After everyone supplies themselves from the wagon, the group heads out, taking one of the goat trails that heads up into the hills. It nearly disappears after about a mile, but animals and people have used it fairly recently so it can still be followed.

You spot a few outlying farms along with fields, but by the mile mark, you've left them behind.

You do not spot any signs of hobgoblins, but Rukao is able to tell that two horses passed this way within the past 12 hours. Make that one horse and one pony.

Need a marching order... mostly who's taking point, who's in the middle and who's in the rear.

Tom Wolf has offered to take rear guard.

Talis stands at the front, but certainly lets more qualified people do the scouting.

Elwood will take a spot near the front.

Rodrigo manages to quietly slip into a spot at the rear of the party.

Anneth hangs right before the back - row 4 out of 5 on a 5 x 5 grid!

I'll take point if no one objects.

Rukao is on the alert, near the front of the group if not at the very lead. Pointing out the tracks to the others, he suggests, "We have a horse and a pony. Here. Not definitively the two I saw back in town, but there's a possibility that we might be following behind them."

He had still to gather many details on that pair. He felt it was good that he had taken note of them, though he initially would have dismissed them as being of particular interest had the streets not been so slow that night. And if it weren't for that connection with the ogre.

"Don't see any sign of the Skullsmasher tribe. Either we haven't entered their territory yet or... well... maybe they don't mark their territory clearly. The second is bad news."

Talis mumbled as Rukao tracked "We probably should have tracked the Ogre when we left town.  This adventuring business is more complex than I thought."

In reply to Talis Aramorn (msg # 8):

More likely we haven't entered their territory yet, Tom says as he continues to follow the others along the trail but looking back every so often and even walking backwards for a few yards to watch for signs of an ambush from behind.

Aaron is quiet in front. He keeps a careful watch on the terrain as they pass along the trail. He strains to hear any sounds over the noise of the wagon. He also pays attention to the smells around him.

As the group heads out on the trail, Aaron has taken the lead with Rukao behind, and then Talis and Elwood.

Marching order looks like this.

Aaron

          Rukao

Talis

          Elwood

Geirdon

          Anneth

Durek

          Kareth

Tom

          Rodrigo


The trail isn't wide enough or consistent enough to walk side by side, but it's easy enough to stagger the line.

Although you don't spot any signs of hobgoblin territory marking, after about two hours Rukao begins spotting other signs, such as footprints, scat, and finally a solitary scout off to the northeast. He's keeping his distance as he no doubt assesses the party's numbers and abilities.

"It looks like we'll have company soon," Aaron whispers to Rukao.

Rukao gave a nod to the statement by Aaron. He narrows his eyes angrily. But he speaks in a hushed tone, doing very little to give away that they caught sight of the scout.

"Indeed. A well established puts up walls and meets you on the road openly. They might demand toll, but they can be bartered with. But skulking around and checking us out without approaching us like they were a bunch of Elves? It seems the tribe has forsaken honor and courage in desperation to establish itself."

He seems particularly bitter about that. It seems the behavior of his people acting in this way aggrivates him personally.

He nodded down the road suggesting, "If we picked up the pace, we could perhaps get ahead of things before they can properly prepare an ambush. But it will just mean we are exhausted when we run in."

In reply to Rukao Faestalker (msg # 13):

OOC Question:  Is the scout in range of our arrows?

Tom continues to look around and even walk backwards occasionally looking for signs of an ambush from behind.

OOC: Tom, what scout?

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 15):

OOC: "and finally a solitary scout off to the northeast. He's keeping his distance as he no doubt assesses the party's numbers and abilities." by Mysterion in msg#11.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:11, Sat 15 Nov 2014.

In reply to Tom Wolf (msg # 16):

OOC: Thanks, for some reason I read that as 'solitary tracks off to the northeast'

The hobgoblin scout is probably in range if you have a long bow, but he'd be at extreme range. He's probably around 4,000 feet away, with partial cover.

OOC: Extreme Range?  4,000 feet?!?  I'm assuming that's a typo?

OOC: ranges are in yards when out of doors, but that's still over 1300 yards, so I also assume it's a mistake?  Moot point for me, I don't have a bow.

Elwood also scans the area more actively after Rukao spots the hobgoblin scout.  "Picking up the pace might make them think we're scared.  Sending that scout a message to let it know it's been seen, then continuing at our normal pace might make them think twice.  Granted, that's a mighty big bluff to try and pull off."

In reply to Elwood (msg # 20):

OOC:  Well as I only have a short bow it is out of my range.