The group slept through the night; some fitfully, some wracked with guilt, some grieving....others untroubled.

No more of the fell pale folk came close in the night, though Aphail did note one form in the distance in the wee hours.  As the companions woke the suns first rays shone upon the camp and illuminated the area, no longer stained with black blood and twisted bodys but rather the camp was now surrounded by a series of white stone outcrops surrounded by gravel, sand and smaller stones.

" Well...that clean up was easier than expected.", said Aphail. " I guess thats why they only come out at night."

"Let's go and find Chlainn and bury him. These monsters will not bother us," Lann says.

"No wonder there are so many rocks across the moor." Caith says, looking pensive, but grateful not to have to dig any more graves.

"Ser Vacrolann's remains may not be as easy to find." she adds softly.

Her expression is worried as she says quietly to the Hunter "I will do what I can to find a way to pay the bloodebt for the Hewells, Alphail, even if they never know of it. There is truth in what Usopi says, but justice needs mercy to it too."

" Usopi? Can Gat track the way those two went last night, I could but his senses are keener than mine.", Aphail asked quietly.

"Gat's in need of healing." Caith says in dutiful reminder, then hurriedly looks to Usopi and adds in an apologetic tone "Ye are as well, I would say by the look of ye."

OOC: Caith heals both Usopi and Gat, but the dog is currently more wounded than than the knight.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:06, Wed 31 July 2019.

Usopi stops in his task of breaking down his tent. He had not slept much, or at all, but he had spent much time in thought. At Caith’s healing he gives her a sad smile and a nod of thanks, then he turns to Aphail, ”I would put trust in Gat’s tracking senses, yes.”

Usopi shifts to address the group as a whole, "Friends, before we set out, I wish to apologize for the things I said and did once the fey creatures were dispatched. I am deeply sorrowful for any pain or betrayal I may have caused you. My only defense can be that I do not truly believe such things. I admit that I can see the seeds within me that might have grown in to such a harvest, but these are seeds that provide sweeter fruit when watered with compassion, as I have strove for all my life. You hold religious beliefs and practices that were taught of to me as, at best quaint delusions, at worst blasphemy. But I have always turned from descriptions of a heretic, and have seen your deities and magics with my own eyes used for good against the types of evil priests of the true faith can only imagine. While I will not turn to from my own beliefs, and will gladly speak with those who have chosen the same path as I, I can not in good conciseness think your cultures ignorant, misguided, or deluded." he glanced at Moralltach, still planted in the ground, “I suspect that the blade feeds upon even the smallest kernels of darkness in one’s heart and amplifies them without the constraints of sense, respect, or honor. I shall endeavor in the days ahead to confront my own... cruelties, but for now I wish only to apologize to you all for my behavior.”

Instead of waiting for a reply he sets back to the task of breaking down and gathering his things together. Gat approaches the knight, and though Usopi instinctively lowers a hand to pat the hound’s head, he stops himself, hesitates, and returns to his work.

Caith gathers her courage, then walks over to Gat, pats him, and says in a tone of reassurance "Ye are what ye are, wolfbrother Gat." and does what must be done.

She carefully looks over the hound's injuries, brushing great clouds of fine white sand from his matted coat with her hands in the process.

Her expression is calm, but more than a little concerned as her patient eyes and gentle hands find the rips and gouges left by fey claws under blood crusted fur.

"Nay wonder ye tore them a new one..." Caith says in sympathy to the dog "...They kicked ye as hard as they did me, and for the same bloody reason."

She looks to Lann a moment with furious contempt in her eyes, then turns her back on him, and gets on with the task at hand, murmuring strange words as she knits flesh back together.

"Good dog." she says, and turns her attention to Gat's owner. Caith notes the odd hesitation in Usopi to greet the hound with a puzzled look, then a grim one at the sword still stuck in the turf.

Caith gathers her courage again, made easier by the anger she feels for a servant treated badly by their master, and strides up to the knight, intent on healing a different kind of rift.

In a tone no less furious for it's quietness she tells Usopi "Punish yourself if ye must, but I will nay let you punish Gat for defending ye, even in a battle fury ye believe ye have nay defense against."

Caith makes a visible effort to drag her own fury back, then softly explains "Know this, Usopi, and remember it well. I call to the messengers of the Gods for aid and understanding. That is part of what I do as a witch to help those who need my sort of help."

The frustration in her tone is obvious as she whispers fiercely "The only God I called on to aid ye when the blade's wrath held ye in it's grasp was Gatenades!"

Caith concludes, more in sorrow than anger "Did nay think ye'd heed any other God's advice, to be honest with ye, but if I have done wrong by ye or your God? Then say so, and I do what I can to pay for the offense, aye, but nay spurn the dog for doing it's duty by ye in battle. That is crueler than death, and I nay reckon ye to be a cruel man, whatever that sullen bit of swordcraft would have ye believe."

She sighs, and offers an oddly practical bit of advice in her next remark of "And ye best shake that gravel from the tent before ye pack it away, ye daft man. Nay wonder ye nay slept well. Ye have rocks in your bed!" as she grabs an edge of groundsheet to help shake it free of the weight of stone.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:17, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

"Your blade is a powerful blade my frind. As you grow in power, your ability to control it will increase until it is you who shape the blade to carry out your will instad of it controlling you. With strength of mind, even a bad tool can be used for the forces of good. But until then, let me know when you use it and I will run!" Lann chuckles.

He packs his gear, polishes his armour and gets ready to find Chlainn's remains. He will try to find the direction he travelled in the night before.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:33, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Usopi turns to Caith, first with an expression of sadness as he realizes that if his behavior toward Gat has been seen as dismissive by another human, how must it seem to the hound. He looks briefly toward his four legged companion, but his eyes are brought back to Caith with widening surprise as she says she tells him that she called on the help of Gatanades. He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again as she continues. Slowly a smile is brought to his face.

When she finishes he chuckles lightly before replying, "You are right, I likely would not even know how to hear the words of other gods. I see how my actions have displayed derision toward Gat, and I will certainly make that up to him. However, the reason I hesitated was not out of disdain for my loyal friend, but because I feared what I might have done to him. Last night even my longest ally was a possible target for my wrath, which has perhaps been one of the heaviest impulses I hold the knowing of. None here have done wrong by me."

he pats the side of his leg to call Gat to him, and when the dog bounds over Usopi energetically scratches the space between Gat's ears, "As for wrongs done to my God, I can not see what insult might be found in seeking his aid in a time of need."

He begins to grin as she helps him pack his tent and shake the stone and sand from the canvas, "I do not know what the future holds for these lands, but I do know that should any men come north, soberly intoning the drivel I spouted last night, I will be there too stand in their path."



To Lann he furrows his brow in thought, "Perhaps Lann, but perhaps the power to control such a force may itself be the greater source of corruption."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:52, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

"You will become stronger as you learn. Haven't you just grown stronger recently? It doesn't make you corrupt. If we hold on to our values and keep a straight path, we will always stay true to ourselves! As for my narrow path, it is power."
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:35, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Brannon nods sagely at Usopi's apology. "I think we can credit the blade rather than you... what we heard yesterday was not the Knight we have come to know. Still, we must be careful - we are trafficking in dark magics. The threat from whatever dark forces have their eye on Glissom is enough that I will take what help I can, but the danger of hunting monsters is that we become them..."

He finishes packing up, but pauses as he comes to his shovel. "Ser Venia - what is the convention for Ser Vacrolann? A burial or a pyre?"

Caith listens, then says "Gat's wounds were from claws, Usopi, nay a sword. Ye nay struck at him in blade's fury."

She glances sideways at Lann, but resists the urge to labor the point, and looks back to the knight as she offers "I am glad I have nay given offense where none was intended. I thank ye also for your promise of aid in time of war, though I hope to never have the need to call upon ye to make good on it."

Her only comment on the warlock's opinions on the nature of power is a politely skeptical look at the broad swathe of shattered stone and scorched earth around the campsite before she resumes helping break camp.

"Faster we're packed, the faster we can leave and look for what we can find of Ser Vacrolann to send off to his God proper like." she says in reassurance, and gathers her own belongings together.

She leaves a handful of tiny daisies gathered from the moor on the new sprung stone where her dagger landed, as she does not know what Gods, if any, the wild hill fey hold dear.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

For a moment Usopi’s fists clench in response to Lann’s words. The knight turns to glare at the shaman, ”After everything that has occurred you still speak of power with the same single minded foolishness?” he stands to his feet, ”And yet you do not see how its pursuit and capture might corrupt?! Our values?! Straight path!? You....”

The knight stops, looking at his balled fists, and turns away from Lann, forcing himself to breath deeply before he finally looks to Brannon and Caith, though the smile that speaking to Caith had brought back to him is gone once more.

”I suppose in the best case scenario we would gather his body, transport him to sacred ground, and bury him with his armor and sword.” he casts his eyes out past the three large rocks that were the front line of the trolls, ”More realistically I would say we burn whatever remains we may find, perhaps carrying them in a container of some kind, and sending it and his horse, armor and weaponry back to his family, once they can be found of course.”

”And Caith speaks the truth once again, the sooner we gather our things the sooner we may leave.”

Usopi walks over to Moralltach and carefully, slowly replaces it in the makeshift sheath he had created for it on the day he’d taken possession of it. He had thoughts on a custom sheath he would have made the next time he returned to a craftsman of sufficient skill, but for now it would simply carry it across his back.

”Gat, find Chlainn.” he said as he took the hound by the makeshift leash and set out to find any of the dead knight’s remains.

" Lets go and get off this moor before dark."

Gat led the way across the moor, stopping occasionally at certain points to orientate himself.

After 20 minutes or so he led them to a red ruin of scattered segments of maille, cracked bone and unidentifiable scattered scraps of flesh.

Aphails and Usopis keen eyes note no sign of the fallen knights shield, pack or other belongings...
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:12, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Lann decided that the knight does not understand that power is needed to defeat evil. He merely says," Without power you cannot defeat evil.  Faith without strength is meaningless."

With that he shoulders his pack, sheathes the shortsword, and straps the longsword to his pack and moves along. He has heard some warriors fight with two blades and hopes to learn that someday.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:10, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Lann weeps at the sight of Chlainn's mangled body.

He lays his bedroll on the ground and gently scoops the parts and places them on the bedroll. He then looks around to see if there are tracks to the lair of the monsters.

Falling that he hopes Gat can root the lair out.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:13, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Caith looks to the skies, perhaps seeking patience in the infinite space, then addresses  Lann in a voice devoid of emotion "Perhaps is is arrogant of me to correct an apprentice trained by the renowned witches of Clan Gar, but I think ye will find that strength without self-control is both feared and despised."

She does not look or speak to Lann again while the last preparations to leave are made, but spares a moment to speak with the again scowling knight and the Hearthwarden.

Her solemn tone is at odds with the impish glint in her eyes as she offers her own hard learned lesson of "An narrow path, in my own opinion, suits only a mind so narrow that it can nay admit to any flaw in it's thinking."

Caith shrugs and adds "...But it may be arrogant of me to say so." with a smile.

She nods in agreement with Alphail's wise words, and goes about the business of foraging food for the living while also searching for a dead man's corpse in silence, concentrating on the tasks at hand.

The scraps of maille, torn flesh and splintered bone draw a frown from her, followed by a long look at the sparse collection that Lann gathers so carefully.

The hedgewitch puts a hand to the weeping Lann's shoulder and says gently "Ye have reaped the harvest ye sowed. It is nay wise to linger here unless ye wish to see all of us dead."

Lann listens to the witch's words and nods. "You are not wrong my friend but I believe I have learnt more self control over time. We have to be powerful and yet have compassion."

Saying that he buried the knight's remains and erects a stone marker for him using one of the stone blocks he finds
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:33, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Brannon sighs, sadly. "Without his weapons or armour we have nought to return to his family."

He says a prayer over the burial, a little uncertainly, as he is not familiar with the rituals of the Hanged God. Hearthmother, I commend Sir Chlainn Vacrolann to you, and to the care of his beloved Gatanedes. Speed his way through the next life, and comfort those he left behind."

"Maybe we can search along the path. We might find some of his personal effects," Lann says to Brannon. "Looking at how the beasts were turned to stone by the sun, I doubt they will appear in the day."
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:35, Thu 01 Aug 2019.

Caith nods in approval as Lann masters his grief and does what needs to be done.

A small consolation is offered to the Hearthwarden's point of inheritance law as she says "A horse is worth far more than both a maille coat or a fine blade. Mayhap his riding horse back in Hallowhall, and a piece of his sundered armour would appease his kin? After all, nay one can ride a blade to market."

She asks Usopi "Did Ser Vacrolann have a badge or sign of his clan? If ye nay know of one, then perhaps his initials would do. Quicker to carve letter in stone than elaborate heraldry."

