"Very well. But just for a while" Audric relents "Let us make camp. I am going to take watch.". Might as well, since he doesn't think he's going to be able to sleep. Not that he has slept much, in the past days.
Printable View
"Very well. But just for a while" Audric relents "Let us make camp. I am going to take watch.". Might as well, since he doesn't think he's going to be able to sleep. Not that he has slept much, in the past days.
Rana nods, willing to take whatever concession she can get. "You should sleep, too, Audric. I can take half the watch."
Audric shakes his head. You rest. I doubt I would be able to, anyway" And she may need it more than him, what with being a spellcaster and all. Nonetheless, he addresses her a brief smile "But thank you " he adds, sincerely.
"Don't stay up too long, Choirboy." Jess says, heading her way to sleep with her cat dozing around her neck. "You'll be no use to nobody if you're sleeping on your feet."
A few hours of rest is enough to stave off exhaustion, and hopefully won't delay you too long. Evening turns to dusk. Your rations are dry in your mouth, but filling, and soon exhaustion claims the party one by one, leaving only Audric awake to keep watch.
Audric
Spoiler
The moon shines down, bleaching the world white. You aren't sure how long you've been watching, pacing, waiting, nerves carrying you far beyond exhaustion and to the other side.
Something rustles in the tall grass. A twig snaps. You turn, and see a glint of metal. A blade, half-hidden in the darkness and grass. And behind the blade, a silhouette, half the size of a man...
If you want to engage, roll initiative.
Audric quickly brings his hand on the hilt of his own sword "I know you are there" he says, clearly. "Sheath your sword and show youself"
SpoilerDetect magic, please? Also, he's not whispering, so if anyone wants to wake up, feel free to.
A halfling clad in dusty browns and black stands, blade gripped tightly in one hand. With the other, she pulls down the cloth wrapping her head to reveal a shock of red curls and freckled skin. "Nae bad fur a biggun. Ahm impressed." Her accent is thick, almost incomprehensibly so. She doesn't sheathe her knife - or sword, considering her size, nor does she step any closer. But she doesn't look like she's about to start stabbing people either.
Audric
Spoiler
You reach into your core... and find only emptiness where there should be sunlight. The sudden lack is far more jarring than the small mistakes made as an initiate, and more powerful. This time, it's not a sudden shout, a lack of concentration, or confusion blocking your way. It is a lack of power.
Audric starts to say something, almost automatically... and then the full realisation of what's happened, or better, hasn't happened hits him. His face loses all colour and he has to clench his fists, hard, to avoid them to shake. He can't afford to have a breakdown now, though, however much he wants, not in front of an unknown halfling.
He tries to pull himself together and not show how upset, frightened and confused he is. "W–aho are you? " he asks, in a voice that starts hesitating and then becomes way harsher than what he had meant, a proof that he's definitely not alright.. "What do you want from us? "
The halfling woman looks from person to person, one finger tapping idly below her ear. "Ahm Mari Hilltopple," she says at last. "Mah turn noo. Who ur ye lot, an' whit ur ye daein' sae far aff th' beaten trail?" It's a question, or at least presumably, and she asks in the tones of one who is used to being obeyed.
Llaars
Bleary eyed and half asleep Llaars makes it to his feet, leaving his sword on the ground. "Audric, what're you-" Blinking to clear his vision, he notices the halfling. "No reason to have that blade drawn, lets be friendly. Please."
This time the last to wake, Antal nonetheless still lacks the surprise of the rest of the group, We chase a monster of arcane origin, Giantslayer, probably to our death.
Rana wakes from a restless sleep with a start at the sound of the halfling's voice. Hearing her other party members already addressing the stranger, Rana says nothing, waiting for a reaction from the halfling. She quietly reaches to her side and shakes Shadow awake.
Hearing Llaars' and Antal's voice seems to shake Audric from whatever state he was in, at least momentarily. He swallows and visibly refocuses his attention on the halfling woman ”I... yes, there is no need for violence. We are just heading for Evedras Ridge... we do not mean anybody on these lands any harm. " There's almost an unspoken plea in his voice.
Mari cautiously lowers her blade, though she still apparently refuses to sheathe it. She looks at Antal with something approaching respect in her eyes. "Ye seem mighty calm fur a deid cheil walkin'," she says at last. "Arcane beastie, hmm? Ye think yoo're aff tae sae th' day?"
Shadow raises his head suddenly, ears swiveling side to side. He growls at the darkness, though he seems to be confused as to the exact location of what he's growling at.
The halfling takes notice of Shadow's distress, glancing around the clearing in a show of failed surreptitiousness. "Diz thes hae anythin' tae do wi' th' burnin' ay th' lang fort?"
