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[DnD 4E] May We Die in the Forest (Game Thread)
Denada
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Registered User regular
May We Die in the Forest
A Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition adventure for five 0th Level Characters
We are few here, and the forest is many. We are young, and the forest is old. There is a way to the Eyrewood. A way that everyone must learn. Learn it well, that you may call this place home.
Our Lookouts:
Jay "Scarlett", Martial Lookout, Played by soxbox
Inialos Xiloscient IV, Arcane Lookout, Played by Anialos
Jason Jellick, Divine Lookout, Played by Illianthar
Taath, Primal Lookout, Played by mattakaslash
Bixby Brushwood, Shadow Lookout, Played by moleface
Have you learned what all men must know? Your training is finished, and the time has come to find out. This is your final test as Lookouts. This is a day of hope and fear. Of excitement and dread. This is the time to ascend into adulthood.
Your task is this: Make your way to the King’s Grove, find the Winter King, and return to the village of Armond with one of his feathers.
D&D/d20 Discussion Thread | Bread Space | One Eldritch Summer | I Want to Save the World but I'm Just a Level 1 Skeleton
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The Day Before Your Trial
The scents and sounds of the village center fill the air around you. Freshly baked bread. Oiled leather. The rhythmic clank of a blacksmith’s hammer. The idle chatter of a few dozen adults, going about their daily business with the vendors and craftsmen that keep the village alive. Standing before you amidst the bustle of the village is Duran, your Guide. Tall, tanned, with shoulder-length hair the color of wood ash, Duran has been your mentor and instructor since the day you joined the Lookouts.
"'Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your lives'…" Duran says, arms crossed, his good eye looking the five of you up and down, "…is exactly the kind of tripe I might feed you if I was your mother. You know damn well that I am not.
"But I will tell you this: Tomorrow is important. Tomorrow you set out on your final test, your chance to prove that you’re no longer the sniveling children that came to me all those seasons ago. Winter is coming soon, which means the Winter King will soon wake from his slumber. You will find him, each take a feather, and return to the village with your prize. Do that without getting killed, and you’ll have succeeded in your task.
"I want each of you to know that I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished so far. But don’t think for a second that this will be easy. The Eyrewood is a dangerous place, and we are all but guests beneath its great boughs."
Duran pauses, looking up into the sky, then returns his attention to you. "Listen and learn, that you may live," he begins, reciting one of the many ancient poems that he uses in your instruction, "For the ways of the wood are old. Remember the sun, and the life it gives."
He turns his gaze to you, Jay, and waits for you to finish the stanza.
The somber tone of the instructor's words pulls Jason back into the present and signifies to him that this is not the time for celebration. This helps him to gain some manner of control over his expression. Still, the strain against a jubilant outburst is evident in his face and in his body, with the ends of his mouth curling up against all opposition and his hands clenching and unclenching slightly.
When Duran begins the chant, Jason stiffens to attention, ready for his turn to recite the creed that they had been taught.
He barely notices as the Duran's gaze falls upon him, and his mind races back over the last few seconds to see if he can figure out why attention has suddenly fallen upon him.
"... for the ways of the wood are cold."
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His verse complete, the boy sags visibly as if he is suddenly quite tired, and he looks more subdued.
A resident of the wood himself, the elf looks around to make sure everybody got the message. He pulls a piece of candy out of his pocket--part of the most recent care package from his parents--and pops it into his mouth, looking proud of himself as he chews.
psn: lankyplonker
"May we die in the forest."
"I can't wait for this final test to be over" Bixby says, looking over to Jay. "Do you think maybe we could lose him in the forest?"
psn: lankyplonker
You may talk to people in the village, talk amongst yourselves, etc. Once you're ready to set out on your adventure, give me a ready.
Jason is going to be occupied at his house for the night, so ready!
ready!
ready!
A bountiful feast awaited Bixby as he returned for the evening. Roast meat and vegetables for dinner and for dessert, Bixby's favourite, strawberrys and cream on freshly baked bread. His parents prepared a farewell dinner worthy of any adventurer for their boy. He deserved it, for when he returned he was a boy no more, he would be a man. For the Brushwood's tonight was a night to forget about the trouble and stress Bixby caused for his family growing up, and instead a night to rejoice in Bixby's coming of age. They ate till their bellies filled and laughed till they could laugh no longer. The following morning, with many hugs and tears, Bixby's parents fared him well on his journey. May Avandra guide and protect him and his friends.
!ready
psn: lankyplonker
Jay hangs back as the others depart, waiting for his father to conclude his trading in town and then waiting a few minutes after that before heading off homeward himself. Catching his father just before home, his excitement for the coming adventure is tempered somewhat by the stern look of concern that greets him. "So, you still persisting with this fool group? I don't suppose there's anything more I can do to dissuade you?". Leading Jay inside, he rummages under the bed and pulls out a shortsword and tosses it at Jay's feet. "Take that then, but you best be bringing it back." His voice breaks slightly, but he grunts and turns away. "I'd best get some sleep, and you too. You needs be up early tomorrow."
ready!
