Makarios nods to the scout. "Good job. If you can lead me to the tracks I might be able to pick up a more accurate count."

He looks over the party, gauging their strength. "Ronan, 50 armored men is probably more than we bargained for. If we give chase we'll not come out unscathed. Ravens or not, we stand to lose some good men."

He looks to Ser Hassan and Ser Godfrey before continuing, "Pragmatism here may be our best option. We can confirm the tracks and battlefield then return to report."

Makarios had been itching to fight but reality has now dawned on him. Even with a maester on hand as good at the healing arts as Archibald, a clash out here could mean a large chunk of the party wouldn't make it back to Kolwyn Hold.

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 30):

"Makarios seek out these tracks, do your duty we'll, ... And leave these other matters to me." The wine is settling in and like always Ronan is his usually self. One has to wonder how he can function always drinking. A greater wonder is actually how much it takes him to become drunk.

Ronan mounts, "Makarios you & Ser Godfrey, Ser Hassan, and half of the Roost will travel and follow these tracks, the rest are with me we will keep to the road. Makarios do not engage if you find them just circle back and we will meet at this site everyone is so interested in."

"Regardless we meet at the site by sun down if for some reason we or your men are not there ... that means something is wrong. Leave and return with enough men to seek revenge."

"May the Seven guide you,..."

Makarios makes a slight bow to Ronan.

"Very well, let us go then."

Makarios organises his party before they mount up and head off in the direction of the tracks.

Jadis wraps her scarf again, rolling her eyes when Ronan mentions the Seven. Mounting her steed, she gives Ronan a wave and joins in with Makarios' party. Quietly, she says "Is anyone else getting a bad feeling about this?"

Makarios replies, "I thought I was the only one. Well, there's nothing for it I suppose..." he trails off.

Ronan replies to Makarios, "I gave this thought, master of the hunt, I'm sure this is a rouse by that red demon fire priestess. But we most try to uncover their plot and find proof of their underhanded work." Ronan returns to his wine skin and finishes it off, "remember sunset at the ambush site" He gives his horse a good kick and heads back to the trail that leads to the road.

The rest of the group travels northeast following the scouts to the trail of bandits. After about an hour the trail is pretty clear. The scouts dismounts, "here master Makarios, ..... look they came from the mountains then doubled back that way in that direction."

Bending over to inspect the tracks, Makarios tries to see if there is anything the scouts might have missed.

ooc: 06:36, Today: Makarios Lestat rolled 14 using 5d6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 2,4,4,3,3. Survival: Track.

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 36):

The day if fair and the sun is strong, there doen't seem to have been any rain in the last few days, so a good quess would be that these trails are about 4 days old.

Makarios traces the horse trail, he inspects the horse dong. The dong has traces of Good quality grain and fair amount of hay. These horses weren't grass feed, meaning that these wear either wealthy bandits or not bandits at all. Also these 'bandits' were in a marching order at one point then scattered as they continued southeast which by your account Leads right to the ambush site.

Lastly and maybe the most important clues, .... there was more then one wagon with this group & the hoves, they are deep leading to believe these men had heavy armor, bandit don't travel this heavy, and use wagons across trail like this unless they we're carry away there spoils.

Makarios frowns and relays the information to the party. "These are no bandit tracks. Quality horses and heavy armor, this looks like a well funded raiding party. Some House or maybe a band of paid up Sellswords. They're about 4 days ahead of us and up in those mountains."

Makarios approaches the maester. "Archibald, you are better than I at remembering the Houses that lie around these parts. What Houses across that mountain range could field such a raiding party or hire expensive sellsowrds?"

Ready with an answer right off his head the Maester looks up from the man he has been tending since the early hours of the morning, clearly working tirelessly to preserve what little life is left in the now hardly even moaning body.

”It is very unlikely that a nearby house was able to put together the kind of force you describe.  The nearest force of any size is House Dylann in service to Kolwyn and they can not muster such a force on their own.  It is far more likely that these truly are bandits, drawn from a wide area and banded together by some powerful personality in the criminal world.”

"Then we can eliminate house Steiner as the culprits? This is good."

The men await for Makarios instructions. Even thou he is not the senior man he is the Master of the Hunt and is that not what they are doing?


The men with the true authority are The Knights of Ravenhowe now the Ronan is not among them. But it does seem that the knights has taken a slightly stay back approach so for with hunting these 'Bandits'.

Makarios raises an eyebrow at Archibald as if expecting some response.

When none is forthcoming he continues.

"Very well. This party is not equipped for traipsing into the mountains hunting a potentially heavily armed and fortified bandit stronghold. We will regroup with the others and report. I would like to see the ambush site myself to confirm numbers of combatants and inspect the dead for evidence that might absolve the Steiners.

He inspects the surroundings one last time, as if fixing the location in his memory for the future.

"We will return, mark this place in your minds."

With that he mounts up and turns his horse. "Let us make speed and catch up with the others."

He leads the way.

OOC: 09:20, Today: Makarios Lestat rolled 11 using 4d6 with rolls of 5,1,2,3. Survival, lead the way in right direction.