The seiðkona gathers another handful of daisies and weaves a wreath of them to leave on the fallen knight's tiny grave, and pours a drop of the only strong spirit she has among her medical supplies, harsh in taste but powerful in effect into a hollow in the rock. It takes some patient work with her tinder box to coax a spark from it, but a tiny flame burns there as Brannon speaks the rite of the dead.

Caith stands by Alphail, hesitantly puts her hand in his, and leans close as she murmurs "It has been said by wise folk than I that knowledge gained at great cost stays with the student longer than any tutor's beating about the head can instill."

She is a tad less philosophical in tone when she concludes with a sly smile "Teaching, I reckon, is like politics, an art in learning to deal civilly with people ye'd rather behead for their insolence."

Aphail nods to Caith and says a simple prayer to Artia to tell the underworld that a great warrior was coming upon them and to make sure the honey mead was copious at the table of the dead.

He then delicately decouples his hand and with another nod begins to examine the area with Gat.

He turned towards others, " None of Chlainns possesions are here? Did the fae beasts take them do you think?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:20, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

Both Aphail and Gat discover that the scent trail of the moor fae is gone under the sun but Gat seems to pick up a faint trail leading away that possibly belonged to Chlainn.

Usopi drops to one knee before the grave, constructed, decorated, and consecrated by the others. ”I do not know of any sign he used. I believe his initials would serve well here.”

Then Usopi bows his head and mutters a general prayer to Gatanadese, that he might see his faithful servant to an eternal rest. Not being an ordained priest, or even having spent as much time observing services as he should, he does not know the accuracy of his words to tradition, but he is sure that the lord must value intent over form.

After a moment Usopi stands again, looking toward the others, ”Perhaps we might follow whatever scent Gat has found, though by the state of this site I do not know what more we might find. I am sure the horse would be sufficient for his kin if we instead wish to be on our way from this place.”

Nodding to Usopi Aphail crouched down and used the sacred dagger to inscribe Chlainns initials into the white stone.

" It is done.  I doubt we'll find much but if it won't cost us too much time it is best we have a look to see what else can be brought back for them."

It being decided the companions made their way slowly across the moor with Gat and Aphail occasionally finding signs or scents....after about five minutes or so they discovered Chlainns helm, pauldrons and gauntlets scattered in a line about 50m in length....

These were collected up and then a little further on his pack was found, further searching of the area did not locate anything else....but a sundered shield and his arbalest that had been crushed by some great weight...

OOC:

Contents of Chlainns pack:

Magic chalice 1 vino a day
Flint & Tinder
Multiple dice sets, cards
10 days food
4 torches
Horn
a silver phiale
silver drinking cup, 1 Slate Bracelet
 Selentine coin necklace
 10 arbalest quarrels

"Perhaps we can bring his effects back to his home someday. These are worth quite a lot," Lann says. He packs the gear away and takes the magic chalice to Chlain's grave. Commanding the chalice to fill with wine, Lann pours the contents before the grave of Chlainn as libation.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:57, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

Usopi shrugs as Lann collects the items. When they return to Hallowhall they can carry the objects in the cart, but for now someone has to lug them around. It may be some time till they can be sent to his kin however, since first his family estate must be located.

"Then we are finished here. Let us leave these lands and be on with our task." Usopi says when it looks like Lann is finished.

"We can find his killers and kill them first if we want," Lann says.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:24, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

Caith says "Here, ye'll need this..." as she offers a unsheathed dagger to Lann, hilt first "...If ye truly wish to kill every creature who sent Ser Vacrolann to his death."

She calmly adds "I'd suggest ye cut your own throat with it, as I doubt a red thirst for vengeance is at ease with the compassion ye spoke of so readily this morning."

Her face is an expressionless mask, her tone dead as Ser Vacrolann as she explains to her most troublesome student "Perhaps ye wish to see more hill fey die for your greed? That is nay vengeance, and does no honour to the memory of the fallen. Nay to mention that it ill befits one who would learn to command the fey. They have long memories for an insult to their kind, even the ones who squabble among themselves for a shiny will rise as one to turn against such a master."

_{Edited for clarity.}
This message was last edited by the player at 04:38, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

"Indeed," Usopi mutters, "And how even would we do such? Gat and Aphail can not seem to track them, they must find cover for themselves entirely during the day lest they turn to stone, and we have no clues as to where they might cover. Shall we wander the moor aimlessly, or wait till the sun sets and summon another one with your ring? We do not have the time, and I certainly do not wish to repeat last night's experiences."

He pats Gat's side, thanking the dog for his work tracking Chlainn's things, "Brannon, any idea in which direction we aught to head for that town with the bisected livestock?"

In reply to Usopi Venia (msg # 30):

Aphail nodded at Caith and Usopis words, " One might as well kill a bear for the sin of biting a hand placed in its mouth."

" These are not men to understand the pain of loss or such things, let us leave them be."

" The Grey Hills should be south of here if we follow the base of the mountain range."

"Then let us move on," Lann says, walking along.

OOC: marching order?
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:22, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

"Aye: let us move on: best make use of the sunlight to make ourselves scarce while we can." Brannon nods. "South it is."

He readies his pack, keeping his bow handy as they set off.

The trip south with Aphail and Gat scouting ahead and Usopi and Lann following behind Brannon and Caith was relatively uneventful for the most part, the foothills of this southern stretch of the Pagans were less densly wooded than those further north and low gorse and briar bushes were the most common vegetation seen, the air was alive with the hum of insects and many small birds seemed to enjoy the springtime bounty.

As they moved south with the mountains over their left shoulder they eventually came across a great spur of mountains before them, it would take a lot of time to go around but Aphails map showed what seemed to be a pass across the spur.

The companions rested as Aphail went ahead and found what seemed to be an old path worn into the stones leading upward. He returned and reported what he had found.

Aphail sat down wearily and relayed what he had seen, " So which is it? Do we head up and chance that the pass is...passable? Or circle round this spur?  It is spring so there shouldn't be much in the way of snow above...though the melt wasn't that long ago there may be some boggy patches...."

Usopi scratched his chin, "If you feel the path likely clear enough for us to pass through then I see no reason not to take it. The trip around the mountain would be costly in time, and if there are some dangers in the mountains, better we face them then a less capable traveler."

"Let's just take the path. Does it look new or well worn? Wonder if it could be a deliberate path to ambush unwary travelers. But I agree with Usopi, we can save time if we can take it," Lann says.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:32, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

Brannon nods. "We may as well try the path. Either it's a convenient shortcut across the mountains, or it goes somewhere of interest. An elaborate trap, if it is one, but any road through secluded areas may attract its share of bandits... or worse. We best keep our wits about us."

" Well, we have a consensus then. Usopi, mind if I borrow Gat for a little longer.", Aphail began climbing up the old path worn in the stone.

Caith says after some time spent in thought "If I trust in the mapmaker being a careful one, then there is probably a way through as marked, risky though it may be."

She adds in fairness "Alphail has a knack of finding the way though, so I that's a chance I'll take. I agree."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:11, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

The companions began the steep climb up the ancient path finding the going not too slow but the cold greatly increasing as they ascended though the sun was still high overhead behind the occasional cloud.

After an hour or so's ascent they came to a narrow passing between two rocky outcrops and passing through it found themselves in a wide high valley.

Gat ran ahead scaring up a number of grouse from the ground, but that was the only life bar the lichen and plants that they could see.



OOC:( https://www.irishtimes.com/pol...ox_620_330/image.jpg )

Lann surveys the area and wonders aloud,"I wonder what lies ahead. Seems there is little vegetation here yet the altitude isn't high enough to cause plants not to grow."

He surveys the soil to check the quality of the soil.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:29, Fri 02 Aug 2019.

Unlike the almost dry conditions of the mountain slopes around Clann Gars holdings this valley seems to suffer from yearly and violent floods of meltwater which carry much of the broken down stone and organic matter down onto the plains....leaving little behind.

Following the valley wall for the better part of two hours the companions came across a strange site hidden behind a fallen boulder. A flat piece of stone with a horses skull placed upon it and with the skins and skeletons of three adders threaded through the gaps in the skull.

There was a deep eroded hole in the lee of the boulder and there seemed to be small bones scattered at the bottom of it, some 10m down.

Lann tried to recall horses skull and adder snakes. He remembers seeing a horse skull emblem before and wonders if it is related to this. If so; evil is at hand. He whispers his suspicions to his friends.

Caith watches Lann digging a hole speculatively, then offers an opinion of "Nay good crop land. Bit of grazing, aye, but nay for long." in a neutral tone.

The grouse get a long and hungry look, and a restrung short bow in Caith hands, ready for the next flight that rises.

The equine skull entwined with serpents provokes a puzzled look, then concern, as she looks down the pit, and wonders what creature's bones lie below.

"I doubt that's just a horse's grave..." Caith says pensively, then looks to Brannon and asks "Path shrine of some sort?" but then turns to listen as Lann offers his own suspicions on the matter.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:50, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

" Horse skulls and serpents....that priest from the cave of horrors carried such a symbol did he not? And they came from these parts..."

"Yes Rimfaxs priests could be close by. I wonder if they are hidden somewhere to conduct rituals."

Lann inspects the gory artefact from a distance.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:53, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

Caith looks up at the valley wall and suggests "If anyone lived here for long, it would have to be up beyond the flood's reach."

"If I destroy this artefact, will anyone attack me? I wonder," Lann muses.

"Do we want to destroy this object of evil?" He asks his friends.

Turning to Aphail, he asks," Do you think there's anywhere here the remnants could hide? And how old is this artifact been here?" Lann asks
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:03, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

Brannon eyes the makeshift symbol with distaste. "You'll get no complaint from me. Any sign of Rimfax is unwelcome, though we should be watchful..."

Usopi turns his eyes to the pass around them, keeping watch for any agents of Rimfax.

"If this is the sign of that god of pestilence then I would rejoice in its destruction. I have seen little else in my life that so gleefully distributes suffering." He says over his shoulder, "Though what of the bones down the hole? A sacrifice? The remains of the meals of another plague beast? We could leave the hole alone and hope it has no continued purpose, but we have left Rimfax's agents unattended before and they have returned worse than when they left us."


OOC - is the hole straight down? or is it more of a slope? I don't know if I think it's a good idea for anyone without lots of armor to go down there, but I also can't climb like.... at all. lol

"I mean if I destroy it will a monster appear? That's my concern. And I wonder if there is a hidden cave or something here," Lann says.

OOC: You should use rope. Your reflexes are not very high.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:05, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

Caith looks grim at the name, and says flatly "If that is what the headhunter priest's patron is named? Then they are nay a God, nor any spirit I would call benevolent."

She looks to Lann and suggests "If that collection of bones is baneful in other ways, then let me look at it for signs of enchantment before ye break it."

OOC: Caith casts DETECT AURA for 2MP to take a second look.

Caith also looks for signs of flesh left on the skull, wondering how recently made it is, and if it was picked clean by scavengers, or unearthed by scouring water.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:09, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

As the crude altar is inspected the companions can note it seems to have some lichen growing on it and seems somewhat weathered as if not tended for quite some time.

Inspecting the hole little can be seen of the bottom and the bones cannot be identified from up here but it seems to have been hollowed out by water over the eons.

A person could perhaps wiggle their way down but it is quite tight.

There is no enchantment to be seen by Caith and the skull appears old and weathered.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:13, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

Usopi glances back at the alter and his companions, "I defer to the rest of you. If the altar is not recently used then perhaps it has been abandoned after the troubles in these lands. If so it can simply be destroyed. If someone wishes to investigate the bones then I could hold the rope from above to raise the investigator up if there should be some surprise below."

"Nay enchanted, just nasty to look at, and old, nay fresh." Caith reports of the skull and bones.

"I'll take a closer look, if ye'll hold the rope." Caith says to Usopi "After the last pit, and a child's skull to bury with their bones? Have to, even If I nay like the prospect."

OOC: Caith's the lightest of the PCs, so at least she's easy to drag back up.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:03, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

"Ok let me do it. I will use my Balorian sickle blade to destroy it! How fitting to be using an evil object to destroy another evil one," Lann muses. With that, he draws his black blade and smashes the artifact.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:13, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

Lanns black blade came down and destroyed the skull and the skeletons attached to it, the altar was cracked...to seemingly no ill effect.

Usopi anchored the rope and Caith began to climb down, keeping a firm grip on the rope...the rock walls were slick and covered in moss and darker stains. When Caith reached the bottom she felt bones crunch and break under her boots, it was dark...but it opened out a little at the bottom she could crouch down if she wanted.

OOC: 20:17, Today: GM, for the NPC Caith, rolled 10 using 1d20.

Caith stands still, listens then gathers moonlight to herself to see better by.

OOC: Caith casts MOONGLOW for 1MP. SEE AURA is still up hopefully.

She keeps a hand hanging on to the rope, and looks down beneath her feet before she crouches to see what lies further down the narrow path.

The floor is littered with bones and small skulls about the size of both her fists together, her medical knowledge tells her that the infants who died here were under six months of age...and some of these bones are hundreds of years old.....she doesn't know how far down the actual floor is the bones are so deep...but there is a cleft in the stone to her left...she could prehaps squeeze through it....

