Just as these questions began to force their way to the surface, a wail began to rise. However, the wail did not come from the remains of Waterdeep. It came from the forest to the south, as a great dark cloud rose up from the hills to the hills to the northwest of Ardeep forest and engulfed it in shadow and dark shapes swarmed over the hillside to converge on the forest. The wail became discernible as a cacaphony of shrieks of pain and anguish, and flashes of light and darkness showed that powerful magic was being thrown back and forth from the forces within the forest and the forces coming at it.
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As the battle of Ardeep got under way, the cloud grew, and a great pillar of flame flew at the city, targeting the temple that had so recently had a brief respite. The fireball hurtling toward the city was slashed asunder by invisible forces before it reached the temple, but it was only 100 feet away from the structure before it splashed into the water, sending up gouts of steam. Either the priests were still alive, or someone was protecting them.
Very little could be seen of the battle of Ardeep Forest from either the Lady Narath or Beranhond's perspective, though it seemed that very few of the dark shapes entering the forest were stopped and the darkness was not receding. Several minutes passed, and soon the flashes of light ceased altogether, leaving only the darkness and the dark shapes that had converged on the forest.
Dumbfounded, Darvin stared at the remains of Waterdeep. It had seemed like hours had passed, but in reality the destruction and ensuing battle had only taken a matter of minutes. He had no idea why any of this was happening. He had been asleep, he didn't even know for how long.
ReplyDeleteThe sea was calm now, but Darvin had no desire to risk getting close to shore. He had noticed that Beranhond wasn't on board and he started to get a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Can somebody tell me where Beranhond is?" he shouted to the crew. He slumped down against the back railing, exhausted and dehydrated, "And someone please bring me some water." He sat there and stared at the destruction.
A voice you don't recognize says, "Don't know who this Beranhond guy is, but I hope he wasn't in the city." A tattooed hand holds out a cup of water, and as Darvin accepts it, he notices the tattoos run all the way up the man's arm and that strange symbols cover the man's clothing and face as well. It seems to Darvin that this man must use his entire body as a large canvas for doodles.
ReplyDeleteBehind him, Thjodolf walks up purposefully. "Darvin! You back!" Grabbing Darvin by the shirt and lifting him bodily off the ground, Thjodolf headbutts Darvin as a greeting, then sets him back down on the ground, a smile splitting his face. "Admiral Nym!" Thjodolf says, moving to do the same, but stopping inches from grabbing her shirt and giving her a head nod instead.
Seeing Talathel arrive on deck, Thjodolf produced a small bottle from his vest, filled with a clear, slightly brown-tinged liquid. "Here! Taste good!" Lailsan, from behind him, whispered in his ear, "Thjodolf and several others set up a still belowdecks. Careful of that stuff."
Posting for Erin
ReplyDeleteNym looked at the odd tattooed man, and briefly thought of the tattoo patterns that ran up Illuvaen's arms. Hopefully they were doing alright and that the shadowcaster's rule had ended.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?"
posting for myself
ReplyDelete"This isn't normal weather is it?" Aesylin asked in a whisper.
"No, this looks like some titanic magical struggle." Beranhond responded.
"Do you have any idea of what is going on?"
"No, not from this distance. I am suspicious of the dark shapes that are moving about though Best to keep quiet." She nodded and they continued on down the path toward the ruins of the city.
The tattooed man responded to Nym's inquiry. "I'm Horace, and I am paying for my passage out of Waterdeep with runes to protect your ship." He gestured at the mast, and Nym saw that a small collection of runes already appeared there.
ReplyDelete"What do they do?" She asked.
"Well," he said, walking over to the mast and gesturing, "This one makes the ship resistant to fire. Very helpful against mages. This one here wards off vermin. These two are general purpose and help out in a lot of small ways. There are more," he said, gesturing toward the forecastle, where Nym saw several more prominently displayed, "Serving several different purposes. Let me know if you have something special you'd like, Admiral." He said this last comment with a bow and a flourish of his tattooed arm.
Beranhond, could I get a stealth check? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteStealth:
ReplyDeleteRoll(1d20)-3:
18,-3
Total:15
Perception check, too, please. Sorry for forgetting it earlier.
