Zap Dynamic's Tales from the Blackwood (IC)

[Zap Dynamic]

IC Thread/OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237541)

Once, a long time ago, there was a forest that was so large that not even the swiftest traveler could cross it in a single day. It was an entire realm of sentinel pines and hoary oaks, shrouded in the shadow and mystery of the trees. Rivers and lakes formed the lifeblood of many people, though many others chose to eke out their lives far from these trade lanes, living by meadow and creek and glen.

It was known as the Blackwood, and even the smallest child had heard the tales of strange deeds and magical meddling under its boughs. Those who lived within its bounds did so at their peril, huddled together in small villages and walled cities to save them from the wilds and from the darkness in the night. Those who walked out into the Wood only did so for great need or great folly, and to walk alone was to invite disaster.

Othmar the hunter knew that better than most. He had seen the strange horrors of the Wood first hand, and had survived to tell the tale. His charms and trinkets had kept him safe, and that lesson had been embedded deep in his heart. On this particular day, heavier rains had begun to dissipate into softer showers, and Othmar found himself wandering as he often did; perhaps merely following his feet, or perhaps with greater purpose than it might have appeared.

Not far away, another hunter roamed. Though he was younger, Hungry Jack had also learned of the mysteries of the forest. Where it was a source of fear and superstition for most others, this young man looked at its light-swallowing depths and saw all the potential that laid there. Here was enough space and enough intrigue that even an orphan might make a name for himself. The summer rain fell like a long sigh, and his feet had begun to stick in the soft earth beneath him as he made his way down an old forest path.

Though he had set out some days ago, he had not yet journeyed very far from New Bannon, the village where he was raised and reared. It was a modest thing, but boasted not only a wooden palisade, but a small Celebration of Unity. Such a place of worship was not often seen outside the larger cities of the Blackwood, and it always hinted at wider lands where the sun kissed grass and flower, unmolested by thicket or grove for many long leagues. New Bannon was a symbol of protection and safety for a few hundred Woodfolk, and served as a bright community in a dim, watchful world.

But it was not a welcoming home for everyone. Those who trafficked in the darkness of the Wood were accepted in some villages, but the presence of the foreign god of Unity, Mareal Turi, was strong in New Bannon, and He did not welcome the old and mysterious ways of the Wood. Starchaser had not desired neighbors in quite some time, but the village and its priest made it clear that she wasn't welcome anyway. As rain fed her garden just outside her window, the haggard, scarred woman found herself in her lonely cottage, going about the day's activities as she always did.

----

More than a day's journey to the West, the heavy rains that had visited New Bannon were just beginning to greet the city of Three Rivers. The weather had been cooler than Riverfolk were used to in the summer, and a lazy fog was beginning to recede as larger and larger drops began to pelt the surface of the city's three major waterways.

Those rivers brought food, trade goods, and more luxurious items from the Elder Kingdom as well as the Blackwood's northern reaches. Often, they also brought travelers; such was the case for an old man named Smiling Benjamin. He had arrived just two days earlier, and had spent that time wandering the streets, sampling the rustic atmosphere of the Blackwood's smallest major city.

Perhaps not far from where Ben walked the streets, another old man had been awake for hours, preparing for a lesson that never came. For all its size, Three Rivers operated with the easygoing nature of any small village, and rain was as good an omen as any for the City Guard to suspend their training for a morning. Instead of hammering away at wooden dummies or squaring off against recruits with blunted weapons, Old O'Bannon found himself with nothing to do. His cousin, Allard, had just left the previous day, and his friend Rutger had been gone since the full moon three days past.

[Trellan]

Othmar glared at the falling rain sullenly and pulled his worn leathers closer about his body. It was bad luck to be caught in a heavy rain while searching for a friend, Old Fen had told him. Unconsciously, his right hand reached under his cloak to rub the smooth surface of the wooden rain drop she had carved while telling him. To others, the small charm would be lost among the hundred others, but Othmar knew exactly where to find it, as he knew the location of all his remaining talismans. Perhaps, he reflected dismally, the lessening showers also heralded a lessening of bad luck. He could certainly use it.

New Bannon was not a locale he liked to frequent - near all of the villagers looked at him almost as suspiciously as those of his hometown - and he did not know the area well. The rumor that an old crone lived alone out in the forest nearby, however, had been too much to pass up. The shattered remains of his brother's talisman, still hanging in its pouch about his neck, drove him into the unfamiliar terrain in the vain hope that, this time, it might actually be Old Fen.

Unfortunately, it was not doing much to help him actually find the cottage. He had been wandering the forest for days with no success, and was beginning to give serious thought to enduring the disdain of the villagers in order to get some directions.

Ancestors forgive me. He muttered under his breath to no-one in particular, a habit he had developed to replace contact with the talismans he had lost to his father's fire. It was bad luck to think ill of neighbors, and all woodsfolk were neighbors in the Blackwood.

Fighting a rising wave of irritation, Othmar cast about, looking for a suitably large tree with the thought of climbing it to survey his surroundings. Might be an old woman would want a fire on a day like this, and the shower was letting up enough that there was a chance he could see the smoke.

And if not, he thought with a grimace, reaching into one of his pouches to find the sharp edges of a carved tree, there's always the village.

[sdream]

Jakob walked quietly along the deer trail, arrow nocked, looking around carefully.

Othmar, where are you hiding? It's been days and all I've found is your empty shack and your old campfires...

I need to find you, if anyone can understand my situation it would be you...

What I would give to have heard all those stories first hand, I'd know where to go next...

Gosh I'm hungry, a couple rabbits is poor haul for 3 days hunting, even distracted...

I could really use your luck with game, these rations are awful and expensive (and I don't have too many left) ...


And then he crossed paths with...

To see how well he notices whatever he meets [roll0] (awareness)
His stealth roll to avoid their notice is amusingly also [roll1]
(regardless if it is athletics (3+2) or theivery (5), assuming armor penalty applies (-1))

[Zap Dynamic]

It didn't take Othmar long to find a suitable tree. Like the poles of a great caravan tent, old grandsire trees seemed to be placed at even intervals in this section of the wood. One in particular had low-hanging branches, and seemed sturdy enough to support his weight for a good distance upward.

Meanwhile, not far away, Hungry Jack's head hung low, his hope dwindling. As luck would have it, no sooner had his eyes fallen to the earth beneath his feet than he spotted a set of footprints. Their shape made it plain that they came from a man. Further, they appeared to be the delicate, methodical tread of a hunter, weaving his way westward.

[unosarta]

Starchaser sits in her cottage, singing softly to herself, throwing various ingredients and roots into the great iron pot that hung over the fire. She had bought it from one of the smiths in New Bannon, and is said to have carried it out of the smithy with her bare hands, the iron pot that had to be as big as she was slung onto her back, barely a bead of sweat trickling down her brow.

Carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions all went into the pot, as well as some strange meat that couldn't quite be identified (nor in truth could Starchaser very well identify it). She continued singing as she tasted the soup, and threw in big huge handfuls of herbs.

They used to rumor that she would grab you up and throw you in the pot and boil you for lunch if you were bad. They would rumor that she would climb in through the window, and smell out the children who had soiled the bed, since her eyes were so bad (in truth her vision was fine, probably better than many of those same children). They continued that rumor until she cooked up a big pot of her finest stew, brought it into the town, and set up bowls for everyone. This was quite a while ago, for the children anyway, but most could remember it quite fondly. The parents kept the children back from the pot, and the children told themselves that she would steal them up. The old woman left the pot in the village for that night, and left the bowls and such. She had built a fire while none of the villagers were looking, and the pot kept boiling. When the children's parents went to sleep, they crept out of their houses, and tip-toed over to the pot. All Starchaser knew is that the pot was completely out of stew the next morning, when she came back to get it. There were sleeping children all around the pot, who had eaten their gluttonous fill and then fallen asleep right where they stood. After that the children had a tacit, if slightly terrified, respect for her and her magic pot.


The rain had never deterred Starchaser from gathering her vegetables, and she gathered up the herbs in her garden so she could dry them before the winter set in. The shack seemed to glow eerily while the light of the fire peeked fleetingly through the cracks. Starchaser glared at the glow, and it dampened visibly under her scowl. She turned back to the vegetable patch, and growled under her breath. The little mud chimney reached out of the thatch roof and the smoke from her soup twirled into the sky, reaching up through the rain and spreading as it reached higher into the sky.

[sdream]

Jakob followed the trail quickly, for the first time in days glad for the drizzle that had softened the earth.

Odd, when I talked to him after his last visit, he said he mostly hunts the other direction, I wonder what prompted him to set off this way.

Excited to finally have a lead on another person (and perhaps even who he was looking for) Jakob put aside his hunting bow and focused solely on the trail.

[JustPlayItLoud]

Having long since abandoned hope of the Town Guard showing up for training, O'Bannon resigned himself to a lazy morning, sat upon his favorite rock by the riverside, and dangled a line into the water. Still a couple hours until lunch, O'Bannon's concentration was broken by a local youth, still just a boy, who had recently been accepted into the guard, rushing noisily to the training area.

"Stop! Don't bother hurrying, you won't find them. You're lucky you picked today of all days to sleep in, they cancelled training for the day. The captain would have had your hide"

O'Bannon sets his fishing pole down, stands up, and dusts off his tunic.

"Today would have been the first day you got to actually train your swordmanship with another guard right?"

The boy nodded.

"Grab a sword, boy, and I'll show you a thing or two.

...

No, not one of those wooden dummy swords, grab the real thing. Those are children's play sticks and will only teach you to be careless.

...

Alright? Are you ready? Stand like this - move your right foot a bit, just like mine - and let's get started"



Having finished the impromptu lesson, O'Bannon returned the sword to the training rack.

"Not bad, not bad at all, boy. You're pretty good for a green recruit. Just remember to breathe like you did at the end there and you'll be a pro in no time"

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar
Though at times it seemed as though his feet would slip on the rain-slick branches, Othmar was able to climb the oak until his eyes were well above the canopy. Even with the cloud cover, the world above the trees was much brighter than the world below, and it took him a few moments for his eyes to adjust.

When they did, he saw a tail of smoke snaking its way up into the western sky, mocking the raindrops as they fell in gentle sheets. It was a fair distance away, perhaps as far as two hours if the paths turned out to be as soggy as everything else. Turning about, the sun shone down from the eastern sky, though it was far in the distance. If Othmar was any judge of weather, it might still be raining when he reached the old hag's cottage.

Jack
After several minutes of diligent tracking, Jack's trail ended abruptly at a large oak. As far as could be told, the footprints simply disappeared into the tree.

Starchaser
After making her way back into the cottage, Starchaser looked to find a fox in her home. Beyond belief, it was floating lazily near the fire, casting glances about the room with its eyes of topaz. In a moment it took notice of her, but didn't seem to mind her presence.

O'Bannon
"Thank you kindly, O'Bannon, sir!" the youth called as he left the training area. In the few hours they had spent practicing, the rain had strengthened almost a downpour, and ever so often the rumble of thunder could be heard from far off. Boy and old man both were soaked to the bone, and the boy seemed eager to seek out a fire.

In the adjacent guard house, light poured out from a window on the upper floor, revealing the silhouette of the guard captain. "O'Bannon!" he called, "Should my old mother catch you in weather like this, you'd not hear the end of her scolding!" His tone was characteristically jovail. "Get you indoors with a fire and something warm to eat, ye daft old man!"

[Trellan]

Foul mood slightly lifted by the trail of smoke in the distance, Othmar climbed down the tree, grunting with surprise at the site of the young boy staring at his tracks near the trunk.

Oi, what're ye doin' down there, lad? He called out, keeping one hand close to his sword in case the boy meant harm. It's foul weather to be out fer a stroll.

[sdream]

"Hunter Othmar, I'm Jakob from New Bannon, remember? You told me the tale of the hungry river stones when I told you my nickname, Hungry Jack... This was just last month, after you stopped by our village to trade."

Jakob shifted back and forth, and gripped the strap of his backpack nervously.

"I figured you were one'a the only who'd understand what happened to me last week. And I thought maybe you could tell me more tales that would help me find my way. I've got a gift now, and I have to use it quick to make my fortune before it's too late."

[Trellan]

Othmar's eyes squinted as he examined the lad closer. Now that he mentioned it, the face did look a bit familiar. It wasn't often that someone was interested in listening to one of Old Fen's stories, after all.

Hungry Jack, eh? Yeah, s'pose I remember ye.

Othmar slipped gracefully from the branch down to the ground to be on eye level with the youth. He didn't know whether or not it was bad luck to talk to a visitor from a tree branch, but he thought it might be.

Now, what's this about a gift? What kind? And how might me and my stories be helpin'?

[sdream]

"I was out hunting, and my feelings got the better of me, so I shot an arrow off at the setting sun. Then I heard a great scream, and when I ran to check it out my arrow was in the shoulder of a huge dark Hart... and... and then it spoke to me!"

Jakob looked intently at Othmar, wondering if the strange expression meant his tale was being disregarded as merely a fancy, but he pressed on:

"It threatened to kill me if I didn't fix it, and then it cut my hand and told me how to heal it instantly. Then it thanked me, and stabbed this here antler fragment into me, which helps me heal even better."

Jakob held up the antler fragment on it's leather thong.

"I used to think my life would be nothing but hunting. Then the magic stepped out of the woods and into my life. Your tales and talismans are all about how to stay safe around magic. I'm living a tale now, and I need a "happily ever after", not a "never seen again" kind of ending."

I hope my next adventure hurts less than the Hart.

[Trellan]

Othmar flinched back a half step when the young hunter held up the fragment, hand flashing to the pouch at his neck. After calming himself, he grimaced as if he had a bad taste in his mouth and spat to the side.

I'm thinkin' ye missed the point 'a my story, lad. Ain't no "happily ever after" with magic. Not truly. Magic is the worst kind 'a bad luck.

Old Fen had never really told him that last part, but it seemed pretty obvious to him anyway. He took a second look at the lad before him, perhaps a bit older than he had first thought, but still not yet a grown man.

Poor lad, doesn't know what's waitin' fer 'im. Maybe this one'll listen.

Might be I know a tale or two can help, but they ain't about usin' that thing, they're about choppin' it off clean; gettin' rid of it 'fore the grace the ancestors gave ye runs out.

Lore roll to see if Othmar actually knows any stories even loosely related to this kind of thing.
[roll0]

[sdream]

Jakob's stance which had become proud and excited by the end of his tale, suddenly collapsed back into uncertainty and dissappointment.

He sounds just like the old folks when they talk about HIM. They said he refused to hex his brother free of the enchanted wood because he was angry at his brother's warnings about magic. I always knew that couldn't be true, no-one would just let family go like that, but this doesn't make sense at all.

"But, but... you use magic talismans to help keep you safe! How is that different from using this to help people?"

[JustPlayItLoud]

"It's just a little rain captain. You're just trying to make an excuse for cancelling training! No matter, it appears I'm late for lunch anyhow, and I'm sure the little lady will have put some tea on by now. I'll be expecting you out bright and early tomorrow morning captain. I don't get up that early just to fish"

O'Bannon wiped the rain from his eyes, checked the training racks again, and walked inside for lunch.

[Trellan]

Ain't no magic. Othmar corrected, holding up one of his various charms to demonstrate. Just some lucky carvings made to remind me 'a the tales. Tales teach us superstitions, lad, and superstitions are important. They got more power than magic ever will. That's what keeps me safe.

[unosarta]

Starchaser entered the house, put down her herbs on the table, and looked up. A single fox, with a golden pelt and eyes that seemed to glow an unnatural color stared back at her. She stopped moving for a few moments, and they sat in utter silence, besides the stuttering of the fire. The fox floated between Starchaser and her soup, and by the gods, no one would stand between that woman and her soup.

Starchaser eyed the fox warily, shaking her stick at it. This is a spell isn't it! It's one of you damn elves! I tell you, you took my child, but it ends there. This is more than just a deal, this is some kind of sick joke. You can either tell me where my child is, or you can get out. Her voice was full of stoic rage, but her stick was visibly faltering, and beads of sweat dripped down her face. She inched towards the pot of soup, instinctively protecting her food.

The stick of course, was just part of a yew sapling that had grown when Starchaser first came to the cottage. She knew that it would have to go if she wanted to make the garden functioning, and so she spent a day and a night pulling up the tree. She was considerably exhausted upon finally heaving the roots out of the ground, and it was one of the first major accomplishments she made upon leaving the keep. She could rip out such trees quite easily now, but it was a great endeavor for her weakened and saddened state. She whittled the branches and knobs off of the sapling, and made it into a rudimentary cane, by which she could overcome the natural disinclination she had to treading over heavily forested land. The cane held some emotional value for her as well after that, a sort of proof that she could be self-sustaining, and needed no one.

The children used to talk about the stick as if it held its own great magic. If they went into the woods to watch Starchaser perform her strange and terrible acts (which were mostly just embellished tales from the children who actually went, and only saw an old woman planting in her garden), they saw her with her stick constantly. It was said that touching the staff could turn you to stone, and only the witch could turn you back. They also said that behind the cottage she had a garden of stone children that she would periodically chain to a tree and set free, only to laugh and torture them with hot irons and then turn them back to stone. Of course, the back of the cottage was mostly just trees, and the children never explained how a witch would have hot irons by which to burn said children, or where she would get chains, but such are the tales of children.

Starchaser herself simply views the staff as a token of her new life, and takes it with her everywhere because it is useful in the heavily forested areas in which she lives and also because it can help ward off attackers who think of her as some ancient and magically powerful crone. This has deterred many a bandit who came to her home.

[sdream]

Othmar's faith in superstition calmed Jakob.

I've seen THIS before, old Granny Esme called Brother John's Holy Book superstition, and he called all her horseshoes superstition. Superstition is just another word for someone else's fragments of wisdom.

"Right, and now there's this magic in my life, so I need something more powerful than magic to protect me. If I learn enough tales, I should learn enough superstition to keep me safe too. I've always been good with tales... even Sister Roganja said so."

[Trellan]

If Othmar's words calmed Jakob, Jakob's only furthered Othmar's concern. He knew well the look he was seeing on the youth's face, for he had seen it many times on his brother's as well. It was the look of someone who was hearing his words but not heeding their meaning.

The boy is listening with his hopes, not with his ears. Has no one taught him the horrors of the wood?

He thought for a moment of chastising Jakob, but caught himself before the words could spill forth.

