- Branwen and the statue Branwen examines the statue. Gets the feeling that, once upon a time, as a small man, this statue reminds her of someone from their recent past.
We ruminate on who Cricket-Branwen would have seen that none of the rest of us would have. We had found a quill in the tower where we freed the man trapped in shadow. He was a watcher, as the stone statues spoke of him.
We decide that Storr most definitely took the quill from cricket before we set him on fire.
Prydyh is the name of the man in the statue. He wrote the poem on his statue.
Balz remembers suddenly, a passage from the tower:
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Deeper still into geologic gold*
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Like a sword sheathed in meteors*
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I plunged my turbulent and tender hand*
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Into the most genital of earthly places*
This fellow reached into the earth at the base of a tree, it seems.
1. Journey
1. # Roles
Scout (Exploration) - Silas (+6)
Look-out (Perception) - Krambler (+8)
Hunter (Hunting) Storr (+3)
Guide (Travel) Balthazar (+4)
1. # Events
(Our guide rolls a 15, so the first event is three days away)> [!note] Image: The journey to Meander.png
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Event one, Day 3:** Ill Choice. Target: Krambler. Success. +2 fatigue saving throw. <
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Event two, Day 4:** Despair. Failure. Silas is scouting and yells in horror. They all come running. There’s a grizzly trail leading off into the woods where it looks like someone has been maimed and dragged off into the woods in the hills. We look around, the forest is dark and disturbing. As we look around we see huge marks that we determine to be the footprints of the giant insect creatures coming down out of the hills. Everyone gains one shadow point because of this grizzly scene, +2 fatigue saving throw.
Storr is now miserable. (Now has 6 shadow points, which is more than half her wisdom score (11).) Our fellowship rating goes down from 6 to 5. Storr now automatically fails throws of 1 and 2.
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Event 3, Day 5:** Small mishap, +1 fatigue saving throw. K (target) on the lookout, he was waiting and mistook Arthen for a wild beast in the woods, there was a but of a scuffle between he silas and arthen, everyone calmed down, no bones broken.
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Event 4, Day 9 (8 travel days):** We arrive in Meander.
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Downtime
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We all roll 8d20 for the downtime skill building.
1. # Exhaustion saving throw
DC is 15. Silas takes 1 level. (exhaustion rules are the same as 5e, PHB pg 291.)> Osgog rules: a short rest in a safe location reduces your exhaustion level by one
We’re keeping track of shadow points and skill tallies in the NOTES section of our character sheets.
1. Meander
We approach a fishing area. There are reeds and rougher terrain at our backs. In the river, folks are fishing.
We speak with a villager. We tell him we’re headed into the mountains in the winter land. He’s confused why we arrived through the reeds.
Do you have an inn?
Yes, it’s right over there.
Seen any strange happenings from this direction?
No, I don’t think so.
We ask about the child and Musk. He doesn’t know what we’re talking about.
Is there a chief or a mayor of this village? Someone in charge?
No.
Blessed Day. (Raven Queen’s blessings upon you)
- Awkward wave*
We make our way to the inn.
We have trouble determining what we need. There’s talk of accommodating the bear, but Silas assures everyone that the two of them can sleep outside. We dcide on the three Bs: beer, bed, burger. Not in that order. The innkeeper goes off makes that happen.
The inn isn’t particularly crowded. Storr doesn’t seem to notice anyone giving them the side eye. Storr is somehow already hammered (it’s the hot weather, she’s a winter woman). People see that we’re there, but they don’t seem concerned. No one’s watching us.
Avel is our server.
Everyone turns in. Silas and Arthen are under the stars.
We cross the large bridge from the inn over the river to a center island. Some of the huts are standing on pillars over the water. Pretty marshy. Elevated wooden walkways. People are out and about, going their business, setting traps, paddle boats, some folks had been hunting in the woods nearby.
The waterways and large bridges would allow for decent sized barges with horses.
Weak about the city and how to travel there. No one there right now would know anything. The innkeeper would.
Therer’s a carpenter, a leatherworker, a blacksmith.
Storr goes to the blacksmith and asks if he could spruce up the bronze katana and dagger. Have you seen weapons like this?
Haven’t seen weapons like this often, but they are around. A couple of gold pieces.
Storr gives him three for his haste. Any strange occurrences?
You’re here. Who are you?
Storr. Missing infant with a man. Mean anything to you?
No.
Storr is suspicious. Storr asks why his reaction is so WEIRD. Why are you weirded out?? Is there something wrong.
No particular reason. I didn’t think I was being awkward. Here’s your stuff back. If you need something else, I’ll be around.
Inkeeper may be a few days, but there’s usually a few people coming up and down the river, may not be going to the city.
How do we earned a boat?
Give you a boat? I mean I dont’ have one large enough to carry your party, somewhat expensive. There’s a boatwright in the east of the village.
Wood insect give you any trouble?
Oh, well, the deeper you go into the woods, there’s many unnam,ed things. Woods get pretty dark between here and where you came from. I don’t go ther, but sometimes wayward travelers get lost and you hear stories.
Storr recalls the Red Blade story with the bug attack. Innkeeper has heard of the red blade. Also of the raven queen, as an “evil witch.”
Ever hear of an ancient bear?
Sometimes hear about a sleeping bear. It growls and rumbles and rolls in his sleep, and the wind blows and the earth shakes.
(They seem to have the same myths and legends as our land.)
Potential options:
- We could jump on board with folks that come into town
- There is a boatwright that we can talk to to see if he can build us something.