ReplyDeletePerception:
ReplyDeleteRoll(1d20)+6:
16,+6
Total:22
Beranhond and Aesylin are able to sneak down to the edge of the crevasse that once was Waterdeep. They get rather close to several of the bestial shapes they had seen moving about on their way, and are able to identify them as subterranean beasts, probably escaping from a cave system below the city. Once at the lip of the hole standing at the edge of the city, Beranhond spots several small clouds floating over the large chasm and arriving at the far side of the city's edge.
ReplyDeleteAs Beranhond and Aesylin look into the hole, they notice that the water level, though it is rising, is still only to the first floor of the wrecked buildings that are 100-500 feet below them, scattered across the uneven floor of the crater.
ReplyDeleteTalathel gave a glance to Lailsan, as if to say "did you know he was here?"
ReplyDeleteHe was not sure if the runes would do as the man said, but he held out his hand.
"Welcome aboard, Horace." He shook the man's hand.
"Captain, shall I go to the crow's nest and see what I can spot from there? Or shall we go ashore soon and look for anyone who may have survived?"
Darvin, was a bit dazed by Thjodolf's greeting but upon hearing Talathel's question he said, "Yes, head up into the crow's nest. See if it looks like we can be of any use to anyone on shore or if Beranhond is there." Talathel quickly turned and started to scramble up the mast. Darvin turned to Thjodolf and Horace, "Now, can either of you two please tell me what is going on?"
ReplyDeleteposting for Erin
ReplyDeleteNym, smiles and examine Horace more closely.
Sense Motive:
Roll(1d20)+0:
10,+0
Total:10
She then steps back and asks Kailina about Horace and where/when he came on the ship.
Talathel heads up to the crow's nest and looks towards shore.
ReplyDeleteRoll(1d20)+8:
14,+8
Total:22
(Just looking for things that might help us assess the situation a bit better.)
Sorry I don't have internets... :S
ReplyDeleteBefore Kailina could tell Nym about Horace Nym asked, "And where's Beranhond?" She frowned looking around. The ship wasn't large enough that she wouldn't have seen a sign of him or Tigrisclauw if he was on the ship. A knot formed in her stomach as she realized he must have been on shore when the storm destroyed Waterdeep...
Thjodolf, responding to Darvin's question, said, "I in charge while you sleep and Bearhand gone. We out to sea cause druids say they break Waterdeep. See." He pointed to where the storm was pounding away in the distance. "We take on passengers," he said, gesturing at Horace, "to save from destruction of city. Do not worry, they pay," he said, waving his arms as if to ward off any concerns he could do a good job of looking after the ship.
ReplyDeleteKailina answered Nym's question, as well. "Beranhond left the ship 4 days ago, saying he was going to see if he could do something about the plight of the city. We have not had any word from him since then, but he told us to keep the ship safe, so we stayed as long as we could before heading out to sea."
ReplyDeleteTalathel sees that where the city once stood is now a void, and that an unnaturally dark cloud hangs over the city. It seems to his eyes that he sees small objects moving around, some traveling from the forest to the city, and others just moving about haphazardly. The river looks very low, and the water at the shore looks rather low, as well.
ReplyDeleteBeranhond and Aesylin peered over the edge a short time.
ReplyDelete"It is an impressive sight." She said after a moment.
"Rather remarkable." Tigrisclawu said from behind him.
"You have had quite the day haven't you?" Beranhond asked her. "First you were an attempted sacrifical victim and than you spend the next few hours sneaking down to the edge of a ruined city."
"Certainly more than I normally do in a day." She said smiling. "What is your plan from here?"
"Well, I wanted to get an idea of what was going on down here, and I was also hoping that I might be able to contact my friends who were staying in the temple. However..." Beranhond peered over the ruined city. "I will try that later; I just hope that my friends are alright."
"Where were they when this hit?"
"Hopefully out to see and away from where the waves could damage them." He turned to look out to the see.
Is it still rough, what could he see?
