"You must be very familiar with the woods and hills here.  Do you know of any ruins nearby? Such places are normally good lairs for such raiders.  I also have a professional interest.  I'm a dealer in antiquities--objects of great beauty. Ensuring that such items are recovered ethically should help preserve your wildlands from adventurers tromping about and helps preserve the dreams of the ancients for future generations."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:01, Wed 26 July 2023.

"We already trailed them to their lair, we followed them, remember? There are many ruins about." He replies to Corym.

"Can you break down the lair for me? What is the land like that approaches it?"

"The trail led about a day and a half into the Trielta hills, bypassing the areas settled by small groups of gnomes and halflings before entering a steep ravine. We had just caught sight of a doorway heading into one of the hills when we were set upon by ogres. The battle was brief; the ogres were not expecting people of our skill and quickly retreated, but before they did, Tosta was knocked from the trail and fell a great distance. She survived, but broke both her legs. We managed to stabilize her, but it was clear she would need treatment, and the two of us were uncertain of our ability to take whatever was under the ground by ourselves. We carried her home."

In reply to Yngvar the Mad (msg # 44):

He had been listening and didn't want to seem Blazey, so introduced himself, he had heard of these people from Tosta but was busy when the Druid introduced himself, hearing him but not responding, which he felt was wrong of himself, he hadn't heard the other introduce himself, so assumed he was the other one.

"You would be Elion and Yngvar", speaking to each in turn, ending with the druid. "I am Krackor, Lord Protector and Barakor of Gorm, Protector of the Dreams of the Ancients Adventuring Company and Warden of Oakhaven.

What you say sounds perplexing, if so many Ogres had been there, how many of your force and theirs died, they always have a watch by their camps. Maybe someone was in collusion with their leader as they rarely group without one.

Kitheras, Captain, I will prepare a Scrying but I need a map, a good one with the ravine, a goblet of Mead and a Sandwich.  I don't need a bowl but the water needs to be near a body of water or a pool within running water, if there is one around here, it has to be Natural.

He finished with such a cheery smile that it would be hard to chide him for such conditions being stated almost as a command, but they, or at least the company, knew that when Krackor spoke such long sentences, he meant serious business.

Waiting for the information and the map, Krackor will make plans for his casting of the Reflecting Pool, and how he can purchase another horse or pony.
"Did someone say they had a Mount spell ready?
Corym, I still have that Marching spell saved in the Ioun Stone, ready for you to access and write into your scrolls or spell book, which ever it is." He wasn't sure now if he'd changed his storage method for travel spells.

Kitheras

Calland shakes his head. "No. Never had trouble with giants. Bandits. Wolves in the winter. Orcs lost out of the High Moor. Never giants."

As you look around, you don't really see anything much in the way of looting inside the walls. One building was burned, but that was from balls of fired pitch lobbed over the walls by the giants. And they also knocked down a section of wall with boulders. But the smashing and grabbing was mostly isolated to the caravans outside the walls.

In reply to Yngvar the Mad (msg # 44):

After Yngvar describes the events, Torvek asks

"An unfortunate accident Yngvar.  With the time it took you to come come hear, that mean that the mayor has been taken three or four days ago.  Do you think that this doorway would lead to the lair and that it is likely where they still are?  "

"Good idea, Krackor.  Using scrying magic to help us find them could save us lots of problems.  I will conjure a mount for you when we are ready to leave."

"My investigation is complete.  I believe we're ready to leave."


((DM, I'll update my spells today.))

Kali casually gazed around the house while Kitheras spoke to Callend. As Kitheras was done with his line of questioning, Kali figured it was her turn.

"I have a couple of things to ask you, if possible.

Were the caravans that were attacked from a well established trade group, or more individual traders? With that in mind, do you know the type of stock that was stolen?

When the attack happened, did it seem that they had specific targets of either people or places? Meaning, did they attack a house to get the people to come out to grab them or were they just grabbing randomly as people fled?

Also, if you were a small horde of massive monsters, where would be a good place to hide?"

Calland blinked at the rapid-fire list of questions. He licked his lips, and slowly lowered his chair leg and set it beside the door. "I don't know which caravans were attacked, specifically. I was very busy dealing with the issues of the town, since Elvar stupi... ah, bravely decided to charge the giants breaking down the wall.

"I didn't see the attack itself. I was very busy with the fire brigade, keeping Triel from burning down. I did hear people complaining that some horses and cattle were stolen. But you know traders; 'some' could be one or several dozen. And where to hide?" He waves an arm vaguely east. "Have you seen the hills?"

Yngvar stays out of the way, not used to so many people! He found a tree and climbed up and sat in the lower branches, his feet hanging down. He watched, and listened, to what was going on around him.

Once the priest gets a description of the place and hopefully a map, Krackor asks someone who passes by about any streams or rivers very close by so he can find a small pond to scry in.

Krackor

As night has fallen, most people have retreated inside to eat or sleep. But there are guards at the gate and at the hole in the wall. All of them look puzzled when you ask about streams or rivers.

"The Chionthar? Down at Scornubel?" one guard says, pointing vaguely to the south.

"We get our water from wells," her partner adds.

