Expedition - Lug/Exploration - May 20, 1 VC

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin listens to Galen carefully.

"You do remember Xavro saying we could be killed or worse just by destroying it as well, right? But I don't disagree with you. Both choices have risks, it's just one is a shorter trip. We all knew this would be risky. Here's what I think we should do."

Orrin pulls out his coin purse and empties it on a nearby flat rock. He picks up a handful of coins and begins sorting through them with a stubby finger, discarding some and keeping others. He goes to each of his comrades and hands them a pair of coins. Then he places the empty coin purse in the middle of the group.

"Copper for taking the sword to the Lizard Men. Silver for destroying it in the mountain. Choose one, put it in the pouch without the rest of us looking. We dump out the contents and see what choice we've made. Saves us an afternoon of debate and no hard feelings."

PM your choice to Keehnelf and he can give us the results.

[Zhym]

Assuming we're all back together outside the grove now:

"That's a smart idea," says Lug, still quiet and somber, "but you're asking people to vote on risking their lives. Whatever we do, everyone has to do it because they want to, not because they were outvoted."

"We only got two options and they're both crappy. I saw what this sword did to Numen and I know what it did to me when Nine Tongues used it. It ain't weak or dusty. This thing's powerful. It's full of hate and blood lust. What if that ends up in us when we destroy it? Are we willing to give up our lives or our selves to destroy this thing? I...don't think I am. It's an evil sword, and I want it gone, but I like being alive and me."

Lug scratches the top of his curly head. "I don't think we can just march off to talk to the lizardmen, either. We don't have our tribute ready, or even know what it would be, really. Xavro just gave us the general idea. We'd need to find out more about the lizardmen and what we need to do to make peace with them. And the lizardmen are the wrong way to try to find Adrienne. But if we could make friends with the lizardmen we'd do more good than just getting rid of an evil sword. I like the sound of that."

"So I think we have to go look for Adrienne now. I held on to the stupid sword this long without going all evil yet. Maybe I can go a while longer. If we have to chuck the sword into lava, maybe we can find a way to do it without anyone being around. Or we can figure out what to make for the lizard men that'll impress 'em. Once we've found Adrienne, or...well, once we've found Adrienne we can do whatever we need to do next."

"What do you think?"

[hedgeknight]

Krysta Kane

Krysta can't hold back tears as the brave centaur talks to her, refusing even prayer. As she stands, she finally manages to say, "I will pray for your journey, brave Xavros. And for your rebirth. May the sun of Pelor's grace shine upon you as you leave this plane...and when you return."

Krysta dries her eyes and walks back to her companions...as they are making plans for the sword and the lizard men. She is quiet while waiting for the decision to be made as to where to go first.

[Zorroroaster]

"Lug, we're risking our lives to deal with this sword regardless of which option we choose. We all accepted that when we signed on. I just figured this way would keep folks from having to yell at each other or get all hurt towards specific people's ideas. We've all seen that before. This way we don't need to know who votes for what. But hey, this is your barbecue. I'll follow your lead."

Orrin leans against a nearby tree and waits.

[Marullus]

Nies quirks an eyebrow. "Could you clarify what happened to Adrienne and how you plan to rescue her?" He sits, placing his staff next to himself. "I thought you said she was bewitched and taken by Zygmaur. I am not sure if you followed the tale, but, Zygmaur IS the dragon. Grand, ancient dragon that was ancient when the long dead dwarves were still young, and even back then able to magically assume the forms of other races. Now of even greater power. Locked under the mountain because he couldn't be destroyed..." He nods poingiantly to the destroyed peak, "until the mountain exploded and the biggest red dragon I never heard of in tale or legend flew free, as we saw it." He pauses. "If your plan is to chase Zygmaur and simply 'get Adriana back' I think we have better hopes with the lizard men. At least we know they CAN be reasoned with."

[KingOfCowards]

Bertram is comforted by Lug's words, but shakes his head the whole time Niles is speaking.
"The lizard men don't have Adrienne, so I have no interest in them. I agree that fighting Zygmaur head on, is probably not our best option. But there must be other ways. Orrin was captured, and he escaped. It could be that just removing Adrienne away from Zygmaur's influence would allow her to recover in time. But I have to try something."

