Ulciscor shrugged. "We will need to rest at some point. And given the current Orc problem, a defensible position seems a good idea. Do you know of one nearby?"
"If not, we'll soon find one," Lioslan said.
He looked around, judging how far they were from Leilon. "There is a hill ahead, with boulders and trees that will hide a fire. High ground and shelter from the wind."
Survival check:
Argentia gives Lioslan a respectful nod. Well spotted, friend. That looks like a good place to set up camp. Is everyone agreed?
Ulciscor nodded. "Sounds good to me."
"We haven't the resources to scout them under cover of darkness, when they are active," Innocent observes. "If noticed, we could be potentially overwhelmed, making a daytime approach of the encampment favorable."
When Lioslan points out the hill and the boulders, Innocent looks into the distance for a time. "I shall take first watch, then."
And he does so, climbing onto one of the boulders if possible to get a better vantage point of their surroundings from the hilltop.
Kevkas nods. "Good. All this fighting and walking made me hungry." He grunts. "But then again, I'm always hungry." The big half-orc shakes his head, grinning. "I'll take the dead watch. I don't mind being up without light."
"The time for my prayers is sunset," Ulciscor said. "And I have little difficulty with lack of light. I can take the watch between the two."
Argentia nods. There are eight of us; how would you like to arrange the watch schedule? I prefer last watch myself.
"Four two hour shifts through the night, with two persons on each watch."
Ulciscor shook his head.
"That doesn't give everyone eight hours of rest," he disagreed, "Only six. We'll either need to excuse you and Dorn from watches, or go to two-and-a-half hours per shift, and make sure that you and Dorn get first or last watch. And even then, your watches will need to be a half-hour shorter than the others."
A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which the character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch for no more than two hours. A long rest can be interrupted by up to one hour of strenuous activity before it's effects are negated and you'd have to start again.
If someone wants to put forward a watch list, we can move forward, then. I don't want to impose one as it might seem a little railroady - and if something were to happen, it might seem as if I chose those characters specifically.
Night settles in as you establish camp on the hill. The south and west are well-shielded by trees and thick brush, and rocky formations to the north mean that the only real way into your campsite in from the east.
First watch goes quietly, though the howling of wolves can be heard to the south, and seems to be getting closer.
During second watch (Gyro and Lioslan): the quiet night is broken by the sound of screaming - a feminine voice - and the snarling of wolves. By the Gods, help me! I've been set upon by wolves! You up there, help me!
The voice comes from the road, to the east and down the hill a little. You up there, help me, please!
"Ah'll steer me sight t'what lurks without whene'er ye rightly reckon it be deserved. T'would advise leavin' me t'stand at an attention what hides from th'blasted sun, unless some o' yens fancy a blinded tumble." Dargrim eyes the surroundings as he speaks. He eventually calls out while leaving the campsite "Ah'll see what's crawled this way. Dinnae figger ah'll want t'bunk wi' any beasties this night."
Dargrim's check reveals that the area is well traveled, with heavy boots traveling frequently in both directions. There's animal spoor as well - wolves, certainly, big ones!
I'm figuring the PC's on watch will hear and likely wake you guys to the threat - unless they want to take the horror movie approach and wander into the darkness alone to investigate. :-)
Innocent awakens from his light slumber with a start. He sits up, ears trained and trying to pick out the cries in the distance. The word "help" is universal, but doesn't encourage any haste in his reaction.
The word "wolves" on the other hand...
He grabs the new bow and quiver he had appropriated from the orcs and slings them over his naked shoulder, rushing out of his tent to scramble to a superior position atop one of the boulders, putting him in decent firing range and ideally outside of attack range of a pack of wolves.
Once mounted above the campsite, he knocks an arrow and pulls back the bowstring. The arrowhead is trained on the figure he can see running up the hillside, the only immediate threat...unless she is, as she claims, being chased by wolves...
Lioslan wasn't in doubt when he heard the voice - whether the voice was speaking the truth or not, this was important for everyone to hear. He slipped from his watchpost and woke the others with a firm poke.
He too armed himself with his bow and joined Innocent on one of the boulders, though he made sure not to present a clear silhouette to fire on. He listened and looked carefully, trying to make out any sign of pursuers.
Kevkas awoke with a start and hustled to strap on his armor.
It's nighttime, and Selune is only a sliver - even those with darkvision can't see where the commotion is coming from.
Another round of feral snarling and a scream. My leg! Ilmater's mercy, please, help me! The voice is definitely coming from the road, about 100 feet away, as is the snarling.
"Could be an ambush," Kevkas murmured to his companions. He looked over at Argentia. "Are wolves usually a problem for people around here?"
