Subject: Part 2: On the road 2,256 views

[coyotelaughs]

Prior to sleeping, in Druidic, Nu calls upon the spirits to grant him and Bael endure elements for the next day, then curls up with Bael to rest through the night. I wake when it is time for my watch, holding my aia as she sleeps.

Prior to first light, I join my tae in our morning rituals to ask the spirits for thier gifts, choosing to keep the gifts I have been using until now. Lanna rests on my shoulder throughout the rituals and during the packing of our gear, only waking long enough to eat some morsels of meat.

While checking on Ik, I lay out some oats for him, making sure that he is comfortable and ready for the days travels. My aia and I move as a team, fast and efficiently, gliding past eachother as we fold up the furs, packing the white furs inside the darker ones to hide the fact that we have them and packing everything on Ik. Soon we are ready to join the party for the meal being prepared. I eat sparingly of the meal then make a quick circle of the camp to verify we are not followed.

When we reach the clearing, I send Lanna to the skies, to report any suspicious activities. (Common)"Place smell...spirits...no like." (Druidic)"Aia, I see why you wanted to destroy it. I think we should find out what it is and come back to cleanse this evil place."

I stay on the edges of the clearing, moving into a tree, my bow knocked with an arrow as I scan the surrounding area for any dangers, both in and out of the circle. 'Lanna, I trust your eyes to warn of danger.'

[Black_Hawk]

As Rashid stands his watch and the others bed down, he goes about checking, oiling, and making sure his weapons are taken care of, adjusting his bandoleer of daggers under his outer winter clothes and oiling them as he stares out into the night. Finding their edges satisfactory, he sheathes them and goes about looking over his tessen. His compatriots have not seen them or their effectiveness as of yet, though he is confident that they shall serve him well, as they have in the past. He spreads the combat fans wide, ensuring that their metal edges are razor sharp as they should be and oiling the joint to ensure its draw and fold is as smooth as ever. After maintaining them, he replaces them in their hip sheathes and stares out into the night in contemplation of things to come.

At the time to pass the watch, he taps Itrav in the foot to wake him. "All is quiet this night. Nothing stirs in the night other than owls."

After rousting him and setting him to the watch, Rashid goes to his sleeping bag, enfolds himself within, and goes to sleep.

As morning dawns, he turns to the east and does a devotion to Amon, wishing for his blessing on the journey and thanking him for a peaceful night. His ritual done, he checks and packs his gear and goes to eat breakfast. As the party sets off, he takes station behind the elves as they lead the way to the clearing. When they split off he walks to the edge of the clearing and looks upon the standing stones. At this distance he can determine nothing out of place. He turns to the others behind him. "Should there be magic about the place I can detect it, be it good or bad. I would need to draw nearer the place to do it though."

[rainbowpalmcakes]

I pretty much gets into sleeping mode at once after settling down with my aias. I hear my aias' Druidic words calling endure elements upon us. All I could do was mumble back. I wakes up to guard trying not to rouse Nu.

Upon waking I join Nu in doing morning rituals, thanking the spirits for imparting us great gifts and guidance.

I search in our bags oats for Ik and hand it over to Nu who has already started to check on him. I start packing up furs, Nu and I just efficiently going through all our things to be kept and fixed. He circles the camp as I circle the camp the opposite way from him.

Upon reaching the clearing I start to lower my stance to the ground, feeling the earth under my feet for any change or movement. Looking out for the smallest signs around that might be a threat to the party. To Nu (druidic) "This place, it is very foul..."
I walk closer into the clearing.

"Rashid, I tried, I felt strong ancient magic from rock, I don't know other information...we can move near if you like, I come with you"

[Racer Xonclar]

At Rashid's light kick, Itrav's eyes blink once and look straight at him. Unfolding his arms, the daggers were slowly slipped into their pack and the elf crawled to his feet. Rashid's words were only met with a silent nod.

