DM Kathy Wednesday September 7th, 2022 10:30:37 PM Panzer is able to find a few young dryads for his experiment, and is able to rough out a search area.
The rest of the group turns in for the night. Eventually. You are able to get a full night's rest and prepare spells anew.
You are still finishing up your breakfast when you hear a stir among the dryads. "Grandmother!" someone says.
You look over to see a dryad with long white hair emerging from the ancient yew tree. Her face remains unlined, but her eyes are old and full of wisdom.
"I see we have visitors," she says.
"Yes, Grandmother," Quercia replies. "These are the once who will help us find Brancha. Here is Panzer, and Lothlo, and Zazu, and Nightingale, and Naithi, and Sahabiel, and Beech. We have been hoping you would speak with them."
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) Wednesday September 7th, 2022 11:27:15 PM
Zazu bows low, and Boyo kneels.
"Lady, we are happy to help however we can."
Ash (RobC) -- AC 17/12/15 -- CMD 14 -- HP 60/60 Wednesday September 7th, 2022 11:30:38 PM
Ash looks about and then to Quercia. Had she done something wrong to be omitted from the introductions? Maybe speaking to the dryads while she was eating was a faux-pas? Best not dwell on it. She'll ask Quercia about it later. Ash steps forward. If there is any ceremony required for speaking with Grandmother Yew, no-one has told her about it.
"Hi there! I'm Ash" the bloodwitch introduces herself with a smile. "We do hope there's something we can do to help find Brancha. It sounds like her being gone for so long is out of character for her. Is there anything you can tell us that might help us find her?"
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character d20+6=26 ; Thursday September 8th, 2022 12:45:33 PM
Beech gives a formal bow to the ancient Dryad, watching those who came to his mother for advice and or permission had at least taught him how to address an Elder, initially. He remains quiet, allowing those more attuned to "The Woods" to carry out the questioning. If asked Directly, "We as the founding members of our village, wish to have peaceful relations with those around us. A token was left leading us here, asking for assistance. We have arrived to offer that to you, we just don't know where to begin or at least what direction to go in."
He knows it just rehashes what has already been stated, but its best to start at the beginning, just to be clear...
Diplomacy 26 (nat 20)
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet Thursday September 8th, 2022 1:09:05 PM
Panzer dusts the crumbs of breakfast fro his chin fur and steps before the Granmother Dryad and bows. " Thank you for trusting us with this task. With the help of (names of the dryads who helped him last night) I managed to narrow down where we should expect to find Brancha. Hopefully we can get her back here before she suffers any harm from being away from home."
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Thursday September 8th, 2022 2:01:50 PM
Now that Grandmother is awake, Nightingale will wait for the others to finish badgering her, and give her a bow, "Nightingale Du'Cullain, votary of Queen Maab. We've come to help your lost daughter."
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 d20+14=15 ; Thursday September 8th, 2022 2:14:42 PM Noble Grandmother of the Forest, we will do all that we can to assist you in locating Brancha. I pray they I'm not being rude or too direct in asking this, but what would happen if you were to enter Brancha's tree? I have heard it said that when a Dryad enters her own tree that it becomes an extradimensional living space she may bring others into. Are you able to enter this space without her, and if you are, could you bring me with to look for clues and to isolate her scent? If not, can you tell if she is still bonded to the tree or is she might have bonded to another tree since her departure? This may help us to quickly locate her.
Knowledge Nature= 15 to recall knowledge about tree melding
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Thursday September 8th, 2022 2:30:59 PM
Sahabiel, now having heard the sound that an Oak makes in the forest when introducing a Beech and an Ash to a Yew to help find a Birch, feels very briefly enlightened before reminding herself this is not how a koan is supposed to work.
She curtsies, or as close to it as goes while wearing armor for the search, before Grandmother Yew. Beech seeks to be making a good introduction for all of them and she simply does her part to support that. She trusts that Beech will address the claim of the other dryads that Grandmother Yew knew more secrets of the local area and where Brancha might have ended up, but will nudge the conversation in that direction if necessary.
