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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Welcome to the Halmae (updated 2/27/07)
- Thread starter spyscribe
- Start date
spyscribe
First Post
I must admit, worries about being burned at the stake aside, traveling through the Sovereignty was pretty cool. Anvil natrually refused to be intimidated by the customs of a strange land, even in the face of unheard-of obsequiousness.Len said:Monsters are too easy. Give the PCs an unfamiliar culture to deal with too.
And now, in honor of the Red Sox, another update.
Part the Sixty-Second
In which: Dennis says, “Oh yeah, why don’t you stay here to guard the horses by yourself when there’s a GIANT MAN-EATING BEAR ON THE LOOSE!”
The party is stopped at the edge of a small game trail, where Lord Agasha indicates that the bear has moved off into the woods. Euro sniffs around the bear tracks, which are now accompanied (or followed by, or following, none of the trackers in the group can be sure) several sets of small, bipedal footprints.
The tracks have led them progressively deeper into the forest, through rougher and rougher terrain, to the point that the party briefly considers leaving their horses behind with Dennis and proceeding on foot.
Dennis has a few objections to that particular plan. Which, when he points them out, are fairly persuasive.
“Okay,” Thatch says sheepishly. “Dumb idea. Forget it.”
From his horse, Lord Agasha does not bother to conceal his impatience as the party remounts and prepares to continue. Euro looks up from his sniffing.
Hey Boss, those other tracks, they kind of smell like goblins.
What do you mean, “kind of?”
Well, the little tracks, they do smell like goblins, but then there’s something else, that smells like a goblin, but not, you know?
Actually, I have no idea, but I’ll take your word for it… And I’ll tell Reyu.
“Is your weasel ready to continue?” Lord Agasha asks, with more than a touch of sarcasm.
Lira ignores his tone. “Yes, thank you.”
That guy says “weasel” like it’s an insult. What’s with that?
Mentally, Lira shrugs.
###
Lord Agasha rides at the front of the column. Anvil and Thatch are near behind, followed by Reyu and Dennis with Eva, Lira and Benedic bringing up the rear.
The group travels for some time without incident and has just come to a fork in the road, when Lord Agasha’s horse suddenly whinnies and—with great bucking and scrambling—falls into a hidden pit lying across the path.
Almost immediately following, there is an inhuman scream of “Flesh!” from somewhere in the woods.
The party members—having gained some experience with sudden ambushes—immediately readies for combat. Without need for coordination, hands go to swords, arrows are drawn, and sharp eyes scan the woods for any sign of their attackers.
The horses however—with the lone exception of Thatch’s faithful steed, Bob—go into a blind panic.
As she scrambles off her horse, Reyu spots something in the woods. A barely bipedal creature, hopping about madly and shrieking. It has pale skin, short stubby legs and long, spindly arms. It has many, multifaceted eyes, and slavering mandibles clacking in anticipation.
“Ettercaps!” Benedic shouts, as he draws back an arrow and takes aim.
Reyu’s about to let loose with an arrow of her own when suddenly a giant spider the size of a large goat descends from a tree not five feet away and bites her on the leg. Reyu yells in pain and her shot goes far wide, lost among the trees. Then, before she can get a bead on the spider, it leaps back up into the branches overhead.
It soon becomes apparent that there are two giant spiders near the pit trap where Lord Agasha fell at the front of the column, and several ettercaps on either side of the path behind.
Anvil charges into the woods, closing to melee range with one of the creatures. He is only a few feet away when its mandibles suddenly open and a stream of fluid squirts out towards him. The liquid hardens into sticky filaments, binding his arms to his sides. Anvil struggles, but to no avail.
The creature hisses and clicks, shrieking in delight as it anchors one end of the web against a tree. It jumps up and down on its short legs, and skitters off towards the path and the rest of the party.
Eva sees and shouts to direct the others’ attention. “There! Hit that one!” Eva lets an arrow fly to indicate which one she means.
Lira shakes her head. “I can’t see it. I can’t hit it if I can’t see it… Ehkt’s balls,” she adds, with vehemence.