Perception:
Roll(1d20)+6:
15,+6
Total:21
Looking to the horizon, Beranhond can tell that the storm has died down precipitously, leaving a mostly clear sea. No ships are visible, but there have been no catastrophic waves, and there is no evidence of any wreckage. Too bad you didn't think to borrow one of the speaking stones that Talathel and Darvin have before you left...
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about that actually...
ReplyDeleteAs the questions were getting answered and the weather was calming down, Darvin called the crew together. "It looks as though the weather is breaking, if Beranhond is still alive, it would be most likely that he headed back to the city to help any survivors. I think we sail in close and try to find him, but I am open to suggestions since the lot of you have been awake for the last two weeks."
ReplyDeleteDarvin was tired, his whole body felt heavy, the weight of his responsibility and his missing friend were weighing on him. As he finished talking he made eye contact with Nym and gave her a weak little smile. He couldn't wait to spend some time with her after all that had happened. He just had no idea when that would be.
there is something weird going on with the comments...
ReplyDeleteI think the comments might be fixed... Hopefully.
ReplyDeleteAs the crew got together, Darvin noticed 5 new crewmembers. The ship began sailing back toward shore, and was able to make it within eyesight of the ruins of the city with little difficulty.
Perception and Profession:Sailor checks from everyone, please? Thanks.
Not seeing anything particularly interesting on this side of the city, and thinking she might have seen something out to see, Aelysin kept going, moving around the city on the north side, away from where the darkness was coming from. Soon, the two came to the remains of a guardhouse that had mostly crumbled, but still held some weapons stores, and had an odd staff that stood straight up, without leaning against anything.
ReplyDeletePerception:
ReplyDeleteRoll(1d20)+5:
19,+5
Total:24
Profession: Sailor:
Roll(1d20)+7:
9,+7
Total:16
That'll work. You passed both checks, so I don't need any more checks from Talathel and Nym. Darvin spots some very shallow water, and knows they can't get any closer than about a nautical mile out from land without running the ship aground.
ReplyDeleteBeranhond is going to cast detect magic and see if there is anything interesting about the staff.
ReplyDeleteArcana:
Roll(1d20)+8:
18,+8
Total:26
The staff has a very minor magical effect on it. If you will it to remain vertical, it will, regardless of the surface underneath it.
ReplyDeleteAelysin walked up to the staff and looked at it curiously. "What does it do?"
ReplyDelete"I believe that it will remain that way regardless of what it is resting upon."
She cautiously took it into her hand and tested it on various surfaces.
"Interesting." She said "Mind if I keep it?"
"Not at all." He said turning out to look into the distance. "Did you see anything out to sea?"
She sat down and smoothed out her leggings.
"I thought I saw something. Don't you have some sort of magical communication device with them?"
Beranhond blushed. "Why yes..."
"Where is it?"
"Um... on the ship? I forgot it on board"
She started laughing. "You have mystical divine powers and forget your magic stones."
"Hey now..." Beranhond said sitting down. "My deity doesn't remind me to bring my talking stones."
"No, but then she also has a direct line to your head so she wouldn't need to worry." Tigrisclawu said snickeringly.
"Who is your God anyway." She asked while rubbing our her calf muscles. "My mother was a big follower of Sune, but I haven't made it to any service or worship in years. I did some work for one of the large trading guilds so I did token obedience to Tymora and Waukeen."
"Well, I was training to be a Paladin of Torm before I switched directions."
"Tormish Paladins? I heard that they have been running into troubles with the druids."
Beranhond smiled at her. "Who hasn't been running into trouble with the druids?"
Talathel kept a close eye on the shallow waters, but was confident that Darvin could steer them into shore. He would shout the occasional warning down to the deck, but all seemed in hand. He waited for the ship to come to a rest before climbing down from the nest and preparing to head to shore.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've been skipping climbing checks just for the sake of time, but can put them in and need be. I just figure it would be cumbersome to do climb checks every time I go to my post.
Don't worry about climbing checks unless the ropes are slippery or there's a reason that you would have a specific reason to slip, such as the boat getting rammed or something.
