Helix Woods, Duchy of Aerik.
The Flaming Cabin.
June 27th 1066.
9.30am.
Amid the charred cabin, two bodies are pulled out of the ashes. They can be buried nearby and a basic headstone or wooden marker erected. The bodies of the Hobgoblins and wargs can be tossed into the pigpen. At least the smell there covers the aroma of charred and blistered bodies. The one surviving Hobgoblin does not survive much longer. He speaks but only in pragmatic defiance. He gives a personal name, speaks of his tribe as 'from over the hills'. He speaks to of some treaty and that the Hobgoblins are in good standing with a local rancher, inferring perhaps this raid was not an isolated incident but a premeditated action. He points to a charred body as 'the Gaffer'. Just following orders is no justification and his execution is swift. A tight noose and a kick away of the bucket he stands upon.
You can pin an note of explanation upon his body. The cabin is a little ways off the trail, an isolated small holding but not too separate that patrolling militia would not be unaware of its presence. Leaving then a simple testimony and after caring for the deceased, the group press on with their assignment.
The path meanders through the overgrown thickets of tall grasses and huddled crooked trees. Boggy terrain even upon a dry Summer's day. Once out upon the wilderness of the Barrow Moor proper, the mist closes in and within its eerie atmosphere, conversations are whispered as sounds are carried in weird magnifications around you. Despite a little detour over a boggy creek, the group pass within yards of 'The Standing Stone Camp', a small circle of upright stones on a raised hillock of pebble dash ground. Within the circle of stones, evidence of camping is found, some debris tossed aside by yourselves even.
The first time you came here, Sven encountered 'Howl of a Wolf', a Mongrelman and two children, 'Ribbeting Toad' and 'Screech Owl'. On another occasion, a group of Sauron tribesmen using the place as a meetup point with renegade dwarves who reputedly stole a dragon egg from them. The last time, a mercenary guild group escorting you to and from the mounds used it as a base.
This morning another adventure group have taken up residence here before you. After a wary
"Who goes there! Friend or Foe?" the two groups can mingle freely.
Fenrice & 'the Barghests'.
A stove boiling some hot spicy herbal is offered as a welcome drink as folk take a breather from a few hours of trekking. This group is led by
Fenrice, a tall human with a warrior's bearing and judging by the sword and armour he wears, a veteran of some combat experience. He leads a mixed group who he names as the
'Barghests'. They mingle about the camp and judging from facial scars here and there, a hand missing a finger or two, an eye-patch and one who covers a horridly burned visage with a face mask as equally fierce as the one which
Yardie wears,
(in fact they sit together to compare), you can assess the group as undoubtedly they assess you, both being veteran exploration outfits.
But they present no threat; indicating they are excavating local sites, this one included, convinced 'buried treasures' are located under some of the Menhirs.
They swap news of 'herds of raptors running riot by the river's edge' and 'three dark Sisters' who were rumoured to have met in a nearby barrow to mourn a deceased one.
this will be relevant to Sir Dewey, Vann Hector and Sigrid who were part of the group who found 'the Hag Barrow' a few miles to the south east on the edge of the Moorwash.
The group plan to stay here a day or two before going 'south of the Froglings' towards another wilderness site.
While folk fellowship, you can note that half of this group, about nine or ten of them, wear a scarf, vest or shawl with a red and black design of three wolves, a typical 'barbarian' motif.
Fenrice has such on his shield. For
Sigrid who comes from such racial heritage, she may be familiar with the design and it loosely refers to warriors who go into a berserk rage or manifest as wolves in battle. An uncomforting thought, especially if the latter were true.
After chatting and polite exchanges of 'how are you, where are you going, how is the weather today?'
Fenrice, comments on
Smokie.
He offers to buy the wolf from you,
"Name your price. Thirty gold?, Fifty, a Hundred?"
He looks disappointed to be told he is not for sale but shrugs. His men go about the camp, some excavating under some boulders and stones a few yards away in the mist.
actions anyone can ask a question here or try to make an observation, roll a d20.
Eventually the groups go on about their endeavours, he wishes you 'good luck' and goes back to scouring his notes on buried treasures.
The trek continues and with no more specific encounters, the group break out of the Moor into the northern fringe of the Barrow Mounds meadow.
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