Difference between pages "Aftermath Goblin Camp" and "Back to Camp"

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Continued from '''[[Slowly Healing]]'''.
  
'''The DM:''' Looking around, noting the tents, rifling the bodies, and before you go look inside any of the tents, it catches your eye that there's the burnt out chest in the firepit, apparently of human make.  Additionally, the staff in the hands of the shaman WAS glowing.  Point in fact.
+
'''The DM:''' It is still July 4th; the sky is covered by puffy clouds, there is no rain and the temperature remains cool and comfortable.
: I'll calculate the experience; look for it on this page.  Please let me know if you took or caused any damage not highlighted in red.
 
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Was glowing - not IS glowing?
 
: '''The DM:''' correct.  Was.
 
  
'''The DM:''' There's no way around it, Pandred's constant thumping is an asset that will help her go up faster in levels.  Vafrandir managed to get through a fight taking no actual damage.  That's a first, isn't it? Here are the totals, assuming I've got all the damages.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' "Vafrandir, would you be willing to assist me? I can't carry all that much by myself."
: Embla: 445
 
: Marcule: 425
 
: Pandred: 919
 
: Vafrandir: 270
 
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Considering I've spent most fights in single digit HP, I'll take it!
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'm with you! Off we go.
  
'''The DM:''' I assume you rifle the bodies.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' To be clear, we intend to move camp closer.
  
'''The DM:''' Okay. Getting late. See you on monday.  Out.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Indeed.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Plenty of time to rifle and inspect on Monday. Out.
+
'''The DM:''' Splitting the party, I roll and no ill-happenstance results from it.  Marcule is able to get Pandred down the mountain, and might even be able to signal somehow with a spell or something (no idea) to let you know they’re coming. Together, without needing to say so, you make an agreement about some place you saw that morning, so you know just where to meet with each other.  However, none of you are a ranger, so I will need a wisdom check from every person in the party.
  
'''The DM:''' In/Out.  Slept in.  Give me 45 min.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I roll a 1.
  
'''The DM:''' Okay. In. Where do we start?
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' '''14'''
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In.
+
'''The DM:''' You both find your way back to the camp, and to the agreed-upon meeting place.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' We'll check the bodies quickly, but I'm more interested in the shaman's tent and if there's anything left of the chest. I'll check the chest first in case there's something nasty hiding in the tent.
+
'''Marcule:''' I will do my best to take care of Pandred.
  
'''The DM:''' The bodies are wearing clothes that are, on inspection, ragged. There seems to be nothing they're wearing that's new, and in places their boots are worn right through, with holes in the solesNo goblin has a belt pouch or any valuables, apparently, except that each is wearing a heavy bronze medallion on a chain, with links that are unexpectedly heavy; each of these weighs about 12 lbsFor 60 lb. goblins, they'd be onerous to wear; the medallions have the same geometric pattern, a woven pattern; nothing distinctive that you recognize and very much a common Norse style.
+
'''The DM:''' That place ... do you want it to have any special characteristics, commensurate with the area? It's alpine tundra, so there are no treesHere are some suggestions of what an [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Alpine_(range) alpine range] offersNote the "Features" section.
: These medallions are worth 32 x.p. apiece.
+
: Rolling dice, I do indicate the presence of a single hot spring, so that's probably going to win the choices. No "chalets" obviously.
  
'''The DM:''' The chest seems to have been put in the fire that morning.  It is hollowed out, so that only the burnt remains of the chest remain; but there is a name-plate on the chest, about an inch in diameter, in etched iron: it says the name of the owner: Anders Hagen. That's the name of the fellow building your house.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Yes, a hot spring gets my vote. Preferably against a rock face to help shield from wind as well.
: I'll wait for you to say you're entering any of the tents.
+
:'''[[Lexent]]:''' Your first sentence is almost word for word what I was writing. Hot spring, please.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Had we seen Anders about before leaving Treborg? I'll enter one of the goblin's tents - still waiting on someone else to be here for the shaman's.
+
'''The DM:''' That’s a safe bet, Vafrandir.  The hot spring is little more than a trickle; it makes a pool only one foot in diameter before tricking about fifty yards downhill through an inch-wide crack in the rock surface, where it apparently returns to the subsurface.  The pool is about 4 yards from the rock face, which is 18 feet high and forms an angle, 20 feet north-south and 10 ft. east west, with the hypotenuse towards the southwest.  Stretching south and west is a small plain of glacial debris, with stones ranging from fist size to gnome-sized.
  
'''The DM:''' You would have seen Anders the day you left.  He practically lives at the building site, so he probably hadn't been to his own home in several days.  Since you haven't said which tent, I'll start with the one on the furthest right.  There are simple pallets inside, but it looks like they've had just one blanket apiece; and old, dirty blankets at best.  You see grubby sacks, which have food in them, but the goblins appear to have been eating naught more than lichen and roots.  As they are traditionally meat-eaters, this is foraged food at best; Embla can attest that it isn't the best foraged food, either.  Apparently, the goblins have been starving.
+
'''The DM:''' “small plain” = 500 yards across, tailing out where the slope breaks into 10 foot wide gulleys and ponds on the southwest edge.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' If the nameplate is cool, I'll fish it out of the ashes and put it in my pack. Then I'll check the middle tent.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' The perfect size for resting an ankle.
  
