Rhoddam seems lost in thought for a moment picks up a stick and starts drawing a map in the dirt, "Well I believe Ulizmila’s hut, is here (D), the oldest tree, here (C) and the monestary here. Those woods aren't a safe place. Be careful and good luck with a cure. The town will need it." He then stands and hesitates to see if there are any other questions and if not walks back into the camp.
”Thank you!” Felos can’t help but blurt out in a super cheery voice.
Then he sticks his tongue out at the man’s retreating back.
anybody able to copy this map unto parchment so we have it with us and anybody got parchment and a writing kit and such?Alphonso says
"Unfortunately, I do not." Alwin states after taking a moment to put as much of the map to memory as possible.
well, there's nothing like being off to a smooth start, and this is nothing like a smooth start... it really is amazing that so many people--both locals and visitors--can have so few manners... at least this Alphonso seems to be getting us somewhere...
"I'm afraid I don't have anything to write with either," John answers somewhat apologetically as he also studies the map to try to commit it to memory.
how about a knowledge of geography and a skill in survival? Those might be useful to get us where we are going?
"I've got enough to go on." Torgald said. He took out his inkpot and began to make a map. "Here's where I think that they all be, based upon the directions..." The map included the town they had come from, the lumber camp, their current clearing, and their destinations...
Torgald draws a map that gives a good representation of the lumber camp they are at and their three destiations. There is about an hour or so of day light left for the wizards to travel and get away from the camp.
Ah Torgald you genius, well done! Let's get out of here and find a spot to camp along the way that isn't here, eh? Alphonso looks at the map for which way looks like it might lead to the best camp site
”Camp?” John asks incredulously.
”We don’t even have any tents or cots or anything… surely we should head back to town and spend the night in the inn?”
Torgald nodded at Alphonso in thanks for his words, and then turned to John. He took off his backpack and put it down. Setting his inkwell on the ground he proceeded to take out his the contents of his backpack. What came out was a bedroll, flink and steel, an iron pot, a mess kit, torches, soap, five days of trail rations, a change of clothes and a waterskin.
"We're not doin' a day trip, lad." The dwarf said, as he proceeded to repack the backpack, so that everything went in properly. "Headin' back to town would likely mean more people dyin' as it'll add many a day to this journey. E'en today, we're too far out to make it to town before it gets too dark for humans to walk unaided. In a pinch, ye can roll me change of clothes up to be a pillow and blanket. It 'ain't the best, but it makes sleep that much easier."
”We’ll need a rotation of watches through the night to keep the fire going, maybe roughly 90 minutes at a time. I’m used to sleeping in short cat naps, so I will take a middle watch.”
Alphonso sighs and says I need some camping supplies as well. We could stay one more night in the inn and then get up, eat, and buy our supplies and of we go, eh?
The inn would be nice but might as well use the distance we've come to shorten the distance we have yet to go. Tore says as he begins to walk off a ways further from the camp.
"I'm game for a ninety minute rotation when we set up for the night." Alwin states as he fallows Tore's lead.
there I go coming up with good ideas and getting myself in trouble Alphonso says as he moves along with the group.
John frowns the whole time he pokes around for a reasonably soft patch of ground to sleep on… like some kind of animal. ”Rotation… sure…” he mutters distractedly.
”Aye, we’ll be at the ruins before we know it.” Torgald said with a rare smile.
”It’s not so bad, John. I enjoy my creature comforts as much as anyone, but there’s also something refreshing about a good night’s sleep under a forest canopy. Crackling fire, crickets chirping in the night, all good things. Would you like to use my bedroll?”
The group walks down the path a way and sets up camp. They take turns keeping watch for about an hour and a half each. The birds are the first to make noise before the sun is up. Next the smaller animals can begin to be heard rustling in the undergrowth. What sounded like a bear tromping through the underbrush turned out to be a porcupine. What new things does this day bring to the party and what new place are they off to first?
Felos uses a prestidigitation to prepare himself upon waking, grooming and cleaning his fur magically. After studying spells, Felos studies their map.
”If we swing around this small lake, we should hit the tree, hut, and monastery all kind of in a line.”
Tore stretches and yawns as he wakens. He grabs his staff and first thing that he does is begin to run through a few kata forms to loosen up. After about 15-20 minutes of this, he grabs food and sits down with his back against a large tree facing the direction of the lumber camp. He opens his spell book and begins to study, glancing up from time to time to commit things to memory and to study the area around him.