Benedic curses as his next shot misses. “I can see it, and I can’t bloody hit it.”
“That’s what you get for using arrows.” As the words come out of her mouth, Lira gets her line of sight and lets fly with a pair of magic missiles, both swerving dizzily through the trees to hit their target.
Benedic and Eva exchange a look. “Hells,” the ranger mutters, grabs his sword and goes running off into the woods after the ettercaps.
Eva sees another one of the ettercaps attempting to make a break for it. She pursues, drawing her rapier as she goes.
At the front of the column, Thatch is hacking at one of two giant spiders every time it drops out of its tree and into range. He’s cut off two legs so far, but is unable to land a killing blow. Reyu has helped Lord Agasha out of the pit trap, and he too has joined the fray.
Thatch times the spider’s drop… and there. His sword slides into the spider’s abdomen, up to the hilt. The giant hairy legs twitch for a few seconds, then go still.
Meanwhile, back in the woods, Benedic comes skidding to a sudden stop. “Eva, watch out!” he yells.
A few yards to his right, Eva freezes. “What?”
“Look at the air two two inches in front of you.”
She does, and to her surprise and horror, Eva finds herself inches from a giant spider web, stretched taught between the trees. She pokes at it experimentally, and nearly gets her rapier stuck in the heavy, sticky strands.
“I suggest we go around,” says Benedic.
Eva wrinkles her nose. “How was it even a question?”
More cautiously, the two continue through the woods. They pass the fallen body of one ettercap, and finish off another one they had wounded from the road. The last however, has too much of a head-start on them, and they are reluctantly forced to give up the chase.
On the way back to the party, they find Anvil, still bound and stuck to a tree. He has managed to get one arm free, and is struggling mightily to extricate himself the rest of the way.
“Need a hand?” Eva asks him.
“Those creatures are an affront to Kettenek’s Justice. Free me immediately so that I may smite them.”
Eva rolls her eyes. “Whatever.” But she does cut him free.
Back at the road, they find the rest of the party gathered around the pit where Lord Agasha’s horse has fallen. Although the animal appears uninjured, no one is sure how they are going to get it out of the hole.
Lord Agasha flatly refuses to leave the animal behind. “It is a fine creature; I have hunted with it for many years.”
“Can it swim?” Thatch asks.
Everyone turns to stare at Thatch.
“Yes,” Lord Agasha replies. “Why on earth do you ask?”
Thatch reaches down and unhooks the pitcher that hangs on one side of Bob’s saddle. “Because we can float him out.”
A demonstration of the decanter of endless water alleviates Lord Agasha’s confusion, and the horse is floated out of the trap in short order.
Understandably, even though it is starting to grow dark, the party decides to press on a bit farther before making camp for the night. However, before they move on, Reyu notices something odd in the failing light.
“Look at the bear tracks.” She points to the trail right before the pit trap which claimed Lord Agasha and his horse. “The tracks deliberately… turn to skirt the pit. The goblin tracks do likewise.”
Anvil shrugs. “Obviously, the goblins spotted the trap, or knew of its existence, and avoided it.”
“Yes,” Reyu agrees, “but how did the bear know it was there? It didn’t test the edge, or explore to see how wide it was, it just walked right around it, like it was a tree.”
Lord Agasha frowns. “What are you suggesting?”
“I suggest that this bear is traveling with the other creatures… that perhaps it has joined them in attacking Lord Fau Meen’s peasants. Perhaps when we find it, we will be able to reason with it.”
Thatch taps Reyu on the shoulder. “Um… it’s a bear.”
“Exactly. It is not the practice of bears to randomly attack other creatures, especially humans.”
“Are you forgetting how we met? That bear didn’t seem to have a problem attacking humans.”
“That bear was injured and enraged,” Reyu points out. “If that were the case here, it certainly would not have been able to detect and avoid the pit. And we would have seen blood on the trail.”
And with that not-entirely-comforting theory and its implications to puzzle over, the party presses on into the twilight.
