[5e] Shackles of Blood

[Spore]

Alright Mister Ferrin, danger is afoot. Maybe I look for the river and orient myself with that. Assuming he knows whether we went upriver or downriver, Ferrin randomly sprints into the woods and will only stop for the river or if he is exhausted.

Spoiler

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Con is 14, if you need Con saves or checks I won't add them here since they are not asked for.
What I prepare however is a Survival check: (1d20)[18]

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Guro nods at the old man, We will, he says. He calls to Ophine, wondering how well she can understand him while in a wolf's skin, Gai told us to return to them, so let's go back to the Lady. He keeps a lookout for anyone giving chase, for Ferrin, and for any indication of where they are.

[Awful]

Ophine craned her head to look at Guro as he spoke, then nodded the shaggy head of the skin-of-wolf.

[WhismurWanders]

Ferrin

Dashing through the woods hoping to find the river, Ferrin runs for a short while before stumbling into a small clearing. A small lean-to has been erected against the massive, fallen trunk of a tree. A pair of mastiffs notice Ferrin and perk up immediately, barking at the unexpected visitor. They don't seem to be aggressive, and they simply hold their ground while making plenty of noise. A hand emerges to pull back the cloth curtain which was covering the entrance to the lean-to, and a burly dwarf steps out with a woodcutter's axe in hand. His eyes focus on Ferrin as he attempts to quiet the hounds. "Orrin, Murrin, that's enough lads." Turning his attention to the human, he gruffly asks, "Who're you, and whaddya want?"

---

Guro, Miras, Ophine, Zilo

Continuing down the road, you each notice a pair of horses ahead of you, and the tall feathered helmets which indicate Red Plume riders. They are currently headed in your direction, though there isn't any sign that they are actively searching for you. The horses are trotting at a leisurely pace, but at your current speed it won't be long before they get close enough to get a good look at the wagon.

[Spore]

Out of breath, Ferrin slumps over and puts his hands on his knees. I am Ferrin, and I seek shelter and guidance. I am being chased. If you do not want any hassle with my pursuers, allow me a brief break and tell me the direction towards Tinfellow Valley or Hillsfar.

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Guro gasps, Red Plumes! He tries to summon another fog to obscure the presence of the halflings and the wagon, but he's exhausted his ability to draw on the power of the living world, Can you cover yourselves in any way? he asks the halflings without looking away from the oncoming horsemen.

[Detective]

Zilo rolls his trusy coin across his fingers, first looking at red plumes on the other side of the road, and then to his comrades, looking at them with a scowled face and puffing cheeks as he puts back his gold coin into his boot.

"I doubt we'll be able to fool them. We are a ragtag group of mixed race on a cart in the middle of the night- And the cart is being pulled by a wolf of all things. I won't even be surprised if they'll attack first out of sheer fear!" Zilo retorts, his hand reaching to the hilt of the rapier Ferrin has given him, just in case he'll have to draw it.

"That said, fighting them off means more time for the red plumes on our back to catch up-If there are any fancy tricks you guys got to make them unable to fight, now would be a good time!"

[Awful]

Ophine gave a yap to gain her companions' attention, and jerked her head towards the reins strapped around her body. If it came to battle, she wouldn't be useful still yanking the cart around...

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Nothing fancier than a javelin, Zilo. Guro moves closer to Ophine, We will need to remove her harness if Ophine is to help us. Ophine stop now, and we will free you from there. Guro reaches for a javelin but remembers Ferrin's words. The Red Plumes hadn't attacked them yet. Would Ferrin want him to wait? The combat customs are different in this part of the world. First blood could mean everything, even if they outnumber the two horsemen.

[Awful]

Ophine came to a stop. She huffed and jerked her head, making the reins rattle.

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Guro hops down and works to undo Ophine form the harness.

[Detective]

Zilo takes a moment to peek through the back as Guro helps Ophine out of her bindings, trying to see if the red plumes from behind might have caught up- Sounds, lights, anything that could notify them of their approach.

