"Oh, I discovered that I have talents for magically healing others. I could not tell you exactly how or why, but I figured that since I have them it would be best to train them properly to help others. I was a farmer at my village. It is a quiet, peaceful place, so becoming a hero seemed to be the best path."

While it didn't sound like he was lying, Alonder's muscles seemed more toned than your usual farmer, even taking into account the most demanding tasks on the field. His tanned skin, his discoloured hair and the roughness of his hands however seemed to be clear indications of his previous profession.

"How about you? Why did you decide to join the Guild?"

"A healer?" Urvan raised a bushy eyebrow and looked Alonder up and down. "Well I'll predict  you'll make a lot of friends in this line of work then." he nodded a few times.

At Alonders own question Urvan scratched at his beard. "Well my Clan had a herd, and a long hard winter, some didn't make it. After that there was a bunch that wanted to give up the life and settle. So they did." He stared out at the fog as he spoke. "And they took most of the stuff with them." He added with a hint of bitterness.

He was silent for a few moments before he went on. "It can be a good life out there, with enough people, but it'll kill a lone man, more often than not. And I'm not so good a hunter that I can make it on meat and hide alone." he admitted without reservation.

More silence.

"Gron was my share of the Clan goods." He suddenly added and affectionately placed a hand on the creatures head.

He left it at that for the moment.

"Elf's here" he gestured to where Leyna was off by herself writing.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:36, Sat 22 Apr 2023.

Alonder turned, noticing Leyna. He waited for her to look their way to wave at her, but she seemed mostly focused on the view and her own notes. "I think I saw Valgard and Rebecca on the ship already, so we are just missing Ralden, Einar and Iceman."

His pack filled to the brim with supplies Ralden occasionally adjusted his pack as he approached the harbor. He sighed in appreciation of the cool mist, unsure of how long the good weather might last. If the senior guild member was to be believed they would see stormy weather or worse soon.

As he passed smaller fisher boats it quickly became clear which ship they intended to use. The design different than the rest along with the gathered adventurers in front of it. "We meet again." He called out as he approached the group. "I see this is our vessel. Anyone know if it will survive a storm? What was that he said about the ships, 'littered the coast floor' I think?" He asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Greetings. I don't know much... well, almost anything... about boats, but I'd guess that Iceman knows what he is doing. And if I'm not misremembering, we are gonna be bordering the shoreline, right? So worst case scenario..."

He was gonna say that they could just swim to the shore, but Gron's presence made him hesitate. The worst case scenario was worse than his first impression. Could the beast even swim?

"A-anyway, I'm sure we'll be fine"

Valgard nodded, "I agree. Fortune has made us companions, perhaps time can make us friends. I am from Forgehold, a great, well once-great, Dwarven city in the Old Empires. I was apprenticed to be a weaponsmith before road called to me. What about you, are you from Lekesiz or somewhere else?"

Rebecca was enjoying the company and conversation with Valgard and as such, wasn't in too big of a hurry to get anywhere anytime soon. "No, I am not from Lekesiz, I come from a small city in the Old Kingdoms. It's not worthy to have it's name pass my tongue. I took up adventuring because it was either that or starve to death after certain parties, who are also not worthy to be named, ran me out of that city. Thankfully I was a quick study when it came to fighting things, so while dangerous I never really feared for my life all that much. Well maybe a few times," Becca conceded the point about being in mortal danger a few times in her past exploits. But as she was still here and able to swing a sword, she obviously made it through that peril.

Iceman and Einarr arrive shortly after the last of the novices. Without another introduction he leaps right to business. "I'm glad almost everything was packed in advance. We'll leave immediately and hopefully we'll be quick enough to avoid the storm." Without a hiccup, Einarr seems to know what to do and the goat easily navigates what misgivings he might have while embarking.

"Leyna, you take the [Language unknown: usnaplesni]. We'll hug the coast eastward until dusk and put ashore when we find a good spot. Just avoid the shoals, keep land on the side of your sword hand, and don't let us stray into open water." And with that he seems convinced that those limited lessons are sufficient for the elf to pass muster. "Everyone else, grab an oar and maintain a good steady pace." Iceman himself takes up an oar and seats himself in the front of the boat.

And so without any ceremony, The Second Keplie hit the waves.

OOC: I'll need some checks to see how well the group as a whole manages this:

• Leyna (or anyone that ends up steering) can do either Dex/Wis with Notice/Sail.
• Everyone else (rowers) can do Str/Con with Exert/Sail.

17:43, Today: Iceman rolled 11 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 6,4.  Strength (+1) & Sail (+0).
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

Leyna isn't sure whether this assignment is a blessing or a curse but she privately appreciates Iceman's confidence in her abilities.

