"I don't like having my sleep interrupted and I can see in the dark, so I will take the last watch."
"I'm sure I can see things..."
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Bolgrith spends his time tending to his armor, scraping what rust has accumulated during their time at sea off with a handful of course sand gathered at the beach. As he looks out into the night he thinks on what has brought him to this point in his life.
He had been travelling down the coast of Hamonreld when the courier found him on the road to the lands of the Sheng Dynasty. He never did get a chance to walk through the Elvish country. The Priest sighs at the missed opportunity, it might be that he will one day return to the lands where he was born, though more and more often these days it seems that he might be spending much time in the Sunderlands, more and again more than first envisioned.
He brightens at the thought, the Sunderlands! All but thought to be a myth where he was from, it was a wonder that they actually existed, and much more that they shared so many traits of home. Honestly unless he weren't constantly thinking about it, the dwarf could forget that he was indeed in another, unknown land.
It was the purpose of his party's journey that was the constant reminder of the otherness of his location. These strange Old Keeps, relics of times unknown. The staff never far from his hand, a key of some great creator, Hongfongalas. These are things not even lost to myth back in Hamonreld, things even the Sunderlanders knew little and less. A glint of greed shines from Bolgriths eyes in the dark. Such lost and unknown knowledge was a wealth more greatly desired than the stores of the Kings of the Hammertides.
Quickly recognizing such unseemly emotions for what they are, he trains his mind towards the purity of mediation. The Priest of Irori settles into the pose of the sower, one foot forward and one arm outstretched, there he thinks on the road ahead. But it's not long before thoughts of lost companions seep into his consciousness. Rolg, who he had called brother, off fighting the war of the Wyldotes and Stonebits. And Ballon, the noble, if shortsighted, ranger.
With another heavy sigh, the dwarf mourns the loss of life. None should be cut so soon from the vines of life, and so far from where roots were first sprouted. Adjusting the goggles on his face he peers through their enchanted lenses out into the night and continues his quiet contemplation.
The night passes slowly for some, and quickly for others. Nothing disturbs the group during the dark hours. As the sun begins to creep up the horizon, all feel well rested. There is dew on the long grass around the camp, and the black charcoal remnants of the campfire are cold and damp.
After his contemplative watch, the dwarf's sleep is fitful and uneasy. The morning finds him with the shadow of an unhappy dream in his memory, elusive and impossible to recall. Too many details are missing to paint an accurate picture, although Bolgrith remembers a few feelings very distinctly: he saw friends and acquaintances, those among the living and passed on. All of them were happy to see the kindly dwarf, and very glad to be in his company, but all regarded him with sad eyes and voices. Some of them even apologized to the priest, but he does not remember why they did so, if they explained their sympathy at all.
Fist clenching to drive out the cold of the night Bolgrith rises and removes himself a short distance into the trees. Thick short fingers pinch at the bridge of his nose, clearing out the crusted sleep from his eyes as he settles against the bole of some kind of leafy tree.
Muscles warming up with the effort, the Priest pops his joints and settles into the pose of the ascetic, legs crossed underneath him and hands gently resting on knees. He sits in this manner for the better part of an hour, mind attempting to push out the nights dreams from his thoughts. He seeks the emptiness of consciousness, dwelling on nothing save the path that all must walk.
Detect Magic
Guidance
Read Magic
Mending
Bless
Comprehend Languages
Obscuring Mist
Protection From Evil
Aid
Consecrate
Make Whole
Continual Flame
Prayer
Remove Curse
Fears of the unknown night at least temporarily assuaged the dwarf of Irori dons his armor and makes ready his pack for travel.
Bolgrith returns to camp to find Tynn bent over thick tome with a well-worn cover. Around him, Logan and Tolsbaer make quick work of packing up after a quick breakfast. Aladdin snickers and sings nonsense of “a weasel that stole all the eggs, buried them, and forgot where he hid them.” The old frail dwarf does not break concentration on his book, despite the distractions all about him.
However in no more than fifteen minutes, he thumps the large book closed and stores it carefully in his bag. He rises and adjusts his bifocals when he sees Bolgrith.
