Marille stood for a moment longer waiting for the question from the man. If he had one if not she will leave to find rations.

"With those boulders, you'll take a lot of heads and ears too. I guess we should make ready to venture out then, Take care of any last minute details and get rations and such."

Phelan turns and talks quietly to the group so that no others may hear: "A cleric would be good to have. I say bring her along if she is willing. Her sister may still be alive and I know what kind of treatment she is getting if she is. Better to be dead."

"I agree, if she is willing, she is welcome," Petar says, glad to hear the dwarf was thinking along the same lines he was.

"We can always use a priest.." Angus chimed in, sad for the poor girl.

"With those boulders, you'll take a lot of heads and ears too. I guess we should make ready to venture out then, Take care of any last minute details and get rations and such."

Marille nodded to the man Black Angus. "Me wull cut a path ta keep ye safe."

"Thank you Marille, I'm not so good at that kind of thing, I'm glad you are."

"Me wullin to make me ancesturs prud."

Marille made a fist.

Marille stood for a moment longer waiting for the question from the man. If he had one if not she will leave to find rations.

The guard making the pitch looked at everyone, but from everyone's reactions, or lack thereof, it was clear to him the offer was not very popular.

"With those boulders, you'll take a lot of heads and ears too. I guess we should make ready to venture out then, Take care of any last minute details and get rations and such," Angus commented.

Then the conversation becomes more private.

Phelan turns and talks quietly to the group so that no others may hear: "A cleric would be good to have. I say bring her along if she is willing. Her sister may still be alive and I know what kind of treatment she is getting if she is. Better to be dead."

"I agree, if she is willing, she is welcome," Petar says, glad to hear the dwarf was thinking along the same lines he was.

"We can always use a priest," Angus chimed in.

Marille nodded to Angus, "Me wull cut a path ta keep ye safe."

"Thank you Marille, I'm not so good at that kind of thing, I'm glad you are."

"Me wullin to make me ancesturs prud." Marille made a fist.

Seeing as no one was paying attention to him anymore, the guard finished his offer.

"Alright. The offer stands for all able soldiers. Find us at the barracks, east of here."

The guard withdraws back to the company of his fellows. The others nod and give him expressions that only say "hey, we understand". They turn away from you but stay on their posts by the hall's entrance.

Petar waves and takes a few friendly steps forward.  He doesn't want to leave the others just standing there, though, so he waits for the priestess to arrive.

"Hello!  Are you Camille?"

The woman was wearing a worn set of plate and mail with a shield that had clearly seen better days. The armor was certaily serviceable, but the shield would probably have to be replaced soon. An old round-head mace bounced off her right hip, and the straps of a heavy pack hugged her shoulders.

She looked up at Petar and answered,

"Yes, I am Camille. Are you the new adventurers? I need to find someone who's gone missing not too long ago. Can you use another pair of hands?"

She pulls the mace from her belt and swings it around from the leather safety strap twice, catching it by the haft with her palm again. It looks like she knows how to use it.

"I can fight, and I can heal." She points to her tunic's emblem. "I'm with Chiress."

She peers over your shoulders at the guards, who have taken a keen interest in the presence of the young priestess at the hall's entrance.

"You tell Garrel and Joemer that I am not done with my search yet." She seems adamant in her intentions, a striking contrast to her otherwise kind and gentle face.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:37, Fri 08 May 2020.

"Yes, I suppose we are the new adventurers.  I am Aila," she said, giving the priestess a polite bow.  "Aiding in such a search is a fine direction to make a start of things.  What information about your search might help us complete our preparations to head out?"

"I am Angus, yes, we will help you find your sister and collect the heads of our enemies at the same time."

Phelan turns to Camille and says, I hope we can find your sister. I don't doubt your prowess as a fighter, but if I may, can I replace that shield before we venture out? It has obviously seen many battles and we will undoubtedly be needing your healing powers before all is said and done.

"I can chip in for a new shield for her too. I have some few coins." Angus chimes in with a nod and a smile to Phelan.

"Yes, I suppose we are the new adventurers.  I am Aila," she said, giving the priestess a polite bow.  "Aiding in such a search is a fine direction to make a start of things.  What information about your search might help us complete our preparations to head out?"

"Sadly I have not much to offer. All I know is that there are beasts out there past the edges of our town, and that they are threatening us by coming too close. I also know that the guard have lost at least two of their own, so they are on high alert. I haven't stepped far, because I am the only one, but if you let me join you I know we can go further and... still return." There is a small glimmer of sadness that passes over her face like a shadow, vanishing as quickly as it arrived.