It never worked with Morden. A small voice whispered to him. It sounded like Old Fen, but he knew it was his own regrets. Might be things would have ended different with Morden if he had been less direct. Might be this was a second chance. Maybe in time, with enough stories, the boy would see his folly. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure if he knew a way to rid him of the curse. If they could find Old Fen, maybe she would know. Or she could get him to listen, the same way she had done for Othmar.

She never got Morden to listen. The doubt didn't sound like his mentor this time, and he ignored it.

Tell you what, lad. I'm on a bit 'a an errand, looking fer... an old friend. He fingered the curving lips of a wooden mouth dangling at the edge of his jerkin as he spoke, silently begging the ancestors for forgiveness. It was bad luck to deceive someone who came to you for help. You come with me, and I'll fill your head with all the stories you could hope for. Might be we can even do something 'bout that nickname 'a yours. Game's easy enough to track after a rain like this.

[sdream]

A huge grin broke forth on Jakob's face, like he had just received a pony.

"Thank you, hunter Othmar, I sure have had poor hunting searching for you these last few days, and I'd be happy to share the road, the hunt and your search with you. Many of the tales from the Holy Book talk about the advantages of fellowship and unity.. if'n you don' mind superstitions from Cerai, I could pay you back with some stories in exchange for your own."

[Trellan]

Othmar grimaced a bit at that, although he was sure not to let Hungry Jack see it. He wasn't sure what good superstitions from Cerai would do him in the wood. The ancestors were the ones that had lived and died in the forest, toiling for the good of the future generations. Everything he needed to know could be found in their words.

Might be. He grumbled at length. But later. Saw some smoke off this way, and I'm tired 'a standin' 'round in this rain. Pull that cloak tight 'fore some troll seeps in ya' with the rain. Don't you know it's bad luck to let the rain in you?

Bad luck. Everything about this screamed bad luck to Othmar. He should leave the boy and keep moving, but something wouldn't let him. Some part of him thought Old Fen would be disappointed with that. She had taken him on, after all, bad luck as he was. He wished she was still here to guide him, to tell him how to ward off the misfortune he was bringing upon himself. His hand went again to the pouch at his neck as he led his new companion off towards the faint wisp of smoke he had seen in the distance.

I'm gonna find you some day. He vowed silently. And when I do, you're gonna tell me everything.

[sdream]

Jakob followed Othmar with a light heart (and a tightly wrapped cloak).

That's the Othmar I met before: gruff and scared, but caring company under it all. This will be great.

He followed Othmar through the dark wood, his empty belly again prompting him to watch for game now that he was no longer chasing a set of muddy footprints.


Jakob's Awareness [roll0]

[Zap Dynamic]

Old O'Bannon
It seemed like you implied that you were going back to your house for lunch, but then walked inside the guard house? I went with the latter, but let me know if you'd rather change it.
When O'Bannon made it inside, the guard captain clasped his arm and lead him to the table. They were each given hard bread hollowed out into a trencher and filled with fish stew. To judge by the rare amount of fish in the stew, it was no small wonder that O'Bannon hadn't caught anything that morning.

Lunch proceeded with the usual familiarities: news, rumors, and an impromptu contest between two guards about who's wife was lazier. At its climax, one guard leapt up onto the table with a cup in hand, spilling ale on his adversary as he proclaimed a number of intimate facts that his wife no doubt would have protested.

In time, the bustle settled down and the O'Bannon found himself and the captain with two cups of ale and nothing but the afternoon. The captain let loose with a powerful belch, then cleared his throat. "Well," he said to O'Bannon, downing the rest of his ale. "If we're to make a day of it, perhaps a tavern could provide us with finer ale. What say you, O'Bannon? The hearth of the Raven's Smile to warm our bones?"

Starchaser
For all her posturing, Starchaser only received an amused look from the fox as it rolled like a barrel through the air.

The trees, the trees, the lovely trees,
Have fallen to their knobbly knees,
And knobbly knees conceal with ease:
The Beauty in the cottage.
The fox's voice was small, like a child's, and wispy as the smoke that curled up the chimney. When it finished speaking, it alighted on the hearth and cocked its head, as if eager to gauge the woman's response.

Othmar and Jack
The going proved slow enough for the two hunters. Their skills of woodcraft helped them to avoid the gullies and natural deadfalls scattered like seed throughout the vastness of the Wood, but for all their effort they could find no game. The rain continued its slow fall, masking their scent, but no tracks could be spotted along their course.

Almost a full hour into their trek, Jack noticed a strange thing to their left. Where the rest of the wood was cloaked in shades of shades of brown, green, and dark greys, there was a section--a small clearing, perhaps?--that seemed lighter than its surroundings.

[sdream]

"Ho, Othmar... look o'er there. Is that a clearing? Maybe your friend is camped here."

Jakob stopped and took a few steps closer to the light area, trying to peer within.

[unosarta]

Starchaser lunged forward, and threw the cane onto a chair by the table. The chairs were heavy oak, and the table was a single round of a tree that was placed on the trunk of a smaller tree above which the cottage was clearly built. The furniture was in the cottage was there when Starchaser first came to the cottage.

She thrust one long, arching leg towards the fox in a backbreaking thrust, throwing all of her might into the blow. Her previously bent over back straightened, and Starchaser leaned forward, into the toes of her feet and the vicious kick.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1] the 1d6 result is halved (to 2) for a sum total of 7 damage.

Starchaser used her Massive Talent attack on this, and cannot use it for the rest of the combat.

[Trellan]

Ain't no friend 'a mine in there.

Othmar gave the unnatural light an appraising look. It was too wet for normal fire.

Ain't nothin' we should be involved with. Not in there.

[sdream]

Jakob took two steps back and turned from the light spot to Othmar.

"How can you tell? Looks friendly to me... Maybe it's a cheery cottage with some painted windows, and a friendly neighbor of your friend who can give us directions."

Or maybe it's a magic glade with an enchanted sword...

[Trellan]

How many cottages you seen could light up a whole clearing? Othmar asked, not taking his eyes off the light. Either the whole thing's ablaze, or that ain't a cottage. Might be pokin' your nose into strange lights in the wood'll get you into that story you want, but I'm wagerin' it's not the kind you're hopin' for.

[sdream]

Jakob walked back to Othmar a bit sadly.

"Well, I'd be a fool to search out your advice for 3 days and ignore it straight away. Shall I squirrel up a tree and see how far we are from that smoke you saw? If it's right over yonder, then we'll know you don't want to see the smoke at all, but if we missed it on the way here, we could do with a fresh direction."

[Trellan]

Aye, might be that's best. It can easy to get turned about in these woods, even on the best of days.

[sdream]

Jakob stripped off his mother's old heavy leather jacket and tossed it carefully over a low branch of the largest tree on the other side of the path from the strange light. Then, buckling his backpack back on, he began clambering towards the distant top.


Unencumbered Athletics to climb [roll0]
Awareness to look around [roll1]

[Zap Dynamic]

Starchaser
Only an animal could conjure such a pure expression of terror as the fox did when the old woman's intent became clear. It let loose with a piercing howl, but was abruptly cut off as all of Starchaser's fury passed down her leg and into the fox. It careened across the room and slammed into the far wall, but was dead from the moment Starchaser connected.

On the floor, still and lifeless, it looked much like any other fox, though the two topaz gems where its eyes should be indicated that it was anything but normal. The fire cracked and the rain sang its soft song, but a stillness had nevertheless fallen on the cottage.

Othmar and Jack
The tree Jack found was tall enough, though its branches were slick from the rain, and many of them snapped during his climb. It look a few minutes for him to climb to a necessary height, though he was well-rewarded when he did.

To the West, the tell-tale line of smoke rose into the sky, where it was dashed apart by the winds not far above the treeline. To judge it, another hour of decent travel would see them to their destination.

To the East, there were dry skies not far behind them. It seemed as though the fates would laugh on them; the rain might well abate itself by the time they reached the cottage.

Very near to the south, a strange phenomenon could be seen. A break in the clouds sent a sunbeam careening through rain and sky to fall upon a section of the forest. Perhaps it was because he was in the brighter world above the trees, but the beam seemed more potent than perhaps it should.

[sdream]

Jakob climbed carefully back down the tree to the shady forest floor.
Athletics [roll0]
If there's any trouble coming down, we'll deal with it as an aside before the next bit. I assume a 7 or better will definitely work safely.
"I see the smoke just an hour thataway, but also I see a mighty beam of sunshine coming through a hole in the clouds right there. If the darkness and the rain of the forest are bad luck for us, then certainly a place protected from clouds and bathed in sunlight must be good luck. Would you watch my coat while I take a look?"

[Trellan]

That ain't how luck works, lad. Othmar grumbled, spitting to the side. He wasn't used to talking of the subject aloud so much, and it tasted sour in his mouth. Bad luck surrounds us on all sides, and it ain't like to play fair. Trolls and the forest don't bother with reason that way. You look to almost be a man grown, and I ain't gonna stop you wanderin' off on some folly if it's what you want, but don't expect me to wait around too long after you get ate.

[sdream]

"I'll be careful, and I'll be right back.

Jack put an arrow on his bowstring and started walking slowly and quietly towards the light, with his bow down flat in front of him.

[unosarta]

Starchaser, realizing that the fox was not magical, and upon seeing the intense pain on the fox's face, hurried to its side, horrified of harming an innocent creature. She stroked the fox, turned it over, and checked to see if it was alive. She quickly ran to the herbs on her table, and gathered up the sage, poppy, ginseng root, soapwart, and rosemary. She gathered them, pressed them into a poultice and put it on the fox's wounded side. She set it by the fire, and slowly tried to resuscitate it.

Herbalism [roll0] to bring the fox back.

[Zap Dynamic]

Jack and Othmar
After a few moments of cautious approach, Jack found himself close enough to the sunbeam to see dry patch of forest. The light seemed to fall like crystals through the tree branches above, dappling the floor with dancing patterns. All round the sunbream the gentle shower continued, but within its light all was clear and dry.

In the center of the light sat a beautiful woman. She was dressed in exquisite white, and leaned back upon her hands as she smiled into the sun's light. Long, golden hair fell down to the forest floor in wavy tresses over pale skin, and her eyes were closed with all the contentment of a kitten. As far as Jack could tell, she seemed oblivious to his presence.

Starchaser
Try as she might, Starchaser was unable to repair the prodigious damage she had caused. The fox had died, and would sadly remain dead.

[sdream]

Jakob released his hand from the arrow and bowstring, letting both hang out of the way from one hand, and raised his free hand in greeting as he stopped a good distance from the woman in white and tried to speak softly so as not to startle her.

"Excuse me, ma'am. But my friend and I are looking for someone he knows. Can you tell us about your neighbors?"

[unosarta]

Starchaser sat by the dead fox, running her fingers through the silky fur. The poultice of herbs fell off of the fox, and landed on the dusty earth beneath Starchaser's bare toes. A single tear slid from the corner of her eye, and fell onto the fox, dampening the fur in one spot, just between the eyes. Starchaser slowly dragged her limp feet across the ground, her shoulders hunched over with guilt, and she went to the door. As she left the cottage, the rain splashed on her shoulders, and weighed down her shawl. Her hair was slick back against her face, and as she gently laid the fox near the back of her cottage, the rain slapped against its fur. The spot where her tear had landed remained darker, however, than the rest of the fox. Its gem like eyes glittered at her, and she saw reflections of herself, thousands of reflections. She saw herself from every angle, and she hated herself. She hated that she could do this to something, that she could murder with such little abandon. Was she no better than the elves who stole her child? What would she do to get her child back? Would she become like them?

She did not think about anything, however. She simply felt those emotions, those rivers of surging pain, guilt, shame, and fear, as she laid the fox down. She dug her thick fingers through the mud, raking up roots and rocks, and dug a hole with her bare hands, deep enough to fit the fox into. She picked the fox back up, used her muddy hands to lower the lids, and kissed it on the forehead, before lowering it into the hole. She covered it back up, and stood. Something was missing. This didn't feel right.

She turned to the garden, and saw the lily-of-the-valley that had been growing in the garden since she had come here. It was why she had come to this cottage and why she had chosen it. The lily-of-the-valley grew much higher than was normal for lilies-of-the-valley, up to about two thirds of Starchaser's height. She had grown and cared for the flower, even when it simply took up space in her garden. The children, when they spied on the cottage, did not notice the plant. It was tall yes, but the tiny flowers remained indistinguishable, and they instead focused on the witch herself (also ignoring the potatoes, carrots, celery, herbs, and onions in favor of the darker, unidentified plants that were not even part of her garden). The lily-of-the-valley, however, was the witch's most prized possession.

She slowly trudged over to the flower, and cut it off. The stem bled a little, and Starchaser could feel the pain of the knife in her own flesh. She had to stop herself for a few moments, but she managed to cut it all off. She slowly managed to find her way back to the small grave, and stuck the lily-of-the-valley into the soft mud, as far down as she could go. She knelt in the mud, and spoke a soft prayer into the rain and the soft darkness of the night. The lily-of-the-valley seemed to shimmer and glow, and Starchaser stood, not bothering to shake the mud off of her soaking knees, and went back into her cottage.

[JustPlayItLoud]

((Yeah, I realize now my last post wasn't especially clear. Oh welll, let's just roll with you've come up with))

"Aye, a drink will a perfect way to cap off the afternoon before heading home. To the Raven's Smile with all haste!"

O'Bannon followed the captain down the the Raven's Smile where he could always count on a fresh mug of ale and a warm spot by the fire. Spotting the barkeep, O'Bannon looked over and simply held up two fingers before moving to his usual spot by the fire.

"Well friend, while we wait for the ale, let us decide to what we are drinking today"

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar and Jack
Indulging in the sun, the woman turned to greet Jack. "Neighbors?" Her voice was like a song of mirth, and her eyes sparkled like emeralds. "You mean here? I see the rock and the tree." She let loose with a laugh that tinkled like crystal. "What do you want to know about them, you silly boy?"

Starchaser
If there's anything you'd like to explore in more detail, I encourage you to. I think we'll spend most of the weekend getting them to your place.

O'Bannon
"Hmph," the captain's feelings about celebrating the moment were clear enough. "To the Fat Berchte Investigation. Can you imagine? Our luck that there's not a Sentinel to be found when we come upon something beyond our ability."

When O'Bannon's silence lingered, the captain snorted his surprise. "Do you know? That wild woman on the outskirts of the longshore town on the Eastern banks. Folk are sayin' that they hear strange noises coming from the cottage on nights when the moon is full." He lowered his voice, leaning closer. "They don't say it as often, but sometimes they say she's a changeling grown up and returned to terrorize the citizens."

[sdream]

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I should have been more clear. We're looking for a woman who called herself 'Old Fen'. She had long white hair and liked telling stories and carving wood and..."

Jakob trailed off and looked up at the sparkling light.

"...and please forgive me if this is rude, but can you tell me why the sky is so pretty and magical here?"

Jakob looked back down to the center of the glade.

[unosarta]

Starchaser leaned back against the door of her cottage, and slumped to the ground. Her whole body was limp, her mind numb. There was a pulsating hole in her chest, and she needed to focus outward, to ignore the pain.

Her cottage was very ramshackle. She had found it like this, mostly, and hadn't the knowledge or energy to try to fix it up. There were many cracks in the windows, and the rainwater tended to seep down through the thatch roof and onto the huge table in the center of the cottage. The floors were hardpacked dirt, and vines trellised their way up the walls of the cottage. Small flowers grew in the corners, and Starchaser had never had the heart to remove them entirely.

The fireplace was the only thing she had left untouched. It was ancient, and was the only part of the cottage that had remained fully intact when she found it. She had not even touched the ash in the fireplace (though it, for some strange reason, had never become a problem; she didn't want to ask why).

The cottage was only about 9 feet by 9 feet, and just barely 8 feet high. Starchaser did not let many people inside, simply because there was no room for too many people. She could fit only about three people at the table, and the children always came in packs of five of six. She was deliciously aware of the children watching her, waiting for her to do something evil or magical. She hated to disappoint them, but there was nothing she could really do. She would sometimes cackle while gardening, but otherwise she simply kept to herself.


Starchaser sat on the ground like that for some time. The rain water couldn't quite turn the floor to mud, but it still was trying. Starchaser stood, rolling herself up out of her aching bones, and went to the soup. It was still bubbling, and looked about ready. She took it off of the fire, and got a bowl for herself when she heard a knock at the door.

[JustPlayItLoud]

After hearing the guard captain's words, O'Bannon thought for a moment. Still staring down into his ale, he spoke "I hadn't heard about it? What's being done about it currently? What exactly does this investigation entail? Surely you don't believe some old woman is some sort of changeling, do you captain? I've seen many terrifying things the world has to offer, but this close to civilization?"

[Eldest]

Smiling Benjamin woke with a jolt from the bench he had been sitting on. He made a practice of visiting the local Thieves Guild in the morning; it was when they were the most off guard and also provided a nice time to hear the latest gossip. But he had been up till all hours last night, drinking in a tavern, and he wasn't as fit as he once was. He got up from the bench, dusted himself off as best he could, and started to head into the town center. It wasn't late enough for him to tell his tales in the taverns, but he was always welcome at whatever passed as a school, both by the teacher and students, as a break from the ordinary. He walked into the schoolhouse, tipping his hat to Schoolteacher. Morning. Or has the noon passed already? I napped for a time, and the sky is clouded.

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar and Jack
The woman couldn't conceal a smirk. "Questions, questions!" she said, standing with grace unlike any Jakob had seen. "But you have your manners, and that is charming in a youth. I would hazard a guess that the sky is so beautiful here because the good sun breaks through just here. This mote of light in a gray world is like the first warrior over the wall in so many of the stories, don't you think?" She turned her gaze skyward. "I do love a warrior."

Idling around in the sunbeam as though it was her home, the woman seemed to have little regard for Jack. "As for this 'Fen,' it has been some time since I have seen her. Yours would be no short hike if you were to seek her out."

O'Bannon
"Bah," said the captain. "I know nothing of the superstitions of the Wood. Mark my words, O'Bannon, the Unified have set their eyes on the Blackwood, and they will expose all sinners to the Light of Mareal Turi, praise his name."

The captain made the holy sign of the Unified with his hands before continuing. "This 'Fat Berchte' came from the Wood just over a year ago. She settled on the outskirts as all newcomers must, but she's not tried to move closer since then. The folk of the longshore town seem to invent some new grievance to accuse her every fortnight. Why, even my cousin, a baker over at longshore, has sworn up and down that he's seen strange things going on near her cottage. And I thought him a man of sense."

