Birthright Tuornen Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

The Huntsman nods grimly but follows the Goblins instructions..

The goblin with the spear grunts 'Shuddup!" and pokes the Huntsman.

More goblins and wargs arrive.

The goblins strip the Huntsman of his armor and all his weapons. When one goblin steals his scarf, the collected monsters chitter with curiosity over his inhuman aspect and coat of fur. They pinch him, tickle him, and rifle his pockets, even pull off his boots and shake them upside down (louds groans of disappointment when no hidden money falls out).

A big goblin binds the Huntsman's wrists with rawhide, and two smaller goblins team up, one standing on the other's shoulders, to drop a loop of hemp rope round his neck.

A man-sized, but hunchbacked, goblin stalks forward, adjusting his pointed hood with an air of self-importance.

"You are our slave now, beast-man. You will come to goblin-town with us. Maybe you will be present for the Baron. Not so bad. Don’t be stupid, or we will bring back your furry hide without you in it."

The Huntsman grunts. "So you are the one in charge?" He says to the large goblin. "Let me ask you something. What is more important to your Baron, one slave or a lot of riches?"

The hunchbacked goblin smiles, revealing crooked yellow teeth.

"You'd have to ask him. Me, I like riches."

[RocEter]

"Well maybe we can work out a deal, my freedom for a bunch of riches." He says.

[ewancummins]

"Well maybe we can work out a deal, my freedom for a bunch of riches." He says.

The goblin pulls out a knife.

"Where are the riches? Tell me."

[RocEter]

"I know of two places where you can get riches." He says shying away from the knife. " One place might even make you so rich and that word of your successful plunder and battle against the few who guard it, that might be a goblin hero. Who knows maybe even the next Baron of Goblin town." He says with a slight smile.

[ewancummins]

"I know of two places where you can get riches." He says shying away from the knife. " One place might even make you so rich and that word of your successful plunder and battle against the few who guard it, that might be a goblin hero. Who knows maybe even the next Baron of Goblin town." He says with a slight smile.

The hooded hunchback waggles the knife in the air before the Huntsman.

"No more games, beastman. Tell me now. Where is the treasure?"

[RocEter]

Sighing the Huntsman watches the knife. "You drive a hard bargin, if my life weren't online.." He says stopping medsentence. "To the south and to the east, further in land. Past the hills and towards the city, the counts manor. That is probably the easiest to take just much more travel." He says.

"Further north, you might reach by night fall if your lucky, is a temple. Guarded by not heavily, not many people know about it. Take your pick but I still want my freedom and my things. You can keep the pony."

[Lord Skybolt]

BIG LUMBER CAMP

Back in camp, Gustbold tells Gunnar that he and the other lumberers can indeed rig such logfalls.

Squire Ranald, after he dismounts and calls his groom to look after his mounts, joins Gunnar near the center of camp. The gentleman's bold manner has mellowed somewhat since his arrival in camp and the reconnoitering ride the country. Now and again, he looks north towards the rough hills that climb towards the snow-capped Seamists.

"I know the sheriff. He’s a good man, but not...hmmm... imaginative. We can trust him to defend Fox Run with his deputies, but if this really is a large goblin army, I don't know that he could hold the town. Not that I expect goblins to get past us, but you never know. Fox Run hasn't got proper walls. My estate might be more defensible. I have a creek on one side, and plenty of dense trees and stone fences along the edges of the grounds. And my house is built of good stone. Not a castle like that of a great lord, to be sure, but we could fall back to it if things became …umm…untenable here.”

"That sounds like a good plan to me . So we could draw the goblins to your house and use it's natural defenses to funnel the goblins into small groups we could more easily handle . If we can't kill them all here as I suspect we will not be able to do . But I think we should just use that as last resort fall back . I was thinking that we need to make the goblins slow down and as they send scouting parties a head there main army to an area out we kill them to the last goblin . This should make them be afraid to keep going in one direction and allows us to lead them into ambushes . And if they bring too large force we just retreat to ground of our own choosing . And use that to our advantage ."Gunnar says after thinking about what Ranald says .

[ewancummins]

CAPTURED BY THE GOBLINS

Sighing the Huntsman watches the knife. "You drive a hard bargin, if my life weren't online.." He says stopping medsentence. "To the south and to the east, further in land. Past the hills and towards the city, the counts manor. That is probably the easiest to take just much more travel." He says.

"Further north, you might reach by night fall if you’re lucky, is a temple. Guarded by not heavily, not many people know about it. Take your pick but I still want my freedom and my things. You can keep the pony."

The goblin leader's smile widens till it seems his ugly head will split like a rotten melon.
''We've already been to that temple. Monks fight hard, kills some of the boys, but we cut their throats, all that did not run away. It's our place now. Hahahahahaa!!!"

A horrid cheer rises from the goblins. The wargs add their bloodcurdling howls.

When the racket dies down, the goblin leader continues to speak,
"I already know about the count's manor. You tell me nothing new. But you are smart. Maybe I keep you for my own slave? I'll decide later. Now we march."

[ewancummins]

BIG LUMBER CAMP

Back in camp, Gustbold tells Gunnar that he and the other lumberers can indeed rig such logfalls.

Squire Ranald, after he dismounts and calls his groom to look after his mounts, joins Gunnar near the center of camp. The gentleman's bold manner has mellowed somewhat since his arrival in camp and the reconnoitering ride the country. Now and again, he looks north towards the rough hills that climb towards the snow-capped Seamists.

