Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn

Lumen has no longer range option so he helps dispatch the wolves. He wasn't hurt and also offers to help heal anyone who was.

He'll offer to take first or last watch, whichever no one else wants. He'll try to finish his hammocks for added safety. No one's likely sleeping well after this.

"Well, we certainly shouldn't leave them here," Chrys says, nodding at the corpses of the wolves as she checks the sharpness of her dagger.  "Sure fire way ta get more guests in the night.  I'll bring 'em off to the side,  an' see if I can get some meat an' fur off o' em."

(Chrys will spend some time tending to the corpses, as well as trying to skin them and harvest some meat.  She won't harvest dire wolf meat, though she would try for the fur.  Survival roll to do that, let me know if I need to make others: 8.  I guess she's not much of a trapper, LOL)

Not being extremely adept at the craft of trapping, Chrys does a rather shoddy job skinning the dire wolf. The pelts are ok and might fetch a bit of coin, or they would work as simple skins to help keep you warm. She does manage to get some meat from the carcasses, which you could eat now, or smoke in your fire and safe for later. After she's done, you haul the remains deeper into the woods away from your camp.

Lumen finishes making a makeshift platform that stretches between three trees. It's nothing special, but it will keep one or two people a little bit higher off the ground and offer a slightly better viewpoint from which to conduct a watch. Two people could sleep up there, but it doesn't look like it would be exceptionally comfortable. Adequate at best. 

Not getting an immediate verbal answer to her question but clearly seeing that Chrysoberyl and Kessdarra had been bitten, Nym centers herself between the two and begins to murmur a lilting Prayer of Healing. They were about to settle down for the night, but now the two front line fighters could do so with less pain. Looking up at the platforms the bard had built with a dubious expression, the drow shook her head. "I'm sure they're perfectly sturdy Lumen but...I'm not feeling adventurous right now. I prefer first watch if no one minds. Also whoever takes the watch after, I can help you keep watch a bit better with two of Eilistraee's blessings." While speaking, she would feed the fire they had going and shake the bit of dirt and leaves that had gotten into her bedroll in the struggle. 

((Chrys & Kess heal for: 12. Whoever takes the watch after Nym, she can give them Vigilant Blessing and Eyes of Night.))

“Mmm... thank you, Nym,” Kess nodded in gratitude, her expression immediately relaxing as the soothing balm of healing magic washed over her, the wounds from the beast mending before finally closing and fading away altogether. “That monstrosity was quite persistent. It is a wonder that anyone would survive the trek through here on foot, even fellow tel’quessir. I swear, he could have hauled the lot of us in its jaws if we’d let him.”

Taking a minute to reorient herself, Kess would retrieve the killing arrow from the wolf’s corpse if she could, as well as maybe taking one of the mighty fangs from its jaw if she could; a dire wolf was no minor foe, and Kess wanted to remember that kill. She would also glance around and sniff for smoke, trying to ascertain that the party hadn’t unintentionally started a fire while defending themselves.

"Thanks, Nym," Chrys replies as she returns with her "scraps" from the wolves, rolling a shoulder.  "Feel good as new now," she adds as she throws the meat onto the fire to cook.  "What we can't eat, we can bring with us, case we need it.  Same with the furs, if it gets colder.  I'll keep 'em in my pack for now, 'lest someone wants one for warmth.  Though I suggest lettin' 'em dry overnight at the least 'fore ya try," she adds.

Reiterating her desire to take (the third?) watch, as well as do anything but sleep hanging from a tree, Chrys prepares to bed down for the night.

(Happy belated mothers' day to all who celebrated, btw!)

Kess is indeed able to retrieve her arrow, as well as a notable trophy from her Dire Wolf kill: a large 3-inch long fang. It would be easy enough to carve a hole in the top to thread a cord through and make a necklace, or have someone craft an even fancier ornament, perhaps even adorned with silver or precious stones. And fortunately, she discovers that Vesper's fire bolt did not ignite anything in the forest. She finds no reason to believe that there will be any lasting effects. 

When Chrys returns from processing and disposing the wolf carcasses, you all sit down by the fire for a brief spell and cook up the wolf meat. In time, your heart beats return to almost normal, although your level of alertness remains high with thoughts of the difficult encounter your just experienced. You realize that this was your first full day traveling into this more secluded and primal part of the forest, and you know that you can expect dangers that are much worse than a simple pack of wild wolves. 

