[DnD 4e PBP] God is dead. (Lorrum (un)Death March!)

Kay

Lyssa steps forward to clasp Caleb's forearm, wrist to wrist, with a clank of scale on plate.

"May the Stars light your way," she says, holding that grip a moment longer before stepping back. "See you soon."

ironzerg

"It's the pillows I miss the most." With that, Caleb steps into the coming gloom.

Grog

Fosphil nods silently to the others and follows the human. "I did not see any pillows on the wagon. What need do we have of such luxuries?"

adventfalls

"The need for a good night's sleep!" Azael called out. "...Not that we've had much of it, for good reason."

deadonthestreet

"So I'm staying here then? All right then." Iados then leans against a tree.

hippofant

After a quick convention, Fosphil and Caleb surreptitiously depart from the clearing into the woods, though they do not escape notice.

Home team (Lyssa, Iados, Azael):

Each of you, make an Insight or Streetwise roll to determine how much the Lorrumites know about the situation. (DC 21 to get a complete grasp of the situation, DC 15 to realise that some of them are aware and concerned)

Away team (Caleb, Fosphil):

Each of you make a Nature check to get started. (DC 21 for extraordinary luck, i.e. immediately finding some berries or some such, DC 13 for not getting lost)

Grog

Back in his element, Fosphil almost melds with the forest.

Nature: 1d20+6 = 24
Oh hey, who wants some berries?

Kay

Lyssa provides cover for Caleb and Fosphil by keeping the Lorrumites engaged, while simultaneously being alert for any changes to the social atmosphere.

"Here," she says to Martha. "We should organise some sleeping space for those that need it most while the others remain alert."

Streetwise: 1d20+10 28
Oh hey, who wants a complete grasp of the situation?

ironzerg

"Fos? Fos? Where are you..." says Caleb, as he almost trips over the wildling while he's examing a berry bush.

Nature: 1d20 10

deadonthestreet

Iados senses the unease within the traveling party.

Insight: 1d20+9 28

adventfalls

Azael was too wrapped up in her own business to pay attention.

Insight: 1d20+5 14

hippofant

Lyssa, Iados:

The dwindling of supplies has not escaped the notice of some, whose behaviours have started to vary. There are some sharp tensions between some of the Lorrumites eyeing each other suspiciously or disdainfully. Some have begun hoarding some food for themselves and their families, which may soon to lead to fractious infighting amongst the Lorrumites should you not act soon! In particular, old recriminations between those who cooperated with Ras and those who refused to are likely to reemerge and will require your attention.

Azael:

You worry that some of the Lorrumites have noticed their insufficient supplies, and you note that some have become suddenly more wary of what remains stored in the carts.

Fosphil, Caleb:

You find some berries. They're pale blue, large, round, and slightly squishy to the touch. They are present in significant quantities on several bushes growing around a small, murky, and otherwise lifeless pond.

adventfalls

Azael approached Lyssa and Iados, noticing that some now knew of the supply situation. "I'm not the best judge," she whispered to the two, "but how bad is it looking?"

Grog

The elder wildling looks up as Caleb almost stumbles to the ground. Having filled his pack with as many berries as he could carry he croaks "Good thinking. A lower view point is more useful in such dense foliage."
At that Fosphil crouches down low, keeping an eye out for any fruit that may have fallen to the ground from less visible heights.

Perception: 1d20+9 = 27

Kay

After selecting some of the less fractious Lorrumites to stand watch for a while, along with those who had already volunteered their skill at arms, like Ashley, Lyssa turns to address the refugees now huddled around a small central campfire.

"Friends," she says, raising her arms to encompass those around her. "Friends, our journey is almost over. Dalaran is close by. However, we must still support each other, we must all help each other on the way, to make sure everyone arrives there safely. Those of you who stood with Ras, we thank you for aiding us. Without you telling us of his movements, and of the others held trapped here, we could never have saved you all. We thank you. To those of you oppressed by the necromancer, those of you who suffered in his grasp, we are truly sorry, and hope that you lives in Dalaran can help you to forget those dark times. We thank those of you who could find supplies, those of you with the skills to hunt and fight, and the most important ones. Those who could be friends to their neighbours, those who could inspire their fellows to keep walking, to keep their spirits up, and those who kept everyone's thoughts on their goals. We thank you. Please, all of you, we must work together to reach our goals. We must help each other, share our food, our warmth, and our good company. Dalaran is closer now that it ever has been. Do not lose sight of your freedom."

