As they speak, Dev, who learned to fish on the banks of Mooren Lake so young that he does not even remember not knowing how to fish, tries to assess the river's conditions. Fishing is a waiting game, and catching something edible with limited time is not always a realistic expectation. Unless you really know the area, which in this case, he doesn't. Moreover, he has no net or a real pole, although he could make one. But perhaps, he thinks, he can assess the likelihood of quickly catching river fish -- enough to support Normont's plan of using them as bait -- despite these handicaps.
(Survival: 14+2=16)
Devs fairly sure he could probably build a relatively workable fish trap from stones and wood ...but it would likely take some time to catch anything as the fish are likely to be deeper and more sluggish in the winter weather.....though there could be some sheltering under the banks and tree roots that he might be able to grab or spear.....or there could be freshwater crayfish or mussels though that would likely mean getting wet and cold.
Normont nods back to Lokilia, "Ok, if it will make you feel better then I am happy to continue as well".
He speaks to Amber in gnomish, sending her to look for the abandoned houses to try and get an idea of how far away they are, and if there will be a place to cross the river.
He then looks to Dev and Quinn to see what their opinions are.
(OOC: Let me know if Amber needs to make any rolls to find the abandoned houses / a river crossing)
Quinn will say, "I will go with the group, but I believe leaving this area will be safer but we risk fatigue, and moving while it is dark makes us easier targets."
“Yeah,” Dev agrees, “okay.” In his heart he believes it would be better to wait until morning. But, maybe he’s overthinking and they’ll pass through One Eye’s territory in an hour or two and be able to spend the night under a roof. That would be welcome. Trying to bolster himself with these thoughts, he nods confidently and keeps pace with the others and maintains a watchful eye, warily in search of a watchful eye looking back at him.
"I think we have plenty of daylight left to keep moving," Lokilia says. (OOC - There's little indication of where we are at in the day. I'm presuming we have most the day remaining.)
The companions continue north along the river bank, the ground is thick with brush and often hemmed in on the right with steep slopes or rock faces, but at imes it opens out to more gentle slopes and forested hills to the east as they advance. <snip>
It is just after midday and a relatively comfortable campsite with the possibility of fresh fish could be made....
"I think we have plenty of daylight left to keep moving," Lokilia says. (OOC - There's little indication of where we are at in the day. I'm presuming we have most the day remaining.)
The companions continued trekking northwards through the afternoon beside the river, the surrounds felt different as they walked....birdsong was sparse and they saw little sign of small animals or insects as they walked.
Amber kept watch from above as they moved and Lokilia and the others noted that the larger trees were not just scratched and rubbed on but many of them were almost torn apart in places as if they had been attacked in a rage.
Quinn found a deer carcasses torn to shreds, as near as he could tell....little of it had been consumed rather it had simply been destroyed.
The day began to darken as the sun dropped lower, sometimes hidden by the trees.....somewhere behind them to the south there was a sudden deep bellowing scream...it sounded almost like a human woman screaming at the start but ended in a bass echoing rumble....
There was still no sign of Mooren Village across the water...but the river was beginning to narrow a little.
Normont looks to the others at the sound of the scream, his eyes wide.
"Nuts and bolts, I don't like the sound of that. I don't know whether to rush to help someone in need, or run away from something terrible", he admits. "It will be dark soon, we should probably find somewhere defensible to hole up, or somewhere we can hide. Amber has not spotted the village yet"
Dev tries to memorize the sound of that bellowing scream, unpleasant though it is.
"Did you notice the claw marks on the Bone Tree?," he asks no one in particular. "I guess they were to mark the edge of the mother bear's territory. Well, now every tree here is marked that way... and worse than marked," looking at one of the splintered stumps. "Maybe 'One Eye' is some kind of bear? But... can a bear even do that?"
Dev tried to imagine an old, insane bear capable of slashing a tree into pieces, not liking what he envisions one iota. The teenage tiefling pulls his cloak tightly around himself, eyes darting left and right as he increases his pace with the dying of the light.
"Can we hurry up?," he says. He's on the verge of breaking into a jog if the others will oblige. Maybe they can still make it through this territory before sunset...
"Still no sign of the village?" Lokilia asks with disappointment when Normont reports that Amber has found nothing yet. Worried, she tries to give confidence to her words. "I'm sure we'll get there if we just press onward. I really hate stopping here - we won't be able to make a fire and will need to conceal ourselves, lest One-Eye find us. So, let's just keep moving for a bit." She pauses as Normont mentions finding a camp. "I suppose as we go if we do find a good camp spot then we stop and hope for the best."
