Difference between pages "An Unpleasant Discovery" and "Back to Camp"

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Continued from '''[[Slowly Healing]]'''.
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'''The DM:''' The morning of the 25th of June is a beautiful, clear, pleasant day, as nice as you might desire for this part of the world.  The sun is shining, the ground is dry and the wind is a mere 2 knots out of the northwest.  There are a few small puffy clouds, but no sign of rain at all.  The air is clear and the various denizens along the cart path to the wilderness are beginning to recognize you, nodding as you pass.  You climb up the familiar track off the road, the cart wheels banging over the rocks as you take the best route, with Treborg's bay falling out of sight.
 
  
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Yet, as you reach a point about four miles from the village, you find the carcass of a cow laying slaughtered on an open rock.  As Embla has skill as a butcher, you can see at once that it's a domestic cow, not wild.  That while the principle meat has been cut out, by someone who doesn't know what they're doing, much of the meat has been left.  Judging by the meat, this was done last afternoon or evening; and it looks as if someone cut away about a yard of the cow's hide, but left most of it behind.
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'''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.
  
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'''[[Embla Strand]]''' Oh dear. We should get to the bottom of this - it's too close to home to ignore. Are there any tracks or traces left behind by whoever did this? Does the cow have a brand or something that would indicate an owner?
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' "Vafrandir, would you be willing to assist me? I can't carry all that much by myself."
  
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'''The DM:''' You see no brands, but the cow must come from near Treborg.  There is no other settlement or group of farms in this part of Ryfolke.  A look around will reveal that the skin or chunks of meat were apparently dragged over the ground away from the carcass.  You can't track, obviously, but this trail is obvious; anyone can see it.  It strikes you as odd that anyone would ''drag'' meat ... as though it were too big to carry properly.
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'm with you! Off we go.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Embla, shall we two follow the trail?
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' To be clear, we intend to move camp closer.
  
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'''Marcule:''' In
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' Indeed.
  
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'''Marcule:'''"I agree this is to close to home we had better investigate before something nasty appears at our door."
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'''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.
  
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'''The DM:''' Action?
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I roll a 1.
  
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'''Marcule:''' In
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' '''14'''
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'''Marcule:''' I do my best to follow the trail and proceed forward
 
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' We go with him. I know we can't speak for Pandred but can we assume she stays with the cart?
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'''The DM:''' You both find your way back to the camp, and to the agreed-upon meeting place.
  
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'''The DM:''' In general, presume that players who are not here to be following along, but having a pee or some other such thing when the fight occurs.
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'''Marcule:''' I will do my best to take care of Pandred.
  
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'''The DM:''' the trail continues on for about three quarters of a mile before the dragged parts have become dried by the landscape; you haven't the skill to follow the trail that would still be there, but now can't be seen.  You guess there must be more than one, as occasionally there are as many as three blood trails.  Moreover, they're not trying to hide their passage, either.  They are making a straight line for a group of ledges straight ahead from where the trail stops, where the earth-and-rock plateau rises about 75 feet over a series of easily climbable steps.  You couldn't take the cart there, however.
+
'''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 [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Alpine_(range) 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.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I don't wish to miss the action but I'm also loathe to leave the cart. You three go on ahead, carefully. Whistle if there's trouble.
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'''[[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.
  
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'''The DM:''' I'll have to wait for them to say they do.
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'''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.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Of course!
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'''The DM:''' “small plain” = 500 yards across, tailing out where the slope breaks into 10 foot wide gulleys and ponds on the southwest edge.
  
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'''Marcule:''' I encourage Vafrandir to keep his whistle close and make my way up the steps.
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' The perfect size for resting an ankle.
  
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'''[[Embla Strand]]''' I follow, readying my whistle.
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'''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.
  