The barmaid came by with two full tankards of ale. "For all I know, she might cook children into pies and play at dice with the Elves every night," the captain said, spitting onto the dirt floor to cement his distaste. "We don't have the men to spare for an investigation, and the longshore folk won't cease their rabble."

Benjamin
"Ditmar," the teacher said to a boy of no more than six years, "what was the last bell to chime? Old Grandfather is too sleepy, and seems to have forgotten how to count."

The subtlety of the gentle barb was completely lost on the youth. "12 counts, ma'am."

"Very good, and was it a short time ago, or a very long time?"

The classroom erupted as one. "Long!" a dozen small voices cried. Most were the children of the nobility of Three Rivers, and they did not lack for a healthy desire to gain footing.

The teacher, a woman who could no longer be considered young, turned to Benjamin with a look that was tender, if not outright loving. "Have you come to tell the children a story today, Benjamin?"

[sdream]

Her attitude and grace made Jakob bless the hours spent futilely trying to please sullen Sister Roganja with his manners.

"Oh please, miss, if you have seen her in the last 9 years, you're the most recent to see her we know of. My friend wishes desperately to speak with her again, do you recall where she was headed?"

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar and Jack
The woman situated herself back on her root like a queen on her throne. "Why, my dear boy," she said with her ever-present mirth, "she headed toward the trees, of course!"

[sdream]

Jakob became convinced that Othmar may have been right about this glade not being helpful. At least it was pretty to look at, although he did not feel getting too close to this strange lady would be safe.

"Well, it was very nice to speak with you, and I wish you a peaceful day in this pretty clearing. I must be off, as there is another lady nearby who may be able to give us more detailed information."

He started backing out of the clearing, bowing the way he and his friends did when playing lords and ladies.

[Eldest]

Benjamin settled into his chair and watched as the children leaned in close.
Once, there were a pair of brothers, named Peter and Jonathan Piper. For that is what they did, they traveled the roads and played their pipes for a living. One day, when they were visiting their aging father, who had taught them all they knew, he pronounced that he felt the touch of death upon him. But he was not afraid, oh no. For he had a reason for summoning his sons, and that was that in the family there was an heirloom, a pipe unlike any other, made of a giant's bone. Any who picked up the pipe could use it to produce music, pleasing to the ear. But a musician... oh, a musician could do so much more. He could make the lame stand and dance, and the blind describe a sunrise. And it was said, that once in a lifetime, nay, once in a century, it could grant a single, beautiful, wish. But there was only the one pipe, and two sons, and so the father declared he would grant it to the better player between them. Peter, the elder, smiled at that, for though they plied their trade together, he was the one who received all the complements, with his daring notes and quick beats, for his was the noticeable music. So he took the pipe (for they must play on the same instrument, or the contest was uneven) and played. He played so fast, his fingers were a blur and you couldn't hear the notes, only the music. He played a solo that should have been unmatched before and since, one that would make the carver of the pipe weep with joy. But it was flawed, you see. Because while his was the noticeable music, it lacked the counterpoints, the harmony, that he had taken for granted. And so Peter the Piper knew, as he finished his song, that the flute was lost to him. He turned it over to his brother, without a word, and went into the world, to seek him way.

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar and Jack
As he left, Hungry Jack could hear the woman chuckling softly to herself. As though stepping through a doorway, Jakob left the mote of light and warmth, and entered the shower surrounding it.

Benjamin
While most of the children listened politely through Benjamin's tale and paused in thought after, one precocious youth was determined to distance himself from his peers. "That story was stupid." He said with all the disdain of a child. "The older brother played faster, so he should have won."

Though her eyes were molten fire, the schoolteacher maintained her composure.

[sdream]

"Othmar, you were right, I found no real answers in the glade. A pretty and somewhat scary lady in there said she saw Fen long ago, but would only say Fen went "towards the trees", so she could still be the strange old lady who lives around here.

Jakob called out as he went back towards the trail where Othmar was hopefully watching his coat, ready now to follow Othmar to wherever he went next.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"So, captain, tell me. Has there been any actual evidence of anything? Sure, there are stranger things than any of us could know in the world, but this close to people? I just don't find it likely. If there's something I've learned in all this years, it's that people love to use their own fear to paint a far scarier picture than the truth"

O'Bannon leans back, nursing his ale. With his free hand, he begins to stroke his beard, thinking.

"Has anyone taken charge of any sort of investigation into the matter?"

[Eldest]

Really? So you say that it's better to play fast than to play well? Suit yourself. His eyes twinkled. He turned to the rest of the children. None the less, Peter was not the better player. And this is not the last story he is in. Where as Jonathan is never mentioned again. Who really won? Benjamin sat back, waiting for the confusion. Few adults could think enough about it to form an opinion. He hoped the children would be able to.

[Trellan]

Othmar spat to the side as he listened to the boy and handed him back his cloak.

Aye, and a good lesson for you, too. Ain't nothin' good ever come of magic. Might be you were talking to a beautiful maid, but more likely she was a troll in disguise, waitin' to gobble you up. And Ancestor's take me if she actually knows the look of Old Fen's wrinkled hide.

The hunter cast another uneasy glance back at the oddly-lit clearing and clutched the pouch around his neck tightly.

Let's be on. We got a ways to go yet.

[sdream]

As the two hunters trudged through the last miles of forest to the mysterious smoke (and hopefully well-known occupant), Hungry Jack told Othmar what he remembered of the tales the children told of the witch in the woods.

He could not remember exactly when the the witch was first reported, but it seemed like it was near the time Old Fen left Othmar's village.

On the heels of Othmar's many scary tales about bad magic, reciting the rumors left Jakob afraid to approach the small thatched cottage and it's surrounding gardens when they finally broke into it's clearing. He just looked at the older hunter and waited for him to decide how badly he wanted to know the fate of Old Fen.

[Trellan]

Othmar stared at the door for a long moment, mulling over the stories Hungry Jack had been regaling him with. If they were true, this old hag was at least half troll. But he had been looking for Old Fen a long time, and he knew that these tales were often less than the full truth. Either way, the risk was worth it.

It better be you this time, you old hag. He mumbled as he stepped forward, not caring if his young companion heard him.

The walk to the door seemed unnaturally long, but when it finally came to an end, he found himself staring at the heavy wooden door. His doubts and fears rose up again, threatening to send him running, but he fought them down and raised an unsteady hand to knock solidly upon the portal.

[unosarta]

Starchaser stared at the door for a long moment, her eyes narrowing, unsure if the universe was sending yet another cruel obstacle her way tonight. She stood on shaking feet, picked up her ancient cane, and hobbled over to the door. She was tired and covered in mud, her hair tousled and shaken out of its tie, and her eyes were shaken. The deep bags under her eyes seemed to hold a lifetime of belongings.

I suppose you are here to tell me another strange riddle? Were you with the fox, did you send that poor beast to me?

She shook her head slowly, and stared down at her feet for a long moment. The light from the fire picked out her silhouette on the dark mud of the floor under her feet, and the soup became singularly within vision. Steam and rich aroma wafted out of the pot and into the opening in the shack.

[Trellan]

Othmar's heart sank. He didn't know why. This had happened enough that the hunter had learned not to get his hopes up. Or he thought he had.

This old woman was as obviously not Old Fen as he was obviously not his brother. She looked as wild as the tales said, if not nearly as frightful. He thought for a moment of simply turning to leave, but then decided that would be rude and uncalled for. And probably bad luck, too. It was not this old hermit's fault that she was not the crone he was looking for. No words would come to him through his disappointment, however, and he stood silent for several moments struggling to think of a greeting.

I don't tell no riddles. Was all he could think to mutter. And I ain't seen no foxes today. Can't say I've ever sent one any place, neither.

His voice trailed off towards the end, feeling ridiculous and thinking again of simply fleeing.

[sdream]

The tantalizing and strangely familiar aroma that wafted from the door triggered buried associations of a time when courage was deliciously rewarded. His newly planted fear of the supernatural was plowed under by a sudden reminder that he been suppressing his trademark trait for faaar too long on this journey. Hungry Jack sidled out from where he had been hiding behind Othmar and tried to think of some polite way to invite himself to share some of whatever that was.

"We don't tell riddles Mrs. Wi...uh Woodwoman, we are but poor, hungry travelers. We could tell you stories though, if you wanted..."

Poor Othmar, looks like this isn't his friend... still maybe she has some info for him or me...

[unosarta]

Starchaser sighed, and looked back up at the two. She eyed both of them for a long moment, and then turned back into her shack, and motioned them inside. She pulled up a chair for each, and went to the cupboard to get bowls for them.

My name is Starchaser, not woodwoman. The fox... is complicated. I would rather not talk about that.

She sat the bowls on the table at the respective places, and sat down on her own chair, cane in hand.

The least I can do is offer you some food. Where are two travelers such as yourselves heading on this dreary night?

Her voice seemed strange in such a wrinkled shell; it was silky and smooth, and it could lull small creatures into such a state of defenselessness that Starchaser could easily have all of the game meat she wanted, if she wanted.

[sdream]

Jakob needed no second invitation. Whatever manners he had picked up in the classroom clearly had not transferred to the dining room. He swooped down upon the offered seat and bowl, blowing to cool the stew and sipping from the edge as he spoke.

"Much thanks, Mrs. Chaser, I'm famished. I've been searching out Hunter Othmar here for days, for his advice and aid in seeking my fortune. As it happens, he was searching for you, hoping you knew a friend of his."

[unosarta]

Starchaser started to correct the young boy, but shook her head instead. She picked up the bowl of soup in front of her, and gulped it down, as if she were drinking from a cup. She set the bowl on the table, and looked up at the boy and the old man. She turned to face the young boy, stared him right in the face, and asked him, How old are you, son?

[Trellan]

Othmar was less eager than his younger companion. He managed to recover from his disappointment quickly enough, but it was no sooner gone than it was replaced with his traditional suspicion. This woman's talk of foxes and questions were odd enough, and just because the others hadn't been witches didn't mean she wasn't. Still, it was bad luck to stand too long in a doorway.

His hand moved to a wooden cooking pot hanging from a strap tied to his belt as he took a tentative step into the cottage. The story Old Fen had told while carving it, a particularly nasty one about a young girl tricked into eating a stew of her own parents after insulting a prickly and vindictive elf, was prominent in his mind as he sat at the table. He didn't eat the soup.

Nor did he talk, choosing instead to study the old woman intently, ready to draw sword at the first hint of aggression and letting his young companion do all the talking. The man certainly seemed eager enough for it.

[sdream]

"Depends who you ask. Othmar says I am too old to be chasing tales of the Folk like a child. Brother John says I am too young to be certain what my life will hold yet. Sister Roganja says I come of age this winter and must prepare to wed. The dark hart of the wood called me a man first, then many times a boy."

Jakob laid placed his hand upon the table to show the fine silvery scar which scrawled secrets on his flesh.

"But you asked me, and I say I am all those things, but more importantly I am old enough for magic, tales, and secrets to come into my life without me searching for them. So I would rather face them prepared, and on my own terms."

[unosarta]

My child would be upon their ninth winter, this year. If the elves hadn't taken them.

Starchaser looked away for a long moment, down into her bowl of stew, searching for the answers to whatever questions ailed her. She looked back up, at Othmar.

And you? What is it you seek?

[Trellan]

Might be I'm not lookin' for anything here. Othmar grunted, unsure how to proceed without insulting the woman. Thought you was someone else, is all. Been lookin' for an old friend, but seems she ain't here. Speakin' of old... if you don't mind me sayin', how would a hermit your age come to have a child 'a nine?

[unosarta]

Not all is as it seems. The elves stole my child, and my beauty, in exchange for a certain favor.

Starchaser refilled her bowl and took another swig. She looked at the hunter's personal bowl and laughed hollowly.

I have been waiting for many years, waiting for a sign. Something that will tell me that I need to leave. A fox came to my home this eve, and told me a riddle. It mentioned trees falling to their knees to find a beauty in a cottage. I did not understand it, and I still do not, but I was convinced that the fox was some form of elf magic. I... I killed it, and only afterwards realized that it was innocent. She put her head in her hands for a minute, and tears silently streamed past her spread fingers. She regained her composure and looked back up. I know now that I can't stay here, reminded of such things. There was a time that even thinking of doing something like that to an innocent creature would horrify me beyond comprehension, but I managed to kill that poor fox without mercy.

Starchaser set her bowl aside, and put out the fire. The shack had a hushed gloom that settled over it like a shawl, finding its way into the cracks and crevasses, the small corners and undisclosed places in the cottage. Starchaser sat down at the table, the only thing illuminating the cottage was the glow of the moon that slung a shaft down onto the table around which they sat.

I need to leave here. I need to go. I will help you find your "Old Fen", I will help you find your magic, but I need to go. You will find that I have some skills that could be easily put to use.

She stood, and both of the people could see the bags she wore, which were stuffed full of her only material possessions. She gave each of them a long glance before turning to Othmar.

So?

[Trellan]

Othmar looked slowly between Starchaser and Hungry Jack, not knowing what to do. When had he become the one to make the decisions? When he awoke this morning, it was just him, as always. Now he had a young man drunk with the ambition of some magic stag and an old crone who was speaking of talking foxes and pacts with elves. This stank of magic, and he didn't know he wanted to be any part of it. He had no talismans to ward off such bad luck, and he didn't have any experience making decisions. His brother had always done that.

Might be this old crone was a witch truly, and was leading him and Jack off into the night to be eaten. Might be the boy was marked by the stag and they were being watched even now. Might be he would rejoin his brother sooner than he thought.

Morden. The thought stopped the scowl dead on his face. Might be all his other thoughts were true, yes, but might be they were wrong, too. Might be this old woman and this optimistic youth were set to go out into the woods, with or without him, to whatever fate awaited them. Might be they would die, alone and scared and screaming for help in a foggy clearing and no one would come to help them but the equally terrified shrieks of their brother...

S'pose you can come with us. We're looking for an old crone as it is, maybe havin' another one will bring us some good luck. Othmar gave a weak smile. He still didn't like this, but some part of him told him that Old Fen would have been proud of him.

[Zap Dynamic]

O'Bannon
The captain shook his head. "The only consistent reports from Fat Berchta's part of town is that people see small, shadowy figures slinking to and from the house at strange hours. No one has the belly to get close to one, much less pursue it."

The captain took another pull of ale. "I say they're welcome to dream up kobolds and witches all they'd like. Berchta's an old woman if ever there was one. Small chance that she deals in dark magic. Still, if you want to see what's going on over there, I welcome you to it. I've got a string of robberies to see to over near the docks. Some ruffians have been stealing wares from ship and warehouse alike, and no one seems to know where it's going."

Benjamin
A small silence fell on the children as they wondered at the answer to Benjamin's riddle. Before too long, a young girl raised her hand to speak. She was quiet as a mouse, and as deferential as any highborn lord could wish of his daughter. "Pardon me, sir, but I think the brother Jonathan won. He wasn't proud or selfish like his brother, and he knew how to play with others."

"No!" "Yes!" The chorus of children began to raise a tumult of voices to the issue. Each seemed to hold a different opinion, and each was eager to voice it.

"That's quite enough!" shouted the schoolteacher, clapping her hands together to quiet the din. "Benjamin, I believe you've given them quite a lesson," she said, standing and offering her hand with a warm smile. "I myself have trouble deciphering its meaning. I shall have to think on this."

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser

During the course of their conversation, the rain subsided with the setting sun, and by nightfall all was shrouded in the chill of moist night air. The clouds began to break, and the whole of the forest was covered in the silvery light of moon and stars.

[sdream]

As Othmar, Star Chaser, and he compared notes on their respective personal supernatural crises, Jakob noticed the sun getting low.

"I know we are all eager to get on the road, but it is getting dark. Even without the supernatural bad luck Othmar could tell us about, I don't think stumbling around the woods in the dark is a good idea."

...and it would be a shame to leave this big pot of delicious stew before breakfast...

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Well captain, it's certainly too late in the evening to be starting any sort of investigation tonight, and besides, I'm sure the little woman grows impatient for my return. I may just speak with this old woman myself on the morrow, perhaps after training tomorrow. That is, if there will be training tomorrow"

And with that O'Bannon sat his empty mug upon the hearth and made his way toward the door to head home.

"Good evening, captain"

[unosarta]

You may sleep in my cottage, but I am afraid I only have enough bedding for one person, unless you wish to sleep three to a bed...

She raised one eyebrow in such a delicate manner so as to imply that such a thing would most certainly not be possible.

I have no problem sleeping on the ground. You may choose to deal with the bed as you will.

There appeared to be a distinct lack of bedding anywhere in the cottage, until something that appeared to be a small alcove in the wall was alighted upon. It was covered in a thin layer of straw that looked to be not much better than the ground itself. A thin woolen blanket covered the straw, although it didn't appear to be much protection against the cold.

Starchaser grabbed her cane and used it to latch the door of the shack shut against any comers. She found a corner of the cottage that was particularly covered in flowers, vines, and other foliage, and laid down among the plants, her feet bare and curled around some wildflowers. She instantly fell asleep.

[sdream]

What a strange woman. It's odd how much safer I feel with her, despite her having killed earlier today, than with the pretty lady from earlier. I guess knowing of her for so long, and finally seeing into her secret struggles really makes me feel kin to her.

Jakob eyed the big iron pot of stew one last time before rolling his bedroll out onto the floor. Vastly warmer and more sheltered than he had been since he left New Banyon, he fell swiftly to sleep.

[Eldest]

"But I have spent enough time of your class. It's dark now. I'll be leaving town shortly. But expect me back when the leaves turn their colors. Benjamin walked out of the schoolhouse, moving towards the general store to buy some charcoal. His travel pack was running low on it, and he never liked to be out of something. It was one of Old Finn's sayings.
Benjamin started as he found himself thinking about the old man for the first time in a long, long while. Then he shook his head. Keep your mind on the present, and you won't get beaten by your surroundings. Another of Finn's principles. Except he said it better. If you look at the future, you'll get killed by the now.

[JustPlayItLoud]

Along the way home, O'Bannon let his mind wander. The murmur of the shops as people hurried to finalize deals for the day, the smells of myriad dinners being cooked and served, the cries of mothers summoning their children in for the evening, they went entirely unnoticed to him.

The last winter made something painfully clear to him. He was getting older. For the first time, the cold made his joints ache and creak in the morning. He figured an active life would keep him young, and it definitely kept him younger than others half his age, but age was sneaking up on him regardless.

