Start of #Verden buffer: Fri Mar 07 00:13:43 2003
<Maurius> WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIGGING TO DO!  WHERE'S THAT DOG?
<VerdenGM> The dog is ranging across the snow slope sniffffing
<grendal> I shout at the shadow to see who it is.
<Maurius> M takes some dogs with him to dig for people.
<grendal> I hope the avalanche threat is over
<VerdenGM> Everyone, except for Moon_Shadow do a perception roll let me know how many points you roll under it by. 
<grendal> I made it by one
<VerdenGM> So far only the one dog is to be found. He is one of the St Bernards
<Maurius> I rolled 8,  Ithink that's under by at least 4.
<VerdenGM> Okay, Maurius seems to be looking at something grendal. Maurius you see something special!
<VerdenGM> The shadows on the far slope seem to be creating the shape of your holy symbol
<Maurius> Yes?
<grendal> I go over to see what Maurius is looking at
<VerdenGM> (the shadows aren't moving, the just seem to take on that shape)
<VerdenGM> grendal on the far slope where Maurius is looking it appears to be something shaped a bit like something you've 
  seen recently.
<Maurius> GOOD GOD!! LOOK OVER THERE!
<VerdenGM> grendal do an intelegence roll
<VerdenGM> GM, do a spell check
<Maurius> NOW THATR'S A SIGN IF I EVER SAW ONE!
<VerdenGM> Gwain says, it does somewhat resemble the jewlery you are wearing Maurius
<Maurius> Maurius begins to walk towards it.  Does it look safe?
<grendal> Missed by one
<VerdenGM> You might be able to cross the river safely.
<VerdenGM> grendal you think the shadows look a lot like a rabbit. Though the rabbit looks sorta scrunched.
<VerdenGM> The rabbit seems to be sprawled in the shape of a symbol
<Maurius> AH!  BUT FIRST, WE NEED TO FIND THE OTHERS!
<grendal> The playboy bunny!!!!
<VerdenGM> or Maurius's holy symbol!!
<VerdenGM> You are all very wet from melting snow and not wearing all your winter gear. Maurius has his heavy robe on though.
<Moon_Shadow> Have I managed to find anything warm to wear?
<VerdenGM> Nope, just dust
<VerdenGM> It isn't too cold a little way into the cave though.
<grendal> Can we find the others on the other side of the river
<Moon_Shadow> Okay, I willl huddle by the warmest wall and wait for a bit.
<VerdenGM> If the others aren't on the slope above and virtually unreachable without climbing gear, they might be on the far 
  side of the valley.
<grendal> 5 I go look
<VerdenGM> (I mean on the top of the cliff you were washed down, not on the slope you are on)
<Moon_Shadow> (Did any of the gear I had with me, pack etc, get transfered along with me?)
<VerdenGM> It will be dangerous to cross the river too quickly, but with grendal's knowledge of the sea and river ice of home, 
  he can find a safe route across despite the uncertainty of the snow from the avalanche.
<VerdenGM> Moon_Shadow, what gear would you have started with if you were on a trip that would take two days in mid summer on 
  the prairies.
<grendal> I will do so.
<VerdenGM> Gwain, your guide, says, I don't think it is safe to stay here and I'd tend to try be quiet. MAURIUS!
<Moon_Shadow> (A light blanket or two, clothing, some dried food and a sword)
<VerdenGM> (ominous rumbling)
<Maurius> Maurius puts his faith in Grendal and the dog.
<grendal> I hurry to get across before the next avalanche
<VerdenGM> Moon_Shadow, you have a blanket and the bag with the dried food in it. No sign of the other stuff just yet.
<grendal> Be careful not to go for a swim :)
<VerdenGM> Gwain: the water might be less than warm.
<Moon_Shadow> Okay, I will wrap the blanket around me tight and will munch on a bit of the food.
<VerdenGM> Gwain is a little light in his mocassins. He has no problems staying on top of the snow.