Last edited:
KidCthulhu
First Post
spyscribe said:
Have I mentioned lately how much I love this group and this story hour?
spyscribe
First Post
Part the Sixty-Third
In which: Reyu does good work, but Lira is on fire!
The party finds a suitable clearing about an hour before sunset. As they set about pitching tents, picketing the horses and the other business of making camp, Reyu and Thatch both notice Lord Agasha walking off on his own into the woods.
Thatch calls after him, “Lord Agasha, would you like me to come with you?”
Agasha’s face darkens. “I’m getting firewood. I’m sure you can do that without following my exalted example.” Even Thatch does not mistake the sarcasm is his tone.
Reyu says nothing, but she discretely follows Agasha into the woods. She quickly notices that he shows no interest in gathering any of the plentiful dried wood in the forest, and is instead deliberately making his way away from the camp site. Finally she calls out to him.
“Lord Agasha, you aren’t finding much firewood.”
Agasha turns to face the elf. “Checking up on me?”
Reyu considers several responses, and finally settles on the simplest. “Yes.”
“Well, you’re honest. Did my son put you up to it?”
“He… informed us of the situation with the bear. But we are honored to accompany you.”
Agasha snorts skeptically. “Flattery doesn’t suit you.”
“That is why I do not engage in it.”
The two stare at each other for a moment. Finally, Lord Agasha breaks the stalemate. “You understand nothing.”
“Why don’t you attempt to… explain it to me?”
He squints at her. “How old are you?”
“One-hundred nine.”
“You elves… you don’t understand anything. You don’t have your families—your children—putting you out to pasture, telling you you’re useless.”
“I hardly think your son considers you useless.”
“No, merely in the way.”
It’s Reyu’s turn to sigh. “My life might be longer than yours, but is it not true that we all change through the seasons?”
“When do you become old, when you reach one-thousand?”
Reyu smiles. “Long before then.”
Lord Agasha shakes his head, but before he can say anything, Reyu speaks again. “Consider this. We have already seen that it is no ordinary bear that we are pursuing. You might yet be glad of our presence.”
“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”
“As you have pointed out, I have much time in which to be stubborn.”
Lord Agasha lets out a short bark, which might have been mistaken for a laugh. Then, he sighs. “Well, I suppose we’d better gather some wood then.”
###
Lord Agasha sits first watch with Lira, who passes the time by asking him for stories about his hunting expeditions of the past.
During a pause he turns to her, “When I said you didn’t look like much of a hunter, why didn’t you just say you were a sorcerer?”
Lira is a bit surprised at the question. “I don’t always get a good response to that information,” she replies cautiously.
“Ah. Here, our Church teaches that if Kettenek did not want your kind to exist, he would not have created you.”
“That’s a more open-minded attitude than I’m used to.”
He pats her knee in a grandfatherly sort of way. “Word of advice though, watch your language, that will get you in more trouble than your magic.”
Lira rolls her eyes, but she’s blushing nonetheless.
###
All is quiet until well into the second watch. So quiet, in fact, that the first sign of attack is three flasks of alchemist’s fire exploding in the middle of camp. Two break harmlessly on the bare ground. The third sets Lira’s bedroll on fire.
Anvil and Reyu, who were on watch, immediately scan the forest for their assailants, casting light on arrows and shooting them into the woods to expand the range of their night-vision. Anvil’s embeds in a tree some 20 feet off. Reyu’s hits a goblin taking aim from behind a shrub.
Thatch, Dennis, Benedic, and Lord Agasha are also soon up and taking defensive positions against the hail of arrows now raining down on the camp. Only Eva, who cannot see a thing in the woods, picks up her bedroll instead of weapon, and uses it to help Lira smother the flames that have now caught on her clothes.
Despite the initial confusion of the attack, it soon becomes apparent that there are only five or six goblins on the offensive. They attempt to rattle the party by throwing in another round of alchemist’s fire, but as luck would have it, only Lira catches. By the time she’s put out the flames for the second time, the party’s archers have killed all but two of the attacking goblins, who run off into the woods where the darkness and rough terrain combine to make pursuit impossible.
