Legacy of the Silver Dragon - Off to See the Goblins

Voda Vosa · May 8, 2014

Muzdim

"There is nothing a man can do against logic, not even that which he himself exposes. We go to meet this Sal, any childish fears aside. The goblins are always on arms, and are always aggressive." The dwarf says, and starts walking towards the house of the hermit, not even looking back.

gambler1650 · May 8, 2014

The goblin eyes Antares as he leans down to talk to him. Antares notices the goblin squinting a bit too, and its expression doesn't particularly become what one might consider friendly. But it doesn't growl or move suddenly or anything along those lines.

As the party moves off, the sky stays partly cloudy with the slightest hint of coolness in the breeze. This time of year can sometimes bring cooler temperatures when the wind blows more from the north, as the breeze appears to be doing now. Rain can also come, although this time of year it tends to be steady and light rather than heavy and windy. For now though, the clouds don't show any of the usual signs of impending rain, merely separated in large fluffy groups.

Some wildflowers are evident along the path that the group takes - the road formed more through heavy wagons that move along it than any real construction efforts. The trees are sparse in this area, and small, having been cut down early in Ascadar's development, or of the smaller variety that proved to be less useful in building and wood working.

There is little to concern the party other than a rustling or three in the nearby bushes of small animals diving into cover. Birds fly overhead. All in all, relatively idyllic. The river is reached, a somewhat exuberant yet smallish affair of cool water that travels from the mountain where the silver dragon once lived. The banks are steep but with lots of handholds and vegetation that would make getting down to the water that slides by 15 feet below the feet of the party relatively easy. Rocks jut out from the bottom, breaking the flow. The road itself continues over the river with a bridge made of wood. Due to the slight slickness from the spray, it's wide and has rails. Halfway across is a pulley system that draws water up in a bucket for thirsty travelers. The trip has taken about 30 minutes, with another 30 minutes or so predicted to move along the river towards Sal's hut.

OOC:

I will assume the party continues to Sal's hut and will post a followup tomorrow, unless I hear otherwise.

Binder Fred · May 9, 2014

gambler1650 said:
The goblin eyes Antares as he leans down to talk to him. Antares notices the goblin squinting a bit too, and its expression doesn't particularly become what one might consider friendly. But it doesn't growl or move suddenly or anything along those lines.

"Do your eyes bother you?" frowns Antares, noticing the squint even in these cloudy conditions. Now that he recalls, they did wear those peculiar eye-covering scarves when first they met, did they not! "Ah..." He searches through his pack, coming up with only his bath towel as a likely, if less than ideal, substitute... "What about this? Can you see through?"

If so, he'll try to make an improvised eye-protector for him, being careful not to approach those teeth too closely lest he be bit!

Voda Vosa said:
"There is nothing a man can do against logic, not even that which he himself exposes. We go to meet this Sal, any childish fears aside. The goblins are always on arms, and are always aggressive." The dwarf says, and starts walking towards the house of the hermit, not even looking back.

Antares does not immediately follow though, instead tilting his head to the side, seemingly considering Muzdin's retreating shape...

To Beatrix and Stellan: "I believe master Stonehand may have meant 'necessity' instead of logic...? And if so, then I believe he may be mistaken?" And there is some of the re-found grit of their usual disagreements in the way he says that last. "For while strange maps and coins foreign I truly adore - and would give much to own all that ever existed and will ever exist - we presently have goodgoblin Stoneburner to guide us -- do we not?" This last addressed directly to the goblin himself, if somewhat rhetorically. "The only thing we would therefore loose by eschewing this side-trip would be eventual knowledge of the poison used against the good captain once we return in a week's time..." Which is somewhat of a sadness, gran- Or do they?

The tall elf perks up, leaning towards his remaining companions in his excitement: "But then, do we not have the avail of the town council? Do we not have, in truth, an entire militia as eager to solve this mystery as we? Why then must we absolutely be the ones to deliver guilty arrow to its intended examiner?" And, in all honesty, there is also the fact that he truly does not like being told that choices do not exist: there is always choice... That is what makes living so very terrifying.

OOC:

If Beatrix agrees this is the way to go (and Stellan does not oppose), Antares will run back into town to find the nearest guard. If not, he won't, unhappily/worriedly following Muzdin to Sal's with the others...

gambler1650 · May 16, 2014

OOC:

No response by the others to Antares' about face?