"I am Angus, yes, we will help you find your sister and collect the heads of our enemies at the same time."

"Thank you, but how do you know about my sister?"

Turning to answer Phelan's and Angus' offer, she replies, "Thank you, you are very generous. This is my father's shield. He carried it in battle whenever he needed to answer Her call. I want to do the same. I will gladly accept your gift when I have finished my task." She gives them a soft approving nod and a smile.

Turning to everyone else, she adds,

"When do we depart?"
This message was last updated by the player at 16:33, Fri 08 May 2020.

"We heard the story of your sister from a few sources, we are sad for you not finding her sooner, we will help you bring her home. Perhaps she is only held prisoner. I'm ready to go now."

She looked up at Petar and answered,"Yes, I am Camille. Are you the new adventurers?

It hadn't struck him yet, but it did then!  An adventurer!  Petar gave Angus a side-smile, why just the other day he'd told the fellow he was a bard.  Imagine.

"You tell Garrel and Joemer that I am not done with my search yet." She seems adamant in her intentions, a striking contrast to her otherwise kind and gentle face.

Petar is also quite serious and solemn when he says, "Let's search together, and no time to lose.  We've signed up for some bounties.  As the kids say, heads will roll!"

Petar suggests everyone make sure their canteens are full before leaving town, something he's learned the hard way since leaving the comforts of the city.  "I think we can't go wrong buying some extra food and I want another quiver.  Then let's be off to make the most of this daylight!"

To the sister rescue!  Petar grins at the excitement ahead and what will surely become a fantastic tale to share and spread.

To expedite shopping, can we assume book items and book prices?  Nothing crazy here, just food and arrows

Angus told the others "I have to collect and load my mule and I'll be ready to go, 5, perhaps 10 minutes time."


Angus collects his mule and gear and comes back to the party.

Turning to answer Phelan's and Angus' offer, she replies, "Thank you, you are very generous. This is my father's shield. He carried it in battle whenever he needed to answer Her call. I want to do the same. I will gladly accept your gift when I have finished my task."

Phelan nods, "I see his strength both in you and his shield. May it serve you as well as it did him."

She turns to the others: "For my part, my pack is complete and I am ready to venture out although I am sure it will need refilling after a few encounters."

She turns back to Camille, "Since it makes no matter from whence we claim our bounty, I defer to you as to our direction of travel. Perhaps, if luck is with us, we can return with ample heads and your sister."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 17:00, Fri 08 May 2020.

"I don't believe I would be of much help right now. I only know that you can find goblins to the south, and orcs to the north. But I haven't dared to find much by myself. I will go where you decide."

---

OOC: Yes, you can assume book prices as the average. Go ahead and buy what you need.

So, you first big decision on your first outing: which direction do you wish to head? The map scale is 1 mile/hex, so crossing the distance is relatively quick. Nothing is more than roughly a day away in all directions.

"Then I say go for the goblins today if we don't know where to look for your sister Camille. Lead on, me and Rosy will stay in the middle of the pack."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Fri 08 May 2020.

Petar closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment and the map they'd recently seen forms in his mind.  He uses a quick Tricks cantrip, and an illusory copy of the map appears, floating in air.  It's rough but shows the forests as green swathes and hills as brown blobs.

"Goblins to the south-south-west," Petar recalls and on the illusion a red arrow moves from a central black splotch - Emberdell, presumably - to a red circled area.  "Since they were thieving tools and farm animals, if we ask around at farmsteads we find on the outskirts, we can learn more or even find a trail."

Bought a week of food, 20 arrows 10 arrows (ugh, forgot how expensive things were!) and used 1 charm

For march order, how about Marile and Phelan at the front, Petar and Camille, then Angus and Aila with Liriel at the rear?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:07, Fri 08 May 2020.

Yeah, Liriel... I haven't seen a thing about her during past week. I will have to pull her participation now, as this is a good moment, and if she returns, she would be able to catch up easily with every one, since the distances are so short.

So: Liriel heads out to get supplies but when returns she tells you that that she has temporarily decided to help them out with the road thieves. It's a personal matter. She will catch up with the rest of you at the first opportunity.

"Then I believe I am ready for the venture," said Aila, a small smile playing across her face.

---

I'd recommend putting the order as:

Marille ... Phelan

Camille .. Aila

Angus (with mule)

Petar (who has range)

That order works for me.