004 - On the Wagoner's Road

[joertexas]

One super-duper secret dice roll later...

Mirek makes his way along the uneven ground up the draw in the dim morning light. Piles of rock and sand show where water has rushed through here, but the ground is bone-dry. Another clatter of stone on stone, like small rocks falling down a slope, reaches his ears. He's thirty feet from the camp, and he neither sees nor hears anything else in the still morning air. He waits for a moment, and then he catches sight of movement ahead of him, around a bend in the draw that conceals him from being observed.

He’ll advance carefully and stop when he sees what is there.

He starts to move, and then he sees that, whatever it is, it's walking upright, and moving toward him. If he steps out, it will likely see him, too.

[terrymixon]

One super-duper secret dice roll later...

Mirek makes his way along the uneven ground up the draw in the dim morning light. Piles of rock and sand show where water has rushed through here, but the ground is bone-dry. Another clatter of stone on stone, like small rocks falling down a slope, reaches his ears. He's thirty feet from the camp, and he neither sees nor hears anything else in the still morning air. He waits for a moment, and then he catches sight of movement ahead of him, around a bend in the draw that conceals him from being observed.

He’ll advance carefully and stop when he sees what is there.

He starts to move, and then he sees that, whatever it is, it's walking upright, and moving toward him. If he steps out, it will likely see him, too.

Then he’ll freeze, wait, and watch.

[joertexas]

Then he’ll freeze, wait, and watch.

After a tense moment, the figure resolves into a slim humanoid wrapped in a cloak who is slowly making their way along the draw. Mirek doesn't see any weapons, and there is only one of them. As they shuffle along, another rock clatters from under their feet. Their gait shifts as they slowly move along, as if they are having difficulty walking normally.

[terrymixon]

Then he’ll freeze, wait, and watch.

After a tense moment, the figure resolves into a slim humanoid wrapped in a cloak who is slowly making their way along the draw. Mirek doesn't see any weapons, and there is only one of them. As they shuffle along, another rock clatters from under their feet. Their gait shifts as they slowly move along, as if they are having difficulty walking normally.

Mirek

“Good morning,” he said in a voice that the others would hear. “You look like you could use some help.”

[joertexas]

“Good morning,” he said in a voice that the others would hear. “You look like you could use some help.”

The figure started violently, and dropped onto its knees. "Please, don't kill me." The person's voice was high-pitched and weak, and they knelt with their head and face covered by a cloth of some sort.

[terrymixon]

“Good morning,” he said in a voice that the others would hear. “You look like you could use some help.”

The figure started violently, and dropped onto its knees. "Please, don't kill me." The person's voice was high-pitched and weak, and they knelt with their head and face covered by a cloth of some sort.

Not very threatening, but Mirek will keep an eye out to make sure this isn’t a distraction. Male? Female? Indeterminate?

“Wasn’t planning on it. Who are you and what are you expecting to attack you?”

[Darithe]

After being awoken, Dree quickly dresses and readies herself for a potential attack. Remaining silent and still she awaits word from Mirek.

[joertexas]

Not very threatening, but Mirek will keep an eye out to make sure this isn’t a distraction. Male? Female? Indeterminate?

“Wasn’t planning on it. Who are you and what are you expecting to attack you?”

The figure pulls back a head covering, and Mirek can see that she is a young orcish woman, hardly more than a girl. Her face is dirty, and she has a piece of rough cloth tied around her head above her eyes. "I am Dela. My family was attacked, and I was hit on the head. When I woke up, everyone was gone. I tried to follow them, but I'm too sick to walk far. I smelled your campfire, and I am so hungry."

[terrymixon]

Not very threatening, but Mirek will keep an eye out to make sure this isn’t a distraction. Male? Female? Indeterminate?

“Wasn’t planning on it. Who are you and what are you expecting to attack you?”

The figure pulls back a head covering, and Mirek can see that she is a young orcish woman, hardly more than a girl. Her face is dirty, and she has a piece of rough cloth tied around her head above her eyes. "I am Dela. My family was attacked, and I was hit on the head. When I woke up, everyone was gone. I tried to follow them, but I'm too sick to walk far. I smelled your campfire, and I am so hungry."

“You’re in no danger from us. Come forward and share our fire and food. We saw the place where the attack happened and are trying to catch up as well.”

Mirek will not crowd her and will still keep an eye out as they approach. He’ll make sure the rest know he is coming with a guest so no misunderstandings occur.

[joertexas]

“You’re in no danger from us. Come forward and share our fire and food. We saw the place where the attack happened and are trying to catch up as well.” Mirek will not crowd her and will still keep an eye out as they approach. He’ll make sure the rest know he is coming with a guest so no misunderstandings occur.

Dela stands and walks unsteadily toward Mirek. As she approaches, he sees that she has an animal skin cloak on over a light leather dress, and beaded moccasins on her feet. She carries nothing with her, and the rag around her head shows a large dark stain over her left ear. She and her clothes are coated in dust and grime. Finally, she stands next to him and waits for what he does next, her green eyes luminous in the dim light. Her lips are drawn and she meets his gaze for a moment and then looks down.

[terrymixon]

“You’re in no danger from us. Come forward and share our fire and food. We saw the place where the attack happened and are trying to catch up as well.” Mirek will not crowd her and will still keep an eye out as they approach. He’ll make sure the rest know he is coming with a guest so no misunderstandings occur.

