Bhaakon's Brinewall Legacy IC

[Bhaakon]

"Half of Sandpoint thinks I'm a witch, at least when Ameiko isn't in earshot." Says Shalelu between chuckles. "Townsfolk love to gossip, and to make stories of whole cloth when the half-truths run dry, which is part of the reason why I spend so much time in the wilds."

She takes a long draw from her tea cup, taking the time to consider the question more deeply. "Still, she's managed to live alone in that goblin infested swamp for decades. She must have something up her sleeve."

[ProudGrognard]

Caleban

Caleban watches with great interest the other strangers going back and forth in a language he cannot understand. He then follows the briefing of Shalelu.

" I have been called many things in many places. Half of them were even true. So, I like to judge by my own standards. It is a shame more do not."

A glance at the general direction of the Tian speaking company.

"If she is truly a witch, she will also be dealt with. Though witches do not come to towns to resupply, I would think.

So. A plan presents itself already. We travel towards the general area of the march. Trying to locate either the hermit or the witch. If we come across any goblins, even better. If not, large parties leave behind tell tale signs. I can read them. So does, I would guess, Shalelu. We can scout. And plan from there.

Villages are immobile things. They may be holed up, but we know where they are. If it is a village, not all of them are combatants. An targeting the command structure in an immobile encampment can be very effective."

With that, Caleban sits back, rocking his chair under his bulk and reflexively fixing his belt.

[stack]

Sandru, finally cleaning himself off with an old handkerchief, gives Theodore a reproachful look (at least as much of one as he can muster while picking glaze and crumbs from his hair), "about time that we went trudging through the stinking muck after vermin and spare change? I know that *you* are short on cash, Theodore, but some of us have actual business to conduct. I'm sure Ameiko feels the same. At least until something truly interesting comes along..." He trails off as he sips his kahve.

Lethos scoffs. "Looks like you'll be needing spare change for a bath. You're business taking you farther than table, or do you have an important meeting with a bottle?"

[Thattaman]

Theodric's face looks morea and more irritated as Shalelu speaks. "I'm sure Shalelu would rather stay here than come hunting with us. She wouldn't be much use anyway, she can't shoot straight and hardly knows the difference between a goblin and an orc. We'd be more use without her and all her over planning. Everyone in this room know where the Brinestump marsh is and the rest would be more fun to have on a journey and would know which way you hold a bow." He says with a mocking smile as he looks at Shalelu. That's for the deer. He thinks to himself, It was my catch.

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka stares at the ranger bemusedly, caught off guard by the man's barely veiled insult. He didn't know much about Sandpoint's elven protector but he was sure she knew how to hold her bow at least. Deciding to keep quiet under matters that didn't concern him, Kasuka points at the crude charcoal maps and quietly indicates his preference, "Warden. Is closer." The sooner they got this quick excursion over with, the better. Besides, somebody living right next door to the Licktoads carried a certain kind of significance. "A hunter knows that to fear the predator is only one half of the deadly dance. It is wise to learn from the ever elusive prey."

[North_Ranger]

Eirik Evensong

"And they call my people barbarians", Eirik said with a frown and a shake of his head at Theodric's cavalier attitude. "I don't know what barn they raised you in, good sir, but in my homeland it is considered a dire insult to speak ill of a guest who was shared your bread and salt. Or the table at the inn, in our case."

Having said that, Eirik turned to Shalelu. "My apologies. Rest assured, his sentiment is not shared. Your counsel has been wise, Miss Andosana, and for that we thank you. If you wish to join us in this merry hunt, we will welcome you. If not... then we hope we can find another way to repay your kindness."

"In any case", the Ulfen continued, looking at his comrades. "I suggest we finish breakfast and then gird our loins. It will be a decent walk to the marsh, so it would not be wise to waste daylight."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke nods and hums his assent, "Mm." Without another word he stands and returns to the kitchen where he knows Ameiko is waiting. Having eaten in the wee hours of the morning in preparation for the day he had little desire to fill his stomach before such a dangerous task. Leaving Sandpoint to end the goblin threat was a troublesome matter, but if it meant Ameiko's safety so be it.

[Thattaman]

"My people are not barbarians!" He spits out the last word. "We built the greatest empire this world has ever seen and the language you are speaking. Shalelu is not my guest, we just happen to be in the same inn at the same time."

[North_Ranger]

Eirik Evensong

"She is my guest in this table. So shut up or I'll turn your hair blue as an ice troll's arse", Eirik spat out, not a hint of humor in his voice as he stared Theodric down.

