IC IX

[Grognardsw]

Aquar / munch, swallow, munch

While the others visit the smithy, the sailor-priest of Procan partakes of lunch and talks up anyone who will listen about the wise ways of the Watery One.

[thirdkingdom]

After paying for their silvered items the adventurers return to the inn to find Aquar holding court before an enthralled group of townspeople. Given the Threshold is situated upon the banks of Lake Windrush fishing comprises a sizable portion of the town's economy, and a large percentage of the townsfolk know their way about a boat. The great Sea of Dread, however, that lies south of Karameikos is a subject of much fascination for the land-locked lubbers. Although it is unlikely he has made any converts to his Immortal patron, he can leave secure in the knowledge that he has planted an oyster of longing for the sea deep in the hearts of at least one dishwasher or scullery maid, and that at least one set of parents will curse his name when they awake to find their child has set off south to find work as a cabin boy.

Jaceo is collected, the adventurers mount and head north, reaching Myraal's Tower by late afternoon. to be welcomed inside.

Let's see if we can't get a quick post detailing a)what items you all want to take and b)any questions you may have for Myraal, so we can move on to the camps.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar / heading North

"Let us put hoof to road and be off!" exclaims Aquar. After too long in mundane, if not vital, priestly pursuits the cleric is looking forward to more active exercise of mind, muscle and faith. "Let us start this journey with a prayer for adventurers."

"Grant, O Mighty Procan, Thy protection 
And in protection, strength 
And in strength, understanding 
And in understanding, knowledge 
And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice 
And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it 
And in the love of it, the love of all existences 
And in that love, the love of spirit and all creation.
So says your servant
So say we all."

[zebediah]

Jaceo is collected, the adventurers mount and head north, reaching Myraal's Tower by late afternoon. to be welcomed inside.

Let's see if we can't get a quick post detailing a)what items you all want to take and b)any questions you may have for Myraal, so we can move on to the camps.

Drudsa the dabbler

"Master Myraal, we are on our way to another honorable mission and just realised that the arms we have recently left under your care might prove critical to our success. Thus, we would like to retrieve the sword, spear, silver dagger and the plate armor we entrusted you but yesterday. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience, although we might have to beg you to study these artifacts again if victory brings us back on its wings."

"By the way, our friend Lanny was wondering if you could translate to us the inscription found on the sword. It seems to be Alphatian."

Lanny the Elf

Per the To Do List, here is what was ordered and by whom. I guess just deduct payment for whatever you take.

Silver Weapon Requests:

* Silver bullets (Drudsa)(Marodin) - 15 bullets (5 gp per bullet)

Not sure whether Drudsa or Semele want the sling bullets.

Drudsa will pay for all 15 silver bullets and will give 10 of those to Semele.

Innana, you can record those 10 silver bullets on Semele's character sheet, don't worry about the cost.

[thirdkingdom]

Myraal, Guildmage

"I can certainly relinquish the items, just keep in mind that I have yet to finish my analysis and therefore cannot vouch for the safety of such items. As to the inscription, it certainly is in Alphatian. Roughly translated it means 'Swift-fang'."

So, just note who has is taking what item in the OOC thread and make sure it is noted on the appropriate sheet. I will not be revealing modifiers at this point.

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny agrees with Drudsa's choice of items to take. He helps to load the items onto the horses and is ready to depart for the logging camps.

At last count, I believe it was:

Spear - Bregalad
Plate - Bregalad
Sword - Innana
Silver Dagger - ?

Suggestions? Anyone want to carry the dagger? Lanny will if no one else wants to.

[zebediah]

Drudsa the dabbler

"It is late afternoon already. Jaceo, are we able to reach our destination before nightfall? In any case I advise us to make haste and keep our new weapons ready. I can try to magically analyse them in the morning - cannot assure that I will be successful but it is worth trying."

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys collects the arrows meant for him and for Saul and puts them in a second quiver he'll stow on his pony. He insures the rest of his gear is still in place and indicates his readiness.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Innana takes the sword in her hand and holds it up against the gleam of the sun to look at the etched runes. "Hello Swift Bite." Innana slips the sword smoothly into its hilt as it emits a high pitch shiiiing. "Well, let's hope she lives up to her name."
Innana has resupplied, and is ready to go. Innana checks with Semele to see if she is packed and ready.

Would it be beneficial to have Semele use a couple of the silver stones for her sling? Also, does the magical sword work like a silver weapon on were-beasts?

Innana checks again to make sure she has her four daggers. And her magical sword, and dagger, her cestus, and her net.

[zebediah]

Innana the Fighter:

Would it be beneficial to have Semele use a couple of the silver stones for her sling? Also, does the magical sword work like a silver weapon on were-beasts?

Drudsa will pay for all 15 silver bullets and will give 10 of those to Semele.

