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Roland "As you will," he says finishing the brushing and feeding his mount a half an apple. "I suppose if we need to dress a deer or know the names of trees it would be my lookout. If you lot feel it is worth it, I can not help but defer."
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Oct 9, 2008 01:28
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Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel nods, "Right then, wherever these beasts came from isn't that far into this copse. We can spend the hour or so to investigate where this trail ends before heading to Farling. Or, begins, rather." Taldrel looks over the group for signs of disagreement, "Well, let's be off. The sooner we leave the sooner we arrive."
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Oct 9, 2008 02:24
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Coreladdabar IV of Lockhaven Coreladdabar nods his agreement. It was gonna be a long day.
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Oct 9, 2008 02:53
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The fey beasts' trail of destruction leads deeper into the forest in an all but flawlessly straight line, being trivially easy to follow about the only thing it has going for it. After perhaps ten minutes of travel, you find yourselves at the edge of a clearing some fifty feet in diameter. What immediately becomes apparent is that this clearing is highly unlikely to have been created naturally; it is almost perfectly circular, a fact that is obvious even without climbing a tree first to get a better look at it, and the ground here, root-riddled soil lying bare, is decidedly concave, a bowl-shaped depression about twelve feet deep, with curving walls that run up to seamlessly meet the edge of the clearing. Most of the trees that originally stood at the edge of the clearing seem to have toppled over into this strange pit, and its bottom is littered with branches and broken trunks; on closer examination, there appear to be numerous severed tops of trees as well. Where the trail and the clearing meet, the otherwise fairly smooth walls of the pit are noticeably marred and disturbed, and parts of the edge of the clearing ripped or broken away. Overall, it is a decidedly unnatural sight, one of total and yet oddly accurate annihilation. It is little wonder now that the energies unleashed here the evening before were felt so clearly by virtually all of you; while it's hard to picture what exactly took place here, it must have been an awesome display of raw magic power. Not even any residual traces of arcane energy remain in this place, however. Incidentally, I'm always interested in hearing feedback, particularly if there's something you dislike about how this game has been going so far!
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Oct 9, 2008 04:23
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Petra M'orderial Petra hops off his horse and bends over, feeling the grass between his fingers. He looks around to see if he can find tracks other than the ones left by the creatures yesterday. "Why or how do you suppose the portal appeared here?" Perception +9
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Oct 9, 2008 04:34
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Alagand A little disappointed that there isn't any further concrete information, Alagand nevertheless speaks his mind: "I don't think this here's an isolated happening. I got a feeling that these... extraplanar bubbles have been appearing all over the world. That's why there're all these strange monsters showing up all sudden-like. I wonder if there's any kind of pattern in where and when they show up - maybe the academic types could predict them if something like that got worked out?" "Anyhow, I don't think there's much more to see here. On to Farling, I guess."
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Oct 9, 2008 05:13
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Annetta Annetta lets out a long low whistle at the sight of this. "Rough guess, direct transposition of one plane onto another, or just teleporting a sphere of here out to let the others in. Six and two threes when you get down to it though." Annetta licks her lips a moment, trying to sense if there is any lingering aura of the Arcane about. +14 Arcana
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Oct 9, 2008 07:20
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Roland Skirting the edge of the clearing, Roland searches for tracks of anything that might have gone in or out of such a thing, or any residues left over from the happening. He had little understanding of the forces involved, but perhaps something bore witness to this, one way or the other.
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Oct 9, 2008 20:00
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Landra She walks up to the very lip of the...crater is really the only word. Looking around the area with an expression of awe, she nods silently when Alagund and Annetta speak to their theories. "So we have more of a what than a why, but every little light helps." With one last look at the devastation, she turns around and makes to take the lead as they move on. Assuming that "Not even any residual traces of arcane energy remain in this place, however.", means more or less what it sounds like, we can leave for Farling after Winson's done checking for tracks.
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Oct 9, 2008 23:47
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Tadrel Darlhunt Taldrel looks out over the crater in silence. Whatever created this was immensely powerful, and he didn't need to be a wizard to know that. And with magic in disarray, Taldrel thought it would have had to have been a very powerful wizard, indeed. Fingering his gear, he thinks to himself, Yep, should have brought a bigger shield. Taldrel turns and follows Landra's lead. They had places to be, and there was nothing for them here.
