Session 3: The Dwarven Monastery

[Ludanto]

Unfortunately, Rabon's "jerky stew" proves to be completely inedible, and the ration is (obviously) wasted as well.

[Marullus]

Berry makes a poultice for Exhausted now?

[shroomofinsanity]

Berry tried a little of the stew, being adventurous, it was so gross that it muddied his concentration on poultice crafting, his eyes are watery, and his hands slip a few times but it seems he manages to put the poultice together, sloppy though it may be.
healer 3 vs ob1 [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 4
Wow, just made it. That's embarrassing.

Did someone order a health poultice?

[Marullus]

Allric takes the hot poultice and uses it to soothe his painful and aching joints. "Ahhh... it's almost like a bath, except without the cleanliness and good smells, of course," he opines. He eats some of the dried meat and hard bread from his pack, filling his grumbling stomach and then curls up under his heavy wool cloak to get some rest. "I just want a @#$@ feather bed..." he murmurs...

-1 dried ration to alleviate Hungry and Thirsty.

Ob3 Health Test to remove Exhausted.
2D Health +1D Poultice +1D Cloak +1 Persona = 5D
Recovery: [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 5
Fate re-roll of 6s [1d6] = 6
Fate re-roll of 6s [1d6] = 3
5 successes! (Spent 1 Persona, 1 Fate)

That also bumps him to Health 3.

[Marullus]

Later, Allric rouses feeling improved. He uses the table to spread his writing supplies and calls over Aiofe and Berry to help. "Aid me, friends, that we can better haul our gains from this place... and quickly." He adds the necessary whorls and symbology to his parchment, asking the others to aid with the illumination of the scripts, wrote transcription, and drying process for the inks, their deft hands helping to correct where Allric's vision failed him. Once the scrolls are complete, he looks on them with an appraising eye...

Scribe Mystic Porter scroll, Ob 2
Scholar 2 +1D Help Aiofe +1D Help Berenwald = 4D
Scholar [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 3

[Ludanto]

Allric reviews the team effort, scanning the ink and arcane symbols. It was good work, but not quite right. Reaching for another sheet of parchment from his pack, his hand comes back empty. It seems that Allric has used up all of his scholarly supplies!

[Marullus]

Allric takes some time to inspect his new monster-scars on his face with his silver mirror. "I suppose it lends credibility to one's tales... having a suitable scar from a real monster..." he says as he tries to console himself, adjusting his beard hair to make it look the most flattering and or fearsome.

Allric, no longer so tired and weary, bustles the others together to pack up the camp. He makes sure everyone eats and that the gear is re-apportioned in their packs, putting the two unwieldy items in the large sack for Aiofe. Once everyone is ready, he has Thag take the lead and they go back to the chapel to inspect it, hoping the inky darkness has abated.

Pushing up his sleeves, the wizard begins dramatically intoning words of eldritch power, spilling forth an ampule powdered brimstone from within his hollow ring as he casts.
(Since we need light either way, I'll go ahead with the spell roll. If the inky darkness is still in-place, you can describe how the light spell effects it.)

Three lights for two turns is Ob 3.
Arcanist 4D +1D Brimstone = 5D
[1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 1
Fate to re-roll 6s
[1d6] = 4
3 successes.

[Ludanto]

When the party turns to the hallway the next morning, they discover that the thick shroud of darkness on the chapel persists.

Unfortunate, but Allric came prepared, and with a flick of his wrist, he sends his "fireflies" into the gloom...

...where they are promptly swallowed up by the darkness. There is a moment of metaphysical fumbling as he loses sight of the lights, but with an effort, he is able to pull them back out before his connection to them is lost.

[Marullus]

Allric sighs, then takes the sack from Aiofe to free both hands for her hammer. "Berry, Rabon, light your lanterns and lead Aiofe and Thag in... It should be enough light for the four of you. Berry, you can leave your pack here too if you wish, in case. Oh, Rabon - take that engraved Ruby out. It may be a key, if you can find the statue drawn in the book." He pauses, more solemn. "Berry, remember your ring. The name of a Lord of Light has Power. Don't be Afraid to use it."

He begins his motes patrolling the hallway on an ordered procession.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Rabon is not surprised the meal was ruined, but goes about the task of scraping the pot clean pleasantly, knowing he learned from the experience. For one thing, you don't want to get the pot too close to them coals. For another, you gotta keep stirrin' or the taters'll burn. For another thing, I don't think I wanna be no cook. I think being a Duke'd suit me better. I'm gone go and buy me a small Castle and pack it with bakers so I can eat pie fer dinner ev'ry night. once he is done, he pulls out a few handfuls of nuts, a hunk off cheese and jerked horse meat. Stuff'll bind ya right up, but better'n starvin'. Or eating whatever it is what I just destroyed.

