can you believe how long this has dragged on? and we're still shy one statue piece of being able to get the dragon emperor's magic sword to go and explore the culty island in the vale's north end!
GM Elle: Here we go, then. Morning dawns in the town of Outskirt, weakened by the heavy mists that perpetually hang over the Misty Vale. Who thinks they would be up first?
Ariel: Not me!
Akane: Normally, Zedeja. Last night, though, an aged mage had to scribe into her grimoire the "Enchant Weapon" spell learned some time ago. A whole shift of work added to two shifts of travel, so probably she's later than normal for a leader so important to the group.
Harriet: I'm assuming Brandy enticed Dilfriida back to their room relatively early after their bath. But I doubt that means we got to sleep early enough to rise with the sun.
Heddy: Or that waking up necessarily means we're obligated to get out of bed.
MSG: Well, since Dolora is stuck with the shared dormitory for the night, she'll probably head up early to make sure she gets a good spot. So she might be among the first down in the morning.
Sasha: Quackers stayed up drinking pretty late telling everyone about all the monsters the group has killed and how we scared off that dragon on our way back from the giant's place. My Constitution is awesome, though, so I might still be up pretty early. I roll a 3 on a Con check to wake up at basically a normal time.
Claire: Filvius was up late getting that magic lesson from the de-aged hermit, but he probably skipped dinner in the process, so he'd be up early for breakfast.
GM Elle: In that case, eventually everyone trails down and eats breakfast, and not much of any note happens before you're all ready to head out.
Claire: Uhh ... why was it important what order we got up in if nothing was going to happen?
GM Elle: No particular reason.
Akane: Possibly there would be more happenings if different members arrived downstairs first. Annabelle the secretly Leanara cultist made suspicious efforts to discuss statue pieces with Dolora yesterday. If a knowledge-boasting junior mage or an untrustable halfling of crime came down, they might have answered her questions differently than a dour dwarf.
Harriet: That's a reasonable speculation. But wouldn't she have had her chance to query Dilfriida while taking her and Brandy to the bath after dinner?
Heddy: After dinner and a bit of dancing, you mean. And maybe Elle is just playing Annabelle smart enough to realize that Brandy and Dilfriida had their minds on very different things than chatting with a serving maid about their adventures.
GM Elle: I'm not commenting.
MSG: Well, since I'm up early anyway, I'll try to scrounge some information about the best way to get to Oracle Cave. That's where we think Filvius's dream from the fortune-telling spider-kin was pointing us, right?
GM Elle: Yes. Make a Persuasion roll with a boon to try to get the information out of someone.
MSG: My Persuasion is lame. I fail even with the Boon.
Claire: Since Filvy is up early too, I'd notice Dolora digging around for info, and I definitely don't want her getting ahead of me in knowledge, so I'll try too. Whoof, glad that had a Boon because one of the rolls is a Demon. Anyway, I fail too. I'm pretty sure my Persuasion is even worse than Dolora's.
GM Elle: Well, it's pretty clear anyone in the place who has that kind of knowledge also has better things to do this morning than talk to the two of you.
MSG: I guess we'll just have to rely on our map, then. I guess it shouldn't be too much of a problem considering my Bushcraft is 18.
Claire: And Filvius has a 17, although he's not letting on that his is lower than Dolora's. Not that he would believe that's the case anyway.
GM Elle: Before we get to the journey, though, everyone who wants to leave things at the bank needs to mark that on their character sheet. Money can be deposited for two coppers a day, or a strongbox can be rented to hold larger items for a silver a day.
Sasha: Oh, hey. I just realized I've still got this basilisk head from Dead Eyes Cave. Is it in any kind of shape I could maybe sell it to an alchemist or something? Or have it stuffed as a trophy?
GM Elle: It's been pretty close to a week since you killed that thing, so it's really rank by now. You can make a Bartering roll to sell it for 5 gold or pay 10 gold to have it stuffed.
Sasha: I'm lousy at Bartering, and it's a monster trophy, so I'll shell out the 10 gold.
Akane: We must remember such carried monster parts in the future. Zedeja would complain about the smell and insist for a duck to throw them out.
GM Elle: I'll leave that up to the players, unless you carry something really ripe into town where an NPC would notice. Between the bank and the taxidermist and fetching Glinssa, the first shift of the day is done by the time you head west and need to make your first Bushcraft roll.