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Oct 10, 2008 02:27
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After a thorough inspection of the clearing, Petra and Roland both come to the conclusion that the only creatures to have left this place since its probable creation were the three bears they slew – or at least, the only ones they find any tracks of; no traces of the quicklings' passage can be located, and if any other fey came with them, they, too, were extremely stealthy. There are a few other tracks in the area, but they appear all to have been made by regular wildlife, rabbits and other small animals, and all lead away from this place. Nothing of interest is discovered otherwise, neither concerning the arcane nor the natural world. Leaving the forest behind, you return to the road and continue to ride westward. As the sun climbs higher in the sky, you notice the countryside gradually growing gentler and less hilly; it's still not possible to see much further than one or two miles in any direction, but riding along as such is much more pleasant now, moreso because the weather is more agreeable as well. With the day wearing on, the road curves steadily closer to the fringes of the southern forest, whose dark fir ranks have been a constant presence for most of your journey; less than a quarter of a mile now lies between the road and its outer reaches. Noon is a thing of the recent past as you're ascending another rise, this one like a massive crease in the land that stretches northwards as far as the eye can see, when you notice a slight change coming over your mounts; their ears perk up, and their pace quickens ever so slightly. Roland's mare whinnies loudly two times; beyond the crest of the rise, which is some hundred yards away still, another horse neighs in apparent response. It gains the crest well before you do, halting briefly and tossing its head uneasily before taking a few cautious steps down towards the party. The animal is saddled but riderless, a stout, black beast that seems to be favouring one of its hindlegs slightly. Nothing else is immediately obvious, and there is no sign of its rider or any others.
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Oct 10, 2008 04:32
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Coreladdabar IV of Lockhaven "What's this?", asks Coreladdbar. "Looks like someone lost their mount. Perhaps an unfortunate victim of an attack ..." "Someone go secure it. Let us determine to whom it belongs. This is no commoner's beast, to be sure."
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Oct 10, 2008 14:49
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Roland Roland is already on it, gigging his steed after the beast.
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Oct 10, 2008 15:13
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Roland finds the unknown horse somewhat skittish at first. It draws back slightly at his approach, though the presence of the elf's own mount seems to calm it down a bit after its initial reluctance. While shying away a bit from being handled, it does at least tolerate his presence and makes no attempts to flee. Up close, he notices a long cut on its right haunch, the dried blood easy to miss in its dark coat. While not looking too serious, the injury likely is the source of the animal's discomfort and impeded gait. It's not a fresh wound either; Roland estimates it's between half a day and a day old, though it seems to be healing reasonably well. As far as he can tell, the horse is in good condition otherwise. Attached to its worn-looking military saddle are two saddlebags of moderate size. A bedroll is fastened to the back of the saddle, and a quiver of arrows dangles loosely from one side. Notably, one stirrup has been ripped off.
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Oct 11, 2008 05:28
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Petra M'orderial Petra rides up alongside Roland, cautiously examining the beast. "Poor beast," he says. Under his breath, he continues. "And I am quite sure his rider suffered a far worse fate..."
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Oct 11, 2008 19:28
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Coreladdabar IV of Lockhaven Noting that Roland had secured the animal, Coreladdabar nudges his horse over, dismounts, and begins to examine the contents of the saddlebags, looking for any sign that might identify the owner.
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Oct 12, 2008 05:44
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Taldrel Darlhunt "This horse is of good fighting stock - the type used my many militaries' cavalries," Taldrel said, feeling as though he were stating the obvious to those present, "There was either a battle nearby or, more likely (as we haven't seen any tell-tale signs of a large battle), a small unit or lone fighting man was ambushed. By who is anyone's guess." Taldrel kept a keen eye on the tree line and hill tops for anything out of place - moving shadows, silhouettes, anything that could be something more than it first appeared to be. "Roland," Taldrel says to the ranger, "I want to know if there is anyone in the immediate area. If this horse has been walking for a day and a half, it's possible it came from Farling, but we need to be sure. Scout the area and report back immediately anything out of sorts." Nodding to the ranger, Taldrel dismounts and approaches the wounded horse, making an effort to appear as non-threatening as he could. He begins searching the horse's saddlebags, muttering something about finding out who it belonged to. The half-elf was on alert now, and wouldn't miss a thing. Searching the horse's bags for a clue as to it's owner. And for loot.
