Prazil watches nervously from Fang's saddle as Kereek wanders off from the rest of the group. Glancing at the rest of the men huddled around a dead horse (not even tasty!), he gives into his worry and prompts Fang to trot up along behind his clutch-brother.
He scratches Fang behind the ear affectionately once they'd caught up.
"I don't know, Treshiell. No obvious wounds on the body, 'cept the broken horn. Don't know if that'd kill a unicorn, but I'm not overly familiar with their kind. They're magical creatures, I know that much. Mayhap that's why it's untouched, but everything else I've seen that dies, rots, all the same."
GM: Any sort of tracks in the area, or other signs as to other creatures in the area? Also, does the unicorn look as if it were sick, injured, or otherwise out-of-sorts before it died?
An examination of the unicorn reveals no obvious cause of death, although the creature’s eyes are milky and sightless, indicating the creature was blind at the time of its death.
DC 20 Heal:
The lack of obvious wounds seems to indicate the unicorn was likely slain by some form of death effect. Also, it looks like the creature’s horn was removed after its death.
DC 30 Knowledge (planes):
You recall a few tales of how the acts of some powerful fey creatures from the First World can leave their victims “marked” in a way that even their bodies shed a strange aura of repulsion to natural life — as if animals and vermin could sense the anger of such powerful fey and knew better than to involve themselves with such a victim.
Kobolds:
As you get closer to the spectral creature, you realize it appears to be a nearly transparent unicorn, pawing agitatedly at the ground as the Big Feet wander near its body.
"The unicorn was blind. Would have been easy prey in this condition. Still, blind but not old. Struck down by some magic, perhaps. Powerful stuff too, to kill without leaving a mark."
At Treshiell's words Orin looks around
Perception check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26 "Where could those two have gone?" he thinks to himself before heading off in the direction Tresheill pointed.
As Kereek backs away, Prazil turns to the ghostly unicorn and addresses it directly, "?אנחנו לא מתכוונים להפחיד או לפגוע בך. האם אתה בצרות? אתה צריך את העזרה שלנו" The grey-skinned kobold's words are offered lightly as he nudges Fang back a few steps.
draconic:
"We am not for scaring or hurting you, ghosty horn-horse! Am you in trouble? We am for helping if you am not for poking us."
Orin approaches the pair of koblds. Seeing the apparition lower it's head and paw the grgund, he pauses and stretches out his arms and in a calming voice says "Take it easy, girl. We don't mean to harm you, we want to help you. We want to find whoever/whatever did this to you. Can you help us with that?" he asks expectantly.
Diplomacy check: 1d20 ⇒ 12
"Such a majestic creature, even in death, you shine. Please show us what keeps you in this ghostly state so that we may help you rest. I, Jon Surtova, Paladin of Abadar insist on the honor of serving justice in this matter."
Mud and all kinds of dirt kling to Treshiell's dress and bare feet as she leads her mount through the bog up to the two kobolds. She hovers behind her new companions like a shadow, waiting to see how the apparition reacts.
Kereek nods his head and executes a comical if functional bow to the unicorn. "Yes, yes! Big Heroes make pointy horse happy! Make happy grave for pointy horse!"
Orin will go over to Windswift and remove the shovel from his gear and begins digging a grave for the unicorn. "As long as it's in a talking mood see if you can find out if it knows what killed it."
"You should ask if it has a preference regarding its burial", Treshiell whispers to Kereek. "We don't think it belongs here." Then the witch resumes her passive stance behind the kobold.
Sure, was just trying to give everyone time to weigh in. If you're all ready to move on, I'll post another larger post this afternoon, when I get back from a few chores.
Orin finishes digging the grave and he and Agnar carefully move the slain unicorn's body into it. As they throw the last of the dirt on top, the spirit seems to dematerialize with some final words: "Though I can now rest, I remain vigilant. Let no creature disturb this site or they shall face my wrath!"
Kereek shudders when the unicorn disappears, then begins searching around for large rocks to build a cairn over the grave. If anyone asks, "Me no want dead pointy horse haunting me!"
Orin will assist Kereek with gathering rocks before looking at Agnar expectantly "Perhaps some words would be in order?" After the priest says his blessing Orin will mount up and get ready to ride.
"Never done a service for a unicorn before," Agnar says as he lays one of the last stones atop the cairn. "I suppose there's a first time for everything."
Once the grave is finished Agnar stands before the cairn with the group assembled.
"Erastil, this beautiful creature roamed your lands, a child of the wilderness, before it was struck down. Its death was not a clean one, the hunter sought only death for its prey, no meal or bounty was to be had by it or anything else, down to the least of your creatures. Give your blessing then, that the rest of its mortal remains goes undisturbed, a small mercy in the face of such tragedy." Agnar ends with a devotional touch to his holy symbol. He takes a moment's pause and looks to the rest.
Finishing burying the unicorn, you spend the rest of the day exploring the area, finding nothing else of note in the woods as you make your way to the northeast.
Late in the evening of your first day exploring, you discover a 15-foot-tall statue of Erastil near the edge of the Narlmarches forest, partially overgrown at the base but towering above the surrounding shrubbery.
Agnar and Orin get a peaceful feeling as they approach the ancient relic.
DM rolls:
Crossing: 1d100 ⇒ 99
Day 1 exploring: 1d100 ⇒ 49
Night: 1d100 ⇒ 92
Day 2 exploring: 1d100 ⇒ 61
MapI figured you would zig-zag across the bottom of the area you're chartered to explore, eventually make your west west until you've mapped everything. Obviously let me know if you want to do something else.
"Erastil is the god of the forests. A very good god" Orin will pull out his handaxe and begin clearing away the shrubbery. Looking at Agnar Orin asks "What do think? Some kind of shrine? Seems a shame to leave this in such a sad state, might as well as clean it up a bit."
Kereek nods vigorously. "Erastil good god. Gotitgotit. You want Kereek make fire and burn weeds away?" The little kobolds lights up at this and begins to nod fiercely, clearly hoping Orin will say yes.
Perception check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 The Dicebot, she love me!
"Looks like there's the remains of a set of stone walls over there" Orin says pointing to an area behind the statue. Walking over to stand in the middle of the ruins, he spreads his hands to indicate the size of the area "Judging by the size of the layout I'd hazard a guess that this was the site of an old hunting lodge dedicated to Old Deadeye."
Prazil looks up at the statue from astride Fang, his eyes widening with wonder the higher his gaze climbs. "!אוווו! הוא נראה כמו צייד אדיר של צנון טעים! אני אוהב את זה רגליים גדולות"
draconic:
"Oooo! This one am for looking like mighty hunter of tasty radishes! Prazil am for liking this Big Bigfeet!"
Prazil will then guide Fang into the clearing with Orin, the wolf's nose low to the ground as he sniffs about for anything of interest. And while the wolf's notion of "something of interest" is fairly broad, Prazil sits excitedly atop Fang's back expecting a glorious discovery of radishes.
Fang appears reluctant to approach the statue, though you're able to eventually convince him to do so, Prazil. He doesn't find any radishes, however (or anything else of note).