Innana, you can record those 10 silver bullets on Semele's character sheet, don't worry about the cost.

[thirdkingdom]

Drudsa the dabbler

"It is late afternoon already. Jaceo, are we able to reach our destination before nightfall? In any case I advise us to make haste and keep our new weapons ready. I can try to magically analyse them in the morning - cannot assure that I will be successful but it is worth trying."

Jaceo

"Aye, provided we don't dawdle."

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny replaces the normal dagger at his side with the ancient tarnished silver dagger with the pebbled leather hilt. He smiles.

"Tis not often I get to wield a weapon that is older than I am..."

Lanny mounts his horse and prepares to ride.

"I tell you this, you are all missing out on this lightweight elven chainmail armor. I swear it is as light as leather! Serenity has more of a lively spring in her step as well... Together we will be able to ride like the wind when the need arises! So then, shall we be off?"

[thirdkingdom]

The logging camps are but a quick hour and a half ride north of Myraal's tower, following the Duke's Road. Traffic seems unusually sparse for this time of year, although perhaps the depredations of the Beast combined with rumors of banditry further north have curtailed trade somewhat.

The Duke's Road skirts Lake Windrush fairly closely, then swings somewhat eastward before continuing north. The camps lie in the lowlands between the road and the lake, and are situated around the mouths of streams that flow into the lake itself. Jaceo explains that the streams are occasionally used to float trees down, but more often they are dragged from the woods with teams of mules, and then floated onto the lake. Two camps are ridden past, each perhaps three miles apart, before Jaceo indicates that the third is their destination.

A large, flat plain has been cleared up to the edge of the lake. Several wooden buildings line a burbling stream, but most of the structures appear to be tents of wood and canvas. People -- men mostly, although some women can be seen, as can a couple of dwarves -- mill about in a manner that belies uncertainty and fear. Dusk is fast approaching, and there are a dozen or so loggers stationed about the perimeter of the camp, armed with bows.

Jaceo indicates the largest of the wooden buildings. "That's the office. You'll find the boss in there, if you want to talk to him. There's some empty tents that way you can use, and we stable the few horses in that barn over there. I'm not too keen on setting out now, but would rather wait until the morning. You would too, I hope."

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys takes a moment to memorize the layout of the village - the location of barn, tents, the other wooden buildings - then dismounts from his pony and leads it over to the barn. Inside, he'll remove saddle and harness and spend a few moments brushing the pony down with a short-bristled brush.

Assuming there is a place there to stow his gear, he does so, leaving bow and arrows with his tack. Armed with just his sword, he heads back out and waits for the others to get settled in so they can go talk to the boss before the evening gets too far along.

[frobozz]

Lanny the Elf

Lanny takes a moment to unload his gear and set up his own bedroll and tent near the other tents. While setting up camp, he glances up into the evening sky and makes note of the phase of the moon. He had no idea if a were-creature might be behind these attacks... but he wanted to be ready for any possibility. He also makes note of the positions of the dozen or so bowmen on guard duty, in case of any calls for help in the middle of the night. Before heading to the office, he checks in with everyone:

"Even with their guards on duty, I would recommend that we set our customary night watch... if for no other reason than to become more familiar with our surroundings. I will leave my spyglass with whomever is on watch duty."

Lanny is fine with speaking with the boss tonight and then starting the hunt for the beast in the morning.

I have recently updated a few of the posts on the Standards thread (including the Night Watch) to account for Marodin and Tratiln's departure and Aquar's entrance. Check it out when you get a chance, and if you would like to recommend any changes to anything, just let me know.

[Finglas]

Bregalad the elf

Bregalad finds an empty tent that he can use for the night, unsaddles his mount and stows his gear there. He then wipes down and brushes, Faewing, thanking him for carrying the extra armor. "I am sorry to have burdened you so, my friend. It will not be for much longer. Tonight, stay here with me under the open sky."

The elf looks upwards, breathing in deeply of the fresh air and drawing energy from the firmament above. "Ah, this is much better then dank, dark dungeons. If only all adventures were above ground!"

After getting his bearings and locating the sleeping spots of his companions, Bregalad makes his way to office to speak with the boss.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar / camp

Aquar shifts uncomfortably as he gets off his horse. "Uggh, those lunch sausages aren't agreeing with me," the cleric grumbles to himself. 

The sailor-priest settles into camp, brushes and feeds the horse an apple, then takes his dinner rations to the edge of the lake and stream. It is good to be near water. He offers a prayer to Geshtai*, goddess of Lakes, Rivers, Wells, and Streams. After a visit to the outhouse with a handful of large hosta leaves, he joins the others for the meeting with the boss.

*See http://www.canonfire.com/wiki/index.php ... ic_deities for more information.

[zebediah]

Drudsa the dabbler

After setting his tent and leaving Sugarfoot at the barn Drudsa is ready to meet the camp boss.

