DM George Thursday December 16th, 2004 8:56:53 PM
Grymash bolts forward holding his axe in a threatening manner. Mac almost falls over backwards trying to get out of his way.
As Grymash declares his challenge and moves closer, he will hear a hiss from the tree. When he moves away from the firelight, his night vision takes over and he realizes he is shouting at somekind of animal.
It is small, around 30 pounds and is staring at Grymash from around the tree. Its face almost seems like it has a mask on it.
Mac turns and immediately recognizes the creature and chuckles...."Its a raccoon."
The group relaxes once again and enjoys the night until Trellus, who is on watch, is startled to see the bold little creatures invade the camp. They make a strange grunting noise and seem to be after the scraps from dinner.
Trellus is only able to chase them a short way, but they keep seeming to come back to the camp disturbing everyone's sleep.
Flea d20=17 Thursday December 16th, 2004 10:48:33 PM
The gnome will look carefully at the creatures to see if they look like any of the animals from back home*. If they appear to be burrowing animals, she will try to have a little conversation with them. (Speak with Animals) She will ask them about the area and if there are any towns or cities nearby(Gather Info=17).
"Do we set watches tonight?" she asks, seeking an assignment from Trellus.
*(Flea isn't from Rattledam)
Grymash Thursday December 16th, 2004 10:48:37 PM
Grymash turns to Mac, "Is dat beastie gute eatin'? Or should Gry just wears it like uh hat?"
Oh well, he thinks and returns back to the fire. He continues carving runes into certain choice pieces of bones that he has collected. Then it finally hits him. He turns to Trellus and says, "Gry knows whut ta do wit dat big shiny red rock wit da trapped soul. Gargul be tellin' Gry how ta figures out if lettin' it goes be uh gute or bad thing!! Da bones will tell ... these bones will say!"
Jake Friday December 17th, 2004 6:02:40 AM
"DIdja see his face??!? It was so neat!" Jake grins and makes little faces of his own at the others in imitation. Jake will spend his time cleaning weapons and other such htings...ainly to avoid actual work.
Trellus Friday December 17th, 2004 8:30:23 AM
Trellus spends a lot of time shooing the little creatures. "Pesty treadles, aren't they?" he says.
"Dudes, we're getting lax. We'd never leave food scraps around at home." The thought makes him shudder. All the creatures of the Plains can smell a really long way. "Let's weave the same threads we do there, in case something brighter than these little dudes show up."
Gry's idea is great! Why didn't Trellus think of it. "Shady Gry! I've got a waxed spell for talking with Domi, too. Let's both try, and that should give us the answer."
That morning, Trellus takes his spells.
During breakfast, he uses one to ask a question of his god. [Divination - "Will freeing the soul from the red stone free a good being trapped, or release an evil upon the Wold?"
Spells Prepared: 0 - Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic 1 -- Bane, Bless, Prot from Evil, Remove Fear, Shield of Faith 2 - Hold Person, Owls Wisdom, Silence, Spiritual Weapon 3 - Dispel Magic, Prayer, Searing Light 4 -- Air Walk, Divination*
Domain Spells: 1st Level: Sanctuary 2nd Level: Bull's Strength 3rd Level: Protection from Energy (fire) 4th Level: Spell Immunity
Grymash Friday December 17th, 2004 9:22:27 AM "Yes!" Grymash will prepare the Augury spell in the morning.
Mac d20+2=21 Friday December 17th, 2004 4:01:51 PM
"...yes, like Bears..."
If there is any fresh meat Mac cuts it into short thin slivers with his dagger and checks that Galea eats it and drinks some water, other wise he will crush down some ration and soak it until it is soft.
After talking with those not preying or learning, Mac repacks the backpack and after some consideration [Int Check: 21] he adds some more stability to Galea's nest by strapping the large steel shield to the visible side of the pack, providing protection and shade to her bedding.
He then assists with breakfast and awaits the outcomes of the clerical spells.
Gilan d20+7=14 d20+7=10 Friday December 17th, 2004 4:11:22 PM
Gilan tries to spend the rest of the night concentrating on the surrounding area and watching for danger. He has little luck as his mind wanders back to his little surprises that he is working on. He smiles as he sits his watch.
Early in the morning he is up and going about his morning prayers to Mother Wold. Within a few minutes he is eating breakfast and waiting to see what Trellus and Gry can tell them of the stone that they carry.
DM George Friday December 17th, 2004 4:21:44 PM
Trellus will sit and cast his divination spell (Please mark of the component cost on your character sheet) and this is how his spirits answer.
Dangerous and evil in mortal form, insidious in spirit.
Grymash's response to his aurgury is "weal and woe"
The Pack wakes up from last nights sleep and is glad to see that the raccoons are gone. They grunted and hissed around the camp all night long.
The group continues down the trail following the stream marvelling at the beauty of the landscape.
Suddenly they realize they are on a trail that has been used before. It is obvious that somekind of heavy humanoid with booted feet has travelled on this trail with many companions.
