This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Mal nods in agreement, "I agree, we should investigate this accursed pull first as it might lead to more knowledge, I know I gained an insight when I found the item of my first "pull", as she grips the chain around her neck. "However we might not want to split up as who knows what targets our on our backs. I can keep a hold of the ledger as the trinket around my neck makes it hard for people to find me. I have a little bit of coin, but not sure how much that will buy for us, but maybe I will find a bit more on our way to the nearest trader. Anyone know of a decent one around we can go to? What do you all think?"
OOC: Either splitting up or staying together works for me. On the way to the trader Mal will keep an eye out for any potential "donators of coin" to help[ them in their cause. She will also keep an eye out for anyone again paying the group any particular interest.
Trythia nods agreement. "Yes, we should remain together. I found work but it was barter and paid for these clothes and the inn, and perhaps not that. So I have no coin but I will watch your backs while you purchase provisions." She turns to Kelric. "Good innkeeper, where can we purchase provisions at a fair price?"
ooc: If Trythia notices Mal attempting to commit thievery, she will intervene. Just a normal reaction for her. I doubt she'll notice, but that's what she'll do. But she will try to do it without calling attention to the attempt. She's honorable but somewhat pragmatic.
The morning mist still clings to the rooftops and river when the five of you gather at the northeastern gate of Loudwater—where the wall meets the treeline of the High Forest. Here, the stonework gives way to a crude ranger-marked trail that winds into the dense green beyond.
The strange pull in your chests has not abated. If anything, it has grown sharper, clearer, with every passing step toward this edge of civilization. Each of you feels it like a string drawn taut, urging you forward into the wilderness.
Behind you, the town is beginning to stir in earnest. Farmers drive mule carts laden with grain through the southern gate. Ferrymen shout along the docks. And at the Market Square, merchants still haggle over morning deliveries. But here—at the northeastern gate—the air is different. Quieter. Even the guards posted here seem less interested in idle chatter, their eyes glancing uneasily at the shadows beyond.
Each of you has taken time, separately or in pairs, to gather what supplies you could—trail rations, water, a few last-minute purchases from Rilsa’s general goods or the market. None of it feels like enough, but instinct says nothing would be.
Now, at last, you stand here together.
The ranger’s trail beyond the gate disappears into a wall of green, the light already dim beneath the ancient canopy. Somewhere out there, past hills and glades and dangers yet unknown, something waits. Something tied to each of you, though none can say exactly what.
And so you stand. Five strangers drawn together by a shared sense of purpose, each with memories like shattered glass, each feeling the same inexorable call pulling them forward into the High Forest.
The town is behind you now.
What lies ahead is yours to face.
📝 DM Note:
✅ You have now gathered at the northeastern gate of Loudwater, ready to head toward the strange pull, which leads into the High Forest.
✅ You’ve each had time to purchase basic provisions. If you need to deduct coin or rations, please do so now.
✅ Costs are standard, so whatever the listed prices for the items is fine.
✅ If you want something special ask me about it in our one-on-one PM.
As Yuno meets back up with the party they notice that she has a new outfit now. Where previously her attire was like that of any maiden from a small town, this one is quite the opposite. At first glance it looks like she is wearing gold and silver armor. She wore a golden breast plate with long purple cloth sleeves These metals are nowhere near sturdy enough to properly defend against weapons. On her arms, she wore golden gauntlets. She now wore a slim golden belt around her waist and a purple miniskirt. Under it, she wore some kind of metal-like leg armor and sabatons. The one thing her two outfits had in common is the purple shawl that rests on her shoulders and hangs a bit off her back; this and her braided hair. Upon closer inspection, it seems that her armor is just a costume. Her "Metal chain leggings" are just fabric with a pattern on it. The Metal "armor", while constructed very competently and like actual armor, is made of light, soft and thin metals that would not really offer much protection at all. Even if it were made of stronger metals, it is doubtful how much her "armor" would protect her as it leaves her belly completely uncovered.
