Old Ways IC

[jmbrown]

Talsarios returns from the dawn watch and seeks out Jeanne.

"I wonder," he begins, tentatively, "if you might do me a great honour. I came to these lands seeking knowledge, and I have found conflict and death. You are a trained warrior and caster, and effective in battle. My spell book is poor against such a challenge...
"Your spell, I know, is useless against your kind, so I could not - were I able to, and should I want to - use it against you or your kin. If you would teach it to me, because I trust you are honourable, in return, I will teach you my spell - which will be most effective against me and my kind. See, I would give, without taking, if you are willing.
"What say you, Jeanne?"

Jeanne stares Talsarios down, remaining silent for a minute before speaking. "Why do you approach me like I'm a savage? We've stood watch over each other, fought side by side, spilled blood, and mourned the loss of a fellow warrior. Together. Yes, I will trade spells. Not because I need a weapon against your kind but because sharing our knowledge will prevent future deaths. Yours, or mine, or Nathros and so on."

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Brandon turns aside to hide an amused smirk at Jeanne's and Talsarios' conversation.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Jeanne stares Talsarios down, remaining silent for a minute before speaking. "Why do you approach me like I'm a savage? We've stood watch over each other, fought side by side, spilled blood, and mourned the loss of a fellow warrior. Together. Yes, I will trade spells. Not because I need a weapon against your kind but because sharing our knowledge will prevent future deaths. Yours, or mine, or Nathros and so on."

Talsarios immediately adopts a grave and apologetic demeanor.
"Your pardon, Jeanne, you honour me. It is clear your ways are more open and true. Where I am from, it is the gravest of requests to ask for another's spells, never lighlty done. Some wizards would take great insult, even - and in even the best of outcomes, great negotiations take place, if one is not merely dismissed out of hand.
"Jeanne, in such negotiations, it would be common for me to show how I will gain little, while you would gain much. That is why I highlighted the little harm that could come from this trade.
"I am sorry if my crude haggling has upset you. Thyatis is filled with politics and scheming."

[jmbrown]

"Magic is an art and no true artist hides his techniques when another disciple presents their own. We'll trade and become stronger for it. The people of Thyatis will horde and their reward is a dagger in the back."

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Brandon asks, "So, can we wait a while longer and let me get back some more of my strength, or do we press on now?"

"Unless we fight a lot of gobbos again, we're likely to win the first encounter at least. Jeanne's spell will do that for us. It's afterwards that I worry about."

[Matthew]

Nathros leans on his spear and awaits a decision.

[Roland St. Jude]

Devin returns to his spot on the ridge and the other woodsman fan out around the campsite, just to see what they can see. Clearly, the didn't have an opinion or expect to be asked.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Talsarios watches the woodsman leave, then turns back to the rest of the group.
"If you're thinking that we should wait while Jeanne and I exchange spells, then I must disagree - it will take a couple of days at least to discuss the magical principles and practice, and I do not believe we should leave the goblins alone that long.
"We need to know more about the dungeon below the keep," he says. "I think we should tentatively explore further, engaging only in fights we believe we can win swiftly and decisively. We should be ready to retreat at all times - perhaps the woodsmen can guard our rear while we explore? Of course, I'm an anthropologist, not a general. I will yield to more experienced advice."

[Valameer]

"That sounds good. I say we push cautiously on for the day. Once our spells are out, we'll pull back before things get too heavy."

Stefan smiles, confident in his opinion.

He begins to get ready to travel. Once the camp is packed, he arms himself with his sling and shield.

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor

Brandon nods reluctant agreement.

He still seems nervous after his near-death experience, but the presence of Jeanne, empowered by magic, did much to relieve his apprehension.

[Matthew]

Nathros digs his heel into the dirt and breathes in the cool morning air, his gear stowed he is ready to proceed.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Talsarios shrugs on his pack and slips the pouch of ashes round his neck on a strip of leather.
"Let's get back swiftly, then," he says. "Did anyone manage to take a look around the land round about this keep, by the way? The goblins must have another way out."

