"Yes."  The pale elven warrior starts to turn and stops, "Put them in a pile in the ditch we dug.  When we return, maybe this one can burn them into ash, and thus disguise how many died here should the Imperial Guild track the remains down."

Dilandua heads off in the direction Reanna pointed, looking for evidence of the horse and rider's passage...



OOC:  Second to worst Character I have to go Tracking with, and Jednesa's not allowed to even roll the skill if there are no bonuses...  It goes without saying Dilandua will take extra time trying to find the trail.


23:22, Today: Dilandua rolled 8 using 3d6.  Tracking 5 (Defaulted).  Prayin for a miracle...

Without bonuses (like for a body dragging from the stirrup, splashed blood trail, etc) it'll take Dilandua 8 times longer to find the trail than normal.

With a nod, he replies, "I can burn bodies, when the more urgent things are done."

Having seen (most of) the battle, the thin mage points after the uncontrolled horse.

"This way."

OOC: Did I manage to pick up a staff, or sling and some stones/bullets?

[Private to GM: 04:51, Today: Virgilio Hohlfeld rolled 5 using 3d6.  Tracking (default 8) (+unknown for dragging body and blood trail).]

OOC: Have I recovered my fatigue points yet?

In reply to Dne Utrotare (msg # 919):

I also failed the tracking roll...

Reanna will begin to collect and strip the dead.

In reply to Reanna Draegan (msg # 920):

by the time Reanna has gotten through with the redshirts, Dne will have recovered their fatigue.  Virgilio espies a carved and embellished staff...


the star metal manacles and bridle are about a foot and a half long, and weigh about 15lbs all together.

And Dilandua had headed off down the road in the direction it was pointed that the horse had gone.



OOC:  And to reiterate the earlier roll:
23:22, Today: Dilandua rolled 8 using 3d6.  Tracking 5 (Defaulted).  Prayin for a miracle...

Without bonuses (like for a body dragging from the stirrup, splashed blood trail, etc) it'll take Dilandua 8 times longer to find the trail than normal.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:22, Mon 26 July 2021.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 921):

Strip the bodies, burying anything not of value and gathering up all valuables well off the road. I presume it will take some time.

Virgilio quickly snatches up the ornate staff that the previous owner no longer needs, then heads in the direction the uncontrolled horse went.

"I have a trail on the horse.  See, blood here, and more over there.

"I wonder what this staff might do?  Right now I'd settle for a Staff."

As he goes (at a jog, trying to catch up to Dilandua), he feels for magic in the staff he's picked up.

[Private to GM: 19:16, Today: Virgilio Hohlfeld rolled 12 using 3d6.  Detect Magic (15).]

In reply to Virgilio Hohlfeld (msg # 924):

the staff is magical, and  probably has the Staff enchantment on it, and with a few hours attunement, perhaps a power item.

Continuing on the trail of the horse dragging the (at the moment) sole surviving Guild mage, Virgilio gives a head toss in the right direction as he catches up to Dilandua.

"Come on, uh, elf person.  That horse probably won't go far before slowing down to deal with what's dragging."

"Not that I know much about horses, but I certainly wouldn't if I were a horse.

"Hey, probably a Staff, likely some other stuff.  That'll do for now, I'll figure out the rest later."  The tall former prisoner breaks into a grin.  "It would have been months, maybe years, before I could afford anything like this."

"Lead, I will be right behind you even if you can not sense me."

Dilandua will follow the ex-slave with silent footsteps.

We shall rest until fully recovered, thinks Lord Bird.

In reply to Dne Utrotare (msg # 928):

You head some dozens of yards up the iter while the casters rest, Reanna strips the bodies, and Aegis stands watch.


about 20 yards further ahead, following a trail oh metallic items, you find the horse and a very dead half-armored mage by the roadside, where the horse is grazing.

"Aah.  Good, none to tell the tale."  He turns to Dilandua.  "Do you think you can catch the horse?  We should take it with us, rather than let it find its way home.  Also I'd like to check this one's armor for fit and weight."

"I don't remember if this one was tall enough to have a chance."

OOC: the mage's armor is unlikely to fit well -- Virgilio is tall and very thin -- but if the guy's tall enough, it would be better than nothing until I can get it adjusted.

"You should approach, you have traveled with it, your scent is known, mine is that of a stranger and mixed with the smell of burned flesh and leather."

The tiny pale elf pauses.

