This takes place during the game on 06FEB21
21
FEB/21
Oni stood in the middle of all the dead bodies. Dead again. Blood dripped from small cuts all over his body. David cleaned the blade and slowly headed back to camp. Oni looked up to the sky. The moon was there, but it was not her moon. It was a new moon. He watched as the wind cycled around him, giving him everything from hot to frigid. This was some new glorious moon. He looked up and thought, “maybe she has not found us yet.”
They went back to sleep, to finish the night. Mar’iya was kind to Oni and let him sleep a little longer than normal before waking him for his watch. He touched his shoulder gently, “it is your watch.” Oni rose up knowing it was later than it should be. Mar’iya smiled, “you forget to wake me in the morning, and I do the same to you.” Oni smiled back, “thanks my friend.” It is amazing how one day of rest can make them feel like civilized men again. They are still deep in the dunes, but one night with plenty of water made them feel better. Oni looked over to David. Mar’iya followed his gaze, “he seems better. He is dreaming but it does not seem like nightmares. Finally.” They both watched him for a little while. He had calm breaths as he slept. Oni looked at Mar’iya again, “get some sleep, I will watch him again.”
Before long the sun came up again. Oni felt very alone. He had not been this alone in along time. He stepped up to take in the dawn he loved so much. He moved into his first fighting stance. He heard the sand move on the far end of the oasis. He looked back to Mar’iya and David, “get up. Something is coming.” Oni ran off to check it out. He did not look back. He just expected his friends to join him in a minute. David awoke to see Oni running off. He reached over to wake Mar’iya as he grabbed his sword.
Oni ran up a dune so he could see where the noise came from. He looked over and saw fifteen people heading towards the oasis. They were people but their sere bodies made them almost look like very slow dead. Oni ran down to the supply tent to grab a couple of waterskins. Audun was just starting to stir. Oni quickly made eye contact and yelled over to him, “grab some water Audun.” He ran out into the desert with the water. For the briefest moment he worried this was a trap. He made a quick mental prayer to Lathander, “please let this be people we can help.” As he ran off towards the dry walking people, he saw Audun gather up some more water. Mar’iya and David took up a spot to watch as Oni ran out to the stragglers. They wanted to watch Oni’s back as he moved out to the people.
Oni started to hand out water. They sucked it in like the dry sand sucks in water. Oni watched to see if others moved in as a trap. Audun came up shortly after him, with more water. These folks sucked that up as well. Audun came up to Oni, “these are the people that fled into the sand.” Oni started to move more of them through the water, “we should let them rest under the big tent for the day.” Oni started to usher them towards it, “come my friends, rest and have some water. You are safe for now.” He expected trouble even as he said the words. He twitched his vision in all directions looking for that other shoe to drop.
That shoe never dropped. These poor people in the desert were not a trap. They were just helpless. One small shoe dropped. A little girl died that day. Her dehydration could not be undone in time. Audun, the de facto leader of the group took the child and buried her for the family. These stranglers could do nothing but rest, eat and drink the rest of the day. Audun and the others brought them water all day. They were all well versed in desert life and drank it slowly. It was important to bring in the water slowly all day. Flora, Audun’s wife made a thick flat bread for them and all of us. It was filling but would not over tax the body as it added energy to their tired bodies.
Mar’iya walked up to Oni. David was there playing with one of the kids. It was good to see him behaving almost normally again. He looked up with a smile as Mar’iya came up. It was not quite the smile he had for Sora, but it was a real smile. All of them were feeling better just by helping these people.
Mar’iya: “I think we need to set up a watch for the day. That was not a problem, but the next group might be.”
David: “Do you trust Audun and his group enough to have them cover it.”
Mar’iya: “I think so, but one of those clowns fell asleep during their watch last night.”
Oni: “we have so much to do, I think we must trust them to do it.”
Mar’iya: “I was hoping that Herman could help us out here.”
Oni: “no, he is gone.”
Mar’iya: “WHAT?”
Oni: “he left last night.”
Mar’iya: “What? I know you let that bug get away with a lot, but he is yours.”
Oni: “He said he was hot, dry and tired. I am not sure where he goes, but he said he needed a little rest and would be back in a day or two. He grabbed a huge chunk of dung and left.”
Mar’iya: “I get it. I am sorry. It just seems like a loss of resources.”
Oni: “I completely understand, but we are friends. He is not mine.”
David: “I will ask Audun to set up watches for the day.
Mar’iya: “can you show them how to make a dug out, so we can use them at night?”
David: “yeah sure.”
Oni: “I can help a little. I want to get some of those date palms, for some oil.”
Mar’iya: “sounds like a day plan. I will go out shortly and do a little hunting and foraging.”
Oni: “I could use your help on an Idea I have.”
Oni started to draw out his plan for a water gathering box. It came to him the other night when it rained. They did not have any way to gather any of the rainwater. This would be a vessel that could be partially buried. It would need some leather, with tent canvas over the top. Oni thought of this as just a way they could gather rainwater, but he could not know that with the air having slightly more water within it could be used at night just to gather the tiniest bits of moisture.
