Dietrich Tuesday August 31st, 2004 1:36:21 PM
(OOC Well, with formation he just meant the usual scouts ahead, wizards in the centre etc stuff.)
Dietrich is too excited to notice any reactions to his ways (as he is quite convinced they are absolutely normal...). He is happy that the party reaches the lake without any incidents and admires its huge size.
But before people start climbing up the boat, he suggests to discuss their further actions first. He proposes he should wear the swimming ring himself, bacause of his heavy armour, and that Theodore, Ryan or Rose should wear the protection ring.
Dietrich also suggests to wait here and ambush the next small group of orcs in order to get prisoners and information. He remembers Priscilla's council and doesn't want to just go ahead in unknown and probably great perril. The party has been on the road for quite a while now and it doesn't cost anything to wait a little more and do things with a little lower risk.
Notes: Swimming -5 or so (with equipment), ac 17
Zayne d20+5=25 d20+5=14 Tuesday August 31st, 2004 2:19:44 PM
Zayne aproaches the beach warily. He looks and listens for any signs of activity other than the groups.(Listen 25 natural 20 Spot 14)
He then looks to Vorelle,and in a hushed whisper,"What do you think? Should we skirt around the lake or check out the boat?"His tone of voice reveals that he would perfer to go around the lake.
The silence has removed any calmness that he had since meeting the witch.
Shadeos Tuesday August 31st, 2004 2:56:30 PM
"A fool learns from his own mistakes and a wise man learns from the fools mistakes. I think we would be fools to enter the mist by boat. It would be wise to see if we can get a little more information about what lies on the lake or beneath it," Shadeos calmly offers his opinion,"perhaps the birds can tell what lies beyond the mist. If not, then I think scouting around the lake is a wise course of action."
Shadeos waits to hear the others' responses and ideas.
Vauhwyt and Mookie d20+2=5 d20+7=15 Tuesday August 31st, 2004 3:20:53 PM
Vauhwyt is more entranced, at the moment, with the scroll case than the boat. She watches carefully as Theo talks and suggests possible command words.
"Hey! I worked in a magic shop for a couple of years," Vauhwyt reminds the group. "I bet, with a little help and luck, I could get this thing to work safely!"
"Rose, would you help me and Mookie with this? And does anyone have any magic that could give us a boost?"
[OOC: Vauhwyt wnts to use her Use Magic Device skill to "activate blindly" -- that is, to open it without mishap. She is hoping for Aid Another rolls from Rose and Mookie, and maybe for a Guidance cantrip from Olyn or Shadeos. Maybe she can even get a +2 circumstance bonus since she has a clue (from Jan;s post today) that the command words include "'Servants of Marteaus."]
[OOC: Mookie's roll to Aid Another is a 5 -- not enough! Vauhwyt's base UMD roll is 15! Not enough to get to the Activate Blindly DC of 25! In fact, if all she gets is that 15, she will have failed by 10, and then, Backfire! If Rose manages a Aid Another check, or with a Guidance spell, or with a kind DM bonus for sort of guessign the command words, then Vauhwyt can still avoid hurting herself! Wowsy!]
Theodore and Macaw d20+2=11 Tuesday August 31st, 2004 4:15:53 PM
"NO! DON'T!" Theodore yells as Vauhwyt gets it into her head to open the warded scroll case. Seeing that his warnings were in vain, the spirited young wizard dashes away from his friend and dives headfirst into the bushes.
(Reflex roll of 11 to avoid damage, if necessary.)
Ryan and Neen Tuesday August 31st, 2004 4:24:17 PM
He nods in agreement to Shadeos, "Maybe that giant squid had something to do with this lake".
"Hang on a minute," he says to Vauhwyt,
"I think that maybe if we get the right words that rune would be broken, because Theo made it flicker earlier, I assume that he must have got at least one correct word."
He pauses a moment.
"Mind you I've no idea what the words could be." He says thoughtfully.
Vorelle Tuesday August 31st, 2004 8:50:49 PM
"S-s-scout," Vorelle replies to Zayne. "Or m-m-maybe s-set an a-a-ambush." She looks questioningly at the others.