“Ah, good morrow, Master Bolgrith!” he looks around and notices that most everyone is waiting for him or distracted with an idle task. “It seems we are all ready. Shall we?”
With that, the party of five depart from their campsite, and they do not return to the road. Instead, they tread over the dew-damp long grass that carpets the field preceding the forest. The sky is unusually clear, and the green shoulders of the mountain ahead give way to grey rock face capped with snow.
After a short walk of about a mile, they reach the edge of the wood. Pine trees with grey and brown bark grow tall, with heavy boughs covered in tiny needles of deep green. Patches of leafy trees can be seen here and there, but visibility in general is very limited. The air smells of damp dirt and growing things.
Tynn unceremoniously leads the group into the forest. Within one hour, and a small amount of progress to show for it, it becomes plain to everyone that the trail they blaze will be a long and tiring one. Right away, their course goes uphill. The dense foliage of long ferns, broadleaf, and trailing ivy makes it difficult to see and avoid every root, or moss-covered sinkhole, forcing the travelers to focus on the ground just ahead of them, rather than the overall terrain. More than once, a misstep onto some moss on the incline causes a hiker to slip, and barely catch their footing. It seems that in no time, most clothing below the waist is wet from the water on the foliage, and any clothing below the knee is muddy and half-soaked.
All around them, the sounds of the birdsong and other distant animal calls echo through the trees. Overhead, a soft swishing of gentle wind stirring the green treetops. The tranquility offers some reprieve from the laborious forest floor.
The first 20 minutes of their trek through the wood leave Tolsbaer feeling smug and a bit superior as all his companions slog through mud and undergrowth. It's so simple, just step on the dry rocks. I suppose its my training... He steps onto his next rock only to have it slide out from under him and plop him ass fist in the sticky mud. A grey color slides onto the young dwarf's face, replacing his normal ruddy complexion. From somewhere behind his rumpled beard a small whimper escapes...
Neither enjoying our despising the hike, Logan soon finds himself focusing on his footing.
Logan extends Tolsbaer a hand. "Need help up, friend?"
Tolsbaer grunts in exasperation, but slaps his hand into Logan's. "Thank you." he says curtly after being hauled to his feet.
The soggybottom monk continues on, but the knowledge and embarrassment of his muddy clothes is a constant distraction to his mind. Every step is a reminder of his mistake, and he worries that wearing wet clothing for a long hike will irritate his skin.
The helpful Borderguard keeps an eye and ear out for danger, but nothing yet appears harmful or out of the ordinary.
"Might we stop at the next clearing so I might clean up a bit?" Tolsbaer sounds like he expects to have his request rebuffed.
Logan shrugs "I have no qualms with that." he says in a casual tone.
Upward and upward the intrepid heroes hike, trudging through stubborn foliage and slippery mud on the steep incline. Outcroppings of boulders or mossy rotten logs offer a momentary respite from the grueling scramble. The air in the dense and towering forest feels close and damp, rich with the smell of growth and natural decay. Birdsongs tweet and chirp among the tree boughs and only fall silent when the five hikers draw near, which is of some relief to Logan; these woodland creatures can be trusted to inadvertently warn him of anything the birds might consider dangerous.
The arduous trail they blaze draws their focus to the footing immediately in front of them, and the time passes quickly. The group resists discouragement whenever they look downhill and note that their progress is significantly slower than they would like. What is more, for the fastidious Stormcall, the muddy wet clothes persistently nag at his senses. No clearing among the trees presents itself as he continues on with the others.
A clearing might not be a thing to perceive with the ears, but the Borderguard's attentive hearing picks up the sound of running water. Right now, the path of the travelers appears to simply be upwards, however if they deviate their path to the right and follow the sound of rushing water, the noble and considerate dwarf might find a place to wash his clothes. By Logan's estimate, the stream sounds like it could be several hundred feet away, for its sound was nearly lost in the swaying hush of the branches overhead.
Pausing for a moment and closing his eyes and tilts his head slightly to the left.
"Let's go this way." he points to the right. "I can hear water in that direction. It might be a little ways off, but I think it would help."
"Yes! Water sounds like the very thing. I need to wash this filth off myself."
