[Adventure]: Shards of Eldanarth (DM: MadAzolin, Judge: ??)

[MetaVoid]

"I disagree. Why would they spot us this far into the growth? And siding only plays the role if we get into the fight. Once we see trolls are winning we switch sides to help the hunters and thus ensure maximum damage from both sides. Trolls just passed us by, any attacking would mean they have to backtrack and then catch us, all that assuming they don't fight the hunters. Why would you assume hunters won't have this exit watched even if they don't fight the trolls? All we've accomplished then is having some time off."

 

[jbear]

Kane flicks his coin into the air. "I d-don't understand. Do you m-mean f-for us to c-cross through the swamp in the t-troll's wake? Or b-back t-track in the t-troll's wake towards the h-hunters?" Kane appears genuinely confused

[sblock=OOC]Perhaps we should decide out of character what we want to do or this is going to be a back and forth disagreement that might take forever. I will have Kane fall in line with the consensus even if he disagrees. He has charisma as his dump stat so I always play him that he does not stand up strongly for the ideas he has.

But I do definitely feel like I am arguing for a plan that you [MENTION=87106]MetaVoid[/MENTION] came up with:

I say we enter the swamp and make them think we'll try to force our way through. Let them go around with someone going after us to keep us going. We attack that party and then hunker down in the swamp, waiting for hunting moon to set. Then we go while we're safe."

Which is a bit weird. The original idea has definitely changed. So let's clarify what it is we are going to do now. Because at the moment it seems like suddenly we are just going to try and get through the swamp because a few trolls have run past us. Two things I think we should consider before we make a decision:

1) Are we assuming they are the only trolls in this swamp? Why would the hunters hesitate to enter the swamp if there was only a handful of trolls
2) Didn't [MENTION=24380]Neurotic[/MENTION] say that it seemed they were trying to force us into the swamp? If this is true then wouldn't just cutting through the swamp be an eventuality they expect?

What would be the draw back of waiting here, trying to get an extended rest, and setting off before the Peaceful moon so that we hit the other side of the swamp where the hunters may be waiting for us in the truce period? Worst comes to worst we could walk right through them if they have indeed cut off that exit. And carry on or merry way.

Question: [MENTION=6747396]MadAzolin[/MENTION] How much longer do we need to survive before the truce period? How long does the truce period last? Are we able to tell how much of the swamp we were able to border before we entered and then calculate how much longer it would take us to get to the other side of the swamp?

Question: What rituals do we have available to us to make it easier to get through the swamp and be harder to find?
[/sblock]

 

[MetaVoid]

OOC: [MENTION=75065]jbear[/MENTION], the plan called for passing through the swamp while hunters moon is up so we can move OUT of the swamp while it's peaceful. And passing through the swamp is safer if we travel the way where the trolls came from for several reasons: 1. they cleared the path of plant life 2. they cleared the path of monsters/predators 3. we're behind them traveling in the opposite direction If we wait for the silver moon in the cave and then spend the whole of the night walking through( or even around) the swamp, we gained nothing (except extended rest) If I remember correctly, it was a toss up between going around and going through and obviously way around is somehow obscured. My vote is to push through.

 

[MadAzolin]

[sblock="nature DC 20"] While it is not difficult to say how long until Hunter's moon sets, especially from this position - sky is barely visible through the canopy, your hunch is it will be several more hours.

As for crossing the swamp, it didn't seem that swamp is very wide, so if everything goes allright, you would expect to cross it before 'the morning'.
[sblock="nature DC 25"] After some more thinking and counting, you are fairly certain it will be around 5 hours before the moon sets. [/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[MadAzolin]

Deciding not to rest here for prolonged time, companions set forth through the swamp. With no easy and clear path ahead, travel goes slowly as party wanders through knee deep mud, breaks through choking vines and circles around pools too deep to cross without swimming.
Pale illumination from far-away lamps and glittering mist that permeates the area mixes with occasional ray of blood red radiance of Hunter's moon piercing the canopy, strange illumination barely strong enough for human to see anything. Deep shadows cover the area, some of them seemingly moving as if having will of their own and hushed sounds of some strange creatures echo from the distance - it seems that deep mist mutes the sounds as well as vision.

 

[Neil1889]

Lilli seems rather morose and pre-occupied about the waist/chest high mud.

"First chance I get, I'm casting Fastidiousness to clean this crap off and if Water Walking lasted longer than hour, I'd have used it," she grumbles softly.

[sblock=Nature check] 15. Nope, not from this gal.[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

Mutely Kane forges ahead, conceding his own stand point with a scowl and bared teeth. He may have muttered 'fools' beneath his breath but it is hard to tell. He does his beast to make their progress as easy and less fraught with danger as possible, using the trail left by the trolls for as long as possible until it becomes clear they must forge their own path towards their destination.

Nature 15

 

[MetaVoid]

"We have about 5 hours before the moon sets and as we entered the swamp in the fairly narrow strip, we have a good chance of avoiding any more trouble. Even if we run into trolls, I believe the hunters, or warriors, of the tribe were in that group that just passed us. We might encounter women, children and elderly, maybe few guards or wounded, but not whole of the tribe. I don't know much about trolls, but I doubt they will bother us while they are weakened thus."


Nature (1d20+10=25)

 

[Neurotic]

OOC: I can do no better then 25 and MetaVoid already passed the roll and told the party, so, let's move on.

"Excellent, that decides it. Move out!"

 

[MadAzolin]

Tracking through the marsh, party suddenly finds themselves against virtually impenetrable terrain – water is deeper here, silver mist thicker and vines as thick as man covered with brilliantly covered thorns dripping with venom cover everything.
Suddenly,thorns and vines start flowing and within moments, everyone is surrounded by briar barrier...

Merry laughter echoes somewhere in the vicinity, sounding most like girl playing with her favorite toy