Redlun XXXX

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="12a8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B>Redlun Archives </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun I"><U><B>Volumes I to XXIV</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id295.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXXVI"><U><B>Volumes XXXXVI to L</B></U></A><B>XV</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id259.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun Village"><U><B>Redlun Village Map</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun Plans"><U><B>Redlun Manor Plans</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id178.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun Survey"><U><B>Redlun Survey</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id179.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun Decree"><U><B>Redlun Decree</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="12b8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#336666" FACE="Arial" ><B>Missiledine's Archives</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Missiledines Archives"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id202.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXV"><U>Redlun XXV</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id204.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXVI"><U>Redlun XXVI</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXVII"><U>Redlun XXVII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXVIII"><U>Redlun XXVIII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXIX"><U>Redlun XXIX</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXX"><U>Redlun XXX</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id232.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXI"><U>Redlun XXXI</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id255.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXII"><U>Redlun XXXII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id261.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXIII"><U>Redlun XXXIII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id263.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXIV"><U>Redlun XXXIV</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id264.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXV"><U>Redlun XXXV</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id266.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXVI"><U>Redlun XXXVI</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id271.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Redlun XXXVII"><U> Redlun XXXVII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id278.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXIIX"><U>Redlun XXXIIX</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id280.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXIX"><U>Redlun XXXIX</U></A>   |   <B>Redlun XXXX</B>   |   <A HREF="id284.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXXI"><U>Redlun XXXXI</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id285.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXXII"><U>Redlun XXXXII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id288.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXXIII"><U>Redlun XXXXIII</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id290.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXXIV"><U>Redlun XXXXIV</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id292.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Redlun XXXXV"><U>Redlun XXXXV</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Missiledines Archives"><U><B>Archive Directory</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="12b8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Redlun XXXX</I></div> <bR> <div> Missiledine: Ok... we ready?</div> <div> Dukejr01: yah</div> <div> tacit01: <grunt></div> <div> Missiledine: When we closed you were encamped and disscussing tactics</div> <div> Dukejr01: are there scouts out at night?</div> <div> Missiledine: pickets but not scouts</div> <div> Dukejr01: okay. in that case Athamar will give Seek EArth a whirl eliminating he column and the pickets.</div> <div> Missiledine: hmmm, ok. you cast the spell... the nearest mass of silver appears to be SW of your present location, roughly where you would expect</div> <div> the smuggler's base to be</div> <div> Dukejr01: okay.</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Hmmmm... no mass of silver other than us except where the smuggler base is.</div> <div> Missiledine: the night will pass quietly... morning you are again on the march by dawn</div> <div> Missiledine: sorry.. did I get ahead of you?</div> <div> Dukejr01: I can;'t think of anything else but to cast Cont lights and distribute them</div> <div> Missiledine: ok</div> <div> Missiledine: march order remains the same as before... the Rangers are deployed ahead and on the flanks</div> <div> Missiledine: you travel west until midday when you stop to eat and rest your horses.</div> <div> Missiledine: Athamar, you, Jacinta and Ollyn are walking along the column, which has broken out and spread itself to either side of the line of</div> <div> march while the men relax and eat... As you pass through your people, you see </div> <div> Missiledine: Tassiter lying on his back in the grass staring up at the sky </div> <div> Missiledine: he seems very at ease</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar sits with him. "Got somethign to eat?