Mazer shows the squirrel the gauntlet as Nissa describes it. He then listens to Flit's warning about the light, taking it very seriously. He knows the creature wouldn't make such a warning in jest.
Nissa checks her weapons after the fall, to make sure they are still in working order, using that busywork to mask her discomfort at the choice before the group.
But in the end, she looks up, making eye contact with Mazer. "We should take t'woods, it is t'shortest route to Firewatch. If we find t'mice, all t'better. But t'eir folly is not our main concern."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Mazer listens to Nissa, weighing her opinion very seriously. "Would it be the fastest route? We are a group, and we will travel slower than you would alone with your expertise. We have Craven's insect mount to consider, and the forest is not without its dangers. The road, while perhaps a bit longer as the crow flies, allows for unfettered travel and a much reduced risk of interruptions."
Eli indicates he agrees with Nissa. "If there is a chance we can find the missing exploration party, we should not forsake it. The danger is much less to us than it is to them, despite how dark the woods may be."
Mazer listens to Nissa, weighing her opinion very seriously. "Would it be the fastest route? We are a group, and we will travel slower than you would alone with your expertise. We have Craven's insect mount to consider, and the forest is not without its dangers. The road, while perhaps a bit longer as the crow flies, allows for unfettered travel and a much reduced risk of interruptions."
Craven sidles back up onto his palaquin, “Haul make fine. Forest be nothing! Trees be moving for hims!”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms- The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon- Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland -Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF!- Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
Mazer considers. These three experienced members of the guards are okay with traveling in the forest. He had thought that it would be more effective to take the road and that a group would travel more slowly in the woods. He was clearly mistaken, and underestimating the capabilities of the group. "Very well. We'll take the woods north then." He thanks the squirrels. "Nissa, will you lead the way?"
The party takes their leave of Flit and his ever-mute (but always moving) sister. Flit spares a last, narrow-eyed glance at Craven, and then he and Pherin disappear up the trunk of the nearest tree and away into the woods south of the trail.
You meet Thornbuck lounging against the overturned cart, his quarterstaff spinning idly (and dangerously) from paw to paw. "'Bout time we bounced off, yeah? I assume we'll be risking life and limb into the darkest woods, then?"
The five of you (and the enormous cheerful red millipede) make your way North. The woods are deep and silent, and soon the blue morning sky is lost behind the canopy overhead. You have tracks to follow, farmers to save, and a larger purpose to attend...
Nissa will take the lead, picking a way through the woods that will help the diverse mobility of the group (one big mouse, one giant hare, one peg-leg... guy), while keeping an eye out for signs of the Nodder party's passage.
(Craven and Eli: Total successes, Mazer and Nissa: Mixed successes- not bad!)
The woods are as dark as you have heard. However, it is barely mid-day, and there is enough ambient light to see by. That hasn't stopped the fireflies from coming out, though. Twinkling lights flash around and above you in surprisingly dense constellations, providing visible shape and form to the surrounding woods. You travel for the remainder of the day without incident. By Nissa's estimation, the sun should set within the next hour; you would be arriving at the squirrel capital about this time had you chosen to follow the trail westward.
You have found frequent evidence of the flight of the other party. From the looks of it, they have been tearing through a surprisingly ample supply of beer...
(What do you do? Continue onward into the night? Set up camp? Search the area? Remember, you have a certain amount of freedom in determining what kinds of geographical features surround you in any given area!)
Nissa stops at one point to let the party catch up, standing atop a forest boulder that leans out over the path, and would provide some shelter. She sniffs the air and checks upwards. "E'en is nigh, and t'dark woods will get darker. T'ese Nodder boys will likely huddle in t'ere cups, an we could make good time catching up, but t'footing will get harder. Rest is needed to pass t'forest witout incident, but I am inclined to press now, whilst we are fresh, mindful of t'chance to nab bote goals wit one strike."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Nissa stops at one point to let the party catch up, standing atop a forest boulder that leans out over the path, and would provide some shelter. She sniffs the air and checks upwards. "E'en is nigh, and t'dark woods will get darker. T'ese Nodder boys will likely huddle in t'ere cups, an we could make good time catching up, but t'footing will get harder. Rest is needed to pass t'forest witout incident, but I am inclined to press now, whilst we are fresh, mindful of t'chance to nab bote goals wit one strike."
