Post Date: 11th Feb, 2010 - 12:20pm / Post ID:
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Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Play Post Party Thread - Page 90
Namdar holds his chin thoughtfully in one gloved hand as the group sits a short ways from the fence and main front area of the farm, with everybody keeping their voices low but without looking suspicious. "I don't think we're planning on spending any long amount of time here, Master Cortez, but appreciate the readiness and forethought, and will keep your spell in mind for certain when it will be wise to use it." says the party leader in a monotone voice, casting another glance at the farm and outbuildings. He turns back toward the center of the others and speaks.
QUOTE This is the Situation as I see it:
The farmer seems a bit put off that Krusten is searching his property, but that is understandable, of strangers barging in and snooping. He glances around a lot though, nervously or protectively... Or something else.
He has seen "no orcs other than you and your companions" he says, but does not look at us at all while saying this. I am unsure if he was including me with his "you", which I presume was mostly directed at our brother Beast here.
He has not spoken to the other farmers so can not tell us anything going on there, and does not barter with others traveling north he does seem to notice that there are less travelers headed north these days. Although it is not unheard of, as with our other farmer friend, it seems like people out here ought to communicate with and rely on each other fairly commonly, and especially trading between themselves... I am not a farmer so I'm not sure how unusual his position is on this.
The out buildings and the house have very good locks. The windows have curtains and cannot be seen into. Curtains are not all that unusual, and I suppose being out here where there is more likely to be nefarious people passing by, let alone orcs, solid locks would make sense, so for these external ones, I feel we can't make much out of that.
The outbuildings' shutters are closed and locked from inside. Otherwise it looks like a farm just very well maintained. This is definitely the "red flag" for me and most all of us I imagine - I'm not familiar with many barns or outbuildings with interior locks or barricades - the animals or grain certainly aren't going to lock the door to stay safe. This pretty firmly indicates there is someone in there.
Skedvick in his search around the place found orc tracks leading off the road north of the farm headed east to a spot just north of the farms house. The tracks lead back west to the roadway from there. He and I find it curious that there is just a old stump there. So some orc is walking along the road, takes a specific trip out to a stump, then returns? Something is amiss here.
He can see other tracks leaving the road headed west deeper in the forest but not many and that the majority of the orcs are still traveling north following the road. So there is definitely activity still north, no doubt, but also some into, and possibly out of, the forest to the west.
I think we are in a potentially dangerous and vulnerable position where we are, as there could be orcs come in from the west, the north, possibly from the farm's buildings, or even whatever is up with the stump to the east - we've practically walked into the dead-center of an unknown situation, and our actions need to be calculated to allow us the best range of mobility, defensibility and gathering information, without overly alarming anyone or triggering any surprises, before we have a plan.
Namdar stops as he notices Pundit and Beast with the farmer, and hears Krusten's sharp accusatory interrogation, and drops his face into an upstretched palm, sighing wearily. He lifts his head and agrees with Oliron that the farmer knows something else, before getting to his feet to join the rather conspicuous small crowd surrounding the farmer. Before doing so, however, he removes a flask of lamp oil, a bit of cloth and a flint-and-steel tinderbox, setting them subtly on the nearby fence and obscuring them by hanging his pack on the post in front of them - he nods covertly to Skedvick to inspect this mysterious but popular tree stump further, while the rest of the party are dealing with the farmer, hopefully drawing any attention away from the ranger.
Namdar mentally approves the friendly and encouraging approach Pundit and Beast have taken (mostly, eventually, after Pundit's interjection to obscure Beast's brash question), and Pundit's clever opportunity for the farmer to briefly communicate if anything is wrong, but the half-orc from the east just as quickly curses the total lack of Krusten's subtlety or circumspection, which he usually found to be pretty common traits in most elves. He approaches her, his eyes sternly trying to catch her attention and hint for her to assume less alarming behavior, while the others are trying a different approach.
QUOTE "Hiding? Why, I told you, silly elf girl, that rumor back at the bar was worthless - there's not any bag of hidden jewels here any more than there has been at any other place we've been to, in or out of town. We really need to be on our way in a little bit, and your antics aren't helping get us all set up for a quick rest before we pack back up. "
He turns back to the farmer, smiling apologetically and shrugging, "You know how they are when they get an idea in there head - there's no talking sense to them, don't pay her any attention.", then imperceptibly checks his cloak with his fingers to make sure his caltrops are easily available should he need to use them in a hurry. He then addresses the farmer properly, attempting to also get his notice by making stern gestures with his eyes.
QUOTE "So... Good farmer... I understand from some hunters in town that farms like yours out in the woods here are pretty bad for having a lot of pests and vermin move in and try to take over everything - I don't know, green, scaly snakes, maybe? Dangerous if you walk up on them without knowing it or having any warning, but probably pretty easy to take care of if you have an idea of where they're nesting - I wonder, have you seen any lately, anywhere around? I also hear sometimes they can get into houses or just about any buildings too, I don't want to have to find out the hard way if this area is crawling with them, while we're here."
Rather off topic, but...
I'm not sure here, there are a couple different ways this could go, so I would have liked to have gotten a second round of thoughts before posting for GM, but since most everyone has made their posts and been pretty clear, I've gone ahead and submitted our turn in the PLT.