Silvan moves back over the bridge, carrying the torch and kindling carefully enough so that they don't come into contact with each other. He puts the kindling down in the middle of the 'camp site', a safe distance away from everyone and their equipment, and arranges it a bit, without putting the torch down. Then he holds the torch near the bottom of the kindling, making contact with it., in an effort to catch the kindling on fire. He looks toward Drakkenclaw, without getting up, and says, "Go ahead and feed the fire, then do whatever. I care not." He then turns back to his work.

"I have had no rest in two days. The fire I suggested to help protect you, not to comfort me. I will not be able to remain awake to feed it, should you give me that task. I apologize, but all creatures need rest. Even I."

He then unfurls the bedroll, and turns wearily to his friend on his shoulder.

"I do not think you can ride any more tonight. I must sleep. If you wish, I can do so again tomorrow."

When Silvan touches his torch to the pile of twigs and dried leaves, it takes less than a second before the entire pile flares up in a crackling blaze taller than a standing halfling. It then slowly dies down, until after roughly half a minute, no more than a simple, small campfire remains. The white glow from Silvan's rapier more than outshines the paltry campfire, but its warmth is comforting for those close enough to feel it.

Silvan picks up his rapier and heads back to where the dwarf is for his axe.

Khazmon remains exactly where you left him. He continues to lie silently, not moving from the awkward position he was left in after Ara's haphazard attempt to bandage his chest over his chainmail armor. He isn't snoring, and doesn't react to your approach.

The dwarf still has most of his possessions with him, if not all of them, at least so far as you can tell. The larger of his axes sticks out of his oversized shoulderbag, while the other lies on the ground beside him.

He moves to the closest tree that seems like it'll work, puts the rapier down, and begins hacking (as carefully as possible and actually be hitting the tree) at one of the lower limbs thick enough for fire wood.

The trees on the water's edge are mostly very old and thick. It would take a good deal of effort for even someone more skilled with the axe than yourself to cut one of them down. There are a few saplings buried among the underbrush, but they are hardly thicker than the dried branches Ara gathered before. So, counting the saplings and other small foliage out of the category of "long-lasting firewood", you begin hacking at the single largest tree in view.

Your first swing at the tree reminds you of how little you know about the trade of the lumberjack. Your carefully placed blows land carefully against the tree's lowest branch, three feet over your head. You find you have to jump to reach it. By your third swing, the axe slips from your grip, and narrowly misses striking a blow to your head as it falls to the ground. You have not made a visible notch in the wood, though a splinter of bark appears to have broken off. Perhaps a different tactic is in order.

This time he looks to the east for a tree with a 3' diameter truck or so, with low enough branches that seem like they'd be easy enough cut (compared to the last one, that is) that looks dry enough to be used as fire wood.

It hasn't rained for a few days, so all the trees look dry. No trees that you can see look dead or rotted. A little ways away from the stream, you spot one with a trunk a bit over four feet a cross. Its lowest branch, starting just above your shoulder height, is about a foot thick, and extends at an upward angle for somewhere between 20 and 30 feet.

There are a few middle-aged trees here as well. If you intend to use the axe, you will need to retrieve it from where you dropped it on the ground near the stream.

Bridge Group

In the absence of Silvan's glowing sword, the campfire sheds a dim orange glow over the area around it. The light is enough to see by, though not nearly so bright as daylight. It lights the road for thirty feet or so in either direction, and illuminates the foliage on either side. Beyond this range, moonlight shining through small gaps the umbrella of trees provides the area's only illumination.

OK, more tomorrow then! I liked riding on yer shoulder!

Sae smiles as she sits down on her bedroll and stares up at the stars...

Your companion seems to place a rather strong, if silent, emphasis on the construct beside you. Its appearance has not changed, though between moonlight and firelight, it casts an ominous shadow over you and away towards the edge of camp.

"Good night, friend."

He then closes his eyes, and lets himself fall into resting.

As the night wears on, and the moon shines through the awning of leaves above, you slowly drift off into sleep...

ooc:
With most of the characters out of play for the game night, I would like to play out the remaining characters as quickly as possible. To that end, if it can be arranged, I would like to run a chat session for Reyolen, and one for Aanile and Taylen.

ooc:
This log got interrupted in mid-stream by the actions of Taylen and Freya. Any text following that event has been made small and colored light blue.

quote:

---

[21:24] {Murdoc} Piece of corn! Can of cake!
[21:30] {Reyolen} I am here
[21:32] {Murdoc} Alright. We'll open with the last line I gave you on the boards.
[21:33] {Reyolen} Ok
[21:33] {Murdoc} It hasn't rained for a few days, so all the trees look dry. No trees that you can see look dead or rotted. A little ways away from the stream, you spot one with a trunk a bit over four feet a cross. Its lowest branch, starting just above your shoulder height, is about a foot thick, and extends at an upward angle for somewhere between 20 and 30 feet.
[21:33] {Murdoc} There are a few middle-aged trees here as well. If you intend to use the axe, you will need to retrieve it from where you dropped it on the ground near the stream.
[21:34] {Reyolen} (Do you want me to use 'I' or Silvan? Third or First person?)
[21:34] {Murdoc} {{ your choice }}
[21:35] {Reyolen} Alright, I try to make my way back to where I left the axe, while remembering the area I left
[21:35] {Murdoc} You retrieve your axe. It hasn't changed. You now stand near the stream. The tree you picked out is about 25 ft behind you.
[21:36] {Reyolen} I hold the Axe in my right hand and the rapier in my left and head back to the tree I picked out.
[21:37] {Murdoc} You reach the tree. It appears not to have wandered away while your back was turned.
[21:37] {Reyolen}
[21:38] {Reyolen} I put the rapier down and use a cutting motion heading away from me downwards at the lowest branch that would make good fire wood (I'm guessing 3"-6", Murdoc?)
[21:38] {Murdoc} There is only one branch within your easy reach.
[21:39] {Reyolen} Alright, I use the same cutting method and try to hit that one
[21:40] {Murdoc} You thrust the axe blade at the tree branch, holding it by the flat back of the axeblade. It hits with a dull *thud*, but doesn't seem to accomplish anything.
[21:41] {Reyolen} (Hmm)
[21:42] {Reyolen} It's making contact with the branch with the edged part, right?
[21:42] {Murdoc} Yes.
[21:43] {Reyolen} I hold the axe with both hands and swing upward at the branch
[21:43] {Reyolen} Just once, mind
[21:43] {Reyolen} Upward away from me
[21:44] {Murdoc} You have one hand on the axe handle and the other hand upturned behind the axeblade. Your up-angled thrust is extremely awkward, and again deals no damage to the branch.
[21:45] * Reyolen thinks this is more trouble then it's worth
[21:45] {Reyolen} (Need to try a different way, I guess)
[21:45] {Murdoc} It might be a little easier if you weren't trying to use the axe like a pushblade.
[21:46] {Reyolen} I'm using the axe like a pushblade?
[21:46] {Murdoc} Yes. Notice how you're holding it.
[21:46] {Reyolen} Yeah......erm.
[21:47] {Murdoc} {{ You have no axe proficiency }}
[21:47] {Reyolen} I take the axe in my right hand and swing at the branch at a right angle
[21:47] {Murdoc} A right angle to what? The branch?
[21:48] {Reyolen} I mean my hand is sideways and the axe is pointing to my left
[21:48] {Reyolen} And up
[21:49] {Reyolen} So 45 degree angle
[21:49] {Murdoc} The axeblade glances off the branch uselessly. You are still holding it by the flat back of the axeblade.
[21:50] {Reyolen} (My non-proficency is going to hurt, isn't it?)
[21:50] {Murdoc} {{ If you don't give me a better description, yes. }}
[21:51] {Reyolen} (How low is this branch?)
[21:51] {Murdoc} {{ Read the description. }}
[21:53] {Murdoc} {{ If you've ever sean an oak tree, this is fairly similar. }}
[21:53] {Reyolen} (So its lowest point is 20 feet? 15 feet above me? I must be reading it wrong)
[21:53] {Murdoc} {{ Dramatically wrong. }}
[21:54] {Reyolen} (Entire tree is that high)
[21:54] {Reyolen} (Just above my shoulder better?)
[21:54] {Murdoc} {{ The *branch* is that *long*. Yes, it starts just above your shoulder. }}
[21:55] {Reyolen} Ok, I take the axe by the handle in my right hand
[21:56] {Murdoc} That's an improvement. Then what.
[21:56] {Reyolen} In an upward arc, I strike at the lowest branch
[21:56] {Reyolen} Straight forward
[21:56] {Murdoc} Upward as in overhand or underhand?
[21:56] {Reyolen} Overhand
[21:56] {Reyolen} (I'm scared of underhand. I could slip and cut my head in two)
[21:57] {Murdoc} You hit the branch. The blade tilts on impact, and the shock makes your wrist a little sore, but a small piece of bark falls loose.
[21:57] {Reyolen} (This is like 2% of the thickness of the branch or less?)
[21:57] {Murdoc} {{ Pretty much. }}
[21:58] {Reyolen} (It's going to be a long night. Do I know how much this branch will feed the fire?)
[21:58] {Reyolen} (I mean, how much more time will it buy?)
[21:59] {Murdoc} {{ It's 20-30 ft long, a foot thick at this end, with other branches coming off it. That's about the size of a four-year-old tree.
[21:59] {Reyolen} (Quite a bit, if I can cut it down to size)
[21:59] {Reyolen} (Can I guess the weight?)
[22:00] {Murdoc} {{ In character? Give it a shot }}
[22:01] {Reyolen} Alright, instead of cutting again, I look at the branch closely, push up on it (for no real reason), and think back to other trees I've seen to try to guess the weight
[22:02] {Murdoc} It doesn't move when you press on it. You've never lifted an entire tree, so that's really not a good basis for judgement. Perhaps if you compared it to something you're more familiar with...
[22:03] {Reyolen} I think back and think of logs of fire wood I've bought in the past and compare them to the size, type of wood, and thickness of this branch to find the weight
[22:04] {Murdoc} A log about this thickness would typically never be sold in lengths over 2 ft. Even a 2-foot length of foot-thick firewood weighs about as much as you do.
[22:05] {Murdoc} Well, perhaps a bit less than you do, but still quite heavy.
[22:05] {Reyolen} I decide once I've cut this down I'll have to cut off a 1' or 2' piece and drag it to the fire
[22:05] {Reyolen} Then, I try to cut again, same method as last time
[22:06] {Murdoc} The blade strikes in a different spot. This time you manage not to tilt the blade on impact, but it's no more effective, and the shock again hurts your wrist.
[22:06] {Reyolen} (Do I think a magic missle will harm the tree branch?)
[22:07] {Murdoc} {{ I don't know if you would think that or not. Would you like to try it? }}
[22:07] {Reyolen} (I don't have it memorized, I don't think)
[22:07] {Murdoc} {{ You do, actually. }}
[22:07] {Reyolen} (Can you list what level 1 spells i have memorized, please)
[22:08] {Murdoc} {{ Magic missle & Color Spray, with Change Self pending }}
[22:08] {Reyolen} (Thank you)
[22:09] {Reyolen} (Is the branch much thicker at the bottom then at the top? I mean, by how much?)
[22:09] {Murdoc} {{ It tapers gradually along its length }}
[22:10] {Reyolen} (At what point is it less then a foot thick? Like 3/4 or 5/6 a foot thick? Name both, if you can)
[22:11] {Murdoc} {{ Consider it approximately to scale with distance. Neglegible thickness at the tip, progressing roughly evenly until it's 12" thick where it meets the main trunk. }}
[22:12] {Murdoc} {{ You can't tell exactly, but that's close enough as estimates go. }}
[22:12] {Reyolen} (Would I think that where I cut has caused any damage?)
[22:12] {Murdoc} {{ And I *really* wish you'd ask for this info IC instead of OOC. }}
[22:12] {Reyolen} (Sorry, sorry, from now on I shall)
[22:13] {Murdoc} {{ I have no idea. Really, I don't know what you're thinking right now. }}
[22:13] {Reyolen} Ok, I focus my mind to spell casting, taking all other thoughts from my mind
[22:14] {Murdoc} You focus out the sounds of the night, and begin to call upon the arcane energies within and around you.
[22:14] {Reyolen} I stare at the location of my assault on the branch, where the branch is about 3/4 of a foot thick
[22:14] {Murdoc} Go on...
[22:15] {Reyolen} I begin chanting in Draconic the vocal components of the spell Magic Missle and make the appropriate gestures
[22:15] {Reyolen} (Wait a sec, looking up components)
[22:15] {Murdoc} Would you mind terribly providing more detail?
[22:16] {Reyolen} (More details? Do you want my specific gestures?)
[22:16] {Murdoc} {{ If you can. }}
[22:16] {Reyolen} (Would that get me a take 10 instead of a 5 or 1?
[22:17] {Murdoc} {{ Must I answer that? It's explained in the website rather thoroughly. }}
[22:18] {Reyolen} (No, you don't HAVE to, but your example included using different skills to get different take results. There's no different skills for spell casting)
[22:18] {Murdoc} {{ There's a separate *section* on spellcasting :\ }}
[22:19] {Reyolen} (Ah, ok. Anyway, let me go ahead and do it. I haven't really thought about the exact gestures, so I might wing it)
[22:19] {Murdoc} {{ Winging it is perfectly satisfactory. }}
[22:21] {Reyolen} I move my arms back and forth across each other three times, palms open, then turn my right hand upward, then my left upward, and then I put them in a almost cupping motion together, only 1 inch apart, before the spell is completeted, chanting the whole time.
[22:22] {Reyolen} (That's as much as I could do winging it.)
[22:22] {Murdoc} You can feel a soft breeze through your fingers as you begin waving them across each other. As you repeat the process, the light wind forms into a tingling sensation in your palms and fingers, and you can feel the energies gathering in your hands... {{ more coming }}
