Game Thread Deep Thoughts: Getting There Is Half the Fun - Page 29

Cheshire · #**421** Mar 15th, 2023, 09:40 PM

Tolan had taken two steps toward the open door when Gil put his hand out. "Hey what are you-?" The halfling looked up and the half-elf and about to argue with him until he saw the look on his face. The rogue hug on every word that his friend was saying. Over their time together, Tolan had learned that Gil was one that he could trust.

Tolan had once fooled a crowd into believing that he was a wizard....although he could only use one "spell" and even then it wasn't very good. He had always wanted to learn magic but it was not his forte. So he learned to trust those who could do magic. The fact that the sorcerer was so afraid to go into the room made the halfling second guess his decision to run through the room.

He nodded slowly. "Alright....alright, I trust your judgement. If you say that something is in there like that...then we leave. We will do Morgan no good if we are controlled like that armored elf thing that attacked us. We will find another way." With a smile, Tolan followed Gil out of the crash. "Which way do you think Storm went?"

secretID · #**422** Mar 23rd, 2023, 12:00 PM

First Steps Home
Tolan, somewhat reluctantly, and Gil, without hesitation, decide to entirely withdraw from the wreck, leaving behind the gruesome tableau comprising Bern’s broken corpse, the ambusher’s severely mutilated one, and the floundering parasite.

Once outside, a weight falls from the two adventurers. Though it remains only meters away, the wreck interior seems another world escaped, or a nightmare concluded. Grave as their duties remain, the explorers’ steps lighten as they move further from the wreck, and the additionally threatening ocean.

Gil and Tolan have little difficulty catching up to Storm, lugging his precious freight inland toward the party’s last camp. They briefly describe their last findings as the trio complete their short walk.

Back at the nearby camp, the explorers make a startling discovery: the mer-giant, last seen here struggling against its bounds, lies still in a drying pool of its blood, throat slit.

Corwin · #**423** Mar 23rd, 2023, 05:06 PM

Gillerithan Taverner - Sorcerer 3

"...so that's it, the Jarl can send his boys ta stuff the wreck fulla firewood an' oil an' light it up like a bread oven. Get a wizard in ta blow it up. However 'e wants ta do it so long as we don't get our brains et an' we get Morgan took care of." They arrived at the cold camp, where there was a complete and total lack of incoherent snarling and gurgling coming from the fishman.

Gil stared at the dead merrow, his head tilted like a dog trying to figure out how to open a door. "Fer real? Whatever, Big Fish woulda just tried to kill us again anyhow if it got loose, but all we need is somethin' else 'round 'ere tryin' ta gut us. We gotta go, an' we gotta keep our eyes open the whole way back. Figure out what how to tell the Jarl along the way, I guess."

Cheshire · #**424** Mar 23rd, 2023, 08:04 PM

Tolan strutted back to the camp with Gil and Storm. "Right now we don't have to worry about that weird tank. Lets just see if we can find a way to bring Morgan back." The halfling was now making it his life's mission to bring the cleric back to life.

When the group found the dead creature, Tolan simply shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about what of whom ever killed that thing. I am guessing he is a friend....lets say it was a killing of both mercy and vengeance." Whistling the halfling circled the now cold fire pit. "So anything else we are going to do here or should we just head back?"

BlackDragon0 · #**425** Mar 24th, 2023, 03:07 AM

Storm

Storm slowed as his companions caught up and explained what they saw.
"Sorry i didn't wait. But the sooner we get Morgan to help the better. Plus the thought of one of those things crawling in side her and taking her over, just didn't
sit well. Plus with only 3 of us we need more numbers. , said Storm.
"We should head to town and warn..., as they found the dead mercreature his words trailed off. This was unsettling they just left one danger, only to walk into another.

" Ok this is worse than if it escaped.
See i told you we should have used him as a birdy. At least its death would have served a purpose. "

" We need to look around. Whoever did this could be laying in wait for us.", he said putting Morgan's body down and first looked over the dead fish guy. Then began scanning the area hoping whoever killed it was gone.

ooc 2nd lv. tempest cleric. Dragonborn.(bronze)

secretID · #**426** Mar 24th, 2023, 10:48 AM

No Clue
Storm finds no evidence of any recent presence in the area other than the explorers themselves. Investigating the body, Storm concludes that the monster was murdered with a short, sharp blade. He finds nothing more interesting beyond that.

Corwin · #**427** Mar 27th, 2023, 08:58 PM

Gillerithan Taverner - Sorcerer 3

Gil nodded. "Jus' one more reason to hightail it, not like we need another one. Back ta Fishbark, yah? Quick, quiet, an' careful. An' away from the water. Ya got Morgan, Storm, 'r we need ta set up a sling an' split the weight?" He glanced back at the merrow, not wanting even to lose the time it would take to recover his rope and rig a stretcher.