I do what I must, what I always would do. I accept the inevitability, and so have peace. Also, it helps to not think about it too much. The second question gives Antal much more pause before he answers, however, though answer he does, We may yet save someone's day, who knows?
SpoilerSpot and listen checks, to see what Shadow focused on [roll0] and [roll1]
Audric turns his head briefly in the direction where Shadow is looking, but the halfling woman's last question brings his focus on her again. He considers for a second, but, even in his not completely lucid state, he can see no harm in disclosing that information. "It has to do with the Fort" he says "We believe the person we are chasing is the one responsible for that. "
"Sunspots, Blackie, what the-" Jess stumbles up from her sleep, holding her hand to a bleeding ear. She stares groggily at the new arrival. "Uh." She says. "This who we hunting?"
Mari chuckles very softly. "Nae, lassie. An' as a gods-fearin' lass ah cannae lit ye gang in guid conscience tae die by th' fires ay some dark beastie." She looks from person to person, taking in your worn armor and scratched weapons. Slowly, she lets out a measured sigh, shaking her head. "Come wi' me, I'll hae mah wee jimmies arm ye up better. Yoo've got a lang hard road aheid a' ye." An owl calls from the darkness. Shadow growls.
Rana eyes the halfling suspiciously, "I'm sorry, but who are you, again? And I don't mean your name."
SpoilerSense motive! [roll0]
Spot & Listen on what Shadow is looking at [roll1] & [roll2]
Mari assumes a very careful expression, of the sort that says while the bearer is not yet angry, they might well be soon. "If nae mah nam, lass, 'en whit dae ye want? Ah am a warriur, a lass, a proud member ay th' wee folk. An' ahm thinkin', if sum young heroes shoods be gonnae aff tae distant lands in pursuit ay monsters, 'en they shoods be armed fur th' occasion. Noo, are ye comin' or nae?"
Rana
Spoiler
She appears to be telling the truth.
In the half-darkness, you catch sight of what Shadow has not been able to find - at least three more halflings, clad in similar dark leather and cloth to Mari. One appears to have a second, smaller, one in a headlock. The third carries a bow. All are very still. They are watching you.
Rana lays a hand on Shadow's head and whispers in druidic, "Hush. I see them. Lie down." She turns back to Mari, "You're not some farmgirl to be out here in the middle of the night, offering us weapons, while your friends stand watching our every move. So who are you people?"
You'll have to forgive us, we're rather short of sleep. I think you're probably taller of sleep than the tall ones. Antal turns to the rest of the party, If you trust me at all, I think we can trust her. Besides we're outnumbered about two to one.
Rana looks puzzled, "How do you know her? Or know of her?"
Audric looked on the verge of saying something, but at Rana's question he just turns towards Antal, waiting for his answer.
Never said I know her. You're still sleepy.
Audric passes an hand through his hair. Focus, he thinks to himself, then he clears his throat and tries to keep an even tone of voice as he replies: "I do not think she's trying to deceive us either, Antal" Then, to the woman "Even if, I see no reason why your people have to keep hiding from us. I...we thank you for your offer, but you should know that we are pressed for time. We are trying to reach the sorceress before she reaches Evedras Ridge. We do not want a repeat of what happened to the Fort.
Spoiler((He's not refusing, mind you, just pointing out that they ARE in a hurry))
"Nae a farmer, lass. But ah am seein' 'at a body ay th' smallfolk needs help. Isnae 'at enough? We arenae tay far awa' frae camp, willnae take but a bit. I'll call me lads out ifn it will make ye lot be feelin' better." Mari flicks her blade upwards, tearing a small hole in the turf. She barks out a string of commands, in a language you can't understand, looking from side to side and holding gaze at apparently random points.
Six halflings appear out of the brush from where she was looking. It's difficult to tell what sort of expression they have on their faces on account of the fact they are every bit as disguised as Mari herself was. Brown or gray cloth wraps each one of their heads, leaving only eyes peering out at you. On the left, a spear-wielding halfling shoos out an archer. A second later, a third emerges, head bowed. He grips a sap in one hand and a sack in the other. From the right, a second archer and a knife-wielder appear, seeming to condense out of the shadows. The archer holds an arrow to bowstring, her entire body tensed. Behind you, a sixth halfling steps out of the shadows. In lieu of armor, he or she wears a cloak that seems to cover almost his or her entire body, leaving only a pointed jawline showing. In one hand, he or she holds a pewter pendant like a shield. Moonlight glints off the engravings.
Mari smiles courteously. "O' coorse, if ye dornt want uir help, we'll jist lae ye noo."
Antal
Spoiler
She spoke in Halfling. "Alright. Come out careful-like. And you lot over there, don't think I don't know it was you that was whispering."
I will follow you, Antal says, then he gives his companions a hopeful look. Oh, and you were right, Shadow is a wolf, not a dog.
