Birthright Tuornen Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

AMONG THE GOBLINS, EVENING

The goblins keep up a brisk pace as they march downhill towards the dim line of a dirt trail.

The Huntsman sees that his his pony now carries the two goblins he shot with arrows.
His light warhorse is nowhere to be seen.

When the patrol reaches the taril, it encounters a larger group of goblins, who also travel with a couple of wargs. Some kind of argument in goblin-talk follows, but ends as quickly as it began.

At no time is he left alone or unwatched.

The hunchbacked goblin offers him some gray, half-cooked meat and a sagging wineskin.

"Eat. Drink. And tell me your story, Beastman.Who are you? What are you? "

[ewancummins]

FILBERT, BACKSTAGE


While the opening act of the play goes on out front, Filbert gets a good look at what's going on behind the curtains. He sees stagehands quietly moving set pieces, actors waiting to go on stage, other actors fiddling with makeup or costumes, linkboys and lantern lighters checking the illumination, and so on and so forth. No one speaks above a whisper, and much of the communication is carried out in total silence, with hand gestures that suggest a sort of code.

The play is well underway and the sky above has begun to darken when Filbert notices the yellow mask staring down from high up in the deepest folds of unused curtains hanging in the farther end of the backstage area. In the rigging over the stage rear? The figure of the mask-wearer remains hidden by the hanging cloth; Filbert sees only a vague outline suggestive of a tall humanoid form.
The mask disappears. He cannot be sure whether the wearer of the mask saw him. He's pretty well hidden...



THE GALLERIES

The crowd applauds at appropriate moments, and some of the smallfolk in the pit actually shout out the actors' lines at times.

Perhaps Devlin and Renn are too distracted to watch the play with close attention to detail?

Are they paying more attention to what's going on on the stage, or looking and listening elsewhere, for other things?

[RocEter]

AMONG THE GOBLINS, EVENING

The goblins keep up a brisk pace as they march downhill towards the dim line of a dirt trail.

The Huntsman sees that his his pony now carries the two goblins he shot with arrows.
His light warhorse is nowhere to be seen.

When the patrol reaches the taril, it encounters a larger group of goblins, who also travel with a couple of wargs. Some kind of argument in goblin-talk follows, but ends as quickly as it began.

At no time is he left alone or unwatched.

The hunchbacked goblin offers him some gray, half-cooked meat and a sagging wineskin.

"Eat. Drink. And tell me your story, Beastman.Who are you? What are you? "

"I do not think you will like my answer." The Huntsman says. "But what choice have I?" He says raising his bound hands. "I am Fang, agent of the Gorgon. I was sent here by my master to find weaknesses in the human's defenses of this land and to see if the temple in the mountains here could be breached." He says. "It would seem though you have done that and dealt a mighty blow to the humans. You impress me with your skill and strength, keep it up and my master may over look your grievances." He says to the goblin then snarls at his bindings.

The Huntsman takes a bite out of the meat and swig from the wineskin.

[Adam]

Cormac nods.

"Let's go see what there is to see, then."

[ewancummins]

AMONG THE GOBLINS, EVENING

The goblins keep up a brisk pace as they march downhill towards the dim line of a dirt trail.

The Huntsman sees that his his pony now carries the two goblins he shot with arrows.
His light warhorse is nowhere to be seen.

When the patrol reaches the taril, it encounters a larger group of goblins, who also travel with a couple of wargs. Some kind of argument in goblin-talk follows, but ends as quickly as it began.

At no time is he left alone or unwatched.

The hunchbacked goblin offers him some gray, half-cooked meat and a sagging wineskin.

"Eat. Drink. And tell me your story, Beastman.Who are you? What are you? "

"I do not think you will like my answer." The Huntsman says. "But what choice have I?" He says raising his bound hands. "I am Fang, agent of the Gorgon. I was sent here by my master to find weaknesses in the human's defenses of this land and to see if the temple in the mountains here could be breached." He says. "It would seem though you have done that and dealt a mighty blow to the humans. You impress me with your skill and strength, keep it up and my master may over look your grievances." He says to the goblin then snarls at his bindings.

The Huntsman takes a bite out of the meat and swig from the wineskin.

The hunchback stays quiet for a moment, staring into the Huntsman's eyes. He coughs. Then, slowly, he shakes his head.

"Heh, I almost believed you."

He holds up a hand and three big goblins step close. A rapid conversation in goblin talk follows, and then one of the big goblins yanks a rust-flecked butcher knife from his belt and advances on the Huntsman.

The hunchback says in Anuirean,

"Lying slaves get their tongues split in my house. Do you want this? No? Then answer quick and true- who are you, what are you?"

[RocEter]

AMONG THE GOBLINS, EVENING

The goblins keep up a brisk pace as they march downhill towards the dim line of a dirt trail.

The Huntsman sees that his his pony now carries the two goblins he shot with arrows.
His light warhorse is nowhere to be seen.

When the patrol reaches the taril, it encounters a larger group of goblins, who also travel with a couple of wargs. Some kind of argument in goblin-talk follows, but ends as quickly as it began.

At no time is he left alone or unwatched.

The hunchbacked goblin offers him some gray, half-cooked meat and a sagging wineskin.

"Eat. Drink. And tell me your story, Beastman.Who are you? What are you? "

"I do not think you will like my answer." The Huntsman says. "But what choice have I?" He says raising his bound hands. "I am Fang, agent of the Gorgon. I was sent here by my master to find weaknesses in the human's defenses of this land and to see if the temple in the mountains here could be breached." He says. "It would seem though you have done that and dealt a mighty blow to the humans. You impress me with your skill and strength, keep it up and my master may over look your grievances." He says to the goblin then snarls at his bindings.

