Expedition: Anforthas/Hunting the Wolfwere - 01 Oct 2021

[hedgeknight]

Casper White fingers the sickle at his belt as he listens solemnly to Gregor detail the deaths of the knights. Afterward, he whispers a prayer for Gwanwen to bear them safely through the underworld, hoping they find rest for their souls.
He walks his mule Ted along as briskly as they can, basking in the misty rain as much as he would sunshine. Upon seeing the mesa, he admires its rugged beauty, drinking some water and giving Ted some as well.
After Anforthas gives his warning, Casper says, "I too should like to see the place where the knights fell. We must make sure their gruesome deaths did not prevent them from eternal rest. Ted and I will do our best to keep the pace."

[Dram]

Baxtaw follows along with others with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

[Zhym]

Lug shrugs and follows along.

[Stirling]

Gregor points to a dip in the ridge, the lower curve of the saddleback and says the first of the Knights were slain there. "Ambushed and then driven into the plains," he says.

The 'Wolfwere posse' spur their steeds into a cantor to ascend the steep rise and crest the ridge of the hill. As you do so, a small flock of mountain goats, grazing on luscious shrubbery is startled to scamper away among the rocks and sure footed as they are, along the precipice edges of the granite tor. "Yap, yap" suddenly comes from numerous barks as large tan coloured canines bark furiously as you arrive. The dogs snap among the heels of the horses and jump from boulder to boulder to excitedly announce your presence and theirs. Only these hounds seem to flit unerringly in and out of view, first harassing your rear and then appearing in the blink of an eye, some feet away. The dogs continue 'yapping' until calmed by a shrill note whistled from a strange hybrid humanoid. From the waist up he looks human, sporting a trimmed black goatee with 'fey' facial features whilst from the waist down he has the limbs of a goat and unshod cloven hooves for feet. A Satyr. He looks at you pensively and then approaches the group, seemingly to recognise the cloak design of the White Tower.

The saddleback ridge actually gives a very good view of the surrounding plains. The ridge itself runs for about four miles in a NW/SW direction and you are on the very furthest point north. Viewing in that direction you see more undulating grasslands and several miles away the begins of a forest. West is towards a forest and NW to the White Tower. To your east and south are more grasslands but the land is riven by a large chasm about four miles away with a scar in the earth stretching several miles directly east and a turn which sends a ravine zigzagging in a southerly direction beyond the horizon. (think an inverted L shape).

The satyr introduces himself as Ystan, "A simple shepherd upon the free plains. How went your festival, I am sure the meat was tender and full of flavour. I tithe my flock as requested by your high priest. I hope you Lord was pleased. What bids you welcome on my grazing fields?"

[hedgeknight]

"Greetings to you, Ystan. I am Casper White, servant of Gwanwen, and these are my traveling companions. The feast and festival indeed went well." Casper walks forward, removing his wineskin. He takes a draught of it, and offers it to Ystan.
"We have come to put an end to this marauding beast we've heard about. Seems it decimated a unit of knights and has been ravaging the countryside. Figured we'd start here where the knights met their maker...as we all must do one day. Have you seen or heard of this beast?"

[Dram]

Baxtaw- I am Baxtaw Greayburst glad to meet you. He admires the efficiency of the Satyr's dog.

[Karaunios]

Anforthas listens to Ystan's words with full attention and introduces himself too but gets to the point: "Greetings and salutations, Ystan. I'm Anforhtas, squire of the Knights of the White Tower. As my companion Casper said, we're hunting a Wolfwere that has slaughtered some of the knights of the order. Would you, by any chance, know anything of its whereabouts? And, now that we're here, is there anything that we could do for you in exchange for your help?"