[22:23] {Murdoc} As you cup your hands into a mach enclosure, a fine white light begins to form centrally between them. This light grows, until a small ball of light glows between your hands.
[22:27] {Murdoc} {{ your turn }}
[22:28] {Reyolen} I release the ball of energy at the target location on the tree by turning my hands forward, palms open toward the tree, completing my spell
[22:29] {Reyolen} Then, my concentration no longer on casting, my eyes come back into normal focus, and I survey the damage
[22:30] {Murdoc} The orb, released gently by your silent gesture, floats slowly towards the point on the tree you selected. It takes almost a full moment to get there, and the light of your blade passes in to darkness shortly before the ball of light hits its mark. You see the ball strike against the branch, and a few seconds later, hear a sudden creaking in the near-dark.
[22:30] {Murdoc} {{ where were you standing? }}
[22:31] {Murdoc} {{ relative to the trunk of the tree and the base of the branch, where were you standing? }}
[22:31] {Reyolen} (Oh, bad, probably just a foot or less back from where I was cutting, as to get a decent view of the spot)
[22:32] {Reyolen} (I guess near the trunk)
[22:34] {Murdoc} You hear the creaking noise for a few seconds before you realize its source. There is a semi-quiet thud, and a second later, you see the base of the branch swinging downward in your direction. It narrowly misses striking you upside the head, and scrapes your arm before hitting the ground. You recoil reflexively from the sudden stabbing sensation.
[22:34] {Reyolen} (1d4+1 did that?)
[22:35] {Reyolen} (Can I guess that it's Damage Reduction doesn't effect magic damage? Or does only the trunk have that?)
[22:36] {Murdoc} {{ Damage reduction works against physical damage and *some* spells. }}
[22:36] {Reyolen} (Oh, ok)
[22:36] {Reyolen} (So the branch is on the ground now, right?)
[22:36] {Murdoc} {{ yes }}
[22:37] {Reyolen} (How long is it? Did the whole thing fall?!)
[22:38] {Reyolen} (or would you rather that in character?)
[22:38] {Murdoc} {{ IC please, though you could also look back at where you *aimed* }}
[22:39] {Reyolen} I take a look at how long the tree is now, after cutting off most of it from the rest
[22:39] {Reyolen} branch, sorry
[22:40] {Murdoc} It takes you a moment to survey the branch in this low light, but it appears that about 6 ft of it remain connected to the tree.
[22:42] {Reyolen} I head to the downed part of the branch, with the axe
[22:42] {Reyolen} I pick a spot 2 feet away from the thick end, hold the axe by the handle, and cut downward at the spot
[22:42] {Murdoc} It landed next to you.
[22:42] {Reyolen} (ok, ok, but I wanted to go to a specific spot)
[22:43] {Murdoc} It's sitting less than a foot off the ground. Your swing at this angle is very awkward.
[22:43] {Murdoc} You miss the branch.
[22:44] {Murdoc} Fortunately, you also miss your leg.
[22:44] {Reyolen} (eww)
[22:45] {Reyolen} Ok, I move to a much thinner spot of the tree, maybe 1/3', take the axe by the back of it, and use it like a saw at this location
[22:45] {Reyolen} I will have to sit on the tree to do this correctly, facing the same way as the tree longways
[22:46] {Reyolen} (I suspect this won't work too well, or will take a very long time, no?)
[22:46] {Murdoc} Initially, this method appears to be working. You scrape away the tree bark from a single spot, and make a small notch in the branch itself. After that, however, your efforts make no further progress.
[22:47] {Reyolen} (This axe has a curved top and bottom, right? Not straight?)
[22:47] {Murdoc} (yes)
[22:48] {Reyolen} I take the axe by the handle, get up and move to the side of the tree, and strike the spot I sawed with the curved bottom of the axe, trying to pierce my way through
[22:48] {Reyolen} (I may opt to do it with two hands if it doesn't work the first few times, so tell me)
[22:50] {Murdoc} This angle is extremely awkward. You miss your mark by an inch or two, and pound the axehandle into the ground as you hit the branch with the axe point.
[22:52] {Reyolen} I take the axe by the back of the axeblade (you know, the blunt, dull part) and the handle and try it again, only I do it with the top of the axe downward
[22:53] {Murdoc} You hit your mark this time. It's also rather uncomfortable on your wrists. It deepens the notch slightly.
[22:53] {Reyolen} I try it a few more times
[22:54] {Murdoc} Your wrists are starting to get sore. The repeated impacts are making slow progress, but if you keep doing this, you won't be able to cast spells for a while.
[22:54] {Reyolen} I stop
[22:55] {Reyolen} I rub my wrists in an attempt to ease them
[22:55] {Reyolen} For a half a minute
[22:55] {Murdoc} The axe drops to the ground. Your wrists feel a little better, but you may need to revise your approach slightly.
[22:56] {Reyolen} I stand up, take the axe by the handle and by the axeback, and use it like a pushblade downward.
[22:57] {Reyolen} I kneel with the axe as I go down each time
[22:58] {Murdoc} You miss your mark repeatedly. Putting your whole bodyweight behind the axe isn't very good for precision. Each strike knocks a new piece of bark loose, and a few hits tear away chips of wood from underneath.
[22:58] {Reyolen} I stop
[22:58] {Murdoc} Your wrists haven't gotten any more sore.
[22:59] {Reyolen} I stop and think on all the different methods I've used, and try to think of a better one, one I might have seen someone else using in my life
[22:59] {Murdoc} The back of the axe isn't the only bladeless surface.
[23:00] {Reyolen} I look at the axe and see how long the handle is, and how thick, to see if I could get both hands around it efficiently
[23:01] {Murdoc} You could get both hands around it, one above the other. The axe is about 18" long, with about 12" of exposed handle.
[23:02] {Reyolen} I put the axe down, and I try to roll the branch to its side, so that I can still see what I've cut, only it's on the side of the tree
[23:02] {Reyolen} branch
[23:02] {Murdoc} The branch resists. You can't roll it with all those branches jutting out from it.
[23:03] {Reyolen} Alright, I no longer try
[23:03] {Murdoc} What do you do then?
[23:04] {Reyolen} I take the axe with both hands, one over the other, and strike down onto the tree with the edged part, taking care not to hit my legs or myself
[23:06] {Murdoc} It hits with a resounding thud. The blade tilts sideways on impact, twisting your wrists uncomfortably. You hit one of the many small notches you already made, with insignificant change.
[23:06] {Reyolen} I stop using that method
[23:07] {Reyolen} I hold the axe with both hands, one over the other on the handle, only upsidedown like before and I try to cut-in with the curved end at the top
[23:08] {Murdoc} You miss rather badly. The axe glances off the side of the branch, and slams into the ground next to your foot.
[23:09] {Reyolen} Ok, I stop doing that
[23:10] {Murdoc} You're only making single attempts. You don't need to stop doing everything.
[23:10] {Reyolen} (True)
[23:10] {Reyolen} (I don't want to hurt my wrist or hit my foot, though)
[23:11] {Reyolen} I use the same method, only I take extra care not to hit my foot
[23:11] {Reyolen} or leg, or myself
[23:12] {Murdoc} You hit the tree this time, in another one of the shallow notches. Holding the axe at this angle really isn't helping you.
[23:13] * Reyolen wishes he has some fire to burn through the tree
[23:14] {Reyolen} I look over to the camp and see if the fire is still burning
[23:14] {Murdoc} {{ It appears to be still burning, though you can barely see glimpses of its light through the trees.
[23:14] {Murdoc} {{ remove the {{ from that }}
[23:14] {Reyolen} Do I think I'll be able to find my way back here?
[23:14] {Reyolen} I mean, is it fairly simple to find?
[23:15] {Reyolen} Rapier still glowing?
[23:15] {Murdoc} No. It went out when you cast the spell.
[23:16] {Murdoc} {{ you need to read the descriptions I give you much more thoroughly. you're missing a *lot* of the details }}
[23:16] {Reyolen} (Sorry, let me go relook. Any details specifically?)
[23:17] {Murdoc} {{ *sigh* }}
[23:17] {Reyolen} (Oh, ok, hold on a second)
[23:55] {Murdoc} {{ Insert long OOC discussion of physics here... }}
[23:58] {Reyolen} I take the axe in two hands, up-side-down, one on the axeback and one hand at the top-right (if held upside down, with the left corner pointing downward), and strike at the wood with the left corner
[00:01] {Murdoc} The axe doesn't have a "left" or "right" corner. Please refer to top, bottom, front, and back, or say which way the axe handle is pointing.
[00:02] {Reyolen} If held up normally (with the axe-blade sideways), the top corner is the strike corner, with the handle pointing out and up
[00:03] {Reyolen} I'm holding it by the axeback (behind the bladed edge) and on the bottom of the axeblade, by the bottom corner
[00:03] {Murdoc} define "out" in terms of relative to your body.
[00:03] {Murdoc} okay. which hand is on the axeback?
[00:03] {Reyolen} left hand
