The Tribes of Tell Amakh (Part 1 IC)

[Tyrael]

"That'd be me," the whelp with the knives adds. "Lyin' low and stabbin' things, I'm your guy. I can throw one of these an' split a leaf twenty feet off."

[Archdeacon GX]

The axe whelp answers in turn, "I am a warrior through and through, and I think I will be best suited at the front lines, should we get into a fight. I was also taught the songs and tales of our ancestors, and the power of a battlecry."

[MikelaC1]

ESHALYN

I am well versssed in a ssstyle of battle you have probably never ssseen. I do not ussse bladesss, but my unarmed ssstrikesss carry great forccce. And my dancccing in battle not only unnervesss opponentsss, it caussssesss them to misssss me. I am alssso reasssonably ssskilled at ssstealth.

[Gaiyamato]

Tasunke raises an eyebrow at the suddenly accepted semi-boasting.
He waits until the others are done then speaks.

"I am a warrior, swift, strong and durable. My spear, my sword and my horse are my weapons of war. I do not tire or weaken easily. I can also ride a horse like very few can ride a horse. Even the experienced warriors of my birth clan can struggle to ride as I do, only the best can keep up with myself and Anwelh."

[lostsole31]

The tall one nods at the last one and says, "Good. Someone who can help me ride better."

[Stormwind]

As the smallest whelp waits for a reply from the white haired whelp, thoughts of the terrain and the dangers that they are likely to encounter race through her mind.

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[Knowledge(geography): (1d20+3)[19] (her knowledge of the terrain)]
[Knowledge(nature): (1d20+5)[8] (her knowledge of seasonal dangers)]

[Knowledge(local): (1d20+3)[19] (her knowledge of Icemen)]

[Simba]

While you discuss your personal abilities, the council moves to other matters. Only Belegas stands up from his seat and moves over to your position: "What do you need in terms of equipment? Do you want horses to ride?"

[Stormwind]

@Simba: Does my whelps knowledge (previous post) of the Iceman give any useful info?.

The small whelp responds quickly to Belegas, "I suspect most of us will require horses, seven mounts by my count. Food for nine days so we don't need to forage while we track them. Water will not be a problem, but water containers would be useful. A healer's bag, would be welcome as would some length's of rope. Several bedrolls too."

As she looks up at the sky, she asks her companions, "Is there anything more we might need?", looks towards Tasunke "... feed for the horses?"

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[Survival: (1d20+10)[29] vs DC15 (Predicting the weather) - 3 days in advance ;)]

[Simba]

What you know about the icemen (general knowledge, some details):

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Icemen are organized in tribes, just as you are, but smaller and more of them. They live north of you, on the eternal ice, and both east and west of tribal territory. They are hunters of seal, whales and all other creatures that live on the ice.

Physically they are large and strong (see goliath race, but with ice affinity instead of stone) and completely at home in the cold. They use armor made from bones and leather and weapons from the same materials as they have little metals.

Their favorite weapons are clubs and spears, but axes are also common.
Icemen have relatively poor vision but an excellent sense of smell.

They usually don't venture down into tribal lands as it is too warm for them, but sometimes they send small hunting parties when they need food. Those hunting parties have never attacks anything but animals before.

[Gaiyamato]

"I have Anwelh to ride. Perhaps some food, but even that I require little. I have lived from the land before."

[Holocron Coder]

Speaking up last, the white-haired whelp states, "I have an affinity for this blade I carry. I am well-trained in its use and have crafting in metal. I am strong in both abilities and would do well in a fight."

He has the humility to look somewhat abashed as he continues. "However, I am not very stealthy, nor am I very good with words."

At the suggestion of supplies, the whelp looks to the small one elected in charge. "It is best that we travel swiftly. If the icemen ambushed your tribe not distantly from here, we should carry less in the way of weighty supplies. Also, as a scouting mission, those of us with less abilities in the way of stealth could instead forage to support the group."

He blinks and looks aside. "I do not mean to question, but only to suggest."

It is clear that the whelp is still building confidence in himself.

[Stormwind]

The smallest whelp nods at the two of her companions who have replied thus far, "Indeed I plan that we will leave as soon as we have collected supplies. It is a three day march to the site where the Icemen ambushed us. With horses we can make good speed, and with food along we will not need to slow down to forage. Our return trip is another matter, and I expect us to need to forage on our return. Once we arrive at the site of the ambush we will be between four and six days behind the Icemen and we will have three days in which to track them and close the distance between us."

She looks around her packmates, old and new, and then speaks again, "Does anyone have any other suggestions for supplies?"

