"Mireza, I think I should follow behind the rest of you...and keep my eyes open for surprises, I am not much use in a fight anyways...Mireza, do you want to do that talking spell?"
As the group begins to move off, Valiard drops off the wagon to the ground, his grey cloak fluttering softly as he moves into the underbrush. The shadows seem to move of their own accord as he steps off the path and into the underbrush, his grey cloak blending with the early morning gloom.
Moving quickly and quietly Valiard follows, watching for trouble.
From somewhere Windle produces a hand crossbow and follows after.
"Mireza, I think I should follow behind the rest of you...and keep my eyes open for surprises, I am not much use in a fight anyways...Mireza, do you want to do that talking spell?"
"No one ever seems to remember to use it," she says dubiously but casts message while everyone is within her line of sight. She then follows the two priests and the Crow. If anyone sees anything, whisper, she reminds them via message. She has a crossbow in hand but unloaded.
Grigor leads the way, followed by Iozef and Windle, with Valiard and Mireza at the end. All is silent but for the wind in the trees, the crunching of the pine needles under your feet, and of course the faint call for help.
"I think its a trap...the noise is coming from up in a tree...and I think I see something or someone moving. We might want to move back to the wagon, make them come to us." Valiard whispers, his voice barely audible, even to himself.
The apothecary says it's a trap, Mireza passes on dutifully via her spell, looking up into the treetops. He says there's something in a tree making the sound. Apothecary, they're not stealing our wagon while we're out here playing rescue, are they?
"I think a retreat is called for."
Grigor casts keen senses and listens intently for clues.
Perception
Valiard stays hidden in the brush, barely moving and wondering Is this what it feels like to be a deer in the woods...?
Grigor confirms Valiard's suspicions, but it's hard to know more without getting much closer.
Stopping in his tracks and peering up in the trees, "Can he make out what or who it might be, Madam Mireza?"
The young priest wants to know what's in the tree, Apothecary, she passes on in a sing-song manner.
Sounds like something knocking on a tree or wood or something...
He moves in closer.
"No clue...I guess I will get...hey! The crow is moving closer! I guess I will follow him...that way I can see what eats him when it does.." Valiard whispers, as he follows Grigor further into the brush, still hidden.
E:
R:
Grigor edges forward. All of a sudden, he freezes as he can finally make out what lies in the trees above.
Too late though, as a net of fibrous silk springs forth from the tree towards him.
Fortunately, he manages to roll backwards and escape the attack
Monster!, he yells as he rolls back... he comes to his knees and angles the bow at the creature then looses a shot.
You see movement in the trees as three creatures retreat to the forest.
"Where? I saw some movement, but I can't see them now." Valiard whispers back.
"What were they? I could not get a good look at them."
Some sort of purple ungodly mix of spider and man.
Mireza looks up in the treetops whence they fled with renewed interest. "Spider-people? Who do you suppose their mother was? I'll bet my spider would have liked to have met them." The arachnid in question crawls out of a pocket in her scarf and waves its front legs affirmingly.
Iozef just stares at Mireza, hating the fact that her oddness has him so stumped. "Who are you?" he thoughtlessly asks. "Never mind. Okay, are we done here? Since this creature is now gone, I suggest we continue on. Unless, of course, you all wish to foolishly chase this creature down; which is probably exactly what it wants."
You get back to the wagon and proceed down the trail. It ascends slowly, with long wide curves where you can't see very far ahead. If at all possible, the recent close call makes the forest seem even more looming and dark and menacing, and perhaps it is, or it's just your mind playing tricks...
Late in the afternoon, the slope settles and a ruined stone tower can be seen not far on your right. A soft, haunting melody of a harp drifts through the air, emanating from its dark windows.
Every instinct of the watchman says "Chase" but he reminds himself that this is not his city.
I think the priest is right
"Well Crow? Sneak up to it, or shout out 'hello'? Valiard asks, bringing the wagon to a halt and turning around to look at the group.
"Speaking of that though...do you see any sign of someone actually living here? I don't see a garden plot from here, or any trees cut down for firewood."
Windle nods once, sharply. "We do not want to lose the wagon, and I fear that would happen if we gave chase. They know this area far better than we."
Peering at the ruin, the inquisitor taps his chin in concentration. "There do not appear to be any lights on in that tower, despite the lateness of the day. We should investigate quietly."
I mean he's right about avoiding it and heading back to the wagons
The tower is three story high, and but for the music, looks abandoned.
"Yes, I think you might have relatives in there, too," Mireza murmurs to her spider as they both gaze at the ruined tower. "Why should we investigate?" she asks the inquisitor. "If it's a harmless old harp-playing hermit, he'll be happier if we leave him alone, and if it's something trying to lure us in, we'll be happier if we don't go in. Whoever it is, they don't seem to be in distress, or they'd be making moans instead of music."
"Because that looks like a better place to stay than out in the wild, particularly when there are three spider creatures sharing the forest with us."
"Also, aren't you curious Miri? At least a little? Its just so bloody interesting...a seemingly abandoned tower with music coming out of it. I know I want to take a look." Valiard says, looking at the tower.
"Fine; don't come crying to me when some undead horror is eating your brains," she waves her hand dismissively.
"Meh. Slimy wasn't able to munch on me... Of course if it is an undead spider horror, that might be a bit more challenging." Valiard ponders, then winks at Miri.
Grigor hops down from the wagon and very cautiously, both swords are the ready, moves quietly towards the tower.
Valiard laughs a little as he slides off the wagon, handing the reins to Mireza.
"Its so nice to have company.", he says quietly as he moves off into the brush, senses tuned for any possible threat as he moves quietly towards the tower.
The tower looks to be crumbling...I bet I can climb it from the outside and just jump off if I run into trouble.
Stealth
Perception
...
Windle follows the pair, bow out and arrow nocked.
"I know," Mireza coos to her spider soothingly as she watches the rest of the party creep nearer the obvious trap. "It doesn't seem fair, does it? To catch insects requires near-invisible strands of unnatural strength and adhesion strung directly across their paths, and yet to catch people requires only a tower and a harp. If only you were large enough to eat humans, you'd have a much easier life. But look! You wouldn't catch the Young Priest!" She offers Iozef an encouraging smile without making a move to leave the wagon.
Iozef looks impassively to Mireza, then to the spider, and then back to Mireza again before finally speaking. "Madam Mireza... you frighten me," he concludes. "Now, how foolish do you suppose these three are, by walking toward a melody that just so happens to be resonating from a supposedly 'abandon' tower? One would think, that when you've encountered a type of creature that can mimic one in distress, you would also assume it has the capability to mimic music. Obviously, as we've witnessed, none of them have thought this through. Which means, they are all more than likely walking into a trap. Because even if I am incorrect about it being said creature from earlier, why would anyone trust music coming from an 'abandon' tower?" He taps his chin before shaking his head. "Such fools. Let us observe them and act accordingly as to their actions over the next moment or so."
Inside, long, taut strands of shimmering silk fill the ruined tower’s interior, forming an intricate pattern running from floor to ceiling. Half a dozen large cocoonlike shapes hang from the ceiling, suspended above the tower’s hard-packed dirt floor. In the far corner, between two larger chunks of rubble, a wide burrow opens into the ground, from which comes the music.
Just before Windle disappears into the forest, Iozef calls out, "MR. THETRA! I DO NOT DEEM THIS AS WISE! THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST SOME FORM OF PLAN BEFORE WE UNDERTAKE SUCH FOOLISHNESS!" He looks on awaiting his response, hoping the inquisitor will see the logic behind his words and tell the others to return.
Windle does not answer, nor does he look back as he steps into the green, didappearing from view...