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Thank you for letting us know so clearly about your decision. It’s important to know when to take a break from anything in life. Take care of yourself. This game has been a delight. It was an engaging story set in an interesting setting. Thank you for all the time you spent crafting this for us. You made my first 2E campaign a positive one. And thank you fellow players for your efforts.
Cardren smiles. ”Not a problem,” the monk says as he lifts the torch to light their way.
Cardren moves down the tunnel, as quietly as he can at the group’s speed. He wonders how many people it took to dig this tunnel and how long. ”Maybe the dirt gargoyles are mining too. From underneath.” he says quietly to the others. ”I’m just wondering why they’re here.”
”You know,” Cardren says as he thinks, looking at their opponents’ bodies. ”I think the mephits were doing something to me when they hit me. They’re causing my thirst. Watch out if they hit you.”
”I’ll do my best,” Cardren says nodding at Alric’s wise suggestion. He tests the bandages with some slow stretches and some quick punches to an imaginary foe. ”That’s strange,” the monk says frowning. ”I’m not as thirsty as I was. It’s like I had a cup of water.” He shrugs and shakes his head, looking at the others in confusion.
Cardren releases a long exhale as the fight ends. While Alric treats his wounds, Cardren stretches while gently touching the areas where he was hit. ”Is it stuffy down here? I just feel so thirsty. Much more so than I should be after two fights like that.” He takes out his waterskin and nods at Alric. "Please, check my wounds."
Against the two opponents, Cardren decides to trip both of them. He pushes against the one who hit him twice then attempts a similar maneuver with the other one. Cardren’s hands are a blur as he attempts to strike one mephit.
Cardren moves to intercept the rushing mephits. He notices the arrow and magic attacks against one, so he uses the momentum of another one against itself, attempting to trip it. Whether or not it falls, the monk focuses again on the meridian and pressure points of his enemy to stun it with a barrage of blows.
With combat finished, Cardren controls his breathing, feeling his pulse in his wrist. He looks at his companions to see how they are faring. He swallows, frowning slightly, then chuckles. ”I’m thirstier than I should be,” the monk says with a shrug and shake of his head. “Not worth taking a drink right now though. Oh, I forgot to mention it earlier, I have an elixir that lets the drinker see in total darkness. Some potions for healing too.”
Seeing one of the mephits fall to Elyana’s magic, Cardren moves to the one untouched by her magic. Wanting to leave the front of his opponent open to ranged attacks, Cardren slides to the creature’s side then launches an attack of swift punches in an attempt to stun the mephit. He thinks he sees an opening in the mephit’s defense and attempts to kick its knee.
After the last mephit falls, the monk waits a few seconds staring deeper into the mine, before lowering his defense. Cardren exaggerates the length of his breathing through his nose, taking long and slower breaths. Standing near a lantern, he examines the handwraps he put around his fingers, making sure they are secure. He asks, ”Everyone is okay?” When Alric moves down the tunnel, Cardren follows.
Seeing Elyana decapitate one of the enemies, Cardren speaks softly, ”Well done.” He scans the darkness and listens to find another mephit. Thinking he perceives his next target, he steps towards it. With a grunt he throws a punch. Finally he attempts a trip.
Cardren assess the damage from the blows against him, feeling the slight pain, knowing it isn’t serious. He attempts to trip the mephit with a leg sweep and push from his hands. He then follows through with two kick attacks.
Cardren sees that Alric is protecting Zaranna, so he moves to protect Elyana. Thinking Speed is a weapon, the monk unleashes two strikes to nerve points, or at least where he thinks they are on this creature that Elyana’s electricity hit. Instead of his usual vocalization when striking, he grunts, the sound deep in his throat. He follows the two quick blows with a snap kick.
Cardren pats Fel on the shoulder. ”Be careful,” he says. He follows Alric and Zaranna into the mine. He stretches his arms and shoulders for half a minute. His wrists get attention next. He knocks a knuckle against the mine’s support, assessing how safe it appears.
I like the idea of having the possibility of Fel’s return. Thank you.
”Are there torches lining the tunnels?” Cardren asks the guard. ”Any extras I could take?”
He surveys the entrance to the mine. "Should we bring a pick or two in case we need to dig?" Before stepping into the mine, he inhales deeply, as if savoring the air. "This is my first time inside a mine."
When the familiar gnome opens the door, Cardren groans internally. He lowers his head and bows in apology. As the foreman speaks, Cardren listens to the man’s tone and pauses between words. Is he giving us all the details? Is he holding something back?
After Zaranna accepts the pass to the mines and apologizes to Illa, Cardren also bows again and says, ”I am very sorry for any injury I caused.”
”It was time well spent,” Cardren says to Alric. As they walk towards the mine, Cardren looks at the people they pass, nodding and smiling to any who meet his eye.
