The Northlands Saga - Spears in the Ice IC

[DrK]

Freyja

Freyja nods, smiling in amusement at the young girls antics but glad that the aelf was able to catch her. Seeing Rina talking to herself she walks beside her, a polite "shal I lead her for you?" rather than, "I don't trust you to not fall off".

The long walk is good for her after a season on the boats and she enjoys the fresh air, long legs keeping apace with the slowly walking horses. She nods to the hurscal. " Just the fresh water if it pleases you."

[Dexam]

Rubbing his bruises while rounding his recalcitrant horse, Skorri tries to placate the irate farmer Ljot.

"Hey, don't blame us; blame the horses! Damned beasts have a mind of their own!"

Freyja watches the bondsmen ride south before glancing at Skorri and the others, "Those names, are they known to you?".

With the excitement of the chase over, as they ride towards the Coast Road, Skorri answers Freyja's question.

"Aye, they're known to me, but by reputation only. Criminals, they are - murderers and rapists from Storstrøm Vale, fleeing the justice of their jarls. Rumours say that they're hiding around Halfstead somewhere."

As they approach the spring, Skorri returns the hail.

"A good day to you, too, Sven One-Eye; my father sends his regards. Some dried apples sound delicious," he says with the enthusiasm of the perpetually hungry young lad that he is. "Thank you for the offer!" Skorri dismounts from his horse and leads it to the spring for a drink. "Got any good gossip for me today?"

[BelGareth]

Gunnar pulls up and smiles, nodding with respect. "Ho Sven One-Eye! some apples sound like a good idea. You haven't seen anyone slinking about these parts?"

[PeacefulOak]

Mørkedrømevandrer smiles at the Royal lady, understanding somehat the need for freedom in the wilds. It is still strange to him that some people are treated so differently than others... but such is the way of the human-folk. When they reach the old buscarlo, the Wanderer veers from the group, riding a wide circle with eyes and ears open, watching for any sign of danger.

[Ghostfoot]

One-Eyed Sven hands around dried apples and water as demands, the kindness of his manner at odds with his scarred and rugged old body. He looks each of you over with his good eye as he caters to you, the other eye taken in combat, a sure sign of Odin's favour for the aging warrior. The three girls happily take a few apples as they chatter among themselves while Signy only a sip of water. One-Eyed Sven is well-respected at Silvermeade Hall and must be more like an old uncle to them as he often steps in to supervise younger huscarls and thralls when Jarl Olaf and Hallbjorn are called away. Mørkedrømevandrer stays some distance away, skirting the site as he stays alert.

“You young folks should keep an eye out, I did hear from Hallbjorn that a couple of outlaws have been spotted out on the Moors, not to mention the trouble that Sigfastr the dwarf ran into in the forest — damned fairies. And keep a look out for troll sign. We may not have got them all when we burned ’em out of the hills last winter. Oh, and keep an eye on the weather, I’ve got an awful crick in my back, sure sign of a storm coming.”

After Inga explains that you are headed to the nearby Meadows he responds to the rest of you,

"Well, it’s a nice day to travel, and I envy you a peaceful task for it. Me, I have to head back to the hall this afternoon and see what ol’ Olaf is planning for the season. Probably going whaling. The godi and cunning women are talking about a dry summer, and that means a poor harvest.”

After a ten minutes or so with the old veteran you are refreshed and invigorated from a fair few battle yarns he clearly loves to tell, although the Inga becoming agitated and restless at the subject matter (Fastvi however is entranced by the tales). Eventually you mount up continue onward, anticipating only a short final leg to your destination.

..........

Crossing the Coast Road you near the end of your ride, the trail turning southwest and heading into the woods where the Meadows are situated. This part of the forest is fairly tame, and you soon find yourselves on a dirt double track through the trees, muddy in the low places due to recent rains. After a few minutes, you hear the lowing of oxen and the raised voice of a man cursing his beasts. Coming around the corner, you see a small, heavily laden cart stuck in the mud. A one-eyed elderly man (not One-Eyed Sven) is trying to goad a pair of oxen into pulling the cart from the mud, with little success. Standing off to the side, out of the mud, is a strikingly handsome blonde woman of middle years and a young red-haired boy.

There is no room on the trail to pass the cart where it is stuck. To do so you would need to forge your way through the surrounding trees with the girls, a task that Inga and Runa are certainly not dressed for. Inga huffs in irritation at the blocked way forward and looks across at you as if to say "fix this!".

