Lidia notes the storm that approaches will hit about dinner time... or about 6 hours past the noonday sun...
As you all make to the road that will lead you to the keep just outside of town your companion does note from time to time refugees heading along the road in the opposite direction as you are traveling many of them sick or effected in some way by the starfall... sadly there are more coffins carried by carts than really one person should ever see among these strung out refugees and there families....
(I will give you all time to stop passers by if you wish along the road if you care to... otherwise...)
As you get about 3 to 4 hours into your journey the clouds quickly approach your position... your companion has spotted some game and reports back to in it's normal manner to do so... luckily as you note the rapidly approaching storm you are offered shelter by a nearby farmer.. he offers your party his barn as 'port in the storm' so to speak and is willing to set up straw beds for you all if you need it....
Herein lies your first choice.... do you bunker down in lew of the storm or do you saunter off the beaten path first to find nourishment in form of small game a ways off the path?
__________________ Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust....... ok who casted disintegrate!? You Bastard! Has Returned! Check Us Out! Players Wanted!!!
Having lived and traveled with druids for some time already, Menhir will help Lidia in meeting the organics' need for sustenance by pointing out natural springs bubbling up through the earth as well as scooping up tubers, root vegetables and edible fungi along the way.
Berrek shows interest in refugees only if they appear similar to hobgoblins they fought earlier or if they are so hidden in their clotches that nothing can be seen as he would prefer to know if more enemies are going behind their backs.
"Lucky us, we have roof over our heads while the storm lasts."
Berrek murmurs, more for himself.
"Thank you, good sir, could we also purchase some of your fine food?"
The farmer frowns and shakes his head at the request to buy food and hangs his head....
"I heard you folk were coming this way... you've been talked about a lot lately.. but alas I cannot even offer my own hero's band of 6 food for the horrible storms that bring the 'star rain' as I call it has ruined nearly 2/3's my crop this year... I barely have enough to keep my own family and myself fed.... let alone my livestock....." the farmer regales to you all with shame and pain in his tone of voice....
__________________ Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust....... ok who casted disintegrate!? You Bastard! Has Returned! Check Us Out! Players Wanted!!!
Apart from the customary courtesies, Lidia shows little interest in the refuges.
Once at the barn, however, "I vote we stay in the barn. We all have rations and we can always go hunting once the storm has passed."
On hearing the farmer's tail of woe, Lidia will try to comfort him. "Don't worry good farmer. Everyone is struggling in these difficult times. All you can do is your best, no-one will expect more. We have our own supplies so will not go hungry. I am just sorry that we can't give you any food. However, our mission is important and we are limited in the supplies that we can carry."
"Changing the subject, apart from the storms have you noticed any other effects of the starfall. Strange monsters for instance?"
Providing that the party decide to settle in for the night, Lidia will call Shadow back. As he flies towards the barn he spots something on the ground and swoops down, flying back up with a dead rat in his talons. Finding a quite corner, Shadow makes short work of his dinner.
OCC:
How long will the storm last and what will the weather do after?
"Lydia, can you do anything for this poor man? He showed us kindness and it's hard time for him too. So you have something to bless his plants or his beasts or to make them more resistant somehow? Even if it's just his garden and not all of his crops?"
Berrek prepares few items and shelters them from the expected wind leaving them open to rain. (Maybe putting large stone(s)/brick(s) into barrel if available?)
The items are as follows:
small vial with some wide leaf or simple paper folded so it creates funel for rain to collect in the vial
piece of cloth or rope
piece of leather
copper coin
piece of steel (crossbow bolt point?)
piece of paper
piece of meat
The idea is that he wants to see if rainwater has some special effect(s) on different materials. Also, once the rain starts he will protect his head, bare one of his arms and put it outside to see the effect on human skin (if any). He is more then little apprehensive of starfall events, but is willing to risk what is (probably) minor effect in exchange gaining knowledge that could be used to restore his memory.
Last edited by Neurotic; 4th May 2009 at 02:57 PM..
“Indeed, no need to concern yourself my good man, the protection of your barn is more than enough assistance,” Eltyr adds once Lidia finishes comforting the farmer.
Once the farmer has left them, he says, “I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but I don’t think hunting is going to provide us with much sustenance considering the destruction caused by the star fall to the farmer's livestock and crops thus far, especially with another storm about to break,” before making himself comfortable in the barn where he can observe the storm.
"Berrek. Much as I would like to help the farmer. The relevant spells are complex and I have yet to master them." Later after seeing Berrek's preparations (assuming that there is time before the storm hits), Lidia will go off and examine the farmer's crops to see if she can tell what is effecting it.
Returning from checking the crops, Lida checks that everyone else is OK and performs healing on anyone that needs it. Settling down and chewing on some trail rations, she will raise the issue of watches. "What are we going to do about watches. It may seem safe here but as the attack in the hall shows, we are not safe anywhere."
As the storm closes in you all can hear the thunder rolling over you as lightning flashes dance over the dusk sky... As Berrek sets his items out the rain begins to drizzle a bit and slowly moves to more of a steady rainfall in minutes... some of his more heavy items such as the leather seem to have no effect on the rain but in the first few minutes of the storm he notes the lighter items... the paper for the funnel for instance or the cloth or even a bit of the rope starts to disintegrate rapidly a bit of acidic steam rising from each of the items as it does so. Once sticking his arm out into the rain he'd feel a bit of discomfort as the rain continued to fall more heavily to the point that if he did not bring his arm back in he risks rather potent acidic burns to his arm....(if you leave your arm out in the rain for more than a minute... please let me know ooc). The heavier items such as the metal items like the coin fare a bit better but if close enough to examine them one would note the items are also steaming a bit with acidic ware and left long enough in the rain might be weakened or even destroyed....
