Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Mica:

Ran and Nalomanterys:

Meili:

 Danica:

 Everyone:

The trail of destruction is easy to follow.  Despite ending up spread out over a large area of jungle, Ran, Nalomanterys, Danica and Hew are able to link up with one another along the creatures trail, which leads them to Meili.  Shortly thereafter, Mica arrives coming back from the other direction.

Against the odds, no one is seriously hurt, and the monstrosity has moved on, for now.

Ran claps the others on the back when he sees them.

"I didn't enjoy that," Ran says. "Is everyone up for moving on, or should we look for somewhere to spend the night?"

While he speaks he keeps a look out for the bird.

Previously:

Ran and Nalomanterys:

 Currently:

Nalomanterys is close behind Ran and out of breath, despite the fact that he is wearing no armor and carrying nothing heavier than his book. He tries to remain dignified as he huffs and chuffs like a race horse, and after a few moments he has enough breath to cast his usual cleansing spell, ridding his clothes of the dirt and mud he'd accumulated during their flight. He reins his dancing lights in and winks them out of existence.

"I think I can push on for the day, if we can take just a small break..." He picks the driest, least bug-infested spot of ground to sit down on and leans onto a tree. "I hope never to see - or smell - anything as dreadful as that again in my life. I wonder if every dead dinosaur is returning as an undead, or only that die in areas with high concentrations of necrotic energy... I can only hope for the latter."

After a few minutes of contemplation, Nalomanterys magically cleans himself once again, and sets out with the group for the remainder of the day's travel.

Meili appeared from under the fallen tree that formed sort of a shelter on the ground. A bit paler (with a hint of green - the stench was truly unbearable) than usual but seemingly uninjured.

"It was too close. But the thing turned north in the end." The latter explanation was probably unnecessary - the rotting corpse left behind a trail even a blind could follow. "Horrible monster, worse than those skeletons we so on the riverbank before. And they all are hunting the living." Meili shook her head and repeated: "Horrible."

She looked around at the sight of a properly ruined part of the landscape covered with slime and pieces of rotting meat. "If we are to make camp, can we move a bit?"

She would rather continue the journey (and go as far from this place as possible) but if rest is needed, she would not insist on going.

Mica pulls up breathlessly as he rejoins the others and sees Meili safe and in one piece. “Oh, thank the gods.” He looks over at Nalomantery's question and shrugs “This is not the first zombie beast we have seen, although it was the largest.  Can you tell if an area has this necro energy?”  He makes sure the others are in good shape and ready to move on. “Should we burn the body we found before we move?  Make sure it doesn’t rise again?”  Mica moves back to the river bank and collects the three arrows from the bodies of the wight and the ghouls, inspecting them for damage before returning them to his quiver.  He gives up on the one that sailed wide into the jungle.

Roll a D6, Mica.  

Mica D6: 2.

.

Mica retrieves his three arrows and returns.

"We should put a few leagues more between us and that thing.  Its still early yet.  We can hike south for an hour and then rest."  Hew doesn't wait for debate on the matter and begins picking his way back into the jungle.

Ran hitches his pack up and sets out after Hew.

"At this point, mate," Ran says to Mica, "I don't think one more zombie in the jungle is going to make much of a difference."

Having selflessly fled from the terror of the zombie sauropod, the scarlet jungle bird returns to Ran's shoulder as he sets out after Hew.

Ran looks at the brightly coloured bird and shakes his head.

”What has this place done to you? You never used to be such a chicken.”

Quite relieved with the moving away from this place, Meili harried after Hew not even smiling at Ran's pun.

Mica nods at Ran “Aye, true.  The place is full of them, one more won’t matter.”  he adds with a grin “unless it is the one that gets you in the end.”  He offers a hand to Nalomanterys and helps pull him up from the tree where he was leaning "Come on, we will push a little further before we can rest."  He moves out toward the front with Hew, keeping a watch for any other signs of undead.

Nalomanterys accepts Mica's help standing up and answers the question about necromantic energy: "I can tell if the source of the magic is an object. If the magic is ambient, it would be a challenge without proper instruments."

Nalomanterys spends the walk slapping massive mosquitos and flies away from him. "Goodness, they do not the repellant and I swear they are getting bigger with each passing day..."

“Well then, I guess we will be able to tell by the number of zombies we see running around the place.” Mica responds to Nalomanterys with a wry grin. “Although I could stand to never see a zombie dinosaur again.”  He jogs to catch up with Hew.

The party walks south another hour, then takes shelter beside some large rocks jutting up from the jungle floor, taking care not to disturb a nest of lime green vipers.

The party can take a SHORT REST.

The afternoon passes without further incident.  Rains set in at nightfall, permitting the refilling of water resources but also bringing on a hot, soggy, less than restful night.

[Lets set a permanent watch order.  Something we can use going forward without needing to decide on an order every night.]