A Depthless Sorrow IC (A Dungeon World Campaign)

[Megatron46]

The dwarven cleric straightens, Huw's grace upon you, he raises his hand in a small blessing. Surveying the battle site, Well done, these horrors took us unaware. I haven't seen this type of magic before. He peers at the corpses, I haven't seen this type of necromancy before, he traces some of the runes with a blunt forefinger. Dark, an abhorrence to Openne and Huw. He scans the horizon, We should move quickly, these two are from the Tor and were clearly hunted, killed and placed here as some form of trap. Others may come and investigate.
Between you quickly search the bodies and the wagon, the bodies give up little reward; the armour is broken and battered beyond use, but Gregor cuts the sigil from the shoulder of one of the dwarves. The wagon however yields a little more. Castor finds a secret compartment which contains a fine bow, a quiver of arrows and a small pouch of coins.
We shouldn't stay here, we should make camp a safe distance away. Morgan, what do you recommend we do with the bodies? Bury them, burn them? Are they likely to rise again?

Spoiler: Loot

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The wagon contains-
A fine bow- near, far 2 weight
A quiver of arrows- 3 ammo 1 weight
A pouch of 30 gold

[EclecticGuru]

"Those things were haphazardly designed," Morgan announced with some glee at the encounter. It reminded her of better times. As the apprentice to a megalomanical .... were they really better?

They felt better. But they also felt ... wasteful. Still, she wasn't exactly bad at being an evil apprentice. She seemed to be better at that than at being .. whatever this was.

An adventurer? Was she turning into some kind of adventurer? Was adventuress a better word? Identity crises were such a pain in the butt.

She looked over the loot, then she addressed her companions. "I doubt they'll rise again. They barely rose this time -- they were what my ... teacher ... called Rune Wraiths. Dark magic for sure, but this .. this was done poorly. Rushed. A real disgrace to the profession."

She drew her surprisingly red lower lip between her teeth and nibbled at it.

"I'd like to take one of their heads. Perhaps, when we camp, I can discover what happened at the Tor."

The young necromancer looked between her companions. "Are any of you up to sawing a head off, or should we just bring a whole corpse?" She spoke the words with more comfort than anyone should feel at casually discussing the desecration of a corpse.

But to be fair, these corpses came quite thoroughly pre-desecrated already.

[Megatron46]

At Morgan's words Gregor nods.Hmmmmm, you speak wide words Mage. There are those who can speak to the dead, if you are one then this could be invaluable knowledge to us. He steps towards one of the corpses pulling a large knife from his belt.
There is a puff of snow as Jawdat lands and her form blends and shifts until the elf stands before you. She holds out her hand for the knife wordlessly. Gregor flips it and passes it to her. With brutal efficiency the Druid begins to sever the head. Right then. Let's find a place to camp far enough from both here and Beirig's Point.

[gremlin-pult]

Looking at the grissly bodies, Xeno swallows audibly, before turning to Gregor. "When we were fighting, they... talked."
He says uncertainly, looking profoundly uncomfortable at the whole situation. "I mean, they were dead, thats obvious, but... Do you think they were still here? in their bodies, I mean? where they trapped in their bodies, forced to watch all this happen?" He asks, sadness evident in his otherwise tired expression.

[jaydubs]

Castor crawls out from searching under the wagon, a grin on his face and on the verge of whistling a happy tune. He chokes down a mouthful of glib words as he realizes the solemn moment being exchanged outside, and trades his smile for a mask of seriousness. Looking down at the decapitated dwarf, not all that much acting is required.

"Not to detract from the discussion, but I found some items in the overturned wagon. Considering we..." He thinks a moment for the right turn of phrase. "...put them to rest, and that we're expecting to look into what's causing this to happen, I doubt the former owners will mind us putting the cache to use." He slings the bow and quiver over his shoulder, and then takes 3 coins from a bag before passing the rest of the gold to the group.

After a moment, Castor puts a hand on Xeno's shoulder. "Let's take a moment and bury these people. The ground might be pretty hard, but we can put them under some of these stones from the side of the road. And Gregor will say some words for the dead."

[EclecticGuru]

Morgan wasn't at all interested in toiling in this cold godforsaken wilderness, in what was increasingly becoming mountainous terrain. She wasn't about to dig any graves, that's for sure. She knew a burial wasn't going to save their souls from the Void. But she also understood, at least on some level, what Castor was trying to accomplish.

It wasn't for the Rune Wraiths. It was for Xeno; and, maybe Gregor too a little.