And he still longed to see the open road again. It was something he had always thought he would have the opportunity to get to, but time was running out. As much as he loved home and family, he knew he would not be able to resist the lure of travel much longer.

"Maybe I'll just stop in to the general store. If I buy some rations and trail supplies, I'll stop swaying back and forth about this"

And so O'Bannon changed his route, making his way to the general store before it closed up shop for the evening. Satisfied in his newfound resolve, he confidently opened the shop door.

[Eldest]

Benjamin turned at the sound of the door squeaking open and shut, and smiled broadly. O'Bannor! When did you get into town? Mist slunk out of the backroom of the general store, where she had obviously having been waiting until Benjamin arrived before waking from her nap.
Mist is a cat that recently adopted Benjamin. A familiar, in game terms.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Smilin' Ben, you old dog! How long has it been? I've been living here in Three Rivers. About three years back we moved out here. My boy got a job working for a shipping company in span. My wife and I thought it would be a good compromise. We thought it would still be close enough for visiting him, but not so big as to drive me crazy. My old army friend Rutger's family home is here, but he likes to wander and doesn't have any other family to look after the place, so it all worked out nicely.

But enough about me! How have you been? What have you been up to? Where are you staying while you're here?"

[Eldest]

I've been staying at the Raven's Smile- you know, Kolman's place- and I've been doing odd jobs and hanging around town for... god, it's almost been a full season. Longest I've ever been in one place for years, and you've been here the whole time. Shame we only found each other now. Your boy, how old's he? He married yet? There has to be a lady in his life, there always is. At this last, Old Ben smiled crookedly, his scar making the smile wider than usual. Mist purred for attention, then (seeing that it was not forthcoming), returned to her spot in the sunlight.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"He'll be eighteen this autumn. Been working in Span for two years now. Married? Not that he's told me about, who knows what he's up to in the big city. Say, what are you up to tomorrow? I'm investigating some supposed strange happenings on the outskirts of town tomorrow. Perhaps you'd be up for a brief foray into the wild?"

[Trellan]

Othmar sat awake longer than his companions, staring uneasily at the sleeping crone and the confines of the cottage. He had no idea where to go come the morn, and no real inclination to make the choice. Should it even be his choice? The question vexed him to no end, and he found no answer in the deepening black of the cottage. After some time, he rose, wishing his talisman of the sleeping babe had not been burned in his father's fire.

Ancestors protect us. He muttered to make up for its absence as he spread out his own bedroll. Sleeping in the woman's bed didn't seem right. He cast one last uneasy glance her way before forcing his suspicious eyes to close.

[Eldest]

Going to look at strange stuff? You know me, anything that'll make a good story's ok with me.

[Zap Dynamic]

Starchaser, Othmar, and Jack

The day arrived bright and alive, as though the rains had given the birds new reason to sing. For those who huddled close together in villages and walled cities, the Wood was a dark place: full of mystery, and better left alone. Those who braved its depths knew the truth behind those feelings, but they also knew those rare moments when the Wood was pristine, unmenacing, and beautiful. By the look of things, it was going to be one of those days.

O'Bannon and Benjamin
The shopkeeper of the general store came out of the same door the cat left by, and knuckled his forehead at the two aging men. "Good evening," he said, a toothy, simple smile adorning his face. "I was about to turn in for the night, but I'll not turn away good coin."

[unosarta]

Starchaser woke before dawn, arching her back and stretching her whole body out. She ladled the soup that remained in the pot into three bowls and a small covered pot that she had sculpted herself, and set the pot down on the ground. She grabbed up the giant iron pot that had been cooling all night, and took it outside. It had to weigh something on the order of 300 pounds of iron and thick soup. Normally the soup would have fed her for a week or more, but she knew that if she were to leave the shack, she couldn't take her soup too. With a long sigh, she dumped the soup out onto the ground behind her shack, into the trees. Deer and other small wildlife licked the salt off of the ground, and sprang away when the predators came to eat the meat of the soup. Starchaser watched them like a mother her children, and stopped to scratch the ears of a wolf she had come to know. He looked up at her, whined, and then went back to the meat. She nodded, and walked away from the clearing, and back into the cottage, with the pot on her back made her look like Atlas and his globe.

[sdream]

Jakob woke slowly, staring at the unfamiliar thatching above him until he remembered where he was and why. As was his habit, every morning, he looked at the magical silvery scar on his hand to re-assure himself that he was still special and really was on a magical adventure.

Soon, though, his belly made itself known and he followed his nose to the table where three bowls of stew sat out. Chowing rapidly down on the stew, he glanced around for his companions and saw Othmar apparently still asleep, and their host mysteriously missing.

Finishing his bowl, he stood up to refill it from the huge pot of stew and stopped horrified and bewildered in his tracks...

"Why is the stew gone?"

[unosarta]

The animals can use it better than us. We must be on our way.

Starchaser sat next to her bowl and sipped the soup out of the bowl in three long gulps, before picking up the jug next to her and handing it to the boy.

These are our leftovers.

[sdream]

Jakob quickly took the jug, and then looked down sadly upon it in a way that only a hungry lad who had just lost a great wealth in delicious food can.

Hearing the sounds of Othmar beginning to stir, he addressed both his compatriots: "I thought about the rumors we all shared last night, and had some ideas about where we should go first."

"I don't think any of us wants to deal with the good Father right now, so we can start by having fresh eyes examine Old Fen's house for clues. Then we can head a little northeast to check out that cave I found, find out who or what lives there. If we we keep heading Northeast we might catch that old vagabond, and he might know who could give us some more ideas for finding our missing people."

[Trellan]

Othmar had awoken to the sounds of his companions, and ate his own soup quietly. He volunteered his own knowledge of their surroundings as well he could, but otherwise chose to keep silent. When Jakob presented his idea for how to proceed, the older hunter grunted his approval, glad that the decision had been taken out of his hands after all.

Ain't much left in Old Fen's place these days but cobwebs and dust, but might be there's something that could lead us somewhere new. Need to be careful with the group of wanderers if they're still around. I'm still thinkin' they coulda been bandits. We ain't got nothin' they'll be wantin', though, so we should be safe if we keep our wits about us. That cave, though... Othmar didn't trust caves. More oft than not, they held danger and bad luck. The young man would be drawn to it, though, he knew. Especially if it might hold magic. Well, I s'pose we'll see when we get there, eh?

[unosarta]

Yes we shall.

Starchaser rose, turned--still with the giant pot on her back--and stepped out of the cottage. She looked at the place she had called her home for the past eight years, and sighed. She grabbed the straps on her pot, turned away from the hut, and set out to Old Fen's home.

[Zap Dynamic]

Jack, Othmar, and Starchaser
Both the hunters and the old woman were familiar with their surroundings for one reason or another, and made good time after they left the cottage. As always, the Wood was shaded and pensive, but often enough the mood was lifted by rays of sunshine or a bird bursting forth into song.

They passed over several small brooks and made their way around two larger brambles, and eventually came to a deer trail crossing their path. By chance, Jack happened to spot something amidst the foliage and decay of the forest floor. Without picking it up, it was hard to discern any details, but it was clearly some sort of small, wooden carving, and seemed to be in the shape of a human.

[sdream]

Jakob swerved from the path and called out to Othmar:
"Hey, that looks just like yours!"

He stooped to pick up the wooden figure and brush it off to examine it more clearly.

[Eldest]

Ben started as the shopkeeper entered the room. [Yes, if you had a piece of charcoal lying around I'd love to take it off your hands. Or chalk, I merely require something to write with. After purchasing the charcoal and a few other odds and ends, he sets up a letting with O'Bannon and goes to the Raven's Smile for the night.
The odds and ends thing is set up for spending a fate point later, if needed.

[unosarta]

Starchaser stared at the small figure without saying anything. She stepped slightly away from the other two and watched them discuss it. She slowly fingered the hem of her cloak and looked at the figurine out of the corner of her eye.

Sense Magic: [roll0] Trying to hit 5.

[Trellan]

Oi! Othmar half grunted, half shouted in alarm as the boy quickly reached out to grab the charm, instinctively wincing back. He walked closer when there were no apparent adverse effects, but he was still wary.

Aye, might be it is like mine. He admitted with a bit of a closer look. But it's a fool's move to just reach out and grab it like that. If it really is like mine, it's got power. Superstitions are only good for you if you know how to use 'em, lad. Might be that'n is helpful, but be it's cursed. Hold it closer so I can see if it's one I know, but don't let the blasted thing touch me!

Honestly don't know if lore applies to this, but I'm rolling it anyway just so I don't hold up posting if it does.
4 + [roll0]

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser
Upon closer inspection, the wooden figurine might have been said to be "out of time." Either it was very recently placed there, or it had weathered surprisingly little in its time. At any rate, the face of the figurine was at once somber and wary, with a surprising amount of detail for its size.

As Starchaser played with the fringes of her cloak, her vision began to distort and clarify. Slowly, wisps of misty light began to rise off of the figurine in the young hunter's hand. Though they were invisible to all others, to Starchaser they were as clear as the leaves above. The wisps benignly trailed off from the figurine for a few inches before evaporating, and most of them seemed to be reaching for Othmar. Curiously, several of the wisps seemed to be reaching to the south, though nothing lay in that direction but trees and hills.

Looking around, Starchaser noticed that both of her companions emitted vague wisps as well. Jakob's wisps emanated from his hand, and formed a thin tendril that connected with the piece of horn around his neck. Othmar, on the other hand, had a wealth of the stringlike trails protruding from his satchel, and each of them seemed to be clinging tightly to his body.

As Othmar looked at the figurine in Jack's hand, a certainty beyond any doubt shook him to his very core. This was far from the place of the night mist, and yet there was no mistaking the small, wooden token. He had not gazed upon the figurine in almost nine years, and yet he saw that face every time he looked into a still forest pool.

Ben and O'Bannon
After the transaction, the shopkeeper knuckled his forehead and bid good evening to the two gentlemen.

[Trellan]

Othmar let out a wordless cry of mixed rage and fear as he recognized the small carving, and he lashed out to smash the small talisman from Jakob's hand. He almost drew his sword and fell upon the thing, ridiculous as he knew the action to be, but his hand went instead to the small pouch hanging around his neck. The leather strap dug into his skin as he ripped the thing loose, hurling it to the ground as if it was made of hot iron.

Ancestors be good, where had the thing come from? It had been taken instead of him. The only thing that could have brought it here was...

This time he did draw his blade, craning his neck in a fruitless attempt look in all directions at once as he spun in a frantic circle, trying to find something to place his back against.

Othmar was feeling lightheaded, and his breathing got increasingly ragged as he tried to suck in enough air. Was that fog he saw? Shame filled him when he realized his vision was blurring, his eyes welling with the same helpless tears that had overcome him in the foggy clearing.

Where are you?! He screamed angrily at the woods, voice cracking slightly. Show yourselves, damn you! Ancestors take your worthless hides, show yourselves!

[sdream]

When Othmar freaked out and began screaming at the forest, Jakob quietly picked the little figure back up and slipped it into his backpack.

Ok, he's clearly not thinking right now, but if this IS one of Old Fen's carvings, it might help us find her somehow.

Looking up to find Mrs. Chaser staring intently at him, he made a shushing motion to indicate they should talk about this later.

[unosarta]

Starchaser stared at the strangely overcome man for a few minutes, the magic of his bag interesting her far more than the outburst. She started to say something for a moment, and instead closed her mouth, hesitation searing her lips. She looked around, seeking the trail of wisps. The boy would calm the man down, he had shown a strange ability to empathize with others. She was far more interested in this magic.

[JustPlayItLoud]

Still mostly equipped for travel, O'Bannon elected just to buy a weeks' worth of trail rations, then bid Ben a good night.

"I shall meet you on the morrow. Say, outside the Raven's Smile?"

O'Bannon walked back home, greeted his wife, and sat down for a cup of tea before bedtime. They talked for a time, discussing his plans for the next day.

The next morning O'Bannon packed up his adventuring gear, strapped on his sword, and walked down to the Raven's Smile to wait for Ben.

[sdream]

"Othmar, this is a fortunate sign! Just hours after we start searching together we find a clue you missed for many years. You are not lost and alone anymore."

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser
Until that moment, the Wood had seemed alive and hopeful for each member of the party. Though the sun still shined through the branches, birds still sang, and the sound of wind eased its way through the air, the Wood had taken on a different mood. Where it had been carefree, now it seemed almost to mock Othmar as he cast about, brandishing a sword at phantoms.

Many long moments passed, and in time to became clear that nothing was going to come upon the adventurers, unawares or otherwise.

To Starchaser's eyes, the wisps of misty light coming off of the wooden carving were only a few inches long at most, and they all but disappeared when Jack placed the trinket into his sack. These trinkets--no matter how mundane their origins--seemed to possess a kind of small, benign magic, and some seemed eager to gather greater strength.

Ben and O'Bannon
The rain that had begun the day before was in full swing by the time O'Bannon made his way to the Raven's Smile. Thunder clapped intermittently, and it seemed as though it would be a long, wet day.

The locals of Three Rivers had come to know O'Bannon as a kind man, if a little stern from time-to-time. They knew how closely he worked with the Town Guard, and most folk thought little of seeing him walk the streets armed and armored. Standing under the eaves of the Raven's Smile, watching the rain come down, those few townfolk who weren't concerned with spending as little time in the rain as possible offered a friendly wave to the old soldier.

His thoughts turned to the path that would lead him to Lakeshore town, and in truth he knew of two paths. The first would lead him down the Wares Road to the harbor, where he could hire a ferryman to take them across the Way to Longshore town. This was the shorter, faster path, but it would cost a few silvers. The other, longer, cheaper path would be to strike out to the southern part of town. This area was where most folk of Three Rivers proper called home, and a large bridge spanned the Way's impressive width. Here, the Way narrowed to only a couple hundred feet, and it was the only suitable site for a bridge for some miles. The bridge was always heavily trafficked, and could add an hour or two to their journey.

[Eldest]

Ben walked out of the Raven's Smile pulling on his cloak and backpack. So, where are we going?

[unosarta]

Starchaser turned to the hunter, and with a strange intensity in her eyes pointed to the south, in the direction that the wisps had been travelling.

What is over there?

Her fingers were strangely still, holding the motion with a grace and flexibility unknown in a woman that appeared to be her age.

[Trellan]

Othmar was deaf to his companions at first, but when no trolls or elves leaped from the woods to attack, he gradually loosened his grip on the blade in his hand and let it fall to his side. The heel of his other hand came up to rub at his wet eyes in a manner that could only by described as childlike before his shoulders squared and he regained the posture of a hardened hunter. His sword scraped harshly against its scabbard as it was re-sheathed, and he turned a flat, dull gaze to Starchaser.

Ain't nothin special comes to mind. He answered before moving on to snatch his pouch from the ground where he had flung it. He opened it to check the contents and spoke again without looking up. I'll be havin' that talisman now, lad. It ain't good luck that brought it here, and I'm thinkin' might be it was left for a reason. Either way, it was meant for me, and you won't be wantin' the kind 'a luck it brings.

There was a short pause as he drew the drawstrings on the pouch close once more and looked up to meet Jakob's eyes. And I'm sorry for strikin' you. Was the talisman I meant to hit, not you. I'll catch us a rabbit or some such later to make it up to you, or you can have my share 'a the leftovers if you want.

[sdream]

Jakob fished the wooden trinket back out of his pack.

"We're fine. It's your trinket, but it's also our first progress as a group to finding the answers we seek. Don't get rid of it without telling us why, OK?"

He shades his eyes and peers south, wondering what Mrs. Chaser had seen.

[unosarta]

Starchaser ignored the two, her eyes peering off into the distance, trying to make out any distinct features or signs of life in that distance.

Come.

She set off into the wilderness out in the direction that the tendrils had been going, stopping every twenty or thirty seconds to get a bearing on where she was and where they were going.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"The old woman lives on the edge of Longshore. We can either spend a few silvers to take the ferry, but it's early enough that we could save a bit of coin by heading across the bridge down south. It'll add an hour or two, but I certainly wouldn't mind a nice walk through the city. What say you?"

[Eldest]

I could use the air. A walk it is. They strolled through the city, smelling the hints of spices and baking bread, even through the rain.
Gonna leave the rest up to Zap.

[sdream]

Jakob raised his eyebrow at Othmar, then shrugged and followed Starchaser as she headed south.

Unsure of what was going on, he did string an arrow in his bow.

[Trellan]

Othmar returned the shrug and trudged along as well, hand on his sword hilt and still untrusting of the forest around him.

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser
The old crone walked for some time through the forest, eyes in search of a nameless sign. The sun was warming the morning air. Though it was not too far past dawn, sweat had already begun to bead their foreheads. It was to be a bright, summer day above the trees, though the leafen roof above their heads would provide some measure of respite.

As they walked, the three companions each remembered the small lake that lay in this direction. It was a natural basin not far from the ridgeline to the West, and the surrounding evergreens made its surface quiet and still. It was well-stocked with fish, and bears and small wildlife had been known to frequent its shores.

They noticed the light from the break in the trees long before they came to the lake itself, and when they did they saw mist spread over the water's surface, retreating rapidly from the sun. From their position, a stream fed the lake just to the East, and the lake disappeared behind a jut of land and trees about a half hours' walk to the West. It continued West for another two hours' walk, where it fell lightly over the ridgeline.

Having reached a seeming end to their jaunt, Starchaser looked around. After a few moments, she noticed that what few wisps managed to stretch their way out of Othmar's bag seemed to be straining towards the water.

Ben and O'Bannon
Village Road terminated with Wares Road not far from the Raven’s Smile. The buildings along the Village Road grew thinner as it went off to the South, gradually getting nearer to the Way. Just before the buildings thinned out into uncultivated land, the two old men arrived in Threeriver Village. Local tales said that Three Rivers began in this settlement, and when trade began to boom, the people of Threeriver Village didn’t want their idyllic home to be swept up in the progess. All trade was rerouted to the confluence of the Iron, Heightwash, and the Way, and the Village Road formed a vital link between the two settlements. In time, a steady amount of traffic grew along the road, primarily because of the stout, stone bridge that spanned the Way at that nearby.