[DrK]

Freyja

The giantess strides towards the wagon, turning to a nod at the woman. "As you say miladie's." Approaching the nearby jammed wagon she nods to the old man and the woman. "God's greetings to you on this fine day. How can we help you. Yuo seem to be having some problems."

Spoiler: OOC

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Diplomacy (1d20+5)[10] if needed
Strength check (1d20+4)[9] if needed

[PeacefulOak]

Mørkedrømevandrer

Something about this felt wrong to the Wanderer. Great potential for risk here, with the cart blocking the road. ”Ware danger, warleader. I go to move the beasts.” He casts his voice low to his companions before slipping from his horse, longbow to hand and terbuje strapped as always to his back. His steps are quick, an odd mix of low lander lanky strides and Nuklander light-footedness.

Moving easily to the oxen, he addresses the man. “Na, man go easy. Yanking on them will get you nowhere.” He proceeds to speak softly to the oxen in the Nuk tongue, urging them to lend their strength to moving the cart free. Still, his eyes scan the surrounds for danger.

Spoiler: OoC

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Handle Animal: (1d20+2)[9]
Perception: (1d20+7)[20]

[Dexam]

Skorri happily chews on the offered dried apples, as he listens to what One-Eyed Sven has to say. His eyes wander to young Runa when Sven mentions the troubles of Sigfastr the dwarf. If ever there was one to attract the attention of faerie-folk...

He does take note of Sven's comment about the weather - Runa probably wouldn't even notice it was raining, and Fastvi would probably think it all great fun, but Inga's complaints would probably make an attacking troll seem a pleasant option in comparison! He only listens with half an ear to the battle yarns, having heard them all or variants of the same tales before.

* * *

Like the Nuklander, Skorri can't help but initially wonder if the stuck wagon is some kind of prelude to an ambush. He scans the forest, looking for any signs of trouble, before dismounting and approaching the wagon.

"Greetings, folks; I'd say 'good afternoon', but it doesn't seem that you're having much of one given your current predicament." He gives a sympathetic smile to the woman and boy. "Where're you headed, if you don't mind my asking?" He circles around the wagon, eyeing the depth of the wheel and the load on the wagon. "Might need to use some branches to lever that wheel out of the mud, or lighten the load a little, or both."

Spoiler

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Checks if needed:

Perception: (1d20+3)[8]
Sense Motive: (1d20+3)[9]
Diplomacy: (1d20+5)[10]

[BelGareth]

Gunnar nods to Sven One-Eye in thanks and rides on with everyone else, seeing the down cart, he too thought something was wrong, but still, it could be benign, and they might actually be stuck travelers, and Floki curse them if they were to be ignored by this lot of honorable men.

He staid back with the princesses as the others attempted to move the cart.

"Ho Freyja! Put your back into it!" he yells in jest.

[Ghostfoot]

The old man looks up at the huge solid form of Frejya with his good eye "Aye we're a might stuck here. Nothin' I can do to budge 'em." He gestures to the cart laden with heavy oak timbers "S'posed to be gettin' this to the Hall for the jarl for his new ship".

Freyja tries to budge the cart but it's stuck fast and the oxen low but don't move. Skorri's suggestion to lighten the load seems wise, and he and Freyja set to work lugging some of the heavy timbers off to one side.

"Hrumfph. Honestly these dirty freesteaders are just the worst-" a sharp word from Signy cuts off Inga's complaint and her eyes widen as Gunnar smooths things over with the family his jest eliciting a chuckle from the woman and young lad and thankfully distracting from the insult.

Freyja flexes her muscles again and heaves against the lightened wagon as Mørkedrømevandrer calms the tiring oxen and gently coaxes them forward. With a sucking sound the cart slowly shifts, and a few moments effort has it successfully free and out of the way.

No sooner has the obstruction been shifted than Fastvi spurs her horse forward eager to bolt for the nearby Meadows. But you're quicker. Freyja has the bridle firmly in hand as Mørkedrømevandrer blocks the path calming the confused horse and it stops firmly in its tracks. A wry smile crosses Fastvi's face and she relaxes as if to say "fine, you win".

As you load the cart again the old man looks at you gratefully with his one good eye. “Thank you for your aid. You are the sort of folk who make the Northlands proud. Have a pleasant journey, wherever you are going. Keep tight to your mind’s-worth, and may your fates soar through the ages.”