"Must we?" wheezes Tynn. He gestures to his own trousers, which are all mud from just above the knees and down. "The rest of us are muddy too. And we will just get muddy again not long after cleaning!"
He takes many heaving breaths and licks his dry lips. "If we go, remember to be quiet and wary. All wild animals frequent bodies of water, and the predators of the wood know this too..."
"But," he pants, "I, for one, would welcome a rest. I am bushed." Tynn Hiloxiet steps over some leavy undergrowth to follow Tolsbaer to the right.
Looking at Tynn and Tolsbaer, "I think it would be wise to take a moment to find the source of water." Plus, who knows, there may be clues as to what these bandits are up to.
Tolsbaer, suddenly moving with desperate energy, takes the lead for the first time all but ignoring his companions as he presses toward the water and a bath.
Tynn and Logan move to keep up with Tolsbaer, who pushes forward through the foliage to find the running water. Walking lateral along the incline and no longer uphill, the trek is considerably easier, although they still must watch their step for slick mud and slippery moss. Slowly, the air feels thicker and wetter in the nose, and the long distances between the trees seem misty.
One hour is passed since Logan heard the sound of running water. As they continue, the travelers soon find the mist in the forest thickening, until they trudge through a proper fog. Tall, silent tree trunks materialize out of the white mist thirty feet ahead of them, and vanish again thirty feet behind, but the forest itself is not quiet. The surge of water gushes and gurgles closely, unmistakeable but not yet visible.
Presently they halt their walk when they see the ground before them drop away. Tufts of foliage and claw-like roots stick out over the muddy precipice. The sheer drop looks to be maybe fifty feet down, the base is a bank of mud and smooth rocks that border a fast-running creek or small river. The fog extends out beyond the drop. It is as this moment that Tynn, Tolsbaer, and Logan notice that Bolgrith and Aladdin, who were thought to be trailing behind, are no longer there. Attempts to retrace steps do not turn up any clues -they must have gotten separated a long time ago. What is more worrisome, neither Hamonrelder is heard when the companions call out
to them.
"Well, f*&*." The elderly dwarf runs a hand through his greasy hair anxiously.
"Bolgrith carried with him the Key of Honfogalas. Now we have no way to open the lock in the Oldkeep!" Tynn kicks a clod of dark soil and it rolls down the incline.
After a moment, he catches his breath and seems to collect his thoughts. "No sense in ourselves getting further lost. That artifact and its carrier is still in this forest, they can't have gone far, which means my magic might be of aid."
The old muddy dwarf scan the forest floor for just a moment before picking up a forked twig. "This ought to do." He turns a wan smile to Tolsbaer.
"Well, we are here at the source of water. I will need one hour to brush up on the specifics of this spell. Can you find a way down to the stream, wash up, and be back to me by that time? After you return, we can use my spell to find the staff and the Hamonrelders as well."
The prospect of climbing straight down to the river could be successful, but certainly dangerous. The earth that forms the drop-off is soft, and easy to dig hand and footholds as one climbs. However, in areas the dirt is too soft and slippery, and cannot be trusted to hold the full weight of a climber.
Searching along the edge of the sheer drop, through the mist you find a fallen, decaying log that lays across the high place. Even if you cannot see the other side of the ravine, presumably the other end of the log is held up by something. It does not offer a way down to the small river, but it does provide a crossing, if you can brave the slippery mossy bark.
Tolsbaer's clenched jaw is the only outward sign of his worry. "Is it not wiser to be off searching right this moment?" The Dwarf asks. Indeed, he was about to insist when Tynn explains he'll need an hour for his spell. "Oh, well in that case, I should clean up." The relief on Tolsbaer's face is plain.
Pulling a length of rope from his pack, Tolsbaer knots its length for easier climbing and secures it to a tree near the bank. He then repels down to the water.
Logan, frustrated and worried, nods at the time-frame needed and stands at the edge of the drop off where he can keep an eye on Tynn and Tolsbaer in case either have need.
There was no sound of disturbance, if bandits had taken either, surely we would have heard a fight or a call for help...