Lann watches and hopes the intrepid witch comes to no harm.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:24, Sat 03 Aug 2019.

Caith shudders as her borrowed light confirms that this is indeed a place of ancient evil, but her face is grimly determined. An anger she never thought possible to contain without screaming in rage keeps her from scrambling hurriedly back up the rope.

"Child sacrifice pit full of bones. An ancient one by the look of it..." she calls upward, mindful even in her rising fury to warn the others of her intent before going further "...Hang on while I check the wall, and give me a bit more rope if ye can."

Caith takes a cautious step towards the cleft to see if Artia's Lamp can show if anything lies further.

Peering down into the dark Caiths eyes see nothing......but her other eyes....they find movement..soft, pale...barely noticeable traces of spectral force...whispered coos and crys....

"Be careful witch!" Lann whispers. "Any danger, you shout and we will haul you out!"

Lann moves to support Usopi in case they need to reel line in fast.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:50, Sun 04 Aug 2019.

Usopi scowls at the knowledge that the pit was used for child sacrifice, even more so that it is ancient. How many infants had the followers of Rimfax thrown to their deaths?

He did not like that Caith needed to explore further, but better to be sure the pit was empty of vile entities then to leave too soon and miss some grave threat to the lands.

He allowed more slack in the rope as Lann added his strength to secure the end. If Caith shouted they would both pull hard until the witch was on the surface again.

Aphail kept a watch upslope and across the valley, abandoned or not someone may be watching.

Caith winces as if struck through the heart by a blade forged of sound as the cries of long dead infants reach her ears.

She hangs on to the rope for dear life, in reminder that sun and sky still exist outside of this dismal place, and says gently "This is nay a good cradle for ye, little ones."

Caith bites her left thumb, until blood drips from it, then clutches a blood red stone in the same hand, using an old magic to fight an older evil, as she says in a reassuring tone "Listen to me, and I will see ye safely back in your mother's arms."

She stands in the moonlight, illuminating the dark, as she patiently draws the infant's spirits attention to her, still hanging on to the rope, and watchful for any sign of the nurse that keeps a nursery of slain children in their care.

Caith sings softly, sure in her task now, an old lullaby on her lips as she sings the dead back to sleep.

O ba ba mo leanabh, Ba mo leanabh, ba.
O ba ba mo leanabh, Nì mo leanabhs' an ba ba.
Ged tha mi gun chaoraich agam, 'S caoraich uil' aig càch.
Ged tha mi gun chaoraich agam, Dèan a leanabh an ba ba...

The noises quiet and slowly the shapes fade from Caiths vision, nothing else seems to be roused and the cavern is quiet as the grave it is.

"Sleep well." Caith whispers, the huskiness of her voice less notable for the tenderness in it, followed by a heartfelt if softly breathed "Thank ye Lady Artia."

She takes a slow and careful step back, retracing her footprints in the bones lest she disturb the now sleeping peacefully spirits, and gathers the slack in the rope to tie around her hips.

Caith peers cautiously around her once more, then begins the slow climb back up to the surface, and the light of day, grateful for the help of her comrades in escaping the pit.

[Private to GM: OOC: I assume that a swarm of baby ghosts has a Rank equivalent cost in MP to send on their way peacefully, and at least 1 Heath Point's worth of blood?

The blood soaked ruby is going down the hole before she borrows Brannon's shovel to fills the entrance pit in with rocks and soil.]

OOC: Just the 1 MP.

Aphail knelt at the side of the pit his left hand reaching over his opposite shoulder to brush the feathers of his relic arrow.

He smiled a small, crooked smile as Caith ascended...

Lann helps to haul the witch up and tells her that he thinks it is good she laid the spirits to rest. He is determined to kill the next rimfax priest he comes across. Having seen how children suffered when he was a child, he had a soft spot for the vulnerable.

He is also thankful that there is no evil cultist to fight now as he is low on magical energies.

With the grave checked for malicious spirits, Caith withdrawn from the hole, and the marker destroyed, Usopi stows his rope once again.

"Hopefully that is the last remnant of Rimfax we see in our travels for some time." He says as he makes ready to continue their trip through the pass.

"Let's break for lunch before we push on! The climb is tough for men like us. It must be more so for the witch," Lann says.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:00, Sun 04 Aug 2019.

Aphail looked very deliberately off into the distance and said nothing.

" Perhaps, some food would do us all some good."

He pulled out two parcels of rations and shared them out to the others.

In reply to Aphail MacRoach (msg # 73):

"Moonlight at midday, and a lullaby." Caith says to Alphail, grateful to see him again, then explains "Naught but the lost bairns down there. Sleeping peaceful now."

She thanks Usopi and Lann for their unexpectedly joint effort in getting her out of a nasty hole as she says "Couldn't have done it without ye." and smiles at the pair of them.

Caith looks to Hearthwarden Brannon as she asks "Can I borrow that shovel of yours for a bit of raven work?" then offers her simple plan of "Nay good will come of disturbing the many dead down that pit, so I reckon burying the entrance will seal it proper like. At the very least it will give any lurking cultist many annoying days of backbreaking labor to dig it clear again."

"Plenty of rocks to push down there make it an even longer task to for them drag up too. Much easier to fill a hole in than dig it out, right?" she adds with a crafty smile.

OOC: Sorted, and thank you. :)


_{EDIT for typos and OOC additiion.}
This message was last edited by the player at 05:27, Sun 04 Aug 2019.

" Alright, spade work, then food."

There was enough loose scree and slit rock about that filling the shaft didn't take too long for them all working together. Then they sat, caught their breath and ate and drank for a spell.

Usopi enjoys the meal and the view. Despite the former presence of the Rimfax shrine and the knowledge that some distance below them is a newly buried mass grave, looking out in to the pass is quite calming.

He shares some of his food with Gat, taking in the pleasant air and the company of his companions.

Lann wolfs down his food quickly before keeping watch for his friends.

Caith beams happily, a rare occurrence indeed, and one that takes much of the bite from her twisted smile as she replies "Aye, and thank ye. I'll rest easier knowing the place is put to proper rites first."

She works as hard as anyone else to get the job done, even if she is not a strong woman in body, and even if the larger boulders are beyond her ability to move alone? She is not working alone, a thought that humbles her as much as it brings her joy.

Caith contributes the little she has gathered that can be eaten raw, then eats slowly, and gathers her strength for the journey onward, keeping a wary eye on the upper reaches of the valley wall, but conversing in a relaxed manner in between bites.

She stops briefly to leave a daisy chain hanging from the nearest stunted tree's branches, unwilling to mark the grave's site too closely, nor willing to leave without a gesture of respect to the dead.

Aphail brush the crumbs onto the ground suspecting that the small birds would appreciate the richer fare over what else could be found up here.

" Are we ready to move on?"

Caith replies "Aye." in a pensive tone, and shoulders her pack again as she looks along the valley wall once more, then towards the way ahead.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:10, Mon 05 Aug 2019.

Lann shoulders his pack and ensures he has all his gear with him. He will be ready as always for a fight.

The companions continued along the valley wall but were forced lower and lower as the sides became steeper funnelling them down towards the stony and moss covered valley floor.

Coming down onto the uneven surface they continued on, looking up at the grey clouds rolling in it seemed rain was on the way.

"Best we find some shelter to wait out the rain," Lann says.
He surveys the area trying to see if there is an outcrop where the party can shelter from the rain.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:30, Mon 05 Aug 2019.

Finding shelter on the floor of the valley looked like a losing proposition, though some 200m or so ahead there seemed to be an outcrop or something on the left hand wall of the valley.  The rain was falling heavily now and the polished stones and moss underfoot were becoming quite slippery, water was beginning to run down the valley sides in rivulets...

Aphail looked around, " This is not a good place to be....if that rain keeps up this valley is going to become very wet and we may have a flash flood on the way...ideas other than run?"

"Climb that outcrop, and cling like a stubborn tree's roots." Caith suggests, and starts moving as fast as she can across the now slick and treacherous ground towards it.

OOC: Caith intends to use TANGLEROOTS as a means of hanging on tighter to a precarious perch, as well as that rope of Usopi's.

MANTLET doesn't work on rain AFAIK, but it may work on the smaller chunks of floodwater debris in a pinch. Best plan I can come up with with the resources to hand.

"We should be safer on higher grounds?" Lann suggests. "The outcrop seems a good place. Maybe we can go there."

”Indeed, we can tie ourselves together so that if one loses their grip the others can keep them from being rushed away. Gat especially will need to be secured to us with rope. His lack of hands would make it difficult for him to hold on himself.” he agreed as they began to run toward the outcropping, ”Lann, if you summon your magical strength then you can be the anchor of one end, and I of the other.”

OOC - I’ve only got 10m of rope, but that should be enough?

The companions ran towards the outcrop, am oblong smooth polished boulder projecting from the valley wall as water began sheeting down the valley walls, underfoot becoming slick and treacherous as the rain smashed down from the sky. As they got to the boulder Usopi looked for a place to tie his rope. It went once around the boulder but there was only 3m to spare after that.

A loud rumbling sound was slowly becoming noticeable as they hurriedly lashed themselves to the boulder and Caith drew forth tangled plants from the base of the boulder to tangle Brannon securely into place....

OOC:

Everyone has time for two actions before a wall of water about 5m high hits them, luckily the outcropping is high enough that at least half your body will be out of the water.

Usopi double checks all the knots, bows his head in prayer to Gatanades, and them braces himself for the coming wall of water. Was it perhaps Rimfax attempting to punish them for destroying the cursed altar? If so Usopi resolved that he would gladly suffer a thousand tides then allow such an unholy site to remain.

Caith weaves her staff and the rope into the living plants around the rock to act as a brace to hang on to.

She tells Usopi "Let that armour help ye with it's weight, and hang on to Gat. He can nay cut knots if need be, ye can."

The hedge witch looks to the water coming down and says "Hold fast, and nay let go." as she takes her own advice.

OOC: Caith's shorter than everyone else here but Gat. She may well need a higher handhold than the rest of the PCs to keep her head above water.

She also casts MANTLET as she can see a wall of water on the way, and there's no time to figure out it if it's carrying a pile of flood debris with it or not.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:29, Tue 06 Aug 2019.

Brannon braced himself and reached out for the others to assist them in holding on.

Aphail took in Usopi and Caiths efforts and did his best to weave his limbs among the tangled branches and through a loop in the rope.

" Hold tight all!"

Lann follows suit and wraps himself around the roots and held on tight to the outcrop, his limbs gripping the roots.

As the onrushing wall of water crashed into them they held strong grips tightening to hold themselves in place, Caith felt herself beginning to slip but both Brannon and Aphail were able to keep her from slipping away.  After several wet and bracing minutes the bulk of the water was gone and the floor of the valley was a sodden mess with rivulets tracing their way between the stones.

Gat jumped down and shook himself vigorously, managing to get water over everyone again.

It was beginning to grow dimmer as the sun began to touch the peaks....







OOC:

22:19, Today: GM, for the NPC Lann, rolled 12 using 1d20.  Strength. Suceed.

22:19, Today: GM, for the NPC Gat, rolled 12 using 1d20.  Strength. Suceed.

22:19, Today: GM, for the NPC Usopi, rolled 9 using 1d20.  Strength. Suceed.

22:18, Today: GM, for the NPC Caith, rolled 15 using 1d20.  Strength. Fail.

22:18, Today: GM, for the NPC Brannon, rolled 8 using 1d20.  Strength. Suceed.

22:18, Today: GM, for the NPC Aphail, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Strength. Succeed.

Usopi chuckles at Gat’s display as the man sets about untying everyone from the rope, ”Though it is getting dark, I believe we should push on until we are clear of this valley. Should another rainfall come while we are camped for the night, it could be dangerous.” he says.

Brannon nods. "Agreed. It is too dangerous to stay here..."

Caith shrugs, and looks to Alpail as she asks skeptically "How far does that map reckon it is?"

She thanks the plants that held as she dismisses her spells, and climbs down, wet, cold and annoyed at herself for not paying heed to the signs, then taking a stupidly dangerous path in Spring.

The fact that she is still alive to complain about any of it is the reason she silently thanks the horse that died in warning, and keeps walking.

Only when Caith realizes she's running off by herself again, blind in fury, does she turn back around, with a sheepish expression on her face, and listens carefully.


_{EDIT for clarity.}
This message was last edited by the player at 00:35, Wed 07 Aug 2019.

Aphail went over to Brannon and looked at the map carefully.

" Two hours to the foothills.....The Grey Hills....thats where we are headed..."

" Not sure how far to a dwelling or settlement..theres nothing marked."

The companions quickly readied themselves and moved at speed along the valley floor which was rapidly becoming narrower and steeper, and still slippery underfoot.

They almost missed where the old trail left the valley floor and headed towards a hollow in the valley wall about 30m up, looking further along they could see the valley floor drop abruptly with small trails of water drifting off into the windy air.