.....................................


The family depart with their load and you are free to continue on your way. Finally, after another fifteen minutes your morning trek seems to be nearing an end as you see sunlight through the woods ahead. It is a warm spring day, and the Meadows nestled in a narrow arm of the forest open before you. Insects buzz about, and the idyllic expanse of flowers is fragrant with fresh growth and new blossoms. Smiles on their faces the girls quickly dismount and spread across the meadow busying themselves with picking flowers (or in Fastvi's case exploring and climbing trees).

As they amuse themselves you observe the surroundings, Skorri and Mørkedrømevandrer noticing some movement in the bushes some distance away on the western side of the Meadows near little Runa as she stoops to play with a friendly pair of squirrels....

Spoiler: Multiple skill challenges FTW

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Handle Animal DC12 to coax oxen
DDW (1d20+2)[9]
DDW (1d20+2)[11]
DDW (1d20+2)[16]

Strength DC25 (DC20 once wagon unloaded) to shift cart
Freyja (1d20+4)[9]
Freyja (1d20+4)[15]
Freyja (1d20+4)[23]

Diplomacy DC15 to avoid a war of words
Freyja (1d20+5)[10]
Skorri (1d20+5)[10]
Gunnar (1d20+1)[20]
DDW (1d20-2)[-1]
Signy (1d20+4)[23]

Sense Motive DC15 to prevent Fastvi bolting
Skorri (1d20+3)
Gunnar (1d20+4)[9]
Signy (1d20)[14]
Freyja (1d20-1)[17]
DDM (1d20+1)[21]

Spoiler: The boon

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Religion DC15 to draw some conclusions...
Gunnar (1d20+2)[9]
DDW (1d20+2)[11]
Freyja (1d20+4)[11]
Skorri (1d20+1)[19]

Could it be that the old man and his family are actually Wotan (Odin), his wife Frigga, and his son Donar (Thor) taken on mortal forms? Or perhaps they were mortals that Wotan had chosen to use to test your mettle. In any case you sense that the consequences of your actions favour you:

Each PC (irrespective of religion check success/ failure) receives one free re-roll of a failed d20 roll.

Spoiler: Meadows Perception check

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Perception DC15
Gunnar (1d20+4)[11]
DDW (1d20+7)[17]
Freyja (1d20-1)[4]
Skorri (1d20+3)[21]

[BelGareth]

Gunnar nods his head to the family and smiles warmly as they are blessed by the one-eyed man, something was off about him, but he couldn't place it, shaking the feeling off, he gladly escorted the young ladies past and through to the meadow.

Everything seemed to be going well, and he was happy for it.

"These are the good times, watching the Jarl's daughter is a blessing from Wotan himself, I tell you."

[DrK]

Freyja

Moving the logs and lifting the wagon around cheered the half-giantess up. Equally the casual acceptance from the Nuk also helped improve the day. She eyed the girls slightly frostily as they were unusually harsh to the family but as the old man and his family headed down the road she smiled happily and waved them off, "God's blessing on you all. Good day and well wishes." She follows the others, half walking and half running to keep up with the horses.

There in the meadow she stays close to the girls, watching them closely, probably too closely as she doesn't even pay attention to the wonder all around her. The long spear swishing around casually as she practices some thrusts and counter thrusts in the sunlight, enjoying the play of the sun on the spear head and feeling of the sun on her face. The meadow's joyful appearance has infected Freyja as well, and she almost skips around the field following Inga mainly as the elder girls collects the beautiful meadow flowers.

[PeacefulOak]

Dark Dreams Wanderer

Despite the peace of the morning, Mørkedrømevandrer is wary. Too many strange occurrences this morning had the Nuklander on edge, and his horned bow is held ready in his hands with an arrow on the string. At the sight of motion in the bushes, the Nuk readies himself and catches the eye of Skorri who seemed to have caught the same motion. He gestures towards Runa and softly says "Ward the child, I will guard from here."