Like the others, she will try to keep up a brisker pace.
The companions continue moving north as the day continues darkening....
( Can i get a Stealth check from everyone. Feel free to make other checks/cast spells/use items etc. if you can think of ways in which they will help you achieve your goal of heading towards Mooren.)
Normont will continue to use the orb of direction to help them, although following the river kind of makes that redundant. And Amber will be keeping an eye out from the sky for signs of the village or One-Eye.
Despite the use of his cowl, Dev's anxiety keeps him from noticing dry twigs underfoot. Though the elven cloak in which he wraps himself makes his appearance into a blur in the evening light, he presence can be heard as far away as the next meadow... (Stealth with advantage 4, 11 = 11)
The companions move as quietly and stealthily as they can through the thick riverside forest.....the night is beginning to close in and both Amber and Lokilia confirm that something is definitely on their trail......
( Ok. This is now a two stage Skill Test.
Stage 1:- You may each choose one Skill to roll in order to assist the group in staying ahead of/losing your pursuer. If you wish you may instead use a Spell or Ability instead of a Skill Check. Good Luck.)
They rush onward, and the teen tiefling’s heart races, not just with the exertion, but from fear. ‘What can I do, what can I do?,’ the thought ping-pongs through his head as he grasps for straws for some way to misdirect their pursuer. It’s only when he realizes that this could be just like evading the big kids back in Drynna that his thinking calms and he has an idea.
“Wait!,” Dev hisses, coming to a sudden halt in front of a tree trunk crossing the trail that had been struck by lightning and its interior burned out leaving only the outer cylinder intact. “This is perfect. Help me move it…” He shifts it with a few quick shoves to point down the hillside from them, toward a dead-end glen. Into the pipe, he blows a series of piercing notes on his pan-pipes… and the sound of his voice and the others careens into the cylinder, focusing and projecting down into the dead-end glen.
“OH NO!!,” the ersatz voice shouts repeatedly (at 3x normal volume and 'thrown,' a dozen yards away), “WE’RE TRAPPED!!”
“Come on!,” Dev then whispers to the others, quietly rushing away and hopefully gaining ground on their pursuer.
Devs fairly sure he could probably build a relatively workable fish trap from stones and wood ...but it would likely take some time to catch anything as the fish are likely to be deeper and more sluggish in the winter weather.....though there could be some sheltering under the banks and tree roots that he might be able to grab or spear.....or there could be freshwater crayfish or mussels though that would likely mean getting wet and cold.
Normont nods back to Lokilia, "Ok, if it will make you feel better then I am happy to continue as well".
He speaks to Amber in gnomish, sending her to look for the abandoned houses to try and get an idea of how far away they are, and if there will be a place to cross the river.
He then looks to Dev and Quinn to see what their opinions are.
(OOC: Let me know if Amber needs to make any rolls to find the abandoned houses / a river crossing)
Quinn will say, "I will go with the group, but I believe leaving this area will be safer but we risk fatigue, and moving while it is dark makes us easier targets."
“Yeah,” Dev agrees, “okay.” In his heart he believes it would be better to wait until morning. But, maybe he’s overthinking and they’ll pass through One Eye’s territory in an hour or two and be able to spend the night under a roof. That would be welcome. Trying to bolster himself with these thoughts, he nods confidently and keeps pace with the others and maintains a watchful eye, warily in search of a watchful eye looking back at him.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"I think we have plenty of daylight left to keep moving," Lokilia says. (OOC - There's little indication of where we are at in the day. I'm presuming we have most the day remaining.)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
(I believe the hour is just after midday :)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The companions continued trekking northwards through the afternoon beside the river, the surrounds felt different as they walked....birdsong was sparse and they saw little sign of small animals or insects as they walked.
Amber kept watch from above as they moved and Lokilia and the others noted that the larger trees were not just scratched and rubbed on but many of them were almost torn apart in places as if they had been attacked in a rage.
Quinn found a deer carcasses torn to shreds, as near as he could tell....little of it had been consumed rather it had simply been destroyed.
The day began to darken as the sun dropped lower, sometimes hidden by the trees.....somewhere behind them to the south there was a sudden deep bellowing scream...it sounded almost like a human woman screaming at the start but ended in a bass echoing rumble....