Alphonso puts his back to a tree and wakes up sore knowing he needs to have a backpack and supplies and at least has a water bottle and takes that out for a drink and then waits for the others to read and then studies himself as well and lets the others knock down camp saying so we are going to need food for all of us as well as supplies and I am not am not starving out here
After taking a moment to prepare his spells for the day Alwin gathers his things and makes ready to head out.
After finishing his morning routines and eating, Tore stands up and say Lets get this moving. I'll go first. My martial training may be needed if we run into anything along the way. Always better to have atleast some of the muscle up front.
Alwin steps up and agrees to take a third man back spot or further if the group would prefer. "As I am mostly rang support, I will hang back a bit. That is if everyone is ok with my positioning."
Felos can stay near the back, sniffing the breeze for any ambush from behind.
"I'm not really accustomed to violence," John explains, "so maybe I'll stick the middle of the group, and if someone gets hurt I can try to help them?"
The wizards finish preparing their spells for the day and deciding their march order and head out map in hand. The party decides to head around the lake and on to the oldest tree.
At first they hear the chopping of wood in the distance which is replaced by birds chirping and rustling in the underbrush. Soon it is hard to even see unfiltered sunlight the canopy is so dense from the trees. It is a pleasant walk in the shade of the trees and would be an enjoyable day if not for the seriousness of your journey.
Alwin begins looking over the lay of the land and suggests what he perceives is the best path.
”Hear that? Animal whimpering over yonder. Careful now. Either a predator is near or a hunter. Would hate to stumble into a trap.” Torgald cautioned.
Felos sniffs the air, trying to pick up what kind of creature by its scent.
Whether successful in his identification or not, he scampers up the nearest tree and uses his climb speed 20 to move from tree to tree above the rest of the group.
Alphonso slides in behind the lead looking around as they approach the oldest tree not liking his spot but knowing that he is there for better or worse and looking for any traps as well.
Alwin glances over at Torgald. "Can't say I hear anything," he states after a brief moment of listening.
Felos only smells his companions and climbs up up the nearest tree and while he can see a way in most directions the direction Torgald indicated looks like it is a clearing and the foliage around it is much lower in that area.
Alphonso looks the direction Torgald indicated and can hear it as well.
If he can’t see anything, and tree branches aren’t touching, then he’s back down. No point with that kind of risk.
[b]well I can hear it as well but nothing yet in sight, shall we take a careful look around?[/dice] and with that Alphonso looks around a bit for any traps or snares as he looks for the animal making sure to keep with the group
The group follows the sounds to the edge of the woods and the lake. Ten feet from the lake sits a fox, it's hid leg caught in an iron trap. It lays whimpering all hope lost of getting out. Alphonso see no other traps between the woods and the lake.
"Looks like a hunter is goin' to be eating tonight." Torgald said. "Watch yer feet. Don't want to step in any traps." He continued as he turned to leave the fox to it's fate.
”Did anybody prepare the open/close cantrip today? If there is a hunter out there watching, it might flush them out.”
"I for one would prefer to let the fox out of the trap."
"Why?" Torgald asked. "That's some hunter's lunch and a pelt to sell. Would be stealin' from him to free the critter. We saw how ornery the loggers around here can be. I'd prefer nay to make more enemies. Especially when it's just an animal."
"Your point is valid I suppose. I just hate to see a creature suffer.” Alwin states as he turns and begins walking with the dwarf.
I wouldn't know how to properly finish an animal in a trap without ruining it's fur, but I could try to disable the trap to release it and then reset it.
”The dwarf is right,” John says, seemingly skeptical of his own statement. ”We’re already on thin ice with the locals; unless that’s a magical fox, it’s not worth the risk of making things worse just to show compassion to an animal that will likely just be eaten by something else anyways.”
Tore simply walks up to the creature and kills it with a blow to the head from his staff, leaving it trapped but quiet.
The fox lays there as Tore approaches and whacks it with his staff. The fox hisses at him as it clings to life. Suddenly an arrow comes from the treeline to the north and sticks into Tore's side. Two crows then come zipping out of the sky to attack him as well but both miss him.
Before he can react another arrow comes out at Tore but misses him this time. One of the crows manages to peck him but the would doesn't bother him much
Round 1
Party Up
Alwin knocks an arrow and takes aim at one of the crows.
Tore growls in annoyance more than pain. He quickly rubs one hand over the other generating a thick dark coating that spreads swiftly over his body.
Felos stays to the trees but makes his way 30 feet north towards the source of the arrow.