Aust steps back, releasing the last of the posts. He then turns to Jean, looking down at the halfling, and speaks in a calm, quiet tone, "I will take that, if you don't mind."

"Alright then, my good friend, you may have your odd prize. And in exchange for my services, you must see to it that I am well treated once we arrive at the Elven city. So, do we have a deal?" Jean holds the wineskin out to Aust.

Aust nods, "I will do what I can." He reaches down, and takes the solution-filled wineskin by its strap, lifting it out of the halfling's hand. "Surely all our companions shall treat you well, so long as you treat us in kind."

[Ara]

Ariana turns to Silvan, "Considering we have come this far, I believe Destindeterre has become our inevitable destination. So it's settled then," she continues, now talking to everyone with a slightly raised voice, "Let's get going, before someone decides to build a cabin." Walking around the orc body, and around Aust and Jean, the elven woman approaches Taylen, pausing a few paces back. "So, Taylen, you led the way before. Will you be so kind as to continue now as our guide?"

As Aust releases the last post, all four spring back out, coming to rest as they had been before its secret was first discovered. The loose rings cease their release of fluid, and soon after, the flows end from the orc and dwarf hands alike. The sun has risen high in the sky, and a few insects and small animals rustle among the brush, but otherwise all is quiet.

The elven woman glances over at Silvan, then sighs, "That has to be the dumbest thing you've said since we got here, Silvan. You want us to put together a group fund? And who, pray tell, do you expect to mind this fund, hmm? You? No, I suspect not." She crosses her arms, glancing from one member of the group to another, waiting to see who else comments.

Taylen slides the ring into a pocket and the vial carefully into another pocket. Then he rises and goes to the other crate of climbing equipment and looks inside to see if it contains the same stuff. “Does anyone mind if I take a set of the climbing stuff?”

The leatherclad elf strokes his chin for a moment in thought, “Did you all find anything else that might be useful or interesting?”

"These scavenged works are of some small value, and were not won by any one of us alone. Perhaps it would be best to combine the items of little use, so that we might barter with the scholar of this... place you mention."

"My dear elven friend," Jean says to Taylen, "you may help yourself to all the gear you like, if you would do for us the honors of seeing to its transport. Some of these scavenged works, as they have been called, could fetch a pretty penny in the right places."

[Ara]

"That sounds like a plan," Ariana states, with a mix of acceptance and impatience. "Now if there's nothing more that needs doing, I would like to get to civilization before the sun sets, if doing so remains at all possible."

[Aust]

"I agree," Aust says simply. "We have what we came for and more. Let's go."

ooc:
For reference, this is the tent which has the hideous smells of decay coming out of it.

IC - "Has anyone scavenged that structure?"

Since the lizardman has taken up the crate Jean first handed you, you find yourself picking up one of the crates from beside the construct. Its contents appear identical to those from the crate you already examined, so you begin stuffing the gear into your bag.

Though the crate would have barely fit into your pack on its own, you are able to stuff its contents in with your own gear, and still have a little room left. You do need to use caution, however, to avoid damaging the bag or its contents with the clawed toe fittings.

The lizardman now points past you and the rest of the group, towards the tent where you found assorted rotting or preserved body parts during your explorations during the night.

All your own gear appears to be in place. However, it seems odd that the halfling would make an offer reminiscent of, "Anything you can carry, you can have." He did say that some of the gear could be sold, for a "pretty penny", whoever that is. Perhaps he wanted you to carry the other crates as well.

Drakkenmaw

Considering the smell of that tent when you approached it earlier, any body parts contained therein would prove unsuitable for eating. Even the stench might prove noxious, of you had to tolerate it for too long.

"You have a small blade. May I borrow it?"

"Of all the nerve!" Jean huffs, "Simply because I am short in stature does not give you the right to insult my sensibilities... and in the presence of ladies no less! Though if you must address the subject, I have a fine and upstanding blade, and no lady from court nor of cabin will e'er tell you otherwise! Your statement is an affront, and I shall not stand for it. Draw swords, ruffian!"

With that, Jean pulls his daggers out in showy fashion, holding them high, before pausing. He brings the daggers down, and looks at them for a second, before changing his tone to one of amusement, "Ah, I see, you meant to borrow one of these blades, didn't you, scaled one? Well then, by all means, use it as you need. Just be certain to return it unspoiled, or you shan't walk away unscathed again." A wide grin crosses his face, and he flips the dagger, catching it by the flat sides of the blade between his thumb and fingers. He then holds the handle out towards Drakkenmaw.

