Jul 12, 2025 2:02 pm
Kethra dons her freshly-acquired studded leather armor, and then joins everyone by the fire.
OOC:
Thank you, everyone. Chapter 2: The Trek to Myrefall
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Jul 12, 2025 2:09 pm
With a warming fire, some broth, and roasted wolf, Leta has hope for hear some news of the attack and such. She does take the moment to introduce herself as a "Leta, Priest of Artemis" here for rescue as it turns out.
Last edited July 12, 2025 2:09 pm
Jul 12, 2025 3:09 pm
Horgurn barely stirred as the voices reached him through the fog of pain and memory. The sound of snow crunching under cautious feet pulled him partway back to the present, and when the halfling’s voice rang out, soft but edged with concern, his eyes slowly lifted to meet hers. They were bloodshot, ringed with exhaustion, and glistening with unshed tears. At her question, he blinked as if trying to process it, then let out a rasping breath, his cracked lips barely moving. "Ye here tae finish the job, then?" he asked hoarsely, voice rough like gravel scraped across iron. His gaze moved between the two strangers, hollow and heavy with grief. "Burn what’s left? Make sure the daft dwarf sticks around long enough tae watch it all rot?" His fingers twitched near the haft of his axe, though there was no real threat in the motion, only instinct and muscle memory clinging tae somethin’ familiar. "If not, I hope ye've got somethin’ better than rags and well wishes, 'cause I dinnae ken what's keepin' me breathin’." He let out a sharp exhale, almost a laugh, though it held no joy. "And if this is some cruel trick, if ye’re with them—those twisted tree-things, those howlin’ beasts—then do it quick and clean. I’m too tired tae fight and too stubborn tae die proper."
Despite a grunt or two of protest, he lets the others help him in silence, jaw clenched and eyes fixed on nothing, as if surrendering even this much cost him more than he’d ever admit.
Despite a grunt or two of protest, he lets the others help him in silence, jaw clenched and eyes fixed on nothing, as if surrendering even this much cost him more than he’d ever admit.
Jul 12, 2025 5:01 pm
Leta says to the other as we move him, "We best lookout. This one is delusional, and we should consider the fact he is armed."
Jul 12, 2025 5:36 pm
Horgurn is limp as they attempt to move him. Not resisting at all. He drops his axe, clearly a woodcutting tool and not a proper weapon at the first attempt of moving.
Jul 12, 2025 6:43 pm
Kethra moves over by the fire, and heals herself of canine-caused wounds.
OOC:
Lay on Hands, self, back to full.
Jul 12, 2025 8:24 pm
Johan looking at our healers"This guy is going to need more then just first aid. He is going to need some magic healing."
Jul 13, 2025 12:02 am
Leaving tending of the survivor to the others, Kish grabs Odin to continue the search of the area. Keeping the longhouse in sight Kish expands the search area.
OOC:
Didnt see any post indicating Odin was gone or retconed so I will use them as an NPC till the GM says otherwiseRolls
Investigation * - (1d20+5)
(10) + 5 = 15
Jul 13, 2025 10:45 am
Nelie lets the others help the wounded dwarf over to their makeshift little camp, but she keeps close and tries to make sense of his mumbled ramblings. She picks up bits of what he says—the tree creatures she'd heard of before, and the howling beasts like those littering the battlefield—enough to start piecing together what he's been through. Given the state he's in, how he's even managed to remain standing is beyond her.
She leaves the sword near the fire. They can work out the details of it later. If the dwarf is from Myrefall, and the creatures took it from one of the residents, he might recognize it. But first they needed time to recover and plan their next step.
"We're not here to hurt you. The Ormskirk council sent us, they'd heard of your troubles. But we had no idea things were this grim." She kneels close to him, and as she speaks she laces her words with subtle magic, trying to lessen the worst of his pain. "You're safe with us. As safe as any of us can be here, anyway."
She leaves the sword near the fire. They can work out the details of it later. If the dwarf is from Myrefall, and the creatures took it from one of the residents, he might recognize it. But first they needed time to recover and plan their next step.
