Samuel drank his share but stopped short of getting drunk.

The One God's war aspect had no issue with strong drink but unpreparedness was a sin.

At breakfast He ate while the food was still warm and waited with Malcolm for the others to arrive.

As breakfast was served to them Longstrider came into the tavern and sat nearby. He laid out a map of the area. It was well detailed and had tiny, clean notes at the edges. Looking to small group he spoke.

"This is one of my finer maps. Take it." He sighed. "I cannot attend this trek into the swamps with you. More Gnoll business to the east, I'm afraid. There is a stable down by the south bend out of town and tell a man named Timons that old Jack said you were good for mounts. He can provide a pack mule as well. There is a bag of foods and several skins of water on the porch, courtesy of the Watch. You will want to get into the swamps quickly, there is a storm moving in and it will swell the river something fierce. The only other usable crossing is eight days northwest."

Yrpish's mind spun with the route it seemed that the old Ranger implied. It was a good route; it kept to higher ground and avoided the areas where the alligators would migrate to. The rest smiled and nodded through their hunger and headaches at the old man, not really sure what he was talking about but assuming it would be alright. Brother Samuel regretted losing the company of the man, but knew it would be for a good reason. Such was the will of the One God.

"Sooner started, sooner finished. Let's go."

He set off for the stables.

Yprish stood up and walked out with Samuel.

"Shoot, if this rain come down hard ain't gonna be no finishin, on account of that drow lady getting warshed away. But nothing's happening here, now is it?"

"Thanks for the map and supplies as well." Malcolm took the map. "Hey slow down guys. I'm going to need some help with these supplies. I've got the map but I can't carry everything."

"Easier to leave them and bring the mule back here but I'm glad to see a man of your birth willing to do manual labor."

"I don't mind getting my hands dirty." Malcolm stretched out his hand and smoothed out the wrinkles of his clothes. He snapped his fingers several times in the air. With each snap a fresh scent of mist appeared to moisturize his hear. "I'll wait here for the mule. Please be sure to lead my horse here Brother Samuel. Thank you."

Longstrider laughed at the exchange of words and turned to walk away. He also tossed a satchel on the table as he did so. Walking away he said nothing but the satchel seemed to hold a silver flask and a healer's kit.

The small satchel floated through the air towards him. "I'll take that." He grabbed the satchel from the air. He took the silver flask and offered the healing kit to Brother Samuel. "Let me check this flask."

---

Use Telekinetic Mage Hand
Identify the contents of flask by sniff and taste

Malcolm was surprised to find the flask was full of water. Judging by the symbols of the New Gods on the flask it wasn't hard to make the jump of logic; it was holy water.

An elf in livery apron and work clothing came in the door and called out to Longstrider as he walked away from the party's table, "Scout, the horses are ready. New shoes, fed, watered, and walked to get their muscles warm."

Longstrider tosses a small bag, the jingle of coins wasn't missed, to the elf. As the elf turned and left Longstrider continued to walk but said over his shoulder, "The horses are getting tired of waiting on you."

Malcolm gathered his horse and made sure that the provisions were stowed carefully. "Alright. Lead us out. Let's go save a damsel."

Vogryn shoulders his pack, then joins the others.

Yprish swung his leg over in the saddle and adjusted himself; it wasn't something he was all that used to. Wasn't like his family could afford horses to hitch ploughs to.

He slotted the butt of his spear in the stirrup and clicked his tongue at the horse, jigging the reins a bit.

"Giddyup, doggy."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:37, Tue 08 Mar 2022.

Using the map and notes left by Longstrider the little group of searchers quickly found the site where the Drow priestess went missing from. A few more notes were quickly added  to those already on the map. Yrpish was thankful for the map, this area was particularly thick in low, ground hugging vines and bushes.

The region was noted for a particular type of poppy that grew in the shadows of the vines. No doubt this was what drew the Drow so deeply off the main routes. The site of the last camp was still quite well laid out leading them to believe this was a place that was often visited if not by the Drow then by others at the least. But there were the tell-tale signs of the Drow here. A few trees had been branded with a hot iron with the symbol of Lolth, the spider goddess. The area was laid out with extreme care and showed signs of regular use by someone who valued tidiness as much as uniformity. And there was a what seemed to be a sacrificial alter made from a lightning split tree.

