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[Paulus Fahlstrom]

Day 4, Turn 3: Order: Reece (1!,2!), Dwareet'ik (3!,3!), Keris (3!,6!), Dragnar (1!,4!); New order: Keris, Dwareet'ik, Dragnar, Reece

Keris-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Order:3!) You call the goblins around you and order them into position, giving them new names in the process. They greet the names with indifference, though they seem content with them. It seems they're waiting to see if those bring good fortune. You give Ustolosmod a little butt pat. It seems you like her. She raises an eyebrow but says nothing.

You all rush in, in proper formation. The tunnel is narrow, preventing the proper fanning out of all of you. (Observation check:1!) (Trap check rolls: 1-4!, K-6!,5!, 2-3!, 3-4!, 5-1! (Location:2!,6!,3!) (Damage:3!,4!; 6!,4!; 6!,4!), 4-3!; 1-3!, K-3!, 2-1!, 3-3!, 5-6!,3!) Nothing seems amiss until Splosarslospka runs afoul of the traps first. He apparently stepped on a plate that almost everyone else seemed to miss, setting off a deady series of traps. Dotomzoslu and Ustolosmod barely managed to avoid the obsidian blades that sprung up from the ground, but Splosarslospka wasn't so fortunate. The shifting plate caused him to trip, and the resulting blades removed a leg mid-thigh, nearly severed an arm, taking off three fingers in the process, and perhaps most grimly of all severed his head entirely, sending it bouncing on ahead out of the tunnel in front of you.

By this time it was too late to check your momentum but with good fortune the rest of you managed to avoid the cage traps that fell open as you stepped upon them. All except poor Dotomzoslu, who fell, injuring his leg and getting caught in a bronze cage trap, the bars snapping shut as you moved on and the trap door beginning to close again. The rest of you managed to make it through, breathing heavily as you counted the goblins left and they counted their fingers and toes to make sure they were still there.

You are inside the fortress now. You see a large domed building some distance away ahead of you. The land slants down to your south-east, goes into a valley east of you before rising to the building again and is a fairly expansive plateau to your north-east.

(+2 Traps and Snares exp., You have lost two minions. One dead, one trapped but possibly recoverable.)

Dwareet'ik-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Observation check:1!) You make a foray out the doors and to your dismay the fog is so thick it significantly hampers visibility. You can't see the wolves, or hear them. Perhaps they've left. You decide to risk it and head east into the swamp a little ways until you find some trees growing closely together. (Gather wood:6!,6!) You're very fortunate. You find an ample supply of wood that was sheltered in the middle of the small copse. One of the trees is dead and the wood is very dry, perfect for lighting fires. (+1 to making fires for 3 attempts, assuming the wood stays dry) You gather copious quantities of it very quickly from this location and take it back to the quarry.

Though the exertion warmed you somewhat you think a nice fire would do you well. (Light fire;4!+1) You soon have a merry little blaze going and once it's started you use the wet wood to bank it properly and to allow the wood to dry. You're soon warm again and dry. You feel a little better now.

(Recovery roll:4!) All the stretching has your leg feeling a little better now. You could probably move about normally again were it not for the bandage.

Dragnar-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Observation check:3!) You look around you in this entry hall and easily spot the number 1 carved into the wall by the entrances as well as the ramp. This must have been the first place they dug in. Strange for it to be at the top of the mountain instead of below, but it's current defensible position makes it clear why. The ramp itself could be easily defended.

You see little of interest in this place so you begin cautiously heading down the ramp. The stone is smooth and well worked, and natural. None of it was cut out or removed and seems to wind in a spiral downwards. After nearly two full rotations you come to a flat portion that appears to be heading into the trade hall. According to the map you saw there should be the second set of traps around here and you soon find and deactivate them. You proceed but soon are made aware that a battle, or multiple battles have taken place here. And recently. It's hard to make out the details in the semi-dark but you see the rotting remains of a large demon rat, the skeletal remains of a large demon rat, both near the traps and the corpses of two humans, along with the severely rotted remains of two elves and three more large demon rat corpses, still reasonably fresh. You try to piece the players together and find you cannot. Everything is dead, you have no idea who killed whom, but from the looks of the humans they didn't fare too well at the end. One of them looks like he's been thoroughly chewed upon. The rubble of the depot fills the room. It's has been gone for some time you would guess.