'''The DM:''' This appears to be more of the same.  There are five other pallets; that's nine altogether.  Apparently, the shaman hasn't been living separately from the others or any better.
+
'''The DM:''' the temperature of the hot spring would be 65-70 degrees C; though of course no measurement of that kind would be comprehensible to the characters.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' So we are missing a handful of goblins. I'll check the last tent for completeness sake.
+
'''The DM:''' Let’s see; you can’t get the cart onto the glacial plain. The best you can do is park it 250 yards from the hot spring.  The terrain is too rough for the wheels otherwise.
  
'''The DM:''' Before you enter the last tent, you notice something very different about the exteriorTo begin with, there is a deathly smell surrounding it; the ground in front of the tent entrance is mucky, with recent hoofprints in it; and the exposed rocks amid the mud have been scuffed with what Pandred's experience will say are hooves, as though animals have to be fought over this groundThe flaps of the tent are tied closed (the others weren't) and they're very dirty, not just with mud, but with cow feces as well.  The smell, however, is not the cow feces, nor even the urine, which Pandred can smell from her experience as a teamster.  There is a different smell altogether.
+
'''The DM:''' Marcule and Pandred, I need those wisdom checksWe’ll pick this up Friday, as agreedOut (but I’ll check back in half an hour).
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'll not enter entirely, I'll untie the flaps and then carefully lift a flap open with my sword to peer in.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' That seems a manageable distance. How much farther from the abrasion zone of the cirque are we now than at the previous camp?
  
'''The DM:''' Inside, you'll find an open hole, surrounded on three sides by a low stone wall, about three feet high. Judging from the hoofprints, which are smaller than a cow's and are therefore the rothe's, the animals fought their way up to the hole.  Goblin footprints are right next to them, showing the animals were wrestled.  There's a heavy mallet with an iron head next to the hole, with fresh blood on it — perhaps four or five hours old.
+
'''Pandred''': 13 on my check. Missed it by 1.
  
'''The DM:''' As you look, you see there are rungs leading down into the hole ...
+
'''The DM:''' In.  I need that wisdom check from Marcule, so I'll have to roll it.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Quite clear that Grond is down there... I feel as though I need more information about Grond, but not sure who'd be able to provide it.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' In.
  
'''The DM:''' I guess we'll wait for others; point in fact, I notice that if you do rush into a combat, everyone seems to get on boardHeh heh.
+
'''The DM:''' Marcule rolls a 12, missing his wisdom by 1.  With both players missing, you get lost ... for an hour.  But that will push you over the top of exhaustion, so its a 2% malady check for each of you.  And you're fineThe pair stagger into the newly made camp, very tired, with Marcule's shoulders aching from supporting Pandred, who is just in steady pain.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Yes, ha: but waking up a subterranean goblin demon is one of those things that requires a vote.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In for about an hour then back in the afternoon.
  
'''The DM:''' Out.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "We were starting to get worried! Sit down, rest."
  
== Decisions to be Made ==
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' "This has been a long day. I'll take the first watch while you all start getting some sleep."
'''The DM:''' In.
 
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In. Hoping for some input from the others. I'll back out of the tent and relay the situation.
+
'''[[Pandred]]''': In. I do rest. You guys can continue scouting without me if you need. I can rest here and handle myself if need be.
  
'''The DM:''' well, not twiddling my thumbs.  I'm writing a post.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I am content to move to the 5th. I only need four hours of sleep and am willing to take extra watch shifts.
: Well, that's done.  I want to dig into the poster, but that's mind-consuming, so I'll play a game instead. I'm still right here.
 
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Same. I understand everyone has things to do but the online one-on-one doesn't feel right - and can be quite dangerous to boot.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'm not saying we need fear the plateau - at least, any more than any other part of this extremely dangerous wilderness - but we might want to consider a better strategy if we go that way again. On the other hand, we should probably go back to the tarn and examine the area around the inside.
  
'''The DM:''' Marcule has sent a message saying he'll be here at 1pm.
+
'''The DM:''' Rest starting at 8 pm, so benefits won't be felt until tomorrow evening.
  
'''Marcule:''' Sorry Vaf i will be with you the rest of this week, i think we should go down the hole. but maybe we should give panderd today to throw in an opinion.
+
== July 5 ==
 +
'''The DM:''' Cool weather, clear skies, gentle wind blowing.
  
'''The DM:''' Additional news: Embla has been compelled to withdraw from the campaign.  She won't be back.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I recommend that we all rest for at least today. Depending on HP we might send a scouting party up to within the cirque tomorrow, but today we should rest.
:'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' A shame!
 
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Down the hole? We may wait for Grond to come out onto our turf (or draw it out). Losing a player may change our calculus further.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I use the staff to heal Pandred for '''3+1+2=6'''.
  
'''Marcule:''' I agree that might change our thinking.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I cast cure light wounds for '''3+4=7''' and apply that all to Pandred.
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': In. Marcule, you got any more spells to make this easier? I'll apply my bottle to myself for '''2''' hp, and I'm willing to make a quick foray to see what's down there. Have we checked all the tents?
+
'''Marcule:''' OOC: sorry guys i wont be able to play today. next week should be all good see you then.
:'''The DM:''' All the tents were seen.
 
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': Alright then. I retrieve my handaxe. Do either of you have a torch? I'll request a light as well.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I spend the day aiding Pandred's rest along with anyone else who is willing to stay and be tended.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I point out the medallions. "Nothing special at first glance but they all had them. Grond will probably be wondering where the next rothe is soon, or we can just drop a torch down the hole and buckle up. We should probably take the tent down as well." I believe I have several torches in my pack, let me check. I know I have my tinderbox.
+
'''Pandred''': Plus bottle for '''2'''. 9 so far.
  
