IC IX

[thirdkingdom]

None of the adventurers notice any languorously limping loggers, and their mounts appear to be well tended and cared for. The night passes uneventfully.

Flaurmont 15, AC 1000

It is another glorious spring day in northern Karameikos. The adventurers wake, intent on recovering from injuries and honing their skills. Lanny had mastered the spell Leap the previous night; Drudsa, unfortunately, still had difficulties understanding the dweomer that summons a continual source of illumination.

Semele and Aquar tend to Innana again in the morning, calling upon their respective patrons to provide healing to their injured companion. Aquar, however, retains his most potent blessings and humbly asks to be given the sensitivity detect the presence of evil amongst the loggers. He spends much of the morning wandering the camp but detects nothing overtly malevolent.

Around midday there is a hue and cry from those standing guard near the path to the Duke's Road. A trio of wagons approaches, guarded by a half-dozen men on ponies. The wagons are splintered and scorched as if from fire; both guards and merchants have numerous injuries, rent armor and dented shields. There are three prone figures in the back of the middle wagon.

The words "orcs" and "raiders" can be heard being bandied about as the loggers hail the caravan.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Innana the Fighter:

Innana has her hands on her hips, her head leaning in while Lanny, Rhys, and Bregalad give their advice in hushed voices. Innana looks at Bregalad as she reaches down to scratch the side of her left thigh. "So, I am turning Fae?" Innana takes a deep breath as a strand of curls blow over her eyes. "Does that mean I will be like this in a town like Threshold? Will I ever be able to go into a tavern to get a drink without thinking my fellow humans are vile?"

Bregalad the elf

Bregalad furrows his brow, upon hearing Innana's questions -- he did not expect more questions. Was his explanation not sufficient? He was so relieved to see her brought back that he did not foresee her confusion from all of these changes. And how will she react when she finally sees her own eyes? It had been a long time since the elf was so perplexed!

Hmmm, explanations may not have been the right response at this time. Is it comfort that she needs?.....

Bregalad reaches out with uncertainty for the invisible warrioress, attempting to pat her on the shoulder..... "There, there.....Everything's going to be fine...................Bregalad's here."

Innana watches Bregalads awkward gestures as he reaches over to pat Innana on the back. Innana glances over at Bregalad expecting concern in his eyes, but what she saw was a strained effort at trying to be a comfort. Innana raises her right eyebrow, whispers, "thank you", then moves away from the group and takes time to check on the horses and the supplies.

In the morning Innana awakens with Semele praying over her. She lifts her head, and bangs foreheads with Aquar, who is also praying over her. Innana holds her forehead, and whispers, "thanks for the healings, I forget I am invisible"

Innana just finished readying herself for the day when a wagon comes into the camp. Innana makes her way over to see what is going on.

Don't worry Finglas, The "Big Bang Theory", right?

[Finglas]

Bregalad the elf

In the morning, after tending to his mount and eating breakfast, Bregalad memorizes Analyse x 2. Long has it been since he wanted to use such a spell! With excited anticipation, the elf dons his new armor and casts Analyse, hoping to learn something of its magical properties.

Bregalad will cast Analyse twice (if the first attempt fails to uncover something of the armor's magical properties).

Bregalad will have memorized Analyse x 2 and Invisibility for this day (Flaurmont 15).

[zebediah]

Drudsa the dabbler

Drudsa wakes up in a poor mood, his intended new spell having eluded him twice now. "So close..." He mutters to himself as he goes through his spellbook to prepare his daily magic.

Following Bregalad's example Drudsa will also prepare Analyse twice for his first level spells. He will keep the same cantrips and second level spells.

The first Analyse will be cast in the Alphatian sword currently with Innana. The second will be used again on the spear. Since Analyse only identifies one characteristic per casting, this is intended to verify if the items hold any other powers not made evident thus far.

Around midday there is a hue and cry from those standing guard near the path to the Duke's Road. A trio of wagons approaches, guarded by a half-dozen men on ponies. The wagons are splintered and scorched as if from fire; both guards and merchants have numerous injuries, rent armor and dented shields. There are three prone figures in the back of the middle wagon.

The words "orcs" and "raiders" can be heard being bandied about as the loggers hail the caravan.

Drudsa will try to approach one of the guards as the caravan passes "Excuse me sir, we are also travellers in these parts so I cannot avoid being concerned upon seeying such damage. My sentiments for any loss you might have had. Would you mind sharing some insight into what prowls on the Duke's Road and perhaps some advice to fellow travellers?"

other than that Drudsa will spend as much time as he can studying Continual Light.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar the roamer

"Bless you my son... Procan be with you... May your tree fall straight... Aye, you handle that big wood well... May your saw cut true..." Aquar moves about camp all morning, talking with loggers, watching them, observing the handiwork of hatchet, axe and saw. "Hmm, no evil or undead about," he thinks.

