Despite the adrenaline of the hunting fading, Berion couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.  After all, their group had just brought down the finest stag he had ever seen in his life (and likely ever would).

"Well done everyone!" he boomed in enthusiastic approval.

Turning to Ser Adham, Berion clapped the young man on the shoulder, his smile widening. "I believe you were talking about auspicious signs for tomorrow my friend?  If this isn't one, then I don't know what is!"

Gerhart eyed the prize appreciatively, approaching it to remove his arrow from where it was still entangled in the beast's fur.

Almost immediately he turned to practical matters. Requisitioning two pack horses, he began to fashion a long cloth-and-pole sled to transport the prize back to the Lychester camp where it could be properly butchered.



"It'll be slow going, but otherwise the light'll fade before the thing is properly butchered," he grumbled.

He unlimbered his horn, presumabely to give some indication of their succesful hunt, but paused, "do you hear that?" he asked broadly.

In the distance a hunting horn sounded again, giving out a clear and repeated pattern; a double blast.

At the sound of the horn, Berion's eyes narrowed sharply, and his head snapped in the direction of the sound.  "We're needed back at camp rather urgently it seems."

Glancing over at Gerhart, he quickly added "Will you be alright if I leave one or both of the squires with you?"

His intent was obvious, as after all, they'd make much better time without their prize.  Not that the knight intended to see it abandoned mind you.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:10, Sat 29 May 2021.

Gerhart nodded, "As ye will. I've the dogs f'r company as well." He shrugged.

[PC's can nominate whether to stay with the prize or go with Ser Berion and Ser Adham, and Adham's squires back over the spur towards the Lychester camp Ser Berion and Ser Thoren should also indicate the location of their squires]
This message was last updated by the player at 02:07, Sat 29 May 2021.

Giving Gerhart a quick nod of acknowledgment, Berion turned to his squires.  "Jerom, stay with Gerhart and ensure that transportation goes smoothly.  Valen, you're with me."

Darvil smiled as Berion boomed his approval. "Aye, good job, everyone." Yet inside he felt a tinge as he wanted to be the one to bring the beast down.

Thoren had been admiring the fallen beast when the horn blasts came. He knelt, taking his knife, and made a quick etching in the shape of a fish upon the stag's hoof, standing shortly afterwards.

"I'll leave another with Gerhart, to help make the work of hauling this thing in a bit easier, but I'll join you lot," he said, gesturing to Ser Adham and Ser Berion.

Adham nodded to one of his own squires, “Roderic, stay with the huntsman, Daveth: with me.”

Gerhart nodded and soon set about making sure the four squires he had been left with were busy with minding the hounds or saddling the horses for their own, much slower travel. He briefly outlined a direct route to return to camp by crossing the spur at the end of the valley, journeying south until the riders hit a small stream they had crossed, and following it to the river’s edge.

Ser Adham, his squire Daveth, Ser Thoren, and Ser Berion and his squire Valen each made to return the way they had come. The cloud cover that had seemed distant in the morning was looming prominently now,  foreboding. In the distance, another double-blow of the horn sounded from within the forest, clearly coming from the Tullison party.

As the party gained the crest of the spur and the valley disappeared behind them, Ser Adham turned in his saddle, calling to the other riders, “Ser Naton must be wroth indeed, for the challenged to be called off early, I can’t help but wonder what trouble might urge him to return to camp but not...”

In the trees above, a slight breeze echoed through the branches, before Ser Adham’s words were cut off entirely….

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

I'd like an Agility (Quickness) from everyone, with a -1D penalty due to the environmental quality of Shadowy light, and whatever penalty applies for the armour they have worn on the hunt.

To save time in the next post I'd also like an Animal Handling (Ride) Check. The DC for this check will be the passive will of your mount.

The Shadow
The Shadow rolled 19 - Initiative.
The Shadow rolled 26 - Sneak.

Environmental Quality - Shadowy - "When in an area of shadowy light, you take –1D on all Agility, Athletics, Awareness, Fighting, and Thievery tests. You take –2D on all Marksmanship tests.

