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  #736  
Old Sep 19th, 2022, 10:39 AM
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Barry
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Before taking his place in the marching order, Barry patted Polly on the shoulder and blessed her with Kallemvor's Casting guidanceguidance. "I'm not sure how my god feels about dire wolves, but let's just assume he's prefer us fighting tyranny than feeding their bellies. I'm sure he'll see us straight. "


 


 

 
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Old Sep 20th, 2022, 05:18 PM
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Jhorn Sarkany
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The warrior aches a lot more than he would like to admit after that grueling climb. Although his armor is well received against steel, climbing is an entirely different story. His pride will never let him admit how hard that was, however. The only sign of his exertion is the sweat on his head, looking as if he had dunked himself right into the river with how stringy and soaked his hair looks. And Jhorn does just that at the bottom - shoves his head under the water for a few full seconds, and then pulls his head out and shakes it side to side like a dog. Looking at the others, he gives his small grin and says "Sorry. It's hot out."

When they prepare to move down the trail, he is ready to move but equally wary about the wolves. He tries his best to get close by Polly - tracking the wolves means she will likely run into them first, and having someone ready with hard strokes and steel behind her is ideal.


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Old Sep 21st, 2022, 10:15 AM
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Halas Fogbarrel
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The wolves hadn't frightened Halas...because he was in a tree, but the sight of so many so close was unnerving, especially with the difficulties the others were having navigating the obstacle of the cascades. Thankfully, the wolves were either not interested or didn't notice but they went up the same game trail that the group would soon be following.

Being placed near the back rear of the procession along that trail was a relief to the bard. No sense being the one to blunder into a wolf den.

 



 

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  #739  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 10:40 AM
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Aender falls into step with the others as they continue to move on. He was tired from the climb and thought the thought of fighting more wolves especially these dire wolves was unwelcome to say the least. "This place certainly is unhospitable to say the least. It would be really nice to catch a break and a place to relax and unwind a bit, I swear ever since arriving here I feel like we are constantly being watched and chased after."

He still had his hand crossbow loaded and in hand as they walked not willing to disarm himself in case they did run into further enemies ahead of them.

 


 
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  #740  
Old Sep 21st, 2022, 08:20 PM
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cross-country through the lowlands
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Stepping into the woods, you find that the mist from the falls isn't the only mist obscuring vision. The overhanging canopy of treetops further blots out the somewhat dim light making it through the perpetual cloud cover that plagues this land. The trail you currently follow is obviously made by animals rather than humans. It follows the lowest point of a crease in the land, heading North by Northwest, meaning the land rises noticeably to each side of you. The forest floor is void of undergrowth, yet bears a thick layer of loam comprised of layers of fallen leaves from many years. Slightly decayed leaves cover others in more advanced decay, masking a rotting mixture resembling rich soil that is rife with crawling worms and other insects. The leaf blanket actually makes it easier for Polly's sharp eyes and knowledge of survival to discriminate disturbed ground from its variants.

Little over an hour of traversing the trail, and Polly spots something significant. A second trail - barely discernible to those she points it out to - carries all of the wolf tracks. It seems that the dire wolf pack has a den up that way to your left and travels only from there to the water source that is their hunting grounds. The continuation of the trail North seems to carry no wolf tracks, unlike what you've been following up until now. Your first thought is to just get everyone passed the trail branch as quietly as possible, but Polly knows from experience that wolves are scent hunters. Just because they don't normally hunt this direction doesn't mean that they won't if they detect a new scent.
OOCI haven't rolled for it yet, but I will. Polly can explain to the group that there's a chance the wolves could attack from behind if they pick up the scent. This in mind (I hate to do this to you AN), you may prefer a different marching order with the evident possibility of a rear attack. Time of day is about 2 o'clock, so 4.5 more hours until blinding darkness. Probably going to look to pick a campsite within 3.5 to 4 hours.

Most of this is written under the assumption that you wish to sneak by the dire wolf pack. If you wish to do battle, the way to their den is clear.

Last edited by Wretched Rick; Sep 21st, 2022 at 08:35 PM.
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  #741  
Old Sep 22nd, 2022, 03:28 AM
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Polly Titchwillow
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Cursing her luck at the sight of the wolves' trail bending off, Polly turns to the others. 'The wolves went that way,' she whispers, pointing in the direction of the supposed den. 'Which is bad, because now they're no longer right in front of us. Meaning they'll be the ones chasing us, going forward.' She craned her neck a little, as if to make sure no wolves lingered nearby, before continuing.