Aquar settles down to a late lunch after checking on Innana's health. "Eat more food girl, you're wasting away to nothing," he jokes to the invisible warrior. Aquar just finishes his deer meat and nut-berry mix when the wagons arrive. The cleric grabs a first aid kit and attends to the wounded.

"What attacked you?" Aquar asks as he treats wounds. "How many? Where? Why?"

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny looks up from his spellbook and peers out of his tent as he hears the commotion of the approaching caravan.

"It's hard to find a quiet place to sit and study sometimes... I wonder if Myraal's Guild Library has private study rooms?" he mumbles to himself before gathering up his gear and leaving his tent to see if anyone in the caravan needs any assistance. He listens quietly as Drudsa and Aquar speak to the passengers.

Lanny will attempt to spend the entire day in the study of Mirror Image, if the day allows.

Per the HP rolls on the Calendar thread, it appears that Innana is now healed 100% (30/30) and can therefore spend the entire day in weapons training if desired. Thordin regains another 1hp (31/32) and should be 100% at start of day Flaurmont 16. With everyone fully healed, and with no evil detected within the camp, Lanny will be anxious to leave sometime on Flaurmont 16 to try to regain the trail of the beast and perhaps catch it while it still has some unhealed wounds... assuming that nothing happens before then.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Seeing the commotion of the approaching travelers, Rhys' training at the abbey immediately comes back to him and he rushes to their aid to see what he can do.

Once he's assisted anyone with his first aid skills, he'll set about helping to repair the wagons with his carpentry skills, asking the members of the caravan what happened to them while he works.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Semele hears Innana talk to her from the right side, and then her left. She can tell Innana is pacing back and forth as she talks. "I know something more is going on here. This damn armor is rusting on me, and I itch like I am sitting on an ant hill. Arrrrrg (Semele hears scratching). While the others are talking to the people from the wagon, stay here, and watch the tents. Have your sling on you with some bullets ready. Innana watches Semele's eyes get bigger as she sees Innanas armor appear in the corner of the tent. One by one the pieces drop to the ground. I am going to need to walking quiet for this. I am going to look around Josiah's office, and poke around and see whàt I can find there. Something is just not right. Then silence.

Innana walks through the loggers camp listening to conversations, and then will try to track the meat smell. She then intends to take a real bath in the river, and then clean her armor, and last but not least, ask Bregalad for another invisibility.

[riftstone]

Thordin the dwarf will attempt to find the leader of the caravan guards and extract information from him on what happened, who attacked, where it happened, what tactics were used in attack and defense, and numbers of both. Perhaps we can get more information that way.

[thirdkingdom]

The leader of the caravan is a pudgy merchant with a drooping mustache and a long gash across his forehead. "We got an early start this morning, trying to make Threshold before night, and a band of thirty or more orcs fell upon us just before dusk! We managed to fight them off, but with a heavy cost. Lost a half-dozen guards, all us merchants are injured. You best tell this Baron of yours," he jabs a thick forefinger in the general direction of everyone, "that if he wants trade with Darokin he'd better make these roads safer to travel, else we might as well take the Penhaligon Road."

There is little that can be done with the First Aid skill, but some healing magic would not be looked askance upon.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Looks around camp, and through Josiah's office, then takes time to bath in the river. She dresses up in her armor once agin, and asks Thordin to practice swords for a while, and then helps everyone talk about the new Orc attacks. "Do you think that these attacks are to scare people off this trade road?"

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

"More likely an attempt to steal trade goods. Maybe something we can help look into if we can resolve the 'cat' issue,"replies Rhys.

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny nods his head quietly as he listens to the caravan leader.

"We are from Threshold... We will see your message delivered to the Baron. We are deeply sorry for your loss..."

Realizing that first aid will do little good at this point, and knowing that all healing spells have already been expended this day to cure Innana, Lanny says nothing more. Later, he speaks to his companions.

"It could be the same tribe of marauding orcs we were told of in Jessup, the Bloody Bones Orcs. They have been known to make raids upon trade caravans in these parts... We should definitely let the Baron know of these raids... after we have finished our business with the Great Cat."

