ctddnd.com

Survey Party 01
Global Character Log

Discuss! Ruminate! Write your damn summary!

"Yeah, we got some looks for chilling out after securing the wharf. My profession may deal primarily with the unknown, but having a base camp to go back to afterwards is not a question I'm adding to the list. Anyone giving me dirty glances for otherwise taking a moment to get rid of my sea legs can kindly get fucked. Besides, Big Sis needed honing after hitting bones.

Wasn't all backseat respite; I took the time to meet up with Thalia, the cartographer. One thing I know we'll need in a land this lost (sidenote, Zenitha named the place Little Brightwater. The whole landmass! Maybe she thinks more of the Empire than I do) is a map, even if we're making it one step at a time. Me hands don't do fine grip so well from working with Big Sis for so long, but I'll figure it out; luckily Thalia said she's not exactly looking for a map to scale anyways. Also went and saw Emberborn, the smith. Damn dragonborn's so soot-covered, suffused with the smell of red-hot stone, I'm reasonably sure he could flick his tongue and start a fire in the rain. He was patronizing when I asked on what materials he could use and their description to look out for, a slight to overlook when I'm very likely to need his help in the future. I know the others on the landing party made their away around camp too. Lutrum maybe made it only so far as the newly established pub, commendable.

Before we head out I know Lutrum also brought up the notion of finding food, and the bigwig human agreed, a nice change of pace. Big Z was also looking for, well I don't know, but she found another trio of soggy skellies, which we took down relatively quickly. Lutrum also went down just as quickly, have to keep that in mind. One of the defeated was a priest of some kind, if I had to guess from the drapery he wore. There was markings on the vestments, taken over to Nix after Grundr translated the runes on the vestments as

holy mother, goddess of the sea, please guide me in these trying times

Lovely.

Now that we had a little diversion, off we go into the city. Grundr calls it Spring Summit. Taking it slow, we don't make it far, there's the house with a copper plate we get translated to 752. From what we've seen, as much there's no life here, it doesn't look like an exodus took place. There's things you'd expect in the house missing but that stems more from the passage of time than any calamity. Does look like the stone these buildings are made of aren't from the area, so our absentee civilization at least knew about importing, probably the wheel. Good for them. Barely anything of note other than the absence of things, so we move on. Eventually there's a fountain with what looks like a bronze statue near it. On our approach, it's definitely not a statue, something covered in bronze-ish seaweed? Makes some aggressive moves and flicks out its tongue, so we kill it. Sorry, chum. The fountain's water is crystal clear. I filled up my waterskin with it, see if anyone in the wharf can find anything unique about it. We decided to head back for a quick resupply."

Brunhildo's Song of the Session

Cramped in the margins of Grundr's spellbook:

Zenitha's named the continent Little Brightwater. Quite the opposite vibe of this dark, large, foreboding land we've made shore on. Whether it's sarcasm or optimism, I don't really care. My troubles are finally behind me, and all that lays in front of me are my curiosities!

Not to say I'm completely reinvented in this new land. I remember I spoke to Garruk near the end of the voyage. Other orcs seemed a bit dismissive of me, but something about his steadfastness made me trust him. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I asked him how he got his scars. A quick, blunt answer caught me off guard. He seemed so different than my clan, all wild and full of bloodlust. Wearing proper armor rather than baring his skin and teeth and tusks. I saw someone who's experienced violence, is ready to be violent, but has the restraint to know whether to offer a bloody blade or a hand to pull you up. A protector. A helper. Maybe that's why when he bluntly asked me back how I lost my ear, I absolutely spilled my guts to him about my Mul-Kagg. I haven't had the chance to talk to anyone since I fled Danzig's sanctuary. I'm really surprised I didn't start bawling my eyes out so the whole ship could hear me. I hate that I can barely remember my time with him. I didn't even have a proper answer for Garruk when he asked why I was here. Took me a minute to stop looking back, and start looking forward. But like the honest stump of an oak, when I told him about my curiosities and wanting to make this place a home, he didn't demand I join the imperial army or anything. Just cared about my actions to make this place sustainable. A home.

"Look for the helpers."

Stopped by Nix's temporary place on the wharf. Them and me are of a mind. Insatiably curious. I need to be more discerning about who I trust, but I couldn't help but ask about a spell I found in the back of one of Danzig's old books: Legend Lore. I hoped they, being curious about magical artifacts, would either know the spell or know how to teach it to me, but they don't seem to be as magically inclined as I am. I copied a page out of my spellbook onto something for them: all the info I know about it so far. It can teach you incredible things about artifacts: their history and function are just the beginning. But the weaving and runomics required are way out of my league. Thankfully the references from the book were easy enough to copy down along with instructions for the incantation and the diagrams of the hand gestures. I just need to practice. Regardless, Nix was so impressed with my notes on the spell that they offered to let me store a copy of my spellbook at their place securely at any time. (Correct, DM @CTDDND ?) A partner in research, exploration, and progress! I've got someone who I can hurriedly run to with all my findings.

Zenitha was messing with the beacon on the wharf and saw some more of those pickled zombies. She picked a fight with them, likely expecting easy prey considering how the last encounter went, but it did not go as we planned. They got up to the wharf quickly, and while we tried to dispatch them, they....got Lutrum. I don't know what came over me but, I grabbed the gnarled-beyond-repair holy symbol I lifted out of the ruins of Danzig's sanctuary, spoke some words I only half remember, and his wounds went from mortal to only mostly mortal and he was able to stand. I couldn't bear to see a life lost so early into our time on Little Brightwater. I think we will need his songs, humor, and spirit in this place. Plus, I saw him patronizing Pip Goodbarrel's makeshift tavern and I want that jolly halfling taking good care of the new Limping Biscuit.