Reece-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You take some time to eat your food and drink from your flask before looking around. (Action:2!) You must have drunk more than you thought to quench your thirst. Little remains. Your food won't last you too much longer either. If only that dog had been larger.

By the time you're done you decide you had better follow Dragnar down and are soon following after him. After a few bends it's pitch black and you can't see at all in front of you and you stumble forwards slowly and hesitantly.

Eventually, finally, the ground levels out and you begin to see a dim glow ahead of you. (See description in Dragnar's thread, he had the higher observation check)

[Dwarmin]

Well, remove the bandage, and clean it.

Now that we have a fire, cook and eat a proper soup-meat, bloated tuber, garlic to taste. Try to identify the scepter.

Then try to get some more rest.

[major_sephiroth]

I'll order Ustolosmod to let the rest of the goblins know that the way is safe. The rest of us will press onward.

[dragnar]

carefully search the room for anything valuable, while keeping an eye out for any remaining enemies.
I'll also warn Reece to stay close to me, I can see much better down here.

[tehstefan]

I stay close, while eying the remains to see if I could possibly salvage them to cook over a fire. Gross, but better than starving to death.

[Anti-Paragon]

I assume something is eating up Paulus' time?

[Dwarmin]

Maybe he just got bored? Games really slow right now, at least till one of us starts forging through unexplored territory.

Of course, I know if I move, I'll probably die. But if I don't move, I'll probably just lose interest in the game. meh.

Why is healing so slow Paul? It's realistic, but not very fun...
Should I just make my way out of the fort, possessions in tow?

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

((Yeah... my apologies. I started reading a book. And I tend to get waaaaaay too engrossed when I do that. It drives my wife crazy. Now that I'm done I'll resume.

Healing is deliberately slow for two reasons. First, combat is essentially an accelerated exp. gaining turn and longer healing times help offset it for characters that have less combat skill. Second, it gives value to those classes that can heal but are worse at other things. Otherwise, everyone would simply play a combat-centric character and rely on quick natural healing, rapidly outpacing spell-casters and other classes. Additionally, survival skills are essential for staying alive. So learning how to find food, water, etc. and keeping yourself hale and healthy is more of a challenge. In Nethack (and DF) you can just wait (very rapidly) to pass time and restore health. In turn-based RTD's it's harder to do, so I'm trying to maintain a reasonable balance of many things.

If you have issues with healing speed Dwarmin, you can always ask Elyvilon to teach you how to cast healing spells. You'd have to get some decent rolls, but it's within her sphere of influence.))

Day 4, Turn 4: Order: Keris (1!), Dwareet'ik (4!), Dragnar (5!), Reece (3!); New order: Dragnar, Dwareet'ik, Reece, Keris

Dragnar-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Observation check:1!+1) (Action:1!) You begin looking around the room in the dim glow of the few large mushrooms. Large mushrooms? You head over to one of them and begin inspecting it.

Fascinating. The plants here look like they've grown naturally but they are significant differences between these and the normal underground variations you're used to. The Tower-caps glowing for instance, and they seem to have a much deeper hue than normal, slightly reddish. You recognize the other plants as well, Plump helmets, mostly trampled, some Sweet pods, A few sickly looking pig-tail reeds, a few quarry bushes, and even a dimple cup or two, growing near the ruined building. But they all have the same slight discoloration.

It takes you some time to confirm all this and you get so distracted by it that you forget to do anything else.

(Inherent underground plant recognition)

Dwareet'ik-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Now that you're somewhat more comfortable you remove the bandage on your leg. It has already formed a reasonable looking scab on it and seems to be healing well enough. You take the bandage out to one of the lakes and wash it real quick, cleaning out the blood as well as possible. It doesn't come completely clean but it's still quite useable. You refill your waterskins while you're there, and also sink your leather. (Since you mentioned it in a previous post)

You make your way back into the quarry and, using the small pot empty one of your skins into it, (Cow leather one) adding in the Kobold bulb and some of the large demon rat meat. (Cook:5!) Soon you have a very savory little stew going. Half the garlic goes in as well. The kobold bulb has boiled into softness and diffused a nice rich flavor through the stew. The Large demon rat meat is now nice and tender, and pre-cooking it gave it a delicious smoky flavor. You try some. It's like a little bit of heaven and you eat and drink to your heart's content. You feel much better and quite satisfied. The remainder of the stew you thin out enough to get it into your leather waterskin for future consumption. It won't last too long, but that shouldn't be a problem.

