House Kaliaxix Session 9

15:00:15 <SqueeGM>	When we left off, the day before the caravan was due to leave was ending. Lehkurehn had been reminded of his religious practices by the appearance of robed figures outside his window, Latrehkiks caught up on his patrolling, and Kerosis had found a hook for her stump that would let her regain some of its lost utility, as well as some medical supplies and the reliquary of the late physician she succeeded.
15:01:07 <SqueeGM>	Now would be the time to decide what you will be taking with you, as you'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.
15:03:58 <Lehkurehn>	Evaerything currently on hand plus the poison because why not?
15:04:14 <Latrehkiks>	As a guard I imagine Latrehkiks is already going to be carrying everything he should be.
15:04:27 <SqueeGM>	Pretty much.
15:08:28 <SqueeGM>	Kerosis?
15:09:42 <Kerosis>	one sec
15:18:34 <Kerosis>	Well, we kinda left off last time in the middle of me heading out to do things. I'd hope by now the weird Hyumbalai seeds have been planted somewhere, and someone's willing to water those while I'm out of town...
15:19:04 <SqueeGM>	Yes, you can just put them in the garden.
15:20:27 <Kerosis>	this foot I believe went to someone else whose name I'm blanking on...
15:20:55 <SqueeGM>	You never actually gave it to Kehxilehn, although you could.
15:21:09 <Kerosis>	well, that was the plan there, yes
15:21:43 <SqueeGM>	Anything else?
15:22:02 <Kerosis>	and, that generally frees a bit of weight up for me. Don't suppose I need spare water flasks on hand either.
15:22:31 <SqueeGM>	Down to 18/20.
15:22:35 <Kerosis>	yup
15:22:55 <SqueeGM>	Is that all?
15:23:50 <Kerosis>	eh, cup and utensils fall under surgical stuff too
15:23:57 <Kerosis>	rest of this I can see potentially coming up as handy
15:24:48 <SqueeGM>	You actually have a set of tools specifically for surgery at home. Although they are kinda... used.
15:25:11 <Lehkurehn>	Just stick potentially useful stuff on the caravan so you don't have to carry them.
15:25:28 <Kerosis>	right
15:25:53 <Lehkurehn>	we are 10% lighter now anyways :V
15:27:57 <SqueeGM>	Ready to move on, then?
15:28:20 <Kerosis>	Seems so
15:31:49 <SqueeGM>	The next day, after dinner, everyone has to assemble near the town's exit, where the caravans have been hauled after being hitched to water-drinkers. Latrehkiks, the three other caravan guards, and the caravan leader is there when Kerosis and Lehkurehn arrive.
15:33:35 <SqueeGM>	The caravan leader pulls Lehkurehn aside. "Greetings, of-Kaliaxix, I believe your name is Lehkurehn? I am Haeliksis, it is my duty to ensure your caravan reaches Lakehxixehdnehohsis-em-a safely. Shall I fill you in about the journey?"
15:34:38 <Lehkurehn>	""Greeting to you the same. yes. A summary should suffice."
15:36:17 <SqueeGM>	"Very well. We'll be taking the route along the ocean until we reach the river, and moving along there to the city. We'll have to pass through Pehrxixehndehrliksis-em, so your House has supplied the money for the toll. I hope we shall not run into any trouble on the way, but the guards should be able to handle it, yes?"
15:38:41 <Lehkurehn>	"I have seen these guards in action, I'm confident they can handle any threat."
15:39:33 *	Kerosis nods nervously at that.
15:42:14 <SqueeGM>	Haeliksis nods with satisfaction. "Well, get on board. You and I can take the first carriage, your friend can sit with the driver in the back, and the guards can walk alongside us."
15:43:56 <Lehkurehn>	"Lead the way"
15:44:04 <Lehkurehn>	what are the caravans like?
15:44:59 <SqueeGM>	The carriages have a step on the front where two people can sit, and a covered back loaded with crates. They're pulled by two water-drinkers each.
