Wamblee Firenze |
Wamblee tenses and then nods.
"Yes.", he agrees tersely.
Hubristic Efreeti |
Uncle quirks his eyebrow. "and the story ends...'after the brave, slightly inebriated Uncle rescued them from a near-death situation in their very own home, the brave, slightly inebriated family bravely ran away and tried to draw the spawn away from the unsuspecting little town.'"
He grunts with effort as he climbs to his feet. "They were faster in finding us than I thought. The wisdom of the tale is this - do not count on your Uncle for too much, for he tires easily."
Mother gives a low whistle to get all of your attention, just as she did when you were children. "Marianne, find us a safe path. I trust Howahkan. If he says we need to get out of town, then we need to get out."
Samen Vloe Firenze |
"Head toward Forge. There will be soldiers there trained to deal with this."
I'll try my hand at a knowledge arcana
Know Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Samen Vloe Firenze |
If we were going out for a walk, I probably would've grabbed my staff.
Samoon Firenze |
Samoon has his bombs and extracts. But do we have everything else? Let us know, GM!
Kn Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
What does Samoon know about these blobby darkspawn? Numbers, tactics, vulvernabilities?
Hubristic Efreeti |
Samoon and Wamblee just came into town, so I'd say you have all essentials, combat supplies, etc. Marianne is used to hunting on a whim, again makes sense for her to have pretty much everything. I was going to say Samen probably doesn't have everything, but his total posessions are staff + chainshirt, and I'm guessing he doesn't care who talks about him wearing his chainshirt everywhere, so he has his equipment too :)
Answer about arcana check coming tonight
Samen Vloe Firenze |
"I am missing my library book. That's going to get me in trouble down the road, I just know it. Did that detect magic pick up anything interesting?"
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
Marianne grins and the winds around her seem to intensify momentarily. ”Yes, it is time,” she says, striking a path south at a brisk pace. As they leave the clearing, Marianne’s hand strays to what appears to be a smaller than normal covered quiver. Too quietly for anyone to hear, she mutters. ”Ó spéir Oíche Mhór, d'fhéadfadh na réaltaí snasta soilsiú a dheonú dár gcosán Dorchaigh.”
What is a star, anyways? They must have been beautiful, whatever they were. One day, maybe...
Wamblee Firenze |
Wamblee is mostly equipped with weapons and his body is also one. A Dan Bong, a double-chained Kama, a Lungchuan tamo, a Sansetsukon and twenty Shuriken. He will be equipping the double-chained Kama for reach and trip.
Wamblee nods, and draws one of the many weapons from his back. A pair of kamas, connected by a length of chain. One in each hand, he nods.
"I am ready. Let us go to safety. The denizens of Forge at least understand fighting darkspawn."
Hubristic Efreeti |
If you recall correctly, the blobby ones are quick-moving using their pseudopodia, but are not terribly dangerous unless they are in a swarm. It is very strange that a lone, mindless creature 'found' you so quickly after Uncle got you out of town
Uncle nods. "Yes, as good a place to go as any."
Are you using the roads or staying off of them? If you're going off-road, I need Survival checks from those trained, and others can contribute another useful skill if they wish to
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
Marianne is going for whichever she thinks is faster. I’ll roll Survival in case that means wilderness.
Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Wamblee Firenze |
Wamblee pipes up:
"Off the road may be safer. For us and for passers-by."
Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Samoon Firenze |
"That darkspawn isn't intelligent. Either it was here randomly, or someone is following us. And if someone is following us after...was that teleportation?...then someone is magically tracking us," says Samoon.
"In other words, we have problems," says the eldest brother. "Best to tell us all you know, Uncle."
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
”Do it while we walk,” Marianne adds, taking the lead and setting a brisk pace to the south out of the forest and towards Forge
Hubristic Efreeti |
From the small grove next to the stream, you walk directly away from the nearby dirt road. After those trees shrink from view, there is nothing to break the weaving monotony of wheat fields. You realize you have a choice - stay on the edge of the unharvested wheat, or walk within it.
Within wheat means you will be mostly hidden from view (Wamblee less so because of height). It will also cover your sounds, but mask the approach of anyone else.
Walking on the edge means you could be hidden from direct observation from the road, but not be completely blind to the outside like the first option
Hubristic Efreeti |
"My brother once told me about the items he...inherited while he was training to be the tribe's next priest. He said they were not for him to unlock, but his children." Uncle looks at each of you in turn. "He said this before any of you were born."
Mother speaks up. "When did he say it then, Howahkan?" Her sylphan stare is fierce and red-rimmed.
Uncle smiles, and tears fall from his eyes for the first time that night. "The night he met you."
