"Sounds good to me. Shall I follow you?"
good to see the local taking charge.
Oengus shifts his hammer and tack bundle gently to the floor. As the others converse he unstraps his trollkin targe and hefts both it and the heavy warhammer in readiness of potential trouble with a broad grin and a no-neck nod;
”This is your country min… You lead an Gus’ll will follae ye”
Sneak (Also has Stealth from Prowl)
Not trusting the others...yet...Kass finds his own observation post.
Perception (Includes +2 for spyglass)
Nodding as the others fall in or slip off, Sasha begins his count. Once several minutes have passed he moves down the lane.
"Let us see to it then."
Cephas will take his sword off of his hip and follow the young soldier toward their objective.
Alcyr keeps the potato field to his right as he shadows the main group in their approach to the house. He continues to scan the fields for any sign of irregularities or breaks in the pattern of the ground.
Oengus watches Sasha's approach, aware but not unduly concerned. He falls in with the rest of group as they back up the armoured Khadoran.
The scouting party disappears into the wheat field to circle the house, and is followed by Sasha's group down the main path.
Scouts:
Circling the house you cannot spot anything initially, the windows and doors do not appear damaged and nor do they allow sight within the farmhouse proper. You can see the side of the barn behind the house and continue until you can see the front of that building... it is then that you notice the barn doors have been torn off the front of the barn and lie broken upon the ground.
You cannot yet sight the workman's quarters or the open ground behind the farmhouse... and neither are you close enough yet to ken any tracks that the ground might offer.
Sasha's Group:
Drawing closer to the farmhouse the front entrance that faces the path looks untouched and you can spot a faintly burning light in the upper levels of the house. The angle of your approach blocks the area behind the building and you cannot ken much without drawing right up to the farmhouse and maneuvering around to the side.
You hear no challenge to either approach... and indeed the only sound is the distant croak of birds wheeling in the sky. Strange that a farmhouse would not have some sound of chickens or livestock this near to the dawn...
Strange that a farmhouse would not have some sound of chickens or livestock this near to the dawn...
The arctic elf murmurs, "No dogs." He feels for the brush of air through his hair. "We make no effort to put the wind in our face yet, no dogs."
"Be wary of an ambush. I will draw them out if such exists."
Sasha moves slightly forward and towards the house.
"Ho the farm! I am Sasha Petravik, show yourself if you are able!"
The young soldier stands easy but his weapons are ready should violence ensue.
There is no response to Sasha's welcome. He watches, but there is no sign of any life within.
"Nae reaction - fair nor foul tae Sasha's announcement... I'd say we're in safe enough lads?"
The trollkin lowers his hammer and targe, looking around at his comrades;
"...still if the place is deserted ye haevtae wonder far the crofters are?"
Milo moves towards the barn. He keeps his eyes and ears open for any out of place noises or items.
"No animals at a farm? I wouldn't be quick to assume safety"
"Do not relax yet Mac, this is not right."
Sasha will prepare to move closer to the main building.
Alcyr keeps pace with the group. When they get to the house, he moves from the closest tree to the corner of the house nearest the field of potatoes. He glances around the corner of the house looking for immediate signs of danger.
Rounding the corner of the house from two directions... the visceral shock of what you see forces your concentration upon keeping your stomach settled and contained. The open area behind the house is awash with strewn blood and entrails, some freshly laid upon the ground, some trodden into the dirt. The dusty earth has been churned by the passage of cloven feet going back and forth across the area. However your eyes are soon drawn away from the charnel house floor to four effigies mounted on stout wooden spikes.
Each bears the corpse of an Ogrun, stripped naked and the short wooden spike driven upwards through the spine below the line of the shoulderblades to protrude out the gaping and lifeless mouths. The Ogrun slouch, half-standing but all their weight supported by the stake that they are mounted upon. Their eyes have been carved out, and heads scalped... but this is nothing compared to the ruin made of their chest.
It is almost as though their chest cavity was prised open rib by rib through an unnatural and brutal strength, peeling the poor Ogrun open like the petals of a flower. The cavity within has been stripped of organs and entrails - leaving a strangely clean and almost bloodless hole in their trunks.
The inside of the barn is equally horrifying, though less disturbing. The livestock that had been within, a few cows and some goats, have been slaughtered and devoured. There is no ritual to the consumption though - and it merely looks as though they were attacked and eaten by hungry beasts.
Then your resolve takes a final blow - as you see a man pinned against the wall of the house by long iron nails driven through his shoulders. His head sits around nine feet from the ground and he hangs limp. His head is slumped and you cannot tell if he lives or has perished, but Sasha recognises enough to note that he is Kutepov.
Looking over the vista, a few incongruencies strike Milo:
- The amount of blood and entrails on the ground seems too small given the four Ogrun corpses laid open.
- Despite the amount of blood and offal strewn around... there is no insect activity, nor is there any pervasive smell.
Noticing a few inconsistencies, Milo inspect the corpses much more closely, removing from the folds of his coat, a large magnifying glass.
Alcyr swallows the momentary nausea down and his experience kicks in. "Cover!", he calls out to his comrades. Holding the arrow nocked to his bow, he quickly moves in a low crouching hustle to the figure hanging from the wall of the house. Looking away from the house for signs of ambush , he rises up to his full height and turns to inspect the human for signs of life.