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== The Footprint ==
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'''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.
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'''The DM:''' as you climb up into the ledges, you find that they're filled with small troughs and dips where water has gathered.  It hasn't rained in a couple of days, so most of these are empty, and only a few inches deep.  Yet you can also see that there's silt along the bottoms of these, where there are hoof prints.  Then, Marcule stops in surprise, when he sees the plain outline of a foot, not wearing a shoe or boot.  A foot about as large as Marcule's, and definitely not a gnome's foot.
 
  
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'''The DM:''' Plainly I lost everyone.  Please, if you're not going to check every 20 minutes, simply mark yourself "out." It's no big deal if you do, I won't judge.  But I will know there's less reason for me to check every ten minutes.
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'''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).
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'm waiting by the cart. Can I still see the rest of the party?
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' That seems a manageable distance. How much farther from the abrasion zone of the cirque are we now than at the previous camp?
  
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'''The DM:''' They would probably be clustered together, peering down at something between the rocks.  It's 2 pm for me, so I'm Out. Better luck tomorrow.
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'''Pandred''': 13 on my check. Missed it by 1.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' No problem. Just curious. Out.
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'''The DM:''' In. I need that wisdom check from Marcule, so I'll have to roll it.
  
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'''Marcule:''' "this foot scares me" What do the strides look like?.
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' In.
  
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'''[[Embla Strand]]''' 14:04, 26 January 2021 (MST) My apologies. Out.
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'''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.
  
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'''The DM:''' In.
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In for about an hour then back in the afternoon.
  
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'''The DM:''' Out.
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "We were starting to get worried! Sit down, rest."
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In.
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' "This has been a long day. I'll take the first watch while you all start getting some sleep."
  
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'''The DM:''' In. Just you and me, Vafrandir.
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'''[[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.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Hm, I've worked myself into a bind, haven't I.
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' I am content to move to the 5th. I only need four hours of sleep and am willing to take extra watch shifts.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I've already committed to watching the cart, but I don't want to do nothing. Let me think.
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'''[[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.
  
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'''The DM:''' While we're here, explain to me a few things; why do you feel you need the cart; why are you loathe to leave it; and why not bring Oddsdrakken along to watch it?  Maybe we can work out a compromise.
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'''The DM:''' Rest starting at 8 pm, so benefits won't be felt until tomorrow evening.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Odds is helping with the clearing of the land, if I recall correctly. I don't believe you would screw us by having something happen, but at the same time if someone is stealing food or hides (poorly), then it's possible this is either a trap or that there's others about from the same band who wouldn't say no to a free cart of food.
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== July 5 ==
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'''The DM:''' Cool weather, clear skies, gentle wind blowing.
  
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'''The DM:''' bit of an overthink there; it looks more like a few somebody's grabbed a cow from civilized land, cut away all they thought they could carry (the dragging on the ground suggests they're overloaded) and are on their way with it.  No attempt to hide their trail was made at all and it was as straight as an arrow. Doesn't look like a trap (and both assassins in the party would tell you so).
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'''[[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.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Very good. In that case, I'll continue up towards the others, see the footprint, and observe that "It looks like a human or elf child's." We will proceed carefully up the steps.
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' I use the staff to heal Pandred for '''3+1+2=6'''.
  
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'''The DM:''' You might think so at first glance, but then you'll notice that there are claws on the end of the toes and a point in the silt that might be a back claw.  Ledges; these require some minor scrambling, but nothing requiring a [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Scrambling_(sage_ability) sage ability].
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' I cast cure light wounds for '''3+4=7''' and apply that all to Pandred.
  
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== Beyond the Footprint ==
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'''Marcule:''' OOC: sorry guys i wont be able to play today. next week should be all good see you then.
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Interesting. That raises the stakes a bit. We'll continue up the ledges. Are there any caves in the rock that we can see from here?
 
