Book 1 - Chapter 4: Forward, to Conflict

[Asta]

Location: Telan
Date: Oaeksaber 23, Fesdey, 795
Time: 1900


The return south was slower than your initial ride as more people means hindered travel, however the size of your group drove away potential monster encounters allowing for relatively stress free riding.

At last on the evening of the 18th, ten days from your departure, you arrive back in Telan. As the small column of troops, with you riding along,  approach Telan you notice that a large gathering of villagers are milling about the edge of the village proper. It seems one of the militia watchmen noticed your group from a distance and let people know. At the head of the group Mayor Marcas MacLamraich stands expectantly. He flashes a wide smile your way as you pull up on your horses.

"You did a fine job! Welcome back." He says jovially, then turns to the expedition captain. "Gentlemen, welcome to Telan and thank you for coming to our aid. Please, let me know if there's anything we can do to assist you."

Captain Maddox and the mayor enter into a brief discussion about the general plan for where his force of about 20 men might stay. In the end, they will be forming a little military camp just outside the village so as not to interrupt the flow of daily life in town. As the sun rapidly sinks below the horizon, Captain Maddox and his group set up camp leaving you to go about your business.

[pringerbeam]

     "Ah, back at last... How I missed a good bath. If only all your inns were as hospitable as the Stardust Knight. I wish we had a chance to stop over there on our way back. I was hoping to pick up some decent wine but I guess my uncle's cellar will have to do." He said as he stretched his arms. "I will be at my uncle's manor cleaning up should anyone need me... Hopefully not alone." He said as he saw one of the village girls he had "met" on his eve of departure. He set his horse into a light trot to catch up to her.

[info]Diplomacy to try and secure a bathing companion[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+9 : 10 + 9, total 19[/blockquote][/info]

[Asta]

Despite the overbearing pomp of Thedrin's comment, the village girl does seem inclined to join him in his offer.

"Oi will never understand that..." Scathach says in mild disbelief watching the two of them leave.

[Asta]

Location: Telan
Date: Oaeksaber 24, Resdey, 795
Time: 0600


In the morning, you are awoken to the sound of knocking on the door to your lodgings. It's a member of the expeditionary force, a young man no more than eighteen whose name you hadn't bothered to learn yet. The knot on his shoulder that holds his cloak on says he's a private. He has an earnest face.

"Captain Maddox sent me to come find you. Would like you to meet with him at his tent in camp if you can. It's the bigger one, can't miss it."

After delivering his message he gives a short bow and runs off, presumably to go gather up the others in your group.

[pringerbeam]

     Thedrin cracked open a single bleary eye at the private before looking over to the pre-dawn gloom outside the window. "Lady of the Lake... six in the morning? We're not even on campaign yet..." He complained as he shifted in his bed. "Fine, let the captain know I'm on my way." He then set about untangling himself from the embrace of his companion before getting armed and setting out to the camp.

[Asta]

Location: Expedition camp outside Telan
Date: Oaeksaber 25, Resdey, 795
Time: 0700


When at last you all present at the captain's tent Maddox thanks you for coming and lays out a map of the area on a table.

"I've asked you here for your assistance dealing with this goblin issue. Not that I doubt our ability to deal with the threat, they are only goblins after all, but your local knowledge would be useful in navigating the terrain. Almost all my men are from the area around Aite-Aerd, so your help would be much appreciated. I assumed you would likely volunteer anyway." Maddox retrieves a small box full of troop markers from under the table and arranges the little figures around the point on the map representing Telan.

"The assumption we are operating under, based on the report you delivered to the Righ, is that a large group of goblins has begun to mass somewhere in the region. The boldness of their coordinated raid on the town, and their unusual 'bravery' leads me to believe that the attack was a prelude to something much larger. The watch captain here informed me that while there hasn't been another assault on the settlement, outriders have had to rescue more than one trade caravan from being harried."

The captain folds his arms across his chest before continuing. "It is likely that the bulk of this 'goblin army' is residing somewhere sufficiently distant from the town as to not be easily discovered, and has smaller camps of scouts and raiders stationed between their location and ours."