'''The DM:''' I've asked on my blog for another joiner. Don't know if I'll get one.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I agree. Let's rest.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I have no torches on me. But there are nearly a dozen on the cart. If Marcule doesn't have one I will go back and get one. Is Embla just ''poof''?
+
'''Pandred''': Bad math, missed the heal. 15 so far. Halfway is good.
: '''The DM:''' She's standing by for the present; she'll take two of the amulets, explain that she's been hurt somehow in the abdomen and that she needs to retire to the cart.
 
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': With my salve that puts me at 12 hp. If Grond is sitting at the base of the ladder that's not gonna cut it, so do we have anything else? I'm going down either way, but any buffer I can put between me and and dying in a dark hole is welcome.
+
'''The DM:''' Pandred can get 6 more from rest then. That's 21 total.  Ankle is feeling a lot better.
  
'''The DM:''' Might I make an observation?  There is still one thing on the surface that's been completely ignored.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Ready to proceed to the 6th.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Has anyone checked the staff or the shaman in general?
+
== July 6 ==
 +
'''The DM:''' The next day, there is a steady drizzle, but it’s very nearly a mist and not much to be concerned about.  Still cool, still a gentle breeze blowing out of the northwest.  How does the day start?
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': Well, I smashed the shaman, but Marcule, you want to give his staff a look?
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Not amazingly. I heal Pandred with the staff for '''1+2+1=4'''
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' While they do that, I accompany Embla back to the cart and return with 3 torches. Not sure how long that will take.
+
'''Pandred''': 3 from the bottle says I'll be better by tomorrow. 28 as of right now.
  
'''The DM:''' Okay; we'll start there tomorrow.  Out.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' If we'd like I could finish the process off with cure light wounds and we could all head up today, albeit with our healing depleted.
  
'''The DM:''' In.
+
'''Pandred''': I think I'd rather sit tight and save it in case of random encounter. As far as I know we're still okay for food for a while here.
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': In. What's up with this staff?
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Fine by me. Would you like Vafrandir and myself to do some light scouting around the tarn while you finish resting?
  
'''The DM:''' Well.  You have no detect magic, no identify spell; let's just say it's safe to pick up, and that when you do you feel a definite thrumming from it, as though the wood is aliveIt feels tremendously comfortable and powerful in your hand - but you're not proficient with a staff.
+
'''The DM:''' Pandred wasn’t hit, so technically he is the same as 2 h.p. below fullI can make a concession and allow 8 hours more rest to heal the last two points of injury, so you can begin moving about freely at 5 pm.
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': Yeah. That sounds about right. I'll pass it off to Marcule and wait for Vafrandir to return with the torches as he mentioned yesterday.
+
'''Pandred''': How long to sundown? I don't think any of us wants to twist an ankle scrambling in the dark.
  
'''Marcule:''' In
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Out. I'll help scout when I return.
 
'''Marcule:''' "I'm not proficient with a staff either". I look over the staff.
 
  
'''The DM:''' Please assume Vafrandir is back and you have all the tools you need, if you brought them along with you.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I think then that the best course of action is to all just rest for the remainder of the 6th and start out on the 7th.
  
'''[[Pandred]]''': Ok. I take one of the torches, light it, and attempt to peer down the pit.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Prior to turning in for the evening I cast cure light wounds for '''2+4''' and apply 3 to myself. I don't think anyone else needs it but if so, I apply the rest to them.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In.
+
'''The DM:''' Remember, sundown is very late at night.  Sundown is 10:47 pm, and it’s not really possible to be in the dark, remember?  Full night doesn’t occur until the 28th of July and lasts 29 minutes.
  
'''Marcule:''' "Scary, I think we should try it if you guys are not to hurt"
+
'''[[Pandred]]''': I think we'll wait for now. Lex is turning in, I don't want to risk anything. Let's just ding up a new day.
  
'''[[Pandred]]''' Annoyingly, Out. I would like to see what the torch can let me see. My only suggestion for today is that we consider dumping the goblins down the hole to give us some time before their comrades figure out what's what. If this thing eats Rothe alive, and they aren't executed by that hammer, then it's probably a decent fight. We should consider going home to check on Anders.
+
'''The DM:''' Actually, not even then. Those 29 minutes are ‘astronomical twilight’, so there is still light in the sky. Fun starts when the seasons change and it is dark all the time.
  
'''The DM:''' As I said before, the smell is rank.  The pit is black, and there is enough light atop the hole to make it hard to see more than 20 feet downThere are rungs going that far, about every 18 inches. They appear to be iron bars hammered into the rock, a little small for a human (they were made for goblins), but not too bad for an elf.
+
== July 7 ==
 +
'''The DM:''' the day starts with light rain, fading into drizzle about 9 o’clock am, when you’re finished sorting and feeding yourselves.  The temperature turns briskThese rest days need 2 lbs. food each; with an additional 4 lb. per person who fought with the goat.
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I don't mind going first if we're going down. But I suggest dropping the torch down to see how far the hole goes. I'm not sure going home is the right play here - we don't want a situation where this thing gets out, especially since we've killed its handlers. Dumping the bodies is probably wise.
+
'''The DM:''' I’m not consistently keeping track of the food; trusting you to do it. But I think the last day I actually asked for food to be scratched off (without looking) was the 4th, which means these three days are unaccounted for.
: '''The DM:''' Likewise, you could hammer on a chamber pot with the hammer, like a bell, to make certain that whatever's down there knows something has changed on the surface.
 
