(2) A Haunting at Perdition's Point (Inactive)

Game Master mdt

CARAVAN GROUP:

The return trip to Perdition's Point takes upwards of half an hour, as the mud was only thickened by the heavy rain. The lights of Perdition's Point slowly make their way into view. The lightning strikes overhead illuminates the little hamlet, casting an eerie light broken by the shadows off surrounding dead trees.
Going to give the other two a moment to catch up in time after talking with Tommas

EVA AND ELIJAH:

The rapid lightning strikes and booming thunder indicate that the storm is passing directly overhead. The militia posts two watchmen at each end of the road along the forest's edge. Asking around points you towards his house, which neighbors the Carevin residence. To the right of #4 on the map. He is alone in the house, awaiting his evening shift while his father watches the north forest and mother tends to the church.

If you knock on the door, he calls for you to come in. A single candle lights the main room. It is uncomfortably dark, and the occasional flash of lightning playing with the shadows in the room. As you enter the house he grumbles, "If you talked to Lia, it was just a shadow..."

Mahb halts briefly at the distant sight of the village. She turns to Lineera and pokes her stick at Munchkin, "I have no quarrel with your skills or their usefulness. But take the advice of an old woman who's seen her share of yokel bias... either destroy this fellow or hide him. Don't walk him into the village. They loathe me for my paltry skills. Can you imagine how they'll react to you if you walk a soulless creature into their midst?" She casts an eye on the cleric, "It'll be far worse than her fit."

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 10

Poor Eva was more focused on other issues thoughts running everywhere. She tried to read Tommas but it just wasn't her strong point. "Just a shadow? Really? What do you think it was? And I mean you, not Lia."

The dark did seem odd to Eva, but perhaps he was just trying to save candles? Still, twas odd.

Elijah... please do better than Eva here.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
I did do better but my skills of deduction and evaluation fell short.

"Yes, what the little Eva said runs through my mind as well. Having what you thought of the matter may help us out. She seemed a bit shaken to be honest." He peered in behind the man standing in front of them. "A bit dark inside don't you think?"

Lineera nods, but seems rather on the frazzled side "This isn't my first time at this Mahb, I know! Just... sorry, you're right... I'm just a little stressed right now." Lineera waits for a couple more minutes, then wordlessly, the kobold turns and walks into the forest.

Mahb nods and looks a little saddened at watching the rotting kobold leave.

Elena barely pays attention to the other two women discussing, distracted by her growing concerns about the fate of the missing boys and the sinister implications of what they found in the forest.

She does nevertheless take notice when the kobold zombie waddles back into the forest, her expression visibly relaxing. As they enter the village, she offers Lineera a sincere smile, the first since their fight.

'Yeah, why is it so dark in here?' Eva did wonder if Tommas was just concerned for the others. 'Possibly he's getting ready for his night watch shift?'

Dotting so it shows up on my campaign tab

Tommas looks from Eva to Elijah, and shrugs. "A shadow. Nothing more. I checked, there were no tracks." He says tonelessly. "I have to get ready for my nightly patrol." He blows out the candle, the only source of light, and then walks deftly past Eva and Elijah, leaving them to fumble their way out of the pitch dark room.

As the caravan trio return to the village, lightning strikes illuminate it, showing what looks like a deserted village. There are few lights, the street lights not lit thanks to the storm and wind, nobody wanting lit oil to be swaying in a storm. And the buildings show few lights thanks to the storm shutters being thrown closed. The lack of light makes it difficult to see (unless you have darkvision).

Anyone without darkvision needs a lantern, a light spell, or else they're walking all but blindly, waiting for the frequent flashes of lightning to show them the ghostly village.

Normal/Lowlight DC : Perception 15 without a lamp to avoid slamming into something.

'Uhm... Dark already, better make some light...'

With a quick gesture and a few words, the young cleric summons a soft luminescence, emanating from the tip of her weapon.

Elena casts Light on her spear to illuminate the way for the rest of the party.

We are back in business people! Thank you very much MDT. ^_^

As the lightning flashed, Eva turned and looked at Elijah, standing on the sheltered area outside . "Well that was productive. I'd like to head to town hall. Though I understand if you'd rather head home to stay out of this storm." She started reaching into her pockets looking for something, after a moment or two she pulled out a sunrod. "So, coming with me?"

Lineera walks along in silence, fists clenched, subtly flinching at every thunderclap and lightning strike. Yet she seems to relax somewhat as darkness settles, then, with the sudden light provided by Elena's spell, she flinches once more, and hides her eyes from the light by drawing up her hood.

