"If we choose to camp" advises Khessa "I'd go for the blood tree garden, as I told before. I think we'll have more chances ti be left undisturbed. Plus, only one entrance to the glade, so easier task for those on watch"
And, if nobody has any objection, she leads the party there, fetching some wood to start a fire and keep all warm. She lights it with her patented Fire bolt.
"I can do the first watch" she declares. "Who should I wake up for the second turn?"
Tristan shakes his head "We should do pairs of two. As elves the three of us don't need to sleep as long, and I don't want that tree to charm someone when another can't intervene. I propose that you and Dimitri take the first watch for two hours, then I and either T'bitha or Hadi take the next four, then whoever is left can stand guard for the final stretch. We will have to roughly estimate time, seeing as we can't see the moon from in the forest."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
T’bitha stands near the fire, hands outstretched, occasionally fluffing her wet clothes to dry them. ”Thanks, Khessa. I can take the next watch. That is fine.” After she warms up and her clothes dry out, she finds a spot near the fire to stay warm and is relatively comfortable. Before going to sleep, she pulls out a small bowl and pours some water into it. She pulls out a small bag of leaves that has a faint, yet familiar scent of mint. She takes two leaves and tears them into small pieces and tosses them into the cup. She heats it over the fire for a moment. Then, pulling it away she swirls the liquid a couple of times and watches the leaves before praying to Eilistraee about staying in the grove tonight.
Tristan shakes his head "We should do pairs of two. As elves the three of us don't need to sleep as long, and I don't want that tree to charm someone when another can't intervene. I propose that you and Dimitri take the first watch for two hours, then I and either T'bitha or Hadi take the next four, then whoever is left can stand guard for the final stretch. We will have to roughly estimate time, seeing as we can't see the moon from in the forest."
"Fine by me, Tristan!" approves Khessa "The tree should not be able to charm those who do not come too near, but yes, still better to keep watch in pairs".
The tall arcane warrior watches in admiration as T'bitha launches her divination.
'This is magic of the gods, not of people ... but is it really that different? Could a person develop such a spell, by studying? To then be able to launch it without having to ask for the intercession of a deity? And if that were possible... would gods all in all be so special? Or would they be more like wizards, only of superhuman power?'
After getting lost briefly behind her own private philosophical questions, the blonde warrior-mage focuses on her duty as a guard (along with Dimitri or whoever takes the first shift with her). She stays close to the fire to wipe away both sweat and wetness, but always keeps a magically lit pebble or stick close at hand (renews the spell whenever it runs out), so she can throw it at any shaded areas from which she hears suspicious noises.
I'm going to assume it's Dimitri and Khessa taking first watch since Dimitri's name was offered up twice, I believe! So, please, both of you give me some perception checks.
Those taking second watch, also give me perception checks if you would, please.
T'bitha
You get both weal and woe in return. You get the feeling it's the safest place in the forest to rest, but you also get the feeling it comes with its own unique challenges. You also know, as a holy woman, you did just dungeon delve into a holy site, or rather a grave in a holy site, and steal from it.
Hadi, you further study the map while traveling, and after getting to the glade, and you think you're pretty positive that you were at the graveyard in the southern outskirts of A'yeth Taersi. The map has no mention of this glade you find yourself relaxing in.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
T’bitha rinses her cup. She looks slightly unsettled and puts the cup and leaves away. She does her best to make herself comfortable and closes her eyes, sitting upright, legs crossed and her hands resting gently upon her knees.
Later when she awakes and joins Tristan during their watch-Perception: 23
(OOC: I rolled Dimitri's perception to save some time, since we have the other 3 rolls already. Perception of 12, rolled in the game log.)
Your watch is rather uneventful for the most part. It has continued to be extremely silent the whole watch, the only sound coming from your adventuring party when they shift or speak in their sleep. However, Khessa, towards the end you are pretty sure you saw that shadowy creature again, on the outside of the grove for a split second before it disappeared again. Would either of you two like to do anything during your watch, before you wake T'bitha and Tristan up for their watch?