The Huntsman takes a bite out of the meat and swig from the wineskin.

The hunchback stays quiet for a moment, staring into the Huntsman's eyes. He coughs. Then, slowly, he shakes his head.

"Heh, I almost believed you."

He holds up a hand and three big goblins step close. A rapid conversation in goblin talk follows, and then one of the big goblins yanks a rust-flecked butcher knife from his belt and advances on the Huntsman.

The hunchback says in Anuirean,

"Lying slaves get their tongues split in my house. Do you want this? No? Then answer quick and true- who are you, what are you?"

"You want to know the truth?" The Huntsman says. "I, like the raging storm of wind, rain and lightning, am your worst nightmare." He says smiling showing his large sharp canines. "You have captured me and in doing so risk the Storm Lord's fury and unlike me he is not so forgiving." He says.

"That is who and what I am."

[Lord Skybolt]

CAMP OF THE LOGGERS

Cormac grins, a twinkle in his eye. "Aye, lad. I'd be happy to. Think we got work to do before then, though. Let's get back to the bonfires."

He hefts his ax and gets back to chopping.

...


Cormac and Dietric, with the aid of several of the loggers, have fashioned stacked and bundles of wood to be lit as bonfires, should the camp be attacked.

A boy runs into camp, yelling about 'hundreds of goblins marching down the road, headed right this way!"
When he calms down a bit, the youth tells anyone who asks him that he spotted the goblin vanguard while he squatted atop the bluff men call Widow's Leap.

The sun will set soon.

"I know you said the vanguard of the goblin army are coming . But what I want to know is how many there are in this vanguard . So how many were in it ?"Gunnar asks of the youth .
Gunnar thinks to himself:I need accurate numbers to know if we should try to take out this "vanguard" of theirs or just take as much them out as possible, then leave in the dust . If we can take them out, will we kill them all quick enough to be gone before the rest of their army catches up to us here .

[ewancummins]

GOBLINS

"You want to know the truth?" The Huntsman says. "I, like the raging storm of wind, rain and lightning, am your worst nightmare." He says smiling showing his large sharp canines. "You have captured me and in doing so risk the Storm Lord's fury and unlike me he is not so forgiving." He says.

"That is who and what I am."

The huncback jerks back, wide-eyed and shaking with naked fear and sudden recognition.

"Ahhh! I know your story! You are the Goblin-Slayer, the Stormbringer, the Huntsman!"

The goblin leader narrows his eyes to slits.

"You threaten me with the power of your god, the Thunderer? We goblins have our own god. He would be pleased with a sacrifice such as you."

He barks an order and the goblins close in to seize the Huntsman...

The three man-sized goblins rush in, but one trips over the Huntsman, and flips head over heels--knocking aside the goblin on the opposite flank. The third goblin grabs for the Huntsman from behind but accidentally seizes the one who tripped. They all go down in a tangle of limbs, and the Huntsman is able to crawl out before anyone can pin him.

[ewancummins]

CAMP OF THE LOGGERS

Cormac grins, a twinkle in his eye. "Aye, lad. I'd be happy to. Think we got work to do before then, though. Let's get back to the bonfires."

He hefts his ax and gets back to chopping.

...


Cormac and Dietric, with the aid of several of the loggers, have fashioned stacked and bundles of wood to be lit as bonfires, should the camp be attacked.

A boy runs into camp, yelling about 'hundreds of goblins marching down the road, headed right this way!"
When he calms down a bit, the youth tells anyone who asks him that he spotted the goblin vanguard while he squatted atop the bluff men call Widow's Leap.

The sun will set soon.

"I know you said the vanguard of the goblin army are coming . But what I want to know is how many there are in this vanguard . So how many were in it ?"Gunnar asks of the youth .
Gunnar thinks to himself:I need accurate numbers to know if we should try to take out this "vanguard" of theirs or just take as much them out as possible, then leave in the dust . If we can take them out, will we kill them all quick enough to be gone before the rest of their army catches up to us here .

"Um, I dunno for sure. Thirty? Forty? Fifty? There were huge wolves with 'em, teeth like daggers!"

[ewancummins]

ENDIER
A couple of seedy tavern guests invite
Roald to play a plaques game with them.

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald accepts, provided they let him sit with his back to the wall.

[ewancummins]

Roald accepts, provided they let him sit with his back to the wall.

They do.

Roald may know this game...

[ewancummins]

HUNTSMAN
The Huntsman runs, gets knocked down and a pin, breaks free, is pinned again. The hunchback darts in to cut the Huntsman’s throat, but accidentally cuts the priest loose! More goblins pile on, kicking, biting, pinching, and stamping as the leader shrieks orders in goblin-talk.
Then a massive hobnailed boot smashes into the Huntsman's head, almost knocking him out cold. A sound like the roar of thunder fills his head, and then ...silence. He can see a little through the flying dust, but he can't hear anything at all except the echoes of the thunderclap in his skull.
He struggles to his feet, shaking off goblins, and finds himself surrounded.

Beyond the circle of grinning, laughing goblins, great wolves prowl the edges of the camp.
The sky turns red as the sun is setting…

[ewancummins]

CORMAC AND DIETRIC

Scouting ahead of the camp, several miles up the road, Cormac locates a high bluff to the west side of the narrow path, which seems to match the locals' description of Widow's Leap. Pine trees and a few rocks atop the bluff would provide partial concealment for anyone hiding on top.

To the east, the sky glows red with the setting sun.

To the north, wisps of road dust rise above the trail and a steady thump of booted feet echoes, punctuated by lupine howls...

[ewancummins]

ENDIER


Roald loses a few coppers, but makes some new freinds. His two fellow gamblers turn out to be boatmen, off duty and out for a good time. They suggest a trip to a nearby whorehouse.