A Smaller Task pt1
GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE. You've been hired by the guild to escort an older man out to the woods, where upon he'll apparently meet with a representive of the Fey. He'll hve more details for you, but apparently, an old Fey contact of his family has information on some odd goings ons amoingst the residents of the Feywild and the government of the city wants to know more. Rumors of some kind of 'fey war' have reached their ears.
You're at a crossrroads now, waiting for his arrival.
Sargon stands at the crossroads, turning head slowly this way and that and sometimes tilting it back to take in the view of the woods. No it's more then that, it's as if he's commiting every tree and branch and possibly even every leaf to memory.
Toha, realizing shortly after her time in the temple of Angoron that she would need means to finance any eventual upgrades or repairs, has found herself, like many, in the employ of the Guild. She stands not far from the oruch, her hands stacked upon the head of her bead and feather adorned Earthbreaker as she, too takes a sweeping survey of the area, while barely moving in the doing.
The Fey! Alaryn is ecstatic. She's spent most of the trek out there composing questions she plans to ask them about their magick and how it works. Maybe she'll try to work their style of mana into her talismans that she crafts. She's got a whole kit bag of small items prepared, some are half-potions. Now there is the crossroads! She's bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waits in anticipation of seeing real fey! "Do you think they'll glow? Maybe with like... glitter all over? Or oh maybe they'll leave glowing footprints! Or trails of flame!"
Sargon turns to stare at Alaryn. "I don't know. I've heard of Fey who do all of those things." He scowls. "But I've never heard of a 'Fey war'. Not even in the oldest stories."
In the distance, a single man on a mule appears to be lazily approaching. That must be your contact. He's on hgis way towards you now.
GAME: Alaryn rolls perception: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Sargon rolls perception: (10)+9: 19
GAME: Toha rolls perception: (2)+6: 8
"Me either." the golem ammends. Her chin lifts slightly as she sees a fellow riding a mule their way, and wonders aloud, "Think this's him?" of her compatriots.
Looking down into her bag, Alaryn asks, "Do you think I should prepare some magick for them to be aware of when they arrive? Sort of a welcoming effect? Or maybe I should just stand back and let you all say hi. Or... oh, what if I did some aerial light show to make them feel welcome?" She obviously missed the fact that someone else has arrived.
GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (13)+7: 20
"No trails of flame." Edinaz, the half-orc, has been really quiet the whole time. Honestly, he was. But, now he's talking in the kind of low rumble that comes with his large frame. In an accented voice, he points out: "Look. Something's wrong." Pointing towards the inbound rider. "They're not in proper control of their body -- too floppy."
Sargon squints at the rider and then shifts slightly. His fists open and close a few times. "Yes. He may be asleep." Sargon begins walking towards the rider, hands open now and raised in that way some people do when trying to calm horses.
"Huh?" asks Alaryn. "What rider?" She asks as she looks up from her bag and stares into the distance. Then she inclines her head, "Maybe he's dead." she mutters, halfway to herself. "Anything -else- wrong here?" she asks as she reaches for her staff.
The mule continues its way closer to you. The rider has made no changes or indicationm he's seen you. It's on its way closer at that lazy pace, but the mule's just trotting along.
Toha moves at a good little trot to try to get near the contact and she looks around trying to see anything else that could be amiss. She tries to get close enough to get ahold of the reins and at least get the contact under control.
Sargon lets Toha go ahead, then adjusts his angle so that he can approach the pony from the other side. "We will find out soon enough," he says.
Edinaz puts a hand on the hilt of his longer sword, and gets a little space from the mule -- so he can see more clearly. "Many things, of course." He's almost cheerful about it, too.
GAME: Alaryn refreshes spells.
GAME: Alaryn casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
The rider appears to slump in his seat a little more as you approach. Easily visible, now, is blood oozing through hjis clothes. He's alive -- but he may not be for long without help. He's an older man in his fifties and he's /definitely/ pallid. The mule ignores all of you and just keeps moving.
Seeing the old man is injured, Alaryn doesn't hesitate. She surges forward and tucks her staff into her belt before reaching into her pouch and pulling out two crystals. One with a blue glow and one with a green glow. She reaches for the old man and presses her hands together. This breaks both crystals... the energy within that is released... flows from her hands and into the man....
Toha reaches out for the reins with an Yrch-speak curse, "He's bleeding!" she calls to the others in trade, "Can anyone staunch it?" A ruby glint in her 'eye.
