A Keep On The Borderlands: Arrival

Shayuri · Nov 10, 2011

Arcata shakes her head.

"I don't think elves would deface their own ruins," she said. "Nor fail to clean it up after the vandals left. This is something else. Something that's still here, and strong enough that the elves haven't come back yet."

"Sh'aah, how are you at tracking? Can you tell what's passed through this area recently?"

Axel · Nov 11, 2011

Sh'aah

Sh'aah had listened in fascination to the interplay between the humans who seemed to be in charge. Ruins are ruins, yes? There is no danger...

Still, he had been asked to do something by the boss lady who had given him his chain shirt as payment. Better to do it than argue. Sh'aah leapt down from his horse with a grunt, landing with a solid thump and flattening a cluster of rushes. Ground is soft for the top of the hill. Should be easy to show there are no tracks.

Shrugging off his backback, the half-orc bent nearly double to put his face closer to the ground. Glancing up at the archway, and what remains of the well, he began to slowly lope up the hill. Things always need water. Living things, anyway. Start at the well.

Reaching the edge of the well, he peered over the edge of the wall - checking to see for any obviously alive things. Not seeing any, he bent over and turned his attention to the ground beside the well. Running his hands across the grassy surface, feeling for any irregularities in the soft ground caused by the beastmen's cloven feet, or the orc's armoured boots. He remembered to glance obliquely toward the sun, trying to catch any strange looking shadows in the fall of the land.

OOC:

Take 10 on a Survival roll to find tracks. Net result of 17 (19 if Fey involved).

Dr Simon · Nov 12, 2011

[sblock=Sh'aah]
There's no sign that any intelligent being has been here recently. A few rabbits, perhaps, but that seems to be it. Sh'aah finds an old arrowhead, orcish by the look of it, but it's probably lain trodden into the grass for years.
[/sblock]

Axel · Nov 12, 2011

Sh'aah

Grasping an object from the grass around the well, Sh'aah stands up and walks back down to the group of leaders.

"Nothing bigger than a rabbit's been through here in years. I think the Orcs killed all the Elves here, a long time ago. Happened many times in many places. See?" The huge half-orc holds out his hand, where an old arrowhead sits. "Badly rusted, you see the brown marks? No sharp point left on it anymore. No shaft. All gone, many years ago. Here is as safe as anywhere for tonight."

Kaodi · Nov 12, 2011

Brother Comoray had been hoping there would be a reason to set up camp elsewhere. But as long as they are not going anywhere, he might as well do something about the face of the statue. Clean it is that is what it needs, or find a way to reattach any pieces that are large enough. On closer inspection, perhaps he can identify if it has any religious significance as well.

Shayuri · Nov 12, 2011

Arcata relaxed. Orcs had been her first guess too, but she hadn't the foresting savvy to know how long ago it had been. She found a trifle strange the elves hadn't come back...perhaps the war raged on elsewhere.

Gods, let it be far from here, she prayed silently.

"All right, we'll set up camp here," she instructed. "Sergeant Greggory, pick two of your men to help with firewood detail. You know this area better than we do. And have them keep an eye and ear out for any streams or springs nearby. We'll be low on water by the time we reach the Keep unless we can refill."

ahayford · Nov 12, 2011

Greggory nods an affirmative.

Cassie, Janson....Go with Arcata's men to range for supplies. Keep an eye out for extra food and a water source. Tye, Dack and I will hold down the fort here.

jkason · Nov 13, 2011

Bastian Sangue, human cavalier

Bastian dismounts lightly, patting bulwark's haunch and letting him begin to graze. He nods to men to match Greggory's on the hunt for wood, then points toward the flattest area nearby.

"We'll start setting up camp there, and set a perimeter watch," he tells the remaining guardsmen, "The lady's tent there, centered so we have the best coverage on it." Then he moves to Arcata's horse and offers the lady a hand down.

ahayford · Nov 15, 2011

Cassie glares at Greggory, and makes a few choice hand gestures, which Greggory responds to with an almost angry flurry of signs.

So....I believe there was talk of a fire and some fine victuals. What does a noble lady bring to eat on her outings? Tea and cakes perhaps?

Axel · Nov 15, 2011

Sh'aah

Sh'aah unsaddled his horse while the humans chattered away in the background. They were always so talkative, even if they had nothing to say.

Although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, the half-orc was actually growing fond of his recently acquired horse. Though he didn't have a name yet. Must think of a good horse name tomorrow. Bone smasher, or something like that, he thought while brushing it down for the day.

Finishing looking after his animal Sh'aah attached the hobbles to its legs, as he had been shown back in Last Ferry to stop it running away. Grabbing hold of the saddle bags in one arm, and the saddle itself in the other he wandered towards a high spot near the curving wall and threw both down unceremoniously. Reaching inside for his bedroll, he withdrew it and threw that on the ground besides all his equipment and flopped down, content to watch the soldiers run around like a swarm of ants. Simple is better, he thought to himself. These soldiers make everything seem so hard...