OOC: I'm not expecting any roleplay on this post -- it's just getting you all to the starting point, so don't feel like you have to reply here.  Consider it the open cut scene.


Klevan's time at Tobias and Sons Exocita Imporium and Daredevil Acrobat Carnival has come to an end.  In his heart of hearts, Kleven knew it to be true, despite any attachment he held to the place he'd called home since childhood.  There simply no new stories to discover, only new audiences.  And even that was running thin, with this, the seventh circuit around Tal'dorei.

And so it was that he found himself in Emon, at the famous skyport, waiting for the ship which would take him westward to the continent of Wildemount -- to the lands which still bore the scars of the Calamity.  Of particular interest to Klevan was the story of the Arbor Exemplar -- a single magnificent tree rumoured to exist in the Barbed Lands.

The Moon Chaser was a gorgeous ship, all warm wood and pale sail, and the thrum of the brumestones at the bow and stern, were nearly powerful enough to make his bones ache.  Gold filigree in a distinctly elven pattern adorned the skyship's hull.  The captain, a tabaxi dressed in a flamboyant style which would not have been out of place in the circus, stood at the bow, looking over the horizon as the last of the cargo was loaded.  Nearby, the first mate stood at the bottom of the gangplank, checking passenger tickets.

The passengers themselves were a mixed lot.  There were the usual business types, many of whom hovered over their individual cargo like mother birds protecting a fledging, to the vast an obvious annoyance of the crew.  There was little the merchants could do about it, as the cargo was hauled up in a n=huge net by way of crane, and lowered somewhere in the hold.  The ship would dip slightly with the increased weight, and the brumestones would shine a little brighter, and the shift would rise to the appropriate level once more.

There were a couple of other passengers who didn't fit the merchant mold, equipped for adventure as they were.  Klevan marked them for watching; storied tended to happen around these people.  The first was a young woman in gleaming chainmail and a blue surcoat with the emblem of the Platinum Dragon emblazoned on the front.  A massive great sword hung over one shoulder, and her face tugged at Klevan's memory. [Private to Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis: Up to you whether you want to recognise Hannah's face from your childhood adventures in her manor house.]


Hannah had worried about wearing the chainmail for this part of the trip.  The armour was heavy, and she worried about the message it would send to her fellow travelers, like she was expecting trouble.  But as she stood on the platform at Emon's skyport, she was grateful for the warmth -- it probably came more from the padded waistcoat she wore beneath the chain, but the wind was strong and cold up here and would be stronger and colder still as they rose into the sky.  She had worried about the cost of the trip at first, but Speaker Tassarion at Honour's Rest had assured her the matter was taken care of.  The funds for the voyage would be covered by the temple's coffers.

She hadn't been given a specific destination to start her quest, but the temple had not raised any objections to sending her to Wildemount.  The worship of the Betrayer Gods was rumoured to be strong far to the east, and Bahamut's message could do much good in those troubled lands.


The last of the cargo loaded, the door to the hold were closed and the crane returned to its resting position.  The captain checked a timepiece in his pocket, and gave a shrill whistle.  The first mate straightened from checking yet another ticket and called out, "All aboard!  Last call!  All aboard!"

Stepping on the gangplank and then the deck of the ship, the thrum of power in the brumestones could be felt in the legs and spine as a quiet vibration.  Within moments, this awareness faded into the background as a simple constant.  The gangplank was withdrawn, and the ship shoved away from the mooring posts with long poles by the crew.  As soon as the ship was clear, the brumestones gave a deep vibrating hum, and the ship began to rise slowly.  At some point the wings -- great white sails attached to the side of the ship, unfurled, and the ship began to pick up speed as it caught more wind.

"Welcome aboard the Moon Chaser," a throaty feline voice called from the upper deck.  "I'm your captain, and my name is Cloudrunner."  The captain stood barefoot on the railing between the upper deck and the lower.  "We're three days' travel from Whitestone, and then four more to Wildemount and our destination of Port Damali.  I'll ask ye to stow ye're belonging securely in ye're cabins, and then ye're free to move about the ship as ye wish.  The crew all have their jobs to to do, so be don't be disturbin' them any.  If we hit a patch o' bad wind or rain, I'd ask ye to stay inside.  We don' need to be losin' no more passengers over the side."  Her speech apparently done, the captain leapt down over the railing and disappeared into her own quarters.


The voyage to Whitestone was uneventful.  Clear skies which grew progressively colder as the ship traveled north and west.  Occasionally snowcapped mountains could be seen through gaps in the cloud cover beneath them, and on the third day, the rustic city of Whitestone could be seen in the distance.


The particular spell component Humu needed could not be found anywhere in Westruun.  It seemed it could be found anywhere on Tal'dorei.  He'd asked nearly every merchant he could find, great or small, from the local shopkeeps at Gilmore's, down to every wagon-pushing street merchant he could find.  No one seemed to carry Vermaloc bark anywhere.  Vermaloc wood, sure -- carved and fashioned into furniture or knick-knacks at various sizes -- and all exceedingly expensive, but not Vermaloc bark.  It seemed the only way for him to get some would be to travel to Xhorhas -- on the eastern side of Wildemount -- and carve it from the tree himself!

The trip to Whitestone was Westruun took almost nine days in the saddle, following the Parchwood Way to Turst Fields, where half the caravan split to head west to Drynna while the remainder headed north along what once had been the Alabaster Trail, but was now the Silvercut Roadway.  The trip wasn't entirely without incident, but nothing more serious than a broken axle or a wheel stuck in a rut.

Whitestone's skyport was situated in the southern ward, which had been built to accommodate the growing population to Whitestone, some of whom were refugees from Emon that had never returned.  Built almost entirely from the white stone that gave the city its name, the spire gleamed in the sunset, almost detracting from the absolute glory of the Sun Tree, visible in the distance.

As the caravan arrived, Humu eased gratefully out of the saddle, glad to see the back of that part of the journey, and ascended the stairs to the skydock.  The cargo from the caravan intended for the Menagerie coast was lifted to the skydock by way of crane, then ported to another area of the dock where a second, smaller crane would load the cargo onto the waiting Skyship, named the Moon Chaser.  The ship already had passengers who lined both edges of the deck, looking out over the city of Whitestone and watching the new arrivals.

There were not many departures, and the first mate, a human by the name of Anrod Baldric, greeted him at the bottom of the gangplank.  "Ticket and destination, please," he said without looking up as Humu approached.  "Port Damali," the kenku replied in his teacher's voice, and handed for the ticket.  Alrod blinked at the voice, then nodded in comprehension as he saw for the first time who he was dealing with.

"Very good, sir.  Welcome aboard the Moon Chaser," he said as he stepped aside.  Humu headed up the gangplank, shifting his pack as he ascended.


The trip to Port Damali was peaceful.  By day the birds swooped around the ship, sometimes come for a rest on the railings or the sails, other times following in the wake of the skyship, taking advantage of the slipstream it created.  Twice it rained heavily and the captain confined everyone but the crew to their quarters for the duration.  On the morning of the fourth day, the seaside city of Port Damali appeared down to the east, sparkling like a jewel against the backdrop of mountains, lakes, and the verdant woodlands.  Hundreds of seafaring vessels of different sizes dotted the bay beneath them as they approached, and the ship docked at the skyport with ease.

The skyport at Port Damali was clearly older than the one at Emon and Whitestone.  The timber was old, but highly polish to a warm gleam.  Reflecting the different climate of the Menagerie Coast, this skyport was covered with a golden sailcloth, which gave shelter from the sun, and funneled the wind through the passageway to combat the humidity of the region.

Stairs led down to the docks along the Larboard Light district, where the passengers were able to secure transport further south to Nicodranas aboard a fast clipper called The Demandelion.

The first stop on the journey south was at Feolinn, where a few passengers got off, and one more joined.


Shera stood in the dockside district, waiting for her ship to come in.  Behind her, she could hear the cries of hawkers for the restaurant district on Suamalie Way, which stretched out along the shoreline to give diners the best view of the water.  She already missed her shop -- she thought of it as hers, despite the fact that it was her father's still.  It was hard not to think of the shop as home, given how much of her life had been spent with its walls.  It was the smell she missed most; the scents out here were all wrong.

She clutched her book tighter as she saw the ship coming in.  The Demandelion was to take her away from here.  To places unknown and people unmet.  To flora and fauna unseen, and which properties she might use to make something new.  That had been her father's command as he banished her.  "Go.  You've spent too much time here, and learned but not yet lived.  Go.  Improve your craft and return when you have something to contribute yourself."

[Secret to Shera Draxalia: ::Harsh, but true:: whispered a voice in her mind.  ::You cannot fulfil your bargain to me stuck in your shop.::]

After some consideration, Shera had decided to look in the Vermaloc Wildwood in the east of Xhorhas.  Much had been done with its wood, but she was interested in its leaves -- in a grey and desiccated wildland, there had to be some reason that it's leaves remained colourful and vibrant.

Shera watched as the clipper slowed as it came into port, and boarded the ship as soon as she was able.


The four-day trip from Feolinn to Nicodranas was indeed fast, but this turned out to be for the better, as twice they found themselves chased by pirate vessels.  The Demandelion was easily able to outrun the larger ships, who had to remain further out in open water.

It made a brief stop in Port Zoon, and then sped onwards further south.  Rain sprang up almost every day, but lasted only for an hour or so each time.

The fourth day dawned clear and sunny, and saw The Demandelion cruising in to Nicodranas, the southernmost port of the Menagerie Coast.

The clipper docked at one of the smaller docks on the Restless Wharf, a busy dockyard that seemed to be filled with elements of cheap entertainment.  Warehouses, small huts, buildings and cranes were tightly packed in along the wharf, and the cries of seagull and other birds filled the early morning air.  A dockmaster approached the ship as she came in and started talking with the captain, who handed over a manifest of passenger names.

An hour's walk through the town saw the group at the northern gates of Nicodranas, where a team of wagons and carts waited to set for north, through the Wuyun Gate.  The mountains on either side made a great choke point on the passage north into the Dwendalian Empire.

The caravan was stopped and searched by a group of heavily armour soldiers, but allowed to pass with only a short delay.

From the gates it was a five day journey north up the Amber Road to the city of Alfield, then another four days to Felderwin, and then a week to the fortress at Ashguard Garrison, to pass through the Ashkeeper Peaks into Xhorhas.  There were many questions from armed guards at the garrison, seeking spies from the Kryn Dynasty, but ultimately the party was allowed through.

Three days down the road saw the party to the city of Asarius, the City of Beasts, with it's white spires reaching from the ground like the rib cage of some long-forgotten primordial being.  The caravan ended its trip here, and the party overnighted in Asarius.  The next day the four adventurers set out overland, coming upon the Veramloc Wildwood over the course of next four days.

After sunset and moonrise of the fourth day, a storm blew in from the east.  Wet and bedraggled, the group stumbled into a logging camp.

[Private to Hannah Demsersk; HuMu Ninn; Shera Draxalia; Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis: At this point, it would unreasonable to suggest that you don't know each other at least passingly well.  Maybe not each other's capabilities, but enough to have learned.  It's up to you to determine whether you divulge anything your character considers secret, like Shera's magic, but you've been together long enough to learn that Hannah's a warrior for Bahamut, Humu's a student of the arcane, Klevan's a gifted storyteller, and Shera's an alchemist.  Anything else you want to have disclosed to the group?]

---

Links and images:
The view approaching Nicodranas: https://static.wikia.nocookie....00?cb=20200707045814
Wuyun Gates: https://static.wikia.nocookie....00?cb=20200410223500
Asarius: https://static.wikia.nocookie....00?cb=20200317193419

The Blightshore was a damned place.  That wasn't a colourful turn of phrase, it was almost the literal truth.  The site of the last battle of the Calamity.  The landscape had never recovered, more than 800 years later.

Rotthold was a closely packed city, with buildings butting up against one another like a herd of animals facing a predator in the land itself.  Kursak navigated through the narrow streets as the sun set, broad shoulders sometimes scraping against the strange luminescent red moss that grew on every building here eventually.  By the time he reached the dockside district, his robes would be stained once again.

A mismatched pair of militia guards stood at the gates guarding the entrance to the dockside.  The houses and warehouses were nicer here, and farther apart, but even the wealthy and powerful could not escape the moss which crawled up every wall.

The Broken Slave was once a brig belonging to the Revelry of the Menagerie Coast, before it had been captured and taken by Myriad in one the many examples of one-ups-manship between the two organisations.  In other cities, they might have kept a low profile, but in Rotthold, they both operated openly.

Kursak approached the gangplank of the Broken Slave confidently.  A shadow detached itself from a stack of crates on the wharf and intercepted him smoothly.  "Bugger off," it said in a raspy voice that brooked no nonsense.  "You've no business 'ere."  As Kursak slowed, the shadow resolved itself into a leanly muscled half-orc, small tusks thrusting up from a large underbite.  There wasn't an ounce of fat on his body, and he looked poised for violence at half a moment's notice.

"He's fine," called another voice from on the ship.  "Favour for Cairn's Cradle."

The half-orc seemed disinclined to step aside, and continue to glare at Kursak.

The voice called down again.  "Melora's tit man, step aside," the voice called out again.  "You don't want to cross the cairners, believe me!  They'll pull out your soul, drink it for their morning tea, and set your body to watching the Pit for all eternity!"

The half-orc sniffed dismissively and pointedly looked elsewhere, making no movement to step aside, but not stopping Kursak from squeezing around him to board the gangplank.  At the top of the gangplank, the half-goliath found himself facing a stubby little gnome dressed in varying shares of grey and deep violet.  "Lotch Crayloon," he offered as he extended a hand to help Kursak from the gangplank to the deck.  "First mate.  Don't mind Tsadoc there.  He does na' like anyone.  Set yuirself down here."  The gnome gestured to an empty spot on the deck.  "And stay out of the way.  And dinnae turn yuir back on anyone.  We'll be on our way shortly."

Not for the first time, Kursak wondered if this trip would be worth it.  The masters at the Cairn's Cradle had wanted to study the root of the Vermaloc trees, wondering what helped those trees maintain their vibrancy in a land so touched by -- and so near -- so much death and destruction.  Kursak had been sent to obtain samples, so they could continue their studies.

The crew busied themselves with preparations to depart, and left Kursak alone.  Finally a series of short, sharp whistles pierced the air.  Tsadoc the half-orc stomped up the gangplank and crashed down onto the deck, his eyes sparing a hateful glance in Kursak's direction, and them moved toward the bow of the ship.  A shadow fell over Kursak and he looked up to find a female drow with a short and sharp shock of white hair peering down at him.  She was as slim as a blade, but carried herself with an undeniable air of deadly authority.

"You are my passenger this evening, yes?" she asked, her voice a razer cutting through silk.  Without waiting for a response, she offered a hand and hauled Kursak to his feet.  She was surprisingly strong.  "I am Zesstra, and this is my ship.  I do this as a favour for your masters, yes?  And in time, they -- or you -- will do my a favour."  She didn't seem to need a response.

She took Kursak by the hand and led him to the upper deck like a child, for all that he was taller than she.  "We are four days to the entrance of Fevergulf Lake, but I think we will make it in two," she said.  "There you we will take you by sloop through the lake, to the shores near the Iothia Moorland.  There we will leave you, and you return your own way, yes?  Have a care through the moorland, Cairnling.  You may be big, but there are bigger, and they will see not you, but a large snack."

She paused for a moment, as if considering, than added one more warning.  "I know you head for the Vermaloc.  Beware of the fortress of Dumaran.  If you see it, you are already lost.  If you must guess your path, choose the westernmost one always.  Better to travel longer than you must than to stray too close to Dumaran."


Captain Zesstra's prediction proved true.  The Broken Slave sailed day and night, ever westward, with the Ashkeeper Peaks looming on their starboard side like Moradin's hammer, waiting to crush them.  A storm struck the second day, with waves that lashed the ship, drenching everything in sight, and Zesstra could be heard laughing and she steered between thunderclaps and lighting strikes.

By nightfall on the second day, they had passed the Ashkeeper Peaks and sat at anchor near the entrance to a little waterway watching a small sing-sailed vessel approach.  As the smaller ship drew near, Kursak could make out its name, Splinter and see its pilot, a wizened old man who looked like he was nothing more than leathery skin stretched tight over bone and corded muscle.  He sat at the tiller, looking straight ahead while a rope ladder was lowered down the side.

"You remember my name, yes?" Zesstra said, one steel-viced hand clamping down on Kursak's wrist as began to descend.  "You remember this favour, yes?"  Her eyes dared him to deny her, and after a moment she release his hand and let him climb down.

The Splinter smelled of fish.  It smelled of years and years of fish.  The pilot, who still said nothing, even as he began to pull away from the Broken Slave, smelled of piss and wine and fish.  He just pointed to where he wished Kursak to sit, then flicked a rope which had been wound around his wrist, and the sail begun to unfurl.

Catha's silver light shone down over the water as the sloop made its way down the narrow causeway, and into the Fevergulf Lake.  From there, the sloop turned north, the old man's eyes constantly scanning the lake for dangers that only he could see.  He unfurled the sail completely, and hugged the shoreline of the lake so hard that Kursak feared they might run aground more than once.  At least if they did, he could start walking.


Crossing the lake took most of the night, but by dawn, they had set ashore on what looked like the northern part of the lake.  If he was correct, Kursak estimated he had about a day and half's walk to the nearest portion of the Vermaloc Wildwood.  He could see some of the red-and-gold treetops in the distance already.  But mindful of the warnings about Dumaran from the captain, he chose a heading that would put him on a tangent to the nearest part of the forest, and started walking.

Two days later, he exited the Moorlands, covered in mud and more insect bites than he'd ever been, and hit firm ground.  Two days after that, he hit the logging camp in the midst of a horrendous downpour which soaked him to the bone.

The caravan didn't have a name.  Not many of them did, as they were often a collection of smaller merchants who'd banded together sharing the costs of the one person who would lead the whole caravan to a shared destination.  Each merchant would contribute to the guide's costs in accordance with how many wagons they were putting into the caravan, and each merchant was responsible for hiring their own guards to protect their goods.  Not only from raiders along the road, but from the guards and drivers of other wagons.  Sabotage was no unheard of once the walls of Rexxentrum were behind them.  The merchant's names and how many guards they were looking for were posted at the gates and a representative from each merchant -- sometimes the merchant themselves -- was on hand to approve and sign the papers for each of the guards.  Generally it was a first-come, first-served kind of deal.  The safety was in the numbers more than the quality of the guards.  It was good pay, for those with no roots, or those with a pressing need to get out of the city.  So long as you got there before the Crownsguard did.

None of that applied to Frilia as she navigated through the crowds, Yukiko perched atop her pack, and occasionally spreading her wings for balance as Frilia had to jump aside whenever a big person came through without looking where they were going.  It happened often.

"I've been doing this for eight runs now!  I should get more!"  A barrel-chest human with a thick red beard shouted in the face of the representative for The Crafty Scepter, who looked entirely nonplussed about the whole deal.

"If you would like to renegotiate the rate, please do so with the proprietor.  I'm sure there will spots available for you when you return."

The red-bearded man stalked off in a huff.  Frilia watched as he approached a second merchant, presumably hoping for a better rate, or someone he could intimidate into giving him one.

Looking about, Frilia spotted the small sign with her father's logo on it and approached.  A   young human woman stood ready, with a simple slate on hand.  "Name?"

"Frilia," Frilia replied.

"Yes, I have you here," the woman said, her finger tapping the slate on which she wrote the names.  "It says here you're to receive no pay for this journey?"  Her voice rose in an obvious questioning tone, but she did not press further.

She reached into a small leather pouch at her belt withdrew a small metal disc, pressing it into Frilia's smaller hand.  "Here's your chit, and your wagon's over there."  She pointed to a small wagon with INSERT SHOP NAME HERE painted on the side.  A  young man, who looked way too young for this, sat in the driver's seat, nervously fiddling with the reins.

As she mounted the wagon and repositioned her pack and weapon so they were in easy reach, the boy cleared his throat several times and then spoke, his voice cracking.  "Hi!  I'm Morgan.  That's a very strange cat," he said, glancing at Yukiko.

The familiar was looking back along the street.  ::Look,:: her voice resonated in Frilia's mind.  ::There's the thief boy.::


Minho hurried along the wide street toward the western gate as only he could, quick and nimble as a cat, weaving in and out and between people as he went.  On any other day he might have collected half a dozen purses along the way, but today he was both hampered by pulling his brother along behind him, and focused on his destination.

Popping up to stand on a crate of apples to get his head above the crowd (and ignoring the disgruntled cry of the apple vendor), Minho plotted the best route forward through the busy street.  A glance behind him told him that he hadn't much time, with the Crownsguard soldiers just emerging from the alleyway that the brothers had darted through minutes before.

They'd been given almost no warning.  One minute he'd been in the Grim Shelf relaxing with a cold drink, and then next Chan had burst in out of breath.  "They're after you," he said between gasping breaths.  "You and your brother.  Crownsguard.  Minutes behind me."  There was only enough time to grab their ready-packs and go.

He still didn't know why the Crownsguard were after him -- okay, there might be several reasons, in fact, but why were they after Felix?  That part made no sense.  But he wasn't inclined to stick around and find out.  They needed to get out of the city for a while -- at least until the heat died down, and there was one way nearby to do that.

Approaching one of the merchant representatives, Minho snatched one of the purses which were given as advance pay to those who signed on.  He made the grab clumsy on purpose, and dropped the purse in the dirt.  As the merchant representative turned around in anger at the supposed theft, Minho bent down and picked up up, handing it back.  "Hey, you dropped this," he said with a smile.  As the merchant took the bag back with a suspicious look, Minho deftly pilfered two caravan chits with his other hand from the man's other purse.  Holding the chits between three fingers, he pulled Felix along and found the last wagon with only the driver aboard, and pulled himself and his brother up, adopting a bored pose.  His heart thumped in his chest as he imagined the Crownsguard getting closer.

Eventually, the caravan leader called out for everyone to roll out, and the wagons began to move, shaking and rocking from side to side as the wheels rolled through and over divots in the hard-packed earth.

It was about eight days journey to Zadash, the first stop on the route.



The visit home to see her mother had been fraught.  Not with danger, but it formed the same knot in Rain's stomach whenever she thought about it.  Her mother looked... withered.  her fur had lost its sheen and now drifted about in the wind as if it had no strength left to resist its gentle pressure.  Thankfully her fur was short enough that she didn't go fuzzy; Rain didn't know if she could handle that as well.

She'd hoped to find Timber at home as well.  Hope to reconnect, apologise for things said and unsaid.  Hoped that Dawn had had someone nearby to rely on.  Guilty that it couldn't have been her, even while knowing she needed something else.  Tempest's Dawn has obviously been overjoyed to see her daughter, but it had been so incredibly hard for Rain to see her mother this way.  So.... deflated.

She hadn't been able to stay long.  While she wanted to, she had her father's itchy feet.  And maybe, buried deep down, there was a fear that if she didn't leave, maybe she would be able to leave.  So when the caravan from Rexxentrum stopped in Zadash, she took the opportunity to sign on as a guard.  After all she knew -- better than all of them -- what lay out in the dark, and the price someone might pay.


From Zadash, the caravan headed south along the Amber Road to Alfield for three days, then turned west towards Felderwin.  The road was quiet most days, with the campfires warning off any natural predators at night.  Four days saw them to Felderwin, a small farming village near the Scymir river.  From there the caravan turned north to Hupperdook, the great industrial gnome-town which was the heart of the Empire's great war machine.  About half the wagons departed the caravan, and the remainder turned westward.  Six more days saw them to Bladegarden, and then to Ashguard Garrison.

Ashguard Garrison marked the border between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty, and the two nations had been in opposition if not outright war for decades.  The Empire currently held the garrison, and the gate it controlled, and trade between the two nations was tightly controlled and scrutinised.

At least in theory.  The wagons were searched, and the caravan leader spoke to the Garrison commander in private.  No doubt a princely sum was exchanged, and moments later the caravan was given the all clear to proceed into Xhorhas.  Three days saw them reach the walled city of Asarius, a city filled to the brim with goblins, hobgoblins, drow, gnolls, and other such creatures.  Perhaps the most disquieting thing was to see them going about the daily business of ordinary life, as many had a reputation for being nothing more than bloodthirsty savage animals.  Some of the caravan stopped here, merchants peeling their wagons away toward shops or open air markets.  The rest of the caravan continued on, towards its ultimate destination of Rosohna.


The attack came a day and a half after they left Asarius.  A heavy downpour obscured the sounds at first, but ultimately Rain's keen ears caught it -- the sound of feet squelching through wet muddy earth to the south.  She clambered to the top of her father's wagon, her bow drawn and arrow nocked, looking for a target and blinking rain out of her eyes.  Alerted by her actions, the rest of the caravan's guards got to their feet and drew their own weapons.

It was an absolute shitshow of a fight.  Clouds covered Catha's silvery light from the sky, making the surroundings almost pitch black.  Darkvision helped, but there were lot more of them than there were of the caravan, and they found themselves getting picked off one by one.  The caravaners circled up, trying to form a defensive perimeter, while the horde circled 'round the outside, beyond the reach of torchlight and night-eyes alike.  All that could be seen was a mass of moving bodies, the occasional flesh of steel or bright white tooth or claw.

It was impossible to tell who broke first; it happened so quickly.  What was immediately clear was that suddenly the position was impossible to hold; if they tried to stay there, they would die, hacked to pieces.  The pressure was everywhere, but a fraction less to the south, so that's where the group decided to cut its way free.  For one frenzied minute, it seemed they might not succeed, and then they were through, most of the horde racing past them towards the wagons.  A few peeled off from each side to swipe once or twice at them in passing, but they were half-hearted attempts.  No one want to miss their chance at the prime targets, it seemed.

Wasting no time, the surviving party of four -- five if you counted the horse Minho had managed to cut free in the melee, and six if you counted Yukiko, slunk away in the rain and dark, covered in cuts and bruises.

A few hours later, they almost literally stumbled across the logging camp in the rain.

The hour was late as Klaven, Hannah, Humu, and Shera trudged up the path to the logging camp's gates.  Rain pounded down around them pressing everything to the flat earth, and muting the Vermaloc trees to a dusky grey in the background.  A lonely torch fought against the rain at the gates, and a solitary guardsman sheltered beneath a single roof barely large enough to cover him.  A spear rested against his shoulder, and his head slumped forward in apparent drowsiness.  A large bell hung above his head.