When dinner is finished, and you've prepared some of the meat in such a way that it will continue to slow cook at the edge of your smoldering fire, you all crawl into your bed rolls, except for Nym, who takes the first watch. She sits up in the quiet darkness, her eyes piercing the night as she looks out into the forest. All seems silent during her shift, and she sees or hear nothing that would cause alarm. A couple times she thinks she hears something moving just beyond the perimeter of your camp, but whenever she looks, she sees nothing. 

Normally, sleep would come quickly after a long day like this, but the fight with the wolves still rings loudly in your minds and keeps you awake for awhile. When sleep finally comes, it is fitful, with every distant howl and searching on nearby trees pulling you awake again.

In time, Nym's shift ends she wakes the next person who will take over in the midnight hour. 

Kess takes her watch during the darkest period. Blessed with Nym's "Eyes of the Night," she is surprised to find that her darkvision extends to around 5 times its normal distance. Although the trees are tight beyond your little semi-clearing, Kess can see and discern objects and movement at a distance of 300 feet.

As she sits quietly and observes the quiet forest around her for this one-hour period, she sees a number of nocturnal creatures who are active at night, including deer, raccoons, a porcupine waddling about, an opossum who is busy gobbling up grub sand other small treats on the forest floor, an owl, who flies silently through the trees hunting small mice, and a creature that you cannot identify. You don't actually see the animal, just its large circular eyes that appear to be staring at you from about 200 feet away in the trees. It doesn't seem aggressive; on the contrary, it just seems like a curious creature, in the same way you are to it.

When Kess's shift ends, Chrys takes over, and she observes the similar sights that Kess saw, just in smaller numbers and at a shorter distance: including a family of raccoons and a few mice who forage at the edge of your campsite. Vesper's shift is much the same, and finally, when Lumen takes over, he watches from his makeshift hammock. While it does give a slightly better vantage point, he finds that it's not very comfortable, and requires him to keep shifting body positions every time one of his limbs begins to fall asleep. At any rate,  he presides over the dawn hours, which are the coolest time of the night. 

Fortunately, no other malevolent creatures wandered into your campsite during your long rest, and you wake to the patter of light raindrops on the leaves and gradually lightning sky, although it's overcast with no direct sun upon your faces. 

(What's our estimated distance/timing at this point to our destination?)

Your estimated time for reaching the ruins of Vehlarr is two more days, providing you're able to stay on course. From Vehlarr, it is estimated that you'll need three more days to reach Ravensglade keep.

Need today's survival roll from Nym, again, with inspiration from Lumen.

Rain... Another new thing to experience and get used to. The smell was somewhat reminiscent of certain dark damp parts of the Underdark, but those didn't come close to the refreshing earthy smell of fresh rainfall. Though it wasn't very pleasant to actually be wet while traveling. Trying to keep the silver lining in mind, Nym eyed their camp layout and tried her best to recall the stars earlier and glance up at the general direction of the sun. It was hard to pinpoint with the cloud cover, but when she compared it to the rest of the sky it made it a little easier. Trying to keep her wits about her, the drow continued to lead the group further into the forest, her eyes grateful for the dimness of the day. 

Survival (10) +  Bardic Inspiration (2) = 10

Chrys keeps an eye out, as ever, for danger, trusting that her companions know where they're going.  (Perception: 9)   Despite her best intent, however, it's extremely hard to focus.  The branches are thick and tangled, making the atmosphere dark, and the moss below her feet squishy and a bit slippery.  She's at once chilled and sweating from the exertion of keeping up with her longer-legged companions.  As they tramp deeper into the forest, she looks around uncertainly.  "You sure we're goin' the right direction?" she mutters.  "Maybe you an' Vesper should help each other navigate.  No offense to the trees an' all, but I ain't the biggest fan o' campin' out in any forest," she mumbles, rubbing the back of her neck.

Kess whimpers a bit when the morning light reveals the smell of moisture and the chill of rainclouds in the air, but at the same time, the rains would help the party to be cleaner, provided they could find a fire to warm to later to avoid getting sick. Though, as she walked along, Chrys certainly made no secret of noting her own irritiation with conditions. Kess felt for the dwarf; Kess herself was starting to miss the smell of freshly-cooked food, and the idea of sleeping in a warm and fluffy bed certainly appealed to her. And while she didn't complain out loud, it was clear to kess that her Dwarven friend was not finding this experience in any way enjoyable, especially clad in armor that clanked like a busy kitchen. That, and while she exhibited the traditional trends of dwarven stoicism, it was pretty clear that the longer strides of the rest of the party were proving difficult to keep up with in these soggy, miserable conditions.