15:46:45 *	Lehkurehn hoists himself up into a carriage and settles in. He silently hopes that this trip will go better than the last one. No more creepy dogs, no more poison.
15:48:19 *	Latrehkiks gets into his guard position alongside one of the carriages.
15:49:46 *	Kerosis takes a nice comfy carriage seat as well.
15:52:57 <SqueeGM>	The caravan sets off along the road as Latrehkiks and his compatriots settle into an even pace alongside it.
15:53:51 <SqueeGM>	The road splits off and gets a bit rougher, heading south, the ocean within sight and rolling hills on the other side.
15:54:19 <Lehkurehn>	"so. Who exactly are we selling to, Haeliksis was it?"
15:56:15 <SqueeGM>	"Yep. Your House paid me to take your goods down to Lakehxixehdnehohsis-em-a, a city of House Hadnehrxix, to sell. It's my understanding you're along with us to eke out some kind of trade deal with them. I suppose it's a good opportunity to gain some influence."
15:59:05 <Lehkurehn>	"Hadnehrix eh? Yeah, Tehnehr's been sending me out on all the hard missions lately, either he's prepping me for a promotion or trying to get me killed," Lehkurehn laughs.
16:00:12 <SqueeGM>	"Perhaps he trusts you to get the job done. Or perhaps there is no one else to send." Haeliksis chuckles.
16:02:07 <Lehkurehn>	"I'd like to pretend I'm not we're not spread so thin," he chides.
16:03:10 <Kerosis>	"Well, it's certainly the impression I've had..."
16:04:03 <SqueeGM>	"Not to worry," he says. "A few more generations and you'll be complaining about how you have nothing to do. Assuming your House doesn't get wiped out, that is." He lolls out his tongue.
16:06:28 <Lehkurehn>	"Better rich and nothing to do than stuck in that old crypt and nothing to do."
16:07:42 <SqueeGM>	"Oh, you'll have plenty to do when you're dead. That's what my father tells me, anyway." Haeliksis leans back against the seat with the reigns. "So many places to be in at once."
16:08:36 *	Kerosis glances nervously about some more.
16:08:45 <Lehkurehn>	"Speaking of," He nudges his reliquary, "Xisehdn, you know the old towns and scandals right? Know anything 'bout where we're heading?"
16:09:47 *	Latrehkiks also keeps his head on a swivel while he walks, paying more attention to his surroundings than most other things.
16:11:29 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn appears sitting between Lehkurehn and Haeliksis, almost pushing both of them off. "Wha? Where are we heading?"
16:12:34 <Lehkurehn>	"Lakehxixehdnehohsis-em-a."
16:13:11 <Lehkurehn>	"by way of some smaller town no less."
16:15:48 <SqueeGM>	"Ahh." Xisehdn thinks. "We didn't have anything to do with them when I was alive. I think it was a manufacturing city. Hadnehrxix is pretty well-established, they have a lot of influence on the coast because they buy goods for their manufacturing."
16:16:46 <Lehkurehn>	"Manufacturing? Manufacting what?"
16:18:42 <SqueeGM>	"Luxury goods and metalworking, I think. You know, jewelry, fine clothing, weapons and armor."
16:21:04 <Lehkurehn>	"Hmm... we could probably pad our armoury," Lehkurehn muses to himself. "In a surplus market it'll be cheaper so if we..." he trails off. He too far gone into merchant mode now.
16:22:46 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn disappears, and Haeliksis settles back into his place, frowning.
16:25:15 <Kerosis>	"So... how long should this journey take us, exactly?
16:27:12 <SqueeGM>	"Three days," Haeliksis calls back, then turns to Lehkurehn. "Which reminds me, it's your decision when we stop. It's roughly a day and a half to Pehrxixehndehrliksis-em."
16:32:21 <Lehkurehn>	"We'll stop at dusk I guess. We should probably play it by ear."