He roused himself as the four approached and held his spear forth in a warding posture.  "Hold!" he called.  "State your business 'ere, or begone!"

Before anyone could conjure up a reply, a giant of a shadow loomed from the south, and Kursak trudged up, soaked in his robes, and carrying a large pack.

"Hold!" the guardsman said again, his voice rising a little as he took in the size of the half-goliath, and saw his odds dramatically worsening if things suddenly turned violent.

Hoofbeats sounded over the rain, and the guard turned, immediately ringing the bell in alarm.  Seconds later, the horse appeared behind the foursome, with Minho and Felix astride its back, and Frilia and Rain flanking it to either side.

"A-all of you stay back," he said, now brandishing his spear aggressively.

---

Current date	Conthesen, the 3rd day of Fessuran	Harvest's Close: the first day of Autumn
Current weather	About 11° C (51.5°F), Rainy, with a light breeze from the North
Moon Phase	Catha is full, Ruidus is Full

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:28, Thu 24 Mar 2022.

Frilia had surprisingly kept pace with the bigger folks during the flight from the monsters horde that had destroyed the caravan, despite her short legs, even giving the impression that she wanted to go faster. Her quiver was almost empty, she was covered in dark blood, most of it not hers, and her rapier, kept in her hand this whole time, was still sporting the blood she had spilled. And of course, the thressym was at it's customary place on her pack.

As the survivors of the massacre approached the small logging camp with it's lone guard, 5 more persons had arrived and waiting entry, one of them very familiar, even if she hadn't seen him in years.

Kursak? Is that you?

She didn't really wait for an answer when she got closer to the guard, sheathing her rapier and raising her hands. The guard was so clumsy with his spear anyway, she felt confident she could disarm him easily if she wanted to.

By Moradin's beard, man, are you going to leave us in the rain like that?

She pointed to the two humans and the tabaxi she had fled the caravan massacre with.

We simply want a place to rest and recuperate from our fight... and get out of this rain. I swear on my honor that I won't harm you or your camp.

Her fierce blue eyes promised that she would not let herself be harmed in return.

It had been an offhanded thought to cut the horse free, but Minho's instincts had told him he needed to get Felix out of there fast. He quickly boosted Felix onto the horses' back and threw himself into the saddle. "Hold on. The path might get bumpy." Felix wrapped his arms around Minho's waist and he spurred the horse into a gallop. It wasn't long before Minho realized none of the attackers were following them, which allowed Minho to slow the horse to a trot. Better to save the horses' energy if things get dicey again. After a few minutes, the brothers overtook another pair who seemed to have been fleeing from the caravan, one of which Minho definitely knew. It wasn't often a person walked around with a winged cat.

Minho nodded to Frilia, acknowledging his former apprentice. "It's been a while, Frilia. Let's talk once we're out of the rain."

The brothers continued on at the slower pace of the gnome and tabaxi until they came upon the logging camp. Minho heard the alarm before he saw the guard, standing at attention. He faced five other travelers who appeared to be awaiting entry.

Minho pulled on the reins, slowing the horse to a stop. He swung his leg over the side of the horse and dropped from the saddle, holding out his hands to help Felix down after him.

"You, guard. If I can call you that the way you're shaking. We've just been shot at more times than we can count, we're soaked to the bone and just want a place to sleep for the night. Minho pulled Felix farther into the light of the torch, "Are you really gonna leave a kid out in the rain?"

Hannah felt a pang of sympathy for the terrified guard. It wasn't every day that you're approached by a bunch of well armed strangers, some of them covered in blood, in the middle of the night.

Please, we aren't here to hurt you. This is a camp, is it not? We aren't looking for trouble.

She brandishes her pendant of the platinum dragon, and then gestures to the freezing tabaxi and the blood soaked gnome.

Just let us stay the night so we don't all freeze to death.

When the attack started, Felix panicked, but it was more so from the look on Minho's face than the whole fighting for one's life aspect of it.  Seeing Minho's concern worried him, as usually Minho was always in control...of well just about any situation.  Always calm and collected, knowing what to do or what to say, and always thinking on his feet better than anyone else he'd ever encountered.

Felix, with Minho's help, hopped onto the horse's back and once Minho was up, held on to him tightly.  The seasonably cold rain left Felix even more appreciative of Minho's warmth as they galloped away, as he hadn't had the time to pull out and throw out his cloak before their escape.  He was soaked, and miserable, and wanted nothing more than this night to be over with.

When Minho thought things were safe for the moment, he slowed the horse's pace, and it wasn't long before they came upon an unlikely pair also in flight.  Neither of them were recognizable to Felix, but Minho seemed to know one of them, nodding and speaking to the gnome briefly; what Felix found most interesting, was the winged cat perched on the gnome's shoulder.

How do you know her, Minho? ...and what's with her cat?"  Felix said, sounding intrigued.

It wasn't long before they came upon a logging camp and Felix, with Minho's help, got down from the horse, his feet splashing rain and mud as he landed on the soggy ground.  He crossed his arms, hugging himself now that he no longer had Minho's warmth, shaking a little from the excessive cold as Minho pulled him further into the light, so the guard could see more clearly their predicament.

Playing the part, as Minho had taught him, was really more to expedite them getting inside, rather than deceiving the guard.  Felix was terribly cold and it showed.  "Please sir.  I'm f..freezing."

Klaven, dressed as Sir Bobcat, had played his lute in the commons area of the skyship several times before making an actual performance. His costume is very like a Mariachi, and his play style matches. A Lute is a 15-string instrument, requiring all five fingers to be in motion to play properly. Sir Bobcat shows off his skill, laying the instrument flat on his lap and playing it "blindman" style. Since he was giving a full show, he would pause the music every so often to tell a story. He told it in pieces, broken up by music and sometimes accompanied by that same music to set the tone. The story would be familiar to one person since it was about and adventure she had long ago. It began with, "Once I was in Syngorn, City of the Elves, as a little boy." It ended with, "The Ghost disappeared having seen and said what it needed." Although he did not recognize her, she would be hard pressed not to recognize him at this point.


On the trip he performed a half dozen more times, telling different stories each time. To his new friends, he revealed his real name, Klaven Ellis. He kept his secrets to himself, but listened to their stories carefully, learning what he could about them. Humu he knew, at least briefly, and it turned out Hannah was also someone from his past. Shera was new to him entirely, but he absorbed all he could about her. He enjoyed getting to know these three people very much.


At the logging camp Klaven took it upon himself to speak for his small group. "Good sir, there is no need for that weapon. We come in peace, seeking shelter from the storm. I am a musician and in return for this brief shelter I would be more than willing to perform for all those here. I am known as Sir Bobcat. This is Humu, Hannah, and Shera. We are traveling together. We are armed against bandits but we mean you and yours here no harm at all."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:29, Thu 24 Mar 2022.

Kursak seemed completely unbothered by the cold. He kept his head down against the falling rain, and showed only mild annoyance at the being called to a halt. His thick brows furrowed at the sight of one guard keeping several people from reaching shelter from the storm. Those brows rose when his eyes fell on the gnome, recognition written across his face, then turning quickly to concern as he took note of the blood. "Fri? What are y- Are you hurt!?" Kursak looked toward the guard with annoyance, and a hint of something more. Frilia had never been one to leave herself, or her tools, dirty. He moved over toward her, taking a knee as he got close to take a look, unconcerned with the mud and water he would pick up in doing so.

Others nearby were speaking of seeking shelter from the weather, and Kursak glanced around for any sign of ill will among them. Seeing none, Kursak stood once more, "Guardsman, it is plain none here has come to do harm. If it had been their goal, no offense to your station or training, I believe you would have been overpowered and defeated by now. Let us get these poor souls out of this weather so that I can see to the wounded."

[private to dm: unless I do, actually? Insight 22
11:03, Today: Kursak rolled 22 using 1d20+4.  Wis check.]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:32, Thu 24 Mar 2022.

Even after the three blood-stained and weary travelers, two human and one gnome, a moment later, the tabaxi came into the light, her eyes more behind than forward, a arrow in her bow ready. She turned almost bumping into frilla with a start. "Frilla....don't stop so suddenly. Last time I tripped over you!"

The tabaxi was quite a sight. For her kind she was smaller than most, standing about 5 foot 2. Her frame was one of speed and agility, being wirey of frame. Her fur, unusual for her clan, was white with black circular patterns, mush like the snow leopards to the north, now covered with blood - though most was not hers, some was. Her blue eyes had a focused look as she looked around.

She saw the guard and smiled. "Hi....would you mind letting us in before the goblin hoard who slaughtered all our friends decides to come this way. I'd like at least a warm meal before I kill those bastards."

She sighed, looking around. She knew Frilla, Felix and Minho from the caravan - the trip had made them friendly, but this ordeal cemented a bond of necessity.

...but she saw someone else she recognised.

"Shera? Is that you? Shave me down and call me a persian, whats it been....6years? What are you doing away from your families business?"

She sighs and looks at the man holding the spear and sighs. "Anyime your ready.....you know how much cats hate being wet?" Rain had a less than pleased look on her face
This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Thu 24 Mar 2022.

Over the course of her trip Shera had listened to the stories, songs, and what have you of the others who traveled around her. It wasn't until a little while on the caravan that anyone had asked anything of her. When gestured toward to introduce herself she did, all be it cautiously. She had been weary from the travel she had been on thus far, but that only made her loosen her guard a little. Her experience outside of her families shop had not been the best of experiences. Though she knew not all people outside of the shop were bad she also knew that it was not safe to openly trust anyone who came around, at least not until they had proven themselves. So when asked to introduce herself she gave the bear minimum of necessary information. She told them that her name was Shera and that she was an alchemist, but she did not mention her last name for fear of the attention it would bring. Unwanted attention was never a good thing especially to one scared enough already. In place of her giving out more information of her own she instead listened to the information the others gave out and took head in knowing where they could be useful.

____________________________________________________________________________________________


When they made it to the final guard between them and shelter Shera refused to allow herself to feel relief just yet. Instead she watched the scene unfold keeping her head down, but ever watchful of their surroundings for each of the new figures that appeared out of the rain and just when she had thought she'd seen everyone a familiar voice caught her ear. Hearing that voice came as relief for only a short moment though before word of her family's business started to panic her. Rain, Shera did remember her though it had been a long time, 6 years as she had pointed out, but to Shera keeping her secret was more important than that. In an effort to steer focus away from that Shera answered, "That's a long story for another time, but how's your family's business? Another long story like mine for why you're not with them?" Shera hoped that Rain would get the hint to stop asking about her family.

The small, wet and miserable Tabaxi bumped into her and berated Frilia for being small and in the way. She shot a warning glance to the cat but nothing would break her moment with her childhood friend.

Big 'sak! It is you!

Surprisingly, she gave a quick hug to the half-Goliath, spreading some of the blood on her clothes to the giant man.

Moradin's beard, it is good to see you! What have you been eating? You're even more enormous than before!

With the cleric fussing over the blood covering her, she gave a quick, dismissive laugh.

Don't worry about me, most of it is not mine. Here, I'll get rid of it.

Speaking a few words, the blood matting her clothing and hairs turned into powder that fell on the ground, and she brushed the rest away, leaving her still wet hairs to show their true purple color.

Is this better?

Turning to the shaking guard, she looked at him with a severe look.

Now that I don't look like a walking pile of blood, will you let us in? I'd like to spend time with my friend...

She looked at Rain and the two human brothers and smiled at them.

Friends, away from the rain with a good mug of mulled wine in my hands.

HuMu, for his part on the trip, did his best to stay in what could closest be called the crows nest. Even if ushered out or chased off he always managed to somehow get back there. Even when the storms hit he didn't want to move so he stayed under that floating disk that he normally puttered around on. He was supremely lazy but driven so he always seemed to be up to something even if he wasn't. It didn't help that he absent-mindedly repeated everything around him while he was reading.

When it came to the logging camp HuMu was motoring around on his floating disk, too lazy to walk. There was room enough for the others of his group. But he waited quietly and waved when he was introduced. He did take notes and was calm but energized at the idea at more components!

[Private to Kursak: Using Insight to read the room:  Okay.  Everyone is tired, cold, and/or possibly hungry.  The last four, including Frilia are hyped up on adrenalin, but don't read that the threat's immediate.  The guardsman is wound up pretty tight and clearly wants to be anywhere else right now...]

The guardsman regripped his spear, his finger flexing and curling around the shaft as Minho, the Frilia, then a bunch of the others alternately berated or harangued him to be let inside.

13:13, Today: Dungeon Master, for the NPC Guardsman, rolled 1 using 1d20 ((1)).

Apparently this was too much for the guardsman, who dropped his spear, turned around and fled into the camp calling "We're under attack!  We're under attack!" as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

Almost immediately the camp erupted into a hive of motion and activity, and several figures came forward in one and twos, until there were six standing with weapons bared just inside the gate.  A large bugbear shouldered past them, a large great-axe carried casually over one shoulder.

[Language unknown: "Virortrom voreveugh t ur?  Bleverort Romantame?"] he said, then peering out into the torchlight with dark yellow eyes, he switched to common.  "Who are you?  What business do you have here?"

We are not here to start a fight! We simply seek shelter from the cold!

Having trained with a half-goliath, it was not a bugbear that would intimidate the little gnome. She was pretty sure that in her flight from the caravan, she had wounded one or two, so instead of cowering, she came forward and bowed, somehow keeping her eyes on the bugbear.

We have no intentions of harming you and your camp, good sir. My name is Frilia. My companions are Minho, Felix and Rain. Our caravan was attacked and destroyed after we left Asarius, by a horde of monsters. Your camp is the first settlement we encounter since we fled for our lives, after it became obvious that the caravan was lost. We have run all day.

From the others, I have known Brother Kursak, a wise priest of the Raven Queen, for years. He is a dear friend of mine.

She turned to the others she had never seen before.

I am sorry, I don't know your names.

Going back to the bugbear she continued.

All we want is a roof over our head to get out of this rain, to rest, eat and drink.

---

Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 20 using 1d20 with rolls of 20.  persuasion
This message was last edited by the player at 11:56, Fri 25 Mar 2022.

Rain looked at the bugbear and her gaze hardened, turning towards him, it took all her willpower not to shoot the thing where he stood. She quickly realised he follew and tried to relax, forcing herself to put her arrow in the Quiver.

She look3d at him with crossed arms, stubborn as always. [Language unknown: "U Ereundwas t ofwhi eechse naen ng of oundinsom"] She then reverted to common. "...then he went that way." She indicated the direction he ran.

She didn't need to specify the reason why...Frilla spoke to the bugbear what happened.

"I must say, I never would have thought I would run into you here. Eating? Everything I can find, naturally. Too bad you can't say the same, eh Small Fri?" He hugged his old friend back, his arms alone were larger than she was, but her hugs were some of the best you could get. Whether he didn't notice, or simply wasn't concerned, he paid no heed to the blood that she got on his robes. Studying life and death had made him quite desensitized to the sight or smell of blood, and he was no stranger to being covered in it to varying degrees.

As everyone tried to convince the guard to stand down and move aside, Kursak was only partially surprised to see the man flee. If he was worth half his payment, the coward would have stood his ground, but Kursak had known almost straight away that the man was not. When he let out the call to attack, Kursak put his hands on his hips and closed his eyes as he raised his head toward the heavens and made a silent prayer for patience. With a heavy sigh, he lowered his head once more and muttered, "Some birds must shit on every statue."

"As the lady says, merely travelers looking for a bit of shelter on this cold, wet night. This fine soldier did what he thought was best, by raising the alarm, but I assure you are not here looking for trouble. If you have sick or wounded here, I would offer you my services for the time that we are here, as thanks for your hospitality."

The bug bear broke into a wide grin and spread one arm wide.  "Of course," he said, stepping back to one side and gesturing.  "My men will escort you to the mess tent.  We'll get you out of the rain and cold, get some food in your bellies.  The Wastes are treacherous, but we're not all monsters."  His eyes roved over the group, alighting briefly on the lute strapped to Klevan's back.  "Maybe you'll favour us with a song or three.  It's been some time since we've had any entertainment worth any note."

The men -- who it turned out were comprised of a mixture of goblinoid and humanoids -- relaxed and lowered weapons, turning to escort the group toward a very large oblong tent at the bottom of the path.  Several smaller tents, obviously meant for sleeping lay to one side of the path.  On the other, long carts -- too big to be really called carts, but without the coverings one usually saw on wagons -- loaded with dark wet wood sat in a line roughly facing the entrance.

Thunder cracked overhead loudly as the storm continued, and everyone's boots made squelching noises as they plodded through the mud towards the mess tent.

Inside, the tent was lined with lanterns, which provided a warm glow to the room.  The back wall of the tent was actually a wooden wall with two curtained doors on either side.  Several long tables were set down the length of the room, most of which was unoccupied.  A pair of hobgoblins, a surly looking drow, and a three humans sat down at one end of one table, finishing a meal.

The bugbear held open the tentflap and allowed everyone to proceed him into the hall.  "Sit down, rest your feet, and I'll see about rustling up some grub for you."  He paused to poke his head back out one of the hobgoblins which had followed from the gate.  [Language unknown: "Enc Italto ive ekoul ck om ort ounen lo hi caers.  Icson not t i ithforvor a romoutome, Pre olaist ainha il e."]  Then he closed the tent flap and headed towards one of the doorways in the back wall.

The group at the end of the table glanced over with mild interest, but then went back to their own meal.

OOC: Take a few minutes here to interact, (re)establish character relations, etc..  I'll jump back in when the time is right.

As they walked towards the tent Shera gently pulled Rain to the side and whispered so only she could hear her, "It is good to see you again, but please do not mention my family's name aloud here. I do not yet know who I can trust. I hope I can still trust you."

As the party rests and talks, Hannah approaches Klaven, inquiring about the ghost story he told on the ship. She remembers him through this, but only barely.

Frilia sighed with relief when the bugbear opened up the camp to the 9 refugees and brought them to the mess tent. Her mother had always taught her that diplomacy was always the first step to take when dealing with strangers, that truth and honesty had a way of opening doors. But she also taught her daughter to still keep an alert eye even when the door is opened.

Thanks Mom.

As they walked through the muddy camp, the light steps of the gnome barely left marks in the soggy soil and the moment she was out of the rain, Yukiko spread her multicolored wings and took flight to go perch herself on a support beam, shaking the water out of her feathers and fur.

Finally! I thought I would need to become a fish!

You know I could always to that.

No thank you, I much prefer this form.

As the winged car started to purr while she licked herself, Frilia smiled at the tressym with affection and started to cast her cantrip again to dry herself, much to her relief. She looked at her companions, starting with those she knew.

Anyone else wants me to clean them up from this water? I am not a full fledged wizard but I know a few tricks.

That work done, she perched herself on a bench and took out her rapier to clean it up with her spell, before quickly sheathing it again, before someone panicked.

Ahhhh it does feel good to be dry. Kursak, what are you doing here? I thought you still studying at... wherever your father sent you. How is the old man?

She listened to his answers then smiled.

Oh and I need to keep my figure you know, how else would I keep running circles around you when we fight?

---

OOC A lot of prestidigitation castings to clean everyone that asks for it!
This message was last edited by the player at 11:58, Fri 25 Mar 2022.

In reply to Hannah Demsersk (msg # 22):

Klaven had recognized the young woman after all. "Well isn't that interesting. I've told that story at least 200 times because it is always well received. I look forward to catching up with you. Right now duty calls." He then turned to Humu, "Would you mind helping? I'll give you a beat, follow it through the song, okay?"

He situated himself with his lute ready to play. He used the flat of his hand against the body to strike out a beat and nodded to Humu. He played and sang three staples of his shows.

Would That I by Housier

Living La Vida Loca by Ricky Marta

Mombo Number 5 by Lou Bega


08:01, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 23 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 16.  Performance with advantage.
08:01, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 17 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 10.  Performance
Advantage only if Humu agrees to help.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:36, Fri 25 Mar 2022.

Kursak accepted Fri's magics, but being accustomed to cold as he was, he urged her to take care of all the others before worrying about him. Kursak took a cursory glance at everyone as she cleaned them, checking for anyone who was actually injured and needing to be tended to. "That's exactly what I'm doing here, Frilia. I've been studying at Cairn's Cradle, at the southern edge of The Blightshore, just east of the mountains. On this side of the range there are vibrant Vermaloc trees, which I was tasked to study and gather samples of."

"And you? I thought you would choose to be somewhere more central and civilized, staying near Rexxentrum and its like."

"Ha! The taller I get, the smaller you stay. Before long you'll have to try not dancing circles around me or else it's likely to happen all on its own."

Felix didn't waste any time making his way into the tent once the bugbear gave him the go-ahead, ready to get himself next to a fire or whatever amenities the logging camp had to offer for getting warm.  He paused, when Frilia asked about drying him out, and after Minho gave Felix the "Frilia is cool, don't worry about it" nod, he shyly, but politely accepted.

As Frilia was taking care of him, the large goliath, who seemed to know her, began talking about studying at a place called Cairn's cradle.  Normally, Felix was quiet and let Minho do most of the leading, but when it came to knowledge, Felix had an exuberance air about him.

"I...I don't mean to interrupt.  My name is Felix. Kursak, was it? You mentioned something about your studies.  Are you a scholar of sorts?  I...I too dabble in such things and am always looking to expand my knowledge.  What...uh...did you study at this Cairn's Cradle?  Was it just the trees you spoke of, if you don't mind me asking?"

Now dry, Felix leaned forward, eagerly awaiting Kursak's response.

"A pleasure to meet you, Felix. Kursak, yes."

"Yes, I am a student of life and death energies. The Blightshore is full of lingering magics from the events of The Calamity, particularly life and death magic. The fallen often rise as undead, the number of things there that can kill you, and want to, are numerous, and some who die on its shore have a part of their soul that refuses to leave, rebinding itself to the body and essentially bringing them back to a partial life. Alive in most ways, but unable to find happiness or joy, or even contentment, but alive nonetheless."

"Trees are not normally a part of my studies, but there is much to be learned about both life and death from plants of all kinds. These particular trees are incredibly vibrant and full, yet they only grow in this region, in soil that is infused with this lingering death magic. As Frilia mentioned, I am a dedicated cleric of the Raven Queen, so I seek a greater understanding of these magics in order to better serve her, and those who Fate has not yet called to embark on death's journey."

"In comparison to other students, I like to say that I study not to learn, but to understand."

Kursak gave an opportunity for response before he turned it around, "I know it's a focused area of study, and perhaps not as interesting to another who doesn't share the focus. What is it that you study, Felix?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:14, Fri 25 Mar 2022.

Frilia was about to answer Kursak when the really quiet Felix spoke up. Her surprise was reverberated to her familiar, that stopped cleaning herself to look at the gnome, then the human boy.

Not wanting to interrupt this conversation, less Felix clamped up again, she had a look at the others that had arrived at the same time she did at the logger's camp. The human brunette woman knew Rain, and had whispered something to her earlier. It was hard to see how she was dressed, as she kept her cloak closed on her, and was looking suspiciously around her. The human male was obviously a bard and was playing for the handful of logger present in the mess tent. The bird like creature had its beak in a book and she had seen it ride on a Tenser's disk, a spell she had never managed to cast during her apprenticeship with Illiskar.

That's a Kenku. They can't speak, but imitate sounds.

Thanks for the information.

The blonde woman on the other hand was dressed in mail, with a prevalent medallion of a dragon on her chest, and had the look of a warrior to her. Frilia approached her, her steps light and with the assurance of someone that knew how to use her weapon.

Good evening, my name is Frilia. We were not presented. Is that Bahamuth? I follow Moradin myself.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:14, Sat 26 Mar 2022.

Felix, pondered how best to respond to Kursak, knowing that what he studied was to a point, a forbidden knowledge that most would not understand or appreciate.

"My focus of study revolves around lost and forgotten knowledge, but not necessarily of a particular field or subject.  I apologize, I know thats vague, but at times, I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for in my pursuit of such things.  My curiosity is peaked when I find anything that is rare or has very specific....applications.

So what do you hope to achieve with your study of the trees?  What sort of applications are you looking for?"

Felix was almost sure this was another dead end, but decided to probe any way...just in case.  His recent studies at the college left with empty-handed and he had already decided that he may need to look elsewhere.  Perhaps, becoming one of the cloth might open new avenues of knowledge to him.  He had of course heard that clerics performed exorcisms, but was reluctant to go that route, in case they locked him up for being insane or a danger to others.

Hannah almost didn't notice the gnome as she approached her. She moved quietly, but not out of fear, out of caution.

Moradin you say? That's a bit unusual for a gnome. But yes this is the symbol of the platinum Dragon. My name is Hannah. What brings you to the Vermaloc Woods?
This message was last edited by the player at 02:57, Sat 26 Mar 2022.

HuMu played out the songs he was shown so far back. The beat didn't matter as even if he picked up the beat HuMu couldn't change the pace from what he had heard once before. There was still a lot going on as he was giving the mimicked performance while he was also reading his book.

He set his disk to follow the bard, it seemed the most logical thing to do so he could do his songs.

The gnome nodded at Hannah, a thin smile on her lips.

I am here because the caravan than employed me was massacred by an monstrous horde, not too far away. We fought bravely, but they were just too many. Now I have to figure out another way of repaying my debt. What does bring you here?

It is not so surprising for gnomes to worship a dwarven god. My family is involved in crafting, one of the aspects of Moradin. I was simply raised to worship the god of my father. 

She looked toward the entrance of the tent, hoping to see some food on it's way.

A fight you say? Are you injured? she says, concern on her face.

As for why I am here, I'm seeking out a... long lost friend shall we say.

It took about fifteen minutes or so, but the bugbear emerged from the opposite door in the back wall from which he'd entered, bearing a tray of five steaming bowls.  A fat hobgoblin in a stained apron followed with a second tray, and a weedly looking drow elf followed a few paces behind, his hands full of tankards of a hot, dark lizard that smelled strongly of wine.

The trio approached and set down the trays, passing bowls of hot stew around.  It was a goulash of some kind, with bit of dark stringy meat, potatoes, and some other tuber that couldn't be recognised but was very aromatic.

"So!" he said as the song wound down.  "I'm Khaturr, the foreman of this little camp.  You lot are far off the beaten path -- what brings you to this neck of our woods?"

"Mmm, then perhaps your studies are more like mine after all. In order to understand something, I first have to find the things that I did not know to look for. In my case, I am looking for the unfound, where you are looking for the forgotten. We take different angles, perhaps, but ultimately we are doing the same thing."