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Yep, just lying here watching the clouds and the birds, relaxing a bit."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar looks at the birds.</div> <div> Missiledine: "Wishing we could just wing our way to the place, like that hawk way up there."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar looks at that hawk "How long has it been up there?"</div> <div> Missiledine: the hawk Tassiter refers to is circling way, way up there...</div> <div> Missiledine: "I don't know... was there when we stopped."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamr casts Sense Foes on it. what is the range penalty?</div> <div> tacit01: how is troop morale so far?</div> <div> Missiledine: you would guess that the hawk is about 1,000 feet up</div> <div> Missiledine: morale is fine</div> <div> Dukejr01: 333 yards.... -14 range penalty.....</div> <div> Dukejr01: How much longer til we get there?</div> <div> Missiledine: probably 3 days</div> <div> Dukejr01: k. </div> <div> Missiledine: you detect no hostile intent</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Tass, I havea job for you..... You can ride in the wagons as long as you keep an eye on that hawk."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hmm, sounds like a good job."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Yeah. I hope we are not being watched thru its eyes.... and keep this to yourself. got it?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Right"</div> <div> Missiledine: Meal over the column sets off again... The scouts have not reported any activity, the land seems empty</div> <div> Missiledine: The afternoon wears away, the sun is getting low... Tass calls to you</div> <div> Dukejr01: A trots over</div> <div> Missiledine: "It has stayed overhead all afternoon, but now it has suddenly headed north." He points to a tiny speck that is vanishing in the distance</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Good job"</div> <div> Missiledine: "What do you think?" He asks</div> <div> Dukejr01: " I think we are going to have to do something about it."</div> <div> Missiledine: "That won't be easy!"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Mouth shut, understand?" Athamar grins at him.</div> <div> Missiledine: He nods, "Understood."</div> <div> Missiledine: You set up camp and the Baron calls his evening meeting</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar speaks up this time.</div> <div> Missiledine: "Yes, Lord Athamar?"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "There was a hawk circling overheadall day today, and as the sun set, it suddenly flew north. I had my brother watching it. Doesn't seem like natural</div> <div> behavior."</div> <div> Missiledine: The leaders all exchange worried looks. "What do you think, Lord Athamar?" Dell asks</div> <div> Missiledine: .</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar shrugs. "It was too high for me to use spellcraft on it... I am going to try a couple spells to see if I can find anyone else out here in the drylands.</div> <div> If it is a watcher...<more>"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "... then the best time to seek the master will be at night when the hawk is not in the sky"</div> <div> Dukejr01: <pardon. long post></div> <div> Missiledine: "So you think its a familiar?" Lord Boma asks <Thought I was booted!></div> <div> Dukejr01: "I know little about familiars. but it circled overhead all day instead of hunting, like I would expect a hawk to be doing."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "I am suspicious"</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron nods, "Yes, most unnatural. What can we do to destroy it or drive it away?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Eyes of a hawk..." Dell grumbles</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Use other hawks, I suppose. my spells won't touch it, it would be an extraordinary shot with a firball, though we could try."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Damn thing can probably count the arrows in our quivers," He adds</div> <div> Dukejr01: "I would like to locate its master. Presumably he is to the north."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Perhaps... "Boma says thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can lure it down closer..."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar raises an eyebrow at him.</div> <div> Missiledine: "If there was something that it wanted to see, but couldn't make out from up there. And we had some archers, maybe Master Jules,</div> <div> sitting in an old fashioned blind." </div> <div> Missiledine: He shrugs, "Works for ducks."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Use a wagon. wagons aren't suspicious."</div> <div> tacit01: "we'd have to build the blind at night, before it's out looking"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Yes," Dell agreed. "But it has to think we are miles away before it will come down to look."</div> <div> Missiledine: "What would draw it?" The Baron asks</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell says, "A body?"</div> <div> tacit01: "something shiny?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "A tent." Boma suggests. "Set up and apparantly abandoned."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "The question is what would interest its master enough to send the hawk down, what would we want a better look at?"</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron looks at his expert mage, "Well Athamar? Which do you think?