SoloDark: Pelor's Quest ep73

-/-- Welcome to SoloBickering! It's a solo rpg, which means I roll dice generate a story and decide outcomes, and lose arguments with myself as I portray the exploits of my adventurers. 

--/-- Join me on a journey into the game world I play face to face in, and it may sound vaguely familiar to you. Like many another DM I stitch my world together from any bits and pieces I fancy, adding them into a standard setting, Faerun's Sword Coast.  

--/-- AI and NSFW: For this adventure the stars are young and moderately hot, and I'll be using CoPilot AI to buff my romance bar, because I'm useless at romance, and for side situations that need social interactions. Some of the situations the young protagonists find themselves in may turn out to be NSFW. I won't be deliberately aiming for that, but oracles are what they are. So if on either account you take an ethical stand against those, skip this episode and listen in to Rollohi, my other SoloBickering output. 

--/-- And having said that, let's get the game started. 

https://larrymannplayssolobickering.blogspot.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hi, I'm John from Tale of the Manticore. Robin from Stories from the First Watch.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

PJ from A Wasteland Story in the Solo RolePlayers Podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:08

Simon from Legend of the Bones.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Brian Rideout from Swords Against Madness.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Carl from The Lone Adventurer. And I'm Trevor from Your Story Will Be Different. And with our solo role-playing audio, narrative, actual play, drama powers combined, we are the Solo RolePlayers Podcast Network.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Usually accustomed to delving the depths, scouring the desert, surviving the wasteland. Or facing the dragon alone.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

This time, we have teamed up to bring you a curated collection of the best, highest quality, most dramatic, and diceyest solo roleplay podcasts in the world.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

There are dozens of us. So if you're looking for your next solo roleplaying adventure, roll over to solo roleplayersnetwork.com.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Sample and subscribe to something that takes your fancy. And discover your new favorite solo roleplaying podcast.

SPEAKER_04 0:59

See you there. Now, the somber hills. You crossed wild country before. You fought things most folk wouldn't believe. But the Sumbers and winter? That's a different kind of trial. Trails vanish, landmarks shift. A clear sky can turn to a white wall in the time it takes to draw breath. You've all done well, more than well. Red Larch is safe because of yours. But this ride, this is the hardest thing you've faced yet. The world itself, cold and uncaring. Stay close. Listen when I speak. And trust that I'll get you to Beliard in one piece. After that, well tell us what comes next. Mound up. The sombers ain't waiting.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Welcome back to season two of Pelor's Quest, a solo dark adventure. For this venture, the stars are young and moderately hot, and I'll be using Copilot AI here and there to buff my romance bar, because I'm useless at romance, and for side situations that don't really need tools. Some of the situations the young protagons find themselves in may turn out to be NSFW. And if you're uncomfortable on either of those two scores, skip this and head over to the world of Rollohy. Otherwise, having said that, let's get on with this show. Winnie wakes up to a wonderful warm feeling. She's dressed in fairly decent clothes, a lot warmer than those she last wore, and she's lying next to a really nice warm fly. Oh sorry, Winnie. We were attacked by wolves. He didn't make it, Nat says sympathetically, holding Winnie's hand. Now that you're back with us, can you tell us what your story is and how you came to be out here in the wilds? You can just speak to me quietly and privately if you like, she continues in a half whisper. Winnie's story is something she is ashamed of. So she's glad when a distraction comes from the handsome, dark-haired, blue-eyed young man who's proffering a tin cup of something hot and steaming. We woke you up so you could share in this tea I brewed up, he says. There's a glance between he and the girl beside Winnie. Natalie, was it? But Winnie is used to being a good girl, and she drinks the cup. It's sour. She makes a face, and the young man grins. Yeah, it tastes terrible, I know, but it's the best I could do in this cave. Or mine, I suppose. So, you've been here a couple of days then. She is the daughter of the Barjright Inn down to the south. She's also best friend of the young noble lady from the great landhold of the area. The two looked quite similar and enjoyed exchanging clothes, and this must have been what led to Sal's mistake. He wooed Winnie, and she, believing that he loved her truly, fled with him eloping before the age of marriage. But as they got into wild country, he became more and more unable to deal with the severities of early winter, and at some dreadful point, that she skates over, being far too ashamed of it. The revelation that she was not, in fact, an heiress, but merely in expectation of a good settlement from her in-owning parents, broke the dream romance wide open. Recriminations followed on both sides. Sal would probably have happily abandoned her to the wilds, but he himself lost their mount and pack in the frozen lake, which of course, at the time it happened, was not truly frozen all the way through. She's not exactly sure how long she lay resenting Sal and wishing him gone but wishing him to save her. But it may have been a couple of days. As her appetite recovers, she certainly puts away a solid day's meal. Nat assures her that she'll be safe with the party, as safe as they are themselves, and the plan is to get her to Beliad, from where the contact that the Ranger Garrick knows, and here it's fairly obvious even to the naive Winnie that the party of youngsters don't understand much about this Aberana, other than she's important and maybe magical, should be able to do something useful towards reuniting her with her family. As you may have guessed from the description, Drum has successfully located enough ingredients to concoct the equivalent of a morning after pill type of drink. And really, without discussing it at all with the others, he and Nat have forced, shall we say, Winnie to drink it. Everyone, in fact, in the whole company have partaken, assuming it's just a sour fungus tea. Lacinta does give Natalie and Drum a bit of a look, suggesting that maybe she has an idea what's afoot. More importantly, though, everyone is extremely battered, but there's work to be done. Especially by Drum. Setting aside the grim but mundane task of dragging Sal's corpse away. He and Garrick have to skin out three winter wolves. And take anything else that seems valuable enough to take, such as teeth. And this has to be done before the corpse is stiffened. Even Garrick seems not to know whether or not winter wolves are magical enough for their bodies to behave differently to any other dead corpse. But it's a safe assumption that they can't just be left. And so his partly snap-frozen body complaining, muscles weary from the day's exertions. Drum gets out a skinning knife, and he and Garrick set to. Shadow Dark doesn't contain any specific ranger abilities for processing game, but it's within the routine of the character class. So the real question is, do the two rangers manage to clear out all three carcasses? And I'll just use the oracle for that, setting it as likely 2D20. 18. That's a high yes. That feels rather as though Lucinda may have helped. Certainly her hand axe is very, very helpful for smashing jaws and breaking teeth out. Although there too, Drum and Garrick alike have their own hatchet for general purpose around the camp. But when I think about it, I feel that Lucinda will be dedicating a certain amount of time, and quite a bit of time, to making sure that Sakheeb's arm is not permanently damaged. The wolf grabbed his sword arm, of course, not a shield arm, and gave it a massive wrench with its enormously heavy body. Winter wolves are far larger than even the largest grey wolves. Sakheeb's chainmail should have protected him against a broken arm, but it's not a guarantee against a dislocated shoulder or elbow. Let's do a general medicine check for Lysinda. High is good. 7. That's not great. Let's see if Sakeb can help. Oh that's good news. I gave him a disadvantage check, and his worst was a 12, so Lysinda gets a second roll. Oh well that's much, much better. 18. She has no wisdom bonus or deficit, so a high success is what it is. Zakabe wrinkles his nose fastidiously as Lysinda uses filthy mouldy old bits of canvas to strengthen the lathe with which he's kept his arm fixed.