[Dexam]

Skorri grins as he hears that the load of timbers is intended for a new ship for the jarl. As he and the giantess set to work moving some of the load, he happily hums a simple tune, the kind often heard to set a rhythm when rowing a longboat, or loading or unloading a ship. Given the warm day, and despite the shade of the trees, he quickly builds up a sweat while labouring away. When Freja finally manages to free the stuck cart with her prodigious strength, Skorri gives a loud cheer and quickly sets to reloading the cart with renewed enthusiasm, eager to be on their way while the day still lasts. With the cart ready to move again, Skorri thanks the old mad for his kind words. "Just make sure that you make mention to the jarl who helped out, eh?" he says with a cheeky grin and wink. "And maybe pass comment about what fine, well-mannered, and pleasant daughters he has, too." He gives a slight nod to the girls.

Once they reach the Meadows, Skorri is glad to relax - and to be off the untrustworthy horse. The sweat of the labour had chilled him as they rode through the forest, but as the sun in the meadow warms him, it begins to feel like a truly blessed day; even the bruise from his fall feels less noticeable. Standing watch towards the centre of the meadow, he catches sign of movement near the strange young Runa. He glances around and notices that the sharp-eyed Dark Dreams Wanderer has caught sight of something, too. He nods to the Nuklander, "Let Gunnar know that I'm going to keep a closer eye on Runa." He strides towards the girl, readying his shield on his arm and loosening his axe in it's belt loop.

[Ghostfoot]

Gunnar and Freyja are relaxed, enjoying the scene but still mindful of their duties. Watching over the girls in particular the older Inga who seems to take great pleasure in passing bunches of the sweet spring flowers to Gunnar to hold. Runa strays near the edge of the forest as Fastvi clambers in branches nearby. Signy dismounts and stands aloof in the shadows seemingly content to observe.

Spotting the rustle of something in the undergrowth not far from Runa, Mørkedrømevandrer and Skorri share a look, Skorri hastening forward ready to act at a moments notice. A small dog, flea-bitten and mangy, darts from the undergrowth yipping and bounding toward Runa who squeals with delight arms open wide encouraging the stray animal toward her embrace...

Spoiler: Knowledge Nature check - DDW

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Knowledge Nature DC10
DDW (1d20+5)[12]

The dog actually appears to be relatively gentle-natured and harmless. Probably a farmer's dog lost or abandoned over the winter months it now looks eager for companionship and a new master.

[Dexam]

Skorri gives a start of surprise as the dog bursts from the bushes, then frowns in concern.

If that mutt has rabies, the Jarl'll have our hides to patch the sails on his boats...

"HEY!" he yells, letting out a shrill whistle and banging on his shield as he strides towards Runa, "Git away from her, ya mutt!"

Spoiler

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Intimidate check to get the dog to stop / back away: (1d20+6)[11]

[PeacefulOak]

”Easy friend, looks to be simply a wild pup, not a threat to any here.” He makes his way towards the dog, clucking softly in the back of his throat. “Hey now wild one, what spirit has you so excited, then?”

Spoiler: Handle Animal

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(1d20+2)[12]

[Ghostfoot]

Skorri yells and bangs to no avail as the wee dog bounds forward and Runa hugs and tussles with the excited animal. Mørkedrømevandrer approaches calmly, helping Runa with the dog. A quick inspection shows the friendly dog is free of any obvious diseases, if a bit scrawny and malnourished.

"Can I keep him? Can I?" implores young Runa. Inga rolls her eyes and snorts derisively at her younger sister.

[DrK]

Freyja

The giantess watched the commotion with the small did with a smile on her face. Happy to see a child enjoying the world around her. She pitied Rina a little. She knew what it was to be different and knew that only the Jarl's influence would keep his daughter safe.

With no obvious danger she continues to follow the eldest daughter around at a respectful distance just enjoying the peace and tranquility of the glade as she stands guard with spear and shield.

[Ghostfoot]

"I'm going to call him Bogi" says little Runa, tussling with the happy mutt. She looks across at you "Swear you'll protect him just like you'll protect me?" she says, very seriously.

"Aiiiih!"....Crash.....Crack.....Thump....."Ohhh!" There is a loud crash as Fastvi, clambering about in the branches of a nearby tree, slips and falls. She looks up from where she's landed amid the flowers, clutching her arm, a pained look on her face.

Signy dashes swiftly over to the fallen girl. After a moment checking over she steps back to talk to you discretely as the two sisters fawn over the injured Fastvi "It's a clean break. I can splint it, but she'll need to be taken back to the Hall for rest and recovery......or, I have a healing elixir here that Odi helped me make. It should be enough to leave her with nothing more than a bruise, if you think that's the best thing to do?"