The Village was a quaint place, home to mostly farmers and fishers. Folk upriver and down attested that it was the heart of Three Rivers’ easy atmosphere, and the folk of Threerivers were proud of such a heritage. Continued down the road, the two old men saw a market occupying the village center, where farmers, hunters, and fishers alike have gathered to buy and sell their goods. One woman cried fresh kegs of ale, an old man was selling mended knives and tools, and a fat woman was proud to call her bread the best to found on the banks of the Heightwash.

It was a crowded spot, with what seemed like most of the villages 200 inhabitants in attendance, as well as the steady traffic to and from the bridge. Just ahead of the two, a young man with a foxy face narrowly avoided a collision with a mother, her children in tow. He danced to one side, nodded an apology, and disappeared back into the crowd. The woman stopped at a nearby cheesemonger's stall, and seemed to be missing her coin purse.

At the center of Threeriver Village was the famous Driftwood Tree. Most every city and village in the Blackwood had a tree at its center, in reverence to the Tree of Silver Heart, a legendary tree that sat in the Great Courtyard of the Elder Gate in the Elder Kingdom. Most of these were trees in truth, though some villages had birches, others had willows, and still others evergreens or any other kind of tree.

There were many squares with many trees in Three Rivers and its outlying villages, but the one that was considered the official tree of them all was the Driftwood Tree of Threeriver Village. It had been hobbled together over the years, with many bleached pieces of driftwood culled up from the depths of the Way and artfully stacked to look almost indistinguishable from a hoary old oak. The Venerable Father, a teahouse on the town square, owed its name and its popularity to the Driftwood Tree.

[unosarta]

Starchaser knelt at the lake, and set down her pot. She tentatively touched the lake, looking for any impurities or strangeness in the water and the bed. She scooped up a gallon or so of the lake water into her pot, and set about studying it.

The pot was covered in discolored areas, places with the multi-colored sheen of high heat, and it shown in the light of the noon sun. The handles of the pot were dense iron, flowing from the lip of the pot and back in, some six inches long. The bottom of the pot was perfectly round, and nestled into the undergrowth near the lake when she set it down.

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser
Moments dragged on as Starchaser consulted the water within the pot. To the men hovering nearby, she must have looked half mad, silently pursuing what turned out to be a lake simply so she could stare at the water.

In the end, the old woman didn't notice anything strange about the water, though the trinkets Othmar carried had seemed to react to its presence with anticipation.

Ben and O'Bannon
The rain hadn't let up its pace, and the two old men decided not to stop and join the marketers in their wet folly. They pressed on through the crowd, making their way against traffic toward the bridge.

The bridge was situated at the mouth of Threeriver Village, and it's stone path made an impressive span--almost two hundred feet--to the other side of the Way. It was full of the morning's traffic, though the rain prevented all but the most diehard to turn out for market day.

Benjamin and O'Bannon managed to cross the bridge in less time than they had hoped, and doubled back North to reach the town of Longwater. One of the newest settlements to spring up around Three Rivers, Longwater's town tree was a young willow. For all its girth, the willow only reached a dozen feet into the air, and its tightly-bunched foliage made it look more like a great, huge bush than a tree.

Unlike the people of Threeriver Village, the folk of Longwater were holed up tight in their homes on such a morning. Light and sound poured from the tavern nearby, and its sign proclaimed it to be The Hairy Shank. The two old men looked about, and decided to go inside when they realized they had no idea where Fat Berchta's cottage stood. Longwater stretched for almost a mile along the Way; it had a lot of "outskirt."

In The Hairy Shank, several of the men and women of Longwater ate and drank, alone or in groups. An aging, matronly woman produced plates of fresh bread and bowls of fishy stew from the kitchen while a lithe young woman poured ale. Though a few people took note, no one seemed especially impressed by the two old men, one armored and girt with a sword as he was.

[sdream]

"Are we making more stew?"

[unosarta]

Starchaser stared at him blankly, not understanding for a few moments. A few locks of hair had fallen over her face on the trail to the lake, and she curled them around her ear and wiped sweat off of her forehead. She sighed and reached out her hand.

Can I see that statue? The one that you found?

[Trellan]

Othmar's hand closed hesitantly on the pouch at his neck. He still didn't know how much to trust the old woman, and this looked dangerously close to a ritual.

It's like I told the lad, this ain't the kind 'a luck you'll be wanting. What do you need the cursed thing for, anyway?

[Eldest]

Ben walked into the The Hairy Shank, looked around and smiled as a few people recognized him. He'd only been in the place twice recently, although the barfight that sprung up as a result of his last visit was memorable enough. The barman remembered him fondly, though, which was a blessing. He at least realized that it wasn't Ben's fault that people objected to The Tale of Three Queens. Ben walked up to the bar, exchanged a few pleasantries, and slipped in a question. "I've heard somebody around here knows the whole of The Farmer and the Cloud. By the name of Fat Berchta. Know where she is?
This is spoken so only the barkeep hears.

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser

[[I'm going to give you guys a little more time. I like where this is going.]]

Ben and O'Bannon
The barkeep's demeanor flickered from jovial to ominous for an instant. "Oh, is that so? Most folks around here wouldn't give her the time of day to know such things, but perhaps she does know it." The young man spit into his hands and rubbed them together, a gesture of determination to resist evil spirits. "Hers is the hut down along Firstwood Way. Head out beyond the wall, and keep an eye out to the left side of the road. It's a sagging, old thing, but smoke is usually coming from the chimney."

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Many thanks for the information. Ben, care to stop for a quick ale before we continue?"

[unosarta]

Just a little... poking around. Trust me, I want it no more than you. I just need it for a minute.

She kept her arm outstretched, the look in her eyes expectant, as if she had never wanted for someone refusing a request of hers.

[Eldest]

You can if you wish. I'd prefer to have my mind clear when I hear the story.

[sdream]

"What's the pot for? I don't think wooden carvings make very good stew. Is there something special about this lake you led us to?"

[Zap Dynamic]

Othmar, Jack, and Starchaser
In the midst of their talking, Starchaser grew suddenly still, perking an ear up in no direction in particular. The rustling of wings through the trees was unmistakable.

Within moments, all three were alert as a King Pheasant broke the treeline a few hundred feet to the East. One of the largest birds of the Blackwood, it soared out over the water, its sapphire-blue head trailing back into large, orange wings, culminating in a majestic, three-foot long tail of green and purple feathers. The King Pheasant was one of the most garish animals of the Blackwood. To "strut like a King Pheasant" was a phrase each of the three had heard at one time or another, though none of them had understood before this first glimpse.

"Be wary," Othmar heard the voice of Old Fen through more than 10 years of memory. "The King Pheasant is regal, true, but he gained such beauty from the elves. The sight of one is certain sign of elves nearby, boy."

Ben and O'Bannon
The barkeep eyed the old swordsman. "Ale flows freely for friends of Smiling Benjamin, though I don't believe we've seen your face in The Hairy Shank." The barkeep held up his hand in a gesture of welcome and flashed a wry grin. "I'm Rolf. Who might you be?"

[unosarta]

Starchaser immediately backed away from the bird, looking for any signs of disturbance nearby. She stared at the King Pheasant, and readied her fists against any incoming attacks.

[sdream]

"I've never seen a King Pheasant before! No disguise would let a troll fly, Othmar, that must be a real bird."

[JustPlayItLoud]

"The name's O'Bannon" he spoke as he returned the handshake. "I'm a retired soldier, but now I live in Three Rivers. I've run into Ben a few times on the road. It's a pleasure to meet you. We've come because there are rumors in Three Rivers of strange happenings at Berchta's cottage. I seriously doubt there's anything amiss, but it will be nice to stop the town guardsmen twittering like schoolchildren. Is there anything else you might be able to tell us about her?"

[Eldest]

Speak for yourself. I actually did hear a rumor she knows the whole of that story. Other rumors include her being purple, a man, able to call a dragon of fire, and having 17 daughters, each more beautiful than the last (no matter what order you put them in) but they all have a space for a soul and cobwebs for a heart.

[Trellan]

Aye, it's real. Othmar agreed, his continued protests against Starchaser dying in his throat as he knocked an arrow and glanced uneasily around. Real as the elves it'll have with it. Ever heard the sayin' 'Where kings soar, elves ride'? Sayin's don't come from nowhere lad. They might not have power like superstitions, but they got truth, and that's just the same. Watch yourself for trickery now.

Awareness for our surroundings. Othmar is especially focusing on the back of the bird, so I'll make a second roll for that just in case it is necessary. If not, just use the first roll.
2 + [roll0]
2 + [roll1]

[sdream]

"Elves! Even better, we need to ask some elves where Starchaser's kid wound up. They were true to their word with her before, any reason to think they would stop now?"

Jakob looks around for elves and calls out:
"Hello, fair folk, we've come to trade!"


Awareness 4 + [roll0]
Negotiation Lore 2 + [roll1]

Oops, Lore is untrained, so that shouldn't explode, but still 8 with my raw Mage. (Weird there is no negotiation skill)

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
Every village child was taught certain things by their parents. "Respect your elders." "Protect the Village." "Calling on an Elf is dangerous work." By the time children were grown, they had accumulated a long list of rules to help them survive in the Blackwood.

Though the village of New Bannon had tried its best, certain maxims had apparently fallen through the cracks during Jakob's upbringing. No sooner had the words left the impetuous young man's lips than the King Pheasant in the distance let out a long, gaudy cry. Birds seemed to quiet in the branches towering over their heads, and the base creatures of the earth seemed to slow their scurrying around the tangled roots of the trees. Even the lake--which was already all but untouched by the wind--seemed to grow still.

"Don't you know it's ill luck, to call on the Elves?" a voice rang out from behind the trio. It came from a young woman leaning against a tree, her hands folded beneath her apron. Hair like a chestnut spilled out from under her bonnet, and two eyes as blue as a clear sky twinkled at the three companions.

Team Fogey
"I suppose you've never seen Fat Berchta, then," Rolf laughed, producing two mugs of ale. "It's no rumor that she's a man. One of the ugliest old hags I ever saw, to tell it true."

The barkeep leaned against the kegs at his back, and eyed O'Bannon with benign suspicion. "I've heard a lot of rumors flying about that she's dealing with elves, or spirits, or demons. Could be true. I've seen the light she keeps burning at all hours of the night, though I've never heard the whispers everyone else seems to. You'd have to get awful close for that sort of thing."

[sdream]

"It seems ill luck abounds round here,"
"but much to our fear, stranger dear,"
"when only elves know she we seek,"
"then it is to elves we need speak."


Jakob spreads his empty hands.
"I come in peace, to trade true magic stories."

[unosarta]

Starchaser stepped even further back from the woman, undecided as to whether she should attack or question this woman. She didn't want another senseless death, like the poor fox, but the elves had done this to her, and stolen her child. She looked from the woman, to her companions, back to the woman, and slowly lowered her fists to her sides.

[Trellan]

Quiet, you damned fool! Othmar hissed, too late.

He recoiled as the elf appeared from the woods, thinking for a moment of fleeing. The lake was to his back, however, and he found himself with nowhere to go. Loosing an arrow at the elf would be as foolish as talking to her, he knew, but the arrow stayed nocked on his bow regardless. It kept him from closing his hand around the pouch with the two figurines as he so desperately wanted to, but he couldn't risk putting it away.

Ancestors save us. He whispered quietly, glaring at the elf with a mix of fear and anger smoldering in his eyes.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Awful close is exactly how close I intend to get. I'm sure she's just some harmless old woman, and I intend to lay all the rumors to rest, be it by proving or disproving them. Thanks for your assistance. Ben, you ready to head out?"

[Eldest]

Sure. Keep that ale ready, for later.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
The young woman laughed with delight at Jack's rhyme. "Stories are wonderful!" She clapped her hands and stood from the tree, twirling in a girlish circle. The details were lost on Othmar and Starchaser, old and weary as they were, but to Jack's eyes no amount of dirt or grime could hide the girl's loveliness. Even that strange mark on her back--Jack couldn't tell if it was earth or wood, she spun so quickly--seemed somehow inherent to how comely she was.

"It's so lonely out here," the girl said, sweeping a hand at the horizon, "and I've been away so long. Won't you entertain me with these stories, sir...?" The young woman sat herself on a log, ankles crossed like a lady.


Team Fogey
The barkeep smiled his protestations, but the two old men set out in the rain in the end. They traveled down wet, lonely streets for a few moments, before finding the road that would take them east, out of the city and to the cottage of Fat Berchta. On their way, they noticed an abandoned shop on the south side of the road. A downcast sign lay in the mud near the door, proclaiming that the ruin was once a Bakery. Most of the bakeries in Three Rivers were to be found in Northshore Town, where all the city's fields were sown. This far to the East, a Bakery should have been a profitable business.

Following Rolf's directions, the two old men came within sight of the cottage in short time. Though it was still noon, they had traveled far enough under the eaves of the Blackwood that all was shaded in twilight. The rainy light of the village could still be seen, but it was hundreds of feet off. The cottage was as Rolf had described: the roof limp and sagging as the fattest lord, the walls like servants struggling to keep their lord aloft. A dim light came from within, and a thin trail of smoke--gray as that afternoon--curled into the limbs of the trees above.

[sdream]

"There are two stories we have to share. Like all true stories they go back a great deal before we know and go on a great deal farther even than that."

Jakob smiles at the girl as he gestures with his hands showing the vast sweep of past and future that has always made the little sparks of every story seem more precious and fragile to him.

"What we know of the first story is only a small bit some nine years ago, but it's an interesting bit, with love that turns to hate, and life that leads to death, and a baby that leaves with an elf. We're hoping you know some more of that story, because if you can help us find truths that lead to the baby, even boring truths, I'll tell you another story that just happened this week, a story of a blind fool bringing low the mighty and welcome rewards of blood and pain."


"Does that sound like a fair deal?"

[unosarta]

Starchaser stared at the boy for a horrified moment, and thought of running off into the forest. She turned to look into the thick, dark, and uncompromising underbrush, and she knew that if the elf wanted to, it could find and kill her at this distance.

She edged forward to Othmar, to try to get some bearing.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
The girl furrowed her brow playfully. "Oh, you tease me! Such a handsome boy, and all you want to do is trade stories like a maiden." The girl shifted her seat on the tree's root, making room for Jack in the process. "My demands are that you must sit before you may tell me any stories, and you must kiss my hand before you may sit." The lordly tone she used could only have come from games as a child, it was so playful.

Team Fogey
Before they came within a few yards of the house, the front door swung open and Fat Berchta revealed herself. She was aptly named. She was a short, wide, pile of an old woman. Her eyes peeped out through wrinkly crevices, and stark white hair could be seen beneath her bonnet. "What's this now?" she demanded, holding a long, heavy, iron spoon. "What thieves come from such weather to pillage a poor old woman?"

[sdream]

"I'm not quite willing to throw myself into the arms of the mysterious and beautiful stranger who appeared the moment I called out for elves."

"If you're not ready to listen to stories just yet, and I'm not ready to snuggle just yet, let's talk a minute and sort this out."

"I just explained some of my concerns, do you want to explain how a span of moments turned please entertain me into kiss my hand before you may entertain me?"

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
The young woman grew quiet and still as a stone. In a moment, her eyes had filled with tears, but her exact emotion was hard to gauge.

"What do you mean?" Was it sadness? Or anger?

[sdream]

"As you said, it is ill luck to call on elves, because although elves are beautiful, they have great power and they often hurt people with it."

"And here you are, right after I called on elves, and you are beautiful... so I am afraid you have great power, and you may hurt me, even without meaning to. This is why I will not sit next to you or kiss your hand until I know you much better."

[Zap Dynamic]

For the briefest of moments, the girl processed what Jack had said. After that, everything happened at once. She stood, and her tears snapped from sorrow to rage. "Don't call me an elf!" she cried, with such fervor as to give the stoutest warrior pause. She took a wide, bracing step forward and wound up for what promised to be a fierce blow.

While the other two stood, frozen for a moment by the reality of the situation, Othmar noticed a violent twitching underneath the young woman's skirts. As she rose, he noticed a flash of orange fur near her ankles. As she reared back, his position exposed the hollow, wooden back of the young woman. As she stepped forward, Othmar had just enough time to act before her terrible strike hit home.

[Eldest]

Not thieves, merely travelers. I am a wandering storyteller, interested in whatever tales you know. He has his own business being here.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"I assure you ma'am, we mean no harm or ill will. There have been rumors of strange happenings in the area, and I've just grown curious in my old age", O'Bannon spoke softly, trying not to eye his surroundings too suspiciously "I am O'Bannon, my lady, and I was wondering if perhaps you had seen anything out of sorts in the area"

[Trellan]

Damn fool of a boy. Othmar grunted, raising his bow and loosing before he could give himself time to dwell on how suicidal the action was.

Attack roll: 6 + [roll0]
Damage roll: 2 + [roll1]

[sdream]

With a thunk like hitting wood, Othmar's arrow comes to rest in the back of the strange girl. She pays it no mind, her fist blurring past Jakob's waving arms and protestations alike and slamming into his breastbone with killing force...

Except that it makes no noise at all.

The slim boy looks down with shock, to see her fist stopped just an inch from his heart by antler charm pouch, dangling from his neck. The pouch is fading back to it's normal color, from the brilliant red light it flashed when it caught the full impact of her blow.

He steps back away from her, pulling out his bow and arrow with shaking hands, and with a voice equally unsteady begs her:

"Please don't do this. Killing me just means you'll never hear my stories."


No worries, that's what fate points are for! I thought of a way to negate her attack in story without messing with anything. (how often will foes hit me right in the necklace... exactly as often as I spend Fate points).

I would say her response was insane... except that your story about hollowbacks was pretty much the same. A very unpredictable people.

Jakob -
9 hp
10 defense
4 fate
4 mp (8 tool)

Bow +7 (d6+2)

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
The old woman eyed the two of them for a long moment. "Tis ill luck," she said, "to bid strangers enter your home." Her tone brooked no argument, and for a moment it seemed as though Ben and O'Bannon had made the trip in vain. "But I suppose 'tis worse luck to be stuck in such dreary weather as this. Best you'd come inside and warm yourselves."

The inside of Berchta's hut seemed smaller than the outside. There was room enough for a small bed, and fire pit, and a cupboard, and two crates served as chairs on either side of a narrow table. There was room for precious little else in the hut, though the hut was so full of crates and sacks of rough cloth that there was only a handful of narrow pathways along which one could walk. As if she had guessed where their eyes were wandering, Berchta threw a remark over her ample shoulder as she made her way to the fire. "I never knew all the trappings I'd gained until I had to put a roof over them. In the Wood there's room to stretch."

