Ogre-watch
Log Info
- Title: Ogre-watch
- Emitter: Reithak
- Place: Redridge Mountains
- Summary: Carver and Reithak are going out into the redridge mountains to investigate ogre activity, but instead find half-oruchs falling from the sky.
Redridge mountain road, late afternoon.
A large egalrin was perched up on the cliffside of one of the mountains of the range, one hand perched above her eyes as she peered down into the area. Their other hand held a sandwich which they were idly eating. "I really hope they didn't think just because I've got wings I can just fly away the moment any sort of ruckus starts." The egalrin muses quietly to themselves with a low chuckle. "At least up here, might be able to glide far enough away in case anything happens. Silver linings, right?"
Carver turns her face up toward the sinking sun, the warmth of its light just starting to redden as the day winds on. "Takes time, righ'? For them wings to get strong enough to handle carryin' ye about. A bit weird, innit?" She reaches over to pat the nose of a gray mare, whose docile and quiet nature is very much at odds with her own.
The ranger reaches into the pocket of her trousers, unfolding a map and snapping it wide to study it. "So, according to a few merchant reports, if we follow this goat-trail, we should be near where they lost a man and a horse. Might be something to follow if it really was ogres, they sloppy eaters."
As dark clouds hide patches of stars, a whispy bit of cloud moves with surprising speed across the sky. It weaves between clouds as best it can, but at some point, it can't turn sharply enough, and it passes beneath one of what would have been a puffy white clouds during the day. There's a flash like a moonbeam toward the ground near Carver and Reithak. A humanoid form appears as though coalescing in an instant from cloud-stuff. A yelp, and the figure flails as it falls a couple feet into dewy grass.
Sitting up, there's a groan that's not quite orcish, but not entirely human. After the silhouette stands and glances around, there are words that sound suspiciously like a single woman's voice arguing with herself. Standing and brushing herself off, she picks up what looks like a greataxe, or possibly a staff with an ornate head. Words of power that are clearly spellcasting are spoken, and the head of the greataxe begins to glow with an internal, golden light.
The half-human woman tosses a bird up gently, which lands on the top of the axe which it uses as its perch. Then, moving at a slow and deliberate pace, she approaches the human and the egalrin. She's dressed in a blue short dress over blue trousers, all of which are embroidered with stellar symbols in silver thread.
When she gets closer, she raises a hand and calls out, "Hello! Bit lost. It's all fading a bit--you know how dreams are. Could you tell me where I've ended up?"
"It's real complicated. Not just an age thing, either, which is the rub." The large egalrin chuckles. "Bit weird you could say for certain. Probably doesn't help that It'd take a lot to get me airborn to begin with. be nice some day, though!"
"Suppose that's why they sent you with me, though, if anything does happen, I'll just be big and scary and you'll deal with them just like last time. Only, hopefully I won't be as useless. Also, I can't say I'd be able to tell what looks like signs of sloppy eating or not. What would make them different from normal meal scraps?"
The inquisitor's scanning is interrupted by a rather strange turn of events, and Reithak jumps to their feet. "... Huh? Well, hello!" They recover just as quickly. "Can't say I was expecting anyone falling out of the clouds today. You're in the redridge mountain range, just outside of the Alexandria city borders. Are you looking for somewhere in particular?"
The mare only gives a shake of its head, tossing its white hair about at the sudden intrusive thought made reality of Glasha's arrival. Or if you prefer, moonstuff to peoplestuff. Carver's own reaction is a bit more outgoing. "J'ya see that?" She squints against the darkening sky, only to give a surprised squawk as a voice can be heard. It's not nearly bombastic enough to be an ogre, but she does reach for her dagger, drawing it in shaky hands - quivering limbs or not, she's ready for war. So, when the sudden arrival proves to be friendly, the ranger no longer appears so with her wild eyes, face paint, and drawn steel.
"Oh. Uh, hi." She looks askance to Reithak, before attempting to sheath her knife. She misses the casing on the first attempt. The second. Embarassed, she looks down to her chest and finally slides the weapon back into its home. "Righ'. Like he said, the Redridges. I dunno what you mean by dreams but the paths been quiet... until you, anyway. We out here looking for lairs, remains, or the remains of a trail that migh' lead to a lair."
Soon, the description of where she is makes it all gel for the newly appeared. "Okay," she says. "I recognize it, now." She nods and gestures. "Up there is where the observatory is," she points out. She looks back toward the town. Shaking her head, she says, as if to herself, "We don't come up here often enough at night."
Another voice speaks, though it's a pale immitation of the half-oruch's. Underlit from the head of the axe-staff it sat on, the raven says, "You're touched by the moon, and YOU tell ME we don't come out here enough at night?"
"Dream-Touched," the woman corrects the bird. Turning back toward the others, she says, "I'm Glasha. Have I met either of you yet? I'm sorry, with everything that's gone on, I've kind of kept my head down and just stayed in the Society campus."
Reithak pauses and takes a moment to shrug towards Carver. "Maybe I'm just more used to people falling out of the sky. Besides, I don't think the ogres are using any clouds to get around, at least, I sure hope they aren't." The egalrin offers in some sort of answer.
"No, don't think I've met you either, names Reithak, nice to meet you! I'll let my friend here introduce herself if she feels like it." They answer the half-oruch now, before their eyes twinkle a bit with amusement. "Aw, hey there little thing, you're here with Glasha I take it? I don't think I've been out to the observatory before."
