The Sundered Way

[spiderwrangler]

((This is the third time I thought I'd responded to Tess, but either I didn't or none of them went through!))

"Yes, it's one of the simplest conjuration spells, may a young wizard has mastered it with the express purpose of getting out of chores. Serves that role just as well for old wizards."

He taps his foot somewhat impatiently.

[M0rtimer]

Ulmwin eventually offers to be one of the first ones going through, seeing how nobody in particular was looking to stand first in queue.

[NotStickFigures]

Coljin joins Ulmwin, 'come on' nudging Tess into moving, too.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy waves Maj through before him and brings up the rear.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Maji looks confused as everybody gets up, not sure why all of them need to go out into the desert. He slowly gets up and follows the group.

[spiderwrangler]

The two gnomes, Tess and Holger go through in one group, followed a few moments later by Randy and Maji, who are joined by Kreldoran and Fiona.

"Yeh must be the caravan folks! And a colorful bunch yeh do be... I am Kreldoran, resident of this here tower, and if my fellow dwarf hasn't briefed yeh, some of yer number have agreed to take on a job for me in return for my aiding your travels east. We could stand out here gabbing all day, but I'm ready for bed, so..."

With that he turns around, pulls out his wand and traces symbols across the knocker, before stepping back, and nodding. He plants his back against the wall and strides forward, stopping and summoning a mage hand to inscribe an arc in the sand from his position sweeping right and left to form an oval that intersects the tower.

"There! Yeh'll have to do one wagon at a time, get it as close to the door as yer able, just make sure everyone is inside that line on the sand and yeh should be good. Who all is coming in first?"

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal goes and starts bringing the wagons over. Once everyone and thing is in he'll follow.

[spiderwrangler]

While the rest of you were inside, Galt and Tren took the reins of the other two wagons, with Szartha retaining his position on the third. Zephyr is sitting with him, while Renny is playing with a stick to one side, poking it into the sand over and over again. The blue dragonborn nods his thanks to Dornikal as the dwarf takes the mules by the harness and guides them into place. Once the three of you and the wagon are within the border, Kreldoran joins you, lifting the knocker and letting it fall.

The silver bubble flows burbling out of the door, larger this time, and surrounds those within it, before retracting and leaving sand bare but for the inscribed oval.

---

Dornikal, as the opposite side of the bubble rushes over you, you find yourself in a circular room, similar in diameter to the base outside, larger than the top of the tower. The smell of a stable washes over you as you notice that to one side is a small cart and various tack and gear hung on the wall, to the other side is a mule in one of multiple enclosures who looks up uninterestedly at your arrival.

"Yeh can park it over there, and stable yer mules with Neil there. Step lively boy, and make room for the others."

[Arch Lich Burns]

Maji decides he very much does not want to be in the desert and goes back in at the earliest possible moment.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy helps direct traffic/drive as needed to get everyone in.

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal does as directed, placing the wagon in the designated spot before unharnessing the mules and stabling them. If there is feed and water available he will ready that for the mules, giving them all an appreciative pat on the head.

[spiderwrangler]

Group by group, you enter the tower via the knocker, Renny quite surprised at the abrupt change in surroundings. "Hurm! Hurr!"

Once you've parked the wagons and settled the mules, Kreldoran stands up from where he was waiting on a stool, moving to door that leads to an enclosed stairway spiraling to the left up along the outside perimeter of the tower. "Come along then, bunkhouse is the next floor up."

True to his word, as you follow, the next floor beyond a small entry hallway near the stairs opens up into a round common area in the center of the floor, with doorways leading to seven rooms in the remaining segments of the tower, each containing a pair of double bunks. Adjacent to the entry is a narrower room, that reveals itself to be a toilet and washroom.

"It's been a while since I did have anyone staying here, but Fiona keeps the mice out, and Fergus just dusted last week. If yer needing linens, I can send him down with some. Once yer settled, kitchen is the next level up, yer welcome to use the stove and whatnot. I'm going to get my dinner around so I can go to bed."

