August 31, in the year 670 by Kingdom reckoning. Approximately Noon
The party finishes dealing with their assigned tasks, loading the wagon within the church walls. A few acolytes watch from the windows but no one bothers you.
The party decides (by DM fiat) that the best route is to follow the road until clear of the mountains and then head Northwest toward the grove. The afternoon passes uneventfully. There are a few wagons travelling toward Ashmont as well, taking the harvest to market.
Around 4 PM a herd of bison crosses the road in front of you and you have to stop the wagon for several minutes to let them pass. You encounter no other wildlife the rest of the day. There is also no sign of Minx. It occurs to you that if you weren't trying to get yourselves into trouble, this would be the perfect journey.
Around 8 PM you see a small copse of trees that has obviously been used as a resting spot before. There is a ring of stones set up and even some firewood stacked, ready to burn.
(You are smack in the middle of the first hex out of Bremel. This is probably the best place to camp that you'll find and it's an hour or so before sunset. If you do wish to press on, just let me know in the comments.)
As the clearing comes into view, Thorvald calls out to Khazad and Alis, "This looks like a good place to rest for the night. Perhaps we should stop and make camp."
ReplyDeleteDraymun stays hidden in the back of the wagon, but makes himself more comfortable for the resting period of the night. Maneuvering his backpack and bedroll to make a sort of mock-reclining seat, he exhales and waits for instructions from the visible crew.
ReplyDelete((Goodberry roll for the day: (2d4) 4,3 = 7))
After darkness falls, Tom slips out of the wagon and into the nearest bush to begin his watch. ((15+4+1=20))
ReplyDelete(Good roll. I can't say if you succeed or not, but if anything approaches, it'll have to do better than a 20 to see you.)
DeleteThorvald asks Alis to look after ensuring that all of the animals have feed before talking a walk of the perimeter. He collects small branches and other kindling and brings them back to where they plan to make the fire for the night.
ReplyDelete"Khazad, if you wish to take the first watch," Thorvald called across the camp, loudly, "You can wake me at mid-night and I shall ensure our safety until dawn." Thorvald hoped that if there were any ears out in the forest, they would continue to believe the ruse that their company had begun that morn.
Thorvald ate from his iron rations and set out his bedroll near the fire and laid down to rest, knowing that Tom and Hamish would aid Khazad in keeping watch while he slept. As Thorvald slipped into the darkness of slumber, he hoped the visions he received from Thunor would return to him this night.
The first shift passes quietly. Tom finds being outside again quite agreeable and passes the time listening to the distant coyote howls. Being a ranger he has no trouble distinguishing voices and he makes a game of naming them.
ReplyDeleteDuring the second shift, around 4 AM, Draymun hears a light scuffling noise just outside the edge of the firelight. From the tree it's hard to see what it is, even with your darkvision, but it's small.
'Can't be too careful...' Draymun thinks as he focuses on the scuffling just out of sight. He closes his eyes for a moment and focuses his energies before casting out a web of magic, attempting to detect foul play.
ReplyDelete((Detect Magic in the direction of the sound.))
(Good choice!)
ReplyDeleteIt is magical and it feels strongly of divination magic.
((I don't see a lot of options right now, and since I'm not sure WHAT it is, I'm going to just keep my Detect Magic going on it to see if it moves at all.))
ReplyDelete'Apparently, someone wants to see what's going on over here... is this Minx more crafty than we thought? Perhaps this is how she got the jump on Thor before...' Draymun ponders the situation and decides to keep focusing on the object beyond the light.
'If it's a scry, it should pass soon enough and I can alert the group. If it's something more sinister, better to catch it unaware...'
Assuming it begins about 30 feet away but even with the tree, it makes its way, slowly, in a half circle away from you around the edge of the camp. Stopping every few yards for a half a minute or so. When it gets directly across from you, about 60 feet away it is in the clearing between two bushes and you catch a glimpse of it with your darkvision.
ReplyDeleteIt is a head.
It is a pallid grey, with long, stringy, black hair hanging down past its severed neck.
It looks directly at you and then floats back into the bushes and you lose sight of it as well as your detection of its magical signature.
Draymun feels a cold shiver work its way down his spine at the sight of the floating head. 'More undead? Fantastic...'
