[He’s only a chieftain and he’s also your father so “father” and “Chief” are both acceptable modes of address]

Done, everyone gathers their stuff. As you are done asking questions Mica and Ulf show up with Angara in tow wondering what’s going on. [Angara can stay or go as @Mica wish. He’s a weaponthane of the clan so a good man to have in a tight corner, conversely his response to problems is likely to be to hit them or run away from them in typical Orlanthi fashion ].

Riding is part of the Orlmarth keyword [the clan acquired that skill during the clan generation – so good choice!].

Apple Lane is about a day’s ride from here. The chief has supplied riding tack, food and water as well as the horses so you are all ready to go.

Unless someone has something more they need to do you can set off.

In reply to dashing (msg # 5):

Ok folks, if no one has anything to do - lets get going - and just keep an eye out for anyone monitoring our progress.

I'll give everyone a day to comment...

In reply to dashing (msg # 5):

Mica bows to Angara: "Sire, I would deem it a great boon if you would aid us in this task."
He agrees to join them, and Mica beams with pleasure.
"I must do the Goose Dance to bring us fortune, but I must do it alone."  She rushes off into the forest, and returns a short time later bearing her goose-feathered totem .

Again he's not a sire, he's an equal (but of higher social standing!).

He'll tag along then.

In reply to dashing (msg # 9):

I am going to do a prayer to Orlanth to be safeguarded on our trip and when we are ready head out, with Fyri scouting ahead for any suspicious people

Ready when you all are

I'll gather some herbs - poisons that sicken or knock someone out and others that can soothe wounds then I'm ready.

NP

I'm feeling generous have a +3 lingering benefit on any rolls to do with travelling.

OK, I am feeling generous here too, have a +3 lingering benefit on using herbs.

The party (Harmast, Fyri, Iskalla, Ulf, Mica and Angara) head North riding out of the settled lands around Old Man Village swiftly. You pass Orane’s Loom a holy site of Ernalda and the Guardian Woods before entering the lands bordered by the dangerous Colymar Wilds. The narrow path squeezes between the Nymie River (which rises in the Woods of the Wilds and the Starfire Ridges).

Unexpectedly upon turning a corner you come across eight odd figures standing motionless. They appear as if frozen in the middle of a dance or magic ritual.

The hairs on the back of your neck start to rise as you realise these are Dragonewts, kin to the great dragons and therefore something you’ve been brought up to hate and fear. The Dragons have been enemies and betrayers of the Orlanthi since the Godtime.

There are three smaller “scouts”, three larger "warriors" towering even over a man and two slightly smaller with elaborate crests. They wear no clothing and seem to have limited equipment, some odd weaponry hangs at their sides.

Suddenly they start to move and dance, whirling pirouettes and graceful leaps, all without a sound. You can feel a magical charge in the air.

What do you do?

In reply to dashing (msg # 15):

I'll draw my daggers ready.

Do I recognise the dance or form of dance, if not the specifics? I'll hiss 'Mica, do you recognise this dance? Is it to call a spirit?'
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 15:29, Sat 16 Jan 2021.

The Dragonewts compeltely ignore you (and your daggers).

Nope, it's like nothing you've seen before. Amongst other things the way Dragonewts are put together is different to humans so their limbs can bend in...odd ways.

Mica hasn't seen anything likie this before either.

In reply to dashing (msg # 17):

Ok, I'm just waiting cautiously, watching then, unless ordered otherwise by Harmast.

In reply to Ulf Skommson (msg # 18):

Well, hate and fear -that sounds bad.

Could we get around them without being seen?  Getting the message there is what we need to do more than win a battle, but Harmast would like the glory.

Harmast asks Angara if he has seen this sort of thing before?

Gut feel is to disrupt this ritual -  am I sensing Chaos being generated? but it also feels like we are out numbered, but could we take one or two down with a bow to even the numbers?  It would be the elaborate ones I thing we should take out in case they are magic users.

All very good points:

Dragons (and their kin) have been enemies of the Orlmarth since before Time began! They have opposed Orlanth at every turn. They are not Chaos and do not want the destruction of the world but they do want to turn it into something that would be completely inhospitable to you, your way of life and possibly even all humanity! The only good that has come from them is when Orlanth defeats them such as when Orlanth defeated the dragon Aroka and freed Heler the rain God.

Getting around, is slightly tricky, the woods are think here and you are on horses which don’t take well to brambles and the like. It might be easiest to wait out whatever the weird creatures are doing and leave, or just to plough through them.

No chaos is being generated – Dragons are not great but they are not chaotic. You are outnumbered and all these creatures look pretty competent. The three smaller ones could probably be swatted aside but they have slings and such. The three larger ones look more than a match 1 on 1 for each of you. All look pretty tough and it will probably take more than one shot to take them down.

Angara says

"I have seen Dragonewts several times, they are always doing crazy things like this. It's best not to anger them as they are wicked fighters, but sometimes they just go away. They are strange. I hate them, they killed and skinned a shepherd I knew once and left his body amongst the sheep!"

In reply to Angara Danovan (msg # 21):

Aw spit - We make sure we are ready in case of attack, but I think we wait it out.  If it is more that 20 mins  and see if it looks like they are finishing.  I think I will start getting concerned that we are blocked, and we may have to ask if we can pass?  Everyone agree

Based on the understanding, and the task ahead, we cant afford to be ripped up by them, and that is what I am hearing will happen.  If Fyri can feel anything on the spirit plain that we should worry about,  or do some overhead reconnaissance that would be good too.

Good call.

Fyri is a bit bemused, why don't we all fly round them? You point out the horses and such like. Fyri continues to be confused.

After a 15 minute ballet performance the dragonewts suddenly stop, turn North and head off. Weird creatures.

You give the dragonewts five minutes to clear off and then head off along the narrow trail. Soon you see a fortified and very defensible stead to the left of the path. This belongs to Asborn Thriceborn, a famous Storm Voice of Orlanth still loyal to Queen Leika. A few mounted huscarls shadow you as head up the path past his stead.

Is there anything you’d like to do?

In reply to dashing (msg # 24):

Harmast, do we want to pay our respects here and request audience?

In reply to Ulf Skommson (msg # 25):

I am not convinced that anyone is on our side at this point.  I think that a friendly wave, and continuing on, skirting the lands as much as we can is the order of the day.  It feels like speed is important for this, and I dont want to mess up what I am doing it for

A fair assessment.

Asborn Thriceborn is a sworn enemy of the Empire. He got this thrice after being killed during Starbrow's rebellion [people may have noticed me calling him Twiceborn in the other thread]. So he'll definitely be inclined to help against Lunars. On the other hand as you say speed may well be of the essence...

In reply to dashing (msg # 27):

We can call on the way back - we go on. If we are intercepted we tell them that we have an urgent message that we need to carry regarding Lunar Subterfuge, but we will be happy to provide our greetings to The Twiceborn on the way back.  Assuming we make it!

Well he's Thriceborn now :-)

OK, I'll post up the next stage of the journey probably tomorrow.