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
Marianne eyes the field momentarily, and then starts to lead the group to walk along the edge. ”We are better off here than trying to hide in those fields,” she states. ”Wamblee is too tall to be effectively hidden, and even if he was, that field is just as good a hiding place for anything hunting us as it would make for us. Unless we have reason to believe that we couldn’t hope to stand against our pursuers, the edge is a better option.”
There is a pause, and then Marianne seems to realize what Howahkan has said. ”Father’s gift to me, why would an Oread priest have had it?!” she asks, seemingly deeply disturbed by the notion.
Wamblee Firenze |
"My height is indeed an inconvenience in this circumstance. And there are layers of mystery here. Uncle, do you know anything specific about unlocking these? Or who might? In case something happens on the road."
Samen Vloe Firenze |
"What does it matter if the thing hunting you has no eyes? Something tells me he wasn't a simple Oread priest, Mar. If we are children of destiny, hunted by the forces of darkness, then he is not entirely orthodox. It would make sense why he didn't yell at me as much about the tattoos."
As an afterthought in the midst of the revelations, "Oh, uh, the baubles are magical, but they're trying to hide it. Could be someone with a nose more sensitive than mine can track it."
Samoon Firenze |
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"...Can we worry about these wondrous magical artifacts later, unless they are great at killing darkspawn? We don't know what's stalking us or where Mum will be safe. Where is safe right now? We should have called up the constabulary," says Samoon. "This family of vigilantes plan is going to get someone hurt."
Hubristic Efreeti |
Uncle nods. "Wise. In the meantime, I have one more trick up my sleeve. Everyone think of yourselves as silent shadows, making no sound..." He whispers a tale of Canopy, the dancing, cavorting part of Forest in the farthest reaches of the north. His voice becomes muffled, as if he is speaking underwater, but the nature of the story still comes through:
Canopy set two of her quarreling lovers against each other. The resulting feud caused the creation of kudzu, poison ivy, and crab apple trees. By the time one lover proclaimed victory over the other, Canopy had become bored and moved on.
Stealth checks everyone. Add +4 from Uncle's spell
What thoughts are going through your head as you sneak through the wilderness, away from your childhood home?
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
”We will talk once we are safe. For now, we are silent and aim for Forge, as the closest safe haven,” Marianne drops to a whisper as Howahkan begins his story, before ceasing to speak at all.
Stealth: 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 4 = 27
Samen Vloe Firenze |
Stealth: 1d20 + 2 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 + 4 - 2 = 20
This is ridiculous. We're traipsing through the wilderness from unknown agents with unknown intentions. If they could track us this far, we'd be better off just sticking to the road.
Hubristic Efreeti |
Samoon Stealth with +4 Uncle bonus: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Samoon Stealth with +4 Uncle bonus: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Uncle's soft speech and the wheat's shushing susurrations brush up against each other as you walk the dry dirt. Time passes quickly - the next time you look up, Volcano's peaklight is showing the sleepy plum purple of dim. (dusk)
It will still a take long day of fast walking to get to Forge. Your options are to take a forced march, or stop and find a place to rest for the night. Survival check(s) from those that are good at it to find a good place for the night.
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
How long would we need? I personally think that we don't have enough hp to risk having to fight after more than one hour of forced marching. I'll roll Survival, and my vote is for forced march if we can get there within two hours, but otherwise I say we camp.
Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Samen Vloe Firenze |
Samen defers to the others as to whether or not to force march.
"I was hoping someone else would bring it up, but shouldn't we at least consider letting whoever is after us have the trinkets? They're neat, but nothing has given me any indication that it was worth father's life, nor ours."
Hubristic Efreeti |
Uncle grabs Samen by the shoulders and makes eye contact with him. "Do you think black-veined cultists would let us live if we asked nicely? Do you think, even if we left your heirlooms here on the ground, that they would suffer us to live?"
Releasing your shoulders, he resumes walking the trail. "Just because your father protected you on the roads your whole life, don't assume they aren't dangerous, boy."
Samen Vloe Firenze |
Samen never expected anyone to listen, but he had thought it worth a try.
"I don't see why they wouldn't leave us alone if they had what they wanted. We wouldn't need to be on this dangerous road if not for these accursed curios."
He considers for a moment whether he should press the issue further. "At least give us a reason to hold onto these things that isn't steeped in fear. We've got a long walk ahead of us. You should have plenty of time to tell us straight, not wrapped in your Volc'ing parables."
