Subject: Gully's

Sa'id waits while Kasen and Farron tie their mounts and come inside. Gully's is a wreck. It looks like he didn't even have a chance to properly clean up after the battle they'd had here. And the Devourer's soulless halfling servants are still looting the place at every opportunity. He wonders, idly, about the mechanism by which the imprisoned entity is able to consume and subvert the souls of others. There was the contracts they had seen among the Murrkat tribesmen, but it seemed that it might not always work that way. And who issued these contracts? Had Elise signed one?

"You said... the woman came back," Sa'id says to Gully. "Was this some time ago? More than a week? We've encountered her or her servants several times since we left here, but we have yet to get the best of her. We're after her master now."

Sa'id sighs. "There has been so much death... the priest who travelled with us, she murdered him. I just hope our other friends are still alive."

Subject: Re: Everyone moving toward Gully's

[OOC: Sorry it's been a while. Work's been busy.]

Rennik takes the time to clean Tichenor's wound with water from his pouch, and the wolf then laps at the graze with its tongue. Saying a small prayer of thanks to Mielikki for his companion's safety, he approaches Garyth and the others.

"There was a scout. At least, I hope there was only one. By Mielikki's grace, Tichenor sensed our danger. It seems from a small slash on his flank, and the blood on his muzzle that his attacker did not fare well."

He pauses while his words take root.

"If what Friend Pensive says is true, and the dark god already knows where we are, I can only guess the scout's intentions. Perhaps it was to lay a trap for us, or to spy on us. Perhaps it is part of a larger hunting party. It is impossible to tell."

Garyth is the first to respond, and Rennik once again sees how he is growing into a strong leader.

"We need a secure perimeter before we settle in. If you and the wolf take point, Vincy and I can flank you. Robert, I want you to come along to offer covering fire."

Rennik only nods and leaves the bulk of his equipment at the camp, taking only his weapons. Garyth's men spring into action just as quickly, following orders with trained efficiency and devotion to their leader.

[OOC: All good for the perimeter sweep. Hopefully it will be uneventful.]

Subject: Moving toward Gullys, and at Gully's

Moving toward Gully's:

Rennik goes scouting around the camp with a concerned look on his face. He hadn't seen or detected the scout that Tichenor probably tussled with. That bothered him. Had Tich killed him? Were there more? After a full circle of their camp, no sign of the Murrkat or undead is found.

Pensive takes the first watch, and the rest of the men collapse in exhaustion. Rennik lays awake for a while, his eyes closed but his ears wide open. All he can hear is the rumble of Tich's breathing, and the snores of the Falcons around him.

Pensive sits awake on a fallen log not far away. He also keeps his eyes closed, and lets his ears keep watch for him. From far away, his inner ear hears the faint cries of those who are dying even now at the hands of the demon's army. He reaches into his robe and clutches Elvira's token. The dying sounds fade. There is a terrible feeling of claustrophobia though. The demon has turned all his energies loose. The endgame for control of the isle has begun, and the demon is holding nothing back. Those who fight against him lie under a blanket of his anger. The black cloud cover is only the most visible symbol.

*********************************

At Gully's:

Kasen brings up the horses and stables them in the barn. He brings in one of the heavily laden saddle bags, and within minutes Gully is cooking up a large meal. Manut stares at the cooking food like a starving child. It is clear that he and Gully have been living on dry rations for a while now.

As he cooks, Gully says, "I am very sorry to hear of the Priest. He saved my life, you know. That red headed she-devil has a comeuppance due her. I don't mind saying that I'll be happy to hear she wound up on the point of one of your knives."

He has Manut begin putting the food on one of the tables. "Hold on a sec, I will be right back." He disappears down the cellar stairway, and a few minutes later come grunting back up carrying a big cask of ale. "I had this one hidden. Seems like the right time to tap it."

Once everyone is eating and drinking, he asks, "Can you tell me any of what's happening?"

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gullys, and at Gully's

Pensive opens his eyes, but does not release the holy symbol. He stretches and makes a quiet circuit of the camp.

The optimism of last night, the suprise at finding Elvira's gift, has faded a bit. More than a bit-- Pensive can feel the Shadow looming over them, squeezing the island. And he remembers the screaming of men in his mind, the scent of their death in his head.

He remembers their names, screamed out by someone else. Even if he never heard their names, he gives them names. Because there will be a reckoning with the Shadow, and all those who died at its bidding must come and account and . . .

Pensive checks himself. Vainglorious thoughts. His task was, as ever, to walk the Path as it turned and ran in front of him. The simplicity of the Path to counterweigh the savagery of the Shadow.

Blood and Stone must abide.

