Ioben slowly comes to grips with the idea that the bugbear is not an immediate threat. Like Sandu, he had heard tales as a child from the traders as they came through his village,m and it was difficult to shake off those fears. He watched as the creature, Galq something? had helped with the trap and offered to carry Sandu. Not the expected behaviour of a bloodthirsty monster who tore whole caravans apart if they were caught unawares in the woods at night.
Finally recovering his wits he stammers, “I agree. I am all for getting out of these woods. Which way leads back to the road?”
"He doesn't seem to be a bad creature, and so far since his near death experience he has been trying to be helpful. I'm surprise that almost none of you have come into contact with bugbears. They are bit more uncommon, but I wouldn't call them a rare species. Though I guess they may be more common in the underdark," he says in a whisper tone as well.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“Good, yes. Let’s get going.” Ioben starts walking in the direction that he believes the road is in. With the fog starting to build between the trees things did not look familiar, though to be honest he didn’t pay too much attention as he chased Sandu. Survival: 26
Although he is eager to move he does not go out of sight of the others.
As you look around you're certain which direction you initially ran from, but you do believe you can see an area where the trees are thinning. You're pretty sure that there is a road in that direction.
It was a strange feeling. Sandu was dreaming. Or at least he knew he was dreaming for there was no other explination for what he was seeing. He was back at the orphanage yet he was not. Not really. Rather, he saw himself as a young boy walking the grounds, like an eagle watching a mouse. Had he always looked so scrawny? He remembered that day. He had been wandering around aimlessly for what little free time he had between chores. The world was so much bigger then but looking down at it now, it seemed much more mundane. Sandu wondered why he was seeing this when his younger self turned a corner and he suddenly remembered.
Both Sandus watched how a lanky boy with a lopsided grin and greasy hair was bullying a girl dressed in clothes that could charitably be called rags. Susie. The name flashed into Sandu's mind.
'You better watch yourself.' The boy jeered. 'Or you're going to be next.' His hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of hair. The girl squealed with pain. Sandu watched with interest how young Sandu stepped forward.
'Or maybe the Bugbear will come for you, ya creep.' The boy sneered when he set his eyes on Sandu. Young Sandu lunged forward and hit the boy on the nose. The boy responded in kind with a slap to the cheek. Sandu felt his own cheek turn hot as the boys both tumbled to the ground in a disorganised mess of fists and grabs. Sandu counted the injuries he received from the past. Burning cheek, ringing ear, nearly broken nose, and then...
'ENOUGH!' And there came the groundskeeper along with miss Esther to break up the fight. The older gentleman pulled the two kids apart after which miss Esther chastised them both and send them away without dinner for the evening. That's where Sandu's memory ended. Or should have ended. For some reason, the scene kept going even when young Sandu had already sodded off.
'Why did you have to tell them all that nonsense about bugbears and kidnappings?' Miss Esther asked with a steel glare of the groundskeeper.
'Keeps them in line.' The man shrugged. 'Better they be scared of some boogeyman and behave than that they know the truth. They might get-'
Sandu felt something hard pressing against the back of his head. His feet were dangling. Was he back in his old bed, too small and hard for him to get a good night's rest? That could not be for he also felt a warmth in his skin, something he would not have had back then. It strangely was focused solely in his leg. That's right, something had happened to his leg, did it not? Spots of light began to fill his vision as Sandu slowly opened his eyes. Something hard was nonetheless softly carrying him.
'Where am I?'Sandu blinked away the remaining dark and blurry edges of his sight until something resembling Dormark came into focus. 'What happened?'
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Baern looks to Galqarin and simply says "come on"in a friendly tone while looking around for his bearings, the way they came, and the road. If he doesn't feel differently from the others about what direction to head, he'll follow the group.
(Rolled survival check with the virtual dice on the character sheet. Twice, because I didn't think it recorded the first roll. 19 and 4. Take what you will!)
The party manage to successfully work their way back to the Old Svalich Road, Galqarin ((highest survival check)) taking point. As everyone emerges from the woods they notice they have slightly overshot the crossroads, which is now a hundred meters or so to their left.
Based on what you gathered from the sign at the crossroads the road you are currently on, if followed to the right (Northwards), will lead directly to the Vistani encampment. Otherwise, the path branching off to the Southwest of the crossroads will lead to Vallaki.
Ireena looks at Ismark,"It won't be much of a detour to the camp, I think Vallaki can wait should our friends want to visit the Vallaki." Ismark measures his sister's words before sighing,"If that is what they want. Just pay my warning heed... Do not take the Vistani at face value, what might appear a simple people have a lot of complexity... and weave the most tangled of webs." He beckons northwards,"After you."
((It will take roughly 30minutes for you to reach the Vistani camp, time-wise it is still early afternoon - around 2pm))
Galqarin - No sooner than you utter your fair warning regarding the Vistani you notice something lying on the ground, near the woods on the other side of the road. It looks like a small wooden object.
Galqarin will walk over and inspect the object before mentioning it to the others. He doesn't want to invite being taken for a fool, should the object be mundane, or nothing at all. (Investigation 18, rolled with Cauldron dice set)
Ioben slowly comes to grips with the idea that the bugbear is not an immediate threat. Like Sandu, he had heard tales as a child from the traders as they came through his village,m and it was difficult to shake off those fears. He watched as the creature, Galq something? had helped with the trap and offered to carry Sandu. Not the expected behaviour of a bloodthirsty monster who tore whole caravans apart if they were caught unawares in the woods at night.
Finally recovering his wits he stammers, “I agree. I am all for getting out of these woods. Which way leads back to the road?”
Valerie speaks in low voice enough for those next to her to hear. "Are we planning on travel with him?" She looks at the bugbear.
