Part 3: Ill met at first light

[KingOfCowards]

I realize he has not volunteered, but Jonas has better dexterity than either Burd or Simon. Even with the bonus to making your dex check, there is a reasonable chance of our dwarf setting off another round of spores. With the same bonus, Jonas would decrease that chance significantly. We are talking 35% chance versus 10%, times three rolls. Just throwing that out there. Everyone is more than welcome to do what they see is fit.
Seeing the dwarf struggling to traverse the room of spores, Simon meekly suggests to Jonas, "Do you think you could make it to Marcus and drag him back here?"

[zebediah]

Good point, but don't forget Jonas is currently deaf. Simon will need to be a bit more gestural.

WHAT? Jonas responds to Simon SORRY SIMON BUT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOU. not realizing his loudness.

I take Simon will further communicate and clarify his suggestion to Jonas, which he promptly agrees to.

Okay. Burd, please stay where you are so we lessen the risk, okay? I will slowly move to Marcus and try to bring him out. Simon, please leave this area so you're not at risk. If we all die please tell my mom I love her.

First of all, does Jonas' knowledge of hrbalism tells him anything about this type of plant, like a way to protect from the spores or a quick way of killing it? Not sure if anyone else asked this before, so just making sure.

Jonas's herbalism roll: [1d20] = 18

Now, if that told him nothing that would change the current plan Jonas will pick up the wool cloak he took from the scarred warrior and covers himself with it, trying to leave no flesh exposed.

Then he tries to walk over to Marcus, slowly and carefully:

[1d20] = 13

Assuming that goes on without incident, he will try to cover his friend's skin as much as possible. If Marcus has no clothes Jonas could use for that he will remove the black cloak and cover Marcus with it.

New Dexterity roll: [1d20] = 12

So if all steps above went on successfully Jonas will try to lift Marcus, something which I believe will call for both Str and Dex rolls.

Str: [1d20] = 4

Dex: [1d20] = 11

Finally, he will move back very slowly out and away from this area, trying to avoid any contact with the plants and taking as much time as needed.

[1d20] = 16

Is this a pass with the eventually applicable bonuses?

[mb.]

Bürd actually looks a little relieved at Simon's idea, and stays put as Jonas moves towards Marcus.

[Pulpatoon]

With care and deliberation, Jonas has successfully extricated the unconscious Marcus!

Jonas:

You have no knowledge of these puffballs. You know of much smaller puffballs you would find as a boy in the forest, and chuck them at your friends. The made impressive clouds of pea-green dust.

[mb.]

Seeing everyone safely out of the room, Bürd will start to make his way to them, very slowly and carefully...

Bürd has essentially aborted his action twice now, so we're still on the roll from above, right? And +5 for extra special dwarf carefulness.

Bürd rolls [1d20] = 12 +1+5

[Pulpatoon]

There are a few tricky moments where Bürd teeters precariously, but the dwarf makes it safely to his companions.

[KingOfCowards]

With everyone safely out of the room, Simon will have a look at Marcus. "He is breathing, which is fortunate. But his wounds are as much internal as external. I'm unsure how much we can do for him at this time..."
Healing knowledge: [1d20] = 17

[Pulpatoon]

Simon: You are at a loss as to what to do, other than get him some fresh air and rest and hope he recovers.

[MonkeyWrench]

let me rest outside, when I come to I will join you all?

[KingOfCowards]

"Fresh air might help his breathing. I have no other cure for his injuries just yet."

Not sure on this one. Do we keep exploring without one of our fighters? I will have another spell tomorrow. But I am not sure even a day of rest will improve our chances that much. One spell doesn't always go that far.

[mb.]

Bürd sighs deeply, coughs a few times, and sits on the floor, slumping back against a wall. He removes the cloth wrapped around his face and wipes his forehead with it, "if we're t'leave the lad here, there's no knowin' what'll come fer 'im. An' without 'im I'm not keen on our chances goin' on..."

"But I dinnae rightly know if we're fer carryin' 'im off elsewheres. It may be we kin get on a ways, close th'circle I reckon," he waves through the opening, onwards, "an' be back soon fer the lad an' all."

[KingOfCowards]

I'm not sure I understand what you are suggesting mb. Wouldn't "closing the circle" entail going back through that room that nearly killed us?

[mb.]

Yup, it would, but I've got an idea how we could maybe do that without dying.

[Pulpatoon]

So, guys, remember how you all grew up together and formed bonds of eternal friendship and camaraderie? And remember how one of you was actually a weird clockwork machine-child that was found in the woods? And how, contrary to all logic this mechanical child grew at a pace with the rest of you, and joined you on your youthful adventures?

'Cuz that totally happened.

Gizzy, the clockwork child, was another of your childhood chums. Most of you met him at such a young age that it never really occurred to you that there was anything unusual about one of you being made out of gears. A few years ago, however, Gizzy began to withdraw a bit, feeling alienated from his neighbors, and there was some tension with older villagers who had a tendency to treat Gizzy as a novelty to be shown off for the entertainment of visiting merchants, or as a clever labor-saving apparatus.

One day, Gizzy was gone, and no one was too surprised that he felt the need to strike out on his own. But it didn't seem right that he wouldn't have shared his plans with his best friends. Whenever you had a chance, you would group together and go ranging to nearby towns, looking for tell of the clockwork man. One day, you found yourselves on the road to Th'ope, where there were tales of many mechanical wonders.

You met Gizzy along the way, and it was clear that he had been through an ordeal, both mental and physical. He bore a well-used hand axe and several wounds. He seemed weary, and was reluctant to talk about what had happened, although you gather that he had not actually left Herebury of his own volition. He also seemed more mature, and confident in his place in village society, after this.

The villagers, for their part, felt awful that they had marginalized Gizzy, and upon his return the Reeve instated him as the semi-official constable within the village limits, placing upon him a badge of a bear rampant.

Gizzy has set up a small stall next to the Smithy, where he works on maintenance and repair of the four or five clockwork timepieces in the village. A few months ago, he left the village again, this time on a trip south to Tallenmir, looking for parts and training with some particularly sensitive mechanisms.

Why do I bring this up, right now? No reason. No reason at all, I'm sure.

[MonkeyWrench]

Well... in that case as Marcus lays unconscious on the cold dark ground he dreams of the days when everyone were kids, where the days weren't filled with the horrors that are befalling them now, days running through the forest and village roads, all of them and Gizzy...

[mb.]

Bürd stands again, and looks back into the spore chamber, "were we t'wrap up good an' t'throw summat through the room, we could clear a path t'other side I reckon, poppin' all them spore balloons."

[KingOfCowards]

Simon gives Bürd a skeptical look, "I am not sure...what did you have in mind to throw into the room? More flaming oil? I'll admit, I am not in the best of shape myself. I'd rather stay back and watch over Marcus rather than take a run through those spores..."

[Pulpatoon]

The sound footsteps can be heard from the tunnel behind you.

[mb.]

Bürd straightens, hefts his axe, and moves to the front of the group, to confront whatever's coming. He'll prepare to cast Mystical Shield, but wait until he's sure of the threat.

Any chance of knowing what's coming & how many from the sound?

[mb.]

In case it's relevant, a roll for Bürd listening: Bürd rolls [1d20] = 15 (INT 15)