At the Fist

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 7
Time: 13:30
Weather: 45 degrees; cloudy
Location: Fist of the First Men

**************************
Antheris: 39/48
Vorsyin: 48/48
Gaerys: 18/60
Hollis: 07/50
Lorath: 40/40
Ethan: 20/71
Marcus: 30/35
Tybalt: 46/46
*************************

Having collected all of what they had found from their fallen foes, the party rides, flies, bounces, and hobbles back to the Fist without incident. They are greeted with a somewhat grim reception from the Rangers of the Watch.

Despite the party's stumble and resulting losses, the fact of the matter was that they had taken down the Hill Giant Chief. Surely the giant forces had been severely weakened...not just with respect to the numbers in the Steading, but the hill giant forces raiding human lands would certainly be weakened by virtue of the loss of their leader. The real question at this point was what was remaining in the Steading, and what it had to do with the unification of Giant forces and the horrid occurrences surrounding their attacks.

The party contemplates this as a couple hours pass. The party collects itself, rests, eats if/as they wish, and arrange the bounty of their latest assault on a table in their tent. There is ample opportunity to cast any healing or other magic, or conduct business around camp.

The party is left to confer and plan their next steps.

[Zhym]

Gaerys impatiently awaits the party's full recuperation so that it can return once again to the steading. He has little to say in the meantime. Somewhat taciturn before, he's practically mute now. He leaves the box, necklace, and axe with the others and spends his days pacing the wall or patrolling the woods.

[NJWilliam]

Gaerys impatiently awaits the party's full recuperation so that it can return once again to the steading. He has little to say in the meantime. Somewhat taciturn before, he's practically mute now. He leaves the box and other trinkets with the others and spends his days pacing the wall or patrolling the woods.

Did Antheris put the 1300 gold in his haversack? I don't see it on the treasure thread ATM.

Yup, it's in Antheris' inventory. I just put it under "wealth", but it was put in his haversack.

Antheris has an interest in the spear, it being his preferred melee weapon (only melee proficiency actually), and he is as yet without one with a magical bonus.

Antheris casts Cure Light Wounds on Hollis at The Fist, and until the party is fully healed, prays for and memorizes healing spells (daily: cure light wounds x 5, cure serious wounds x 2). He will also use his shapechange to heal his own damage (healing 10-60% each change).

Antheris Cure Light Wounds: [1d8] = 7

[Zhym]

Yup, it's in Antheris' inventory. I just put it under "wealth", but it was put in his haversack.

I figured that out and edited my post, but not quickly enough.

[drpete]

Ethan puts the hornfoot woman's necklace in the pile to be checked for magical properties, and begins the healing process. If it would noticeably speed up their return to the Steading, he will drink the healing potion, but prefers to save it for use in the field.

While the group recovers, he seeks out Gaerys to offer his apologies and condolences, attempting to engage him and get the bad blood out and out of the way, and maybe give the ranger some hope. He suggests that they both made mistakes in putting themselves and their desires ahead of the team, and offers to join Gaerys in working on being better members of a team... and getting back the trophies stolen by the hornfoot. I don't really need to play this out, just suggesting we might move on... Ethan's trying to offer a truce

If it would be useful to Antheris, and he's willing, Ethan will offer to spar with him, or with his spear, to determine its properties. He apologizes for the harsh words, and tells Antheris that whatever his feelings about Ethan, Ethan has long experience in war. He explains that he is not a coward, but is keenly aware that death is what we have to expect if we keep rolling the dice with an enemy this formidable. Our actions need to be careful and on point whenever we are in enemy territory, including both the pyre and their bickering, which allowed the fire giants to get into position. He offers condolences on the deaths of the animals, and asks Antheris to join him in helping to keep the rest of the team alive by not over-extending themselves or getting distracted, something Ethan has seen bring death again and again. Again... truce?