"If you want, Chrys, I can hold onto some of your load for a bit," Kess would cautiously offered with a sympathetic smile as they plodded along, taking care to step over a sizable puddle that surely would have left her chilled. "You don't need to stuffer in silence."

Regardless of Chrys' answer, Kess would then turn to another member of the party she noticed to be struggling in Nym, who also seemed to be struggling. Though she had been wary of the drow at first, Kess couldn't help but feel concern for her now as she looked about with a lost and pondering expression.

She's away from her home, just like I am, Kess thought to herself, a damp breeze blowing past her and prompting her to pull the hood of her cloak a bit tighter around her head. I wonder how mother is doing right now...? I should try and write to her when we reach civilization again. I wonder if Lady Duvessa is still in charge in Bryn Shander? Or if Lonelywood has a new speaker? I imagine the run on the Knucklehead is on hard right now, and the hunting season is likely under way in the forest proper, and the tribe of Elk is likely harvesting deerskin and lumber for their tents. I can't believe that it's been five years already since I left... and here I am, joining the hunt for a black dragon. What would mother say, I wonder...?

Kess decided to drop that line of thought, not wanting to become mopey and homesick herself; whether she wanted to indulge it or not, her friends and comrades needed her here and now.

So, Kess decided, here and now she'd do her best to help them. It's the least she could do.

"I know it's not the most pleasant experience, but a fresh rainfall gives us the opportunity to feel clean and I imagine it's a bit of a relief on your sight. Given that you and your hail from dark places, I imagine that the sunlight cannot be very easy on you," Kess would offer Nym with a smile, keeping pace alongside the priestess. "So... if you don't mind my asking, Nym, how are you holding up here? On the surface world, I mean? Just how different is it from the world below, other than the obvious? I imagine that there has to be a rhythm to things below as there is above."

Tucking a long wet lock of white hair behind her pointed ear underneath her hood, Nym sighed at Chrys' rightfully disgruntled mumble. "I...I think so? If that is the sun, then yes. If it is not...." She pointed to what she was fairly sure was the sun behind clouds and smiled with uncertain trepidation before offering a shrug before glancing at Vesper to get any input.

Though Nym might have been in this general forest for longer than the rest have, she certainly had been topside less than them. Though none of them looked any happier than her to be here. Navigating without simply having to know the correct twists and turns of tunnels and simply what was up and down was still new and strange to her. And while being cold and mildly moist wasn't new to her, being this drenched from water falling from the sky, was. But at least moss still grew on the north side of rocks. And apparently trees! She could just hear Dhauva cautioning her to not disturb certain mushrooms, never trust a Fae and that moss always grew on....mm...was it North? South? Or maybe that was a different kind of plant that Duaric had told her about...

Chewing on her bottom lip, the woman debated asking to see the map once more and realized that it probably wouldn't help orient herself any better and it wouldn't be good to get it wet. Her deliberation was paused as Kess spoke and the woman couldn't help but meet the other elf's smile. "It's still feels odd to me that water simply pours from the sky. There are waterfalls and lakes and rivers in the Upperdark but the only time I've experienced something like this was when I was in a tunnel directly underneath a lake so it felt like at any moment that it would burst over me. Can't help but feel a little anxious that that might still happen, silly as it sounds. Heh." Nym ducked her head in bashfulness. "But you're right, I do appreciate the clouds, if not all the wet." Her boots squelching in agreement. 

Blinking in mild surprise at the considerate question, the drow considered it for a moment before giving a proper answer. "Hmm... I think what we would consider our 'waking hours' is your night time and our 'resting hours' is your day. There is a fair amount of bioluminescence to the flora underground, especially the deeper one goes. We don't need the light, but it doesn't hurt like sunlight and it is helpful to keep track of the time. It's so....open up here. Loud but quiet at the same time. No echo. Less spiders. I haven't explored much other than this forest though so I'm not sure about the rest of the surface. Duaric tells me of frozen mountains of ice, vast lands of just hot sand and enormous lakes of just salt water. But I think I'm most interested in seeing other people, how they live on the surface and what they're like. Assuming they let me anywhere near that is..." She tugged down on the tip of her hood self consciously, only a frown visible. 

