ROUND 1 SUMMARY
Sigurd spots a trap just before he is about to step on it, and swerves around it. Arlen recalls a book he read in the library and trap placement... and sure enough, just like the textbook said to this trapper placed one right on the north side of an oak tree. He triggers it with a stick to render it inert. (2 successes)
Ike accidently steps on another- it doesn't do damage this time, just nicking his oozey body. Rai draws out his extract, but fumbles it, and nearly smashes it to pieces.
Brokk'r temporarily thinks he is an elf, and tries to hop over one, but trips and it goes off in his face. He pulls his head back fast, however, and the trap doesn't hurt him. (3rd failure, mid-game punishment)
Diceros attempts to track the trapsetters, but in his study his doesn't see another trap, and it snaps at him, but thankfully misses.
Summary: 2 successes, 4 failures.
ROUND 2
Remember, if you failed at something, you can try it again. If you succeeded at something, you have to try something new.
Arlen
Rai
Brokk'r
Diceros
Ike
Sigurd
Ike recoils as another trap goes off when contacting one of the traps! Certainly not as bad as before... but he had to be more careful! He wasn't sure he could handle another chomp like the one from before...
Still not giving up on his method of feeling around for traps, Ike begins to slink along the ground even more slowly, retracting his tendrils from the ground and instead holding them up to try and catch sight of the traps as he moves instead.
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Sigurd begins to feel a bit discouraged. There are a lot of traps here and the group doesn't seem to be making much headway. He also starts to worry that his lack of relevant skills for something like this might soon become a bit of a problem.
However, then he notices Diceros looking for tracks. Of course! This is a trap. Whoever set it must know the correct way through. He begins to look for the tracks that would lean the group to safety.
"Praise Gorum! I've found something!"
Without clarification from his companions, Arlen decides to help out Brokk'r who just got hit by a trap.
"Here, my fine Dwarven friend. This should aid you nicely."
Arlen then begins cackling madly while keeping a wary eye around him. He tries to step slowly and nimbly through the field of piercing death, keeping Rasputin safe in his pocket seat.
But Arlen's cackling can't help but throw his balance off a bit!
"Thanks, elf."
Brokk'r sees Rai ascend into the trees and thinks that might not be the worst idea for bypassing a few traps.
Rai peers about him and attempt to point out the traps that he sees.
ROUND 2 SUMMARY
After a rough start, the group starts to get their bearings. Rai and Ike notice and point out several traps, Diceros and Sigurd start tracking the trappers, and Brokk'r climbs into a tree. Arlen casts a hex rather than contributing directly.
Summary: 7 successes, 5 failures.
ROUND 3
Everyone go! Remember that if you have succeeded in something, you can't repeat that roll. Also remember spells or class abilities (or items) are allowed, if you can narratively explain how it helps.
From his arborous perch, Brokk'r points out several of the traps in his allies' ways.
Rai will once more try his extract of monkey fish to climb his way out of this mess.
Arlen cackles to maintain the fortune on Brokk'r while thinking hard about whether or not there is a safe way to cast spells that require movement while surrounded by point death!
Making some conclusions, Arlen shares with his fellow spellcasters.
"Colleagues, I do believe that the somatic components of our spells will fare better in this environment if performed with both hands so as to cancel out the perturbations of our balance."
Brokk'r stares at Arlen as though the elf is speaking ancient Alienese, blinking dully.
Ike thinks he's starting to get this down! He's starting to notice a pattern in the traps! One slush, two dribbles, trap to the left. One slush, two dribbles, trap to the right. It's starting to make sense!
Ike begins to rear himself up as he begins to "walk" his way through the traps, slowly arching over them much like a slimey slinky (whatever that is), steadily making his way towards the edge of the clearing!
With the light spell cast, a few more traps become revealed, and Rai is able to disable them. You survived the field of bear traps! Altogether, you round up 10 traps, each sellable for 50 gold, or you can choose to keep some or all for your own use.
Tyg-Titter-Tut, still sitting on Sigurd shoulder, pipes up again,"The nasty hunter biggins did this. He be a mean old man; he set traps in mean way to kill many rather than what is needed. He be...that way!. He points to the west. "But Perlivash, he so silly, he set some of his own traps to try to get the mean old biggins. Hee hee ha! Hey you big man with white hair, you sing me song now?"
With the day coming to a close, you decide to make camp for the night. Tyg-Titter-Tut decides to stick around and drink your beer.