"Seems like it's our only option right now" He squinted after the sudden light from the sunrod. Letting his eyes adjust he looked back out into the streets. "Still didn't like the sound of that one. Seemed too..." He searched his mind for a word. "Calm. Especially for one on the watch, especially when children are going missing."

He wiped away some rain water dripping down from his hair and stopped at the doorway. "Lead the way Miss."

"No, something wasn't right. But I can't tell what." Leading the way out into the rain, she headed to the Town Hall. She wanted to look through the few books they had there.

Entering into the Town Hall, glad to be out of the rain again, she tried to not drip too much water around. "I wonder how the others are doing." She asked slightly distracted before heading towards the Hall's library.

"Look for books on legends in the area, and anything on magical or religious rituals." She then turned to start looking for those books.

Perception to find the books she wants: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Assist Eva: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Elijah follows suit and begins looking through the shelves located in the hall's library. Unsure what he is looking for he follows Eva's direction on a specific category.

The old witch grumbles at her walking stick which begins to give off a pale light, throwing odd shadows onto the forest surrounding them. "So, shall we find the others, or are ya off to bed?"

Cast Light

Lineera shakes her head, "No, I'm going to tell the mayor about what we found and head in. I need a bath after all this."

Lineera Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Maahb Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Elena Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Pyewacket Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Wow you lot are totally oblivious to everything. EDIT: And the raven isn't much better.

As the trio actually enters town, Lineera sees a figure leave a building just inside her darkvision range, but doesn't see who it is before they turn and walk away, vanishing between buildings.

When the trio is about 40 ft away, the same door opens, this time flooding the village street with a soft glow of a sunrod as Eva and Elijah exit the same building.

Getting the group back together to make it easier on the new GM

Caw!
FWIW, Pye has a PER of +9 and low light vision.

Caw!

FWIW, Pye has a PER of +9 and low light vision.

Ok, I thought I saw +2 Per/+4 Familiar in Maahb's build, so thought that was Pyewacket's Perception.

Given that 9 would make it 15...

Pyewacket winging around overhead, see's a human male step out of a building about 120 ft in front of the returning trio. The male turns his head toward Maahb and her companions, then turns in the opposite direction and strides off with long steady strides. Pye loses him amongst the buildings, as he can only see the man when there's a lightning flash to illuminate him.

Not high enough to recognize the person, but it was male, and human.

The old witch grumbles at her walking stick which begins to give off a pale light, throwing odd shadows onto the forest surrounding them. "So, shall we find the others, or are ya off to bed?"

"I'll look for them, I want to know if they found something." Elena answers the old witch, "Besides, someone needs to tell them what happened too..."

When she notices her friends coming out in the streets, she greets them warmly. "Eva, Elijah! Over here!" She shouts, waving her arms, "We're back! And we need to tell you something..."

If they let her rant, Elena recounts what happened in the woods, faithfully if a bit erratically (and downplaying her altercation with Lineera quite a bit), and then asks the duo if they found anything useful in their own investigation.

The ragged raven swoops down and lands on the old woman's shoulder. It hops about distractedly, making low, stuttering caws and staring in a set direction. Mahb strokes the bird with a gnarled hand and asks her companion a series of questions. Weighing its cawed responses and emotional surges, Mahb pieces together its meaning.

"I'll be back soon." She takes the raven and heads into the darkness, muttering "Tell me when we get to where you saw him first..."

The odd pair return less than a minute later. The witch looks wary, "Pye saw a man look at us and then walk away in the other direction. Sight of him was lost among the buildings... But this man must have had sharp eyes to see us from 40 strides or so and move through the town without hindrance - in this pitch blackness."

Ok, I thought I saw +2 Per/+4 Familiar in Maahb's build, so thought that was Pyewacket's Perception.

Ah. That is Mahb's regular PER (+2) and her PER modified by the Alertness feat conveyed by Pye (+4).

Pywacket caws when you reach the door that Eva and Elijah just came out of.

To make these, you have to be from the town

Anyone can attempt this one, if someone mentions who's house it is.

Lineera gets a bonus on this one of +5 if she has ranks in Knowledge(Local), everyone else just has to muddle through without the bonus

K:Local (untrained) 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

K:Local (Untrained): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Lineera realizes that whoever came out of... someone's house, acted like they were avoiding her, Elena and Mahb. But why? She didn't think that they'd be able to see her this far out, but... Ah, the Light spells, of course. Closing on Eva and Elijah, Lineera greets them. "Hey, find anything good? Who's house is this?"

