1 - Good Fortune

[rauhric]

THEOATH GRANGER, Paladin of Chauntea [3]

Theo nods in agreement to Lhaeo's urgency. He returns the blade and leaves it on the table; while he would like to use it in battle he will see if any of his companions want it first. As time is not on their side he says, "I guess we leave at first light. We have much ground to cover. Are there any other concerns?"

---

OoC: Looking at the map I see the legend provides a distance chart (16 miles, I think?). So how many miles can we cover in a day?

 

Edited February 7 by rauhric (see edit history)

[cybersavant]

Kordannaghlan Penniesaver eyes the sword. "I can use the blade, but it's not my first choice. Nor am am i the frontline in most instances."

[stonedzep]

Lirion Eldermist

Lirion looking at the blade "it's a fine sword, will surely be of aid against the hostile forces we'll face. Still, I hope the blood we'll have to clean from its edge will be just what we could not avoid. "

"Let's gather what we need and be on the road just before dawn"

Edited February 5 by stonedzep (see edit history)

[Sellsword]

Lhaeo nods to Amarandé. "Yes, you should be safe to discuss your plans here. The common room is clearing out, and I'll have Jhaele see to it that you're not disturbed." Those that do remain are huddled in booths discussing their own plans to achieve status as heroes or situated around smaller tables across the tavern floor, well out of earshot. It seems as safe a spot as any.

He smiles at Mandons' question regarding payment for goods. "Yes, please feel free to run up my tab. I have arrangements with most of the local merchants, as long as the purchases are within reason we will see to it that you are properly equipped for this journey. With proper mounts, the trip could take anywhere between 6 days and a full ride depending upon your luck on the road. It could be done quicker, but it would do no good if the mounts were not in proper condition to carry you all back."

"As for the weeks that have passed...yes, it is a concern, but there are explanations for that. I'll be brief. Though Ariton made what haste he could, it took time to vet his story, time to find you, and time for you to arrive in Shadowdale. I could have made an attempt with a smaller group less well-suited to this kind of task, but haste was weighed against the absolute need for success. The Zhents are under the same constraints, and with less information than we have, so I hold hope that we are yet ahead of them."

With that, Lhaeo excuses himself and allows you to plan for the journey.

Edited February 5 by Sellsword (see edit history)

[Lord Foul]

"Right then, time for a little shopping! As the man says, speed is of the essence, so getting a bunch of fast light horses sounds like a good idea. But if we have a few days travel across country, and the potential for trouble along the way, we might want to consider getting something a bit heavier, at least for Theo. Give the oaf a pointy stick and a decent nag and he's a mighty powerful force out there in the field."

"How about we try to get a few medium warhorses for the front line fighters, just in case, and those who prefer to hang back a bit and be more manoeuverable get light ones for the extra speed?"

"What about you two?" he says to Jack and Kord. "Are you going to be okay on big fast horsies, or do you need ponies?"

 

[Arbuthnott]

"As much as speed is a priority here, we have to consider more than just the journey from A to B. Animals require care, and this is not a short journey; some good quality horses are going to need foodstock, oats and fruits, on top of foraged foliage, while some of the smaller animals like ponies could possibly survive just on foraging. That'll affect our weight, and thus our speed and the wellbeing of our animals, unless we bring along an extra light warhorse purely for carrying equipment and supplies."

"Perhaps I may get a riding horse for myself, to avoid relying too heavily on Lhaeo's hospitality. I'm sure it will be able to keep up with the rest of you, and I find it unlikely that I would wade into the thick of battle unless circumstances were dire indeed.."

Edited February 5 by Arbuthnott (see edit history)

[rauhric]

THEOATH GRANGER, Paladin of Chauntea [3]

Theo tells his companions, "I have a donkey named Jenny. She is a pretty fast girl, so if we can keep our supplies to essentials I think she can keep up with us easily. And I got a dog name Dancer that is a great hunting dog. He can help us with hunting game so we don't need to rely so much of food stuff."