Player's may choose to spend a destiny point to offset this environmental quality for the duration of this combat, but this is unlikely to cause them to win initiative.

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 11:53, Wed 02 June 2021.

Berion Knollwood rolled 6 using 2d6-1 with rolls of 2,5.  Agility (Quickness).

Berion Knollwood rolled 14 using 5d6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 4,5,3,2,2.  Animal Handling (Ride).

Agility: 6
Animal Handling: 10

10:21, Today: Thoren Blackfin rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,2,2.  Animal Handling.
10:18, Today: Thoren Blackfin rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,6.  Agility for the old man.

A high-pitched shriek sets the horse’s mad with a panic as a giant feline plunged from the branches above into the midst of them, spitting, biting and raking with its claws. It moved faster than a man by far, faster perhaps than the eye could cleanly follow in the overcast gloom.

First to fall was Ser Berion’s mount, as a raking claw caught the rounsey in its throat. The animal gave a whinny of agony and confusion, and managed a few unsteady steps before collapsing in its own blood. Moving with practiced efficiency, Ser Berion slid free from the saddle even as his mount died under him, rolling to his feet with weapon in hand.
As Ser Berion’s mount died messily, the other horses were driven to panic by the violence and the presence of the feline predator. Young Daveth Darry pulled frantically on his reins, adding further to his mount’s panic, as his beast bolted down the spur in wild abandon. Ser Thoren was calmer in the face of danger, but his borrowed mount proved a flighty thing and charged heedlessly after Daveth’s rounsey. Valen Vance struggled mightily with his own mount, maintaining control, but driven to distraction by the battle of wills he was no use in the opening moments.

Ser Adham tugged on his white courser’s reins, pulling it up sharply as he dropped his boar spear and reached for a sword he had left back at camp – but the beast was already inside his reach. The giant feline lunged at him, long jagged teeth sinking into the leather bracer on his swordhand, and the flesh beneath. He fell with it from the back of his steed, leaving the gleaming white courser to flee into the woods, its hid unmarred by its master's blood.

“Gods above. To me House Blackfin!” shouted Ser Adham, reaching for a dagger with his left hand, while fending the beast off with his right, already speckled with his own blood, as horses bolted past him left and right in fear.

The shadow snarled, and readied for the kill.

Round 1:
27 – the Shadow charges, making a claw attack on Berion’s mount [21 damage] killing it, and a bite attack on Adham [18-2=16 damage] resulting in 2 [-8] injuries, causing fear in nearby mounts.
8 – Ser Thoren fails his roll to keep control of his mount, which dashes 30 yards away.
6 – Ser Berion Now gets to act, having landed 2 yards away from the Shadow, uninjured, but suffering from shadowy light.
5 – Valen Vance spends a greater action maintaining control of his fearful mount but cannot otherwise act.
2 – Ser Adham, injured by the beast, fails to control his mount. He falls from the mount, which dashes 30 yards away.
1 – Daveth Darry fails his roll to keep control of his mount, which dashes 30 yards away.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:02, Wed 02 June 2021.

Leaping from the saddle with the dexterity of a much smaller man, Berion landed on his feet, and with the same motion, readied his spear for the attack.  In truth, this was hardly the first time he'd been forced to make such a... dramatic dismount.  At least this time he only had one foe to contend with and not an army of angry Lannister soldiers.

With a ferocious roar, the young knight thrust his spear forward, intent on impaling the creature before it could savage Ser Adham once more.

Reckless Attack + DP used for a total of 17.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 22:20, Wed 02 June 2021.

The Shadow slipped away from Berion's spear thrust like parting silk, so that it was only the crossguard of his spear that nicked the beast's hide. This was enough to draw the creature's attention from Ser Adham, who groaned as it released his arm to turn toward Ser Berion.

The animal seemed to size up Berion with a glance, its feline eyes resting on the tip of his spear with a trace of understanding and hesitation. Its ears twitched back and forth, drinking in the sounds of horses fleeing, and to one side, Valen Vance drawing an arming sword from its sheath as he readied his mount to charge. Ser Adham pulled his dagger from its sheath and held it awkwardly in front of him in his off hand, ready to meet the beast with steel.