'Look, we can go murder them wolves, make sure they're no longer a problem,' she suggested. 'But between Lucien, and the mules, and the fact that we're ostensibly trying to keep Ismark and Ireena out of harm's way, that seems like a bad idea. In the forest, you don't survive by going looking for trouble. We need to conserve our strength- there's nobody coming to help us if we muck this up.'

'So I say we keep going,' she says resolutely, 'but do our best to keep them wolves from coming after us. Hiding our scent works well enough,' she elaborates, digging up some of the soil with her hands and rubbing it between her palms, leaving a this layer of loam and squashed bugs on her palms. 'Rub some dirt on you, mask your scent. We'll need to hide our tracks, going forward.' Then, jokingly, she added 'or we start a fire. Plenty of dry, dead leaves here. The flames will erase our tracks, and the smoke'll put those wolves off our scent better than any dirt. Though that might be a bit... Extreme,' she chuckled quietly.



 
 
 
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  #742  
Old Sep 22nd, 2022, 06:53 AM
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Aender looked towards the trail as Polly pointed it out and sighed. She went on to explain their options and while he didn't like the idea of fighting more wolves he knew she was right and it might be safest. Of course then she went on to say one didn't go looking for trouble in the forest. She then proceeded to rub dirt and bugs between her hands to hide her scent. "Personally I like the sound of the fire better, so long as it doesn't burn the whole forest down. We likely only have a few more hours of travel before pitch dark, maybe we light a small fire and then keep moving for a couple hours then try and find a place to rest that we can try and secure somewhat? I will defer to POlly's counsel though she knows more about these things than I do for certain. I would prefer not to fight more wolves and risk further injury to any of us if possible, who knows what else is chasing us at this point?"

 


 
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  #743  
Old Sep 22nd, 2022, 04:01 PM
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”Without worrying about the wolves ahead of us, we should be able to push on and make better time.” Mara said, agreeing with Polly in her assessment as she took a sip from her waterskin. She eyed the trail towards the wolf den with visible contempt as her mouth turned down into a scowl, ”We’ll be keeping a watch anyway if they decide to come after us. I’ve had enough of those damned creatures.”

”Are they likely to pursue us, or stick to easier prey?” she asked as she nodded to Jhorn and Barry, looking for their input as well.




 


 
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  #744  
Old Sep 22nd, 2022, 09:27 PM
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Barry
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"Judging from what we've seen already, I'd say there's a good chance they'd try their luck. But if we pad out our rearguard we should be well prepared for if they do. Ireena, can you take Dixie? I think it'll be better for her to keep to the middle of the pack." Barry strokes the mule's nose and then plants a kiss on it.


 


 

 
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Old Sep 23rd, 2022, 05:47 PM
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Out of the mouths of babes
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The party, as judged by Mara, seems to cover a lot of ground after the crossroads. The first couple hours, the forest seems slightly less foreboding as it is teeming with wildlife - mostly squirrels and birds - that lends the place a similarity to a more normal woodland. The ever-present cloud cover along with a further shadowing of the forest canopy makes the sun impossible to track, although many of you suspect you are now in your last hour before true darkness grips the land once again.

An unidentifiable sense of trepidation begins to grow amongst you. It takes a few minutes to notice, but Lucian is actually the one to point it out. "Where do you suppose all the animals went?" Then you see it. An old house long abandoned tucked into the trees ahead of you. The sky chooses that fortuitous moment to open up and begin pissing all over you. Once again, Lucian pipes in. "Well, finding this shelter seems like pretty good timing." His smile fades a little as he looks around at your faces. "What?"

Last edited by Wretched Rick; Sep 23rd, 2022 at 05:51 PM.
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  #746  
Old Sep 24th, 2022, 12:36 PM
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The short rest at the bottom of the canyon was sufficient for Marybeth to stretch out her bitten leg. The bandage was clean enough but would need to be changed before sleeping. Barry reorganized the group into a single file line. Again she was towards the back but had Jhorn behind her. Having some muscle at the back made her feel more secure.
That security was even more comforting when Polly pointed out the spur trail that Wolf pack most likely lived down. No one seemed eager to go after the wolves as Polly first suggested then pivoted and recommended sneaking past as a better option. Many in the group picked up handfuls of dirt and rubbed it on the palms and boots to try to cover their scent. The rest of the day was uneasy silence. It then became apparent as the gloom of Barovia seemed to darken slightly indicating the sun was going down that the birds and small forest noises had stopped. The boy, Lucian, pointed it out to the party, that the place much more quiet.

