88: Let sleeping bears lie

[Ebiris]

[12:36] <@Ebiris> The rest of the night, what little remains at any rate, passes supremely peacefully under the branches of Illie's tree. No dreams intrude upon rest, and though the sun is well up into mid-morning by the time anyone rouses, they find themselves feeling pleasantly whole and healthy, a contrast to the rigours of last night's desperate actions. The dryad herself lands lightly on the ground from her lookout high up the tree once people start to stir, greeting the group with a wan smile and, "Good morning. Feeling any better today?"
[12:38] <@Rudy> "As fit as a flying fox!" reports Rudy, bounding to his feet and checking out the injuries of the previous day. "Ah, it really worked," he muses.
[12:39] <@Lucie> "For the first time in far too long, I feel...fit," Lucie says, "healthy" not seeming exactly the right word.
[12:39] <@Ebiris> "The energies we channelled yesterday have left the grove in better shape than it was before," Illie nods, "I just hope it'll be enough. Something that killed Talari, after all... you're going to need it."
[12:40] <@Henrietta> And ate her brain and magic. Henrietta decides not to bring that up and spread the gloom.
[12:41] <@Rudy> "We will certainly avenge her," promises Rudy. Nobody deserved to go like that.
[12:41] <@Henrietta> "We will certainly try!"
[12:42] <@Rudy> "We will!"
[12:42] <@Ebiris> "So what's our plan for today, then?" Liamae asks as she sets up a campfire to fix breakfast. "Head to her valley, go dragon hunting, or go warn the village?"
[12:43] <@Henrietta> "I think we should, well, examine the crater while it is light out? First of all?"
[12:43] <@Lucie> "We go back to warn the village, that's days more this thing has to get ready," Lucie says. "We have to start looking now."
[12:43] <@Lucie> "Crater's not far, might as well," Lucie says, not sounding too enthusiastic about it.
[12:48] <@Rudy> "I can send a message," says Rudy, after a moment. "I think one of those things can do it. But let's do it from, you know."
[12:50] <@Ebiris> Thus breakfast passes, fortifying all for the day ahead. Bidding Illie farewell as she wishes everyone luck, the group leaves the friendly dryad's presence so they can better commit deeds she would be horrified by...
[12:51] <@Rudy> "What should I tell them to do? Evacuate?" asks Rudy, as he prepares to summon another loyal hound.
[12:52] <@Lucie> "Where would they even go?" Lucie asks.
[12:52] <@Henrietta> "How far is the nearest town that has actual soldiers?" Henrietta asks Liamae.
[12:53] <@Ebiris> "The nearest town to the North is four days away at a reasonable pace. For a whole village you might as well double that," Liamae informs the group.
[12:55] <@Henrietta> "What if we ask them to send someone for help? The rest of the people could follow at a slower pace?"
[12:57] * @Henrietta pauses. "Actually... there is no limit on how far your hound can go, is there, Rudy?"
[12:59] <@Rudy> "I don't think so," muses Rudy. "It could go all the way home, in fact. Though that may well startle the maid."
[13:00] <@Henrietta> "I think we should report to Lady Vanderboren and ask her for help," Henrietta suggests, fidgeting. "If anything can come here quickly enough to be of use, it would probably need to come from the capital?"
[13:01] <@Lucie> "Dunno about that," Lucie says. "Took us weeks to get out here, right? If anyone from the capital gets out here, it'll be too late to do anything but clean up the mess. Which, thinking about it, an army might be what's needed to do the job if we're not enough to stop it now."
[13:02] <@Henrietta> "Dragons and really strong mages will probably come sooner?"
[13:03] <@Ebiris> "If that thing starts spawning more we might legitimately need an army to uproot them," Liamae admits reluctantly. "We've bought time by wounding it so much, though."
[13:05] <@Henrietta> "At... at the very least, we could stay in touch this way? If we somehow, by some miracle, manage to destroy it then we can tell Lady Vanderboren that."
