Portent to the Terminus

[Crystall_Myr]

Naris

Naris smirks, but doesn't say anything. He's got a good reason not to trust us, to...

[Visturon]

"Those ten men are both the ox crew and the defense, in the past we have never needed more. I at first thought another camp must be sabotaging us but I soon learned that other outlying camps are losing loads to and none of the camps have been turning in more than their usual amounts." Thom looks around for responses while saying the next part, "whether or not you work with the guard, the caravan leaves tomorrow as soon as the teams are harnessed and unless you want to join up as a treefeller or a logmover then you will be heading out with them. Any of you interested can claim your share of the gold then you will be shown to a tent you can stay the night in." He turns to Aurelia, "I wouldn't advise being out among the men tonight without a few trusted friends, and I offer you my room here in the Lodge if you want it for a little security and privacy, I will be on my way to one of my cutting sites before sundown."

[Fenria]

Rodrick

"80 gold sounds right enough to me. I'm fine with it." Rodrick accepts the money and turns to Thom. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I think me and Brelsan here will sleep outside of the compound. That's how we've typically traveled, so we're used to it."

[Visturon]

Thom laughs a hearty full bodied laugh and says "You can sleep outside the camp's borders but you wont be receiving your pay till you come back in if that's your choice. I have only known a handful of men who returned from venturing into the woods after dark, I don't know what happens to them but they all vanish. We did once find a carcass strung up in a tree that was the remains of a man skinned alive, that was the only remains we have ever found." He turns to Rodrick and Brelsan and steps closer to them before talking in a mystified voice "I don't know if it's because of something unhappy of our presence in these ancient woods or if it's the curse many men say this land carries but even the old druid who visits us and mourns our fallen logs stays out of these woods at night. He also advises we never go any farther North West of here than we have already logged. The woods are not normal, that I would swear by. The new growth is three times the size it should be at its age and many of the trees take multiple sharpenings of the axes." He turns once more to encompass the whole group with his talk "To any of you who are not leaving camp after sundown Dillan will give you your gold and show you to your tent. I must be off, I hope to hear good report of this delivery." Thom then walks off to a staircase against the far wall of the great room you all stand in.

[Fenria]

Rodrick

"Well Brelsan? Do you still want to sleep outside town?"

[Kirstin]

Aurelia AC: 18 HP: 8

Aurelia watches the preceedings with interest and at Thom's offer to the room she says "No thanks, I think I will stay with my men; I trust them to protect me if I should need it."

Upon his description she perks up and listens intently, then she looks really excited and drifts around in the air over the gatherings heads with a bit of a giddy fluttery movement. "I think we aught to come back after this escort and find out what is in the woods."

[Daracaex]

Nuada AC:18 HP:22/22

With a concerned look on his face from the description of the forest, Nuada asks Thom, "Do you have a detailed map available? One showing the density of the forest in places? Maybe there's a route without many trees so that we can see anything approaching the caravan."

[Visturon]

The small suspicious man, Dillan, is the one who hands the bag of money over to Nuada while saying "In the morning before you head out I'll describe the various routes to you, right now I need to be off on some other business. Follow me please." He guides you all to a tent right outside the Lodge while saying "There are actually five routes back to town, the fifth we have not tried because it is long and goes through some territory the druids call sacred though they don't seem to know why. They just seem to know their elders told them it was as did their elders and on in a chain back who knows how long. Anyway all the paths save one are highly forested but that one is on the banks of a river with trees on the landward side. These forests of ancient oaks are hard for most people to sneak through because the trees are so spaced out and there is little brush on the ground." He leaves you at the tent without any warning or goodbye and upon inspection you notice that in the tent there are ten sleeping mats and five storage trunks with locks, the tent is a large plain white tent with a door flap on either end.

[in the bag you will find 24 platinum pieces, the chests are empty and have locks with the keys left for you]

[anarch_nomad]

Huron

Huron kneels on a mat most likely one far away from the entrance. Then starts to pray/chant in sylvan. Then pulls out his blanket from his bag with a huge embrodered Crow on it, wraps it around him and lays down. Not sleeping but just laying down.