  
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'''The DM:''' Not immediately.  But this is a place you haven't ventured into yet; towards a mountain you've seen from a distance, but which is now beginning to dominate the eastern horizon.  Ahead is a low ridge, about half a mile from you, reached over a gentle slope of about one hundred feet up.  It looks to be the nearer edge of a mountain caldera; in modern parlance, where a glacier has pushed up the ridge in the last ice age, only to vanish now.  You're characters wouldn't understand that, but I need to describe this in a way that you can see.  It's called a "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirque cirque]."
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' I spend the day aiding Pandred's rest along with anyone else who is willing to stay and be tended.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Understood. Is the trail still obvious?
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'''Pandred''': Plus bottle for '''2'''. 9 so far.
  
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'''The DM:''' No. You're continuing in the approximate direction the trail was following.
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I agree. Let's rest.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Very good. Continuing, at a careful or wary pace.
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'''Pandred''': Bad math, missed the heal. 15 so far. Halfway is good.
  
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'''The DM:''' Climbing to the top of the lip, you have either Marcule or Embla move ahead to look over the lip and see what's in the cirque.  The whole circle is a square mile in size, about 640 acres. There's a small lake, or tarn, about an acre in size, of clear water; this tarn is in the center of the caldera, about 700 yards away.  A herd of small cows, no taller than Marcule, are scattered over the area to the right of the tarn.  These are called rothe; they dwell both above and below ground.  You can't see any camp, but there is a steady curl of smoke arising from beyond the rothe.  Two thirds of the cirque are contained in the arms of the mountain, a modest peak about 3,500 ft. high.  The other third makes the ridge you're presently crouched upon.
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'''The DM:''' Pandred can get 6 more from rest then.  That's 21 total.  Ankle is feeling a lot better.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' What kind of ground cover is there?
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' Ready to proceed to the 6th.
  
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'''The DM:''' Much [https://www.123rf.com/photo_153818186_glacier-landscape-in-finse-norway.html like this].
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== 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?
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' With little mountaineering ability among us, how does the descent into the caldera look? Could be tricky.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Not amazingly. I heal Pandred with the staff for '''1+2+1=4'''
  
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'''The DM:''' the image gives the appearance of the ground, not your relative position.  The "caldera" is below you; you're on the forward lip, looking down into it.  The 3rd image down on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirque cirque] link shows the "formation of cirque" ... you're standing on the "zone of abrasion" looking down into the depression (not technically a "caldera," since there's no volcano, but I'm struggling for terms); the mountain is across the resulting hole, which is not completely filled by the tarn.
+
'''Pandred''': 3 from the bottle says I'll be better by tomorrow. 28 as of right now.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Understood. I had in my mind that we were on the headwall. So it should be no problem to descend safely.
+
'''[[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.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' May we stop here today? I don't want to get into something sticky without the rest of the party. Must be one of those weeks, I suppose.
+
'''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.
  
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'''The DM:''' Apparently. Have a look at the blog; I just posted something interesting.  Out.
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'''[[Lexent]]:''' Fine by me. Would you like Vafrandir and myself to do some light scouting around the tarn while you finish resting?
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' It's always interesting. Out.
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'''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.
  
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'''The DM:''' In.
+
'''Pandred''': How long to sundown? I don't think any of us wants to twist an ankle scrambling in the dark.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In. Hoping to wait a bit to get the others caught up.
+
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Out. I'll help scout when I return.
  
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'''[[Pandred]]''': In.
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'''[[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.
  
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'''[[Pandred]]''': I'd like to pop out my pocket telescope and see what there is to see. What's up with the smoke?
+
'''[[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.
  
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'''The DM:''' Looking at it closely, it seems to be about the size of a campfire.  It is blocked, however, by several lumpy boulders and striations between you and it, so that all you can see is the smoke.
+
'''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.
  
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'''[[Pandred]]''': How close is the nearest boulder? Could we approach from a nearby slope for a slightly higher vantage, even one of the lower sides?
+
'''[[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.
  
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'''The DM:''' To some degree, you can.  It would be an uncertain thing.  You are familiar with the [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Stealth_(sage_ability) stealth rules]?
+
'''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.
  