Lann follows along and as dusk approaches, heals himself and Usopi.

OOC Cast Heal Injury on Lann and Usopi.

Caith notes Lann's wariness hidden behind his helpfulness, but also heals Gat, reasoning that even the dog has earned her trust.

OOC: Caith casts LESSER HEALING on Gat for 1MP.

She looks to Brannon and Alphail and asks calmly "So do we take a look up the path for some shelter, or do we try our luck climbing down a cliff?"

Caith offers "Artia's light will help either way."

Usopi frowned at the edge of the cliff. He made his way toward it to peer over the edge and ensure that it was indeed a straight drop. He grimaced as he walked toward it and said, ”If we are to climb a sheer cliff I would rather do it during the day. Perhaps we might make camp on that shelf above to avoid rain fall until the morning, and progress from there? The thought of climbing already makes me wary. Heights are not my specialty.”

" Perhaps the hollow or cave first? I'm sure we could see our destination from over there but the valley floor is slippery enough as is....I'm not sure I'd trust my footing that close to a drop off."

Aphail began ascending the ancient worn trail towards the dark patch against the stone...not seeing Usopi head the other way.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:05, Wed 07 Aug 2019.

As Usopi finished his foot came down and an entire layer of sodden moss peeled off of the stone beneath his feet. He fell forward and was stumbling towards the edge of the cliff at speed when he managed to catch himself at the last minute, crashing to the ground and clutching at the stones to halt himself.

Catching his breath, he found he could see over the edge down to a small, deep lake at the bottom of the cliff and further out from it a trickling stream through grey fir trees and beyond it open ground and perhaps some faint points of light off in the greying darkness....

Gat barked at him in a....scolding?...tone from Caiths side.

OOC:
14:06, Today: GM, for the NPC Usopi, rolled 8 using 1d20.  Reflexes.
14:07, Today: GM, for the NPC Usopi, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Reflexes.

Don't send the guy with 4 Reflexes towards the slippery cliff of doom. ;)
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:17, Wed 07 Aug 2019.

Caith nods in agreement with Alphail, and borrows moonlight to see her way up the cliff path, her hand still on Gat's collar...

OOC: Caith casts MOONGLOW for 1MP.

...She turns around as the dog abruptly drags her in the opposite direction, wondering what all the fuss is about, then catches her breath as she sees Usopi's slide stop short of the edge below.

Caith agrees with Gat as she says to the dog "Aye, he's definitely the one who should be on a leash at the moment."

She asks the knight "See anything worth the trip?" in an exasperated tone, but offers "Ye need a hand up from there? Throw the rope up to me. Nay worry, Gat will help drag ye too." as she digs her staff into the sodden ground for a better grip in slippery conditions.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:13, Wed 07 Aug 2019.

For a short time after catching himself Usopi can do nothing but breath deeply to try and calm his pounding heart, but when he finally looks up and sees what is over the cliff he finds his just recently refilled lungs empty once more by the sight before him. Able to see so far, even As the light of day is beginning to wan, the view is striking, and he takes a moment to appreciate it, as precarious as his position is.

Then, as Gat barks at him and Caith calls for him to throw her and end of his rope, he slowly makes to do so, keeping his weight spread out and moving with extreme care, testing every foothold and stone for security before committing any real weight to it.

”A steep drop, a deep lake, a stream through a forest of firs, then open ground and a few specks of light that may perhaps be our destination. No worn or carved path down the face of the cliff, and farther to climb then I believe I am comfortable with after my recent... experience.” he pauses and casts a glance back toward the edge, ”Though I can say the view is remarkable. If Gatanadese did not create such an image, then I aught to thank whichever power did.” he says with a small chuckle.

"Shall we continue to explore? We really should get out of this place."Lann says.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:20, Wed 07 Aug 2019.

"I'll nay argue over the making of it, but looking at it can wait." Caith says, keeping her footing on a large boulder as she winds the rope around it.

She adds in a cheerful tone "If we can nay get down there safely in the dark, nay much point worrying about it 'til morning, aye?"

As Aphail drew level with the hollow he saw that it was much deeper than it first appeared, the stone walls and floor just inside the entrance were smoothed as if by many years of passage....within he saw traces of smoke residue on the roof.

" We've shelter here if its wanted.", Aphail called down to the others.

"Aye, I reckon so." Caith answers, after a last wary look at the gathering darkness for any sign of rain, and hands the coiled rope back to Usopi.

The moonlight follows her up the path as she takes great care with her footing, then  looks inside, wondering what lies within.

Moving into the cave Caith and Aphail noted the signs of human occupation and use were many; from footprints in the earth at the rear, smoke residue on the ceiling and walls, scraps of leather and bones.

Then Aphails keen eyes noted a drop off at the back of the cave and moved forward finding a set of curving rounded but carved stairs in the rock leading down into darkness.....

Caith looks down the stone stairwell and suggests "It could be a path down cut through the rock, given Usopi saw nay sign of one outside from the edge of the cliff..."

She offers in support of her theory "Been folk here before by the look of it, aye? So they got up here, and most likely by a path we have nay seen as yet."

"Let's explore. Shall I summon a denizen to check the area out?" Lann asks
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:33, Thu 08 Aug 2019.

"After what happened last time, I'm not sure we should take the risk." Brannon frowns. "We have no reason to think that there is anything particularly dangerous. Let us search it ourselves, and if there is nothing untoward, make camp where we are not at is of being washed away."

Usopi nods his thanks to Caith as she hands him the rope after helping him up from the ledge.

”Should we descend now then, or make camp here for the evening. It seems that folk have done so in the past. Perhaps it is above the water level of the rainfall?” He asks from the mouth of the cave, still trying to catch his breath a bit from his slippery drive toward oblivion.

Lann suggests searching the cave first to ensure no danger before camping for the night.

Caith looks oddly ashamed when Usopi thanks her but simply says "All part of the job." in reply. Her quick and guilty glance to Alphail and Brannon as she realizes she's given no thanks to them of her own for hanging on earlier is a telling one.

She nods in agreement with Brannon on the matter of fey summoning, then offers Lann her own advice of "Unless ye know something of the fey around here? Then ye have nay idea of who may answer to that bit of glimmer's call, or how many of them there may be about. Only the one ye summon is beholden to ye, and nay for long, aye? Nay wise to annoy any of them."

Caith adds "I nay know much of hill fey myself, to be honest with ye. This place is strong in stone and rock, but that nay means ye'd only get a little gnome answering. Those big Hill Fey from the moors may be creatures of stone, but nay in the same way as Knockers and Gnomes are said to be. I'd say that wild water but nay river makes for some strange water spirits though."

She suggests politely "Best to nay to break anything 'til we've taken a careful look. If someone could be living here at the moment, they'd nay take kindly to us wrecking the place, aye?"

Caith agrees on taking a cautious look downstairs, hopeful of finding a safer path out of the valley. She also takes a closer look at the bones among the litter in the smoke blackened entrance chamber.

She asks Alphail "Would it be wise to leave a watch here, in case someone turns up from the path behind us?"

The cave itself is checked out and Aphail checks a little way down the stairwell, from the cobwebs it seems a year at least since someone passed through the stairs.

Camp is set for the night and Aphail volunteers to take first watch, Caiths inspection of the bones reveals them to belong to ptarmigan.

Usopi volunteers for second watch, and then sets about preparing for bed, not having to set up his tent since they were in a cave.

Caith looks up from identifying the bones on the floor, and listens intently to Alphal's description of the stairs below, then says "Place has been nay flooded by the last rains then, nor lived in or visited often, but visited just the same."

She looks to Brannon and offers the opinion of "Could be a shrine, or a family tomb of some sort, or just a handy shelter." but pensively adds "Lot of careful work in the carving of those stairs for a herder's shelter, or a hunter's lodge. Only Grouse bones up here."

Caith asks Alphail to wake her for second watch, as she intends to greet the moon at midnight as usual.

Lann offers to take the last watch.

Brannon nods. "And we know that worshippers have Rimfax have been in this area. We should be careful..."

OOC: Brannon can join Aphail on first watch, if that's approrpiate?

A fire is built from dry moss and grass and dinner is pulled together from rations and what little Caith could scavenge.

Nothing disturbs the watches other than a few bats, but the night is bitterly cold up this high.

The first rays of the sun lit up part of the inside wall on one side revealing a very faded etched relief of a large angular crystal flanked by two figures, the one on the left about a foot shorter than the one on the right, it was very weathered and few details remained.

Aphail regarded to engraving curiously, " What do you make of it? It doesn't seem to be alike with the Rimfax symbols."

"Careful, aye, but nay so careful it blinds ye..." Caith answers and shrugs as she adds "But woolblind? Cure for that is a quick clip." and flicks her fringe out of the way a moment by way of mocking illustration.

"Was that horse bone and serpent symbol at the other end of the valley there to warn of, or to warn off the demon?" she asks the Heathwarden, a second look in her eyes as she ponders aloud "A warding of some kind perhaps? But I saw nay enchantment upon it, so could be the demon ye spoke of, Rimfax? Maybe he nay likes the sight of his own face, even without a spell placed on it."

Caith looks to Lann as she explains "I nay think ye did wrong to break it, but I am nay sure we understood it's meaning. All I saw down there was a great many small bones, and a restless spirit of an infant, nay demon, nor any sign of one."

The hedgewitch sighs as she adds "I nay think it possible to sing a demon back to sleep, but it seemed the only right thing to do for a child wailing in the dark, even a dead one."

She waits for an reply, if any for a little while, then gets on pragmatically with the business of lighting a fire, and turning scant rations, the last of her oats, mosses and gorse buds into some sort of pottage.

Caith sits and watches the moon at midnight, guarding the entrance outside, and regarding the bats with an amused look, as her gaze follows their arc across the night sky.

The light of dawn shows a new face to the entrance cavern, one she regards with a puzzled expression, like someone trying to recall a dream's hazy details.

"Hmm... it had more the feel of worship than warding." Brannon muses. "Though, of course, it might equally be appeasement. Either way - people have had reason to think of Rimfax in these parts, and that bodes ill. Though perhaps they are all moving into Glissom, now this new King is installed in Ereworn..."

Caith looks uneasy at the prospect of plague and demon cultists loose anywhere, let alone in Glissom and nods as she says quietly "I nay said it was a good sign, Brannon, just nay sure who put it there yet, or why they had the need to do so, or if they're local or a traveler..."

She turns to more practical matters as she conjures flame from her tinderbox and dry moss dug from the cracks above the floodline to light a fire and says "If the king here is new, might explain why there's some old inhabitants less keen to move on still lurking at the borders. May also be the cause of the trouble we're looking for."


_{EDIT for typos.}
This message was last edited by the player at 14:15, Thu 08 Aug 2019.

"Don't worry witch, I don't feel bad about destroying it. I don't think it's a warding symbol and agree with the priest. The bones are but sacrifices to the evil Rimfax. This symbol seems to be of a more agreeable deity. Maybe Brannon can copy it down. Let me think if I have come across it." Lann says.

Ooc: can we spell casters check if we have encountered it?
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:59, Thu 08 Aug 2019.

Brannon carefully takes a sketch of the figures and symbol. He muses as he does so: "I'd not mind speaking with this new king Corbin. I've heard nothing good of of him... but everything I've heard from has come from friends of the Mad Duke. It would be good to assess whether he is a potential... or another ally. The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend." He shrugs, and packs his charcoal stick away, looking carefully at the image he has captured. "A crystal, flanked by two figures. Of distinctly different heights. Hard to tell if it's a mark of worship or... some sort of information."

”Not so Brannon, we have heard good word of King Cornin. Lord Garth of Hallowhall spoke well of him and their quest to rid this land of Rimfax’s influence.” Usopi reminds his companion with a smile, ”Of course, Lord Garth was made lord by King Corbin, so it would be no surprise to hear good from him. Though if the previous ruler here was training the wodewose to rape and murder innocent folk, summoning plague beasts, and kidnapping maidens, then I can think of little that might be worse for King Corbin to do.”

He looks at the etching with some interest, “Perhaps it is a depiction of ancient relationship between two peoples? A tribute of some kind? It’s chosen location is the first space illuminated by the morning sun. That seems a good sign at least. And the height difference would seem to suggest either two specific people or two groups of people with different typical builds. Men and Caith’s knockers perhaps? Some other fey being?”

Usopi runs a hand along the etched lines that formed the shape of the crystal, ”And it is faded and worn despite the cave protecting it from weather. Might it predate the shrine to Rimfax, despite the number of sacrificed children collected there?”

None of the group have seen such a symbol before or even heard tell of it, it may be something unique to Ereworn perhaps. It does appear to be very, very old indeed....though not as old as some of the engravings and art Aphail has seen in his visions from Artia.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:01, Thu 08 Aug 2019.