(ooc: Aid Another, +2 to Beech' diplomacy check)
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 Thursday September 8th, 2022 8:14:32 PM
Setting down his coffee cup, he turns toward the white haired dryad and gives a little bow. It is a pleasure to meet you Grandmother, I am Lothlo Windwood. Lothlo realizes that he doesn't have anything to add at the moment that wasn't already shared, so he waits to see what Grandmother has to share with them.
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) Thursday September 8th, 2022 9:51:48 PM
Zazu listens to the members of the party offer their names and titles, and, honestly, the elf is impressed and proud of them all.
"We've come a long way, Boyo," the trickster whispers, "since our days as slaves in an orc camp!"
DM Kathy Thursday September 8th, 2022 10:54:05 PM
"It is very nice to meet all of you," says Grandmother Yew. [OOC: Sorry, Rob! Ash was left out because your silly DM didn't double-check her post.] "Thank you for agreeing to help us."
Panzer reports on the results of his experiments, and Naithi suggests looking for clues inside Brancha's tree.
"What clever children you are!" Grandmother Yew says. "But I don't think any of that will be necessary." She turns to the other dryads. "Run along, now, and let me talk to these nice people." The other dryads depart with varying degrees of reluctance.
Grandmother Yew seats herself on a mossy rock. "Now, then," she says. "I do have some idea what might have become of Brancha. You see, the Culverwood is---" she breaks off. "How to begin," she says with a rueful smile.
After a short pause, she says. "Perhaps I'll start with a riddle of sorts: Where do you go when you go to sleep?"
Ash (RobC) -- AC 17/12/15 -- CMD 14 -- HP 60/60 Friday September 9th, 2022 1:49:06 AM
Ash finds it interesting that Grandmother Yew doesn't want the other dryads present while she talks with the party. Is there something she doesn't want them to know?
She considers the question put to her before responding. "My body stays in place, but my dreams take me away. Sometimes to good places and sometimes to bad. Sometimes to the past and sometimes to the future. My mind is free to take me anywhere".
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet Friday September 9th, 2022 11:58:43 AM
Panzer gets a weird look on his face. Did thid dryad go to sleep somewhere? Why? And why can't the other Dryads know? He answers " I go to sleep in my bed, usually in a safe place. Either my new home or in a camp with my friends to watch out for me while I rest." " Did Brancha go to sleep to become something else, like Naithi?"
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character Friday September 9th, 2022 12:24:40 PM
Beech, speaks up. [b]"I take it you mean another Realm. My mom traveled to at least two other realms that she has spoken of, there might be a third she visited. Some sort of Dreamscape or something similar?" As usual, Beech brings it straight to the point....
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Friday September 9th, 2022 3:16:24 PM
Nightingale will listen quietly to what Grandmother Yew is saying
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Friday September 9th, 2022 5:47:55 PM
Trying to answer from her understanding of basic general theology, since this is definitely outside the more specific interests of her branch of faith, Sahabiel answers; "Um.. what Beech said sounds familiar. I have heard of debates on whether the realm of dreams exists outside of ourselves, and if so, where it fits in the cosmology, but that's a bit out my area of expertise.. I'm much better with growing plants and trees and dreaming doesn't really come up much there."
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 Friday September 9th, 2022 9:03:23 PM
Lothlo considers Grandmother's question. I suppose a bedroll or hammock, though it doesn't particularly matter. A bed is just a place you store your body when you're not using it. As for my mind, I suppose it goes wherever it fancies while I dream, though I don't know much about the physical nature of dreams.
DM Kathy Friday September 9th, 2022 10:37:52 PM
Grandmother Yew nods. "Yes. You see what I mean. There are two answers, are there not? One answer is, you don't go anywhere. The other answer is, you wander among dreams. Both are true. And in a sense, the land of dreams is in the same place as your body. It is just...a different facet of the place. Or perhaps we could say a different realm, as young Beech suggests. Both your dreams and your hammock in the same place, separated by a veil of sorts."
She looks around, as if to see if you are following her. "The Culverwood has similar facets that can be visited during your waking hours, if you know how. Your body and mind remain together, and you go...deeper."