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'''[[Pandred]]''': So it looks like if we stay 25 hexes or so away while sneaking we should be okay, assuming whatever we're trying to observe has no stealth ability on it's own. You described the tarn as about 700 yards off, so unless I'm wrong any attempt at being sneaky is pretty much golden assuming something isn't already quite close. Could we climb the opposite end from the rothe and the smoke? Is that slope too steep, or would the sight-line still be obstructed by anything if we wanted to get, say, a fifty to a hundred feet more vertical?
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== 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.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'm fine with sneaking closer.
+
'''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.
  
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'''[[Pandred]]''' Out. Sorry, should be back soonish. I leave things in your capable hands Vafrandir.
+
'''[[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.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Very well. We will approach stealthily as we are able.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' "Shall we head up, Pandred? and maybe bring Oddsdraken with us?"
  
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'''The DM:''' That would be my assessment as well, Pandred ... so long as nothing amid the rocks surprises you, and reveals your position.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to bail myself.  Something has come up and it's going to take up my time for the afternoon.  My apologies.  Out.
+
'''The DM:''' You have to feed Valda also.  It’s Nadia who can feed herself.
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' No worries. Out.
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'''[[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.
  
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'''The DM:''' In. Vafrandir, you feel fairly exposed out here on the rocky tundra.  The terrain, as pictured, was once a glacier, so there are stones and boulders everywhere; these give some shelter, but you cannot help noticing that as you move forward, the rothe are becoming more agitated ...
+
'''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.
  
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'''Marcule:''' In
+
'''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.
−
'''Marcule:''' Am i with them?
 
  
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'''The DM:''' Yes, if you wish.
+
'''[[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?"
  
−
'''Marcule:''' Last thing i want to do is unsettle a bunch of cattle. How am i doing for sneaking amongst the rocks given my size?
+
'''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.
  
−
'''Marcule:'''Out; back in 20 min (10:49)
+
'''Pandred''': Joining Lex here. I'm okay to do another day of scouting, and regroup when we have Marcule on monday.
  
−
'''The DM:''' Have a look at the stealth chart I linked.  It is full daylight, so you will be noticed at 3d6 hexes (5 ft. per hex), with no adjustments, not for level, equipment or appearance.  However, you're already lacking armour; if you get rid of your pack, and anything you're carrying except for a dagger, you can improve that by -1 hex.  Essentially, let's say I roll a 10 on 3d6, and you improve that by -1.  This means that you'll be seen at 9 hexes from an observer you're trying to approach.  Incidentally, I notice you haven't actually rolled your sage abilities.  Need help with that?  Steal the tables from [[Embla Strand|Embla's]] page.
+
'''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.
  
−
'''Marcule:''' In
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Where is the herd(? flock?) of rothe?
  
−
'''Marcule:''' I will work on my sage abilities; Ok, i drop my pack and would like to keep my blow dart. how far are we currently for the smoke approximately?
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In.
+
'''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:''' As close to the smoke as you say, since you're moving up.  You're about 15 hexes from the nearest rothe.
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Perhaps we should simply wait for a bit to let the rothe become more adjusted to us.
+
'''Pandred''' Yeah, that's fair. What do you think Lex, got any ideas?
  
−
'''The DM:''' Judging by that and the questions asked, I've presumed you're holding your ground just now.  The rothe will after a few minutes go back to eating the thin grass between the rocks.
+
'''[[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.
−
'''Marcule:''' "Vaf how close do you think we should get to this thing?"
 
  
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'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "We don't know what "it" is, or really even if it's dangerous. Without knowing more it's impossible to say. So let's know more." After the rothe settle, we'll begin moving forward again as we're able.
+
'''Pandred''': Tagging along.
  