Claire: I've got the map on my character sheet, so I'll make the roll rather than letting Dolora do it.
Akane: Wait! Zedeja must roll Awareness to know which Bushcrafter is superior so that she can order them to perform navigation.
GM Elle: I'll let you roll Bushcraft followed by Awareness to be able to determine that, since both of them are much better at Bushcraft than you are.
Akane: This is fair. Ah, no need to roll Awareness because in Bushcrafting, I have Demoned.
GM Elle: In that case, you're convinced that neither of them is any good with maps and that your own chance of navigating would be better.
Akane: Zedeja will argue this at each instance of map consulting. Her persistence is excessive.
GM Elle: In that case, Filvius will have a Bane on his Bushcrafting roll.
Claire: No worries. I succeed for the first shift.
GM Elle: Nothing of great concern happens as you're traveling, then. Just countryside rolling by in the valley's mists. You do spot another set of black-robed cultists hanging from a tree at one point. Glinssa becomes visibly nervous at the sight and tugs downward on her sleeve to make sure her tattoo isn't showing.
MSG: Someone really has it in for those cultists.
GM Elle: Do you want to press on for another shift? It will be long after dark when you make camp if you do.
Ariel: Fidu is totally against that. If anybody suggests it he acts like they're crazy.
Claire: Filvius would actually deliberately say we should stop for the night. There's no way he wants to keep putting up with Zedeja's complaints while having to read the map by lamplight, which I assume would turn the Bane into a double-Bane. He'll claim the map shows some areas ahead that look dangerous to attempt in the dark.
Akane: Bluffery! The junior mage must roll this for it to be believed.
Claire: I fail pretty monumentally, so then I say, "Well obviously Fidu won't want to keep going until midnight, so why don't we just make camp and get some rest?"
Akane: What a scoundrelly junior! This is exactly what Zedeja would have insisted if provided honesty! Be more truthful!
GM Elle: Who's going to be on first watch, then?
Ariel: Not me! Not second watch, either, actually.
Sasha: Quackers has a bottle of booze that he'll volunteer to share a bit of with Dilfriida and Brandywise. Not too much since we'll be on watch. But I need to keep that oath about being drinking buddies.
Akane: Boozing is forbidden for watchers! Do not shirk so brazenly!
Harriet: Dilfriida tells Zedeja that if she doesn't want us to drink, she shouldn't drive us to it with so much nagging.
Heddy: Brandy is a bit concerned that we only have one bottle to last however long this trip takes, so she suggests we could water it down to ease Zedeja's concerns.
GM Elle: Your tent only holds four ... is someone putting out their sleeping furs outside, or will there be a fourth person on this watch?
Akane: Obviously, our suspicious recently cultish employee. Zedeja has no desire to sleep near her.
Harriet: I say I'm sure the feeling is mutual and then turn to our hireling and add, "Right, Glinssa?"
GM Elle: She looks distinctly uncomfortable and says she's okay with being on first watch.
MSG: I'm going to roll Bushcraft to set up the tent, then.
Claire: I'm going to backseat Bushcraft over your shoulder too, to show off my own skills. That should give you a Boon ... right, Game Master?
GM Elle: Right.
MSG: I'm grumpy about it, but apparently I needed the help because one of the dice is a Demon, which would have been bad if I didn't have the second die to succeed with.
GM Elle: First watch passes uneventfully, then. Second watch?
Ariel: Fidu doesn't want to leave his sleeping pelt or the tent ... and it's his tent, so he feels like people should respect that.
Sasha: So somebody's got to sleep on furs outside? I guess I'll do it. That way if any monsters attack in the night I'll be right there ready to get them.
MSG: I'll volunteer to set up Sir Q's sleeping furs, since he's volunteering to sleep outside.
Claire: I'll supervise again.
MSG: Two successes. Looks like I didn't need your help this time.
Claire: We'll have to agree to disagree on that.
GM Elle: Second watch also goes uneventfully. The new day dawns, and everyone needs to mark off a ration. Then roll Bushcraft for the first shift of navigation.
MSG: If Zedeja continues to harass Filvius today, Dolora will volunteer to help with navigation.