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "I doubt we would care about a body." Dell says</div> <div> Dukejr01: "I would want to recover one of my missing men....."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Shiny? If it seems strange enough, or big enough." Boma muses</div> <div> Missiledine: "You are not an outlaw slaver and brigand, My Lord." Dell says. "Why should he care? One less share to pay out."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "True. But would he be at least interested enough to look? and if he is to the north, then we are being followed, and he might want to come get his man</div> <div> and question him about what he learned of his captors."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Question him? The bastard would most certainly be dead if we had left him behind."</div> <div> Missiledine: Beal says, "Lord Athamar is holding one of their men."</div> <div> Missiledine: "A Necromancer could question a dead man." Boma points out</div> <div> Missiledine: "Do we know if we are dealing with a Necromancer?" Dell asks. "Such was not my impression."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar bites his lip. "a crackpot idea, perhaps. Maybe we act the fools and leave a live prisoner to die after we are thru with him. The bird may be sent</div> <div> down to at least check..."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hmm, could stake someone out." Boma says</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Put some dirt and bandages bandages on his head. dress him in torn and ragged clothing resembling what he was last seen in. One problem will be that</div> <div> the man who volunteers for this is goign to havea rough time of it"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Why north?" Dell asks suddenly. "The base is South and West. If this is the brigand leader, what's he doing north of us? Is he so</div> <div> confident that he dare split his forces in the face of the enemy? Is he hoofing it north to </div> <div> Dukejr01: "They might even try to recover him, which means that whoever is north of us might come by personally, assuming we do this. do we want to destroy the</div> <div> familiar or lay in a trap for larger game?"</div> <div> Missiledine: escape? Or attack our holdings in our absence?"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Bold plan that would be, to attack our holdings"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "one moment."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Use the bird to monitor our movements and ensure our location?"</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar casts Seek earth looking for iron, excluding everthing south of us and our group</div> <div> Dukejr01: can he specify how much he is looking for?</div> <div> Missiledine: you can exclude amounts</div> <div> Missiledine: <like everything smaller then a sword></div> <div> Dukejr01: exclude anything less than 20 lbs. that should pick up armour</div> <div> Dukejr01: good idea. do a sword first</div> <div> Missiledine: <unless they are mostly in leather></div> <div> Dukejr01: right. hence sword</div> <div> Dukejr01: 3 lbs</div> <div> Missiledine: <so... 3lbs or greater, north , east or west and not in your group?></div> <div> Dukejr01: excludehte village of windhook and the smuggler base. which is south anyway</div> <div> Missiledine: <Windhook is east></div> <div> Dukejr01: okay. exclude anything more than 10 miles east.</div> <div> Missiledine: how far north and west</div> <div> Dukejr01: let it run north and west.</div> <div> Missiledine: ok...</div> <div> Missiledine: hang on a sec</div> <div> Dukejr01: k</div> <div> Missiledine: ok the first source of iron, greater then 3lbs, that you detect, is NE and probaly 20 to 22 miles away</div> <div> Dukejr01: is that where REdlun is?</div> <div> Dukejr01: or is redlun farthur?</div> <div> Missiledine: Redlun is further, and a bit more N of the line you note</div> <div> Missiledine: It MIGHT be someone on the road between Windhook and OakHall</div> <div> Dukejr01: Exclude that source and cast again</div> <div> Missiledine: ok... next source is somewhat further N, and maybe 25 miles</div> <div> Dukejr01: how far could a hawk fly north in the time before sunset that it had?</div> <div> Missiledine: it only had an hour, maybe a tad more. might make 25 miles in a dtermined effort</div> <div> Dukejr01: "The nearest large concentration of iron is 20 to 22 miles NE of here, that might be someone on the road between windhook and oakhall. the next source</div> <div> is about 25 miles further north. An attacking force would probably have.."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "plenty or iron that I should find."</div> <div> Dukejr01: <pardon, 25 miles somewhat further north></div> <div> Missiledine: right</div> <div> Dukejr01: "IF this hawk is a familiar, behaps the mage sent it north to hunt and rest for the night."</div> <div> Dukejr01: <perhaps, not berhaps></div> <div> Missiledine: "That would be getting close to Oak Hall and Church lands." The Baron mutters</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar casts again. excluding the second source.</div> <div> Missiledine: the third cast picks up a source on the same line as the second, but a mile or so further north</div> <div> Missiledine: "There are farmsteads in the outlying areas around Oak Hall." Dell points out</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar shrugs. "I find no masses of metal that would be a war party. these are single sources of metal about he size of a sword. likely, as Dell points</div> <div> out, Farmsteads."