"I'm real spittin' with you. I'd 'member you if we had met before." Carver says. Awkward compliments aside, she gives a helpless shrug at Reithak, her fellow job-doer. "Speakin' of real spittin, it's gettin' late into it, we probably shoul' consider settin' for camp and here works as good as anywhere else." What little light is left can be used to get their campsite together and give it a little camoflauge. "Moonie, your welcome to join us. Dunno what Society you're from, but unless you got another moonbeam trick, it's probably safer to not travel by night 'ere. Wrong step can snap your ankle through these parts."
The Egalrin's assurances that the woman isn't a cloud ogre seems to be enough, as she turns to start rifling through her mount's saddlebags. "I'm Carver. Jus' that." Another talking bird. Avoid direct eye contact with the intelligent avian. The other intelligent avian who isn't Reithak.
"Iffin you got nothin' to eat, we have some rations. You got any spare blankets, Hatbird?"
"I'll be warm enough," Glasha says with a smile. It's surprisingly friendly, despite her tusks. She moves toward the others. Moving the axe handle outward, she moves the flat of the head to touch her forehead. The bird hops onto her skull and turns around to plop itself down in her hair like it's a nest. The axe head stops glowing, plunging the scene into what feels like a deeper darkness than before. "I don't mind watching out, if you need," the half-human says. "I can see fine, even in dark caves and things. Very little sneaks up on me just because it's dark."
Reithak raises one brow, before patting the ranger on a shoulder. "Yeah, you're probably right, I wasn't expecting to make a multi day expedition out of this, but, we did end up going farther out than intended before finding anything, which we still haven't." The inquisitor agrees. "Of course! I've got a few quilts in my bags, and I could always make something new if needed."
"Carver's probably right, safer to camp out here rather than keep moving. You're welcome to join us if you want! The more the merrier, and it doesn't hurt to have another set of eyes, in case the ogres are moving around at night, too."
GAME: Carver rolls knowledge/local: Trained Use Only: 0
"Oh, I think it's fine they probably... can't see in the dark." Carver says, her confidence faltering the more she thinks on it. "Righ'? That is correct, innit, Hatbird?" Hopefully Reithak paid attention in the briefing. "Well, they are lazy and fat so chances are they about as quiet as a pair of drunken woodsman singing woodchuckin' songs. We shoul' probably keep a low fire though."
She goes and retrieves some of Reithak's extra bedding, folding it and offering it to Glasha. "Here. If you want, you can get us a low fire, Moonie. If that's somethin' you feel comfortable puttin' together?"
Once she's handed off her blankets, she turns and clucks to her horse who walks over slowly, and the ranger begins to remove her saddles and all the weight of the rest of her travelling equipment. "Stars are pretty tonigh at leas'."
Glasha shrugs. "They've got different words for the darkness of the moon and the darkness of a cave and magical darkness, but that doesn't mean they can or can't see in any of them. Technically, humans have different ways to refer to those, too. I DO know that ANY creature, Oruch for example, who CAN see in the dark--trust me, my family hunts at night all the time--will be able to spot a fire at night. If you don't need the warmth or to cook food, it's best not to light one at all." She accepts the blankets by sitting on them, readying herself for a watch.
"I'm fairly certain they can see in the dark, but, I don't know to what degree. Wish I could agree with you on that, Carver, but I can't be entirely certain with something like that." The egalrin sighs. "All good though, we'll just be extra careful, Glasha there is right. Not sure if a fire will keep them away or draw them here, depends on how aggressive they are in that case I reckon."
The blankets are a little rough around the edges, but at least they're soft and clean. "Wish I had better blankets, but I sold the last of what I had when I was in wilderness pointe unfortunately, and I can't just go take them back." The egalrin laughs as she takes a seat down on the ground. "The stars are real pretty tonight, wouldn't you agree, Glasha?"
"Fine, cold rations it is." Carver says with a sigh, as she removes the last of the straps from her steed. Who is treated with an apple and a fond pat, returning to the others. "Jerky, berries, some really hard cheeses. Will have to do." She will offer a portion of these things to her two companions before settling down on the hard ground herself.
"Not that I can see much in the dark." Humanity's greatest weakness. Poor night vision. She bites into her meager supplies, the sound of scarfing... in the dark.
"Here," Glasha says. She speaks out some words and reaches out and touches the rations, which become much warmer, but not quite to the point of burning. She takes some herself and mixes a few things together for each bite to be a nice flavor combo. "Are you two just hunting ogres?" she asks between bites.
"Aw, don't worry about it, I'll treat you to a hot meal when we get back into town. How's that sound?" The egalrin chuckles. "I think us all being safe is worth a slightly colder meal for one night."
"Hunting them? Nah, not hunting them, wouldn't be wise with just the two of us. Just trying to make sure we know where they are for now." Reithak answers as she fishes around in her pack for the other half of a sandwich she packed. "Handy spell, nice of you to offer. Don't think I've seen a spellcaster with a big axe like that before. Well, there's Skielstregar, but he's more of a polarm makari than axe one."
"More that we need to confirm they exist, and where they might be lairin'. Like Hatbird said, probably too dangerous for us to go tryin' to kill them by ourselves." Carver says. "If it's enough to warrant a party to root them out and be done with them, especially on this busy of a trade trail. A family of brutes could cause a lot of damage if left to, uh, rut about. Thankfully, signs of ogre inhabitants start showin' up quickly. They aren't known for bein' able to hide their tracks very well. Figure once we got ligh' again, we'll start seein' em. Especially if they eat like how they described they did."
She might not know for sure if they can see in the dark but she at least seems confident that she can find a trail. "You two take first watch. I'll take second." She will pull her cloak tighter around herself and stretch out on the rocks. Presumably to try and get some sleep.