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Thread: Sherwoodshire roleplaying

  1. #201
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    Walker looks almost with panic to the grassland behind them, knowing that the dragon just set off a fiery blast. As he knows the area (and has, indeed planted a lot of these himself) he would prefer to check the plants in the area and possible harvest some herbs for Druid Kitty, hoping that they aren't just ash right now!

    To Aislinn, "If you are confident to skin this beast, that is excellent. I need to go look over there........"

    [You can see he is seriously bothered about these plants]

    "Ok, so, you can get this skin off? I obviously don't need to say but the larger the pieces the better for the armourers. Regarding the insides..... echhhhhhhhh.... [he pulls a face] whatever we can get into whatever containers we have might be of some use. Aim for the larger organs, maybe?"

    Walker walks to inspect the damage done to Kitty's plants while eating 2 healing berries. As he walks this area where the dragon's breath hit, he is looking for damage and anything he can fix or harvest (if it's not burned). Once he has check this area he will look further afield to the north and try to harvest whatever herbs he can get from there.

  2. #202
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    Aislinn watches Walker's beeline journey to the planting area. Perhaps he's a fair hand at potion-making himself, or used to be a gardener? His concern is almost palpable. She'll ask at some point, should she get a chance.

    The berries seem to help her scorched wounds, but needless to say have no effect on her singed clothing; the damage was restricted to her left shoulder and sleeve, though, and it won't take much to mend--or to purchase another tunic, if the reward is generous enough to allow for some extra purchases.

    She stares down at the slain beast, which even lying down is almost comically bigger than the person who's offered to skin it. But her heart's turned colder, she can almost feel the chill in her breast. If Kitty or someone else can make use of whatever they can take, Aislinn will just ignore what would have been repulsive for her scarcely a half-hour previous.

    About to slice into the Dragon hide, she pauses and addresses her fellow Scouts with only a brief glance in their direction. "I've not done this before," she says dully. "If you can choose what parts are useful, or help carry away the hide, it would be of great help."

    Assuming they assist, Aislinn will do whatever a small young woman is capable of to take that which is profitable from the dead dragon. As for how to dispose the body... she shrugs to herself. Will birds of prey or other carrion-eaters not take care of it soon enough?

  3. #203
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    Saradoc realises that Walker is concerned about both the battle and the damage to the Crag’s vegetation.
    “Walker, your battle plan was excellent. We were remarkably unscathed despite confronting a very dangerous monster. Everyone made a real contribution.
    I do hope we see that brave Wolf again. It saved Alf’s life when we fought the Lake Ness Monster and here it undoubtedly saved Walker from some serious burns.”
    He adds “The Dragon’s fire will have hurt the forest – but I am sure it will recover. Vegetation often grows back fine after a fire. Perhaps Druid Kitty will be able to help?”

  4. #204
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    As Walker inspects the fire damage, he is cheered to see that it is not as bad as he feared. He realises this is for two reasons. The Dragon’s breath was slanted upwards (rather than straight ahead) to clear away the mysterious mist – and the trees themselves blocked the flames going too far.

    Walker tastes the first Goodberry … and feels full. Suddenly he realises that he was already completely cured by Marron's spell – so he’s just used up a berry as a complete meal!
    Walker sheepishly hands back the second berry to Aislinn, explaining that she should use all the remaining berries on herself – as she’s the only one injured.
    Aislinn duly finishes off all the remaining berries and is fully cured for 7 hp.

  5. #205
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    Marron giggles as the healing is finally sorted out. “What am I? Chopped liver?”

    He turns serious. “Aislinn, I’ll help you with the Dragon hide. Hopefully my skill as a Fisherman in removing fish skins will be of some assistance – though I never caught anything as big as this!”

    DM: Marron makes a Fisherman roll. (This helps Aislinn's Dagger roll by 10%.)

    DM: Aislinn makes a Presidigitation roll. (This helps Aislinn's Dagger roll by 10%.)

    Aislinn starts to skin the Dragon with her dagger. (She can see that its body is long enough to potentially get three sets of hide to help make three fire-resistant leather armour suits.)

    DM: Aislinn makes a Dagger roll.

    She carefully sets aside a 10 foot section of leathery hide in perfect condition.
    Marron nods in approval.

    DM: Aislinn fails a Dagger roll.

    Aislinn wipes her brow.
    Marron comments "Although this particular hide is somewhat damaged, I expect a Tailor could make things like waistcoats, helmets or belts out of it.
    And I'm sure Kitty could use some of it to make valuable Protection from Fire Potions!"

    DM: Aislinn makes a Dagger roll.

    She now has a second leathery hide in perfect condition.
    Marron says "That was not easy - two out of three ain't bad. "
    Last edited by glee; 10 Jan 2023 at 10:22 AM.

  6. #206
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    Walker is satisfied the damage to the vegetation is not too bad.

    DM: Walker makes a Herbalism roll.

    He organises the party to gather herbs, plants and similar ingredients for Kitty, clearly explaining what to look for.

    DM: Walker makes a Tracking roll.

    As Walker moves around the top of the Crag, he notices some tracks obviously made by the Dragon...

  7. #207
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    The hide taken care of, Aislinn pauses to help Walker with the herb and plant recovery. She's putting off handling the dragon's internal organs, especially as she's not sure how to carry them nor exactly which ones will be needed. Perhaps Druid Kitty could send a team from the Keep to deal with the rest.

    When she's near Saradoc, she murmurs her gratitude to him for the kind words and wishes about Wolf, though she is brief as usual. Thinking about animals gives her an idea. Eye was helpful earlier, it seems only right for the bird to enjoy some raw flesh or whatever it eats. "I know the dragon parts might be... useful," she says to Walker, "but might your familiar like some for a meal?"

  8. #208
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    Walker looks relieved as he looks over what he considers to be his garden and also his ongoing tribute to Kitty Winters. There are many plants up here that have taken years to cultivate and can't be found in many places, so it is a huge relief to see them undamaged. As the group help him, he would point out the particular leaves and flower heads that would be useful to take back to the Keep, and also points out the younger plants and the seeding ones that need to be left alone.

    The skinning of the dragon seems to be going remarkably well - he has never seen someone able to get a whole perfect dragon skin before, so two-thirds plus some scraps is impressive. These people work well as a team and lend their abilities to help each other...

    In answer to Aislinn, he says, "........{to be continued when I know more about Eye!...}

  9. #209
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    As Marron helps gather Potion ingredients, he says "We've got a lot of raw meat here - it's probably not a good idea to pile it in the cart with all these pleasant plants and herbs. Sometimes when I caught a lot of fish, I would smoke them. That made them less messy, easier to carry and they lasted longer. Could we do something like that here?"