---

OoC: I am not sure what we need in terms of supplies, but maybe we could get a little wagon if it is going to be a whole list of stuff. The fast riders can head down the road first and set up camp while the slower riders catch up with supplies.

 

Edited February 5 by rauhric (see edit history)

[NickL82]

Tymas thanks Lhaeo for his help before looking to the others "I've my own spells, but I'll not shy away from melee. Still, I feel it's for the best if the bladesmen among us took the potions."

Hearing Amarande's point about the animals, Tymas nods. "Our horses need to be powerful, but they're only as powerful as what they're fed. I'd say not to skimp on the best oats we can get. The Zhents knew about Morn, and now they're paying attention to the area. It's possible that the trip away from the tomb may be more . . . let's say . . . energetic . . . than the trip there. Add on to that the fact that we're talking about the undead. I've Helm's blessing, and that should turn some of them away, but if we need to fight them, magical weapons will be worth their weight in platinum ten times over."

 

[Excior]

Valandil takes the magic sword and straps it to his back. The indifferent moon elf drinks the last bit of his mead, a taste he only recently acquired, and sets the tankard back on the table.

“Riding Horses will be better suited for our task; we are all skilled riders and should be able to control  them easily enough if we find ourselves fighting from the back of a horse.”

His stoic and matter-of-fact speech seemed to leave little room for discussion which was par for the course for Valandil.

“We should probably acquire at least 2 pack mules for the Journey and perhaps a two-wheeled wagon they can pull.”

 

He stands up from the table and adjusts his gear, the added bulk of the new long sword requires moving a few things around.

“If anybody requires a long sword, I can give  them my old one.”

His low monotone voice seemed to carry a little farther than intended, the elf always calculating looked around casually to see if anybody had turned their attention to them at that statement which might be an indicator that they were being watched.

Edited February 5 by Excior (see edit history)

[Lord Foul]

"Pack animals are one thing, but a wagon will slow us down too much. How much stuff are we planning on taking, anyway? I'd say Theo's donkey and perhaps another pack horse or mule will suffice. The rest of us may as well just get whatever we feel suits us best. We're not likely to be slower than a donkey."

"As for those healing potions, I still say we should divide them up between everyone. Too risky to have only three of us holding them. Can't expect people to stop what they're doing to run over to help someone else who's been hurt, when they could easily help themselves if they had a dose of potion."

Mandons settles into another tankard of ale and ponders the equipment he needs. Probably a bit late to be knocking up shopkeepers this evening. But first thing in the morning he'll be out gathering kit and running up Lhaeo's tab (to the tune of just short of 400gp - still less than a heavy warhorse! See his sheet for details)

 

Edited February 5 by Lord Foul (see edit history)

[rauhric]

THEOATH GRANGER, Paladin of Chauntea [3]

Theo asks his companions, "What about holy water and anointed oils? Could we not get some to give us an edge when it comes time to deal with those evil creatures?"

---

OoC: In the Priest's Book there is mention of "Holy Water". It goes into the process of making it with casting the following spells of Create Water, Protection Evil and the Purify Food & Drink. It also mentions that the "Holy Water" can also be purchased for 25gp. If we are ok with running up a tab then can we stock up on this item?

 

[Lord Foul]

"Hey, that's not a bad idea! If we're going to be running into loads of undead a barrel of holy water would be great." He grins at the priests expectantly. 😀

 

[Arbuthnott]

Amarandé pulls the map back out before resting it open on the table for all to see.

"There is also the matter of our route. Each of you are probably more familiar with the local environs than myself; would it be quicker to stick to the road southwest before journeying North, or to cut directly northwest to join the road here." He taps the map South of the bridge.

Edited February 5 by Arbuthnott (see edit history)

[Lord Foul]

"So long as we don't have a wagon we could save precious time by just cutting across below the forest edge. That might also throw off any enemies expecting us to keep to the road too. Worth the risk of things coming out of the woods, I'd say."

 

[stonedzep]

Lirion Eldermist

"We should cut through the woods, if we and our mounts will be light enough" while saying that Lirion takes a look at the wee folks of the party, the idea of carrying them as passengers is seriously taking his mind...