Spoiler: Heal DC15

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Signy (1d20+4)[22]
DDW (1d20+5)[15]

[BelGareth]

Gunnar watches as they scuffle about the yapping pup, smiling a tad when they realize, it was just a pup.

He frowns, not overly reacting to the fall of the young lass, and the subsequent broken arm.

Nodding to the others, "What say you, I'd think the Jarl would be vexed if we didn't try to do what we could." indicating his agreement with Fastvi

[DrK]

Freyja

The giantess strides across to where the girl has fallen and looks at her arm. However cannot tell much about it. Glancing at the young girl holding her herbal elixir Freyja pauses. "Maybe we splint it and take her home. Then one of the healing women can help with any elixirs or poultices."

[Dexam]

Seeing that the dog appears to be some harmless runaway farm pup or suchlike, Skorri relaxes.

"It's your father's call on if you can keep him, not ours," he says to Runa, "And if the rightful owner shows up and has proof of a claim on him, you'll have to give him up. But aye, I swear that we'll protect him, just as we would any other member of the jarl's household. Of course, if Bogi is going to be yours, you need to be responsible for him and care for him y-" he cuts off as he hears the cry from Fastvi.

Skorri runs towards the fallen girl, but backs off to let Signy examine her.

"I think that using the healing elixir might be the best course of action," he says in response to the young Cunning Woman's assessment. "Otherwise it's going to be a slow and painful ride home for Fastvi, and we'll have to leave immediately if we want to make it back by nightfall. I remember when I broke my leg as a child, trying to climb to the top of the mast on my father's ship - if it weren't for Odi's help, I'd be walking with a limp."

[PeacefulOak]

Dark Dreams Wanderer (Mørkedrømevandrer)

"It would seem the pup is safe enough, and like to enjoy your company.
If it wishes, carry it."

At the crash, the Nuk dashes over and kneels down to assess the damage, gently handling the fallen noble's limb. "It is folly to turn down the aid of those wise in the ways of the land. Apply your medicine, and let us return before more calamity arises, no?"

[Ghostfoot]

Signy unstoppers the vial and helps Fastvi drink the bitter liquid. The jarl's daughter winces in pain as she does but soon relaxes as the injury heals. She looks at her sister Runa with a puzzled look on her face "Runa, is everything okay?".

Runa stands close by in an awkward, rigid posture. Her eyes roll back in her head and a deep voice booms from her throat quite unnaturally "A storm is coming to sweep all away. Father will die from bloodied ice. The raven calls for us all.” After a moments stunned silence her eyes snap to and she looks back at you a little embarrassed "What, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me?". A punishing drowsiness comes over you all of a sudden. Entranced, Little Runa's eyes dilate and she turns and starts walking straight for the edge of the meadow, the wee dog yipping about her ankles. Inga crashes to the ground, comatose. Fastvi slumps unconscious too. As overwhelming fatigue assails you, you catch a faint glimpse of movement in the shadows of the treeline ahead of Runa. Then the world spins and the soft ground comes up to catch you as you pass into slumber...

Spoiler: Perception check - DDW

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Perception DC23
Gunnar (1d20+4)[17]
DDW (1d20+7)[27]
Freyja (1d20+3)[18]
Skorri (1d20+3)[7]
Signy (1d20)[17]

The faint snap of a breaking branch in the tree line catches your attention. Looking in that direction, you can just make out the dark forms of two burly men, well armed and armored, crouching in the shadows of the brush. They hold between them something large and heavy, a shield-sized stone plate with carvings on it. A rather tattered and dirty old woman is standing behind them, muttering to herself and waving her arms above the stone tablet.

Spoiler: Save vs Sleep

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Will DC15 or sleep
Gunnar (1d20)[9]
DDW (1d20+1)[12]
Freyja (1d20+1)[4]
Skorri (1d20+1)[10]
Signy (1d20+2)[5]

.................................................. .............................

You wake up, your head splitting in pain that no amount of mead or ale could have produced, and blood trickles from ears, noses, and even eyes. Your mouth is a dry roadbed paved with molded sail cloth. Signy holds her head, wiping the blood from her face best she can. The sun is slanting down in a mid-afternoon glare — you have been unconscious for several hours. Bees buzz among the flowers in the meadow. Of the girls — and your horses for that matter — there is no sign. The only other living creature you see is the mangy stray dog claimed by Little Runa. It licks at your faces as if happy for you to wake up.

