Jack has been keeping his kayak near Arno, speculating on the wishing well and what riches they could get from it when his boat begins to rock, "What? No no no, I just fixed it...!" He continues under his breath with only the changeling close enough to hear, "Oak will blame this on me somehow, I just know it."
Geth, roll 1d20+5 for Jack Not Wrecking His Kayak Again
Geth, roll 1d20+3 for Avoiding Hands If Urixes Succeeds
Countless Grasping Hands, the skin a sickening blue, tissue thin and waterlogged, jerk up out of the water and surround your boats...Arno, their latent skill for serendipity now well established among the Wild Bunch, is well out of the way of the underwater horde, and manages to dart forward and away in their kayak. Strike has taken to following Arno's lead in many things, and is right behind them. Jack, his frightened flailing with the paddle somehow connecting with every single hand that emerges, remains amazingly unscathed. But cold flesh, undead finger bones and rotted, jagged nails, tear at Oak and Urixes, nearly dragging them down before they finally bat off their waterbound assailants, and join Arno and Jack, out of the fray....
Geth roll 2d6 for Wall of Hands (Oak)
Geth roll 2d6 for Wall of Hands (Urixes)
You leave behind the Undead Drowned and the Great Hill, headed South. Past a bend in the river, the trees overhead eventually fill in again, and the area begins to darken. The noon sun cuts eerie images into the water, as you coast along the water. The going is easier here for a few miles. You don’t have to worry about sudden snags in the river, or hidden jagged rocks along this patch of water. However, the peaceful time isn’t to last…
Just ahead, you see several large trees, fallen across the river. Some of them are smaller, clearly recently downed (most probably shaken loose by the Earthquakes from a couple nights ago), but many of them have clearly been here awhile, as logs, branches, twigs and debris have accumulated over time to form a rough, natural dam all across this part of the water. All together, it’s about twenty-five feet of fallen logs and accumulated natural wall.
[ OOC: The options as the DM sees them (feel free to surprise me with alternatives, obviously) are: to either go OVER the Dam (carrying your kayak and trying to traverse a sharp, shaking environment), go THROUGH the Dam (the more of you attempt this, the quicker it goes, but you’ll also be in one spot for awhile, and making a lot of noise), go into the woods to the LEFT or RIGHT of the Dam (you’d have to traverse the dense, dangerous forest carrying your kayak for about thirty feet before finding you way back to the river), or going UNDER the Dam (this seems frankly insane and would likely involve holding your breath and your kayak underwater for long stretches of your traversal, but I figured it would be doable, if very difficult and dangerous).
Jack can use his Navigation Proficiency here to feel out the nature of one specific path; OR get a General sense for all of them. The former will be far easier to roll for than the latter. But generally, Higher the roll, more info I'll provide Jack with. Once everyone has made their decision, I’ll let you know what challenges face each of you ]
Jack uses a foot on one of the fallen logs to slow himself down, then with the kayak against the log hops on top of it. "Guard the ship, Mister Fusspot!"
He walk/climbs up one of the logs that's been lodged at an angle and has a look around...
Geth, roll 1d20+2 for General Sense, Let's Go For Gold All Or Nothing
[In Order of Easiest Going to Most Dangerous, as Jack sees It:]
1. The LEFT has the high ground, and provides the easiest cover. It's also on a treacherous slope, and some of those plants look suspect as all hell
2. The RIGHT is boggy and muddy... there's fallen branches and logs galore, but it's gotta be absolutely strewn with sinkholes. If you get stranded or caught in the mud, you'll be out of cover, and easy bait for anything moving around out here
3. UNDER is dangerous...but maybe actually doable? There's gonna be algae, pebbles, sharp rocks, possible water bugs... you're gonna need to hold your breath more than a couple times as you push through, but of course, there's always those potions you recently got...
4. OVER is like walking over a Nature Made Tiger Pit. The walk will be like walking a delicate rope bridge, and a fall to any side, or the structure suddenly shifting, could get someone caught and impaled at the slightest misstep
5. THROUGH has the potential to be the most dangerous of them all. This is a PRIME, tailor-made spot for a disadvantaged ambush...you're all stuck together against a sharp wall in small boats, the river is pushing against you, both sides of the forest could contain hostiles, and anything could sneak up on you as you have your attention on dismantling the Dam
((OOC: assume Jack reports this to the others and folks can decide how to proceed [he does have 3 water breathing potions], I'm in bed on my phone so can't write it all up nice ))
"The left sounds good for those that need to walk. Strike, if I remember right the Rak'ta are nearly as comfortable under water as on land, maybe you should take that path. Oh, maybe...
