House Kaliaxix Session 10

<SqueeGM> When we left off, the caravan has discovered an abandoned campsite with three tents. One of them contained a week-old dead birddemon, and on the outskirts of camp Latrehkiks found footprints and blood, as well as a purse torn from its carrier. The purse was weighted down with money, and contained two folded-up pieces of paper. One was a note, which read, "A taste of what's in store. -Z" in tombdog scribblings, and the other w
<SqueeGM> as a map of the coast. Meanwhile, Latrehkiks, Kerosis and another guard split off to search the forest for the source of the footprints. They found a badly mauled body at the foot of a tree, who had only a rusty dagger to his name. Seeing all this, the party decided to move on.
* Strigon is now known as Latrehkiks
* Bluejay is now known as Lehkurehn
<SqueeGM> And so the party and their companions piled back into the wagons and set off again down the road. It's about mid-afternoon.
* Lehkurehn busies himself with counting the newfound coin.
<Kimik> oh hey
* Kimik is now known as Kerosis
* Latrehkiks rubs his nose as he walks alongside the carts, scanning the area.
<SqueeGM> Kerosis takes her place on the front of the second cart, and Lehkurehn counts out the coin as he sits on the front of the first, Latrehkiks walking alongside them. After double-checking, Lehkurehn counts the amount of money in the purse to be two Xerehn coins and twenty Xerehn pennies.
<Lehkurehn> "Well. This doesn't make up for the lost cargo but it's a nice find either way." Lehkurehn pockets the coin purse for later thinking of the goods he could fund with it.
<Latrehkiks> "How much would you wager we'd lost, anyway?" Latrehkiks asks, his eyes focusing back on the road again.
* Lehkurehn pauses for a bit before shaping roughly box sized dimensions in the air. "Umm. Roughly that much spice is like all the money. All of it. Let's hope it wasn't spice."
<Latrehkiks> His eyes look to Lehkurehn before returning to the road and woods. "Yeah, let's hope not."
<SqueeGM> "It would be a sizeable sum," Haeliksis agrees, "but let's not forget we still have over thirty boxes back there."
<Lehkurehn> "You ever been out this way, Latrehkiks?"
<Latrehkiks> "Can't say I have. Or if I have it's been so long that I don't remember it."
<Lehkurehn> "Hmm. I'm looking forward to seeing a foundry town. I've never been much further than the coast."
<Latrehkiks> "I've travelled a little bit since I left home. It's always nice to get out and see the lands... When they aren't attacking you, anyway."
<SqueeGM> "You wouldn't mind if I borrowed that map, would you, Lehkurehn?" Haeliksis asks.
* Lehkurehn hands him the map. "Go ahead."
<Lehkurehn> "The lands have had it out for me lately."
<SqueeGM> "It's dangerous times we live in," Haeliksis comments, unfolding the map and examining it.
<SqueeGM> Pokehxix appears on the side of the road near Kerosis, and seeing the wagon rolling away from him, starts jogging to catch up. "Where are we going now?" he asks Kerosis.
<Kerosis> "I believe we're still just off to sell what hasn't been stolen so far... I'm still a bit rattled honestly."
<SqueeGM> "Well, I wouldn't worry about it. It looked like that fellow in the forest was simply set upon by wild animals, but he didn't have a handful of guards like you do. The corpse was days old anyway, whatever killed him would surely have moved on long ago."
* Kerosis nods. "Still... there seem to be an awful lot of violent people around."
<SqueeGM> "That's the way of the world. It means little to kill someone, and there are a variety of tools for doing so quickly and easily, and the world often does so on its own. It takes much more effort to keep someone from dying, and we've little in the way of help. A nobler cause, I'd argue."
<Kerosis> "Still... for birds it's so... final."
<SqueeGM> "Yes, well, that's the price they pay for the power their demons give them."
* Kerosis nods.
<Latrehkiks> "How far have we travelled anyway, Lehkurehn? The only thing I can recall seeing that'd be considered a landmark was that camp."
<SqueeGM> "I think we're approaching the river," Haeliksis says, turning the map a little.
<Lehkurehn> "Maybe six or seven hours out. Don't know how far that'd be."
<Latrehkiks> "Hrmn. Seems like it's been longer. I blame the, shall we say, interruptions."
<SqueeGM> "Hopefully we'll be there by dusk. We left in the morning, so it's been a little less than half a day now."
<Lehkurehn> "Well yes," Lehkurehn mumbles. "If I ever meet them again I'll bury them in a ditch and fire their relics outta that cannon of theirs."
<Latrehkiks> "Dusk would be nice if we make good time." Latrehkiks rubs the bridge of his snout. "Well, let's hope it's no time soon. I'm not keen on being on the wrong end of a cannon."
<SqueeGM> As darkness falls around you, and Haeliksis squints increasingly at the map through the darkness, he suddenly points ahead. "We're almost at the river. We should probably stop here. If it gets any darker we'll walk right into it."
<Lehkurehn> Lehkurehn brightens. "Come now. Let's think of better things. What'll you do when when we return rich as House Fauhredn itself? Anything or anyone you have sights on?"
<Lehkurehn> "This follows beat, Haeliksis."
<SqueeGM> "I'm sorry, what?"
<Lehkurehn> "I agree."
<SqueeGM> "Ah. Well then." He slows the carriage, letting the one behind him slow down as well. "Would you like to pick the spot?"
<Latrehkiks> "Me? Personally? Just keep doing what I'm doing. It's dangerous work, but I get to travel around and see things I probably wouldn't otherwise. And not being in water IS rather preferable." Latrehkiks laughs a little.
