Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Mica gives Meili a look and points toward Ran “If you want to give it another go, hop on Ran’s shoulders.  He will give you a better ride up the stairs than I did.  I just need to stay here a moment and rest.” 

Of course, if neither Danica nor Velan expressed the wish to ride to the top of the stairs, Meili, true to her word, tried again. She really hoped that her previous experience will kick in this time. (Acrobatics: 10)

It is slow going, and Ran and Meili very nearly topple a few times, but they indeed reach the top and retrieve the ceramic jug and return to the floor, triumphant.

The jug itself is ceramic with 10 different stoppered corks around the outside.  It is decorated with dark pigments showing dinosaurs and jungle foliage.  It sloshes as though liquid is inside, but removing the lid reveals it is empty, but for a roll of parchment.

Ran looks at the parchment inside and frowns.

"I'm no expert, but paper doesn't usually sound like ale," Ran says.

He plucks the parchment out and holds it out for one of the more 'magically' inclined to examine. He then shakes the jug again to see if it makes any sound without the parchment inside.

Yes.  It still sloshes around, despite being demonstrably empty.

Ran looks at Velan to see if he has taken an interest in the parchment yet.

"Seems like magic to me," Ran says.

He shakes the empty jug again, smiling at the sound of liquid sloshing around.

He holds his hand out, cupping it to catch any liquid that might come out, and then tips the jug a little to see if anything does come into his hand.

“Now if it is full of Tej that would be worth the trip, indeed”  Mica watches as Ran and the others investigate the jar, and takes another look around the chamber, looking for any other doors or passages that may be hidden..  “But this is an awful lot of trouble for an empty jug, magic or no.  Is there anything else here?” 

Perception: 8.

Investigation: 9.

.

Ran - you are taken aback.  Despite clearly seeing that the jug was empty only moments ago, when you tip it over, your cupped hand is overfilling with an amber colored ale that is now pouring from the jug.

Mica, despite your searching, all you are able to discover is that another 3 steps further up the stairs bore the same magical glyph that you triggered earlier.  You keep a safe distance this time.

"Truly magical! Don't know if I would risk my life like that for a jug of ale, even magical, but in this jungle clean drink might be very precious. Maybe even worth all the traps. What does the parchment say?" Meili was not the one "magically inclined", so, waited for their verdict.

Ran stops pouring and, throwing caution to the wind, sips the ale that collected in his hand.

As the arcane glyph flared with energy, Velan saw with the eye of his mind his body being enveloped by the spell’s might. Immediately the chornurgist concentrated on the Weave, imagined it moving, flowing like water, distorting space and, by consequence, time itself, around his body. Accelerating it, making his reaction happen just a moment faster. He dove into the ground, reducing the area of contact with the released magic. It still hurt. His skin was burn, and instead of pain a cold sensation took hold. He trembled and sweated, feeling entirely numb for a second.

“Depending on what is in the scroll it could be worth the risk.” The wizard said still flat on the ground. “Not that I could transcribe it mid jungle.” The pain was starting. At least I’m alive. “If there is nothing else, might I suggest we return to the camp? I think I had enough of spellcraft and dungeon delving for today.”

Standing up is going to hurt, he thought closing his eyes for a moment. The dirty, old floor almost felt comfortable. His not so dear master was right in saying that exerting control over the flow of time, even limitedly, was draining. At best the hexblood would be able to it one more time before needing eight hours of so of sleep.  

Ran, the ale has a malty, full-bodied flavor.  It is slightly bitter, with accents of caramel and toffee.

Velan, looking at the scroll, you instantly recognize it as a spell scroll.  It is not a spell you know and will require some further study to identify.

[Depart the ruins for camp?]

Ran looks up from his hand and the ale he just drank.

"Well it isn't dunny water, that's for sure," Ran says. "Even the Blackstar Inn would be happy to serve this."

((Yes Ran's ready to head back))

 Satisfied that nothing else was present in the corners of the room, Mica returns to the others and Ran samples the liquid from the jar. “I will take your word for it. We best be heading back, Hew will want to put back in the river soon, and we need to figure out how to get your sister from the Order.” He winces and touches his side “But I may need some rest before I start paddling.”

"Rest would be good," fully agreed Meili. The curious jug turned out to be somewhat less exciting than expected but there was hope for the scroll still. "Shall we go?" On the way back she tried to repeat the steps as carefully as on the way here - who knows if the traps were truly deactivated?

The party, through memory, skill and a little luck, manage to navigate safely back out to the ruins of Camp Righteous.  Inete is concerned at your wounds, and Hew raises a quizzical eyebrow at your scorched clothing and statically charged hair.  Then his eyes fall on the jug.  "And what will that be?  Don't tell me you fished some haunted burial urn out of there.  The last thing we need is some moping, centuries dead spirit moaning from the back of the canoe all damn day."

[So... short rest?  Then on to Camp Vengeance?]

[Works for me]

"Not an urn, no. But not sure why that thing was hidden behind so many traps." Meili sat down to let her body take care of the most serious internal injuries after the lightning trap. "It makes ale somehow. And there was some scroll inside hopefully useful too."

Once the worst was healed, the monk was ready to continue the journey.

HD: 4 + 4

(One HD in Short Rest: 18  )

Ran gives the jug a shake.

"No spirits so far, just ale," Ran says. "It looks empty but when I poured it out, it was decent beer."

He gives it another shake and then knocks on the jug.

"How about some spirits this time? Jug, let's have a good whiskey." Ran says to the jug.

Then he pours just a few drops into his hand and gives them a taste.

(Messed up that HD roll - redoing here: 8  )

The jug continues to pour a malty, amber ale.