"Why do you think it's so funny that we're going into the wilderness?" Gwenhwyfar asks Tauriell.
"Because the number of people in this group that would be able to survive in the wild on their own is rather limited." Tauriell replies. "You can prove me wrong but who has actually some experience with living outside of civilization. At least for some days?"
"I have some, minimal, but some."
"That's a start. Gwenhwyfar do you have something to write. We need a list of equipment to bring along for two weeks of travel and exploring in the Mushfens."
"What to eat, where to rest at night and how to protect us from the dangers that live there."
"I have my old journal. I could write it in there." Gwenhwyfar replies and takes the journal out of her backpack. "And I have lived in the wilderness for two days. In the Lurkwood Forest. For our search of the site of some old Thassilonian Ruins."
She opens the journal and waits for suggestions to write down.
"I don't know what is your problem with wilderness. That can be easily solved. We need a wand of create food and water. And a wand of Tiny Hut. With that we are set for 50 days in the wilderness." Abomentolor explains.
"Why not a wand of Hero's Feast. The food created by that is much better." Tauriell suggests.
"Are you just making fun of each other or should I note something down already?" Gwenhwyfar asks.
"That are all valid suggestions. There is just the problem that all of the suggested wands are quite a bit out of our price range."
"Do we prefer to spend some time hunting and collecting our food, or are we bringing it with us? We could simply pack trail rations."
"Same for shelter. We could search for natural hideouts, or are we bringing something like a large tent."
"Personally I prefer to do that with less material and improvising most of the stuff. But I was mostly alone all my years in the wilderness. To have some basic things might be helpful. I had all the day for these activities and didn't do adventuring." Tauriell explains.
"If we are leaving in two days shall we postpone our search for a warehouse? At the moment our inventory consists of two statues that we'll bring to Randolf Burston III later this day." Gwenhwyfar says.
"And what are we going to do with Carl, Ernard, Oliver and Daya while we're away. Do we take them along? Or do we have something to do for them while we're away?"
Darthdy was away for a long long time because she had been invited to a secret convention with her druid friends. After almost a week she comes back to the Heidmarch Manor guesthouse in search of Tauriell.
She nocks at the door.
TOK TOK TOK
"Hello, anyone at home?"
Carl gets up from the table, walks to the door and opens it "Hello?"
"Hello, do you know where Tauriell is?" Darthdy asks Carl.
"Yes I know. And who are you that I should tell you?" Carl inquires.
"I'll give you three guesses." Darthdy replies.
"The tooth fairy?" Carl replies.
"Yes of course. But now for real." Darthdy replies.
"If we are changing to a serious conversation you can always tell me who you are for real." Carl answers.
"Well when I will say it to you, you won't believe me. So go to Tauriell and tell her that Darthdy is here." Darthdy says to Carl.
"In that case I suggest you just wait until she comes back. And because I'm nice you can wait inside." he says and opens the door for her to come in.
"But I don't want to wait. So say me where she is!!!!!!!!!! In the worst case I will search her. I ask you because I don't want to search, her sooooo tell me where she is!!!!!" Darthdy raged.
"This is getting boring. I'll go to hunt me a young dragon as a steed so I can fly there and have a guardian for my camp. Once you're in a mood to do some serious preparations you find me in the guest house. Or at the next dragons lair." Tauriell gets up and leaves the lounge and the meeting house. As she walks towards the guest house she notices some agitated elf.
She decides to approach her in secret.
As she stands behind Darthdy she says "Booo!"
Darthdy hears Tauriell and turns around.
"Hello, what's up."
"Nothing is up. That's the problem. Wanna come in and tell me what you did since you got lost?" Tauriell asks.
Darthdy looks to Carl and sticks her tongue out. Then she looks to Tauriell and whispers to her: "Well, I was at a Druid conventation."
Tauriell drags Darthdy after her into her room. "What do druids do at such conventions?" Tauriell asks.
"I'm bound to secrecy. Sorry" Darthdy answers to Tauriell.
"No big deal. I can tell you what we did. And even more interesting: what we will do. Interested?" Tauriell asks.
"Yes I'm intrerested." Darthdy answers to Tauriell.
"Would you mind filling my bathtub with warm water. Without you here I haven't had the opportunity to take a bath for almost a week now!" Tauriell asks.
"Yes I would and this time it will be going faster." Darthdy says. And casts five times create water in the bathtub. "So I think this is enough water for you."
Niamh sits at the table and takes the ioun stone.
She packs it into her violin case to make sure she'll find it again without digging her packpack.
"Great" Tauriell replies. She adds some bathing oil into the tub and starts undressing herself.
"We searched some Thassilonian ruin for some ancient artifact. And we actually found it. And now we go for the next one in the Mushfens. We could really use some help from someone who has seen nature up close. With all those city dwellers in our group it will be really hard to avoid disaster. Are you interested to come along?"
As the last pieces of clothes fall to the ground Tauriell steps into the tub and sits down. "Ahhh. Perfect."
"What do you think you're doing there?" Abomentolor asks Niamh as she packs the ioun stone away.
"I will come with you but what are these artifacts. Can you tell me more about them?" Darthy says to Tauriell.
"I'll take care of it until we have found that shard." Niamh replies.
Tauriell reaches out of the tub and ruffles through her clothes. She pulls out the shard made of coppery horacalcum. She sits comfortably in the tub again and explains "This here is the shard of pride. It's an incredibly powerful thing. And it's mine. Muhahaha!"
"How about I place it in my wayfinder and profit from it's effects until we find the next shard? There is no reason to carry that around in an instruments case." Abomentolor replies.
Niamh eyes him up and then shrugs "If it makes you happy."
She packs it out and hands it over.
Abomentolor takes the stone and searches through his pockets until he finds his wayfinder. As he finds it he starts putting the stone in but stops. He holds the stone in front of his face and lets go of it. As the stone starts circling his head he says "That is quite stupid."
He snatches the stone out of the air again and places it in his wayfinder and puts the wayfinder away again. "What does this stone do by the way?" he asks.
"Well. Now you have the gift of talking to other people rather charismaticly." Niamh answers and sighs. "And your spells are a bit more ... effective."
"What do you mean by more effective? More fire?" the gnome asks.
Niamh rolls her eyes. "I wouldn't say that. It's more like if you're charming a person the chance that the person gets charmed is higher."
"You described that wrongly. It is: if I'm burning a person the chance the person gets burned badly is higher." Abomentolor responds.
Niamh gives him a glare and presses her lips together.
"You look unhappy." Abomentolor discerns.
"Nope. Everything's all right. I'm just kind of thinking." Niamh replies
"Care to tell me about what?" the gnome inquires.
"Nope. It's a secret." She responds and stands up. "Do you want to go for a walk with me and Brutus? I'm bored by sitting around the table."