[Continued] - Lug/A Rescue Mission - 28 April, 1 VC

[Scott308]

Dorvar shrugs. As long as we don't go the same way the dragon went.

[MonkeyWrench]

Val concurs with Nile's initial comments, "I agree, the dragon that the Gryphon's told me of told of the dragon being young and mostly a predator for the forest. This red dragon looks to have left a sizable horde and due to it's size I'd say it was quite old. Due to it's grievous injury and the general area we located it in I'd say it was most definitely a resident of the mountain before the explosion, perhaps the dragon being a direct part of that explosion. Perhaps the master is battling for complete supremacy of the mountain?

[Keehnelf]

Jesus my computer keeps autologging me out of US and I just lost a huge post that I can't recover.

Synopsis:

May 6, 2:40pm

The party finishes its work. It sees that massive fires are raging around the base of the shattered mountain, and discover that a sloping plain leads down toward a broad grassland to the north of the forest, where massed thunderheads roil on the far-off horizon.

Xavro has been working to protect the grove and seems beleaguered, but provides small nourishment to the party when they return as well as his thanks.

He gives them two items as thanks and further obligation:

1. A beehive with an active colony. It is too delicate to stay and must be taken elsewhere for it to remain safe. If it can be relocated somewhere with a field of flowers to support it, it will generate the equivalent of a healing potion in magical honey at a time. This bottled honey can be smeared on even grievous and deadly wounds to seal them, but the hive will only generate one bottle's worth before collection, which takes seven days to rebuild.

2. A jarban sapling with root ball in enchanted sackcloth. He requests that it be transplanted to the south beyond the bounds of the forest just in case he is unable to protect the grove, but does not expect anyone to tend or cultivate it once it has been transplanted.

Deduct two days' rations apiece, please.

[Zhym]

Ouch. That sucks.

"Thanks," says Lug. "You always have the most interesting gifts. I'm sure we'll find a good place for these."

He looks back in the direction of the orc hold. How do the fires look that way?

"I think we're going to go look for my friends, or what's left of them. Or maybe we'll see for ourselves that the place where they were taken is destroyed. But we kind of have to try if we can. Will the hive and tree be safe if we do that?"

[Keehnelf]

The fires are quite likely active in that area, though not right on top of the hold necessarily as it was right along a creek in the middle of a somewhat large clearing.

[Zhym]

Would we maybe be able to avoid the worst of the fires by finding the creek then following it into the clearing?

[Keehnelf]

The centaur seems nervous. "I do not believe they will survive travel closer to the fires than they are now. The tree would certainly survive here as long as the grove would, but within a day or so I believe the fumes from the fires will be enough to damage the fragile state of the hive--even a powerful shift of wind that brings a billow directly over us would be enough, I think."

[Keehnelf]

Would we maybe be able to avoid the worst of the fires by finding the creek then following it into the clearing?

You might be able to follow the creek and avoid the fire itself, but the forest is pretty dense around that area so who knows how safely navigable that area is.

[Zhym]

"Safely navigable" in terms of fire, normal forest dangers, or just being able to move through the forest at all?

[Keehnelf]

Chances are you won't encounter many monsters that aren't resistant to fire and/or smoke no matter what.

The question is how much the forest is actively burning along the edges of the creek, whether there are places that you can't get through because of how the fires are burning, etc. You're looking at entering a forest fire--and the creek is only about six feet wide along most of its length so it's not like it's a river you can just swim down to keep clear of the heat and flames on either side.

[Zhym]

Lug nods at Xavro's words. He looks sadly in the direction of the orc hold, then turns to his companions.

"Time to get back to Vaul," he sighs. When the rest of the group is ready, Lug bids farewell to Xavro and sets out to the south.

[Zorroroaster]

"Did I just hear someone say sumptin' sensible? My ears must be failin' me."

She looks at Lug quizzically for a moment and then cackles.

"Right you are Tons O' Fun, back to the city."

2 days deducted.

[AleBelly]

"My parents went to Xavro's grove and all they brought me was this lousy tree" Varassays forlornly. "Yes, back to Vaul."

[Marullus]

Niles sits, listening to the conversation and petting the wolfhound, who simply lays with his head-on-lap. "Perhaps it is a good use of the would've-been-church that Olympia built. Too big to simply be her tomb. Could house and protect a whole garden of flowers and shelter the bees from the elements."

[Zhym]

"Good idea," says Lug. "Bees that make a healing potion at a cleric's grave. It'd be kinda fitting."

"We can plant the tree on the way back to Vaul."

[Scott308]

Dorvar

I think Olympia would like that, knowing she is able to help people even after she is gone.

[MonkeyWrench]

Valorei comments to the group, "I believe Olympia would appreciate that... Both being able to help others more and having a beautiful array of flowers and honey to rest with her." He gives a small smile, never his usual self when talk of Olympia is brought up, most likely still in grief over the loss of a cherished friend. He looks to the group, "I believe going back to Vaul is the best course of action." with a spared glance to the tall lug, "And who knows, maybe those we came to save broke out themselves and are waiting back in town for us!" the forced optimism sounding a bit strained from the usually jolly elf.

[Keehnelf]

May 8, 1 VC - 2:20pm

The party agrees to head back south, beehive and sapling in hand, to find a proper resting place for both. Xavro provides what sustenance he can for the group, amounting to one day's rations apiece. The group heads back toward Vaul, trying to chart as straight a course south as possible, and crosses the creek they had rerouted by the end of the first day. As they wake the second day, they see ominous black smoke overhead and it becomes clear that between them and the edge of the forest, the flames have spread much further westward than in the north. They tack a bit more to the west, but by early afternoon it is clear that this direction of movement will lead them directly through the flames.

No need to deduct rations yet--Xavro's provisions were eaten the first night.

[Zhym]

"Sure am glad we didn't go into the forest fire," says Lug sarcastically as he glowers at the smoky barrier to his way home. "That would have been bad."

"Guess we better head west and hope we can outpace the fire," he says. "And maybe we'd better not camp in the forest again. Probably should have forged ahead last night to get out of the forest first. Anyway, west. Unless someone has a better idea?"

[Keehnelf]

Random wilderness encounter > extreme environmental conditions



Seemed a no-brainer what the result would be.