"We're not here to hurt you. The Ormskirk council sent us, they'd heard of your troubles. But we had no idea things were this grim." She kneels close to him, and as she speaks she laces her words with subtle magic, trying to lessen the worst of his pain. "You're safe with us. As safe as any of us can be here, anyway."
OOC:
Using Healing Word on Horgurn. Healing 7 HP.Last edited July 13, 2025 10:45 am
Rolls
Healing Word - (1d4+5)
(2) + 5 = 7
Jul 14, 2025 4:48 am
Horgurn sat still for a long moment, the warmth of the fire and the gentle magic working deeper into his bones, softening the edge of his pain. Slowly, the haze behind his eyes began to clear. He blinked, looked around at the strangers who hadn’t left him to die, and let out a long, weary sigh, as if the weight on his shoulders had shifted just enough to let him breathe. "Aye, council folk, is it?" he muttered, the edge in his voice dulling. "Then ye lot've got steel in yer guts, showin’ up here. Braver than most. Thank ye, lass, that light ye gave me felt like I were drownin’ till just now."
Jul 15, 2025 9:48 pm
Odin and Kish
The pair moves through the village's outskirts with practiced efficiency, their combined tracking skills allowing them to read the story written in the snow and scattered debris. While they find no living survivors, their search reveals much about what transpired here.
The tracking proves far more challenging than expected. Fresh snow has covered most of the tracks, and what remains visible is barely discernible. It's only through careful examination of the frozen ground beneath the snow that they can piece together what happened. Some of the massive footprints were imprinted in ice that had covered the ground, preserving their shape even as snow drifted over them. Through painstaking effort, they reveal a clear trail leading east from the village, the same massive footprints they observed during their initial investigation, now mostly obscured by fresh snow drifts. The tracks are barely discernible but still followable with their combined expertise, suggesting whatever enormous creature made them passed through here some time ago. Mixed with these familiar tracks are smaller, more recent prints that appear to be from the wolf-creatures they just fought, indicating the area has seen continued activity.
They also find scattered remains in the village's eastern section, not bodies, but personal belongings left behind in obvious haste. A child's wooden toy lies abandoned in the snow, a half-finished meal sits cold on a table, and a door hangs open with footprints leading away from the village center. The pattern suggests the villagers were herded rather than scattered, their departure too organized to be panic-driven flight. Patches of blood stain the snow in several areas, and the ground shows clear signs of struggle where villagers fought back against their attackers. Deep gouges in the earth and scattered debris mark where desperate resistance occurred before the inevitable capture. Notably absent are any weapons, armor, or equipment, and there are no bodies from either side. Everything is simply... gone.
Most promisingly, they discover clear evidence that the villagers were taken east along the same trail as the massive creature. The humanoid tracks are interspersed with larger wolf prints, and there are clear signs of dragging. Deep gouges in the snow show where someone was pulled along, and the humanoid footprints are irregular, suggesting the captives were stumbling or being forced to move. The tracks lead east, following the same direction as the massive creature's trail.
Everyone Else
The pair moves through the village's outskirts with practiced efficiency, their combined tracking skills allowing them to read the story written in the snow and scattered debris. While they find no living survivors, their search reveals much about what transpired here.
The tracking proves far more challenging than expected. Fresh snow has covered most of the tracks, and what remains visible is barely discernible. It's only through careful examination of the frozen ground beneath the snow that they can piece together what happened. Some of the massive footprints were imprinted in ice that had covered the ground, preserving their shape even as snow drifted over them. Through painstaking effort, they reveal a clear trail leading east from the village, the same massive footprints they observed during their initial investigation, now mostly obscured by fresh snow drifts. The tracks are barely discernible but still followable with their combined expertise, suggesting whatever enormous creature made them passed through here some time ago. Mixed with these familiar tracks are smaller, more recent prints that appear to be from the wolf-creatures they just fought, indicating the area has seen continued activity.
