[2026/06/04 14:16] Sonja Bikergrrl: Anyway, enough delays
[2026/06/04 14:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: last time: you defeated the outer defences and got past a nest of tentacles and a house sized tower of jets and bladders that were attacking you, or, rather, defending the outer perimeter of the group you are investigating.
[2026/06/04 14:18] Sonja Bikergrrl: There's three Githyanki scouts and a red dragon, Emberclaws with you.
[2026/06/04 14:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: you're mostly unwounded, although, your minds are getting very fragile from the otherworldly horrors you keep seeing.
[2026/06/04 14:20] Sonja Bikergrrl: And with that recap out of the way... GGRREEEETTTIIINNGGGSSS Adventurers! Other players get to face DMs determined to TPK them, you get me trying to derange your brains instead.
[2026/06/04 14:20] Sonja Bikergrrl: who's starting us off
[2026/06/04 14:22] Sapphire: "Alright, sound off if you're still alive," Gwen says, looking ahead.
[2026/06/04 14:22] Mecha: "Yo." Comes from Neopti
[2026/06/04 14:22] Sonja Bikergrrl: Emberclaws moves forward, lumbering like a bulldozer. "Yeah, I'm fine, bub."
[2026/06/04 14:22] Joe: "This life..." complains Joe the cynic
[2026/06/04 14:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: Githyanki scout captain: "We shouldn't delay. The one you seek, this Snaggletooth, isn't far."
[2026/06/04 14:23] Sapphire: No other way but forwards?
[2026/06/04 14:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: Which way would you rather go?
[2026/06/04 14:24] Mecha: Home for pizza
[2026/06/04 14:24] Sapphire: what are the options?
[2026/06/04 14:25] Mecha: But yes forward for Neopti
[2026/06/04 14:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: idk... you could walk back to the village you started at and have pizza, if you don't mind your home world being sucked into a whirling seething pit of evil
[2026/06/04 14:26] Mecha: ... So nothing would really change?
[2026/06/04 14:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: Hard to say.
[2026/06/04 14:26] Joe: I have no pizza but I have a cooking pot and some raisins, herbs, spice, and rice to cook with, if we have time for a meal
[2026/06/04 14:26] Sapphire: I was more thinking "are there multiple approaches that still go forwards"
[2026/06/04 14:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: How will you find out?
[2026/06/04 14:28] Sapphire: we have eyes and ears?
[2026/06/04 14:29] Sonja Bikergrrl: You see a hacked apart pit of tentacles, and a sagging heap of bladders and tubes. There's trees all around, the terrain is slightly hilly, clouds are drifting across the sky and it's late morning.
[2026/06/04 14:30] Sonja Bikergrrl: and three sliced apart corpses of what might once have been dogs, now bizarrely with insect parts and spines attached.
[2026/06/04 14:31] Sapphire: "I say we get to high ground to better see our goal from."
[2026/06/04 14:32] Joe: "good idea"
[2026/06/04 14:33] Mecha: Neopti nods and follows the crowd
[2026/06/04 14:33] Sonja Bikergrrl: so what are you doing, exactly?
[2026/06/04 14:34] Sapphire: moving to the hill and using the elevated vantage to figure out where we need to go and what challenges will be in the way
[2026/06/04 14:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: any one in particular?
[2026/06/04 14:36] Sapphire: closest unless there's some obvious reason to pick otherwise.
[2026/06/04 14:37] Sonja Bikergrrl: Takes you ten minutes to reach a local maximum elevation; you see trees all around. Roll D10.
[2026/06/04 14:37] Joe: all of us who climb ?
[2026/06/04 14:37] D10: Sapphire rolls 10
[2026/06/04 14:37] Sonja Bikergrrl: Have you split the party?
[2026/06/04 14:38] Mecha: figure we acan all climb
[2026/06/04 14:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: or walk ten minutes
[2026/06/04 14:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: so you're all together
[2026/06/04 14:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: Excellent, roll initiative
[2026/06/04 14:39] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 8
[2026/06/04 14:39] D20: Sapphire rolls 19
[2026/06/04 14:39] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 8
[2026/06/04 14:39] D20: Mecha rolls 7
[2026/06/04 14:39] Sonja Bikergrrl: Joe?
