[Completed] - Quirin/Exploration - 3 March, 1 VC

[Keehnelf]

This thread is for the expedition to explore generally, led by Quirin, the no-nonsense Elf. It departed from Vaul on 3 March, 1 VC and included the following members:

Quirin - male elf (sulldawga)
Varas - male human (AleBelly)
Wendall - male human (OGRE MAGE)
Dorvar - male dwarf (Scott308)

I will send a group PM with links to all character sheets to the group, so you can have them as reference for your journey.

Please use dialog tags for character speech, and ooc tags for mechanics-related commentary or questions directed to me. Please make sure you identify your character (preferably using bold) somewhere if there is any speech or character action in your post.

You can orient yourselves using the map available in the first post of the maps thread in this forum. Feel free to download and modify that as you wish, or to start from scratch with your own map if you feel the need to keep one. It is entirely up to you.

For orientation purposes, there are six main directions of travel from hex to hex (of course): East and West, and then NE, SE, NW, and SW. Please use those directions when indicating desired movement overland if you don't have a landmark within a hex that you are attempting to reach.

To start with, I'll need Quirin (or his proxy) to indicate the initial direction of travel out of Vaul.

[sulldawga]

Our group will head northwest.

For the record, Quirin's memorized spell is Sleep.

[Keehnelf]

Great-I'll wait to hear what Wendall's memorized spell is before moving along. Never mind, he has it marked on his sheet! Expect update in a bit.

[AleBelly]

Varas is refreshed from a good night's sleep. "It seems there's more to us than meets the eye" referencing last night's discussion with his new companions.

He kicks at the dirt a bit as they decide to head northwest. "We should discuss our formation. This" he says, pointing to his studded leather armor "was all I could afford, and it won't do much to protect me in melee combat. Perhaps I should be in the middle or back? I'm pretty good with my bow, less so with my sword. Perhaps the elf and dwarf are better at hand-to-hand?" he asks hopefully.

[Keehnelf]

Feel free to continue discussions about formation and party strategy--as this is a non-combat update nothing will be affected by it happening now.

The early March air is crisp and cool as the party sets off across the moor surrounding Vaul to the northwest. The land dips and rises, is punctuated by rock outcroppings and lone trees making the occasional persistent attempt to take root in the thin and rocky soil. The adventurers find the going itself easy, but the distance hard to determine minute by minute as they are constantly forced to snake their way around small stone clefts or needlessly sharp inclines.

Early in the evening of March 4, just as the group is set to stop for the evening and establish camp, the sound of a howling wolf can be heard drifting across the moorland. The distance is difficult to judge, but must be a number of miles. After a long moment, the call is answered from another direction, similarly distant, by a chorus of other wolf-voices. The noises fade away but they leave the party uneasy as they build their camp deep in a depression so as to avoid giving notice of their presence by their campfire.

The night passes uneventfully, the party wrapped tightly in their bedrolls, and when they wake the next morning the sky is a clear pale blue, with not a cloud in evidence in any direction.

Random Wilderness Encounter [1d6] = 6

Location Discovery (entry) [1d6] = 6, Location Clues (entry) [1d6] = 4

The party has moved one hex northwest of Vaul. Each party member needs to remove a day of rations from their character sheet.

It is now March 4.

[sulldawga]

Quirin chats up the group over breakfast about their goals.

What do you think, fellows? Should we stay in this area and explore further, or push further away from town?

i.e. do we want to stay in this hex and have a closer look, or go to another hex? If you want to move, give me an idea of which direction (if it matters to you). I don't mind being the "caller" for this team but I don't want people to think I'm trying to take over decision-making.

[AleBelly]

Varas pipes up. "I'd prefer to stay close to the fortress. We know little about the area and could quickly get in over our heads. It would be prudent to stay close to the safe haven of Vaul. I'm willing to venture away from our origin another day, but no more."

Changing the subject, he says "Did anyone else hear those wolves last night? Sounds like they came from two different locations. Could have been packs on their own, but goblins have been known to keep them as mounts. Perhaps we could head towards the source of the noise?"