Impenetrable oxblood eyes narrowed in a very human expression of hatred and malice. The Shadow turned and fled, its preternatural grace only slightly disrupted by the blow from the spear's crossguard. Ready for an opening, Ser Berion struck again, this time lancing the beast's side and drawing blood, but failing to impale it fully. In a moment, the beast had made it to the treeline, with the gloom already looking to swallow it.

"Fear not, Ser Adham, I have the beast," Valence Vance shouted, kicking heels into his rounsey's side as he charged after it.

Round 1
Ser Berion's attack achieves one degree of success, inflicting 7 damage.

Round 2:
27 - The Shadow Runs 30 yards from Ser Berion, who automatically uses an attack drawn from his passive fighting, achieving one degree of success, inflicting 7 damage, Wounding the Shadow. This angle is roughly perpendicular to the flight of Daveth and Thoren's mounts, leaving them around 45 yards from the beast, and 30 from the spur.
8 – Ser Thoren to act on an uncontrolled mount.
6 – Ser Berion to act.
5 – Valen Vance will spend a lesser action to command his mount to sprint, and a lesser action to make an attack on The Shadow after the two knights take their turn.
2 – Ser Adham to act.
1 – Daveth Darry fails to control his mount, which will continue to flee.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:31, Thu 03 June 2021.

"Squire Vance you will do no such thing!" Berion boomed in a tone that brooked no dissent.  Keeping his eyes fixed on the beast as it bounded away he couldn't help but shiver slightly.  There was something behind its' eyes, something malevolent, and far more frightening to the young knight, something almost intelligent.  It was certainly enough to send shivers up his spine.

Only when Berion was confident that the creature had well and truly fled did he lower his guard and turn to Ser Adham, his expression one of concern.  "Are you alright my friend?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:00, Fri 04 June 2021.

"A pincer! Flush it from the-" was all he could manage breathlessly with a a gesture as his mount continued to speed off in a perpendicular direction from the others. He hoped that he caught Ser Adham's attention, or perhaps Valen or Berion's, though in the chaos there was no telling. He was cut off as a tree branch seemed to swing in the direction of his head, and he barely ducked in time to avoid it, having to focus now in the futile quest to rein in this frightened mount.

OOC:

Making a Warfare roll to drop to the bottom of the initiative order, and give my friends some tactical advice, if they insisted on bringing down the predator. I would have thought to do this earlier, but didn't realize that the initial Agility was an initiative check, though it makes little difference as Thoren managed precious little during the first round.

If allowed, I'll throw the +1B to Ser Adham's initiative, allowing him to move up a bit in the order.

08:31, Today: Thoren Blackfin rolled 13 using 4d6 with rolls of 6,1,4,2.  Warfare.

That said, I can only put off making the next Animal Handling check for so long, as soon or late, it comes for me:

08:46, Today: Thoren Blackfin rolled 9 using 3d6 with rolls of 1,6,2.  Animal Handling.

Even lower than the first time!

Valen hauled on the reins of his mount so that it reared up, chewing up the leaves of the forest floor, before coming to a stop. He turned his mount back toward Ser Berion and Ser Adham, his cheeks flushed, blade still in hand.

"I had it Ser Berion; Maesie and I could have chased the blasted thing down, and won a prize as rare as any for Lady Gwendolyn!" he exhorted; his rounsey, apparently named Maesie, gave a snort of agreement, though her ears were flattened against her head in alarm.

"Be still, boy," Ser Adham commanded, though he was only a few years older than Valen himself. "Your master has the right of it; like as not the beast would have you in pieces the moment you closed on it. We have not had such a beast in these woods for nearly a hundred years," he remarked, suspiciously.

Through the woods, the double horn sounded again; closer but still distant. "Our duty must come first. We might aim for the crossroad, and meet up with the Tullison party; the wounded beast should not try an ambush against your huntsmaster and his hounds." he suggested

Finally, he turned his mind to Berion's question, he held his arm awkwardly, to show the gash on his arm and broken leather bracer "It is painful, but will have to wait for camp for the healer's touch, I'm sure."

