Expedition - Foxy/Lost Children- 01 May 2021

[Marullus]

01 May 2021, 2:00pm

Foxy O'Hair and Clay Weatherwax (in the company of a donkey and large dog) are seen exiting the south gate of the town, heading due west towards Farrow's Farm to investigate the kidnapped children and goblin raiders.

You are moving at full speed, and on suitable road.

The pair and their companions leave the gate at a reasonable walking pace, the air brisk and the sky clear and pleasant. A sliver of moon is visible in the daylit sky, the new moon almost upon you. The wagon trail to the west is indeed clearly identifiable, there is little concern of being lost.

The dog enjoys chasing the stick, exultant at the idea of tracking and sniffing it down. The donkey makes some noise of protest at first, but also enjoys the brisk walk as well. Some songbirds scatter as you pass near the merchant camp, while some jackdaws flock in a hedgerow along the fields as you leave the town.

Clay whistles to the Jackdaws, interrupting their play and getting their attention. They respond back, seeming more than happenstance as they whistle at each other. A few of the Jackdaws hop over close, and even follow you curiously for a short while. They keep a careful distance however, and seem to be heckling or laughing at the pair of you, to Foxy's ears.

Jackdaw.jpg (16.64 KiB) Viewed 1562 times

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay's body relaxes as he leaves the town. He has always found towns loud, busy and smelly. As they walk along, he speaks to his new companion.In the tavern you seemed to focus on roaming wolves. Have you had any encounters or is it just caution? Anyhow, Mor should alert us if anything draws near. Clay then takes a moment to let his dog, Mor, know he is "on duty" during the journey. It would be best to avoid direct conflict if possible.

Marullus edited his post as I was posting. Here is the edited version:

That quarterstaff, does it have a pointy end to stab with? If any wolves follow us I'll let you do the talking.

Clay's body relaxes as he leaves the town. He has always found towns loud, busy and smelly. He smiled as the jackdaws flew closer but soon lost interest, shrugging. As they walked along, he turned to to his new companion. In the tavern you seemed to focus on roaming wolves. Have you had any encounters or is it just caution? Anyhow, Mor should alert us if anything draws near. Clay then takes a moment to let his dog, Mor, know he is "on duty" during the journey. It would be best to avoid direct conflict if possible.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay Weatherwax
Using a chunk of bread form his fresh rations, Clay attempted to lure the jackdaws in and gain their trust. He dropped bits of the bread on the ground while whistling to them. He then placed bits on the back of Asala, the donkey, letting the jackdaws know he meant no harm. His whistles grew increasingly involved and were accompanied with subtle hand gestures. Clay was hopeful the birds would become more friendly and, perhaps, do a favor or two.

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare

"These goblins which raided the farm rode on huge trained wolves. I hope a pack isn't free roaming the plains. A lone straggler we might be able to shoo' away. It might be they just chased the Farrows' herds away and left the farm intact. When we get closer we can climb a tree and take a look from high up."

Foxy unslings her hornbow and notches an arrow, now if you can get one of these black pigeons to stand still I could do with a bit of target practice."

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay Weatherwax
Clay's jaw drops in disbelief. NO! Don't! Can't you see that I'm trying to gain their trust so they will scout for us. He moves to stand between Foxy and the birds. And why would you take a life for sport?

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare

"You csn train them to be 'eyes in the skies?'...what kind of school did you go to? Guess not one with oak panelled halls lined with onyx heads and stuffed grizzlies?"

Foxy will crumble some bread and place it on the top of her felt hat. "If they shit in my hair it'll be ' blackbirds baked in a pie' for dinner".

What is the way to the farm like? Copses of trees, grassy plains? Foxy will be constantly scanning for movement on the horizon/treeline. That moment when all the birds fly up in the air of things go deathly silent.

[Marullus]

The birds are dubious, keeping their distance at first, but chattering busily amongst themselves as Clay chirps to them. They approach closer gingerly, pecking up the bread but only when it is tossed at a distance from the humans, donkey, and dog.

The birds chatter:

"Wait, did that two-legged just talk?"
"No way. They can't talk. They just make those weird grunts."
"He DID! He did just talk! And, he has bread!"
"Never trust the bread. The bread is a lie."
"No. This bread is good."
"Oh! Bread!"
"Why is he talking to us?"
"Oh wait! He is talking to us!"
"No way. They can't talk."

Foxy breaks out her bow and arrows. The birds startle, flapping upwards with a raucous cacophony.

Birds squawking:

"Death!"
"Death!"
"Death!"
"Death!"