The men mount up. It's still early in the day and the weather has held up. The rocky terrain is taken slow with the horses and the knights in armor doesn't help speed this along. House Ravenhowe seem to be a bit more quite then normal, perhaps their warriors instincts are just on edge with all that's been happening.

After traveling for about 4 hours the field in question is almost insight. Over head dozens of crows have gathered. They fly high and circle the field below a clear sign the dead are not too far away. Once the men break free of the wooded rocky area and approach the field they see several men butchered and burned. This wasn't a battle it was a massacre, and many of the bodies have been dragged and staked, then put to the torch.

Ronan and his men have yet to arrive.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:18, Sun 01 June 2014.

As they approach the site Makarios pulls aside a pair of his scouts. "Go take a look and see if there is anyone around. Wave us in if it's all clear. Once you see us move to enter the battlefield I want each of you to head to those high points there and there. Keep a careful watch and let us know if you see anyone, friend or foe. The others should have been here by now."

While the scouts head out Makarios addresses the party. "When we get up close try to avoid moving anything until Maester Archibald and I can take a look. If you see anything of note like a banner or house sigil let us know."

He turns to Jadis, "M'lady I know you are a strong woman but perhaps this is something you would be better not seeing. I'm sure Ser Hassan will leave you a few of his mean for company if you wanted to stay here under the shade of that tree while we investigate. It shouldn't take too long."

Still hard at work in the back of the wagon, from time to time the moans and grumbles are punctuated with some flailing of limbs and a horse or gurgling scream or two, but by and large the patient remains almost frighteningly quiet and still.

Hearing his name, but not making much sense of it's context the Maester waits until he is at a reasonable pausing point in his work and pokes his head out of the wagon.

”If you require my services quickly you will need to come in, I am not yet in a position to abandon my work here at a moment's notice.”  Punctuating the point the Maester withdraws back into the wagon without so much as a breath of pause..

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 44):

The scouts head out and circle the field. The others take an advantage point as look outs. Once they have completed their search they give the signal that the area is clear.

Jadis disagrees and will not stay behind with the knights as the hunters and scout go head and check the field.

As Makarios looks back at the field one of your men holds up a shredded cloth. "MASTER HUNTSMEN I FOUND SOMETHING !"
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:10, Tue 03 June 2014.

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 44):

Jadis shakes her head, expression grim. "I will be fine. I've seen the dead left laying before. At least these ones are burnt.." She shakes her head once more "I lived through the Red Death when it came a decade ago. I've seen worse than this." She dismounts and joins the men searching the site, Brutus at her heels and sniffing eagerly.

Makarios reaches the dead, two men were burned at the stake, their body's were strip of their clothes.

The count of bodies total 12 - 3 no more then boys, several armored well. Most killed by arrows the count maybe 30 or so found their mark and well placed around the chest. Signs of good marksmen.

The smell of rotting flesh is still fresh in the air and the chard flesh of many have already been picked at by the crows circling over head, waiting to finish their meal. There weapons missing and the possessions picked at. The bodies have been moved and stack side by side in front of the two that were stacked.

Jadis approaches just behind him and stairs at the dead.

OOC: Need rolls by all to stomach the sight.

A few of the less tested scouts, keel over and let the morning meal back out.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 01:15, Tue 03 June 2014.

"Makarios I found this stuffed under a rock, looks like it was hidden before the battle it has no blood." the scout hands it over to Makarios.

Jadis tightens her shemagh over her mouth and nose, taking a deep and calming breath. Forcing her stomach into obedience through pure will, she looks over the corpses closely. "So, who do we know that likes to set people on fire?"

In reply to Jadis Sand (msg # 50):

Jadis is doing well at the sight, ... Better then some of the fresh new scout recruits that Makarios is training.

While not particularly practiced in the art of inflicting wounds the old Maester falls firmly within the category of those who have seen it all when it comes to the aftermath of battle, as well as death in many other forms.  The scent of death eventually draws his attention from the still living man in the wagon to look outside at the scene of carnage long enough to comment briefly before returning to the more pressing matter of saving a life still lived.

”Be sure not to do to much damage to the bodies if you decide to rifle through them, they could be a bit more delicate than your first expectation would suggest if they have been dead for a while.”

06:11, Today: Archibald Sand rolled 17 using 3d6+5 with rolls of 4,2,6. Will Roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:12, Tue 03 June 2014.

Makarios inspects the cloth closely before hunting about the wretched corpse strewn field.

"Listen closely to the Maester, avoid damaging the corpses. And do try not to get your breakfast all over them Perkins..."

OOC: Hopefully Makarios' eagle-eyed inspection of the site bears significant fruit that might absolve him from losing his stomach contents.

17:42, Today: Makarios Lestat rolled 21 using 4d6 with rolls of 5,6,6,4. Awareness: spot clues/inspect cloth.
17:40, Today: Makarios Lestat rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 2,3,5. Will: to spew or not to spew.

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 53):



Its not the sight of the bodies but the smell of the burned rotting flesh that get him ill. Also he notices some have been curved up after the fact, almost as if tortured, thou not an expect on such matters you do recognize the signs.