–Sowing the 22nd, 1002 Sunday-48 degrees, feel wind on skin, leaves rustle, weathervanes begin to move- 230 gp 6 sp, (2 gp per day if out of work), healing kit 8 charges-
–150 xp from the sharks, 75 xp from stirges–4 Potions of healing, Potion of Fire Breath, Potion of Animal Friendship, Wand of Magic Missiles, Dagger with a Pearl inlaid hilt (250 gp), Steel Circlet etched with Arcane Runes (25 gp),Pewter Bracer etched with Arcane Runes (25 gp), Silver Pendant set with Blue Spinel and Peridot (250 gp), Steel Flower Brooch set with Chrysoprase (25 gp),Electrum Flower Brooch engraved with Draconic Scales (250 gp)-
-Scene Change-No Events, Immersion-Overwhelming stench of sweat-
The next morning, I am faced with a choice of which way to go, now that the river has led me nowhere special. I stink of sweat, but with a few words of magic, my clothes and I are as clean as when freshly laundered and bathed. Though the spring or river mouth was right there, I’d rather not strip down and bathe out here in the wilds. I know that if I continue south, I will eventually reach civilization. If I head west (or back north), I’ll reach the ocean. If I head east, I’ll reach civilization as well, but perhaps not any faster than going south. I climb to the nearest peak to try to figure out the best course.
-Q: Do I see any sign that civilization is closer to the east? EXCEPTIONAL NO-
I start walking south, which is the same general direction I had followed to get to the river’s source. I am hoping to find some signs of friendly life, some more food (having eaten the last of the hare for breakfast). Or perhaps, something interesting to make this venture all the more worthwhile.
-Encounter-Minor Annoyance-Lost an Item-Healer’s kit-
Late morning, after having walked about three miles, I suddenly have an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach! I quickly rip off my pack and start searching frantically through it. Sure enough, I’d left my satchel of bandages and herbs behind! I forgot to stow it back after treating the stirge bite in the night!
Reluctantly, I turn around and try to retrace my steps to find it again!
-Survival 18+2, Can I do it? Very Likely-Yes-Is it still there? Unsure-Exceptional Yes-
When I return to my former campsite, I am pleased to see the kit is still there, closed up, and completely undisturbed from when I left it behind. Muttering a quick prayer of thanks to my ancestors, I return it to my kit, and swear not to leave it again!
Then I notice a ground squirrel regarding me with curiosity. Though he got a bit charred from the firebolt, he’ll provide me with my next couple of meals! I was able to dress his remains and cook the rest of his flesh without further damage.
-Midday Encounter-Small Game Other-
-Dusk Encounter-Winged Kobolds-
I start travelling south once more, hoping to actually get some miles under my boots before nightfall, when I hear the flutter of wings overhead. I look and see four small winged dragon men, Urds, sweeping towards me. I send a trio of darts at them, killing one of them, and prepare my self for battle! The second one goes down to a bolt of flame after it drops a heavy stone near me! Then the last two swoop in for the kill. One drops a stone that hits the ground nearby, bouncing up and then slamming into my ward. They then drop another couple of stones, while I hurl fire back at them. I kill a third, after having to summon a shield to block a stone heading straight towards my head! Then the last dives down to cut my throat with its dagger. We struggle in mortal combat. I’m not much bigger than it was, but after what seemed like an eternal struggle, I manage to gain the upper hand and stab it in the neck.
I look around in the waning sunlight, but cannot tell where they came from…just that they approached from the north. They don’t seem to have any valuables on them either, just the sacks they carried throwing stones in. They must have been a hunting party.
I travel a bit farther, not wanting to be anywhere near their bodies when the rest of the tribe finds their remains.
-Wilderness Dressing Camp Event-
That night, I sit at my camp eating the charred meat of the squirrel I’d killed that morning, when I hear a rustle in the nearby scrub, and then a whimpering sound. There is a farm dog with matted hair and a gaunt frame looking at me from the brush. I hold out a bit of meat, and it gingerly steps forward to take it from my hand. I smile, and ask what it’s doing out here all alone. It doesn’t answer, and I’m grateful as I didn’t really expect it too. But after sharing a bit more, I find myself scratching behind the animal’s ears and it snuggles up against me as though we were old friends.
-failed concealment roll, so night encounter-wild cattle-
Later that night, I am awakened to the clatter of hooves nearby. I don’t see them, but I am sure wild goats or something must have passed nearby. The dog is alert, but not alarmed. After awhile, i drift back to sleep.
