"We ran into quite a few spiders ourselves," adds Chelsie.

She keeps herself busy assisting with clearing the cavern, and joins with Carmen in getting a fire going. When the hunters start to move about, she'll use her magic to help clean their garments.

Prestidigitation for all of those tasks, of course.

"We slew the cruel flying beast as well," he adds to Chelsie's comment as he rubs his forearm where the spikes had impaled him, "it was a fearsome enemy."

"Wendel, your arm, you fought hard my friend. Perhaps we should shelter from the cold here tonight and recuperate? At first light we can search for any equipment or supplies as Carmen suggested."

The tiefling appears concerned for the half-elf as he looks him over but really he is thinking, "This power he has is more than his body can handle. Perhaps Zariel limits what she provides to what she thinks I can handle, to protect me? Tonight while I pray I should entreat her to trust in my ability to handle such a burden... I must be more than this, whatever the cost."

With the mention of the flying creature they had slain, Nutcracker dropped the bundle he had carved from its carcass and set it beside the camp supplies. "Nutcracker, a skilled hunter!" If he were capable of a grin he would have been. Instead, his dark amber eyes just seemed more menacing without the same facial motions as the others could manage.

As the area became more cleared of webs he made space for a fire to be built and a tent potentially set up. Even a short break before setting out would do better with some private shelter beyond the cave itself.

Are you taking a short rest, or a long one? A long rest gives the hunters time to regain their HP, as well.

I'm guessing the hunters have had all their recovery HD whittled away trying to stay alive, so maybe a long rest is the best way to go (plus, I will level up to 4th that way too!)

With the cavern cleared, Carmen sets out to gather firewood for the campfire to help protect the cave from unwanted predators. She keeps herself quiet, but doesn't venture too far. By the end of the gathering session, she hopes that there is enough wood and kindling to keep them warm throughout the night.

"I'll take a shift through the night. Being able to see as clear as I can through the night is a blessing I'll happily take advantage of." she says. Her green eyes seem to sparkle a little.

"In the morning, hopefully we can set off back to the village and return these hunters to safety." she adds.

Victor nods, "I'll rest now and wake early to take up the last shift."

The tiefling goes about setting up his bedroll and removing his heavy armor. Once doffed, he sets it aside neatly and begins to stretch, massaging to places where it had been rubbing during the day.

It had been getting worse. The damage he was doing to himself while using his patron's power. There was going to be a limit one day. Still, being able to help these people in any way was a blessing he would have never believed himself capable of before. After helping to clear the cave and make it a little more comfortable for the hunter's they'd come to rescue. For his part Wendel almost missed what Victor had said as he was lost in thought. Eventually though he nodded. "Rest would be good. If its to be shifts I can take whatever shift you think you'll need from me. Gritt won't sleep with his curiosity so peeked so he can help through the whole of the night. Don't get into to much trouble my little friend."

With that Wendel sat, more crumpled into a heap, his head resting on the pack he bore, Gritt started wandering around the cave poking at the hunters and walking up to Carmen and then Chelsie to look closer at them. As Wendel nodded off his tiny rocklike friend moved toward the cave entrance and disappeared into a rock before popping back out and wandering around again. He'd continue doing that and occasionally silently giving guidance to whoever was currently on watch.

Making a comfortable seat for himself, Nutcracker settled in to take the first watch. His bow was at hand and plenty of arrows still in their quivers. Hopefully the watch would be similar to the night before and be uneventful. If it wasn't, well, he had a surprise or two and a way to raise the alarm. With the webs being cleared away from the room he could also make use of the few torches he had brought along as well to help with his lack of special vision.

OOC: First watch. Will light a torch and wedge it into the entryway wall for additional light if it gets too dark before shift end.