Searching the bodies provides little information about their mission or objectives, although Reyu determines that two skin flasks filled with a noxious liquid which radiates a faint transmutation aura are likely healing potions. Lira and Thatch each pocket one, Lira on the theory that it doesn’t smell much worse than dwarven ale, and Thatch on the theory that if Lira can drink it, so can he.
The rest of the night passes uneventfully.
In which: Reyu does good work, but Lira is on fire!
The party finds a suitable clearing about an hour before sunset. As they set about pitching tents, picketing the horses and the other business of making camp, Reyu and Thatch both notice Lord Agasha walking off on his own into the woods.
Thatch calls after him, “Lord Agasha, would you like me to come with you?”
Agasha’s face darkens. “I’m getting firewood. I’m sure you can do that without following my exalted example.” Even Thatch does not mistake the sarcasm is his tone.
Reyu says nothing, but she discretely follows Agasha into the woods. She quickly notices that he shows no interest in gathering any of the plentiful dried wood in the forest, and is instead deliberately making his way away from the camp site. Finally she calls out to him.
“Lord Agasha, you aren’t finding much firewood.”
Agasha turns to face the elf. “Checking up on me?”
Reyu considers several responses, and finally settles on the simplest. “Yes.”
“Well, you’re honest. Did my son put you up to it?”
“He… informed us of the situation with the bear. But we are honored to accompany you.”
Agasha snorts skeptically. “Flattery doesn’t suit you.”
“That is why I do not engage in it.”
The two stare at each other for a moment. Finally, Lord Agasha breaks the stalemate. “You understand nothing.”
“Why don’t you attempt to… explain it to me?”
He squints at her. “How old are you?”
“One-hundred nine.”
“You elves… you don’t understand anything. You don’t have your families—your children—putting you out to pasture, telling you you’re useless.”
“I hardly think your son considers you useless.”
“No, merely in the way.”
It’s Reyu’s turn to sigh. “My life might be longer than yours, but is it not true that we all change through the seasons?”
“When do you become old, when you reach one-thousand?”
Reyu smiles. “Long before then.”
Lord Agasha shakes his head, but before he can say anything, Reyu speaks again. “Consider this. We have already seen that it is no ordinary bear that we are pursuing. You might yet be glad of our presence.”
“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”
“As you have pointed out, I have much time in which to be stubborn.”
Lord Agasha lets out a short bark, which might have been mistaken for a laugh. Then, he sighs. “Well, I suppose we’d better gather some wood then.”
###
Lord Agasha sits first watch with Lira, who passes the time by asking him for stories about his hunting expeditions of the past.
During a pause he turns to her, “When I said you didn’t look like much of a hunter, why didn’t you just say you were a sorcerer?”
Lira is a bit surprised at the question. “I don’t always get a good response to that information,” she replies cautiously.
“Ah. Here, our Church teaches that if Kettenek did not want your kind to exist, he would not have created you.”
“That’s a more open-minded attitude than I’m used to.”
He pats her knee in a grandfatherly sort of way. “Word of advice though, watch your language, that will get you in more trouble than your magic.”
Lira rolls her eyes, but she’s blushing nonetheless.
###
All is quiet until well into the second watch. So quiet, in fact, that the first sign of attack is three flasks of alchemist’s fire exploding in the middle of camp. Two break harmlessly on the bare ground. The third sets Lira’s bedroll on fire.
Anvil and Reyu, who were on watch, immediately scan the forest for their assailants, casting light on arrows and shooting them into the woods to expand the range of their night-vision. Anvil’s embeds in a tree some 20 feet off. Reyu’s hits a goblin taking aim from behind a shrub.
Thatch, Dennis, Benedic, and Lord Agasha are also soon up and taking defensive positions against the hail of arrows now raining down on the camp. Only Eva, who cannot see a thing in the woods, picks up her bedroll instead of weapon, and uses it to help Lira smother the flames that have now caught on her clothes.
