DAI would pick up the crossbow, as well as any bolts he can find.

Zeig eyes Jack with a concerned eye.

"Jack, you almost died out there...I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of you.  Sara included, we have to get her back."

DAI, you find 32 bolts (in two quivers, total weight: 5.1 lbs) on the goblin. The bolt that was stuck in you and fell out when you received a Cure seems to be unsuitable for firing.

[Private to DAI: It's Masterwork. Add the +1 enhancement bonus to hit on your rolls.]

Vil dismisses the Enfire spell with a sigh and sheathes his rapier. "Not sure how much daylight we have left, but we need to find a place to rest."

DAI picks up the Crossbow, and the two quivers. He is holding the Crossbow like an amateur, and has one quiver on each hip, the small one on the left.

Zeig looks around suspiciously at the nearby bushes and trees.

"Yea, this forest is obviously unsafe.  I wonder how far off the plains are, we lost some time here."

Zeig begins heading back towards the road.

DAI would go to follow ZEIG, looking back to make sure VIL and JACK were close behind.

Jack follows quietly.

The group of adventurers make their way back to the road. It is only a 45 minute walk to the edge of the forest from where they found BILL. The tree line is abrupt and distinct as the road suddenly breaks into the plains. The gently rolling grasslands stretch onward in front of you to the northwest with another forest in the distance.

There is evidence of previous camps on either side of the road. A fire pit and flat land ripe for bedrolls or tents seems very welcoming. It is now 6:45pm.

Normally, declaring who is on watch in shifts is in order when making camp. Here, for one of the few times in this campaign, you guys will be able to sleep through the night with no issue.

Decide if you'd like to use your Tent item or simply sleep on the ground on your bedrolls.

Consume one day's worth of rations. You will consume rations at the end of the day. (Although you may have eaten from them all throughout the day.)

Vil follows as well, keeping an eye out for goblins.

I vote for the tent. We used up too much of our resources.

The party uses the tent item. It is surprisingly comfortable for what it is, and all of you wake up feeling much better. Those of you that stayed awake during your respective watches noticed nothing near the camp as you slept.

At the start of Earthsday, it begins to sprinkle lightly on the party. The weather is warm and the rain makes it no less pleasant to travel.

The distant forest seems to stay a constant length of road away from you for hours, and then you begin to finally make progress towards it. Occasinally in the distance one or two of you will spot what appear to be horses, creatures you've only seen pictures of, running off in the distance. DAI remembers a shred of information that they, at one time, were used as mounts before chocobos became popular on this continent.

None of them really get close enough seem to be bothered by you. The forest draws closer and closer, and now mountains can be seen to your left and right as you head north. The rain stops and the clouds begin to disperse as you come to the edge of the northern Cornelian forest. The undergrowth is much more thick, and the forest is in general much more dark. The howling of distant wolves can be heard.

You guys guess that you could make it to the other side of the forest, where there is supposed to be a swamp, before nightfall. Sleeping on the plains appears to be rather safe. None of you have Knowledge: Geography. The northern swamp as a camp, you can only assume, may not be as safe, but it would definitely hasten progress significantly.

Everyone presses on, resolute to find Sara. As it looked from the outside, this forest is much more densely packed with vegetation. The road now is nearly in ruins. At many places, younger trees are growing straight up through the cobblestone.

ZEIG occasionally hears far off howling, but nobody else in the party seems to hear it.

JACK notices some signs of especially large wolves near the road as he's looking for for an indication of what kind of wildlife might be around. ZEIG's claims of howling are taken very seriously after this.

The forest does not end, so much as the swamp begins. It is slow and gradual. The road is now mottled clumps of broken and buried stone. Your eight feet are probably one of the dozens to have walked on what is left of this path in decades.

The ambient light of the forest begins to grow dim. Nightfall approaches. You manage to find a small mound that is dryer than the surrounding area. Crumbling stone near the base suggests this may have been a structure of some kind in a past century.

You resolve to make camp. Determine watches.

DAI thinks a moment, before offering up an idea.

"I can...take first watch...and haven't used any of my magic today so...a full night isn't really needed..."

Jack nods. "Wake me up when you finish, then." He starts taking out his and Zeigs bedrolls.

The mound that you're on is 25' by 30'.

All around is sludgy water, apart from a small raised path to what's left of the road. The road itself appears to be a few inches above water level, so you guys have managed to avoid becoming too muddy as of yet. Everything around you is far too wet to burn, so making a fire will be extremely difficult.

The water imposes various penalties for movement, and intermixed out there in it are stumps and the like. JACK is confident that something would have to creep up extremely slowly to avoid making noises in the mud--hopefully meaning you'll either see or hear something coming to kill you.

Eat a day's rations before going to sleep.

"Ah, thanks Jack.  Ooof it's heavy.  I'll take third watch, wake me up when you're getting tired."

Zeig yawns and blesses his companions with a warm radiant light before he crawls into his bedroll to avoid the wet ground.

17:31, Today: ZEIG rolled 5 using 2d10. Benediction.

[OOC] No joke.  We. SUCK. at rolling. [/OOC]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:33, Thu 10 Feb 2011.

The night passes. Each person on watch begins wide awake and terrified then proceeds to calm down. Despite distant howling and the occasional noise in the canopy above, nothing approaches the small island of semi-dry ground that night.

Watersday. Appropriate. It is raining again within minutes of waking up. The lighting in the forest is somewhat dim much past 50' away. The group discusses how it's glad they chose to travel through the forest when they did. This rain wasn't going to make the swamp any more pleasant to go through. Having a half a day delay would have made it worse.