Logan easily hears the birdsong high above in the trees, and the forest seems calm and vibrant with life. He watches Tolsbaer tie a strong knot to a tree trunk and make quick work of slipping down beyond the edge. Logan turns to Tynn, who sits down on a rock and unpacks an enormous book, and quietly flips through the tattered pages. He adjusts the small bifocals resting on his big nose as he leans over the entry he searched for.
Unfortunately, Logan looked away from Tolsbaer just as he loses his grip on the rope! The humble dwarf feels himself falling backwards!
Tolsbaer utters a single word, almost contemplatively, as he falls 50 feet into the sticky mud. "Foder'
You know what he said...
At the bottom, Tolsbaer gives a shallow groan. And slowly sits up. That's it. I'm never going outside again. Its all mud and sweat and oozy smells.
Tynn seats himself at the base of a tree and opens a thick, tattered tome and begins to quietly read.
As Tolsbaer gets to his feet, sees the small stream flowing in the middle of the deep ravine. Now that he is at the bottom, he can see the other side, a fifty foot muddy wall rising up about thirty feet away, across the brook. The bank near the rushing water is mostly bare rocks washed free of mud. It is quite likely that this ravine used to hold a great and deep river that has shrunken to a trickle of late, since no foliage has yet taken root. The water appears to be clear and clean, and burbles quietly, swirling around a large grey boulder. The dwarf sees dozens of animal tracks in the mud, but no creatures presently drink from this part of the creek.
It would seem that Tolsbaer is not alone in the ravine. At first, mounds of mud appear to be shaking in unison. But upon further inspection, it appears that one enormous lumpy brown toad is on top of another toad, apparently answering the carnal call of wild behind a large grey boulder. It is hard to read their bulging glassy eyes, so it is unclear if Stormcall has been spotted by these horny toads.
What is more, further beyond the toads, wooden boards are embedded into the ravine wall on the opposite side to form an unsteady looking staircase.
Crawling silently through the forest floor, there is a big slimy mottled-green creature ambling through the foliage. It takes a moment to recognize it as a horse-sized tree frog, slowly making its way closer towards the old dwarf Tynn.
Logan, still thinking about the disappearance, frowns as he hears Tolsbaer land. Looking over the ledge, he sees the dwarf sitting. "Are you ok, Tolsbaer?"
"A bit battered."Tolsbaer shouts. "But the water down here looks clean. I'll just have a bath"
Logan nods and walks over to Tynn. "I hope I am not disturbing your research, but I'm curious, what will the spell do that you have in mind?"
Tynn raises a look that seems pleasantly surprised to Logan. He adjusts his bifocals and runs his gnarled old hand over a page covered in illegible handwriting.
“Those of us in the scholarly community call this spell, ‘Locate Object’. This spell will tell me, within a very wide range, where a specific object is located. With it, I can track down the Key of Honfogalas, that brass staff topped with a purple crystal, and hopefully, Bolgrith and Aladdin-” The old wizard stops short, his eyes darting to a certain part of the forest ahead of him. His old thin form tenses as he peers into the underbrush, suddenly aware of something not apparent.
Tynn raises a look that seems pleasantly surprised to Logan. He adjusts his bifocals and runs his gnarled old hand over a page covered in illegible handwriting.
“Those of us in the scholarly community call this spell, ‘Locate Object’. This spell will tell me, within a very wide range, where a specific object is located. With it, I can track down the Key of Honfogalas, that brass staff topped with a purple crystal, and hopefully, Bolgrith and Aladdin-” The old wizard stops short, his eyes darting to a certain part of the forest ahead of him. His old thin form tenses as he peers into the underbrush, suddenly aware of something not apparent.
A long, thin, stretchy pink ribbon whips out of the bushes, straight at Tynn! The end of it looks like a sticky, fleshy lump, and sure enough, it strikes the old dwarf and sticks to him!
Before Logan can react, the long tongue slurps the hapless wizard quick as lightning into the wide mouth of an enormous frog easily mistakable as shady undergrowth! The monstrous, mottled-green creature is the size of a horse, and blinks at Stonebit with cold glassy eyes after a single gulp!
Thankfully, Logan is quick to act!
