Effort nods in thanks and hands Brask her caltrops (bag of 20). "Spread them around if you see fit, or need them later. Return them to me when I take the next watch if you don't. But do tell me where they are so I might collect them again tomorrow."
Before retiring to bed, Effort returns to Brask's side and eyes him. "You've got daylight eyes, don't you," she snorts as she deposits a lit lantern, hooded by his side (negating his disadvantage in the dark).
"Something's... calling me... I think. It's under the mountain somewhere, likely near to.... And I'm not sure if I'm ready to go there yet. I know I have a duty, a purpose, but if I fail... Well let's just say it wouldn't be good. Sadly nothing as simple as where the next bandits to kill are." He ends with a slight smile, but it's half-hearted at best.
"I'll take the dark watch, I'm used to working with little or no light" he'll say to the others as he sets up his bedroll.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
When it's time for Effort to take watch, she rises unwillingly, and does her best to stay vigilant against the encroaching darkness. Having some walls at her back is definitely sorely missed here. Her eyes scan the darkness, penetrating it easily. Despite that, everything is still just mysterious odd blobs of grey and black to her, the shapes of the forest being wholly unfamliar to her eyes. Let me know if you spot something,she tells Cadmael, who is still roosting above.
Brask struggles to see further than the light cast by the lantern, but his watch passes without much to report. He hears a few wolves or coyotes howling in the distance, but they never get close. When it's time, he wakes Burik up and quickly falls asleep, snoring loudly.
As he attempts to remain vigilant, Burik finds himself being distracted by the mountains. He stares off into the blackness where he knows them to be, and wonders what is in store for himself and his newfound companions. Before he knows it, it's time to take his turn sleeping. He wakes Effort.
Thunder cracks in the distance as Effort and Cadmael stand watch. Effort is fidgety as she tries to get comfortable out in the wide open of the wilderness, never quite accomplishing it. She can't make heads or tails out of anything she's hearing, other than the thunder. Is it getting closer? She wonders.
Rain. Cadmael stands up straighter on his perch. A lot of it. And it's getting closer.
"Fantastic," Effort sighs, surveying the area. It's still dark, so after kicking the embers of the campfire back to life, she uses thaumaturgy to make them spark and flame dramatically, spreading light across the small campsite. As the area brightens, she looks up at the tree canopy overhead, wondering if it will be dense enough to block some of the rain.
Can you take a quick look above and tell me how much time I have before the rain hits us? Effort asks Cadmael. "Blast," she mutters aloud, as she tries to come up with any way that she might be able to use the tree branches and leaves lying around to construct a makeshift shelter for their small campsite before they get soaked. There is of course her bedroll and blanket, which she's currently not using, but it likely won't stop the rain from waking the others on their own. Still, with the help of a few tree branches, she begins to set up some kind of shelter over the Burik and Brask. When Cadmael returns, she directs the familiar to use his superior eyesight in the darkness to help her gather enough materials to finish the makeshift shelter while they sleep.
(How long do we have to go at this point before everyone has achieved a proper long rest?) Trying to build a makeshift rain shelter out of tree branches, this will go well: Survival: 5 + Guidance 4
At this point you've received a full 8 hours. Burik and Brask, having taken the earlier shifts, are still a few hours away.
You lay the branches as best you in the trees above the camp. It looks like it might offer a little relief...or the rain might just pool in the leaves and dump onto your sleeping companions. The thunder cracks again, louder this time. Not much time, Cadmael flies down from his perch and finds a new one lower down and closer to camp. He tries to tuck himself underneath a thick branch for cover. Burik and Brask stir from their slumber as a flash of lighting illuminates the entire forest for a moment.
A murder of crows depart a nearby tree, caw-ing loudly as they head in the opposite direction of the oncoming storm. Another flash of lightning reveals dark gray clouds overhead, and a wall of rain approaching only a few moments away. You can hear it now, pounding angrily against the earth.
Burik will try and use the blanket to cover himself best he can before the rain hits. After that he'll just try and doze for last few hours till daybreak.
