Legacy of the Silver Dragon - Off to See the Goblins

gambler1650 · Apr 24, 2014

First placeholder post to gather information in it:

Previous Threads:
Interlude: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?337111-Legacy-of-the-Silver-Dragon-Day-2-%28Interlude%29/page22&p=6292448#post6292448

gambler1650 · Apr 24, 2014

A breeze comes up as the small party prepares to leave. Stellan, seeing that the group is ready, breaks away from chatting with Erenie and strides up. "So. Shall we go?" He seems excited. While all of you have left the town at various times, it's always been at the behest of your parents or other elders. Even though this has been facilitated by the town council itself, it was nevertheless the result of your own actions and decisions, and so feels different. Beatrix may feel less connected to the town, but this is the first time she has prepared for an adventure of this sort.

OOC:

I will try to set up a map for you guys soon. But the basic outline is...

A river comes down from the mountain to the north where the Silver Dragon used to live and passes to the east of Ascadar by about 3 miles or so. A stream which is where most of the water is drawn from, is a mile or so to the north, and Sal - the crazy old hermit as most of the town knows him, lives on that stream a bit to the west if the stream is crossed directly north of Ascadar.

The foothills where some of the mines are, are about a quarter of a day's walk to the northeast, on the other side of the river. The forests that are logged are to the northwest and west. As the town has grown bigger and deforestation has continued, the distance to reach the edge of the forest has grown, now to about 3 hours. All work sites have a small camp which is little more than tents where workers can stay 1 or 2 nights before returning home.

The mountain itself is about 3-4 days walk to the base and the goblin village sounds like its in the foothills on the west side of the mountain, north of the mining sites, about 2-3 days away based on your guide's comments.

So... What's your planned course of action? Please give me any 'standard operating procedures' your characters may have, keeping in mind that "examining every square inch of terrain, stopping to listen for animals every couple of minutes, etc", will result in a very long travel time.

Binder Fred · Apr 25, 2014

gambler1650 said:
"So. Shall we go?" He seems excited.

"Well as to that," mentions Antares, one hand keeping his blue woolen cloak from flapping away, "Teacher Dysare mentioned that we might want to visit a hermit north and west of town on our way, by the river. He apparently holds much knowledge of plants, which might be of some help in finding whom furnished poisons foul to our would be assassins? And too, he is said to hold a map of the mountains." Which advantages didn't need prolonged explanations. "His name is Sal, or so I hear for he is relative newcomer to these, our wooded lands?"

He looks from one to the next... "Should- Should we visit him, do you think? Or would that be too great a delay?"

OOC:

Two questions for you guys:

1. Is Muzdin going to carry all the gear he bought himself (and is he going to give change on the 100 gold?)?
2. Who volunteers to hold the goblin's leach today?

gambler1650 · Apr 30, 2014

OOC:

Goldhammer, Muzdim?

Binder Fred · May 1, 2014

There is a moment of silence as the others consider...

Or is it something else? "Ah... Well... It is... quite true that we have not had much time to... fully plan such things?" Which is something of an understatement, all things considered... They did not even know they were leaving but a single watch ago!

And so Antares pulls out and then unfurls the primitive goblin map on a convenient stump by the roadside, so they all have something to see... "I... had thought that maybe we could travel to the mining camps first?" He hesitantly begins, pointing on the map and then drawing a small pickaxe east of the ambush hill in charcoal, south of the goblin village, on the other side of the river, "before entering the deeper, trackless woods to the goblin village proper? For there are likely roads - or at the least trails - up to there?" (There being the mining camps.) "So we should -ah- probably venture east along this road we presently stand on, cross the river at the fording place here and- and then follow the road that goes north from the crossroads there?"

That... makes sense, doesn't it?

"And if so, then a trip north and a little west of town, to where the man Sal lives, would be somewhat out of our way... by perhaps an hour each way?"

OOC:

Have I got that about right, Gambler? Or do they know if there is an easier/more travelled way to cross the river and get to the mining camps, perhaps via the logging camps?