16:33:52 <Kerosis>	3d6
16:33:53 <Dicey>	Kerosis, 3d6: 6 [3d6=3,1,2]
16:36:21 <Latrehkiks>	3d6
16:36:21 <Dicey>	Latrehkiks, 3d6: 9 [3d6=3,3,3]
16:36:54 <Lehkurehn>	3d6 see
16:36:54 <Dicey>	Lehkurehn, see: 11 [3d6=5,5,1]
16:37:01 <Lehkurehn>	3d6 saw
16:37:02 <Dicey>	Lehkurehn, saw: 13 [3d6=3,6,4]
16:39:20 <SqueeGM>	The caravan rolls along for a while, the sun passing its peak in the sky, and Haeliksis is biting into some trail rations and washing them down from his flask when he swallows abruptly and points ahead of them. Two figures have just stepped out of the bushes ahead of the caravan.
16:40:16 <SqueeGM>	They wear tan and beige-colored clothing, and have khopeshes in their belts. They hold their arms in the air as they stand in the way of the caravan, forcing it to stop.
16:42:48 <SqueeGM>	One of them steps up and puts his hands on the water-guzzler, while the other stays back with his arms folded. The first points to the hill over yonder, away from the ocean. "Do you see that hill?"
16:43:22 <Lehkurehn>	"Yes."
16:44:36 <SqueeGM>	"There is a cannon on the other side of it, pointed at..." He glances down. "...pretty much exactly where you're stopped. If one of us gives the signal, your carriage is in pieces. So, how about a toll, eh?"
16:45:15 <SqueeGM>	Haeliksis leans over to Lehkurehn and whispers, "If we give them our money we won't have anything for the toll on the river."
16:46:45 <Lehkurehn>	"We could kill these two and move inland instead maybe?" He whispers.
16:47:17 <Lehkurehn>	"we could also pay in goods."
16:47:26 <SqueeGM>	"If you think we could kill them fast enough, and it's worth losing a whole carriage full of goods," he whispers back. The bandit taps his fingers on the water-guzzler.
16:48:47 *	Lehkurehn sighs. "How much is your toll?"
16:49:53 <Lehkurehn>	We're how far out?
16:50:08 <SqueeGM>	"How much do you have?" the bandit replies. Haeliksis discreetly signals eleven coins and three pennies.
16:50:22 <SqueeGM>	About four hours.
16:53:49 <Lehkurehn>	"One coin, five." Lehkurehn produces his own coin pouch and jingles it. "Or would something else suffice?"
16:54:16 <SqueeGM>	The bandit thinks about it. "What are you carrying?"
16:54:20 *	Lehkurehn nudges xisehdn to attention
16:54:58 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn appears on the coach seat again, forcing Haeliksis off and onto the ground.
16:56:01 <Lehkurehn>	"Assorted goods" "How's a few grams of pepper sound?"
16:56:41 <SqueeGM>	"Actually, how about this. We'll take the closest crate."
16:57:37 <Lehkurehn>	what's the closest crate.
16:57:49 <SqueeGM>	Who knows?
16:58:21 <Lehkurehn>	"Fine."
16:59:24 <SqueeGM>	"Alright." He signals to his friend with his hand. "You know what'll happen if you try and move." They go around the back of the carriage, and Kerosis watches one of them climb partway inside and lift up a crate.
17:02:36 <Lehkurehn>	Whispers to Xisehdn, "If they actually have a cannon they'll have limited mobility. If we get over that hill and it's there have Ted send a 'goods recovery' party out here."
17:04:09 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn nods at Lehkurehn and disappears. Kerosis watches as the bandit heaves the crate up and hands it to the other, who holds it until he climbs down. The two of them carry it off towards the hill together, and the one who greeted them waves goodbye as they climb over it. "You're free to go!" he calls.
17:05:21 <Lehkurehn>	"I swear I'll tear their teeth out."
17:06:11 <SqueeGM>	Haeliksis grumbles as he climbs back up into the seat. "Don't take it personally. We were just unfortunate enough to fall into their trap." He grabs ahold of the reigns and starts the carriage moving again.
17:06:48 <Lehkurehn>	Looks behind them at the hill. as we pull away.
