"Thank you Lia. Syllin and Faen will know their brave mother sent us when we show them this."Yasmina says, accepting the pendant and admiring it for a moment before pocketing it, taking Lia's hands briefly to thank her and comfort her. Yasmina then listens attentively to the information given by the elves. She too ponders the strange glowing orb that is mentioned. "Could it be that someone has cast a powerful spell over the dragon, controlling it to do their bidding? Perhaps this person also controls the orc warband?" She suggests to the others, not sure if it will be helpful at all.
Thelan tries to console Lia as well “And you protect them still, with the information you give us and with the help you will bring from those in the Cloakwood. And you will recover your health to protect them in the future. Never fear, we will serve in your stead.”
Thelan listens to the information on the wood and the path to the keep closely, trying to commit as much as he could to memory. He perks up with interest when he hears of the Fey spirit and the ruins.“The ruins may also slow us down, we should consider the path forward with speed in mind.” He frowns at the discussion of the orb, not quite knowing what it means, but feeling that it is likely important.
As Aelar offers the group his sword, Moonpetal, Thelan takes it with solemn regard and a small bow of his head. “Thank you, Aelar, we shall see that it continues to protect the keep and those still within it, and will see it safely returned to you at the end as well.”
He shoulders his pack and looks at his new companions “Are we ready to set off, then?”
Sinak holds up his palm with the longsword is offered, directing it to Thelan. His attention is drawn with the ruins are mentioned, and the items that potentially could help in the quest. "I think we should investigate the ruins, if we find them. We are going to need all the help we can get on this task." He turns to Aelar and while scratching his neck, says "I want to help and all, you seem like people that need help, but you did mention - - a reward, correct? That we would have some... sort of reward for *ahem* risking our lives?"
After listening to the rest (he did seem particularly interested in the description of the glowing orb circling the dragon's head, and the fact that the dragon was speaking to it), Sinak indicates that he is ready to leave, readying his shield and equipment. He casts mending as needed on the equipment of Fivin, Aelar and Lia to help them. "Let's proceed."
Arcana check re: globe circling Dragon's head : 20
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Yes, let us travel."Yasmina says and nods to the others, collecting her gear and waving farewell to Lia and Aelar, waiting for Fivin to guide them. "I would prefer to seek to save the children first, but gathering resources from the ruins and allies from the forest might be the prudent call." She says calmly, ready to leave. Unbeknownst to the others she sends Razul to scout ahead from above for threats.
Perception to notice threats: 6 Razul perception: 11
Neela - You do not recall anything about strange floating orbs in direct relation to dragons, but the description of the orb reminds you of a story you heard when you were younger. Or maybe you read it? You can't quite remember, but the story was about malevolent, wispy balls of light that haunt lonely places and battlefields, bound by dark fate or dark magic to feed on fear and despair. They're called willow somethings... Will-o'-Wasps was it? No... Wisps! Will-o'-Wisps!
Sinak - The three thank you for mending their gear before Aelar nods and says, "I will do everything in my power to see that you are rewarded for your selfless... Er, your generous..." Aelar clears his throat, "For your bravery." With that he nods to you all and flicks the reins of the elk he and Lia are riding, causing it to walk, trot, canter, then run toward the Cloakwood on the horizon to the west.
You do not recall anything within the realms of the arcane that matches the description you heard. Surely, there are illusory spells that can create such effects, but you're confident that wasn't the source of the strange ball of light.
All - Aelar and Lia give you one last item before they depart, a crudely wrought map of the Woods of Sharp Teeth. Fivin watches Aelar and Lia leave from atop the other elk mount before turning to you, "I thought it best if I scout ahead. I will find you after you reach the woods. Don't bother waiting around for me." He then departs, heading with all haste for the large dark expanse of the Woods of Sharp teeth to the east.