–Sowing the 23rd, 1002 Moonday-51 degrees, feel wind on skin, leaves rustle, weathervanes begin to move- 230 gp 6 sp, (2 gp per day if out of work), healing kit 8 charges-
–200 xp from winged kobolds, 150 xp from the sharks, 75 xp from stirges–4 Potions of healing, Potion of Fire Breath, Potion of Animal Friendship, Wand of Magic Missiles, Dagger with a Pearl inlaid hilt (250 gp), Steel Circlet etched with Arcane Runes (25 gp),Pewter Bracer etched with Arcane Runes (25 gp), Silver Pendant set with Blue Spinel and Peridot (250 gp), Steel Flower Brooch set with Chrysoprase (25 gp),Electrum Flower Brooch engraved with Draconic Scales (250 gp)-
–Immersion-Sound-Whispers-Barely Audible-Q has the dog left-unlikely-no-
New scene-Scene #8: E: Negative for Chyrgyss’ Troglodytes: the Carrying of Plans (Ouch! Sounds like Chygryss is letting his men have it!) Q: Are the whispers using trade tongue? YES Q: Can I discern the words? NO Q: Can I pinpoint the source? NO No ruins, no grave marker
I wake the nest morning with the dog snuggled up next to me, but as my eyes flutter open, I imagine I hear voices whispering in the wind. I look around for the source of the sound while the dog stretches and shakes the kinks out of its scrawny bones. I recognize a few words, and the general cadence, but can’t quite make out what is being said or where the voices are coming from. I look around and am reasonable convinced that there isn’t actually anyone nearby…that this is an echo from some lost spirit. Not having any food for an offering, I instead recite the prayer of remembrance that Jana taught me. So that whatever spirit may linger here is put to rest and remembered.
-Q: Does the prayer stop the whispers? YES-E: New NPC: an Inspection of the intellectual Q: The spirit? EXCEPTIONAL YES-
-Does it speak? Yes Event-Something Positive happens to Remote NPC’s, involving the Postponement of Possessions Q: Do I blast it? likely-NO-
The whispering stops. I smile, and then suddenly a boney hand thrusts out of the earth in front of me! The dog starts barking wildly as I back up, preparing to unleash arcane fire at this undead creature. The long dead man pulls himself free of his grave, croaking out, “You freed me?”
As the creature pulls itself upright and stares at me, drawing no closer, I stammer out a reply, “Yes? By accident? I meant to give you peace!”
-Conversation topic-Community-Demeanor-Neutral (d10X100 for how long dead, since he speaks the human trade tongue…1000 years, so he died about the time of Dragon Fall and the Dawn of the age of man-
“Where are you from?” the creature asks. I tell him, but he does not know of the White Tower. I tell him that I am apprenticed to Master Telgast, but my words seem to mean nothing to him. I notice from his clothing, from the remains of his ancient robe, the arcane symbol on the chain around his neck, the crystal orb that dangles from his belt, that he must have been a mage of some sort when he yet lived.
“Were you a necromancer in life?” I ask, tentatively. He asks if he would be in such a state had he been. I shrug my shoulders and tell him that I suppose not. As we talk more, him asking me about nearby communities and what lives in them, about the dragon lords that rule over us, and about the fate of the rebellion, I soon realize that he’s been dead since just before the Skyfall. He fell during the great war against the dragon kings that set men free! I ask why he lingers here, instead of having gone to the houses.
Q: Does he have a task to fulfill? YES Ancient Being Quest-To assemble an artifact or ritual- Where? In a glacier-
He holds forth the pendant that dangles from his neck and says, “In the cave of ice, you must join this pendant to its fellows, completing the circle and sealing away the Queen of Dragons from our realm!”
“Hmmm…what?” I stammer, “where is this cave of ice?” He tells me to follow the river on the western side, and I will find the cave. This takes me back in the direction whence I came, but before I can object, he begins to fade to dust, holding the amulet in my hand as his bones begin to crumble!
Q: Do I figure out how long he’s been dead? EXCEPTIONAL YES- Q: Do his posessions crumble? NO-Q: Is the orb magical? NO-
I reach down and pick up the orb, rolling it carefully in my hand, before putting it inside my pouch. “Well dog, I guess we have a job to do!” I then start heading back northerly, to follow the other side of the river, looking for some ice cave!
In the middle of the day, dog and I stumble across a group of wild goats. Perhaps the same ones that interrupted me sleep last night! I hurl a bolt of flame at one, but miss, and send the entire herd flying. A second bolt strikes one and kills it before the rest vanish from my sight. Dog and I spend the next hour skinning and cooking the animal. Dog is as excited as I am to have a few days worth of food at last!
After filling our bellies, and my sack with freshly cooked meat, we continue along the river. As dusk falls, I am beset by mosquitos, and find myself swatting them away from my face and exposed hands. I let down my hair to keep them off of my neck at least! But then, in the waning light, I see an opening in a distant hillside…I feel drawn towards it!
The dog whimpers. “Not now,” I assure him, scratching behind his ears. “In the morning.”
I then find a good place to set camp. As I light a fire to keep us warm, I am surprised to see it roar to life like a great pillar of flame nearly twice my height! I recoil in fear as when Master Telgast once summoned a fire elemental into his lab to show me the might of the primal realms. Thankfully, no such creature emerges, and I am left to wonder at what it all meant.
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