[ic] nameless III: lost and found

[doghead]

D+2. Skirting the Tancho forest.

Turning to your left, the party begins to head slightly south of due west. For a while the way is easy going and you make good time as the sun sinks towards the horizon ahead. About an hour or so after altering course, you are visited once more by the dogs.

They appear first quite some way to the north of you. From there they begin to trot in your direction. Occasionally you lose sight of them, only for them to reappear a little later closer than before until they come to a halt about about 100 feet ahead of you. All in all, they cover the distance rapidly.

One of the dog deposits something on the ground, barks and steps back. It looks like a short thick stick. The three dogs disappear and reappear about 50 - 60 feet behind (relative to you) where they left the object.

 

[khavren]

Fenix stops and raises his eyebrows, "They want to play fetch? I know a little bit about dealing with animals, but it's not what I'm best at. Any of you have dogs growing up?"

 

[Seonaid]

Garival watches the dogs somewhat anxiously. "Those aren't just dogs. They're supposedly as intelligent as we are. And given the fact that they haven't attacked yet, and the fact that we've been able to see them, I doubt they're hostile to us." He jogs over to the object, slowing as he approaches. If it seems non-threatening, he'll pick it up and examine it more closely. He keeps looking up at the dogs as he does so, trying to gauge their reactions.

 

[doghead]

An invitation

Garival finds a, rather damp, scroll case lying on the grass. The dogs make no move to prevent him approach or pick it up, so he does so. Inside is a piece of parchment.

"Good fellows.

My friends, the four-legged ones who were so kind as to deliver this message to you, have informed me that you are passing through. It has been too long since I heard any news from outside the forest, and I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner.

Should you choose to accept, and I do hope that you do, please clap loudly three times in quick succession, and the aforementioned messengers will bring you to me.

Sincerely

JG

 

[DrZombie]

Bugger me. What on earth is this.
"Dinner? With JG? The Jolly Giant? Hmm. These dogs are supposed to be good, right?"

 

[Seonaid]

Garival shakes his head. "I don't know. I don't like the sound of this. I've never heard of anyone living in there. Not anyone human, that is." He looks at the others for guidance.

 

[khavren]

Fenix frowns and shrugs, "Anyone ever heard of any local legends that would be covered by JG?"

 

[Maerdwyn]

Fredar takes a look at the parchment. He examines the writing to see if it looks like other handwriting or ink he's seen* or if anything else looks "odd" about the parchment. He asks Fenix, "Anything you can do to find out what they're thinking," indicating the dogs, "Some way to talk to them?" To everyone, he says, "Don't think I'd go in there, based on what Garival says about the forest - least not just because of this note. It kind of smells like '"Come into my parlour," said the Spider to the Fy.'"


*All this assuming Fredar is literate...

 

[DrZombie]

"Hmm. Maybe we can invite him to our campfire out here? It would be nice to know what is going on in the forests, maybe he has seen what we are looking for?? We can always write an invitation on the back, and see what happens. If he wants to find us, his dogs will lead him to us anyhow, and he might decide to pay us a visit when we sllep if he gets upset because we don't answer."

 

[Maerdwyn]

Fredar nods. "I like that better--" He has a sour thought. "So he wants us to clap three times and the dogs will take us to him - probably with that thing they do. It's not like we were supposed to climb on them or anything, right? You think they could take us to 'JG' whether we consented to go or not?"