SPEAKER_03 10:20

Just let it sit straight overnight.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

She advises.

SPEAKER_03 10:25

In the morning, your elbow should be fine.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

I could just pray to Timora, he says querulously. But you might think it's funny if your arm sits backwards. Lysenda points out gravely. Sakeb shuts up. Even Garrick looks haggard by the time he and Drum finish wiping their knives down and restore them to their sheaths.

SPEAKER_04 10:53

Listen, winter nights are long. Puss it up. Four watches. Who's the best cook?

SPEAKER_03 11:02

I'm fair.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

No, it's nothing to brag about. The two lads nod. Ned looks unconvinced.

SPEAKER_04 11:13

Hmm. What say this? Let's let the priest get a good night's sleep. Listen to your breakfast watch. I'll stand first watch to give the weary lovers a chance to get a good rest. How did you Ned stops herself? Drum flushes. Second watch can be Natalie. Third watch, drum. I'm pretty damned sure that that last wolf won't be back to bother us, but bodies draw scavengers. He glances up and around. Any kind of anything that might creep out of the stonework. Not just the cavemouth that we need to keep a watch on.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

But having said that, he sets his back to the fire and focuses his presence and wit toward the cavemouth. The others finish the meal that they've been sharing to date, settle down, and get some much needed sleep. The fire is burning low as Lucinda wearily rolls out of her bedroom and takes watch. She feels a great deal better. But she knows the day ahead is going to be brutal. According to what she knows of the geography and from what Garrick has said, they could have a night in the naked wilds between here and Belaard. But the alternative is pushing the ponies and horses to the breaking point, trying to cover a ridiculous amount of mountain trail. No, on the whole, she's fairly confident that Garrick will keep the mounts in hand with energy in reserve in case there's another chase. Her skin prickles. There's a sensation of cold from off towards the back of the mine. Recalling Garrick's grim tidings about the brown mould, she wheels, looking wildly up and around. A grey presence is forming in the distance. Listen to immediately awake again. And Garrick too. Nat and Sakeeb sleep the sleep of the exhausted. A human-sized figure appears to be walking calmly towards the fire. It's wearing a shirt which by no means is winter wear. It's open at the collar, and there's a conspicuous ornament. Even though it's translucent, it would seem that this young man is quite proud of its attire. It slicks back its hair, and the cinder recognizes the translucent but now extremely handsome face of the dead cell. Like a priest! She hisses. Garrick shakes Sakeb awake.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

