20 Jun 12

LW GM: ***LOG START***
LW GM: Up ahead you see a large clearing in which is a circle of standing stones and an altar in the center. The dark coppery stains on the altar imply that it is a sacrificial one. Around the altar chanting are at least twenty druids in ceremonial robes and animal skull masks. Night has fallen and the druids are holding torches that at once puts them in light, and much of the rest of the clearing in shadow. But there's something in the shadow. Something big. Something with far more than eight legs. And whatever the something is, it is chanting along with the druids in a deep melodious barritone.
Rhavi peers into the shadow trying to see what is chanting with the druids.
Avan puts a hand on Rhavi's shoulder and pulls back gently. We've found them. Time to go.
Rhavi nods and slips back with the others
LW GM: The chanting seems to be comming to a conclusion, though none of you are fluent in Cenar religious chants (if they are religious).
Levin 's already circling back around to meet up with Dust again.
Dust fades back along the path, waiting for the inevitable moment when someone steps on a curiously placed twig that is fragile enough to break but resilient enough to unleash noise that reveal their presence to all assembled.
[OOC] LW GM: Nice idea. Everyone make a roll. If you have hunting or a sufficient analogue, add your rank to the roll (which is now six just as a reminder.
Rhavi rolled up 1d10-1: 2 (2)
Levin rolled up 1d10+5: 8 (8)
Dust rolled up 1d10+5: 13 (13)
Avan rolled up 1d10-1: 5 (5)
GrimBeard rolled up 1d10-1: 3 (3)
LW GM: Both Rhavi and Grimbeard notice at the last minute a tripwire that the group managed to avoid on the way up the trail. Unfortunately while sidestepping that, Rhavi stumbles and grabs a sappling to keep himself from falling on his face. The sappling rattles and sways madly.
Avan grabs Rhavi!
[OOC] LW GM: A zero would have had you trigger the tripwire and trigger a trap
Rhavi freezes for a moment, listening…
LW GM: The chanting stops as the Cenar wonder why the tree has epilepsy. There are sounds that they are moving to investigate, but they don't seem that rusthed to do so, probably cautious of traps.
Avan looks for cover.
[OOC] LW GM: The Cenar have torches and so have diddly for nightvision.
Dust motions the others back down the path.
Avan points up into the trees questioningly.
Avan follows.
Rhavi follows more cautiously
Levin fades into the darkness on the side of the path, careful not to disturb the underbrush.
LW GM: The Cenar suddenly stop and Levin hears the word for 'intruders'. Now the search begins in earnest.
Avan keeps heading down the path, hoping they're searching for intruders sticking around.
Dust proceeds back down the path, using the Cener's torches as a guide to where they are and resolving to not be there. However, Dust stays between the group and the Cener.
Rhavi follows Levin
LW GM: Levin distinctly hears one of them shout a word that roughly translates to 'trail' or more precicely 'the path to my enemy who will die screaming'. The Cenar language can be very precice at times.
Avan stays ahead of Dust but behind Grimbeard.
GrimBeard attempts to keep the pace and stay as quiet as possible.
Levin slowly makes his way away from the camp, as silently as he can.
[OOC] LW GM: Everyone make another roll, again add your rank if you have hunting or a resonable facimile thereof.
Dust rolled up 1d10+5: 13 (13)
Avan rolled up 1d10-1: 9 (9)
Levin rolled up 1d10+5: 10 (10)
GrimBeard rolled up 1d10-1: 4 (4)
Rhavi rolled up 1d10-1: 7 (7)
LW GM: One of the soldiers stumbles and falls, breaking a branch on his way down with a loud crack. A wordless cry rises up among the Cenar which needs no special cultural knowledge of the Cenar to translate.
LW GM: The sounds of the Cenar draw closer.
Rhavi helps the man up
LW GM: The man gives Rhavi a grateful smile.
Avan points off to the side with a questioning look.
Rhavi follows Levin up the path as silently as possible
Avan keeps travelling the path. Go team go!
Dust holds true, senses straining to trace the Cener's locations.
LW GM: Dust doesn't need Kai training to know that the Cenar are getting closer.
[OOC] Dust: How much more path is there? How quickly are the Cener advancing?
[OOC] LW GM: The Cenar will definitely reach you before you make your way back to the garrison.