David went off to talk to Audun and the new watch. He and Audun went up to the top of a small rise to construct the dugout. It would be a slightly cool place for them to take watch. David also explained to them the dangers of the night. When he was done, he headed over to the tent and disappeared within. Mar’iya lightened his load and went off to gather desert treasures. Oni grabbed a sack and started to climb the date palms.
Hours later they gathered again. The sun was now in the second half of the day. Oni headed towards the tent before Mar’iya. He had two large bags of date palm. David stepped out just as he came up. David had a smile smeared across his entire face. He was almost bouncy in his step. Oni reached out his hand to his shoulder to stop him. David’s smile never left his face as he looked at Oni’s hand, “she is back. She is with a small group in Raam.” David walked off towards Flora to get some food. Oni could not process what he was said, and just watched him go. Mar’iya walked up as David bounced away from him, “What is up with him.” Oni shock his head, “I have no idea. He said something about she is back, and in Raam.” They both just stood there as he left.
Mar’iya: “What did you get?”
Oni: “a bunch of Date Palms. Some for oil, and some for dried snacks.”
Mar’iya sarcastic: “um one of my favorites.”
Oni: “What did you find?”
Mar’iya: “some lizards, some dried out tortoise shells, and a treat for tonight.”
Oni: “what’s the treat?”
Mar’iya holding a big sack up: “a bunch of prickly pears. I am going to show Flora how to ferment some of them. we will juice the rest.”
Oni: “pharaonic for sure.”
Mar’iya: “Let’s get some food and start to work. I still want to work on the worm armor.”
They head off to follow David over to wear Flora was making some food. It was still mostly that thick flat bread she was making for the survivors. Mar’iya cleaned the lizards and gave them to Flora who cooked them on some large flat rocks. He then started to juice the prickly fruit in a large cooking pot. Oni started to work the date palms into two different groups. He smashed them into chuncks to make into a dried snack and made the rest into oil. David was physically drained. He dove into lunch.
The three, Oni, Mar’iya, and David started to use the scraps of this place to create useful items for themselves and for the oasis tribe. Oni first created more dolls for the kids. He made them all with symbols of Lathander, the morning glory woven into them. He was spreading the word in his subtle way. Mar’iya having leather skills, started to work on his worm armor. David started to help Oni, with his water gathering devices. He created the pieces Oni needed. Oni started to put them together.
They worked most of the rest of the day. They only stopped to eat and drink. Audun and Flora made sure that food was available for them and the survivors. The day had been good, even after the tragedies of the days before. Oni used the rest of the day to make small items for the oasis people. Mar’iya and David worked all day and into the night on the armor. It was not finished this first day but was starting to look good. It was starting to look like armor.
Mar’iya: “hear anything from Herman?”
David looking up confused: “what?”
Oni: “no. My guess he will not be back for a couple of days.”
David: “where did he go?”
Oni confused as David heard the same conversation earlier: “no idea. He said he would be back in a couple of days.”
David nodding:
Oni started to tap his temple:
Mar’iya and David opening mental communication: “what’s up?”
Oni: “should we tell them about the pyramid?”
David: “should we share that place with people?”
Mar’iya: “if we want our people to be the people of the pyramid, we need to get people there before others find it.”
David: “those people might already be there. we might be sending them to their death.”
Oni: “I know. But if they could be the first, they might be able to secure it before others get there. It might be a salvation.”
Mar’iya: “I say we tell them about it and tell them the risk. Audun can make up his own mind. I can show him some memories, and that will help.”
Oni: “the new dawn is about choice. I love this idea.”
David: “let’s set up watches and get some sleep.”
They went to rest. Their first real rest in days.
GM Only
As this day ends, They have gained
- 2 things of oil
- 6 new kids dolls
- 2 water gathering devices – one for the tribe
- 1 suit of purple worm armor – over half complete.
Message sent to Gabe:
Hi Gabe we are making a few items while here at the oasis.
Oni wants to mate three things
- More dolls. I estimate they take .02 hours per doll. So if I double that, to .04 hours which is about one every 2.4 minutes. I figure he will make 6 over an hour. So again +7 to the roll.
- 2 water gathering devices. I looked through the list of adventuring gear, and I estimate the cost for the calculator as 1 GP. So I could make one in about 30 minutes. I would double the time. So I could make the two in about 2 hours. One is for us and the other is for the people of the oasis. Still at +7.
- Trying to replenish my oil. I am thinking 2 things of oil. They are listed as 2SP in the players handbook, but I think this is a little harder than that suggests. I am using 1 GP as in the calculator. So It would be about 30 minutes to make as well. I am thinking of doubling this two so 2 hours.
- After the 5 hours of work, Oni will work with the oasis people and craft objects for them
Mar’iya wants to make Armor out of the Purple Worm Pieces. I calculated it out and it should take about 12 hours. I think he will try to double that time. To 24 to get the bonus. We have tools so I think he would get a +7 to his roll. David would help him after helping me. This should reduce the time down. I did not want to half it for a second person, I am thinking it is a 16 hour task.
Gabes Response:
I think there is enough time to “take 20” ☺️