"When you say that you look for this knowledge, but not of a particular field; what do you mean, exactly? I assume you have to know something of the topic you'll be researching, or else how would you know the knowledge was missing in the first place?" It was an interesting topic, and one Kursak was happy to discuss further.

"The study with the trees is to find new information that we do not already have. We don't know what we're searching for, only that there may be things to learn from doing the research, and so we will try. We would like to know why such a tree would thrive in a place such as this. We would like an answer to the questions of how and why those trees thrive the way that they do. For ages, people have known that compost, made of dead plants or waste, will help to encourage new plant growth, but it does so by taking nutrients from those things that used to be alive and returning it to the soil to be consumed by the new growth."

"In this case, there is nothing physical there to nourish the soil, so how then do the trees thrive rather than being killed by that death magic? Do they feed on death itself? Do they, perhaps, have some means of drawing other life near to their roots where the magic will then kill them and allow the trees to absorb it through the same means, only done through the use of a lure? Or are all of the different guesses incorrect all together? There are many questions we might answer, but we will not know what other questions to ask until we have begun to search."

It looked like he might have been about to continue on and say more, when their host returned with warm food. "Study of the Vermaloc trees, on behalf of Cairn's Cradle in Rotthold, for my part, Foreman Khaturr."

Rain was so focused on the non-humans in the camp, she almost didn't hear shera speak, but snapped out of it. "Sorry - a lots happened since i've seen you last." She leaned in and winked at the woman. "We will talk later, but i will tell no one." She then sat down and looked at her. "As to my story, when we are more private as well, though not for the same reasons."

When she heard Frilla offering cleaning up, she smiled at her. She liked the gnome - the humans were quiet and....well, odd. But the gnome was a warrior and aproachable. "Frilla - if you could, the blood on my fur is starting to make me itch."

When frilla cast the spell, the blood turned to powder and blew away as if dust, and she smiled. "I said it before, and i'll say it again, your one handy gnome!"

When the foreman and the others came, Rain visually tensed up, losing her smile and a look of suspicion. She took the bowl and drink and sat it in front of her. As he asked, she spoke, serious with a cold look. Myself and my friend were part of a convoy of merchants when we were ambushed. A force greater than i've seen - outnumbered us 4 to 1. We four were the only survivors, and that was only just. We made our way here and chance was we found a path....leading here."

Does this happen beford, durung, orafter performance.

Thank you for your concern Hannah, I'll survive the scratches I received. I may be small but I trained with two great swordsmen, one that tried to get me to express more of my magical potential.

She pointed to the winged cat over their head, smiling at it fondly.

Yukiko was the best I could achieve under the tutelage an archmage gave me, so I do have a spark of magic. I just wasn't able to fully develop it... yet. I work on it every day.

Her gaze was drawn to the dragon symbol on Hannah's chest, reflecting the meager torch light.

To show a god's symbol so prominently, you must be very close to your religion, are you a fighting priestess of Bahamuth? Is this friend of yours also with Bahamuth? [Private to Hannah Demsersk: OOC she's asking if you are a cleric. Chad told me you are new to dnd and rpol, please don't feel intimidated, I'm willing to help you grow your skill, if you'll accept my help ;-). If I may, detailing some of your char thinking in the descriptions helps establish in your mind how the char will act, and explain away why the char acts this way. A great example is Rain's reluctance with the bugbear, as it reminds her of her past, the PCs (player characters) don't know it, but the players now know ]

In the other end of the table, she could hear the rumbling stone crashing voice of Kursak, and smiled. How she had missed those long nightly discussions with him, something she didn't realize before just now. Now that they were reunited, she certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to talk with him again. But she was not jealous of the half-goliath attentions and was glad to see Felix find an interest in her friend.

It hit her that despite the few years hiatus, Kursak was still more a brother to her than her flesh and blood one.

Just then, the food arrived, and the gnome knelled on the rough wood bench to be able to reach the steaming bowl of stew. Gods, she was hungry! She had started the day fighting and hadn't had a bite to eat since! Rain explained their circumstances so she didn't need to repeat it, as Yukiko flew down to the table, sniffing at the food, before folding her wings and lying down on the table. [Private to Dungeon Master: Yukiko used her detect poison ability, if there is something wrong, please let me know... don't expect it, but she's been sniffing at everything Frilia eats or drinks for 11 years ;-)]. Petting the tressym,  Frilia dug into her food with appetite.

Hannah nods as the gnome explains her fighting prowess, then looks upward towards the strange winged cat. It was one of the weirder creatures she had seen in her time travelling.

Yukkio is it? What bright colours!

As the gnome inquires about her pendant, her hand instinctively falls to rest around the cool steel chain supporting it.

A fighting priestess? No she says with amusement in her voice. I am a paladin. Although I guess the two are very similar she says with a wink.

[Private to Frilia Silverstring: Cheers, hopefully I'll get the hang of this soon, but I'm having fun so far :)]

After the various goblinoids brought the bowls of hot goulash, the bugbear, Khaturr, began conversing with the others around the table. She listened intently as the tabaxi explained how she and her friends were attacked.

Shera nodded to Rain in understanding, then followed the group the rest of the way inside. When they made it in Shera sat down at the table next to Rain. When Frilia offered her magic to help dry off the group Shera waited until some of the others accepted before accepting as well. Shera thanked her then as the others spoke Shera stayed quiet listening to each of them speak.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:09, Sat 26 Mar 2022.

The bugbear led the group inside, Minho found a place to tie the horse. It wouldn't do to have it run off. After he made it inside, Frilia offered to dry everyone with her spell and Minho obliged her. He hadn't had much time to grab extra clothes before fleeing Rexxentrum, sadly. His most comfortable clothes were still hanging in the wardrobe in his room at his family's manor house.

It seemed that Frilia and Rain knew several members of the other group from dealings in their past. As they began to reminisce, Minho was content to sit and watch Felix discuss research with Kursak. Even after the incident, Felix was still far more outgoing than Minho, but his time in the Mudtrop Brownfeet had been slowly changing that.

Minho ran his hands through his hair, trying his best to fix the style the rain had ruined. Minho muttered to himself, "I wish Chan had come with us."

Minho didn't have a chance to completely fall into a funk as Klaven and the kenku set themselves up to play a few songs. While Klaven himself didn't look familiar to Minho, he had heard one of the songs he played plenty of times by a traveling bard at the Grim Shelf, who must have heard him play it. While the song was not one of Minho's favorites, he found himself humming along under his breath while he waited for the food to be brought in.

Not knowing how long they would be here or how long until they next would have a proper meal, Minho ate until he was a bit overfull, cleaning his entire bowl. He waited until Felix was done before he cleared the bowls from the table.

Minho turned to Klaven, "Did you write those songs yourself or did you learn them from someone?"

Klaven went to the table whem the food arrived. He had to swallow before answering the bugbear. "I'm just here looking for stories."

Then to Minho, "I learned them in Tal'Dorea."

The food was delicious.  Fatty in just the right ways, spicy, and more importantly, hot.  OOC: You all gain 6 temporary hit points from the meal.
12:27, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 6 using 1d10, rerolling all ones ((6)).


"Study?!" Khaturr said.  "There's much more coin to be had in cutting and hauling!  I supposed, as long as you're not here to cut into mah business, it ain't more'n water on my back."

No sooner has he finished the last word than the bell began ringing throughout the camp once more.  "[Language unknown: We lesersday hias Hasainenc]," Khaturr snarled.  "[Language unknown:  Ithan oerinetra pr red m leca u was unmilowi nceticint llshe ic onethares astderica st notproore]!"

The warning bell was joined by another, and then another, and another.  "Blast!" Khaturr said, getting to his feet and running to the tentflap to grab his greataxe.  "This one's real!"  He glanced back at the table.  "If you've a blade or bow, grab it and get ready to defend!"  Then he ducked out tent flap into the rain, alarm bells clanging in his wake.

When the alarms sounded, Kursak looked around at the "locals" for indications of how to respond. Khaturr wasn't happy about it, apparently, but no one seemed terribly concerned. Then the second one sounded, and the atmosphere shifted and the call to arms was sounded.

Kursak wasted no time in standing and removing his robe, "Fri, are any of your wounds more than superficial?" As the robe came free, dropping to the ground, his armor was revealed in full. It had been styled after that same suit of armor his father had arranged to have crafted for him when he was first came to Blightshore, the armor that was dumped carelessly into the sea. This suit did not fit him some perfectly as the old one had, but it still protected him well enough.

As he waited for Frilia to respond, he went to his pack and retrieved his shield, a large emblem of a raven mid-flight painted on its surface. He waited for her answer before strapping it on, needing the hand free if she did have wounds that needed tending, and then made made his way out of the tent to establish a defense.

---

Action: don Shield
This message was last edited by the player at 03:12, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

When the alarms started to sound, Frilia rose on the bench, Yukiko perking an ear. The reaction of the bugbear was genuine and she asked him.

What are they saying? Who is attacking?

She looked wistfully to her mug of wine then shook her head, jumping to her pack and grabbing her shield, decorated with a large warhammer.

I'll drink that later. Hannah, lets us see how well you wield that blade!

She grinned when she saw her friend in his armor, then frowned, her practiced eye seeing it was not the masterworked affair she had last seen him in.

What happened to your dad's armor, Big 'sak? That one has holes in it! I don't need healing, keep your powers for later!

Drawing her rapier, she ran outside in the rain, Yukiko perched on her shoulder.

---

Action : don shield

Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 21 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 17.  init.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

Rain reluctantly sniffed the stew, but her hunger overcame her suspicion, and she tasted. it.  The meal was think and hearty, and before she knew it, she had finished the bowl. Just as she was about to speak, the alarm went off again as the bugbear cursed.

Rain had her bow in hand and was standing as the others went off. "They followed us." She muttered and looked at Frilla, Minko and Felix. She nodded, and with her bow in hand and quiver over her shoulder, started out, looking at Shera. "Come join the fun - i'll show you what i've learnt in six years."

She looked at Kursak, the towering man and friend of Frilla and smiled. "Hope your god is feeling good to us big man..."

---

<OOC: Rain rolled 20 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 16.  iniative.>

Kursak inclined his head in reply to Rain's comment, "My Queen's hand guides us all toward fate. I will see you well, see you rested, or see nothing ever again, as it shall be."

---

Action: Vigilant Blessing (Kursak)
Initiative: 12
[roll=1648348022.48253.365861]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

By the time the alarm sounded Shera had finished her stew. Hearing the alarms wasn't what got the Shera moving, it was hearing the bugbear's words. A fight was coming, or something else that had him worried. She could feel the fear swell at the back of her mind, but this would not be enough to keep her from fighting for the survival of her and the others. Hearing how eager Rain was Shera remembered how reckless she could be, but Shera was interested to see how well Rain could back up that eagerness. Shera readied her sword and shield and ran out into the rain after the others ready for whatever may come.

---

19:39, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 4 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 2.  Initiative.

HuMu was about to show his notes on the bark he needed when the call came out. So he folded his book and stowed it. The first order of business was to get some lights, visibility was important. So he planned to set out some dancing lights, the sound of a rather sassy pixi issuing from HuMu as a means of his vocal requirement.

He would have to keep the orbs on any enemies, but once he secured visibility he could then start doing his Storm Crow thing.

---

21:46, Today: HuMu Ninn rolled 18 using 1d20+3 ((15)).
This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

Hannah gritted her teeth as the alarm went off and the bugbear stood, frustration on his face. She rose from her seat, nodding at Frillia, and then drawing the greatsword to bare it in front of her.

---

15:29, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 10 using 1d20-1 ((11)).

Klaven gobbled the meal so quickly he barely tasted it. There were alarms and such, but he had a full mug in front of him that he wasn't going to waist. He held up a finger in a "wait one moment" way. When it was gone he beltched, asked pardon, and then cast Bless on Humu, Hannah, and Shera since he knew them best.

"If everyone can stay within sixty feet of me, I will keep you much safer, with the sound of my voice." He took out a rapier and flute and motioned for them to head put.

00:50, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 15 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 13.  Initiative

[Private to Hannah Demsersk; HuMu Ninn; Shera Draxalia: You each get a d4 added to attack and saving throws for a minute.]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:52, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

Shera halted for a moment when she noticed Sir Klaven's gesture. Once he had spoke she nodded her understanding and answered with a simple, "Thanks." Then once she saw that he was ready to proceed she led the way out of the tent and toward the threat whatever it may be.

[Private to Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis: Thanks. Appreciate it. ^_^]
This message was last edited by the player at 05:12, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

Rain heard the man, wondering at his power that he could protect all within the small radius, but nodded. "Stick by me human and i'll protect you." She had her bow out with an arrow in her paw, ready

Minho had already been standing when the alarm rang out. He quickly grabbed his weapons from where he set them by his pack and moved to the tent flap and nodded to Rain. Before he ran out into the night, Minho turned to Felix, "Be smart, little brother, fight from range as long as you can and try to stay in cover."

While he didn't know the exact direction the attack was coming from, he looked to see if there was any movement he could notice and what sort of cover was available.

---

09:50, Today: Lee Minho rolled 19 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 16.  Initiative.
Passive Perception: 13
This message was last edited by the player at 23:29, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

As Frilia asked about his armor and rushed out of the tent, Kursak look down at his armor with a sigh, "Presumably housing sea creatures somewhere in the Misakth Strand, thanks to a band of pirates. A tale for another time."

After the warmth and the lighting of the mess tent, plunging back out into the rain and dark was almost a literal shock to the system, but the worst of the effects were blocked by the rush of adrenalin that always accompanied the first stages of battle.  The body knew that it was in danger, and responded accordingly, shutting down all non-essential systems.

Torchlight dotted the camp, tiny spotlights to ward back the darkness.  Towards the back of the camp, a wide gate stood open towards the forest, its trees shrouded in darkness.  Two watchtowers sat on either side of the gate with a torch below, lighting hard-parked earth and covered in small stones to ease the wagons' passage.  In each of the watch towers, a dark elf armed with a longbow peered over the edge bow raised and aimed.

Khaturr and several of his hobgoblins could just be seen in the torchlight from a building to the west.  From the looks of it, this building was a stable of some kind.  The doors were shut and barred from the outside.  [Secret to Kursak:  Atop the stable, a giant spider scuttled across the roof.]

OOC: Battle map here:
[Secret to group NormalVision: https://i.ibb.co/L9029tq/Logging-Camp-r1sv.png]
[Secret to group Dark60: https://i.ibb.co/FzZSkQq/Logging-Camp-r1dv.png]
[Secret to group Dark300: https://i.ibb.co/yy75z35/Logging-Camp-r1d300.png]

A large crash could be heard from one of the watchtowers near the gate.  The elf at the top fell back behind the railing, and something crawled in after him.

The twang of a bowstring could be heard nearby, to the right of the mess tent.

At the top of the left watchtower, the elf took aim and loosed an arrow, which glittered as it streaked to the ground, burying itself to the fletching inside the body of a hairy spider as large as a person.  [Secret to Kursak; Rain: Kursak, who had seen one before on the Blightshore, and Rain with her training under Raieylan, could identify this as a Giant Wolf Spider.

09:40, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Rain, rolled 17 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 15.  Nature check.
09:38, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Kursak, rolled 22 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 20.  Nature check.]

---

Combat Round 1

Init HP Conditions ??? 22 ??/??   ??? 22 ??/??   Drow #3 22 ??/??   Drow #1 21 ??/??   Frilia 21 18/12   Rain 20 18/12   Minho 19 16/10   Drow #2 19 -4/??   Hobgoblin #2 19 ??/??   Humu 18 12/6 Bless (1/10) ??? 17 ??/??   ??? 16 -5/??   Khaturr 16 ??/??   [Secret to group Dark300: Giant Spider]??? 15 ??/??

Init HP Conditions Klaven 15 17/11   ??? 15 ??/??   Drow #4 14 ??/??   Hobgoblin #4 13 ??/??   ??? 12 ??/??   Kursak 12 15/9   Hobgoblin #1 12 ??/??   Hannah 10 18/12 Bless (1/10) Giant Wolf Spider #1 8 ??/??   Giant Wolf Spider #2 7 -4/??   Hobgoblin #3 7 ??/??   Shera 4 16/10 Bless (1/10) Felix 3 15/9

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:25, Tue 29 Mar 2022.

Minho, upon a brief inspection of the battlefield, quickly moved spurred to action. He pulled out his short bow and notched an arrow as he moved into position. The smaller tent slightly to the northwest would give him a good vantage point of the gate while also providing a fair bit of cover from any long-ranged attacks.

He kneeled down on one knee in the rain-soaked grass to help steady his aim and let his arrow fly, aiming for the spider closest to the gate.

---

18:24, Today: Lee Minho rolled 14 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 9.  Shortbow attack.
18:26, Today: Lee Minho rolled 8,3 using d6+3,d6 with rolls of 5,3.  shortbow damage/sneak attack if applicable. (If an ally moves up to spider I'm attacking)

Move: 25 ft NW to corner of smaller tent I20
Action: Attack w/ short bow B9
BA: none
Reaction: none unless you want me to roll OAs that might happen in advance, then I will
This message was last edited by the player at 23:31, Sun 27 Mar 2022.

Shera scans the battlefield searching for enemies in her sights. As she finds them she hesitates for only a moment before deciding what to do and rushing into action.

---

If no enemy comes within movement speed and range to Shera:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get the shot on an enemy (If she is within range for her attack she will stay where she is at).
Action: Cast Eldritch Blast at the nearest living enemy that she can see.
17:39, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 11 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 6.  Eldritch Blast Attack Roll.
17:40, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 5 using 1d10 with rolls of 5.  Eldritch Blast Damage Roll.
Bonus Action: None.
Reaction: possibly Shield if the roll to hit is between an 18 and a 22 if it is not and the attack hits anyways then never mind the shield spell please.

If an enemy does come within movement speed and range to Shera:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get into melee with the closest enemy.
Action: Cast Booming Blade and attacks closest enemy.
17:50, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 6 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 1.  Booming Blade Attack.
Bonus Action: None.
Reaction: Attack of Opportunity if there is one. Just let me know if I need to roll in advance.

Recognizing the spiders, Kursak called out to inform the others, "Those spiders have a paralytic poison; be wary!"

He then turned and stepped nearer to the humans in the group. He knew little of kenku and tabaxi, but he was well familiar with the human's lack of good vision. There were more here than he could possibly help, but he did the best he could, "I ask that you lift the gloom from their eyes, my Queen, that their fate play out on equal terms."

With everyone springing to action, Kursak repositioned himself to have a view out through the gates. As he did, more movement caught his eye and he called it out, "Khaturr! Another spider atop the stables!"

---

Move: 5 ft to K23
Action: Eyes of Night on Klaven, Hannah, Minho, Shera - granting 300 ft darkvision for 1 hour
Move: 25 ft to O19
Bonus: none
Reaction: none

[Private to Hannah Demsersk; Lee Minho; Shera Draxalia; Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis: Here is a link to the map you can see with your new 300 ft darkvision: https://i.ibb.co/yy75z35/Logging-Camp-r1d300.png

GM's Edit.  You can now all see a Giant Spider sitting on the stable roof (N5 on the map).]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:19, Mon 28 Mar 2022.

Klaven looked up at the half-goliath and said, "Those spiders are big, mate, but you're bigger!" Rhen he hustled to the corner of the northen tent and hid.

---

B/A inspire Kursak
1d6 to abilty check, attack roll, or savibg throw
Move to I-20
Action - hide!
21:53, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 22 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 18.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:54, Mon 28 Mar 2022.

Frilia came out in the rain, seeing the pockets of light and between them, as her gnome eyes automatically adjusted themselves to the gloom. She didn't see any enemies in range but what she could see made her curse.

By Moradin's hairy bottom, close those damned doors! Whatever attacks, you want to make it harder for them, not easier!

Running  on the muddy soil like if it was pavement, the gnome ran south at a surprising speed for such small legs, towards the opened portal, sheathing her rapier... she would need her two hands!

Yukiko, I need to know what we are dealing with here!

On it

As the gnome ran, the tressym took flight to try to find a target for her gnome.

---

Frilia

Using Mobile feat ability to bypass difficult terrain when dashing

Full movement plus dashing to reach W24, to try to close that door next turn.

Bonus action Sheath rapier (hopefully I can do that)

Yukiko

Take flight and dash to Z22, to try to see what is coming that way, passive perception 15, darkvision 60'

As Hannah's eyes adjusted to the darkness, more-so thanks to the half-goliath's spell, she immediately saw the gargantuan spider atop the building near Khaturr. She ran forward a few feet, draw a javelin from her pack, aimed, and let loose, hurling the weapon with intense might.

---

Moving to N19
Throwing javelin at the spider at N4: 13:50, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 19 using 1d20+6 ((13)). +4 from Klaen's bless spell.
Total roll of 23

Damage roll: 13:56, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 7 using 1d6+4 ((3)).

HuMu blew into his hands and out the other side popped a raven made out of light, then another, and another, and so on. Four bright lights in the shape of ravens. They flew out to the range of the spell and started following one another twenty feet apart in a chain. HuMu himself left on his hoverround disk extending the range.

---

Standard: Cast dancing lights at full range.
Move: Move out 30 feet so they should start moving around at 150ft from the tent.

If someone out there does something to attract his attention the birds will head that direction to light it up.

Rain saw the spiders and grimaced as she sprang into action. She sprinted impossibly fast towards the bugbears. As she approached them, she dropped to a knee, sliding a little in the slick mud, turning as she did drew a arrow and aimed at the spider. As she slowed, she smiled, already aiming with bow drawn, and let the arrow fly.

---

<OOC: Movement - 25 feet towards Hobgblins.
Misc Action - Feline agility to move additional 25 feet (finishing L12)

Rain rolled 21 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 17.  Acrobatics roll.

Action - Attack using bow (either spider)

Rain rolled 18 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 12.  Attack - bow.
Rain rolled 7 using 1d8+4 with rolls of 3.  Damage - bow.>

 

Felix was just about to respond to Kursak, when the stew arrived, piping hot and smelling delicious.

"Let's continue this conversation later Kursak; this stew is calling my name."

As the stew went down, it warmed Felix straight down to his core, removing any of the lingering effects the cold rain had on him.  The feeling was short lived though, as multiple alarms went off halfway through his meal.  With an exasperated sigh he stood up, just as Minho, knowing that Felix always liked some direction, provided the necessary guidance he needed to move forward.

He followed Minho out the door, keeping close until he could see what was going on for himself.

Once they were back outside, he saw the large spiders just cresting the wall, and looked at Minho.

Brother, you are the most skilled swordsman I know.  Cut off their hairy legs, so that we may beat the other one with them!  Don't worry brother, I will be right beside you, though I may elude even your keen eyes."

Felix smiled at his brother as he twirled his hand in a dramatic fashion, and disappeared.  As he felt the spell wash over him, he knew this wasn't the ideal time to use it, given the rain and muddy tracks he would leave as he moved, but hopefully the chaos of battle would keep his position from being found.  He bolted towards the wagon in hopes to get a little closer, so he could find the right time to let loose one of his other spells.

---

08:58, Today: Felix Takmarin rolled 10 using 1d20+2 ((8)). (Initiative)
BA: Inspire Minho.
Action:  Cast invisibility on self.
Move:  Move NW and try to find cover behind wagon/wood/etc... in the H21 area.

Sheathing her rapier, Frilia sprinted for the gate via which they had entered.  Piles of dark lumber loomed to the right, and the little gnome could all too easily imagine spiders coming to get her -- crawling on top of the piles or lurking in the deep shadows behind them.   But Frilia was fast for a gnome -- she could outrun most of the big people when she chose, and she reached the gate without challenge.  But once there, she discovered another problem: the gates were far heavier than she had anticipated, and while she'd been able to find sure footing while running, here at the gate, the mud worked against her.  As she set her shoulder to push at one door, she peered around, looking for enemies approaching, and found none.  Her feet slipped in the mud as she pushed, but the gate was interminably slow in moving.

10:31, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Frilia Silverstring, rolled 6,13 using 1d20+4,1d20+4 ((2,9)).  Athletics, with disadvantage due to the mud.

Rain moved as only a tabaxi can, her cat-like feet barely sinking into the mud as she ran, dropping to her knees as she approached Khaturr and his lieutenants.  She drew and fired in one swift motion, the twang of her bowstring heavy in the rain.  Her arrow streaked across the camp courtyard and buried itself into the face of wolf spider the tower guard had already shot.  The spider jerked with the impact, listed to one side, and collapsed, half its legs giving way.

OOC: Giant Wolf Spider #2 is dead.

Minho jogged as fast as he could without slipping to the edge of the tent, taking cover behind its canvas, nocked, and loosed an arrow at the second spider at the gate.  OOC: switching targets since the one he targeted is dead.  His arrow flashed struck the spider in the fleshy abdomen, drawing a hiss of pain that could be heard over the pounding rain.

Shouts and cries could be heard from the second watchtower above the gate, and a moment later, a small spinning shortsword came flying over the railing to land with a wet thump in the mud.

On of Khaturr's lieutentants marched forward towards the gate, his longsword drawn and ready.

Humu's little light birds circled and whirled exactly like a flock of pigeons he'd seen once at Bahamut's Rest in Westruun before he sent them forward in the straight line.  OOC: I've assumed a straight line out from the tent, since you went for a full 150 ft. (range + movement).  Going forward, if you give me grid references, we can make sure there's no confusion.  The little ravens only cast dim light in a very small radius, but it was enough to illuminate a Giant Spider perched atop the stables.  As soon as he spotted it, the kenku directed the bird in a loose circle, fully illuminating the creature for all to see.

A large crash could be heard towards the rear of the mess tent, followed by a scream.  A second later, another crash could be heard closer, to the right.

Khaturr hefted his greataxe, his eyes tracking the tiny raven-lights, and spotted the Giant Spider atop the stable.  He backed up several feet, and thumped his chest hard with one fist.  "Come and get me, you overgrown chitterbug! he cried.  He gestured for his lieutenants to spread out.

A moment later though, and a second giant spider had joined the first atop the stable, it's forward arms raised threateningly and mandibles pinching soundlessly.

Klaven, after giving Kursak the shortest of pep talks, headed forwards towards the tent in front of him.  Minho held the ground nearest the edge, to the bard took up a position behind him, hoping not to be noticed.