[00:04] {Murdoc} so the handle points up and right, and the right hand is on the bottom of the axe blade. you intend to strike with the top front (blade) corner.
[00:04] {Reyolen} Right
[00:05] {Murdoc} "Correct" would've been a better term.
[00:05] {Murdoc}
[00:05] {Reyolen} Heh, true
[00:05] {Murdoc} You may proceed.
[00:05] {Reyolen} (You mean, I have to explain more? Oh, the cutting, I guess)
[00:05] {Murdoc} Yes. You're holding the axe. Now do something with it
[00:06] {Reyolen} (Hmm, I can't stand next to the tree, because then I'd have to use alot of force and kneel like I did before, hurting my accuracy)
[00:08] {Reyolen} I kneel over the branch, with one leg on each side of the branch, and I strike straight down at arms length away from myself using the method I mentioned.
[00:09] {Reyolen} Striking the spot I had been hititng
[00:09] {Reyolen} hitting
[00:09] {Murdoc} Putting your knees on the ground would be a bit uncomfortable on your groin. I suggest squatting or sitting.
[00:10] {Reyolen} I sit on the tree branch and use the same method on the spot I had been striking, at arms length
[00:11] {Murdoc} You find it much easier to hit your mark than with previous methods. Your strike makes the groove a bit deeper.
[00:12] {Reyolen} Does my wrist hurt at all?
[00:12] {Murdoc} Not any more than it did a minute ago.
[00:12] {Reyolen} Am I getting fatigued quickly?
[00:12] {Murdoc} Not particularly. You've only made one strike so far.
[00:12] {Reyolen} Ok, I keep at it
[00:14] {Murdoc} Your progress is slow, and after a while you feel yourself getting tired. However, it seems this method pays off. Just as you start feeling too tired to keep going, you hear a *crack*, followed by another, and the branch collapses out from under you. You find yourself in a squatting position.
[00:14] {Murdoc} The branch underneath you dropped by about four inches. The narrower end dropped about halfway to the ground.
[00:15] {Reyolen} How long is the smaller, lighter, half?
[00:16] {Murdoc} Somewhere between 7' and 9'. You can't get a more accurate estimate just from looking.
[00:16] {Reyolen} And the larger half?
[00:16] {Murdoc} About the same.
[00:16] {Reyolen} (Crap, I cut the thing in two halves!)
[00:17] {Reyolen} Ok, about how large was the camp fire?
[00:17] {Reyolen} I mean, how many feet across?
[00:17] {Murdoc} No more than a foot across.
[00:18] * Reyolen thinks this is an impossible task he has set himself up with
[00:19] {Reyolen} Alright, how long has it been since I began this, if I were to guess?
[00:19] {Murdoc} At least half an hour, probably less than an hour. Beyond that, you can't be sure.
[00:20] {Reyolen} Alright, I put the axe down and take a 5 minute break, rubbing my wrists and sitting on the grass nearby
[00:21] {Murdoc} There isn't any grass nearby worth noting. You can sit on the various small plantlife if you wish.
[00:22] {Reyolen} Alright, small plantlife, but I make sure nothing uncomfortable is under me by poking the area with my hand first
[00:22] {Murdoc} You find a small patch of moss nearby, and take a seat.
[00:23] {Murdoc} After five minutes resting, you start to notice how tiring this endeavor has been.
[00:23] {Reyolen} After five minutes do I feel a bit better?
[00:23] {Reyolen} (Erm, sorry)
[00:23] {Reyolen} I rest another ten
[00:23] {Reyolen} minutes
[00:23] {Murdoc} Your wrists don't hurt at this point, though your arm is still sore from getting badly scratched earlier.
[00:24] {Murdoc} You find yourself starting to drift off.
[00:24] {Reyolen} I snap myself awake by shaking my head violently for a moment
[00:24] {Reyolen} Or, I attempt to
[00:24] {Murdoc} You manage to fend off sleep, at least for a time.
[00:25] {Reyolen} I get up
[00:25] {Murdoc} You are now standing.
[00:25] {Reyolen} Go over to the axe and pick it up
[00:25] {Murdoc} You are now standing by the halved, felled branch, holding an axe.
[00:25] {Reyolen} Find the point in the middle of the lighter, thinner, branch halve, and head to it
[00:26] {Murdoc} You walk roughly 4' along the thinner half of the felled branch. It is only a few inches off the ground.
[00:26] {Reyolen} I look and try to find out how thick this part is
[00:27] {Murdoc} It's only about three inches thick here.
[00:28] {Reyolen} Ok, I move over until the thinner branch half is only 2 and a half feet long, and I check to see how thick it is there
[00:29] {Murdoc} You are near the end. You can wrap your fingers around the main branch, and the thin branches coming off it are all pressed against the ground.
[00:30] {Reyolen} This is 2 and a half feet long toward the thicker part, right?
[00:30] {Murdoc} you never said that.
[00:31] {Reyolen} Ok, well, I head that way
[00:32] {Murdoc} It's a little over 3" thick here.
[00:32] {Murdoc} The branches coming off it at this point are about an inch thick, and a couple feet long.
[00:33] {Reyolen} I think back to when I used to buy fire wood, and I try to remember how long and thick the logs were
[00:33] {Reyolen} On average
[00:33] {Murdoc} You usually found that 4" logs were the easiest to work with, though they didn't have branches on them.
[00:34] {Murdoc} They were usually cut to a foot long, and weighed around 15-20 lbs apiece.
[00:35] {Reyolen} Ok, I straddle the tree, sitting like I did before, at the spot i named (2 and a half feet from the thick end) and use the method I had before
[00:35] {Reyolen} Erm, wait
[00:35] {Murdoc} {{ think of those fire logs they sell in stores, only without the lighter fluid }}
[00:36] {Murdoc} The thinner half of the branch isn't that high off the ground at this point.
[00:36] {Reyolen} Can I slide over to 1 and a half feet from the thick end?
[00:36] {Murdoc} Yes, you can.
[00:36] {Reyolen} ok, I do that, and then I sit, straddling the tree, and use the method I did before on that spot
[00:36] {Murdoc} You used many methods before. Do you want to use the last one?
[00:37] {Reyolen} The last one
[00:37] {Reyolen} (Sorry, forgot to point that out, since I did say it when I was at the spot I didn't want to start chopping)
[00:38] {Murdoc} You find you're making a hole-shaped dent in the branch. A starting notch might help.
[00:39] {Reyolen} Alright, I stand up and move to one side of the branch. I cut at the spot where the hole is with the axe, by holding it with both hands on the handle, one over the other
[00:40] {Murdoc} You need to be more specific about your motion. Do you swing the axe?
[00:40] {Reyolen} Yes, I swing the axe
[00:40] {Murdoc} You find it difficult to hit your mark. As with previous attempts of this method, you find yourself chopping away a good deal of bark but little else.
[00:43] {Reyolen} I then recall how a different way, that seemed to work better. I sit back down where I was, but I take the axe with both hands on the axeback and saw at the spot where the hole is, horizontally
[00:44] {Murdoc} You make a small notch over the hole. Once you stop making progress, your notch is half as deep as your hole.
[00:45] {Murdoc} {{ No bad sexual jokes, got it? }}
[00:45] {Reyolen} (I didn't think of it, you did
[00:46] {Reyolen} ALright, while still sitting where I am, I use the method before the sawing method (The one that made the hole) on the spot again
[00:48] {Murdoc} You start deepening the notch. It's tiring work, but eventually the branch cuts mostly through. You could probably break it by stomping on it at this point.
[00:49] {Reyolen} I do so, I stomp on it
[00:49] {Murdoc} It takes a couple tries, but the branch finally cracks in two.
[00:49] {Reyolen} (Alright!)
[00:49] {Reyolen} Ok, I put the axe down
[00:50] {Murdoc} You now have no weapons.
[00:50] {Reyolen} I look at the branch part (the 1.5ft one)
[00:50] {Reyolen} And I look for little branches going off of it
[00:51] {Murdoc} They look like they're about thick enough for kindling.
[00:51] {Reyolen} How long are they?
[00:51] {Murdoc} Between two and three feet long.
[00:52] {Reyolen} How many little branches are on the branch?
[00:53] {Murdoc} Seven, at uneven intervals.
[00:53] {Murdoc} That's in the short segment you're looking at.
[00:54] {Reyolen} I pick up the axe and try to saw one off
[00:54] {Murdoc} The branch bends, making your effort rather ineffective.
[00:54] {Reyolen} Ok, I try to snap it off
[00:55] {Murdoc} It bends, and cracks on one side, but doesn't break off.
[00:56] {Reyolen} I try to find my rapier
[00:56] {Reyolen} Does my rapier have a sharp edge, or is it just a piercing weapon?
[00:56] {Murdoc} It takes you a minute to find it in the dark. A small glint of moonlight reflected off it lets you find it.
[00:57] {Murdoc} The rapier has a sharp edge.
[00:58] {Reyolen} Ok, I walk back over to the to the branch, takethe branch segment I tried to snap in my left hand, rapier in my right, and I cut at it, as close to the branch as possible without hurting myself or without making it difficult
[00:59] {Reyolen} I cut across, going left from right
[00:59] {Murdoc} Not the best angle for power. It takes you a few hits before the branch severs.
[01:00] {Reyolen} Alright, I go to the next one, and I hold it with my left again, only this time I cut up and left, still avoiding my arm and hurting myself
