D&D 5E (2014) Witcher: Mother of Monsters

[Azurewraith]

"Well your more than welcome to join me, provided you can keep up." Tamaran Smirks back a slight tone of indignation in his voice.

 

[Queenie]

Talashia nods with satisfaction. "Take us where they grow, and we'll watch your back and help you search. Well done, Elora."

"Not to impose on an elder race," Talashia says with a smirk, "But I think we should avoid splitting up. I wouldn't be surprised if 'old Nan' has surprises in store for those on her trail."

"Thank you Tal, it just took a bit of remembering." She thoroughly explains what the plants look like and what kinds of area they can be found in.

"I don't know this area, though, our intrepid elven friend should be the one with that knowledge. And I agree, we shouldn't split up, not now. If we hadn't been at full force last night, something terrible might have happened."

Elora follows the elf to the water and begins her search for the rare purple flower.

 

[Shayuri]

"Well your more than welcome to join me, provided you can keep up." Tamaran Smirks back a slight tone of indignation in his voice.

"Ah, the legendary humility and courtesy of the Fair Folk. Truly the stories do it no justice."

Talashia chuckles and follows Elora and Tamaran into the wilds.

 

[Quickleaf]

The slow-flowing Arel River is deep enough for canoes and longboats with a shallow draft to maneuver, though the further west it flows the more the river becomes overgrown with weeping willows, alders, oaks, and shrubs. As you reach the bridge at the northern trail into town, you are faced with a dilemma – search upriver (east) toward the hamlet of Upper Posada and ultimately Dol Blathanna, or search downriver (west) toward the dark forest known as the Czernhurst? Upriver would put you closer to elven lands, and possibly would make finding a rare elven herb more likely. While downriver would also allow you to skirt some fallow fields and harvest ergot seeds given a few extra hours.

GM: Whoever rolls will need to decide which direction to go in, or you can decide collectively. [MENTION=6798581]Azurewraith[/MENTION] assuming Tamaran is taking point, make a DC 18 Survival check or Investigation check to search for Feainnewedd. You have advantage because Elora (and probably other PCs) is Helping you. Friendship. If you search upriver, you also get a +1 bonus to your check. On a success, you must spend 10 hours searching, minus a number of hours equal to the difference between DC 18 and your check result. I'll be making random encounter checks as you search, and the timing may also effect how things unfold with the sorceress Margarita. On a great success of 23+, same as a success (min. 5 hour search), plus you may choose one of the following: you avoid all random encounters. (if you went upriver) you discover a grove of Feainnewedd, allowing you to harvest six times more than what's strictly needed to fill the mortar-and-pestle. (if you went upriver) you stumble upon an interesting site of exploration, likely something druidic or elven. (if you went downriver) you harvest ergot seeds on a short side trek as part of your search - no additional time required. (if you went downriver) you receive a sign from the sorceress Margarita or her white raven familiar. On a failure, you spend 10 hours searching to no avail and can't find Feainnewedd. Random encounters still may happen, however. To try again you'll need to consult with a local herbalist, elves, druid, wise woman, or herbarium book and get a better idea of where to search. On a great failure of 13 or less, you spend 10 hours searching to no avail (same as a failure), and everyone must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer a level of exhaustion, and you must choose one of the following: while your party is spread out wide searching, some of you stumble into a deadly encounter with a monster! you are stalked or ambushed by the elven renegade Tamelore, who is after Odvara! (if you went upriver) locals notice you searching and react negatively, assuming the worst about an elf scouting near the village! (if you went downriver) you and Elora confuse purple-colored beggartick blossoms - a poisonous hallucinogen - for Feainnewedd by mistake!

 

[Queenie]

OOC: Yeah, I think this is Tamaran's thing...

 

[Azurewraith]

"Heading to Czernhurst would get us closer to the fields, two birds with one stone."Tamaran heads off west seething slightly at the previous comments.

OOC: [roll0] [roll1] Just in case the wolf can grab a scent.[roll2] [roll3]

 

[Quickleaf]

Making your way downriver, away from the village, you find it slow going both due to the sloped riverbanks and the need to keep your eyes peeled for a rare purple flower no larger than a child's palm. Even covering one mile of river every hour barely allows you enough time to conduct a fairly thorough search. Passing the northern bridge, you notice some farmers watching you quietly as they thresh a golden field of hops. Further west you follow downriver, keeping an eye out for a fallow wheat field where you might easily find some ergot "seeds."

After the first hour, you come to the edge of the fallow fields, a quarter mile stretch of rocks and heather before the edge of the Czernhurst. Squinting your eyes, you can make out what appears to be a stone totem covered in moss at the edge of the woods.

GM: Random encounter check (daytime 18+) _: 1D20 = [17] = 17 no encounter If you're gathering ergot "seeds" (as part of your great success Survival check), just let me know. If you're doing something else instead, let me know.

 

[Shayuri]

Tired of grubbing about for plants, Talashia takes advantage of the distraction offered by the old stone thing and goes to get a better look at the totem. Squinting down at the half-obscured thing, she tries to clear some of the moss away by scraping at it with a dagger.

 

[Quickleaf]

A short walk across the heather and stones leads Talashia to the totem. It stands nearly seven-feet tall at the very edge of the Czernhurst, an amalgam of ecstatically dancing women forming the base with a three-sided horned beast at the top – one face facing the NNW, one the SSW, and the third seeming to leer down at the viewer. By clearing away some of the moss, Talashia discovers that the strange rain-weathered shapes engraved throughout the totem were actually originally carved bats. To be this weathered and covered in moss...the totem must be very old indeed.

At the base of the totem are a few lumps of melted orange wax - all that remains of some candles - and dried flower garlands along with a few scattered copper coins now turned blue-green with verdigris.

 

[Quickleaf]

GM: Ok, players have spoken, so I'm going with the white raven option for your great success [MENTION=6798581]Azurewraith[/MENTION]. Nice of you to put it to a vote

[SECTION]Talashia has barely begun inspecting the totem, when you notice a white bird causing a commotion above the river. Tamaran's wolf is the first to perk its head up, for wolves and ravens have had a strange relationship ever since the dawn of time, a low rumble in its throat drawing Tamaran's attention as well. A white raven flutters down atop the totem, its feathers ruffled and agitated, its pale eyes hyper-vigilant. It croaks once, loudly, to make sure it has Talashia's attention, then chuck-clucks to itself before fixing its breast plumage.[/SECTION]

[SBLOCK=Talashia]@Shayuri recognizes the white raven as Margarita's familiar.[/SBLOCK]

[SBLOCK=Barakor]@Aramalian Barakor's Divine Sense recognizes the white raven as celestial in origin, not a common beast.[/SBLOCK]