A Land In Need

[hoverfrog]

"Good to know, " Tuchon says, "Magical arrows are relatively cheap to produce as I understand these things. I can produce scrolls of my own spells, really as a backup in case I run out or haven't prepared them that day. I can empower these scrolls so that they are more effective than normal though the costs in rare components for inks is much greater."

"Look, the others are already at the gate."

[gallagher]

"Good to know, " Tuchon says, "Magical arrows are relatively cheap to produce as I understand these things. I can produce scrolls of my own spells, really as a backup in case I run out or haven't prepared them that day. I can empower these scrolls so that they are more effective than normal though the costs in rare components for inks is much greater."

"Look, the others are already at the gate."

And they have the supplies! Wonderful, I can summon a mule out of my Survival Pouch and we can be on our way north. I dont know if you anyone knows how to lead a cart, but I walk most of the way anyway and can lead it on foot.

when we approach the the rest of the party, I shout HAIL to get their attention, and when we get closer, I continue: It looks like the historian didnt know much about the road ahead, but he did warn us of these Tyrant's poison, so we will have to be wary of that. And we were able to get some other supplies from him too. What were you able to get from the market?

[Gamer Girl]

A young female dwarf walks over to within just a few feet of the gate. She looks around a bit, but seems to focus on Harlin, looking at him much more often.

[Medic!]

Harlin

Harlin finishes checking over the cart by the time the others arrive. He leaves Warren to go over their supplies with the others, just arrived from their fact-finding mission, as he notices the young dwarf-lady looking at him.

He approaches her and in a gentle voice says, "Can I help you with something, young Miss?"

[Gamer Girl]

"Yes, kind sir. Are you one of the heroes that will be heading north?" She says quietly, looking around at every word, and especially looking to the north when she says the word north.

She looks down at a small all metal hammer in her hand and slowly rubs her thumb across it.

[Medic!]

Harlin

Touched by the girl beyond any obvious reason, Harlin takes a knee before her, "I'm going North, Miss, but I'm not hero, just a man doing something that needs done. And who might you be?"

[Gamer Girl]

"I'm Frejaina Heavyforge. My...my father when north. Almost two weeks ago. And..and...he has not returned. I...I wish to find him. I..I tried to go alone several days ago...but, but I could not even enter the Dark Forest. But, may hap, I can come with you?" Says Frejaina as she mostly looks down at her boots.

[Medic!]

Harlin

"I'm afraid I couldn't, in good conscience, take you into such danger, Mistress Frejaina. If you would provide me with his name and description, I swear to you under Heironious's Light with Moradin looking on from his forge as witness, I shall do everything under my power to find him and bring him back to you."

[gallagher]

Brillon takes notice that Harlin is talking to a young female dwarf. He walks over.

Who is your friend young companion?

[Medic!]

Harlin

"Well met, Master Brillon! This is Mistress Frejaina Heavyforge. She was just asking to accompany us north to seek after her over-due father. Mistress Heavyforge, this is Master Brillon Longstride, Priest of the Road. His presence should be a great reassurance that we shall find your father and return him home."

[Gamer Girl]

Frejaina Heavyforge"I'm not a youngling and can take care of myself! My hearth roars well. I'm a Merciful Maiden of Lady Sharindlar. I'm not unknow to the hardships of travel on the road, nor the violence of the road. I need no male, nor man elf, to take care of me." Frejaina says as she slips the tiny hammer back into a pocket and touches the amulet around her neck of a steel needle in flames.


"I, just wish to find my father........" she says finally taking a breath.

[Medic!]

Harlin

Harlin looks from the dwarf to the cleric, in careful consideration. "Master Brillon is much wiser than I. What say you priest?"

[hoverfrog]

Tuchon listens to the pleas of the young dwarf maid with some sympathy, "What can she do, Harlin?" he asks, "There's always room for another warrior but if her skills don't match our own then she's likely going to be a liability. If we find her father I don't want to be the one to explain that we got his daughter killed." Perhaps speaking bluntly would be a greater kindness in the long run.

[gallagher]

Spoiler

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I dont know if I can edit a post after it has seen a roll, so I will just post again after this. I personally know who Sharindlar is, so if I roll well enough I will just use some familiarity of the god in my post knowledge:Rel (1d20+5)[17]

[gallagher]

The road ahead becomes clearer after a moment's thought.