"Going deeper usually requires an act of will. However, some fae from time to time go deeper without meaning to. I believe that is what has become of Brancha. She went deeper, and something is preventing her from returning. She and her tree are both still healthy because they are not far apart. But she is on the other side of the veil."
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Saturday September 10th, 2022 9:03:04 PM
Sahabiel tries to imagine, and is left with a lot of questions, one above all the rest; "If this is where she is stuck... and ya say that if we knew how to, we too would be able to cross... then, would ya be able to teach us how to reliably reach across the veil? For it to just happen must be rare even among the fae, if none of the younger ones thought of the possibility?" Other thoughts were of how dangerous travel into an overlapping plane might be. The closest thing she had previously thought about anything like this was how travel into the fae realm always seemed a questionable pursuit for mortals, and the realm where dreams happened hardly sounded more stable.
Ash (RobC) -- AC 17/12/15 -- CMD 14 -- HP 60/60 Sunday September 11th, 2022 10:20:01 PM "When you say preventing, is it possible that she just doesn't know her way back? Or is the way back and forth clear, and something must be holding her back?"
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character Sunday September 11th, 2022 11:19:45 PM "I expect we wouldn't have been brought here, had this Dream Realm explained to us, and get told, sorry, we can't get you there... When it's time, which will when it's decided, we will be told how."
Beech, could almost picture his mother doing something like this....
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) Monday September 12th, 2022 12:31:10 AM
"We shall not see her this side of the Veil," Zazu says sadly. "So needs must we pass the Veil and hope against hope to return with her. Grandmother, tell us, please, about this act of will, and how to execute it."
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 Monday September 12th, 2022 9:22:52 AM Since the other side of the veil is also one where our physical body can reside, can you tell us a little more about how it differs from our normal dream world? I assume that if our bodies are there then we could also be in physical danger. Do our thoughts have any control over the realm like in our dreams, or is it shaped by the Culverwood, or something else entirely? And do you know if our presence will be tolerated there to a similar extent that it is in the Culverwood?
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 Monday September 12th, 2022 2:46:50 PM
Naithi nods in agreement. We would also appreciate anything you can tell us about what to expect on the other side.
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Monday September 12th, 2022 5:42:07 PM
Nightingale seems in awe as the topic of "crossing veil's" is discussed - she keeps her mouth shut though so she doesn't mess up whatever plan Sahabiel is cooking up
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet Monday September 12th, 2022 8:32:58 PM
If Panzer didn't ave fur, you would note that he has gone rather pale. After all of the other chime in with their 'absolutely we will go' remarks he just shakes his head and waits for them to stop asking questions so he can make sure he heard Grandmother Yew correctly. " I just want to be sure I understand, because I am not always the sharpest pebble in the river" ". Brancha, either unknowingly or intentionally, went through this 'veil' into the dream world and either got stuck or is being kept there. You understand the hows and whys of this place, but you want US to go there instead of you, when we have more or less never heard of this place and can't or don't really understand it, and bring her back here. The bringing back part may or may not involve negotiating with a fey creature, who are known to be somewhat fickle in their desires. If this creature that can probably come and go in our dreams whenever it wants says 'nope, I caught her and now she is mine' you want us to set her free only to bring her back here." " Is that about the idea in a nutshell?"
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) Monday September 12th, 2022 10:17:56 PM
"Panzer," says Zazu, touching his arm and laughing, "Where is your sense of adventure! Come, throw caution to the winds and embark with us on a grand quest! Fear not, these dryads are friends and in need of our help."
"Of course they cannot pursue their lost friend. They are tied to their trees, and no doubt are reluctant to leave them."
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Monday September 12th, 2022 10:24:46 PM
Sahabiel quietly pays attention not only to what Grandmother Yew is going to answer to the questions of her companions, but also to any sudden shifts in the voices or attitudes of her companions. She has no means of knowing if any of them are not under the influence of charms or other plays with the mortal mind that fey of this stature are easily capable of, and dryads do have a bit of a reputation for securing the cooperation of others by any means if they really wish something done. So far the meeting has been entirely amicable, and she has no reason not to treat friendly with these fey who share her love and protectiveness of the wood, but she kind of wants to keep that thought in mind as a safeguard just in case.