While you're comfortable you spend some time examining the scepter. (Appraise:2!) It looks quite well made and valuable. You might even be able to use it as a staff if you wanted to. It's about the right size for you.

You then rest some more.

(Recovery roll:6!,4!) With your belly full you feel warm and comfortable again after the long night and even your wounds seem to trouble you less.

Reece-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Observation check:4!+1) You stay close to Dragnar, but he suddenly seems fascinated by the plants in the room for some reason. Not that they're not interesting, but you've never really seen them before and have no idea what they are.

Instead you begin looking over the corpses in the room. The humans are fairly fresh looking, though one surely must have been chewed upon by zombies. The other apparently died of some sort of blunt trauma. The large demon rat bodies might be useable as well if you were quick. It's reasonably cool here even in the height of summer, so they've not really soured completely yet.

You also find some potentially useful items on the corpse of the less eaten human:

xIron gauntletsx
XMule leather BackpackX:
1 lantern with oil (8/15 turns)

XGiant iguana leather capeX (armor)
XXDonkey leather pantsXX (armor)

xRope reed bagx:
2 xXloaves of longland flour breadXx
1 flint and steel

xDeer leather waterskinx: Water (3 uses)
xXUnicorn leather waterskinXx: Water (2 uses)

Most of the items are worn, some considerably so, but considering you have next to nothing, it's a considerable boon. Dragnar seems engrossed in the plant-life still so you can clearly choose what you want. The clothing is human-sized so it wouldn't fit him anyways. You try a nibble of the bread. It's old and stale but seems tasty enough.

(+1 Observation exp.)

Keris-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Action:6!,1!) You order Ustolosmod to remain and let the rest of the goblins know it's 'safe'. You and the other two press on west (Default direction I'm assuming, since you didn't mention it.) (Observation check:1!) Soon you've passed into the little valley  and can't see or hear hardly anything but some screams from behind you inform you well enough that the other two scout groups and managed to make it at least as far as the traps. You take it nice and slow as you go, trying to keep your group concealed. Ustolosmod joins you after a little while, having jogged to catch back up. She salutes smartly, grinning widely.

"I make others aware of traps. They only lose three. Heh."

She and the others seem to be amused that despite the warnings the other groups didn't fare much better than them through the traps. It seems they've fanned out north and south of you and are headed west as well. You're still a ways from the domed structure.

(+1 leadership exp.)

[dragnar]

ouch, snake eyes...

I remind myself that I am a smith, not an herbalist, and try to determine the way to the forges.

I'll take the flint and steel, and one of the waterskins(though as a dwarf, it's gonna be awhile before I am thirsty enough to drink that).

[tehstefan]

I grab the backpack, and wear the gauntlets, while putting on the cape and pants, worn as they may be. I then ask him what he wants, since I do owe him something.

[Dwarmin]

I actually am not a fan of magic overmuch, but this is an annoying wound to heal with mundane means. I can also assume unskilled healing magic will cause me a truly terrifying amount of thirst/hunger, or even hurt other parts of my body to heal the area in question?

Actions
Well, lets go into a trance and ask Elyvilon for some help learning healing spells then. Make sure to say "pretty please". If I get smited Paul, name the next turn "Godsmacked!". That would be funny

If I wake up, at all, or fail completely I'll try to get a feel for the scepter in my hands, and determine whether it can be used as a proper weapon. If it can, store my staff in the stash and wield the scepter. Otherwise, store the scepter in the stash and wield the staff.

Also, you remember the healing herbs I had in the start of the game paul? Does my character know where to find those, as in swampland/mountains/meadow etc. Assuming I want to search for replacements.

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

As a note on magic failure:

For those of you who have played Crawl or Nethack magic failure is interesting. It does cost you some mana but not as much and I'm not sure it costs you hunger at all. But what can happen is that if you miscast it the residual energies can infuse your body and mutate you. Among other things.

