(027) Some Country Air

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Ulric looses a sling stone after the fleeing company of Warg riders (1d20=16), and amazingly scores a (1dd=2) glancing hit. It is enough to keep them fleeing, for they streak away at their full, formidable, pace.

Meanwhile Victor, Koch and Dieter give a few paces of pursuit to hack at the backs of the fleeing hobgoblins (3d20=12,11,13), all hitting their targets and dealing (Koch 1dd=2, Victor 1dd=1, Dieter 2dd=2,5) 2, 1 and 7 hit points respectively. Dieter cuts his foe down with an awful stroke, but the other two yelp in pain, but manage to grasp thick tufts of Warg fur and haul themselves back onto their fleeing mounts as they make good their escape.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
All told, three Wargs and four Hobgoblins have been slain on this side of the stream, and another Hobgoblin lies dead upon the opposite bank.

Highbough moves about the battle site driving his spear through the fallen, just to be sure, while Wibert scavenges through their meagre possessions in search of anything edible.

Meanwhile Olaf moves to assist the listless figure of Pelenwin...


Everyone is breathing hard from the exertion, as they watch the Warg riders beating their hasty retreat. It isn't long before they vanish over the nearest ridge, and soon even the sound of their pounding feet fades.

A subdued quiet returns to the cool river valley.

Everyone is hungry, but Wibert's search reveals that the Hobgoblins were travelling very light indeed, and it is not even clear whether some of their supplies are edible at all. They had a heel of hard grey bread, a fist sized wheel of gnawed, very stinky cheese, a dead frog, a 1ft long snake with its head bitten off, and the mutilated hand of another goblin.

Hardly what a Halfling would call "appetising".

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
What next?

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:
"I think we should move on," Dieter says. "They may be back, and we're not really in any condition to fight."

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
"Oh, they'll be back alright, and with reinforcements. We are doomed," glooms Highbough. "DOOMED!!!"

Then he shakes himself off. "They are faster than us, and probably know the terrain better than we do. Unless we do something to shake them off our trail, I fear they will track us, and kill us, and eat us." He looks lost in thought for a moment. "If there is any consolation, some rain might wash away our trail (gesturing to the approaching storm-cloud). I think we should make an obvious trail that we are continuing our course along the river, but then actually set off in a different direction and try to evade them."

(OOC: To the extent of his Elvish lore, does Highbough believe that Wargs are scent-trackers like dogs and wolves? Highbough looks around for a cliff or other sheer stone feature, ideally down-wind from the river. He thinks that if he uses The Acclivitous Smaze to climb (and then lowers a rope to his comrades) that the Wargs will not be able to track him.)

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Highbough believes that Warg noses are every bit as good as those of regular wolves and hounds.

His plan to ascend a sheer rock-face is a reasonable one, and there are plenty of rocky out crops and ravines in the nearby canyon lands, but these are now behind the company's right shoulder as they hike toward Ket.

Meanwhile, the way ahead flattens as it broadens out into a wide river plain that house the farmsteads surrounding Ket.

With some two days march remaining to reach the town proper, it seems likely that the outlying farmlands and settlements could be reached by sundown if the company makes good time in that direction... perhaps there they could get a decent meal?

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
"Forced march gentlemen?" suggests Gustave with more enthusiasm than he can possibly actually posess.
"It seems we face a choice of holing up or running for it and, given our lack of stores, I think the latter the more realistic option. However...poorly sustained we are now, we will only become weaker if we wait here."
He rubs is beard, encountering something living and removing it with some distaste.
"I think we have given our pursuers something to think about, let us hope it delays them enough for us to give them the slip eh?" he finishes, with a mischievous grin.

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

Highbough believes that Warg noses are every bit as good as those of regular wolves and hounds.

His plan to ascend a sheer rock-face is a reasonable one, and there are plenty of rocky out crops and ravines in the nearby canyon lands, but these are now behind the company's right shoulder as they hike toward Ket.

Meanwhile, the way ahead flattens as it broadens out into a wide river plain that house the farmsteads surrounding Ket.

With some two days march remaining to reach the town proper, it seems likely that the outlying farmlands and settlements could be reached by sundown if the company makes good time in that direction... perhaps there they could get a decent meal?

"Ket is that way." Olaf points and adds, "And the closer to it we get the safer we will probably be. Let's see how many leagues we can put behind us before night falls."

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
Highbough contemplates the crumbs in his lembas pouch. "I may be over-analysing what has become a matter of primal survival... If there is hope of supper and a roof over our heads tonight, then I'll take any risk."

As the party prepares to move on, he draws dagger and carves the Elfish slur Yrch into a Goblin forehead. "Elves were once feared and respected in this land. May these Sindar runes remind the goblin-kind of the ancient borders! I vow to rid Ket of your kind, sss!"

He casts the mutilated goblin hand in the air, and when it lands palm up, he interprets this as a good omen and mumbles as only an old, superstitious Elf can. He places the hand where the pursuers are sure to see it, with the bandit's wooden dice--snake eyes!--in the open palm.

[waysoftheearth]

danhem wrote:
Ulric nods in agreement and moves toward the corpses.

"Yes, we should keep pressing toward the farmlands. We need some shelter and food if we're going to put up a decent fight. We should expect them to track us down eventually."

"Now, let's collect that spilled silver and make sure our 'friends' here weren't carrying anything valuable. Their weapons might be of use as well. Quickly though, we need to get moving."

Ulric checks over the fallen hobgoblins searching for valuables and interesting items. He also checks the type and condition of their weapons. He will check the body on the opposite bank if no one has done so.