<grendal> Do we have any luck finding the others on this side of the river
<VerdenGM> If you climb the snow that crossed the river in the avalanche, it would take you close to the centre of the shadow 
  - holy symbol shape.
<VerdenGM> Nothing moving except the occasional mini avalanche.
<Moon_Shadow> Once I have eaten a little, I will venture a short way out of the cave to find some snow or water to drink.
<grendal> Do the dogs smell anyone
<VerdenGM> The dog doesn't seem to, and has stopped ranging far from you three.
<Maurius> Sounds like a plan, Maurius goes thataway to look for more people.
<VerdenGM> It seemd like the dog was searching for a while, but has given up. He is more than happy to cross the river with 
  the rest of you.
<grendal> I follow Maurius while keeping an eye out for signs of people
<VerdenGM> There is a gap where you can see fast dark water flowing. The gap is in the ice over the river.
<VerdenGM> It looks like there is something in the water lodged on the overhanging ice.
<grendal> Is there a way around the gap
<VerdenGM> The gap is not big. Perhaps 20 feet across and 10 wide and 10 -30 deep.
<Maurius> What is it?
<grendal> Is it a someone or a something
<VerdenGM> It looks like a very broken sled. Like peytrs, but it is hard to know for sure. Shortly it is drawn under the ice 
  to disappear in the flow of the river.
<Maurius> Do we have any rope?
<grendal> Can we go around
<VerdenGM> Maurius has his belt, which I believe is a rope.
<VerdenGM> You can go around. The only break apparent in the ice over the river is that gap and it is not that big really. You 
  might not want to cross too close to it.
<Maurius> But it's not all that long (No James Bond belt for this monk). would we be able to fish out the sled anyway?
<grendal> I hope that peytr was not with his sled and lead the party around
<VerdenGM> No it has washed under the ice. 
<Moon_Shadow> Once outside the cave, I will grab a quick few handfulls of snow, then dart back into the cave with a yelp due 
  to the cold.
<Maurius> Does the dog smell anything?
<VerdenGM> The snow of the slide is now very hard ice. You were making footholes in it to start with, but now it is covered by 
  a shell of ice. The icy snow covers the bottom of the valley from the cliffs you were swept down to part way up the far side 
  of the valley, 
<VerdenGM> At the centre of the holy symbol there appears to be a cave opening. You three are starting to feel rather cold. 
  Your wet clothing is starting to freeze.
<VerdenGM> The dog doesn't seem to be catching wiff of anything. Though he does sniff as he walks.
<VerdenGM> Moon_Shadow, you notice the moving shadows are coming towards you, but are far down the slope below the cave.
<Maurius> LET US MAKE WHAT SHELTER WE CAN, THEN SEARCH AGAIN!
<Moon_Shadow> I will go as far back into the cave as possible and conceal myself with my skills as well as I can.
<grendal> I search for firewood as we approach the cave
<VerdenGM> Gwain: I think maybe we should try for the cave and maybe make a fire to dry our wet clothes by.
<Maurius> (m gestures towards the cave)
<VerdenGM> There is much shattered wood about.
<VerdenGM> Some dry.
<grendal> I will gather an armload
<VerdenGM> The cave does seem very homey looking from below.
<grendal> Does anyone have a flint in their pocket
<Maurius> II collect both kinds, but keep the dry stuff seperate.
<VerdenGM> You can't carry much up the icy slope, you hope it is enough if you are careful.
<Maurius> ? I don't know.  Maurius might have, as he has next to no gear, and might  not have had a pack.
<VerdenGM> It is a good thing you have bone, metal, or wood cleats on your footwear or you would not mnake it up the slope
<Maurius> Maurius ties extra wood to the dog's back.  Bet you could fit a lot on a St. Bernard.