DM Jan 2d8(8+1)=9 d20+3=13 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 1:02:43 AM
"Priscilla said not to go on the lake because she can't swim. The old bat would sink like a stone," cackles Warwick, his talons crunching and scraping across the pebbles.
As some of the others discuss what to do next, the relative peace and quiet is rudely interrupted. Theo manages to dive into the bushes just about the time the scroll case goes off with a loud *BANG!!!!*
All those within five feet of, and including Vauhwyt suffer 9 points of blast damage, unless they were able get back fast enough and save for half. REFLEX SAVE DC 13 (Who owns up to being close? ;) ) The pressure wave sends everyone else staggering.
Unscathed, just, the vulture rolls his eyes. "That was quite a party trick, but i've got a better one."
Warwick hops up onto the boat, moves to the bow, and starts hammering on the figurehead like a woodpecker. After a few moments, the air seems to turn blue as a string of abuse is hurled toward the vulture in orcish. For anyone who can translate, the wooden figure is telling Warick where to go and what to do in about twenty different ways, none of them pleasant.
After the dust clears, Vauhwyt will see that there is a piece of rolled up parchment inside the case. It's a little scorched at the edges, though. Maybe Ryan had it right with 'some' of the right words, and then of course there was the language factor.
The lake and its shoreline awaits. There are signs of no one.
Rose hp: 8/12 AC 14 d20+2=3 d20+6=11 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 3:43:06 AM
ooc: i'm sorry i'm a few hours late
Rose tried to help Vauhwyt, but her efforts were a total failure.
*BANG!!!!*
Rose doesnt duck in time and gets a blast in the face. "Ouch!"
Rose runs down to the lake to wash her face. When she hears the figurehead start talking (what language) she looks in amazement and walks up to the boat.
Piper is just flying around trying to talk her brothers into playing tag with her.
Dietrich HP 15 of 24 d20+2=9 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 6:52:52 AM
Dietrich stood near Vauhwyt when she suddenly trys the scroll and blasts. As he was just approvingly listening to Zayne and Shadeos, the fighter is completely surprised by the explosion and swirls away some feet, getting badly hurt. He starts swearing when Warick too starts something different! Dietrich hears the orkish(?)cursing of the boat and almost wants to accompany it. "WARICK, what (*^$^_($# are you doing!?" He gives VAuhwyt a disapprovingly look and says to both: "After this it would be really good to be more cautios and consult with the group before singlemindedly put us all in risk."
Despite his anger, Dietrich takes a closer look at the boat.
Vauhwyt (14 hp of 19) and Mookie (9 hp of 9) d20+4=18 d20+4=14 d20+5=24 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 6:53:49 AM
Vauhwyt's experiment is a miserable failure! She knows it half-way through and jumps away! (save succeeds for half damage). Mookie flutters away and evades the explosion entirely (saves with improved evasion).
What Vauhwyt cannot evade is the assault from her raven! "Boss, you are a complete and absolute idiot! Are you trying to get us killed? What if we got burned worse? What if that scroll was important, and it got all crisped? What if orcs swarm out of that boat? If there were any in there, they are awake now! What if you attract attention with your explosion?!"
"By the gods, that was stupid! I know you do lots of stupid stuff, and usually I bite my tongue, but this! Wowsy, indeed!"
Vauhwyt takes it all in, but she is grinning, and does not seem very guilty-looking. Then she sees that several of her friends were hurt, and she does look ashamed. "Sorry," she mutters.
She picks up the paper and tries to figure it out. [Decipher Script check 24 if she does not know the language! Good rolls this turn! Coulda used them last turn!]
Then she hears the orcish, and looks up. Is it the boat that is talking? Wowsy!
Shadeos (16hp of 21) d20+3=16 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 11:43:25 AM
Shadeos turns as he hears Theodore yell, "NO! DON'T!". Theodore's warning is almost immediately followed by a loud *BANG* and a pressure wave that slams into Shadeos. He just manages to roll forward with the pressure wave lessening some of the impact. (Reflex Save 16)
Shadeos staggers to his feet with his eyes watering and ears ringing. A small drop of blood falls from his nose. Dazed and confused, Shadeos draws his mace as he hears Orcish curses above the ringing in his ears. He looks for the enemies and is surprised when he realizes that the curses are coming from the nearby boat.
