Soulbound 5e (IC)

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 13 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"Say, any of you all heard the name 'Othos' before?" Levi mused as the others talked food, glancing around at the caverns left and right. As he asked his question he'd begun to wander over to the left path and peer down it.

[RossN]

Valara, Human Wild Magic Barbarian 3
AC: 15 HP: 35/35
PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 10


Valara looked up from the rack of armour where she had selected a breastplate that looked like it might fit and had picked up one of the wooden shields.

"Othos? No, I don't think so. Where is it?"

Spoiler: Folgarda

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Othos the Wild was a boisterous barbarian king and warlord, famous for his exploits against a brotherhood of evil sorcerers known as the Hidden Eight. The axe wielding, towering, hairy and hearty barbarian warrior was said to have a streak of magic of his own even if he never cast a spell in the traditional sense, and his legend has passed into many stories as at once a dangerous fighter and also a merry, laughing adventurer fond of mead and boasting.

Othos carved out a powerful, if short lived empire centuries ago. While he was certainly an ambitious conqueror he was not regarded as a cruel king, especially since he made his realm from the former subjects of the Hidden Eight.

[miinstrel]

Those donning armor find that as the pieces are set and buckles fastened, the material itself seems to resize to perfectly fit your shape. The results accentuate curves and muscles quite flatteringly.

OOC: any armor you just put on is magical with a +1 bonus. Same for the shields.

Levi, the tunnel you peek down curves further to the left forcing the little light that carries here to spread itself even thinner. The first room off this path looks to be a store room piled high with crates, many of them broken and collapsed on each other. Splintered wood trails out into the hallway. Further down the hall, a sickly green glow spills out from the room at the end.

[Michael7123]

Folgarda, Bard of Spirits
AC:11 HP: 24/24 BI: 2/3

Folgarda responds to Bijou's question, "Very, very far. Days I think. Maybe 2?" She couldn't give more of an answer than that.

Something sparks in her as she hears the name Othos. Without thinking too much about it, she just starts talking, "Othos, the Wild... he was a warlord from a past age. There are tales of his obliterations of the Dark Eight sorcerers and their servants, and of the empire he forged in their wake. Ruled by right of conquest, but was fair, in his own way." After Folgarda finishes that last sentence, a look of confusion crosses over her face. "How did I know that?" She had never actively recalled learning about the man before, and while there were all sorts of stories that she had memorized and could recite from heart, none included this man.


Folgarda shakes her head as she goes to investigate the hall on the right.

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"You've already seen some memories that were not your own. Mayhaps you be seeing some more." Levi was quite cheerful for the lightly horrific thought he'd put voice to. He wasn't having any new memories yet, so he was... okay for now. "'Othos Will Return' was carved into the boulder on the first chamber. Took me a sight to work it out. Might be some of Othos' memories in your head? Anyway, I'll just nip down this passageway and see what I can find."

Heading down the path, he'll look around at the first room with the splintered boxes.

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 24/24 KI: 3/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

Bijou frowns after Levi, then vaults the bar and approaches Silvia. "He's changed," she says, looking down the hall at Levi's back. "He may not have different memories but... he's different."

She shakes her curls and sighs. "Come on, my lovely rock-crusher. Since it seems we're exploring a bit more, let's see what we can do with that big stone in the first room."

She steels herself to search the bodies and retrieve the Ring of the Ram, as well.

[Ramsus]

Silvia Rose Reborn Warlock AC: 15 HP: 27/27 PP: 13 PIv: 10 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- "New memories may not be the most unusual thing you'll find you've acquired." Silvia comments, mainly to Folgarda. She was trying to go for amusingly mysterious but a bit of her bitterness crept in and made the comment just come out sounding rather flat and cold. She nods in agreement with Bijou and as they're walking away she replies, "Yes. He seems....well I can't exactly put my finger on it." She was glad Bijou answered her question, she'd been starting to get aggravated that she, of all people!, was being ignored. But then there was all that ugly armor distracting the others she supposed. She couldn't wait to find some decent clothes. Once they're in front of the stone, she falters for a moment to remember how she did it before, but quickly gets back into the pace of hurling her little forceful needles of light. It doesn't take long for her to get bored though. She begins to mess with the casting a bit. Not considering for a second how that could cause any problems. Changing the colors of light comes fairly easily and provides some amusement. And then getting a bit full of herself she tries modifying the shapes too. (She does intentionally avoid damaging the part of the stone with the words on it.) This later part comes at the same time when Bijou steps closer to the obstruction to use her magical ring to smash it up as well. Silvia for her part is delighted to find that, while a bit more difficult, she can indeed produce different shapes (though at the moment her lack of skill at it makes her feel like she's trying to paint with a hammer). Bijou is probably less delighted as the uneven and changing shapes cause bits of stone to ricochet wildly as they break off the larger stone, several whizzing her way.