Yasmina - During your travel to the Woods of Sharp teeth, neither you nor Razul see any threats. No bands of murderous orcs nor large winged shapes in the sky. Looking out at the horizon and the black depths of the woods that await you, you aren't sure if that's a good thing or not.
The Woods of Sharp Teeth
Your approximate location is indicated by the glowing blue hexagon on the map. Each hex takes about two hours to traverse.
Traveling by foot, you reach the woods by noon the next day. Stretching out before you is the home of the wounded elves, the Wood of Sharp Teeth. As if the name alone is not ominous enough, the twisting roots of swamp oaks and trailing limbs of black willows make the forest impenetrable. Worse still, you know for a fact that a dragon resides within. What would you like to do?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thelan moves out with the group, Moonpetal strapped across his back next to his bow and quiver, the weight of it pressing against his conscience more than his body. As they travel he passes Neela “You are a brave one, little dragon. I hope your faith in this band of mighty warriors is not misplaced. Be on your guard, these things are rarely as easy as they are in the songs.”
He moves up next to Yasmina and gives her an appraising glance “Back on the road, you volunteered to go after the children right from the first, by yourself, before you even knew the entire tale. Why?”
As they reach the edge of the wood, he studies the map with the others. “I am all for making straight for the keep and searching for the children. Every minute counts, But the Druid may have information that could aid us, and is not far off the path. The ruins are a different story.” He searches his memory and history lessons for any information on Vehlarr. History: 4.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"It's a Will-o'-Wisp! The orb thingy! It's like an undead spirit. But why would it be hanging around a dragon? And what's that got to do with orcs? There's a story there somewhere...I just can't see it yet. Anyway, I think we should go visit this Druid, ask if they have seen anything. We could also make straight for the Keep, but we would have to hope that Fivin finds us soon, to lead us through all those secret paths they were telling us about. Oh we should probably check for tracks also. Hey Kragh, want to help me look for tracks?"
Neela is trotting along behind the group, jabbering away as usual, but once they reach the woods, she quiets to a whisper and focuses on looking for any evidence of orc warbands moving through the area.
Yasmina moves swiftly on foot with the others as they travel to the Woods of Sharp Teeth, keeping close to the carefree and pleasant kobold on their way there as she seemed to alleviate her worries somewhat. She does not talk unless spoken too, seemingly worried sick over the children most of the time, taking up and looking at the pendant every so often.
As Thelan asks her about why she volunteered to go she frowns at first. "There was nothing they would say that would dissuade me from trying to save defenseless children. Their grave wounds already told me that this would be very dangerous, but I can take care of myself if that is what you're wondering. I am of course grateful and very lucky that I'm not alone in this but I would go even if I would have done so by myself."She says a bit defensively, looking the ranger over. "How about yourself Thelan, did you decide to come along when you realized there might only be a dragon and an orc warband that we risk facing when saving Syllin and Faen?"
The terrain of a forest is quite unknown to her, being from Calimshan, and as they enter the forest it takes some time for her to find her light step again. "I would want us to go for the children, but finding an ally with the druid sounds like a prudent plan." She says and nods to Thelan and Neela. "And yes, if we can figure out what this Will-o'-Wisp is doing together with the dragon perhaps we can use that against them somehow."
Thelan laughs at Yasmina’s comment, trying to put her at ease “Yes, two dragons would have been a deal-breaker for me. No, I am committed to saving the children, never fear. Now so more than ever. I just couldn’t help notice you were the first among all of us. It speaks to your character.”
Thelan moves up with Kragh “This is a much better path to redemption. Here, let me help you and Neela look for tracks and for the path ahead. Let’s see what this Druid knows of the dragon.
Yasmina smiles shyly at Thelan as he commends her on her character. "No, I'm truly reckless, I'm aware of that. It is what forced me to leave Calimport." She says with a weak smile. "But that is a story for another time." She says, briefly laying a friendly hand on Thelan's shoulder.
Yasmina stays back a bit, more wary of threats as they come deeper into the forest, Razul still fluttering around to keep her informed of any threats ahead of them.