So an idea. I can change into animals with no swim speed and 1/4 cr. I imagine something existing that can hold its breath, like a dire beaver? Or maybe since lizardfolk can hold breath for 15 min strike can grab two kayak and I hitch a ride as a water spider, can hold breath for an hour.
2nd idea, can I cast entangle on the path, but weakened so it doesn't restrain, yet does hold us up and on the path?
Geth roll 1d20+1 nature check for what can hold breath
1. You're gonna have to hang on tight (Dex)! And the bigger the form you choose, the bigger a target you'll make for the overhead branches; on the other hand, the smaller you make yourself, the more I'm gonna make damage hurt if you do end up getting tagged. Also, Strike will be rolling for some underbelly River damage in this situation, and possible kayak damage (I've left him out of rolls before because I don't want you guys feeling like you have to babysit NPCs, but in this particular case...). You both may also be subject to additional survival challenges...
2. You can choose to cast Entangle on the Path, using your +5 spell attack modifier, to beat a DC 17. However! Anything less than 17 ...did you ever see Spiderman Homecoming, the part
with the ship cut in half, after the webs? Basically, that
Oak rubs his arm, still feeling the hit of the spectral hands that rose up on them. "Left seems the most reasonable. Can't be risking sinkholes, and only a madman would try to go over or under this thing."
Jack climbs back down after reporting his findings and pulls his kayak to the left coastline, "If anyone wants to try their luck in the water, I have water breathing potions! It sounds like a hoot" (zero sarcasm), "but I don't want to risk Mister Fusspot falling in, so..." He stands next to Oak, getting everything in his boat tied up to be carried.
Hmm. "Hey Oak, can I have one of those fire potions of yours? In case those plants up there decide they want a taste of Jack?" He's clearly pretending to be nonchalant, he really, really wants a fire breathing potion.
"Going under it is. But don't worry, I can hold my breath. Or, I will be able to. Let me make the path up there a bit easier..."
After casting, Arno begins to stretch and change. Soon his body grows oily fur, long whiskers, and tail. Becoming about the size of a halfling, Arno has become a giant muskrat!
Arno summons vines all along the Dam, which *SNAP* into place with an almost expert construction and precision- Oak and Jack would be very impressed at their natural abilities with tension and minimalism, within their conjured architecture. Strike lays out across the water before a narrow gap in the Dam, only his head sticking up and a kayak held in each claw. Arno, shifting *FULLY* in front of the group, turns into a Giant Muskrat, and darts with a loud *THWUMP* across a boat, to rest just below Strike’s neck, tucked under his head frill.
[OOC:] Strike will be rolling for damage from below (rocks and pebbles); Arno will be rolling for damage from above (sticks and branches)- using Dexterity Checks (Arno +2; Strike +0). Arno’s Tangle inside the Dam has made this job easier for everyone here: if Strike can beat a 15, he (and the kayaks!) come out undamaged; the same can be said of Arno on a 13. However, on the other end of the tunnel, both of you will be covered in leeches you’ll need to deal with (1d6 worth of them), and I’m also asking Arno to roll a Mysterious 1d4…on a 1, something happens right now which you will only discover later…
Oak, Jack, and Urixes, after tying up all their equipment, shouldering it, and Jack finding a safe home for Fusspot (in a move likely taken from Arno just now, Jack places him right between the back of his neck and where he rests the kayak) with an effort work their way up onto shore, and begin the slow, hard trek around the Dam and through the dense woods. Oak, hesitant to disappoint Jack again so soon, but with a sharp look from Urixes, has (probably wisely) chosen to refrain from sharing Fire Potions with Jack at this point. The slopes up here are uneven and hard to predict, and underfoot where there aren’t tangled, exotic plants, there are loose rocks and unsteady dirt. The trees crush in on you from every angle, branches and trunks also practically spilling over, with strange and sharp looking vines and growths. It’s impossible not to brush into fifteen different plants, every ten feet or so…
[OOC:] You guys will need to make Survival Rolls (DC 13), not to accidentally walk into/brush against/inhale the spores of something gross in here. I’ve got a lot of options in front of me, and a higher failure will likely lead to a worse exposure from something. There was originally a “treacherous slope slides you into the sharp bits of the Dam on a Dex fail” challenge here as well, but Arno’s Entangle success removed that problem for this group!
Geth roll 1d3 for Kayak Damage (Arno's)
Geth roll 1d3 for Kayak Damage (Strike's)
OOC: *OOF*...That 1 feels obvious, in retrospect. This will depend on how Arno rolls of course, but my current thought is "Strike beat the hell out of himself from underneath, got you both 3/4 of the way there...and then passed out from a combination of battering, exhaustion, and the leeches, and the momentum carried you both out, so Arno didn't notice." He will absolutely be unconscious on the other side of this Dam.
