WM/Treks/Log 2-4

Narrator: The delvers have entered a ruined city and defeated several waves of angry ghosts. Now they are conversing with the despairing ghost of Sir Ewan Silveroak.
GM: Just as a reminder: angry and despairing ghosts are emotional over some injustice that occurred in their lives or some goal that they left unfulfilled. The only way to defeat them permanently is to resolve the injustice.
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "Davin? He doesn't cower in the shadow. He made his bargain and now he pays the price eternal. Life eternal. Pain eternal." He considers... "His continued life is proof of the injustice. I strived, but died! He betrayed, but lives!"
Beltarne: ((Or an unlicensed particle accelerator))
Beltarne: "Where is he, Sir Oaksilver?"
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "Does it matter? No, he is imprisoned eternal, beyond your reach."
Ghazeb: (( you only hold them with that.))
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "You cannot reach his prison. You cannot defeat his guards. Darkness triumphs, as ever."
Beltarne: "Where is his prison, and what is he guarded by?"
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "Does it truly matter? The boats are long burnt. You have no way of getting to him. The master of the Tower abandoned us long before the demons came."
Ghazeb: "Look, I can do anything, so!! I'm sure we could find him and defeat whatever we find in the way."
Beltarne: "Boats can be re-built. Where is the prison, Sir Ewan"
Shelley: "Nothing is lost while servants of the Light still struggle, Sir Ewan."
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "The servants of the Light are fools. The struggle is futile. Darkness always comes."
Ghazeb: I think he called you a fool Thasos.
** Thasos nods. **
Beltarne: "Who guards this prison, Sir Ewan?"
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "Darkness always comes. He screams in darkness, in sight of the shore, living when I died. He betrayed me, he betrayed us all. We may have held, but no, such hope is foolishness. Death was inevitable."
** Thasos digs around in his backpack and pulls out his scribe kit. He scribbles on a scrap of paper, then passes it to Beltarne. **
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "They took him to his promised reward. His life eternal for my life ended. How is that justice? Now he screams, but they will not let him go."
** Wolfgang flies above keeping an eye out for the next wave of angry ghosts **
Narrator: Sir Ewan turns away, continuing to mutter about betrayal, death, hopelessness, demons, the coming of the darkness, and a betrayer.
** Beltarne nods at Thasos after reading his paper **
** Shelley frowns and says quietly, "I'm almost tempted to ask how we can find them so we can hasten our inevitable end. Sounds more his thing." **
** Ghazeb tries to look at the paper. **
Beltarne: "Aye lad, but there is no shortage of those."
GM: Perception roll from Ghazeb, DX roll from Beltarne to keep it hidden.
Ghazeb: Per (11) [3d6.skill(11,0)] => [5,1,6] = 12 vs (11) or less Failure! by 1 
Beltarne: DX (12) [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [3,6,5] = 14 vs (12) or less Failure! by 2 
GM: Well then.
Narrator: The delvers wait. Time passes.
** Ghazeb sits down. **
Shelley: Can I get a Hidden Lore: Undead roll or something for ideas here?
** Thasos points at the note, then points at the ghost. **
Beltarne: I wanna check the octagonal temple behind us. That is the church, right?
GM: No, it's a big octagonal house.
GM: The big white marblish looking area is the temple, to your south.
Beltarne: Okay
** Ghazeb looks over his fur. I think it's all back. **
whispering to Shelley, It's entirely possible that you're not going to get more information out of him, but possibly provoking him with your suggestion of an inevitable end might get you some more information. 
Beltarne: "Well, then, shall we go find said prison?"
** Thasos nods. **
Beltarne: "Or perhaps pay the Fae a visit?"
Ghazeb: "Do we know where it is?"
Wolfgang: "Sure, any idea where it is?"
Beltarne: "Within sight of the south shore, apparently."
Wolfgang: "We should check for valuables here though"
Ghazeb: "Agreed."
** Wolfgang goes to see if any of the armor or weapons of the knight are in decent shape **
** Ghazeb looks around. **
GM: Make a Willpower check, Wolfgang.
** Shelley says loudly, for the ghosts benefit - "Sir Ewan, please, help us find him and the prison. If our fates truly are sealed, then I see no reason not to hasten our inevitable doom and at least cut short our suffering before we, too, are betrayed." **
Ghazeb: Per (11) [3d6.skill(11,0)] => [3,2,6] = 11 vs (11) or less Success! by 0 
Wolfgang: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [1,1,6] = 8 vs (10) or less Success! by 2 
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "If it is your death you seek, walk into the marsh or the lake. You will surely die in darkness long before you reach the far shore. Darkness always comes."
** Thasos pantomimes rowing a boat. **
GM: Wolfgang, his sword and armor are corroded, but appear finely-made and could be fixed in Polisberg with magic. There is also a short dagger made of obsidian next to the body.
Narrator: Wolfgang flies through the temple, observing the body, before landing again. He shivers against the cold and despair of Ewan's voice.
Wolfgang: "You mind if I take your stuff sir gloomy? You don't need it anymore"
Wolfgang: "And what's with the dagger?"
whispering to Shelley, Ewan's armor is likely part of his fetters - taking it may very well bring him with you! 
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "Do as you will. Darkness always comes."
Shelley: "Oh Wolfgang? You may be bringing Sir Ewan with us if you do that..."
GM: Wolfgang, make another Willpower roll if you try and grab the armor.
** Wolfgang gathers the gear **
Wolfgang: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [5,5,5] = 15 vs (10) or less Failure! by 5 
Shelley: "Possibly in your head."
Ghazeb: "I would guess he has room."
Wolfgang: "More room in your head"
Wolfgang: was that an aura roll or something else?
GM: Alright, Wolfgang is falling into despair. Make another Willpower roll at -5.
Ghazeb: "Thasos should take it I guess."
Wolfgang: luck on the failed then
GM: Okay...
Wolfgang: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [3,2,1] = 6 vs (10) or less Success! by 4 
** Thasos shakes his head, his hands on his own weapons pridefully. **
Wolfgang: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [4,6,5] = 15 vs (10) or less Failure! by 5 
GM: 3rd roll?
Wolfgang: ??
Marik: ((The ghost has an aura of despair, and we're bringing him with us?))
Wolfgang: orig + 2, taking the by 4
GM: oh, sorry, missed the second one.
Ghazeb: (( Sound like one of our better plans.))
GM: okay, in that case, make another roll when you pick up the armor.
GM: Just Willpower.
Wolfgang: ((no indication he is bound to the armor yet))
Wolfgang: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [6,1,3] = 10 vs (10) or less Success! by 0 
Narrator: Wolfgang grabs the faun's corpse and begins flying back to the other delvers.
GM: Everyone can make Willpower rolls now to resist Sir Ewan's aura of despair.
** Shelley sighs. **
Ghazeb: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [3,5,5] = 13 vs (10) or less Failure! by 3 
Thasos: Will (11) [3d6.skill(11,0)] => [3,3,6] = 12 vs (11) or less Failure! by 1 
Shelley: Will (14) [3d6.skill(14,8)] => [1,1,6] = 8 vs (22) or less Success! by 14 
Marik: Will: [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [3,5,6] = 14 vs (12) or less Failure! by 2 
Marik: Luck.