[2026/06/04 14:40] Sonja Bikergrrl: Let's see how many you face...
[2026/06/04 14:40] D4: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 2
[2026/06/04 14:40] Sonja Bikergrrl: Only two.
[2026/06/04 14:40] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 6
[2026/06/04 14:41] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me awaits Joe to roll a D20
[2026/06/04 14:42] D20: Joe rolls 13
[2026/06/04 14:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: Two creatues, that you refer to as Zerglings, come barreling out from amongst the trees. They don't seem particularly happy to see you, but then again, maybe they're anxious to hug you.
[2026/06/04 14:43] D4: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 4
[2026/06/04 14:43] Joe: "Demons!"
[2026/06/04 14:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: They charge the Githyanki.
[2026/06/04 14:43] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 6
[2026/06/04 14:43] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 10
[2026/06/04 14:43] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 4
[2026/06/04 14:43] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 17
[2026/06/04 14:43] D4: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 3
[2026/06/04 14:44] Sonja Bikergrrl: One gets clawed, not too badly.
[2026/06/04 14:44] Sonja Bikergrrl: Githyanki get to respond.
[2026/06/04 14:44] Mecha: Hi INgelin
[2026/06/04 14:44] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 2
[2026/06/04 14:44] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 4
[2026/06/04 14:44] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 4
[2026/06/04 14:44] Sonja Bikergrrl: or not.
[2026/06/04 14:44] Sonja Bikergrrl: Neopti next!
[2026/06/04 14:46] Mecha: claws out and attack
[2026/06/04 14:46] Sonja Bikergrrl: roll 'em!
[2026/06/04 14:46] D20: Mecha rolls 11
[2026/06/04 14:46] D20: Mecha rolls 8
[2026/06/04 14:46] Sonja Bikergrrl: One hit, roll some damage
[2026/06/04 14:47] D4: Mecha rolls 1
[2026/06/04 14:47] Sonja Bikergrrl: ....it's a start.
[2026/06/04 14:47] Sonja Bikergrrl: Joe! How are you going to deal with these canid demons?
[2026/06/04 14:48] Joe: charge at the nearest one while yelling "Demons!" and cleave it in half with my battleaxe
[2026/06/04 14:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: Roll an attack!
[2026/06/04 14:48] Joe: *sword
[2026/06/04 14:48] D20: Joe rolls 16
[2026/06/04 14:49] Sonja Bikergrrl: that's a hit.... D8
[2026/06/04 14:49] D8: Joe rolls 1
[2026/06/04 14:49] Sonja Bikergrrl: ...
[2026/06/04 14:49] Mecha: lol
[2026/06/04 14:49] Sonja Bikergrrl: it's a start...
[2026/06/04 14:49] Sonja Bikergrrl: Gwen! What are you doing?
[2026/06/04 14:50] Sapphire: Bow, shooting an arrow into each zergling
[2026/06/04 14:50] Sapphire: since it sounds like neither dropped
[2026/06/04 14:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: Not with minimal damage, no. Don't roll a 1 :-)
[2026/06/04 14:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: two x D20 for bow
[2026/06/04 14:50] D20: Sapphire rolls 17
[2026/06/04 14:50] D20: Sapphire rolls 16
[2026/06/04 14:51] Sonja Bikergrrl: two hits, two D6 rolls. Same or different targets?
[2026/06/04 14:52] Sapphire: splitting
[2026/06/04 14:52] D6: Sapphire rolls 6
[2026/06/04 14:52] D6: Sapphire rolls 5
[2026/06/04 14:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: One drops dead, the other screams with agony
[2026/06/04 14:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: It attacks Gwen furiously
[2026/06/04 14:53] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 5
[2026/06/04 14:53] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 5
[2026/06/04 14:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: o_o
[2026/06/04 14:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: Githyanki next
[2026/06/04 14:53] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 3
[2026/06/04 14:53] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 13
[2026/06/04 14:53] D20: Sonja Bikergrrl rolls 8
[2026/06/04 14:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: who can't hit for shit
[2026/06/04 14:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: Neopti!
