Tales of the eldeen reaches

DEFCON 1 · Aug 25, 2005

For the first couple hours, Roral falls so far behind he almost loses the trail and the group several times. Although he would have felt lost had he left his ceremonial suit of half-plate armor at home, the weight of it makes the hiking ridiculously slow-going... especially as he continuously trips over branches, twigs and roots that he never notices. Because Ranvar is in a similar boat wearing his chainmail, he also follows far enough behind that the times Roral's lost sight he's been able to bellow out for Ranvar to let him catch up.

'*Huff* *Huff* *Huff* *Huff* What was I thinking? *Huff* *Huff* This is *Huff* why I *Huff* learned *Huff* *Huff* how to ride. *Huff* *Huff* *Huff* Is it too late *Huff* to go back *Huff* *Huff* and get *Huff* my horse? *Huff* *Huff* *Huff*'

As he reaches up to wipe some sweat from his bushy eyebrows, the split-second his view is blocked by his gauntlet is enough for him to catch a root with the tip of his boot, and once again he drops face-first in the dirt with a large *clang*!

'BY BALINOR'S MANE!'

Roral lies there for a few seconds as his wind got knocked out of him, and he waits to see is Ranvar doubles back one more time to see how he is.

DrZombie · Aug 26, 2005

The druid ignores all attempts at conversation, giving an Icy Stare as sole response to any question asked. His pace is just fast enough to give Roral a very, very hard time, but not fast enough to lose him.

Roral
[sblock]
After your last fall you lay on your belly. just when you try to get up you hear a faint noice from behind you, as if someone is sn igg ering
OOC:goddamn political correct spell checker[/sblock]

Ferrix · Aug 27, 2005

Umbra sighed as, the encounter with his father last night troubled him still, his father obviously cared for him, yet it bothered him still that he wasn't accepted as he was.

Caught up in his thoughts he walks quietly with the others, drifting in out and behind trees as is his natural course of movement, sometimes flitting up to the front and then disappearing into the shadows only to appear next to Roral or on his own in the back. His pace matches his thoughts, sometimes careening forwards, stuttering with trepidation once in a while and then slowly almost to a halt, and picking up again.

Bront · Aug 27, 2005

Stulgar spots Roral's troubles and falls back a bit to help him out. "Try to follow me, I'll look for a clear path for you." He looks ahead and tries to find a good spot for his friend to follow along at without loosing the rest of the group.

DEFCON 1 · Aug 29, 2005

Roral lies face-down in the dirt... a groan of exhaustion escaping his lips. Thus far, the efforts of Ranvar, Umbra, and especially Stulgar to keep him on his feet and pressing forward have been invaluable. In the past hour alone Stulgar had come back to check up on him multiple times as he plodded along, and the warrior was quite thankful for the lithe and silent ranger's efforts.

Stulgar said:
"Try to follow me, I'll look for a clear path for you."

Roral nodded to his friend and grinned.

'You're a good friend, Stulgar, thank you. I'll return the favor to you the first time we get into combat... I'll be your wall of steel from which you can attack behind. Heh heh. Assuming of course I don't collapse in a pile of goo before then. Heh heh.'

That conversation runs through Roral's mind as he lies there in the dirt and indeed feels as though he is nothing but a pile of goo. The sweat that has been running down his back and seeping into his clothing has turned him into a sponge of disgusting wetness, and he finally realizes in however small way just the kind of conditions that the warriors of the Last War must have lived in day after day for one hundred years. This kind of irritation never really sank in to Roral's consciousness until this point in time and the stories he heard about the males and females who left the village to fight suddenly because just a little more real and just a little more horrific. Is this really what he wants to do with his life?

He decides that he's done enough laying about and he has a job to do, so he pushes himself to his knees with a huff. As the clanks of the metal plates bumping against each other ring through his ears, he thinks he hears a... guffah? A laugh? Something? He quickly spins his neck around to get a look at the inconsiderate lout who is laughing at his misfortune.

'All right! Out with it! Who's there? If you're going to laugh at me, at least have the guts to do it to my face!'

Krug · Aug 29, 2005

Caw follows near the back of the group, eager to be on his way away from the village, though looking at his companions, he wonders why Scarfang bought thewhole village with him.

DrZombie · Aug 29, 2005

DEFCON 1 said:
'All right! Out with it! Who's there? If you're going to laugh at me, at least have the guts to do it to my face!'

You can hear a faint murmur, as if someone is having a discussion, then silence.

The trek continues throughout the day, with a pauze for food and drink. It is as if Scarfang is making haste, towards a point unknown. He takes you deeper and deeper into the woods, untill near nightfall, he comes to a clearing, with a small spring nearby. On the ground lays a dead eaer, with a clawmarks on its hamstrings and a twisted neck.

Scarfang nods.

"Good. Don't leave the clearing. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

He looks at you all, and points at Caw. "You will be the leader tonight."

He then turns, and, despite your questions, disappears into the woods....

Ozmar · Aug 29, 2005

Assuming that the "dead eaer" is really a dead "deer", Silver will inspect it. If it is fresh, she'll begin preparing the meat for cooking. "Anyone want to get some firewood?" She smiles at Caw. "Well, great leader? Want to establish a watch rotation?"

DEFCON 1 · Aug 29, 2005

Roral takes a look at the deer, then glances around at the rest of the group and their intrepid guide Scarfang. Just as he's about to open his mouth to make a comment, Scarfang says...

Scarfang said:
"Good. Don't leave the clearing. I'll be back tomorrow morning. You will be the leader tonight."

...and then he turns and hurries off into the woods.

Roral snaps his mouth shut and glances once more at the rest of them... each of them glancing at Caw now that he's been given the task of being leader. Roral thinks to himself...

'Hmm... okay... well this is unexpected. What exactly are we out for here again? Watch over a dead animal? Is there a point to this?'

He shrugs once, hears Silver's comment about getting some firewood, and then nods to her.

'I'll go for some wood. I need to fill up my waterskin in the spring anyway. If we've really stopped for the night, then I'm going to get out of this damn suit.'

He spends the next few minutes getting out of his armor and once done... grabs his waterskin and walks out of the clearing to get fresh water and find some firewood. If anyone goes with him, he makes casual smalltalk about this odd situation.

ShaggySpellsword · Aug 30, 2005

"Come Roral, we shall gather firewood."

As they get near the edge of the clearing Ranvarr mutters to Roral, "Ha, if anything should happen this eve, I think it likely we will be the ones to destroy any threat. What say you Roral...can we make an impenatrable wall of shield and armor to protect our companions? I say yes!"

Ranvarr then laughs as if he said something funny, claps Roral on the shoulder, and brings some firewood to the center of the clearing.