[D&D 5E] Securing the Alliance: An Adventure in Tethyr (IC)

[CanadienneBacon]

Brue picked up her gear and followed after Lorenzo and Boddynock. Gnorth was still engrossed in his meal, so she elbowed him with a grin. "C'mon, you big oaf. We're moving. Bring your chicken with you, if you like--that's why it's on a stick. Portable."

 

[This Effin’ GM]

Gnorth was unaware if Brue realized that he was nibbling at his food out of respect for the campfire manners his parents had taught him. Apparently, not everyone saw food on a stick as a perfect opportunity to show who would more quickly eat the food in one bite. Gnorth supposed not everything had to be an epic confrontation.

He fell in line with the rest, ready to add more to this tale.

 

[Forged Fury]

The town guard's eyes went a little wide when Lorenzo asked his question. "You know the ogres are probably in that area, right?" Sighing, he continued, "I guess it's good to be able to pick yer fate. Haedrin's is easy to find, just take the coast west for about three-quarters of a day's ride. You know you're in the right area when you see a tower on the cliff overlooking the sea. The entrance is down at the bottom though, near the water."

OOC: Just a few questions: 1) Are Donkey Jote, the cart, and Andal coming? 2) If you follow the guard's instructions, a cliff starts to rise up along the coast after about six hours. The cliff itself quickly rises to 30 feet. Just need to know if the party is planning on taking the high or low road, or possibly splitting between the two.

 

[hafrogman]

Lorenzo nods his thanks to the guard and whistles a jaunty little tune as he wanders back to the group.

"Well, I got directions to Haedirn's. So barring any better ideas, I believe our investigation will lead us there, out to the coast. I'm going to go get Joté ready, and meet you at the gate shortly."

 

[Forged Fury]

Without further ado, the party set out from Port Kir in search of Haedirn's manse. Heading south for about a quarter of a mile, they joined a small disused trail that diverged from the Trade Way. Donkey Joté along with Andal made short work of the trail. While it didn't appear that many people traveled this way, the trail had yet to be overgrown, likely serving as a route by which cattle farmers brought some of their stock to the larger city. As the party passed a series of large farms, it seemed to validate their assumption.

While it had been nearly a week since the attack on the city, the trail was so little used that Corilo was able to spot a few signs of large creatures having passed along the trail. While he couldn't tell for certain if it was the ogres, it certainly made sense. Every once in a while, he spotted long-dried bloodstains along the ground.

After about a six hour ride, with the sun a few hours past noon, the ground on the left gradually rose in elevation. The group could see that the path followed what soon became a 30 foot cliff, breaking away from the coastline the group had been following on the right. From this vantage point, it was difficult to see how far away the trail would run from the coastline.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Brue scanned the trail, looking to see whether it would be easier going for Jote and Andal on the trail (uphill) or the path (coastline?).

 

[Forged Fury]

Brue wasn't overly familiar with mounts and vehicles, but Lorenzo was. Examining the two available paths, he determined that the high road up the cliff would definitely be more navigable for Donkey Joté and the cart. Trudging through the thick sand would be challenging for the donkey, albeit not impossible. The going would be a bit slower. Andal, on the other hand, would be fine on either route. On the plus side, the only problem would be speed. The sandy ground was unlikely to cause any issues with footing.

 

[hafrogman]

Lorenzo perches on a rock and peers off down the two paths.

"Well, here we are. Upper path looks smooth, but the guard said the entrance was down below. It'd be slow going along the beach with the wagon. Or we could load up Joté with some of the gear, and carry the rest ourselves."

Were do we go from here?

He pulls out a coin and begins flipping it in the air and grins.

"Or shall we try our luck?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Brue laughed. The sound startled her; it'd been a while since she laughed out loud. She clapped a hand to her mouth, embarrassed, then a grin took over and she fell to peals of bright laughter. "S'not that funny, really. I'm just, I dunno. Tired, maybe." The genasi straightened her armor. "The path by the seaside strikes my fancy. Leave the cart. Let's each carry our share, and Joté with the rest. I can climb, but I'm not sure about you lot." She looked around at Boddynock, Gnorth, and Corilo for confirmation of her suspicion.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

"I am tending agreement," Gnorth looks to the sea, amazed as to the amount of undrinkable water that can exist in one place, "I'd rather fall in the sand than fall in the" Gnorth raised his voice lowered, immitating a falling person "SAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa-" he ended his sentence with a clap and grinned.