Rana shoots Antal an annoyed look.
Audric takes a deep breath and nods, slowly " I... we...". He stops, swallows, and tries again "We will come with you. We are in dire need of help. "
Especially now, it's what he's thinking but doesn't say.
Llaars
"Uh, you guys sure about this? I don't like the thought of gettin' led deeper into the woods, 'specially when there's a sword pointed at me."
"Agreed."
Rana looks at Mari, "I'm sorry but I'm sure that as a warrior you can see the danger in going with strange people to an unknown place based on their word alone that they mean you no harm."
They're not strange, they're halflings. We could break bread if it would make you feel better.
Rana looks at Antal for a long moment before saying "Yes, I know they're halflings. They're still strangers."
So you don't trust me then?
Llaars
"Yeah, I trust you. That's sayin' somethin' considerin' some of the crazy stuff you've done. Still, you bein' just as tall as them don't mean a thing when they don't trust us enough to put away their weapons."
You don't put your weapons away, Antal commented with a touch of confusion. It's okay.
"Llaars, Rana... " Audric hesitates, unsure of how to put it in words. "We need their help. We... we cannot do this on our own, and I believe those people have been truthful in their offer. "
He turns back towards the newcomers, hands slightly spread in a conciliating gesture "Please, put your weapons away. I think it is clear that we will not attack you. "
SpoilerDiplomacy? Just in case [roll0]
There is a pause. Then Mari slowly, deliberately, sheathes her blade. The steel rasps against the leather of her scabbard. She nods, once.
The halflings put away their weapons almost in unison, knives disappearing into folded cloth and bows swiftly unstrung. The angry archer hesitates for a moment, but her companion kicks her sharply in the shin, and she too disarms, scowling. Only the spear-wielder remains gripping his weapon, but to be fair, he does not appear to have anywhere else to put it.
You are not quite sure when or how, but the cloak-wearing halfling is suddenly standing much closer, head slightly inclined. Its pendant seems to have disappeared - in its place, there is a piece of round flatbread, tinted slightly yellow. The halfling carefully rips it in two, then four, then eight parts, and holds it out like an offering.
Audric reaches out to take a piece of the bread, willing his hands to remain steady. He knows what an important ritual that is, and he doesn't want to mess it up. "Thank you" he says, bowing formally "May..." his voice breaks, and he has to swallow a couple of times to bring it back under control. He has to say it, though. "M-may Aldaran grant you his blessing."
Rana watches silently, waiting to see how the halflings react before she takes any of their bread.
Antal takes the offered bread with a wide smile and a slight inclination of his head, and then immediately chows down.
Tayet
Tayet keeps his head to the ground, eyes shut and head turned away, careful to keep his breathing the same rhythm. If things got sour, at least he'd have some distance and surprise.
Cape hops on top of Tayet's back, keeping an eye on the newcomers.
Smiling at the familiar ritual, Jess takes the bread and pops it into her mouth. "Probably should get on to the introductions." She says through a full mouth. "The group here is Choirboy, Wolfgirl, Sneaky, Beefsteak and Surly, though they insist that they're really called Audric, Rana, Antal, Laars and Tayet instead. I'm Jess, the charming one. Nice to meet." She ends this with a grin.
Llaars
"That's more like it, now who're we sharing this with?" He takes his piece between two fingers and eats it in one bite.
Rana starts to open her mouth when Jess calls her "wolfgirl", but instead starts laughing silently when she gets to "beefsteak".
She finally takes a piece of bread, but turns it over in her hands rather than eating it -- still waiting to see the halflings try a piece before she's willing to eat it.
"An' may th' Sun guide ye," the cloaked halfling replies. Its voice is slightly gravelly and clarifies approximately nothing about its gender. Jess' unorthodox introduction provokes a flurry of whispered conversation, though Mari's face barely twitches in amusement and the cloaked one doesn't seem to react at all.
The bread it offered tastes slightly buttery and holds hints of some sort of herb. Even cold, it's not terrible. No one keels over or starts vomiting. The halfling nods and puts away the remaining chunks of flatbread somewhere in its voluminous cloak.
Suddenly, as the whispers wind down, the sack-bearing halfling breaks out laughing. The spear-wielder grumbles something, then kicks him in the shins, repeatedly, until the laughter dies down to a muffled snicker. "Ahm sorry abit mah lads. They can be a wee trooblesome a times. Noo, let's gang. Ye ur under uir wardin' noo." And with that, Mari turns and begins walking. The remaining halflings step closer, forming something between a short, cloaked, honor guard and a wall pushing you onwards.
Antal immediately gets to work chatting up the Halflings that'll talk to him. His newly acquired odd way of saying things and looking at things being at full showcase as he shares snippets of the party's tale in exchange for snippets about the Halflings.
