(076) Off the Beaten Track

[The Red Baron]

Dopey itches his wound, and furls his brow.

""I don't think I can handle another scrap just yet, and the rest of you lot are in worse shape than I am."

"How many goblins are we talking here?" he asks Thick-Neck.

[acodispo]

After gathering the pile of gear together, Wetzel flops down on the ground again and watches the interrogation of Thick-Neck.

He also takes a second look at his own wounds, cleaning them as well as possible.

After that, he peers out over the cliff and down over the forest below, looking and listening for signs of any life, humanoid or otherwise.

[coffee]

Since we're resting, Karl will clean/tend to his wounds as well.

[mushgnome]

After tending to his wounds, Boggs feels much better. Dwarves are made of resilient stuff! "On second thought, maybe I don't want to go back to camp. That would give the goblins too much time to regroup. Leudigar, did I hear you say you found a hidden guard post nearby? That might be a good place for the wounded to hole up and rest, and I'd like to take a closer look at the stonework. Maybe whoever built it left a secret cache of weapons or supplies."

While the next move is being debated, Boggs will arrange Gunter's body into a dignified position, axe in hand as befits a fallen warrior.

[sully]

After the interrogation of Thick-Neck is complete, The Herald will assist with tossing the corpses of their foes into the woods below the cliff. He will then say a few words of prayer over the dead bodies of his companions.

Finally, he strips Brother Alfwin's body of all possessions, excepting his Enigma of Thuul and coinpurse, and lays them in a pile. He wraps the body in its forest green cloak.

Take what you want of Alfwin's possessions, and I'll toss the rest over the cliff. I plan on carrying his body back to the camp for a proper burial. Any bodies we don't take back, I recommend we toss over the cliff as well. It's disrespectful but I think they'd understand. We don't want the goblins desecrating their corpses.

If no one else takes them, The Herald will take Alfwin's candles and mirror.

Wrapping up my actions before we head back to camp, for when WOTE is ready to post again.

[ehiker133]

Leudigar takes the crossbow and quiver of bolts from Menno's stuff before the bodies are pushed over the edge.

"Hopefully I can put it to good use, man."

Then he picks up the satchel with the two cats in it and indicates his readiness to leave.

[coffee]

"Pity we can't do more for them," Karl says, shrugging into his pack. "But we've done what we can."

[mushgnome]

Boggs rolls Gunter's body over the cliff. "So long, old pal."

[waysoftheearth]

The Herald asks, Who hired you?

"That would be Murgrud tha Gatekeeper, a mean bastard even fer a Hogboblin. He's runnin' tha defences down there far as I knows, an ee's got Tha Slab backin' 'im up; a serious bit a muscle." Thick Neck rasps, then spits. "Wouldn't pay ta get on 'is wrong side..."

[waysoftheearth]

The bodies are relieved of anything the company deems valuable before being "interred" to the forest over the cliff edge... they drop to the rough slope, then tumble down the steep slope along with a scatter of stones before finally coming to rest in the shrubs and brambles at the wood edge. Thick-Neck looks on with only a mild interest as his former band come to their awkward resting places. There is no immediate sign of hungry animals flocking to investigate the gift-carrion, but dusk might make them bolder...

Only Brother Alfwin's body remain's topside, in the care of Brother Herald.

Everybody is as well rested as they can be, with gear stowed and packs shouldered.

All that has happened... your sheets (should be) updated to reflect what gear you are carrying. Thick-Neck can also be made to haul some gear, if desired.

What now?