"Also if it stomps you, there is more of you to stomp, and it is not stomping me.  If it flees you, I can kill it before it goes far."

Virgilio takes a deep breath -- and then lets it out as a heavy sigh.

"You make sense.  Though I wasn't allowed near the horses, at least I don't smell burnt and bloody.  Let's see what I can manage.

"I'll circle around, so if it spooks, it'll run toward the battle site, and past you, but give me a couple tries before you kill it.  I'm no horse master."

He starts circling, leaving the road on the side opposite the horse to keep distance.  Once well past, he'll start to approach the horse, slowly, speaking very softly.

"Gentle, gentle, let's talk a little.  I wish I had some sugar for you, but I can get that noisy thing out of your stirrup and then we can take a nice relaxing walk together."

[Private to GM: 05:15, Today: Virgilio Hohlfeld rolled 9 using 3d6.  Animal Handling (Equines) (default 9) to catch horse.]

Dilandua gives him a span of heartbeats to circle around and then creeps slightly closer from downwind, approaching to almost fifteen yards.  The warrior then crouches, slowly, stilling themself and readying to jump if necessary.



OOC:  Concentrate Maneuver.

In reply to Virgilio Hohlfeld (msg # 932):

Virgilio's tactic works; the horse is a bit calmer, and encumbered by the body it has been dragging, he is able to seize the reins.

A quick glance to confirm, then...

"Good girl, let's get this thing loose so you don't have to drag it."  He keeps a firm hold on the reins with one hand and strokes the animal's neck with the other, before stretching it to where the corpse's foot is tangled in the stirrup -- but if a quick twist or lift won't clear the tangle (very likely the case), he'll lead the horse to a nearby tree where he can tie the reins, then have both hands free to work the boot and (probably badly broken) foot free.

Once corpse and stirrup are separated, he'll drag the dead man away from the horse for Dilandua to search, then return to give the horse a careful check for injury (more or less the same way someone who doesn't drive and isn't a mechanic can look a car over for things like bent fenders, broken headlights, and flat tires).

"Good job,  I'll bring the mage back, you bring back the horse and gather the bits of his armor and belongings that were scattered along the road."

With a strength apparently greater than their slight size would indicate, the warrior hauls the dead mage upon their shoulders and trudges slowly back to the ambush site.

Every day in every way, I am getting birder and birder, Dne Utrotare thinks as his strength gradually returns.

"What's your name, girl?  Bet you can't tell me.  We'll figure something out soon."

With the horse still tied to the bush, Virgilio gathers up any loose armor bits in the close area, then frowns.  "You got bags on you to carry this stuff, girl?"  He checks the saddlebags for available space, and checks the contents as he stows the armor.

After stowing the loose armor bits and going through the saddlebags, Virgilio unties the reins and begins leading the horse back toward the massacre site.

"Cross over first, then loop under, close to a loose fist, open while twisting to present the palm."  As he mutters, he goes through the described motions with his right hand -- the gesture for a casting -- several times.

OOC: Boss, what was in the saddlebags?  And not mounting to ride because not a rider...

In reply to Virgilio Hohlfeld (msg # 939):

within the saddlebags are some personal basics,  a locked book with the  guild seal, and a portable writing kit, and adocument case with a guild seal and lock.

Dilandua staggers up panting, "This corpse is heavier than it looked," drops the mage near the others and then staggers away and drops in sitting position against a tree, "I'll be recovered shortly."

As the warrior rests, "We should take everything they have and burn the bodies here.  Dne can you sniff them out for out magic items?  And what do you know of ways they or their gear could be tracked?"



OOC:  If we can remain undisturbed for 24 minutes Dilandua recovers all FP.

23:28, Today: Dilandua rolled 14, 9, 4, 12 using 3d6,3d6,3d6,3d6.  Breath Control 12.  Each roll takes two minutes of rest.  8 minutes

23:29, Today: Dilandua rolled 12, 14, 12, 12 using 3d6,3d6,3d6,3d6.  Breath Control 12.  8 minutes.

23:29, Today: Dilandua rolled 9, 13 using 3d6,3d6.  Breath Control 12. 4 minutes.

23:30, Today: Dilandua rolled 13 using 3d6.  Breath Control 12.  2 minutes.

23:31, Today: Dilandua rolled 11 using 3d6.  Breath Control 12.  2 minutes.

The 13s they mock me.