[Stirling]

Ystan's eyes light up at the offer of some wine,

"You Sir, are a man after my own heart.". He takes a greedy swig and then pours some more into a drinking horn which he holds in one hand while leaning on a spear with the other. He wears a belted mailed skirt of leather strips around which hang various tools or implements such as the drinking horn, a crossbow and a leather tubal pouch, much like one that could contain a rolled up scroll or map. One of his hounds remains by his heel (hoof actually), the other dogs return to warding the goats on the Tor. The hulking presence of Lug alarms them, perhaps interested in tearing at his cloak but the dogs are wise enough to blink in and out of his rear view.

"I remember watching some knights come and pick at the remnants of bodies some weeks ago. Over by the dip in the hill ridge yonder. Two I think fell there and then they found the rest by the chasm lip." He points with the horn towards the SW and the corner part of the inverted L shaped chasm. "They lit a funeral pyre there for the horses, tagged and bagged the men to take back to your tower. A 'Wolfwere' you say, were-wolf? I have had no trouble from lupines for many years. Lycanthropy, shape changers? I am half-way there myself. Should I become fully goat or fully man? " he scoffs and finishes his horn of wine.

"My help, but of course, I am as much a servant of the tower as any man, or goat. A trade, well a trinket of value, a potion or lotion, nothing too fancy, everything appreciated. Those nomads folk, the prairie wanderers. Call themselves the 'Wolf Lords', or words to that effect. Maybe they have a dire creature on the loose, they chased most of the goblins away over the decades and raised the warg pups. Seasonally I trade with them." He offers out the horn for another serving.

The three riders of the White Tower canter to the highest part of the Tor to view the countryside. The drizzle makes distinguishing distant objects more difficult, the chasm being the most obvious feature. It is about four miles away at the nearest point and looks to be scores of meters wide. It has never been explored by the knights since the saddleback hill remains the absolute outer limits of any patrol. Since the knights have only been resident at the restored tower a few months, they have also had no contact with any resident or migrating groups who use the Yoldessi plains.

[hedgeknight]

Casper smiles and returns the wineskin to the satyr. "These 'Wolf Lords'...peaceful folk, are they? Where might be find them? And how much for one of your goats? Preferably a kid."

[Dram]

Baxtaw looks with his elven vision towards the site of the battle. He then hears Ystan ask for payment. I have 10 gold pieces I can give ya.

[Karaunios]

Anforthas strokes his chin, pensive. "Well, I don't have anything I can give you in terms of goods. But in terms of services, if there's anything that requires fighting, for instance, that we could grant you. That said, there's the possibility that we may find something in this Wolfwere's lair that might suit your needs.

On the subject of the wolfwere itself: well, news arrived at the White Tower of such a creature slaining some of our men on their way back from a mision about a month ago. We're charged with investigating the matter and slaining the creature, so it doesn't bring further damage to anyone." He says everything without pomp, just stating the facts as devoid of feeling as one could expect from a human being. "It strikes me as surprising that you haven't come across it. It's supposed to live in the environs."

[Stirling]

Ystan

He points to the north, south, east and west with the drinking horn. "Leagues this way are the river and swamp critters, in the mountains dwell dwarf and giant, the plain nomads roam and chase great beasts and west are you immigrants. Each group are friend and foe. I don't know of any mythical creatures but the nomads have a long violent history.
Perhaps the Wolf-Lords will know more of any such Wolf -Weird." The satyr offers his advice, it sounds deliberately vague. He points out he is "but a lone shepherd." and suggests any encounter with a fiend would be quite short lived and memorable for him.

He whistles, a two dogs begin to round up a few of the flock and seperate a younger goat from the others. It is quickly caught abd he ties the feet together for Casper to sling over his pack mule.

"There are no shops or brothels here to spend good coin in. I will take a good axe though and the rest of the wine. "

He points to the chasm. "There are freshwater springs and caves at the foot of the crevice. And other places of interest for someone to hide though 'the Twins' lurk there and I stay away. Dealing with them brutes would be a service. Of the nomads, they probably watch us now. They go where the wind blows, try the eastern plains."