* Lehkurehn hops of the cart. "Haha. Good good. Come Latrehkiks, let's find a camp site."
* Latrehkiks nods as he moves to start following Lehkurehn. "Sounds good to me."
<SqueeGM> Haeliksis gets off the cart and starts to untie the waterguzzlers. "We can take them down to the river. Someone will have to sleep by them to make sure they're not stolen, though. And don't set up the tents too far away, we'll need to keep an eye on those especially."
<Lehkurehn> we wander looking for a secure clearing.
<SqueeGM> 3d6
<Dicey> SqueeGM, 3d6: 9 [3d6=1,3,5]
<SqueeGM> A bit of searching finds you no perfect place to set up camp. The road slopes up into a hill on your right, and down to the beach on the left, with a sparse forest between you and the sand.
<Lehkurehn> "Well what do you think? Sand or hills?"
<Latrehkiks> "Hrmn.. Hard to say. If you think we can manage the sand without getting the caravan stuck, then probably there."
<SqueeGM> "We'll still need to put the waterguzzlers up by the river. They need fresh water, I'm pretty sure."
<Lehkurehn> "Don't think it will be a problem. If it rains we can pull the caravan back to the road."
<Kerosis> "Wouldn't the hills be better for staying hidden from any more bandits, or getting away in a hurry?"
<SqueeGM> "Also, I was just going to leave the carriages here. They're sort of a pain to get through difficult terrain. It's why we have roads, you know." He stands there uncertainly, holding the leads for the animals.
<Lehkurehn> "I guess one of us is camping with the guzzlers then while the rest of us sleeps up here."
<Latrehkiks> "Looks like. I suppose I will, unless someone else would rather?"
<Kerosis> "Go right ahead."
* Lehkurehn gives a noncommittal whistle.
<SqueeGM> "So, caravans on the road, guzzlers by the road with Latrehkiks, and the rest of us sleep up here?" Haeliksis verifies.
<SqueeGM> by the river*
* Latrehkiks laughs before he gives a nod to Haeliksis. "Sounds about right, yeah." he says, walking up to Haeliksis and the guzzlers.
<SqueeGM> Haeliksis points at the cart behind them. "Go get the two on there, and whatever you'll need for sleeping tonight from the cart."
* Latrehkiks nods as he goes to do so. He retrieves a blanket and not much else before untying the other guzzlers, bringing them over to Haeliksis.
<SqueeGM> (blanket brings you up to 10/20 weight)
<SqueeGM> Haeliksis nods at him and starts to lead the guzzlers away from the group. The other caravan guards start unloading the tents and such from the carriages.
* Latrehkiks follows Haeliksis towards the water, making sure to keep a good hold on the leads that he has himself.
* Lehkurehn yawns.
<SqueeGM> Pokehxix, meanwhile, disappears for the night. A caravan guard trudges up to Lehkurehn. "Where exactly are we putting these, of-Kaliaxix?"
<Lehkurehn> "Put what?"
<SqueeGM> "The tents."
<Lehkurehn> "Ah. Yes." I leave tht to your discretion." Lehkurehn waves his hand. "Any where that's dry."
<SqueeGM> The guard shrugs, and the three of them head up the hill to look for the flattest spots of ground.
<SqueeGM> Haeliksis leads Latrehkiks down the path, and notes where it starts to curve. "Look, see? It's going to follow the river. So we walk perpendicular to it, and we'll get there." He starts to trudge down off the path, keeping a tight grip on the guzzlers.
<Latrehkiks> Latrehkiks nods to Haeliksis as he listens, "Alright." he says, his grip still firm on the leads as he follows Haeliksis closely.
<SqueeGM> Haeliksis walks down the slope, digging his heels in to stay up right, and points ahead of them. "Look, there it is. The cataracts into the ocean are further east. We'll tie them up on a tree and you can put your blanket down on a dry spot."
<Latrehkiks> "Ah. Yeah, I see it. That sounds good to me." Latrehkiks says, doing the same to keep himself upright as he makes his way down the slope as well.
<SqueeGM> Haeliksis finds the closest tree to wind the leads around and tie them firmly. "I trust you'll be alright here, then? What will you do if it rains?"
* Latrehkiks ties the leads he has to the next nearest tree. "I should be fine, yeah. If I do anything, probably hide under the tree's cover best I can. Otherwise just deal with it. Unless it's a torrent of rain it sholdn't be too bad."
<SqueeGM> "Alright, then. We'll see you tomorrow." Haeliksis starts to trudge back up the slope.
<Latrehkiks> Latrehkiks nods as he gives the water guzzlers a pat. He then settles himself down to rest with his blanket.
<SqueeGM> The guards have managed to set up the tents by the time Haeliksis returns. There are six tents, and now they are removing their armor to get ready to sleep. "Someone's going to have to share a tent with someone else," Haeliksis remarks.
<Kerosis> "Just poor planning, or was one stolen?"
<SqueeGM> "Poor planning, it seems. We only brought enough for the caravan crew, not for you or Lehkurehn."
<Lehkurehn> "Oh. Well. Umm."
<Lehkurehn> "Would you like me to sleep outside, Kerosis or are we sharing?"
<SqueeGM> "I suppose the guards could share," he muses.
<Kerosis> "Oh. Well... I suppose I don't need a tent if there aren't enough..."
<Lehkurehn> "No no no! The tent is yours Kerosis."
<Kerosis> "Oh. Well, thank you."
* Lehkurehn grabs a blanket and sleeps on the carriage bench
<Lehkurehn> "Good night"