First Wednesday of Iss, 342nd year

The adventurers wake to crisp, clear skies. Arbhon has already risen and set out the morning meal for everyone. Chewing on strips of tough, tasteless jerky and stale, rock-hard wafers of bread, a plan for the day is formulated.

Continue interviewing Suhin Meenth? Go after the Kalph ryncha? Which path to follow? Or maybe head back to town with the captive (who is sought by the constabularies)? What to make of the enchantment he was under?

I’m moving this post to this forum. I responded too late :)

Ta’kel stretches as he wakes up, showing a lupine grace as he flexes his muscles. He grumbles at the news Nir can not rest on the move. “Could all go back to town drop Nir and Suhin off. Costs time and money. Slir can take Nir back. Suhin, too. We travel on without them to the North where other ryncha went.” Ta’kel relaxes slowly as he realizes Suhin’s sincerity. He still does not approve of the man, but is no longer bent to violence against him. He looks at Suhin with a neutral expression. “We’re not here for you. Looking for Nirash. Taken like you. You see him?”

“We have wounded that cannot travel, It would not be right to leave a comrade that dared sacrifice so much for us. That small band of ryncha managed to deal us a telling blow at our strongest and I would not challenge them with less. I say we seek a stronger position nearby out of the open and regain our strength.”

If everyone agrees, Darius will take to the sky’s this day. Patrolling/Scouting and hunting for small game he can drop back at camp, fresh meat would be preferable to these rations. Darius will be especially alert and keen to possibly spotting the ryncha village.

DM – Darius is also thinking ahead on how to best leverage his gift of life he bestowed upon nir. After all nothing is free, there must be balance and every good druid needs his pawn after all.

Levna is sympathetic to Suhin. She knows the power of magic, and also knows it doesn’t always take magic to convince people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do. She agrees with Darius, “Yes, it is better that we rest. If the ryncha sought to kill Nirash, they need not have taken him captive unless they mean to use him as some ritualistic sacrifice. Let us find a suitable camp off this trail. Darius can scout in his avian form, some of us can hunt to conserve our rations, the rest of us can stay to guard Nir and Suhin, for different reasons of course. I am injured as well, and have spells to memorize.” With a winsome smile, she asks Suhin, “Come, you must tell us what you know. What is this voice that spoke to you? What acts were you driven to commit? What were you going to do once you reached the ryncha camp? We seek to rescue Nirash, whom you know. Help us to help him. It will ease your conscience to do what you can to help another.”

ooc – does Levna recover 1 HP upon waking, or does it take a full day?

Darius takes to the skies, enjoying once more the pleasure of flight. He quickly spots the second group of ryncha, and estimates that they are about a two days march from the groups current encampment. Then, just for the fun of it, Darius flies due southeast, reaching the edge of the Kalph hills region before returning to his comrades.

Back in the camp, Darius, Levna and Rhomack question Suhin further about the voice.

“The voice… well, it wasn’t distinct, but for some reason I kept thinking it was a woman’s, though I can’t say why. It asked me for information and suggested that I take certain… actions… and I simply complied. I can’t explain it, but it was as if I were truly convinced that following her advice was the best thing to do. I’m embarrassed, Whaythrad forgive me, but the first wrongdoing of mine was theft. I stole from the collections box of our temple. This was seemingly the warmup, for then the voice convinced me to thwart local authority and hire underworld protection for our temple. I ended up funding a local crime ring using the tithes and donations given to the cause of light. I can feel my power fading fast. If I am ever able to return to my life in town, my first duty will be meditation, prayer, and fasting until Whaythrad has granted me my sacred magic once more… Eventually, someone delivered me into the arms of the law, but before they could arrest me, the voice told me of the ryncha war band. I fled town under their protection and soon found myself acting against you. I have no idea what I would have done upon reaching the ryncha camp, but the moment I finished casting that spell, I snapped out of it, and the voice has departed at last.”

Ta’kel, Mayuun and Arbhon, the only proficient hunters, strike out into the marshes in search of game. After a long day of searching, Ta’kel and Arbhon both feel closer to each other, almost friendly, having spent some quality time working towards a common goal (though Ta’kel hasn’t quite forgotten Arbhon’s lustful behavior towards Nynd). Finally, they spot two grey Northlands bears foraging in the marshes in the late afternoon. Crouching low and advancing slowly, the hunters successfully close the gap from an initial 170 yards to 110 yards. The animals have still failed to notice their stalkers.

They made four successive hunting checks in order to spot the prey and close the gap three times. Continue stalking forward?

Throughout the day, Rhomack tends to the wounds of those in camp. Anyone wounded who chose to rest completely for the day may recover 3 HP.