Sakeb, I hope your hand is better. There's a ghost coming to join us at the fire.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Sakeb, clumsy with his left hand, grabs up his Taimora coin and presents it forcefully. Big gun, undead Sal! He says in a somewhat protesting voice. According to the term Undead Spell, Sal has to make a charisma check against Sakeb. He easily makes it. The party edges away as Sal, apparently not aware that he's dead, attempts to chat and particularly chat up the female members, trying to warm his hands by the fire and exhibiting no sense of shame at the sleeping Winnie. But as dawn comes, the ghost, looking rather puzzled, fades away into obscurity.

SPEAKER_03 15:51

Sakeb, didn't you say you had that late rest, Val? That's not something I've got ready.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

I guess I can pray to Taimora this morning. But we've all had a good rest and we're ready to go, Sakheeb says practically. For indeed, it has been a full nine hours of undisturbed rest, and so everyone can restore their hit points. Well, let us hope a curious ghost is the worst we encounter between here and Beliad, Garrick says, playing things cool and assembling his eating kit, looking expectantly at Lucinda.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

Early breakfast, I guess, he jokes.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

With as much grace as she can muster, Lucinda sets about preparing a decent meal out of the reserves they have. When he wakes, probably to the smell of food, or just the renewed activity around the fire. And as you might expect, as the daughter of an inn, she is a good hand around the campfire, deftly helping Lucinda with what she can. And therefore, it's more than a decent meal and hot cup of tea that the adventurous and ranger and refugee have before tidying things away and paying attention to Garrick. But before then, of course, there's the morning routine of preparing the mounts for the day's travel. Saddlebags and saddles, packs and panniers, spear firewood and spear fodder all have to be strapped back into place. The horses are not happy about it. They know that the outside of the cave is a lot colder. Drum, Sakeb and Natalie go through the usual routine of making sure the cinches are really cinched in tight and persuading the ponies that it's best to stick with the humans, they do know where they're going. And at the end of all that, Garrick addresses them seriously, even as he's turning his attention to his own eating utensils.

SPEAKER_04 18:04

We don't know if we're ever going to stop until nightfall. Make sure the ponies are fed up.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

And so, before turning their attention to their own fuel, the party ensures their mounts are all well filled up with the best chow of oats and barley corn. At length. And now we've earned that breakfast, Garrett says, rubbing his hands and turning with great energy to the meal that Lucinda and Winnie have prepared for them. The ponies and horses are stamping in patiently and ready for their feed bags to be taken away and stowed back again. All the while, over breakfast, the wind outside has picked up, although not constantly, emitting a series of what sounds like short howls or screeches rather than one constant tearing howl. The cinder observes. Garrick nods absently, frowning. Indeed, if he wasn't reasonably sure that it could turn worse, Garrick would insist they hole up in the mine another day. But he's bargained for slow pace today, and as slow pace it will be. And so, about an hour after dawn's first break-in, the party sits out around the quarry lake and onto the trail to Balaya. Once again, Garrick leads the way, walking, sure-footed, around the lake. His hard-ingrained memory tells him where true stone is and where ice lies beneath the scum of snow. A skull rolls in without warning, turning the world to white. Wind cuts sideways, not down. It steals warmth, and the snow begins to lie deceptively smooth. The trail is a rumor under the snow. Garrick follows the land, not the path. The ponies must be led on the steeper climbs. Hoofs slip on the frost-slick stone.

SPEAKER_04 20:38

Step wrong and you'll drop to the waste.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

Garrick warns them again. Snowy squalls drive sleet into the faces of the riders, switching around every half mile or so, viciously catching them off gallop. At this altitude, stunted pines twist like old men bracing against the wind. If they are herds, they're keeping well out of sight. After five terrible miles, Garrick turns slightly, gesturing with his bow.

SPEAKER_04 21:23

Standing stones. A good trail marker. I know exactly where we are.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

The centers are on golf duty at the moment, towing on the lead reins of the last two melts. But there's no grey shape. No mountain high troll. And her total of wisdom reception check is DC eleven, not DC twelve. Eager for that rumored shocker, she hurries on. A figure, lightly dressed in the robes of a southern wizard, watches from behind a standing stone and smirks. Ratings and reviews are much appreciated. For those keen to find out like-minded creators, check out Solo RoleplayersNetwork.com. It's a treasure trove of solo roleplay stuff. For those keen to get in touch with me, you can contact me through SoloRoleplaySNetwork.com or at Larryman Plays on Mastodon. Or you can email me direct at LarrymanPlays at gmail.com. That's Larry with two R's and man with two N's. Larryman Plays all one word at gmail.com Thanks again and catch you later.