Claire: I don't want the help with the Bushcraft roll, but if you could keep her occupied and out of my hair, that would let me avoid the Bane.
MSG: Sure.
Claire: I succeed for the first shift, then.
GM Elle: As the day wears on, you see the western mountains growing every so slightly closer, and can tell that the land around their foothills is more heavily wooded. Then you come across some adventurers -- two elves and two halflings. They look somewhat banged up.
Claire: I'll say hello to the elves in elvish to show off my linguistic versatility.
GM Elle: They return the greeting and ask if you've found the way between here and Outskirt clear.
MSG: I'm going to roll Languages to try to participate in the discussion. A 9 is a success, so I'll say we've had no problems at all.
Claire: We did see some cultists hanging from a tree, though. I'll use some unusual elvish turn of phrase to try to foil Dolora's ability to follow things.
GM Elle: That will be another roll for Dolora, then.
MSG: 11. Still a success. I'll say that's exactly right, but as long as these travelers aren't cultists, they're probably safe from whoever did the killing and hanging.
GM Elle: The don't look entirely reassured. They ask if you're also seeking young Roric to get the reward from his family.
MSG: Is that the kid Gualmond told me about back at the Road's End Inn when he was giving us scoop on Oracle Cave?
GM Elle: You don't recall him giving a particular name.
Claire: I'll say we're on a treasure-hunting expedition actually, but I won't go into more detail than that.
Akane: Zedeja attempts Languages also to follow this elvish jibber-jabber. But! Failure. So she becomes Angry as I push the roll. Anger means a Bane -- oh. The worst result: a Demon.
Harriet: If my Languages skill had any hope of success, I'd roll it just to delight in whatever mistake Zedeja is making.
Heddy: I do roll, out of curiosity. But I fail.
GM Elle: Zedeja thinks the elves are asking to join the party and that Filvius is offering them treasure if they'll come along.
Akane: Absolutely not! We have too many halflings already! This is a magely outburst -- very loud.
GM Elle: The halflings and elves all look put off by that. They say they guess they'll be on their way then and let you go about your business.
Akane: This is allowable.
MSG: I'll try to give them a formal elvish apology for our rude companion. A 5 is a success.
GM Elle: They look a little less ruffled and give you polite nods as they leave. You can go ahead and roll for the afternoon shift's navigation.
Claire: Another success.
GM Elle: You reach the point on the map where the way splits to go southwest toward that area that looks like a mine and northwest toward the cave with the spider drawn by it, which you've assumed is Oracle Cave.
Claire: I'll point us at that one.
GM Elle: Then you enter the Iron Forest and make your way a few kilometers into it before it's time to camp again. Same routine as last time?
MSG: Sure. I successfully set up the tent.
GM Elle: Then a while after sundown, with the second-watch crew all asleep in the tent, I need the first watchers to roll Awareness. With a Bane if you've had more than a bit of the booze.
Sasha: Since we're trying to stretch it as far as it will go, I think we've actually followed Zedeja's advice and watered it down some. I make my roll pretty easily.
Harriet: I do too, surprisingly.
Heddy: I seem to be overly attracted by Dilfriida's charms and miss whatever it is.
GM Elle: Glinssa manages a good roll too. So she, Sir Q, and Dilfriida hear the shuffle of large feet drawing near through the darkness.
Sasha: I jump up and draw my broadsword. "Is that a monster? If it is, come out where I can chop you up!"
Heddy: My tipsy infatuation shatters into quivering fear. "Please don't be a monster, though! We're really not looking for trouble!"
Sasha: We are if it's a monster. "If you're a monster, step up and let's get to it! If you're not, maybe we'll share some of this hooch with you. Either way, you'd better show yourself."
GM Elle: A deep, gravelly voice says, "Drov not a monster. Drink sounds good! But put away sword." You realize that there's a hulking shadow in the trees just outside the reach of your firelight. There may be a hint of glowing yellow eyes, and Dilfriida catches a whiff of a familiar, distinctive stench.
Claire: This doesn't sound good.
Harriet: I hope you're not suggesting it's the reek of troll vomit.
GM Elle: I am actually suggesting that.
Sasha: Quackers isn't putting his sword away. He says, "I don't know, Drov. You look kind of monster-y to me. You sure you're not a monster?"