Dela stands and walks unsteadily toward Mirek. As she approaches, he sees that she has an animal skin cloak on over a light leather dress, and beaded moccasins on her feet. She carries nothing with her, and the rag around her head shows a large dark stain over her left ear. She and her clothes are coated in dust and grime. Finally, she stands next to him and waits for what he does next, her green eyes luminous in the dim light. Her lips are drawn and she meets his gaze for a moment and then looks down.

“This way,” he said, gesturing got her to continue. “In the camp, we have a guest coming.”

He’ll follow her in, keeping watch to make sure nothing else is out there.

[joertexas]

“This way,” he said, gesturing got her to continue. “In the camp, we have a guest coming.”
He’ll follow her in, keeping watch to make sure nothing else is out there.

Dela picks her way across the rocks, and rounds the corner to the campsite. She stops when she sees the other three people. "I am Dela," she announces with a quaver in her voice.

Everyone sees a slim orcish girl clad in a leather dress with an animal hide cloak over it. She has a rag tied around her head over her ears that is darkly stained over her left ear, and she wears beautifully beaded moccasins. Her clothing and visible skin is caked with dust. "Do you have any food or water?" she asks in a small voice.

[Spearmint]

Amistad

Looks at the girl. "She would just as easy shaft you as shaft a boar." he says, thinking that if she had a bow and arrow she would be just as wild and dangerous as any other orc.

Hmmm, prejudices however sized they come are not easy to overcome, especially seeing as he gutted some orcs earlier. Perhaps one was her dad or brother.

He puts his typical barbarian thoughts aside and reaches into a pouch. It contains a first aid kit of a supply of bandages, sutures and triage equipment. He does not yet have the Healers Feat in his skill repertoire but offers the bandages to address the wound the girl suffers with.

"Come here girl Dela. Let me stop the bleeding lest infection happens." he motions to her to come closer (unless someone else has the feat or greater medical skill) and he will bind her wounds.

"Do we have food and water? I'm hungry too. What we having for breakfast?"

[Darithe]

Even on her best days, Dree was not the friendliest sort, but she tries to put on a welcoming face, even if she didn't yet fully trust the stranger, "Greetings Della, I am Dree. We have food and water that we can share," she looks at the wound, "And I'll take a look at your injury. How exactly did you receive it?" She rummages in her pack for some rations while she listens to her answer.

[Eris]

Aden has faded into the shadows as Mirek went forward armed with his hand crossbow ready to sneak attack if needed. When Mirek and the girl come back he waits where he is for a bit to make sure they aren't being followed by ambushers, (Perception roll: 10) if he senses no one sneaking up on the group he'll , then appears from the shadows.

"I didn't sense anybody else out there, but you never know." Aden says quietly as he reappears at the edge of camp.

"Yeah, I could stand to break my fast, too." he says as he nods to the girl as he reaches into his pack for a pair of wrapped packages.

"Aden's my name. What's yours and what's your story?", he unwraps one of the packages showing that it is food and then offering it to the Orcish girl unwrapping the other for himself.

"Eat slowly and wash it down with water." he says handing her his water skin, "Sips, not gulps or you'll be sick and no body wants that."

[joertexas]

Dela looks back and forth at the four of you as she eats. She allows Dree to look at her injury, though she shies away from the towering Amistad. Overall, she is in good physical condition for a young female, other than being hungry and dehydrated.

"My village follows the marduk herds as they move," she begins. "We hunt them for food, hides, and other parts, and then we trade what we don't use ourselves to others for metal and other things we cannot make for ourselves. Several days ago, a group of warriors rode though our village. I recognized some from another village that we had traded with before, but I was hit before I could do anything. When I woke up, it was night and everyone was gone. I looked for my family, but everyone and everything was gone. I followed their tracks until I was too weak to go on. This morning, I smelled your campfire and went to find it. I was going to die anyway, so it didn't matter if you killed me."

[terrymixon]

Dela looks back and forth at the four of you as she eats. She allows Dree to look at her injury, though she shies away from the towering Amistad. Overall, she is in good physical condition for a young female, other than being hungry and dehydrated.

"My village follows the marduk herds as they move," she begins. "We hunt them for food, hides, and other parts, and then we trade what we don't use ourselves to others for metal and other things we cannot make for ourselves. Several days ago, a group of warriors rode though our village. I recognized some from another village that we had traded with before, but I was hit before I could do anything. When I woke up, it was night and everyone was gone. I looked for my family, but everyone and everything was gone. I followed their tracks until I was too weak to go on. This morning, I smelled your campfire and went to find it. I was going to die anyway, so it didn't matter if you killed me."

Mirek

"We're not killing you. We've also had a hostile encounter and want to find out what is behind it. Perhaps we can work together to do so."

[joertexas]

"We're not killing you. We've also had a hostile encounter and want to find out what is behind it. Perhaps we can work together to do so."

"Are you with the wagon people?"

[terrymixon]

"We're not killing you. We've also had a hostile encounter and want to find out what is behind it. Perhaps we can work together to do so."

"Are you with the wagon people?"

"Yes."

[Spearmint]

Amistad

Several days ago, a group of warriors rode though our village. I recognized some from another village that we had traded with before,

If her village is gone, then what about the other village. Maybe they took captives. We didn't see dead bodies so presumed folk ran away.

He suggests using the girl to take us to that other tribe.