Jack nods, "The wood from a cart can handle a couple of them, a wagon maybe 4, I'd guess. We can forage deadfall and add it to the pyre, as well."

"You know you could use a torch, Be faster, no need for wood and a lot easier to manage. We're surrounded by woodlands. One spark and..." The bard jumps up "Poof. Of course what would the dirty halfling know right? Carry on with your big bravado." She keeps tapping her lute and goes to stands next to Larissa whom she winks at all swan eyes. Ahh. She catches what the rogue states and shrugs "Well least you didn't die." She grins.

Jack blinks, "Your solution is to burn down the forest? You're just not right in the head. You really are going to get us killed."

"I did not state that. Burn the bodies. Doesn't anyone listen? Common sense." Echo grumbles "I'm going to get us killed? No, I want use to live. Apparently you just want to die. Its all good. Carry on and I won't pitch in my two cents." Yeah she's probably making ememies.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:37, Sun 21 Jan.

Muirryl begins breaking up wood from the wagon, as well as any dead or dry brush.  Cloth and unclaimed detritus would be good for kindling at best.

As he was moving things about, he paused, considering the bulk of the ogre.  "Never seen one of these before.  Was it dead like the others, or did it just keep bad company?"

As you begin dragging the bodies, you find that its a pretty easy process to making a pile of the bodies which don't stack too high. You are able to clear enough of the brush out of the way that the fire should not spread. The fire is warm to your skin and makes you feel revealed that the whole thing so over. The lady with the missing leg who was on the side has passed and is added to the flames for extra measure.

OOC: The zombies don't contain much. The big Ogre had a make shift club of sorts but it by itself is pretty big hold. The remains of lady and cart yield about an extra days worth of supplies.

Wolf has the following:
Weapon: Shortsword(s) 1d6S
Weapon: Longbow 1d8P

Other Equipment : Dungeoneer's Pack, Crowbar, Dark Clothes w/ Hood, Money Pouch

Money : 0 CP, 0 SP, 15 GP, 0 PP


What do you want to do after the fire and looting the bodies? You can continue to travel through the night or you can stop and rest?

The girl sits on the rock and waits. Feeling like no one wants her view, she won't give it. At all. She sits plicking the lute and waits. Just some random bard with a bunch of hoodlums. As the fire burns, her eyes watch the cascading fire. Yup. More zombies will come, Echo can just sense it. Fire. Woods. Not a good combination even if dealt with right. She doesn't go for the loot at all, probably won't get anything anyways. Everyone is huge compared to her. And no one seems to really care about her views on it.

Yeah. Not worth it. The bard sits and waits. Doesn't play a song.

Definatly not in the mood for it.

OOC
I'd say stop and rest but not near the fire.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Mon 22 Jan.

Keeping watch whilst the other's stack the bodies, Malleus ensures the horses are calm and hobbled. Declining those items once carried by Wolfhound, he finds himself between the halfling and the duergar, shaking his head to the latter's question, "Nor me, friend; I've no theories on the big brute's ... heritage ... other than whatever fell power that raised him seems ... ahem, indiscrete?"

If Echo has any info, she's not bothering to even speak up. Maybe its because she's a girl. And a halfling. Or perhaps someone got on her last nerve, hard to tell. Friend. Bah. Everyone would turn their backs on their 'friends'.

Muirryl nodded, not sure if anyone would have had insight.

"You," he said, gesturing towards Turg.  "Did the young harper do enough?  Do you need any more healing?"

He also turned to Larissa.  "I saw you down at least once.  Do you need healing?"

Looking over the pack, he pulled out rope, the 10 pitons, and the 10 rations.  He sniffed at them, unsure whether they would be good for anyone to eat, but they smelled alright.

"Never enough rope.  And these pitons could shut a door, if we need to trap him in a room.  Also, we should take a little more food, just in case.  This may be slower going than we planned."

He brought a sealed waxen packet to each person to put in their pack.

Pausing in front of the Echo, he added quietly.  "You're our best healer.  Not sure where you learned the talent, but we need you strong and safe.  Things are bound to be more ugly."  This close, you could see the heavy whiskers beginning to sprout from his chin, like newfallen snow on a slate-grey field.  During the meeting he had been the picture of a clean-shaven grey dwarf.  If his beard grew that fast, he would have to shave frequently.

