To the Tower! (IC) [Dragon Age]

[curst_rein]

Cambion follows in position straining his eyes and ears for any sign of Movement.
"What are the chances of them trying to ambush us twice" he whispers to his companions.

[Eulalios]

Spoiler: Nine things about a hillside

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1. The ground is covered with fallen leaves among the rocks, but that's it - no dead branches, not even twigs
2. In several places, rocks are stacked atop each other
3. Several game trails run up from the swamp toward the hilltop
4. One of the trails runs past a grouping of rocks about thirty feet above the swamp (maybe a hundred yards from the waterline)
5. The rocks were put together for use as a shallow fire pit; blackened branches and ash are cold in the pit
6. A half-dozen chest-size stones and five thick logs have been set as stools around the fire pit
7. The earth around the fire pit is only thinly covered by leaves
8. Under the leaves, which look to have just recently blown there, the earth has been packed down and printed by boots
9. There has been steady foot traffic from the fire pit around the hill away from the road; not much toward the hilltop.

[black velvet]

"Someone was here recently" Ivonne says, looking on the tracks. "We should be wary."

[Eulalios]

The crew continue up the hill without incident. The hilltop is a tilted expanse of bare grey rock, fractured in slabs with dead leaves caught in many crevices. The summer sun has made it pleasantly warm. From here, the crew can look down on a group of large wagons that have been parked on a flat spot. There are six of the wagons, each with its own bright banner flapping vertically along a mast roughly twenty feet tall. Roughly two dozen lean, long-eared, and heavily tattooed folk are lounging in the shade of the various wagons. No draft beasts can be seen.

"That's the pull out," Thomar says quietly. "And them's Dalish wagons. That hallas we saw, musta been one of theirs."

[Red Moldova]

"Someone should go run and get Orhild, see what she thinks about our predicament."

[curst_rein]

"Milady Gilard, perhaps you would be better suited to that task than I" Cambion whispers with a smile
"I'm certain to draw too much attention should I attempt Stealth and Speed together"

[black velvet]

Seeing that the men are not itching to go back to Orhild, Ivonne nods. "Alright, I'll go"

"Here, take it" the girl takes off the horn from her neck and passes it to Cambion. "You may need it".

"Wish me luck" she says and heads towards the wagons. During her way Ivonne uses as much cover as possible. She also looks out for any danger.

Spoiler: stealth and perception rolls

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stealth roll
(3d6+3)[6][5][5](19)

perception roll
(3d6+1)[4][6][2](13)

[curst_rein]

Cambion watches Ivonne as far as he can before she dissapears completely, then turns his attention back to the camping Dalish, his face set in stern consideration carefully trying to pinpoint where would be best to strike...

Spoiler

Show

Perception:(3d6+2)[3][4][3](12)

[Eulalios]

14th of Harvest, hot sunny day in the open, green shade and cool moist breezes under the trees; summer smells of grass and flowers

Spoiler: Cambion, Thomas, Halendor

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The hilltop is at least sixty feet above the wagons, and the downward view is over the edge of a ... "cliff" would be the best word for it, really.

The Dalish appear to be at ease. They are lounging on the grass, men and women together, passing several skin flasks and gambling with a set of several sticks. One woman, settled on the steps of a wagon, is turning the pegs of a chest-wide harp. A man is inspecting the wheel of a wagon, tapping it with a small wooden hammer, head tilted sideways and ears aroused.

No weapons are evident.

It would be a clean and easy dropping shot to take any few of these, and no obvious quick way for retaliation.

On the other hand, neither Saras nor Rhys are visible.

The harpist begins to play Red Rose and Briar. After a while she transitions to Wind Shakes the Barley. The other Dalish begin to sing:
"... soft the wind blew down the glen
And shook the golden barley
Twas hard the woeful words to frame
To break the ties that bound us
But harder still to bear the weight
Of human chains upon us ..."

Halendor and Thomas, stretched across the hot gray rocks about ten feet apart, peering over the edge, hear from between them a strange noise like the sizzling of a frying pan.

Spoiler: Ivonne

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It's a fairly quick trip back to the wagons. Ivonne slips so smoothly from cover to cover, she can feel that she is soundless and unseen. She skitters along the side of the roadbed, feet scuffing noiselessly along the edge of the swampwater, then slides up over to stand bare feet behind Orhild: "Hey! There's Dalish - over the hill!"

Orhild jumps and spins around, clutching her crossbow. Then laughs and shakes her head, strands of grey-blonde dwarf braids coming loose in the summer heat. "Oh - it's YOU I should have known you do more than cook."

[black velvet]

Orhild jumps and spins around, clutching her crossbow. Then laughs and shakes her head, strands of grey-blonde dwarf braids coming loose in the summer heat. "Oh - it's YOU I should have known you do more than cook."

"Every girl should have at least one ace in her sleeve" Ivonnes says with a grin.

