(4) The Ritual Isle

[Rex]

Zosime

Zosime chuckles, "I think you have that backwards Kordrak."

[Edeldhur]

Kordrak

"Well, it can offer protection if we huddle on the opposite side the wind is coming from" - Kordrak replied in his usual foul mood.

[silifi]

Just to clarify, there's no statue - only a clearing in the shape of a bird where the earth has been dug up and the chalk stone exposed. So you are fairly exposed out here, though it feels quite safe.

Night, Unknown Day and Year

The group makes camp beneath the stars, huddling around a small fire. Most of them lack tents, besides Akrisios, and only Grae and Cían have blankets, making the night rather uncomfortable in the chill wind.

Still, the incredible calm of this area puts their minds at ease, and the hushed tones of the sea relaxes them despite the sub-optimal conditions.

Everyone who doesn't have a tent or blanket, roll a Test of Constitution. I will have this sleep last for 7 hours, giving everyone 6 hours of sleep, unless there are any objections.

Also roll your HD recovery, reload spells, and mark off a day's rations.

Any other actions before going to sleep?

Caradoc Lvl4 Bard - 18/19 FA 3 AC 5
Akrisios Lvl4 Mountebank - 10/18 FA 3 AC 4
Zosime Lvl4 Cleric - 11/24 FA 3 AC 4
Grae Lvl4 Death Solider - 19/27 FA 4 AC 6
Grom Lvl4 Magician - 10/14 FA 1 AC 9
Kordrak Lvl4 Huntsman - 23/33 FA 4 AC 3
Cían Lvl4 Druid - 21/23 FA 3 AC 4

[Rex]

Zosime

Rest HD recovery [1d8+1]=1+1=2

Test of Con (3:6) [1d6]=6

"An amazing place, the calm is obviously divine."

Sheet updated.

[kalstone]

Akrisios

hp recovery: [1d6]=3

[shaidar]

Cian

Cian nods "I feel Daegraed's blessing on this place."

Before Cian sleeps he offers up his minor healing spell to one that needs it, plus he can offer ten healing berries if the need is great. He also looks in the area for berries to cast goodberry on

Rest HD recovery: [1d8]=6

Any spells will be cast while located on the bird pictogram

[Edeldhur]

Kordrak

My bad - I thought there was a statue

Test of Constitution (3in6): [1d6]=3

HP Recovery: [1d10+1]=5+1=6

I assume we are doing the regular watches.

[Karaunios]

Caradoc

Test of Strength/Constitution 1:6 [1d6]=4

HP Level Up [1d8-1]=8-1=7 HP Recovery (same roll as for HP level, I guess?)

[silifi]

Night, Unknown Day and Year - likely Winter

The party settles in for the cold night, taking turns at watches, stoking the fire with branches from nearby brush to keep warm.

On Zosime's watch, she witnesses another display of the miraculous heavenly phenomenon they have grown accustomed to - this time lasting for nearly an entire hour.

The rest of the watches pass rather peacefully, and is quite refreshing for all, providing them all with the best rest they've had since leaving the mainland. Grae, in particular, feels quite refreshed after a rough time on the island so far. Those without warm blankets don't feel quite as refreshed, but still much better than expected.

However, on Cían's watch, he waits for the first light of dawn anxiously, but it never comes. He is, however, unclear at this point what the hour is and when the sun is "supposed" to rise - though the unabating cold suggests that they remain in a winter year, so it may be a long while, if it comes at all.

Despite the dark, the moons shine fairly brightly, Phobos half full and Selene a nearly full but waning gibbous. Cían notes that the edges of thick rain clouds are coming in, threatening to dull the moonlight in the coming hours, though he estimates that these do not carry violent storms as the one yesterday.

The rest here was better than a normal rest, and I did a bunch of rolling to determine the effects on each person based on your con test and initial HP recovery roll - but everyone recovered some. Just note your new total.


Caradoc Lvl4 Bard - 19/19 FA 3 AC 5
Akrisios Lvl4 Mountebank - 18/18 FA 3 AC 4
Zosime Lvl4 Cleric - 22/24 FA 3 AC 4
Grae Lvl4 Death Solider - 27/27 FA 4 AC 6
Grom Lvl4 Magician - 13/14 FA 1 AC 9
Kordrak Lvl4 Huntsman - 33/33 FA 4 AC 3
Cían Lvl4 Druid - 23/23 FA 3 AC 4

[kalstone]

Akrisios

"We should remember this place and come back if we need a good rest."

[Darithe]

Graeclose.jpg (25.57 KiB) Viewed 292 times

Grae

Rises feeling warm and invigorated by a good rest. She nods in agreement with Akrisios, "Yes, a safe and restful place. A haven should we need one again." She breaks out a bit of her food and eats a light breakfast.

[Rex]

Zosime

"Yes, a truly remarkable place. Blessed by the divine no doubt. A shame we must get moving, but we must."

[Karaunios]

Caradoc takes his breakfast and looks at the landscape.

"It was a bit cold, but yes. Have to remember to take one of those dusty blankets from the house next time we come by. But it's good to know we have two places where we can rest.

By the way, I'm wondering, what will happen when we run out of food? We haven't found any game yet."

[Rex]

Zosime

"If need be I have water covered and we can go a while without food if need be."

[shaidar]

Cian

"If we get into trouble the other island would provide some food. What is our plan for today? Are we going to try the tree rituals at the two stones or try again to enter the fortress?"

[Rex]

Zosime

"I was thinking the tree rituals unless someone has something new to try at the fortress."

[Karaunios]

Caradoc

"I don't know what we could do about the fortress [wasn't it just a wall?]. So going to the trees is fine by me."

[silifi]

Night, Unknown Day and Year - likely Winter

The party packs up their belongings in the dark and heads into the forest (someone will need to light a torch or other light source, which will be retroactive). As they walk, Cían stops every once and awhile to look at the trees, looking for the correct species, and is able to acquire some fallen branches of aspen, though not yet the rarer blackthorn tree.

Kordrak, reminded of the potential problems if they run low on rations, takes his time to examine the ground, looking for any signs of game. While he still finds it unusually sparse, he does eventually pick up a trail - it appears to be a lone deer - but with some luck, the track is relatively fresh, having occurred sometime after the rain. The tracks lead in the same direction as nearby stream that can be faintly heard, likely the same one they crossed the day before.

However, his discovery is distracted when Grom whispers to the party that he sees a light far off in the woods - a pale blue flare moving quietly in the distance, though it is difficult to judge just how far - perhaps several hundred feet away. The light comes from a more southeasterly direction than the deer tracks Kordrak has spotted.

Actions?


Caradoc Lvl4 Bard - 19/19 FA 3 AC 5
Akrisios Lvl4 Mountebank - 18/18 FA 3 AC 4
Zosime Lvl4 Cleric - 22/24 FA 3 AC 4
Grae Lvl4 Death Solider - 27/27 FA 4 AC 6
Grom Lvl4 Magician - 13/14 FA 1 AC 9
Kordrak Lvl4 Huntsman - 33/33 FA 4 AC 3
Cían Lvl4 Druid - 23/23 FA 3 AC 4

[silifi]

Caradoc

"I don't know what we could do about the fortress [wasn't it just a wall?]. So going to the trees is fine by me."

at least as far as you could see, it was a wall that bisects the entire island

[Edeldhur]

Kordrak

"We should track this one - we need to make sure we have food" - the crouching huntsman grunted, as he checked the traps.