Stellan shrugs slightly, a touch exasperated, a touch amused. "Antares.. I should know better than to assume your mind is ever made up. I'm tired of waiting to get started. It's a nice enough day, and by the time you organize everything back in town we may have lost nearly as much time as we would gain by the detour." He pauses, "Of course this assumes that Sal is actually at his hut. If he's not then your revised plan might be a better one. Nevertheless, I'm for moving forward, not backtracking."

Binder Fred · May 18, 2014

"I had not considered that he might be absent," thoughtfully admits the elf. Hermits not being present in their chosen abode never happened in any of the stories he's read, now that he thinks about it... Still, that is indeed another argument in favor of delegating this task and pressing onwards. And, speaking of, "There is little that needs to be organized, friend Stellan, at least that I can see? We need only find one guard and pass on the delivery of the arrow onto him. Certainly that cannot take even a fraction of the time needed to walk there and back?"

Can it?

OOC:

Let's wait until Tuesday (Monday is a public holiday here in Canada)? If [MENTION=85946]Goldhammer[/MENTION] hasn't spoken up by then, then Antares will go with the current majority.

EDIT= I take it the "goblin masking" part of the event went according to plan then?

Binder Fred · May 21, 2014

Antares does not look entirely pleased - more worried than pleased, in truth - when opinions shift in favor of master Stonehand's presently preferred course. Body already pulled towards town by intention, at least, he fidgets for a heartbeat or three, then sighs.

"In truth you may be right, Beatrix, Stellan." Although he himself obviously has some trouble fully believing it just yet... Still, "Let us then away with all due haste?"

For himself he looks down upon the pile of gear bought by Muzdin and Stellan - a pair of canvas tents on which torches, oil, ration packs, tent stakes and a rather considerable iron pot are firmly piled - and delays Stellan from starting to strap it up: "I -ah- believe I may have just the incantation for this, if I may friend Stellan?"

The young mage pulls a rolled scroll from the case at his waist and, after breaking the seal and delicately clearing his throat, the cadencious words of Toster's Ever Handy Suspension resonate across the dirt. With every syllable of the second stanza, a subtle glow slowly, jerkily manifests at the base of the pile, and the entire thing simultaneously rises by a finger-width or two, until it hovers in mid air two whole forearms above the ground!

"There! Now we may go," thinly smiles the mage, rather pleased with himself despite the current, oh-so-pressing circumstances.

The softly glowing pile follows him down the beaten earth path, gliding a short length behind him like some bobbing burden atop an invisible beast of burden. It's a wholly strange sight for those town citizens that decided to linger a while. An unexpected bonus.

OOC: The "spell" is just his way of carrying things in his backpack with his 'magical' strength. Is that acceptable, Gambler? Ignore that whole part if Muzdin, Stellan and/or Beatrix want to carry the gear instead.

gambler1650 said:
The trip has taken about 30 minutes, with another 30 minutes or so predicted to move along the river towards Sal's hut.

"Quicker than I had believed possible," admits Antares, although his breathing is, in truth, somewhat heavier than usual: he had actually tried trotting for the first few hundred steps, but it had quickly taken its toll on a body unused to such sustained exertions. Wind of destiny or no, urgency or no, he had had to give that up in favor of quick walking (a rhythm that, to his sorrow, Stellan and Beatrix seem to consider quite easy to sustain).

A breath.

"Perhaps a full watch was too pessimistic and estimate after all?" If they can do the back and forth in but a third the time, well then... "Is there a trail, do you see?"

Antares will follow Muzdin/Beatrix/Stellan in.

OOC:

For a walking order I'm thinking something like:

Code:

Stellan, a bit ahead of them (but never so far that they can't see him)

Beatrix and goblin then leading the way
Squishy Antares hopefully safer in the middle
Muzdin closing the march?

Voda Vosa · May 22, 2014

Muzdim

"I don't think there is, but it aint much I can see from back here. If I were the loneley hermit type, I wouldn't want no road leading to my house." Muzdim muses from the back of the line, struggling to see forward behind Antares' glowing pile of stuff.

gambler1650 · May 29, 2014

Stellan seems to be amused by the whole thing as the party sets out. He walks backwards for a bit, waving at the villagers.. most likely having a specific female villager in mind for his waves. And then he turns and walks beside Antares, nodding towards the floating bundle. "Nifty trick. But what if it the road was tilted downwards? Would that be a big strain on you?"