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Oct 12, 2008 05:54
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Roland Roland calms the animal, feeds it an apple from his own stores. "Can one of the healers take a look at that wound?" he asks as he pulls off the saddle.
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Oct 12, 2008 06:05
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Annetta Annetta does not have much clue how to handle animals, and mostly seems uninterested. Truthfully, she just wants to get into a real bed, one hopefully pest and vermin free. While a missing rider might be a cause for concern, frankly, things are just so unsettled these days. She does however pay more attention to their surroundings.
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Oct 12, 2008 08:44
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Petra M'orderial Petra nods approvingly at Taldrel's command of the situation and has a look at the horse's wound. The animal appears to him to be relatively healthy, but a second look never hurts. Heal +12 to look at the wound and see if there's anything I can do.
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Oct 12, 2008 11:48
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Landra She rides forward to join Taldrel as he takes charge of the situation with military precision, As she helps him search the bags, she notes. "There was clearly a plan behind this: it's too neat to have been more fey beasts. The plan might not tie into our errand, but if it doesn't, it's worth passing on to someone who might have been expecting them."
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Oct 12, 2008 20:46
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Coreladdabar and Taldrel sort through the saddlebags. Their search is briefly interrupted when the horse shys away from these new strangers, snorting uneasily; Roland cunningly distracts it with an apple, however, and the two get to pour through the belongings of the unknown rider. The bag Taldrel chose contains provisions, a few sunrods and miscellaneous travelling gear, nothing of real interest. His fellow half-elf wizard has more luck: Coreladdabar finds a half-full flask of ink as well as a number of uncut quills, several blank sheets of parchment and a small, worn volume. It is bound in sturdy leather, bearing no title or marks of ownership, and is protected by two locked metal clasps. The keys are nowhere to be found. In the meantime, Petra examines the injured animal. The wound is irregular and was most likely caused by an awkward parting blow of sorts, probably by an axe. It is just deep enough to cut into muscle, effecting the beast's impeded gait. As long as it is kept clean and the horse not made to stress the injured leg too much, however it should heal fine in time, leaving little to no lasting debilitation. The paladin can think of a number of herbs that, if used in dressing the injury, ought to relieve much of the pain, as well as improve the healing process some; despite the time of year, Petra figures he may be able to procure a sufficient amount in the general area.
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Oct 13, 2008 19:43
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Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel searches through the pack carefully but finds nothing but worn travel gear. He takes the sunrods and rations and places them in his own pack. The previous owner doesn't object. Looking up, Taldrel sees Coreladdabar looking over a book. A locked book, it seems. "What have you found there?" Taldrel asks him. It appeared to be the only thing of interest in the horse's possession. "A journal? Spellbook? Unfortunately titled cookbook?" Inquiring minds wanted to know.
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Oct 14, 2008 00:26
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Annetta Annetta watched the others going through the mystery persons possessions, becoming all the more wary of ambush as time goes on. "I think we should keep moving on. I don't want to be out in the open any longer then I have to."
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Oct 14, 2008 01:38
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Alagand Seeing the locked book, Alagand is relieved. Finally, an opportunity for him to demonstrate a valuable skill. That last fight had left him worried that he'd be a burden on the party. "I can probably get that thing open," he offers, trying to sound offhand, "would you like me to take a crack at it now, or wait until we stop for the evening?" Thievery +14, when/if it becomes relevant
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Oct 14, 2008 04:13
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Taldrel Darlhunt "Any insight into who this horse belonged to could be insight into what became of him," Taldrel replies, "So please, have a go at it." Taldrel keeps an eye on the tree line and horizon for anything out of the ordinary. He would not be caught by surprise by whoever got to this horse's rider.