A loud crashing could be heard from the closest tower at the gate, followed by a scream which was cut off abruptly.  A clash of metal on metal could be heard from towards the rear of the mess tent.

One of Khaturr's hobgoblins, circled around towards the stables, following the bugbear's command.

A second crash could be heard from the wall to the right of the mess tent.  OOC: to be clear, this is the right as you're leaving the tent, which is the top portion of the map.

The hobgoblin closest to Rain turned to face the stables and took a few steps backward, readying his sword to attack if either of the Giant Spiders leapt down.

Kursak touched his eyelids and cast his hand forth, calling upon the Raven Queen's blessing to lift the veil of night.  In response, the eyes of Klaven, Hannah, Minho, and Shera began to glow a bright amber colour, gathering in light from all the sources around and allowing them to see deeper into the gloom.  "Khaturr! Another spider atop the stables!"

"I know!" came the clipped reply.

Hannah swapped her greatsword for her javelin, stepped forward, aimed and threw!  Whether through the strength of her arm, the blessings imparted by Klaven's spell, or a combination of both, the weapon, perfectly balanced for throwing, arced upward, and landed point-first in on of the giant spiders on top the stable.  The spider skittered to one side with the impact, and raised its legs threateningly.

The giant wolf spider at the gate scuttled around to the side of the watchtower, taking himself out of view.  A moment later, a loud crash sounded and the elf in the tower dropped his bow and drew a shortsword, clearly fighting off an attack from the side.

Another of Khaturr's hobgoblins raced toward the second watchtower, his sword drawn and ready.

Shera, holding her ground near the mess tent's entrance, stabbed her sword into the wet ground beside her, ready to snatch it up again at a moment's notice if necessary.  Tracking her target with her newly enhanced vision, she uttered a word in the language of magic, and flicked her fingers at one of the giant spiders on the stable.  A crackling beam of white energy flew from her fingers and impacted with a crack against the spider, who staggered back a step.

11:39, Yesterday: Shera Draxalia rolled 11 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 6.  Eldritch Blast Attack Roll.
13:50, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Shera Draxalia, rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  Adding Bless to Attack roll.
11:40, Yesterday: Shera Draxalia rolled 5 using 1d10 with rolls of 5.  Eldritch Blast Damage Roll.

Felix felts the energies of the spell wash over him, and the world around him muted to a dullish reflection of itself.  He headed after his brother knowing he left tracks, and found Klaven hiding in virtually the same spot he would have chosen.  For a moment he thought his spell had failed when the bard looked his direction, but realised belatedly that Klevan was probably just seeing the rain bounce off his invisible form.

OOC: End of Round 1.  Back to the top of the initiative order.

Sounds of battle could be heard from a watchtower behind Minho, Klaven, and Felix's position, thought it was not evident who or what was fighting.

From the second watchtower by the gate, a giant wolf spider crawled over the railing above and dropped down behind the hobgoblin at the base, who neatly jumped out of the way and took the blow on his shield.

At the most distant watchtower, the sounds of shouting and fighting could be heard.

---

Init HP Conditions ??? 22 -7/??   Giant Wolf Spider #4 22 ??/??   Drow #3 22 ??/??   Drow #1 21 ??/??   Frilia 21 18/12   Rain 20 18/12   Minho 19 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft Drow #2 19 dead   Hobgoblin #2 19 ??/??   Humu 18 12/6 Bless (2/10): 1d4 ??? 17 -3/??   ??? 16 -5/??   Khaturr 16 ??/??   Giant Spider #3 15 -5/??

Init HP Conditions Klaven 15 17/11 Darkvision: 300ft ??? 15 ??/??   Drow #4 14 -9/??   Hobgoblin #4 13 ??/??   ??? 12 ??/??   Kursak 12 15/9 Inspiration: 1d6 Hobgoblin #1 12 ??/??   Hannah 10 18/12 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (2/10): 1d4 Giant Wolf Spider #1 8 -8/??   Giant Wolf Spider #2 7 dead   Hobgoblin #3 7 ??/??   Shera 4 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (2/10): 1d4 Felix 3 15/9 Invisible

Resources used:
Rain: 1 arrow
Minho: 1 arrow
Hannah: 1 javelin

Updated maps:
Standard Vision: https://i.ibb.co/r7CBGX7/Logging-Camp-r2sv.png .
[Secret to group Dark60: Darkvision 60ft: https://i.ibb.co/fxfvgMH/Logging-Camp-r2dv60.png] .
[Secret to group Dark300: Darkvision 300ft: https://i.ibb.co/brwY9c6/Logging-Camp-r2dv300.png] .


This message was last edited by the GM at 11:13, Tue 29 Mar 2022.

Klaven cast a quick spell and pointed at Rain, [Private to Rain: "Tabaxie called Rain, aim for the underbelly."] He did not move from his hiding place.

---

Action cast Message on Rain
B/A Inspire Rain (1d6, same as Kursac)

Kursak saw Frilia struggling with the western gate, and was torn. He could go and give her the aid she seemed to be in need of, or he could help the people who had offered him aid. ~I don't see anything out there...she can handle herself.~ Kursak swung around to the east and pushed toward the gate, and central to the camp's defenders. Seeing that one of the spiders had leapt onto one of the hobgoblins, Kursak planted his feet and reached out toward the Shadowfell as his hand raised toward the spider. A spectral raven's claw, gray-blue in color, formed near the spider and talons sank into the beast's body.

Kursak spared a glance over his shoulder, checking on Frilia again, just to be sure she was safe. With everyone spread out as they were, Kursak felt the weight of each of their threads. They were doing well so far, but there was no telling how many more of the beasts were out there, or if there were even worse threats than a clutter of spiders yet to reveal themselves. He would save what lives he could, but the uncertainty of exactly what they faced here tonight left him wary.

---

Move: 30 ft to I-13
Bonus: none
Action: cast Raven's Claw, hit AC 25 for 7 Necrotic [private to dm: Raven's Claw = Chill Touch]
Target Priority: E16, D7, L5, N5
Reaction: OA if it presents itself

23:48, Today: Kursak rolled 25,7 using d20+6,d8.  Raven's Claw (Necrotic), prevents healing, undead Disadv vs me. – [roll=1648529297.20581.365861]

Shera took a short breath in and out, then watched for another opening to attack the enemy. When it arrived, this time, she did not hesitate.

---

If no enemy comes within movement speed and range to Shera:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get the shot on an enemy (If she is within range for her attack she will stay where she is at).
Action: Cast Eldritch Blast at the nearest living enemy that she can see.
00:26, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 21 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 16.  Eldritch Blast Attack Roll.
00:32, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  Bless Die Roll.
00:27, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 1 using 1d10 with rolls of 1.  Eldritch Blast Damage Roll.
Bonus Action: None.
Reaction: possibly Shield if hit.

If an enemy does come within movement speed and range to Shera:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get into melee with the closest enemy.
Action: Cast Booming Blade and attacks closest enemy.
00:34, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 22 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 17.  Booming Blade Attack.
00:32, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  Bless Die Roll.
00:35, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 8 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 5.  Damage roll.
Bonus Action: None.
Reaction: Attack of Opportunity if there is one.

Hannah felt a surge of triumph in her chest as the javelin sunk deep into the spider. She grinned and hurled another at the huge beast.

---

Throwing javelin at same spider. 18:48, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 13 using 1d20+6 ((7)). +1 from d4 from klaven's bless.
Total roll of 14

Damage roll: 18:51, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 7 using 1d6+4 ((3)).

Rain allowed a half smile as her arrow pierced the wolf spider through one of it's eyes. As she drew another another arrow she heard not only the voice in her mind, but the sounds on the stable. Pivoting, she aimed up and saw the spiders on the roof and didn't hesitate.

...she let fly.

---

<OOC: Movement - None (Regain feline agility due to no movement)

Action - Fire bow at Spider on stable roof (N5)

Rain rolled 21 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 15.  Attack - Bow.
Rain rolled 11 using 1d8+4 with rolls of 7.  Damage - bow.

Bonus Action - None>

Frilia scrambled to try to shut the gate but her feet kept slipping in the mud and she couldn't get it to budge. By then the shouts of the battle had made it clear they were facing giant spiders... that a gate would not stop anyway. Growling in frustration, she ran back towards Kursak, blessing all those hours her martial masters had made her practice switching weapons on the fly while moving, as she stuck her shield to her back, arriving in front of the half-goliath with an arrow half pulled on her bow string. Taking half a second to aim, she let fly towards the spiders on the roof of the barn... but her back foot slipped as she released, screwing her aim.

Yukiko flew towards the roof to help, but was still too far to be of any use this turn.

---

Frilia:

Bonus action, switch from shield to bow

Move to P17

Action, shoot at spiders on the roof but I miss, don't think I'll hit with a 10

Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 10,7 using 1d20+6,1d6+4 with rolls of 4,3.  short bow, attack + damage

Yukiko:

Full flying move + Dash towards the roof, ending at O7, 15' over the spiders.

HuMu opened his trap up and issue a sound like someone running in full plate armor. His left hand extended his pointer finger and thumb and flicked away a small shard of leather. Once that was done and his spell was cast he puttered forward to try and get within sixty feet so he could start making freeze-dried spiders.

---

Standard: Cast mage armor
Move: move 30 ft aiming to get no closer than 60 ft of the closest spider.

"Brother, you are the most skilled swordsman I know.  Cut off their hairy legs, so that we may beat the other one with them!  Don't worry brother, I will be right beside you, though I may elude even your keen eyes."

Felix had a way of instilling confidence in Minho that borderlined on cockiness. Minho knew he was good, but the reminder seemed to light a spark in his eyes. One of the spiders had found itself inside the walls of the logging camp, the hobgoblin clearly caught off his guard. Minho, taking Felix's words to heart, switched out his bow for his rapier and ran up behind the spider, and plunged his rapier into it.

"Like this, brother?"

---

20:35, Today: Lee Minho rolled 14 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 9.  Rapier attack.
20:37, Today: Lee Minho rolled 5,5 using d8+3,d6 with rolls of 2,5.  Rapier/sneak attack damage.
20:39, Today: Lee Minho rolled 6 using 1d8 with rolls of 6.  Piercer feat reroll.

Move: 20ft to F17
Bonus Action: Switch shortbow to rapier
Action: Attack Spider
Damage: 14 piercing (9 weapon, 5 sneak attack)

Anandoning her efforts on the western gate, Frilia raced back towards the centre of the camp, drawing her bow as she ran.  Slipping and sliding as she came to a stop in the mud, she drew, aimed and loosed, only to see the arrow fly wide to one side.

Rain heard the voice of the bard in her ear, as if he stood next to her.  Pivoting on the spot, she aiming at one of the spiders on the stable, nicely illuminated by Humu's little light-birds.  The arrow leapt from her bow and plunged into the underbelly of beast, which arced up and hissed in apparent pain and anger.

Minho, seizing and opportunity, shouldered his bow, drew his rapier, and raced forward on quick, light feet, thrusting the slender blade into the body of the wolf spider behind the hobgoblin.  The blade sank deep, and the spider convulsed once, then collapsed against the base of the watchtower.

The hobgoblin at the gate raced to the furthest watchtower and began to climb the ladder.

Humu's opened his mouth and made the clang-clang-clanging sound of someone approaching in full armour.  As he flicked away the scrap of leather that was the material component for the spell, the was consumed in a burst of white arcane energy, which grew in size and enveloped Humu's form before fading from view.  The little kenku could feel it though, the protective energies wrapped over and around him like an invisible barrier of force.

The sounds of combat to the rear of the mess tent abruptly stopped.

To the east side of the supply tent, a scream sounded and was cut off, and a giant spider appeared over the railing, dropping to the ground with a heavy thump, less than ten feet away from Klaven, and only a little further from Shera.

Khaturr, back at the center of the camp, picked up a rock and threw it at one of the spiders on the stable, trying to provoke it into attacking.  "C'mon, you toadish dim-witted ratbag!"

The spider, whether prompted by Khaturr's insult or not, scuttled forward and dropped off the roof, aiming for Rain.  The spider's fangs pierced the armour the tabaxi wore, digging into her forearm visciously.  Aalmost immediately, Rain felt the hot venom course into her body, but she gave an effort of will and was able to shrug off the worst of it.


17:36, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 20 using 1d20+5 ((15)).  Bite Attack.
17:38, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 6 using 1d8+3 ((3)).  Damage.
17:39, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Rain, rolled 13 using 1d20+2 ((11)). Constitution saving throw.
17:40, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 16 using 2d8 ((8,8)).  16 Poison Damage, halved to 8.


On the second watchtower, another giant wolf spider climbed over the railing and dropped to the ground.  Immediately, it reared its front wo legs up threateningly and lunged forward at Minho, but the rogue was quick enough to avoid its fangs.


17:46, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 13 using 1d20+3 ((10)).  Bite attack.


A hobgoblin charged forward, his longsword flashing in the torchlight from the stables, as he took advantage of the spider's focus on Rain to make a savage cut with his sword.  The spider flinched in pain, but did not retreat.


17:48, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 22 using 1d20+3 ((19)).  Attack.
17:49, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 3 using 1d8+1 ((2)). Damage.
17:49, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 5 using 2d6 ((4,1)). Martial Advantage.


To the right of the mess tent, a second giant spider dropped to the ground, its mandibles twitching menacingly.

Another of Khaturr's lieutenants charged forward, this one to the right of Rain, his sword plunging past the spider's legs, and deep into the creature's abdomen.  The spider reared back and the sword slipped free, allowing a gout of blood to flow from the open wound.


17:55, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 18 using 1d20+3 ((15)).  Attack.
17:55, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 3 using 1d8+1 ((2)). Damage.
17:55, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 8 using 2d6 ((3,5)). Martial Advantage.


Kursak watched, trying to see the threads of life spun out before him.  Which would end this night, and which would spin on?  He called forth the deathly touch of the Raven's Claw, a spectral taloned foot in the air, barely visible as a viscous, oily black apparition.  In the end, the choice of targets was simple.  Pointing at the spider which had bitten Rain, Kursak uttered the word of command and released the spell.  The taloned foot streaked through the air as a black shadow and plunged deep into the spider's body before making a grasping, twisting motion.  Kursak wasn't sure what the Raven's Claw grasped, but it had the intended effect.  The spider shuddered and collapsed into a heap on the muddy earth.

Drawing another javelin from the bundle at her pack, Hannah took aim and threw.  This time however, the missile flew wide, missing its mark.

Inside the northernmost watchtower, there was a scream, followed by the clanging of metal on wood.

The hobgoblin next to Minho spun and thrust his sword at the spider facing them both.  The sword flashed past the spider's fangs and sank almost to the hilt into its face.  With a triumphant grin, the hobgoblin twisted and then pulled the sword free, and the spider collapsed to the ground.


17:55, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 17 using 1d20+3 ((14)).  Attack.
17:55, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 7 using 1d8+1 ((6)). Damage.
17:55, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 8 using 2d6 ((4,4)). Martial Advantage.


Shera had a spell readied, but at the appearance of the two giant spiders to her right, drew her sword from the earth beside her and advanced, a different spell coming to her lips.  The sword she held, an ancient weapon from the Age of Arcana, flashed silver in her night-blessed eyes, striking deep into the giant spider.  As the blade parted the beast's flesh, she felt the arcane energies of her spell release, enshrouding the monster in an almost palpable web around it, waiting to be disturbed.

Felix, visible only by the pattern of raindrops hitting his form, froze in place, waiting to see what would happen.


OOC: No action, so taking the dodge action.

---

Init HP Conditions Giant Spider #4 22 -14/??   Giant Wolf Spider #4 22 dead   Drow #3 22 dead   Drow #1 21 -6/??   Frilia 21 18/12   Rain 20 4/12   Minho 19 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Inspiration: 1d6 Drow #2 19 dead   Hobgoblin #2 19 ??/??   Humu 18 12/6 Bless (3/10): 1d4, Mage Armour: 8h ??? 17 -3/??   Giant Spider #1 16 -5/??   Khaturr 16 ??/??   Giant Spider #3 15 dead

Init HP Conditions Klaven 15 17/11 Darkvision: 300ft Giant Wolf Spider #3 15 dead   Drow #4 14 dead   Hobgoblin #4 13 ??/??   Giant Spider #2 12 -8/?? Booming Blade Kursak 12 15/9 Inspiration: 1d6 Hobgoblin #1 12 ??/??   Hannah 10 18/12 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (3/10): 1d4 Giant Wolf Spider #1 8 -8/??   Giant Wolf Spider #2 7 dead   Hobgoblin #3 7 ??/??   Shera 4 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (3/10): 1d4 Felix 3 15/9 Invisible

Resources used:
Frilia: 1 arrow
Hannah: 2 javelins
Minho: 1 arrow
Rain: 2 arrows

Updated maps:
Standard Vision: https://i.ibb.co/sj7RbWh/Logging-Camp-r3sv.png .
[Secret to group Dark60: Darkvision 60ft: https://i.ibb.co/KL85tsK/Logging-Camp-r3dv60.png] .
[Secret to group Dark300: Darkvision 300ft: https://i.ibb.co/9HYZWkK/Logging-Camp-r3dv300.png] .


This message was last edited by the GM at 14:21, Fri 01 Apr 2022.

Sir Bobcat pointed the wooden stick that was his flute at the spider. He said to the beast, “Away, you starvelling, you dried neat’s-tongue, bull’s-pizzle, you stock-fish!”*

Seeing the Tabaxi's injury was severe he called out to her, "Rain, I'm a doctor, and that is merely a flesh wound!"

---

*Henry IV Part 1 (Act 2, Scene 4)
Action cast Vicious Mockery: Wis save 15 or 3 psychic damage & disadvantage on next attack
04:21, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  Vicious Mockery Damage

B/A - Cast Healing Words on Rain, giving her 9.I honestly thought the save meant no damage, or I'd have done this up front.
07:05, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 10 9 using 1d4+65 with rolls of 4.  Healing for Rain.

No Move
End turn

This message was last edited by the player at 11:08, Wed 30 Mar 2022.

Rain held some satisfaction as the arrow lunged into the spider's belly, but when it doubled it's efforts and jumped down, she paled. The spider bit her savagly, and she felt the thrum of poison....but she was no stranger to venom, and she was able to fight off the more severe effects.

But even so, the tabaxi was in rough shape. She backtracked towards the tent and the others, stumbling with blood flowing from her arm. She looked at HuMu, Hannah and Kursak with a weak smile. "Furballs...that hurt." She dropped to one knee, bow weakly at her side

---

<OOC: Action and Movement - Towards HuMu, Kursak and Hannah (N18)>

Frilia grimaced when Rain got bitten hard, but there was nothing she could do about it, as that spectral claw she knew to be Kursak's ripped through the insides of that monster and killed it.

Shaking her head, she focused on the still living spider on the roof and shot it.

Hearing some fight behind her, she moved in that direction to be closer to the melee, running between Kursak's legs, each one being bigger than she was.

Sorry!

Yukiko landed on the spider bulbous abdomen to distract it.

Yuck, those hairs are hard!

---

Frilia

Action : shoot the spider on the roof, 21 to hit for 6 damage

Move : 30 feet towards the north east, nearer to the fight there, Kursak's square considered as difficult terrain, ending in J23

Yukiko

Takes the help action against the spider on the roof

Frilia Silverstring rolled 21 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 19.  yukiko initiative .

Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 21,6 using 1d20+6,1d6+4 with rolls of 15,2.  bow attack +damage
This message was last edited by the player at 12:42, Wed 30 Mar 2022.

The sound of a heavy blow behind her drew Hannah's attention to the other 2 giant spiders. A robed human stood fighting them next to Klaven. She set her jaw and murmured .No lives will be claimed tonight, beast. and then ran towards them.

---

Moving to the spider at F21. If she can make it there, greatsword attack. If she can't quite make it, javeline attack.


Greatsword Attack roll: 22:52, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 23 using 1d20+6 ((17)).
Damage: 22:54, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 8 using 2d6+4 ((2,2)).

Javelin Attack Roll: 22:55, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 20 using 1d20+6 ((14)).
Javelin Damage Roll: 22:55, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 6 using 1d6+4 ((2)).

Seeing his brother sink his rapier deep into the spider put a smile on his face, even though no one was able to see it.

"That's how you do it brother! I never doubted you!"

Felix rushed over behind Minho, and saw that Rain was in the thick of it, and in trouble.  "Rain, you've been through much worse than this.  Show these spiders they chose the wrong camp this day!"

---

Move action:  Move 6 squares right next to Minho's last location:  G17-ish
Bonus Action:  Bardic Inspiration on Rain.
Action:  Dodge action.

This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Wed 30 Mar 2022.

Minho could hear a scuffle on the other side of the tent he was standing by. The only other spider he could see was not in range for him to attack. He decided to take a risk and move around the tent to help whoever was fighting on the other side. It was a bit of a squeeze where the corner of the tent almost met the wall, but Minho was used to tight spaces.

Immediately on the other side, he was met with another spider. He was not phased by the appearance of the spider and quickly jabbed at it with his rapier.

---

09:15, Today: Lee Minho rolled 12 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 9.  Acrobatics.
09:28, Today: Lee Minho rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  bardic inspiration.
09:27, Today: Lee Minho rolled 17 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 12.  Rapier attack.
09:28, Today: Lee Minho rolled 11,5 using d8+3,d6 with rolls of 8,5.  Rapier/sneak attack damage. (I'm not sure if Hannah gets next to the spider before Minho attacks, likely not, but threw possible sneak attack damage in any way.)

Move: 25/30 ft to E21
Attack: Spider at E 22
Damage: 11 piercing, 16 w/sneak attack
Bonus Action: none
Reaction: none

Felix saw Minho heading off to the other side of the tent and decided to follow cautiously behind him, giving him a bit of a head start, since he couldn't see so well.

"I'm following right behind you Minho, don't be alarmed."

As he followed Minho, the ground was severely drenched with water and he found himself slipping about like a bumbling buffoon.  Luckily, he was still invisible to the naked eye and therefore nobody would see him struggle so while simply just trying to walk.

When Minho stopped, and Felix heard his brother grunt in exertion as he struck forward with his rapier, even though Felix couldn't see much of anything he decided to try to help his brother in any way he could.  He reached into his pocket, grabbed a fistful of sand, and blew it up into the air in the direction of where he thought the enemy Minho fought was.

Felix whispered with a hint of malice, "Nighty night you creepy bastards."

---

Acrobatics check if needed.  (Minho made one)  14:44, Today: Felix Takmarin rolled 4 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 2.
Action: Cast sleep on 20 foot area: E21 to H24: 14:48, Today: Felix Takmarin rolled 24 using 5d8 ((2,5,6,6,5)).
Move:  Follow Minho and end up 2 squares behind him, given his fierce encounter with the muddy ground that slowed him down.

This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Wed 30 Mar 2022.

Kursak's head swiveled as he glanced at fighting all around him. ~How am I to guide so many strings at once? How, my Queen? So many fallen, and others fighting all around. I cannot reach them all...~  Rain had taken a grave wound, but Klaven was quick to react and sustain the tabaxi. The tower guards were nearly all down, however, and that was one place he knew he had a chance of helping.

He moved toward the tower on the right side of the eastern gate, leaping over the spider corpses nearby, landing on the ladder and pulling himself up. He checked on the guard there, hoping he was not too late, and ready to balance the scales if he was.

Move: to the top of the tower at D16
Investigation: 7 to see if the guard is still alive
Action A: if he's alive, use the Healer feat and 1 charge of a Healer's Kit to heal them for 9
Action B: if he's dead, cast Raven's Claw on an injured spider in range

21:21, Today: Kursak rolled 17,3 using d20+6,d8.  Raven's Claw (Necrotic), prevents healing, undead Disadv vs me. – [roll=1648693275.6058.365861]
21:17, Today: Kursak rolled 9 using 1d6+5.  Healer's Kit Healing. – [roll=1648693077.10982.365861]
21:12, Today: Kursak rolled 7 using 1d20.  Int check. – [roll=1648692728.45557.365861]

[private to Chad: If I see any other enemies on the other side of the wall, I'll call it out to everyone.]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:57, Thu 31 Mar 2022.

Seeing the two spiders before her, Shera knew the odds were not in her favor if the others did not come soon, but nevertheless, as scared as she was, her adrenalin had kicked in and that meant that if she was going down then she was taking one of these damned things with her. Pushing all of her fear out of her body in a yell Shera swung her sword into the hideous creature's hide in another attempt to slay it. Having had a spell on her breath when she swung she knew that the spider would not easily be able to escape her. Whether that was a good thing or not only time could tell.

---

If an enemy is still within movement speed and range to Shera:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get into melee with the closest enemy, staying put if Shera is already in melee with an enemy.
Bonus Action: Hexblade's Curse on the enemy Shera damaged last round (if it is no longer alive then cast it on the other spider in melee with her).
Action: Cast Booming Blade and attack same enemy as last round that has Hexblade's Curse on it (if it is no longer alive then attacking whichever spider has the HexBlade's Curse on it).
19:30, Today: Secret Roll: Shera Draxalia rolled 15 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 10.  Booming Blade Attack.
19:31, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 1 using 1d4 with rolls of 1.  Bless Die Roll.
19:32, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 12 using 1d8+5 with rolls of 7.  Damage roll.
Reaction: Attack of Opportunity if there is one.

HuMu should be just close enough but he would keep moving to maintain a maximum distance of his spell. He clapped his talons and pulled them apart to form a small cloud that began to shed tiny snowflakes. "Hu MuUu SssTorMmmm CrrrRooWwww." and the frostbite had begun to the closest spider to him. The paladin and the bard had likely heard a tiny bit of his real voice. A broken that that couldn't be used for even a spartan conversation. But he was getting excited.

---

Con 13

You cause numbing frost to form on one creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d6 cold damage, and it has disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

Dabblage:
22:05, Today: Secret Roll: HuMu Ninn rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  Cold.

The Giant Spider still on the stable room scuttled to the edge, half-turned, and fired a white sticky substance down from the roof.  The white fluid splashed down across one of Khaturr's hobgoblins and exploded into thick ropey strands which wrapped around his body.

Inside the northernmost watchtower, the sounds of battle could be heard.

Frilia fired again.  With her footing more secure beneath her, the arrow struck true, lodging in one of the spider's legs.  Then she turned and ran, slipping adroitly between Humu and Hannah as she raced towards the melee developing by the mess tent.


OOC: Kursak had already moved out of Frilia's path (in round 3) by the time her action came around.


