After a wet but otherwise uneventful night, you set out again this morning. The rain has tapered off to a light drizzle, though the wind still blows and the clouds threaten to open up with another deluge at any moment. It is the day of the new moon, the first day of autumn - a holiday in more civilized realms - and, you suspect, the start of the wet season in these parts.
The morning's ride is uneventful...but after noontime the rain does increase to a steady, miserable downpour. The visibility decreases - not that there is much to see in this bleak land, and you feel very much alone.
After a time, though, you hear, rather than see, the sounds of someone - or something - following you along the road. You hear loud, splashy footfalls, heavy, rough breathing and the occasional cough. Whatever it is behind you is doing a pretty poor job of being stealthy...but still you cannot see it, thanks to the rain and mist.
Humphrey laughs a little, "First Shadow Dogs following us and know someone with a cold. It must be the weather."
Aldarin whispers to Farad and Illyana, "I can slip into the shadows and try to circle around behind whoever it is following us if you want to try and surprise them. What do you think?"
"Lets try a more direct approach." Farad whispers the words of a sleep spell directed toward the noise.
Sharone with a sigh pulls her flail to hand, "Can we try to determine what stalks us before we blow it to pieces?"
"I have a web spell handy", remarks Raz.
Farad's sleep spell goes off...but the footsteps and general racket continues.
After another moment it stops...perhaps when your follower realises that you have stopped.
"Well..whatever it is...if it is tracking us, it's stupid.", says Raz with a slight smile.
"Someone of some skill, despite their lack of skill in tracking, it seems. Either that or some monster." says Farad.
"Either that or you missed with the spell." comments Raz.
Farad gives Raz a dirty look, but draws his sword in readiness.
You stand ready in silence for several moments, but nothing happens. You hear an occasional wheezy cough, but nothing comes at you.
"Might as well, this is bothersome." Illyana calls out, "Hey, are you planning on hiding forever?"
Sharone speaks " It appears our visitor is intelligent and probably now aware that we know of its presence......Lets try the direct approach.
"Raz, I may need your help." She smiles sweetly, then looks around the rest of the group to assure herself that all are prepared for trouble.
Turning in the direction of the ' noise ' Sharone yells in a voice loud enough to be heard over the weather, "IF YOU BE FRIEND.... ADVANCE AND MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN....SILENCE WILL INDICATE A FOE AND WE DEAL HARSHLY WITH OUR ENEMIES."
She sits and waits for a reaction preparing a Spiritual Hammer.
For several moments you hear nothing but wheezy breathing and the sound of the pouring rain...then you hear the shuffling footfalls approaching.
Out of the rain comes a large, bipedal creature, about 8' tall, walking with a shuffling, ungainly gait. It's grey-brown furry coat - matted and tangled even at the best of times - is drenched and flattened by the rain.
As the creature approaches, it slips in a patch of mud and goes flying, to land with a load grunt, face first in the road.
Illyana's eyes widen. "What is this thing?"
It looks up at you and then -
"AAAAAA-CHOOOO!"
- as he sneezes.
"Yuck! The last thing I need is to be drenched in nose spew!" says the girl.
Farad looks at the others, then at the creature. "Who are you and why are you following us?" he demands.
The monster shrugs, grins stupidly and then sneezes again.
Britan looks at the hairy wet doggie smelling creature and says, "So can you speak if so who are and why are you following us because after what we went through the last time something followed us makes us a tiny bit leary."
Raz grins at Britan's comment.
Humphrey seeing someone smiling at the group, smiles back in turn.
"Hi my name is Humphrey", He then offers out his hand to help the creature from off the ground where he stumbled. "Care for some food?"
He offers the creature a days worth of Iron Rations.
"Thag you kind sir," the monster snuffles in crude common...then wolfs down the food in an instant.
"I know it doesn't taste great, but it keeps you going. Don't mind Britan here, he is just suspicious of anyone who happens to follow us."
The monster just grins at the cavalier.
McTavish snorts.
"It's just a damned umpleby," he says. "Mostly harmless...always hungry...very stupid. They do have a way with finding treasures, though. Let's be on our way. Geeyap, ye bastards!"
His mules start ambling down the road again. The rest of you follow...and the umpleby brings up the rear...splashing, sliding, coughing and generally making its presence known to one and all.
The afternoon passes...until it is approaching dinnertime. It is twilight when you descend into a shallow valley and approach another small river, crossed by another ancient stone bridge.
Peering through the mist, you see a fort on the other side of the river. It resembles Vile Orchold in that it consists of a collection of wooden buildings surrounded by a pallisade...except that it is in even worse condition. Standing shivering in the shelter afforded by the gate are three kobolds.
They are watching you with numbed, bored expressions on their faces.
Farad turns to Raz. "Another fireball looks to be in order."
Banquo puts his head in his hands and shakes it then says, "You won't forget to put up the sign and arrow saying, "Interfering pack of do-gooders this way" will you?" He says a silent prayer then says, "If we drop a fireball on these guys don't you think it will bring Imrimil down on us like a dwarf on a hoard of Mithril? We have been leaving a nice, clean trail of burnt bodies for him to notice you know. The least you could do would be to wait until they provoke us in SOME MANNER before blowing them away. Their not gonna bug us, just walk through and toss some booze at them and we'll be fine."
Grinning, Raz replies, "Hold on a second...let's see if they are going to bother with us first...besides...3 of them should be easily dispatched my the fighters alone."
"No, I was refering to fireballing the entire compound."
Ayazin simply snuggles deeper into the fur of his loyal wolf pal and takes another nap.
You proceed slowly across the bridge. On the east side is a 4-way intersection with a road - actually little more than a trail - which parallels the river. A signpost here reads -
The Great Western Road: NE: To the Miracle Mood Fart, Shruddup and Grorgant. SW: To Castle Ugel, Brach Prol and Vile Orchold.
SW: To Fairsea Castle. NW: (this sign is missing)
The kobold guards continue to watch you with disinterest. You note that they are dressed in uniforms akin to the kobolds you saw outside of the south gate of Brach Prol.
You ride slowly by them, nodding as you do so. They nod back...though they appear to be slightly more interested in regarding the umpleby trailing you.
You move on until you are out of the shallow valley and out of sight of the fort. Then, you make camp.
The night passes quietly.