Immersive Ink

waysoftheearth wrote:
The depleted and rather bedraggled ranks of the treasure seekers now stand just inside the rusty iron ravine door.

The creaky old door is ajar so that a pleasing shaft of pale sunlight, and a cool, fresh breeze from the outside world pass into the dungeon.

It is apparent that it is mid to late afternoon on an overcast day outside. There is no obvious sign of anyone else outside from where Olaf peers out...

waysoftheearth wrote:
Here is an overview of everyone's status:

Olaf(Man F2, AC3/5, HD 2+3, hp 4/10, Load 11/14)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {5sp 5cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Chainmail (4), Helm (1), Sword (1), Masterwork lantern {38/48} (1), Matching tinderbox, Matching flask of magefire oil {1/2 quarts}, Resplendant Scepter (1)


Dieter(Man F2, AC4/6, HD 2+3, hp 4/12, Load 17/17)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {8gp 40sp 6cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Leather (2), Wulfric's Helm (1), Sword (1), 60ft Loyal silk rope (1), Spring loaded grappel (1), Sling, Dagger, Flewellen's Dagger, Flewellen's Sling, Flewellen's Tinderbox, Crowbar (1), Sack {600 sp} (6), Ring of Gambado, Pelenwin's bedroll (1)


Ulric(Man M1, AC9/9, HD 0+1d4+2, hp 4/4, Load 10/10)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {15gp 3sp 1cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Sword (1), The Grimoire Lusus Naturae (2), Abridged Tonges of the Underworld (2), Copper scrollcase (1), Waxed satchel, Belt pouch, Miniature chest, Tinderbox, Hinterlands map, Steel mirror, Chalk, Pouch of Billowing dust, Spell scrolls {3}, Waxed satchel, Sling, Fix's purse {14 sp}, Other paraphenalia (1), Bejeweled necklace, Copper flask


Gustave(Man F1, AC7/7, HD 1+4, hp 4/9, Load 13/15)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {2gp 6sp 10cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Ringmail (2), Sword (1), Dagger, Wineskin (empty), Tinderbox, Sack {542 sp} (5), Belt pouch {100 cp} (1)


Pelenwin(Man C1, AC5/5, HD 1+4, hp 5/10, Load 11/11)
Clothing, Waxed backpack (1), Purse {2sp 4cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Chainmail (4), Helm (1), The Innocent Opus (2), Pole axe (2)


Wibert(ling T1, AC6/7, HD 1+3, hp 8/8, Load 10/11)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {8cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Leather (2), Hand axe (1), Dagger, Locksmith's tools, Lit torch {4/6}, Tinderbox, Shoulder pouch, Sack {100 cp} (1), Sigmund's purse, Sigmund's dagger, Sigmund's ring, Padrig's shortbow (1), Padrig's quiver (1), Arrows {21}, Silver arrows {3}, Cooking pots (1)


Highbough(Elf W1, AC7/7, HD 1+1, hp 4/4, Load 13/13)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {8sp 5cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Leather (2), Spear (1), Sword (1), Daggers {3} (1), The Infernal Amicus (2), Steel quill, Parchment {6}, Ink pot, Scrollcase, wooden, Tinkderbox, Chalk, Wulfric's purse, Wulfric's dice, Wulfric's pipe, Wulfric's tobacco, Sack {300 cp} (3), Cloak of Elemental Night, Candles {9/12}


Desmond(ling F1, AC5/6, HD 1+6, hp 4/9, Load 11/11)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {2sp 7cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Hide (4), Mads' Axe (1), dagger, dagger, Tinderbox, Whetstone, Brigand's coins (1), Silver dogwhistle, Sack {200 cp} (2)

Victor(Man F1, AC6/6, HD 1+6, hp 3/10, Load 10/13)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {1gp 1sp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {2 days}, Hide (4), Masterwork handaxe (1), Boris' sack {200 cp} (2)

Koch(Man F1, AC7/8, HD 1+7, hp 5/11, Load 13/13)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {2 days}, Helm (1), Shield, wooden (1), Hammer (1), Sling, Tinderbox, Flewellen's journal (2), Sewing kit, Belt pouch {200 cp} (2), Belt pouch {200 cp} (2), Mads' quiver (1), Arrows {12}

waysoftheearth wrote:
What now?

tonneau wrote:
(OOC: Gustave(Man F1, AC7/7, HD 1+4, hp 4/9, Load 13/15)
Clothing, Backpack (1), Bedroll (1), Purse {2gp 6sp 10cp}, Waterskin {2 quarts} (1), Victuals {1 day}, Ringmail (2), Sword (1), Dagger, Wineskin (empty), Tinderbox, Sack {542 sp} (5), Belt pouch {100 cp} (1) Complete absence of cigars)

Gustave blinks in the afternoon light, pulling matted tendrils of hair from his face. His mail is in fact more soiled and sodden than it appeared in the gloom of the dungeon, his once fine livery bedraggled and holed.

"Gentlemen," he says clearly, despite his obvious fatigue, "we have lost many, but let our mourning await our own safe passage from this tomb."
"Let us move with what speed we can while the light lasts, and be away from this place."

He removes the limp remains of his rations from his pack and hands them around to the ragged party.

"This morsel will tide us perhaps until our master chef can again bless us with some more of his soup."

coffee wrote:
"The further we get from this vile heap, the better the chance of finding game," Dieter mutters.

"I could go for some fresh meat..."

tombowings wrote:
Pelenwin stands at the door to say a few words for their fallen comrades.

"Let this passage mark a grave of iron, wrought with the lifeblood of men and beasts. Some of the most dishonorable men I'd ever met, yet our bond stronger than brass. Here they will lie, unburied and unclean, the lives of men. May the gods have mercy on your treasure-hunting souls."

The templar then steps back. "Now let us flee back to Ket and leave this accursed place."

mushgnome wrote:
The fresh air is heaven to Highbough's keen Elf senses. He is oblivious to the rest of the party as he catches his breath.

eris wrote:
"If one of you has a bow and some arrows, I could make good use of them." Olaf says then adds, "Yes, let's get away from here and head back toward Ket."

"We're going to need to find a place to rest, safe from attack if possible, before dark." Olaf says as he lowers the scepter and says the words to turn it off, "But we can put in a few miles before then can't we?"

waysoftheearth wrote:
Very good.

The party members breathe their last breaths of dungeon air and push out into the ravine proper, eager to return to Ket with all haste.

The scant, stale remnants of the trail rations they have remaining would be enough, barely, to see them through one day. However, with Ket at least two days, and likely three, march away some are already wondering what they will be eating tomorrow...

waysoftheearth wrote:
...none the less, the company sets off without pause to rest.

Down the back stair to the ravine floor they go, where carrion birds still pick at the ruined corpses of Saxxon's Men, left to rot here last time the company passed this way. And there also are the still stinking remnants of Deggerhund the Ogre.

Now the company makes haste in the up river direction, marching stoically for half an hour or more before the mouth of the ravine is attained.

Little more than perhaps two hours of daylight remains in the cool, overcast day as the company considers its options.

The rocky stream that runs along the canyon floor seems to head almost directly south from here toward Ket, but ahead it will take a wide detour to the west, then north-west, before swinging back to the south and running by Ket itself.

The more direct route is to march overland south south-westish through the swampy copse of trees where the company met Thorgrim the Dwarf, and also where Olaf was nearly eaten alive by a nameless horror from the mire.

The other option is to strike out south-east for the Ket road, then follow it south west all the way to the town.

So, do you wish to follow the river, or head directly overland, or head to the road?