Once outside the chapel, Rabon is less haughty about entering the space a second time, particularly seeing that Allric's spell had no effect on the musical darkness. He fills the lantern and lights it. Let's see if we rushed it lives fer somethin' worth anythin'. Allric's, you watch yerself out here. If'n them kobolds come at you, you get inside and call for us. We'll find ya in the darkness.

[shroomofinsanity]

Berry readies his shield, holding it in front, holding his light in his other hand, the same hand the new ring sits on. I'll try not to let you down again Mr. Allric. Then, he drops his pack, dons his cloak, and pushes ahead with his more combative colleagues.

[jhrrsn]

Aoife forms up in front of Rabon and Berry, grasping her warhammer with both hands. She looks over to Thag, ready to enter the chapel.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Rabon experiments briefly with the lantern in the darkness, trying to find a way to offer more light to Aoife or Thag.

Is there a way he can hold the lantern such that it leaves Rabon in dim light, but Thag/Aoife in full light? Also, does Aoife want to partner with Berry or Rabon? Rabon's a bit of a hick and doesn't mind a gal with a bit of facial hair.

[BillTheGalacticHero]

Rabon experiments briefly with the lantern in the darkness, trying to find a way to offer more light to Aoife or Thag.

Is there a way he can hold the lantern such that it leaves Rabon in dim light, but Thag/Aoife in full light?

I've seen illustrations of lanterns on the end of long poles, that would work for that.

But, since we probably don't have one of those...


Let's see how big this chapel is. Rabon, could you hand me the pole? And keep that light close, but not in my eyes please.

Should we rope ourselves together? Or at least tie a rope to me and the other end to something in the hall? People behind me could just hold on to the rope. If we think that's a good idea I reserve the right to edit this to say we did it.

Let's trace the wall, going to the left, that way if we encounter something our sword arms are not encumbered by the wall.

Not that it matters in this rule system, but it makes for better flavor text.

Taking one step into the dark chapel, I use the pole as a blind man's cane, I use it to tap the floor and wall, and the ceiling above me, if it reaches that far. If the ceiling is less than 15' I should be able to touch it with the pole.

Turning left to go along the wall, I take one step, then light tap the floor, again from wall in left front around in an arc to the wall behind. Hopefully the party behind me isn't startled if I tap them with the pole. I am also counting steps to get a rough measurement of the size of this room.

Along the wall to the left, do we find anything? When we reach the corner does the darkness fill it completely? Or is it a spherical "field" which might leave the corners undarkened? (I realize of course that there is no light coming in, but if the darkness field does not extend all the way to the corner then we will notice our lanterns getting much brighter there. That would also tell us, roughly, where the origination point of the darkness is.)

[Ludanto]

Thag ties a rope around himself, and those behind him grab it with a free hand or loop it over an arm and the procession moves carefully around the edge of the room. The high ceiling remains shrouded in darkness, and Thag's pole doesn't connect with anything when he reaches up into it. Despite his hope otherwise, the darkness seems to be complete, filling the corner of the room with inky blackness. The darkness is unsettling in its contrast to the sounds of morning birds that can be heard outside.

[Marullus]

Allric waits pensively in the hallway and holds the end of the rope.

[BillTheGalacticHero]

How far does the left hand wall go? How much rope is left?

If I start tracing the next wall, the rope will drag across the center of the chapel, and I'm not sure if I want that, at least not yet.

If we encountered nothing along this wall, let's go back to the door, and scout along the right side wall. I'm assuming that is where Allric's hole is located.

Doing the same process, I tap and measure the wall from the door to the corner. At the hole, can we see out into the hall? Does the light from the hall project into the chapel?

Allric, as we pass your hole in the wall, can you direct yer lights to hover just outside the darkness there? Do they add any additional light in here?

[Ludanto]

The wall to the corner runs about 15 feet. It's the same in the other direction. Despite the huge hole in the wall, no light escapes. It's like a black curtain, and the glowing orbs have no effect upon it.

[jhrrsn]

Well, this is f*****g cheery. Aoife jokes, dryly, keeping one hand on the rope.

[BillTheGalacticHero]

Ok, so both sides of the "front' wall are checked, and nothing unusual except for a recently blasted hole.

My next scout will be along the right-hand side wall (assuming the hole is to the right of the door). Instead of anchoring the rope through the door, I'll anchor it through the hole, to minimize the amount of rope that passes over the open floor.

Using the same method, tapping, poking, etc., I map out the length of the right-hand ("northern? I presume) wall.

I'm making mental notes, and whispering them to whomever is right behind me, whatever I encounter/feel with the pole. I should be able to get a rough map of things that are within about 10'-12' of the wall and along the up along wall.

About how deep is the chapel? Is there anything on the wall? Recesses that could be windows, etc.

If I do not encounter anything along this wall, then we will return to the front left corner, retracing steps along the wall.

In case we encounter something I'll hold off doing the "southern" left-hand wall.