Sitting on an earlier cleared log, Itrav's dark eyes stare off into the equal darkness, ears turning to each and every owl, arm tensing to throw a dagger each time an owl sudden took flight to catch a rat. As dawn comes, he states plainly to his awakening travel companions, "The night proved peaceful unless you fear for the life of rats. Now let us eat and be on our way."

"Looks can be deceiving," he responds neutrally to Glorgar chippy comment. "Regardless of magics...or spirits, those rocks would be home to many kinds of predators. Nothing we would wish to provoke."

"If you must look, do so with a long pole," he adds dryly, resting the butt of his quarterstaff on the snow-laden ground as his head jerks to watch snow fall from a low branch.

[Weasel]

With the daylight and calmer circumstance, Bnor has an even less comfortable feeling than he did the night before.

He looks suspisiously at the stones and shakes his head slowly.

"I say leave it undisturbed." he says with a doubtful voice, "Whoever placed those stones meant them to stay, and who am I to argue?"

Bnor waits for objections but silently hopes there are none.

[Racer Xonclar]

Turning his head away from the trees, he looks towards the two forest elves, then to the male "You have both expressed your desires to ...cleanse this place, but you agreed with us that our obligation to Glorgar came first," he said plainly, gesturing faintly towards each dwarf in turn. "Do you still share that agreement having seen it? If so...three are for leaving, one for staying, and two who appear to be neutral towards whatever action is taken."

[Weasel]

"Sounds like majority t'me..." he says as he turns completely around. Meeting eyes with Glorgar he gives his fellow dwarf a shrug of his shoulders, and starts walking slowly out of the clearing.

He stops once he reaches the ass that is tied on the outskirts of the clearing. He gives the animal a pat on it's neck, and turns to look in the direction of the others. He waits patiently for each to make their decision.

[coyotelaughs]

(Sylvan)"My aia, I feel that we should finish our commitment to Glorgar first, then we can try to find out how to deal with this atrocity. I do not wish to see Glorgar harmed if we are out of our league." Nu looks to his aia with love and understanding of the desire to cleanse this evil place.

(Common)"Glorgar...duty...we....first. No like...place, but no....idea...how..rid..it." I maintain my watch of the surrounding area, until the party starts to move again.

[rainbowpalmcakes]

Upon her Aias words she looks at Glorgar.
*sigh
She looks at her Aias with calm eyes and gives him a smile.
She walks towards Glorgar, stops in front of him and gives him a stern pat on the shoulder.

"Moving on..."

Bael starts to walk away from the stone.

SPOILER: Click to show

SORRY!!!! just really busy at the moment...have alot of things to write!!! am such a crammer bad me...

[Shiv]

Glorgar merely smiles and patiently nods along as Nu explains first to Bael and then to him their course of action. He does however shoot a mischievous wink to Rashid, though for what reason is any ones’ guess.

"Well I'm glad you give up your curiosity to keep me safe", he intones with a grin. "I have nothing but respect for the children of Sylvanaran, but I do like to lessen the risk for my own hide of course."

With these words the party moves out, carefully picking their way around the clearing and continuing northwards along the snowy forest trails towards Yrms crossing.

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The party plods steadily northwards for another three days and -judging by the map you carry- you should soon enough be reaching the northern edge of the forest that borders the mountains that you wish to cross. If your course has been plotted correctly you should not be far from the village of Torm, a small hamlet mainly inhabited by devotes of Yrm and their families who wish to live near Yrms crossing, a sacred site to the dwarves. The travels have gone well, much thanks to the efforts of Bnor and the Sylvans, who have on more than one occasion steered the group away from obvious monster tracks that crisscross the forest floor. The area is far from tame, both orc tribal markings and the cadavers of victims to large predators can be found easily along the paths.

The weather has continued to be benign, with sunshine, blue skies and crisp air that leaves your breath steaming, welcoming you each morning. This last evening heavy clouds have rolled in though and a wet smell of snow can be felt in the wind.

