Barrow Moor: Raust and the Orphidian tribe.

[Marullus]

Sorry for the delay. Last two weeks were hell. No questions, appreciate the XP breakdown!

Raust ruminates on her success. There was no wealth garnered, but she achieved goodwill. The 'wugs are moving towards true faith in Herne. They appreciate her rule in its own right. Perhaps their next tributes will be more fulsome. She thinks forward to a return to Helix, and her need for wealth they recognize...

But she has wealth of her own. Goodwill. Three new lizards. Experience in the bogs.

She ponders... there is likely another Barrow, this far up. Perhaps to find it? Good to resolve before she ventures to the elves or back to Men...

[Spearmint]

July 11th - 18th: rest, recuperation, spell research and continuation of Stone-Shaping the cavern base, training of animal companions.

So this advances your calendar and gives you another window of opportunity to explore. Various options from returning to Black Willow Island, scouring the Barrow Moor for submerged barrows, exploring the Thornswild frontier, expanding knowledge of the Lizardman territory, visiting any of the settlements.

The next Bullywug tribute will be on the 24th. You can stay at the cavern and advance to that date (subject to random events interrupting).

Actions, next preferences for Raust.

[Marullus]

With the rest and recuperation period, also apply basic training for the Muckdwellers (Stay, Attack, Defend).

Stoneshaping continues - now that the ceilings and walls are smoothed and sealed of leaks, the cavern pool is now beautiful and flowing, and the pillars are appropriately personified, she works the approach to the entrance. She narrows the avenue of approach so that the actual opening can only be seen from a specific direction, then molds that direction to make it more grandiose for any who would approach.

I don't recall us having adjacent Lizardman territory? Please help job my memory. I suspect that "expanding my knowledge" of that is a good use of the next week until tribute. Perhaps a barrow after.

[Spearmint]

I don't recall us having adjacent Lizardman territory? Please help job my memory.

The lizardmen can be found along the stretches of waters that drain from the Moor to form the Blackwater River. There is a map in the Maps Thread, 1st post that gives a basic region overview. Their claimed domain would include the four hexes that include those tributaries. Ten miles across the Moor might not seem a great distance but the terrain is treacherous and boggy and covered in the thick Barrow Mist that limits visibility to short bow range.

Venwynn: actions please roll a 1d8 for her new hp as the ranger advanced in level.

Raust: Takes a ten day respite to recuperate from injuries sustained, continue her Druidic spell craft and crafting the cavern to a Herne-worthy environment. Discussions are held with Orphidian tribe members and community tasks allocated. Patrolling nearby riverbanks, a scout party marshalled to observe the Silvanus Shrines seen on the Merisc River (where you encountered the Thornswild elves) and a group selected to join your next expeditionary endeavour.

Recruiting Orphidians: vs 16 Charisma: lower caste [4d6-1]=17-1=16 number [2d6]=9 High caste [4d6]=17 number [2d4]=8

After a morning ritual attended by the tribe, you give your rally call, detailing your plans to expand your knowledge of neighbouring tribes. Using the above, the plan seems not to be so enthusiastically received, the first inclinations of dissent that you have felt. Not that 'the Mistress's ' authority is challenged but some of the Orphidians exhibit more reticence regarding befriending and trading with the Saurons.

(higher caste means human or human sized origins, lower caste are smaller goblinoid sized Snake-men) Whilst a good number of the smaller kin slither forward, only four of the higher caste volunteer. Disappointing but in retrospect, you can understand that recent events affect their confidence to explore too far; deaths among them that winnow their numbers, sightings of giant vulture flocks roosting upon Black Willow island taken as a portent of impending trouble with the bereaved Hag sister.

Still you plan only a short expedition, the few days enough to return in time for the next Bullywug Tribute (assuming no more assassinations attempted on Ananxyrus).

Your party for this expedition is made up as follows:

Nine of the smaller serpentine Orphidians volunteer, bringing their hunting javelins and crafted entangling nets, modelled on those taken from the Aquatic ogres. They will form up as groups of three, one trio behind Venwynn and one behind your apprentice ranger Wugs', Blill & Blenn.

Kai and three of the larger Orphidians slither forward to join the Beast-mistress, each brings a short-bow and a favoured sidearm with shell buckler.

Raust sits astride Beaky Axe-beak and flanked by wolf companions Namma & Carca.

Actions: detail any specific plan and directions, introductory tribute or gifts you might take, precautions taken and basic strategy. Add a Charisma roll check which I will allocate towards any morale or loyalty challenges.

July 20th 1066 Raust goes to scout Saurons territory.

[Marullus]

Don't forget Huey, Dewey & Louie!

035a7106ac0f232e1d5a6f788061c4cf.gif (1.5 MiB) Viewed 765 times

I will pick spells and state an action.

What do I or the Orphidians know about Lizardman culture and territory? Are lizardmen subject to the Orphidian lycanthropy?
[/ooc]

[Spearmint]

I thought the three raptors (Muckdwellers), being so small might be better served staying in your cavern area, perhaps using the waterfall pool as their lair to patrol, fish, train. But you can choose to have them with you if you prefer of course.

You do not know if the Lizardmen are subject to morphing into new Orphidian tropes via the lycanthropic venom the bites inject.