Diplomacy: 1d20+12 32

FUCK.

YEAH.

ironzerg

"Well. Are they edible? No sense in bringing back food if it's just going to kill us. Or turns us into zombies. Or.." says Caleb, who quickly goes quiet, less he give the world more ideas. As if this forest isn't full of enough nastiness.

With that, he pops one of the berries in his mouth and begins to chew. Slowly.

Endurance: 1d20+5 22

deadonthestreet

"I am completely confident that the others will find all the supplies that we need, and quickly return. We should all be safe for now, so those of you that need it should rest while you can," Iados lies easily, while scanning the perimeter of the camp for more undead.

Bluff: 1d20+7 19

hippofant

While Fosphil burrows deep into the bushes to extract every last berry, Caleb tentatively pops one in his mouth. With a grimace on his face in expectation of the worst, he finds... well... not much really. Though the exterior berry flesh is rather soft, it's firm and juicy on the inside, but the entire berry is rather bland and tasteless. While not pleasant, at least it's inoffensive and Caleb notices no immediate ill effects. Fosphil has, on the other hand, found far more berries than the two of them alone can carry, and though he has a fair bit in his bag, he's not sure how they'll manage to return all of them to camp.

---

Meanwhile, back at camp, Lyssa has again gathered the Lorrumites and rallied them with one of her trademark speeches. While she speaks, Iados slinks through the crowd, offering in passing an... optimistic word of comfort to those listening but still with worried faces. The listeners all seem both soothed and eager by Lyssa and Iados' words, there are those who stand apart from the others, apparently disinterested in Lyssa's words. They keep to themselves, in four separate groups removed from the majority of the Lorrumites, eyes downcast and away.

ironzerg

Caleb, finding himself neither dead, nor undead, decides to fill his pack with what berries he can...still hopefull they can find something more tasty.

adventfalls

Azael approached Lyssa after the speech, nodding. "Nice. Inspirational. Gets the blood flowing. I've a feeling you can't please everyone though."

ironzerg

"Ok Fos, do you have a pretty good idea where these are, in relations to the camp? Let's press on a little farther and see if there's anything better out here. If not, we'll grab a wagon or cart from the camp and have ourselves a nice delicious bowl of bland and barely edible booberry stew." says Caleb.

Grog

"We should be able to find our way from here. We can always improvise some way to carry the berries if necessary." he says, tapping his shield and indicating Caleb's own.

Kay

Lyssa nods to Azael, and indicates some of the Lorrumites that insist on standing aside from the others.

"Can you talk to them, perhaps? They may need the outlook of another, rather than the one they choose to ignore. I shall remain with those that seem willing to help, and organise our next moves."

deadonthestreet

Iados gently tries to probe the minds of the refugees to find a way to reign them in, but doesn't get much from them.

Insight: 1d20+9 11

adventfalls

[This post has been frisked to an alternate existence.]

adventfalls

Azael tried to discern what was up with the villagers, but was less perceptive than a blind man in a dark alley on the night of a new moon.

That is to say she was as dumb as rocks.

1d20+0 Insight 3 OBVIOUS FAILURE.

ironzerg

"Well, now that I think about it, even if we come back, it'll take hours to pick these berries. We should have more than enough daylight here. Let's head back to the camp and grab some extra hands and a cart. We can see if they can handle the berries, while we press on a bit more." says Caleb.

adventfalls

Having discovered that she was in fact as dumb as rocks, Azael got an idea that was decidedly not as dumb as rocks. She approached each of the four groups in turn, trying to discern why on earth they weren't playing ball.

hippofant

Azael approaches a group of villagers who have fanned out gathering kindling for a fire. A frumpy older woman kneeling on the ground, a batch of sticks in her right hand, turns her head back and up to look at Azael. "Yes miss, how can we help you?"


---

Meanwhile, on the other side of the camp, Caleb and Fosphil have stumbled back, arms laden with bright blue berries. A group of interested Lorrumites, including Mathilda and Dundalinane approach, gathering in front of them to see what they've found.

Grog

Fosphil piles the berries onto a piece of sacking and gestures to the Lorrumites to take their fill. "They are safe to eat. They have been tested on Caleb.". Made wary by the odd choice of words and the way Caleb didn't seem too appetised, hunger nevertheless won through as the villagers began to tuck into the bland fruit.

