The Eye of the Druid: Group I

[Vella_Malachite]

Everyone knows that after the War, the races of the world split up to go their own ways. The Halflings and Humans lived together in the mixed cities of Alaysia and Vasqua, where anyone can live and find a place; the Gnomes went to Jeran, where they set up a great city of knowledge and wisdom, where they could learn and invent, and they set themselves a little apart from the other races, unlike the Dwarves, who became friendly to all, and went to Arkullah, a great mining city where everyone is a friend and the minerals from the ground are the greatest joy. The haughty Elves went to the valley of Nirloth and created beautiful masterpieces of art and architecture, and lived apart from the lesser races of the land, especially Halflings and Gnomes, whom they fought against in the War.

Alaysia, though, has its own problems. King Belzar, after being betrayed by his closest friend, Argon Lascar, exiled him, then, thirty years ago, out of fear for his city, warded off the city against any intruders. No-one has entered or left the city for thirty years. Belzar is dead now, and his son, Alzar, has taken the throne. It is upon Alzar's leisure that you all now wait, a group of people, only just meeting for the first time.

It's a fine morning. There hasn't been a cloud in the sky for days. You are sitting in King Alzar's antechamber, waiting for the herald to come and announce you to the King. The antechamber is filled with royal reds and oranges, with great tapestries depicting legends of old: the High King of Gaminar, the Battle of Venmark...
It is a small room, as rooms in the palace go, but it is still of a goodly size. Large windows let in light in sheets from the outside. Dust motes sparkle and dance in the rays of light.
There are several couches arranged around the sides of the chamber; the King likes to make sure his guests are comfortable if he can't see them immediately.

Let the posting begin!

[The Bushranger]

Liam O'Brien, Human Ranger/Rogue

A tall, wiry middle-aged man with brown, slightly greying hair and piercing green eyes leans against the wall, preferring this to sitting. His eyes scan the chamber, taking measure of the others present.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

A brown-haired gnome with a blue headband is sitting cross-legged on a couch. If he were to sit upright, his legs would dangle and only make him seem like a human child. He is a bit nervous, this is the first time he has been traveling on his own in some time and there are many people here he has never met. The gnome sheepishly raises his left hand, gives a slight wave, and begins to speak. "Hello, my name is Korbin Barcallad. It's...um...nice to meet you."

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

A relatively tall man stands rigidly in the room, legs slightly splayed apart, hands clasped behind his back, facing squarely out of one of the large windows. He wears a clean but tattered pair of brown pants, ripped off to just below the knees, and a brown shirt that looks practically brand new. A small pack rests on the floor near his right foot.

He ignores, for the moment, whatever fragments of conversation are progressing in the room behind him. For any who manage to glimpse his face, they see his eyes do not wander over the scenery outside, but instead remain fixed staring straight ahead, giving the distinct impression that his mind is somewhere quite a ways away.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Liam, being a man of few words, merely inclines his head in response to the gnome's greeting.
Well met, Mr. Barcallad. Liam O'Brien.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"Um...I'm not quite a Mister yet, Liam. I'm especially not a Sir, but I would like to be one if it paid well enough. Hehe."

[Vella_Malachite]

Finally, the herald steps in as the guards open the door. He is a snobbish man with a superior expression; if you were a head taller than him, he could still look down his nose at you. He must use this accomplishment often, as he is quite a short man.
“Alzar, High King of Alaysia, will receive his honoured guests in his throne room,” he announces. You are ushered into the throne room.
Alzar sits at the head of the room in a gigantic throne with a golden back and red upholstery. All around you, more tapestries, golden statues of heroes and kings of old and mosaics adorn the space between huge columns stretching up to a high, vaulted ceiling. Occasionally, stained glass windows let tinted light in to pool fluidly on the richly embroidered rug leading to the throne. As you approach, the King waves away any bowing or other courtly niceties.
“Our kingdom is in grave danger,” he announces seriously.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Liam gives a nod of the head in lieu of the waved-away bow.
What trouble faces the kingdom, Your Highness?

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
He stands up straight, gives an exaggerated bow, then begins talking very quickly. "A few questions. Why us? What's wrong? What do you want us to do about it? Why us? Will this be dangerous? Are we going to receive any aid? Why us? Will we be paid for any of this? What if we fail? And why us?"