Dimitri took off his clothes to dry, leaving only a tight long-sleeved black shirt, fitted well to his frame. He didn't like to show any skin. After his clothes were dry, he put his leather armor back on, counting his daggers silently as he slid each of them in place. He kept an eye on the perimeter, though Khessa seemed more jumpy, scanning around like she was looking for something.
Khessa remembers the creature not replying to her in the crypt, so she simply tells, with a voice high emough to both get Dimitri's attention and wake up the others: "We have company! Small shady one again!"
And with that, she throws the lighted item she had kept ready, hoping to get a better look of the thing.
You throw your glowing rock and it is a good throw, it gets all the way across the glade and disappears into the darkness. You didn't get a good look at the creature, whatever it was, but as the rock passed the threshold of the glade, disappearing into the darkness beyond, you did catch a quick gleam from where it disappeared to, almost like light reflecting off a reflective surface. As Khessa hollered, Tristan, T'bitha, and Hadi you all woke from your trances. It even caught you off guard a little, Dimitri, as at that moment you had looked back down to go over your daggers and equipment, adjusting the rest of it to help it dry quicker.
Hadi spent a good amount of time carefully hanging his nice clothing from his mage hand in the air, drying them by the fire and cleaning them before sitting down to rest, where he again, very carefully lays his clothing out over his pack to keep them as clean as possible. Waking up, he's wearing only his sleeping, baggy cloth pants and a large cloth belt around his mid section, he opens his eyes and quickly reaches to his pack to grab his whip and component pouch, looking around for the alarm.
((note: before setting down to sleep Hadi would also set up a perimeter with alarm))
"Alas, i did not get to a good luck to this elusive visitor," Khessa warns the others "but as the lighted rock I threw passed the threshold of the glade, I saw a quick gleam from where it disappeared to, almost like light reflecting off a reflective surface. Shadows usually are not very reflective, in my experience, so maybe there is a construct with Mr Small Shady. Anyway, they do not seem eager to come in the glade. Let's stay here and wait for them. Maybe they can not enter and will simply go away".
The blonde warrior-mage readies another lighted pebble in the meantime.
It sounds like you're choosing not to investigate any further, and it was close enough to the end of yours and Dimitri's shift, that the two of you switch places with T'bitha and Tristan, since you already woke them, Khessa. Hadi, you finally get back to sleep and Dimitri and Khessa, you fall asleep for the first time of the night. Not long after, T'bitha and Tristan, you both hear a very loud trashing and crashing somewhere in the forest. It sounds like trees cracking and crashing. The problem is - it's so silent in this forest, you can't tell if it's directly outside the glade, or miles away. It isn't consistent, but rather in short bursts. Enough to occasionally wake Hadi, Dimitri, and Khessa for a moment, but the three of you quickly fall back asleep as it's silent again when you fully come to. You never see anything, but at one point in the night you hear something fall and splatter open behind you. The only thing behind you, is the red tree. The two of you also at some point, notice T'bitha's backpack move; ever so slightly, but enough to catch your attention.
The gloomy place is not exactly ideal for a peaceful rest for Khessa, who is tossing and turning in her sleep, muttering shreds of sentences at times.
"No, Anator..." keeps sleeping, turns around. Silent for a while. "You'll pay for it, bastards!" Grinds her teeth. Silent for a while. "Mom, dad! I'm free, I'm on my way..." keeps sleeping, turns around. Silent for a while. "Yassa, Rethos, Larrya... hold on! It will not take long..." opens and closes her fingers, turns around. Silent for a while. "I will kill you from the first to the last!"
But the exhaustion is such that the blonde arcane warrior continues to sleep, unaware of what T'bitha and Tristan are doing or whatever else it is happening.
She looks at her backpack that is slightly stirring. ”Tristan. are you seeing this?” she cautiously approaches her backpack expecting a rodent that somehow managed to hitchhike in her pack. She loosens the drawstings and opens the pack. T’bitha jumps slightly as Khessa begins talking in her sleep, but then returns to her pack and looks inside to see what is making it move.