Meanwhile, the little Tressym that Frilia called Yukiko darted and weaved through the air, landing on the spider and then leaping away whenever it turned around.

Rain staggered back, clutching her arm to her body, and trying not to obsess over the literal holes she could feel in her arm.  She staggered back to where she knew the healer had been, but he was already gone.

Minho, hearing the sounds of combat to the other side of the supply tent, vaulted between the canvas and the log wall that formed the camp's border.  He landed with a wet smack of boots on mud, and the giant spider directly in front of him turned.  Quick as a flash, the thief thrust his rapier into the fleshy body of the spider and pulled it back out, dripping with ichor.  The spider hissed at him, and clenched its mandibles angrily.


OOC: No Sneak attack damage, since Hannah's not there yet.  She's lower on the init order than Minho is.


The Hobgoblin at the base of the northern watchtower climbed the ladder, longsword in hand and climbed into the enclosure above.  He could be seen swinging the sword, but it was unclear how successful he was.

Humu cupped his hands before him, letting the arcane energies swell within him as he built the spell, adding power into it as he went.  As soon as he felt it hit the right level of thrumming tension, he released it at the giant spider near the mess tent and saw the spider's limbs suddenly coated in frost.  The spider shook it's massive body, and the frost flew off into tiny ineffectual snowflakes that melted before they hit the ground.


OOC: The giant spider made it's saving throw.  No damage.


A series of rapid heavy thumps could be heard from behind the mess tent.

The giant spider Minho stabbed lunged forward at him, but the thief was too quick and dodged out of the way.

Khaturr hefted his greataxe, staring up at the spider on the roof, his teeth bared.  He glanced at the hobgoblin on the ground wrapped in the spider's webs, as if he wanted to run to it's aid, but feared an ambush.  In the end, he snarled at the hobgoblin "[Language unknown: Artof n wit our!]"

Klaven had no idea whether the spider could understand him, but the insults he'd practiced with his fellows in the circus, when aided by his bardic gift, didn't require that they be understood.  Intent could be transmitted by music, and he laced his contempt for the spider into everything he had.  Sadly, it seemed the spider had no ear for music, or was too intent on trying to eat Minho to pay any attention.


OOC: The giant spider made it's saving throw.  No damage or disadvantage.


Noticing Rain running back from the fight wounded, Klaven whispered a word of healing power and sent it through the air.  A verdant green mote of arcane energy flew through the air, landing on the tabaxi's arm, which began to knit itself together, the flesh closing as if it had never been broken.


OOC: Rain's back to full health (but missing the temp hp she gained from the meal).


The Hobgoblin which had been stuck by the giant spider's webbing thrashed about, trying to break free of the webbing, but without success.

The Giant Spider facing Shera reared back on it's hind legs and then lunged forward, fangs bared and reaching for Shera's flesh, but the warlock deftly avoided the bite.  OOC: still in melee range, has not moved more than 5 ft.

Kursak raced to the second watchtower, which overlooked the right side of the eastern gate.  He had to climb over two spiders to get to the ladder, but then hauled himself into the viewing area.  The drow which had been guarding this tower lay dead on the floor, half his face torn off and with his gut opened from one side to the other.  Seeing there was nothing he could do for the elf, Kursak leaned over the railing to observe the battle for a moment.  Spotting Minho fighting a giant spider, the half-goliath called upon the Raven Queen's power once more, sending the viscous black talon streaking through the air to rip and tear at the spider.

The Hobgoblin that slew the spider on the ground raced over to try and help his companion get free from the webs, drawing a dagger to start cutting.  He made decent headway, but the strands of webbing were thick and hard to cut through.

Hannah raced toward the fight at the mess tent, but the slick mud made running treacherous.  Drawing a javelin as she drew close, she aimed and threw.  At the relatively short distance, she could barely miss, and the javelin stuck in the spider's abdomen with a heavy thunk.

The hobgoblin at the base of the watchtower opted for the long way around the supply tent, moving carefully in the wet mud.

Shera, her mind filled with the baleful power of her patron, glared at the giant spider in front of her.  Thunder rolled overhead, and the words of her curse were lost in the sound [Private to Shera Draxalia: OOC: It would be really cool if you could detail in roleplay how Shera performs her Hexblade curse.  Does she point at them with her sword and simply say "You die," or does she say something in Elvish, or something.  This is a cool power for Shera and I would hate to see it just hand-waved as "I curse it."].  Lighting flashed overhead as she swung, and her blade struck true, black blood flowing from the wound she struck in the spider's body.  Again she felt the tension in the air as her booming blade spell wrapped around the figure of the spider, but she felt the arcane energies hit the layer she'd already cast on the spider and simply fall apart.


OOC: Booming Blade is already on this spider, it didn't trigger since the spider didn't move more than 5 ft.  Since it already has one on it, the spell takes no effect this round.


Felix stumbled blindly through the dark, feeling his way around the tent in the direction his brother had gone.  Hearing his brother fighting ahead of him, Felix took a fistful of sand from his pouch, blew it out in front of him, and uttered the words of power for his sleep spell.  The arcane energies washed out, questing forward for targets.

At the wall, both the giant spider facing Minho and the one facing Shera slowed their movements, and then sank to the ground in a strange curled posture.


OOC: Both Giant Spiders are asleep.

---

Init HP Conditions Giant Spider #4 22 -14/??   Giant Wolf Spider #4 22 dead   Drow #3 22 dead   Drow #1 21 -6/??   Frilia 21 18/12   Yukiko 21 8/8   Rain 20 12/12   Minho 19 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Inspiration: 1d6 Drow #2 19 dead   Hobgoblin #2 19 ??/??   Humu 18 12/6 Bless (4/10): 1d4 ??? 17 -3/??   Giant Spider #1 16 -22/?? Asleep Khaturr 16 ??/??

Init HP Conditions Giant Spider #3 15 dead   Klaven 15 17/11 Darkvision: 300ft Giant Wolf Spider #3 15 dead   Drow #4 14 dead   Hobgoblin #4 13 ??/?? Restrained (-4/?) Giant Spider #2 12 -20/?? Asleep Kursak 12 15/9 Inspiration: 1d6 Hobgoblin #1 12 ??/??   Hannah 10 18/12 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (4/10): 1d4 Giant Wolf Spider #1 8 dead   Giant Wolf Spider #2 7 dead   Hobgoblin #3 7 ??/??   Shera 4 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (4/10): 1d4 Felix 3 15/9 Invisible

Resources used:
Frilia: 2 arrows
Hannah: 3 javelins
Minho: 1 arrow
Rain: 2 arrows

Updated maps:
Standard Vision: https://i.ibb.co/LpVtGQh/Logging-Camp-r4sv.png .
[Secret to group Dark60: Darkvision 60ft: https://i.ibb.co/SnP5WgN/Logging-Camp-r4dv60.png] .
[Secret to group Dark300: Darkvision 300ft: https://i.ibb.co/GvtBT9f/Logging-Camp-r4dv300.png] .

Hearing Felix behind him, Minho smirked as the spider in front of him collapsed to the ground in slumber. Once again, Minho stabbed into the spider, his rapier covered in even more ichor than before. Minho made a disgusted face as he watched the ichor drip off the end of his blade into the mud.

"Thanks for the easy target, Felix. Good thing Mother isn't here, she would have a conniption over the mess."

---

11:42, Today: Lee Minho rolled 24 using 2d20+5, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 19,17.  Rapier attack.
11:43, Today: Lee Minho rolled 12,3 using 2d8+3,2d6, dropping the lowest dice only ((2,7,2,1)). Was not supposed to keep drop lowest dice checked. XD
11:55, Today: Lee Minho rolled 2 using 2d8 with rolls of 1,1.  Piercer feat reroll/crit extra die. <-----UGH!
Total: 15 damage

Action: Attack same spider
Bonus Action: none
Move: none
Reaction: none

Felix, though happy that Minho was safe for the moment with his confirmation of an easy target, recoiled at the mention of his mother.  It was always a love hate relationship Felix has with his mother.  Not that she ever did anything wrong to him, it was more of what she didn't do for him.  Mother was always preoccupied with the jewelry store, which granted was their life blood, but Felix wished the burden that was Felix didn't always fall on Minho.  It wasn't fair, even if Minho never complained about it.

Shaking his head out of his reverie, as this was not the time or place to daydream, Felix spoke up, "My pleasure brother.  Just keep that mess away from me.  Even covered in ichor, you still shine brighter than those around you.  Give us a sporting chance, you beautiful bastard!"  He paused for a brief second, before speaking again, "I wish I could see these damn things so I could help out more.  I'm fighting blind over here!"

With that, Felix knelt on the ground, and pulled a trick a close friend of his taught him in his younger days, by casting a spell to cover himself in an illusion of a large wooden barrel.  As he knelt, waiting to see what would happen next, he had warm thoughts of his friend Freddy Fireball and wondered how that little scamp was faring these days.

---

Action:  Cast Minor Illusion and cover self in the image of a barrel.
Movement: None.
BA: None.
Reaction: None.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:02, Fri 01 Apr 2022.

Good girl, keep it busy...

This is kinda fun, actually.

Seeing that no one else was taking care of the spider on the roof, and that the fight she had approached was well in hand with Minho, Felix and that other cloaked woman, Frilia again took aim on the rooftop enemy. The arrow struck true and penetrated the chitin armor almost to the fletching.

Nice shot!

Thanks Yukiko, let's keep it up!

---

Frilia

Action : Bow attack on spider on the roof, with advantage, no one else attacked it since Yukiko started to help. Crit, for 12 damage

No move

No BA

Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 12 using 2d6+4 with rolls of 5,3.  Crit damage. – [roll=1648859005.96975.365860]

19:22, Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 26 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 1,20.  bow attack with advantage.

Yukiko

Action : If the spider is still alive after that crit, take the help action on it. If not, she will dash to go see what is happening to the east.

Move : If taking the help action, just the moves necessary to avoid the spider. If it's dead, move to the east, with the dash.

Sir Bobcat went wideeyed, "OH Shit." He proudly ran away.

Action- Disengage
Move- around to other side of tent
B/A Healing word if needed.

Kursak said a prayer for the drow, "The Matron's flock will guide your soul, warrior." He then turned and looked down into the camp once again. Guards seemed to have the north in hand. Frilia, Rain, and Humu were safe behind the defensive line of others, and those defenders seemed to be holding up well enough on their own.

As he glanced around, movement on the north side of the gate caught his attention and he saw the hobgoblin leaning over another of the drow defenders, "Is the drow alive!?" Kursak called out to him. He couldn't make it over there immediately. While he waited for an answer, he turned back to the south and planted his feet once more. He reached again toward the Shadowfell's power to summon the raven's claw to assault the southern spiders. As it flew toward his target, he turned back to the hobgoblin again, looking for an answer before he moved once more.

---

Free: ask about the Drow at D7
Action: cast Raven's Claw on a spider, using Bardic Inspiration, hits AC 14 for 4 Necrotic
Bonus: none
Move A: if the drow is alive, move as far north as I can get, jump if it saves steps
Move B: if the drow is dead, move to I19

20:36, Today: Kursak rolled 2 using 1d6.  Bardic Inspiration. – [roll=1648863405.3077.365861]
20:36, Today: Kursak rolled 12,4 using d20+6,d8.  Raven's Claw (Necrotic), prevents healing, undead Disadv vs me. – [roll=1648863397.15089.365861]

Rain, fully healed from the mysterious human, looked at him and nodded as she drew another arrow. She turned around and saw the goblins needing help, her past experiences clouding her need to help them, she groaned as she took aim and fired at the spider.

...missing it.

The tabaxi cursed.

---

<OOC: Action - Fire arrow at spider (N9)

Rain rolled 8 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 2.  attack - bow.

MISS (Damnit)>

Had anyone been paying attention to Shera before her last attack they would have noticed her radiating darkness from her body and as she brought her sword down on the spider that darkness leapt from she to it. The darkness surrounded and stuck to the spider's body like a sticky adhesive. Then the spider along with the one next to it were put to sleep. Shera saw this opportunity and headed into further battle whether it be ranged or melee.

---

If the remaining spider that is still awake is still alive by the time Shera has her turn:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get clear line of sight to the remaining awake spider.
Bonus Action: None
Action: Cast Eldritch Blast at the last spider still awake.
00:50, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 10 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 5.  Eldritch Blast Attack Roll.
00:50, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  Bless Die Roll.
00:52, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 7 using 1d10 with rolls of 7.  Eldritch Blast Damage Roll.
Reaction: cast Shield if hit.

If an awake enemy comes within movement speed and melee range:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get into melee with the awake enemy.
Bonus Action: None
Action: Cast Boom Blade and attack enemy still awake.
00:55, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 14 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 9.  Booming Blade Attack.
00:50, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  Bless Die Roll.
00:57, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 13 using 1d8+5 with rolls of 8.  Damage roll.
Reaction: Attack of Opportunity if there is one.

The two giant spiders near the tents seemed to be asleep, but giant spiders they were, still. Hannah stepped forward and swung her greatsword down at the sleeping beast, aiming to chop off a leg or three.

---

Attack roll with advantage: 03:54, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 17 using 1d20+6 ((11)).

Damage roll double dice: 22:19, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 8 using 2d6+4 ((3,1)).
03:56, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 7 using 2d6+4 ((1,2)).

Moving to G22 and attacking spider at F22
This message was last edited by the player at 17:57, Sat 02 Apr 2022.

HuMu sighed, "Merely a flesh wound!" and pinched his little cloud to repeat the process but targeting the only spider that he could see. He could keep it up all day as it was a weak spell. It was just a matter of staying away

---

Bonus: Move the lights to get closer to the N9ish living spider. They need to get back to orbiting spooders.

Standard: Casting frost bite again.
DC 13 save again.
3 cold dabblage

The giant spider on the roof of the stable scuttled a few inches to the left, its large abdomen still angled over the edge of the roof.  The hairy body convulsed in a rippling motion, and more sticky white strands spewed forth from the spinnerets, but the webbing splattered in the mud short of its mark.

In the northern-most watchtower, the drow got to his feet and drew his longbow to his cheek, sighting on the spider on the stable roof.  He loosed and the arrow buzzed furiously across the camp, burying itself to the fletchings in the spider's abdomen, causing it to stagger to the side several feet.  One of its hind legs slipped off the roof's edge, but the three other legs remained firm.

Frilia drew, aimed, and loosed her shot.  For a moment, she thought she had mortally struck the spider, but then realised the arrow was at the wrong angle.  Then she realised it wasn't her arrow.  She looked about for her arrow, only to find it in pieces a few feet away in the mud; an unseen flaw in the wood had caused it to shatter when the bow fired.  Yukiko continued to swoop and dart above the spider, her wings beating heavily as they got more and more drenched in the rain.


OOC: Yukiko's advantage benefit was used by the drow, who's higher in the init order than Frilia.  Thus, I had to use the first die roll in your roll, which was a natural 1.


Rain, flexing her newly healed arm and looking at it in wonder, shook her head, drew an arrow from her quiver, aimed and loosed, only to see the missile fly wide into the dark sky.

Minho took advantage of the opportunity created by his brother's sleep spell and stabbed the spider in one of the larger eyes.  The spider shuddered once, then lay still as Minho withdrew his blade.  "Thanks for the easy target, Felix. Good thing Mother isn't here, she would have a conniption over the mess."

The Hobgoblin in the watchtower with the drow gave a thumbs up signal to Kursak, and climbed back out on the ladder and made his way down to the ground below, moving another few feet back towards the center.

"Merely a flesh wound!"  Humu's impersonation of Klaven's voice was uncanny, and the little wizard beckoned with his fingers before twirling them in a circle.  The raven-shaped lights swerved and whirled, coming closer before illuminating the spider atop the stables once more.  Humu let the arcane energies swell within him again, and loosed his frostbit spell at the spider.  Again, he saw the spider's legs and abdomen coat with frost as the spell hit, but this time he saw the legs blacken as if burned.  The legs quivered violently, as if the strength was fading from them, but continued to hold.

There was a sudden CRACK of thunder almost directly overhead, and a bolt of lightning flashed.  As if the bolt had pierced the clouds themselves, the downpour suddenly intensified until it seemed almost like a wall of water was pouring down over everyone.  Torches began to sputter across the camp, looking like they might go out at any moment.  From the west side of the mess tent came a rapid hammering sound, like that of many hammers sticking the ground in rapid succession, and a creature emerged at a run.

At first glance, it could easily mistaken for a man on horseback.  But as the lightning flashed overhead, it became apparent that size was the only resemblance.  A fat, bulbous abdomen sat behind the creature, supported on eight legs.  Above, the upper body of a drow elf stood upright from the cephalothorax with arms strangely longer than they should have been, with one too many joints on each arm, each which bore a large curved scimitar.  Heavy, pedipalps opened and closed at the junction between the two bodies, and two large glistening fangs waited to pierce any prey it could reach.  Atop the masculine elf's body, a hideous hybrid of elf and spider features stared malevolently at the group.  Mandibles framed a mouth with furry fangs poking through the upper lip, and a circle of black eyes ringed the elf's head on all sides.  Thick black chitin covered both the elf and spider part of the body, glistening wetly in the pouring rain.


OOC: I need Wisdom Saving Throws (DC: 10) from each of you.  If you fail you are frightened of the Spiderbody Abomination.
Reminder: A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight.  The creature can't willingly move closer to the source of its fear.
Because of the heavy rain, any dash actions require an Athletics check (DC: 12) or you slip and fall prone in the mud.



Khaturr turned as he saw the abomination approach.  His eyes flew wide, and he clutched his greataxe in both hands, clearly frightened.

"Oh shit," Klaven said, and scurried to the other side of the supply tent.

The hobgoblin tangled in the spider's webbing flexed his muscles and snapped the remaining strands of webbing.  Getting to his feet, he backed away slowly, splitting his attention from the spider on the roof to the monstrosity by the mess tent, weighing his options.

Kursak summoned the power of the Raven Queen for a third time, feeling her draw near as he sent the black talon through the night sky at the spider closest to Shera.  The talons ripped through the spider's flesh, which shuddered and opened its eyes, rising to its feet even as black ichor oozed from the wounds delivered by the spell.  Turning, he vaulted over the railing, landing squarely on both feet as he hit the mud beneath and began to head toward the north watchtower.


OOC: 02:12, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Kursak, rolled 20 using 1d20+2 ((18)).  Strength Saving Throw.


The hobgoblin which had been cutting through the webbing on his buddy looked up at the approaching abomination and began to retreat, his eyes wide with fear.

Hannah charged the rest of the way forward, drawing her greatsword as she did.  With a great heave, the brought the heavy two-handed blade down onto the remaining spider, severing through three of its legs and bifurcating its skull in one stroke.

Her immediate opponent dead, Shera turned and raised on hand at the only opponent she knew for certain was there: the spider on the roof of the stables.  She felt the arcane power flow down her outstretched arm, and with a whispered word of power, she released her incantation.  A crackling blast of blue and orange light lashed at from her fingertips, but missed the spider entirely, the bolt lancing into the night sky.

Felix, his invisibility dispelled by the energies required to cast the sleep spell, hunkered down in place, conjuring the image of a barrel over his crouched form.

---

Init AC HP Conditions Giant Spider #4 22 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? -25/?? [Secret to DM: 26]   Giant Wolf Spider #4 22 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Drow #3 22 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? dead   Drow #1 21 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? -6/?? [Secret to DM: 13]   Frilia 21 17 18/12   Yukiko 21 12 8/8   Rain 20 15 12/12   Minho 19 14 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Inspiration: 1d6 Drow #2 19 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? dead   Hobgoblin #2 19 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Humu 18 16 12/6 Bless (5/10): 1d4, Mage Armour: 8h Spiderbody Abomination 17 [Secret to DM: 19] ??? -3/?? [Secret to DM: 38]   Giant Spider #1 16 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? dead   Khaturr 16 [Secret to DM: 16] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 27] Frightened

Init AC HP Conditions Giant Spider #3 15 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? dead   Klaven 15 13 17/11 Darkvision: 300ft Giant Wolf Spider #3 15 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Drow #4 14 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? dead   Hobgoblin #4 13 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Giant Spider #2 12 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? -24/?? [Secret to DM: 26]   Kursak 12 18 15/9   Hobgoblin #1 12 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11] Frightened Hannah 10 16 18/12 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (5/10): 1d4 Giant Wolf Spider #1 8 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Giant Wolf Spider #2 7 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Hobgoblin #3 7 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Shera 4 18 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (5/10): 1d4 Felix 3 13 15/9

Resources used:
Frilia: 3 arrows
Hannah: 3 javelins
Minho: 1 arrow
Rain: 3 arrows


Updated maps:
Standard Vision: https://i.ibb.co/t83FgZP/Logging-Camp-r5sv.png .
[Secret to group Dark60: Darkvision 60ft: https://i.ibb.co/D183sSP/Logging-Camp-r5dv60.png] .
[Secret to group Dark300: Darkvision 300ft: https://i.ibb.co/mqXF2kD/Logging-Camp-r5dv300.png] .


This message was last edited by the GM at 00:05, Mon 04 Apr 2022.

Kursak didn't know what the monstrosity was that had just charged into the middle of the camp, but he knew he wanted none of whatever it had come to offer. There was a wounded guard in need of aid on top of that tower, and he had the means to help. The half-goliath fumbled a bit with the ladder, as his desire to get up the rungs (and away from that creature) was not well coordinated with his particularly long limbs.

As he got within reach of the drow, he pulled out a worn leather pouch from which he withdrew a jar of healing salve. He pulled the leather cap off of the top of the jar, by untying the cord that had bound it there, applied the salve to the drow's wound, and then opened himself to the Raven Queen's power once more, letting it flow through him and into the salve to to work

---

Wis Save: 8, Frightened
Move: to E8
Action: Healer feat, restores 9 hit points to the drow (+1 for any hit dice over 1).
Bonus: none
Reaction: none

11:59, Today: Kursak rolled 9 using 1d6+5.  Healer's Kit Healing. – [roll=1649005173.0595.365861]
11:40, Today: Kursak rolled 8 using 1d20+6.  Wis Save. – [roll=1649004046.96666.365861]

She was certain that her arrow had hit, but how could it have come from that angle? Frilia then saw what had happened, just as the rain picked up, reducing even more the visibility... and she almost missed the monstrous half spider/half drow that appeared feet away from her. The spider on top of the barn was still moving but now a new priority had popped up.

Kill that spider on the roof! Hannah, Rain, Big 'sak, Felix, Minho, we have a big one right here!

Swapping weapons with practiced ease, she ran to the big monster, trying to cut off one leg, using her agility to move out of the way of those wicked scimitars.

Yukiko, I need you here!

I can't Frilia, this rain is impeding my flight!

I see, protect yourself, I don't want to lose you!

You won't.

---

Frilia

Free Action : warn the others of the drider, Wis save passed with 13.

Bonus action : swap weapons to shield and rapier

Move : partial move to reach the drider (20 feet) and attack, then retreat 15 feet, ending at K22. No opportunity attack possible due to Mobile feat

Action : attack Drider, 15 to hit for 8 damage


Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 15,8 using 1d20+6,1d8+6 with rolls of 9,2.  rapier attack+damage.

12:51, Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 13 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 12.  wis save.

Yukiko

Move somewhere to hide on the roof, from the spider and the rain.

Action : Hide

Today: Secret Roll: Frilia Silverstring rolled 8 using 1d20-4 with rolls of 12.  yukiko str save.

Today: Frilia Silverstring rolled 12 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 8.  Yukiko stealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:15, Mon 04 Apr 2022.

Minho saw the abomination enter the camp and was immediately frozen. He had never been afraid of spiders, but something about this one set him on edge. He swapped his rapier for his shortbow and tried to steady his hands to aim at the body of the spider. His shot went wide as he couldn't fully get the shaking under control.

---

14:12, Today: Lee Minho rolled 8 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 7.  Wisdom save.
14:16, Today: Lee Minho rolled 9 using 2d20+5, dropping the highest dice only with rolls of 4,7.  Shortbow attack.

Move: none
Bonus Action: switch rapier for shortbow
Action: Attack spider abomination (drider)
Reaction: none

Klaven rounded the tent in time to see the...thing. All he could do was say, "Ohhhh SHIT!" He turned and ran again, away from the thing, because frankly, he was a coward.

---

17:47, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 14 13 using 1d20+3 2 with rolls of 11.  Wis sv

Not frightened, but yea still running.

Move - as far from spider thing as possible.
Action - dash as above
B/A none
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:54, Tue 05 Apr 2022.

As Shera turned to see this new foe fear once again tried to take hold of her, but out of seemingly nowhere she left a surge of courage rush to her as she thought of her teacher, the one who had trained her with her sword. She didn't want to disappoint them and well whether this courage was foolhardy or not only time would tell. With little to no hesitation Shera rushed ahead ready to attack this creature any way she could strike at it.

---

Wisdom Save:
15:48, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 18 using 1d20 with rolls of 18.  Wisdom Saving Throw.


If the drider is alive and within melee range (speed included):
Move: Wherever is necessary to get into melee with the drider.
Bonus Action: None
Action: Cast Booming Blade and attack the drider.
15:56, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 23 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 18.  Booming Blade Attack.
15:56, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 1 using 1d4 with rolls of 1.  Bless Die Roll.
15:57, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 6 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 3.  Damage roll.
Reaction: Attack of Opportunity if there is one.

If the drider is alive and out of range of melee:
Move: Wherever is necessary to get a clear line of sight to the drider.
Bonus Action: None
Action: Cast Eldritch Blast at the drider.
16:02, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 9 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 4.  Eldritch Blast Attack Roll.
15:56, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 1 using 1d4 with rolls of 1.  Bless Die Roll.
16:04, Today: Shera Draxalia rolled 4 using 1d10 with rolls of 4.  Eldritch Blast Damage Roll.
Reaction: Cast Shield if hit.

HuMu rolled his eyes at the new monster on the field. He pulled two sticks out from his belt and twirled them around. He held both hands up and yelled in the voice of an older arcane mentor. "STORM CROW!" He slammed the small branches down on his disk of force and crossed them when he came up sounding off like a giant drum, trapping the thunderbolt inside the sticks and using it as he saw fit. Lashing the spider to his spell. The bolt was sustained.

At the same time the raven motes of light vanished, he couldn't concentrate on two active spells at once.

---

Bless came in handy:


18:55, Today: Secret Roll: HuMu Ninn rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  Bless.

