HP Discussion, Followed?
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
OOC: Mission will accept the potion, and give Farron Gully's salve and bandages to help him with Garyth's wounds.
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; camping again
Mission gratefully accepts the healing potion, and drinks it down. Whatever his feelings toward Cadfael now, he must admit that the priests of Pelor produce effective healing balms [Healed 22].
Farron drinks the last of the healing potions given to the party by the temple in Overlook [Healed 17]. There is a certain feeling of dread that comes with the use of this last potion. A feeling of nothing being left for the trip back. Farron wants to believe that the temple of Kor Garesh is the mid point of his journey, not its end. But that hope is getting harder to hold onto.
Once he is healed, Farron uses what skills he has to try and tend to Garyth. He helps the young guardsmen remove his armor and shirt, and can't help but gasp when he sees the injury. The armor helped stop the teeth a bit, but the crushing power of the swamp dragon's jaws is evident in the massive bruising and cracked ribs. Farron applies the unguents that Gully gave the group, and wraps the rib cage in bandages to keep the cracked ribs from moving too much. It is the best he can do, and only rest or healing magic will do the rest. Farron does suggest to the group that Garyth be allowed to sleep a full eight hours this night, and not take a watch. [If Garyth sleeps 8 hours, he recovers 12 HP]
Cadfael moves off by himself and appears to immediately go to sleep.
[I need a watch order, and any final actions before we do the next day. Can every check in real quick? Gracias.]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Can Farron do any additional bandaging on himself or anything to gain some more HP while he sleeps?
Oh, and "I'm here".
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Actually, just getting 8 hours of sleep will get Farron 6 HP back. That would put him 1 under max.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Also, this used up the last of the healing goodies that Gully sold the party. Garyth's wounds were extensive.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
OOC: I'm a bit confused. By my count, Mission was down to 9; By Ty's email, he was down to 15. So-- where does his HP count lie? At 31, or 35 (Mission's max hp, unless Ty is being INCREDIBLY charitable. . . .)?
Whatever the case, Mission volunteers for the first watch.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
By my notes, Mission was down 20hp.
The healing raised him to max. am I missing something?
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
"this" being Garyth and Farron? Or just Garyth? (I.E. Is is sleep alone that gets Farron back the 6 HP?)
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
No last minute actions from Cadfael. He does not volunteer to watch.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Well-- you noted that the potion healed him for 22; 35 (starting HP) - 20 (damage) = 15; 15 + 22 (healing) = 37.
Hey, if you want to give me 2 extra hitpoints, fine by me. . .
;)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
I was just posting what I rolled. When I actually altered my notes, I just took him back to max.
Sorry.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
No problem-- I really just wanted to make sure that I wans't miscounting Mission's hp.
Not that 2 hp are going to matter when Kor Garesh swallows us all. . . but. . . y'know?
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
[OOC: Given that we now have no means of healing short of asking the insane priest, I'm not sure about this spellbook thing. I suppose if we live we can take it to Nesalin. Given that, I'll memorize the same spells tonight as I did last night, except ]
IC:
Sa'id sits with Farron, sullen. They had set out with so much hope, only to be beaten like waves against coastal rocks. And with this impossible task -- the rescue of a baby from its blasphemy of a mother -- still before them.
He sighs heavily. They had been forced to flee from a jungle beast, battered and half-dead. What hope did they have against the likes of Anileth -- invulnerable while Promise lay within her -- and Elise, who had defeated the powerful Rennik without any semblance of effort, according to the proud warrior? He knows he shouldn't wallow in his dark mood, that now is a time when optimism instead of resignation could mean the difference in reflexes between life and death, but the fact that he now can't risk opening the sealed spellboook is unbelievably galling to the wizard.
Tomorrow night they would reach the temple. If Anileth could not be harmed before Promise was born, but when Promise was born it would be too late, what chance did they have? He didn't see any way that Anileth could be kept away from the altar, not so close to the source of her power. And for that matter, what of his spells? What would be needed in order to be most effective? If there was a large-scale battle, they were all dead. But to be stealthy meant following Cadfael, and the broken priest would certainly take the most direct route to Anileth that was possible, thereby sacrificing any advantage Kor Garesh's inability to see them might have brought.
Sa'id reaches up to adjust his turban, feeling his familiar coil along his arm. For a moment he regrets swearing to help Mission, because the further things progress the more this endeavour looks like a convoluted way to commit suicide. And the monk was so focused on his son that he didn't appear to care what happened to the rest of the party anymore.
The necromancer shakes his head. There would be plenty of time to choose and memorize spells when his watch came up. Perhaps sleep would brighten his mood.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Rennik will volunteer to take an extended watch to allow others time to rest and heal. He'll go on the bare minimum of sleep needed to remain functional (no penalties) the following day.
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; ever eastward
[Rennik failed Con check to stay awake]
Rennik comes awake with a start. The first dim light of dawn is coming through the cracks in the tunnel ceiling, and the sleeping party is dimly visible around him. By his side, Tichenor kicks one leg fitfully, chasing some unknown prey in his dreams. Rennik kicks himself for falling asleep, though the last few days have been incredibly draining. At least he woke before anyone else did, and no one caught him sleeping.
Even more disturbing is the sight of the priest, sleeping through the dawn hour when he had prayed each morning so faithfully.
Rennik wakes the rest of the party, and their breakfast is subdued. No one knows what lies at the end of this tunnel, nor what midday tomorrow will bring. But there is a comfort of sorts in knowing that there is only one more night to wait, before the end of the quest is seen. Whatever demons they face, at least they will finally see them. Waiting and wondering is far worse. Either promise will be saved or he won't. Either they will escape with their lives or they won't. At least they will finally be able to act.
After breakfast, the group begins moving east along the tunnel again. Farron and Mission are quite recovered from their injuries. The healing potion and a full night's sleep seeming to have fully refreshed them. Even Garyth moves with greater comfort, Farron's bandages bed rest having relieved some of his deep aches.
Toward midday, the darkness returns again, knocking each of the party members briefly senseless, save for the dark dreams it gives them. But like most dark things, once experienced, it loses some of its dread. The party recovers quickly, eats a bit more of their greatly reduced rations, and moves on. Mission says, "Tomorrow. My son will be born tomorrow." The sounds of longing and fear mix in his voice, and are heartbreaking to hear. Even the gruff Rennik pats him once on the back in a show of solidarity.
By midafternoon, the steady repetition of placing one foot in front of the other, the sounds of leather slapping on stone, even the clicking of the wolf's claws on the tunnel floor have become hypnotizing. When Rennik realizes that Tichenor is no longer walking at his side, that the clicking claws have stopped, it snaps him from his reverie. He gives a low whistle to stop the party and turns around. The wolf has stopped twenty feet back, and is facing behind them, ears cocked. Rennik quickly drops to the ground and places his ear on the stone. [Listen roll 12] He hears nothing. But Mission, seeing how the Halfling reacted, also drops down to listen [Listen roll 20] and he hears the sound of footsteps coming distantly from behind.
[Mission can hear that someone is approaching from behind, but can't tell how far away they are or how many. The group had passed a cross tunnel about 100 yards ago, and if the pattern is consistent, there should be another one 400 yards ahead.]