She took some time preserving the head for a future necromantic ritual, while the others did whatever it was they needed to do to make themselves feel better. Morgan knew too much, had seen too much, to be so easily self-deluded about the horrors of the world -- or more appropriately -- the horrors that could be called into the world from the emptiness beyond.

[gremlin-pult]

"I'd like that. They deserve to be treated properly." Xeno says, giving Castor a smile. He then starts rifling through his backpack, pulling various items out and putting them back, before finding what he is looking for.
"Aha!" He exclaims triumphantly, pulling out a short, travel-sized spade. "This'll make digging the graves a cinch."

Spoiler: OOC

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I took the liberty of including a travel-spade in the adventuring gear. I imagine that it would not be uncommon for something like that to be included in miscellaneous camping gear.

As he starts looking for a likely spot to dig, Xeno looks up thoughtfully. "I wonder who did this to those poor dwarves... Maybe the goblins? Can goblins do that?" He asks out loud, as much to himself as to the others.

[Megatron46]

Spoiler: OOC

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Fine for the spade, mark off one use of your adventuring gear!

Xeno, Castor and Gregor bury the dead, Xeno's enthusiastic attack of the frozen ground yields a shallow grave with a small cairn of stones rising above it. Jawdat watches Morgan's preservation of the Rune Wraith's head with interest.
Gregor stands for a moment before speaking his voice a bass rumble, We return you both to the Father Stone. May his guiding hand see you to the after life! He raises his hand and mutters under his breath, you see the small stone cairn fuse together, Hrrh he gruntsNothing will disturb them now! Are we ready? I suggest we get off the road back into the forest. You make your way into the woods, shielding yourselves from prying eyes and make your camp!

[jaydubs]

Before their shifts start, Castor takes a moment to speak with Xeno and Morgan about something that's been on his mind. "Do you remember what Roderick asked me back in town? About learning magic? I was serious about that." He flips open the songbook from his pack, revealing the beginnings of arcane spells hidden among the musical works.

"I've been trying to learn the art on my own. I've even been able to piece together a few spells from some of the larger libraries, and I think I'm ready to begin trying them out. But there are still bits I don't understand, and the magic is definitely... different from what I'm accustomed to using. I guess what I'm saying is, I could use some direction moving forward." He points towards Xeno's aching head. "Especially in regards to its limitations, and potential hazards. The lore tend to accentuate the power far more than the risks."

He points to a particular entry in the book. "I even have one I'd like to try tonight. It's a sort of perimeter warning spell, for keeping watch."

[gremlin-pult]

"That sounds nice. I'll be happy to help you learn magicking." Xeno says with a smile. He glances at Castors book, but his expression remains blank of any understanding. "I'm not sure how much help I can be, though. I kinda just go with the bits I remember and then what feels right."
Pulling out his own spellbook, Xeno opens it, revealing that its written in either another language or some sort of code.
"You see, whoever wrote this book, maybe me, did it differently from yours. I kinda remember how to read some of the spells, like my magic arrow and vanishing spell." He says, pointing to different pages, that look as illegible as the rest to anyone else. "But the rest I have no idea how to read. I kinda just woke up one day remembering the ones I know, so I guess that could happen with the rest as well..."
Xeno chews on his lower lip thoughtfully for a moment, before sitting up straight and smiling enthusiastically.
"But I CAN tell you about some of the bad stuff that can happen. See, when I do magicking, I pull in the power around me, says the words that fit to form the spell, and release it. Sometimes it can go wrong and the spell doesn't work. Other times it works, but gives me a headache, or works out a bit differently than I want it to. The weirdest is when the spell works, but then I immediately forget it. Then I have to read it again."

[Megatron46]

As you talk Gregor makes a small camp fire, taking tea out of his pack he makes a pot and hands it around. He nods in appreciation at Castor's spell casting. Ay, that'll help! Didn't know you were a magic user lad, thought you were a singer of songs, a teller of tales... his eyes flick up and down the bard's armour, A friend to the ladies..., his eyes crinkle in amusement. Still that'll help tonight... those things, those ... Rune Wraith's you called them? he glances at Morgan for confirmation, An abomination in the eyes of Huw and Openne, I've faced the undead before, but they are...something different... they seemed trapped inside still! That's not something I'd wish on anyone....well few people. He lights his pipe and sits back, sipping his tea. You talk a for an hour or two before the sun sets and the temperature drops.
The first watches pass uneventfully, even Castor and Xeno's first watch, where neither pay particular attention as they are engrossed in a discussion of magic. As the night progresses, Jawdat uncurls from her hole in the snow and shifts from wolf to elf and nudges Gregor awake.
The cleric and druid replace mage and bard and take their positions, eyes scanning the darkness beneath the clear night sky. Morgan replaces Gregor who stumps back to bed and is asleep almost before his head hits the pillow.
The druid and necromancer gaze into the night, Morgan feels Jawdat's eyes glittering in the darkness looking at her before they flick back to the surrounding night, scanning the area surrounding the camp.
As dawn breaks, Morgan senses...something up ahead! How far and what it is she is not sure, but it has the flavour of darkness, something akin to the Rune Wraiths...but different.

