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Post by AxeMental on May 16, 2008 6:55:00 GMT -5
Within an hour you depart your camp. For the next day you travel down the piney threw the heart of the black forest where the canopy gets so thick you'd almost need light to read by. The canopy pushes in and lowers above the river until its only 15 feet above your head, and many vines and plants hang down into the water needing to be cut. Luckly no random encounters occure (though the ranger swares he senses things watching now and then).
Eventually you pop out of the gloom as you enter a larger lake sometime in the late afternoon. The trees are pushed back by the body of water...and for the first time in days the sun is free to shine. Smoke can be seen in the distance on the east shore, and several cottage roofs can be made out as well as a mill with turning wheel. 2 men peer out from a small field not far from the houses looking at you with smiles The river continues near the mill, so you'll have to get close to the village anyway to pass. One of the men yells out "Good flying turnips, did you folks come down that river. we ain't seen travelers in 6 months!" The other villager leaves and then a few moments later with some other villagers all waving from the shore. A bearded fellow of 45 or so comes out and holds up a staff. "I'm Gilly the villages leader, and I bid you all welcome! Come and rest yourselves, and tell us of your travels". Your presently 200 feet away, do you wish to go over?
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Post by The Master on May 16, 2008 7:08:44 GMT -5
I assume we are at Grime?
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Post by AxeMental on May 16, 2008 7:42:35 GMT -5
No this looks like some tiny village out in the middle of the deep forest (and from the looks of it very isolated from the rest of the world).
Grime is a big city on the edge of the ocean built on cliffs. First you'll need to take the river threw the forest, past the Gaspar Fens and then finally when it empties into the ocean head south to grime along the rocky cliffs. The river lets out about 50 miles north of Grime, so a couple of days of sailing should get you there. On the way down the river, Calhagn and Ermanaric (both with ample sailing experiance) have already been discussing how to rig up sales for the ocean voyage home.
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Post by The Master on May 16, 2008 8:11:48 GMT -5
Well, we might as well approach the townsfolk, let's keep the princess coverd with a cloak or something. We don't want to give away her identity .
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Post by trp2fan on May 16, 2008 8:35:37 GMT -5
"Maybe, because of the last few weeks, I'm on edge", Calhagn says quietly to the group. "But, my first thought wouldn't be to immediately invite to supper a group like us, especially if we're coming out of that forest", the fighter adds pointing astern with a jerk of his thumb over his shoulder. "Grime is our destination, and I suggest we keep our bow pointed to it." OOC: Besides, we have a mage waiting in the wings.
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Post by AxeMental on May 16, 2008 9:37:58 GMT -5
OOC: Sorry TRP we cross posted. If you read that village description, just think of it as some sort of preminition, a dream you had and forgot.
The group nods at the smiling villagers, but keep bows and weapons at the ready (Fletcher not sure what to think, as a ranger its his tendency to meet up with humans seperated out in the wilds and see what they know, etc. he thinks it odd they are so well secured in this place), but the group not in total agreement follow the side of caution (and Cals gutt).
As the group nears the shore the town leader says "I wouldn't go down that river right now, I'd wait till morning. There's a nasty dragon that drinks from a spot in the river downstream about a mile and then naps there, and he'll want tribute to pass, maybe even meat. Better stay with us, he'll be gone by tomarrow. He leaves us alone because we pay tribute in food and wine and the occasional cow or deer. " The people seem friendly but almost too friendly. Just then the princess points toward shore and cries out "its my brother"!!! Following her finger the group sees the young man, he sure looks like the paintings you've seen of the prince. He waves at the princess with a wide smile and runs back into a stand of trees behind the village.
Gilly smiles in delight "Oh, I see you know our guest. We call him Notch, we found him along the river nearly dead with a nasty cut on his head. When we nursed him back he didn't remember who he was or anything else for that matter. He helps out at the smithy. Why don't you all come ashore for some food. We were about to eat lunch. Then you can reunite with Notch, maybe you can remind him of who he is."
What does the group wish to do?
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Post by subdolus on May 16, 2008 9:45:15 GMT -5
Subdolus wispers to Sogathan, "You wouldn't be able to detect evil would you? Something doesn't seem right and with a dragon at least we would know where we stand."
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Post by trp2fan on May 16, 2008 9:57:37 GMT -5
"No, this is not right. If that is indeed the prince, and he did recognize his sister, why would he run away? Unless, of course, it's to lure the princess away. There's something about this place, I dunno, can't put my finger on it ... hazy ... like a dream. No, more like a nightmare. If the safety of the princess is now our number one concern, we should give this place a wide berth."