The driving rain arrives a minute later with winds to go along with it. Thunder booms so loudly you can't possibly get back to sleep, and the lighting makes it seem like a mid-summer afternoon for a split second each time it lights up the sky. Staying dry is no easy task, as the rain is slanting sideways and coming in fast. Burik's simple blanket-over-the-head trick works for a few moments, but within a minute the blanket is soaked through and starting to drip down on him.
There's a strange thunder off in the distance. It starts as a low rumble, but seems to be...amplifying? Strange.
Just then, you hear a loud crack as a tree is snapped from its trunk by the rushing water. Between the two steep hills to your east, a raging current of water comes pouring down into the stream, crashing over the banks, and leaves you with little time to react.
The rushing water knocks into you all like a ton of bricks. Everyone takes 8 damage. The force knocks Effort to the ground and she slides across the clearing, eventually regaining her bearings and sitting up. Burik and Brask are knocked down as well, but they're pulled further into the rapids and are being carried downstream. There are a few trees over the stream up ahead, but there are also rocks on both the shore and in the middle of the water.
As the current starts pulling them both downstream, Brask sees Burik start to go under. He reaches out and after fishing around in the flood for a moment, finds Burik's outstretched arm. The two ride the rush of water for another few moments, before Brask reaches out and grabs a large branch hanging over the overflowing stream. He gets a good grip and is able to pull Burik up enough that the dwarf can grab onto the branch as well.
Both of you, roll a(nother) athletics check to see if you can pull yourself out. Effort, you can offer the help action to one of them, assuming you were following them downstream.
I'll take first watch. I can't see for shit in the dark, so best I go when the fire is still bright.
Perception 19
(If it's with disadvantage because of the dark, then also 12)
Effort nods in thanks and hands Brask her caltrops (bag of 20). "Spread them around if you see fit, or need them later. Return them to me when I take the next watch if you don't. But do tell me where they are so I might collect them again tomorrow."
Before retiring to bed, Effort returns to Brask's side and eyes him. "You've got daylight eyes, don't you," she snorts as she deposits a lit lantern, hooded by his side (negating his disadvantage in the dark).
"Something's... calling me... I think. It's under the mountain somewhere, likely near to.... And I'm not sure if I'm ready to go there yet. I know I have a duty, a purpose, but if I fail... Well let's just say it wouldn't be good. Sadly nothing as simple as where the next bandits to kill are." He ends with a slight smile, but it's half-hearted at best.
"I'll take the dark watch, I'm used to working with little or no light" he'll say to the others as he sets up his bedroll.
When it's time for Effort to take watch, she rises unwillingly, and does her best to stay vigilant against the encroaching darkness. Having some walls at her back is definitely sorely missed here. Her eyes scan the darkness, penetrating it easily. Despite that, everything is still just mysterious odd blobs of grey and black to her, the shapes of the forest being wholly unfamliar to her eyes. Let me know if you spot something, she tells Cadmael, who is still roosting above.
Effort Perception: 9
Cadmael Perception: 20
Brask struggles to see further than the light cast by the lantern, but his watch passes without much to report. He hears a few wolves or coyotes howling in the distance, but they never get close. When it's time, he wakes Burik up and quickly falls asleep, snoring loudly.
As he attempts to remain vigilant, Burik finds himself being distracted by the mountains. He stares off into the blackness where he knows them to be, and wonders what is in store for himself and his newfound companions. Before he knows it, it's time to take his turn sleeping. He wakes Effort.
Thunder cracks in the distance as Effort and Cadmael stand watch. Effort is fidgety as she tries to get comfortable out in the wide open of the wilderness, never quite accomplishing it. She can't make heads or tails out of anything she's hearing, other than the thunder. Is it getting closer? She wonders.
Rain. Cadmael stands up straighter on his perch. A lot of it. And it's getting closer.
DM - Above & Below
"Fantastic," Effort sighs, surveying the area. It's still dark, so after kicking the embers of the campfire back to life, she uses thaumaturgy to make them spark and flame dramatically, spreading light across the small campsite. As the area brightens, she looks up at the tree canopy overhead, wondering if it will be dense enough to block some of the rain.
