Etny has a fair night of sleep, only disturbed by flickers of thoughts and dreams. Lights, fire, a familiar booming laugh, and the smell of salt water.
When you come downstairs, Elmeir is handing over his letters to a messenger at the door. It is another human who has moved into the lower cities of Skyhold, a young man lithe and nimble, a fast runner. You can hear a horse outside pawing at the ground and ready to move. Despite the use of magic nowadays, carried mail has still managed to stick around.
The boy salutes and hurries off, and the cleric chuckles as he turns to you. "Good morning, miss. A stable hand came by to help with a horse for me and to ready your... Axebeak?" He tilts his head slightly, wondering if he is remembering correctly. "I've never set eyes on one being ridden before."
"Oh, Gaare? She's not unfriendly to most people of a good countenance," she chuckles as she begins gathering items and accoutrements for the journey ahead. "To ride an axebeak is like riding a two-legged horse with a pentient for stopping suddenly when they see a grub, or berries. It can be a little strange, the gait of the animal at first, but one learns to ride with it instead of against. Once trained for riding, they are expert racers."
She goes to a nearby wall, counting her arrows and wondering if she'll have enough for the journey. You mentioned last night that Narder is a den of thieves?"
He shrugs, the two of you going outside to saddle up and start your journey. "It was built on one of the newer islands off the coast of Arkoshia. What eventually became the Nader Stronghold was hoped to help protect the surrounding cities from pirates and other sea monsters, but..."
Gaare nuzzles your hand with her beak as she's geared up and you both make your way down the winding road that follows the rivers northeast. "It's become mixed in purpose since then..." Elmeir tries to find the right words. "It is both a harbor for pirates and protection from them. It's very neutral in it's dealings. As long as their is coin to be made, you can find someone to back it. A very chaotic democracy."
His pale gray horse lets out a whinny. Gaare is prancing about, excited to go on a ride with you again.
"Chaos," Etny remarks, "isn't the absence of order completely, but the defiance of it, I'd say. If they thrive on such a thing, then we must be fluid as this river before us. Do we have any coin?" She checks her satchel, wondering if any of the paltry pieces she's had on her will suffice. She looks up at Elmeir and smiles reassuringly. "Come, my friend," she mounts Gaare, "let us ride!"
You travel most of the day, with only a short stop to fill up on water and refresh the mounts. It is a winding journey heading out of the smaller Arkoshian mountain range. The forests thicken and thin in places, and you cross many a glade and pasture. The further you get from the mountain, the more farmland you see. It is peaceful country out here; gentle, quiet and serene, sheltered in the watchful embrace of the sentinel-like peaks.
You approach the edge of a small birch wood at dusk. During the entire ride, Elmeir has been explaining the surrounding peoples and lands. It seems in his time as a soldier and a cleric, he has familiarized himself with the little blooming homes and townships as if they were a garden of flowers.
"This wood here skirts around a very small hamlet. Willowsbark, I believe, at least the last time I passed by here. Regalia Meadows, she makes a fantastic pie. Her husband served in another branch with me for a time. There used to be an infestation of rocs that would fly in from the cliffs yonder. Would take the sheep and smaller calves."
Elmeir unbridles his horse, showing a rather closely bonded care with the animal despite having just met the mare today. He nuzzles his head against hers, cooing and rubbing her ears and mane with his fingers.
You can see the farmland stretches on and on, dotted with sheep and cattle, wildflowers and rabbits. Everything feels good and free. Except...
You spot a farmer about a quarter of a mile away, scratching his head. He stands over an animal unmoving on the ground--perhaps a sheep, you think, it's hard to tell from this distance.
Etny, having been taking in as much as she can from Elmeir, holds up a hand, and makes a subtle gesture directing his attention to the confused farmhand. "Let us see if we can help him in some way," she whispers. Mounting Gaare once more, she beckons for Elmeir to follow. Once mounted, the two approach the stricken farmer, and Etny calls out, "Oleah! Hie, hie, farmhand! What has got you so stricken?"
They move closer, and Etny dismounts Gaare, approaching the man on foot. "How can we help?"
The farmer glances up, surprised at your approach. "Oh, hello! Not oft seeing other people out this way. Well..." He looks down again at the slain animal. Now up close, you can tell it is definitely a sheep, slain and gutted. It is also missing its head, ripped from the torso like a doll.
"Not much you can help at this point, 'cept letting me know if you find any crazed wolves or fell beasts on the road. Third one this week. I'd gladly pay coin to have the issue dealt with."
* Coin...., * she thinks to herself, * I need more of that. * She kneels down, surveying the carnage before her. Not unused to seeing the insides of a slain animal, Etny looks on. "Third one, eh? My condolences to you and your farm," she says thoughtfully, prodding the dead animal, and looking around the surrounding area.
(6 Medicine check to gauge the cause of the wound; 19 Survival check to see if this carnage was made by beast or man; and 16 Perception to see where the attacker might have gone off.)
Peering closely at everything in front of you, it's hard to tell what the exact cause of the wound was. This carnage definitely didn't seem... normal for a human or an animal. Although sliced from crotch to ribs, the organs spilling out are practically untouched. Whatever did this did not feast on anything inside of the sheep.
Also unlike most kills, there is not much blood outside of the body of the animal. Even where the head was severed from the body, the ground is mostly dry. The animal died before this was removed... before it was gutted. There are no other footprints around it save the farmer's.
Etny is perturbed by this, and is a little antsy at not knowing what caused this. Nevertheless, she turns to the farmer, she informs him of what she thinks has happened.
"Have you seen any unusual serpents, or serpents being unusual in the area?"
He shakes his head. "I haven't, but there been word in other towns yonder that snakes coming out a bit early for the season. Lots of eggs hatchin' I guess."