  
== Descending ==
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' So that would be 66 lbs. total, I believe (including Oddsdraken, but not Valda). My understanding is that Vafrandir is keeping track of that. The Cargo spreadsheet shows we have sufficient for that, but we might be starting to get just a little bit light.
'''Marcule:''' "I don't want to do anything to announce ourselves further. let me look ahead". I would like to make my way down the hole (About 5 feet and scout it out.)
 
  
'''The DM:''' five feet doesn't reveal much, but it does cut on the ambient light above.  You're likely using infravision.  About 20 feet below you, there's a rough-hewn round hole cut into the rock, about four and a half feet high, and three feet wide.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' "Shall we head up, Pandred? and maybe bring Oddsdraken with us?"
  
'''Marcule:''' ok i make my way another tenish feet.
+
'''The DM:''' You have to feed Valda also.  It’s Nadia who can feed herself.
  
'''The DM:''' It's clear there is no natural light coming from the hole.  You can see clearly now that the rungs end at the hole, coming to one side of it, but that the drop continues at least another fifty feet below it. Your infravision can see 60 ft., remember.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' They are both back in Treborg though, right? Our [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KK9o9c-HPQjTqafZt7mZAUOjY9aqmg63ryWaBjI2V8U/edit?usp=sharing supplies] there are quite sufficient, from what I can tell.
  
'''Marcule:''' wow deep hole. I move another 20ft down.
+
'''Pandred''': They are. Odds can't fight, he's there to reload my crossbow and keep my fighting weight manageable. Since I dropped the Plate I haven't brought him around, but I keep meaning to change that.
  
'''The DM:''' Can'tYou moved 5, then 10; the hole was 20 ft. below your first stopping point; the rungs stop here and you have no climbing ability, yes?  However, reaching the hole, you notice with the last ten feet the temperature dropped a whole grade; it feels quite brisk now, rather than cool.
+
'''The DM:''' You might consider hiring other men-at-armsBetween Pandred and Vafrandir, they can jointly count themselves above 10 in most leadership points, even though they have no actual abilities.   You’ve led men before; so long as you keep the number small, 1-4, it shouldn’t be a problem.
  
'''Marcule:''' Sorry my mistake. i make my way back up to Vafrandir and explain what i have seen. "its going to be cold i think"
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I leave behind my shield and the shattered remains of my Godentag and start up towards the cirque. "Do you think we should try to find how those wolves got out, or plunge straight back in?"
  
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'd guess Grond is in that tunnel. I'd still rather fight it up here. Let's lure it out - with the hammer and pot as suggested or with a torch, etc - and take it out. Alternately, we could smash up the rungs with the hammer or otherwise seal the hole. Not sure if we've enough strength to do that though. How thick is the rock wall?
+
'''The DM:''' A trip back to Stavanger would be needed for that; but you could get Lexent’s staff identified and let Nadia’s wage earn it’s value.
  
'''The DM:''' The one around the hole is just three inches thick.
+
'''Pandred''': Joining Lex here. I'm okay to do another day of scouting, and regroup when we have Marcule on monday.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' You make the climb to the cirque; presume that Vafrandir and Marcule are with you, but lagging slightly behind, so they can catch up when they’re able.  For the moment, the two of you are semi-alone in your actions.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Where is the herd(? flock?) of rothe?
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' Drifting to the east side of the plateau.  As you reach the top, the rain has ceased and there’s an overcast sky.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''': What does my little spyglass tell me? I know I can't see the dungeon itself in the gully, but let's scan the cirque for what we can see.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' Nothing I haven’t already described.  No evidence of other entrances, except that there are hundreds of rocks that could be concealing one, anywhere.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''' Yeah, that's fair. What do you think Lex, got any ideas?
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' We should probably start by verifying that the gully is still as we left it, and then start working around the tarn seeing if we can spot an additional exit.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I start toward the gulley, pausing to give the rothe time to adjust to our presence as necessary.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''': Tagging along.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' It’s been 9 days since you’ve been here, since June 29th.  The scene is exactly as you left it.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Good. We start working our way around the basin, looking for any evidence of another entrance/exit, or anything else of note.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' I’ve been thinking about search rules vs. chances to find something.  My thoughts are than the players should have to pre-identify how long they intend to search, specifically naming a “base length of time.”  Consider: say, there is a second entrance here.  If there is, then spending enough time will guarantee it’s discovery.  But “enough time” could be days, even weeks, depending on how small the entrance is (goblin lair, the entrance could be 9 in. wide).  You have no evidence the wolves came out of another hole; technically, they could have made their way up the shaft you went down, or they may have been helped, or they may have been teleported for all you know.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Well, Pandred, what do you think? Do we spend the rest of the day searching for the possible other entrance or head back in? Maybe we could look for evidence that the wolves actually did find a way to make it out of that vertical shaft?
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' So, you tell me (a) a segment of time.  Then (b) I’ll roll 3d4, multiplied against that time segment; then calculate the chance of finding the entrance against what I think the maximum amount of time it would take to find the lair FOR CERTAIN.  This way, I don’t confirm there’s an entrance; and I’m able to establish that a certain amount of time has passed, without having to say, “Three hours later” when the party could say, “Hey, we’d stop long before three hours passed!”  This way, we can establish within a general time frame ahead of time when you’d “stop.”
 +
:'''[[Lexent]]:''' You may also need a variable for either thoroughness or size of area searched in that time. If we search for three hours that could be meticulously going over every stone in a 1/4 acre or merely walking through trying to get eyes on the whole an area much larger.
 +
:: '''The DM:''' I think the judgement, “If they looked continuously foot-by-foot over the size of landscape presented, ie., within a reasonable distance that an underground tunnel could naturally occur or be made, given the space, this being a plateau reaching 400 yards from the tarn to the mountainside, recognizing that a watertable would make an entrance impractical within a certain frame of reference, and given that they have no geology or prospecting skill, how long would it take?” is good enough.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''' I'm down. However long we have, let's give it a go. I refuse to believe a skeleton wolf climbed a vertical ladder until I see it with my own eyes.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Let's try this then. We spend 2 hours searching for a way the wolves could have gotten out other than the shaft.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' taken up with help and then animated on the surface.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' Lexent, that doesn’t work for me.  I want a search time that isn’t pre-fixed, but pre-supposed.  “We search for two hours” suggests you’ve already searched the area and won’t feel compelled to investigate leads you haven’t yet seen.  Sorry.  No.  I want a time segment, and then I’ll roll 3-12 x that segment to account for uncertainty.  Feel free to offer a segment that gives the average you want.
 +
 
