Cinder gets bit as he moves into position, but manages to pull free and complete his action. He slams hard into the wolf, but the creature remains on its feet, even if just barely.
The wolf snaps at Cinder in response, but its jaws clamp down on nothing.
Vigny tries defending against the [green] wolf on her, and though she loses a bit of blood to the maw, she manages to keep her balance.
The [blue] wolf follows Cinder around the camp and flanks him as he flanked the red wolf. Despite it's tactics, Cinder manages to avoid the attack.
Cinder crushes the red wolf, leaving only the green.
A solid hit convinces this wolf to decide to look for food elsewhere. It limps away.
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Belondia swings his axe into the corpse of one of the wolves and leaves it buried in there as he angrilly turns to putting his armour back on. Now he just felt horrible.
Upon mounting his armour he returns the axe to his pack and then wanders off into the rocky surrounding areas for a moment of self pity.
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Ember chucks rocks at the last wolf to slink off, furiously, and would probably have pursued if not for that whole 'gaping gash in her flesh and possible blood loss wooziness' she's got going on. Wheezing, Ember sits down, hand pressed over her bite marks.
"That... that....
"...was the worst campsite ever!!" she snaps, her eyes blazing. "Ugh! Use that special stick on us unless you've spells, Vigny!"
The rest of the night passes uneventfully. The next day, you continue your journey through the Fangwood. Early in the day, your trail leads to the shores of the Gray Lake, where you can refill waterskins and stop for a quick rest.
The trees begin to thin, revealing a field of short, green grass that leads to the shores of a wide, calm lake reflecting the overcast sky above. A dense fog hangs over the center of the lake, obscuring the far side. Near the shore of the lake, a dark form lies next to the water.
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"Fear not dwarf, you will have plenty of time to redeem yourself in your long life. Some of the best gladiators started as incompetent fodder, who by luck, learning and tenacity accomplished great deeds - in and beyond the Pits.."
" I could use a charge from the wand as well. Thanks Sis."
What is that? drifts across his mind as he takes note of the shape near the water.
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Belondia gives a light smile to Cinder's words as they trudge along. "I suppose you're right. I can still prove myself get."
Looking over toward the darkness by the water and taking a few steps closer, drawing his Warhammer and his shield as he did. "Lemmie go take a look at this." Taking some more steps toward whatever it may be.
The form is actually the decayed body of a person.
Belondia uncovers a masterwork short sword near the body and a coin pouch with 87 gp inside. The coins look newly minted from the capital city of Tamran; they bear the likeness of Forest Marshal Gavirk, nominal leader of Nirmathas.
This man is not from Kassen—his clothing is in poor condition from exposure, but it is obviously of a kind purchased in larger cities.
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"Oh... Well that's just not nice." He shook his head at the disrespect as he moved in to examine the body and the contents of his person. Belondia grabbed the pouch off the floor in hopes of finding a clue, but he only found coins. After a few moments counting them up he turned to his comrades with a puzzled look on his face."Eighty-Seven gold pieces. His death doesn't appear to be a robbery. His sword looks good quality too, sure anyone could have made a pretty penny on that."
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Well as long as we can spare the time for him I have a shovel." Belondia swings his pack offbhis back and rummages around for his shovel before finding a nice little spot under the closest tree, that's off the track of course. "Here looks about right.
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Ember wrinkles her nose as she looks the body over. "His clothes aren't local to that little town we came from," she points out. "They had mostly homespun-- this stuff is quality from some city tailor's."
Ember looks around warily. "This can't be one of the villager's pranks. Poor bastard was real, and seems really dead."
She looks less than enthused about the work of grave-digging, but with a sigh she nods and sets to helping. She has no shovel of her own, but she uses her dagger to score the turf in a rectangle. "Poor wretch. I guess we're in no hurry."
After burying the body, completing your healing, and refilling your waterskins, you are back on your way. (and no longer fatigued) Leaving the Gray Lake behind, you must travel for about 3 hours to reach the valley that contains the Crypt of the Everflame.
The trail leads ever deeper into the Fangwood, through a twisting maze of trees and confusing ravines. As it tops a small rise, a broad valley spreads out before it, the opposite side of which looks like a writhing serpent. Yet between the two lies a steep hill sloping down into the valley. A cold rain starts to fall, making the ground slick and treacherous.
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"Geh! Not a fan of all the rain you northern people get up here!" Ember complains, shielding her eyes with her hand and studying the descent. "How much rope have we got, Cinder? I got fifty feet, and the climber's kit-- we can tie a guideline down, let people hold onto it as we go, aye? Then if someone slips, at least they don't slide in the mud all the way to the bottom...."
Ember digs out her rope and climbing kit from Cinder's pack. She also taps a considering finger on a vial at her belt, but leaves it corked for now.
