River Crossing

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River Crossing

Post by patransom »

Validation continued ...

The party departs Tak Shire, riding at good pace north along the road to Trenth. You camp in a mountain valley the first night, and by dusk of the second day find yourself in the village itself, taking meals and spending the night in the poor inn there, if only to conserve rations.

After fording the Sharryn at Trenth, you follow the upper Sharryn upstream a full day. Although there are mysterious sounds at dusk from the marshes on the opposite bank, nothing molests your journey or camp. By midday the next day, you reach the shore of Iso Monster lake and continue travelling north. Camping again some distance from the lakeshore, nothing disturbs your rest. Perhaps your numbers and armaments have discouraged any nomads or wildlife ...

Each evening while you make camp, and again each morning, Tildon takes charge of preparing meals, not only for Oldin, but the whole group. In fact, he will let no one near his cookfire and scolds anyone who attempts to eat rations without him preparing them first. With spices and other small ingredients he has packed away, he turns the rather mundane supplies into decent meals.

Before noon the third day out of Trenth, and the fifth out of Tak Shire, you reach the unnamed river marked on the map. Not more than half a mile upstream of where it empties into the lake, you find a broad shallow section of river, a natural ford.

As you ride up to the place, however, you spy a short figure in the middle of the ford. It is a dwarf, the river reaching to his armpits, who wades toward you as you approach. As he nears, you see that he holds a throwing axe in one hand and a wand in the other. Over the noise of the rushing water, you hear him shouting. Those of you who speak Dwarvish recognize his words as curses, directed at you. The rest of you understand his tone.

As he gets nearer, he switches to the common tongue. "Begone unbelievers! Neither your heathen bodies, nor the dirty feet of your mounts, will defile the sacred waters of the Lady's River. Back to whence you came, unclean ones!"

The map below shows where you are on the big map. I'll post a map in a bit showing your location with respect to the ford and the dwarf.
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Post by shai-hulud »

OOC: When we would like to attempt additional information, would you prefer we PM you or write it here? I would like to see what my Knowledge - Religion (+14) tells me about the Lady of the River (if anything).
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Post by patransom »

Here is the promised map to help visualize the situation. "D" is the dwarf amidst the waters of the ford. The other black letters are your initials. Those of you who are mounted have brown squares representing the horses. Aeless is currently leading the pack horse and Tildon leading the extra pony. 1 square = 5 feet.

For knowledge checks and the like, either way is fine ... I will usually PM results, so that you can roleplay revealing your knowledge.
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Post by valinor »

Aeless speaks softly to Oldin not to be overheard much by the strange dwarf, "Any idea or should we converse with diplomatically? This sounds a bit religious to us or at least me."
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Post by shai-hulud »

Oldin turns to Aeless and whispers just loud enough for everyone to hear, but tries not to let his voice carry out into the river, "I am not familiar with his religion. Perhaps we can negotiate with the fellow. If not, be prepared. We will do our best to avoid direct confrontation, but we cannot afford any major delays."

Oldin calls out to the wading dwarf, "We mean no intrusion. Please, we have no desire to anger your Lady or defile her river. Is there any way to purify our bodies and clean our mounts that we may cross? We desire only to travel north. Perhaps with your guidance, we can become believers. Would you tell us of your Lady?"

OOC: Diplomacy +15
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Post by Icefire »

Listens and waits, if it appears the dwarf is not going to let them peacefully pass she is going to slip down off her horse to B26 and ready her bow.
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Post by CGM3 »

Judging the dwarf to be just beyond the most effective range of his bow, Esias will walk slowly (10 ft per turn) towards the nearest point on the riverbank (square L21). His hands will be at his sides, his shortbow in his left but no arrow is drawn; he will be watching the dwarf with a neutral expression, attempting to glean something from the fellow's words and behavior [Sense Motive +8].

If the dwarf makes an aggressive action, or some other overt threat appears, he will draw an arrow and loose it at the closest foe; if the foe is within 30 to 70 ft, he will try to move ten feet or more and get within 30 ft of his target for his skirmishing advantages.

If the dwarf insists that he (or the party in general) stop moving, he will stand still.
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Post by valinor »

Aeless looks around for possible hidden threats lurking, as he dismounts and readying the bow in hand while arrows are still in the quiver, then he moves to area N24.
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Post by AtlantaDM »

Elezar dismounts and moves to the river's edge in space f21. No weapon drawn at this time.
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Post by Galaphile »

Brand, holds position. Listening to Oldin, while watching the Dwarf.