"Perhaps we can show this engraving to the king. I believe his bunch of court sorcerers or wise men maybe able to help us since they are part of the land. Maybe the king may have a problem we can solve for him and gain his friendship," Lann says.

He urges his companions to push on.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:26, Fri 09 Aug 2019.

That evening...




Caith looks sharply at Lann, then says in a chiding tone to him "I have a name, Warlock Lann. I suggest ye learn to use it from now on, or I might take offense at your lack of manners. This is nay Clan Gar's hearth ye sit at here, and your arrogance in acting as if it were brings naught but trouble to ye and those who travel with ye."

She shrugs and concludes wearily "As to the demon's marker? Ye and Brannon probably have the right of it. An old one to be broken, nay left to fester unchecked."



Caith mutters "Better a new broom than a rotten old one? We shall see..." and goes back to her cooking.

Later, in the morning...









Caith looks to Alphail, and admits "It's old, aye, but nay older than the Gods, and that's all I could honestly tell ye. Shortarse and lankyshanks arguing over a shiny rock? Perhaps a pact sworn over a sacred stone of some kind?" then looks to Usopi as she points out "Nay all fey are little folk though, or those hill fey would nay be called fey, aye?"

Her gaze turns to Brannon as she suggests "But then again, such quarrelsome fey have nay need of pacts to protect them against the likes of men, whereas smaller fair folk might consider the aid worth the bargain."

She stares at the wall, and offers her opinion of "If this place is nay one of evil, and that carving is a message of some kind, then perhaps there are further explanations to be found downstairs?"

Caith concludes "But we are here to deal with a matter of looking after livestock, nay looking at walls, aye?" then looks to Brannon again as she asks "Do ye reckon it's worth taking a look down there before we try climbing down a cliff?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:15, Fri 09 Aug 2019.

"Witch is a term of endearment for you my friend. If you hate it I may perhaps address you as Cernach? But no that name is pariah in some parts here. So Caith will suffice if you prefer. And it's not arrogance Caith. I think you ought to be less haughty," Lann says as gently as he could.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:27, Fri 09 Aug 2019.

Usopi grimaces as he looks toward the cave mouth, "I would rather we try down the stair well? Perhaps this deep cavern leads to the base of the cliff itself, and we would not need to attempt a free climb at all." He says, a faint twinge of desperation in his voice, "And if not we can always head back out of the cave and make our way around the base of the mountain."

Aphail lit his lantern and headed to the back of the cave, lighting the stairwell up as he descended slowly....

" Seems alright so far. You coming?"

Lann follows along his weapons drawn and ready to protect his friends.

Caith does not look up from crushing gorse buds into the pan of water heating over the fire as she answers quietly "I nay thought ye used it as a term of endearment, Torineach Lann of Clan Gar, but I will nay quarrel with ye further over a mere matter of poorly chosen words, so Caith will do."

Later, in the morning...



Caith nods and follows Alphail downstairs, pausing only to put out the campfire, and to call another sight to her eyes as she takes a last careful look at the strange pictographs carved into the cavern wall.

OOC: Caith casts DETECT AURA for 2MP, and looks at the wall carving before going downstairs.

Usopi moves to follow the others, though he moves slowly, feeling with his foot for the next step down.

The wall carving proves to be mundane to Caiths Sight, and they turn and follow Aphail carefully down the stairs, winding tight down and down and down, there are occasional patches of dampness on the walls and it seems likely there was a natural cavity here before that has been widened to accomodate the passage of people.

The stairs wind down and down and down and soon all of the companions feel the walls pressing about them and the air seem thinner...though it is not.

Suddenly the right hand wall seems to vanish and sunlight floods the stairs, looking out they can see the scene that Usopi described the previous night though much better lit now, they are seemingly halfway down the cliff face below where the water falls.

There is a slight wall still at knee height and then the stairs plunge back into darkness again as they continue their descent....

Usopi is once again amazed by the sight, the height differential having a negligible effect on the view’s magnificence. The feeling of being on top of the world is lost though, as the enclosing wall’s presence is a constant reminder of his position inside a mountain.

”Fascinating that such a stairway can exist, a space created by nature but artificially expanded for human use.” he says with a chuckle before adding, ”Though hopefully expanded enough for humans of my size. It would be unfortunate to become lodged deep inside this space.”

Brannon gazes across the vista with awe, murmering a prayer to Brigantia. A sense of relief at the open air, and terror from the height sweeps across him.



"Go slowly then. I'm behind you. I've got a rope." He grins as they plunge back into the darkness. "I guess I can always pull while the others push..."

Caith looks at the carving, then shrugs as she says "Message is in the pictures, nay sorcery in it that I can see."

OOC: Caith cancels her DETECT AURA, gets 1MP back, and follows the group downwards.

Caith appreciates the view, even as she wonders about the inhabitants of the hamlet below to herself.

She says to Usopi calmly "And even if the path below goes no further? Still a shorter climb from here than up there."

Caith asks Alphail "How much lamp oil do ye have left?" as she pragmatically considers the way down from the second ledge by steps rather than rope.

Aphail looked to Caith, " This is the last of mine. It'll get us down at least but luckily its light out cos it'll be gone then I reckon."

The stairs continue to wind down for an indeterminate amount of time, and it becomes a little disorientating spiralling down and down through the earth.

After an half an hour or so Aphail suddenly stopped dead on the stairs holding his arm up in the air...he could see that the stairs ended and the space opened out quite a bit, there was also a large form moving about in the darkness...it had not noticed the lantern light yet..

OOC:

17:04, Today: GM, for the NPC Bear, rolled 5 using 2d10.  St 10 - PER 11. Aphail.

Aphail lowered the lantern and adjusted the flame all the way down then whispered to the others, " Well, I think we're at the bottom....but it seems one of Artias children...somewhat smaller than the one we had to kill, spent the winter here and is still using it today."

Usopi frowns. He isn't very happy with the thought that they might have to kill a bear after the injustice they had seen done to the others at the hands of Rimfax's cult priest, but he knows the chance of him sneaking past it is slim to none.

He keeps quiet and still so as not to draw the attention of the animal, willing to follow whatever plan the others come up with.

Caith looks utterly surprised at Alphail's casual mention of killing one of Artia's children, then pensive as she whispers "We do this properly then, without needless death."

OOC: Caith casts TRANSFIX on the bear while she can still see the bear in lamplight.

Lann stops in his tracks. He was about to rush forward and do battle when the mage suggests a transfix spell.

"Oh well if it doesn't work Mayb I create a female bear to lead him out. What if it's a female?" Lann muses.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:56, Fri 09 Aug 2019.

Caith reached out towards the bear which suddenly stopped in its tracks and remained still, staring at the floor.

OOC:

20:53, Today: GM, for the NPC Caith, rolled 12 using 2d10.  Transfix. MA 19 - MD 3.

Caith says very softly to Alphail "Still have to find the way out of here other than the way we came in, and nay much time to do it in either." then looks to the ground, and adds "If there's a way out other than the stairs, the bear knows of it, and it's tracks will lead to it."

She keeps a wary eye on the bear, wondering how old it is, and in what condition, ready to launch a more potent spell to put Artia's child out of harms way a while longer.

Aphail looked impressed and crept forward, keeping one eye on the bear just in case.

As Aphail moved past the bear he saw a faint trace of daylight ahead, raising the lantern he noted that this cave....though covered in cobwebbeds, bear dung and fur and dust....seemed very even and regular in construction with leveled benches of a sort on either side.

As the others moved forward he pointed the way out before the bear recovered...

Usopi follows Aphail’s direction, surprised by the effect Caith’s spell had on the creature and glad of not having to kill the bear, but more interested in getting clear of it before the spell broke then on expressing any such thoughts.

Usopi ducked through the rough, squared off exit and found himself against a cliff face surrounded by silver firs, the ground was covered in their needles and bracken grew thick obscuring the cave.

A pair of jays inspected him from a branch above...

Lann follows the companions and as he walks past the bear, he stole a glance at it in case the spell wore off.

Although he is disappponted in not having a bear to practise his skills, he is still glad that the bear at least will live to see another day.

Caith waits until everyone else is through the cave, then follows, still keeping an eye on the bear.

"Sorry for disturbing you, and we'll be out of your lair in a moment." she politely tells the ursine housekeeper, and leaves.

Usopi smiles at the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet, ”which direction now? It would be best to move on a ways and get clear of this bear’s residence.”

Brannon hurried through and out into the woodland.

Aphail tarried a moment more and pulled a rather sorry looking apple from his pack that had been there since the orchard.

" Be well, Sister of Mine.", he said placing the apple on the floor before leaving quickly.

Emerging from the hole he clapped Usopi on the pauldron, " Lets make haste."

The companions moved quickly through the woodland, once Gat had been convinced the bear was not a threat, which soon gave way to an open hilltop covered in various sedges and hair grass, looking down to the northwest a roadway could be seen faintly in the lowlands seemingly running towards Hallowhall, peeking around a projecting ridgeline to the south across the Grey Hills and far across the lowlands against a sea of tall green ( which consulting his map, Brannon identified as Gallows Wood.) were some faint smoke trails.

But Brannon pointed south east across the hills instead....
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:01, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

Brannon grinned nervously, " Well, we are technically in the Grey Hills now...though the northernmost part. They run southeast of here along the front of this edge of the pagans....does anyone remember what Killian said, I know there were livestock being killed....was there a person or particular holding we were after."

He stared far to the south, " If my map is correct that is...was..the ancient city of Ereworn for which this land is named, though from the number of chimney fires I'd say it is not as grand as it once was."

" But we can head there another time...we must stay to the hills for now."

Aphail shook his head at Brannon, " No, there were no names given but a claim that the bounty had been placed by the King himself....whether true or not or merely how a tale expands as it it is retold we don't know."

He knelt down and examined the sedge, " There are sheep hereabouts though, and where there are sheep there are shepherds."

" Let us take a stroll through the Grey Hills and see who we come across."

"There was some talk of a creature that killed for sport, nay food..." Caith says and shakes her head as she concludes "...But it's a long run for a hungry hill fey on a hunt limited by night's hours, and they nay leave much behind of a kill."

She shrugs and adds "Artia's children nay kill in hunger, or so I was taught, so can nay be the bear either."

Caith nods at the mention of sheep, and follows, looking for low lying snags of wool like grubby clouds as she goes, as well as what can be foraged from the forest and hills on the way.

Usopi nodded, with no other leads on where to find the people who lived in the area, looking for herd animals was as good an idea as any. Not to mention that Gatanades often worked in mysterious ways. Perhaps by stalking sheep they might find some early sign of whatever was slaughtering the poor animals.

He followed along with the others as Gat ranged forward as usual.

Lann follows his friends who are better trackers than him. He stops occasionally to get a sip of water and to also admire the natural wilderness.

OOC: what time is it?
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:53, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

In reply to Toirneach Lann (msg # 174):

OOC: 0800.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:52, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

Ooc: let's walk while it is still cooking guys! We press on to the next village, Kill the people; loot and burn it!
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:52, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

The day’s walk had many sights the sedge covered hills, low-land farm country, grazing pastures, sheep trails and ancient crumbled remains of old stone walls and dwellings.

Caith gathered quite a bit of wool caught on the plants along the way, as noon approached they came across a larger ruin, a round structure up to 5.5 meters high in places and about  4 meters thick at the bottom. The building was built entirely of undressed stones with no mortar to be seen and grasses were growing all over it having taken root in every crack and crevice.

And it was covered in sheep.

As Gat ran forward to bark at them he was suddenly stymied by two smaller dogs with rough grey and white coats.

" Oy! You lot! Git away wit ye!", called a diminuitive figure suddenly atop the wall with a sling held threateningly in one hand.

Lann walks forward raises his arms and says," We mean no harm and come in peace."
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:58, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

Caith takes a few minutes to sit on a rock, takes off her boots, and reline the soles of them with a generous handful of picked clean stray fleece each.

She offers the same advice to the others as she explains "Works better than time-consuming lotions on sore feet, and keeps them warm into the bargain."

Grazed lands make the foraging a little more difficult, as Caith has to dig down to find fresh roots rather than spot them from above by the foliage, but pine kernels and edible fungi from the forest supplement the hawthorn and gorse buds this time, and a handful of hazel nuts from a forgetful squirrel's winter stash as well.



Caith drags her attention away from the drystone walled ruin under turf reluctantly, as it seems to her to offer an answer to an earlier question of bear rehousing she had not considered before.

She sighs quietly to herself, and hastens to tell Usopi "Ye may want to keep Gat leashed again awhile, just to keep the peace, aye?"

The hedgewitch whispers to Brannon "Best ye let folk know you're in charge of this mob, aye?" but keeps otherwise still, and tries not to look like a threat to livestock as she surveys the small personage on the wall above.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:02, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

Brannon nods, and waves to the shepherd. "My apologies. We will keep the dog on a close leash. My name is Brannon Darrow. We may look an unruly band, but I assure you, we mean no harm. We heard that King Corbin is offering a bounty on whatever killing the flocks out here, and we are looking to collect. You seem as good a man as any to ask about it. Are the tales true?  Is something destroying the flocks in these parts?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:19, Sat 10 Aug 2019.

