Hex can almost feel the glare burning a hole into the back of her head and glances back at Sylyra, almost confused at the sensation before shrugging it off. She then bends forward slightly before quickly whipping her hair back and swiftly tying it back up in one well practised move.
She turns to Sylyra as he asks for permission and nods. "Go ahead. I guess we can rest a little while you scout ahead. Be careful and stay safe." To Carl, she shakes her head, a slightly amused smile on her face at his reaction to the druid's shapeshifting abilities. "By himself and in that small form, it'll be better if we didn't follow him so he can keep hidden more easily."
When Sylyra gives them his full name, Auriel answers back in the same manner:
- Auriel Fen'hareth of Mithrendain. Though my family and I reside in the Feywild no longer, and have been staying in Greenhall, in the Quivering Forest for some time - same as Carl, the eladrin doesn't seem to recongize Sylyra's family name (rolled History to try and got a 10 :P).
- Turning into a snake sounds pretty useful. And I agree with Hex. Let's better wait for him so as not to interrupt his sneaky ... or should I say "snakey" ... - he laughs a little at his joke - approach. I'm not any good at being silent anyway - he says, hitting his chain mail a little and producing the typical metallic sound that accompanies that kind of armor.
"'Small'," Sylyra repeats to himself, sounding slightly amused. He looks at Hex. "If you transfer your Mark to me, it will help you follow me. Do not enter into any danger. I should hopefully be able to search the area without drawing too much attention to myself. Wait for me to return and report what I've discovered. Then we can decide what to do next." He waits until Hex and Uragum have said their peace and then the elf's form shivers, shrinks and elongates. The magic absorbs his clothing and weapons. What he becomes is a fat constrictor snake somewhere between 10 and 16 feet long and quite formidable. Sylyra-snake flicks his tongue at the tiefling and then turns and begins gliding through the swamp toward the sound of the drums.
DM, my goal is to perform reconnaissance. I will not directly approach any lizardfolk and will try to stay out of sight unless unavoidable, but if they see me, I won't necessary hide. I will attempt to act snake-like, but to find the drums and identify the area around them to report back. I'll remind you that I still have the Speech of the Woods, Fleet of Foot, and Mask of the Wild features in play. I'll dash to get to the drums as quickly as possible.
Hex chuckles at Auriel's little joke and transfers her Mark onto Sylyra. She cocks her head, confused at the druid's remark, but when he turns into the large snake, her eyes widen with amazement. "Okay, a little bigger than I thought..."
“Right. Well, have a go and we’ll wait for your return. Just be careful. There’s always a bigger snake out there, if you’re takin my meaning…” Carl gets comfortable on his stump and starts to pull off his boots, letting the water run out, getting any mud or leaves off himself, and then he seems to be putting his finger in his ear, working on a bothersome piece of wax. He starts to whistle a little dwarvish walking tune.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Wet and soggy, Uragum makes his way up to the others. He stops, looking at them up and down ans then winces slightly. He reaches up to his arm and pulls out a small dart and flicks it to the ground infront of them all.
"Tricky little lizards. They wanted us alive so used posion. Shame how it went down. I'd prefer a straight up fight but no. They be smart. They have the lay of the terrain, they probably have the numbers and now, with some getting away. They know we are here.",
Looking at the new faces Uragum smiles a quick, brief smile before returning to his more serious look. He simply says, "Uragum, Mage. Appreciate any reinforcemwnt you can provide. It will add to available tactics to the coming combat."
Sylyra's snake form glides into the water, leaving the rest of the party to rest and speak more with their newfound companions.
SYLYRA:
It doesn't take long for you to feel the concentration on your summoned beast come to an end. A short distance downriver, you spot the pair of escaped lizardfolk pulling themselves up onto a large log raft. Aside from the pair, the raft also holds a half-barrel sized signaling drum and drumsticks. The lizardfolk look balefully back at the water before pushing off from the shore to traverse further into the swamp. They don't seem to have noticed the constrictor snake following them through the water.
OOC: I know you mentioned you wouldn't necessarily be hiding but I rolled Stealth for you to begin with assuming you would want to at least stay hidden after learning of the escaped lizardfolk's location. Before resolving any further I'd like to know what you'd like to do knowing this information. Are you following the raft (either hidden or not hidden) or dashing to try and follow the source of the drums, and how long are you willing to do so before reporting back to the rest of the party?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
So there's a drum on the raft, but that's not the drums we're currently hearing. That's what I'm understanding.
Just finding the escaped lizardfolk is not enough. Sylyra knows he can remain a snake for four hours. He also knows if need be, he can turn into a snake again for another four hours. Let's head toward the drums and hopefully find out where they're coming from and learn more about the area surrounding the drums before heading back.
Rolling for stealth is great!