”On the road into town,” Cardren says. ”Twenty miles from here? We also encountered some gnolls. I guess adventure finds us one way or another.” He bows to the man in brown and green clothing. ”Thank you for your help.” When they leave, Cardren says to Elyana, ”He didn’t recognize the name. Maybe Kristoff was using a different name.”
”I agree, Elyana. We shouldn’t be paranoid, but we need to be careful and aware.” Cardren asks the inn’s owner for directions to Aruuc’s temple and the other main temples in the town. He’ll leave with the others and follow the provided directions. At the temple, he’ll search for a cleric. If he finds one, he smile and bow. ”Greetings. We are looking for the brother of our companion. Kristoff. He works in the mines. He loves nature, so I thought he might worship here. Have you seen him recently? Know where he might live? Does he have any friends in the congregants? ” Cardren describes him based upon Alric’s comments. Before they leave Cardren also says, “We ran into a variety of adversaries on our journey here. Tell me, are Shadow beings vulnerable to positive energy? Or do you know any good countermeasures to such beings.”
”Did your brother like to worship one deity more than others?” Cardren asks. ”I was thinking maybe a cleric might know something about his recent life. While you and Zaranna investigate the house, the rest of us can inquire at temples.”
”A bed in the communal room is fine,” Cardren says handing over a silver. ”Should we keep ‘watch’ despite being at the inn? Once we see the room, we should think of a plan to keep any bystanders safe in case we are attacked.”
”We know so little about this situation, “ Cardren replies to Alric. ”I trust your feelings about your brother.” Cardren continues to scrutinize the citizens as they pass while they wait for Zaranna to return. He waves at her when he sees them coming. ”The Pick and the Pillow?” the monk chuckles. ”I like the sound of it. Lead on Zaranna.”
”I guess she didn’t hear my offer,” Cardren adds. He opens his coin purse. Shaking the contents twice he pulls out four silver. He gives it to Elyana with a bemused smile. ”Though, next time I see something similar, I’ll probably react the same way.” He looks around the area, checking for people giving them too much consideration. ”Do you think your brother liked this town, Alric?”
”Oh, fiancé?” Cardren looks very embarrassed. He bows deeply to the woman. ”I’m very sorry. I hope you’re not injured. Please, let me buy you dinner. I mean, not you, not only you. You and your fiancé.”
”Don’t struggle,” Cardren says. ”Answer our questions or you’ll regret it.” He increases the squeeze he has on the assassin’s wrist.
Cardren goes to the base of the wall, ready to grab the assassin if he falls due to Elyana’s spell. If the assassin isn’t knocked off the wall, Cardren will begin to climb in pursuit.
Cardren doesn’t follow Alric’s visual clue for now. He takes a sip of his water. ”Do you think he is a servant of our old friend?” he asks in Common. He hopes they understand who he means. Shifting to the edge of his seat, he checks the room for exits, windows, and potential combatants. His fingers linger on the edge of his plate, ready to throw it.
”I wonder if they call earth mephits, dirt gargoyles here,” Cardren says. ”Wouldn’t surprise me if a town on the other side of the mountains has another name for them too.” Cardren looks around the room again, seeing what the miners like to do in their downtime. ”Alric, what kinds of things did your brother like to do? Did he have hobbies? If he liked singing, maybe there’s a tavern for that. Or if he liked horse racing, maybe there’s a stable that organizes races.”
”Evening!" he says in Common to the miners. ”It has been a while since I’ve spoken Elvish. Can you point us to where Kristoff lived, or who his friends are?” He turns his attention back to Alric once the miners leave. ”Dirt gargoyles?” he pauses as he thinks
”I’ll take an order too,” Cardren says handing six coppers to the man. His eyebrows knit in confusion as Alric hands the man two silver coins. When they go over to the Crew Boss, Cardren stands behind Alric. He smiles at the elf and says, ”Prynhawn Da.” He mostly looks around at the other customers to see if anyone is listening to their conversation.
As they approach the town, Cardren remains at the back of the group, acting as a rearguard. He has a smile on his face, greeting strangers with a nod. With their encounter with the pregnant woman, Cardren listens to Zaranna, glancing at Larissa. He has a slight frown on his face, unsure how to process the news that the woman is from Zaranna’s dreams. He scratches an eyebrow, nodding along with Alric’s words. ”I’ll help you find the tavern, Alric,” the monk says. ”Where should we find you Zaranna when we’ve found the tavern or Kristoff?”
I spent way too much time trying to decide which of Cardren’s items becomes a relic. I won’t go into all the details and arguments I made to myself, but I finally decided on Cardren’s water skin as the item, becoming gifted with Healing Wave. Is this an acceptable relic, GM?
Hit Points go from 30 to 41.
