The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (Game Thread VIII)

[Jenara]

"Yes there are, and we really should get rid of them, the Stallion is..." She frowns. "He will need a while, I have felt this before." Locky sits near the fallen horse, lightly stroking the Mare. "Its ok, Babuskha is here, she is just hidden to keep her safe."

Locky smiles at both Gnomes, trying to recover her stones and find a few more if she can. "We can't move until the Stallion is ok, and Babuskha needs to rest."

The Kender is strangely serious, her childlike face seemingly thoughtful.

[Jerrard]

Nodding to the two Gnomes Jerrard watches Locky with the Horses, he owed her his life once more, strangely he didn't feel like there was anything wrong with that.

"Agreed, we move the bodies, the grinder seems like a good option." He sits back down, using his sword as a crutch. "Locky? Could?" He stumbles, unsure of what to say.

[Jenara]

Locky says nothing, calling on Paladine she asks him for strength to remove the curse that so cruelly afflicted her friend, she also calls for healing to help him with his wounds.

--

Casts Remove Curse, and Cure Moderate: 1d10+1=11 11 hp Healed

[JadedDM]

Most of Jerrard's wounds heal up. As for the hex, well, the only sure way to test if it is gone or not would be for Jerrard to confront a plant and see.

==========

Locky casts Remove Curse and Cure Moderate Wounds on Jerrard. He regains 11 HP.

[Breila]

Babushka says nothing, cuddled up in Jerrard's blanket, she watches the others. Her kender friend was so powerful! Not like her, incapacitated by one of these damned spiders. Perhaps she should ask Locky about Paladine and his powers... her thoughts become incoherent, and she drifts back to sleep.

[Jenara]

"What do you have in mind?" Jerrard asks the Gnomes, sword in hand. He stays near Bab's but keeps a little distance.

Locky suddenly and without warning goes all silly again, her thoughts on wild Gnomish inventions.

[JadedDM]

Sunni explains again in simple terms, as if speaking to a child. "We have rigged up a system or pulleys and ropes, so we can pull the horses up to the top of the waterfall. Once we get them to the upper level, we'll do the same thing at the first waterfall, so we can lift them up to the surface."

"Weweregoingtobuildavariationofthegnomeflingerandcatapultthemuptothetop," Wingnut adds. "WellIguessyou'dcallthemhorseflingersinsteadofgnomeflingersbutinanycasewedecideditwouldtaketoolongtobuildthemandafterthatspiderattack-
wedecidedwewantedtofinishupassoonaspossible." There's a sense that the gnome is disappointed that they were constrained by time to use such a 'simple' method of extracting the horses.

[Jenara]

Jerrard just smiles in tolerance. "I understand the principal."

Looking at the downed horse he frowns, "we can't move until the stallion is back up on its feet, Babuskha needs to be on her feet too."

Locky says nothing, part of her wanted to go exploring, but she couldn't right now.

[JadedDM]

After half an hour, Jerrard's torch burns out. Locky continues praying, and regains the rest of her spells.

By the end of the second hour, the horse seems to have recovered. Eager to test their device, the gnomes lead the two horses over to the waterfall. "Are you coming or staying here?" Sunni asks.

================

First hour - No encounters (Jerrard's torch burns out, Locky memorizes the rest of her spells)
Second hour - No encounters (Black stallion's paralyzation wears off)

(OOC: Babushka is still invisible and still suffering from extreme fatigue, with all of the penalties I mentioned earlier. She still cannot be magically healed yet.)

[Jerrard]

"If this works, we go out, Babuskha gets rest in a real bed and when she is healed, we collect the coins." Jerrard responds quickly, his face daring Babuskha to speak. "And this time we prepare better. No arguments.

[Jenara]

"I guess sleeping in a bed would be good, I can't remember the last time I actually slept in a bed.." Locky grins and walks over to the blanket, trying to avoid treading on the invisible Gnome. "How does that sound? I can't see you, but I know you need a rest."

Smiling at Bab she adds: "You REALLY should learn to duck you know."

[Jerrard]

"Ahh, yes that reminds me." Jerrard walks back to where he left the Gnome, and reaches out a hand, hopefully placing it on her head.

Speaking a few words of magic he lets his magic protect her as best as he can.

(Jerrard Casts Armor on Babuskha)

"Now, let us head to the Waterfall." He stands, taking Babuskha's hand he brings at her to her feet. "Hold onto me, do not let go of my hand."

[JadedDM]

The party follows after the gnomes. As Jerrard cannot see, Locky leads him the right way, so he doesn't walk into a wall or trip over a dead bug.

Babushka and Locky can see, even in the pitch darkness, the system of ropes and pulleys the two engineers have set up once they arrive. At the end of the rope is a leather harness, and the gnomes are all ready strapping it on the white mare. Once she's secured, the two climb up the root ladder and begin heaving on the rope. Despite the fact the horse must weight a thousand pounds and the two little gnomes don't appear terribly strong, they are still able to lift the horse up thanks to the pulleys.

Once the white mare is up, they move on to the black stallion. Although both horses are a bit spooked at being lifted into the air, they calm down once they are back on solid ground. It takes about half an hour to get both of the horses up to the top of the waterfall.

Afterward, the party finds themselves back at their original campsite, where Locky first discovered the wooden key. The two dead hanging snagworts remain, but Jerrard cannot see them. Even when told of their presence, though, he finds he doesn't feel even a little nervous.

"Now we just have to do it again, for this waterfall," Sunni explains, wiping some sweat off her brow. "It'll take another hour or so to set everything up, so you may as well get comfortable."

================

Jerrard casts Armor on Babushka. She gets a +1 bonus to AC until she's taken a total of 12 damage.

(OOC: Oh, and I forgot to say earlier, but Locky recovers all five stones, but doesn't find any new ones.)

[Jerrard]

Breathing a sigh of relief Jerrard lights the lantern for a few moments and lays out his blanket once more, "Well it worked, it actually worked." he shakes his head in amazement and pats the blanket. "Sit, please." he says as he brings Babuskha to sit.

"And Locky thank you, I believe the Curse is gone. You have no idea how good it is not to be scared of a Plant." Laughing he sits down and waits.

[JadedDM]

Indeed, once Jerrard lights the lantern, he can see the dead snagworts...and feels nothing. It seems he truly is cured. It appears he won't have to find a new day job after all.