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East Side Story:

Xepil & Rae go toward the east side of the serpent mound.

A slender stream runs along curved grassy sides. And very soon they spot what they are looking for. Right up against the stream bed, where the water has undercut the mound over the years, is a hole that looks to have been widened by a shovel... a conclusion easily reached as there is a rusty shovel half submerged in the stream. The hole is large enough to allow 1 person at a time through.

((Welcome, Archer! Glad to have you join us! ...though it seems Rae may have a different first impression...))
_____

Rae isn't exactly thrilled about being
paired up with the "hob-gob," but she hopes that the two pairs can make quick work of the search. She wades out of the pool and heads around the eastern edge of the serpentine hill.

"C'mon, kiddo!" she calls to Xepil, "Keep yehr eyes peeled, but let's see if we kin beat 'em tae the finish, yeah?" She winks and bobs her head toward the unseen party on the opposite side of the mound, hoping that a little friendly rivalry might lighten his mood. "Either that or we find somethin' more int'restin'. Whaddya say?"

Only a few minutes later, the two of them spot a hand-dug entrance. She gives him a jolly nudge with her elbow. "Looks like we're in luck, hey! Ya think we think could climb up on top o' there an' git their attention?"

"I'm from a far land, beyond many mountains, in the East - Orlais. I didn't fight a lot of spirits - rather demons, which were seen as the biggest danger to apprentices - and that is partly one of the reasons I traveled here; to learn more. " And of course escape a certain death, but that's another story.

Upon observing the serpent mound, he thinks about his homeland for an instant.
"This place is strange; full of wildlife, yet dangerous and unforgiving. Well, Hirot more than the rest of the continent I suppose." Of course the same applied to Orlais, but he felt like the locals were more used to dealing with creatures of all sorts than back home.

After some observation, nothing catches Johns eye - either there's no way in but through the front door, or they weren't lucky enough to find it.
"Hmmm. We should go back, this is a dead end."

((sorry if I'm supposed to use the D&D geographics, felt like it wasn't necessary))

Archer hummed noncommittally.

"If they did, they'll lead us right to it." He said in a deep baritone, rough from lack of use.

Shara peeped gently and he took her on his arm, pressing his lips to her head gently.

"Go on, girl, see if you can find anything." He raised his arm up higher. "Flauga (Fly)"

((Damn, my first time using dice and this is the shit I get. Oof.))

Several ravens caw unhappily as the falcon circles, but the adventuring party is out of Shara's site, either too far away or concealed by the forest trees to be spotted immediately.

"Least it's morning yet," replied Iraco as they walked a little farther, the heavy bearded man checking the ground while they continued searching. "Shouldn't have to worry about the Hound for awhile yet. I sure hope they didn't head toward the Fens."

"I ain't going there if they did," Droggo states, matter of factly, not wishing to say that he was scared to go into the Sunken Fens.... but he was scared to go into the Sunken Fens. "Just let the Hound take care of 'em."

It took them nearly a half hour of searching, but eventually they came upon the tracks heading north, which might have been slightly unexpected and the reason it took them so long to locate the trail. But once it was found, Iraco and Archer would both quickly realize they were headed toward the tomb of the Ulfheonar.


((Josh and Archer both roll a d20. Higher result is the first to notice the other party. ))

Archer strokes Shara gently as she fluffs her feathers against the chill.

"Spineless idiot," Archer mumbled under his breath.

As they came upon the tracks Shara cawed nervously, and Archer allowed her to fly ahead of them a little to scout out the area. Not too far, but just enough to where he could still see her, and she was only just above their heads.

((Big oof on them rolls XV. Also; welcome!))

While not necessarily thrilled either, Xepil certainly preferred Rae's company to the others, at least the dwarf always seemed to be spoiling for a fight just as he was. The friendly rivalry helped Xepil shake off his bad mood, though more importantly, he was trying to focus on the mission as well. As much as he hated Hobgoblin culture, they had taught him a strong sense of discipline, and he knew that if his mind was distracted by petty arguments he was not going to notice monsters trying to sneak up on him.

"Always ready, grrr.." Xepil muttered to Rae as she hurried him a long, axe drawn already and lightly gripped by the handle to ensure he wasn't wasting energy clenching his fists. Don't tense up, stay loose and nimble, he recalled Hobgoblin drills in his head. "Hopefully something we can kill, grrrr, I could use lunch." Responded Xepil as Rae mentioned that they might run into something interesting. As much as Xepil wanted to distance himself from his Hobgoblin kin, he still acted more like a monster himself than an adventurer.