As for the item becoming a Relic, I need to think about it more. Probably adding a small book...or maybe a belt or sash (?) to his inventory.
Cardren sees the arrow sticking in the bowman’s throat and nods in respect and gratitude to Zaranna. He turns and rushes towards the others. ”Here we come!”
”Begin again,” he mumbles to himself as he pursuits the bowman. Once he reaches the man, he attempts a leg sweep and to wrestle him to the ground.
”Well done,” Cardren says to Alric as he surveys the battle. A streak of light flashes from Feldrimala’s palm so the monk takes thinks that that “side” is being taken care of. He rushes towards a bowman using a tree as cover. He takes a few strides allowing Alric some room to follow. He strikes with speed but also at the opponent’s meridians causing him to lose sensation between his mind and body.
I can edit. I just select the Ca and slide the mouse down until the hand appears and "grab" it to move to the spot I want.
He must be confident allowing me to flank him, Cardren thinks. The monk cries out ”Rho!” as he moves towards the man who attacked Alric. As he breathes in he imagines his ki flooding from his core to his hands. ”Hyaaa!” he shouts, his fists moving in a blur as he attempts to strike the man.
Cardren listens to the description of Feldrimala’s dream, sitting near the fire ring. As the discussion develops he thinks about what happened in his dreams again. ”This information about a celestial fight, I find hard to understand; or rather does this knowledge change my actions? Like you said Zaranna, ‘Warn us of what?’ I think my dreams are sent by him. However maybe not everyone’s are. Maybe he has enemies and they are trying to warn some of us. Mostly this makes me want to talk to sages about dreams. Where they come from. Why some seem prophetic. That will have to wait though. We have many miles to go today.”
”Should we try to wake one another up if we notice someone is dreaming?” Cardren says. He is sorting the firewood by size. ”In my normal dreams, I’m quite often able to stop them if I don’t like the way they are going. The first time I stopped a dream, I don’t remember exactly what was happening, but I raised my hand and said ‘No’ and it stopped. I haven’t attempted that with him.” Adjusting the stones for the fire ring, the monk adds, ”It just feels like we’re being played with.” He studies his hands, feeling fingers, veins, and calluses.
Cardren lies awake in his sleeping roll as dawn begins.The sound of forceful, deep breathing through his nostrils can be heard. After ten minutes of the rhythmic breathing, he sits up. He gets ready for the day first by shaving, then eating a handful of nuts. ”Another dream for me,” he says. ”Other than being unsettling, I wonder if they serve a purpose for him. “And I wonder why Swampwood? Even after leaving the monastery and traveling around, delivering arcana supplies, I didn’t think to investigate about him. As I said before, that night felt like such a long time ago. Didn’t think about it much. Didn’t think answers were possible. Now, I wonder if other cities have a similar monster.” After breakfast, Cardren makes sure nobody needs the fire’s burning coals before covering them with dirt. ”Well, let’s do our best today. I’ll guard the back. Anybody want me to fill their water skin at the spring?”
After receiving the healing potion, Cardren again bows to the dryad, and says, ”Thank you for your generosity.”
”Do you have any more magic for healing?” Cardren asks Elyana. ”The mold’s cold...I almost feel like the side of my body closer to the mold got burned by the cold. I still feel it a little. Thank you.”
”I’ve been thinking about my dreams recently,” Cardren begins. ”Do you think it’s a type of illusion magic? If so, could it affect us while we’re awake?” Cardren shakes his head and even chuckles. ”I was scared as a child, mostly physically. This is...different. I need to remind myself not to generate fear from unknowable speculation. Return to the monastery’s first lessons on confronting fear. Begin again everyday.” He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. Encompassing his companions in his gaze, he adds, ”I don’t know why he didn’t attack us separately, but I believe in our ability to help each other and defeat this.” Finally looking at the dryad, he says, ”Do you think we can tie her to my back, like I’m giving her a piggy-back ride?”
Cardren holds up his hands, fingers wide, as a sign of conciliation to Alric. ”It’s not my intention to honor them,” the monk says. ”I’d bury an animal if it was a recent death. If leaving them to the elements satisfies the rest of the group, that’s what we’ll do. Shouldn’t we at least offer a blessing to prevent them becoming undead in the future?” He moves closer to the dryad, looking at her. ”It’d be extra dangerous traveling tonight with the storm. I’ll carry her as gently as possible. Let’s go back to the shelter, obscuring our trail if we can.”
The monk stands over the fallen orcs with his head bowed. He mumbles quietly to himself. ”I agree,” the monk says, coming over to examine the orcs’ equipment. ”It is inconvenient but we don’t have much choice. Should I carry her or create a stretcher using branches and a blanket? Do you know how far away her home tree is? Do we have time to bury them?”
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