[HEX: U-20 - South of Runething]
Quarter 1, Day 2

With Harinder leading the way, the group makes good time, with Lothar occasionally having to pull up the sleeves and hem of the leather armour he’s wearing, lest he trip over it.

You have gone a little over a dozen kilometres when Brevis stops and points out a curious sight.

You are standing near the top of a slight rise in the land, looking down on the plains between Runething and the Arina Forest.

A few hundred meters down the slope, by a small copse of trees are two figures, seemingly engaged in a duel. Sounds of violent bellowing, mixed with battle cries and song reach your ears as a male orc and female elf lunge and parry with swords. Neither appears to hit the other and after a few seconds they shout insults at each other.

"You skinny whelp, I'll snap you like a twig!" Bellows the orc.

"You can't hit a boulder with that thing, you've no hope of hitting me! Retorts the elf, before pirouetting on the spot and lunging at a spot by the orc's shoulder.



OOC: The pair haven't noticed you yet, and you are around 200 meters from them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:24, Thu 06 Aug 2020.

OOC: If we want to sneak closer we have to make a group roll for STEALTH, right?

Yep.

With Caile leading the group through the underbrush, they are able to stealthily approach the pair of duelants. Getting as close as they can without being noticed, the party hides among the greenery in the small copse of trees.


OOC: 07:35, Today: Caile rolled 1 success using 2d6 with the Target Number system with a target of 6 with rolls of 5,6.  Group roll STEALTH to approach the duelants. Push.
07:34, Today: Caile rolled 1 success using 3d6 with the Target Number system with a target of 6 with rolls of 5,3,6.  Group roll STEALTH to approach the duelants.

In reply to Caile (msg # 4):

(Whispering to the group)

With my luck, that is the orc chieftains favored son...or daughter, sometimes it is hard to tell.  We'd best consider our options here in a forward thinking manner.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 17:28, Fri 07 Aug 2020.

Caile peeks out from a thorny bush and looks at the sparring combatants.

"I think they might actually be sparring, neither one seems to be really going for the kill. It's either that, or they are just the worst fighters the Ravenlands have ever seen. Should we make ourselves known? They may have heard news from Grindbone or know if the orcs in the Arina Forest would allow us to enter their territory for parlay?"

"We outnumber them" the druid says in a weak voice. "We should sneak up, else they be running at the sight of us. Can we be certain they are alone? Is there a camp? A pack horse or two?"

Unlikely companions, Harinder reflected. But post blood mist, this was a strange new world.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:03, Fri 14 Aug 2020.

"Outnumber them? Not every problem is best solved with violence or the threat of it, old man. And not every one you encounter in these lands is a spineless coward, running at the sight of a stranger. Besides, if an orc and an elf have become unlikely compatriots they are likely no strangers to adversity. I say we talk to them, try words before swords."

With these words the minstrel steps out from behind the bush, hands in the air, palms forward. He slowly walks towards the two strangers.

"Hail, fellow travellers! I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your sparring game, but I was wondering if you could offer a lost minstrel some aid in these treacherous lands? It seems I have gotten myself lost among these hills."

Caile stops at a safe distance, ready to draw his sword and shield should things get ugly. He offers the orc and elf a flash of his smile, trying to appear non-threatening.

In reply to Caile (msg # 8):

Brevis remains hidden, silently waiting to see how the orc and elf react to Caile.  He merely tilts his head upward enough to see out from under the hood of his cloak.

While keeping at eye on all three, the bulging veins of the orc demand Brevis' attention.  He can nearly hear the beating sound or, at least, imagines that he can.  A willpower within him pulses as well in a matching timbre to the heart of the orc.

The pair quickly turn to face Caile, standing side by side, the elf maiden scanning the copse of trees for signs of anyone else while the broad shouldered orc speaks to Caile.

"Who are you? Who dares to sneak up on us two?" The orc says, his voice powerful and oddly melodic, at least for an orc.

"If you are a foe, I must warn you, you'd best be on your way."

'I was right, they are companions, however unlikely. Curious.' the bard thinks to himself. The couple seemed wary, so Caile quickly set about calming them.

"Foe? Me? No, I'm a simple minstrel, just like I said." He motions to his weapons and armor, careful to keep his palms up, facing the orc and elf. "This getup is mostly to dissuade unsavoury types from assaulting me as I traverse these lands. One can never be too careful, as I'm sure you'd agree. And as to sneaking, I did no such thing! You must have been too busy with your business to notice me as I stumbled through the copse of trees back there."

The minstrel tries a second flash of his pearly whites. One can never be too liberal with smiles. Well. Almost never.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 18:55, Mon 10 Aug 2020.

In reply to Caile (msg # 11):

Reaching into his pack, Brevis unpacks some of the bread and breaks off two pieces.  With both hands full, he casually steps out of the trees as if unaware he'd be in the company of anyone.

Brother, slow up, I've got bread to share!

Turning his eyes to Caile as well as the orc and elf, he feigns surprise and halts.