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

Tai-Gi follows the others out of the waiting room and takes up a standing position just behind them in the throne room. He sees the King wave before figuring out what kind of courtly nicety would be appropriate, and so he merely stands and listens, content for the time being to let the others do the talking.

[Vella_Malachite]

The King smiles at Korbin's questions.

The danger comes from the traitor Argon Lascar. I know we always said that the wards would hold, but there are magics that are beyond the power of our wizards; namely, the treasure hidden by the legendary, lost Eye of the Druid. In answer to the multitude of questions from Mr. Barcallad, I want you to find the six pieces of the Eye of the Druid, so that you can get to the treasure first and stop Argon from using it, either by breaking the treasure or killing him with it. It will most likely be dangerous, very dangerous, but you will be handsomely rewarded at the end. You will not recieve aid from us because, frankly, you are the aid, but there may be people in the cities who will provide you with aid, if they still remember Alaysia. If you fail, the city will be overrun by Lascar, and who knows what his twisted mind will think to do with its people. And lastly, you because you have all proven yourselves one way or another in your exploits both here and before you arrived at this city, and I trust that you have skills that will complement one another and pull yourselves, and therefore Alaysia, through to safety."

OOC:
Does anyone want to make a Knowledge: History or Knowledge: Arcana check?

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
"Ok, where do we start looking for the first piece? You can call me Korbin, I don't like people calling me mister. What exactly is Argon, a Wizard? What's keeping us from only finding one piece and destroying it? Do the pieces work pretty well individually? Eye of the Druid, doesn't that imply nature magic? Does that mean that The Eye can be used for something other than combat? Does Argon have an army or something that we would have to fight? I think it'll be obvious to him that someone is searching for The Eye by the time we leave, either through word of mouth or a spy. Could we get a letter of confidence or something like that so we don't get slowed down at tollbooths, bridges, and other such things?"

OOC: Knowledge(Arcana)
[roll0]

[The Bushranger]

Liam

The tall man chuckles very quietly at his companion's enthuiasm, nodding his understanding of the King's words and letting the gnome ask all the questions.


No ranks in either of those; I don't suppose Knowledge (local) would be any help?
Knowledge (local): [roll0]
...or not. Eww.

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

Crease-lines appear in Tai-Gi's forehead as he listens to the King's words, and his eyes widen slightly as it dawns on him that the King is implying that they will be allowed to leave the city. Before he can open his mouth to reply, though, the gnome is off and running with his series of questions, and so Tai-Gi continues to merely stand silently, alert and listening intently, but still silent.

[Vella_Malachite]

"Alright, Korbin, then. Yes, Argon is a Wizard. If you destroyed one piece, he could very likely take one of the others and make a copy to complete the Key, or so I am assured by my sages. No, the pieces do not work on their own. There is no solid record of the exact nature of the power of the Eyes. Argon will probably have followers, it is his way, but he is unlikely to release them all on you; he's too cautious, and, knowing Argon, there won't be an enormous number of them. As for where to find the first piece, the man who tipped us off to Argon's plan gave us a strange riddle; it seems it would be a clue as to where to find it:

The King passes you a bit of paper, which, on closer inspection, reads:
"Rugged Road, leading forth,
The pathway to old Ellendorth.
A guide, a traitor, one whose whim
Leads to better sight within.
The die is cast, the cards unfold,
What is it that the future holds?
Wise, a sage, no memory lost,
Couselling, but at what cost?"

OOC:
No, sorry, Knowledge: Local won't do, anyway.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Liam reads the sheet of paper, and frowns a little.
I presume that there is a road that leads from here to Ellendorth, then?

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

Korbin looks at the piece of paper, shakes his head, and looks at it again. Korbin hates riddles, why can't people say what they mean? Korbin begins thinking to himself about the possible answers.

Does the first line mean going on a road forward, or a fourth road? Old Ellendorth, is Ellendorth an old city, or is there another city that used to be named Ellendorth? Or is there more than one Ellendorth? Maybe it's a person: Ellen Dorth. Those next two lines concern people, maybe we'll meet one of them. Is Argon the traitor, or is someone else the traitor and Argon is our guide? Why would a guy who wants to stop us be our guide? Maybe one of them is a mind reader and sees into my mind or something, I don't know. Two lines of poetry, meaningless. Unless that's what it wants me to think. I'm on to you, piece of paper! No memory lost, does that mean someone remembers something? Someone will remember something? Or is it: No memory, lost? Cost? Does that mean we have to sacrifice something or pay someone, argh!