DM has learned another valuable lesson, and the next time an NPC gets borrowed, the borrower will be asked to make the roll instead (just imagine the difference an "Arno-18" could've made here!)
((OOC: My reaction to Strike's 1 was apparently audible enough for my SO to ask what was wrong ))
Well, after they're back in the river he's not complaining about rowing the kayak any more, it is way worse to carry it! Thankfully his rider helps by biting his ears and pulling out hair from the back of his head.
"I was asked very specifically not to do that, Jack" Oak replies when the younger man asks for one of the potions of fire breathing. Thankfully, they started off moving around the dam to the left, carrying the Kayaks over the uneven terrain.
Arno's powerful new tail helps propel the pair beneath the natural dam, effortless avoiding the sticks above. Strike seems to be going a bit slower, but Arno powers him through.
Once on the other side, Arno sees it wasn't quite as effortless as previously believed.
"Oh no, oh no. Come on, out with the bad air, in with the good.". Arno tries to rouse the unconscious Strike.
[Arno, using their knowledge of Medicine, manages to bring Strike back to consciousness! Strike casts Cure Wounds on himself. The Boys have made it to the other end to join up with you two, unharmed!]
The Wild Bunch, many of them a bit shaken from their experiences along the River today, now set out from the South side of the Dam. You work far into the afternoon, and tend to your injured comrades along the way. The group *is* still further ahead than Strike had described you would be by now. You’re currently many miles past the Great Hill that you were to come to only tonight. But your progress today has been struggling and minimal; the River seemingly attempting to stop you at every opportunity.
Just as the sun is beginning to set, and the group is about to begin discussing choices for their evening, you come around a sudden bend in the River. Out there, on a sandy hill jutted partway out into the waters, seated above a calm pool…sits an unhidden and rough campsite, with a gigantic, iron pot sitting on top of it’s fire, sending tasty (but *incredibly* gamey) smells into the air around. A nearby rack, also very roughly constructed, hangs animal skins: most stripped of their skin, their pink-bodies spitted and cooked nearby…..
OOC: …does your group choose to explore the campsite and fire? The occupant isn’t here right now, but Urixes’s Passive Investigation Skill tells him the Camper’s been by recently…has *BIG FEET* (the sandfalls near and around the fire; large, but wind-blown and sunken now)…and will likely be back, soon. If, by Popular Vote, you choose to explore this area, someone please roll a Mystery 1d3 for me. After that, you will all need to roll an Investigation roll, to see if you understand just whose campsite this is…
*If*, by Popular vote, you guys choose to go Downriver instead, ignoring this place…everyone please roll me a Stealth Check (to see if anything around here might notice you…(14 DC), followed by our by-now-typical (15 DC) Strength or Endurance Check along the River, to get you all a safe distance away from this place before night descends…
As the group slows down and quietly looks at the camp Jack steers himself near Oak and leans over, whispering, "You know, that smells better than rations. Think we could make friends, get a dinner out of this?"
He has a thought and gestures Strike over, whispering loud to carry to the rest of the group, but hopefully not much further, "Should we be expecting a warm welcome here? You're more familiar with hunters in this area than the rest of us."
Strike hisses warily, staring at the campsite. He looks over upon Jack's question, an eyelid drooping and purple. "I would exxxpect a welcome nowhere out here...but zere issss a chancccce...it iz Zog. From what I wassss told, he enjoysss camping out under za ssstarsss. Like za Giantssss." Strike scratches his chin as he tries to recall. ".... yessss, heem, or za Giantssss. Not za Chameleons...zey have placcccesss hidden all over out here, but not aboveground like zis..."
OOC: Jack was gonna be my secret tie-breaker, after the poor boy's been told no all day...so Jack and Oak deciding stopping to Investigate is a good decision means it's happening! Everyone please roll for Investigation. In addition, someone please roll a Mystery 1d3 (this will determine the camp's occupant, and their current location.)
"I don't care about the food," Oak responds to Jack "I just don't like leaving someone out here that we don't know their colors as we pass by. Rather see face to face and figure 'em out. "
Jack nods to Oak, carefully pulling his kayak on the shoreline and making sure the griffon doesn't get into any trouble, "That's fine, I'll have your share." He begins looking around the camp warily.
