Beyond the Tentacled Eye - A Pathfinder Greyhawk Tharizdun Campaign

Game Master GM Darkblade

I can't think of much Musami would want to do in the moathouse right now.

Once everyone is settled Musami reaches into his pack and draws out all 4 of his trail rations. and offers their contents to any who want them. These are not much, but they will have to do unless we can catch some food or gather some edible plants.

Yes, I'll take the last watch with you Fil. Our night vision will be most useful then.

Toruk beds down and will wake to join Braggi on his watch. "Look's like I'll be keeping you company One Eye."

Toruk will heal both Braggi and Musami before going to sleep.

CLW: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4; Braggi
CLW: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3; Musami

Many things I can think of that could be done, but I don't think Braggi would have the knowledge or capability to do them.

"Thank you, priest." Braggi tries to rest as much as he can when he's not on guard duty; tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

Roughly an hour after you make camp, being around 2 PM at this point, you spot four figures coming down the roadway from the direction of the moat house. They appear to be following your tracks and are moving in this direction. You can make out two humans and two gnolls. The men have swords, shields, dark armor, and light crossbows. The gnolls have leather armor, axes, and long bows.

At the turn in the road they are 100' from your camp, focused on following the tracks.

Musami lets out a sigh and grips his earthbreaker.

Toruk motions for the others to take cover and prepare to ambush the raiders when they approach. Toruk finds a large tree to hide behind where he can monitor the approach to the camp.

"Damn, these bastards are going to pay..."

Braggi hides wherever he can and stands ready for the ambush.

Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Jocasta is too numb to do much talking - between the prisoners, the sudden turn to idiocy, and the loss of Cedryk, she simply busies herself with making the campsite and "hmms" in acknowledgement when someone asks her to do something. She waves off decision-making and simply helps to prepare supper and keep the campsite as reasonably orderly as possible, given the circumstances.

She, too, looks for cover once the patrol arrives.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Musami searches for a dwarf shaped bush to hide behind.

Stealth: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

While your group moves into the trees away from the campsite the prisoners cower inside the clearing, hunched down behind the shrubbery. They try to stay quiet but seeing the gnolls, Ashari begins to cry while Wilrick shakes uncontrollably. Deerfellow and Aeron do what they can to try and reassure them and more importantly keep them quiet.

The quartet approaches another 30' then the smaller gnoll signals for the group to stop. He whispers something to the others and then makes three short even slashes downwards with his hand. The group then cautiously begins to back away down the road, away from the crossroads just beyond your campsite. As they reach the turn in the road they turn and head back towards the moat house.

As the gnolls go back to the moathouse, Fil notes to the others, quietly so as to not frighten their charges "They will be back. Likely with a few more friends. We should rest while we can and move as quickly as possible in the morn, or even before our normal prayers and memorization times, perhaps get an hour or two down the road before dawn, then take our normal prayer times in."

Toruk looks urgently at Fil. "They know we're here! They will be back in force. We should make haste back to town - even if it means marching through the night!"

"While I agree, Toruk, unless we can relieve some of the exhaustion of our charges, we must rest for at least a short period of time. Or we use our camp as a decoy and trap it." He looks to the others.

"Those in the moathouse are scavengers, and they plan their ambushes, using traps and decoys. We should turn that against them. I have but one spell left, Color Spray. And about 10 charges left on the wand of Magic Missiles. It would be a difficult fight, to say the least."

Then he looks to those they've rescued. "But we also have to think of those who are defenseless in this. They are not in a position to fight. And we are not in a position to heal them."

It is now approaching 3PM, sundown is in roughly 4 hours. The prisoners do not have the stamina nor energy to make the roughly 7 mile distance to Hommlet. The 3 mile trek thus far has fatigued them. They have been beaten, starved, and tortured over the past few days down to 1-2 hp each. Who is providing them "healer oversight" that they might recover somewhat overnight, bedding as it is on the cold hard ground?

Musami is not a healer. He has offered them his bedroll to make the camp as comfortable as possible and offered them rations. There isn't much more he can do for them. I can aid on heal checks perhaps. I agree that we cannot really push on in the time before sun down so we have to rest up and defend them as best we can. I don't see any other choice.

