"come in!" Called Balim.

"Excelent!" Said Ardion. He walked into the dimly lit kitchen area and saw a nice-sized cut of venison. He pulled out his knife and cut himself a generous slice. Oh a little sap and wood shavings won't hurt he thought.

Ardion sat down at the table, leaving a seat between the cook and the other seats, and started eating.

Sigormund dropped his shovel as he heard the dinner bell. he was exhausted and some food would give him the energy he needed to continue his work on the lodge.

He walked over to the head of the table where the meat was placed, clasped his hands together in front of himself and bowed to the Boss. he then crudely hacked a massive piece of meat off the roast and walked off with it, eating it with his bare hands. as he trudged out of the dining hall he yelled "It's good."

he had finished the huge slab by the time he got back to work on the lodge. The others would waste an hour eating while there was yet work to be done. At an early age Sig learned that food was a luxury earned through hard work. He would earn his food in time.

With a belly full of meat Sig's head cleared and he was struck with a thought: These people don't know how to build a lodge

Sigormund called Jamar over to a bare patch of dirt and bade him to pay attention while he used a stick to scratch out some rudimentary plans for how the lodge was to be built...

Sig finished scratching the basic plans for the cellar of the lodge in the dirt, noting measurements and other things that Jamar would need to know to draw up a detailed blueprint. They would need stones and mortar to strengthen and seal the walls, and they would need more shovels to get this damned hole dug.

some of these things could only be acquired through a trip into town, and Sig was quick to volunteer. Since he had been in the area he had been itching to visit but he hadn't gotten around to it.

Sig left Jamar to commit the plans to memory and caught a peasant on their way to the dining hall. He ordered him to have a horse saddled and ready for the trip into town in the morning. The young lad nodded frightfully and tried to escape to the safety of dinner but Sig stopped him again.

"And tell the boss that in the morning I am taking those 2 deer, some tobacco, most of those useless iron swords, and whatever else we don't need and i am going into town. I shall return by nightfall tomorrow with all the supplies we are lacking."

Sig let the boy go and saw to it that his pack was squared away and ready for the journey tomorrow. He unrolled his bedroll next to a pile of charred rubble that might once have been a building and looked up into the sky.

It was approximately 6:30pm. he would sleep beneath the stars tonight.

Sig smiled at the progress he had made since his arrival only hours before.

somebody had to get things done around here. The boss, though Sig respected him, didn't seem like a man of action.

Uh oh, you don't want to know what happened to the last guy that didn't like the boss >.>

what happened to the last guy was because he was rude and disrespectful to the Boss. Sigormund knows his place, he just hasn't seen the boss actually do anything since he arrived.

He ate some of my deer meat. :stare:

And anyway. Dynter wasn't disrespectful, he just found "Boss" Too corny a name. He would have been fine calling him, Lord Ikarion, or just Ikarion.

OOC lol Spider-pig. Sorry, people, been offline for a few days ... so how come ragggi has been absent?

IC - raggi took not of the conversation between the spymaster and the boss. He supposed that the boss and his spymaster would get on with the building and resupply - since no one seemed to want raggi's help he dedcided to do a bit of that hunting and gathering in that large forest to the north east and maybe even cirlcle around, sorta eastwards. Who knows what he might find ...

... the hunting and the circling was fine, but the waking up was not so much fun. Well, it appeared that the bear cub licking his face was perfectly happy - and very well fed as the remains of the deer he had killed could testify ... and then the big bear strolled up and sniffed him. Have you ever had a 1,000lb bear burp in your face? Not recommended.

The worst part was that the big bear just strolled off, with the remains of his deer carcass, leaving raggi wishing that it had bitten his head off - so that the pain would be at least somewhat distanced from him. No such luck.

Well there was raggi's bow and other tools, and a rather large log gently swinging in the ferocious 2 mile an hour breeze that was pulling his hair out by the roots. Shame about the leather bag that had held the mushrooms - but bears eat mushrooms too. Fortunately they don't eat herbs.

raggi staggered over to a small stream that he had been investigating and washed his head and most expecially the huge bump on th eback of it where the log must have collided with him. Then taking out his mortar and pestle he mixed up a poultice that he bound into a handful of the moss from the bank and plastered into the deep gash and tied a few strips of his rawhide around his head to keep it in place. Not as good as one of his healing potions, but very soothing - his head cleared almost immediately and it should be ok in a few hours.

