ROTN Chapter 3. Paths with a Purpose

The Company are setting off, away from the overview of the magpies and rows of Mount Gram, and on a journey together of some few days, before separating to one of two routes.

The first section is one that needs some caution not to attract attention, nor leave clues of their prescence. As a group of six the duties of journeying in the wild are shared more easily. Similarly they all want to press forward and are returning across territory thay have recently moved through.

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Instead of a Travel roll here, please take either an Awareness, Explore or Search roll: I intend that this serves as a de facto Travel roll for this leg. Achieving a score of 14 or better means that the PC has used their memory and observational skills to avoid picking up any excess Fatigue. Achieving a score of better than 16 or passing with a Great or Extraordinary Success will bring something to their attention as they make their way southwards again.

Oderic Explore check, he has passed and also noticed something along the way. But he is not sure what it means.

Cora Search check, gets 1 Fatigue for not passing at TN 14 if she doesn't spend 1 Courage, so best to do that! Oderic asks her if she has seen anything unusual on the path so far, as they make their way back.

As the six companions trek back along the return route they naturally scout around the ground, and they scan the horizon and the skies for the presence or activity of others. In these regions, little other than evil or ill-disposed natures is likely to be met or discovered.

However, first one and then another of the fellowship spot a frequently recurring motif: medium sized exposed rocks, sticking up a little way clear of the grass, weeds or bracken, all with a smaller stone or two parked on top.

it is Jot who looks back first, as they find another one: he can see the previous one behind them. Something prompts the ranger to lift one of these smaller stones. it is concealing a small hole gauged out of the base boulder. The hole is deeper than a fingers length and wide enough to almost insert his fist.

He turns and looks along the line of these two boulders and forwards. There is not another one in line, but there is another rock, somewhat off to the left and several hundred paces ahead.

"Come along, lets look at the next rock..." he is getting curious, suspicious even.

Reaching the third such rock: there they are again. A small covering stone and the dug-out hole beneath it.

Larsi is not long puzzled.

He has seen this sort of thing before - underground.

"Goblins: emulating us. We would set up short drilled holes in our mining tunnels. A bit of stick will stand in these and hold a torch to light the tunnel.

I rather feel we are walking along the intended marching path of the goblins. It's concealed with the capstones, and they are meant to be keeping rain out. Hardly necessary, in my way of thinking."