"I hate riddles!" Korbin says suddenly. He then looks for somewhere to sit down to settle himself.

OOC:
No need for any answers. Korbin has simply given himself a headache.

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

Tai-Gi takes the paper as it is passed around and reads it over twice. Then he pauses for a moment, glances briefly to Korbin at his conspicuously concise exclamation, and finally looks squarely at the King:

"Where is this man who tipped you off to Argon's plan and gave you this note?"

[Vella_Malachite]

"Dead," Alzar shakes his head solemnly. "He died literally seconds after passing on his message."

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

Tai-Gi is slightly taken aback by the news, especially the 'literally seconds' part of it. He bows his head slightly, then looks up again. "That is a sad thing," he says after a moment, "but I think deserving of some elaboration." He glances to the others in the room then looks back to the king, awaiting some details.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
"Who was this guy and why couldn't he just say what he knew? Also, do you have the body and a priest? I heard they can talk to the dead."

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Eyebrows are raised at the king's statement.
Did he die of old age or of a magical effect, sire?

[bchilders]

Duglan

As the king is explaining the situation and rugged dwarf comes briskly walking in the room, visibly breathing heavily. He stops and looks as if he will speak but obviously hasn't yet to catch his breath. After a few moments of huffing he says, "Scuse meh your kinglyness, got caught on some business...very important stuff." He does his best to appear embarrassed for his tardiness and listens intently to everything else that is presented.

When the paper is passed around the dwarf stares at it trying to look as if he can read but constantly looks around at his companions to see if anyone can tell his falsehood.

[Vella_Malachite]

"Then an explanation shall be given. He died of neither old age or a magical effect; he collapsed from sheer exhaustion; my physics said he had neither eaten nor drunk water for a period in excess of three days, and had been constantly travelling. A most peculiar woman visited me in a dream and told me that I should look out my East window as soon as I woke up. It was so early that even the farmers had not woken up yet. I saw a man, wandering lost, in a cloak. I ran out of the tower to investigate. I could see that the messenger was human, and that the poor man was near his limits. To abbreviate the story, the sages were good enough to give me a way to bring him through the wards. He pressed this paper into my hand, along with a short note saying that Argon was coming, looking for the Eye of the Druid, and that that was the first clue. He died a bare few hours later, and I summoned you. Yes, we used a priest to talk to the dead, but that was all he knew. It seems that, while he was a slave to Argon, he was not well-trusted, and knew little of Argon's overarching plans." He turns to Duglan. "On another note, glad you could make it, Mr. Strongheart."

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
"Now that we know all we need, let's head out to Old Ellen's Doors!" Korbin raises up both arms as he says this, intentionally overenthusiastic.

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

After a moment of consideration, Tai-Gi nods.

"Yes, although a bit rash, it does not seem that we have much to go on, and likely our best chance of discovering more will be to make our way to Ellendorth." Then after a bit of an awkward pause: "Which is ... where, exactly? I don't really know the geography of the land very well."

[bchilders]

Duglan

"Pardon again yer kingship and I'm rearin' to knock some heads in any direction," Duglan says with a grin to the others in the room.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

I suppose that I, too, am ready to go, as soon, that is, as we know where we are going, yes.

[Vella_Malachite]

"Well then," the King says authoritatively, "You'd better set off. I'll tell my mages to have the wards down for five minutes in two hours. You'll want to pick up some things at the market, perhaps, or some time to prepare yourselves."

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
"I'm fine, but I really think I need that letter of confidence to help us get around." Korbin does his best to continue faking excitement. Several things are bothering him about this quest.

The King is sending a bunch of unknown adventurers into the heart of danger to retrieve a group of items he isn't sure actually exist. This is peacetime, why aren't we receiving any military aid? We are not the most qualified people for this task. Why would the king send us? We honestly can't be the only people he's sending, you can't throw a rock without hitting a guy like us. I'm betting that we're just one of a dozen groups of adventurers that he's sending at once. If one of the groups finds it, then it's a good deal for him. If none of us finds it, it doesn't matter since he's not paying us to fail. No matter, at the very least I could get a new passport out of this guy.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Then to the market I suppose we should go.
Liam gives the King the appropriate pleasantries.