Ryan (AC:13 Hp:11/11) Neen (AC:15 Hp:5) d20+5=7 d8+1=9 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 3:53:18 PM
Ryan is too busy talking to avoid the explosion, his last words cut short as he is totally flawed!
He looks up
"Vauhwyt!" He shouts in chorus with Mookie, "Why in all the hells didn't you wait dam it!"
He turns away muttering a few poisonous curses which he swiftly drowns swigging a potion from his pack.
(Potion of cure light wounds returning all 9 Hp! thank goodness)
Vorelle d20+6=22 d20+6=8 Wednesday September 1st, 2004 5:22:53 PM
Down near the water with Zayne, Vorelle is out of blast range, but she starts and whirls around at the noise. Concerned with who (or what) might respond to the blast, she moves a few paces back up the trail, alert for signs of danger.
[Spot 22; Listen 8. Guess her ears are still ringing!]
Theodore and Macaw Wednesday September 1st, 2004 10:05:24 PM
Theodore's head pops up out of the bush that he dove into. "I TOLD you!!" he admonishes Vauhwyt. "I may be young, but I know what I'm talking about."
He steps from the foliage, brushing twigs and leaves from his shaggy mane. He stops short when he hears the boat cussing at Warwick.
Macaw sits up high in a tree branch, watching all the goings-on below him.
DM Jan Thursday September 2nd, 2004 12:11:08 AM
Shadeos isn't the only one with ringing ears, as other members of the party deal with the aftermath of the sudden explosion. Ryan feels a heck of a lot better after drinking the potion.
"Give me that!" growls Olyn, his half elven ears having taken on a rather crisp texture. The Warrd cleric has a look at the scroll, holding it so that Vauhwyt can still see it. The liontaur will see that it's a map, and that it looks rather familiar. It's a very detailed drawing of the Temple of Warrd in Dirt City. Notes, scribbled here and there, are in both common and orcish. The common words include 'poison here' 'passage''door x' 'door a' 'meet'. It's simplistic, but suggests an evil plan nonetheless. Olyn turns pale. "I need to take this back home. Right now," he says.
Over by the boat, Warwick has stopped tormenting the figurehead now that he has an audience. He seems to be loving the attention. "What did it say?" he squawks eagerly. "This boat has been sat here empty since yesterday. I think it was waiting for those creatures you killed."
Dietrich's military and carpentry knowledge will tell him that the boat looks quite sturdy, will float well and is designed to cut swiftly through the water. It'll hold approximately a dozen humanoids, there are oars, too.
As for the figurehead, those gathered around the boat can see that it's carved of wood, and obviously magic. It's an ugly little beast, three feet high, carved to look like a wingless demon. It has horns, too. As it turns to look at everyone, the now familiar carving can be seen emblazoned on its chest - all three elements of it. "Password!" it barks in orcish. It then looks down at it's chest, scowls, and quickly folds its arms.
Zayne has taken a position slightly to the north along the shoreline. Neither he or Vorelle see any signs of trouble.
Dietrich HP 15 of 24 Thursday September 2nd, 2004 9:20:25 AM
Although it hurts, Dietrich must laugh when everybody in the group is swearing and asking what happened.
His worries increase when he sees that the enemy is so bold as to plan against Warrd in the God's own temple in Dirt CIty! The situation seems serious enough. He asks Olyn to let him read the parts in Orkish for the group.
Though the warrior is visibly satisfied with the boat, he is still unsure about just sitting in and sail through the lake. He is also very suspicious about its magic and can't imagine any good coming from it.
"What do you all think? I'm curious enough to go further and the boat is good, but on the other hand, it's probably stupiditly dangerous to do so, especially as we don't know the password for sure. So I'd still suggest to ambush another orc group and get more information, or to return to Dirt City and provide the Prince with the information we allready have, which is not too few."
