Southern Comfort IC

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi looks to Gregor. Then she looks to Grath. Her smile becomes brittle. "Boys. I really like you. You're sweet guys, very polite, and you usually look at my eyes. Take my advice here: nothing this woman tells you to do is going to be good for you. Especially this."

She then looks to Dardiana, and she winks. "Besides, if you wear it it means that one of us can't, and that would just be a travesty."

[Linguz]

Dardiana smiles at the wink. "Yes, yes it would. Now." She holds it up on her body, so Delphi sees what it looks like on her. "Should I remove my traveler's outfit or leave that on when I put this on?"

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi's smile becomes lupine once more, and she looks the elven witch dead in the eye. "Come now, you've felt that as well as I have. You clearly need to take your clothes off to put it on properly."

She glances around, then turns back, her face serious. "I can escort you to the nearest secluded location to assist you with clothing removal, away from the prying eyes of those without the mental fortitude to look upon your body without being struck dumb and senseless."

[Marlowe]

((It feels like clothing. It acts like clothing. I don't even know what the rules are for wearing two sets of clothing, but it wouldn't be comfortable.

Yes, you have to remove your regular clothing to wear it. I didn't think anyone would want it. I was afraid you'd force it on Bethlen.))

Bethlen laughs. "I wonder what would happen if I actually did something evil." She's poking around the scattered bones. "Hmm. Elf. Wearing the irridescent scale armour that race used to favour before they got fed up with everyone questioning their sexual orientation. The Men, at least. Elf Women will notoriously do anything that breathes. And considering their menfolk, who could blame them?"

She comes up with a rapier, and sights along the blade toward the sun. "Well". She pricks her finger with the point. It bleeds. "Well. Cold Iron. My companions, I shall keep this" She looks around a bit further and comes up with the stabbard. "Though it's of little practical use to me. Think of it as being part compensation for what you stole from me. Or did your former Wizard not share?"

[Linguz]

"Are you telling me that I can't go behind a tree myself?" She seems to think about it some more. "But lead the way. I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if you lead me there." Once Delphi moves, Dardiana follows, the special-traveler's outfit on her shoulder.

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi sticks her tongue out at Bethlen when she makes the comment about elf women being overly promiscuous, though it isn't an especially malicious gesture. She then takes Dardiana by the hand, and she leads her a little ways into the woods. (We are near the woods, right? I was pretty sure that we are.)

She then helps the slender elf change into the glamored armor, and for her credit she is a perfect 'gentleman' through the entire affair. Except for her eyes, but you can hardly blame her on that account.

[u-b]

Gregor stood confused by all these "witch", "merchant" and "professional", looking at Gretchen, at Nuisance, at Gretchen, at Nuisance, at Gretchen, at Delphi, then at Dardiana o_O, which snapped him out of the confusion, so back at Gretchen.

"So, I let them, because you are a pro, and not leading the way or some such. Err... got that. Sort of."

[Marlowe]

((You're in the middle of the forest. No convenient clearing here, I was getting bored with them.

Also, Bethlen's rolling her eyes. And Gretchen's facepalming. This didn't seem worth mentioning.))

And then Gretchen snaps at Gregor; "Are you going to report what you found! Or didn't find? Any trace of the master? This is your job! Not plunging into the black out of contact with the rest of us and being no use to anyone."

[u-b]

"Hmm... well, didn't find. One bleeding brown bear moving from here east (as you could have guessed); four sets of humanoid footprints I already told you about, moving from the south - three pairs boots, on pair sandles" (takes a pause to count boots and sandles in the area) "several hours ago. That is all. I did not check it closer to the river, so... any deep thoughts?"

[Linguz]

Dardiana left nothing on under the chains. She spun around for Delphi and asked, "How do I look?"

After receiving a response, she returned, hardly anything visible, but not worrying about that.

She looked at the party and asked, "Now that the skimpy outfit is on, shall we get going again? Or can we speak to these bones and ask them things to get more information out of them?"