After Clay intervenes and Foxy puts away the bow, sprinkling bread crumbs on her tricorn hat, the birds slowly begin to settle. Clay chirps and warbles at them. They are skeptical, but at length, consider his request.

[4d6] = 13

They chirp back to Clay:

"More bread? We tell you what's over the hill? Each time, more bread, and you throw it. Yes. You throw it away from the Growl-Teeth and the Death Two-legger. Yes."

With that agreement, they flit off. They return in about 15 minutes, expectant for bread. Once they peck it up, they fly off again, repeating this process. (subtract one whole ration)

The pair and their companions move quickly on the road, undulating plains among the low hills lying on either side of the beaten wagon track. They expect to arrive at the farm in less than three hours, well before dusk. About an hour into their walk, the birds flit back, chirping excitedly at Clay.

"Hard-shell six-legs! Eating all the grain! Just over that ridge!"

Day: 01 May 2021
Time: 3:30pm
Light: Sunny day
Temp: 55 F
Wind: 9mph
Distance traveled: ~3 miles

[Rusty Tincanne]

That was brilliant, Marullus.

Clay Weatherwax
Clay shrugs off Foxy's question about his training, letting her know the jackdaws don't seem likely to trust her after threatening them. They are more clever than you might guess, but they are willing to scout ahead for us for more bread. He passes the miles translating between Foxy and the birds and making sure Mor does not chase after them.

When it arrives, Clay is confused by the news. Instinctively he turns to Foxy to see what his companion thinks. It takes only a moment to remember she wouldn't understand. He whistles back to the birds and asks them what size creatures they saw. How big are these six-legged, hardshells? When the birds respond, he passes the information to Foxy.

1 ration deducted

[Marullus]

The jackdaw chatters, bobbing it's head up and down.

"Big big. Same as you."

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare

Foxy treks along, swigging occasionally from the wineskin, bow in hand. Her thoughts are the fates of the farm and Farrow children. How will she deal with goblins, dead bodies, live injured bodies. Her companion Clay, well he's a real Dr Doolittle, squawking and chirping away...although the sounds are fairly birdish. She smiles and nods whilst he translates.

Six legged hard thingy over the ridge? Well I've got to see this for myself, she thinks. Crouching low and then crawling prone over the last few yards so as not to be silhouetted against the skyline, Foxy peers through the grassy cover.

Seeing a large beetle(?) munching away she whispers, "Well I'll be damned".

Then hoping she is downwind of the creature, Foxy will crawl back."No sense in scaring the bug, him chewing us up and rolling us across the plain in a big dung ball ain't the way a lady's supposed to go. Mind you some of them have fantastically huge horns, chitinous shells makes a nice carapace armoured shield and some tunnelling bugs have glowing demon eyes you can cut out to store as torches.... Want to have a peek yourself?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

I will let Marullus give more details of what Foxy saw and let us know if she was seen at all before indicating what Clay will do.

[Marullus]

The ridge is about 100 yards off the right/north side of the road. Foxy makes her way up the ridge, including a belly crawl to avoid standing upright. The ridge drops off sharply, a vale of tall grain-laden grasses below.

Six creatures furrow troughs in the grassland below, the size of large sheep but with smooth black carapaces instead of fluffy wool. They are clearly ants, but of giant size, and move through the vegetation, their forearm-sized mandibles scooping and tearing up and consuming the plants for their hive. They are about 50-60 yards off from where Foxy crouches, but not far enough. They detect her scent and movement. They turn, making a menacing chittering sound and clicking their mandibles in angry warning, remaining still until she turns and returns to Clay.

The hive of these massive insects is unambiguous, about 100 yards further behind them. A bare mound of freshly extruded soil makes a new hill, the several-foot wide entrance just above on it the flat-face of another ridge.

Day: 01 May 2021
Time: 3:45 pm
Light: Sunny day
Temp: 55 F
Wind: 9mph
Distance traveled: ~3 miles

[Rusty Tincanne]

Does the path/track we are on allow us to bypass the ants and their anthill? If so, Clay feels no need to pester them - they are doing what ants will do. Also, Asala (the donkey) doesn't want to be eaten today.

[Marullus]

Does the path/track we are on allow us to bypass the ants and their anthill? If so, Clay feels no need to pester them - they are doing what ants will do. Also, Asala (the donkey) doesn't want to be eaten today.