Marik: Will: [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [2,6,5] = 13 vs (12) or less Failure! by 1 
Marik: Will: [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [5,1,6] = 12 vs (12) or less Success! by 0 
Beltarne: Will (14) [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [1,6,5] = 12 vs (14) or less Success! by 2 
Ghazeb: me too luck
Ghazeb: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [5,1,1] = 7 vs (10) or less Success! by 3 
Ghazeb: Will (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [6,4,1] = 11 vs (10) or less Failure! by 1 
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "There is no help. This iron shell did not help me. The darkness defeated it. It will defeat you. Darkness always comes."
Wolfgang: just bones left in it at this point?
GM: Yep.
** Marik gets some distance rapidly from the ghost, the armor, and the supernatural wave of despair. "Put it back before you get us all weeping." **
** Thasos frowns at his weapons. He looks back and forth between his own hand and the iron fist-shaped weights. **
Wolfgang: "Oh, thought it was the ghost, not his remains"
** Beltarne steps back as well **
** Shelley walks up to Wolfgang and inspects the body clinically, unaffected by the oppressive aura. **
** Wolfgang puts the armor back and keeps the weapons **
Beltarne: "Gah, he's tied to them. Leave him be."
GM: Everyone who failed, or succeeded by 2 or less and didn't move away, can roll again. If you failed, include the penalty on your Willpower roll.
Wolfgang: er, wait if Shelley is looking
** Thasos rubs a weight on his buff coat, trying to polish it. **
** Ghazeb backs away **
Thasos: Will (11) [3d6.skill(11,-1)] => [3,4,4] = 11 vs (10) or less Failure! by 1 
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "You will fail. Failure is inevitable. Only the darkness will triumph in the end."
** Thasos angrily rubs harder. **
Shelley: I'm presuming this is well beyond Diagnosis to do learn anything here, so mostly just checking out this dagger that was mentioned.
Wolfgang: "Can we keep any of it or is it all cursed?"
GM: It looks like a shard of obsidian set in a wooden hilt. Creepily, it has fresh blood on it.
Shelley: How WOULD one determine what's part of the fetters, and what isn't?
GM: Good question.
Wolfgang: did the spirit move with me or is he still in the middle of the temple?
** Shelley draws her silver kris and uses the point to delicately try to dislodge the dagger from the rest of the corpse. "Don't touch this." **
** Thasos inspects the weight again, shakes his head, and tries rubbing it on one of his horns instead. **
** Ghazeb steps back again **
Shelley: "Epsilon, please come here. Wolfgang, I think you should go stand with the others where it's safe."
Wolfgang: "OK"
** Wolfgang flies out of the despair aura **
GM: ... Sense Spirit would do it, I think.
Shelley: Sounds good to me.
Thasos: ((the aura is only near the corpse))
Shelley: Any penalties?
GM: [3d6] => [4,1,4] = (9)
GM: Mana level is normal, no penalties.
Thasos: ((what the hell am i doing then?))
Shelley: Sense Spirit (Deathly) (16) [3d6.skill(16,8)] => [3,2,4] = 9 vs (24) or less Success! by 15 for [0] => 0 FP
GM: The despair aura is moving with the armor.
Shelley: oops
Shelley: sorry, the +8 shouldn't be in there
Shelley: Success by 7 :D
Thasos: ((where's the armor then??))
Shelley: The armor is wrapped around the corpse. :D
Shelley: as far as I can tell.
whispering to Shelley, His fetters include the temple, his corpse, his armor, and his sword. The dagger isn't a fetter but it has a lot of negative spiritual energy associated with it. 
whispering to Shelley, He can materialize at any of his fetters and hates the living. 
** Shelley meditates briefly. "He's tied to his body, his armor, his sword, and the temple. And is going to be very very very sad until the situation gets fixed. I suggest letting him keep his stuff together unless you can think of a reason to bring him with us." **
** Shelley pokes at the obsidian blade with her silver knife tip again. "This is something else. Might be more Master Beltarne's expertise than mine. It's bad news though." **
GM: Reason to bring him with you == willing to take penalties equal to (14-Willpower) on EVERYTHING.
Narrator: Black sparks flare from the obsidian knife as the silver touches it.
Shelley: It would have to be a really good reason, yes.
Shelley: "VERY bad news."
Shelley: "Epsilon, can you return this gentleman's belongings to him? Don't touch the knife."
Beltarne: [1d4] => [4] = (4)
Beltarne: Once the ghost's belongings are removed from the vicinity of the knife, Beltarne comes over and squats down, inspecting it critically
Narrator: Epsilon picks up the armor without difficulty, but pale white light starts to envelop its hand as it touches for the sword.
Shelley: "Put it down."
Shelley: "Now."
Sir Ewan the Ghost: "Follow me into death, abomination. Darkness always comes, even for such as you."
GM: Epsilon drops the sword.
** Shelley brushes her hands off, wraps the edge of her cloak around her hand and gingerly picks up the sword and carries it back to Sir Ewan personally, with about as much reverence as is possible when wearing a cloak for mittens. **
GM: Alright, you are all away from the despair aura again and Sir Ewan's corpse is back in the temple. The ghost is muttering to himself there but you can't hear him.
GM: The obsidian dagger is where/
GM: The obsidian dagger is where?
Shelley: On the ground where it got dropped.
GM: Alright.
Shelley: I ain't touchin it.
GM: Wuss.
GM: It's valuable magical treasure!
Shelley: It's a trap!
GM: Details.
Shelley: Which can be valuable magical treasure. Nothing says DF like stealing the traps.
** Thasos looks at his weapon, wondering why he ever thought it was junk. **
** Beltarne inspects the dagger closely **
GM: Actually, greedy people need to roll to resist Greediness, as freaky obsidian daggers like that are probably worth good money to crazy collectors in Polisberg.
Shelley: (( Because NOTHING says DF like stealing the traps for resale :D ))
Wolfgang: [3d6] => [5,6,4] = (15)
Beltarne: Nah, I'm just gonna try to figure out how to get it back safely!
Ghazeb: Greed (15 or less) [3d6.skill(15,0)] => [4,6,6] = 16 vs (15) or less Failure! by 1 
Wolfgang: "We should take the dagger, it's not his, right?"
Ghazeb: But guys we really should take the dagger."
GM: Looks like Ghazeb, Wolfgang, and Beltarne all want to take the dagger and exchange it for silver.
Ghazeb: "Or ale."
Marik: "I'm not carrying it. I'm not going to be sleeping easily around any of you while you carry it. That thing reeks of treason and death."
Shelley: "Any of you look like you're possessed by it and going to stab me, I'm totally not going to go easy on you."
whispering to Marik, Figure that out all on your own? 
** Thasos nods his head vigorously at Marik. **
Wolfgang: ((we totally need a leader to be a tiebreaker))
Beltarne: "Oh, I'm sure it can be safely contained..."
** Ghazeb well If I take it I get most of the silver for it." **
** Thasos mimes using his hands as a pillow then slams a fist into his other hand and shakes his head. **
** Beltarne uncorks a vial of holy water and dribbles a little on the blade. **
** Ghazeb moves to put the dagger in his pack. **
Shelley: "You'll need the silver to get your hand restored, all I'm saying here."
