Megan's Kingmaker PbP

Game Master Megan Robertson

Rhasadilara, as always, leads the party along the safest route she can find.

Knowledge (Geography, Plains): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Survival (Plains): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

In due course, you arrive at the fangberry patch, which is in a long thin valley between 2 low hills. Much of the thorny thicket is draped in the white gossamer silk of spider webs. The best of the berries lie at the heart of the thicket, of course.

"I would suggest that we ride slowly around the thicket to find the best place to enter. I will watch the trail, any that want to examine the thicket can follow and not worry about falling into a hole."

She shrugs, "But I'm happy to defer to you regarding making a plan for the harvest. That's just my suggestion for getting started."

I think it's safe to say that when it comes to matters pertaining to nature, all deference goes to you, Golden Arm. But the final word, as always, goes to Gorguk.

Thank you for the vote of confidence Lothar but as you said, in nature Rhasa has no equal. If asked myself first I would turn to her and let her answer in her wisdom.

She purses her lips for a moment, scanning the ravine from their vantage point.

"Well, in that case... I would suggest that we set up a short-term camp over there." She points toward the end of the ravine. "Away from the spiders, but close to the work. The bushes show that high water is rare in this area, so that should be little concern, and the walls of the ravine itself and the thicket give us effectively a three-walled shelter. Not effective against rain, but it should reduce problems with the wind on these plains."

"As for the harvest, Barnabus had a suggestion back in the forest that I approve of, but I am not sure how he plans to accomplish. So for those efforts, I plan to defer to his plan until we know how well it will work. Perhaps the three of you can set up the camp while Barnabus and I ride around the thicket and fine-tune the plan. Is that reasonable?"

The magician nodded at his partner's suggestion. Sounds good. Just let me know when you're headed out so that I can establish a line of communication between the two of you and us.

"Aye tha idea o smoke, yet without burning tha thicket to tha ground. Leavin both us an spiders life an berries."

Barnabus agrees to ride around the thicket with the wiley ranger....

Smiles at Lothar..."How much o a jam could we get in, here in peaceful valley o tha spider berrys?"

Straight-faced, "Depends on how many berries we harvest." A raised eyebrow is your only hint that she's poking a little fun at your choice of words.

Lothar looks nonplussed as he responds to Barnabus, 'Fortune favors the prepared mind'. Something my teacher told me. It was one of his favorite sayings. Along with 'never be so proud as to pass up an opportunity for experience'.

Calinder smiles and shakes his head at the jests of the others, and begins to setup camp.

"Just let me know when your ready to go after those berries and what I can do to assist."

"AYe we have jar any troubles we find."

Barnabus is ready to take a slow ride around the patch as he thinks it through...

"Tha patch is not over-large we could all meander round it."

I am sure that you will be safe unless disturbing the spiders directly. As such I will guard the camp with Lothar while you all meander around the patch. We will keep an eye on you should we need to come to your assistance. Then again, if you want my presence I will do so if you stumble upon something else.

Barnabus leaves the camp with some others in tow to go around the patch and gain insight into how best to survey the spider problem.....

Assuming some are setting camp and some are going round the mulberry bush.....

"We spoke before bout using smoke tah lull tha spiders intah complacency, though fire n smoke without burnin tha whole thing is beyond me."

Riding with the witch, Rhasadilara says, "Hot coals and damp grass could be used upwind of the patch. Perhaps a torch of damp grass could be used to clear individual bushes."

Before they leave, Lothar casts message three times, linking Rhasadilara, Barnabus and Calinder to him with each casting.

As you survey the area, no spiders are obvious despite all the webs.

"Our eyes are sharp, but not so sharp as tah see spiders from afar an on horseback!"

Barnabus dismounts and cautiously approaches the thicket....

Rhasadilara watches, looking for movement among the shrubs. Whispering back to Lothar, "The spiders are not in evidence. Barnabus is approaching. Will let you know if a tactical retreat is required."

Understood, Golden Arm. Be careful. All of you.

The magician relayed Rhasa's words to the paladin.

Sounds good, I will be ready on Durok should they need me to rush in. Just need to know if I cut through the center or go around to elk them.

Barnabus, if you wish to enter the thicket, please make a Survival check.

Barnabus gets much closer to the thicket...

survival 1d20 ⇒ 15

Ouch! Poor Barnabus takes 1d6 ⇒ 3 piercing damage from the plants' sharp thorns.

Then a swarm of spiders scuttle out to attack... nasty things, they are chew spiders — a species of aggressive spider the size of a man's thumb and with particularly large, serrated fangs.

Barnabus has time to see them coming, but unless he wants to rush out (risking further damage from the thorns) he'd better roll an initiative.

Initiative 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

"Fer crying out loud, well I know how tah flush em out...offer myself as a meal."