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Night has fallen and the party is fast asleep. Lan'Nuiatnal and Baelevdulvanna are snuggling deep inside their shared bedroll while Rashid and Bnors light, even snooring create a peaceful ambiance to the camp. The only one currently awake is Itrav, chosen to have the third watch, who glides like a shadow through the forest nearby, his constant patrol keeping him warm and awake. He sticks low, his upbringing having taught him to stay down during the dark hours, lest his silhouette be seen in the faint background light. His eyes scan the surroundings, jumping between the dark patches while his senses are kept sharp like the blades of his daggers.

Sometimes paranoia can be a good thing....

SPOILER: Click to show

It's almost two hours into your watch and soon you will change with the human, Rashid. You've been sweeping the area around camp, moving in small circles to keep warm, but you've yet to sense any danger. The forest is deep and quite unnerving, oh sure you've been in forests before, but not one quite like this. The stillness is so thick, so deep. Almost suffocating.

Suddenly, your senses tick, you're not sure why, but a cold chill runs up your spine, almost like death itself laid a finger on you. You stare in disbelief as a dozen large red eyes, sizes ranging from a pebble to roughly that of a closed fist, open along the length of the bark of the tree right in front of you.

[Racer Xonclar]

Every muscle in Itrav's body tenses instantly, like a cornered animal ready to lash out wildly. After a split second of staring into the eyes of...whatever the hell this is, his arm jerks quickly and sends a held dagger straight for the center of whatever this could possibly be.

His eyes never leaving it, he shouts out, figuring his chance of getting the first blow in is now spent, "Wake up! Now!"

[Shiv]

The party is abruptly woken, the shout piercing the dark gloom of the forest. Disoriented and with eyes unused to the darkness, each of the party members scramble for their gear.

((Make a short post noting what you are wearing/doing as you get roused. I doubt you'd sleep in full armor, but only an idiot would sleep with weapons out of reach. No one besides Itrav has yet seen anything, so all you know is that you need to wake up. ))

Itravs dagger flies straight and true, embedding its tip in the trunk of the tree with a satisfying thunk. In the blink of an eye (no pun intended) the red orbs close and seemingly disappear. Though a second later two long sinewy arms, made of a mixture of flesh and bark, erupt from the trunk of the tree as a shadowy creature dislodges itself.

[Weasel]

SPOILER: Click to show

If you think sleeping in light armor would be a bit 'unlikely' then what would you say to sleeping in some of it? To make a hasty don even more hasty?

Bnor's eyes open immediately. Before those eyes can blink, he reaches to his side and grabs his sheath of axes with one hand while the other throws off his blanket. After his eyes blink he is already flipping to his belly, and getting into a crouching position. An unsheathed axe raises above his head as his eyes begin to adjust to the light and search for one or more targets.

He instinctively begins reaching for his shield (that lay underneath his pillow) without having to look down.

[coyotelaughs]

Nu awakes as Bael does. Hearing the stress in the Dark Elf's voice, Nu nocks an arrow to his bow as he casts Cat's Grace on himself and stays in the tree Bael and he slept in through the night.

I allow my eyes to adjust to the dark as I am casting the spell and begin looking for the Dark Elf. After finding him and seeing the direction he is looking, I scan the surrounding area for what may have spooked the Dark Elf this time bad enough to shout in alarm.

SPOILER: Click to show

As soon as I see the creatures I would do Knowledge (spirit) check on what they might be.

SPOILER: Click to show

[rainbowpalmcakes]

Bael Awakens in alarm from the dark elf's call. She automatically casts Barkskin on herself. As her skin evolved and hardened towards every extremity she draws her sickle from her thigh and her spear from behind her. Her spear gleams some dark red glow as Nyaileh-sakas felt the rousing aura of kill.

Clear your eyes Sylvan

Bael fixes her eyes on Itrav and looks at the same direction he was looking. She raises her right hand with her spear and her sickle in front of her slightly blocking, staying with Nu up on the tree.