CAMPING PHASE
Pleased with his comrades' success, Arlen exclaims. "Time for a well-earned rest, my good friends! Perhaps tomorrow we will perform some scouting of this nasty ol' biggins! Here, Ike, let me help you a little."
After setting up his normal camping array, supplemented by the extra bear traps, Arlen converses with Tyg. "That is nasty indeed! Such devices should only be used for need and self-defense against the nasty Bigginses! Do you know what kind of place the nasty ol' biggins lives in? How does he go in and come out?"
A little drunk, Tyg answers,"Oh, he a hunter. He come and go all over Narlmarcheshhh, he go talk to trading posht, he come back, he try to catch bear, fox, fairy, anything he can kill and shhell."
"Shhtag Lord? He who be wearin' the big antler helmet? No no no, he big Bigginshhes, he way to the shhouth. You no be goin' there. I heard many storiesh from other little fairiesh. He be nashty, very nashty. Thishh hunter I talkshh about just big, old, big beard. Smellsh bad and not nishhe."
"Both of hisshh legshh? Ha ha ha hee hee! That ishh shooo funny. You funnier than Perlivasshhh. Maybe he hasshh one legs by now. Perlivashhh there right now shheting funny trapshh to get him!"
It becomes obvious that Tyg doesn't pay attention to the names of the bigginses. They are all the same to him. At least the nasty one.
Sitting up in human form by the fire, Ike streeeeeetched up as he watched Tyg stumble through her speech. It was good to have a source knowledgeable about the forest... and that reminded him!
"Hey, Tyg... do you know where there are kobolds around here? You know, like, little scaly people with tails? Little snouts? Claws? I'd like to talk to them, maybe!" He instinctively went to swish his tail in excitement... and then realized he didn't have one in this form.
"Oh! And speaking of talking to people, do you know who someone named... uh, was it Nerissa? She looked like an elf lady? I think she got angry at us about something. Maybe we could talk to her too?"
Tyg opens her mouth to say something about kobolds, but the name "Nerissa" makes her jump. "Nyrissha! You be talking bad mojo! You be talking death! She be a dark queen of the Firshhht World. Shhhe...no... no!!".
Tyg pops up, turns herself invisible, and a few seconds later you here a thump as the drunk grig smashes into a tree. "Owww!"
Then you hear rustling grass and she is gone.
Despite the grig leaving Rai spends the night finishing a carving of Arlens rabbit after setting up his camp site. He will give Arlen his carving and then start a carving of the grig and dragon together.
Ike blinked as Tyg suddenly freaks out about this Nyrissa person, before turning invisible and running away! "...I... I'm sorry!" he tried to call after her, before looking at the others, a little worried. "Uh... so... that's not good news, I'm guessing."
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"No, I'd say you're right. If the mere mention of that name could cause that little thing to react like that, I'd say this Nyrissa is indeed bad news.
Don't worry though. I expect little Tyg will be back. After all, we've got the beer."
Sigurd beings to laugh at his own joke, even though it wasn't all that funny.
After this, Sigurd beings to set up his own camp for the night. He sings softly to himself as he works. The last thing he does before settling down for the night is to fill those two small cups with a bit more beer...just in case.
Arlen looks down at Rai's carving of Rasputin and shows it to the rabbit in his jacket pocket. The rabbit blinks a couple of times. Arlen exclaims "He LOVES it! Well done, my dear Rai. Never a bad thing to have the avatar of a mysterious force pleased with you!" Arlen rubs Rasputin's ears fondly then jerks his hand back as he receives some strongly negative vibes from the rabbit. He grins sheepishly at Rai. "Apparently something you are better at than I."
Arlen laughs at Sigurd's confidence in the attractive powers of his beer. "Indeed! It does seem a potent lure!"
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Arlen weighs in "She seems a foul wind indeed. We should keep her in mind. In the mean time, should we attempt to deal with this bandit tomorrow?"
The party entered this area on Pharast 16, and by the evening of Pharast 18, everyone agrees that it is properly mapped and explored, and you have made a map that will be worth 215 gold.
On the morning of Pharast 19, you break camp and determine which direction to head. Your two leads are to the west to find this hunter that set all the traps you found yourself in, or head to the southeast to where all the "bigginses" are said to be. Or in another direction entirely.
Arlen nods "West it is! Perhaps I have misinterpreted this fellow. He may or may not be associated with the bandits. But leaving so many traps in one place is doubtlessly reckless and destructive."
He prepares to set off west with Diceros.
