Defenders of Highgate, Chapter 3

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nalik asseses the state of his crew and decides to check out the clearing himself.

Wait here!

He follows the direction of the tracks into the center of the clearing to see if he can find where there is any disturbance in the ground.

Spoiler

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survival - (1d20+4)[12]

[dauphinous]

Nalik takes a look around in the clearing, focusing on the area the tracks suggest would be the logical path the owner would have taken. He has to climb a little bit, and step carefully, but there isn't much real danger of injury, aside from the effect of falling heavily onto a sharp edge here and there. It would be a really unpleasant place to have to fight something, though, as the ground is hardly flat.

He does not find any trace of anything moving through here, though he does see a few squirrels scurry across the rocks.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

Carter, not exactly sure what Nalik is looking for, stands watching. He tried to follow the conversation with that foreign guy, but with his head kind of cloudy he didn't quite get it. That huskarl stuff always threw him for a loop.

Carter knew his roll... Stand up and charge the enemy to protect the team and ultimately Highgate. Carter watched intently as Nalik climbed around, but when that squirrel went to attack Carter lunged forward a step or two until the squirrel backed down and ran off with its nut.

With a sigh of relief at the averted battle, Carter sat down and waited to cool off. This armor was really warm today.

[Annalia]

Hertz

Hertz watched Nalik carefully as the dwarf stepped out in the open, somewhat worried at seeing their leader take such a risk.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nalik returns to the group with a dark look on his face. He first turns to Oliana,
You have a means to provide shelter from the elements, and any enemies?

I think she does, so...
Hertz and I will explore this back trail, the rest of you return to last nights camp, and rest in Oliana's shelter. We will join you there as soon as we can.

If any large Norsemen, or anyone else tries to disagree, he will tell them that their sneezing would endanger the group.

He will then turn to Hertz, Lets go! and they will follow the trail back the way it came. They will only follow for a while, if it becomes obvious that it is from the Orc camp, they will turn back.

Spoiler

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survival - (1d20+4)[6] for following the tracks and direction and stuff

[oliana0]

Oliana

"Right-O." Oliana will follow whomever leads her back to the camping location.

Provided the group does not encounter anything, she prepares for the evening. It will take her a bit to read-up on the spell she intends to cast.

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Tiny Hut. It doesn't say that everyone has to be present when O casts the spell, but if they do to be able to pass through the hut's wall, she will wait.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

He didn't quite follow the full extent of the long winded orders... especially the part about Olianna providing shelter. What? Did she plan on sewing her cloak into a tent? He did the get gist of it. About face. Forward march. Carter, always at the rear of the column gets to stand around and watch to make sure everyone is moving out before be moves out.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

Sarrok look was about to follow Nalik but then he sneezed loudly and stagger a bit. He decides to follow orders and follows Oliana.

[Annalia]

Hertz

The monk nodded to Nalik, following his leader down to the other end of the tracks. When it became apparent the dwarf had trouble seeing the tracks correctly, he tried to help out, though he kept his eyes and ears open.

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I'm assuming that with that '6', Nalik won't be having a lot of success tracking.
Survival: (1d20+5)[24]
Spot and Listen at +8.

[dauphinous]

Foresting
midday, clear, warm

Most of the team troops back to the mud pit that was the previous night's camping spot. The ground is still squidgy and muddy there, even though it has firmed up in several places along the way to the location.

Nalik and Hertz cast about to find the tracks that seemed so obvious after Hengist pointed them out, but discover that signs of passage are not as easy to follow as the big man makes it look. They only manage to follow ever shallower bootprints for about 10 minutes before they are left with the choice of either heading off to the northwest in the hopes of picking up the trail elsewhere or giving up.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nalik's mood continues to sour as he and Hertz try to follow the disappearing tracks. Finally, he stops and looks at the hunchback.
Well, I can't find anything more. I don't know how that man can find these things.

When it becomes obvious that Hertz also can not find the trail.
We could search for days and do no more than get ourselves lost. Lets return to the others.

He then follows the route they have come by and returns to the others.

[Annalia]

Hertz

"Keen eye and strict training." Hertz suggested at Nalik's comment on Hengist's tracking. He'll follow the dwarf back towards the camp. "Sir, may I suggest double watch if we're to camp twice on that spot? I may give them too much credit, but if those orcs could fly, they may very well have spotted our encampment even with all of Hengist's covering."

[lawful_evil]

Carter

Back at 'camp' and not tired in the least, Carter sits in the sun and lets his senses extend out. He calmly sits and watches the trees on the far side of the camp while paying attention to the sounds of the forest to attempt to notice the subtle changes which would let you know of someone's approach.

[Torger]

Hengist

Still thoroughly miserable, Hengist still does his best to unsure that there's little to no sign of their passing. Then, he finds himself a somewhat dry perch and takes up residence, willing the gods to restore him his strength.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nalk is in a sour mood when he and Hertz make it to the clearing where the troop had spent the previous night. Stepping into the much his mood sours even more.
Bah! This will not do. There is no way to disguise the fact that we are here.

