Cold Embraces

[sageaqua]

"I don't think we can. We are all hurt and we have few spells left. I get new spells at dusk." says Ka'lion, "Tink where are we going?

[at]

Emily chips in, "there is the old mill, up river." Brennen wonders why she would be eager to join a hunted party but seeing her regard the sky he remembers that an invisible ogre still lucks somewhere nearby.

Vadania has some familiarity with the site as it was mentioned in a number of a number of stories about the Steadlands past, usually as the route by which daring adventurers would bypass the great gate further to the west during ages prior to the building of the east road. The mill had concealed a smugglers tunnel.


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Character knowledge about the Steadlands history -
Many generations ago the eastern forest, where Ka'lions house is being built, stretched all the way across to the foothills here and was too thick and uneven to travel through with carts. Trade mostly travelled through roads in the mountains to the west of the groups position, particularly the widest of the roads known as the great gate road after the huge and ancient stone gates that sat across them.
The east road that the characters have travelled many times was carved out as an extension of the road leading from Merebas to the monastery, creating a direct route from Merebas to Clearwater, and was relatively recent in the scheme of things occurring some time after great war between Merebas and Woldegard.

[sageaqua]

"How far up river? How many hours walk?" asks Ka'lion not really liking the idea. We've been trapped inside small buildings before.

[at]

Emily shrugs, "about an hour, faster if you run. The path is all overgrown."

[sageaqua]

As Think clearly won't decide what to do. Ka'lion leads his horse down river.

[at]

Ka'lion sets off along the riverbank leaving the rest to decide whether they follow or go their own way.


Do you mean upstream? - The cave the group has come from is downstream.

I'll also need to know who carries marked items if the group splits.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion has the scrolls and the lead chest which is where scrolls are. I don't know about anything else. And heading to the cave seems to be Ka'lions idea of safety - at least there he knows the the pressures won't be able to find the cave with their tracking devises and if they do he'll need to kill them all.

[at]

Ka'lion starts off towards the cave, on the far side of the river from the approaching horses. He would have to pass them to reach the cave but the water was too deep and too fast downstream for some distance to cross without a bridge or magic.

He carries with him the chest and scroll case, scrolls, the building plans to the shrine of tiamat, and his share of the gold.

The other items - the canvas sheet, the brass instrument, the small box of implements, the magical tooth, the ring, and remainder of the gold are divided between Vadania/Brennen as desired.

As Ka'lion leaves Brennen recalls that the scrolls included one of invisibility purge, and two more of remove curse - given the circumstances magic that might prove useful.

[harknail]

So, where are we going, asks Vadania of Tink. Vadania will cast a PASS without Trace on everyone, so that only Ka'lion is leaving a trackable trail.

[sageaqua]

Is there anyway to learn if people are still playing?

[at]

Aug 18, 2016 16:55:19 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

Is there anyway to learn if people are still playing?

I've received no notification of anyone leaving the game, and I can see all players still logging into the site - i'd assumed people were just on holiday.

Currently waiting on Troacctid/Tink to decide to either follow Ka'lion or split the party.

[Jasmine]

Sorry, a little analysis paralysis. Anyone feel strongly on this decision point? I could go either way.

[sageaqua]

It's always easier to keep a party together if you can. Ka'lion just get's impatient when people don't make up their minds. Low wisdom and charisma problem and he doesn't like to be predictable. And if he had one of his bad rolls days he's pretty much dead if attacked.

[at]

Choices to be made -

1) does Tink follow Ka'lion or set out in the other direction
2) does either group accept/ask for Emily to stay/go
3) dependent on choice 2, does the group make any use of her magical skills/their magical scrolls?

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion has no opion about Emely. He does know when she arrived or why she didn't help the party during the fight So Ka'lion has no option yet. But even if he did as party leader it's Tink's call.

[at]

I'll give Tink a little more time to decide, but if she doesn't i'll assume she stares blankly at Ka'lion as he wanders off again before deciding to head in the opposite direction away from the pursuers.

[Jasmine]

"Ka'lion! That's the wrong direction!" shouts Brennen. "We're going the other way!"

[at]

Ka'lion does not heed the call and continues eastwards, picking up pace as he moves away from the river.

Choosing to go westwards instead Tink asks Emily to show them the path she took. It is indeed overgrown and will not be easy for horses to navigate and once beyond the mill Emily turns back and makes a further suggestion - with her magic she can enchant the party to briefly walk across the surface of the river itself, making better speed than on the path and also making it far more difficult for those following. Even if they should double back to the bridge the terrain on the far bank past the mill is almost unnavigable by horse.



Ka'lion thread -
kmansadventures.proboards.com/thread/8940/wrong-direction

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

(Is this a bad time to roll up a new character or reenter George?)

[harknail]

Vadania will cast her Pass Without Trace spell so that the group does not leave any tracks that can be followed. She will also point out that she has a wand that can temporarily freeze the river allowing passage across. Once they get to the mill, they will have the option of traveling underground.

Vandalia is happy to have the newcomer joined the group. She has already proven herself useful.