All - You press onward into the gloom, the thick canopy of trees blocking most of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor. After about an hour, you find evidence of the orc's initial venture into the woods. Large boot prints trampled most of the lower vegetation while larger shrubs and young trees were hewn down, creating an 12ft wide path through the woods with all the subtlety of a club to the head. You're able to follow the path a bit without veering too far off your intended course and find the site of the battle between the orcs and elves. The bodies of nine slain orcs lie like felled trees in the dirt and leaves. You see no elven corpses.
Stopping at the edge of the clearing, Neela looks around, not yet approaching the bodies. She tries to identify if there is another path leading away from the battle: the one the orcs used to retreat. Tracks told stories, Neela knew, but her strength was usually in the verbal kind, and dead things don't speak.
"Do you think there's any way to tell how many orcs were in the warband from these tracks? Or which way the survivors went?"
Neela - Using your Survival check from earlier, you hug the periphery of the battle site and work your way around it, looking for evidence of the orc's retreat. You find it opposite of where the orcs came from, indicating they were perhaps surrounded, and the survivors fled deeper into the woods in an unorganized stumbling retreat, roughly southeast in direction. It is hard to tell exactly how many orcs remain, based on the tracks alone given the chaos of the ambush, but you recall Aelar mentioning that they had slain roughly half while the rest were routed.
Kragh - The first orc you find is a headless female with arrows in her back and gut. You find her head a few feet away, one eye half closed and the other fully open revealing a dry lifeless eyeball. A red cross is painted on her face; three fingers of red paint from forehead to chin and again across the eyes. You glance at a nearby corpse, but it is practically blanketed in flies, obscuring the face. You toss the head of the first orc over and the flies clear momentarily, allowing you to see the same red cross painted on the face of a gutted orc lying in a pile of innards. You recognize the red cross as the tribal markings of the Doomspear clan. You had heard they'd been carrying out raids against villages in the area, striking suddenly and leaving destruction in their wake, like the early autumn hurricanes that sometimes erase small fishing villages from the Sword Coast. You also heard that a power struggle was brewing among them. Their leader Grutok Doomspear was entering his eighth decade of life and some of the younger warriors were eager to prove themselves to be his successor. Suddenly a noise and movement draw your attention back to the bloody clearing. One of the orcs coughs and spasms, then draws a pained breath as he rolls from his stomach to his side. He groans in pain, one hand holding a large blood stain on his side as his other hand shakily reaches for something in the dirt and leaves. You see a handaxe laying a few feet away from the orc. What would you like to do?
The scene was grisly and Yasmina preferred to let the others examine the corpses of the fallen orcs. As she sees the survivor reach for something she is not convinced it is the axe but to be sure she takes a few swift steps and kicks the axe away and stands over the orc. "You'd better not go for a weapon orc." She says grimly. "Talk to us an maybe you will live a little longer."
Persuasion: 18 Another roll if help is given: 8
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(*orc = orb)
"Thank you Lia. Syllin and Faen will know their brave mother sent us when we show them this." Yasmina says, accepting the pendant and admiring it for a moment before pocketing it, taking Lia's hands briefly to thank her and comfort her. Yasmina then listens attentively to the information given by the elves. She too ponders the strange glowing orb that is mentioned.
"Could it be that someone has cast a powerful spell over the dragon, controlling it to do their bidding? Perhaps this person also controls the orc warband?" She suggests to the others, not sure if it will be helpful at all.
Thelan tries to console Lia as well “And you protect them still, with the information you give us and with the help you will bring from those in the Cloakwood. And you will recover your health to protect them in the future. Never fear, we will serve in your stead.”
Thelan listens to the information on the wood and the path to the keep closely, trying to commit as much as he could to memory. He perks up with interest when he hears of the Fey spirit and the ruins. “The ruins may also slow us down, we should consider the path forward with speed in mind.” He frowns at the discussion of the orb, not quite knowing what it means, but feeling that it is likely important.
