Orcs of the endless and unconquered Forest (IC)

[Sutremaine]

Kusque - Binder

"Come on Smith, let's give Grazik as much range as we can." He set off after Grazik, aiming to get as close to the edge as possible and try and spy on the pinkskins himself.

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Going to mix up some mud and water for making a map on the canvas.

[GnomeGninjas]

Mal scout

Mal goes with Smith if he goes with Kusque. I sure hope that this will work.

[Winds]

Gell-Hunter


"I'm with you."

Gell approaches the forest's edge as well.

[Kantolin]

Smith had been spending the time trying to keep his focus despite the innumerable thudding.

It was maddening. He'd kept his focus through orcs fighting nearby entirely for an occasion like this, but he couldn't have imagined the sheer extent to which his focus would be tested. He kept himself quiet, barely able to think straight.

And gradually, as it always did, things got more reasonable. Gradually, the noise became more background, less focal. And with that, he turned his attention to the conversation at hand - a little behind on the question.

"Right." Was all he said, as he followed Grazik's lead. Knowing his limitations when it came to stealth, he kept a bit behind the other orc as they walked.

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

When his companions get about fifty feet away from the forest's edge, he flies up and lands on a tree branch overlooking the pinkskins camp, relaying want he sees to his friends with the link. Trying to remain hidden.

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Spot Check: (1d20+21)[38]
Listen Check: (1d20+24)[35]
Hide Check: (1d20+6)[17]

[Man on Fire]

Rada - Berserker

Rada goes with everybody, remaining cautious and observing her suroundings, ready to defend them in case of any attack.

[Re'ozul]

@Grazik

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As you sit on the branch, the entirety of the destruction wrought on mother-forest becomes visible. As far as you can see, there is nothing but broken and fallen trees. From your elevated position you can see the curve, the unnatural new edge of the forest takes. In the very distance to your right and left you can see trees still standing, miles away. As the fallen trees blend into the ground as the distance you inspect grows, it seems as if the area had simply been erased. Only in the very far reaches of your vision can you make out a black speck. A speck that you know to be the pinkskin's main camp. With great pain, you move your eyes away from the seeming impossibility the pinkskins have created and unto the very ones that did it, the ones here at the edge.
You can see the pinkskins working away, driving their axes into the great trees with tireless effort. The thwacking drowns out most everything, only the loudest of birds can be heard aside from it.
There is about one pinkskin for every 100 feet of edge. This continues as far as you can see. They are all clothed differently, some wearing clothes on their upper body, some not, some wearing long trousers some short ones. The colors vary too, though only in brown tones. There is however, one distinct piece of clothing they all have in common. All of them are wearing a leather bracer on their left arm. On this bracers are strings of symbols, though you can only make out the largest ones. Their color differs from one pinkskin to the next, some being completely black others having a golden sheen and some actually glowing bright golden. You can see that those pinkskin with the brightest runes on their bracers, also seem to be the most muscular, though there are some exceptions.
The actual camp seems to be situated about 2300 feet beyond the edge. You can barely make out tents and a fireplace. There seem to be specks that are moving among them, but its too far to truly see what is going on.

everyone else:

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As you close in on the edge, the thwacks of the axes get louder, drowning out near all other sound. The view is unnatural, even still a good bit within the forest. The light between the trees brightens as you get closer, something you have rarely seen happening. And then you can see the edge.
There is simply nothing beyond it. If you strain your eyes, you can make out fallen trees, but from your position still in the forest they nerly blend into the ground, giving the impression that the forest just stops. No gradually lower foliage, no undergrowth petering out, there is simply nothing there. You can see pinkskins walking along the edge, marking trees and starting to cut, and cut, and cut, a never ending rhythm of thwacking and breaking wood only interrupted by the occasional sound of a falling tree. They are clothed perhaps a bit much for your taste and their clothes seem to have a rather strange cut, but otherwise they seem like you, well weaker, less defined and a good bit uglier, but otherwise...

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

Grazik relays the information he gets.

The information, directly as given to me:

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As you sit on the branch, the entirety of the destruction wrought on mother-forest becomes visible. As far as you can see, there is nothing but broken and fallen trees. From your elevated position you can see the curve, the unnatural new edge of the forest takes. In the very distance to your right and left you can see trees still standing, miles away. As the fallen trees blend into the ground as the distance you inspect grows, it seems as if the area had simply been erased. Only in the very far reaches of your vision can you make out a black speck. A speck that you know to be the pinkskin's main camp. With great pain, you move your eyes away from the seeming impossibility the pinkskins have created and unto the very ones that did it, the ones here at the edge.
You can see the pinkskins working away, driving their axes into the great trees with tireless effort. The thwacking drowns out most everything, only the loudest of birds can be heard aside from it.
There is about one pinkskin for every 100 feet of edge. This continues as far as you can see. They are all clothed differently, some wearing clothes on their upper body, some not, some wearing long trousers some short ones. The colors vary too, though only in brown tones. There is however, one distinct piece of clothing they all have in common. All of them are wearing a leather bracer on their left arm. On this bracers are strings of symbols, though you can only make out the largest ones. Their color differs from one pinkskin to the next, some being completely black others having a golden sheen and some actually glowing bright golden. You can see that those pinkskin with the brightest runes on their bracers, also seem to be the most muscular, though there are some exceptions.
The actual camp seems to be situated about 2300 feet beyond the edge. You can barely make out tents and a fireplace. There seem to be specks that are moving among them, but its too far to truly see what is going on.