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The First Day of Your Trial
The stillness of the pre-dawn hour surrounds you as you prepare yourselves for your journey. It's an enveloping silence, the kind that you feel as much as hear. There's an anticipation in it, as though the Eyrewood knows of your coming and is waiting in quiet expectation, at once afraid of and hungry for you.
The first trill of birdsong breaks the silence as you make your way through the village. You're not the only ones awake to see the sun rise, as many of the villagers start their days well before dawn. But the morning folk, as they're often called, relish in the quiet of those early morning hours. The "Inner Hours", as they call them, are a time for reflection. A time for self-awareness. A time to be still inside yourself, to go about your work with a clear mind and a still heart, and to know of your place in the world.
Of course, not all are so philosophical about their morning duties. It is well known that Bridge, the smith's apprentice, hates waking up early. He wants nothing more than to have his own smithy and his own apprentice for no other reason than to be able to sleep in, a fact that he makes well known to anyone who will listen. This morning, as he watches you with bleary eyes, he offers you a solemn nod, bereft of his usual muttering and cursing at his chores. Others offer you similar gestures. A pained smile. A raised hand. A salute from Panner, a former Lookout himself, now a mushroom farmer. Everyone knows where you're going. Everyone knows you may not come back.
The villagers and their quiet gestures fade away as you reach the northern edge of the village, where a lone figure waits for you. For Duran, this would be the last time he meets you here as Guide, and the first time that he doesn't go with you as you depart. He stands with arms crossed, a typical stance for him, and inspects you with his good eye. He doesn't say anything, and you know that he won't. Today you are on your own. There will be no words of encouragement, no poems, no admonishments.
The first rays of light break through the treeline as the sun begins to crest over the horizon. Duran turns from you and looks north, toward your destination. You can't see it from here, but you know it's there, the King's Grove, just beyond Breaker's Ridge. That turn is all you'll see from Duran today, and it means your test has begun.
Your trial has started. You have a few choices of how you want to begin your journey. You can follow the road, which heads northeast. It's somewhat safer than traveling through the wood, but it will take longer to reach Breaker's Ridge, as the road doesn't lead directly there. You can also cut through the wilderness, making a more-or-less straight line for Breaker's Ridge. It's more dangerous, but can be faster.
psn: lankyplonker
"Seems like we're taking the road, Taath."
Shouldering his pack, Jason falls into step next to Inialos, shaking his head every now and again to break up the cobwebs in his mind. His face scrunches up with a look of confusion as he talks to the older boy. "You'll have to show me more about your herbal mix when we get back…I don't think I was using it right. I studied all night, but all I can remember is how great Momma's liver and onions tasted! I must have eaten an entire plate, and I hate liver and onions!"
We'll throw this out there, just in case:
Perception: 1d20+4 15
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This is an old road, long unused by anyone in the village. You only make it a few miles out before the quality of the road begins to deteriorate. Tree roots and other foliage break out from their imaginary boundaries, until your path becomes more of a trail than anything else. Perception (Taath): Thankfully, your training keeps you on target, and you stick to the trail in spite of several necessary detours.
As noon approaches, you find yourselves at a fork in the trail. An old signpost is there, though time and weather have rendered it illegible.
Nature: 1d20+9 27
Nature (Taath): Inialos is right. Though the twisting trail and various detours would make it heard to keep your bearings, your training and keen elf senses serve you well. Breaker's Ridge is northeast of you. The fork on the left appears to head west, while the fork on the right appears to head north.
As the other boys start to discuss the merits of each path ahead of them, Jason opens his pack and takes out a bit of beef jerky, happily chomping it down before taking a sip from his waterskin. He looks up as Inialos mentions where the two paths lead. Replacing his things and shouldering his pack, he sidles over to Bixby.
"Hey Bixby," he says, his mouth still full enough of jerky that it impedes his speech, "mind if I borrow that dagger?"
Accepting the weapon from the halfling, Jason wanders up to the signpost and carefully starts to whittle into the dilapidated wood. His strokes are actually quite competent, moreso than you would expect from someone so young. After a few moments, he steps back, admiring his handiwork. On the signpost it now shows a crude arrow pointing to the left with the word "WATER" next to it. Beneath that is an arrow pointing to the right with the word "VILLAGE".
Nodding to himself, he hands the dagger back to Bixby, a broad grin covering his face. "So, off to the village? I bet there's tons of interesting stuff there!"
"Huh. I didn't know there were any villages on the way. Are we going to stop in for lunch?" After Inialos explains the likely state of the village, Jay experiences a moment of disappoint before quickly becoming excited again. "Abandoned? Adventures and Mystery! Let's check it out on the way through."
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psn: lankyplonker
The last bit was kind of half-yelled over his shoulder as Jason started to move quickly down the right-hand path towards the village.