In reply to DM (msg # 54):

Listening to the guards.. "uuumm, interesting. So how are the fields watered when the rains are not so frequent?" He wasn't so sure that a well would be enough, where as a spring would be.  "How about a spring or small stream that leads to the big river?" This could be difficult, he thought to himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Fri 28 July 2023.

More blank looks from the guards. "This is the Western Heartlands. It rains. A day without clouds is a message from the gods."

His partner nods. "A message to argue whether it's a good or evil message."

((ooc: What are you looking for here, Krackor?))

Kali cracked a small smile. "Yes, but not all hills are equal when it comes to places to hide ogres and hill giants. If there are any cave systems, mines or tombs in the area that would also be helpful to know about."

As they apparently weren't listening to him when he told them he knew where the giants were, he sat in the tree and dozed while they spun their wheels.

Calland shakes his head. "There are several communities of gnomes and halflings scattered about, but they keep to themselves. And they've found gold in there once or twice, but the rush always peters out. They're the most boring hills in Faerun. No dragons, lost kingdoms, or fallen castles. Good night."

He closes the door, and you can hear locks being thrown.

((ooc: "This spell enables the caster to cause a pool of normal water found in a natural setting to act as a scrying device"... So Krackor is looking for exactly what he asked for, water in a natural setting, like a stream or a spring.  EVERYWHERE has a stream near by, especially Hamlets and villages and such, but how far away or is it in the village green?.))

Krackor

((ooc: Triel isn't built on flowing water, but instead gets its water from wells (and makes money selling water to caravans). You'll be able to find a stream fairly easily once you're moving through the hills, especially if you're looking for one. So we'll do the scrying once the group gets underway.))

Group

((ooc: Anyone have anything else they want to do in Triel before you leave?

What sort of marching order and/or precautions are you taking as you go?))

Getting information about the well, he wonders if they are natural depositories or just common dug down wells, he was going to ask someone with Wizard Eye to check before resigning to the fact he'll have to cast his spell at a later time when they discover a stream.

Krackor goes back to the group and states:  "I've decided that it will take to long for me to cast this spell if we are heading out now.  It will be at least a bell before it would be fully cast as I'd need to prepare myself at the pool of water in a natural setting, maybe a dip that rain water or water from a waterskin settles, then add the drops of ink and stir it until something shows itself, even the Vigilant Host can't speed this up short of an Augury, which I don't have ready, maybe someone else has!  He looks around expectantly.

"Anyway, if off we need to go, shouldn't we go?  I still need a rough map, even a drawing of the entrance area!  The Captain, and I are ready, how about you Kali, Corym, Torvek?  Just needs a majority vote to get going, so any one of you and we are off.  Sorry Kitheras, I'm as eager as you are to be back here again with good news.  Direct me and I'll take the lead, on horse if one can be provided.  You say they are a day and some away or did I hear that incorrectly?   Maybe the Gnomes and or Halfling villagers could help us understand what is going on, I would wager that someone there knows something that others are not wanting to listen to!"  He shoulders his pack, grabs his black shield with the flame between eyes at the top and bottom of it, his trusty battle axe, quickly hold it in his shield hand, swigs the last of his drink or someone elses, returns the battle axe and stands ready.

He hadn't had a need to worry about his companions that much or was he being lax having had the dangers of Myth Drannor thrust upon them and everything else seeming, well, rather minor!

He then casts his spell on Yngvar, he didn't need to cast the Iron Vigil on himself just yet, he had only cast it 7 days previously on leaving The Standing Stone on the way to Myth Drannor (8 days left).

He'd last cast it on the way into Myth Drannor for Corym, now it was time to cast on himself.  Krackor then asks Yngvar is he will accept the blessings of a watch-up eye upon him, so the priest would know if there was a 'Dangerous Situation' that he was in "As with the members of the Dreams of the Ancients Exploration Company, would you accept the blessings of the Lord Protector so I would know if you are in danger for a number of days, you just have to kiss this rose petal?  If the Druid accepts, Krackor casts Sacred Guardian on him.

"So how far from here would it be if one and a half days into the Triel Hills, are they a few hours from here or a half day, maybe more from here?  You may have said this yet I was working on something, in which case, I need to be more vigilant."

He was working on the journey taking just short of 2 days as they were probably going to be travelling slower than the chase that had taken place, although it sounded like some urgency was required.  "Mid-afternoon, I will be casting a Blessed Watchfulness on someone, I could ask the Bronze Mask for additions, the Divine Blessings ensures any sleeping spells or sneaking of enemy, are thwarted, have very little effect.  You have time to think of it, you Yngvar, may be a recipient as we don't want you to be taken to slumber when we still require directions.  It had been said, he had said too much, he felt a duty and he wasn't sure why as he didn't know these people, maybe it was Gorm's insight with helping others or there were Dwarves to be rescued, he didn't know which but he was ready, alert and aware of the dangers ahead.

His smile never left his face, now it was a cheery grin, full of excitement.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:48, Sat 29 July 2023.

Yngvar jumps from the tree and walks over and kisses the rose petal to accept the spell, "It is a days travel to the hills, half a day into them to the ravine we go to."

The Guardian Priest bows slightly to the newly anointed bearer of the Bronze Mask's blessings.