Chapter 2b - Gang of Moral Relativists

[AleBelly]

Date: 17 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 9:00
Conditions: 41F, cloudy, breezy (10 mph from SW), thick woods -3 to hit for every 60' increment
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun
Intended direction of travel: West, 1.8 miles traveled today

The party wakes at first sunlight, Arlandria already busy making breakfast. The halfling is as good with a skillet as she is with a bow, fixing up some delicious food. The warm meal has them in better spirits for the day ahead. They pack up and are bashing through the thick pine forest by 7:30, making a little better than a mile an hour. The halfling and elf scout ahead as the party sets a course due west. Less than two miles into their journey, they reach a small lake. The water is a bit murky, but the open sky is a nice break from the monotony of the forest.

They can see that it’s about 300 yards west to the other side of the lake. It’s much longer north-to-south; they can see the edge of the lake to the north about a quarter mile away.

As they look around, they find the usual animal tracks. This is likely a popular watering hole. Birds fly here and there, and the ever present drumming of the woodpeckers has almost become background noise to the four adventurers.

The party spots something unusual amongst the damp muddy bank of the lake. Signs of a struggle are evident and bloody fur, probably from a deer, is scattered about. Two prints stand out. Huge three-toed claws make a deep impression in the mud. You think you see others, but they seem to skid or slip along the mud and are less clear. This invites inspection, but the party sees no evidence that these tracks lead in any direction along land, and they don’t lead into the lake either. It’s as if they disappear into thin air.

Nobody in the group is an expert in these matters, but whatever creature made these tracks is at least two or three times the size of a man.

[Keehnelf]

"This must be the work of a giant bird." Ilfrien eyes the sky carefully, stepping slightly into the shade of a nearby tree as she does so.

[Marullus]

Arlandria quietly prepares an arrow, her eyes scanning the sky above. "I'm just a snack for a bird that big... like a scone at elevensies." She harumphs, still not entirely comfortable. "I'll bring down a deer or some game, if we see it. Good to have for the camp by nightfall. Skirt the north edge of the lake there and then continue northwest on the otherside." She pauses. "...if a giant bird shows up, I'll shoot it and you protect Applehead. She's too good pony to be dinner."

(We're still east of the road we found, right? Or have we crossed it? If I see a deer or game, I'll shoot it as we go and put it on Applehead until we get to camp for butchering.)

[AleBelly]

Date: 17 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 11:50
Conditions: 39F, cloudy, breezy (10 mph from SW), thick woods -3 to hit for every 60' increment
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun, 4 more hours
Intended direction of travel: West, 5.0 miles traveled today

The party briefly searches for more game at the watering hole, but finding no further clues as to the origin of the footprints or game ripe for the taking, they walk to the northern tip of the lake and proceed west.

After about 3 more miles of walking they encounter what is likely the same road they crossed yesterday, but it’s not a stretch they’ve traveled before. They see no signs of life.

stopping here because there was a question regarding the road

[Keehnelf]

Any sign that the road's been traversed recently?

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok looks around the road, glancing briefly for any signs of foot traffic while sticking to the group formation.

[Marullus]

Arlandria emerges from the treeline onto the road to join her companions. "What a lovely and uninteresting stretch of wood we've found." She smirks. "If we want to join the others, we best continue pace westward. We can perhaps then all come explore on the road together. Or, if we wish to delay our arrival a day, we could look further south ourselves?"

(My question was for mapping and orientation purposes, but I'll toss the direction question to the others. Arlandria is agreeable with either plan, feeling rather fruitless in our search thus far.)

[AleBelly]

No signs of traffic. This may well and truly be an abandoned road. It sure looks like it could be.

[Enoch]

Yana frowns and looks longingly at the southern wilderness. "We had an agreement to meet up. We should honor that." Regret colors her tone.

"Besides, who knows what they'll think if we don't show. Maybe that we've been taken by orcs, or worse. Maybe they'll send out a search party; maybe they'll write us off as dead. Either way, we should honor our agreement."

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok nods to Ilfrien as he speaks up, "They may have found something more challenging than kobolds to fight."

[Keehnelf]

"Anyone willing to climb a tree and scout out whether anything interesting is nearby here?"

[Marullus]

Arlandria simply nods, drops her pack, and with a leap is in the lower branches of a massive pine tree. She clambers up the branches, bare feet deftly finding footing as she goes.

[Marullus]

The high winds and swaying trees make her effort dizzying to watch; after a brief while she descends. "nothing but trees for miles... Only about three miles north to the perimeter, I would guess."

[Keehnelf]

"Well, let's head back to our rendezvous point then. Eventually we'll find something interesting out here."

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok simply nods in agreement.

[Enoch]

Yana nods in agreement. "Agreed--or perhaps the other group already has, and we can assist."

As they walk, the warrior-priest drops in next to Korok. She speaks to him, her voice hesitant. "You...you're not much like what I was taught about orcs." She considers for a moment. "Or what I've seen of them, either, I suppose.

"We were taught you were creatures of Simargl, sent down from the heavens to rend apart civilization, and driven by hungers we could scarce comprehend. But you're not like that."

[Keehnelf]

Ilfrien looks over with a smirk before she trots back to her outrider position. "Oh no, I'm sure he's like that. We all are, deep down."

Trot trot trot.

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok gives Yana a sidelong glance, "Ilfrien is right, your description sounds to me like all races I've met." As they walk he continues on, "Good, Evil.. There's some of it in everyone." He nods and silently walks with the group.

[Enoch]

Yana scowls. "I don't believe that. I mean, yes, there's good and evil in everyone. But some creatures are just bad. Evil. They'd destroy everything Man has built if we let them."

She hustles to keep up with the half-orc. "You're out here, hunting them--kobolds and orcs and the like. Why are you doing it, if you don't think..." She trails off, looking uncertain.

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok simply shrugs, "You're right, everything man has built. But do not be so naive to think this is a one sided fight. Civilized races have done far, far worse to others than what has ever been done to them... I've never encountered Orcs, Gnolls, or even goblins that hated something simply because it existed, that's a claim only Men, Elves, and Dwarves share." He looks down at the halfling, "Why am I out here? It's simple... I have no where else to go."