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Oct 14, 2008 04:39
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Petra M'orderial Petra only barely hears what Taldrel and Annetta are saying. Wordlessly, he goes to work searching the area for healing herbs to help soothe the poor beast's pain. Only after a a few seconds do Annetta's words register in his mind. "If it is acceptable," he starts, "please let me tend to this animal for a second." Scavenging for herbs. Perception +9, Nature +12.
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Oct 14, 2008 04:40
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Coreladdabar IV of Lockhaven Coreladdabar replies to Taldrel, "I could not say what this book is." He hands it to Alagand. "Here, try your luck. Might as well give it a look now since we seem to be caught up tending to the wounds of beasts ..."
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Oct 14, 2008 06:44
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Roland "Everything matters, the great and the small. We tend to the wounds of beasts for the same reason we tend to the wounds of the world," Roland says as he strokes the strange horse's muzzle. "Besides, we need information. This beast had a rider, and that rider may have seen things worth our knowing. All the haste in the world is meaningless if we arrive there naked as the day we were born, knowing nothing of the riddle."
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Oct 14, 2008 14:15
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Alagand sets to work on unlocking the mysteries of the book. Were it not for the tools of the trade he carries with him, the cleric surmises its secrets might just continue to elude him, the inconspicuous clasps proving surprisingly resistant to his efforts. Eventually, though, his careful manipulation of the locks pays off, and they snap open. Thumbing through the volume, it turns out to be be a diary of sorts. Written in Common, the handwriting bold and angular, its author appears to be a Genvegr native keeping a record of their travels. Many entries are barely more than notes containing a few short words about the author's location or destination at the time, but there are a few more elaborate passages as well, mostly when they concern what seems to be the author's native village of Lânsbrok or a person named Kaylen, apparently his or her lover. The author appears to have worked as a guard for various merchants and traders around Noremien, and much of what he or she wrote concerns routes taken, money earned and the occasional curious incident that took place. Whoever wrote this has seen much of the world; while the earliest entries exclusively mention locations in Genvegr, these names later give way to Utinmaran and even a few Vaerian places and settlements. Little is revealed about the author; with the diary rarely going into much detail on the pay or the usual indulgences of sellswords, instead focusing on noteworthy sights its writer chanced upon during their travels and the people they met, with the first few pages written abroad also making, between the lines, a few fleeting allusions to homesickness. This journal must have been started relatively recently, its earliest entries being only a bit older than four months. About a week after the Eclipse took place, word of its manifold, devastating effects having begun to spread, a wizard by the name of Loddar is mentioned a few times, the nameless author worrying about his well-being. There is also a brief account of an incident quite similar to the one you dealt with the night before; quicklings are not a part of it, but the description of huge bear-like creatures otherwise seems rather accurate. According to what's written, the author swiftly gathered his or her belongings, went for their horse and left the small village in Vaere to fend for itself, a deed they're apparently none too proud of. The last entry in the diary is dated the same day you had your meeting with Ravic Carthaune. It reads: "Leaving Farling tomorrow morning for the Academy. Shipment of 'arcane components', says Muntzig. Locals warned of hobs on the route, claim they've been harassing the outlying farms. Between Gladley, Dirk and me, we can handle some hobs; have had worse. Pays 200 gold; am nearly broke after buying the enchanted longbow in Mitback. Should be back here in four or five days." It doesn't take long for Petra to gather the required herbs. The sweet-smelling blossom of angel's-wings, a number of redleaf roots and some of the small, frayed-looking leaves of the rundreigen herb, as usual found growing in a ring around small rocks, are all he requires; crushed and mixed with some warm water, any wound thus treated should cease troubling the injured creature within a matter of minutes, growing pleasantly numb.
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Oct 15, 2008 20:07
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Petra M'orderial Petra produces a small bowl from his backpack and pounds the herbs into it to crush them, using his handaxe's hilt as a makeshift pestle. He sniffs the mixture before pouring a small amount of water from his waterskin into it; then, he replaces his handaxe and draws his sword, which he wills aflame, and goes to work warming the medicine, bringing it just shy of a boil. He looks over at Alagand, who has apparently been able to unlock a rather complicated-looking device in order to read the book. Come to think of it, I am not exactly sure what order he's from. Is lockpicking a part of his order's training, or did he pick up this skill elsewhere? "Does the book contain any information about the owner of this animal?"
