This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Luna considers visiting his older sister to say his farewells but decides against it. 15 minutes would not be enough time to sneak his way to her abode, and he's been in the city's bowels before. It was not anything to bother his sister for. Instead, Luna goes off to scavenge for sturdy bags to carry books in. He didn't have the money to shop for bags, so he was just keeping an eye out for any that were discarded and still usable. Luna then meets at the rendezvous point once the 15 minutes pass.
Not sure if I'd be rolling for perception or investigation, so I'll roll a d20 and include both modifiers for DM's consideration.
Ability Check: 2
Perception: +3
Investigation: -1
edit: Well, with that roll it doesn't even matter :p
It is a few minutes before the alotted time that Xilbella comes striding towards the exit. She has her raven hair still done up in the same braid as earlier, with a rapier at one hip and her heavy crossbow hanging from the pack that she has now across her back. She gives a nod of greeting to any of the crew already waiting, and waits patiently for the others who have not arrived as of yet. The long barrel of a muscot can be seen sticking out one side of her pack.
After his last minute preparations, Dranon heads towards the exit to meet up with the rest of the party. Once there, he nods politely to Xilbella. While waiting for the others to arrive, he gives his pack one last look. “I brought some extra sacks in case others couldn’t.” Placing his compact pack on his back, he readies himself for the road ahead.
The whole crew, now adequately armed, gathers by the gate. Well, perhaps gate is not the right word for it. It is a large crack in the Inner Wall, running up the side, nearly halfway to the top. It is thin near the top, in some places nearly imperceptible, but widens out near the bottom until it is large enough for a person to enter easily enough. There are a few guards posted nearby, both to protect the valuable location from those in the Outskirts who might try to claim it, and to protect the Talechasers' Guild against anything that might enter from within the walls. They stand aside, and the party moves through the crack. It's a tight squeeze, especially for Dranon, but you all make it through with minimal trouble.
The Inner City is very much a different sight than the Outskirts. Whereas in the Outskirts, Weeds are more the exception than the norm, in here almost every building is covered with thick, sickly-green vines. Hunched over, sometimes curled up, sometimes slumped back, gazing at the sky, Weed-Walkers speckle the environment. In the darkness, they are inactive, starved of the sunlight that gives them life, but you all know that the slightest disturbance may trigger them to move and attack. The streets are relatively clear, at least in this area, save for the occasional twitching Weed-Walker or thick, fattened vine creeping across the road. Your instructions have you traveling widdershins along the wall, though you suspect that the path won't be as straightforward as it seems. The darkness is thick here, the streetlights long since haven gone out, and though darkvision allows some to see, your vision lacks detail and color.
And so, your first Gutrun begins! Go ahead and pick a navigator, who will be making checks to guide the group. Survival is the primary skill needed, though others may be called for. Also choose a marching order and a travel pace. Fast will reduce your ability to perceive danger but will get you there faster, slow will allow you to use stealth but will get you there slower, medium provides no benefits or detriments.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
(Luna has a +0 to survival, so someone else should be navigator. I'll put a vote in for a normal pace, though slow is fine too if everyone prefers that. Luna is a ranged fighter, so he will stay towards the back of the marching order.)
Dranon continues his conversation with Xilbella, even as Luna arrives. “I’ve also infused a bag.” He pats the satchel strung over his shoulder that rests snugly against his hip. “It should help significantly.”
(ooc: I also vote for normal pace. With +4 Survival and +4 Perception, Dranon can either take the lead as scout or take up the rear against potential ambush. Considering the group composition, from a RP perspective, he’d volunteer to take lead.)
"One moment all..." Xilbella says as they all stand just outside the raggid split in the wall. She lets the less-experienced with the city get a good look at the immobile walkers, giving them a long moment to take it all in. "Before we move any further, let us discuss what we each can give to the others, and if there is anything we can do to aid each other." She holds everyone's eyes for a long moment. "My skills lie with stealth and ranged fighting." She says at last. "I have a crossbow, as well as a muscot, both normal, non-magical, weapons." She pats a small pouch at her waist. "In here I can pull small balls of fur and summon forth animals to aid us as needed." She pauses for a long moment. "I have heard the rumors about me, around the guild, and want you to know here and now that most of them are true." She holds each person's eyes for a long moment again. "Yes I can speak with those recently deceased, and, yes, I can call on the spirits of the dead to aid me. These things I will do as needed, to aid us in our tasks. It is not something I do lightly though, as everything I ask of the spirits costs them, and me." She waits a bit then nods. "Now, I know a couple of you are crafters, and are able to create magical items." She looks to Dranon. "You have infused a bag with powers, does this make it have extra space or are you able to pull balls of fur out of it, like my bag? Do you have anything else you have infused?" She will look to each person in turn, asking them about their skills and gear.
