DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy RRL: Rise of the Rune Lords - Burnt Offerings RRL: The Boar Hunt

Selaim

"It looks like the others ran off." Selaim said as she retrieved her horse. "So are going to track them?"

Catalena

"I think this bullroarer here should be sufficient for a good number of appetites, no?" Catalena suggested. She had no desire to hunt down the newlings before they'd had a chance to enjoy a life in the wild, nor deprive them of their food source and protection. In case Lord Foxglove was feeling less inclined toward sympathies and more toward delicacies, she added, "Desna has granted m'Lord a worthy prize. Let us take him back whole such that tongues might wag of his successful hunt."

She also had little desire to gut and dress the beast in the wild. Not merely that she found the task revolting, herself, but she did not fancy having the scent of blood trailing them for the venture home.

Aendell

He nods at Cat's statement. "I don't think the main point of the hunt is food, Selaim. It's about the experience. Setting yourself against an animal that is dangerous. While this can feed perhaps a dozen or two for a meal that's typically secondary."

Coral

She walked back to where she had dropped her weapons, picked them up and resheathed them.

"Was that a suitable show of bravery, my Lord?" she asked Foxglove.

Selaim

Selaim watched her young friend as she picked up her dropped weapons. She shook her head at Aendell's comments though unsure what she thought of hunting for sport. Deep down she also had a feeling the sow had the more tender meat than the boar they'd brought down.

"Another thing to get used to," she comments to Aendell. "And next time I'll just stick to my swords than use this thing" As she shook the spear.

Zak:

“Perhaps the food shouldn’t be secondary. It’s important that a life is not given merely fr the entertainment it may provide.”

Lord Foxglove

"Oh, I completely agree that this prize is worthy of all the tales that can be told. No, let the others grow up and become as mighty as this one. It is a rare thing to see such a beast, never mind be a party to taking it down. Though, to be completely fair, all of you did the work.

"No, this is another success for the Heroes of Sandpoint. That is for sure."

It takes a bit of effort to roll the boar this way and that, trussing the feet in such a way that it can be tied to the saddle horn. It might be easier to drag it on a litter or some other method, but no one has suggested such a thing. To those who are knowledgeable, it would seem that this is the largest kill that Lord Foxglove has been a party to. Smaller boars would be handled in the way that he is suggesting.

Catalena

"He's quite a large one, is he not?" asked Cat. "He might be a tad much for one horse, plus our own weight, no? Perhaps some sort of pole might be employed to lift him and share the load?"

She looked to the others for ideas. Had the three manservants also been mounted?

Aendell

He looks at Lord Foxglove expectantly. "I presume your men will field dress it?"

Makes little sense to carry all of it back. Much of the parts that are inedible to people can be eaten by animals feeding nature's circle.

Selaim

She was in complete agreement with Cat. The boar was too big for the one horse alone. They needed to at least lighten the load.

"I think Aendell's right. If we gut it the predators will happily clean it up and be distracted by the free meal. In a way we'd be protecting the farms if we did that. And the boar would be lighter."



{OOC: Interesting note: In Europe you are required to field strip it as Zeim suggests.}

Foxglove

He smiles again "I was right to bring you along." He gives a wave, and at the signal, the servants move into action. Obviously, he was awaiting their determinations. One might think he was offering his own version of show and tell as it is clear he has knowledge of what to do in this situation.

In what might seem record time the manservants in a coordinated effort have gutted and trussed the boar to a long pole cut from a near by shore pine.


[OOC: Most hunters are required to field strip in the USA too. Not to mention the obvious benefit of lowering the amount of weight one has to port back out of the bush.

Who is volunteering for the two horse brigade? You guys tell me. The back to town and a bit of downtime before the feast, so be thinking about what you want your characters to be doing.]

[OOC: "Two horse brigade"? What's that? Two people on a horse or one person with two horses?]

((OOC he means which two people are going to ride on either side of the pole with the bloody boar body in between))

[OOC: Vryx got it in one. Just my brain being different than most peoples. ]

Catalena

Sighing quietly, as she found the prospect distasteful, Catalena realized that her supernatural trust with Maeve, her horse, whom she could soothe from balking at the prospect, combined with the fact that she ostensibly was here as a public servant, meant she should volunteer for the grim duty.

"Oh, well, since I had been the one to bring it up, I suppose I should bear the fruits of the idea," she offered. "Maeve and I can take one end of the pole."

[OOC - I just assumed it was an Americanism that you all just 'knew']


Coral

"I'll take the other side," she offered, not knowing what she was about to let herself in for.