[Keehnelf]

The wolf howls probably came from the west and the southwest, though given the unusual lay of the land and your unfamiliarity with it, those estimates could be off.

[OGRE MAGE]

Wendall

In response to Varas: Yes, I heard them. I couldn't sleep a wink after that. If the goblin scum has my brother, I am for hunting them down NOW! Wendall scowls and winces as he stretches his boney body. Has anyone seen any kind of tracks on the ground or anything? Aint you elves supposed to be good at stuff like tracking? He impolitely says to Quirin.

Definitely not trying to insult or piss anyone off but, I like to play my characters according to their stats and Wendell's CHR is an almost unbearable 6. I don't think he cares if he is well liked or not however.

[Scott308]

Dorvar

I agree with Varas. Better to stay close for now and explore this area well. We can venture farther from Vaul later on, but we don't know anything about the area. It could get dangerous quickly. Along those lines, I have no problem being in front or guarding the rear, whichever people prefer. I have no eye for tracking, so if anyone is skilled, they can lead if they wish. Whatever we choose, eyes and ears should be kept open. With goblins and wolves about, we need to stay alert, and together.

[sulldawga]

Quirin stiffens slightly. I am no sneak-thief, if that's what you're implying. I do have the same sharp vision as my kin but I don't have any special skill in tracking.

Let's just stay together. The dwarf is the hardiest of us all, he can lead with Varas right behind. Wendall, stay in the middle where you're least likely to be hurt and I will take up the rear.

Sounds like we vote for further exploration of this hex today.

I didn't mention it before but Quirin will be walking with his bow at the ready, not long sword and shield.

[Keehnelf]

March 4, 1 VC - 11:40am

The party spends the morning traversing the area, until near noontime they spot something unusual in the distance. Taking great care to avoid an ambush or other nasty surprise, the party slinks along behind an up thrust ridge and makes it within sight of what appears to be an ancient signal tower.

The tower is made of stone, stands approximately twenty feet and is open to the sky at the top--presumably its wooden roof has long since rotted away. Gaps in the wall circling the top of the tower reveal the smoldering remains of a fire. The iron door at the base of the tower stands ajar.

PbP Forum code: Location Discovery (entry) [1d6] = 2, Location Clues (entry) [1d6] = 6

PbP Forum code: Random Wilderness Encounter [1d6] = 5

[sulldawga]

Quirin

Well, what do we have here? What do you think, boys, a chance to do a little exploring?

[AleBelly]

"Yes, interesting. Wolves certainly didn't make that fire, which narrows things down a bit" winks Varas.

"I think the ridge protected us from sight, but we should be careful in case whatever's in that tower saw us. I'm a pretty good climber - I could scale the walls to the top and look down through the roof. If they are goblins, we could attack from above and below - I'd just need one or two of you close by in case they saw me.

We could always just watch for awhile too...or any other ideas you come up with!"

If the party likes Varas' idea to scale the tower, he will work out a rudimentary system of hand gestures with them (e.g. thumbs up = all clear; thumbs down = goblins, followed by a number of fingers equal to the number of goblins present; waving arms = emergency; falling from the tower = got shot by a goblin arrow and feel free to take my possessions)

[OGRE MAGE]

Wendall

Well, I'm no fighter but I can put some of them to sleep for a while. If we can get them in a group, I might be able to affect all of them. Depending on their numbers of course.

[sulldawga]

Quirin says, Let's not rush into anything. We could wait for them to emerge and set up an ambush. Better to face them out here, where we can run away if need be, instead of down there.

[Keehnelf]

OK, so in practical terms what are we up to?

[sulldawga]

I propose we approach the tower on foot and see if whoever was camping in there is still there.

If Varas wants to climb the tower walls first, I'm not going to stop him. It's his call.

[Keehnelf]

And I assume from prior conversations that the following is more or less your preferred order? (unless Varas is off doing his own thing)

^ direction of travel

Dorvar (longsword and shield)

Varas (bow), Wendall (staff)

Quirin (bow)

[sulldawga]

That marching order looks fine to me. If we need to go single file, put Varas in front of Wendall.