Sargon reaches and steadies the rider, holding him still while Alaryn works. Only then does he lower him to the ground, a few steps away from the pony.
Pulling the rider out of his saddle on the slow moving mule is not a difficult task, nor is slowing the mule even further. It brays casually.
Clothing pulled away reveals one hell of a nasty wound, like the sort you'd get from an arrow, to this right flank. He must've ripped it out, though Alaryn's eyes may catch that the tip of the arrow is still within the wound. She's gonna have to dig it out before doing too much more healing...
Edinaz winces at the sight of the wound. "If you need to dig, I can hold them down." He looks qualified.
Toha, having no utility at -undoing- wounds, instead spends a few minutes gently stroking the mount's neck, crooning softly as she looks more rapidly around for a potential suspect.
GAME: Edinaz rolls heal: (6)+2: 8
GAME: Toha rolls handle animal: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
Suddenly... Alaryn blinks. She pauses at the whole casting of the spell and whips out a footlong rod. She grins and presses a stud, causing a scalpel blade to spring forth. "Let's get that arrowhead out." she says as she crouches down.
GAME: Alaryn rolls heal: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Alaryn rolls heal: (14)+5: 19
GAME: Alaryn casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
GAME: Alaryn rolls 1d8+3: (6)+3: 9
It takes longer than you'd like, and results in some additonal lost blood. He'll be weaker than he would be in the hands of an experienced healer, but with the arrowhead removed, he stands a better chance of not dying from infection too soon. But it's odd. The arrowhead is definitely seems like elven make.
This close to the Mythwood, and you're close to the Mythwood, that elven arrows aren't THAT uncommon, even in the hands of non-elves.
Perhaps you'll be able to learn more when you're able to rouse your contact from unconsciousness.
Sargon straightens up, looking at the blood on his hands for a moment. Then he kneels and rubs his hands in the dirt. Dusting them off again he peers at the arrow. "This does not bode well. Even if he survives, who will meet with the Fey in his place?"
Edinaz's arms fold on his chest, after he stands up from sitting on the guy's legs. "Elf-shot?" He looks at Sargon and makes a circle with his fingers. "We appear to have received a battlefield promotion."
With the wound closed and healing, Alaryn finds a waterskin to pour over her hands. She washes them off and looks around before she nods. "We need to keep him warm and let him rest." she says before heading over to a small clearing and crouching before plucking one more crystal out. This one with an orange glow within it. She sets it on the ground and whispers a few words to it. The crystal morphs into a nicely burning campfire. "I think we may want to set a perimeter too. Just a thought." Gone is her bouncy happy outlook. She is all business now.
Toha tries in vain to settle the critter down, finally giving up some yards away from the group. At the suggeston to set up a perimeter, she nods, and takes up a sentry position where she stands, sweeping the area.
About an hour and a half later, your guest begins to stir, groaning in pain. He sits up suddenly and then looks back and forth before relaxing. "Oh, thank the Gods. Who are all ofd you?" he asks. "I'm... not dead, right?"
Edinaz nods once, solemnly. "Correct. I am not an angel, choosing you." He says it with gravity.
Sargon stands up but doesn't come to close. "We were sent to meet you," he offers. "To accompany you when you speak with the Fey."
In that hour, some of Alaryn's bubbly personality seems to have been restored. She's fretted over the guy, but even so, she rushes over to him when he wakes up and smiles, "You're awake! Outstanding! We have a lot of questions! You were supposed to have more information for us. Oh, and who shot you? Was it elves? Or my theory is it was someone trying to make it appear as if elves attacked you in order to cause problems for some diplomatic thingamajig."
"Thingamajig?" is the only word Toha throws back into the conversation, looking back, probably at the two orc-blooded. The nature of her face makes it hard to tell. She turns her attention back toward the outside of the perimeter, the haft of the earthbreaker creaking in her pensive grip.
"...yes, I was on my way to meet with you. And then I was attacked! That's right. I... remember. A whole bunch of arrows right at me -- one struck my side and I took off on my mule and.. you know... I wound up here. I don't know who attacked me, but I think it's clear somebody didn't want me to make it to this meeting!" He's frantic, a little terrified. A pause.
"...unless it was just a coincidence of banditry?"
