Expedition: Clay and the Warden's Tomb - 19 August 2021

[Marullus]

You slink off through the woods, grateful that the winged serpent does not pursue. It is an hour and a half when the sun sets. You set a camp at the forest's edge, grateful to see the night sky out from under the tree's canopy. It is a dark night, the new moon providing little illumination, and the sunset is coming earlier and earlier. The night passes without incident, however, and you have no further sight of the creature you were fleeing.

Rising the next morning, you perform your meditations, pack your camp, and on your way. Have regained your bearings, you reset your course to once more head towards the location from Clay Weatherwax's visions. You roughly nead north-northwest for the day, your pace quickening over the gorse and scrub, spying no threats as you are able to see a long distance over the gentle plains. The 26th of August thus passes also without incident and when the sunset approaches you make camp once more, finding what scarce fodder you can for a meager campfire. (13 hours, 19.5 miles)

Rising now on the 27th of August, you set out, changing your course to veer due north, Clay's certainty of your course growing. He doesn't think it is far now. A few miles west of your path, Maurice reports that there's an oddly-symetric large round hole of pure darkness in the ground. It is octagonal and about 100' across. As Clay is looking for a rising tower, you don't divert at first, but opt to go a little further then discuss it. You've gone about six miles by mid-morning when you see a welcome sight - a looming Black Tower upon the northern horizon about where Clay hoped it would be about 4 to 5 miles away

Your excitement is interrupted by a warning hiiisssssss! As you tromped through the grass, you came upon a clutch of four pit vipers. They are coiled, heads up and hoods flared, hissing to warn you off as you approach their nests.

(Two days pass, subtract two rations each [after Clay does his goodberry thing])

Date: 27 August 2021, 11:00am
Light: daylight
Distance: ~1.5 miles, then 19.5 miles, then 6 miles.
Weather: Sunrise 6:02am, Sunset 8:25pm, half-moon waning, Temp 41-63 degrees
Effects: None
Injuries: None

[Rusty Tincanne]

As they travel north, it seems even the magical fare dissipates. Clay passes the berries out one day, eating the solitary berry on the second. You all should enjoy the solid meals we have been carrying.

Goodberry [1d10] = 4
Goodberry [1d10] = 1

2 rations deducted for Clarabelle (one day) and Morr (two days)
I'll update my spells and post actions for this later. Just didn't want to hold things up with the spell.

Marullus: Did we manage to forage any food over the two days?

[Marullus]

Marullus: Did we manage to forage any food over the two days?

On the first day, Maurice is exuberant. The owl is soaring above the open tundra, his keen eyes hunting in the dry gorse. He returns throughout the day, showing off his hunting skills by sharing over a dozen dead voles and shrews with the party. (2 man-days food) "They're quite delicious, I assure you. They really take on a flavor infusion from the sunflower seeds." You look at their limp bodies... perhaps they'll crisp over the fire.

[Zhym]

"I . . . don't think I'm that hungry yet," says Clint, trying to be polite. "But thanks!"

-2 days rations.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Not sure if it is the northern air, being so far from civilization, or his new body taking hold, but Clay finds he is more willing to try. He shrugs. Might as well give it a go. It's what other Badgers eat... Maybe we'll find a clutch of grouse eggs later. He offers the goodberry to Smoglea.

Only 1.5rations deducted.

[GreyWolfVT]

Smoglea stares at his injured hand and still wonders why the sword made him do it...then again how did the sword do that? Then coming out of his thoughts and hearing bits and pieces of the other conversations "Eggs sound nice about now. How much longer is the trek do you suppose?"

decuted 2 days rations

[Rusty Tincanne]

Okay then, someone else take the goodberry.

[Alethan]

Willow takes the Goodberry.

[Bluehorse]

how much grouse is left?

[Marullus]

Your excitement is interrupted by a warning hiiisssssss! As you tromped through the grass, you came upon a clutch of four pit vipers. They are coiled, heads up and hoods flared, hissing to warn you off as you approach their nests.

Date: 27 August 2021, 11:00am
Light: daylight
Distance: ~1.5 miles, then 19.5 miles, then 6 miles.
Weather: Sunrise 6:02am, Sunset 8:25pm, half-moon waning, Temp 41-63 degrees
Effects: None
Injuries: None

[Zhym]

"Stay back, everyone!" warns Clint, waving everyone away from the vipers. He also backs away, to look for a route around the snakes.

[GreyWolfVT]

Smoglea stays back having little like for snakes as it is "Snakes why did it have to be snakes. I hate snakes."

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

We are the ones intruding... Just back away a little... Bianca will hold her staff out, the hooked end of it facing the snakes to put an obstacle between the snacks and herself at a distance. If one comes close enough, she will try to hook one without harming it and flip it away where it will hopefully be content to slither away.

It will be okay yall! I saw the crocodile hunter do this once!

[Alethan]

Willow smiles and gets within sight of the vipers. She studies them for a bit and then says, "They are just animals, defending themselves. We can easily skirt around them and leave them be."

"Live well, my cool-scaled friends. We leave you in peace."

She backs away from the vipers and waves the rest of the party to make a birth around them as they continue their way.

OOC: There's a good chance that normal animals are friendly towards druids of Beith level 3 or higher (2-5 on a d6). Hopefully they don't roll a 1 on their reaction...

[Rusty Tincanne]

But only if there aren't paladins, halflings and other murder hobos present.

Date: 27 August 2021, 11:00am
Weather: Sunrise 6:02am, Sunset 8:25pm, half-moon waning, Temp 41-63 degrees

Clay looks at the poikilothermic creatures with curiosity, but is more than happy to leave them alone. You'd think they would be a bit more sluggish than that in this climate.

He is excited to press on towards the destination. I am curious about the black octagon, but the tower is more pressing right now. If you are all okay avoiding the detour, that is my preference.

[Zhym]

"Sure!" agrees Clint cheerfully. "We can meet new people!"

[Alethan]

Willow nods, thinking that the sooner they get Clay's task done, the sooner they can head for the crystal tower for her task...

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

Nods. I agree. Our objective is the tower... we can always explore the octagon later on our way back if time and conditions allow.

[GreyWolfVT]

Smoglea "I'm just here for the adventure. It doesn't matter to me which place we go to." the halflnig says with a shrug.

[Marullus]

The group easily circumvents the vipers, circling around and heading on to reach the tower by mid-afternoon...

Merry Christmas, everyone! Just to be fair, I am giving you a heads up that I need to do some work on your next stage and won't get to it until after New Year's.

...but you aren't forgotten!