When I cast that healing spell, something intrigued me. The little wisps of light and power sailed toward Lutrum and knit his wounds shut, but I detected some extra arcane reaction products during the casting. Hard to properly describe. I saw.... the smell of cinnamon? No, I heard... a handshake from a friend? Hurting my brain. Could I put this to use? Don't want to unravel my spellwork and waste my arcane reserves, so I should try it on the stuff I know best.

Once we got Lute back on his feet, we took a look at the robes of the lead zombie. It had runes inscribed on it, so I used a ritual cast to translate:

holy mother, goddess of the sea, please guide me in these trying times

I'm not sure what to make of it. I expected something more.... eldritch. Fishier. Maybe these people were the good guys? Corrupted by whatever is ailing this city. Because this city is so strange. Abandoned, but no real signs of struggle or war, outside of the skeletons at the wharf. Mostly just decay. I also matched a symbol to this religion: A trident rising out of the sea. I gave the robes and a barnacle encrusted mace we found to Nix for study.

Heading into the city, we checked an abandoned house. Didn't find too much inside. No traps or anything thankfully. I used comprehend languages which was still up to translate the placard on the house to read "752." Probably an address. Anyway weHOLY FUCK WAIT I NEED TO ASK BRUNHILDO TO WRITE HIS NAME DOWN SO I CAN LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE IT. ANSWER GOES HERE WHEN I CONVINCE HIM. IT'S PRONOUNCED Claevage. Huh, turns out it's pronounced exactly how it's spelled, just like he said. I hope I retain that info when CL goes away. I should right? I haven't studied the weft of this spell that thoroughly yet.

Anyway, we found someone, something at a fountain in a plaza. Strange, bronze colored undead woman, covered in seaweed. I think we smelled her before we saw her, but the odor was all blending into the seaside smellscape. We dispatched her pretty quick, and she definitely didn't look like she could even be reasoned with. Brun bravely tested the water from the fountain by filling his waterskin. Hopefully he doesn't get pickled like the denizens of the harbor. We decided that with Lutrum having taken some damage and used some spells, we should head back and take a quick rest. Report some findings to some of the interested parties as well. We should look for Devin too, seems like he got lost in the crowd during the 2 day offload.

Comprehend languages ends with a vvvvwip ..."Fuck."

Otar,

I fear I must be brief in this entry. There are only a few minutes to relay the somewhat savage happenings of the day before some new intrigue takes their place in my mind.

The waters around the island have, thus far, proven to be rife with undead. I was searching the shallows for any sign of life, even the smallest mussel or sea squirt, and happened upon another blue zombie. One of my group poked at it with a sensibly cast mage hand, but even such a delicate interference made it spring to...well, not life exactly, but momentum and attack. They were quickly dispatched, though Lutrum took a nasty hit and needed an excess of healing. One of them didn't transform as the others did. I've included sketches of the insignia and runes we found on the vestments. "Holy Mother, goddess of the sea, please guide me in these trying times," it reads. If a cypher is developed, I'll relay it.

As beautiful as this place is, I have concern for the amount of these unholy beings the seas may hold, and even more for what keeps them in this state. The lack of life is disquieting. I never did find a clam.

Further into the city, we found homes in a state of ruin, but no clear evidence of what happen to the inhabitants. The functional fountain in the otherwise barren plaza remains untested, though Brunhildo cleverly filled a waterskin with enough for the arcane and alchemical members of the colony to investigate before ingesting. Of course, we were terribly distracted by the grotesque living statue that...okay, I'll admit, I struck first. But if you can seen the gaping maw of decay and darkness it possessed, you'd understand why. The below sketch doesn't capture the anguish that radiated from the genuine article. Its death was a mercy.

Yours,

Zenitha

P.S. One of the kids told me a joke that I thought would tickle you. Why do paladins wear chain mail? Because it’s holy armor!

Brunhildo Clævage, Grundr One-Ear, and Zenitha - XP granted, thank you!

EVERYONE: Going forward it's going to help everyone if the character name is on the entry.

Minstrel's Musings
Day 3

Dear readers,

Let's just rip off the bandage. I'm sure you all have heard, or even witnessed, my near demise at the hands of disgusting, disgusting water rotted zombies. What's worse, is we allowed them to breach the pier at my suggestion to play a little game of "what has it got in it's pockets". What a blow to the colony that would have been! Fear not; however, after a little "lifting of spirits" provided by Goody at the Limping Biscuit, and some laying on of hands from Zenitha, and I was raring to fight again....from a distance.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that this undead infestation needs to be squashed. To that end, if you have any information regarding potential sources of these undead, the location of suspicious looking corpses or piles of bones, or shady indviduals with unwashed hair, black robes, and pasty skin, please drop a note at the Limping Biscuit. I'll buy you a drink for your troubles. Goody has a particular vintage of dark rum that I highly recommend.

On a positive note, we now have a name for this new land. Since fresh water and mood lighting are firmly on the list of "needs that are accounted for", Zenitha has aptly named it "Little Brightwater" which I think is lovely. We still don't have a name for our settlement, but my vote is for something aspirational like "Lotsafood" or "Noundead".

- Lutrum

XP granted!