** Ghazeb stops. **
** Shelley waits to see what effect the holy water has. **
** Shelley expects a fabulous light show after the silver incident. **
Shelley: Or darkshow. I'm not picky.
Wolfgang: "Surely you two can figure out how to transport it, right?" looking at Shelley and Beltarne
** Beltarne mutters "Working on it..." **
Ghazeb: "Yeah !!"
Wolfgang: how much do I think it's worth?
** Ghazeb steps back. **
Narrator: The drops of water flare and evaporate over the dagger. Dried flakes of blood merge together into a wet, sticky mass of blood, covering the blade and hilt. There's a lot of hissing, cracking, and many black sparks, while white light gloves above the water.
Ghazeb: (( going to pop some corn, brb))
Marik: ((It's a chunk of obsidian attached to a wooden hilt. It's probably not worth much except to anyone who'd be interested in USING it. Which makes them BAD PEOPLE.))
Beltarne: "Wow."
Marik: "I'm leaving now."
Beltarne: "Hmmm..... you know, on second thought...."
Beltarne: [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [2,2,3] = 7 vs (12) or less Success! by 5 
Marik: "I don't really like any of you people enough to hang around with that thing. Anyone else who doesn't like hanging around with that thing is welcome to come with me. I'm just saying."
Beltarne: "I think we should probably try to destroy this thing."
** Thasos moves to follow Marik without hesitation. **
** Marik begins pointedly settling his packs, pouches, and bags into proper marching order. **
GM: It's a blade that gets fresh blood on it every time you pour holy water on it. There are collectors of the grotesque in the East would gives pounds of silver for freaky stuff like that.
** Shelley collects Epsilon and gets the guys in marching order. **
GM: Did you ever fix Beta?
Shelley: I have no idea, combat ended while I was offline.
Shelley: I would like to, if possible.
GM: Says here he's at -1 HP.
Shelley: Annnnd.... can I do First Aid on him (With the Zombie spell)?
GM: Yes,
Beltarne: Can I use Religious Ritual to try to destroy this thing?
Shelley: I assume I roll "doctorin" when we camp.
Wolfgang: ((so, is that display enough to shift Wolfgang into not trying to take it?"
GM: Who is taking the dagger?
** Thasos shakes his head at Beltarne. He points to the ground then waves his hand. **
GM: Wolfgang: no.
GM: Shelley: yes.
GM: Beltarne: you could *try* an exorcism.
Shelley: Zombie (Deathly) (16) [3d6.skill(16,0)] => [5,3,4] = 12 vs (16) or less Success! by 4 for [0] => 0 FP
Marik: ((That display makes it worth MORE cash moneys, not LESS))
Beltarne: I believe I will.
Marik: ((Here?))
GM: But you strongly suspect that doing so, without settling the issue of Ewan, would be futile and would attract the attention of every ghost in town.
Wolfgang: ((Yes, but it makes it less likely to get it back, my two magic experts are telling me it's pure poison))
Beltarne: Indeed
Beltarne: "Okay. Something to deal with when we come back, then."
** Beltarne spits on the ground as if to get rid of a foul taste, wiping his hands on his pants. **
** Beltarne stands and gets ready to return to Clyde and go find us some Fae. **
Wolfgang: "So we have to deal with Scydd first like with the armor?"
Wolfgang: "What CAN we take?"
GM: Ghazeb or Wolfgang really want to pick up that dagger and take it with them. It's worth money, it's portable, and in Ghazeb's case, he can handle it.
** Wolfgang looks unhappy about being outvoted and looks for other loot **
** Ghazeb puts it in his pack. **
** Marik is already halfway back to Clyde. **
Ghazeb: "See no big deal"
Shelley: "Anything that's not the temple or the armor or the corpse or ..." *stares*
** Beltarne was walking away when Ghazeb picked up the dagger, and continues on oblivious. **
whispering to Shelley, You suspect that anything of value in town might be a fetter for one of the Angry Ghosts. 
Thasos: Per (11) [3d6.skill(11,0)] => [2,2,1] = 5 vs (11) or less Success! by 6 
Shelley: "... or much of anything else until we have the issue settled here. There's a lot of ghosts."
** Thasos sees Ghazeb pick up the dagger out of the corner of his eye. **
GM: You guys can see various pieces of tarnished silver in the buildings, ancient paintings, and other stuff like the things you found in the other town on the north end of the other lake.
Beltarne: Hmmm.. how long to sunset now?
GM: It's about 1 pm.
** Wolfgang starts grabbing silver and other valuables and moving them to the mule **
** Beltarne does the same **
** Marik scowls. **
Beltarne: "Non-perishables only
** Shelley sighs. "If you drag ghosts with us that appear when we camp, I'm going to blame you guys. **
GM: Make search rolls.
Shelley: And I'm going to camp about 30 feet away from you.
Wolfgang: Vision (13) [3d6.skill(13,0)] => [6,2,3] = 11 vs (13) or less Success! by 2 
GM: Takes an hour or so.
Beltarne: "Save the painting for once we're done crossing the river"
GM: No, Search is SEARCH.
Beltarne: "Er, lake"
Ghazeb: Vision (11) [3d6.skill(11,0)] => [1,4,3] = 8 vs (11) or less Success! by 3 
Wolfgang: so -5 or whatever
Ghazeb: sorry
Beltarne: Search (13) [3d6.skill(13,0)] => [4,2,4] = 10 vs (13) or less Success! by 3 
Ghazeb: Search (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [2,4,6] = 12 vs (10) or less Failure! by 2 
Wolfgang: and I fail
Marik: "Helping you search the town for valuables will get me out of here faster, won't it."
Beltarne: "Erm.... perhaps"
Marik: Search: [3d6.skill(16,0)] => [6,2,1] = 9 vs (16) or less Success! by 7 
Marik: (+2 if it's Vision-based)
GM: Beltarne finds a tarnished block of steel, worth $300, weighing 20 lbs. Ghazeb and Wolfgang find some silver coins, 10 between the two of them. Marik finds a rusted banded iron corselet.
Marik: ((...Is it magical?))
** Shelley totally isn't helping. **
** Shelley is patching up skeletons. **
whispering to Shelley, The corselet and the steel block look to be fetters. The coins are possibly safe... they may have some other curse on them, but not fetters. 
GM: Nope, not magical, Marik.
** Beltarne makes a disgusted noise, but drags the steel outside to Clyde. **
Shelley: "I wouldn't bring anything but those coins, if I were you."
Shelley: "They're impersonal enough to be safe. The rest, just plain isn't. And I'm camping at a safe distance from you lot."
Wolfgang: "Well, I guess it will keep until we put Scydd to rest."
Wolfgang: "It'll be safe after that, right?"
** Ghazeb looks at all the undead the back at the rest of the party." Best be safe." **
** Beltarne examines the block critically, and leaves it behind when we go after the faeries. **
Shelley: "Could be!"
** Marik shrugs, and caches the armor with the steel. **
Shelley: "It's much more likely to be safe after we fix things than not, let's put it that way."