"In essence, my plan of action is to divide the men into scouting parties and send them out in a radial pattern to search for goblin encampments. IF we find any, we'll wipe them out and see if we can gain more information from them. Hobs can speak the common tongue, but they're smart and might not give us accurate intelligence. The smaller goblins however, are easier to trick. We should aim to capture one, and interrogate it. If you have someone here that speaks their language, that's good, if not Private Calcote here is fluent."

He motions to the young private that fetched you earlier the day, who returns a sharp salute. Captain Maddox then points to a location on the map. "We'll begin our search area at eighty miles from Telan, so about two days ride out and two to return. If we find something, we'll go from there. If not, we'll expand the search. Your participation pending, I'd like your group to take the southeast direction towards the mountains."

[pringerbeam]

     "Of course, and how many men will be under my command? Ten? Fifteen?" Asked Thedrin with a yawn.

[Asta]

Captain Maddox looks at Thedrin for a beat. "I was unaware you held rank in the Righ's standing army." He finally says with a dry sarcasm. "As you are aware, since you traveled with us for the last two weeks, only twenty soldiers comprise this expeditionary force. To answer your question, none. Your group of four is a complete scouting party."

[pringerbeam]

     "Well I was hoping that special dispensation could be arranged for one with my accomplishments." Replied Thedrin with a pout. "I also figured that a captain such as yourself would need to delegate the command of the actual scouting parties from the camp here. But if you require a demonstration of my tactical acumen then I will easily take this scouting party and bring you the coordinates of that camp, if not the head of the goblin king himself."

[Asta]

"We killed a skeleton in a tomb..." Scathach mutters just loud enough to be heard.

"The Captain prefers a more personal style of command." Sergeant Eoan interjects with a gravelly rumble. "When you spend time in the mud with the men you as to die for you, they grow to respect that you would die for them.

"Enough Eoan." The Captain chides again as he did outside the walls of Aite-Aerd, and so many times in between there and Telan. It is quite evident that the soldiers that follow Captain Maddox have a level of admiration and respect for him that cannot be questioned.

"At any rate I'm sure you will produce results. We are on a time crunch here, if you cannot find anything after your two days ride out make sure to return promptly and we will try another tactic. Dismissed."

With that, Maddox begins going over the assignment of scouting parties with Sergeant Eoan. You overhear him mention he will lead one of them personally. You are free to make any preparations for your scouting sortie to the southeast, before leaving town.

[Asta]

Location: Outskirts of Telan
Date: Oaeksaber 25, Resdey, 795
Time: 0730


You depart from town in a southeasterly direction, leaving behind traveled roads to traverse the untamed grasslands in search of goblin encampments.

[info]Skill Challenge
To locate a goblin encampment, as a party you will need to pass a certain number of skill checks related to your task. You may perform a round of skill checks every 3 hours, to try and find clues to locate your target. Assuming you do not continue after the sun sets, this gives a total of 8 rounds of checks before you must return to Telan. If you continue to press your search after sunset, you will incur penalties to your checks until the next day.

Time Crunch: If you cannot locate a goblin camp in 2 days, the challenge is failed.[/info]



After riding for some distance, Scathach pulls her horse to a stop. "We should probably take a look around for tracks or something" she comments.

[pringerbeam]

     Thedrin looked about with a bored sigh. "If only we had tracking beasts. A foxhound or something. My grandmother had a small pack of trained wolves for hunting. Old crone was obsessed with the things. Wolf this, wolf that, wolf-fur cloaks, wolf fang ivory. I swear the old bitch was probably a werewolf in disguise." He said as he dismounted and casually looked at the grass with his arms crossed.

[info]Survival Check[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 11, total 11[/blockquote][/info]

[Throndir]

[info][blockquote]Survival 1d20+3 : 2 + 3, total 5[/blockquote][/info]

[Oath]

[info] Using Knowledge: Local to see if there is anything amiss due to bands of goblins being in the area.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 1 + 8, total 9[/blockquote]
[/info]

[Asta]

After some time searching the area, tracks are spotted a bit of nearly dried mud. Much to her surprise, both Scathach and and Thedrin were able to pick them out among the random formless depressions that littered the soft ground.

"Guess you're more capable than you look" she remarks.

The tracks lead further southeast, so once remounted you head in that direction.