The Closed Eye, part II (DM: covaithe, Judge: garyh)

[Dunamin]

"Nope. Got it in one. Thanks, pardner."

“No problem. I guess it’s just pulling down our proverbial sombreros and kick back for a while, then.”

Woe slides his pitcher over to Hacker and digs out another one for himself.

Yes – Woe can actually slide a pitcher of ale across undergrowth and forest floors without tipping it over, a skill honed by extensive familiarity with tankards, mugs, and bottles sliding across bars.

“So what’ve you two been up to lately – before the mushroom hunt, that is?”

“You folks wouldn’t by chance have encountered a pair of half-orcs hurrying through town with a charred corpse? One of them with a golden tusk?”

 

[KenHood]

"No, thanks, Woe," says Hacker, returning the ale, "I only drink 'off-duty' so to speak, and then to excess. ***** wine god put a ***** curse on me so that once I start, I can't stop.... You'd think the ***** could take a little constructive criticism."

Hacker taps his banjo, transforming it into a baby grand piano. He retrieves his everburning torch from his backpack and gives it a shake, changing it into a candelabra. The gnome settles onto the bench, flips his cloak, nods, and begins a lovely little sonata that soothes everyone, except for Atreus. In fact, it almost seems to generate a subtle anti-Atreus field of non-Atreus-ness.

In response to Woe's question, Hacker says, "As far as previous activities, I was in Baccarte--until they booted me out for public indecency...again. Pirates can be such prigs. Ended up in the Hanged Man. Met a few disrespectful ***** and got some offers to adventure. Finally got tired of all the milksop sissies and headed out here."

"I've seen neither hide nor hair of this gold tusked orc."

 

[covaithe]

ooc: That kind of sounds like the start of a rest. Is it? If so, where is it occurring? Right outside the cave you found?

 

[Dunamin]

"No, thanks, Woe," says Hacker, returning the ale, "I only drink 'off-duty' so to speak, and then to excess. ***** wine god put a ***** curse on me so that once I start, I can't stop.... You'd think the ***** could take a little constructive criticism."

“That’s a bloody mixed blessing, I guess. Them gods of the Shifting Seas never did do much for me - except the gloriously illustrated holy scriptures of Vena, ever since I got one rigged into a pin-up calender.”

Woe offers a drink to Kathalia and Atreus, but if none of them are interested he downs it himself and takes his time enjoying the other one.

“Let not waste!”

Hacker taps his banjo, transforming it into a baby grand piano. He retrieves his everburning torch from his backpack and gives it a shake, changing it into a candelabra. The gnome settles onto the bench, flips his cloak, nods, and begins a lovely little sonata that soothes everyone, except for Atreus. In fact, it almost seems to generate a subtle anti-Atreus field of non-Atreus-ness.

In response to Woe's question, Hacker says, "As far as previous activities, I was in Baccarte--until they booted me out for public indecency...again. Pirates can be such prigs."

Woe taps his feet to the tune.

“I’ve worked on or around Bacarte for some years, but at the joints I frequented public indecency wasn’t scoffed at – it was expected. The pirates who booted you must've been on the sissy end of the swashbuckling scale, we’ll set ‘em straight once this is all over.”

[sblock=Extended Rest]

That kind of sounds like the start of a rest. Is it?

Yes. (Anyone feel free to object!)

If so, where is it occurring? Right outside the cave you found?

Woe scouts around for well-concealed spots where the group could conceivably lay low for hours, looking for a hideout not too distant from a position where the hillside entrance can be overlooked.

I figure somewhere far enough that Hacker’s music won’t be heard, but not too far that we can’t peek from a vantage point to check for activity.[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

“Them gods of the Shifting Seas never did do much for me - except the gloriously illustrated holy scriptures of Vena, ever since I got one rigged into a pin-up calender.”

"Seen her in person. The paintings don't do her justice."

“I’ve worked on or around Bacarte for some years, but at the joints I frequented public indecency wasn’t scoffed at – it was expected. The pirates who booted you must've been on the sissy end of the swashbuckling scale, we’ll set ‘em straight once this is all over.”

"Nah. Hacker Brass is not one to hold a grudge. I figure any social difficulty can be solved with an apology or a good fistfight, as befits a gnome."

He gives Atreus a pointed look.

Let's rest! Everyone (except Atreus) gets the benefit of Hacker's bardic song. Woe gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls until the next rest.

 

[Atriden]

[sblock=OOC]
I have been pretty busy lately, so I haven't gotten around posting yet. Will try to post later tonight.
[/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

The party backs away from the cave, and circles around to the adjacent hill, taking shelter under a tall evergreen tree. High on the hilltop, its heavy green boughs droop to the ground, providing kind of a natural tent. By pulling small branches aside, it's possible to peer out with little chance of being noticed from outside.

It also sheds rain fairly well, which becomes useful shortly. Several hours after sunset, a steady, drenching rain begins to fall. It remains fairly dry inside the shelter of the tree, but visibility is severely limited.

The rainfall eases by morning, and the eastern faces of the wet hillsides seem to glow softly in the light of sunrise, as moisture evaporates and refracts the the morning rays into dozens of tiny rainbows.

[sblock=ooc]Extended rest complete! Now I owe you XP, which I'll work out here shortly.

What happens now?
[/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

[sblock=Still no XP? WTH!]I was all set to award XP, but I thought I'd just double check something, and it turns out that Hacker and Kathalia still aren't officially approved! Hacker I can approve, and have done so, so he's okay. But Kathalia already has an approval from me and still needs another. So if there happen to be any judges reading this, who, say, want to hit level 3 sometime soon, maybe they could give Kathalia a look-over.
[/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

[sblock=Subtle hint recieved!]nerdytenor, standby for reviewification.[/sblock]

 

[nerdytenor]

[sblock=All Systems Nominal]
Preparing for Reviewification Series Bravo
[/sblock]