Operation Parameters
| Date |
1492 DR, 2 Eleint
|
| Soldiers |
- Aceso
- Klarion
- Falyer
- Faye
|
| Status |
|
| Casualties |
None |
Operation Details
Equine Companions (One-Shot)
As our efforts to push further from continue we have become more reliant on horses and wagons for transportation. Unfortunately, quite a few of you have been somewhat reckless when it comes to their safety and the few, we had acquired are no longer with us… Fortunately, we have been able to acquire a dozen horses from one of the more unscrupulous sources within the capital and require a group meet the contact, deliver the payment, and return the horses to our camp. Please see an officer for more details.
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Sounds like we're after 12 horses.
Pony the horses as pack horses in a train.
Pre-Planning:
============
200 feet of rope
2 tie ins on 1 length of 20-foot rope.
Aceso -> horse -> horse -> horse
Faye -> horse -> horse -> horse
Falyer -> horse -> horse -> horse
Klarion -> horse -> horse -> horse
Collect all the halters, and their associated ropes if in stables.
I believe we may also want to find a potential stable master (or at least a quality stable hand).
===========
If we can find a quality stable hand -- can we offer them a bed and food? I believe we can ask the soldier's to tip the stable hand/master for keeping the horses, which should easily cover their wages.
Stable Hand or Stable Master:
We're from a settlement south of here
We've got a stable without a proper stable hand or stable master to take care of them
We're looking for someone to come and fill this role for us
From the look of the horses, you know how to take care of them
- Are you the stable hand?
- If stable hand -- what are the areas that you're still learning how to master? how much time do you spend with the horses versus the Stable Master?
- How much do you make as a stable hand? If you come down,
Before you sign on:
- Are you aware of the enemy forces coming from the far south? Are you any way affiliated with them? Just be known that if you are, you won't last long where we are going.
- There are people who have the affinity for magic in the camp, but they will be warned not to use it on your or around you if that would make you more comfortable
Mission:
============
weather is starting to get colder...
MJR Rem:
- going to go get horses
- coast south of the capital
- handful of miles below the capital -- should be making land, and waiting
- likely noticeable cut inward to hide vessel
- spot the lantern
- already been paid
- likely a small number of people, 16 horses.
Most of these operations are need-to-know for all involved – even internally. So limited information.
=======
Klarion rented a horse.
Started making our way to west, and then north on the typical path that Aceso knows to the capital. (west to main path, then north)
Falyer was a little out of it... so we lifted him onto his horse, and tried to tie him down (poorly)
He was being thrown around a lot as we rode
Hit the road heading toward north
headed north a few hours
Making our way north; there is a fog that is present that we were approaching (or is approaching us)
stopped to tie down Falyer since he was falling off at this point
saw a dude coming from the north; as
- person in blue fancy robe; red shield – chevron(s) towards the top of the shield
- Falyer mentioned that this is a scholarly symbol - from Candle keep; likely the deaf old man they saw when they were there.
- sharply dressed - elderly
- came of my own accord; land of Water Deep is in shambles
- making sure my mirrors are doing alright.
- unsettled look; disappears into the fog...
That old man was their attendant at Candlekeep.
Falyer says he's harmless, but not sure what it seems
A short-time later, we turned to the east to cut toward the coast.
untied Falyer as he regained consciousness, and was no longer a vegetable
We lost time a lot of time due to the other soldiers having a hard time with the horses
Eventually get to the coast as we get into the afternoon.
See a main wagon, and a couple smaller wagons. A shitload of horses mixed in the trees.
Two feet on the other side of the wagon.
Slender face of a women with dark lines of war paint on her face; tight jump suite
Scimitar and Dagger
points to a small sloop near the rock -- as if backup is present in it.
Plank (?) was here before and paid for the 16 horses.
Was told of Aceso's name
Called Darjuna - thick black braid; Elven features, but not a true elf
- not nervous
- horses seem be able & good condition.
A swarm appears from the west, and immediately attacks the horses
Klarion moved fast and used a torch to disperse/destroy them as fast as possible.
lay eggs in 4 of them before
Aceso believed we should leave these 4 horses behind due to the dangers involved in whatever these parasites are in them now...
Faye used magic to contact Rem to ask about the 4 infected ones... he said, "GET THE HORSES".
marked these 4 infected horses, but decided to take them with us based on MJR Rem’s message...
maybe we can try to get the Druid to cure them when we get back...
wounds were moving and riving... but as time went on it seemed to stop.
caused the horses to scatter, but we were able to collect them
while trying to round up horses - one got away...
used rope to connect all the horses using a halter on each to create three trains of horses
Aceso had the 4 infected, and was 30 feet ahead of the others... just in-case...
Falyer and Faye had 5/6 horses each in their trains
made back to the road west through the forest (the way we came)… but been traveling for 18 hours now. (Falyer started to look tired...)
came out on the road just north of the City of Bounty.
See a figure on the side of the road... trying to mount the horse - but failing.
see golden shimmers on his garments
it seems to be the same guy as we met earlier.
said he found this horse randomly... as it approached him.
Klarion recognized him, and rides ahead of Aceso to meet him:
started talking to him... still can't find the town of 'under-Jim'
found a random horse
Klarion whistled... and it immediately reacted... it's the damn horse that ran away from us.
At this moment three of the horses explode, and 3 swarms of bugs comes out of it.
1 swarm attacks flies forward to the horse and old man near Klarion
2 swarms attack the one lone infected horse near Aceso
Falyer and Faye are 30 feet back
the 1 swarm quickly took out both the horse and the old man before it could be killed
the last infected horse near Aceso also died
the swarms never got near Faye or Klarion.
We debated if we should take back the body of this man since he could be important, but it was also obvious that he had been infected with these bug bites…
MESSAGE TO SEND TO MJR REM:
"old man from candle keep... red shield three chevrons.. knew Underjim died... by... infected... bugs... should … we … bring.... body... dangerous"
as we began to send the message... his body exploded... bone fragments everywhere...
seems the flies were malnourished in his old body... so they failed to come to fruition.
something comes out of bush -- draped in different wet and long thin vegetation; hangs from shoulders and head - potbellied
spindly claw like digits
tries to make eye contact with people in back
locks eyes with burning horse
rags fall away; shrieking subsides.
scantily clad lady... this creature looked every different when wrapped, but when it dropped the cloak
seemed to be a white linen... concerned and pensive
seemed to be a hag of one ilk or another... but when it dropped the cloak it seemed to be elven in nature (not elven; but had features) …
-> headed back east, now off the north/south trail
made our way back... to the camp... becoming quite exhausted... Falyer was very exhausted...