[Oak], ever the Pointman, is on the lookout for the camp's occupant. He goes over every inch of the campsite, finding nothing to necessarily put him on edge. Just off the sandbank, tucked and hidden behind a draping of vines and underneath a cluster of Aspen trees, Oak finds something strange: a pair of weighted stilts. These things, huge bricks strapped beneath them with leather straps, could be used to leave large tracks. Large, fake tracks. Whatever is camping here knows about the local Giants, and is using their trappings in an attempt to ward off intruders
[Jack], good boy that he is, smells that the spitted animals are slightly basted and rolled in a sort of homemade sauce of herbs and gravy... it's almost incredibly tangy, and a bit overpowering, but *very* palatable (if you like spice in your food). The stew also smells *delicious*...bits of the meat from the spits thrown in here and there; large, roughly cut chunks of carrots, garlic, onions, and potatoes; herbs tossed in all together, minced but barely...
Oh, also Jack finds some sacks along the beach, buried under about an inch of what was clearly supposed to be concealing sand. The inside of all the sacks contains about...300 GP. Buried nearby the sacks but closer to the fire, there is a locked chest
"In another life," Urixes begins musing as he looks around, "I found myself on an island not unlike this one. There was a warm fire, good food, and a dry tent. Unfortunately there was also a colossal warp spider, and the entire island was a trap. We barely escaped. I'm sure that's not what this is," he pokes a blade into the ground, "Probably."
"Warp spider? That sounds amazing. What was it like? Seems you'd be too small for food. But lots of things seem to eat people when cattle would be easier. Do you think we might be delicious?"
Jack makes note of his findings (one of the important lessons he's learned in the past three years: people get tetchy if you just take stuff they consider theirs), then sneaks up to the cooking food and has a taste. Oooh, spicy!
Excited whisper, "Hey guys, it's really tasty! We should ask the owner to let us sit in!"
From out of the Woods, an Orcish Wizard emerges. He looks at the assembled group in surprise and annoyance. Strolling to the edge of the fire where Jack and Urixes had found the bags of gold and chest, he checks the bags to make sure they haven't been pillaged. He has his back to you for sometime- for a group of armed strangers, he doesn't seem to be scared. Finally satisfied you haven't robbed him, he turns back to the group with a irritated sigh. "Whadya want? You lost?"
[Once Zog has seen Arno's Tooth, he will become less wary of the group. Zog will provide you guys food and safe camp for the evening. He will also, once made friendly, have Common Magic Items for Sale from the locked chest (if you can think of a Common Magic Item, it's in there!)]
((OOC: So we don't get stuck in a people-waiting-on-people queue I'm going to pose as if people's social interactions have worked and, if something doesn't work out, feel free to retcon those bits out))
Jack instinctively takes a step back at the sight of what is clearly a spellcaster. He already got cursed by a hag and has no intention of getting a second curse from a wizard! "Sorry, sorry! It just smelled so nice!"
He lets the others explain the situation before butting in himself, "Can we share your meal? Please?" Zog need hardly finish his approval when Jack is already hurrying to his kayak to fetch the little griffon, then jogs to the roasting animals and stew whose scents have been filling the camp. He's polite to ask, but he sure doesn't eat polite.
"Hey Urixtheth, try thith one!" He offers a half-eaten piece of meat he'd been biting into and, if refused, shrugs and stuffs the rest in his mouth. There's a small piece of meat on the ground that Mister Fusspot is currently savaging.
Bottomless stomach miracilously full he lets himself fall back with a satisfied grunt staring up at the sky, stars beginning to come out, "I think if I ate this food daily I'd be as wide as I am tall."
It takes some poking and prodding from Oak to get him to help with repairs after today's damage, more than content to just lie there in his food coma otherwise.
When magical items are mentioned he's right as rain once more, as excited as a magpie kenku to look over the proferred shinies. "Ooooh!" He pulls out a decorative helm and dons it on his head- it's pretty clear why he likes it, as its visor is shaped like a wolf's head. "Check me out!" He flips it down and his eyes, visible through the wolf's eye holes, glow red. "I'm scary, right!" Somehow the effect doesn't quite work on a 5 foor 6 scrawny youth.
Zog glares in surprise down at the red tooth in Arno’s hand, before slowly reaching over to take it. He examines it carefully, rolling it over in his fingers, sniffing it, before gently handing it back to Arno. “*Hmmph*,” Zog is satisfied by the tooth’s authenticity, but still clearly put off by all of this. He turns to Strike in an accusatory manner. “Chief’s just handing these out then, eh? Second one I seen just today.”
Strike, very haggard and clearly not up to any sort of fight, shakes his head. “Za village did not give it to zem…thossse outssside, minersss from Far Aessston...”
“Hmmph”, This seems to somewhat put things in a different light for Zog. He assesses Arno and the crew once more. Turning back again at Strike with a sharpness, he barks. “So, how’d the Festival go? Big hit, then?”
