The Contact (RP)

Continued from The Two Barons

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You awake in the middle of the night to find Olaf sneaking away from his house into the storm. You might well assume he is going to meet his contact, but if that is not the case it is even more reason to be suspicious.

Who noticed Olaf and woke the others? (PC? NPC? Something else?)
Do you confront him now?
Do you try to follow him, unnoticed?
What do you think he is up to, and do you take any precautions?

What do you do?

Roald is still half awake when he hears a sound. It doesn't come from outside. He opens his eyes but lies still and tries to discover the sound's origin.
It's the dog
He sees Norbert's contour and waits for what's about to happen.

"Why would he go out in this weather at this time?" Norbert whispers back. "Maybe he needs help. ... I am going after him."

Norbert waits for Olaf to get a bit down the road, pulls his cloak over his head and is off in the rain. The dog is right on his heels.

Despite the wind and rain, it is not hard to follow Olaf's lantern through the cultivated forest around his house. He seems to be following a footpath that looks relatively new, but well-used.

On the western horizon ahead of you, the moon illuminates the clouds from behind, providing some light, but also blinding you a bit to the surroundings in other directions... expect for the brief flashes when lightning brings everything into stark relief.

How far ahead to you let Olaf get? If he leaves the path suddenly or extinguishes his lantern for some reason it might be hard to find him again. But if you follow too close and he notices you sneaking after him while he is sneaking out, it will almost definitely further damage your already tenuous relationship.

What do you do?

Roald too follows Norbert outside.
The raging winds make it hard for him to talk to the others.
'' Norbert, do you think your dog could follow his scent in this weather? That way we don't have to follow very close''

- Norbert -

You almost miss it when Olaf leaves the path and turns into the denser woods surrounding you, but a flash of lightning creates glowing orbs from the eyes of an owl who watches you as you pass, your attention drawn to the side at the last moment, you see Olaf's lantern as he pushes his way through the undergrowth.

It will be much harder to follow quietly through that, and you could have sworn this path was leading to the contact so it is strange he is suddenly veering off it...

Something you, yourself, said earlier nags at you: If he is going out to meet his contact... in a storm, in the middle of the night, after he just returned from seeing his contact a few hours ago... How was that arranged? Why would the contact know to be there at this time? You are fairly sure there are no houses in this part of the forest.

From out of the dark-after-the-lightning the owl watches you as you make up your minds what to do.

What do you do? Do you follow after Olaf or scout around to see what is happening and maybe find a quieter route?

"I'm with Albert on this one, heard too many stories about people getting separated in bad weather. Man I hope he isn't just going for a pee..."

Roald pulls on his collar and pushes on through the bushes.

how did we even get into this mess? ...

in the distance he sees what he thinks is Olaf's lantern, he gives Norbert a pat on the shoulder and points in that diretion.

" I think I so a light over there."

"I'm with Albert on this one, heard too many stories about people getting separated in bad weather. Man I hope he isn't just going for a pee..."

Roald pulls on his collar and pushes on through the bushes.

how did we even get into this mess? ...

in the distance he sees what he thinks is Olaf's lantern, he gives Norbert a pat on the shoulder and points in that diretion.

" I think I saw a light over there."

A flash of lightning blinds you again, and a squall of rain wipes away the scent trail for the dog, and you are left floundering around hoping you are still going in the correct direction. Then the dog stops, and its hackles raise a moment before you would otherwise have stepped into the clearing. In the center of the clearing stands a solitary oak tree. You seem to have stumbled off the path, but also to have gotten here ahead of Olaf, for you see him just now forcing his way out of the foliage partway round the circle and making his way noisily towards the tree... and towards the figure of a man you see leaning casually against the tree holding what looks like a large leaf above his head to ward off the rain.

You could move closer if you wanted to assure yourselves of overhearing what is being said, but you can suspect Olaf's voice will carry to where you are. Moving round in the surrounding trees and bushes will be difficult --you have been doing it for the past few minutes. There is clear ground between you and the oak tree meeting place, from your position you could try to sneak to the opposite side of the wide trunk, unless they walked around it you might be able to stay hidden there, but you would be completely exposed if they did look that way.

What do you do?