[01:00] {Murdoc} Swinging the blade backhand hurts your shoulder, but the branch severs.
[01:01] {Reyolen} I move on, and this time I take the branch in my left again, and I cut down on the branch, making sure my foot and leg is out of the way
[01:01] {Reyolen} The next branch over, that is
[01:01] {Murdoc} The branch hacks through in one hit. You seem to be getting the hang of this whole woodcutting business.
[01:02] {Reyolen} I use the same method on all the rest of the little branches still part of my fire wood, 1 and a half foot long, branch
[01:02] {Reyolen} The last method, cutting down
[01:03] {Murdoc} You sever the branches without any unfortunate incidents. You now have an 18" log and seven 2-3 ft thin branches.
[01:04] {Reyolen} I put my rapier down, and I gather up as many of the 7 thin branches as I can and I head to the camp fire
[01:04] {Murdoc} When you get back to camp, the campfire has gone out, and everyone is asleep.
[01:04] {Reyolen} I nearly swear
[01:05] {Murdoc} No one notices you nearly swearing.
[01:05] {Reyolen} I put the branches down, and I look for my flint and steel
[01:05] {Murdoc} You put them in your pack.
[01:05] {Reyolen} Alright, I look for my pack
[01:05] {Murdoc} You're wearing it.
[01:06] {Reyolen} Alright, i pull off my pack, set it a few feet away from the camp fire, and I dig out my flint and steel
[01:06] {Murdoc} After a minute of rummaging, you find it.
[01:07] {Reyolen} I pull it out, hold the flint in my right hand, and the steel in my left. I move over to the camp fire, and begin striking at the steel with the flint wtihin in an inch of the campfire
[01:07] {Murdoc} You find that lighting the charred remains of the campfire on fire again does not work very well.
[01:08] {Reyolen} I put down the flint and steel, and I go back to where I was cutting wood; Where I left the firewood branch
[01:08] {Murdoc} The branch is still there, with the axe and your rapier.
[01:09] {Reyolen} I pick up the branch and walk back to the campfire
[01:09] {Murdoc} Your companions still don't notice you.
[01:09] {Reyolen} (Just curious, are you making checks back there or are you just imforming me just so I know?)
[01:09] {Murdoc} The log is a bit on the heavy side, but not unmanageable.
[01:10] {Murdoc} {{ I don't like rolling dice when it can be avoided. }}
[01:10] {Murdoc} {{ You're an agile fellow, you don't step on anybody, and you're not making much noise. }}
[01:10] {Reyolen} (Alright)
[01:10] {Reyolen} Ok, I set the log down in the middle of the old camp fire
[01:10] {Murdoc} The branches you left are still in camp, a few feet from the fire.
[01:11] {Reyolen} I pick up the branches and set them around the the log
[01:11] {Murdoc} Any particular pattern?
[01:11] {Reyolen} Eh, all 7 sticks all around it, like the numbers of a clock, evenly spaced
[01:12] {Reyolen} laying on the log
[01:12] {Murdoc} So like a seven-point star.
[01:12] {Reyolen} Yeah
[01:12] {Murdoc} Alright. You now have a shallow cone-shaped pile of wood.
[01:12] {Murdoc} It somewhat reminds you of a tent.
[01:13] {Reyolen} I lay the sticks on the ends down flat (The ends of the thin, verticle ends of the log)
[01:13] {Reyolen} Now horizontal; perpendicular(sp?) to the log
[01:14] {Reyolen} Then I go and get the flint and steel
[01:14] {Reyolen} putting the flint in my right, and the steel in my left
[01:14] {Reyolen} I walk back over to the campfire
[01:14] {Murdoc} hold on
[01:14] {Reyolen} (sorry)
[01:15] {Murdoc} So there were seven sticks sticking out from the campfire. You take two of them closest to the ends, and lay them on top, parallel to the log?
[01:16] {Reyolen} not parallel, at a right angle
[01:16] {Murdoc} alright
[01:16] {Murdoc} so you have the flint & steel. go on
[01:17] {Reyolen} Ok, I hold the steel over the log, in the middle, but near the sticks on the right so they can catch. I strike the steel with the flint in an attempt to make a fire
[01:18] {Murdoc} It takes several attempts, as the recently cut wood proves less prone to catch fire than the dried leaves the halfling brought out before. Eventually, though, one of the sparks catches, and you notice embers forming on a couple leaves.
[01:19] {Reyolen} (can I guess how long this log will last?)
[01:19] {Reyolen} Ahem, I try to guess how long the fire will last
[01:19] {Murdoc} {{ You just have embers at this point. If that's all you do for the fire, it'll last about 10 more seconds. }}
[01:19] {Reyolen} Ok, I keep on striking the steel with the flint
[01:20] {Reyolen} To try to feed it a bit more
[01:20] {Murdoc} The embers go out, and a few more catch nearby.
[01:20] {Reyolen} I try to lightly blow on the embers, so they catch on more wood
[01:21] {Murdoc} The embers start to consume the leaves they're on, eventually forming into small flames.
[01:22] {Reyolen} Will this fire stay, or does it need more nursing?
[01:23] {Murdoc} A little more fanning couldn't hurt.
[01:23] {Reyolen} I lightly blow on it some more
[01:24] {Murdoc} The fires get a bit bigger, and merge towards each other. A few of the smaller branches catch the flames as well.
[01:25] {Reyolen} I fan my hands a bit, though not too hard or fast
[01:25] {Murdoc} Bowing to the fire doesn't do anything, though it seems not to be going out.
[01:26] {Reyolen} Ok, I blow lightly a bit more
[01:26] {Reyolen} Though slightly harder then last time
[01:26] {Reyolen} Not enough to put it out, or at least that's my intent
[01:26] {Murdoc} It seems big enough to survive on its own now.
[01:27] {Reyolen} Alright, now how long do I think it will last, without something more to feed it?
[01:28] {Murdoc} A few hours at least. It might last the night, but you can't say for sure.
[01:29] {Reyolen} I go back to where I was cutting wood, take my rapier, and use the downward cutting method to get 3 more thin branches
[01:29] {Reyolen} From the other big branch
[01:30] {Murdoc} The first two come off easily. The last one is a bit thicker, and takes two hits to cut loose.
[01:31] {Reyolen} Ok, I take the three branches under my left arm, holding them to myself, take my rapier in my right hand, and walk back to camp, setting my rapier down by my bag
[01:31] {Murdoc} Done. The firelight makes moving around a bit easier.
[01:32] {Reyolen} I feed the 3 branches into the middle of the fire, without trying to snuff it out
[01:35] {Murdoc} You sure you want to do that all at once?
[01:35] {Reyolen} No, no, I was correcting myself
[01:35] {Reyolen} Ok, let me start over
[01:35] {Reyolen} I put the branches down, and I feed them into the fire individually
[01:36] {Reyolen} Until all 3 are part of the fire
[01:36] {Murdoc} Each one takes a minute in the fire before it catches enough to add another to it. The third branch is rather long, and nearly swats Ara as you put it down.
[01:37] {Reyolen} (Oh well
[01:37] {Reyolen} I pick up my flint and steel and put it away in my pack
[01:38] {Murdoc} The fire starts to spread out along the branches.
[01:38] {Reyolen} Hmm, if I pushed the long branch the other way (away from Ara) would it still stay but be away from people?
[01:39] {Murdoc} You could push it towards the roadside, nobody's camped there.
[01:39] {Reyolen} Alright, I edge the piece of wood toward the roadside, trying not to get burned
[01:40] {Murdoc} The wood underneath slumps over a bit, shifting most of the fire. It stays lit, though.
[01:40] {Reyolen} How fired am I?
[01:40] {Reyolen} tired
[01:41] {Reyolen} (Sorry)
[01:41] {Murdoc} You have not set yourself on fire yet. As for tired, you aren't used to staying up this long.
[01:42] {Murdoc} You should probably meditate soon, before you fall asleep the human way.
[01:42] {Reyolen} Would I stay away or have the concentration to memorize 2-3 spells?
[01:43] {Reyolen} awake, not away
[01:43] {Murdoc} Do you want to try to memorize new spells?
[01:43] {Reyolen} (I must be getting a bit tired, so many typos)
[01:43] {Reyolen} First, did I have change self memorized or not?
[01:43] {Murdoc} Yes. You haven't rested yet though.
[01:43] {Reyolen} Oh, ok
[01:43] {Reyolen} So I'm missing Light and Magic Missle, is that right?
[01:44] {Murdoc} Right.
[01:44] {Reyolen} How long would it take to memorize those?
[01:44] {Murdoc} How long did it take to memorize the last set?
[01:44] {Murdoc} {{ about 15 minutes }}
[01:45] {Reyolen} Considering my fatigue, do I think i could stay up that long?
[01:45] {Murdoc} You'll have to make that judgement for yourself. You feel kind of groggy.
[01:46] {Reyolen} Do I remember if it was ever said how far we were from the Elven City, and, if so, how far away were we?
[01:46] {Reyolen} In days
[01:46] {Murdoc} You didn't ask. However, it wasn't more than a two-day trip.
[01:47] * Reyolen thinks the odds of something happening before he has a change to memorize new spells is slim
[01:47] {Murdoc} So what do you do now?
[01:47] {Reyolen} I sit down next to my bag, but not on top of my rapier, Indian style. I clear my mind of all thoughts and prepare to meditate
[01:48] {Murdoc} You find it a bit difficult to focus at first. After a few minutes staring at the fire, however, you manage to set yourself into a state of meditation.
[01:49] {Murdoc} {{ and here we end }}