[Bhaakon]

Shalelu adopts a wan smile as Theodore questions her skills, but the level-headed ranger doesn't take the prideful neophyte's barbs too seriously. "Yes, you are quite an expert at holding a bow. Not so much at loosing the arrow." She nods significantly at the pair of antlers mounted above the fireplace in the Dragon's dining hall, an impressive 14-point rack from the very animal she'd shot out from under Theodore.

"Eirik is right, you will need all the daylight you can get with Theodore leading the hunt. With luck, the rest of you can keep him from stumbling into the maw of the soggy river monster and drag him back before sundown." She drains the last of her tea and pushes back from the table , "but I've a meeting with the sheriff. Perhaps I'll see you when you get back, and you can explain to me how a real tracker tells orcs from goblins." She departs, favoring Eirik with a polite fairwell nod.

[Thattaman]

Thoedric smiles as she leaves. "Well that got rid of her," He continues cheerfully, "Let's go kill some goblins."

[ProudGrognard]

Caleban

Caleban looks at the various barbs and insults going around with a bemused smile, only frowning when the tension really goes up. Looking somewhere over the shoulder of Theondric, he says

"This was uncalled for, neighbor. I take it that your empire was not built on collaboration, if you used your language for insulting. Probably why it is now in ruins. But your feelings, your tongue to govern.

But what is done now is done. Why don't we hole up all this nice hostility and vent it to the goblins? It is a shame Shalelu will not be joining us. We could have used an extra pair of eyes and hands. I hope yours are as good as you say, neighbor." The last was directed towards Theodric.

"So. We meet again here in an hour? And the plan is we intend to find this Warden and the Witch, in that order, unless we stumble on the goblins?

I suggest you do not eat too heavy. Pack any food for the evening, otherwise the road will seem endless."

[Bhaakon]

Spoiler

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I'm going to assume that everyone took Eirik's advice and departed to "gird your loins." So I'm going to advance things a bit to keep it moving. If you want to continue bickering in character, though, feel free.

Ameiko gets her wish as the group abandons the table to the next round of diners. Swords are belted on, armor buckled, and packs shouldered with some alacrity, and the five of you are gathered back at the Rusty Dragon in about half an hour.

The march out of Sandpoint is quick and dusty, with the late-summer heat and a steady off-shore breeze turning the bone-dry dirt streets into a breeding ground for dust devils. Mercifully, the wind slackens off as you cross over the Turandorak River and head south along the Lost Coast Road.

Goblin attacks have lead wise travelers and fisherman alike to avoid the area, and you make good time on the empty road. The sun is still three palms from its apex when you reach the high moors at the northern edge of Brinestump swamp. The height gives you a good view across the marsh to the steep bluff at its southern boundary, but the dense mass of cypress, willow, and oak growing over the delta below effectively screens anything in the marsh from view.

Up ahead, a wooden inscribed with a doodle of a fish marks the head of a well-used footpath--likely the "New Fish Trail" marked on Shalelu's map. It dives straight into the wall of vegetation at the edge of the swamp, like a mine carved out of the bracken.

[North_Ranger]

Eirik Evensong

Eirik had packed lightly, taking only the essentials with him in his backpack. And while some might question his choice to take his harp with him, a bard was as likely to leave his instrument behind as a wizard his spellbook or a warrior his sword. On the long walk down the Lost Coast Road, he did put on a little show to pass the tedium, singing from the Song of the Sea Queen that chronicled the famous raid by White Estrid and her Ulfen ships down the coastline of Avistan, all the way to Absalom. And if such tales of heroics proved too heavy in the summer sun, he resorted to the Ballad of Brave Sir Robert, "a Taldan tale just for you", he added with a grin to Theodoric.

By the time they reached the fork in the road, it was clear that Sir Robert was about as brave as a panic-prone hen. Or as Eirik described the knight's legendary encounter with the dreaded Three-Headed Ettin of Palin's Wood:

Brave Sir Robert ran away,
Bravely ran away, away.
When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robert turned about
And gallantly, he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet,
He beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robert.

He is packing it in and packing it up
And sneaking away and buggering up
And chickening out and pissing off home,
Yes, bravely he is---

"Huh", he said as he let the description of Sir Robert's expeditious retreat fall away. "It appears we must make a decision here. Do we follow the Lost Coast Road further south and seek the wisdom and counsel of Old Megus, or turn here and try and bargain with this self-appointed Warden?", he said, thrumming his fingers against the back of his harp. "Personally I think we should seek the witch, but I'll submit to the decision of those wiser than me. Cal?"

