[coronatiger]

Thoughts on July 31st

Va’lyndra warned us that we entered blob territory, and of course, we had to debate their colors. It was the green ones that were dangerous; hidden in the foliage, they waited for unaware passersby they could drop onto and choke to death. I recalled that they’re afraid of fire, so I made sure to keep Scorchmark handy. Red blobs are plant-eaters, so they don’t care that they’re easy to spot. Someone mentioned that maybe there were other colors of blobs that we hadn’t seen yet. Va’lyndra hoped for blue blobs that she could imbibe to restore mana after spell-casting. I could imagine wizards walking around with bottled blobs and drinking straws.

Va’lyndra had her shield float above her to block falling blobs while she scouted ahead of the party. It seemed a wise precaution, and she never once called for help.


Thoughts on August 1st

Leopold discussed history with Walter while we traveled today, and the skull went on and on about how the elves had invaded the orcs, back in the old days. I tried my best to ignore them, and instead focused on doing balance exercises and watching for blobs in the trees.

The history lesson finally came to a conclusion, and Leopold asked Ilzo, Olivia and me if we wanted to go back to Walter’s temple to unbury a corpse there. It would be more than a week’s detour, possibly two, so I asked Leopold if there was something to gain by digging up the corpse. He answered that he wanted to talk to the late priest in question, as he was a “time witness”, whatever that meant. It didn’t seem relevant to our quest, so Ilzo and I overruled him.

I’ve seen many strange sights during my adventuring days. A talking skull, while disconcerting, is far from the worst. However, condoning necromancy just to satisfy Leopold’s curiosity about the past … That’s a line I won’t cross. What’s so interesting about how people lived long ago, anyway?


Thoughts on August 2nd

Like yesterday, we spotted blobs now and then, but rode around at a safe distance, so none fell on us.


Thoughts on August 3rd

Olivia spotted something behind us and to the side, following. It was not a blob, she informed me, when I asked. Blobs move slower than horses, anyway. I notified Leopold and Ilzo, and the gnome asked the rest of us if we recalled the signal for Va’lyndra to return. I just shouted her name. She returned shortly and asked what was going on. Leopold explained, and Olivia added that she thought it was some kind of animal; it wasn’t large enough to be a boogeyman, for instance.

Va’lyndra and Ilzo went to check it out, and after a while, I could hear wolves howling. The scouts returned to tell us it was indeed wolves. The bad news was that they were planning to attack us tonight, if they could gather enough numbers. I suggested that we leave their territory, but Ilzo preferred to ambush them. Leopold wanted to find a defensible campsite in the evening, and the rest of us agreed.

I held my bow ready, and told Olivia to alert me immediately if she saw more wolves while we traveled. After a while, I spotted one myself and shot at it. I think I struck, but the wolf made no sound.

In the afternoon, we found a place above a scree and made camp. I proposed to guard the scree with Olivia, but she was brave enough to watch it alone, as she deemed it too steep for the wolves to climb. I didn’t think I’d have much trouble climbing it, but wolves don’t have fingers, so I guessed they’d struggle. Ilzo set snares, and Leopold constructed a stone wall around the other sides of the camp, and we tied the horses to trees so they wouldn’t run away when the wolves came. In the end, we decided to do more or less normal watches during the night, so Olivia and I went to bed.


Thoughts on August 4th

Nothing happened during our watch, but Va’lyndra told us she had spoken with the wolves, using a potion of beast speech, and learned that they considered themselves too few to attack, but hoped to be enough by tomorrow night. When she used the potion and stayed out of sight downwind, Va’lyndra managed to trick the wolves into thinking that she was one of them.

We traveled further, and the wolves followed at a safe distance. I was ready to shoot, but they didn’t show themselves to me.

In the afternoon, when it approached the time to find a campsite, Va’lyndra went to speak with the wolves again. I followed behind her and took aim at one of the wolves while Va’lyndra talked. As soon as the conversation ended, I released my arrow, and Va’lyndra yelled that she was going to fill my tent with water and ice. I ran ahead of her back to the others.

Leopold asked Va’lyndra if the wolves thought they had sufficient numbers to attack. They did. I contended that if we shot a couple of them, they wouldn’t attack, and we wouldn’t have to kill them all. I knew Va’lyndra was reluctant to hurt animals, even when they threatened us. She didn’t like my reasoning.

We found a cave, just large enough for all of us and our horses. Va’lyndra determined it was an abandoned animal den. Leopold investigated the cave, and found a second entrance. Marvin was hesitant to enter the cave, and wouldn’t let Olivia pull him, so I had to get on his back and force him. Va’lyndra glared at me for treating him so, but I wouldn’t leave him outside for the wolves. Ilzo struggled with his horses, too, and got kicked by two of them when he pulled them inside. Va’lyndra gave him a potion so he could talk to them.

I asked Leopold if he could block the entrances so the horses couldn’t flee. He complied, shaping earth into a rampart across the main entrance, and nearly blocking the rear exit. We also jammed a log between the floor and ceiling to tie the horses to. We sharpened poles and drove them into the rampart to make it harder for the wolves to enter.

We made a new night watch routine. As both Ilzo and Leopold have perfect dark vision, they should take the middle watches, when it’s darkest. Olivia and I got our watch shifted to the first after Va’lyndra had made a feeble attempt to split us up. The elf was to take the last watch, in the morning.

The predators made an appearance outside not long after Ilzo, Leopold and Va’lyndra had fallen asleep, testing the air. I shot several arrows at them, and while I missed with all the shots, I managed to chase them off.