[ Strike, staggering, seats himself down by the fire and begins the process of telling Zog the story of the last few days. While he does this, Strike removes his chainmail- those are some awful looking gashes along his belly. Zog, brusquely and without words, invites you all to join them at the fireside. He offers you all a bowl of the stew or some spits of the meat. He occasionally chuckles as he listens to Strike’s tale ]
During the course of the meal, someone might mention the buried box and treasure. Shrugging, Zog unearths his stash and shows the group what he has. The locked chest is filled with minor wonders; an accumulation of magical odds and ends gathered over an Old Wizard’s lifetime. Zog grunts an approval as Jack dons the helmet. “…oh, yeh like that one, eh? (Everything in the box costs 100GP- deduct the cost from your total please!)…and all THIS…since the quakes the other days, the earth has been opening up in strange places, shifting against itself. I recovered all this gold from ancient ruins, a spot ten miles west of here. The ruins weren’t there AT ALL, last week.”
“Yer friend the chameleon…with the pipe…I’ve heard of them. Surprised ye’ spotted them at all. They’re legend in these woods…a shifty devil, but not as clever as they think they are. Can mask itself better than any shifter I’ve ever seen…can even beat the true sight. *BUT*, it’s due to that ridiculous pipe they’re always smoking. Disguise isn’t much good if you can just…*sniff* around it. However, they have cousins in here…LOTS of them. Those are the ones I’d be wary of. They leave me alone because I know my way around out here and have my tricks. Plus, I spent my first year here having to kill loads of them…not-bats-, not-mice, not-Rak’ta. They stopped…eventually.”
“Oh, the other red tooth? Heh…well, I actually met with Rax travelling earlier today. He came through the woods with a shifty looking bunch…I guessed pirates, from the look of them. No offense. Rax started waving that tooth in my face, demanding safe passage. But I know more about what goes in the village than he was aware. I played ignorant, but I’ve heard of his reputation. Knowing what I know now, I can only assume he stole that tooth, from your deceased Chief.” Zog takes a hearty, satisfied sip of his soup. “Glad I sent him about twenty miles out of his way today, then. He doesn’t know about the ruins, either." Zog chuckles, highly pleased with himself. You sense he is usually highly pleased with himself
[Strike will apply Mending to one of the kayaks before going off to lick his wounds until sleep comes. Someone please roll our 1d30 random campsite roll (Note: Due to Zog's prescence, "random battle" won't be on the table this evening.) Tomorrow's forecast calls for Rain and Light Winds]
Rain: Rain reduces visibility by half, imposing a -4 penalty on Spot and Search checks. It also imposes a -4 penalty on Listen checks and ranged weapon attacks.
Rain automatically extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50% chance to extinguish these lights.
Posts
Geth, roll 1d20+5 for Jack Not Wrecking His Kayak Again
Geth, roll 1d20+3 for Avoiding Hands If Urixes Succeeds
Geth, roll 1d20+4 for Arcana Check
Geth, roll 1d20+2 for Dexterity Save
Geth roll 2d6 for Wall of Hands (Oak)
Geth roll 2d6 for Wall of Hands (Urixes)
You leave behind the Undead Drowned and the Great Hill, headed South. Past a bend in the river, the trees overhead eventually fill in again, and the area begins to darken. The noon sun cuts eerie images into the water, as you coast along the water. The going is easier here for a few miles. You don’t have to worry about sudden snags in the river, or hidden jagged rocks along this patch of water. However, the peaceful time isn’t to last…
Just ahead, you see several large trees, fallen across the river. Some of them are smaller, clearly recently downed (most probably shaken loose by the Earthquakes from a couple nights ago), but many of them have clearly been here awhile, as logs, branches, twigs and debris have accumulated over time to form a rough, natural dam all across this part of the water. All together, it’s about twenty-five feet of fallen logs and accumulated natural wall.
[ OOC: The options as the DM sees them (feel free to surprise me with alternatives, obviously) are: to either go OVER the Dam (carrying your kayak and trying to traverse a sharp, shaking environment), go THROUGH the Dam (the more of you attempt this, the quicker it goes, but you’ll also be in one spot for awhile, and making a lot of noise), go into the woods to the LEFT or RIGHT of the Dam (you’d have to traverse the dense, dangerous forest carrying your kayak for about thirty feet before finding you way back to the river), or going UNDER the Dam (this seems frankly insane and would likely involve holding your breath and your kayak underwater for long stretches of your traversal, but I figured it would be doable, if very difficult and dangerous).