[13:11] <@Rudy> Rudy gets to penning a small letter, so the hound he sends need not be burdened to explain in the short time it has. In it, he details that the meteor has landed, and their cursory inspection does indeed seem to promise great riches away, but that it came bearing a powerful, dangerous monster with the capability to teleport, a strong desire to learn, and the ability to learn by eating people's
[13:11] <@Rudy> brains. He goes on to state that their present intention is to hunt the area for any traces of it, but their chances of success seem slim- that this creature is a menace to the entire region and will have to be destroyed. If not by then, then by someone. Afterwards, he signs it, quickly summons a loyal canine, and gives him the necessary instructions to deliver it to Lady Vanderboren's address.
[13:13] <@Ebiris> "Hey, she'll still be in Thanellar!" Liamae interjects as Rudy gives her home address, "Parliament's about to start session, she's not going back to Salerno till after."
[13:14] <@Henrietta> "And we can send word to Lady VanGaunt to have the townspeople move to a town with a garrison for now?" Henrietta suggests. "They have been through enough already."
[13:14] <@Rudy> "Oh, right! Uh, where was she staying? Tell him where she was staying," replies Rudy, rubbing his head.
[13:16] <@Ebiris> "Zeus' Folly," Liamae helpfully supplies, "It's a hotel near the centre of the city that looks like a bolt of lightning. She has the suite on the second floor." With that the dog disappears! "I hope Zani doesn't stab it or anything when it pops in like that..."
[13:17] <@Henrietta> "Well, umm, it would get better! And there is a letter!"
[13:17] <@Rudy> "I was gonna tell it to go to reception, not gatecrash her room. She might be changing or something," mutters Rudy.
[13:17] <@Lucie> "Yeah, hotel employees'll be much more at ease with doghead popping in."
[13:18] <@Henrietta> "They rarely have something to stab it wth, to be fair."
[13:18] <@Ebiris> The dog returns a moment later and kneels. "It is done, sire," he growls.
[13:22] <@Rudy> "Good. Now I want you to go to Lady VanGaunt, in her manor at Lessmus," he continues. "Inform her that a terrible monster has appeared in the wake of that crater, and the town may be threatened by it. She should evacuate to the north until it can be dealt with, as it may strike at anytime. If she says it cannot be done, return and inform me."
[13:23] <@Ebiris> "As you say!" the dog-man stands and thumps his chest before vanishing with a pop!
[13:25] <@Lucie> "Maybe you should've reminded him to tell her who sent the man-dog first?" Lucie wonders. "Just, you know, to avoid confusion. Because I'd be confused? If one of those things just popped into my house and started with the dire warnings?"
[13:25] <@Ebiris> "She might think it's a messenger from Hecate!" Liamae pipes up.
[13:27] <@Henrietta> "Normally I would be really upset by this, but in this case perhaps they will evacuate faster?"
[13:27] <@Lucie> "Bright side, though, if nobody has a heart attack today, they'll always know who sent the message whenever a dog 'ports into their room?
[13:27] <@Lucie> "
[13:27] <@Rudy> "This makes me a force of terror?" replies Rudy. "But using it for, um, good. Not bad."
[13:28] <@Ebiris> "You could literally harass anyone in the world, now," Liamae shakes her head, "If you knew where they lived, anyway."
[13:29] <@Henrietta> "Ooh! Maybe we could buy a few healing potions this way! Or a wand! Of healing!"
[13:31] <@Rudy> "Wait. Yes, we could," replies Rudy, clapping his palm to his head. "But if it doesn't get back in time, it'll vanish! With our money!"
[13:31] <@Lucie> "Hope it doesn't have to haggle?" Lucie offers.
[13:32] <@Rudy> "D'ya think we can get a tab?"
[13:32] <@Ebiris> "Well, look at it this way - what good is our money doing out here?" Liamae suggests reasonably, "It seems a decent gamble for a chance at getting some healing on tap."
[13:34] <@Henrietta> "We could always go through Lady Vanderboren at first," Henrietta reasons. "Such as when we send her a report in the evening about our progress? We can make the request then."
[13:34] <@Lucie> "Sounds like a plan if we've all still got our brains."