    He thinks a bit and then adds "Do you think this Dragon had any treasure?!"

  10. #210
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    [continued...]
    In answer to Aislinn, Walker says, "Thank you for the offer, but Eye up there doesn't actually eat food. She is a .... well, lets say more of a magical creation. That's not to say she doesn't have feelings and such, but no, she will not need to eat from this dragon."

    Looking at the large amount of meat and nodding to Marron. "Smoking it might be a good plan, actually, there is a farm very nearby, the one that the dragon attacked. I am sure they could use the meat and also maybe smoke it? I wouldn't want them to climb the cliff, though, so.... [he shuffles awkwardly] ... maybe we could just sort of ... roll the body over the cliff? Then we could go and alert the farm and they could send their workers to come to the base of the crag and collect the useful meat. Maybe they would give us some cured meat later or if not then at least it will be comforting for them to know that the monster that killed their shepherd has now been slain.

    "Treasure... that's an interesting thought. I don't know where up here any treasure would be hidden, but the dragon hasn't been here long so maybe its actual lair is somewhere else and it was just resting here? Probably best to check up here first."

    Walker would like to make a thorough search of this plateau - a place he knows well - to check for anywhere that a dragon might hide its treasure.

  11. #211
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    Aislinn is surprised to hear about Eye's nature, and if she can see the bird, she'll take a closer look out of curiosity. If Eye is anything like the Wolf, she guesses Walker must possess greater power by far, to enable a magical creature to stay with him always. All Aislinn can do is summon a beast to die for her. The thought disturbs her.

    The talk of the meat reminds her of some of the things she saw during her months with the Lizardmen. "Saradoc's skill with carpentry could be helpful, if we want to smoke some of the meat ourselves," she says with a brief glance at the Hobbit. "You could put wooden racks above a low fire. With a roof to keep the rain off. If... if that's something we might wish to do."

    She nods at Walker's suggestions. Telling the farmers is certainly important, and finding treasure... well, that's even more so, at least to her. Not something she'd want to voice to the others. "Were there not tracks somewhere, sir?" she asks the ranger. "Could you follow them to a... a lair, or cave, or..." Or wherever dragons might hoard their possessions; Aislinn's imagination ends here.

  12. #212
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    Saradoc helps to gather plants, as directed by Walker.
    He sees that one tree took the brunt of the Dragon's fiery breath and is sadly dead, however much of the tree is undamaged.
    Saradoc says to Aislinn, "I like your idea of building a covered rack to smoke some meat. I could use my Hand Axes and Carpentry knowledge to collect some good wood."
    He sets to work on this plan, cutting some useable wood from the burnt tree.

  13. #213
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    Marron announces cheerfully “We have slain the wicked Dragon; there’s not too much damage to the Crag’s vegetation and we’ve got two complete hides, plus some more hide and a load of suitable plants -all good for making magical items! Druid Kitty will be really pleased.
    Now I do like your ideas – first we get the farm workers to help gather the meat. Then Saradoc can use the wood that he’s cutting to make a smoking room at the farm using Aislinn’s design.
    This could really compensate the farm for the loss of their shepherd.
    And even after they’ve smoked all the dragon meat, they could carry on smoking farm meat and fish. That would help all the local farmers and fishermen.”

    He pauses for breath, then adds “OK, while Saradoc gets his wood, the rest of us could do two things.
    First let the farm know we want them to come to the foot of the Crag to pick up the meat.
    Suppose we write a message – after all there’s often one person at a farm who is literate – and on the back we could make a series of drawings as a back-up. So … ‘Dragon attacks farm’; ‘Dragon flies to the Crag’; ‘Adventurers climb Crag’; ‘Adventurers slay Dragon’; ‘Farm workers come to Crag’; ‘Adventurers roll Dragon off Crag’!
    Walker, couldn’t Eye simply fly to the farm and drop off the message?”

    Marron continues “Secondly look for treasure.“

    DM: Aislinn makes an Awareness roll.

    Aislinn remarks “Just here - these look like Dragon tracks – over to you Walker!”

    DM: Saradoc makes a Carpentry roll.

    Saradoc has gathered enough wood to make a simple smoking building.

  14. #214
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    With a blink of his eyes, Walker summons Eye down from the skies and she lands on his shoulder and nuzzles her beak against his face as he absent-mindedly scritches the top of her head. Despite being magical, she behaves very much like a real bird and a companion, and an intelligent one at that, and seems relieved that the battle went well. If you were to interpret her behaviour you could almost think that she is trying to reassure Walker that he had done ok in the fight and try to give him some confidence.

    "Ok, that's a great idea to smoke the meat up here. We can leave the bones to be picked at by the animals then dry out in the sun... and then there will be a dragon skeleton up on Walker's Crag! That will certainly be a tale to tell! Imagine other people coming to visit here in the future - not that it's often visited, but if it was - they would wonder at what happened. [He gestures towards the burnt tree] and the burnt stump there will just be an excellent part of the scene as well!" Walker is imagining the bones of the dragon, the meat scavenged and the bones picked clean and bleached, partially covered with vegetation, moss and plants peeking through the ribcage, up here on this crag.

    "Yes, ok, I hadn't thought of sending Eye with a message, that's so obvious, I'm an idiot, sorry. I visited the farm nearby recently - just before I met you - when I heard of their trouble with this dragon and I had Eye with me at the time. She was quite popular with a couple of the children on the farm so I am sure that they would recognise her if she was to visit there without me. In terms of the message, there are a few there who can read quite well so I think just a simple written message should be fine. Uhmmm.... does anyone have any paper and writing implements? Heh, that could scupper the whole 'send message via bird' if we don't have any means of writing it. The farm is actually fairly close and I'm familiar with this climb, so it wouldn't be too difficult for me to just go down and tell them in person if needed, then come back. I assume the smoking of the meat will take a while, I could be there and back before it's done.

    "But now to these tracks... I don't think I was aware of a cave up here but the tracks are worth following to see. As I said, I've been up here many times and cultivated a lot of the herbs you can see, I think I would have noticed a dragon! Aislinn, will you come with me to look, while Saradoc and Marron sort out the smoking and the message, if we have paper and writing implements between us!"

    [Walker would like to wait to see if we have paper etc. and if so, Eye will take the message to the farm, who will hopefully recognise her having petted her only a few days before. If we as a group don't have writing materials then Walker will go down the cliff and go to the farm in person, then come back up. Before that he will see if Aislinn is willing to come along and will attempt to follow the tracks.]

