IC II Toes In The Water

[achinca]

Miriam smiles a sad smile "If it is silence that you want, you will need to leave me here. The steel I wear announces my presence will in advance."

[Zman]

Catching up to the group, missing all that had transpired, Valen comments, "If we are to stay here, we'd best waste are talents on a shovel or axe, no offense to anyone who wields an axe." he glances down at Kurt.


The group decides that they'd best leave and take measure f the Orc threat for themselves. Henrey had left a few days prior and was to return with warming. Him not retuning is indicative of either his demise, or a lack of information on the Orc movements. You have a day and a half journey to the Orc caves. The group sets out on foot, as the terrain is too rough for horses to maneuver well on some of the mountainous terrain.

It s barely late morning, the sun climbing in he sky as the party leaves the small town to keep readying ther own defense, believing that information and harassment of the enemy is more important than sitting and waiting to be attacked, if an attack. Is coming or not. As the grou leaves, Max and the Mayor see the group off, having little to contribute except their thanks.

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Each person has a bit of time they could have helped with the defenses, done something, etc before th group would have left. Assume that nothing terribly important will have happened before you leave.

[Zman]

Valen adds, "And Kurt is far from quiet Little Oe. Worry about stealth once we are near the enemy."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia goes to Max and the Mayor and tells them to let the Hulburg soldiers know where they've gone and why. As best she can, she tells them about the best traps she knows that can be set up quickly and with a dearth of raw materials.

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Let's hope someone goes with Natalia as a translator of sorts. Also, Zman, use your imagination for the traps she told them--snares, pits, stuff like that; Natalia knows it better than I do.

[Athedia]

As Miriam and Natalia started to look happier, Mithril approached them. Overhearing the concerns about being able to sneak around, she approached Miriam "If we are heading out to the woods I have a spell prepared that may help you. You may have seen me use it before, I know Valen casts it on himself before battle. It gives an invisible weightless armor. The only thing is you can't wear you own armor when it is cast on you. Would that help? You would be able to stay with us." She tried to explain the spell as best she could, she didn't know much about the type of spells clerics used so she didn't want to take chances.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"But still quiet enough?" Natalia pipes up. She's the lithest of them all, though Shiny comes close.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt just shrugs a little. "I'll do what the group thinks is best...for now, I better go help them dig." He glanes up at Valen, and punches his leg lightly. "Good defences save more lives. You shouldn't look down on us, even if we are shorter." He grins, to show it's a joke. That's probably what it means, anyway.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Look at...Where teeth are...level with," Natalia smirks, though it twists into a bit of a grin at the dirty joke.

[achinca]

Miriam shakes her head at Mithril. "I think you should use your magic to provide offense. Sneakiness is for people like Natalia. I am more of a front runner like Sir Kurt."

[Zman]

The group makes themselves ready and set off towards the norther border of the Galena Mts, where they will be able to locate the Orc stronghold. Their intent, to find the young Henry as well as gather information and harass the Orcs there...


Kurt labors away helping the men of the village dig a deep trench to the north of the lumbermill and granary. Valen aids in felling trees to the north to give Linwood a further view to the North as well as supply additional lumber for a Pallasaide. Shiny spends his time keeping the people's spirits up with good stories...though after a score of minutes he's left surrounded by most of the towns children. Natalia attempts o explain her grand scheme and mechanations to the townsfolk with mixed understanding. Mithril and Miriam finah their arcane and divine preparations, readying themselves for the days to come.

When the sun reaches its apex, the unlikely band of adventurers sets forth, north towards the unknown...

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On foot, as most terrain is not conducive to riding a horse. No set trail, best guess as to Henry's path...maybe give me a survival check.

[Athedia]

Mithril shivered, this was really happening. Looking around her she tried to spot signs of someones path, Whiskers looking and smelling for similar information.

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Survival Check (1d20+1)[20]

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia watches as Mithril and Whiskers work in tandem to find the path that Henry has gone down, in awe at the synergy between them as Whiskers hops off his master's ground to sniff the ground before racing back up her shoulders to place his paws on her face and point in one direction or the other.