[thirdkingdom]

The adventurers are brought into the office and are greeted by the hetman, a large, grizzled man with a flushed nose and facial hair that would make a dwarf proud. He introduces himself as Josiah and bids the companions be seated as he spreads a large, hand-drawn map of the region out.

"We log all up and down this corridor," he says, indicating with a sweep of his hand Duke's Road. "Most of the trees we get west of the Road, but we do a fair amount east of it as well. This area here," he indicates a section east of the Road

Hexes 56.14 to 56.19, and 57.14 to 57.19

"we know pretty well. Jaceo here is one of several scouts we have -- or rather had, given that one was slain and another up and quit -- that spend a bit of time in this area, scouting out stands for us. When we range that far we're generally after a specific tree or trees; the Cathedral in Specularum was built with oak timbers we harvested for that purpose alone, and once the Duke commissioned a walnut table and we found the tree for it. Big bastard, too, nearly ten feet in diameter. Plus, there's some rare woods to be found in there -- spellwoods that the mages use for wands and staves and the like. Point is, even though we don't cut there too often we know it fairly well."

"Now, most of the attacks have happened centered around here," he motions to another section of the map east of the Road"

56.17, 56.18, 57.16, 57.17

"though not limited to here. Shit, the Beast hit the camp south of us a month or so ago. Anyway, we're pretty sure if the Beast has a lair it's not in any of the forest we normally scout. That leaves this area, here, as well as the mountains beyond."

Hexes 58.16-58.18, plus the row of mountains to the east.

"Nobody really knows what's deeper into the mountains. More mountains, obviously, but there ain't no trails and it's too high for the trees we want. Plus there's goblins and orcs, and Mondjo reckons he saw a dragon or wyvern circling off in the distance not too long ago. So, our best guess is the Beast lairs somewhere in the foothills I just showed. Any questions?"

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Innana and Semele ride side by side on the way to the loggers camp, and talk of an assortment of things. Innana listens to Semele's experiences with bringing in Gods for blessings, and healing, while Innana talks about her experiences with slaughtering beasts, and many a foe. Innana realized that the trip to the third Logging Camp came quickly with conversation, and was smiling in the realization that she was making her first female friend. She had grown up with nine brothers, and they had been her best friends growing up. She never had the chance to make a lot of friends before the town she lived in had been invaded.

Innana and Semele follow Lanny over to the tent area.

Lanny the Elf

"Even with their guards on duty, I would recommend that we set our customary night watch... if for no other reason than to become more familiar with our surroundings. I will leave my spyglass with whomever is on watch duty."

"I agree Lanny. Just let me know what shift you would like me to take, and I will be there."

The girls find a tent, and continued to talk, and giggle. They walked down to the river in time to see Aquar;

Aquar / camp

He offers a prayer to Geshtai*, goddess of Lakes, Rivers, Wells, and Streams. After a visit to the outhouse with a handful of large hosta leaves, he joins the others for the meeting with the boss.

Semele explains why Aquar is offering prayers. Innana looks into the waters, and feels the water come to life for a moment. It looks as if the river holds dancing lights in the undercurrents. Innana muses at the changes in the water. Innana looks at Aquar in disbelief, "Did you just do that? Bring the water to life?"

Innana and Semele take time to brush and feed their horses, and then meet up with Drudsa, and walk with him in to see the camp boss.

The adventurers are brought into the office and are greeted by the hetman, a large, grizzled man with a flushed nose and facial hair that would make a dwarf proud. He introduces himself as Josiah and bids the companions be seated as he spreads a large, hand-drawn map of the region out.

Innana hears bla bla bla

"Now, most of the attacks have happened centered around here," he motions to another section of the map east of the Road"

56.17, 56.18, 57.16, 57.17

"though not limited to here. Shit, the Beast hit the camp south of us a month or so ago. Anyway, we're pretty sure if the Beast has a lair it's not in any of the forest we normally scout. That leaves this area, here, as well as the mountains beyond."

Hexes 58.16-58.18, plus the row of mountains to the east.

"Nobody really knows what's deeper into the mountains. More mountains, obviously, but there ain't no trails and it's too high for the trees we want. Plus there's goblins and orcs, and Mondjo reckons he saw a dragon or wyvern circling off in the distance not too long ago. So, our best guess is the Beast lairs somewhere in the foothills I just showed. Any questions?"

Innana looks at the Drudsa, "Sounds like we may be heading to the mountains. What do you think?"

The girls walk outside in time to see Bregalad admiring the forest. Innana stopped for a moment to gaze upwards next to Bregalad, "It looks like the moon wont be full for a few days. If it is a were-creature we are up against, it should give us enough time to get to the mountain area. I believe it is a different sort of Changling though. I guess we will find out one way or another."