With the beast in flight, control over the remaining mounts was easily established, with Ser Adham's courser returning with a particularly downturned head. Even wounded, the beast vanished like smoke, and would be near impossible to track in this light, with or without hounds.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:00, Sat 05 June 2021.

Giving Ser Adham an approving nod, Berion's eyes narrowed as the young man mentioned the rarity of the creature that had just assaulted them.  Things just weren't quite adding up about today, though he couldn't put his finger on it.  Just a gut feeling.

Shaking his head as if to force the thoughts away, the knight nodded "Agreed on both fronts, we should make haste."

Blowing out a heavy breath Berion turned his attention to Ser Adham and his wounded arm before remarking "It doesn't appear to be too terrible, but let's go ahead and get it bound.  For caution's sake at any rate."

OOC: Good with moving us forward if everyone else is

Thoren finally resumed control of his mount, returning to join with the others, and unsure as to how he felt about not finishing the job on the beast. It was the right decision, and the smart one, but it felt a thing not finished.

At the talk of the beast, he was quiet a moment. It was unusual for such a beast to be found in these parts, then. And unusual for a feline predator to attack a party such as theirs. They usually keep to themselves and avoided the company of men. A thought for later.

Quietly, he rode along with the others, keeping an eye out for any return of the creature.

OOC:
Also good to move along

The party rode ahead into the gloom, finding again the dirt track that had led them from the fork at the fallen oak. Through the trees they could hear the movement of other horses, whose riders were soon revealed. Beside the Oak they met Dunstan Tullison's party. The young heir seemed glad for their arrival, while Ser Naton Serbera and his hedge knight companions spoke in short grunts and joked idly, clearly impatient despite having waited only a short time. Ser Mathers sat ahorse by his liege's side, bearing an small bundle of cloth and leatherwork on the front of his saddle. A brace of hares hung from short ropes on Ser Mather's saddlebags, but there was no sign of a greater prize.

Young Dunstan bore his hunting horn in his left hand, and raised his right by way of greeting upon sighting them, "Sers, I am glad for your arrival, for I feared we must move to return to our camp without you if we were forced to tarry any longer."

Sitting astride the mount that he had commandeered from Valen (forcing his squire to ride with Daveth), Berion's eyes flicked to and fro as they made for the rendevous location.  Having exchanged his spear for his more usual choice of weapon, he was tense and on edge, seemingly ready to leap out of the saddle at a moment's notice once more.  Only when the other men were in sight did his expression lighten, some of the tension seeming to drain away, and even then it was only slightly.

Giving the Dunstan heir a nod of acknowledgment as the man addressed them, he replied "What seems to be the matter gentlemen?" the tension in his voice rather palpable.

"The boy demanded we return with our tails between our legs," a surly Ser Naton announced, "after we found an empty den and a satchel of worn clothes," he gestured towards Ser Mathers.

"Master Dunstan," Ser Mathers corrected the Serbera heir, "rightly considered signs of cohabitation between a human and a large pack of wolves so nearby the Lychester camp to be of critical importance to Lord Lyman and his guests. Wargs and their sorcery are an abomination."

"Aye, and a fantasy at that," laughed one of Ser Naton's hedge knights, clad in mail and wearing the sign of the black pot sewn into his cloth.

At the mention of a potential warg, Berion's expression darkened, and he shared a knowing look with his companions.  Things were starting to make a lot more sense.  "Gentlemen, if the wolves and their master weren't in their den, then they must be elsewhere, which is more than a little concerning.  And given our recent... encounter, I'd say that Lord Dunstan made the correct decision" he added, giving the young man an approving nod.

Glancing about at the assembled men, his expression remained rather grim "Back to camp with all haste then gentlemen."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:28, Fri 11 June 2021.

"I've heard of such things, though I never gave them credence, though if true it might explain the strange behavior of the beast that attacked our party earlier. Dunstan and Ser Berion are correct though; we should return to the camp with some haste. There is always time for us to have another hunt, and one perhaps with more interesting quarry."

In reply to Thoren Blackfin (msg # 37):

Darvil nodded. He kept quiet, but was shocked with what had just happened with the beast.