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    Glad to be done with the unpleasant if rewarding (and somewhat vengeful) act of flaying the dragon, Aislinn wipes her hands on the damp grass, then dries them on her skirt. All the while, she listens to the men, quite talkative companions after spending time alone and, before that, with a race not particularly inclined to speaking unless necessary.

    When Marron speaks of writing a message, Aislinn quietly begins to look in her relatively small but well-packed satchel. She keeps a slate pencil, handy for times when speech is unwise, or when marking certain items as having been searched, or maps, or when playing games of chance (that for her wouldn't really be 'chance' at all), or really any number of things. She'll need something to write on--preferably slate itself, of course--but the bird will need to be able to carry it. Many things will suffice, even bark if it's hard and dark enough.

    She turns to admire Eye and Walker's connection, but frowns slightly at the latter's harsh words. "You're not an idiot," is all she says, until she adds, "I'll join you, if you think it'll be of help." She pauses, then looks atypically amused. "And if you'll tell me aught of why this crag is named for you or your family."

  16. #216
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    Saradoc stacks his wood into a neat pile.
    He says, “Actually, thinking about it, I don’t think it’s such a good idea to build the smoker up here on the Crag. We'd need to get some people up here with the expertise to smoke the meat, and I reckon they'd be stuck up here for a while. They'd be rather exposed. I think that we should do it all at the local farm. Much more convenient.”
    Saradoc studies the skinned Dragon. “I didn’t realise how hollow a Dragon is – I suppose they have to be to fly. Anyway once we get some farmworkers below, we can easily push the Dragon remains off the Crag. Then the meat (and the skeleton if they want) can all go back to the farm. Or would it be easier to butcher the dragon up here and just carry the meat to the farm?”
    He finishes with “This wood pile can easily be lowered using the climbing rope…”

  17. #217
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    Marron produces some blank paper for the message.
    He explains “I can easily cast Clerical scrolls and even have a go at Magic-User ones – though that type usually takes me longer. Anyway once a scroll is used, the magic writing fades and … you have a blank piece of paper. So here are some scrolls I used earlier!”
    He passes the paper to Walker. “You’ve been to the farm, so probably you’ll be the best to communicate with them.”

    Marron agrees with Saradoc. “Yes, I also recommend the smoker gets built at the farm. Even if we make it easy for folk to climb up here to use the smoker, they could wander around and damage the plants.”

    Finally Marron continues “I don’t think any of us are trained as butchers, but I am a good Fisherman. So I should be OK to get the most of meat off the Dragon bones. But I’ll need something sharp (as I only have Clubs.) May I borrow a sharp weapon?”

  18. #218
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    Aislinn stands by the Dragon corpse and points at the ground. She comments “As I said, these look like Dragon tracks…”

    Walker slaps his forehead and apologies. “Of course – I found these earlier, but there was so much going on that I forgot. Anyway, no harm done.”

    He thanks Aislinn and continues enthusiastically “I’d be glad of your company. Now you ask about how this Crag was named…” (he explains...)

    DM: Walker makes a Tracking roll.

    He follows the tracks a short distance into the forest, with Aislinn keeping a careful watch. They find a patch of disturbed earth.

    DM: Walker makes another Tracking roll.

    Walker looks thoughtful. “Actually it’s pretty clear. The Dragon dug a hole, presumably stuck something in it, then covered it up. Given it’s only a young Dragon, then it won’t have much treasure. It seems likely it was planning to make the Crag its home – and store treasure in the ground.”

    Walker recovers just a single item from the earth. It’s a plain copper ring, with a bloodstained sheep’s hair stuck to it.

  19. #219
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    Walker gratefully takes the paper and writing implements to pen a letter to the folk at the farm, and looks around to see who has a dagger to carve the meat from the bones of the corpse. (out of character: I can't believe I wouldn't have a dagger but I can't see it on my sheet...? If I have one I would pass it to Marron)

    He writes in a spidery but legible script:

    "Rest easy. We have killed the dragon that took one of your own. We are on Walker's Crag and have skinned the beast. We would like to offer you the meat from the bones to cook or smoke it. Bring carts to the bottom of the cliff - south side - and we will lower the meat down to you when we see you coming. We also have wood prepared for smoking if needed.

    - Walker"


    He hands the small piece of paper to Eye and she takes it in her beak, then with a nod, she takes off and heads in the direction of the farmstead.

    Turning to the rest as his bird flies away he says, "Ok, I've sent word, they should be sending transport here; carts and suchlike. I know we have our own transport but it would be good for them to be able to take it back themselves. I wonder, if we pull up the rope, we could make sort of parcels for the meat and lower them down the cliff? I mean.... rather than just shoving a whole dragon corpse off the cliffside... [ Walker does seem quite attached to the idea of a dragon skeleton being left up on "his" crag!] .... just a thought? I know it's a bit messy but I think I have some cloth in my bag and if necessary we could use my cloak... ick..... but I'll be able to clean it later.

    "Aislinn, thank you, we will follow the tracks, and I'll tell you a rather boring tale. [they walk, following the tracks as described, and as they walk, Walker(!) tells a tale],

    "So, I used to come here a lot. Still do I guess, hah! It's never had a name, this crag. You won't see it named on any map. Well... [he pauses]... I noticed it was good for viewing the surrounding area, safe to camp - well, when it's not got a sodding dragon on it! - and the best bit was the soil up here. With the stream and the lack of animals, it's a perfect place to grow herbs as well as being a great lookout point. So yes, I've spent quite a bit of time up here. Kitty back at the Keep has given me seeds sometimes to plant, or young plants, and I tend them, harvest them and take them back for her. Sometimes even some random new herb just pops up (probably from a bird doing ... you know... as it flies over) and I'll take it to her to identify and she can often make some pretty amazing potions with them. The seeds she gave me and the natural plants up here are mostly what you see here [ he gestures at the grass and plants they are walking through]. So yes, this is a sort of secret garden that fuels the healing potions! Just joking, it's not secret, but it does fuel a lot of useful potions. That one there, the red one with the tiny petals? That one can make a potion of strength. It's hard to get that one to grow and it doesn't like tough weather, and that one with the yellow leav... oh, sorry.

    "Anyway. Sorry, got off-topic talking about plants, hah. It was one evening back at the Keep when someone asked me where I'd been in my days away, and someone else answered without hesitation, 'Ah, he's been up on Walker's Crag!' ... which I was a bit taken aback by I'll admit hah! But everyone around the table just nodded and knew where he was referring to. And since then, it's just been known as Walker's Crag! I think I even saw a recent map drawn that was commissioned to add the expansion to a nearby village, and the cartographer had put a label on the crag! So I guess that is it's official name now, and yes it does indeed exist on at least one map that I've seen!"

