Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021

[Keehnelf]

Irving frowns at the corpse. "I wish he wouldn't have done that. Now we'll never find the holy relic tower." He sighs and drops heavily into the mud.

[Zhym]

Olaf just grunts something unintelligible and tends to his mule Pony.

[Alethan]

Bandy Sandybanks

"Next time someone gets the bright idea to provoke stone statues that were thus far not aggressive, let me know in advance so I can clear out first, ok?"

He shakes his head in bewilderment, thinking back to the event.

"We're far from done, Irving. Just one man down. We know to avoid the stones for now, so we can circle around them in the morning, after a night's rest. And continue to the city we saw from atop the hill."

He busies himself with checking over his pony while the others catch their breath.

[Zhym]

"Ye can do that if ye want," says Olaf. "Me'n pony, we be going back to Gaul. Any of you hanky-waving pesties even seen this city except in visions?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

A serious and heart-felt apology to Stirling. Sorry he didn't make it.

To the mission though: It is about 8AM then?

And did we seriously run with him for 30 minutes for him to die at the end? Or were we carrying the body with us so we could bury it? Because if he died 5 min into running, I don't see Bremen continuing to drag Kells around. But I digress.

Captain Bremen
After setting the body down at the edge of camp, Captain Bremen retrieves a bottle from his pack and meets Markd's eyes. You tried. And when you meet Baudh, he will shower you with gold for risking your skin, friend. He opens the bottle of southern wine and offers it to Markd.

Once the scarred man has drank, Captain Bremen offers it around to the others, starting with Bandy. The only one of us with a lick of sense. Get the animals and supplies and get to safety. After the bottle has been passed, he sets the reminder of it with Brother Kells, along with his coin pouch. The last of my money from the Southlands. May it be sufficient to buy you passage into the afterlife.

When the mood has settled a bit, Captain Bremen offers his thoughts. Olaf has the right of it, Bandy. Those beasts were untouchable except for Irving's sword. And they flew off to the city where we were going. We needs more weapons like Irving's great.. err.. his uncle's sword. And we need more people or a cleric. We need to return to Vaul with this body. He goes on to explain that it would take precious time to bury Kellstrom here.

If we go back now, there is a chance we might level up. We could ask the Temple to loan us weapons in exchange for a portion of our treasure. We could pick up a new cleric. Or... Possibly... HOPEFULLY... The could reincarnate Kellstrom. That might put him in perpetual debt to pay the service off, and he might still make crazy-ass, impulsive decisions... But maybe he'd come back to us.

[Alethan]

OOC: IIRC, bringing someone back from the dead requires the sacrificial life of a PC. It was the first venture, with little XP and treasure recovered; better to reroll I'd say.

[Alethan]

bandy Sandybanks

Bandy accepts the proffered bottle and takes a swig before passing it back.

Nah... Cold feet ain't brave. Just survival instincts kicking in. I am sorry to see the young monk go, but life is hard out here in the frontier. Gotta think before you act sometimes. I'm fine with heading back if that's what the rest want to do. We did recover a bit of coin from the barrow. Who knows. Maybe more in there still. Maybe some weapons we can use, even. "

Bandy shrugs and prepares to continue heading back to Gaul.

[Zhym]

"Could go back to the barrow," concedes Olaf. "Plenty o' skellies to bash there. Even put 'emselves back together so ye can bash 'em agin. If the dainty sword-kisser will let me, that is" he adds, shooting a narrow-eyed glance at Irving.

[Alethan]

Does Bandy and Markd still feel the ill effects of that fell blast of cursed wind from the first trip to the barrow?

[Rusty Tincanne]

if Stirling wants Kellstrom brought back, we should head back now. If we get involved with anything, it could take time that would make resurrecting him more difficult, iirc.

How long of a trek back to Gaul?

If Stirling doesn't care, Bremen would be game for getting those diamonds and then going back. As it stands, maybe the promise of diamonds would be enough for us to get a level 3-4 NPC cleric to come along.

As for payment, Gwanwen's temple advertises the services, but any high level cleric could do it. You'd just need to pay for Baudh's services. I am hoping for a discount and credit if we are resurrecting a cleric that was on duty.