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gullys, and at Gully's

"Can you tell me any of what's happening?"

Sa'id draws in a deep breath. "When we first passed through here, we were travelling toward the mountain. We did eventually manage to get there. There's a..." he searches for the right word, "...a demon imprisoned beneath the mountain. Its prison is damaged and it is trying to escape. It feeds on souls for strength and draws the evil-spirited to it as servants. Right now an army of undead is most likely laying siege to Nesalin."

He pauses. "We are going back to the mountain. I think we can seal the prison and stop this before the demon consumes the entire island."

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gullys, and at Gully's

OOC: Can we assume the night passed uneventfully?

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gullys, and at Gully's

Kasen hangs behind the wizards and their old friends, feeling something out of place as they shared a few stories about events he was never a part of. He drinks deeply from his waterskin, hoping to avoid the question of ale before it comes up, and busies himself with cleaning up after the meal and arranging their gear.

Subject: Moving toward Gully's (short turn)

Garyth's eyes pop open even before the heavy cloud cover has begun to lighten from the rising sun. He can hear Rennik moving around the camp, prepping to leave. Pensive stands nearby, staring north. Garyth rolls to his feet and begins shaking the Falcon's awake. After, he moves over to Rennik. "Any sign of visitors in the night?" Rennik shakes his head. "Tich never left my side once. He'd have gone to investigate if he'd smelled anything."

Garyth sighs. "I worry about who he ran into yesterday."

"I do too, but no time to figure it out now."

Osred is up and beginning to hand out dry biscuits for breakfast.

***************************************************************

After Sa'id and Gully have spent some time catching up, the big trader leads his guests into the back bedrooms and makes up beds. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. Cutter will warn us if anything shows up. You can sleep soundly tonight."

Farron falls into the soft down bed and is instantly asleep. It seems like since his injury, he can't get enough of either food or sleep. Sa'id knows that this means he is healing. He smiles at his friend, and takes the bed on the other side of the room for himself.

Kasen gets his own room. At least at first. Sometime during the night, a heavy warm shape climbs up beside him. He pushes against a wall of fur, and says, "Out of the bed, you huge hairy bastard." His answer is a low rumbling growl. "Or not." Kasen scoots as far over on the bed as possible. Apparently, he had picked Cutter's favorite sleeping spot. Nice of the innkeeper to tell him.

When he wakes, the wolf is gone, and the smell of frying bacon fills the lodge.

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gully's (short turn)

Pensive chews on his biscuit and stands for a moment watching Osred with the other Falcons. "I have a question for you, Osred."

He shows Osred the holy symbol given to him by Elvira.

"A woman at the camp gave me this. Do you recognize the . . . god to which it belongs?"

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gully's (short turn)

Farron is still asleep. Sa'id decides not to wake him and follows his nose toward the smell of delicious bacon. Entering the living room, he has to speak louder to be heard over the sizzle: "One of the things I like most about Huss is bacon! We don't have pigs back home."

As he draws closer to Gully he is able to speak at a more normal volume. "Hopefully our friends will arrive today. As much as I enjoy your company, I would like to get moving."

Sa'id helps with the last of the cooking, but can hardly wait to dig in to the fatty deliciousness once the meal is prepared.

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gully's (short turn)

OOC: This takes place after any RP that Osred and Pensive do, and before they leave camp.

Pensive will scout around the camp and see if he notes anything out of the ordinary-- specifically, he's looking for signs of someone trailing them.

OOC2: Where is everybody?

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gully's (short turn)

Not really much for Rennik to do, this turn. He preps to go, grabs a small bite to eat, and awaits Garyth's command to continue on.

Subject: Re: Moving toward Gully's (short turn)

Osred takes the symbol, running his thumb over its face. He can feel the power of it, and at the edge of his hearing, so faint that it might be his imagination, he can hear something that sounds almost like a swarm of bees. "This is not a token of my Lord, but it comes from one who is allied with him in the Great Struggle." [OOC - Ty, Osred performs a knowledge check. Does he know what god it comes from?]

Subject: Osred's response

Osred takes the symbol, running his thumb over its face. He can feel the power of it, and at the edge of his hearing, so faint that it might be his imagination, he can hear something that sounds almost like a swarm of bees. "This is not a token of my Lord, but it comes from one who is allied with him in the Great Struggle." [Knowledge Religion check 16]

Osred closes his eyes and thinks back on the many books of lore he had been forced to study while at the temple. Curse him, that his fist had always been stronger than his mind! Something about the scrollwork that looks like leaves on the edges?

"Perhaps it is an elven god? I fear that I was not as studious as I should have been while at the temple."