She waits a few moments for any member of her new pack to speak.

[MikelaC1]

ESHALYN

Our return trip isss not an issssue, we are sssimply to ssscout out their ssstrength and then return to the ambusssh sssite, where the main force of the tribe will be waiting for usss.

[lostsole31]

"Agreed," says the archer. "We do nothing for our tribes if our honor leads us to a death unable to return a report of numbers."

[Partysan]

"We might want to change into clothing which matches the terrain, so we can avoid detection from distance.", the whelp in the cloak thinks aloud. "If we hunt we need fire, so we should pack enough cold rations to reach the Icemen's forces. I agree ond the way back being of secondary importance, we just need to survive it. Well, and some rope is always useful, be it for climbing, binding the horses or tie up prisoners we want to question. That's all I can think of right now."

[Simba]

You get all the supplies you mentioned sofar, including green-brown-grey cloaks and some rope, enough cold rations to keep you well fed for 10 days.

Once everything is ready, the chiefes all look at you for a moment, then Bika speaks up: "Make us proud, be strong, be swift. We will be waiting for you at the ambush site in a few days."

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I have a hard time posting right now and this is the only game I am active in right now. I will return to full activity on Thursday morning. Until then feel free to roleplay your journey to the ambush site and get to know each other IC.

[Archdeacon GX]

The axe-whelp turns to the smallest one as they are given leave to begin their task, and nods to her. "Lead us well, small one," she says respectfully, before pulling on one of the greenish-brown cloaks they had been given.

[Tyrael]

The whelp with the knives pulls on one of the cloaks as well. "Hey, this is pretty warm!" he exclaims in surprise. "Shoot, this is almost as nice as the one my friend found on the road one time."

He secures the cloak and heads out with the other whelps, chatting amiably. "Right, so my friend's drivin' his cart home over a bridge late at night, see? An' he sees what looks like in his estimation a dead bear. So my friend gets out his cart to find a stick to poke at it, right? Well it turns out, it's just some noble traveler lady's fur coat that must'a fallen out her carriage. So my friend figures 'Hey, free coat', right?"

The whelp waves his arms animatedly, getting into his story.

" Now, owls won't normally attack a man, but this case they was hungry, and that made them reckless. My buddy reckons they must'a been there hours watchin' what they musta thought was a bear carcass, 'cause soon he picked up, them owls had claws in him like an inch deep! So my buddy figures his best bet's to jump in the river, 'cause owls can't swim, right? Well them owls could! He musta fought 'em for 20 minutes treading water! And during that time a boat tried to go under the bridge but was too high, so it all tore up the bridge, and whoop! Down goes my buddy's cart! Just goes to show... nature's trying' to teach us sometimes, you know what I mean? Folks just don't listen often enough."

[lostsole31]

"Folks just don't listen often enough."

Speaking of which, the archer sorta' tunes out after about 5 seconds of his chatter ....

The archer quietly secures his equipment to his ......... horse????

[Stormwind]

As the head of the council speaks, the smallest whelp nods in acknowledgement, "We will meet at the ambush site"

She then walks over to the pile of supplies and retrieves a cloak, healers bag, empty waterskin and food, all of which she proceeds to wear or stuff into her belt pouch. She then grabs one length of rope and loops it over one shoulder before approaching the smallest horse standing by the rest of the supplies.

Gently speaking to the animal, she calmly strokes it before climbing onto its back. Mounted, she holds the rope bridle losely in a far from expect hand as she guides the horse with her knees and waits silently for her companions to likewise mount up.

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[Ride: (1d20-1)[11] vs DC5 (to guide mount with knees)]

OOC Edit: Based on Simba's comment on supplies and that horses were requested, I believe we all have horses for this trip (Tasunke of course has his own).

[MikelaC1]

ESHALYN

Eshalyn regards the whelp as he tells his story, her eyes flat and expressionless. As he finishes, she continues to regard him for a moment, and then without emotion, remarks

You ssseem to be a teller of talesss...I dont believe a word of it

With that, she checks her equipment and swings herself up onto her horse.

[Holocron Coder]

The white-haired whelp peruses the supplies and grabs a few last things he is not already carrying before mounting a horse in preparation to leave. Although he does not have any trouble riding the beast, it's obvious he has little true training in controlling it.

"I'm not sure I believe it, either," he comments to the hissing girl, in response to the other whelp's wild story. Really, a cart?