Grazik tries to figure out what the bracers do.

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Spellcraft Check: (1d20+19)[33]
Knowledge Arcana Check: (1d20+14)[24]

[Man on Fire]

Rada-Berserker

Rada was getting angrier and angrier. It was a suprise she could still control herself. To see those ugly, disgusting creatures. She looked like she could jump at any moment and start killing those murderers. But she managed to focus on her misssion once again. And on information given by Grazik.

<"These things on their arms looks suspicious. Maybe we should kidnap one of them and try to identify what kind of sorcery is involved here. And ask him few questions.">

[Sutremaine]

Kusque - Binder

<What are these creatures?> For now there was only shock. For them to look so orcish and yet act like this towards the world... Yes, they'd have to find out more before attempting to negotiate on equal terms with these monsters. He frowned at the empty ground. Those huts were made of wood, and the whole area was an unnatural firebreak. A fire would cause a nice distraction, perhaps enough to ensure that one of them wouldn't be missed until they could withdraw into the safe depths of the forest. He communicated the idea to the others.

As he was doing this, he rolled out the canvas and set the flask of watery mud nearby, ready to start painting. On a whim, he rifled through his backpack until he reached the carved wooden box tucked right into the middle of the pack. Opening it up, he pulled out the heavy round crystals and rolled them around in his palm, focusing on the soft grinding whenever it could be heard through the sounds of carnage. It made him feel a little better. He stared at the crystals as they rolled in circles, watching the way the bright light brought out the patterns in their depths. Perhaps these beings that were neither elf nor orc had been encountered some time in the tribe's history, and no-one had realised their significance. He noticed for the first time that one of the crystals had a fault line that looked like the old snake Danh. Perhaps these being were even less than history and existed only in local myth. He let the world fade out as he thought.

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Making a trained Knowledge: (History) check.
(1d20+1)[13]
Also a trained Knowledge: (Religion) check.
(1d20+1)[16]
Not sure if these skills are going to be relevant, but they're trained today so I might as well roll them.

Will the map generated from this be pretty much the one in the OOC thread?

[Kantolin]

Smith took a moment to take in the information. It was so... large sounding. What on earth were they doing? And why?

So many mysteries. His job, however, was to keep up the link.

<Maybe.... they are split into castes?> He queried. It sounded strange - and from a crafter's point of view, he wished he could see the clothing himself.

<We could try walking up and trying to talk to ones nearest the edge? Maybe they'll be willing to just explain...>

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

<Rada, we are going to meet them tomorrow, I don't think kidnapping one tonight is a good idea.

Smith, that is what we will do tomorrow.>

Grazik continues to observe the camp till sunset.

[GnomeGninjas]

Mal Scout
Mal agrees with Rada he thinks knowing as many of there secrets as possible before walking into the middle of there camp to negotiate is good and the arm things could be important.
<I agree with Rada kidnapping one would be great.>

[Re'ozul]

@ Grazik

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From your observation it looks like the pinkskins whose bracers have gone dark seem to have a much harder time keeping working at the same pace than the ones where the runes are still blazing golden.
From this distance your checks can't tell you anything unless you employ direct magic sensing abilities. (detect spells, scrying spells etc)

@ Kusque

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You only remember that one time an elf with powers similar to yours had allowed you to witness a binding as a learning experience. The one he contracted showed some semblance to the beings in front of you.
There also was an image in one of their religious texts, that looked like them. You didn't pay it any mind at that point in time as the elves have strange religious concepts so the strange beings seemed perfectly normal for the way they were presented.

And yeah, the map will look like the one in the ooc thread, though unless you posess a bird for a higher point of view, the slightly hilly terrain will shield anything further than maybe 2 miles from your view. So you only see the logging camps and the first circumference of soon-to-be villages.

[Man on Fire]

Rada- Berserker

<"I know, I know. But I'm really worried about going to them, knowing almost nothing about them. If there is a way we may get some informations from one of them without kidnapping him and blowing our cover, I'm all ears."