[ProudGrognard]

Caleban

Caleban ate a light lunch and picked up a much larger one for later. He was ready to go far earlier that the one hour he had asked. 15 minuted before the party left, Caleban was on the trail, kneeling down on one knee.

"Desna, Lady of the Stars, bear me in your bosom. I will be walking this path, keeping it clear in your name. I will be fighting in the night, reclaiming it for your starlight. Walk with me a while, bless my blade if I use it, and carry me on if I fail."

With that, Caleban scrawls Desna 's sign in the dirt of the road and joins the others.

During the trip, Caleban as always enjoyed Eirik 's songs, laughing at the Taldan jest. He laughs heartily and passes him the waterskin when he is over.

"Eirik is right. It is time for a decision. I would say we do both. I am a firm believer in alliances. So let us go to see the Warden and perhaps ask him about the old woman. And then let us go see the old lady and see what she has to say.

But first of all, let us see what the path itself tells us"


Caleban walks a bit down the path, trying to see if anything has passed here recently. His eyes focus and his face becomes a mask of concentration.

Spoiler

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Survival (1d20+6)[21]
Nature (1d20+7)[15]
Perception (1d20+7)[27]

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka draws his blade at the appearance of the shrine and wields it in a reverse grip. They were nearing the goblin camp now and even if they weren't confronting them just yet, knowing they were so nearby put him on edge. Having zoned out the bard's music for so long, Kasuka blinks when he realizes that the Ulfen man was now speaking to the party. Scanning the opening of their path, Kasuka points toward the deeper dwellings of the marsh and softly directs them toward the Warden, "If she does not desire visitors, we should not bother her." No matter their urgency, it was rude to expect so much from their elders. If the 'witch' wished for solitude in the marsh, then it was not their business to intervene where they were not wanted. The Warden seemed more promising, as far as he was concerned. Somebody who lived so close by to the goblins would know where they lived and what the lay of the land was like. This of course, goes unsaid as he quietly gazes into the swamp.

[Bhaakon]

Caleban explores a short way up the winding path, but the damp earth of the trail only reveals where the local game has crossed. A few deer, the sweeping belly-groove of a large constrictor, even the hopping pattern of a particularly fat bullfrog. The few recognizable human-size tracks are old and indistinct, and the fresh sprouts and creeping vines making inroads into the exposed dirt suggest that the trail hasn't seen any traffic in a couple weeks.

[Bad Situation]

Keeping his steady gaze on the inner recesses of the marsh, Kasuka quietly informs the group of his opinion. "Strange, that the trail goes cold. For what reason has the Warden neglected such an oft-used trail?" Even Old Megus left the marsh to resupply in Sandpoint on occasion, meaning the marsh could not sustain a human being on its own. For a man of mundane application like the Warden to become so withdrawn was curious. Surely he visited the town more often than the tracks indicated. Were there alternative routes to and from Sandpoint to consider?

This was a worrying thought, as far as the Rusty Dragon was concerned. Now curious as to what their man had to say about the marsh's security, Kasuka slowly stalks forward before turning around and tilting to head to the side, watching for the group's reaction with a look on his face that seems to ask, "Well. what now?"

[ProudGrognard]

Caleban

After studying the trail and sharing the results of his inquiry, Caleban stands up, gazing up at the sky by reflex. Fixing his belt, he says

"I say we go and visit the man and the witch. Things have changed and maybe the need help, Who would know? We can apologize later, if they didn 't."

Something in the way he says it shows that he does not really believe it.

[North_Ranger]

Eirik Evensong

"Agreed", Eirik said with a nod as he took out his dented old shortbow, crafted years ago by his mother's kin in Grungir Forest. Carefully he attached the bowstring, the decorated wood creaking a little from the tension. "Hey Taldan... Do you want to lead the way? I'll watch out for any three-headed ettins."

[Bhaakon]

With a rough consensus established, the group of would-be goblin slayers forges bravely down the New Fish Trail.

The blaring light of the midday sun fades to an emerald glow as you pass under the sheltering cover of dense vegetation, but it's little relief in the lank, steamy air of the swamp. The atmosphere wrings the sweat from every pour, a smell as good as a dinner bell for the multitudes of buzzing insects looking to sop up the salty runoff or tap a vein for a blood meal. It's not long before you've gathered your own personal cloud of gnats and mosquitoes.