For the fun of it, here're my insight rolls for Post 172: 6 on Auriel and 18 on Carl.
Regarding Auriel's insight check, Sylyra gets that he's being pretty straightforward. He wants to help, but feels a little insecure in this lands that he doesn't know that well. So he really wants to be part of a bigger party.
Also, when mentioning the Feywild, his voice quivers. As if he felt guilty about something related to his homeland.
Regarding the insight check for Carlthuzad, you detect that he is sincere when asking about his cousin, the reason for him to divert his travels to this area to look for him, he seems genuinely concerned for him. But more than that, he seems to be the type that once a mystery is presented, like an itch to be scratched, he cannot let it go.
The other thing that you will note from the insight check is that that he handles the battle axe he is carrying gingerly, like someone not used to swinging it. He carries it reverently and he basically used it like a pole or cane to pull the net closer, like he was using a tool instead of wielding a weapon.
OOC: Time is going to be working against Sylyra here - the party had decided to press into the marsh by night, which leaves only a couple hours for Sylyra to scout and return to the party before everyone will need a long rest. He can push past that but will pick up a level of exhaustion.
Correct regarding the drums - the drum on the log raft is not being used by the lizardfolk while they navigate.
Heading further into the marsh, Sylyra sees the Trank River spread out and flow between a multitude of shallow islands, wetlands, and dense vegetation. The thundering drums serve as a beacon leading further ahead, but once in the thick of the marsh he can hear lesser drums reverberating from far in the distance in other directions as well. With the [Tooltip Not Found] in his snake form, he is able to traverse the tangles of tree roots and muddy bogs well enough, but any vision past that is sheer darkness in the night under the thick canopy of trees. Notably, Sylyra finds several areas of fresh footprints on the edges of the water, moving both into and out of the swamp.
Given the distance of the noise, the source of the most prominent drums could still be many hours away through the difficult terrain of the marsh.
After an hour or so passes, Carl finishes his cleaning process, watching for the return of the snake- Sylyra. His eyes flash black again and he seems even a little more invigorated. He listens for the sounds of any more drum beats in the distance. “Hope he found the trail…” he mutters.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Two hours after Sylyra's departure, as sleep is beginning to call to the rest of you, the river's current is disrupted by the writhing form of the returning druid's wild shape. By this point, Hex and Uragum have fought off the lingering effects of the lizardfolk's poisonous darts and despite their fatigue, are feeling much sturdier.
The large constrictor's form shivers and magically transforms back into the lithe form of Sylyra. He pushes the hood of his cloak back onto his shoulders and blinks at the newcomers as if bored with the fact that they're still around before looking at Hex and Uragum. He relays his experience to the tiefling and goliath, first with the lizardfolk raft and then the journey that ended when he realized he wasn't anywhere close to the source of the major drums. "They use them to communicate," the elf adds. He sighs. "We should set out as early as possible. It will take us some time to reach where I suspect we need to go. And we're sure to encounter more resistance." Waving a hand in Auriel's direction, he says finally, "This one and I can take turns keeping watch. The rest of you sleep as much as possible." He turns his green eyes on the eladrin. "I'll wake you in four hours."
OOC: I've never been in a party with two elves before. This is going to be nice!
When Sylyra finally returns, Hex perks up. "That took a lot longer than I thought it would. My Mark only lasts for an hour and kinda got worried after it faded." She sighs in relief at the druid's return but also in exhaustion from the day's events before standing up from the spot she was sitting in to stretch. "Should we just camp here or should we look for a better spot?"
Auriel was becoming restless as time went by and Sylyra didn't return, and felt relieved when his sinuous figure appeared again.
- How did it go? - he asked once the druid returned to his humanoid shape. Then answered Hex - Maybe somewhere where there hasn't been a fight already? Blood spilled may beckon unwanted guests. In any case, I'm sure you all know this region better than I do, so I'll abide by everyone's decision.
Carl remains seated on the stump, listening to the plans. “Yeah, whatever you think. I would prefer that we move, did you pass any other suitable spots not too far away? The lizard people weren’t gonna get away, were they? I’ll be ready whenever youuns are…” He looks from one to the other, and if everyone seems to be staying where they are, he’ll whip his boots back off and use a dagger to clean up his toes, and toenails, digging out the cuticle. And he methodically starts to braid his beard, before catching some shut eye.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Alright, let's go look for a better place to camp then."
Hex will try to secure the keelboat, pulling it further inland so it doesn't get swept away and mybe even trying to hide it a bit, just in case. After dealing with the keelboat, she'll try to look for a suitable campsite not too far away from where they are now. She'll take anyone's help on these tasks, maybe ask Sylyra specifically to look for a campsite since he scouted ahead.