[Vella_Malachite]

"I'm sorry, Korbin," says the King, "I'm afraid there's not going to be a letter of confidence; most countries won't recognise me as King; we've been hidden since before I came into office. There's no proof of a forgery until after you return and Alaysia can once again rejoin the world."

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
"I've got nothing better to do. I'll go with you, Leem."

[The Bushranger]

Liam nods, and turns to lead the way out of the palace and in the direction of the marketplace.

[Vashunyata]

Tai-Gi

Tai-Gi also nods, and follows Liam out of the palace. Once they're out, he makes his way to the disused city gates to await the others, and the lowering of the wards.

[Vella_Malachite]

You leave the castle and walk into the main part of the village. Street vendors’ voices mingle in the warm air, advertising their wares at the top of their lungs.
“Fruit! Apples, oranges, bananas, black sapotes, going cheap!”
“Meat for sale! Best cuts, low price!”
“Pots, jugs, bowls, everything you need!”
“Maps! Maps of the region! Hello there, miss, make it easier to teach the kids geography, buy a map! Goes right to the Vale!”
A nearby vendor calls out to the map-seller,
“You idiot, Dorkul, no-one will buy a map; the wards around the city mean no-one can get in, and it’s been three decades since anybody’s left!”

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"I'll buy one, how much? I'd like to know more about the outside world so I can fantasize about it."

Korbin wonders how bad of a lie that was. Buying the map would surely indicate he gets to leave, but he needs it anyway. He has a horrible sense of direction and doesn't even have a compass. Korbin makes a mental note: Buy a compass.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

The ranger/rogue shakes his head with the hint of a smile, and heads in the direction of the meat-seller's stand.
Good day, sir. Do you have any smoked or dried meats available?

[Vella_Malachite]

UglyPanda: The vendor shoots a glance at his friend Dorkul, as if to say "so there".

"Well," he says, "I've got maps of Alaysia for a copper, or something a little wider, from the South Coast to the mountains just North of here, they're 3 coppers, or there's a map of the entire continent, including the island of Nevatran, though why anyone'd want to go there is beyond me, and that's 8 coppers."

Bushranger: "Certainly, sir," says the vendor, preparing to fetch some from under his display, "What kind of meat do you fancy? Beef, lamb..?"

[The Bushranger]

Liam considers this for a moment.
Lamb would be best, I think, and also if you would happen to have any duck or pheasant...?

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"I'll take two of everything you've got and do you know where I can get some pens and ink?" Korbin realized he forgot something very important to his work, which was bothering him. He thought he was more prepared than he was. He still needs to look for a compass, however.

OOC:
Are compasses even in the DMG or PHB?

[Vella_Malachite]

UglyPanda: "Certainly, sir," He lays the maps on the table. "Let's see...sixteen...plus six, twenty-two, plus two, twenty-four. Two silvers, four coppers, please. And there's a lady three stalls down on our left here who'll sell you some pens and ink."

Liam: "Yes, we've got lamb, but we've only got fresh duck or pheasant; you'll have to dry it yourself. How much do you want?"

OOC:
Does anyone know how to get images onto this; I try, but they never come up...I have pictures of the map on my computer, but I'm not sure how to put them on here...

[The Bushranger]

Liam

That's fine...how about, oh, three pounds of lamb and one each duck and pheasant?

You use the (img)url(/img) format, like so:http://www.ondisruption.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/15/sitting_duck_1.jpg
;)

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

Korbin reaches into his pocket and hands the merchant three silvers. "Keep the change." he says as he stuffs the various maps into his bag. He heads over to the ink merchant and purchases three vials of ink and four pens.

OOC:
Like Bushranger said, it's [img ] url [/img ], minus the spaces. Or hit the image button, which is next to the wrap quotes button on your toolbar.

[Vella_Malachite]

UglyPanda: "Thankyou, sir, thank you kindly.".
"That's 20gp 4sp, please."

Bushranger: "Alright, sir," says the vendor, picking up various pieces of meat from around his stall and weighing them. "That's...3gp, 4sp."

OOC:
Does that work even when the picture isn't on the Internet? Is there something else I need to do to get it off my actual computer?

