Long before Embla has to walk 500 yards, the height of the cavern ceiling above here will slope until it is only about 150 feet up. The narrower space will seem to put an end to the blustering snow. After moving about 250 yards from the party (who, I presume, will make efforts to keep Embla in sight), the wind will drop until the snow is swept across your knees and shins but your visibility becomes clear.
From here you can see the far edge of the lake, another 200 yards away. There a humps of snow piled upon rocks, forming shapes that are twenty or thirty feet high, about a 3rd of the way to the cavern ceiling, a hundred feet above the lake's edge. The ceiling continues to slope downwards, until it meets something that might be an enormous grate-like wall ... perhaps another 50 yards past the lake's edge. You cannot see the bottom of this grate, only the top where it meets the cavern ceiling.
There is nothing you can see that is moving or gives any sign of being alive.
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I signal to my comrades to meet up with me.
I move up to follow Embla.
Since it has been awhile, I have 3/11 hitpoints, have AC 8, 5 Action Points, and carry a dart (non-mithril) in my right hand.
Please let me know if any other information would be useful.
[These long breaks always mean that stuff has to get filled in; just now, we're fine. If anything's needed, I'll remember to ask]
Can we tell how large the openings of this grate might be?
Do the piles of snow on the rocks resemble anything - do we have reason to suspect there is anything other than snow in them?
The grate bars are perhaps two feet apart?
There's no reason to believe they are anything except rocks covered by snow.
It seems that to advance we may need to pass through the grate.
Would we want to make camp on this far shore to recuperate slightly before pressing onwards?
Question is, can we even, in this cold?
I cast Cure Light Wounds for 7 points of healing. I'll grab 1 for me and the rest's for the party to take.
I'm at 15 hit-points, AC 4, carry a maul and at 4 AP.
My healing salves, Alexis, can they be presumed to be within easy reach,yes? Dangling from the belt or somesuch?
Yes, they're in reach.
Any time we take to recuperate is time for our enemy to recuperate. I would like any of the healing that is left over, but I have no idea how bad off others are.
I think we should regroup and head towards the grate-like wall together.
I've got 10 HP, less than a quarter of my max. Do you have any more healing spells in you, Engelhart?
I have 1 healing salve left, 4 AP, and an AC of 7. For the record. I will claim 4 points of Engelhart's cure, leaving 2 for Mikael.
Alexis, when you get around to it, I believe I still need my Sage points for level 4.
I have 20hp now.
I also need my sage skills for level 4, Alexis.
That is all she wrote, friend Lothar. My misgivings about proceeding weren't exactly for nothing.
Munro's still a no-show, but I'm sure he won't be much better for wear than the rest of us.
If what we're seeing is the top of the grate, could moving to a vantage point give us some info?
I've reached out to Rob and Pandred. Sage numbers tonight.
[ sorry for the delayed answer ]
If my notes are correct, I am currently sitting at 0/19 hp, so I am in dire need of healing.
Is me taking 3 or 4 of the healing points ok?
Dang. Yes, have my 4, Rob
Embla, will you scout ahead for a few more yards until you can determine anything amiss?
I'll ready my sling, in our present state I would not consider anything past a ranged engagement.
Thank you!
I move to Embla and suggest we go toward these snow covered rock pile. A higher vantage point, even a small one, might get us more information on that grate-wall (plus, I'd like to know if the rocks under the snow form any kind of structure).
[ can I ask for help from people more experienced with the system than me regarding my level 2 spell? I'm hesitating between "cure light wound", and "barkskin". The first seems more useful right now, but on the longer run it would be redundant with Engelhart's abilities and some versatility might be better, no? ]
Rob, Alexis here. I haven't access to your stats, but if your druid's wisdom is 15, you get two 2nd level spells, and if your wisdom is 16 or better, you get three 2nd level spells. Spell bonuses for clerics and druids are nice a low levels.
[Ha. Comment still came under my name though I'm logged in with google under a different account. Good to know]
Rob: this party is in dire need of some redundance on the healing front. As our collective hit-points mount, my healing is far from being able to keep up, and this won't be remedied any time soon, as the coming spell level 3 holds no healing options for me, if I recall correctly from the time I thought I'd gone up in level.
I press onward to the snow-covered rocks. If I can, I climb a pile of snow to gain a better vantage on the surroundings.
[I'm uncertain as to the precise placement of individual members of the party, but at the present it is not an issue; I presume you are straggling along behind Embla, most likely with the ranger to the fore and others, particularly Rob and Engelhart, bringing up the rear as the last healing is accomplished.
[I'm getting a chance to chime in because several people are off for christmas events and holidays]
The "rocks" are parts of a ledge that rises above the lake, so they are not individual stones. Embla estimates the humped snow atop the rocks is eight feet deep. Disturbing these snow caps would likely bury Embla were she to try.
How about we use Rob's tree-thingy? Is it climbable?
[ good to know. for reference : my character sheet . I choose to learn the "cure light wound" spell then ; Do I have to reest before I can cast it or can I do it right away? ]
If there is enough soil for the tree to root itself in, it might be a viable option.
However if there only ice and rock the tree won't be stable.
You must meditate for the 15 minutes demanded by the spell memorization, but otherwise can cast it right away.
Tree or no tree, didn't someone (Mikael?) have something with which to detect magic?
