With four bodies between himself and the only remaining viable target, Alenthyn does the only thing he can think of to stay useful. Once again letting a small rivulet of his arcane power slide onto a newly-nocked blunt arrow, he stalks around the north side of the fight, arrow trained on the undead thing in case he can get a clear shot or it breaks from combat.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Sorry, my bad everyone. I thought blunt arrows were the ones that did non-lethal but they just deal bludgeoning. Undead are immune to non-lethal but if they just did regular bludgeoning damage then Alenthyn's last attacks dropped that last one.
"Is anyone seriously harmed?" Ariella asks the group. "If not I suggest we move on, the battle may attract the notice of other creatures dwelling in this foul morass."
As the second arrow seems to take the fight out of the… whatever it is they're fighting, Alenthyn spins in a slow circle. He gives a thorough visual search before answering Ariella. "They weren't able to actually close on me… well, thanks to you all, they weren't. So what are these? Don't look what I thought the shadow creatures would." He spends a few minutes reclaiming any salvageable arrows before returning to the horses. "Same formation as before… that seemed to work." He gives the group a half-smile, "That seemed to go well. How long can you keep that level of magic output up, Ariella?"
"The holy light isn't too strenuous. No more big fireballs until tomorrow though." she answers him.
"Is anyone seriously harmed?" Ariella asks the group. "If not I suggest we move on, the battle may attract the notice of other creatures dwelling in this foul morass."
"I am well." Dolelan replies curtly, wiping the dull grey metal of his blade clean of undead filth before replacing it in its sheath. "I should like to see if these creatures bear any identifying marks before we leave; it might be useful to know whether they arose from their rest due to the unwholesome influence of this place or if they were sent here to guard it."
So saying, Dolelan proceed to examine the most-intact of the ghouls for a few minutes before departing.
Is there any indication of what spell was used to animate these undead creatures or what phenomena is responsible for it?
Can I tell where/when these bodies are from, by scraps of clothing/jewelry, tattoos, physiological traits, state of preservation/decay, etc?
Same as knowledge (arcana), if applicable. Also, are there signs that these people were interred with any particular burial custom?
Aside from the reek of Necromancy there is no magic among the dead, looking upon them for anything that stands out strangely you notice that nothing stands out. None of these dead bodies has ANY personal items whatsoever which is extremely strange for ghouls risen due to the natural buildup of negative energy.
Examining the ghouls further you identify several key factors that lead you to the conclusion that these ghouls (though they fell to you easily) were much stronger than they had any right to be and were made stronger through magic.
As per the map you're at a fork in the road, do you go left or right?
Absent any other input, Dolelan would choose the path to the left.
Rikka takes the horses back from the Gulorne with a nod of thanks.
Alenthyn spends some time sniffing around the two trails, looking for clues or tracks.
Absent any other input, Dolelan would choose the path to the left.
Ariella
Rikka
Dolelan
Maeltheron
Taking the path to the left it leads down a road much like the one you've been traversing. After about half an hour you come to the edge of...something. You see stones covered in a blackish green moss piled on either side of the road in what may have been buildings at one point though they only stand chest high at their highest point. The ruins stretch for about two hundred feet until they end and the normal path continues.
"Did anyone else see that blue light?" Ariella asks, drawing her bow and pointing towards the building where the flash occured.
Rikka nods. "Shall we take a look?"
Maeltheron steps from the cover of the shadows and lets his hood down.
I see it...let's take a closer look.
Maeltheron notches and arrow and moves forward cautiously towards the source of the light.
Perception:
Alenthyn stops where he is, watching his teammates' backs as they check out whatever it is they saw. "What ya got there?"
"Dunno. I just saw a flash of something bluish." She can't help but add with a touch of good-natured sarcasm, "I'm sure it's a friendly faerie in the swamp crawling with undead. Well... no time like the present." She creeps forward, senses straining for any sign of life.
Ariella will follow Rikka at a cautious distance.
Creeping forward both Maeltheron and Rikka see a glimpse of blue before it seems to disappear beneath a section of overturned wall.
Rikka moves towards the tumbledown section of wall, wondering if it could be lifted. She sighs at the choice ahead. "This is probably a mistake..." She leans down and tries to peek into the hole where the blue whatever disappeared.
Dolelan frowns, not having seen anything, but pulls out his bow and nocks an arrow- just in case. He remains alert as they advance into the ruins and Ariella and Rikka begin to examine the walls.
Maeltheron steps to within 30 feet of Rikka's position and notches an arrow.
Yes, Rikka, right under there. I have you covered.
Pereception:
You know that these ruins are definitely human in origin, though this style of building, cut and fitted stone used to hold the walls together rather than mortar has fallen out of common use many years ago. These ruins are at least fifty to a hundred years old is when this type of building was being put up all the time in this type of environment.
