The Game: Week 6

"The Road Less Traveled"

Posted 19 Sep 99
In the aftermath of the battle, everyone slowly gathers their wits and begin to see that this is not going to be as easy as it might have seemed.

Kiranyan and Varlus go from body to body removing their hide-ish armor. There are nine dead (again) zun bodies strewn about. When the armors are being removed to compare the fit and condition, they notice something that confirms the party's suspicions.

"Hey, check this out!" Yells Kiranyan. "These zun have several old wounds on their bodies. Ones that we didn't inflict. They look old and unhealed. I guess these guys were truely dead before they started fighting us."

"And just for the record," adds Varlus "hey have absolutely nothing on them but their armor, their clubs (that they really didn't even use), and these odd black and brown disks around their necks. They must mean something."

Shameron moves toward Kendervon. "Are you still in need of healing?"

"No, I took care of it, but I think Kiranyan still needs some help." Kendervon is looking at one of the black disks. "hese are unholy symbols of the Master of the Principle Evil, if I am not mistaken or Morgath to you non-clergy types."

Shameron moves over to Kiranyan and cures his remaining wounds. "Kind of a humbling experience for a Jenzig," he says. "I had flashes of going to that chantry in the sky. Studying for eternity is not my idea of the perfect afterlife." She pauses a moment to briefly check the others and the last one still hurt is Caledon, who appears to be taking care of that.

She sighs, "Well, the first fight and we are all still alive. That says something for our survivability, I suppose." The elf then proceeds to retrieve all her fired arrows, even the broken ones. She lays them in a pile together and stares at them for a few minutes. A frown crosses her face, then a momentary shrug as she breaks the arrowheads off the broken ones and places them in her backpack.

Pheylan, Shaizan, and Kendervon are out examining the zun footprints. Not being experts on tracking or footprints, they can't say for sure, but all three agree that the 'shek p'var' and the undead zun seem to have simply appeared there in the forest.

"This is not good. This clearly shows that Chunnel is trying to get rid of us," says Shaizan, "just as I predicted. We should get moving as quickly as possible. Maybe once we throw some variables into the mix, like our exact whereabouts on the way to the other compass, we won't be such sitting ducks."


With the zun's bodies thoroughly searched as well as the immediate area, the party gathers their belongings and heads out with the elven maid leading them. Shameron tries to stay considerably ahead of Farlont, because he doesn't seem to know how to walk through woods without stomping. She suspects that he is trying to stir up something else to fight.

Pheylan and Varlus are more or less silently walking behind Farlont, all the while trying to ignore the whispered conversations of the two Savoryans behind them. The conversations were minorly interesting early on, but now it is sheer boredom.

Bringing up the rear are the Jenzig and the Caledon. Listening to Kiranyan going on and on, (something about seeing that zun fry), Farlont's ego, and two debating Savoryans in front of him, Caledon is already thinking how long this trip is going to be.


The rest of the day goes by pretty uneventful. There was one quick break in the march for a cold meal. Later in the day, all conversation had tappered to a halt. By nightfall Shameron pulled back to the main part of the party.

Shameron quietly says, "We had best set up camp for the night. Even though I can still see where I am going, I can't clearly read the compass any longer. "Who wants what watch?"


Pheylan
Pheylan draws a deep drink from his waterskin, gently places his backpack down, and then slumps to the ground, completely exhausted. He then proceeds to remove his leather shoes and begins to rub his feet.

"I thought you were never going to call for a stop, my feet are killing me. I don't think I've walked that much in my life."

"You know, I was thinking about those Zun as we were traveling. Since they were already dead when they attacked, it would appear that we're opposed by priests as well as shek p'var and lords. This just keeps getting better and better."

After a few moments of rubbing his feet, he leans back to lay flat on the ground, resting his head on the edge of his backpack. Closing his eyes, he sighs contentedly and then softly continues speaking with his eyes closed...

"I'll take the last watch, but please just let me sleep until then. I don't know if a campfire would be a good idea, since we're not sure who or what may be after us."


Varlus
I drop down on the ground next to Pheylan, chest heaving. Too tired to find my own water, I reach over to get the wineskin from the young Laranian. I take a long slow draw, and pour a bit on my face.

Wiping the water off with my sleeve, "Put me down for twice that. I don't think I have ever walked half this far and especially not in one day. How many miles you figure we've covered today?"

"This is lousy, lousy, lousy. I have had a rock in my boot for the last two hours. Could we stop for a minute? No." Yawning, I pull my left boot off, turn it upside down and beat upon it until the rock comes out. I also start removing burrs and thorns from my clothing.