17:08:30 <SqueeGM>	The bandits disappear over the hill as the carriage starts up again, and once both carriages are clear, there is a loud explosion, and a solid metal ball lands firmly in the spot where the front carriage was, in a large cloud of dirt and dust.
17:08:39 *	Kerosis resumes breathing.
17:10:10 *	Lehkurehn seethes.
17:13:09 *	Latrehkiks is shaken slightly by the cannonball impact but quickly shakes it off as he keeps his pace with the carriages.
17:14:01 <SqueeGM>	The caravan rides off without further interference from the bandits, and soon leaves the spot behind them.
17:16:32 <Lehkurehn>	"How's everyone holding up?" He calls back.
17:19:49 <SqueeGM>	"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Only fell on the ground," Haeliksis mumbles.
17:20:32 <Lehkurehn>	"Sorry about that"
17:21:05 <Lehkurehn>	"time was of the essence in retrieving that crate."
17:21:30 <Latrehkiks>	"Well, wasn't expecting anyone to actually have a cannon as part of their tools, but." Latrehkiks coughs slightly, his gaze returning to checking his surroundings while he walks.
17:21:32 <SqueeGM>	"I don't think you're going to get it back. That was a pretty well-executed ambush."
17:21:47 <SqueeGM>	"Maybe next time they'll have two cannons, now," Haeliksis jokes.
17:23:20 <Lehkurehn>	"I don't want it back. I want their relics burned and their corpses buried."
17:24:29 <SqueeGM>	"We all get robbed a few times. It's part of the line of work." Haeliksis checks his nails.
17:25:30 <Lehkurehn>	"I do it on a weekly basis," Lehkurehn mutters regarding the scar on his foot.
17:25:39 *	Kerosis just starts looking at every rock tree and bush passed with alarm.
17:26:14 <Lehkurehn>	Do I notice this?
17:26:25 <Kerosis>	Probably.
17:26:25 <SqueeGM>	Probably not, there's a carriage in the way.
17:26:41 <Kerosis>	well, there's that
17:27:18 <SqueeGM>	"Had a few bad run-ins lately, eh? Well, at least you're still in one piece."
17:27:35 *	Kerosis glances at yon claw.
17:27:43 <Lehkurehn>	"some of my compatriots not so much"
17:28:22 <SqueeGM>	"Fair enough. Still, it's a dangerous world."
17:30:16 <SqueeGM>	A few hours of traveling later, as it's starting to get dark out, the carriage approaches a camp set up on the side of the road.
17:36:31 *	Kerosis freezes up a bit at the thought of these being still more bandits.
17:36:59 <Lehkurehn>	As we come beside them, Lehkurehn hops down to hail them.
17:37:21 <SqueeGM>	Lehkurehn hops down to hail the tents, but nobody responds.
17:37:47 *	Latrehkiks can't help but look and watch, his gaze peering around as he's still a little on edge.
17:39:09 <SqueeGM>	After several moments, there's still no response.
17:41:05 <SqueeGM>	And there continues to be nothing, even as Lehkurehn stands there. It seems there's no one here.
17:41:54 *	Latrehkiks fidgets a little as the silence bites at him. "I can't help but wonder if whoever was here will return, or.."
17:42:09 *	Kerosis looks around in the other direction for signs of an ambush.
17:43:14 *	Lehkurehn calls over latrehkiks and the guards.
17:43:31 <Lehkurehn>	"Investigate."
17:45:13 *	Latrehkiks nods as he readies his buckler and weapon, 'just in case'. He motions for the other guards to back him as well as he moves to peer into one of the tents.
17:46:35 <SqueeGM>	Latrehkiks and the three other guards approach the tents, and he peeks inside of the nearest one. There's a sleeping roll unrolled and open, but nothing else. There's also a bit of a foul smell in the air.
17:49:11 <Latrehkiks>	Latrehkiks covers his nose as the scent assaults him. He looks around for a few moments in case he missed anything before moving to the next tent, once again motioning for the guards to back him as he looks inside.