Diplomacy (Inspired): [roll0]
Unlike the Halfling, Audric walks without trying to make conversation with anyone that doesn't approach him first. He is looking straight ahead with a blank expression, and his hands are still clenched at his side.
Rana follows along, clearly not entirely thrilled with the situation. After a few minutes, she moves closer to Audric and puts a hand on his back. [elven]"Something's wrong. What is it? Are the halflings dangerous?" she whispers, trying not to be overheard by the halflings and hoping they can't speak elven if she is.
Audric startles at her touch, further proof of how distracted he had been. . "N... No, I... " he starts, in Common, then he gathers himself and continues in Elven "It... It has nothing to do with them. You are not in danger, I promise. It is... I... I cannot speak about it now " Or, more to the point, he has no idea how to.
"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you."
"Thank you. I... " He addresses her a brief smile, but there's a hint of restrained tears in his eyes. "I will tell you, but not now. When we are alone. ". It's not a conversation he's looking forward to have, but it's something his allies will need to know, anyway.
Jess grins at Rana when the latter laughs, pleased at finally grabbing her victory, and afterwards settles into conversation with the people she's found herself with. "Ma and Da and Pa never really did say much about where they came from." She remarks casually. "They didn't much like whatever it that made them end up glad the city. Glad they came, though. But are there, y'know, fully Halfling communities outside the city that they might've come from? I've never been out." She confesses.
Rana nods and continues to walk next to Audric. Subtly, without looking at him, her hand inches towards his, a silent invitation.
Audric finds himself taking her hand without even fully realising what he's doing. It helps, a bit, making him feel slightly more grounded. "Thank you. " he whispers to her.
Rana doesn't say anything, but squeezes Audric's hand gently.
As most of the party begins to move, Tayet slumbers on, seemingly undisturbed by loud conversations or halflings beset by cackling laughter. The spear-wielding halfling walks up to him without fear and jabs at him, not quite hard enough to bruise, with the butt of his spear. "Up get, up. Yoo, mag-got." There is no inflection in the words, and pauses of arbitrary length seem to have been thrown between every syllable.
Tayet
"Man with weapon butt has worse common than me. Butt man, tell me. Why is common bad for you?" Tayet says, pulling his hood up as he rises. "Did you hide in forest for many time, too?"
The amount of Common spoken appears to have completely stupefied the halfling. "No. Speak no, speakin'," he says, looking bewildered.
The cloaked halfling chooses this moment to interject, as you begin walking on. "Some hae ne'er bin t' th' cities, ne'er had th' learnin'. Some hae lang bin hidin' in th' hills, like ye in th' forest, an' can spick only wee bits now. Still others hae the kennin's, but choose t' forget. Some things are better t' lose than t' hae."
The halflings seem to warm up to Antal quickly, chattering away in something that sounds vaguely like Common until you start listening closely. Jess's words seem to provoke considerably more confusion, and no one appears to have a response. Mari is slightly more forthcoming with answers, though understanding anything through an accent like hers is a chore by itself. "Jist few ay them, haur an' thaur. Fewer still 'at woods tak' th' likes ay yer ma an' pa. Nae much fur th' bigguns like ye, most." She does not look back when speaking, eyes fixed on some non-existent path in front of you. Every so often, she turns, or stops and surveys the horizon for a few moments before heading off in another direction, not always entirely forwards.
In the shadows, you can catch glimpses of yet more halflings - at least two and possibly five or more, always staying so shrouded in darkness and shadows that it is impossible to tell if they are always the same ones. They are not making an effort to stay silent in the least. You can hear their footsteps crunching through the grass alongside your own.
Halfling-speakers
SpoilerThe halflings are quite impressed at the snippets Antal gives. In return, they offer plenty of information. There are maybe 40 other halflings at camp, including elders and children. They are hunters, skinners, and bandits, all halflings born in the hills or adopted into this band after falling out of the graces of the city. They were planning on robbing you blind for trespassing into their territory. They don't kill people if they can help it - they take things, not lives. And they won't steal from other halflings or the helpless. Those of you who have eaten their bread and accepted their hospitality are not viable targets for robbery either. They are extremely vague about the potential fate of those who have not partaken of the bread.
Mari is in charge - what she says goes. If she believes that there is a foe you are chasing, then the rest of them get some arms sized for big folk in a hurry. She is quite strongly religious, and in fact instantiated some of those rules against killing and such.
Hilltopple, the literal translation of what more often refers to giant-slaying, is an honorific well-earned in battle - they say she's fought an ogre and lived to tell the tale, that she carries its fang with her and fears no foe living or dead. Though none of them, apparently, have seen this tooth, nor do they have anything other than 'everyone says so' to back up the claims of giantslaying.