    Walker recovers the ring and looks at it before holding it out to Aislinn,
    "Is this special at all? I'm quite good at looking for tracks, hah, but not so good at the fine detail of items or their nature. Is that sheep's wool? Could this be from the shepherd? This isn't really a mightily impressive hoard for a dragon I'll admit, but I suppose that's a good thing... if this did indeed belong to the shepherd, finding more jewellery up here would just mean that there were more victims..."

    [Walker would hand the ring over to Aislinn, presuming she will check for any initials or any details, before checking the ground for anything else, then would head back to the dragon corpse. He is willing to use his cloak if needed to make a bundle to lower the dragon meat over the cliff when we see the carts from the farm arrive. He really REALLY wants to leave the bones up here, and would possibly try to rearrange the skeleton slightly to look more aesthetically pleasing.]
    Last edited by ping; 15 Jan 2023 at 08:00 PM.

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  21. #221
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    Aislinn has listened to Walker's enthusiastic storytelling with little need to insert questions or solicit explanations. He has much skill and makes a pleasant companion--certainly an entertaining one. She smiles to herself when envisioning the sketch sent forth in Eye's claws, which managed to be both funny and informative. Although she's not sure Walker intended it to be funny, so she doesn't explain the source of her private amusement if he should notice it--which she doubts thanks to his exuberant gestures pointing out the various landmarks of "his" crag. Also people generally tend to avoid looking at her face, which means the bandages are worth the price she pays for wearing them.

    At the end, Aislinn nods gratefully and replies, "For a ranger, you seem suited to settling down. It's a pretty place you've made. Even with..." She glances over her shoulder at the dragon carcass. "But time and nature will take care of that."

    Letting Walker place the ring in the palm of her hand, she tries not to grimace at the unpleasant 'decorations' added to it. One thing she does feel relatively competent in, as far as magical arts are concerned, is simply detecting magic in an object. Particularly rings, as a matter of fact, she realizes. Looking down quickly to hide her expression, Aislinn attempts to determine if the ring is anything more than it appears.

  22. #222
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    Saradoc passes one of his hand-axes to Marron, then joins him using his other hand-axe to cut dragon meat away from the bones.

    While working side-by-side with Marron, Saradoc's attention is drawn to Aislinn and Walker's conversation about the ring they have found. Saradoc asks them if he might have a look at it to see if it looks valuable.

  23. #223
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    Walker can see through Eye’s eyes as his hawk delivers the message to the nearby farm.
    A farmhand looks a bit surprised as the paper flutters down, but quickly recovers and takes the letter inside the farmhouse.
    Before long, the farmer (that Walker has already spoken to) comes out and gives a double thumbs-up signal to the hawk.
    The farmer starts organising a group of farmhands to bring some carts to the Crag.

    Eye returns to Walker, noting on the way that there is no sign of any danger – either on land or in the sky.

    Meanwhile Walker has carefully passed the plain copper ring to Aislinn.
    The Ranger then double-checks for any further signs of the Dragon nearby.

    DM: Walker makes a Tracking roll.

    He is confident that the ring is the only thing the Dragon buried.



    Aislinn holds the ring and mutters “Magic.”
    Immediately she sees that the ring is not magical.
    However Aislinn notes that Walker has five magical items - Staff. Leather, Cloak and two Potions.
    Aislinn herself discovers that she has also five magical items:

    - Dagger with a 1st level Magic-User (MU) spell (undoubtedly a (+1) Dagger giving +5% to hit and doing +1 damage)
    - Necklace with a 1st level MU spell (Aislinn already knows this is (+1) Necklace giving +5% on defence and saves)
    - Gloves of Swimming (Aislinn already knows this)
    - Ring with two (unknown) 1st level Illusionist spells (each spell can be cast 1/day)
    - Potion of Cure (Aislinn already knows this heals d8 hit points)

    Aislinn also realises that she can Detect Magic again immediately if she wants.



    Marron thanks Saradoc for the hand-axe and the two adventurers soon remove all of the Dragon meat from the bones.
    The Cleric produces a fisherman’s bag to carry the meat to the future smoke-room and tells the others “I’ve stored fish in here, so I know how to wash it out afterwards!”
    Saradoc also offers a spare quiver and Walker his cloak, which means the meat can be lowered down off the Crag (it might take a few goes.)

    Meanwhile the carts from the farm are arriving at the foot of the South side of Walker’s Crag…

  24. #224
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    Walker raises an eyebrow at Aislinn, seeing her eyes somehow flash slightly as she holds the ring, and then notices that she casts her gaze over him and over herself. What is she seeing?

    Magic has always baffled Walker - he doesn't even know how Eye exists - but he has huge respect for those that can tap into this mystery. He assumes that Aislinn is somehow "seeing" the possible magic of this ring and waits for her to come out of her semi-trance to ask her what she saw. He knows himself that he has collected a number of magical items over the years to help him on his travels... can she see them? He wonders about his magical Underpants of Wonder and remembers with relief that he didn't put those ones on this morning.

    Thinking of Eye (and underpants), suddenly Eye appears in the sky, Walker instinctively turning towards the approaching bird long before she would be visible to most people. She circles and then lands on his shoulder in her preferred position and leans in for a quick scritch, all the while giving Walker a rundown of what happened at the farm in his mind.

    Walker would wait until Aislinn seems to be out of whatever it is she can see without interrupting her, and then give her the information from the farm and suggest that they move back to see how the others are getting on with the dragon-chopping.

    As promised, Walker would hand over his cloak to help wrap up the dragon meat and lower it down the cliff, and would shout out to the farmhands when they arrive to greet them and relay what happened up here.

    He would also (quite proud of "his" dragon not-quite-skeleton) invite any of them to be hoisted up to see it, if they would like.

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    Aislinn exhales and lowers the ring. "I don't think there's anything magical here. As for worth..." She'd like to take a guess at it, but she suspects Saradoc will indeed be better at that. Agreeing with Walker, she'll follow him to the others to hand the ring to the Hobbit for his estimation. "Although... it might not be up to us to decide on value," she adds reluctantly. "It's not ours. I mean, if this poor shepherd has--had--family."

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    Saradoc accepts the ring and studies it.

    DM: Saradoc makes an Appraisal roll.

    Saradoc explains that the ring is just a simple copper ring, of little value.
    He adds “Perhaps it has some sentimental worth?”

    Saradoc then moves to the Crag’s South edge to oversee the lowering of the wood for his smoking-room.
    Last edited by glee; 25 Jan 2023 at 08:21 AM.