Craven nods frantically from his insect-carried leisure, “Ngh, yep yep. We quick, sharp, wise wise. Best we go now, less dead dead mice later. No be wanting to dig grave...”
(Alright, then. We have an argument for pressing on into the night (Option A), or setting up camp and heading after the Nodder party fresh in the morning (Option B). Any moves to take before a decision is made?)
OOC > Okay, I regret the affected accent I've given Nissa, and I hereby retcon the weirdness, for the record. She still sounds different than y'all.
Nissa looks further in the direction in which the group was traveling, then hops down from her perch, and walks a little way forward, scanning the ground and underbrush. She looks for signs of the Nodder party's passage, and tries to assess how long it has been since they passed this way.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Nissa looks further in the direction in which the group was traveling, then hops down from her perch, and walks a little way forward, scanning the ground and underbrush. She looks for signs of the Nodder party's passage, and tries to assess how long it has been since they passed this way.
(From Discord: Rolled a 12. Here are the questions, "Where is our enemy now?" which translates to "How long ago did the Nodder party pass here, and where would they be now at that rate?" and "Is someone in danger?" which translates to "Are they in a condition that indicates they are injured or need our help immediately (besides being lost in the dark, dangerous woods)?")
The party you are pursuing have made excellent time considering that at least one of their number is wounded... You have remained on their trail (they haven't bothered with stealth). Suddenly, as you continue to pick your way through the brush, the reason for their haste is revealed: You see signs of yet another scuffle... Some creature (it's difficult to say what in the dark) attacked them, possibly from above? Their trail reveals that they all sprinted from this place to escape it- The signs can't be more than 8 hours old.
Answering your questions more directly: You are still on their trail, and you've gained some ground (thanks to your excellent Endure rolls). However, they have been attacked yet again. It's not clear whether any were injured or killed, but the farmers aren't equipped to handle these woods.
Nissa turns to the others, her dark fur and cloak almost lost in the gloom of the woods. She unconsciously rubs a paw on her tattered ear. "These farmers are overwhelmed, they have come under attack once more. See here, and here, there was a fight, and then they ran. They are a day's march ahead of us, no more. We can make up that distance. The longer we take, the more likely it is our paths will diverge." She looks upwards towards where Firewatch would be, if the trees were not in the way. "We must press on."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Mazer frowns. "Nissa, did you not say earlier that their folly was not our main concern?" Mazer is sympathetic to the overwhelmed farmers, but wants to remind the team that the urgency is with the source of the light. "We are weeks' travel away from this light. Pressing on now will only slow us down. How many sleepless nights would you have us travel?"
"I am sympathetic to the plight of these farmers, I truly am. But we came this path under the argument that is was the most direct way to the light. I would not lose the forest to save two trees."
Nissa gives Mazer an appraising look, black eyes bright in the wan light. She pauses a moment, as if gathering her thoughts.
"We can do both now, or be forced to choose one, later," she notes, tilting her head so her face is shadowed by the hood of her cloak, making it hard to tell if she is just stating fact, or if she is feeling some emotion. "With as far as we must go, there will be time to rest before we arrive at Firewatch." Her deference to the Captain appears to have lessened, but she is not in open mutiny.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
As your party continues, you pass out of the clearing and back into the firefly-lit trees. Nissa, you hear a chittering and a scuttle overhead, and you catch the flash of a many-eyed something as it retreats back into the darkness above (phew!)
You continue forward into the night (-1 ongoing for fatigue). Eventually, you find something almost like a trail. The tracks of the Nodders follow this path, as well, making your travel much easier. Haul actually has a more difficult time following the path, so Craven sends his terrifying buddy back into the trees to follow a parallel course.
Eventually, the fireflies fade away. You walk in near-total darkness for a few minutes, and then...
The first thing you notice is the light. You see the forest around you bathed in its sickly green glow. You look around for the source in vain, and then you realize the truth: it's Firewatch. You can't see the peak (hidden as you are beneath the dense canopy), but the light is still so intense. It hasn't been like this before. It has waxed and waned since it first appeared, sure, but this terrible, all-infusing glow... this is something new. Just at the edge of your senses, you hear something high-pitched and droning, almost like you're in the middle of a cloud of midge in the eastern swamps. The green glow intensifies further, causing you to squint...
And then it's gone. Without warning, you are left in near-total darkness once again.
Mazer shows the squirrel the gauntlet as Nissa describes it. He then listens to Flit's warning about the light, taking it very seriously. He knows the creature wouldn't make such a warning in jest.
