Cappy groans!
"If any of you would be so kind as to spare a bit of twine? I think fixing this wire is a better option than letting go." He motions with his eyes to the ceiling to make sure everyone understands the gravity of the situation.
Xha takes a moment to root through his belongings....
A dirty ball of twine sails towards the halfling.
"Here, now stop screaming, I am trying to get some rest."
"I have to pray a while...and someone has to be on watch" Jarad sits down, closes his eyes and starts praying.
Xim'wa, in the meantime, has been carefully settling himself into a sitting position, trying not to disturb his severe burns too much. Thankfully, his equipment managed to survive with no more than a bit of blackening, including the two remaining totems on his staff. He removes one of them gingerly, the last remaining one, and murmurs the spirit's name, "Naandawi."
The totem cracks and splinters as the pink-tinged serpent comes forth, but the shaman can't help but sigh in relief as the spirit begins to circle him, soothing and restoring some of the worst burns. Too soon, however, the spirit departs, leaving Zim'wa still in a fairly poor state.
The spirits help those who help themselves, however, and so Zim'wa gingerly pulls out his carving knife and a small hunk of wood, and begins whittling away at the latter, beginning to shape new totems for the ones that shattered.
"ZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZzzz..."
The ball of twine bounces off of Cappy's face. Cappy you can roll +dex to try to catch it in your teeth or hacky-sack it with your knees or something.
Cappy stares at Xha, fuming, as the ball of twine hits him in the face and plops to the floor.
"Would anyone with a brain care to assist?" the halfling says through gritted teeth "I only have two hands and they are both holding up boulders at the moment." he announces loudly enough for everyone to hear and wake up Xha.
Eyes closed under his hood Xha replies
"A halfling holding boulders in both hands? You are disturbing our rest with off-color stories? Were you hit on the head as well? Try to sleep half-man, or take a watch and be silent."
Galadin pats out the last few flames.
My apologies, friend! Here, let me lend you a hand!
Nice rolls Galadin - share some of that dice luck with Zim'wa, and also update your spoilered HP Bar! With that roll + the twine from Xha, you're able to get the tripwire trap re-loaded and Cappy free.
The adventuring party, content in the safety of their rocky shelter, settles down to rest for about an hour. Father Jarad and Zim'wa focus on their spiritual sides in reverent silence, while Xha falls asleep near-instantly. Hakonyr the braggadocio channeler unfortunately succumbed to the drake's fire and was burned to a crisp. The time spent in this entry-chamber to the labyrinth is fairly uneventful with the exception of the occasional scream from off in the distance, deeper in. What do you do?
"I am in peace once again" Jarad breathes deeply "Now, how are we going to face this labyrinth? And those screams don't sound friendly"
Death: Rupture
You always wondered what would happen to your conduit
if your body wasn’t here to impede it. Well, now the world
gets to find out. When you die, the dam breaks. What’s
left of your body explodes as raw magic pours through.
Everyone nearby is engulfed or thrown backwards. Your
conduit now hangs in the air, forever a gateway to the
elemental planes. The area around this location will be
permanently irradiated with your magic and quickly
show signs of your primary element. Truly, Channeler,
you have left your mark on the world.
When you settle in to rest consume a ration. If you’re somewhere dangerous decide the watch order as well. If you have enough XP you may level up. When you wake from at least a few uninterrupted hours of sleep heal damage equal to half your max HP.
You usually make camp so that you can do other things, like prepare spells or commune with your god. Or, you know, sleep soundly at night. Whenever you stop to catch your breath for more than an hour or so, you’ve probably made camp.
Once the group is ready to move out, no rush.
Xha wakes instantly and silently. One moment he was just another dusty stone in the cavern, albeit a slightly smelly one. The next he was standing and watching the gateway deeper into the maze. The only sound a gentle click as his sword returned to its scabbard.
How do you judge who might be magically inclined of the group, and who would you approach? Currently, the remaining magic-users I see are Zim'wa and Jarad.
Xha: Once the party is ready to move out, we'll begin a perilous journey through the labyrinth. From the dungeon world SRD:
When you travel through hostile territory, choose one member of the party to act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster. Each character with a job to do rolls+Wis. ✴On a 10+:
the quartermaster reduces the number of rations required by one
the trailblazer reduces the amount of time it takes to reach your destination (the GM will say by how much)
the scout will spot any trouble quick enough to let you get the drop on it
✴On a 7–9, each role performs their job as expected: the normal number of rations are consumed, the journey takes about as long as expected, no one gets the drop on you but you don’t get the drop on them either.
You can’t assign more than one job to a character. If you don’t have enough party members, or choose not to assign a job, treat that job as if it had been assigned and the responsible player had rolled a 6.
Distances in Dungeon World are measured in rations. A ration is the amount of supplies used up in a day. Journeys take more rations when they are long or when travel is slow.
A perilous journey is the whole way between two locations. You don’t roll for one day’s journey and then make camp only to roll for the next day’s journey, too. Make one roll for the entire trip.
This move only applies when you know where you’re going. Setting off to explore is not a perilous journey. It’s wandering around looking for cool things to discover. Use up rations as you camp and the GM will give you details about the world as you discover them.