[2026/06/04 14:54] Mecha: claw claw swipe swipe
[2026/06/04 14:54] Sonja Bikergrrl: roll, roll
[2026/06/04 14:54] D20: Mecha rolls 1
[2026/06/04 14:54] D20: Mecha rolls 6
[2026/06/04 14:55] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me just won't say anything
[2026/06/04 14:55] Sonja Bikergrrl: Joe?
[2026/06/04 14:55] Mecha: trip trip mis miss
[2026/06/04 14:55] Joe: more slashing
[2026/06/04 14:55] D20: Joe rolls 9
[2026/06/04 14:56] Joe: and more not actually doing much useful
[2026/06/04 14:56] Sonja Bikergrrl: hit AC 8, they're AC 6
[2026/06/04 14:56] Sonja Bikergrrl: close
[2026/06/04 14:56] Sonja Bikergrrl: no ceegar
[2026/06/04 14:56] Sonja Bikergrrl: Gwen?
[2026/06/04 14:57] Sapphire: the double tap seemed promising, more arrow attacks
[2026/06/04 14:57] Sonja Bikergrrl: roll 'em
[2026/06/04 14:58] D20: Sapphire rolls 9
[2026/06/04 14:58] D20: Sapphire rolls 20
[2026/06/04 14:58] D6: Sapphire rolls 6
[2026/06/04 14:58] D6: Sapphire rolls 5
[2026/06/04 14:59] Sonja Bikergrrl: It's dead.
[2026/06/04 14:59] Sapphire: whew
[2026/06/04 14:59] Sapphire: how many still up?
[2026/06/04 14:59] Sonja Bikergrrl: Any more bright ideas?
[2026/06/04 14:59] Sonja Bikergrrl: None, that you can see
[2026/06/04 15:01] Mecha: Then forward we go
[2026/06/04 15:01] Sonja Bikergrrl: forward which way?
[2026/06/04 15:02] Mecha: same direction we were going
[2026/06/04 15:03] Sapphire: how many "forwards" are there?
[2026/06/04 15:03] Sonja Bikergrrl: well, you can face an infinite number of directions, so, an infinite number of forwards exist
[2026/06/04 15:03] Sonja Bikergrrl: since you headed up a hill, I'll assume you're heading down the other side and onwards.
[2026/06/04 15:04] Sonja Bikergrrl: unless you have some specific goal in mind, then, now is the time to say
[2026/06/04 15:04] Sapphire: how do I phrase this
[2026/06/04 15:04] Joe: cooking a hearty meal of spicy rice and raisins ?
[2026/06/04 15:04] Sapphire: we can't know anything about what's ahead of us until we're informed by the GM
[2026/06/04 15:05] Sapphire: so what'm sort of expecting to hear is either a spread of possible options, or interesting features we can see from our position
[2026/06/04 15:05] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me copy pastes what she told you: Sonja Bikergrrl: Takes you ten minutes to reach a local maximum elevation; you see trees all around. Roll D10.
[2026/06/04 15:06] Sapphire: ok, so we're currently surrounded by trees
[2026/06/04 15:06] Sonja Bikergrrl: It's lightly wooded hills, there's slopes and trees....
[2026/06/04 15:06] Sonja Bikergrrl: I'm really not sure what to tell you other than that
[2026/06/04 15:06] Sapphire: Any hint of tracks, game trails? ruts carved by all these zerg?
[2026/06/04 15:06] Sonja Bikergrrl: Roll D20, and tell me what you're looking for.
[2026/06/04 15:07] Joe: anything beyond the trees or is it a sea of green as far as our eyes can see ?
[2026/06/04 15:07] Joe: any landmarks or other fetaures or curiosities ?
[2026/06/04 15:07] Joe: features*
[2026/06/04 15:07] D20: Joe rolls 1
[2026/06/04 15:08] Sonja Bikergrrl: well, there's trees nearby, trees behind the trees, and more trees after that, with a few bushes thrown in for good measure.
[2026/06/04 15:08] Joe: well thats me sitting down like a twit
[2026/06/04 15:08] Sonja Bikergrrl: As for land marks... there's trees.