17:50:52 <SqueeGM>	The inside of the other tent isn't much different, the bedroll scrunched up against the wall of the tent and an unlit candle on the ground.
17:51:22 <SqueeGM>	That leaves one more tent across from the remains of the fire.
17:53:18 <Latrehkiks>	He looks at the last tent rather uneasily but once more makes his way over, guards at his back as he peers inside the final tent.
17:55:03 <SqueeGM>	Latrehkiks approaches the tent and carefully opens the flap, peering inside to see... yet another bedroll, and the rotting remains of a birddemon lying on top of it.
17:56:25 *	Kerosis continues being ultraparanoid on a wagon.
17:56:49 <Latrehkiks>	"Well, I wasn't expecting that." He turns his head to Lehkurehn as he tries to clear his nose of the smell. "There's a dead bird demon in this tent. Otherwise they're all relatively empty."
17:58:22 *	Lehkurehn shudders. "Is the demon still there?" he says as he wades through the camp to meet him. Any other casualties? There's three tents."
17:58:57 <Kerosis>	"Dead from what, exactly?"
17:59:04 *	Kerosis gives up on that whole blinking notion.
17:59:25 *	Lehkurehn waves kerosis over
17:59:43 <Latrehkiks>	"The body is anyway, rotting. The other tents were empty aside from bedrolls and some scattered things." His gaze turns to Kerosis before he peers inside the tent again, peering closer at the corpse.
18:00:33 *	Kerosis pulls that handy mask out once the smell hits, and goes over to play forensic analyist.
18:25:12 <SqueeGM>	Lehkurehn moves over to the camp to stand next to Latrehkiks and the other guards as Kerosis dons her plague mask, and she steps inside to look over the body.
18:25:58 *	Latrehkiks looks to Lehkurehn before he peers back inside the tent, watching Kerosis.
18:26:51 <SqueeGM>	Kerosis looks over the body, which has attracted pests and stinks something terrible. Heal check? (DC 9)
18:27:19 <Kerosis>	3d6+1
18:27:19 <Dicey>	Kerosis, 3d6+1: 9 [3d6=2,3,3]
18:27:23 *	Lehkurehn merely shrugs
18:30:07 <Kerosis>	Pekohxix there able to help at all?
18:33:12 <SqueeGM>	Kerosis grimaces under the mask as she picks through the corpse of the bird. He's definitely dead, and probably has been for a while. Kerosis takes out the reliquary wrapped close to her and gets Pekohxix's attention.
18:34:40 <SqueeGM>	The ghostly doctor appears in the tent with her, and she explains the situation to him. He examines the body himself.
18:34:54 <SqueeGM>	3d6+5
18:34:54 <Dicey>	SqueeGM, 3d6+5: 18 [3d6=2,6,5]
18:35:54 <SqueeGM>	"He appears to have been mauled by a wild animal. Here, you can see the scratches and bite marks, and they've ripped him open. That's why there's dried blood here. He's probably been dead, mmm.. a few days?"
18:38:30 *	Kerosis nods, looking slightly less tense. "So... no need to worry about bandits lurking about I suppose."
18:38:35 <Lehkurehn>	"At least it wasn't a spineboar."
18:38:40 <Latrehkiks>	"No way to go, that." Latrehkiks muses, before turning his gaze to the other tents. "Makes me wonder where his friends happened off to though."
18:39:01 <SqueeGM>	"Not unless they've trained them to kill and eat people, no."
18:39:38 <Kerosis>	"Right... thanks for the help then."
18:39:54 *	Kerosis gets back out into the fresh air.
18:39:55 <SqueeGM>	Pekohxix nods and vanishes.
18:41:31 <Latrehkiks>	"Well.. Do we stop here and hope whatever got him doesn't come back, or do we keep on?"
18:42:02 <Lehkurehn>	"We should probably clean this place up then." And Lehkurehn begins digging around for valuables. How terrible.
18:42:53 <Kerosis>	"Well... I'd imagine whatever it was has moved on. Otherwise he'd be more um... eaten."