They also find scattered remains in the village's eastern section, not bodies, but personal belongings left behind in obvious haste. A child's wooden toy lies abandoned in the snow, a half-finished meal sits cold on a table, and a door hangs open with footprints leading away from the village center. The pattern suggests the villagers were herded rather than scattered, their departure too organized to be panic-driven flight. Patches of blood stain the snow in several areas, and the ground shows clear signs of struggle where villagers fought back against their attackers. Deep gouges in the earth and scattered debris mark where desperate resistance occurred before the inevitable capture. Notably absent are any weapons, armor, or equipment, and there are no bodies from either side. Everything is simply... gone.
Most promisingly, they discover clear evidence that the villagers were taken east along the same trail as the massive creature. The humanoid tracks are interspersed with larger wolf prints, and there are clear signs of dragging. Deep gouges in the snow show where someone was pulled along, and the humanoid footprints are irregular, suggesting the captives were stumbling or being forced to move. The tracks lead east, following the same direction as the massive creature's trail.
Raddue sent a note to WhiteDwarf,Psybermagi
OOC:
I'll find a way to get Odin out of the game, but it might take some finangling. I don't want to just say he "poofs out of existence!" but it might come to that.OOC:
Did ya'll want to use the Sending Stone?Jul 15, 2025 10:50 pm
Returning to the others he relays his finding pointing out Some of the villagers appear to have been collected and taken east
OOC:
What direction is Myrefall from our home? Jul 15, 2025 10:56 pm
At the mention of other possible survivors, Horgurn’s head snapped up with sudden focus, the dull fog in his eyes giving way to a sharp glint of hope. His body, battered and slow moments ago, seemed to gather itself instinctively as if preparing to rise despite the pain. He leaned forward slightly, his breath catching in his chest, and the set of his jaw tightened, not with anger this time but with urgency. "Survivors, ye said?" he asked, voice low but steady, like a dwarven hammer just before it strikes. The weariness still clung to him, but it was no longer the only thing in his face. Beneath it now burned something fiercer, resolve.
Jul 15, 2025 11:05 pm
See that he has stabilized a bit, "You're all that has been found. The rest have been taken."
Jul 15, 2025 11:43 pm
We should send a message now, with as much information as possible Kish suggests and ponders the words that should be said.
OOC:
topic to include : Myrefall has fallen (time?), all locals slain, fled, or captured. Captured taken east. Town condition? (need to review previous posts)Last edited July 15, 2025 11:47 pm
Jul 16, 2025 4:31 am
"I need tae save them. I need tae go," Horgurn said, urgency flaring in his voice as he planted a hand in the snow and tried to rise. His muscles strained, his jaw clenched, but his legs gave way beneath him. He dropped hard to one knee, breath hissing through his teeth as fresh pain shot through his ribs. Still, he gritted his teeth and braced himself again, stubborn as stone, refusing to give in to the weakness in his limbs.
Jul 16, 2025 9:36 am
"Easy lad, we will be tracking them come morning. Can't rush off all half cocked. Even with magical healing you need rest, food, and water."
Jul 16, 2025 3:02 pm
Kethra sits in the corner with the Sending Stone. When the party is ready, she sends kind half-elven report.
Myrefall fell to wolf-like men, all locals slain, fled, or captured. We did find and heal the dwarven Horgurn Loudbeard. Captured were taken east.
Kethra pockets the Sending Stone, for safe keeping. It will surely be useful again.
Myrefall fell to wolf-like men, all locals slain, fled, or captured. We did find and heal the dwarven Horgurn Loudbeard. Captured were taken east.
Kethra pockets the Sending Stone, for safe keeping. It will surely be useful again.
OOC:
Kethra sends whatever msg is appropriate according to the party, I just went with what I could read into. Am flexible. Thx.Last edited July 16, 2025 3:05 pm
Jul 17, 2025 4:25 pm
OOC:
I hate to be That Guy(tm) but I need you all to tell me exactly what you want to say so I can formulate a reply. Take some time here or in the OOC thread to talk about it.load next