The rain lasted for two very wet days and nights. The road had proven safe, although they passed little traffic save for a pair of trappers and troop of cavalry making a routine patrol. On the morning of their third on the road, as the sun came out and threatened a sweltering, moist day, the elf maiden sat up while they prepared a morning meal and stated, "Good morning all, the baby and I are simply famished. Might I get some of the ham and porridge?"

Looking about as everyone stared at her, either the elf was not aware of her own nudity or simply didn't bother with hiding it, she lifted one pale arm and pointed towards a distant peak. She smiled broadly as she said, "That is DuMont's Peak. We are close to my husbands company. He will be making war on those vile little creatures, we shall have to be careful."

"Your husband makes war on vile critters too! It must be kobold-goblin alliance then!"

Barg was walking around, taking down the camp and gathering things so as to be helpful

"Must make sure to prepare special kobold knife. Is dog-slicer, but covered in dung. Very effective, us kobold's own weapon against!"

Thamkis bent over the porridge and ham, looking back at their charge with a smile and returning to plate up some food

"Put something on dear. None of us much care, but a chill won't be good for the baby. Or at least once we set out."

She held up a plate to be taken while she tended to the breakfast

Brengalyn was spending her time honing her weapons and braiding her hair to ensure a good first impression

"We should set out once the sun is up. Less likely to be ambushed in the light, if they can see we aren't goblins . . . well most of us."

(OOC: way too awesome, you are now entering the deep valley where most of the fighting has taken place. it runs basically east to west. you are entering the eastern end, it is narrower but the cliffs are hundreds of feet tall and mist shrouded higher up, so it is easier to defend. you will be heading to the approximate center of the valley near some ancient ruins.)

The elf laughed, covering herself in embarrassment, and dropped beneath the blankets to redress in her tunic and skirts. She began talking in earnest, muffled to unintelligibly until she sat up again and everyone could hear her singing merrily in Elvish.

Penny was tuning her instrument when the elf maiden began singing she began playing to accompany her.

ooc perform (string ) 17:01, Today: Penny Perseus rolled 26 using 1d20+12 ((14)).
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Mon 12 Oct 2020.

OOC: make a performance check to inspire everyone, if successful you all will carry a +1 bonus for inspiration on die rolls until morning.

Barg clambered across the narrow rockface, hand over hand with long strong fingers as he laughed and cackled like a madman.

He was in his element moving along the rocks as the wagon rattled beneath them, eyes like red-pink dots in the mist

"Mist is like ham soup, thick and delicious!"

Brengalyn listened to the singing and Penny's playing, smiling softly. Elven singing was not something Brengalyn would confess to liking, but she often remembered her mother singing the bits of elvish she knew, the lyrical songs which seemed to make the very bones ache with sadness or the heart leap with joy.

"Don't go too far Barg, or we'll never find you in this fog!"

Penny screwed up her face "You can taste fog?" she continued to strum, "Have you picked a name for it yet lady elf?"

She shook her head. Smiling broadly, "My husband wants to name it Augustus if a boy and Elhona Mortai, her father's hope, if a girl."

She pointed to the almost unnoticable trail leading along the base of the cliffs.

"We should be in the main encampment by dinner." She said in a sing-song voice.

"I knew an Augustus once . . . I'll be praying you have a daughter."

Thamkis shook her head and then peered after the climbing goblin with some exasperation.

"We may well have a goblin with a broken neck by dinner time."

Moving through the area was little more than traversing broken ground and uncleared forest. The wagon rocked and bounced. The riders often waited as the wagon took its time to pick its way along a trail that was barely broken in.

By midday the sun was cutting through the morning fog and threatening to actually dry the forest out. Then, in the distance, a peel of thunder threatened. Around a steep bend in the trail the little group broke into a tiny clearing. It would have been a great place to take lunch in the open sunlight but there was a corpse hanging from a noose. It was short, skinny, and filled a gleaming suit of chain mail in a very putrid manner.

"Ooooo, suit of linky chains!"

Barg scampered up the tree and reached for his dogslicer, realizing with a little giggle he'd lost it somewhere along the road many moons before he met the others.

Shimmying over to the noose, he called down to the others

"Barg will gnaw the rope! Big woman can wear the linky chains! Extra present hanging on tree!"

Brengalyn circled the clearing in a small tight circuit, looking around with her weapon tapping her leg as she moved.

OOC: Perception 11

"Strange place to hang someone . . . I suppose the idea was to warn other people. Stay alert and get some food in you, we need to get moving soon."

She looked up at Barg as he climbed, shaking her head

"Leave the body, we don't need that chainmail. Unless you want to bring it to the mercenaries and sell it?"

Thamkis brought the donkeys to rest and disembarked, Graham carrying a few tools, a few more kitchen spoons and spices bobbing along in the air around her as she lifted an iron pot and skillet down to the ground

"Well then, I'll be sure to work miracles. In the meantime, even a light lunch will need time. I'll fry up some sausages to give a little energy for the afternoon."

Setting to work with the help of Graham, Thamkis stripped and chopped some dried grasses and mixed them with a little oil, fat and the sausages she had on hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:20, Tue 03 Nov 2020.

As Thamkis got out her pot, Penny got out a shovel "Yes Barg please do cut it down. Bren, do you think you can help me dig a grave? That poor soul didn't ask for that to happen. It's the least we can do." Penny flashed her starry eyes at the mercenary, hoping that her pouting would get what she assumed was a very reluctant woman to help the dead.

Brengalyn rolled her eyes

"Alright . . . "

She approached and held out a hand for Penny to give over the shovel

"It'll go faster if I do it."

She began digging, eyes fixed on her task and unsmiling

"Hate this, thought I dug enough ditches back then to last . . . "

In reply to Brengalyn (msg # 18):

Penny handed Been the shovel and got to work with her hands doing what help she could, Thank you Bren! Your one high class lady for doing this! You've dug ditches before? I didn't mean to make you do something you didn't want to"

Barg ground the rope between his teeth, waiting for the satisfying snap of the fibers and the clunk of the armoured body, bracing for the sway of the branch as it was unburdened.

He'd found bodies like this in the daylight in the Dunwood, often sacrificed by diabolist bands. They'd always have a little something that a young goblin could bring home!

Once his work was done Barg would swing down to grab the body and drag it over to the others.

"Digging is good work! Means not likely to die, strong stable work! Only cave-in leads to death! Barg can dig if tall lady doesn't want to!"

Thamkis watched the chaos and grumbling with some bemusement. Leaving Graham to stir the cooking, she approached the wagon to address their passenger

"Do you feel up to eating anything my dear? I wouldn't recommend looking outside, the others are fussing with a corpse they found, but I can bring you something to eat if you're hungry?"