19 Moving Again
By JohnB
It's great to have the site back again, with all the stuff still on it.
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As you start travelling again, you realise that the fight with the dogheads - and the clearing up after - lasted less than an hour, all together. It has just gone midday and the weather is still fair.
The journey goes well, no more dogheads or other malevolent denizens of the wild attack you and gradually you relax into the travelling. The doghead shuffles along at the side of Madrake's mule, he almost stumbles a couple of times but, with his longer legs, seems to have no trouble keeping up with the party. Throughout the journey the noise of your passing disturbs the minor beasts of the area, and you often hear strange calls and scurrying as they head away through the bush. On a number of occasions you see rabbits grazing between the bushes and occasionally pheasant are disturbed and whirr away in flight. Elsbeth's wolf lopes along side her mare, occasionally darting off into the bushes to chase rabbits or pheasant, but always returning fairly quickly. After one foray he clearly has feathers stuck in his fur and blood around his mouth.
Once you spot a wild boar on the path ahead of you, it stands and watches you for a moment, before it turns and heads off out of sight.
After three or four hours of travel you come to the junction that leads back to the coast and the village of Mistaton, your next port of call. Standing at the junction is the dilapidated ruin of a smallish roundhouse. The roof has gone but most of the walls are still there although they are stating to go in some places and there is a good distance to the surrounding scrub.
It is clearly defensible and could make a ideal stopping place …
OOC - New posts on the web site
Updated map of the Galinia coast adding the information that Callum would have known from his journey to Dingaic.
Map and description of the ruins you've just found
Experience so far
Leading the march with Callum at his side, Rolf looks at the countryside with an eye to possible hazards, especially attacking hordes of dogheads. After a couple of hours, he begins to relax a bit. To know one in particular, he says, "Either we're out of danger or they're waiting for night to attack."
After a few hours, he spots the roundhouse. It looks deserted, but best not to take chances. "Smilo, check it out." He gestures at the building. "Callum, back him up." To the others, "I think this'll make a good spot for the night." While those two are at it, Rolf considers further actions.
[Assuming the roundhouse is clear...]
"Okay, we'll set up camp here. Madelyn, once Kerim has the mules taken care of, let him take over watching the doghead and see to Aenis, we'll see to his burial directly. Elsbeth, we'll check the lay of the land, make sure there aren't any surprises waiting. Peter," Rolf pauses, considering, "Why don't you assist Madelyn with Aenis."
[Assuming everything is going smoothly...]
Rolf leads Elsbeth and her new friend out along the road they arrived on out to the scrub. He moves slowly, studying the scrub for anything that might indicate a threat, but making sure not to get deep enough into the scrub to obscure the others view of him.
Elsbeth gradually relaxes, watching the scenary move past. The swaying rhythm of the mare and the open spaces serve to bring a time of peace to the young woman. She actually would much prefer to find a quiet place to reflect, truth be told, buy the peace after the battle is most welcome indeed.
Happy too is the wolf at her mare's heels. The horse had not thought much of the wolf at first, but the complete lack of fear by her mistress finally set her to ignore the furry beast, especially as the canine seemed more content to follow and explore than annoy.
"I'll have to name you sometime, unless you choose to gift me with it yourself," she tells the wolf with a laugh as they arrive at the abandoned building.
{Assuming that there are no problems...}
Elsbeth accompanies Rolf in his scouting task, her eyes missing little. "Mayhap we'll be most blessed with quiet this night, do you think?" she asked. With a sigh, she looked around. "I'd be liking that, not being under a roof for a change."
Checking Out
By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot
"Smilo, check it out." He gestures at the building. "Callum, back him up."
Well, he couldn't think of a better to 'back him up'. Pulling his dirk from his belt, the hobbit makes his way around the hut, sticking to the brush, quite as a hobbit can. Which is pretty quiet. Reaching a windowless side, he approaches and puts an ear to the wall.
OOC: If he doesn't hear anything. Roll of 48%.
He sneaks around the outside of the building, looking for cracks to peek into or a window.
OOC: He rolled a 73% for silence which is below his 75% move silent.
OOC: If he can't find a crack or window to peek into, he'll take a quick peek through the door.
Scouting
By JohnB
Elsbeth and Rolf scout around the edge of the clearing and note that there is nothing unusual.
Smilo scouts around the outside of the building. The walls are surprisingly solid and there are no crack so peer through.
Both scouting parties realise that there are some planks of wood (4' long) laid side by side about half way between the perimeter and the building almost exactly half way round from the door. The planks appear to be joined together and have a rock balanced on top of them.
Voyeur
By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot
Take a peek under the boards.
During the ride, Mandrake tries to converse with the doghead, using the same guttural language that he had used with the other one.
Mandrake keeps an eye on the prisoner, but glances back occasionally, obviously concerned about their being followed.
