Dragon's Egg - Side Treks

[Ankari]

"Backup plans are good, but only if the primary plan fails. We can deal with Catli's necklace later. I hope we won't have to."

(I'm ignoring the letter Batos brought until I'm told Batos actually found us.))

 

[Keitsumah]

(i'll just put this in here then...sorry for the time-line mix-up!)

Batos emerged from the trees, panting heavily. The wolf, however, seemed to know to avoid getting any drool on the letter, so he set it down until he caught his breath.

Scenting Ankari not far off, Batos picked up the letter again and let out a low, muted howl to alert the man to his presence -with the snow around, eh could blend in fairly easily. Then he approached and handed off the letter.

(contents)

Dear Ankari,

As promised, I passed your message to our party without it being tainted by my opinion. In fact, Cadell thought I agreed with the message. However, I was not the only one in our party who cannot trust the gnolls' intentions.

Cadell and Liadan favored peace. Aliron and Bressel did not trust the gnolls to go into an abandoned town, and could only assume they meant to burn Arendal without the bother of resistance. They also suspected they remain loyal to Aslaug despite their words. Keitsumah, like myself, cannot forgive the murder of children. Aldar also favors battle, making the party's vote 5 to 3 in favor of defending Arendal against the gnolls. (Mauve's position is unclear, but her vote would not overturn the party's decision. Your vote is counted among the three in favor of peace with the gnolls.)

Only Grim and Gisla were present to speak on behalf of Srilkind and Arendal, but I believe the elders share their sentiment that the gnolls who attacked Srilkind have committed an atrocity that no peace treaty can amend.

Aliron and I discussed our options, and we both trust you to follow the majority of the party, as we cannot protect Catli if we are divided. I trust this message has reached you, and you will use your skills to let us know where the attack is coming from.

I suggest you find a way to help without making your presence apparent to either side. The battle may become complicated, and ultimately, this will endanger the children—those of Arendal as well as those with us.



There is one offer I can make to avoid unnecessary violence, that is, if the gnolls would not attack Arendal knowing they cannot capture Catli:

If Ghendra is willing to step ahead of his army, I will present him with evidence that Catli can no longer be tracked from afar by magic. He must be unarmed (with neither shield nor sheathed weapon) and more than 100 feet ahead of his army or any cover of trees if he wishes to meet before battle. It must be Ghendra for this evidence to be handed over. I know his face though he does not know mine. Since you will meet him, feel free to tell him that I will come to him unarmed, and 100 feet ahead of our army, bearing this evidence if he is interested. If wishes to hide behind his army like the baby-killing coward that he is, he may attempt to receive this evidence by prying it from my cold, dead fingers.


OXOX,
Baldhart

PS - Thank you for delivering the berries to Mauve. I don't actually have a means of knowing that you did this. It must be my blind faith.

 

[Ankari]

((OK, to keep the timeline consistent, I'll assume this happened just before I went to sleep. Nihal, I'm going to write dialogue that may contradict things I've said before. Please go along with the new narrative.))

"The rest of the party has already determined the threat to Catli, and have addressed it. The gnolls can't track her down. Let's meet Ghendra. I'd much prefer having him as an ally. He is the key to changing the political landscape of the north, and preventing further exploitation of the hatred fracturing the people here." I hand Mauve the letter from Baldhart, and give her time to read it.

"Come, little mage. Let us go hear Ghendra's decision."

 

[Ireth]

((So does this take place when Cadell is on his way to the gnolls, or already there, or on his way back? I need to know what to do with him, if anything can be done.))

 

[Ankari]

((No, this is taking place at first light.))

 

[Ireth]

((That tells me nothing, and doesn't answer my question. I have no idea how light it was when Cadell set out, after all. :/))

 

[Nihal]

((Ankari, they were up before Cadell left Arendal. He didn't enter the camp before Ankari waking up or it will clash with other events as well. The wolf was sent before Cadell left the Arendal too. He could either have woken up Ankari while Mauve was returning or met them after Mauve started dragging the ranger around.))

 

[Steerpike]

Ankari and Mauve remain in the woods west of Arendal. Ankari plans to approach the gnolls at first light, which is not far off. As they wait, a howl breaks the still of the night. The sound came from the east, the direction of Arendal. Seconds later, the howl is answered by a series of howls from the west.