[Zhym]

I don't think prying up those diamonds is a good idea. Either they're trapped, or they're part of projecting the little diorama in that room, or prying them up will damage them, or some combination of all three. Something's going on in there. Although my PC doesn't want to think if he can avoid it, as a player I want to figure the puzzle out before trying to pull the place apart. Getting someone who can read languages would be a good start.

[Alethan]

im with Zhym re: the diamonds. They have a purpose aside from just being torn out of the floor. We should try to figure it out. In the mean time, I only saw the one place that will restore life and it clearly says at the cost of a PC who knew them and willingly takes their place. No character I run is doing that any time soon. And if it does come down to gold, we found 600sp (which is just a heavier version of 60gp) and 40gp. So basically 100gp. No 7th level hedge cleric is going to raise a body for 100gp (assuming we were all willing to contribute our shares).

This is a LL rule game (i.e. A Basic rule game). When a first level character dies, you reroll. You don't try to raise them. This is a premise of Basic rules. Death happens. A lot. Don't get attached to a character. Play your character like you get no second chances, because you probably won't.

[Keehnelf]

Im with you guys on all counts.

Irving groans at Olaf. "Listen, friend: I've been grievous injured twice on this journey now. Once from taking my blows like a man and for a cause, and once from a fight that shouldn't ever have come to pass. There's no tales that tell of great heroes who died on a hill because of a friend who threw a rock at a dragon's head. I'm out here to do good, and there was no good on that hill, and no good to be found from throwing any of us further in harm's way. I'll not take your ribbing when I'm the only one in this bunch that killed one of those damned things. I'll tell you this much: I got lucky with that one. Trapped as it was, the one under that rock still could've ripped you a new chest-hole, what with your short arms and such."

He folds his arms and begins to sulk. "I'll go back in that barrow--I think it has clues, at least, that might help us find what we're out here for."

[Zhym]

"Only reason you killed one o' them uppity rocks and I didn't was yer great gran-uncle left ye a fancy sword," answers Olaf, giving the fighter a disdainful look. "I would have fought that rock beastie, and with that sword 'o yours I might have bested it, and even if I didn't ye'd have had time to get Kellstrom away more carefully."

"Believe what you got to to live with yeself, but ye chose yer shiny sword over a man's life. That makes ye worse than anything I know the words to call ye." The dwarf turns his back and walks away as far from Irving as he can get without actually leaving the campsite.

If Olaf's also upset because he thinks Irving deprived him of the chance to die—or prevail—gloriously fighting a creature of living rock while trying save someone's life, he doesn't bring that point up.

[Alethan]

Bandy Sandybanks

Bandy nods, "I'd go back into the barrow, I suppose, though I still feel it's fell breath upon me..."

[onlyme]

Markd listens to the commentary and speaks,

We came out here to find that relic, and I must continue on. Hopefully you have the same commitment. I risked my life to save him regardless of his idiotic action, because I felt we needed as many arms as we can find. I still think we have the strength to carry out this request. Baudh would not have left us to a suicide mission. I say we go on to the city we saw to the north. From there, we can rest and recover some health for a day, maybe gain some intelligence, and head out asap after. On our way home, we can investigate the diamonds and ghosts all you want.

[Zhym]

"Ye go looking fer the city, ye go without me," answers Olaf. "I seen aught to convince me yer god is with you, and you got no more idea where this city is than it's somewhere thataway on a hill by a river. I don't got enough food to traipse all over the countryside looking for this city o' yers."

Speaking of food: "I hate to do this, but it's gotta be done." The dwarf checks Brother Kellstrom's supplies for food or anything else that would serve the cause, leaving the gold Captain Bremen set down with him. After he's done with that, he uses his shovel to start digging a grave.

Edit: Olaf actually packed a shovel. If anyone wants to help him dig a grave, they can use the shovel while Olaf uses his pick.

[Keehnelf]

Irving sighs. "I'm sorely wounded from that fight. I need time to rest--and that the gargoyles headed toward the city in the north doesn't make me feel like we'll find respite there. We might once, but I suspect we're foes of whoever lives there, now."

[Alethan]

OOC: Who else is wounded? I think just Markd and Bandy are cursed. Hopefully that can be removed without giving up all of his worldly possessions... but he doesn't have enough coin to do that right now. :-\

[Keehnelf]

Irving has 1 HP, just to give a clear sense of his condition.