Vauhwyt (hp14) and Mookie d20+2=6 d20+7=27 Thursday September 2nd, 2004 11:19:09 AM
Vauhwyt is really sorry she got her friends burnt up a bit. "I really thought I could do it. I didn't think it would explode, for surre. I'm sorry, friends!"
"Here, let me prove myself! Stand back! I'll handle this boat! Mookie, get over herre!"
Mookie starts flapping. "Boss, no!"
"Mookie!" the liontaur demands.
Vauhwyt puts her hand on the figurehead and concentrates. Mookie lands on her hand, saying, "I don't like this, Boss, but if you're going to try, then how about putting your other hand there!"
Vauhwyt tries certain foolproof words of power she heard at the Catacombs once upon a time. She tries to make the boat work.
[Activating the Boat blindly. Mookie's Aid Another check is a 6, useless bird. Vauwyt's roll is a 27! Holy smokes! Natural 20! Woo Hoo! That beats the standard UMD blind activate DC25!]
"WOWSY!! I think I got it!" the liontaur shouts.
Theodore and Macaw Thursday September 2nd, 2004 12:39:49 PM
Theodore sighs with all the confusion. "Dietrich, please speak the words, 'Servant of Marteus' in Orcish. That is the password. That was probably the password for the scrollcase, too. We're not dealing with brilliance here. These are orcs."
He leans on his staff, and waits to see what will happen.
Zayne d20+5=25 d20+5=13 Thursday September 2nd, 2004 12:43:39 PM
Zayne is warily,scanning the lake and his surroundings for signs of trouble.(Listen 25 natural 20 Spot 13)
He is thinking about when he cann finally leave this Gods forsaken forest.
Rose hp: 3/12 AC 14 d8+1=7 Thursday September 2nd, 2004 1:11:05 PM
Rose heads away from the boat when Vauhwyt tries to activate it. If Olyn isnt to close to the boat she will go and ask if he has a wand he can heal her with. If he doesnt have a wand she will drink a clw potion and save his spells.
if use potion heal is 7
spells cantrips: ray of frost, disrupt undead, read magic
level 1: mage armor, mage armor
Ryan and Neen Thursday September 2nd, 2004 3:58:13 PM
Although now unmarked Ryan is still a bit sulkey. All he can do is watch with a glum expretion as she heads off to blow up the boat.
Ryan and Neen Thursday September 2nd, 2004 3:59:06 PM
Although now unmarked Ryan is still a bit sulky. All he can do is watch with a glum expression as she heads off to blow up the boat.
Shadeos (16hp of 21) d8+2=7 d8+2=5 Thursday September 2nd, 2004 4:20:44 PM
After Shadeos realizes that the party is not under attack, he looks at his companions and inquires, "Does anyone need healing?"
Shadeos will heal whomever asks and/or is the most wounded and then heal himself. (spontaneously cast Cure Light Wounds twice in place of Command and Divine Favor- heals 7hps on another and 5hps on self)
Vorelle d20+6=11 d20+6=26 Thursday September 2nd, 2004 4:34:44 PM
Vorelle glances back over her shoulder where the others are deciding what to do next, but does not offer an opinion. Instead, she turns her attention back the way they came, and continues watching out for trouble.
[Spot 11; Listen 26]
DM Jan Thursday September 2nd, 2004 11:45:51 PM
((I'll assume the password so far was passed on to the figurehead in orcish. Remember folks - there were THREE elements to that carved symbol - Servants, marteaus and ?))
"Stupid," spits the figurehead, folding its arms stubbornly over its carved chest. Beneath it's fingers - two parts of the carved symbol light up with a vivid green light. "Hurry, hurry!" it exclaims, wiggling it's horns.
Whatever Vauhwyt attempted, didn't seem to do anything, but Theo seems to be partially correct - orcish language and part of the password now appears to have been cracked.
"Ooooh look at that!" says Warwick to Mookie, before peering at the figurehead's chest.
The water continues to lap softly against the pebbles.
Shadeos sets to and starts to heal those who were caught in the blast. He's joined by Olyn, who calls to Warrd to do likewise, and between them, the priests bring everyone back to full health.