[13:40] <@Ebiris> With that all decided, the group pushes on towards the crater. Without Tarlari to provide warnings of enemy movement it's a tense journey, but as it happens no attacks manifest on the journey towards the ploughed up furrow of earth that rises up out of the ground ahead. The corpses of rhinos, a great cat, and Tarlari herself litter the scorched dirt on the approach, dried bloodstains liberally spattering the area amidst familiar dark crystals from the worm's death.
[13:43] * @Henrietta wards herself with False Life in case something is still here.
[13:43] * @Lucie gives the crystals a wide berth for the time being and moves to investigate the exact center of the crater. Maybe if they're lucky enough (or unlucky enough), the monster will still be hiding out here? She moves about armored and shielded by magic, just in case!
[13:46] <@Ebiris> Climbing up over the ridge and looking down into the hole, Lucie doesn't see any signs of movement. The interior of the crater is lined with tiny shards of sparkling metal, jaggedly pointing up like a miniature army of armoured knights bearing deadly lances. Inside is what remains of the meteorite's core, resting at the bottom and partially buried in the earth, made of a black metal that has a rather melted and distorted look to it. several large indentations spot the upper half that's visible, themselves lined with a white film around their edges.
[13:47] <@Rudy> Rudy has summoned Myra on the way, and winces as they reach the area.
[13:49] * @Lucie might as well walk down and examine the core, though if she even imagines she feels any of her arcane prowess seeping away, she'll turn right around!
[13:49] <@Ebiris> Myra looks faintly unwell and turns her accusing non-face on Rudy as she appears.
[13:50] <@Ebiris> OOC: acrobatics check, Lucie?
[13:50] <@Henrietta> With Lucie foolishly heading down into the crater, Henrietta refuses to be outmatched and just as foolishly gathers the familiar crystals into her iron pot. Once done, she will have to rely on her trusted shovel to dig a grave for Tarlari.
[13:50] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+4 not one of my best skills there
[13:50] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+4 not one of my best skills there and gets 18." [1d20=14]
[13:51] <@Ebiris> Henrietta is able to fill her iron pot but there's far more than she can fit in there. She feels unwell handling them, magic flickering inside her like a tiny flame in a gale.
[13:51] <@Ebiris> Picking her way amidst the sharp shards littering the inside of the crater, Lucie manages to reach the bottom safely. Nothing intrudes upon her magic here.
[13:53] * @Henrietta tries wrapping the pot with her tent, layer after layer, in order to see if that helps any.
[13:54] <@Ebiris> So long as she's not directly touching the crystals she's fine. Holding the pot isn't any burden aside from its weight.
[13:54] * @Lucie kneels down, raps on the core experimentally. What kind of metal is this anyway? She stands up again. "These dents here, I wonder...I wonder if that's where the monsters were clinging to this thing before it came down." Looking at the ground with some alarm: "Maybe there's some still buried down there?"
[13:55] <@Ebiris> The metal is solid and cool to the touch. OOC: have any ranks in appraise?
[13:55] <@Henrietta> It should be enough to pay for any potions and wands, she thinks. Or to study later, if there is a later. "But... they burrow," she says to Lucie. "Why would they stay buried?"
[13:56] <@Lucie> OOC: nope! I am an ignoramus.
[13:56] <@Ebiris> "We already know they can burrow under the ground," Liamae says, standing at the top of the crater in response to Lucie. Who can't tell any more about the metallic core of the meteorite.
[13:56] <@Lucie> "Right, that makes me feel much better."
[13:56] <@Henrietta> "Glad to be of service!"
[14:00] <@Rudy> "Aw, geez, it was good for me but awful for you, wasn't it, girl?" Rudy is saying, patting Myra on the back. A moment later, he frowns and shakes his head. "She's totally beat," he says. "Just like before, but worse."
[14:01] * @Lucie shrugs. "Dunno if there's anything we can do here now. Not hauling all this stellar scrap back to town today, that's for sure." She makes her way back up out of the crater.