Spoiler: OOC

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Mark off a ration and if you level up deduct 8 xp from your total and just tell me what stat you've increased and what advanced moves/spells you've chosen

[jaydubs]

"Thanks Xeno. Though that sounds disconcertingly unpredictable. I suppose that's why they call it an art and not a science." Castor continues to pick Xeno's brain throughout the night, grateful for the assistance, but somewhat frustrated by the answers. Perhaps Xeno could tell me more if we figured out what happened to his memories, Castor thinks to himself.

In the morning, he takes breakfast as usual, adding spell preparation to his daily routine for the first time. After freshening up a bit, he makes his way over to Morgan.

"So... it's been a day now, and my curiosity is just about at wit's end. When do we find out why you're keeping one of the heads?" He points somewhat hesitantly in the general direction of her gear.

[EclecticGuru]

"The Rune Wraiths are not mere necromancy. They're dread necromancy. The wheel of the cycle of life and death is broken, worn down, through the work of the gods, who too often work against each other, at cross purposes, instead of accepting that each has a role in the balance of the universe."

Morgan paused in the middle of her explanation, as she warmed her hands by rubbing them together. Then she stopped even that in a moment of high drama. She lifted her gaze to the distance. She swiftly made sure each of her companions was awake. Morgan did not have the usual miserable, pained look she had when dealing with the drudgery of pushing through the deep snow and withstanding the cold winds that were like daggers in .... well, she didn't look like that at all.

She had a slight, excited smile on her lips and that could mean only one thing.

Something horrible was going on.

She silenced each of her companions with a long slender, red-nailed fingertip across their lips as she alerted them, and motioned quietly in the direction she had sensed the ... disturbance in the Void. When they were all alerted, the young necromancer spoke a quiet, excited whisper.

"Something lies ahead. Something ... terrible."

Yes. You were right all along. Horrors.

Morgan took the time that the party needed to comprehend and prepare to do her hair in its neat, tight updo. Why she wanted to look her best for unnatural terrors one could only guess.

[gremlin-pult]

"Something terrible?" Xeno says nervously, clutching his staff in front of him. "It really must be something bad, if someone brave like you calls it terrible..."
He walks up behind Morgan, looking past her in the direction she indicated.
"Well dont worry Morgan, I'm gonna protect you and the others, just like you guys protect me. I got more magic now, and some of it is way easier to do than yesterday. I can remember more of the magic words that feel right, too." He says, trying to look braver and bigger than he is.

[Megatron46]

Horror's? More of those Rune Wraiths you think, or something different? Gregor finishes packing his gear, stamps out the fire and stretches his back until it clicks. What're your plans? Do we head for Beirig's Point and the goblins or do you head round?

[EclecticGuru]

"Similar. But different than the Rune Wraiths. Hopefully whatever they are, or it is, they are properly constructed instead of that haphazard job that was done on the dwarves." Morgan finished doing up her hair. It seemed they'd have some time before whatever monstrosity that was out there would strike -- perhaps it was lying in wait -- either way, Morgan had some work to do.

She fished out the head from the bag in which it had been stowed. It still had those corrupt runes inscribed upon its flesh.

She smiled just slightly and prepared a fresh pole for the head to rest upon. It was a desecration of the dead, by any judgment, and despite the presence of a priest, she continued unabated and unabashed.

Once she had it secured in place, she began the Speak with Dead spell.

"Dimitte mortuos loqueris!"

While she used tried and true arcane methods to channel the power, it was most assuredly the abominable, some might say unholy, energies of the Void that made this spell possible.

Her eyes were alight with a cold pale blue-gray energy, the same which surrounded her hands as they moved in complicated patterns, the after-image of which created neat little sigils in the air before her whose half-life was measured in 10ths of seconds at most -- to call them lingering would be overly generous.

She expended the power with an upward clenching of her hand into a fist, and a narrowing of her eyes.