Spoiler: Perception - DDW & Gunnar

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Perception DC12
Gunnar (1d20+4)[22]
DDW (1d20+7)[17]
Freyja (1d20+3)[7]
Skorri (1d20+3)[6]
Signy (1d20)[9]

You note two flattened spots in the tall meadow grass where Inga and Fastvi must have lain. Booted footprints surround these two locations.

=> Party
time to turn this adventure up a notch

[DrK]

Freyja

Waking up Freyja slowly rises unsteadily to her feet. Confusion turning to panic as she see's the spaces where the two younger girls used to be. Signy the only daughter left. Guilt, shame and panic raced through her clearing any vestiges of fatigue as she grabbed up her fallen spear and scanned the trees for trouble and rapidly grabbed the opthers. "What's happened? We've been cursed by the feyri. Fastvi and Runa have been taken!" She looks at the eldest girl, worried as to why she was left behind but also glad they've still got one daughter. "Come, we must find the girls of the Jarl will curse us." She looks to the Nuk as she suspects that Mørkedrømevandrer will be their best tracker.

[BelGareth]

Gunnar wakes with a grogginess, which is quickly abated, and forgotten as he looks about and sees the indents in the ground.

He jumps up, weapons in hand, "THEY HAVE BEEN TAKEN" he growls, "Quick! check those tracks, we must be about!"

He kneels down and looks himself, his actions sure and swift, his ire having been raised.

Spoiler

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PF so this is survival right?

Survival - (1d20+4)[7]

[PeacefulOak]

Dark Dreams Wanderer (Mørkedrømevandrer)

The crimson-crested Nuk rises with a stream of curses that start in the dialect of the Nuk and continues into the common tongue of the norlanders before rising into a tirade of Jotun. Recovering his discarded bow, the wild ranger ignores his companions as he scans the ground for any and all signs of his new quarry's passage.

Spoiler: OoC

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(1d20+6)[7] Survival
I will use my boon in the OoC thread.

[Dexam]

Skorri

Skorri awakens with a groan, and sits slowly, clutching his head. The feeling of fogginess in his head is quickly ignored as he looks around and becomes aware of the situation, adding his own string of curses to the surrounding babble of his comrades.

"If we don't find those girls, the jarl'll have our heads on spears and our hides for sail-cloth! Did anyone see anything at all?"

Standing and gathering up shield and weapons, he casts around for any sign of where the girls and horses might have gone, looking mainly in the direction of the trees where Runa was headed before everything went dark.

Spoiler: OOC

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Survival check, because what have I got to lose? (1d20-1)[3]

The Survival rolling trend continues!

[Ghostfoot]

You cast your eyes about for tracks as the splitting headaches slowly abate. Dark Dreams Wanderer has the eye for it, spotting first the hoof prints of your horses. It seems the mounts have continued about their business while you were ensorcelled, with no signs of startled fleeing. Indeed it seems that they continued to graze about the meadow and judging by their pace shouldn't be too far away should you wish to track them down.

The Nuk also finds other, booted tracks. It looks like two large men have come from the woods and taken the slumbering daughters of the jarl, Inga and Fastvi. The smaller shoeprints of presumably little Runa converge with these men's tracks at the border of the forest where he earlier saw the old crone and her two accomplices hiding. Sure enough, here where they all meet he finds the barefoot tracks of a small human presumably the old hag.

Cast aside lies large stone slab the size of a shield. It has cracked in several places, and the writing on it is faded and almost entirely illegible, as if recently scoured away. Signy inspects it carefully, the cunning woman concentrating hard as she calls upon her sorcerous abilities. "Andøvan words of power. This is the ancient magic of the barrow people. This tablet must have been unearthed from the Barrow Lands. It's aura is fading quickly but I sense it held a very powerful sleep enchantment."

Further investigation finds signs of three horses having been hobbled not far away. The three assailants have clearly mounted up and departed to the northwest each with one of the three daughters of the jarl.

Spoiler: Various knowledge checks - all except Freyja

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Spoiler: Knowledge local/ geography check DC5 - all except Freyja

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knowledge local or geography DC5 (untrained)
Gunnar (1d20+6)[22]
DDW (1d20+5)[20]
Freyja (1d20)[1]
Skorri (1d20+5)[21]
Signy (1d20+1)[11]

In the Barrow Lands beyond the Moors about 20 miles away is a legendary hill known as the Tor. A seiðkona called Sibbe the Unkempt, a wretched old crone known for her witchcraft and delving into the ancient magic of the Andøvan, is known to live in the vicinity of the Tor. Furthermore, skirting the Trollfist Hills would provide a fast route for someone mounted to ride to the Tor.

