Galandel Alone

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:55 pm

After leaving the party near the town of Hroth, Galandel has journeyed for two days through the autumnal forest to the old haunts of his people in the Iron Hills.

The hills are brown and gray. The few stunted trees groan and sway under the assault of chill winds from the west. Winter is coming.

Searching a brown-grass dale that lays between two flinty hills, Galandel finds carefully concealed trail-signs. The hash marks on the twisted old dwarf-oak at the southern end of the little valley would seem like nothing but errant scratchings of some animal, to an untrained observer. Galandel recognizes the subtle runes to read "here we camp.''

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:14 pm

Galandel scratches behind Baelmus's ears as he reads the runes.

< "They have probably moved on to the next camp site. Come, keep you senses sharp friend." > He says to Baelmus in sylvan.

Galandel will continue move forward keeping an careful eye on his surroundings as well looking for markings for his people.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:22 pm

Galandel spots a broken arrow on the ground. It resembles the sort of flint-headed arrow crafted by his people.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:30 pm

Galandel stops in his tracks, kneeling down he picks up the broken arrow and examines to see if this arrow was broken when fried from a bow and missing its mark or to see if was broken intentionally by hand.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:34 pm

Looking closely at the arrow and the ground, it seems that someone stepped on the arrow and broke it; there's a faint footprint in the dirt and the shaft of the arrow is scuffed and muddy.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:38 pm

Galandel will retrieve the arrow, placing it in his pack.

He will make note of the size and shape of the faint footprint and continue on his way keeping an eye on his surrounds and his ears alert for what ever may hiding out here.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:42 pm

Galandel sees no other tracks to match the man-sized footprint, but the damp ground indicates a recent rainstorm, so perhaps the tracks have been effaced.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:47 pm

Galandel will continue on then towards the next camp site.

He stays alert while on his way, he wouldn't want to be ambushed by any of the Tyrant's men.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:46 pm

Galandel reaches the next campsite, a shady grove of ivy-choked woods nestled among the steep hills, by mid-day.

There are four more broken arrows at this site. The bedraggled fletching is definitely that of Galandel's folk. Galandel also discovers the cold ashes of a firepit, which haven't been buried as you'd expect elves to do when leaving a camp. There are a lot of jumbled and blurred tracks of elves or men all over the place. A steel-headed hatchet is embedded in one of the trees. This axe is clearly not of elvish manufacture.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 1:04 am

Galandel looks down at Baelmus with concern < "looks like a group of men are stalking our family... This doesn't look good." > he says to wolf.

Galandel kneels next to the fire pit and touches the cold ashes with his fingers to give him a better idea of when this pit was last used. After that he goes to tracks too see if they are from his family or the outsiders.

Survival for the fire pit 1d20+7=26

Survival for tracks 1d20+7=27

OOC: if you need me to roll Knowledge I will.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:01 pm

So far as Galandel can tell, the firepit was last used three or four days ago. He finds a short segment of hemp rope in the pit, scorched and frayed.
The footprints in the camp appear to have been made about three or four days ago, as well. Galandel sees the outlines of big and heavy hob-nailed boots, such as humans might wear, and also faint impressions of smaller feet shod in the type of moccasins worn by his people. The ranger finds drag marks in a few places, and some dark spots of dry blood on the lower trunk of a wind-twisted pine. One of the broken arrows has bloodstains on the head and shaft.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:12 am

Galandel shakes his head and then looks to Baelmus <Human> he asks Baelmus as he grabs one of the broken arrows for Baelmus to sniff.

After Baelmus attempts to pick up the scent, he takes the hand axe from the tree. Slipping it in between his, he pats it, the hand axe could be useful later.

He continues to follow the tracks, while keeping his senses about him.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:32 pm

Galandel finds tracks of men and elves mixed together now; with some of the elves having been dragged along the way. Following the trail most of the day leads Galandel to the southeast. The hills have dropped away and the forest has grown thicker along the way.

Now, in the early afternoon, the elf ranger stands at the side of a dirt road in the shade of a great spreading oak. The road runs north to south. There are marks of horses' hooves and shallow traces of wagon ruts leading off to the south, maybe made in the last couple of days.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:52 am

Galandel will follow the new tracks, no doubt they put them in wagons to be hauled off somewhere.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 1:48 pm

The trail continues further south along the dirt road. It isn't difficult to follow.

Late in the evening, after hours of walking, Galandel comes across an elf child laying facedown in the dirt road. The skinny little figure is still and quiet; too quiet.

Baelmus approaches the girl and nuzzles her dusty, tangled hair and tattered dress. There is no response from the child.
The wolf raises its head and lets loose a long, mournful howl.

Café de Nuit

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Galandel Alone

Galandel Alone