[Game Thread] In Search of the Unknown

[JasonWFD]

Argus The cloaked individuals appeared odd to Argus, but he decided it wasn't necessarily his business what they were doing. He continued towards the inn, walking his normal pace, unconcerned if the strangers noticed him or not, though he did give them a Dice Perception: 1d20+2 (9)+2 Total = 11 passing once-over. Argus walked up to the Cozy Hearth and knocked solidly on the recently closed inn doors.

[Solomon777]

Nothing outwardly important appears to Argus concerning the two cloaked figures. As they walk further down the dark road, aside from the strange hour that the travelers are taking. Many travelers often have made camp or found an inn to in which to greet the next day. They pay Argus no heed as he steps to the doorway.

Nasillea opens the door, a smile on her face as there had always been when talking to her patrons. “Ah, Esmarine will be down shortly. She’s is expecting you and mentioned that you would be coming by. Argus, right, would you like a drink for the road?”

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus shook his head and waved his hand when asked if he'd like a drink. "Thank you, but something tells me I'll need to keep my wits about." He patiently waits for Esmarine to meet with him.

[Solomon777]

Nasillea replied with a wink, “Alright, she should be down ….” The waitress didn’t get the chance to finish as the gypsy walked down with a small pack and a few map scrolls slung to her waist. The only visible weapon Esmarine carried was a kuhkri blade.

Upon seeing Argus she nodded, “Right, let’s get going. The westward winds still blow, I only hope you can still hear the song?”

She walked out placing a few coins on the bar and taking four wineskins offered from Nasillea, handing two of them out to Argus.

Wineskins If Argus chooses not to take them, Esmarine slings them over her shoulder with the other two.

Esmarine steps outside and heads in a northerly direction, toward Darkmoon Vale. The forest around them appeared dark and foreboding with the winds causing much of a ruffled chorus among the leaves. She asked softly as they walked, “So, Argus, tell me you hear the Slave’s Song with this gusty breeze?”

Faintly on the winds, the metallic ‘ting-ting’ can be just heard among the rustle, but it is significantly weaker than before preparations were made. The drifting sounds come from the northeast.

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus silently took the two wineskins and placed them into his backpack. With a nod, he followed Esmarine out once again into the night air. He listened intently to the wind for a moment, then oriented himself towards the northeast. "It is faint. But it is this way."

[Solomon777]

Esmarine followed Argus into the darkness of the wood. The forest grew ever darker even though sunrise lay a scant few hours away. Argus found the ground he treads would be best described as a ‘deer trail’, it was overgrown with dark green fern and heavy underbrush. The ‘trail’ remained so for another hour into the forest, with every few steps the metallic ‘ting-ting’ carries on the breeze through the canopy. The Song grew a little louder as they walked the northeasterly path.

As they stepped into a small clearing a few light-flies ignited as they took to the air, casting a seemingly magical beauty to in the darkness. Around them, the night grew darker under the thick canopy. The section of the forest they had entered, had not been cordoned by the Lumber Consortium yet, but was marked to be entered within the year. This was wild-wood.

Perception Feel free to check Argus’ Perception.

Esmarine had begun to hum, very slightly to herself, and the sound was just loud enough for Argus to hear. When the light-flies ignited she exclaimed with a whisper, “Beautiful.”

[JasonWFD]

Dice Perception:

1d20+2

(12)+2

Total = 14

[Solomon777]

The metallic ‘ting-ting’ carries strong on the following gust, but so does the distinct sound of a burp. Esmarine is busy watching the flies with her lips in a broad smile. Argus’s ears pick out a guttural grunt and another burp, then wheezing laughter.

The peculiar sound come from the brush to the east of the clearing Argus and Esmarine stand in. glancing in that direction, with the dim light of the night not much can be seen; the canopy is thick. But, with darkvision, Argus can see the domes of two small figures about thirty paces away.

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus Dice Stealth if necessary: 1d20 14 stood still and kept quiet. He slowly waved a hand in front of Esmarine, and then pointed in the direction of the burping noises. He remained stationary, drawing no weapon or taking any other action, until either Esmarine or the other party reacted in some fashion.

[Solomon777]

Esmarine froze at Argus' motion. She crouched behind the dwarf. Esmarine's forte was not confrontation, but support, and a frontal assault of any kind could prove too much for her.

Argus could make out two short humanoid creatures crouched near a shallow puddle among the foliage. They were both dirty, green-grey in color and their mouth wide within a small round head, decorate at the ends with long pointed ears. One had several earrings on each, and the other seemed to have a missing eye, as it squinted the left eye shut. Argus knew of these creatures, they were goblins, frequent pests in Darkmoon Vale. They could not amass a force large enough to threaten a logging troupe from the Lumber Consortium; however, a two lone travelers were another matter entirely.

As it appeared, the goblins were enjoying what looked like a small feast of grubs they had unearthed from a dead log. Argus and Esmarine remained unnoticed from their current position.

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus wasn't much of a scout, and he knew that trying to skirt by undetected wouldn't be in his favor. And, while goblins are generally known for their banditry and such, these two weren't immediately being a threat. Though not afraid of confrontation, he felt it was only right to give them a chance to avoid it. With his left arm hanging casually at his side and his right palm help up and opened towards the goblins, Argus loudly cleared his throat.

[Solomon777]

The earring laden goblin stopped chewing the freshly plucked grub and began yammering in his guttural tongue. The one-eyed goblin snapped something back at Earrings and looked in the direction of his wide-eyed stare. Upon seeing Argus, One-eye’s body jerked forward as his body started to run before his legs were ready. He landed hard on the ground, splayed out beside Earrings; who had simply fallen to his knees and began to whimper with his eyes squeezed shut, and his hands out before him warding Argus away.

Esmarine was dumfounded and pulled her dagger, awaiting the move the dwarf was going to do next to the two apparent horrified goblins.

 

Holding her Action until Argus moves.

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus let out a long sigh combined with a groan. He then shook his head, and made a shooing motion towards the goblins. "Go. Leave us be."

[Solomon777]

One-eye scrambled away seeing his moment of escape. As any true goblin, self-preservation was a way of life, and his tribe-mate made a good diversion.

Earrings didn’t notice his mate’s departure, and remained whimpering with his eyes clinched shut, hands up before him and the small party.

Esmarine said in a whisper, “You startled both of them ... er, terrified one evidently. I wonder what the last run-in with a dwarf was like to breed such fear?”

A scant few seconds later the sound of crashing brush could be heard from the direction One-eye had bolted away.

Several meters away, rivulets of water trickled past. Mingled with the softly turbulent sound the Slave’s Song was played faint from the north.

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus turns his head around towards Esmarine and lets out a noise that resembles a hybrid of a chuckle and a grunt. "They should leave us alone now." He then started walking around the cowering goblin, giving him a 10 ft berth, and heading north.