Sunrise: 0350Sunset: 2020
- No Greyhawk Events today
Offsetting penalties [2 Jun 1218]
As the Company is stopping for lunch, trying to stay dry in the light rain, Nyra gasps.
Hanar:
Nyra?
Nyra:
I’m fine, but I need to talk to Dreune.
She heads over to where Dreune is dismounting and rubbing the inside of his leg where it has been rubbing the saddle for the last two hours. He glances up, but before he can say anything Nyra starts.
Nyra:
Whatever it is knows we’re looking for them. Acheaen was sitting in a tree next to a chittering squirrel. Our enemy was in the distance with a campfire going. The path they are on is a portage path around a small drop in the river. The path itself is very rocky and bounded on both sides by large boulders. In any case, I sent him in to take a closer look, when he was attacked. He was attacked by demonlings I think. At least three of them. Acheaen was a small spirit and had no chance against these three. I believe he was still alive as they ripped him from this plane. Whatever is out there is aware we are looking and has help to avoid us learning too much about it.
Dreune:
Do you think it’s advisable to keep watch on them then? I’m concerned that if we are too persistant they’ll take interest in the company. I don’t feel like fighting demonlings
Nyra:
I think that its already interested in us. I doubt that any humanoid can reach our position of path, but a demonling? Yes, I think they can.
Dreune:
Well that just plain sucks. So you think that they might be upon us. Can you tell when? I’ll have to tell Tar and Firena after this. Do you think you could have a spirit scout that will go out from the company? I don’t want to have you keep sending out spirits to die, I just want it to give us an advantced warnin if possible
Nyra:
Whatever gave you that impression? So far as I am aware none of found us, but I don’t doubt that they are looking. if I sent out spirits, they may be able to track them back to us. On the otherhand it will give us warning.
Dreune:
Oh. I mistook your last statement then. Would you explain to me what you meant by they can reach our position?
Nyra:
I doubt that any humanoid will be able to move from the path they are on to the path that we are on. Howeve, a demonling is not barred by physical barriers. Nor are spirits for that matter. They travel where they will. They could find us and, therefore, reach us.
Dreune:
And they have interest with us, so I assume, perhpas mistakenly, that they will be upon us eventually. That is not the case?
Nyra:
I have no idea if they will even find us. We are inside the forest and that is to our great advantage. Assume about what spirits, elementals, and demons will do only to your great detriment. They do not think like us and are not motivated as we are. I don’t know what they want with us, but I have sime suspicions.
Dreune:
Ok…instead of me trying to figure this out, what would you do? You might have to help me expain it to Firena and Tar. This is a different language to me and I’m afraid that I won’t have the time to learn it.
Nyra:
We put up astral spirit guards to watch our perimeter and keep up out astral watches. Other than that, we do nothing. We know that they’re out there and no that they cannot bring but astral beings toward us.
Dreune:
Ah…so as we ride we’ll have to take turns watching for them then? I shall tell Firena and Tar. Thank you for telling me this Nyra.
Is there anything else?
Nyra:
No.
Dreune:
Very well. I apprecaite this Nyra. I thank you once again.
With that Dreune goes to tell Firena.
Firena:
Are we in any direct threat?
Dreune:
Direct, no. Implied yes. We know they are there, we know they don’t intend to give us flowers. Other than that we just have to wait. The first move is there’s I’m afriad.
Firena:
What can they do to us if they choose to do something?
Dreune:
Well they are astral beings. As Nyra has told me they can’t do anything to us now…but that doesn’t mean they can’t hurt us at a more oppertune time. We’ve been attacked more and more magically and astral as you know is a big part of that. There’s just no telling what they are going to do. Nyra also tells me that astral beings are not motivated by the things that we are movitaved by. For all we know, they could just intent to give us mean looks until we are out of the area.
Firena:
Doubtul. For now, we’ll post astral lookouts. Early warning is never a bad thing. If we stay out of the way, perhaps, as you say, they’ll simply let us pass. If not, forwarned is forearmed. I’ll pass this up to Tar, but for now, you may as well get started.
Dreune:
That’s what Nyra said. I will see to it.
Firena:
It’s nice to know you can communicate effectively when you have to.
Dreune:
Yes, it was a very pleasent converation. It should also be nice to know that no one in magic will fail you. Just something to keep in mind.
Firena:
Yes. Go now and get started. I need to speak with Tar.
Dreune goes off and sets up a riding Astral guard. He asks Nyra, Korkyn and Morven to help him. They’ll each pull hour long shifts until the Company is out of reach or until Nyra advises otherwise. He tells everyone that if there are any problems to tell Nyra first because she’ll know what to do from there. Firena relates to Tar what Dreune told her, and his next actions. She also advises that they continue their present course unless presented with a direct and unavoidable threat. Tar concurs and the plan is set into motion.
3 June
As breakfast start, Nyra approaches Dreune again.
Ballinuveal gave me another update. The creature is searching for us. Ballinuveal has thwarted two of the vile creatures’ efforts yesterday. We’ve three more days in her woods before we’re out. She will assist us as we can.
Dreune:
How excelent of Ballinuveal to do that for us. Please thank her for me. Do we know what the vile creature is? I know you said there were deamonlings.
Nyra:
No, I don’t. There are demonlings there, but they are not the main creature. That is…something else.
Dreune:
I see. Well we need some more information. Would it be advisable for us to send out a spirit just to get information? Last time, didn’t work out so well, but since its looking for us anyway we might as well…that is pending your advice.