Previous historical contact between the Orphidian tribe and Lizardmen has been sporadic, tolerant rather than hostile. In one sense you have Snake-men interacting with Lizard-men. The Sauronic culture is much more evolved into a community with trade, economy, religion, law and such civilised virtues set in place while Raust is still building those into the former cultic/brigand Orphidian tribe. You do not know so much of the intricacies of Saurons culture; beyond basic common knowledge of them following an ancient 'draconic' based paganism, having a strong 'survival of the fittest' ethos and like the Bullywugs, possibly have a lot of internal power struggles for tribal supremecy.

They have fought 'border wars' with humanity, most notably the Moon Peak dwarven clans and were often blamed for attacks on trade wagons that travelled along the Helix-Ironguard-Bogtown routes. Rumours abound of Saurons having an interest in various Barrow Mounds and ancient sacred sites scattered in the Barrow Moor.

They claim sway over a four-hex area of the regional map along the head of the Blackwater delta.

[Marullus]

I thought the three raptors (Muckdwellers), being so small might be better served staying in your cavern area, perhaps using the waterfall pool as their lair to patrol, fish, train. But you can choose to have them with you if you prefer of course.

Are they at greater risk? What benefit is there on leaving them back? (Guard dogs?) Do we expect them to grow? (Less risk later? I assumed not.)

Previous historical contact between the Orphidian tribe and Lizardmen has been sporadic, tolerant rather than hostile.

They claim sway over a four-hex area of the regional map along the head of the Blackwater delta.

With the discomfort of the larger Orphidians, she decides not to potentially stir the pot with a tolerant neighbor. It is more pressing if the Hag's sister is moving in.

Raust will lead them back to Willow Island to spy upon the conditions there.
...if that's fruitless she will plan to strike due north to look for barrows.

[Spearmint]

Raust will lead them back to Black Willow Island to spy upon the conditions there.
...if that's fruitless she will plan to strike due north to look for barrows.

Raust, you can trek to the island, once more crafting some rafts to ferry everyone across the swifter currents around the island. As described previously, the island is narrow with a central, saddleback shaped ridge and ringed by a dense border of crooked mangrove and willow trees. The subterranean cave where the Hag dwelt is vacant, no new tenants have taken residence. The entrance is unstable from the eruption of many thick roots, the druid could Stone Shape the bulging stone blocks to become more secure, but on first inspection, there is no obvious need to repair the derelict and abandoned place.

at this point, I can extend your next exploration to the North banks and searching the immediate Barrowmoor area or, as I am rebooting Barrowmaze, give Raust the option to return to Helix and touch base with wider concerns and other adventurers.

I can hand wave the safe trek, taking companion wolves & Axe-beak with you, giving you the option then to join with or recruit others, and then returning to further Orphidian cultural conversions or extending your territory knowledge.

With no incidents on Black Willow Island, Raust considers her next options.

actions please.

[Marullus]

I am more than happy to accept some deus ex machina and get back to town. Solo quests are a rare opportunitypreciselybecause they are so burdensome. If you need to reboot and simplify, then put her back in town and i can weave into multi-player groups.

She didn't want to go until things were a little more solid and safe - if the wugs are developing actual loyalty and Venwynn can handle the day to day, she can stay away... until you decide to use it as a plot device to draw us back there.

Raust gathers some of the trade wealth and the hurtloam and sets off back to Helix. The improved stonework and grand columns leave the caverns as quite improved in both function and esthetic. They know how to keep up the hurtloam harvesting and the hunting by Herne's will. The protection provided to the Wug tribes through and since the tadhemoth hunts settles into a beginnings of true relationship.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie are training well and she has brought in some other handlers. Intelligent enough to learn quickly they are perhaps better than dogs. It turns out they also are the beginning of good breeding stock. The new Orphidian handlers delight in the bipedal sauropod "hunting hound packs."

[Spearmint]

I am ore than happy to continue with solo expedition arcs, especially as we post a little slower. So the choice is yours though going back for a few days to trade, report on the civilising attempts and wuden your knowledge, player contacts can only be a good thing.

The Orphidians can accompany you as far as the Herne shrine but no further, I am fine with Venwynn holding the fort for the few days and even postponing the next Bullywugs tribute by a day or so, (24th+) but I will expect Raust may prefer to be back by then anyway. But a few days may offer a chance to catch up on other regional wilderness affairs and Barrowmaze rumours. Even join or lead a short expedition.

In the timeline chronology, you can arrive in Helix on July 19th (most folk are in their downtime between expeditions circa 14th - 20th) so add that date to any post but you should be free to talk to anyone in the taven threads.

If you take Namma, Carca & Beaky, you will need kennel the wolves and keep the Axe-Beak mount secure in the stable as they might not roam as free in the urban confines. Certainly the prehistoric swamp-chicken will be a rare sight to all.

Go ahead and post in any settlement location threads as you see fit.

[Marullus]

Asking here:
- her first act is to buy supplies to send back with the Orphidians. She has 420 to 840gp in semi precious gemstones. I don't want to belabor the inventory/shopping process... she spends a sizeable amount of that drove to get whatever is needed. Go ahead and decide what's appropriate?