It's hard to discern how long ago this text was written, but between those two choices, definitely not yesterday. It was likely added to over the years, and as I had indicated, some of what you learned was through general extrapolation, especially regarding the most recent events that include Duskbringer and Ravensglade Keep. If you had to guess, you'd say that the most recent entries were still made quite awhile ago, and that many of what is unfolding now was stated as Valarken's desired long term goals.
"Hm... this just occurred to me, but it would seem - at least as far as she was revealing, and this may well be a stretch on my part - that Braida was truly telling the truth when she gave warning of the Red Claw orcs and wanting them gone; she wasn't lying about her intentions to be rid of them, and if that text mentions orcs then I can't help but wonder if the Red Claw aggression is connected to this in some way to all of this madness," Kess would add, her expression filled with begrudging acknowledgement and a hint of worry as she considered the implications; though she would never trust such a foul creature as a hag, Kess had to acknowledge that Braida hadn't ill intentions for them... at least, in that moment and time. "Though I wouldn't doubt that she knows more than she let on, I would hazard to guess she is no friend or ally of Duskbringer or this late, demented nobleman who apparently haunts her. If anything, all of this would explain the dragon's bizarre behavior when we last laid eyes on her. I remember that she seemed... off, somehow, if I recall. She looked incredibly ragged, and didn't seem entirely aware of where she was. So I agree with you, Chrys; we need to get those children out of there, and find out their plans. Even if this is apparently the work of a late madman, it's still a late madman who has the ear and the mind of a Black Dragon somewhat in his thrall. The harm that Duskbringer could do in Valarken's "care" is not something I'd rather think about."
Chrys nods. "We can sit 'round here worryin' bout it, or go out an' try ta do what we can for them kids." She looks around the ruins. "What say y'all? Time's a-tickin', an' I only think that dragon's goin' madder the longer we wait. That ain't good for nobody."
"I agree -- we should try to get the kids we came for and get out of here quicker. We cannot do this on our own, and we need to get word to more powerful people about this plot. We should keep that case with those papers, and can someone remind me where these kids are supposed to be? It feels like we've been traveling for months but I know it's just been a few days..." Lumen says, tapping his chin with a finger.
Grimacing a little at the thought that the hag was even partially telling the truth and in the right, Nym stowed the scroll back in it's casing. "I suppose it'd be good for this Valarken." She replied to Chrys before securing the case closed and offering it to Lumen since he brought up keeping it. "Best someone that knows what to do with it keep it for now."
Then pulling out the map that Aelar had sketched for them, pointing to the X that had marked Duaric's home and then to the ruins. "We're here at the ruins so if we keep following the river south, it will lead us right to Ravensglade Keep. They guessed that Lia's children might be hiding in the library. It should still be another few days before we'll reach there. Mmm...and wasn't there something mentioned about the river and water under the keep?"
From what you saw, there are a few building that are still standing, but a quick inspection reveals that they're mostly in a state of high disrepair due to neglect and the harsh elements. They appear to have been cleaned out years ago, and you don't see any other signs of life anywhere in the ruined city beyond simple forest creatures that are scattered about.
"Thank you, again, Nym, for keeping a sense of where we are and where we're going,"Lumen says with a rueful grin. "I've found it hard to follow threads of late. I'll try to be better about it going forward. I'd say if there's nothing for us here, then we should get moving, get those kids out, and safely back to their parents. I'd say we have to leave the orcs for later, so the hag, or the hags, will be cross with us, but we have to get back to tell people about this threat. Passing through Phelannie's grove again, did we ever get a lock of her hair? Then back on the road through the wood to Yartar, I think, is where our wizard friend is waiting, maybe he'd know what too do with this information, and he'd be glad to know his dryad friend is safe. All the while we have to dodge that shadow hunter."
He sighs at the enormity of tasks laid before the humble, inexperienced, yet also deeply experienced, Pie Pals. He looks at stolid, warmhearted Chrys. Quiet, incisive, dependable Vesper. Kess, her head often pulled elsewhere but strong, skilled, and invested. Nym, the newest, and somehow most devoted and loyal. The group may fail in the end, but if he had to make a bet on anyone to get through it, these women were the first he'd choose. "That's probably not everything, but that's all I remember at the moment. Well, the first thing to do is to focus on what's in front of us. So let's get going. We're bringing the papers and leaving the idol, I assume? No reason to bring it?"
(I'm sure we got a lock of hair because it's the first thing we asked her about XD What we didn't get are books, request no. 2 on that particular quest list.)