Upon meeting the party, Yuno tells them, "I bought a Chain Shirt but I didn't really like it and I don't think I'll be using it. Do any of you want it? You can have it then." Yuno is 5ft 4 in. tall so it might not be the exact right size but it would still be functional.
Trythia nods her acceptance of Yuno's offer. "Yes, I could use that, Yuno."
After that is resolved, Trythia moves to the edge of the forest and stretches out with her senses, seeing if she detects any danger or anything at all.
ooc: Using Divine Sense: The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.
As Trythia steps to the edge of the trail and focuses, stretching out with her Divine Sense, the bustle of Loudwater behind her fades into a quiet backdrop. The cool, damp air of the High Forest curls around her, earthy and alive.
For a moment, nothing stirs—then her awareness sharpens, catching faint impressions carried on the stillness.
Within the immediate area of the northeastern gate and trailhead—within sixty feet—there are no creatures of celestial, fiendish, or undead nature present. No noxious scent of corruption. No faint choir of blessed presence. The guards at the gate and the few townsfolk nearby register only as mortal, mundane lives.
However, as her awareness brushes against the threshold where the trees begin to thicken, a faint residue clings to the stones of the old ranger path—an ancient desecration, subtle but still echoing in the world. It is not recent, nor potent enough to threaten outright here, but it lingers: the aftertaste of long-passed rituals or wards broken and never repaired. The High Forest ahead does not feel holy or profane, but something further along carries the memory of being defiled long ago.
Nothing within her immediate reach seems to stir danger, and no being of otherworldly alignment hides nearby. But the trail whispers of a place deeper within the forest where the natural order was once violated—and perhaps still remembers.
Fully conent to let the others in the group do the thinking, Haluth just listens patiently and nods in agreement when the group decides to travel together to follow the pull.
As the rest of the group splits off to do some shopping or make some coin, Haluth just sits back in his chair to finish his ale and breakfast. Once he is done eating, he will head to Tanneth at the forge and see if he can help run a few deliveries to make a coin or two before heading to the general store to buy a set of clothes. Outside of this, Haluth has never been one for things material (outside of his alcohol) so as long as he has somewhat well-fitting trousers and a shirt he is more than happy to head to the gate and meet with the others.
(OOC: Haluth hadn't made any money before this morning so hopefully he can earn a couple of coins with which to buy clothes - I am going to go ahead and add the clothes to the inventory assuming I make enough money running goods for Tanneth.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Cygnan agrees to meet the group, and with some magical assistance helps clean and set the tavern in order after breakfast to pay for his lodging.
Arriving at the gate, he smiles sheepishly as he sees much of the group equipped. "I regret, due to a lack of funds, I am ill-prepared for this journey. I will repay you, should I aquire the means, for your charity. I focused my attention on book knowledge and not on more... err practical matters. But maybe my studies will prove useful.".
Cygnan agrees to meet the group, and with some magical assistance helps clean and set the tavern in order after breakfast to pay for his lodging.
Arriving at the gate, he smiles sheepishly as he sees much of the group equipped. "I regret, due to a lack of funds, I am ill-prepared for this journey. I will repay you, should I aquire the means, for your charity. I focused my attention on book knowledge and not on more... err practical matters. But maybe my studies will prove useful.".
Yuno waves her hand dismissing the concerns, "Eh, I packed like 30 days worth of food. I bought it so I can have extra for emergencies and can go long distances but all of you can share it. I can always buy more."
(OOC: Haluth is also good to go - regardless of whether or not he was able to purchase clothes he would still meet with the others at the designated meeting time at the gate.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
The five of you step beyond the northeastern gate of Loudwater, leaving behind the murmur of merchants, the scent of river mist, and the watchful eyes of the town guard. The ranger’s trail stretches ahead—narrow, well-worn, and winding into the thick embrace of the High Forest.