[Visturon]

The afternoon wears on slowly and at nightfall the camp is full of men fixing tools, swapping stories, and taking every possible chance to ogle and flirt with Aurelia (most using cheesy angel related pick-up lines).

the Seventh of Lynoc, 8569

The next morning arrives and with the sun comes the sound of bustle and movement around camp, as well as the crowing of numerous roosters and a few other morning birds from out in the woods.

The lumberjacks invite you to breakfast in the great hall in the middle of camp and after eating well you all find that the caravan is set to leave.

Five of the huge lumber wagons loaded twenty feet high with enormous logs and pulled by thirty-six oxen each. Checking the rigging of the loads are ten men who all appear among the most fit in the camp.

One of the men notices you and approaches, he is medium tall (maybe 5'10"), shirtless (except for his sturdy suspenders), muscled but not bulky like many of the men, his pants are of good quality and his hair combed and his face shaved, he also wears a sword at his side (a nice scimitar of more coastal and naval style); he addresses the gathering of you all "I assume you are my escort for the load? I am Diarmaid and I am in charge of this load and journey." He looks at all of you to make sure you all understand that this young man is in charge, "I was told to describe the five possible paths to you: the first takes us straight east for four days and then we would travel south another two and a half days with the load from a fellow company; the second takes us over to the river and down and takes five days, it leaves us in open land some of the journey though we would be cornered by the river if attacked from the woods; the third is the path you got here on, it is the shortest at three days and is also the one with the worst rate of hijacked loads; the fourth takes us on a loop to the South East that takes five days but goes through a little bit of open swampy land; the last route hasn't been used since the hijackings started and runs a long loop up to the NorthEast then to the SouthEast over to the East river where we would then follow the river down to NewSight taking a full nine days." He stops to look back and check his men to see that they are still on-task and they all seem to be doing good enough for him to return his attention to the group of you. "I am happy to take any route that you think will get this load delivered."

As he finishes up a few men approach with Aurelia's carriage and another small wagon pulled by oxen, the horses that previously pulled the carriage are now tethered to the back.

[Daracaex]

Nuada AC:18 HP:22/22

Nuada thinks about the choices. "Brelsan, this is probably a stupid question, but do you think your fellow druids would help us if you asked and we took the fifth route? That man with Thom last night did say that area was under Druidic protection, right? If not, then my vote is for either the third, the shortest route, or the second, the river route."

[Kirstin]

Aurelia AC: 18 HP: 8

"I don't know much about Druids but from the stories I doubt they would help these forest defilers." She drifts through the air over to hover next to the man who introduced himself as Diarmaid; and with her feet a foot off the ground can almost look him straight in the eye. "I like that route though, it should be relaxing and the chances of danger are lower; and the land must be truly beautiful if the Druids consider it holy."

[Fenria]

Rodrick

"I'm fine with Druids. Hell, I lived with them for a time. So I'm fine with the fifth path, as long as Brelsan thinks it won't get us into too much trouble with the Druids..."

Rodrick turns to Brelsan, waiting for an answer.

[Vazzaroth]

Shale makes himself scarce around breakfast, and isn't seen in the mess hall with the lumberjacks.

He listens as the man list off the paths, and turns to face the forest ((whatever direction it happens to be, basically, just away from the group)).

Any preferance?
Why would I care? You know how I feel about this uncivilized place.
True. Your no help.

He turns back around.
"When you say open swampy land... what exactly does that mean? Ankle high water and lots of mud?"

Ah, That which hinders us would hinder our enemys is that your thinking, right?
I thought you didn't care.
As he's finishing asking, he will deposit his small pearl back into his belt sachel.

[Crystall_Myr]

Naris

"I don't really mind either way..."

[Visturon]

"The times I have traveled that path I have never actually encountered a druid; and the swamp is truly a swamp, bog everywhere except what passes as a road through the middle. The road is often mud though and if a wagon get stuck it could add anywhere from one hour to two days onto the trip, but most trips we manage to avoid the really bad spots and don't get stuck for more than a minute or two." Diarmaid only half watches you because most of his attention seems to be drifting back to the men checking over the wagons and oxen.