((So had to look this up to be sure, but apparently moss does grow on the north side of trees.... If you're in the northern hemisphere. The more middle you are the more muddled it gets and if you're on the southern hemisphere of a planet then it will be growing on the south side of trees. Not entirely sure what hemisphere we're on now but fairly lost either way lol. Not sure if Vesper wanted to give Nym the help action and so I'd just reroll my survival n take the higher. If so, Survival: 10))

"Nah, it's alright.  It ain't the weight makin' things hard, it's my legs.  Them trees gotta grow shorter, I tell ya," she huffs, as she climbs over another twisted root.  "I 'preciate it, though, Kess," she adds with a warm grin.

As Nym relays her impressions of the surface, Chrys hides a knowing smile.  "Y'know, you'd get along real well with the dwarves... that is, if they could see past yer skin."  She sighs, her smile faltering somewhat.  "I hate ta say it, but dwarves are a real conservative bunch.  Steeped in tradition an' all that.  They ain't normally had real friendly relationships with the drow, an' the most ain't gonna be stoppin' ta ask if yer the nice kind or not."

Shaking the depressing thought away, she soldiers on, her tone brightening.  "Still... the dwarven people o' the Tor have lots more in common with ya than ya'd realize.  They also learned ta live that dual life while in the mountains.  I ain''t never been a miner myself, but there's plenty o' townsfolk who loved workin' in the depths.  Lucrative, too, with all them metals and gems in the mines there.  But at the end o' the day, the dwarves o' Twilight Tor chose to live on the mountainside 'cause o' the sky 'bove it, not the mines below it.  I guess ya could say, the first dwarven settlers there came out o' the underground, an' fell in love with the sight o' the stars."

She hums to herself.  "Sounds like there are some places underground that'd be right nice ta visit for a 'cation with the right kind o' guide.  Maybe when this is all over, we can trade tourin' our respective homes, an' show the best o' them ta one another."  She smirks.  "An' I don't really give a fig 'bout what them other dwarves back home think.  Never have, never will.  I'm probably the main reason my ma's hair is so white, hah!  Still... I think it'd be fun vacation, after all this dragon business."

Plodding on through the light, but steady drizzle, you feel as if you're making average time through the thick undergrowth of this part of the forest. Navigation seems to be a challenge here, and Nym stops every once in awhile to check the map and reference the topography around you, although it's all pretty much the same. At times she is a bit uncertain about whether you're successfully following the correct course, after all, it's quite difficult to follow a straight line in such a tight and unfamiliar landscape, where you have to constantly weave back and forth around constant obstacles and up and down over small hills and gullies. 

After traveling for a few uneventful hours, Nym is feeling less confident about the precision of your route, and she stops to consult Vesper, who is feeling even less sure about the current trajectory. By her judgement, you're beginning to head off course, and traveling more west than south. After studying the terrain for awhile, Vesper suggests altering your heading a few degrees to the right, so you shift and begin walking more south. After a couple of hours, Nym is starting to feel much more confident about this course, but in reality, none of you have any idea where you are. After all, you're using a hastily created, hand drawn map to find your way through tight woods that you've never been in before. Such is the way of adventuring...

During the mid afternoon hour, the rain begins to abate. The trees begin also begin to open up, and the forest becomes considerably less sparse. You even see brief shafts of sunlight that poke from behind the clouds and filter down towards the forest floor.

Suddenly your ears ring with the whooshing of air through the canopy. Not far away, the bough of a dying oak cracks away from the trunk and crashes into the undergrowth. What little sun penetrates the woods casts the monstrous shadow of a dragon across the ground before you, and it’s headed in your direction.

Lumen whispers a question of who wants to be invisible, and if no one answers, he prepares to cast it on whoever seems the most visible.

(Notifications are totally wacky, btw.)

"You should probably make Chrys invisible. She's not going to be doing much stealthing about with all that armor."

I’ll assume that Lumen casts Invisibility on Chrys. With a brief arcane melody some intricate hand gestures, the dwarf suddenly disappears from sight. 

What do the rest of you do?

Kess bites back an elven profanity and quickly whispers one word to the others: "Hide..."

Without prompting, Kess IMMEDIATELY does so, looking for something, anything that would make her scarce to the dragon... bushes, trees, a rocky shelf, tall grass... anything would do to not be caught flat-footed by the immense, leathery vision of death about to bear down upon the Pie Pals.

Stealth: 13