[OOC] Dust: If things proceed at the same rate, about how close to the garrison will we be before the Cener drop on us?
Avan looks to the sides. Are any trees easily fellable, to slow the Cener down more than the time it would take to push the trees over?
[OOC] LW GM: About two miles.
LW GM: Avan. Many of the trees are dry despite the storm not so long ago. It should be possible to fell them working together.
[OOC] Levin: If someone branched off, could they reach the garrison and return with reinforcements before the Cenerese can overwhelm the remainder of the party?
LW GM: The Cenar seem have divided into small groups. It is unlikely you will be forced to face the entire army en mass… unless of course someone were to draw their attention with the sound of thunder…
LW GM: There are five torches most immediately following you.
[OOC] Dust: Are they far enough away that we can speak in low whispers and not get zeroed in on?
[OOC] LW GM: Yes. There not being as quiet as you are.
Levin motions to Rhavi, etc. "Draw their attention away from me so I can get to the garrison and return with reinforcements."
Rhavi: "Drawing their attention is the easy part….Grimbeard, can anyone fire that boom stick of yours?"
Dust 's voice is faint, but it carries to the ears of his forward companions. "Grimbeard. Do I correctly recall that you are versed in arranging… explosive accidents?"
Avan unhooks his handbolt and tries something. Whipping a branch ahead, he jumps up, letting himself fall and be pulled forward. On the far side of the swing, he tugs to free his shiel-fa, then when coasting upward, whips another overhead branch if one is available, else prepares to get running again.
Rhavi: "What are you doing?!" he hisses.
[OOC] Avan: Does Avan move much faster this way?
[OOC] LW GM: Not even remotely.
Avan lets go after a couple branches, then whispers back quietly, "Trying to accelerate. It didn't work."
Avan resets his handbolt while running.
GrimBeard: "Ah wouldna' recommend it. Ole Betsy here has quite tha kick to er…plus if ya never used one befor, you'll probably ne'er hit tha broad side of a barn!"
GrimBeard: "Why do ya ask Boss?"
Rhavi: "It was not hitting anything that was the idea…Dust, can you double back to get behind the two groups and slightly down river away from Levin? If you can fire that you would bring them all in on you..and we can come in from behind to help extricate you. It would buy us some time and give Levin a diversion."
Avan: "Can you set up a delayed explosion? Something that will go off after they have passed?"
Dust: ->Grimbeard: "Because that may serve to deter, distract, and demoralize the collection of interested druids that are currently gaining on us. Also, it would be loud."
Dust: ->Rhavi: "Possibly. Though I would prefer not to remove his most valuable weapon. It would be unlikely to attract all of the attention. Though, if he educated me quickly, I may be able to detonate one of his explosive devices without… making a mess."
Avan: "…or could you time it to go off right about when they pass?"
Dust: "I would prefer that to trying to utilize one myself."
Avan: "Say, to go off in their midst, if they keep up this pace."
GrimBeard: "Ugh, I can do wah yer askin', but it takes time ta set up. I probably could na do it befor the furs group pass'd us by.
GrimBeard: "
Avan keeps looking for trees or deadfalls they can use to obstruct the path.
[OOC] Avan: Anything?
[OOC] LW GM: Setting the exlosive will be a roll that Grimbeard actually gets to add his rank to.
Avan: "Levin. Help me look for dead trees."
[OOC] LW GM: Avan did find some dry trees that could be easily felled before, remember?
Avan: "Something we can push into their path."
[OOC] Avan: Ah, missed that.
Avan: "…that one." Avan points to a tree ahead. "How fast could we push that down?"
Rhavi: "Why wouldn't they just go around it, and wouldn't that put themon the path?}
Rhavi: "
Levin 's moved out of earshot by now, gradually moving faster as he makes his way toward the garrison.
Dust: "Going around it will take time. And, perhaps, it will fall on them."
LW GM: The underbrush on either side of the path (and really on the path itself) is technically passible, but not quicly and not easily.
Avan nods. "More the former. We just have to buy enough time."
Rhavi: "Ah, so it's an ambush of sorts. By all means let's choose a big tree."
GrimBeard: "Aye agree with ya there Boss."
Avan: "That one's the biggest I've seen. We'll all need to break at once to push it over. That means you too, knights. Shall we?"