18:55, Today: Secret Roll: HuMu Ninn rolled 8 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 7.  Will save.

DC 10 save has been met.

Movement: Putter to put myself at max range of 30 from new spooder abomination. - Further movement reactions will be used to maintain this distance.

Attack action: Cast Witch Bolt

Casting Time:
1 action
Range/Area:
30ft.
Components:
V, S, M(a twig from a tree that has been struck by lightning)
Duration:
Concentration, up to 1 minute
Source:
PHB, pg. 289
A beam of crackling, blue energy lances out toward a creature within range, forming a sustained arc of lightning between you and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against that creature. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 lightning damage, and on each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 1d12 lightning damage to the target automatically. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or if it has total cover from you.

18:57, Today: Secret Roll: HuMu Ninn rolled 2 using 1d4 with rolls of 2.  Bless.
18:57, Today: Secret Roll: HuMu Ninn rolled 25 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 20.  Witchbolt.

Critical hit, total 27.

19:01, Today: Secret Roll: HuMu Ninn rolled 17 using 2d12 with rolls of 6,11.  Lightening damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:09, Mon 04 Apr 2022.

Klaven was paying less attention to his feet than he should. There is no graceful way to faceplant in the mud. He was going to need a bath.

---

00:41, Today: Secret Roll: Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis rolled 9 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 5.  Acrobatics

Hannah turned as Frillia shouted her warning. Ha! It's big alright, but I've seen bigger! she shouted, grinning, and then running forward with the massive greatsword between her arms.

---

Wisom save: 15:29, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 15 using 1d20+4 ((11)).
Moving to L22
Attacking spider abomination with greatsword: 15:31, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 22 using 1d20+6 ((16)).
Damage roll:
15:32, Today: Hannah Demsersk rolled 12 using 2d6+4 ((3,5)).

Rain was about to thank the man for the healing when she heard the sound of rapidly hammering in the mud. She looked behind the bird-man and her face dropped. "FURBALLS....what in the nine hells..." She brought her bow up, an arrow in hand almost instinctually
 and let the arrow fly, the fletching sining into the body with a thud, just as Frilla called out.

The Tabaxi sneered. "I noticed." She called out

---

<OOC: Secret Roll: Rain rolled 13 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 11.  wisdom save.

Rain rolled 22 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 16.  attack - bow.
Rain rolled 6 using 1d8+4 with rolls of 2.  damage - bow.>

Felix kept a watchful eye through his illusion of a barrel, looking for more opportune moments to loose his spells, when he saw the spider monstrosity in the flash of lightning.  The creature was beyond an abomination; a creature like that must have only been created for one purpose, to destroy.  For some reason though, the creature didn't scare Felix.  It took him only a second to realize it was most likely because the demon inside him was doing far worse than anything this creature would do to him.  Death would be a release.

Felix thought how very happy he was disguised as a barrel so as not to draw any attention to himself, but then looked over at Minho who was standing right next to him, frozen in place.  He wasn't used to seeing his older brother, his protector, frightened when he was not and that actually scared him more than the spider abomination.  Maybe this was his time to be the protector.

Feeling emboldened at seeing his brother's petrification, he let the illusion of the barrel drop and said as loud as his voice would let him speak, "With that many eyes, you'd think you'd see your imminent death!"

---

07:11, Today: Felix Takmarin rolled 13 using 1d20+2 ((11)).  Wisdom Save.
Action:  Cast Vicious Mockery, Wisdom DC: 12.  If it fails its save, it takes 4 damage (07:43, Today: Felix Takmarin rolled 4 using 1d4 ((4)).) and has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
Move action:  None

This message was last edited by the player at 15:05, Mon 04 Apr 2022.

The Giant Spider on top of the stable leapt off, legs spread wide and landed on top of the hobgoblin beneath, who was still staring wide-eyed at the Abomination that had just appeared.  The hobgoblin went down in a tangle of limbs under the spider's weight, the spider's fangs piercing his armour at the neck.

In the watchtower, the drow crouched down against the wall, hiding.

Frilia shrugged off the magical fear effect that the Spiderbody Abomination generated and charged in, her thin blade aimed at one of the points between the armoured plates.  She was fast, and used to fighting opponents much larger than she was, but even so, the tip of her blade dragged across the wet black plates with a dull scraping sound, and she was away again.  She could sense Yukiko's fear off to her right, as the Tressym watched with wide eyes from the stable.


OOC: Attack roll missed, sorry.


Rain was about to thank the man for the healing when she heard the sound of rapidly hammering in the mud. She looked behind the bird-man and her face dropped. "FURBALLS!  What in the nine hells?!"  She brought her bow up, an arrow in hand almost instinctually and let the arrow fly, the fletching sinking into the body with a thud, just as Frilia called out.

The Tabaxi sneered. "I noticed!" she called out, having to shout to be heard over the rain and thunder.  Rain could see the feathered shaft of her arrow lodged squarely in the monster's ribcage.

Minho, his hands shaking with terror, sheathed his blade and drew his bow.  His hands and arm quavered as he tried to get a bead on the monster, but his eyes didn't seem to want to keep looking at it.  He wanted to crawl behind the tent and hide.  His shot went side, vanishing into the night.

The Hobgoblin who come down from the tower, glanced at the abomination, shrugged, and raced towards his buddy on the ground, swinging his sword.  Whether he pulled his blade short so he didn't hit his partner or the spider was too quick, he ultimately missed.

HuMu rolled his eyes at the new monster on the field.  Letting the dancing lights spell he'd cast vanish, he pulled two sticks out from his belt and twirled them around.  He held both hands up and yelled in the voice of an older arcane mentor. "STORM CROW!"  He slammed the small branches down on his disk of force and crossed them when he came up sounding off like a giant drum, trapping arcane energy between the sticks and feeling the power build and build.  The little wizard brought the sticks up to sight on the Spiderbody Abomination and released it, the magical energy arcing out in the space between, cracking with power.  Raindrops sizzled as it hit the bolt between them, and the monster was wreathed in crackling blue-white energy.

The monster reared back on six of it's legs, face distorted in agony and charged forward towards the little wizard.  One of Khaturr's hobgoblins stood between the monster and Humu, but he scream, dropped his sword, and dropped into a fearful crouch.  OOC: 14:22, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 1 using 1d20 ((natural 1)). Hobgoblin Wisdom Saving Throw.  As the monster moved past Rain, the ranger could only lash out with her claws, but they scraped off the chitin harmlessly.  The monster swung it scimitars in a pair of slashing motions and the pedipalps at the front tried to grab onto the kenku, but the wizard's travelling disc winked out, dropping him into the mud beneath and the blades swept harmlessly overhead.


14:30, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Rain, rolled 3 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 2.  Attack of Opportunity: Claws.
14:46, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master rolled 5 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 2.  Spiderbody Abomination vs Humu.
14:46, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master rolled 8 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 5.  Spiderbody Abomination vs Humu.
14:46, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master rolled 6 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 3.  Spiderbody Abomination vs Humu.


[Private to HuMu Ninn: OOC: I forgot your travelling disc spell would have ended when you cast Dancing Lights (both concentration spells) so it's winked out here instead.]

As the monster charged, Khaturr retreated, moving to attack the other spider now on the ground.  His greataxe flashed in the torchlight, but missed its target.

Klaven slipped in the mud, landing face-first and hopelessly soiling his clothes.  He scrabbled in the mud uselessly for a moment before getting to his feet and moving as quickly as he could away from the monster.  He got as far as the halfway point between the eastern gates, lit by the torches from either side.


OOC:  Getting to your feet cost half your movement, which left you the normal movement rate of 30 ft.


The fourth Hobgoblin lieutenant moved in towards the spider at the bottom of the stable doors, swinging his longsword.  He fared no better than his brothers, the sword missing its target.

Kursak didn't know what the monstrosity was that had just charged into the middle of the camp, but he knew he wanted none of whatever it had come to offer. There was a wounded guard in need of aid on top of that tower, and he had the means to help. The half-goliath fumbled a bit with the ladder, as his desire to get up the rungs (and away from that creature) was not well coordinated with his particularly long limbs.

As he got within reach of the drow, he pulled out a worn leather pouch from which he withdrew a jar of healing salve. He pulled the leather cap off of the top of the jar, by untying the cord that had bound it there, applied the salve to the drow's wound, and then opened himself to the Raven Queen's power once more, letting it flow through him and into the salve to to work.  He could feel the heat of the salve in the thick skin over his palm, and when he took the hand away, the elf's skin was unblemished.  "W-what the hell is that thing?" the elf asked, his voice shaking.

The hobgoblin on the ground rolled around, trying to get the spider off his back, but couldn't seem to get any leverage in the slick mud.

Hannah turned as Frilia shouted her warning.  "Ha!  It's big alright, but I've seen bigger!" she shouted, grinning, and then ran forward with the massive greatsword between her arms, aim at the Spiderbody Abomination's trailing abdomen.  The massive greatsword cleaved through the air, biting deep into the monster's body, and the paladin felt the shock of it run through her arms.  The monster spasmed and jerked itself away from the cut, black blood pouring from the wound, staggered to one side, and fell heavily to the wet ground with a crash.

The nearby Hobgoblin sheepishly stood up and retrieved his sword from where it had fallen in the mud.

Shera cast a beam of crackling energy at the last remaining spider, but there were too many bodies in the way for her to get a proper bead on it and the blast went wide.

Felix had meant his words for the abomination, but as he watched it fall, he spotted the white body of the spider under the stable door's torchlight and projected his voice in that direction.  "With that many eyes, you'd think you'd see your imminent death!"  The bright words, laced with the venom of the bardic gift Felix had cultivated, had the intended effect.  The spider's eyes rolled back in it's head, and it collapsed to the wet earth, its limbs going slack.  One of the hobgoblins stuck it with its sword just to be sure.


OOC: That's all of them.  We now resume our regular roleplay.  I assume you'll want to check up on each other in character, so I'll give you guys a day or so to work that out.  We'll pick up naturally.  For Frilia, Hannah, Minho, and Rain, you can recover half (rounded down) of your expended ammo.  That works out to:
Frilia: 1 arrow
Hannah: 1 javelin
Minho: 1 arrow
Rain: 2 arrows

---

Init AC HP Conditions Giant Spider #4 22 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? dead   Giant Wolf Spider #4 22 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Drow #3 22 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? dead   Drow #1 21 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 13]   Frilia 21 17 18/12   Yukiko 21 12 8/8   Rain 20 15 12/12   Minho 19 14 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Inspiration: 1d6 Drow #2 19 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? dead   Hobgoblin #2 19 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Humu 18 16 12/6 Bless (6/10): 1d4, Mage Armour: 8h Spiderbody Abomination 17 [Secret to DM: 19] ??? dead   Giant Spider #1 16 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? dead   Khaturr 16 [Secret to DM: 16] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 27]

Init AC HP Conditions Giant Spider #3 15 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? dead   Klaven 15 13 17/11 Darkvision: 300ft Giant Wolf Spider #3 15 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Drow #4 14 [Secret to DM: 15] ??? dead   Hobgoblin #4 13 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Giant Spider #2 12 [Secret to DM: 14] ??? dead   Kursak 12 18 15/9   Hobgoblin #1 12 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? -8/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Hannah 10 16 18/12 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (6/10): 1d4 Giant Wolf Spider #1 8 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Giant Wolf Spider #2 7 [Secret to DM: 13] ??? dead   Hobgoblin #3 7 [Secret to DM: 18] ??? ??/?? [Secret to DM: 11]   Shera 4 18 16/10 Darkvision: 300ft, Bless (6/10): 1d4 Felix 3 13 15/9

Updated maps:
Standard Vision: https://i.ibb.co/rtWWb0v/Logging-Camp-r6sv.png .
[Secret to group Dark60: Darkvision 60ft: https://i.ibb.co/fvBBRZv/Logging-Camp-r6dv60.png] .
[Secret to group Dark300: Darkvision 300ft: https://i.ibb.co/Q8FCF79/Logging-Camp-r6dv300.png] .

Hannah looked around the camp, scanning for more threats, but her eyes found none. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and then turned to the others, sheathing her sword. It almost looked like she was glowing.

Is anybody hurt? she called out to the camp.

Rain walked over to the spider thing, and hissing, retrieved her arrows. One missed and was unharmed, another in the normal spider was damaged beyond repair, but the third, in the abomination (with a little work) was retrievable.

She cleaned them off and sighed as Hannah spoke. "I was ...but thanks to him..." pointing in the distance to Klaven "...i'm fine now."

She looked at the abomination. '...and i thought those orcs were ugly!"

She began searching it.

[Private to Dungeon Master: <OOC: Is there anyway i can retrieve the poison from the spiders to use on the arrows?>]

Felix chose to walk slowly over to his brother, who still looked shaken by the monstrosity, in hopes to not startle him any further.

"Are you okay brother?  I've...I've never seen you freeze like that before, though I find it completely understandable.  That abomination was right out of a nightmare."

Felix gently puts his hand on his brother's shoulder for reassurance, giving him the time he needs to respond, if at all.

Kursak was relieved to see the freakish creature felled, but he wasted no time in checking on all of the fallen, and working with the "locals" to organize checking on, and stabilizing them. Those that he could help, he did. He could see that Frilia was ok, locking eyes with her and sharing a congratulatory nod on surviving an encounter. There were many to check on, so he left the talking to others for the time being. There would be time to tend to the wounded as well, but for now his focus was on saving lives.

[private to dm: Anyone who is unconscious and dying or under the effects of spider poison, or anyone who is down more than 6 HP, I'll use the Healer feat on. Let me know a total number, and I'll mark off charges from my healer's kits.]

Not a scratch, I'm good

After checking with Yukiko, that was hunkering down on the roof, pesting about the weather, Frilia gave a another sword wack on the monstrosity and moved to help Kursak with the wounded.

Klaven tried to stand, but ended up falling in his back. "Great. Super. Now I'm caked in mud head to toe." He sat up instead and felt his rear sinking in. He sighed at the injustice of it all.

Relief washed over Shera as she saw the last of the creatures go down. She was only slightly irritated that she didn't deal more damage to them, but she resigned herself to the way things were and, once she knew everyone was ok, went up next to the abomination. It could be a nasty business of hers, but it was one that, to her, had to be done. She then went about trying to collect any potential ingredients for future potions.

---

Edit: Shera will assist Rain in harvesting from the creatures.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:46, Wed 06 Apr 2022.

HuMu put the two small branches away and did what could only be described as dancing. If a raven hopping around and throwing his fists around like a mock fight in glee could be dancing. His bouncing bird war dance brought him over to Klaven causing him to clap once. Bid Boi issued an odd croaking laugh and he began prestidigitation to clean Klaven up a bit.

Rain smiled as she saw Shera doing the same as her. "Seems we still think alike at timese Shera." She stood and put her hands on her hips. "If you could brew some toxin from the venom, it may help my arrows."

While she was not trained in healing, the little gnome was surprisingly strong and helped carry the wounded out of the rain, into the fortunately still intact mess tent. With Kursak's instructions to guide her, she had the wounded on the tables and then ran to go boil water and get clean rags, assisting her friend in anyway she could.

So Big 'sak, what was that thing out there? I've never seen it's like before. Even in Master Illiskar's tower, I didn't hear about things like that. Did you in your studies at... wherever you were?

Khaturr walked over to inspect the abomination, wiping rainwater from his eyes.  "Storm Lord's blessing on us all!" he said with a brief salute of his axe towards the sky.  He had to shout to be heard over the thunder; the storm seemed to be directly overhead.

"Get the wounded inside!"  He pointed towards the mess tent, only to realise that Kursak and one of his hobgoblins had already started, leading the only injured person inside.  Pointing at another, he directed, "Check the other towers!" and to a third, "[Language unknown: Ratthaart int naon!  Omtr Thoinewhi!]"

Rain started cutting into one of the giant spiders with her dagger, soon joined by Shera, who pointed out various parts of the spider's anatomy.  Much of it was depleted or ruined by sword or arrow, but after several minutes' work, the pair of them netted one intact venom sac, and one spinneret with its production gland attack which was filled with a viscous oily substance.

[Private to Rain; Shera Draxalia: OOC: You gather 1 vial of spider venom, and one vial of spider oil.

The venom can be used to coat up to 5 pieces of slashing or piercing ammunition or 1 slashing or piercing weapon for 10 minutes.  Applying the poison takes 1 minute.  Any creature successfully hit must succeed on a constitution saving throw (DC: 11) or receive an additional 2d8 poison damage.  A successful save halves the damage.

One vial of spider oil contains enough oil to cover one medium or smaller sized creature. A creature covered by this oil does not suffer movement penalties for walking through or over spider webs for one hour.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:21, Wed 06 Apr 2022.

Rain went to work, her agile hands working the knife with Shera's aide, and returned with a venom sack and a gland. She smiled at her oldest frined with a nod. "If you don't mind, i'll take the venom sac - some extra damage may help with my arrows. I promise should we come against such again, the next is yours. You may keep the oil gland."

She hears Khaturr, and shouldering her bow, sniffs. She held no love for goblinoids, but this battle was ferice, and there were more here than goblins - elves and humans. She looked at him with a nod. Looking at Shera she indicated Frilia and the brothers. "Can you come....i want to see where that monster came from...we may find others"

She then begins following the path of the abomination

---

<OOC: Rain rolled 14 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 10.  survival check.>
This message was last edited by the player at 12:06, Wed 06 Apr 2022.

Klaven was busy questioning his decision making paradime when Humu came over dancing in the rain, just like in his song. The little guy began to magically clean him. "Thank you Humu. What would I do without you? Laundry I suppose." Looking around he pointed where Kursak, or Mr Supersize as Klaven had begun to refer to him mentally, was leading others. "We should go inside...maybe just me. Not all of us are Stormcrows after all." He began to slowly trudge to the mess tent.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:32, Wed 06 Apr 2022.

With one final shake of his head, Minho cleared the last of the fear. Odd, now that the creature was dead, even though the sight of it was the same, there were no lingering feelings of fright.

"Yes, Felix, I'm fine. Looking at the abomination now, I'm not frightened. I believe I was under some sort of magic."

Rain had begun to slice into the various spiders littering the field. Minho had to admit, he wouldn't have thought to do that. The little tabaxi intrigued him and he stayed to watch her work. She motioned him forward to find the creature's origin and he gladly accepted.

Seeing that Minho was okay, Felix decided to help where he could with the wounded, though part of him just wanted to get inside and out of the rain.  Once inside, he saw Frilia helping as well, and he asked, "Uh..Frilia?  When you have a chance, and I know the wounded would of course take precedence, but would you be so kind as to dry me off with your magic again?  It would be greatly appreciated.

Is...is there anything I can help you with?  I'm not well versed in things such as healing and medicine, but would like to help where I can."

Kursak shook his head, "I don't know what that was. I've never seen anything like it. It's not natural, I can tell you that much. My studies have mostly been focused on energies and plants or animals touched by those energies. I might venture a guess that this thing has been touched by magic, but I doubt it was those that I've studied."

As they looked over the wounded in search of signs of life, Kursak was disappointed to find only one of the fallen warriors would live to fight on another day. Death was natural and acceptable, even preferred in some cases, so he wasn't saddened by it, but it did cause him to reflect on things that he could have done differently. When Frilia asked what she could do to help, he gave her some direction for getting things in place, "I've already got this one stable. They just need a bit of rest now."

When Rain asked for Frilia's aid, Kursak motioned toward the tabaxi in agreement. When Felix offered his aid as well, "No, most of the wounded were killed almost out-right. Unfortunate in terms of number, but blessed with little suffering. I'm happy to teach if you wish to learn, but we have only one wounded who survived tonight, and all they need now is some rest. You can help with changing bandages in the morning if you like, but there's nothing more to be done until then. I do appreciate the offer. If the others hadn't been killed, I certainly would have needed the help."

Felix asked Frilia to dry him again and she had a laugh at the request.

I didn't even do it for myself! Of course I can help you.

A few words later, Felix had a puddle of water pulled out of his clothing pooling around his feet.

Reassured on the state of the wounded, the gnome nodded thoughtfully on the wise words of the half goliath and grinned.

Well maybe Rain can find its lair and we can find more information there. I better go help her, if you don't need me here!

Running outside, she called to Rain to wait for her and practically slided to the barn, where Yukiko climbed down the wall with her claws before finding a refuge from the torrential rain in Frilia's bag.

---

Using my mobile feat feature that when dashing I'm not affected by difficult terrain

"Thank you Frilia.  That is so much better."  Felix looked down and shifted his weight, pulling on his clothes to see in fact, that they were dry, if a bit wrinkled.

When the large man Kursak spoke, Felix was intrigued at the offer to learn and tried not to be too excited about it.

"I would very much like that Kursak, though I'm more interested in the magical aspect of your healing.  Is that something that you can teach me?  I'm...somewhat versed in arcane magicks, but thus far, divine magic has eluded me."

Felix knew there was mostly likely a higher power that called to Kursak, but Felix found it better to not assume and let the man speak for himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:44, Wed 06 Apr 2022.

Making his way back into the tent Sir (wet) Bobcat shuffled over and took a seat. "I think I'll have a drink now. Are we prepared for when they return? They will be coming back."

"Thanks. To be honest you're probably better at harvesting this stuff than I am. And sure, but I'll admit I feel like I'm already partly spent. Either way lead the way." Shera answered Rain as they started heading off further into the rain.

---

Added Spider oil to inventory.

Kursak glanced over at Klaven when he walked in and spoke, "Who will be coming back?"

Kursak saw to his patient, dressing and binding the wound.  There were deep puncture marks on the hobgoblin's trapezius muscle, but it didn't show signs of inflammation that the cleric would normally associate with venom injection.  He'd gotten lucky.

Khaturr watched on with some interest.  A few moment later, one, then another of his hobgoblins came back into the tent, and they exchanged a few words in the goblin tongue.  There was a question, an answer from each of the hobgoblins, and then Khaturr shook his furry head woefully.

"That tears it," he said.  "Bastards killed three of my men, and the fourth is nowhere to be seen.  Probably ran off again."  Looking at the group inside, his eyes lit on Bobcat, who looked the most presentable at this stage.

"Thank you all for your help.  You're welcome to stay the night, but in the morning, we'll be heading back to Asarius.  Can't run a logging operation with so few men."


It was easy enough to follow the abomination's trail around the western side of the mess tent, but it got harder the farther along they went.  Soon, only Rain could pick out which of the rain-filled puddles was deep enough to have supported the weight of the abomination.  As they rounded the back corner of the mess tent, she could spot eight holes the right distance apart at the base of one of the watchtowers in the eastern wall.

One of Khaturr's hobgoblins was coming down the ladder and spotted the group.  He made eye contact and shook his head slowly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:12, Thu 07 Apr 2022.

When Felix heard the man called Klaven speak about them coming back, he was a bit alarmed.  Though normally shy in such situations, fearing Minho might have to face another abomination, gave him just enough confidence to speak up.

"What makes you think there will be more of them?  Do you know something you're not telling us?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:51, Thu 07 Apr 2022.

HuMu wanted to be out in the storm, as you are never more alive than when mother nature is trying to kill you. Though he adored lady black feathers, the storm lord was a grand play mate. The Storm Crow well lived up to his name.

HuMu opened a book and started flipping through pages till he came to the one on the component he needed. He trundled over to Khaturr and showed him the page on the bark detailing its properties and the needed volume.

He underlined the volume required with a well-curved talon. Hard to be persuasive and detailed for a black bird.

Sir Bobcat chuckled as the enormous cleric asked his question. In response he jerked a thumb to the tent opening, "OH you know, eight legs, hairy, mandibes, and six eyes. Giant arachnids."

He nodded to the campmaster, "Of course, we appreciate the shelter."

Finally to Felix, "Arachnid Giagantis is a territorial hunter. They make nests and have hundreds of offspring at once, granted most are cannibalized by a bigger siblings in the nest, but enough survive to keep the colony going. Bipedal creatures like us are relatively slow and while not easy prey, we are among their favorites." Then he smiled "I know all sorts of fabulous things, mostly of little to no use actually."

Khaturr looked at the page Humu was pointing out, and furrowed his brow.  "Yeah.  I know what Veraloc bark looks like."

11:55, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of HuMu Ninn, rolled 16 using 1d20 ((16)).  Persuasion check.

Them, seeming to grasp what the little wizard was trying to say, he looked closer.  "You'd want to go deeper into the wildwood for that amount -- get some of the older trees with thicker bark.  None of the stuff we log here has bark that thick.  But I wouldn't recommend it in this weather.  Little thing like you would get lost and eaten for sure."

Hannah approached Khaturr, getting his attention. That fourth man that you said ran off, any idea where he might have fled to? The clothes she were wearing seemed remarkably clean from the fight, and almost dry already.

Felix's first impression of Klaven was not a good one.  As soon as he started talking, Felix knew he was full of shit and knew very little about what was going on.  Making a mental note of it, and resisting a sudden internal urge to strangle the man in front of everyone, he responded as politely as he could before walking away quickly.

"Oh, that's quite interesting."

Felix turned his attention to the other conversation, and listened as the woman asked Khaturr about his missing man.  It sounded like this was a regular thing, and hopefully Khaturr knew where his man may have fled off to, as there may be still time to save him yet if he hadn't gotten too far.

Rain crouched in the water and mud, recognizing the path of the abomination, and looked at the tower.  Her eyes narrowed, her bow ready. She looked at the others and whispered. "Lets get back in the mess tent....get warm."

The tabaxi backtracked, and went in, shaking her fur. "I think i found where they came from. Base of the western tower there's holes. Worth a look when we're all ready, but i say we either all  go, or let them deal with them."

She sighed as she sat, getting a drink. "Seen enough fighting for tonight anyway..." she muttered

The gnome fighter searched the camp with Shera, Minho and Rain but it was soon obvious that there was no way to track back the monstrosity to its lair in the rainy night. Despite her taste for adventure, the shivering tressym in her bag reminded her of their conditions.

I don't think we'll find anything else tonight, Rain. Let's go back to the tent and rest while we can.

Back at the mess hall/infirmary, she used her meager magical powers on all her fellow hunters, including Yukiko, finishing by herself to dry them. She then turned to Shera and grinned at her.

Hi! I'm Frilia. You seem to know how to use that sword of yours, that's great! If we don't separate after tonight, I'm always looking for training partners.

She found her spot she had left to go fight and warmed up her left over, drinking deeply of her wine with a sigh of satisfaction.

