Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[L'ennui]

Looking all around, Urash asks in a hushed tone:

"Couldn't one of you wilderness types just... Track the dammed thing?"

 

[Wayward Son]

"Sorry, I didn't prepare "Find Evil Demonic Wolf Being" this morn. I'll try to do better in the future."

 

[Grimgravy]

"You're forgetting that it runs through the air! It wont have left tracks to follow. I still think we should look for a den of sorts. Probably at the center of this mess"

 

[Wayward Son]

"Great. We have a plan. Only one question though. What way to the center?" Mab quips.

 

[Grimgravy]

"The driest way...I would prefer to avoid leeches and ill humors of the swamp if possible. It's good we are early because the dry path will not be the quick path."

 

[nikolokolus]

Rhenymyr walks back and forth beside one of the small pools and notices a faint animal track leading deeper into the swamp. The tracks pressed in the soft mud are created by a variety of creatures: canine, feline, porcine, rodent and such.

In the dense mist there is no telling how long the trail will hold up, but it seems viable from your vantage.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Unless someone has a better suggestion, I'd say we go this way." Rhenmyr indicates the trail. If there are no objections, he'll lead the way into the the murk., testing the ground with the but of his spear.

 

[L'ennui]

"I don't have any better idea, so by all means, lead the way!"

 

[nikolokolus]

Barring no objections the troupe moves forward jumping from one hummock to another and following narrow ridges of dry land. After a matter of minutes the game trail disappears and there are no other footprints visible. Rhenmyr's keen eyes note that the animals tend to turn around and go back or just disappear altogether. Mab and Ker notice strange things too. Normally they can part vines and brambles with a thought as the land makes a way for them, but this swamp feels actively hostile to your presence - There is a presence in the land that is wholly unnatural and you can practically feel its cold filth press in on you.

During the first hour creeping through the oppressive gloom, the disc of the sun is obscured by the fog that lays over the land and with all of the twists and turns required to move across the fen, direction has become less certain. To make matters worse, one of the floating hummocks you were walking on sinks under your feet and the last of you are forced to jump to the bank to avoid being sucked down into the heavy mud. The way behind you is now functionally impassable.

The only clue to your present location is oily slicks moving sluggishly away from you in the fetid black water.

 

[Wayward Son]

"This.... Is an unnatural place. It makes me feel discomforted. Let us do what we came here for and leave as quick as possible."

 

[Grimgravy]

"I agree. Let us proceed with cautious haste and hope defeating the wolf will cleanse the taint on this land."

 

[nikolokolus]

With nothing to do but move ahead the party continues carefully picking its way through the swamp in a serpentine and circuitous route. Perhaps another hour passes. Most people guess that it's mid to late morning by now, but without the sun it's difficult to say.

Trees begin to close in around you and the air gets progressively "heavy" and noticeably warmer the deeper into the swamp you progress.

The sluggish oil-slicked water seems to pick up speed next to you and several other streams start to converge with the course of water you have been following. You walk for another ten minutes or so through deep muck and a hillock starts to resolve itself out of the heavy mist fifty feet ahead. The stream picks up more speed and you can see it racing towards a rent that splits the hillock in half. Stunted and malignant looking trees hang over the void at impossible angles, while vines and brambles drape over the sides of the chasm.

The smell of brimstone here is almost overpowering as a miasma of yellowish vapors rise from within.

"Surely if ever an unclean spirit haunted a place, this is it." Brule says in a harsh whisper and then falls silent.

 

[Siveon]

"Not a moment too soon. Hopefully the beast is home, if not, we can set a trap for it." Marcán whispers back.

 

[Grimgravy]

"I reckon that it's before sundown, so it should be inside. What do you think? Attack it in it's den, or try to ambush it when it leaves?" Rhenmyr says in hushed tones.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Perhaps it is not active ere the sun goes down. I say we ambush it now.

 

[L'ennui]

"We could try to draw it out somehow."

 

[Wayward Son]

"Maybe this oil-like substance will burn? We could try lighting an arrow ablaze and lighting up its den. Then, Boughrryc would just need to be ready to stab it, and failing that, we go all out and distract it from him."

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"Maybe an ambush is the best choice. It won't give it as much time to get into an advantageous position?"

 

[Wayward Son]

"I agree. We could use the fire to lure the Wolf out now, so we can leave as soon as possible. If you prefer, we could not, I figured I would just state all of our options."

 

[L'ennui]

"What does your instinct tell you, Borric? I for one will defer to the wielder of the spear in this matter."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"Luring the wolf out gives it more room to move. In its den it would be cramped, and we're more likely to hit it. Quietly, to the den, friends."

 

[Siveon]

"Sounds like a plan, I'm for it."

 

[nikolokolus]

Brule kneels down and unslings a coil of rope from inside his pack, "From the looks and sounds of things that stream pours right into the den and plummets some distance. Let me tie this off around that tree and give us something to abseil with."

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr keeps and eye out for trouble and tries to get a view into the den.

 

[L'ennui]

Urash is staying near the back of the party... You know, just in case.