[IC] Underdogs [a core dnd game]

[covaithe]

After taking a long look at what he can see of the campsite, Assaq motions Adokul back from the clearing. Whispering carefully, he says "Hunters leave this way. We wait, see when the next one leaves, track him, intercept him away from the camp. If that doesn't work, we try the path with the water-carriers. Yes?"

 

[Voda Vosa]

Adokul nods, then, he seems thoughtful "What if catch surprised the one on the top first? He would prove a very nasty surprise if he saw us"

 

[covaithe]

Assaq shakes his head regretfully. "We'd have to take him down without a sound. If he had even a second to act, he'd have the whole village on us."

 

[DEFCON 1]

Mogro spends the intervening minutes feeding Champion and brushing his coat. It was a cold and snowy night last night, and the warhorse had chips of ice frozen in it's mane. As time passes, the grel engages Ershe in light conversation, careful to keep his volume from getting too high.

After about an hour, if the other two haven't arrived back yet, Mogro saddles the horse back up.

 

[doghead]

ic - Underdogs

Adokul and Assaq

As the two scouts consider their options, they notice an increase in movement behind the walls of the camp. After about five minutes, a small group of gnolls emerge from the the same gate the 'hunter' entered. At the centre of the group is a smaller gnoll, wrapped in a large bearskin. Its hair is bone white, although it seems to be a result of some form of colouring rather than its natural colour. The hunter is with them, as are a number of larger gnolls, armed with shields and spears. The latter three eye the forest warily. Their posture on of alert attentivenss.

There is a discussion and some gesturing, mostly in the direction of the forest in which the two grell scouts are concealed and the camp lies. Two more gnolls emerge from the gate, also armed with shields and spears. There is some more discussion. This time it seems a little more heated. Whatever it is about, the small gnolls seems to be disagreeing, and the larger gnolls seem displeased.

Finally the smaller gnoll steps forward and shouts something at the forest [1]. Then she pauses, watching the silent forest expectantly.

Ershe and Mogro

Another ten minutes pass. This one seems to take longer than the last, which took longer than the one before that. The forest remains quiet, but it seems to be getting colder.

[sblock=1 - Speak Trader]The accent and pronunciation is a little strange but the meaning clear enough, in the stilted manner typical of Trader.

"Hello. Can you hear me? I am Urthe nar-Bar. I want to speak. We are friendly. Please come hear."[/sblock]
[sblock=ooc]I saw a post from Autumn indicating that they were taking some time off. Hopefully they will be back soon. We will push on. As before, please feel free to ghost Ershe. I would rather you do it. I trust you to take the same care with Autumn's character as you would with your own. [/sblock]

 

[Voda Vosa]

Adokul freeze as he watch the happenings. Still, he looked at Assaq, and gesture "what do we do?" with his moth and hands, not emitting a sound

 

[covaithe]

Assaq bites off a curse. "We've been spotted," he says. "Doesn't matter how. I'll talk to them. You go back and get Mogro and Ershe. Bring them close enough to see and hear me. Don't be seen if you can help it, but move quickly. Go."

Stepping a couple of paces to the side to draw attention away from Adokul's movements, Assaq stands up and strides forward into view of the gnolls, staying close to the forest.

[sblock=Trader]"I hear you. What is it you wish to say?"[/sblock]

 

[DEFCON 1]

Mogro leans over and strokes the mane of Champion once more. He shivers once, then says out loud "It is taking a while. I hope they come back soon to tell us what is happening."

 

[Voda Vosa]

Adokul as quickly and as silently as he can, returns to where Morgo and Ershe were. "Damn gnolls... I'll cut their throats..." he thinks.

 

[covaithe]

As Assaq waits for a response from the diminutive gnoll, time seems to slow to a crawl, as it so often does in those cusps of life when one's fate reaches a turning point. The air is vibrantly clear, and it seems as if all motion has stopped: each snowflake, each dead leaf on the wind watching to see what events will unfold in the clearing. Assaq feels as if he could count the white hairs on the gnoll leader's head, far away though she remains. If I die today, he thinks, it will not be a shameful ending.