[DraPrime]

Brelsan

"We wouldn't be able to pass through. No druid in their right mind would let these defilers through a holy site. I myself am in favor of the second one."

[Daracaex]

Nuada AC:18 HP:22/22

Hearing Aurelia's and Brelsan's replies, Nuada sighs. "Yes, I thought not," he says. "What about the river then? It would give us protection on one side so we only have to watch the other for an attack."

[Visturon]

Diarmaid seems shocked and amused "Not let us through? Haha, that would be a laugh. I have traveled that route a hundred times or more with loads and still I haven't even seen a druid on that route, seen them on most of the others but not that one. It seems many of you like the river path so is that where you want to go?"

[Kirstin]

Aurelia AC: 18 HP: 8

"That's good enough for me. I think we take the long route through the sacred lands." She looks around for support having made up her mind and obviously used to that being enough, "Huron, you know these lands, are the druids likely to kill us for being involved with Lumberjacks? I think it more likely they would just steal the logs like whomever else is vandalizing the loads, even if they did it for a different reason."

[anarch_nomad]

Huron

Its possible, we are protecting a group of people who destroy the one thing they, I, love. So yes they might kill us.
He looks at the group. I vote for the druid path myself. He looks at Brelsan Sylvan: How would your druid brothern feel if we were found by them? Im quite sure me and you would be fine seeing how we were manipulated into this somewhat...I have a bad feeling about this my brother. Huron starts to rub his crow pendant. Sylvan: I dont think the Crow is supportive of our choice to help these people my brother. But we must stick with our friends right? So what is the right and wrong choice...

[Fenria]

Rodrick

"Though strategically, the river is the most sound. The druid's path is probably the safest. We'll have the sacredness of the area to help us along and hide us. That is, assuming we don't anger anyone with the logs. I'm quite fine with either, I'm simply here to serve."

[Daracaex]

Nuada AC:18 HP:22/22

"...Do we really want to be safe? Even if that path works out and the shipment reaches New Sight with no problem, we still would not have found out what has been causing the disappearances in the first place. Whatever it is might find the new path and just begin taking the shipments again. So what should our mission really be? To get the lumber to its destination? or to find out what the threat is and stop it?"

[Fenria]

Rodrick

"You bring up a good point. In that case, I say we take the shortest route. The one where the most shipments have been taken. This way, our chances of finding out what took the lumber are greater."

[Crystall_Myr]

Naris

"It does seem awfully... boring to get the shipment through without any problems..."

[Visturon]

"So you want to challenge and tempt the thieves into showing themselves? Sounds fair but dangerous." Diarmaid turns and walks back to the wagons for a few last adjustments before he calls for the men to get set and onto their wagons. He then turns back, "We need to get going whatever path you choose.." and he climbs onto the driver's seat of the lead wagon next to the man with the reigns.

[Kirstin]

Aurelia AC: 18 HP: 8

Aurelia looks bemused as she contemplates this new idea for a minute. She then flies over to the rest of the party, lands in front of them, folds her wings gracefully, and says "I have never been in any sort of battle but I think my... talents.. could come in handy in one." She suddenly gets her big-eyed flirtatious pout and looks to the guys "Plus I have no doubt I can rely on all of you strong men to protect me. I vote we take the short route." She then seems sure that the decision is made and slowly walks off to her carriage where she begins petting her horses.

[DraPrime]

Brelsan

"I agree, let's take the shortest route"

[Visturon]

The decision having been made to travel the shortest and riskiest path, the party gets underway and the first day of the journey proceeds without anything of note happening.

At just before sundown the caravan arrives at a clearing just big enough for the men to circle the wagons and ready camp. They light a fire and put on a large pot of some sort of soup and begin readying spots to sleep the night while dinner cooks.

Diarmaid approaches you, "I will have two men on guard duty every hour of the night, but it would be great if you could also post a guard tonight. I want to get this load through to town." He walks back to his men and drawing the sword he wears begins sharpening it.

[Fenria]

Rodrick

"I can take any watches that need covering."