</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron seems to relax a bit. Beal asks, "You were searching for single items of three pounds or more?"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "yes. I excluded anything south and our party. these are individual hunks of iron or 3 pounds or more. If there were a war party, I would have found them</div> <div> concentrated instead of scattered."</div> <div> Missiledine: Beal nods thoughtfully. "But if they were farmsteads... wouldn't there be more then one tool or weapon that meets those</div> <div> qualifications?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "So they are travelers or hunters or Rangers... Point is, it's not a horde." Boma says</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar nods. "That is what I surmise."</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron seems satisfied. "So, we build a blind tonight, leave some one as bait? Staked out or what? Then move on in the morning.</div> <div> Right?"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Well, I can digs some pits to hide some archers and the perhaps Master Jules."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Cover those carefully and bait the trap"</div> <div> Missiledine: <Sorry, was distracted by wife></div> <div> Dukejr01: np</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron nods, "Captain," This to Dell "Put some of our best archers in it." Dell nods</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell says, "I'll find someone who looks like your prisoner, Lord Athamar. If you can describe him."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Of course."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar describes the man and his clothes.</div> <div> Missiledine: "Do we kill it our capture it?" Boma asks</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Capture would need nets unless Master Jules has something he can cast."</div> <div> Missiledine: "I will ask him. "Beal says. "But I think we shouldn't get fancy. Kill it."</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron grunts, "Let Jules kill it and cook it. With luck we will have it for lunch."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar nods to that.</div> <div> Dukejr01: "I will set to the task, then. My Lord"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Good, then let us eat ." The meeting ends</div> <div> Missiledine: after supper Dell comes looking for you</div> <div> Dukejr01: A consults with Dell. A suggests that someone with some experience stand watch with Jules.</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar offers him wine.</div> <div> Missiledine: "I have a volunteer 'bait' four archers and Jules. So we need a pit big enough for five men with room to move about."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Allright. Do we want just the one pit?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hmmm, two might be better. In case its not a familiar, but the mage himself."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "No problem. been moving a lot of dirt lately.</div> <div> Dukejr01: A looks for a good spot witha shrub or bush that migh help conceal the opening.</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell has already picked uot a site for the stake out, it's near one of the fires. "We'll make sure the fire is smoldering when we leave.</div> <div> Hopefully the haze will help draw the bird in to see better."</div> <div> Missiledine: "The blinds shouldn't be more then a hundred feet away I'm thinking."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Right." A uses his cont light at night. HE tries to find a slightly higher spot with good visability and said shrub</div> <div> Missiledine: it's not hard to do</div> <div> Dukejr01: "How about here?"</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell agrees with your choices and assigns some men to gather brush for concealing the holes</div> <div> Dukejr01: With Dells agreement. A casts Shape earth and digs a pit. he goes at a slant and opens it up into a little cave. he shores up the roof with earth to stone.</div> <div> Missiledine: ok</div> <div> Dukejr01: "How is that?"</div> <div> Missiledine: <How big do you make them?></div> <div> Dukejr01: one hex wide opening. 4 hexes inside?</div> <div> Dukejr01: should be plenty of room to stretch.</div> <div> Dukejr01: unles he wants a foxhole.</div> <div> Missiledine: <One wide? You need to get multiple shooters in the 'window' at one time</div> <div> Dukejr01: could make the the openings slit out to the sides.</div> <div> Missiledine: As long as a couple archers can see and shoot together and Jules can squeeze in too</div> <div> Dukejr01: okay. one opening for egress. and a slit for shooting like: O=== </div> <div> Missiledine: got it</div> <div> Dukejr01: then room behind to sit, or draw an arrow.</div> <div> Missiledine: sounds good</div> <div> Dukejr01: not as easy to see either.</div> <div> Dukejr01: put the excess dirt scattered where the horses were corralled and in campfires.</div> <div> Missiledine: good</div> <div> Dukejr01: after we have no use for them of course.</div> <div> Missiledine: <BTW: I am sending you two an email, along with everyone else who plays, both Chat and PBEM. I have to take off next week to get</div> <div> some real life problems taken care of. I'm sorry for the screw up, but things are very much </div> <div> Missiledine: screwed up around here right now.></div> <div> tacit01: no prob</div> <div> Dukejr01: np</div> <div> Dukejr01: kinda figured.