"My Father once told me. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. And... as we know, there's no such thing as coincidence." states Alaryn. "So, let's get you to the meeting. I have a feeling it's more complicated than that though. What if they wanted you to think they were trying to keep you away? Huh?" she asks, overthinking EVERYTHING as is her way.
Sargon has been turning to stare out at the surroundings while the man speaks. After a bit he turns back. "If they fired arrows at you and didn't even threaten you, it sounds more like assassins than bandits."
"The mule ain't very fast. A buncha archers should've been able to riddle you before you got out of range." There's that creak again, then in Yrch-speak, "-I don't like this.-" she growls.
Edinaz shrugs towards Toha. "That's a lot of words. And twists and turns. Sometimes, the straight line is the right explanation." He nods to Alaryn. "She is right, though. Someone did not want you to arrive."
"I think they wanted it to appear as if someone was trying to ruin the negotiations, maybe to give them a leg up in -their- side of it." says Alaryn. "So we need to make sure you get there immediately. Can you travel?" she asks as she stands and reaches down to check the status of her gear. Pistol, check. Staff, check. Her armor's gauntlets glow briefly.. check.
"Negotiations? I'm just going to meet with a Fey. My grandad, Walter, vanished into the Feylands years ago, when he was dying. A promise had been made to one decades back and... none of this matters to you at all. Point is: a fey and my family go ways back and I called on them to try to get some information and I was on my way to her when... someone tried to murder my ass, I guess. Bizarre." He checks his own wound, which is largely sealed thanks to the work of the healing magics. "How about that. First time I ever been magically healed. But we should get going to the meetin'."
Okay, so Alaryn may have thought it was some sort of desperate peace talks in wartime. She kinda built it up in her own mind. She blushes and shakes her head, "So... nothing to do with a war among the fey then?" she asks in a smaller voice. "I... well... okay then. Let's go!" she says with a nod to everyone.
The golem makes her way back to the group at that point and shoulders the 'breaker opposite the hilt of her greatsword, "Mule hates m'guts. Someone wanna go get him?" she inquires.
Edinaz nods. "Yes, we should go. No wars unless called for, Khor'Dagorith forgive me." He turns to start walking, shoulder his pack with resignation.
"Well, no. I mean, yes," says the older man. "I'm Tivvy, by the way. I was hearing rumors about that, actually, and I let the council know I could maybe ask about it when I went to her and I was hoping she could tell me something but.. I don't know much aboput it myself. It's just rumors of trouble amongst the Fey. Some sort of encroaching conflict and war that's already going." A sharp whistle from him brings his mule trotting back.
Nodding slowly, Alaryn pauses a moment. Then she gives a bright smile, "Okay then! Let's go!" That said, she gets up and gestures, "Lead on Tivvy. My name is Alaryn. These are my companions, Toha, Edinaz, and Sargon." she says with more gestures.
Edinaz perks up a little at the prospect. He nods to Alaryn. "Good ear." He moves to walk beside the mule. "I am Edinaz Garaleth. Anything more than that in the rumours?"
The Golem comes up alongside the contact. In lieu of identifying herself, since Alarayn took care of that, instead, "Hey."
And then as folks get ready to move out, Alaryn reaches down and speaks a command word. The fire turns back into a crystal and she plucks it up to put back into her pouch. "Let's go then!" She remarks.
Lawson had been here to whole time..he swears.
Alaryn also introduced Lawson. Yep!
Sargon readies himself to walk alongside the others. "Well it seems wise that they asked us to go with you." He looks back at the spot of ground where they first lowered Tivvy to the ground, where Alaryn treated him. "Though we were almost too late. We'll have to be on the lookout," he looks at the others in the makeshift party now. "...the would-be assassins must still be out there."
Lawson looks about...despite being quiet all this time. He draws his sword and....walks his way up to the front....without asking.
Carefully getting back on the mule, you head off deeper into the woods into a stand of taller trees.
"KEep your eyes open for the ring of stones, and when you find it, /don't/ knock them over."
GAME: Alaryn rolls perception: (17)+7: 24
GAME: Lawson rolls perception: (5)+5: 10
GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (5)+7: 12
GAME: Sargon rolls perception: (17)+9: 26
GAME: Toha rolls perception: (2)+6: 8
...thankfully, before Lawson or Edinasz can do just that,. both Alaryn and Sargon identify the ring of stones, halfway out of the snowy earth.
You're here.
Tivvy lets out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, then," he says, "...guess I get started, huh?"