He moves to grab the carcass so he can toss it in a wheelbarrow nearby. It does seem strange there aren't any other prints here except the sheep's. No predator, no struggle. You've never seen that before.
(You can roll for anything else, or continue to chat, or w/e ❤️
(Bleh...6 Survival to determine the nature of these early snake sightings, and 10 Perception to see if any are around...)
You think it is odd that snakes are out early. Something is stirring them up.
Looking around, you know the best place to find them at this time of day. Some larger, flat rocks near the edge of the field seem a good place to try.
Etny gestures for Elmeir to follow her, and guiding Gaare with the reins she has on the axebeak, makes her way toward the flat rocks at the edge of the field. Leaving Gaare to nibble on some nearby wild berries, Etny begins observing and tracking the field.
(18 Survival)
You spot some parted grass, signs of smaller game passing through. Easy picking for snakes.
Crouching closer, you keep your eyes peeled. Elmeir hangs back, watching carefully.
Near the rock you hear a small squeaking. It is shrill, the death throes of a mouse. Stepping closer you peer beside the rock.
A snake, black with green lines running down each side, is wrapped around a doomed mouse. It has deadly fangs dug into the rodent... But from two ends.
It takes a moment for you to figure out what you're looking at. Two snakes? No... It seems to be a single snake, both ends a head, fighting over the prey. One rips the mouse out of the other's throat, unhinging to swallow it quickly.
Etny watches a little longer, trying to make sense of the carnage and aberration of nature before her. She has certainly seen two-headed snakes before, but this...This is something else.
(19 Nature to determine if this thing is...well...naturally occurring, or if it is indeed an aberration.)
Even though you have come across strange things in your life--two headed reptiles, albino deer, creatures lacking or sporting extra limbs--there is something off about this one. Something most assuredly unnatural.
The other head, willing to sacrifice for its meal, lunges at the opposite end. Engulfing the mouse, snake head, and neck all in one bite, it appears to now be a small oroboros...
"Shiza...," Etny mutters, backing away. "What is this?" Taking several distancing steps between herself and the oroboros monstrosity, she turns to Elmeir, and whispers, "nothing natural about what is going on here. If there is one in this area, there are bound to be more in the surrounding regions. And," she says, a little nervously, "they are multiplying like flies, it seems."
She mounts Gaare, and flips the reins of the axebeak's harness, willing the animal to go forward. She gestures for Elmeir, encouraging him to follow. "If and wherever we make camp," her voice serious, "we will have to scout the surrounding areas for these serpent aberrations, and get rid of them."
Elmeir follows, a soft prayer under his breath for the strange happenings. The creature, now having choked to death on itself, lays curled and still.
As you both pass by again, he nods grimly to the farmer from atop his horse. "If we find any further news for you sir, we will return post haste."
You continue onward toward the forest break where you first stopped, an unnerving feeling in the air. You're not sure if you wish to make camp here or not, given the events that have just transpired. Evening is coming on quickly though, so you must choose: do you wish to stay and keep watch while you recover your strength? Or press on for a safer bed?
(Weyell shoot! Giving me a dilemma, eh? XD)
Etny takes several moments to scour and track a nearby clearing of trees, seeking out any aberrations or unnatural monstrosities. She carefully scouts out the surrounding area, and strives to make sure that the area is clear.
(Bleh...8 Prescription to check for threats, and 11 Survival to check for signs of serpents.)
It seems well enough clear of threats, at least from what you can tell in the last dregs of sunset. There aren't any signs of serpents at least, the grass relatively undisturbed. You can tell Elmeir is getting tired, but keeping up a brave face to follow you where you need to go.
"How does it look, my lady? Safe enough for us this evening?"
Etny looks about, still not certain of her surroundings, but nonetheless, she shrugs her shoulders, and relents. "It looks relatively safe. I saw no signs of serpents in the grass, so I think we can camp here for the night."
She walks over to him, and resting a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, speaks to him. "I'll go ahead and take the first watch tonight. You rest up, as much as you can, and then we'll make the switch at the sixteenth hour."
Elmeir nods with a sincere expression of gratitude. "Yes indeed, my lady. I will be up at a moment's notice should you require it."
Settling down against one of the nearby trees, the man adjusts his armor. He seems keen on wearing it while he sleeps, but does set his helm atop his gear at his side. He is out within moments.
Gaare croons in the growing dark, ruffling her feathers. It has been a long ride. She rubs her beak against Etny, sinking down against the huntress to preen.
***
(The hours start... Roll a d100 and them a perception check, or other check of your choice. Unless you have other ideas you'd like to play out, that's fine too.)
(I rolled a 33, and a 10 Perception)
Etny looks about, absently scratching the neck feathers of her beloved Gaare. She contemplates her situation up tho this point, the last two years being almost a blur in her mind.
She hoists herself up a tree, and perched on a large branch, surveying the area as best she can at night. She looks down at Elmeir's sleeping form, and keeps an eye on the surrounding area, though her thoughts often intervene.
You hear the footsteps of game coming and going, perhaps a few deer and a lone rabbit. It's easy to tune them out when your own thoughts come in. The hours pass slowly. What is that sound? Perhaps another rabbit. A pattering through the shrubs.
Etny decides to survey the area again, letting her eyes, now a little more used to the darkness, scan the areas below. Drawing an arrow, she nocks it to her bowstring, and watches.
(22 Perception)
(Make a wisdom check for me)
(Sorry, that'll be an 11)
You peer through the leaves carefully. Your brain feels fuzzy, likely from the lack of sleep. Down below, your senses play games with you... You feel as if you see animals, sometimes one, sometimes many, sometimes none. It's highly disorienting.
Your ears do pick up a sound closer to camp. It is faint, like a spider crawling from a tree.
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