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 24/24 KI: 2/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

Since the ring only has three charges maximum, but seems to pack more of a punch, Bijou waits until the damage Silvia inflicts has begun to thoroughly permeate the stone, cracks spreading from top and bottom and into the dark beyond it.

As she waits she sings an old song about a shipwreck, and absently dodges flying chips of stone. It's eerie, how easy it is; she doesn't feel faster, exactly, but it's like her eyes are wired up directly to her muscles, dancing her out of the way of the threats she perceives. Experimentally, she reaches out for a chunk of rock; she plucks it out the air like a juggling ball, walks it across her knuckles and back around, then reverses its momentum with a snap of her wrist. It smashes to gravel against the bulk of the stone.

Well. That's interesting.

She thrusts out her hand and blasts away with the ring.

(1d20+15)[21]

[miinstrel]

SILVIA & BIJOU
Your blasts felt more impactful on the smaller stones of the tunnel - the sheer mass of this boulder makes every flake that breaks off seem insignificant, but Bijou's strike does send a snaking crack up the side.
Breaking this stone down will take some time. I'm going to move the others forward a bit first, but feel free to keep going.

FOLGARDA
The fading glow of the fiery stones causes your pupils to dilate as you enter this passage, turning the world to a musky gray that quietly enters your nose. The passage bears three doors, though all show signs of decay and splintered wood is strewn about. The first two rooms appear to have once been living quarters, though the furniture is quite ruined. The third doorway is down the hall further.

LEVI
The storage room is a mess, and finding anything that may be of value here will take some time. You note that while the boxes and boards have rotted, they appear to have first been torn apart by large claws or perhaps an axe. Broken ceramics, torn leather bags, and small chains litter the floor. Despite the mess, you notice one floor stone has settled at a strange angle where the others have not. Unfortunately, a small pile of excrement is resting partially upon it.

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"Mucked with worse in the sties." Levi laughs to himself as he cleans the excrement to try and access the odd tile. He will also take the time to case the room unless someone interrupts him or calls for him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Got a 5 on my investigation role.

[TriciaOso]

Bijou scowls at the resilient boulder. "Well, that's it for me," she says with deliberate lightness. She slips off the ring and puts it on the shelves with the last few blankets; no need to strip a corpse again.

What she does concern herself are the bracers, occupied though they are by the skeletal limbs of the erstwhile Othos. Something about them looks... congenial to her.

While she waits for them to attune she sings a song about long-lost Kandam, fallen beneath the waves, and tries to ignore her growing hunger. There's no physical continuity with her starving corpse, of course, but psychologically she hasn't eaten in a week.

[miinstrel]

Spoiler: Passive skills

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Passives are essentially the lowest you can roll to notice something. They're always on. Perception is easy - you see/hear/smell it or you don't. Same with Insight. Investigation is a little different. No matter how high your check is, you can only intuit so much without interacting with whatever you're investigating.

In the case of this floor stone, for example, you can tell right off the bat there are no visible dangers, but without interacting with the rock there's only so much you can glean. That's where the active check comes in. Passive Investigation is basically a 'pre-read' of the situation to help guide your decision making. Because *how* you interact with traps and other objects may provide dis/adv on whatever roll you need to make on the back end. Or if you specifically call out you're checking the underside of desk drawers for hidden compartments, and I know there's one there, I might reduce the DC by 5 or something. It's a fluid system, but I try to reward (or occasionally penalize ) descriptive interaction.

LEVI
While the loose stone is what initially drew your eye down there, as your eyes adjust to the light you now notice there are quite a few other little brown piles around the room.
The poo scrapes off the stone easily enough, and the hairline crack in the mortar around it suggests it should lift out. There don't appear to be any mechanisms tied to this and no runes scratched into the stone. It should be safe. And if it blows you apart... well you'll probably just come back again, right?

The brown globs of yuck on the floor remind you of the brown-streaked trinket in your pocket... hopefully the color is the end of the similarity. You head back out into the light to give it a once over. The glass sparkles as though its laced with crystals, but there is nothing seemingly special about the compressed earth inside. You find a symbol on the flat bottom but are unsure what it means. It does not have any discernable power and attempting to attune with it yields no results.