"Several things of interest. Talked to Lia, and the mark was there on that window as well. She's the one that directed us to Tommas. This is his house. He," she paused for a moment, debating on how to best describe what they had witnessed, "was acting weird. I couldn't put my finger on it though." Eva chose not to reveal everything yet because even with it pouring, it was too easy to have listening ears around.

Knowledge (local) - untrained: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Elena's too worried about the whole situation to focus on details it seems...

"Pye saw a man look at us and then walk away in the other direction. Sight of him was lost among the buildings... But this man must have had sharp eyes to see us from 40 strides or so and move through the town without hindrance - in this pitch blackness."

"A man was... Trying to avoid us?" Elena asks, frowning visibly. "The symbols we saw at the house, the carriage wreckage, those foul undead kobolds... And now someone is, what, spying on us!?" She exclaims, her voice filled with indignation.

"This is bad, we need to move quickly if we want to help those poor children..." Lowering her voice, she looks at each of her companions in turn, "I say we inform Father of what we discovered, then equip ourselves properly and as soon as we are ready go check the site where that old kobold infestation was eradicated from... If we are lucky we could find some real evidence and finally discover who's behind all this!"

Elena invites everyone to her house, where they can talk in peace and update her father, the mayor, on their discoveries. And after that... Who's in for checking out a lair full of undead kobolds? ;)

Collecting the threads of conversation, Lineera ponders aloud. "Why would Tommas want to avoid us? And where would his watch take him if not the road?"

"As I said, something wasn't right. Still not sure what wasn't right." Eva seemed bothered, and quiet. She did wish to share her findings but the open was not a place to discuss this.

Looking to Elena she smiled, "Yes, that would be wonderful. We can compare notes."

"Pye may be able to show us where Tommas vanished. Whatever else is wrong about him, his vision is outside of nature. We should try to find him while he is nearby." She looks to the others. "I intend to go after him. Your choices are your own. But any who would come with me, be quick about deciding."

Mahb will go after Tommas, hoping to pick up some clues to his location once she reaches the point he disappeared - as best as Pye can identify it.

Ok, I need to know who's going to the Mayor's house, and who's goign with Maahb.

Going to the mayor's.

"Lia did say he saw something, that he had been protecting the other kids." Eva seemed to be thinking aloud to herself, before looking at Mahb. "I'll go with you."

Eva will go with Mahb after Tommas.

Just waiting on Elijah, will post once he's done.

Elena, Lineera -> Mayors
Maahb, Eva -> Chase

I will head with Maahb and Eva. Just got my internet at home, and I'm posting from work ;)

"Pye may be able to show us where Tommas vanished. Whatever else is wrong about him, his vision is outside of nature. We should try to find him while he is nearby." She looks to the others. "I intend to go after him. Your choices are your own. But any who would come with me, be quick about deciding."

"Oh? I thought in this darkness and with this weather it'd be no use trying to follow his trail..." Elena takes a look around, trying to discern something in the dark outside the radius of her magical-created light, "But if you think we may be able to, then I'll come too! In any case, we might find out something useful..."

Ok, so, Linaara said in discussion she would go with the majority, so since the majority is hunting Tommas, I'll assume she is persuaded. Now, I'll make perception checks and tracking checks for everyone, but, it's going to be very difficult in this storm, so if nobody makes their perception checks, I'll have a fruitless search end at the Mayors.

Elena Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Elijah Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Eva Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Lineera Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 Lineera, can you add Perception to stats please? Thanks
Maahb Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Pyewacket Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

The group begin looking around where Pyewacket lost sight of Tommas, and spread out, looking for signs of him. As they look, the storm begins to grow more violent, with wind beginning to howl, and the thunder pounding more and more frequently as the worst of the storm makes it's way closer to the village.

Oddly enough, it is Elena that finds recent footprints in the mud leading out of the village toward the small town graveyard to the north of the village. She can tell they are recent, because they are only 2/3rds filled with the driving rain.

The near constant lightning strikes seem to be unnerving Lineera fiercely, as she can barely concentrate on words. Not that you can all hear words, as the howling and thunder is picking up. Wind is slamming small debris and leaves into all of you now. The whole village vibrates as a small boom detonates as a lightning strike hits a tall old pine tree a few hundred feet outside the village and splits it down half it's 200 ft height.

Lineera will need to make a Will Save, DC 15 or gain the Frightened condition. Everyone else needs a DC 10 to avoid being Shaken by the blast from the lightning bolt.

Mahb - Will Save 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Pye - Will Save 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Will Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"By the Gods that was near!" - She shouts in the storm, trying to be heard by the others - "We need to hurry, it's not safe out in the open!"