Of course, if there is a means to visit the realm on the other side of the veil of dreaming, a form of crossing that is not beholden to advanced magics, then some part of Sahabiel is at least... intrigued, as learning it might open to her a means to commune more clearly with the Will of the Wood, as that too speaks to her in dreams more than in the waking world.
DM Kathy Monday September 12th, 2022 10:25:37 PM
There are many questions for Grandmother Yew, and a few of them make reference to a "Dream World."
"I should clarify," she says. "I used the idea of a dream world only as an example, something you were already familiar with. The place beyond the veil should not be mistaken for any kind of dream realm. It is very real: another facet, or perhaps another version, of the Culverwood you see around you now. You cannot visit it in dreams; only by actually moving yourself there."
Ash asks whether Brancha is just lost, or whether she's being prevented from returning. "I don't know," says Grandmother Yew. "I hope she is simply lost. But we have to be prepared for anything."
Panzer, in his blunt way, asks about what you're expected to do. "I want to send you instead of going myself," says Grandmother Yew, "because I am but one person, and am fae like Brancha. If she has been ensnared by something, it could well ensnare me, too. There are many of you, not fae. You stand a better chance. I do not ask you to do more than you are comfortable with. If Brancha's situation proves too much for you, you should come back and tell us, so we might decide what to try next. But it is my hope that so many brave folk will prevail."
The rest of the group ask how to cross the veil, and what to expect when you get there. "To cross over, you must open your mind to the possibility. See your surroundings with more than just your eyes. Then gather your will and--push. You do not need to be moving, but it might help."
"As for what you might find there, it has been many years since I went deeper. I remember seeing a Culverwood much like this one, yet unlike it as well. Everything seemed more. More green, more lush, more alive. That is what I remember."
"I have heard that there are yet more Culverwoods beyond that one. That, having gone deeper, it is possible to go deeper still. I do not know whether this is true, and if it is true, I do not know how deep all the Culverwoods go."
She seems to remember something. "I have something that may help you," she says. She rises and returns to her tree, emerging a few moments later holding something in her hand. She sits down again and shows it to you--something wrapped in a large, fresh, green leaf. She opens the leaf to reveal a fine pale powder with a faintly greenish cast. "This powder," she says, "is made from basidirond spores. Some fae use it for vision quests. It may help alter your consciousness so that you may move through the veil more easily."
[It is a DC 15 Knowledge: Nature check to know more about basidironds.
Ash (RobC) -- AC 17/12/15 -- CMD 14 -- HP 60/60 Monday September 12th, 2022 10:36:14 PM "So some sort of hallucinogen?" Ash's mother had always told her to stay away from drugs. Would it be ok to try it this one time? She knows quite a bit about basidironds though.
"Is there some way for us to communicate with you while we're 'deeper'?"
--------------------- Knowl Nature vs DC15: 23 (Take1) = Pass!
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet Tuesday September 13th, 2022 11:54:42 AM
Panzer mentally shut out the jibes from Zazu. He kinda remembered Zazu's time in the Den of Thieves and that was not his idea of adventure. Panzer liked adventures he could remember, adventures he got to remember because he lived through them. Keeping his focus on Grandmother Yew he smiled at her reply and said, " I gathered that you wouldn't go yourself as your community does not seem to be all that martial in nature, and I understand that. From the tales I have heard I also realize what Zazu is saying in that having gotten us here you could just order us to do this and we would be unlikely to resist. The thing that gives me hope is that you haven't done that but have asked us for a favor, like one neighbor does to another. 'if you help me plow my field this spring I will help you plant yours' 'Many hands make light work' and all that. That makes me happy that I have something I can use to contribute." " I suppose my biggest question is if Brancha is being restricted from returning and it comes to a confrontation, be it a contest of wills or an actual fight, how do we proceed without incurring the wrath of the fey on the other side of the veil. I mean they can travel through more easily than we can, yes? If we end up slighting or outright angering them I fear what they might do in return, to us and to those we represent. We are part of a community, and as such we don't want to do things that could come to negatively affect that community." "Despite what Zazu says I enjoy a challenge. I have no problem in starting a fight that will just blow back on me. but I have no wish to drag the family down the street into it just because I wave to them as I pass the on the street. I strongly believe you understand what I am saying, because you have excluded the rest of your dryads from hearing this lest they test the veil and get in trouble like Brancha. I just want some advice for avoiding collateral damage."