Cadell, riding back toward Arendal, hears the first howl emanating from far ahead of him, as well as the answering howls from behind.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

A howl arises from the east, answered by many from the west. I shiver, and Llucheden halts, whickering and tossing her head. What is going on down in the village? I stroke her neck and urge her on, hunching low over her pale neck. At least there is only one wolf where we're heading... but it's the many wolves behind that have me more worried.

 

[Nihal]

((Ankari, are you going to keep the conversation as it happened or disregard it?

We still need to figure what they would do in this stretch of time. Mauve's instincts would say to keep going to Arendal then, instead of sitting and waiting the daylight.))

 

[Ankari]

((I'm going to keep most of the dialogue. The only that changes is background information. Also, that Ankari isn't intentionally keeping Batos's visit from Mauve. When Mauve asks me what Ankari does, he tells her of Batos's visit and hands her the letter. He tells her that Catli is taken care of, and that we need to meet the gnolls.))

 

[Nihal]

((I'm not having an easy time keeping up with all the changes-not-changes-plot-holes, so I'll just attain myself to the letter and the howl, whenever they happened.))

"Then let's go. Not so fast." I pull a glowing stone from my pouch and hold it over the letter, walking close to the elf while I read. "Old news." It's Baldhart's, long and uninteresting.

I glance at Ankari, commenting sarcastically, "Thanks for the berries." I'm reading the last passages again when a sound breaks my concentration. Was that a scream?

New howls, from the camp's direction. "Well..."

 

[Steerpike]

After the howls, silence descends again. Even the birds, which had begun tentative chirping in anticipation of the first beams of sunlight, have gone quiet. Moments later, Ankari's sensitive ears pick up movement through the forest to the northwest. The sounds are distant, but give the impression of a number of creatures tramping through the woods, snapping twigs and crunching in the snow. Gradually, the sounds become audible to Mauve as well. Someone, or something, is on the move.

 

[Steerpike]

Cadell, halted on his mount, is close enough to hear the sounds of movement to the northwest as well. Having just returned from the gnoll encampment, it is clear to him that the sounds come from that direction. From the direction of Arendal, there is no noise that he can hear.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I bite back a curse and try to urge Llucheden on faster. At this rate, the gnolls will be right on my heels when I return to Arendal! I can't discern what might be happening in the village; whatever made Batos howl seems to have gone. I keep my eyes forward, knowing Ankari and Mauve will have heard the howling too. Will they come in this direction to investigate, or be wise enough to leave the gnolls alone?

 

[Nihal]

Mauve and Ankari

((If Ankari keeps moving towards the gnolls Mauve will follow him some part of the way and the following happens; if the gnolls are close enough the following happens.))


I shrug my shoulders. Did the ranger see what I can do? I sigh. Why would this matter now? I return the letter to Ankari and walk up a tree, watching him as he goes, following him from the treetops. He has my cloak—he has my scent. Good.

 

[Steerpike]

((Assuming Ankari and Mauve head for the gnolls)).

You move swiftly through the forest, heading in the direction of the gnoll camp from which the howls came. Before long, the sounds of many feet grow loud, crunching swiftly in your direction. Hiding yourself among the thick trees, you watch as two goblins on warg-back wind their way through the trees just ahead of you. Behind them, the bulk of the gnoll force, Ghenra at the lead. They are moving swiftly toward Arendal.

 

[Steerpike]

Cadell moves faster toward Arendal, his mount moving quickly and with sure footing as it winds through tree trunks and leaps fallen deadwood.

((I'll may use some dramatic license to get people to Arendal for the action; In theory, many six second rounds will transpire in Arendal before Cadell gets close)).

 

[Ireth]

((Question -- has Cadell already passed by Ankari and Mauve, or does he have yet to encounter them? If Ankari and Mauve can see the gnolls, they certainly can see the bard on the white horse, nu?))

 

[Steerpike]

((On his way to the gnolls, Cadell avoided Ankari and Mauve's location (I rolled to see if he encountered them). Assuming he's heading back via the same route, he probably won't run across them this time either, though I can do a separate roll to check if you want to run into them )).