[ 12-22-2002: Message edited by: NPC ]

"You are an odd creature indeed."

Walking over to the southeast tent, Drakkenclaw comes up to the opposite side of the structure from where the entry flap is. He taps testingly against the fabric, to determine if there is anything directly inside the tent - against its "wall."

There is very little give to the hide wall of the tent, so you find it difficult to determine if there is anything near the wall on the inside. However, you do notice a distinctive lack of violent crashing or shattering sounds.

You find it difficult to get a grip on the hide, and ultimately find yourself forced to give up on the effort. Working with the dagger doesn't follow your plan either. As you press against the fabric, it gives slightly, then springs back, knocking the dagger nearly out of your grip. The small blade now points directly towards the peak of the tent.

He examines the flap to see how it is connected to the rest of the tent-fabric, and how high it goes from its base.

"Well, besides these kits, there are a few trinkets in that tent there," Jean gestures to the two remaining climbers' kits, then towards the southwest tent, where he and the others had found most of their prizes, "but if you can handle the load, I think this armor would prove a better prize." With that, he leaps up on top of the dead behanded orc, and stomps on the armor a few times before leaping off again.

[Ara]

"I believe there were a few wine bottles back there, that might serve us well to take whether we sell them or save them." Ariana nods towards the southwest tent, then continues, "And if you're taking the time to strip that orc, I would like to check one last thing before we go." The elven woman walks towards the northeast tent, pulls the flap aside, and steps through without another word.

[ 12-22-2002: Message edited by: NPC ]

Your backpack would most certainly not fit the armor worn by this orc. It has been crafted from parallel bands of metal, and would not fold easily... not the sort of armor you would choose to wear for yourself. You would need to carry it in your arms if you chose to take it at all.

Then there are the "kits" to which Jean made reference. They're certainly lighter than the armor, and though the crates would prove unwieldy and your pack has little room left, you might be able to accommodate them in other ways, or have one of your companions take them.

Drakkenmaw

The flap is part of the tent's hide wall. It starts at the ground, and rises to roughly four feet high, and overlaps the material on the other side of the opening by several inches, creating a barrier against the elements.

[ 12-23-2002: Message edited by: Ford Prefect ]

ooc:
After a long discussion last night, Drak has asked me to treat his character as an NPC for the purposes of inspecting the tent. It is not an idea of which I generally approve. I have based his thought and actions on information from our conversation.

"We've given these tents a pretty good look," Jean answers Taylen. "Milady Ariana and I spent a good deal of time in that tent there," he points to the northwest tent, where Ara changed her outfit to match her new persona, "and she checked the other tent with this gentleelf," he gestures to Silvan, smiling broadly, "though I can't say as to what they may have found. We all spent quite a bit of time after that giving a thorough once-over to the crates these orcs set aside."

"The armor? Ah, yes, well, I can help with latches and similar sorts, but as for the lifting, you will likely have to do that for yourself," he explains, following the elf's request for aid. He then begins checking the armor, pulling aside the join coverings, and searching for bindings to undo.

[Drakkenclaw]

One solid piece, the lizardman thinks to himself, what sort of beast could have such a huge hide? He ponders for a few seconds, looking the tent up and down for any sign of weakness. Finally, he sighs, and takes a deep breath, before taking the flap by its corner and stepping back from the tent. If this is what it takes to clear the fumes, then I shall wait. Standing still, he stares up and down the edge of the flap, waiting for some sign of progress or problem.

For a brief moment nothing appears to happen. Then, something catches the lizardman's eye. A small seam continues upward from the top end of the flap, reaching nearly half way to the pinnacle of the tent beyond his reach. Grasping the dagger in hand, Drakkenclaw releases the flap, and steps away for a few fresh breaths of air. Then, holding the blade point-down in one hand, he approaches the tent flap. He reaches up, setting the tip of the blade carefully into the seam a foot above his head, then sets his other hand behind the butt of the blade, and pulls against it, trying to force it into the seam.

Eventually, after several tugs and a moment of persistent effort, the blade begins to pry its way into the seam. There, that's a start, he thinks, as he takes a step forward, his feet pushing the base of the tent flap aside to make room. Tightening his grip on the dagger with both hands, Drak bends his knees, putting as much weight as he can on the blade, in an attempt to pull it down through the seam.