Calhagn will bet that there's no real dragon down river. At least, no dragon with any self esteem to sate itself with the odd pig, cow or deer anyway, while there's a defenseless village just upriver.
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Post by Ska on May 16, 2008 10:24:35 GMT -5
Tiberious agrees with the group that we should keep our distance from this village.
The monk though, will try to call for a bird of some sort, offer it food, and ask for it to fly by where the prince ran off and return to tell the monk what it sees. We can keep very far back in the boat while the bird spy flies about.
Tiberious is also carefully watching the water to see if anything is disturbing the surface. He suggest we keep the boat moving in case anything is crossing the bottom and approaching from below the boat.
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Post by AxeMental on May 16, 2008 12:11:01 GMT -5
Tiberius summons a crow, who after getting paid a nice silver piece takes off to his nest and then to investigate. A few minutes later the bird crows back "the blond man ran into the woods all right. He sits carving a stick by a stream humming, but he's odd, I wouldn't go near hims. Also, a bald man waits across the river hidden in a bush. he holds a strange circle with shiney things on them that ring. Kind of made me dizzy when I heard them". The bird than flys around the boat a few more times and leaves.
The people watch in amazement as the bird seems to take interest with this odd fellow. "Wazzut say'n tuh yahz?" says an old red haired fat lady with a look of amazement.
Looking at the cautious behavior of the group Gilly says "Suite yourselves my friends, either come or go it makes no difference to us". He then signals the villagers to get back to work and starts back to his cottage.
The princess yells out "We have to go to the aid of the prince, I command it!" For the first time you see the mark of nobelty and the absolute command she is accustomed to, then, "Please....he is my brother".
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Post by AxeMental on May 16, 2008 15:51:11 GMT -5
It looks as if she might jump in...you wonder if she is of sound mind by the frantic tone she takes.
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Post by trp2fan on May 17, 2008 14:22:23 GMT -5
Calhagn will try to grab the princess and prevent her from jumping overboard.
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Post by zargonthelucid on May 17, 2008 21:50:59 GMT -5
Zargon also moves to keep the princess in the boat. All the talk about dragons that might not really be dragons has confused him. At least he knows enough to shoot or stab most dragons.
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Post by AxeMental on May 18, 2008 8:28:08 GMT -5
The princess is held in place while the boat pulls past the village and starts heading down river. "Your making a terrible mistake" Gilly says, loosing his smile along with the other villagers, not so much worry...blanker then that. They all stare at you as you pass, and continue to like zombies until your out of site. After the boat travels perhaps 1/10 mile you hear distant screaming from the direction of the village, horrific and high pitched, almost like the slaughtering of pigs. The group continues on in a hurry for a mile as the forest grows closer in once again, pushing in on their little boat....eventually they slow as a thick mist lies up ahead in their path, rising from a vast forested but boggy area, obscuring vision to only 10 feet. Its clear the spring melt has overflowed many areas of the river, but where your heading now looks almost like a cypruss marsh on both sides. Do you wish to push on, return to the village, or do something else.
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Post by AxeMental on May 18, 2008 9:29:18 GMT -5
To save time I'll assume the group pushes on. After moving threw this mist for about an hour (going a few more miles) visibility continues to get worse (about 8 feet) and its clear your crossing threw a boggy swamp vast in size with many channels leading into and out of the main river. If it weren't for the ranger, several times it was possible the wrong branch might have been taken (even still Fletcher can't be certain).
The ranger, still at the helm suddenly holds his hand up wispering to the others "trouble". A fraction of a second later and WHAM!!!! as if a huge explosion of violence explodes beneath the bow of the boat pushing it skyward 8 feet at an extreme angle dumping out Fletcher, Sogathan, Zargon, Subdolus, the dwarf, the princess and Calhagan (the others manage to stay in as the boat crashes back down into the water now with a foot long gash across its bow, causing it to quickly sink).
Despite not being completely surprised, those in the water struggle to get their footing to stand (also Fletcher, Sog and Cal loose their swords and staff in the chaos the others manage to hang on to to theirs). You can touch bottom with your feet and attempt stand in the thick muck. Rushing forward from where the boat was almost flipped is a huge pile of muck and moss, a heap of vegitation that suddenly stands into a a mass with arms and legs! By the gods a huge shambling mound! (RME)
The group in the water is prone as the monster rushes toward Zargon by chance the closest. With incredible luck (something the fighter is well accustomed to) the shambling mound misses with its blows (3,4) as a tree trunk submerged below the water stops its forward progress. Initiative: Monster 4, group 2. The monster quickly tosses the swollen log into the air as if it were nothing but a twig and continues after the brave fighter, this time hitting with 1 arm causing 14 pts of damage (the second misses). What does the group wish to do?
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