A collage of footprints, hoof prints, and paw prints told a story of a frantic fight. Drag marks, blood stains, and broken arrows added to the collection of details. There had been an attack, most likely at night, by Orcs and men. And odd combination in these parts, to be sure. The prints were deep and rounded at the edges indicating heavy armor.  The paw prints were from a large canine with a odor of charcoal; hell hounds most likely. It had been a frantic fight.

While the tracks were confusing, the rain had yet to fall and wash away all signs. Many had fallen here. Some marks showed the dragging of bodies. Others bore the sign of heavily laden wagons. It painted a picture of an attack. Sorely defeated. And a systematic search of the area. Then the packing of the camp and the egress of those here.

(OOC: Insight rolls would be useful here.)

Yprish dismounted and walked around the camp looking for clues as to what had happened.

---

OOC:

22:24, Today: Yprish rolled 12 using 1d20+3.  Survival.
22:24, Today: Yprish rolled 10 using 1d20+1.  Insight.

Malcolm dismounted and began to move through the campsite. Here, he found a footprint. There, he found a drag mark. He carefully set his feet into one of the prints, then he skipped to place his feet in another set of prints. "There was a great battle. Look. Here the survivor fell to a knee before being dragged off..."

"Apparently someone didn't care for the graffiti."

18:58, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 7 using 1d20+4.  Wis(Insight).

More and more the scene was beginning to take on a very furious fight with many wounded or killed on either side. It seemed that the attackers left first, light of their dead. So that could only mean that the Drow had either buried the dead in a sneaky manner or took the dead Orcs with them. Thoughts of necromancy crept through their thoughts.

A trail was found. A trail of many layers. The long, narrow footprints of and elf. Most like female. And headed out of the camp at a sprint. Another layer of heavy, clunky footprints of heavy armored feet in pursuit. And a final layer of long, narrow footprints also in pursuit.

Then thunder cracked overhead. A new and powerful thunderstorm was brewing in the skies above. It would only be a matter of time before nature wiped away the path.

"Strange. The trail indicates that the drow has allies that followed her... in pursuit of her attackers." Malcolm rubbed his chin in thought. "We've no choice but to follow the clues. Let's hurry before the rain washes away the trail."

Vogryn watched as the others assessed the area, careful to avoid entering it and confusing the tracks.  When Yprish was ready, he followed.  His maul resting easy in his hand, as he marched along far enough back to give their tracker space to play his craft.  Vogryns' own thoughts turned to the woman of the previous night.  And why he could recall no details more about her.

A  clear path lay before them. For the time leastways.

The weather was creeping in and threatened to be on them by sundown if not a little sooner. Their trail led them into the deeper swamps where horses could be a real liability to predators. And there was, as far as they knew, parties of Drow, Humans, and Orcs ahead of them. And their was no way knowing, at the moment, for sure if the Drow female leading this wild chase was actually the priestess they were after.

"This is shaping up to be interesting."

Samuel led his horse and picked their footing carefully.

"Well, hell... we go on in there with these horses, they's just gonna get 'et up by some hungry critter. Shore as hell cain't get 'em back to town afore this rain come down..."

Yprish sucked at his teeth for a moment, then pulled the map out to take a look at it.

"Let's see here... if'n I was gonna set down stakes for a homestead, where'd I go... maybe we find some folk there can take care these horses for us without losin' the whole dadgum day."

---

OOC:
Don't suppose I know of a hamlet closer than town we could drop these (expensive, loaner) horses off to? Or a likely-looking spot on the provided map?

"I agree that we can't take the horses there." Malcolm dismounted and got his gear. "But we still have the pack animal and the gear there. What do we do with that?"

"Horses can go anywhere we can, except maybe up a tree, as long as we're not riding them."

"If a Gator gets after one of them we'll kill it, the horse will kill it, or we'll be down one horse and that well fed gator will leave us the hell alone."

"We've got to keep moving."

And he did.