What next?
Subject What next
Surin thanks Ragnar warmly for his healing powers -- and with his full faculties, he is able to notice the holes in his jerkin punched by the ghasts, or whatever they weres. "Like it wasn't even there," he mutters to himself. Assessing the damage with his fingers, he makes his way around the room looking for anything interesting-- "you'd think I didn't have eyes in front of my head, the way I went into things in here. Lucky for me that Mund was around -- I'da been in a real mess if you hadn't jumped in when you did. Thanks." With that, Surin looks for a key in the room, and if he can't find one, makes his way to the door to check for traps or noises.
From: Karl
Subject What next
Salix looks curiously at Ragnar as he and Harp retreat to the other room.
From: Josh
Subject Kal and Harp
"I wish i didn't have to rush into this room, we were seriously overpowered. " Kal replies.
From: Karl
Subject Salix and Mund
After a quick check of the room, Salix approaches Mund and Surin. He looks like he's searching for words and after a minute he says, "Mund, thank you for saving Surin. He's my oldest friend here, if only by a couple of weeks." He claps a hand on the big guy's shoulder and gives Surin a wink, but the wetness in his eyes belies the light tone he tries to front.
From: Kevin
Subject Kal and What next?
" I know that you were anxious to benefit from the remains of your spell to increase your strength, and I allowed us to go in without our normal planning. We almost lost Surin and Ragnar back there, and if it had not been for Salix, we might have lost more. I am going to be a lot more cautious as we enter future rooms. These challenges are getting harder and harder, and just charging in in the future is more likely to get us killed than to work to our advantage. When we enter these rooms, we don't know the layout, if there are any traps, or abushes for that matter. I am going to say as much when we return to the others, but I wanted to make sure you were in agreement with me on this. I have just as great of a desire to destroy evil, but, in this place, if we let that desire control our actions, evil may just beat us. Lets both keep that in mind as we move forward. Now, let me take a look at your wounds." Harp will sacrafice any spell except Bulls Strength to get Kal close to normal in health.
With that, Harp will clap Kal on the shoulder and move with him back into the main room. Once there, he will address the group.
"I failed as your leader in fighting these creatures. I let myself get over anxious and let us get caught in an ambush that almost did not go our way. Salix and Allistair, my thanks for getting us out of that. I do not intent to make the same mistake again. These challenges are getting more and more difficult and we have to be smarter than I was in here. We will be more cautiuos on the future doors.
Now, do we check behind the door over there, or do we wait and rest up? My heart says open, but my brain says wait. What say you?"
From: Karl
Subject Salix and Harp
At the mention of thanks from Harp, Salix bows his head almost imperceptibly, but his hand goes to the symbol of Obad-Hai embossed into his armor.
"We are not yet spent, I think, but we are also not at our best. And since we do not know how much time we have, it's best not to tarry unnecessarily. I will support your decision either way."
From: Ashley
Subject Mund and Salix
Awww, that's tender. :)
From: Randy
Subject What Next?
Ranthir looks surprised when Harp asks him to check the other door.
I must be hurt more than I thought, I didnt' even see another door. He thinks to himself as he follows the orders. Out loud he says "If we decide to proceed, I will need some measure of healing first in order to be effective in any further combat."
"Surin, perhaps you can put your skills to use to help determine what may lie behind this next door."
OOC: Ranthir is at about 1/2 hit points right now (22/43) so not in huge trouble but given this battle, he doesn't want to be too reckless.
From: Mark
Subject Turn
I will write something up late this afternoon.
From: Porter
Subject What Next?
Mund speaks up. "Yesterday I thought it was silly to wait an entire day to fight that dragon when we still relatively close to full strength"
"So why are you so eager to continue fighting now when we are far worse off?"
"Several of us are wounded, and I doubt that our godsfolk have enough energy left to heal us now. If we get into trouble in the next room, we ain't gonna have nothing left to pull our tails out of the fire."
From: Kevin
Subject What Next?
Harp responds "I am asking for opinions and advice. When I have that, I will make my decision. My heart is eager to get this done, but my mind wants to be cautious. Unless the rest of the group feels very strongly that we should move on, then I'm OK with heading back to the main room, healing everyone up, and then spending the rest of the day and night preparing for tomorrow. If Surin or anyone can hear anything behind the door, it might give us a hint as to what is behind there, so we can adjust accordingly."