The blade doesn't budge. I need to try something else, the lizardman ponders to himself, but what? This hide is too stiff to cut, so this seam is the only weak point. I can't go in the tent as it is, unless I hold my breath. So I have to force this seam open, but this dagger just isn't doing it. Hmm... Turning around, Drakkenclaw glances back over at Taylen, "Are you certain there is nothing else of value here? The odor would keep wild things away, and a place where no one can go might make a good hiding place for anything these creatures would want to keep safe."

[ 12-23-2002: Message edited by: NPC ]

Then turning back to Jean he addresses the halfling, "So what else did you find that might be worth taking, Jean?"

As you prop up the orc's body to allow access to his back and waist, you hear assorted clinks and creaks coming from wherever Jean works. After a moment, you feel the armor loosen, and the orc begins to slip out of your grip.

"Well, there really isn't much else worth taking, besides what I've mentioned already. The gentleelf planned to take the wine along, and the rest is already out here." Once Jean has released all the bindings, he takes a step back, "There you are, it should come off now. You'll need to do the rest on your own."

[Drakkenclaw]

Drakkenclaw turns back to the tent once again, dagger still in hand. He slips the blade into the hole he made, and begins to tug down repeatedly with both hands.

At first, the effort seems to make no progress. Then, after a moment of effort, the blade finally shifts, crating a single quiet snap. The lizardman pulls down harder, and begins to set his full weight against the blade. This will take some time, he thinks as he works, but I will cut through. Then the opening will be wider, perhaps large enough to let air inside, and clear that foul odor. He pulls down, again and over again, each time lending his full weight to the process, and grasping tightly on the blade handle to keep his grip.

A few more snaps come, few and far between, as the hole slowly grows to a length of several inches. Still separated from the main opening by more than two feet, the task seems as if it will take a good deal of time. Then, with one overzealous tug, you feel the structure start to give. A loud *crack* comes from within the tent, then another, and in a matter of seconds the entire structure collapses over on top of you. You manage to dodge clear of it, but do not see what happens next. You hear a loud crash, like the sound of glass breaking, and a few other unpleasant sounds, before silence returns.

Everyone

As you go about your various tasks, or wait for others to complete their efforts, you hear a sudden crack come from the tent where Drakkenclaw has been working. A second later, the lizardman makes a frantic leap to the side, as the tent itself comes crashing down. Glass shatters within it, muffled only slightly by the tent's hide, and the tent itself lands with a loud flesh-like slap, its peak pointing towards the construct at the center of camp. Beyond its base sits a rectangular wooden table, stained with many colors, toppled on its side but otherwise not harmed.

Despite Jean's release of the armor's clasps and buckles, one more obstacle still prevents you from removing the orc's armor. The orcs arms lie at its sides, preventing you from pulling the torso portion of the mail off the orc's body. Simply pulling at the shoulderplates won't get it loose.

"Look out!" Aust shouts as he turns to see the tent toppling over. However, by the time the words leave his mouth, their usefulness has already passed. Once things settle, he takes a step towards the fallen tent, and asks following Taylen's question, "What... what happened?"

[Jean]

Jean watches Taylen, waiting to see how the elf fares with his prize. Periodically he makes glances at the three crates not claimed by Taylen. When the orc tent falls, however, Jean's attention turns that way. He stares for a moment, before walking over towards Drakkenclaw, "What were you trying to do with the dagger? And, um, where is it now? I would like it back, if you don't mind."

With a quick step, she walks over to the lizardman, her arms crossed over her chest. "Rrrr.. What arrre you trrrying to do?" She asks in common.

"That was... unexpected."

"What was unexpected?" Aust asks firmly, "What in the depths were you doing?"

[Jean]

"Aye, that's a question worth answering, I should think. What were you doing with a borrowed blade that could cause something as large as an orc's tent to collapse on itself, hmm? This should be a story worth hearing." The halfling puts his hands behind his back, and leans slightly forward.

"Ithar...where are you? What have you been up to? We need to check back over this camp and make sure there isnt anything worth taking when we leave...and I think we will be soon..."

She then talks in a normal voice, a bit loud, hoping all hear.

So, are we ever gonna get out of this place? I'm kinda gettin sick of the smell of orc...