18:43:14 <Lehkurehn>	3d6
18:43:14 <Dicey>	Lehkurehn, 3d6: 6 [3d6=2,1,3]
18:43:21 <Latrehkiks>	3d6
18:43:21 <Dicey>	Latrehkiks, 3d6: 18 [3d6=6,6,6]
18:47:02 <SqueeGM>	Lehkurehn noses around in the empty tents as Kerosis gets some fresh air outside the tent. Latrehkiks, meanwhile, inspects the perimeter of the camp. He finds footprints in the dirt, splatters of dried blood, and a purse that seems to have been ripped off of someone.
18:49:30 <Latrehkiks>	Latrehkiks blinks as he spots these just outside the camp, before he moves back towards the camp center. "Hey, Lehkurehn. Kerosis. I found something you two may want to see." he says, pointing towards where he just came from.
18:50:32 <Lehkurehn>	"You what now?" he says as he shuffles over.
18:50:48 *	Kerosis comes to have a look, and promptly returns to super nervous mode
18:51:45 <Latrehkiks>	"I found some footprints and blood, as well as a purse that was torn off whoever was carrying it. Don't know how long ago it all happened though." he says before heading back to where he found them.
18:53:28 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn chooses this time to appear amongst them. "Hey, Tehdnehr wants you to know -- oh, what happened here?"
18:54:27 <Lehkurehn>	"Well I'm no tracker," Lehkurehn says fingering through the purse. "One'd guess whenever 'this...'" He gestures towards the corpse, "...went down."
18:55:53 <Lehkurehn>	"Don't know what happened here, dear. Got a dead bird and what did you say did this Kerosis?"
18:56:11 <Latrehkiks>	"Not sure, beyond what you already see." he says to Xisehdn. "Hope to find out if at all possible though, make sure we're not in danger."
18:56:18 <Kerosis>	"I didn't but... an animal of some sort, apparently."
18:58:25 *	Latrehkiks returns to checking the perimeter though, but slower as he keeps his eyes out for anything else that may crop up.
18:58:55 <Lehkurehn>	"Either way, it seems unsafe to rest here. We could probably salvage their tents though."
18:59:17 <Lehkurehn>	"We could try to follow the tracks and look for a survivor."
19:02:08 <Kerosis>	"Well... I suppose we should if they're hurt, but if they're another bandit..."
19:02:35 <SqueeGM>	Lehkurehn feels the purse in his hand. It's heavy.
19:02:38 <Lehkurehn>	"...I'll stab them myself."
19:03:31 <SqueeGM>	He opens it up and peers inside. He can tell right away why; it's weighted down with coins. In addition to the money, he can feel two folded-up pieces of paper.
19:04:08 <Lehkurehn>	read Tom, hug notes
19:04:21 <SqueeGM>	That command does not compute.
19:05:23 <Lehkurehn>	Inspect papers
19:08:19 <Lehkurehn>	"Well Kerosis, if you think it's worth it we can send a party out to follow the tracks. The rest should set up camp."
19:08:45 <SqueeGM>	Lehkurehn unfolds one of the papers and finds a note, which reads, "A taste of what's in store. -Z"
19:09:02 <Kerosis>	"Well... it would be nice to learn exactly what happened here, in any case..."
19:09:36 <SqueeGM>	He unfolds the other one. It seems to be a map of the coast.
19:10:43 *	Latrehkiks eventually finishes walking around the perimeter and returns to the others.
19:11:48 *	Lehkurehn slides the paper into his mantle. "Latrehkiks!"
19:12:13 <Latrehkiks>	"Lehkurehn! Yes?"
19:13:22 <Lehkurehn>	"The lady here would like to search for survivors. Do you think it feasible to follow these tracks?"
19:15:07 *	Latrehkiks walks over to the tracks and kneels down, looking at them and where they lead. "Don't see why not. At least for a little ways, I don't want to split up our guard and get too far away in case something happens. Unless we're dragging literally everyone with us."
19:16:13 <SqueeGM>	Tracking roll?