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

Korbin hands the woman two platinum and a gold and then heads off to go buy a compass before he goes to the gate.

It doesn't. You have to upload it onto a site. I don't use it myself, but I think Photobucket is a good service. It's where your avatar is hosted, by the way.

[The Bushranger]

Liam rustles in his coin pocket for a minute and pulls out a few coins.
Could you add a little more lamb to make it an even four gold, please?
He hands the aforementioned gp over.

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan follows Liam towards the smell of food. As they near the vendors the dwarf checks his pack to make sure that he still has a few trail rations but decides to purchase some fresh meat for the road. As far as he can figure "Who wants to start off an adventure on an empty stomach"

Purchase a big leg of something juicy

OOC: I have 8 ranks in survival if we want to say there aren't any compasses...either way we'll be ok

[Vella_Malachite]

Liam: "Here we are sir, have a good day."

Duglan: "And for you, sir, some roast pork, or maybe beef? Either way, it's two silvers."

UglyPanda: "One compass for 2gp, sir," says the gnomish stallowner.

OOC:
...OK, then, I'll see what I can do about photobucket or something.

[The Bushranger]

Liam
Thank you, and may your day be well also.
He then heads to look for his companions...

ImageShack (http://load.imageshack.us/) is easier to use than photobucket, I've found.

[Vella_Malachite]

Since no-one's posted in a while, is it OK for me to move us out of the town now?

[The Bushranger]

((I think a lot of folks were away 'cause of Labor Day, but, yeah, 'tis fine with me. :smallsmile: ))

[UglyPanda]

Korbin pays the merchant the two gold and heads off to the gate.

OOC: Ok, I'm fine with leaving.

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan accepts the beef and begins digging into it vigorously after paying the vendor.

I'm OK with moving on as well

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

Korbin is walking back and forth in front of the city gate, trying to see if his new compass is working or not. He does notice that he shouldn't shake it up too much and should stand still for it to settle. He places it back in his bag, walks towards the gate and starts beating his knuckles on it to try to make a decent rhythm. He admits to himself that he lacks musical talent and decides to sit down.

OOC: Anyone still there?

[Vella_Malachite]

You gather in front of the gates. You are met by an old man in robes; after a few minutes, he nods and gestures out the gate to you.

"I wish you good luck on your quest," he says.

The town gates swing closed behind you. You look back and the town is gone; the wards that prevent the town being found are hiding it.
You find yourself in a large plains area, looking around, you see mountains on the North horizon.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Well then, I suppose it's time for us to strike out and see what we can see...
Liam adjusts his pack and prepares to do exactly that.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

Korbin pulls out a map, lays it on the ground, and asks "We're sure we're heading to Ellendorth, right? It's not some sort of trick like that it's written backwards and we're supposed to go to Htrodnelle? Or would that be leaving Htrodnelle if it's backwards? I really should stop thinking."

[The Bushranger]

Liam chuckles at his companion and shakes his head good-naturedly.
Elmendorf - *ahem* Ellendorf it is indeed, where we are supposed to be going.

[bchilders]

Duglan

"Well if Ellendorf it is, let's be heading that way then," Dugaln says as he takes another large bite out of the beef leg he is eating from.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

Taking out his compass and looking at the map, Korbin starts charting a course for Ellendorth. He plans a route of relative safety, but with a decent amount of speed. "Ok persons, we go here, then here, here after that, maybe here as a side trip, and ending here." he says, rapidly pointing at spots on the map.

OOC: Miss Velachite, are we waiting for something? Vashunyata hasn't logged on in nine days, so I think it's safe to say that we can ignore him.

[Vella_Malachite]

You can start out whenever you like, but unless someone has a Knowledge check that they haven't told anyone else about, there isn't an Ellendorth marked on the map.

Anyone can try for a Knowledge: Geography check for it, though.

And, just a notice, as of Saturday, I won't be in the country (I'm on a trip to China), and so I won't be able to post for a little over two weeks. Feel free to chat (IC, of course :smallsmile:) on the thread, but I won't be able to put anything in for the duration of my trip.
Sorry for the inconvenience; I'm sure I'll have many stories to tell when I return!

