TRELLUNND (OOC)

[Vedast]

I think my suggestions in Discord are an elaboration on choice #2 -- or so it seems?

I'm not a scout or survivalist type, but I can't imagine that any linen-based tunic material that we'd be wearing would be able to hold water even if, say, Tannus and another (I say Tannus because he has a +4 bonus to saves vs. heat due to a Trait) could carry sufficient for such a large party to make a difference. I'm willing to be corrected on that -- just expressing my sense of the situation. Each gal. weighs 8.3 lbs so for a party of nine (I think), that's 75 or so pounds to carry. Of a liquid sloshing about.

If there is indeed a lake before us, there has to be a source ... aquifers and/or streams leading down from higher elevations that receive whatever rain falls.

If we must try to survive another daylight period, we might try digging shallow scrapes and use loose dirt to cover our skin, but presumably this adventure isn't going to devolve to such a level of real-world technique?

[Vedast]

1 minute ago, Luthiel said:

I'm guessing that as a ratfolk, Tik probably has a somewhat... less discerning palate, shall we say? So eating the dogs, at least, seems like a good plan. We can save Frood for later shouldn't eat NPCs, though. Because that would be wrong. 😝

::nods:: yeah, I was serious about skinning and cooking the pups, though that takes time.

Frood might make a good dessert, though. Frood for thought.

[Eborne1]

@Vedast Tannus would realize that watertight containers can be harvested from one or all of the dog's bodies, either via the skin, stomach or bladder and sinew along with fragments of bone can be used for sewing it together.

EDIT: I wasn't going to say anything unless the subject was broached.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Eborne1 (see edit history)

[Vedast]

1 minute ago, Eborne1 said:

@Vedast Tannus would realize that watertight containers can be harvested from one or all of the dog's bodies, either via the skin, stomach or bladder and sinew along with fragments of bone can be used for sewing it together.

Ah. Well, see, this is what we get from a city boy running a ranger. I should have played a straight up fighter.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Vedast (see edit history)

[Vedast]

Seems like a better option would be to harvest the dogs as @Eborne1 suggested; roast the rest of them for food; whilst Tannus and whomever try to use the rest of night and dawn to get/find water and return?

If the travel time was roughly half a day (IIRC?) that will still mean another day-under-sun for everyone since the water crew couldn't begin the return trip until the following evening. Or do I have the time/distances off?

Edited July 18, 2023 by Vedast (see edit history)

[Eborne1]

Sounds about right on times and distances.

[Luthiel]

Hmmm. Dog-hide parasols to keep the sun off of us? Elegant and barbaric at the same time! 😝

[Vedast]

Maybe we need to invite back a few more of the dogs? And Frood has a stomach and bladder to contribute.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Vedast (see edit history)

[Vedast]

There's also the (radical) alternative, since we are obviously (even from an IC perspective) being manipulated via The Facility and our appearance now here in this place, of simply announcing to the "void" that we're no longer going to perform in this make-shift experiment for whosesoever's purpose. Of course, in the Facility there was the implication that our wills were suppressed as well as our memories so thoughts of escape, much less rebellious actions were barely possible; but here, now, whilst our identities remain obscured, our freedom of action and cognition seem more-or-less returned.

Reminds me a bit of the old Thomas Covenant series by Steven R. Donaldson. The protagonist retained his knowledge of self identity, but was faced throughout with the paradox of whether The Land was 'real' or an illusion/simulation.

Just as an aside, those novels formed the basis for the GM's homebrew world in which I played my first sessions of D&D ... quite some time ago. I should read those again.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Vedast (see edit history)

[Eborne1]

Are you suggesting the notion of forgoing all storyline events and retiring into NPC roles...? Or are you suggesting to somehow transcend in-game reality, will yourself out of the desert, and thereby awaken from the Matrix? Because, while the latter is a cool idea, I'll just say now that it'll probably be recorded as Tannus undergoing severe hallucinations as a result of heat exhaustion and dehydration and spending the last few hours of his life laughing hysterically as he skips aimlessly through the desert naked.

[Vedast]

I was suggesting that the in-game reality supports supernatural manipulation, potentially of an illusory and mental control nature, and that, part of that manipulation might be recognition of the same.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Vedast (see edit history)

[Jammerwoch]

It seems like the immediate "tasks" at hand, not in priority order, are:

• Harvest material from the dogs: skins, bladders, meat, blood
• Find water and bring it back
• Find shade
• Care for Grace as best we can
• Defend against more predators (x2 if the party splits)

My vote is that we:

• Begin harvesting the dogs immediately for water containers. Note that dog blood (eewww!), in small quantities so as not to induce vomiting, satisfies some of the immediate water crisis.
• Send a couple of us with water containers to fetch enough water to keep us alive for another day, probably 2 of the 3 strongest.
• Scout for nearby shade as soon as its light enough to find it, and move there before the sun gets hot. Grace's injury complicates this, but we hope that shade is not too far away.
• Keep Grace as comfortable as possible.
• If we make it through the day to nightfall, re-assess.

I am certainly open to other ideas!

Lassen is of no use in dog-harvesting, and is squeamish at the prospect both of the harvesting and blood-drinking. He can either stay behind and help with defense and moving the party to shade, or strike out with a companion to find water.

[Eborne1]

1 hour ago, Vedast said:

I was suggesting that the in-game reality supports supernatural manipulation, potentially of an illusory and mental control nature, and that, part of that manipulation might be recognition of the same.

I would think more along the lines of MK Ultra/Winter Soldier type situation with a couple twists.

Brainwashed and set loose.

18 minutes ago, Jammerwoch said:

My vote is that we:

Anyone wish to add to, change or amend the above course of action?

[Luthiel]

Sounds like a plan. Tik's too slow to keep up with the bigfolk (damn little legs!), so I guess he's staying with Grace and whoever else isn't going for water.

[Vedast]

58 minutes ago, Eborne1 said:

I would think more along the lines of MK Ultra/Winter Soldier type situation with a couple twists.

Brainwashed and set loose.

Never heard of this.