”You know, Tristan, I’m a bit nervous over this whole ordeal. I know that Ozemon asked us to retrieve the urn and I do owe him for allowing me to take refuge in his home for a long time. It’s just…we essentially robbed a grave. Does it bother you knowing that we took Ambriel’s remains from a graveyard in a city that you have connection to?”
T’bitha begins moving items in her backpack around, looking for whatever presumed creature she thinks managed to get in and remove it.
”You know, Tristan. Earlier I was looking at some leaves and the patterns they made gave off a bad feeling. I’m concerned about staying in this grove. I know that it is for the benefit of our sight; however, I feel something…not good…may happen while we are here.” T’bitha pulls the urn out and sets it on the ground before she rummages some more in her backpack. ”How is it that you woke up again after such a long time?”
She looks at her backpack that is slightly stirring. ”Tristan. are you seeing this?” she cautiously approaches her backpack expecting a rodent that somehow managed to hitchhike in her pack. She loosens the drawstings and opens the pack. T’bitha jumps slightly as Khessa begins talking in her sleep, but then returns to her pack and looks inside to see what is making it move.
”You know, Tristan, I’m a bit nervous over this whole ordeal. I know that Ozemon asked us to retrieve the urn and I do owe him for allowing me to take refuge in his home for a long time. It’s just…we essentially robbed a grave. Does it bother you knowing that we took Ambriel’s remains from a graveyard in a city that you have connection to?”
T’bitha begins moving items in her backpack around, looking for whatever presumed creature she thinks managed to get in and remove it.
Tristan's face is impassive but shadows dance across his eyes "To be truthful, it hasn't really sunk in. Every time I blink I half expect to be shaken awake by my mother, to smell the scent of my father's ink... I wouldn't be helping Ozemon if it wasn't my only shot at finding out what happened to me. Once I have unraveled everything...I feel like just letting the illness take me. Everything I have to live for has passed on, why should I be left behind to suffer alone."
As the backpack moves, Tristan draws his knife, holding it in a reverse grip. "Whatever it is may know we have the Urn. If it is a spy of some sort, we can't let anything in this forest learn of it.
”You know, Tristan. Earlier I was looking at some leaves and the patterns they made gave off a bad feeling. I’m concerned about staying in this grove. I know that it is for the benefit of our sight; however, I feel something…not good…may happen while we are here.” T’bitha pulls the urn out and sets it on the ground before she rummages some more in her backpack. ”How is it that you woke up again after such a long time?”
"I feel the same way, we are just waiting for something to jump out at us." As she pulls out the urn, he shies away slightly "I don't know, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is something to do with that."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Rummaging through your backpack, T'bitha, you don't see any rogue creatures in there, but you do notice that stake you had tucked away that was impaled into the body seems to be vibrating and seemingly pulling in the direction of the tree.
The forest has once again gone into complete silence.
Tristan shakes his head "We should do pairs of two. As elves the three of us don't need to sleep as long, and I don't want that tree to charm someone when another can't intervene. I propose that you and Dimitri take the first watch for two hours, then I and either T'bitha or Hadi take the next four, then whoever is left can stand guard for the final stretch. We will have to roughly estimate time, seeing as we can't see the moon from in the forest."
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
T’bitha stands near the fire, hands outstretched, occasionally fluffing her wet clothes to dry them. ”Thanks, Khessa. I can take the next watch. That is fine.” After she warms up and her clothes dry out, she finds a spot near the fire to stay warm and is relatively comfortable. Before going to sleep, she pulls out a small bowl and pours some water into it. She pulls out a small bag of leaves that has a faint, yet familiar scent of mint. She takes two leaves and tears them into small pieces and tosses them into the cup. She heats it over the fire for a moment. Then, pulling it away she swirls the liquid a couple of times and watches the leaves before praying to Eilistraee about staying in the grove tonight.
"Fine by me, Tristan!" approves Khessa "The tree should not be able to charm those who do not come too near, but yes, still better to keep watch in pairs".
