Soooo game dead?
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Dunno, I'm still here, but lots o' folks seem to be having real-life problems. Hope everyone's OK.
Sorry to hear it—hope things clear up for you.
Felder rises from leaning against his staff and falls back into the group's traveling dynamic.
”Good to know that I haven’t fallen in with a band of hooligans who steal pennies from children.”
Felder lurks in the back of the group behind the warriors, leaning on his staff but keeping his words of magic in mind just in case.
Guess that leaves me with Aiden.
Felder shrugs, blows out his lantern, puts it away, and says, "Who's holding the light?"
"Well, shall we use the old rubric of picking one direction and sticking with it for now? Head off to our right, then right again?" suggests Felder. "Someone should make a map."
I mostly ignore OSE because it's just a copy of B/X.
"Hmm. This grease on the bars is probably both a means to make sure that the gate doesn't get stuck, and a way to prevent people from grabbing on to it to lift it from outside," says Felder. "I was hoping we might get lucky and find a hidden emergency release, but alas." "Give me a lever long enough and I will move the world," he paraphrases, "so maybe a sufficiently strong piece of fallen wood can lever the gate up, using a rock or another log as a fulcrum, and then you can shove those rocks under it to keep it partway up."
"I wonder if there's a crank or release elsewhere around here..." says Felder. He starts checking around the entryway, looking through bushes nearby, trying to see if there might be a lever or wheel that's partially buried or concealed.
"It's possible, but I wouldn't rely on it," says Felder. "The best illusions are ones for which your context predisposes you to accept them, so it would be a good defense, but... given this place's history I'm not sure I'd risk it."
After the climb up the hillside, Felder took a good twenty minutes of sitting just to catch his breath; even the trip down into the valley leaves him a bit winded. While Gildreak makes his way into the tunnel, Felder squints out at the valley itself and the remnants of the village. "Never a good sign when a whole village is abandoned like this..." he murmurs. "... and what is that crumbling structure there? The front archpiece is still intact, but the back half is about to fall over. From the remnants of the trellises in those overgrown bushes, I'd judge it to be a vineyard. That means it might still have a wine cellar, though depending on how long this place has been abandoned, there might be nothing left but vinegar and rats."
"I'd like to get some sleep as soon as I can... it's been a long day... but I'm happy to wake up with the dawn and keep an eye out while I'm studying my books," says Felder.
"That suits me fine," says Felder as he leans on his staff. "Better than walking aimlessly for hours more."
"Indeed, if they are in fact summoning elementals or extraplanar beings, that is far beyond the scope of any magic that I have ever performed."
"Demon?" says Felder skeptically. "That seems... extraordinary."
"Yes. Why take unnecessary risks? We're going into a legendary ancient ruin. Risks enough for anyone."
Go ahead and use Felder to the best of his somewhat above average intelligence. If he dies, well, these things happen! (He's already dying anyway...)
I've rigged up a mobile device temporarily but it's really, really hard to do anything with it. In theory I might have parts on Monday, but I can't even test boot my computer until then, so I don't know if there will be more damage that I have to fix.
Everything went wrong with my move and I can’t use my computer now. No ETA for return.
Currently moving. Should have regular access again June 1st.
Backstory connection: Felder is dying of consumption. In a perhaps ironic twist, while he studies magic, arcane magic can't impinge upon divine areas—the health and restoration of the soul, and the life of the body that it inhabits. So, while he can learn any number of spells that kill people, like magic missiles and fireballs, he can never learn even the simplest spells to heal; that is the exclusive province of the gods. The years that he spent as an apprentice wizard have allowed him to unlock formidable cosmic secrets, but he has also learned that he is dying and it is outside of his power to do anything to stop it. Only a priest could beseech the gods to change his fate. The simple line of pilgrims here are in search of a miracle that he could never perform, for all of his power, and this is a humbling reminder of his mortal limitations and his oncoming end.
The team leaves behind the burning fields, committed to focusing on only one problem at a time. The day turns long and soon the group camps, then travels again, the miles adding up in endless trudging. A few days later just after the noon meal, the team hears the distinctive sound of a traveling bell—the kind that one might have on a staff, as decoration, or for amusement—then another, and another. Soon another group becomes visible on the road, traveling the other direction. At the head of the group is a stern-looking man in the vestments of a traveling friar. Middle-aged and lean, this man has clearly seen many miles on the road. He is wiry and has a face wrinkled by exposure and worry, with a tonsure that really doesn't do much since he has only the wispy remnants of hair on the sides of his head. A large wooden holy symbol adorns a simple bead necklace and hangs on his chest over his brown robes. Behind this man is a group of half a dozen other travelers, staggered out and then with a small clump of three at the end of the procession. The middle three are garbed in a variety of traveling clothes, with dusty boots and simple garments, carrying knapsacks or satchels for their possessions. The last three are grouped together and wear white, tattered rags with hoods and facemasks, and each of them carries a walking staff with a bell at the top. The bells jingle as the procession moves onward. As the groups come closer the man at the head of the procession raises a hand and says, "Greetings, travelers. I apologize for the inconvenience, but as you can see, this group of pilgrims travels in search of a holy cure to their ailments, and there are lepers among our train. I would ask that you take one side of the road so that we might pass without incident." A young woman a short distance behind the priest sneezes, then daubs her nose with a cloth which comes away red and bloody. The man looks on sympathetically, then makes a cryptic gesture of the faith. "We travel in search of a shrine or relic or healing bath where miraculous cures might liberate these wretches from their suffering," says the friar. "I wish you well and pray that if you have any news of such, you might pass it on to us." Felder stifles a cough and says, "My good man, if we knew such a cure, I would surely pass on that knowledge; but we have heard of naught but suffering and privation in these lands of late. I hope that if you travel beyond the borders of the Barony you shall meet with better luck." He fumbles with his pack a moment and then produces a handful of coins for the friar. "Please, take this coin to aid you in your travels, as food and shelter can be scarce in these troubled times." The friar looks to Osseus and says, "Sir, you have the look of a holy man yourself; pray tell, have you knowledge of any such wisdom? Means to lift the misery of these diseases from the unfortunate?" Felder starts to say something again but a wracking cough strikes him and he doubles over, clutching at his staff to keep standing. The friar says to Felder, "Sir, of you are so afflicted, you may of course join our pilgrimage." Felder waves his hand away and then says, "No, I have other pressing matters to which I must attend in my limited time." The friar turns back to Osseus to see if the priest has any news for him.
