pneumatik's WotBS 2 - The Indomitable Fire Forest of Innenotdar

[pneumatik]

The door to the closet is locked. The lock yields to the party's combined efforts. Inside you find some basic housekeeping supplies and, on the top shelf, a small paper packet with "For later study" written on it in common. It also has a sleepy face drawn on it and some words written in what you believe is goblin.

Inside the packet are seven small and blackened seeds. Those who read Bhurisrava's journal recognize these as something he mentioned called "dream seeds". He said they were taken from the corpses of goblins who helped set and spread the forest fire, forty years ago. According to a speak with dead spell the seeds are supposed to create prophetic visions of a "dream realm", but Bhurisrava did not experience any visions after taking one and did not want to risk taking any more. The goblins had been natives to caves under the forest who had been hired by an orc who claimed to be Ragesian, but Bhurisrava couldn't find out anything more about them.

"I don't trust anything from goblins," Torrent says. "I don't care if you guys want to try the creepy goblin seeds, but please wait to do it until after we've gotten some rest."

In response to Liiros' questions about time she takes out a simple map of the Fire Forest. "It looks like it's about ten miles, maybe farther, to the mouth of the White River. Indominitability wanted us to 'follow the river', by which it meant the White River. So if we follow it downstream we get to a lake that it empties into after around, uh, seven miles from here. You guys also want to look around for whatever Bhurisrava hid, which I'm assuming is somewhere over in that village across the river since we've already looked around this tower. So let's say one day to look around the village and go to the mouth of the White River. Assuming there's still a refuge there after forty years we'll rest there for the night. The second next day we'll follow the White River to its end at the lake. From there, *sigh* it's another day to get back to the elfroad and leave the forest. Assuming, of course, that there aren't any other problems."

Assuming there are no objections, the party rests until morning. It's only dinner time, so you have some down time to relax before going to sleep. The oppressive heat is a nice change of pace from the mountain winter cold. With Indomitability's boon taking the edge off the heat, you actually sleep pretty well and awake the next morning refreshed.


[sblock=OOC]I realized my previous post was unclear. The closet wasn't otherwise empty, the third floor was.[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

[sblock=OOC] Oh ok got you on the closet I am not against resting the night and can use my healing before bed to save charges. Well edit in a new spell list tonight.

BTW Shouldn't we inspect the villiage first as it is closer or is it in the fire area in which case that would be very hard to do. Are we thinking that after we help Indominitability the fire will lessen and we can safely search the villiage? [/sblock]

 

[pneumatik]

From inside the tower you can clearly see the village across the White River. It's perhaps 100 feet away. It sits in a clearing and the elfroad passes right through it, so you can easily explore it without taking much time or exposing yourselves to the full force of the Fire Forest.

 

[HolyMan]

Sleeping uncomfortable for most of the night, probably do to being indoors. Shaylir and Fritz both look tired when they are awakened in the morning.

While eating some traveler's bread the halfling yawns and says, "When will we be out of this forest again? I think maybe tonight me and Fritz will sleep outside fire or no."

[sblock=Stats]
HP: 21/21
AC: 19
Init: +3
Fort: +7
Reflex: +4
Will: +8(+9)

Spells:
Druid
0- Create Water (2/2), Guidance, Detect Magic,
1- Shillelagh, Stand the Heat, Cure Light Wounds(2/2)- 1d8+3

Cleric
0- Mending, Resistance, Read Magic
1- Bless, Protection from Evil, Cure Light Wounds(d)- 1d8+2

Pearl of power (1st lvl): unused
Turn undead: 4/4
Speak with Animals: 1/1
Vow of Healing: 3/3

[/sblock]

 

[Rhun]

Hollister eats a quick breakfast before quietly attending to his spellbooks, preparing himself for the day ahead. After an hour or so, the wizard finally begins packing up his gear, preparing to move out.

"It dawns on me that most of my magic is ill suited for our current situation," he says to the others. "Though I've done a better job of preparing today, I'm still not sure how much use my magics will be within this place."