Ah, there you are, I hadn't realized there were others.  If anyone is hungry, please, join in.
 I've more here.

Both orc and elf look suspiciously at Brevis as he emerges from the woods.

The orc turns to Caile, "Are there any more of your brothers around here, or is it just the pair of you?"

Caile turns to Brevis, a look of relief on his face.

"Ah, brother! There YOU are! I thought I had lost you in these accursed hills. Where are the others?"

Turning back to the duelants, Caile offers an apologetic smile.

"We are a small group of travellers on our way south. Unfortunately we got separated soon after setting off this morning, but now it appears we have found each other again. Huzzah!"

In reply to Caile (msg # 14):

Extending an arm with the intent of sharing the first piece of bread with the duelists, Brevis tosses the second piece of bread into the air toward Caile.

Waving the bread in an earnest effort to share, he takes a step closer to the orc and elf and addresses them.

If you're travelling today, have a bite and fortify yourselves with us.  If you're already where you're going, perhaps you can give us the lay of the land.

The pair of duellists share a look, before both lowering their weapons and cautiously approaching Brevis.

"I am Heldemin," says the female elf. At closer inspection, she is covered in intricate tattoos, with dark hair and wears leather armour. Her longsword now sheathed at her side. "This is Alachran." She says indicating her sparring partner, a powerfully muscled orc, who wears a simple vest, showing off his bulging biceps.

"We often come here to spar, our peoples are not so tolerant of our choice of friends." She says a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yes, I didn't want to pry, but it is quite... unusual to see an elf and an orc as amiable towards one another as you two. But it lifts my heart to see that not all conflicts are eternal. How did you two chance upon each other? Are your settlements close by?"

The bard takes a big bite out of his hunk of bread and chews as he looks expectantly at the unorthodox pair.

Heldemin shrugs, looking at her companion for a second before answering. "I was foraging in the forest and heard a wonderful sound. It captured my imagination, later my heart..."

At this Alachran blushes and shakes his head. "I like to sing, but my people, at least most of them, do not appreciate this form of expression. I had been cast out of the Eye, and had come to the edge of the forest to sing, where I was free to express myself. We became friends, and more... But I long to return to my family."

It is clear that the pair are very much in love by the way they look at each other. They share some of their own food and ask where you are travelling to.

Hearing the story of how the couple found each other and fell in love through the medium of music almost makes Caile cry out with joy. A singing orc, exiled for his passion, finding love in a stranger that he by all rights should hate. It was a ballad, true as he had ever heard.

"You sing? How wonderful! I am something of a minstrel myself, favouring the flute and at times my voice as my instruments of choice. How marvellous! We must perform something together! In any case, I simply must hear your song before we part ways. I must!"

Reigning in his enthusiasm and composing himself, the bard takes a hearty swig from the cool berry infused drink offered by Heldemin. He wipes his mouth and lets out a content sigh.

"Terrific thirst quencher, what is it? Some ancient elven drink? Anyway, we are headed south, seeking old friends. We have heard that they may have run afoul of some pretty nasty characters near a village called... uhm... what was it? Groundstone? Have you heard of such a village?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:36, Mon 17 Aug 2020.

In reply to Caile (msg # 19):

Brevis begins to unload as full a meal as he can provide to their newfound friends. 

I hesitate to speak out of turn, but we are fighting against the clock to aid our brothers and sisters.  Their situation is dire.

I suspect we might understand each other on a deeper level.  Share in our food and, perhaps, if you are so moved, join us.

He tells the truth of their quest to the orc and elf, appealing to their sensibilities as the misunderstood, the cast out, and good of heart.  Slavers, those that seek to crush the misunderstood and different, are the evil in play here and Brevis is confident that the orc and elf are kindred spirits.

The pair listened to Caile with interest, seemingly happy to have found someone who shared their love for song.

“We would gladly sing for you, if you would play with us.” The elf said, to which the orc gave her a sideways glance, a look of apprehension on his face.

“It is blackcurrant….” Heldemin pauses for a moment as Caile carries on.

“Grindbone, you speak of Grindbone.” The look of disgust on her face.

She and her orc companion look to Brevis as he tells of their intentions. “It may be that we can help each other.” She said, “But I would speak to my companion a moment first.”

At that the pair moved off for a few moments and spoke quietly together.

After a moment, the pair turn and Heldemin speaks to Brevis and Caile.

"We can help in your endeavour, for it is a noble one for certain." She says solemnly. "But four of us would be hard pressed to enter a place such as Grindbone and make off with any of your kindred spirits unscathed."

"If we were to accompany you, we would ask something of you in return." She says.

In reply to Heldemin (msg # 22):

I have already given my all to this cause.  Join us, and what I have given is yours.  Ask of me and I will gladly give the shirt off my back.

Brevis lifts his clothing to reveal the scars, the unwanted and wanted, that litter his back.

Please don't take me for one without manners for pleading with such urgency.  Let it only speak to our purpose and intent.