Check in, Bodentown or Bust
Subject Check in
I must have missed something then. Did something happen after Salix said, "Let get to town"?
From: Mark
Subject Check in
No I had just asked every one to check in.
From: Karl
Subject Check in
Checks in.
From: Ashley
Subject Check in
Surin checks in. He's following Salix's lead on this one.
From: Josh
Subject Check in
Checksaroo.
From: Mark
Subject Check in
Ok I will get a turn out tonight.
From: Mark
Subject Bodentown or bust
The party watches Silverbranch march southwest deeper into the woods. Salix says a small pray to Obad-Hai that the treant will be safe and be able to reach the druids. Maybe some help would be sent along. The druid turns to the others and says "Ok north to the edge of the forest and then on to Boddentown." The others nod in silent agreement. Even they are taken aback at the condition of the forest. It is like nothing they have ever seen.
The going is slow. The ground is muddy and slippery. Footing is treacherous and before the first mile is done all of companions have a nice coating of mud on them. The mud does not bother Mund. "Hell" he says "We would have stood out if we turned up all clean and proper. Now we will look like we fit right in." The barbarian punctuates his point by falling in another puddle and slapping even more mud on his armor. It takes the party almost 3 hours to go the 6 miles to the edge of the forest.
However, the edge is a strange thing. The party goes at least a mile where it was obviously once a part of the woods but all of the trees have been cut down. What is odd is that none of the stumps have been removed. Usually when towns clear woods they do so for wood but also for land that can be used for farming. That means taking out the stumps. Not so here. There looks to be a band a mile deep and as far as the eye can see where the timber has been cut bu the stumps left to rot in the ground. Salix's rage at this wastefulness is barely contained. He stomps along, seeming to know where to go, while the others try and keep up.
Eventually Ranthir speeds up and walks next to the druid. "Salix, I know this must be bothering you, but you must slow down. Poor Ragnar back there can barely keep up. Not that he would complain, being a dwarf. Even Harp is having trouble." Salix turns and notices for the first time the condition the others are in. He is a little shocked and pulls up. "Ran, I don't know if I am ready for this. Is this how you felt when we rescued Rochelle? I fear I am leading all of you into danger or worse and I am not sure how to prepare." The druid hesitates and goes on. "I must confess something else. I am feeling something I have never felt before. I am glad to be leaving the woods. The place I have lived most of my life and I am happy to be leaving." Salix struggles to maintain his composure and Ran puts an arm around his shoulder. The two keep walking for a while, Salix taking deep breathes and calming himself.
The party finally gets to the edge of the woods and they see a small dirt road leading north and west. "My guess is" Mund says "that if we follow that road we will find Boddentown in a couple of hours. How do we want to do this? Go in as one group or split up and meet in town?"
OODM: The party can discuss how they want to approach the town.
From: Ashely
Subject Bodentown or bust
"Splitting off might be less conspicuous, but we'd need some way to contact the rest in case of trouble. Alley--would that message spell of yours work for us again in town?"
From: Derek
Subject Bodentown or bust
Allistair shakes his head. "No, I don't think it would be useful here. It only lasts a few minutes, and I need to start with a line-of-sight at the begininng. That's why I wasn't able to talk to you, Surin. You were already invisible."
"Considering we have some of the loot from that attacked caravan, I think claiming to be from a caravan that was attacked by ogres is a safe bet. We certainly look beat-up enough for the story to be beleivable, and it would give us a good reason to stay together."
From: Kevin
Subject Bodentown or bust
Harp looks around at the group. He had come to love and trust most of these people more than any one else he had ever know. Well, maybe not Mund, but Salix, Ran and Surin had been steadfast in their support of him from the start. Ragnar was a fellow member of the Order and had shown himself to be utterly dependable - just like a dwarf. But he was concerned about how Salix and Kal would respond when the entered Boddentown. Harp was familiar with the cruelty humans could heap on others. How would Salix or Kal respond if they saw something in the street. They could not solve every problem, could not right every wrong. Could they be prepared for what they might see?
"Maybe a smaller group of us could head into town and scout around, at least for a place to stay. A group our size walking in to town together is sure to get noticed, even if we try to stick to our story about a caravan. Maybe Mund, Surin, Allistair and I can go in, look around, and then one of us can come back for the others once we have found a place to stay?"
OOC: Mark, what time of day is it now? It was really early morning when we left the druids, and now we have spend a few hours making it to this point. Do we have a feeling that we can send a group ahead or is night falling and all of us want to get to town?