ReplyDeleteAs the magical instrument floats out of his sight he waits approximately one minute before picking up a small rock and tossing it at Thorvald to get his attention.
He curses at the thought of just how Thor will disguise his trip to the bushes. 'Make it look good, you big lug... just don't piss on me!'
Thorvald noticed a small rock bouncing past him feet from the direction of Draymun's hiding place. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand on edge as he got the feeling that the druid wouldn't be trying to get his attention unless something was amiss. Squinting into the darkness, Thorvald looked and listened to see if he could see or hear anything out of place, and then casually strode over to a tree near the dwarf.
ReplyDeleteAttempting to appear natural, Thorvald unleashed his bladder upon the unsuspecting tree while he waited for Draymun's message.
Keeping his voice as low of a whisper as possible and still be heard by the urinating Barbarian, Draymun explains what he just saw casing the campsite.
ReplyDelete"Signal Kring, alert Tom, and maybe check it out? I couldn't really tell what it was doing, but I'm sure it wasn't any good."
((Continuing to Detect Magic around my position, in case something else appears.))
Thorvald remained alert to the potential dangers surround them as he made his way across the camp, stopping briefly to pass the word to Kring before heading over to the where the majority of the group slept, and he stopped next to the wagon.
ReplyDeleteThorvald removed his water skin and took a drink, dropping it to the ground as he replaced the stopper. Kneeling down, he quietly roused Tom and passed on Draymun's warnings. "You should wake the others in the cart and prepare yourselves," Thorvald whispered to Tom as quietly as he could, "But do not give away that we are preparing."
With the message passed, Thorvald returned to the fireside and sat down next to Khazad, tapping his foot until the cleric woke. "Prepare yourself, Khazad," Thorvald whispered, "But make no sudden movements. Draymun has detected magic and seen a severed head around the edges of the camp. He believes it to be undead. It may be best to remain calm until we can ascertain the full nature of the threat."
Khazad remains still quietly thanking Torag he decided to leave his armor on while he slept. Doing an inventory of his gear at hand he is contented to realize that he has 4 vials of holy water in his belt, his backpack under his head as a makeshift pillow and his shield and mace next to him, easily within reach. Not daring to move a muscle he concentrates on his holy symbol instead, praying in his head to Torag that they may see this night through well. He strains his ears to listen for noise, not daring to open his eyes. ((Rolled a 6 this round, will continue to roll as needed, as will be continuing to listen until dawn))
ReplyDelete(About a minute and a half has passed since Draymun lost sight of the severed head.)
ReplyDeleteAs you wait, continuing to cast Detect Magic, you sense the remaining aura of the creature begin to fade. You can track it's motion once again and you shiver, recalling the time it spent watching your camp.
Khazad doesn't hear anything, Draymun doesn't Detect anything other than the light pulsing of divine magic flowing from Khazad's holy symbol.
How long will the camp wait like this?
(Taking the action in 15 minute segments.)
ReplyDeleteIt's a tense wait. Everyone strains their ears for sign of another approach. You stare into the night, pushing your eyes to see something even if there's nothing. Images dance across your imagination and you grow sore with the tension and the cold and the positions you hold yourselves in.
But nothing happens.
"I grow weary of this waiting," Thorvald whispered quietly to Khazad. "I trust in Draymun's judgement, and yet if some undead 'thing' scouted our camp why would it simply run and hide? Are we that terrifying to such a beast? Does it fear us?"
ReplyDeleteThorvald's questions were mostly rhetorical, but he needed some outlet for his frustration. He was not the kind to sit and wait for battle to find him. He much preferred to seek out his enemy, head on, and hit it in the face with his Greataxe.
Tom speaks softly to Thorvald, "Thorvald, stir that fire up, give us some light, the dwarves don't need it, but we sure do. They know we are here, so let's be ready if something approaches. Worse case, we have a fire ready for making breakfast."
ReplyDeleteWith that said, Tom fades into the woods, finding a defensive position.
Thorvald tosses several logs on the fire and stocks the coal, hoping the small distraction will take his mind off of the insufferable waiting.
DeleteAnother 15 minutes pass with nothing appearing. The dawn is coming, the horizon is just starting to lighten and the birds are beginning to twitter and sing.