"Anyway, we found Dalish camp. 6 wagons, 2 dozen knife-ears. The hallas we saw earlier probably belonged to them. What do you want to do?" she asks.

[Eulalios]

Spoiler: Ivonne

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"What color were their sails?" Orhild asks. "Green and gold? All blue? Red and blue? Those are the houses who know my route."

Of course the Orlesian damsel remembers:

[black velvet]

"What color were their sails?" Orhild asks. "Green and gold? All blue? Red and blue? Those are the houses who know my route

"They were bright. Amarranthine I think." Ivonne says after a moment's thought. "Is that good?" the girl asks.

[Eulalios]

Spoiler: Ivonne

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Orhild raises her eyebrows and widens her eyes. "The High Royals?" She looks at her wagon train and absentmindedly pats her fraying braids.

"Well, anyway, what were they doing?"

Spoiler: Thomas and Halendor

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That frying pan noise is repeated more loudly, almost with a buzzing edge.

[Red Moldova]

Spoiler: Thomas and Halendor

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That frying pan noise is repeated more loudly, almost with a buzzing edge.

Thomas draws his sword and holds it at the ready but otherwise remains at his current position, trying to figure out what that sound is.

Perception: (3d6+1)[1][2][2](6)

[black velvet]

"Well, anyway, what were they doing?"

"The usual camp stuff. Some of theme were talking. Others were cooking and playing music. Nothing suspicious." Ivonne replies.

[Eulalios]

As Ivonne heads back to the hilltop to recall the scouts, the rattle snake chomps ineffectually on Thomas' thick leather greave.

[Red Moldova]

Thomas cries out softly and attempts chop it in half with his bastard sword.

Spoiler

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Bastard Sword: (3d6+3)[6][2][2](13)

[Eulalios]

The snake is easily severed and its two halves thrash and flop, the half with jaws remains clamped onto the greave with poison trickling and staining the leather. Thomas' shin is unharmed.

The swing of his sword, however, clattered and sparked on the bare gray granite of the hilltop. Down below, the Dalish picnickers become less easy in their manners, and the musicians set aside their instruments to retrieve bows.

Thus is the situation when Ivonne returns to the hilltop ...

[black velvet]

Ivonne walks up to her companions and quickly passes Orhild's orders "We're to retreat to the wagons without antagonizing the Dalish"

Then the girl looks down and sees that the elves in the camp are drawing bows "What's going on?"

[Red Moldova]

Ivonne walks up to her companions and quickly passes Orhild's orders "We're to retreat to the wagons without antagonizing the Dalish"

Then the girl looks down and sees that the elves in the camp are drawing bows "What's going on?"

Thomas tosses aside the remains of the Rattlesnake and says "This little guy tried to take a bite, killing him seems to have stirred up the fellows below. If we're not looking to start something I suggest we make ourselves scarce quick."

[Eulalios]

The companions hastily withdraw - well, "scamper," more like - down the north side of the hill and rejoin Orhild with the wagons. Then, in more sedate fashion, they advance along the roadway and around the hill to "encounter" the Dalish at the camp site.

After initial wary pleasantries, Orhild gets into an apparently friendly conversation with the Dalish chieftain or "king." The wide flat clearing is brightly sunlit and green with soft thick grass, filled with smoke of roasting meat and the quiet sound of the Dalish talking amongst themselves as Orhild cajoles their king. The companions find themselves standing alongside the road, looking on, while the drivers unhitch and feed the draft beasts.

Choices

1. approach
2. ignore
3. wait for instructions
4. other

[black velvet]

Unless Orhild gave the crew specific orders to stay at the wagons Ivonne walks up so she can hear what are Orhild and "Dalish King" talking about.

Spoiler: perception roll

Show

(3d6+1)[4][4][4](13)

[curst_rein]

Cambion returns to his Equipment and starts maintining his Weapons - using his Whetstone to hone his Blade and Arrow-heads, checking his spare Strings for his Bow, even scraping the scuff from his Armour.

While less concerned with the interaction between Orhild and the 'King' Cambion is still keeping alert for anything Unusual

Spoiler

Show

Perception:(3d6+2)[6][1][6](15)

[Eulalios]

Unless Orhild gave the crew specific orders to stay at the wagons Ivonne walks up so she can hear what are Orhild and "Dalish King" talking about.

Spoiler: Ivonne

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"... and so we headed east again," the King says, "to see whether there was anything to the ... oh, hello! And who is your lovely apprentice?"

Orhild introduces Ivonne to "his excellence, the King of the Dales."

"Tis a pleasure to see the old northern emblems so honored by gracing your form," the King says wryly. He waves a hand over his shoulder <get over here> and a Dalish lass of about Ivonne's age approaches. "Given your appreciation of our culture, you are welcome to join us for lunch." He bows to Orhild. "And you, of course, already were invited. I will even extend my invitation to the rest of your crew."