Ben and O'Bannon could hear the ripping of bread, and saw Berchta ladle some kind of stew into a hollowed-out, stale loaf. She produced a wooden spoon from a pile of utensils and began to eat. It was clear that she wouldn't be offering any to her guests.

"Elves," the word was mockery coming from her hoarse voice. "Why do two old men trek all the way to my door--in the driving rain, mind you--just to ask about elves?"

[JustPlayItLoud]

"I suppose I've developed a bit of curiosity along with my wanderlust in my old age. When the body finally comes to rest, the mind is left to wonder", O'Bannon looked around the little hovel. Though it was certainly unwelcoming, it was no less hospitable than the average barracks hall. "A sense of pragmatism, too, I think. So much talk of strange sounds, strange sights, and tales of strange happenings yet not one person has thought to simply come inquire. I don't mean to accuse of course, and I don't mean to pry too much. If you truly have no desire to speak of it and no desire for visitors to come calling, then we'll most certainly leave with all haste. But I would be much obliged if you'd indulge old mens' curiosity for just a little while"

[Eldest]

And I was quite serious when I said I was searching out a story. Have you one to tell, I would be a happier man.

[unosarta]

Starchaser rushed forward, her hands clenching into fists as her feet pounded on the sandy earth.

As she drew close to the elf, Starchaser saw Jack standing in front of the elf, and her stride grew uncertain. Why isn't he backing away? That thing tried to kill him, she thought to herself. She hesitated before skidding to a halt just behind Jack.

She stared at the pair in front of her, her eyes agog at the calmness with which Jack was able to stand. She turned to look at Othmar again, and saw his arrow, sticking out of the elf's back.

Wha- what the hell is going on here?

Starchaser's voice wavered and she kept glancing between Jack and the elf.

[Trellan]

Othmar knocked another arrow and drew the string taut, but did not release the projectile. Instead, he held his bow aimed at the strange creature, waiting to see how it would react to Jack's plea.

The boy should be dead. What just happened? The thought was harrying at his mind, but he pushed it away. The middle of a fight wasn't the time to be thinking of such things. They could sort it out later... if any of them yet drew breath.

Othmar's vitals:
HP: 10
Mana: 4
Fate Points: 5
Defense: 10
Weapon: Longbow, +6, 1d6+2

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
Her last blow displayed the Hollowback's power, but her next was an example of true grace. The girl stomped her foot, growled with disgust, and dropped to the ground, her skirt flying out in a wide arc. Her leg swept Jakob's feet from under him and he tumbled to the ground. As he fell, the Hollowback turned on her heels, rose, and sprinted into the trees, alight with rage.

Jakob sat on the ground, bruised but none the worse for wear.

The hollowback strikes and immediately flees combat. Starchaser can't move quickly enough to catch her, but Othmar could make an attack against her. I'll even allow Jake to make an attack with his full bonus. I'm interested to see how you would describe such a shot.


Team Fogey
Fat Berchta cast a suspicious glance at the two of them. "So you heard I know The Farmer and the Cloud, eh?" She said, spitting what could have been a chunk of bone into the fire. "Well I do, and there's nothing to know. Farmer must dance with a cloud to sow his seed. The cloud turns into a beautiful maiden. They fall in love. Happily ever after." Fat Berchta coughed up a laugh. "'Tis an awful story, son. I'll not tell it."

She slurped the last out of her bowl and set it on the hearth. "As for elves," she said, cocking her head at O'Bannon. "These old ears have heard those tales, as well. Cackles from the cottage in the dead of night. Shadows slipping through the darkened streets, their gait set toward my door." Her voice was rising higher, heavy with disdain. "She deals with elves and sleeps with spirits, aye. I know those stories. A lot of riverfolk foolery, they are."

A thick arm waves around the cottage. "Where would the elves have room to stand? I s'pose the spirits would alight on the boxes, would they?" Looking up at the two men, Berchta rolled her eyes. "Hogwash. And if that's all you came to shout at me, I'll thank you to be on your way."

[Trellan]

Othmar grimaced as he saw the elf dart forward with her attack, and immediately loosed the arrow he had been holding at the ready.

Attack roll: 6 + [roll0]
Damage roll: 2 + [roll1]

Othmar's vitals:
HP: 10
Mana: 4
Fate Points: 5
Defense: 10
Weapon: Longbow, +6, 1d6+2

[sdream]

Jakob had no chance to draw and fire before the mysterious girl blurred into graceful sweeping motion.

Afterward he was preoccupied with the strange, seemingly slow whirl of ground and sky rotating about their usual positions to rest sideways, as he came to the stunned realization that she had kicked him hard enough to spin him almost completely around.

A harsh buzzing sound ended with the fletchings of Othmar's arrow barely sticking up from the dirt a few feet from his head, as the mysterious girl ran off with incredible speed, vacating the space it had been sent.

His arrow still on the string in his upright arm, Jakob realized he had an excellent shot at the mysterious girl's back as she ran straight away from him.

Grateful to no longer be in a fight for his life, he let her go without further attack, choosing instead to climb to his feet and flex his sore ankle.

He called out to her rapidly dwindling, strange wooden back:
"It was nice meeting you! My offer to trade stories still stands, if you decide you want to play nicely, later."

[unosarta]

I... what...

Starchaser stood above Jakob, not sure if she wanted to sprint after the strange, wood-for-back elf, or stay and help him. As the form raced slowly out of her sight, she sighed and knelt down, checking his feet and legs for any fractures and cuts.

Her face was visibly worn, and the wrinkles that amply draped themselves upon her brow were lathered with sweat. The physical exertion had been less than negligible, but the thought of seeing an elf again, at least after her last encounter, terrified her to no end, and her hands visibly shook as she checked Jakob's legs.

[Trellan]

Othmar kept his bow out as he walked cautiously towards Jack, scanning the treeline for any signs of the elf's return. Satisfied that the immediate threat was passed, he grunted and reached down to retrieve his spent arrow from the dirt.

And that, lad, is why we don't call on elves. Ain't no good ever come of it. Speakin'a which... what kind of trickery was it that kept you alive back there? Thought you said that thing only healed ya'?

[sdream]

"Well, when he stabbed me with it, he said he was gifting me with health. I discovered how to use it to help heal, but it looks like if someone hits me right on it, it also keeps that attack from makin' me unhealthy."

"Good thing too, that seemed like a killer punch."

"Tis a pity she didn't want to talk, she might have heard about the elf that took Starchaser's babe. It's not likely we'll find that info on a sign in a town. You guys want to try and coax her back out, or just go back to investigating the water?"

[unosarta]

Starchaser continued looking at the ankles even after she was sure that they were fine, her hands needing something steady to do to bring her mind away from whatever had happened. Why didn't I react? Why didn't I do anything? What is wrong with me? She shook her head and slowly stood, her knees and joints cracking with the effort.

I... I think the water is fine...

She turned back to her pot, and slowly sank down next to it, laying her brow on the cool strength of the iron.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
After a few tense minutes, the forest seemed to forget its silence, and the birds resumed their chatter.

A fist, balled as tightly as she had ever seen one, and moving toward what Starchaser somehow knew was the most effective strike she had ever witnessed. Try as she might, Starchaser couldn't seem to chase the image from her mind. She couldn't doubt that Jack's trinket had done something beyond explanation, but the strength of the blow was what she couldn't seem to fathom. How was it possible? Could she strike as hard? These thoughts worried her mind as the minutes passed by.

[Trellan]

Othmar stared at Jack in utter disbelief.

Coax her out? Are you truly that daft, lad? You almost died because you called on an elf, now you wanna do it again? Makes no difference to me if you go get your fool self killed, but do me the favor 'a waitin' till I'm not around before you do it.

[sdream]

"I'm sorry Othmar, I won't call to anything magic without asking you again. I was just excited at the prospect of finding someone who knew where your missing people were. She didn't seem so bad, just... a bit unstable."

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

Silence hung in the air for a few tense seconds. Ben and O'Bannon had surely met cantankerous old folks in their day, but Fat Berchta's backwoods sensibilities seemed to have completely discarded the courtesy that most folk are glad to give. True, the folk of the Blackwood were some of the most suspicious people in any tale, but they shared a common plight as well, and that made them generous in their own way. Most commoners would open their doors for well-seeming company, if only for the stories they might share or the coin they might offer in return. That this old woman would turn two men away was somewhat odd, but that she would do it in such a rainstorm was outright rude.

"Well? What are ye standing here for?" Fat Berchta said, tilting a massive forehead toward the pair of men. "Out, ruffians!"

From whence she found such energy, the two men couldn't fathom, but Fat Berchta dashed at the two, crowding them together and herding them out the door with the feeble threats of an old woman. As they were leaving, Benjamin chanced to look at the far corner of the hut, where a beautiful fan lay atop a crate. It was a riot of King Pheasant plumage, sapphire blue and emerald green. The fan must have been three feet long, and the feathers were bound together with exquisite silken cord. It was so ostentatious that Benjamin was shocked he hadn't seen it before, and even more shocked Fat Berchta--a grungy woman of the wood--possessed such a treasure.

As they were ousted into the rain, Ben realized that either Fat Berchta was one of the finest craftsmen he had ever seen, or that there may have been some truth to the tales of clandestine visitors to her hut.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Interesting. Thoroughly uninviting, lives in a filthy hovel, but possesses at least one item of significant value inconsistent with her station, maybe more" O'Bannon mused as he slowly walked from the cottage. "Say, Ben, what do you make of all this? Something definitely seems off about this. I think I may look into this further. Perhaps observe from a distance after nightfall. What kind of feeling did you get from the old woman?"

[unosarta]

Starchaser continued leaning her head against the pot, silently laughing at Jack's words. Her breathing calmed as she stared at the silent, pristine lake.

[Trellan]

They're all unstable lad, and they'll all kill you quick as look at you. Ain't nothin' that one could have done for us that we can't do for ourselves. I'm thinkin' we should get movin'. Might be it'll come back for us. Or worse, might be there's more than just it skulkin' about out there. You find out anything from that water 'a yours, elder?

[unosarta]

There is strange magic in this water. I do not know what to think of it, but it is the same magic as that idol you found.

She slowly stood, her bones and joints cracking, her back popping. She picked up the great pot, and overturned the water into the lake again, the tiny slapping of the spray hitting her ankles with a cool spray.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest

Even minutes after the hollowback's departure, the woods around the trio held onto a vague sense of menace. Though he couldn't explain why, Othmar had a feeling that they hadn't seen the last of that powerful creature. The sun climbed higher, almost to its apex, and the lake seemed as tranquil as it did when they first arrived.

Team Fogey

The rain wasn't as heavy under the canopy of the forest, and no doubt the two old men were reluctant to walk back toward the village without any fruit to show for their labor.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"It may be her home, but she can't very well own the forest around it can she? Let's have a look around, shall we?"

O'Bannon put up his arm to shield his eyes from the little bit of rain getting through the forest canopy. He began to slowly walk around the side of the cottage, eyes scrutinizing the area surrounding Fat Berchta's hovel.

[Eldest]

Ben followed his friend around, scrutinizing the place as though he was going to burgle it. While his thriving days were well and truly behind him, he never got out of the habit of finding... unorthodox methods of entry and egress.

[Trellan]

Should'a known. It's always magic that's causin' problems. Well, if it's so important, scoop up a bit of it and let's take it with us. Othmar continued to glance around nervously, obviously eager to leave.

[unosarta]

Starchaser nodded, her gaze gliding over the woods, and poured some of the water into the pot, and strapped it to her back.

She looked out on the water, and saw how peaceful and calm the lake had become, how pristine this lake seemed. She caught a glimpse of an elk on the far bank, and she watched it prance away. It's graceful movements belied the eery tension that snapped through the air every time a light breeze lightly touched her temples. She hitched up the pot, slipping from the slight moisture that coated it's base, and turned to the other two.

What now? Do we find that woman you were looking for?

She turned to Othmar as she spoke, and the determination in her voice contradicted the shaking breaths that pulled themselves from her lungs, and the wrinkles that clouded her eyes.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

From a safe distance, Benjamin and O'Bannon made their way around the cottage. Midday was upon them, though the rain and the canopy overhead made it difficult to see further than a hundred or so feet.

Aside from the cottage door, the only other opening in its four walls was a window on its back side. Though it was shuttered, Benjamin knew that it would be big enough to sneak in or out without trouble. The two men saw no leaks while they were inside the cottage, so the roof must have been in better condition than it appeared from the outside. There were no tracks to be found around the cottage, though admittedly neither O'Bannon nor Ben were trackers of any kind.

[sdream]

"I think he said her old hut was thataway."

"We may as well go there next, as I don't see anyone else here to talk to."

[Trellan]

Just cause you don't see 'em don't mean they ain't there, lad. Othmar grumbled, growing increasingly uneasy. It was bad luck to linger at the site of a battle, and he wasn't feeling much protection from his charms at the moment. Let's get movin'. And keep your eyes sharp, or might be that cursed thing will sneak up and take 'em from you.

Without waiting for a reply, Othmar led the way into the woods, aiming for the fastest route to Old Fen's abandoned cottage.

[sdream]

Jakob follows, bow at the ready and scanning the woods.

[Eldest]

So what now? We got as far as we can with courtesy.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"In truth, Ben, I feel that there is more to this old woman's story than what appears on the surface, but that the truth will likely be far less interesting than fiction. And unless you want to stake out her home and wait for her to leave so you can break in, I imagine we won't get much farther. If you're truly determined to hear the whole of that story you're looking for, that's fine, but otherwise we're likely wasting our time"

[Eldest]

Eh. Ben was unenthusiastic at that, but mostly because of the rain. So again, what do you think we should do? Because you just said my go-to plan for this.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"If you're suggesting, then, that we wait for her to leave, then I suppose we should set up some sort of temporary shelter. Shall we?"

O'Bannon began to quietly gather any large piece of fallen wood and search for a location to improvise a lean to.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
Othmar remembered that one of the streams which fed this lake passed Old Fen's house, and they made excellent time following its course. The chirping of birds and scurrying of unseen creatures through the underbrush accompanied them, and they reached the hut not long after the noon hour.

Starchaser and Jakob found it to be as run down as any other ruin, but Othmar's eyes saw the details of the hut, and it looked unchanged from his last visit. The door still hanged by its bottom hinge, the hole remained yawning in the left side of the roof, and a young tree was still snaking its way out the hut's only window. An ancient oak had fallen nearby, perhaps when Othmar had been a very young boy, and the shell of its trunk stood nearly as tall as any of them. A single ray of light fell through the trees to the path in front of the house, throwing the surrounding woods into shadow by contrast.

Inside, Othmar saw every clump of moss and old, wooden cask unmoved. The day stretched on ahead of them, and the trio found themselves with time enough to develop a plan.

Team Fogey
The two set about finding materials, and eventually had enough to construct themselves a spacious, well-hidden lean-to. It kept the rain off their heads, and offered a vantage of Fat Berchta's front door. They settled into what looked to be a long afternoon, with nothing to occupy themselves but each other.

[Eldest]

So, now that we got the time, want to explain everything you know about this?

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Most of it is as she said. Tales of lights, sounds, comings and goings late at night. The thing that mostly sticks out in my mind is how persistent the rumors are. I can't let myself believe there's truly nothing at all amiss if even the town guards are talking about it, and for such a long time. I would have thought the guards above such gossip, and I would have figured the peoples' interest would have long since faded. Call it gut instinct, call it the superstitions of an old man, but I think there's something to these rumors. I doubt they're true, but I also doubt they're false, you know what I mean?"

[Eldest]

I do, now. So now we wait and see if something happens. You can have the first watch. With that, Ben settled into a light doze.

[sdream]

Jakob begins turning over every item in the ruined hut, asking othmar to describe his memories of it, and how she used it.


Basically doing an exhaustive search and fishing for forgotten trivia.

A detect magic in here might be useful, and to see how the items and water look.

Once we really comb over the place properly for clues (and forgotten treasures), we can go check out the cave.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

The first hour of O'Bannon's watch passed without incident. The rain seemed to be letting up, and had settled into a gentle shower. His thoughts wandered as they often did during his days as a guard, and once he almost dozed off himself.

During the second hour of his watch, O'Bannon was lucky enough to spy a young deer making its way through the forest. It passed remarkably near to the old men's hiding place, and seemed not to notice them. It dominated O'Bannon's view. Fascinated, he watched the creature wander as the minutes slipped by.

The creature made its way closer and closer to Fat Berchta's cottage, and when it came within a few fathoms, O'Bannon realized that the cottage door was open, yawning into the darkness within. He roused Ben from his slumber, and the two watched as the deer tentatively inched its way closer. At the threshold the creature cast a look behind, almost as if to make sure no one was watching, then calmly walked inside as if nothing was the matter.

No sooner had it gone inside than the door slammed shut, and a brief (but mighty) ruckus could be heard inside. The silence that followed stretched on for what seemed like forever, then the faint flickering of firelight could be seen coming through the cracks in the door. What happened to the deer was any man's guess, but it was clear that Fat Berchta was stoking her fire.

Team Forest

As Jack combed over the cottage, he found the ruin of many trinkets left behind, though it was hard to tell if they had belonged to Old Fen or Othmar. As he made his way around the cottage, Othmar began to tell stories about the items: pot handles with no pots to accompany them, ancient charms hanging from the ceiling, and many wooden trinkets like the kind Othmar carried.

As he spoke, Othmar could almost hear the voice of Old Fen in his head. He thought of her often, and found it to be a comfort in his solitary life. Spurn the wood when the sun sets, she always used to say. A tower of stone, there was, in my old village. It was known across the land as a strong place in uncertain times, though even the strong places of Man cannot resist the darkness of nights when even the moon hides her face. The village fell, and the tower is but a crooked shell. Othmar had often thought of traveling to the old ruined tower, but Old Fen had only told him the way once, and his memory was fuzzy. Still, that he should recall the tower now--after so long--gave him pause. Was there some secret there that would help him find his old mentor?

When Jack had run out of refuse and Othmar had run out of stories, the three of them convened. Jack didn't know how to reach his cave from this cottage, though Othmar knew the way well enough. Starchaser chimed in, remarking that they would need torches if they were to plumb the cave's depths. All in all, they spent the better part of an hour at the cottage.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

The afternoon continued to pass and the rain continued to dwindle as the two men sat in their hideout. Aside from the strange event with the deer, nothing was out of sorts with the cottage during the first four hours of their watch.