[14:02] <@Ebiris> Myra seems to cheer up somewhat under Rudy's uncharacteristic affection, thumping her chest just under one of her mouths and standing tall.
[14:03] <@Rudy> "Hey, Lucie, can you do something?" asks Rudy. "You've got that... thing, right? That wakes people up, or something?"
[14:03] <@Ebiris> "It belongs to Lady Vanderboren, she'll have to deal with selling it later. Just our job to keep it safe," Liamae shrugs in response to Lucie. "No clues, then?"
[14:05] <@Lucie> "Well, yeah, I sorta learned it after I got drained so many times by wereskeletons or whatever. Adaptation I guess." She approaches Myra (reluctantly) and attempts to refresh the monstrosity's condition with some helpful magic! (OOC: Lesser Restoration, twice if that's what it takes to get her to normal)
[14:06] <@Lucie> To Liamae, Lucie just shrugs. "Beats me. Just a hunk of metal."
[14:06] <@Ebiris> Myra bounces on her toes and makes an eerie purring noise.
[14:07] <@Rudy> "I suppose we should put up a sign, saying 'property of Lavinia Vanderboren, do not steal?'"
[14:08] <@Henrietta> "Can you steal something like that?"
[14:08] <@Lucie> "Doubt anyone who would actually want to haul all this away is anywhere near being able to do so," Lucie says.
[14:08] <@Ebiris> "Sure," Liamae points at the pot full of precious crystals that Henrietta has, "Just like that."
[14:09] <@Rudy> "You could come back with sacks and drag a fair haul away. Or a wagon," muses Rudy. "But yeah, nobody being nearby and all... well, except the dragons, and maybe the remnants."
[14:10] <@Ebiris> "And I figure all the bad stuff that's gone down here lately should slow most looters down. They're not our problem right now, anyway," Liamae says, climbing back down from the crater's edge. "So where we going now?"
[14:11] <@Lucie> "Well," Lucie starts, "we want some help, I guess we'll have to find those dragons. Trouble is, I'm not real sure where they live. Found us, last time."
[14:18] <@Rudy> "Could we signal them, somehow? Henri could fly up and make some lights in the sky, or something?"
[14:19] <@Ebiris> "Either that or we hike up the mountains and hope for the best," Liamae shrugs, turning to look up at the imposing peaks ahead.
[14:20] <@Henrietta> "I like the hiking plan! I still have my rope and grappling hook!"
[14:21] <@Lucie> "I guess," Lucie says. "Gives us a good view of the valley, at least."
[14:27] <@Ebiris> Waiting as long as it takes for Henrietta to bury Tarlari's mangled corpse, the group then circles around the crater and starts working through the foothills towards the greatest mountain range in the world. Hours pass, moving over hills and through valleys, the terrain growing more and more difficult the further they push on. To make matters worse, as the sun sinks low towards the West behind everyone, the heavy grey clouds above start to drop snow down. And it's quite heavy within moments, threatening to grow into a full grown blizzard!
[14:29] <@Lucie> "Best make some shelter now," Lucie insists while they can still actually see.
[14:29] <@Henrietta> "Our miserable day is about to become even more miserable," Henrietta gravely announces.
[14:31] <@Ebiris> "We'll need high ground, or else we could end up trapped in a snow drift," Liamae says, looking around. "It won't be pleasant, but it's better than being trapped."
[14:31] <@Rudy> "Get it together, Henri! You picked up a real cynical streak, didn't you?" Rudy says, before nodding to Liamae and looking for a route upwards.
[14:32] * @Lucie scans the area for a hill or some semi-protected area that might serve as a place to ride out the night. No doubt it would be asking too much, given their luck on this trip, for a handy cave.
[14:33] <@Ebiris> A cave was actually passed in the last valley, no telling how deep. Alternately you could take your chances climbing to the top of the ridge either ahead or behind and building a camp under the snow and wind.
[14:35] <@Henrietta> "Is there a good place to avoid immediate death?" Henrietta asks cheerfully.
[14:35] <@Rudy> "Should we head back for the cave?" asks Rudy. "I'm not much for climbing- though we could just fly up. Ah, but I'd rather be indoors, either way."