[u-b]

"I guess we could interrogate the bear. If we will promise healing, we'll surely get as much information as could be expressen by an animal. Not sure it would be worth the time. About talking to the bones and getting where they are from... Thorwald?"

[mattie_p]

"Enough talking and arguing. Bears cannot talk and bones cannot talk either, unless this is more magic for Grath to remember. Girls finish change clothes and then follow tracks."

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi expresses proper appreciation for Dardiana before addressing the others. "I think the bear might be a good source of information, if you really can speak with it. That said, I dislike being consumed, so if it wants to attack us it may be better to just let it lie and move on."

[Linguz]

"Unless we can take it out, hurt as it is. I've never had bear before." She paused. "But we'd likely get it like from the boar. Single words hinting at things. If that at all. I might be able to follow the magic trail on the bones, but I've got no idea how long that'll last or if they were gone long. And I'm sure a few people here can track the skeletons, can't you?" She looked between three people, Delphi, Gretchin, and Gregor. "So, we have three paths to take. Suggestions?"

[stanleyindraven]

Horbin has kept quiet this whole time but has grown increasingly impatient as he stands next to Thorwald. "Has no one thought maybe one of the skeletons is the master? And for the love of the gods can the lesbians get a hold on themselves. I realize that we may be barbarians and have done nothing to establish a pecking order, but we have done fairly well so far. The skeletons really are of no true concern to us right now as they are content to chase bears in the woods. Thier master, if found would prove to be a useful source of information and amusement. But right now we need to go to the place of no concern before tiring ourselves out on the way with all of the arguements and tack chasing," Horbin lets out as he approaches the rangers. His voice gradually became louder but never above that of an angry father.

[Marlowe]

Bethlen is strapping the rapier around her waist, and throwing a question at Gretchen."If he's an Elementalist as Lotus figured, he shouldn't be able to do this".

""Wands. He has backing. He could do anything. Or Your Friend Lotus could be wrong."

"She's never been The Smart One, she's never had to be, but she's seldom wrong. And it doesn't take a lot of training to use a wand."

"And apparently, he hasn't figured out that humanoid skeletons are a losers's game. He's new at this". Gretchen steps forwards. "A lot of old bones and gear. Coming from a location that people do not return from. New cloaks. Either he bought up a whole lot before he started, or he has a means of fast and unnoticable travel."

"Or both. We move?"

"We move. Pack of scruffy barbarian mercs, follow me!

The mountain spurs rise up high to either side. Ahead is the faintest suggestion of a valley opening to the east.

[u-b]

Gregor shrugs, takes up to 2 minutes to pick up useful stuff (if there is any) and search for tracks he originally missed (including, but not limited to, bear tracks goin in), then follows the group, eventually assuming position on the left flank between Gretchen and rest of the group.

Survival: (1d20+6)[19]

upd: After some 10 minutes Gregor stops by an appropriately-looking tree, cuts a club, then continues on.

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi objects a bit to being called scruffy, but she doesn't say anything; instead she just hurries to follow the group's nominal leader. While she jogs along she makes sure to spend plenty of time to enjoy the... view.

[Linguz]

Dardiana was standing on the cart, if it was able to enter the forest. She stood at the head of it, watching forward.

If the cart couldn't come, she was walking or riding if possible, and spending as much time with the halfling as she could.

[Marlowe]

You move on, in spite of Dardania's new and somewhat distracting attire which I totally did not expect anyone to actually try on. Gretchen and Nuisance take the lead, following the stream as it turns sharply east and into a long, narrow mountain valley devoid of lonely goatherds, but which looks like an appropriate setting for one.

The sky goes from blue, to dark blue, to purple, and now it's nearing black. Time to camp.

((What? A random encounter every day is boring. Also, I teach small children. My metaphors are a little skewed.