[Winds]

Gell-Hunter


<I can't think of anything else we can do. I suppose they'll be in a worse state, though. They have no idea we're here, so they don't know anything about us, either. That said, I don't know if we could kidnap one. The workers are being watched closely, and the metal ones are much farther off. I don't think we could do it without being noticed.>

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

Information, directly as given to me:

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From your observation it looks like the pinkskins whose bracers have gone dark seem to have a much harder time keeping working at the same pace than the ones where the runes are still blazing golden.
From this distance your checks can't tell you anything unless you employ direct magic sensing abilities. (detect spells, scrying spells etc)

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How far away is the closest person? I think that a 38 on spot would allow me to see something 100 ft. away at least as well as a normal person could make it out up close. If it has the take 0 rule, It would be at least 29 better. I'm assuming I'm fifty feet up for this, though even if I'm 150, I would have a 19 or higher.

<How do you propose we kidnap someone without them knowing.>

[Sutremaine]

Kusque - Binder

<We could try and find a lone worker, and then lure him into the forest by pretending to be a stuck friend. Do you see any now? It would be easier to take one if he's tired and the last one at his post.>

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Results of map question:
"And yeah, the map will look like the one in the ooc thread, though unless you posess a bird for a higher point of view, the slightly hilly terrain will shield anything further than maybe 2 miles from your view. So you only see the logging camps and the first circumference of soon-to-be villages."

[Man on Fire]

Rada-Berserker

<"Gell's right, we cannot kidnap one of them anyway. We just have to hope they don't have anything that will blast us to the oblivion tomorrow. Speaking of which, maybe we should approach them at night? They don't seem to suffer from sunlight as we do, so walking to them at day would give them unnecessary edge.">

[GnomeGninjas]

Mal scout
In reply to Grazik Mal says How do you propose we walk into the middle of an enemy camp with no information on if its liekly that they'll kill us. he know that the sage is right about how we can't just kidnap one but he doesn't want to back down so he challenges one of Grazik's other ideas.

[Re'ozul]

@Grazik

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the closest pinkskin to you is hacking away at a tree about 30' from yours to your left (when looking into the emptiness). His bracer still has some yellow glow left. As I said, there is about one of them for every 100' of edge.

[Kantolin]

Smith exhales.

Right, that /was/ the plan. So many things going on in his head at once...

<We're just gonna have to trust in our axes for if they turn hostile towards us.>

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

Grazik's reply if 'says' is via the link, if it isn't, he probably wouldn't have heard it an wouldn't be able to reply. <We don't know if they will kill us. They didn't kill the patrol beast, we can hope, and we are strong. If they attack, then we must fight. I am aware this is a risk, but it is a risk I am willing to take. Kidnapping one of them would almost assure that negotiations will fail.>

Grazik spends a full minute focusing on the nearest bracer.
(Taking 20 on spot, 44, 31 with distance accounted for, to make out the bracer clearly.)

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Do I use the same checks or use new ones?

[Re'ozul]

@ Grazik

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While the runes are different than the ones you use, the way they are interwoven gives you a glimpse of its mechanism and that is truly the best word you can describe it with. It seems not truly a construct of magic made manifest, but a system that stores and transfers energy. It seems, thet the reason for the pinkskins' tirelessness comes from constantly being supplied with a form of magic imbuement. The glow indicates the amount of magic that is left and it seems designed to only provide the effect when it detects a lack of something. From what you have seen that something is most likely physical freshness as those that should tire easier due to lack of muscles seem to generally have less glow on their bracers.

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

Grazik conveys the information he gained on the bracers.

Information as given to me:

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While the runes are different than the ones you use, the way they are interwoven gives you a glimpse of its mechanism and that is truly the best word you can describe it with. It seems not truly a construct of magic made manifest, but a system that stores and transfers energy. It seems, thet the reason for the pinkskins' tirelessness comes from constantly being supplied with a form of magic imbuement. The glow indicates the amount of magic that is left and it seems designed to only provide the effect when it detects a lack of something. From what you have seen that something is most likely physical freshness as those that should tire easier due to lack of muscles seem to generally have less glow on their bracers.

[Man on Fire]

Rada-Berserker

<"In case things go wrong, we need to take one or few of these things. Imagine if they would depoyl warriors armed in them to the battle - an army that never runs tired and never stops. If that's what they give their workers, I'm afraid to think what their warriors may have.">

[Sutremaine]

Kusque - Binder

<Shall we try now, or make our preparations in the morning? If we can find a lone worker now, we should take the opportunity unless you think they'll give us some when we walk in and start talking to them.>

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See OOC thread, not sure how many others are following it.

[GnomeGninjas]

Kidnap a lone one now.

[rweird]

Grazik - Orc Shaman (Druid/Wizard)

<They lose power the longer they work, If we must run, we still have an advantage, If they range far, they will lose there magical support while far away from the main camp and anyone that could support them, then we could strike. Then still would be clumsy in the forest and we can be hard to find.>

[GnomeGninjas]

Mal, scout
<If we are in the middle of there camp and they decide to execute us we will be surrounded and killed, some may escape but not many, we need to know if its likely that they'd promise a truce to negotiate and then cut us down.>