 +
== Searching ==
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Sorry, I misunderstood. Time segment: 20 minutes.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''' Don't be a goof, they were alive before they were dead! They had to get down so they could get up! Am I to believe that these three Dire Wolves were carried down as pups, raised in cages, and then died unceremoniously and had their corpses carried out to be raised?! I disbelieve! I '''disbelieve''' good sir!
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' (I’m not a goof, I’m your conscience; heh heh; maybe they WERE born down there?  Huh?)
 +
: In retrospect, we can make an agreement on the number of dice rolled: cursory search (1 die); general search (2); close search (3) and intensive search (4).  Name your die number.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I believe a general search will do for now. 2.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' You give up after an hour and 40 minutes, having found nothing.  Or, at least, you decide you’re hungry and you’d like to eat.  That makes it 12:40 by Marcule's watch.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' Incidentally, I am accounting for Vafrandir’s elven find concealed doors ability.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' We stop and eat. "I'm finding this searching discouraging, Pandred. What say we take another peek in that hole once we've finished eating? Maybe we'll find some more evidence as to what occurred there."
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''': I maintain the principle is sound, but the truth is an exit tunnel or tunnels could pop out fucking anywhere, and there's no reason to expect this part of the mountain to have one: in fact there's a decent case to be made that it would be silly to have a secret exit within eyesight of the place you're exiting secretly. We can look at the hole.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Following our meal I head back down to the hole, pausing briefly to see if my untrained eyes can see any evidence that this is indeed where the wolves emerged.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' I’m presuming without needing to be told that you take all precautions entering the hole, at least as far as the shaft and the entrance way to the outer corridor, before the hall with 12 doors.  All appears safe, though the odour continues to be rank.  There is no evidence whatsoever of the wolves having climbed up the shaft.  No markings of bone scraped against the walls, no place where claws would have gouged out bits of stone, no marks on the iron rungs leading down the shaft.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I move to door 'H'. Is it open or closed at this point? Also is the kennel open or closed?
 +
:'''The DM:''' suspending this movement; you're still in the outer corridor, looking into the hall.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' It’s just as you left it.  You can see into the hall with your infravision, but in the center of the hall, amidst the scattered bones, like a splotch, is an inky blackness defying your ability to see what it is.  You usually identify this as a very cold spot.
 +
: Pandred, you’re wearing the infravision goggles Marcule has provided?
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' When you say 'the center of the hall' are you referring to the great hall or the hall within door H?
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' Ah; for clarification: shaft leads to portal, portal leads to corridor, corridor leads to hall with 12 doors.  You’re in the corridor; you see into the hall; description of black spot is in middle of the hall.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I watch that spot for a couple of minutes. Does the splotch change in any way that I can detect? Is it flat on the floor or floating in the air? Do we feel a difference in temperature that would be consistent with what our eyes are conveying?
 +
 
 +
'''[[Pandred]]''': Goggles on. I'll dip them down for a sec just to be sure mine eyes do not deceive me.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' zero movement; appears to be on the floor, or at least attached to it.  you can’t feel a temperature distance from here, it’s 25 feet away.  Though the whole space feels brisk, edging towards chilled, which it did previously.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' without the goggles, you’re completely blind Pandred.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''': Goggles on again. I'll approach the mass, handaxe and shield out and ready. I don't leave the corridor yet though.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' no new information from this vantage point, Pandred.
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Staff out, I move into the hall.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' Two bright red eyes open in the upper part of the black mass, surrounded by negative light.
 +
 
 +
'''The DM:''' You hear a disembodied voice; it does not seem to come from the direction of the eyes, but from all around you.  It’s deep and gravelly, and portending of woe.
 +
 
 +
'''Grond:''' “I thought you had left for good.”
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' "A hope? or a fear? Are you Grond?"
 +
 
 +
'''Grond:''' "I am Grond.  This place is mine.  There is nothing for you here.  Only death.  Go."
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I glance at my companions.
 +
 
 +
'''Pandred''': "What happened down here?" Ooh, I wanna get 'em so bad!
 +
 
 +
'''Grond:''' "This place was theirs.  Now it is mine."
 +
 
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' "And what assurance do we have that your 'children' will not disturb those who live near here?"
 +
 
 +
'''Grond: ''' "They are not my children, they are my things."