Then he went about the meticulous task of removing all traces of his passing. The bear tracks and the blood and remains from his kill liberally and artfully smeared should tell a tale of a startled deer tripping the trap and jumping up into the path of the fallling log - provinding a meal for a passing bear and no one the wiser about anything else.

Satisfied he moved away using exquisite care to remove any slightest trace of his passing, circling back the way he had come.

Some miles later he spotted another deer and used 'Hold' to make his kill. He was better, yes, but not 100%. Another travois took the carcase to his favorite mushrooming grounds and he strung it up above the reach of wandering predators and out of sight of casual eyes and did some more root and herb gathering. It was late in the day and he needed to rest before he went any further with his load, so he gathered together some long grasses and discretely stripped some branches from nearby bushes and covering himself with these for warmth and wary about whoever set that trap settled down under another bush and fell asleep.

Something woke raggi. It was dark and the moons were up ...

Sig decided that even after walking all morning through thick bush and working all afternoon at felling trees and digging he still had a little life left in him.

The evening was cool and still. the perfect night for a hunt.

Sig put his cuirass and gloves back on. The bearskin would allow him to blend in with the forest better and protect him from any scratches and scraqes that he would suffer in the underbrush.

He slung his bow over his back, hid his broadsword and shield, and took up Pig-Sticker in his left hand. It was a mighty spear, enchanted to strike faster and with greater power than any other weapon he had seen in his travels. It had earned its name in the autumn of Sigormund's 18th year, when he had encountered a colossal boar in the Grand Taiga of Southern Skyrim. The beast had charged him and he slew it with a single well-timed thrust. The impact had almost snapped the spear, but the point had been driven almost 4 feet into the great and noble beast, piercing it's heart and killing it instantly. The meat had sustained several villages through the winter and the bones now decorated the Lodge of a wise local chieftain.

Sig snapped out of his reverie. This was no time for nostalgia, there was work to be done yet and he had a journey to make in the morning.

Sigormund dropped on one knee, said a prayer to Shor for a successful hunt, and disappeared into the darkening wood.

When everyone had arrived, although that ingrate nord had left, Balim lifted up his wine cup and said "A toast to Lord Ikarion! Ruler of the Settlement!".

It was 3 days before the full moon, and the forest was bathed in the light from the twin satellites.

Sigormund had been out here for 2 hours and had not seen a damned thing when something caught his eye in the distance. It was a faint speck of light in the blackness of the woods. A campfire maybe.

Sigormund moved in its direction, staying incredibly silent for a man of his size.

as he got closer he realized it was a campfire. There were 4 tents all spaced evenly around the edge of the camp. and there were 3 figures all hunched over the fire itself. four tents and 3 men Sig wondered, who owns the fourth tent?

Sig's question was answered as a robed and hooded man stepped out into the firelight 10 feet to his left carrying 3 rabbits. The strangers all smiled at the gift brought by their companion and began to talk animatedly as the rabbits were gutted, spitted, and cooked over the fire. Sigormund could almost hear what they were talking about...

Just then he remembered about his trip in the morning, and he decided to head back.

He wanted to talk to these strangers, learn where they were from and why they were here. But he had heard talk about strange folk in this region, and these fellows had swords on their belts.

Sig turned and began to silently trek back toward the settlement, using the moons as his guide.

When he thought he was a safe distance away Sig began to think about the time and he walked a little faster.

Sig laughed when he realized that what he had just done epitomized "strange folk", Maybe the rumours were true after all.

raggi kept very still as out of the night a line of heavily armed goblins shuffled, heading towards the Settlement. Blessing his good fortune that there were no war dogs with them he took a ring from his pocket that contained a modest, but very long-lasting chameleon spell and slipped it onto his finger and carefully eased his way out of the covering of leaves and grasses. Taking up his bow and arrows and leaving the travois, carcass and the food he had gathered he followed after at a safe distance.

Some way onwards he noted a distant camp fire directly in the path of the goblin's advance. Praying to Azurah that this was not a comrade from the village he speeded up and began to take a tangential course, soon drawing abriast of the noisy gobboes. Seeing that there was a very tall tree within bowshot of the fire he slipped behind it, cast his levitate spell and moved up into a firm position overlooking what appeared to be the makings of a fine battle.

He could see the fire itself and four armed figures sat around it, oblivious to the approaching gobboes who were now moving with some stealth.

