4/4/2009

Chris: DM
Kathi: Tanji & Krysylys
JC: Neysa & Ana

Morning of 1st day leaving the monastery.

Morning comes and we prevent Rumblekin from bringing outright (or sneaking in his clothing) several jars of the pickled eel. [Tanji Note: What an obsessive little guy! You really gotta feel sorry for someone who with so little in the way of taste!! Must be all the flavor sensors in his tongue have become pickled from years of eating abuses.]

Riding order is determined. Ana rides alone. Krys rides with Tanji (per usual) and Neysa has consented to allow Rumblekin to ride with her.

Ana goes outside first to look and listen for the griffons. There is no sign of them and Rumblekin can provide no information as to their habits because he has literally not been outside the monastery for 15 years.

When everything is gathered, we head to the bridge, locking it in place in order to cross. Ana suggests that Rumblekin rig the bridge when he returns so that he can trigger it remotely and this keeps the gnome lost in thoughts of possibilities.

We travel southward for several hours until lunch time. Neysa casts Create Food & Water for the group & the horses. After lunch we set off again for another quiet period of travel. We get back to the gulch where we previously encountered the orcs.

There is a whiff of decay in the area as would be expected from the presence of dead orc bodies. [Tanji Note: I think it's interesting to note that they only smell marginally worse once dead.] We travel on through to the end of the ravine and on for another hour or so before we begin looking for a good camp site. We find one off the trail.

Ana has first watch which is quiet, and Tanji's second watch is quiet except for Rumblekin's snoring. In the morning Tanji wakes Rumblekin who grumbles about missing the dawn prayer time. [Tanji Note: I promise Rumblekin that in the future I will wake him earlier so long as he agrees to pray quietly and not wake the others.]

Day 2 of travel from the monastery.

We finish the remainder of the previous day's repast and set out for the morning journey which is quiet. Neysa casts this day's instance of Create Food and Water and we have a nice lunch.

Neysa apologizes to Rumblekin for not being able to conjure pickled eel and the gnome understands that he'll probably have to wait until he gets back.

We mount up again and continue in the same marching order: Ana on Charger, Neysa & Rumblekin on Magelica, and Krys and Tanji on Hugh. About mid-afternoon as we are riding along the trail, we are attacked by several large centipedes. No one is hurt except one of the horses. Spells cast are Spiritual Weapon and Bless by Neysa, and Summon Monster (Thoqqua) and Cure Moderate Wounds by Rumblekin.

We continue through the late afternoon and begin looking for shelter. We find a spot that's only somewhat exposed. Ana takes first watch after checking on and settling the horses. He prowls the surrounding area quietly, peering into the darkness all around with his low light vision, but all is quiet. He wakes Tanji for second watch and her watch is also quiet.

Day 3 of travel from monastery.

We set off in the morning after a quick breakfast continuing southward and reach the river before lunch (another way of saying the morning travel is uneventful). Neysa casts Create Food & Water again. We set off in the afternoon to another quiet day's travel. We start looking for the primary trail we used to reach this location.

When we find a likely spot to camp, Ana dismounts to take a closer look. He hears voices!

He holds up his hand, turns to the others and puts a hand to his lips cautioning the others for silence. Listening carefully he determines the voices are coming from the direction in which we're heading. Ana goes to investigate the voices and moves closer through the rocks, trying to maintain silence and some degree of cover. It's obvious that the creatures coming are not trying to be quiet.

Ana peers round a large boulder and spots three large creatures, hill giants! Ana distracts them with several thrown stones and then makes his way back to the others and recommends we continue on for 20 or 30 minutes to get out of their range. Everyone concurs with his suggestion and we continue on.

After Ana describes the wretched creatures, Neysa says they are obviously diseased and that we should be glad to have escaped without an encounter. It is roughly sundown as we look for a spot to camp.

End of session.

Next Session 6/20/2009