"We don't have much time left, what are our options?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

If a perception check is applicable:
[/roll]1d20+4[/roll]

[WhismurWanders]

Guro, Miras, Ophine, Zilo

The halflings scramble around in the wagon's cage in the chaos, trying to find a quick escape from the door, but to no avail. A few desperate wails can be heard, and it is these sounds which urge the riders to quicken their pace. As they get closer, they appear more and more confused at the sight ahead of them. They both come up to the four of you at almost a full gallop before urging their horses to hold, though by the look of it, it's taking masterful equestrianism to keep the horses from bolting away from the enormous wolf that is Ophine. One of them, a man, draws a shortsword from its scabbard, but waits as his companion, a woman, barks out a stream of questions. "What's going on here? Who are you? What's in the cart? And will SOMEONE stop all that crying back there?"

Spoiler: Zilo's Perception

Show

You're not sure if you're overlooking or simply not hearing it, but there's no sign of anyone chasing you from behind.

---

Ferrin

The dward squints at Ferrin, but seems to lower his guard a bit. His speech is a bit accented, and with a few moments in his presence, the stench of too much ale wafts over towards the rogue. The hounds, seemingly content, lay down at their masters's feet. "Hillsfara? Yer a long way from home lad... Dunno that I can get ye that far..." He turns around three times as if gathering his bearings before mumbling to himself. After a few unsatisfied noises, he approaches a tree to Ferrin's left and thumps the shaft of the axe against it's trunk before speaking up again. "I trus' you know the value of secrecy?"

[Spore]

Ferrin just nods. Nothing he could say would support his claim in this situation. Odd fellah though.

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Guro, unsure what to say, tries the truth, We have liberated these good people from their captors and are reuniting them with their friends and family. Please clear the way, they need food and water.

[Detective]

Zilo, in the midst of it all, buckles his back to the edge of the cart in a slight panic, not expecting the truth to be what the red plumes are after, for the moment he sits still in the hopes they'll somehow won't spot him and start questioning himself as well.

'Please, please, let there be some sort of miracle to let us go off scot-free.'

[Awful]

Subtly, the wolf-that-was-Ophine tensed, preparing to spring as soon as the man tried to raise the alarm - she would leap forward and slay his horse, or at least bear it to the ground.

[WhismurWanders]

Guro, Miras, Ophine, Zilo

The woman looks even more confused, and narrows her eyes at Zilo and Guro. She sighs and shakes her head, but her horse rears at the sight of Ophine tensing. She tugs on the reins to allow the horse to move off to the side before wheeling around, slightly further away. "Control your beast, before it causes any trouble you can't afford." She gives a look towards her companion, who urges his horse past the front of the wagon and our heroes, and keeps a close eye on Ophine while giving the wolf a wide berth. The woman speaks to Miras, "So who was keeping these halfling captive? How did you come across them?"

---

Ferrin

The dwarf grunts at Ferrin's lack of verbal answer, and reaches into the pockets of his clothing before stretching out his hand. He holds out a small gnarled necklace woven from various plants and adorned with the shell of an acorn. "The ash'll bring ye to the road, the firs head towards the elves. Don't trust the oaks, there's too many."

[Spore]

Ferrin scratches his head in a confused manner. I thank you kindly, good sir, what can I offer you in return? Ferrin bows deeply.

[Xantin Rahl]

Miras answers the woman Ea are acting under orders of the capitan - he saifd that this will help build a good reputaition and win the support of people" (1d20)[15] persuation

[Spore]

Ferrin scratches his head in a confused manner. I thank you kindly, good sir, what can I offer you in return? Ferrin bows deeply.

As the dwarf mentions nothing, Ferrin starts to wear the necklace and follows the ash tree. Well, good bye and thank you.

