The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)

[Rodgeir]

Getting more lost probably: 1D20+2 = [5]+2 = 7

Yep.

[thinkslogically]

((wow... That's impressive))

Varsk heads back the way he definitely just came from until he is almost certainly completely lost. He guesses he's got about an hour until dark.

((Give me a perception check this time and a straight d20 roll))

I'll also pause here for a bit to let the others post while Varsk is wandering.

[Nioca]

"No, he took off to find wherever that woman fled to. He and Kal both, actually, but Kal came back here a little while ago..." Syli says. She shakes her head. "Told him it was a stupid idea, but he didn't listen. I mean, why should he? It's not like I'm versed in nature or wilderness survival or anything." Syli rolls her eyes.

"Speaking of which, with you lot coming around, I probably need to hunt down some provisions. Kinda hard to heal up on an empty stomach. I don't fancy staying here tonight, but it's going to be dark soon, and I think some of you guys have a hard time seeing by moonlight, so... yeah."

With that, Syli turns her attention to trying to track down some food. Making sure not to wander far from camp, she explores the perimeter for any edible (or semi-edible) plants, small animals, or fish. She'll also use the chance to refill the party's waterskins, wrapping up any gathering with a ritual of Purify Food & Drink to ensure it's all safe to eat.

--Survival (+3): 18

[Arch Lich Burns]

"I will come along with and hope he comes back soon. If not then we will have to track him down and hope he isn't dead. Or worse." Gwen goes to help Syli hunt. "Is it okay if I talk to you about something?"


Outsider: Gwen automatically gets enough food and water for 5 people and herself.

[thinkslogically]

Gwen and Syli notice that Varsk is still missing, and cope with his loss by foraging for food.

((Gwen, I'll still take a survival roll to see how long the foraging takes you since you don't have the full day to do it any more. Roll with advantage tho, since you're good at this))

[Rodgeir]

Request preception and a flat 20: 1D20+4 = [12]+4 = 16
1D20 = [10] = 10

Yep. Varsk is gonna find a reasonably dry spot and sit and get a short rest in.

Edit: use a HD = 8

[Nioca]

"...Maybe?" Syli says non-noncommittally. "Kinda depends on what 'something' is."

[thinkslogically]

((no short rests yet I'm afraid. At the very least, I'll need a survival roll to find somewhere safe to stop, but let me handle your other rolls first. Will update in an hour or two))

[Rodgeir]

((No prob, going to bed now so I can have nightmares of
getting lost ))

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen hesitates, as if not entirely sure what to say. "The new halfling is not compleatly insane nor was he talking complete gibberish. He's mad, but I am pretty sure I know what has caused his madness and it is the thing he refers to as a god."

"I know because I have seen something similar."


Surv: 2D20.HIGH(1)+3 = [16, 19]+3 = 22

[thinkslogically]

Gwen and Syli spend about half an hour foraging and manage to find enough clean water, game and berries to feed the group for the night (including Varsk if he ever comes back). This part of the swamp seems to have plenty of food around!

They return to the camp and begin preparing a meal.

It is about 1 hour before sunset

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Varsk feels increasingly like someone has punched him in the gut as he realises that he really doesn't have any idea where he has wandered to. The dense trees and swampy ground here look exactly the same as every other random bit of swamp. Eventually, he finds a bit of raised, dry ground to sit on and he plonks himself down against its rainbow-coloured trunk and starts to feel lonely, hungry and fairly worried. This is going to be a long night, and as nice as this little hummock is for a sit-down, it's not a good place to spend the night.

WIth a sigh, he casts around his current spot and wonders what to do with himself. The sun is dipping rapidly towards the west and the new crescent moon is just becoming visible overhead. It's going to be a dark night, but at least the stars will be out before the second moonrise. Birds squawk and whirl overhead as they begin to head back to their roosts. The branches in the tree above him are thick with spider webs, though not so many as he can see glistening in the trees in the main forest. An alligator drifts lazily past in the shallows, straight past a small shrine that looks to have been carved directly into the trunk of another one of the rainbow-coloured trees. The little shrine is about 30 feet away from his current perch.