While they filled their stomaches the elder wilden pulled aside Dundalinane and Mathilda, gesturing in the direction he and the prince had come from. "There are many more berries not far from here. We will need your help to transport enough for all. But we will need something to carry them..."

Fosphil's gaze came to rest on one of the dilapidated carts that was piled with the Lorrumites' wordly goods. Hauling the items off unceremoniously, he began testing and knocking the wood as if he were conversing with it. Dashing into the trees he returned with two armfuls of branches and twigs, and had soon woven a wicker lining into the vehicle.

Wasting no time to admire his handiwork he gestured to Mathilda and Dundalinane "Come. Night waits for no man."

Dungeoneering to fix up the cart for maximum berry-carrying efficiency.: 1d20+4 = 22

deadonthestreet

Iados gathers a group of seemingly hopeless people around him, and begins telling a story of adventure and triumph in an effort to inspire them that they may make it back to safety. Though, he forgets some of the details, and has to fudge them a bit.

History: 1d20+5 16

adventfalls

Azael nodded politely at the old woman. "I was just curious, is all. You didn't interested the religious one's speech. Far be it from me to talk about what people believe, but the heart of it made sense. I was just wondering why."

hippofant

Dundalinane blinks at Fosphil, confused, until Mathilda grabs hold of one of the cart's shafts and gives Dundalinane a beseeching look. "Oh," she remarks, hastily jogging her way over and tossing her bow into the cart. Several others have also made their way over to the cart now, four of them having lifted the cart and ready to pull, while the others are scattered about it ready to follow.

---

Confused looks greet Iados' story. An irritated man pushes his way to right in front of Iados, "Well, let me tell you a story." And he does. "We've spent the time and work to provide for our families, to make sure they stay safe. Most of the food we have left was ours, food we skimped and stored away for another day. Why should we risk our lives because they weren't prepared? They already have more than their fair share! If it wasn't for us, they couldn't even have lasted this long!" Grumbles and assenting murmurs come forth from the nodding heads around Iados.

---

"Eh?" The woman stands up, brushes off the front of her dress, and looks Azael in the eye. "Is that what was happening over there? To be honest, I've never much cared for those sorts of things." She wipes the sweat off her brow. "The young ones spend so much time arguing about how things should be done, what can be done. When you get to our age, you just do has to be done. If you have to eat, you eat. If you have to work, you work. If you have to suffer, you suffer. If you have to live, you live."

She gives Azael a wan smile. "I don't suppose you'll understand, young one. You want to change the world..." she punctuates this with a sharp exhale and straightens her back. "As well you should. We've seen you working with Sasha. Bright girl. It's good that you've come around for her."

ironzerg

As the villagers start to move the cart, Caleb goes searching for Ashley Bandito. He finds her hanging out on the periphery, cooly watching the townsfolk bicker.

"Hey. I need you for a bit. We're going to take some villagers out to load up the rest of those berries. We can escort them out, I need you to make sure they come back. And if you could, grab that guy with the pike...what's his name, to watch your back." askes Caleb.

deadonthestreet

Iados makes up a lie on the spot to try to get the people in line. Unruly people are just going to make the job that much harder. "Because, my friends, what you give is what you will get back, haven't you ever heard that? No good deed goes unrewarded, as the world has a way of balancing itself. We live in a cruel and selfish world, that is why we were abandoned by the gods. But something has changed, and the servants of the gods are returning to help us. Why? Because of the selfless acts of so many in recent years. Our world has been given a second chance! We must grab it while we have the chance. Give all you can and more, for you shall be rewarded for it."

Bluff: 1d20+7 27

adventfalls

Azael looked at the old woman before nodding. "Makes sense enough. I know I wanted out once I really started learning magic. Is that why it's good we found her?"

hippofant

The people around Iados murmur in surprise. "I don't understand, selflessness? Why now? Haven't we..." "Reward? How are we being rewarded?" "Does this mean they're going to fix the world?" "Is that why you're here, to be rewarded for freeing us?"

---

With a wry smile, the woman shakes her head slightly. "No young miss, it's good because everybody's better off."

adventfalls

"Now.... now I'm confused," Azael admitted. "What do you mean by that? I think I'm a bit slow today."

hippofant

"Some of us are made for more, but it can be hard to fight fate."

adventfalls

"Aye." Azael briefly remembered her own family, and how they'd chafed against one another's beliefs. "You think she's meant for something more, then?"