|
 Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC >  It had been some time since she had traveled with such a large group, and it was a rarity indeed to observe so diverse an ecosystem of creatures. Traveling with the elves of the desert was familiar to her, and oddly comforting, so she was thankful for the presence of the two that Jihae had managed to entice with his tales of a once-better world. She had some experience trading with the human tribes of the wasteland, but relatively little in comparison, and so their cultures were generally less familiar to her, which made social interaction a bit more awkward. The two of that species that Jihae had managed to recruit were likable enough, thankfully, although she did admittedly find their odor a tad acrid. As well, the half-man was wondrously exotic so far as she was concerned, and had so far proven remarkably practical in his worldview. Though she dared not voice the thought out loud, mostly to avoid it being mistaken as an attempt for humor, she often found herself wondering how long Jihae's dream would hold water. The caravan had traveled without internal incident for quite a while now, but would their diversity ultimately prove to be a strength, or a weakness? She truly hoped the former, but doubt was ever her way. Could two elves, two humans, a halfling, and something else entirely ever truly become one pack? The elven tribes were often at odds with one another, and the human tribes were much the same, whether they were of the variety that traveled the land or walled themselves off from it. Halflings, as she believed they were called by most, had an even sourer reputation for their limited ability to cooperate with those outside their bloodline. Even on a raw, elemental level, much of the group seemed in opposition to one another. Could earth, fire, and water work together towards a common good? Or were they doomed to be perpetually juxtaposed, unable to find common ground? They were questions with little merit, for her traveling companions had proven nothing if not palatable so far, but the question still begged to be asked. She wondered, were the others asking themselves the same thing? And if so, did that make them more alike, or simply prove how different they already were? Either way would be an irony beyond measure. Of course, she had seen the exception proven time and again in her life, and so she had cause to hope. The wasteland had accepted her, rather than reject her, and for many years that had been good. She was different from the rest of the pack that had adopted her, and it had made them stronger. Indeed, perhaps the ultimate demise of her pack lord was to be a sign that there was, in fact, not strength in uniformity? Had they not all shared the same tactics when hunting, the same instincts when traveling, they might not have fallen into an elven trap. It is a simple thing to know one's enemy, when that enemy is merely one thing. But who in this land could predict the actions of something so undefinable as fire fueled by water, and emboldened by earth? Of elven grace tempered by human ingenuity, and the practicality of a half-man? Indeed, if they could truly learn to trust one another, to act as a single pack with a guiding purpose, it was possible that much could be accomplished. It was, in fact, even likely. So long as the terrible unlikelihood of their long-term cooperation was ever first overcome. During their journey so far, Jihae had been that unexpected and invaluable unifying force. A human trader had told her the name for the concept once, years ago. 'MacGuffin', she believed it was? Something that triggers a greater end, and but for which no great thing might have ever been set into motion. She was curious where the name had come from, though at the time had never thought to ask. She did know, however, that protecting the unifying force of Jihae was currently a priority. Without him, they might falter and part ways before the extraordinary could be accomplished, and before their trial could even begin. Although she didn't truly view him as a pack leader, given his personality, she did understand that he was important in this way. It was his continued existence that allowed the pack to form to begin with, and in time the leader would thus emerge. She looked forward to that, the comfort of it all, the accompanying surety of purpose. It had indeed been far too long. Plot posted:The village is nestled at the foot of a high mesa. Scattered around the outskirts of the simple hovels appear to be humanoid bones, picked and bleached clean. Here and there are corpses, with hollow bellies and gaping, empty mouths. The village is silent, beyond the sound of sand being blown against the hovels. Jihae’s face falls, and he simply whispers “oh, no…” Any number of ill fates could have befallen this settlement, and it was impossible to know by merely observing from afar. Was it a disease, she wondered? A wasting sickness was hardly a rarity, and if it went undetected for too long, a tipping point may well have been reached before the resources of the settlement could be mustered to deal with the threat. A predator was also a possibility, of course, though she didn't see any tracks among