<VerdenGM> Everyone roll 3 d6 and let me know if any roll a 6 on any one of the dice
<grendal> no sixes
<Maurius> nope
<Moon_Shadow> I rolled two 6s
<VerdenGM> Maurius, I figure that the St Bernard was a part of your team.
<VerdenGM> The dog still has a small pack attached to his collar.
<Maurius> Ok.  By the way, Maurius will poke a tree branch into the snow at random intervals, just in case he feels something 
  that should be dug out.
<VerdenGM> I think that the St bernards would have each had a small pouch.
<Maurius> Ok, and Maurius will use his belt to tie more to the dog's back.
<VerdenGM> This one just happens to have flint, steel, and a little tinder. Plus a small piece of dried liver.
<Maurius> Is there any alcohol in the pouches that the dogs already have?
<VerdenGM> The hard leather pouch might serve to hold meltwater. It seems sturdy enough to handle being near a fire.
<Maurius> Handy. GOOD DOG!
<VerdenGM> Other of the team might have had other useful tidbits.
<VerdenGM> Others of the team
<VerdenGM> Each of you might have an item that was on your belt and most of what you might have had inside your clothes to 
  keep from freezing. Like bowstrings if you used a bow.
<Maurius> Well, we are certainlytrying to find anything useful as we go.
<VerdenGM> Gwain: I think that alot of the stuff was either washed into the river, or left up the cliff. There should have 
  been some stuff poking up otherwise.
<VerdenGM> The dog smells something up the slope and growls. Others might note a faint smell of summer flowers.
<VerdenGM> (someone ate all the GMs smarties!)
<grendal> We will have to climb the cliff as soon as we are warm to see if our friends are up there
<Moon_Shadow> (Didn't do it, wasn't there, I want my lawyer! lol)
<VerdenGM> Gwain: I think that would be prudent.
<Maurius> Maurius looks to what the dog is growling at.
<VerdenGM> He is growling at the cave that is now a short distance above you. Moon_Shadow, you hear a growling sound. Perhaps 
  a bear?
<VerdenGM> or a wolp
<grendal> Does the cave look inhabited from the outside
<Moon_Shadow> I will try to hide deeper into the shadows.
<VerdenGM> It doesn't have the look of a man mad shelter. Looks like a natural formation. of course you can not really look 
  inside until you are level with it.
<grendal> but is there any garbage around the entrance.
<Maurius> "IN HEAVEN'S NAME, WHO GOES THERE?" Maurius shouts even louder than usual into cave, though he is trying to avoid 
  triggering another avalanche...
<grendal> Are there any tracks
<VerdenGM> No garbage
<VerdenGM> there is ominous rumbling from up the valley.  It is starting to get dark. The mountains are shortening the short 
  winter day.
<VerdenGM> Moon_Shadow hears someone's loud voice....
<Moon_Shadow> I will stay silent, hopefully concealed completely from who ever is shouting.
<VerdenGM> "IN HEAVEN'S NAME, WHO GOES THERE?"
<Maurius> "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, WE MEAN YOU NO HARM BUT JUST WISH TO SHARE THE WARMTH OF THIS CAVE FOR A TIME, BE YOU MAN OR 
  OTHER."
<Moon_Shadow> I will also be looking frantically around for something I can use as a weapon, should I need it.
<VerdenGM> Maurius only hears his echo, the now quiet growling of the dog and the ominous rumbling of snow up and down the 
  valley.
<VerdenGM> The cave has a uniform talc like dust on the bottom and not much else. There is still a very warm breeze issuing 
  from it.
<grendal> I will go inside
<VerdenGM> Gwain (quietly) Perhaps we should charge up. I don't like that rumbling sound
<VerdenGM> The dog goes up with grendal unless someone tries to restrain him
<Maurius> Maurius is at the cave's mouth, and is going in.
<VerdenGM> It is very dark, almost inky even almost a short way into the cave. Dispite the darkening outside, it was still 
  much lighter than in the cave. The rock and dust are very black seeming.
