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Storms of Change [IC]


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Rowyn takes the replacement potion she got from Driver 7 and goes to help Zanock. He comes back to consciousness (he now has 4 hp). Etherial goes and gives Zanock his potion too. “In case you need it,” he says.

As the chaos of battle passes, and things return to a semblance of normality, the patrols are started up again, and Zanock and Etherial prepare to head out again.
 

Dunathar shows a face of incredulity and contempt towards Glendrake. "If you can find other guards that can repel a hobgoblin attack, with worgs and ogres, with only one casualty, I´d like to see."

Not being injured, and having too much adrenaline running to sleep, he continues with the same patrol he was doing before the attack.
 

Glendrake seems quite irritated at the dwarf’s speech, but when he turns to speak to him, Dunathar had already walked off. Then Glendrake turned to yell at Darien again, maybe to complain about the dwarf, but Darien had also walked off. Glendrake fumes for a moment, then goes back into his tent.

Mirik, who was busy looting a hobgoblin, smiles secretly as Dunathar spoke to Glendrake. “Here, Dunathar!” he says as he tosses the dwarf something from the hobgoblin’s body. It’s a hobgoblin dagger, in a bone sheath. The sheath looks like a human or dwarf thigh bone, and the dagger has goblin runes etched in the blade. It is weighted well, and good for both fighting and throwing, but its not special (not masterwork). “I saw that perfect throw you made! You’ve got a good arm!”

The third shift ends without further incident and the fourth shift starts, as the first dim light from the sun tints the sky. A group of drivers forgo their sleep and get some shovels. They start digging a grave in the southern grove of trees. One guard makes a makeshift wooden headstone, and spends the morning carving it. He looks to be sobbing as he does so.

Later, cooking fires are started and coffee, pancakes and sausages are prepared. Breakfast, like dinner, is eaten in shifts, with one half eating while the other half keeps watch. Soon everyone is up, dressed, and armed. As the caravan gets ready to leave, everyone gathers for the funeral service. You don’t think the wooden headstone will survive long in the elements. The headstone reads:

‘Here lies Devin Millsten, loyal friend and fearless fighter, husband of Laura and father of Kara and Devin Junior. Slain by hobgoblins while defending his caravan and his friends. 3840 AE - 3872 AE.’

There are carved lilies underneath. The driver had somehow dyed the lilies pink. The headstone is surrounded with wildflowers that look like daffodils. Their bright yellow and orange petals contrast sharply against the dark, freshly dug earth. Some of the drivers ask Bert to say some words, him being a priest and all.
 

Filbert

Like Dunathar, Filbert is quite frustrated by Glendrake's comments but, unlike the dwarf, he keeps such thoughts to himself, remembering the treatment Mirena received for opening her mouth.

Bert suddenly feels very tired ... after all, he was almost gore to death, they were on the road all day, he just came back from a 4 hour patrol. He suddenly remembers that he has a small tent on Braveheart but he's simply too tired to put it together. Dropping in his bedroll, he quickly goes to sleep.

When the morning comes, Filbert will get up early and will first pray Fharlanghn for his spells (OOC: dropping bless for a detect evil). He will then survey the surrounding battlefield, looking for tracks, trying to discover from where the assaillants came and in which direction they fled.
 

Bert

Filbert doesn't quite know what to say but he tries his best: "I hardly knew Devin Millsten but I at least know he was a good man. He fought valiantly last night, defending us, his fellow travellers. We can now only hope and pray that his afterlife will be more peaceful than his life. Let us also pray for a better and safer world for his children to grow in. Keep the good memories you have of him and he will always travel with you all." Filbert pauses for a moment and adds: "Depart with Fharlanghn's blessing, Devin, and rest in peace ..."
 

Zanock doesn't feel too well after that night, walking slowly through the camp in the morning. He does stop at the grave, to study the display and the effect it has on the people around him, though he shows no signs of grief himself.

War we fight. With war come casualties.
 

Bert goes hunting for tracks. They seem to have come from the east, and also returned to the east. Crossing the stream, Bert sees that all the tracks joined together again in a grove of trees several hundred feet beyond. He peers in carefully, wondering if the hobgoblins are still there. Circling around at a distance, he finds tracks entering the grove from the south, and more leaving the grove to the north. The caravan is also heading north.

Later, as Bert gives his eulogy, several people who had been holding back tears start to weep. They give their final goodbyes, and the caravan starts up again.

Thevin comes out to drive the carriage, now that it’s driver is dead.

--

Elsewhen in the Duchy…

Wemmic Foxburr was playing with Alighiere and Milton, giving his two badgers a bit of exercise. Calling upon the power of Obad-Hai, a cloud of misty vapor sprung forth from his hand, surrounding him and the badgers. Then, calling upon Obad-Hai once more, Wemmic became invisible to the badger’s scent. Now, the fun began, as they played hide and seek in the mist. Then Wemmic heard hooves approaching from outside the circle of mist. Carefully approaching the direction of the sound, he peered out, using the mist as concealment. There was a half-elf mounted on a horse there, with a riding dog trailing behind him. “Wemmic Foxburr? I have a message for you.”

It was only yesterday that Devan Torrington had buried his friend Ren, and the Blood Hawks had ridden off, bidding him farewell. Devan worked his farm, but felt empty inside. His halfling stepfather, Cecil Torrington, had told him his parents had died at the hands of Nazdin, the Gorukan war leader. The desire for revenge burned in Devan’s heart, but he would need to improve his skills first. He did not want to devote years of service to earn admission into the Order of the Bow. Maybe there was a better way. If he could recover the Book of the True Bow, perhaps he would be able to decipher it’s secrets! Armed with those secrets, he could avenge his parents, he was sure of it! But was that even possible? His friends, the Blood Hawks, were also seeking the Book, but for a different reason. They wanted to return it to the Order. Devan hadn’t noticed that he had been tilling the same, single row of soil for the past hour. That’s when the rider approached.

It was early morning when Manzanita Sparrow rose from her rest in the small room she was renting in this little hamlet. She pulled out her spell book from the small chest in the corner that held all of her worldly possessions. She perused her spells, searching for the key, the key to her vengeance. The key to justice. She knew the answer lay in her arcane magic, but didn’t know where. When she was an apprentice, she sacrificed her chance to specialize in a school and increase the spells she could cast She was glad she did. She would need access to as many spells as possible, without limitation, if she was to gain her revenge. Then she put her book away and got ready for work. When she stepped out the door, a messenger was waiting for her.
 

Rowyn sleeps like the dead, waking only for her shift. After it's done, she walks back to camp and eats methodically. She wishes she had something to say to the drivers and guards, but since she didn't know the killed man, she feels like it would be intruding. During the service, she stands silently, respectfully, allowing the others to grieve. When the camp is ready to depart, she gathers her things quickly and stands ready next to Sabala, light crossbow in hand.
 

Dunathar catches the dagger and tries to smile as he puts it in his belt. Then climbs onto the horse, and rides silently, wondering if he´s going to see again the hobgoblins.
 

Into the Woods

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