[Zhym]

"Hey, I just thought of something," says Lug. "Orrin, you said you saw Adrienne with Ziggy, right? And that was before I saw him—well, heard him—fly off as the big damn dragon. I don't think he was carrying anyone. So Adrienne probably isn't with him anymore! I bet she's still in the mountain complex somewhere! Orrin, where'd you last see her? We should start there."

[Zorroroaster]

"I have no idea where within the mountain we were when I saw her. I think I first came to inside my cell. Some sort of grand hall I suppose. I'd been hurt pretty badly. When I escaped, it was essentially in a loincloth with a steak knife hidden in it. Even then I had no way of knowing where to go. It was only by running into Fangir that I was able to escape. I think our best bet would be to just go and see what's passable among the ruin of the mountain. Perhaps something will jog my memory."

[Zhym]

"What if we start at the orc hole? Maybe if we retrace your steps you might remember something? We might even find something those orc bastards left behind."

[Zorroroaster]

That's probably as good a place as any to start, I guess."

[Keehnelf]

Ill wait until tomorrow to give others a chance to chime in before I move things forward, just in case.

[Spartakos]

Sorry I've been so quiet. Good to move on.

Galen acknowledges the potential dangers of destroying the sword, but believe a way could be found to arrange its destruction in a relatively safe fashion. "Human--and dwarven--ingenuity can solve many problems." He also points out again that dealing with the lizardmen is also fraught with unknown dangers. "At least if we take risks destroying the blade, we know that it gets destroyed. In trying to redeem it, if we fail, it could find a new evil wielder and wreak great harm on the people of Vaul."

That said, regardless of which decision is made, he agrees that returning to where Adrienne was last seen and seeing if a rescue is possible should be the first priority.

[KingOfCowards]

Bertram has no problem returning to the Orc hold, as it seems the most direct route. Would it be possible to backtrack Orrin's steps? There might not be an entire army of orcs to fight through and that is really where Adrienne was last seen if I am remembering the story right.

[Zorroroaster]

Problem is, there are no steps to retrace. Orrin was taken down outside the Orc hold, and the next thing he remembers is waking up in a cell somewhere deep within the mountain. That being said, it's the best place to start looking, regardless of whether Orrin can help with routefinding.

[Keehnelf]

I'll be looking to update this in an hour or two, if anyone wants to jump in with advice or comments at the last minute!

[Keehnelf]

May 24, 1 VC - 11:20am

The party stays overnight in and outside the grove, depending on their preference, and in the morning they depart toward the orc-hold to the east. Once out of the protected zone, they find the going once more very difficult, with a straight path almost impossible to follow due to masses of fallen trees. However, the congestion also seems to have limited the ability of others to move through the area, and the party sees no signs of tracks or other evidence of humanoid activity in the area as they move steadily eastward.

Early in the second day of travel, they spy a transformed landscape ahead of them--what was once the broad, but shallow, valley heading south to north with a nearly-dry creek at the bottom has become a field of broken volcanic stone. In the valley, there's no sign of the orcish hold that must likely have been crushed under tons of falling and flowing rock.

(imagine no snow)


Please deduct one day's rations.

[Zhym]

"Damn," says Lug. "I sure a glad I didn't go in the orc hole while the fires were going."

He sighs and looks toward the mountain. "On to the mountain, I guess?"

I'd have sworn that Lug had at least ten days worth of food before we left, but his sheet says 2 (now 1). Um.

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin looks around the field of rubble and mutters to himself for a while.

"Right. Let's get on with it."

1 day's ration deducted. Zhym, I often mess up editing the amounts when I'm on my phone as it won't easily let me place the cursor at the end of the number if it's larger than single digits. I have to delete each digit and then enter the correct number. Maybe something like that happened?

[Zhym]

1 day's ration deducted. Zhym, I often mess up editing the amounts when I'm on my phone as it won't easily let me place the cursor at the end of the number if it's larger than single digits. I have to delete each digit and then enter the correct number. Maybe something like that happened?

That's what I'm thinking, but it's not as if the character sheets have audit logs. I can't rule out just not remembering to shop for food, but mis-editing the number entry is a definite possibility.

[Marullus]

Niles follows along with the other's decisions, he and Ferris trekking along over the broken stones. "The lava flows are cooling; we may as well keep on to find one still fresh enough to do the deed."

(-1 ration)