[Zhym]

Speaking of sparring, do you suppose it would be safe to spar with the hornfoot leader's axe, or would the cold effect still cause damage?

I'm all for truce. Gary's isn't quiet because he's mad at anyone else. He's mad at himself, and he figures his best move is to shut up and focus.

[drpete]

Well, Ethan's immune to cold when using Frostfell, though sparring with it might be asking for trouble of its own...

[Zhym]

Maybe if Ethan just parries with Frostfell?

[drpete]

Sure, sounds good... I'm somewhat worried that Frostfell may be sentient, though. It could be just dramatic coloring, but Magnus suggested the sword was "mad" that Ethan withdrew from the fight with the Fire Giant. Don't want to piss it off, but then you're not among its "favored enemies" (I think...)

[Magnus]

Sure, sounds good... I'm somewhat worried that Frostfell may be sentient, though. It could be just dramatic coloring, but Magnus suggested the sword was "mad" that Ethan withdrew from the fight with the Fire Giant. Don't want to piss it off, but then you're not among its "favored enemies" (I think...)

The magical effect would still work and cause damage, but you have a way around it via frostfell. Note generally that sparring is a decent hack around an identify spell, but use of a cursed item or the like would still subject the user to the attendant risk.

[saalaria]

As per previous post on other thread, hollis will try to get all the new goodies together and Detect Magic on them. He will then max out healing as per Gaerys/Zhym suggestion.

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt will apply his daily lay on hands as needed to help get everyone to max HP.

[Eulalios]

Lorath seeks out Vorsyin to swap spells, a standard courtesy among fellows of the craft.

Lorath is surprised by the depth of Vorsyin's knowledge, but can offer at least magic missile, web, wizard lock, suggestion in trade for burning hands, shield, dispel magic, and lightning bolt.

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin's first order of business upon returning to the Fist is to bring aid to Hollis and see that he is cared for. Next he seeks out the Lord Commander to update him on the situation. Vorsyin tries to keep the recounting of events as neutral as possible but, too often his own anger at the party's lack of caution and cohesion spills out into his report.

When dismissed he will wait for word on the others and see if they all made it back.

When Lorath finds Vorsyin he exchanges a few pleasantries before moving on to the serious business of their craft. He asks Lorath about his magical training, who is master was and so forth. If satisfied with the answers, especially is he knows of the masters who trained Lorath, he will agree to share the knowledge of most of the spells Lorath suggests although he does not agree to share the arcane secret of lightning bolt.

[Eulalios]

Knowing that his own mastery of magic missile has unexpectedly increased as he learned certain more complex spells, Lorath urges Vorsyin to master this seemingly elementary incantation - "With your greater abilities, I expect you will be able to yet further exploit this spell." For himself, he especially wishes to learn shield.

chance to learn shield [1d100] = 73 <= 65? d should have been ?> 35

Accordingly, he is very pleased to add that spell to his knowledge.

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 8
Time: 7:30
Weather: 45 degrees; cloudy
Location: Fist of the First Men

**************************
Antheris: 48/48
Vorsyin: 48/48
Gaerys: 47/60
Hollis: 40/50
Lorath: 40/40
Ethan: 55/71
Marcus: 35/35
Tybalt: 46/46

*as of end of post
*************************

Upon returning to the Steading, the party goes about its business at camp.

Ethan leads a discussion aimed at quashing the seeds of discord amongst the party. Each party member, in their own way, acknowledges the gravity and challenge of the task before them and seems to accord with the knight's sentiments. Time will tell whether this holds true.

Vorsyin leaves Hollis in the good hands of the Maester. The Maester's attendants see to the well-being of the cleric, and the Maester joins the mage in making a full report to the Lord Commander. The stoic leader of the Watch's emotionless countenance is somewhat belied by the rage and confusion that rages in his eyes in hearing of the party's actions and fracture, belied a second time with soft glow of relief upon hearing of Nosra's fall, and then once again belied with a streak of fear as he hears about the ghasts.

