A World Apart (Inactive)

Game Master mdt

At Cale's words, Palomia heaves a sigh and stands up. "He's right, we can discuss this further as we pack. Relas? I thought I saw another pack saddle in one of the crates. I really hate to ask when you're in a weakened state, but do you think you can carry a few things as well? I get the feeling that we'll need all the supplies we can carry."

As she moves to search through the crates for anything else of else, she jumps as yet another disembodied voice speaks. After listening to the message, her expression is grim but determined. "An expedition, is it? Then we'll definitely need to stock up."

Going to add some things to Relas' inventory; I'll update his page and list another set of stats for his weakened state.

If we can, we should transfer everything on the pallet to the boats.

Well that explains the weakened magic. Hmm...I wonder how these things work..

What are the official parties?

There's about a ton of various equipment, what with the water barrels weighing 278lbs per

"I can't carry as much as usual, but I think I can still make myself useful. Let's load up!" he says, sounding cheerful. Nothing I can do about our current predicament, so might as well try to enjoy it!

He follows Palomia to the crates, but is surprised to hear her suddenly speak out of nowhere, sounding like she's talking to herself.

"An expedition? Well, I suppose it is, but that's a rather odd statement to make."

Well Cale has a drag weight of 1750 lbs. Add ant haul, a sledge, and plenty of rope to secure it into that and we can take a good amount per trip. How far is it between the pallet and the boats?

"That VOICE sounded like it/he/she wasn't very clear on whether we'll make it doesn't it?"
Cale chuckles.
"Let's make do with what we can and find someplace where our magic users can regain their strength."

Goghurt downs his extract of ant haul, chin pointed defiantly at Goragg, and without even looking away from him, lifts something large and heavy off the ground.

Sorry GM, I'll have that list sooner rather than later.

@Gniel

There's a thousand feet of stairs to lead down to the docks. So, about 1300 steps. Basically 100 floors of stairs.

As the GM, I need to know the groups, and if you're all taking one boat or two boats. I also need to know which boats your taking.

"Two years?" Tolla asks in amazement as Relas pulls away from her hand.

Again the VOICE. And here Tolla thought that they might be rid of it. At least it wasn't giving the same repeat message as before. "I don't understand half of what that VOICE just said, but I'm in favor of leaving, that's for sure," the huge woman asserts. "Also, I know it saved us or whatever, but whatever-it-is is nuts if it thinks I want to come back here again. I think two groups would be best, though." She lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'm not particularly excited about being stuck on a damn boat with the grumpy falchion-lover over there."

Tolla tips over a water barrel and starts rolling it toward the opposite set of stairs that the others are taking supplies down.

Goragg will stay in whatever group Goghurt is in, so as better to show the inherent superiority of hobgoblins.

Choosing the nearest stairs at random 1d6 ⇒ 5, he hefts as many bags of rations as he can carry along with his standard equipment and grunts to Goghurt and Cale,

We might as well get started. Let's go.

He will help Cale roll the water barrel carefully down the stairs if possible, or carry it with Cale if not. Assuming Cale agrees.

Do I need a STR check or anything? Also, it's hard to tell from the spreadsheet what's left over in the pile. Goragg loaded rations first in the extra sacks, then whatever randomly came to hand, all attached to his backpack.

So, if assuming 1 is straight up, Goragg will start loading things down the stairs toward 5 (see map) and Tolla, being annoyed with them, starts loading things down 2 (see map).

Gniel's floating disc let's him get a water barrel and 20 other pounds of equipment down in an hour, then another hour up, and an hour back down with another 300 lbs before it fails and the equipment crashes to the ground on a landing about 4 flights up from the dock.

It takes Cale and Goragg the entire 3 hours to wrestle a single water barrel down the 1000 ft of stairs. However, everyone else can make 2 trips with whatever they can carry in the same 3 hours.

As you all reach the docks (they are all the same), you find that there are slips for 5 boats. The outer two on each side are empty, and rather plain and utilitarian. The center dock, however, has elaborately carved (decorative, no language or hidden meaning you can find) pillars and railings. The boat in the center resembles a Viking Longboat. It has no sail and no rudder. There is a canvas covering the back 1/3rd, which provides relief from the sun (not that you need it in the waning daylight), and the middle third is open deck with rings for tying things down. The front 1/3rd is covered with benches for sitting. The wood is an ashen white, and the bowsprit holds a stag's head (5) or a dolphin head (2).

As everyone finishes putting things on the boat at the end of the 3 hours, the spreading darkness rushes toward them, and suddenly the light above winks out. Everyone is in complete and utter darkness. No starlight, no moonlight, nothing. Darkvision works, but even those with low-light can see nothing as there's no light to see by.

Those on dock 5 can see a bit, for about 15 minutes, as they watch the light race toward the horizon, but as it climbs the mysterious black curtain, everything behind it vanishes, and then it's gone, and they are as much in the solid black as anyone.

"Lights out pretty fast here. Anyone else has problems seeing in the dark?"
Cale grunts after hoisting that planes forsaken barrel down those flight of steps. Sweat marring his brow, he wipes it off as he gazes into the darkness at his companions.
Observing the boat, he tries to determine its method of navigation.