−
'''The DM:''' After this, you find you're able to move very closely around the edge of the flock, coming as close as 30 ft. from the nearest animals without them being especially disturbed.  You see they have horns with wicked points, but they seem not aggressive at all.  Steadily, you move towards what appears to be a shallow gulley that the glacier long ago gouged out of the solid rock of the depression, about 20 yards beyond.  The smoke is curling out of the bottom of it, still denying you the knowledge of who's there.  Vafrandir, because you haven't dropped your pack, it is slightly safer for Marcule to go ahead than for you to do so.
+
'''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.
−
'''Marcule:''' I will move forward trying not to leave Vafrandir to far behind. can i close to 60ft ish....?
 
  
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'''The DM:''' 20 yards, 60 feet, gets you right to the edge.  You're small, you look over the side and into the gulley.  It is a low, flat gulley about 8 combat hexes wide.  There you see a small encampment, six tents, some brush that's been gathered around the edges as a defense, with stakes hammered into crevices between the rocks to support meat that's hanging there.  Even though there are dozens of rothe, these are plainly cowmeat.  There's a fire, and stools around it, and six visible goblins sitting on the stools talking to each other.
+
'''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.
  
−
'''Marcule:'''I would like to meet back with Vafrandir and explain what i have seen "six goblins might be to much for us"
+
'''[[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?
  
−
== Discussing Goblins ==
+
'''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.”
−
'''The DM:''' We'll assume Vafrandir and Marcule withdraw to a safe distance to talk about what's been seen.
+
:'''[[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.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' [OOC, too much for the 2 of us, perhaps not for all 4] "They're clearly rustling Treborg's cattle. We could either try and handle them ourselves [with a full party], negotiate with them - why do they need cattle if they have the rothe - or return with help from Treborg."
+
'''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.
  
−
'''Marcule:''' I think we can take them as a full party. "If we go back to Treborg it will be to much trouble to find them again. i doubt it would be an option to negotiate."
+
'''[[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.
  
−
'''Marcule:'''Out
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I agree. Hopefully we will be at full strength soon. Out
+
== Searching ==
 +
'''[[Lexent]]:''' Sorry, I misunderstood. Time segment: 20 minutes.
  
−
'''The DM:''' Me too, then.  Hope the others read this and get together.  Out.
+
'''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:''' In.  Just on the phone with the govt.
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': In. Waiting on at least one other.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I believe a general search will do for now. 2.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In. Pandred, what do you make of the situation?
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': Are we going to parley? If not I can take six unleveled goblins, assuming that's what we have here. One more would guarantee the win, but even with two it's doable.
+
'''The DM:''' Incidentally, I am accounting for Vafrandir’s elven find concealed doors ability.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Marcule is not a fan of parley. But I would vote for it, I think. If they will make restitution for the cow and live in peace here, then very good. And if it comes to blows, then so it does.
+
'''[[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]]''': Then I'm on board. How wide is the gully? Could we block either end meaningfully, are there any natural choke points, etc? If it comes to blows, I don't want to get surrounded too quickly.
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Not to mention, there could be more than 6. Six is simply all we see.
+
'''[[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:''' The bottom of the gulley is 8 hexes wide; from rim to rim, about 20 hexes.  So, 12 hexes to the bottom, which cannot be quickly run down because it is broken, rocky ground.  Movement normal for those 12 hexes.
+
'''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.
  
−
'''[[Embla Strand]]''' In. I think we can do this, even if there are a few more.
+
'''[[Lexent]]:''' I move to door 'H'. Is it open or closed at this point? Also is the kennel open or closed?
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' How do you wish to approach this?
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': Vafrandir, you take the lead. Em and I flanking. I can't think of a good reason to get any closer than 20 hexes, as it doesn't seem like they have bows. So we stay on the edge of the gully. Vafrandir takes point maybe five more hexes in so we look very slightly less murderous, and we see what pans out. Good with everyone?
 
−
 
 
−
== Parley with Goblins ==
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Very good. I will approach the edge of the gully, and when I am in eyesight I will put my hands up and call out. "Hello there! We come to talk!"
 