Commander Snow has but a few remarks.

If the party can so succeed despite itself, hope yet remains.

You are now a man of the Watch, and though your service has been short, you are in many ways the most learned and powerful among us -- and your other companions. Do not be shy in voicing your views and stepping to the forefront of the group, for without your arcane power, the party would be lost.

As to your next move, my suspicion is that the hill giant forces are nigh defeated, but the darker forces beneath grow stronger with each passing day. Gather what strength you need, but strike quickly and strike with intention -- sever the root of whatever evil has grown beneath the Steading.

The Maester nods in agreement, adding:

These forms of unlife - and the forces that spawn them - are as repugnant to the elemental forces as they are to mortal men. Thus, I suspect that the conjuring of an elemental would present somewhat less risk than most uses of this incantation. Such an elemental may prove a valuable "shock trooper" in a final assault on the Steading, should you try to take it head-on.

Being some leagues away from the Wall, Gaerys paces the grounds of the Fist and joins several patrols, while finding time for much-needed rest in between. The patrols do not encounter anything worthy of note -- other than the unnatural silence around the Fist, which is most unnerving.

However, the final patrol before dawn uncovers signs of an enemy scouting party having observed the Fist -- several human(oids) and several canines(?) from the look of it. The scouting party was smart - hiding evidence of their former presence - but the skill of the ranger is such that he can at least discern their tracks, though their exact nature and numbers remain a mystery. Gaerys and a few other rangers track the trail of the scouts to a stream, where the trail disappears. The ranger suspects that the scouting party came from the Steading. Following the urging of his comrades, he returns to the Fist, realizing a solo foray into the Steading would be suicide. The others report to the Lord Commander and permit Gaerys to re-join his crew.

The rest of the party awakens just as Gaerys returns. The party agrees upon a tentative re-entry into the Steading in three days, when the group is fully healed.

The spellcasters memorize their magic for the day and cast the allotted healing spells on the group.

Vorsyin and Lorath compare spellbooks to determine which, if any, arcane secrets to share and chat about matters of general interest to practitioners of the arcane arts. They each realize that they share common "teachers of teachers" and a Valyerian heritage.

Looks like you arrived on Day 7 and are leaving on Day 10. You can copy two "levels" of spells each (i.e., one 2nd level or two 1st levels). Add one more spell level if the group leaves after 17:00 on Day 10.

Nosra's spear, the box removed from the bag held by Nosra, necklace, vial of liquid, and axe are laid upon the table by Hollis. The spear and axe detect as magic. The ebony and silver box, however, does not. Similarly, it seems that the necklace is simply a piece of crude jewelry of some minor value. The vial contains a non-magical salve that seems to Antheris to be useful in removing animal musks and other sticky poisons from the flesh and eyes.

Did I miss anything?

[Zhym]

Gaerys will further investigate the box—does it have a lid? Does it open?—then spar with Ethan to try to learn the properties of the two new magical weapons.

[Magnus]

The box has a lid that lifts off, which is secured by two simple latches. The craftsmanship of the box is exquisite.

After sparring with Ethan, Gaerys determines the weapons are:

+1 Battle Axe of Frost (does 1d6 cold damage upon hit)
+3 Spear (long enough to strike from second rank)

[Zhym]

Gaerys moves to a spot well away from anyone else, in case the box is trapped, and removes the lid.

Is a battle axe a one-handed or two-handed weapon?

[Magnus]

Out falls a long, looped chain made of a strange dark metal that is surprisingly lightweight. The diameter of the chain's inner circle is about 20'. To Hollis, the chain glows brightly with a magical aura.

A small piece of what seems to be human skin also falls from the box. With dark crimson ink, the "parchment" is painted with a series of drawings showing the chain folded into a figure 8, figures standing within the loops of the "8", and an arrow pointing to a series of snow-capped mountains.

Two handed.