OOC: Is the water considered difficult terrain?
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Post by jameswllorimer »

Jermain stays on his mount for the moment, feeling to dismount would be very ungainly and arkward, much as the reverse manuever had been every day since they had left Tak Shire. Instead he leans across to Oldin and trys to converse with him about the Lady of the River, gleaning what information they maybe able to together. (Knowledge check local +8 )
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Post by patransom »

Galaphile wrote:Brand, holds position. Listening to Oldin, while watching the Dwarf.

OOC: Is the water considered difficult terrain?
Yes, the water is difficult terrain for small and medium creatures.
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Post by TheGreenLabrador »

Vulan stays atop his mount, and ignoring the dwarf, quickly unstraps his compound bow. After that is complete, Vulan will watch and see what diplomacy can offer.
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Post by jameswllorimer »

Jermain remembers something in the deep recess of his memory and rummages around in his outfit until a small leather book emerges. After a few moments checking through his own hand written notes, he becomes more animated and starts talking allowed to the group. "Fellows, I have remembered some more from my youth spent near here. There was a tale of a distinctally mentally unsound dwarf, who guarded a river in a remote part of Tharbria. His moniker was the Riverkeeper, and rumors persist that he possessed some kind of mystical powers to help drive off those unwanted travellers that tried to cross his waterway. Although I cannot remember his reasons for his over-possessive nature about the river, or how he came about his powers I do believe we may have stumbled from myth into reality. As all the travellers he drove off had to find a much longer alternative route to the Northern lands, I would suggest proceedin with caution."
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Post by valinor »

"Good memory there Jermain, Oldin call him Riverkeeper and start to ask how we can rectify this progressing situation, if you need my help I am here to aid you." (Diplomacy +11) suggests the half-elf.
Last edited by valinor on Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by whtknt »

Rúadhnait seems unimpressed by the dwarf's bravado and less so by the discussion within the ranks of her companions. Still, she holds her tongue and moves closer to Oldin. "Why do we waste time with this dwarf? He can't keep us from crossing! We can easily kill him," she whispers harshly, adding as an afterthought, "If need be."
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Post by CarnageCJB »

Jiam withdraws a flask from his belt. "Perhaps we should offer him some ale, as a token? I've never known a dwarf to refuse a drink, and there's plenty to go around..."
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Post by shai-hulud »

OOC: Is validation taking place tomorrow, seeing as how today is Independence Day?
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Post by patransom »

Taking place right now, I'm just an hour behind schedule is all :)

Two rounds have passed while the negotiations below go on
Oldin calls out to the wading dwarf, "We mean no intrusion. Please, we have no desire to anger your Lady or defile her river. Is there any way to purify our bodies and clean our mounts that we may cross? We desire only to travel north. Perhaps with your guidance, we can become believers. Would you tell us of your Lady?"
Something in Oldin's words seems to pacify the dwarf a bit. He actually puts away his throwing axe as he continues to wade toward you. His tone is less hostile, and a bit suprised, as he answers, "You wish to purify … to believe … to know of the Lady? The Lady is beauty and power. She rules all rivers, but this river is especially sacred to her. That is why I, the Riverkeeper, have a duty to guard it against the nonbelievers who would defile it. If you wish to know her, you must sit on the banks and contemplate the sacred waters. In time, perhaps you can come to know her as I have and be purified ..."

He casts stern glances at Elezar and Aeless, who have moved toward the ford as he talks, "Be warned! Do not touch the sacred waters until such time as you are judged pure."

The dwarf seems to ignore the rest of you as he talks, addressing only Oldin, Elezar, and Aeless. He apparently has not overheard your conversations with each other, nor does he seem concerned with your actions.
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Post by shai-hulud »

Oldin, in a loud voice, says to the others, "Everyone, let us dismount and gather on the riverbank in contemplation." He then leans in towards Jermain and whispers something as he dismounts awkwardly.