The air grows cooler as you walk, the canopy above growing denser, filtering the light into shifting patches of gold and green. The trail itself is quiet, save for the occasional birdcall or the distant creak of boughs swaying overhead. Roots twist across the path in places, and the undergrowth crowds the edges, but the way remains clear.
The morning passes uneventfully. Every so often you feel the faint tug in your chest—still leading you forward, still insistent—but no sign of danger greets you here.
At midday you pause briefly, finding a fallen log wide enough to sit on while you break open rations. The forest is still, but not oppressively so—alive with rustling leaves, the occasional scurrying of unseen creatures, and the faint scent of pine resin on the breeze.
After a short rest and a drink of water, you set off once more. The afternoon deepens as the shadows lengthen, and the trail begins to narrow where the trees grow close enough that their branches intermingle overhead.
It’s here, as the sun dips toward mid-afternoon, that you see it.
Just off the trail, tucked beneath the boughs of a massive oak, stands a small stone shrine—carved in the shape of a stag’s head crowned with ivy. Moss and wildflowers climb its sides, and a faint emerald glow shines at its heart. The air here is curiously still and fragrant, the forest sounds softening as though in respect.
Someone has tended the shrine recently: old leaves have been swept away, a bundle of herbs lies at its base, and a small wooden bowl sits atop a flat stone before it, waiting to receive offerings.
Even from here, you feel a subtle weight in the air—quiet, watchful, expectant.
The last time Yuno has felt this way was back when she woke up and her twin blades were nearby. Despite her lack of protective clothing, she gets the feeling that she may be one of the people more suited to taking the lead in the front. She steps forward toward the shrine, trying to focus on the pull to lead her to the spot that is calling to her.
Cygnan looks at the shrine and thinks if he remembers reading anything about a related religious practice, and what might be appropriate to leave as an offering. (History 14, Religion 15).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Mal nods in agreement, "I agree, we should investigate this accursed pull first as it might lead to more knowledge, I know I gained an insight when I found the item of my first "pull", as she grips the chain around her neck. "However we might not want to split up as who knows what targets our on our backs. I can keep a hold of the ledger as the trinket around my neck makes it hard for people to find me. I have a little bit of coin, but not sure how much that will buy for us, but maybe I will find a bit more on our way to the nearest trader. Anyone know of a decent one around we can go to? What do you all think?"
OOC: Either splitting up or staying together works for me. On the way to the trader Mal will keep an eye out for any potential "donators of coin" to help[ them in their cause. She will also keep an eye out for anyone again paying the group any particular interest.
Perception: 10
Stealth: 26
Slight of Hand: 18
Yuno's going to head out to buy some rations and collect her new outfit from the tailor. How much would it cost to buy 30 days worth of Rations?
Trythia nods agreement. "Yes, we should remain together. I found work but it was barter and paid for these clothes and the inn, and perhaps not that. So I have no coin but I will watch your backs while you purchase provisions." She turns to Kelric. "Good innkeeper, where can we purchase provisions at a fair price?"
ooc: If Trythia notices Mal attempting to commit thievery, she will intervene. Just a normal reaction for her. I doubt she'll notice, but that's what she'll do. But she will try to do it without calling attention to the attempt. She's honorable but somewhat pragmatic.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
The goblin ruin is to the South of Loudwater. All of the gathered people feel the tug to the Northeast, all in the exact same direction.
🌲 DM Post: At the Edge of Loudwater
The morning mist still clings to the rooftops and river when the five of you gather at the northeastern gate of Loudwater—where the wall meets the treeline of the High Forest. Here, the stonework gives way to a crude ranger-marked trail that winds into the dense green beyond.
The strange pull in your chests has not abated. If anything, it has grown sharper, clearer, with every passing step toward this edge of civilization. Each of you feels it like a string drawn taut, urging you forward into the wilderness.
Behind you, the town is beginning to stir in earnest. Farmers drive mule carts laden with grain through the southern gate. Ferrymen shout along the docks. And at the Market Square, merchants still haggle over morning deliveries. But here—at the northeastern gate—the air is different. Quieter. Even the guards posted here seem less interested in idle chatter, their eyes glancing uneasily at the shadows beyond.