GrimBeard: "Whe'er yer all ready, I be with ya."
Rhavi: "Indeed…" He positions himself near the tree.
Dust steps off the path, sword slipping from its sheath, eyes scanning to keep watch for stragglers… or stealthier druids that eschew using torches. "I will guard you."
Avan: "NOW!" Avan runs over behind the tree and pushes!
[OOC] LW GM: GB go ahead and make your roll now. Don't forget to add your rank.
Rhavi leans into it
[OOC] Avan: Rest of us roll to push the tree?
[OOC] LW GM: No roll. With that many people it goes horrizontal pretty quicly.
Avan resumes running when it's falling under its own weight.
Rhavi follows with aclarity
LW GM: The tree falls down and rolls a small ways back down the trail.
Dust once the tree has landed and the others are in motion, he sheathes his blade and moves back down the trail.
GrimBeard attempts to set an explosive that will distrat and hopefully deter any oncoming Cenar.
GrimBeard rolled up 1d10+5: 14 (14)
LW GM: You take a moment you really don't have to admire your work. The true art of the explosive can only be experienced after you trigger the explosion, but there is definitely aesthetic merit to the construction as well.
Rhavi: "I thought it would be taller…"
Dust nods. "That'll do, dwarf. That'll do."
GrimBeard: "It may nah look like much, but tha right there be sum fine explodin' waitin' to happen!"
LW GM: The primitive fuse you set goes off and the ground *erupts* in a reverse landslide. Mud, dirt, rock, and some trees fly through the air, neatly dividing the Cenar. One twig spins crazily in the air with one end burning before setteling on the ground. Hrm… sparks in the night sky… there might be something to that…
Dust nods. "Well done. We should go."
Rhavi looks at Grim with something approaching awe.
Avan runs. "Our thanks is our continued survival."
[OOC] LW GM: Rhavi is no doubt imagineing what such an explosive could do to the underbelly of an enemy ship…
[OOC] Rhavi: Hells yes.
[OOC] LW GM: Spoiler: It would sink it.
[OOC] Dust: How are we doing on distance?
LW GM: After your mad rush from the Cenar, the fort is in sight. Grimbeard's explosion seems to have dampened the Cenar's enthusiasm for pursuit, or perhapse they are wary of comming so close to a King's fort, but either way you can not hear them behind you.
Rhavi: "Where is Levin?"
[OOC] LW GM: Derp derp derp. I had forgotten he had rushed on ahead.
Avan: "Inside, one can hope."
Avan: "Rallying the troops."
LW GM: Levin arrived without any difficulties and is currently wrangling with a still drowsy captain.
Rhavi heads toward the fort, glancing back a few times
[OOC] Levin: Did I get a badge from the King and you just forgot to mention it? ¬.¬
LW GM: This is the same captain who greeted you and lent you the use of his men.
[OOC] Dust: I expect that the fort was waiting for us to deliver this info, just not this soon… or this stridently.
[OOC] Levin: Oh, good.
Avan looks to Grimbeard. "Might another of your fine concoctions further slow our pursuers and wake the guards by its sound?"
[OOC] LW GM: Note that each of those explosives takes one, at least, of his shots of firedust.
Rhavi: "We are close enough that we should not need to do that."
LW GM: The Captain rouses his troops from slumber, or at least the ones that slept through that thunderclap from the cloudless sky, and has them man the walls.
Dust , upon everyone safely arriving at the keep, enters, climbing the steps up towards the walls.
LW GM: The rest of the group arrives at the fort to find it on alert.
Avan takes a moment to catch his breath before joining Dust.
Rhavi checks on grimbeard
GrimBeard: "Ahm fine Boss, thanks fer checkin'. Jus a bit winded is all."
Rhavi nods and moves up to the walls
Rhavi: "These things are not going to stop spiders…."
Levin 's inside setting up his medic station.
LW GM: The Capain approaches Dust. "You are back far quicker than we had thought you would be. How bad is the situation?"
Dust finds a table on which to unroll his map. "The Cener were discovered here," he taps one of the notes, "around an altar of some kind. They were not alone. It was large, much larger than one of their spiders." He meets the Captain's eyes. "I would say the situation is pretty bad."