Also, for those with Herbalism... most of you have always been searching for food, but it is possible to search for other plants that have different uses. Looking for oak or birch to extract tannins for leatherworking, poisonous berries, healing herbs, brewing plants... they're all out there. The swamp is a temperate swamp so it has a huge variety of plant-life. You'll just need to say what your looking for or give general guidelines.

Just waiting for Sephiroth now.

[major_sephiroth]

Sorry that its late.

I'll charge west, letting out some sort of battle cry.

[Paulus Fahlstrom]

Day 4, Turn 5: Order: Dragnar (1!), Dwareet'ik (2!), Reece (4!,3!), Keris (4!,6!); New order:  Keris, Reece, Dwareet'ik, Dragnar

Keris-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Action:6!,1!) You let out a massive war charge and run off towards the structure west of you. The goblins with you are taken by surprise for a moment and then grin viciously as they charge after you shouting and whooping. You have a little bit of a lead on them and soon you're mostly through the valley and beginning to approach the structure.

(Observation check:5!) You notice as you pass it that there appears to be a cave-like hollow near where you passed out of the valley. (Luck:1!) It looks to have some sort of carvings on the walls and is clearly of dwarven origin. You stop and your group catches up with you. You'll have to decide if you want to check out the cave or move on to the building which is now beginning to loom over you to your west.

(+1 Leadership exp., +2 Observation exp.)

Reece-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You don the leather armors, the cape, and pants, despite their wear. They fit well enough over your clothing. The gauntlets fit well on your hands though they really could use some cleaning. The backpack goes on as well. You ask if Dragnar wanted anything and he claimed the deer leather waterskin and the flint and steel. That still leaves the bag and bread unclaimed and since you're hungry again you consider eating the bread then and there. (But you don't. I'll leave it up to you to claim anything else and let me know what you do with it. Remember, your visibility is quite limited unless you have a light source. Dragnar has so such problem.)

You then follow Dragnar as he continues to explore.

(Gained gear. Claim anything else you want and I'll add it to your inventory retroactively)

Dwareet'ik-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Trance:3!-1) You try to enter a trance in order to commune better with your newfound goddess but find yourself unable to get comfortable enough.

Instead you decide to pray to her and doing your best you Invoke her name. (Invocation:6!+1,3!+1+1 (skill)) You call upon her and in your mind you hear her answer.

You very politely ask for her to bestow a blessing upon you 'pretty please' and somewhat to your surprise you hear her chuckle slightly. A vision of her appears in your mind, her radiant white figure stands before you and she tells you to watch closely as she traces a healing glyph in the air in front of her. You see the glyph glowing in the air for a second before it rushes out to strike you in the torso and you feel a warmth spreading through your limbs. You think you could repeat the arcane action, though it would take some getting used to.

Before she goes she reminds you she is a goddess of peace but that she approves of your recent actions against the un-living. You also get the distinct impression that you should not call on her lightly.

(+2 Healing magic exp., Learned Healing glyph, +2 Invocation exp., loss of divine standing, prayer effects (5 turns))

Dragnar-

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Observation check:4!)
Looking over the goods of the fallen you claim the better of the two waterskins and the flint and steel, despite you already having one. You decide to press on into the fortress, moving cautiously. The map by the entrance only provided you direction to your current location. Any further exploring could be potentially treacherous. You move into the hall and around the corpses of the dead rats that remain. This place appears to be badly scorched as if a fire burned through here recently. The room beyond is dark and overgrown with plant-life as well, though apparently back in it's normal form. There remains a mystery as to why the plants separated by a hallway would be so different. But you examine the room. There appears to be the remains of a siege workshop to your west and a broken down ballistae overlooking the ramp and depot nearby. A door on the north wall is open and leads into darkness and a pair of hatch covers sit on the floor, leading apparently down. One of them is open. Most of the edible plants in this room are gone, eaten by the rats with all liklihood.

You notice several bins near the north door. You cannot tell which direction the forge would lie in, though the air feels slightly warmer from below.

[tehstefan]

I claim it all, so you know. And yay, food and drink!

I follow him along, I don't want to get lost in this dark, and be eaten by a grue. Also, I light my torch, so I can see.