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Tuesday September 13th, 2022 12:21:39 PM
Nightingale, curious as ever, will wander closer to the dust, in her heart, she is ready to aid the Culverwood, but again, until her compatriots are also ready, she's keeping her mouth shut, but she is humming under her breath.
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Tuesday September 13th, 2022 6:57:32 PM
Sahabiel looks at the supposedly mildly hallucinogenic powder, and then looks over t Panzer. "...it is probably a good thing ya did not try to explore any local caves on yer own last night. These spores must have come from somewhere."
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character Tuesday September 13th, 2022 7:38:40 PM
Beech not knowing a thing about natural things, pretty much ignores it, until he hears its a drug. He's not all that thrilled with taking it....
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 Tuesday September 13th, 2022 9:01:58 PM
Lothlo listens with interest as they are told about the deeper culverwood. From the way you speak of going deeper it sounds like people who go deeper tend not to go "deeper still". I know there is no way to tell for sure, but would Brancha have been more likely to avoid going "deeper still, or would you guess that the fact she hasn't returned indicates that it's more likely she found herself going deeper still?
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 d20+10=20 ; Tuesday September 13th, 2022 9:04:42 PM
Naithi shares what she knows of the spores. While we are there, are there any unique plants or animals that we might wish to bring back to cultivate? This sounds like the type of place I have heard rare medical ingredients can be found.
Knowledge Nature = 10
DM Kathy Tuesday September 13th, 2022 10:46:15 PM Ash asks whether you will be able to communicate with Grandmother Yew from the other side of the veil. "No" is the sad reply. "If there was a way to communicate, rest assured I would have spoken to Brancha well before now."
Panzer explains that he fears retaliation should your group anger the fae. "I do understand what you mean," Grandmother Yew assures you. "But fae on the other side of the veil are unlikely to know what community you represent. We ourselves did not know, when we left the lodestone for you to find. But I repeat, if a situation seems too fraught with pitfalls, you are welcome to return here and consult us about it."
Lothlo asks whether it is likely that Brancha went even deeper, into the facets beyond. "I have never heard of a dryad unintentionally going deeper still," Grandmother Yew replies. "I suppose nothing is impossible, but I think it is very unlikely."
Naithi asks about unique plants or animals, but Grandmother Yew has no information about that.
Many of you are eyeing the powder with varying degrees of skepticism. Grandmother Yew smiles. "The powder may help you go deeper," she says. "But it is quite possible to go deeper without it, using just your will and your connection to the Culverwood. Each of you can decide whether or not to use the powder."
Ash (RobC) -- AC 17/12/15 -- CMD 14 -- HP 60/60 Wednesday September 14th, 2022 3:23:24 AM "I'd rather try and go deeper without using the powder first. Mother Maab might help guide me if I focus hard enough" Ash means no disrespect at all to Grandmother Yew. She'd just really prefer not to use performance enhancing powder if it can be avoided. "Perhaps if we were all holding hands it might help? Maybe being in contact with one another might make sure we all end up in the same place. We don't want to land on different levels of 'deep'."
She then has another thought. "Is there anything we need to help us come back though? The powder or our will might be strong enough to get there, but what do we need to do to come back?"
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Wednesday September 14th, 2022 12:18:08 PM
Nightingale looks up into the sky, then at the grove around her, "Does this grove exist in the "deeper," because if it does, then that would be a good starting spot...and a place we can find again to come back through."
