[GRIM TALES] Wulf Ratbane's SLAVELORDS of CYDONIA

[Fenris]

Haskins turns his head to the side and says "Ms. Nielson, does your little map indicate whether there are any natives living in this valley?"

OOC: I wanted to keep an eye out for any signs of human activity in the valley: cleared land, smoke etc.

 

[ragboy]

[Rolled and sent]
T. Rawley eases Brindle down the trail, peering into the surround brush.
"Easy now," he coos to his horse. "There'll be some nice grass for you down there, boy."

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

OOC: I wanted to keep an eye out for any signs of human activity in the valley: cleared land, smoke etc.

FYI-- I understand your intent. My comment that you had your eyes on the canopy was an interpretation of your average Spot check and your horrible Survival check. Something is distracting you from helping Joshua pick out a trail (you didn't even hit DC10 to Aid Another) so I interpreted that as Haskins focusing on his Ride and Spot.

 

[Fenris]

FYI-- I understand your intent. My comment that you had your eyes on the canopy was an interpretation of your average Spot check and your horrible Survival check. Something is distracting you from helping Joshua pick out a trail (you didn't even hit DC10 to Aid Another) so I interpreted that as Haskins focusing on his Ride and Spot.

OOC:OK. Sounds reasonable to me. I will read more into your replies

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

We all await solomoncane's (Joshua Hambrick's) rolls.

 

[solomoncane]

Sorry--I can't seem to get the roller working either. Wulf--could you roll for me; I'll keep working on it.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Joshua Hambrick rode to the front of the group and led the descent into the valley. Confident that the rest of the group was watching for danger, he focused on the ground, searching for signs of a trail that might lead them to the temple.

Focused as he was, he couldn't turn off years of training, and as they made their way closer and closer to the river, his focus shifted more and more away from tracking and more toward the oppressive sense of danger all around.

Joshua was not alone. The whole group could feel it. The going was slow, and it seemed to everyone that the gathering shadows were threatening to smother them all. Their eagerness to reach the riverbanks, where they could break into the sunlight again, grew almost to desperation.

Joshua had almost forgotten entirely about tracking when he suddenly pulled up short and brought the whole group to a halt. They'd finally reached the river, and Joshua's horse had nearly trodden on a very deep, very fresh print just inside the edge of the treeline.

Joshua called Haskins to the front. "Lookit this print," he said. "Reminds me of a mountain lion."

Haskins studied the print. "I'm not familiar with your mountain lions, but it's a big cat, for sure. Where's it lead?"

Joshua stood up and tried to follow the print. The prints headed along the treeline, away from the base of a large tree-- then vanished.

"Did it jump?"

"No," Joshua declared, studying the print. "I don't think so. The print's no deeper here, see?"

"Well, it didn't just take two steps and vanish. Follow along a bit, I'll keep an eye out."

Joshua was perplexed, but he slowly followed the treeline. He picked up the trail again about 30 yards away: near another large tree, heading into the jungle. He could barely make out a game path heading into the jungle.

"Well, here's the print again..." he said. Joshua rubbed his chin.

"See?" Haskins said. "He jumped."

"Guess so," Joshua said.

No cat on God's earth jumps ninety feet, he thought.

"Shall we follow this trail, or should I keep looking for signs of the temple?"

 

[Hjorimir]

Bill eyes the trees suspiciously wondering if this 'cat' might be wandering overhead. "Whatever it is, it's big and this is its home. I don't see what following it will do for us. I think we'd be better off focusing on the objective."

 

[ragboy]

T. Rawley dismounts at the river's edge so his horse can drink. Holding the reins, he slides his pistol out of his saddlebag, checks the load and puts it into his holster. He rolls a cigarette and lights it.

"Shouldn't we be looking for a temple?" he calls to the group. "Not sure if tracking down a jaguar's going to get us where we want to be."

He takes a long drag and looks out across the river.

"Hey Padre," he says, "How fresh _are_ those tracks? We may have a problem if it gets after our horses."

 

[Fenris]

"I believe this is Ms. Nielson's decision" says Haskins. "Whatever we do the cat will be a factor. Our search for the temple focuses on following the river. Jungle cats, tigers at least, are never far from water. Let's hope that the cats of these jungles are solitary at least. Wherever we go we need some eyes and ears in back, volunteer?"

With that he unfastens his bayonette and fixes it upon his Martini-Henri.