Goldhammer · May 5, 2014

Beatrix catches up the Antares, perhaps not being as light on her feet as the elf. She volunteered to watch the goblin, holding on it's chain like a paranoid dog owner.
"An interesting idea, Antares." The Fat Priestess says, hearing the elf's suggestion to head to the mining camp. "But I fear our little goblin friend might lead to a misunderstanding with the miners. It is being my opinion we are get our guest back to his tribe as soon as possible."

There was a lingering doubt in the back of Beatrix's mind. Was it right to let that goblin go? Compassion is one of Malborka's greatest virtue, but what if the goblins really couldn't be trusted? She pushed pass that thought and asked Antares another question.

"How much do you be knowing about this Sal person?"

gambler1650 · May 6, 2014

OOC:

Sounds about right to me... The time to travel including Sal's location and the mining camps.

Stellan eyes the goblin as the slim elf and the much less slim human woman talk. The goblin tugs somewhat at his bonds, but mostly it appears to be because it's uncomfortable rather than real effort to escape.

Binder Fred · May 6, 2014

Goldhammer said:
"An interesting idea, Antares." The Fat Priestess says, hearing the elf's suggestion to head to the mining camp. "But I fear our little goblin friend might lead to a misunderstanding with the miners. It is being my opinion we are get our guest back to his tribe as soon as possible."

Antares blinks at her in renewed puzzlement, much like he did back in the improvised council room: some sort of language-based misunderstanding once more? "I -ah- believe that is, in truth, the quickest way to accomplish this, sister Beatrix?" he delicately tries to convey. "Perhaps not the shortest as the silver dragon flew, it is true, but certainly quickest as legs carry us, I thought? Trails and known fords and - and things of that ilk versus trackless woods and waters perhaps deep or raging? Is- is there a better way?" He steps away from the map to let her approach and explain, only keeping his hand at the top for now lest it fly away in the wind.

He is certainly no expert on such things.

Goldhammer said:
"How much do you be knowing about this Sal person?"

"Not much, in truth," quickly apologizes the elf with a contrite nod. "Only what I said before... and that we heard it mentioned he offered a map of the mountain to those with certain herbs in trade?" He looks to Stellan and Muzdin, not having given the rumour much attention at the time himself... "There was too, talk of a treasure, I believe?"

gambler1650 said:
The goblin tugs somewhat at his bonds, but mostly it appears to be because it's uncomfortable rather than real effort to escape.

Antares turns to him when he notices such. "The bounds are mostly for my own protection," he admits, crouching down as he effortlessly takes the thing wholly onto himself. "For you are Glarmlok, a mighty goblin warrior; and while my companions are mightier still, I am but a soft-skinned mage apprentice." He pushes back his hood and touches the simple circlet bounding his bi-coloured hair to show him the tiny green gem of learning at its heart. "See?"

(Which admission, he ruefully admits to himself, should pretty much guarantee that he will be the one attacked if ever the goblin DOES manage to get free... Not a very comforting thought, in truth, especially not looking closely into those sharpened, yellowed teeth as he is right now! But hopefully it will not come to that...?)

Voda Vosa · May 6, 2014

Muzdim

"The miners won't say anything, we have him tied up real nice." The dwarf cleric says. "And an hour walk is nothing, if this Sal would give us some other means to untie this puzzling knot." Muzdim adds. "I agree with Antares, we need to take as much road trails as possible, and talk to this Sal, and persuade him to aid us." Something in the way Muzdim said Persuade sounded a little odd. As if he was considering less than pleasant ways of persuasion.

Binder Fred · May 7, 2014

"In truth," politely bows Antares in agreement, but there are troubled clouds swirling across his expressive face. "And yet... - I know I myself was the one who brought this before us to consider, friends both old and new... And yet I truly - truly - feel the press of time this day, like a strong wind at our backs that must be caught now or forever abandoned! Should- Should we arrive but a watch too late and the goblin village be in an uproar, armed and ready to march out..."

He is clearly quite worried about it -- even if parts of him regret potentially going against what seems to be a closening of elf and dwarf (thrice in agreement this day alone!).

OOC:

From what I understand we will need to walk back to the road to begin our actual journey to the goblin village, so let's say one hour to get there, one hour back and thirty minutes to an hour to interact with Sal = roughly three hours invested if we decide to go this way, I'm thinking. Just so we're all on the same page on this.