Mission: In the company of Beasts

Sadur has arrived alone. After speaking to the old man, the adventurer is invited to the porch where he answers your questions. The attacks come while the herds are out, usually during the drive back from the fields. The path is slow and whatever-it-is takes only the sheep or goats that wander off. The farmer first assumed they were wolves because the animals were dragged off, but even with precautions, the herdsmen are losing stragglers, the slower moving animals, at an alarming rate. They have seen nothing of the attacks.

Sadur is offered a place in the barn, which is warmer and cleaner than outside, and meals and access to water while he is there, "So long as you respect and protect me and mine." You have been shown to the water, and offered bread, sweet apples, and jerky. There are fenced areas and some sturdy pens, and their barn is well built as are the homes. The sun has begun to fall behind the high hills in the west. The old man and another adult human, who could be the elder's son, show you to the barn, as back toward the house a gaggle of children watch you from afar. The little ones hide if you look their way as if your very eyes might harm them.

After taking a few moments for yourself, you hear the pounding of horse hooves. As you come out to see the drive coming in, one of the horsemen rides toward you and the Old Man, calling out in worry "Jerry's still out, Pa! Went after Bessie. We waited a bit, but then Max heard a holler and went looking, and ain't neither of them come back! What do we do?!" The Old Man grips his walking stick, taking a steadying breath, and looks up to Sadur...

The man on the horse tries to follow Sadur but cannot help but to stare blankly back before looking to 'Pa'. The Old Man nods to the Rider, "Take him to where you left Max." Turning to Sadur. "You bring them back alive. This farm means nothing if my family is not with me." The other son runs to get Sadur a horse large enough to carry the warrior.

The Old Man reaches into his satchel and grabs a wooden container with a salve inside. "This can heal, but only once." [effectively a Potion of Healing]

As soon as you are ready, you are off with the Rider Jim whose horse is beginning to pant already as they had been out all day. Sadur can relate to being overworked. It is only a couple of minutes up the path and most of the trip is the Rider calling back warnings about dangers on the path ahead as you ride your horses. The horse you are riding seems to know the path well enough, if anything it is you that must hold on as you get over a ridge and into a meadow surrounded by trees. Coming to a stop the man sneers at you suspiciously before pointing off in a direction into the tree line. "That's where Max went. There's another ridge there but it's no path for a horse."

The man held the reigns of Sadur's horse, steadily mounted and on the path, but watching you closely. Hauling yourself up the ridge you reach the top and look around. The scene is still and quiet. The shadows disappear into the gloom. It did not inhibit Sadur but it would change the contrast of brightly colored leaves and flowers against the deep earth browns into indiscernible grey.

But you spot something ahead, down into the next gully.

As instructed Jim hollers the name repeatedly, but looking up to Sadur, they are getting no response. Luckily Sadur saw something that was not natural and moves forward to find a rider's saddlebag discarded on the ground next to a big tree. From this spot, the half-orc looks around and catches an odd spot ahead. A thick of trees near a rocky incline, with some torn up limbs between them, as if from the frequent and recent passage.

Sadur, not wanting to go into unknown holes alone, searches for another way around and tries to get a better understanding of the area. But he is not particularly talented in such things, and quickly finds that the rolling rocky hills and thick trees and undergrowth obscured far too much. Turning himself around, the Half-orc suddenly finds that he has lost his way and might have remained that way when he heard someone nearby call out. The voice says, "Jim, it's Jerry! Which way are you?!"

Hearing Jerry, you can turn yourself back to find that he is standing outside the cave, picking up the satchel. It is then that the man spots Sadur and freezes up like a jackrabbit when a twig breaks. Dressed like the rest, in overalls and boots, he crumples the bag in his hand. Staring at you with terror and confusion, he then waves you away from the area and even whispers, "Hey you. Go away, or Hide. You trying to fuck this up from me?" Wiping away some sweat, Jerry started climbing the small ridge to meet up with Jim, again trying to wave Sadur away or to hide or something.

From an orange and blue evening to the pink sunset, the sky fades further into a purple that darkened with each passing minute. The gloom was quickly taking the valley, a chill kicking up and soon it would be night.

Climbing the ridge Jim meets the other man who holds up a lantern to inspect Jerry, who holds up the satchel. "I've looked all through the woods back yonder, but I couldn't find Bessie, but I found Max's bag here. What's happened?"

"Max went after you! You did not see her? What happened? Did you see what took Bessie?" Jim was happy to see his kin but recked with worry about the still missing Max.

"No clue, I ain't seen her. Thought I was on to something but it was one of those damned boars, and I got chased up a tree." Jerry responds

Jim sighs with worry. "Damn. Pa isn't gonna crack... What about the Sellsword? Did you see him? Orcish-borne Big fella? He was just out here with me."

"Uh..." Jerry stalls...

Jerry and Jim continue, the former urging them to leave the woods, but their conversation fades off as you go to investigate the area. Sadur does indeed see signs of movement between the bag and the trees, where Jerry appeared, and, after approaching he can see past the obstruction into the dark cave tunnel.

Nothing blocks your path, do you enter?

Stepping into the cave and letting his dark vision take over, the Barbarian saw ahead as the small mouth opens up quickly into a long and wide chamber. Both stalactites and stalagmites lining the walls like thorns and jutting teeth, you need not explore long before spotting a clue. Blood. There, in the path is a fair deal of blood in a pool, and then outward were large dragging smears in the still-wet life's fluid, leading further into the cave. You move forward listening to the echoes of the cave, hearing the sounds of water ahead, and voices too muddled to understand. The blood leads the way and ahead in the pitch dark you are hearing voices around the next turn. More than one for sure. Words in guttural squeaks and growls and mockingly cruel-sounding laughter. Not human.

Sadur comes around the corner, finding a junction in the cave. The blood streak leads to a dead sheep, its pure white fleece soaking into a deep red from its own viscera. Standing around the corpse are four Goblins, startled by Sadur, and scream aloud with eyes in sheer terror at the sight of the Barbarian.