"Aye! I'm thinkin' it's best we take care o' this trapper. That kind o' recklessness could git somebody kilt."
to the hunter we go.Rai says with a nod and he will follow using his survival to track for the hunter.
EXPLORATION PHASE!
Terrain: Forest ; max PC speed: 20 ; days to explore: 3
Rain: Muddy footing prevents melee attackers from properly attacking (20% miss chance in melee)
The rain continues as the group heads west through the Narlmarches. The forest really is huge; just mile after mile after mile of oak and hickories on the uplands, maple and beech on the mid-lands, and cypress and silver maples in the wetlandy swamps. It is slow going, and everyone is always on their guard for possible attack. Some of you, perhaps, even start to wish for more moon radish stew, now that the effects seem to have worn off. Anything warm would be welcome.
Arlen walks along, smiling. "Those moon radishes certainly were quite the trip.... I can't say I miss their effects but that was one fine night. I've never seen Oleg act so friendly towards me..."
Arlen looks around as he walks, trying to keep an eye out for anything dangerous or problematic in this wasteland.
As he watches, he muses upon the value of having so much good timber nearby. So many books could be made from all this paper!
He also tries to pay attention to gauge the size of this forest for the purposes of making their map more helpful.
starting with the trees Rai will regale the group with the various types and variety of trees and what each bark or root might do as a beneficial effect or edible treat. Then as they progress he will be looking out for any herbs or flowers that have medicinal or healing properties and attempt to gather a few also speaking on those and their benefits.
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As the group travels through the forest Sigurd looks around at his surroundings, taking note of anything of interest.
A couple of the plants and bushes he notices catch his eye. I wonder if they'd go well in a brew. He thinks back to what his father taught him as they were singing over a boiling copper kettle of mash.
In fact, he thinks some of them might be a little fun to try. Has anyone ever done this type of thing before? Maybe he'll be the first.
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This time, the rain does dampen Diceros's mood. Sure, he's in the wilderness and among his beloved Nature, but the enclosed spaces and overhanging trees are getting to him.
"Oh for the sight of the plains again! For a view of the sun! A part of me wants to burn away all these trees as we settle! OK, maybe not, but you won't find me living here that's for sure!"
Diceros spends most of his time close to Pygmy's side, "consoling him," even though it's probably mostly the other way around. He tries to teach him new tricks and bond with him more than usual.
During this quiet times, Diceros tries to remember what he has been taught about the trees.
He also strives to search for any sign of a break in the trees, scanning for an end to the forest. Whenever he spots a clearing, he runs ahead hoping it is the edge of the wood.
As Arlen walks about, attempting to keep an eye out for danger, he stubs his toe on stake that was driven into the ground. It becomes quickly apparent that they stake was tied to a rope, and the rope holding up a pile of large logs. The logs tip and roll directly at him!
Thankfully, sharp-eyed Rai saw the trap at the same time Arlen sprung it, and he pulls Arlen back in time! The logs soon settle. A analysis of them shows that the end were clearly cut with an axe.
Arlen exhales in relief.
"Thank you, Rai! That would have been bad indeed!"
He examines the trap.
"Perhaps we are getting close to this trapper fellow... What do you think?"
as he was talking about trees suddenly the flash of something in the underbrush catches Rai's eyes and he leaps and grips Arlen pulling him to the side and then releases him after with a slap on the back saying
'oh yes, bad indeed, we don't want a flat "witch" for lunch... ' Rai pauses with his obviously bad humor and then says 'yes I would say we are getting close to the hunter now Arlen.'
Ike is just slurping and sloshing along when Arlen triggers the log trap! He quickly slithers back, as Rai thankfully saved the elf from being flattened! Studying the logs, Ike slinks in between them, studying their construction a bit before observing the ground and undergrowth as he slurped about, trying to feel out any indication of footprints.
If he could feel the footprints, he could follow them... all the way back to the hunter's hut!
Ike is able to feel human sized indentations in the ground! Excitedly, he hurries off in a northern direction.
Ike stops short when he see a little sapling weighed down with a rock. It is set to snap when someone steps on a twig set as a lever. It doesn't look like a hunter's trap; more like a faerie dragon's prank...
"Aye, Elf. Glad to be over those moon radishes meself. The stew was delicious, but it didn't sit quite right."
As they explore the area, Brokk'r keeps his eyes open for any sign of useful minerals, taking care to note potential mining sites for the future.
He also keeps an eye out for any signs of Tuskgutter.