LW GM: The Captan clicks his tongue. "How much bigger? Could it just be a new kind of spider? I'm told the Cenar like to breed them like we breed fine horses."
Dust shakes his head. "Unlikely, unless they managed to breed them for their singing voices. It was chanting." He taps the map once more. "At least twenty druids were in that circle. Impossible to tell how many more there might have been that just missed their meeting."
Levin: "Bigger than you'd care to know," he shouts from the side chamber he commandeered.
Rhavi: "Captain, do you have pitch or naphtha here at the garrison?"
LW GM: The Captain looks at Rhavi and nods before turning back to Dust. "No probably not. In fact it sounds very much like the Cenar have managed to bring something of Naar to Sommerlund. We must destroy it." He turns and looks sadly at his men on the battlements, "But it is unlikely mortal power will be sufficient. You must return to the king and explain the situation to him directly. We
LW GM: will need magical assistance to combat this threat. No offense to your capabilities noble healer, " saying the last to Levin.
Avan: "Might we have a letter from you, to back up our story, or will our word of your word suffice?"
LW GM: The Captain gives Avan a look. "You travel with a Lord of the Kai. Your word will more than suffice."
Dust nods. "That concurs with our observations."
Rhavi: "And in truth, Levin should stay here, as should Grimbeard, Avan and I. We will only slow Dust down, and I fear that Levin's healing will be needed before long."
Levin: "As will my knowledge of the Cener."
[OOC] Dust: How long a trek back to the King's castle is it?
[OOC] Levin: 3 days by horse, but probably 1.5 to 2 with relays at the best possible speed.
[OOC] Rhavi: And with fresh mounts trailing you
[OOC] Dust: Six days there and back, a bit less if relays are prepared for the way back.
LW GM: "I respect your offer of aid and thank you for it, but I must decline. The King does not keep weapons of sorcerous or godly might in a vault, but he does have a library that can be used to find them. And it is obvious that you work well together. All of you will doubtless be needed to retrieve these weapons."
Dust frowns. "Captain. Are you certain you can hold this fort without aid?"
Rhavi: "That…that changes things. I respect your courage, Captain.."
LW GM: The Captain smiles thinly. "Oh yes. We can hold it, for perhaps a week. Two at the most. I would offer you a chance to rest, but perhapse you should get started as soon as possible."
Avan: "We can at least tell the king to send reinforcements."
LW GM: The Captain nods.
Rhavi: "We need provisions, food and water, so that we can travel most swiftly."
Avan: "It is too bad that simply setting the forest alight is not an option. Already it dies - it would catch most quickly, in the region the Cenerese despoil."
Rhavi as if to punctuate this, his stomach rumbles, reminding him that he has not had the chance to eat for a day.
LW GM: The Captain nods again. "I will have our storehouse opened to you. Take what you need of the food, but we will need the weapons and armor for ourelves."
Levin begins packing back up, then, leaving only a treatise on remedies he knows which the fort's own medics may not, along with samples of the herbs required so that they can be recognised.
Rhavi nods and heads down to the larder, eating a quick bit of hard tack and cheese before packing enough for the journey back to the King's castle.
GrimBeard begins packing what little he has, and picks up several days rations as well.
Avan does likewise; his diet is about halfway between Levin's and Rhavi's.
Dust closes his eyes. "We will do what we can. Trust in Kai, Captain. Trust in Ishir. With luck, we will return in time."
Rhavi: "May Ishir be with you, Captain. We will be back."
Levin heads down to the larder once he's done and assembles a minimal, but well-balanced and healthy, stack of three meals.
[OOC] LW GM: Feel free to take as many meals as you would like and can carry.
[OOC] Rhavi: How many can we carry? just backpack slots?
[OOC] Dust: Yes.
[OOC] LW GM: ^
[OOC] Dust: 1 meal per backpack slot.
[OOC] Rhavi: seven then
[OOC] Avan: 6 here
[OOC] Dust: Four. Mostly as backup, but if we need that much food we're really in trouble.
Avan leaves the farewells to the others, and starts prepping horses for fast transit.
[OOC] GrimBeard: 6 meals for GB
[OOC] Avan: We're in trouble? Heh. The kingdom's in trouble, we're just the messengers.
LW GM: ***LOG END***

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