Despite the initial confusion of the attack, it soon becomes apparent that there are only five or six goblins on the offensive. They attempt to rattle the party by throwing in another round of alchemist’s fire, but as luck would have it, only Lira catches. By the time she’s put out the flames for the second time, the party’s archers have killed all but two of the attacking goblins, who run off into the woods where the darkness and rough terrain combine to make pursuit impossible.
Searching the bodies provides little information about their mission or objectives, although Reyu determines that two skin flasks filled with a noxious liquid which radiates a faint transmutation aura are likely healing potions. Lira and Thatch each pocket one, Lira on the theory that it doesn’t smell much worse than dwarven ale, and Thatch on the theory that if Lira can drink it, so can he.
The rest of the night passes uneventfully.
spyscribe
First Post
Part the Sixty Fourth
In which: Lord Agasha is afraid, and Anvil gets his Justice on.
The party breaks camp the next morning and continues along the trail. Benedic examines the goblin tracks and confirms that—together or not—the goblins and the bear are certainly heading in the same direction.
At about midday, there is a sound of horses approaching at a steady walk. Anvil—who is riding at the head of the column next to Lord Agasha—notices the older man suddenly stiffen in his saddle, and then mutter under his breath, “I was afraid of this.”
Anvil turns to face him. “Tell me more, so that I too might be afraid.”
(Direct quote, I swear. We all lost it.)
Lord Agasha does a brief double-take, but then merely nods to the road ahead of them. “Look, and see for yourself.”
Anvil does, and sees that just around a bend in the trail seven men are approaching on horseback. The one in the lead wears full plate mail and has a long, thin mustache. The other six behind him appear to be servants or bodyguards of some type.
The seven draw up, and then stop in the middle of the trail, forcing the party to halt in front of them.
“Lord Agasha,” the mustached man says coldly.
Lord Agasha’s response barely avoids being a sneer. “Lord Fau Meen.”
“I have warned you about poaching on my lands.” Lord Fau Meen’s guards subtly shift in their saddles, ready for action.
Lord Agasha does not even flinch. “If you took proper stewardship of your lands, your peasants would not have to appeal to me for aid when they are attacked by wild bears.”
Lord Fau Meen’s eyes narrow to mean slits, and the temperature between the two men seems to drop by at least ten degrees. Behind them both, Lord Fau Meen’s men, and the party members wait, nervously.
Reyu leans over to Anvil, whispering, “What is… poaching?”
“I will elaborate on the concept at a later time,” the Justicar replies.
“I demand compensation for the theft which you and these… companions of yours… continue to perpetrate against me through this flagrant act of trespassing!”
“I would not have to trespass if you performed your duties in the first place!”
Before the argument can escalate any further, Anvil clears his throat. “My honored Lords, perhaps I can be of assistance.” As he speaks, Anvil readjusts his cloak, so that his holy symbol—identifying him as a Justicar—lies prominently in the center of his breastplate.
###
Twenty mintues later, Reyu has acquired a through technical definition of poaching (although the concept of owning animals that freely roam the land is still a mystery to her), and Anvil has worked out an agreement in which Lord Fau Meen agrees to grant Lord Agasha and the party permission to hunt the bear on his lands in return for 100 gold pieces and first cut of the bear meat—although Lord Agasha retains all claims on the pelt and the remainder of the carcass.
The party asks Lord Fau Meen if there are many goblin attacks on his lands.
“No,” he replies, “it’s unusual for them to come down from the hills, but they’ve been getting bolder this year.”
“Why?” asks Reyu.
“What do you mean, ‘why?’ They’re goblins, who knows why they do anything?”
Reyu cannot help but think that behind Lord Fau Meen’s bluster, he seems vaguely guilty about something.
“Have your people been moving into their territories, perhaps?” she suggests. “Many creatures will act to defend their homes.”
Lord Fau Meen snorts. “They have no territories. My lands cover the foothills into the Ketkath, and we need those areas for farming.”