Chrys nods a Lumen. "I'd rather not bring some dragon-worshippin' idol with us. I don't like it, an' on top o' that, even if I don't, it's a shrine. I ain't fond o' people dismantlin' shrines for profit, good or evil. Patrons have ways o' knowin' what's goin' on with their shrines, ain't no need to go pickin' a fight by sheer insult. Either we destroy it proper, or we leave it be. An' I'm fine with leavin' it be, we got bigger fish ta fry here."
Ducking her head with a smile at Lumen's gratitude, Nym smiled a bit shyly. "Just following the map."As he laid out a rough plan, she nodded in agreement before raising a curious eyebrow at the bit about retrieving Phelannie's hair and dodging a shadow hunter. "Um...what shadow hunter? Is that something to do with the mask that I'd heard Krackle had touched?"
Agreeing with Chrys, Nym stored away the scroll since nobody took it when offered. "No need to anger any more gods than we possibly already have."Referring to Shar. "As much as I'd like to comb through the rest of the ruins, I believe time is of the essence concerning the children. Let's track down this river."
Exiting the mausoleum, it's just a quick jaunt down to the river bank, which is not hard to find. When you get there, you come across a medium sized current, about 20 feet across, that's flowing south at a steady speed, with occasional small sections of mellow to moderate rapids. The bank on either side of the river varies between clear, open ground of mixed grasses, reeds, rocks and mud, to sparse stands of cottonwood trees the line. Visibility is pretty good here, certainly better than what you've been dealing with during the past few days, and the relatively flat ground makes for easy walking; again easier than the terrain that you've been covering during much of your time inside the high forest.
"What a relief,"Chrys grunts, rolling her shoulders. "I mean, I know you elves love yer forests an' things, but this is more my style." She eyes the river banks. "Problem is, if it's good for us to see, it's good for things to see us back. We should move quick, I think. Rivers are lots more enjoyable without a dragon lurkin' somewhere nearby."
By now, it is the mid afternoon hour, and you continue walking along the river bank, while remaining alert for any signs of danger. With the much more open terrain, you're able to look further up ahead with much less difficulty, but at the same time, you know there's always the potential for things lurking in the forest further away from the water.
You don't see any creatures during the first couple of hours after leaving Vehlarr, but at one point, you see a number of tracks that appear to be kobold tracks pressed into the drying mud along one stretch of the bank. You're easily able to identify them having traveled with a kobold on your own. Based on the hardness of the mud, they don't seem particularly fresh, and you're guess is that they're anywhere from one or two days to a week old.
Based on Aelar's initial directions and the map that Nym carries, you estimate that it will take you three days to reach Ravensglade Keep.
Peering up at the sunny sky with a wincing smile, Nym nodded at Chrys' sentiment that it would be easy for others to see them. She was momentarily distracted by simply watching the clouds, constantly captivated by their many varied states in the sky as unused to them as she was. After checking to make sure the water was safe, the drow spent a moment to refill her waterskin and offered to do the same for the others.
Helping lead the way with the map, Nym asked Eilistraee in her mind to give her eyes strength to get used to all this sunlight. Or perhaps lead her to some salve for them. Drawing up the hood of her cloak to give her some coverage, she was more easily able to focus on making sure that they weren't any other rivers nearby that they might have mistaken this one to be before putting the map away for now. It was a fairly straight shot following the bank, though they definitely paused for a time to properly investigate the tracks that they found. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that they aren't very fresh. If there's a camp of kobold's blocking our path to the keep..."Her mouth twisted into a grimace before adjusting her hood to better shield her eyes. "Well I'm glad you can turn people invisible Lumen. We should definitely try to keep quiet once we're only a day away, just in case they have scouts or guards of their own posted further away from the keep."
Nym would also offer Guidance to any who might need it.
(Not sure if survival check is needed again but just in case.... Survival: 16 Guidance: 2 )
"Kobolds hold dragons in high regard,"Chrys says, her brows furrowing as she rubs her chin. "Now, if there's any left 'bout these parts, I'm bettin' they worship Duskbringer. An' here's the thing," she adds. "Maybe that ain't a bad thing fer us. Duskbringer's obviously seen better days. Ya just gotta have eyes to see that when ya meet her. Maybe I'm jus' goin' soft 'cause o' Krackle, but ya know... if we meet up with some kobold clan worshippin' her, maybe we can convince 'em that we're tryin' ta help her get rid o' that glowin' ball o' parasite on her head. We can even tell 'em it's a human leechin' off their favorite dragon. An' then, we jus' might have a lil' army o' kobolds willin' ta help us, or at least not tryin' ta murder us where we stand."She pauses. "That is, if we actually find any o' them at all."