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
”I’m not parting with mine barring imminent death for us all, and I certainly won’t be handing it over to any Dark-cursed heretics!” Marianne adds, her words quickly shifting from firm to vehement. She calms herself, and continues more reasonably. ”Besides, anyone worshipping the Dark is unlikely to need much excuse to kill anyone, out knowing about these artifacts, whatever they are, seems like sufficient justification for the kind of twisted minds that serve the Dark.”
I guess I don’t quite get what you are asking. Right now what I think you are saying is that we can make it to Forge by tomorrow night, but we have to push into the night either today or tomorrow. Is this correct? If so, my vote is for pushing on tonight, but otherwise I don’t understand what you mean.
Samen Vloe Firenze |
"Ehh, no more twisted than any mind that serves only one god, Mar. It's surprising how de-Elenizing it is to be called a heretic."
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
Did you mean to provoke her?
The wind around her picks up dramatically as Marianne glares at her little brother. ”It was meant to be de-elenizing, Samen,” she fairly spits the name. ”These people worship the Darkness that murdered Sky, a god that is attempting to blot out everything that lived within His embrace! There is nothing more twisted, not even the darkspawn, for those elen, those people, chose Dark. And quit being bitter about your being considered a heretic. You know I meant nothing against you, I have made my peace with your path. You are just as likely to be right about your one people idea as I am about Dead Sky. You need to grow up, and accept that it is a difficult concept for people to accept. I have made my peace with it, and the fact that I am considered less heretical than you is more reason for you to follow suit, not less!” breathing heavily, she manages to restrain herself from continuing to rant about how she knows exactly what it feels like to be called a heretic, no need to make this more personal than it already is. Continuing, she adds: ”And as for worshipping one god, even if you are right, I would still worship only Dead Sky. A god is the identity of Their people, and regardless of what we were, we are most definitely separate peoples now.”
Samen Vloe Firenze |
Samen furrows his brow at Mar's outrage. He's clearly confused at why she would react this way. "I'm less concerned about what they worship and more concerned with why they want to kill us. 'Because they're monsters' isn't a reason, it's projection. The only reason they didn't come after us last month is because we didn't have things making us targets, so they didn't care. I would prefer to abandon them before we anger them enough to become targets in our own right. We're not inquisitors. Rooting out and fighting heretics isn't our job."
He looks around at his family, united in their goal, and comes to the all too familiar realization that there's no changing minds here. "Very well, let's just get to Forge."
Samen Vloe Firenze |
Con check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Con check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Con check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
"Thanks mum, but if it was important enough for him to die over, it was important enough to let us know what was going on."
Heh, looks like I'm taking a nap either way. :P
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
”And what I am saying is that, insane or not, they are a secretive cult of a god that wishes to destroy all. I feel that our having possessed these is enough provocation for them to come after us regardless of what we do now,” Marianne says tiredly.
Constitution: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5
Constitution: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Constitution: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Ouch. Looks like I’ll be laying down right next to you Samen.
Wamblee Firenze |
Constitution: 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 1 + 2 = 22
Constitution: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Constitution: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
At Uncle's story of silence, Wamblee quickly ceased speaking.
He kept his tongue during the argument between Marianne and Samen.
Our peoples must find their own ways. Not simply ape the Ifrit.
He thinks but the words do not reach his lips. But others do.
"To worship the Dark, is to at least some extent take its destructive nature into their spirits. Their very nature corrupted and tainted. And our destruction would please such beings."
During the walk, he does well at first, but then the fatigue and strain of recent events start to catch up with him.
Wamblee Firenze |
Some time later
Exhausted, Wamblee stops and puts away his kamas. He sits down, grasping his legs.
"No further tonight. I will do first watch, I will not sleep soon with these aches."
Hubristic Efreeti |
With the words hardly out of Wamblee's mouth, Uncle is snoring with his head on his pack. He looks haggard, the lines of his face much deeper than any of you recall.
Mother quirks an eyebrow at his snores. "I'm sorry all of you have gotten caught up in this, whatever it is. We'll pry some real answers out of him tomorrow."
Mother is heading to sleep unless any of you wish to speal with her
Let's say for simplicity that everyone has 3 nonlethal damage, and you are currently fatigued. All will be restored after a night's rest.
Watch order for everyone else, and a perception check for everyone taking a watch please
Samoon Firenze |
Missed the rolls! -3 NL it is.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
"Samen--they came after me," says Samoon tiredly. He has been quietly listening to the back-and-forth of his siblings for a while.
Samoon volunteers for second watch, chewing on his lip.
Marianne Fletcher-Firenze |
”I’ll take last watch, I am always first up anyways,” Marianne adds with a yawn before making herself at home in the grass.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Wamblee Firenze |
Before Mother settles down to sleep, Wamblee considers pressing her for answers. But then thinks better of it.
"Good night all."
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5