[14:36] <@Lucie> "Cave," is Lucie's preference. "And check for bears first."
[14:36] <@Henrietta> "It sounds like a good idea," she agrees. "And the cave will probably have food for us, if we manage to defeat the previous owner!"
[14:36] * @Henrietta smiles at Lucie, who genuinely understands!
[14:36] <@Ebiris> "Cave could be best," Liamae says, "Even if snowed in we'll have air and can easily melt our way out. C'mon, lets hurry before the weather gets any worse."
[14:36] <@Rudy> "If we do get stuck, the hounds can go get food for us!" says Rudy, once again amazed by the possibilities!
[14:38] <@Henrietta> "How wondrous!"
[14:40] <@Ebiris> Heading back for shelter proves a good decision, as the snow is really pelting it down, reducing visibility to almost nothing while the wind gusting through the valley makes it hard to even hear each other without raising your voices. Building a tent in these conditions would prove difficult to say the least. Even so, it's a harsh journey back over the last hill towards te cave under an overhang that was seen earlier...
[14:40] <@Ebiris> OOC: anyone without cold resistance make a fort save. +2 if you have winter clothing on. -2 if you're naked.
[14:41] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+8 hatstrength don't fail me
[14:41] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+8 hatstrength don't fail me and gets 10." [1d20=2]
[14:43] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+5 rudy is not sensible
[14:44] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+5 rudy is not sensible and gets 16." [1d20=11]
[14:44] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+5 and myra really is naked
[14:44] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+5 and myra really is naked and gets 18." [1d20=13]
[14:44] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4 nonlethal and fatigued for Lucie
[14:44] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d4 nonlethal and fatigued for Lucie and gets 4." [1d4=4]
[14:46] <@Ebiris> The cold hits Lucie particularly hard, making her lag behind the others and shivering right down to her bones by the time everyone piles into the cave and blessed shelter from both wind and snow. It's still far from warm, of course, but it's a big improvement. The cave entrance is somewhat narrow and low slung, but extends in and to both left and right about fifteen feet inside, though the right side practically requires crawling.
[14:48] <@Lucie> With some minor irritation, Lucie banishes her fatigue with a spell once safely inside the cave. This done, she pokes around the cave to make sure there's no dark nooks where unfriendly animals might be hibernating.
[14:49] * @Henrietta draws back to stay near Lucie, in case she is attacked by something while seemingly a distance from the others. It had happened before, after all!
[14:50] <@Ebiris> Reaching the junction Lucie can see a large brown mound of fur resting inside a small open spaceto the left.
[14:53] <@Lucie> "Got company," Lucie whispers back to the others. "Probably a bear," she adds, focusing in the dim light to be sure.
[14:53] * @Henrietta nods in a resigned sort of way.
[14:55] <@Ebiris> "Weren't you happy about the prospect of a bear earlier?" Liamae whispers to Henrietta, before she ducks her head to look through the right passage. "Think it opens up through there. Could try it if we don't want to bother Mr Bear."
[14:55] <@Rudy> "Uh, won't it be hibernating?" asks Rudy, after a moment. "Bears do that, right?"
[14:55] <@Lucie> "Let's find out," Lucie says.
[14:56] <@Ebiris> "Yeah, if it wakes up even if we don't kill it it'll be dead before Spring," Liamae says quietly.
[14:58] <@Henrietta> "Now that I know I was right, I am back to imagining what horrible things might await us further down the cave," Henrietta says quietly. Nevertheless, she's ready to find out!
[14:58] <@Rudy> Rudy takes a moment to enchant both himself and Myra with a shield, before pointing her onwards!
[14:59] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20-9
[14:59] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20-9 and gets -1." [1d20=8]
[15:00] <@Ebiris> The bear continues to slumber peacefully as Myra is enchanted and then slips past Liamae to crawl through the passage to the right...
[15:01] <@Henrietta> Recasting False Life suitably far from the bear, Henrietta follows after Myra.
[15:03] <@Rudy> Rudy takes a moment to peer through Myra's eyes!