Meriele can barely see in the darkness, and she feels clumsy and out of place in her mother's chain armor. But the quarterstaff feels weighty and familiar in her hand, and all her years spent creeping the alleyways, running errands to Blood & Gold, helping her father draft maps, and living on very little with her thrifty and careful family has given her a strong eye to find her way around and find what she needs to survive. Still, she's never been through the Inner Walls. She's heard many, many, tales, though. She takes a good look at the Weeds and their walkers, and shivers.
"I... I don't think I have much that can help," she admits to Xilbella, feeling her face flush. The spirits of the dead? Who are they? I don't suppose she's talking about the Saint."My father makes maps, and I've been around the City a lot, but never in here. Also, I... um... I can't really see."
(Meriele has a Survival +6 and Perception +3. She is a Human with no class features. RP-wise, she will defer to the others in terms of her role. Normal pace is fine.)
(In my posts I assumed it was morning, however it seems to be night. What is the actual time of day?)
Looking at Xilbella, “Aside from minor cantrips and spell abilities, my skills lie primarily in fighting, both ranged and up close. I do have some crafting abilities to help bolster those skills.” Pulling the unique firearm from his back, “Despite it’s appearance, this is actually a great crossbow infused to create its own ammunition. It’s called ShadowBane. And, was my father’s. Though I’ve made some improvements. It was gifted to me upon his death. He died protecting Talechasers.” He leaves the story there before continuing. Again, patting the satchel resting on his hip, “This bag has been infused to hold far more it would appear. More than 15x one of these sacks.” He holds out three sacks for the team to take. “Be it fur, books or other, it can hold whatever we need it to hold. It will be invaluable when bringing home as many books as we can.”
(occ: Dranon is Figther 3/ Artificer 2. As such, unfortunately, he currently has only two infusions. Both of which are described above. The latter infusion can be adjusted as the team needs.)
Luna rests a hand on an empty holster on his hip, "I'm pretty skilled at taking down enemies from a distance. I've got a few spells up my sleeve, but I tend to gutrun solo so they won't benefit any of you much unfortunately. I can stealth too, but probably not as good as you Xilbella. But if a situation ever requires a bit of charisma, I'm your man."
(Okay, so I have Dranon in the front as navigator(since N0BLE stated that he would likely try and take the lead), Meriele and Soren in the middle, and Luna and Xilbella in the back, traveling at a normal pace. If this doesn't work, please let me know.)
The group begins the first leg of their journey, proceeding carefully widdershins along the wall, though not going so slow as to delay their pace. They pace by many a ruined, gutted building, their interiors long since claimed by Weeds, buried under rubble, or picked clean by past Gutrunners. Here, in the edges of the Inner City, the houses are relatively sparse. Most are between one and three stories tall, and are organized in neat streets that only twist and turn haphazardly into each other around a quarter of the time.
Dranon, make a survival roll.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
(Unfortunately, I'm ruling it that only one person can serve as navigator at a time)
Dranon eagerly takes charge, and for the first few hours the pace is steady and the party's movement unhindered. Around the edge of the walls, there are fewer Weed-Walkers, since traffic through the area is much more common. However, this does not mean that there are none. Around three hours in, the party runs into a Weald blocking their path. The house is overgrown with weeds, but not the fresh vines which trail and curl and whip and twist. Not even the fat, sickly looking things which lay heavily across the roads, sprouting tiny tendrils or jagged thorns. These weeds are old things, having dried out, solidified, becoming similar to bark. Like a strangler fig, these old, thick vines spread all over the house, going in through its windows, spilling from its doors, branching like sick, brown veins. Fresher vines sprout from them, and the twisted, splayed out things that may have once been Weed-Walkers stick to the walls and floors. The sane know to avoid a Weald, for while the bark-like vines are now old and non-dangerous, there are worse things that lurk within such places.
Dranon is forced to take a detour deeper into the Guts of the city. While Bourne Street, the road that borders the entirety of the Inner City, is relatively constant in its curving, the streets deeper in are... not as nice. After a few faulty turns, Dranon is forced to admit that he is, in fact, lost. The party spends another two hours wandering the streets of the Inner City, thankfully avoiding any active Walkers or Goblinoid camps. Eventually they make it back to Bourne Street, but only an hour away from their destination, the first rays of sunlight begin lighting the sky. Soon the sun will peek over the Inner Wall, and the Weed-Walkers will begin to wake.