---

[ 07-22-2002: Message edited by: Ford Prefect ]

ooc:
For those of you still with us, I apologize for the long delay. This chat session took some significant arranging. I think it came out rather well in the end, and is worth a read. It will also help you figure out what's going on once I wake those of you who would wake up at the end. I hope you all like the color coding.

I'll try to follow this post with a map update and an update post for everyone in play.

quote:

---

[15:01] *** Now talking in #orccamp
[15:01] *** Aanicat has joined #orccamp
[15:01] *** Taylen has joined #orccamp
[15:02] {Murdoc} okay, we're all here
[15:02] *** Murdoc sets mode: +o Aanicat
[15:02] *** Murdoc sets mode: +o Taylen
[15:04] {Murdoc} Before we begin, just a brief recap of the situation. It's now slightly after moonrise (half moon). Freya just woke up from unconsciousness a moment ago. Taylen, you've already done a pretty thorough scan of the camp. You are now both standing beside the immobile and semi-man-shaped construct.
[15:05] {Murdoc} When Freya first saw the construct, it looked like a large looming figure. When she stood up to warn Taylen, she got a better look (which she has yet to react to). That's where we are now.
[15:05] {Murdoc} ------------------
[15:06] {Murdoc} Taylen, you see your companion pointing wildly at the construct. She seems very agitated.
[15:06] {Aanicat} as in, what the hell is that agitated
[15:07] {Murdoc} {{ Aani, please put OOC comments in some sort of brackets. It helps separate them from Freya's speech. }}
[15:08] {Taylen} Taylen tries to figure out why Frey is so upset over a simple structure, and gives her a curious look "Do you know what that is?"
[15:08] * Murdoc {{ emotes are fun too, if you want to use them }}
[15:09] {Aanicat} Frey shakes her head, eyes still focused on the odd thing
[15:09] * Taylen {{emotes}}
[15:10] {Taylen} I think it may have something to do with the odd rings the orc were wearing, I can't be sure though.
[15:10] * Taylen stands up slowly
[15:11] *** Aanicat is now known as Freya
[15:11] * Freya risks taking a few steps towards it, trying to get a better view
[15:12] * Taylen glances at his fire and tries to judge how long the current amount of wood will last
[15:13] {Freya} Maybe.. one of the other's will know what this is...
[15:13] {Murdoc} Freya: The structure is right in front of you. It stands about 7 ft tall, including a large orb at the top, red in the lower half and clear thick glass in the upper half.
[15:14] {Murdoc} Taylen: The fire will last about two hours before it needs to be fed.
[15:15] * Taylen nods softly at Frey
[15:15] * Freya salks back to Tay. "We should go get them..." She speaks in low elvish
[15:16] {Murdoc} {{ You're both only about 5 ft away from the construct. }}
[15:16] {Taylen} Yes, I suppose we should. They might worry about is, and I worry about how they will get along out here.
[15:16] * Taylen thinks back to the run after the orcs. and tries to retrace the way to the bridge in his mind
[15:17] {Murdoc} Taylen: The orcs ran in a pretty straight line, it wouldn't be too hard to find your way back. You didn't really keep track of the distance though.
[15:18] {Murdoc} {{ For full description of the construct, see the bottom of page 8 and top of page 9 in chapter 2 }}
[15:19] * Freya looks for her staff, then does one more once over on the construct, sniffing at it a bit.
[15:19] * Taylen walks over to the camp fire and picks up the discarded axe
[15:20] {Murdoc} Freya: Your staff lies nearby, undisturbed so far as you can recall.
[15:20] {Freya} Shall we go back to get them?
[15:22] {Murdoc} Taylen: You find the axe near the campfire, where you left it.
[15:23] {Taylen} Yes, as soon as I put the fire out. Though you might want to light a torch from it first, the moon is up, but it can still get dark beneath the canopy of trees.
[15:24] * Freya looks about for a torch to light
[15:25] {Murdoc} You don't see anything that would qualify as a torch, per se.
[15:25] {Murdoc} That is, excepting the one Taylen already had lit.
[15:26] {Taylen} {{Umm I forgot and I wearing my pack or is it still laying on the group somewhere?}}
[15:26] {Murdoc} {{ I'm looking up the end of the last scene now. }}
[15:29] {Murdoc} Taylen's lit torch rests nearby on the ground. It is still burning.
[15:29] {Murdoc} Taylen: You are currently holding an empty vial in one hand.
[15:31] {Murdoc} {{ You never put down your pack, so I presume you shouldered it. }}
[15:32] {Murdoc} {{ wait, hold on. }}
[15:34] {Murdoc} Taylen: Your pack rests beside the construct, where you last put it down. You have taken a few items out of it since then, but have not picked it up.
[15:34] {Murdoc} {{ reading through one chat session to find info for another is time-consuming }}
[15:35] * Taylen walks over to his pack and lifts the flap, carefully placing the vial inside where he doesn't hink it will be smashed. Then, securing the flap, he shoulders the pack.
[15:36] {Murdoc} Freya: You still don't see any unlit torches. Perhaps you could ask Taylen for one, or look for something else that will serve the same purpose.
[15:38] {Freya} {or I could follow him with his...}
[15:38] * Taylen walks back to the fire and gripping the axe carefully, right hand at the base of the handle and left one on the handle up closer to the blade, he carefully drives the blade of the axe into the ground.
[15:38] {Freya} {I hate this keyboard}
[15:38] {Murdoc} Carefully driving the blade into the ground does nothing of significance to the ground.
[15:39] * Taylen thinks, "Hard ground."
[15:39] * Taylen drives the blade in a bit harder
[15:40] {Murdoc} Taylen: You make a small notch in the soil. This handaxe really wasn't made for a two-hand hold.
[15:40] {Murdoc} {{ I have no idea what you're trying to do. }}
[15:40] {Taylen} {{I'm gonna put out the fire.
[15:40] {Murdoc} {{ oh }}
[15:40] {Murdoc} {{ why? }}
[15:41] * Taylen switches to a better one handed grip, not getting the power he wants this way and kneels close to the fire.
[15:41] {Taylen} {{I'm a ranger}}
[15:41] {Murdoc} You are now kneeling between one and two feet from the campfire.
[15:42] * Taylen holds the axe handle in his right hand and drives the blade into the group in front of him, a bit to the side of the campfire
[15:42] {Murdoc} Taylen: You put a notch in the earth a bit under two inches deep, from the looks of it.
[15:43] {Taylen} {{why the hell do I keep typing ground as group}}
[15:43] {Murdoc} {{ Maybe you hate your party members }}
[15:44] * Taylen drives the blade into the ground at the opposing angle to make a clump of dirt
[15:44] {Murdoc} There was no opposing angle. You drove it straight down.
[15:45] {Freya} ,,yes there is.. he can drive it into the ground at an angle to make a notch
[15:45] * Taylen drives the axe into the ground at an angle to make a clump of dirt {{about 45 degreesfrom previous cut in relation to the ground}}
[15:47] {Murdoc} Considering that you probably don't want to burn your hand again, you hack at the ground from the far side. This action knocks loose a stretch of dirt roughly 2" across, 2" deep, and 9" long.
[15:48] * Taylen slides the blade of the axe under the dirt and lifts some out on the flat of the blade, then dumps it on the fire.
[15:48] {Murdoc} The fire flickers a bit from the interruption, but doesn't die down much.
[15:50] * Taylen moves back slighty and hacks into the ground some in about a 5inch by 5 inch area, trying to make alot of loose dirt
[15:50] {Murdoc} The only thing within any reach of the fire is the already-singed orc. The ground in this whole area has been heavily trampled.
[15:51] * Freya drags the orc over and lays him on the fire to smother it
[15:51] {Murdoc} Taylen: You manage to loosen a fairly significant plane of dirt, between one and two inches thick, and 7" by 7" across.
[15:51] {Murdoc} Freya: It takes an effort to drag the corpse, but that seems to pretty much put the fire out.
[15:51] * Taylen laughs heartily
[15:51] * Freya growls "let's go
[15:51] {Taylen} Well, thats one way to put out the fire.
[15:52] * Taylen picks the handaxe up then walks over to the torch and picks it up by the handle
[15:53] {Murdoc} Taylen: You now have both hands full.
[15:53] * Taylen turns towards the direction they came to the camp from and starts walking that way
[15:54] * Taylen keeps the torch low and near his body to keep it away from low hanging branches, but not so close as to burn himself
[15:54] * Freya follows
[15:56] {Murdoc} You originally traveled at a run with some daylight to your advantage. The trip back to the road takes you a few minutes. When you reach the road, both of you notice that the group are huddled around a rather weak campfire sitting in the road. Silvan and Khazmon are not with them.
[15:57] {Murdoc} Aust is leaning against a nearby tree. Everyone you see appears to be asleep.
[15:58] {Murdoc} {{ It'd be nice if Reyolen was online. It looks like this is going to interrupt him sooner or later. }}
[15:59] * Taylen wonders what has become of Silvan and Khazmon
[16:01] * Taylen calls out not too loudly, so as not to wake the others "Silvan....Khazmon."
[16:01] {Murdoc} The others don't stir. However, with your voice kept down practically to the point of normal speech, you get no response.
[16:02] * Taylen walks down the road towards the bridge to see if Khazmon or Silvan is that direction.
[16:03] {Murdoc} Taylen: As you approach the bridge, you notice Khazmon lying on the ground by the edge of the stream. He isn't moving, and his position looks extremely uncomfortable.
[16:03] * Taylen kneels down by the dwarf and lays the handaxe down on the grou
[16:03] * Freya looks over at Aust
[16:04] {Murdoc} Freya: Aust still has a bandage around his forehead. He appears to be asleep, leaning against a tree. His belonging are laid out beside him.
[16:04] * Taylen checks Khazmon over carefully for injuries, and tries to get him into a more comfortable position as best he can one handed, while keeping the torch held away from him.
[16:05] * Freya trots over and knees down by him, checking the bandages.
[16:05] {Murdoc} Taylen: It's difficult to check the dwarf for injuries with all that armor on. He's also fairly heavy, though you manage to get his position adjusted into something more closely resembling 'prone'. He doesn't react.
[16:06] {Murdoc} Freya: The bandages appear fairly well wrapped. It occurs to you that you didn't put this bandage on him, and orcs usually don't try to bandage their opponents.
[16:06] * Freya checks him over... feeling for a pulse
[16:07] * Taylen slides the fingers of his right hand to the major artery in the dwarf's neck to feel for the strength of his pulse while holding the torch in his left hand
[16:07] {Murdoc} Freya: You will need to be a bit more specific about where you're checking.
[16:08] {Murdoc} Taylen: You don't feel the dwarf's pulse.
[16:08] {Freya} {... let's not be overly picky ok}
[16:09] {Murdoc} {{ You didn't take heal skill. You'll need to pick a spot. }}
[16:09] * Taylen leans close and places his right ear near the Dwarf's mouth to listen for any breathing
[16:09] {Murdoc} Taylen: Again, you find no signs of life in the dwarf.
[16:10] * Taylen sighs softly and removes the gloves from his left hand feeling the Dwarf's skin to see how cold he is, hoping maybe he hasn't been this way long
[16:10] {Taylen} {{left=right}}
[16:10] {Murdoc} {{ goodness I hope left != right }}
[16:11] {Taylen} {{I typed the wrong hand in}}
[16:11] {Murdoc} The dwarf's skin is a little warmer than the night air, but still feels cooler to the touch than it should.
[16:12] {Taylen} {{Hmmm stupid question. Do they have anything close to CPR in this world, and would my character be able to try such}}
[16:12] * Freya checks his neck
[16:12] {Murdoc} {{ you can try it, though it wouldn't be a formalized technique, so you'll have to describe it}}
[16:13] * Taylen lays the torch in the middle of the road a bit away from the dwarf to give himself room
[16:13] * Taylen lifts the dwarf slightly and tugs his mail shirt off
[16:14] {Murdoc} Freya: You can feel a slightly faint pulse in the elf's neck. He grumbles slightly after a second, and his head tilts a bit towards your hand.
[16:15] * Freya sooths his head with soft touches before proping him in a more comfortable possistion. She then takes a step back to try and cast her healing spell, hoping it will help some
[16:16] {Murdoc} Taylen: The suit of chainmail lifts away a bit from the dwarf's stomach, but it's hard to pull it off with him laying in a prone position.
[16:16] {Murdoc} Freya: You already cast that spell.
[16:17] * Taylen lifts the dwarf up propping him into a sitting position and pulls on the mail
[16:19] {Murdoc} Taylen: With a good heave, you manage to pull the dwarf's chainmail off him, despite resistance from his arms and beard. He falls prone onto his back again immediately. There is a large, blackened bruise on his left side, and his left arm has a slight bend in it near the shoulder that shouldn't be there.
[16:19] * Freya mutters and sits down by Aust, closing her eyes as she props herself up to the tree
[16:20] * Taylen leans over and pinches the dwarf's nose shut with his right hand and takes a deep breath, pressing his lips firmly to Khazmon's and sealing them in place he breathes out looking to the left at Khazmon's chest to see if his chest rises.
[16:21] {Murdoc} Freya: The ground is just as hard here as in the orc camp. Nonetheless, you find it fairly comfortable, thanks to your fur.
[16:24] {Murdoc} Taylen: The dwarf's chest rises only slightly. His lungs may be bigger than yours.
[16:24] * Taylen takes as big a breath as he can and repeats the action, pressing lips to the dwarf's and blowing out. Hoping the chest rises more.
