Q'Barra: Facing Truth

[Yeoman]

Hmm, nothing out of the ordinary yet.

Catherine takes a brief look around the communal room, before addressing the gentleman in front of her. "That would be most welcome, thank you. May I ask, are you in charge here in the village?"

[sblock]
Just as a quick scan of the room, how does the amount of food look? Is there a lot, a little, or somewhere between?
[/sblock]

 

[Pebele]

Kaelan searches the ground for tracks, but he is only able to make out some vague impressions of human footprints and hoof marks. He tries to see where the tracks lead, but they are a jumble that seem to lead nowhere specific.

He then focuses on the fields themselves and the number of dwellings. He estimates that there are a bit over a dozen dwellings, but he has no idea if they are single family dwellings or not. Judging from the size of the fields, it would appear that the settlers are growing more food than they need, but not an extreme excess.

*~*~*~*~*

Darrick smiles to the man who greeted the group. "Yes, thank you sir. We have other friends who will be joining us shortly. We would appreciate a good meal."

The bald man smiles and claps his hands together. "Wonderful! I guess you could call me the leader of this here town, the name's John Kassel. Are you folks passing through on your way somewhere? Need a place to sleep tonight?"

As Catherine looks around, it appears that the tables are pretty well stocked with food. She would say that they have food to spare, but not so much as to look wasteful.

 

[Yeoman]

This doesn't seem to the sort of siege atmosphere I was expecting.

"Well Mr. Kassel, my name is Catherine Valeska, this is Darrick ir'Davven, and our warforged friend is Trebuchet. We were dispatched from Ven ir’Kesslan Academy to investigate the situation here in Havenwood. The rest of our team is currently scouting the area."

Catherine clears her throat, "I'd like to hear the details of your situation, so that we may help determine the correct course of action to resolve this matter. However, a place to rest and stable my friend's horse in the interim, would be much obliged sir."

 

[EvolutionKB]

Kaelan

Kaelan looks toward the horizon, and then down at the jumble of tracks at his feet. "No tracks, at least of the poisondusk variety. There are a few horse and human tracks, but they are all jumbled up, probably plowing the fields and such. It looks like they can grow enough food for everybody, with a little left over to trade. At this point I'll agreeing with Trebuchet, something big and nasty has forced out food sources for other creatures, which explains the gaunt apes, the lack of wildlife, why the poisondusk are raiding here, there is nothing left to eat. Unless there is any other scouting you two would like to do, I say we rejoin the others."

 

[Pebele]

John Kassel's smile may have wavered for a second. Or that may have been a trick of the light. At any rate he nodded his head and cleared his throat. "Well, ah, that's nice that they sent someone to look in to it. You say you have friends coming? We might need some time to set out more supplies for the lot of you, then. I should probably talk to your leaders about the situation. We didn't know that anyone was coming, we weren't prepared, y'see."

He motioned the three towards an empty table and a bench on either side. "You three can take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. When do you think the rest of the group will be arriving?"

 

[Yeoman]

Catherine casts a sidelong glance at Darrick for a moment, before responding. "Actually, I am in command of this mission. The remaining three members of the team should be here shortly. I'll introduce them when they arrive. While we are waiting for them, perhaps you can explain the situation at hand. You mentioned raids in the area, but the guards sent to retrieve the children noted no evidence of such."

Catherine motions around the room, and continues. "Just at a quick glance, there seems to be a good amount of food here, and you certainly are quite happy for a leader of a besieged town. There is a lot more to this situation then you told the academy, and I sincerely doubt you wouldn't have sent the children away without a good reason."

I hope my parents had such a reason...

Catherine lowers her head slightly and touches the pendant she is wearing before speaking again. "I apologize for my abruptness, Mr. Kassel. I did not intend to offend you."

[sblock]
Catherine is going to try and smooth the situation over, as she explains the size of the team, and while she plies John for whatever info he can provide.
Diplomacy Check1d20+12=29
[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Keeping one ear on Catherine in case she introduces him, Trebuchet diverts most of his attention to the people of Havenwood. While he was familiar with soldiers in the Academy eating communally, he had not previously been aware that humans frequently indulged in that behavior.

Tactically it made sense. If the townspeople really were afraid of raiders, they could more easily defend a single building than spread their meager forces thin trying to engage the bandits where and when the bandits chose.

"I must say, sir," Trebuchet said happily, "I admire you and your people's appetites in the face of the many attacks on your livestock and foodstuffs." He paused for a moment, then added, "As well as your...apparent ability to regrow those stocks in quantities sufficient to create feasts such as this."

 

[Rookseye]

Emerging from the underbrush near Kaelan's elbow, Sepoto looks like an orange ghost slipping into view from his hidden place in the tangle of green leaves. He obviously has heard what the Valenar has said, and when he suddenly speaks to the elf and Charles he tries not to surprise them.

"I am agreeing Kaelan, but the silence here is the same as on the trail...a stillness hangs over things. Either the wrongness has followed us, or there is something more than the eye can be seeing here in Havenwood. We should find the others...I fear we may have mistaken the true danger here."

Sepoto's unease is obvious to Charles and Kaelan, as he takes to fidgeting and unconsciously hopping from foot to foot. They both have known the chakit long enough to trust his more primal intuitions.

[sblock] When the others make their way to the meeting hall, Sepoto will stay hidden, and make a circle of the perimeter of the building, peering in windows if possible. After that, if nothing seems amiss, the shifter will stay within earshot and sight of the building's entrance, below a window if possible, until such a time as he feels comfortable that no one else will be following his friends inside. Of course, if he hears Catherine introduce him, he will make himself known, but he hopes that Kaelan and Charles can subtly cue her that he may be 'late', so the further reactions of the townsfolk can be judged. Also, if Sepoto is being overly paranoid, feel free to move things along with him in the meeting house, [/sblock]

 

[EvolutionKB]

Kaelan

Kaelan looked at the distressed shifter with curiosity. Perhaps his own sprits were not as on guard as they should be. Kaelan shook his head and headed back to the hall. He pays no heed to if his companions are following, he is not going to boss them around, and Kaelan felt safe enough inside the confines of the village.

 

[Pebele]

As Catherine speaks, John Kassel's smile falls. "Well, that's different, then. Look, we'll have to explain everything, but I'd really rather not do it here. Please, you and your crew have a nice meal, and then come and see me in my house. It's the first house to the right of this meeting hall."

Kassel looked to Trebuchet for a moment. "Yes, well. We try. We try, and we keep trying."

Darrick looked to Catherine for a moment, before nodding to Kassel. "Yes, sir. I think we can do that."

~*~*~*~*~

From what Sepoto can see through the windows, the villagers do not appear to be in immediate distress. He thinks that they all look similar to the students in the lunch hall. They appear to be in good spirits and generally enjoying their meal.