Heddy: How worried should I be if it's a troll?
Harriet: Filvius and I and a pair of bakers killed one early in the campaign, but it was a rough fight and we both caught a disease from being doused with troll effluent. Also, we learned that they heal every round if they're not in sunlight, so Dilfriida isn't keen to fight one right now. She'll say, "Um ... Sir Q, Drov is talking, right? Maybe that means he or she is just big. Like Glim-Glam!"
Sasha: I'm not very convinced ... but probably in a better mood than normal from the drinking and festivities, so maybe you can Persuade me. I think you'll have a Bane, though.
Heddy: Brandy is desperate to believe it's not a monster, so she'll lend her persuasive abilities to help Dilfriida. That would cancel the Bane, right?
Harriet: Well, if you speak up, Dilfriida will definitely let you take the lead, since she doesn't really feel the group respects her all that much and she can certainly tell you're a much smoother talker than she is.
Heddy: I roll a 6! Oh ... you all saw that, didn't you? It was absolutely a 6 before it slid off that paper and flipped to 19.
GM Elle: The roll is what shows when the die stops moving.
Sasha: I'll role-play it that you came super-close, Heddy. So I don't leap to attack, but I also don't put my sword away. "I'm not letting my guard down until I see you're not a monster, buddy. Come on, let's see you."
GM Elle: Drov takes two lumbering steps closer, and you see clearly that he's a troll, with great tusks and bright, yellowish eyes. "See? Just troll, not monster like dragon or spider in Oracle Cave. Now give drink!" He reaches out a massive hand with long, clawlike nails. You can see that they're caked with some kind of dark filth underneath.
Heddy: Brandy stammers that everything seems just fine and Quackenscrump should give Drov here a swig from the bottle.
Sasha: Damn it. I guess I'd better roll Awareness to see if I believe it's telling the truth about not being a monster.
Heddy: Can my encouragement count as help?
GM Elle: I'm going to make you roll Persuasion with a Bane to do that.
Heddy: Ugh. Now I'm certain to roll a Demon ... no, but the worse roll is a 15, which fails.
GM Elle: Straight Awareness for the mallard, then.
Sasha: What do you know? I actually succeed. Is it being straight with us?
GM Elle: You think so. But all that means is that a troll doesn't think trolls are monsters, and he sincerely would like a drink.
Sasha: Quackers is torn. It's pretty hard to see this smelly, tusky, filthy-clawed thing as not a monster, but I am in drinking buddy mode, and Brandy obviously doesn't want to fight. I guess I'll lower my sword without putting it away and reach out with my off hand to hold the bottle out toward Drov. "Here, give it a swig."
GM Elle: Drov snatches the bottle from you and tilts it up, draining the whole thing in just a few gulps.
Sasha: Hey!
GM Elle: The troll belches and makes a face. "So weak and watery! Why drink this?"
Sasha: Quackers is starting to get his feathers ruffled. "Well, it's all we had, for one thing. And now we don't have anything to drink at all."
GM Elle: He grunts and says, "Drov have much better drink back at cave. You come and I share."
Heddy: Brandy will immediately say, "Oh, I'm so comfortable here by the fire, though. But thank you so much."
Sasha: Quackers thinks it's a pretty win-win offer, to tell the truth. If the troll wants to lure him to his death, he'll get to fight it, and if it's being honest, he'll get some stronger booze. I'll ask Dilfriida and Glinssa if either of them wants to come and back me up.
Heddy: I'm clutching tightly to Dilfriida's arm, if that influences her decision either way.
GM Elle: Glinssa seems hesitant to say the least.
Sasha: I tell her if she's not brave enough to be my wingman at a time like this, she's never going to earn a place getting a full share in the party.
Akane: What? This sounds like unauthorized negotiations!
Harriet: You're asleep.
Akane: The slumber of Zedeja is disturbed by dreams of a duck overstepping a contract that is just for donkey-minding.
GM Elle: The notion of being more accepted by the group or at least getting more pay appeals to Glinssa, and she's also been a bit envious of the liquor bottle being passed around without her getting a share.
Sasha: Well she should have spoken up about that.
GM Elle: She decides to go.
Sasha: That's the spirit!