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Oct 15, 2008 20:31
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Annetta Outvoiced, but still wary, Annetta hops off her horse to get some rest to sore legs. Watching Alagand at work the with lock brings an amused smile to Annetta's face, one though that remains cryptic without explanation, just a knowing smile before she turns to go and take a little stroll around the area.
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Oct 16, 2008 01:00
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Taldrel Darlhunt Alagand's reading of the diary had Taldrel worried. Whoever this rider was, they were headed the group's way and hadn't made. They hadn't made it very recently. The rider was experienced, in the company of at least two other warriors, magically armed, and vocally unafraid of 'hobs' (presumably hobgoblins). Yet they hadn't made it. If they had they'd have come looking for their horse in the day and a half or so since the horse's wound was made. What worried Taldrel, more than anything else, was that he didn't think much of a gang of hobgoblins either. Something else, something bigger, had done this. Something this rider didn't see coming. Whether it was something they found on the road or something they had brought with them was anyone's guess. Taldrel had arrested enough strongarms who claimed ignorance of their cart's contents to know merchants weren't always forthcoming with their employees. As Taldrel processes this information, his discomfort shows increasingly on his face, and finally he speaks, "Friends," he says quietly, "there's a good chance we're riding into a shitstorm."
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Oct 16, 2008 01:00
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Alagand "Yeah," Alagand sighs, putting away his lockpicks, "this isn't really as helpful as we'd hoped. Although its interesting that the rumors of hobgoblins being around here is pretty recent. If there was something big enough to totally destroy these guys, then it was big enough to totally destroy the hobgoblins. So either its very recent (like what we just fought), or its in league with the hobgoblins. Either way, I think we already knew that we were riding into a 'shitstorm.' What do we do with the horse?"
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Oct 16, 2008 01:10
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Landra She shrugs down at Alagand, glancing briefly towards Petra as he treats the wounded steed. "Will it be all right if we let it go, or do you want to lead it behind us?" Her tone suggests a certain nonchalance about the answer, and she barely waits for one before looking back to the tattooed man. "Something doesn't add up here: why is someone powerful enough to dispose of these people bothering with a caravan full of herbs, baubles, and bat guano? But the wrecked wagon can't be far ahead, so we'll see it soon enough. I only wonder if they were carrying anything notable that this fellow didn't know about?"
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Oct 16, 2008 01:43
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Alagand Alagand tilts his head to one side, considering Landra's point. "I guess that suggests the 'random appearance of beasts' idea then, doesn't it? If so, maybe we'll find another of those craters."
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Oct 16, 2008 04:45
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Petra M'orderial "An extra horse would be most useful were one of our steeds to become incapacitated," Petra says. "But it will also slow us down. I suggest we unsaddle this beasts and let it rejoin its wild brethren on the plains." Petra dresses the wound with the concoction he's made. He intentionally leaves the dressing a little loose so that it'll fall off once it's served its purpose. "I am guessing, Landra, that whoever attacked these individuals was more interested in causing harm than in stealing spell components. As you have noted, it makes little sense otherwise."
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Oct 16, 2008 16:15
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Roland "Best to press on then. This is worth knowing. Perhaps soon we will have enough pieces the puzzle will come together." He ties a lead to the new horse, and vaults into his saddle. The creature is tethered to his own saddle horn. It was a good beast, and deserved better than it was like to get.
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Oct 16, 2008 17:36
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Taldrel Darlhunt Taldrel agrees with Roland's decision to keep the horse. It could prove useful, even if they just sold it. Then again, it could be more directly useful. He looked the horse over again to see check if this were a simple pack horse or a better trained warhorse. Either way, they had to get moving again. No sense waiting around while there was imminent danger about. "Petra, if you're done adjusting the bandages, we need to be leaving. Either Farling or whoever made that wound await us, and we'd best not keep them waiting."
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Oct 17, 2008 05:35
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Petra M'orderial Petra quickly packs his healing equipment away and hops asaddle his horse. "Shall we be off?"
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Oct 17, 2008 17:00
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