[Completed] - Kennit/Bounties - May 20, 1 VC

[Keehnelf]

This expedition was begun by Kennit Buckthorn and Rhodri to hunt down Viscarg's lieutenants and claim the bounties on them, in addition to seeking out other sources of profit.

The disheveled elf Perthrin has joined the effort.

If anyone else plans to participate, go ahead and chime in soon!

[KingOfCowards]

Kennit seems almost happy to be outside again, at least in better conditions than he was in.
He happily hooks his thumbs in his belt and surveys the new landscape.
"Same direction as last time, Rhodri?"

[Spartakos]

Rhodri squints at the sun, then in his usual morose tone says, "Aye, may as well. Last time we ran into a bunch of hobs, maybe we will again." Looking at Perthrin, he adds, "Just so you know, we're not in the business of negotiating with goblins and the like. Shoot first, ask questions of the corpses. If we manage to ensorcel some to sleep, we might want a prisoner to chat with."

With that he strikes off, bearing to the northeast.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Nodding in understanding, Perthrin cinches his pack tighter and trods along with his new companions. Their foul kind will receive no kindness from me.

spell for the day will be Sleep, by the way.

[KingOfCowards]

Kennit will take the lead, I figure traveling over land Rhodri and Perthrin can fan out behind him like a "V".
He knows the drill by now. Keep the elves alive long enough to cast their spells, and we should all live to see another day.

[Rusty Tincanne]

FYI, Perthrin will have a guard dog with him. Don't know if it has any training though.

Strike that. He is finalized now. Sorry for the delay. Been rough with the kids starting up school gain and re-roofing the garage and everything else life has been tossing my way.

Perthrin
Perthrin accepts the direction from Kennit and shuffles a distance to the right, roughly matching the distance Rhodri goes to the left. A wry smile creeps across Perthrin's face as he sets out on his first expedition, leaning slightly on his spear for support.


Perthrin is moving at 60. I couldn't really see a way to improve that because most of his encumbrance is taken by food and armor.

[Keehnelf]

May 23, 1 VC - 10:10am

The trio head off east across the moor, making good time with their small numbers and relatively light load. Taking a path that will bring them north of the cleft and generally toward the one dwarven watchtower that had previously been occupied, they encounter no sign of trouble or resistance along the way, though on the morning of the second day, as they approached the west end of the massive cleft in the earth where the stirges had almost claimed several lives, the trio spot signs of a camp that had been broken sometime the afternoon or night before, with tents and a cookfire, of perhaps a half dozen booted individuals--likely hobgoblins. The trail leads east, so they follow, but the next day they encounter no sign of those they pursue, and eventually the trail disappears. On the morning of the fourth day, the party catches sight of the watchtower to the northeast, sitting on a low rise that surveys the surrounding territory.

Please deduct three days' rations each.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Perthrin
Leaning on his spear as if it were a crutch, Perthrin looks at the typically-dwarven watchtower for a time. Rhodri, you said you have been here before. Did you enter? What of you, Kennit? Have you been here as well?

What does the watchtower look like? Is it built into the side of a cliff? Are there tunnels beneath?

2 days rations deducted.

[Keehnelf]

The tower is made of pale stone and stands approximately twenty five feet to the peak of its weathered and damaged but mainly intact wood peaked roof. The top level of the tower is only semi-enclosed, with a crenelated ring of stone at something like halfling height and an open frame of wood beams supporting the roof that peaks significantly above. The open plan of the upper floor seems to indicate that this would once have been used as a watch tower, but at present there appears to be no one manning the wall.

There are no windows on the lower level, and no entrances visible from the southwest (your direction of approach), though the others know from experience that a single iron door opens on the eastern side of the tower.

It stands in open ground (you're passing over rugged, but generally wide-open, moorland).

[KingOfCowards]

Kennit whistles when he spies the watchtower, "We made it further then last time anyways. We should be careful just in case something else is using that for a home."
In answer to Perthrin, "I've never been this far east. Most of my time was spent rooting out goblins in the burnt forest or up at the mountain."

[Spartakos]

Rhodri stares at the tower, idly chewing a stalk of grass as he considers.
"Been quite a while since I was here last...one of the early outings with Bertram." He spits to one side. "Bunch of dwarves lived there, last we knew. About a half-dozen. Not exactly a hospitable bunch, and likely to be less so now. If they're in there."

He glances around the countryside. "Come on...let's keep moving. I don't see anyone watching, but if they are, I want them to think we're just passing through. After night falls, we'll come back and see what's what." With that, he resumes marching on their previous course.

Rhodri will be looking for a spot to make camp, no more than an hour's walk (a few miles) from the tower. If there is anything that might provide some visual barrier (a hill, a rise, a clump of hawthorn, whatever), he will put it between us and the tower and camp there.

As we pass the tower, I would like to pass it on the south and east sides, and no closer than a long bowshot. Rhodri will glance back after it's behind us, to get a glimpse of what the door looks like (closed, broken down, etc).

3 days rations deducted.

[Rusty Tincanne]

3 days rations deducted.

Whoops. I only deducted 2 earlier. One more deducted.

Perthrin
The hunched and hobbling elf is less able to avert his gaze. He stops to look at the watchtower several times as he passes with the others. Was the marauding host in this area as well? I wonder if the dwarves could have withstood them.

[Keehnelf]

May 23, 1 VC - 8:40pm

The group continues on southeast from the tower, roughly toward the cleft some seven miles distant. By the time they have crossed half the distance, there have been enough dips and rises in the land that the group feels confident in camping in one such low area, hidden from the tower's view.

They make camp, and discuss their plans for the watch tower as they wait for the daylight to fade. Around three in the afternoon, their deliberations are interrupted for a time as a lone wolf wearing a riding harness appears to the south of the group, moving eastward. It noses around the area for a while as they lie low, before continuing onward.

Finally, the sun dips below the horizon in the west, and darkness begins to descend over the land.

(Please deduct one day's rations)

[Spartakos]

The group continues on southeast from the tower...

That honestly wasn't quite what I had in mind...I'd meant to "resume our course" to the northeast, just making sure that we passed by the tower on it's south and east sides, so we could observe the door.

That said, it looks like what you described worked out ok for our purposes, so let it stand.

Were we able to get a look at the tower's door as we moved off southeast?
What does it look like for visibility tonight (moon, clouds, etc)?

1 day's rations deducted.

[Keehnelf]

Apologies--I can retcon that

[Spartakos]

I don't see that it matters much; we're heading right back again.

[Rusty Tincanne]

And if it changed, we wouldn't have seen that pretty wolf!

Perthrin
After the wolf has passed, Perthrin begins talking with his new companions. I came here to aid in Vaul's defense. My party was beset by wolf-riding goblins. I only-just escaped. The others were not so lucky. He pauses before continuing. The bounties we are after... They may only be claimed by a member of the Guild, correct? Are either of you in the Adventurers Guild?

As the day passes, Perthrin also inquires how taking ownership of this watchtower assists the trio in hunting their quarry.



EDIT: one day's rations jsut deducted - I put it in this post so it is closer to the request.

[Keehnelf]

The sky looks partly cloudy and the moon is about at a quarter.

The door appeared intact and closed as you passed by.

[KingOfCowards]

Now that darkness has fallen, assuming we don't see any lights, I think we should approach close enough for the elves to be inside infravision range for the elves.

[Keehnelf]

May 23, 1 VC - 9:20pm

The group approaches the tower, and sees no sign of light or movement around or inside it. They come even closer, to give the elves a chance to perceive anything that might have been missed with their keen elvish darksight, and this too yields nothing. From outside, at least, the tower appears deserted.