GM: Beta heals [1d6] => [5] = (5)
Wolfgang: "OK, lets get away from this place until we can cleanse it then"
Shelley: Hurray! He's almost mobile!
GM: It's less than 1/3 HP, right? So he's still slow. 
Shelley: Yep.
GM: Okay.
Shelley: Thus 'almost'.
GM: You guys move back to the edge of town. Then what?
Narrator: 15 minutes pass.
Shelley: 15 minutes past to get back to the edge of town? Or in the 60 seconds after you asked that?
Beltarne: Umm, pack up, feed Clyde, etc, get ready to move to the faerie forest
GM: If I don't know what people are doing and I don't see typing indicators, I assume you're waiting.
GM: If you're AFK, say so. Please?
GM: Alright, prepping Clyde and resting for a bit.
Wolfgang: moving to the woods
GM: It doesn't take more than 5 minutes to get to the edge of town.
Marik: ((I'm here, I just am not the person who makes plans and have NO IDEA where to go from here.))
Wolfgang: after resting etc
** Ghazeb sits down and starts cleaning himself **
Shelley: We don't have a person who makes plans, I think.
Thasos: clearly not
Shelley: But "Where to go from here" has a couple of options from what I can tell.
GM: The town is on a harbor.
Wolfgang: we forgot to do post battle healing it looks like
Shelley: 1) We can go wandering around to look for faeries.
Shelley: I think we should do healing first of course :D
Beltarne: Yeah, we should probably fix that.
Shelley: But after that, 1) Faeries, or 2) Go into this swamp that Sir Ewan was talking about, which appears to be where the prison and demons and etc are.
Shelley: Roughly.
Beltarne: Minor Healing on me!
Beltarne: Minor Healing (Holy) (16) [3d6.skill(16,1)] => [4,1,3] = 8 vs (17) or less Success! by 9 Includes: +4 from 'Power Investiture (Holy)'
Ghazeb: " I vote we keep out of the swamp."
Marik: ((I got the impression that his response wasn't 'the prison is in the swamp', but 'if you want to die, try the swamp!'))
Wolfgang: I thought the swamp was avoidable if you went into the forest and didn't extend to the south shore
GM: There are woods to the north. A wide river/bay/harbor to the east that flows north south and opens up into a wide large lake. On the far side of it, a huge forest that spans the horizon, north to south, and extends a little west of due north. There's also small copses of tress all around, and the magical grove of trees about a mile due east.
Shelley: That's another way to interpret it. He definitely mentioned boats.
Thasos: ((I thought he meant the prison was on the other shore across the swamp))
Shelley: That the boats were all burned was specifically mentioned in the middle of the wangsting.
Thasos: ((and that walking through the swamp was pretty quickly fatal))
Shelley: That's true!
GM: You can't see the far shore of the lake from here, it's beyond the horizon. But you (well, Marik) can see the tops of trees to the south, about 10 miles away.
Shelley: These things may or may not be connected (ie either a suggestion to get swamp boats) or completely unrelated.
Marik: "So, do we want to visit the forest and see what we can do about the Fae, or shall we continue south and see if we can find Scydd?"
GM: You know there is a massive swamp about 2 miles due west, that covered everything you could see from 0 degrees to 180 degrees to the west.
Beltarne: "I vote for the Fae. We can get rid of some weight, and make some money while we're at it."
Shelley: "If we're lucky, they might be able to tell us something about what happened here and where everyone went."
** Marik gets the party organized to march towards the woods and the Fae circle we found, then. **
Ghazeb: "Fae."
Shelley: "If we're unlucky, they'll think we're involved and try to kill us."
Wolfgang: "Lets see if the Fae want to talk since it's a minor detour on the way to Scydd"
Marik: "It's actually in entirely the opposite direction. Good thing you brought me for navigating."
GM: A quick hike across the thickets brings you to the forest.
Wolfgang: ((it's east, Scydd is south?))
Shelley: We don't know where Scydd is, or if he even exists, I thought?
GM: Dangit, the forest is to the west. Stupid language, stupid GM.
Marik: ((Oh.))
GM: From west to east: big swamp, thickets, magic forest, more thickets, haunted town, river, lots lots more forest.
GM: At least I don't get North and South confused.
GM: Anyway.
Shelley: You might want to draw a compass rose on your maps and put all 4 cardinal directions on it? :D
** Wolfgang is now totally lost **
Shelley: (( I'm always lost :D ))
Narrator: The forest is small, and made of relatively small trees with narrow canopies. They are closely packed, and resplendent with the colors of spring. Unlike the eerie stillness of the towns, the forest is alive with the sounds of animals and nature.
Wolfgang: didn't we come from the west after getting dumped in the swamp?
** Marik gets paranoid. More paranoid. **
GM: No, east after the swamp.
Beltarne: ((BOO!))
GM: The swamp was west of you.
GM: So you enter the forest and what?
Wolfgang: consult the book of Fae lore!
Beltarne: We do!
GM: Oh, and Marik would notice this is a High Mana zone.
Wolfgang: or, someone else does
Shelley: I think the book is a good plan.
Beltarne: That is also a good idea
** Ghazeb rubs his backpack and eyes everyone in turn." It's mine.." **
** Beltarne turns to face Ghazeb **
Shelley: "I think we should also get your friend here some help."
Beltarne: "What?"
Wolfgang: "Er, huh?"
GM: The tome does not seem to include a map labeled "you are here" and "you want to go here" with convenient arrows.
GM: What are you looking for in the tome?
Beltarne: How about Fae greeting customs, or things to avoid?
Shelley: Does it have advice on how you make yourself known to local Fae as friendly and willing to trade not fight?
** Ghazeb keeps an eye on every one, Thasos most of all. **
** Wolfgang looks closely at Ghazeb **
** Ghazeb jumps back. **
Ghazeb: "Stay back, it's mine."
** Thasos sighs at Ghazeb and gets his scribe kit out of his backpack. **
GM: Well, Leprechauns, Nymphs, Fauns, and Pixies all have different customs that vary by region and region. There's nothing specific about being a merchant, though.
** Thasos scribbles a note, which he hands to Beltarne. **
** Marik melts off into the woods. **
Shelley: We think it's Pixies, right? Or is it just "Fae"?
** Ghazeb eyes the note. **
Wolfgang: "What's yours?"
GM: In general, avoid sharp things (faun horns, nymph derision, leprechaun knives, pixie arrows) and announce yourself clearly.
** Beltarne crushes the note in his fist. **
Beltarne: "You idiot."
** Ghazeb tries not to laugh. **
Beltarne: "You picked up the dagger?"
** Beltarne addressing Ghazeb **
Ghazeb: "Sure I said I did. I was just playing with the whole it's mine thing tho."
Ghazeb: "You want to hold it?"
Beltarne: "Hells no"
** Thasos shakes his head at Beltarne. **
Shelley: "Nope."
** Ghazeb shrugs and puts his pack back on. **
** Ghazeb laughs to himself. **
Wolfgang: "Maybe we can sell it and buy you a real sense of humor"
Ghazeb: Better than just standing about looking at little books in the woods.
** Shelley casually heads over to Beltarne. "Any ideas?" **
Wolfgang: how big are the magic woods?
GM: Marik has disappeared.