Waiting for the scouts to return, he spots Smilo moving over and bending down to lift something, and thinks to himself, I hope this isn’t a re-run, they all rush off to check something out and leave us holding the baby as it were.
Treading the boards?
By JohnB
Smilo walks over to the boards and inspects them. The boards are joined by three cross boards in a Z shape and make a rough square approximately 4'x4', in a couple of places the bords seem to be resting on some stones, could they be part of a kerb?
There is a small gap between a couple of the planks, but it looks quite dark through there ...
There is a fairly large rock on top of the planks, which you will need to remove before you can look under the planks.
Peter walks across to the mules and starts to unlash the body of Aenis. When he is done he will lay the body gently to one side of the path.
"Have you got any cremation incense, Madelyn? I've got a few herbs that might take some of the smell away - but I haven't got a lot ... I suppose we will need to gather some oil as well? To make sure that the fire gets hot enough? ... You know, I've never helped at a cremation before..."
Peek II
By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot
There is a small gap between a couple of the planks, but it looks quite dark through there ...
The hobbit cups his hands around his eyes and the crack to shield out the light, allowing his night vision to take over. He listens.
OOC: Rolled a 43 for listen.
Peeking
By JohnB
Smilo kneels by the planking stretchs over and uses his hands to cup hi eye to the hole. He waits quietly like that for a couple of minutes to allow his night sight to take over, listening intently as he does so.
Smilo can hear Rolf and Elbeth moving through the bushes, there is the singing of two different types of bird, neither of which Smilo recognises, and a very faint noise that sounds a bit like awooompa-awooompa, occasionally the wolf growls softly - but none of the noises are coming from the hole.
After a couple of minutes of looking through the hole in the planking:- it is still pitch black.
Another Peek
By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot
The hobbit leaves the boards for a moment, and sneaks along the wall to the door. He peeks in. If he doesn't see anything, he'll check for traps.
Still peeking
By JohnB
The interior appears empty ...
Rolf finishes his circuit of the perimiter. "Elsbeth, thank you for your aide." He rejoins the others, then moves over to the mules and Peter and Madelyn. "I think we have everything we need for Aenis' rite, except for the wood. I will work on that." He looks around at all of the others, trying to decide what would be best.
He decides to leave Smile and Callum to deal with the roundhouse, Kerim and Mandrake to deal with the doghead, Madelyn and Peter to deal with Aenis. That again left Elsbeth. Looking over to here, he says, "I'm going to gather firewood. Let the others know if I go missing."
With that, he heads off into the brush, looking for suitable wood for the pyre, as well as for the mundane needs of warmth and cooking.
Callum stands some distance away from Smilo, his arms crossed and leaning on the hilt of his sword and a smile on his face while the halfling sneaks around carefully.
"The lassies faol, her wolf is not after makin' a fuss, and the horses are as calm as a corrie lochan - what think ye, wee yin. Be there a dragon under yon trapdoor wantin for a wee snack?"
After unloading the body of Aenis, Peter takes a small trowel from his pack and starts marking out an oblong in the grass.
"This is gonna be hard work" he says to no-one in particular.
Easy Does It
By Jim
who plays Smilo Hairfoot
"What think ye, wee yin. Be there a dragon under yon trapdoor wantin for a wee snack?"
"Donno, Callum. They put a rock on thos boards to hold 'm down. Tell ya wot. I'll check er fer traps and you lift the rock."
Elsbeth watches Peter, curious. She's seen little of the other ceremonies, only her own for the treatment of the dead. "He'd appreciate a wake, or at least contests," she states to nobody in particular. "But little I know of the ways the new folk deal with the departed." At least she had spoke his way to the next life- that helped.
Madelyn assists Peter with the unloading of Aenis' body. She then overlooks the marking of the burial ground for the pyre.
Madelyn asks Peter if he has another trowel, and will ask Kerim if he has any digging implements.
To Elsbeth she will explain the ritual that she is going to perform, "the easiest way to deal with this in these surroundings, is to dig ourselves a pit. We will then place Aenis' body into the pit and cremate it. I will perform a service, and once the cremation is complete we add his belongings for the next life and fill in the pit"
Enjoying the journey, he keeps a wary eye on the Doghead and Elsbeth wolf. He also keeps a wary eye out for another attack or ambush.
Noticing all the wild animals, he wanders if anyone can catch them so that dinner will be more interesting.
As the party approaches the ruins, he wanders if they are a trap. Then as he waits, keeping an eye on the Doghead, he looks on amused as Smilo investigates the planks and rock.
He will volunteer to help Elsbeth & Madelyn dig a pit so that Aenis's body can be cremated, once the camp has been set up. He shrugs his head at Madelyn's question and says "I doubt it" but goes and has a look.
Elsbeth visibly pales. "You'll burn him? Without a decent time to keep the evil ones away?" She shakes her head. "We should at least let him lie a day, don't you know." She appears quite troubled.