[15:04] <@Ebiris> Liamae follows behind Henrietta. Emerging out in the other side when there's room to stand, it's pitch black for those without darkvision, and Liamae soon remedies that with some dancing lights, showing another open space about as big as the bear's sleeping arrangements. A narrow crevasse leads onwards from here to the left, though it'd be a tight squeeze.
[15:06] <@Rudy> After confirming that it's safe to do so, Rudy follows through the passage.
[15:06] * @Henrietta settles down with a relieved sigh.
[15:07] * @Lucie follows along behind the others, producing her own light source by enchanting her mace. "Could sleep here," she concludes. "Wouldn't mind making sure there's nothing hiding down that little passage, though." She shakes her head. "Damned countryside's got me seeing monsters everywhere."
[15:08] <@Henrietta> "But they are! Everywhere!"
[15:09] <@Ebiris> Gathering some loose rocks and setting them in the centre, Liamae says to Henrietta, "Shoot a scorching ray at them while I do the same? We can't set a fire in here but heating rocks should give us some warmth," she suggests, before casting a spell and shooting twin rays of burning fury at the rocks which briefly glow a dull red as they heat up!
[15:11] * @Lucie settles down by the fire to warm her hands and chase away that chill!
[15:12] <@Rudy> "Insulation should be pretty good in here, too," notes Rudy. "And we've got blankets, and each other."
[15:12] <@Henrietta> Scorching rays are easy, and Henrietta manages it after aiming carefully!
[15:14] <@Ebiris> Growing an even brighter red, the rocks heat up the cave almost like a dry sauna, chasing away the chills from the blizzard outside, the wind only heard but not felt from inside this cosy spot. "Should be fine like this. But if the ground's covered in deep snow it'll be hell climbing up hills never mind the mountains tomorrow," Liamae points out, sitting next to Rudy and fishing out a blanket from her pack.
[15:15] <@Lucie> "Hey Rudy," Lucie says with a nod to that crevasse, "want to send Myra to make sure no one's hiding outside our back door over there?"
[15:19] <@Rudy> Rudy nods. "Myra, go check out it," he instructs. "Just make sure nobody else is nearby."
[15:20] <@Ebiris> OOC: make an escape artist check for Myra?
[15:20] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+2
[15:20] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+2 and gets 7." [1d20=5]
[15:21] <@Ebiris> Myra struggles to fit through the narrow opening and eventually gives up in defeat, slumping miserably.
[15:21] <@Rudy> "I don't think she can handle it," says Rudy. "Anyway, I don't think any seriously bad is gonna fit through there," he adds.
[15:22] <@Lucie> "You sleep on that side of the room, then."
[15:24] <@Rudy> "Fine, I will!" replies Rudy, rolling his eyes.
[15:25] <@Henrietta> "If you are bitten by a poisonous snake, we can send the hound for medicine!"
[15:27] <@Rudy> "No, we can't, because I might be writhing in agony and unable to do anything," points out Rudy.
[15:27] <@Ebiris> "I'll put my amulet on you and you'll be fine," Liamae promises sollemnly.
[15:30] <@Ebiris> Thus the night passes peacefully enough in the subterranean shelter, though stiff bones and a sore chill greet everyone upon waking, the heated rocks having long since cooled. "I'll fix breakfast, someone go and see if we're badly snowed in?" Liamae asks, rooting around for supplies.
[15:31] <@Lucie> "Sure, sure," Lucie says with a yawn, trudging out to the cave mouth to check on outside conditions.
[15:32] * @Henrietta helps reheating the rocks!
[15:32] <@Ebiris> Heading out towards the entrance, Lucie sadly finds a wall of white waiting for her, the cavern completely snowed in.
[15:34] * @Lucie returns to the others. "Save some of those spells for burning our way our of here, Henri," she says.
[15:35] <@Rudy> Rudy takes a moment to resummon Myra, and check on her condition!
[15:35] <@Ebiris> Myra is full of her usual vim and vigour, ready to go and eat faces on Rudy's command!
[15:36] <@Rudy> "Excellent."