Ah, a Merciful Maiden of a merciful God would be practiced in the healing arts. But we will need to know how well you can use that little hammer, for the road ahead may be wrought with peril.

Still, there should be no harm in allowing her to come with at least as far as is safe. Miss Heavyforge, can you tell us any of your training, to put our minds at ease that we are not leading you to your grave?

[Gamer Girl]

Brillon

Spoiler

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Your knowledge of religion lets you know the common things about the dwarven goddess.

[Gamer Girl]

Frejaina Heavyforge"I am not a hammer swinging dragon slayer. My hammer is used in gem cutting. My weapons are my mind and my faith. My skills don't rest in battle, but more the arts of healing, mercy and helping. "

[gallagher]

Brillon turns to his allies and says We may have as much need of her as she does of us. Extra healing power can always be useful. If she stays out of the way, like in or under the cart, and doesnt attract much attention, she will certainly be safer than us. What say you guys?

[Medic!]

Harlin

Harlin rises to his full height, and looks the girl in the eye. "Thank the light for clergymen. They always have a way of simply solving the most complex problems. Your part in the bargin, Mistress Heavyforge, is to stay out of harm's way as best you can. Failing that, stick close, and my life shall shield your own."

[gallagher]

Why might you have a hammer for gem cutting?

[hoverfrog]

"Could we stop her from following us?" Tuchon recognises the headstrong qualities of this young priest, "Her life is her own to spend as she wishes. We have no right to stop her," he turns to face the dwarf, "Though if you put us in danger we will send you away for our own protection."

"She will need a weapon, a light crossbow I think. I can armour her with mage armour as I do myself. I hope that this is not a mistake."

[Gamer Girl]

Frejaina Heavyforge looks over at Brillon "A hammer is used with a chisel for cutting or splitting large chunks of gemstone.''


"I need no manufactured weapon. As I said, I have my mind and my faith for weapons. And I can also shield myself with my faith for protection. I don't wish to be unkind, but I don't much like magery or their armors. So I won't need none of that."

[Quakes]

Warren

Well, sounds as if she's accepted the risks, and is willing to pitch in. There's room in the cart, and plenty of food, so long as she does her share. I say that we set off before the sun has a chance to rise any higher.

[hoverfrog]

"As you wish Mistress Heavyforge, " Tuchon bows before walking to the gate and whistles for Uohcut, his familiar, to return. "Did you see anything interesting old friend?" he says when the raven eventually lands on his arm. The raven hops up to his shoulder to whisper in his ear, a maneuver repeated many times over the years by the pair.

[gallagher]

If we do not have a mule with our cart, I will supply one with my Survival bag, and I start by leading the cart on foot. A proper cleric of the road walks when he can I would say

[Medic!]

Harlin

"It seems we are ready to depart. If you're coming along, this is the deciding moment Mistress Heavyforge." He offers a hand to assist her up into the cart, and walks to the right side of the cart down the road.

[Gamer Girl]

Frejaina Heavyforge accepts Harlin's help up into the cart and she sits herself down on the seat. "I'm ready"

[Quakes]

Warren snaps the reins once everyone is situated or ready to walk and starts down the trail. He keep his eyes carefully on the roads and to the sides to find any possible threats that would come at them.

Spoiler

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Spot
(1d20+8)[14]]

[Gamer Girl]

There are only a couple small farms as you leave town on the dirt road and with in a couple minutes you all enter the wilderness. For the first couple dozen feet, it's not exactly pure wilderness as you can see plenty of sings of activity. You see the stumps of cut down trees, holes dug in the ground and plenty of boot, hoof and wheel marks in the dirt.

After about a half hour you do enter the more true wilderness and see no signs of activity. The land is rough and over grown and shows no sings of tracks, other then the tracks on the dirt road. Slowly the low hilly land that is mostly high grass and plants, starts to fill up with small patches of trees. Plenty of birds, mostly black crows, fill the sky and tree branches.

After about an hour the dirt road winds on ahead into a wide, dark forest.

[gallagher]

At this point, I think it might be best for Harlin, Warren and I to walk outside the cart, in case we need to mount a defense at a moment's notice.