Spoiler: Knowledge local/ history check DC12 - Gunnar & Skorri

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knowledge history or local
Gunnar (1d20+6)[25]
Skorri (1d20+5)[15]

The tors scattered throughout the Northlands are large hills or outcroppings of stone used long ago as ancient Andøvan fortifications or ritual sites. The Tor near Silvermeade Hall bears upon its summit a stone circle jutting up like broken teeth above the surrounding plain.

Legend says the stones of the Tor were used in powerful ritual magic performed by the Andøvan at the four corners of the year.

Spoiler: DC18 - Gunnar only

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Andøvan stone circles are known to often contain spells written on stone tablets.

Spoiler: Knowledge local/ geography check DC12 - Gunnar, Skorri & DDW

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knowledge local or geography
Gunnar (1d20+6)[22]
DDW (1d20+5)[16]
Skorri (1d20+5)[13]

The burial mounds of the ancient Andøvan dot much of the central portions of the Hord Peninsula where the tableland is drier than the surrounding moors.

It is said that the Barrow Lands are haunted by the ghosts of the ancient warriors laid to rest here.

Spoiler: DC15 - Gunnar & DDW only

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Tales of those who have journeyed into the Barrow Lands usually mention that the living never come back, remaining among the dead for all eternity.

Spoiler: Knowledge local/ geography check DC10 - Skorri & DDW

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knowledge local or geography
Gunnar (1d20+6)[9]
DDW (1d20+5)[12]
Skorri (1d20+5)[21]

The Trollfist Hills are rugged, barren, and have long been the haunts of trolls, outlaws, and giants. A path leads through them that loops to the south toward the Barrow Lands near the Tor.

Spoiler: DC15 - Skorri only

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Though the hills have recently been cleaned out of outlaws, trolls, and other threats, there is always the possibility that new dangers might have moved in to the old vacated lairs and caves.

Spoiler: Knowledge local/ nature check DC17 - Gunnar & DDW

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knowledge local or nature
Gunnar (1d20+6)[22]
DDW (1d20+5)[17]
Skorri (1d20+5)[9]

These woods are fairly open and are composed of old growth forest that has only been logged around the edges. The trails through the forest are tricky and twisting, but are known to lead to the southwest around the Barrow Lands.

Though far removed from it now, the forest here is a distant extension of the Forest of Woe at the south end of the Hord Peninsula. Though not nearly as primordial and untamed as that legendary woodland, the forests around Silvermeade are said to be the home to several bands of wild fey, though none that are known to be overtly malicious.

Spoiler: Knowledge local check DC12 - Gunnar & Skorri

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knowledge local
Gunnar (1d20+6)[24]
Skorri (1d20+5)[16]

Sibbe the Unkempt is a seiðkona, a witch-woman, and has long been a feature in stories and tales of the area, often acting strangely, coming and going as she pleases, and is used as a local “bogeyman” to frighten children. She would have to be more than 80 years old for all the tales attributed to her.

Spoiler: DC17 - Gunnar only

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Rumors more than once have placed Sibbe upon the Tor performing some unnamable ritual or other. It would appear that she has had an interest in the magic of the site for decades.

As you ponder your options Signy rests against a tree and tells you what she knows of Andøvan magic. "The Andøvan possessed powerful magic, but unlike the kind known in the Northlands today today. Instead, it used complex rituals, celestial alignments, and words of power magic to create truly momentous effects. The four corners of the year, often used in Andøvan rituals, referred to the solstices and equinoxes. The Cusp of Freyja (spring equinox) is tomorrow. This time of year would be perfect for an Andøvan magic ritual that would bring about a rebirth, such as making a person young again or recharging lost magic powers. Such a ritual would need to be performed at dawn on the equinox. Dawn tomorrow."

Spoiler: Map

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=> Party
Gather horses first or chase the kidnappers immediately?
And if/ when making chase, which route?

1. West: Follow the tracks directly, through The Moors?
2. Southwest: Take a slower detour through the Trollfist Hills?
3. South: Take neither obvious route and instead use the game trails in the southern forest to find a way?