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    Marron helps with the dragon meat and smoking-room wood, which is duly lowered down the Crag and stored in the farm carts.
    He announces “Good job, everyone! I’m sure Count Percival will be pleased that we are helping out his peasants.”

    He looks back at the Dragon Skeleton and thinks a bit, then says “Actually I’m certain that the Count would like to have that Skeleton back at his Keep. It would show the population that the Count will not tolerate monsters attacking his folk – and also warn off such monsters!
    We could ask Druid Kitty if she has any Potions that would help with transporting the Skeleton…”

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    The adventurers climb down the Crag and recover their climbing ropes.

    Walker shakes hands with a weatherbeaten male human and introduces him to the party.
    “This is Farmer Giles of Ham farm, and these are his workers. Ham farm was the one attacked by the Dragon. At least we have dealt with the monster.” (Walker gestures towards the Skeleton on the Crag, which is partially visible.)

    Farmer Giles gratefully thanks the party then adds “Sadly my nephew Garm was murdered by the beast. I don’t suppose there was anything left of him on the Crag?”

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    Saradoc offers his approval of the suggestion to take the dragon skeleton back to the Count.
    "That's a good idea. Not sure I can do much to help, but we could ask Will and Alf to use their trade wagon."
    Last edited by Tim Parkes; 25 Jan 2023 at 08:51 AM.

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    Walker gestures to Saradoc, who is holding the ring.

    "Did this perhaps belong to your nephew? Or anyone else you know at the farm?"

    He looks at the dragon skeleton again.

    "I really think it would be nice to leave it up here. Maybe we can take part of it to show off in the Keep...? I just think.... I just.... it looks so amazing and intimidating up here on the crag.... and imagine when the moss starts to cover it, and it will be part of the landscape............"

    [puppy-dog eyes from Walker. He really wants this dragon skeleton up on his crag.]

    "How about as a compromise, we could take the head back as a trophy to the Count? I'm sure that's easier for him to accommodate than a 30-foot skeleton. And the REST of the 30-foot skeleton can stay here. Sans head. Which doesn't look anywhere near as epic, but it's better than nothing. Maybe the story could be that it was beheaded in the battle? Yes, that would work...."

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    "The Count has done naught to deserve part of the Lake Ness monster, much less the bones of a creature we risked ouir lives to defeat," Aislinn blurts uncharacteristically. "If he pays a pretty reward, all well and good, but even so--"

    Her voice cuts off at once, mortified when she realizes she's said this aloud. Alongside her resentment, eating away at her confidence, is wariness--no, terror--at the thought of displeasing someone in power. An instinct she feels contempt for but can't seem to control.

    She stares at the ground, cursing her indiscretion not just in front of her party, but in front of farmers and others she knows even less than her colleagues. Then she looks back up to take in the members of her party. After a deep breath, she continues with a much more measured, "That is... Walker's idea seems a good one. I daresay the Count would be satisfied enough with such a trophy."

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    Farmer Giles takes the ring from Saradoc, studies it carefully and announces “This is indeed my nephew Garm’s ring. Thank you so much for recovering it, as it will be a valuable memento.”

    He looks up and points at the Dragon Skeleton on Walker’s Crag. “I don’t know if it is my place to suggest it, but I would like that to remain there as a reminder of good triumphing over evil. I shall call it ‘Walker’s Revenge!”

    Next the farmer looks at the party, then addresses Marron. “Sir, you are clearly an Arthurian Cleric. Would you do me the honour of saying a few words at a memorial ceremony for Garm at my farm?”

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    Saradoc offers some further thoughts regarding the dragon skeleton.
    "We could sort of do both options. We could leave the complete dragon skeleton up on the crag, and I could carve a wood replica of its skull to take back to the Count."

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    Marron replies politely to the farmer. “Of course I will speak as you request. All who live in Sherwoodshire shall receive the protection and respect of Count Percival.”
    The Cleric pauses politely, then gets enthusiastic. “Saradoc, you’re on to something! Leave ‘Walker’s Revenge’ up on Walker’s Crag and get a decent replica made for Percival’s Keep.
    It could be in wood, as you suggest, or we could get a Painter to do a picture. How about a Tailor making a Tapestry?!
    We could even have a series of scenes, showing the Dragon flying in, being defeated and finally turned into a warning to other evil-doers.”

    Farmer Giles chips in. “Well let’s discuss that idea on the way back to my farm. We should smoke this meat as soon as possible. And, most importantly, hold that memorial service.”

    The party accompany the Farmer and his workers back to the farm.

    (There is plenty of time to have conversation…)

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    Aislinn gives a small nod of approval to both the farmer and Saradoc. Better solutions, especially with Saradoc's clear talent as an artisan of carpentry. She would be interested in watching, in fact. Talents that require deft handiwork are always worth a look--and educational, too. She voices this encouragement to Saradoc. It's a clever idea.

    Still, resolving not to be too indiscreet again, she glances over to Marron and Walker. The latter is probably cock-a-hoop with the thought of the Farmer's flattering (and well deserved) name. The former might be more inclined to show the Count nothing but the true trophy of their battle in his honor. At least nobility would likely consider the battle having been in his honor. Aislinn is more glad to please the Farmer and his nephew's family. And to avenge Wolf.

    "Would such a lifelike carving impress the Count enough?" she asks, trying to keep her tone from being dry. At least, not too dry. "He probably considers the Crag partly his, anyway. More people might see it in passing--and more dragons, for that matter. Plenty of warning for their kind."

    EDiTED: Simulpost above. Argh. Can we pretend Aislinn spoke before glee's post?

    On their way, Aislinn drops a little behind to match Saradoc's smaller strides--though he's hardly slow by any means. The thought occurs to her that maybe he could carve a little version of the Wolf. Not as a plaything; Aislinn doesn't remember much of her childhood but she can't fathom it was full of poppets or toys and the like. Or maybe it was and subsequent events just... vanished these pleasanter memories.

    But she could use the carved animal as a talisman, sort of. Something to keep in her pocket. To hold and to...to... to inspire, perhaps? Maybe it's silly but she tucks the thought away to ask for the favor. She's even willing to pay, if it comes to that. She doesn't want to owe any favors.

    For now Aislinn compliments his idea, and adds, "Where did you learn such artistry, if I may ask?"

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    Walker watches the exchange then shakes the farmer's hand, bowing his head.

    "I am so sorry for your loss. I feel responsible in part, as sort-of-caretaker of this Crag and - as you know, wanderer of these area - that I did not know of this evil earlier and help your family and livestock... I am sorry. Anything I can do at all to help... let me know."

