The Colony - Turn 21 - Homeward Bound

The poisoned party members threaten forward progress. The group pauses to reassess their plans outside the dangerous confines of Black Needle Forest. Also, a brief update on those back at the White Tulip in New Kavlin.

Start Date: July 27, Midday

Start Status: Use Caution

Start Location: July 27, Midday

White Tulip: Smoke, Rennard, Shade, Zenobe, Mendel, One-eye, Maarek, Hagan, Sim

Exploring: Xon, Adrienne, Nogg, Aaron, Brigg, Candle, Kessel, Jinx, Javiera

The Turn

Most of the party sticks with the poisoned folk while Kessel and Aaron take a quick look around to see if they can find a better camping spot in the immediate area. The pair returns in fairly short order, and leads the party to a sheltered hollow beside a hill. A tiny spring trickles into a boggy patch of ground, providing a source of fresh water. Able-bodied party members keep watch and let the others rest, and Kessel and Aaron do a little more exploration, never straying far from camp.

By nightfall, most of the debilitated party members are feeling better and after a night's sleep, the effects of the poison are all but gone [full recovery from the minor wounds and poison effects].

July 28

The time allocated for the group's trip is expiring, so they set a course southwest that should, if they're lucky, get them back to town in time to submit their maps and reports. Unfortunately, the route also leads into woodlands. Everyone hopes a rapid march through the trees will not draw the attention of whatever attacked the party.

The group spends the morning mapping the immediate area and the northern edge of the woods to the southwest. With that finished, they pick up the pace and continue southwest. The pace slows a bit as they get closer to Vine's Strike as the terrain is rocky and rises sharply ahead. The march turns into a scramble, with party members spreading out to find paths up wooded ridges and around steep-sided ravines. As evening falls the group is on the southwest downslope, with farmland visible ahead. They camp beside a small stream next to a field of grain.

July 29

After reviewing maps and notes, Javiera and Aaron feel the party is too far west. They head southeast in hopes of finding the road that will eventually take them to Vinehold. A chance meeting with a woodcutter affirms their position and they quickly find the road. It is still fairly early when the group reaches the village.

OOC: I really don't know how you want to approach Jinel Vine, so we'll stop here. It would be helpful for next turn if you cover that, your plans for getting back to town, and what you're submitting as your map/report. You managed to map both 35,24 and 34,25.

Meanwhile, back at the White Tulip...

The days pass quietly. On the 28th, Rennard, Smoke, and Mendel take a trip out to Pleasant Vale to speak with one of the pre-plague colonists, they hope. Shade has not been back to the Tulip in several days, and those remaining speculate as to where he might be. With four people gone, it's harder to maintain a regular watch on the place, but it's been quiet so far.

End Date: July 29, morning

End Status: Civilization

End Location: Vinehold