"Exsuscito!!"

Spoiler: Cast Spell

Show

Speak with Dead!
(2d6+2)[5]

[Megatron46]

As Morgan casts the spell Gregor shifts uncomfortably, narrowing his eyes he stares at the necromancer and the desecrated head. Unconsciously he slips the hammer from its belt loop and it hangs loosely yet ready in his hand.
The magic builds and you all feel your skin crawl as it writhes invisibly across you through the air.
At Morgan's shout the eyes snap open and stare at her, a leer crosses it's face and it rolls it's dead eyes; flicking to each of you in turn. As it's gaze falls on you unimaginable horror floods your mind before it breaks and fixes it's eyes back on the necromancer. It's mouth opens wide, broken rotting teeth on show and a voice spills out like silk dragged across broken glass, We see you.... We know you now...we can taste you... The rictus grin stretches even wider and it's tongue extends lasciviously, obscenely before the face falls slack, the dark runes writhing and twisting on the skin.

[gremlin-pult]

"Uuuhhmm..." Xeno says, swallowing audibly before continuing. "I'm not, like, an expert on bad stuff, since I try to stay clear of it, but that was really bad, right?" He asks, looking around at the others.

Forcing himself not to look at the grissly display the head makes, he starts fiddling with the hem of his hat, pulling it down over his eyes. "I mean, it , uhh, said it knows us now. That can't be good. It could mean traps and stuff in the future, right? I... I think maybe this.." He gestures in the direction of the head, still not looking directly at it. "This might be connected to the magic maelstrom. The magic in this just feels wrong, and..." He trails of, obviously unsure about what point he was making.

"This is a bit over my head. This is stuff for clever, heroic people. I, I just wanted an adventure, and to help someone..."
He mumbles, looking throughly miserable at the prospect of this whole situation being more than he can grasp.

[EclecticGuru]

Despite the rather unexpected result of her spellcasting, Morgan was not entirely displeased by the result. Except for the one moment of unpleasant empathy she felt as her companions were terrorized by the manifestation (she had been terrorized so many times in the past, it was kind of like how a chef gets used to burned fingertips), she seemed downright thrilled.

While obviously the Speak with Dead spell was not going to be effective with these Rune Wraiths, there sometimes was even more to learn through failure than through success.

Of course, in this case, the enemy had learned plenty (him?)self. But that just meant that, despite the incompetent rune inscription, whoever opposed them was competent after all.

Spoiler: Discern Reality

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Discern Reality!
(2d6+1)[13]

Holy Moly!

3 questions:

Who is really in control here?

What is about to happen?

What should I be on the lookout for?

"The link established goes both ways, Xeno. Fear not. This was not my first time communing with the spirits of the Void."

She plucked the head, with the runes still writhing, from its spike and tossed it onto the embers of the breakfast fire. It flared up sharply, not in proper flames, but in the same unwholesome arcane fire that ran through the runes, and which illuminated Morgan's eyes and hands when she had cast the Speak with Dead spell.

The young necromancer smiled at the flare-up and nodded her head, as she gazed into what necromancers call the Darklight.

"It is not we who should be afraid. For, in this case, we are the hunters. And they ..." The slim woman smoothed her fingers over the delicate yet elaborate embroidery of her wizard robe. "... And they are the prey."

The campfire flared up one last time before consuming the head entirely in a brilliant flare of darklight, which remained captured like a mote within Morgan's gaze.

[jaydubs]

Castor blinks for a few moments. "I'm quite glad you did that in the morning, Morgan. Because it was almost creepier than the actual zombies were."

He shakes his head and then looks towards Gregor, going back to address the issue of the goblins. "Consider the following." He starts to tick off points on his fingers.

"The goblins would not be here if Admira's Tor were unscathed. We have dead dwarves, brought back by foul magic. Morgan has sensed a dark power on our path forward. And Xeno has discovered some kind of magical convergence in that general direction." He shakes his head sadly. "This suggests to me that your people are either under seige or overcome by magic users versed in necromancy, who are even now drawing magic for some dark purpose."

He points north towards Beirig's Point. "But we don't know how the goblins are involved. Did they actively assist in attacking the Tor, knowing it would expose the southlands? Are they simply taking advantage of a weakness? Or are they fleeing from these same necromantic forces? In any case, they should know something of what lies ahead for us. And we should take steps to speak to one of them, either by force or otherwise."