[lostsole31]

As the archer mounts his horse, he says, "Though he needs to frame his parable better, I do not believe he told it to recount the past, but to prove a point. If he can learn to do it better, he might have a knack for teaching our stories. Do we believe that Caterpillar gave Buzzard tobacco with which to persuade Sun to return the clouds in the drought? No. But the story teaches us a lesson, and we recognize it for that ... not for the literal events."

[Partysan]

"And on the way it can be quite amusing, too. There's nothing like a good laugh, after all, and I think he might be talented as well as willing to tickle some out of us." He pauses for a moment. "Not literally I mean."
He then shoulders the supplies and equipment and approaches his horse, mumbling calmly and patting its neck. "Riding isn't my forte, especially on horses, but I'll be able to make it run after yours and stay on top of it."

[Archdeacon GX]

"That's not like any tale I was taught by our elders of Tell Farh. Is it a traditional story of the Fox clan?" the axe-wielding whelp asks as she mounts her own horse. "Maybe you've heard the story of the Chieftain's Son and the Bearskin?"

She recites the parable from memory, with practiced ease, "It's said that many years ago, there was a chieftain of some tribe -- it isn't said which -- who had a dream that his son would be killed by a bear. He was afraid this prophecy would come true, so he forbid his son to hunt, and shut him up in a cave. The chieftain filled the cave with drawings and animal skins to entertain his son, the largest being the Bear skin at the back of the cave. His son became angry at his confinement, and grabbed a branch from a thorny tree to strike at the bearskin, but a thorn pierced his skin and he fainted in a fit. He came down with a fever and died several days later."

Afterwards she comments, "It is one of my favorite stories, because it tells us we shouldn't try to avoid our problems, but face them, or else they will overcome us. Though I must admit, I still prefer the stories of battles of old."

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Perform, for her little story: (1d20+11)[31]

EDIT: Behold, a nat20 on a completely social and non-crucial roll.

[Gaiyamato]

Seeing that a few of them are having problems with their horses, being that they are slightly unfamiliar with them, Tasunke walks into the group of horses, gently patting their heads, and stroking their knecks while making soft cooing noises and clicks.

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Adjust the mood of the animals to make them more compliant with their riders. The improved mood should give a +2 circumstance bonus to ride checks for everyone.
(1D20+12)[19] DC is only 8.

As Tasunke finishes this he makes a series of clicks and turns as his own horse - Anwelh - strides seemingly out of nowhere. Unlike the other horses there is not a single sign of any tackle on the horse at all, certainly not a bit in it's mouth.
The horse appears well groomed, his coat shinier than even the other horses. His step is lighter than usual and a defiant fire burns in his eyes.

The horse moves up to Tasunke and nuzzles him. Tasunke kisses Anwelh on the top of his nose and gives his side a rub before swiftly and easily mounting him as if Tasunke were fluid moving over a rock in a stream-bed.

"I am ready when the rest of you are." He says softly, his tone slightly different from before, softer and gentler now.
Tasunke checks the straps on his sheild to make sure they are tight and get's a firm grip of his spear. Anwelh seems to respond to Tasunke's wishes without even needing to be steered by the knees.

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No need for ride checks. Empathic link handles it for now.

[Tyrael]

The whelp with the knives mounts up on his own beast, giving the horse an enthusiastic scratch behind the ears. "Oh, wow, I looooove horses!" he enthuses. "I ever tell you 'bout the time my buddy tried to ride a buckin' stallion? Must of held on for near an hour 'fore the horse gets tired! So he figures everythin's safe when the horse stops movin', right? An' he goes to climb off. But that's how they gets you! Overconfidence! Sucker goes flying right through the fence, breaks like half the bones in his body! My buddy was all bandaged up and everythin' for like months afterward! At first it was funny, but then it got sad, but then it got funny all over again!"

The whelp with the knives gives a delighted chuckle as the horses begin to move out. "Man, life just goes to show, you know? Can't never let yer guard down for nobody or BAM, they gets you! But y'know, these here horses don't look too bad..."

[Archdeacon GX]

Looking at the Fox whelp strangely, the axe whelp begins to wonder, Is he going to be like this for the entire trip?

[Simba]

You mount your horses and set off northwards, towards the ambush site. It is soon obvious that even though some of you are not experienced riders, the horses are well trained and well disposed towards you, making things easier.

A few hours later, as the sun sets to your left, you reach the icewater river. It flows down from the north and carries water from the icefields of the icemen. One of its tribunaries is your goal and you are making a good time. Of your enemies there is no sign sofar.

[MikelaC1]

ESHALYN

Eshalyn turns on her horse to one of the ambushed tribesmen.

Which way now? And how far do we go before we reach the ambusssh sssite?