CH 3: Trouble Arises

[Jerrard]

"Ok, ok." Raising his hand he smiles. "Ok, we make camp, that's fine, say why don't you go out and find us some firewood?" He asks curiously, "I am Erastin Rivenguard." He bows, "My friends are tired and in need of rest, could you please let them be." He smiles at Selowen offering her his hand a moment. "Come rest."

Looking at the Kender he shakes his head, "Think of them as a distraction." He smiles.

(Ooc: Ok, what is the deal here, is Erastin in charge, or what?)

[JadedDM]

"Kipper Snifferdoo," says their leader. "Nice to meet you. "C'mon guys, let's go find some firewood." The kender scatter about, searching, while the party moves just off the road to set up camp for the night.

"We don't need any distractions right now," Selowen points out with a sigh.

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(OOC: Who is or isn't the leader of the group is really up to you guys.)

[Jerrard]

(ooc: Was a group question, not really directed at anyone.)

"Do we have a choice?" He asks Selowen. "Really?"

[Nuke]

Targin re-sheathes daggers and tries to scare away the Kender with his dour look.

"Fine, camp, just check your shit before we leave in the morning.".

[JadedDM]

Selowen sighs again. "No, I guess not."

The party proceeds to make a campsite and set a watch. Although the one on watch spends more time watching the kender than for any outside threats. Fortunately, nothing bothers them during the night. The kender share their 'borrowed' mead with the party and tell wild and farfetched tales of their misadventures.

The next morning, the kender say their farewells, waving and grinning, as they continue toward the High Clerist's Tower, in hopes of meeting a dragon, before moving on to Palanthas.

Once they are gone, Selowen goes through her gear carefully. She hardly slept at all the night before, and when she did, she was literally sleeping on top of her backpack. "Can't believe we made it through the night with our shirts still on our backs," she mutters.

They continued down the road for several hours. The weather was not quite as nice today as it was yesterday. It was gloomier, with grey clouds filling the sky and doing their best to block out the sun.

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It is now Yurthgreen 18, Bakukal, 375 AC at Highwatch (Noon).

[Jerrard]

Erastin can't help smiling as he wakes, the Kender were not that bad, he wouldnt like one in his fathers residence, but they were good enough.

"Good morning." He says as he rises to his feet, watching the group prepare, "Lets get our breakfast out of the way and then head off." He looks at Targin. "If that is acceptable."

[Nuke]

"Of coarse getting moving is ok. I hope nobody is missing anything." The grumpy dwarf continues his morning routine.

[JadedDM]

Certainly the dwarf has no objection, as the party has already had breakfast, broken camp, and been on the road for three hours, as the third paragraph of my last post stated.

Galeneye, who scouts ahead of the others, makes a discovery. Not too far off the road, she spots a trail of smoke emitting from a small depression. She also smells the scent of cooked meat. It is apparent someone has made a campsite there.

[Nuke]

OOC: I was responding to my protege

[Jerrard]

(ooc: I was a little behind and frankly work is limiting my posts so I miss things.)

"Those Kender were not too bad, I've not met many before, so I was not sure what to expect." Erastin commentd to Targin as they move, his eyes watching the horizon as Galenye stops. "Do you think we will find the sword?"

[HorizonsDream]

Galenye frowns slightly, but she walks back to the others. "Off the road, there looks to be a campsite. I smell cooked meat," she says.

[Nuke]

"If'n it's cooked, chances are they ain't out to kill us. Mayhap we could break for lunch." The dwarf makes no move to dismount, or move his pony.

[Breila]

"Yes, why don't we go looking and ask if we can join them? With our food, I mean? They might know things that have been happening around here." Karathos suggests, again without moving off the road, wating for consent within the group.

[Jerrard]

(Erastin was taking to Targin but oh well.)

"Then I guess we go and check it out." he dismounts Gallen and leads the horse by the reins.

[JadedDM]

Stepping off the road, the party follows Galeneye who follows the plume of smoke (and her nose). They find a small deer trail that leads them to a small depression.

In the camp are four men and two women, all human, around a campfire. All of the are dressed in black leather armor and are armed with long swords and bows. A boar is cooking on a spit over a fire, the source of both the smoke and the smell. There are three small tents set up north of the fire.

One of the men, an older man with grey hair, turns and notices the party approaching, and his jaw drops. "What the...who the @#$% is keeping watch?!" The others look around at each other, apparently thinking the responsibility had belonged to someone else.

The two groups just stand there, staring at each other in surprise. Neither had expected this.

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Party's Surprise (1d10): 1
Other party's Surprise (1d10): 1

(OOC: Huh, both are surprised! Guess that cancels out.)