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet Wednesday September 14th, 2022 1:17:24 PM
Panzer cracked his knuckles and stood up. He stretched uneasily, as if shedding the tension he had felt while making sure he understood the job they needed to do. " Let me get my armor on and then we can see about this thing. I don't want to be impaired by hallucinations so I would like to try slipping deeper on my own first." He stepped away to strap on his armor
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character Wednesday September 14th, 2022 3:37:15 PM
Beech agrees that he'd try without, at least at first... He has his gear except the tent, and leaving it here, just made sense...
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Wednesday September 14th, 2022 6:08:54 PM
Sahabiel has her own reasons for declining the spore powder, of which she politely informs the elder dryad. "It is not that I do not trust the efficacy of the powder, but I believe it would be worth it to put in more effort in mastering the trick to it, and not rely on such.. artificial ease. Since we can't know if we will not end up staying on the other side longer than the powder's effect can last, we should be certain that we can make the return crossing without such a stimulant - and the best test of that is if we also got there that way. It would do nobody much good to have more people stuck on the wrong side."
That said, it looks like everyone is getting ready, and their attempt to pierce the veil will begin soon. Her own imbuement with the Wood's ancient magic feels renewed after her morning prayers. She has the prayer of Sending she would originally have used to try to contact Brancha prepared, so sending a message across the boundary of worlds back to Quercia or to Grandmother Yew, both of whom she is now sufficiently familiar with, would be possible if needed.
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) Wednesday September 14th, 2022 6:36:29 PM
Zazu accept the spores in case the effort to get deeper fails, or to help getting back if needed.
"But I would rather do it on my own, because then I could come back whenever I wanted!"
"Grandmother, I have to bring Boyo. Will that be a problem?
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 Wednesday September 14th, 2022 7:07:27 PM
Lothlo has some reservations about not taking the powder, as Grandmother seems to know what she's talking about and has their best interest in mind. Since this is a physical place, if the ones not taking the powder aren't able go deeper without it, would all of us be prevented from going deeper, or would we be split from them? And how hard would it be to find each other should we be split.
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 Wednesday September 14th, 2022 8:37:56 PM
Naithi asks if she can store the spores for later use, incase the group leaves or is expelled prematurely and needs to return to the deeper, or incase it is needed for Brancha or another to return.
DM Kathy Wednesday September 14th, 2022 10:37:22 PM Ash asks whether it would help to hold hands. "You may hold hands if you wish," says Grandmother Yew, "but each of you must find the veil and push through it on their own." You ask how to get back. "It is easier to get back than to go deeper. The process is similar, but it should not be as great a challenge."
Nightingale asks whether the grove exists in the deeper Culverwood. "It has been many years since I went deeper," Grandmother Yew said. "There was no grove then. There may be one now."
Panzer goes to put on his armor.
Beech and Sahabiel decide not to take the powder.
Zazu and Naithi want some powder to keep with them. Grandmother Yew has no objection, but you have to figure out how to carry a very small amount of very fine powder without losing it.
Lothlo is inclined to accept the powder, but asks what will happen if only some of the group moves through the veil. "You would be separated," Grandmother Yew says. "But those who did not succeed could try again, and yet again. If those beyond the veil are patient, there is not need for the separation to last long."
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Thursday September 15th, 2022 12:29:26 PM
Nightingale looks at the powder again and then shakes her head. "I'm ready to try this, Brancha needs our help."
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 Thursday September 15th, 2022 1:31:49 PM
Naithi consults with Camalayas and her animal companions to makes sure they are all ready to head out, and gives (will give right before leaving) Camalayas a potion of mighty fang... Just in case.
As for the the basidirond spores, she stores them in a special potion bottle made from a polished badger skull (Giggling Ghost Prize). Although she will use them if she needs to, she would rather avoid the potential Con damage from a failed save.
I think we are about ready, but I have one more question I just thought of. You said that these spores can be used as part of a vision quest. What does that entail exactly? Could Brancha be on a vision quest, and are there any rules we must observe if she is?