the remains, which would have been typical if the place had been beset by the more voracious and less patient things of the wild. More importantly, it was unusual for corpses to be picked clean, yet left relatively intact. Whether predator or scavenger, it was typical for bodies to be torn apart, with choice pieces being devoured first, and any individual body being scattered dozens of feet in several directions before the meal was done. Perhaps that was merely the way of her pack, and those she had observed, but it struck her nonetheless. Were she to wager, she would hazard that what happened here was far from natural in origin, were it a predator. Doubly so given the seemingly unharmed, if worse for wear animals penned further into the settlement. Which left an unnatural predator ...or completed the circle all the way back to a perfectly natural disease. This was indeed how a scene might play out if a disease ravaged the settlement. Most scavengers would pick up on the scent of it, and know to avoid it enough that the remains would not be strewn about the area. Had the people of this village merely laid down and died? The same might be true if their source of water had been suddenly lost, she supposed. With nowhere to go and nothing to do about it, it wouldn't even require a disease for the majority to simply succumb to the elements. Yet still, the enduring presence of their cattle suggested the water source had not in fact vanished. What kills a caretaker, but leaves those in its care? She wonders this to herself for a few moments. No predator she was aware of, and no natural disaster, be it a sandstorm or an unexpected drought. That left a disease which harmed the caretakers and left the cattle unharmed ...or perhaps left them as carriers. Either of which was, admittedly, not unheard of ...or a sentient and intentional application of force. Too many questions, and too few answers, she knew. She waited patiently for the discussion to evolve around her. Ja'eel posted:"I think we should probably check the outskirts to see if we're safe before we do anything else. Your thoughts?" Tara 'The Malus' Gessart posted:Tara moves to the front of the group, ready to lead them along the outskirts should they wish to survey the town at a distance. Nonetheless, there was wisdom in the first man's words, and she was thankful for it. He seemed less than eager to rush in headlong, and the female of the species was ready to take on any threat that presented itself. A fine match, and a rather endearing response, she had to admit. She offers some counsel in the trade tongue, "A cautious route around the area would have my support. We should search for the telltale tracks of predators or any sentient race that may have done this, though the former would surprise me for reasons that would take too long to explain. Be wary of getting too close to anything. I believe I see still-living livestock in one of their pens, which seems to suggest neither dehydration nor something so mundane as a haboob caused this devastation. In which case, the cause may well have been a truly unpleasant disease. If we complete our circuit and nothing reveals itself as an imminent danger, I would suggest we consider entering from the east, and approaching those surviving creatures to see what legacy their caretakers may have left with them." pre:I would support a cautious circuit around the area. If we are to enter, I would prefer to do so from the east near the animal pen. Passive: Perception (15) / Investigation (10) / Survival (15) / Limited: Hit Dice (1/1d8) / Hero Dice (2/2d6) / Bullets (x50) Cantrip: Shape Water / Mold Earth / Control Flames / Thought Projection Ritual: Detect Poison and Disease / Purify Food and Drink / Speak With Animals [2/2] Lv. 1: Animal Friendship Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________ Waador fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Mar 29, 2016 |
#
¿
Mar 29, 2016 05:44
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 06:46 |
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > Haffanu posted:"There may be poisons and diseases and there are definitely animals who may have something to say." pre:I will start the ten-minute process of casting Detect Poison and Disease as a ritual. Passive: Perception (15) / Investigation (10) / Survival (15) / Concentration (Detect Poison and Disease) / Limited: Hit Dice (1/1d8) / Hero Dice (2/2d6) / Bullets (x50) Cantrip: Shape Water / Mold Earth / Control Flames / Thought Projection Ritual: Detect Poison and Disease / Purify Food and Drink / Speak With Animals [2/2] Lv. 1: Animal Friendship Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2016 17:41
|
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > The woman continues her ritual while the others approach, preferring to rely upon fact rather than gut feeling when it comes to matters of disease and pestilence. A moment is spared, however, for caution. A glance towards the caravan suggests that Jihae should get into cover, in case danger looms near yet unseen. pre:I will continue the ritual.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2016 19:50
|
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > Obsidian posted:"Aarakocra."