Continuing on, you find it quite easy to navigate along the riverbank, and you feel that you're making pretty good time this afternoon. Throughout the day, you pass a few more dried mud areas that are embedded with kobold tracks, but you do not see any kobolds, or any other dangerous creatures. However, at one point you come across the gutted carcass of a deer that lies in the undergrowth about 30 feet away from the river. The surrounding grass is stained with blood. It would appear that a skilled hunter has butchered the animal. Based on the appearance, it would seem that this carcass is no more than one or two days old.
Eventually, the sun dips below the trees on the Western bank, and late afternoon turns into early evening, which signals that you're nearing the end of another long day of travel. There are plenty of possible areas where you could camp, both along side the riverbank and in the woods away from the water.
Chrys crosses her arms, a deep frown etched on her face. "If that deer be a sign o' anythin', it's that we're deep in kobold territory now. We gotta have a plan for this, or the minute we light up a campfire, they'll be on us in numbers. Always in numbers," she grumbles. "So... should we prepare for an ambush with one o' our own, or are we gonna try to work with 'em, convince 'em we're helping the dragon?" she asks the others.
"Could have been them, could have been someone else, right?"Lumen says, peering into the woods. "If you're right, we might find a safe, out-of-the-way place to sleep if we look. Or we could climb trees and try to sleep in the branches," the half-orc says, grinning at Chrys. "I promise it's not so bad. They're not my favorite either but they work in a pinch. Spent a few nights in the branches when I didn't want to be seen."
Lumen will try to help someone else find a safe campsite in the woods nearby, and if there is one, he'll help climb a tree with good branches they could use to suspend some ropes and cloaks and vines between to make some slings/hammocks. Cold rations and no fire seems smart, though Lumen and Vesper can warm things through prestidigitation. He'd offer to take a middle watch.
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((Are there any dates written down? To try and get an estimate of how long ago this was written? Whether it be a month or like yesterday?))
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
It's hard to discern how long ago this text was written, but between those two choices, definitely not yesterday. It was likely added to over the years, and as I had indicated, some of what you learned was through general extrapolation, especially regarding the most recent events that include Duskbringer and Ravensglade Keep. If you had to guess, you'd say that the most recent entries were still made quite awhile ago, and that many of what is unfolding now was stated as Valarken's desired long term goals.
"Hm... this just occurred to me, but it would seem - at least as far as she was revealing, and this may well be a stretch on my part - that Braida was truly telling the truth when she gave warning of the Red Claw orcs and wanting them gone; she wasn't lying about her intentions to be rid of them, and if that text mentions orcs then I can't help but wonder if the Red Claw aggression is connected to this in some way to all of this madness," Kess would add, her expression filled with begrudging acknowledgement and a hint of worry as she considered the implications; though she would never trust such a foul creature as a hag, Kess had to acknowledge that Braida hadn't ill intentions for them... at least, in that moment and time. "Though I wouldn't doubt that she knows more than she let on, I would hazard to guess she is no friend or ally of Duskbringer or this late, demented nobleman who apparently haunts her. If anything, all of this would explain the dragon's bizarre behavior when we last laid eyes on her. I remember that she seemed... off, somehow, if I recall. She looked incredibly ragged, and didn't seem entirely aware of where she was. So I agree with you, Chrys; we need to get those children out of there, and find out their plans. Even if this is apparently the work of a late madman, it's still a late madman who has the ear and the mind of a Black Dragon somewhat in his thrall. The harm that Duskbringer could do in Valarken's "care" is not something I'd rather think about."
Chrys nods. "We can sit 'round here worryin' bout it, or go out an' try ta do what we can for them kids." She looks around the ruins. "What say y'all? Time's a-tickin', an' I only think that dragon's goin' madder the longer we wait. That ain't good for nobody."
"I agree -- we should try to get the kids we came for and get out of here quicker. We cannot do this on our own, and we need to get word to more powerful people about this plot. We should keep that case with those papers, and can someone remind me where these kids are supposed to be? It feels like we've been traveling for months but I know it's just been a few days..." Lumen says, tapping his chin with a finger.