[16:25] {Murdoc} The dwarf's chest rises a bit more, though it didn't sink perceptibly after your last breath. You can feel a slight backpressure against this breath.
[16:26] {Murdoc} Freya: It's been a long day, and you can feel yourself starting to nod off.
[16:27] * Freya does so
[16:28] * Taylen releases the dwarf's nose and moves down slightly to just beside his chest. placing his right hand palm down on the center of the dwarf's chest and wrapping his left hand into the fingers of his right hand also palm down, he straightens his arms and presses down with all the force he can putting his weight behind it.
[16:28] {Murdoc} The dwarf's chest drops under the pressure of your hands, letting out the breath of air you worked so hard to get into him.
[16:29] * Taylen repeats the motion never taking hands off the chest
[16:30] {Murdoc} The bruise on the dwarf's side spreads a little.
[16:30] * Taylen frowns but knows there is nothing to do about it and presses down a third time
[16:31] {Murdoc} There is no noticeable reaction from the dwarf. His ribs are fairly stiff, but give by an inch or so under the pressure you apply.
[16:32] * Taylen pushes down again will full force and his weight behind it
[16:33] {Murdoc} You notice a slight bulge appear in the middle of the dwarf's bruise. His chest sinks by an inch or two under the heavy pressure, then rises most of the way back afterwards.
[16:35] * Taylen moves back up and pinches the dwarf's nose shut with his right hand. Taking as deep a breath as he can, he bends over and places his lips to the dwarf's, he exhales, watching the dwarf's chest.
[16:35] {Murdoc} As before, the dwarf's chest rises only slightly.
[16:35] * Taylen takes a second deep breath and repeats
[16:36] {Murdoc} Khazmon's chest rises again, as before.
[16:36] {Murdoc} You again feel the slight pressure against your second breath.
[16:37] * Taylen moves back down laying his right hand palm down on the dwarf's chest and wrapping the fingers of his left hand over it. strightening out his arms and putting weight over the dwarf. He presses down with full force and the weight of his body.
[16:38] {Murdoc} The dwarf's breath leaves his chest, which falls back to its uninflated level.
[16:39] * Taylen pushes down hard again compressing the Dwarf's chest
[16:40] {Murdoc} You see the bulge appear in the dwarf's bruise again, this time slightly more prominent than last time.
[16:40] * Taylen pushes down harder, trying his best to jolt the dwarf's heart
[16:41] {Murdoc} The bulge in the center of the dwarf's bruise turns white, followed by a very slight trickle of blood running down from it. It seems that he has a broken rib.
[16:42] * Taylen nods knowing this can happen and pushes down again putting his weight behind it
[16:42] {Murdoc} Nothing new happens. The wound in his side continues to trickle blood.
[16:44] * Taylen moves back up by the dwarf's head. He pinches the dwarf's nose with his right hand and takes as deep a breath as he can. Bending close and sealing lips against the dwarf's he breaths out watching the dwarf's chest.
[16:45] {Murdoc} The dwarf's chest rises slightly, after which you hear a slight burble.
[16:46] * Taylen takes another huge breath and breathes deep into the dwarf's mouth
[16:48] {Murdoc} You feel a lot of resistance to your breath, and have to force it into the dwarf's body. The burbling sound afterwards occurs again, this time a bit louder.
[16:50] * Taylen again moves down beside the dwarf's chest, placing his right hand down palm first and wrapping the fingers of his left hand around it. He straightens his arms and pushes down with full force and his weight behind it.
[16:51] {Murdoc} The dwarf's chest drops again, though with considerably more resistance than before. The burbling sound occurs even louder, and begins to remind you of trying to yell at a fish.
[16:52] * Taylen pushes down again beginning to think this is a futile effort
[16:54] {Murdoc} You hear a slight burble. The dwarf's chest sinks slightly, then rises, just as with your prior two repetitions.
[16:55] * Taylen pushes down as hard as he can
[16:56] {Murdoc} Nothing new happens. You hear the same slight burbling again as you press down, and the dwarf's side is still trickling blood.
[16:56] * Taylen pushes down hard
[16:56] {Murdoc} Nothing new happens.
[16:57] * Taylen feels the dwarf's neck for a pulse
[16:57] {Murdoc} The dwarf has no pulse.
[16:59] * Taylen sighs softly and murmurs a prayer to Ehlonna, the watch over the dwarf's soul and guide it to his final rest with whatever God or Goddess the dwarf may have followed
[17:00] {Murdoc} The dwarf makes no gesture of thanks so far as you can tell.
[17:00] * Taylen Yells out "SILVAN!"
[17:01] {Murdoc} {{ I think I'll have to cut the game short here. This could wake a few people up. }}
[17:02] {Murdoc} {{ then again... }}
[17:02] {Taylen} {{If any of them are adventurers it should wake them}}
[17:03] *** Reyolen has joined #orccamp
[17:04] {Murdoc} {{ welcome. gimme a few minutes, handling paperwork }}
[17:07] *** Murdoc sets mode: +o Reyolen
[17:10] *** Reyolen is now known as Silvan
[17:10] *** Freya is now known as Aanicat
[17:11] *** Aanicat is now known as Freya
[17:13] {Murdoc} Recap: Silvan has just walked into camp carrying a log. There is a pile of branches sitting near the burned-out campfire. Freya is sitting against the same tree as Aust, though turned away from the fire, so Silvan didn't see her there.
[17:13] {Murdoc} Freya: You wake with a start, hearing your elven companion shout. There is a slender figure in camp, standing among your sleeping comrades. It is rather dark, and the moon is on his far side, making him difficult to recognize.
[17:15] {Murdoc} Silvan: You hear someone shouting your name from a short distance away. The voice is male, and it sounds elven. It also sounds rather perturbed.
[17:15] * Freya squints some, sniffig the air. Tay doesn't seem to worried about the seemingly new comer, so she makes no pensive moves
[17:16] * Silvan turns toward the male voice
[17:16] {Silvan} Who's that?
[17:16] * Taylen picks his torch up by the handle and the handaxe in the other hand and walks back towards camp
[17:17] {Taylen} It's Taylen. The dwarf is dead, what happened?
[17:17] {Murdoc} Taylen: Your torch appears to be going out.
[17:17] {Silvan} Taylen! What took you so LONG. I had to try to make this fire just to make sure you'd find your fool self back here. It appears you didn't need it.
[17:18] {Silvan} The dwarf's dead, is he? Perhaps I was wrong to think he'd live.
[17:18] * Silvan puts the log down on the ground in front of him
[17:18] {Murdoc} Ara and the halfling both roll over from all the noise. Ara mumbles, "Just another few minutes, Pappy."
[17:19] * Taylen eyes the fire and tries to supress a chuckle at the thought that he thought it would lead him back there
[17:19] * Freya stirs more, and stands up, trotting over to Tay
[17:19] {Murdoc} The campfire has also gone out.
[17:19] {Murdoc} (Silvan hasn't rebuilt it yet.)
[17:19] * Taylen sighs softly
[17:19] {Murdoc} Where the campfire was, now sits a log, and there are some branches sitting beside it.
[17:20] * Taylen says to Frey "The dwarf is dead, I couldn't do anything to revive him at all"
[17:20] {Murdoc} The halfling mumbles something not fit for public viewing.
[17:21] * Freya growls low, agitated, then leans down to try and build up the fire
[17:21] * Silvan says to Freya, "So you're here too, huh?" Then to both of them, "What took you all so long?"
[17:21] * Taylen smiles
[17:21] {Taylen} Oh, we had to kill 4 orcs so they didn't come back here and slay you all well you slept.
[17:22] {Silvan} I wouldn't have been caught unaware, but the others might have likely died, yes.
[17:23] * Freya mutters something in her own tongue "You would have hidden so as not to soil your clothes..."
[17:23] {Murdoc} Freya: It would help if you had something to light the campfire with, like possibly the flint & steel in your pack.
[17:23] {Taylen} Okay next time you can go kill the 4 orcs and I will stay behind and let people die.
[17:23] * Taylen sounds bitter on the last part
[17:23] {Silvan} Oh, if it's thanks you want, thank you for killing the orcs.
[17:24] {Silvan} MY role is much better spent in a role of leadership and authority. Some are better suited for the grunt work.
[17:24] * Freya grabs something to start the fire from Tay
[17:25] {Murdoc} Taylen: Freya appears to be rummaging through your pack
[17:25] {Taylen} I see, so then next time you get lost, You can lead everyone to the road?
[17:25] {Murdoc} Freya: You do have your pack on your shoulder. Taylen never took it off you.
[17:25] * Taylen has a strange smile on his face
[17:25] {Silvan} You are of course the better woodsman, Taylen, I will give you that
[17:26] {Taylen} You do have limitations then.
[17:26] {Silvan} I know what I'm good at and what I lack. Otherwise I wouldn't be traveling with any of you at all.
[17:26] {Silvan} Why, exactly, are you traveling with this bunch and I?
[17:26] * Freya shrugs off her pack, and just rummages through her bag and Tays looking for something to light the bloody fire
[17:27] {Murdoc} Freya: You find your flint & steel in a small pouch in your bag. Taylen's is in his bag as well. You now have both.
[17:28] {Taylen} In part from my training, and in part from lessons imparted by my family, I feel a responsibility to those who need help. So I will at least accompany you to the elvish city in relative safety.
[17:28] * Freya makes kinling out of the branches and what ever else that's small near the camp fire and goes to work trying to light it with the flint and steel
[17:28] {Silvan} How very honorable of you. I do, however, find it hard to believe those are your only reasons.
[17:30] {Taylen} Also from devotion to the Goddess, my ranger training, and being an Elf. I feel the need to explore this slave trade further and hopefully help put a stop to it.
[17:30] * Taylen puts special emphasis on elf while eyeing Silvan
[17:30] {Silvan} You now hold the entire elven race to your self code of honor?
[17:31] {Silvan} There are many worse then me, I assure you.
[17:31] {Taylen} I hold everyone to a resonable code of honor and respect. Some live up to respect and some do not.
[17:31] * Freya put sticks in a log cabin design, shove some leaves and small branches about it, strike flint on steel till sparks carch it on fire. add bigger stuff when fire is at the right size.
[17:31] * Silvan shakes his head slightly
[17:31] {Silvan} I won't understand you
[17:32] {Taylen} No, you probably won't.
[17:32] {Silvan} However, since you wish to stop this slave trade, perhaps we will be traveling together for a while
[17:33] * Freya growls low at the two
[17:33] {Taylen} I'm sure I am honored to travel in such 'distinguished' company. {{the strange smile is back again}}
[17:33] {Murdoc} {{ slow down for a second, please }}
[17:34] {Murdoc} Freya: Considering that the single large log is already in the middle of the fire, it proves easier just to pile the other materials around it. After stripping the leaves from the branches and nesting it all together, you begin striking flint against steel.
[17:36] {Murdoc} Freya: It takes a good deal of effort to get the sparks to catch, as the wood isn't dry, and neither are the leaves. Finally, after all the arguing your companions have done so far, a single leaf catches a spark and begins to smolder.
[17:36] {Murdoc} {{ thank you, you may continue }}
[17:37] {Silvan} I see you're jealous of my success. Either that, or you have no idea what you're talking about.
[17:37] * Freya focuses on that smoldering leaf, blowing gently on it to feed it oxegyn hopeing it will catch the other kindling on fire
[17:37] {Silvan} Not wanting to live like a wild animal and being a snobbish noble are very different
[17:37] * Freya rolls her eyes
[17:38] {Taylen} I don't judge people based on their success, but rather on their actions towards others. So in that respect you come up......lacking. If you wish others to do as you want, you might it useful to use a bit more diplomacy, as any true noble would know.
[17:39] {Murdoc} Freya: The leaf continues to smolder for a moment, as embers spread slightly through it each time you breathe on it. After a moment, the flame reaches the edge of the leaf, and a small claw-sized fire flares up.
[17:39] {Silvan} I was dragged into this. I'm not here by choice. I have a right to be on edge.
[17:39] * Freya smiles to herself, ignoring the two for now, and continues to nurture that flame, feeding it the right about of kindling.
[17:40] {Taylen} Prehaps, but you don't have the right to be condescending towards others, or prehaps you do, but they have the right to leave you in the middle of the woods somewhere too.
[17:40] {Murdoc} Freya: There isn't much spare kindling that you haven't already piled on the fire. However, by taking bits from one place and setting them around the flame, it begins slowly to spread through the nest of kindling.
[17:41] {Freya} {{that's kinda what she did...}}
[17:41] {Murdoc} {{ aye, I was hoping that }}
[17:41] {Silvan} I could help all of you more then you perhaps you know. I most certainly am not all talk.
[17:41] {Taylen} Well that is refreshing to find out.
[17:42] * Freya stands up, brushes her self off, walks inbetween the two elves, takes a deep breath and lets out a deffining roar of sorts, followed by "ENOUGH!" in elvish.
[17:43] * Taylen smiles at Frey "Okay, my dear."
[17:43] {Murdoc} {{ hold on a sec. need to see if anyone wakes from that }}
[17:43] {Murdoc} {{ okay, that woke enough people. we'll have to stop it here. }}
[17:43] {Murdoc} ------------------