[Karaunios]

Anforthas broods for a moment over the satyr's words. "Well, then. Then I suggest that we go to the bottom of this crevice. We take care of this 'Twins' you talk about (who are they anyway?) and maybe that'll help you out and you can give us some more information in exchange, since I don't have much that I can offer you*. Besides, that'll give us and everyone around access to fresh water. The trip here wasn't specially short." He turns to his companions on his saddle. "After all that is done, we go see this nomadic Wolf-lords and try to ask them what they might know about the creature. What do you think?"

*Actually, Anforthas has only taken part in one quest, that never got to be finished, so he doesn't have any item of worth that he could give up. Not eve wine! Just the starting equipment. That goes to my noble companions

[hedgeknight]

"Keep the wine, Ystan. Water will do for me and Ted. And may Gwanwen bless you and your herd for the goat. I can pay you for the kid if you'd like."
Casper reaches for his coin pouch and gives the satyr a questioning look.

[Stirling]

Ystan takes the coins and the wineskin.

"The great chasm is but four miles away. Your horses' bones lay on the plain where the pyre embers scatter. Last I saw of the nomads they pitched on the far side. Take care in the chasm, there is more in the deep than a brutish giant."

The satyr calls his hounds and once more they yap excitedly as they harass the flock of goats. Father Clauson and the three guards canter to the dip in the saddleback ridge where the first of the knights were slain. With the passage of time, no evidence remains, save a picked clean hores rib cage.

With no other questions, the party gallop over the grassy hills, heading in the rough direction of the chasm turn and the knights last stand. It is a short journey but you get the feeling you are being watched, not only by the horn shepherd but other unseen eyes following your trail.

The multiple carcasses of the horses were piled into a large mound between a circle of scattered boulders and set ablaze with oil and wood. The bone pile that remains has been looted by the prairie carrion creatures. The grass around is waist high and small clumps of trees dot the landscape. The lip of the chasm is perhaps a hundred yards away.

next actions and investigations please.

[Karaunios]

Anforhtas looks around him, studying the landscape. He turns to the others on his saddle: "Alright. Father Clauson, you and our three brothers will ride up to the right extreme of the chasm, will do the same with the left stretch. Ride at some distance from it, in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises taking you all at once. If you see anything strange, don't get close to it. If you see enemies, don't engage, but gallop back to where we stand now: this will be our meeting spot. We'll talk about what we've seen and decide then."

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Nods in agreement and falls in line with the others.

[hedgeknight]

Casper pays the satyr for the goat (how much?) and then follows his companions toward the great chasm.

OOC: Not sure which direction everyone is going, but Casper is following Baxtaw.

[Karaunios]

We're splittng in two groups. One with us (the PCs), the other one with the cleric and knights (the NPCs).

[Stirling]

The party consider options. Anforthas directs the group to split and follow the chasm in both directions. The three guards mumble at the order but Father Clauson quickly silences any dissenting voices. "As you wish, squire. We will trace the route of this canyon and return in the evening." Without another word he urges his horse and those of the guardsmen into a swift cantor and they are seen beyond your sight in the grasslands.

Anforthas , Lug, Baxtaw and Casper the White turn to their left. The chasm stretches to the horizon at least so must be four plus miles in that direction. You head off, scouting for tracks as you go. About an hour later the distance is covered but the chasm stretches further, a little tack eastwards. At this point you can see obvious signs of the egress from the canyon of some creatures or people for the earth is well worn. Dismounting and looking over the cliff edge you can see clear if awkwardly cut, steps cut into the rock face. At a very steep angle, narrow steps descend to the chasm floor some two hundred feet below. Along the sides of the chasm appear ancient and brittle vines, some still green of leaf. A small blue trickle of water reflects from the rare sunlight which touches the chasm floor as even at midday, the chasm is overshadowed. The chasm remains a bow shot wide and unless you carry on, turns beyond your sight.

There are no signs of recent traffic for the short grass is in bent and no muddy prints in the wet earth. Ystan's goats might descend here happily, the party less so. For the horses it is impossible.

next actions please.