ReplyDeleteAs Aelysin and Beranhond talked, a ship came clearly into view, and Beranhond thought it looked like the Lady Narath, though it was still a ways off. The distance was probably swimmable, but would be rather strenuous.
ReplyDeleteYou have met Beranhond right? No distance in the sea is swimmable for him.
ReplyDelete"Let's find some slight cover in case it isn't my ship." Beranhond suggested. The two found some coverage by a rock and drank some water.
Well, for a normal person, they could probably make it but be dead tired when they got there.
ReplyDeleteTalathel noticed as he peered at the shore from his perch that there were 3 medium sharks that were beginning to circle the ship, though he could see no other animal life in the water around him. It was odd that there were no schools of fish or porpoises playing near the shore.
ReplyDelete"Darvin!" Talathel shouted from the crow's nest. "We have sharks with us, about three of them. They seem to be circling the ship, though I don't see any other animals. I'll keep an eye on them, but be aware of them should we go to shore."
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that we have a smaller rowboat to get us to shore?
Yes, you have one boat that you can let down off the aft of the quarterdeck.
ReplyDeleteAs Beranhond and Aelysin regroup in their shelter, they see a large creature walk to the water for a drink, then spitting it out with disgust. In anger, the beast picks up a rock and throws it 50 meters out to sea. As it turns to look for more water, Beranhond tries to identify it. It looks like it might be a minotaur, but it never faces the two, so it's hard to tell.
ReplyDeleteBeranhond pulled himself back down and away from the minotaur's vision.
ReplyDeleteAelysin leaned closer him and whispered
"What is that?"
"I think it is a minotaur, lets just hope it goes away."
The minotaur wanders away, leaving you at peace. You take a look out over the water, and the ship you see is definitely the Lady Narath.
ReplyDeletePosting for Nick
ReplyDeleteDarvin pointed at Kailina, Janusa, and Greg. "You three, take the boat to shore. Just do a quick scouting mission, and if you run into any trouble, come right back. We can't help you that well from here, and I want you all to stay alive."
Greg, Kailina and Janusa hopped to work, and had the boat ready to be lowered in very short order.
"Thjodolf," Darvin said, "Once we find Beranhond, I want a much more thorough description of everything that's happened. Until then, please tell me a little about our new passengers."
As Greg, Kailina, and Janusa approach the shore, they see several large beasts and don't get closer than 100 yards out from shore. They begin a visual search of the coastline.
ReplyDeleteAfter spotting the Lady Narath Aelysin and Beranhond snuck out to the shore in an attempt to find a reaonsably safe spot, but also one that could be seen from the ship or from a rowboat. While they waited they shared stories about growing up, education, and recent adventures. All very interesting, but nothing that I feel like posting quite yet. When Aelysin spotted a small boat they began to wave out to them in the hope of catching their attention.
ReplyDeleteAs Beranhond and Aelysin wave their arms, both those on the boat and those on the Lady Narath spot them. The three people on the boat also spot a bugbear up the beach that has taken note of the two people waving their arms. They point, and Beranhond and Aelysin also see the bugbear.
ReplyDeleteThe boat is 300 feet away, and can row at 30 feet per round. The bugbear is also 300 feet away, and can move at 30 feet per round. If you choose to engage the bugbear, please roll initiative. If you have another solution, that roll is unnecessary.
Seeing that the boat should arrive at the exact moment that the bugbear should arrive Beranhond waited until the Bugbear, and the boat, were fifty feet away, he then casted summon monster. A wolf materialized out of the air and landed onto the earth - right in between the monster and Beranhond and Aelysin.
ReplyDelete"Fight it until we escape in the boat and then run away and find safety in the woods." The wolf nodded and started moving towards the bugbear.
"You are an odd one Beranhond. You can fight off crazed halflings, speak to animals, and even summon them to help you escape."
"I just do what I can." He turned and called out to the crew manning the boat "get ready for a quick departure - I don't feel like fighting today." Beranhond and Aelysin then waded out slightly into the water and as the wolf and bugbear engaged one another, they dived into the boat and Janusa and Greg started rapidly rowing away from the shore. After a moment of combat the wolf separated from the bugbear and sprinted off towards the forest.