"I know the sheriff. He’s a good man, but not...hmmm... imaginative. We can trust him to defend Fox Run with his deputies, but if this really is a large goblin army, I don't know that he could hold the town. Not that I expect goblins to get past us, but you never know. Fox Run hasn't got proper walls. My estate might be more defensible. I have a creek on one side, and plenty of dense trees and stone fences along the edges of the grounds. And my house is built of good stone. Not a castle like that of a great lord, to be sure, but we could fall back to it if things became …umm…untenable here.”

"That sounds like a good plan to me . So we could draw the goblins to your house and use it's natural defenses to funnel the goblins into small groups we could more easily handle . If we can't kill them all here as I suspect we will not be able to do . But I think we should just use that as last resort fall back . I was thinking that we need to make the goblins slow down and as they send scouting parties a head there main army to an area out we kill them to the last goblin . This should make them be afraid to keep going in one direction and allows us to lead them into ambushes . And if they bring too large force we just retreat to ground of our own choosing . And use that to our advantage ."Gunnar says after thinking about what Ranald says .

''Wise counsel. That's the plan, then."

Ranald looks about the camp, watching the lumbermen work.

"It seems to me that you are a fighting-man of considerable experience, yes? In which lord's army did you serve?"

[RocEter]

CAPTURED BY THE GOBLINS

Sighing the Huntsman watches the knife. "You drive a hard bargin, if my life weren't online.." He says stopping medsentence. "To the south and to the east, further in land. Past the hills and towards the city, the counts manor. That is probably the easiest to take just much more travel." He says.

"Further north, you might reach by night fall if you’re lucky, is a temple. Guarded by not heavily, not many people know about it. Take your pick but I still want my freedom and my things. You can keep the pony."

The goblin leader's smile widens till it seems his ugly head will split like a rotten melon.
''We've already been to that temple. Monks fight hard, kills some of the boys, but we cut their throats, all that did not run away. It's our place now. Hahahahahaa!!!"

A horrid cheer rises from the goblins. The wargs add their bloodcurdling howls.

When the racket dies down, the goblin leader continues to speak,
"I already know about the count's manor. You tell me nothing new. But you are smart. Maybe I keep you for my own slave? I'll decide later. Now we march."

The Huntsman grunts but does nothing to provoke the goblins. "You don't expect me to march with boots? Might as well kill me, won't be good as a slave with if the cold takes my feet." He says and then wiggles his toes.

[ewancummins]

CAPTURED BY THE GOBLINS

Sighing the Huntsman watches the knife. "You drive a hard bargin, if my life weren't online.." He says stopping medsentence. "To the south and to the east, further in land. Past the hills and towards the city, the counts manor. That is probably the easiest to take just much more travel." He says.

"Further north, you might reach by night fall if you’re lucky, is a temple. Guarded by not heavily, not many people know about it. Take your pick but I still want my freedom and my things. You can keep the pony."

The goblin leader's smile widens till it seems his ugly head will split like a rotten melon.
''We've already been to that temple. Monks fight hard, kills some of the boys, but we cut their throats, all that did not run away. It's our place now. Hahahahahaa!!!"

A horrid cheer rises from the goblins. The wargs add their bloodcurdling howls.

When the racket dies down, the goblin leader continues to speak,
"I already know about the count's manor. You tell me nothing new. But you are smart. Maybe I keep you for my own slave? I'll decide later. Now we march."

The Huntsman grunts but does nothing to provoke the goblins. "You don't expect me to march with boots? Might as well kill me, won't be good as a slave with if the cold takes my feet." He says and then wiggles his toes.

The goblin leader laughs.

"'Smart slave."

He barks orders in goblin-talk, and presently some goblins none-too-gently cram the Huntsman's feet into his boots.

[RocEter]

The Huntsman stands up and marches. "Yeah. With me by your side you can go far and become powerful." He says.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

THE WORLD'S STAGE THEATRE, LATE AFTERNOON

The party arrives at the crowded, torchlit theatre in time to catch the opening act of ''The Tragickal History of Orlando" ( a popular play that involves jealousy, murder, treachery, and a doomed Khinasi shipmaster--all set in the southern city of Ilien.)

Will the party take stand among the 'groundlings' or take more expensive seats among the wealthier folk in the galleries?

"My informant said they would be wearing a yellow mask. I'd imagine they will be easier to spot if we watch from the gallery. And so, lads," he says with a conspiratorial grin, "you might be poor, common buggers, but tonight you'll watch the play with Lord Ghonallison!"

[Adam]

Cormac brings the axe down, grunting in response to Dietric's comments. "Yer not wrong, lad. This may be a fool's errand, but..." he sets the axe head against the ground, leaning on the handle. "Aerik guided me to this land fer a reason, and might be that lending what help I can here is that reason. Besides, if we don't do what we can to help, might be that these men die, an' that's blood I don't want nor need on my hands."

He mulls something over for a moment, before looking up at Dietric. "But I dinnae want to have your blood on my hands, neither. If yeh don' think this is worth doin', yer free to go. Yeh don' owe me nothin' after this morning. But, if yeh stay, ye'll be a friend ta me an' a friend to my church from this day on." He extends a hand. "It's not an offer I make lightly, lad."

[steveflam]

THE SPECKLED COCKEREL

Roald will find Dominica inside, at a table. She has a wine glass in front of her. Once Roald arrives she will beckon him over
to the table. "I presume you were set straight as to what happened? That is not the first, nor the last time that this sort of
scam will happen. I suppose the serving girl fell in with this man. I am sure he worked for someone else. That is how it works.
I know a bit of these occurrences. I have been many things in my long career, from a simple maid to the noble. Being a sellsword, I presume you've seen quite a few things yourself?"