Beltarne: "Not really. Hope he doesn't do anything crazy."
GM: Wolfgang: hard to say, a mile or two in diameter from what you saw.
** Wolfgang keeps one eye on the furry loon **
Beltarne: ".... where's Marik?"
** Marik comes back out of the woods. "Just scouting around." **
Shelley: "He left. I presume he's hunting. Or aiming at the clever boy here."
Ghazeb: "You guys worry way too much.
Beltarne: "Well shall we continue?"
** Beltarne moves deeper into the forest. **
Wolfgang: "Sure"
** Ghazeb follows **
GM: Where are you headed?
Marik: Towards the center of the forest.
Beltarne: Following Marik
Shelley: Sounds like a plan!
GM: Check! Let me look something up.
Shelley: k. Afk briefly.
** Thasos keeps Ghazeb in his peripheral vision, which covers all but right behind him. **
** Ghazeb tries to dart behind Thasos from time to time **
GM: You travel through the woods for an hour, Marik carefully lining up trees in the path. After an hour, you find yourself emerging from the forest on the west side, looking out onto the thickets and the swamp beyond.
GM: Marik and Thasos have mild headaches.
Marik: "..."
** Thasos snorts and rubs his forehead. **
Shelley: That's going to wonders for both of their dispositions.
Beltarne: "Erm... is the forest that small, or did something odd just happen?"
** Beltarne checks to make sure all his gear is still in place. **
** Ghazeb rubs his pack where the dagger is, if anyone sees he stops. **
** Marik begins obsessively checking his stuff. **
Shelley: "A mile or two isn't that far to walk..."
GM: The forest is small and densely overgrown.
** Thasos looks around. **
Thasos: ((which way were we heading into the forest?))
GM: North.
GM: Well, west by northwest, really.
Thasos: oh okay then
Marik: "I think we were just sent a message that the pixies don't want to be bothered.
GM: The weird part is that both Marik and Thasos are fairly certain you didn't walk through the center of the forest or anywhere close.
** Marik turns around and begins following his tracks. **
Beltarne: "Is there any way for us to send them a message that we want to trade?"
** Thasos follows Marik, relying on his absolute direction. **
** Beltarne follows Marik, shouting, "We have goods to trade. Come out and see. We mean no ill!" **
** Marik glares at Beltarne. "Not. Helping." **
Beltarne: And other such things on our way back.
whispering to Beltarne, The tome does mention that pixies like to protect their homes with misdirection spells. 
Beltarne: "Why?"
Shelley: "It's undignified."
Beltarne: "Not like we WANT to sneak up on them, is it?"
GM: As you walk through the forest, Marik and Thasos disagree on the path they took to get there.
Ghazeb: "I bet they want the dagger. we should keep a close eye out."
Marik: ((I'm following physical tracks.))
** Thasos snorts as Marik goes the wrong way. **
GM: Even better - you're following your tracks, your mental sense says you didn't come this way.
Beltarne: Having been hushed, Beltarne pipes up later, "Says in here that Fae do like to use misdirection spells to protect their homes. Just FYI
** Marik grits his teeth and ignores it. **
Marik: "Yes. I had guessed that. Thank you."
** Beltarne continues reading the book **
** Thasos continues to follow Marik, even though he's clearly lost now. **
** Marik is moving slowly and carefully; he'll pause, examine tracks for several meters ahead, move forward, then pause. **
** Shelley keeps an eye out for flowers or ivy or something to decorate her motley crew with. **
Ghazeb: "Are we lost?"
** Thasos nods in irritation. **
GM: You all get the feeling you are being watched.
Shelley: "We're still on the trail... but that doesn't mean much. We went around everything, so following the trail should send us back around everything again, I think."
** Marik stops and looks around. "You can bloody well come out. We're not here for a fight." **
** Beltarne reaches into a skeleton's pack and gets out the Fae trade goods. **
** Shelley orders the skeletons to sit down and look harmless. **
Pixie: A tiny, winged man wearing leaves and carrying a bow emerges from the leaves of a nearby tree. "Oh? What are you and your skeletons doing here, then?"
Shelley: I'm not sure how well they'll do with the second one.
** Thasos holds his hands out before him, low and palms up. **
** Ghazeb clutches his backpack. **
** Marik mutters. "I knew the damned things would be trouble." He jerks his head at Beltarne. "The dwarf has goods to trade with you and your people. We're looking for information on the area, as well." **
Shelley: "The skeletons carry my stuff and scare off goblins."
Pixie: "Trade goods? Like steel weapons and finely made shoes and cabinets and furniture?"
** Beltarne smiles in what he hopes is a harmless manner, "See, we brought trade goods, heard you were short." **
Beltarne: "Of trade goods, that is. Erm."
Ghazeb: "No daggers tho, we don't have any magical daggers for trade."
Pixie: "What's the skeletons then?"
Shelley: "Mine. I'm along to settle the ghosts on the lake, the trading is their business."
** Thasos just tries to not look menacing. He casually stands between the pixie and Ghazeb. **
Shelley: "I've got a license."
Pixie: "What? This is over my head."
** Marik lets Beltarne take over from here. **
Beltarne: "We found most of them in a Harpy nest to the north."
Beltarne: "Heard they were keeping anyone from trading with you folks."
Pixie: "Well, follow me I guess." He flits off, flying rapidly through the trees, dodging past spaces too small for you to follow.
** Marik coughs pointedly. **
** Beltarne follows as best he's able. **
Marik: ((Oh, dodging past, not going through.))
** Ghazeb follows **
** Marik follows the Pixie. **
** Shelley organizes the guys and follows the pixie, trying not to step on anything important. **
** Wolfgang follows as best he can **
** Thasos follows. **
Narrator: A few minutes of difficult hiking leads the delvers to a clearing. Dollhouses in bad repair and tarnished paint are all throughout the clearing.
Narrator: Dozens of pixies are flying around, giggling and laughing. They all turn as the delvers enter the clearing, staring at them.
Beltarne: "Howdy."
** Beltarne waves. **
** Shelley attempts to not draw attention to herself. **
** Ghazeb waves **
** Thasos tries again to not look menacing. **
Narrator: A cluster of pixies in patched dresses fly to you, holding a swing. Sitting on the swing is a black-haired pixie wearing a long red silk dress (easily 2 feet long). She has a tiny tiara in her hair, and minuscule bells trill as she is carried forward.
** Wolfgang bows **
** Shelley fusses about, getting the skeletons to drop to one knee and take their helmets off. **
** Thasos puts hand over fist and bows. **
** Ghazeb bows **
** Marik bows with a flourish of his cloak. **
** Shelley curtseys once they're all looking "respectable". **
** Beltarne goes to one knee **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Greetings, outlanders. I am Her Royal Majesty, Wren Seaspray Belladonna, High Queen of the Pixies and Lady of Baile Mordref."
Beltarne: "My lady."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "My loyal guards say you come bringing tribute."
Marik: "Trade goods."
Beltarne: Fae lore mention that tribute gets us presents back?
Beltarne: We give them presents, they give us presents type of thing?
Ghazeb: "We could give them Thasos."
GM: No, they don't do that. They trade like normal people normally.
