[IC] A Stolen Land

[Nexendia]

"Sound reasoning," Nexendia replies.  "We would be making camp soon anyways and it doesn't make much sense to leave the safety of these sturdy walls.  It has been a busy day so unless I'm needed for watch, I will see you all in the morning."

If the evening is uneventful, Nex will wake up bright and early, memorize spells and then tend to her mule and horse while wait for the others outside.

[Valdi]

aldi will be up with the dawn, doing his moring prayers to the All-Father, and divining what the days events might hold using his runes. Once that is donw he quietly joins Nexendia in preparing his horse, not looking eager at the idea of another day spent riding the uncomfortable beast.

[Tushou]

Tushou will sleep watchfully keeping a close watch on Jhod and Kesten.

[Eran]

Eran does his morning routine and joins to the others.

[DM Dougfan]

Morning arrives billowing in the overcast clouds, steaming humidity, and squawking avian life. When some of you arise, Kesten and his men are already on-guard on the towers. Jhod has also roused himself early and is praying at dawn to Erastil. Oleg and Svetlana are asleep in their home, finally taking a moment of peace after months of terror.

If you wish to speak to Jhod, he will be kneeling in solemn prayer, though he seems to be...uncomfortable about something.
If you wish to speak to Kesten, he will be wandering around the courtyard, inspecting it for its obvious defensive flaws and wondering at how you were able to hold off a force that outnumbered you 2-to-1 with emplacements such as these.

[Nexendia]

With her cloak wrapped tightly around her slight frame, Nex wanders over to Jhod and waits for a break in his prayers.  She then asks, "Something troubling you?"

[Valdi]

When Valdi finishes consulting the runes and his prayers to Wodin(Magrin) are done he wanders over to whatever watch-fire there is to see if there is any hot water for tea or maybe a pot of warm soup or broth that guards tend to keep going through the night.  Finding some warm broth he fills a mug, then a second, and walks over to Kesten, handing him a mug.

"You appear to have questions."

It was a statement, but also an invitation to speak.

[Tushou]

With her cloak wrapped tightly around her slight frame, Nex wanders over to Jhod and waits for a break in his prayers.  She then asks, "Something troubling you?"

Tushou is listening the conversation.

[DM Dougfan]

[[Very frustrating that this site no longer lets me quote posts  ]]

Jhod silently stands, still not looking particularly comfortable with something, but turns and bows to Nexendia.  "I thank you for your concern, good lady.  I am...alright.  I was wondering, have you explored this...wild and vast untamed place at all thus far?  I am certain there are locations that would be utterly fascinating for a servant of the Hunt such as myself."


Kesten turns as Valdi approaches and gives him a grateful nod, accepting the mug of soup that Svetlana, despite how much work it must have been, managed to cook up for a force of 14 people.  A flash of this knowledge runs across his eyes as he settles into a pensive mood.  "Well...less questions than concerns.  For one thing, the state of our defensibility is...suspect, at best.  The watchtowers appear to have been scavenged for parts along the way.  Sightlines are excellent...to the point that a man standing in one of them, or on the battlements, will be mostly open to enemy archers.  The status of the walls is threadbare and the door looks more like a barricade than an actual gate.  I marvel at how you lot were able to defend against a force that Oleg claims outnumbered you by almost double!"

He thinks again for a few moments.  "Another thing has crossed my mind.  I have counted and recounted the current occupants of this fort.  We number at 14, and I am uncertain how well we will be able to fit within these walls without bursting them at the seams."

[Valdi]

Kesten turns as Valdi approaches and gives him a grateful nod, accepting the mug of soup that Svetlana, despite how much work it must have been, managed to cook up for a force of 14 people.  A flash of this knowledge runs across his eyes as he settles into a pensive mood.  "Well...less questions than concerns.  For one thing, the state of our defensibility is...suspect, at best.  The watchtowers appear to have been scavenged for parts along the way.  Sightlines are excellent...to the point that a man standing in one of them, or on the battlements, will be mostly open to enemy archers.  The status of the walls is threadbare and the door looks more like a barricade than an actual gate.  I marvel at how you lot were able to defend against a force that Oleg claims outnumbered you by almost double!"

He thinks again for a few moments.  "Another thing has crossed my mind.  I have counted and recounted the current occupants of this fort.  We number at 14, and I am uncertain how well we will be able to fit within these walls without bursting them at the seams."

"I agree with your assessment of the defenses, as to how we were able to make use of them, it is simple, we did not. We let the enemy in and then attacked, using the defenses to prevent their escape. It would have been impossible to repel them, but they were not expecting resistance from Oleg and Svetlana, so we gave them none. At least not until it was too late for them.. We merely concealed our presence until the trap was sprung."

"As for bursting these walls, we shall have to see what Andra has in mind, but I suspect we shall be exploring and foraging. Hopefully that will continue to bring in supplies that you and your men might use to make improvements. At the very least it should give you the security to venture outside the fort to make those improvements. We need better walls. I had also noticed the lack of a well. Even if the walls are strengthened enough to actually defend, they will do little good if a foe can simply surround us and wait us out."

"Do any of your men have skill with carpentry or engineering, such pursuits are not within my skill. Among my people I am a warrior, hunter and battlefield medic."