    Walker appears more despondent than the others in the party would have seen of him so far, as he is usually fairly upbeat and chatty. Knowing that the ring did indeed belong to Farmer Giles' nephew, who he has almost certainly met over the years even if they were not on first-name terms, has hit him quite more hard than he would admit. He knows most of the farm and local village folk from his patrols around the area in his years of ranging here, and has met most of the shepherds. To know that some evil has taken from that community, something that he should have been alert to stopping before....... He sighs and turns away, noting the conversation between his companions. Woodcarving...?

    After a moment of recomposing himself, Walker says, in a slightly-forced version of his usual upbeat tone,

    "So, we shall head back to the farm. We have a smokery (is that a word? Hmm.) to build, some dragon to smoke and ... [pause] ... some people to talk to."

    Still visibly not-quite-himself, he drops back into step with Aislinn and Saradoc. Raising an eyebrow,

    "Saradoc, you are a carpenter? And Aislinn, at some point we really must talk about this wolf of yours... It seems we have quite a few things to learn...."

    Eye soars above as usual, keeping an eye(!) out for any dangers nearby, hopefully ensuring our safe passage back to the farm.
    Last edited by ping; 04 Feb 2023 at 01:20 PM.

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    Should Aislinn need an Awareness roll to see if she picks up Walker's distress, or can I assume his despondency is indeed something she's able to catch?

    Hearing a sigh in front of her, Aislinn sees Walker hanging behind to join them as well. From his words he seems willing to take on a great deal of responsibility for this farming community. She can't remember if this is his place of birth, or where he grew up, to explain his loyalty to it. Truly what few rangers she's met--or more accurately, the ones she's eavesdropped on in various alehouses and taverns--have spoken mostly of their many explorations. Boasted, more like. Walker's connection here is curious.

    She decides to slake her curiosity once she hears a little more about Saradoc, if her fellow Scout is forthcoming about his carpentry skills. But Walker has his own comments first.

    "The locals likely know about smoking. Butchered meat has to last throughout winter. That requires smoking or salt-curing. Possibly pickling as well," she adds thoughtfully, looking reflexively down at her glove-covered hands... at first wondering why, until she realizes that her gaze expected to see brine-callused skin. But Lizardmen don't brine as a rule, and even if they do, she didn't participate. She knows her hands are somewhat scarred but not toughened by the salt.

    She doesn't stop to wonder why she knows that, too--the natural side effect of working with salt and brine to preserve food. Shrugging, she just returns to Walker. It's awkward to have a conversation, but she has to get used to it. "The Wolf is dead," she says flatly.
    (Her conversation skills clearly aren't well honed yet.) "Who else must we speak to?"

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    Walker looks slightly shocked by the blunt statement.

    "The wolf... it's dead? It's ... gone? I somehow thought that you might have some magical connection to it, and that it wouldn't be gone if it "died" here? Didn't you mention that it had fought with you before and came back?

    "...Though I don't know of course if these injuries were more............ ok, sorry. Apologies. It's just something I don't know much about. Did it come only in times of distress? Or did you manage to somehow summon it at will? Is there a chance we could heal it or bring it back?

    "..... I really hate just saying "it"... do you know if your wolf had a name?"

    Walker instinctively looks up to Eye circling above.

    He adds quietly, intended only for her ears,
    "Anyway, Giles here, he's a good guy. Family have been here a long while, I've met most of them on my travels in this area and though I don't know them all well... heh, pretty much everyone is related to each other in some way. Their family is respected and their farm is.... was... prosperous. The dragon thing was pretty bad for them. And... he might not show it, but knowing this family I would guess that he's grieving a lot for his nephew and just trying not to show it. Stiff upper lip and all that. You'll find that a lot in the communities here. Take the hardship, deal with it. But beneath all of that they are very close and tragedies like this hit them hard, though they might just plough on through it. I've seen quite a bit on my wanders and... well... there's a lot that happens that isn't nice, and the folk here are admirable at getting on with life anyway. I've been in this area for a while, you get to see people and get to know them even just a little bit. When we get to the farm... we... [he sighs] the family might put on an air of cheerfulness, gratitude, whatever, but we're no heroes here. We... I... failed, and they lost a member of their family, and however much they seem to be just getting on with life.... a lot of that is an act."

    Walker shrugs slightly, realising that he's just been speaking in a hushed tone to his companions for a while.

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    Farmer Giles responds sympathetically to Walker. “Thank you for your kind words about Garm. You must not blame yourself. That evil beast probably came out of the Badlands (Giles gestures to the West of Sherwoodshire) – and it was dealt with as soon as possible.
    Walker, we farmers all know of your good work in patrolling and we trust both you and Count Percival to look after us.”

    Giles pauses, then adds “Actually it was a very dangerous situation. The Dragon could have settled down on Walker’s Crag and attacked all the nearby farms from there. Only a talented party of adventurers could have stopped such a horror!”

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    DM: Aislinn makes an Alertness roll.

    (N.B. Just to clarify, Alertness is used to interpret humanoid behaviour; Awareness is for studying surroundings. See post 4 of the companion thread. )

    She sees Walker is clearly upset about the farmhand’s death.

    After Aislinn discusses how to preserve meat, Farmer Giles looks interested. “Aislinn, you clearly know about various methods to keep meat from rotting. Have you encountered any of the local Lizardmen tribes? They are all experts at catching fish and they always smoke it. They trade with the local farms and Count Percival’s Keep.”

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    Marron joins in the conversations. “Walker, I agree with Giles. You must not blame yourself. As soon as you reported the Dragon, Druid Kitty organised us into a party – and we were jolly successful.
    You did NOT fail – you couldn’t have defeated that Dragon on your own. Honestly I think we are heroes.”

    Giles chips in. “Walker, Marron is right – you have done a great thing. In fact, you should give your party a name!”

    Marron turns politely to Aislinn. “I am confused about your brave Wolf companion. I’ve seen it in battle twice now – each time it really helped us … and then disappeared. I hope it may somehow return.
    Oh and may I ask if you used Detect Magic on Garm’s ring? You announced it was not magical. If you are able to cast that spell, it would help us a lot. As I’ve said, I can cast Detect Magic myself, but that means I have one less Cure available that day.”

    Marron pauses then adds “I know a little about preserving fish. I was brought up on the Crow Coast (he points to the North-West) and saw Ocean Barbarian fishermen bringing home their catches from the Empire Ocean. They method they used was called salting in brine.”