Khaturr nodded as the group came back in from the outsid.  "Wouldn'ta mattered anyway," he said.  "They'da just come over the walls anyway."

Hannah approached Khaturr, getting his attention. "That fourth man that you said ran off, any idea where he might have fled to?"

Khaturr twisted his face in disgust.  "Agostin.  Useless son of a nug if I ever saw one.  He's the owner's nephew, see.  Had to take him on, but he's got the brains of a bag full of hammers and the guts of a fish."

Khaturr glanced at the hobgoblin he'd sent to look for him, and got a terse reply.  "[Language unknown: Olwa wer i blead ou aiit eereic, ss nessmi, a of seul'naurnt.  Sonsetrut riut.]" the hobgoblin suggested.  "[Language unknown: Hehobe p ughtrable teill tidialal ousardart, no pa wievul mo.]"

Khaturr frown, his hair face twisting into a grimace.  "[Language unknown: Earon eausetour ostra se wit werlo ofbeio, ng le?]"

The hobgoblin shrugged nonchalantly in reply and grunted.

Khaturr looked out the tent flap, and then surveyed the room for a long minute, apparently deciding.  "I ain't risking more lives tonight in this.  We can look for him in the morning.  If he ain't here by the time we packed up, he ain't coming."
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:55, Thu 07 Apr 2022.

Hannah nodded as Khaturr explained the situation with Agostin. I understand.Then she turned and headed out of the mess tent, returning a few moments later with the javelins she had thrown, and carefully stuffed them in her pack,

---

OOC do javlins follow the same rules as arrows in that you can only collect half of them? Whatever the case, I'm retrieving as many javelins as I can.

Shera followed Rain and the others back into the tent. Once there she proceeded to dry what she could, but was pleasantly surprised when Frilia used her magic to help finish drying her. "Hi. I'm Shera and thank you for drying me and the complement. It is nice to meet you. I try my best and am far from being a master, but training does sound nice, once this rain stops." Shera sat next to Rain and pulled up a drink for herself. "Hopefully we've seen the last of those creatures for the night."

Rain listened to the hobgoblins with a frown, tapping her clawed hand. "I don't think we will see anything else this night, but might pay to stay alert none the less"  She sighed and looked at Khaturr. "You need help tracking him in the morning, let me know." Even as she said it, the tone was reluctance.

She looked around at the others. "I suggest we rest for now. Shera....perhaps you and i take first watch - some catching up is in order"

"True, but I'm afraid my night vision is practically nonexistent save for that nifty spell that Kursak cast on me. That certainly made things easier to see, but I don't know how much longer that will last." Shera shrugged. "If it could last thru the watch then there'd be no problem with me joining you for the first watch, but something tells me it wouldn't be that easy and I don't want to end up a liability in battle like I almost did for this fight."

---

How much longer is the dark vision spell good for? I know it's at least under an hour left.

"The Lady's blessing will last for roughly four thousand, eight hundred beats of the heart. If we must face them again tonight, it will happen whether you are on watch or not, whether you can see them doing it or not. As long as at least someone on each watch can see in the dark, we will be as vigilant as we can in these circumstances."

"I could repeat the effect, but it would only reset the count of heartbeats. Instead, I could ask for the Lady's blessing of vigilance, to help you react more quickly if we do encounter another assault. That blessing will last until it is needed, or until I request it again on behalf of another.




Kursak considered for a moment before he replied, "I've been a student for long enough that I feel I could make a reasonable pass at being a teacher. The exercising of the magic itself is similar to what you're already capable of, if what I saw of your capabilities are any indication. This power flows through you, however, not from you. Where you may be used to grasping that power and guiding, or bending, it to your will, with this you will have to surrender yourself to it first, ask it to do your bidding, and allow it to do so. Of course, for you to access that power in the first place, it will have to be offered to you, or you will have to ask for it. That part, I can guide you through, but I not necessarily help with; not unless you've already found yourself attracted to the Queen of Ravens."

"You have a point Kursak. Well at least one of us will have dark vision." Shera shrugged again and smiled at Rain. "First watch it is."

Khaturr cleared his throat.  He had a slightly confused expression on his face.  "We uhhh... can leave the lamps on in here," he pointed out.  "Not gonna be asking anyone to sleep outside tonight."

"Ah yes, heh heh. Well I was more referring to when we're watching outside of the tent through the opening, but as I said, one of us will at least be able to see out there. Of course I'm sure there will be some lamps about the camp too though, maybe, so I should be good with that."

"[Language unknown:  Wer hoeepa wi i nce est etutta, n nd?]" HuMu shrugged before he held up his book to the others. "go deeper into the wildwood -- get some of the older trees with thicker bark." He was making due with what he had at the moment.

He would still need to rest as he had to swap out a few spells. But he would make due with a corner someplace if need be.

Kursak looked at Humu's book, "I know of the Vermaloc plants, Humu. Do you need to know about them, or just to find them for samples of the bark? I came here to study the roots of the very same trees, myself."

Rain looked at Khaturr and nodded. "I'll take point some place high so i can see the tent and the holes - maybe the stable's roof. My eyesight isn't too bad and i can see in the dark."

She looked at Shera and smiled. "Come - lets go catch up while we watch."

the tabaxi goes out of the tent, and makes for the stable, her bow and quiver of arrows ready.

[Private to Shera Draxalia: As they approach the stable, her face becomes serious. "It seems we both have a tale to tell Shera. I know it has been a while, but lots has happened."]

She turned and leaned against the wall of the stable, making sure her sight was on the tent and the tower with the holes.

[Private to Shera Draxalia: She looked to teh side for a moment, then started speaking. "I may as well go first. You knew my family well enough, and knew my brothers....i know you and Timber shared some common interest in the arcane. It will warm your heart he has found a master in Rexintrumm and now studies magic." She paused, thinking what to say next. "Several years ago our caravan was ambushed by orcs, goblins and hobgoblins. There were many deaths - amongst them my father....and my brother Onyx. As you can imagine, we all took it hard. Mother has never been the same - she now resides with a tailor in Zadash."]

In reply to Kursak (msg # 143):

"Thanks Kursak, any guidance would be appreciated.  I'm not sure I've had the call that you've had to the Queen of Ravens, but perhaps as I learn more about her that may change".

Felix paused, before speaking in a much lower tone, close to a whisper, before continuing.

"I yearn for...well for internal peace.  Is that something the Queen of Ravens provides?  Why did you choose her?"

Shera followed Rain to a good watch spot and followed her lead not taking her eyes off the tent or the tower. She found a good seat among the terrain and sat down sticking her sword into the ground in front of her so it'd be at the ready should anything happen. Shera kept a hand on it as she listened to her old friend.
[Private to Rain: When it came time for Shera's turn she took a deep breath first, then spoke, "You're right it has been a long time. I'm sorry for your loss. I remember your brother being a bit hard on you, but I also know you were close with both of them. I'm glad that your other brother was able to find a teacher. Hopefully they're a good one. I know I was lucky to find the teacher I found." Shera paused for a moment thinking back on them fondly. "As you say I knew of your family very well, just as you know of mine. Thankfully we've been fortunate not to have any loss of our own." Shera sighed, "As far as I know and hear my family is still safe and doing very well with the business as usual. I wish I could see them. I've missed them very much." Rain could see Shera start to tear up a little at the thought of her family. "You're probably wondering why I don't just go back to them. It's because of my father. You saw how stern he always was with me, well when I turned 18 he told me I had to leave. To 'discover more potions for myself' as he said and he told me not to come back until I had mastered potion crafting for myself. A short time before he kicked me out I came across an interesting book. It talked about pacts and I learned how to make one though I don't know everything about who I made the pact with, I do know that all they seek is knowledge like me. So the pact works to both of our advantages. That pact, as you can imagine is how I have magic. It's been 2 years since I left and as instructed I haven't seen any of them since. Early on in my travels I fortunate enough to come across a teacher who was kind enough to train me in how to use a sword in exchange for some manual labor and occasionally a healing potion or two. I stayed and trained with them for about a year and at the end of that time they gave me this sword." Shera gestured to her blade, then continued, "They told me to use it well and to survive whatever may come my way. After that I went in search of ingredients and recipes for potions. I ended up joining an alchemy guild and I've learned a bit from them, but I know there is more. There is still so much I have to learn. I have such a long way to go. I came here in search of ingredients mainly a certain type of leaf that retains its vibrant color even when everything around it is grey and dull. It is a pleasant surprise to run into an old friend along the way."]

As the watches got organized, Frilia eyed Hannah and went to her, cup of wine in hand.

Do you have a watch partner? I'd like to know you better, I've rarely had the pleasure of speaking with holy warriors. Do you serve the Raven Queen like Kursak?

As Rain and Shera left for their watch, she declared loudly.

I'll take the next watch!

Sir Bobcat spoke up, "You'll find no peace with their gods. They only offer guilt over supposed sin. If you want peace, try whiskey my fiend. Whiskey never fails, is always their for you, and doesn't make you feel guilty for it."

Kursak was happy with Felix's reply, and willing to teach him what he could. As he prepared to tell him such, Klaven shared his own form of wisdom. "Whiskey <i>is</a> an alternative. You're as wise as you are brave, sir, thank you for sharing." Kursak gave Klaven a smile and a nod, then turned his back to Klaven as he addressed Felix directly, "If you would care to sit with me on the watch tonight, I would be happy to discuss. Some do find the peace you seek. I make no promise of outcome, but I can show you the way."

Before they began settling in for the night, Kursak offered his Lady's blessing of vigilance to Shera. "It will cause you to feel rather invigorated for about an hour, but She will help you to respond more quickly to danger if it should arrive - within the hour or not." [private to Shera Draxalia: Blessing of Vigilance will give you advantage on your next Initiative roll, until you use it, or I give the blessing to someone else.]

-In response to Kursak "Thank you for the assistance. May She give us a restful and safe night."

Rain watched as the human spoke, her gaze not faltering from her task [Private to Shera Draxalia: "Seems that our fathers have influenced our lives in different ways." The tabaxi sniffed. "It was him who began my path with a bow. He decided to train me in porivate when my Borthers both knew swordplay and magic. I showed skills in this." She held up her bow.

"I remember your father was hard - but in his way, he pushes you to do better. I push myself so what happened to my father and Onyx doesn't happen again, so i am also pushed."] She stood up, and taking an arrow out, too aim at the tower and fired, casually, the arrow thudding into the leg. [Private to Shera Draxalia: "Had i known what i do now, they could have lived, but i can't dwell on that anymore. I do what i can to improve myself."

She looked at the woman. "Your talks of pacts and magic - beyond me. I'm a simple archer and hunter - But you were always smarter than me anyway" She smiled as she rested against the wall]

Klaven grumbled, "Since I'm admittedly a coward, I must also be an idiot." Then he brightened as he looked into his glass. "So I say, 'The drunken idiot speaks the truth.' Old proverb."

Frilia heard the bard mumble and started to laugh, a good natured one that was not mocking.

Klaven, one of my masters, Kursak's father, used to say that the greatest idiot is the one that doesn't know he's an idiot. You can see where Big 'sak gets his wisdom from!

He also said that the warrior's greatest weapon is rest, so good night, wake me for my shift!

Curling up on a bench, using her cloak as a blanket and with the tressym watching over her, she was soon asleep.

The storm continued overhead into the night, seemingly endless in its fury, lightning piercing the sky again and again.  Safe in the rafters of the stable, Rain flattened her ears every time the thunder crashed.  She and Shera had to frequent their conversation between pauses, and soon gave up on the concept of low conversation at all.  It wasn't like anyone could hear them over the rain anyway.

The bodies of the spiders glistened in the rain and mud down below, a grim reminder of the reason for their watch.

Inside the mess tent, Khaturr tasked one of his hobgoblins to take up the watch inside, and the armoured goblinoid nodded, crossed his arms and stood leaning against on of the tentpoles, while the rest of the group settled down to sleep whereever they could, spreading bedrolls on tables or benches.

Perhaps aided by the wine, the bard known as Klaven was the first asleep.

[Private to Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis:

~* Klaven *~

"Sir Bobcat, everyone!" Irgo's voice rang out, amplified by the metal cone he used for such duties.  The crowd roared its applause, chanting Bob-cat, Bob-cat, Bob-cat!

He couldn't actually see the crowd, the way the torches and mirrors directed the available light onto the stage, but as Klaven took his bow, he felt their presence.  He bowed twice more, and made his way off stage, his now-famous banjo carried lovingly in one hand.  Torchlight lit up the purple shafts of the tentpoles as he made his way to the performer's entrance, and the tent roof glowed a series of red, orange, and maroon as the torches flickered.

Purple flowers lined the walkway back to the dressing area.  That was new; Klaven wondered where they'd gotten them.  Maybe Veliz had procured them from the market.  As soon as he entered the walkway, the thrum and roar of the crowd behind him faded to nothing.  His boot heels clicked on the hard-packed earth of the tent floor for a dozen more steps, then they too faded away -- to be replaced by the quiet rustling of leaves after a dozen more steps.  Torchlight continued to flicker along the purple tentpoles as he made his way to his dressing room, but the walkway was longer and darker than he'd remembered, with a torch only once every 12 poles, then every 20th, until they stopped altogether and the shadows pressed in.  In the distance, the doorway to his dressing room stood, the doorway lit with a warm glowing light.

As the bard approached, he found a young woman inside, her hair a vibrant red, and clad in a dress of the deepest violet.  She turned as he entered, and cocked her head to one side curiously.  "I... did not call you," she said.  "How did you...?"

She sniffed the air as he apprached.  "You have the blood!"  She nodded as if it made sense.  "Please, you must come!  There isn't much time!  They've almost found me!"]


The kenku wizard, elated by the tremendous success of his witch bolt against the spider-monster outside, amused himself with a small scale re-enactment in the palm of his hand, using the minor prestidigitation spell which had been the first one he'd learned.  In his hand, a small lit shape resembling a spider-humanoid hybrid jerked back in agony as a tiny raven-like figure cast a bolt of lightning from within two sticks held in its tiny hands.  Over and over the light-play repeated itself until Humu fell asleep as well.

[Private to HuMu Ninn:

~* Humu *~

The afternoon sun shone brightly down on the rooftops of Westruun -- a familiar set of rooftops, and a familiar direction.  Humu found himself staring through the looking-glass at the courtyard below.  More specifically, he found himself staring at the Luxon beacon which had come to rest in the courtyard.  Two of its faces were visible to the kenku, and in those faces, visions played out.  In each of them, the battle in the courtyard of the logging camp played in double-time.  In each face, the battle out the same way, with the ultimate defeat of the spiderbody abomination.

The sun rose, and the visions shown in the faces diverged.  In one, Humu travelled further into the wildwood with his book open surrounded by the dancing lights he used as a light spell, looking from tree to tree and inspecting the bark on each one.  Each apparently disappointed, for the little vision-kenku shook his beak, and moved on to the next tree, until he and his lights were swallowed by the shadows.  The sun rose and fell and rose and fell and rose and fell, until the edge of the forest stirred once more.  It was not Humu who emerged however, but a large black spider.  It took two steps out from the trees before spreading giant black wings and taking flight.

The second face showed a different scene.  Humu travelled further into the wood, but in this vision he was not alone.  The tiny, recognisable figures of his new-found friends travelled with him, and they walked into the wildwood together.  The vision withdrew until the Luxon's grey face encompassed the whole of the Vermaloc Wildwood.  Deep within the woods, one tall tree towered above the others, its crown a magnificent blend of reds, oranges, and maroons.  A scream echoed throughout the forest, and the vision went black.]

Klaven snored loudly, though there was an odd rhythm to it.[Private to GM: Looking at the woman he folded his arms over his chest. So much was wrong. He'd never played the banjo for anyone save Humu. Now this woman was in his space. He held up his hand, and curled fingers as he counted off, leaving the middle up. "One, I don't know you. Two, this is my tent...MINE. Three, I don't care. Four, the road...hit it."]

HuMu slept on his feet, scrunched up, and floofed out. He was little more than an Ink nugget with traces of purple within a shadow. The only indication he was awake was when his gold eyes opened and he started writing up a storm.

He did one sneaky thing and once he got done writing the visions he made sure to leave one of his larger feathers in a place the follower of the raven queen would see. He would rest for sure but now his mind something to chew on.

[Private to GM: HuMu, although often silly, had a powerful analytical mind. Given what he had read and shall never speak of again there was no telling what extent a Luxon could alter a person. And given that he himself was exposed even in passing as it went through the academy... He just had no data on the effects. He could speculate a thousand times in a thousand ways. A branching tree of ideas sprouting into billions of conclusions.

even if nothing came from experimentation, it was important to try even if failure was assured.

So at the tail end he tried something. A quick prestidigitation to make a small harmless object. A figurine of a small dodecahedron. A small raven giving it a hug, with a woman wearing a raven mask behind and holding them both.

He was sure that nothing would come from it, but then again if the dream or vision was made by something there could be a chance it showed up through whatever uber link it made. ]

Hannah Spent a few minutes meditating and praying to her deity before taking a quick nap before her shift. She prayed and slept near the back of the tent.

- In response to Rain [Private to Rain: Shera smiled at Rain, "You're smart at other things. Things that I will probably never be very good at. That's why we make a good pair."]

When time came and their watch ended Shera undid her bedroll where she could inside and went to sleep.

With the blessing given, Kursak tended to the wounded one final time before he turned in for the night. He had always found storms to be the best of sleep aids. Flashes of light and booming thunder only lulled him more deeply into sleep rather than keeping him awake. He slept near to the wounded in case complications arose and they needed further care, but he was fairly sure there would be no such complications with these particular injuries.

As usual, from the time he settled into a sleeping position and closed his eyes, less than a minute passed before sleep took him.

With the end of teh watch, Rain watched as the others came out, replacing Shera and herself. She smiled. "Have fun..."

The tabaxi, oiling her bow and placing it on her cloak, she got into her bedroll and slept

Frilia got awoken for her shift by Rain and got to wake the paladin. Together, they started their lonely watch, the tressym keeping her eyes peeled to any danger in the camp with her mistress, but hating every second of it. The constant thunder made it hard to hold a conversation, the noise of the raindrops on the roof deafening.

Second watch was always hardest.  In the best of circumstances, there was only just enough time to get to a deep sleep before you were woken up.  When you've just had a heart-pumping, life-or-death battle in the hours before, that sliver of sleep came hard-won, if at all.  So it was when Rain and Shera woke Hannah and Frilia for their turn at watch.

The storm had abated some, but not nearly all of its fury.  Lightning pierced the sky often, and thunder rolled overhead, but the rain had gone from a punishing downpour to just a thorough soaking wetness.

Inside the mess tent, Rain and Shera set out their own bedrolls, hung wet clothes to dry, and tried to go to sleep.   Kursak twitched in his sleep, and rolled over, and the brothers Minho and Felix were close, their hands almost touching.


[Private to Kursak:

~* Kursak *~

Kursak found himself in the main hall of the Raven's Crest in Vassalheim.  The sight brought back intense feelings of nostalgia and longing, for it had been some time since he'd been in the presense of such splendor and awe.  Behind him, the glass doors stood closed, and his view down into the Duskmeadow was unimpeded.  Kursak felt an odd feeling as he gazed into the streets below, and it took him a moment to place it.

The streets should have teemed with life.  The Duskmeadow District was always busy with foot traffic, and he could swear it still had the feeling of the presence of people going about their daily business, but the streets were empty.  Not even a stray dog could be seen.  Before he could move to investigate this strange feeling, Kursak heard the flutter of wings behind him, and turned to spot the tail feathers of a black bird disappearing through a large door at the opposite end of the chamber.

The big cleric followed the bird through the door and found himself in another chamber, this one contructed with solid winter ice.  Pure cold radiated from walls of deep blue with shimmers of green, and Kursak's boots threatened to slip on the floor, forcing him to move carefully, adjusting with every step.  The room was bare, except for a pair of curved staircases that ran up each side of the room to converge before an open door on a landing some forty feet up.  There were no railings on the stairs or the landing, and on the uncertain footing, Kursak could just imaging a slip leading to a plummet through open air.

The bird -- Kursak could see it was a raven at this point, and female -- sat on the landing above, it's beady eye fixed on Kursak.  She tapped her beak on the ice of the landing, breaking tiny chips off with each tap, tap, tap.]

[Private to Lee Minho:

~* Minho *~

"I know you do not wish to get caught, and you're nervous because this is your first time, but if you don't slow down we won't even get in the door."  Minho said with exaggerated patience.

Sari took a ragged breath and tried again.  "I know, I'm trying," she said, jamming her tools into the lock too roughly.  Her voice broke as she spoke, a ragged, desperate sound.  "They're just so close!"  Real fear permeated her words.

Behind him, Minho could hear the hissing, scrabbling sounds of spiders, and the *thump thump thump* of the big one.  He could see the shadows lengthen on the wall of the alleyway behind him.

Finally, Minho took the tools from the girl, "Watch me."  Another minute later, the latch on the door clicked and the two of them entered the shop.  Inside, Sari, now with brilliant red hair, turned and relocked the door behind them.  "There, that should hold them for a minute."

The shop wasn't the same.  Before, it had been crowded with the merchant's goods.  Now, the room was bare.  The dark brick walls were gone, replaced with a deep purple wood that was warm to the touch.  The ceiling, which had been a plain set of rafters was now painted a colour which shifted between red and orange and maroon.

"C'mon, this way," Sari said, heading up stairs that hadn't been there before.  She seemed taller now, her features more mature and developed, but with a hint of otherworldliness about them.  Her ears shaped into tiny little points, and her features were a shade too sharp.  Her outfit had shifted; from the mud brown simple clothes they all wore to blend in, to a simple purple dress that clung to her form as she moved.]

[Private to Felix Takmarin:

~* Felix *~

Catha's moonlight shone overhead, a weak silvery glow that just bared eclipsed Ruidius's baleful red gaze.  Felix opened his eyes and found himself back in the graveyard.  Immediately a scream rose up within him, but no sound emerged from his throat.  Instead, the scream sounded from off to his left.  Turning his head, Felix saw the river flowing swiftly downstream, inky black water swirling and churning around gravestones which somehow floated atop a current of bodies and grey, dessicated body parts.  As if the sight of the river had reconnected his ears, the sound of moaning, crying, and rushing water his Felix like a blow.

The scream sounded again, and his eyes locked onto a splash of colour in the water upstream.  A pale face -- his own face -- sank into the black water, only to re-emerge a moment later a little bit closer.  The River-Felix thrashed and struggled to stay afloat, eventually succeeding by grabbing onto a headstone like some ironic life preserver.  As the river flowed, Felix could make out the name on the headstone -- Felix Takmarin.

"Help me!" his river-self screamed, reaching one hand out towards the shore.  Upstream, the creaking of old wood could be heard above the rush and moans of the water, and a huge black shape began to emerge from the fog upstream.  A large robed figure, his features completely obscured in shadow, stood at the back of a large boat, crested with a hanging black lantern.  As the boat moved forward, the figure moved a long pole forward, planting it on a moaning figure in the river, and pushed, submerging the body as he propelled the ship forward, gaining on the River-Felix.]

[Private to Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis:

~* Klaven *~

Looking at the woman he folded his arms over his chest. So much was wrong. He'd never played the banjo for anyone save Humu. Now this woman was in his space. He held up his hand, and curled fingers as he counted off, leaving the middle up. "One, I don't know you. Two, this is my tent...MINE. Three, I don't care. Four, the road...hit it."

"Tent?" the woman asked, looking confused.  "This is my home!"  As she spoke, the environment around them shifted, tentpoles becoming trees of the deepest purple, and the tent roof overhead shifting into leaves or red, orange, and maroon.

"You have the blood!  Titania promised me aid, and you have the blood!  You must help me!"  Klaven recognised the name instantly.  Titania the Summer Queen was not a name to be uttered lightly, not was she someone to dismiss without thought.]

Kursak lay perfectly still on his bedroll. His naturally gray-toned skin and the peaceful look on his face made him rather resemble a corpse, save for the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.
[private to The Weaver of Dreams: The welcoming streets of Vasselheim were a welcome sight, its empty streets disconcerting, but the sight of the frozen chamber disturbed him further. Cold rarely so much as registered against his skin, yet he felt it here within these frozen walls. As his feet began to slip and threatened to send him tumbling down into emptiness, the look of his Lady's eye gave him pause. Death was not a threat to him, it was a reward. One he would not seek until She had determined that he was deserving of it, and the Lady's timing was her own to know and her own to manage.

Kursak straightened and took a deep breath as he let himself feel the cold, and he then proceeded to climb the stairs. As the raven began to tap away at the iced landing, Kursak felt the pressure of time and began to move more quickly. The fall did not cause him fear, but failing to reach the top now suddenly felt a challenge in which he did not wish to disappoint.]

Klaven continued snoring.  [Private to Dungeon Master: "I don't care whose name you involk, I don't gotta do shit. Goodbye crazy woman." he backed away feom her without turning his back.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:45, Mon 11 Apr 2022.

Felix, ignoring Klaven entirely, nodded at Kursak saying, "That would be great Kursak, thank you."

Felix fell into a deep sleep, though it was short lived as one of his nightmares resurfaced again.  He had been doing so well, or so he thought, with the nightmares coming more sporadically, but now this one was only three days since his last.

His sleep was fitful; he tossed and turned, kicked and at times screamed, though he wasn't sure if it was out loud or just in his head.

His fears were confirmed, when he suddenly woke up, his body jerking to a sitting position, sweat beading on his forehead.  He looked around and saw both Frilia and Hannah staring back at him, though they quickly broke his gaze as he seemed to be staring at or better yet, through them with lost eyes.  It wasn't until he felt Minho's hand around his shoulder, guiding him back down to his bedroll, that he snapped out of it, finally locking eyes with him.  Minho gently shushed Felix, like he had done when they were younger, calming him down.  Felix closed his eyes, listening to the gentle shushing and falling into a more restful sleep, until he was awakened for his watch with Kursak.

As the storm slowly became less furious, Hannah tried to start a conversation. There wasn't much to do out here, after all.

Your companion is very interesting. Yukiko was it? I've never seen a winged cat before

Yukiko flew a circle around Hannah after her question and landed on the ceiling beam, licking her paw to clean herself, like a real cat. The gnome looked at her, smiling, before answering the paladin.