−
 
 
−
:: '''[[Embla Strand]]''' I agree. I sneak to the flank, getting no closer than 20 hexes.
 
−
 
 
−
:: '''[[Pandred]]''' Same. Although I won't bother sneaking. Let the Gobs know he's not alone.
 
−
 
 
−
[[File:Goblins near Treborg.jpg|right|420px]]
 
−
'''The DM:''' I've made a map, added three tents, I'll post it in a few minutes.  The goblins react with great surprise, having no idea that you're here.  They didn't answer.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'll move one hex closer and repeat my question. "You've taken something from the settlement nearby. We're here to discuss it peaceably."
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' That'll make them all drag out their weapons.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': Which are? I'll run as quickly down the slope as the scree will allow the second two of them move toward Vafrandir. I'll stay put if it's just one.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' hold a moment; no one has moved; they look ready to defend themselves, not attack.  See map; Vafrandir is at the top edge of the gulley, as depicted.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Tuesday.  In.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In. What weapons do they have?
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Apparently, spears.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'll slowly draw my sword and place it on the ground.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' They hold their spears but appear to relax a little.  One will call out, "Go away, elf!"
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "We need to talk about the cow you took! You can talk with us peaceably or you can hope to deal with a much less understanding posse later."
 
−
 
 
−
'''Goblin:''' Let them come!  They'll learn it's not so easy on the mountain!"
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I gesture around. "And what of the rothe? Do you not have enough for yourself here? Why only take a small part of a good animal?"
 
−
 
 
−
'''White-haired goblin:''' THAT'S not our food!"
 
−
 
 
−
'''First goblin:''' What do you know about it, demi-human?"
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''' In.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "I know you've taken something that doesn't belong to you, and that your actions threaten not only our survival but yours."
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' In.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' I would like to hang back and cast Phantasmal Figure out of sight.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Marcule, consider it cast and done.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Vafrandir and Pandred, you see three more goblins emerge from the tent on the far right; one of these three is dressed differently, in a red leather smock and a headdress made of leather pieces and enmeshed antlers.  This goblin, alone, will begin to climb the slope towards you.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I will wait until the goblin (leader/priest/chief) reaches me.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' He stops half way up the slope, three hexes away, about 15 feet below, you; he has no weapons and is obviously vulnerable.  His robes have been stained with images and splashes of colour.  All signs point to his being a shaman of some kind.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Shaman:''' "Begone.  It is not safe for you here."
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "All places are not safe. Make restitution for the animal and we will be on our way. We have no particular quarrel with you but you invite trouble on yourself by interfering with Treborg's livestock."
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' You'll notice that on the end of the goblin shaman's staff is a large greenish-yellow gem, about the size of a walnut.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Shaman:''' "We are the children of Grond.  Go, or we will feed you to him."
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' "Who is Grond, that we should fear him?"
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' The shaman turns his back to you, and begins to hop nimbly down the slope.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I turn to Pandred, "What now? Quickly, I fear this may come to blows after all."
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' out 30ish min back noonish
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': Nine to three with goblins is okay odds to me, but you've got to take out the shaman. Otherwise they aren't budging, so either we go back to town, tell 'em about the rustlers and whip up the posse ourselves, or we take it on the chin and leave.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': I say "you" have to take out the Shaman because he'll have some spells, but also an AC that is very hittable even by you low-levels. So if we're swinging you're going first and going hard.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' How far is the shaman to me?
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' six hexes, at the bottom of the slope; you gave him time by discussing your plan.  You wouldn't be able to reach him directly without other goblins getting in your way.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Then through them we shall go. I pick up my sword (1 AP). You said we can't run down the slope?
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' in
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' not without [https://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/index.php/Scrambling_(sage_ability) scrambling] ability.  This counts as a "steep" slope; and because it is uneven, with the surface consisting of random blocks and narrow crevices, it counts as "blocked."  No dexterity check, but your movement ''downhill'' will be 2 AP per hex.  The shaman gets away with it because this is home-ground for him.  I need to update the source material, as it doesn't account for moving downhill.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' i would like to move over to Vafrandir and Pandred but not close distance with the goblins yet.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Let's sort out where we are.  Vafrandir, pick a hex on the rim of the gulley, somewhere below the fire/benches.  Pandred, you're on his left or right.  Marcule, you're three hexes back from the ledge, directly behind Vafrandir.  Your figure is on your left or your right.  Then I'll update the map.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' To the right
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': Left, wherever he picks.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' That'll eat up my remaining 2 AP so I'll move forward one hex from my initial spot.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': First you gotta pick your initial spot!
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' I've picked it for him.  Working on map.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Ha, thanks Pandred. No problem. It's a little hard to see the hex labels.
 