He asks Jawdat to sketch out the layout of the goblin camp, to better plan out any potential approach. "It's still up for debate, I think. But let's assume for a moment we want to approach Beirig's Point. We can try to speak to the goblins, but they are often hostile, and then we give up the element of surprise. We can try to abduct one of their number in isolation, but it seems they are on the guard for approaching enemies. Or we can assault the camp in force, and make sure to leave some alive for questioning. But there are 8 of them, at least one of which is a magic user, and 3 worgs above and beyond that. Not an impossible fight, but certainly not an easy one either. And it greatly reduces any chance of an alliance, unusual as that might be, should the goblins themselves have been driven from their lands."

He looks around at the others, waiting for their opinions on the situation.

Spoiler: Spout Lore

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Does Castor know anything useful about goblins? Political situation, customs, etc.?
(2d6+1)[6]

[gremlin-pult]

"Thats a good idea." Xeno says, his mood improving instantly at the thought of talking instead of fighting. "Goblins don't like other races, but they probably dislike undead even more. Most living people do, from what I've heard. I think we should talk to them. Upfront. If we go straight to them, showing that we don't wanna fight, they'll be less likely to just attack. I think..."
He says.
Scrunching his brows together in concentration, Xeno tries to remember if he has heard or read anything that might help. Food goblins like, or gifts. Anything that might win their trust. He thought he might have read a book on Goblin phrases while living with Martha and Wesley. or was it Troll phrases? Or Elf?

Spoiler: Spout lore

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(2d6+2)[10]

After a moment a few pieces click together in Xeno's mind, and he jumps up excitedly. "I remember something!" He yells, dancing around himself happily, before recalling that he has yet to share the information. "Auntie Martha told me loads of stuff she learned about goblins when she was younger." He says, blushing slightly at his own scatter-mindedness. "See, If you wanna talk with goblins, you try to talk to their Shaman. And when goblins wanna talk with other goblin tribes, they bring a gift to the shaman. I think it's usually a live animal. An "offering of flesh", Auntie Martha called it."

[Megatron46]

Jawdat steps forward, outwardly calm, but inwardly burning at the abomination's words, the very thing itself an affront to Huw! She squats and smooth's out a patch of snow, drawing quickly while she speaks. Beirig's Point a narrow entrance, widening to a roughly circular central area, before narrowing again to exit the other side of the pass. I would think dwarven stone-singers have shaped what was a useful natural rock formation into this. The entrance and exit are both wide enough for two people, maybe three or four goblins, to fight side by side, and the mountain walls rise high either side levelling out into a small plateau, accessible by some stairs carved into the stone. The goblin Kraal have one archer on watch atop one of the plateau facing south with a horn to warn of any approach. In the central space the remaining archers and goblin spear carriers drilled or rested. Slightly off to one side is a large tent which the shaman was using; the worgs were just resting, they seemed to have no set base.
Gregor looks toward Xeno and claps him on the shoulder, Good to know lad, that may make a difference, could avoid a fight... but we need still be wary! Thanks Jawdat, I feel others need to know about this. Would you fly back to Blackwater and inform Mayenne and the other members of the town council?

[jaydubs]

Castor clasps forearms with Jawdat, in the manner of those who have fought together in battle. "It was good working with you Jawdat. Though I would ask one thing before you go. Is there any aid or advice you can provide in capturing a live animal? It's something we will need if we are to carry out Xeno's plan. And I think nature will not judge us harshly, since we are working to purge a threat of undeath from her lands." Castor does glance surreptitiously in Morgan's direction as he says these last words, entirely unsure how she will take them given her... excitement during the most recent brushes with necromancy.

[EclecticGuru]

Morgan didn't react to Castor's chastisement of undeath at all. Her investment wasn't personal, it was professional. And she remained aloof through the whole back and forth.

She did comment however.

"The shamans of the goblins have taboos regarding necromancy, and they do not knowingly participate in it. They're more the blood sacrifice sort -- serving the elemental forces of death and destruction directly. The idea of something not dying properly is as anethma to them as it is to you."

Note she didn't say as it is to us.

"Whatever we end up doing, we shouldn't tarry long here. Unfortunately my spell has brought attention down on us here, and its likely whatever force of evil that is working against us is moving its pieces on the board to capture this square."

She looked at the pile of stuff that she was supposed to carry and groaned inwardly. She wasn't going to do it the hard way today. No, not at all. Not today, and not under these circumstances.

"Portandum!"

Spoiler: Cast Spell: Unseen Servant

Show

Casting the Unseen Servant Spell.

