Act 1, Scene 1: "Through the Undergrowth" (Main Game Thread)

[TristenC]

[Squirrel Lord vanoshed, i think. Forest Gnomes have an innate 90% chance to hide in forest setting. She and garroth might be able to smell hi, though. I'll let SqL decide if he is trying to avoid her first]

[TristenC]

Katten begins to lead the group southward. Cutting east once through the thinner treeline near the cliff. Night os not far behind, but tje majority of the group have no trouble in the darkness; though the humans must trust the demihumans to guide their steps. It isn't long after true nightfall when the Felis feels the tell-tale wash of cool over her. The 'key' flows in her hand, the thin wood roots winding and re-shaping itself into a different but no less-intricate pattern. The area seems the same, but she gets the feeling the 'path' is somehow different.

The group steps through past a wide willow. The clearing itself was small, and the group enters near the edge of a clear pool. The willow's long arms reach out to either side dangling a verdant curtain. Shoots of tall reed-like growth stand to the South, towering dozens of feet high... the plant was rare, and unfamiliar to even the rangers.

The rest of the clearing was covered mostly in grasses and broad mandrake leaves... the egg-shaped fruit turned golden in the summer and could be a delicious treat. The entire place oozed comfort and peace... it would be a perfect spot for rest and contemplation. Now, in the early evening, a myriad of fireflies dance about the glade; casting their flashes over the still waters.

An undeniable sense of calm and ease settles over the group. One cannot help but feel that no harm or danger could come unbidden to such a place.

[ausie]

Garroth lays out his blanket and is fast asleep.

[Squirrellord]

Jordek does indeed follow at a distance.
If he is able to enter the clearing, he shows Katten the squirrel known as Chitt and lets her know he is Jordek's friend and not for chasing (with a pointed look at the wolf). He'll toss Chitt up into the willow and climb up after him to rest.
(Chitt has been riding in his hair)
If he is not able to follow into the clearing he will find a suitable tree to climb and rest.

[TristenC]

Jordek follows closely and makes it into the clearing.

The pain of the groups wounds seems to wane away as they settle in, and Garroth finds a comfortable place to bed down; Thoreau curled up near his head.

The former prisoners stick together in groups here and there. The haunted cast to their eyes finally giving way to acceptance that they were finslly free.

[Did anyone have anything they wanted to do before bed?]

[Nocturno]

Nocturno will run through some of his sword forms/exercises to calm down after the combat heavy day.

He will then stretch and lay down to rest.

[Squirrellord]

Jordek would like to ask a former prisoner or two if they know anything of the 3 gnomes that were mentioned by Signa to him.

[Chris1234]

Linar will check the edge of the surrounding area for useful herbs and then check on Garroth. If the latter seems ok and If Katten has confirmed that it is a safe area not requiring guard to be kept then he will settle down for reverie before regaining spells.

[Edited in:] And cast cleaning cantrips on himself and Garroth.

[Jenara]

Katten gives a big stretch and divulges herself of her sword and quiver by the pool. Dropping the breast and back plates of her armour she turns back to the group, her form visibke through the simple vest.

"This safe place, only those who know the forest may enter." Lowering the leather skirt she pauses by the waters edge.. "You rest, drink, water help your body heal." With that she calls Dran, the young Wolf darts to her side and lands in the water with a splash, without any further discussions her own body is Immersed in the cool water..

[Stik]

Boyd looks at the glade with respect. He has a rough task to accomplish this evening, one that would somehow sully such a pristine setting, but which must be done, nonetheless. Although there is no need to do it within the glade itself.

He needs to clean the worg skull. This involves boiling it. If he was able to find a cookpot in the goblin lair, he will use it. Otherwise, he will have to use a leather sack. Knowing there might be goblins about Boyd will dig a fire hole (so that the flames will not be visible from a distance) and light a fire in it, setting up a tripod to hang the vessel to boil.

[Jenara]

Katten closes her eyes, and tips her body backward, her form floating easily on the surface of the water.

