5am

The Wandering Rangers feel strong when they wake up and ready their mounts in the predawn gloom. Their square shields are surprisingly light and each of the braves can see the spectral outline of Emesh-Ga standing amongst them, his massive form enclosing Kobal as he tightens a saddlebag.

Also in the air is a light frisson of anticipation and the unknown, the promise of trouble perhaps in a week known for the unexpected...

Indigo Hue is oblivious to it all as he stands at the start of the track leading out of the settlement, a settlement quietly being emptied as the Shallow Water folk load their boats with belongings, children and small livestock. A few caretakers will remain, fishing for Yabbies and watching over the longhouses during the absence of the family. Mainly older bachelors or widowers content to spend time alone in the wilds of the delta. The Wizard looks impatient as he leans on an extremely long staff, twice his height in length, as thin as a lance and carved with magical foci. One large foot, encased in one of the odd platform shoes, taps incessantly.

During the previous day the Old Woman had departed  with a small escort, heading in secret to Corflu to seek out Tolkazzi and implement whatever plan she had settled on after hearing that the Ingilli man was planning on selling his rights to the island.

Wishing the Rangers farewell are Yellowfin, Sandy, Shell and Bamled and Sand Fox's new loves....
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:08, Sun 04 Jan 2015.

Tarnessh waved goodbye to all of the Shadow Water Folk, and gave Shell a friendly hug before they left, and shook Sandy's hand. As he mounted up on Grumpfy, he told everyone that they shouldn't go down by the river, as there were Broo spotted.

"Although, perhaps we could see them from afar." He told his fellow Rangers. "Depending on how much there are, we could perhaps take them by surprise and earn great glory by killing some Chaos monsters."

Having kept to himself the previous day, appearing only to say goodbye to the old lady, Melock wakes feeling refreshed. He says goodbye to the rest of the Shallow Water folk and gets himself ready. "Your right Tarnessh, being high up will give us a better view, not only for broo spotting but for scouting as well"

Ohanzee had fallen quiet, brooding since his return the previous morning, not exactly moody, but not talkative. As he prepares and checks over his gear ready for the journey to come he listens to the others and respomds to Tarnessh and Melock's conversation "Assuming they have come this far South. The boatmen said that they were quite some way up the river from here."

"Just over a day's travel from here" adds Yellow Fin. "You'll find it easier going if you take the higher ground. As Tarnessh points out you'll have a better view if you keep close to the cliff edge, though the vegetation is dense enough to hide those who want to hide."

"Aye you'll be anywhere from 10m to 60m above the valley floor" adds Sandy. "The Tower you seek is level with the top of the South Bog up on the raised ledge we call Eye's Rise."

Stalking amongst the mounts comes Sky Bone Blue. The bird has a crazed look in his eyes as his head jerks backwards and forwards, up and down as if searching for something.

Tarnessh shrugged. "Even if they haven't come this far, it's on our way to the Tower anyway, so nothing will be lost by keeping an eye out." He turned to his eagle familiar. "Right, Tulox?"

Henal watches Sky Blue Bone and remarks

Looks like something is up with the Storm Khan there. Think its something to do with these broo?

Kobal prepares for the next part of their journey with his usual prayers to Waha, stroking Black Hoof after he's tied a charm around its leg.

He listens to the others' thoughts on which route to take, then asks them, particularly Salen and the riverfolk, "What's the high ground like?  Is it generally a cliff or a gradual slope?  I agree that taking the high ground may help us spot the broo, but then can we make our way down to them, or are there only certain places where the slope is gradual enough for us to make our way down to the river?  The broo were seen along the river, so if it's not easy to get down to the river from the high ground, it might be better to travel along the river.  Wise One," he looks to Sky Blue Bone, "do you sense whether the broo are along the river or whether they've taken to the high ground...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:07, Mon 05 Jan 2015.

The 300m high cliffs to the West are impassable, except at two great breaks, the Weis cut and the Bilos Gap.

The Eastern wall rises more gradually and is frequently climbable by mounted riders. These slopes broken by occasional falls and cliffs of 30 to 100meters in height, lead up to the 900 meter high plateau of Vulture's country and then the Wastes.

"Where we are travelling....On the wide ledges of the high ground, some 100 metres up above the valley floor....It is mainly wide ranges of tall, tough grass spotted with clumps of hardy, tangled, dense shrub. Areas of forest too. Good land for our Bisons and Rhinos. It will be passable all the way to the tower. We can get down to the river at many places. It will be nigh on impossible to spy a group of creatures down below if they are under cover.

Travelling along the valley floor will be harder, filled with flies, quicksand and worse perhaps" says Salen.