[UglyPanda]

OOC: If I had known that I wouldn't know where I was going, I would've stayed in town for a few days. I guess my character decides to make a route to the closest city.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Liam frowns as he studies the map a little closer...


He doesn't have K (G) so he'll make a straight INT check...
[roll0]

[Vella_Malachite]

OK, after a very fun trip in China (see 'scariest moments of my life' thread in Friendly Banter for an anecdote), I have returned and posting shall resume.

You are just outside the city; what would you like to do next?

[UglyPanda]

Korbin simply wishes to go to the closest city which isn't this one.

[The Bushranger]

Liam scratches his chin thoughtfully as he studies the map.
You know, didn't I hear something about Ellendorth having been renamed or something like that?

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan reaches down to the ground and picks up a handful of dirt. He releases it slowly to see which way it falls and then looks to the two others in his group, "I don't know much about ancient cities but that way fells good to me." He points in the direction that the dirt scattered.

[Vella_Malachite]

According to the map (which now has dirt scattered over the Eastern half of it), the closest city is Vasqua. To get to any other city, you'd have to cross that mountain range.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

He wipes the dirt off of the map and points to Vasqua. "Let's go there, they might actually know something."

[The Bushranger]

Liam

I agree; Vasqua sounds like a reasonable place to start.

[Vella_Malachite]

You walk all day. True to the late summer weather, the day get hotter and hotter around midday, but begins to cool off around three o'clock, bringing welcome respite from the heat.
Now, the sun is setting and the dark tinge of twilight is settling in on the opposite horizon.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin
"It's getting dark, do you guys think this is a good place to rest for the night?"

[The Bushranger]

Liam
Well, I don't suppose we'll find a better spot, so I suppose we should, yes.

[Vella_Malachite]

You set up camp and cook dinner as the sun sinks below the horizon.
Would you like to set up a watch, or would you prefer to pass the night without one?

[The Bushranger]

A watch would probably be a good idea :smalltongue:, and Liam voluenteers to take the first shift.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin eats some heated-trail-rations-on-a-stick, then casts a rope trick and goes to bed.

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan offers to wake up a few hours early and take the last watch. He will eat the last of his fresh meat before he goes to bed.

[Vella_Malachite]

During Liam's watch, (why the hell did I put my dice in that drawer? Oh, well...), he hears a baying and howling, coming from a long way off. It's coming closer and closer, but you can't see what is making the noise.

[The Bushranger]

Liam frowns, and goes to wake up the others.
Sounds like something's comin' this way, boys. Better get up in case it's not the friendly kind of something.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"Let me sleep, Barwann. That corpse will still be there in the morning." Korbin replies, mumbling.

[The Bushranger]

Liam grabs his shoulder and shakes.
You don't wake up you might be a corpse for all I know.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"When are you coming back?" Korbin starts to thrash, grabbing the floating rope of his spell and whipping it around.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Liam grabs Korbin's shoulders and gives him a good shake.
Wake up, man, we've got company coming and I don't want to be dinner!

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"No Mr. Dinajini, I don't know what happened to your cookies." Korbin continues to talk in his sleep while in the floating, invisible, extra-dimensional area safe from monsters.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Sighing, Liam mutters under his breath -
Alright, I tried -
- then shouts.
- WAKE UP!!

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"Alright, enough. What is so important that you have to interrupt my sleep for it?" Korbin reluctantly opens his eyes, annoyed at these circumstances.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Liam looks rather relieved...
You seem to have some strange dreams...there's howling, coming this way and quickly. I thought you might prefer not to be eaten in your sleep.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"My nightmares are normal enough, thank you very much. I don't think wolves can fly. We could just lie down right here and watch what happens before we start blowing stuff up." Korbin clearly wants to go back to bed, and he keeps closing his eyes for seconds at a time. "Yyaaaaaaahhh", he yawned.

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan grumbles incoherently and rolls over but grips the handle of his axe tightly and slowly opens one eye.

[Vella_Malachite]

Suddenly, from a little way away, scarily, worryingly close, there comes a howl, far louder and deeper than it should be. On the other side of you, its partner answers.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"Dug...person, put your axe away and get up here!" Korbin shouts, then begins to nod off again.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

...oh, sod this.
Liam reaches down and prepares to bodily haul Korbin to his feet if need be.
Fight in your sleep if you must, but I'd prefer not to be wolf, chow, thank you!