Each of you has taken time, separately or in pairs, to gather what supplies you could—trail rations, water, a few last-minute purchases from Rilsa’s general goods or the market. None of it feels like enough, but instinct says nothing would be.
Now, at last, you stand here together.
The ranger’s trail beyond the gate disappears into a wall of green, the light already dim beneath the ancient canopy. Somewhere out there, past hills and glades and dangers yet unknown, something waits. Something tied to each of you, though none can say exactly what.
And so you stand. Five strangers drawn together by a shared sense of purpose, each with memories like shattered glass, each feeling the same inexorable call pulling them forward into the High Forest.
The town is behind you now.
What lies ahead is yours to face.
📝 DM Note:
✅ You have now gathered at the northeastern gate of Loudwater, ready to head toward the strange pull, which leads into the High Forest.
✅ You’ve each had time to purchase basic provisions. If you need to deduct coin or rations, please do so now.
✅ Costs are standard, so whatever the listed prices for the items is fine.
✅ If you want something special ask me about it in our one-on-one PM.
As Yuno meets back up with the party they notice that she has a new outfit now. Where previously her attire was like that of any maiden from a small town, this one is quite the opposite. At first glance it looks like she is wearing gold and silver armor. She wore a golden breast plate with long purple cloth sleeves These metals are nowhere near sturdy enough to properly defend against weapons. On her arms, she wore golden gauntlets. She now wore a slim golden belt around her waist and a purple miniskirt. Under it, she wore some kind of metal-like leg armor and sabatons. The one thing her two outfits had in common is the purple shawl that rests on her shoulders and hangs a bit off her back; this and her braided hair. Upon closer inspection, it seems that her armor is just a costume. Her "Metal chain leggings" are just fabric with a pattern on it. The Metal "armor", while constructed very competently and like actual armor, is made of light, soft and thin metals that would not really offer much protection at all. Even if it were made of stronger metals, it is doubtful how much her "armor" would protect her as it leaves her belly completely uncovered.
Upon meeting the party, Yuno tells them, "I bought a Chain Shirt but I didn't really like it and I don't think I'll be using it. Do any of you want it? You can have it then." Yuno is 5ft 4 in. tall so it might not be the exact right size but it would still be functional.
Trythia nods her acceptance of Yuno's offer. "Yes, I could use that, Yuno."
After that is resolved, Trythia moves to the edge of the forest and stretches out with her senses, seeing if she detects any danger or anything at all.
ooc: Using Divine Sense: The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.
ooc: Anyway to add Divine Sense as a tool tip?
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
(( Trythia will now have a Chain Shirt. Removing Chain Shirt from Yuno's Sheet))
DM Response:
As Trythia steps to the edge of the trail and focuses, stretching out with her Divine Sense, the bustle of Loudwater behind her fades into a quiet backdrop. The cool, damp air of the High Forest curls around her, earthy and alive.
For a moment, nothing stirs—then her awareness sharpens, catching faint impressions carried on the stillness.
Within the immediate area of the northeastern gate and trailhead—within sixty feet—there are no creatures of celestial, fiendish, or undead nature present. No noxious scent of corruption. No faint choir of blessed presence. The guards at the gate and the few townsfolk nearby register only as mortal, mundane lives.
However, as her awareness brushes against the threshold where the trees begin to thicken, a faint residue clings to the stones of the old ranger path—an ancient desecration, subtle but still echoing in the world. It is not recent, nor potent enough to threaten outright here, but it lingers: the aftertaste of long-passed rituals or wards broken and never repaired. The High Forest ahead does not feel holy or profane, but something further along carries the memory of being defiled long ago.
Nothing within her immediate reach seems to stir danger, and no being of otherworldly alignment hides nearby. But the trail whispers of a place deeper within the forest where the natural order was once violated—and perhaps still remembers.
