Part 2b: The Northern Contingent: Something in the Water

[Dizlexus]

Once the fire begins to burn down Bürd stands up, picking the last shards of the runestone out of his arms, "well friends, we've done what we can. That poor priest can rest now, and the spirit inside him is gone." He shrugs and waves at hand at the river, "I dinnae what else we could do here, and we've found where the flood started," he looks around at everyone and wipes his hands on each other, "back to town?"

Smokey, Let's go man. I don't feel so good.

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel "I agree I don't like this one bit I am ready to go back home."

[mb.]

"Or has one of ye a notion where the flood come from?" Bürd squints at the river,"I'm squeezed out an' drained, but we should maybe have 'nother look?"

Maybe tracking rolls or something, to find some clues where the corpse came from or what might've caused the flood? Anyone? We're up here to figure out the flood after all, and we don't really know much more than before...

[Dizlexus]

"Or has one of ye a notion where the flood come from?" Bürd squints at the river,"I'm squeezed out an' drained, but we should maybe have 'nother look?"

Maybe tracking rolls or something, to find some clues where the corpse came from or what might've caused the flood? Anyone? We're up here to figure out the flood after all, and we don't really know much more than before...

yes, and if I understand fortunes favor, Smokey can help the smartest one of us get an extra shot on a roll.

Smokey int 9 (too much pot) so, someone THINK!

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel's INT is the same as yours Smokey.

Abel hesitant and a bit off from the sudden blindness of the fire once oriented again. "Alright if this will get us home sooner." attempts to search for "clues" back where the body originally was located.

INT Check[1d20] = 9 WIS Check[1d20] = 17

one pass one fail even with a 16 WIS I failed lol

after looking around and attempting to locate any signs other than their own. Abel just examines that area around the bridge again. "All flood signs on one side and not on the other and the bridge itself took a lot of damage other than the stonework...Very perplexing."

[Pulpatoon]

INT Check[1d20] = 9 WIS Check[1d20] = 17

You come up with nothing more decisive than that the flood must have been unnatural in origin.

Anyone else want to try anything before heading home?

[mb.]

Bürd walks around the area, up and down the bank, carefully across the bridge, up and down the other bank, ostensibly investigating the area, but mostly going over what's happened, and over and over the old songs he learned back home…

Check for Ancient history, INT 15, Bürd rolls [1d20] = 7

[Pulpatoon]

Bürd:

There is the story of the Grackle, an ancient witch-king who raised an army larger than any that has ever burdened the world since. It is said he took one out of every one hundred of his soldiers and had them painted and cut and torn in such a way that their cries became like a sweet aroma upon the dark roads underneath the world, and the aroma drew up unclean things. The unclean were great in number, even unto the army of the Grackle, and he gave his army over to them, and they rode in the flesh of his soldiers.

There is the story of the Black Goat of the Forest, a beastgod of unspeakable appetites who would not kill a dwarf outright, but would break and mangle and braid him and hang him from a tree under unsheltered sun so that he died slowly, filling with with rot and evil spirits. Only then was the morsel delectable enough for the Goat's dinner.

There is the story of a band of legendary Dwarven warriors who would use tattoos and scarification to delineate labyrinths upon their living skin, that they might draw in the spirits of those they had slain, and trap them, and take their strength.

All of these stories spend a great deal of time describing the scope of destruction wrought (even the Dwarven warriors grew haughty and reckless in time) and the powerlessness of mortals before a terrible supernatural might, before the gods themselves came down and set things to right.

[mb.]

Bürd comes back from his investigations looking a little haunted, but only says, "let us for home friends."

I think we're all agreed, so we start back to town the quickest way, which is the road I assume...

[Pulpatoon]

It is mid-morning when you leave the still-burning pyre and head south.

Travel goes quickly across the roads. You notice the tracks of several carnivores along the road, but they mostly appear to be from before the rain of two days ago.

Passing the way point, you see that vultures have found the bodies of the slain dogs.

If you press yourselves, you could make it home tonight, but it is unclear whether Smokey can keep such a pace. His face is purple and swollen with bruises and he is prone to dizziness.

If you wanted to stop for the evening, Smokey's cabin might make a good way point.

You may also recall that you have some of Simon's goodberries on hand. You have seen the effect of these berries before. They have miraculous healing properties.

[mb.]

"Twer a fine thing to be in town a'fore nightfall. Were y'to have one a them berries Smokey, y'think you'd make it?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel hands the goodberries to Smokey "Sorry about the knock on your noggin'."

[Dizlexus]

Smokey

I eat a berry and see how I feel.

how do the berries work?

[Pulpatoon]

Smokey
I eat a berry and see how I feel.

The berry is delicious, sweet and tart and somehow unlike any berry you've ever tasted. You immediately feel better, and a little more alert. You've still been beaten to shit, and look it, but you don't feel like you're about to keel over come the next stiff breeze..

Eat a berry: one hit point restored!

[mb.]

We trudge back home as swiftly as we can, intent on being there by nightfall, munching berries (Bürd could also do a few - how many do we have) as we go.

[GreyWolfVT]

Abel "Smokey and Bürd why don'y you guys split the goodberries I imagine you both could use em."

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus walks along, quiet this entire time, lost in thought. He is not sure what is coming to the village or that he will be able to stop it... but he will save as many as he can.

[Pulpatoon]

Abel "Smokey and Bürd why don'y you guys split the goodberries I imagine you both could use em."

{Jonas} hands Bürd his leather pouch with 3 goodberries in it. "These can heal you in a pinch. Though they won't go far if you face mortal danger. Good luck my friends, may the old gods bless you and keep you safe."

Distribute the remaining two berries as you see fit.

[GreyWolfVT]

Definately one more for Smokey depending upon how badly off Bürd is I might just say let Smokey take them both.

[Pulpatoon]

Nevermind me:

[1d30] = 19
[1d6] = 1
[1d30] = 15
[1d6] = 1