Anyone wanted to poke around the bones, there really wasn't much that hasn't been mentioned. Most of the clothing and armour was decayed to near-uselessness. In summary you found
1 +5 traveller's outfit glamoured to look like a chain-mail bikini (Dardiana)
1 Cold Iron Rapier (Bethlen)
2 normal morningstars. (thrown in the cart, we presume)
Oh, and a longsword that looks like it's going to break if someone looks at it funny.))

[stanleyindraven]

"I'll take second watch," Horbin will finally speak for the first time since his scolding.

[u-b]

Gregor will take last watch. Now cutting some spruce branches to sleep on, eating, feeding the dogs, etc. Then going to the river bank and spending some time to pick up 10 good round stones. Then sleeping.

[AshesOfOld]

Thorwald has followed the arguments, discussions and clothing arrangements with mild amusement, sometimes throwing in a quick laugh before being silent again.
As they continue in mutual silence away from the site, he sends a silent prayer to Loki.
Ymir's piss! Please, oh great Lord of Deceiving, tell me I get to set that wench Gretchen on fire.
He walks with an increasing smile on his face, his eyes burning into the back of the professional.

At camp, with a nod of respect to Horbin, he replies "And I'll take first."
He proceeds to feed his horse, whom he has dubbed Muspellnir, and himself before settling down near a hopefully soon-to-be fire.

[mattie_p]

"Third watch," says Grath. He sets up his tent, as he usually does. He asks Gregor about the reason for cutting a club.

(Presumably he receives the answer I know he will get).

Grath can use crowbar to bash, but a real club might be better. Need a really large one for bashing with both hands. Get one next time in town." He instead grabs one of the morningstars and waves it around, getting the feel for the weapon. "Can Grath borrow this? Better than crowbar for bashing."

Grath prepares some food for himself, then takes a look around the area, trying to be relatively quiet, without traveling far from camp (no more than 50 feet).

Checks:

Spoiler

Show

spot:(1d20-1)[12]
listen: (1d20+1)[10]

Hide: (1d20-1)[14]
Move silent: (1d20-1)[13]

[u-b]

"The club? Old child-time horror stories... hard to cut bones, easier to crush bones, no point in pointing bones with pointy sticks."

Gregor nods as Grath takes a morningstar.

"Not sure if it would be good for Horbin to take one, though. He has a really big stick, so might be better that way..."

"I wonder..." Gregor pauses for a moment "...well, I guess it's too late to get smart, but next time we see a red cloak, we try to get it intact. If these skeletons are indeed automated, might be worth trying to wear one. And I wonder if that valley's magical protection is automated same way. Hey, Bethlen, any chance of that?"

[stanleyindraven]

"All fall before Glenda. She can crush and cut," Horbin will say before settling down, sword in hand.

[Linguz]

Dardiana ignored what the men were saying about their sticks and swords while she set up her bedroll by the fire. She would wait an hour before going to sleep, see if anything happens, since it's not like she needed to sleep much. "I'll be awake most likely before any of you, so I can take the fourth watch."

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi decides that this batch of forest is more to her liking for foraging than the previous stretches of woodlands that the group had traveled through, and she sets out to supplement or replace everyone's daily trail bar or food-lumps. She manages to find several good berry bushes and nut-trees, and she catches two rabbits; enough for two to eat a hearty meal, with berries left over for dessert for the group.

Survival: (1d20+6)[16]

[mattie_p]

"Grath might look good in a red cloak, Gregor. You say wearing a read cloak protects from skeletons by magic? Grath make that number five on list of magic facts learned on this trip."

[u-b]

"Not necessarily by magic. Maybe by skeletons' current standing orders or some such. Speaking about skeletons... Thorwald, would you read a short lecture about them, including strengths, weaknesses, your planned tactics, our suggested tactics, and all that?"

"I guess it would be prudent to grab the last one of next group of skeletons intact to carry some behavior experiments, if they will appear to operate without a master... how's that plan?"