Usopi gives a whistle to call Gat back to him before the sheep dogs think to try anything.

The boy called the two dogs to his side with a low whistle, " In Peace and kitted for war...well...most o'ye."

The boy began walking closer as Brannon spoke, he seemed about 10 years of age with sandy-brown close cropped hair and a red wind-chapped face.

The boy puffed up when Brannon called him a man, " The King? I dannae about that, I know da said ta Uncle Brín ta mention such to folk on the road....and we do have some folk at the holding who came from the Castle...so mayhap he is?"

" Ye talk weird but....where ye fran?"

" As for what is botherin' the ladies....I dannae. But its a wicked cruel thing, I cannae sit out in field overnight, gots ta keep em penned now and even then there some folk have lost em in the night."

Usopi rubs Gat on the head as the shepherd spoke with Brannon.


"We are from all over, friend. Farther then one could travel in a month's time, or longer." Usopi finally said, throwing his arms wide, "Now you say you can not stay out in the fields any longer. Before that rule was wisely put in place, do you know if any other shepherds may have seen or heard something of whatever is doing this?"

Caith's already concerned expression becomes more so as she digests the fact that livestock are still going missing, even when penned up safe from any natural predator.

She annotates Usopi's questions pragmatically with one further request of her own "I ken that nay one likes to speak of misfortune, but it would be a great help if ye could tell us of who around the place has lost animals, even when kept close to home."

In afterthought she adds "I am Caith, and as ye can see, I hunt wolves, nay sheep."

"Them others from Catle said much the same, buncha bloody foreigners coming here all hoity-toity like....well thats Da. I jess think ye talk funny."

"Seen? Nay, but we's all heard em. Giggling and laughing like loons in the night."


He looked to Caith with interest, " Are ye a loose woman, Ma'am? Ma says naught but loose women go about in the company of men...sounds a lot of fun, being loose and free to wander bought."

" Oh, I think all have lost some. Old Tam has I know, The Kellers were first I ken and then Mirr and Hult....I know Fillick and them lot ta nort lost most their flock forran the Castle folk come."

" I can see that, Ma'am. Ye nay hunt dogs do ye? Cos Bess and Bliss are me mates and I wouldnae see harm come to em."

"You seem wise for your age young one. Can you tell me more about these sheep losses? We are quite erm... interested in mysteries. I am Lann by the way. A travelling entertainer who can perform some tricks for the enjoyment of kings, townsfolk and brave village men," Lann says.

Caith makes no comment on the matter of foreigners, fathers and opinions, only muttering "Giggling and laughing?! Nay a good sign..." to herself pensively, but looks sharply at the young sheep herder at his question to her.

She discerns no malice in the question, and offers a gently spoken reply of "I would nay call myself a loose woman, but your mam may have her own opinions on that."

Caith explains "I am a herbwife and a healer, of both man and beast..." as she glances sideways to Gat then adds with a shrug "...And I am nay as free as ye may think, for I go where I am needed."

She listens intently as the breadth of the problem becomes clearer to her, looks to Alphail a moment in query, then offers "So many losses, and even close penned? Nay natural beast I know of hunts sheep so close to the haunts of humans, nor laughs in the darkness, so 'tis a good thing your King sent word out for aid."

Caith says in honest reassurance "I nay hunt good dogs, and I ken a good one when I see one..." then admits with a smile "...Or even two or three of them."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:27, Sun 11 Aug 2019.

Aphail closes to whispering distance to Caith.
"We can do as we did with the cockroach deamons, when we first met.  I can set alarums around the farm, we keep a night vigil and wait for the beast to attack.  Then we kill them!"

"Aye, 'tis a fair plan..." Caith murmurs back to Alphail "...But we nay know what manner of creatures these be, and unless cockroach demons laugh like loons? 'Tis nay them either."

However, she does look back to the shepherd and asks calmly "Nay sign of scrapie, hairy shaker, thistle mouth or any other disease on the dead sheep then?"

The lad looked aghast at Caith, " Not amongst our flock!"

" Ye can come home wit me if'n ye want. Maybe talk to the folk from Castle, they've been laying out but nought has come near us for a while....its probably due."

Lann suggests following the boy to meet the men from the castle. Having more strength to deal with the unknown danger is good.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:37, Mon 12 Aug 2019.

Caith hastens to explain to the young shepherd "I mean nay insult to your kin's care of their flock, nor yours! I only seek to ken if there be any known cause of death hiding behind an uncanny mirth in the night."

On the matter of meeting up with the hunters that arrived earlier from the castle, Caith nods in rare agreement with Lann, but looks around to Brannon first in silent inquiry.

Her own reply to the kind offer of hospitality is "That would be most gracious of ye, but ye may want to ask your mam about that first." then adds with a sly grin "Mothers usually appreciate a bit of warning before ye bring home a pack of hungry hunters with ye, even if they be helpful ones."

Lann informs the young boy that he can also provide entertainment for his mother and her people.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:10, Mon 12 Aug 2019.

Brannon offers a solemn nod in return. "It would be good to meet these folk from the castle. We would not intrude where we are not wanted, after all - particularly if they have an eye on a bounty. Still, as Caith has said, perhaps it would be wise for you to ask your folk if they are happy to receive us."

The boy shrugged and whistled the dogs up and the two hounds began ranging about and moving the sheep from around the ruin into a single mostly cohesive clump.

" Take em home, Bliss and Bess!", the young lad called out....and the dogs started to move the ewes along the hilltop.

" Come on fancy folk, Ma won't mind. She's been minding the castle lot for near five days...a few more won't hurt."

"Let's go then!" Lann says. He follows the boy eager for civilization

Caith replies "Good to know, and thank ye..." and stops, as she realizes something, then adds "I regret that I nay know your name, but I thank ye regardless."

" I am Caer. What are all your names?", the lad said trotting along with them, seemingly content to let the dogs do their work.

"I am Usopi Venia, and my dog's name is Gat. Your hounds seem quite well trained." Usopi replies to the boy as they make they way along, enjoying watching the hounds corral the sheep.

" He's a biggun.", Caer said with an impressed expression.

" Da trained these two, and Berry....but Berrys gone now. She went out after the sheep killer the first night, Da didnae let me see her."

The boy got very quiet, " I dannae what it is.....I've no found tracks or nought....after...I mean..."

"Well met, then, Caer." Brannon nods gravely to the boy. "As I said, my name is Brannon. I am sorry to hear about Berry. Brigantia willing, we can get to the bottom of this and stop it happening further."

"Lann here and nice knowing you lad!" Lann replies
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:24, Tue 13 Aug 2019.

Caith nods, pleased that names are exchanged, and replies "Thank ye, Caer." then gives Alphail an encouraging look to introduce himself.

Her expression is less pleased by the understanding that a creature that kills for sport indeed seems to be the cause of so many deaths, and she nods grimly in agreement with Brannon.

"Nay disease, or tracks to follow, laughter in the dark, hunts even penned stock, and a killer of guardian dogs..." Caith says quietly "...If this be a beast's work, then it be a beast that kens the ways of man far too well."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:20, Tue 13 Aug 2019.

Taking the hint, Aphail steps forward.  "Top o' da mornin' to ya Caen" says Aphail in his broadest accent possible.
"I am Aphail, Hooded Man of Artia.  Be assured that the Blessed Goddess will not allow unnatural creatures or happenin's to pollute our land for long.  We will put things straight!"  Aphail is developing a subconscious tick whenever evil is near, he will put his left hand over his right should and gently stroke his Quarrybolt relic.

Caith nod in agreement with Alphail, less dour in expression, and offers a consoling thought of "A creature unseen, with nay tracks to follow nay means such a creature can nay been seen or tracked at all."

She looks to Caer and says warmly "...And as ye have spoken of most helpful like, whatever is at work here? 'Tis nay silent about it."

Her eyes gleam green in the shadows under the wolf's frozen snarl as Caith concludes cautiously "If we can get within earshot of a noisy creature, then we may yet be able to hunt 'em down by other means."

Caer nodded in return and trailed the mob of sheep.

" So....you've killed a lot of sheep-killers? "

Caith offers the plain truth as she explains to Caer "Goat killers, nay sheep, but aye, a few. Killing is not a task I am fond of, but sometimes it is the only way to prevent a predator destroying a herd entirely."

She adds in equal honesty "One of my kin once turned a persistent chicken killer into a fine guard for her coop though, with a little patience, and a lot of knowledge of wild animals."

Caith smiles as she concludes "Alphail is the one ye should ask about hunting strange creatures though, as hunting healing plants is more my usual task than hunting predators."

As Caer led them on they came to the peak of one of the taller hills and could see about an hours trudge away a holding atop a hill.

" Thats home, Ceann Caorach.", said Caer happily.







Image:
https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/...9/4/images/fig18.jpg
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:36, Fri 16 Aug 2019.

Caith looks over the view and says "Fine place ye have." with a touch of wistfulness to her tone as she adds "Hills I grew up on were better goat grazing land than sheep, but the folk further down valley kept a flock of Blackface."

"'Tis a good home - well-positioned." Brannon observes. "How many of you live there? And how many agents of the king have come?"

" Theres Ma, Da, Ma's bror Holt.....Dalin went to the castle when I was little, Hemi married someone near the coast, I had a little brother but he didn't get a name before he went away."

" Um, there are three from the Castle. Theres the little man......and the man who spends a lot of time with Ma in the house....and the night man....not sure why they call him that..he wers a LOT of armour..."

Aphail slides close to Brannon to whisper in his ear.
"We should be careful what we tell these agents from the castle.  We don't know how far the Stewards hand reaches."

"Are the castle men nice to you lad?" Lann asks
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:12, Fri 16 Aug 2019.

" They're ok.  They helped re-thatch the roof."

"That's good. Come let us hurry to pay respects to your mother," Lann says.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:31, Sat 17 Aug 2019.

Brannon nods. "Or that they even are who they claim to be..." He replies quietly. "Yes. We tread carefully..."

As they descended the large hill to begin ascending the one where Caers home stood they saw a figure rise from the inner wall and move out of sight towards the lower building.

Aphail spots the watcher from behind his walls.
"Well, they know we're here.  Lets be nice and friendly."

"Let me walk behind our most charming knight and wear my most innocent face,"'Lann grins a lopsided grin to Aphail. He will walk light heartedly and keep his eyes and ears peeled for anything unusual without seeming to be too conspicuous.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:51, Sat 17 Aug 2019.

Caith nods sympathetically at Caer's unfolding of family history, and falls silent, wisely content to let those of less frightening countenance talk with the young sheep herder.

She remains quiet, and keeps her many uneasy thoughts firmly to herself even as Ceann Caorach grows ever closer with every step. Finally tiring of bear wrestling her own brain, Caith simply keeps her eyes on the herd as she walks.



Caith nods in agreement with Alphail, and calmly replies "Aye." as she contemplates the walls, pondering if they hold a secret to them that deters a creature that laughs in darkness and death.

Four men came out from the lower building holding weapons in their hands and watching the approach.

[Private to Aphail MacRoach: Aphails keen eyes note a fifth man slip up onto the roof of the building armed with a bow.]

”Hail friends!” Usopi calls with a wave, ”Caer here is just showing us to your fine home, as we’ve come seeking to aid with whatever evil has been plaguing your herds!”

Some of the men came forward and a tall rangy man with a man of grey-black hair called out,

" Welcome then, friends. "

" I am Garam Druim. And this is my wifes bror Holt. Welcome to Ceann Caorach."

Aphail, still close to Caith and Brannon, drops his head and whispers  "Bowmen on the roof, no sudden moves."

Lifting his head and speaking louder,
"Garam Druim, I am Aphail, Hooded Man of the Goddess Artia.  If you have unnatural devilry afoot, we will find it and destroy it.  So why don't you call your bowman down from the roof and we can discuss what is taking your sheep."

"And I'm Lann, wandering entertainer extraordinary. Like my friend says we are here to help. Say milord those men of yours look scary with their raised weapons. Could you tell them we are friends?" Lann says with a grin and raising his hands to show he meant peace.

In his mind, he knows that if the men suddenly attacks his party, he will cast turncoat on the lord and make him attack his retinue.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:29, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

Garam chuckled, a brushed his hands against the dark woolen tunic he wore, " Well....he's not rightly my man to order about....I think Caers closest thing I've got to that."





At Lanns words Holt, the brawnier looking younger man in a woolen tunic, burst out laughing.

He turned to Garam, " If it pleases ye lordship.....from sheep farmer to lord in one day. I made out alright when ye married me sister."

Garam shot a grin to Holt, " They've ears and will judge for themselves....but I'll ask one I trust."

" Caer! Have this bunch of foreigners been treating ye well."

" Aye, Da. Their nae bad folk that I've seen."

" Well, in that case. You are welcome to enter."