Team Forest

The trio set out for the cave, which was only about an hour's walk to the Northeast. They made good time, with Jack telling jovial stories of life in New Bannon, Othmar grumbling and leading the way, and Starchaser bringing up the rear, keeping a wary eye. She had never been in this stretch of the Wood, and years of spooky stories as a child instilled a heavy suspicion in her heart.

In truth, the Wood couldn't have been lovelier than it was that afternoon. The trees were thin enough in this area that light dappled the forest floor as they walked, and the heat of summer brought a light sweat to the nape of their necks. At one point, Othmar even spied a deer, though it was too far away to loose an arrow. Memories of the Hollowback's titanic blow had faded for a moment, and the three may even have begun to see the Wood in a different light.

But then they came to a small meadow. It was no more than 20 feet across, though a large raspberry bush sprawled across almost half its length. Starchaser looked at the berries and thought of the desserts she used to enjoy as a girl. She was so caught up in the memory that she almost didn't notice the small face looking back at her.

There was no mistaking it. Even from a distance of 10 feet, she recognized the wry grin and those dark eyes, and they recognized her. The elf hopped gleefully out of the bush, bedecked in playful motley and jingle-bell shoes. It was exactly what she imagined elves to look like as a girl, and this elf was the very same creature that accepted her terrible bargain.

"Hello, hello! From leaf and stone!
This humble man to you is known!
You found me here as fair as square,
And I'll reward you from thin air!
But only if my life I keep:
I cannot cast from th'eternal sleep!"
The little person danced a small jig--or was it merely fidgeting? It was impossible to tell, but it was clear that he made no attempt to run away.

[Eldest]

After his nap, Ben finally broke the silence. So, what do we do come dark? Continue to stay out, or go rent rooms at the inn? Staying out... might be a bad idea. And I might be a wee bit peckish.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"As a younger man, a night in the wild meant little to me, but that was with many more men. I have no desire to spend the night out here. If we don't see anything of interest relatively soon, we should head back to the inn. If it looks like we're going back empty-handed, I'd like to at least make it back before all the food is cold and the kegs have been stoppered up. In the mean time, I've got more than enough trail rations to tide us over until we can have a proper meal"

O'Bannon rustled through his pack to grab the rations. He unwrapped the cloth around them and offered them to Ben.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

As the afternoon wore on, the two men continued to talk amongst each other. Ben pointed out a peculiar cluster of plants, and when O'Bannon named them "Green Jacks," Ben regaled him with Green Jack and the Tea Madame, a tale of a man who was so fond of tea that he sought out a witch, pleading with her to turn him into tea leaves. She did, and when the love of his life drank his essence, she found that the tea had special powers, and all of her sorrows were healed. Anyone with a knowledge of tea or magic would be able to use the leaves to great effect, and would likely pay a few silvers in exchange for them.

Their conversation was stopped short when they heard a wooden creak. The door of Old Fen's hut opened, and not long after Benjamin spotted a wild aurochs of goodly size wandering nearby. They were not uncommon sights in the Blackwood, but they were only rarely seen alone. This one walked calmly through the half-light, wandering gradually toward Old Fen's door. Just as the deer before, the aurochs walked inside; the door closed behind it, and the light of the fire in Old Fen's hearth grew brighter, just as before.

[unosarta]

Starchaser stared at the elf in disbelief, and her eyes widened in a sort of hazy shock. Her fists clenched and unclenched, balling and unballing over and over again. She shifted her stance, turning frantically from elf to her allies, her wrinkles momentarily dispelled by the panic that rushed through her veins. She looked down at her feet, rocked on the balls of her feet as though trying to melt the rage out of her body. Her snow white hair trembled with sweat and her arms straightened and clamped to her sides.

She slowly looked up at the elf, and slowly breathed out of her open mouth.

What... what do you want?
Her voice cracked at the words, and the tone of her eyes changed from a dark rage to a light of desperation. Her wrinkles deepened, and light tears slowly tickled her lower lids.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest

The little man hopped from foot to foot, seemingly unaware of the woman's distress. "What does she want?" he asked, no longer singing. "She shows much more than her years. Maybe she wants beauty?" In a flash, a deep well of emotion seemed to burble up out of the man. Tears rolled from his brown eyes, and his small voice began to crack. "He is so small and so scared. If only she will let him go, he will reward her with treasure more than silver and gold. Please," he said, "please. She must let him go!"

[Eldest]

Interesting... Ben turned to his friend. Do you know anything about magic, other than what the stories say?

[JustPlayItLoud]

"I've encountered many mysterious things in my military career. I've seen a number of things that people claim to be magic, some of it I even believe may well have been such. But in truth, I don't truly know much about actual magic as such"

[Eldest]

Well, I know many stories, and I know that there's some truth to them all, but not what part's true and what's fiction.

[sdream]

Jakob would love silver and gold, but he hopes that Starchaser is wise enough to ask for a long and happy life with her daughter instead in exchange for leaving the elf be.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Shall we try to get a closer look at what just happened in there? Come on, let's go see what we can see"

O'Bannon, hunched slightly, walked from the lean to toward the cottage. He circled around to the front in order to try and peek in the cracks of light from the door.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
With the light around them truly beginning to fade, Old O'Bannon managed to stay out of sight. The rain settled into a gentle drizzle, but it still provided enough noise to cloak the gently sounds of his armor pieces clinking together.

O'Bannon managed to find a nook a few feet away from the door, and was halted just before moving any further. Just out of arm's reach, the twinkling eyes of a fox looked at him through the branches of a bush. It seemed to have an strangely knowing face, and before he could make sense of it, the creature bounded silently off, disappearing through a narrow crack in the bottom of Fat Berchta's door.

The cottage was unchanged for a few brief moments, but soon the light within began to grow. Seizing the opportunity, O'Bannon crept the final few feet, and peered through a crack between the door and its frame. Within, he could find no sign of the bull, the deer, or the fox, though Fat Berchta stood between him and her fire. Her back was to him, and she was muttering something he couldn't quite make out. Her heavy arms stirred the contents of a large pot.

From Benjamin's perspective, he could see the light within the cabin glowing brighter, and knew it to be more than a trick of the failing daylight. He also saw the figure of O'Bannon move in front of the door, but couldn't make out anything else at such a distance.

[Eldest]

Ok, nows the time to be doing something... Ben muttered to himself, creeping around the cabin to where the window was. Letsa see what she's doing.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest
Several long moments passed in the clearing. The small man was nearly frozen in place, eyes closed as if he were waiting for a blow. After a while, he opened his eyes to look at the group. They seemed equally surprised by the whole thing.

A wry grin spread across his face, and before anyone knew what was going on, he dove back into the raspberry bush. Jack began to head in after him, but almost as soon as the man leapt into the bush, it fell conspicuously silent. Jack glanced in and around the bush, but could find no trace of the small man. The three of them searched for several minutes, but he was no where to be found.

The rest of the journey to the cave passed without incident. It took the better part of an hour, and by the time they reached the thicket that Jack swore surrounded the cave, the sun had very obviously begun its downward journey. There would be daylight left for many hours yet, but it was closer to dusk than dawn.

The thicket itself was a wide mess of thorns and vines, bushes and brambles. It sprawled beneath the trees, and large rock outcroppings reached up out of it at irregular intervals. Some of these rocks couldn't even be seen above the thicket, whereas some others stretched up well into the branches of the trees overhead, spilling sunlight down in shafts upon parts of the scene.

The three looked for several minutes to find the cave. They walked around the thicket, following Jack, and after a few minutes of searching, it became clear that Jack had forgotten where the cave entrance was. "It's been a while since I came here," Jack said, scratching his chin. "It's a small opening, but there should be a large rock at a strange angle just over it."

"Like that one there?" replied Othmar, pointing to a rock with just a dozen feet of thicket between them. The boulder was at least 10 feet long and twice as wide, and looked as though it were bending over, so as to shelter something beneath.

Team Fogey
Benjamin managed to conjure up his skill from younger days, and made his way to the back of Fat Berchta's cottage with all the silence of a cat. The window shutters were of better make than the front door, but a few cracks nevertheless allowed him a view inside. The angle was such that he could only just barely make out the old woman's left side, though the smells coming from withing the hut were what intrigued him. He couldn't make out all of them, but the smells of raw and boiled meat were unmistakable. For all her oddities, it seemed as though Fat Berchta were merely brewing her dinner. Strangely, the pot she used seemed to imply that it was enough dinner for at least a dozen hungry men.

[Eldest]

Ben moved around the hut to where his friend was, and tapped him on the shoulder twice. He then gestured silently for O'Bannon to follow him back to their previous hiding spot. There, he told him about the stew.

[sdream]

"Oh, there it is! Now last time, there were signs of something living there, so a bit of caution is in order. Someone may be home now, and may not be good with visitors."

He strings an arrow on his bow, and spreads out from the others to flank the entrance before calling out:

"Anybody home?"

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

Twilight enveloped the forest around the two men as Benjamin told O'Bannon about the stew. Both men had spent their share of hours traveling, and both knew that total darkness would fall within two hours' time.

Team Forest

Jack had to compromise to find a suitable flanking position. There were several spots that would have made for a perfect vantage, but they were overrun with thorny brambles. Such as it was, Jack chose a spot that would take anything that should wander from the cave by complete surprise, but unfortunately he couldn't see anything within.

Othmar and Starchaser, on the other hand, had an excellent view. The tracks around the cave indicated that something lived there, and the bits of bone hinted that it was a predator of some kind. The cave was not a wide opening--only a few feet across--and the interior was bathed in heavy shadow. If they hoped to see anything, someone would have to step inside.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Well, aside from apparently rather violently butchering some woodland creatures, this old woman hasn't done much of interest. Let's head on back before nightfall. If we hurry there might still be some food left at the inn"

O'Bannon abandoned his post and began walking back toward town, taking care to stay out of view of the cottage.The day having been a dud thus far, he hoped at least for an interesting night out.

[Trellan]

Stop yer shoutin', lad. There's somethin' in there, all right, and it's not the kind of thing that's gonna like us stompin around here. Anyone got a light?

Othmar eyed the shadowy opening warily and nocked an arrow. He had learned as a lad that a hunter who stepped into a dark place with a predator was a hunter that didn't return home with food.

[sdream]

"Regardless of what it is, I would rather it come out and talk instead of lurking inside to surprise us."

"Perhaps we could build a fire in the opening to see better, mask our scent, and maybe smoke out something nasty."

[Eldest]

Old Ben followed O'Bannon back to town, taking a room at the inn and sleeping almost instantly.

[Trellan]

Aye, might be that's true. But smokin' somethin out ain't so fast, and we don't know if there's other exits or how big this is. Might be we run outta daylight before anythin' comes of it.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

Since they were generally unfamiliar with Longshore Town, the two men headed back to The Hairy Shank to find food, drink, and rest.

Ben quickly laid down a few coins and headed back toward the maze of hallways and screens where the rooms for rent could be found. Because of the festival happening in the next village down the road, he was able to get a sizable discount on the inn's largest room, and lay down on a bed large enough for two people to sleep comfortably. What's more, there was even a wash basin large enough to sit in, though it contained no water.

Before O'Bannon could say or do anything, Rolf, the young bartender from that morning, called out to him. "Hail, sir!" He said, knuckling his forehead. "You look as though you bear a weight that only food and drink can lift. We've just brewed a pot of duck stew, and we have tea and wine in plenty. What shall it be?"

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Excellent! This day isn't a total waste! Stew! The biggest bowl you have! And I'll have some tea to drive out the damp. And you may as well uncork a bottle of wine for me as well, I'll be to that soon enough! Oh, and bread! It's a crime to have good stew with no bread! Thank you my boy!"

O'Bannon walked into the dining area of the inn and took the nearest available seat to the fire.

[Zap Dynamic]

Rolf's eyes shone as brightly as the coin he was sure to make from such an eager patron. "Yes, sir!" He left in a hurry, returning with a bowl a large as a kettle helmet brimming with piping hot stew. Moments later, he had produced a clay jug and a small, matching cup. "This is the finest blueberry wine, vinted just last fall in the Northshore Town. You'll be the first to taste this batch, sir!"

O'Bannon was left to his meal for several minutes, but eventually the bartender returned. "Where's your friend," he asked. "He had heard that a musician was to be in town this evening, but it seems he skipped over our common room. I had hoped that your friend might be interested in sharing a tale with us!"

[sdream]

"I can build a fire in just a few minutes with all these brambles and branches, and we have hours of daylight left. A couple burning logs tossed in should light it up and tell us more. Where did Mrs. Chaser go? She could help gather branches...

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest

As the two looked around, they noticed that Starchaser was nowhere to be found. When they thought about it, they couldn't be sure if she had come with them from the clearing where they met the Mossfolk man. The forest continued its afternoon sounds as if nothing were the matter, and for whatever reason, the two men found themselves to be more alone than they had thought.

[JustPlayItLoud]

O'Bannon turned from his meal for a moment to answer the bartender. "Sorry, I think after the day we had he wanted some good rest. Too bad for him, this stew is wonderful. Had a stew just like it, years ago. Some little roadside tavern down south. That's been near twenty years though, when we campaigned against ol' Scar-Eye Jack. That's a little before your time though. Sorry, I ramble. Could I get another bowl of this stew? This one is nearly empty"

Having downed his first bowl of stew and finished his tea, O'Bannon turned his attention to the bottle of wine he had been neglecting. Figuring it had been open long enough to breathe properly, he poured himself a tall glass and downed nearly the whole thing in a single swig. He topped the glass off and sat back to wait for his next bowl of stew.

[sdream]

"Hmmm, well either she decided to try negotiating with him in private, or he is somehow still pestering her. We may meet again."

In the meantime, done searching for his comrade, He shoulders his bow and begins gathering a pile of dryish twigs, branches and logs about 20 feet from the cave.

[Trellan]

Aye, or the cursed thing made off with her like it did her child. Othmar muttered. Don't see how there's much we can do, though. Hurry up with that fire, eh? If it doesn't work quick, might be we'll need to head back.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

The serving wench, an old, rotund woman with a kindly face, came by with a pot of the duck stew, ladling a heaping portion into O'Bannon's bowl. "A thousands apologies about the wait, sir," she said, knuckling her forehead. "And more for the unsightly fellow that just walked in."

When O'Bannon turned, he saw a short, scrawny old man standing just inside the door. The skins he wore stank of mold, though the dryness of his own filthy skin was sign that the rain had finally abated. He stood, legs splayed wide with all the pride of the fiercest warrior. His hands were balled into fists and rested on his hips, and wild eyes surveyed the room with scorn. His hair was a wild, matted knot, and deer antlers peeked out from behind his shoulders.

It had been many years, but O'Bannon had met his like before. He was a pagan, one of the wild men of the Wood, that lived in the deepest depths and made perverse offerings to their jealous backwoods gods and--what's worse--Elves. They rarely showed themselves to the world of roofs and walls, and when they did they brought with them all the wildness of the Wood.

The pagan snorted and spat a thick gob of mucus onto the floor, almost as a challenge. The serving wench put down her stew pot, grabbed a bucket and brush, and scurried over to clean the floor. No sooner had she settled to her hands and knees than the pagan kicked her in the hips, knocking her over. "Me belly be more concern than yer floor, woman," the pagan said, his voice a gravelly, garbled mess that could barely be understood. "Food. Fast."

The tea house was deadly quiet save for the serving wenches sharp breaths. The pagan stood as if all was normal.

Team Forest
With the combined skill of two hunters, a goodly fire was stoked in no time. Where an average villager might not have known the finer points of smoking creatures out of caves, Jack and Othmar selected branches that would create more smoke than flame, and found leafy branches to use as fans to direct it into the cave.

The minutes seemed to fly past at first, with so much activity to keep them busy, but after a long while with nothing stirring within the cave, the two hunters began to lose some of their verve.

After perhaps twenty minutes, the smoke was billowing from the cave almost as much as from the fire. The two hunters took flanking positions near the cave, craning their necks to hear any movement within. Moments seemed to last an eternity, but no sound came from within.

Then.

It was small, but there was the unmistakable echo of a rock bouncing off of many walls. More moments dragged by in silence, and then something could be heard to move deep within the cave. There was some manner of scratching noise, though to judge by the sound it must have been a dozen feet or more within the mouth of the cave.

[Eldest]

You know, in my day you didn't kick the woman who's givin' you food. Something to do with common courtesy. And that she can put poison in it. Not that you would, ma'am. I just lived in a rough area. Ben drawled out the phrases, making it clear by his tone that he disapproved of what the pagan had just done. Now, why don't you just walk back outside, then come back inside and try that one more time? This time polite.

[JustPlayItLoud]

O'Bannon stood up from his seat as the pagan man's exchange with the woman finished. He started to speak but paused when he heard Ben's voice. He turned to look at Ben, not realizing he had come back down from his room.
"I hate to walk all over someone better than words than I, so let me just agree with him. Agree and add that if words cannot convince you, swords certainly will"

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
It was silent enough in the tea house to hear a sparrow's breath. The patrons stood stock-still, all their attention trained on the three old men. The naked iron of a rusted dagger could be seen in the pagan's belt, but even a child could tell that it was no match for the blade O'Bannon carried.

"Wolves is what gangs up on easy prey," the pagan growled, licking chapped lips and cracked teeth. "Wolves and wallfolk." The last word carried venom enough to make an adder give pause.

The pagan shifted his feet, the instincts of an animal apparent in his wiry frame, though he made no move to advance or flee. "Ye hide behind yer walls wit food and shelter plenty, and gods rue the week ye dirty yer fingers," the pagan snorted, "Yer sick folk, says I."

[Eldest]

Easy prey? Now here I thought you respected yourself. Look, I don't want to go with violence, and if I did, it wouldn't be with steel. Now, you can act wild all ya like in the wild. But you're not in the forest, you be in a town, askin' for food from those wallfolk you say you despise. Shape up or leave, don't bother me which you choose. Ben turns his back on the pagan, presenting a target that was obvious while focusing his attention on the barkeep. Got any more of that stew? Sounds good.

[JustPlayItLoud]

O'Bannon snorted."Heh, the man kicking over a helpless old woman complains about being easy prey. Now I've seen everything. Ben, would you like some of this wine I have here?" He turned away from the wretched man and returned to his meal.

[Eldest]

Stew first, I'm hungry after the day we had.

[sdream]

Not wanting to put an arrow in the face of a kindly hermit more than he wanted to avoid Othmar's paranoid ravings, Jakob calls out to the cave with his bow out.