GM Elle: Drov leads the two of you through the woods for nearly an hour until you reach the dark maw of a cave that opens in the side of a hill. "Cave! Booze inside." The smell coming out of the opening kind of curls your toes. Glinssa suggests that it's a very nice night out, and maybe Drov could bring the alcohol out here instead of everyone going inside.
Sasha: Quackers says that sounds like a fine idea to him.
GM Elle: Drov grunts and lumbers into the cave.
Sasha: I look around to see if there's any wood we could use to set up a fire. We've got a torch, right? I assume we had to light one to see by. I can mark it off my inventory if I need to.
GM Elle: Sure. Make a Bushcraft check.
Sasha: Not even close.
GM Elle: You can have a Boon, because Glinssa would have helped if you told her what you were doing.
Sasha: Still a no.
GM Elle: Drov returns from the gave with an enormous jug, then. When he pops the cork, an almost corrosive smell of potent alcohol fumes out. He tips it up and guzzles from it loudly, then hands it to you. You'll need to make a Strength check to drink from it without spilling it on yourself, because it's so heavy and oversized.
Sasha: No problem. I succeed with a 9 and take a big glug.
GM Elle: In that case, make a Con check with a Bane.
MSG: Here we go.
Sasha: Damn it, you made me waste a Dragon! But the other die is a 13, so I still easily succeed.
GM Elle: The drink is vile and incredibly strong. Just a swallow makes your head spin, but you manage to avoid passing out.
Sasha: I offer the jug to Glinssa.
GM Elle: She raises it to her lips, but the odor makes her eyes cross and she hands it back to you.
Sasha: I'll give it another glug before returning it to Drov. Still a success even with the Bane.
GM Elle: Drov is impressed. Now, your choice here is to keep drinking with him, in which case you're definitely going to pass out soon, or call it a night.
Sasha: Can I ask him what he knows about Oracle Cave, since he mentioned it?
GM Elle: Sure. He says he's never been there himself, but he's heard from other nightkin in the area that it's somewhere to the northeast, and full of giant spiders. He knows there are some orcs living at an old ruined keep that serves the back entrance to the caves. He thinks it's somewhere northeast of the main entrance.
Sasha: I'll keep drinking, then. Unless Glinssa drags me away.
GM Elle: She remains pretty nervous, but Drov seems to be genuinely happy drinking with you, so she'll let you do what you want, in hopes that you'll put in a good word to increase her standing with the group.
MSG: I'll definitely be impressed if she sticks by Quackenscrump with a troll right there even after the duck passes out.
Claire: Me too ... if the troll isn't just waiting for them both to fall unconscious so it can eat the pair of them.
GM Elle: So what do Dilfriida and Brandywise do when the night continues to pass and there's no sign of Sir Q and Glinssa returning?
Harriet: I'm more than certain Dilfriida will grow ever more nervous by the hour ... but she also doesn't care to wake Zedeja early, especially since she's sure to have all sorts of calumny visited upon her if there's still no sign of Quackenscrump when the second watch gets up.
Heddy: Despite some really severe qualms, I'm still new to the group and I think I'd follow Dilfriida's lead. But I probably stay pretty fixated on wondering if our knight and cultist are okay.
GM Elle: Then eventually the time approaches for you to wake the others.
Akane: Outrage! Where is a duck knight? What mischief is underway by a missing cultist?
Harriet: I'll wait for someone else to ask before I relate what happened.
Ariel: If all the noise wakes Fidu up, he'll say they're probably either dead or okay, and it would sure be a waste to go chasing after them whichever one it is. Then he'll go back to sleep.
Heddy: I can't help but imagine other scenarios, though. What if they were attacked by the troll and managed to kill it, but now are too wounded to return? Or what if they had to flee from it and it's hunting them down through the woods and they're lost and can't find us for help?
MSG: It's too bad Fidu wasn't awake when the troll was here. His nose for the truth would have let him know if Drov could be trusted.
Heddy: Oh ... I forgot entirely about Heroic Abilities. Mine is intuition, so as soon as I remember it, I'll spend 3 WP to ask the Game Master a question.
GM Elle: Fire away.
Heddy: My question is ... for the safety of our missing party members, does the group need to go searching for them immediately, or will it be just as good to wait for morning?
GM Elle: Just as good to wait for morning.