19:16:15 <Lehkurehn>	"Bring whomever you want. The rest of us will set up camp. Come back if you run into trouble or it gets too dark."
19:16:46 <Latrehkiks>	3d6 tracking
19:16:46 <Dicey>	Latrehkiks, tracking: 5 [3d6=3,1,1]
19:18:11 *	Kerosis should really come along there too, potential medical emergency and all, so...
19:18:17 <Kerosis>	3d6 also tracking?
19:18:17 <Dicey>	Kerosis, also tracking?: 7 [3d6=2,4,1]
19:18:32 <Latrehkiks>	Latrehkiks rubs his snout before he stands back up. "I'd like at least one guard with me. And Kerosis too, incase there are injured."
19:19:39 *	Lehkurehn calls over another guard
19:20:58 <SqueeGM>	Latrehkiks wanders off away from the camp with Kerosis and another guard, into the lightly wooded surroundings. He quickly loses track of the trail, though, and is unsure where it even is. After half an hour in the woods, he finds another footprint, and realizes it's the same one he found ten minutes ago.
19:22:41 <Latrehkiks>	". . Yeah, I think we've just made a complete circle." he coughs. "I am admittedly terrible at tracking."
19:27:20 <Latrehkiks>	3d6 to not get lost
19:27:20 <Dicey>	Latrehkiks, to not get lost: 14 [3d6=3,5,6]
19:29:34 <SqueeGM>	Giving up, Latrehkiks starts to walk in a random direction. He sighs as he steps forward idly, then trips, stumbling into a tree. Glancing backward, he sees he just tripped over a dead body.
19:32:23 <Latrehkiks>	"Uhh. . I don't think that's a particularly good sign." he says, kneeling down over the body. "Kerosis, any idea what happened here?" he asks while he looks for anything noteworthy.
19:32:58 <Kerosis>	3d6+1 again with the forensics
19:32:58 <Dicey>	Kerosis, again with the forensics: 12 [3d6=4,2,5]
19:38:21 <SqueeGM>	Kerosis seems to have a little more success this time as she puts her mask on and leans down to inspect the dead tombdog, but only because she's seen this before. She can tell he's been dead for about as long as the birddemon, and he seems to have been similarly ripped apart.
19:39:01 <Kerosis>	More recently? Around the same time?
19:39:15 <SqueeGM>	It's hard to tell. Not significantly more recent.
19:39:41 <Kerosis>	"Same thing did this it seems... we should go back now."
19:40:35 <Latrehkiks>	3d6 belongings
19:40:35 <Dicey>	Latrehkiks, belongings: 8 [3d6=4,3,1]
19:40:40 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn, meanwhile, has been pestering Lehkurehn. "Lehkurehn, Tehdnehr says there was nobody there when the House got there."
19:40:42 *	Kerosis will, in fact, immediately start heading back, in something of a hurry.
19:41:19 <SqueeGM>	The guard accompanying them glances between Latrehkiks and the retreating Kerosis, and decides to follow Kerosis back to make sure she gets there safely, leaving Latrehkiks alone to search the body.
19:42:00 *	Latrehkiks blinks as he's left alone, likely causing his search to be rather more hurried.
19:42:28 *	Lehkurehn is grumpy. "Then they're probably nearby. They could've gone to town to unload their goods."
19:42:56 <Lehkurehn>	"If they have a cannon, they got it from the coast."
19:43:09 <Lehkurehn>	"they're probably long gone by now though."
19:43:30 <SqueeGM>	Latrehkiks quickly rifles through the rotting corpse's belongings, wincing as he shifts it and it slips off the tree it was leaning against and slumps into the dirt. He pockets the unfortunate's dagger and follows Kerosis's sounds before he's left behind.
19:43:47 *	Latrehkiks indeed does make haste!
19:43:56 <SqueeGM>	"Well, they found the big metal ball, but that was it. Not even wheel tracks."
19:45:33 <Lehkurehn>	"Either it was a carried model, They were stacking or they have foreigners then."