Fully conent to let the others in the group do the thinking, Haluth just listens patiently and nods in agreement when the group decides to travel together to follow the pull.
As the rest of the group splits off to do some shopping or make some coin, Haluth just sits back in his chair to finish his ale and breakfast. Once he is done eating, he will head to Tanneth at the forge and see if he can help run a few deliveries to make a coin or two before heading to the general store to buy a set of clothes. Outside of this, Haluth has never been one for things material (outside of his alcohol) so as long as he has somewhat well-fitting trousers and a shirt he is more than happy to head to the gate and meet with the others.
(OOC: Haluth hadn't made any money before this morning so hopefully he can earn a couple of coins with which to buy clothes - I am going to go ahead and add the clothes to the inventory assuming I make enough money running goods for Tanneth.)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Yuno hangs around the north gate looking bored.
((Ready to move on))
ooc: Trythia ready to move on.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
"Sense anything Trythia?" Mal asks her as she checks on what little she has and prepares to follow the pull to wherever it leads.
OOC: Mal is ready to go.
Trythia turns to the human and nods. Then she relates what she sensed from the forest.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Cygnan agrees to meet the group, and with some magical assistance helps clean and set the tavern in order after breakfast to pay for his lodging.
Arriving at the gate, he smiles sheepishly as he sees much of the group equipped. "I regret, due to a lack of funds, I am ill-prepared for this journey. I will repay you, should I aquire the means, for your charity. I focused my attention on book knowledge and not on more... err practical matters. But maybe my studies will prove useful.".
Yuno waves her hand dismissing the concerns, "Eh, I packed like 30 days worth of food. I bought it so I can have extra for emergencies and can go long distances but all of you can share it. I can always buy more."
(OOC: Haluth is also good to go - regardless of whether or not he was able to purchase clothes he would still meet with the others at the designated meeting time at the gate.)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
🌲 The Journey & The Shrine
The five of you step beyond the northeastern gate of Loudwater, leaving behind the murmur of merchants, the scent of river mist, and the watchful eyes of the town guard. The ranger’s trail stretches ahead—narrow, well-worn, and winding into the thick embrace of the High Forest.
The air grows cooler as you walk, the canopy above growing denser, filtering the light into shifting patches of gold and green. The trail itself is quiet, save for the occasional birdcall or the distant creak of boughs swaying overhead. Roots twist across the path in places, and the undergrowth crowds the edges, but the way remains clear.
The morning passes uneventfully. Every so often you feel the faint tug in your chest—still leading you forward, still insistent—but no sign of danger greets you here.
At midday you pause briefly, finding a fallen log wide enough to sit on while you break open rations. The forest is still, but not oppressively so—alive with rustling leaves, the occasional scurrying of unseen creatures, and the faint scent of pine resin on the breeze.
After a short rest and a drink of water, you set off once more. The afternoon deepens as the shadows lengthen, and the trail begins to narrow where the trees grow close enough that their branches intermingle overhead.
It’s here, as the sun dips toward mid-afternoon, that you see it.
Just off the trail, tucked beneath the boughs of a massive oak, stands a small stone shrine—carved in the shape of a stag’s head crowned with ivy. Moss and wildflowers climb its sides, and a faint emerald glow shines at its heart. The air here is curiously still and fragrant, the forest sounds softening as though in respect.
Someone has tended the shrine recently: old leaves have been swept away, a bundle of herbs lies at its base, and a small wooden bowl sits atop a flat stone before it, waiting to receive offerings.
Even from here, you feel a subtle weight in the air—quiet, watchful, expectant.
What do you do?
The last time Yuno has felt this way was back when she woke up and her twin blades were nearby. Despite her lack of protective clothing, she gets the feeling that she may be one of the people more suited to taking the lead in the front. She steps forward toward the shrine, trying to focus on the pull to lead her to the spot that is calling to her.
Cygnan looks at the shrine and thinks if he remembers reading anything about a related religious practice, and what might be appropriate to leave as an offering. (History 14, Religion 15).