That's very teachers of them, isn't it? What will they use the trees for?Clay hurries into the angry vegetation and works diligently to disarm the orc party. He gathers their weaponry and does his best to throw it towards the party, often fumbling with his claws.
Also, tell them that this forest is all under our protection. It is Beith's, and it is off limits, except for hunting food.
Clay is the sort of person that would try and hire one or two of this crew to guide us northwards, and get the others to agree to leave the woods alone, except for subsistence use. He wouldn't want to let the rest know where they are going though, so the party won't be tracked.
And of course, you realize that it is going to look like Willow has a giant badger-familiar now. Stories in the orc community will grow.
Willow replies, in orcish, "These are woods of Beith and under her protection. This includes the trees and all things under their canopy. There is no tolerance here for killing trees or even the thieving of the killers of trees. This is your one and only warning to leave this place peacefully or you will feed the trees with your blood."
Smoglea watches and listens to the others interacting with the orcs. The halfling meanwhile stands back and tries to refrain from drawing his sword.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
Clay wades into the grasping branches and brambles and goes up to the first orc. While it is unable to move from where its legs are trapped, it resists the thumbless badger pulling its battleaxe from its hands. "Shooo! Shoo weasel!" the orc scolds. Clay's snarling snout do not disuade the orc, but it doesn't strike at him, either.
Willow threatens the orcs and tells them to depart, this being their only warning. "Oy, wood wizards," grouses one of the orcs. "Won't let us get wood anywhere these days. Come on, then. Let them keep the felled trees. Let's go, guys."
The forest becomes quiescent and four of the orcs are able to break themselves free. Two of the orcs remain frozen. The four look like they intend to leave, once they figure out how to move or carry their frozen companions.
Marullus wrote:it resists the thumbless badger pulling its battleaxe from its hands. "Shooo! Shoo weasel!" the orc scolds.
Clay snorts loudly as the orcs leave, pawing the ground in what he hopes is a menacing manner. As the orcs disappear, he returns to the others. Let's finish the night and be off then. My watch still. He thanks Maurice for the warning.
You really are an amazing friend.
How did your hunting go this evening, by the way? Any voles?
Smoglea leaves the orcs alone and watches uneasily as they leave.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
The orcs depart as you watch, then the group settles back into their bedrolls to finish their night's rest.
Maurice fluffs up and tucks his own head under his wing, responding to Clay with his hoots in a formal tone. "There is a plethora of voles and other quite scrumptious finds, in fact. Even owls need rest, if you're using your own eyes to watch now. Good night, Mr. Weatherwax."
You wake in the morning, have your breakfast, and meditate upon your magical energies for the day.
Clay dwells a moment about how he used to bath each morning in streams before meditating, but refrains from this today. The fur stays wet too long, and he wasn't going to start licking himself clean today. Instead, he uses a nearby tree trunk to scratch his back, then finds a place to meditate.
Afterwards, he produces 6 goodberries and passes them around. I suppose we leave the logs where they are. The orcs will likely take them, but maybe not. After a few deep breaths of the air in the primeval wilderness, he is ready to continue north.
Clint watches Clay to see if it's true what they say a badger does in the woods. But then again, when out in the wild, Clint does that in the woods too.
He accepts the goodberry with thanks.
"Is everyone ready for another exciting day of adventure?" he asks cheerfully.
Smoglea takes the goodberry and eats it and is ready to head out when the others are.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
The day begins cold, only feeling about 40 degrees as you pack up camp. It warms up through the day, but the early afternoon provides the usual patter of light rain drizzle on the canopy of leaves overhead. Clay spies a familiar blue color around mid-morning and you stop to find a patch of flowering blue tormentil in the forest's edge. You collect enough flowers for three uses. You meander through the forest, following Clarabelle and the owl, for 12 hours before you come to the forest's edge.
You look upon the open plains stretching into the distance without significant hills or dales, a tundra of low gorse and sandy soil. There are almost no clouds above, the clear blue sky a welcome sight after so many days deep in the forests. You see the immense slope of the great mountain directly northeast, only about 24 miles distant - that's when you realize you are far further east than you intended to be. You expected to be at least twice that far from the mountain's slope... perhaps a reason for the increased orcish presence here. Looking at the mountain in the clear afternoon sunshine, you notice two things - first, the mountain's peak remains shrouded in thick cloud and out of view, despite the surrounding skies, and second, that something sparkles brightly, like a faceted diamond, on the mountain slope only a short way up its western side. It looks tiny at this distance, but to be seen sparkling from so far it must be larger than a building.
Upon the plain before you, about 160 yards from the forest's edge where you stand, you see the immense leathery wings and long serpentine neck of a dark-scaled creature. It's large, taloned feet perch upon the fallen body of a massive, hairy creature - as large as a small cottage, covered in shaggy brown fur, with stout round legs and massive white tusks on either side of a long, hairless trunk. The serpent lifts its draconic head and regards you flatly, watching your movements while not betraying its own.
Willow's eyes grow wide at the sight of the leathery-winged serpent. She tries to catch sight of its tail to see if it might be a wyvern... she's never seen a wyvern in the wild before! And what is that it's eating? She remembers stories of large woolly oliphants that were not-too-gentle when disturbed. Maybe it is one of them.
Clay is surprised to see Clint acting sensibly for once. Yes, let's. Back into the forest for now and head West. He hopes the dragon-free thing will not be offended by Willow's armor. As he melts into the forest again, he tries to discern the color of the dragon's hide, and match it with the names that Scatha mentioned when they first met.
As they walk away, he talks more freely. This land is marvelous. That hairy creature the dragon was feasting on was massive. I believe I saw them in my vision from Beith, but I had assumed they had died out. I'm curious to find more living examples.
Smoglea watches the creature with awe "Is that a dragon?" he asks a bit shakily. Slowly backing away he agrees "Yes lets leave it alone and find another way through here."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