Later as the party comes to the river, a complication becomes evident. There's no path along the river, although the trees are somewhat sparser than they will be towards the north. Stumps abound in the area however, which might make the movement of the floating pile somewhat more difficult in its maneuverings.

OOC:

Assuming that folks rearrange their items into backpacks, sacks, etc, and continue on along the river.

While many trees have been felled in the area, others have begun to grow. Many are the less valuable varieties with softer wood that didn't grow as tall as the more valuable harder wood trees. Without their competitors, they're free to spread their canopies a bit further than usual, and sunlight filters through the leaves, sometimes ceasing when clouds pass between the travellers and the sun. Bushes are also more common than in the forests to the north, again most likely because of more sun filtering through to them.

The goblin doesn't really hinder, but he doesn't appear ready to increase his pace, trailing as far back as he can and sometimes needing a slight tug to move him a bit faster.

After about 20 minutes of walking, Muzdim notices a rustling bush near the bank of the river.

Voda Vosa · May 30, 2014

Muzdim stops dead still, his hand reaching for his axe. "There's something among the bushes..." he advances once everyone acknowledges his words, shield up, axe at the ready.

Binder Fred · May 30, 2014

gambler1650 said:
Stellan seems to be amused by the whole thing as the party sets out. He walks backwards for a bit, waving at the villagers.. most likely having a specific female villager in mind for his waves. And then he turns and walks beside Antares, nodding towards the floating bundle. "Nifty trick. But what if it the road was tilted downwards? Would that be a big strain on you?"

"Ah... Perhaps you mean 'upwards', friend Stellan? Like so?" And he gestures an imaginary surface going up before them. "But, in truth, the Suspension would then likely settle all the lower, I imagine? And in any case be no more - and indeed no less - affected by slope than what we all carry in our packs right now. Although I have not experimented much with such things, granted..." He perks up a bit: "perhaps we will get our chance when we get closer to the mountain?"

Or indeed this very night, once they have made what camp they can?

gambler1650 said:
Later as the party comes to the river, a complication becomes evident. There's no path along the river, although the trees are somewhat sparser than they will be towards the north. Stumps abound in the area however, which might make the movement of the floating pile somewhat more difficult in its maneuverings.

The work about, thought of and carried out by Stellan, turns out to be strapping the entire pile, still softly glowing, to the outside of Antares' pack: NOW, it follows close behind indeed, very much like a pack now and: "I think the pack itself actually feels a little lighter!" Certainly there appears to be less strain on the straps... "It's a bit more resistant to actual turning though."

And it does look a bit peculiar: such a narrow frame effortlessly supporting such a bulky load, its top going well over his head.

OOC: Antares will take all the extra gear in his pack, if possible? I think his strength should allow it without dropping his speed, right?

gambler1650 said:
The goblin doesn't really hinder, but he doesn't appear ready to increase his pace, trailing as far back as he can and sometimes needing a slight tug to move him a bit faster.

"This mission is somewhat to your benefit as well," tries the elf, noticing its lack of motivation. "Well, perhaps not this mission as such - for here we aim to... avenge the attack on the good captain? Ah..." And then he finds the thread again: "By finding the one who gave you the poison, we will indeed be one step closer to identifying the Dark Man who deceived us all and - Uh." He's entirely lost his audience by now, apparently, and so tries to simplify: "This man we will meet knows poisons. He will smell the od- smell the smell of the Dark Man. Then we can track the Dark Man down, you see?"

How does sister Beatrix manage this seemingly so effortlessly?

Voda Vosa said:
After about 20 minutes of walking Muzdim stops dead still, his hand reaching for his axe. "There's something among the bushes..."

"Is there?" Antares turns curious emerald eyes that way, standing up straight, crunching down a bit and even leaning a little each way in an effort to see over or through the intervening leaves -- and incidentally, entirely forgetting to draw his sword in the process.

"If it is an animal, should we -ah- perhaps make noise to avoid startling it? That it knows to run away?" he softly suggests, voice low and confidential to match the dwarf's, if a bit uncertainly.

That is what his Dam told him about bears in any event...

OOC:

Antares tries to spot what or at least how big it is, not advancing for now. Does it look like it's the only one?