Thasos: ((i expect we have to give them something as tribute before the trading can begin))
** Beltarne still on one knee. "Your majesty, your guards were misinformed. We come bringing goods to trade, having heard you were in dire need." **
Beltarne: "Though the tales of your beauty do not do you justice, your majesty."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "You do not bring tribute? You dare to entire the Aitsyldub, intrude upon my domain, and seek to flatter me without bringing me presents? You seek nothing but common trade?"
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: entire == enter
Beltarne: ((Well crap.))
Thasos: ((and I'm the stupid one eh))
Marik: ((This is why I like Diplomacy. The player of the navigator shouldn't be required to draw and follow a map, and the player of the diplomat should have some protection from stepping on his dick like that.))
Beltarne: ((I'm the greedy one.))
** Ghazeb holds his head down. **
Marik: ((Beltarne /has/ Diplomacy, right?))
Beltarne: ((I'm not a diplomat, I'm just greedy. And I've been studying up on the Fae in the hopes that it'd have mentioned if this was required.))
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Prostrate yourself before me! Surrender your goods, and I will not call upon my pixie host to destroy you! Doom! Despair! The hour of your death is at hand!"
Thasos: ((this sort of thing is more savoir faire, I'd think))
Beltarne: ((I DO have SV(High Society))
** Marik looks around and coughs. **
Shelley: Should I be rolling Diplomacy here to rescue him here?
** Wolfgang boggles at the audacity **
whispering to Beltarne, You've been totally polite, she's completely out of line. 
** Thasos gets out his scribe kit, tears off another scrap, and scribbles. He hands the note to Beltarne. **
Narrator: One pixie, off to the side, desperately tries to stifle a giggle. Then she starts giggling. Her neighbors begin chuckling.
** Ghazeb places his hand over his face. **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Peablossom! I had them going! Stop that!"
** Marik smirks. **
Beltarne: "Oh thank Tyr."
Narrator: The pixies begin laughing and guffawing, pointing at the delvers and shouting with glee.
** Beltarne starts to chuckle **
** Ghazeb laughs **
** Thasos furrows his brow in confusion. **
** Shelley giggles. **
** Ghazeb points at Thasos **
Beltarne: "I thought I was about to be pixie-shot. Good one, your majesty."
Thasos: "..."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, your faces! Wow, I totally had you going." She flies off the swing and starts orbiting you as she talks. "What are they saying upon my lovely little town up in bigfolk land these days? Say, where are you from, really?"
** Thasos forces a smile. **
Ghazeb: ((AFK a min))
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, I'm just the Mayor. That guff about Imperial Princess or whatever... you totally bought it." She suddenly zooms off, addressing a pixie. "Kestrel! Pay up!"
Shelley: "You were very convincing, m'lady. We're from Polisberg."
Shelley: *polisberg
Beltarne: "Ah."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: Immediately she flies back. "Wait, wait, you said trade goods. You have trade goods? Like wine? You have wine?"
** Beltarne shows her what we brought. **
Beltarne: ((I don't think that included wine))
Shelley: Did anyone bring wine for personal use?
Marik: ((I think if we brought /any/ booze, we have a very interested audience.))
Beltarne: ((Nope))
Wolfgang: ((no, I was gonna bring some mead but couldn't find a price))
Shelley: I'm not wearing a compulsive carousing character this time, sorry :D
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, wow! Books! And cabinets!" She dives into the bag, getting her dress all tangled up. "Do you have any more silk? This is my only dress, the color is terrible! What about the fashions? What's new in the East?"
** Shelley nudges Ghazeb. "What is new out there? **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Is this it? Not that I'm not grateful, we totally want this stuff, but we could use more."
Beltarne: ((I kind of work on the assumption that all dwarves constantly have a small amount of whiskey on them, but it's not on my equipment sheet.))
GM: Ghazeb is from the West.
Shelley: Oh. shoot.
Shelley: "To be honest m'lady, we weren't sure you existed."
Beltarne: "Well, there were some Harpies who were preventing anyone from reaching you. They had an unfortunate adventurer-related accident, so you may be seeing more traders now."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Whyever not? We're certainly here. Haven't been visited much."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, wow! Harpies... I hate those things. So do you have more stuff?
Marik: "I'm afraid we don't, at the moment."
Shelley: "But now we know you're here, and we can find out what you need!"
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Well, drat. We could use more stuff." She flies in front of Beltarne. "Hey, you're a dwarf! I can tell that. Dwarves are all good smiths! Do you have any dwarven plate sized for a pixie? Kestrel totally wants to be a knight."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: She zooms back to Shelley. "Wait, you'll get more stuff? For real?"
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "How much do you want to do that?"
** Wolfgang looks more interested now **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: She zooms back to Beltarne. "So? Can you make armor? Do you have any? I hear dwarven plate is the best!"
Beltarne: "Erm, I'm afraid I specialized in hitting things and calling down the wrath of my god, rather than making armor. Sorry."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Well, that's fascinating. Who's your god?" She zooms over to Thasos and lands on his horns. "Who is this guy? What's his story?"
Shelley: "That's Thasos. It's hard to get his story out of him, I think it's a secret."
** Shelley winks at Thasos. **
Beltarne: ((Oh, that's mean))
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, is he some evil donkey transformed into a bull man for some reason?" She flies back to Shelley. "Wait, what's with the skulls? Are you morbid or what?"
Shelley: "I'm a licensed psychopomp and necrotechnician. So yep, a little morbid, I suppose. I settle the restless dead."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "You look like you should eat more. Don't people eat where you come from? Your hair is pretty. Does that come from not eating? I couldn't do that, no matter how nice it made my hair."
** Shelley curtseys a little. **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: She zooms back to Beltarne. "So. How much do you want for the backup and everything in it?"
** Shelley smiles wanly under the barrage of questions and looks slightly relieved when she rushes off again. **
Thasos: ((sorry, door, old friend dropped by))
Marik: ((She means 'backpack', right?))
Narrator: Wren continues to zoom around the delvers, flitting back and forth and asking questions, always coming back to how much they want for the backpack.
GM: Yeah, I can't seem to type tonight.
Shelley: So. How much DO y'all want for the backpack? Did nobody figure that out? :D
GM: You sold it for $90 and bought for $150.
Shelley: How much did they loose rebuying it from the merchant?
Beltarne: "500 Silver should do it."
Shelley: [150-90] => 60
** Shelley bites her tongue. **
Shelley: That's $2000, just FYI.
Beltarne: ((Yup. ~10x cost is perfectly reasonable for the kind of terrain you have to come through to get here.))
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "That's a bit steep, don't you think?"
Ghazeb: "No Ghazeb thinks it is fair."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "I think 4 lbs of silver is more reasonable."
Marik: ((Isn't that... more than $2000?))
Beltarne: "We had to kill a bunch of harpies, got teleported all over the place trying to get here, and were constantly attacked by Goblins, Eagles, and a rogue earth elemental just getting here."
GM: I meant it to be $1000, can't do math.
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Well, that may be, but we need more stuff."
Marik: ((So *one* pound of silver.))
Beltarne: "You're paying a premium, certainly, but I don't think it's an unreasonable one."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: Okay, right.
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Where else around here are you going to sell a backpack of pixie goods?"