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan gets to his feet and makes his way over to Korbin, "Put me ax away....I wake up to howling in the night and ye ask me teh put meh ax away? It's staying firmly in my hand, if ye don't mind."

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

He wonders to himself, Are they kidding me? How ignorant of magic are these metal-heads!? "This is a basic protective spell designed specifically so that you won't get eaten in your sleep and they keep telling me to get out of it. Oh, I'll just stay out here and fight these wolves and keep the Gnome from being able to actually do something the next day, what a good idea hitting stuff with a metal stick is." Did I say that or did I think that? Korbin climbs down the rope.

OOC: Are the wolves visible to Korbin?

[Vella_Malachite]

Korbin: As you go outside, you see a large, doglike creature standing in front of the camp. It howls, then disappears, reappearing a few feet to the left. You hear an answering howl as its companion translocates to the right. They seem to be circling the camp.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin casts Mage Armor on himself and puts some more wood on the fire, making it bigger and brighter.

[Vella_Malachite]

The wolf things back away a tad from the fire, but otherwise remain, steadily circling the camp and howling to each other.

[The Bushranger]

Liam carefully draws his rapier, but otherwise makes no threatening moves, keeping a wary eye on their canine visitors...

[Vella_Malachite]

The wolves continue to watch you, a little puzzled at your reaction, and a little more wary of this prey that suddenly doesn't seem such an easy target.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

The gnome reaches into his pocket and picks out some rose petals. Trying to catch their attention, he yells out. "Sod off, you dogs. Plenty of better food out there. There are - Fun gau!" Korbin casts Deep Slumber (DC 17) upon the animals, he doesn't feel like dealing with them right now.

[The Bushranger]

Liam, meanwhile, stans ready in case the gnome's plan doesn't work.

Readying an action to attack if attacked.

[bchilders]

Duglan

Duglan grabs his axe firmly and spreads his arms out wide. He stands up as tall as his dwarven frame will allow, making himself appear as large and imposing as possible, hoping to deter the beasts from attacking.

[Vella_Malachite]

You hear the one behind you stumble and yelp groggily. It has fallen over, fast asleep.

The other one, slightly stunned, staggers, then runs off as fast as its legs can take it. If the meal's going to fight this much, it's not sticking around any longer.

Experience points will be calculated when you reach town.

[The Bushranger]

Liam

Well, that was...invigorating.
Liam tucks away his rapier and looks at his companions.
I suppose we might as well prepare to move on before our canine friend over there wakes up.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

The gnome takes his rope and goes with the others to find a new campsite. Once there, he ties himself to a upper part of a tall tree so he can go to sleep in piece.

[Vella_Malachite]

Sorry, no trees in this area.

But the day dawns fine, and quickly gets hotter once you're on the road. Small, furry animals scamper Disney-ishly around, though the cheesy songs haven't broken out yet.

The days pass. About the most exciting thing to happen is a river crossing. The group reaches the city of Vasqua about three days after the attack by the dogs. You enter the town. It is a large-ish city, bustling with people going about their business around you. Here are the barracks for the defence soldiers that live here in shifts to defend the city gates. Past the barracks, you can see brick houses with thatched rooves and colourful drapes in the windows. There are faint smells of baking and forges and horses wafting on the air. You can hear the sounds of a market past the houses.

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

"I'm going to check out the closest guild, to get information. I'll meet you back at town square at sundown."

OOC: We started a fire, I assumed there were trees and firewood.

Can my character find a local Mage or Craftsman guild?

[Vella_Malachite]

Yes. Past the town square, where an immense, chattering marketplace sprawls, there is a large building with a sign above the door entitled "Guild Hall".

[The Bushranger]

Liam

I will be checking out the markets to see what I can see.
And so that's what Liam does, going to browse the marketplace, keeping his eyes and ears open for whatever might be seen or heard.

Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

[UglyPanda]

Korbin

The gnome walks into the hall, searching for someone anyone who knows anything about Ellen Dorth, Ellendorth, or Alan's Doors. Before he asks anyone about it, he tries to recite a short passage as a membership password. He's having trouble remembering it at the moment.

"We lie beneath the something star, um...beauty is but a state of mind? No, that's not right, it doesn't rhyme. We stand before the warring tide? Why is this so hard to remember?"