FOLGARDA
Looking casually around the two rooms it seems one was at one point decorated with furs and possibly hunting trophies as there is a large beaked skull mounted to the wall. The bones of what were likely several smaller creatures based on their relative size are strewn across the floor. This room stinks a bit like rotted meat, and in the corner you see a partially eaten... something. A goat maybe?

VALARA
It took some time but you finally got the breastplate secured. When you look up your companions have all wandered off.

BIJOU
Even without flesh, you have to pull the bracers a bit to get them off past the thick phalanges. They hang limply on your wrists as you focus your mind on them, admiring the golden ridges of their layered shield motif. As the hour passes, the bracers gradually shrink in size until they find a snug but comfortable connection with your forearms. A shattered rock from Silvia's work rockets toward you, and as you bring your arm up, it almost feels like the bracer pulls a couple inches to the side to intercept the projectile.

OOC: Add bracers of defense to your inventory, I removed it from the loot stash.

[Ramsus]

Silvia Rose Reborn Warlock AC: 15 HP: 27/27 PP: 13 PIv: 10 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- When Bijou finishes her song, Silvia tells her, "That was quite nice. And a lovely escape from the tedium of... whatever you would call what I'm doing. It seems like we'll still be at this a while, so if you could entertain us with any more it would be much appreciated." Spoiler Show You don't need to come up with more song names or anything though. The character is asking you to entertain them, not the player.

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"Guess I'll have to show the others." Levi muttered to himself before shaking his head. Putting the ball back tucked into the armour, he stared around at the remants of the room before pressing down hard on the odd tile.

If nothing happens with that he will head down the corridor for the green goo.

[miinstrel]

LEVI
The symbol on the bottom of the bauble is a geometric design with numerous dots, squares, and spheres overlapping asymmetrically. It is not any language you recognize.

Pushing on the tile yields an off-kilter depression as though there's something beneath it on one side. The stone rocks a little like a table with three legs touching the ground.

Abandoning the pursuit for now, you make your way to the room at the end, approaching the viridian chamber cautiously. While most of this complex is hewn stone, you note this last room's walls are unnaturally smooth and at perfect right angles. The room looks to have once been a laboratory with vials and alchemical equipment strewn haphazardly about the area, much of it broken. The bookshelves and their contents have melted and rotted away for the most part. Your keen eyes note this damage originates from dozens of half inch holes, the corrosion radiating and dripping from those points.
Amid the debris on the shelves you note two wands and a book that seems to have sustained no damage.

Two legs of a desk have broken leaving its contents sitting on an angle. The pile up contains a small glass cup that seems to be the source of the light. A triangular object sits at its bottom covered in a thick green liquid.

FOLGARDA
Continuing your exploration of this bedroom wing reveals the second one to be quite sparsely decorated. The decay of the mattress reveals a small chest tucked beneath the bed. You pull it out and inside find a pair of jagged daggers and a few large gemstones - a sapphire, diamond, corundum, and emerald - resting on what was once probably velvet. The interiors of the gems seem to be swirling slightly. An inscription on the inside of the box reads:
"Though Chaos come and children run
To watch the flames leap higher
They cannot claim to know the pain
Of dancing in the fire"

As you're reading this you hear heavy footsteps approach from behind. "I find knives and shiny stones," Folgarda says though the response is just a low growl. You turn around to see a large bear standing in the doorway behind you. It rises to its back legs and unleashes a roar of protest clearly audible throughout the complex.

The bear is about 15 feet down the hallway and blocking Folgarda's exit.

What do you all do?

Spoiler: Positioning

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Bijou and Silvia will require a full turn to get to the entry chamber from where they are.
Valara is still there and could reach the bear quickly.
Levi, you can reach the entry chamber in a move action and another to cross it.

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 24/24 KI: 1/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

Bijou hears the roar and stops dead in the middle of a rather ribald ballad about the strengths and shortcomings of a noble lady's suitors. She unwinds limberly from her meditative waiting pose and springs through the tunnels; as her speed is flagging she feels a burst of speed unwind from somewhere deep in her core and manages to make it to the doorway, standing behind the bear.

"BEAR," she screams, helpfully.

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

Hearing the roar, Levi dashes over to the wands. He has no weapon, he has no way to deal with a wild beast, but if he remembers anything he does remember how wands were a valuable artifact for adventurers and his father-in-law used to price them quite highly for the power they could bring people who don't normally have it.