Navigating the labryinth is expected to take about a day's journey, depending on your quartermaster, scout and trailblazer.
Galadin would like to officially begin his quest now. He dedicates himself to defeating the boss in this area, and in return gains freedom from thirst,hunger and sleep as well as invulnerability to bludgeoning damage. (Mr. Frogfoot will tell me my returning vow.)
I feel at peace now as well. I fear this maze will not bode well for us unless we stick together, however. From now on, I petition that we move as one.
Your prayer to the higher powers is answered, and you feel filled with new determination and purpose. You turn your ears to the screams coming from deeper within the maze - no doubt they are other adventurers falling prey to the predators and dangers you are about to face.
You know that you must face them with honor. You will overcome these challenges, and overcome them with the straightforward and chivalrous tactics of a true knight.
Xim'wa wakes with the others, the only remaining evidence of the serious burns he had taken some pinkish skin; courtesy of continued attention from Naandawi after its totem had been rebuilt. Its totem, as well as Suu'ak's, were attached the staff.
Looking at the others, the shaman nods. "We had too little time to make a plan, let alone to introduce ourselves. Something I hope we can correct now. I am Xim'wa, a Shaman. I cam here following the spirits drawn by those that gather here, or perhaps the tower itself. Whatever is disturbing them, it is my duty to find out, and deal with it if need be." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "Even beyond that, though, I can't help but think there is something going on beyond the obvious."
Jarad sees Cappy studying the rings and approaches him,
"Let's see what we got here..."
As Cappy and Jarad put their heads together, trying to discern the nature of the rings they were given, they both suddenly notice a sweet smell, like cinnamon, coming from deeper within the maze.
Cappy and Father Jarad looks completely baffled. "Hmm... Looks like some sort of ring." Cappy is heard to remark.
"Hmm... Looks like some sort of ring." Cappy is heard to remark.
*snort*
The smell is really quite pronounced as time goes on. You'd find it difficult now to find a path through the maze that didn't have this aroma permeating the air.
In reply to Zim'wa : "I am Xha, son of the Moon plains. I am here because my mother bore me and my tribe exiled me. This folly of light offers me death, a way to prove that a true man can crush anything a city man can build."
Xha chuckles
"This folly also gives Master Gerald Ranson, licensed to sell wines and spirits, a chance to prove his sand. If I owe him coin let him come and collect it!"
As the smell gets stronger
"What is this blasted stench? Are we invading a tower or a bakery?"
Xha asks as he squirts some black liquid from his Kvak skin onto to a dirty rag before tying it around his nose and mouth.
"We should move."
{}
"May our path be safe and we reach our destination" Jarad prays,
The Father tried to seek guidance in his god wisdom but seems his hunger and stomach had more power over him as the cinnamon smells remembered him those cinnamon rolls that one of his adepts baked on the festivities of the temple.
"Uhmm..let's just get on our way" tells the others with his watering mouth and his tingling nose.
I should have brought more food
Following the other introductions...
And I am Galadin, son of Galor. Knight of Balin. Protector of the weak and defender of the downtrodden. I vow to be a faithful companion on this quest. But there is... something inside of me I feel I should warn you about. I house the soul of a befouled creature. Irf is a wolf, who bewitched me in my youth. I carry him as a burden. He has promised to be useful during this journey, but know that there are times where I cannot control his appetites...
Xha: The only thing you remember about sweet smells possibly being dangerous are when they're used to mask something else that stinks. Two possibilities spring to mind - maybe a necromancer is using the smell to conceal the funk of the undead, or perhaps there's some spell that is creating the cinnamon as a by-product. You aren't sure.
You do know that the contents of your Kvak skin can drown out the smell of almost anything, were you to find the source.
Galadin, as you watch Jarad fumble with his spell, you feel something akin to a growl tickling the back of your throat. Irf's lust for combat is only partially sated by the battle with the terracotta soldiers, and he must feed again soon. Jarad briefly looks more like prey than ally.
You have to shake your head to clear the thought away, but it lingers like the smell of cinnamon all around you.
"I am Father Jarad, humble servitor of Boran, god of Restoration. I came here seeking to help adventurers in this perilous quest, I hope my skills as a healer and my experience in combat come in hand."
Following the other introductions...
And I am Galadin, son of Galor. Knight of Balin. Protector of the weak and defender of the downtrodden. I vow to be a faithful companion on this quest. But there is... something inside of me I feel I should warn you about. I house the soul of a befouled creature. Irf is a wolf, who bewitched me in my youth. I carry him as a burden. He has promised to be useful during this journey, but know that there are times where I cannot control his appetites...
Xha draws his sword.
"Thank you for the warning." <cough> "We will not need a wolf to follow this scent! Come, we should walk while we can still breathe."
Anyway, I'm ready to see your +wisdom rolls for Quartermaster, Trailblazer and Scout - that will determine how well your journey goes through the maze. Unfortunately, Boran does not see fit to grant you guidance - perhaps he feels that Jarad must prove himself. :)
"We are not going in circles"
"It's a shortcut, don't worry"
"Almost there, keep going"
"I have seen that rock before."