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    The men around her speak quickly, and vociferously, which allows Aislinn time to consider her own words. She has the most difficult time hiding a shudder during Marron's talk of his travels, but she needn't address that. Her head is starting to ache again, too. At any rate, the first and most pressing matter is Walker's assessment of himself. And the rest of the group, she realizes. Since Aislinn would hardly call herself a hero, she doesn't mind Walker's comment that they shouldn't be considered so. His own self-judgement, however, is unjust.

    "The others are right," she says, in her usual quiet tone but with an edge of force to it. "Feeling remorse speaks well of you, Walker, but you're too harsh. That--that--" Her hard face turns back to glance in the direction of the remains of the dragon. "That murderous, would-be fellbeast killed the sheep and shepherd before you even saw it on the Crag. As you say, these people move on if they are to survive. You must too... when you can."

    Her gaze sharply returns to the land ahead of them. It's rarely easy to move beyond such tragedies, and she won't pretend he can recover from grief in a few minutes. Which leads her to answer her party members' questions.

    "I never saw the Wolf before the Lake Ness battle. At least... I'm not sure. It looked just like one I saw as a child. Like in that song," she begins simply.

    "When the sea monster attacked, I was near the woods and suddenly the Wolf was just there.. I thought it had somehow come to--to protect me." It's such an embarrassingly childish admission that she swallows her tightening throat and looks away from the others. "But later, at the Keep, I caused something to happen that was similar. I needed to be away from the crowd. I wanted to hide, and just knew I could ask for fog. And it appeared. Mistress Kitty seemed to believe me. Maybe the Wolf was the same? It came because I wanted it to?"

    She pauses, glancing very briefly towards Walker. "You are right. Wolf isn't--wasn't an 'it'. I should say 'him', I suppose. The one I saw in my childhood was male. He'd joined a she-wolf and their pups."

    The attention is making her awkward, but they asked, and the truth is she needs to explain things to herself, too. "During the Lake Ness battle, Wolf had barely leapt to attack when I heard the monster snap at him. I hoped he'd only been injured, but he was nowhere. I knew the monster had eaten him. The creature wanted food and I tossed him a meal."

    She watches her feet and the ground beneath her. "But today, something--some mad wish--made me call for Wolf. And when he appeared... I knew I'd clearly been wrong. After that monster had snapped at him, Wolf must have escaped into the forest. Injured or not, I don't know. And yet he came today when I beckoned him. I shouldn't have. This time I saw him die. And then he vanished to..to..."

    She makes a weak, vague gesture, which describes her thoughts right now.

    Cont'd next post. Sorry, this got even wordier than usual. How on earth did I think I could play a laconic character?!

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    Cont'd from above post. Sorry again.

    Aislinn shakes her head, her neck tendons taut. "I don't know where Wolf could have disappeared to. I understand little of such uncanny things. As for actual magic, I have but little of. These new abilities..." She sighs and looks back at Marron. "I do know I can sense--that is, Detect Magic, I suppose I should say. Whenever we need it I'll spare you your effort, if I haven't lost the ability that day, so you can perform your Cure. Healing is... it's the finest power one can possess."

    The words are almost reverent. And they take her back to her erstwhile guardian. "I do know Wolf's dead because I--I called for him, later. He didn't return. I called again, and still nothing. He's not here. I asked too much of him and now he's gone. Hopefully to whatever rest such noble guardian beasts are granted."

    Wiping her burning eyes under the pretext of wiping sweat away and adjusting her bandage, she moves faster, her steps more like stomps. "Foolish to expect such protection anyway. It's a dangerous thing to count on. Makes you passive. Easy prey ripe for hunting."

    Aislinn shrugs her shoulder to shift the weight of her satchel. When she speaks, she's dismissed the subject. Her voice is actually a little hoarse, not used to such a lengthy speech. "Anyroad, speaking of hunts... yes, I--I was invited to meals with Lizardmen."

    It's a story she anticipated would be asked, and despite how painful she's found it to talk in such detail about Wolf, reciting such fripperies now is simple. As any good liar knows, the best falsehoods hew close to the truth without nearing the whole of it. So the words spill past her normal reticence like patter during Thimble-rig.

    "My journey led me near their island. They offered me hospitality and as I was in no particular hurry, I made free to take my leisure there for a spell. And fish smoked and brined is delicious. Of course Lizardmen prefer it fresh, even raw, some of them." Aislinn tosses a look toward the others. "You dislike boats with good reason, Saradoc, but what of seafood? " To Marron: "What are the Ocean Barbarians called among their own kind? Surely that's not how they describe themselves?"

    Her eyes (though of course only one is visible outside the bandages) winces when she feels another little sense of pressure, like fingers squeezing her temples with just enough force to cause discomfort. Probably from all this incessant talk. Well, she'll not do that again. The cork must go back on the bottle.

    ...And yet, she can't help one glance at Walker, measuring whether he's still as disheartened with himself and their performance. With sympathy and some bittersweet envy, she asks, "How did you first meet Eye? I don't know how such things as Familiars happen. And--is he--solid? I mean, can he be touched?"

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    Walker is silent for a moment, digesting this, and his shoulders slump a little further as he hears of Aislinn's certainty that her wolf is gone.

    He hasn't known this group long, but he has picked up an impression that Aislinn isn't usually used to talking a lot or prolonged conversations. His time ranging in the local villages has given him a pretty keen sense of who's a talker and who isn't, and Aislinn so far has seemed to be an "isn't", so it's interesting to hear her speak so openly.

    After a moment's pause to see if she has anything else to add, Walker nods and says,
    "I truly hope you can find your wolf again. It... he... may just be recovering for a time in wherever it is he comes from. I really hope you get to see him again and not just in a battle situation. Eye here... well, that's a bit of a story to be honest."

    Trying to defuse the mood he says,

    "As you have probably astutely noticed, I am not a Person of Magic. Nope, nada, diddly-squat. Not a whiff. It's really impressive that you can detect it... Hmm, question: what does it look like? Do you see a glow, or is it more of a tingling? Fascinating. Anyway, I wish I could understand it but it's always been just beyond my grasp. I AM genuinely fascinated by the things that you can do [he nods at Marron] and yes, truly healing magic is the most noble of all.