[15:39] <@Ebiris> After eating breakfast Liamae crawls out to start melting a path to freedo, a pair of scorching rays coring through the ice and leaving runny trails of water leaking into the cave. Walking up to the hole she's made she peers through, "I see blue sky," she whispers. "One fireball out there should clear the rest."
[15:39] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20-9
[15:39] * +Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20-9 and gets -8." [1d20=1]
[15:39] <@Henrietta> "Then we should try that!"
[15:40] * @Lucie keeps an eye on that branching passage, just in case all the pyrokinetics wake up their slumbering neighbor.
[15:43] <@Ebiris> Winding up, Liamae launches a fireball up through the hole to detonate above! The packed snow is evaporated in a flash, hot steam hissing and rising up for an instant of warmth before the prevailing wind replaces it with cold air. Shivering, Liamae dries herself with prestidigitation before stepping out into the slush. The cave entrance has been opened in a somewhat hemispherical clearing, but past it the snow can be seen rising up three feet high from the ground. "This is gonna be miserable..." the sorceress moans unhappily.
[15:43] * @Henrietta nods grimly at the pronouncement, having expected as much. At least the cold wouldn't bother her too much!
[15:44] <@Rudy> "Are we really equipped for this?" wonders Rudy, shivering a little.
[15:45] <@Henrietta> "Do you want to, well, go back to the town and just wait there to be rescued?"
[15:45] <@Ebiris> "Not really," Liamae shakes her head, "I never planned on mountaineering when I set out. But we don't have much choice, do we?"
[15:45] <@Lucie> "No," Lucie says, a gaping void of enthusiasm. "We don't have much choice but to move on."
[15:49] <@Rudy> "Yeah. I bet in the end, that thing will find us, anyway. Can't hurt to have a dragon around when it does."
[15:50] <@Ebiris> And that's what they do. It's a hard slog, just getting back to where they stopped yesterday takes three times as long, wading through hip deep snow one labourious step after the other. The air is crisp and cold, though not as bad as last night when combined with freezing snow covering legs and seeping into boots and under clothes, the entire trip is horrid. And ahead is an ocean of white rising up to the mountains, black and grey cliff-faces seemingly the only terrain not coated in snow.
[15:50] <@Ebiris> OOC: fort saves, same deal as last time.
[15:51] <@Lucie> roll 1d20+8
[15:51] * +Hatbot --> "Lucie rolls 1d20+8 and gets 23." [1d20=15]
[15:51] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+5 r
[15:51] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+5 r and gets 25." [1d20=20]
[15:51] <@Rudy> roll 1d20+5 m
[15:51] * +Hatbot --> "Rudy rolls 1d20+5 m and gets 24." [1d20=19]
[15:54] <@Ebiris> It's endurable, but hardly pleasant. On and on you trudge, over hills and through valleys, the hills growing steeper every time. Approaching midday and both cold and fatigue wear upon the group, even those somewhat more resistant to the elements still suffering from the effort involved in traversing this inhospitable terrain. "I heard once that some people like to climb mountains for fun," Liamae pants. "I want to kill them."
[15:54] <@Henrietta> "Please don't kill me!"
[15:55] <@Ebiris> "Depends," Liamae looks balefully at Henrietta, "Are you having fun?"
[15:55] <@Henrietta> "Not presently, I think."
[15:55] <@Ebiris> "Then you're fine," she nods in satisfaction.
[15:56] <@Henrietta> "I miss my hat."
[15:56] * @Henrietta turns towards Rudy. "Can your hound buy a new one for me?"
[15:57] <@Lucie> "Can your hound, I don't know, warp us somewhere else with him" Lucie adds, without much hope.
[15:57] <@Ebiris> "Can your hound by some hot and fresh food?" Liamae adds.
[15:57] <@Ebiris> *buy
[15:57] <@Henrietta> "I think we might need multiple hounds for this...."
[15:58] <@Rudy> "Would you like a hot meal now, and one less hound to fight a giant brain with?"
[15:59] <@Henrietta> "I really think we need to sit down somewhere reasonably dry to have a chance of enjoying a proper meal."
