Syleen notices Brother Saul looking at a sheet of paper – possibly a note or a list – and briefly considers taking a closer look, but decides against doing so. It would be too much trouble for little – if any – gain as she would need to get closer, try to take a look, and then go back to her spot. If he's not trying to hide it it's probably nothing important – no need to waste my time with a piece of paper. Before long the group reaches the first store room and Syleen receives three potions from their guide. “Thank you.” She says politely as she puts them away, having no immediate use for the potions (and hoping she would not need them at all). She follows as the group moves to another store room, this one with an icon of cast bronze scales on it, and watches as Damar transforms and enters the room. The elf remains outside with the rest of the group, waiting patiently and observing her companions.
Inside Dimmar is asked to try on several breastplates sized for his larger frame, but in the end it turns out none fit except two options, neither of which is ideal: One is made of good tempered steel, but is intended for a woman... The other is clearly a man's armor, but is constructed from mere bronze... The choice is yours, Nae to both or Aye to one...
Sslvark walks out of the room, but not before trying to glance at the paper. (Roll 17 + Skill of 2 = 19). Having been unable to see the paper over the priest's shoulder, he continues on down to the armouries, where he pockets his vial before leaning up against the wall and waiting for Dimmar to emerge.
" I will take the bronze" Damar says, finding the neckline of the steel breastplate too tight for him to move comfortably. He chuckles. "Must have been quite the woman, to wear that."
"Indeed she was," Saul states, helping Dimmar buckle the bronze plate in place, "I knew her when I was a boy, she was a half-giantess Cleric of our faith, strong in her conviction and blessed in Pharasma's sight. She left it here to be repaired, but found a be spelled suit of full plate not long thereafter and never returned for it," he explains. (DC 25 perception Check for those outside to hear the conversation.) (Dimmar: please increase your AC and armor check penalties by the appropriate amount for a breastplate, but -1 to the AC BONUS because it is bronze rather than steel.) It is a simple matter of a quick trip to another store room for the waterproof Lantern, then you are ready to shove off...
Well, there was something being discussed inside, he could hear the faint sound, but it wasn't important. It was just discussing armour. He stood in the corridor, tapping his claws together, waiting for them to come out. When they came out, he followed his companions to the next storeroom for a lantern, and then out towards the exit...
Nalana looked at vitals she was given and narrowed her eyes at Keira. With a sight she hid the vials – it was logical that she would carry them. Unlike Keira, she had no intention to get in close quarters with the enemy, so the possibility of damaging the vials was lower. Nalana crossed her arms on her chest and waited for the others to finish.
Syleen can hear Damar and Brother Saul talk about something inside the room. I could probably hear them if I try... but most likely they are discussing which armor Damar wants. It's not worth the effort. She remains where she is, waiting. When the two men come out of the room she follows the rest of the group to the the next store room, where they get a waterproof lantern. The she quietly follows the rest towards the exit, quietly observing them. Looks like we're finally getting to the main event... or at least we're on the way to the main event. I think.
Damar exits the room, rolling his shoulders to test his new armor's flexibility, and quietly follows the party as they stop off to get a waterproof lantern, and out the door, into the storm.
As you exit the building the storm appears to be tapering off, at least for now, the rain a light sprinkling instead of the thunderous downpour it was previously. Your guide and commander starts off at a grueling pace, pushing you all to March briskly for upward of an hour...
Still at the back of the group Syleen is able to match the pace of the rest of her companions... at least for now. Thank the gods the rain is not as bad as before! I REALLY wasn't looking forward to a walk through that downpour! On the bright side, most dangerous creatures that are active at night are likely staying at their lairs because of the rain, so one less thing to worry about... but I should keep an eye out, just in case. The elf does just that, regularly taking a look to the sides and back – especially the back – looking for any potential danger, such as an enemy trying to sneak up on them. Occasionally, when the rain allows it, she even looks up at the rain clouds covering the night sky, just in case. One can never be too careful... Perception Check: Roll: 15 +1 (skill) +2 (Wisdom bonus) +2 (Keen Senses) Total: 20
I wish I'd brought my horse, Sslvark thought. Oh well, time was of the essense, and the group could only go as fast as its slowest member... He trudged on through the mud, unhappy about the gloop clinging to his feet, but enjoying the rain on his scales.
Damar, now back in his human form, marches resolutely through the rain and mud, while a soaking wet, miserable-looking dog pokes its head out of his backpack.
A long sodden slog of perhaps two hours later you come to a place where the mud is reddish in color and the stink of blood and offal hangs in the soaked air. Your guide cautions you to advance slowly and carefully, lest you pick up a caltrop in the foot as he did.
As she walks Syleen continues to examine the surroundings and the sky for danger or anything of interest... and thanks to that she is able to spot a certain something. Well, that was unexpected... hopefully it has nothing to do with our mission. I think I'll keep it to myself. No need to worry the others with something that might be completely unrelated to our current task. Eventually the group reaches a place where the mud is reddish in color and the stink of blood and offal hangs in the soaked air. “So this is where the battle took place, yes? We should search the area and see if we can find anything, such as tracks left by the goblins.” The elf starts doing just that, slowly and carefully examining the surrounding area and the reddish mud, looking for goblin tracks, caltrops, or anything else out of place. “Of course, if anyone has any other ideas...” She adds as an afterthought. Perception Check: Roll: 19 +1 (skill) +2 (Wisdom bonus) +2 (Keen Senses) Total: 24 (Finally finished. Sorry this took so long.)
Nalana walks slowly around the former battlefield. Following Syleen. You don't really hope of finding the trail – you search for anything other lost during the battle. You also make sure to cover the are not covered by Syleen. Perception check: 9 (roll 7, skill 2)
Damar sets himself to helping Syleen search for any tracks or indication of the goblins' direction. Perception check: Roll: 16 +0 Total: 16
Finding the tracks of the goblins proves surprisingly easy. They appear to have taken the wagons of the caravan away with them, leaving deep ruts in the muddy ground. You follow the trail for several miles through the path hacked in the scrub, before seeing a light among the trees of a young forest...
“Slow down, big guy! We don't even know what the source of that light is!” Syleen says to Damar, making sure to not be loud, as she considers the possibilities. “While it likely is the goblin camp it could also be something else, like some sort of goblin trap meant to serve as a warning. We should scout the area ahead of us, both to confirm that we have indeed found the goblins and to locate the hostages. The last thing we want is for the goblins to kill them, or to use them as living shields. Also, we should try to identify the goblin leaders and any spellcasters they might have. After that...” The elf pauses as she tries to think of the best course of action. “It would be best if we can rescue the hostages without engaging the goblins at all. If we are forced to fight – which seems likely – we should focus on taking down the enemy leaders and spellcasters. But to do that we need to know who the potential leaders and spellcasters are. And that brings me back to scouting the area ahead of us.” The elf pauses to catch her breath and to look at her companions. “So, does anyone have anything to add? Any suggestions or ideas? If not – any volunteers to go and scout? I'm afraid that sort of thing is not one of my strengths...” She admits as she looks at the rest of the group.