"So we gotta talk the Jarl inta fixin' Morgan up. We got a lot ta work with. Found out 'bout the brain maggots, found the sahuagin gotta be in on it one way 'r the other, either they're worm-brained themself 'r they're in cahoots. Most o' all, they was tryin' ta get maggots inta Fishbark. No way leavin' poor Bern out there was nothin' but a trap ta get him on a boat ta town." The sorcerer stopped ticking off points on his fingers.

"We jus' gotta drive it home, no uncertain terms, jus' how much danger they're in an' exactly how they owe their lives ta Morgan. Northern folk, I can tell ya from life, love a damn big long hero story, like long enough ta eat through a few roast boars and knock back barrels o' ale durin' a blizzard when there ain't nothin ta do but yak. Y'all ever do any speechifyin'? Story-tellin? Like bards do?" The sorcerer suddenly didn't like where things were headed, but he'd do it if he had to.

Cheshire · #**428** Mar 27th, 2023, 09:43 PM

Tolan was circling the old campfire while listening to Gil speak. "Those are some deep almost disturbing thoughts there Gil. I really hope they have not been infiltrated by those....things..." He stopped and cleared his throat, then turned on his heel to face the two allies. "As for story telling? Well my friend, I am proud to let you know, that story telling is what I do." He put his hands on his hips. "I can talk my way into anywhere. I once sold a rock to an earth elemental. Just leave it to me."

secretID · #**429** Mar 28th, 2023, 01:23 AM

The three surviving explorers, having explored more than enough in their estimation, decide to immediately return to Fishbark. Given the relatively early hour, they would be optimistic that they could reach the village well before dark, but on this return trip they must contend with the new burden of Morgan’s corpse. Storm has proven impressively strong, but the burden of Morgan, herself armored and well equipped, would wear him down eventually during the long walk. In the end, the only sensible course is clear: the adventurers awkwardly remove Morgan’s armor to transfer it, and much of her gear, to Gil; Tolan, after all, is too tuckered out to do much more than keep his own feet over the rocky terrain.

Barely a word is spoken during the hike back to the village. Every step the party takes away from the horrors and the tragedy of the wreck is a step closer to the difficult task before them, the resurrection of Morgan. As they finally reenter Fishbark, the adventurers would be forgiven for dismissing their quest as impossible here in this humble backwater.

OOCThe party has arrived safely and without incident.

BlackDragon0 · #**430** Mar 28th, 2023, 05:52 PM

Storm

Storm finished looking and found nothing.
"So it seems like who ever killed it did so and left." ,said Storm.
"We should head to town. Tell them everything we've seen. And advice them to destroy it. "
, he suggested. He then carried Morgan as far towards town as he could. But they had to stop and take her gear off and have Gil carry it. But most the walk was peaceful.

"There's the town. So we have probably done our jobs well enough. But if they want us to do more we need Morgan and a few more sellswords. If we want to survive. But if they take our advice and go to destroy it we could offer to gaurd and help those sent to do so. But again we will need Morgan back. What do you guys think?" finished the dragonborn as he headed for the hall they first stopped in.

ooc 2nd lv. tempest cleric. Dragonborn.(bronze)

Corwin · #**431** Mar 30th, 2023, 11:19 PM

Gillerithan Taverner - Sorcerer 3

Gods, Morgan wore a lot of gear. Gil had his mind on other things, he barely noticed the weight most of the trip. "I can talk my way into anywhere. I once sold a rock to an earth elemental. Just leave it to me." "Eeeeeh, not doubtin' ya, Tolan, but ya feelin' up ta it?" It was sketchy either way, Gil thought. None of them were really on top of things. There were parts he didn't even know, the merrow that pulled Storm down had gone way beyond his sight, and he'd spent a bit of the fight with the elf-thing on the floor. "So what 'appened underwater anyhow? All I could do after I lost y'all was cosh Big Fish."

"There's the town. So we have probably done our jobs well enough. But if they want us to do more we need Morgan and a few more sellswords. If we wantto survive. But if they take our advice and go to destroy it we could offer to gaurd and help those sent to do so. But again we will need Morgan back. What do you guys think?" "Mmmhmm. Whatever we gotta do to get Morgan fixed up, we're gonna do. We gotta go back, fine. Let's nail down what we're gonna tell the Jarl."

Cheshire · #**432** Mar 31st, 2023, 09:24 PM

"Eeeeeh, not doubtin' ya, Tolan, but ya feelin' up ta it?"