The tall arcane warrior watches in admiration as T'bitha launches her divination.
'This is magic of the gods, not of people ... but is it really that different? Could a person develop such a spell, by studying? To then be able to launch it without having to ask for the intercession of a deity? And if that were possible... would gods all in all be so special? Or would they be more like wizards, only of superhuman power?'
After getting lost briefly behind her own private philosophical questions, the blonde warrior-mage focuses on her duty as a guard (along with Dimitri or whoever takes the first shift with her). She stays close to the fire to wipe away both sweat and wetness, but always keeps a magically lit pebble or stick close at hand (renews the spell whenever it runs out), so she can throw it at any shaded areas from which she hears suspicious noises.
I'm going to assume it's Dimitri and Khessa taking first watch since Dimitri's name was offered up twice, I believe! So, please, both of you give me some perception checks.
Those taking second watch, also give me perception checks if you would, please.
T'bitha
You get both weal and woe in return. You get the feeling it's the safest place in the forest to rest, but you also get the feeling it comes with its own unique challenges. You also know, as a holy woman, you did just dungeon delve into a holy site, or rather a grave in a holy site, and steal from it.
Hadi, you further study the map while traveling, and after getting to the glade, and you think you're pretty positive that you were at the graveyard in the southern outskirts of A'yeth Taersi. The map has no mention of this glade you find yourself relaxing in.
Khessa's Perception: 17
T’bitha rinses her cup. She looks slightly unsettled and puts the cup and leaves away. She does her best to make herself comfortable and closes her eyes, sitting upright, legs crossed and her hands resting gently upon her knees.
Later when she awakes and joins Tristan during their watch-Perception: 23
Perception: 20
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
(OOC: I rolled Dimitri's perception to save some time, since we have the other 3 rolls already. Perception of 12, rolled in the game log.)
Your watch is rather uneventful for the most part. It has continued to be extremely silent the whole watch, the only sound coming from your adventuring party when they shift or speak in their sleep. However, Khessa, towards the end you are pretty sure you saw that shadowy creature again, on the outside of the grove for a split second before it disappeared again. Would either of you two like to do anything during your watch, before you wake T'bitha and Tristan up for their watch?
Dimitri took off his clothes to dry, leaving only a tight long-sleeved black shirt, fitted well to his frame. He didn't like to show any skin. After his clothes were dry, he put his leather armor back on, counting his daggers silently as he slid each of them in place. He kept an eye on the perimeter, though Khessa seemed more jumpy, scanning around like she was looking for something.
Khessa remembers the creature not replying to her in the crypt, so she simply tells, with a voice high emough to both get Dimitri's attention and wake up the others: "We have company! Small shady one again!"
And with that, she throws the lighted item she had kept ready, hoping to get a better look of the thing.
You throw your glowing rock and it is a good throw, it gets all the way across the glade and disappears into the darkness. You didn't get a good look at the creature, whatever it was, but as the rock passed the threshold of the glade, disappearing into the darkness beyond, you did catch a quick gleam from where it disappeared to, almost like light reflecting off a reflective surface. As Khessa hollered, Tristan, T'bitha, and Hadi you all woke from your trances. It even caught you off guard a little, Dimitri, as at that moment you had looked back down to go over your daggers and equipment, adjusting the rest of it to help it dry quicker.
Hadi spent a good amount of time carefully hanging his nice clothing from his mage hand in the air, drying them by the fire and cleaning them before sitting down to rest, where he again, very carefully lays his clothing out over his pack to keep them as clean as possible. Waking up, he's wearing only his sleeping, baggy cloth pants and a large cloth belt around his mid section, he opens his eyes and quickly reaches to his pack to grab his whip and component pouch, looking around for the alarm.
((note: before setting down to sleep Hadi would also set up a perimeter with alarm))
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
"Alas, i did not get to a good luck to this elusive visitor," Khessa warns the others "but as the lighted rock I threw passed the threshold of the glade, I saw a quick gleam from where it disappeared to, almost like light reflecting off a reflective surface. Shadows usually are not very reflective, in my experience, so maybe there is a construct with Mr Small Shady. Anyway, they do not seem eager to come in the glade. Let's stay here and wait for them. Maybe they can not enter and will simply go away".