"Yes, certainly. Right away."

As luck would have it, Leyna has a deft hand with the doohickey that pilots The Second Kelpie.

One might spy a smile on Leyna's face as the wind blows her hair. If anyone catches her she'll try to suppress the smile and adopt a more serious expression, but it doesn't take much to see that she's thoroughly enjoying the start to the adventure. The folks on the oars might be having a rougher time of it though.

13:23, Today: Leyna Noc rolled 13 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 6,5.  Dexterity + Notice.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:59, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

Cutting off her conversation with Valgard, Rebecca takes an oar as well and follows Iceman onto the boat. Finding a proper place to sit so that she could oar with the others, Rebecca took a seat and dipped her oar into the water, waiting for the signal to start rowing. She'd done a bit of rowing on her last boat voyage, it seems it was a common way to help pay their way for passage on the boat. "Ready when everyone else is to get under way."

16:38, Today: Rebecca Prowers rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,2.  Strength + Exert.

The warden noted Alonder's concern and nodded in understanding. For the sake of those in heavy armor or unused to swimming he hoped the ship remained intact.

Once Iceman appeared things seemed to pick up quickly. Ralden followed along into the boat as he listened. With a grimace it was confirmed that the hirelings would need to row the boat. The warden wondered if manual labor was the real reason Iceman even hired others to come on the expedition. Already on thin ice, pun silently intended, he held his tongue and instead took his seat at the far edge of the boat.

With a sigh Ralden waited for everyone to settle before he was forced to row for the next few hours.

15:44, Today: Ralden rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,2.  Constitution + No Skill.

Valgard frowned slightly as he was told to grab an oar. It wasn't because he was unwilling to engage in physical labor, his calloused hands were a testament to that, but rather he'd never oared a boat before, and his last experience on a ship was not a pleasant one. But, he was here, and this was the price to join his first expedition, he was willing to pay. He took the seat behind Rebecca, hoping he might learn some technique from her, and took the oar in hand.

15:45, Today: Valgard Bouldershoulder rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,2.  Str + Exert (no skill)

Having no clue what he was doing, Alonder followed the dwarf's example and sat behind Ralden, trying to copy his movement as best as he could. It took a few tries, but eventually he fell into a similar rhytm to the warden.

18:32, Today: Alonder Gimbel rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,4.  Strenght + Exert.

OOC: The DC was 6 for that check, so everyone passed and the group check passed without any trouble. Leyna managed a critical success so Iceman's opinion of her has increased. Urvan didn't roll yet but I'll move on for now and keep an eye out for it.

The day at sea is hard work. Rowing for hours on end is not exactly what most of you had imagined when you'd decided to become heroes. But on closer examination, you're starting to realize that this is actually what the great majority of time spent adventuring actually is. Today, however, the air is crisp and clean, the weather holds up, and the exercise agrees with everyone's physiques.

You break for a late lunch after having passed the worst of the shoals, relishing the chance to stretch your muscles and relax with some chow. The veteran does not verbalize it, but everyone can tell that Iceman is pleased with the progress. He seems especially impressed with Leyna, though it's only noticeable through his tone when he speaks to her. The words of appreciation fail to coalesce. However, your leader wastes no time when lunch is through. HE encourages everyone to scarf down what they can most expediently and demands that everyone reassume their posts to continue quickly.

Just after the earliest signs of dusk is when you catch a first glimpse of the storm in the distance. Due to the clear visibility of the day you can see many miles directly ahead of you, and it looks like a dangerous moot of heavy, dark clouds slowly engulfing the wide horizon. "We've nearly made it," Iceman declares as he indicates the forest on the shore to the south. "We'll make landfall there," he declares, and everyone follows suit.

By the time The Second Kelpie hits land and you scramble to pull it ashore, a smattering of light rain has already begun to find you. It's been whipped in by the approaching storm and will no doubt get worse before it gets better. Again, Iceman dictates the obvious, "we'll need to secure a camp before dark. When we find a good spot to pitch camp, three of you will go find some wood that is yet dry for a fire. Stick together and don't get lost. The rest will clear the area and set up tents." Several minutes later, you find such a spot and break into two groups to accomplish your duties.

OOC: Going to give a little time for characters to react and chat IC. No rolls are necessary to make camp, but a roll might be necessary if there's anything complex that your characters would like to do besides simply what was ordered. Then, we'll see what happens overnight. Hint: It looks like everything is going to be wet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:57, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

Leyna is eager to get into the field to get up close with some of the native flora and fauna.

She hesitates for a moment, her eye falling on her backpack, perhaps wondering if it will keep the contents sufficiently dry. She eventually concludes that it has a better chance of staying under cover if it's left with the folks setting up camp rather than being dragged into the field.

