Legacy of the Silver Dragon - Off to See the Goblins

gambler1650 · Jun 5, 2014

Stellan nods at Antares' comments regarding the packet of items floating above the ground, and later when he gives his advice he eyes the results a bit more dubiously. "We may need to rethink this in a more dangerous environment. Especially one where stealth is important?"

OOC:

The encumbrance shouldn't be a problem at this point.

When Muzdim stops and alerts the group, Stellan slowly draws his spear from behind his back and holds it towards the bushes. He murmurs, "Should we flush whatever it is? Could be tasty.. Could be dangerous." He glances back at Antares, "Or we could just go around. It may just be getting a drink."

The rustling, now that you can stop to listen a bit more carefully sounds like something relatively small. The bushes are thick, but observation shows what appears to be a bit of blood in the lower leaves, and something orangeish brown furred shows through once in awhile. You're about 20 feet away still, and whatever it is doesn't appear to be too disturbed by your presence.

OOC:

So it looks like we may have lost Goldhammer... I'm going to give it until next Friday and then see what we should do from there... I will assume that as a more 'urban' type, she'll leave it up to the rest of the party what to do unless there's a fight, and then I'll NPC her as needed.

Binder Fred · Jun 6, 2014

gambler1650 said:
"We may need to rethink this in a more dangerous environment. Especially one where stealth is important?"

"Certainly, friend Stellan," easily agrees the elf, noting that the supporting glow, disturbed, is now starting to slowly migrate on its own, to gather at the bottom of the assemblage once more. "Shall we?"

gambler1650 said:
When Muzdim stops and alerts the group, Stellan slowly draws his spear from behind his back and holds it towards the bushes. He murmurs, "Should we flush whatever it is? Could be tasty.. Could be dangerous." He glances back at Antares, "Or we could just go around. It may just be getting a drink."

"There is blood," Antares points out in case it was missed. "Perhaps it is trapped?" They should be getting relatively close to the hermit's abode by now, and even hermits must sometimes eat, must they not? "I'll- I'll go have a look?" he proposes against his better judgment, his curiosity now aroused.

If there is no immediate counter-proposal (say Muzdin advancing straight for it

), Antares will try to sneak closer to the river while keeping a constant distance between himself and the thing, hoping he'll be able to get a better look from the less foliated river-side...

Voda Vosa · Jun 6, 2014

Muzdim

"Wait." The dwarf inhales, and then shout out a gibberish of sounds "RARRRGRLLLRRAAA!" attempting to scare off any animal capable of running away.

Binder Fred · Jun 8, 2014

The robed elf blinks at him a bit, taken by surprise himself, then quickly swivels back to observe any effects.

"I... was perhaps thinking of something more meaningful," he does mention in a normal voice, now that stealth is no longer an issue, "lest it by chance be a thing of reason?"

Such as a faery, or perhaps a Halfling child?

OOC:

If we don't immediately enter combat, Antares will try the action described above to get his better look, going so far as closing to the 10 feet mark if needed.

gambler1650 · Jun 11, 2014

A high pitched animal sound comes from the bush as Muzdim makes his horrific sound. Something obviously frightened, probably injured. And then the party sees a fox trying to drag itself free from something that appears to have caught it's hind quarters. Something that looks like a trap made of wooden spikes that's closed around its legs.

Just as that registers, a somewhat amused, somewhat exasperated sigh comes from behind the party - focused as they are on the bush in front of them.

"The young elf is right. Hermits do have to eat. And that is.. presumably... my dinner." For those who turn quickly, they see an older man, perhaps in his late 50's with scruffy silvery grey hair and a beard to match. The wrinkles on his face are deep, and even though his reputation around town is someone who doesn't like visitors, his tone and demeanor don't appear to be all that negative. He eyes the fox, "Unfortunately, I'd have preferred to catch whatever the fox was probably after. A rabbit most likely. Predators aren't as good to eat." He sounds sympathetic to the plight of the animal, but shrugs. "Nevertheless, wounds like it appears to have from my trap are unlikely to be recovered from." And the hermit draws a knife, moving towards the bush.

Binder Fred · Jun 12, 2014

gambler1650 said:
"The young elf is right. Hermits do have to eat. And that is.. presumably... my dinner."

"Ah!" Antares nearly jumps right out of his skin, eyes wide, hand going to his heart! He had not heard the man at all!

gambler1650 said:
the hermit draws a knife, moving towards the bush.

