03 - the boulders

How good are these look-outs?
Gonna give them +1 (because there are two of them) but they are not WC:

You leave the fields behind you. The terrain quickly changes to being quite uneven with jagged rocks sticking out all over the place. Some the size of a fist, some much larger and of course some are veritable boulders, like the ones the look-outs have chosen for their vantage point.

It seems that because you guys know they are there, you can spot them - "Thank you, crow". One on one boulder, and one on another. Occasionally one sticks his head out and looks out and then the other. They each carry what looks like a huge bone club which they heft easily with one hand.

They seem to either turn their gaze far across the fields (wonder if they spot the rest of the clan yet?) or high up in the sky. The path to the mountains continues between those two boulders and at their narrowest are only about 3 or 4 meters wide. It's a good spot for a bottle-neck, but these look-outs are rubbish!
They have not noticed you approach. And you have noticed that they have noticed!
You can easily sneak up on them if you wanted to, or make yourself known or keep walking past them even. or perhaps even something else.

The "look-outs" are now "listen-outs". So they will get another Notice test (this time it is more based on hearing rather than sight, though). Still the same roll, though.
Every1 attempting to sneak past, please make a Stealth test. The TN is the "listen-outs's" Notice test bellow.

Jeeeeesh!

Ulum and Ugo attempt to walk past the centries....

5-1=4 bennies to Ulum (Beast Bond Edge)
As Ugo was about to step onto a twig, i pull him by his ear (gently!)

4-1=3 bennies to Ulum (Beast Bond Edge)
As Ugo was about to step onto a twig, i pull him by his ear (gently!)
No supper for this fat, little piggie!

Phew! that was a close one. The centries must be focused intensely on something else....

Creaping past the centries, the uneven jagged terrain continues maybe 30ft before it reaches the foot of the steep mountains. Directly in front of you is a cave opening. Outside are two small hairy humanoids. They have scraped out a little hole in the ground and seem to playing a game of sorts. Throwing some bones in and catching them, and flicking them with twigs etc.
Another child comes out of the cave. Goes up to one of the players, pulls the hair on his head and as the child tries to retaliate runs back into the cave. The two then carry on with their game.

Either side of your location the two big boulders upon which the centries hide continue to conceal your presence. With these Stealth rolls you can crouch and watch unobserved for a little. You can also hear more voices from withing the cave. Adult ones.

What now?

Wolfhowl nods his agreement and gets ready to find a secure position.

Twist just scowls at Winterskull and says nothing.

you are still safely hidden away. Will give it a few more days of real life / seconds of game time and then the sentries get another notice check.........

so..... Mag walks out, leaves the rest between the boulders (hopefully hidden) and then makes himself known to the sentries. Right?

some good points there indeed. This would be a common knowledge check. Every1 can roll for it.

"You are always telling tales of your hunts to the children and women Wolfhowl. What do you know of this tribe?" Twist pokes Wolfhowl painfully in the ribs.

"I have seen them before, and know something of them, yes," he rubs the sore point as he whispers back.

please make a Persuasion (spirit) test...........

can Ruko plz gimme a Linquistix test?

Ruko steps out and goes all William Shakespear on the hairy ppl.....
armed with the information from Wolfhowl with regard to the Buege ppl (made com. know. test with a raise)....
and despite a minor (-1) language barrier.....
Ruko strikes the perfect balance between a show of strength and respect to their territory and might.

Their reaction is as would be expected: initially, surprise as how you could have advanced so far into their position without being detected....
then a brief show of force of bone bashing and chimping out....
and once you do not budge either to attack or defend yourself their quickly quieten down.

Meanwhile the children that were playing, pretty much carry on after a brief pause to examine you. They do not feel threatened.

Forthwith an elder stagger out of the cave. He reminds you of Ugnult. only hairier and more bent over. His hairs are mostly white now. Either side of him are two of the nastiest looking Buege. Standing well over 6 feed with long muscular arms. They each carry a spear.

The elder approaches you with his guards, and scrutinizes Ruko mostly and gestures. He seems to be briefly indicating the children, the mothers and the warriors of his clan and utters a singular word with a strong accent: "Buege"
He then punches his chest and says: "Buege" (Wolfhowl will have heard of this guy - he is a bit of a legend as this clan seems to have his name)
He then punches Ruko on the chest and says: "You - who? How many - you? show Buege!"

Buege gestures with his head towards where you are shuffling about:
Ruko and Mag have stepped out. As does Ulum and the pig.
Wolfhowl is hiding (ostensibly), and Twist is attempting to hide.
One of his bodyguards leaves his side to walk among you. (weather your Stealth test was successful or not they spot you).

Then he looks up at the "sentries" and barks a command and they go back to looking out. They then start chimping out again clearly alarmed by what they can see.

"Cave too small for your number. Women and children can stay a night - if you bring food"

"Stories for me, food for my people. Field full of fresh meat. Bring cow to cave…. Hurry; not much sunlight left."

He doesn't know about the half eaten corpse you found. He wants fresh food..... ;-)

His two bodyguards (who, though stooped slightly over, are still as tall as Mag) step forward with their spears.
"They will join you on the hunt"

The initial fight averted, Buege turn slightly and gestures. A young female comes out with a chalky-white powder-liquid. She places her hand in it and then places it on the face of the first body guard who lift his spear and growls. She repeats with the 2nd bodyguard who lifts his spear and howls.
"Step forward if you are joining the hunt....."

Ruko now has a white hand print on his face

but narrower (female) with longer digits (monkey-ish). the finger imprint starts at the forehead and got up into your hair. with the ball of the palm being almost on your mouth (depending on size of head etc....) For Ulum..... it covers almost his entire face :-P

Mag now has a white hand print on his face

Wolfhowl now has a white hand print on his face