---

If either of you need healing, Muirryl will lay on hands.  He has 5 hp he can share around, and then that's done for the day.  Let me know how much you take.  If you partake of the healing, you find that it is uncomfortable, like the pins and needles that come when a limb is woken up after falling asleep.  It also tends to heal with thin, silver scarring, rather than unblemished flesh.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:30, Tue 23 Jan.

The halfling stares at him, long and hard. She doesn't say a word. It'll turn into one fight after another. The wax packet doesn't get thrown into her pack and falls at her side. She didn't ask for it and with her ways, if someone gives you something they expect something in return. Right. Keep the healer everyone dislikes safe. The mouse comes out onto her shoulder and she gives it a piece of cheese before patting it.

Jack shakes his head, "She's going to get us killed. I'm going to head off and find this golem maker without feeling like I'm running with an escapee forma  bedlam Keep the horse."

Jack  grabs his pack from the horse then heads off down the road on foot whistling cheerfully.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Tue 23 Jan.

Another one bites the dust. Sort of. Echo feeds the mouse again and continues to sit, ignoreing the sorcerer. She taps her lute a few times as the mouse scurries into her cloak. Right. Echo will get people killed yet she healed them? That makes no sense. Oh well.

"She's going to get us killed." Echo repeats immitating him after Jack leaves and once he's out of sight.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Tue 23 Jan.

Taking the sealed waxen package, Mallues raised an eyebrow but said nothing. His focus was on the interplay between the halfling girl and the departing sorcerer, studying both intently

After a moment, he started to say something, then stopped. Paused. Offered a different track, “Did we decide to remain here and rest, or continue on?”

The halfling wonders what is worse-travelling with the group or the Count. Least with the Count she probably won't die. But here she's alive to heal people, that's it. Well in her eyes. Maybe if she acts like a good slave...no. She isn't a slave. Least not to them. Echo goes to say something but stops. She just sits there, waiting.

"Well looks like Jack has had enough fun for one day.  Are we planning to follow him or stop here for the night.  I need to clean my blood of my cloak and find someplace to sleep if we are staying here.  With that fire it might be a smart idea to move on down the road a ways.  If there are more of those walking dead out there the fire will call them in."

He moves back to his pony and mounts up.

Muirryl nodded to the others.  "Hopefully Jack will turn up when we need him.  I'm ready to keep moving, but I think you are right, Turg.  It's not smart to stay here.  There's not enough to prevent this fire from getting out of hand."

Muirryl looked at Turg, Echo, Malleus, Hadrian, and Larissa.  "I can keep going, but we have limited resources.  And we've made a huge target for enemies in the area.  We can't control Jack.  But he was probably right about our needing to face an enemy ready for a fight. Maybe we take to the road, keep moving, and strategize?  If we need to camp, let's not do it near here."

Assuming people were ready to move, Muirryl considered his next move.  "I'm going to put my cards on the table.  I'm not the smartest guy.  I'm former militia.  Served in the city guard for a while.  Until I saw that the militia supported as much crime as it claimed to prevent.  Justice wasn't equally distributed.  I...  I left the service.  And got into the justice business a different way."

Muirryl thumbed the coin he wore around his neck.  "I'm not entirely serving because I agree with the Count..."

He looked at Larissa.  Would this put her in opposition to him?  But honesty now might be more important that lying.  "I don't like this wizard we're going after.  If I can arrange for him to get a just end, I'm happy to see this thing through.  That's why I asked you the question I did, Hadrian.  If you all want to see him go back to working with the Count, I'll go along.  But I wouldn't mind putting an end to him."

Maybe Jack will get killed. Or not, Echo doesn't move immediatly. She feels like another slave to the paladin and doesn't want her gear in the hands of anyone else. If anyone knew how she was working with the Count they may think otherwise. Biting her lip, the changeling slowly gets up, watching each person. She seems to be a bit jumpy and goes over to her pony but doesn't get on just simply pets it. All of this goes into Echo's head and she mulls it over. Putting a end to the Count? Is that what he meant? "Rest."