</div> <div> Missiledine: <yeah, I was hoping to avoid it tho></div> <div> Dukejr01: <troy. we kicked ass yesterday too. hope Rolb is still alive.... :-\></div> <div> tacit01: :-)</div> <div> Missiledine: <I will get the Archives updated asap></div> <div> Dukejr01: <Ashley is going to become a decent player, imo. we should put together a care package of books for her.></div> <div> Missiledine: <hmmm, not a bad idea</div> <div> Missiledine: I think she has GURPS Lite></div> <div> tacit01: Ashley play on Tuesdays?</div> <div> Missiledine: <yes></div> <div> Dukejr01: <she is Dawn></div> <div> Missiledine: <Under the nomme de guerre of 'Dawn'></div> <div> Missiledine: brb</div> <div> tacit01: <k - haven't been reading archives - by surfing is reduced due to ISP issues></div> <div> tacit01: <think I'm going to break down and switch to a DSL service></div> <div> Dukejr01: <we hit the island of the river pirates. fought lots of undead and several live pirates. the necromancer - an albino...:-) turned into a hawk and flew away,</div> <div> the bastage!></div> <div> tacit01: <an albino with shapechange - how odd?!></div> <div> Dukejr01: <lol></div> <div> Dukejr01: <corren coulda taken him. but we have his house now. Rolb killed 30+ skeletons by himself, for all intents and purposes></div> <div> Missiledine: back... had to get the dog</div> <div> Dukejr01: so did I</div> <div> tacit01: <wait, let me get a cat (hate to feel left out)></div> <div> Dukejr01: <you have weird cats></div> <div> tacit01: <yes, and...?></div> <div> Dukejr01: <the shame is that they will tend to live longer than dogs></div> <div> Dukejr01: test</div> <div> tacit01: test</div> <div> Dukejr01: <won;t let me post in the IM chat screen to Jim></div> <div> Missiledine: passed</div> <div> Missiledine: odd</div> <div> Dukejr01: fixed. I closed it.</div> <div> Dukejr01: <kill!></div> <div> Missiledine: When you finish digging and casting, several of the rangers take over arranging the vegetation. When they are finished the pits are</div> <div> invisible, at least at night</div> <div> Missiledine: "Before dawn we will put our hunters inside, fix the cover again and stake out our 'prisoner' then move out." Dell says satisfied</div> <div> Dukejr01: "they might need a bucket for necessities.."</div> <div> Missiledine: Jules comes up, "How long should we wait?" He asks "And how do we catch up? We can't have horses nearby."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Good point, a bucket, some water and food." Dell agrees</div> <div> Dukejr01: "if the hawk is still fowllowing us tomorrow afternoon, we will know the ruse failed, perhaps we should recover the men at night so that our knowldge of</div> <div> the watcher is not revealed."</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell considers that and nods, "Good enough. Stay in your den until dark, Master Jules."</div> <div> Missiledine: "All day? Better leave two buckets."</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell looks at you, "Lord Athamar, do you want to leave one of your people?"</div> <div> Missiledine: <fowllowing? Cute></div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar considers. "Hmmm...." I assume Ollyn or Miklas are around.</div> <div> Missiledine: yes</div> <div> Missiledine: and of course, J</div> <div> tacit01: :-)</div> <div> Dukejr01: <want to hunt a bird, troy?></div> <div> Missiledine: <Roadrunner!></div> <div> Dukejr01: a thought. does A have any expert archers?</div> <div> tacit01: <whatever - do you want to split up the PC's?></div> <div> Missiledine: competent, but not expert</div> <div> Missiledine: <makes no never mind to me></div> <div> tacit01: <J has a 12, I think></div> <div> Dukejr01: "I see no reason to have any of my men here. you ahve picked expert archers."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Very well." He looks at Jules "With luck the bird will land as soon as the last man of the column is out of arrow shot."</div> <div> Missiledine: Jules grunts, "My luck it will land just before sundown. Still," He brightens "Sitting in the blind will be a peach compared to being</div> <div> staked out all day!"</div> <div> Missiledine: Jules goes off whistling</div> <div> Dukejr01: "hope this works"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "If it does, it might hurt the mage."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Assuming that this over grown chicken isn't the Arch Mage Grimner moonlighting, I don't think we have anything to lose."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar laughs merrily</div> <div> Missiledine: The camp settles in for the night... about 4 am the archers and Jules file into their respective blinds. The rangers fix the cover</div> <div> Missiledine: You see the volunteer being led over to the stakes. Someone asks, "What do they do if an honest to Mitra vulture lands and starts</div> <div> eatin Hal's liver or summat?"</div> <div> Missiledine: Another voice says, "They canna do nuthin! If they do and that hawk sees it, the jig is up."</div> <div> Dukejr01: that is a good point.</div> <div> Missiledine: "Buck up Hal! It shan't hurt much! After al, it'll eat like a bird!" There is laughter as the tie Hal down</div> <div> Missiledine: Hal grumbles something and says, "How about a wee drink ta kill the pain?"</div> <div> Missiledine: "You'll be pissin yer breeks afore noon, if ye have ought to drink." An NCO warns</div> <div> Missiledine: Dell walks up. "Tie him tight." He orders. To Hal he says, "Feel free to try and escape. The effort might draw the hawk. If you do get</div> <div> loose, hang around the area in front of the blinds till dark."