As Aelar offers the group his sword, Moonpetal, Thelan takes it with solemn regard and a small bow of his head. “Thank you, Aelar, we shall see that it continues to protect the keep and those still within it, and will see it safely returned to you at the end as well.”
He shoulders his pack and looks at his new companions “Are we ready to set off, then?”
Yes
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A nearly 50 years old lifetime role-player and gaming nerd
=================================================
Level 5 Half-Orc Barbarian Krugh in Warriors of Sehanine by Dylanthalas
Level 1 Half-Drow Warlock Qin'Tar T'Saria in The Shards of Miranos by PinkPygmyPuff307
Sinak holds up his palm with the longsword is offered, directing it to Thelan. His attention is drawn with the ruins are mentioned, and the items that potentially could help in the quest. "I think we should investigate the ruins, if we find them. We are going to need all the help we can get on this task." He turns to Aelar and while scratching his neck, says "I want to help and all, you seem like people that need help, but you did mention - - a reward, correct? That we would have some... sort of reward for *ahem* risking our lives?"
After listening to the rest (he did seem particularly interested in the description of the glowing orb circling the dragon's head, and the fact that the dragon was speaking to it), Sinak indicates that he is ready to leave, readying his shield and equipment. He casts mending as needed on the equipment of Fivin, Aelar and Lia to help them. "Let's proceed."
Arcana check re: globe circling Dragon's head : 20
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Yes, let us travel." Yasmina says and nods to the others, collecting her gear and waving farewell to Lia and Aelar, waiting for Fivin to guide them.
"I would prefer to seek to save the children first, but gathering resources from the ruins and allies from the forest might be the prudent call." She says calmly, ready to leave.
Unbeknownst to the others she sends Razul to scout ahead from above for threats.
Perception to notice threats: 6 Razul perception: 11
Neela - You do not recall anything about strange floating orbs in direct relation to dragons, but the description of the orb reminds you of a story you heard when you were younger. Or maybe you read it? You can't quite remember, but the story was about malevolent, wispy balls of light that haunt lonely places and battlefields, bound by dark fate or dark magic to feed on fear and despair. They're called willow somethings... Will-o'-Wasps was it? No... Wisps! Will-o'-Wisps!
Sinak - The three thank you for mending their gear before Aelar nods and says, "I will do everything in my power to see that you are rewarded for your selfless... Er, your generous..." Aelar clears his throat, "For your bravery." With that he nods to you all and flicks the reins of the elk he and Lia are riding, causing it to walk, trot, canter, then run toward the Cloakwood on the horizon to the west.
You do not recall anything within the realms of the arcane that matches the description you heard. Surely, there are illusory spells that can create such effects, but you're confident that wasn't the source of the strange ball of light.
All - Aelar and Lia give you one last item before they depart, a crudely wrought map of the Woods of Sharp Teeth. Fivin watches Aelar and Lia leave from atop the other elk mount before turning to you, "I thought it best if I scout ahead. I will find you after you reach the woods. Don't bother waiting around for me." He then departs, heading with all haste for the large dark expanse of the Woods of Sharp teeth to the east.
Yasmina - During your travel to the Woods of Sharp teeth, neither you nor Razul see any threats. No bands of murderous orcs nor large winged shapes in the sky. Looking out at the horizon and the black depths of the woods that await you, you aren't sure if that's a good thing or not.
The Woods of Sharp Teeth
Your approximate location is indicated by the glowing blue hexagon on the map. Each hex takes about two hours to traverse.
Traveling by foot, you reach the woods by noon the next day. Stretching out before you is the home of the wounded elves, the Wood of Sharp Teeth. As if the name alone is not ominous enough, the twisting roots of swamp oaks and trailing limbs of black willows make the forest impenetrable. Worse still, you know for a fact that a dragon resides within. What would you like to do?