The party is confronted with a choice: take shelter in a house for the day, delaying their journey and risking whatever might lurk within, or pressing on, potentially risking an attack by Weed-Walkers.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"Hold up a minute." Xilbella calls, drawing everyone in for a quick discussion. "It is getting towards dawn." She says, glancing to the lightening sky. "I think it would be better if we find a place to hole-up for the day. We don't want to risk a run-in with a walker, or worse." She glances around at the houses nearby. "The houses, and other hiding places, are just as likely to have something in them, but, once we deal with whatever it is, we can stay there safely for the night. Risking an ongoing fight with walkers is a lot more dangerous in my opinion." She glances to the rest of the group though, clearly wishing to hear their opinions as well.
“I agree”, says Dranon. “Our travel, thus far, has been a bit more challenging than normal. Due in part to our unexpected detour, we could all use the rest.” He looks over to the house an surrounding area. “I’d rather clear out this area, here and now, if need be, than to chance of extended running fight with Weed Walkers or worse.” LIke, Xilbella, Dranon looks to his teammates for their input.
Meriele has slogged dutifully for the past several hours in her heavy chain armor, and fishes in her backpack for her waterskin when they stop. "I trust your judgment, Xilbella," she says. "Are we very far from the place the Teller has sent us to? Perhaps we could hole up there, and then we could read the books we find, while we wait for night."
Luna joins the conversation, "I'm in favor of clearing out a house. Best we get into a fight now while most of the weeds are inactive. I reckon whatever's in that Weald is gonna be particularly nasty, but if we hurry we may be able to get the jump on it while it's still dark out. I reckon whatever's in these houses are still sleepin'. We can probably get the jump on 'em if we play our cards right. If you need, I can scout a house first. Shadows and stealth are how I've survived so long as a gutrunner."
(edit: read DM's post wrong about when the party encountered the Weald. Made edits to match.)
(You've passed the first Weald at this point, it was the thing that forced you to take a detour and subsequently get lost. There are no visible Wealds in this area.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
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Luna considers visiting his older sister to say his farewells but decides against it. 15 minutes would not be enough time to sneak his way to her abode, and he's been in the city's bowels before. It was not anything to bother his sister for. Instead, Luna goes off to scavenge for sturdy bags to carry books in. He didn't have the money to shop for bags, so he was just keeping an eye out for any that were discarded and still usable. Luna then meets at the rendezvous point once the 15 minutes pass.
Not sure if I'd be rolling for perception or investigation, so I'll roll a d20 and include both modifiers for DM's consideration.
Ability Check: 2
edit: Well, with that roll it doesn't even matter :p
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
It is a few minutes before the alotted time that Xilbella comes striding towards the exit. She has her raven hair still done up in the same braid as earlier, with a rapier at one hip and her heavy crossbow hanging from the pack that she has now across her back. She gives a nod of greeting to any of the crew already waiting, and waits patiently for the others who have not arrived as of yet. The long barrel of a muscot can be seen sticking out one side of her pack.
After his last minute preparations, Dranon heads towards the exit to meet up with the rest of the party. Once there, he nods politely to Xilbella. While waiting for the others to arrive, he gives his pack one last look. “I brought some extra sacks in case others couldn’t.” Placing his compact pack on his back, he readies himself for the road ahead.
The whole crew, now adequately armed, gathers by the gate. Well, perhaps gate is not the right word for it. It is a large crack in the Inner Wall, running up the side, nearly halfway to the top. It is thin near the top, in some places nearly imperceptible, but widens out near the bottom until it is large enough for a person to enter easily enough. There are a few guards posted nearby, both to protect the valuable location from those in the Outskirts who might try to claim it, and to protect the Talechasers' Guild against anything that might enter from within the walls. They stand aside, and the party moves through the crack. It's a tight squeeze, especially for Dranon, but you all make it through with minimal trouble.
The Inner City is very much a different sight than the Outskirts. Whereas in the Outskirts, Weeds are more the exception than the norm, in here almost every building is covered with thick, sickly-green vines. Hunched over, sometimes curled up, sometimes slumped back, gazing at the sky, Weed-Walkers speckle the environment. In the darkness, they are inactive, starved of the sunlight that gives them life, but you all know that the slightest disturbance may trigger them to move and attack. The streets are relatively clear, at least in this area, save for the occasional twitching Weed-Walker or thick, fattened vine creeping across the road. Your instructions have you traveling widdershins along the wall, though you suspect that the path won't be as straightforward as it seems. The darkness is thick here, the streetlights long since haven gone out, and though darkvision allows some to see, your vision lacks detail and color.
