"Perhaps a sacrifice? That seems the kind of thing one of these little beasties would do. Have you ever had to clean up after a Goblin? They're, ah, always leaving things like this behind. And they trample the ferns." Gravan looks about cautiously. "There are very likely more around here, too. We should be prepared." .
Crack. Fssh-whoomp! The goblin body falls to the ground, providing those down there a better look. The blood soaking through its sleeve and the snapped neck seem to be the only wounds on it. There is a little blood spilled over the top of its leather knife sheath, Gravan notices.
Rooth tracks the goblin's path back to the camp, as she goes her eyes spot something new at the first of the blood spatters. A small piece of wood she originally overlooked, visible from her different angle as she returns this way, it appears to have been used for whittling. It looks like a symbol carved into the side of the stick. A line with a looped end, a diagonal slash across it. A quick glance at the scene and Rooth concludes the stick was tossed here near where the dried blood spatters start. Rooth remembers the symbol from her dreams.
Rooth soon finds the path the goblin party headed out, heading deeper into he forest.
"We should, ah, proceed carefully. I think foul magic is afoot here. I, ah, believe they sacrificed this one to deliberately slow the progress of pursuers."
Gravan shakes his head to clear some of the fog away and peers deep into the forest. "Rooth, ah, is this the path? We should put the most combat ready first. They're probably expecting us,"
After its long silence, it is a mild shock to hear NR4ZN's deep processed voice. Its tone is strange in a way that is hard to identify, sulky? "Again, I am willing to stand in lead of the regular marching order, lady Inamar. But given my serious malfunction during the last engagement, I also understand if you want me elsewhere."
"Circuit level and binary diagnostics have failed to reveal the source of the error after 19 repetitions. This is the first time I have encountered an error that could not be traced. It is possible that the malfunction was caused by the inherent nature of the creature/phenomenon we encountered. But further system degradation can not be ruled out. I am requesting your judgement as to how to proceed lady Inamar."
NR4ZN again takes point for the main group at Inamar's direction as Rooth picks up the trail of the goblin troop and Weylan begins his ranging again. The trees rise higher as you go along, providing more of a canopy cover that blocks out direct sunlight. Vines become more prevalent, creeping up in dense mats to choke the dark massive trees.
As you travel Weylan feels a bit more tired than he expected, a little sapped of energy. He is reminded of the mass on the back of his neck when he turns to look from side to side.
Hours pass and the party travels throughout the day.
As evening draws near and you prepare for camp Rooth feels you have made progress and gained a little on the goblins.
During their night watches Gravan and Rooth both note the coming of a storm.
In the morning the wind picks up and the sky becomes overcast with swift moving clouds. The rustle of the leaf-covered branches throughout the forest is loud and you can judge the relative speed of the wind from the rise and fall of the noise. The air tastes fresh and vibrant, it is invigorating.
As you begin your trek again rain begins to fall in scattered showers that can be heard hitting the canopy, but few drops make it through the leafy bowers. A few more hours on the goblin's trail and the rain starts to intensify, making it through the canopy. Rooth calls a halt at one point where a slashing curved blade mark is hacked into the trees at waist height. Rooth recognizes this as markings for the edge of goblin territory.
The rain is really pouring throughout the forest now and trees are swaying hugely. The occasional crack can be heard as a branch breaks off and crashes to the ground.
'The goblin territory starts here' 'I know you are sort of or totaly in coman Itularde'... 'I therfore recomend stealth, to find out who many they are, and what kind of defenses they have' she looks up at the rain and storm. 'Would be a good time to do that, we get concealment from them, and im hoping they dont know we are comming' 'we have no evidence that they know of us. Arent they quite loud if they feel treathen?'
__________________ ~With Us Three Under Water You Will See the Beauty of the World~
"What?!" Inamar shouts over the ceaseless pounding roar of rain on an endless sea of leaves. Her normally fluffy violet hair is slack and dark against her head now, with her long bangs hanging almost down to her nose; giving her a 'wet rat' look. Fortunately it seems to be a fairly warm rain, as her clothes are definitely not suited for any kind of chill. The water doesn't seem to have any effect on the blue marks on her skin, although her agitation makes them move more quickly and jerkily.
"Loud?!"
She pauses then adds, "Did you say stealth?! I can barely hear MYSELF talk! Or even SEE through this! Can't we just find a cave or something?!"
"It might be good to get out of the rain, especally with how some of the branches are falling" says Syfer, who's fur is now soaked flat, "but I don't know how well goblins hear and smell, and the rain.." he takes a look around "it'll cover us well"
The temperature starts to drop and what felt like relatively warm rain allows the wind to whip away body heat faster.
Rooth is confident the party could press on, but it would be miserable. There are more heavily bowered areas off the trail that could provide some shelter, or the group could search for a cave to securely shelter in. Rooth and Gravan feel that the increasing rockiness apparent in parts of the terrain here indicate the area is suitable for such to possibly be about.
There is a flash as the world becomes illuminated brightly for a brief second. There is a pause with just the pounding rain for a few seconds then a tremendous BOOM of thunder crashes through the forest.
Linear Mode
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