Marik: ((So, Beltarne, one pound of silver means $850 pure profit.))
Marik: ((That's REALLY VERY GOOD.))
Beltarne: "Who else is gonna bring one out here?"
Beltarne: "How about this."
** Ghazeb sits down and holds his backpack to his chest. **
GM: Alright, Merchant roll.
Beltarne: Hooray, default!
GM: Ghazeb can help.
Beltarne: That's -5, innit?
GM: Yep.
Ghazeb: k
Ghazeb: Merchant (10) [3d6.skill(10,0)] => [4,1,1] = 6 vs (10) or less Success! by 4 
Beltarne: IQ (14) [3d6.skill(14,-5)] => [3,1,5] = 9 vs (9) or less Success! by 0 
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: Merchant [3d6.skill(13)] => [3,6,3] = 12 vs (13) or less Success! by 1 
GM: You guys settle for $1200 in silver and copper coins, or $1600 in pixie poisons, or $1400 worth of some SM0 armor and weapons they have laying around.
** Ghazeb likes the coin **
Beltarne: Any of those weapons silver?
Beltarne: Otherwise I'd prefer coin as well
Thasos: ((they have SM0 armor and weapons?))
GM: Checking!
GM: They have a silver-coated ax, a silver-coat large knife, and a silver-coated short sword.
Beltarne: Heeeeyyyyyy!
** Wolfgang likes those **
Thasos: ((what's the armor?))
GM: They have a suit of dwarf sized scale armor and a fine leather light armor suit for a faun.
Beltarne: $150 for the axe, 120 for the knife, and 1200 for the short sword
GM: Basically, they'll sell you poisons at a 25% discount or weapons/armor at a 10% discount. The total offering is $1200, take it or leave it.
GM: Wren totally fails to explain why they have a fairly sizable stash of weapons and armor that are many, many sizes too large for them.
Beltarne: So, who wants what?
Wolfgang: "The axe looks handy for the undead spirit things"
Shelley: While I'd like a not-cheap knife, I think giving it to an actual fighter of any type is good.
Beltarne: Silvered weapons would come in handy if we have more incorporeal undead
Beltarne: That silver works on
Thasos: ((i vote for the coin - we'd basically be buying a silver axe for $1400))
** Ghazeb likes the short sword **
GM: No, you'd buy the axe for $135 and get $1065 in coin.
Beltarne: ((I assume we can split coin and items))
Marik: ((Silver axe, silver sword, and silver knife - all of which are usable by various party members.))
Shelley: My skeletons can also use it, but I think Ghazeb is a good choice.
Beltarne: ((I'm okay with that, if everyone wants to grab a weapon.))
GM: Wren isn't: she already has plenty of coin, you can overspend.
Thasos: ((oh we'd get the rest in coin? I'm cool with that))
Wolfgang: ((cool))
GM: err, can't overspend.
Beltarne: ((Better equipped party lets me save my FP for extra effort and heals instead of spells.))
GM: that makes slightly more sense.
GM: So you can get the sword and knife, or the knife and the axe, but not the axe and sword or all 3.
Beltarne: Well, if we grab all the silver weapons that's $1470, or $70 over.
Marik: ((Do we have $70 worth of booze?))
GM: Right, Wren's not extending you credit.
Thasos: ((just the axe and sword would be how much?))
Beltarne: ((I don't))
Beltarne: $1350
GM: Okay, looks like you can get both, I can't do math.
Beltarne: Well, yes, but not the knife.
Beltarne: We can get any two
Beltarne: Unless someone has some booze.
Wolfgang: I think we established we had no booze
Shelley: I have a shortage. Paut, yes.
Wolfgang: ((Where are booze prices anyhow?))
Marik: ((Sword and axe works.))
Beltarne: ((That's why I don't have any, I have no idea how much it costs.))
Shelley: (( I always figured $15 for a litre for something of average quality, like at the wine store ))
Beltarne: ((Yeah, sword and axe is what I think we'll go with.))
Shelley: (( 1.5 litres, whatever the hell size a wine bottle is. ))
GM: 750 ml normally.
GM: 1.5 is a magnum.
Shelley: (( Aha! That. ))
Shelley: (( Mind you, we have to buy wine from the government so I have no idea whether our prices are reasonable or not. ))
GM: You settle on a silver short sword, a silver axe, and 12 copper coins.
Beltarne: Okay, Ghazeb gets the sword, Wolfgang gets the Axe
Beltarne: Right?
Thasos: ((that's like here in PA - but it's worse with beer))
Wolfgang: right
Ghazeb: works for me
Marik: "I can virtually guarantee that we'll be coming back this way. Is there anything in particular your people need, apart from alcohol?"
Thasos: ((you can get 2 6 packs from a bar, but if you want a case you have to make two trips))
Shelley: I don't have a horse in this race.
Thasos: ((you can get a case from a beer store))
Thasos: ((but you can't just get one beer to take home, anywhere))
Shelley: Bringing the booze convo over to Maptools :D
GM: So, you guys spend another hour dickering with Wren. It's 5 pm. What now?
Shelley: Well, finding out what they know about the downfall of the various Sirs who may or may not be Ghosts around here would be good.
Beltarne: "Do you know anything about the ghosts in the nearby town? We're trying to free them, so far all we've got is that there's a prison on the south shore of the lake, and so long as a spirit is trapped there they can't rest."
Wolfgang: head out unless we get shopping requests
GM: Hmmm. Okay.
GM: Hang on.
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, we don't go into that town. It's haunted." She considers. "We don't go into the woods, either, they're filled with giant wasps and vinemen." She thinks a second more. "Those awful antmen raiders live in the swamp to the west - you definitely shouldn't go there! And there are all kinds of monsters in the lake." She thinks even more. "There's a lot of places we don't go."
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: She zooms off to talk to a pixie, then flies back. "Bumblebee used to explore more. He says there's some guy screaming in the swamp just north of the old square tower on the south shore. Maybe that's where you want to go?"
** Thasos ponders. **
Beltarne: "Thank you, that's very helpful."
** Shelley nods. "Thank you, yes. I can see how you became isolated, but hopefully if we can keep clearing things out..." **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "The tower is southwest of here, across the lake. It's square and tall and has really tall spires on the corner. You can't miss it."
** Ghazeb looks at the group, "Oh yes we can." **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, hey, if you ever make it back to Polisberg, we have more big folk stuff and more money and we need more stuff. Houses, furniture, books, wine! Lots of wine!"
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Anyway, if you came back with more stuff, and some pixie-sized dwarven plate, we could give you money and stuff."
Beltarne: "We'll do our best."
whispering to Ghazeb, That tower description sounds exactly like 4-Point Tower, which you saw far to the west on your trip from Shigrad. 
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "Oh, good."
Shelley: "Houses, paint, furniture, nice dresses, wine, armor... nice things."
** Shelley nods. **
GM: So what are you doing now?
Beltarne: "Can we camp here overnight?"
Marik: ((I was about to say 'Asking if we can camp the night here.))
Beltarne: ((Great minds think like me))
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "As long you don't step on anything. And don't snore. And you have to be able to sing. Are you sure you don't have any wine? Oh, and we can't feed you guys, you guys eat way too much. I mean, I've seen a sandwich before, you guys eat three of those a day or something."