Brunella Wildheart, Dwarf Barbarian,Tomb of Annihilation
Nyx, Fairy Cleric, Descent Into Avernus
Nissa checks her weapons after the fall, to make sure they are still in working order, using that busywork to mask her discomfort at the choice before the group.
But in the end, she looks up, making eye contact with Mazer. "We should take t'woods, it is t'shortest route to Firewatch. If we find t'mice, all t'better. But t'eir folly is not our main concern."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Mazer listens to Nissa, weighing her opinion very seriously. "Would it be the fastest route? We are a group, and we will travel slower than you would alone with your expertise. We have Craven's insect mount to consider, and the forest is not without its dangers. The road, while perhaps a bit longer as the crow flies, allows for unfettered travel and a much reduced risk of interruptions."
Brunella Wildheart, Dwarf Barbarian,Tomb of Annihilation
Nyx, Fairy Cleric, Descent Into Avernus
Eli indicates he agrees with Nissa. "If there is a chance we can find the missing exploration party, we should not forsake it. The danger is much less to us than it is to them, despite how dark the woods may be."
Craven sidles back up onto his palaquin, “Haul make fine. Forest be nothing! Trees be moving for hims!”
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
Mazer considers. These three experienced members of the guards are okay with traveling in the forest. He had thought that it would be more effective to take the road and that a group would travel more slowly in the woods. He was clearly mistaken, and underestimating the capabilities of the group. "Very well. We'll take the woods north then." He thanks the squirrels. "Nissa, will you lead the way?"
Brunella Wildheart, Dwarf Barbarian,Tomb of Annihilation
Nyx, Fairy Cleric, Descent Into Avernus
The party takes their leave of Flit and his ever-mute (but always moving) sister. Flit spares a last, narrow-eyed glance at Craven, and then he and Pherin disappear up the trunk of the nearest tree and away into the woods south of the trail.
You meet Thornbuck lounging against the overturned cart, his quarterstaff spinning idly (and dangerously) from paw to paw. "'Bout time we bounced off, yeah? I assume we'll be risking life and limb into the darkest woods, then?"
The five of you (and the enormous cheerful red millipede) make your way North. The woods are deep and silent, and soon the blue morning sky is lost behind the canopy overhead. You have tracks to follow, farmers to save, and a larger purpose to attend...
Everyone roll Endure!
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Nissa will take the lead, picking a way through the woods that will help the diverse mobility of the group (one big mouse, one giant hare, one peg-leg... guy), while keeping an eye out for signs of the Nodder party's passage.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
(Craven and Eli: Total successes, Mazer and Nissa: Mixed successes- not bad!)
The woods are as dark as you have heard. However, it is barely mid-day, and there is enough ambient light to see by. That hasn't stopped the fireflies from coming out, though. Twinkling lights flash around and above you in surprisingly dense constellations, providing visible shape and form to the surrounding woods. You travel for the remainder of the day without incident. By Nissa's estimation, the sun should set within the next hour; you would be arriving at the squirrel capital about this time had you chosen to follow the trail westward.
You have found frequent evidence of the flight of the other party. From the looks of it, they have been tearing through a surprisingly ample supply of beer...
(What do you do? Continue onward into the night? Set up camp? Search the area? Remember, you have a certain amount of freedom in determining what kinds of geographical features surround you in any given area!)
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Nissa stops at one point to let the party catch up, standing atop a forest boulder that leans out over the path, and would provide some shelter. She sniffs the air and checks upwards. "E'en is nigh, and t'dark woods will get darker. T'ese Nodder boys will likely huddle in t'ere cups, an we could make good time catching up, but t'footing will get harder. Rest is needed to pass t'forest witout incident, but I am inclined to press now, whilst we are fresh, mindful of t'chance to nab bote goals wit one strike."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Craven nods frantically from his insect-carried leisure, “Ngh, yep yep. We quick, sharp, wise wise. Best we go now, less dead dead mice later. No be wanting to dig grave...”
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
(Alright, then. We have an argument for pressing on into the night (Option A), or setting up camp and heading after the Nodder party fresh in the morning (Option B). Any moves to take before a decision is made?)
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
OOC > Okay, I regret the affected accent I've given Nissa, and I hereby retcon the weirdness, for the record. She still sounds different than y'all.