Immitating the paladin she remarks "I'm not entirly serving because I agree with the Count."

OOC: It seems like most want to move away from the fire. So I'll continue from that point.

As you ready the horses and belongs from the fight looking at the pile of bodies which lay before you, you can't help but wonder if this is more of what is coming later. You start to travel again following the main highway and trying not to deviate from the path before you come to an area that appears to be a crossroads. You consult your map and go the direct to the right following the information given to you.

At about this time it's still pretty dark morning is coming but it's a few hours away before the sun comes up. You have reached the end of the path and the beginning of the forest. You can make the decision to continue but you know that moving through the thick brush of the forest could turn into a harder path to navigate which might include leaving the horses. Also the forest canopy blocks out the light of the moon making it almost pure darkness.

What do you want to do?

After taking up the rear, the bard oddly doesn't play a single tune. She's quiet which could be odd, or could not. Once they arrive when the path ends, she gets off the pony and waits. If anyone approaches, she backs off. Almost like she's spooked. Maybe if she doesn't say a word, things will change. Or maybe if she does talk things might be interesting. How did Echo get involved? Maybe she should just take her life and be done with it-can't run from the Count. She has tried. The mouse nudgers her from the cloak. It leans against her. Ahh.

Watching the skittish halfling from the corner on one eye, Makleus dismounted, addressing all of his companions, “We should rest; a few hours at least. I can take the first watch, unless another prefers it”

Malleus,  I am Turg.  I will keep first watch with you.  My gnomish sight will aid us in watching our surroundings. Keep your eyes open and yell if you see anything unusual.  I can check it out.

 With that said he moves off close to the forest edge and climbs a tree.

Muirryl shrugged.  "I'll take any watch as well.  I wish I had brought coffee with us.  I'll get some for the next mission."

He smiled briefly, and then set about unbuckling armor, laying out his cloak and then his bedroll on top of it, and then, taking the coin in his hands, he began speaking quietly in Undercommon.  The language had gutteral dwarven sounds mixing with sharp dark elven syllables and then laced with clicks, burrs, and throaty exhalations that spoke of stranger sources.

---

If you speak Undercommon let me know and I'll include a brief transcript of what Muirryl is saying here in private.  And you'll know secrets...[Private to Malleus Murk; Turg Darkwalker: If you stand near to Muirryl you hear him speaking something that starts formulaic and then turns personal. "Poet of Justice, The world rings with the echo of your brother-battles and longs for your righting of wrongs. He who is heard three times, hear me.  Listen to this child of stone and darkness, who strains to hear your echoing voice. I... I continue to look for the opportunity to visit you upon more than just the small ones who skitter through dark corners.  I have brought an end to two false-life creatures, but I hunt one who uses the dead as fuel to control the living.  Help me to visit real justice upon him.  Upon a betrayer who takes coin to serve fear.  Through felling this golem-maker, let me gain the tools to fell greater enemies.  Until the unjust tremble at the echo of your thunders, and the common people see that you truly listen to their cries for rescue.  May my own just end only come after I have served you fully. Until that day I listen and strive to serve.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:06, Fri 26 Jan.

The bard looks around for a place to curl up near or in a tree. She has a tent but inside she can't see anything. If she does, Echo sits down and looks down at her lute on her lap. All she has is in her bag. What fun. She debates on lighting a fire. Good thing is, she can see. Bad thing is, everyone else can see them. Tucking her cloak around her small frame, she curls up and acts 'dead' but her eyes are wide away. The lute is place right by her.

You take a rest that gives you at least a few hours of sleep. Waking to the sun shinning in your eyes and the sounds of the world waking up. You can finally see the forest in front of you. The Shadowbark Forest lives up to it's name as the giant trees seem to wrap around the opening leading inside of the forest itself. You can tell the path narrows a good bit and while you can continue on horse back there is going to come a time soon where horses will not work. You need to travel on foot if you want any hope of traveling through the forest itself.

OOC: This is going to end this Chapter and we will move on to Chapter 2. If there is anything you would like to do or say before going into the forest. Now is the time.