Master Illiskar called her a tressym, a creature that exist in the wild, but to have a familiar take that form is rare. I both thank and blame my brother Julan for Yukiko. The little pest is far more advanced in magic than I am and while I spent months to get the summoning ritual correctly, he had his lizard familiar five days after learning the spell.

He also had the habit of sending me telepathic messages at the most inopportune time... like when I was concentrating on the form I wanted my familiar to have during the ritual. I wanted a cat and his message made me think of birds.

She looked up at the rafters.

And I got Yukiko. She's been my best friend for over ten years now. Now your turn, I didn't see a god's symbol on you, which one do you pray to? From the little I heard, holy warriors, or paladins, serve has the fists of their god, is that right?

Hannah nodded at Frillia's question. More or less. I follow the path of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon. I trained with the priests and clerics at Honour's Rest in Syngorn. I've sworn an oath to protect the innocent and smite the evil with all the wrath of Bahamut. I've only recently finished my training though, and I feel I still have much to learn.

Frilia smiled at Hannah's modesty and nodded approvingly.

We all need more training. Because I trained with an archmage for a year and 2 masters at arms, you could think I would be more proficient with my weapons and spells. Apparently I show promise but haven't expressed it yet.

She shrugged and lightly laughed.

I guess I'm a slow learner then. But enough about this depressing talk, can I ask you what you are looking for here? I'll probably go wherever Kursak goes, now that I have no caravan to protect.

Minho stayed awake until he saw the gentle rise and fall of Felix's chest that indicated his breathing had slowed to that of slumber. As his eyes closed and his own sleep came, a dream of home played in his head but the scene was different from what he remembered, more sinister. The scrabbling of many spider legs permeated through the bustling sounds of the city, which once again brought the crippling fear he felt to the forefront of his thoughts. Even Sari was changed, suddenly more mature, her features sharper, more pointed.

A sudden scream pierced through the shop and Minho's eyes snapped open. While his body responded pointedly to any sign of distress from Felix, Minho's brain hadn't caught up with his wakefulness.

"You're not Sari, so who are you?"

His eyes began to focus and the vision of the merchant's shop faded and Felix came into view. There was sweat on his forehead and his eyes were unfocused, clearly in the throes of a nightmare. Minho guided Felix back down to his bedroll and shushed him until he calmed down. He stroked Felix's hair and hummed a simple melody until sleep once again found his brother.

His own dream forgotten for the moment, Minho fell back to his own slumber, dreamless this time. His features in sleep peaceful, the wrinkle of his brow relaxed for the first time since he left Rexxentrum.

---

OOC: Felix has stated in his background that he lost the ability to scream, I'm not saying here that Minho actually hears him scream out loud, but his body registered that Felix was restless beside him and it was how his brain woke him up.

The storm spent much of its fury over the next couple of hours, so by the time Hannah and Frilia ended their watch, the rain was back to a steady but gentle downpour.  Thunder rolled in the distance, but the storm was moving away.  The paladin and the gnome woke Klaven and Humu for third watch.

[Private to Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis: The woman, now with skin the shade of lilac, looked crestfallen.  She opened her mouth to entreat him once more, and faded away to nothing.  Klaven opened his eyes to find himself still in the mess tent, now dark with only the dim light of the lantern to illuminate the sleeping bodies around him.]

OOC: Assuming you're also taking up the watch in the stable's upper floor.  Please advise if you're choosing somewhere else.

In the rafters, Humu crafted a quick prestidigitation to make a small harmless object: a figurine of a small dodecahedron, identical to the one he'd seen in Westruun.  He tried to make a small raven appear to give it a hug, but try as he might, the closest he could craft was a copy of a kenku mother he'd seen giving a chick a hug.  Wracking his brain, he tried to add a third image to the mix: a woman wearing a raven mask behind and holding them both.  He could form the masked face from the costume sellers near the Raven Queen's temple and super-impose it on a woman's body, but he knew it was just that: a series of copies.  Copy after copy after copy.

10:29, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of HuMu Ninn, rolled 15 using 1d20+3 ((12)).  Intelligence Check.

Inside the mess tent, Hannah and Frilia settled in for sleep.


[Private to Kursak: As Kursak made his way carefully up the ice-coated steps, the raven watched.  It was impossible to truly read the bird's expression, so it was probably projection to say that it looked impatient.  As soon as his foot hit the ice that formed the landing, the large black bird gave a loud "Caw!" and launched into the air, flap-flap-flapping its way through the open door.

The room beyond contained a long table at the far end, with three scrolls spread open and equidistant from each other.  In front of the table a low pool sat in the middle of the room, filled with a viscous red fluid.  The surface of the pool was mirror-smooth, and reflected the ceiling above, which held a stained glass set of windows angled in such a way that the reflection in the pool was perfectly proportioned for the viewer walking into the room.  The windows of course, contained the white-mask-and-raven visage of the Raven Queen.

The bird had flown across the pool and now perched on the far edge of the pool, its head darting this way and that, one eye always transfixed on Kursak.

A smooth, feminine forearm as large as Kursak's entire body emerged from the pool in the center, the fluid coating it completely and running down the hand back into the pool.  Come, my Chosen.  The bird opened its beak, but the voice that issued forth could not have belonged to such a beast.   Simultaneously, the reflected face in the pool moved its mouth, but no words issued forth.]

[Private to Hannah Demsersk:

Hannah found herself in a green woodland.  The sun shone overhead, a gentle breeze swept through, teasing strand of her hair around her face.  A short ways ahead, an old man in a pointed hat and a long white beard apparently in a heated argument with a large oak tree.

"I say, did you hear me?"  The old man shook a worn walking stick at the oak.  "I said move it and I meant it! I was sitting on that rock," he pointed to a boulder, "enjoying the rising sun on my old bones when you had the nerve to cast a shadow over it and chill me!  Move this instant, I say!"  The tree did not respond.  It also did not move.  "I won't take any more of your insolence!"  The old man began to beat on the tree with his stick.  "Move or I'll.... I'll...."

His hat dropped down over his eyes and the old man screamed.  "Ah!  I've gone blind!  You've blinded me!"  He staggered around for a minute, waving his stick around until he finally managed to knock off his hat entirely -- at which point he noticed Hannah standing in the clearing.

"You!" he shouted, pointing his stick and marching determinedly in her direction.  "Guard!  Arrest that tree!  Obstructing sunlight!  That's the charge!"]

[Private to Frilia Silverstring:

Frilia was flying.  Magic sang through her blood, and she flexed her arcane muscles, feeling herself twist and shudder and shrink as the polymorph spell took effect.  Brilliantly coloured wings unfurled from her back, and shelt felt the wind underneath them, pulling her upwards, beckoning her into the sky.  She pushed downward against the wind, and felt her lithe feline body lift off its forequarters.  She hung there for a microsecond that lasted an eternity, then gave the tiniest push with her hindquarters.

::You did it Frilia!::  Yukiko's jubilation reverberated through her mindspeech, and the tressym -- a mirror image of Frilia's own form -- swooped low and fast in front of Frilia, delightedly frolicking in the air.  ::Come, let's fly!::

Frilia needed no further invitation.  She pushed down with her wings -- an odd feeling, to be directing energy down to go up -- and climbed higher into the air.  With every beat of her wings, she gained height until she found herself soaring over the treetops.  The great city of Vassalheim -- the oldest city in the world -- could be seen in the distance, beyond the shifting trees of the Vesper Timberland.

But there was something different about the Vesper Timberland today.  Was it a fire?  Why were the treetops orange?  Frilia folded her wings and went into a dive, picking up speed as she approached, her eye focused on the leafy treetops.  That was different, too.  The forest she knew was perpetually cast in gloom from a thick canopy.  She saw movement through the leaves, and there was something odd about the way the treetops moved in the wind -- they all moved at the same speed and direction, like they were moving to the sound of one drummer.

::Frilia, watch out!::  The warning came too late.  As she skimmed closer to the treetops to try and get a better look, Frilia failed to notice a dark shape in the canopy until it leapt out at her.  Eight hairy legs wrapped around her body, and even as she fell from the sky, she felt herself being wrapped in a cocoon of spider silk....]

[Private to Rain:

A fire crackled invitingly in the clearing ahead, as Rain approached on silent feet.  A hooded figure, somehow familiar in a way that Rain couldn'tdescribe, sat at the fire, a rabbit on a spit roasting away.  The smell made Rain salivate, a deadly faux pas among tabaxi, as it left the fur at the corners of their mouths wet.  But it happened to everyone at some point in time or another.

"You might as well come join me, kitten," the figure said in a voice Rain could never forget -- and never wanted to forget.  "I can hear your stomach from here."

"Papa?" she asked, barely daring to breathe.  The figure nodded and pulled its hood back to reveal the face she'd missed so much.  "Yeah kitten, it's me.  Come.  Join me.  We don't have much time."]

[Private to Shera Draxalia:

Shera found herself in a library.  It wasn't  library she'd ever been to before -- the library in Feolinn was rather small -- but despite this, it felt very familiar.  Dim light poured in from narrow windows set high in the walls, and rows and rows of bookshelves ran back from the lobby farther than the eye could see.  A large heavy desk stood at the end of the lobby, on which sat a small tarnish silver bell and a massive tome which was opened to somewhere in the middle pages.  Next to the desk stood a sign with a face holding one finger to its lips, while tentacles writhed around the frame of the sign.

Keen to see what secret she could unlock, Shera headed straight for the first shelf she could reach and turned to a book at random.  The book, bound in red leather, was situated amongst a dozen other books in red bindings.  Opening the book to a random page, Shera began to read.

quote:

The idea that trolls live under bridges is a fanciful one, often found in tales mothers tell their children.  The purpose of said tales is to establish boundries for the children, who may wander far in their play.  Similarly, other fanciful beastly warnings exist for other natural boundry features: werewolves lurk in the forest, vampires, ghosts, and witches inhabit the old castle on the hill.  There are elements of truth in these old stories, but their function is...

The next book on the shelf turn out to be a treatise on the ramifications of political interactions in the city-states of the Menagerie Coast and the Dwendalian Empire.  A third book in red leather turned out to be a listing of flora and fauna that could be found in the Vesper Timberland on the continent of Issylra.  Shera came out and moved to anothe row of bookshelves, this one with books bound in different colours, but all the same physical size.  Again, the topics were wide and varied, from Explorations in the Underdark to Gnomish Marital Customs and Traditions.  A third shelf turned out to be sorted by the colour of the ink inside each book.

Returning to the front desk, Shera wondered how anybody found anything in this library, with such a random and confusing sorting system.  A slight breeze swept through the lobby, and several pages turned over in the large tome on the lobby desk.  Shera turned to look at the book, and found herself staring at a list of topics in alphabetical order, each with a corresponding combination of letters and numbers in the common tongue.]

Kursak slept like a stone.

[private to DM: Kursak watched the raven fly through the open doorway and wasted no time in following it. The look of the room itself, though empty, felt somewhat welcoming as well. As his eyes crossed the viscous pool of liquid, a touch of concern crept in, but was dispelled as he noted the Lady's image within its reflection.

As the raven settled on the far side, the concern lifted, and he took a step forward - only to stop the second he saw the lar arm emerge. Kursak nearly took a knee when he heard Her voice, until he'd processed the words. Wasting no more time, the half-goliath proceeded to the pool as She had bid him to do, eager to serve.]

Shera seems to be in almost a death like sleep as she lays unmoving and breathing shallowly, but calmly.
[Private to GM: Shera, being very aware of her new surroundings, wonders over to the book silently and cautiously and begins attempting to make sense of it.]

The form of Rain twitched, as if poked by something, then she turned over, a low purr sounding.

[Private to Dungeon Master: The tabaxi looked as the figure drew his hood back. "Papa....but how! I saw you..." She let the end of teh sentence drop as the bow she held shook.

She stepped forward, cautiously, like a cat stalking prey, hoping her eyes weren't deceiving her. "Your gone - i saw you fall....the bugbear." Before she knew, she was on the opposite side of the fire, the smell of the rabbit now forgotten despite her hunger.]

I'm... Hannah paused, choosing her words carefully. I'm looking for a friend. An elf. I have reason to believe that he might be here in Wildemount.

[Private to Dungeon Master: Arrest a tree? Are you okay sir? Do you need help?]

Klaven was still tired when he woke for his shift. He solemnly made his way to the watch post.

Frilia nodded when Hannah told her about her goal in those part, and wished her that she would find her friend. After her watch was over, she again curled on the bench and found sleep quickly. When she started to dream, a smile could be seen on her face, and she seemed happy...

After her rest, she woke up and stretched, the winged cat like an immobile sphinx on the table beside her.

I had a wonderful dream, Yukiko. I had transformed into a tressym and you showed me how to fly!

That would indeed be a pleasant dream.

Yes, too bad there was that giant spider that captured me. It was only a dream, but very realistic.

The little gnome shrugged and petted her familiar, that rubbed its head on her. Looking outside, she tried to see if the rain had stopped.

HuMu reached out and crumbled the small sculptures. It was worth a try and he would likely try again any time he got a dream in. Still, he wrote down all that had happened before coming down out of the rafters. It was his watch and it was unwise to be up there. He trundled up next to Klaven, scrunched down, and floofed out back into a bird ball of disgruntled bird rage at a tilted experiament.

[Private to Kursak:

Drawing closer, Kursak confirmed his fears that the pool was filled with blood.  Come, my Chosen, the voice repeated, patient as a stone.  The raven tapped the table with the scrolls, and Kursak understood.  Getting to his feet, he moved around the pool to look at the scrolls.  As he approached, the raven hopped and flapped its wings until it stood on his shoulder, ice-cold talons piercing his skin.

The scrolls were blank, pure white vellum.  As Kursak approached, the raven on his shoulder shifted position, retracting its talons momentarily and flicked one foot.  A single scarlet drop of Kursak's blood flew through the air to land on the large scroll in the center, where it immediately began to spread.  The blood spread considerably farther than it should, as if a bottle of red ink had been thrown against the calfskin, but it did not simply run down the page.  There was a pattern to the spread, and it began to form a picture.  The blood spread wide, and gathered in blotches of scarlet, orange, and maroon, forming the tops of trees in a great forest.

In the center of the forest stood a great tree, taller and grander than all the rest.  The great tree provided shelter for many creatures all around, and as he look closer, Kursak could see the roots of the tree beneath the ground, were even grander than the tree, enriching the soil for miles around -- it would not be inconceivable that this tree was the life force of the entire forest.

The raven spoke in Kursak's ear, with the voice of his lady.  Look, and see.  The scarlet ink of the scroll developed a pair of black spots, like sores on the infected flesh of the Blightshore.  The black spots began to multiply, and the red of the forest fought back.  It seemed as if the red of the forest would overwhelm the black spots, but then something changed.  The two spots converged in one place, and where they met, their reproduction intensified.  Black in spread from the spots, carving out sections of red, and where the red was separated from the rest, it died and became black.  The red began to retreat, and the black began to expand, in sudden bursts and retractions, like an uncertain pulsing thing questing out, hunting for it prey.

The fleshcarver's spawn attempt to raise their dark mistress, the Raven Queen's voice said in his ear.  What is dead must not rise.]

The storm had subsided from a downpour to a light rain by the time Klaven and Humu finished their watch.  The pair dragged themselves back into the mess tent, waking Kursak and the brothers for the last watch of the night.  As the half-goliath woke, he felt something wet against his cheek.  When he raised his fingers to his ear, they came away wet with blood.

[Private to Rain:

"Yes kitten, I'm afraid that happened.  I'm so sorry I can't be with you now.  I'm so proud of you.  But we don't have much time, you must listen."  A huge figure moved deep in the forest behind her father, who glanced back and nodded, holding up one hand in a conciliatory gesture.  "I know, I know.  Listen, kitten.  An unspeakable evil threatens this place, which is sacred to the Wildmother," he spoke quickly, his words limned with urgency.  Rain's father had not been evangelical about his worship, but she knew he had often left portions of his hunts at altars in the deep wilds in offering.

This must not come to pass.  A deep feminine voice rang out from the forest, and Rain's father flinched at the sound.  "No sense of niceties, this one," he said quietly.  "Always straight to the point.  Listen kitten, she's right.  Head to the deepest part of the forest.  Look for the largest tree --"]

[Private to Shera Draxalia:

OOC: 01:13, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Shera Draxalia, rolled 13 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 10.  Investigation check.

The book was obviously an index of some kind.  As she flipped the pages of the tome, she saw topic after topic on the left-hand side of the page, and a series of letters and numbers on the right hand side.  The text swam and distorted in her peripheral vision, sometimes appearing in elvish, sometimes in gnomish, and many times in sveral different languages that she did not know.  But as she focused on each individual row, the text solidified and displayed in the common tongue.

Her mind cast back to the spider-like monster they'd faced in the logging camp, and she found herself flipping pages to the left, until she found the entry for Drow, which was located in section MM-126-L.  Heading to the rows and rows of shelves, Shera located the appropriate section, and started looking.  On the left-hand side, in the 126^th book, she found what she was looking for.

quote:

Before the Spider-Queen defeat at the When a drow shows great promise, the Spider Queen summons it to the Demonweb Pits for a test of faith and strength.  Those who succeed rose higher in Lolth's favor.  Those that fail are transformed into driders — a horrid hybrid of a drow and a giant spider that serves as a living reminder of Lolth's power.  Only drow can be turned into driders, and the power to create these creatures resides with Lolth alone.

As Shera closed the book, a bell rang near the front lobby, and Shera felt a pulling sensation from around her navel.  The sensation intensified, and she found herself pulled back into wakefulness, in the mess tent.]

[Private to Hannah Demsersk:

"Yes!  No?  I... I'm not sure," the old man said.  He snatched up the red hat and stalked over, looking up at her.  He was a little shorter than she was, and had to look way up to meet her eyes.  The motion caused the hat on his head to fall off completely again, and it began to roll away on the ground, picked up by the wind.  "Ah!  Thief!  Come back with my hat!"

The hat rolled back towards the oak tree the man had been beating moments before, and fetched up against the bark and stuck there.  Hannah accompanied the old man to the tree, where he reached out and tried to pull it off.  Astonishingly the hat was stuck to the tree itself, and seemed to be moving.  "Blast!  Would you mind?" the man said, stepping back to let Hannah have free access.

Hannah grasped the hat and pulled, but it seemed stuck fast.  Bending down and looking closer, she suddenly saw hundreds of tiny spiders crawling all over the hat, binding the tiny scarlet threads with strands of silk, and tying it to the bark of the tree.

"Pesky spiders," the old man said, his head on a level with Hannah's.  "If they're not stopped soon, we'll have a real problem on our hands."]

A loud clanging sound rang out through the mess tent, and all the sleepers jerked awake.  The hobgoblin on watch held a shushing finger to hip lips as he picked up a metal bucket and set it back on top of a hook on the tent pole.  "[Language unknown: Thurpl,]" he said, and looked very embarrassed.  Those who had been sleeping soon fell back into a dreamless, restful sleep.

OOC: Thus endeth the dreams.  Those who wish to may go back to sleep -- if you wish to stay up and talk, that's fine (won't count against you for resting on this period).  Next post will officially start the next day.

Felix woke for his watch,  but was still wiping the sleep from his eyes as he took position sitting up against one of the tent poles with a clear view outside.

He didn't want to push Kursak about their earlier discussion until he was ready, but kept looking to see what he was doing and if it looked like he was coming over to talk.

Though he was excited about it, he was a little nervous too.  He had only ever confided in Minho, but there was something about Kursak that just made him feel comfortable.  Maybe it was because he was so willing to help.  Not only him of course, but when he helped the others after the battle, it showed there was good in him.

He would still of course need to be careful, especially here, as there could be pricked and prying ears about.

As he thought about it further, he could feel that internal conflict that he had gotten so used to over the years welling up inside him, but he was able to push it back.  It only solidified that talking to Kursak was most likely the right decision, if his inner demon was trying to fight him on it.

After his turn on watch Klaven went back to sleep.

HuMu was already latched onto something, fluffed up, and sheltered. So rather than head back to his perch which was something to latch onto, fluffed up, and within shelter... he just started napping right where he was.

No need to complicate something as simple as sleep!

[Private to Dungeon Master: Rain listened to her father, her concern rowing. She had known him as an easy going tabaxi, but also knew his demeanor for something important.

....like this.

She listened as he spoke, the sentence cut off as she woke.]

Rain sat up with a start, looking around, claws out breathing heavily. She looked around, then relaxed, lying down again she lay there, trying to return to sleep.

When Kursak woke, wiping the blood from his earlobe, he stared at his bloody fingers for a moment before he sat up and dug into the satchel of healing supplies to remove some bandages. As he unrolled the bandages, he reached down with his bloody fingers and drew two runes in the written language of giants, in his blood. [Language unknown: Esher. Ofwifi.] He stood then and walked to a nearby torch where he raised his head toward the sky, eyes closed, [Language unknown: "Ioubleany n Stnima, Si aret wilto ng ee."] He opened his eyes as he lowered his head and placed the blood-runed bandage in the flames, sending his prayer to the Raven Queen on the wings of fluttering ash.

There was already reason to expect, after the encounter that they had faced last night, but now there was confirmation. It was good to be certain, but it was also a portent of even greater danger yet to come. He would have to discuss with the others once they finished this last watch. It was certainly best to remain vigilant now, so he asked for Her blessing once more.

Kursak looked around and then made his way outside to participate in the final watch. When he caught sight of Felix, Kursak walked over to greet him. "Good morning, Felix." Kursak reached up and touched his ear, finding more blood, and gathered another bandage to apply pressure to the earlobe. Ears were notorious bleeders, difficult to clot, and Kursak half-way considered using a spell on it just so he wouldn't have to fight it. Having a full watch to get through meant he had little better to do, so he kept pressure on it. "Are you still feeling up for a discussion after having slept on it? I am still happy to help as much as I can."

---

Move Vigilant Blessing from Shera to Kursak
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Sun 17 Apr 2022.

[Private to Dungeon Master: Spiders? Oh dear. Hold on, sir, we'll get your hat back. There'll be no spider problem with me around! Hannah tries to sweep the spiders away from the hat, and possibly the silk too.]

Hannah was woken by the sound, startled, but after dismissing it she went back to sleep without a second thought.

"Yeah, I would like that Kursak, if you feel now is a good time.

I'm, kind of looking for... well inner peace, you could say.  I don't know if your Raven Queen is necessarily the right path, but I feel that at this point in my life, I need the help of a higher power.  Plus, I'm someone who is someone of a lost knowledge hunter, so I'm always looking to find the rare and obscure."

Felix realized he was rambling, most likely from nerves, and paused to give Kursak a chance to respond.

The tabaxi groaned as she tossed and turned, trying to get back to sleep, but couldn't. She sat up, groaning as she looked around. She looked at the goblin with a frown and spoke in the goblin tongue.[Private to group Goblin: "Goblin....who in this camp knows the forest the best? I need a word with them."]

The hobgoblin blinked in surprise, then shrugged.  "Khaturr?" he suggested.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:45, Mon 18 Apr 2022.

Rain looked at the goblin and snorted, then stood up, and walked over to the bugbear. "Khaturr...i have a question for you. Do you know this forest? Is there a large tree in it's center, possibly has some significance to the wyldmother?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:53, Mon 18 Apr 2022.

The bugbear blinked and yawned, his great sharpened teeth showing as Kursak, Minho, and Felix entered from the last night's watch.  Birdsong could be heard through the camp from the east, and the morning sunlight was just creeping over the forest's edge, lighting up the treetop.  From this angle, they looked aflame with glory.

Khaturr blinked again, and the question seemed to penetrate the fog of his sleep.  "Wildmother, huh?  Can't say I've seen anything that specific, but if you're looking for a big tree, you'd want Tra'aelaia.  It's the biggest tree I've seen in this forest, but I only saw it once, on my first trip out here.  It was so far out in the woods I thought I'd get lost for sure.  If any place out here is sacred to the Wildmother, it's be that one."

[Private to Sir Klaven Bobcat Ellis: OOC: Klaven would recognise the name as being in the Sylvan tongue -- it carries a combination of meanings: tree, knight or protector, and with the 'aia suffix, it's a feminine name.]

"You're not thinking about going in there, are you?  Not after what came out last night?"

The sound of the storm was comforting, even if it did make Kursak wish that he could have continued sleeping to enjoy it. Kursak glanced over at the Rain and the bugbear as they began to converse, he thought they had said his name, but apparently he had misheard. When Felix began to reply, he turned his attention back to his own conversation.

"To some degree, I would say that how much she can help depends on what it is that troubles you. If your lack of peace is related to death, loss, uncertainty, or Fate, then I would say that she likely could help you quite a lot. If it is something else that troubles you, then you can often find service and devotion to be a thing that gives you purpose and hope, something to hold on to when darkness settles into your heart or soul, and can provide some light against that darkness. I have chosen the Raven Queen, and in turn She has chosen me. If you feel that She is not the right fit, I can still guide you toward the manner of worship that can give you a similar bond to my own."

"Becoming a cleric is not difficult, but it can be...challenging, at times. The blessings of a god come from doing the things that please them, and those blessings can be revoked if you should act against the will of your chosen. Few of them would turn you away completely should you make a mistake, but some manner of repentance might be required for you to return to their favor."

OOC: I'm happy to take the conversation to a PM since it seems people are done waiting on RP.

---

As the watch came to a close, their conversation at an end, Kursak prepared to speak with the others. Seeing the forest seemingly ablaze with life made Kursak's dreams all the more dire. Catching the conversation between Khaturr and Rain revealed he was not the only one to receive a message, "Lolth assaults Tra'aelaia. It is the source of all life for the entire forest, and all of the land around it. The Fleshcarver's spawn attempt to raise their dark mistress, and the Raven Queen has bid me to stop it. I saw some of what she is planning, but in symbols that could mean a number of things in reality. Either way, it must be stopped." Kursak looked up to Khaturr, "So yeah, I'm going exactly there."

OOC: Placeholder post for Kursak/Felix discussion during watch.  Once the conversation is finished in PM, I'll transcribe it here.  Include Minho in the PM, since he is present on watch, and would be able to hear.

Frilia had started her morning training with her weapons when she saw Rain and Kursak talk with Khaturr about a big tree in the forest. Not concerned, she continued her shadow sparring until Kursak dropped the name Lloth.

Wait a second, isn't that a big spider goddess? I saw a big spider in my dream, that captured me, in a yellowing tree.

Sheating her rapier, she walked over.

If that's where you're going, Big 'sak, I'll come with you. Not that I have anything else to do anyway.