Hearing that, Lann laughs along with the man, chanting,
"In a foreign land polite we must be,
especially when arrows point our hearts,
Fate that brought us here shall be,
As our fellowship shall start."

"I wasn't planning on making any..." Caith replies in a whisper, as she considers the need for warding against sudden showers, then adds wryly "As notched arrows and slingstones at the ready are a common enough greeting to a lone wolf at the door, let alone a pack of them."

The woman shrouded in fur listens and watches while leaning on her staff, her face mostly hidden in the shadows under the dead wolf's snarl that she wears in reminder that cunning often ends a fight that begins ferocity and fear.

She gives Brannon a sideways glance, and murmurs "Ye did well, if the lad approves of the likes of us." then raises her voice and greets Garam Druin of Ceann Caorach with "Caith'O'Caorunn, herbwife, healer and wolfkiller. Pleased to meet ye and your kin."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:12, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

In reply to Caith Cernach (msg # 228):

Beathan, the tall one standing next to Garam, smiles at the comic interplay, folds his arms across this chest, and calls out, "I'm Beathan MacPharlain, a Healer and Chirurgeon. We stand ready, in case of any trouble, like that which disturbs the flock."
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:31, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

Usopi throws his arms wide and grins as he moves forward and extends a hand to the farmers, ”Excellent, then we have plenty of strong and skilled arms to meet the threat! I am Usopi Venia, Knight of Lakstead. Have you had any sign of trouble since you arrived here? Word from neighboring homesteads? Movement in the night? Judging by the good humor I take it we have not come too late?”

Sir Uthen is looking as nonthreatening as he knows how, given he is in armour and under arms. "My name is Uthen, and, as you can see, I am a knight myself - from a little place near Breylak - but I've no intention of fighting anybody or anything I don't need to. I'd rather make a friend than an enemy any day. We've been here a few days and though we saw something a little odd before we got here, it's been peaceful enough since we arrived."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:24, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

In reply to Sir Uthen of Sadley (msg # 231):


Deise waves to the gathering from the roof once  introductions have been made. Climbing down he moves  toward the crowd watching all the time.
"My name is Deise and hail from Cornumbria. Though small in stature I am mightily meek and exceedingly pleased to  be accompanied by such strong and brave fellows., he laughs.

"And I am Brannon Darrow, Hearthwarden of Brigantia." Brannon returns Deise's wave. "It is good to make your acquaintance! It seems we have found common cause in dealing with the troubles here..."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:15, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

"And I am Lann, a traveling entertainer from the borderlands. Glad to meet you stalwarts! It seems we are all on the same page which is good! I certainly hope we become a good team," Lann says with a flourish and bow.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:48, Mon 19 Aug 2019.

In reply to Brannon Darrow (msg # 233):

" Well, seems we have a whole bunch of folks from places I've ne'er been an' some I ne'er heard of.  Much like our three original guests."

" Holt will help Caer get the flock away for the night.  Pairs aplenty it seems; two knights, two healers, two handy with a bow."

Garam pointed the way through the stone walls and wooden slats around the holding, " Got floor room. Won't be as spacious as it has been but you'll all fit. Um...not sure about your arrangements, Ma'am.", he said looking to Caith.

" I can bunk down with the lads if you want to sleep in mine and Kells room."

Caith looks pensive a moment, then answers Garam courteously "That is most gracious of ye, but I nay wish to put ye out of your own bed, nor make the lady of the house unhappy with me."

She smiles in as friendly a manner as her face permits and offers "So if it please ye? I will consult with Mistress Kell on the matter."

Caith looks around at the swarm of adventurers and adds in wry honesty "As I can see ye've already plenty of guests to herd as it is."

For a breath of a moment, Usopi looks at Uthen with what might be fright, but Usopi quickly shakes away the expression and replaces it with a smile, though this one looks a a bit forced compared to his usual easy cheer.

”Sit Uthen, Deise, Beathen, glad to have you fellows here. Garam, Holt, Caer, I pray that we might strike down that which harries your flock swiftly and decisively. I thank you for the space in your home, and hope that we will not trouble you for long.” the large man says, ”I volunteer to take the first watch of the evening. Though, with so many of us gathered, a second set of eyes would not strain our resources.”

The newcomers were guided into the holding and Holt and Caer set about penning the sheep, a woman, Kell, came out from the building and smiled, " More guests? Aren't we the popular ones."

Seeing that both parties seem to be comfortable with each other, Lann takes out his tumbling gear and begins to sing a song of tribute to the shephards. As he sings, he juggles the balls and does sommersaults around the area.

"I'm a shepherd and I rise ere the sun is in the skies,
 I can lamb the yowes wi ony o them aa;
 An I like my flock to feed, an look fresh and fair indeed,
 But I wish the cauld east winds would never blaw.

 I can smear my sheep and dip, I can udderlock and clip,
 I can lamb the yowes wi ony o them aa;
 I can parrock, I can twin, aye, an cheat them wi a skin,
 But I wish the cauld east winds would never blaw.

When the winter time is here, for their lives I sometimes fear
 Tae some sheltered nook my flock i'll gently caa;
 Or in the morning grey, I'll turn them tae the brae,
 Or seek them mang the tooring wreaths o snaw.

In the lambing time I wot, it was little sleep I got,
 But when the summer's sunny breezes blaw,
 On yon bonnie hill I'll lie and sleep my fill,
 When the lambs are runnin roo aboot me braw."

With that, he bows to the lord of the farm and smiles.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:36, Tue 20 Aug 2019.

In reply to Toirneach Lann (msg # 239):

Garam and Kell watch Lanns antics with at first concerned then bemused then amused expressions.

" Uh, thankyou. Lann."

Please make yourselves at home."

Caith looks relived when Kell seems pleased to see more visitors in times of trouble, and makes her way through crowd quietly as Lann attempts to entertain rather than alarm his audience.

She does not disturb their hosts while the bard of Gar sings, and waits until the performance is over to ask Kell politely "I thank ye for your kind hospitality to strangers, and in difficult times, Mistress Kell. Might I speak with ye in private when ye have a moment to spare?"

She adds reassuringly "I am happy to help out about the place in the meantime. Nay bother."

In reply to Usopi Venia (msg # 237):

"I'll take watch with you man mountain, ye can look to the clouds while a small fella like meself looks to the ground"

Sir Uthen politely watches and listens to the singing. Entertainment like that can be in short supply and should be cherished. And when complete and the talking turns to watching, he speaks up.

"I'll willingly take any watch, alone or with another. The first is taken, so how about I take the second, unless somebody wants that and for me to take the third?"

Kell takes her to one side, " No time like the present."

Louder, " Garam! Can ye show these men where to get squared away and help our longer term lodgers make room."

Kell moved over towards the woolshed, " Now, what ye be needing?"

Caith folds her hands in front of her, uncertain in her phrasing, but says calmly "I ken from what Garam said before that I have been offered his bedplace while the hunt is in progress. I would nay put ye or him to any fuss on my account, and it is nay hardship to me to sleep elsewhere if ye wish it."

She adds in a cautious tone "...But I nay wish to offend ye, or your house's hospitality either. So I ask your advice on the matter, and would ask ye about another, but that is regarding local healing herbs."

" Oh did he? Well truth be told I'm nay put out.  You take up less bed space than the big lummox, and I dare say ye snore less.  Won't hurt him to lie out with the lads for a spell."

" Just don't go taking liberties, I've heard about you Gliss lasses and I'm a married woman.", she said with a wink and a light laugh.


She drew Caith back to the others and raised her voice back to normal volume.

" Healing herbs? Aye I know some from me ma, best ye chat with Beathan as well.  For a man he's not half bad a healer; learnt herb craft from his mother and sawing bones from his Da."
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:49, Tue 20 Aug 2019.

In reply to Caith Cernach (msg # 245):

To Sir Uthen, "I don't mind the early mornings, so I'll happily take the third watch."

"Kells. thank you for your kind words. I have enjoyed and gained from our discussions of treatments and wound bindings."

"I'll be happy to watch with Beathean," Lann says.

OOC:Cast perception of sorcery before dusk and explore the area non conspiciously.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:51, Wed 21 Aug 2019.

The visible part of Caith's face reddens in embarrassment, but she smiles at Kell's jest and quietly replies "Ye have swiftly silenced my qualms, so 'tis only fair I bring a bit of peace and quiet to your bed."



Caith nods in understanding, and answers Kell with "I nay know the local plants as well as ye do though, hence my asking ye about them." then looks to Beathan and says "Pleased to meet ye, Chirurgeon MacPharlain. So ye be skilled in more than simple bone setting and wound stitching then?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:01, Wed 21 Aug 2019.

OOC: Nothing of interest is detected.

Kell smiled, " Alright then. Caith and Beathan? Can you help me with stretching our evening meal to cover all our new guests? Then we'll settle in for the night."

Brannon came forward and thanked Garam for the hospitality and helped direct the others to where their gear was to be stowed and they were sleeping that night.

Aphail watched Holt and Caer pen the sheep within the third wall and looked over the three men ' from the Castle' their accents didn't place any of them as being from Ereworn...or Glissom for that matter.

He nodded to Deise as he put his bedroll in the dwelling, " You've a light foot, I only just caught a glimpse of you earlier. I don't think any others among my companions even saw you."

"You did well to catch me sir, for I am small as a mouse and well practiced at imitating one. Can I be as bold to ask of you, what is a hooded man of Artia. I am a foreigner in these lands and understand little of your customs.

"If we go on watch together, I will tell you all about it my friend.  Would you walk the perimeter with me before supper time and we can chat."  Aphail will walk the perimeter of the holdfast, using his amulet of alarums at several points to warn him of any approaching enemy.

When the two are alone on watch, ensconced on the roof of the holdfast, Aphail will tell his story.
"Hooden Men are an ancient tradition throughout Ellesland.  They are chosen by the ancient gods as guardians of the natural order of things.  Artia the Bear, Brigantia the Victor, or Hern the Hunter, to name a few.  The Hooded Man is a champion of justice, of nature and order, fighting against evil in all its forms.  There are very few Hooded Men, none in living memory have served Artia.

To become a Hooded Man, I first found a cave sacred to Artia, which had been desecrated by evil, and rededicate the holy place to Her.  Artia blessed me with Her patronage, giving me the gift of visions, and a relic arrow with which to meet justice.  The Quarrybolt is unerringly accurate, and I have destroyed several deamonspawn with a single strike of it.  The Quarrybolt is my very lifesblood, and shouls I lose it, my time in the mortal realm shall end, and I will join Artia in the Afterlife.

I know that it is my destiny to hit the impossible mark.  To loose the Quarrybolt at an impossible angle, at extreme range, in high wind, with no hope of success.  Yet, being touched by Artia Herself, the arrow will strike home."
Aphail shows Deise the Quarrybolt.  It looks simple and quaint, with a flint head, hazel shaft, and eagle flight feathers.
[Private to GM:The whole time, Aphail has his hand close to his enchanted dagger.  If Deise is an assassin sent to kill, Aphail would gut him like a rabbit and feed his bones to the crows.]
OOC = Aphail is a Hunter.  A Hooded Man is an optional Hunter Pathway from Cadavar Draconis.

"Thank you Aphail. Your tale is wonderous and I scarcely know whether to believe you, or are you taking advantage of a stranger in these lands? You seem genuine. My story pales compared with you and seems very ordinary. I hale from Cornumbria, born onnthe wrong side if the bed. My father is a thane with land, cattle and a warband. In addition to my basterdy I was the runt of the litter. I have lived on the road using my wits for nigh on half my life. I mainly offer a skill of being small, quite and observant. I serve no
God and none has ever shown me the slightest mercy, but each man must make his own peace. I am pleased to make you aquaintance. The more of us here to solve this puzzle the better, though hopefully it transpires to be a mundane threat.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:42, Wed 21 Aug 2019.

A meal was quickly thrown together, bread, cheese and pottage bulking out the original meal that had been planned to accomodate the new guests.

Deise and Aphail continued talking throughout the evening and Usopi found himself ( a little uncomfortably) moved to the second watch with Sir Uthen, to be followed by Beathan and Lann.

After dinner everyone retired to their beds/floor spaces.

Kell and Caith spoke quietly as they retired to the bedroom, " I know ye've marked our lot to not be fussed by yer scars, tis cos we've seen far worse over the years. At least yours were come by honestly, and not by being soured in the womb like my poor wee boy or the parcel of lambs we've had that weren't stillborn. These last almost two years have been a blessing indeed with the dark gone....but now this thing...well, tis not as bad still."

Deise and Aphail sat watch on the inner wall over the flock as the sky grey dark and the stars glittered among the scudding clouds.


[Private to Aphail MacRoach; Deise: The two men sat their watch with nothing but a few bats and a lone fox to keep them company through the night....nothing triggered Aphails alarums.]

Caith is happy to help with making pottage, adding her meager gatherings of nuts and gorsebuds from the forests and hills to it to extend the portions a little further.