[16:00] <@Rudy> "Anyway, it really is about time we sent one to catch up with m'lady, isn't it?" muses Rudy. "And with a shopping list, too. What should we ask for?"
[16:01] <@Henrietta> "A hat like the one I had! And, and a wand like the one we used to have," Henrietta responds, keeping her priorities straight.
[16:01] <@Ebiris> "Thick winter clothing," Liamae adds, "And climbing gear!"
[16:01] <@Lucie> "A warm coat," Lucie agrees.
[16:03] <@Henrietta> "It would be nice to know how soon Lady Vanderboren thinks help could arrive, too...."
[16:07] <@Rudy> In due course, a hound is created and dispatched to relay these requests!
[16:12] <@Ebiris> The hound vanishes! It returns swiftly, though, and now carries a plate covered in hot meat-filled pastries, although half of them have bites taken out. "The young lady sent these for you, sire," the dog announces, holding out the gold enamelled crockery. "The other requests will be ready within the hour. The young lady also said that the other lady is negotiating for assistance now, and asked if the creature appears to be breeding or changing the environment as yet."
[16:12] <@Ebiris> "Nice one Zani - or Trucy, whichever," Liamae cheers, grabbing an intact pastie and biting into it gladly.
[16:13] <@Henrietta> Pastries! "Please thank them for their help!" Henrietta voices, taking one. "And we really have no idea right now. We have not seen it again so far."
[16:13] * @Lucie is quick to grab a pastry, bitten into or not, and scarf it down in short order. "Not that we know of," she responds to those questions in between bites.
[16:14] <@Ebiris> They're filled with spicy sausagemeat and onion, and piping hot, just the treat needed! "I shall report with your permission, sire?" the dog asks, handing the plate to Rudy.
[16:15] <@Henrietta> "Would it help to have one of the crystals on hand?" Henrietta asks Liamae. "If we wrapped it up properly first...."
[16:16] <@Ebiris> Liamae shrugs, "Help with what?" she mumbles around a mouthful of food.
[16:16] <@Rudy> "Yes, please do," replies Rudy, nodding.
[16:16] <@Henrietta> "Study the creature or the environment it came from?" Henrietta elaborates. "We lack the facilities for this, but the capital....."
[16:16] <@Lucie> "Would it even work?" Lucie asks. "They block magic, dog-man's summoned here by magic..."
[16:16] <@Ebiris> The dog pops out of sight once more!
[16:17] <@Ebiris> "Oh, sending them? Yeah, I doubt you can teleport them at all," Liamae nods.
[16:19] <@Rudy> Rudy quickly dives into the food before it's all gone! "We'll just have to bring them back by hand."
[16:20] <@Ebiris> There's enough for two each, not counting poor Myra, and they don't last very long in the face of how hungry everyone is. "Mmm, I could get used to having a dog like that around," Liamae grins, patting her belly.
[16:21] <@Henrietta> "He is very well behaved!"
[16:21] <@Lucie> "Yeah," Lucie echoes. "Rudy, I don't think you know what you've started here."
[16:26] <@Rudy> "I've turned adventuring into a convenient activity?"
[16:27] <@Ebiris> "You have! Now we're never far from good home cooking, we can resupply at a moment's notice, or if we find a giant cache of treasure he can take it somewhere safe without us having to carry it everywhere. It's amazing!" Liamae gushes.
[16:27] <@Lucie> "Turned yourself into our errand boy is what you did," Lucie says.
[16:28] <@Rudy> "Oh, Lucie! You exaggerate," replies Rudy, patting her on the shoulder. "I've created a shackle for your good behaviour, I have."
[16:29] <@Lucie> "You what?" Lucie asks, not liking the sound of this.
[16:31] <@Henrietta> "Yes, it does make a great deal of sense."
[16:35] <@Rudy> "There are essential duties, and non-essential duties," replies Rudy, brightly. "Of course, if it's for potions or wands, I won't hesitate to dispatch him. If it's for the sake of Lucie's stomach, however..."