There was still no sign of Mooren Village across the water...but the river was beginning to narrow a little.
Normont looks to the others at the sound of the scream, his eyes wide.
"Nuts and bolts, I don't like the sound of that. I don't know whether to rush to help someone in need, or run away from something terrible", he admits. "It will be dark soon, we should probably find somewhere defensible to hole up, or somewhere we can hide. Amber has not spotted the village yet"
Dev tries to memorize the sound of that bellowing scream, unpleasant though it is.
"Did you notice the claw marks on the Bone Tree?," he asks no one in particular. "I guess they were to mark the edge of the mother bear's territory. Well, now every tree here is marked that way... and worse than marked," looking at one of the splintered stumps. "Maybe 'One Eye' is some kind of bear? But... can a bear even do that?"
Dev tried to imagine an old, insane bear capable of slashing a tree into pieces, not liking what he envisions one iota. The teenage tiefling pulls his cloak tightly around himself, eyes darting left and right as he increases his pace with the dying of the light.
"Can we hurry up?," he says. He's on the verge of breaking into a jog if the others will oblige. Maybe they can still make it through this territory before sunset...
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"I don't know, Dev. Whatever One-Eye is it is very dangerous", Normont replies.
He speeds up to match pace with Dev.
"We need to make sure we have time to find a camp before darkness falls", he advises once again.
Quinn will add, "I don't like what we are seeing. This looks to be something evil in nature."
"Still no sign of the village?" Lokilia asks with disappointment when Normont reports that Amber has found nothing yet. Worried, she tries to give confidence to her words. "I'm sure we'll get there if we just press onward. I really hate stopping here - we won't be able to make a fire and will need to conceal ourselves, lest One-Eye find us. So, let's just keep moving for a bit." She pauses as Normont mentions finding a camp. "I suppose as we go if we do find a good camp spot then we stop and hope for the best."
Like the others, she will try to keep up a brisker pace.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
The companions continue moving north as the day continues darkening....
( Can i get a Stealth check from everyone. Feel free to make other checks/cast spells/use items etc. if you can think of ways in which they will help you achieve your goal of heading towards Mooren.)
(Lokilia Stealth: 13)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Normont will continue to use the orb of direction to help them, although following the river kind of makes that redundant. And Amber will be keeping an eye out from the sky for signs of the village or One-Eye.
Stealth: 10+2=12 (If Guidance is allowed +4)
Despite the use of his cowl, Dev's anxiety keeps him from noticing dry twigs underfoot. Though the elven cloak in which he wraps himself makes his appearance into a blur in the evening light, he presence can be heard as far away as the next meadow... (Stealth with advantage
4,11 = 11)DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Quinn is not stealthy at all, Stealth:11
The companions move as quietly and stealthily as they can through the thick riverside forest.....the night is beginning to close in and both Amber and Lokilia confirm that something is definitely on their trail......
( Ok. This is now a two stage Skill Test.
Stage 1:- You may each choose one Skill to roll in order to assist the group in staying ahead of/losing your pursuer. If you wish you may instead use a Spell or Ability instead of a Skill Check. Good Luck.)
They rush onward, and the teen tiefling’s heart races, not just with the exertion, but from fear. ‘What can I do, what can I do?,’ the thought ping-pongs through his head as he grasps for straws for some way to misdirect their pursuer. It’s only when he realizes that this could be just like evading the big kids back in Drynna that his thinking calms and he has an idea.
“Wait!,” Dev hisses, coming to a sudden halt in front of a tree trunk crossing the trail that had been struck by lightning and its interior burned out leaving only the outer cylinder intact. “This is perfect. Help me move it…” He shifts it with a few quick shoves to point down the hillside from them, toward a dead-end glen. Into the pipe, he blows a series of piercing notes on his pan-pipes… and the sound of his voice and the others careens into the cylinder, focusing and projecting down into the dead-end glen.
“OH NO!!,” the ersatz voice shouts repeatedly (at 3x normal volume and 'thrown,' a dozen yards away), “WE’RE TRAPPED!!”
“Come on!,” Dev then whispers to the others, quietly rushing away and hopefully gaining ground on their pursuer.
(Minor Illusion / Deception: 18+5=23)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Quinn will bull ahead and clear away the path with an Athletic check: 18