Time to change that he thought and drawing an arrow, with the bright moonslight guiding his aim, he shot the rearmost gobbo in the bum!

OOC: One think i've noticed in my time roleplaying here is that people love to shoot monsters in the ass, is this an Injoke or something?

IC: Balim left the dinign room after dinner was finished, and sat on a bench outside the manor, staring into the forest as he smoked his pipe with some Tabbaco leaves he had found in the celler.

OOC - this is why Spider_pig And my past two posts were aimed at XxHavokkxX's post about the local gobboes being 'restless' and planning to raid the settlement the next night ... occuring about the time you guys all trooped into the hall for your little feast I would imagine ... assuming the gobboes have not already raided and incinerated you all while you were engaged in your drunken revels they shopuld provide a suitable post-bichndial entertainment.

IC - which produced a vast shriek of outrage that seemed to echo for miles through the forest.

"Aaaaahhhh! Keep it down! By Azura you're louder than a damn cliffracer!" Screamed Ardion, stumbling out of the house with a massive hang-over from the past night.

OOC: Sorry I've been gone for a little while, real life caught up to me. I plead the mead.

OOC: seeing as you attacked a full raiding party of goblins by yourself, it only makes sense for you to be either injured severely or killed outright.

Sig stopped in his tracks. That sound, he had heard it before...

Goblins.

He raced toward the settlement to alert the others.

Balim heard a shriek echo through the air miles into the forest. Balim ran into the kitchen while yelling "GOBLINS!!!". When he was in the kitchen, he told the maid to hise nd picked up a butcher's cleaver and ran out to the edge of the settlement to keep watch. He hoped the toher warriors came soon.

As he approached the settlement, Sig could already hear the people shouting warnings to each other of the approaching goblins. Good, he thought, they already know

Sig bolted past Balim into the ruins of the storehouse. After a moment he reappeared carrying his shield and with his sword on his belt.

"You!" he shouted at Balim, "Come with me!"

Without waiting he sprinted back into the forest carrying his spear and shield.

He needed to find those travellers. If that was a full raiding party of goblins, four men wouldn't stand a chance.

When a civilised person talks, they ask and they say please Balim thought as he stayed there to keep watch while that foolish nord ran off in a suicide attack. Even if Balim helped, he was just a chef, and wouldn't stand against that many goblins. No two people could.

OOC Actually tayroc I am halfway up a very tall tree (used lev to get up there as any sensible Ashlander would and I can slip around the tree and disappear by using lev to fly to the next tree - and since lev is not used in Cyrodiil them dumb gobboes won't find me!) - chameleoned and basically out of their reach - also I am half my bow's range away at the least - say 50+ yards in the middle of the night. If I need to I can use invisibility. The travellers now have a chance to defend themselves or run and the settlement is alerted instead of being murdered in their sleep or whatever.

My difficult decision is what to do next - and that depends on you lot and the travellers and the gobboes. Wish XxHavokxX was here to stage manage this fun bit.

IC raggi uses invisibility for a few seconds to be sure the gobboes do not spot him and carefully observes the ensuing events, waiting for the next opportunity to act effectively.

It is some distance to the Settlement but the others should have heard that quite clearly - I feel a massive grin stretch accross my face.

No way to warn them just how many gobboes there are without giving my position away I decide - actually in the darkness under the trees even I cannot count them - but there are quite a lot. Now let's see what the strangers are made of and what they do. Maybe they can link with the settlement or maybe they will find ways to escape the ambush the gobboes were setting.

The gobboes look around wildly, but my chamoflage holds - they are all looking at the ground and my tree has no branches that man or mer could climb to. Their leader jumps up and down and then hits screecher on the head with the massive club he is carrying and screecher decides unconsciousness is a viable option and shuts up. So leader shrugs and points at the campfire and nothing loathe they all charge that way - roaring their heads off.

This is my chance! I start shooting the the last of the tail enders in the back, one by one. by the time they have closed the distance to the campfire they will be several members short and they will not know it until they look around - if they look around I muse as I loose one shaft after another. Two to each gobboe - forget precision, any body hit will do.

As they arrive at the camp I cast my strongest spell, hold, on their leader, and as he slams to a halt I shoot three arrows at him and cast invis on myself again, edge out of sight behind the tree trunk and lev gently away into the gloom ...

