Tag: Leman

9th day, 3rd ride, March, 1372 DR

Around mid-night, Abel stopped walking, halting our caravan. Both of them told me of wing-beats in the distance. We moved off the road and turned our attention to the sky. We saw what I presumed to be Zandos on his damned angry chicken. Roland sat down, staring at the ground in resigned shellshock, while Zandos circled overhead.

We argued the merits of moving along the river or through the woods. I opted that in all likelihood Zandos was slowing us down, knowing that time wasn’t on our side, hoping that we would be felled by fatigue rather than have troops catch up with us. We decided to move along the path instead of on it, to minimise our exposure while maximising speed and ease. Damn that mage!

Before dawn we found ourselves walking, single file, along the road. After a couple of hours we saw the first plumes of smoke rise up between the trees and soon we saw Eagle’s Eerie, the city wall, as well as the Constable’s Tower. At the nearest gate we sent a messenger to fetch Thorim. As we crossed the ford I started undoing the straps and buttons of my armour, preparing for the welcoming comfort of the Teshford Arms.

The welcome comfort was Olavia telling us we were 2 days late with our room pay. I paid her enough for another week, then we were suppied with food and a hot bath. Afterwards, Thorim came and we talked about our findings.

After Thorim left Abel retired. I wanted to warm up more and enjoy a good drink, thinking of the twenty-four gold I would be picking up the next day. I was woken three hours later after nodding off.

7th day, 2nd ride, March, 1372 DR

It was agreed to stay in the forest for the time being. We should be in Daggerfalls-controlled territory for at least another day before reaching Zhent-controlled territory. Or “contested” at best.

We also found that Roland can cook! He has a use!

At night we found shelter in a gully formed by several moss-covered boulders near a small stream. Abel scared the hell out of me by throwing his magic around without warning. What was he trying to kill? Rabbits. For dinner. Honestly, Abaddon, give me strength!

We set four watches – I got second – and Abel and Roland fell asleep almost instantly. After dinner I stayed awake through first watch with Abel, which was quiet and peaceful. My watch went well, and I finally became tired. I woke Roland and wrapped myself in two blankets and went to lie down. I tried to stay awake for a few minutes to make sure Roland din’t make any catastrophic mistakes.

8th day, 2nd ride, March, 1372 DR

So far, so good. I took a bath in the stream, which was freezing, but refreshing (and necesary!) I undressed a little way from camp, I don’t like to explain myself, and definitely not about things I’m not particularly proud of, like scars, burnmarks and tattoos.

An hour and a half into our journey our streak of luck changed; two days with no problems at 2gp a day was too good to be true.

The clearing smelled of ash and burnt meat. Seven or eight humans, all men, foresters loyal to Daggerfalls, were rushed and overwhelmed by Humans and Orcs who wielded magic. Abel purged himself of his breakfast as he saw the mutilated bodies, and decided to dig a grave. Thorim decided to help him because it was “the right thing to do.” We burn our dead because the ground is usually too frozen to bury them, and, well, because during the Great War you were never really sure whether they would stay down.

We decided, after much protest from Abel, to track the group responsible for the massacre. Two hours, due east, we found Centaur tracks (unshodded horse hooves) that hit upon the raider tracks. It was decided to continue and follow the two sets of tracks. After another hour we briefly stopped for a short rest only to continue, double-time.

At dusk we found that the Centaur tracks left the raider tracks. An hour after that, past sundown, we stumbled upon their camp. Roland crept closer and Abel and I moved down towards the river to mask the sound of our approach. Something went wrong with Thorim and Roland, because their approach was quickly discovered.

Our opposition consisted fo four Orc warriors, lead by a Human sergeant and a mage. The Orcs ran into the woods towards Thorim and Roland, while Abel and I were left with the two Humans. With Abel’s arcane powers and Abaddon’s furious might we quickly killed the warrior and sent the mage running…right into the arrows of what I can only assume were Centaur archers.

Thorim made short work of the Orcs; he is truly a formidable soldier. How Roland made himself useful, I do not know, nor car e, about. One Orc was left alive and semi-conscious for interrogation. Roland leaned on the Orc and he revealed the leader of the Flaming Tower to be a man named Gunmar. He also said there were many “shamans” and that they could fly.

Then Roland slit his throat.

We continued on along the river until midnight, and made camp in the woods. I spent some time in communion with Abaddon, cleansing and healing myself, purging myself of my sin, and re-aligning myself with Abaddon’s direction.

9th day, 2nd ride, March, 1372 DR

We walked. I took point. We were forced to stop after about six hours because Roland wasn’t able to continue any longer. We decided to start sleeping early and travel by night.

10th day, 2nd ride, March, 1372 DR

I was woken by Abel around two hours after midnight. We spoke a bit on guerilla warfare and its tactics. After we walked for a few hours we stumbled upon twelve men – Human, Orc and Half-Orc – whose badly mutilated bodies were crucified in the middle of the forest, on display, like grotesque scare-crows. Three of them showed signs of old scars and badly set broken bones, indicating, to me, their martial history. The rest looked like workers and craftsmen. I thought at first that the smell of rotting flesh were the signs of the undead. With Abaddon’s guidance that was quickly disproven as I felt no signs of the Restless.

The bodies were about two days beyond death. Strange how Zhentarim woodsmen seem to have been logging for wood three days from the Flaming Tower. We couldn’t find any signs of attackers, but the wounds didn’t seem clean or precise.