The Ostrich looks at both men, answering "I don't know, what do you think I am? Special or something?" He's agitated to the extreme and it's most certainly because of the talk about Broo.

"Must be them. Maybe all dead now if caught by Black Shield Storm Bulls...Who knows. Must kill all, so I and my people can rest...."

Kobal digests this information, with a frown at the mention of quicksand.  It's tempting to get back to the high land which is more like the Wastes he is familiar with.  However, he says "If we ride the along the river, it'll be easier for us to spot any hiding broo - if they're still on the lowlands.  If they've taken to the higher ground, well, maybe it'll be more likely the Storm Bulls patrol that area.  Plus, maybe it might be easier to flush them out if we take the low ground too.  If we follow the river and they are on the high ground and spot us, they may charge down to us.  But if we are on the high ground and they spot us, they may not be so eager to charge uphill at us, while we can throw javelins and stones down on them."



Kobal nods in acknowledgment of the ostrich, though he does not argue back.

Sky Bone Blue is (was?) a khan, and Kobal had been taught by his father and grandfather of the respect due to a khan, so he had felt it proper to ask the ostrich (particularly as this task of broo hunting had been set by the ostrich) even if he didn't think Sky Bone Blue would have any specific insight.

Hoskar scratches his head over all this planning. Think I'd like to be somewhere I can roll rocks on the Broo for choice, but we've got to make sure Amara's geas is fulfilled here.

On the whole, I just want to be off. Sick of making compromises because mother's trade business is a sitting...er...Durulz if I antagonise the invaders too much.

"Sounds like it was my people doing the killing, if they've finished the job they'd either still be at the ford or will have moved back up to the high ground.

There's an island by the Easy Crossing, it's holy to our people, so I'd say my folk would still be there if not tracking surviving Broo. As for those chaotic scumbags, well if any survived they could be anywhere. The place of battle would be the best place to find their tracks.

I'm for the High ground. My gut says the Broo will head back up to the Bleak Hills and others of their kind."

"The high ground still has my vote, the chances of us being ambushed by the broo near the river among trees and quicksand are too high, at least we should be able to see them coming if we are on the high ground"

The bird replies grimly "I will be able to spot anything that is moving below, if you wish to take the high ground."

”Well I’m fed up with looking through clouds of flies, even if the fetishes keep them from landing. And I don’t want to lose my rhino in a quicksand either, I’m for the high ground.”

As they talk Indigo Hue stalks up the still gloomy track, singing an odd sounding song, his staff carried across his shoulders with both arms slung over it.

He'd swapped his platform shoes for a pair of high leather boots and wore a blue vest and some hardy looking blue trousers. For once his head went bare, long curly hair flapping down his back.

Quickly swallowed by the vegetation his voice carries back "To the high ground then"

"I agree with the high ground. It will allow us to take a look at the broo without the risk of being ambushed." He said as he mounted up on Grumpfy after the bison licked him in greeting.

His gear stowed and ready Ohanzee leaps on board Wihakayda urging the rhino on and asking the wizard’s slave as he does so ”Can you ride or do you need me to lead your mount? It’ll likely plod along behind anyway.”

Once they are underway he feels better in himself, keen to be away from the river and as they begin to climb out of the delta be he restarts his lectures on Nomad life and culture. He jumps now and then from one subject to another or goes off on a tangent as the changing terrain, flora and fauna bring up new topics.

After a while he asks ”What great spirits and gods are worshipped where you come from?”

The day passes well, a cooling sea breeze getting stronger the higher they climbed, leaving the sweltering river valley and its biting insects far below. The wizard's slave seems well used to the saddle and manages well.

Mid morning Ohanzee finds good grazing for all their mounts and a good patch of water melons. Cheche is sacrificed to, led by Kobal who seems to have an affinity for the odd little spirit.



The Wizard fixes Ohanze with a beady eye, an amused look on his face.

"Hmmm....There are no gods but Makan, barbarian."

Salen announces that the quickest route is straight across the wide ledge they are on, but that means that surveying the valley floor for much of the day would be impossible. He reckons they's be parallel to the Easy Ford and the Southern edge of the South Bog by the evening.

Tulox is far above and to the West, scouting out the river valley for movement.

Sitting calmly on his Rhino, Hoskar muses in silence upon Salen's route; his thoughts punctuated only by the occasional puff of Tobakeh as he communes with Condor. After some time, he looks up thankfully.

Got it! Our path wasn't clear before, but it is now. If we veer that way a bit he gestures a few degrees off their current course we'll get some clearer riding. I think we'll be able to stay on schedule and see the valley.

He smiles a happy smile. Condors do it again, I reckon. Wouldn't have seen it if Salen hadn't got us started.