Revision as of 13:43, 19 March 2021

Continued from Slowly Healing.

The DM: It is still July 4th; the sky is covered by puffy clouds, there is no rain and the temperature remains cool and comfortable.

Lexent: "Vafrandir, would you be willing to assist me? I can't carry all that much by myself."

Vafrandir: I'm with you! Off we go.

Vafrandir: To be clear, we intend to move camp closer.

Lexent: Indeed.

The DM: Splitting the party, I roll and no ill-happenstance results from it. Marcule is able to get Pandred down the mountain, and might even be able to signal somehow with a spell or something (no idea) to let you know they’re coming. Together, without needing to say so, you make an agreement about some place you saw that morning, so you know just where to meet with each other. However, none of you are a ranger, so I will need a wisdom check from every person in the party.

Vafrandir: I roll a 1.

Lexent: 14

The DM: You both find your way back to the camp, and to the agreed-upon meeting place.

Marcule: I will do my best to take care of Pandred.

The DM: That place ... do you want it to have any special characteristics, commensurate with the area? It's alpine tundra, so there are no trees. Here are some suggestions of what an alpine range offers. Note the "Features" section.

Rolling dice, I do indicate the presence of a single hot spring, so that's probably going to win the choices. No "chalets" obviously.

Vafrandir: Yes, a hot spring gets my vote. Preferably against a rock face to help shield from wind as well.

Lexent: Your first sentence is almost word for word what I was writing. Hot spring, please.

The DM: That’s a safe bet, Vafrandir. The hot spring is little more than a trickle; it makes a pool only one foot in diameter before tricking about fifty yards downhill through an inch-wide crack in the rock surface, where it apparently returns to the subsurface. The pool is about 4 yards from the rock face, which is 18 feet high and forms an angle, 20 feet north-south and 10 ft. east west, with the hypotenuse towards the southwest. Stretching south and west is a small plain of glacial debris, with stones ranging from fist size to gnome-sized.

The DM: “small plain” = 500 yards across, tailing out where the slope breaks into 10 foot wide gulleys and ponds on the southwest edge.

Lexent: The perfect size for resting an ankle.

The DM: the temperature of the hot spring would be 65-70 degrees C; though of course no measurement of that kind would be comprehensible to the characters.

The DM: Let’s see; you can’t get the cart onto the glacial plain. The best you can do is park it 250 yards from the hot spring. The terrain is too rough for the wheels otherwise.

The DM: Marcule and Pandred, I need those wisdom checks. We’ll pick this up Friday, as agreed. Out (but I’ll check back in half an hour).

Lexent: That seems a manageable distance. How much farther from the abrasion zone of the cirque are we now than at the previous camp?

Pandred: 13 on my check. Missed it by 1.

The DM: In. I need that wisdom check from Marcule, so I'll have to roll it.

Lexent: In.

The DM: Marcule rolls a 12, missing his wisdom by 1. With both players missing, you get lost ... for an hour. But that will push you over the top of exhaustion, so its a 2% malady check for each of you. And you're fine. The pair stagger into the newly made camp, very tired, with Marcule's shoulders aching from supporting Pandred, who is just in steady pain.

Vafrandir: In for about an hour then back in the afternoon.

Vafrandir: "We were starting to get worried! Sit down, rest."

Lexent: "This has been a long day. I'll take the first watch while you all start getting some sleep."

Pandred: In. I do rest. You guys can continue scouting without me if you need. I can rest here and handle myself if need be.

Lexent: I am content to move to the 5th. I only need four hours of sleep and am willing to take extra watch shifts.

Vafrandir: I'm not saying we need fear the plateau - at least, any more than any other part of this extremely dangerous wilderness - but we might want to consider a better strategy if we go that way again. On the other hand, we should probably go back to the tarn and examine the area around the inside.

The DM: Rest starting at 8 pm, so benefits won't be felt until tomorrow evening.

July 5

The DM: Cool weather, clear skies, gentle wind blowing.

Lexent: I recommend that we all rest for at least today. Depending on HP we might send a scouting party up to within the cirque tomorrow, but today we should rest.

Lexent: I use the staff to heal Pandred for 3+1+2=6.

Lexent: I cast cure light wounds for 3+4=7 and apply that all to Pandred.

Marcule: OOC: sorry guys i wont be able to play today. next week should be all good see you then.

Lexent: I spend the day aiding Pandred's rest along with anyone else who is willing to stay and be tended.

Pandred: Plus bottle for 2. 9 so far.

Vafrandir: I agree. Let's rest.

Pandred: Bad math, missed the heal. 15 so far. Halfway is good.

The DM: Pandred can get 6 more from rest then. That's 21 total. Ankle is feeling a lot better.

Lexent: Ready to proceed to the 6th.

July 6

The DM: The next day, there is a steady drizzle, but it’s very nearly a mist and not much to be concerned about. Still cool, still a gentle breeze blowing out of the northwest. How does the day start?

Lexent: Not amazingly. I heal Pandred with the staff for 1+2+1=4

Pandred: 3 from the bottle says I'll be better by tomorrow. 28 as of right now.