[2026/06/04 15:08] Joe: gets out my cooking pot and begins preparig a hearty meal
[2026/06/04 15:08] Sonja Bikergrrl: You do know for a fact that these are oak trees.
[2026/06/04 15:08] Sapphire: thanks, that was actually gonna be my next question
[2026/06/04 15:09] Sapphire: notably, it means the zerg haven't changed what kind of trees there are yet
[2026/06/04 15:09] Joe: maybe collecting some dry twigs for a camp fire
[2026/06/04 15:09] Sonja Bikergrrl: Not yet, no.
[2026/06/04 15:09] Sonja Bikergrrl: which is actually a good observation.
[2026/06/04 15:09] Sapphire: in my case I'm looking for tracks, broken branches, spoor, anything that suggests the zerg are traveling through the area on a regular cadence so we can follow that back to their nest
[2026/06/04 15:09] D20: Sapphire rolls 14
[2026/06/04 15:10] Sonja Bikergrrl: Hmm. Sadly, you can't glean any information from the soil, grass, moss, twigs, branches and leaves
[2026/06/04 15:11] Joe: are there enough twigs on this hillside to make a camp fire?
[2026/06/04 15:11] Sapphire: Won't that attract zerg?
[2026/06/04 15:11] Sonja Bikergrrl: More than likely; there's enough trees to build a fleet of ships, after all.
[2026/06/04 15:12] Sapphire: Where are the gith thinking to go?
[2026/06/04 15:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: And, much more than likely, yes.
[2026/06/04 15:12] Sonja Bikergrrl: They're looking at you all with a mixture of pity, concern, increduluity and amusement.
[2026/06/04 15:13] Joe: sighs. Sorry folks we will have to go on empty stomachs.
[2026/06/04 15:13] Joe: could we ask Emberclaw's advice on which way is forward?
[2026/06/04 15:14] Sonja Bikergrrl: idk, could you?
[2026/06/04 15:15] Joe: "Hey Emberclaw, which way do you suggest?"
[2026/06/04 15:15] Sonja Bikergrrl: Emberclaws: "Try following the direction we pointed out, bub."
[2026/06/04 15:15] Joe: "After you, oh wise one."
[2026/06/04 15:16] Mecha: Neopti shakes her head and moves out to run the perimeter before coming back and nodding in agreement
[2026/06/04 15:16] Sapphire: ( Were the directions last session? )
[2026/06/04 15:16] Sonja Bikergrrl: Emberclaws: "Nuh uh, bub. You first! It's your world, not mine."
[2026/06/04 15:17] Joe: Are any of the sticks around here craft-able into pointy-sticks to use as primitive spears?
[2026/06/04 15:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: ( 14:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: Githyanki scout captain: "We shouldn't delay. The one you seek, this Snaggletooth, isn't far." 14:23] Sapphire: No other way but forwards? 14:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: Which way would you rather go? - so about fourt minutes ago )
[2026/06/04 15:17] Sapphire: ...do you not already own a proper spear? or just sword?
[2026/06/04 15:18] Sonja Bikergrrl: Probably, yes, do you plan doing that?
[2026/06/04 15:18] Sapphire: ( do we know which direction Snaggletooth actually is in, then? )
[2026/06/04 15:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: ( Yes. The direction the Githyanki said. The "forward" I suggested. )
[2026/06/04 15:19] Joe: Yes I want to make as many spears as I can carry
[2026/06/04 15:20] Mecha: Neopti shakes her head."Not really mine either. humans are weird." Before remembering the scout."Hey you said taserface isn't far. then let's go the direction you say,
[2026/06/04 15:20] Sapphire: ....in that case I'm confused why we keep getting asked to confirm what direction we're going, but if we know which way than we might as well proceed
[2026/06/04 15:20] Sapphire: even if the trees mean we can't see much before we get there
[2026/06/04 15:20] Joe: I have 6 Zergling claws which could be attached to the spears for the pointy end, if I can come up with a way to secure them
[2026/06/04 15:21] Sonja Bikergrrl: Because I pointed out a direction, you chose to go a different way.
[2026/06/04 15:21] Sapphire: we did?
[2026/06/04 15:21] Sonja Bikergrrl: Naturally I'd ask "are you sure".
