[Completed] - Lars/Finger of Doom - 19 March, 1 VC

[Zorroroaster]

Sounds good to me.

"Lug, I think she tucked a keepsake into your...pouch.". Orrin snickers a little to himself.

[Keehnelf]

March 28, 1 VC - 7:00am

The party heads off in the direction they expect is southwest, back into the dense undergrowth of the forest with Naila cradled in the stretcher between two and the third once again hauling the sling full of ingots.

The afternoon passes uneventfully without the party breaking free of the forest, and in the morning it strikes them that they are definitely heading off from their planned direction. Even carrying Naila, they should probably have made it out of the forest yesterday if they were headed directly southwest.

Please deduct one day's rations apiece. Naila loses one more HP during the day's travel.

[Zorroroaster]

"We still haven't cleared the forest? Perhaps we have misjudged a little back there going around that warded area. What do you think, Lars? Any big trees you can shimmy up to have a look around?"

1 days ration deducted.

[Zhym]

Did we think southwest was away from the Finger? If we entered the clearing 15-20 degrees to the right of where we entered the clearing, where did we exit? And is "right" from our vantage point as we entered the clearing, or looking back at where we entered? In other words, if we stood at the clearing, was the Finger about 15-20˚ to the right of straight ahead? Or some other direction?

[KingOfCowards]

Lars looks a mixture of disappointed and worried. In between spitting and chewing his tobacco leaf, he nods in agreement. "Yeah. I would have expected to leave the forest before last night. Probably not a bad idea to have a look."

When the party breaks camp, Lars will look for a tall tree that seems not all too difficult to climb. He'll climb up high enough to spot the finger, and then see if he can spot an end to these trees.

EDIT: 1 day rations, 4 oz of tobacco leaf deducted.

[Keehnelf]

It's to the right as you're looking at it from the clearing, so looking back along the path you'd come, the Finger was 15-20 degrees to the right.

[Keehnelf]

Lars looks a mixture of disappointed and worried. In between spitting and chewing his tobacco leaf, he nods in agreement. "Yeah. I would have expected to leave the forest before last night. Probably not a bad idea to have a look."

When the party breaks camp, Lars will look for a tall tree that seems not all too difficult to climb. He'll climb up high enough to spot the finger, and then see if he can spot an end to these trees.

March 28, 1 VC - 7:30am

Lars makes a reconnaisance trip up the tallest tree in the area somewhat near camp. Judging from what he can make out and what he remembers of the overall landscape from the map back in Vaul, they've been heading just west enough to be only slowly reaching the edge of the forest, which is now about a half mile distant from their current position. He marks the direction toward the nearest edge before climbing back down.

[KingOfCowards]

Lars climbs back down the tree, complaining about scratches and pine needles. "We we headed a bit too far west. We should be reaching the edge of this forest in about a half mile. I guess we get moving. With a good day's travel, we should be getting into Vaul on the morrow if we're lucky."

[Keehnelf]

March 8, 1 VC - 2:10pm

The party breaks out of the forest within an hour and is on its way further south toward the looming peaks of Sheol's Teeth off in the distance, knowing that Vaul cannot be far. The morning goes somewhat faster traveling over the open moorland than in the forest, but under their combined load the group is still making frustratingly slow progress. This is further worsened by mid afternoon, when the party tops a low rise and comes face to face with a pair of goblins mounted on wolves. The two are perhaps seventy feet distant, and see the party just as the party spots them. They wear studded leather armor and shields and have spears in hand. They do not immediately call out or charge, instead preferring to confer between the two of them.

[Keehnelf]

Oh and Lars is currently the one carrying the sling at this time.

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin laughs ruefully.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Lars, if they charge you could maybe nail one of the wolves with this enchanted arrow, that'll even up the numbers."

[KingOfCowards]

Lars whispers to Orrin. "I mean you no disrespect, sir dwarf. But if they would treat with us, allow us to do the talking. I do not feel this is a fight we need in our present condition."

[Zhym]

Let's not waste the arrow on a goblin. We don't know if it works more than once.

Lug fires his crossbow at the goblins.

Crossbow (Range: 80/160/240): [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14, Dmg [1d8] = 6 Also +1 for short range

[Keehnelf]

OK, combat will technically start when Lug starts loading his crossbow since he needs to put down the stretcher, pull out the crossbow, and then load it, so let's start there.

Anyone else have actions for the round when Lug is loading?

[Zorroroaster]

"Damnit, Lug, stop!"

Orrin puts down his end of the stretcher and prepares himself for conflict. He tests the weight of the new shield on his forearm.

"I would have agreed to a parlay, Lars. I think it's too late for that now!"

[Keehnelf]

The new shield is somewhat lighter than your old one. If you had to guess, perhaps 8 pounds rather than the 10 your original shield weighed.

[KingOfCowards]

Lars drops the sling of ingots and reaches for his own crossbow and loads it. "What are you doing? We might have been able to talk our way out of this."
He will not fire until the goblins are within range with their spears.

[Zorroroaster]

Ah. Right. It's an arrow and you both have crossbows. Silly dwarf.

Orrin will wait until they are in range and then attempt to throw his hand axe. After that, he'll draw the dwarven short sword and close.

[Keehnelf]

When the goblins see the party drawing and loading crossbows, they turn and race off at top speed toward the east. You can get one shot apiece at maximum range if you'd like.

[KingOfCowards]

Lars does not take the shot. He'll somehow end up hitting Naila or the archduke of Vaul.