|
|
#
¿
Apr 5, 2016 04:07
|
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > Patiently listening as ever, she finds herself curious and confused as to the man's explanation. An entire village, felled by two aarakocra warriors? It was plausible, she supposed. She knew all too well how trivial and one-sided a battle could be, if one knew how to fight and their opponent did not. She had seen it many times in her years among the elves. A superior understanding of movement, or tactics, or range ...such things ended battles before they began, and made giants into mewling cubs. Still, their flight was an advantage, to be sure, but it should not have been an insurmountable one. Had this village no trained warriors of its own? Surely the villagers had the advantage of numbers, which should have more than offset any aerial superiority. Was this yet another case of frightened mobs of humans, too timid to rise above their fear and defeat an easily quelled foe? Forty to one, few battles were possible to lose, unless one was a fool. Perhaps the village got what it deserved ...though that was obviously an insensitive opinion to voice at this juncture. She continues to listen, curious how her companions may react to this news. Getting to know their motivations and worldviews was of greater value than uncovering information about this incident at a faster pace than the natural course of things dictated.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2016 05:01
|
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > While the others gather what information they can from the survivors, she quietly goes about conducting the ritual necessary to speak with the creatures of the natural world. A hunt was soon to be afoot, unless she missed her guess. pre:I am beginning the 10 minute ritual to cast speak with animals.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2016 21:05
|
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > Village Elder posted:The man thinks deeply for a moment. "Two waves come and go. The beasts seem to fly in pairs. I believe their shift changes grant them an hour's rest. The longest break seems to happen when the sun is at its highest - none of us would dare try to escape then. With us being fewer in number, they seem to have grown a little slack in keeping watch over us." The elder sighs heavily. "About...two weeks? I would say? It has felt much, much longer, though." He trails off and shakes his head in disappointment. pre:As we have been travelling for an hour or more in Haffanu's favored terrain (being desert) would he not have access to the special traits unlocked by natural explorer? In this case: > While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. > If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. I would personally vote for Haffanu, with his good stealth and class features, to perform a reconnaissance mission and plot us a route to the enemy before we all go marching in. Plot posted:You are able to round up the survivors. They are initially fearful and hesitant, but are willing to cooperate if it means possible water and rations. pre:Mastiffs have keen hearing and scent, granting advantage on perception. I am asking them to let me know if they smell or hear any birds approaching. pre:Unless anyone wants me to avoid doing so, I will feed and water the village's livestock. I will also speak to them to see if they have any information to offer. Speak with animals suggest that, at a minimum, they can give me information about nearby locations and monsters, including whatever they can perceive or have perceived within the past day. Passive: Perception (15) / Investigation (10) / Survival (15) / Limited: Hit Dice (1/1d8) / Hero Dice (2/2d6) / Bullets (x50) Cantrip: Shape Water / Mold Earth / Control Flames / Thought Projection Ritual: Detect Poison and Disease / Purify Food and Drink / Speak With Animals [2/2] Lv. 1: Animal Friendship Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2016 20:45
|
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > As the group prepares to depart, she instructs her wards in a series of barks and growls to protect Jihae at all costs. The villagers are to be protected as long as they don't seem to deserve whatever comeuppance comes their way. pre:I will leave my mastiffs behind to guard Jihae and the villagers. pre:Stealth 5 Passive: Perception (15) / Investigation (10) / Survival (15) / Limited: Hit Dice (1/1d8) / Hero Dice (2/2d6) / Bullets (x50) Cantrip: Shape Water / Mold Earth / Control Flames / Thought Projection Ritual: Detect Poison and Disease / Purify Food and Drink / Speak With Animals [2/2] Lv. 1: Animal Friendship Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
#
¿
Apr 22, 2016 15:20
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 06:46 |
|
|
Gentle Leviathan > 11 / 11 HP > 16 AC > Plot posted:In its attempt to attack Ja’eel, the diver seems to have become confused. Its javelin thrust seems nowhere near Ja’eel. pre:Move: N-16 > L-15 (10') Action: Helping Tara to make an attack on Aarakocra[2]. Passive: Perception (15) / Investigation (10) / Survival (15) / Limited: Hit Dice (1/1d8) / Hero Dice (2/2d6) / Bullets (x50) Cantrip: Shape Water / Mold Earth / Control Flames / Thought Projection Ritual: Detect Poison and Disease / Purify Food and Drink / Speak With Animals [2/2] Lv. 1: Animal Friendship Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________ Help (PHB pg. 192) posted:You can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally’s attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage.
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2016 03:07
|
|