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Survival: (d20+1)[15]

[CoffeeIncluded]

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Natalia can also use Search to find tracks:

Search: (d20+9)[26]

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia soon finds yet another flaw in their plan as she finds herself unable to distinguish one broken branch from another set of bent grasses in terms of potential trails.

"...Any trained trackers?" she asks the group.

[achinca]

Miriam shakes her head at Natalia's question "Another failure of my training" she says in a sarcastic tone.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia's eyes narrow before she realizes Miriam's being sarcastic. Still, she says, "No trackers...He'll find us first."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt nods, walking comfortably in the front of the march, axe resting against his shoulder for the most part, his crossbow strapped to his back. "All we have to is keep ourselves alive and an eye out for any trouble."

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(1d20)[10] Listen
(1d20)[5] Spot
(1d20+5)[25] Survival

[Athedia]

Mithril sighed, at least they were heading in the right direction. Hearing Natalia's question she grinned ruefully "Spent a little to much time studying for that I am afraid."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"And food, at least," Natalia says with a smile as she plucks a handful of raspberries off a nearby bush, giving about half of them to Mithril.

[Admiral]

"...Any trained trackers?" she asks the group.

Shiny laughs. "Don't you know you're traveling with Shiny Scentsniffer, master tracker and repeat organ donor?"

Shiny drops down and crawls along the path, carefully examining every inch with every appearance of expertise. "Having studied the path, it appears..." he says after some deliberation, "...to be made of dirt."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Find the...kidney harvester here," Natalia replies.

Kicking up a few pebbles, she adds as an addendum, "And made of rocks."

[achinca]

Miriam looks at Shiny but says nothing "How can he be so insouciant and care free and why do I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders?"

[Zman]

The party walks through the dense forest, the rolling hills, and the ever more frequents rock precipices and rock outcroppings. Though a difficult trail, the group led by Kurt's expert hand believes their course to be true.

As the party nears the northern edge of the woods, darkness begins to fall, Kurt believes that they are only a couple of hours travel from where the Orcs lair should be. Only a handful of miles separates them from the Orcs they seek. There has yet to be any sign of the bests, though they are not far.

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Camping, or walking into the night? Plan to proceed?

[achinca]

Miriam sits on rock as she feels tired. "Orcs are nocturnal monsters. Let's spend the night and pay them a visit in the morning. We should have watch to ensure we catch and thin out any raiding band."

[Athedia]

"I will take the first watch. I don't want to wander into the orcs when they have a clear advantage." Mithril moved her hands as she spoke, an invisible force surrounding her.

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Mage Armor for the next 3 hours, I meant this 3 but for some reason put the wrong number down.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"I'll...Take second," Natalia says immediately after. "Keen ears whether by light or dark."

[Zman]

"I will take third."

After making camp, Valen will Renew his arcane protections before and after his first bit of sleep.

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Mage Armor, lasts for 3hrs.

[Cavelcade]

"Then rest well. Call me if I'm needed for a watch." Kurt doesn't set up a tent, instead just takes off his armour and sleeps with one hand on his axe, wrapped in his blanket and cloak.

[achinca]

I'll take fourth. Miriam gets ready to go to bed hoping for a dreamless night but St. Cuthbert does not listen to her and the demons of her private life invade her dreams again.

[Zman]

The stars shown brightly on the warm early summer night. The group of adventurers made camp near the northernmost edge of the thick woods. Each diligent in their watch and each watch going off without a hitch.

Dawn approaches as the sun crests over the hills. The party begins to awake, later than they should have to find Shiny still asleep. Shiny is snoring, a rhythmic Gnomsh tune. He's laying face down, two small arrows located firmly in his posterior.

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DC5 Listen to jar the snoring
DC15 Knowledge Local to identify the Tnomish tune
DC 10 Spot to notice the two small hand made arrows sticking out of Shinys rear end.