I've got this itchy feeling of ice frogs burrowing in snow or ice...
Because you haven't casted it today, you're not exhausted from it. The moment of comprehension came as you went up a level; listening to Engelhart do it yet again, you suddenly realized the natural force from which the spell manifests, even if the cleric doesn't understand it that way. You may need 30 minutes to meditate on it (2nd level spell, 15 minutes per level), to order the magic in your head and be in touch with the earth's power to shape the spell. Once you've sorted that out, you can cast it for the first time.
The Club of Tree Growth is climbable.
Then I instead move closer to the grate.
I can Detect Magic. I wondered if the grate was a greater concern, but I can check out the hills.
Embla, you will find a space to move through the raised ledge, which will mean a slight climb; it will also put you out of sight of your companions.
Mikael: I was talking precisely about the environs surrounding the grate. I don't know the effects' radius, but I believe you will be able to use it several times, enough to give us a clearer snapshot, once Embla tells us where to shine the light.
I move through it.
Embla, you are moving through the grate-like rocks? Would you like me to use Detect Magic first?
Just so we are clear, I believe it is a once per day effect.
Would you guys be amenable to an half-hour break so that I can focus and then proceed to cure us via spell?
By all means, you might as well start, as we're waiting for Embla and Mikael's probing effort.
Thanks Mikael, but I think you should save your spell.
I cautiously move through the grate.
You're nowhere near the grate.
You've moved up between the rocks, and as I said, the grate is 50 yards past the lake's edge. As you advance to where you can see the whole grate, that is still 40 yards.
The structure stretches to block the entire cavern, side to side, floor to ceiling. From your vantage, the "bars" are black, but apparently not made of metal. A horizontal bar crosses about 20 feet above the ground, and below that the vertical bars are clustered with spikes and thorns that would make moving through the grate very difficult.
There's a double door in the middle, about nine feet high with each door seven feet wide. The right door is well open; the left, part way open. Between you and the whole structure is flat ground, covered by low hillocks of snow drifts that are piled by the swirling snow that continues to flow past you towards the lake, around your shins and thighs. The drifts are about three feet high and would be difficult to kick through or climb over.
[sorry, I will get those sage numbers generated soon]
I clear the ledge so as to keep tabs on Embla, at a distance.
Thank you for the clarification.
I leave my pack with my companions (so as to have 5AP) and then proceed into the drifts.
I follow in Engelhart footsteps.
What are the particulars on your detect magic ability, Mikael? Can you use it from where we stand?
[First, those sage abilities are upgraded for Mikael, Rob, Lothar and Embla. I believe you all went up a level, yes? I'm very far behind on my stats, I haven't even opened the file yet. I remember I had someone's x.p. wrong but I can't even remember who; so soon we'll have to fill out that chart]
As I read it ... Mikael had to hurry up to ask Embla if she wanted the detect magic spell cast (don't forget to check the wiki to see how it works). Now Engelhart is hurrying to climb to reach Embla's position, with Rob soon behind.
Since I had Lothar behind Embla just a bit ago, I'll presume that he sees the cleric humping past him, the druid close behind ("excuse us") ... and a moment after they pass Mikael as well.
Call it half a minute before anyone actually catches up to Embla.
If we could suspend further character actions for the moment as we hammer out details relating to sage abilities; then I will make a new post and we'll work out party location at that point.
Detect magic:
http://tao-dndwiki.blogspot.com/2018/03/detect-magic-spell.html
I confirm that my sage abilities do need to be upgraded.
Their current values can be checked out on my character sheet, around field N3.
My favored field is Earth/Sky, my favored study is Animal Physiology.
Sorry. I forgot to add that the upgrade is on the Google Drive under Juvenis:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1X_mF2lcvJ_bkQ0OVdxdlM5TUk
Under Character Sage Abilities
As far as I can tell, I haven't obtained any new Amateur studies. I have updated my Sheet. It looks like Detect Magic requires me to be within 40 feet.
Often with 2nd level, you get nothing new. Around 4th, a bunch all hits at once. Mikael did get a big boost for Alchemy, adding 10 points, a solid jump. Another like it and you could be an authority by 3rd level.
Sorry, that wasn't a complaint. I was very pleased with the Alchemy jump. I was mostly stating it in case I was wrong about something.
No need to be sorry. Standard DM-Player back and forth.
Checking in, it's been busy today. So, it appears I am now an Amateur Camel Rider, Balancer, Unarmed Combatant, Trainer, and Wildlander.
On the Wiki, Athletics is listed under the "Training" field, I think the Excel file needs to be updated and numbers assigned if that is correct. Currently it shows only Empowerment and Instruction studies.
For the as-yet not fully defined studies, Instruction is the one that I am most interested in being developed. I was sad to see Bergthora go off to find a proper trainer, and I am hoping that I might be able to entice her back to the group as a mentor. Also help Fjall and Valda make use of their XP when they hit the 400 mark.
I am also very excited about the Balance skill increasing my potential carrying capacity, if I am understanding the Balance Load skill properly.
Unarmed Combat is also of interest to me, if only to increase my options for combat in dire straits.
Thank you for the update. There's a 75% probability I'll get to be an amateur at geology by level 3, which is nice.
Plainly there's nothing else to say, so I have added a new post.
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