"If we can't fight and we can't run then we have to hide," says Jocasta. "What about the perimeter of the moathouse itself? Somewhere around the back, behind the rear wall, out of sight?"

The backside of the moat house is more swamp and marshland. The moat spreads into wetlands as far as you could see from the arrow slits in the lizard's room. Unfortunately you did not actually search the area around the moat house to determine if there might be a safe spot to hide within.

"Hey, Toruk. Why don't you try with the healing stick?"

Braggi is correct in that once the prisoners have rested an hour, eaten a meal, and drained a few waterskins then a Cure Light Wounds spell would likely restore enough physical as well as non-lethal damage to allow them to continue on, at half speed, to Hommlet.

Perhaps walking the the dusk and into the evening would not be so bad, would it?

I think that is the most feasable plan. With all of our eyes watching out for the dangers, we might be okay-ish, but this will be dangerous, no doubt.

"A fine idea, Braggi, something to help with our poor fellows. Perhaps after some rest, we can move more quickly."

He looks to the others, after thinking for a bit,
"It is for the benefit of the town that we do not cause an immediate panic, but we need the correct alarms to be raised. We should head straight for the tower, honestly. Either there or the church of St. Cuthbert to heal our charges. Those would be the safest places at this hour, and least likely to cause a panic in the town. What do you say?"

"The church," says Jocasta. "I think the priest is part of the town council, so he can keep them informed, and they are probably better positioned to deal with refugees in need of medical help."

Assuming Toruk is accepting of the group's decision...

The freed prisoners seem healed enough to continue the journey after a bit of rest and feeding. The going is slow, the group suffering pangs and nausea from having gone days without food and virtually no water.

Though every noise seems to herald a rush of would-be attackers none ever materialize. Only the occasional pigeon or dove in flight overhead gives any clue to life outside your small band.

The seven miles seems to take forever and the town is dark, the sun already set, the waxing gibbous moon rising to shed enough light to follow along the roadway by the time your group finally reaches the outskirts of Hommlet. As you approach the tower you see a flash of light from the upper reaches, guardsmen noting your progress and likely informing those below travelers approach on foot.

You will pass directly by the tower, the grove, the blacksmith, and the inn before you make the turn and cross the river to climb the hill towards the church.

Are the lights on in the smithy?

Though the forge is tamped down for the night, there is a small light in the window of the smith's rooms adjacent.

I can do no more for these people. I will see you at the inn.

Musami splits off from the group and heads to the forge. He knocks on the door to the smith's rooms. It is me, Musami, the journeyman smith.

"No prob, mate. We can go on from here, I guess we're safe now" Braggi comments, though he still looks around just in case.

Not having any business at the village, he says goodnight to anyone wanting to leave earlier likke Musami did, and guides the rest to the church.

Musami's knock is answered by a small tow-haired boy of roughly 8 or 9 winters. His eyes are bleary but widen as he realizes he is staring up into the face of a real dwarf. YYeesss sir, may I help you good dwarf?

The procession makes their way on through the village, passing a single large patrol of six men-at-arms who start to stop them until one recognizes them. He nods to you, advising you hurry along, that a curfew has been laid since last you were in town. After the bad business at the mill, and with the attacks on Black Jay and the Kindlehoppers, town's all afraid. Isn't safe to be out about after sundown.

Toruk will query the guards for more information. "Tell us of these attacks on Black Jay and the Kindlehoppers. Who attacked and when?"

Addressing Toruk and anyone stopping to listen the guard elaborates. Late yesterday evening Black Jay was tending his herd, driving them back to his fields, when he was struck by an arrow. The shaft had some power, went clean through his leg left to right. The man spits and glances back up the hill towards the man's home. Too stubborn to pay a tithing so the church only cleaned it up a bit. He'll be on a pole for a few weeks while it mends.

He wipes his mouth with a dark stained rag before tucking it back up the sleeve of his leather doublet. The Kindlehoppers were attacked in their home early this morning. At least three persons broke in and tied them up. They had their way with Fruella and then cut out her tongue. Tacked it to the front door, a bloody eye painted below it. He leans in, Lord Burne don't want that getting out, but I was there when they tried to deputize you, so I guess it's okay. You lot would have been a better choice than the louts they settled on. Bad bunch says I, not that anyone would ask.