Can you take a quick look above and tell me how much time I have before the rain hits us? Effort asks Cadmael. "Blast," she mutters aloud, as she tries to come up with any way that she might be able to use the tree branches and leaves lying around to construct a makeshift shelter for their small campsite before they get soaked. There is of course her bedroll and blanket, which she's currently not using, but it likely won't stop the rain from waking the others on their own. Still, with the help of a few tree branches, she begins to set up some kind of shelter over the Burik and Brask. When Cadmael returns, she directs the familiar to use his superior eyesight in the darkness to help her gather enough materials to finish the makeshift shelter while they sleep.
(How long do we have to go at this point before everyone has achieved a proper long rest?)
Trying to build a makeshift rain shelter out of tree branches, this will go well: Survival: 5 + Guidance 4
(LOL, well, at least it wasn't a nat 1)
At this point you've received a full 8 hours. Burik and Brask, having taken the earlier shifts, are still a few hours away.
You lay the branches as best you in the trees above the camp. It looks like it might offer a little relief...or the rain might just pool in the leaves and dump onto your sleeping companions. The thunder cracks again, louder this time. Not much time, Cadmael flies down from his perch and finds a new one lower down and closer to camp. He tries to tuck himself underneath a thick branch for cover. Burik and Brask stir from their slumber as a flash of lighting illuminates the entire forest for a moment.
A murder of crows depart a nearby tree, caw-ing loudly as they head in the opposite direction of the oncoming storm. Another flash of lightning reveals dark gray clouds overhead, and a wall of rain approaching only a few moments away. You can hear it now, pounding angrily against the earth.
DM - Above & Below
Burik will try and use the blanket to cover himself best he can before the rain hits. After that he'll just try and doze for last few hours till daybreak.
Brask looks around to find somewhere with a decent amount of cover from the rain, under a large tree, and also settles down to continue his sleep.
The driving rain arrives a minute later with winds to go along with it. Thunder booms so loudly you can't possibly get back to sleep, and the lighting makes it seem like a mid-summer afternoon for a split second each time it lights up the sky. Staying dry is no easy task, as the rain is slanting sideways and coming in fast. Burik's simple blanket-over-the-head trick works for a few moments, but within a minute the blanket is soaked through and starting to drip down on him.
There's a strange thunder off in the distance. It starts as a low rumble, but seems to be...amplifying? Strange.
Just then, you hear a loud crack as a tree is snapped from its trunk by the rushing water. Between the two steep hills to your east, a raging current of water comes pouring down into the stream, crashing over the banks, and leaves you with little time to react.
Everyone, roll a DC15 dexterity saving throw.
DM - Above & Below
Brask's DEX save: 6 What the h-?
"Ugh! I knew hated camping!" Effort yells.
13
9
The rushing water knocks into you all like a ton of bricks. Everyone takes 8 damage. The force knocks Effort to the ground and she slides across the clearing, eventually regaining her bearings and sitting up. Burik and Brask are knocked down as well, but they're pulled further into the rapids and are being carried downstream. There are a few trees over the stream up ahead, but there are also rocks on both the shore and in the middle of the water.
DM - Above & Below
Brask attempts to grab Burik so they don't get separated, then looks for a suitable branch or rock to grab with his other hand.
Brask, roll an athletics or acrobatics check, your choice.
DM - Above & Below
Brask's Athletics 12
As the current starts pulling them both downstream, Brask sees Burik start to go under. He reaches out and after fishing around in the flood for a moment, finds Burik's outstretched arm. The two ride the rush of water for another few moments, before Brask reaches out and grabs a large branch hanging over the overflowing stream. He gets a good grip and is able to pull Burik up enough that the dwarf can grab onto the branch as well.
Both of you, roll a(nother) athletics check to see if you can pull yourself out. Effort, you can offer the help action to one of them, assuming you were following them downstream.
DM - Above & Below
Nearly...got...it...
Brask's second Athletics check: 19