"I'll go," she offers, hoisting her shield. Not being exhausted from rowing, and finding the sea invigorating, she has a bit of extra energy. She looks at the walking stick in her hand and discards it at the camp, presumably because it will get in the way of gathering and carrying wood.

She looks to see which of the others will join her.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:21, Tue 25 Apr 2023.

As they finished pulling the boat onto the shore Ralden threw his pack on the ground and stretched his legs. He was no stranger to exercise or physical activity but several hours of hard rowing had half his body sore while the other half was restless. Fortunately they seemed to have arrived to the shore in one piece.

The warden surveyed the woods beyond the campsite before he spoke up, "I'll go as well. Could use a nice walk." More importantly Ralden wanted to walk the perimeter and check for signs of creatures, natural or otherwise. A few tracks might give a clue as to what might find them that night.

He knelt down and retrieved his lantern from his pack. After he filled it with oil he returned the rest of his belongings to his backpack. After more consideration he also left his club and a dagger behind. Better to travel as light as possible if they meant to carry wood back.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:11, Tue 25 Apr 2023.

"Oh, I'll join you. I have never set a camp before, and while I want to learn I should probably go through the basics once weather isn't pressing."

After that over-explanation, Alonder offers his rope, waterskin, 3 torches and cooking utensils to Iceman and Einar, in part because he figures they are useful items to aid setting up the camp, and in part to make space in his backpack to keep some of the wood they collect away from the pouring drizzle.

After that, he moves after his elven companion.

"Do we have a small hand axe?" Leyna asks Alonder and Ralden. She then gestures to Ralden's discarded dagger. "Or, failing that, a blade."

Leyna is not an experienced survivalist but she can pretend. She does her best to follow common sense: she looks for wood on the dry side of the trees, she avoids wood that's been sitting on the damp ground.

"I believe we may whittle away the wet exterior to find the dry interior," she tells the Alonder and Ralden, "although that would be best done under cover."

Her eyes linger on the trees and plants. She uses her elven vision to spy into shadows and dark, covered spots that might shelter dry wood. She doesn't know what sort of fauna to expect, so she remains attentive to anything that might object to their presence. Leyna takes Iceman's warning to heart and doesn't stray far from the others.

"I don't have any tools that could help, sorry. Dry leaves and branches were always my go to for starting fires. And even if we can't find any dry wood, I do have burning oil, and I left some torches with Iceman and Einar. As long as what we find isn't soaking wet, we should be able to start a fire going I believe"

While the forest wasn't pitch black, Leyna (and possibly Ralden, if he was somehow also able to see in the dark) would notice that Alonder moved through the forest surprisingly well for someone with human sights. If they were especially perceptive, they may even notice that Alonder wasn't even looking where he walked, but avoided obstacles all the same.

Ralden actually does notice something that seems out of place in a remote forest like this.

Meanwhile, Leyna does well noticing an overhang with some bushes hiding underneath.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:59, Tue 25 Apr 2023.

Leyna's  outward expression is only one of modest amusement. She wants to call out to the others but she doesn't.


10:34, Today: Leyna Noc rolled 10 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,5.  Intelligence + Know.

Rebecca stayed at the camp, or what would become their camp and didn't go with the others to collect firewood. It wasn't that she couldn't collect wood, but she figured she could be more useful helping setting up the camp. Slowly making her way over, she started to set up the tents that Iceman had mentioned earlier. She helped clear the area as she worked as well.

In reply to Leyna Noc (msg # 56):

"Found something?"

At her pause, Alonder approached the elven woman. With some hesitation, he ventured a guess.

"A burrow?"

In response to Leyna's questions Ralden patted his belt. "Brought a knife but no axe I'm afraid." Although not meant for cutting foliage hopefully the blade would help them with smaller limbs.

As their search carried on Ralden noticed the light started to fade. They had started their search at dusk and the clouds ahead did not help their vision. Eventually the warden lit the lantern he had brought to help illuminate the woods well enough for him to see.

The extra light seemed to have paid off when he stopped following the others. "Hold up, think I found something," he called to the adventurers as he knelt down. Amongst the foliage Ralden pointed out a set of tracks that ventured south. "Looks like we aren't the only ones in the area. Seems humanoid but too large to be human. Iceman mentioned giants didn't he? Not sure how recent the tracks are but if it storms frequently in the area the tracks couldn't have been here long."

Seeing that enough people had gone off to look for firewood, Valgard stayed behind and started clearing the area and then helped Rebecca setup the tents. Once they were put up, he glanced around the area, seeing if he could find any thick vegetation that he might be able to use to build some sort of thatch covering to keep things a little drier.

Basically looking to see if there are any materials around he could use to craft something to keep them a little drier once the rain comes