Thelan moves out with the group, Moonpetal strapped across his back next to his bow and quiver, the weight of it pressing against his conscience more than his body. As they travel he passes Neela “You are a brave one, little dragon. I hope your faith in this band of mighty warriors is not misplaced. Be on your guard, these things are rarely as easy as they are in the songs.”
He moves up next to Yasmina and gives her an appraising glance “Back on the road, you volunteered to go after the children right from the first, by yourself, before you even knew the entire tale. Why?”
As they reach the edge of the wood, he studies the map with the others. “I am all for making straight for the keep and searching for the children. Every minute counts, But the Druid may have information that could aid us, and is not far off the path. The ruins are a different story.” He searches his memory and history lessons for any information on Vehlarr. History: 4.
.
"It's a Will-o'-Wisp! The orb thingy! It's like an undead spirit. But why would it be hanging around a dragon? And what's that got to do with orcs? There's a story there somewhere...I just can't see it yet. Anyway, I think we should go visit this Druid, ask if they have seen anything. We could also make straight for the Keep, but we would have to hope that Fivin finds us soon, to lead us through all those secret paths they were telling us about. Oh we should probably check for tracks also. Hey Kragh, want to help me look for tracks?"
Neela is trotting along behind the group, jabbering away as usual, but once they reach the woods, she quiets to a whisper and focuses on looking for any evidence of orc warbands moving through the area.
Survival: 13
Yasmina moves swiftly on foot with the others as they travel to the Woods of Sharp Teeth, keeping close to the carefree and pleasant kobold on their way there as she seemed to alleviate her worries somewhat. She does not talk unless spoken too, seemingly worried sick over the children most of the time, taking up and looking at the pendant every so often.
As Thelan asks her about why she volunteered to go she frowns at first. "There was nothing they would say that would dissuade me from trying to save defenseless children. Their grave wounds already told me that this would be very dangerous, but I can take care of myself if that is what you're wondering. I am of course grateful and very lucky that I'm not alone in this but I would go even if I would have done so by myself." She says a bit defensively, looking the ranger over. "How about yourself Thelan, did you decide to come along when you realized there might only be a dragon and an orc warband that we risk facing when saving Syllin and Faen?"
The terrain of a forest is quite unknown to her, being from Calimshan, and as they enter the forest it takes some time for her to find her light step again. "I would want us to go for the children, but finding an ally with the druid sounds like a prudent plan." She says and nods to Thelan and Neela. "And yes, if we can figure out what this Will-o'-Wisp is doing together with the dragon perhaps we can use that against them somehow."
Sure, I'll look for tracks. Orcs leave a trail easy to follow, forest beings hide their tracks well. Easy to see who is who.
Perception: 8
Survival: 17
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A nearly 50 years old lifetime role-player and gaming nerd
=================================================
Level 5 Half-Orc Barbarian Krugh in Warriors of Sehanine by Dylanthalas
Level 1 Half-Drow Warlock Qin'Tar T'Saria in The Shards of Miranos by PinkPygmyPuff307
Thelan laughs at Yasmina’s comment, trying to put her at ease “Yes, two dragons would have been a deal-breaker for me. No, I am committed to saving the children, never fear. Now so more than ever. I just couldn’t help notice you were the first among all of us. It speaks to your character.”
Thelan moves up with Kragh “This is a much better path to redemption. Here, let me help you and Neela look for tracks and for the path ahead. Let’s see what this Druid knows of the dragon.
Perception: 23.
Survival: 10.
.
Yasmina smiles shyly at Thelan as he commends her on her character. "No, I'm truly reckless, I'm aware of that. It is what forced me to leave Calimport." She says with a weak smile. "But that is a story for another time." She says, briefly laying a friendly hand on Thelan's shoulder.
Yasmina stays back a bit, more wary of threats as they come deeper into the forest, Razul still fluttering around to keep her informed of any threats ahead of them.