    "When I first came to this place I had a hawk - a true hawk - that was gifted to me as a young bird - the hawk was a young bird, not me - when I was training with my Ranger mentor. He became my companion. The hawk, that is, not my mentor. Well, he was as well I guess. But anyway. Of course I couldn't talk to him - again, the bird not the mentor, though he was a difficult bugger at times - ANYWAY... but we understood each other as I trained him. The bird not... oh, ok, yes, you get it. Anyway. We started off with the basics of commands and quite soon he could do basic scouting such as flying ahead and then coming back and nibbling on my ear if there was something bad ahead, and he could carry messages on parchment strapped to his leg or around his neck. He recognised commands for local villages and keeps so could navigate there with the messages, he also recognised a number of people and could find them and deliver notes. Very intelligent bird, Buddy. I called him that because he was like a friend to me as I was growing up and learning to do... well... this. [Walker gestures to the general walking through the countryside that the group are currently doing]

    "But anyway, bird being birds, his life wasn't as long as I would have liked and he passed away a couple of years ago. I think he must have been close to 15 or 20 years old, which is good going for a bird. Anyway. It was Druid Kitty who saw my upset and realised how helpful it would be to be able to have not only a companion, but also how much more useful it would be if I could communicate with and use my companion more. She made a potion for me - as she has done often! - and said that it would grant me a spell. As I said, I know very little of magic apart from what I see others around me able to do, but when I drank the potion I was able to sit and concentrate, and she told me to focus on a companion. I immediately thought, of course, of a bird like Buddy. And when I opened my eyes this hawk appeared before me. Not quite like Buddy; the feather pattern is slightly different and she's, well, a she.

    "It was Kitty who named her. She said it would be fitting as Eye would be able to be my 'Eye in the sky', heh. I think it suits her."

    Walker concentrates for a second and almost instantly Eye circles down to land on his shoulder.

    "So yes, I have a companion now. She doesn't seem to age, and we have a connection - as you just saw - where she can hear my thoughts and I can see through her eyes if needed. It is useful! And also it's comforting to have somebirdy(!) with you when you're out here on your own for long lengths of time.

    "Oh, and yes, you can touch her. She particularly likes scritches on that bit at the side of her neck, just below the beak here..." [Walker gives scritches and Eye leans into them, closing her eyes slightly]

    "You can pet her, she will let you know if she gets fed up. Hah. Believe me, she'll let you know!"
    Last edited by ping; 07 Feb 2023 at 12:13 PM.

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    (addition, sorry)
    Walker holds back on any comments about the Lizardfolk community, waiting to see what the others have experienced there.

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    Marron replies politely to Aislinn. "It's great that you can Detect Magic. As you say, that frees me up to Cure instead. If you don't mind me asking - do you have the Identify spell too? After detecting some magic, that spell explains exactly what spells are present and what they do. I can cast Identify myself.
    As for the Ocean Barbarians - yes they do call themselves that! They take pride in their fighting prowess - although they are a decent lot (they despise the Empire for sure.) Here's a true story that shows what they are like. You know that most taverns ask any armed customers to leave their weapons in a rack before entering? Well you can't get into an Ocean Barbarian pub without carrying a weapon!

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    Walker raises an eyebrow.

    "So you have been to these taverns with the Ocean Barbarians? [He directs this to Marron while giving a very slight nod to Aislinn as he hears mention of the Lizardfolk and is clearly interested in her experiences there, though still says nothing as he senses that this has been several days'-worth of talking for her]

    "I have travelled to many places, but not as far as the Crow Coast. It sounds interesting. Tell me about this weapons thing. Do fights break out often? Or is it just a show of strength in that you could be a force to be reckoned with? Or do they settle their arguments by combat? Heh, I guess it probably deters any outsiders from causing trouble! I've been to villages where they hold regular small public courts for even the most minor of grievances.

    "Truly, I witnessed one where a man was accused of deliberately spilling another man's drink into his lap during the course of the evening. In many inns that might have resulted in a bit of a brawl - or, I imagine, in the case of the Ocean Barbarians, a bit more than a simple fistfight! - but instead a note was taken by the barkeep and the next day when everyone was sober they all met up in the village hall and explained their side of the story. The man who knocked over the tankard was judged to be guilty of knocking it over, but not with malice of forethought, so was let off with the fine of buying the other man a pint that afternoon. All very amicable and no swords or fists involved! Bit weird though."
    Last edited by ping; 11 Feb 2023 at 08:56 AM.

  48. #248
    Oliphaunt
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    Saradoc answers the questions about his Carpentry. "I learnt carpentry as a trade in Nevrast, a town in Naugrimshire. I grew up there. Although the population is largely gnomes, they were quite friendly towards us hobbits.
    I enjoy all sorts of woodworking - from building a smokery, carving bows and arrows to whittling small models."

    He produces a tiny well-made Lizardman figurine. "I made friends with some Lizardmen fishermen in Naugrimshire - and even learnt their language."

    He thinks a bit, then adds "I shall keep a couple of pieces of wood from Walker's Crag and carry on whittling!"

  49. #249
    Stegodon ping's avatar
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    Curious, Walker asks,

    "Can you carve bone as well? I've met people on my travels who make fantastic and detailed carvings in bone and horn... what's it called...... scrimshaw! That's it!" [ he glances back over his shoulder to the now-increasingly-distant crag with its dragon skeleton on top] "...maybe you could make something with a small part of what we just defeated?"

  50. #250
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    Aislinn twists uneasily at the fingers of her glove as she listens to first Marron's question, then the others. It's been awhile since she's had this much company, to be honest. At least, human or Hobbit company.

    "No, I can't Identify, sir," she says to Marron, her voice tinged with regret. "I've long wished I could. It's such a useful spell." When she looks down at the glove and realizes what she's doing, she abruptly worrying it and drops both hands. But mentally she tucks Marron's ability away to be called upon later, if she can find a suitable time.

    She eyes Saradoc's figurine with interest and a somewhat surprising pang of nostalgia. He does indeed do good work. The wooden Lizardman is very finely detailed. Aislinn is quick to compliment his skill, and his ability to learn Lizardmen language. It takes a good ear and, for lack of a better word, a flexible tongue. Spending a great deal of time immersed in their culture might make it easier, but he doesn't seem to have done so.

    If she's able to speak in the language with him I'm not sure if that requires a check? she'll engage him with a simple, "Was this very long ago? When did you leave Naugrimshire?"

    To Walker's story, she casts him a sidelong glance. It sounds implausible for men to be so amiable, so unwilling to rouse their temper. Still, though she's known him but a day, the ranger doesn't seem duplicitous. Of course it could just be a tall tale, told for their amusement. But that, too, doesn't seem to be something he'd do. Walker appears quite sincere and open. Some might say almost to a fault.

    However, Aislinn likes his forthright and unguarded manner. She rubs her fingertips across her lips, hiding her slight smile at his eagerness about those bones. From anyone else it might seem ghoulish, but again, she doubts that's the case. "Taking a piece of its tailbones wouldn't lessen the effect of the skeleton," she says in support of his idea. "If Master Saradoc knows this... scrimshaw?" Aislinn looks at Walker for confirmation that she's got this word right.

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