The stormborn sorcerer was regaling Bolgrith with tales and parables of the great and mighty god Porkchop. What rhymes with orange. No it doesn’t. Perhaps, but have you heard of the twelve-breasted concubine who guards the marketplace? No, but that sounds absurd. Sounds bazaar, dozen tit? So lost he was in his reverie of the deity’s stories, that he realizes that the dwarf is no longer listening to him. Bolgrith no longer listens to Aladdin because he is nowhere in sight. Insight? The human touched by madness finds himself alone in the dense forest, the distant trunks all around him shrouded in fog.
He recalls Logan and Tolsbaer talking about finding a river, and when he listens carefully, the Azlanti can hear a far-away hush of moving water. He resolves to follow the sound through the thick mist, in hopes of finding the others. Bolgrith is a smart dwarf. He would do the same. He would do the sane. The sane. The saaaaaaane…
After a long time of trudging through dense foliage and slippery mud on the incline, Aladdin notices that the trees are standing much closer together. Before he knows it, they seem to be growing so closely together that his progress is hampered significantly. That is, until he finds a clearing: a sort of long, narrow patch of overgrown grass where no trees grow. Like a pathway, it leads in two directions, and the walk looks to be pleasant on firm ground that is not muddy like the rest of the forest. Grateful to find this boon, Aladdin takes this natural road toward the direction of the rushing water -which now sounds closer than ever. Hopefully, he will find his companions soon.
A shocked expletive escapes Logan's mouth as he draws his falchion, takes in his foe, and attacks
Naturalists call this a Goliath Frog. Logan can't recall anything specific to this breed, but he did already know what he just observed: much like tinier, harmless frogs, carnivorous goliath frogs can use their long tongues to catch prey. Unfortunately, due to its size, that prey includes creatures as big as people.
Logan's falchion carves a deep red gash along the side of the goliath frog, and it croaks in alarm! The slimy creature is badly wounded, but definitely not dead.
Tolsbaer moves to the rope with a wistful look back at the water. Unbathed, he begins to climb.
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"A GOLIATH FROG ATE TYNN" Logan bellows over his shoulder, not taking his eyes from the beast.
Everything happened so quickly, Tynn is quite beside himself. Correction, I am inside something else. Time is of the essence, if he did not want to be this giant frog's next meal.
All the bumping and jostling around the amphibian's belly disrupts the spell mid-cast. The old smelly dwarf takes a small comfort in that his last bath was a month ago, and he hoped the creature that ate him did not enjoy the taste.
Before Tolsbaer can do anything to join his friends, something down in the gully moves. A big brown lump of mud slides off another lump of slimy mud; it takes a moment to realize the dwarf had dropped down near two mating amphibians, both the size of a horse! Warty backs oozing with slime, the large mounted on regards Tolsbaer indifferently.
But the one that was on top moments ago shambles forward, stopping at the opposite edge of the creek and issues a load warning croak! For the moment, it seems the noble dwarf is trapped below with two horny toads.
Up above, the great tree frog has what it came for, and is in no mood to fight on a full belly. The slimy creature turns with its powerful hind legs underneath, and springs upward!
In the blink of an eye, the goliath frog scrambles amid large trees over Logan's head. The wizard-eating frog is just within reach of his blade, but not for long as it squirms higher to escape!
Logan bellows in frustration and swings his blade again.
Bolgrith stumbles over an outstretched tree root and his eyes snap fully open as if awaking from a daydream. He glances to his left and right searching for his companions but sees nothing save a thick fog or mist flowing about him in all directions. Hearing the distant sound of water, the priest heads out into the enveloping cloud.
"Cac!" Tolsbaer swears in alarm. He steps back, trying to look like less of a threat. Behind his back, his fists clench tight revealing corded muscle along his broad forearms.
Logan's blade cleaves the back half of the goliath frog in twain! A slime-covered Tynn tumbles downward to the forest floor, preceding a shower of frog guts.
In the blink of an eye, the giant toad is on Tolsbaer, wide mouth open to bite!
The nip from the toad definitely hurts, but the noble dwarf is able to wrest himself free of the mouth that tries to consume him. The second toad sits, content to wait for her mate to defend their patch of mud.
... Uh oh... I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore... What's Kansas? Aladdin thought as he looked around.