<VerdenGM> Moon_Shadow sees sillouetes of people in the cave entrance... and one large furry dog.
<VerdenGM> The seem to be armed with firewood
<grendal> Is there room near the entrance to get a fire going without blocking the entrance
<VerdenGM> It is possible
<Moon_Shadow> I wait for a bit, just to take thier measure before moving.
<grendal> I will try to start a fire right away
<Maurius> Maurius helps Grendal build a fire.
<VerdenGM> The entrance is about 20 feet wide at the opening by about 30 feet tall. It narrows to 5 feet wide and 8 feet tall 
  before it is too dark to look into. It is pleasantly dry and warm inside.
<VerdenGM> 6' 5'12" 5'0" 24"
<VerdenGM> :-)
<Maurius> Anything to eat with us?  Are there any signs of an inhabitant in the cave?
<VerdenGM> gwain sits down and helps build a small warm fire. It is hard to keep lit though with the warm breeze, but with 
  someone blocking the breeze it will catch and hold.
<Moon_Shadow> I am about 5'9" so will be as far back as I can get amid the shadows.
<VerdenGM> The dog has a small bit of dried liver. There might be mouse dropping in the dust.
<grendal> I should be big ienough to block the breeze
<VerdenGM> Moon_Shadow you cango quite deep into the shadows... like there was no end to them.
<Moon_Shadow> Okay, I will watch and see just how far back the stangers go and will move back from them as they approach my 
  possition.
<VerdenGM> The dog goes to a spot near one of the walls that Moon_Shadow had not had time to check more than quickly and 
  starts digging. There is a very old very dried out leather pack buried under the dust.
<Moon_Shadow> (Do I recognize the pack?)
<VerdenGM> Below the pack, some leatherlike substance
<VerdenGM> Doesn't look familiar. But it is hard to see for Moon_Shadow as she is pretty deep in the cave.
<grendal> What is it?
<VerdenGM> The leatherlike substance turns out to be the back of a mummified body. Too short to be a man, too big and muscular 
  to be a trollkin. Perhaps it is a Dwarf?
<VerdenGM> ...was a dwarf
<Moon_Shadow> Okay, if it looks like the strangers are not comming back too much further into the cave, I will slowly, 
  carefully creep up toward them.
<Maurius> Is the dog looking at something?
<VerdenGM> The dog starts to bark at something in the shadows... there is a very loud rumble from outside the cave. And a wind 
  starts up blowing into the cave completely overpowering the warm breeze from within.
<Moon_Shadow> I freeze where I am standing.
<grendal> I take cover against the wall incase snow comes inside.
<VerdenGM> Everyone gets a few moments to consider their next move, though their characters wouldn't. Do an intelegence roll
<grendal> I roll 10
<Moon_Shadow> I roll a 10
<Maurius>  13
<VerdenGM> the important thing is how much you make "your" inteligence roll by. The higher your intelligence, the easier it is 
  to roll under it by a substantial amount.
<Maurius> is there a smaller inner wall to take cover behind?
<Moon_Shadow> I make it  by 1
<VerdenGM> The inteligence roll is your INT/5 + 9
<grendal> I made it by 2
<VerdenGM> The cave seems to go on and on and on... who knows how deep.
<Maurius> I missed it by 1.
<VerdenGM> Gwain runs full tilt into the cave as far in as they can get fast. The rumble becomes a roar, the wind a blast...
<Moon_Shadow> I bolt for the "back" of the cave.
<Maurius> Me too
<VerdenGM> Maurius hears a familair voice. THE CAVE IS SALVATION
<VerdenGM> grendel thinks "in is good"
<VerdenGM> The dog heads quickly inwards ignoring the shadow he was barking at
<grendal> Grendal would not want to get too far in because he knows his friends are  outside
<Maurius> EVERYONE! AS FAR BACK AS YOU CAN IN THE CAVE!
<Moon_Shadow> I yelp as that loud voice echoes off the walls and run even faster, after the dog.