"He doesn't seem to be a bad creature, and so far since his near death experience he has been trying to be helpful. I'm surprise that almost none of you have come into contact with bugbears. They are bit more uncommon, but I wouldn't call them a rare species. Though I guess they may be more common in the underdark," he says in a whisper tone as well.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
Galqarin appears to be oblivious to the whisperings about him, as if he considers it normal.
Valerie gets in front of the group. "Alright then. Let’s get on our way."
She then nods to Galqarin. "I’m Valerie. Knight of Tyr."
"Lady", Galqarin touches his forelock deferentially. He points at his chest, "I Galqarin".
“Good, yes. Let’s get going.” Ioben starts walking in the direction that he believes the road is in. With the fog starting to build between the trees things did not look familiar, though to be honest he didn’t pay too much attention as he chased Sandu. Survival: 26
Although he is eager to move he does not go out of sight of the others.
Ioben's Survival check:
As you look around you're certain which direction you initially ran from, but you do believe you can see an area where the trees are thinning. You're pretty sure that there is a road in that direction.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Following Ioben, Dormark head towards the same direction.
Dormark Calling of Strahd (warforged cleric) 4
It was a strange feeling. Sandu was dreaming. Or at least he knew he was dreaming for there was no other explination for what he was seeing. He was back at the orphanage yet he was not. Not really. Rather, he saw himself as a young boy walking the grounds, like an eagle watching a mouse. Had he always looked so scrawny?
He remembered that day. He had been wandering around aimlessly for what little free time he had between chores. The world was so much bigger then but looking down at it now, it seemed much more mundane. Sandu wondered why he was seeing this when his younger self turned a corner and he suddenly remembered.
Both Sandus watched how a lanky boy with a lopsided grin and greasy hair was bullying a girl dressed in clothes that could charitably be called rags. Susie. The name flashed into Sandu's mind.
'You better watch yourself.' The boy jeered. 'Or you're going to be next.' His hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of hair. The girl squealed with pain. Sandu watched with interest how young Sandu stepped forward.
'Or maybe the Bugbear will come for you, ya creep.' The boy sneered when he set his eyes on Sandu. Young Sandu lunged forward and hit the boy on the nose. The boy responded in kind with a slap to the cheek. Sandu felt his own cheek turn hot as the boys both tumbled to the ground in a disorganised mess of fists and grabs. Sandu counted the injuries he received from the past. Burning cheek, ringing ear, nearly broken nose, and then...
'ENOUGH!' And there came the groundskeeper along with miss Esther to break up the fight. The older gentleman pulled the two kids apart after which miss Esther chastised them both and send them away without dinner for the evening. That's where Sandu's memory ended. Or should have ended. For some reason, the scene kept going even when young Sandu had already sodded off.
'Why did you have to tell them all that nonsense about bugbears and kidnappings?' Miss Esther asked with a steel glare of the groundskeeper.
'Keeps them in line.' The man shrugged. 'Better they be scared of some boogeyman and behave than that they know the truth. They might get-'
Sandu felt something hard pressing against the back of his head. His feet were dangling. Was he back in his old bed, too small and hard for him to get a good night's rest? That could not be for he also felt a warmth in his skin, something he would not have had back then. It strangely was focused solely in his leg. That's right, something had happened to his leg, did it not? Spots of light began to fill his vision as Sandu slowly opened his eyes. Something hard was nonetheless softly carrying him.
'Where am I?' Sandu blinked away the remaining dark and blurry edges of his sight until something resembling Dormark came into focus. 'What happened?'
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Baern looks to Galqarin and simply says "come on" in a friendly tone while looking around for his bearings, the way they came, and the road. If he doesn't feel differently from the others about what direction to head, he'll follow the group.
Survival: 13
(Rolled survival check with the virtual dice on the character sheet. Twice, because I didn't think it recorded the first roll. 19 and 4. Take what you will!)
The party manage to successfully work their way back to the Old Svalich Road, Galqarin ((highest survival check)) taking point. As everyone emerges from the woods they notice they have slightly overshot the crossroads, which is now a hundred meters or so to their left.
Based on what you gathered from the sign at the crossroads the road you are currently on, if followed to the right (Northwards), will lead directly to the Vistani encampment. Otherwise, the path branching off to the Southwest of the crossroads will lead to Vallaki.
"To Vallaki then?" Ismark questions the group.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
"What about this Madame Eva? Allo of us has sensed her calling. Could she be of help?"
"Yeah, maybe we need to go see these what these 'Vistani' are all about?"
"I also on way to see Madam Eva. But beware Vistani, they have the evil eye".
Ireena looks at Ismark, "It won't be much of a detour to the camp, I think Vallaki can wait should our friends want to visit the Vallaki." Ismark measures his sister's words before sighing, "If that is what they want. Just pay my warning heed... Do not take the Vistani at face value, what might appear a simple people have a lot of complexity... and weave the most tangled of webs." He beckons northwards, "After you."
((It will take roughly 30minutes for you to reach the Vistani camp, time-wise it is still early afternoon - around 2pm))
3
64
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Galqarin - No sooner than you utter your fair warning regarding the Vistani you notice something lying on the ground, near the woods on the other side of the road. It looks like a small wooden object.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Galqarin will walk over and inspect the object before mentioning it to the others. He doesn't want to invite being taken for a fool, should the object be mundane, or nothing at all. (Investigation 18, rolled with Cauldron dice set)
Galqarin - You walk over to the object, tentatively exploring what it might be. On closer inspection it looks like a child's toy.
Investigation:
The toy is a small spinning top carved with four faces: happy, sad, wrathful, and dead.
As far as you can tell it is a mere toy, a trinket of sorts. There does not seem to be any hidden power emanating from it.
((Assuming that the party continues to the Vistani camp, I shall make a subsequent post detailing it))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)