From: Mark
Subject What Next
Salix steps back as Ran turns and almost swings at him. "Whoa" he says " I think they are all gone." The druid looks around and does not see Ragnar. "Allistair, if you turned Ragnar invisible, now is the time to release the spell so that we can help him." Allistair nods and releases the spell. The dwarf appears just in front of Salix, his stout form just starting to throw off the effects of the paralysis. The dwarf is moving in obvious pain. "Ragnar, do you need my aid for your wounds?" he asks. Ragnar nods his head in agony and the 1/2 elf lays his hands on the wounded dwarf and the edge of the pain starts to dull (CLW Heal 10).
"Thank you Salix. You have helped me enough that I can now help myself. Would you mind looking at the others and see who needs my help the most. Give me a few seconds to collect myself and I will be over." Ragnar then calls on his most powerful healing prayer and feels the blessings of his god flood over him (CSW, heal 20). He still aches and his muscles are still tight, but he is able to function and the worst of the bites and torn flesh is healed. "Now let me go see how I can help the others."
Ranthir stops his blow at Salix before it really comes close, but it probably scared the druid anyway. Still holding tight on his stomach he calls out to the rest of the party "Some of you move the worst of the wounded to the last room, Salix and I will search this room so that we can get out of here." Mund and Allistair nod and start to move towards Kal and Surin to offer their help.
Harp, a little oblivious to what Ranthir has just called out, tells asks Salix to help him with Surin and Ragnar. Salix hesitates for a minute and then nods. They move towards Ragnar but he waives them off telling them that he is much better now and that he would tend to Surin. "Ranthir would like help searching the room. May I?"Salix asks Harp. The 1/2 orc nods a bit distractedly and then motions to Kal. "Kal would you join me for a few minutes?" The elf nods, even though he is still in pain. The two walk back past the previous room and into the room where the gargoyles were. Harp shuts the door. Ragnar and Surin look at each other, shooting questioning glances at each other.
"Ok my little friend, lets see what I can do to help you." The cleric lays his hands on the bloody wounds and chants the healing prayer. The skin flows like water and closes over, leaving only a pink scar (CMW, heal 14). "How does that feel?"
Ragnar then walks over to Mund. "I know you are not religious but you have been hurt and I still have some healing grace. Would you accept it?" Mund snorts. "Just because I don't worship no god don't mean that they aint got no power. Heal away godspoken." Ragnar again lays his hands on the worst of the wounds and chants the healing prayer. Warmth flows from his hands (CMW, heal 12) and the skin pulls tight and pink over the wounds.
When he is done, the dwarf notices that Harp and Kal have returned. "Harp, can I speak with you for a minute?" The 1/2 orc nods and the two go back to the room that Harp had just come from. The rest of the party continues searching the room that had the creatures in them. They find nothing and Surin spends a long time looking at the door and listening. He hears nothing and reports that to the rest of the party. After a few minutes Harp calls every one into the room where the gargoyles had been.
He asks for their attention"Brother Ragnar is concerned that these foul, undead creatures may leave wounds that are more susceptible to festering than normal wounds. He would like to closely inspect any of you that were wounded for any signs of infection. If you start to feel weak or run down, I want you to tell me immediately. Ragnar has the ability the kill the infection, but only if he knows about it. Is this clear?"
The entire party nods agreement, but those wounded look a bit worried. "Ok what did you find out?" Harp asks. Ranthir reports that no key was found and that Surin heard nothing at the door. "I failed as your leader in fighting these creatures. I let myself get over anxious and let us get caught in an ambush that almost did not go our way. Salix and Allistair, my thanks for getting us out of that. I do not intent to make the same mistake again. These challenges are getting more and more difficult and we have to be smarter than I was in here. We will be more cautious on the future doors.
Now, do we check behind the door over there, or do we wait and rest up? My heart says open, but my brain says wait. What say you?"
A lively discussion follows with Mund the most vocal about waiting.
OODM: OK you guys can discuss whether you want to go in or not.
From: Josh
Subject Kal and Harp
Kal looks at Harp, wounded. "It wasn't that, I'm trained better that. Good planning is more valuable than one spell of strength. I saw that something was being killed in there, and I wasn't going to standby and find out afterwards if it was innocent.
I didn't require that everyone else followed me, but I wasn't going to allow an innocent to die if I could do something about it. If you wish to blame someone for the party's wounds, blame our gods for creating us with hearts of good and the will to do what is right. "