Before either Milo or Alcyr can approach either the Ogrun corpses or the pinned man - you are struck that the pattern of cloven hoofs upon the bare earth is less random than first glance. The tracks of their passage concentrate on a few well-worn paths - which circle around the corpses and the side of the house in an elaborate sigil. You cannot make out it's design clearly from the side - and would need some elevation to see the truth of it.
To approach either would need you to move across the edge of that sigil. Alcyr is able to pick up the slightest movement of the pinned man's chest from a distance however - and believes him to still live, though he looks unconscious.
As Alcyr begins moving towards the human, he recognizes the pattern in the turned clods of dirt. Abruptly stopping in his own tracks, he he raises his up a clenched fist next to his head. "Go no further. There is yet treachery afoot."
Alcyr looks up the side of the house for handholds. He replaces the arrow to his quiver and stows his bow over his neck and shoulder. "I cannot make it out from here. Perhaps from the rooftop?", he says as he begins to climb the corner.
Sasha stands firm, the armor covering his body hiding any reaction to the scene of horror. His voice starts shaken but quickly finds itself.
"Even in war I have not seen such things. No man did this. That is Kutepov upon the wall."
The Iron Fang begins to move towards the old farmer before Alcyr's voice cuts him short. Careful not to move further into the courtyard he watches the Nyss ascend the wall.
"What do you see comrade?"
Alcyr finds the house no harder to climb than an outcrop of rock in his homeland and easily makes the roof. Looking down on the sigil he notes it is consists of interlocking curves which overlap - but have sharp corners in the middle. The four effigies sit at the focal point of the largest curves.
If described to the others it sounds akin to a Cryx'ian sigil... but not exactly.
Milo halts before he reaches the ogrun bodies and studies the markings on the ground. He is about to give a warning, when the sharp-eyed Nyss calls out. He waits as the elf climbs the farm house to get a better view.
He continues to look around the scene, wondering if he had missed anything else.
Alcyr finds the house no harder to climb than an outcrop of rock in his homeland and easily makes the roof. Looking down on the sigil he notes it is consists of interlocking curves which overlap - but have sharp corners in the middle. The four effigies sit at the focal point of the largest curves.
If described to the others it sounds akin to a Cryx'ian sigil... but not exactly.
The mist in Alcyr's mind begins to clear and he gets a growing sense of dread as the purpose of the sigil comes a little more into focus. The manner in which it is laid out links where Kutepov is hung upon the wall and the places the effigies lie almost like a waterfall. It is designed to draw essence from Kutepov's body and deliver it unto the effigies. The stillness of the air and reticence of wildlife to approach make you reason that necromantic forces are at work.
Alcyr's sharp intake at the tableau below him releases as a sibilant hiss of disgust. "Necromancy", he says in a low voice. Crying out loud enough for all of them to hear, "Look for a rainwater barrel or buckets to fill with water! Some way to ruin the sigil without touching it ourselves."
Pointing to the human over by the effigies he warns, "Watch those bodies closely. They will move!" As an afterthought he turns back to the stranger, "Don't touch the marks on the ground!"
Unslinging his bow and drawing an arrow, he begins looking out past the stead for signs of anyone approaching as he calls down to the Iron Fang,"Petravik, it looks like the spellwerk of a Cryx."
There is a water trough and buckets within the barn that could be reached without needing to cross the sigil. The water is somewhat reddish, but should suffice for the purpose.
Sasha snarls at the words shouted down from above.
"Cryx! Let us destroy this devilry before it spreads."
Sasha moves into the barn, casting about for foes before moving to the trough.
"Wow, Cryxian sigils. What have I gotten myself into? asks Cephas, aloud before helping vigorously destroy the sigils with buckets of water and maybe shoveling piles of dirt over the sigil, being extremely careful to follow the Nyssian's instructions.
Milo steps back from the bodies and watches as the others jump into action. He keeps his eyes on the bodies, making sure that they do not decide to get up.
Alcyr uses the height of his perch to cast about for any signs of attackers.
There is nothing moving near or far to you... the only possible threats are the five figures before you - one pinned to the farmhouse and the other four mounted on stakes like grisly effigies.
At Alcyr's instruction those below seek to break the sigil through the application of streaming water. To his heightened senses, Alcyr can feel a change to the air... a lessenning perhaps... but then...
Kutepov snaps out of his reverie and his head rises to let loose an ear-scraping scream of pain. After a few seconds that tails off into choking sobs and coughs and he mewls pitifully upon the spikes... then the Ogrun begin to twitch...
Cephas draws his mechanical sword, which thrums with arcane force.
At the Ogrun corpses jerk and convulse Oengus spits with disdain;
”Baws… Ah hate Deiders…”
The trollkin draws his targe close and indulges in a practice swing with his hammer before advancing on the Ogrun;
”Somebody better cut aff their supply… otherwise this scrap will get a might tasty like!”
Mark – if you need to keep the combat rolling, DMPC Oengus as necessary. Obviously close quarter with his hammer and virtuoso ability is a good call. Would probably open with Fell Calling - Sonic Attack, then get his hands dirty :)
Milo:
Sasha:
Kassilus:
Oengus:
Alcyr:
Cephas:
Round 1: Kassilus, Oengus, Alcyr, Ogrun, Cephas, Sasha, Milo
Kass giggles under his breath, and tosses his favorite Acid Bomb at the closest one.
Power 12 attack.
Round 1
Oengus clatters his warhammer off his targe before bellowing a booming war cry at an animated corpse;
"KITH AN' KRIEL!!!!"