Hex can almost feel the glare burning a hole into the back of her head and glances back at Sylyra, almost confused at the sensation before shrugging it off. She then bends forward slightly before quickly whipping her hair back and swiftly tying it back up in one well practised move.
She turns to Sylyra as he asks for permission and nods. "Go ahead. I guess we can rest a little while you scout ahead. Be careful and stay safe." To Carl, she shakes her head, a slightly amused smile on her face at his reaction to the druid's shapeshifting abilities. "By himself and in that small form, it'll be better if we didn't follow him so he can keep hidden more easily."
When Sylyra gives them his full name, Auriel answers back in the same manner:
- Auriel Fen'hareth of Mithrendain. Though my family and I reside in the Feywild no longer, and have been staying in Greenhall, in the Quivering Forest for some time - same as Carl, the eladrin doesn't seem to recongize Sylyra's family name (rolled History to try and got a 10 :P).
- Turning into a snake sounds pretty useful. And I agree with Hex. Let's better wait for him so as not to interrupt his sneaky ... or should I say "snakey" ... - he laughs a little at his joke - approach. I'm not any good at being silent anyway - he says, hitting his chain mail a little and producing the typical metallic sound that accompanies that kind of armor.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
"'Small'," Sylyra repeats to himself, sounding slightly amused. He looks at Hex. "If you transfer your Mark to me, it will help you follow me. Do not enter into any danger. I should hopefully be able to search the area without drawing too much attention to myself. Wait for me to return and report what I've discovered. Then we can decide what to do next." He waits until Hex and Uragum have said their peace and then the elf's form shivers, shrinks and elongates. The magic absorbs his clothing and weapons. What he becomes is a fat constrictor snake somewhere between 10 and 16 feet long and quite formidable. Sylyra-snake flicks his tongue at the tiefling and then turns and begins gliding through the swamp toward the sound of the drums.
DM, my goal is to perform reconnaissance. I will not directly approach any lizardfolk and will try to stay out of sight unless unavoidable, but if they see me, I won't necessary hide. I will attempt to act snake-like, but to find the drums and identify the area around them to report back. I'll remind you that I still have the Speech of the Woods, Fleet of Foot, and Mask of the Wild features in play. I'll dash to get to the drums as quickly as possible.
Hex chuckles at Auriel's little joke and transfers her Mark onto Sylyra. She cocks her head, confused at the druid's remark, but when he turns into the large snake, her eyes widen with amazement. "Okay, a little bigger than I thought..."
(That's what she said, ba-dum-tss)
“Right. Well, have a go and we’ll wait for your return. Just be careful. There’s always a bigger snake out there, if you’re takin my meaning…” Carl gets comfortable on his stump and starts to pull off his boots, letting the water run out, getting any mud or leaves off himself, and then he seems to be putting his finger in his ear, working on a bothersome piece of wax. He starts to whistle a little dwarvish walking tune.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Wet and soggy, Uragum makes his way up to the others. He stops, looking at them up and down ans then winces slightly. He reaches up to his arm and pulls out a small dart and flicks it to the ground infront of them all.
"Tricky little lizards. They wanted us alive so used posion. Shame how it went down. I'd prefer a straight up fight but no. They be smart. They have the lay of the terrain, they probably have the numbers and now, with some getting away. They know we are here.",
Looking at the new faces Uragum smiles a quick, brief smile before returning to his more serious look. He simply says, "Uragum, Mage. Appreciate any reinforcemwnt you can provide. It will add to available tactics to the coming combat."
Sylyra's snake form glides into the water, leaving the rest of the party to rest and speak more with their newfound companions.
SYLYRA:
It doesn't take long for you to feel the concentration on your summoned beast come to an end. A short distance downriver, you spot the pair of escaped lizardfolk pulling themselves up onto a large log raft. Aside from the pair, the raft also holds a half-barrel sized signaling drum and drumsticks. The lizardfolk look balefully back at the water before pushing off from the shore to traverse further into the swamp. They don't seem to have noticed the constrictor snake following them through the water.
OOC: I know you mentioned you wouldn't necessarily be hiding but I rolled Stealth for you to begin with assuming you would want to at least stay hidden after learning of the escaped lizardfolk's location. Before resolving any further I'd like to know what you'd like to do knowing this information. Are you following the raft (either hidden or not hidden) or dashing to try and follow the source of the drums, and how long are you willing to do so before reporting back to the rest of the party?
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
So there's a drum on the raft, but that's not the drums we're currently hearing. That's what I'm understanding.
Just finding the escaped lizardfolk is not enough. Sylyra knows he can remain a snake for four hours. He also knows if need be, he can turn into a snake again for another four hours. Let's head toward the drums and hopefully find out where they're coming from and learn more about the area surrounding the drums before heading back.
Rolling for stealth is great!