The night passes uneventfully. Everyone wakes fully rested. The hunters are healed up, and ready to set out at the earliest opportunity. Though they lost most of their weapons at some point since fleeing the manticore, they each still have a dagger. They also still have enough rations for the return trip. Jebor suggests saving the rations for the village, if Nutcracker will continue to provide berries. He took the time to harvest meat from the spiders, and collected enough to feed half the tribe for a day. He mentions that there are hunting traps they can check on the way back, which will hopefully cover much of what was lost.

In the morning, Carmen feels ready to try a new technique she had come up with. Setting down some herbs, she uses some of the burning embers to light them as she concentrates upon summoning a familiar for herself. All sorts of imagery is conjured by her as she tries to reach out to a particular type of creature....fox? No, too reliant on land....Owl? No, too weak.....Rat? Reviled in parts...

Her mind casts itself out, then unbidden, a deep command issues from her patron.... "_Darkmantle"

For unknown reasons, Carmen feels herself turning around into the cave where the hunters had once been captured. She looks across, noticing a stalagmite on the ground that was all kinds of inconspicuous. As she reached out towards it, the thing unfurled itself slowly, then crawled up and over her shoulders to rest upon her back like some kind of cloak.

"Yes." she said. "Yes, this will do quite nicely."

OOC: Leveled up to 4th (in adventure!)

The hunters were looking as well as can be expected. "I'm happy to check the traps on the way. Hopefully they haven't attracted larger enemies hungry for food though." she says.

"That's why we approach them quietly," said one of the hunters, the elven man.

Carmen nods, agreeing with the hunter. "You are clearly the better hunter than I." she says. "My quarry tend to be two legged and hiding among men."

Jebor says, "I also have a trick to help escape creatures we can't handle. It doesn't work on spiders... at least not while caught in their webs."

Victor had risen early and made a few patrols before settling down to read the sacred texts and say his prayers. During making his daily thanks and reaffirming his oath, he focused on one of the tenets: Strength Above All. In his mediations he beseeched Zariel for the power of his allies but it was not she who answered his prayers.

It was another fallen one that heard his prayers this morning, a different figure depicted in the writings called Olianthius. Those witnessing Victor's prayers would note a shadowlike helm entwined about his horns as well as a change in his eyes to black sclera and glowing yellow irises.
Once his devotions are finished these visual changes fade but the underlying surge of power remains, causing the tiefling to grin in an off-puttingly fiendish way.

---

"I have a spear and several javelins if they will serve you better than those daggers," Victor offers the elves as he eyes the new mantle about Carmen's shoulders.

"We should return via these traps as you suggest, it would take days for your tribe to starve but not so long to resort to desperation and infighting."

---

OOC I have 1 spear and 5 javelins I can hand out if they'll be used.
Victor has taken a level in Warlock with the Death Knight Olianthius as his Undead patron.

Nutcracker was more than happy to provide berries for the entire crew as they made their way back. This was overshadowed, ever so slightly, by the changes noted in Carmen and Victor. While reliable in a fight, he would be glad to put some distance between himself and them for a while. Things were getting... unnatural? Not that anything around here was terribly natural to him at this point.

Seeing as how the hunters were on a lack of supplies, Nuts also offered up his hand axe and a second sprig of mistletoe in the event one of the five was like himself in ability.

OOC: Adding the hand axe and sprig of mistletoe to the pile.

The hunters gratefully accept the weapons and the goodberries, but seem confused about the offer of mistletoe. Jebor takes the spear, the human woman takes the handaxe, and they each take a javelin.

"Since you know the best way to your traps, perhaps you should lead the way." suggests Carmen to Jebor. "I think we are ready to move."

Victor indicates his agreement with Carmen with a nod and a gesture, "If there is any danger that needs to be overcome, allow us to take the brunt of it."

The return to Fierce Hearts was relatively peaceful, with the only bloodshed being that of the animals the hunters have trapped. After checking the traps, Jebor reports that they have caught half the required food for his tribe.