Yes...thank goodness for darkvision, eh? Rutheric looks around, lights a torch, and attempts to resume loading the boat. Just for those who can't see. In any case, It looks like we need to split up. Ideas on who goes where?

"Not with these on! But..err...I think I need help with the rest of the gear"

The gnome taps the side of his analyzer excitedly then gestures to the pile of gear 4 flights up.

With a seasoned soldier's mix of pride of duty and annoyance at duty, Goragg stomps up to the pile of gear and begins carrying it down.

Rutheric lights a few more torches, passes them out, then helps out Goragg.

Cale begins to laugh, probably startling the rest.
"Do remember to split up the rations. We're gonna need two boats and thus we need to split up the equipment as well. We also gesturing at the boats docked. need to choose a boat as well."

Gniel gets up onto the boat, inspecting it.

Take 20 on perception to search boat

Arcana: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Goghurt helps, proudly, carry everything down for everyone during the six hours that he's strong (basically a Medium creature's 17 Str, after all), making faces at Goragg whenever he sees the hobgoblin struggle with the water barrel.

This does not help Goragg's foul mood.

Although, to be fair, not much ever does.

Goragg surveys the tactical situation (as well as his complete lack of swimming ability) and announces,

More boats is better. We should tow the extra boats behind us.

Rutheric sighs. This one STILL thinks he's in charge? None of us are.

To be blunt? I don't think that's a good idea at all. I can swim alongside a boat if needed, and they seem to be large enough to fit about half of each party. We should simply take one boat per party, and deal with that. Rutheric wanders over to a dolphin-headed boat at random. Which boat?: 1d2 ⇒ 1 I like this one.

@Gniel

The boats have no obvious means of propulsion. They are also undamaged by weather or exposure, so you surmise they are either very very advanced in material structure, or they are magical, or both. There are no seams in the wood.

@Goragg

The 'extra boats' are at different docks. You'd need to swim to the other docks, or climb the stairs up, cross the platform, and then go back down.

There doesn't appear to be any way to control the other boats, or the one you're at. It may be some sort of weird magic.

Everyone, my apologies, there seems to be some confusion.

There are 6 boats total.

Each one is at a different dock.

The docks are *not* connected to each other.

There is a dock on each side of the hexogonal platform. Each dock has 5 slips for boats, but only one slip in each dock has a boat on it.

Team Core Race has the Dolphin boat, which is on Side 2. (Barras, Palomia, Tolla, Gniel and Relas)

Team Monster Squad has the Stag boat, which is on Side 5. (Goghurt, Goragg, Rutheric, Cale, and Grim).

I hope that helps clear up the confusion.

"Team Monster Squad", I like it.

So if our supplies have been loaded into our respective boats, I think we're probably ready to get it and see if they take us anywhere. Assuming so,...

Goragg shouts to the other dock, Good luck if we don't see you again!

With a soldier's practiced savvy, he mumbles for the benefit of his own party, ...and good riddance to the annoying hue-mann types, eh, friends?

Mostly, waiting on Goghurt & Abbas to do their equipment, then I'll 'divvy' up whatever you could have carried down. Anything else get's left at the platform (you can always come back later for left behind stuff).

Tolla's main interests would probably be, in order: fresh water, fishing supplies (because there doesn't seem to be much promise for food besides the sea), and a collapsible bathtub (because those stairs are a pretty sweaty workout). Not sure if I should add those to my personal items or not?

The light fades fast as Tolla helps load the last of the carried supplies onto the boat. She wipes the sweat from her brow and lights a couple of torches, fastening them onto the front of the boat. "Well," she says, sitting on a bench near the front to rest, "any idea how to get this thing moving?"

Cale boards the boat and proceeds to examine it. Looking for an obvious means of control. He'll make sure everyone is off before casting off.

Knowledge (Enginneering), checking on boat 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Knowledge (Nature), checking on weather 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

"Let us be off at once until we figure out how to work this. Rutheric, Grim, Goragg and Goghurt, are we all ready to set off? Come help look for the controls in this thing."

Hmmm. Maybe the Crystal in our foreheads have something to do with it.
Cale while searching proceeds to see if he can get the crystal to respond by thinking thoughts into it.

Intelligence check on Crystal 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

I know I'm ready...but let's test the water. See if it's any different than back on my world. Rutheric places his gear on the deck and dives in. Does the water feel overly different? Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Abbas loses focus for a few moments but comes to when he realizes the scope of what is going on. Seeing that the others with magic seem to be having trouble he does not try to push his luck in manifesting his own ability Better to wait until the time comes if I need it...

The warrior spends a few moments equipping himself with basics, eyeing to see what others are doing. When it becomes clear that the groups intend to split the remaining equipment and it becomes clear that Abbas, Tolla, Palmoia, Relas and Gniel intend to strike out together, the Suli gets to work.

If we need, we might try using shovels as oars. That said given the purest lack of tools to make the boats go we might just try and climb in and "try" to go somewhere.

Abbas struggles to gesture in away that might convey his meaning. My mage would speak of such things. "Willing" an object to work.