Nissa looks further in the direction in which the group was traveling, then hops down from her perch, and walks a little way forward, scanning the ground and underbrush. She looks for signs of the Nodder party's passage, and tries to assess how long it has been since they passed this way.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
(From Discord: Rolled a 12. Here are the questions, "Where is our enemy now?" which translates to "How long ago did the Nodder party pass here, and where would they be now at that rate?" and "Is someone in danger?" which translates to "Are they in a condition that indicates they are injured or need our help immediately (besides being lost in the dark, dangerous woods)?")
The party you are pursuing have made excellent time considering that at least one of their number is wounded... You have remained on their trail (they haven't bothered with stealth). Suddenly, as you continue to pick your way through the brush, the reason for their haste is revealed: You see signs of yet another scuffle... Some creature (it's difficult to say what in the dark) attacked them, possibly from above? Their trail reveals that they all sprinted from this place to escape it- The signs can't be more than 8 hours old.
Answering your questions more directly: You are still on their trail, and you've gained some ground (thanks to your excellent Endure rolls). However, they have been attacked yet again. It's not clear whether any were injured or killed, but the farmers aren't equipped to handle these woods.
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Nissa turns to the others, her dark fur and cloak almost lost in the gloom of the woods. She unconsciously rubs a paw on her tattered ear. "These farmers are overwhelmed, they have come under attack once more. See here, and here, there was a fight, and then they ran. They are a day's march ahead of us, no more. We can make up that distance. The longer we take, the more likely it is our paths will diverge." She looks upwards towards where Firewatch would be, if the trees were not in the way. "We must press on."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Eli nods in agreement with his friend. "We must push on, for their sake. Rest will come when the task is done."
Mazer frowns. "Nissa, did you not say earlier that their folly was not our main concern?" Mazer is sympathetic to the overwhelmed farmers, but wants to remind the team that the urgency is with the source of the light.
"We are weeks' travel away from this light. Pressing on now will only slow us down. How many sleepless nights would you have us travel?"
"I am sympathetic to the plight of these farmers, I truly am. But we came this path under the argument that is was the most direct way to the light. I would not lose the forest to save two trees."
Brunella Wildheart, Dwarf Barbarian,Tomb of Annihilation
Nyx, Fairy Cleric, Descent Into Avernus
Nissa gives Mazer an appraising look, black eyes bright in the wan light. She pauses a moment, as if gathering her thoughts.
"We can do both now, or be forced to choose one, later," she notes, tilting her head so her face is shadowed by the hood of her cloak, making it hard to tell if she is just stating fact, or if she is feeling some emotion. "With as far as we must go, there will be time to rest before we arrive at Firewatch." Her deference to the Captain appears to have lessened, but she is not in open mutiny.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
(I think the consensus is to press onward)
As your party continues, you pass out of the clearing and back into the firefly-lit trees. Nissa, you hear a chittering and a scuttle overhead, and you catch the flash of a many-eyed something as it retreats back into the darkness above (phew!)
You continue forward into the night (-1 ongoing for fatigue). Eventually, you find something almost like a trail. The tracks of the Nodders follow this path, as well, making your travel much easier. Haul actually has a more difficult time following the path, so Craven sends his terrifying buddy back into the trees to follow a parallel course.
Eventually, the fireflies fade away. You walk in near-total darkness for a few minutes, and then...
The first thing you notice is the light. You see the forest around you bathed in its sickly green glow. You look around for the source in vain, and then you realize the truth: it's Firewatch. You can't see the peak (hidden as you are beneath the dense canopy), but the light is still so intense. It hasn't been like this before. It has waxed and waned since it first appeared, sure, but this terrible, all-infusing glow... this is something new. Just at the edge of your senses, you hear something high-pitched and droning, almost like you're in the middle of a cloud of midge in the eastern swamps. The green glow intensifies further, causing you to squint...
And then it's gone. Without warning, you are left in near-total darkness once again.
Imani Jones - Lv 11 Warlock of The Living City - Variant Human| Fate/False Revelation
Wick Stumbleduck - Lv 4 Lore Bard - Forest Gnome | Elustran Days
Khurah - Lv 3 Star Druid - Half-orc | Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians
Dale Swanson - User of the Sound of Silence Stand - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Sunset Investigations
Ayaci Vikerfjell - Lv 8 Rune Knight | Variant Human | Storm King's Thunder
Nissa growls low after the light leaves them, then resumes her march.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me