"Hello, is there someone in that cave? Please come out slowly and no harm will come to you."


Jakob was more interested in putting a bright fire between himself and the cave to see what approached, but he can deal with smoking out, as apparently nothing was visible when the fire lit the shadowed inside.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
The pagan stood for a few long moments, his whole body transfixed with silent wrath. He looked at the backs of the men who had dared to stand up to him, then at the mocking faces of the patrons of the bar. "The Wild Hunt take ye all!" he called out, turning on his heels and taking a step for the door.

But that step was all that he took. Almost as soon as he set his foot down, his weight shifted back, and he dashed with a speed few had expected of an old backwoodsman. No one quite knew how, but the dagger at his belt somehow appeared in his hand. Before anyone could even turn to react, he had slashed the strings of O'Bannon's purse.

He turned again to flee, but he had closed with such momentum that--for a fraction of a second--he was delayed. A quick man might have been able to draw a blade in the time it would take the pagan to gain speed, but anything larger than a dagger would have taken too long.

Team Forest
At Jakob's words, the sounds of movement within the cave ceased. Silence filled the Wood around them long enough for the two men to wonder if the young hunter had scared off whatever lay inside, and in that moment something burst from the cave in a flash.

It careened past the two men, landing near enough to the edge of the fire as to elicit a scratchy, primal growl. It was no taller than a goat, with white skin smeared with filth. Bulbous eyes of pure white stared out from the creature's face above a set of razor sharp teeth. Sinewy muscles jerked the creature's head to and fro, and it seemed to be hearing its surroundings more than seeing them. It's body was clothed in scant, dingy rags, and it clutched a cruel shard of bone in its tiny hands.

Othmar knew the creature to be an Imp, though he had only heard stories of their existence. It was a savage elf, a nigh-mindless creature of the pack whose only thoughts were of cruelty and blood. It coiled tight, ready to spring at whichever of the two of them so much as shifted their feet, but it was far enough away that either could get off a shot.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Bastard!"

O'Bannon whirled around to face the pagan man, ready to show him just how "cowardly" some wallfolk could be with a liberal application of fists. He swung carelessly, missing the pagan and bringing himself around for another go.

[sdream]

Jakob has no idea what the little guy is, but he moved way too fast to be human. Readying his aim to intercept a rush at himself or Othmar, he makes one last attempt at calming the situation:

"Hoooo, relax there little guy."

Readied shot:
And in the likely event that he charges one of us, Jakob will release his arrow:

Long Bow 7 + [roll0]
damage 2+[roll1]

It's been a long time, I'm not sure if damage explodes, but I think so. If not just add the first die, regardless if it is a 6 or not.

[Eldest]

You drew steel.
You. Idiot.
A dagger appeared in Old Ben's hand like magic, and he struck out at the pagan's hand that held the rusty knife.
OK, I'm confused by the combat thing. If I'm attacking with a dagger, do I use my Rogue attribute or my Warrior?

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Forest

For a split second, everything was balanced on a razor's edge. The imp's head shifted on its tiny neck in queer, jerky movements, listening for sound.

No sooner did Jakob get the first word out of his mouth than the imp let forth with a wild scream and sprang forward, rearing back with his shard of bone. Though he was a fathom away, his leap was enough to land squarely in the middle of Jack's chest.

Fortunately, Jack had all the vigor of a young man. In a flash, he had raised his bow and loosed an arrow. There was a sickening thunk, and before anyone had time to react the creature careened into Jack, spinning off to the side and landing on the ground in a motionless heap. Several inches of arrow shaft protruded from the back of the creature's bulbous head. It was as dead as it would ever be.

Othmar stood, eyes wide at the scene before him. His bow was nocked, but it hung at his side. "...Good shot, boy," he said slowly, taken aback at the speed of events.

[sdream]

Jakob walked over to examine the small dead form, searching for clues to secrets (or superstitions) it may have held in life and examining the crude bone knife in its hand.

"This doesn't seem to be a magic user... it barely qualifies as using tools. You call them all elves, but you may as well call a bobcat, and elk, and a pig all "fourlegs". Lets check out it's nest."

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey

Ben's knife flashed with a speed that astonished all in the tea house, but the pagan's own wiry speed was nothing to scoff at. They traded a series of lightning-fast strikes and parries, moving a few steps away from the table and towards the door. O'Bannon moved around the two of them, placing himself in the perfect spot to launch a surprise attack against the man who stole his coin just as Benjamin landing a grazing blow on the pagan's knife hand. He hissed in pain, but managed to hold onto his knife.
Pagan takes 1 damage!
Pagan hits Benjamin for 0 damage!

Team Forest

That the creature was wearing clothing seemed to suggest some kind of intelligence. That the clothing was nothing more than dingy, tattered rags seemed to suggest that it was probably a scavenger. Looking closer, Jakob spotted a shard of bone piercing of the creatures large earlobes. It was a sign of ornamentation, however crude.

Peering into the cave, there was a passage large enough for a man to fit if he crouched, and about 10 feet from the opening the cave began a quick descent into darkness.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"You'll not get away with my coin!"

[roll0]
(will use Massive Attack if it connects)
[roll1]/2

[sdream]

"Of course, the cave goes down, no wonder the smoke didn't get in there. Well, we have two options Othmar. We could pile branches over the cave mouth and check back later to see if they were moved, or you could lend me a torch and I could check how deep the cave goes, while you stand guard at the entrance."

Jakob looked at his cautious companion.

"What do you think?"

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
Life as a mercenary was difficult. Even though his was a tame experience compared to those units that were ripped apart by an errant troll, O'Bannon was nevertheless thrown into situations he had never thought to plan for in his youth. During his time as a mercenary, he picked up several practical skills, unarmed combat among them. He wasn't as fast or as strong as a master, but his fists served their purpose well.

Not as quickly as he could have ten years ago, O'Bannon darted in from behind the pagan. The filthy man might have leaped to the side if he hadn't been focusing so much on Benjamin, but O'Bannon slipped his arms around the pagan and brought him down into an unforgiving knee. The cracking of bone could be heard just before the pagan hit the ground, and the tinkling of copper and silver rang out as O'Bannon's coin purse hit the ground and burst open.

The Pagan managed to struggle to his feet and brandish the knife, though one hand gripped his chest and his breathing was ragged and desperate. "Damn ye, wallfolk filth!" he spat, blood and the fragments of a tooth spattering the floor along with his ill omen. In a last, desperate effort, he attempted to dash around O'Bannon and make for the door. His feet moved quickly enough, but a feeble cry rang from his lips as his ribs betrayed him. It was a small matter for O'Bannon to block the pagan's passage, and he cast him roughly to the ground.

In clear agony, the pagan attempted to rise, then fell flat on his face. Stillness descended on the tea house, the silence only broken by the whimperings of the pagan.

Team Forest
"Where there's one imp, there's bound to be more," Othmar said, casting a superstitious eye on the corpse before them. "T'were better to seal the passage off than to go stickin' your nose in there."

[sdream]

"Well, I sure would not like to meet more like him in a tight dark hole. Lets find something to block up the entrance. It doesn't have to be heavy enough to be impossible to move, just bulky enough to require being moved to get in or out, so we can see if the cave is used again."

Jakob looked around for those fallen branches too long for his fire and rollable rocks he had spotted collecting firewood. He hopes to bend them to fit into a narrow section of the cave opening, lashed together with rope or vine and propped with rocks, so they would obscure traffic and not be blown away by the wind.

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Feh! You act as though there's some noble motivation to your unclean way of life, but you're ultimately nothing more than a petty thief that would pull knife on an unarmed man whose back was turned to you. Pathetic! Ben, help me keep an eye on this one."

Ben turned to face the patrons.

"A free round to the first man or woman that can summon the guards, and the same to the first what can gather my coin for me, if you please"

[Eldest]

Ben poached the pagan's knife and drew up a nearby chair, sitting and facing him.See, this is why you don't draw steel. He keeps his own knife drawn.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
A handful of villagers sprang at O'Bannon's promises. One ducked out into the night, while a few more gathered his coin. They bickered quietly for a few moments before one of their number snatched the purse and returned it to the old warrior.

The pagan lay on his side, blood mingling with the rushes and staining the floor. The city guard would arrive soon, and he was not likely to receive gentle treatment for a few broken ribs. For all his hurts, the wild man showed incredible resilience; where most men would be writhing in pain, the pagan did little more than grit what remained of his teeth and inhale in sharp, pained breaths.

His voice rose up like a rain-soaked animal. "Ye preach yer roofs and yer laws, but yer don' look to the Wood." Through muttered curses in his strange, primitive tongue, he managed to hoist himself into a sitting position, leaning against a post. "I seen those deeps. Seen 'em wit my own eyes. The Wood grows dark e'en in full sun, and the very limbs twist an' snag. Dark things prowl far from yer safety, an' all that keeps 'em back is the easy prey ter be found amongst my n'own kin."

Four of the city guard arrived with manacles in tow. They wore yellow-painted mail over quilted gambesons of white linen, and carried well-crafted truncheons. One, the captain on duty, wore a blue sash about his shoulders, and bore a shield with the heraldry of Three Rivers--three blue lines running from northwest to southeast on a yellow field.

"Who summons the city guard of Three Rivers?" asked the captain. He was someone that O'Bannon had met before, and the old man seemed to remember that his name was Alfrid. He was a dutious, unimaginative, and altogether dull man, but he went about his work like a well-trained dog.

Team Forest
The two set about gathering a suitable cache of branches and stones, and soon had a pile large enough to choke the entrance for several feet. Jake began to craft a sort of frame to wedge into the opening, and Othmar made his way closer to the cave entrance, eyes and ears trained on his surroundings. As he stood, he fondled a carving that appeared to be a matronly figure.

Moments passed in industrious silence, with only the birds and the wind to disrupt the stillness. This stretch of forest was the wildest and most tangled that they had seen today. The trees pressed in around them in gloomy twilight, and the rays of the sun met them from a low angle, burning red amongst their darkening surroundings. There would be just enough time to finish their crude obstruction and make it to the village gates before sunset, though Old Fen's cottage would be just as far a trip.

No sooner did Jack finish his craft than an arrow leapt into Othmar's bow. "Shhh!" he hissed, bow drawn and pointing into the cave. "Better get over here quick, boy. There's something stirring within."

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Alfrid, right? It was me that summoned you. The name's O'Bannon, I live on the other side of town. My wife and I take care of Rutger's family house. I help train some of the guardsmen, remember? Anyhow we've got this surly chap over here. He comes in, roughs up the waitress a bit, and when we tell him to back off her, he draws steel and then snags my coin purse. He's in a bad way now, though. I gave him a solid hit"

[Eldest]

Well, in the interest of honesty, I gave him the scratch on his hand.

[sdream]

Jakob hurries away from the cave, drawing his own bow, and trying to discern what Othmar saw within the gloom.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
Alfrid looked at the pagan. "Bind him and carry him off," he said, before turning his attention to O'Bannon. "Folk from the deeper parts of the Wood cause more trouble than they're worth. We'll not be keeping him in our dungeons."

The captain surveyed the room. "O'Bannon, you and your friend would honor us with your presence as we banish this pagan," he hesitated, glancing back at his men. "Night has fallen, and the Wood is better faced with as many men as can be spared."

Team Forest
The obstruction Jakob had woven lay on the earth as he leapt away, arrow drawn. He looked, and saw Othmar looking back with puzzled eyes.

"Are ye a fool, boy?" he said, taking aim at something within the cave. Jack could hear a clamor rising, many desperate voices rising from the dark like the rumor of black wings. Othmar loosed an arrow into the cave and an all-too familiar cry rang out from within. Othmar held his charm in his teeth and he nocked another arrow and shouted "Block the opening!"

The bestial noises coming from the cave were growing louder, and Othmar's set was set with worry.

[sdream]

By the sounds rising from the cave and Othmar's firing therein, Jakob could tell the time for weaving was over, and his obstruction would have to do as it was.

As he fell into a crouch with clear lines of sight to the cave and his companion, he prepared to loose an arrow of his own at the first feral creature to show itself clearly.

"Shhhhh!"


Prepared shot: 7+[roll0]
Damage: 2+[roll1]

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Say no more. Ye can never be too careful, 'specially after dark. And I'd be honored to accompany such fine guardsmen as these"

O'Bannon downed the last of his wine nodded thanks to the bartender. He gathered his coin, strapped his sword back onto his back, adjusted it, and walked to the door to wait for the others.

[Eldest]

I'll be there too, although I'm not as good in a stand-up brawl as my friend. But one can never be too careful with the forest.
Y'know, if this character (Ben) ever met my other character (Will), they'd probably be fighting. A lot.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
The night was darker than most, thanks to the clouds overhead, but the party was well-armed with torches, and made easy time toward the outskirts of Longshore Town. The streets of the village were rarely bustling--and even then only near the docks--but at night there was a hushed quality that fell over every cottage and shop. To say that the people of the Blackwood retired to their homes at the end of day would not quite ring true: most folk retreated.

Nonetheless, there were no undesirables to be found along the path. The guards had a hand on each of the pagan's elbows, though the degenerate hissed with pain at every jerk and jostle.

"It is a black night," the captain said to Benjamin, "but I can see you well enough. Are you not the storyteller that frequents Three Rivers proper? I have a boy going to school there, and he spoke of your tales today at supper." His tone made it clear that Alfrid was making polite conversation, and that he wasn't very good at it.

Team Forest
Jakob's woven door rattled and shook in the cave's mouth, and small, ferocious shadows could be seen flitting in between its mesh of sticks. Othmar loosed a stout shaft into the cave, and the screams that emanated just after were testament to its lethality. Even from his distance, Jakob was likewise able to land a killing blow.

"There's more of 'em!" Othmar shouted, casting aside his bow and grabbing a branch that Jakob had gathered only a few minutes before. It was too large to be bent into shape for Jakob's craft, but Othmar managed to wedge it into the cave mouth, providing a little support to what was quickly becoming a broken tangle of sticks and thorns.

"Grab more!" he yelled, using his shoulder to wedge the branch further into place. "Maybe we can block the passage entire--" Othmar's words were cut short by a curse and a wince of pain. From Jack's vantage, he could spot a tiny arm snaking through the obstruction, wielding a shard of bone covered in blood. Othmar tested his weight on a leg that must have been stabbed. He winced again, and grabbed another branch to shove into the opening.

Imp #1 takes 11 damage and is killed!
Imp #2 takes 14 damage and is killed!
Imp #3 hits Othmar for 2 damage!
Imp #4 hits the obstruction for 5 damage! It's heavily damaged!

[sdream]

"Fall back and let them seek the sound of our bows in the open day."

Jakob fit another arrow to his string and waited for another good opening.


Shot held for the next exposed imp: 7 + [roll0]
Damage 2 + [roll1]

[Eldest]

Oh, aye, I do tell tales for people from time to time. 'Tis how I make my living. Mind you, most of the payin' works just taking messages from village to village. But the tales are what I enjoy.

[Zap Dynamic]

Team Fogey
The party reached the outskirts of the city in short order. Even at noon on a clear day, the Blackwood could be shrouded in murky twilight. On such a night as this, it seemed almost to drink the light, hiding all in impenetrable darkness. Jack and O'Bannon knew where Fat Berchta's cottage lay, though she must have doused the lights and gone to bed earlier.

"You'll not be disturbing our peace again, wild man" Alfrid said, holding the pagan with an iron grip. "In accordance with the laws of Three Rivers and the Elder Kingdom, you will be executed if found again. Do you understand?"

The pagan didn't respond. His eyes were trained on the darkness, and his mouth hung open as if lost in deep thought. Impatient, Alfrid handled the pagan by the ribs, causing a yelp of pain to spring from the shabby man's mouth. "Ye gods!" he screamed. "A man free and true hears all the beasts o'th'Wood a'tall hours. Have yer walls made ye deaf? D'ye not hear the silence?"

All that could be heard beyond the gates of the city was the wind in the trees. Not a cricket chirped, nor was there the hoot of an owl or the tread of some night creature. One of the guards shifted uneasily, clearing his throat. "'Tis a bad omen, it is. The pagan's brought the Wood to bear 'gainst us."

The pagan laughed a hollow laugh. "No man wields th' Blackwood," he said, half-whispered, not unlike the muttered prayers of the Unified.

Team Forest
Othmar heaved an exasperated sigh before tossing down the branch and grabbing his bow. His limp was slight but apparent as he backed away from the cave opening, nocking an arrow in the process. He mumbled something about a vain quest for glory, though it was hard to decipher through his gritted teeth.

Jack loosed an arrow at the first possible moment. It was 30 feet from his vantage outside the thicket to the cave; an easy shot for a hunter of Jack's skill. It disappeared past the barricade, though the continued screaming of the imp he hit made it clear that it wasn't quite dead.

More bestial noises came from within the cave, and the barricade rattled to the sound of snapping wood. In short order, all that was left of Jack's woven craft burst outward in splinters, and a crowd of imps began to pour out of the cave. Three leaped forward into the thicket, screaming with rage when the six inch thorns pierced their flesh. They immediately jumped back, baring their teeth and sniffing the air furiously.

"Ancestors preserve us," Othmar said, looking at the cave mouth. Inside, imps teemed like a hive of angry hornets, too many and too quick to count. Another 6 had poured from the opening, though they were stalled from leaping into the thicket by their forerunners. "What have we done, lad?" he shouted over the din.

Othmar takes 1 damage for hurrying through the thicket! His legs are bleeding slightly.
Imp #3 is hit by Jack for 3 Damage! It's all but dead!
Imp #4 hits the barricade for 2 damage! The barricade is almost useless! The imp takes 1 damage for leaping into the thicket!
Imp #5 hits the barricade for 1 damage! The barricade is in shambles! The imp takes 1 damage for leaping into the thicket!
Imp #6 hits the wreckage of the barricade for 1 damage! The cave opening is clear of the wreckage! The imp takes 1 damage for leaping into the thicket!

[JustPlayItLoud]

In response to the pagan's words, O'Bannon took another furtive look around the landscape. All he could see were the stars, and he heard nothing but the wind in the trees. Listening intently to the silence, O'Bannon felt the hairs on his neck and arms prickle.

"I'm not sure I like this, Alfrid. I've lived long enough to learn that on the occasion that I have an uneasy feeling about something, I should at least pay it heed. And let me tell you, I have an uneasy feeling. Not to quote such a cliché, but the silence is nearly deafening. What do you make of it Ben?"