Perception: 9 Razul perception: 17
All - You press onward into the gloom, the thick canopy of trees blocking most of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor. After about an hour, you find evidence of the orc's initial venture into the woods. Large boot prints trampled most of the lower vegetation while larger shrubs and young trees were hewn down, creating an 12ft wide path through the woods with all the subtlety of a club to the head. You're able to follow the path a bit without veering too far off your intended course and find the site of the battle between the orcs and elves. The bodies of nine slain orcs lie like felled trees in the dirt and leaves. You see no elven corpses.
Stopping at the edge of the clearing, Neela looks around, not yet approaching the bodies. She tries to identify if there is another path leading away from the battle: the one the orcs used to retreat. Tracks told stories, Neela knew, but her strength was usually in the verbal kind, and dead things don't speak.
"Do you think there's any way to tell how many orcs were in the warband from these tracks? Or which way the survivors went?"
Kragh walks with caution into the clearing, wary of an ambush or an Orc that may have some life in him.
He then checks the bodies of the Orcs for tribal tattoos and markings.
Investigation: 7
History: 8
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A nearly 50 years old lifetime role-player and gaming nerd
=================================================
Level 5 Half-Orc Barbarian Krugh in Warriors of Sehanine by Dylanthalas
Level 1 Half-Drow Warlock Qin'Tar T'Saria in The Shards of Miranos by PinkPygmyPuff307
Neela - Using your Survival check from earlier, you hug the periphery of the battle site and work your way around it, looking for evidence of the orc's retreat. You find it opposite of where the orcs came from, indicating they were perhaps surrounded, and the survivors fled deeper into the woods in an unorganized stumbling retreat, roughly southeast in direction. It is hard to tell exactly how many orcs remain, based on the tracks alone given the chaos of the ambush, but you recall Aelar mentioning that they had slain roughly half while the rest were routed.
Kragh - The first orc you find is a headless female with arrows in her back and gut. You find her head a few feet away, one eye half closed and the other fully open revealing a dry lifeless eyeball. A red cross is painted on her face; three fingers of red paint from forehead to chin and again across the eyes. You glance at a nearby corpse, but it is practically blanketed in flies, obscuring the face. You toss the head of the first orc over and the flies clear momentarily, allowing you to see the same red cross painted on the face of a gutted orc lying in a pile of innards. You recognize the red cross as the tribal markings of the Doomspear clan. You had heard they'd been carrying out raids against villages in the area, striking suddenly and leaving destruction in their wake, like the early autumn hurricanes that sometimes erase small fishing villages from the Sword Coast. You also heard that a power struggle was brewing among them. Their leader Grutok Doomspear was entering his eighth decade of life and some of the younger warriors were eager to prove themselves to be his successor. Suddenly a noise and movement draw your attention back to the bloody clearing. One of the orcs coughs and spasms, then draws a pained breath as he rolls from his stomach to his side. He groans in pain, one hand holding a large blood stain on his side as his other hand shakily reaches for something in the dirt and leaves. You see a handaxe laying a few feet away from the orc. What would you like to do?
Kragh jumps over and stands on his hand, looks at him with menace and in a demanding voice
"I will only give you an honorable death if you tell us why you are here, what do you know of this place and the black dragon!?"
Intimidation: 9
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A nearly 50 years old lifetime role-player and gaming nerd
=================================================
Level 5 Half-Orc Barbarian Krugh in Warriors of Sehanine by Dylanthalas
Level 1 Half-Drow Warlock Qin'Tar T'Saria in The Shards of Miranos by PinkPygmyPuff307
The scene was grisly and Yasmina preferred to let the others examine the corpses of the fallen orcs. As she sees the survivor reach for something she is not convinced it is the axe but to be sure she takes a few swift steps and kicks the axe away and stands over the orc. "You'd better not go for a weapon orc." She says grimly. "Talk to us an maybe you will live a little longer."
Persuasion: 18 Another roll if help is given: 8