He didn't know what these wands did, but he hoped to Edra that they did what he needed. Grabbing them both, he ran back the way he'd came, reaching the entryway room to hear the cry of Bear.

He hoped one of these two did what he needed.

[Ramsus]

Silvia Rose Reborn Warlock AC: 15 HP: 27/27 PP: 13 PIv: 10 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- "Very helpful." Silvia comments mentally at Bijou's announcement of the bear... after the bear's announcement of itself. As she chases after her, Silvia's second thought is "Fast!" As she thinks about the fact that she'll have to fight something her main thought is "Well, I'll be behind someone at least, and you know how the old saying goes." Another part of her mind, somewhere in the foggy distance, is quite unimpressed with the idea of fighting mere wildlife.

[miinstrel]

You all rush to the main room to see the towering mass of shaggy brown fur turn to greet the rest of you with wavering lips and bared teeth. With Bijou's arrival and others in plain view now, the bear doubles down on its threat and turns to growl at the young actress as well. It drops to all fours and dances back and forth in the hallway, clawing at the stone in front of it as if daring you to approach. Folgarda could potentially slip by now though not without risk.

Spoiler: Animal Handling 12 or Nature 15

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The bear is posturing and sizing you up. These actions are attempts to intimidate and scare away rather than outright attack; however, if the situation doesn't deescalate things will likely turn violent quickly.

Spoiler: Animal 15 or Nature 20

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While it was standing you noted this is a female bear. Her shaggy fur hangs loose on her body suggesting you are near the end of the hibernation period. That means it's probably approaching spring.

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"I think the beasty is just waking up. Poor girl just trying to scare or frighten us." Remembering his youth in the woods, learning and training the understanding of the wilderbeasts. "Hey lassy. We're just here poking around. You don't need to fight us. We ain't poking your nest."

Carefully speaking, Levi had stopped still on the other side of the room to the passageway, moving his arms to try and catch its eyes, but moving them slowly to not seem like a prey animal.

Spoiler: ooc

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I don't know if you want a second animal handling check but if so:

(1d20+3)[8] Animal Handling to make a bear friend.

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 24/24 KI: 0/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

While Levi has its attention, Bijou beckons cautiously to Folgarda. "Come on--carefully, carefully," she says.

She steps in front of Levi, unconsciously slipping into a defensive posture, senses humming for any hostile movement.

Spoiler

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Spending my last ki point on Patient Defense.

[miinstrel]

Bijou keeps still to avoid drawing its attention though it is keenly aware of your proximity. Levi's gentle movements at first seem like they may ease the situation, but when Folgarda crouch walks out of the room with the box under her arm, an ursine assault follows from its long claws. It catches her on the back of the leg leaving a jagged red mark in its wake.

She drops the box in surprise, one of the daggers and a gem spilling out on the floor. "STOP" she shouts at the beast, an echoing command in the tunnel, though the bear ignores her words looking more agitated by the second.

Valara in an as yet uncharacteristic display of rage rushes forward with a battle cry, collecting a dagger from the ground as she puts herself between Folgarda and the beast and slashing back at its meaty paws with the small blade putting it on the defensive.

Silvia continues her hustle around the corner to see the chaos unfolding. What's a bear but a softer boulder? Putting her practice to use, she levies a finger at the bear and releases a flash of energy that leaves a singed patch of fur on the bear's shoulder.

The bear stands again snarling at the sudden and unexpected formidability of its smaller foes. It seems to sense its cornered and lashes out in a fury at Valara. While its snapping maw is blocked by the shield, its paw strikes her though doesn't leave as much of a mark as any of you were expecting.

Spoiler: OOC

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BEAR
Readied action for creature entering its reach
Claw attack: (1d20+7)[20] / dmg (2d6+5)[15][/roll]

FOLGARDA
Cast Command, bear saved

VALARA
BA: rage
A: attack with dagger, hit, 7 dmg (in discord)

SILVIA
A: eldritch blast, hit, 13 dmg (in discord)

BEAR
bite misses
claw hits, 10 dmg (halved to 5 due to rage)

The party is now up.

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 24/24 KI: 0/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

Are they going to fight this bear? It looks very much like they're fighting this bear.

Sigh.