“I don’t like it,” Beth piped up laying her eyes on the decrepit building. She had scooted her way up the column once they stopped for some reason that she couldn’t see from the back. “You don’t build a building out in the middle of the forest, especially in this place, unless you want to be left alone or are doing something secret or are an outcast. From what you have told me, Barovia is dangerous even to those that have lived here their entire lives. Strength comes from numbers in this place yes? Then why is this out here alone, surrounded by forest?

“Yes it would give us some protection from getting soaked tonight and a bit of barrier from the wolves if they have followed us. But it feels out of place to me and makes me more uneasy than being out in the woods. I don’t see any other buildings or signs of people being here for some time,” Taking a perception 10cursory glance around them.

“If we really want to use it tonight I suggest investigating it first to make sure no one or no things have taken up residence in it already,” the Sorceress pulled her cloak about her tighter both from the rain coming down and her trying to feel safe.

 


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  #747  
Old Sep 24th, 2022, 01:22 PM
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Marybeth's initial perception
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The building has held-up shockingly well considering the obvious centuries of neglect it has suffered. To the side of the building, the sorceress sees an area that had likely been a garden long ago but is now fallow. Three regularly shaped stones are aligned in a small row here. Stepping forward to investigate, Marybeth sees that they are grave markers, painstakingly carved and etched. They seem to depict the same day of death for each of the dead - children by their lifespans, ranging from toddler to pre-teen. She has no idea how old they are, as the manner of dates and time-tracking in this land are unfamiliar to her.

The house itself is clearly large enough to give everyone shelter for the night, even the mules. However, the eerie sense of trepidation, almost a sense of spiritual unrest, that you felt on the last leg of your hike seems to have grown even stronger.
OOCJust a reminder to silverfeathers (actually, everyone) that I will be rolling any perception checks in the DM secret dice thread, you are to simply ask for it when making an active one. The same goes for: arcana, history, insight, investigation, nature, religion, and survival. All others on the list will be made by the players. The idea is that knowing if a roll is high or low on these rolls conveys an unfair amount of player knowledge, i.e. a poor perception check by one character will instigate additional checks from others whereas a high roll will convince the party there's nothing more to be found - a very low insight check may instill a certainty in a character that the opposite is true, etc.

Anyone who forgets this from time to time isn't irritating me or anything, as I understand most DM's don't do this. However, your roll will be discounted, regardless of what it is.

Last edited by Wretched Rick; Sep 24th, 2022 at 06:14 PM.
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  #748  
Old Sep 24th, 2022, 07:42 PM
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Barry
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"Well...that's most definitely haunted." said the cleric. "And the same day of death for 3 children....yeah..." he didn't even need to finish the sentence. Barry had the feeling that the house wasn't as abandoned by the living as it seemed, for who would be the one to make the graves?
"I guess one smart choice would be to keep on walking. But with the wolves close by this does give us a lifeline. So option number 2 is head on in and take care of whatever is going to try and kill us in there, before taking shelter."


 


 

 
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Old Sep 25th, 2022, 09:41 PM
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”I’d rather not spend all night in this pissing rain,” Mara called out as they debated whether or not to head inside the abandoned building. Also don't want to spend hours cleaning the rust outta my weapons and armour, she thought as she shook the gathered moisture from her brow. ”Let me go first to check for trouble of the usual sort; at least then we’ll know for sure.”

Halberd in hand, Mara walked past Marybeth up to the front door, pausing only to nod to the others before pushing her way into the seemingly abandoned home. ”Hello? Anyone inside?”




 


 
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Old Sep 26th, 2022, 05:30 AM
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Polly Titchwillow
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'Quite a lot of people I know had their own little remote cabins in the woods,' Polly countered, arms crossed. 'Mind you, they were all stark raving mad. But in a place as awful as this, I can't really blame people for not wanting other people around. Some people like being alone.' The Hexblood stared ahead bitterly- she'd never admit it, but she certainly did not count herself among those people.

Forcing her sombre thoughts aside, Polly shook her head. 'Look, I'm not saying I trust this place... Or anywhere in this country, really. But do you think this could be the saint's house? Or maybe one of the fanes- the Ladies Three the old lady spoke of?' She looked around, scrunching her nose. 'If I were a goddess of the swamp, well, this certainly wouldn't be a half bad place to build my home,' she quipped.

Stepping up, she joined Mara as the half-orc made her way inside. 'Hold up,' she bid her friend. 'Best not to go alone, just in case Barry's right about this place,' the Hexblood jested.


 
 
 
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