[sblock=Spells Prepared]
- Level 0: Detect Magic, Ray of Frost x 2, Mage Hand + (d) Flare
- Level 1: Mage Armor, Magic Missile x 2 + (d) Burning Hands
- Level 2: Web x 2, Resist Energy + (d) Scorching Ray[/sblock]

 

[Arkhandus]

Liiros Tivaniel, High Elf Crusader of Corellon Larethian

Liiros practices his combat forms in his mind, recalling his drills with the instructors back home, and the nightly lessons Corellon or the stranger gave him during those childhood trances, back when he was a fresh-faced novice of only seven decades. As he has done countless nights before, Liiros spends his trance in practice and training, mentally preparing himself for the battles ahead. The rest and reflection of meditation show him how disgruntled and harried he's been lately.........he resolves to fight the negativity foisted upon him by the circumstances of his brief time in Gate Pass and now the Fire Forest. He must not let the enemy oppress his true nature! Elves were not meant for worrying and petty grudges. Corellon molded him to be affable and upbeat, and so he would be. So what if Indomitability tried to order him around, and Ragessians might threaten the homeland? He is elven. Like all things, these troubles will pass and he will live on. Shahalesti will live on. For that is how Corellon wills it. Elves will always live on, even after losses like those suffered in Innenotdar before.

Liiros returns to his combat training recollections, and again glimpses the stranger, the old veteran giving him pointers as he tries out various weapons in the memories of his youth. Like his lessons in the greatsword, rarely used by elvenkind but potent in the hands of a muscular human or orc. He was taught to understand the weapons of his enemies, and greatswords were one such weapon he might have to face, so he needed to learn how it was used. Perhaps the old blade recovered at the caves near Gate Pass would be useful here, or perhaps not. But Liiros revisits those few memories of greatsword-training anyway, before finally letting his mind drift back towards consciousness and exiting the trance.

Liiros rises from his trance long before dawn, and briefly looks about at the sleeping forms of the humans and others. You'd think they'd run the whole way here, with how long they spend sleeping now....... The elf sighs and resigns himself to continuing the excessive stretches of wasted time, necessary when traveling amongst the more slothful races. Liiros spends the time in prayer and mentally reciting the tales and lessons that Corellon's priests taught him as a boy. Once the others begin to stir with dawn's early light, he finally begins eating a trail ration and preparing his gear for the new day, taking a swig from his waterskin afterward.

As soon as he gets the opportunity he asks Torrent how long the heat-reducing potions last, and when they'll need to drink the next batch.

Strapping on his armor, pack, quiver, and weaponry at last, Liiros says "Well, my friends, it is about time we stop dawdling here and head out to see what the new day brings! We have much walking to do and likely more monsters to fend off along the way, but if we start early we can get out of this Fire Forest sooner and be on our merry way to better places, better food, and better drink!"

 

[pneumatik]

When the sun sets the inside of the tower is lit by the flames of the fire forest. The tower is isolated in the middle of the White River and the only windows are arrow slits, so it's not much worse than sleeping next to a campfire.

The next morning you all awake well-rested. During a quick breakfast Liiros asks Torrent about her potions of stand the heat. "The spell lasts for one whole day, so we would normally need new ones sometime this morning. But this 'boon of Indomitability' feels pretty potent. I prayed about it last night, and I think Osprem wants us to hold off on drinking more potions. And if we're in that village across the river or walking along the river it shouldn't be too too hot." She starts putting her kit together for the day. "I'll still have the potions handy, though."

Torrent looks around the tower briefly. "I'm leaving everything here to the dead. You guys do what you want and I'll meet you in the village."

 

[Rhun]

"Let us be on our way to the village then," says Hollister. The mage is clearly ready to get on the move again.

 

[HolyMan]

"Hey! Wait for us!" the halfling exclaims as she and the fox bound towards the stairs. "We don't want to get left behind."

 

[Thanee]

Lytha

After the rest, Lytha spends some time in meditation, to get her mind focused on the tasks that lie ahead. They still didn't know a whole lot about what was really going on, even though they had learned quite a bit during the last day especially.


OOC: Meditating to become psionically focused (Take 20).