Heddy: I'll let everyone know that I've had a sudden epiphany on the matter, and it seems more sensible to wait for morning. All of us will be rested then, we'll be better able to follow their tracks than in the dark, and so forth.
Akane: Zedeja considers this dereliction. She attempts arguments to convince our dwarf and elf to search with immediacy.
MSG: I'll say that it seems like two of our smarter party members feel that waiting until morning would be better.
Akane: Neither has more intelligence than Zedeja of Mind!
Claire: Filvius says she's welcome to use her enormous intellect to search after Quackenscrump and Glinssa.
Akane: This reminds Zedeja that no one in this party is good at Bushcrafting, which means searching at night has little chance of results. She tells everyone to be mindful and on guard this entire watch, to prevent sneakage of more trolls upon us.
GM Elle: The rest of the night passes without further interruptions, then. In the morning, Sir Q and Glinssa are still not back. Sasha, you wake groggily and with a spinning, nauseated head to find Glinssa shaking you repeatedly and begging you to wake up. She appears exhausted, and is still holding the burnt-down remnant of her torch. She tells you Drov went into his cave after you passed out, and she hasn't seen him since, but she'd really like to get out of here now that it's daylight. Mark yourself as Sickly and Exhausted.
Sasha: If I was smarter than I am and less hung over, I'd probably be worried that we won't be able to find our way back without Drov's help. But even though that doesn't occur to me, it seems rude to just leave without saying goodbye to our host, and I am a knight with at least some courtly manners, you know. I'll go to the mouth of the cave and call into it for Drov. "Friend, it's morning and time for us to go back to our companions. Are you awake?"
GM Elle: You hear a sleepy rumbling, but then a large creature heaves itself to its feet somewhere in the impenetrable darkness of the cave and comes toward you with slow but very audible steps. Drov's glowing yellow eyes appear in the dark, squinting as though it pains him to look toward the daylight behind you. He says, "Awake now. But why? So bright outside! The burning sun is up."
Sasha: I'll tell him I just wanted to say goodbye and thank him for the fellowship and spirits.
GM Elle: He tells you you're a funny little creature and he enjoyed drinking with you. Then he tells you to wait and turns away into the darkness again. When he reappears and comes closer, you see him holding another jug, not quite as big as the one from last night. He offers it to you as a parting gift and says to share it with others who will appreciate it.
Sasha: I tell him I'll do that for sure. Now I guess we'd better try finding our way back to camp. Do I get a Bane on the attempt from my hangover?
GM Elle: No, you feel terrible but are surprisingly clear-headed the longer you're on your feet.
Sasha: I don't even roll close on my Bushcraft skill. At least it's not a Demon that would get us hopelessly lost.
MSG: If it's light enough, Filvius and I would probably head out to look for tracks as soon as possible to avoid being bossed by Zedeja.
Akane: Too late! She began describing how you must search before sunrise.
MSG: Ordinarily I'd try to show Filvius up, but in this case I'll say I'm happy to assist him so that we can get Zedeja off our backs as soon as possible.
GM Elle: Is it just the two of you heading out?
MSG: Well, right now we're just trying to find tracks. If we come across any, we'll have to discuss what to do about them.
Claire: My roll with a Boon for Dolora's help is ... a double 18. Now that's just the dice mocking me.
MSG: Dolora feels like she should have gotten Filvius to help her instead of the other way around, since 18 would have been a success for me.
Claire: Sure, rub it in.
GM Elle: A normal failure doesn't block all progress, though ... but it does mean you waste the first shift entirely before you manage to find your lost companions. And I think this is a good place to call a halt to the session, so let's do the Experience Questions. Everyone participated. No dangerous enemies defeated. You did explore a new area, though, and overcame an obstacle without violence -- the troll in the case of everyone on first watch, and finding Quackenscrump and Glinssa on everyone else's part. I also think everyone gets the mark for giving in to their weaknesses, so that's four apiece.
Sasha: I'm docking myself the mark for not attacking the troll.
GM Elle: If you say so. I was crediting you for your fatalistic statement that either you'd get to drink with the troll or you'd get to fight it, so it was worth it putting yourself at risk by following Drov into the dark.
Sasha: Oh yeah. Okay, you convinced me. Thanks!