Also, are there any guideline on who can do a vision quest? I am fae touched and in the future will be among the fairykin. This sounds like it might be a beneficial experience for me, if I am prepared, or that it might complicate our search if I am not and start a vision quest unknowingly.
ooc: Naithi has two levels of morphling. At five levels of morphling she will become a fairykin, grow shorter and lighter, grow point ears and fairy/butterfly wings.
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet Thursday September 15th, 2022 4:05:53 PM
Once he is wearing his kit, Panzer steps to the water source for the glade (spring, pond, stream whatever the glade has) and selects a dry, dead cat tail.and cuts it cleanly off with his kukri. Looking through the straw he has just made , he crimps and ties one end and scoops a small amount of the spores into it to store in case he needs them. He crimps and ties the other end and has a dry tube in which to store a dose of the spores. His preparation complete he returns to Grandmother Yew and says he is ready to learn how to cross the veil.
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 Thursday September 15th, 2022 4:16:45 PM
Not wanting to bother Grandmother Yew with such trivialities, Sahabiel asks Quercia if she and her sister dryads could look after Kohlrabi until she returns. The warhorse is a smart animal, but, well, an animal. Sahabiel has no means to even explain to it where she will be going, let alone teach her mount the trick of crossing in any coordinated way with the rest of them.
(ooc: Is crossing going to be a skill check of some kind?)
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 Thursday September 15th, 2022 6:51:16 PM That's all I had. If some people are going to attempt this without assistance I would suggest setting a time frame for how long we try so that if we are split up we rejoin quickly, and so we know if something has gone wrong.
DM Kathy Thursday September 15th, 2022 10:38:41 PM Nightingale declares that she's ready to try.
Naithi is curious about vision quests. "Dryads do not do vision quests," Grandmother Yew replies. "So I doubt Brancha decided to do one on her own. Other fae do vision quests, but as I'm sure you know, there are all different kinds of fae. So there are all different kinds of vision quests. There isn't one universal set of rules."
Panzer creates a container for his powder, and is ready to depart.
Sahabiel asks the dryads to watch her horse while she is gone, and they accept.
Lothlo suggests setting up a timeframe.
The powder that Grandmother Yew offered you is a drug derived from basinirod spores. It is not the same as having a handful of "raw" spores. There is no risk of Constitution damage, for example.
Moving beyond the veil will require a skill check, DC 20. You can use Survival, Knowledge: Nature, Spellcraft, or Knowledge: Planes. If you can make an argument for using a different skill, feel free to make it.
Anyone who uses the powder gets +4 to the check. It can be inhaled or ingested.
Ash (RobC) -- AC 17/12/15 -- CMD 14 -- HP 60/60 Thursday September 15th, 2022 10:46:28 PM
Ash is ready to get moving. "We'll be back as soon as we can". She still politely declines the use of the powder.
When the group is ready, Ash concentrates hard on her breathing and the sounds of the forest around them. She pictures the different planes of the Wold in her mind and focuses on going 'deeper'. Deeper.
-------------- Taking 10, Ash can pass either of the Knowl checks and the Spellcraft check
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 Thursday September 15th, 2022 11:41:47 PM
ooc: Do animals need to make a check, and can we take 20?
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) d20+14=26 ; Thursday September 15th, 2022 11:57:32 PM
Zazu holds on tight to Boyo and thinks deep nature thoughts.
The elf's Kmow Nature is +14. If taking 10 is an option, no prob. If not, Zazu rolls a 26.
Does Boyo come thru?
Zazu (AC20, HP46) and Boyo the bunny (AC18, HP23) (Cayzle) Thursday September 15th, 2022 11:58:30 PM
Oh, and Zazu uses one of the untrapped little boxes to store spores.
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 d20+7=24 ; d20+17=24 ; Friday September 16th, 2022 12:09:35 AM
Naithi thanks the Grandmother for her help and hospitality and joins with the others.
Naithi gathers her animal friends up as she and Camalayas prepare to dive deeper into The Culverwood. Both of them are well trained in the knowledge of the forest, and even moreso in survival. Even without the aid is the spores they are able to slide in deeper with surprising ease.
ooc: I'm assuming pets and pack animals don't need to make a check. I added +2 to Camalayas for aid another, but she passes even without it.