For the fun of it, here're my insight rolls for Post 172: 6 on Auriel and 18 on Carl.
Regarding Auriel's insight check, Sylyra gets that he's being pretty straightforward. He wants to help, but feels a little insecure in this lands that he doesn't know that well. So he really wants to be part of a bigger party.
Also, when mentioning the Feywild, his voice quivers. As if he felt guilty about something related to his homeland.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Regarding the insight check for Carlthuzad, you detect that he is sincere when asking about his cousin, the reason for him to divert his travels to this area to look for him, he seems genuinely concerned for him. But more than that, he seems to be the type that once a mystery is presented, like an itch to be scratched, he cannot let it go.
The other thing that you will note from the insight check is that that he handles the battle axe he is carrying gingerly, like someone not used to swinging it. He carries it reverently and he basically used it like a pole or cane to pull the net closer, like he was using a tool instead of wielding a weapon.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
OOC: Time is going to be working against Sylyra here - the party had decided to press into the marsh by night, which leaves only a couple hours for Sylyra to scout and return to the party before everyone will need a long rest. He can push past that but will pick up a level of exhaustion.
Correct regarding the drums - the drum on the log raft is not being used by the lizardfolk while they navigate.
Heading further into the marsh, Sylyra sees the Trank River spread out and flow between a multitude of shallow islands, wetlands, and dense vegetation. The thundering drums serve as a beacon leading further ahead, but once in the thick of the marsh he can hear lesser drums reverberating from far in the distance in other directions as well. With the [Tooltip Not Found] in his snake form, he is able to traverse the tangles of tree roots and muddy bogs well enough, but any vision past that is sheer darkness in the night under the thick canopy of trees. Notably, Sylyra finds several areas of fresh footprints on the edges of the water, moving both into and out of the swamp.
Given the distance of the noise, the source of the most prominent drums could still be many hours away through the difficult terrain of the marsh.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
I'll head back.
After an hour or so passes, Carl finishes his cleaning process, watching for the return of the snake- Sylyra. His eyes flash black again and he seems even a little more invigorated. He listens for the sounds of any more drum beats in the distance. “Hope he found the trail…” he mutters.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Two hours after Sylyra's departure, as sleep is beginning to call to the rest of you, the river's current is disrupted by the writhing form of the returning druid's wild shape. By this point, Hex and Uragum have fought off the lingering effects of the lizardfolk's poisonous darts and despite their fatigue, are feeling much sturdier.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
The large constrictor's form shivers and magically transforms back into the lithe form of Sylyra. He pushes the hood of his cloak back onto his shoulders and blinks at the newcomers as if bored with the fact that they're still around before looking at Hex and Uragum. He relays his experience to the tiefling and goliath, first with the lizardfolk raft and then the journey that ended when he realized he wasn't anywhere close to the source of the major drums. "They use them to communicate," the elf adds. He sighs. "We should set out as early as possible. It will take us some time to reach where I suspect we need to go. And we're sure to encounter more resistance." Waving a hand in Auriel's direction, he says finally, "This one and I can take turns keeping watch. The rest of you sleep as much as possible." He turns his green eyes on the eladrin. "I'll wake you in four hours."
OOC: I've never been in a party with two elves before. This is going to be nice!
When Sylyra finally returns, Hex perks up. "That took a lot longer than I thought it would. My Mark only lasts for an hour and kinda got worried after it faded." She sighs in relief at the druid's return but also in exhaustion from the day's events before standing up from the spot she was sitting in to stretch. "Should we just camp here or should we look for a better spot?"
Auriel was becoming restless as time went by and Sylyra didn't return, and felt relieved when his sinuous figure appeared again.
- How did it go? - he asked once the druid returned to his humanoid shape. Then answered Hex - Maybe somewhere where there hasn't been a fight already? Blood spilled may beckon unwanted guests. In any case, I'm sure you all know this region better than I do, so I'll abide by everyone's decision.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Carl remains seated on the stump, listening to the plans. “Yeah, whatever you think. I would prefer that we move, did you pass any other suitable spots not too far away? The lizard people weren’t gonna get away, were they? I’ll be ready whenever youuns are…” He looks from one to the other, and if everyone seems to be staying where they are, he’ll whip his boots back off and use a dagger to clean up his toes, and toenails, digging out the cuticle. And he methodically starts to braid his beard, before catching some shut eye.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Alright, let's go look for a better place to camp then."
Hex will try to secure the keelboat, pulling it further inland so it doesn't get swept away and mybe even trying to hide it a bit, just in case. After dealing with the keelboat, she'll try to look for a suitable campsite not too far away from where they are now. She'll take anyone's help on these tasks, maybe ask Sylyra specifically to look for a campsite since he scouted ahead.
DM, did I spy any place that would make a better campsite?