Jack can use his Navigation Proficiency here to feel out the nature of one specific path; OR get a General sense for all of them. The former will be far easier to roll for than the latter. But generally, Higher the roll, more info I'll provide Jack with. Once everyone has made their decision, I’ll let you know what challenges face each of you ]
He walk/climbs up one of the logs that's been lodged at an angle and has a look around...
Geth, roll 1d20+2 for General Sense, Let's Go For Gold All Or Nothing
1. The LEFT has the high ground, and provides the easiest cover. It's also on a treacherous slope, and some of those plants look suspect as all hell
2. The RIGHT is boggy and muddy... there's fallen branches and logs galore, but it's gotta be absolutely strewn with sinkholes. If you get stranded or caught in the mud, you'll be out of cover, and easy bait for anything moving around out here
3. UNDER is dangerous...but maybe actually doable? There's gonna be algae, pebbles, sharp rocks, possible water bugs... you're gonna need to hold your breath more than a couple times as you push through, but of course, there's always those potions you recently got...
4. OVER is like walking over a Nature Made Tiger Pit. The walk will be like walking a delicate rope bridge, and a fall to any side, or the structure suddenly shifting, could get someone caught and impaled at the slightest misstep
5. THROUGH has the potential to be the most dangerous of them all. This is a PRIME, tailor-made spot for a disadvantaged ambush...you're all stuck together against a sharp wall in small boats, the river is pushing against you, both sides of the forest could contain hostiles, and anything could sneak up on you as you have your attention on dismantling the Dam
So an idea. I can change into animals with no swim speed and 1/4 cr. I imagine something existing that can hold its breath, like a dire beaver? Or maybe since lizardfolk can hold breath for 15 min strike can grab two kayak and I hitch a ride as a water spider, can hold breath for an hour.
2nd idea, can I cast entangle on the path, but weakened so it doesn't restrain, yet does hold us up and on the path?
Geth roll 1d20+1 nature check for what can hold breath
1. You're gonna have to hang on tight (Dex)! And the bigger the form you choose, the bigger a target you'll make for the overhead branches; on the other hand, the smaller you make yourself, the more I'm gonna make damage hurt if you do end up getting tagged. Also, Strike will be rolling for some underbelly River damage in this situation, and possible kayak damage (I've left him out of rolls before because I don't want you guys feeling like you have to babysit NPCs, but in this particular case...). You both may also be subject to additional survival challenges...
2. You can choose to cast Entangle on the Path, using your +5 spell attack modifier, to beat a DC 17. However! Anything less than 17 ...did you ever see Spiderman Homecoming, the part
Hmm. "Hey Oak, can I have one of those fire potions of yours? In case those plants up there decide they want a taste of Jack?" He's clearly pretending to be nonchalant, he really, really wants a fire breathing potion.
After casting, Arno begins to stretch and change. Soon his body grows oily fur, long whiskers, and tail. Becoming about the size of a halfling, Arno has become a giant muskrat!
Geth roll 1d20+5 for helpful vines
[OOC:] Strike will be rolling for damage from below (rocks and pebbles); Arno will be rolling for damage from above (sticks and branches)- using Dexterity Checks (Arno +2; Strike +0). Arno’s Tangle inside the Dam has made this job easier for everyone here: if Strike can beat a 15, he (and the kayaks!) come out undamaged; the same can be said of Arno on a 13. However, on the other end of the tunnel, both of you will be covered in leeches you’ll need to deal with (1d6 worth of them), and I’m also asking Arno to roll a Mysterious 1d4…on a 1, something happens right now which you will only discover later…
Oak, Jack, and Urixes, after tying up all their equipment, shouldering it, and Jack finding a safe home for Fusspot (in a move likely taken from Arno just now, Jack places him right between the back of his neck and where he rests the kayak) with an effort work their way up onto shore, and begin the slow, hard trek around the Dam and through the dense woods. Oak, hesitant to disappoint Jack again so soon, but with a sharp look from Urixes, has (probably wisely) chosen to refrain from sharing Fire Potions with Jack at this point. The slopes up here are uneven and hard to predict, and underfoot where there aren’t tangled, exotic plants, there are loose rocks and unsteady dirt. The trees crush in on you from every angle, branches and trunks also practically spilling over, with strange and sharp looking vines and growths. It’s impossible not to brush into fifteen different plants, every ten feet or so…
[OOC:] You guys will need to make Survival Rolls (DC 13), not to accidentally walk into/brush against/inhale the spores of something gross in here. I’ve got a lot of options in front of me, and a higher failure will likely lead to a worse exposure from something. There was originally a “treacherous slope slides you into the sharp bits of the Dam on a Dex fail” challenge here as well, but Arno’s Entangle success removed that problem for this group!
