Tests and Trials

[thinkslogically]

Ves will sit with Jolly and make sure he's able to eat without pouring food all over himself, but will otherwise leave him be and spend the night quietly passing the time before bed by going through the supplies and making sure they have enough rations and equipment to cover their bases. She'll set a couple of snares too, hoping to snag a couple of rabbits in the dawn light.

((Ves has the Outlander feature so she should be able to keep the group on the right track and keep them in food and water for as long as the terrain has it to offer. We should probably save the unperishable rations for when we get to places where we can't hunt))

[Rodgeir]

As Ves goes through the bags she finds everything she expects plus a sealed note addressed to Lurn, Ves or Jaq.

((You are moving towards an area with plentiful game so food shouldn't be a problem.))

[Arch Lich Burns]

Joe will go with Ves to aid her in the hunt, her bird surveys the area from up above.

[Rodgeir]

((Give me a d20 Burns))

[thinkslogically]

Ves reads the letter.

[Arch Lich Burns]

???: 1D20 = [16] = 16

[NotStickFigures]

Jaq in downtime just continues the slow going to trying to get better at his deciphering of the blueprint

[Dlover]

((Oh right, that was a thing I wanted to check. The thing Jaq has uses Dwarven, right? Lurn's shown that he knows Dwarven from when they were looking at the map, so Jaq could ask him about it if he wants. It was described as "older" dwarven runes, though, so it may be beyond something he'd know. if it's not related to being proficient with the language.))

[Rodgeir]

((Jaq is also proficient in Dwarven, he just doesn't recognize all the runes. The pamphlet is to help with that by showing the older runes used with the newer ones. If Lurn wants in on that it would probably help with the lurning (hehe).

If no one wants to do anything else I will get the second day on the road rolling.))

[Dlover]

((Ah, never mind, then.))

[Rodgeir]

((Too much like school?))

[Dlover]

((Perhaps. Intelligence isn't exactly Lurn's strong suit. ))

[thinkslogically]

((yup, happy to move forward with day 2))

[Rodgeir]

After having a hearty breakfast of fruit and freshly caught rabbit the group mounts up and begins heading north. They meet a few people along the way and pass through a few small villages and can see a few more a bit away from the road. As the day goes on the scenery becomes less maintained and 'civilized' looking and there are fewer side roads departing from the main road.

Ves leads the way confidently, she has been here before and there is really only one road to take at this point. Jolly looks very uncomfortable on his horse and his discomfort only grows as the day passes but his shakiness has all but subsided by early afternoon. Shortly after lunch mountains become clearly visible to the north. By mid-afternoon (after having stopped for a quick lunch and to water the horses) the group comes into what Ves knows to be the last village of any size along the main road for two days of normal riding. The village of Bend is located more or less on the corner of the bend in the road when it changes from heading north to heading east along the southern edge of the forest. The village is protected by a shallow ditch and a palisade and a guard stands on watch at the main entrance.

Keeping to her plan Ves leads the group around the village. On the far side of the village the group hear some commotion and yelling, seemingly centered on a wagon heading east on the main road (out of the village) a short distance from the gate into and from Bend. Looking up the road (to the east) a few wagons and horsemen are visible as well some people walking towards the village.

((Perception rolls please))

[NotStickFigures]

Perception: 1D20+2 = [11]+2 = 13

[thinkslogically]

Perception: 1D20+5 = [3]+5 = 8

[Dlover]

Lurn Per: 1D20+7 = [16]+7 = 23

[Arch Lich Burns]

Per: 1D20 = [5] = 5

[Rodgeir]

Joe and Ves don't really make out much more from where they are except the wagon seems to be well loaded. They can hear some yelling.

Jaq can make out that whatever is happening by the wagon involves five or six people on the ground around the wagon and two people on the wagon. One of the people on the ground is short, maybe a gnome? He can hear one of the people on the ground yelling in common at some of the others standing on the ground.

Lurn's sharp ears and eyes pick out that the two people in the wagon seem to be dumping things on the ground while the man on ground yells,

"Where'd you put it? Where'd you put it you dirty thieves? I will take that wagon apart and gut your horse to find it."

Three are standing a bit away from the wagon, one appears to be a half-orc woman holding a bundle, the second is a human man standing next to her and a small child is pressed close to the woman's legs. The man yelling is an elf and beside him a tiefling with a club menaces the other three standing on the ground who just cower back.

The guard at the gate is watching intently but doesn't seem to be intending to act. Others going by are studiously ignoring the altercation, Jolly included.

((Also is Ves not going to read/reveal she found the note in the packs?))

[Dlover]

((Thinks did say that Ves would read it, a couple of posts back.))

"It seems like there's some sort of disagreement ahead. A man seems to be accusing a family of having stolen something from him and hidden it in their carriage. Should we intervene, or give the group a wide berth?"

[Rodgeir]

((Ah, missed that! Sorry. I will post the contents when I get to a computer.

Also it is more of an open wagon and had a good deal of items on it.))

[Arch Lich Burns]

"Ah think we should do somethin' about it."

[thinkslogically]

((Ves grins at the letter, and shows it to the others when she finds it))

For now:
"Me and Lurn don't need the extra trouble right now. If you can change your faces and intervene I'm all for it though. Me and Jolly will keep an eye from up the road a bit."

[Rodgeir]

The letter is short and says simply in a blocky and unpracticed hand:

Before coming back to town check at Grinn's smithy in Respin if things have cold downed for Lurn and Ves. Ask for Grinn when you get there and tell him his daughter needs a new set of hinges. (and in a more hasty script). And that he is an ass.

[Dlover]

How much attention is on Lurn right now? If it seems like there's nobody looking he can use an illusion, this time making himself look like a... Actually, what's the largest civilised race? Do orcs count? The aim is effectively to choose a civilized race that could be as close to Lurn's height as possible.

If he's clear of attention and able to set up an illusion, Lurn will go with the group going nearer to the wagon. Otherwise, he'll go around with Ves.