Completed [Play-by-Post] Magic World/BRP: "In Search of the Sorcerer"

[L'ennui]

"Quick, someone else light one, before the bigger ones start to think us too tasty."

 

[nikolokolus]

So Urash and Borric. Anyone else?

 

[L'ennui]

"Quick, someone else light one, before the bigger ones start to think us too tasty."

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr will light a torch as well.

 

[nikolokolus]

Rhenmyr hastily lights a torch and three with a lit brand form a triangle with Mab, Amon and Marcan in the middle. Cautiously you press toward the mass of writhing worms and they recoil or are held at bay. Step by step you pass through their midst and make it through without incident.

The road continues along the elevated dike for a couple more leagues, flanked by the dismal swamp, but starts to abruptly change. The swamp gives way to sandy hills covered by dense silver birches, and the dike road turns into an in-cut that bisects the hills that rise several hundred feet above you. About a mile into the hilly woods, a disconcerting thing happens; a large black owl the size of a large dog, swoops low over your heads, with strange glowing pentagrams in place of eyes. It perches on an overhanging branch regarding you impassively as you pass under it.

 

[L'ennui]

"By all the wonders of Kor, truly fascinating... Urhm, hello there. Can you speak, friend?"

 

[nikolokolus]

The owl turns its head toward Urash and stares impassively. It doesn't budge from its perch, but it is definitely watching you.

 

[L'ennui]

Spoiler

Does Urash have any inkling what kind of creature this might be?

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Does Urash have any inkling what kind of creature this might be?

Spoiler

Make a World Lore roll since you have 100+ skill. You need a 'special' or a 'critical' however.

 

[L'ennui]

Spoiler

Alas, [1d100] = 61

"What an utterly strange fellow."

The Acadian yanks Solon's chain slightly.

"What say you, esteemed colleague? Know anything about this type of creature?"

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Goddammit. I forgot about your 'silent' partner, He would have been prime anaconda-food. *sigh* Oh well.

Solon sputters a bit, "Oh now you need Solon!" he drops his head sullenly, "I don't have a clue what that abomination is, but it's watching us and that can't be good." He gingerly rubs at the festering black welts on his arms and neck where the leeches afflicted him, "I never should have agreed to this" he mutters almost quietly, but just loud enough for anybody nearby to hear.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

Goddammit. I forgot about your 'silent' partner, He would have been prime anaconda-food. *sigh* Oh well.

Solon sputters a bit, "Oh now you need Solon!" he drops his head sullenly, "I don't have a clue what that abomination is, but it's watching us and that can't be good." He gingerly rubs at the festering black welts on his arms and neck where the leeches afflicted him, "I never should have agreed to this" he mutters almost quietly, but just loud enough for anybody nearby to hear.

Spoiler

To be honest I thought he was still huffing and puffing his fat ass outta that town/

"Ha! Perhaps we should have let to your fate with the Druidess, fat one." Borric utters in derision.

 

[nikolokolus]

Solon recoils at Borric's rebuke. Shortly thereafter the giant owl takes flight and soars off to the south and quickly disappears. You walk for about another 30 minutes navigating steep switchbacks and come to a rocky ridge. A signpost is set into the roadside and as you approach you discern that this is a crossroads. There is a badly overgrown track that intersects the main road running north-south, with the southern trail partially blocked with fallen timber and large rocks.

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr inspects the blockage to the south wondering if it is a new occurrence.

 

[nikolokolus]

Rhenmyr's woodcraft quickly reveals that the blockage is a mix of old and new. The debris is clearly hand placed -- uprooted shrubs, rocks that have dirt rings, etc.

Peering down the ridgeline shows a narrow path following the crest. A dense stand of silver birch on either side forms a defacto tunnel. The track to the north is considerably less choked with trees or other undrgrowth.

The badly chipped and worn sign bears snippets of the same unfamiliar proto-Pictish script seen on the last trail sign where you first entered the woods, but is covered in graffiti of a different script.

 

[Siveon]

Marcán casts understanding to read the worn sign.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Someone clearly blocked this path." Rhenmy looks for a way through or around the blockage while Marcán reads the sign.

Spoiler

nikolokolus I can't find the map you posted earlier. Una's purported location is north and the bridge home south?

 

[L'ennui]

Urash, looking pale, finds a tree trunk to lean on.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Urash, looking pale, finds a tree trunk to lean on.

Borric eyes Urash, not without concern. "Someone should take a look at the Man of Kor. Failing that, I should perhaps carry him with us if the travel will strain him such."

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"I'll see what I can do." Amon approaches Urash. Then decides to give a heal spell a try.

Heal=[2d4] = 5

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Sorry guys, got a little side-tracked over the last few days . . .

Marcán casts understanding to read the worn sign.

Like the letters on the last sign, this appears to be some primitive form of proto-Pictish. The sign that points west back the way you came from says "Lankshorn", the one pointing to the east says "Dreg and Shanty Wood Isle." The sign pointing north along the less cluttered and overgrown trail off of the main road says "Hag's Addle," the sign that points north-south has had the south pointing part broken off at the post. Looking around in the undergrowth for a few minutes reveals the broken-off section of signage. It says simply "Golokstone."

"Someone clearly blocked this path." Rhenmy looks for a way through or around the blockage while Marcán reads the sign.

Spoiler

nikolokolus I can't find the map you posted earlier. Una's purported location is north and the bridge home south?

Spoiler

Here's the map, I'm not sure what happened to the old link. I'll take a look

Urash, looking pale, finds a tree trunk to lean on.

"I'll see what I can do." Amon approaches Urash. Then decides to give a heal spell a try.

Heal=[2d4] = 5

Some Urash's wounds close over, but the welts are still hot to the touch and the fever hasn't abated (the disease will need some kind of cure, or needs to run its course).

 

[nikolokolus]

The blockage across the path is easy enough to navigate, it just looks like it was filled in to deter casual passage, or make the trail look abandoned.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric shakes his head at Urash's condition. "We'll have to carry him about, so he can spare his strength to recover. If the rest of you are willing to spread his gear and mine about, I'll see if I can carry him along. Don't want to slow down to make a cart unless we have to."

 

[Grimgravy]

If Marcan will assist, Rhenmyr will jot down translations of the ancient script. "I'll shoulder some of the burden. Which way? Dreg then north? Someone is trying to hide this Golokstone, intriguing but off our path. Hag's Addle sound new too."

 

[L'ennui]

Urash waves. "I can still walk, friends, but I certainly appreciate the help carrying all this stuff... so, where to?"