---

ooc:
I got a message from Arttemis a few days ago. He has resigned from the campaign due to other obligations consuming too much of his time. Please be sure to check the closeup map to see where you all are.

You awaken with a start at the sound of a sudden roar. If your head hadn't already been settled against the tree turned to one side, you might have given yourself a brand new headache to go with the old one, which still throbs slightly after the sudden loud noise.

Your remaining companions have returned to camp. Freya is kneeling over the campfire, which you can't currently see through the lizardman's body. The fellin woman shouts out, "Enough!" Taylen and Silvan are standing face to face, above everyone else in camp (who happen to be either sitting or lying down).

Falaanla

Whatever the noise was that woke you, it was as loud as the most prominent Ghost Sound you've ever managed. It sounded like a wild beast, and by the time you realize where the sound came from, you are already hovering four feet off the ground. From what you know of Freya's kind, she is most definitely angry about something.

Drakkenmaw

You awaken suddenly with a sense of fear. Still weary from your prior day, you cannot tell if the roar that wakes you came from a wild predator standing directly over you, or from Bearclaw giving you a surprise wake-up call. The voice that follows, however, proves equally as much of a surprise. In all of your life, you've never heard a woman yell that loud.

Taylen & Silvan

The fellin woman sounds extremely angry... and extremely loud. Her roar cracks through the silence of night, and almost seems as if it could wake the dead from their very graves.

Aanile

It appears your roar was a bit louder than you'd planned. Just as you've begun to get the fire going again, the entire group has started to wake up all around you.

Everyone

The half moon has now risen to an angle, and can be seen through the canopy of trees overhead. Freya kneels over the campfire, while Silvan and Taylen stand near the bridge. The daysprite girl hovers above her sleeping bag, while others sit startled either in or upon their own. Everyone is awake.

quote:

---

Ford Prefect got all f'ed up on Angel Dust and wrote:
seems as if it could wake the dead from their very graves.

---

Oh, ha ha.

He then says to her, "Was that really necessary? Whatever enemies that are out there surely know we're here now. We weren't even arguing......loudly."

Pointing to Silven she says "You, find a shovel, or something that will make do, and starrt digging a hole to place that dead dwarrrf in!"

"The dead will rest as peacefully as you let them. Let us living beings rest as well."

Drakkenclaw then turns and plods lightly towards the body of the dwarf, before kneeling over it to observe the cause of death.

ooc:
For those who didn't notice, only about two hours have passed since the majority of the party went to sleep.

You very quickly find that yelling makes your headache return with a vengeance. It might be wise not to repeat such an action until your wounds have healed.

Reyolen

Nature does not appear to have furnished you with any shovels, spades, or the like. The log you felled earlier still remains where you left it, if you can find any use for it. Beyond that, the woods offer nothing except, well, wood.

Drakkenmaw

With the dwarf's chest bared, the cause of his death appears fairly obvious. There is a large, blackened bruise on his left side, with the fringe of a bone poking through the skin, and a narrow trickle of drying blood around it. His left arm also has a slight bend in it near the shoulder that shouldn't be there.

After waking with a start and getting herself somewhat tangled in her bedroll, Ara lets her head drop again. She gives off a slight groan, which the end of the bedroll (now wrapped around her head) muffles. "What is the matter with you people? Don't you ever have to sleep?" her voice emerges from the bag. "Stupid forest," she adds, "I wanna go home."

[Jean]

"It wasn't me! It was the gnome, really! I didn't..." Jean rattles of quickly, as he scrambles to pull the beret up off his face. "Oh, it's you fine folks. A lovely night to be running about, I'm sure, but hadn't there needs be a cause for it? What's all the ruckus?" He shows off a toothy grin, while scanning the camp, trying to piece together what events could have led to such a rousing performance.

"He shouldn't be buried. Give him back to the world which spawned him."

With that, he clasps his hands together above the body and begins muttering soft words over it.

(If anyone listens closely in, I'll tell you what he says. Otherwise, you hear muttering.)

(Also, I'm not sure whether Khaz has his pack still on him at this time. Does he? I'll wait for confirmation. Let's just say the muttering takes awhile.)

Her temper was short from her exhaustion and the two elves bickering over nonces. Looking to Silven she stands full hight to him. "If you carrre to do morre, You might want to look at what we've found while you werrre hiding frrrom the orrcs." Her feline eyes nerrow a bit more.

"I suggest you sleep. It might be a long trrravel thrrrough the woods. If you trrruely are a brrrave leaderrr and wish to see it." She says in elvish. Then with a mischevious thought, she added. "It's discoverrry might make you famous."

Silvan gives Freya a look of distrust, and says, "How far is this thing going to be? I've been up as long as the two of you, working on trying to make a fire. You guys are just finishing the hard work I started. If it's not too far, I might as well see what has you so worked up."

"Sleep, elf." She says again and moves up to curl by Taylen. "Tomorrrow might be harrrd forrr you." She adds with a yawn, laying her head down.

Silvan sits down near his pack, indian style, closes his eyes, and attempts to clear all thoughts from his mind. He lets go of his emotions, leaving just a calm. Once his mind is clear, he begins his meditation.

The dwarf's shoudler bag lies nearby his fallen corpse. He still wears the lower part of his chain armor, while the upper half lies underneath his torso, lumped between his shoulderblades and the ground, and spread out under his head.

Taylen

Freya already got the fire started fairly well, and it only takes a little tending before it picks up into a bright blaze. While it isn't so large a fire as the one you made by the woods' edge the night before, it provides a good deal of warmth, and takes the chill from your fingers.

Aanile

The warmth of the fire feels comforting in the cool night, and you soon find yourself drifting off into slumber once again.

Reyolen

The nights events have been both exhausting and exciting. It takes a concentrated effort to focus the day's events out of your mind. Only on rare nights have you even concidered the possibility of simply sleeping, the way humans do. Tonight, as you watch your traveling companions, the thought creeps through the back of your mind. Eventually you manage to focus and begin your meditation.

WHO...WHAT??

She then realizes where the noise came from, from the Fellin woman...she pays attention as others wake up and ask their questions...she then thinks to herself (and Ithar, of course)

"Ithar...where you at? Whatcha up to? Did she wake you up too?"

Sae then looks and hears mention of shovels...

I doubt I would be of much use in any sort of...burying. I think I'm gonna go back to sleep. No more yelling. Please.

Sae then flutters back down onto her bedroll...