IC 002 - Crossing the Moche

[sulldawga]

Gars examines the edges of the holes, noting how it's quite deep but collapsed around 30' down. He sees large bones sticking out from the dirt, murmuring to himself, "Big enough to eat one of these giant elk?"

Gars then circles the area around the holes, and with a shout of success, he grabs something off the ground and holds it up to the light. Returning to the party, you all can see he's holding a dirty translucent scale the size of a buckler.

"What the hell is that," asks Lavin.
"Chitin. It molted off our quarry," replies Gars.
"You mean like... a snake skin?"
"No, like an insect. A giant insect. What we're dealing with here, undoubtedly, is an ankheg."

[Rex]

Ciarra

"We best keep alert, I have heard those are nasty to deal with."

[Urson]

Mikhail
Mikhail does his own scouting around these burrows.
(survival) [2d6]=12

Lemme see that scale. He uses the point of an arrow to test the strength of the chitin.

[sulldawga]

Mikhail
Mikhail does his own scouting around these burrows.
(survival) [2d6]=12

Lemme see that scale. He uses the point of an arrow to test the strength of the chitin.

The chitin scale is brittle and easily broken but Mikhail surmises that it's because it's already been rubbed off the ankheg's body.

what question are you trying to answer with that Survival roll?

[sulldawga]

Ciarra

"We best keep alert, I have heard those are nasty to deal with."

Any actions for the party? What are you doing next?

[Rex]

Ciarra

"I say we stick to the plan and continue to explore as we continue."

[cybersavant]

Kaithar the Unhoused "If it burrows underground, what are the chances it'll hear us walking up here?" He looks around to see if there are any rocky outcroppings nearby.

[Rex]

Ciarra

"Possible, but it seems that would be possible on any soft ground and we will have to walk on some at some point."

[Urson]

Mikhail is primarily wanting to get his own impressions of the area and the potential threat.

[Marullus]

The trench runs across the area for miles. You're not sure how far it extends to the north but from where you saw it east of the tower, it runs south for 2 or 3 miles, then turns SW for another 2 or 3 miles, then north for 2 or 3 miles.

Does it seem the trench is circling the tower? Does the trench happen to fall on the hex lines?

Gars considers that, having come east from the tower they're back in sight of Fort Advance. "We need to get further afield to really... map the fields. Perhaps we follow the trench southwest around then scout north along the foothills?"

Urson, are you comfortable mapping both IC and OOC?

[sulldawga]

Mikhail is primarily wanting to get his own impressions of the area and the potential threat.

Mikhail agrees with Gars that the holes are ankheg holes. He knows that the ankheg tends to burrow underground to wait for its prey and then strike from below. He thus suspects that the party is safe for now because the ankheg probably already ambushed its prey here and then left.

[sulldawga]

Does it seem the trench is circling the tower? Does the trench happen to fall on the hex lines?

The trench, from what you've seen so far, appears to make a semi circle around the tower to the south.

[sulldawga]

Waiting on the party for actions

[Rex]

Ciarra

"We should continue on towards the swamp."

[Marullus]

Gars considers that, having come east from the tower they're back in sight of Fort Advance. "We need to get further afield to really... map the fields. Perhaps we follow the trench southwest around then scout north along the foothills?"

Gars points out that the trench appears to be circling around the Druid's Black Tower and, having retreated east from it, we're back within view of Fort Advance which is our start point. Rather than further exploration in the narrower swath between the Tower and Fort (north/counterclockwise), he suggests we explore clockwise around the south side of the tower to where we saw it bend back northward closer to the foothills. If we swing wide but keep the trench in view, we will get a better understanding of what is further from the Fort on our way to the swamp. Our goal is to discover all we can on the way, and being further from the Fort can only help.

[Rex]

Ciarra

"I am all right with that plan."

[Urson]

Mikhail
Mikhail nods his agreement. Further we are from town- and the townies- the better.

[Enoch]

Lavin nods in agreement. "We mark the tower on our map and continue. They were hostile, but we should just continue circling around them and head for the swamp."

[sulldawga]

Hallastor Hills
Late afternoon

The party has spent the first quarter of the "adventuring day" exploring the SE quadrant of this hex. The second quarter was spent journeying to the black tower and parleying with its unfriendly occupants. The third quarter was spent exploring the SW quadrant and finding evidence of ankhegs. The final quarter of the day will be circling around the tower to explore the NW quadrant.

The party navigates back and forth as they move NW from the ankheg holes. About 1 mile, maybe a mile and a quarter, to the NW, they find the trench again. They discover an "elbow" where one side heads NE back toward where they first crossed it (where you found the giant elk crossing) and the other side of the elbow turns NW. The trench leads the party NW for another mile or so and then turns N.

Knowing the black tower is somewhere to the NE, the party decides to head that way but stay out of visual range. Perhaps you all are too focused on the tower because you've only traveled another mile or so before you stumble directly into an axe beak nest! The three adult beasts are as startled as you are, and react accordingly.

Axe beaks win initiative 6 to 5. The party has not established a marching order so the axe beaks attack PCs randomly. PCs in alphabetical order: (1)Ciarra, (2)Gars, (3)Kaithar, (4)Lavin, (5)Mikhail. Kaithar is targeted once and Gars twice.

The axe beaks charge the party, with two focused on Gars and one on Kaithar. Each is struck once, with Gars taking 3 dmg and Kaithar 4.

Actions for the party?

[cybersavant]

Kaithar wields his heavy spear and jabs it at the axebeak in front of him.


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HP: 2/6
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