[OOC: No, really, my mind is different. Remember the movie Young Frankenstein? Mine would be in the jar called "abbey." ]

The decision being made it takes a couple of minutes with the help of the manservants to get the horses and pole organized sufficiently. As Cat suspected, they weren't particularly enthused about carrying the pole with over 100 pounds of dead boar hanging from it. Yet, both horses accepted the chore well enough.

All will notice that Cat's horse seems less bothered than Coral's. Yet they are both ultimately domesticated and trained to be ridden and work. These are not prized warhorses, but they do their jobs well.

In what seems like less time than it took to get out to The Tickwood Forest, they made it in sight of the wall of Sandpoint. Being a sleepy coastal town, the gates are opened long before the hunting party reaches them. In fact, word seems to have spread that The Heroes of Sandpoint are once again living up to their new name as a few people cluster here and there to greet and applaud the group as they come down the streets.

Catalena

Catalena sat herself up tall in the saddle upon realization of the opportunity of an audience and future prospects of some coin to be made.

She called out in her clearest barker's hawk, as she rode past, "Friends and neighbors! Raise a cheer as the Terror of the Tickwood has been slain! Lord Aldern Foxglove triumphs! Repair yourselves to the Rusty Dragon tonight and hear tell of the slaying of the Twenty-hand Ton-weight Tickwood Tusker! Perhaps even a bite of the beast for a lucky patron or two! Tonight! See you at the Rusty Dragon! Don't forget your coins for the troubadour."

Catalena would have also needed to re-up her Beast Friend with another PP. Down to 5/10.

Her voice brings enthusiastic nods of people's heads with a round of applause. After it dies down a bit and they have passed further, Lord Foxglove leans over and says, "You have the abilities of a skilled politician. You could be running this little burg or serving in some higher body in a city like Maginmar with little effort. Well done." He is clearly accepting of her plan to share the proceeds of their hunt.

Selaim

The hunt had disturbed the girl more than a little. It hadn't been the gathering of the meat. Or the field cleaning afterwards. It had been the fight with the boar. Up to then she hadn't seen her friend fight close up. But during the hunt she'd seen first hand how Coral fought and it was disturbing. To her Coral seemed to be a pent up ball of rage during a fight.

As they road she cast a glance over to the other girl and narrowed her eyes. Resolving to talk to her later perhaps that night. But after dinner. And after a few drinks.

Catalena

Catalena blushed at Lord Foxglove's comment of her serving the government in some higher capacity. "That's very kind of you to say, m'lord. A girl who earns her bread through performing does need to work up her audiences upon occasion. I suppose it is not so different from swaying public opinions."

"Though," she added, "I would say that I prefer the simpler life here in Sandpoint than the metropolis of Magnimar." She smiled and turned and noticed Aendell's attention to the conversation. She acknowledged him with an affectionate shared warmth of the expression.

Once the boar was delivered to the kitchens and the horses stabled, she suggested to the young warrior of Iomedae that with the promise of further revels in the evening, that the present time might be the best for providing his Harrowing, which she insisted should be done soberly and with proper focus and respect.


((OOC Hope it is ok Zeim to include Aendell as looking over at her at the mention of Magnimar. Seemed pretty in-character/circumstance. Pande, just wanted to get the threads tied together as far as timing, etc.))

The helpers at The Rusty Dragon took the boar and dropped it into a wheelbarrow. It took two of the young men to manage to keep the thing in it, and upright. It was taken into the kitchen for processing. Once inside one of the assistant cooks came out and said "thank you m'lord for the delivery. Any particular choice in how it shall be prepared?"

Lord Foxglove said, "I leave it to the lovely Ameiko to determine the best way to create a feast for the town of Sandpoint tonight. The boar is going to be shared, it is not just for The Heroes of Sandpoint."

The man smiled and nodded in understanding. "Very generous of you," which seemed to include all of them. "I would imagine it will take four to five hours to prepare properly. Dinner will be ready at sundown." With that the man turned and headed back in to the inn's kitchens. He and his crew had a lot of work to do to meet the deadline he had just set.

[OOC: Totally works for me. The PCs have an afternoon to while away before dinner. Anything special people would like to do?]

(OOC - Seems fine.)

Zak is likely chatting up people at the bar to get a feel for the population, seeing if anyone interesting is there

Selaim

She walks with Aendell still peeved at his treatment of Cat. Looking around the room she spies the boisterous gnome at the bar entertaining a variety of towns people. Not exactly a crowd she'd normally engage with. But she ignores her misgivings and barrels in excusing herself as she does.

Coming up to Zak, she takes hold of his arm and whispers in his ear loud enough for him to hear, "I need your help in finding Cat. She just left the tavern angry at the princeling."