ReplyDeleteWhatever sense of the remaining aura of the severed head Draymun was feeling is completely gone.
DeleteKhazad arises, taking forth some links of sausage and grilling them over the fire. The savory scent of roasting meat drifts into the air. A smile crosses Khazad's face as he considers the irony of the tempting scent of roasted flesh being carried in the wind to their undead observer, likely driving the beast mad with hunger... Or one could hope. Khazad hated the undead, their very existence an affront to everything living and breathing. Noticing that the meat had caught the attention of the fiery barbarian, Khazad spears a couple and places them on a handkerchief handing them over. "Our visitor has not bothered to return as yet, and with the breaking of the sun my guess is that he will not again this day. This will not be the last we see of him though, whatever force drives our visitor it is not going to give up so easily. I suggest that we rouse the crew, allow them to do whatever they must and head out in an hour or so. I shall leave you to speak with the others, I must speak to one greater than I and ask his blessing. Khazad gathers up his weapon and gear, slinging his shield across his back before walking over to the base of a tree at the edge of camp near the road. Quietly intoning prayers to Torag and speaking as to one present Khazad could be taken for a fool if not for his livery marking him as one of the church. ((Khazad expends his bless water before the day is out, creating 2 vials of holy water and begins to pray for his new spells).
ReplyDeleteEating a few nuts and one of the Goodberries Draymun created, Tom wanders in the woods, scanning for signs of activities around the camp. Glad to be out in the woods again, Tom feels his body relax and his senses become sharper in the woods he loves.
ReplyDelete((If I need a roll to search for anything, let me know. I figured Tom would just wander around the edges of the camp while the others prepare for their day (spellcasters need time etc)))
Tom sees signs of wildlife and hears birds and squirrels and foxes beginning their day but there is no sign of the night's intruder.
Delete(Since it floats, there aren't even tracks.)
Thorvald accepted the sausages from the cleric and ate them as he walked the camp and roused everyone to come and share in a morning meal, including Draymun and Kring who had been on sentry duty. Returning to the campfire, Throvald woke Alis, posing a question as he sat down.
ReplyDelete"Young Alis, have you any experience preparing meals?" Thorvald asked. "I daresay if you're any good with a skillet, I might be inclined to toss you a bit 'extra' from my share of the loot. And who knows about the others," he went on as Draymun came into earshot, "those Dwarves are as fond of their bellies as they are of their brews." Thorvald smiled and let out a hearty laugh as he poked fun at his new friends.
Khazad, conversing with Torag overheard the jovial tone and friendly banter between Thorvald and Alis and a smile broke across the dwarfs' face. Even here, where undead things lurk behind the branches of trees and they ride upon a highway that has been death for so many of late... Even here there is humor and smiles... Life. Weaving a blessing of Torag and his musings into a quiet soliloquy to the wonders of life, Khazad finishes his prayers and walks to join in with the laughter.
ReplyDeleteAfter searching for magic for a time, Draymun decides that any immediate danger must have passes. Standing stretching, he begins to move toward the fire, where the smells of good things can be found.
ReplyDelete/...as fond of their bellies as they are of their brews./
Draymun bellows a laugh, in spite of himself. "Can't blame me, with smells like that comin' from over here. Plus..." he motions his head toward the card where Kring still lurks, "...I want to get to the good stuff before ol' 'Dangle Bones' licks the pan!" He laughs again as he plops down onto the ground near the fire and reaches for a sausage.
Tom hears the camp stirring, hearing the laughter and sees the Khazad get up from his prayers, Tom heads back to the campfire. He quietly tells everyone that he didn't find any tracks, but based on the description, he wasn't expecting any. Having had a breakfast already, Tom heads over to his mule to see to his needs. The mule tries to take a bite out of his shoulder, reminding Tom to focus on the task, as the mule thought it was a game of who could bite who.
ReplyDeleteHaving finished off his breakfast Kring stands, stretches, and walks away from teh fire, needing nothing more than to releave himself of bodily fluids. "Gotta piss. I'll be behind that tree. I'd hate to make you all jealous." With that Kring disappears behind a nearby tree to take care of business. ((Yes, I just RP'd a bathroom break. I R Hardcore RPFAG))
ReplyDelete