town -- continues that way. You guys want to check this out? Or continue?"
As Maeltheron hands his reins to Ariella, he pulls the cowl of his cloak over his head, and his image seems to almost waiver. He draws his bow to hand and says in a low voice,
A sound plan, Alenthyn. We definitely need to check on those tracks to the outcropping first. I will circle around to the right and meet you at the outcropping.
he disappears from view quickly.
Stealth:
Perception:
Before Maeltheron can withdraw, Alenthyn pulls out a copper wire, touches the fellow elf, and whispers a few words. Maeltheron can hear the next few words both from Alenthyn's lips and as if whispered in his ear. "This should keep us connected. If we're within 150 feet, whisper and I'll hear you."
He watches the elf leave, then double-checks his own bow-string before shrugging at Rikka. "We take point, then?"
"I would appreciate your spell as well Alenthyn. It might prove useful should we encounter anything." Ariella says. She will follow behind Rikka. Bruennor might still be drunk, at least the Sarranan seems to know what she's doing with that blade. She will draw her longbow as they move forward.
Alenthyn nods, casts the cantrip, and waits for Rikka. Before they head out, he turns back to Ariella. "Would be good if you'd follow at a distance." He looks down at her armor, "Looks light, but it still makes your footfalls loud."
He watches the elf leave, then double-checks his own bow-string before shrugging at Rikka. "We take point, then?"
Clearly comfortable on a horse, Rikka's skirts rustle as she kicks a leg over the pommel and slides from the saddle in a rather unladylike fashion. "Unless you'd prefer to circle left and I'll go straight up the middle. Whatever suits you."
The Ronin assesses the terrain ahead, eyes Alenthyn's bow for a moment, and then pulls an unstrung, compound, recurved longbow from a waxed canvas bag slung beneath her saddle. Her muscles flex prodigiously as she strings it. Setting a small quiver of arrows on her hip, she knocks an arrow casually. "Ready when you are."
Alenthyn gives a quick shake of his head, "We stick together. I prefer to fight in tandem." Leaving his horse, he begins his stealthy advance on the outcropping.
You all quietly move forward, looking for any signs of movement. All in all it seems to be fairly quiet. As you angle in from the sides you can see that between the rocks there looks to be some sort of natural cave. As you get closer you begin to hear sniffing and snorting, though strangely they don't sound like animal sounds.
Rikka raises an eyebrow at her tall companion and silently mouths, What is THAT?
Alenthyn shrugs, the faintest of movement of his shoulders, before quietly angling his approach in an attempt to see what the creatures are without giving up his own location.
Rikka holds her position as Alenthyn moves off - prepared to lure the quarry out of the cave - hopefully into the deathly crossfire of the elves.
Maeltheron waits silently in the shadows with an arrow prepared for whatever emerges.
As you sit and wait for something to emerge nothing does. You continue to hear sounds echo from the depths of the hollow, a cracking, sniffling, gnawing, spitting.
When Mael and Thyn are in position on either side of the cave, Rikka draws her blade silently and leaves it down by her side, holding the bow in her off-hand. She raises her voice to a high quavering octave, sweet and innocent. "Hello? Is anybody about? My wagon's thrown a wheel and I could use some help."
Ariella whispers into the spell, "I will hang back a short distance." She will trail the others by about forty feet, presumably with Bruennor at her side. When Rikka speaks, she will knock an arrow and ready to shoot at anything that emerges from the cave.
Ariella whispers into the spell, "I will hang back a short distance." She will trail the others by about forty feet, presumably with Bruennor at her side. When Rikka speaks, she will knock an arrow and ready to shoot at anything that emerges from the cave.
Indeed, the pathfinder stealth skill is both move silently, and hide and while one may not be applicable (i.e bright sunny day in a field with nowhere to hide) the other may be.
When Mael and Thyn are in position on either side of the cave, Rikka draws her blade silently and leaves it down by her side, holding the bow in her off-hand. She raises her voice to a high quavering octave, sweet and innocent. "Hello? Is anybody about? My wagon's thrown a wheel and I could use some help."
As Rikka calls out you all hear the noises stop, a few seconds later a man comes running out stark naked, covered with dirt and grime. He runs headfirst into one of the large stone slabs directly in front of the cave entrance and falls to the ground. Clearly disoriented he begins hissing and snarling at no one in particular while scrambling back into the hollow.