[WhismurWanders]

Ferrin

As you take your leave from the dwarf, you hear some grumbling as he turns to camling down his hounds and giving them some affection. Apparently he has no price for his aid, though it is curious that a dwarf of all peoples would be hidden out here. As you approach the first tree, the acorn's shell starts glowing faintly, a dim thrumming green as if it were responding to something.

---

Guro, Ophine, Miras, Zilo

The woman thinks this over for a moment before guiding her horse in the direction you just escaped from. "I'm not aware of any captains working this far away from Hillsfar..." Her lips purse and she moves past the cart to address her companion. "Officer Brennant, I will follow the wagon tracks to aid a captain supposedly in the area. You will escort these ..." She clearly stumbles over a word to describe the odd collection of you, but finally settles for, "civilians back to Hillsfar. Take them to the garrison so we can file a full report. Something strange must be going on, I'm sure the higher-ups will want to hear about this." The officer salutes in response and offers a "Yes ma'am" before the woman spurs her horse along the road. He clears his throat as he approaches the front of the wagon before speaking, "Very well then, I would ask you to follow me please." He looks at the unhitched Ophine with a raised eyebrow and asks, "Was your pet here pulling the wagon before?"

[Spore]

Ferrin decides to follow the dwarf's advice and ignores the tingling acorns and tries to navigate in the direction of the ash tree.

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Guro looks at the others before nodding to the Red Plume, Yes, let me hitch her back up. He hops down from the wagon and sets about to reattach Ophine to the harnesses.

[WhismurWanders]

Ferrin

As you step away from the ash tree, the trinket begins to become less animated, though the acorn caps slide around to point towards it as long as they can. Once you're 10 feet away, they stop glowing entirely, and you start to march towards the direction you believe to be correct. After several minutes (10-15, you reckon) of walking, you approach another tree remarkably similar to the ash tree you left behind you, and the necklace begins its familiar glow and light vibrations.

---

Guro, Miras, Ophine, Zilo

Guro manages to hitch Ophine back up to the wagon, and the rider watches the four of you expectantly. "Just follow me. I'll guide you into the city and to the Red Plumes barracks. We'll figure out this mess there, but we won't be there for a few hours."

[Spore]

Ferrin tries to look around and to make some sense of this blasted necklace. Without knowing where which tree stands it is almost impossible to navigate using this item. I assume I have to walk this direction. He tries to touch the tree with the necklace. If nothing major happens, he will simply extrapolate the direction he was walking in and continue for 1-2 hours.

[Dr.Samurai]

Guro Level 3 Ranger | HP: 28/28 | AC: 18 Guro climbs back onto the wagon but is feeling anxious. He shouldn't have hitched Ophine back up; they would be a bigger threat to the Red Plume. Still, the man hadn't attacked them, and Ferrin's words were stuck in his mind. But we can't just bring the Tinfellows straight back to the Red Plumes. He makes up his mind and hops back down from the wagon. I think I did this wrong, he says, trying his best to remain calm and convince the man while he sets about to unhitch Ophine once again. Be ready to attack, he whispers to the she-wolf and to Miras. Spoiler: Deception Show (1d20)[1]

[WhismurWanders]

Ferrin

As you move closer to touch the trinket to the tree's trunk, the glowing and vibrating intensifies. There even seems to be a force pulling him gently towards the tree's trunk, which has also begun to glow; a small opening almost like an archway of the same vibrant green as the glowing acorn caps.

---

Guro, Miras, Ophine, Zilo

The man turns his horse around to watch as Guro unhitches the wolf again. "You sure? Everything looked fine a moment ago..." His voice is laced with suspicion, and ine hand strays towards his sword's grip; whether from habit or fear is unclear to you at the moment.

[Spore]

Ferrin pokes his head through the archway.

[Awful]

As she was unhitched, Ophine-as-wolf huffed a breath - then abruptly sprung forward, aiming to clamp her teeth around the neck of the Plume's horse and bear it to the ground.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attack: (1d20+5)[19]
Damage on hit: (2d6+3)[9] and a DC13 strength saving throw or be knocked prone