Blinded by the fire-light that they have been looking towards all the time during their approach the gobboes have no chance of seeing me and as soon as I am into the screen of smaller trees and bushes behind my one I will sink to the ground and circle around to the other side of the campfire away from the Settlement to another convenient tree. By that time the villagers should be arriving if they fancy a wild skirmish in the Moonslight - and the strangers will have to fend for themselves for a bit. Now where have they got to?

edit
OOC awww, shucks - can't leave it there - poor Balim would be most upset to miss the fun - so

IC As I float off I look for the strangers and I see that by luck or design they have slipped off in the direction of the Settlement - which may be lucky for them. Or not ...

I cannot see the gobboe leader, but it I can hear the war band arguing - a very short argument that ends with a thump and a thud. Then the conscious and fit all charge off in the direction of the Settlement, so I change my plans and proceed towards the firelight to finish off the trail of wounded and (hopefully the chief) before following. There are plenty of gobboes it seems and it should leave me with time to catch up and do some more damage.

My cham is holding nicely as I return to my tree and I take the time to survey the surrounds ...

Out of character joke post:
Balim heard a THUM. Thum. THUM. In the distance. Suddenly the balrog leapt from the forest and engaged Balim in deadly battle. It's goblin minions shooting arrows at the warriors. Balim yelled "You will not pass!" "By the power of the sacred fire, i banish you!" Balim struck the ground with his really long butcher's cleaver and a hole opened in the ground as the balrog fell through hole. Balim turned around and as he returned to the fellowsh- Er, settlement defenders a whip flew up through the pit and grabbed Balims leg. Balim flew backwards and only barely held onto the edge. "Flee you fools" He uttered before he let go and fell into the Abyss.

"Balim! No!" Cried Sig, tears pouring down his eyes.

Balim flew down into the Abyss battling the Balrog with his cleaver.

THe end.

IC: Balim heard a lot of commotion from the forest but didn't venture out.

Bigger joke post
OOC No worries Balim - the gobboes are all headed straight for you Soon you will hear them - and by that time it will be too late to run - maybe you can hide in the barn or somewhere and hope they do not set it afire ...

hmm - the Nord + 4 strangers with swords or 30 or 40 or 50 or more gobboes? I bet on the Nord surviving and I reckon he will notice that you are not with him ... wonder what he will do?

A horde of goblins flew through the trees. Balim soiled himself. He ready his cleaver and charged at the incoming goblins, hoping that other settlers would folloow behind him. Balim deposited his Cleaver in the neck of one of the goblins, nearly decapitating it. Balim pulled out the cleaver as the goblin dropped before him and moved onto the next Gobbo. He hit the goblin upside the head with the business end of his cleaver. Two more gobbos came, and following tradition with fighting goblins, Balim brought the might of the cleaver on the Goblins bottum. A spray of blood hit Balim's face. Balim turned to meet the next goblin, but was hit in the side with the Gob's axe. Balim fell back nursing his wounds. The goblin was pursueing him. He needed assistance.

As Sig approached the campfire he could already see the travellers fighting a desperate battle. He could not allow them to be killed.

Sig leapt from the forest screaming his rage to the goblins.

He skewered one as he landed, blocking their crude axes with his shield. Like a bear he raged against them, slaughtering them like sheep.

They started to surround him. He swung his spear in a wide arc, clearing some room around himself. They tried to close in but Sig was too fast. He impaled them as they charged.

To Sigormund's right he saw one of the travellers was about to be struck from behind by a goblin. He hurled his spear with all his strength, piercing the goblin between the shoulderblades.

Sigormund drew his broadsword.

raggi was aghast - the travellers had turned around to face the charging goblins - then out of nowhere a butcher appeared laying about him frantically with a massive cleaver - the blood was spraying everywhere, and then the [censored] really hit the fan! That butcher should know better than to slash a gobboe's bum when it is pointing at him - yuk. The butcher goes down as raggi astride his high limb holds his drawn bow looking for a suitable targets - and as luck would have it he spits the chest of a huge gobboe who is gloating over the prone butcher prior to dividing his assets with his axe!

At that moment he sees the massive Nord Sig wade into them from the side with spear and shield, roaring like a bear.

As they surround him raggi begins picking off those that are stood between Sig and the four strangers with single shots - hoping the two groups can join forces and praying to Boetithiah to send reinforcements from the Settlement soon to aid in the slaughter. Whyever did the strangers turn to fight instead of running? They must be mad.