Geth roll 1d6 for Making New Friends Along the Way
Geth roll 1d3 for Kayak Damage (Strike's)
OOC: *OOF*...That 1 feels obvious, in retrospect. This will depend on how Arno rolls of course, but my current thought is "Strike beat the hell out of himself from underneath, got you both 3/4 of the way there...and then passed out from a combination of battering, exhaustion, and the leeches, and the momentum carried you both out, so Arno didn't notice." He will absolutely be unconscious on the other side of this Dam.
DM has learned another valuable lesson, and the next time an NPC gets borrowed, the borrower will be asked to make the roll instead (just imagine the difference an "Arno-18" could've made here!)
Well, after they're back in the river he's not complaining about rowing the kayak any more, it is way worse to carry it! Thankfully his rider helps by biting his ears and pulling out hair from the back of his head.
Geth, roll 1d20+3 for Survival
Geth, roll 1d20+2 for Survival
Once on the other side, Arno sees it wasn't quite as effortless as previously believed.
"Oh no, oh no. Come on, out with the bad air, in with the good.". Arno tries to rouse the unconscious Strike.
Geth roll 1d4 for mystery
Geth roll 1d8+5 for Cure Wounds (Strike)
The Wild Bunch, many of them a bit shaken from their experiences along the River today, now set out from the South side of the Dam. You work far into the afternoon, and tend to your injured comrades along the way. The group *is* still further ahead than Strike had described you would be by now. You’re currently many miles past the Great Hill that you were to come to only tonight. But your progress today has been struggling and minimal; the River seemingly attempting to stop you at every opportunity.
Just as the sun is beginning to set, and the group is about to begin discussing choices for their evening, you come around a sudden bend in the River. Out there, on a sandy hill jutted partway out into the waters, seated above a calm pool…sits an unhidden and rough campsite, with a gigantic, iron pot sitting on top of it’s fire, sending tasty (but *incredibly* gamey) smells into the air around. A nearby rack, also very roughly constructed, hangs animal skins: most stripped of their skin, their pink-bodies spitted and cooked nearby…..
OOC: …does your group choose to explore the campsite and fire? The occupant isn’t here right now, but Urixes’s Passive Investigation Skill tells him the Camper’s been by recently…has *BIG FEET* (the sandfalls near and around the fire; large, but wind-blown and sunken now)…and will likely be back, soon. If, by Popular Vote, you choose to explore this area, someone please roll a Mystery 1d3 for me. After that, you will all need to roll an Investigation roll, to see if you understand just whose campsite this is…
*If*, by Popular vote, you guys choose to go Downriver instead, ignoring this place…everyone please roll me a Stealth Check (to see if anything around here might notice you…(14 DC), followed by our by-now-typical (15 DC) Strength or Endurance Check along the River, to get you all a safe distance away from this place before night descends…
He has a thought and gestures Strike over, whispering loud to carry to the rest of the group, but hopefully not much further, "Should we be expecting a warm welcome here? You're more familiar with hunters in this area than the rest of us."
OOC: Jack was gonna be my secret tie-breaker, after the poor boy's been told no all day...so Jack and Oak deciding stopping to Investigate is a good decision means it's happening! Everyone please roll for Investigation. In addition, someone please roll a Mystery 1d3 (this will determine the camp's occupant, and their current location.)
OOC: Jack can roll the mystery die.
Geth, roll 1d20-1 for Investigation
Geth, roll 1d20 for Investigation
[Jack], good boy that he is, smells that the spitted animals are slightly basted and rolled in a sort of homemade sauce of herbs and gravy... it's almost incredibly tangy, and a bit overpowering, but *very* palatable (if you like spice in your food). The stew also smells *delicious*...bits of the meat from the spits thrown in here and there; large, roughly cut chunks of carrots, garlic, onions, and potatoes; herbs tossed in all together, minced but barely...
Oh, also Jack finds some sacks along the beach, buried under about an inch of what was clearly supposed to be concealing sand. The inside of all the sacks contains about...300 GP. Buried nearby the sacks but closer to the fire, there is a locked chest
Geth, roll 1d20+4 for Investigation Check
Geth roll 1d20-1 investigation
Excited whisper, "Hey guys, it's really tasty! We should ask the owner to let us sit in!"
From out of the Woods, an Orcish Wizard emerges. He looks at the assembled group in surprise and annoyance. Strolling to the edge of the fire where Jack and Urixes had found the bags of gold and chest, he checks the bags to make sure they haven't been pillaged. He has his back to you for sometime- for a group of armed strangers, he doesn't seem to be scared. Finally satisfied you haven't robbed him, he turns back to the group with a irritated sigh. "Whadya want? You lost?"