He stumps up the stairs, leaving you to sort things out.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Maji taps on Renny's shoulder and motions him to follow him upstairs to the kitchen. He then looks around for any meat avaliable, hoping that the wizard has something good.

Invest [1d20-1] = 5-1 = 4

[NotStickFigures]

Coljin, seeing Maji and Renny heading towards the kitchen, follows. "I'm a bit peckish, too. Let's see if there is anything to eat for a snack before turning in for the night!"
What Coljin is really hungry for is nuts and fresh vegetables, staples he used to eat everyday at home, but not so much available in dried rations he had packed. Thinking the mage traveled all over, he searches about a bit to see what he can find in the kitchen.

Investigation
Input: [1d20]
Output: [1d20] = 12
I still cannot get CoyoteCode to work.

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal picks a bunk, not concerned who bunks with him so long as it isn't Renny, and gets it ready before helping others get situated.

"Aye guess we just eat and hit the sack? We gonna have a watch today?"

[thinkslogically]

((aren't we nocturnal now? Or by "night" do we actually mean day?))

[spiderwrangler]

((Yes, the day is dawning.))

[spiderwrangler]

Maji, Coljin and Renny dump their things and head up to the kitchen on the heels of the dwarf.

You start poking about, Maji turning up a disappointing lack of meat. Most of what Coljin finds seem to be thinks that are easy to prepare, and don't require much in the way of care or handling, really not all that different from your trail rations, porridge and other grains, dried fruit and the like, though you do find a few tins of nuts.

"Yeh didn't bring rations of yer own? Fine, fine... suppose it does no good to send yeh lot on a job hungry."

He returns to stirring the small pot he's using to make his dinner.

[M0rtimer]

Ulmwin probably ate enough scones to survive for two days. He's just fine picking out a room to sleep, and getting comfy...

[NotStickFigures]

"We have some rations, but I was hoping for something fresh to compliment our very hard, dried rations. " Coljin states, "We won't use up too much of your stores, sir."
He will grab one tin of nuts and place it out on the table. "This will help things taste better. I'll work on making food for the others quick, then off to bed."

He will go down and see how many are hungry and how many are going right to bed. He will then grab his rations and go and re-hydrate them, adding the nuts at the the end to try to up the flavor a bit. Trying to make enough for anyone who stated they were going to eat now. Afterwards, he will bunk down.

[spiderwrangler]

"Ah. Don't have much of that. Like I said, not much of a cook myself, but when it comes to flavor, I am, quite literally, a wizard. As long as it nourishes this old body, I can make the most boring slop taste like fine dining. Helps keep the old blood pressure in check when I don't have to use salt to season my fo--! Excuse me!?"

Renny reaches over the wizard to dip his ladle into the pot and have a taste. Grunting and hurming in dismay, he rummages around in his pack, pulling out a few pouches and jars, stuffing them into his apron pockets and returning to the stove, adding a few things here and there.

"What exactly is yer forking orc doing to my dinner?!"

[NotStickFigures]

Since he doubts an answer is coming quick from either Maji or Renny, "Oh, well, he actually is a good cook we've found out. Seems like some injury did something to his brain maybe...Friendliest orc I've ever come across, maybe it swapped his angry brain impulses for flavor impulses."

[spiderwrangler]

"Ah, well... ahem, I suppose I'll leave him to it."

He moves to sit on a stool near Coljin.

"So, my little gourmand, I see yeh do be a follower of the Lady of the Forest. How have yeh found desert living?"

[Rodgeir]

Taking no one answering his question as an answer Dornikal shrugs and heads up to see what there is to eat.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Since he can't find any meat, Maji goes downstairs and grabs some of the fresh giant constrictor meat and bring it upstairs. He puts it on the counter and starts cutting off choice pieces of meat, and only rarey did he sneak himself a small chunk or two to munch on.