19:47:02 <Lehkurehn>	"If it's the latter though, they are too powerful to be bandits so that's probably not the case."
19:47:41 <SqueeGM>	"Well, just wanted to give you an update on that. Tehdnehr wants to know how the caravan is going otherwise."
19:49:37 <Lehkurehn>	"We've set up camp. Food should be ready soon. Kerosis and the head guard went off to look for survivors." Lehkurehn pokes at the fire with a stick.
19:50:08 <Lehkurehn>	"We should be at the next town by tomorrow."
19:51:23 <SqueeGM>	"You've set up camp?" Xisehdn looks around. "The tents look dirty, like they've been out for days."
19:53:06 <Lehkurehn>	"More like we've acquired camp." His tongue lolls a bit
19:55:00 <SqueeGM>	Xisehdn shrugs and disappears. Half an hour later, Kerosis comes crashing into camp, followed by a guard.
19:56:42 <Kerosis>	"So whatever it was that killed the bird also killed a tombdog off in the woods it seems... so um... that's something to look out for."
19:58:13 *	Latrehkiks shouldn't be more than a minute or so behind the pair as he stumbles back into camp in his rush to catch up.
19:58:49 <SqueeGM>	Latrehkiks does manage to find his way back despite them running off without him, out of breath, clutching a rusty dagger to his chest.
19:59:07 <Lehkurehn>	"Welcome back."
19:59:54 *	Kerosis looks back at Lat, a bit embarrassed.
20:00:26 <Latrehkiks>	"T-thanks." he pants, before now taking a moment to look at the dagger more closely. "This was on the body we found though."
20:00:45 <SqueeGM>	It's a shitty dagger. Shoddy, actually.
20:01:19 <SqueeGM>	It doesn't seem to have fared well from its time in the wild.
20:01:36 <Kerosis>	"So um... does anyone suppose these people are all maybe connected?"
20:01:54 <Latrehkiks>	Any markings or anything discernable of that nature?
20:02:35 <Latrehkiks>	"That's a vague possibility, but I haven't the slightest clue."
20:02:45 <Kerosis>	"I mean... if there's bird pirates, and bandits with cannons, and a camp nearby with birds and tombdogs and large stashes of money, then um... maybe we shouldn't stay here."
20:03:07 <SqueeGM>	It's not of fine quality, it's slightly crooked, and its handle is wooden.
20:04:44 *	Latrehkiks sets the dagger down nearby before he looks to Kerosis. "I'm starting to kind of agree with the doctor here. I'm not liking how this is shaping up."
20:06:29 <Lehkurehn>	"The guzzlers are fed. We could push on, but we'd exhaust them. We should sleep somewhere. Just maybe not here..."
20:09:01 <Latrehkiks>	"Yeah.. I'm not sure where would be good though." he rubs his own shoulder as he thinks. "We could go down the road a little ways, unless you saw anywhere else nearby."
20:10:32 <Kerosis>	"Wouldn't it be better to get off the road and um, hide?"
20:12:58 <Lehkurehn>	"Against bandits maybe. Against whatever this is I don't know. I don't think these guys were bandits. They had no weapons and too much money. I'd suspect they were merchants or couriers" He shrugs.
20:15:43 <Lehkurehn>	"If moving is what the doctor orders, then we can. Sleep on the cart, keep up a guard and all that."
20:17:11 <Latrehkiks>	"Well, maybe we should go up the road a little ways and then get some rest off the side of the road. Try to make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible, we might not be looking for bandits but it's easy enough to attract other unwanted attention too." although he nods. "I'll walk along the carts for now, I'm not quite tired yet."
20:17:47 *	Kerosis nods a bit "I suppose that sounds safe enough."
20:19:06 <Lehkurehn>	"Then it's settled." He dusts himself off and informs the others
20:20:46 <SqueeGM>	So the caravan is taking off?
20:21:41 <Kerosis>	seems so
20:21:46 *	Latrehkiks pats Kerosis' shoulder before he walks to the caravan. "Let's hope we're just being paranoid."