(2d6+2)[10]

An unseen spiritual force began to move around the camp, speeding up their departure by invisibly gathering up the gear and loot. The look on Morgan's pale face was one of self-satisfaction.

"We should be very careful to discern, in dealing with these goblins, whether they are willing allies of the forces that worked against Gregor's people, or if they were simply unwitting pawns, being forced to move against us by dark hands unseen to even them."

[Megatron46]

Jawdat grips Castor's arm firmly in return. And with you, Castor, all of you! She grins, I can find you an offering of flesh before I go! The elf's form twists and bends and the familiar sight of the falcon soars into the early morning air. She circles for a few moments before you see her plummet to the ground in a fast stoop. A moment later you see her rise with some struggling in her talons. The falcon swoops down and drops a stunned hare into Castor's waiting hands, before circling, letting out a falcon's cry in farewell and heading back towards Blackwater.
Gregor steps forward, If we need to leave this place as it is now unsafe we should walk and plan, we will reach Beirig's Point in 3 or so hours if we march straight there.
Barrack
It's been three days since you left the Blackwater Brewery and you have been debating the wisdom of leaving home in midwinter! Still, you have had your first adventure, yesterday you encountered a small group of goblins roaming the forest, 2 of them, and your training proved worthy of the task.
You have been trekking generally North, making your way towards the mountains and Beirig's Point, the pass to cross them. You have now entered a part of Landfell you do not know and need to gain your bearings as the forest is thick around you!

Spoiler: OOC Barrack

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Award yourself 1 xp for the goblins. Write yourself 1 bond for now, when you meet up with the party you can write the rest. Your bond could be about family, or your hopes or a desire for adventure etc.

[EclecticGuru]

"We need to go, yes. Now. Try not to leave anything valuable behind." Morgan was so serious about leaving immediately that she was trudging through the snow ahead of the party, breaking the fresh snow.

The down side was that she quickly was unable to feel her feet anymore. She was not good at this adventuring nonsense. She thought perhaps this might be her last adventure. There had to be a better way to turn over a new leaf.

[jaydubs]

Castor seems almost as surprised as the hare for a second, before quickly stuffing it into an empty pouch in his backpack. On noting Morgan's rapid departure, he takes another careful look at Jawdat's map, locking it into his mind, before quickly following suit.

"So we've got this offering of flesh. Can we just call up to a sentry, 'We bring an offering of flesh and wish to parley with your shaman?' Or is this going to be a game of tag, where we have to get to him and tag home before the other goblins kill us?"

[EclecticGuru]

"Three options. Approach as superiors and attempt to dominate them. Approach as inferiors and surrender to them. Or approach as equals and negotiate with them. Anything else would be a variation of one of those."

Morgan's early fast start slowed down, as she let Gregor, Xeno, or Castor take the lead in breaking the snow. There was a limit to how much intensity the young necromancer could maintain in walking.

[gremlin-pult]

"I'm... not sure." Xeno says, scratching his cheek thoughtfully. "I don't know any Goblin language, but I think if we walk up to their camp openly, with our hands held out with palms up, they won't attack immediately. And if you then hold the hare above your head, they'll probably get it." He continues, while packing his gear.

"Hopefully, one of them will know enough common to talk to us, but we'll see. I'm sure it'll work out, somehow." Xeno says, flashing Castor a smile and then trotting of after Morgan, humming tunelessly, but cheerfully.
Picking up his pace, he moves up beside her, still smiling happily.
"Hey Morgan, I've been thinking. When this is over, I mean, when we've found out about the dwarf outpost, and the weird magic going on, We could all travel west together. It'd be warmer, which I know you'd like, and we could visit Auntie Martha and Uncle Wesley. I'd really like for them to meet you guys, since they were worried I would be a bit too excentric to find good travelling buddies. I especially think Auntie Martha would like you, since you both get a bit... snippy with me when I'm doing or saying something stupid. It really helps me, since I don't always think about stuff." ​

[Prehysterical]

The past three days have been the hardest that Barrack has ever known. Sleeping out in the cold, away from either hearth or home, was more taxing than he had anticipated. Still, Da had made it clear that he was worried for the future and Barrack couldn't just sit on his hands. The pair of goblins he encountered proved to be enough of a diversion, but they were no different than any other greenskin raiders he had dealt with before. He knew he was heading north, as something about the mountains called to him, but Barrack didn't know where he was exactly. As much as he wanted to say otherwise, he was hopelessly lost in the forest. Barrack's feet trudge through the snow and his hammer is slung over his shoulder as he tries to find some landmark that his could have mentioned in passing.