Oldin casts Detect Magic to see if perhaps this river is magical. He then watches Riverkeeper as he approaches, concentrating on the dwarf and the river he is wading through.
Last edited by shai-hulud on Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by CarnageCJB »

Jiam dismounts and begins walking towards the riverbank. (J21) He looks towards the dwarf, "Riverkeeper, I wish to know more of your lady, and of how you came to know her and became her protector. May we have a drink and talk together some as I contemplate the waters? I have ale, or wine, if you would prefer, and tankards aplenty."
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Post by CGM3 »

Esias stops walking at the dwarf's words, remaining in the current square (H22). He catches the reins of Elezar's horse with his free hand, giving the other man a sour look, then turns to regard the river and the Riverkeeper, occasionally looking up and down stream ... and over his shoulder, just in case.
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Post by TheGreenLabrador »

Vulan, hearing Oldin's words sighs, and quickly dismounts his horse. He leaves his bow hanging from the saddle, and walks over to the shore and speaks in Dwarvish, "How long did it take you to purify yourself sir dwarf, I only ask because we lack the supplies needed for anything beyond a few days, and if there is much your lady requires to purify ourselves, I would rather live and praise her name than praise her in death due to starvation."
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Post by Icefire »

Hooks her bow over the saddle with a sigh. If the horses are ground trained she will drop the reins to the ground, if not she will quickly hobble her horse. Stepping towards the river she will stay a little back from the edge, keeping herself mostly behind the others.
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Post by valinor »

Aeless stands ground and bade his horse from going far, and says, "I have no quarrels with you dwarf, but am curious of your Lady and would like to meet her.." and nods in agreement to Oldin's direction to continue the conversation.

OOC: Aeless keeps his a good listening ear around their surroundings.
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Post by Galaphile »

Brand leans over and whispers something to his Horse. He then dismounts and joins the others on the River bank. To Oldin he whispers, "I hope your diplomacy works my friend, because we have given up our advantage."

To the Dwarf, he says:
The Lady's river is magificent, River Keeper.
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Post by patransom »

Three rounds pass while the conversation below goes on …

The Riverkeeper approaches the edge of the ford, but does not leave the water, as most of you dismount and walk to the bank. He answers those who have spoken to him:
Jiam: "Riverkeeper, I wish to know more of your lady, and of how you came to know her and became her protector. May we have a drink and talk together some as I contemplate the waters? I have ale, or wine, if you would prefer, and tankards aplenty."
The Riverkeeper glares at Jiam, “Keep your foul liquids to yourself, such things pollute the Lady’s waters.”
Vulan (in Dwarvish), "How long did it take you to purify yourself sir dwarf, I only ask because we lack the supplies needed for anything beyond a few days, and if there is much your lady requires to purify ourselves, I would rather live and praise her name than praise her in death due to starvation."
The Riverkeeper answers in dwarven (pm sent to those of you who understand). He reaches down into the water and produces a live fish, which he tosses at Vulan’s feet.
Aeless: "I have no quarrels with you dwarf, but am curious of your Lady and would like to meet her.."

Brand: The Lady's river is magificent, River Keeper.
“Yes, Her river is beauty and power! Now, silence. Peer into the depths such that you may contemplate and understand. Only thus can you be purified.” He waves his free hand elaborately over the surface of the water.

Important OOC note: I will be out of town with no internet access all next week. So, unfortunately, the next validation will probably not take place until Monday the 17th. Sorry for the delay.
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Post by shai-hulud »

Oldin turns to his friends and says with a start, "How thoughtless of me! Everyone, return to your mounts and get a waterskin from the saddlebags. We don't want to pollute the Lady's river should we get thirsty."

Oldin looks to make sure everyone does as they were told as he walks back to his own mount and begins fishing around in the saddlebags, paying more attention to the rest than to the saddlebags.
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Post by TheGreenLabrador »

Vulan looks to the others, and as he walks back to his horse on the command of Oldin, he says clearly, "We are without hope of passing this test quickly if we attempt to understand the lady. The dwarf said many months might be required. I suggest we either find another route, or... *Vulan pauses for a moment* continue in our haste." Vulan, in the last bit of the sentence places his hand on the hilt of his sword.
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Post by shai-hulud »

As an afterthought, Oldin adds, "Esias and Rúadhnait, that goes for both of you also. Go to one of our mounts and get a waterskin from the saddlebags, even if you are already carrying enough."

At Vulan's remark, Oldin says to Riverkeeper, "Are your companions beneath the river's surface going to be aiding us in contemplation?"
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