Having gathered his equipment and helped with the carrying of heavy things down the stairs, Goghurt smiles. "Goghurt ready for whatever happens! Hopefully we get things to set on fire."

He clambers aboard the boat, pointing at Rutheric as he does so. "Mush!" he shouts, and begins to giggle.

Goragg laughs briefly in spite of himself. Then, feeling ashamed, he throws a nasty glare at Goghurt and busies himself tying a rope to the ship and wrapping the other end around his stomach, just in case he's thrown overboard.

He already looks a little bit seasick.

Standing on his boat, he starts playing around with some ideas to activate the boat, muttering to himself as he does so.

Hmmm... How does this work...Maybe it's thought or voice activated? An interface with these crystals? A gesture? A rhyme?

UMD to Activate boat(a possibly magic device) blindly DC 25: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Gniel focuses his mind on forward movement, trying multiple gestures, sounds, phrases, touching possible activation points.

Go! Activate! Forward! Onward! Go to destination! Leave! On! Aardvark!

He will continue until something happens. It's an amusing sight to say the least.

@Tolla
Claim them for your group by putting the boat name or group name (Dolphin/Core Race Team) on the spreadsheet and listing the items put on the boat.

@Rutheric
The water is warm and salty and wet. It has no difference of feeling from ocean water back home. It's not good for your skin to be exposed to it a lot (Kappa's are freshwater creatures), but it's not acid or anything. As you swim, they cast off the mooring lines and crank up the boarding plank, and the white ship slips out of it's moorings and you have to swim rapidly and get pulled aboard!

@Gniel
The boat is singularly unresponsive to language, UMD tricks, and mental willing. On the other hand, it does seem to move forward with purpose.

Getting everyone aboard in the dark with torches takes another hour or two, and about 90 minutes after sundown, a sliver of moonlight appears, giving a very dim light for people to see by.

Once everyone is aboard, and the lines cast off and the boarding planks cranked back up, the boats silently move forward of their own accord. They do not go left, they do not go right, the go straight ahead, like an arrow. Shoves used as crude oars or rudders have no effect. The boats go gently on the ocean as they glide forward.

And will open up two new threads shortly.

Bah! What did you expect? Did you think it would be easy?

Goragg unfolds his shovel and tentatively tries rowing with it.

He looks at Goghurt. Hey, puny one! Where's your strength now?

When the boat begins to leave, Gniel shouts "HAH!" looking triumphant in his success, regardless of whether he had anything to do with it.

Stag and Dolphin campaigns now created. See links at top. Everyone check in on both the Discussion and Gameplay page. Once everyone is checked in on both, I'll move the plots forward. I'll move the links and such from this one to that one as well.

Since it just came up...

The Team Dolphin campaign is for the Team Dolphin people.

The Team Stag campaign is for the Team Stag people.

Please don't read the other groups campaign, it may spoiler things for your campaign, since you may end up exploring the same places at different times.

You said "Once everyone is checked in on both". I took that to mean everyone should check in on both threads. My bad. I deleted my posts on the other one. Don't know if that will work, but hey

LOL, I meant, both Gameplay & Discussion thread. :) If you don't post in both, you miss posts as it doesn't show them up on your campaign page.

Cale reaches out a brawny hand grabing Rutheric and pulling him aboard before they lost him.
"Gotcha. Looks like we're leaving now whether we want to or not."

This thread will be used when everyone is back together. Posting in it to keep it alive, it seems to have gone to my 'former games' section, so I assume it did for you all as well.

diggity dot!

doggity dit!

As Relas and Baru watch over their fallen comrades, the day passes with a stiff breeze that carries the taint of salt water.

In the late afternoon, almost a half-dozen people mount the large flat pedestal base of the marble monolith. They get barely a dozen paces before they stop, looking around, and then cry out and fall to the ground.

Aldrah is left standing in the center of four unconscious people, with a feline and a tiefling standing near a pair of downed bodies of their own.

We'll give Aldrah, Baru and Relas a bit to talk, and give everyone time to check in over here, and then I'll advance.

Thanks for the Headache warning.... Of well such is life

Ouch.

Aldrah follows the group off the boat, straight to the strange monolith. She thinks nothing of it until the others fall unconscious out of nowhere, at which point she pulls out her bow and begins looking around the room, searching for the culprit.

"আপনি কোথায় আছেন? আমি আপনি নিজেকে দেখতে, এবং দৃঢ়ভাবে আপনার চোখের মধ্যে একটি তীর বাগানো পারে, নিজেকে, ভীরু দেখাও!"

She sees the catfolk and another tiefling and trains an arrow on the feline, immediately bombarding her with questions.

"এই জায়গা কি, এবং যে অদ্ভুত গঠন কি? আমি অজ্ঞান মানুষ, একটি দৈত্য মনোলিথ, এবং আপনি দুটি দুটি দল এখনও দাঁড়িয়ে দেখুন. আপনি এই সম্পর্কে জানেন কি আমাকে বলুন, অথবা আমি চাঁদমারি জন্য আপনি ব্যবহার করব!"