Thorek overhears the odd question Edran puts to Cyrioul.
Thorek quietly stands, sets aside his whetstone and weapons, and goes to find Cedric. "I have some concerns about our newest arrival. It's just a hunch, but he was asking some...pointed questions to Cyrioul. Not 'where are going' or 'where did the hobgoblins come from' but instead whether we intended to fight and if we knew where other refugee groups are. Maybe it's nothing, but we should keep an eye on him. If you wanted to assign him to one of us as an "assistance" we can avoid getting burned by a spy."
Boudra takes the poultice from Thorek with a nod of thanks and applies has Thor drink it.
She makes sure to burn the tainted waterskin before doing anything else that day.
" Send him along with me. Worst he'll be able to figure out is that there is someone who really doesn't know how to build a shelter.... ,"Lily says while eyeing the new arrival closely.
Letting Boudra and Thorek handle the sickness, Cedric instead turns his attention to the idea that they might have a spy. He seeks out their newest arrival and starts chatting with him, asking some questions to help get a sense of who this person is and where they came from, all the while paying close attention in order to ferret out any attempts at deception.
"Tell me a little about yourself, friend," he starts. "As a priest of Erastil, I've been trying to develop close relationships with all of these unfortunate refugees to better provide emotional support. Are you from Phaendar? I noticed that you get along well with animals, did you have any cherished pets that didn't make it? What line of work were you in before this mess, and are you looking forward to getting back to it? Or would you prefer to take this opportunity to reinvent yourself? What hardships did you go through between the sacking of town and when you stumbled into our camp? Did you have to leave anyone you cared about behind?"
"Well, good cleric, I am from Taldan. I was traveling through this area, before the... the... the events of the other night. I've always been good with animals. That is why I was traveling here. I am, I mean, I was, looking for particularly good breeding animals to buy and bring back to sell in Taldan. When the town was attacked, I made my way to the river. and crossed it in the middle of the night."
Boudra takes the poultice from Thorek with a nod of thanks and applies has Thor drink it.
It will only be good for one person.
Unfortunately, two others have contracted filth fever also, although, they are not showing any signs. In the morning, have all five make Fortitude saves (with Thor getting a +2 from Thorek's poultice).
Although Boudra does her best to mimic Thorek's poultice, she's simply not familiar with it. She growls in frustration. I'm sorry, she signs with a sigh. We'll just have to do our best...unless Erastil can remove their disease, that is. She looks wryly at Cedric, clearly not expecting much.
Since there's not much else she can do for them, Boudra decides to at least make those who are sick more comfortable. When the group camps for the night, she makes sure the five infected have a place to rest and tends to them as best she can.
"It is indeed unfortunate that you've been caught up in these terrible happenings," says Cedric, taking in the man's story. He doesn't sound like he's lying about any of it, but he does note that it's all rather convenient. "I take my responsibility seriously, so if at any time you need to talk, or vent about what horrible, despicable monsters the Hobgoblins are, and how very, very lucky you are to be away from them among good people, I will be sure to listen." He smiles at Edran and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"We can certainly use all the help we can get, as you can see, but at the same time you're in the unique position of not being from here. You have a home you can go back to, so I think we'd all understand if you wanted to make a break for it while those evil, brutal, destroyers are tied up across the river. I think many of us would be happy to be able to leave all this behind. You should consider where you're from, and where you are now, and decide what's best for you, personally. Where your best interests truly lie." He gives their newest refugee another smile and pats his shoulder a few times before moving off to find Thorek and each of the others in turn.
"I don't think Edran is a spy or trying to deceive us," he explains, quietly. "But I think, just in case, it's probably for the best if we keep the details of any plans we make to ourselves. If people ask questions, just tell them to worry about one day at a time and to not get ahead of themselves."
As for the diseased, when it turns out that it's quite serious, Cedric would like to help treat it for his actions.
Benn Gather Food: 14
Mera Gather Food: 14
Clidon the Trader: 14
Farrow the Trader: 14
Innis - Survival: 10
Pete - Survival: 10
As the second day breaks, Thorek pulls Edran aside. "We don't have enough animals to require three hands, the other two have it handled," he explains,
resolutely ignoring Annis as she tries a pet a goat and gets head-butted for her trouble. "Seems not many in our group are versed in healing,
and since everyone else already had a job you're going to be my first student!" Thorek brooks no protests or excuses, and carefully measures out the amounts of herbs for the fever poultice. As he explains, he keeps a wary eye on the newcomer, looking for any suspicious behaviors.
During a break in their ministrations, Thorek plies him with questions. "So you're a traveler? Do you have any word about the siege at Kraggodan? Do you know whether other areas have been attacked by the Ironfangs? Did you see where the hobgoblins came from?"
Cyrioul initially offers, "Well, perhaps, but the one leading us now is over there," he waves in Cedric's direction. When the conversation turns to other party members, Cyrioul is content to let them lead Edran aside for conversation, and get back to assisting with the logistics of the camp. He later delivers a report to Cedric that...
"No problem, I can scout ahead," Bree says. On the downside, it leaves me with my thoughts, but on the upside, the forest is quite lovely, she thinks to herself.
During a break in their ministrations, Thorek plies him with questions. "So you're a traveler? Do you have any word about the siege at Kraggodan? Do you know whether other areas have been attacked by the Ironfangs? Did you see where the hobgoblins came from?"
"I haven't heard anything recent about the siege. I am at a total loss about where the hobgoblins came from. I'm sorry, I really don't know anything. I noticed that everyone seemed not surprised at all about going into the forest. Is that the normal response here?"
Following Thorek's instructions, Edran is able to make a single effective poultice.
Caladra spends a few hours searching the nearby woods for food, finding a stream and catching a few fish to bring back. Once she added the food she caught with the rest she took guard on the outskirts of the encampment, looking out into the wilderness.