Grimacing a little at the thought that the hag was even partially telling the truth and in the right, Nym stowed the scroll back in it's casing. "I suppose it'd be good for this Valarken." She replied to Chrys before securing the case closed and offering it to Lumen since he brought up keeping it. "Best someone that knows what to do with it keep it for now."
Then pulling out the map that Aelar had sketched for them, pointing to the X that had marked Duaric's home and then to the ruins. "We're here at the ruins so if we keep following the river south, it will lead us right to Ravensglade Keep. They guessed that Lia's children might be hiding in the library. It should still be another few days before we'll reach there. Mmm...and wasn't there something mentioned about the river and water under the keep?"
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
Any other still-standing buildings to check in the ruined city?
From what you saw, there are a few building that are still standing, but a quick inspection reveals that they're mostly in a state of high disrepair due to neglect and the harsh elements. They appear to have been cleaned out years ago, and you don't see any other signs of life anywhere in the ruined city beyond simple forest creatures that are scattered about.
"Thank you, again, Nym, for keeping a sense of where we are and where we're going," Lumen says with a rueful grin. "I've found it hard to follow threads of late. I'll try to be better about it going forward. I'd say if there's nothing for us here, then we should get moving, get those kids out, and safely back to their parents. I'd say we have to leave the orcs for later, so the hag, or the hags, will be cross with us, but we have to get back to tell people about this threat. Passing through Phelannie's grove again, did we ever get a lock of her hair? Then back on the road through the wood to Yartar, I think, is where our wizard friend is waiting, maybe he'd know what too do with this information, and he'd be glad to know his dryad friend is safe. All the while we have to dodge that shadow hunter."
He sighs at the enormity of tasks laid before the humble, inexperienced, yet also deeply experienced, Pie Pals. He looks at stolid, warmhearted Chrys. Quiet, incisive, dependable Vesper. Kess, her head often pulled elsewhere but strong, skilled, and invested. Nym, the newest, and somehow most devoted and loyal. The group may fail in the end, but if he had to make a bet on anyone to get through it, these women were the first he'd choose. "That's probably not everything, but that's all I remember at the moment. Well, the first thing to do is to focus on what's in front of us. So let's get going. We're bringing the papers and leaving the idol, I assume? No reason to bring it?"
(I'm sure we got a lock of hair because it's the first thing we asked her about XD What we didn't get are books, request no. 2 on that particular quest list.)
Chrys nods a Lumen. "I'd rather not bring some dragon-worshippin' idol with us. I don't like it, an' on top o' that, even if I don't, it's a shrine. I ain't fond o' people dismantlin' shrines for profit, good or evil. Patrons have ways o' knowin' what's goin' on with their shrines, ain't no need to go pickin' a fight by sheer insult. Either we destroy it proper, or we leave it be. An' I'm fine with leavin' it be, we got bigger fish ta fry here."
Ducking her head with a smile at Lumen's gratitude, Nym smiled a bit shyly. "Just following the map." As he laid out a rough plan, she nodded in agreement before raising a curious eyebrow at the bit about retrieving Phelannie's hair and dodging a shadow hunter. "Um...what shadow hunter? Is that something to do with the mask that I'd heard Krackle had touched?"
Agreeing with Chrys, Nym stored away the scroll since nobody took it when offered. "No need to anger any more gods than we possibly already have." Referring to Shar. "As much as I'd like to comb through the rest of the ruins, I believe time is of the essence concerning the children. Let's track down this river."
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
Exiting the mausoleum, it's just a quick jaunt down to the river bank, which is not hard to find. When you get there, you come across a medium sized current, about 20 feet across, that's flowing south at a steady speed, with occasional small sections of mellow to moderate rapids. The bank on either side of the river varies between clear, open ground of mixed grasses, reeds, rocks and mud, to sparse stands of cottonwood trees the line. Visibility is pretty good here, certainly better than what you've been dealing with during the past few days, and the relatively flat ground makes for easy walking; again easier than the terrain that you've been covering during much of your time inside the high forest.
"What a relief," Chrys grunts, rolling her shoulders. "I mean, I know you elves love yer forests an' things, but this is more my style." She eyes the river banks. "Problem is, if it's good for us to see, it's good for things to see us back. We should move quick, I think. Rivers are lots more enjoyable without a dragon lurkin' somewhere nearby."
By now, it is the mid afternoon hour, and you continue walking along the river bank, while remaining alert for any signs of danger. With the much more open terrain, you're able to look further up ahead with much less difficulty, but at the same time, you know there's always the potential for things lurking in the forest further away from the water.