About this settlement in particular you're very familiar. This town, once known as Hammill was a waystation for people passing through the forest on it's eastern road. There was once a path that took a traveler all the way from Bosh to Kingsvale and even Ashcove to the south. About seventy years ago people started hearing troubling reports, trees coming to life, the dead rising from their graves. It wasn't long before the road was diverted away from Jackal's Folly entirely, it added about fifteen miles to the journey south but made things much safer.
Rikka moves towards the tumbledown section of wall, wondering if it could be lifted. She sighs at the choice ahead. "This is probably a mistake..." She leans down and tries to peek into the hole where the blue whatever disappeared.
As you bend down and look within this little alcove you see a little blue floating orb with what looks like flames licking up it's sides, as it comes fully into view it shoots out past you in a flurry of blue sparks. Those around Rikka see those sparks quickly disperse into the surrounding area.
Shaking your head you're filled with the inexplicable urge to walk down the road of this town you've never been to before and throw yourself down the well. Shaking your head you clear the notion like an errant dream.
The samurai steps back as the creature retreats. blinking. "Give this creature a wide berth. It just tried to encourage me to throw myself down the town well... that way, I think. Is it a haunt, perhaps?" She points in a rough direction based on the impulse she felt.
Knowledge: Arcana 1d20 + 12.
If Knowledge: Nature or Dungeoneering is more appropriate, the roll is still valid (same modifier).
You know that it was using some sort of mind affecting effect but arcana tells you nothing.
Does anyone have knowledge religion?
"Hmmm, a sparking blue orb..." Ariella says stroking her chin.
Charon stays hidden and back a little.
Stealth:
"Hmmm, a sparking blue orb..." Ariella says stroking her chin.
Because Rikka resisted the haunt it didn't actually fulfill itself, you're fairly certain it will try again later. Though if you leave before it's finished pulling itself back together you should be fine, haunts are confined to a very specific locale.
"Of course, this must be a haunt. It happens when a particularly powerful event, most often murder or suicide, leaves an imprint that grows over time. The negative energy can be abated with either an equal or greater amount of positive energy or the fulfillment of the haunt's purpose. It failed with Rikka but, I'm certain it will try again later. If we leave before it's finished pulling itself back together we should be fine, haunts are confined to very specific locales." Ariella says. "Well come on, quick as you like. The faster we're away from here the better." She starts walking in the direction they were going before the haunt interrupted them.
Dolelan arches an eyebrow at the priestess. "And you're just going to leave it there? This road may not be well traveled, but I'd just as soon not have the death of the next traveler on my head if it can be avoided... and perhaps that well bears investigating."
Ariella sighs. "I suppose we can try to deal with it, but we'll have to wait for it to show itself again."
And how exactly do we deal with such an incorporeal form? I do not imagine that my arrows will be much use.
"I can try to zap it with positive energy. I don't know if it will be enough though."
The thought of leaving the haunt for innocent bystanders obviously troubles the tall elf, but he shakes his head, "I want to do something if we're able as well, but there may be a better time. Unless this is directly related to our current quarry, I'd prefer to conserve our combined power for the dangers we're already hunting. If and when we overcome that obstacle, I'm more than happy to return here to attempt to clear this up."
Charon steps from the shadows, blades in hand. Charon states,"Either fix it quickly or lets go. I can careless who gets hurt, other than our target. What's a few more dead people? Chances are whatever we're chasing is killing more than this dumb well." Charon shakes her head. "I'm beginning to like you Ariella. You seem to have a strong sense of survival. Alenthyn is right though. We shouldn't be wasting our time."
"I simply see it the same way as the others. We have a much greater foe than a locally defined haunt in the middle of a swamp well known to be infested with undead monsters. If someone is stupid enough to come in here unprepared they deserve what they get. Even the sun can't bring light to all the corners of creation, how then should we?"
Let us move on then.
Maeltheron attempts to move back into the trees and shadows to flank the party as they advance when ready.
Stealth:
Once everyone seems ready, Alenthyn once again leads out.
Charon nods at Maeltheron comment. And moves back into the shadows she came from.
Stealth:
Ariella waits for Rikka to start walking, and then resumes her position at her rear, a few paces behind Rikka.
Rikka shrugs then wheels her horse to follow after Alenthyn.
Departing from this depressing scene you press on further into the ominous woods. Following the path for another couple miles you continue to follow the road until abruptly, it ends. It ends and leads directly into a thick bog with no land ahead in sight. Soft layers of mist barely visible through the beams of sunlight filtering through from the branches overhead tangle and twist themselves among the exposed roots of these large cypress trees.
"Anyone have a boat?" Ariella asks sarcastically.
Dolelan presses his lips together and keeps his peace. As they depart though, he does spend a few minutes looking down into the depths of the well. He doesn't fall far behind, and it is only a matter of minutes before he catches up with the rest of the party.
Dolelan presses his lips together and keeps his peace. As they depart though, he does spend a few minutes looking down into the depths of the well. He doesn't fall far behind, and it is only a matter of minutes before he catches up with the rest of the party.
Glancing down the well you see the wreckage of what once may have been the winch to draw water but it is otherwise fairly empty.
Bump