Yep, easily.

he ridge is about 100 yards off the right/north side of the road

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay Weatherwax
After a brief consultation with Asala, Clay opted to forego his own curiosity and just continue down the track. You're probably right Mrs. Roxy. It would be impolite to disturb those ladies while they are eating. And dangerous.

ready to continue on. Are the birds still working for us? Before they leave I want to ask them for information about the goblins (where they live) and if they know anything about they missing human hatchlings. Clay wants his money's worth.

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare


Foxy dusts herself off and returns to Clay.
"On closer inspection it seems a party of worker drones for some ant colony. I know their larvae are some 'bushmeat' delicacy. Best leave that for the gnomes to harvest. If we continue on, I think they will not trouble us. And it is Miss O'Hara if you like. "

She passes her wineskin to Clay. " Do you drink? It's full bodied 'rioja' from the south plains. Excellent with venison. Just take a swig though, don't want you passing out. I suggest we press on for another couple of hours then exercise a bit more caution as we approach the place. Maybe the birdies can find us a nice copse of trees that overlook the farm?"

[Marullus]

The pair continue onward, sticking to the road and avoiding the insects. They chat about what they know of such things, passing the skin of strong red wine. Continuing to make excellent time, they crest a rise and see the farm clearly in the valley below them. The sun is still high and farm hands are in the fields, a large, old, draft horse plodding along with plow as they sow the spring crop. Only about a third of the fields are furrowed and plowed so far. Smoke rises from the farmhouse chimney, and three small out-buildings sit nearby. One of the out-buildings is burnt-out, like an empty tooth socket on an old jaw.

ready to continue on. Are the birds still working for us? Before they leave I want to ask them for information about the goblins (where they live) and if they know anything about they missing human hatchlings. Clay wants his money's worth.

The birds prevented you stumbling upon the ants and being surprised by them, which would've been a messier outcome.

The birds chitter in response, bemused and still intrigued by this two-legged talker. They typically live in the fields near, and live off of, the Merchant Camp. They don't have direct experience with goblins, farms, or missing hatchlings, once those concepts are explained. It isn't much longer before they begin getting nervous, as they've reached the extent of their territorial range, and the novelty of the nosy but articulate man wears off. Their bellies full of bread, they whistle a farewell and flit back along the road, chatting noisily with gossip among themselves about their strange day.

Day: 01 May 2021
Time: 5:45 pm
Light: Sunny day (sunset 8:51pm)
Temp: 55 F
Wind: 9mph
Distance traveled: ~9 miles

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare

"Well this is a lot better than I anticipated ",Foxy says to Clay. " I expected burned out shells and a 'scorched earth' policy to drive settlers away. You might be more familiar with farm etiquette Clay, I'll let you lead the way."

Foxy shoulders her bow and proceeds down the track to the farm, courteously acknowledging the labourers.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay Weatherwax
I agree. While it must be a travesty for those affected, it hardly seems anything to bother with in the larger picture. Still, we traveled all this way, we should see it through. We might still be of use to the children. With a head slightly fuzzy from wine, Clay plucked a few of Roxy's red hairs and gave them to the birds before bidding them farewell, For your nests, friends.

Seeing Roxy's scowl, he pointed out that it was good manners to show gratitude, whether it be people or animals. Red wine for me, red hairs for them. He smiled and led the pony and dog into the valley while scanning the area for signs of wolf tracks or anything out of place.

As they approached the homes, Clay held out his hand in an show of peace. Hello. We heard of your recent troubles and came to see if we might offer assistance. Is Mr. Farrow about?

[Marullus]

The pair descends into the farmland, following the wagon track through the fields and to the house. They are greeted by a haggard woman, her face lined with grief and sleeplessness, looking far older than her age, which is likely around 30. They find she is Mrs. Farrow, and she informs them that Mr. Farrow is laid-up, a broken and infected leg keeping him inside the house. A brief conversation confirms what you already know - the farm was attacked by a raiding party of goblins riding wolves. They caused havoc with the livestock, most of which are now recovered, then made off with the contents of the smokehouse and the two young girls. The burned down building was a bunkhouse for some of the farmhands - the two girls' fathers (Mr. Farrow being one, the other being Tom Tackett, who you met in the infirmary) fought until incapacitated, Tom being taken to town by the Guard as the more grievously injured and the now homeless farmhands moved into the house. Three other farmhands went off in pursuit on foot but haven't returned in three days. She is unable to continue further, as she clearly assumes the girls must be dead by now, in the hands of goblins and wolves. She nonetheless chokes back her sobs after a moment, inviting you both in for something to eat.


Day: 01 May 2021
Time: 6:00 pm
Light: Sunny day (sunset 8:51pm)
Temp: 55 F
Wind: 9mph
Distance traveled: ~9 miles