You don't see any creatures during the first couple of hours after leaving Vehlarr, but at one point, you see a number of tracks that appear to be kobold tracks pressed into the drying mud along one stretch of the bank. You're easily able to identify them having traveled with a kobold on your own. Based on the hardness of the mud, they don't seem particularly fresh, and you're guess is that they're anywhere from one or two days to a week old.
Based on Aelar's initial directions and the map that Nym carries, you estimate that it will take you three days to reach Ravensglade Keep.
Lumen offers to cast invisibility on anyone who wants to scout, and will inspire anyone trying to do anything difficult.
Peering up at the sunny sky with a wincing smile, Nym nodded at Chrys' sentiment that it would be easy for others to see them. She was momentarily distracted by simply watching the clouds, constantly captivated by their many varied states in the sky as unused to them as she was. After checking to make sure the water was safe, the drow spent a moment to refill her waterskin and offered to do the same for the others.
Helping lead the way with the map, Nym asked Eilistraee in her mind to give her eyes strength to get used to all this sunlight. Or perhaps lead her to some salve for them. Drawing up the hood of her cloak to give her some coverage, she was more easily able to focus on making sure that they weren't any other rivers nearby that they might have mistaken this one to be before putting the map away for now. It was a fairly straight shot following the bank, though they definitely paused for a time to properly investigate the tracks that they found. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that they aren't very fresh. If there's a camp of kobold's blocking our path to the keep..." Her mouth twisted into a grimace before adjusting her hood to better shield her eyes. "Well I'm glad you can turn people invisible Lumen. We should definitely try to keep quiet once we're only a day away, just in case they have scouts or guards of their own posted further away from the keep."
Nym would also offer Guidance to any who might need it.
(Not sure if survival check is needed again but just in case.... Survival: 16 Guidance: 2 )
Nym Durnodel - Aspiring Heroes of Faerûn // Danica Amastacia - Red Dead Annihilation
"Kobolds hold dragons in high regard," Chrys says, her brows furrowing as she rubs her chin. "Now, if there's any left 'bout these parts, I'm bettin' they worship Duskbringer. An' here's the thing," she adds. "Maybe that ain't a bad thing fer us. Duskbringer's obviously seen better days. Ya just gotta have eyes to see that when ya meet her. Maybe I'm jus' goin' soft 'cause o' Krackle, but ya know... if we meet up with some kobold clan worshippin' her, maybe we can convince 'em that we're tryin' ta help her get rid o' that glowin' ball o' parasite on her head. We can even tell 'em it's a human leechin' off their favorite dragon. An' then, we jus' might have a lil' army o' kobolds willin' ta help us, or at least not tryin' ta murder us where we stand." She pauses. "That is, if we actually find any o' them at all."
Continuing on, you find it quite easy to navigate along the riverbank, and you feel that you're making pretty good time this afternoon. Throughout the day, you pass a few more dried mud areas that are embedded with kobold tracks, but you do not see any kobolds, or any other dangerous creatures. However, at one point you come across the gutted carcass of a deer that lies in the undergrowth about 30 feet away from the river. The surrounding grass is stained with blood. It would appear that a skilled hunter has butchered the animal. Based on the appearance, it would seem that this carcass is no more than one or two days old.
Eventually, the sun dips below the trees on the Western bank, and late afternoon turns into early evening, which signals that you're nearing the end of another long day of travel. There are plenty of possible areas where you could camp, both along side the riverbank and in the woods away from the water.
Chrys crosses her arms, a deep frown etched on her face. "If that deer be a sign o' anythin', it's that we're deep in kobold territory now. We gotta have a plan for this, or the minute we light up a campfire, they'll be on us in numbers. Always in numbers," she grumbles. "So... should we prepare for an ambush with one o' our own, or are we gonna try to work with 'em, convince 'em we're helping the dragon?" she asks the others.
"Could have been them, could have been someone else, right?" Lumen says, peering into the woods. "If you're right, we might find a safe, out-of-the-way place to sleep if we look. Or we could climb trees and try to sleep in the branches," the half-orc says, grinning at Chrys. "I promise it's not so bad. They're not my favorite either but they work in a pinch. Spent a few nights in the branches when I didn't want to be seen."
Lumen will try to help someone else find a safe campsite in the woods nearby, and if there is one, he'll help climb a tree with good branches they could use to suspend some ropes and cloaks and vines between to make some slings/hammocks. Cold rations and no fire seems smart, though Lumen and Vesper can warm things through prestidigitation. He'd offer to take a middle watch.