Lexent: If we'd like I could finish the process off with cure light wounds and we could all head up today, albeit with our healing depleted.

Pandred: I think I'd rather sit tight and save it in case of random encounter. As far as I know we're still okay for food for a while here.

Lexent: Fine by me. Would you like Vafrandir and myself to do some light scouting around the tarn while you finish resting?

The DM: Pandred wasn’t hit, so technically he is the same as 2 h.p. below full. I can make a concession and allow 8 hours more rest to heal the last two points of injury, so you can begin moving about freely at 5 pm.

Pandred: How long to sundown? I don't think any of us wants to twist an ankle scrambling in the dark.

Vafrandir: Out. I'll help scout when I return.

Lexent: I think then that the best course of action is to all just rest for the remainder of the 6th and start out on the 7th.

Lexent: Prior to turning in for the evening I cast cure light wounds for 2+4 and apply 3 to myself. I don't think anyone else needs it but if so, I apply the rest to them.

The DM: Remember, sundown is very late at night. Sundown is 10:47 pm, and it’s not really possible to be in the dark, remember? Full night doesn’t occur until the 28th of July and lasts 29 minutes.

Pandred: I think we'll wait for now. Lex is turning in, I don't want to risk anything. Let's just ding up a new day.

The DM: Actually, not even then. Those 29 minutes are ‘astronomical twilight’, so there is still light in the sky. Fun starts when the seasons change and it is dark all the time.

July 7

The DM: the day starts with light rain, fading into drizzle about 9 o’clock am, when you’re finished sorting and feeding yourselves. The temperature turns brisk. These rest days need 2 lbs. food each; with an additional 4 lb. per person who fought with the goat.

The DM: I’m not consistently keeping track of the food; trusting you to do it. But I think the last day I actually asked for food to be scratched off (without looking) was the 4th, which means these three days are unaccounted for.

Lexent: So that would be 66 lbs. total, I believe (including Oddsdraken, but not Valda). My understanding is that Vafrandir is keeping track of that. The Cargo spreadsheet shows we have sufficient for that, but we might be starting to get just a little bit light.

Lexent: "Shall we head up, Pandred? and maybe bring Oddsdraken with us?"

The DM: You have to feed Valda also. It’s Nadia who can feed herself.

Lexent: They are both back in Treborg though, right? Our supplies there are quite sufficient, from what I can tell.

Pandred: They are. Odds can't fight, he's there to reload my crossbow and keep my fighting weight manageable. Since I dropped the Plate I haven't brought him around, but I keep meaning to change that.

The DM: You might consider hiring other men-at-arms. Between Pandred and Vafrandir, they can jointly count themselves above 10 in most leadership points, even though they have no actual abilities. You’ve led men before; so long as you keep the number small, 1-4, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Lexent: I leave behind my shield and the shattered remains of my Godentag and start up towards the cirque. "Do you think we should try to find how those wolves got out, or plunge straight back in?"

The DM: A trip back to Stavanger would be needed for that; but you could get Lexent’s staff identified and let Nadia’s wage earn it’s value.

Pandred: Joining Lex here. I'm okay to do another day of scouting, and regroup when we have Marcule on monday.

The DM: You make the climb to the cirque; presume that Vafrandir and Marcule are with you, but lagging slightly behind, so they can catch up when they’re able. For the moment, the two of you are semi-alone in your actions.

Lexent: Where is the herd(? flock?) of rothe?

The DM: Drifting to the east side of the plateau. As you reach the top, the rain has ceased and there’s an overcast sky.

Pandred: What does my little spyglass tell me? I know I can't see the dungeon itself in the gully, but let's scan the cirque for what we can see.

The DM: Nothing I haven’t already described. No evidence of other entrances, except that there are hundreds of rocks that could be concealing one, anywhere.

Pandred Yeah, that's fair. What do you think Lex, got any ideas?

Lexent: We should probably start by verifying that the gully is still as we left it, and then start working around the tarn seeing if we can spot an additional exit.

Lexent: I start toward the gulley, pausing to give the rothe time to adjust to our presence as necessary.

Pandred: Tagging along.

The DM: It’s been 9 days since you’ve been here, since June 29th. The scene is exactly as you left it.

Lexent: Good. We start working our way around the basin, looking for any evidence of another entrance/exit, or anything else of note.

The DM: I’ve been thinking about search rules vs. chances to find something. My thoughts are than the players should have to pre-identify how long they intend to search, specifically naming a “base length of time.” Consider: say, there is a second entrance here. If there is, then spending enough time will guarantee it’s discovery. But “enough time” could be days, even weeks, depending on how small the entrance is (goblin lair, the entrance could be 9 in. wide). You have no evidence the wolves came out of another hole; technically, they could have made their way up the shaft you went down, or they may have been helped, or they may have been teleported for all you know.

Lexent: Well, Pandred, what do you think? Do we spend the rest of the day searching for the possible other entrance or head back in? Maybe we could look for evidence that the wolves actually did find a way to make it out of that vertical shaft?

The DM: So, you tell me (a) a segment of time. Then (b) I’ll roll 3d4, multiplied against that time segment; then calculate the chance of finding the entrance against what I think the maximum amount of time it would take to find the lair FOR CERTAIN. This way, I don’t confirm there’s an entrance; and I’m able to establish that a certain amount of time has passed, without having to say, “Three hours later” when the party could say, “Hey, we’d stop long before three hours passed!” This way, we can establish within a general time frame ahead of time when you’d “stop.”