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Unable to shake a sense of dread that he's going back to the goblin keep where he nearly lost his life, Brandon leads the party anyway, shield in hand and sword in the other.

[Roland St. Jude]

The return to the keep's outer wall is tense but uneventful. The courtyard seems empty to Brandon as he looks across the river and in through the small gap in the outer wall.

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Bran calls softly over his shoulder, "Well, we're back."

"Anyone have a plan to do anything but go in the front entrance again?"

The young fighter is hunched over, as if expecting a storm of arrows to fall on the party at any moment. His face is pale under his tan.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

With a determined look, Talsarios pipes up: "I will circle the keep at a distance - perhaps accompanied by one of our keen archers? In any case, I will look for other ways into the keep. Don't worry, I plan to use as much cover as I can, and I am relatively quiet."
And that said, he sets off, quickly moving away from the group, then keeping among the brush while he arcs away to circle the fort.

Spoiler

Show

Talsarios will put a fair bit of distance between him and the group before using hunting techniques to move from cover to cover, avoiding presenting a silhouette wherever possible. He will do this whether anyone comes with him or not, but he will not wait for a debate.
Hunting - (1d20)[10]

[Roland St. Jude]

Talsarios works his way around the perimeter, sticking to the treeline and checking for prey, traps, or anything unusual. It takes considerable time to circumnavigate the keeps outer wall, but he is fortunate enough not to encounter any armed patrols or traps. Down the slope toward the river and keep, the approach is somewhat exposed, particularly if anyone atop the wall or in the towers was looking. Though it was quite a distance, Talsarious didn't spy anyone. The river made for an imposing moat and the only visible entrances are a wooden drawbridge, heavy looking and bound with iron bands apparently unopened for a long time and the water intake gap his allies exploited previously. He knew that it was likely the goblins had some other egress, but he didn't spy any.

[Valameer]

Stefan waits for Talsarios to return.

"I wonder if they've doubled the guard or anything. I guess this will give us some insight about how organized they are."

"A king goblin. Can you imagine?" Stefan smiles, trying to lighten the mood a little.

[Matthew]

Nathros watches proceedings from cover.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Talsarios returns at length with a disappointed air, and explains what he saw - which though he relates it in detail amounts to nothing much.
He apologises for the delay, and asks where they should try to enter this time.

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor

Brandon sighs mournfully. "I'll try to enter the front door again. Y'all can follow after me after 10 or 20 feet. I'll go slow so I don't fall into any pits again."

[Matthew]

Nathros follows after, spear at the ready, ever hopeful that his hand axe can be recovered.

[Roland St. Jude]

Crossing the river through the culvert was no more enjoyable the second time, but the courtyard was empty this time. The front door had been closed whether by the party or the keep's occupants was unknown. No traps barred the way to the door, and no sentries could be seen in the two visible towers. If the goblins had re-fortified, they had done so on the inside.

[Valameer]

"Be careful for traps. I'm sure they've prepared somewhat..."

Stefan moved forward cautiously with the group. (He's probably near the front of the party or in the front, depending on whether or not Nathros is in the frontline.)

[Altair_the_Vexed]

"None survived who saw us come and go," muses Talsarios as he emerges from the culvert, "unless we were secretly watched from elsewhere... but if that were the case, then why didn't the watchers, under their king's command, come to help repell us? No, I suspect there was none to observe us. Thus any new defences will most likely be general, unfocused. Could we be watched now?"
Talsarios looks around at the towers, windows and keep parapet for hiding sentries.

[Matthew]

Nathros heads towards the door, and if possible uses his spear to prod it open from a distance.

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Brandon stands beside Nathros, expecting trouble. He's already sweating.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

"Remember, chaps," whispers Talsarios, sling in hand, "we fall back if there's more than a couple of them..."

Spoiler

Show

Talsarios will be ready to sling a bullet at any goblins - and just as ready to run back to the culvert if the odds are against them.

[Roland St. Jude]

Nathros' spear pushes the door open a bit, but it meets some resistance. Something was blocking the door from opening fully.

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Brandon motions with his sword for Nathros to wait, then he carefully peeks to see what is blocking the door.