Nyra:
My advice doesn’t change. It was looking for us before as well.
Dreune:
Very well. The same thing once we’re out of the forest or is that up to circumstance?
Nyra:
We shall lose our top cover then. On the other hand, if our persuer does not know where we are, we may have some time before it finds us. We’ll be well our of the evil demons lands then and near the gnomish hills. Perhaps that will prevent an direct attack. I’m not the tactician though.
Dreune:
Well we have to leave the forest anyway. Anything we can do to confuse it…at least long enough for us to get the heck outa here?
Nyra:
Ballinuveal is planning on doing that.
Dreune:
Once again how excelent of her. Guess that means we’re still on watch then. Thanks again Nyra. I’ll go tell Firena
Nyra nods and leaves and Druene tells Firena that they’ve been searched for twice. Ballinuveal has stopped two different attempts by the creature yesterday. She is trying divert it away from us. We don’t know what it is but our actions do not change from the last update. Firena thanks Dreune for the information, and congratulates him again on improving communications within the Arcane organization. She then asks him if he knows what the beast that is driving the searches is.
Dreune:
We do not know and have no way to find out unless we search for it. That could lead it to us so Nyra advised that we not do that.
Firena:
No, I would advise against that, too. As long as it’s looking for us, that means it hasn’t found us. No reason to give it any hints as to our location. ... You know, it’s interesting to me. The few conversations I’ve had about Astral space have all left me with the impression that one can see through walls and such, as well as cover vast amounts of territory in very short amounts of time. How is it that this Astral creature that is searching for us can’t find us?
Dreune:
An excelent quesiton. For what I can ascertain the foul beastyhas no authority in the woods, but somehow knows we are here. Once we get out of the woods, we won’t be so protected however.
Firena:
My concern then is more for our safety once we leave the woods. Your task is to devise a defense plan, as much as one is possible against this creature, for after we leave the cover of the woods, which I am told will most likely be two days hence, three days at the outside. Perhaps distance will be enough, but if not, I want to know what our options are.
Dreune:
If I devise a plan, it will be based entirely on Nyra’s advice. I am kinda learning as I go on this one.
Firena:
You are the senior mage. You must use all your tools. Nyra certainly is one of those tools, and as I’m sure you’re learning, a very valuable one.
Dreune:
Oh, I know better than to use Nyra as one of my tools. She would hate it if I agreed with that. I shall however work as cloesly as I need to
Firena; Excellent. Then I will leave you to consult with your team. I’ll want an update on our defense strategy at the next conclave.
Dreune:
and so it shall be!
Next conclave, after the usual prelliminaries, Firena asks for an update from Dreune.
Dreune:
Well, our plan is to have astral watches and be on the look out for it. We can’t get any info so the defensive plan is to deal with the problem when we are presented with the problem or when we have more information
Firena:
Have you given any thought to what it might be or is likely to be or what sorts of skills it might have to throw at us? Anything at all?
Dreune:
I could, but if I was wrong we’d be prepared for the wrong thing. If its an astral spirit then Nyra will have to deal with it. If its just an astral being we might be able to just ignore it.
Firena:
So the defense plan for the Company is to hope it goes away?
Tar:
‘ow faw oud aw de As’ral guarshs?
Dreune:
(to Firena) Oh…I forgot to mention that Ballinuveal is trying to direct it in the wrong direction to get us time to get out of the forest and out of this land. (to Tar) The astral guards are simply in astral vision. Without cluttering my response with to many details, it’s simply the archane company members looking in the astral plane. That’s all we can do for now. If we searched for it (by way of astral spirit) it may be able to be traced back to us. Nyra has advised me not do to do that
Tar:
I didn’ mea’ us. I mean’ Ny’a‘s spirids. ‘Ow faw aw dey away?
Dreune:
Nyra has no spirits out
Dreune:
They are just out of sight for human eyes
Old quote:
Nyra:
We put up astral spirit guards to watch our perimeter and keep up out astral watches. Other than that, we do nothing. We know that they’re out there and no that they cannot bring but astral beings toward us.
Tar:
So, ad nighd, dat’s wad? Aboud 5 meders?
Dreune:
Actuall distance is about 1000 meters.
Tar looks surprised. I didn’ fink de’d be dat far away, bud I see no reaso’ doo moof dem in c’osah.
Drathon:
What is our next move? Wait for them to act? React when they do?
Dreune:
Yes…unfortunitly. We have to wait for them to make the first move. We are doing everything possible to be alerted early.
Drathon:
What do we defend against? How will they attack? When?
Tar:
I wan’ an u’da’ efery sis ours. We haf no goo’ info’mashun and dey don’ know whew we aw. I Don’ wan’ do go affer dem, s, yes, we reac’ when dey do somefin.
Tar:
Pre’are fo’ a physsicaw addack, awvough I suspec’ dat wiw do nofin.
Drathon:
Yes, Cap’n.
Dreune goes to Nyra after the conclave and says:
Nyra. May I have a second of your time? I need to ask you a question.
Nyra:
Yes
Dreune:
Tar would like an update every six hours. I realize that you may have no change between those six hours, but that is what Tar wants. I was just wondering if you would update me before I speak with Tar.
Nyra:
OK
Dreune:
Thank you. Also, how far out have you sent your spirits?
Nyra:
They’re about a half a hour out. I’m not sure how far that is. Maybe about a kilometer out.
Dreune (grins from ear to ear):
excelent! thanks again Nyra!
The 4th of June and the 5th June pass with no misadventures or further interruptions.