Lexent: You may also need a variable for either thoroughness or size of area searched in that time. If we search for three hours that could be meticulously going over every stone in a 1/4 acre or merely walking through trying to get eyes on the whole an area much larger.
The DM: I think the judgement, “If they looked continuously foot-by-foot over the size of landscape presented, ie., within a reasonable distance that an underground tunnel could naturally occur or be made, given the space, this being a plateau reaching 400 yards from the tarn to the mountainside, recognizing that a watertable would make an entrance impractical within a certain frame of reference, and given that they have no geology or prospecting skill, how long would it take?” is good enough.

Pandred I'm down. However long we have, let's give it a go. I refuse to believe a skeleton wolf climbed a vertical ladder until I see it with my own eyes.

Lexent: Let's try this then. We spend 2 hours searching for a way the wolves could have gotten out other than the shaft.

The DM: taken up with help and then animated on the surface.

The DM: Lexent, that doesn’t work for me. I want a search time that isn’t pre-fixed, but pre-supposed. “We search for two hours” suggests you’ve already searched the area and won’t feel compelled to investigate leads you haven’t yet seen. Sorry. No. I want a time segment, and then I’ll roll 3-12 x that segment to account for uncertainty. Feel free to offer a segment that gives the average you want.

Searching

Lexent: Sorry, I misunderstood. Time segment: 20 minutes.

Pandred Don't be a goof, they were alive before they were dead! They had to get down so they could get up! Am I to believe that these three Dire Wolves were carried down as pups, raised in cages, and then died unceremoniously and had their corpses carried out to be raised?! I disbelieve! I disbelieve good sir!

The DM: (I’m not a goof, I’m your conscience; heh heh; maybe they WERE born down there? Huh?)

In retrospect, we can make an agreement on the number of dice rolled: cursory search (1 die); general search (2); close search (3) and intensive search (4). Name your die number.

Lexent: I believe a general search will do for now. 2.

The DM: You give up after an hour and 40 minutes, having found nothing. Or, at least, you decide you’re hungry and you’d like to eat. That makes it 12:40 by Marcule's watch.

The DM: Incidentally, I am accounting for Vafrandir’s elven find concealed doors ability.

Lexent: We stop and eat. "I'm finding this searching discouraging, Pandred. What say we take another peek in that hole once we've finished eating? Maybe we'll find some more evidence as to what occurred there."

Pandred: I maintain the principle is sound, but the truth is an exit tunnel or tunnels could pop out fucking anywhere, and there's no reason to expect this part of the mountain to have one: in fact there's a decent case to be made that it would be silly to have a secret exit within eyesight of the place you're exiting secretly. We can look at the hole.

Lexent: Following our meal I head back down to the hole, pausing briefly to see if my untrained eyes can see any evidence that this is indeed where the wolves emerged.

The DM: I’m presuming without needing to be told that you take all precautions entering the hole, at least as far as the shaft and the entrance way to the outer corridor, before the hall with 12 doors. All appears safe, though the odour continues to be rank. There is no evidence whatsoever of the wolves having climbed up the shaft. No markings of bone scraped against the walls, no place where claws would have gouged out bits of stone, no marks on the iron rungs leading down the shaft.

Lexent: I move to door 'H'. Is it open or closed at this point? Also is the kennel open or closed?

The DM: suspending this movement; you're still in the outer corridor, looking into the hall.

The DM: It’s just as you left it. You can see into the hall with your infravision, but in the center of the hall, amidst the scattered bones, like a splotch, is an inky blackness defying your ability to see what it is. You usually identify this as a very cold spot.

Pandred, you’re wearing the infravision goggles Marcule has provided?

Lexent: When you say 'the center of the hall' are you referring to the great hall or the hall within door H?

The DM: Ah; for clarification: shaft leads to portal, portal leads to corridor, corridor leads to hall with 12 doors. You’re in the corridor; you see into the hall; description of black spot is in middle of the hall.

Lexent: I watch that spot for a couple of minutes. Does the splotch change in any way that I can detect? Is it flat on the floor or floating in the air? Do we feel a difference in temperature that would be consistent with what our eyes are conveying?

Pandred: Goggles on. I'll dip them down for a sec just to be sure mine eyes do not deceive me.

The DM: zero movement; appears to be on the floor, or at least attached to it. you can’t feel a temperature distance from here, it’s 25 feet away. Though the whole space feels brisk, edging towards chilled, which it did previously.

The DM: without the goggles, you’re completely blind Pandred.

Pandred: Goggles on again. I'll approach the mass, handaxe and shield out and ready. I don't leave the corridor yet though.

The DM: no new information from this vantage point, Pandred.

Lexent: Staff out, I move into the hall.

The DM: Two bright red eyes open in the upper part of the black mass, surrounded by negative light.

The DM: You hear a disembodied voice; it does not seem to come from the direction of the eyes, but from all around you. It’s deep and gravelly, and portending of woe.

Grond: “I thought you had left for good.”

Lexent: "A hope? or a fear? Are you Grond?"

Grond: "I am Grond. This place is mine. There is nothing for you here. Only death. Go."

Lexent: I glance at my companions.

Pandred: "What happened down here?" Ooh, I wanna get 'em so bad!

Grond: "This place was theirs. Now it is mine."

Lexent: "And what assurance do we have that your 'children' will not disturb those who live near here?"

Grond: "They are not my children, they are my things."