[TristenC]

[Boyd found a black kettle barely big enough for the worg head, it was being used as an alarm gong in one area.]
[Working on closing out the scene. I'm calculating xp now, so let's tie up the loose ends in the next few posts please]

Garroth lays down to rest, and Linar weaves a simple cleaning cantrip over the weary Minotaur. The blood and grime of battle slough off of the large ranger onto the grassy ground. The Drow repeats the minor magic for himself, afterwards.

Nocturno steps off to a cleared area and draws his sword. Focusing on his training he begins running through sword forms. He obliquely becomes aware of Indendien sitting cross-legged not far away; making no effort to hid the fact that she is watching him practice.

Chitt scampers up the willow tree, which Jordek can see is easily large enough to accommodate him in comfort for the night. Before turning in, the Forest Gnome asks around among some of the demihuman prisoners about certain others. He is quickly directed to Fiz, the Rock gnome. Gnomes? he asks, standing only half a foot or so above the dark-haired priest. Yes, there were a few others… they had me at their secondary lair before they moved a bunch of us out to the new outpost where you fine folk found us… Had to be more than twenty of us before the move… Not many made the transition… Let’s see…

Fiz thinks for a long moment, They kept us Gnomes apart, you know. Didn’t want trouble, so they tried to split the chain gangs up into groups that wouldn’t work together… There [/i]was a Hackber… yeah.. I think his name was Thad… he was one of the “Tree gnomes” like yourself. I don’t know about any others, but there was a dwarf the too. Mad as a spring hare with a bee in his ear, too. Used to hear him howling somethin’ awful when they finally let us rest…


Near the pool Katten strips down and takes a dip in the still water. The liquid is cool and soothing, eking the ache out of sore muscles and wounds. Dran happily splashes in beside her, paddling around.


Linar checks the edge of the glade and identifies several useful herbs, but nothing he needs at the moment. He can tell that each of the plants he finds is in excellent condition; many of them larger and heartier than he had ever seen.

Boyd digs a small pit and finds some suitable dead wood near the very edge of the glade. He makes a quick tripod and begins to build a fire and boil worg head. Before long the process is underway, and Salem settles down nearby, wallowing and scratching his back in the cool grass.

==
Linar attempts two cleaning cantrips (on himself and Garroth)
Cantrip (16)
Linar cleaning cantrips [1d20]= 10, [1d20]= 7: both pass

[Stik]

Before setting up the pot to boil, Boyd removes Salem's saddle and saddlebags. "You keep watch now." Boyd says, "And stay out of trouble, hear me?"
Once he has the skull boiling away, Boyd wanders into the glade. "Now that I have a fire going, if anyone is inclined to prepare a meal, you are welcome to it. Just take care not to disturb that pot there. That lovely smell is not soup, but part of the process of separating our worg friend's bones from his softer bits.
"Now I do have some lovely pig cheeks to share, and some liver, if anyone is interested. I expect it will not go far, given the number of folk we have here, but we shall have to do our best to share."
To Fiz, Boyd says: "That dwarf, did you happen to hear his name?"

[TristenC]

Fiz looks to Boyd, caught a little off guard. What? Oh… well, he wasn’t really in his right head. He kept babbling about the walls coming down on him or something. Poor guy was nuts, thought the whole cave was going to collapse or something, but the stone was solid to my eyes. I think he just had some kind of problem… I don’t think that I ever got his right name, but he looked kind of like your people… The Gnome says, after taking a closer look at Boyd’s size and manner of dress.

[Squirrellord]

"Was Thad still at the secondary lair when you were moved out Fiz?" Jordek will be attempting to find out if Thaddeus was still alive when Fiz was moved to the outpost. He notices the boiling warg head with professional interest and decides that since his interactions with these people seem to be going well, he'll make another effort. He looks up at Boyd and asks "What are your plans for the skull? You said it's not soup so what are you planning on doing with it?"