−
 
 
−
== Starting the Fight ==
 
−
[[File:Prior to Goblin Fight.jpg|right|420px]]
 
−
'''The DM:''' Sorry about the image.  I suggest you click it, then click it TWICE after it occupies the page.  This is the position prior to Vafrandir's first move.  Vafrandir moves into 0922.  Marcule will see Vafrandir do it, so both he and Pandred have time to make one move.  Then I'll roll initiative.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Looks good to me, labels are sharp, possibly was a problem on my end.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' I move to 0924 and cast Chromatic orb.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' maximum distance that can be moved while casting a spell is 1 combat hex.  Let's call it 0925.  Pandred?
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' 0925 sounds good.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Time's ticking along. Marcule, please roll a d6 for initiative.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' 6
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' The goblin's roll is 5.  The players can move freely one round.  Marcule's spell is cast.  Note the range.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I move to 0921.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Embla Strand]]''' In. I move to 1123 and hoist a javelin.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' so noted.  Going to call this in a few minutes until tomorrow.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Out.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': I'm gonna stride 3 into 0821, drawing my handaxe and holding. Unless by "Run", you meant "not more than Stride-1", in which case I'll move to 0822 with all 4 AP. Out.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' In.  Unlike other parts on this, I actually need everyone to weigh in on a combat like this.  So I'll wait for Vafrandir and Marcule to respond.  Like a chess-by-mail game, if we only get one round a day done, I'll be happy, though I hope to do better than that.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Pandred, as per the rules, strides-1 & 2 are a "walk"; 3-5 are a run.  Thus, you can stride-2 (reducing it to 1 pt. cost per AP), so that you can move into 0821.  Additionally, you may be unfamiliar [http://tao-dndwiki.blogspot.com/2018/02/drawing-weapon-while-moving.html with this rule], but you can draw a light weapon while moving at no extra AP cost.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Embla Strand]]''' In. I advance to 1123.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' In
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': In. The Authentic wiki has 2-3 as "Walking" and "Run" was 4-5. Is there a page elsewhere I should be using instead? I DO wish to continue the move into 0821.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Ah. Hoisted on my own petard. Okay, accepted. If your total AC is 4, at stride-3 you can move up to six hexes forward downhill and still draw your handaxe.  So 0821 is fine.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' Out back in 20min noonish
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' In case of confusion; I'm waiting for movement from Vafrandir and Marcule.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Ah, ok. Thought I'd already moved this round. I'll move to '''0920'''; my 3 AP limits my movement.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Got it.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Pandred]]''': I moved up at speed to try and draw AoOs, so since nobody threw a spear at me fingers crossed they have no range capability. Em and I have Balance so we should be fine to fight on the slopes, but you two be careful. Any throwables in the mix?
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Apparently, if they throw their spears, they'll disarm themselves.
 
−
 
 
−
'''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I have Balance as well, fwiw
 
−
 
 
−
'''Marcule:''' I will move forward 1. 0924 holding my spell.
 
−
 
 
−
'''The DM:''' Done.  Let's start a new post: [[Goblin Fight east of Treborg]]
 

Revision as of 12:46, 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?

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