“Areas in which the goblins are accustomed to making their homes?” Reyu asks.
Lord Fau Meen wheels his horse around in exasperation. “I have no time for these… impudent questions. Lord Agasha, if you have come to hunt a bear on my lands, I suggest you get to it.”
And with that, he and his men ride off the way they came.
Anvil leans down to Reyu. “Do you think he is hiding something?”
Reyu shakes her head. “He purports to own the creatures that freely wander the land which is given to the care of us all. His entire world-view is… foreign to me.”
“I could explain if you wish.”
“No, that will not be necessary.”
And with that, the party rides on.
###
For her part, Eva does not really care about internal Sovereign politics. However, she does keep her eyes sharp for their quarry. It’s not that she wants to find the bear. Truth be told, she would happily let the bear go its own way, along with the biting insects, the poison ivy, and all the other wonderful “accoutrements” of outdoor living. But if they are going after a bear, she wants to see it before it sees her. Despite Reyu’s insistence that the bear will mostly likely be reasonable if they can just talk to it, she is taking no chances. A reasonable bear. Just what we need.
Plus, as a Fortune Rider, Eva cannot help but think that the fact that today is the last day of Fall, the day before Kettenek Rising, when Sedellus wanes from her position of power does not bode particularly well. Then again, given her goddess’s particular sense of humor, it might not be the worst thing either.
But, all that being said, the sharp-eyed Eva is not the only member of the party who is more than a bit surprised when the party emerges into a clearing to find the giant bear they have been tracking sitting there, as if waiting for them.
Reyu, who has prepared speak with animals for just this moment, quickly casts and addresses the bear.
Greetings.
The bear blinks at her, obviously nonplussed to be addressed.
Why have you come hunting the humans? she asks.
Reyu can see the muscles in the bear’s forelegs tightening, as though it is an act of will to stay seated in the clearing. After a moment, his deep, growly voice grinds out, I am sorry… Forced… I cannot—
Cannot what? Reyu asks.
But the bear can hold back no longer. With a last, helpless look to Reyu it lunges forward, slashing right for Lord Agasha.
Then, a considerable chunk of hell breaks loose.
In which: Lord Agasha is afraid, and Anvil gets his Justice on.
The party breaks camp the next morning and continues along the trail. Benedic examines the goblin tracks and confirms that—together or not—the goblins and the bear are certainly heading in the same direction.
At about midday, there is a sound of horses approaching at a steady walk. Anvil—who is riding at the head of the column next to Lord Agasha—notices the older man suddenly stiffen in his saddle, and then mutter under his breath, “I was afraid of this.”
Anvil turns to face him. “Tell me more, so that I too might be afraid.”
(Direct quote, I swear. We all lost it.)
Lord Agasha does a brief double-take, but then merely nods to the road ahead of them. “Look, and see for yourself.”
Anvil does, and sees that just around a bend in the trail seven men are approaching on horseback. The one in the lead wears full plate mail and has a long, thin mustache. The other six behind him appear to be servants or bodyguards of some type.
The seven draw up, and then stop in the middle of the trail, forcing the party to halt in front of them.
“Lord Agasha,” the mustached man says coldly.
Lord Agasha’s response barely avoids being a sneer. “Lord Fau Meen.”
“I have warned you about poaching on my lands.” Lord Fau Meen’s guards subtly shift in their saddles, ready for action.
Lord Agasha does not even flinch. “If you took proper stewardship of your lands, your peasants would not have to appeal to me for aid when they are attacked by wild bears.”
Lord Fau Meen’s eyes narrow to mean slits, and the temperature between the two men seems to drop by at least ten degrees. Behind them both, Lord Fau Meen’s men, and the party members wait, nervously.
Reyu leans over to Anvil, whispering, “What is… poaching?”
“I will elaborate on the concept at a later time,” the Justicar replies.
“I demand compensation for the theft which you and these… companions of yours… continue to perpetrate against me through this flagrant act of trespassing!”