And so, your first Gutrun begins! Go ahead and pick a navigator, who will be making checks to guide the group. Survival is the primary skill needed, though others may be called for. Also choose a marching order and a travel pace. Fast will reduce your ability to perceive danger but will get you there faster, slow will allow you to use stealth but will get you there slower, medium provides no benefits or detriments.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
(Luna has a +0 to survival, so someone else should be navigator. I'll put a vote in for a normal pace, though slow is fine too if everyone prefers that. Luna is a ranged fighter, so he will stay towards the back of the marching order.)
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
Dranon continues his conversation with Xilbella, even as Luna arrives. “I’ve also infused a bag.” He pats the satchel strung over his shoulder that rests snugly against his hip. “It should help significantly.”
(ooc: I also vote for normal pace. With +4 Survival and +4 Perception, Dranon can either take the lead as scout or take up the rear against potential ambush. Considering the group composition, from a RP perspective, he’d volunteer to take lead.)
"One moment all..." Xilbella says as they all stand just outside the raggid split in the wall. She lets the less-experienced with the city get a good look at the immobile walkers, giving them a long moment to take it all in. "Before we move any further, let us discuss what we each can give to the others, and if there is anything we can do to aid each other." She holds everyone's eyes for a long moment. "My skills lie with stealth and ranged fighting." She says at last. "I have a crossbow, as well as a muscot, both normal, non-magical, weapons." She pats a small pouch at her waist. "In here I can pull small balls of fur and summon forth animals to aid us as needed." She pauses for a long moment. "I have heard the rumors about me, around the guild, and want you to know here and now that most of them are true." She holds each person's eyes for a long moment again. "Yes I can speak with those recently deceased, and, yes, I can call on the spirits of the dead to aid me. These things I will do as needed, to aid us in our tasks. It is not something I do lightly though, as everything I ask of the spirits costs them, and me." She waits a bit then nods. "Now, I know a couple of you are crafters, and are able to create magical items." She looks to Dranon. "You have infused a bag with powers, does this make it have extra space or are you able to pull balls of fur out of it, like my bag? Do you have anything else you have infused?" She will look to each person in turn, asking them about their skills and gear.
Meriele can barely see in the darkness, and she feels clumsy and out of place in her mother's chain armor. But the quarterstaff feels weighty and familiar in her hand, and all her years spent creeping the alleyways, running errands to Blood & Gold, helping her father draft maps, and living on very little with her thrifty and careful family has given her a strong eye to find her way around and find what she needs to survive. Still, she's never been through the Inner Walls. She's heard many, many, tales, though. She takes a good look at the Weeds and their walkers, and shivers.
"I... I don't think I have much that can help," she admits to Xilbella, feeling her face flush. The spirits of the dead? Who are they? I don't suppose she's talking about the Saint. "My father makes maps, and I've been around the City a lot, but never in here. Also, I... um... I can't really see."
(Meriele has a Survival +6 and Perception +3. She is a Human with no class features. RP-wise, she will defer to the others in terms of her role. Normal pace is fine.)
(In my posts I assumed it was morning, however it seems to be night. What is the actual time of day?)
Looking at Xilbella, “Aside from minor cantrips and spell abilities, my skills lie primarily in fighting, both ranged and up close. I do have some crafting abilities to help bolster those skills.” Pulling the unique firearm from his back, “Despite it’s appearance, this is actually a great crossbow infused to create its own ammunition. It’s called ShadowBane. And, was my father’s. Though I’ve made some improvements. It was gifted to me upon his death. He died protecting Talechasers.” He leaves the story there before continuing. Again, patting the satchel resting on his hip, “This bag has been infused to hold far more it would appear. More than 15x one of these sacks.” He holds out three sacks for the team to take. “Be it fur, books or other, it can hold whatever we need it to hold. It will be invaluable when bringing home as many books as we can.”
(occ: Dranon is Figther 3/ Artificer 2. As such, unfortunately, he currently has only two infusions. Both of which are described above. The latter infusion can be adjusted as the team needs.)
(Sorry, I should have been more clear. Gutruns are almost always taken during the night, to avoid the time when the Weeds are active.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Luna rests a hand on an empty holster on his hip, "I'm pretty skilled at taking down enemies from a distance. I've got a few spells up my sleeve, but I tend to gutrun solo so they won't benefit any of you much unfortunately. I can stealth too, but probably not as good as you Xilbella. But if a situation ever requires a bit of charisma, I'm your man."