"That, or force the farmers to join the military. No fields to plow, no way to live, you are beholden to the Baroness for food and a place to stay."
"We still have a long trip ahead of us," says Felder, "and no guarantee of success. I don't know that we want to spend time investigating what could just be a farmer burning some fields for the next crop's planting... or might be trouble that we're already trying to avoid, if it isn't."
Presumably we want to head north to Thorold and beyond while avoiding main road crossings (where soldiers are most likely to set up checkpoints).
How wild do you wanna go? OSE includes equipment entries for a crowbar (10 gp), hand mirror (5 gp), iron spikes (1 gp for 12) & a small hammer (2 gp), etc. I'll kick in 20 gp to help fund extra exploration gear. Torches are useful because it's easier to light oil on fire with them; Felder carries a lantern because it lasts longer and gives light out to a greater range.
Felder pulls some coins out of his purse to pay Aiden and Barnabas, and to cover a final meal for them at the tavern before the group sets out for adventure! "I have a lantern," he says, "but if we need more tools or weapons, we should purchase them before we go."
Felder waves to get Knuckles' attention and gives a thumbs-up between coughs to indicate that he'll cover the cost of room and board for the fellows.
Felder starts to stand up to engage in some task but starts coughing hard and winds up sitting back down again, clutching his walking stick sharply.
I nominate Knuckles for the bonus, just for consistent RP as the grizzled, suspicious veteran, and for taking a clear direction on having some familiarity with the area and its people.
After a good night's sleep and a little late rest, Felder ambles back down for a bite to eat. The wizard is quick to assemble his friends and associates for his plan. "My friends and traveling companions, I think that looking for this so-called Palace of the Silver Princess is our next ideal move," he says. "There are many legends about it, though I must confess that my knowledge is fragmentary. Still, I'm sure that it does exist; we might be able to learn more about its location and history by asking some of the locals. Surely stories have been handed down over the years . We have a good assortment of skills, and if we can find something useful or valuable in those old walls, then perhaps we can do some good with it." The wizard seems a bit circumspect as he says, "So far I don't think there's any law against adventurers exploring old ruins and reclaiming lost things by right of salvage. If we can survive whatever risks are in the wild, it could be a good opportunity." "None of us are especially gifted orators or charmers, so I recommend that we spend the morning after breakfast talking to various locals about rumors and news, then we meet here for lunch and decide our next move," he finishes. "You two gents—" and here he points to Aiden and Barnabas—"can earn a little more money if you're willing to lend sword-arms to our expedition."
Felder pays Aiden and Banabas a total of six gold pieces for escort services, gives Bernadette a hug, then announces that he’s exhausted and, after a coughing fit, heads up the stairs to sleep.
[b}"Certainly not a place to go while we're trying to get home safely in the middle of the night,"[/b] says Felder. "Let's get everyone back to town safe and secure, and we can talk about the prospect in the morning. Might even give the two sword-fellows something to do to earn a few coins."
"Well it's not as if we are going to upend the aristocracy," says Felder, "but perhaps there's a way we can get some money. There's a story of an old ruin not far from here... a sort of fortress, I suppose? It's abandoned, the history is a bit unclear, perhaps it was overrun by monsters; anyway, the sort of place where you might find lost treasures and magic amidst the dangers."
Yeah, about to mention it. Also we probably shouldn't talk about overthrowing the local ruling structure in front of a group of soldiers. :)
"This is just extortion," says Felder. He glances to Knuckles and says, "Surely something can be done."
"Bernadette! We came looking because we met a pair of fellows who claimed that they saw a body on the road, and we thought it might be you. Knuckles is here too! We've seen some of the caelyxes, they look quite fierce, it's not safe to travel the roads alone."
"We came out because of a report that one of our friends, who we were looking for, might've been found on the road as a victim of these creature attacks," shouts Felder back. He holds his lantern up a bit so that they can see him better. "Indeed, we found a body of a luckless traveler, but it was not our friend. We are taking the body back to town for proper rites and notification of the family. We have already seen some of these strange creatures, they run when outnumbered but I suspect they will return in greater numbers."
"I think Osseus was referring to the other lights on the road there, Knuckles," says Felder. "Most travelers at night aren't about with good intentions... we being one of the exceptions, of course... but if they wanted to sneak up on us, they'd douse their lights."
"I still have my lantern," says Felder. "No need for the torch."
Felder lets out a breath and brings down his hand, which was twisted into the beginnings of an arcane gesture. "Let's get the body so that she can be buried properly in the graveyard, and maybe if she has any family in the town or nearby they can be notified," he suggests.
Still here.
Felder shuffles into position behind Emmett and lifts his lantern to better illuminate the area as the creatures close in.
Felder sets down his lantern and rummages through his things, then motions for the two guides to join him. "You made good on what you said, so I'll do the same. Here's a little money for your trouble," he says as he hands the boys a few gold coins.
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