Everyone gets their bedrolls piled back onto JACK and check their belongings. As you all begin to step towards the road all of you hear a sloshing behind you from at least two different angles. Surprise Round negated. All of you heard them approach.

To your east lies the small path back to the road, or what's left of it. All other directions lead into swampy water, possibly more aptly called soupy mud. All water squares consume double movement cost. DC 12 Balance check per square to negate this cost.

JACK turns around to see the source of the noises. There are three sopping wet wolves coming up onto the mound from out of the water. It seems as if they were ready to charge at the party, and were not expecting to be heard.

VERY simple battlemap:

. = dry land
_ = water
W = normal wolf 1 (standing on water _)
w = normal wolf 2 (standing in water _)
L = large wolf (standing on water _)
J = JACK on .
Z = ZEIG on .
V = VIL on .
D = DAI on .

_____________
____W________
___......____
__........___
_w...J.DZ....
___...V...___
___.......___
_____L_______


Round 1:
18: JACK
17: ZEIG
16: Grizzled Wolf
12: Wolf
 8: VIL
 3: DAI

Jack charges the largest wolf.


21:16, Today: JACK rolled 8,12 using d6+3,d12 with rolls of 5,12.
21:15, Today: JACK rolled 22 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 19. CHAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!.

JACK charges at the largest wolf, kicking it in the snout, assuredly breaking many parts of its face. It yelps in pain as if it was not expecting such a sudden force.

[Private to JACK: You feel that as hard as you hit it, it should have taken more damage than it did.]

_____________
____W________
___......____
__........___
_w.....DZ....
___...V...___
___..J....___
_____L_______


Round 1:
18: JACK
17: ZEIG
16: Grizzled Wolf
12: Wolves
 8: VIL
 3: DAI

[Private to GM:
W: 13/13
w: 13/13
L: 10/20

Jack: -2 AC until Round 2

Bonus EXP:
JACK: 1.5
ZEIG:
VIL:
DAI:]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:23, Fri 11 Feb 2011.

Zeig takes a 5' step down and left, readies his dagger, and takes on a defensive stance.  [OOC] Total Defense. [/OOC]

"Quite the rude awakening.  Foul beasts!"

The ratty-looking large wolf is furious and circles around to Jack's left and bites at him ferociously.
20:30, Today: teslas rolled 18 using 1d20+5.
20:31, Today: teslas rolled 8 using 1d6+3.
[Private to JACK: Assuming 50/50 in SIO/HP?]
It then tries to pull JACK to the ground, but JACK bats it away.
20:32, Today: teslas rolled 15 using 1d20+2. Trip attempt.

I forgot to add your HP from sleeping. I will do that after this post... and then take it back away from damage.

The other two wolves, distracted by the yelp, rush to aid their hurt pack leader.

Wolf (W) charges downwards at JACK, provoking an attack of opportunity from VIL, but can't sink its teeth into him.

Wolf (w) runs down to the other side of JACK and bites at him, tearing at his flesh while he is still slightly off-balance from his powerful charge at the pack leader.
20:36, Today: teslas rolled 5 using 1d6+1.
20:35, Today: teslas rolled 15 using 1d20+3.
It then tries to pull JACK to the ground, but he throws it off of himself.

_____________
_____________
___......____
__........___
__.....D.....
___..WVZ..___
___.wJL...___
_____________


Round 1:
18: JACK
17: ZEIG
16: Grizzled Wolf
12: Wolves
 8: VIL
 3: DAI

[Private to GM:
W: 13/13
w: 13/13
L: 10/20

JACK: -2 AC until Round 2
ZEIG: +4 AC until Round 2
W   : -2 AC until Round 2

Bonus EXP:
JACK: 1.5
ZEIG: 1.5
VIL:
DAI:]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:48, Fri 11 Feb 2011.

Vil pokes at the wolf charging by him, then shifts behind it, flanking with Jack and attempts to puncture it again.

20:40, Today: VIL rolled 14 using 1d20+2. AoO attack on Wolf.
20:41, Today: VIL rolled 4 using 1d6+2. Rapier damage on Wolf.
20:41, Today: VIL rolled 18 using 1d20+4. Rapier flanking attack on Wolf.
20:41, Today: VIL rolled 7 using 1d6+2. Rapier damage on Wolf.

VIL makes a pincushion out of the wolf that had run past him. Its guard was down, being preoccupied with assisting its injured companion. It now seems like its hanging on to life by a thread.

_____________
_____________
___......____
__........___
__...V.D.....
___..W.Z..___
___.wJL...___
_____________


Round 1:
18: JACK
17: ZEIG
16: Grizzled Wolf
12: Wolves
 8: VIL
 3: DAI

[Private to GM:
W: 2/13
w: 13/13
L: 10/20

JACK: -2 AC until Round 2
ZEIG: +4 AC until Round 2
W   : -2 AC until Round 2

Bonus EXP:
JACK: 1.5
ZEIG: 1.5
VIL: 1.5
DAI:]

DAI takes a 5 ft step to the "left" after drawing his dagger, and attempting to kill teh wounded beast using JACK's help, but wasting teh effort as his blade slides harmlessly over the wolf's low body.


19:05, Today: DAI rolled 10 using 1d20+1. dagger (no flank? huh...). 
OOC: At least daggers don't cost MP :/ sad days for all targets being in melee and making crossbow useless (-9 to hit total)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:05, Fri 11 Feb 2011.