"I need to take a late watch also, I have spent my spells for the day and I feel absolutely naked. Try to give me as much of eight hours as you can. If anyone has any klava in their packs, when I wake up, I take mine piping hot and black."


Kendervon
"Ok, I`ll take the first watch. Just let me know who wants the second one. No snoring. We dont want you to bring about any more visitors."

I get up and look around a little bit and walk around the camp slowly. I listen to the quiet pleasant woods, which reminds me of my home. I just enjoy this quiet time to myself finally some peace. Didn`t think it was possible to actually have some quiet. Of course, about that time is when Farlont starts his snoring. I look up at the sky full of stars. I don't fall asleep since elves don't really sleep. But when it is my time I get to rest my mental abilities.


Shaizan
I drop what I am carrying on the ground, and turn to Shameron.

"I know everyone else is tired, and I am too. But I'm also kind of wound up now. I don't think I'll be going to sleep for quite a while. Why don't you all decide on the watch order and I'll take the second watch, and I think I'll stay up with Kendervon, too. Right now I have to go take a leak."

I head off behind a tree to the west.

[Note to PCs regarding my stated abilities: Some of the psionics I said I had were wrong. I have ballistic attack rather than mass manipulation and I don't have sensitivity to observation. Sorry.]


Shameron
Shameron puts down her pack and stretches. She too takes a long drink of water. "Since there are 8 of us, why don't we all take 2 hours? (Turns to Kendervon) Since you want the first watch and since Shaizan is still awake, why don't you and Shaizan both take the first shift. Kiranyan and Farlont can take the second. Cadedon and I can take the third and Varlus and Pheylan the last. I too am tired, but I'm not quite ready to sleep, however, if I get 4 hours, then I will feel rested."

I sit down, open my pack and proceed to break out a food ration. I eat a ration, then appear to go into a sort of meditation. (Assuming the party is quiet now) I enjoy the soft sounds of the forest, while listening for any unusual noises. If I don't hear anything, I start drifting off to sleep in about an hour.


Kiranyan
Kiranyan happily sits on the ground, and looks up towards the stars.

"I swear... if I could hold one of those stars in my hands, I would be happy for the rest of my life."

He stretches his arms up towards the sky, and traces a few familiar shapes and patters.

"Imagine what kind of explosion a star could make?"

With that comment, the Jenzig rolls back laughing.

"I'll take the shift after Kendervon with Farlont, I suppose. I haven't used any of my spells, and I'm feeling pretty full of life after that quick brush with death."l


Kendervon
Shaizan and I sit up together keeping watch. We talk about psionics things that would bore the rest of the group . We also discuss some manly things. We also discuss some of the great companions in this group. "What do you things my chances with Shameron is? After all we are both elves."

I stay awake during my shift. "I would stay up with up through your shift but I need to rest and get some psionic strength back."


Farlont
"I think that Shameron's watches are a sound idea. I can't believe that we walked all freekin' day and nothing. Just boring trees. Where are all the monsters and crap. I feel like I have been robbed."

I unroll my blanket and lay down to sleep. "The East sure isn't living up to my expectations. Hey! Shameron, you wanna swap me watches? I'd like to talk to Caledon for a couple hours." I laugh to myself and curl up with my club and close my eyes.


Everyone settles into a much deserved night's rest. Kendervon and Shaizan are already going into yet another dry topic. If the day's travel wasn't enough to put everyone straight to sleep, listening to the droning of two Savoryans with several hours to kill puts you right out.

"The perimeter is secure. We should be getting no surprises on our watch, Kendervon." Shaizan looks around into the darkness, "Or at least that is the theory. How about when I tell you that something has broken through the perimeter, you check to see if we are in danger?"

"Sounds like a plan. Do you suppose Farlont really would have taken a watch with Caledon?"

"Yeah, but somehow I don't know if the watch would end with 2 people still on it." Shaizan leans back to get more comfortable. In the moonlight, he notices that although the lush green grass in this clearing made it ideal for stopping for the night, there are several fairly large white stones strewn about. He moves one to get it out of his way. A very bad feeling comes over him.

"Kendervon, you better take a look at this. I know it is dark, but I have handled many of these in class. This is a skull. Badly weathered, but still a skull, and it looks human."

Kendervon goes and checks some of the other stones. "Yup, those are skulls too. It was probably the sight of some battle long ago."