Cambion returns to his Equipment and starts maintining his Weapons - using his Whetstone to hone his Blade and Arrow-heads, checking his spare Strings for his Bow, even scraping the scuff from his Armour.

While less concerned with the interaction between Orhild and the 'King' Cambion is still keeping alert for anything Unusual.

Spoiler: Cambion

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He'd have to be blind not to pick up on the Dalish 'King' flirting with Ivonne and Orhild. Meanwhile the rest of the Dalish seem to have relaxed.

Then as Cambion turns toward the wagons he spies two Dalish, coming round the hillside about thirty yards above the road from the swamp. They hold bows, each with an arrow gripped along the bowstave - off the string, but ready to draw. They have eyes on Cambion, and one of them waves casually from about a hundred yards distant, and says something to the other.

[black velvet]

"... and so we headed east again," the King says, "to see whether there was anything to the ... oh, hello! And who is your lovely apprentice?"

Orhild introduces Ivonne to "his excellence, the King of the Dales."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your excellence. I'm Ivonne Bernadette Gilard de Val Royeaux" Ivonne nods politely.

"Tis a pleasure to see the old northern emblems so honored by gracing your form," the King says wryly. He waves a hand over his shoulder <get over here> and a Dalish lass of about Ivonne's age approaches. "Given your appreciation of our culture, you are welcome to join us for lunch."

"Thank you, your excellence. I'll be honored" the girl says with a soft smile.

[Red Moldova]

Thomas hangs back and waits to see how this plays out.

[Eulalios]

Nothing much happens. The two bow-carrying Dalish rejoin their comrades, and tuck their bows into one of the wagons. The young woman escorting Ivonne asks her all sorts of questions about where is she from, while fetching pitchers of water to drown the skinned rabbits sizzling at the bottom of a heavy pot above a smoky fire. After a short time, Orhild beckons all her crew to join the Dalish amid their wagons, and has one of the Anderfelns bring a basket of root veggies from the wagon. There is awkward conversation followed by a meal of stew ladled into wooden and pottery bowls.

[curst_rein]

Cambion enjoys the Stew much more than he expected, and when he gets the chance he takes a peice of Charcoal from the fireside and a spare peice of cloth from his bag and starts sketching Hallas in Heraldic fashion.

[Eulalios]

After the stew a couple of the Dalish pull out instruments - a lute like thing and a flute - and they begin to play a tune that sounds like a very old traditional country reel from South Orlais.

The King beckons Ivonne and Orhild to dance, and the young lady who had been speaking earlier with Ivonne curtseys and gestures from Thomas, Halendor, and Cambion toward two other young women who look even more like her than other Dalish women do. They might be blood kin. Regardless, they all seem to wish that their guests would join them.

Spoiler: Cambion

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Unusually alert, the Nevarran knight has been glancing about the area throughout the meal. During that time, he's noticed that the wagons are in good repair, but quite old, with many parts been replaced since originally built. Even the cauldron has been patched at the bottom, maybe more than once. The instruments and small weapons lying about, also, appear to have been cared for long and well.

Spoiler: Ivonne

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As Ivonne looks at the King before joining the dance, she notes that his fine garments show plenty of needlework - not just broidery, but meticulous darning of worn spots. At the elbows of his white-embroidered maroon tunic, it looks as if a master seamstress had rewoven the fabric with a needle and almost-perfectly-matched thread.

[black velvet]

The young woman escorting Ivonne asks her all sorts of questions about where is she from, while fetching pitchers of water to drown the skinned rabbits sizzling at the bottom of a heavy pot above a smoky fire.

Ivonne gladly answers the young woman's questions. She also asks her own questions, trying to learn as much as she can about the young woman and the Dalish.

Before the lunch Ivonne changes into her burgundy gown. Somehow she senses there might be dance later on.

After the stew a couple of the Dalish pull out instruments - a lute like thing and a flute - and they begin to play a tune that sounds like a very old traditional country reel from South Orlais.

Ivonne is surprised hearing the familiar tune. It seems that Orleasians adapted many traditions and customs from the Dalish.

The King beckons Ivonne and Orhild to dance, and the young lady who had been speaking earlier with Ivonne curtseys and gestures from Thomas, Halendor, and Cambion toward two other young women who look even more like her than other Dalish women do. They might be blood kin. Regardless, they all seem to wish that their guests would join them.

Ivonne curtsies and joins The King in dance.

As Ivonne looks at the King before joining the dance, she notes that his fine garments show plenty of needlework - not just broidery, but meticulous darning of worn spots. At the elbows of his white-embroidered maroon tunic, it looks as if a master seamstress had rewoven the fabric with a needle and almost-perfectly-matched thread.

Ivonne is impressed by the Dalish fine needlework. Given the chance she would gladly order a dress made by their seamstress.