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character Friday September 16th, 2022 12:21:30 AM
Beech will try without.....
Naithi (JamesD) AC: 24/16/19 HP: 42/42 , CMD = 18 Camalayas AC = 22/16/16 Friday September 16th, 2022 12:24:44 AM
Naithi takes a moment to ponder the nature of dream quests and quickly decides she go on one. She just needs to decide if she will go on one now, or when she is not looking for a missing person.
ooc: Are you open to Naithi doing a dream quests as part of this module or at some future time?
Beech (JohnC) AC 19(23)/14/15,HP 40/40 Character d20+16=25 ; Friday September 16th, 2022 10:55:56 AM
Beech, will hold a dose of the powder, he will then examine it. Us his detect magic to examine it further magically. And then try to activate it without actually using it to shift to this deeper version of the Culverwood...
want to use UMD to shift deeper.... Skill Check 25
Panzer Braun (David F) AC 28 (T16, FF24) CMD 26 HP 81/81 ) Character Sheet d20+6=14 ; d20+10=12 ; d20+10=24 ; Friday September 16th, 2022 1:06:03 PM
Panzer concentrates on what he knows about surviving in the wild. He visualizes it as trying to follow the trail of Brancha into the deeper Culverwood. It is going well, until he comes into a clearing and the track simply vanish. He looks up and at the edge of the clearing is Brancha's tree. He asumes she went into the tree and then deeper, but he can't go that way. Survival 14 He sighs as he open his eyes and is exactly where he started. Mental feats were never is strong suit so he accepts the aid offered by Grandmother Yew. The derivative of the spores tastes...like musty peanuts.This time he concentrates harder and really looks at the tracks as he follows them. Round the village they go and lead again to her tree. He stops and this time examines the tree more cloesly. Being a terrestrial creature, fond of being underground he finally spots the small hole at the base of the tree. a squirrel burrow maybe? It is tiny but he knows how to open it up without losing the trail. Take 10 on survival for 20 He exits into the deeper Culverwood by sputtering his way up out of the earth. Deep musty earth rich with fertilizer from the pine dull and leaf mould cover him. He stands and brushes it off, looking for the ohers.
OOC took 2 tries as long as take 10 is OK, 3 tries with the fungus aid if not. 2nd roll was 12, 3rd 24
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Spellcraft Check: d20+7=17 Friday September 16th, 2022 4:24:12 PM
Nightingale will find a space away form the others, and begin singing and dancing while calling on Queen Maab to assist her in travelling through the veil
[forgot to add the roll, sigh]
Nightingale (JonS) HP 43/43 AC 21 CMD: 21 Spellcraft check #2: d20+7=24 ; Friday September 16th, 2022 4:26:47 PM
Nightingale will increase her speed, adding her martial arts kata to her routine ... when she comes out the "other" side, she will stop and thank Queen Maab for her help
Sahabiel (EstherLauren) -- AC 22/11/21 -- HP: 56/56 d20+19=30 ; Friday September 16th, 2022 5:46:14 PM
Sahabiel listens closely as Grandmother Yew teaches the trick to crossing the veil. When it is her turn to try, she attunes herself for full awareness of the forest around her, feeling around with her senses for thin spots in the veil now that she has some idea of what she is looking for. Borrowing from how in fey lore crossroads and thresholds are places of significant power, she picks a spot where passing between two young trees standing close to each other creates the impression of going through a naturally framed doorway and starts walking towards it while she blinks rhythmically to allow for the moment where 'this side' becomes 'that side'.
After one such blink, her senses tell her that her environment has changed, and she looks around to take stock of where she is, and to locate her companions making the same crossing.
Lothlo (WillD) -- AC: 20/15/16, HP: 40/53, CMD: 23 d20+9=11 ; Friday September 16th, 2022 8:48:32 PM
Lothlo takes the spores and anxiously waits for the affects to take place. Perhaps a little too anxiously, as he seems to have trouble letting himself be be carried deeper.
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