From the "Plot Hooks" thread:

The Bloody Bones Orcs

From the innkeeper in Jessup: "The eastern road isn't used much these days. There's one or two villages that way, and I've heard it told you can get to the Duke's Road that way, but there've been rumors of orcs and the like waylaying travelers. Some old tombs and battlefields can be found out there, though, left over from the old days..." The village, it seems, is plagued less by whatever monstrosities dwell within the necromancer's tower than by the actions of an obstreperous band of orcs dwelling about a day's ride to the east. The Bloody Bones tribe of orcs have taken to raiding the caravans that ply the eastern road, Jessup's main artery of travel -- either north to Darokin or south back into Karameikos.

[thirdkingdom]

Drudsa and Bregalad, after the excitement of the caravan's arrival, return to their spell studies to find excitement of their own: the mastery of a new spell. Both also cast their spells that allow identification of an item: Drudsa is unable to discern the purpose of Swiftfang, but Bregalad has some success with both of his items. Under his expert eye the plate mail seems to have no properties other than those defensive in nature. The spear, however, seems to possess great puissance when wielded against giants and their kin.

Innana spars with Thordin throughout the day, but achieves no great breakthroughs in her technique.

The spear is +1/+3 v. giants

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny takes a short break from his spell study to watch Innana sparring with Thordin. He was quite relieved that Innana was visible once again... With a doppleganger still on the loose, it was extremely important for the members of the party to be able to see one another at all times. He notes that Innana is quickly picking up the techniques taught by the dwarven swordsman, and that her confidence with the magical blade is increasing as well. It would not be much longer, perhaps no more than a day, before they would be ready to depart. Lanny reluctantly returns to his tent and to his studies before finally calling it a day...

[Alethan]

The leader of the caravan is a pudgy merchant with a drooping mustache and a long gash across his forehead. "We got an early start this morning, trying to make Threshold before night, and a band of thirty or more orcs fell upon us just before dusk! We managed to fight them off, but with a heavy cost. Lost a half-dozen guards, all us merchants are injured. You best tell this Baron of yours," he jabs a thick forefinger in the general direction of everyone, "that if he wants trade with Darokin he'd better make these roads safer to travel, else we might as well take the Penhaligon Road."

There is little that can be done with the First Aid skill, but some healing magic would not be looked askance upon.

Rhys the Traveler

"How far away did the attack take place?and how many orcs were left in the end?" He asks the merchant.

To Lanny and the others, he says, "Maybe clearing out these orcs will help give Inanna the training she needs..."

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

The leader of the caravan is a pudgy merchant with a drooping mustache and a long gash across his forehead. "We got an early start this morning, trying to make Threshold before night, and a band of thirty or more orcs fell upon us just before dusk! We managed to fight them off, but with a heavy cost. Lost a half-dozen guards, all us merchants are injured. You best tell this Baron of yours," he jabs a thick forefinger in the general direction of everyone, "that if he wants trade with Darokin he'd better make these roads safer to travel, else we might as well take the Penhaligon Road."

There is little that can be done with the First Aid skill, but some healing magic would not be looked askance upon.

Rhys the Traveler


"How far away did the attack take place?and how many orcs were left in the end?" He asks the merchant.

To Lanny and the others, he says, "Maybe clearing out these orcs will help give Inanna the training she needs..."

Innana perks up at Rhys's comment," I think that clearing Out these Orcs is exactly what this Warrioress needs to hone my sword skills." Innana stiands her full height, and meets the Merchant eye to eye. "Let's see if we can't make those roads safer for trade."

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny would really like to complete the current mission before starting a new one. And again, Innana is probably about 2 to 4 hours away from becoming skilled in sword.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Could I possibly level up while killing Orcs? Hmmm. I guess there is no such thing as a quick morning adventure, and be back before lunch guarantee is there? Ok. Will practice with Thordin tomorrow morning, and if I can gain experience, then kill Orcs?

[zebediah]

Drudsa the dabbler

"I think Innana is doing well on her training. I would not lose our focus, chasing this orcs will be no simple task, from finding their camp to actually facing them. If their numbers are anything like what these fellas indicate it is likely that they would be an even bigger challenge than the great cat."

"I have just mastered a new enchantment that I may use to try blinding the beast. If Bregalad and Lanny get to use Mirror Image, Thordin and Innana are able to deflect some of the cat's attacks and if we are all able to respond quickly once the creature is sighted I am sure the fight will go very differently from the first time. Too many 'ifs', yes, but remember that the first time, unprepared, we injured it enough for it to run away. We have heard about these orcs for a while, they will likely still be here when we finish our current mission."

Drudsa will start studying the cantrip Catfall from Maeve's spellbook.

2spell level worth of materials removed from inventory for Continual Light.