When they reach the hand made entrance, Xepil's eyebrows rise in surprise and he inspects the site and the rusted shovel. "No way, grrr, we actually found something?" He says genuinely surprised before Rae's elbow nudge gets his attention. He looks up the mound when the dwarf suggest climbing it to save time and he purses his lips. "Grrr... we'd be easy targets there. I'd hate to reveal my position to any beasties lurking around, grrr."

"Why don't we just look further inside the tunnel before heading back? Grrrr.. go on, I'll cover yer six." Suggests the Hobgoblin, certain that a dwarf wouldn't have a problem going into a tunnel underground, right?

"Hmmm. We should go back, this is a dead end," says John.

"I suppose you're right," Galiena agrees as nothing obvious presents itself on their side of the serpent mound.

"I've never traveled as far as Orlais, though if it is indeed plagued by demons, I'm not sure I'd want to visit. Perhaps this Hound is some kind of demon? I tried to invoke Ulesh last night when we saw it, hoping to turn the monster, but it didn't even flinch."

As they approach the pool again at the serpent's head, she looks at the heavy stone. "Maybe with a sturdy limb we can lever it open?"

"Plagued not really, but mages always have trouble with them somehow. To be honest, this Hound seems more like a spirit to me - only here to fulfill a specific purpose."
"Maybe. Where are the others gone? If they didn't find anything they should be back, and we surely won't be able to open this through strength if we're just two. "
((got it, never follow advice from her - I'd have ended up with a broken arm till the end of the adventure xD))

((I'm back the dead I guess you could say. Hey guys! Dunno my odds of how long I can be one here every day, but Ill try to come on as often as possible))
*thinks: "Something seems off.."*

((Welcome back!))

"Arraugh, I see how 't is then. Stick the dwarf inta the snake's nest, eh?" Rae teases back with a cheery sparkle in her eyes. "Cannae say that I donnae wanna though... Seems the others should know - in case o' trouble, which we're like to find... Mebbe I ought ta jus' poke m'head in and take a peek 'round?"

Josh and Lloré are nearly halfway through the woods back to Hirot when the boy spots 4 men trekking toward their position. Josh recognizes them as the Jarl's men, two hunters and two of the town guard. While Josh may not have had much interaction with hunters, the two guards Droggo and Hadden would be familiar enough, often (perhaps with good reason) harassing Jenks.

Does Josh continue on his path or change course?

((Lloré will follow suite.))

Xepil makes a double take when Rae addresses him in such a cheerful manner- for a dwarf anyway. Was she flirting back with him now?? Talk about sending a guy mixed signals. But it just goes to figure, when he flirts its wrong but Rae can apparently tease him all she wants and its apparently okay!

Anyways..

"Look, I'd go in there myself but let's be honest, grrr, yer better built for that than me. I'd just bang my head on a rock or something, grrr." He admits before looking back. "Yeh yeh, grrr, go on take a peak in there. I promise not to stare at yer arse or whatever, grrr."

"You very well could be right," Galiena said to John's theory. "Some kind of remnant of this ancient religion?" she thought out loud, gesturing to the tomb of the king of the savage tribes.

"Maybe Rae and Xepil found something then," she added after his second statement, wondering if she heard a hint of worry in his voice. Though if she had, she wondered if it was for their safety or for fear of missing out on something. She worried over the not-so-friendly rivalry between the hobgoblin and the mage. Hopefully, she thought, a few minutes apart would help matters.

"Let's go and see. If not, then maybe if we all push on it, we can move that stone."

"Perhaps we should have stayed..." Lloré says to Josh as they're walking back, feeling a bit like a coward to not wish to venture into the haunted tomb. "What a story, huh? Finding the legendary wolf-spear of the Ulfheonar! Fit for a song, I'd think."

"Is that..." he asked, peering ahead through the trees. "Iraco and Archer," he then added, answering his own question as he recognized the Jarl's hunters. "Ah! Perhaps they've decided to renew the hunt against the Hound now that it was defeated last night! It's in for a solid thrashing now!"

And so continued on their path toward Iraco, Archer, Droggo and Hadden, even waved toward them.

Rae tsks and wags a finger at Xepil's last statement. "Aye, I'd prefer yeh keep an eye out fer problems - they're like t'show up when yehr stuck halfways in a hole like some ground hog." Meanwhile, she removes her pack and fishes out a torch and a flint and steel. "Ain't as likely t'be able t'see straight away from bein' out here in th' daylight. Watch my things, will ya?"

She slops through the stream and pokes her head into the hole but can't make out any details. So, she pops back out to light the torch. "Ya know, mebbe we ought nae tell the other tae we've peeked afore lettin' 'em in on the news... Well, here goes!" She carefully stretches the torch forward into the opening, first quickly inspecting the tunnel for any risk of cave-in or traps. If she decides it's safe, she squeezes her torso into the passageway as well and continues her investigation.