[2026/06/04 15:21] Joe: we went up the neartest hill for a look-see
[2026/06/04 15:21] Joe: nearest*
[2026/06/04 15:22] Sonja Bikergrrl: Pretty sure I made it clear there was nothing to see, but, you insisted on going to see.
[2026/06/04 15:22] Sonja Bikergrrl: so, now you've seen...
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sapphire: /me twitches
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: How do you have six zergling claws?
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me reads the sheet
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: huh
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: you do
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sapphire: presumably from slaying zerglings
[2026/06/04 15:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: or very enthusiastic hand shaking
[2026/06/04 15:24] Sapphire: so is forwards full of trees at the moment?
[2026/06/04 15:24] Sapphire: they're oak trees which suggest the underbrush is thin and walkable
[2026/06/04 15:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: you're at the top of a mound of dirt and rock, surrounded by light woodlands.
[2026/06/04 15:25] Sapphire: it's a dirt and rock hill? not itself forested?
[2026/06/04 15:25] Sonja Bikergrrl: if you go the direction the Githyanki pointed out...
[2026/06/04 15:25] Sonja Bikergrrl: Hills are local uprisings of rock, covered with soil. The topology is hilly. The local fauna is trees and bushes.
[2026/06/04 15:26] Joe: let's trek
[2026/06/04 15:26] Sapphire: Onwards before we get bogged down trying to craft stuff in the field
[2026/06/04 15:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: well, first you'd need a crafting table, and that'll need four planks
[2026/06/04 15:27] Sapphire: i can't tell if you're joking or not
[2026/06/04 15:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: Dare I ask which direction you're going
[2026/06/04 15:27] Sapphire: how many flavors of "forwards" are on offer?
[2026/06/04 15:28] Sonja Bikergrrl: tell me you never played Minecraft without telling me you never played Minecraft
[2026/06/04 15:28] Sonja Bikergrrl: Mecha, Joe, which way?
[2026/06/04 15:30] Sapphire: look, the weather outside is alternating between body temp and thunderstorm, i'm cranky, half the party members hate me, and for some reason proceeding through an oak forest is a comedy of errors, i don't have the bandwidth to not take jokes literally.
[2026/06/04 15:30] Sonja Bikergrrl: then let's drop it here and continue next week. It's getting late to get into anything meaningful.
[2026/06/04 15:31] Sapphire: ...sorry, didn't mean to derail by venting
[2026/06/04 15:31] Sonja Bikergrrl: you didn't
[2026/06/04 15:31] Mecha: Again following the direction the gith directed.
[2026/06/04 15:31] Joe: "It doesn't much matter which way we go. As soon as we get down into those trees, we are going to get hopelessly lost and then nightfall and then more of those Demons. We will waste days wandering in circles around this hill." Joe the cynic mumbles
[2026/06/04 15:32] Sonja Bikergrrl: okay... DJ Di tomorrow... and of course special night Saturday
[2026/06/04 15:32] Sapphire: /me raises hand
[2026/06/04 15:32] Mecha: Neopti walks to the Gith."Told ya.. Humans are weird."
[2026/06/04 15:32] Sonja Bikergrrl: and D&D with your favourite DMPC
[2026/06/04 15:32] Sapphire: can we at least proceed enough to find the next... interactable?
[2026/06/04 15:33] Sapphire: and clifhang there?
[2026/06/04 15:34] Sonja Bikergrrl: After a few minutes walking.... two zerglings, lurking behind trees. As you approach.... "Eh-eh-eh!" and they run off quickly.
[2026/06/04 15:35] Sapphire: "Scouts? Running back to report on us?"
[2026/06/04 15:35] Sonja Bikergrrl: I'm sure nothing bad will happen.
[2026/06/04 15:35] Sonja Bikergrrl: That's a reasonable deduction.
[2026/06/04 15:35] Sonja Bikergrrl: I guess you'll find out next week.
[2026/06/04 15:36] Sapphire: Ok
[2026/06/04 15:36] Sapphire: ♥
[2026/06/04 15:36] Sapphire: thanks for running, sorry i'm so crabby tonight
[2026/06/04 15:36] Sonja Bikergrrl: Naa.