As the two go through a list of possible battles, Shaizan jumps to his feet. "Someone or something has entered camp." They both look around. "There is another one, and another, and another"

Kendervon searches the night with a worried expression. Then his expression slowly changes as he slaps Shaizan up side the head. "Those are acorns dropping from the trees."

"I guess that is the difference from class and field. Sure is a lot of acorns dropping though." Unsettled, Shaizan tries to ignore them. "Ouch!" Whispers Shaizan. "One of them hit me square on the head! I'm bleeding!"

"Ouch! Two hit me!" Kendervon reaches up and touches his head and shoulder, and he also finds blood.


Everyone is just getting to sleep and the commotion caused by Kendervon and Shaizan begin to make everyone think that perhaps it was unwise to leave the two Savoryans on watch together.

Then a loud voice is heard, "That's it!!! Someone's gonna die!!" Farlont is getting to his feet and picking up his war club. He appears to have a good gash on his left upper arm.

If anyone was asleep, they are most certainly not now.

"Someone has been throwing acorns at me while I was trying to sleep. Now they have drawn blood! Now they're going to die!" Farlont looks around while swinging his club slowly back and forth.

Shameron, Varlus, Kiranyan, and Pheylan are getting to their feet too. They are trying to calm (and quiet) Farlont. "Someone is playing with us too," says Shameron understandingly. "Anyone see anyone out there?" Caledon merely sits up and looks in the direction of the ruckus.

"Yeah, but they've cut us up a bit, too," pipes in Kendervon. "Some of us aren't going to be able to survive a bunch of these things. Any suggestions?"


Shaizan
"Sorry guys! We had about two seconds' warning before we started getting pelted on the head with acorns! We still don't know what's throwing them!"

I squat down and try to shield my head with my backpack. If I take too many hits, and feel like I'm going to go down, I'll drink enough of my potion to fix me up.

I squint into the darkness, and try to make out any forms. If I see any I'll point and yell. ("There's one!") I'll also try to identify it. If it's pretty close, I'll psionically throw an acorn at it.


Pheylan
Pheylan wakes rather violently at the commotion, jumping straight to his feet. After a few brief moments of panic, he realizes where he is and who he is with and takes a deep breath. He laughs quietly, shaking his head at the two Savoryans, until Farlont also rouses shouting. Then taking a closer look at the various injuries on the other party members, he frowns and draws the knife from his belt, unsure of whether they are under attack or just the victims of some strange natural phenomenon. Then, he begins to search around, looking closely at where the acorns have landed in an attempt to determine the direction the acorns are coming from.


As everyone is awake and looking around, the party seems to be in the middle of an acorn rain storm. Acorns are falling like hail from high up in the tree-tops. The only people that have been unscathed thus far are Pheylan, Varlus and Caledon. Caledon appears to be holding off any damage by holding his shield over-head, but this is reducing his chance of locating the attackers. Varlus is standing with his back to a large tree under a branch.

"I don't see anyone up there." Farlont yells as the sound of dropping acorns increases. "ey look at the acorns! They are fizzing and dissolving on the ground. This can't be good!"

"Neither, do I. They appear to be just dropping from the trees," says Shameron. "This is looking bad. This may not stop before someone dies!"


Kiranyan
"Blast it!" cries out an enraged Kiranyan. He rolls out from where he was resting, and starts hopping from side to side in a ditch effort to avoid the deadly shower.

Kiranyan catches one on the shoulder, and he grimaces in pain from the blow. ""Gods that hurts!! FARLONT!! Go out there and club whatever's out there! Or get one out in the open so I can roast it!!"


Shaizan
When I hear Farlont's remark about the acorns, I look down to see for myself. I see that they ARE dissolving, and my eyes widen. They widen even more when Shameron says that there's no one in the trees. After a couple seconds of thought, I say, "Wow! This grove of trees must have specially evolved a defense mechanism for survival! They attack campers, maybe so the campers won't cut them down for firewood! Amazing! Though I wonder how it reproduces, if its seeds are used as weapons..."

I quickly grab a few freshly-fallen leaves from the ground and stick them in a pocket in my robe for later research.

"I think that our best chance to survive such an obviously effective method of defense," -here I gesture at the bones littering the ground- "would be to run away. NOW!"


Kendervon
"I think Shaizan right, run into the woods. Get out of the clearing!"

I start running towards the woods the way we were heading earlier. After running for a while I take notice if the accorns are still falling. If the accorns aren`t still falling down I wait up for the rest of them to catch up then see who needs some healing.


Pheylan
As Pheylan struggles to keep up with the group, he winces visibly with almost every stride. However, he continues to look around for an opening in the tree cover or a cave as he runs...


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