Book 2: Chapter 2 - What Lies Beyond

[Powderhorn]

Edge of Llaisy Forest, Spring, Day 50 - Early Morning

(Chapter Sound) It takes five days to journey north through the Llaisy Woods. A hundred and twenty five miles, and smaller and smaller charitably named "settlements" are found throughout - truly where the Philadelphia docked was the largest, but the smallest are clearly single-families, or even individuals. Guided north by simply explaining the mission and the destination, each is happy to offer what they have, but their most valuable resource is information. Each group would direct you to the next, following in the trail of the patrols - each a link in a chain stretching ever-northwards.

While the halflings are used to the sort of climate in the north, those from Kelmar about 1500 miles south find the air get noticeably cooler throughout the journey, even as spring lengthens. Those more scientifically-minded, particularly any sailors, would be able to follow the stars and know that you are, in truth, getting into the high latitudes.

This is reinforced once you hit the edge of the forest. No longer protected from the wind by trees, the wind howls across an open plain, with mountains in the distance. With no guides to point from here, now it is a question of how to locate the patrol.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Karadoon turned his face downward as a particularly strong gust whipped his beard up against his nose.

"Wind. Rain. Snow even. Tell me again why so many of the tall folk seek to live on the surface?

Greta, is there anything significant on your maps that your people would be likely to check?"

 

 

[Vladim]

She had been happy enough to walk quietly amongst the trees, knowing that the forest would shelter their passing. The hospitality of these simple folk, who opened the doors of their homesteads freely, never ceased to amaze her. But the days were passing, and she knew that they would soon leave the forest-paths; from then on, their peril would increase, and that would make the journey far less enjoyable, affording her no chances to relax or rest.

And so the day came, and at last the stars guided her to the shores of that green sea that had at first seemed endless. Strong and bitter were the winds here. She turned up the collar of her jacket, which was buttoned up all the way up already, and rubbed her hands to warm them, and she looked to the horizon and steeled her resolve. Now came the hard part.

While Karadoon and Greta spoke, she kept her eyes peeled, searching for any evidence of the patrol's passing, or of the presence of the Maliente.

 

OOC

I refreshed my memory on the rules and it seems that the GM is the one to call for rolls, but (if appropriate) Iphigenia is possibly using Notice or something similar. Let me know if I need to roll and I'll add the dice!

[Powderhorn]

Edge of Llaisy Forest, Spring, Day 50 - Early Morning

Very quickly, Iphigenia picks up the trail of the patrol - they seem to have gone northwest.

 

[Mourning Star]

Greta Starling

“I do not believe so, dwarf Karadoon."

She peers out across the plain, her face slightly troubled. "We should take caution of new dangers here. We leave behind the Maliente, but out there we can be seen by dragons, though dragons seem not to have angerful feelings about halflings the way the Maliente do."

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Karadoon grinned as Iphigenia found the tracks.

"Nice work, lass. We'll make a landlubber out of you yet, if I understand the way Landen explained the word.

Greta, your fears are valid. But, we've encountered both and survived. The lack of overhead concealment here will be a problem. Iphigenia will have to focus on the ground to keep to the tracks. So it will fall to the rest of us to watch the horizon and the skies on her behalf.

To the degree that we can will avoid walking on hilltops or the crests of ridges. Our vertical shapes will be especially highlighted there. Beyond that, alertness will be our best defense.

Let us move out. I will follow Iphigenia and you follow behind me. Be sure to cast a backwards glance every so often in case something picks up our trail like we picked up the patrol."

 

 

[Vladim]

Iphigenia nodded.

"This way!" she said, pointing to the tracks that she had uncovered, so that everyone could see and study them.

"What do you make of them? Numbers, equipment, days? These ones are plain enough to see, but there may be more that keener eyes can see in them... though alas, not my own."

 

OOC

Essentially, she is saying if you want you can take a moment to make your own Notice checks-maybe we can learn a thing or two more.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Karadoon knelt by the tracks inspected them more closely.

"You did a good job spotting these. I wish were underground though, less wind and rain to spoil tracks."

 

 

[Powderhorn]

Edge of Llaisy Forest, Spring, Day 50 - Early Morning

Aside from a couple of small boot-prints in dried mud, it is very difficult to know how many people passed through, or anything other than the general direction they were going at the time the boots hit mud. Northwest is what is available so far - but perhaps more can be found along the way with a wary eye.

 

[Powderhorn]

Edge of Llaisy Forest, Spring, Day 51 - Early Morning

In some ways, it's almost surprising that anything can survive up here - including our forlorn halflings. As the wind whips across, only low scuzzy brush seems to have any grip on the land, and the only animals seen are small scavengers - nothing larger than a rabbit.

The day passes uneventfully, the night passes uneventfully. It is disquieting how quiet everything is. As the group continues on, hills rise in the distance, mountains rise behind the hills. Still, only the howling of wind accompanies.

Eventually, a second, larger set of bootprints can be found, ontop of or near the halfling tracks that you pick up from time to time throughout the day.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Karadoon trudged onward, annoyed by the constant wind. The mountains ahead were spectacular though, and raised his spirits a bit.

"Not much game in this area, I can see why it makes an effective buffer region. Greta, have your people ever looked for caves in these hills? This range looks like it could hold some nice ore deposits.

Iphigenia, the next time the tracks separate we should try to get a count of how many beings are following the patrol."

 

 

[Vladim]

The Philadelphia had been second home to her in recent memory; she was saddened by the crew's plights, and rejoiced with its small daily triumphs, and was content to be but a humble sailor, setting any ambitions aside-for the time being.

These lands were strange to her, but even stranger was her new role as tracker: a skill she thought (and still believed) she had no particular talent for. Thankfully, the tracks were plain to see even for this sailor-turned-scout.

But what was this now? Something new. A boot-that much was unmistakable, and clearly belonging to no halfling. But what else could she garner? She fell to the ground, and for a while she studied the tracks, moving towards those that were clearest, and examining features such as their depth, exact size, freshness and distance apart. She would be self-taught student, lacking a teacher from whom to learn, but perhaps experience gained in the previous day could help.

She turned towards Karadoon, heeding his words. She said nothing; she liked his eagerness, but she needed a quiet moment of solitude to focus...

 

OOC

Just leaving the description here; ping me if I need to make a roll.

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

While the bootsteps were shallow, indicating a light step, they were much longer in stride than a halfling could be, much closer to a human's stride. How many is difficult to say (and will require a roll), as the prints all seem similar and are not clearly preserved. Indeed, it seems to just be a set here, and a set there, mostly depending on the terrain which is rocky and hard, for the most part.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Karadoon bent low, gauging stride length and trying to decipher how many larger individuals there were.

"Perhaps a second set of eyes will avail us."

 

 

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

While Iphigenia was able to track down the tracks, Karadoon with his experience in the mines was able to more closely ascertain individual foot patterns, and could see that it was five tall-folk following behind. However, it is impossible to determine how old the tracks are to get a notion of how far behind your group is from them.