<VerdenGM> The fire goes out, there are sparks and small firey splinters that blow deeply into the cave from your small fire. 
  The Wind from the entrance is frigid and fairly propels you deeper inward.
<VerdenGM> (The familiar voice is one that only Maurius seems to note. The other loud voice is of course Maruius)
<grendal> Grendal is last in line
<Moon_Shadow> (I was talking about Maruius' voice)
<VerdenGM> It is completely dark except for the embers and burning brands scattered inside from the fire.
<VerdenGM> The actual flames on the brands start to die out leaving only embers.
<grendal> When the blast is over I  will head back to the entrance
<VerdenGM> How will you see to find the entrance grendal?
<Maurius> M made sure to put away the flint and steel.
<VerdenGM> There is also the smell of burning fur.
<grendal> I will turn around and go back the way I came
<VerdenGM> Okay, but you will have to feel your way.
<Moon_Shadow> I will slow down once the blast is over and sniff the air.
<Maurius> Did the dog get singed?
<grendal> I will pick up one or two of the sticks with embers as I make my way
<VerdenGM> It is very very still. It appears that some of the embers have set the dog a bit on fire. Also grendal's left boot. 
  (sealskin, I believe with fur on the outside)
<Moon_Shadow> Is the dog ahead of me, or behind me?
<grendal> I will brush the ember off my boot
<Maurius> I make sure both wearers of the fur are ok.
<VerdenGM> grendal finds a solid wall of ice and rock where the entrance was.... well actually fairly deep into the cave. 
  Where you had set the fire at the entrance could be over 10 yards worth of ice away.
<VerdenGM> The dog is not happy, but is okay. grendal's boot is mostly intact. Gwain says. That little bit of wood burning 
  might be very important. When it goes out, we can't see.
<Moon_Shadow> I will try to remain outside of the light of the brand.
<VerdenGM> Actually... do another roll. Perception this time. tell me how much you make it by.
<Moon_Shadow> Does that include me as well?
<Maurius> rolled a 5
<VerdenGM> Everyone there
<Moon_Shadow> Made it by 4
<grendal> made it by 6
<VerdenGM> Perception roll is int/5+9
<Maurius> which makes it by 7
<VerdenGM> Okay, you note that it is lighter than it should be even with small burning bits of wood. You see each other 
  sillouhetted against the walls, like the walls themselves are glowing with a blue light.
<VerdenGM> It was hard to notice the glow at first.
<VerdenGM> It looks lighter deeper inside the cave.
<Moon_Shadow> I take one look and mutter soemthing under my breath and try to slip away.
<grendal> How many silhouettes
<Maurius> I s it the rock, or some kind of plant?
<VerdenGM> It seems like the rock, though the rock could have something embedded in it. Like water within sandstone, though 
  this is not porous like sandstone. 
<VerdenGM> there are four humanoid shadows and one canine
<Maurius> "IN HEAVEN'S NAME, WHO GOES THERE?" Maurius shouts even louder than usual into cave, though he is trying to avoid 
  trigg                                                                                  Murius still takes a brand or two.
<grendal> I say hello
<Moon_Shadow> I freeze swear a little bit then turn and move slowly towards the others.
<grendal> My name is Grendal
<VerdenGM> The dog whimpers a bit then growls very quietly.  More of a rumbly grumble really
<Moon_Shadow> I am called Moon Shadow.
<grendal> What is your name?
<grendal> My friend with the loud voice is Maurius
<Maurius> 1,09W13H1E14R10E 13H14I12E 6Y13O11U?
<Maurius> IT'S A PLEASURE!
<grendal> Do you know if there is another exit to this cave
<Moon_Shadow> (You see a woman who stands 5'9" tall, with hip length black hiar, that is streaked with silver in a not 
  unpleasing pattern. She has Violet Coloured eyes and is wearing what appear to be summer clothing made of black and siler 
  cottons.)