Lidia fare a bit better using her superior knowledge about the outdoors and nature notes that his crops have suffered huge amounts of destruction from the storms recently... as she's never dealt with this sort of problem before nothing of note comes to mind in ways to prevent this havoc caused by the starfall... perhaps a spell to protect from elements such as acid might help protect the crops... but as you have not had much experience with these storms before it is really only a guess....
Lidia makes sure everyone has proper tending to their wounds (add your level to the 1 hp you gain back tonight) and settles down finally to listen to the rain fall and snack a bit on her rations....
__________________ Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust....... ok who casted disintegrate!? You Bastard! Has Returned! Check Us Out! Players Wanted!!!
"What are we going to do about watches. It may seem safe here but as the attack in the hall shows, we are not safe anywhere."
Menhir's deep rumbling bass voice is jarring in the stillness of the barn since the elemental hasn't had need to speak since the group left town a few hours earlier. "I'll watch while you are in torpor." Only the elemental's featureless head and crystal studded shoulders are visible on the ground at the druidess' feet.
OOC
Does the barn seem sturdy enough to last a night in the rain or is it likewise in danger of collapse due to the acidic effect? How does the rain affect the earth itself? Does it remain erosive once it seeps down into the ground? Is it a danger to Menhir?
Anton is silent on the journey so far, reflective in the destruction the starfall has wrought, both on the earth and its people. Once in the barn he takes off his grand cloak and places it delicately next to his straw bed. Then he methodically takes his armor off to provide him some comfort in sleep. He unstraps and unclips multiple bindings until he is left with his under-armor padding.
Finally he speaks up, quiet and speculative, "What these people need is hope."
“Which I believe we’re providing in the best way we can Anton, by doing as the council requested,” Eltyr remarks, adding with a brief chuckle, “Though I’m certainly no authority in giving hope to people ... my skills lie in more esoteric areas.”
"The look on their faces though, it wasn't the look of hope, but the look of resignation," Anton pauses, looking downward for a moment. "I guess I can't blame them with this storm following them and looking over their heads, but for some people hope is all they have left, their former lives ruined. I feel it's important for us to provide that to them in whatever way we can."
Anton notices Berrik's reactions and watches intently, curious as to what he's finding.
The ground and in turn anything made OF ground seems to have the same effect as everything else has been having verses the rain... it's erosive and though this is a gradual it is still out of the ordinary to say the least... as most know the ground once things are absorbed into it.. acts much like a natural filter and as far as anyone can tell this does not seem to be of any magical make or the like... Menhir would know with his ties to geological knowledge that once transcending into the ground the rain is filtered to harmless water after about a foot of absorption....
Berrek's further study of the scarring on his arms tells him no more than one would already know.. the rain is VERY acidic and given enough time it would erode through most anything if the storm lasted long enough.. luckily most of these storms have never been reported to last more than a few hours at most... them seem to come in surges as well sometimes a storm like this is not seen for weeks.. other times it's daily for a short period of time... very sporadic and not really fixed times or dates as to when these storms hit...
The barn is worn on the walls and doorways a bit from past storms over the last few weeks.. but whoever built this particular barn knew what they were doing and it is a fairly new building so it looks as though it would hold strong.. even in the face of many more acidic rains such as this...
__________________ Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust....... ok who casted disintegrate!? You Bastard! Has Returned! Check Us Out! Players Wanted!!!
"Thank you Menhir. I was hoping you would volunteer." Happy that Menhir will protect the party while they rest and that the barn will withstand the storm, Lidia removes her armor and settles down for the night. Letting the noise of the storm lull her to sleep. She will get up every few hours to check up on her patients. Eventually waking half an hour before dawn to pray and learn spells.
The earth elemental remains as is, sunken in the ground as its companions undress and settle in to rest during the coming hours of darkness. It had taken Menhir some time to understand that this form of torpor was natural for most organic creatures. It knew that they'd likely revive after some time spent languishing, though it also knew that wasn't always the case. The elemental had encountered a sufficient number of bodies entered beneath the ground in various states of decomposition to know that all organic beings eventually returned to the earth from which they'd arisen. These observations had led Menhir to conclude that their state of torpor was an admirable form of communion with the earth.
Not wanting to disturb their torpid communion, Menhir passes quietly beneath the wall of the barn to survey the surrounding topography. Throughout the night it lazily circles the barn while regularly poking its head up above ground briefly to ensure that nothing approaches unseen.
After concluding his experiment, Berrek observes the storm for some time and then goes to sleep. He sleeps little bit aside from others and as high as he can (if there is loft it would be perfect).
"Good night everyone, enjoy it, it may be some time before we can rest comfortably."
Rathan
You didn't answer what you think about the flaw proposal. And also, how do you like The Black Hand? I'd like the party to see the ghost before we enter dangerous teritory, but I understand that it will show when it inconveniences me, not when I'd like it to
If you could give me an overview in the ooc about the flaw proposal that would be a wonderful refresher as I can't find the exact reference you are referring to.... and what ghost? again.. need a refresher.. if you want to pm me with the details again so I don't have to go all over creation to find them that would be most helpful....
__________________ Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust....... ok who casted disintegrate!? You Bastard! Has Returned! Check Us Out! Players Wanted!!!
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
