Tree Lords II

[HorizonsDream]

"Most, if not all of our supplies are on our animals,"Imani says as she limps towards where everyone is. "Malika is probably trying her luck to survive on her own. She isn't as helpless as she tries to appear to be," she says as she leans against a wall. Just moving that much exhausted her.

[Breila]

"I'm sure Malika is a resourceful person" Babushka acknowledges to Imani. "But getting through here alone is tough for anyone. I'm not sure I would try it, and I'm a woodsperson."
"Well then Thuskar, shall we go?" she asks after patching the man up.

They go back to the campsite where Babushka looks for clues to where the animals went and who went with them. Tracking check: 7, success

[JadedDM]

"Could Malika lead all of those animals off by herself?" Ulster wonders aloud.

Babushka helps bandage up Thuskar a bit, and he nods his thanks. "I didn't see any signs of a struggle. But I'm no woodsman, obviously."

Locky starts a long search of all 48 bedrolls. In terms of personal possessions, the Daergar didn't have all that much. There's some spare clothes, extra bandages, and cooking equipment (pots, pans, cups), dice, digging equipment, and so forth. There's no food and their water supply is very low. Evidently the Daergar weren't great at living off the land.

The kender does find a loose rock, however, in the south wall. Moving it aside reveals two large chests.

Meanwhile, Fikod continues the slow act of searching every dead Daergar. Each one wears banded mail and carries an axe, a crappy goblin crossbow and a couple of bolts (most of the ammunition was spent during the battle).

Babushka and Thuskar head out toward the area where they fought the dwarves by the trees. The webbing is still present, although it's been hacked up and the four dwarves are gone. Searching the ground carefully, Babushka can find the tracks of the Daergar. They appear to head north.

She also finds the tracks of the horses, ponies and donkeys. There are no human tracks, but Malika was mounted when she last saw her. She also finds more horse tracks (at least five of them) coming from the south. They seem to have met up with Malika and the animals, and then all of them headed west.

==========

Babushka performs a healing check on Thuskar (1d20): 4, pass. She restored (1d3): 2 HP.

Babushka performs a tracking check (1d20): 7, pass.

(OOC: Note that in the time the party has spent searching, looting, and so forth, all of the Daergar that were bleeding out have now since died.

Does Fikod--or anyone else--search the dead elves, as well? There are six dead elves, not including the two in the depression.)

[Breila]

After her careful search, Babushka motions to Thuskar to go back. "Our animals are not with the Daergar, that's good news. However, other horses have come from the South and left with ours towards the West. We can follow those tracks tomorrow. Let's go back to the others and tell them, and rest our weary bones, too."

(OOC: I don't think I need to write again what Babushka will tell the group.)

[JadedDM]

Thuskar nods. "Hopefully she doesn't get herself killed," he comments, and the two head back to the ruins where Babushka tells them what she just told Thuskar.

[Breila]

After her report, Babushka asks: "Who helps me to bring the surviving kirath in here?"

[JadedDM]

Seeing how the only people in the group who aren't too wounded to even stand up straight, much less lift and carry an elf, are Thuskar, Ulster, Babushka and Locky, Ulster agrees to go retrieve the living elf. He climbs down the depression, picks him up, and carries him back to the barracks.

[Breila]

Babushka busies herself making people as comfortable as possible and make some food from their meagre supplies. Luckily Imani and Fikod had stuffed some iron rations in their backpacks (I hope they agree to share?). When everybody is settled, she fidgets a little, but then begins to speak:

"I think we all know we fared much poorer in this battle than we could have. I know I am partly to blame. Every time I see giant spiders, my mind kind of goes blank and all I can think of is attacking them. I need to learn to control that.
But even if my mind had been clear, I would not have been able to organise us much better. I have been taught to fight with various weapons, yes, but only on my own or helping out somewhere, like I did when I met Locky and Jerrard and we went to free Ulster and Thuskar. I do not know really how to organise an attack with several people. Has anyone of you had training of that kind?
Imani, your society looked well organised, it needs to be to survive with such scarce resources. Fikod. dwarves have a reputation of being well-organised. Can you contribute anything? Jeremy, I would think you generally operate alone just like I did, but perhaps you learned something in the past? Ulster, Thuskar, how about you? Jerrard, what of the time before you became a mage?"

(OOC: If Ulster and Thuskar can contribute, I would just ask to get access to the fighter's handbook somewhere, so I can look up what Babushka should learn. It's clear that henchmen cannot lead in battle!)

[HorizonsDream]

Imani sits down and leans up against the wall, and she then closes her eyes. "It is a matter of knowing everyone's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to organization," she says. "This probably could have been avoided if we didn't rush into things. We also don't work as a team. We rush off and do our own thing."

[Breila]

"Then what do you suggest, Imani, what can we do, hands-on, to fare better next time?" the gnome asks the desert princess.

[HorizonsDream]

"Well, apply some of the stuff that we do as we travel," Imani suggests. "Have someone scout ahead if we know we are about to run into some trouble like we did with these dwarves," she points out. "Locky could have easily scouted ahead for us, give us some basic numbers, and then we could have formed a plan with the information that she provided us." At this point, she opens her eyes and looks at the gnome. "We could have managed to surprise the dwarves that were waiting in ambush for us rather than them surprising us."

[Jerrard]

"I was a guard, I never fought in wars, we were trained to fight thugs and hold the gates." Jerrard says weakly, "My life has been spent in books, in study, perhaps I should have studied tactics." He says with a self depreciating laugh.

"Imani, it is obvious you know more of tactics and the like, I noe to your knowledge. Would you perhaps take charge, I have been trying, but my knowledge is limited."

[Jenara]

Pulling the chests from the wall, they land with a loud thud. She then sets about seeing if they are locked.

[NoTrammeling]

Fikod finally finishes his task, plopping down down beside Babushka at the cookfire. He offers his foodstores readily if not quickly, moving slowly through the agony of near-mortal wounds. With a great sigh he settles into the most comfortable position he can find, leaning against his pack. Rolling a set of dice he found on the Daergar between his palm and fingers he regards the rest of the party through dull pain-clouded eyes.

"Aye, my gnomish friend. 'Twas foolish beyond words to charge into the open, and foolish of the rest of us to follow. Doubtless that lesson be learned." He nods at Imani. "She has the right of it. I know not of yer abilities, but in me days with the guard 'twas the scout goes in first. Then ye make a decision with the info. I have some little talent with scouting as well." He blows out a breath into his bedgraggled mustachios sending them asway. "And I'll speak not of the wisdom of releasing enemies who'd wish us dead and will only lie. Might be they've doubled-back to finish us already."

[JadedDM]

Ulster considers Babushka's question. "I...have always shied away from leading myself. But Thuskar has led before. He was a captain back in the mercenary group we worked for."

Thuskar shrugs. "Nothing big. I had a small squad, and I relied a lot on everyone's advice."

While the others are talking, Locky fiddles with the chests. She finds they are not locked.