Looking out into the water, Zayne's keen hearing tells him there is absolutely nothing out there - no voices, no rowing, no sails flapping, no fish jumping. It's safe to assume there's nothing on the approach.
A little up the trail, Vorelle stands guarding the path. It's quiet there also, although four feet to the left of her, a small sapling suddenly winks out of existance with a soft *woosh*.
After helping Shadeos, Olyn announces that he wants to head back alone with the parchment. "The sooner I get back to Dirt City with this the better. I think its important that you find out more, but I should get back, then we can thwart whatever this plan is." A quick look over the parchment will tell Dietrich that there isn't anything extra in orcish - just a translation of whats there in common.
Theodore and Macaw Friday September 3rd, 2004 10:35:15 AM
Theodore searches his memory, his lips moving a mile a minute, but no noise coming forth. Then he slaps his forhead. "Of course!" he berates himself. "Servant, Marteus, Dominate! That's what the symbols were. Try that Dietrich."
The young wizard is now quite eager to see what will happen.
Shadeos Friday September 3rd, 2004 11:43:21 AM
Apon hearing Theodore's suggestion as to what the password might be, Shadeos approaches the boat and grunts loudly in Orcish tongue, "Servant, Marteaus, Dominate!"
Time seems to slow as Shadeos waits to see if there is any response from the magical boat.
Rose d20+1=9 Friday September 3rd, 2004 1:13:27 PM
Rose continues to stay well away from the boat as the others try to activate it. Meanwhile she sings a song so the forest wont sleep. It's a bit off key, and and her voice sometimes is loud and others soft (perform: 9) but it should keep the forest awake.
Beautiful dreamer, Wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops Are awaiting thee
Sounds of the rude world Heard in the day Led by the moonlight Have all passed away
Beautiful dreamer, Queen of my song List' while I woo thee With soft melody
Gone are the cares of Life's busy throng Beautiful dreamer Awake unto me Beautiful dreamer, Awake unto me
Vauhwyt Saturday September 4th, 2004 1:59:23 PM
"Huh! I thought I had it! Well at least it didn't blow up!"
"Good job remembering, Theo," she says.
"Oh!" caught up in the boat, Vauhwyt almost forgot to say goodby. "Olyn, we'll miss you! Please return when you can, or we will see you at home! Go well!"
Vorelle Sunday September 5th, 2004 11:53:51 AM
"B-b-b-be c-careful, Olyn," Vorelle says as the priest of Wardd leaves the group.
Dietrich Sunday September 5th, 2004 3:45:13 PM
Dietrich thanks Olyn and Shadeos for the healing and says good-bye to his half-elven friend, hoping he'll make it alone to Dirt City with Warrds help.
He is glad Vauhwyt didn't blast anything and waits, staying a little behind, to see what happens after Shadeos said the words in Orkish.
If he wasn't too concentrated on that he would appreciate Rose's beautiful song.
DM Jan Monday September 6th, 2004 1:44:49 AM
Theo offers another word to try, and Shadeos voices it toward the figurehead. Immediately the third symbol lights up on the little carved demon's chest, and the thing gives a sigh and uncrosses it's arms. The full, three-part symbol glows with a powerful green light.
"Step aboard," it grunts in orcish.
"Good luck," Olyn tells everyone as they say their goodbyes. He bows, turns on his heel and sets off up the track, soon disappearing into the forest.
"I'll fly on after him," says Warwick. "I can watch over him part way, at least."
Rose's song follows both half elf and vulture into the forest.
For a moment, Vauhwyt, Zayne, Vorelle, Dietrich, Ryan, Shadeos, Theodore, Rose, Piper, Mookie, Neen and Macaw are left with the quiet calm of the lake, and the mysterious boat.
And then -
((OOC - its time to move over to the Swords of Redemption board, folks. Have fun! Cayzle has offered to copy all that goes on over there, back onto this board, so our archive will remain intact. So - when it comes time to return, we must hold off posting until he gives us the word. If you can't access the other board - fire off an email - phyrbalxl5@aol.com
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