[Once Zog has seen Arno's Tooth, he will become less wary of the group. Zog will provide you guys food and safe camp for the evening. He will also, once made friendly, have Common Magic Items for Sale from the locked chest (if you can think of a Common Magic Item, it's in there!)]
Jack instinctively takes a step back at the sight of what is clearly a spellcaster. He already got cursed by a hag and has no intention of getting a second curse from a wizard! "Sorry, sorry! It just smelled so nice!"
He lets the others explain the situation before butting in himself, "Can we share your meal? Please?" Zog need hardly finish his approval when Jack is already hurrying to his kayak to fetch the little griffon, then jogs to the roasting animals and stew whose scents have been filling the camp. He's polite to ask, but he sure doesn't eat polite.
"Hey Urixtheth, try thith one!" He offers a half-eaten piece of meat he'd been biting into and, if refused, shrugs and stuffs the rest in his mouth. There's a small piece of meat on the ground that Mister Fusspot is currently savaging.
Bottomless stomach miracilously full he lets himself fall back with a satisfied grunt staring up at the sky, stars beginning to come out, "I think if I ate this food daily I'd be as wide as I am tall."
It takes some poking and prodding from Oak to get him to help with repairs after today's damage, more than content to just lie there in his food coma otherwise.
When magical items are mentioned he's right as rain once more, as excited as a magpie kenku to look over the proferred shinies. "Ooooh!" He pulls out a decorative helm and dons it on his head- it's pretty clear why he likes it, as its visor is shaped like a wolf's head. "Check me out!" He flips it down and his eyes, visible through the wolf's eye holes, glow red. "I'm scary, right!" Somehow the effect doesn't quite work on a 5 foor 6 scrawny youth.
"How much for the cool wolf helm, mister Zog?"
((OOC: Dread Helm, XGtE pg. 137))
Strike, very haggard and clearly not up to any sort of fight, shakes his head. “Za village did not give it to zem…thossse outssside, minersss from Far Aessston...”
“Hmmph”, This seems to somewhat put things in a different light for Zog. He assesses Arno and the crew once more. Turning back again at Strike with a sharpness, he barks. “So, how’d the Festival go? Big hit, then?”
[ Strike, staggering, seats himself down by the fire and begins the process of telling Zog the story of the last few days. While he does this, Strike removes his chainmail- those are some awful looking gashes along his belly. Zog, brusquely and without words, invites you all to join them at the fireside. He offers you all a bowl of the stew or some spits of the meat. He occasionally chuckles as he listens to Strike’s tale ]
During the course of the meal, someone might mention the buried box and treasure. Shrugging, Zog unearths his stash and shows the group what he has. The locked chest is filled with minor wonders; an accumulation of magical odds and ends gathered over an Old Wizard’s lifetime. Zog grunts an approval as Jack dons the helmet. “…oh, yeh like that one, eh? (Everything in the box costs 100GP- deduct the cost from your total please!)…and all THIS…since the quakes the other days, the earth has been opening up in strange places, shifting against itself. I recovered all this gold from ancient ruins, a spot ten miles west of here. The ruins weren’t there AT ALL, last week.”
“Yer friend the chameleon…with the pipe…I’ve heard of them. Surprised ye’ spotted them at all. They’re legend in these woods…a shifty devil, but not as clever as they think they are. Can mask itself better than any shifter I’ve ever seen…can even beat the true sight. *BUT*, it’s due to that ridiculous pipe they’re always smoking. Disguise isn’t much good if you can just…*sniff* around it. However, they have cousins in here…LOTS of them. Those are the ones I’d be wary of. They leave me alone because I know my way around out here and have my tricks. Plus, I spent my first year here having to kill loads of them…not-bats-, not-mice, not-Rak’ta. They stopped…eventually.”
“Oh, the other red tooth? Heh…well, I actually met with Rax travelling earlier today. He came through the woods with a shifty looking bunch…I guessed pirates, from the look of them. No offense. Rax started waving that tooth in my face, demanding safe passage. But I know more about what goes in the village than he was aware. I played ignorant, but I’ve heard of his reputation. Knowing what I know now, I can only assume he stole that tooth, from your deceased Chief.” Zog takes a hearty, satisfied sip of his soup. “Glad I sent him about twenty miles out of his way today, then. He doesn’t know about the ruins, either." Zog chuckles, highly pleased with himself. You sense he is usually highly pleased with himself
Rain automatically extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50% chance to extinguish these lights.
Light Wind: A gentle breeze.