Ulicscor sat up silently, his ears straining for some clue as to what had prompted the jab to his ribs. Quickly realizing that he wouldn't hear much beyond the breathing and preparations of his companions, Ulciscor got to his knees, shrugged into his heavy coat, and reached for his quiver of javelins.
Innocent reaches into a pouch and smears the residue of a crushed firefly on the end of the knocked arrow. "Lux," he intones, and the shaft suddenly starts shedding light. A second later, he fires the glowing arrow in a light arc in the direction of the sound, hoping to illuminate anything that they are hearing.
Innocent reaches into a pouch and smears the residue of a crushed firefly on the end of the knocked arrow. "Lux," he intones, and the shaft suddenly starts shedding light. A second later, he fires the glowing arrow in a light arc in the direction of the sound, hoping to illuminate anything that they are hearing.
Yes! Didn't you hear them earlier? They aren't normally a problem due to the size of the groups that travel this road.... Argentia hisses back at Kevkas as she quickly dons her armour.
Innocent's arrow, fired into the darkness, goes long and wide, clattering off the rocks beyond the road. For a brief moment, it does illuminate the road, however - at least one large wolf can be seen, though no sign of the woman who was screaming. The view is fleeting, however, as the road again is bathed in darkness.
Hearing the cries of one in need, Dargrim steels himself and tears off at a sprint towards the wolves. Lullaby remains grasped firmly in his right hand as he goes, his left unoccupied to aid with his furious approach.
Sight of the wolves was enough to spur Lioslan to action. Even if it was a trap, he couldn't simply stand by as his companions raced into the dark. And if it wasn't a trap, then an innocent required aid. It was beneath him to deny succor to those who asked, or so he reasoned.
"Are more arrows of light within your power? Aim them at where you last saw the wolves," he asked Innocent, jumping down to get closer to the fray himself.
19 arrows
Innocent nods once to Lioslan. He casts Light upon another arrow and fires it where he had seen the last wolf, hoping the arrow will find purchase in soft ground and continue to illuminate.
There's a rough map of the campsite here. The campsite is about 15-20 feet higher than the road; no-one yet has darkvision of sufficient range to see what is transpiring on the road.
Please place yourselves where your character is within the campsite - or, like Dargrim, if you've ventured beyond. Max 30 feet beyond the encirclement of the camp, please.
Kevkas grunts as he hurries into his armor. "Hearing wolves in the trees and them bothering people are two different things. At least that means this isn't a trap for sure."
Dorn stirred fitfully awake, but was immediately alert once he heard the howls.
"I bloody hate wolves.If they're not keeping you awake, they're gnawing at your bits."
Despite his bluster a timber of genuine fear can be heard in his voice. He knocked his crossbow, and moved cautiously to the others. He nearly smacked himself when he saw others casting light spells.
He evoked energy into the shape of four festive glowing lanterns and placed them roughly in a ten foot square. He sent the lights forward as they spun around in an invisible orbit.
"Keep a look out, every one. See if you spot anything."
-Posted with Wayfinder
-Posted with Wayfinder
The rocks are about 5 feet high on the inside, and a precipitous drop from the outside; aside from someone climbing them no-one will be approaching from that side. Anyone who does climb the rocks will have a somewhat impaired view of the path leading up to the campsite.
The voice seems a little farther now - Dargrim, who is the farthest out and has darkvision, still cannot see where it comes from.
As the sound of the voice seemed to become more distant, Ulciscor called to his companions. "Do not get pulled too far into the dark! If she is foolish enough to run further from our camp, you cannot save her by running into the woods alone!"
Glancing at Dargrim's breastplate, left sitting beside where the dwarf had been sleeping , Ulciscor heaved a sigh. This was not likely to be- he stopped.
"It said its leg was bitten!"
Assuming Dargrim is heading towards the source of light on his arrow, Innocent readies to fire another lit arrow further out to light his way, even though Dorn's dancing lights are far more helpful.
Having shrugged into his coat, collected his weapons, and strapped on his shield, Ulciscor sighed.
"I don't think Dargrim or Lioslan are going to listen. I'd rather they not die in an ambush. I'm going to follow them," he told Innocent and the others still in the camp. Then he did just that - moving cautiously, his eyes seeing easily in the darkness.
While the dark isn't much of a hindrance, the dwarf doesn't relish the thought of charging off blindly into the night. He turns his attention to where the cries seemed to originate from and approaches that way. If he can't find the person the cries belonged to, he hopes he can find signs of their passing. Slinking around a tree a little more cautiously than prior, the dwarf hopes to at least catch a glimpse of what's going on beyond.
Once he's sure his armor is properly strapped on, Kevkas follows Ulcisor out into the dark. "I've always wanted a wolf fur mantle."
Innocent nods grimly to Ulciscor and slips on his chain shirt, but otherwise remains posted on the boulder, lighting their way with arrows until something changes.