It is about 1 hour before sunset

[Nioca]

"Is that so?" Syli says carefully. She wasn't absolutely certain where Gwen was going with this. "Are you saying there's something out here causing that? 'Cause it might explain a lot... Are we talking a creature, or some sort of spirit?"

[Arch Lich Burns]

"No it wouldn't be something out here." Gwen looks reluctant. "If it wasn't for Mehriv, I wouldn't be telling you this. There are other beings. I made illusions based on them." Gwen makes an illusion of a painting of an abbriation. (doesn't matter which one) "Some can drive one mad. And I think he made a pact with the one that made him mad. I am not sure if it's for good or bad just yet, but we must be wary.
I do not know what his 'god' asked of him."

Gwen looks away from her. "A couple of years ago I made a pact with one. I have to receive something for it, I think an artifact but I do not know. It's been beneficial to me thus far, but Mehriv wanted me to tell you guys about the deal."

[Nioca]

Syli pauses her picking of berries for a moment, her mind trying to parse the new information. "So... these beings then... that's where you get your power from, I take it?"

Glancing up at the sky for a moment, Syli wipes her brow before turning to Gwen. "I mean, I'm not gonna judge, I'm sure you had your reasons, but it does bring up some important questions. You say that you're sure one of these things drove Merric out of his mind, and that you're in contact with another one... Should I be concerned about if, or perhaps when, you might go just as mad? Or if not, what might happen if you were made to choose between your pact and your allegiances?"

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen nods "It is." She frowns. "Perhaps you should, but I think he has had less time to cope with it. There is a possibility that if I do not go with my pact I will lose my abilities, I don't know and the being wants to keep me guessing. I hope that point will never come up, both options would have drastic losses. But I would like to think I would go with my allies."

"Should we go find the half orc?"

[Rodgeir]

Varsk is NOT feeling lonely or afraid. Not at all.

He rummages in his pack and grabs some food from his rations and takes a sparing drink from his water. While munching he considers the shrine. He has never had any use for gods, and they seem to have more or less left him alone. Maybe the shrine has directions to the big river or something. Probably not. Well it is something to do.

Varsk will rise from his dry spot and slosh over to the shrine, wary of alligators, and give it a good look and try and figure out how freshly it was carved. Unfortunately Varsk knows about as much about trees as he does about finding a way in a swamp. He may possibly know something about the shrine's religious significance/purpose though.

Perception: 21
Investigation: 5
Religion: 15

[thinkslogically]

Varsk is NOT feeling lonely or afraid. Not at all.

Noted and updated

[Rodgeir]

((Can't show weakness, the alligators will get him. ))

[spiderwrangler]

((And if we come looking for him and find him, it'd ruin his reputation to be found sobbing a ball and sucking his thumb. ))

[Nioca]

"Hmph. Go find him? I already told him charging off after that woman was a dumb idea... although it'd be nice to say 'I told you so' to his face." Syli chuckles. "To be honest, I'm not really opposed to heading out after him, now that the others are up and around. It was bad enough feeling trapped last night in that cave, but here? I feel like we're just waiting for someone to stumble across us and kill us." Syli finishes gathering some more berries, starting to bring the haul of food back to the group. "Just so you know, though, we don't know how far he's gotten off to. We might be in for the long haul and camping on our own tonight."

[Arch Lich Burns]

"It's likely they would find our hiding place if we stay near the ruins. We are in danger either way. Having one or two more people can help with that."

"I hope that when he realizes he was lost he stayed where he was. But you might be right." Gwen will help Syli in surv check to find Varsk.

[spiderwrangler]

((If we're going looking for him, I'd rather we do it together rather than have the party split three ways, and you need to back track to the ruins.))

[Nioca]

"We need to fill the others in, at least." Syli replies. Finished with the gathering of food, she returns to the others, relaying what Gwen proposed.

"...As for you guys," she then adds to it, "I would seriously recommend finding another place to camp. Whether we're able to make it back tonight or not, it is not safe here, and if the lizards come past here, they're gonna turn this ruin upside down if they think you're still present."

[Dlover]

"Right. We'll search for him as long as we can. Once darkness falls, though, it will be too difficult to move without those of us with no dark vision becoming lost."

[Arch Lich Burns]

"That's not an issue. We can hold hands to lead you. Or use rope. And that would knock out two things at once."