"I wonder if there's any game trails down or the like... Hard to see anything in this miserable rain!"
You find what you think is the best route, and figure slow going and using ropes would probably best improve you chances, although anything improving acrobatics and reflex saves would be good.
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"How did he get here, and why is he dead?" Cinder ponders aloud.
Cinder looks down the hill. "I hope no one is afraid of heights. "I think we just have your rope and the gear the town gave us. It strikes me as odd that the townsfolk would send out people who aren't really adventurers to deal with this incline. Perhaps there's another way around? Otherwise, tying down sounds like a good idea."
Cinder begins to strip his armor off, to lessen it's hindrance while navigating the terrain.
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"Good idea," Ember says, noting her brother's taking off of his armor. She starts to do the same, wanting to have full motion for the progress downward.
"...I do have this potion," she says with a frown, tapping at her belt. "The merchant said it would let whoever drank it jump like a frog. I don't know if that'll help or not... if you tried to jump down this mess of a slope, you might wind up breaking both ankles."
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Belondia eyes the ravine and then once again swings his pack off his back. Removing two 50' ropes and a Grappling hook. "We tie the ropes together. Attach them to the Grappling hook, which we attach to so sturdy roots or on a tree. Then it should be a lot easier to scale this silly hill."
He begins his plan by knotting to the two ropes together and attaching them to his Grappling hook. After securing it to something at the top of the ravine he pulls tight go check its safe and then begins to remove his armour like the rest of his companions.
Once his armour is removed Belondia sets off walking backward down the ravine with the rope to guide him.
With going slowly and using the ropes , Belondia manages to make his way down safely, although he just barely avoids slipping at the end.
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"If we need to leave quickly, we will want this rope here when we come back." he says in response to his sister.
The male ifrit places his feet down on the ground, his body facing the sky. He walks backwards, relying on his strength to hold him against careening down the valley should he lose his footing. Looking over his shoulder, he carefully chooses each step his he walks down the steep terrain backwards.
Only one 50' length of rope was necessary to get the bonuses.
Vigny slides down a muddy hill and then falls down a 20-foot cliff, taking points of damage.
Ember slides down a short hill before slamming into a tree. She takes points of nonlethal damage.
Everyone else makes it to the bottom unscathed. You continue on, eventually finding the bottom of a relatively small valley, deep in the Fangwood.
An archway of stone is set into the side of a small hill at the bottom of the valley. Moss has overgrown many of the details, but one is still quite clear. The keystone of the arch is carved with a flame symbol with a stylized rune in the middle. Beyond the archway is a darkened tunnel that leads to a pair of massive wooden doors, one of which is slightly ajar. A pair of horses and a trio of ponies lie slaughtered next to the archway, each corpse still tied to a post set into the ground nearby. A swarm of flies hangs lazily in the air above them.
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"A crypt with a flame that burns forever. Probably people seeking treasure. They arrived together, when they went in one slaughtered their mounts and then his allies and made off with some loot?" Belondia raises an eye brow and gives a few short nods to his own idea. "I mean there are far worse things that could have happened. But let's keep an open mind for now"
No one has perceived anything else.
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"Ow," Ember mutters as she picks herself up from a pile of bruising and pain. Vigny looks far worse though.
"--hang up, look at this," Ember says as they poke around the gruesome scene, one hand holding her nose. "There's human bones under this horse carcass."
Ember stares down at the remains, then gazes unhappily into the mouth of the tunnel.
"....I think this just got serious... Vigny, go ahead and use that stick to clear off the last of your bruises, and mine. If there's something ahead killing people, I'd rather we were at our very best."
Ember pokes at the human bones, trying to figure out what killed them, and looking for any signs of tracks that the murderer might have gone into the crypt.
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"Bones? That means undead. I can't remember how long ago it was, but Silverbane was more a title given to my family than a name. If there undead then I cannot let them live again."
Belondia leaves his post at the door and returns to the corpses. "I can try lifting the beast. Cinder, you reckon you can lift the other side. Ember, if you and Vigny grab the skeleton, maybe we can see if it's armed, or how withered it really is so we know what me may be up against."
Working together, you are able to move the horse carcass. The skeleton underneath is, in fact, very old. It is also wearing a chain shirt that is in disrepair, and holding a broken scimitar. You do assume correctly that this was a member of the undead community.
Everyone is healed fully, and no longer fatigued, so you are in good shape to enter, should you choose that path...
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"Our survey says... Undead. Alrighty then. I'll go first and if anything turns foul then you three help each other out of here and I'll keep them off you."
He returned to his position at the door and waited for his allies to prepare themselves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belondia slowly pulls open the door to the Crypt enough for him and the others to enter comfortably and then he heads in, shield raised and ready to fight defensively.