Until now, Tolan had been running on pure adrenaline. It wasn't until they made their way into town that he realized just how tired he really was. "You know Gil...I think I shall step down and let you do the talking. I will say my peace if I need to, but I think you can handle it." When Gil asked what happened to them under the water, the halfling lowered his head. "She was so brave.... When Storm was dragged under, I followed Morgan as best I could. She was faster than I was." He trailed off a little before continuing the story. "When I caught up to them Morgan was face to face with the fish thing, I got a lucky shot off and did enough to scare it off. That is when we grabbed Storm and swam to the surface. I did everything I could to keep him alive. Feeding him berries every chance I got. We were lucky to get Storm out of there...for a moment I thought that there was no chance of saving him."

"Mmmhmm. Whatever we gotta do to get Morgan fixed up, we're gonna do. We gotta go back, fine. Let's nail down what we're gonna tell the Jarl."

Tolan yawned and nodded. "I will follow your lead. First things first is getting Morgan back...."

Corwin · #**433** Apr 4th, 2023, 10:36 PM

Gillerithan Taverner - Sorcerer 3

Gil nodded. "Right then. So's we get in ta see the Jarl an' 'is boys and tell 'em what's what. Storm, if'n ya could, lay Morgan down on a table, as close ta the head o' the hall as ya can, in a proper place o' honor fer a fallen hero. Gonna set her armor by 'er, ain't no way a buncha warriors c'n mistake how it was slashed through. I'll kick it off, y'all fill in where ya was underwater or I was knocked out, just in yer own words."

Gil knew how it was done. Not the way his mom's side of the family did it though, they'd sing to a tree for a week and the poor tree was like to be dying of boredom by the first hour of the ordeal. His dad's tribe did it right, they could liven up a long winter night. Storytelling couldn't be all that hard if bards could do it. Kind of like sorcery, you just convinced the world you knew how magic worked, even when you didn't.

He gave the door of the Jarl's hall a solid thump, then another, then a third.

secretID · #**434** Apr 10th, 2023, 10:26 AM

Ever Helpful

The three surviving explorers carry the Morgan through the village in the late afternoon light. Everyone witnessing their passing stops to watch, so that by the time the party reaches the jarl’s hall, this last stretch has taken on the air of a funeral procession. The party is waved right in.

Inside, it appears the jarl has been notified of the party’s return. As the battered adventurers enter, he waves for a space to be cleared on the big table to receive Morgan’s corpse. It immediately becomes clear that she is beyond mundane help. Rather than ask any questions, the jarl waits silently for the party’s report.

Frostgale listens without interruption as Gil and Tolan describe the explorers’ trials and discoveries. The three adventurers can feel in the anxiety in the room when the story of the parasitic infections is told. When Gil and Tolan have finished, the jarl at first ignores their concerns about Morgan, and grills them with his own questions – what might still be worth salvaging from the wreck, how dangerous it is, and what it would take to destroy it. He seems disappointed, and a little annoyed with their answers.

Frostgale does finally respond to the party’s questions. “We don’t have anything like that magic here,” he says, “and I don’t know if we would want it. The gods honor victory, and sacrifice – what do they think of second chances?” The jarl leaves that question in the air for a moment before offering something more useful. “If that is what you want, there is one who may know, in Grumbulbarg. The Saltwood woman – Olgis. They have a store there. As for your gold,” he says, “talk to the Order about that – they hired you.”

OOCThe PCs are aware that: 1) returning to The Journey is their best route to getting paid and/or getting to Grumbulbarg; 2) there’s a Raise Dead scroll available in Westhaven; 3) at standard rates, their payment for this mission will be more than twice the cost of the scroll; 4) a cleric must use the scroll; and 5) there are likely sufficiently skilled clerics around in Westhaven, though this isn’t a commonly marketed service.

Corwin · #**435** Apr 14th, 2023, 11:06 PM

Gillerithan Taverner - Sorcerer 3

Gil kept his tone low and even all through Jarl Frostgale's interrogation, and was grinding his teeth together to keep his mouth shut by the end. The gods honor victory, and sacrifice. Self-righteous git. What a load of pants. Gil guessed the Jarl's gods also honored getting flabby on ale and roast pork, which looked to be about all the victory and sacrifice that ever went on in the Jarl's hall. At least the miserable old fart offered a scrap of info at the end, which didn't make up much for him not having the cash.

"Awful helpful, sir. Burn that thing, we're tellin' ya. Hope y'all don't get yer brains et." Gil gathered Morgan's armor and barely waited for Storm and Tolan to gather up Morgan's remains before heading for the docks.

The Jarl didn't matter though and not his dinner club either, though Gil would have felt bad if the Fishbark fisher folk who hadn't done any wrong by them got a case of maggots. They wound up back on the docks, flagging down the Journey to send an outrigger to the pier.

OOCI'm assuming the Journey is still there, let me know if it isn't.

Are you confused and wondering what is going on here? Check out this YouTube video to get the scoop.