[3.5] Answering the Call

[ravin_raven]

Menno rose quite early the next morning, his nervous energy preventing him from lingering in his room. He took in the morning air and then waited for his companions to awaken. He was excited about this new life, but worried that he had bitten off more than he could chew. Doubts crept in: would his new companions prove to be up to the task? Would he? Could they rely on him in moments of danger? His courage in battle had never really been tested.

Doubts about his companions seemed to vanish when he greeted his large companion, joining him for the morning meal. The giant provided comfort to Menno: always reliable, always speaking his mind; there was no deceit in Orinar, and that made his presence refreshing.

[sblock=OOC]I've been thinking on Menno's mindset, so I thought I would provide some exposition whilst we were waiting to get to the adventurin'![/sblock]

 

[Arkhandus]

Lars Crichton, paladin of Heironeous

Lars does what he can in the morning to get over the aftereffects of his drinking last night, and remains quiet for a while, just muttering to the others "We leave at noon." then going to rest somewhere quiet for awhile.

(ooc: all set, I finished moving into my new place, though most stuff's still in boxes)

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Kyl sits downstairs, tucked away nicely in the corner. It's hard to tell whether he went to bed at all or just stayed there and slept. Kyl's eyes open slightly as Menno walks outside. His first thought was that Menno was sneaking off, then Kyl realized there wasn't any reason to sneak off. Kyl just yawned and stretched out his arms and legs. Even though he was always up early, he still hated the morning.

 

[Rhun]

Orinar is his usual jovial, boastful self as he joins the others that morning. He eats heartily of the morning meal, though the fact that he is completely out of coin keeps him from ordering additional helpings. "Noon, eh?" he questions at Lars' words, as the holy warrior makes his way to get some more rest. "Come now, a long jaunt in the cool morning air will clear your head! You'll sweat that alcohol right out of your system! HAR!" The half-giant laughs loudly.

 

[Mark Chance]

Noon rolls around. Orinar, Menno, Lars, and Kyl hoist their gear, say their good-byes at the tavern, and head toward the gate.

Earlier in the day, the acerbic dwarf -- whose name turned out to be Korak Bloodaxe -- and his party haven't been seen since the previous day. The few other adventurers in Borderland Keep seem content to hang around the tavern. The captain of the guard makes note of the party as they leave.

"Always remember to check out before you leave," he says. "Don't check out, you don't check back in without some trouble."

At the bottom of the trail down from the Keep, the ancient road runs southwest to northeast by east. The former direction leads back to civilization; the latter, toward adventure. Shouldering packs, the party turns in the direction of danger.

After about a mile, the road becomes rougher. The Silent Woods draw closer. The churning waters of the Winding River are audible to the south. Other than the road, no signs of civilization exist.

To the south, on the other side of the Winding River, stretches trackless swamps. The road continues northeast by east. Somewhere to the north, through the Silent Wood, await the Caves of Chaos.

 

[ravin_raven]

There on the road, as the swamps stretched out beyond the river, with the worn stones leading into the eerie stillness of the Silent Forest, it occured to Menno that the life of the adventurer was much, much less exciting and romantic than the idea of such a life. Nevertheless, he didn't let his doubt show on his face. "Well lads, there's no use standing around admiring the scenery, let's go on out and meet whatever lies ahead. Riches and glory and all that can be ours before dinner tonight!"

 

[Arkhandus]

"Right. I'll just let you know how disappointed my stomach is when dinner rolls around and my stomach isn't filled with the richest food and drink man can buy." Lars says jovially. He starts heading down the path towards the Silent Wood, axe and shield in hand. "But maybe a bushel of orc skulls will lessen the disappointment just enough for me to live with it. Some gold wouldn't hurt, either."

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Kyl walked quietly among the rest of the group, he was new to the adventure road but not to the hardships that the road would bring. Much of his life had been spent without the comforts most enjoy, and so today was just another day to him.

 

[Rhun]

At Lars' words about orc skulls and dinner, Orinar laughs. "You know, my dad had a recipe for stewed orc brains...cooked right in the skull. A little butter and some pepper; quite delicious." With a wide smile, the half-giant follows after the holy warrior and into the Silent Woods.

 

[Mark Chance]

With Lars in the lead, the adventurers leave the ancient road and head north into the Silent Woods. For the first hour or so, the going is easy enough, although the trees do grow close together and the undergrowth thick in many places. The forest doesn't live up to its name, for she is alive with noise. Insects trill, birds sing, and the wind whispers through the branches overhead. Every now and then, something scuttles through the undergrowth away from the party. Twice white-tailed deer burst from hiding to race away toward safety.

By the start of the second hour, the way hits a noticeable but gentle incline that turns into gently rolling forested hills. The trees become older, more widely spaced. There is less undergrowth, but also less light as the forest canopy turns sunshine into shadows. Everyone is conscious of the limited visibility. It is seldom possible to see more than two or three score yards before the terrain blocks the ground ahead from view, either behind trees or the slope of a hill. There are also frequent creeks trickling along between the hills.

Above the canopy, it seems, a cloud passes in front of the sun, for a shadow slides over the party....

[sblock=OOC]
Everyone please give me Initiative, Spot, and Survival checks. Use Invisible Castle.
[/sblock]