Arca Terra, Chapter One:

[FloatingDisc]

Thalak bows, smiling, then beckons you to follow him as he walks away from the inn. You notice he has a pack on his back already.

In low words, Thalak explains to Dashiel that he got advance warning of the mission from Correus, and is ready to leave on the mission. You notice Dashiel's tone isn't much different to how he speaks to you and Sul.

Thalak leads you both out of the city, and soon you are standing above the fishing district, and the flora has changed from low grasses to shrubs and some trees. A little way off is the forest, and behind it, foothills and a low mountain range. Thalak produces a map drawn on parchment from a pocket in his billowing robes and unrolls it before you both.

OOC: We'll try a skill challenge now. It would've worked better if we had Thalak actually playing, but we'll give it a go anyway. I'm not really sure how it's supposed to run - it sound slike just a bunch of skill checks in a row, but we'll see how you go...


Dashiel indicates three areas of the map marked with arcane signs. He asks Thalak to identify them. Thalak rolls a 3, an 8 and a 13, one of which succeeds. He identifies a magical trap. The three of you have to set off into the wild without knowing what the other two signs mean. Dashiel makes a nature check to try to plot a good course up the mountain to the King of Rats' hideout. He rolls a 1. You set off on the crappiest course ever, and before long are covered in scratches and bruises, and have barely avoided being bitten by snakes and spiders. Make an endurance roll. Do you have athletics or acrobatics?

 

[Dire Lemming]

OOC: Endurance roll. 18

Corrin, already annoyed at the arrogant Dashiel's demeanor is not finding himself impressed by the man's pathfinding skills. "Dashiel, do you know where you're going?" He asks somewhat less than calmly as he skewers another snake with his sword.

 

[FloatingDisc]

Dashiel replies, uncertainly edging into his voice for the first time:
"Of course I do! I just want to see what you to make of this little scribble on the map. The handwriting's terrible." He shows you the map, indicating a short passage. You recognise it as elvish. It reads "IN IT'S TIME, THE MOUNTAIN SHALL MOVE". Somewhat cryptic, but that's elves for you.

Dashiel grunts by way of showing his appreciation for your help, and presses on at a fast pace, uphill through the thick scrub. You keep up with him easily (despite being in heavy armour), much to his annoyance. A constant dull roar can be heard in the distance. You recognise it as a waterfall. Presently the path leads to the top of the waterfall. It leads up to the water's edge and becomes a series of stepping stones leading across the narrow river, before continuing on the other side. As you approach, Dashiel seems to lag behind strangely, seemingly intent on studying the map again. Make an intuition check. Intuition is a skill as well, wisdom based. So if you don't have the skill just roll d20 and add your wisdom modifier. You probably know that already actually...

 

[Dire Lemming]

My rolls are 21 on insight and 12 on nature.

 

[FloatingDisc]

You and Thalak are halfway across the river, stepping carefully across the stones, when your halfling-sense tingles!

You whirl around on Dashiel, and see him deliberately aggrivating what looks to your untrained eyes like a giant anthill. He gives a sinister laugh, and shouts at you both: "I'll show Correus I don't need you two! I'll show him I'm a man too!" With that, he gives the anthill a sharp kick and bounds away back down the trail, laughing to himself.

A chittering, skittering sound comes from the anthill, and Thalak gasps "Kruthiks!" as two angry looking chitinous beetles emerge from the ground. They pause to emit a high, chittering cry, which is answered from across the stream, on the far bank. The kruthik hatchlings scuttle towards you!

Roll initiative, please! I'll post the map in a second.

 

[Dire Lemming]

OOC: Initiative is 14 The dice roller seems to like me.

Corrin reaches for his sword, shouting after the retreating idiot, "Damn you Dashiel! I knew you were an an ass, but I never expected you to be this stupid! Have you never heard any stories!? Your type always gets killed off!" With that gotten out of the way, he prepares to meet the enemy. "Thalak, you know what these are? Can they swim?"

 

[FloatingDisc]

So, on the map the big red T is Thalak and the two little k's are kruthik hatchlings. You can choose where within 3 squares of Thalak you start. Either edit the picture yourself, or just give me the grid coordinates, and I'll update and repost the map each round. That's probably easiest.

 

[FloatingDisc]

Initiative order:

Thalak 20
Corrin 14
kruthik hatchlings 12

Thalak goes first, and you hear his voice decend into previously unheard registers as he mutters something fey, and a bead of flame leaps from his outstretched palm towards the bugs. The scatter at it's approach, dodging it easily.

Corrin's turn.

 

[FloatingDisc]

Thalak replies: "I'd say not, nor can they fly, thank the gods! These are just infant kruthiks, but I fancy I heard the call of their sire from across the stream, and I shouldn't be overly shocked if he were to make an appearance in the not-too-distant future!" Thalak's hands begin to weave before him, conjuring and binding the elements into a tangible magical weapon...

 

[Dire Lemming]

Corrin grunts in annoyance at the situation. It just had to be when they were crossing the river. He was going to make sure Dashiel didn't die if he could help it... No, if he had his way Dashiel would live to regret his stupidity. On the topic of the situation though, he couldn't swim in his armor, no way. So he'd have to get to land. With that in mind he dashes towards the shore with the two hatchlings.