Beltarne: "We've brought our own food."
** Wolfgang thinks that's a NO **
Beltarne: "And we can TRY to sing, does that count?"
** Thasos looks worried at the word "sing". **
** Shelley eyes the skeletons critically. "I think I might be able to work up a decent percussion section..." **
Shelley: "Well. For certain values of decent. How about... unique?"
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "You guys are so gullible! Stretch out anywhere away from the houses or clover fields."
** Marik rolls his eyes. "I'll be in a tree somewhere." **
** Thasos catches on quicker this time and smiles broadly. **
** Wolfgang looks for the clover fields **
** Shelley smiles. "M'lady's wit is too sharp for us, I think." **
** Beltarne spreads out his sleeping roll near wherever Ghazeb puts his down. **
GM: Are you guys keeping watch?
Wolfgang: yes!
Thasos: ((yes, definitely, and it shouldn't be Ghazeb))
Shelley: Absolutely. I'm even assigning some skeletons to watch. With their creepy glowing red eyes, as they see the warmth of the living and the chill of the dead just fine in the dark.
** Thasos erects his tent far from Ghazeb. **
Shelley: The skeletons are not good choices to watch on their own, though. They're stupid.
Narrator: The delvers bed down for the night.
** Shelley instructs the skeletons to watch for "anything bigger than a medium sized dog that isn't one of the adventurers, one of the pack animals, or Ghazeb." **
Shelley: correction -
Beltarne: Watchdog (Holy) (16) [3d6.skill(16,1)] => [4,3,2] = 9 vs (17) or less Success! by 8 Includes: +4 from 'Power Investiture (Holy)'
Beltarne: 10 japs pasulr
** Shelley instructs the skeletons to watch for "Ghazeb, or anything bigger than a medium sized dog that isn't one of the adventurers, or one of the pack animals." **
Shelley: because that sentence doesn't make any sense.
GM: What's the terms on the Watchdog, Beltarne?
Beltarne: 10 Yard radius
Shelley: yaps pasulr? that's not even qwerty?
Beltarne: "Hostile Intent" I think, let me check
GM: You so right!
GM: Shelley, make a Will roll at -2.
GM: Necromantic doesn't apply.
Shelley: And their instructions are specifically just to come wake me up if such happens to be wandering around in camp.
Shelley: Will (14) [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [4,6,2] = 12 vs (14) or less Success! by 2 
Shelley: -2 for the penalty, success by 0!
Beltarne: Yup, hostile intent.
Beltarne: And actually, make that a 1 yard radius centered around Ghazeb
GM: Then make a perception roll at -4.
Beltarne: Since it only triggers when someone crosses the line.
Beltarne: Per (14) [3d6.skill(14,-4)] => [6,6,3] = 15 vs (10) or less Failure! by 5 
GM: Then, Shelley, make a HT roll at -1.
Shelley: HT (12) [3d6.skill(12,-1)] => [2,3,3] = 8 vs (11) or less Success! by 3 
GM: Make another Perception -4 roll.
Shelley: Who's perception roll?
GM: Shelley, again.
GM: Doh!
Shelley: I haven't made any yet.
Shelley: Per (12) [3d6.skill(12,-4)] => [1,6,4] = 11 vs (8) or less Failure! by 3 
Shelley: Per (12) [3d6.skill(12,-4)] => [6,5,6] = 17 vs (8) or less Critical Failure! by 9 [B556]
Shelley: Does that fill my allotment? :D
GM: Yep.
Narrator: After an uneventful night, the delvers wake.
Shelley: I have a cat in my face, just FYI.
GM: During the night, someone shaved Ghazeb's ears.
** Thasos can't help but looking at Ghazeb, grinning, then looking towards the pixie houses. **
Ghazeb: "What happened to Ghazeb's ears? Does anyone have a mirror?"
** Marik smirks. **
Marik: "It's an improvement."
** Thasos tries to keep a straight face, and fails. **
Wren Seaspray Belladonna: "I have one!" She flies up, holding a mirror and shows it to Ghazeb.
** Shelley is smothering a smirk, while her skeletons look on impassively. **
Ghazeb: Ghazeb screams in horror and draws his blade, standing on-guard against the mirror.
** Wolfgang checks for missing items, kick-me signs or other tomfoolery **
Beltarne: "Mmm... I was afraid of this."
Narrator: Wren collapses into laughter, soon joined by the other pixies. The mirror drops to the ground, revealing a demonic face floating in the silvered glass.
Beltarne: "Looks like some of that poison may still be in your system."
Ghazeb: "Ah! What? No, Ghazeb's fur was growing back!"
** Beltarne stares at the mirror. **
** Thasos covers his mouth with both hands at the pixies' joke. **
** Marik snickers. **
Ghazeb: "Ghazeb is leaving now."
GM: What are you doing?
** Shelley picks up the mirror and inspects it idly. "Nice trick." **
** Wolfgang snickers behind Ghazeb's back **
** Thasos grins from ear to ear as he bows to the pixies. **
Shelley: Do I see a face in the mirror myself, or only when it gets pointed at Ghazeb?
Shelley: I can't help but notice that it's silver.
GM: No, you definitely see it.
Shelley: OK. Just checking :D
** Shelley gives it back, smiling. **
Beltarne: Am I getting any "imprisoned demon" vibes from that mirror, or is it just some sort of illusion or something?
GM: After a minute, the mirror fades into a small, roughly carved board.
Shelley: It was all an iluuuuuuusion.
Beltarne: Oh good
Beltarne: That
Beltarne: 's what I was hoping
Shelley: Do I get some healing done overnight btw? Ditto with the skeletons?
GM: Yeah, let's assume a point apiece.
** Wolfgang checks his new axe to see if it's still silvered **
GM: Yes, Wolfgang.
** Shelley updates her book-keeping for the skeletons. **
Beltarne: Well then, we pack up and leave the forest, yes/
Wolfgang: yup
Shelley: I think so, heading in the general direction of that tower, which appears to be A Clue.
GM: You're in the center of the forest. Any direction you go leads you out...
GM: okay, so what direction?
Shelley: And eventually for the Screamin' Shack!
Beltarne: South
Marik: We need to get to the other side of the lake.
Marik: One direction going around it involves forest that was described as 'full of giant wasps and vinemen'.
Beltarne: Yup
Marik: The other was... swamp?
Beltarne: Yup, full of ant-men
Beltarne: And then across the lake, which is "unspecified death"
Shelley: Hurray giant bugs!
Shelley: Monsters, I think were specified.
Shelley: Unspecified monsters, but monstery death IS more specific than "death"
Shelley: (I'll have the chicken then!)
Beltarne: True
Narrator: Marik deftly leads the delving bands south, out of the woods.
Shelley: I think that's a good place to break for the evening, unless you have a dramatic cliffhanger.
Narrator: An hour and a half later, you're standing at the edge of large lake. To the west is a huge overgrown swamp. To the east, a small inlet. To the northeast, you can barely see the ruined town in the distance and forest beyond. The lake covers the horizon to the south.
GM: Marik and Wolfgang can barely see a forest on the far side of the lake, about 10 miles away.