She doesn't even have a stick or a shovel to hit it with. With no other options, she balls up her fists and punches it in the snout. And then surprised at herself, she does it again.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack: (1d20+5)[11]
Bonus Attack: (1d20+5)[22]

Damage:
(1d4+3)[6]
(1d4+3)[4]

[Ramsus]

Silvia Rose Reborn Warlock AC: 15 HP: 27/27 PP: 13 PIv: 10 PIs: 11 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Despite not being in much danger herself (for the moment), Silvia forgets for a moment that if they all die they'll just come back. And so in a moment of concern for the safety of her new companions she tries to summon forth an even stronger bolt of force. But instead she issues forth a brilliant white stream of light that streaks across the cavern and leaves small motes of light like little stars surrounding where they hit that pop and vanish and reappear for a few moments. Spoiler Show Guiding Bolt at level 2 on bear: (1d20+5)[6] damage: (5d6)[22] radiant additional: the next attack roll made against this target before the end of your next turn has advantage

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"Edra's thirteenth ****ing star." He should've known it's been too long since he'd messed with bears. Well, battle it was. Looking down at the two wands in his hand, there was a moment of indecision as he glanced over them both before he looked up and held the left one out. Summoning the little he ever learnt about wands he tried to recall how to activate one.

It was swish and flick, right?

Spoiler: ooc

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(1d20)[14] Arcana if I need that to use a wand.

[miinstrel]

The bear steps back to dodge Bijou's attack but her speed lands the second blow right on its cool, damp snout. Silvia's blast had been aimed, if you can call it that, at the creature's head but not wanting to hit Bijou her friend tries to adjust its course at the last minute instead striking the wall and sending a scattering of shrapnel at everyone in the area.

Levi's swish almost feels as though an invisible hand is guiding his motions, and as he finishes the movement... nothing happens. You feel like you did everything right, but the wand seems to resist your command.

Folgarda scurries to her feet and looks down at the wound on her leg. She mutters "oh no, stop bleeding, close up, heal!" grasping for power with her words and finding it as the skin begins to seal over itself. With delight in her eyes she rallies and grabs the other dagger, joining the fray once again.

Valara seems unaware of everything around her except the bear and lays into it again with her own blade.

The bear looks weak and its confidence has clearly waned, but its not in its nature to roll over and die. Nature demands it give everything it has to survival.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d4)[3] piercing damage to Folgarda, Valara, Bijou, and the bear from the explosion of stone.

Folgarda casts Healing Word on herself for (1d4+3)[7].
dagger attack: (1d20+3)[15] / (1d4+1)[3]

Valara dagger attack: (1d20+5)[13] / (1d4+5)[9]
I forgot her +2 rage dmg last time and have added that.

Bear
bite valara (1d20+7)[26] / (1d8+5)[11] (halved to 6 from rage)
claw bijou (1d20+7)[23] / (2d6+5)[15]

Spoiler: Bijou & Levi

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Amid the din of battle, you hear a smaller roar from the back room in this hallway. The underdeveloped cry of an adolescent.

Killing the adult bear would provide enough meat to feed you for a long time. Especially if you take the time to preserve it.

Spoiler: Nature 12

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A cub will not survive on its own, but could potentially be raised and taught to hunt on its own, though working with wild animals like this always carries some risk.

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 9/24 KI: 0/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

Bijou yelps and lashes out with her foot desperately. She won't survive another slash like that.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+5)[17]
(1d20+5)[20]

(1d4+3)[6]
(1d4+3)[7]

As the bear topples over, so does Bijou, sitting down hard and holding the gash across her abdomen.

[miinstrel]

Despite the pain of the gashes, Bijou whirls a roundhouse kick to the bear's head sending it to the ground. With the wounds its sustained it won't be getting back up.

Silence claims the hallway as you catch your breath.

OOC: 90xp each for the bear. added to OOC.

[bladescape]

Leviticus Knelvind, Human Inquisitive Rogue 3
AC: 15 HP: 21/21
PP: 20 PIv: 17 PIs: 17

"Didn't know we'd have to deal with bears." Levi half-jokingly says, looking down a little frustrated at the inactive wand in his hands. He was moderately sure he'd gotten it right, but the wand hadn't reacted. Shaking the wand in frustration, he looks back up at the rest of them. "There's also a youngling bear back in there. What do we do with a cub?"

[TriciaOso]

AC: 16 HP: 9/24 KI: 0/4
PP: 13 PIv: 12 PIs: 15

"Waltz with it, for all of me," Bijou grits out. "Only keep it away from me. I've killed mine for today."

She eyes the nearby bedrooms and wonders if their doors can be secured. "I've got to rest."