</div> <div> Missiledine: Hal nods, "Yes, sir."</div> <div> Missiledine: The rest of the camp goes about getting ready to march. You eat, load up and set out</div> <div> Missiledine: The sky is brightening as the end of the column puts a hill between it and the camp... No sign of the hawk yet</div> <div> Missiledine: <You guys still there?></div> <div> Dukejr01: yah</div> <div> Dukejr01: sorry</div> <div> Missiledine: <np, just worried></div> <div> Dukejr01: didn't have anythign to add. Athaamr is goign to send a skin of wine to Hal when he gets back</div> <div> Missiledine: The column is about 2 miles from camp when Tassiter says, "I see a hawk!"</div> <div> tacit01: <></div> <div> Dukejr01: "Lets not have everyone crane their neck to look, now." Athaamr makes it an order</div> <div> Missiledine: "Can't tell if it's the same one though."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Keep an eye on it, Tass. Pretend you are a lazy, good-for-nothing noble lazing on the wagon. Should be a stretch for you." Athamar grins at him.</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hah! All I am I learned from you, brother."</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Its in the blood"</div> <div> Missiledine: A few minutes pass.. Tass says "I see a buzzard! Hope Hal isn't too tasty!"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hawk is headed this way.... Circling back...."</div> <div> Dukejr01: I thought bussards waited until their meat was good and dead.</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hal ain't moving around much."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Probably looks dead to a hungry buzzard."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Hawk is hovering above the camp area." Tassiter calls</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar silently sends a prayer to Mitra.</div> <div> Missiledine: Tassiter sounds excited, "It's dipping... Down... Down... Out of sight!"</div> <div> Dukejr01: "This might actually work."</div> <div> Missiledine: "Ollyn says, "It may still be a normal hawk doing normal hawk things."</div> <div> Missiledine: A hush falls across the column as everyone listens... In the distance... 'KABOOM!'</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar chortles.</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Any more hawks in the sky, Tass?"</div> <div> Missiledine: A cheer goes up! A half a minute passes, no sign of the hawk! The buzzard has veered away</div> <div> Missiledine: "Not at the moment"</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar rides over to Dell.</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Keep up the watch, brother"</div> <div> Missiledine: "Aye, may have gotten him. Or may not have...You sods!" This to several mounted men leading saddled horses. "Ride back and get</div> <div> em! Get yer arses moving!"</div> <div> Missiledine: The men gallop off, back towards camp</div> <div> Dukejr01: they bring extra horses?</div> <div> Missiledine: yes, they are leading saddled horses</div> <div> Dukejr01: k</div> <div> Dukejr01: oh,. for some reason I didn't see the saddled horses bit. must be late.</div> <div> Missiledine: <it is, we will close soon></div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar waits patiently for news.</div> <div> Missiledine: About an hour later the hunting party and the riders return to the column. Jules waves a singed bird over his head and everyone</div> <div> cheers</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar will want to inspect it.</div> <div> Missiledine: Ollyn grunts, "Everyones might excited about a victory over a wee bit of bird."</div> <div> Missiledine: Jules hands it over to you</div> <div> Missiledine: It appears to be one of the larger species of hawk (What we would call a Banded Hawk)</div> <div> Missiledine: It is quite dead</div> <div> Dukejr01: "Good shooting." A tries to feel using his second sight if there was a spell on it.</div> <div> Dukejr01: <probably won't work, but I will give it a shot.></div> <div> Dukejr01: "How did it behave?"</div> <div> Missiledine: Your Sight indicates that there was indeed a spell on this bird... Jules shrugs, "It came swooping down in a spiral. I didn't let it get too</div> <div> low out of fear of scorching Hal."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar nods at that. "There was indeed a spell on this bird. Well done, everyone."</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar sees to it hat Hal gets some wine from Redlun.</div> <div> Missiledine: Another cheer goes up when word of the confirmation gets around</div> <div> Dukejr01: Athamar no longer wants a dead bird. Someone else can have it.</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron rides up congratulating the men.</div> <div> tacit01: J asks A quietly "any idea what kind of spell? What's to stop the mage from doing the same tomorrow?</div> <div> Missiledine: The bird is being plucked and the feathers distributed as 'lucky'</div> <div> Missiledine: The Baron gives Jules and each of the men a gold coin</div> <div> Dukejr01: "My Sight tells me there was magic, not what kind. If its a familiar, its not a light loss for our mage"</div> <div> tacit01: <um - bedtime?></div> <div> Missiledine: <2:30 guys, I need to wrap up soon!></div> <div> Missiledine: yep</div> <div> Dukejr01: night. thanks again</div> <div> Missiledine: thank you</div> <div> Missiledine: nighty</div> </td> </tr></table></body>