If it's obvious that Lineera is unsettled read on, otherwise disregard the following.

Concerned by her companion's behavior, Elena approaches Lineera and puts a hand on her shoulder - "Hey Lineera, what's the matter? Are you alright?"

It's fairly obvious to all present that Lineera isn't in the best of spirits in the rain, but discerning it as something beyond wet-and-cold would require some level of attention on her... but not much!

Lineera trudges through the mud and the rain with gritted teeth and clinched fists, trembling as she walks. The only thing that distinguishes her fear as anything but the discomfort of a rainy night is her constant flinching at every thunderclap and lightning strike. Though obviously distressed, she trudges on regardless, not wanting to be the weak link in the investigative group.

Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

At the nearly simultaneous crash of the thunder and lightning, Lineera lets out a shriek of terror and spins away in full flight before Elena can even reach out a comforting hand. Her path initially sways back and forth uncertainly, but then hones in on the one place she could feel at least somewhat safe: Indoors. Rushing towards the nearest building, she doesn't even slow or stop to turn the doorknob and instead throws her shoulder against it, attempting to bash her way through.

Strength Check: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14

Once inside, Lineera dashes into the furthest corner from the door and huddles into it, drawing darkness around herself in what seems to be an attempt to hide from the lightning. Using the Darkness Spell-Like Ability.

Turning the knob if that doesn't do it. If locked, pound desperately at the door and hope someone answers before attempting to break it down again and probably getting stopped by the rest of the party. :P

Well, I had said Frightened, not panic'd, but we can go with it.

Lineera jerks open the door to Amos Allister's small horse stable (he keeps horses for people in the Village). Inside the sounds of horses can barely be heard over the din of the storm. Timmy Allister, Amos's son, is in the barn trying to keep the horses calm when Lineera tears in, screaming, and hides in the corner of the tack room, filling the barn with supernatural darkness. The light at least goes away, but the sounds stay, moaning wind and crashing lightning.

"Whaaa? Help! I can't see!" A younger nervous voice fills the barn.

Ah, sorry if I got it wrong. My copy of the book said that you flee from the source of until away from it. The cowering is technically only part of Panicked, but I figured since it's kind of impossible for Lineera to get "out of sight (or hearing) of the source of their fear" that cowering like this is probably the closest she can get, especially as she can't fight the storm.

Lineera doesn't respond to the poor young Allister as she covers her ears in trying to shut out the noise. If anyone could see her, it may become clearer that her casting of darkness was less a matter of trying to hide from a sentient evil, so much as to remove the source of the fear from her environment. Try as she might though, the thunderous crashes still pierce the veil of darkness and her hands.

Never mind, you are correct. My apologies. Somehow had it in my head that frightened was more severe than Shaken, but not running away like Panic'd, my mistake. You played it right.

No worries, it's rare enough to have a GM who actually includes those random background elements into play, I'm really digging this honestly.

Elena almost jumps out of surprise when Lineera suddenly shrieks and starts to run away.

'What the... Did she see something? Are we in danger?' - Without losing a moment she spins around, weapon in hand, ready to face the enemy... And she sees nothing.

Absolutely puzzled, she turns once again to see the drow run toward a nearby stable and rush in. "Lineera, wait!" She yells, and runs after her inside the barn, only to stop when she is confronted with the unnatural darkness pervading it.

"By the Gods what's this!?" - Elena shouts in a concerned voice - "Lineera, are you there? Are you alright? What happened!?"

The helpful young cleric will wait for a few moments for an answer, but if she doesn't hear anything from Lineera, she just assumes she is in danger, and will charge in, weapon in hand to help her friend! xD

And for the record, I'm really digging this too! ^_^

Will: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3 Had a feeling she was going to fail this

Eva jumped when the lightening struck. "That's... a little to close for comfort..." When Lineera screamed her first thought was that she had been hit, either by the lightening, or by something else. "Lineera?" She was a little twitchy and jumpy herself. The next thing she knew, both Lineera and Elena were running off. "W-Where are you going!?"

Status: Shaken

Until people can get their characters under control, you're RPing amongst yourselves.

:)

Concerned by her companion's behavior, Elena approaches Lineera and puts a hand on her shoulder - "Hey Lineera, what's the matter? Are you alright?"

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

"W..w...who's that?!? HELP! DADDY! HELP!" A very young, and now scared voice, cuts through the utter darkness. "OW! OW!"

Obviously I'll still supply activities by the NPCs.

Eva took off running for the barn, hearing cries of pain. "What's wrong!? Who's hurt!?" Still very jumpy from the lightening.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Status: Shaken