Academy of Drell, Part 7

[Tokiwong]

Charlotte shakes her head. "Not yet. Let the quieter ones go first... if this is what we're looking for, then we'll come up with some way for you to get a look at it before we go back to the tower."

Keith pauses, and looks to the gnome and Sildarin, "Scout ahead you two, and report back, be quick about it!"

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Keith pauses, and looks to the gnome and Sildarin, "Scout ahead you two, and report back, be quick about it!"

"But not so quick that you take chances." Lyrique says to Sildarin and Paendaerig.

 

[GnomeWorks]

I wonder why Keith himself didn't go...

"Keith," Charlotte says quietly, "why didn't you go? Why did you send Paenderig?"

This better not be because those two were fighting earlier...

 

[Jeremy]

"Be careful Sildarin."

Rallyn wraps his cloak around himself and tries to remember what ACTUAL warmth is like.

Edit: Whoops. Probably didn't hear that.

 

[Tokiwong]

I wonder why Keith himself didn't go...

"Keith," Charlotte says quietly, "why didn't you go? Why did you send Paenderig?"

This better not be because those two were fighting earlier...

Keith pauses, and looks to Charlotte, "The gnome made it clear my abilities of stealth were not suffecient for the mission, so instead, I shall hang back, and allow them to do what needs to be done. If they need my help, they will ask."

 

[Zhure]

Sildarin and Paendaerig

Sildarin and Paendaerig slog through the snow along the coastline, leaving the rest of the group behind. In just a few minutes, the smell of fires is a lot stronger, and it's obvious the flames aren't coming from wood, but from dried offal and dung.

Cresting a small hill, there's an encampment laid out near the shoreline, and a dozen longboats are evident. Two bow-wielding orcs are in each boat, by the markings of the boats and the hand-shaped symbols on each orc, they're the same group that invaded Drell.

On the shore are about fifty residents of Drell. Some can be recognized as former teachers and classmates, a few are townsfolk. All of them look haggard and cold, huddled around four small fires set in some ways from the shoreline.

No other orc guards are obvious, but looking carefully at the easily seen tracks in the snow, it's apparent some of the captured citizens have made a few trips a short distance away from the shoreline, but immediately returned. It's as if they've been dropped off and left with no one to watch over them on the land - but for some reason they haven't left on their own, or tried to escape.

Assuming those two were the only ones going forward.

 

[Dalamar]

Your turn.
You're kidding me, right?
You're going in there and will try to get close to the villagers. There would seem to be something stopping them.
So you're risking me to be destroyed by whatever is stopping them?!
They've all returned back to the others, so it can't be that lethal.
For a big human or elf! I'm just a small and fragile psicrystal!
You're made of crystal...
Yeah, yeah... 'sacrifice the rock' 'yeah, nobody'll miss it'

With lots more grumbling, Slith starts slowly moving towards the captives.

 

[Calim]

Paendaerig moves to slowly get well within the trees and have the Drell citizens in between himself and the orcs to see what he can see.

 

[Jarval]

Mortimer watches Slith move off with interest.

"I swear, I'm never going to get used to walking rocks, no matter how many times I see it happen." He shivers, rubbing his hands together, trying to keep them warm.

"Gods know, I'm looking forwards to better weather. Drell and its surrounds scarcely have the most clement environment in the Empire."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Keith
"The gnome made it clear my abilities of stealth were not suffecient for the mission, so instead, I shall hang back, and allow them to do what needs to be done. If they need my help, they will ask."

Charlotte looks at Keith for a moment, but says nothing. She then watches the two scouts as best she can from her vantage point next to Keith.

I guess I'll let it go, for now... but if any more of this comes up, we're all going to have to have a serious discussion.