“I would not have to trespass if you performed your duties in the first place!”
Before the argument can escalate any further, Anvil clears his throat. “My honored Lords, perhaps I can be of assistance.” As he speaks, Anvil readjusts his cloak, so that his holy symbol—identifying him as a Justicar—lies prominently in the center of his breastplate.
###
Twenty mintues later, Reyu has acquired a through technical definition of poaching (although the concept of owning animals that freely roam the land is still a mystery to her), and Anvil has worked out an agreement in which Lord Fau Meen agrees to grant Lord Agasha and the party permission to hunt the bear on his lands in return for 100 gold pieces and first cut of the bear meat—although Lord Agasha retains all claims on the pelt and the remainder of the carcass.
The party asks Lord Fau Meen if there are many goblin attacks on his lands.
“No,” he replies, “it’s unusual for them to come down from the hills, but they’ve been getting bolder this year.”
“Why?” asks Reyu.
“What do you mean, ‘why?’ They’re goblins, who knows why they do anything?”
Reyu cannot help but think that behind Lord Fau Meen’s bluster, he seems vaguely guilty about something.
“Have your people been moving into their territories, perhaps?” she suggests. “Many creatures will act to defend their homes.”
Lord Fau Meen snorts. “They have no territories. My lands cover the foothills into the Ketkath, and we need those areas for farming.”
“Areas in which the goblins are accustomed to making their homes?” Reyu asks.
Lord Fau Meen wheels his horse around in exasperation. “I have no time for these… impudent questions. Lord Agasha, if you have come to hunt a bear on my lands, I suggest you get to it.”
And with that, he and his men ride off the way they came.
Anvil leans down to Reyu. “Do you think he is hiding something?”
Reyu shakes her head. “He purports to own the creatures that freely wander the land which is given to the care of us all. His entire world-view is… foreign to me.”
“I could explain if you wish.”
“No, that will not be necessary.”
And with that, the party rides on.
###
For her part, Eva does not really care about internal Sovereign politics. However, she does keep her eyes sharp for their quarry. It’s not that she wants to find the bear. Truth be told, she would happily let the bear go its own way, along with the biting insects, the poison ivy, and all the other wonderful “accoutrements” of outdoor living. But if they are going after a bear, she wants to see it before it sees her. Despite Reyu’s insistence that the bear will mostly likely be reasonable if they can just talk to it, she is taking no chances. A reasonable bear. Just what we need.
Plus, as a Fortune Rider, Eva cannot help but think that the fact that today is the last day of Fall, the day before Kettenek Rising, when Sedellus wanes from her position of power does not bode particularly well. Then again, given her goddess’s particular sense of humor, it might not be the worst thing either.
But, all that being said, the sharp-eyed Eva is not the only member of the party who is more than a bit surprised when the party emerges into a clearing to find the giant bear they have been tracking sitting there, as if waiting for them.
Reyu, who has prepared speak with animals for just this moment, quickly casts and addresses the bear.
Greetings.
The bear blinks at her, obviously nonplussed to be addressed.
Why have you come hunting the humans? she asks.
Reyu can see the muscles in the bear’s forelegs tightening, as though it is an act of will to stay seated in the clearing. After a moment, his deep, growly voice grinds out, I am sorry… Forced… I cannot—
Cannot what? Reyu asks.
But the bear can hold back no longer. With a last, helpless look to Reyu it lunges forward, slashing right for Lord Agasha.
Then, a considerable chunk of hell breaks loose.
KidCthulhu
First Post
spyscribe said:
When a guy's name is Meen, you've got to wonder.
Last edited:
Ah, splendid, splendid. Now I can read about the adventures of some friends on the far coast. Tsk, spyscribe, you should have mentioned this story hour during the wedding. An entertaining read, especially since I know some of those involved. 
Keep up the good work - Justice Demands It!
Tsk, spyscribe, you should have mentioned this story hour during the wedding. An entertaining read, especially since I know some of those involved. Keep up the good work - Justice Demands It!
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