<Moon_Shadow> No, I don't. The last thing I remember is laying down in a meadow on a nice hot summers day , then waking up 
  here in Zandru's lowest Hell.
<grendal> Grendal is dressed in near eskimo fashion. and is slightly shorter than you
<Maurius> (violet coloured eyes? Memories of a former game...)
<Moon_Shadow> (lol)
<VerdenGM> Gwain walks up. and doffs his toque. I am called Emalda or Gwain, or formally Gwenhwyfin.
<VerdenGM> Though dark his ears look a bit odd.
<Moon_Shadow> Hello.
<grendal> What do we do now?
<Maurius> Maurius is dressed in a heavy monk's robe of a kind you haven't seen before.  He's stocky, middle-aged, and has an 
  odd air about him.
<VerdenGM> You are in the cave, to the outside it is freezing and icy and dark. To the inside it feels somewhat warmer, and 
  lighter, though a cold blue light. There also seems to be very faint light in the light. Like veins of glitter sometimes 
  seeming gold, sometimes red. scintelating.
<VerdenGM> "woof" says the dog
<grendal> Does anyone have any food?
<Moon_Shadow> Well,  personally, I would say we move on. I, unlike you three, have no warm clothing.
<Moon_Shadow> I have a very small amount of the dried rations I was carring, I don't know if it would feed all of us though.
<grendal> If worst comes to worse I can eat my clothing
<Maurius> "THE CAVE WILL BE OUR SALVATION!" Marius sounds like he's quoting.  "THEREFORE, ONWARD!"
<VerdenGM> Emalda: Our clothes are not much warmer soaked with snowmelt as they are.
<Moon_Shadow> I will reach down and let the dog sniff my hand before stroking his head.
<VerdenGM> "woof"
<Maurius> (PURRR)
<Moon_Shadow> After petting the dog, I will turn on my heel and move deeper into the cave.
<grendal> I guess we might as well see if there is anything down this cave.
<Maurius> No wait, that's my cat.
<VerdenGM> Emalda/Gwain: I agree, we should head into the warm. If that was a breeze blowing from the cave there must be 
  another opening.
<VerdenGM> not the invisible cat?
<Maurius> Maurius has already wandered several feet in.  He whistles to the dog.
<grendal> It is time for me to go to bed.
<grendal>  I have to work tomorrow.
<grendal> Good night all.
<Moon_Shadow> Okay. Good night.
<VerdenGM> Okay it is a good place to end
<Maurius> But, you can't possibly get to work through all that snow!
<Maurius> Goodnight John!
<Moon_Shadow> lol
<VerdenGM> The end is Emalda's pronouncement that there is probably another exit
<VerdenGM> Okay goodnight John!   Sorry for the late start
<grendal> There is no snow in Abbotsford
*** Quits: grendal (Quit: http://ircqnet.icq.com/)
<Maurius> Well, see you all next game.
<Moon_Shadow> See you then./
<VerdenGM> Okay is everyone heading off then?
<VerdenGM> I'm going to try capture the log of this
<Moon_Shadow> I am, I need a smoke then need to go through my E-Mail.
*** Quits: Moon_Shadow (Quit: http://ircqnet.icq.com/)
*** Retrieving #Verden info...
<VerdenGM> ack still working on the log. Not sure it recorded
<Maurius> Ditto about the email.
<VerdenGM> No log.  :-( I will have to try copy what is in this window.  :-(
*** Retrieving #Verden info...
<Maurius> Too bad, but copying should still work.
<VerdenGM> I'm having problems scrolling to hightlight it all. 
<Maurius> Copy it in bits.
<VerdenGM> It would be about 50 bits
<Maurius> Well, anyway.  Thanks for the game and see you all anon!
*** Quits: Maurius (Quit: http://ircqnet.icq.com/)
<VerdenGM> Okay later!
End of #Verden buffer    Fri Mar 07 00:13:43 2003