"Uh... Goodhermit Sal, I presume?" tries the elf behind him, heartbeat and breath still only beginning to recover from his surprise.

He hesitates... then - after sharing a silent look with his companions - follows the man nonetheless, eyes curious on his every move. For while the business of death is never a joyous one, it is, nonetheless, a part of life... or so the authors have written -- Gecarl in particular.

And he has never seen a fox quite so close -- or a trapper at work for that matter...

Seeing the fox's wide eyes - green, somewhat like his, yet slitted and wide like a cat's, and so full of frantic emotions - he does deeply regret not presently having any more of Kizari's Merciful Slumber prepared though...

"Will- Will it suffer do you think?"

OOC: Antares will also try to figure out how the trap works while he's at it. Most noteably how one gets something out of it once it's been triggered.

gambler1650 · Jun 20, 2014

A nod at Antares' question, "That would be me yes. Hermit Sal. Some might consider me not so good, at least from the glances I get on my infrequent visits to town." The fox is not only caught in the trap but tangled slightly in the bushes, but he takes no chances, coming at it from behind. He crouches for a moment and murmurs something that might be a language none of you have heard before, or something that might just be meant to be soothing. Then he reaches out quickly with one hand to pull the fox's head back and rather than cutting the throat as might be expected, simply plunges the knife into the animal's neck at the base of the skull. A sharp yip comes from the creature as the head is pulled back, but it makes no sound when the knife enters its body, and immediately slumps forward. The trap seems to have been triggered by some kind of elastic material, and opening it is a simple matter for the hermit who then slashes the material which causes the trap to easily be pulled apart.

The hermit immediately sets to work skinning the beast as he pulls it out from the bush, and answers Antares' other question even as his attention is fully on his work. "You saw as well as I did. It did not seem to suffer, but there are those who suggest that the moment between life and death is an eternity that never ends. In either case, whether the creature didn't suffer, or whether it was my hand that set her into that eternal moment, I at least did no more to her than would have eventually been done."

Stellan watches quietly, but also keeps an eye on the surrounding woods and the goblin who is watching the hermit with something that looks like fascination. Or maybe it's the fox, and he's imagining what it might taste like.

OOC:

It looks like we've lost Goldhammer.

Binder Fred · Jun 21, 2014

"Ah, so it is- was, female?" inquires the elf, himself not being able to tell in the least. He forces himself to look at the process up close, the alternatively revealed and hidden structures of organs and bones -- though in truth the sight of the russet creature's blood has him feeling somewhat... faint. He swallows, then shakes his own question away: lest he needs reminding, they are on a mission of some pressing urgency at the moment! "My apologies, Goodhermit Sal, but we are the Behenian Adventuring Company? Sister Beatrix of Malborka. Stalwart Stellan. Muzdin Stonehand. Goodgoblin Glarmlok and myself, Antares. We come to you from the town of Ascadar, in need of your help, knowledge and wise council?" If appropriate, he then explains the situation with the goblins, the dark man's deception and the attempt on the good captain's life this morn (Only this morn? Truly?).

OOC:

It does look that way, sadly enough... Should we open up recruiting for a replacement player and/or some brand new character(s)?

Voda Vosa · Jun 23, 2014

Muzdim

Antares' elocuency rarely leaves place for any more words, and this time it was no different. Muzdim stud there, another witness of the hunter's work. His interest was peaked by the elastic structure Sal used as a trap. A secret well hidden, he thought.

gambler1650 · Jul 8, 2014

OOC:

Sorry guys. Busy couple of weeks. Back...

Sal finally turns from his work, sliding the fox steaks into one bag, and the skin into another. Flies are already buzzing in the area, and he moves away from the bushes. The 'trap' is left behind, possibly useless after having been tripped. He starts to walk without a word further along the river. "I see. And what could an old man provide advice on for such an accomplished adventuring company?" His tone is wryly amused, and for all his self deprecation there's really little sign of age having caught up with him as he strides through the brush with an ease that the rest probably do not succeed at. "And a piece of advice on goblins. Don't trust them. They're useful enough to the more powerful, but as soon as they think those watching them are not watching them as carefully they'll try to take advantage."

He gives a sidelong glance at Muzdim, "A dwarf outside his tunnels or even the town. Very unusual indeed. What makes you come out into the wider world? An elf I can understand.. Humans... yes. Dwarves.. well, I'm curious."