Where the heck am I? Aladdin looks up to see if he can see stars to compare his location, trees that he recognizes, a friendly face.
Logan, helping Tynn to his feet, looks at his companion and asks "Are you able to join me while I go check on Tolsbaer? I thought I heard a croak from the ravine where he was bathing and I want to make sure he's fine as well." based on his response, Logan heads to the ravine.
Tolsbaer sucks air through his teeth as the giant amphibian clamps down. He twists away, swinging an elbow at the creature's head and follows it up with a punch.
"I'm alive, Logan, thank you for the rescue! But I need a moment to breathe. Go ahead; I'll catch up in a moment."
Tynn heaves big breaths and gathers up a handful of leaves to wipe the slime off his banged up tome.
The dwarven elbow hammers hard onto toad snout. But then Tolsbaer feels an acute tingling traveling up his slimy elbow to his shoulder, neck, and the base of his skull!
After his prey's retaliation, the giant toad decides it is not worth the trouble and hops away! With a great leap it travels upstream, leaving behind Tolsbaer and his mate.
The other toad watches on with indifference, not budging from her spot behind the big boulder.
Further beyond the remaining toad, wooden boards are embedded into the ravine wall on the opposite side to form an unsteady-looking staircase.
Tolsbaer shakes the tingling out of his fingers and watches the toad bound away. Carefully, he makes his way to the stairs and ascends on hands and feet.
With some effort, Tolsbaer circumvents the large toad, leaping and then pulling himself up the steps before ascending the rest of the way.
Bolgrith the Faithful follows the sound of rushing water, passing countless tree trunks that tower high into the mist. Fog dampens the daylight into a soft white illumination overhead, with occasional breaks in the branches shining sunrays of silver into the lush green forest. The surge of water is louder than ever, the priest senses he is very close.
Soon enough, he spots white foam billowing through the mist and the green. The picture grows clearer: a wall of white water cascades down a steep drop of dark rich earth carpeted with ferns and trailing vines. The roar of crashing water on wet boulders is nearly deafening; the white foam huddled against the slick stones while the water pools and settles before streaming away from the waterfall. Trees grow tall all around, on the high crest from where the water drops, and alongside the river that threads its way between the trunks.
Bolgrith does not readily notice any obvious signs of his friends, or any other civilized person, to have visited this part of the river, but he has not yet begun to examine the area closely. Idly, he wonders where he should go next: cross the river, or follow the river downstream? Or should he find a way up to the top of the waterfall, hiking further up the mountains? He is vaguely aware that the Oldkeep was said to be at the treeline of the mountain, but should he dare travel that way without his companions?
Looking up for stars, Aladdin is dismayed when he sees the heavy white mist obscuring his view of the sky. Given the pale glow from above, the stormborn estimates the time to be midday -the stars will be a long time coming. Recalling to memory the map he viewed of the island, he has not yet walked far enough to leave the dense, foggy forest.
Presently, he stands in a long, narrow clearing in the forest. As far as he can tell, this clearing is not manmade, and is occurring naturally. The long straight clearing of low growing grass, with a ceiling of arched tree boughs laden with leaves, reminds Aladdin of a pathway. It runs left to right, or forward to back, or back to front! depending on how the sorcerer sees it. By his untrained eye for wayfinding, he guesses that this naturally formed path goes either east or west of where he stands. The rush of water sounds very close, just beyond the mist on the eastern path.
Thus Aladdin stands, with a decision to make. Does he go east? Does he go west? Or does he plunge back into the dense forest?
One must always go toward water when lost! Aladdin strodes off toward the sound of the water.
I wonder where the others are? Are they here as well? "Hellllo! Friends? Where are you?"
Aladdin summons dancing lights to help light up his path.
Logan, sword drawn, goes to where he saw Tolsbaer last.
"Tolsbaer, are you ok?" I've never despised frogs so much...
Tolsbaer appears from the chasm, running on all fours up a flight of rickety stairs. He stretches to his full height at the top and calls, "I am ok. In the future I do not advise striking one of those with your hand. There is some kind of toxin in their skin. Don't worry, I was able to overcome it. Is everyone here ok?"