The blonde warrior-mage readies another lighted pebble in the meantime.
It sounds like you're choosing not to investigate any further, and it was close enough to the end of yours and Dimitri's shift, that the two of you switch places with T'bitha and Tristan, since you already woke them, Khessa. Hadi, you finally get back to sleep and Dimitri and Khessa, you fall asleep for the first time of the night. Not long after, T'bitha and Tristan, you both hear a very loud trashing and crashing somewhere in the forest. It sounds like trees cracking and crashing. The problem is - it's so silent in this forest, you can't tell if it's directly outside the glade, or miles away. It isn't consistent, but rather in short bursts. Enough to occasionally wake Hadi, Dimitri, and Khessa for a moment, but the three of you quickly fall back asleep as it's silent again when you fully come to. You never see anything, but at one point in the night you hear something fall and splatter open behind you. The only thing behind you, is the red tree. The two of you also at some point, notice T'bitha's backpack move; ever so slightly, but enough to catch your attention.
The gloomy place is not exactly ideal for a peaceful rest for Khessa, who is tossing and turning in her sleep, muttering shreds of sentences at times.
"No, Anator..." keeps sleeping, turns around. Silent for a while. "You'll pay for it, bastards!" Grinds her teeth. Silent for a while. "Mom, dad! I'm free, I'm on my way..." keeps sleeping, turns around. Silent for a while. "Yassa, Rethos, Larrya... hold on! It will not take long..." opens and closes her fingers, turns around. Silent for a while. "I will kill you from the first to the last!"
But the exhaustion is such that the blonde arcane warrior continues to sleep, unaware of what T'bitha and Tristan are doing or whatever else it is happening.
She looks at her backpack that is slightly stirring. ”Tristan. are you seeing this?” she cautiously approaches her backpack expecting a rodent that somehow managed to hitchhike in her pack. She loosens the drawstings and opens the pack. T’bitha jumps slightly as Khessa begins talking in her sleep, but then returns to her pack and looks inside to see what is making it move.
”You know, Tristan, I’m a bit nervous over this whole ordeal. I know that Ozemon asked us to retrieve the urn and I do owe him for allowing me to take refuge in his home for a long time. It’s just…we essentially robbed a grave. Does it bother you knowing that we took Ambriel’s remains from a graveyard in a city that you have connection to?”
T’bitha begins moving items in her backpack around, looking for whatever presumed creature she thinks managed to get in and remove it.
Investigation: 10
”You know, Tristan. Earlier I was looking at some leaves and the patterns they made gave off a bad feeling. I’m concerned about staying in this grove. I know that it is for the benefit of our sight; however, I feel something…not good…may happen while we are here.” T’bitha pulls the urn out and sets it on the ground before she rummages some more in her backpack. ”How is it that you woke up again after such a long time?”
Tristan's face is impassive but shadows dance across his eyes "To be truthful, it hasn't really sunk in. Every time I blink I half expect to be shaken awake by my mother, to smell the scent of my father's ink... I wouldn't be helping Ozemon if it wasn't my only shot at finding out what happened to me. Once I have unraveled everything...I feel like just letting the illness take me. Everything I have to live for has passed on, why should I be left behind to suffer alone."
As the backpack moves, Tristan draws his knife, holding it in a reverse grip. "Whatever it is may know we have the Urn. If it is a spy of some sort, we can't let anything in this forest learn of it.
"I feel the same way, we are just waiting for something to jump out at us." As she pulls out the urn, he shies away slightly "I don't know, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is something to do with that."
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Rummaging through your backpack, T'bitha, you don't see any rogue creatures in there, but you do notice that stake you had tucked away that was impaled into the body seems to be vibrating and seemingly pulling in the direction of the tree.
The forest has once again gone into complete silence.