5: Recuperating in the Tower of Móric

[burke]

You have just opened the hidden door to the gill-man barracks and Melanthios is about to enter, when Poncho hears footsteps approaching. Quickly halting his companion, Poncho extinguishes the lantern and you are plunged into darkness. The footsteps enter the room and stop, sniffing the air, after which they continue. You hear the creak of a metal door as it is opened and closed.

Poncho waits a moment before lighting the lantern and entering the room. It is much as you left it, except that the table and barrels you used to bar the eastern entrance are now stood against the wall. A strong smell of smoke pervades the room.

The eastern passage is blackened with soot and thin wisps of smoke still waft along the ceiling. You move quickly to the southern door of the stairwell. After having ascertained that no sounds are heard from the other side, you quickly move inside and ascend the stairs to the ground floor of the tower. It seems to be early morning outside.

Here are the provisions that are left:

• 6 days worth of unperishable provisions, 20 wu/each
  
• 28 days woth of perishable food, 20 wu/each
  
• 24 large candles, 10 wu/each
  
• 19 torches, 10 wu/each
  
• A small barrel of tar, 500 wu
  
• 2 barrels of wine, 1000 wu/each
  
• An assortment of carpenters tools (ax, saw, knife, drill, etc), 280 wu
  
• 34 large iron spikes (could be used as primitive pitons), 5 wu each
  
• A large stack of firewood
  

(Please detail how long you will be staying and what precautions you will be taking. Drugan is the only one who is seriously wounded and he will need 5 days of rest to get back into shape. The rest of you will mend after a night of good sleep.)

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

OOC: How many doors besides the trap door lead into the room?

We can pile the wine and tar barrels onto the trap door and that should give enough warning of anyone trying to break through.

We can brace any ground level doors with iron spikes and firewood wedges.

While we are at it Drugan will grab a drill, large file & a chisel.

"Well lads I suggest we get a good meal & Charles pass out the bowls and we'll have some wine to ease our aches"

"After that I suggest we get some real sleep, we'll take two hour watches starting with those who are not wounded"

Drugan will take the time and tools at hand to fashion a new cudgel out of firewood & enchant a new makeshift staff.

(Lets hope I don't blow myself up with a failed SR )

6+4+14=24 Success! ;D

[Hogscape]

Quinlan will take 5 torches and 10 iron spikes (after woolfing down some tucker and wine).

"I suggest we rest the night. We're as safe here as anywhere - safer than outside and Drugans done a good job on the barricades; well done sir.

Just one night will likely see the majority of us fighting fit. It looks as though Drugan needs a little more recuperation but perhaps providence will deliver an opportunity to heal elsewhere or even a little magic."

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

OOC: Sorry but while I'm thinking of it Drugan will grab three candles as well.

Also is there a small pot or container I could put some tar into?

[Porkbelly]

Poncho takes a brief rest to eat and knock back a few cups. While the group is resting and re-provisioning he ascends the stairs for another look around the wizard's chambers to see if we've missed anything. Then up on to the roof to see if there's anything out there in the light of the new day.

[ragnorakk]

Verklud: With so much wizardry between us, and the relative ease of
casting Cthon's seal, we can keep all foes at bay. But yes, spike the trapdoor
and barricade the entry! If we can rest here - or better, take all these provisions
up to the second floor, where there's only one access point - without having
seige being laid upon us, the better for that. Discretion, etc, etc - some
scholar of the 54th Aeon said...

As regards supplies in general - since we're all in this tower together - I feel
I must admit that I was less than canny in my initial provisioning. As I am not
often in the front rank, I am wondering if any of you indomitable fighting men
may possess oil and means of fire, that I might carry and use them instead.

I would like to examine the perishable provisions, looking for signs of mold,
spoilage, etc - if these are good, we should eat these now while we can.

My ring is nearly spent, I too must cast about for a suitable focus. Where I once
thought that it's loss would mean my doom, I see now that it is a tool, like this
hammer or that saw.

(ooc -
will cast
Seal of Cthon on the trapdoor to the depths (30 min duration, yes?) (ST 3 ring 2)
Seal of Cthon on the door to the outside (ST 2 ring 1)
Copy Drugan's method of staff selection, though I'll have to wait to perform
the enchantment
)

[danhem]

Charles grabs some of the nonperishable food (3 days worth) then digs out the cups he looted from below and distributes them to the group. Taking his own cup he dips it once, twice, three times into to wine barrel draing each cup in rapid succession.

"Ahhhhh...that's better. I'm thinking more clearly already. Yes Poncho, a good idea. Let's not assume the tower is still free of gill men. Some may have slipped up after we went below. Someone should go with him. I also believe there are a number of coins still on the floor of the wizards room."

Charles then sets down his pack, retrieves his shield from Quinlan (many thanks) and sits on the floor to eat.

"I'll take a watch later, but for now I need some rest to regain my fighting strength."

[salass00]

Melanthios goes with Poncho up the stairs to make sure there aren't any gillmen hiding there.

[apeloverage]

Alwyn takes five days' worth of food. He's eager to study the journal.

[burke]

The tower is empty of living beings, except for the caged birds on the third floor. Those which have not already starved to death, are very weak.

The journal is an account of Móric's arcane studies and details many spells of different orders. The following incantations and enchantments are described:

• The Omnipotent Eye of Sumarta
  
• The Mercurial Canter of Le'mal
  
• The Rejuvinating Touch of the Swan
  
• The Flight of the Peregrine
  
• The Invisible Hand of Shuga
  

Most recently Móric has been researching one of the more intricate incantations of Le'mal. He calls it "the unearthly movement" and apparently Le'mal used it to transport objects and beings for short distances in the blink of an eye. The process of bending time and space in this manner is thoroughly described in the journal, but the incantation seems to be very demanding.

(Each of the spells will require as many days of study as their level and a successful SR on IQ at the same level as the spell to learn. If the roll fails the studies will have to be repeated.)

During the evening, Melanthios, who is on watch, is startled when something thumps against the trapdoor. But other than this, all is quiet.

The new morning dawns with a few rays of sunshine.

(Everyone heals completely, except Drugan who gains 1 point of CON. The lantern needs a refill and you burned two of the candles during the night.)

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Drugan perhaps remembering his former life as an apprentice will break up a little hard tack bread and feed the birds that still survive, as well as refilling their water dishes.

OOC: Well now the real question is does anyone want to study any spells or should we et back to it?

[burke]

The spells are all second level or higher, so you will have to level up before getting any use out of them.

[ragnorakk]

Verklud: I say we continue our recuperation.

[Toad-Killer-Dog]

Aug 25, 2009 15:03:43 GMT -5 burke said:

The spells are all second level or higher, so you will have to level up before getting any use out of them.

OOC: Ah, so 1st edition doesn't have the rules for casting spell above your current level?

One more thing that I didn't know about 1st edition, the subsequent editions have the add 1 to the cost of the spell for every level above the caster rule.

If we do continue to rest Drugan will attempt to learn "The Rejuvinating Touch of the Swan".

[danhem]

"I'm not sure how long we will be safe here with the tunnels below crawling with gill men. It will be several days before Drugan will be fully recovered. I think we should make another foray below. We can keep our friend in the center of the group and away from any large bodies of water."

Charles sets about resupplying his pack, adding two more days worth of perishable food and five of the iron spikes.

"Verklud. I still have two flasks of oil. We need to refill the lantern, but you're welcome to carry the rest if you like."

OOC: A few questions:

Did Poncho notice anything of interest from his view at the top of the tower?

Does the lantern require an entire flask of oil to fill it?

How many coins were left in the floor above?