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
(Okay, so I have Dranon in the front as navigator(since N0BLE stated that he would likely try and take the lead), Meriele and Soren in the middle, and Luna and Xilbella in the back, traveling at a normal pace. If this doesn't work, please let me know.)
The group begins the first leg of their journey, proceeding carefully widdershins along the wall, though not going so slow as to delay their pace. They pace by many a ruined, gutted building, their interiors long since claimed by Weeds, buried under rubble, or picked clean by past Gutrunners. Here, in the edges of the Inner City, the houses are relatively sparse. Most are between one and three stories tall, and are organized in neat streets that only twist and turn haphazardly into each other around a quarter of the time.
Dranon, make a survival roll.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Survival 17
(occ: Hmm…certainly not the best start.)
As Xilbella would be second in line can she help with the survival roll? She does have a +5 to survival...
(Unfortunately, I'm ruling it that only one person can serve as navigator at a time)
Dranon eagerly takes charge, and for the first few hours the pace is steady and the party's movement unhindered. Around the edge of the walls, there are fewer Weed-Walkers, since traffic through the area is much more common. However, this does not mean that there are none. Around three hours in, the party runs into a Weald blocking their path. The house is overgrown with weeds, but not the fresh vines which trail and curl and whip and twist. Not even the fat, sickly looking things which lay heavily across the roads, sprouting tiny tendrils or jagged thorns. These weeds are old things, having dried out, solidified, becoming similar to bark. Like a strangler fig, these old, thick vines spread all over the house, going in through its windows, spilling from its doors, branching like sick, brown veins. Fresher vines sprout from them, and the twisted, splayed out things that may have once been Weed-Walkers stick to the walls and floors. The sane know to avoid a Weald, for while the bark-like vines are now old and non-dangerous, there are worse things that lurk within such places.
Dranon is forced to take a detour deeper into the Guts of the city. While Bourne Street, the road that borders the entirety of the Inner City, is relatively constant in its curving, the streets deeper in are... not as nice. After a few faulty turns, Dranon is forced to admit that he is, in fact, lost. The party spends another two hours wandering the streets of the Inner City, thankfully avoiding any active Walkers or Goblinoid camps. Eventually they make it back to Bourne Street, but only an hour away from their destination, the first rays of sunlight begin lighting the sky. Soon the sun will peek over the Inner Wall, and the Weed-Walkers will begin to wake.
The party is confronted with a choice: take shelter in a house for the day, delaying their journey and risking whatever might lurk within, or pressing on, potentially risking an attack by Weed-Walkers.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
"Hold up a minute." Xilbella calls, drawing everyone in for a quick discussion. "It is getting towards dawn." She says, glancing to the lightening sky. "I think it would be better if we find a place to hole-up for the day. We don't want to risk a run-in with a walker, or worse." She glances around at the houses nearby. "The houses, and other hiding places, are just as likely to have something in them, but, once we deal with whatever it is, we can stay there safely for the night. Risking an ongoing fight with walkers is a lot more dangerous in my opinion." She glances to the rest of the group though, clearly wishing to hear their opinions as well.
“I agree”, says Dranon. “Our travel, thus far, has been a bit more challenging than normal. Due in part to our unexpected detour, we could all use the rest.” He looks over to the house an surrounding area. “I’d rather clear out this area, here and now, if need be, than to chance of extended running fight with Weed Walkers or worse.” LIke, Xilbella, Dranon looks to his teammates for their input.
Meriele has slogged dutifully for the past several hours in her heavy chain armor, and fishes in her backpack for her waterskin when they stop. "I trust your judgment, Xilbella," she says. "Are we very far from the place the Teller has sent us to? Perhaps we could hole up there, and then we could read the books we find, while we wait for night."
Luna joins the conversation, "I'm in favor of clearing out a house. Best we get into a fight now while most of the weeds are inactive.
I reckon whatever's in that Weald is gonna be particularly nasty, but if we hurry we may be able to get the jump on it while it's still dark out.I reckon whatever's in these houses are still sleepin'. We can probably get the jump on 'em if we play our cards right. If you need, I can scout a house first. Shadows and stealth are how I've survived so long as a gutrunner."(edit: read DM's post wrong about when the party encountered the Weald. Made edits to match.)
Ro Aleron (Ro the Red) -> Illithid, Wizard 8 (Chronugist) // AURYN
(You've passed the first Weald at this point, it was the thing that forced you to take a detour and subsequently get lost. There are no visible Wealds in this area.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."