He looks at Hengist, who is obviously miserable.
I will see if I can find a place that is at least dry enough for us to sit.

He then prepares to take off in the opposite direction from which they came.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok had just managed to settle himself into a comfortable position against a tree when Nalik and Hertz returned. He sighs as he pushes himself off the tree and readies himself to follow Nalik. The cold is not the only bothering him. The lack of any real action was tiresome to him. One may find a day of rest after the battle with orcs welcoming but he found it unnerving Well nothing to do now but to play follow the leader.

[Torger]

Hengist

Hengist opens his eyes during Nalik's outburst. Huskarl, you are ill-equiped to locate suitable lodgings, and besides, eith all due respect, your blundering about in the underbrush will only serve to alert the skraels to our location. Perhaps I should venture out tuh... tuh... achoo! to locate higher ground. Perhaps the rock spire we investigated earlier?

[oliana0]

Oliana

Oliana grabs small branches, leaves, etc and litters their campsite with them, trying to shore up the ground a bit for their holing up.

She could use a nice long while in a river with some privacy. She loathes the thought of bringing out her spellbook and writing equipment in all this mud.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

This sneezing oaf is complaining about my blundering about? He is right though. I wouldn't know a good campsite if i stumbled upon it.

Ok, Hengist you go find us a new campsite. All I want is a dry area where we can make camp for the night.

Nalik then searches out a dry area where he can sit and wait.

[Torger]

Hengist

Hengist stands, collects his gear, and inclines his head respectfully to Nalik before heading out, making a sweep of the surrounding area for a dry(er) campsite.

Survival +9

[dauphinous]

It takes him a good hour, but in the end, Hengist finds something so perfect for camping that it almost seems like a trap. It's a dry cave with the mouth screened from view by dense forest. The cave part is easily large enough for the entire group to lay out comfortably and not worry about rolling into each other in the middle of a nightmare. There are no signs that it is currently in use by anything larger than a squirrel, but there is a small ring of stones that have been carefully arranged in a near-perfect circle, and what looks like the remnants of a weeks-old fire within it.

A small stream runs past just 45 feet from the mouth, and has some pepper plants growing there, which have actual green peppers on them, ready to be plucked. Growing right alongside them is a small clump of blueberry bushes, and a few of them are also in fruit.

The walls of the cave are smooth and the mouth is round, suggesting that it may have been created or improved by someone.

[Torger]

Hengist

Hengist returns after slightly more than an hour, deceptively silent for his size as he emerges from the underbrush without hailing the camp. Come, there is an adequate shelter not far from here. It has a source of water, a visual screen, and shows signs of occupation, though not recently. The furit bushes show signs of cultivation, with the blåbær* bushes bearing fruit as well as another that I am unfamiliar with. Come. I will then return and attempt to remove signs of our having been here.

Spoiler

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blåbær = Blueberries, for the really curious, though you'll all see them soon enough.

Also, D', I don't know if the pepper plants were significant, but I took them to be, given that we're supposed to be in a Northern tiaga kind of region, and they're indigenous to Central-ish America. Please tell me if I'm nerding out too much and reading too deeply into the food selection.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

When Hengist suddenly appears from the underbrush Carter tries, unsuccessfully, to haul his metal clad form up out of the drying mud. After a third try, he does manage to stand, but only after Hengist mentions furit bushes. Since childhood, Carter was always a big fan of furit. Mmmm.

Carter readies himself and double checks around the camp for his gear and begins to disassemble the ad hoc traps he had installed for transplant at the new shelter. I hope its a log cabin. With a roaring fire. And marshmallows.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Once again, Nalik had no clue what the large man is talking about as Hengist returns and makes his report. What he did understand was that the man mountain had found shelter that he felt would be adequate for the night. Gather his things he tells the troop. Lets go see what he has found.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

Sarrok stands up rather ungracefully slipping on a puddle of mud. As he gains his balance he attempts to stifle a sneeze, fails, and is forced to grab on to the nearest tree to stop himself falling back down. Shaking his head he stays close to Hengist as the march to the new shelter.

[dauphinous]

Upon arriving at the spot, after a trudge of nearly an hour, nothing jumps out or attacks, or even peeps. The site looks generally undisturbed.

[Torger]

Hengist

Hengist makes sure that the group has a good hand on establishing itself in the region, and then heads back toward their first encampment without a word, intent on eliminating, or at least, minimizing isgns of their having been there.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

Sarrok takes one look at the new campsite and shakes his head. “Nu.. Uh.. Mmm.. No.” He steps cautiously forward into the cave looking around. His concentration is broken only by some sniffling and the occasion sneeze. He slowly works his way over the cave looking for anything dangerous.

Search +14
Disable Device +6

[dauphinous]

Sarrok doesn't find any sort of traps in the cave. As far as he can tell, it's exactly what it looks like and there is no danger to be had here.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

When Carter finally is allowed into the dank dark cave, his heart sinks and his shoulders slump. How is this better than that nice forest site? We'll be trapped if we are attacked. The cold moistness will probably make everyone's colds worse. With a sigh, Carter hauls himself into the cave ready to follow whatever orders are given.