She chats about herb lore and farming in passing as she does so with Kell and Beathan, keeping her tone friendly.

The fringe of hair over half her face is tucked out of the way while she works, revealing a twisted mass of bite scar tissue running from temple to throat.

Caith's robe of three wolfskins hangs from a rafter hook like a black furred ghost over the small red haired woman's head as she stirs the pottage left handed, quick and deft in her movements, the sleeves of her homespun green tunic rolled up to keep them from the food as she cooks.

The fringe of flame red hair hangs back in place when she eats with the others though, and the robe over her shoulders again like a silently snarling shield against world filled with foes.

Later...



Caith says quietly "Scars are common enough, aye, and wolves a little less common in Glissom, but other creatures once kept by the old Duke in Ereworn are trickling in, worse than wolves could ever be, and for all the bairns I have helped be born alive? Too many are buried before their time. Even goats nay kid well when the ground is soured. It seems ye are most fortunate in your new King being a good one."

She offers "What little skill I have in the task of finding and stopping creatures worse than wolves I will use to keep ye and what ye hold dear safe. Though I warn ye, I may nay sleep all night. It is my custom to pay my respects to Artia at high moon, but that is nay a noisy matter, and unlikely to disturb ye."

OOC: Caith intends to greet the moon as usual if nothing else of note happens earlier than midnight.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:39, Thu 22 Aug 2019.

Aphail and Deises watch came to an end and they woke the two knights for their stint...


[Private to Sir Uthen of Sadley; Usopi Venia: OOC: Assuming you've doffed your armour to sleep are you putting it back on for watch or just in gambeson?]

Line:

[Private to GM: I’ll don my armour again.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:23, Thu 22 Aug 2019.

In reply to Usopi Venia (msg # 260):

[Private to Usopi Venia: Sir Uthen will suit up in his armour gradually over the first half hour of the watch - he's not in a hurry to get into it, but if he is going to be on watch for a few hours he deems it worth while. Doing it in small bursts of activity no more than thirty seconds at a time in order to reduce the chance of missing something.]

As the two knights stood watch the sheep occasionally called out and other than a few hedgehogs nothing passed them in the dark.

The two men talked sporadically through the watch, and towards the end of it they both clearly heard a high pitched cackling laugh somewhere off across the hills.....

Sir Uthen speaks. "You heard that?" Assuming Usopi must have, he continues. "Do you think it's enough to spoil the sleep of others, or should one of us go and have a look?"

Sir Uthen is trying to get a bearing on where the sound is coming from, and ideally some idea of distance as well - but direction is most important.

Usopi tightens the grip on his mace at the sounds of laughter, straining to see if he could tell how close it was.

"It would depend how well their laughter carries across these hills. Perhaps they are at another homestead altogether." he scowled, "Let's wake the two who do not have watches tonight in order to bolster the number of eyes open, and if these fiends do not come for us by the end of our watch we will wake the next pair."

He glared out in to the darkness past the low walls, "We should most definitely not venture out ourselves. Moor-Fae in the moors a few nights back taught us that lesson with death.



OOC - Yeah, not sure how far away the laughing is coming from. If it sounds like it's close then scratch this post and wake everybody. If it sounds like it's carrying over the hills then just wake up the two that didn't get assigned watches already and they can add their eyes to ours.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:35, Thu 22 Aug 2019.

As the two men listened they noted that though the disconcerting sound was far away it seemed as though it was coming closer every time they heard the strange laughing screams...

Usopi chuckles grimley, "Never mind, we'll wake everyone. They seem to be getting closer."

Usopi suggests Uthen go and wake the others while Usopi remains on watch.

"Agreed."

Sir Uthen darts back to where the others are resting and starts rousing people, telling them. "There's strange laughing screaming noises in the night and they are coming closer. Might be nothing. Probably is something."

Lann wakes up groggily and mumbles. Upon hearing his new companion's words, he jumps up and wears his gear while saying,"From which direction did the noise come from?"

He then asks for directions to Usopi before rushing off to protect his friend.

OOC query for GM: Does Caith hear any of the activity outside?

As everyone rose and went outside they could hear the strange echoing laughs rolling over the hills towards them.

Garam swore, " This is what we heard the last time it came, didn't see a damned thing though."

" Kell, Caer. Back inside."

Aphail holds his amulet, but it is not active yet.

The moon was a crescent and the clouds were sparse, no lights or movement could be seen out in the dark.

In reply to GM (msg # 270):

Beathan walks out of the Building to the wall, climbs to the top of the wall, and scans the surrounding fields.

OOC: I start with Darksight (Spell Mastery) to see what's out there. If they doesn't work then follow up with use Allseeing Eye.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:41, Fri 23 Aug 2019.

Deise will attempt to find a relatively secluded vantage point and wait.0

Caith awakes at the warning from Uthen, and pulls her boots on to go find out what all the fuss is about.

She listens intently from the doorway, and says quietly to Kell "Nay wolf I know of howls in laughter. Best keep well out of sight, and a weapon to hand."

Caith goes and finds a spot on the wall, sits down cross legged with her bow across her lap, muttering to herself, and stares out into the night, searching for a foe she cannot yet see.

OOC: Caith casts DETECT AURA, followed by PEER if she can't pick up anything sorcerous out there from wall height.

[Private to Beathan MacPharlain: Beathans vision clears and he can see as if it is bright daylight, he can barely see flickering shapes which he assumes would be black as night under normal vision (and therefore even more impossible to see) flowing over the surface of the hills, a patch of the 'shadow' seems larger but they flow together and apart almost like wisps of cloud or liquid.]

Deise climbs up onto the dwellings roof which juts over the interior wall and peers into the darkness, but can't make anything out.

Usopi takes up a position behind the wall, somewhere near Beathan in case some unseen creature tackles him off the structure.

[Private to Caith Cernach: Caith looks out into the darkness trying to see any sign of sorcery or enchantment, at the edge of her vision she catches faint wisps of....something...but it is impossible to get a fix on them...as if they aren't fully there.]

Garam moved up to the wall to stand with the others, " Does anyone see anything?"

Holt moved along the edge of the dwelling and nocked an arrow.

Caith lifts her left hand from the bow and whispers "There be someone of power hiding in the dark..." then qualifies her statement with a puzzled addition of "...There yet nay there, slippery as a trout in deep water."

In reply to GM (msg # 275):

Deise will sneak out into the darkness, slowly in the direction of the laughter.
Staying low to ground and nervously twitching, bow unslung and arrow in one hNd.

Lann joins Usopi and prepares to defend the place

Beathan, "Yes. I'm glad there is a second pair of eyes on this flowing stream of darkness."

Beathan draws his bow and nocks an arrow. Turns to face the monsters and using the held weapons to indicate their direction. He then starts narrating what he sees, while waiting for the swarm to close.

"The shadows play like indistinct wisps with the large masses merging and splitting as they surge over the hills"
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:12, Fri 23 Aug 2019.

Deise utterly vanished into the darkness, slipping over the ground through the sedge. Even Beathans darkness piercing gaze could not find him.

Suddenly a high piercing peal of laughter echoed over the farmstead, the sheep pressed themselves against the inner wall in panic.






OOC:
06:58, Today: GM, on behalf of Deise, rolled 7 using 2d10.  Stealth.

And we're into round by round. Combat actions.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:21, Fri 23 Aug 2019.

Usopi adjusted his shield in his hand, imagining a cloud moving shadowy mass moving across the landscape. He braced himself for whatever it was to reach them.

As Deise slips off the roof, Aphail will take his position of advantage.  Nocking the Quarrybolt onhis bow, Aphail controls his breathing, remaining completely still and silent.  OOC: Stillness = Stealth 23, Defence 0.

[Private to GM: As the Quarrybolt is highly enchanted, and can home in on its target with unerring accuracy, Aphail doesn't need to see the targets right?  As long as Aphail is aware that the target is there, by noise or smell, the relic arrows should strike right?

Also, as Aphail is spiritually linked to the Quarrybolt, it would seem difficult to loose it in the dark.  He should be able to sense where it is right?]

[Private to Aphail MacRoach: Well..he still has to nominate a target: at the moment after my rolls no one has really seen anything yet except some vague movement and shadow.  As before with the Hellrots, he will be able to know the general area its in, and if he wounds something with it and that thing then runs off with the arrow stuck in it he's kind screwed unless he can catch it.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:16, Fri 23 Aug 2019.

Uthen stands, sword in one hand, shield in the other, ready to meet anything that comes close to him. He will also be ready to move to intercept if he sees something he can identify as an assailant heading for anybody more lightly protected than himself.

The dark night suddenly becomes dark and terrible indeed, stars wink out and the moon is snuffed out like a candle, the entire farm and the hills beyond it for a mile around are enveloped in a cold eerie veil of shadow and fear. Even Beathans eldritch eyes are stymied by the utter darkness.

A cold feeling of dread rushes through all assembled, and a wave of hopelessness and terror threatens to engulf them.  But of those assembled only Holt falls prey to his fear and he screams in terror and rushes away across the farmyard and into the darkness away from the flickering shadows.

Usopi, Lann and Deise feel the pull of terror at their souls but they managed to steady themselves on the edge of horror and stay firm.

The flock cries out in anguish and the animals press themselves up against the stone wall in terror, some of them throwing themselves bloodily at the wall again and again in a vain attempt to escape.

From the darkness, from many directions insane cackling laughter rings out across the holding.....



OOC:


11:45, Today: GM rolled 8 using 1d12.
11:49, Today: GM, for the NPC Sheep 4, rolled 5 using 2d10.
11:49, Today: GM, for the NPC Sheep 3, rolled 12 using 2d10.
11:48, Today: GM, for the NPC Sheep 2, rolled 13 using 2d10.
11:48, Today: GM, for the NPC Sheep, rolled 15 using 2d10.
11:48, Today: GM, for the NPC Kell, rolled 10 using 2d10.
11:48, Today: GM, for the NPC Caer, rolled 9 using 2d10.
11:47, Today: GM, for the NPC Holt, rolled 4 using 2d10.
11:47, Today: GM, for the NPC Garam, rolled 12 using 2d10.
11:47, Today: GM, on behalf of Usopi Venia, rolled 6 using 2d10.
11:47, Today: GM, on behalf of Toirneach Lann, rolled 8 using 2d10.
11:47, Today: GM, on behalf of Sir Uthen of Sadley, rolled 11 using 2d10.
11:47, Today: GM, on behalf of Deise, rolled 6 using 2d10.
11:46, Today: GM, on behalf of Caith Cernach, rolled 14 using 2d10.
11:46, Today: GM, on behalf of Brannon Darrow, rolled 11 using 2d10.
11:46, Today: GM, on behalf of Beathan MacPharlain, rolled 11 using 2d10.
11:46, Today: GM, on behalf of Aphail MacRoach, rolled 13 using 2d10.

"Well, good to have my first fight standing with you, Sir Knight. Lets hope we can have a good fight," Lann says, forcing joviality into his voice though his hands still shake from the close call.

He draws his magical blade and prepares for combat. When the attacker is known and sure, he will cast enhancement before entering combat.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:54, Sat 24 Aug 2019.

"Like a flock of sheep..." Caith asks, trying to grasp the concept as she looks to the flock huddling against the walls, then rapidly turns to gaze upwards as the screeching laughter becomes louder and adds "...Or birds mayhap?"

Her shortbow is back in both hands, an arrow ready as she seeks a foe to aim at in the sky above, an unearthly emerald eye opening under the snarling wolf's fangs all the better to look with.

OOC: Forget casting the PEER then, if the sound is coming closer, as THIRD EYE seems more use here.

When Holt flees in fear, Caith yells "NO!" after him, then hisses "If we can nay follow the fog, then we better follow him, and quick!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Sat 24 Aug 2019.

OOC: several questions: (1) is the darkness surrounding all around the holdfast or just in the direction of the laughter, (2) Holt ran in the opposite direction of the laughter, (3) Deise is now out in the midst of the darkness I presume, other than laughter can he hear any other sounds. (4) how far has Deise moved from holdfast perimeter?

As the darkness envelopes Deise an almost bowel loosening fear seems to take hold before passing. "What in all that is holy am I doing?" At this point the small man will try to remain attentive as to noise of activity around him but otherwise remain motionless and low to the ground.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:54, Sat 24 Aug 2019.

In reply to Deise (msg # 292):

Drawing back his bow Beathan fires into the darkness. Muttering, "Fly true.".

OOC: Using Hidden Target.

Four shapes moved forward slipping over the outer wall shrouded in mist and shadow gibbering and chuckling to themselves, they poured like ink across the ground. One passed directly over Deise not noticing him in its haste to close with the men and animals.

Beathans shaft flew past one of the creatures, passing through the mist about its form...



OOC:


18:56, Today: GM, on behalf of Beathan MacPharlain, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Bow shot,.

19:04, Today: GM, on behalf of Deise, rolled 8 using 2d10.  Stealth.