Cedric rubs his chin thoughtfully as Cyrioul gives him the report. The Elf seems to have quite a handle on the details of their resources and expenditures, certainly much better than he himself has. While he has him aside he has a proposition.
"First, let me thank you for your detailed report," he says. "It's good to know where we stand. Me, I have difficulty seeing past the individuals to really wrap my head around how effective their efforts are. I can't see the forest for the trees, to use a horribly ironic idiom." He chuckles lightly and shakes his head.
"But it's clear to me that you see the whole forest, Cyrioul, and so I think that maybe we could get the best productivity out of this group if we work more closely together. If I continue to let you know what I think the priorities need to be for the overall game state, would you be willing to let me delegate to you the responsibility of moving the individual pieces around to maximum effect?"
Boudra, rather upset with herself for not immediately understanding Thorek's poultice, will go about setting up shelters for the three diseased companions once they make camp for the day.
That evening, she sits and watches the camp move about for several minutes. Two carvings--one of a butterfly, and the other of a frog covered in plants--nestle in her hands. She breathes evenly as she watches everyone go about their tasks.
After doing what he can for those who are ill, Thorek sets a few snares in likely places and checks them after a few hours, hoping for small game to feed some of these folks with.
Caladra spends a few hours searching the nearby woods for food, finding a stream and catching a few fish to bring back. Once she added the food she caught with the rest she took guard on the outskirts of the encampment, looking out into the wilderness.
"... If I continue to let you know what I think the priorities need to be for the overall game state, would you be willing to let me delegate to you the responsibility of moving the individual pieces around to maximum effect?"
"Yes, if you're comfortable with me allocating and ledgering, you can work in broad strokes and I'll get the details in place for you. If I'm not sure about something, I'll check in with you before making a big choice, and if I can foresee a shortage of any kind on the horizon, I'll give you a heads up about what we're doing to account for it." He offers a hand to shake on the agreement, then gets back to the management of the camp.
All that remains of an abandoned farm is a tumbledown chimney and an overgrown stand of apple trees.
Thorek and Caladra spot a wasp nest in one of the apple trees and can act in the surprise round, as the wasps begin swarming out of the tree.
Forewarned (Su): You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action.
"Look wise! Damn hornets are all stirred up! Might be better to swing wide and go around..." Thorek backpedals from the swarm, hoping the insects will calm down, but wary that they might head his way.
First Night
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
0/2
Second Night
0/2 Still Sick
2/2 Cured!
2/2 Cured!
2/2 Cured!
0/2 Still Sick
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Forewarned (Su): You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action.
You see the swarm moving towards your group.
Cyrioul slings his backpack off his shoulder and plunges in to find the vial of alchemist's fire that he collected a few days past.
The wasps move into your area and do to each of the four of you.
Each of the four of you (Bree, Cyrioul, Boudra, and Caladra)) must make a DC 13 Fortitude save, or take 1 DEX damage from the wasp poison.
Additionally, each of the four of you must make a DC 13 Fortitude save or be nauseated for one round, as the wasps crawl all over you.
Caladra took a step back as the wasps started to swarm towards herself and the others. "Bastards. The least you could do is make some honey," Caladra swore and swatted in vain at the buzzing menace. She could feel their stingers searching out exposed flesh but they did nothing more than annoy her.
She carefully took a step back and awkwardly swung with the flat of her sword, hoping the larger area would strike better at the swarm.
Caladra swings with the flat of her sword, perhaps hitting one or two of the insects, but doing no real harm.
Cedric, recognizing that there isn't much that he can do about wasps, does what little he can to help those who actually have a chance of making a difference. "Stupid Calistria," he mutters to himself as he calls upon his patron to bless his allies.
"Everybody spread out as much as possible!" he suggests vehemently. Then, taking his own advice, he puts some distance between himself and the closest ally, so that the swarm can affect as few people as possible.
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Swatting at the wasps and shouting obscenities, Bree steps out of the swarm and grabs a flask from her pack. She pops the cork and throws it at the swarm she stepped out of.
"Erastil's beard! Sorry about that!"
Cyrioul runs from the swarm, alternately slapping at wasps and fire with his off hand. "Hell's fires, Bree, watch your aim!!!"
He catches Boudra's attention as he runs forward and signs, "MOVE!" while calling the same to Lily. As he prepares to throw his alchemists fire.
"Eeeeeaaaaaaagggggghhhhhhhhh!" Boudra shrieks as the wasps swarm over her.
She staggers away from the swarm, trying her best not to throw up as she feels her arms growing numb. Sweet Balm-Bringer, I hate bugs!
Frantically patting his pockets to find where he put that flask, Thorek grunts as he finds it and draws it out. Winding back his arm to throw, he gestures with his other hand at Boudra. "Aye, get out of the way!"
150% = 3 fire damage
"Ahhhhh....The bow is kind of useless.,she says while following Bree's advice.
Boudra steps away from the swarm
Bree takes a step back, and, targeting the spot ten feet from her, hits the center of the swarm.
Cyrioul and Caladra take 1 point of fire damage.
Cedric casts bless
Cyrioul targets the same spot as Bree, but her target. It hits the ground near both the swarm and Caladra. They both take 1 fire damage.
Thorek manages to hit the swarm in the same place. It takes 3 damage, and Caladra takes 1.
Lily also hits it for 3 damage. The unfortunate Caladra takes another 1.
The swarm seems to go crazy from the . The swarm goes after the nearest antagonists. Thorek, Caladra, and Bree take , and need to make two Fortitude saves (both DC 13). The first is for the poison, and the second is for the nausea.
Bree screams as the stings find gaps in her armor. Large welts rise across her body as the venom takes it's toll.
-1Dex
nauseated
disabled