OOC I am sorry for the early post but I have to bring the kids Christmas shopping tonight and the weekend is packed.
Grymash Saturday December 18th, 2004 1:10:33 AM
The pack awakes to a half-orc with his face painted to look like a skull. He's mostly naked if it wasnt for his loin cloth, a rapke skull cap decorated with feathers from the battle bird, his jaw-bone necklace, a Gargul holy symbol and other pieces of handmade bone jewelry.
He asks two other packmates for help to perform the ritual. Gry gives them each a set of long femurs to tap together in time with his chanting in order to evoke and excite the spirits. Grymash throws two fist fulls of incense into the fire. Puffs of white smoke billow upward with a sudden whoooshh! The cleric of Gargul begins to dance wildly around the fire, grunting a chant not intelligible to anyone else. He too also strikes a pair of bones together in time with his words. He combines his dance with stoking the fire with his bare foot. Sparks fly up with the smoke with each little nudge. It isnt clear but the scene becomes even more surreal as the half-orcs words begin to echo. Its not certain, but other voices from beyond seem to be joining Gry's in a chilling chorus?
After a minute or so and several laps around the fire, Grymash comes to rest and kneels next to a bowl with a collection of bone chips. The bone chips are the ones that Grymash had been carving celestial runes into for the past couple of nights. He takes them all up into his hands and holds them high. A few more words of power are spoken and they begin to glow. He rolls them into the bowl, like dice, and spends a moment quietly examining them. An aggrivated expression, mixed with confusion forms across his face. "Da bones says dat lettin' da spirit go will brings both gute an bad things to da pack an to da Wold! It be confusin'! Whut do yourz god say, Trellus?"
Grymash looks a little disappointed with the results. With all the combined knowledge of the dead at his disposal, he thought he would've gotten a more definite answer. Oh well, it was his very first try. He begins to feel lucky he got an answer at all. The dead arent always cooperative.
Trellus Saturday December 18th, 2004 9:14:46 AM
Trellus kneels on one side of the grove, his glowing holy symbol stretched out in front of him. Eyes closed, his mouth moves as if talking, but he makes no sound. Other than his mouth, the cleric remains completely motionless for a good ten minutes, entranced.
Finally, he comes out of it. Turning to Gry and the rest of the pack, he replies, "Mine said, 'Dangerous and evil in mortal form, insidious in spirit'. I'd say that means 'sunbaked'. Let's leave it alone, dudes."
Tishe' Saturday December 18th, 2004 12:30:12 PM
The brown haired woman feels embarrased about the campsite. Not being born on the Sargrass, she feels sure that it is she who is attracting the animals. She resolves to be better and learn even more quickly about Mother Wold.
Tishe' will watch but not participate in Grymash's communing with his diety; Pantheon and Mother Wold are enough for Ilka's little girl!
And the mage agrees with Trellus. "Sounds like if we let this gem soul go, it will not be good. I only wonder what it can do trapped in the gem like Father Dreem?"
Despite her musings, it doesn't affect her getting ready for the day's march.
Mac Sunday December 19th, 2004 6:08:09 AM
The news from Gry and Trellus is what he close to his original feelings, but it's Tishe's words that stop him dead in his tracks. He pauses to see if anyone else groks what he thinks that means.
"Does anyone know any tales about a place torn out of the Wold? You call a place 'The Scab', then you'd think there would be stories about what it's a scab from..." On another thought entirely, but running seemlessly with what Mac has just said he adds, "Have we been here before?"
Flea Sunday December 19th, 2004 2:35:25 PM
Flea carefully packs her share of the divided treasure. Most of it will sit in a plain sac at the bottom of her pack, with a few coins and stones distributed amongst her pockets and pouches. As she shuffles her goods about, her hand fumbles over a vial, which she pulls out.
Holding the potion out, she volunteers, "I won this strange potion for diviniation in a contest of chance. It will enable the one who consumes it to Detect Thoughts. Maybe we can find out something about the being inside the stone?"
Turning to the others Flea holds out the vial. "Would someone like to try it?"
Anuk d20+12=29 Monday December 20th, 2004 11:48:09 AM
In the morning, Anuk helps Gry perform his ritual. "Definitely sounds like we ought to leave that gem alone," he says after Gry and Trellus get thier answers.
He finds his new quiver in with the rest of the treasure and is still amazed at how much it can hold. His arrows and his bow are both inside, but he seems able to retrieve whichever he needs whenever he needs it -- amazing.
After some time in thought (prepares entangle) he begins cleaning up the campsite, making sure that everything is back the way it was when the pack found it, when he sees the trail of boot and footprints. He crouches low to the ground to get a better idea of what may have been here before. (track 29 (31 if orcs))
Gilan d20+7=22 d20+7=16 Monday December 20th, 2004 9:30:50 PM
Gilan knows very little about the rituals that are about to be played out and his timing with a drum is poor. He sits back and watches as the other two go about their business to talk to thier respective gods.
He does keep his eyes and ears open for sign of toruble as they go about thier business though.
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