Twenty minutes of miserable trudging along the boggy, narrow trail finds you standing before a rather suspect-looking bridge. Its uneven deck of moss-covered planks spans a stagnant waterway, and the only supports are a pair of slim timbers that sag halfway to the water's surface.

[stack]

Lethos remains distant for the journey thus far. Sometimes others spy his lips moving silently as we walks with his eyes half-shut, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

The discovery of the bridge seems to earn his attention, however. "The bridge seems more perilous than the waters it spans. Is such a crossing worth risking to keep our feet dry?"

Spoiler

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normal weekend posting issues, didn't have time for more than 1-liners in the OOC. Fortunately Lethos is not the overly chatty type, so he can just be mysterious when necessary.

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka squints his sharp hawk-like eyes, scanning the bridge for immediate structural defects and then examines the surroundings for anything that might aid in their crossing. Turning back to the others in the group he closes his eyes and says, "If there is no other alternative I will cross the bridge alone and secure a line to aid our passing." It went without saying that he was very likely the lightest hand in their band. And if anything went wrong during his crossing, he was less likely to sink. Cursing inwardly, he remembers his uncle's lessons on crossing bodies of water. Over a decade of training and he could still barely grasp at hi ki. It was embarrassing.

Perception: (1d20+3)[20]

[Bhaakon]

Kasuka stares long and hard at the bridge, but finds no obvious fatal defect beyond the structure's general rickety-ness. With no option left but to test the span, he ties a rope to a sturdy cypress and gingerly sets out across.

The bridge squeals and pops in protest, dipping to lightly kiss the surface of the water as Kasuka reaches its mid-point, but it holds up well enough for the nimble young man to pick his way across and secure the line.

As Kasuka finishes tying off the rope, the loud crack of a snapping branch rings out from the left side of the trail ahead. It's quickly followed by a rustle of undergrowth which grows louder with each passing breath. Something is barreling through the brush on Kasuka's side of the bridge, and it sounds like it will break onto the path at any second.

[stack]

Lethos draws his blade and follows, stepping as lightly as possible, to take position next to Kasuka. "Stand ready." His fine saber is held in at high ready, its blade dark even in the light of day.

[Bad Situation]

Barely resiting the urge to click his tongue, Kasuka dextrously twirls his wakizashi into plain sight and with a flourish of his left hand, he palms a pair of shuriken from his wrist sheathe and prepares to throw one of them at whatever creature that dared to threaten their party. To Lethos he whispers, "Always."

Spoiler

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Move Action: Withdraw 2 shuriken.
Standard Action: Ready an action to throw a shuriken if a goblin enters within 10ft of Kasuka and Lethos.
-- Attack Roll: (1d20+4)[24]

[North_Ranger]

Eirik Evensong

The sound of something big and apparently quite pissed off made Eirik stop grumbling about the mosquitoes buzzing around them. What the hell could possibly make such a noise? What the hell was big enough to live in this kind of environment?

Spoiler

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Perception to recognize the source of the noise (1d20+5)[11]

Or if that doesn't apply...


"I have absolutely no idea."

Knowledge (Nature) (or any other Knowledge 'cept History) (1d20+2)[13].

"Actually... I do. Bardic Knowledge!"

[Thattaman]

Theodric smiles at Erik's teasing. It seems like he doesn't care at all what you say to him he doesn't care. When Erik mentions the Ettin he replies jokingly, "I'll take off all six ears and see what that's worth." At the sound of rustling and the bridge snaps. His hands grab the longbow on his back and an arrow is notched before you can blink.

Spoiler

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Perception roll, looking for a goblin. (1d20+5)[24]
Survival (1d20+5)[6]

[Bhaakon]

Lethos sprints across then bridge, drawing more creaking and cracking than Kasuka, but making it safely to the other side. Caleban follows once the elf is across, making it halfway when the creature bursts out onto the path.

A half-grown pig burst out onto the path with an explosion of brush and frightened squeals. Its hide is a patchwork of old scars and burn marks, but the only fresh wounds are three parallel slices on its flank. It pauses just long enough to consider you with terrified eyes before bolting back into the undergrowth on the opposite side of the trail.

[Bad Situation]

Kasuka lowers his arms when the frightened hog wheels back into the marsh, but keeps his weapons out regardless of the situation. Turning to the half-orc and elf, he asks, "Wounded. Goblin work?" Narrowing his eyes coldly he adds, "Shall we pursue?" If goblins were running rampant in the marsh it would behoove them to ensure the safety of the Warden.