Seeing movement and hearing Barnabus' remark, the elf surmises that he has found the spiders.

She dismounts from Sunset, ground-hitches him with the male witch's steed, and moves closer to observe the spiders and their method of attack. Being clinical, not cruel ; she assumes Barnabus can escape any time he wants.

The spiders act as a swarm.

Their initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

They move towards Barnabus, which gives him an Attack of Opportunity. What do you want to do?

They will then do you 1d6 ⇒ 3 damage.

Barnabus uses his flight hex to go up out of the swarm....

"Tha spiders swarm tah trouble en mass. Tha smoke, try some smoke...."

All right, you evade the swarm (for now).

Rhasadilara watches the witch rise out of the swarm with a nod. Thought so. She makes no move to start a fire, returning to the horses and mounting up once again while she waits for Barnabus to settle back into his own saddle.

"I thought part of the purpose of the scout was to see where would be the best location to build such a fire. I don't want to create a wildfire just so a crazed old man can get berries to flavor his potions. By the way, can you create water to dampen the grass or is that something Calindar will need to do?"

"Nasty little biters! I swear I am giving consideration o takin a sleet storm tah tha whole field an be done with tha spiders an all!"

Leaning over to inspect the proffered wound, she nods, "Left some nasty welts, I see. Between the spiders and the thorns, those berries are certainly safe. I hope they are worth the trouble."

"No question why they call em fangberries, I'd say."

Looks back over the field....
"Still tempted to send a sleet storm over the whole mess, then I would have a peicce o ice left tah rub on tha bites."

Chuckles, "Come, let's see if we can figure out the direction of the prevailing wind and the best place for a smoky fire."

"Fine but Im not fer bein spider bait."

Rubs his bruised pride.....

The wind is gentle today, and from the south.

Calinder joining Rhasa and Barnabus as they check the wounds received by both berry and bite, says, "Let me see those wounds Barnabus."

While Calinder examines the wounds, he briefly closes his eyes and asks for Erastil's help in healing Barnabus.

Calinder drops Hide from Undead and casts Cure Light Wounds on Barnabus. 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12. A little overkill on the healing, but that should take care of the six points of damage to Barnabus.

To the rest of the group, "The thought is to make a smoky fire - probably with damp grass - upwind of the section of the patch we want to harvest. The thought is that the smoke will drive the spiders back or calm them as it does bees. I think we could try it from that direction today, but I fear the wind may not be sufficient to actually take the smoke into the fangberries."

"I have the ability granted to me this day to create a wall of wind, but I fear that the speed of the wind would be more than we need to carry the smoke into the berry bushes."

Barnabus uses the spark cantrip to light the fire for Rhasha....

"Me thinks Calendar tha Lothars cleansin cantrip ken gently waft tha smoke into tha spiders."

"Barnabus, you may well be right. Lothar may be able to create a breeze of the proper strength to blow the smoke into the berry bushes."

The fire burns merrily, and the addition of damp grass produces satisfactory smoke... which is rising straight up for the main part.

"A tarp. We can use a design like a smoker with the fire built on one end and a tunnel that guides the smoke where you want it to be. Like from a tent."

"I do not have a tarp, but I do have a blanket from my bedroll that we could use to create a small breeze by waving back and forth. That may be enough to push the smoke towards the bushes."

"Ideally, we would direct it low into the bushes. The problem is that the best berries are in the center of the patch, I believe, and we will have to do quite a bit of work to get the smoke into the edges, let alone clear to the center."

She gazes at the bushes, chewing on her lower lip as she considers the situation. "Perhaps there's a way to prevent the spiders and the brambles from hurting so much?" She looks at the cleric. "Would Erastil grant you such a boon?"

"A sythe might make inroads amongst the brambles with cobblestone paths throughout tha patch. Once done tha spiders an brambles might both be avoided....."

Thinking something like a vineyard or a garden.....

"Sounds like a task for a settler, then. I have no interest in cultivating crops. I am not sure that fangberry plants really do well in domestication."

"Then we should be able tah take out tha spiders though not likely tah keep tha vermin out."

Can't talk to them until 12th level....unless we just wait...

"I have the ability to make a person harder to attack by granting them a mystical armor based, on my faith in Erastil. It would help defend against the bites of the spiders, but I am not sure if it would provide protection from the thorns of the Fangberry bushes."

"I have seen a granted power that repels vermin from the person granted the ability, but I have not yet mastered the skills necessary to be granted this ability."

"I am also able to do much more healing than I have yet done this day, so I could heal the berry picker or pickers from any wounds sustained."

"And although I do not have the ability this day, tomorrow I could also be granted the ability to toughen one's skin as if it was like tree bark to add extra protection."

"It appears that we should step back and consider our options, then, and prepare differently for the task tomorrow."