Congratulations!  You each recieve: 900xp, 6 downtime units. 1 item from the "limitless supply section" from Hexia's shop per person (if it requires special materials, you must still provide them.) If you can provide the equivalent of 300 rations, you can all sleep at Fierce Hearts village for the next two weeks (thus not having to pay lifestyle expenses in town until you have spent 28 downtime units.)

Once again, Wendel had become, what was now becoming less than, unusually silent on the return trip. Even Gritt made very few appearances. Whatever it was Wendel was thinking or going through seemed to be exacerbated further as the group made it closer and closer to the Fierce Hearts village. It almost seemed he was ready to up and leave the group and retreat somewhere far away from adventure for a while. Maybe it was doubt in his self that caused it or maybe it was just time for him to take a break. He saw the conclusion of their mission through though. Before they entered Hexia's shop Wendel stopped and finally spoke up.

"Carmen, Victor, it has been a trip working alongside you but I don't know that I can maintain as I am and keep doing what we're doing. I need time to recover. Chelsie and Nutcracker, all of you. Thank you for showing me what a group of people could do together. Maybe one day I'll be back out by your sides fighting the creatures that encroach on the village, I just... I just think I need to take a break... Figure some things out. My sister has been working on something back in town and maybe it will be done by the time we return. I want you all to stop by and say hi now and then. She hasn't told anyone yet but she's pretty great with tattoos, and one specialty she is working on is really exciting. Carmen, you've got a familiar kinda like Gritt here but unique in its way of course. What Luna can do is create a link to a familiar for anyone who doesn't yet have that link on their own. So, when the shop opens if any of you are interested, make sure you let her know you were the group that kept me alive out here and she'll be sure to get you a great deal."

He pauses a bit, "I uh, I'm going to just go back through the portal so if any or all of you are going to be staying here I can report back to Smith. Was there anything of note I may need to tell him that hasn't been shared yet?"

OOC: I'll be around but probably won't be going on adventures much for a little while, Luna and Wendel have a shop/home that should be opening after I spend one more longrest which I'll probably just do with a downtime unit shortly.

Victor gives Wendel a gentle clap on the arm, ensuring it is the one not currently mottled with bruises, "Some time for internal reflection and rest will be good for you. I see a great potential for power in you, it would be a shame for your flame to burn so hot and fast that it consumed you. Be safe, my friend, when the time comes we will fight alongside each other again."

OOC: Victor will pick up a Pearl of Power from Hexia then join Wendel going through the portal to Smith's Gambit. He'll then do some shopping and get ready for the upcoming event.

Carmen is sad to see Wendel taking the option to cease adventuring with the group, but she had noticed he had been quiet of late. "Do what you need, but you are always welcome to return to the fold." she says, giving him a hug. "I'm tired and exhausted myself, but my quarry still remains unfound so I have a job to take care of."

She also heads to the hut with Victor, but chooses the Rod of the Pact Keeper for herself. She also takes the opportunity to relieve herself of some of her winnings and purchase some trinkets.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:30, Wed 08 Sept 2021.

The journey back was interesting to the ranger as it was a part of the land he did not pass through the first time through. The use of traps did not appeal to him, but if it was necessary for the tribe to survive then there wasn't much he could do about it. Or was there...

Upon returning to the village, Nutcracker mimicked Victor's gesture of clapping Wendel on the arm after his speech and repeated, "It seems our friend the cracker of nuts and arrow slinger has picked up a few friends of his own." Not the most appropriate, but his library of sounds to repeat were mostly animals and drunken parties; not much in the way of sentiments.

Once they had settled up, Nuts visited Hexia's to claim the magic item reward: an enhancement to his longbow. Now he had an idea of how he could test it out.

OOC: Nuts will pick the Weapon of Warning enchantment for his Longbow. Then he'll burn some Downtime Units hunting.

This job came from Chief Amzi. You don't need to report it to Smith. Wendel, don't forget your reward! You may choose something for Luna, if you wish.