Musami walks to the tavern and catches up with the party.

Fil pauses with Toruk. Listens but he has the group's charges to keep track of and to ensure make it to the church.

They will most likely be the best source of intel on whatever the heck is in the moathouse.

"We will have business with Lord Burne in the afternoon tomorrow." He looks to the guardsman, "Can you see to it that he gets a message that our company has need to speak with him?"

The man-at-arms glances at Fil, and nods, slowly. I can pass the message along, but I don't guarantee he'll see you. The tower has been busy with all this, and the Regulators say they're handling it. He then nods good night and leads the patrol on their way.

The remaining distance to the church passes without further interruption. The large stone edifice is dark save a single torch burning outside the door, and a faint flicker of what might be light behind the dark stained glass of the upper cathedral panes.

Knocking at the door eventually brings Calmert the acolyte to the door. Seeing the weary and wounded prisoners he opens the door and ushers your group into the outer eaves. It would appear you have found yourselves some trouble again. Are you here to donate to the welfare of the needy, and in turn find for yourselves the blessings of St. Cuthbert?

"We have found the needy themselves. We seek shelter for these weary souls, Calmert. I haven't much money right at the moment but you may have it all if you provide shelter and provide it quietly. These people have been through something horrible and need somewhere peaceful to rest separate from other people for the time being, we will need to speak with them in the morning with Lord Burne tomorrow."

Fil drops his coin purse containing 10 Copper Commons, 9 Silver Nobles, and 2 Gold Orbs.

Posting the treasure list in the OOC thread tonight too.

Toruk contributes his remaining gold to the Church. "Any help you can provide these unfortunate souls would be appreciated. They are the victims of a great evil that lurks beneath the ruins of the moat house. I fear that a darkness is rising over the land. We must destroy it before it can further infiltrate and corrupt Hommlet. From the news of the recent attacks, we don't have much time."

Calmert has you follow with the prisoners, leading you from the main hall into a side chambers. Ignoring the stairs to the private chambers he opens a door and leads you into the church kitchen. An elderly woman in a long night gown is there, roused by the noise. She and the junior priest lead you all down a small spiral staircase to the cellars and store rooms. A small hospital room is set aside below what must be the altar above. There are six bunks, cabinets, a water basin, everything the small group will need to rest and recover.

Matilda and I will be able to take care of the group for now. Please leave your donations in the poor box upstairs. The priest then begins pulling a small divider screen from beside one of the cabinets, to give Ashari some privacy.

The priest then begins to usher you back up the stairs, letting the cook get the small group some robes that they might clean up. However, if you might, please return tomorrow that I might discuss how you can further assist the church, and how the church might better aid you in return.

"I may not follow Cuthbert, but you have my word I shall return, Calmert. You have my gratitude on this horrible night."

Fil then coughs a bit, then smiles weakly.

"It's been a bit of a trying evening for all of us. Master Toruk, let us take our leave."

And, at this point, Fil needs funds for a place to sleep :/

It is likely Gundigoot would offer up a spot in the common room, at the least, though perhaps a bit of good grace remains if you mention your deeds rescuing the prisoners and the loss of Cedryk. You might also use the item to be sold to the jeweler as collateral for a night's lodging. Speaking of Cedryk btw, what is to be done with his remains?

There is no-one in the grove at this time, is there? Jaroo is gone, fake Jaroo is gone and the smith is gone too. I would like to give him a burial in line with his traditions and beliefs in the grove. Is that at all possible? And since Musami didn't go to the church he didn't have the opportunity to donate any money so he could cover the costs of a night's lodgings and food for anyone who needs it.

There is no formal druid in residence no, though Jaroo did have a budding acolyte after Hiram, the lad Yundi who works at the inn. As for funeral rites the women who participated in caring for Jaroo's remains should be able to do the same for Cedryk.

If no one has a major objection then that is my vote. Lets give him the proper funeral rites of a druid, or as close as we can get.

Braggi nods to Fil's words, though he's not sure where they will be next day. "We might be busy trying to assault the moat, or some other things might take our time. It seems all the problems in the world are concentrated here, damn."

He directs himself towards the inn, eager for a glass of beer to settle down all the dust in his throat. "First round's on me."