Door to Nowhere

[Kwargrow]

I am called Pardal

Still smiling, Taylar puts a hand to his chest and replies, "Taylar."

I do not recall your name but you were once friends with my grandson.

Taylar repeats his name for the old man and nods solemnly in respect before responding in Markidian. "Yes, my good friend Maka, who I had many adventures with. We fought against the ethnic cleansing, and he fought at the battle of Refuge. Astarte was also there, and our combined efforts put an end to that evil. We are here seeking to right another wrong. Young people have been taken from communities to the south, and we are trying to find them. Do you know of what I speak? Has anyone been taken from your village, or do you know of anyone traveling through this area with captives?"

Spoiler: Rolls

85

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Plumeir does not need to see the elder man to listen to his conversation, but he stands respectfully during its course. As the man and Taylar talk, he looks about town, trying to absorb as much information as possible. There is no way of knowing, at this juncture, if any of it will be important. During their time with the Rheini people, he will try to glean some of their language.

OOC: 68

 

[astarte]

Astarte will scan the surrounding of the settlement. At this point, she'd be surprised if none pretty kids disappeared from here as well. Imagining that she's thinking about catching somebody from the village, she's searching for the best spot to do this without being noticed. And then the best way from the riverside to get there and then run away with the freshly caught victims. In the meantime she'll also seek for any traces, clues and other abnormalities, as well as for some edible plants and herbs.

---

roll: 22

 

[MacConnell]

... Taylar...

Plumeir...

Astarte...

GM: The elder man is the grandfather of Maka, not Raven Elk. Raven Elk was Kinamin not Rheini, but the characters would know this even if it is difficult, as players, to remember, due to gaps in posting time.

Spoiler: Negotiate

Taylar: 67(coerce) + 34(muddle) + 85(d100) = 186

Spoiler: Wariness

Astarte: 51(perception) + 46(hearing) + 22(d100) = 119

Even with an open array, small villages such as this one are difficult to approach because everything within the town proper can be seen and heard from any other given point within. The Rheini people seem active and alert. They have also, obviously made use of any beneficial plants near the village; and it seems callous to take anything, so Astarte does not.

The fine hairs on the man’s arm stood on end. “Yes, yes we have suffered such a loss; and being so few in number as we are, the loss is terribly felt. We thought this to be an isolated incident.”

The man moves around and gestures eastward. “If you move around some you can see the top of the rock cairn, east of here. When the salmon are not running, we often acquire various caprinae around that rise. A hunting expedition, with some children along for the teaching, was attacked. We discovered that the adults were killed but the children were taken.”

GM: Caprinae is a term that refers to both goats and sheep.

“We sent a small party of rangers to look into the matter. We discovered that our enemy seemed to have come down from somewhere up in the cairn but departed, northward to cross the stream to the north of us where the main river splits. After reporting this, the rangers continued to track them. They never returned. We cannot afford the loss of more people; so rather than send more, we have fortified our homeguard.”

“We have never known of anyone living up in the rocks and figure that the headhunters camped up there and used the height to observe the surrounding forest.”

Spoiler: Character Data

Taylar: full wellness
Astarte: full wellness
Plumeir: full wellness

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions.

 

[Kwargrow]

OOC: Oops. I've edited my post to say Maka instead of Raven Elk.

Taylar listens intently and then replies. "This is exactly the matter we are here to resolve. I am sorry this has happened to your village as well. Tell us exactly where your people were attacked, and we will attempt to track the killers from there." He tells Maka's grandfather how to reach Refuge. "We don't know how long this quest will take, but we will bring back the children if we can. If you are inclined to move your community to a safer place, you are welcome at Refuge."

Spoiler: Rolls

91(+93)=184

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Plumeir remains silent for the moment but appears more than ready to be back on the trail. He is very keen on the Rheini showing the party where the local attack occurred.

OOC: 71

 

[MacConnell]

Taylar...

Plumeir...

Spoiler: Active Search

Taylar: 67(observe) + 24(tuning) + 184(d100) = 275

Despite all of the rain, which has started to fall again, two of the local rangers not only show the party where the previous hunters were killed and the children taken, but they also show where the enemy was believed to have crossed the tributary to the north. It is no longer possible to see any evidence of such occurrences, due to anything having been washed away, and the party must rely upon the word of the Rheini people, alone, but there is no reason to doubt the validity. This did not happen quickly, but required many hours. Whatever the party decides they are offered a place within the village to make camp and rest for the night.

To add a bit to the party’s ire and the overall trepidation derived from such a situation, without knowing of the party’s previous findings, the Rheini talk about having found boot prints instead of footprints and the lack of stray arrows, other than those belonging to the Rheini, indicated that the hunters had been taken by force not by surprise.

Spoiler: Character Data

Taylar: full wellness
Astarte: full wellness
Plumeir: full wellness

OOC: Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions. Provide a random roll.

 

[Kwargrow]

After examining the abduction site Taylar says, "I think we should follow the enemy and cross the stream to the north of us where the main river splits. We can try and find the trail from there."

Spoiler: Rolls

75

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Plumeir, when the Investigators are gathered together, addresses the other two. "All that I have to say will likely be a redundancy, but saying it aloud will help me remember."

He pauses, looking up to his right, as if trying to see into his own head. "The kidnappers at the Mining Operation appeared to have come from the north and departed to the west, crossing the main river. We chose to determine the origin of the kidnappers instead of their destination."

He draws the crude semblance of a path in the dirt with a stick. "This brought us to a Centrin Village where kidnappers had, once again, come from the north but departed to the west, crossing the main river. We again chose to determine the origin rather than the destination."

He gestures from his seated position with the twig he was using to draw in the dirt. "Now here, at a Rheini Village, kidnappers came from the east and departed to the north, crossing a branch of the river. What is it about them crossing the rivers? Correct me if I am wrong, but the idea is to track the destination from here, which is different than the previous two?"

OOC: 63

 

[Kwargrow]

Taylar responds to Plumeir, "I'm trying to find where the kidnappers are now. I've put aside any notion of a peaceful resolution. Maka's grandfather said their scouts tracked them across the river and never returned, so that's why I chose that direction."